Melissa De La Cruz. THE VAN ALEN LEGACY

This was one of those reviews that took me a while to sit down and write, because there is sooo much going on in this book. I needed time to let in sink in. I know I say this every time, but this series really does get richer and more interesting with each installment.
We join Schuyler with Oliver on the run because of the events in Rio. She is blamed for Lawrence’s death. She can’t grieve for him in peace with her family and friends, because the Conclave thinks she killed him. Schuyler and Oliver are getting worn out from changing cities every few days to escape detection.
Meanwhile, back at home, Bliss has an intriguing visitor. Not your normal run-of-the-mill visitor; no, this visitor is a spirit inside of her. Sometimes she blacks out. Other times she witnesses what he’s doing, which really freaks her out. She feels like a tourist in her own body. She’s trying to remain strong and in control to figure out what he’s trying to accomplish.
Finally, the third point of view we get is Mimi. She’s with Kingsley on a Venator hunt for Jordan Llewellyn, who disappeared during the Rio incident. As we learned at the end of the last book, Jordan was no ordinary little sister to Bliss.
And all that was only in the first 20 pages or so. We learn more about the history of the angels, as well as what the Van Alen Legacy is and Schuyler’s part in it. I can’t really say much more without spoiling it. It’s incredibly satisfying, and it left me excited about the next installment.


For the author's website, click here.

Also, let me tempt you with a book trailer:



And even cooler is this interview with the author about the book! Check it out:

Wendy Mass. EVERY SOUL A STAR

Wendy Mass is becoming one of my favorite authors. Her books are so original and memorable. Each one is special in its own way.

This one brings together 3 very different teens: *Ally lives on an isolated campground called Moon Shadow where people go for all types of stargazing events. Her family has been preparing for the biggest event of all, a total eclipse of the sun. Thousands of guests will be coming to her camp in a few weeks to witness this major event.
*Bree feels like she was adopted. Her family is really into science and she’s totally not. She’s gorgeous and planning her future as a model. Her idea of fun is NOT a campground.
*Jack is a loner who reads science fiction and draws aliens. He was not looking forward to summer school. Fortunately, he gets an opportunity to skip it, if he goes to Moon Shadow with a group of stargazers to help out his teacher.
All three teens meet at Moon Shadow, each under different circumstances. They are dealing with their own challenges and obstacles. Meeting one another becomes exactly what they need.
I loved this book for several reasons. First, I enjoyed that it was from three different points of view. Each character was distinct, interesting and realistic. I began to care for each of them. Second, the campground was a wonderfully unique setting. Wow, what a cool place to live or visit. There are special attractions around the camp called “Unusuals.” Some of them include a labyrinth, a star garden, a sun garden, and an art house. Last, I gained a whole new appreciation for astronomy.
I experienced something fresh and interesting – and that’s the best kind of book!

Here are some of the author’s other special books:

HEAVEN LOOKS A LOT LIKE THE MALL my review here

A MANGO SHAPED SPACE my review here

11 BIRTHDAYS is in my "to read" pile. Check out more about WENDY MASS at her website.

Katherine Paterson. FLIP-FLOP GIRL

How timely. Katherine Paterson just received a lifetime achievement award from the International Board on Books for Young People today! Well-deserved!
Now about FLIP-FLOP GIRL…
Vinnie is already dealing with the death of her father when her mother uproots her and her brother to go live with her grandmother in a new town. She’s angry and she feels guilty about her brother. Mason has stopped talking or eating. She thinks it’s because of her yelling at him at the funeral. In the new town, the only positive is her new teacher. She likes him a lot, and he seems to care about her. Then she encounters a mysterious girl who has a rare confidence about her, even though she appears to be an outcast. Her name is Lupe. She doesn’t have any decent clothes and she appears to only have one pair of shoes, orange flip-flops. Plus, while it bothered Vinnie that no one wanted to talk to her or play with her, Lupe seemed oblivious to this and happily played hopscotch alone. Perhaps this girl, this flip-flop girl, will be just the friend she needs.
This is a wonderful, honest depiction of the emotions a child goes through after a death. Vinnie’s anger and loneliness are intense. Lupe is an intriguing character. It’s a meaningful and compelling story you won’t soon forget.
Check out her website for more by Paterson (you know her from Bridge to Terabithia, Great Gilly Hopkins, Jacob Have I Loved, etc...)

