middle grade

Book Review: Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls

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Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls
The Baby-Sitters Club #2
by Ann M. Martin

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Children’s classic

For complete transparency, I’ll say up front that I read a lot of this series when I was a kid/pre-teen. And at the time, my name was the same as the founder of the BSC (with the first name spelled slightly different). Nostalgia will hugely affect my reviews for this series, and I have no plans to try to be objective.

Claudia’s interactions with her sister and grandmother were my favorite parts of this story. I also liked that, though they were irrationally scared, the babysitters came up with protocols to address the potential of someone breaking into the house. They kept telling each other/themselves that they probably didn’t need to be worried about a thief who hadn’t harmed anyone, but at the age of 12, I can easily understand that fear would take over when they’re alone with little kids at night. In fact, I’m sure younger children reading this might be a bit freaked out by some of the night scenes in this book. Though I guessed the outcome of the phantom storyline (not sure if it was a pure guess or something I remembered from reading this when I was young), I’m sure most kids wouldn’t. However, I don’t particularly care for that outcome nor how Kristy responds to it.

Whether or not this book will translate well to kids and pre-teens now, I couldn’t say. I wish I had thought to start reading this series to/with my daughter when she was around 8-10, because I think she would have enjoyed it, and we could have discussed the good and the bad of the books.

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Book Review: Al Capone Does My Homework

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Al Capone Does My Homework
Tales from Alcatraz #3
by Gennifer Choldenko

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Middle grade historical fiction

Thirteen-year-old Moose Flanagan’s life on Alcatraz we already a little odd, not to mention difficult, but when his father becomes assistant warden, he knows it’s up to him to watch his dad’s back. Then his apartment catches fire and his autistic sister is blamed, and Moose has his hands full trying to figure out who really set the fire.

I liked this book almost as much as the first in the series, which means I liked it a little more than the second. The kids on the island were a little more under control this time (they seemed to just go a little nutty in the previous book), and I really felt for poor Moose. He tends to take too much responsibility on his own shoulders, and there’s a lot to deal with here. Besides the fire, there’s another side mystery developing on the island, and I was caught up in both of these plots. I half-guessed one of the culprits, but there was more to it than I expected, and events transpired that I didn’t anticipate. 

One of the things I like about this book, and the series in general, is that it doesn’t pander to its younger audience. Stakes and consequences are high, and though the kids and teens on the island tend to get into things a little above their heads, it’s not unrealistic or eye-rolling like some books for this age group can be. I also appreciate that the author has first-hand experience with an autistic sibling, which makes Moose’s sister Natalie come across as authentic. I recommend this book for pre-teens and young teens, as well as any adults who enjoy younger-audience books.

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Book Review: Do the Bright Thing

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Do the Bright Thing
McGee and Me! #7
by Bill Myers

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Children’s Christian fiction

This story is a bit of a departure in the series, which generally involves Nicholas making some kind of bad decision(s) and having to own up to it or at least learn a lesson from it. Here, Nicholas mostly just goes through some normal-life decisions, albeit with McGee in his head analyzing those decisions. The repercussions and lesson-learning are all for Nicholas’s sister Sarah, whose sub-plot has a bit more of a severe outcome than is normal for this series. Though I didn’t enjoy the book overall as much as some of the others, at least we get a lot less of McGee’s super ego, which I’m thankful for. These books may not be easy to find anymore, but if you do have the chance to read this book or procure it for an 8-10-year-old child, I recommend it.

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Book Review: Shatterproof

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Shatterproof
The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers #4
by Roland Smith

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Middle grade mystery, adventure

Spoiler notice: The following review may contain some spoilers for the previous books in the series, starting with The Maze of Bones.

First Berlin and then Timbuktu, Amy and Dan Cahill continue to jump through hoops for their enemy, Vesper One, trying to save the lives of their abducted friends and family members. Meanwhile, the hostages are hatching a scheme of their own.

For as much as I’m enjoying this series, I’m glad it’s a little shorter than the original. I really thought that the premise set forth at the beginning of the series—Cahills and friends taken hostage and Dan and Amy given various tasks to ensure their safety—would be a launching point to a greater story, but it’s really just been the same premise all the way through. Though Dan and Amy have traveled all over, been in and out of trouble, and scrambled to keep up with Vesper One’s demands, the hostages’ plight has gotten a little stale. This book did shake things up a bit for them, but I would have preferred a little more.

