Booklist: Cooking Up Some Magic!

There are several new books just out this spring that deal with magic by way of cooking.  It’s a delicious thought, isn’t it?  Find a recipe that you can follow to get some magical results!  It made me think about what other cookbook magic is out there…I remember reading a couple when I was a kid;  I think my favorites were Mrs. Coverlet’s Magicians, by Mary Nash and a bunch of different books by Ruth Chew.  Sadly, they’re no longer in print and our library doesn’t own them. (If you’re interested though, you can find used copies online.)

So if you’re a fan of cooking shows, or you’d like to have a little magic spicing up your kitchen, try one of the books on this list.  I think you’ll find them to your taste!

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Magical Cooking!

 A booklist of some magical recipes and extraordinary cooks!

Ames, Mildred.  Is There Life on a Plastic Planet?
Hollis is miserable with her life.  She hates her name, her mother keeps bugging her to eat healthy food, her cousin Addison makes her life miserable.  Then Hollis meets Ms. Eudora, who manages a shop that sells dolls, and serves Hollis yummy éclairs while she listens to her problems. It’s Ms. Eudora who comes up with the plan…substitute one of her dolls for Hollis, and Hollis can spend her days at the shop with Ms. Eudora and her magical éclairs.  But is it all too perfect to be real..?

Bosch, Pseudonymous.  This Book is Not Good for You
Between the pages of this book lies the secret to the best-tasting chocolate in all the world. I promise, your taste buds will tingle. Your palette will sing! Oh no, have I accidentally tempted you to read this book? I will warn you, however, the most delicious things are never good for you…and this story is particularly scrumptious! In this tooth-rotting adventure, Cass’s mom has been kidnapped by the evil dessert chef and chocolatier, Señor Hugo! The ransom…the legendary tuning fork. Can Cass and Max-Ernest find the magical instrument before it’s too late? Will they discover the evil secret ingredient to Señor Hugo’s chocolate success?  If you’re tempted, take a taste, but just remember…this book is not good for you.

Callaghan, Cindy.  Just Add Magic
Take three friends. Add an old cookbook. Combine with cute boys and a pinch of magic…and see what kind of chaos ensues! When Kelly Quinn and her two BFFs discover a dusty old cookbook while cleaning out the attic, the girls decide to try a few of the mysterious and supposedly magical recipes that are inside. To their surprise, the Keep ’Em Quiet Cobbler actually silences Kelly’s pesky little brother and the Hexberry Tart puts a curse on mean girl Charlotte. Is it possible that the recipes really are magic? Who wrote them and where did they come from? And most importantly of all, when boys get involved, what kind of trouble are the girls stirring up for themselves?

Catling, Robert.  The Chocolate Touch
John Midas loves chocolate. He thinks chocolate is better than any other food! But when John finds an odd coin, he buys a tiny piece of chocolate at an odd little shop.  It’s the most chocolaty chocolate he has ever tasted. The next morning, John discovers that everything that touches his lips turns into chocolate—rich, sweet, smooth chocolate. Toothpaste tubes squirt chocolate. Water fountains at school spout streams of chocolate. This is a dream come true! But even greedy John finds that too much of a good thing can quickly turn from a dream into a nightmare—especially when he kisses his mother and turns her into a chocolate statue. Is there anything John can do to reverse this horror?

Connor, Lexi.  The Chocolate Meltdown 
Eleven year-old Beatrix, B for short, is a witch with a quirky talent. When she spells out words, magic spells take shape!  B’s dad’s job at Enchanted Chocolates has always been a great thing — who doesn’t like free candy and special tours of a chocolate factory? But when something goes wrong with the new batch of treats, there’s nothing sweet about it! Everyone seems to be losing their magic touch — can B whip up a solution, or could this spell the E-N-D of witches?

Corbalis, Judy.  The Ice Cream Heroes
Oskar’s mother is a famous mountaineer, off on a trip to explore the Himalayas.  When he discovers that she’s forgotten her favorite ice pick, Oskar and his new friend Henrietta (a girl who wears a gorilla costume because of her job delivering gorillagrams) set off  to deliver it to her in person. Along the way they meet a tribe of abominable snowmen; are held captive in a palace made of magically flavored ice cream by the henchmen of The Controller, a demonic thief with a cohort of mad scientists; and meet the Great Khone, an ice cream maker searching for the world’s stolen ice cream supply.

Corbett, Scott.  The Great Custard Pie Panic
On a walk through the fog Nick and his dog discover a wonderful bakery that makes magical pies.  Unfortunately, the owner turns out to be his archenemy, the evil magician Dr. Merlin! (Early Chapter Book)

Corbett, Scoll.  The Lemonade Trick
A mysterious potion mixed by Kerby with his chemistry set has a beneficial effect on the neighborhood bully but also wreaks havoc at the Sunday School pageant.  Try the rest of the series too…Kerby’s chemistry set has quite a few magical recipes in it!

Dahl, Roald.  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka’s famous chocolate factory is opening at last!  But only five lucky children will be allowed inside.  All they have to do is find the golden ticket.  And the winners are: Augustus Gloop, an enormously fat boy whose hobby is eating; Veruca Salt, a spoiled-rotten brat whose parents are wrapped around her little finger; Violet Beauregarde, a dim-witted gum-chewer with the fastest jaws around; Mike Teavee, a toy pistol-toting gangster-in-training who is obsessed with television; and Charlie Bucket, Our Hero, a boy who is honest and kind, brave and true, and good and ready for the wildest time of his life!  As he tours the magical candy factory, what will Charlie find there?

Dahl, Roald.  George’s Marvelous Medicine
George is alone in the house with Grandma. The most horrid, grizzly old grunion of a grandma ever. She needs something stronger than her usual medicine to cure her grouchiness. A special grandma medicine, a remedy for everything. And George knows just what to put into it. Grandma’s in for the surprise of her life—and so is George, when he sees the results of his mixture! George decides that his grumpy, selfish old grandmother must be a witch and cooks up some marvelous medicine to take care of her.  (Early Chapter Book)

Dunbar, Fiona.  The Truth Cookie
Lulu Baker’s dad is getting ready to marry his new girlfriend, world-famous model Varaminta le Bone. Everyone thinks Varaminta is fabulous. Everyone, that is, except Lulu. She knows that her stepmother-to-be, not to mention her awful son Torquil, is cruel, deceitful, and just using her father. But how can she make her dad see Varaminta and Torquil for who they really are? When a magical recipe book called The Apple Star finds its way into Lulu’s hands, she finds that some very unusual ingredients and some help from her friends just might do the trick.

Graff, Lisa.  A Tangle of Knots
In a slightly magical world where everyone has a Talent, eleven-year-old Cady is an orphan with a phenomenal Talent for cake baking. But little does she know that fate has set her on a journey from the moment she was born.  And her destiny leads her to a mysterious address that houses a lost luggage emporium, an old recipe, a family of children searching for their own Talents, and a Talent Thief who will alter her life forever.  However, these encounters hold the key to Cady’s past and how she became an orphan.  If she’s lucky, fate may reunite her with her long-lost parent!

Hashimoto, Meika.  The Magic Cake Shop
Emma Burblee couldn’t be more different from her parents if she tried. She’d rather dig for treasure in a park than try the latest fashions or discuss their favorite subject: themselves. When Emma mortifies her parents, her punishment is to spend the summer with her Uncle Simon—a loathsome man with a huge appetite for food and get-rich-quick schemes.  Although Emma’s days revolve around cooking and cleaning, there is one bright spot. Her uncle’s sweet tooth means she gets to visit the town bakery, Mr. Crackle’s Cake Shop, all the time. Mr. Crackle is as charming and kind as Uncle Simon is vile. But then Emma discovers a plot by Uncle Simon; he has set his sights on ruining Mr. Crackle and the entire dessert making industry!  Can Emma stop their evil plan?

Kennemore, Tim. Circle of Doom
One day, Lizzie Sharp decides to concoct a potion to cast a spell on her family’s only neighbors, the unbearable, ancient Potwards. The very next day, Mrs. Potward breaks her hip and the couple disappear forever. It could be just a coincidence, but Lizzie is convinced of her own magical powers, and the temptation to involve both her younger brothers in her ambitious spellmaking plans is irresistible. As one potion leads to another, all three Sharp children become ridiculously entangled in a web of secrets, conspiracies, and misunderstandings.

Konigsburg, E. L.  Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth
Elizabeth is an only child, new in town, and the shortest kid in her class. She’s also pretty lonely, until she meets Jennifer. Jennifer is… different. She’s read Macbeth. She never wears jeans or shorts. She never says “please” or “thank you.” And she says she is a witch. It’s not always easy being friends with a witch, but it’s never boring. At first an apprentice and then a journeyman witch, Elizabeth learns to eat raw ends and how to cast small spells. And she and Jennifer collaborate on cooking up an ointment that will enable them to fly. That’s when a marvelous toad, Hilary Ezra, enters their lives. And that’s when trouble starts to brew.

Kramer, Stacy.  Karma Bites
Life seems to have it in for Franny Flanders. Her best friends aren’t speaking, her parents just divorced, and her hippie grandmother has moved in. The only karma Franny’s got is bad karma. Then Franny gets her hands on a box of magic recipes that could fix all of her problems. It could even change the world! Finally, life is looking up. But Franny is about to learn that magic and karma aren’t to be played with. When you mess with the universe, it can bite back in unexpected ways. Ouch!

Lindsay, Norman.  The Magic Pudding
The Magic Pudding is a pie, except when it’s something else, like a steak, or a jam donut, or an apple dumpling, or whatever its owner wants it to be. And it never runs out. It’s magic!  No matter how many slices you cut, there’s always something left over.  But the Magic Pudding is also alive. It walks and it talks and it has a personality like no other. A meaner, sulkier, snider, snarlinger Pudding you’ve never met. So Bunyip Bluegum (the koala bear) finds out when he joins Barnacle Bill (the sailor) and Sam Sawnoff (the penguin bold) as members of the Noble Society of Pudding Owners .  This madcap childhood classic recounts the adventures of the three friends as they defend the pudding from thieves.

