Day 27: 45 Days of Summer

The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel

I booktalked this one like crazy in June to my 6th grade students for summer reading.

I am a huge fan of Kenneth Oppel...Huge. Fan.

This book will literally take you on the adventure of a lifetime with Will, as he gets caught up in intrigue, mystery, and a train robbery aboard the Boundless, a larger than life train on an epic journey across country.

I hope that after reading this book, you will want to discover all of the author's other books, especially the Silverwing series (AMAZING! For upper elementary & middle school students), and his novels about teenage Victor Frankenstein (8th grade and up).

Heart-stopping, edge-of-your-seat action!

Perfect for: grades 4-7.

Day 20: 45 Days of Summer

Copernicus Legacy #1: The Forbidden Stone by Tony Abbott

Finished the 39 Clues and/or all of the Percy Jackson books? 

Well, here’s a new series for you. Readers will want to get their hands on this first book in the new Copernicus Legacy series: Forbidden Stone. 

Treasure hunting? Puzzles? Action and intrigue? 

This one has it ALL!

Best for: 4th-7th grades.

Series Saturday: Review: Mind Games (White)

Title: Mind Games
Author: White
Genre: Fiction, Sisters, Psychic Ability, Thriller, Action, Series
Pages: 241
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Ages: 7th grade & up

I discovered this series starter because I am a big fan of White's Paranormalcy trilogy (I know, I know...I'm not supposed to like paranormal books. But that series is really good!). 

From the Publisher: 
Fia and Annie are as close as two sisters can be. They look out for each other. Protect each other. And most importantly, they keep each others secrets, even the most dangerous ones: Annie is blind, but can see visions of the future; Fia was born with flawless intuition--her first impulse is always exactly right. When the sisters are offered a place at an elite boarding school, Fia realizes that something is wrong . . . but she doesn't grasp just how wrong. The Keane Institute is no ordinary school, and Fia is soon used for everything from picking stocks to planting bombs. If she tries to refuse, they threaten her with Annie's life. Now Fia is falling in love with a boy who has dark secrets of his own. And with his help, she's ready to fight back. They stole her past. They control her present. But she won't let them take her future. 

I really enjoyed this story, told from both sister's perspectives. It was a unique construct in a genre that tends to start to all look alike. I have been recommending this one far and wide this summer, and I received the following brief review from a former student:
So as far as the romance goes I think it's well written because it's frustrating to read. It actually makes you feel something. Fia's relationship with her sister, Annie is interesting because their roles are reversed. The younger sister is looking out for her older sister instead of the other way around. I think the way the book ended was perfect for the sisters. Throughout the book their troubles came from the fact that they focused too much on the other instead of themselves as a whole. So the book kind of made the perfect solution while still leaving some problems to be solved. 

Fans of mystery, action, dystopian, and even romance books will find something to enjoy in this title. It's a fast read because you want to desperately get to the end to figure out what is going to happen! I cannot wait for the next one. Oh wait, I have an advance copy of the second book (Perfect Lies, pub. February, 2014). I think I might just go read it right now!

Trailer Tuesday: Eve and Adam (Grant/Applegate)

Action, suspense, and sci-fi combine in this new title by two popular authors: Michael Grant (author of the Gone series), and Katherine Applegate (author of The One and Only Ivan and the Animorphs series).

Definitely series possibilities, but I don't know if it will be a series. A very interesting premise that will have you talking. Check out "Eve and Adam" soon!