Alcatraz versus the Scrivener's Bones / Sanderson

I am in love with this witty, wonderfully wacky series.  Of course, any series where the librarians are the villains bent on dominating the world works for me.  Still, Sanderson cracks me up with his sneaky asides, his insistence that his hero is really a coward, and his irreverent pokes at librarians.  In this, the second book of the series, our hero goes to the famed library at Alexandria to find his missing father and grandfather.  Unfortunately, the library is guarded by soulless spirits who continually tempt you to ask for a book, any book.  The problem is, once you touch a book or take it from the shelves, your soul is theirs, and you become one of them.  Makes it very hard to do any research!  To add to the intrigue, Alcatraz and his friends are being hunted by a half-man, half-machine monster --a.k.a. Scrivener's Bone -- that is relentlessly determined to destroy them.  How he defeats the Bone and saves his father's soul is a fast-paced, highly entertaining read.

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer Holm

Holm, most known for her Babymouse series, has created a charming and quirky piece of historical fiction with Turtle in Paradise.  The story takes place in the Florida Keys and introduces the reader to a delightful group of young boys who make their extra cash by taking care of the babies.  When the new girl in town becomes part of their activities, things become very interesting.  Throw in a pirate's treasure, a con man, and a spooky old lady and you have all the elements of a great read.  This book was fun, interesting, and would make a great read-aloud.

Never Glue Your Friends to Chairs by Katherine Applegate

Fans of Junie B. Jones should find it easy to like this series of early chapter books.  Roscoe Riley is a typical first grade boy with an incomplete understanding of all the rules governing polite behavior and a tendency to get into trouble.  In this, the first of his misadventures, he decides to get creative with the art supplies in an effort to help his brand new teacher, Ms. Diz, have a perfect open house.  How his plans backfire -- and how everyone deals with the ensuing disaster -- make for a quick and entertaining read.  Thoroughly likable.

Swindle by Gordon Korman

What a great story!  The action moves from spending the night in an abandoned and possibly haunted house to planning and executing a major heist.  When Griffin Bing discovers he has been cheated out of a million-dollar baseball card, he vows to steal it back.  Even though the main characters are kids, they are so well-developed that the reader never doubts that they are capable of such an amazing feat.  Along the way, they deal with bullies, dangerous guard dogs, and a completely unlikeable and sleazy villain.  The ending is perfect with a twist of irony that ties all the pieces together in a neat little package.  Even though there are two more books featuring the same cast of characters, this one can stand on its own.  Swindle would make a great read-aloud and will appeal to both boys and girls.

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan was an action-packed thriller.  From the early chapters through to the very end, the action was non-stop.  The two main characters, Sadie and Carter, tell the story, with the narrator changing every chapter or two.  Being brother and sister, their relationship is not always friendly, but the way they learn to trust each other and like each other gives an added depth to the story.  Being pursued by the awakening gods and goddesses of Ancient Egypt puts them in many situations where their relationship is tested, and they must lean on each other in order to survive.  The ending was satisfying, and the book can stand on its own, even though it is apparently the beginning of a series entitled The Kane Chronicles.  Highly recommended either as an independent read or a read-aloud.

Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Fans of her Among the Missing series will find a lot to love in this new set of historical suspense novels by Margaret Peterson Haddix.  It all starts with a mysterious plane that appears with no adults on board, only babies, and disappears as soon as the babies are rescued.  In Found, the story begins when two boys realize (through a combination of first class sleuthing and stumbling discoveries) that they are part of this group of babies who have been adopted out but are now, for some reason, being drawn into the same area.  Strangers who appear and disappear at key points add to the suspense as we discover the beginnings of the true identities of these children.  As with all first books in a series, the story is really just getting started when the first book ends, but it would appear that there will be some interesting adventures throughout history as the two boys work to save all these children without wrecking time.  Fast-paced and intelligent with likable characters and just enough mystery to keep the reader guessing, this appears to be the beginning of a very interesting series.

Flawed Dogs by Berkeley Breathed

I have enjoyed this author's work through his Bloom County and Opus comic strips, and now he brings that same irreverently satirical wit to, of all things, a novel.  There are layers here, both in story and in message, so it is a book that may need to be read more than once to get the whole picture.  In a nutshell, we have the world of the perfect purebred dog and the world of the flawed, abandoned mongrel colliding at the Westminster Dog Show in an act of revenge that turns into an act of heroism.  Dog lovers will treasure the message that all dogs exist to love and be loved, but beware!  The humor is sharp, the wit bites, and both dogs and owners will break wind.