Murder At Midnight

Murder at Midnight is a mystery novel by the award-winning author, AVI.  This novel is set in Italy in the year 1490, which also affects the vocabulary and vernacular in the story.  While AVI is so well-known for writing many different genres, this mystery novel is sure to keep readers on their toes!  The book is 254 pages, so it is a shorter read that moves quickly.  The events that take place in the novel only span a little less than a week in time, so the novel is very fast-paced.  

Fabrizio is an orphaned boy who has recently been placed by city of Pergamontio in the home of Sophia and Magnus, a magician.  Fabrizio has not been there long, but he can already tell he is not well-liked by his master, but found favor in the mistress Sophia.  Fabrizio tries hard to earn his master's attention and affection, but without much success.  He works hard on his chores around the home and works diligently in his studies to learn to read, always grateful to the couple for taking him in.  But one evening at Magnus's magic show, a man in a black cloak startles Fabrizio as he is collecting money from the audience to tell him that his master is in great danger.  It is the next day that mysterious papers begin circulating through the city that declare the king unfit to rule and encouraging a revolt to take him out of power.  The papers are quite mysterious - written in a beautiful font, each paper is identical to another.  As hundreds of these papers appear throughout the city, the citizens are appalled at each one and how identical they are.  The only answer to their likeness can be magic.  The king, who has forbidden magic in the city, is certainly unhappy about the attack on his leadership and to the throne, as well as Magnus's use of magic to create them.  Fabrizio, in an effort to save his master from scrutiny, tries his best to race through the city and collect the papers to destroy them.  But he is seen by the king's soldiers, who believe he is distributing the treasonous papers at the request of his master.  Fabrizio is arrested and then taken to the castle to stand before the king himself.  The king then sends guards to Magnus's house to arrest him for treason.  Fabrizio is immediately sentenced to death as a message to the citizens of the city to show the king's authority.  Magnus will stand trial before the king in an effort to spare his own life.  Fabrizio knows his master is innocent, but how can he prove it?  Can he do it in time to save himself and his master, Magnus?      

Murder at Midnight is a great mystery novel for middle school readers, as well as upper elementary readers.  Again, the style of writing, vernacular, and word choice make this novel better suited for grades 5 and up.  Fans of mystery novels will enjoy this read - but you must pay attention to all the details to figure out who is planning this treasonous plot to overthrow the king!  Both guys and girls will enjoy the action in this novel and its fast pace.  While the book does include a fictitious country in a land ruled by a king and queen set in a time long ago, even readers not usually a fan of fantasy novels will enjoy this book.  The book does bring up an interesting concept of technology and how advancements in technology can make people uneasy and uncertain.  AVI is an amazing writer and his style and clever use of well hidden clues will surely have all readers hanging on to each word to see if Fabrizio can save himself and see who is after his master, Magnus.  

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson is a realistic fiction novel that is perfect for middle school readers.  If you are looking for a "funny" book, look no further!  James Patterson is a very well-known author who has written hundreds of novels, but most recently started to write youth fiction.  The novel is long with 283 pages and 76 chapters.  However, there are LOTS of illustrations throughout the novel that help the pages turn much faster than other novels this size.  This novel is the first in James Patterson's "Middle School" series.  

Rafe Khatchadorian is starting 6th grade at Hills Village Middle School and is NOT excited about it.  Lots of other people are excited for the first day of school, but not Rafe.  To Rafe, middle school sounds like more responsibilities and homework.  So to spice things up a bit, Rafe comes up with a brilliant plan with his best friend, Leo: Rafe is going to break EVERY rule in the HVMS Code of Conduct.  The operation is called PROJECT R.A.F.E. - Rules Aren't For Everyone.  Together, Leo and Rafe come up with the rules (no hurting other people), how the game is played, a point system, and how many "lives" Rafe has before he loses the game.  Rafe decides to kick off the game with a bang by breaking one of the biggest rules on the very first day of middle school: he sets off the school's fire alarm!  Rafe certainly begins to catch the attention of his classmates, his teachers, and the administrators - all who have their eye on Rafe.  But he has also caught the attention of the school's bigger, older bully: Miller.  As if that were not enough, Rafe's antics have also caught the attention of "Bear," his mom's fiance that lives with them.  Rafe and Bear have never gotten along, but now Bear is fed up with Rafe as he progresses through the game.  Can Rafe beat his and Leo's game and break all the rules in the Code of Conduct before the school year ends or will Rafe find himself in more trouble than he is prepared for?