Gayle Forman. IF I STAY

I had been hearing about this one for a while, so I was excited to finally get to read it! I was not disappointed at all. This premise was quite unique. Five minutes after we get a wonderful introduction of Mia and her family and falling in love with each and every character, disaster strikes. Mia finds herself in an in-between stage. She’s not dead, but she’s not conscious either. She is witnessing everything going on around her. She sees her family members come in and talk to her. She sees her best friend and boyfriend both distraught.

In flashbacks, we learn more about Mia and her life up to this point. She has a wonderful life. She’s a talented cello player and will probably get accepted to Julliard. Her musician boyfriend loves her deeply and has his own successful career. The only major problem is that their careers will take them in different directions. Before the accident, Mia had a decision to make. Now she has a different, more compelling decision overriding everything. Mia realizes that it’s up to her to stay and wake up or take the easy route and go to sleep for good.

The premise alone made this an intriguing story. But, wow, I was constantly amazed at the beautiful writing. It really is a beautiful, heartbreaking story.
And if that doesn’t convince you, this book trailer will totally do the trick!



Here is the author's website for more.

LIGHTNING THIEF MOVIE!

I so CANNOT wait for this movie. So any little tidbits are awesome!

Terra Elan McVoy. PURE

Tabitha and her friends made a promise at the age of twelve that they would remain pure until they got married. They each wear a purity ring to symbolize their promise to God, their families and each other. The five of them have been friends for a long time. Tabitha and Morgan have been best friends since they were really young. They both believe deeply in their faith and each other. At least they did, up until a major event causes a blow to their relationship. Tabitha begins seeing some characteristics in Morgan that shock her to the core. She begins to question not only Morgan, but her own belief system. She begins to wonder about the very foundation her purity promise is based on, as well as how to choose what is right and wrong. To make things more complicated, Tabitha begins dating Jake, a boy whose kisses make her tingly. How will he react to her purity ring?
Wow. There is so much packed into this book. I love how honest and smart Tabitha is. She is honest with herself, about all of the issues she is dealing with, and learns to be honest with everyone around her. That is really difficult for a teen (heck – it’s difficult for adults!). I also love the author’s spectacular writing. There is a scene where all the girls are having a conversation. But, as they are talking you’re getting what they really feel through either a look on their face or through Tabitha’s translation in her head. It’s a multi-layered conversation and would be extremely clunky, if not written so brilliantly by the author. I enjoyed it so much that I read it over & over. In fact, there were several parts that I savored slowly.
Loved it!

Check out the author here.

Andy Griffiths. TREASURE FEVER

Do you like silly funny? Do you like Jim Carrey? (and by Jim Carrey I mean Dumb & Dumber Jim Carrey, not so much The Cable Guy Jim Carrey). Do you like it when people resemble their names? For example: Mrs. Cross, Mrs. Chalkboard, Fiona McBrain, Gretel Armstrong and Grant Gadget? If so, then you will adore TREASURE FEVER.
It all begins when Henry gets sent to the principal’s office at Northwest Southeast Central School. During the conversation about what Henry did wrong, Principal Greenbeard tells Henry a story about how he played pirates when he was a boy at the school. He and his friends buried a treasure and it was found and stolen by a rival pirates. To this day, the principal has yet to find the treasure. Of course, this gets Henry and his friends on the hunt for buried treasure on the school grounds. (who doesn’t love a good treasure hunt!)
This is one in a series called SCHOOLING AROUND by Andy Griffiths. He also is known for his THE DAY MY BUTT WENT PSYCHO series, as well as several other goofy books. These are silly fun books. They’re great for reluctant readers as well as kids who just want a fun read! (your Captain Underpants readers will love these books!)

Check out the author’s website here. I'm real curious about his new one coming out next year called THE VERY BAD BOOK: click on the book for more...

Heather Brewer. TENTH GRADE BLEEDS

Vlad is beginning tenth grade at Bathory High. He’s enjoyed having Otis at home for a while, especially after the attack the previous year by the slayer. He’s felt safe and learned even more about is unique talents as a vampire. But Otis must leave once again. When Otis leaves, Vlad is left with several reasons to feel unsettled about the new school year. First of all, he’s having torturous nightmares about D’Ablo, who he knows is still after him. His best friend Henry is acting weird around him like he doesn’t want to be his friend anymore. And to make matters worse, Vlad’s hunger is increasing to an insatiable level. He worries about his will power around people. This may be his most challenging year yet.

This was another great book in the chronicles of Vladimir Tod. We learn more about Vlad’s status as the Pravus. We learn more about D’Able and Vlad’s father. There are a few surprises, plenty of action and that witty humor we’ve gotten used to from Heather Brewer.
I loved it & anxiously await the next one!

