That One Spooky Night

That One Spooky Night
Written by Dan Bar-el
Illustrated by David Huyck
80 pages, 2012
Elementary

Creepy crawlies and things that go BUMP in the night...  If you like being scared, then this is the book for you!

This collection of three short stories is scary and makes you think about what is behind those masks at Halloween time.  Is that little girl just dressed up as a witch, or is she really one?  What is under all those bubbles in your bubble bath?  And be careful who invites you over for a party....

Fun, cute collection of stories.  Nothing super scary, perfect for the younger elementary aged kids.  Great illustrations, just enough text to drive the story, but not so much it's cluttered.  Lots of action oriented frames.  Overall, fun quick read!  Great for short attention spans since it's divided into the short sections.

Wrapped

Wrapped
by Jennifer Bradbury
320 pages
Middle-High School

Agnes Wilkins, from London, is really not looking forward toward her Presentation. Instead of being interested in dresses and curls, she wants to discover Egyptian artifacts and travel the world.  While looking forward to being a little more independent, she's not sure if she is ready to marry, especially to the very promising bachelor.  After receiving not just an invitation to his mummy unwrapping, but place of honor as on of the first to slice at the bandages, she is feeling the pressure of his attention.

Then things start happening at the mummy party.  As Agnes is unwrapping the mummy, she finds something interesting: an artifact with a hidden note.  But when the host admits to a mistake and asks for all artifacts to be returned, she tucks it into her bodice, hiding it and taking it home.

This simple act envelops Agnes in intrigue, history and politics.  From secret messages sent from Napoleon's army to spies hiding in London to mythical artifacts with rumored powers, Agnes is drawn into the middle of it.  Can she decode the message in time to save the world from being conquered?

First of all, I like that the author put a note in the back about the "historical accuracy" of the book.  While most of the book had roots in history, Bradbury took liberties with certain things.  She mixed trends or events several time periods together, because it works for the story.  With a book like this, that historical accuracy doesn't matter, I'm fine with it.  In fact, as long as the book doesn't claim to be fact, I'm fine with authors changing or rearranging history to suit their needs.  Makes life fun!

Anyways, I enjoyed this book, and had fun with it.  I liked the Victorian London setting, the supernatural bend, plus the strong willed woman element.  Made for a fun story, interesting scenarios, and fun times.  This would be a great step before Jane Austen, or other romances or Victorian based novels. Another good stepping stone book would be A Spy in the House by Y. S. Lee.

Although I enjoyed this book, there were a few things that could have been improved.  Agnes, while different than the "normal" girl of the age, was still a little flat and didn't really change very much.  A fun little story, but not necessarily tons of depth.

Overall, fun book if you just want something light and not completely historically accurate.  I enjoyed it a lot, and would be a good stepping stone between levels.  Another book with a tie to mythology, this time Egyptian.  Good book, I liked it a lot!

The Diviners

The Diviners
by Libba Bray
592 pages
High School+

Evie O'Neill is in trouble.  Again.  While at a party in town, she was not only drinking (NOT allowed during Prohibition), but she also decided to tell secrets.  Secrets she should have no way of knowing.  When this gets her in hot water, Evie gets shipped off to New York to live with her uncle for a little while.

While Evie didn't expect Uncle Will to completely hip, she gets the creeps at his place of employment: The Museum of  American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult—also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies." Filled with haunted and sinister looking things.  While thrilled to be in New York with all the glitz and glamor, she is not as thrilled with the Museum.   But together with her uncle's assistant Jericho, she is now helping show the few visitors they get around.

 One day, when a policeman asks Uncle Will to consult on a bizarre murder, Evie decides to come along for the ride.  At the murder scene, she is moved to pity for the victim, a young girl who is now missing her eyes.  Filled with sympathy, Evie bends down to straighten a bow on the shoe, and is suddenly seeing images from the girl's life.  This is what got Evie in trouble in the first place: when holding something connected to a person, she sees into their lives.

