Discovering Wes Moore by Wes Moore

This autobiography of a man named Wes Moore has an interesting twist. While it is mainly the story of the author's life and the circumstances that led him from a life on the streets to a successful military career and a Rhodes scholarship, it is also the story of another man named Wes Moore who grew up under similar circumstances but ended up imprisoned. The author's story is compelling by itself—he lost his father at age three and his mother struggled and sacrificed to keep him on the right track. The other Wes Moore's story gets less time in the book—he lived in the same Baltimore neighborhood, but fathered several children at a young age, got into drugs and crime, and was arrested for his part in the murder of a police officer. The two Wes Moores have become friends and the author's point is to show how fine the line is between their two lives. He credits many people with watching out for him, caring about his future, and holding up high expectations for his behavior and education. This is the young people's version of the same story by the same author. Unfortunately, it felt too simplified to me. While I like the story I think that even middle or high school kids would be able to handle more depth and complexity. However, this may appeal to kids who will see themselves in the two Wes Moores. I think it would be best received by middle schoolers—and it would certainly be a good choice for a biography assignment.

Far, Far Away by Tom McNeal

The best part of this fairy tale-ish book is that the narrator is the long-dead ghost of Jacob Grimm. He is wandering the world trying to finish some unknown task. He has latched onto the only human he has ever found that can hear his voice—a boy named Jeremy Johnson Johnson. Jeremy's mother, long gone now, left him with a love of fairy tales. Jeremy's grandfather, now deceased, left him with a small bookstore that makes no money. Jeremy's father lays in bed all day watching TV. At times it seems that the ghost of Jacob Grimm is Jeremy's best friend. He even helps Jeremy try to earn some money on a local game show. Things change when a wild-haired girl named Ginger includes him in her schemes and befriends him. Unfortunately she leads him into trouble with the town baker who becomes an integral part of the story. What happens next is dark and disturbing and very much like a Grimm Fairy Tale. This book is intelligent, haunting, and unique. I would recommend it to readers from 7th grade through adults, especially those who like variations on fairy tales.

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein

This is a book for kids who like puzzles and games. It's also clearly a book for those who love libraries and the Dewey decimal system. Alexandriaville has a brand new and mysterious public library designed by the world's premiere game maker, and a group of kids is selected to spend the night there. What they don't realize is that they are part of an elaborate puzzle, and the real trick will be figuring out how to escape from the library. The main character is Kyle and readers will be rooting for him and his team the whole way through. There are obvious similarities to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but in this book the kids are solving puzzles and following clues that the reader can join in with. It's a little hard to keep track of all the kids and sometimes the dialogue between them is a little stilted, but the puzzles are good and my third grader was hanging on every word as we read this one aloud. Luigi Lemoncello and the head librarian mention many, many children's books and it would be great fun to read this to a class of kids and introduce them to all the books and authors that are mentioned, sometimes overtly and sometimes subtly. This is recommended for 3rd-6th graders and all children's librarians.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Conor's mother is dying from cancer and he is having a recurring nightmare every night. A nightmare that he can't tell anyone about. But one night after midnight a monster shows up. It originates from the yew tree behind his house, but this monster is able to walk. It's also able to talk and tell stories and it demands the truth. Conor thinks it can't be real but how else could he explain the leaves of the yew tree strewn about his floor in the morning and the destruction that the monster can cause? Conor's grandma is called in to take care of him when his mother is hospitalized. His estranged father also comes to visit from America. But Conor is essentially alone with his fear about the bleak future of his mother. It doesn't help that he is bullied at school and at odds with his former best friend. Patrick Ness is a fabulous writer and in his hands this story is compelling, creepy, and so, so emotionally true. Perhaps because I lost my mother to cancer I especially relate to Conor's emotional journey. I'm not going to lie to you, the end of this book will break your heart. Recommended for older middle school readers through adults.

Ship Out of Luck by Neal Shusterman

I am a huge Neal Shusterman fan and I especially love his books about Antsy Bonano (The Schwa Was Here and Antsy Does Time). So of course I read this the minute I saw it at The Little Shop of Stories. It did not disappoint. Antsy Bonano is a teenage boy with a fantastic first-person voice. He's awkward, hilarious, and usually good-hearted. He always manages to turn believably introspective (without being preachy), which makes his stories more substantive than they appear at first glance. This time Mr. Crawley takes Antsy's family on a luxury cruise and Antsy meets up with a cute stowaway who involves him in a majorly illegal scheme to help some people in need. Antsy doesn't intend to become an international criminal and YouTube sensation, but it happens. His friends Lexie and Howie are also there, and having some life-changing experiences of their own that all come together in the end. It's not necessary to read the other Antsy books (but I highly highly recommend reading Antsy Does Time because it is such a fantastic read). Ship Out of Luck is a thoroughly enjoyable and recommended to 7th-10th graders.