Tentacles by Roland Smith

Tentacles by Roland Smith
Genre: Middle Reader Fiction
My Rating: 9/10

I don't think Roland Smith has written anything that I haven't loved. Tentacles is the much anticipated sequel to Cryptid Hunters and picks up right after the first book left off. Grace and Marty are getting used to the idea that they are not twins, as they had always believed, but rather cousins who were thrown into a crazy race to save a dinosaur egg from the depths of the Congo. Now that they have returned the eggs to their Uncle Wolfe, the twins are joined by Marty's friend Luther, on a trip to Australia on Wolfe's research ship called the Coelacanth. No sooner has the ship set sail, than the mystery and action begin again. The evil Noah Blackwood has ensured that a spy is also onboard the Coelacanth, with a mission to steal the dinosaur eggs at any cost. The twins and Luther have to find a way to stop Blackwood's spy before it's too late!
If you're a fan of the O'Hara twins, you'll be excited with the ending of Tentacles, as it sets the stage for yet another book in this great series.

Order this from Inkwood Books HERE

The Diamond of Drury Lane by Julia Golding

The Diamond of Drury Lane by Julia Golding
Genre: Young Adult Historical Fiction
My Rating: 10/10

It has been quite a while since I have become as attached to a main character as I have to the spunky and witty Cat Royal in this wonderful series set in London in the late 1790s. Cat doesn't know her exact age, because she was orphaned on the steps of the Theater Royal as a baby, but she definitely has a strong sense of who she has become while living backstage and learning the tricks of the trade. The theater troupe thinks of Cat as their sometimes sweet-sometimes annoying 'pet' and allows her to live life on the wild side as she gallavants around the streets of London with an adventerous gang of boys led by the butcher's son, Syd. The story soon adds an element of mystery when Cat overhears that a diamond is being hidden inside the theater, and she is thrilled when the theater owner asks her to help keep the secret. Along with an assorted crew of friends, Cat learns that keeping the secret about the hidden diamond will jepordize the lives of those she cares for most and lands her in quite a sticky situation. Full of action, mystery, and daring plots, this book is sure to please even the most picky reader!

Order this from Inkwood Books HERE

The Seekers Series by Erin Hunter

The Seekers Series by Erin Hunter
Genre: Middle Reader Fiction - Animal Fantasy
My Rating: 8/10

When my class of 5th graders started becoming interested in Erin Hunter, I picked up one of the Warriors books, but found that there wwere way too many characters for my taste. However, Hunter has a similar series that traces the journey of 3 bears and a changeling across Canada and North America that I found very satisfying. The first book in the Seekers Series, The Quest Begins, introduces the reader to three very different bear cubs. Kallik, a polar bear, finds herself all alone in the Arctic after her mother and brother are separated from her. She knows that something is causing the ice to disappear, and that her only hope of surviving is to follow her instincts to take her to this place of Eternal Ice. Toklo, a brown bear cub, also finds himself on a journey by himself after a severe food shortage in his forest home leads to the loss of his mother and brother. And finally, Lusa - a black bear who lives in a Zoo but desperately wishes to see the wild with her own eyes. The world is changing and the problems our environment is facing effect each of these bear cubs in a different way, but ultimately draws them together on an adventure to save what they love the most.

The first book focuses on each character individually, hinting that they will soon meet and journey together. The two maps at the beginning of the book give the reader an interesting overview of the 3 paths the bears travel, and let you see how many times they came so close to crossing paths before their first meeting. Like the Warriors series, Hunter uses descriptive words pertaining to bears in order to really give the reader the feeling that they are seeing the world through her character's points of view. The bears think of distance in terms of pawsteps and nose-lengths instead of feet, as well as other small differences that will help the reader become completely engaged in the bears' story. The Quest Begins leaves the reader with a cliffhanger just as the plot starts to thicken, but the 2nd book picks up moments after the first book ends.
This is a wonderful series for any animal lovers, and is sure  to please boys and girls alike.