Littlewood, Kathryn.  Bliss
Rosemary Bliss’s family has a secret. It’s the Bliss Cookery Booke—an ancient, leather-bound volume of enchanted recipes like Stone Sleep Snickerdoodles and Singing Gingersnaps. Rose and her siblings are supposed to keep the Cookery Booke under lock and whisk-shaped key while their parents are out of town, but then a mysterious stranger shows up. Aunt Lily rides a motorcycle, wears purple sequins, and whips up exotic (but delicious) dishes for dinner. Soon boring, non-magical recipes feel like life before Aunt Lily—a lot less fun.  So Rose and her siblings experiment with just a couple of recipes from the forbidden Cookery Booke.  A few Love Muffins and  Cookies of Truth couldn’t cause too much trouble . . . could they?

Littlewood, Kathryn.  A Dash of Magic
Rosemary will do anything to get back her family’s magical Cookery Booke, even challenging Aunt Lily to an international baking competition in Paris.  If Rose wins, Lily will return the Cookery Booke that she stole. If Rose loses . . . well, the consequences are too ugly to think about. But Lily isn’t playing fair—she’s using a magical ingredient to cheat. The only way for Rose to compete is for her to find magical ingredients of her own.  Together with her long-lost grandpa, his sarcastic talking cat, and a turncoat French mouse, Rose and her brothers race around Paris to find the magical ingredients that will help her outbake—and outmagic—her conniving aunt.  She has to win or the Bliss Cookery Booke will be lost to her family forever.

Loftin, Nikki.  The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy
Lorelei is bowled over by Splendid Academy—Principal Trapp encourages the students to run in the hallways, the classrooms are stocked with candy dishes, and the cafeteria serves lavish meals featuring all Lorelei’s favorite foods. But the more time she spends at school, the more suspicious she becomes. Why are her classmates growing so chubby? And why do the teachers seem so sinister?  It’s up to Lorelei and her new friend Andrew to figure out what secret this supposedly splendid school is hiding. What they discover chills their bones—and might even pick them clean!  Mix one part magic, one part mystery, and just a dash of Grimm, and you’ve got the recipe for a cozy-creepy read that kids will gobble up like candy.

Lowe, Natasha.  The Power of Poppy Pendle
Ten-year-old Poppy, born to ordinary parents, inherits her famous Great Aunt Mabel’s genes—GAM was a famous witch. In Poppy’s world, witches work for good and are much valued, with powers both coveted and praised. But Poppy does not want to be a witch—she wants to be a baker, and she is extremely good at baking. Her parents insist Poppy follow in the footsteps of her great aunt, but Poppy has plans of her own.  Part magic, part adventure, and wholly delicious, this spirited story includes more than a dozen recipes readers—and budding bakers—can try at home.

Magnin, Joyce.  Cake:  Love, Chickens and a Taste of Peculiar
Wilma Sue seems destined to go from one foster home to the next—until she is sent to live with sisters and missionaries, Ruth and Naomi. Do they really care about Wilma Sue, or are they just looking for someone to help raise chickens and bake cakes?  As Wilma Sue adjusts to her new surroundings and helps deliver ‘special’ cakes, she realizes there’s something strange going on.  On her search  for secret ingredients, she makes a new friend, Penny.  When Penny and her mother hit a rough patch, Naomi decides to make her own version of cake—with disastrous results. Then tragedy strikes the chickens, and all fingers point to Wilma Sue—just when she was starting to believe she could at last find a permanent home with Ruth and Naomi. Will the sisters turn her out, or will she discover what it feels like to be truly loved?

McGowan, Keith.  The Witch’s Guide to Cooking with Children
When Sol and Connie Blink move to Grand Creek, one of the first people to welcome them is an odd older woman, Fay Holaderry, and her friendly dog, Swift, who carries a very strange bone in his mouth. Sol knows a lot more than the average eleven-year-old, so when he identifies the bone as a human femur, he and Connie begin to wonder if their new neighbor is up to no good.  In a spine-tingling adventure that makes them think twice about who they can trust, Sol and Connie discover that dangerous secrets lurk in even the most pleasant neighborhoods.

McGowan, Keith.  The Witch’s Curse
A shadowy witch, a cursed hunter—it’s tricky business for Sol and Connie as they face off against this awful pair. The kids narrowly averted being eaten by the last witch after them, and this time it doesn’t look any better. It’s a long way through the accursed valley, they’re running out of food and water, and that lodge on the mountain side with the collection of animals inside isn’t exactly comforting. Who can save them? The All Creatures Manager? A heroic woodthrush? The Camper Lady? The Know-It-All Cube? Or will they have to save themselves? And here’s the worst of it: little do Sol and Connie know that the ancient child hunter is about to wake up—thanks to the witch’s curse.

Mull, Brandon.  The Candy Shop War
Welcome to the Sweet Tooth Ice Cream and Candy Shoppe, where the confections are bit on the . . . unusual side. Rock candy that makes you weightless. Jawbreakers that make you unbreakable. Chocolate balls that make you a master of disguise.  Nate, Summer, Trevor, and Pigeon meet the grandmotherly Mrs. White, owner of the Sweet Tooth, and soon learn about the magical side effects of her candies. Then the ice cream truck driver, Mr. Stott, arrives with a few enchanted sweets of his own. The danger unfolds as the kids discover that the magical strangers have all come to town in search of a legendary treasure—one that could be used for great evil if it fell into the wrong hands. The kids, now in over their heads, must try to retrieve the treasure first. And so, the war begins . . .

Mull, Brandon.  Arcade Catastrophe
In the sequel to The Candy Shop War, Nate and his friends meet Mrs. White’s brother Mr. White, who owns Arcadeland, a local amusement center. At Arcadeland, kids can play games and earn thousands of tickets, which are redeemable for one of four kinds of stamps jets, tanks, subs, and race cars. Could it be true that these stamps allow kids to fly through the air? Or breathe underwater? Or run faster than a car? But Mr. White is hiding a secret: when all four clubs are filled, he will be able to retrieve perhaps the most powerful talisman ever. For Nate and his friends, it will take more than candy to fight and win this war!

Ryan, Margaret.  Magic Mistakes!
It’s the start of the autumn school semester and the fairies are learning a new subject—cooking! Who can make the best pudding? Airy Fairy is determined to do well in cooking class, but with Scary Fairy around to stir up trouble, things are bound to go wrong once again.  Airy Fairy might be the clumsiest, most messy little fairy in town. Her wand is bent, her wings are patched with bandages, and her magic spells have a way of going wrong. Even so, she’s a lovable little fairy whose adventures have quickly become favorites among young readers.

Parker, Richard.  M for Mischief
When they move into a new house, Andrew, Milly and Peg find a little round structure in the garden, complete with a stove inside.  The stove looks like a normal one, except for the strange “M” on the dial.  And then there’s the “Magical Cook Book” they find with the stove.  Could it really be true?  Andrew and his sisters can hardly wait to try it. Carefully, they set the stove dial to M. Then Andrew cooks an egg and eats it, following the directions.  He can see himself perfectly fine though.  But his sisters can’t.  Andrew has disappeared!  Now they have a magic stove and a whole book of spells to try.  Can they keep their stove secret and keep out of trouble?

Rylant, Cynthia.  The Van Gogh Café
At the Van Gogh Cafe, anything can happen. Clara’s dad owns the cafe, and she’s seen it all—from food that cooks by itself to poems that foretell the future. This award-winning collection of vignettes by Newbery medalist Cynthia Rylant is a treat to be relished. So bring your appetite for the unexpected, because at the Van Gogh Cafe, your order of tea and toast comes with a side of magic!  The Van Gogh Cafe, located in Flowers, Kansas, has magic in its walls, causing strange and mysterious events to occur there.

Saunders, Kate.  The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop
Welcome to the most magical house in London.   The family of eleven-year-old twins Oz and Lily have inherited it, together with the mysterious shop downstairs. Long ago, the shop’s famous chocolate-makers, who also happen to be Oz and Lily’s great uncles, were clever sorcerers. Now evil villains are hunting for the secret of their greatest recipe. The terrifying powers of this magic chocolate have the ability to destroy the world.   Soon, Oz and Lily are swept into a thrilling battle, helped by an invisible cat, a talking rat, and the ghost of an elephant. It’s up to them to stop the villians and keep the magical chocolate recipe out of harm’s way. Their family and the world depends on it.

Smith, Robert Kimmel.  Chocolate Fever
Henry Green is a boy who loves chocolate. He likes it bitter, sweet, dark, light, and daily; for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks; in cakes, candy bars, milk, and every other form you can possibly imagine. Henry probably loves chocolate more than any boy in the history of the world. One day, Henry finds that strange things are happening to him. First he makes medical history with the only case of Chocolate Fever ever–Henry breaks out in brown bumps which cause a series of events ending in a hijacking and a realization about chocolate and family.

Travers, P. L.  Mary Poppins in the Kitchen
Get a unique glimpse at the famous Poppins cast as the spit-spot English nanny and the Banks children take over the kitchen for a week. With the help of familiar visitors like the Bird Woman, Admiral Boom, and Mr. and Mrs. Turvy, Mary Poppins teaches her irrepressible young charges the basics of cooking, from A to Z. And young readers can re-create the week’s menus by following the thirty different recipes. Kitchen adventures were never so much fun!

Weeks, Sarah.  Pie
When Alice’s Aunt Polly, the Pie Queen of Ipswitch, passes away, she takes with her the secret to her world-famous pie-crust recipe. Or does she? In her will, Polly leaves the recipe to her extraordinarily fat, remarkably disagreeable cat, Lardo . . . and then leaves Lardo in the care of Alice.  Suddenly, the whole town is wondering how you leave a recipe to a cat. Everyone wants to be the next big pie-contest winner, and it’s making them pie-crazy. It’s up to Alice and her friend Charlie to put the pieces together and discover the not-so-secret recipe for happiness: Friendship. Family. And the pleasure of donig something for the right reason.

