The Pact, by Mitchell S. Karnes

Paul is a boy in middle school who constantly gets picked on my his classmates.  When a new boy named Scott comes to the school, he begins to stick up for Paul.  The boys learn that they have a common interest in a role playing game, so Paul introduces Scott to some other boys who play.  Scott is trying to adjust to a new school, as well as coping with the loss of his father, and his decision to take a stand against the school bullies makes it difficult for him to simply blend in.

Bullying is such an important topic.  We see countless people speaking out on the need to change bullying culture; we hear of the horrible impact of bullying behavior; we see more and more schools adopting a zero tolerance policy on bullying.  So it makes sense that we address it in the books our kids are reading as well.  This book is aimed at middle grades readers, and it does a good job of showing what it is like to be involved in a bullying situation, whether you are the bully, the bullied, or a spectator.

I really like that this book painted a pretty accurate picture of what kids in the middle grades age group can possibly deal with.  The book was able to stay appropriate for the intended age group, while avoiding too much sugar coating of the issue.  I think the format of this book could be used to help kids in this age range deal with other issues as well.  I am interested to see where the author goes from here, but based on this book alone I think he had written something that the kids will really relate to.

I received a review copy courtesy of TLC Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.  See the rest of the tour here. 

Will in Scarlet, by Matthew Cody

As heir to Shackley house and family legacy, young Will leads a fairly calm life while his father is off fighting in the crusades with the King.  But when the King is away, the kingdom is targeted by traitors who want to take over control.  Will is driven out of his home, and joins a band of merry bandits in the middle of Sherwood Forest.

I am always a fan of writers taking something familiar and re-imagining it, particularly when it is done well.  I love how this book takes the traditional Robin Hood mythos and adds a new twist to it.  I felt like this book actually made the Robin Hood characters seem more real.  Over the years, the tale has gotten sanitized and Disneyfied.  Now this author spins a story that, while fiction, may just be a more accurate version than anyone realizes.

I really liked the character development.  My favorite character was Much, the miller's daughter, and Will of course.  I also liked that although Robin does play a part in this story, he is not the heroic figure that we imagine, and he is not the focus of the story.Will really drives the story, and everyone else is a supporting actor.

The book is aimed toward middle grades/young adult readers, and I think equally appealing to male and female readers.  Kids interested in history and classic literature will be most interested in this book.  

I received a review copy courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Mystery at Blackbeard's Cove, by Audrey Penn

A group of the children who live in Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, love to hear the tales of Mrs. McNemmish, especially those about Blackbeard.  When Mrs. McNemmish dies, the children try to respect her final wishes, while uncovering her secrets.

I really thought this was an excellent children's book, one that was still able to hold my attention.  The characters are developed well enough for the targeted age group, and I like that there is a mix of male and female characters, making it appealing to a wide reading audience.  The book is full of action and mystery that really drives the story.  Were the characters just a tad more developed and a tinge more likable, the book could possibly appeal to some older readers.  As it stands now, it is probably most appropriate for middle grades readers.

The thing I loved best was the setting.  Having visited Ocracoke Island just last summer, I felt like the book did a good job setting the scene from a factual standpoint, while still allowing for fictionalization of certain key locations in the story.  There was a lot of great historical research behind the book, and the fact and fiction blend seamlessly. 

I thought this was a solid book, a little room for improvement, but widely appealing to young readers.

I received a review copy courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Twerp, by Mark Goldblatt

Julian Twerski has gotten the unfortunate nickname of Twerp.  And he has gotten himself into a heap of trouble.  As an attempt to right the wrongs he has committed, Julian is working with one of his teachers, writing down stories from his life, trying to make sense of his own behavior.  Through his writing, Julian reveals what a truly complex young man he is.

I really enjoyed this book, and found it to be a very touching read.  Julian, as a character, is revealed to us through a series of essays he writes about his own life, all the while hinting at some trouble he has gotten himself into.  One the one hand, we have all the bravado typical of a preteen boy, but on the other hand, we see a sweet, sensitive side to Julian, and watch him grow into his own wisdom.  I really loved Julian as a character, I felt his voice was really genuine.  He goes from worrying about being the fastest runner in school to pondering the nature of his friendships.  It felt so familiar to the struggles I went through at that age, struggles we all went through.  I felt like middle grades readers would really relate to the book.