Order books in the Seekers Series from Inkwood Books HERE

Amelia Rules!

Amelia Rules! Series by Jimmy Gownley

Genre: Graphic Novel
My Rating: 10/10

I had the pleasure of selling books for the author of the Amelia Rules! series, Jimmy Gownley, yesterday at a local middle school. My 5th graders had devoured his graphic novels for the first few months of school and have been waiting anxiously for the newest books to come out. Gownley's full color illustrations and loveable characters make this a MUST for any book collection. Amelia and her neighborhood friends team up as members of G.A.S.P. (Gathering of Awesome Super Pals), a club that helps defend their small neighborhood from evil bullies. Amelia and her gang - Reggie, Rhonda, and Pajamaman - get into all kinds of crazy situations and will make you laugh hard enough to spew milk out of your nose! Gownley's series was self-published until recently, so Simon and Schuster is now in the process of re-releasing all of the books again. The first 2 and a Christmas special, A Very Ninja Christmas, are on shelves now and the others will be coming out early next year. During the author's presentation at the middle school yesterday, Gownley mentioned that there will possibly be between 8-12 books total in this amazing graphic novel series. Check it out and learn about Reggie's horrific secret... the elusive 'sneezebarf'!

Here's a link to the author's site to learn more about Amelia!
http://www.ameliarules.com/

And order books in the Ameila's Series from Inkwood Books HERE

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games and 
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction 
My Rating: 10/10 (for both books)

With all the hype about this series, I was reluctant to pick it up, but I finally did a few days ago and I can now say that it has made it into my top 5 favorites for the year. I've always been a fan of dystopian society stories, and this series made sure to add a contemporary twist to this backwards future. For those lucky enough to live in the Capitol, life is all about entertainment... and what could possibly be better than a reality show where the government pits children against one another in a bloody battle to the death?! In an effort to squash any thoughts of uprisings in the 12 districts of Panem, the government holds yearly Hunger Games where 2 children from each district fight to stay alive in a fabricated arena. The main character, Katniss, finds herself volunteering to become a Tribute from her district when her younger sister's name is drawn in the annual Reaping of Names. Little does she know, that the boy selected to represent her district will cause her unforseen confusion and perhaps a way to get out of the arena alive.

Katniss's voice is clear and strong, and readers will have a hard time not falling in love with both her and Peeta before they even reach the arena. The first book ends with a massive cliffhanger, but fortunately, the 2nd book is already out ~ Catching Fire. I was pleased with the continued flow of the plot in the sequel and found that I enjoyed the slower start that allowed me to really get to know the other characters in the story. The Hunger Games focuses more on the actual game in the arena, while Catching Fire delves more into the rebellion that has been sparked in the first book by the "starcrossed lovers", Katniss and Peeta. I'm anxious to see how the series ends, but will have to wait until 2010 for the 3rd book to come out.

Order these books from Inkwood Books HERE

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction
My Rating: 8/10

I picked this book up after listening to the author talk about how he got his inspiration from two of my all-time favorite books... Ender's Game (Orson Scott Card) and Lord of the Flies (William Golding). The book starts by introducing the reader to a character who has just arrived in the Glade - Thomas. He has been stripped of his memories and soon finds that all the other boys who live in the Glade arrived in the same fashion. No one knows how or why they were left in this strange place, but one thing is certain ~ the Maze outside the walls of the Glade is dangerous. Horrible creatures called Grievers (think about squishy versions of the Cleaners from the movie Labyrinth) lurk outside the Glade walls, ready to attack the boys. It soon becomes apparent that the Creators of the Glade and Maze have cryptic and twisted plans for the boys. When a girl arrives in the Glade with a message of doom, their small world starts to crumble and it seems the only way to escape will be to uncover the horrific secret that the Creators have kept from the boys all this time. The cliffhanger ending will have you cursing Dashner and his publishers for making us wait until late 2010 for the sequel!

*Descriptions of horrible monsters and their attacks on the boys in the Glade may be tough on squeamish readers*

Order this from Inkwood Books HERE