Wrede, Particia.  Sorcery & Cecelia: Or the Enchanted Chocolate Pot
Cousins Kate and Cecelia have always been inseparable. But in 1817, as they approach adulthood, they are forced to spend a summer apart. As Cecelia fights boredom in her small country town, Kate visits London to mingle with English society. At the initiation of a magician into the Royal College of Wizards, Kate finds herself alone with a mysterious witch who offers her a sip from a chocolate pot. Kate refuses the drink and the witch disappears as chocolate burns through her dress. Strange forces convene to destroy a beloved wizard, and only Kate and Cecelia can stop the plot. But for two girls who have to contend with the pressures of choosing dresses and beaux for their debuts, deadly magic is only one of their concerns.

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As it turns out, magical cookery books seem to be very popular!  Most of these titles were out when I made this post.  If you’d like to place a book on hold in the Minuteman system, simply click on the title link and you’ll find yourself on that page of our catalog.  Just place a Hold Request from there!

Enjoy!  And if YOU find a mysterious magical cookbook, please bring it in and share with our staff!  Everyone here would like a turn at some cooking magic! 

::Kelly::

Three Audio Reviews: Kids in Trouble

Time for three new audio reviews!  I haven’t been driving much, so this has taken a little longer than expected.  Although it wasn’t planned, these three books do have something in common: Kids in trouble, trying to find their way home…even though they’re already there.

So, here we go!

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The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
by Joan Aiken, read by Lizza Aiken
4 CDs, 4 hours, 49 minutes

Sylvia is leaving the only home she’s known with frail, elderly Aunt Jane. She’s off to live with her cousin Bonnie and Bonnie’s parents, Lord Willoughby and Lady Green at Willoughby Chase, an estate deep in the wilds of Britain.  It’s the middle of winter, and there are wolves on the prowl…and not only the furry kind.

When Bonnie’s parents leave for a year-long journey abroad to  improve Lady Green’s health, Sylvia and Bonnie are left in the care of a distant cousin.  Miss Slighcarp was recommended to Lord Willoughby, but neither girl likes her. She soon proves she’s not to be trusted, as Sylvia and Bonnie are locked in the attics, the servants are dismissed, and all Bonnie’s toys and books and belongings are sold.  Miss Slighcarp tells the girls that Bonnie’s parents have been lost at sea, and they soon end up in a workhouse run by the evil Mrs. Brisket.  Bonnie is determined to get Sylvia out of there and back to Willoughby Chase.

Will Miss Slighcarp succeed in her evil activities, or will Bonnie and Sylvia manage to escape and stop her?  And if they do escape, will they even have a home to return to?

We featured The Wolves of Willoughby Chase earlier as one of our Old Favorites.  It’s a very exciting story, full of adventures and daring escapes.  It is considered a modern classic by most children’s literature sources. Lizza Aiken, the reader, is Joan Aiken’s daughter. Her reading is well done; her cadence and accent vary for most characters.

The audio recording of The Wolves of Willoughby Chase starts with a wonderful foreword, where Lizza shares details about her own childhood and memories of her mother writing the book.  I feel these details help create an immediate connection between the listener and the reader.  The little tidbits about the background of the book are interesting and memorable.  My only reservation is that I’m not sure that a new reader appreciates the foreward as much as someone who has already read the book and is listening to it as a “re-reading”.  Some of the information depends on knowledge of the story.

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase is a fairly short book; only 150 pages.  Because it’s sort of an “alternate history” book of Britain though, it might confuse younger readers…and even adults not familiar with British history. It is chock-full of adventure and emotions though, and would be enjoyed by listeners as young as third grade, and probably up to middle school.  It’s an excellent choice for a family car trip!

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What Came From the Stars
By Gary D. Schmidt, Narrated by Graham Winton
6 CDs, 6.5 hours

The Valorim are under attack, and their way of life is at an end.  Young Waeglim, of The Ethelim, manages to pull all the strength of the Valorim  into one small package, which he casts out into the galaxy.  Traveling at the speed of thought, the Art of the Valorim makes it through multiple universes until it comes to a small, single-sun planet on the remote edges of a tiny galaxy…

Tommy Pepper lives in Plymouth, Massachusetts.  His family lives in a ramshackle old house on the seashore.  Every morning, Tommy, his dad and his little sister Patty greet the morning out on the beach, watching the sun come up.   After that, Tommy and Patty walk or take the bus to school. Both of them prefer walking; then they don’t have to deal with Cheryl Lynn Lumpkin and her bullying about how her mother’s new development is going to take over the stretch of beach in front of their house.

The morning of Tommy’s twelfth birthday starts out with nothing going right. Tommy’s father makes him take the lunchbox his grandmother sent him to school–the lunchbox for a show Tommy hasn’t watched since he was eight.  Afraid that the other kids will laugh at him, Tommy hides the lunchbox under the picnic table.  Tommy doesn’t notice when a mysterious glowing green chain falls from the sky and lands in his lunchbox.  He just thinks it’s part of the birthday present from his grandmother, and puts it on.

Suddenly, Tommy is using words his classmates have never heard before. The town of Plymouth is under attack from something that breaks into houses when no one is home and leaves them strewn with stinky seaweed. Tommy can draw things that move, hear music that no one else can hear, and his head is full of information about life on a double-sun world. Plymouth Police are at the Peppers’ door and Tommy spends more time in the principal’s office than he ever has before.

Does all this have something to do with the glowing necklace Tommy is now wearing?  Tommy and his friends are going to try to figure it out. But when Tommy draws a figure in the sand, it comes to life, and suddenly Tommy isn’t only dealing with his odd new memories and abilities, but an O’Mandim, the enemy of the Valorim, come to life on Earth.

The audio recording of What Came From the Stars is excellent–I love the narrator’s voice.  His take on Tommy, his family and his friends (and enemies) are all slightly varied.  He does a wonderful job with integrating the foreign words Tommy starts using, making them sound completely commonplace.

I enjoyed the descriptions of the Valorim as well, their planet and their way of life.  In the book, the chapters based on the Valorim are in italics.  I did find it a little more confusing to hear the names rather than read them.  There are a lot of vowels and “th” sounds in the names of the O’Mondim, Valorim and Ethelim, and I had a hard time distinguishing who belonged to which group.  But that’s probably just me.

What Came From the Stars is probably best for fifth through eighth grade readers. It would make a wonderful audio book for a family car trip.  The book balances well between science fiction and a realistic school story.  Tommy Pepper has some problems, and his friends rally around him to help him deal with them.  Yes, he is dealing with inter-galactic technology and aliens, but at heart, this is a story about love and life and loss.

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Liar & Spy
by Rebecca Stead, Read by Jesse Bernstein
4 CDs, 4 hours, 41 minutes

Georges (the s is silent) is not happy to be leaving the house he grew up in, but his father has lost his job and is still looking for a new one.  In order to save money, they had to sell the house and move into a small apartment.  They’re in an entirely different neighborhood, but still close enough so that Georges can go to the same school.  Not that that’s a huge benefit, since Georges best friend dumped him the year before to sit with the cool crowd, and Georges hasn’t really made too many other friends.  Georges tends to end up at the table with the other outcasts, like Bob English Who Draws.

Living in a apartment building is very different from living in a house. There are people coming and going on the time, and your neighbors are a lot closer.  When Georges and his father go down into the basement to look over their new shared laundry room and garbage cans, Georges’ dad sees a sign for an upcoming Spy Club meeting.  Georges’ dad writes “what time?” on the announcement.  When the reply is penciled in the next day, Georges decides to go.  (Or maybe his father pushed him into it.)  At any rate, Georges meets Safer and his little sister Candy.

The Spy Club turns out to be an excuse for Safer to get Georges to be his second in command and spy on Mr. X, another tenant in the building. Safer is convinced that Mr. X is up to no good, and has something to hide.  Georges goes along with it, learning techniques of observation and spying skills. He also starts to spend some time with Safer’s eccentric family when his father is away or visiting his mother at work.

At school, Georges is spending more time with Bob English Who Draws, and finds that maybe being picked on by the popular kids isn’t something he has to just take.  As time goes by, Georges finds that living in an apartment is still something to get used to though, even though he and his father are taking it one day at a time.

The audio for Liar & Spy is excellent.  I really enjoyed listening to the recording.  This is a book where things unfold very slowly, and although the clues are there, it’s not until later that you see them. The narrator’s voice fits the story well.

I did have one problem though…although I wanted to, I really didn’t like Safer.  Because I listened to the book rather than read it, I don’t know if it was the character’s actions or the voice the narrator chose to use for him. Since I had a pretty quick reaction to the voice though, I think it was that.  I’m not sure if my take on the book might have been different if I had read it rather than listened.

Liar & Spy is an interesting book about a boy who is trying to figure out what friendship really means. He’s also dealing with quite a few changes in his life, and some issues that he doesn’t even want to acknowledge.  It’s probably best for readers in fifth through eighth grades, but a mature fourth grade reader would probably enjoy it too.

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So, there you have it.  Three VERY long reviews of three very different books.  I think I’m going to go for humor next time!

::Kelly::

 

Read to Dogs Program!

Don’t forget!  Our Read to Dogs Program is this Saturday.  We still have a couple spots left if you want to sign up to read aloud to a patient, listening canine friend.  Call or visit the Youth Services Desk to register.

Booklist: Twins in SciFi, Time Travel and Humor!

And now, the last of our Double Trouble booklists.  Humor, Time Travel and Science Fiction featuring twins.  (And there is one set of triplets in one of these series…I guess they’re not  all in the Realistic category.)  Ready?  Let’s go!