I loved the way the book was written.  It flowed nicely for an adult to read, but was also nicely chunked into sections for younger readers to tackle.  The writing is really timeless, as well.  There is a passing reference to the book taking place in the late 60's, but it could have been just as easily taking place today, and I think that timelessness will really resonate with readers.

In short, this was a great book, and has a great message for young adult and middle grades readers.

I received a review copy courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Chocolate Covered Baloney, by KD McCrite

April Grace is back, and still dealing with the woes of a preteen girl.  Her older sister is acting funny, her baby brother is the center of attention, and April has a sense that big changes are coming now that she is in junior high.  And this biggest change of call comes calling in the form of a long lost family member!

This is the second book I have read in the April Grace series, and I find myself relating to April Grace so much.  Because the books are set in the 80s, in a rural area, April Grace's life shares similarities to my own life as a preteen, so I really find myself relating to her as a character.  I think she continues to be richly developed, and it is nice to see her maturing a little.  She is in that odd space between little girl and young lady, and I think so many tweens will relate to her.

I liked the story development as well.  It involves a little bit of a mystery (what is her sister up to??) as well as a conflict in the form of the long lost family member.  This means the story is engaging to the reader.  Also even though this is a book from a series, it functions fine as a stand alone story, something I always appreciate.  

I find these books to be great for middle grades readers, particularly young girls.  While the books are marketed as Christian fiction, the Christian aspect is subtle, and mostly, it is just a nice, clean book for middle grades readers to which they will be able to relate.

I received a review copy courtesy of BookSneeze in exchange for my honest review.

The House on the Corner, by Michael Rains

All Chester intended to do was avoid cleaning the hall bathroom.  So when his mom asked him to run an errand, he jumped at the change.  However, the errand, a simple trip to his uncle's house, turns into a wild adventure.  Absolutely nothing is as it seems, humanity is at risk, and somehow, saltines, cookies, and soda may be the salvation of us all.

This book is, um, well, nonsense.  And not in a good way.  It makes so little sense, I am not even sure where to start.  There are a ton of characters, most of the spouting odd or silly thoughts.  It made it extremely difficult to really get to know anything about any of the characters.  In fact, it was hard for me to even keep the characters straight.

As best I could tell, there was some plot for evil to overtake mankind, and some great force promised protection.  Seems like a very very heavily veiled allegory for Christianity.  With the nonsensical manner of the story makes it seem as if the story is geared toward middle grades readers.  And maybe the story will appeal to young readers.  For me personally, despite the fact it was a short read, I found it to be a waste of time.

I received a review copy of this book courtesy of BookSneeze, in exchange for my honest review.

  

Hafren, by Craig Dressler

When Hafren is invaded, two youths, Shuh and Ufh, set off to warn the different people in different areas of the land.  Along the way, the encounter various forms of evil, and learn how to overcome these evils.  It is a journey, not only through their own land, but into themselves as well.  Faith and friendship help get them succeed in their mission.

From the moment I started reading this short tale, I could not help but be reminded of the Lord of the Rings. The story, to me, has a very similar feel to it.  It is clearly a fantasy tale, involving friends, focusing around an important journey.  Not a lot of time is spent on exposition, instead starting the story literally in the middle of an action scene.  For adult readers, this might seem abrupt, and in a longer novel I think this would be an important aspect of the story to develop.  However, for younger readers, this might not seem as important.  We never really learn a lot about Shuh and Ufh as characters, with the story instead focusing on the journey. Again, in a longer novel, I think further character development would be necessary, but for the purposes of this story, it seems to be a non issue.

The book is marketed as Christian Fantasy Fiction, so it was not surprising to me that there was heavy emphasis on God and Jesus.  What I did find unusual is that in a book where everything else was fantasy, the Christian aspect was quite literal, spelling out the literal gospel message.  I personally think this would have worked better as an allegory, as we traditionally see in fantasy books, like the aforementioned Lord of the Rings, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  It just seemed a little odd that a fictional world, totally unrelated to reality, would worship the literal Christian God.  

All in all, the story is a good example of the battle between good and evil.  It would be most appropriate for middle grades readers, due to its short length.  Also, the lack of detailed exposition and character development would leave many adult readers frustrated and unable to fully engage in what is, at its heart, a very good story.

I received a review copy courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review.