Category Archives: Middle Grade 8-12

Review: The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Middle Grade 8-12, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,

The Thief Lord by Cornelia FunkeThe Thief Lord
Cornelia Funke
Scholastic, Inc.
Published January 1, 2000

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The adventure begins when an apparently grief-stricken couple hire detective Victor Getz to track down their missing nephews: Prosper, age twelve and Bo, age five. Instead of languishing in the chill of the Venice streets as their aunt fears, Prosper and Bo have allied themselves with a band of urchins led by a boy who calls himself the Thief Lord.

When a shop owner whispers to the group of a special task for the Thief Lord worth an enormous amount of money, the kids are quick to relay the information to their leader. But not even the Thief Lord could foresee what would happen if the artifact is recovered and the magical merry-go-round is rebuilt.

Quirky characters and quick humor make it easy to get lost in Funke’s award-winning, whimsical tale. Sections from Victor’s point-of-view keep the story grounded and realistic, balancing the children’s idealism and limited understanding of the world around them.

The story creates several moments in which its characters have opportunities to choose how to respond to situations and face grave consequences. When the children discover the true identity of the Thief Lord, they must reevaluate their relationships with him. Some respond with understanding and loyalty, but others embrace feelings of betrayal and remain unforgiving. When the merry-go-round is restored and its magical properties discovered, the children must decide whether it should be used at all.

The variety of narrators make this novel a great read for young and old alike. Recommended especially for readers who enjoy realistic fiction with a twist of fantasy.

Profanity and Crude Language Content
Very mild profanity.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Mild.

Drug Content
None.

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Review: Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , ,

Book of a Thousand Days
Shannon Hale
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published September 1, 2007

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Dashti, a mucker maid, follows her lady into imprisonment in a lonely tower. Lady Saren’s father vows to lock her up for seven years after her refusal to marry the powerfuls but vile Lord Khasar. When Lady Saren’s love, Khan Tegis visits the tower, she begs Dashti to woo him in her place. Dashti complies, unwillingly at first, until the kindness and good humor of the gentle prince stir her own heart. Lord Khasar also visits the tower, demanding that Lady Saren emerge and marry him. Dashti must use all her wits and bravery in order to protect her lady and herself from the monster inside the evil lord.

In a dramatic retelling of the familiar Brothers Grimm tale Maid Maleen, author Shannon Hale introduces a humble maid through journal entries kept through the long tower imprisonment. Dashti relates her story in lyrical prose strewn with cultural references and songs reminiscent of an ancient Middle-Eastern or Asian land so realistic it’s easy to forget it’s fiction.

The expert writing and diary format make it feel like a historical account written by a member of some ancient kingdom. Dashti’s goodness and loyalty make her an easy character to admire. Though she never takes up weapons made of steel, her cunning and bravery in the face of powerful enemies place her among the greatest heroes, a worthy role model for young readers. The writing style and setting reminded me of another childhood favorite, Seven Daughters and Seven Sons by Barbara Cohen and Bahija Lovejoy. I highly recommend both stories.

Profanity and Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Polytheistic religion incorporated into the story.

Violence
A girl very briefly tells her maid that she witnessed a man brutally murder another man.

Drug Content
None.

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Review: Pie by Sarah Weeks

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Contemporary, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,

PIE
Sarah Weeks
Scholastic
Published October 1, 2011

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Beloved Aunt Polly’s death leaves Alice miserable and the small town of Ipswitch floundering. Her world-famous restaurant serving free pies must close, but as the will is settled, everyone wonders who will get Polly’s award-winning pie crust recipe? No one is more surprised than Alice when Aunt Polly’s attorney presents her with Lardo, her aunt’s grumpy cat and sole inheritor of the coveted recipe. News ricochets through town. In its wake a mysterious villain vandalizes Polly’s shop and catnaps Lardo (in case the rumors that the recipe is tattooed on the feline’s enormous belly are true.)

Alice’s mother refuses to listen to Alice’s claims that the cat has been abducted and instead rages against her sister’s leaving her out of her will. It’s up to Alice and the local grocery delivery boy to solve the mystery and rescue Lardo amid the whole town’s frantic attempts to recreate Polly’s famous pies.

An unexpected guest reveals the final pieces of Aunt Polly’s will, leaving Alice and her mother dumbfounded. While Alice knows the knot of grief inside her will never fully disappear, she finds a way to cope with the loss and keep her aunt close in her memory and in her sweet baked treats.

Though it grapples with a young girl’s first experience with grief, PIE is an overwhelmingly sweet story, packed not only with tender moments and humor but over a dozen pie recipes, ranging from the all-American classic Apple Pie to the unexpected Green Tomato Pie. This is a great story to read aloud – with frequent breaks to do a little baking! What a great opportunity to bond with middle readers both in literature and in the kitchen.

