Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarians

Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarians

by Brandon Sanderson

Scholastic Press, 2007, Intermediate Fiction, 319 p.

Alcatraz has moved from foster home to foster home. Nobody keeps him long because his tendency to break things.  When he turns 13 his grandfather shows up and whisks Alcatraz away into a new world full of magic and and ruled over by evil Librarians. Nothing is as he thought it was, including himself, his family, and his strange abilities.

I read this years ago and am reading it again because it is our parent/child book club book for March.  Honestly, I had forgotten how silly it is, but really intelligent, too.  Sanderson has an amazingly clever mind and his gives it full range here.  This story has the potential to appeal to readers on many levels.  There is enough action and humor to be enjoyable at face value, but for the more sophisticated reader it is packed full of devilishly funny irony and sarcasm. The rumor is that he wrote these books when he was working on other, harder projects, as a kind of mental recreation.  The world of children's fantasy is so glad he did.

2019 Top Ten: Intermediate Fiction

Ever wonder what the junior high aged kids in Highland are reading?  During January we will post the top ten lists for items checked out at the Highland Library during 2019.  Here are the top ten  intermediate fiction books:

The Prisoner of Cell 25: by Richard Paul Evans
The Rise of Elgen: by Richard Paul Evans
Storm of Lightning: by Richard Paul Evans
The Final Spark: by Richard Paul Evans
Hunt for Jade Dragon: by Richard Paul Evans
Fall of Hades: by Richard Paul Evans
The Lightning Thief: by Rick Riordan
Fablehaven: by Brandon Mull
The Battle of the Ampere: by Richard Paul Evans
Dragonwatch: by Brandon Mull

Click on the title to find the book in our catalog.  Most are also available on CD or through Overdrive as e-books/e-audiobooks.

Winterhouse

Winterhouse

by Ben Guterson

Henry Holt & Co, 2018, Intermediate Fiction, 370 p.

Elizabeth Sommers is an orphan who lives with an uncaring and lazy aunt and uncle, so she is totally surprised when they tell her she will be going to a posh resort called Winterhouse for Christmas while they go on a separate vacation.  At Winterhouse she soon finds a friend, Freddy, who shares her love for puzzles and word games.  She also finds a book in the resort's vast library that is more than it seems.  Soon she and Freddy are caught up in a dangerous mystery that promises to shine a light on the past, but that puts everyone and everything at Winterhouse in peril.

Here is a great middle grade thriller to read at on a chilly winter's evening.  Elizabeth and Freddy are charming word nerds and young readers will enjoy the word games the two are forever playing.  Winterhouse is a magical place and the plot twists and suspense will keep readers turning pages. 

The Serpent's Secret

 

The Serpent's Secret
(Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond, Book 1)
Scholastic Press, 2018, Intermediate Fiction, 368 p.
Kiran has always been a little embarrassed by her parents.  While she just wants to fit in, they persist in emphasizing her Bengali Indian heritage. They cook weird food, have a weird yard, and, worst of all, make her dress up like an Indian princess every Halloween, which is also her birthday.  The year she turns 12 she decides to put her foot down. She is just about to tell her parents she will be a vampire for Halloween, thank you very much, when instead of finding her parents at home, she finds a raging demon tearing up her kitchen.  She is "rescued" from the demon, called a rokkhosh, by two young men who claim to be princes, and starts on a crazy adventure in the world where Indian mythology is real.

This is another great choice for those who like Rick Riordan's earlier Percy Jackson series.  Kiran is a gutsy heroine who gradually comes to appreciate who, and what, she really is. The two princes are also appealing characters, and the reader wonders how the relationship between them and Kiran will develop in later books in the series.  Das Gupta's settings are fantastic and capture the dream-like world of very ancient mythology while incorporating elements of modern science. She ends the book with a note about which stories were based on which Indian Bengali folk tales, and gives their sources.

Aru Shah and the Song of Death

Aru Shah and the Song of Death
by Roshani Chokshi
Disney/Hyperion, 2019, Intermediate Fiction, 881 p.