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Double (or Triple!) the Trouble Family Stories:
Twins, Triplets, Quadruplets…

HUMOROUS STORIES

The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry

Abandoned by their ill-humored parents to the care of an odious nanny, Tim, the twins, Barnaby A and Barnaby B, and their sister, Jane, attempt to fulfill their roles as good oldfashioned children. Following the models set in lauded tales from A Christmas Carol to Mary Poppins, the four Willoughbys hope to attain their proscribed happy ending too, or at least a satisfyingly maudlin one. However, it is an unquestionably ruthless act that sets in motion the transformations that lead to their salvation and to happy endings for not only the four children, but their nanny, an abandoned baby, a candy magnate, and his long-lost son too. Replete with a tongue-in-cheek glossary and bibliography, this hilarious and decidedly old-fashioned parody pays playful homage to classic works of children’s literature.

 

 The Boy Who Howled by Timothy Power

As far back as he can remember, Callum has been living in the wild as the furless mascot of a wolf pack. But when his pack sends him back to live with his own kind, fitting in is quite a challenge. He doesn’t remember English well and introduces himself as “Clam.” Then when he tries to impress an Alpha boy in school by stealing his food, people seem offended! Can Callum find a way to make humans his pack? This hilarious and inventive story will have readers rooting for Callum.

 

Seriously, Norman! by Chris Raschka

Now that the whole thing is over (and we all survived!), I can tell you what happened. Picture this for a second. Rock wall six inches on my left. Sheer cliff hundreds of feet down on my right, my best friend Norman in front of me, mumbling something, and my mom behind me saying, “Step, step, step.” EEEEEEYAAAAAH! Next time my mom bugs me about sitting in front of the computer too much, I’m going to say, “Thanks, I prefer it where the near-death experiences are virtual!” No, seriously, this story is about Norman and about how he grows and learns stuff. Uses his imagination. Observes things. Like his dad, who is so devoted to money! Like how his dad is mixed up with weird creeps of the underworld. All over the world! Why, why are grown-ups so insane? That’s exactly the question that Norman, Anna and Emma (the twins), and I, Leonard, try to answer. And with the help of Norman’s new tutor, Balthazar Birdsong (also fairly nuts), we nearly do!

 

Unlucky Charms by Adam Rex

Last sighted with twins Erno and Emily en route to England, Scott is reportedly searching for a rift in the space-time continuum so that he might save the queen and convince the fairy court to stop their so-called invasion.
Kids today, right? Too many wizard books, not enough fresh air, if you want Goodco Cereal Company’s opinion.  But  Goodco execs are not angry. They only to see Scott get the help he needs before he hurts himself. Or gets hurt.  Sightings of Scott with a two-foot-tall leprechaun named Mick are of course ridiculous and should be reported immediately to Goodco.
Scott, Erno and Emily must save the world from the diabolical schemes of the evil breakfast cereal company which has been luring magical creatures to our world through a rift in the space-time continuum.  Also read Cold Cereal, the first book about Scott’s quest to save the world!

 

The Butler Gets a Break: a Bellweather Tale by Kristin Clark Venuti

All is (temporarily) peaceful in the village of Eel-Smack-by-the-Bay. An art heist has been averted, an albino alligator refuge established, and a family of refugee circus performers, gainfully employed. After much thought (and a tell-all memoir) Tristan Benway has decided to remain in the employ of the Bellweather family, and the children, especially, have tried to mend their ways. But old habits die hard, and when the triplets – Brick, Spike, and Sassy – experiment in negative space on the lighthouse stairs, Benway ends up in the hospital with a broken leg, and the Bellweathers are left without a butler. The family’s efforts to find an interim servant fail miserably. Their troubles mount as they become mixed-up with a band of roving Gypsies, paleontological discoveries gone awry, and encounters with rare attack squirrels.  But letting the recuperating Benway know of their plight is not an option. As the Bellweathers spin increasingly amazing stories of their “new servant” at Benway’s bedside, the poor butler starts to wonder if he was ever needed…
Also try Leaving the Bellweathers!

 

The Templeton Twins Have an Idea by Ellis Weiner

Suppose there were 12-year-old twins, a boy and girl named John and Abigail Templeton. Let’s say John was pragmatic and played the drums, and Abigail was theoretical and solved cryptic crosswords. Now suppose their father was a brilliant, if sometimes confused, inventor. And suppose that another set of twins—adults—named Dean D. Dean and Dan D. Dean, kidnapped the Templeton twins and their ridiculous dog in order to get their father to turn over one of his genius (sort of) inventions. Yes, I said kidnapped. Wouldn’t it be fun to read about that? Oh please. It would so. Luckily for you, this is just the first in a series perfect for boys and girls who are smart, clever, and funny (just like the twins), and enjoy reading adventurous stories (who doesn’t?!). Coming Soon book 2: The Templeton Twins Make a Scene!

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Double (or Triple!) the Trouble Family Stories:
Twins, Triplets, Quadruplets…

SCIENCE FICTION and TIME TRAVEL

 

The Magic Half by Annie Barrows

Miri is the non-twin child in a family with two sets of them–older brothers and younger sisters. The family has just moved to an old farmhouse in a new town, where the only good thing seems to be Miri’s ten-sided attic bedroom. But when Miri gets sent to her room after accidentally bashing her big brother on the head with a shovel, she finds herself in the same room . . . only not quite. Without meaning to, she has found a way to travel back in time to 1935 where she discovers Molly, a girl her own age very much in need of a loving family. A highly satisfying classic-in-the-making full of spine-tingling moments, this is a delightful time-travel novel for the whole family.

 

The Roar by Emma Clayton

Mika lives in future London, behind The Wall: Solid concrete topped with high-voltage razor wire and guarded by a battalion of Ghengis Borgs, it was built to keep out the animals, because animals carry the plague. Or so Mika’s been told. But ever since Ellie vanished a year ago, Mika’s suspected his world may be built on secrets–and lies. When a mysterious organization starts recruiting mutant kids to compete in violent virtual reality games, Mika takes the chance to search for his twin sister–and the truth. Check out the sequel The Whisper!

 

Angel of the Battlefield by Ann Hood

While exploring The Treasure Chest, Felix and Maisie are transported to a Massachusetts farm in 1836. Disappointed that they have not landed in their beloved New York City, they wonder why they were brought to Massachusetts to meet a young girl named Clara Barton. Perhaps Clara has a message for the twins? Or maybe they have one for her? Read the entire The Treasure Chest series!

 

 

Many Waters by Madeleine L’Engle

Sandy and Dennys have always been the normal, run-of-the-mill ones in the extraodinary Murry family. They garden, make an occasional A in school, and play baseball. Nothing especially interesting has happened to the twins until they accidentally interrupt their father’s experiment. Then the two boys are thrown across time and space. They find themselves alone in the desert, where, if they believe in unicorns, they can find unicorns, and whether they believe or not, mammoths and manticores will find them. The twins are rescued by Japheth, a man from the nearby oasis, but before he can bring them to safety, Dennys gets lost. Each boy is quickly embroiled in the conflicts of this time and place, whose populations includes winged seraphim, a few stray mythic beasts, perilous and beautiful nephilim, and small, long lived humans who consider Sandy and Dennys giants. The boys find they have more to do in the oasis than simply getting themselves home–they have to reunite an estranged father and son, but it won’t be easy, especially when the son is named Noah and he’s about to start building a boat in the desert. This is book four in the series; read the whole Time Quintet series, which starts with the award-winning A Wrinkle in Time!

 

The Chronal Engine by Greg Leitich Smith

When Max, Kyle, and Emma are sent to live with their reclusive grandfather, they think he’s crazy, especially when he tells them about his time machine. But after Emma is kidnapped at the exact time that her grandfather predicted, Max and Kyle are forced to believe his eccentric stories—even the one about the Chronal Engine in the basement. Now, to save Emma, Max, Kyle, and their new friend Petra must pile into a VW Bug, and use the Chronal Engine to take the road trip of a lifetime—right back to the Cretaceous period. With dangers all around, the teens find themselves dodging car-crushing herbivores in addition to the terrifying T. rex. In this ancient environment, can three contemporary teens hunt down a kidnapper, forage for food, and survive long enough to return home?

 

The Secret of ROVER by Rachel Wildavsky

The Secret of Rover follows the clever and resourceful twins Katie and David as they race across country in their attempt to outwit an international team of insurgents who hold their parents and baby sister captive in a foreign land. Held hostage because they invented a spy technology called Rover that can locate anyone in the world, Katie and David’s parents are in grave danger. Now, it’s up to Katie and David to rescue them. But first they must find their reclusive uncle, whom they have never met—the only person they know who can help them.

Booklist by Julie G!

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And we’ve now reached the end of our multiples madness!  If you enjoyed this booklist, let us know!  And if you have any ideas for future booklists, let us know that too!

::Kelly::

Booklist: Double Trouble–More Twin fiction

Sorry for the delay.  That’s what happens when weekends get in the way of a good, long booklist.  So here we are, back again with some more triple trouble.  This time, we’re splitting the focus between Historical Fiction, Mystery and Horror stories featuring a double dose of siblings!

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Double (or Triple!) the Trouble Family Stories:
Twins, Triplets, Quadruplets…

HISTORICAL FICTION

 

January 1905 by Katharine Boling

The winter has been a tough one for Pauline and Arlene’s family. Though only eleven, the twin girls are old in too many ways: They know what it is to work to exhaustion, to be hamstrung by longing, and to be blind with hate. Pauline labors from dawn to dusk alongside the other members of her family at the local cotton mill, and she wishes she could stay home like her twin. Meanwhile, crippled Arlene tends to all the housework while dreaming of one day working at the mill and earning money and respect. Each is certain the other has the easy life–but each discovers how wrong she is as this extraordinary debut novel unfolds.

