Roller Coasters. Ferris Wheels. Love them or hate them, you can always see them for miles away. Some people travel for miles to ride on one, some people avoid them as much as they can. But the kids in these books end up on amusement park rides to solve a mystery, or prove themselves…or just for fun! So check out these books that feature roller coasters or ferris wheels (but not the scariest ride of all–merry-go-rounds) and see if you would be brave enough to join them!
Our Five Books feature is a booklist of five books (occasionally with a few extras) on a specific topic, with a short synopsis so you can decide if it sounds like something you would like. Mostly Middle Grade, with the occasional younger or older or graphic title thrown in for flavor.
Five Books–one old, one new, one popular with kids, one well-reviewed, and one staff favorite. (But you’ll have to guess which is which)!
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Almost Flying by Jake Maia Arlow
Would-be amusement park aficionado Dalia only has two items on her summer bucket list: (1) finally ride a roller coaster and (2) figure out how to make a new best friend. But when her dad suddenly announces that he’s engaged, Dalia’s schemes come to a screeching halt. With Dalia’s future stepsister Alexa heading back to college soon, the grown-ups want the girls to spend the last weeks of summer bonding–meaning Alexa has to cancel the amusement park road trip she’s been planning for months. Luckily Dalia comes up with a new plan: If she joins Alexa on her trip and brings Rani, the new girl from her swim team, along maybe she can have the perfect summer after all. But what starts out as a week of funnel cakes and Lazy River rides goes off the rails when Dalia discovers that Alexa’s girlfriend is joining the trip. And keeping Alexa’s secret makes Dalia realize one of her own: She might have more-than-friend feelings for Rani.
Cyclone by Doreen Cronin
Riding the Cyclone, the world famous Coney Island rollercoaster, was supposed to be the highlight of Nora’s summer. But right after they disembark, Nora’s cousin Riley falls to the ground…and doesn’t get up. Nora had begged and dragged Riley onto the ride, and no matter what the doctors say, that she had a heart condition, that it could have happened at any time, Nora knows it was her fault. Then, as Riley comes out of her coma, she’s not really Riley at all. The cousin who used to be loud and funny and unafraid now can’t talk, let alone go to the bathroom by herself. Now she’s only 10% Riley. Nora, guilt eating her up on the inside worse than a Coney Island hotdog, thinks she knows how to help. How to get 100% Riley back. But what Nora doesn’t realize is that the guilt will only get worse as that percentage rises.
The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
Ted and Kat watched their cousin Salim board the London Eye. But after half an hour it landed and everyone trooped off–except Salim. Where could he have gone? How on earth could he have disappeared into thin air? Ted and his older sister, Kat, become sleuthing partners, since the police are having no luck. Despite their prickly relationship, they overcome their differences to follow a trail of clues across London in a desperate bid to find their cousin. And ultimately it comes down to Ted, whose brain works in its own very unique way, to find the key to the mystery. This is an unput-downable spine-tingling thriller–a race against time.
(Be sure to read the sequel, by Robin Stevens: The Guggenheim Mystery.
Foreverland by Nicole C. Kear
Margaret is tired of everything always changing. Middle school has gone from bad to worse. Her best friend is becoming a stranger. And her family–well, it’s not even a family anymore. So Margaret is running away to Foreverland, her favorite amusement park. Hiding out there is trickier than she expects–until she meets Jaime, a thrill-seeking, fast-thinking runaway who teaches Margaret how to stay one step ahead of the captain of security. At first, this after-hours, all-access pass to the park is a dream come true: sleepovers in the Haunted House, nonstop junk food, and an unlimited ticket to ride. But as the runaways learn each other’s secrets, they must face the reasons they left their normal lives behind. With the Captain closing in and Jaime’s future on the line, can Margaret finally take control?
Bringing Down the Mouse by Ben Mezrich
Charlie Lewis is a genius at math and a whiz at probability. He and his friends at the genius table in the cafeteria get called the Dork Brigade or Nerd Herd. He expects middle school to be difficult to navigate, as a nerd. He was not expecting a couple of cool older kids to recruit him into a super-smart gang that meets in secret to practice beating carnival games. But their biggest goal is to game the system at the biggest theme park in the world–and win the grand prize. Soon Charlie is caught up in the excitement and thrill of using his math skills for awesomeness…but what’s at stake may be more than he’s willing to risk. How far will Charlie go for a chance at the ultimate reward? It’s a roller coaster ride of risk, math and gaming! Be sure to read the whole Charlie Numb3rs series!