Pulled into the mysterious murders, Evie must help her uncle solve the cases.  Why are the bodies missing parts?  What is with the strange verses left at the scenes?  And will Evie's talent be more help or will it endanger her and her friends?

On this book I am a little torn on if I liked it or not.  I liked the characters alright, the story was interesting, great setting, good background, but the length and pacing of the story bugged me a little.  It took forever before things really started moving.  I can tell it is building up to more than just this book, but there was almost too much building, and not enough happening.  While interesting, it took me a while to get really involved in the characters.

Those issues aside, I liked many other aspects of the book.  The setting is great: New York during Prohibition!  Hidden clubs, jazz music, and flappers!  Glamor and bright lights!  A great setting for a ghost story and the world being in danger.  The setting was very vivid, and I liked the glimpses of so many different points of view.  Everything from the show girl, the activist, the poet, the scholar and the flapper.  The characters are all great studies of life at the time.

Overall, while the scenery was great, I felt like to much time was spent building up the story and not enough on the story itself.  This does build up to another book, and I will probably read it when it comes out, but probably won't try to reread this before.  Good story, great setting, alright characters, but I would have liked it a little more condensed.  I rated this for high school mostly because of the grisly details at murder scenes and scary stuff like that.  I'm not a big fan of scary movies or books, and even as an adult, I tried not to read it right before bedtime!  Good creepy book, if that is your thing!

Pandemonium

Pandemonium
by Chris Wooding and Cassandra Diaz
176 pages
Elementary+

Seifer Tombchewer is a darkling: a flying being that loves skullball (think flying soccer but more violent), likes his family alright, but sometimes wonders if there is more beyond his little village.  Reading books is frowned upon by his father who loves sports, but it's how Seifer satisfies his curiosity.  Dreaming of more, he practices his skullball skills, and visits his grandpa to read some more books.

Then one day he wakes up in a palace with a splitting headache.  Abducted by spies, he is the spitting image of Prince Talon of the Pandemonium tribe, who is missing.  There to replace Talon, Seifer must learn how to act princely enough to fool not just the prince's family and allies, but also his enemies.  The hardest one to fool: Talon's huge cat who tries to swallow Seifer every time they meet.

Thrust into the middle of intrigue, Seifer must figure out who to trust, make new friends, and also discover his hidden enemies.  Responsible for the safety of the kingdom, he needs to figure out how to win the wars they are already fighting without plunging them into more.  And above all, no one can know who he really is.  Driven by his own moral compass, which Talon apparently never had, Seifer must become a prince to save the realm.

I really enjoyed this book!  It reminds me of some of the anime series, without being horribly dark or sickeningly cute.  It has some great humor, but balances it with serious thought.  Think Avatar: The Last Airbender, but abducted devil prince.  Kind of similar types of humor.  While Seifer always means well, sometimes his methods infuriate those around him and even seem unconventional, but are strangely effective.

Again, the writer and artist have worked together really well to obtain a great balance of story telling through art versus text.  The art often makes me laugh, but also reveals a lot of how the characters are feeling.  Some of the symbolism in the art is perfectly done, and I just loved it.

Overall, I enjoyed the artwork/text balance, the humor was great, the story line was really good, and the characters are believable.  Seifer is often doing things that I can see someone doing in a similar situation.  There are strange moments of humor throughout the book (like the prince's parents dying while working on a goat cannon).  Boys would get a kick out of it, but girls will love it too.  Read it!

The Reaper of St. George Street AND Lost Souls of Savannah

The Reaper of St. George Street and Lost Souls of Savannah
written and illustrated by Andre R. Frattino
280 pages, 176 pages
Late Elementary+

In St. Augustine, Florida, the ghosts abound.  They lurk around every corner, invade the houses, and hunt the humans.  Locals know to be careful of them, but new comers aren't always safe.