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life is a great novel for ALL middle school readers.  It is even appropriate in language and content and difficulty for upper elementary readers as well.  Both guys and girls will enjoy this novel, but especially the boys.  I picked up this novel because so many of my students ask for a "funny" book when they come to me for a recommendation and I think this novel is a perfect fit for those readers.  However, don't think this novel is all laughs.  Rafe's life isn't easy and his family situation isn't the best.  The story also includes several unexpected twists and turns for the reader!  This is also a great transitional novel for students who shy away from "long" books or students who enjoy graphic novels.  The pages turn quickly with short chapters and graphics.  Patterson's style of writing helps the reader feel like he/she is a part of the story and one of Rafe's friends.  It is Patterson's writing style that makes this book comical, along with Rafe's ridiculous shenanigans, of course.  Readers who enjoy this novel and want to continue with Rafe on his journey through middle school may also enjoy his other novels in this series that follow: Middle School: Get Me Out of Here!, Middle School: My Brother Is A Big, Fat Liar, Middle School: How I Survived Bullies, Broccoli, and Snake Hill, Middle School: Ultimate Showdown, and more!           

Prisoner B-3087

Prisoner B-3087 is a historical fiction novel by Alan Gratz that shares an incredible story of a Jewish boy through the Holocaust.  Shared on the front cover, Prisoner B-3087 is based on the story of Jack Gruener and his own journey through Germany's attempt to exterminate the Jewish people.  Reading the "Afterword" at the end is a MUST, quite possibly the best part of the novel.  Only in reading the "Afterword" can you truly appreciate Yanek's journey through the novel and fully understand the suffering so many went through, specifically Jack Gruener. The novel is 260 pages and 30 chapters, and reads even faster than it seems.  The novel is also broken into "parts" that represent the different parts of Yanek's journey.  Author Alan Gratz sometimes likes to change narrators through his novels, giving the reader a variety of perspectives while reading. However, this novel is told from one narrator: a first person account of Yanek's journey.  

Yanek is a ten year old boy living in Krakow, Poland in 1939 when the Germans invade his hometown.  Very quickly, life turns upside down for Yanek and his family.  In only a matter of weeks and months Yanek and his family feel like outcasts in the city they have always lived in.  Everything is taken away from them: their freedoms, their possessions, and even their home.  The Germans have invaded and are now the ones in charge and they are determined to locate and detain all Jews in Poland and surrounding areas.  Yanek and his family do their best to survive the inhumane conditions the Germans have put them in and avoid the deportations at any cost.  It is not easy and Yanek struggles, as a young boy, to understand why things have changed so quickly.  But then one day the unthinkable happens: Yanek's parents and other family members are snatched up in the mass deportations, leaving Yanek to fend for himself.  But it isn't long before Yanek is sent away himself, put on a train filled with fear, anger, determination, and uncertainty.  Yanek must find out what has happened to his family, while also learning how to fight the daily life-and-death battle to survive.  

Prisoner B-3087 is a fabulous read for both boys and girls looking to learn more about the Holocaust.  As with most novels about the Holocaust, the novel contains sensitive material that is not appropriate or the right choice for all readers.  This novel is a great depiction of the Holocaust, so there are parts that are graphic and can be shocking for many readers. For this reason, I think this novel is a better read for middle school students, particularly students who are studying or have already studied the Holocaust.  I do not feel this is an appropriate novel for elementary school students, especially ones that have not yet studied the brutality of the Holocaust.  This novel does move quickly and includes lots of action, so this will appeal to many types of readers, even readers that typically shy away from historical fiction.  If you read this novel and love it, check out Alan Gratz's other novels.  He is a very talented historical fiction writer and has several other novels including Projekt 1065, Grenade, Resist, Refugee, and Ground Zero.       