I like the team of Amy, Dan, Atticus, and Jake. They complement each other well, and I’m intrigued to hear more about Atticus’s role in the whole Cahills and Vespers thing. I expected there to be more about the ring that Amy was entrusted with at the end of the original series by now, but apparently we’re saving a lot for the last 2 books in the series. As for Amy and her romances, I could do without most of it. The surprising thing (for me) is that I do actually like a couple of these guys for her…which means I care about which one she picks, if any. Oddly enough, the one I don’t really care about is the one that is currently her boyfriend. In fact, based on how this series has gone in the past, I wouldn’t be surprised if it turned out he was a mole. I also have to say that these writers are not against having a bit of a body count, which has been surprising in a series for pre-teens. Still, I’m quite invested in these books and look forward to seeing how this plot arc turns out.

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Book Review: Book Scavenger

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Book Scavenger
Book #1
by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Middle grade adventure

Twelve-year-old Emily is a book scavenger. That means she takes part in a game where books are hidden to be found by other scavengers. The only good thing about her family moving (yet again) is that they’re going to San Francisco, which is where the founder of this game, Garrison Griswold, lives. But when Emily’s family gets to San Francisco, she learns that Griswold has been attacked and is in the hospital. Emily and her new friend James find a book hidden near the location of Griswold’s attack and suspect that it was hidden on purpose as part of Griswold’s next big game. But will this discovery make them the next target of Griswold’s attackers?

This book started out feeling a little like the Mr. Lemoncello’s Library series, with the wealthy benefactor of fun games for kids, the heavy book vibe, and puzzles, but add in geo-caching. It certainly takes its own path, though, so I’m not trying to say that it’s just like Lemoncello. In fact, I like this book more than the first Lemoncello, which is saying something. Besides the puzzles, reading, and hunting, this book includes wonderful themes of family, home, and friendship.

Emily and her brother remind me a little of my own kids, even though the age gap is very different. Emily and Matthew used to go book scavenging together, before Matthew got interested in other things; my kids have often gone geo-caching together. Our family has gone together a couple of times now, in fact, and it’s a lot of fun! So I had a pretty good frame of reference for the book scavenging game. And Emily’s new friendship with James—and Steve!—is the heart of the book.

There are moments in this book that are probably a little unrealistic, but who cares? In fact, some of those were some of my favorite moments in the book! I loved this book so much and highly recommend it to kids aged around 10-14 (my now-14-year-old daughter loved it when read it a year or more ago as well) but also for teens and even adults who enjoy books and puzzles.

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Book Review: The Dead of Night

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The Dead of Night
The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers #3
by Peter Lerangis

My rating: 4.5 / 5
Genre: Middle grade mystery, adventure

Spoiler notice: The following review may contain some spoilers for the previous books in the series, starting with The Maze of Bones.

Amy and Dan Cahill finally get a chance to take the fight to Vesper One, though somehow he still always ends up ahead. With seven of their loved ones still being held hostage and Vesper One making impossible demands of Amy and Dan, Dan is more determined than ever to create the Cahill serum so that he can stop the Vespers.

I enjoyed the main 39 Clues series, but I’ve been liking this one all the more. It’s a little darker, and our heroes have a seen-too-much kind of maturity. They’ve grown and changed since the original series in a way that’s completely realistic. I love the allies they’re picking up along the way, though I could do without the love triangle…or square? There are some questions and mysteries that come up or advance in this book that have me really engaged. I’m halfway through this series now, and I don’t have any theories about what’s going on or what might happen. This book ends with with a shocking moment, and I can’t wait to continue. I can really see this book (and series) being a fun read for anyone who enjoys mystery and adventure for a younger audience, no matter their age.

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Book Review: Mr. Lemoncello’s Fantabulous Finale

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Mr. Lemoncello’s Fantabulous Finale
Mr. Lemoncello’s Library book #6
by Chris Grabenstein

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Children’s adventure

Thirteen 13-year-olds compete to win Mr. Lemoncello’s biggest competition yet. As Mr. Lemoncello prepares to name an heir to his billion-dollar empire, his rivals attempt to take him down once and for all.

This ending to a fun series is just what I wanted it to be. Mr. Lemoncello hasn’t gotten any less eccentric or generous, and Kyle Keeley is back at the center of things, with some new and returning side characters. Though I was able to predict a lot of what happens at the end of the book, younger readers will most likely be surprised by twists and turns. There is less of the puzzle-y goodness that first got me into these books by this point in the series (there are still puzzles, but not as many or as difficult to solve as I remember), but I still think this series as a whole is a good one to draw in reluctant readers, especially boys.

I recommend this book, and the entire series, to readers 10 and up, and I definitely recommend starting at the beginning. I also suggest reading the prequel, Mr. Lemoncello’s Very First Game, before reading this book, as characters and backstory from that book come up a decent amount in this one. 