 

Children of the Longhouse by Joseph Bruchac

Told from the alternating points of view of Native American Ohkwa’ri and his twin sister Otsi:stia, this historic novel shows a Mohawk village during the best of times: after the Great League of Peace is formed and before European settlers rob the tribe of its land. The story revolves around 11-year-old Ohkwa’ri’s conflicts with a pompous bully, but the plot is less essential than the painstakingly wrought details about the tribe’s daily rituals, legends and annual celebrations. Besides learning the origins of modern-day lacrosse and certain kinds of tool-making, readers will come away from this novel with a broadened awareness of a nearly vanished culture.

 

The Adventures of Vin Fiz by Clive Cussler

Ten-year-old twins Lacey and Casey Nicefolk have always wanted to fly, but kids can’t fly . . . or can they? They can if they know the mysterious Sucoh Sucop, a man who claims to have an enchanted box that can transform any toy into the real thing! Before you know it, the twins, along with their droopy-eared basset hound, Floopy, are soaring cross-country in a real-live Wright brothers biplane, which they name Vin Fiz (after Casey’s favorite grape soda). But dangers lurk everywhere, and if the twins are to make it all the way to New York, their courage will have to make heroes of them many times over. Thank goodness they have the magical Vin Fiz on their side! Check out book #2: The Adventures of Hotsy Totsy.

 

Horseback on the Boston Post Road, 1704 by Laurie Lawlor

As the winter of 1704 approaches, New Englanders are reeling from the news of war with the French and Indians. Meanwhile a mysterious letter has arrived for the widow Madame Sarah Kemble Knight, instructing her to bring the twin servants, twelve-year-olds Hester and Philena, on an unfamiliar journey from Boston toward New Haven, Connecticut. But Madame Knight decides to take only one of the sisters, who have been bound in servitude since infancy. However Philena soon risks her life to follow Hester and the widow. When they meet up, the trip turns perilous. The travelers face drowning, starvation, and exhaustion as they make their way through menacing woods, hazardous swamps, and wild rivers. But neither girl can imagine the real reason for the journey that will end in New York and change their lives forever. Read all of the stories in the American Sisters series!

 

Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson

Louise has had enough of her twin sister. Caroline is beautiful. Caroline is talented. Caroline is better. Growing up on the small island of Rass in Chesapeake Bay, Caroline seems to do nothing but take from Louise: their parents’ love, Louise’s chances for an education, her dreams for the future. They have spent their lives entwined — sleeping in the same room, eating at the same table, learning in the same classroom — and yet somehow nothing can bring them together. Louise’s only hope lies in seeking a place for herself beyond the stretch of Rass’s shores and her sister’s shadow. What will it take for her to break free?

 

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Double (or Triple!) the Trouble Family Stories:
Twins, Triplets, Quadruplets…

MYSTERY and HORROR

 

13 Hangmen by Art Corriveau

“Some people won’t believe any of this story. You might be one of them. But every single word is true. Tony DiMarco does catch a murderer, solve a mystery, and find a treasure—all in the first few days after he moves, unexpectedly, to 13 Hangmen’s Court in Boston. The fact that he also turns thirteen at the same time is not a coincidence.” So begins the story of Tony and his friends—five 13-year-old boys, all of whom are living in the same house in the same attic bedroom but at different times in history! None are ghosts, all are flesh and blood, and somehow all have come together in the attic room, visible only to one another. And all are somehow linked to a murder, a mystery, and a treasure.

 

The Midnight Curse by L.M. Falcone

A deep, raspy voice whispered, “The midnight curse has been passed on to you!” Thus begins a frightfully wacky adventure that will have young readers turning every page in spine-tingling anticipation. Lacey and her twin brother, Charlie, are visiting England to find out if they inherited anything from their reclusive uncle Jonathan, but before long, Charlie realizes he might not have inherited anything but the family curse. It s a bad one he’ll shrivel up and die unless someone ventures to the attic to face a malevolent spirit. Curse removal is a complicated game involving a gothic cast of shifty characters. The twins sure have stirred things up, and the clock is ticking on Charlie s curse. Can they finish what they started.

 

Hunter Moran Saves the Universe by Patricia Reilly Giff

Twins Hunter and Zack have a small problem to solve: they must save their town from a diabolical dentist who is planning to blow it to smithereens. But first they have to hold a funeral for an incriminating report card before it breaks their mother’s heart, hide a cello that has been demolished, and keep their father from finding out what they did to his laptop. None of this is going to be easy with their busybody older sister, Linny, watching their every move; older brother, William, just waiting to get them in trouble; five-year-old brother, Steadman, tailing them; and baby Mary banging her spoon like a maniac so no one can think. Before the book is over, a vintage airplane, a hot air balloon, and a borrowed fire engine will all play parts in the unfolding mystery.

 

The Girl Behind the Glass by Jane Kelley

Eleven-year-old twins Hannah and Anna agree about everything—especially that they don’t want to move to the creepy old house on Hemlock Road. But as soon as they move into the house, the twins start disagreeing for the first time in their lives. In fact, it’s almost as though something or someone is trying to drive them apart. While Anna settles in, Hannah can’t ignore the strange things that keep happening on Hemlock Road. Why does she sense things that no one else in the family does?  It’s almost as though someone is trying to talk to her. Someone no one else can hear. Someone angry enough to want revenge. Hannah, are you listening? Is the house haunted? Is Hannah crazy? Or does something in the house want her as a best friend—forever?

 

Double Spell by Janet Lunn

Twins Jane and Elizabeth are twelve years old and have outgrown dolls. Nevertheless, on a cold wet spring Saturday they find themselves in an antique store, inexplicably drawn to a small, tattered old fashioned doll. Even the owner of the store seems to understand that the doll somehow belongs to the girls. Once the twins buy the doll, stranger and stranger things begin to happen, and a young girl from the past seems to be calling out to them. The search to discover the history of the little doll brings the twins terrifyingly close to the world of the supernatural as they finally solve a tantalizing mystery.

 

Vanishing Acts: a Maggie Brooklyn Mystery by Leslie Margolis

When a movie starring tween heartthrob Seth Ryan starts filming in Park Slope, everyone gets movie mania-including Maggie Brooklyn Sinclair. Though her plans to become a movie extra don’t quite work out, Maggie manages to capture Seth’s attention and he seeks her out at the Pizza Den to talk. But just when Maggie’s life is feeling like a romantic comedy, Seth disappears! Everyone thinks he’s been kidnapped, but Maggie knows better! This young Nancy Drew is back, along with her twin brother and dog-walking business, in a second mystery that shines a spotlight on her super-sleuth skills. Leslie Margolis’s pitch-perfect tween voice will leave fans begging for more of this loveable heroine. Read book #1: Girl’s Best Friend.

 

The Twin In the Tavern by Barbara Brooks Wallace

Orphaned twice and all alone in the world, Taddy watches as Neezer and Lucky, two sinister thieves, steal his family’s possessions, and then make him a virtual prisoner. With only table scraps and dry crusts of bread to eat, Taddy and another boy named Beetle are forced to work long, cruel hours carrying freezing, heavy blocks of ice for delivery in Lucky’s ice wagon. Then a neighbor, Mrs. Mainyard, tells lucky she’d like to hire Taddy during the day as a servant boy. His wages go to Lucky, but he’s better fed. And once inside the sumptuous Mainyard mansion, Taddy sees the impossible – a boy who looks just like him. Can this be the mysterious twin he’d been told about?

Booklist by Julie Goldman!

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Not quite as many books as our last multiples booklist, and all of them twins!  I think we’ve discovered an area where authors need to write some historical fiction, mystery and horror stories.   Any future authors out there listening?

Next time: our last twin booklist: two final topics that don’t really fit together. Science Fiction and Humor.  Oh well.    See you then!

::Kelly::

Booklist: Double (or Triple!) the Trouble – Fantasy stories!

Continuing our booklist on twins, triplets and other multiples…this time with a Fantasy twist!

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Double (or Triple!) the Trouble Family Stories:
Twins, Triplets, Quadruplets…

FANTASY STYLE

Hollow Earth by John Barrowman and Carole E. Barrowman

Lots of twins have a special connection, but twelve-year-old Matt and Emily Calder can do way more than finish each other’s sentences. Together, they are able to bring art to life and enter paintings at will. Their extraordinary abilities are highly sought after, particularly by a secret group who want to access the terrors called Hollow Earth. All the demons, devils, and evil creatures ever imagined are trapped for eternity in the world of Hollow Earth—trapped unless special powers release them. The twins flee from London to a remote island off the west coast of Scotland in hopes of escaping their pursuers and gaining the protection of their grandfather, who has powers of his own. But the villains will stop at nothing to find Hollow Earth and harness the powers within. With so much at stake, nowhere is safe—and survival might be a fantasy.

First Hero by Adam Blade

At the age of seven, Tanner’s father was killed in front of him by the evil warlord Derthsin. But his father’s death was not in vain and Derthsin was carried away to his doom by a good Beast, Firepos the Flame Bird. Now, eight years later, another evil army is wreaking havoc across Avantia. But Tanner has been training with Firepos, waiting to avenge his father’s death. There is something familiar about this new menace, who rides with a Beast of his own. The evil army is after the pieces of the Mask of Death–which allows whoever wears it to control all Beasts. Tanner sets off on a journey to stop them. Along the way, he encounters twins Gwen and Geffen, who hold the map to finding the remaining pieces. Check out #2 (Chasing Evil) and #3 (Call to War) in the series!

Doctor Illuminatus by Martin Booth

When a family moves to an old English country estate, Sebastian, the son of an alchemist, is accidentally awakened from a centuries-long sleep. The evil enemy of Sebastian’s father has also been awakened and continues to pursue his sinister plan.
Check out Part II: Soul stealer.

 

The Land of Stories: the Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer

Alex and Conner Bailey’s world is about to change, in this fast-paced adventure that uniquely combines our modern day world with the enchanting realm of classic fairy tales. The Land of Stories tells the tale of twins Alex and Conner. Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, they leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about. But after a series of encounters with witches, wolves, goblins, and trolls, getting back home is going to be harder than they thought.