Meet William, here for college and definitely NOT a believer in ghosts.  His wallet is stolen the first day, he has to put up with a super nerdy roommate, and meets a super cute girl.  Typical week for a freshman.  But one of his classes isn't exactly what he signed up for: instead of a freshman literature class, he ends up with the local paranormal expert.  They make a deal: if William can still say he doesn't believe in ghosts at the end of the semester, then the professor will give him an A+.  Determined to earn that A, he dives headlong into the studies.  But everything is not what it seems.

These were really interesting books! The artwork is just black and white, but seems detailed and active!  Great artwork, great details that helps tell the story, instead of hindering it.

I also liked that there was notes and references in the back.  The author, Frattino, actually did the research and used tales local to those specific locations to create his books.  That is awesome!  I love authors that take the time to do research for things like this, and that share their findings.  Brownie points for Frattino!

I read the second book before I read the first book, but that didn't hinder me or feel awkward.  It was actually interesting as I read the first book to see the connections and characters that carry over to the second.  I did like the second more than the first, mostly because the first seemed to drag just a little.  I wanted to go faster than the story was letting me.  But the first was pretty good.

Overall, really enjoyed both of these.  They will appeal to both boys and girls, anyone that likes the slightly creepy ghost story.  I liked it, and will recommend it to people!

City of Bones: The Mortal Instruments Series #1

City of Bones, The Mortal Instruments Series #1
by Cassandra Clare
512 pages
High School+

Fifteen-year-old Clarissa Fray lives with her mom, wishes her dad hadn't died, loves to draw and hangs out with her best friend, Simon, at clubs.  Clary's life seems fairly normal and ordinary.  But one night at the club, she gets a little curious after a few bizarre looking teens apparently murder another.  Shocked and not quite sure what to think, especially when no one else can see them, Clary is drawn into their world of demons and hunters.

After finding out that she was born to be part of this world, Clary's life is turned upside-down.  Her mother is kidnapped, Clary is almost killed by a demon, and is only saved by Jace, one of the curious looking teens from the club.  Attracted to him, but repulsed by his attitude, she's not sure what to think about him.  Grateful to be rescued and healed, she listens to his problems, learns about the Mortal Cup, and also learns that her mom was the last to be seen with it.

This begins her adventures in the world of the Shadowhunters, vampires, werewolves and more.  Clary is meant to be part of them, but can't remember ever encountering them.  What happened to her memories, why would her mother have the Mortal Cup, and can she ever go back to her normal life?

This was actually a really good book!  I've been disappointed with series, especially super popular series, in the past, but this one did pretty good about living up to the hype.  Vibrant world, with lots of details that makes sense.  There's enough history and reasoning to why the world is set up the way it is that you're not left wondering why this happen, or why this person acted the way they did.  The sensible world is a great backdrop to an action packed story.

I really like how the reader gets background throughout the book, so it's not dumped at one spot, but the world in continually evolving and making more sense.  You learn about everything that's going on, but don't get spoilers, and don't get everything dropped on you at once in a big boring glob.  Great development!

Characters- I liked Clary well enough, but it was really her interactions with everyone else that makes the story.  She makes decisions that effect her, Jace, Simon and others.  She has to see the consequences of those decisions, and then either accept them or do something about the consequences.  I think that is a great way to teach people that you have to deal with what happens because of your actions.

Overall, pretty good book.  I enjoyed it a lot, this actually being the second time I read it through.  Characters react realistically, the world is a vivid setting for the action, and it is definitely full of action and drama.  I would definitely say high school age, more than middle school, mostly for the feel of things.  Good book!  I recommend it!  Looking forward to reading more in the series!  And an added benefit-  the is only one book left in the series that hasn't been published.  Five are out (starting with this one) and only one to wait for!  I hate starting a new series that is just barely starting.

Anyways, fun book, great read, I recommend it!

