Year: 2011

The Memory Bank

Mrs. Eaves by Mrs. Eaves

The Memory BankThe Memory Bank is both is stange and wonderful at the same time.  The book combines prose and illustration to share the story of sisters who love each other dearly.  “Hope and Honey Scroggins were the closest of sisters, had been right from the start.  Truly, they were lucky to love each other so!  Not so lucky when it came to their parents, though.  Mr. and Mrs. Scroggins were simply awful people.” (p.9)

Right after this passage the Scroggins unceremoniously leave  Honey by the side of the road for laughing too much in the car.  “Forget her,” they say to Hope and do.  But Hope cannot and does not.  Unable to forget and devasted by despair Hope retreats to her dreams.  There at least she might glimpse something of her beloved Honey.  As a result of too much dreaming, Hope is summoned to the World Wide Memory Bank (WWMB) where she is asked to account for her deficit of new memories. You can’t make new memories if you don’t participate in the real world – not something that typically happens to a nine-year old.  The keepers of the Bank are quite surprised by this and not sure what to do.  While plans are being made, Hope learns more about the conflict between the Clean Slate Gang, a group that seeks to destroy memories, and the WWMB, guardians of memories. She sees how memories are kept, shared and treasured and for the first time in her life she feels valued, wanted and cared for.

Meanwhile, Honey has been picked up by an exuberant,candy eating, live-in-the-moment group whose actions are told wordlessly  via multi-page illustrated sections. The reader gradually sees how these stories will intersect.

Though a little confusing in some places, this book will make you think as you’re reading and after you are done.  It will keep coming back to you.  How will you live in the real-world?  What memories will you keep in the Bank?  Which will you picture and which will you record?

Elijah of Buxton

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Elijah Of Buxton

11 year-old Elijah Freeman is a freeborn black child in who was born and is being raised in Canada. It is early 1860 and just before the Civil War, he lives a normal Canadian life with his Ma, Pa and friends. None of the people he knows are enslaved now, but some he knows have been enslaved. He has never had any experience with the brutality of slavery. But when a theif of their own kind steals the money that has been saved for freeing friends, Elijah crosses the border from Canada into the deadly dangerous America. He tries to track down the thief in America. If you want to find out what happens to the innocent young Elijah, read Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis.

Click here for the website on Christopher Paul Curtis. This website is a bit outdated because Elijah of Buxton is his newest book and  is not yet  on the website.

Click here for the Kidsreads.com take on Christopher Paul Curtis.

Click here for the Elijah of Buxton book trailer.

Click here for the The Stacks for Kids.com take on the Elijah of Buxton website.

Edison’s Gold

Mrs. Eaves by Mrs. Eaves ,

Edison’s Gold by Geoff Watson brings friendship, invention and history together to create an original tale ofEdison's Gold what might have been and what could be.  Set in present day New York City, Tom Edison discovers some huge changes are coming in his life, and not just because he keeps causing disasters through hisfailed inventions.  Tom doesn’t want to move to Wichita.  He doesn’t want to leave the two best friends a person could have.  There has to be a way to stay – if only he can make an invention work – if only he can follow in the footsteps of his namesake and great great grandfather.

Just as it seems all hope seems lost, Tom discovers a clue in his basement laboratory- an original photograph left by his famous relative with an odd rose-like symbol.  This launches Tom’s quest – a race against time to solve the hidden mystery. If he can solve it there is a chance he can keep his family from moving, help save their house and restore honor to the Edison name. It’s a challenge uncovering the century old secrets, made even more difficult by evil billionaire out to avenge historical rivalries by stealing Tom’s secret.

Edison’s Gold is an exciting adventure.  There is danger and challenge.  The characters are great friends supporting each other in covert missions, reading codes and solving problems that unite present day with historical sites in New York City. Personalities like Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, Theodore Roosevelt, Babe Ruth are woven into the tale to add interesting connections for lots of different readers. There’s sure to be a sequel – the secret is saved, but the mystery is certainly not over.  Have fun reading Edison’s Gold.  You’ll be glad you did.

Gilda Joyce – Physic Investigator

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Gilda Joyce – Psychic InvestigatorGilda Joyce: Psychic Investigator (Gilda Joyce, #1)

By:Jennifer Allison

Fiction, mystery and comedy

5 Stars

Review by: Sophia

Gilda Joyce – Physic Investigator is going to be the most action packed mystery book you’ll ever read. I couldn’t put it down. This thrilling novel by Jennifer Allison is bound to have you hooked until the very end, from all of the creepy truths Gilda and her cousin, Juliet, find to the ghost that is said to haunt their mansion. The plethora of events is sure to keep you reading. I absolutely loved it! This awesome novel is about a 13-year-old girl named Gilda Joyce. She ends up going to her gloomy cousin house for the summer to help her write a novel that she promised her class by the end of the summer. The tower outside the mansion is where her aunt is said to have committed suicide.  Gilda Joyce loves to go explore creepy places so she of course tried to open the tower door but it wouldn’t open.  What will happen you ask?  Well you have to read and find out.  Jennifer Allison has written three other novels.  You might like to read them all.