Language Content
No profanity or crude language.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
None.

Drug Content
None.

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Review: Who Could It Be at This Hour by Lemony Snicket

Book Review and Content, Clean Fiction, Middle Grade 8-12, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Paranormal, , ,

Who Could It Be At This Hour?
Lemony Snicket
Little, Brown and Company
Published October 24, 2012

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Thirteen year-old Lemony Snicket is ready to begin a thrilling adventure as an apprentice to a detective. His first assignment leads him and his confident companion to the small town of Stan’d-by-the-Sea. Snicket soon discovers the object he’s been hired to recover is part of a complex plot which will risk more than his apprenticeship to solve.

As Snicket works to uncover clues with the aid of his bungling mentor, he often finds himself asking the wrong questions, and later regrets the consequences. His partner, though more experienced, often overlooks evidence or logic, and though Snicket disagrees with her decisions, he remains positive and respectful toward her. The story maintains the 1950s feel of a classic spy novel.

Fans of Snicket’s earlier infamous series will find a slightly more sophisticated tone draped over the same tongue-in-cheek humor and playfulness in the first volume of the series All the Wrong Questions. Recommended for ages eight to twelve.

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Language Content
No profanity or crude language.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
Snicket discovers a woman tied up in a basement which is filling with water. He frees her.

Drug Content
None.

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Review: Seekers of the Lost Boy by Taryn Hayes

Book Review and Content, Christian World-View, Clean Fiction, Contemporary, Middle Grade 8-12, , , ,

Seekers of the Lost Boy
Taryn Hayes
Maledi
Published May 3, 2013

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A light at the water’s edge prompts twelve year-old Simon to leave his family and return to the shore one last time. There he finds a bottle containing a message that will send his family on an incredible quest. The author of the message, a young boy, simply asks: Who is God and does he care about me?

As Simon’s family discusses their own answers, he can’t help wanting to communicate with this boy who asked the question so many years ago. With their father’s permission, Simon’s mother helps Simon locate the man who wrote the message. His story forces them to face dark moments from the past in a new way and to look on the future with greater hope and peace.

In a charming story set in South Africa, author Taryn Hayes reveals snippets of history along with explorations of one of life’ biggest questions. The result is a sweet story of Believers across lines of races and generations and a message that knowing God and finding hope in Him is the only foundation for inner peace.

Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Simon’s dad believes in God, but his mother does not. The family meets a man who tells them about his own spiritual journey and how he became a Christian.

Violence
A man very briefly tells of a time he and his grandfather were beaten by a policeman.

Drug Content
None.

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Review: The Harder the Fall by Lauren Barnholdt

Book Review and Content, Middle Grade 8-12, Paranormal, , , ,

The Harder the Fall (Girl Meets Ghost #2)
Lauren Barnholdt
Aladdin/Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
Published September 3, 2013

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Twelve year-old Kendall has a small problem: she sees ghosts, and she can’t tell anyone. Especially Brandon, whose mother has not only been haunting Kendall, but who begins pulling some creepy stunts in an effort to keep Kendall away from her son. So, there’s that. Kendall is also haunted by a girl named Lyra with an attitude whose flaky mom and flirtatious brother have opened a nail salon. Kendall and her bestie endure horrible manicures more than once while Kendall attempts to gather info on Lyra’s death so she can find out how to help Lyra move on. The problem? Lyra’s brother’s hand massages get a little out of control, and now Brandon, Kendall’s almost-maybe-hopefully-soon boyfriend gets jealous.

Now Kendall has to avoid Brandon seeing her with Lyra’s brother and avoid Brandon’s mom seeing her with Brandon, all while she avoids that awkward convo with her dad about his new serious girlfriend. Talk about a juggling act. When it all comes crashing down, there’s only one person Kendall can turn to for help. If she dares.

Barnholdt perfectly captures the zany fun tone of her middle school heroine, keeping what could be a spooky tale solidly grounded in all things bright and cheery. Kendall is a chipper, loveable narrator, though she seems more like fourteen than twelve. While this second novel in the Girl Meets Ghost series is long on fun, not much is resolved between the first page and the last. Budding readers of paranormal stories will like the ghostly elements and latter elementary school readers will likely be charmed by the upbeat voice and attitude of the story.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Kendall sees and interacts with ghosts. They follow her around until she can sort out whatever their unfinished business is and help them bring closure to their lives so they can move on. On to where, Kendall doesn’t know and doesn’t spend much time considering.

Violence
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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