The Raven Boys

The Raven Boys
by Maggie Stiefvater
416 pages
High School+

Blue lives with her mother, plus several other women, all psychics except her.  She has another gift, she amplifies the energy that they read. While she tries to get on with her normal life, she lives under the prophecy she has heard all her life: if she kisses her true love, he will die. Never really interested in guys, it's not that difficult not to kiss her true love.

One year as she is helping with a typical activity- helping one of the psychics on the corpse road.  Each year they go to see who is going to die that year, except Blue never sees anything.  She is just there to share her power.  But this year is different.  This year she sees someone- a boy, a teenager like her, in a raven crested sweater.  When she asks him his name, he tells her Gansey.  Spooked by seeing someone for the first time, she asks the psychic.  She says their are only too possible explanations: either he is your true love, or you kill him.  Unsettled by these choices, Blue is even more unsettle when Gansey makes an appointment with her mother for a psychic reading.

Richard Gansey III is a student at the local private school, but far more interested in studying ley lines and where Glendower, the lost king, is buried.  Along with his friends Adam, Ronan, and Noah, they look for clues, dowse for energy lines, and investigate where this burial site may be.  When the psychics tell him and his friends things too close for comfort, Gansey begins to think he is getting close.  With Blue coming along on adventures, her power starts amplifying his results, getting him further in a month than he had in years.  But one of his companions is more, or less, than he seems.  What will happen as they get closer to finding Glendower?

So, wow...  Such a beautifully written story!  I found myself re-reading sentences for the beauty of the language.  I enjoyed reading this as much for the style as for the story.  Great style, great story!  Loved it!

Many themes and mysteries in this book. Friendship and families are key in this book.  Especially important is the definition of family- who really counts as family?  Along with that

Self exploration and self definition is also huge.  The boys really create their own family, but also are trying to find their own self at the same time.  They each have to discover not only which family they belong to, but how they fit into it, what roles they play, and how dependent they are on each other.  And then Blue comes in and messes it all up!  Once again, Stiefvater has written a book all about relationships and trust.

So, over all, amazing book!  It took me a while to get to it, but I loved it!  Great story, very mysterious and lots to be discovered throughout the story.  The ending seemed a little abrupt (had to make sure I hadn't missed a page) but I just learned there is a sequel!  Woo hoo! That makes me very excited.  Read this, because I bet the sequel will just build off of this.  Stiefvater is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors!

The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney

The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney
by Suzanne Harper
368 pages
Middle School+

Sparrow Delaney comes from a family of mediums, people able to see or otherwise communicate with ghosts of those departed.  Not only that, but she is also the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, destined to have strong psychic abilities. Her entire family (6 sisters, mother and grandmother) are anxiously awaiting the day she first communes with the spirits.

But she wants NOTHING to do with ghosts. Ever since she was 5 years old, she has seen them.  She can talk to them, see them and even smell them.  But she does NOT want to be known as a psychic.  She only wants to be a normal teen, have normal friends and be accepted by the rest of the world.  If she sees a ghost, she has perfected the art of ignoring them until they go away. She even jumped at the chance to go to a normal school instead of the local one with all the psychic kids.

First day at the new school, Sparrow feels like things are going well.  She's made a new friend, found her locker without any issue and is even one time to classes.  There is even a cute boy, Jack, in her history class.  But a really annoying kid is sitting behind Jack, flicking his ear.  Why isn't the teacher stopping it?  Then the annoying kid winks at Sparrow and disappears.  It had been a ghost!

Sparrow is caught up in the mystery of this ghost, Luke, and what happened to him.  When she gets assigned a project with Jack, it gives her a chance to investigate what happened to Luke, how they are connected and how she can help.  But is Sparrow brave enough to acknowledge her powers?

I really enjoyed reading this book a lot!  Yes it is a ghost story, but Sparrow goes through a lot of growth and self discovery through the course of the book.  The book is really about her learning to accept herself, her abilities and learn not to fear or mistrust them.