Witch Twins and the Ghost of Glenn Bly by Adele Griffin

Claire and Luna are thrilled to visit an ancient castle in Scotland with their five-star-witch grandmother, Grandy. But this is no ordinary vacation. The three witches are on a mission: to rid Glenn Bly castle of the terrifying ghost that haunts it. The situation at Glenn Bly is more complicated than the twins had imagined. There’s prickly Daphne, who lives with her grandfather in the castle and seems to be hiding something. There are the awful Shrillingbirds, the absentee landlords who now want to make Glenn Bly their permanent home. Finally, there is the ghost himself. And when Claire and Luna meet him, the real mystery begins. The twins turn ghost-busters in this fourth magically funny book in the Witch Twins series about these novice witches.

 

Otto and the Flying Twins by Charlotte Haptie

It is the spring following the events in Otto and the Flying Twins, and Otto’s world is still strangely unpredictable: the Karmidee still an underclass of ‘magicos’, his parents at odds, and the twins still unable to fly free. And the City of Trees is in the grip of something strange – with the approach of spring, when there should be warmer weather, carnivals and celebration, there is instead increasing cold, snow, bitter blizzards, a frightening upside-down world of ice. Once again, the Karmidee are blamed. But if they ever knew how to control the weather, they have long ago forgotten. Otto and Mab must help to find the answer. Otto encounters the legendary Wool Bandits, helps a miniature family with a dangerous secret and, together with new and extraordinary friends, must challenge the ancient powers of the sinister Bird Charmers. Read the next books in the series: Otto and the Bird Charmers and Otto in the Time of the Warrior.

The Akhenaten Adventure by P.B. Kerr

Meet John and Philippa Gaunt, twelve-year-old twins who one day discover themselves to be descended from a long line of djinn. All of a sudden, they have the power to grant wishes, travel to extraordinary places, and make people and objects disappear. Luckily, the twins are introduced to their eccentric djinn-uncle Nimrod, who will teach them how to harness their newly found power. And not a moment too soon . . . since John and Philippa are about to embark on a search to locate a monstrous pharaoh named Akhenaten and his eerie tomb. Read all seven books in the Children of the Lamp series!

Flip by David Lubar

If you could become anyone in the world, who would you be? Did you ever wish you could be anyone else but who you are? Twins Ryan and Taylor do it all the time. Now their dream is about to come true. They’ve discovered mysterious alien disks that allow they to “flip”–to become legendary heroes from the past. But who?

 

 

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

When Alex finds out he is Unwanted, he expects to die. That is the way of the people of Quill. Each year, all the thirteen-year-olds are labeled as Wanted, Necessary, or Unwanted. Wanteds get more schooling and train to join the Quillitary. Necessaries keep the farms running. Unwanteds are set for elimination. It’s hard for Alex to leave behind his twin, Aaron, a Wanted, but he makes peace with his fate—until he discovers that instead of a “death farm,” what awaits him is a magical place called Artimé. There, Alex and his fellow Unwanteds are encouraged to cultivate their creative abilities and use them magically. Everything Alex has ever known changes before his eyes, and it’s a wondrous transformation. But it’s a rare, unique occurrence for twins to be divided between Wanted and Unwanted, and as Alex and Aaron’s bond stretches across their separation, a threat arises for the survival of Artimé that will pit brother against brother in an ultimate magical battle. Check out book #2: Island of Silence.

Facing the hunchback of Notre Dame by L. L. Samson

A hidden attic. A classic story. A very unexpected twist. Twin twelve-year-old bookworms Ophelia and Linus Easterday discover a hidden attic that once belonged to a mad scientist. While relaxing in the attic and enjoying her latest book, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Ophelia dozes off, and within moments finds herself facing a fully alive and completely bewildered Quasimodo. Ophelia and Linus team up with a clever neighbor, a hippy priest, and a college custodian, learning Quasimodo’s story while searching for some way to get him back home—if he can survive long enough in the modern world. Read the next two books in the series: Saving Moby Dick and Dueling with the Three Musketeers.

The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott

The legend: Nicholas Flamel lives. But only because he has been making the elixir of life for centuries. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects—the Book of Abraham the Mage. It’s the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. That’s exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won’t know what’s happening until it’s too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it. Sometimes legends are true. And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time. Read all of the books in The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series!

The Storm Makers by Jennifer E. Smith

What starts as an ordinary summer turns exciting and perilous for twins Ruby and Simon when strange occurrences begin happening on their farm — sudden gusts of wind, rainstorms, and even tornado warnings — that seem eerily timed to Simon’s emotions. Then a stranger arrives and tells the twins that Simon is a Storm Maker — part of a clandestine group of people entrusted with controlling and taming the weather — and that he is in great danger. Soon Simon and Ruby must race against the clock as they try to master Simon’s powers in time to stop a rogue Storm Maker’s treacherous — and potentially deadly — plans.

Troubletwisters by Garth Nix and Sean Williams

Jaide and Jack Shield’s lives are changing in a very, very strange way. The weather is turning against them. Magical disasters occur when they’re around. And a mysterious explosion has just destroyed their house…from the inside. Without knowing why, the twins are stolen away to live with Grandma X–a relative they’ve never, ever met. At Grandma X’s house, things are even stranger. Weather vanes point in the opposite direction of the wind. Doors appear and disappear. Cats talk. Read book 2: The Monster!

Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede

Eff was born a thirteenth child. Her twin brother, Lan, is the seventh son of a seventh son. This means he’s supposed to possess amazing talent — and she’s supposed to bring only bad things to her family and her town. Undeterred, her family moves to the frontier, where her father will be a professor of magic at a school perilously close to the magical divide that separates settlers from the beasts of the wild. Read #2 (Across the Great Barrier) and #3 (The Far West) in the series!

 Booklist by Julie G!

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Hmm.  In Fantasy stories, multiples always seem to be twins. There’s not a triplet or quadruplet in the bunch!  Maybe that’s a book that someone should write…

Next up: Twins, triplets and more in Science Fiction.  (I’m thinking that’s going to be doubles too.)

::Kelly::

Booklist: Double Trouble!

Coming up with ideas for booklists isn’t always easy…we like to do something that people will look for, but maybe not find easily.  Then we look back through some of the questions we’ve been asked over the last few months, where we always find some good ideas.  This month’s Good Idea?  Twins!  Triplets! Quadruplets and even Quintuplets!  It’s multiples madness!

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Double (or Triple!) the Trouble Family Stories: Twins, Triplets, Quadruplets…

REALISTIC FICTION

Never Mind!: a Twin novel by Avi and Rachel Vail

Edward and Meg are like night and day. How could such different people be twins? Well, they are, but they don’t have to like it — or each other. For seventh grade, brainy Meg is attending ultra-competitive Fischer, while freewheeling Edward goes to an alternative school downtown. But it’s just when they’re finally out of each other’s shadows that the trouble begins. Meg’s aspirations for popularity and a boyfriend combine with Edward’s devious planning and lack of singing ability to set off a showdown the likes of which twindom has never before seen. Why is this final showdown so much fun? Could it be that Meg and Edward are more alike than they thought?

 

Go long! by Tiki and Ronde Barber

Tiki and Ronde were the stars of their Pee Wee football team, the Cave Springs Vikings. But middle school is much bigger than elementary school and it’s a whole different game—on and off the field. When Coach Spangler takes a job coaching for the high school team and Tiki’s old science teacher Mr. Wheeler is tapped for the middle school coaching job, the beginning of the school year and the football season is off to a bumpy start. But through working together, the boys discover that the whole team is bigger than any of its parts.

 

Do You Know the Monkey Man? by Dori Hillestad Butler

For thirteen-year-old Samantha, life consists of too many unanswered questions. Why has her father not tried to contact her all these years? How could he have allowed her twin sister to drown in Clearwater Quarry when they were only toddlers? And how can Samantha’s mother expect her to accept some man she hardly knows as her new father? Samantha already has a father out there. Somewhere. A fateful decision sets into motion a chain of events and confrontations that will change Samantha’s and her family’s lives forever. As she sets out to find her father and discover what really happened the day her sister was presumed drowned, she uncovers painful secrets that threaten to destroy her family all over again. Readers will be drawn into Dori Butler’s dramatic, suspenseful, and sensitive story of one family’s crisis unwittingly brought on by an adolescent girl’s search for the truth.

 

Lost and Found by Andrew Clements

Identical twins Ray and Jay Grayson are moving to a new town. Again. But at least they’ll have each other’s company at their new school. Except, on the first day of sixth grade, Ray stays home sick, and Jay quickly discovers a major mistake: No one knows about his brother. Ray’s not on the attendance lists and doesn’t have a locker, or even a student folder. Jay decides that this lost information could be very…useful. And fun. Maybe even a little dangerous. As these two clever boys exploit a clerical oversight, each one discovers new perspectives on selfhood, friendship, and honesty.

 

Trading Faces by Julia DeVillers, Jennifer Roy

Identical twin sisters Emma (the smart one) and Payton (the popular one) start seventh grade at a brand-new school and discover they’ve been assigned entirely different schedules—so when they get sick of their respective cliques, they secretly switch places. What ensues is a hilarious yet poignant romp from middle school to the mall as the twins learn what it means to be true to yourself, even when the rest of the world isn’t making it easy. Read the whole series: Take Two, Times Squared, Double Feature and Triple Trouble.

 

The Girl With the Broken Wing by Heather Dye

A sweet and funny story about an unruly angel. The twins are in bed when it happens. They hear a sound like a wet cabbage hitting the wall. Then a clattering on roof tiles. Followed by a tapping at the window. It’s a girl. With a broken wing. And she’s here to stay. Who is she? Where did she come from? And, more important, what does she want? The twins have no idea. Perhaps she’s their guardian angel. But would an angel have filthy feet? Would an angel…snore?