The author’s note at the end of the book was a nice added bit of information, and I was very happy to read that the rest of this series will be made into graphic novels like the one that’s already come out for the first book. It’ll be a fun way to relive the series.

I received an eARC of this book, but then I pre-ordered a copy and sent in for the “titanium” bookplate with my name and my daughter’s name (who first introduced me to the series), signed by Chris Grabenstein. I was a little sad that some of the marker had smeared or scraped off in the envelope, and I’ll probably cover it with packing tape after I apply it to the book, but it’s still a nice collector’s item to have.

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Book Review: The Blunder Years

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The Blunder Years
McGee and Me! #11
by Bill Myers & Robert West

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Children’s Christian fiction

Nicholas’s entry into middle school may be pure cliché, as he ditches his friends to hang out with the cool crowd, but it still made for a touching story, at least to me. The key to that is Derrick Cryder, Nick’s erstwhile bully, whose change of heart is maybe a bit tenuous. Derrick being the catalyst to getting Nick back to his real self is great. As for McGee, it’s no secret that I’m not a fan of his adventures, but it adds another layer to Nick’s attempt to change himself when McGee sort of disappears for a time. Though Nick will have to outgrow his cartoon friend some time, apparently this is not that time. Cliché plot or not, I really enjoyed this entry in the series. These books may not be easy to find anymore, but if you do have the chance to read this book or procure it for an 8-10-year-old child, I recommend it.

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Book Review: A King’s Ransom

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A King’s Ransom
The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers #2
by Jude Watson

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Middle grade mystery, adventure

Spoiler notice: The following review may contain some spoilers for the previous books in the series, starting with The Maze of Bones.

Amy and Dan Cahill continue to jump through hoops for their enemy, Vesper One, trying to save the lives of their abducted friends and family members. This time, they’re given the impossible task of finding a map that’s been missing for decades.

The Cahills’ saga continues strong in this 2nd book in the sequel series. Amy and Dan are forced to make decisions beyond their years, and pick up some allies and enemies along the way. Some major developments happen in this book, more than I expected so early, though I have to remember this series is about half the length of the previous. I enjoyed the excitement in this book and the little hints at a greater hunt that the Vespers are on.

I feel like the different-author-per-book issues aren’t as noticeable so far in this series, which could be due to there being a lot more to look at and build off of. Plus, both of the authors so far have written at least one 39 Clues book already. Amy still struggles with nerves, yet it’s clear that her training has helped her overcome some of it. Dan, though he’s clearly more serious and troubled than he used to be, still has his goofy moments that are reminiscent of his younger self. I appreciate the growth seen in these two; it’s realistic for what they’ve been through. I recommend this book for young and old, anyone who enjoys mystery and adventure for a younger audience.

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Book Review: The Medusa Plot

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The Medusa Plot
The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers #1
by Gordon Korman

My rating: 4 / 5
Genre: Middle grade mystery, adventure

Spoiler notice: The following review may contain some spoilers for the previous books in the series, starting with The Maze of Bones.

Two years after the events at the end of the main series, we pick up with Amy and Dan, trying to live a “normal” life. For Amy, this means dating a guy at school while secretly training in various disciplines at home. For Dan, this means the drudgery of normal school, but he’s also dealing with some internal distractions. When the Vespers make a move after 2 years of silence, it’s a big one. Now Dan and Amy are in a race against the clock to save some of their closest loved ones and some of their once-worst enemies.

This follow-up series to The 39 Clues starts off with a bang. Despite the hatred that these family members had for each other in the past, I think the ending of the main series was sufficient to pave the way for these young people working together now. And the fact that their parents aren’t necessarily on board with inner-Cahill-family friendship seems quite realistic as well. I particularly like that Sinead lives with Dan and Amy now and has established a com-center at their house. The way this generation of Clue hunters works together is nice to see.

Dan seems to have a sort of PTSD, where he’ll pull away from Amy and kind of recede into himself. She doesn’t know that he’s mentally working out how he can complete and use the serum that was destroyed (everywhere but in his memory) 2 years ago, so he can stop the Vespers. I really appreciate this aspect of the story and feel for these siblings who have already been through so much tragedy and just want to keep their loved ones safe.

I feel like, in some ways, the story has aged and matured past where it started. The original series could be read by as young as 10-11-year-old kids, but this series, so far, seems a bit darker and more mature than that. If kids sort of “grow up” with the series, though, and start this series after reading the first, at around 12-13, I could see it working. For my part as an adult reader, I enjoy the new, deeper elements to the plot and look forward to seeing where the story goes from here.

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