I would recommend this to mostly girls, but occasionally boys.  Good book, even if it's not spectacular.  Humorous moments, lots of irony, and overall, fun to read.  No inappropriate language or anything else.  Pretty good book!

Broxo

Broxo
by Zack Giallongo
240 pages
Middle School+


Princess Zora is climbing the mountain to look for the lost tribe. After being chased by some really large, furry animal, losing all her supplies, and sleeping in the rough, she is ready to be welcomed by the clan.  Instead of finding a thriving village, she finds nothing but decay, death and one lone boy who claims to be the king of the tribe.

Meet Broxo, the lone survivor of a tragedy that eliminated the rest of his clan.  With no one but his pet beast Migo, he roams the mountain, fighting the undead that threaten him, and trying his best to survive.  Uncultured and alone, Zora is a strange intrusion into his solitary life.  He finds her struggling to find something to eat, takes pity on her, and leads her back to his cave.

Together, they start finding clues about what really decimated Broxo's clan. When Zora follows Broxo, the undead attack and Zora is hurt.  Broxo takes her to the only person he knows that can help, the witch, Ulith.  Slightly disturbed by her, Broxo and Zora need to discover what happened in the past, and if they can do anything to help put the undead to rest.

This was a really interesting, well told and gorgeously illustrated novel.  Through flashbacks and little quirks, you get to know the characters and be invested in their welfare.  You even have sympathy for the villain during part of the story, and you're not quite sure if this person is a villain or an ally (trying NOT to spoil the story..).

The layout is a little cluttered, occasionally making it harder to read the page.  When this happens, you get little distracted from the story.  Plus, while I like the flashbacks for the information they give on the characters, they chop up the flow of the story as well. 

Themes in the book to look for: family (both blood and acquired), loyalty, courage, strength of character, and friendship.

Over all, I really enjoyed this, and look forward to other stories with these characters, or more by this author.  Great book! I would recommend for late elementary (at the very earliest!), or more likely for middle school.  While more geared toward boys, I think girls that like fantasy will like this as well, especially if they like zombies!

Soulless

Soulless
by Gail Carriger
384 pages
Late High School+

Alexia Tarabotti has resigned herself to the life of a spinster.  At the age of 25, she is past the typical marrying age, plus she is half Italian.  Rather than being the blond, slender and timid, Alexia is tan, robust, and has a rather forceful personality.  On top of all of this, she is soulless, complete opposite of the vampires and werewolves now accepted into polite Society. 

When Alexia accidentally kills a vampire at a party, an investigation ensues.  And sent out to resolve the matter is Lord Conall Maccon, Scottish werewolf, and leader of the London pack.  He and Alexia have not gotten along ever since the hedgehog incident, and he is very disgruntled to find her at the center of this mess.  Try as he might, Lord Maccon can't avoid what she does to his sensibilities.

As Alexia and Lord Maccon look into the issues, more questions start arising.  What was that vampire doing at that party, in a cheap shirt and half starved?  Who continually tries to abduct Alexia?  And who or what is the wax-faced person that keeps coming after her?  As they try to resolve all this conundrums, Alexia must fend off the increasing amorous advances of a werewolf losing control as the full moon approaches...

So, this is definitely something that I would wait until late high school, or even after to recommend. Alexia and Lord Maccon get into several slightly compromising positions, plus (SPOILERS!) they get married and he seduces her in the carriage.  While not as graphic as some romances, it still gives more detail than most teenagers want.  So, keep it to late teens, or even out of high school before reading it.

Other than that, this is such a fun book.  The word play between Alexia and Lord Maccon is great, the writing if fun, and it's a very interesting and innovative world.  Set in Victorian England, it is based on the idea that werewolves and vampires are integrated into Society.  One of Alexia's good friends is a vampire, that she only visits after dark, of course.  They even have a branch of government dedicated to them. 