 

Remarkable: a novel by Lizzie K. Foley

In the mountain town of Remarkable, everyone is extraordinarily talented, extraordinarily gifted, or just plain extraordinary. Everyone, that is, except Jane Doe, the most average ten-year-old who ever lived. But everything changes when the mischievous, downright criminal Grimlet twins enroll in Jane’s school and a strange pirate captain appears in town. Thus begins a series of adventures that put some of Remarkable’s most infamous inhabitants and their long-held secrets in danger. It’s up to Jane, in her own modest style, to come to the rescue and prove that she is capable of some rather exceptional things. With a page-turning mystery and larger-than-life cast of characters, Lizzie K. Foley’s debut is nothing short of remarkable.

 

The Other Half of my Heart by Sundee T. Frazier

The close relationship of a pair of biracial twins is tested when their grandmother enters them in a pageant for African American girls in this new story from Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award winner Sundee T. Frazier. When Minerva and Keira King were born, they made headlines: Keira is black like Mama, but Minni is white like Daddy. Together the family might look like part of a chessboard row, but they are first and foremost the close-knit Kings. Then Grandmother Johnson calls, to invite the twins down South to compete for the title of Miss Black Pearl Preteen of America. Minni dreads the spotlight, but Keira assures her that together they’ll get through their stay with Grandmother Johnson. But when grandmother’s bias against Keira reveals itself, Keira pulls away from her twin. Minni has always believed that no matter how different she and Keira are, they share a deep bond of the heart. Now she’ll find out the truth.

 

A Girl, a Boy, and Three Robbers by Gail Gauthier

When Brandon has to go to Hannah’s house after school, she always gets to be the leader while he has to play her sidekick or some villain she’s out to destroy. Then the horrible Sunderland kids try to steal Hannah’s monster cat, Buttercup, and suddenly Brandon and Hannah have an exciting real-life mission on their hands. All the games of vampire hunter and enemy agent in the world couldn’t have prepared them for the task of saving Buttercup from the Sunderland “triplets” grubby clutches.

 

Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little by Peggy Gifford

It wasn’t as if Moxy hadn’t tried to do her summer reading. She and Stuart Little had been inseparable all summer, like best friends. If Stuart Little wasn’t in her backpack, it was in her lap . . . or holding up the coffee table . . . or getting splashed when Moxy went swimming. But now it’s the end of August—the day before fourth grade. And if Moxy doesn’t read all of Stuart Little immediately, there are going to be “consequences.” It may look like Moxy is doing nothing, but actually she is very busy with a zillion highly crucial things—like cleaning up her room (sort of) and training her dog and taking a much-needed rest in the hammock. Just look at the pictures her twin brother Mark takes to document it all—they’re scattered throughout—and you’ll see why it’s so difficult to make time for a book about a mouse. Of course our heroine does manage to finish her book, falling so in love with it that she finds herself reading under the covers with a flashlight, late into the night. Read book #2 (Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Writing Thank-You Notes) and #3 (Moxy Maxwell does not love practicing the piano: (but she does love being in recitals)!

 

Pranked by Katy Grant

“Dear Friend, I dreaded coming to camp Pine Haven and my first week here was the worst. While my best friend was sunbathing on the beach in Hawaii, I was stuck with outdoor showers, a rickety cabin, and only one friend — quiet, boring Melissa. Then the “Evil Twins” showed up. It turned out they’re totally cool and they wanted to be my friend! They’re not really evil — well, not to me, at least. They AREN’T too nice to Melissa. We started playing a few pranks and it’s kind of gotten out of control. I know I should put a stop to thinks, but I don’t want to lose my only friends here. I just hope that I don’t do anything I regret. Love, Kelly” Read the whole Summer Camp Secrets series!

 

Pinch Hit by Tim Green

Trevor and Sam look alike. But their lives couldn’t be more different. Trevor is a movie star, living the Hollywood life in a huge mansion with his own limo, pool, and bowling alley. There’s nothing he doesn’t have except the one thing he wants most: to play baseball for real. Sam is a regular kid who seems to have what it takes to make it to baseball’s Major Leagues. He’s determined to get the scouts at the big USC tournament to recognize his talent. And he really wants to see his dad, a struggling screenwriter, realize his own dream. When Sam signs up at Casting Central to make some extra money, he and Trevor come together on a movie set and see the chance to trade places—to pinch hit for each other and make everyone’s dreams come true. At first, it’s all good. But what happens when the boys take their game too far?

 

The Genius Files: Mission Unstoppable by Dan Gutman

Coke and Pepsi McDonald didn’t want to jump off a cliff. They didn’t want to get hit by poisoned darts from blowguns either. And they certainly don’t want to get locked in their burning school, thrown into a pit at the top of a sand dune, or drowned in a vat of liquified SPAM. But what are you supposed to do when you’re being chased across the country by your insane health teacher and two guys in bowler hats who are trying to kill you? One thing’s for sure, it’ll be a snap for Coke and Pep to write their essays on “How I Spent My Summer Vacation.” Want to join in the fun? Fire up the old Google Maps and follow the McDonald twins as they get chased from the Pez museum to the largest ball of twine in the world. Also check out #2 (Never say genius) and #3 (You Only Die Twice)!

 

 Horse Camp: a novel by Nicole Helget and Nate LeBoutillier

When their mom said she was sending twelve-year-old Percy and Penny and their little brother, Pauly, to stay with an uncle they’d never met, she tried to make it sound better by saying that Uncle Stretch’s farm was a horse camp. Well, the farm animals are actually chickens and pigs, and the only two horses are mean-tempered and not too keen on being ridden by kids. As Penny puts it, “This farm is like the eighteenth century, but way worse! The water has a rusty taste, and all the meat used to be animals on the farm.” If there is one thing the twins can agree on, it’s that between endless chores, no Internet or cell phones, and the prospect that their mom might have to stay in jail (even though some people say she’s a hero), horse camp is a big, fat joke. Will they ever have a real family again? Or is there a family for them right here? Nicole Helget and Nate LeBoutillier have written a funny novel about farms and family, animals and antagonism—and the paths kids take, sometimes while living in the same house, before coming home.

 

 We Are Not Eaten by Yaks by An Accidental Adventure C. Alexander London

Eleven-year-old twins Oliver and Celia Navel live on the 4-1/2th floor of the Explorers Club with their father, Dr. Navel. Their mother, Dr. Navel, has been missing for years. So when an explorer shows up with a clue as to where his wife could be, Dr. Navel drags Oliver and Celia to Tibet to find her. Once there, the twins fall out of airplanes, encounter Yetis, travel through waterfalls, and end up in the Demon Fortress of the Warrior King where they-just possibly-might find their mother and save their father from the Poison Witches. Thing is, they would much rather be watching television. And if their trip doesn’t work out as planned, the twins could end up as slaves to Sir Edmund Thitheltorpe III, an evil explorer with breath that smells like boiled carrots, who has it in for the whole Navel family. Read book #2 (We Dine with Cannibals) and #3 (We Give a Squid a Wedgie).

 

Trading Places by Claudia Mills

Todd and Amy Davidson may be twins, but they’re complete opposites – Todd is organized and is the family “engineer,” while Amy is outgoing and has been dubbed the “poet.” So it would seem that for a fifth-grade economics project, Todd would come up with a master invention, and Amy would have a blast with her best friends as partners. To their surprise, Todd can’t think of a single idea, and Amy gets stuck working with the class crybaby. Then Todd begins writing poetry . . . But this is nothing compared to the switch their parents have made. Their father has been unemployed for months and their mother has started to work at a crafts store. Now there’s never enough food in the house, everybody is always on edge, and when Amy’s friends come over after school, they find Mr. Davidson, uncombed and unshaven, in his ratty old bathrobe. Will life ever return to normal?

 

Stirring It Up! by Diane Muldrow

To Molly and Amanda, cooking classes with their friends Shawn and Peichi seem like the key ingredient for a super summer. That is, until their arch-nemesis, Natasha, shows up. But when tragedy strikes a local family, the girls decide to put their cooking skills to good use and make some meals for them. The meals hit the spot, plus the girls feel good about helping out. Maybe they can turn their hobby into something more? Read the entire Dish series!

Rare Beasts by Charles Ogden

Twins Edgar and Ellen live alone — their parents disappeared years ago, and who can blame them? — in the quaint, little town of Nod’s Limbs, in a grim, gray house overlooking the cemetery and the junkyard. They spend their days avoiding Heimertz, the mysterious accordion-playing caretaker; pestering Pet, a hairy, one-eyed creature of indeterminate species and gender; and wreaking havoc on the hapless citizens of Nod’s Limbs. But wreaking havoc can incur expenses, so the twins come up with a unique fund-raising scheme: They’ll nab the pets of Nod’s Limbs and transform them into exotic animals they can sell for big bucks. Not a bad plan, if one of the purloined pets wasn’t a lethargic python with a raging appetite! Check out the whole series about Edgar & Ellen!

 

Almost Identical by Lin Oliver

Identical twins Sammie and Charlie are starting out seventh grade at a brand-new school. As they make new friends, and join different clubs, the sisters (and once inseparable best friends) start to grow further and further apart. Told from Sammie’s point of view, this moving yet funny story will be gobbled up by middle-school girls! Check out book #2 (Two-Faced) and #3 (Double-Crossed, coming in MARCH).

 

Sister of the Quints by Stella Pevsner

It’s quite believable that an eighth grader, the stepsister of toddler quintuplets, would have trouble getting her father and stepmother’s attention. Natalie wants to be known for herself, not just for her troublesome siblings. She wants to get to know a new boy in town and to excel in soccer, but both goals are waylaid by her ongoing duties at home. And she’s still adjusting to her real mother’s move from Chicago to Colorado. After the news media makes a big deal of the quints’ first birthdays, Natalie’s family starts getting threatening phone calls. One of the quints disappears. She is found, but not before Natalie starts thinking of herself and each sibling as individuals. Read the next story in the series I’m Emma: I’m a Quint.

