Steel Trapp: The Challenge by Ridley Pearson

Steel Trapp: The Challenge by Ridley Pearson
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
My Rating: 8/10


Steven Trapp has a photographic memory - he can recall anything thing he's previously seen before in perfect detail. This has earned him the nickname "Steel Trapp" by those who know him, and it certainly fits! Not only does Steel have an extraordinary memory, but he's a science whiz as well, so it's no surprise that he's a competitor in the National Science Challenge. The book starts off with Steel, his mother, and his dog, Cairo, on a train to Washington D.C., where he will present his invention to the judges. Everything seems to be normal, until Steel notices a woman who appears to have left her briefcase on the train. In an attempt to help by running after the woman to return the briefcase, Steel becomes involved in a very dangerous scheme that the FBI has been following for some time. Steel is joined by another National Science Challenge contender, Kaileigh, who also becomes caught up in the dangerous plot. As the Challenge draws closer, the two teens sink deeper and deeper into the mystery of the briefcase and soon find themselves running from the bad guys as well as the FBI. Not knowing who to trust, the teens attempt to disrupt the scheme themselves - causing the situation to take a very dangerous turn.

Steel may not be Alex Rider, but fans of Horowitz's series will find Pearson's characters and plot twists to be just as engaging. The story moves very quickly and readers will be eager for more when they finish. The second book in the series, Steel Trapp: The Academy, is due out January 18th.

Order it from Inkwood Books HERE

Paper Towns by John Green

Paper Towns by John Green
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
My Rating: All-Time-Favorite

For those of you who happened to be in the store (Inkwood) last holiday season, I'm sure you've heard enough about this book... but it is STILL my favorite after a whole year. It's in paperback now and has a snappy new cover and I feel the need to push it yet again.

It starts with a typical storyline - boy loves girl from a distance with no hope of being noticed. Quentin has been in awe of Margo Roth Spiegelman for as long as he can remember, and now it's almost the end of his senior year of high school and she barely even acknowledges that he exists. And then, late one night, Margo climbs in through Quentin's bedroom window and demands that he join her in a night of revenge. Quentin agrees, and the two set out on an insane quest to get back at those who have angered Margo. Their night-time adventure is quite crazy, and by the morning Quentin is convinced that Margo has entered his life for a reason - only to find that she has disappeared.

Margo's run off in the past, so a few days go by before Quentin begins to really worry about her safety. But the story really takes off once Quentin finds clues to Margo's hiding spot hidden in one of her highlighted copies of Leaves of Grass by Whitman. Quentin and his humorous buddies, Ben and Radar, end up on a wild adventure to find Margo before it's too late.

I read this book in one sitting and then passed it on to quite a few friends who all did the same. It's perfect for girls or guys and is sure to be a hit.

Order this from Inkwood Books HERE

Scat by Carl Hiaasen

Scat by Carl Hiaasen
Genre: Middle Reader Fiction
My Rating: 9/10

Being a Floridian, I have been aware of Carl Hiaasen's books for some time ~ and was excited when he started writing for a younger audience. His previous books - Hoot and Flush are similar to Scat in the sense that they are all mysteries that deal with ecological issues. In this story, middle schoolers, Nick and Marta, find themselves in the middle of a curious situation. Their cross and generally unliked Biology teacher has disappeared in a most suspicious manner but no one seems to care. At first the two friends suspect Smoke, the school bully, who threatened the teacher earlier in the year. But as they attempt to find evidence to prove it was Smoke, they soon stumble onto an even bigger mystery involving a baby Florida panther.

This has been my favorite Hiaasen mystery so far, and is sure to please both boys and girls. Since it is a stand-alone, there is no need to have read Hoot or Flush before picking up Scat, but it will definitely hook you on Hiaasen's writing style if it's your first and have you going back to the store for the others.

Order this from Inkwood Books HERE

The Lost Island of Tamarind by Nadia Aguiar

The Lost Island of Tamarind by Nadia Aguiar
Genre: Young Adult Fiction - Fantasy
My Rating: 10/10

Maya, Simon, and Penny are the children of marine-scientist parents who insist on living at sea on their ship, the Pamela Jane. While some children might find a life at sea fun, Maya thinks it's just plain boring. She's just turned 13 and there are no other teenagers for her to hang out with at sea - only her annoying younger brother and the baby. Her life quickly becomes more interesting when a fierce storm causes her parents to fall overboard and leaves the Pamela Jane washed ashore on a very strange island. Maya, Simon, and Penny soon find that this is not your typical island... creepy vines will sneak down from the canopy of the jungle to snatch things from you... even babies!

Once it becomes apparent that this island is in the middle of a crazy war between pirates and an evil witch who steals children to work in her extensive mines, the kids have to work together to figure out how to find their parents and get off the Island of Tamarind. They receive some help when they meet a young boy who seems to be native to the island, Helix. With his guidance, the siblings brave the forest, meet the very odd people who live in treehouses up in the clouds, and battle the evil witch.

The story moves quickly, with lots of action, and will keep you up reading way past your bedtime. It ends in a way that suggests a sequel, but so far the 2nd book has not been announced. I have definitely made a special place for this wonderful story on my bookcase at home, and I plan to make sure everyone I know reads it as well!

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