Gilda Joyce: The Ghost Sonata (Gilda Joyce, #3)Gilda Joyce and the Ladies of the Lake (Gilda Joyce, #2)Gilda Joyce: The Dead Drop (Gilda Joyce, #4)

Pendragon – Book One: The Merchant of Death

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The Merchant of Death (Pendragon, #1)Pendragon – Book 1:  The Merchant of Death

By: D.J Machale

Review by: Adil

Five out of five stars

I’ve read some of the best books ever (well, in my opinion), Harry Potter, Eragon, and many others, but this is my favorite book of all. I loved the book so much because of the plot and the characters. I liked the characters because they are mysterious, funny, and always seem to be open (besides one named Loor). It’s a great, page turning fantasy that I couldn’t put down. The main character, Bobby, is a seemingly normal 14 year-old. He goes to school, and is a basketball star. He’s normal in every way besides the fact that he’s a Traveler. I can’t say anything about travelers without either confusing you or giving important stuff away, but I guarantee it makes the book a lot more interesting. Read it and find out!

The Penderwicks

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The Penderwicks

The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy (The Penderwicks, #1)reviewed by Gus

The Penderwicks is a five star must read. It’s about 3 girls that are always getting into trouble, a strange boy with a mother who is no fun and summer fun. I think the sequel; The Penderwicks on Gardam Street is just as good, without the boy. The third has just come out, but I have not read it yet. This series is written by Jeanne Birdsall and is realistic fiction. If you want comedy, fun, and a hard to put down read, The Penderwicks is for you.

The Sherlock Files: The Hundred Year Old Secret

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The Sherlock Files The Hundred Year Old Secret

By Tracy Barrett

The 100-Year-Old Secret (The Sherlock Files)Genre: Mystery

Rating: 5 Stars

Review by: Ryan

Summary: Xena and Xander find out they are related to the famous detective Sherlock Holmes when they move to London from the United States. They are given Mr. Holmes’s casebook. When they receive the casebook they will try to solve a mystery any way they can but, they don’t know how dangerous mystery solving can be.

Ryan’s Review: I loved this book because I was on the edge of my seat through out the whole book. I also like mystery because I like to guess what’s going to happen next.

If you didn’t like the first book or thought it was ok try reading these books

  • The Beast of Blackslope (2nd)
  • The Case That Time Forgot (3rd) (The best book in the series)
  • The Missing Heir (4th) (I haven’t read this yet! It just came out)

All of these books are great and even better than the first!

If you like mystery, action, solving things and putting yourself in the characters shoes you will definitely like this book! This book will make you read the others!

There are not many slow or boring parts in this book, which, I think a lot of people like. The only parts that are slow are when they are thinking about the case or at the start of the book when they introduce you to Xena and Xander. All of this kept me reading all of these books.

Tracy’s new book Dark of the Moon! Coming this fall!

Close to Famous

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Title: Close to Famous

Author: Joan Bauer

Close to FamousGenre: realistic fiction

Review by: Isabel

When a young girl with a severe learning disability is hit with a wave of reality, she must survive with only her single mom, and a cooking TV show for comfort.  However, all is not lost when her mother’s abusive boyfriend strikes.  Can Foster Mc Fee save her family with her newfound passion to bake?

My name is Isabel, and I am here to tell you about a book called Close to Famous by Joan Bauer.  This is realistic fiction, and I recommend it to anyone who loves to cook or bake.  The reason why I enjoyed this book is because it was very well written and I felt like I was sitting next to the main character for almost the whole book.  This is a must read for anyone liking to someday be on television, or a chef show.  I give this story a rating of five out of five stars.  I say this because it had a great mix of sweet and sour, with a different sort of hope lingering in the text as you read.  Although it’s not part of a series, it is a fabulous novel on its own.   I feel like kids anywhere from grade 4 and up should be able to read it with parent permission.  I couldn’t name any book that was similar to this read, but only because it was unique in its own way.  I loved this book, and definitely recommend that you make it a point to check it out from your local library.  What kept me hooked on this novel was the fact that a famous actress living in Foster’s town teaches her to read and write while in return Foster taught the actress to bake.  I found that this book was full of joyful surprises.  If you want to find out what happens to Foster in her new life in Virginia, read this book!

Fire Star

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Title: Fire Star

Fire Star (The Last Dragon Chronicles, #3)Author: Chris D’Lacey

Genre: fantasy

Review by: Peyton

Fire Star is a four star, fantasy novel written by Chris D’Lacey. There are dragons that go shopping for shoes and go to get their nails done. I love this book because I love dragons and the book is funny. But my favorite part of the book is that when David writes his story in the book, and what he is writing, comes true. You should read Fire Star because you will be so anxious to keep reading once you start. What kept me hooked is that there is always something new in each chapter. It is part of a series, The Last Dragon Chronicles, and this is the third.

In this part of this series, David is faced with a perilous task. Gilwania is back and the race for Ragnar’s Tooth is on. David goes on a research trip to the arctic. He writes a story that comes true. Will David survive?

If you haven’t already, read The Fire Within (#1 in the series) as well as Ice Fire (#2) before reading this book!

Conspiracy 365

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Conspiracy 365

Author: Gabriella Lord

Genre: Mystery

Reviewed by: Ben

January (Conspiracy 365)

The books I recommend are from the Conspiracy 365 series. These books have nonstop action. There are 12 books and each is labeled by month. This is because there is a boy named Callumn Ormond who is on the run and has to figure out his dad’s riddle!! It’ll change the world. I would rate it 5 out of 5 stars. It’s a mystery.