The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

I can't say too much about this book without giving away some of it's secrets. It is about an innocent 9-year-old German boy living during World War II. Bruno doesn't understand why his father's job has forced his family to move to "Out With" and he doesn't understand who all the people are that live behind the fence near his house. He does know that he would like to have some companionship, and he makes a good friend who happens to live on the other side of the fence. At times I thought Bruno was just too unbelievably innocent, but this book is supposed to be a fable, so you just have to suspend your disbelief and let the story take you to it's devastating conclusion. A very interesting read, especially for middle school readers with an interest in the Holocaust.

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

Shannon Hale writes fantasy books with elements of fairy tales, but her books are not sweet little princess stories. Princess Academy transports readers high in the mountains to a small community that quarries precious linder stone far away from civilization. It is a shock when the people of Mount Eskel find out that the king plans to marry one of their daughters. All the teenage girls are sent to the Princess Academy to learn the ways of the "civilized" people of their kingdom and to compete for the Prince's attention. Princess Academy isn't glamorous and fun--it's full-time school with a strict and cruel tutor while snowed in all winter in a cold stone building far from friends and relatives. As Miri learns to read and finds out more about the economics of her kingdom, ideas begin to form in her head. She is torn between wanting to be chosen as princess and wanting to return to Mount Eskel and help her people. There is some suspense when bandits threaten the lives of the princesses, and Miri uses a strange kind of quarry speech to save the day. Read this book if you want to bury yourself deep into another world. And read The Goose Girl, also by Shannon Hale, which I thought was even better than Princess Academy.

Rash by Pete Hautman

Rash is set about 70 years in the future, when current students will be grandparents. Things have changed in the U.S., which is now the U.S.S.A., the United Safer States of America. Everything is now safe--no one can play sports or litter or get angry. One fourth of the population is in prison for breaking the safety laws. These prison work camps are run by corporations like McDonalds and General Motors. Bo is a teenager who gets in trouble with the law (he causes a psychologically induced rash among his classmates) and it sentenced to a prison on the Canadian Tundra where inmates make pizzas for 16 hours a day and where polar bears lurk outside the gates. Strangely enough, this turns into a sports book when Bo is recruited for the highly illegal prison football team. Bo is a fun character to read about, and it's an intriguing look at the future. I didn't love how it ended, but I did love the idea of the book and the future world that Pete Hautman created.

Perfect by Natasha Friend

Isabelle has an eating disorder. She eats huge amounts of food and forces herself to throw up. Her mom sends her to a support group, where she encounters the most popular girl in school—Ashley. Isabelle can't believe that perfect Ashley has any problems, but she does. When they become friends it is a dream come true for Isabelle. Unfortunately, the two friends continue their binging and vomiting together. As you read the book you realize that Isabelle does what she does because she is dealing with death and with a family that isn't moving on with life. And you see how Isabelle tries to help herself while Ashley isn't quite at that same point yet. I think girls will really like this book, especially those who like to read books about people with problems. It is definitely not as good as Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson or Cut by Patricia McCormick or Freaky Green Eyes by Joyce Carol Oates, all books with a lot more depth and plot twists, but readers will probably enjoy it.

The Alphabet of Dreams by Susan Fletcher

This book has an unusuall setting for a book written for young people. Mitra and her brother Babak live in Persia more than two thousand years ago. They have been separated from their noble family and have been living as beggars and thieves for two years. When Babak begins having prophetic dreams, Mitra (who lives her life disguised as a boy), decides to sell his dreams to make money. When Babak himself is sold to a Magus named Melchior, they begin a journey that will change their lives. Melchior teams up with two other wise Magi and following Babak's dreams, they head off to find a new king. As you can probably guess, these three men are the Wise Men and they are looking for the baby Jesus. But this isn't really a story about those wise men—it's about Mitra growing up and realizing that she needs to give up her dreams of finding her family and take good care of her brother (whose health is poor). This is a book that really gets you inside the heart and mind of another character, and you want to finish the book because Mitra and her brother are like your own good friends.

Silverfin: Young James Bond Book 1 by Charlie Higson

Fans of Alex Rider don't have all that many good spy books to turn to, so they will definitely want to try this one. Guys at OMS have found it and are asking for it all the time. I thought it started out a little slowly, but picked up speed and ended up having an excellent villain with a suitable evil plan to take over the world. Young James Bond is kind of quiet and insecure, and is bullied at school by George Hellebore and his nasty friends. During the holidays in Scotland James finds himself near the Hellebore estate, where a local boy recently disappeared. James and a friend decide to search for him. What they find is a bizarre lake teeming with huge killer eels, and a dungeon with genetically modified pigs and people, and the evil lord Hellebore who wants to do some experiments on James before he kills him. Several times we think young James will be dead any minute, but he always overcomes the danger. There is already one sequel out called Blood Fever, and more to come. Great for kids who like action and spy books.

Ark Angel by Anthony Horowitz

I don't usually read every book in a series, but I am hooked on the Alex Rider books. Actually I listen to them in my car and I love the British actor who does the reading. And last year I got to take some OMS students to see Anthony Horowitz in person, and he was funny and charming and someone I would love to be friends with. So I read all his books. Ark Angel was much like the other Alex Rider books, but I have to admit I don't think it was as good as Eagle Strike or Scorpia. This time Alex gets involved with eco-terrorists who try to kidnap the son of a billionaire who is building the world's first space hotel. Of course, Alex is almost killed several times before Nikolei Drevin is disposed of. Fans of Alex Rider will have to read this book. I'm not going to tell you what happens at the end, but I'm wondering if anyone else thinks Alex's final mission is a little too far-fetched, even for Alex Rider.

Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan

This book is about an orphaned girl who grew up in Africa and longs to return to bring back the hospital her missionary parents used to run. Rachel loves Africa—the people, the animals, and the beautiful land. When her parents die of influenza (it is the early 1900s), the scheming Prichard family pretends Rachel is their daughter and sends her to England to butter up their dying grandfather. Rachel, who is sweet and good, wins over the grandfather and manages to get rid of the Prichards. But Rachel still dreams of returning to her beloved hospital in Africa. As you read this book you know that Rachel will succeed, but nevertheless it is fun to read about her journey to adulthood.

Gossamer by Lois Lowry

Lois Lowry has written a few amazing books (Number the Stars and The Giver are my favorites), so I had to read her newest book, Gossamer. This one is different—it's almost like a fable or a fairy tale or maybe a TV Christmas special. It's about dreamgivers, who inhabit human houses and bestow good dreams on people. And it's about the dreamgivers who go bad and bring nightmares. And it's about an abused and troubled boy who acts tough and mean, but is hurting inside and needs protection from the nightmares that come every night. This is a nice book that will make you feel good when you're done. I think kids from fourth grade on up would enjoy this book, especially kids with a little imagination.

Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney

Tom is a seventh son of a seventh son, and his parents make him the apprentice of the Spook. In this fantasy world, there are ghosts, ghasts, witches, and boggarts, and Tom must learn how to deal with them all. He's not at all sure he wants to spend his life as the new Spook, but he does show some talent for the work. However, he makes a couple of mistakes and a powerful witch is released from captivity and coming after him for revenge. It's a fun story that is surprisingly believable, and I hear there is already a sequel published. Good for kids who like fantasy and kind of creepy books.

Best Foot Forward by Joan Bauer

Maybe you've read the first book about Jenna, called Rules of the Road. This one is just as good, maybe even better. Jenna sells shoes, and she is great at it. She's only 16, but she's an expert sales person and she's the assistant to Mrs. Gladstone, who is in charge of shoe quality. In this book, Jenna has to train a new shoe salesman--who has a criminal record and is out on parole, and she uncovers lies and deceptions within her shoe company. And she also finds a little bit of romance. Jenna is also going to Al Anon meetings as she deals with her father's alcoholism. Jenna puts her Al Anon wisdom to use to help her cope with her troubles in the show industry. She's a smart and interesting teenager. Highly recommended!

The Boy Who Saved Baseball by John H. Ritter

Sports fans will be happy to see that there is finally a Maud Hart Lovelace nominee for them. You don't have to love baseball to like this book, but I'm sure it helps. It is the saga of a small town steeped in baseball history that is about to lose its field, and it's heart and soul, when developers start building huge suburban homes where the field has stood for years and years. The kids of the town are given one last chance to save their field and their town, but they have to win a difficult baseball game, and they know they are not up to the challenge. But a boy from the country shows up in town, and he knows how to convince a reclusive baseball legend to be their coach, and he also has a theory about how to master the art of hitting. The story has some twists and turns, but primarily it is the story of a group of kids working hard to take on the world. As I said, baseball lovers will be happy.

Isaac Newton by Kathleen Krull

This chatty, gossipy biography of Sir Isaac Newton gives an interesting introduction to one of the greatest scientists of all time. Biographies by Kathleen Krull are never dull, which can't be said for most middle school biographies! I didn't really know anything about Newton, and now I know what a strange, disagreeable man he was. I don't remember as much about the science as I do about his ridiculous feuds with other scientists and his strange behaviors. I would say that if you're interested in the history of science, you should definitely read this book (and Krull's others in this series about Leonardo da Vinci and Sigmund Freud). And if you need to read a biography for a school project, this is a great choice because is moves quickly and is actually fun to read.

Search and Destroy by Dean Hughes

Guys who want to know what it was like to fight in Vietnam will want to read this book. It is about a teenager who enlists in the army in order to escape his dead-end future and to "experience life." What he finds out is that war is horrible, and this one is particularly awful because he can't find any reason for the U.S. to be at war with the Vietnamese. He discovers many of his fellow soldiers to be heavy-drinking and cruel, and the only one who befriends him seems to be a strange religious nut. Guys will particularly like the descriptions of how the soldiers moved through the jungle and worked together under terrifying circumstances. As an adult, I just found it incredibly sad that we sent so many young men off to kill and be killed. I wouldn't say it was the most fluid plot and dialogue I've ever read, but it's a good fit for middle school guys.

I am the Wallpaper by Mark Peter Hughes

Have you ever felt like wallpaper, like you are there in the background but nobody notices you? Floey is ordinary, and she's tired of being overlooked. She confides to her diary all of her attempts to be the new and improved Floey Packer. However, her worst nightmare comes true when she finds her personal and private diary on the Internet for all the neighborhood boys to see. There's lots more to this book, including horrible cousins, a small training bra, a crush on a best friend, a disastrous poetry reading, and some elderly people skinny dipping. This book is fun to read, but also contains some serious thoughts about being true to yourself, sticking up for yourself, and getting along with your friends. Recommended especially for 7th and 8th grade girls.