The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thus far, the story of Sabrina and Daphne Grimm does not end "Happily Ever After." Their parents disappeared over a year ago and ever since they have been moved from foster home to foster home until they are sent to live with their Father's mother, the grandmother they believed was dead.

Granny Grimm is not your typical grandmother and does not live in the typical town. Granny Grimm and therefore the Grimm sisters are relatives of the legendary Brothers Grimm. After Granny is taken by a giant Sabrina and her younger sister must face the truth, that the stories told in the Grimm fairy tales are not just stories but true-life cases and the characters are in fact real.

With their Granny held captive by a giant it is Sabrina and Daphne's responsibility to solve the lastest crime wave in Ferry Port Landing.

I have always been intrigued by this series when I past it on the shelf in my library and I'm glad I finally picked up the first one to read. It is an entertaining read and it has left me more interested in the original tales from the Brothers Grimm. This a great book for young readers ages 7 and up and would work well as a read aloud.

WONDER by R.J. Palacio

Wonder by R.J. Palacio
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

To quote a line in J.M. Barrie’s The Little White Bird as referenced in Wonder by R.J. Palacio, “Shall we make a new rule of life…always try to be a little kinder than is necessary?” The story of August Pullman in Wonder is a story for all ages on the importance of not just being kind to the point of being polite but of taking one step further and being even kinder, being a friend.
August Pullman was born with a deformity. A deformity so severe that Auggie himself says, “I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.” A deformity so severe that Auggie walked around with an astronaut helmet on his head for two years to avoid the stranger’s stares, gasps and screams. Now Auggie is going to school for the first time, middle school no less where life can be cruel to even the most “normal” looking kid. Author R.J. Polacio takes the reader through Auggie’s fifth grade year through the eyes of six different characters, including friends and family members. A year that is difficult at best and heartbreaking at worst. But there is always a ray of sunshine in the form of the courageous Auggie and the shift in the attitudes of the students who walk the hallways with a classmate who is normal despite his differences and still extraordinary, a wonder.
As I read Wonder I felt as though I was in the hallway with Auggie. How would I have reacted as a fifth grader? I want to say that I would have been kinder than necessary as I strive to be now. Read Wonder by R.J. Palacio and consider J.M. Barrie’s challenge to “be kinder than is necessary”. Even better read it with child, grandchild, or neighbor and share the message.

NO PASSENGERS BEYOND THIS POINT by Gennifer Choldenko

No Passengers Beyond This Point by Gennifer Choldenko
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

12 year old Finn, his 14 year old sister India, and their 6 year old sister Mouse are being sent from California to a new life in Colorado. A life that none of them are looking forward to. After their mother loses their house she sends the three on a plane to live with their Uncle Red. The thing is, the plane never arrives in Colorado. Instead Finn, India, and Mouse are welcomed to Falling Bird, a city that is all about giving you your dream life, but just for a day, before you are asked to make one of the toughest decisions of your life, stay in Falling Bird or risk your life trying to return home, wherever that may be. In Falling Bird everything is illogical. Children drive taxis and every new visitor is given a huge welcoming party. This book is beyond imagination with a great twist at the end. Remember to keep track of the narrator as characters speak in alternating chapters.

THE LUCK OF THE BUTTONS by Anne Ylvisaker

The Luck of the Buttons by Anne Ylvisaker
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Tugs Esther Button is just like the rest of her family. Extremely, extraordinarily normal and by no means lucky. If anything they are the opposite of lucky and extraordinary, and maybe not quite "normal". Twelve year old Tugs is the tomboy who spends all of her time with her cousin, like it or not, because she doesn't quite fit in with the girls from the wealthy families. Well, Tugs' luck is about to change. She is about to become friends with the most popular girl, win a brand new camera, and even the local writing contest. Can she also save her town from the mysterious stranger who is taking everyone's money with the promise of their very own newspaper?

Though this story takes place in a small Iowa town in 1929 I think that today's readers will relate to Tugs as the girl or the girl next door who doesn't quite fit in. This humorous story with a little mystery makes for a great read for young girls and boys alike.

J YLVISAKER
AR 4.5

TURTLE IN PARADISE by Jennifer L. Holm

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a fun little book to read. Turtle is sent to Key West to live with her aunt while her Mother is working as a housekeeper for a old woman who doesn't like kids. You'd think with a strange name like Turtle, she would fit right in with her cousin Beans and his best friend Pork chops. However, they aren't so thrilled to have a girl hanging around and Turtle doesn't exactly love hanging out with the "stupid" boys. I love Turtle as a strong young girl who knows what's going on in her world. This ends up being a treasure adventure with a twist at the end. The language is fun to read but keeping everyone's strange names straight can be a little tricky. The characters remind me of the kids in Little Rascals.

THE BOY WHO CLIMBED INTO THE MOON by David Almond

The Boy Who Climbed into the Moon by David Almond
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

What if the moon was just a big hole in the sky full of pterodactyls, dragonflies, baseballs, helicopters, and trapeze artists? Paul, the shy boy who lives in the basement, is going to find out exactly what is inside the moon with the help of his imaginative friends Molly and Benjamin. This story is beyond words. It is crazy and unbelievable yet at the end of the book I believed that anything is possible.