Distress Signal

Distress Signal by Mary E. Lambert is a realistic fiction novel with an adventure twist.  This field trip-gone-wrong novel is a fight for survival as 4 kids get separated from their class and lost in the desert.  Distress Signal is 263 pages, so it is a good read for middle schoolers. There are over 30 chapters in the novel, so the chapters are short and the action moves quickly.  The language and content are appropriate for all readers.  These are several factors that may also make this a good read for upper elementary readers as well as middle school readers.  

Lavender is on a field trip with her sixth grade class for a 3-day excursion in the wilderness of the Chiricahua National Monument in the bottom corner of Arizona.  This is the trip all the kids look forward to taking through their elementary school years as a rite of passage into middle school. Normally Lavender would be so excited for the trip to finally come because she loves the outdoors and has just passed her test to operate an amateur "ham" radio.  But one thing has dampened her spirits: a fight with her best friend.  After the recent spring show choir concert, Lavender and her best friend, Marisol, are no longer speaking and Lavender doesn't fully understand what she did to hurt her friend or how to fix it.  Lavender is hoping they can repair their friendship on the trip, but her spirits are crushed when Marisol chooses to sit with someone else on the bus - Rachelle, a student fairly new to their school who Lavender has never been a fan of from the start. Lavender is stuck sitting with John, another boy she barely knows and who seems to have no interest in getting to know her. Barely into the trip, things go very wrong when a flash flood suddenly strikes the ravine Lavender's class is hiking in.  Everyone scatters for safety and when the waters finally subside, Lavender is stuck with Marisol and Rachelle, as well as John from the bus.  The 4 have to find their way back to the group, but not before battling all the elements the desert has to offer: dehydration, terrain, brutal heat, injuries, and wild animals.  The 4 will have to figure out how to put their feelings and frustrations aside to work as a team to get back to their class because their lives now depend on it.  

I would recommend this novel for readers looking for an adventure novel.  Readers who love novels by Gary Paulsen's stories, such as Hatchet, will enjoy this story of survival.  Outdoor lovers will enjoy this read, especially those interested in reading about what being stranded in a desert habitat is like.  While both boys and girls will enjoy this novel, I certainly recommend this novel for girls.  (And there are not many "survival" stories best fit for girls!)  In the story Lavender really struggles with the relationships in her life and that can create difficulty and drama.  This might be great for girls to see how to best navigate the social aspect of middle school as Lavender begins to understand what true friendship REALLY means.       

Lost in the Sun

Lost in the Sun by Lisa Graff is a realistic fiction novel set in present day about a young man named Trent, who is, in every sense of the word, lost.  The novel explores some heavy topics, such as death, guilt, friendship, broken families, and second chances.  The novel is 289 pages, so it is a bit on the longer side and could be a better fit for readers looking for a longer commitment in a book.  Lisa Graff's writing style is relatable to teens and she is able to create very realistic characters.  

Trent is a typical teenage boy, except for one thing - a hockey puck he hit took the life of a classmate named Jared.  The incident was an accident, an unfortunate event that took place when Trent jumped in at the last minute in a hockey game on the frozen lake in February.  The puck hit Jared in the chest, and an autopsy revealed a heart defect no one knew Jared had.  The novel does not tell the details of what happened that day, but rather the events that happened later.  Trent is left with an incredible amount of guilt and anger, a family that is broken, and friends that have forsaken him.  Trent is lost and left to navigate the hardships of middle school alone with only his Book of Thoughts to help him.  He is mad at himself, mad at his dad, mad at his friends, and mad at anyone who tries to get in his way.  Trent is in a self-destructive pattern of withdrawing from the things and people he once loved.  He has all but given up on school and his family.  He has a dad who believes he has blown his only shot you get in the world, a mother who wants to help but doesn't know how, and friends who no longer see him as the funny guy who was good at sports.  But Trent meets another who is an outcast - a girl named Fallon Little.  Fallon had an accident several years earlier that has left her with a large scar from her eye, down her face, and connecting to her mouth.  Trent and Fallon spark a unexpected friendship at a cafeteria lunch table and she might be just the friend Trent needs to be able to see past Jared's death.  Trent desperately needs a friend - someone who believes in him and it willing to give him another chance.        