Pip Bartlett’s Guide to Unicorn Training by Jackson Pearce and Maggie Stiefvater
Some things Pip and Tomas will find when dealing with unicorns: Show-offs. Stampedes. Mystery. A unicorn who is afraid of everything. Some things Pip and Tomas will not find when dealing with unicorns: Peace. And quiet! Pip Bartlett has a way with magical creatures. But even she’s challenged by Regent Maximus, a unicorn who’s afraid of everything. With the help of her friend Tomas, Pip has to get Regent Maximus ready for a big unicorn competition-even if Regent Maximus would rather do anything than compete. Making matters worse, someone mysterious is trying to win the competition by cheating-and if Pip and Tomas don’t stop the bad things from happening, it’s not only Regent Maximus who’ll have reason to be afraid.
The Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark by Ridley Pearson
Using a cutting-edge technology called DHI–which stands for both Disney Host Interactive and Daylight Hologram Imaging–Finn Whitman, an Orlando teen, and four other kids are transformed into hologram projections that guide guests through the park. The new technology turns out, however, to have unexpected effects that are both thrilling and scary. Soon Finn finds himself transported in his DHI form into the Magic Kingdom at night. Is it real? Is he dreaming? Finn’s confusion only increases when he encounters Wayne, an elderly Imagineer who tells him that the park is in grave danger. Led by the scheming witch, Maleficent, a mysterious group of characters called the Overtakers is plotting to destroy Disney’s beloved realm, and maybe more. This gripping high-tech tale will thrill every kid who has ever dreamed of sneaking into Walt Disney World after hours and wondered what happens at night, when the park is closed.
Bark vs. Snark by Spencer Quinn
Arthur doesn’t always remember where he buried his bone, or what he was doing before he started scratching his ear, but he never forgets three important facts: 1) Bacon is delicious; 2) He loves his humans, twins Bro and Harmony, with all his heart; 3) Queenie the cat is out to destroy him. So when Queenie wins first place in a feline beauty contest at the county fair, Arthur expects her to be snootier than ever. (Even though she barely beat out another cat who looked almost exactly like her.) Yet when Queenie returns from the fair, she seems oddly nice and sociable — almost like she’s had a personality change! The humans chalk up Queenie’s good mood to her recent win, but Arthur knows the truth. He can tell from the smell that this friendly Queenie is an imposter! Yet before he can decide what to do, Cuthbert the Clown — the only one who knows what’s really going on — turns up missing. Arthur wants to help his humans find Cuthbert, but he has seen some disturbing things they have not. Can he solve a mystery on his own? Or will he have to accept that he needs Queenie as much as he needs bacon?
Into the Dream by William Sleator
Every night Paul has the same frightening dream. He’s standing at the edge of a vast empty field, trying to move toward a large, glowing sphere. A small boy is in terrible trouble…and Paul must save him. Paul’s convinced he’s losing his mind—until he learns that his classmate Francine is having the same harrowing dream. Together, the two of them start looking for clues in their dreams…something that might lead them to the little boy they both feel is in terrible danger. As their dreams continue, and the clues mount, Paul and Francine are determined to solve the mystery and same the little boy—before their nightmare becomes terrifying reality.
Wretched Waterpark by Kiersten White
Meet the Sinister-Winterbottoms: brave Theo, her timid twin, Alexander, and their older sister, Wil. They’re stuck for the summer with their Aunt Saffronia, who doesn’t know how often children need to eat and can’t use a smartphone, and whose feet never quite seem to touch the floor when she glides–er–walks. When Aunt Saffronia suggests a week pass to the Fathoms of Fun Waterpark, they hastily agree. But the park is even stranger than Aunt Saffronia. The waterslides look like gray gargoyle tongues. The employees wear creepy black dresses and deliver ominous messages. An impossible figure is at the top of the slide tower, people are disappearing, and suspicious goo is seeping into the wave pool. Something mysterious is happening at Fathoms of Fun, and it’s up to the twins to get to the bottom of it. The mystery, that is. NOT the wave pool. Definitely NOT the wave pool. But are Theo and Alexander out of their depth?
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So what do you think? Would you go to Fathoms of Fun…ride the London Eye…go to Disneyworld after dark? Are you brave enough?
If you need help finding these–or any other–books at the library, just ask one of our librarians for help. We love matching books with kids! And if you can think of any other books that feature roller coasters or ferris wheels, let us know! We’d love to add to our reading list.
Happy Reading!
::Kelly::
BellaOnBooks's Blog 