I also like the idea of what Alexia is: a preternatural, or someone with a complete lack of soul.  Vampires, werewolves, and ghost are most likely created in someone with an excess of soul, usually someone involved in artistic careers.  Alexia is their opposite, and can actually cancel their abilities through her touch.  So, if she touches her vampire friend, he becomes mortal again while in contact with her.  Such a great idea, and the author has fun with that!

Overall, this is a really fun book!  I have gone back a reread it several times, that's how much I have enjoyed it.  I would wait until late high school or after to recommend it, due to some sexual innuendos and scenes.  But very witty and fun, a great read for the supernatural scene!

Lio: There's a Monster in My Socks

Lio: There's a Monster in My Socks
by Mark Tatulli
224 pages
Late Elementary+

Lio, with his hair sticking up, in many ways is just like many boys: likes gross things, hates chores, and is excited to get a C on his homework instead of an F.  But, in many other ways, he is definitely NOT normal: instead of a pet dog, he has a pet squid, and he likes the monsters under the bed.

Follow Lio as he creates time machines, raises Godzilla, and has science experiments go wrong!  Will aliens abduct him before he can take over the earth???

So, this made me laugh out loud as I was reading it. In a library.  Not the best place to laugh out loud.  But it was just that funny.  I really enjoyed reading it, and can think of tons of boys that would totally laugh at it.  It reminds me a little of Calvin and Hobbes, but a little more modern, not as philosophical, and still tons of fun.

Most of the panels are just a page in length, making the reading go really quick. Plus, there is not a ton of vocabulary, so this would be good for a reluctant reader.  I put it as later elementary, mostly because of some scary looking monsters and mischief that Lio gets in.

Overall, this was so much fun to read!  I would definitely give it to almost any boy, especially those into science and monsters.  Quick read, quirky humor, and great expressions.  Since there isn't a ton of text, the facial expressions really help fill that gap.  Check it out!

Bigfoot Boy: Into the Woods

Bigfoot Boy: Into the Woods
by J. Torres and Faith Erin Hicks
100 pages
Late Elementary+

Rufus is super bored.  His parents have left him at his grandma's place, next to the woods.  All she wants to do is drink prune juice, watch her soaps, and doze of in her chair.  Rufus waits until granny is asleep, and bolts out the back door, into the woods.

As he is leaving, he sees a neighbor girl wandering out there, too.  When he finally finds her, he has to admit he's lost.  While she takes him back, she is definitely NOT impressed with him.  He tries again, only to end up wandering deeper and deeper in the woods.  Looking for garbage to pick up (to impress the girl), he finds a strange, carved piece of wood.  On one side is carved some letters, which, when read out loud, turn Rufus into BIGFOOT!

Rufus has to find his way out of the forest, turn back into a human, and watch out for some strange, wolf-y shadows as well.  Can he do it?

So, this was a pretty fun, short graphic novel.  Rufus is a pretty typical ten year old boy, at least until he turns into Bigfoot!  The artwork reminded me a little of Brain Camp, but is a different artist.  Artwork is colorful, but has lots of black.  Not to the point where it is gloomy, but to help the reader get the idea of a dark forest.

The interplay between Rufus and the girl (Penny) is funny, especially since Rufus has a crush on Penny's older sister!  It's also interesting to see the personality of the squirrel.... Overall, though, the characters a fairly flat and static. 

This book was okay, but not great. It's probably something mid- to late elementary school boys would love, though.  Rufus is funny, has some crazy things happen to him, and finds some new friends.  I'll recommend it, but maybe not as heavily as some others.  Quick, fun read, even if it is fairly simple.  Has some potential for further books- it's tagged as #1, so more should be coming!

Brain Camp

Brain Camp
by Susan Kim and Laurence Klaven
Artwork by Faith Erin Hicks and Hilary Sycamore
160 pages
Middle School+

Jenna and Lucas are losers.  Neither of them have high expectations in life, except to get through it with as little trouble as possible.  Then, they are offered last minute slots in a prestigious "Brain Camp," guaranteed to make you smarter. 