The novel Lost in the Sun is a great read for middle school readers.  The topics covered in the book are on the heavy side - death, grief, loss, anger - and the novel does have its share of profanity, so this is a true middle school book and probably better for more mature readers.  However, the book is great for readers struggling with loss and the uncertainty associated with it.  Both male and female readers will be able to relate to Trent and the struggles he goes through - not just in the loss of Jared, but with his family's divorce and the acceptance of his stepmom and new baby sister.  As a teacher myself, Trent's relationship with his dreaded homeroom teacher, Mrs. Emerson (who Trent calls an "old crone"), reminded me of the importance of my own role in a child's life who is dealing with grief and trauma and how one single, simple act can give someone purpose in a life they feel is meaningless.  Readers struggling with these heavy topics, or even friends of people struggling with these heavy topics, will be able to relate to Trent's emotions and situations.      

The One and Only Ivan

The One and Only Ivan is a wonderful novel by Katherine Applegate.  The story is fictional; the main characters of the story are both animals and people. While the novel is 301 pages and seems very long, it is actually much shorter than it appears.  Many of the chapters are a page or two long, so the story moves along very quickly and the pages turn fast.  The novel is also sprinkled with beautiful illustrations of the characters and events. For this reason, this might be a great transitional book for readers that shy away from longer books.  

Ivan is the star of the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade.  He is a silverback, a mighty gorilla plucked from the jungles of central Africa, taken from his family at a young age.  He has lived as the main exhibit in a small enclosure in the mall for many years, so long that he has trouble remembering his own family and his past.  The only parent he knows is the keeper, Mack, whose care for Ivan and the other animals is not first rate.  Ivan lives a life filled with smiling faces from tourists, lots of bananas and yogurt raisins, television, and painting. Every day Ivan paints in his enclosure and then Mack sells his art in the gift store.  Ivan has other friends with him at the mall: an elephant named Stella who performs for visitors daily in shows and a mutt Bob who roams the mall and returns at night to sleep on Ivan's stomach.  He also forms a friendship with Julia, the janitor's daughter that comes with him each night to do her homework while he cleans up at the mall.  But one day a new animal shows up: a baby elephant named Ruby. Ruby is scared and confused and Ivan makes a promise - Ruby will not grow up in the same life he did.  He vows to give her another life, one without claw-sticks and shows and isolation in small cages.  But how?  This life has been fine for Ivan, but he must find a way to save baby Ruby from growing up in the same life he has. 

I would recommend this novel for ALL readers - old and young, male and female.  It is a heartfelt story of love, compassion, strength, and hope.  While I think this novel is ideal for readers in grades 4-6, it could be a great read aloud for kids of younger ages as well.  This book is a great read for all the animal lovers out there, those that have a big heart for the furry creatures in the world.  The book offers a beautiful story full of imagery, similes, and other figurative language (any language arts teacher's dream!).  The One and Only Ivan has also been made into a movie on Disney + and would be a great opportunity to read the novel as a family and follow it up with watching the movie together.  (That's what our family did, complete with yogurt raisins as our movie snack!)  If you enjoy this novel, there is a sequel called The One and Only Bob that is on our family's reading list!       

The Magician's Elephant

The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo is a fictional novel about a little boy named Peter that takes place in the fictional city of Baltese in Europe.  As with many of Kate DiCamillo's stories, this one includes an animal as a main character - an elephant. The story is 201 pages long and contains beautiful sketched illustrations to help the reader visualize the story.    