Don't forget to check out the author's awesome website here.

Dan Gutman. MRS. DOLE IS OUT OF CONTROL

This is the first in a new series by Dan Gutman. It continues the adventures of the kids at Ella Mentry School from the MY WEIRD SCHOOL SERIES. In this book they graduate from 2nd grade into third. Normally you don’t graduate from second grade, but the new PTA president is the mom of one of the kids and she makes a huge deal about it (hence the title) and goes completely overboard.
I love this series! It’s totally relatable to kids. Like this:

Mrs. Dole says “Remember your first day of Kindergarten? My little baby Ryan was so scared to go to school that he peed in his pants. I remember it like it was yesterday.”
“You peed in your pants yesterday?” I asked Ryan.

It’s hysterical! There are many other quirky, funny parts that I won’t divulge here, so you can discover them for yourself. These are great for boys! Although girls will also enjoy them.
This series has 5 more books in it, some haven’t been published yet.

Dan Gutman has a great site to find out more about this series and all his other great books.

Lauren Child. UTTERLY ME, CLARICE BEAN

Wow. I could kick myself for not reading Clarice Bean sooner! I remember seeing Lauren Child's illustrations. And I had read CHARLIE & LOLA, but I think I never got to read Clarice because I was more focused on middle grade books. Well, she is now my absolute favorite book character for young readers. I would have been obsessed as a child (and truthfully, I am a little now as an adult). Plus I love the artwork so much, I want to post all of it here, but I’ll just post a few & send you to Lauren Child’s website for the rest. This is one of those examples where without the illustrations you truly lose the entire mood, theme, and essence of Clarice Bean and her world. I think the creative placement of the text on the page is helpful too. Also, I’d like to point out that Clarice comes in picture book format as well as chapter books. I love them both.

So, about the book. This one is called Utterly Me. A trophy is stolen at school. The bad boy is blamed, since he usually does everything anyway. But Clarice doesn’t think he stole it. So, she emulates her favorite book character Ruby Redfort, secret agent, to solve the mystery.
Clarice is an imaginative, funny daydreamer. I enjoyed spending time with her and look forward to her other chapter books.

A few adorable picture books that I loved!



More on Clarice Bean & her awesome creator, Lauren Child.

Lenore Look. ALVIN HO: ALLERGIC TO GIRLS, SCHOOL, AND OTHER SCARY THINGS

Alvin Ho is entering second grade with a PDK (a personal disaster kit). He’s afraid of everything, except explosions. He loves explosions. Before he started school, he was a superhero – Firecracker Man. (and he still dons the Firecracker Man hat from time to time). But even though he is a superhero, he is very scared of school. He never says a word at school. This makes it difficult to make friends, which he wants to do badly. So he ends up sitting with the only student who understands him: A girl named Flea. He’s disappointed, yet surprised by the book that she’s complied which turns out to be a dictionary of all of his facial expressions. Plus, the fact that she wears an eye patch makes sort of like a pirate. Maybe she will turn out to be OK after all.

Alvin is a refreshingly original character with a wild imagination. He's adorable! I enjoyed going on all of his journeys. I laughed out loud many times. Plus, the story is enriched with the most spectacular illustrations by Leuyen Pham. The facial expressions have uncanny resemblances to some of my favorite Dr. Suess characters.
Highly Recommended!

Jacqueline Woodson. FEATHERS

“Hope is the thing with feathers.” Frannie becomes enamored with this section of a poem by Emily Dickinson that her 6th grade class reads. Many things going on around her cause her to ponder about hope. A mysterious new boy joins her class. It’s 1971 and her school is all African Americans, so the white boy seems very different. He’s skinny with pale white skin and long hair. He has a quiet, calm nature but also seems sad. Eager to put a label on their confusion, the kids begin calling him “Jesus boy.” Frannie’s best friend believes he really is Jesus. Frannie is confused by the boy continuing to deny that he is white. In addition to this mystery, Frannie’s mom has some news that brings back some sadness from their past. Will they be able to move past it and be hopeful again?

For such a thin book, there is a lot going on inside of this treasure. I felt like it took on a life of its own. The flow and rhythm is beautiful. There are many great issues for discussion (several types of prejudice and bully issues), but the book doesn’t feel heavy at all. It’s light and the quiet moments are the most memorable. It’s a real joy. I can see why it is a Newbery Honor book.