In this second adventure that began with Aru Shah and the End of Time Aru and Minni have teamed up with a third reincarnated Pandava sibling, Brynne. The teens are accused of stealing a bow and arrow of the gods. To clear their names they must recover the artifact and use it to stop whoever is amassing a huge zombie army. Once again the kids must unravel the complicated mysteries of the Hindu pantheon.

This is a good second installment in a series that will appeal to the Rick Riordan fans.  The premise for the series is similar to Percy Jackson.  Modern kids discover that they are related to the gods and have special abilities. I respect the fact that Chokshi resists the temptation to have Aru`s task be a simple case of good vs evil.  Our heroes face moral ambiguity that is never fully resolved. These books are fun, fast paced adventures that are great to read and discuss with friends.

Wizard for Hire

Wizard for Hire
by Obert Skye
Shadow Mountain, 2018, Intermediate Fiction, 400 p.

Ozzy's parents are both PhD scientists.  When Ozzy is seven they move abruptly from New York City to a secluded cabin in Oregon.  Then a few months later, men dressed in green come and take Ozzy's parents away.  Ozzy survives on his own for seven more years with the help of a AI raven left behind by his parents.  Finally a desire to find out what happened to his parents drives Ozzy back to civilization and to Rin, a self-proclaimed wizard.  Ozzy keeps expecting Rin to pull out a magic wand and solve all of his problems.  That doesn't happen, but step by step Ozzy and Rin uncover clues to what happened to Ozzy's family.

Here is another funny and exciting series by the author of Leven Thumps. Ozzy is an endearing character, and readers will wonder and debate along with him whether Rin is a real wizard or not.  There is something here for everyone; mystery, comedy, some awesome car chases, and even a little romance.  This is a great choice for fans of Harry Potter, and the Janitors series.

Flunked

Flunked
By Jen Calonita
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 2015, Youth Fiction, 263 p.
"Our Mission: To turn wicked delinquents and former villains into future heroes."(p.33) Is it truly possible that villains can be taught to be good? That wicked stepmothers can be kind? That a big bad wolf can, well, not eat people? At Fairy Tale Reform School they believe just that. Gillian Cobbler, on the other hand, doesn't want to go there. And she wouldn't have to steal in the first place if Princess Ella's Fairy Godmother hadn't stolen Gillian's father's glass slipper idea, and thus took all the business away from the Cobbler's. If that hadn't happened then Gillian would have no reason to try to find ways to help feed her five younger siblings. But now she's been caught and shipped off to reform school. In a school full of ex-thieves, trouble-makers, con-artists, and their formerly villainous teachers ( like the Evil Queen and Wicked Stepmother) trouble is bound to happen. The question is who has really been reformed - and who is really wicked?

This fantasy novel is a refreshing twist on the fairy tale spin-off genre. Those familiar with Grimm's Fairy Tales will find familiar characters with new roles. Exciting, heartfelt, and action packed this book will put readers under a spell. It also discusses friendship, loyalty, and the value of what's inside of a person. This book is the first in a series that is great for kids, teens, and even adults.

The Problim Children

 

The Problim Children
by Natalie Lloyd
Harper Collins, 2018. Intermediate Fiction. 285 p.
Seven children with the last name of Problim, live in a swamp on their own while their parents are on an archaeological expedition.  When the kids' bungalow gets destroyed, they go into town hoping to live in their deceased grandfather's house until their parents arrive.  Their next-door neighbors in town are the O'Pinion family, and evil Desdemona O'Pinion is convinced there is a treasure hidden in the Problim mansion.  Even though Desdemona tries to turn the city against them, the other neighbors are intrigued by the strange children, who are totally unconventional in an mysterious and exciting way.

Although adults will recognize that this is a satire exploring the forces of convention (the O'Pinions) on those that are different (the Problims), kids will just see it as a fun and high spirited romp. Each of the children has an odd super power and unique quirky personality. Flatulence jokes and potty type humor abound.  This story will appeal to either boy or girl. The story doesn't completely resolve, so if you start this one do so knowing you will have to commit to waiting for the sequel.