Peter was orphaned years ago, his parents dead, and now he lives with Vilna Lutz, an older military man training Peter to become a soldier.  Peter is sent to the market to buy food, but instead is distracted by the tent of a fortune teller.  After much consideration, Peter decides to use the money meant for bread and fish to find the answer to the question that burns deep in his heart: is his sister still alive?  He has been told by Vilna Lutz for years that she is no longer living, but his heart tells him otherwise.  The fortune teller examines his palm carefully to reveal YES!  Peter's sister is alive!  Peter begs her to tell him where she is, but all she will tell him is, "The elephant will lead you to her."  Peter leaves the tent even more confused, but with a determined resolution to find his sister.  There is no elephant anywhere near their city and he begins to question the fortune teller's words.  He goes to bed that night wondering who is lying - Vilna Lutz or the fortune teller?  But he awakes the next morning to the buzz in the town, the unfortunate events that took place in the opera house the night before.  A magician, older and losing his abilities, was attempting to conjure a bouquet of flowers for the Madame Bettine LaVaughn, the guest of honor at the magician's show, when an elephant appeared instead.  The elephant came crashing through the ceiling of the opera house, fell into the audience along with part of the ceiling, and crushed the legs of the Madame LaVaughn.  The Madame was taken to the hospital, the magician thrown in prison, and the elephant chained and locked in a stable.  But Peter knows this is no coincidence - this elephant holds the key to finding his long lost sister.  Peter must figure out what secret the elephant holds and how it will help him find his sister.  

The Magician's Elephant is a beautiful story of hope. I love Kate DiCamillo and if you loved Tale of Despereaux, you are sure to love this story as well! This book would be loved by upper elementary kids, probably best for grades 4 - 6.  While it is a work of fiction, I think lovers of realistic fiction will enjoy this tale as well, for the fictional elements are few.  I think both male and female readers alike would enjoy Peter's journey and the mission he is on to find the truth to the feeling he has kept deep in his heart all these years. Peter is a young man who has had a difficult life, but is committed to being a person of truth and integrity, and his story a heartwarming tale.     

Some Places More Than Others

Some Places More Than Others by Renee Watson is a realistic fiction novel about a little girl's journey to learn more about her family, and in turn, herself.  The novel is 191 pages, so it is a great "faster" read for readers who may shy away from longer books.  While the story is very relatable for kids entering their teenager years and looking for approval and to be considered as more responsible (with more freedoms) by their parents, this novel also dives deep into African American history.  Amara is FINALLY able to visit New York City, the birthplace of the Harlem Renaissance, and learns just as much about her heritage as she does her own family.  

In a few short weeks Amara will be 12, and she will also be a big sister for the first time.  The only thing she wants for her birthday is the same thing she has been begging her parents for for years - a trip to New York City.  Amara wants to meet her extended family there - her grandfather, aunt, and cousins she has only heard about and seen pictures of at this point. Amara lives in Oregon with her father and mother, who are finally expecting a baby girl. Her father works for Nike and has an upcoming work trip to New York City, and Amara knows this is her last chance to visit her family.  But her parents still refuse.  Then Amara finds her chance: the Suitcase Project that has been assigned by her teacher Mr. Rosen.  Each student will create a time capsule of their family that explores the family's past, present, and future.  Amara sees this as her chance!  She pleads with her parents, promoting the trip in the name of school, and they finally give in!  Amara is able to travel with her father to meet her relatives and see the wonders of the iconic New York City.  But Amara's trip isn't everything she thought it would be.  She quickly learns there is a reason she has not made the trip before and the relationship between her father and grandfather was severed years ago. Amara makes the trip to learn more about the family she has heard about and complete her school project, but ends up learning more than she ever thought possible about people, relationships, and her rich African American history in walking the streets of Harlem.  

Some Places More Than Others by Renee Watson is a great book for upper elementary or middle school readers.  I would expect girls may enjoy this novel more than boys since the narrator is female.  While this novel is not packed with action and adventure, it is packed with love and struggle and forgiveness.  I also recommend this novel for readers in cities with big history.  Amara is mesmerized by the sights and rich history of Harlem's streets, but Amara's cousins are jaded by it, not understanding her fascination.  As a resident of Birmingham, it reminded me of my own city's rich history that I often take for granted.  This novel was a great reminder not to forget the people and places that make our city unique with memories to be preserved and not forgotten, no matter how often they are seen.  Amara's passion to know more about her heritage and family is inspiring.  She is a beautiful character with a genuine heart that will certainly stick with readers.