But something isn't right at camp.  Everyone is getting smarter, but they're also getting super creepy as well.  The one friend that they find completely changes overnight.  The staff are super secretive, and there is a mysterious building on the edges of camp.  Why are kids sprouting feathers and what is with the nasty huge zits they are getting too?

I really liked that the main characters had issues, dealt with their issues, and moved on with life.  They were even able to used skills from their so-called "ill spent lives" to overcome some of the challenges they face.  I loved when they made a Segway-like vehicle out of a lawnmower! 

This was a really fun yet creepy book.  It has it all!  Mystery, love, aliens, and weird happenings.  I had a lot of fun reading it. Boys will love it, but girls will get it too.  Recommending to all!  Age is mostly for material and interest level.  Nothing really inappropriate.

Anya's Ghost

Anya's Ghost
by Vera Brosgol
224 pages
Middle School+

Anya feels miserable and lonely, or your basic teenager.  She's not skinny and beautiful like the popular girls, she's not incredibly smart like the nerds, and to top it all off, she's Russian.  While she lost the accent years ago, she still feels like an outcast and only has a few friends.

One morning, everything is going wrong. The hot guy is ignoring her, her mother tries to feed her greasy food for breakfast, and best (only) friend is mad at her.  She lets the bus go by and starts walking to school.  As she is walking through a park, she is so distracted by everything, she completely misses a step and falls into a dark hole.

At the bottom of this abandoned well is the one thing she really doesn't want to see: a ghost.  After getting over the shock, she meets Emily Reilly, another lonely girl just like her, just her loneliness has been for the past 90 years.  They talk while Anya waits for someone to find her or to walk by.  Eventually, someone find Anya, gets her out and Anya leaves Emily at the bottom of the well.

Then one day, while at school, Emily comes to visit Anya again.  A little bone that Anya took with her lets Emily follow her wherever that bone goes.  They ease each others' loneliness, helping the other be happier.  But is Anya really happy with the direction her life is beginning to take, and is Emily really a victim?

This was another graphic novel and was pretty fun.  The artwork was nice, but not spectacular.  This one I liked more for the story line than the illustrations.  The reader gets to see Anya's struggle with being a teenager, and also how these changes effect her.  Anya starts to see what is really important in life, and also that not everything you see is exactly what it seems to be.

Overall, this was a good, but not great, book.  Many issues are raised that are relevant to teens, such as self-image, family relations, cheating, truth versus embleshment, and how far you are willing to go to please other people.  I think many teens will identify with Anya and the struggles she goes through.

ParaNorman

ParaNorman
by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
256 pages
Elementary+

Norman Babcock is definitely not your average 11-year-old.  Like everyone else, he gets bullied, annoys his older sister, needs friends, and has a hard time talking to his parents.  But UNLIKE everyone else, he can talk ghost.  Not just one or two, but every ghost in town.  While for him it's normal, everyone else wonders why this wacky kid is talking to thin air.

Things just get worse and the 300th anniversary of the local witch trial. Norman is having strange dreams and visions about disasters that are threatening his town. When his great-uncle dies and visits him, Norman now has a mission to save the town.  But can he, a new friend, his one time bully, and his sister really make a difference when pilgrim zombies are invading?

This was a really fun book to read!  This is based off the screen play for the movie, and I can't wait to see it! Every time you turn the page there is another disaster, or another zombie, and somehow it is all hilarious.

As much as this is about pilgrim zombies, this is also about a boy finding his own confidence and also about relationships.  Norman has to develop confidence in his ability, plus come to value his own uniqueness.  When he embraces himself is when he starts being successful.  And as he does this, he starts seeing the value in others as well.  This is a neat little story that wraps everything up neatly in the very happy ending.

I would recommend this for all kids, with the humor and everything.  Boys will love it, and this is one to put on the list of kids that like Diary of a Wimpy Kid- similar humor and everything.  I had a lot of fun with this book, and really enjoyed it!