 

 The One Left Behind by Willo Davis Roberts

For the first time in her eleven years, Mandy is alone. Through a series of miscommunications, her entire family has left her by herself in their big house on Lake Michigan. But it’s the absence of her twin sister, Angel, that she feels the most. One year ago Angel died, and Mandy’s life has been at a standstill ever since. While the rest of her family has moved on, Mandy clings to the pain of her loss. At first Mandy is almost relieved to have the time to herself. But quickly the loneliness consumes her — until she stumbles upon two boys, one her age, the other not yet two, who are also on their own. Running away from men who wish to do them harm, the boys turn to Mandy for help. But what can she do for these boys when she can barely take care of herself? If only Angel were here, she would know what to do.

 

Jake and Lily by Jerry Spinelli

This is a story about me, Lily. And me, Jake. We’re twins and we’re exactly alike. Not exactly! Whatever. This is a book we wrote about the summer we turned eleven and Jake ditched me. Please. I just started hanging out with some guys in the neighborhood. Right. So anyway, this is a book about goobers and supergoobers bullies clubhouses true friends things getting built and wrecked and rebuilt and about figuring out who we are. We wrote this together (sort of) so you’ll get to see both sides of our story. But you’ll probably agree with my side. You always have to have the last word, don’t you? Yes!

 

 The Sister Switch by Jane B. Mason & Sarah Hines Stephens

Twins Andie and Caitlin are best friends but they couldn’t be more different. Andie loves sports and hanging out with her friends — Caitlin is passionate about music and loves learning at school. Now that junior high is starting, the girls will finally get a chance to pave their own way. They can’t wait! But when Caitlin discovers she’ll have to pass a fitness test or spend every day after school doing gym, she fears her year is ruined before it even begins. Check out the whole Candy Apple Books series!

 

 Desperate Measures by Laura Summers

Vicky has always felt responsible for her mentally disabled twin sister, Rhianna, and their feisty little brother, Jamie. So when the foster care system threatens to split them up, they all run away together, heading for a distant relative’s home. After a difficult journey, they arrive-only to find strangers living there. With nowhere else to go, they hide in a cave, and must survive by their wits. By the end of their adventure, Vicky is surprised to find that the sister she thought she was protecting is the one who saves her.

Booklist by Julie G!

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Up next: Twins in Fantasy!

Open Book: February 22, 2013

OPEN BOOK: AN EMAIL NEWSLETTER FOR TEENS
from the Weston Public Library

Open Book is an email newsletter of book recommendations for teens. It is sent twice a month and includes book excerpts in six teen fiction categories (realistic fiction, historical fiction, action/ adventure/fantasy/science fiction, romance, the buzz: middle school, and the buzz: high school). If you wish to subscribe to Open Book, please email smatathia@minlib.net or sign up in person at the Youth Services desk at the Library. Open Book email newsletters are also archived here on our blog.

Here are the picks for this week…

Don’t forget to click on the title to be connected to our catalog where you can

-Request the book

-Read reviews of the book from multiple sources

Realistic Fiction

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Fifteen-year-old Ari Mendoza is an angry loner with a brother in prison, but when he meets Dante and they become friends, Ari starts to ask questions about himself, his parents, and his family that he has never asked before.

Read excerpt

Historical Fiction

My Family for the War by Anne C. Voorhoeve

Before the start of World War II, ten-year-old Ziska Mangold, who has Jewish ancestors but has been raised as a Protestant, is taken out of Nazi Germany on one of the Kindertransport trains, to live in London with a Jewish family, where she learns about Judaism and endures the hardships of war while attempting to keep in touch with her parents, who are trying to survive in Holland.

Read excerpt

Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Science Fiction

The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepard

Dr. Moreau’s daughter, Juliet, travels to her estranged father’s island, only to encounter murder, medical horrors, and a love triangle.

Read excerpt

Romance

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Set over the course of one school year in 1986, this is the story of two star-crossed misfits–smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.

Read excerpt

Buzz: Middle School

Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

Throughout her high school years, as her mother battles cancer, Lupita takes on more responsibility for her house and seven younger siblings, while finding refuge in acting and writing poetry. Includes glossary of Spanish terms.

Read excerpt

Buzz:  High School

Guantanamo Boy by Anna Perera

Six months after the events of September 11, 2001, Khalid, a Muslim fifteen-year-old boy from England, is kidnapped during a family trip to Pakistan and imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where he is held for two years suffering interrogations, water-boarding, isolation, and more for reasons unknown to him.

Read excerpt

Coming Soon– Read to Dogs!

We’re launching a new program here at the Weston Public Library, and we’re very excited about it!

If you are a reader (or the parent or grandparent or babysitter of a reader) who wants to practice your reading skills–you will want to be here on Saturday, March 16th! That’s when we will launch our new program, Read to Dogs.   Luna, Nellie and Katie Bear, three dogs with best listening skills, patience and training you’ll ever meet, will be on hand (or paw) just waiting for kids in grades K – 4 to read to them..

Sign up for a 15-minute chance to read to one of these great furry friends starts Wednesday, March 6th, at the Youth Services Desk.  Please join us!

And while you’re here, check out our display of books about dogs that would be grrreat to read to a dog!

Old Favorite: Megan Meade’s Guide to the McGowan Boys

Happy Valentine’s Day!  Okay, for this week’s “Old Favorite” I’m cheating.  Megan Meade’s Guide to the McGowan Boys isn’t really that old (2005) but…it’s so perfect for this week that I couldn’t think of anything else I’d rather write about.  And it definitely is a favorite.  So…Here we go.  Megan Meade’s Guide to the McGowan Boys, by Kate Brian.

* * *

Megan Meade is happy at Fort Hood.  Her parents have finally stopped their lifetime of traveling from army base to army base and settled down for good.  Megan has spent three consecutive years at Fort Hood, a record in her wandering life.  She’s making good grades, she’s on the state championship soccer team, she has her learner’s permit, she has a best friend named Tracey and she’s finally worked up the courage to talk to Ben, the guy she’d love to date, right before the start of her junior year.  She’s *happy*!

And then her parents sit her down and announce that her Dad has earned another transfer. To South Korea. For two  whole years.

Megan, for the first time in her life, puts her foot down.  She refuses to go. She even has a bit of a temper tantrum, something that she’s never done before.  Her parents offer a compromise; she can to go Boston and stay with her father’s med school roommate, John McGowan, and his family.  Megan still will be changing schools and locations, but she’ll still able to join a championship soccer team, and she can live in one place for the two years and finish high school in the U.S.

The drawback?  John McGowan has sons.  Lots of sons. And Megan doesn’t exactly have the best memories from their previous meetings. When they were kids, the boys were one unidentifiable group, who had sticky faces and missing teeth. They lassoed her to a tree, hung her upside down, had worms in their pockets and pulled her hair.  Megan at sixteen is barely able to talk to boys, but now she’s supposed to live with seven of them?  Still, soccer. And living stateside. And high school!

When she meets them again, Megan finds that the McGowan boys have grown up a lot since she last saw them. They’re…gorgeous.  There’s Evan, who once blew snot bubbles at her and hit her over the head with a wiffle bat but who now looks like an Olympic god.  There’s Finn, who’s in her class, also a Greek god, and an artist.  There’s Sean, the mysterious brooder who works on bikes and is in a band.  Doug, who looks like the second coming of Eminem. Miller, the sports fan. And Ian and Caleb, the two youngest, the only ones who won’t be in the high school with Megan and the older brothers. The seem to be a little more like the boys she remembers, but they’re still cute.  Maybe it won’t be that bad?

But real life drops Megan right in the middle of boy chaos, and she finds that the McGowans haven’t grown up enough.  Megan’s first morning with includes dropping her bathroom supplies in front of the older boys and getting teased,  finding all her t-shirts defaced with anatomical drawings and having her bra stolen by the younger boys.  Megan revises her opinion; the McGowans are monsters!

Megan’s e-mails to her friend Tracey start to include observations on the McGowans.  It’s the only way to keep her sanity!

When Megan starts the school year, she does find out that there are advantages and disadvantages to having seven ready-made brothers. From soccer to assignments to parties and friends, the McGowans are everywhere she turns, in the house and outside of it. Only Megan discovers that she really doesn’t want to think of them as brothers, because any way you look at it, those McGowan boys are hot.  So she makes her observations to Tracy and learns everything there is to know about boys.  Or so she thinks…

* * *

Megan Meade’s Guide to the McGowan Boys is funny and touching, and exasperating and full of truths.  It’s a great read about boys and girls and the differences between them, about brothers and about what makes a good boy friend.  Or maybe, a good boyfriend.  Also soccer and girl friends and sisters and friendship.  (And if you’re a girl who doesn’t  have brothers, this is a “must-read”.)

Kate Brian is the author of the Private series and the Privilege series.  She’s written several other books that are popular, among them Sweet 16, The V Club, and Lucky T.  Her newest book, Shadowlands, about two sisters who have to go into the Witness Protection program, just came out in January.  Kate Brian is a pseudonym, and under her real name, Kieran Scott has written several other titles, including the I Was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader trilogy and She’s So Dead to Us series.

There’s not much history to Megan Meade’s Guide to the McGowan Boys, since it’s not even ten years old.  There’s only one cover, even!  When we did our most popular teen checkouts for the past ten years, it came out in the top 75, right before A Wrinkle in Time.  That may be because our staff recommends it frequently, but it might also be because most of the teens who read it recommend it to friends. It’s has huge word-of-mouth popularity.

There is some frank (and funny) discussion between Megan and Tracey about the motivations behind boys’ behavior.  There’s also several scenes on the consequences of “hooking up” at a high school party, and a bit of drinking, but nothing graphic.  Still, for those reasons, this is probably more appropriate for upper middle school and high school readers.

So if we’re snowed in again this winter, or if you want a fun Valentine’s Day read, grab Megan Meade’s Guide to the McGowan Boys. See if you like it as much as we all do.

::Kelly::