The Secret Bookstore Sleuth Society

Merrick is having a rough time.  When her grandmother gets sick, her mom can't afford her private school anymore.  She misses her best friends and is bored to death of being homeschooled in a little room in the back of a bookshop her mom runs, attached to an inn.  She also kind of resents her grandmother for all of this, even though she knows it isn’t her fault she is sick and had to move in with them.  But when a chance, a huge snowstorm hits, and as it happens, her friends and her grandmother get trapped with her and her mom and a few guests at the inn.  When one of the townspeople is murdered in Merrick's little room while staying there to celebrate his birthday with his family, the secret bookstore sleuth society is born.  Can the kids and grandmother, who turns out to be very cool, figure it out before someone else gets hurt?

This was such a fun book; I really cannot wait to see what the society gets up to next. Really, Ms. Currie, please write faster.  This book was so suspenseful, action-packed, and just plain joy.  It will make all ages read to the finish right away, even reluctant readers.  This will also make a great classroom read.  I really can’t say enough about this wonderful book.

 

The World at Midnight: Westfallen 3

 

Artie, Alice, and Lawrence are in 1944, and Henry, Frances, and Lukas are stuck in 2023 Westfallen.  Westfallen is their hometown; only this version has the Germans winning world war 2.  Lukas's job now is playing baseball, which was nearly impossible for him to get as he is Jewish.  But now each set of kids needs to work with the other to fix time back where it needs to go.  They are desperately trying to think of something when they find some comic books that outline how the Germans find out the plans for D-Day, and now the 2023 kids need to work with the 1944 kids to make sure that does not happen, and time will be fixed.  But issues arise; will time ever get fixed?

This is a really cool book with a bit of history thrown in along with all the action and suspense, and there is plenty of that in this book. This is the kind of book that will have you up past your bedtime reading one or more chapters.  This has been a wonderful series, and I really hate to see it end; maybe another time can get messed up?  This is just a great book for middle graders to adults.  It just shows what things could be like, and no one wants history, especially this kind, to repeat itself.  

Ashes at the Alter

Malik has been through so much and lost even more in the last 3 years that it is hard to believe there is anything left to lose.  But you can’t escape your past no matter how much you do to make up for it.  This semester at Caiman University will show and ask so much more of Malik than he has learned to do.  His friends are still by his side, but for how long?  Taye is still behind his big bro, but he is also missing the mom and dad he has made of, Brigette and Baron Samidi, and desperately wants them back.  The Bokors are still out there, and magic is being challenged at all levels. Just as Malik has found his father and wants to get to know them, not all of them are fond of him.  It isn’t long before the Bonclairs’ position as head of Caiman is questioned, and Malik must choose a side: family or strength. 

This is a wonderful ending to a great trilogy, although I am not in favor of its ending, but I don’t really get a vote.  This is just as good, if not better than the other two books.  I love the Creole and other history told in this book, the blue bottle tree, and everything else: that his grandmother's side of the family lives, and the power his ancestors give Malik during his life, especially this showdown.  This is an awesome book, and I can’t recommend it and the other two enough.

 

Corpse Creek Bleak Haven book 3

 

Ethan’s brother frowned in Corpse Creek; at least that is what the coroner said.  Ethan has always thought there was more going on than just a chance drowning.  Ethan is now 18 and decides it is time to find out the truth.  The truth is just as weird as everything else; while checking the history of the creek, there was one person lost at the creek but came back.  How and why this happened is what Ethan must find out now, and can he bring his brother back?

This was a pretty good book. I have not read the first two in the series, so I am not sure if that would make a difference.  This book was very suspenseful, and it will suck you in and keep you up past your bedtime, reading just one (or more) more chapter.  This is a great book for those graduating from the Goosebumps genre of books.

Light Upon You

 

Where is the apostle Peter really buried?  For years, that has been a question asked for ages.  Now researchers are using every available book, paper, story, anything they can find to prove where he is really buried.  But the story is told by a church mouse.   This is a story of what is left after things fall apart. 

The story intrigued me because it was told by a church mouse, but the time going back and forth and being very detail-oriented was not that appealing to me.  That is just for me; I know there will be many history buffs and others that like it, so I won’t hold my preferences against it.  It was a good book, different, exciting, and refreshing.  I think many will like this, and I would love to try again with an audio, I think that would help me a lot.  Please, if it sounds up your alley, give it a try.

The unforgettable Leta Lightening

 

8th grader Leta is fast, very fast, and loves running the 400 for her school's track team.  Her dad left Leta, her sister, and her mom a while back and sends no support.  With no support, her mom works two jobs but still finds putting food on the table hard.  Leta thinks if she wins district, her mom will send her dad the picture, and he will come back to help her mom and talk her sister to the daddy-daughter dance.  But a new girl moves to town, and she also runs the 400 and is fast too.  Leta thinks if she trains harder and longer, she will get faster and not have to worry about her spot or winning district; what she doesn’t count on is the injury that can sideline her for the rest of the season. 

I have to admit that synopsis in no way tells the whole story, and it is a great story.  One I think all kids should read at one time or another.  It deals with so much, all rolled into one.  Food disparity, puberty, divorce, and more. With the main character being female, it is a wonderful book for girls, but boys can learn from it too.  This book is great for tweens and reluctant readers as well.  It was a very powerful and profound book that I just can not recommend enough.

The Sherlock Society Art Attack (MG)

Alex, Yadi, Lena, and Zoe are on the case.  This time, a building developer wants them to find the infamous graffiti artist Funky Munky so he can hire that person to paint a mural on the side of his new building.  Their investigation leads them to many artists, but how to know which one is Funky Munky when Funky Munky doesn’t want to be found, and how to talk to the person?  The team, along with some of Grandpa’s, contacts, led them into the world of graffiti art and all the colors and little quirks of each individual artist that makes it up. 

As always, Mr. Ponti has come up with another wonderful mystery to solve.  The plot is great I loved reading about graffiti and the artistic differences that make it up, but the way the kids come up with a way to solve this mystery is out of the box thinking that has to be respected, as long as they don’t end up in the clink doing it.  This book is action packed and full of suspense.  It does involve a bit of some plot twists and turns.  But it is a wonderful book that is good for all middle graders, and above, as well as reluctant readers, budding sleuths and artists.  I can’t wait for more books from Mr. Ponti as I am also a huge fan of the City Spies as well.