House Arrest

House Arrest is a realistic fiction novel by author K.A. Holt.  What makes this book very unique is that is a novel written in verse, so the structure of the writing on the pages is different from other novels.  The novel spans the course of a year: broken down into chapters by each week of the year.  While the novel is 296 pages, it does move extremely fast since the pages are not filled with paragraphs, but short lines of text.  House Arrest is a record of Timothy's court-mandated journal, telling the story of his year on probation while he is under a strict house arrest under the care of his mother.  Go ahead and have the sequel on-hand, Knock Out.  You are going to want to pick it up as soon as you turn the last page of House Arrest - trust me.  

Timothy is now considered a criminal at the age of 13.  His has been sentenced to house arrest, under the care of his mother (and sometimes neighbor when his mother has to work long hours).  He has to check in with his probation officer once a week.  He must see a therapist once a week.  He must write daily in a journal. For. A. Year.  All because he made one bad choice.  But that bad choice was not in an effort to get rich quick or hurt someone else.  It was a quick decision he made in the heat of a moment and now his year has changed. It shouldn't be too different than any other year because Timothy's life has always been a challenge. His baby brother, Levi, is very sick.  He isn't like other babies and requires constant care around the clock. Not wanting to deal with this, Timothy and Levi's dad has left town unexpectedly, leaving the boys and their mother without help and without answers.  His mother works long hours to try to pay the bills - normal bills and the extensive medical bills. It is a lot for any family to manage without a teenager under house arrest.  House Arrest is the story of Timothy's year following "That Day" and the decision that changed their live forever.  

House Arrest is one of those novels that I think every kid should have to read at some point (like Wonder).  It will be loved by boys and girls of all ages. I think this novel is best suited for 6th and 7th graders, but think 5th graders will enjoy it as well.  Language and content are appropriate for these age levels as well.  House Arrest is a story of loyalty and compassion and redemption.  I will confess: this is my first novel to make it through written in verse. I usually really struggle with novels written in verse because I get too distracted by the format and cannot understand why the author randomly decided to end the line of text at that point. (Much like I am still distracted why the "O"on the front cover is yellow while the other letters are white.) However, it completely fits this novel! I cannot imagine this book being as good if it were written with paragraphs! Written in verse, it is easy to read Timothy's emotion in each line and sounds just like a teen would talk.  House Arrest is a must-read for early middle schoolers, but be sure you have the sequel close by!   

Girl, Stolen

The novel Girl, Stolen is a realistic fiction novel by April Henry.  This novel will keep you on the edge of your seat, packed with thrilling action in each chapter.  The very first chapter is sure to hook in any reluctant reader! Relatively shorter than other novels, Girl, Stolen is just over 200 pages, so it is a fairly quick read.  The action moves fast and chapters are 5-8 pages each, so the reader moves quickly through the book.  While written from a first person point of view, the chapters alternate narrators, jumping between Cheyenne and Griffin, allowing the reader to hear from 2 very unique perspectives: the kidnapped and the kidnapper.  April Henry writes many other novels that thrill readers, so if readers who are a fan of Girl, Stolen can easily find another interesting read by this author!  

Cheyenne is a teenage girl who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Sick and sleepy, Cheyenne is laying down in the back of the family's Escalade drifting in and out of sleep while her stepmother quickly runs into the pharmacy to pick up her perscription before heading home.  Cheyenne hears someone jump in the car and start the engine and quickly realizes it is not her stepmom, Danielle, but instead, a thief looking to steal their SUV.  Too risky to let her out of the car, the kidnapper continues out of town until there is less traffic and more secluded areas to think.  He pulls the car over, panicked at the unexpected visitor in the car, only to discover that Cheyenne is blind.  Unsure of what to do, the kidnapper, Griffin, decides to drive the car on home to his father.  Cheyenne quickly learns stealing cars is not new for Griffin or his father and they run a business from their home of stealing cars and selling them for their parts.  But Cheyenne was NOT part of the plan and everyone is panicked - until they turn on the radio to hear a news report of Cheyenne's disappearance and find out who Cheyenne REALLY is: the daughter of a very wealthy well-known business.  This quickly changes things and the men suddenly see a ransom for Cheyenne as their chance to get rich quick. How could Cheyenne possibly make it out of this situation alive?

Girl, Stolen is a great read for both boys and girls, despite the narrator being female.  It is packed with action and the varying viewpoints allow the reader to see some events and incidents twice, but from different sides.  This novel is also great for readers who need a quick start, not an exposition that drags on for several chapters. The first chapter (3 pages) will have almost any reader hooked!  Through the course of the novel Cheyenne also shares her experience as someone living with a handicap, which I always love in any novel.  Learning how other people - people different from ourselves - live each day is a truly valuable experience.  She shares her struggles of living without sight and how she lives her life differently to overcome her setbacks in the efforts to live as normal a life as possible.  However, I do feel this novel is best suited for middle and high school readers for several reasons.  First, there is language that is not suited for an elementary child.  There is also violence in the book, which is to be expected in a book that begins with a car theft and kidnapping.  Finally, through the chapters Cheyenne narrates she shares her fears with the reader - all of them.  She shares fears of making it out alive, but also fears any female might have when being held captive by three men, especially a female without sight.   

Pax

Pax is a fiction novel by Sara Pennypacker that truly defines the relationship between a boy and his pet.  Pax is one of those books that catches your eye as it sits on the shelf: beautiful cover art, raw edges to the pages, and hand-drawn illustrations scattered throughout the novel.  It is about 275 pages long, so an average read for a chapter book. Through each chapter in the novel, the book alternates between the 2 main characters in the novel: Pax and Peter.  The reader is able to follow the adventures of each character, since they are divided by great distance.  If you love Pax, there is a sequel to the novel: Pax, Journey Home.

Pax and Peter have been the best of friends since Peter brought him home when Pax was just a tiny fox.  However, things have changed.  Peter's father has enlisted to fight in the war and is sending Peter to live with his grandfather.  The book begins with Peter's father driving far away from home, where they will release Pax into the wild, unable to continue to care for him. Peter is devastated and begs his father not to do this, but his father does not listen.  Peter is sent to live with his grandfather, since his mother passed away years before.  Peter realizes he cannot imagine his life without his fox - the most important thing in his life and possibly the only other being that truly understands Peter.  Peter packs a bag and sets out in the middle of the night to make the trek to find his fox, no matter what it takes.  Pax, on the other hand, is hurt and confused.  He doesn't understand why his boy has left him, but confident he will return to take him home.  Pax resolves to stay just where Peter's father left him: on the side of the road holding his green toy soldier tightly in his mouth.  But it is danger that will force Pax to leave his post and attempt life in the wilderness on his own.  He has never had to search for shelter or scavenge for food and Pax is overwhelmed by the new smells and sights and other animals. He finds a friend in another fox, Gray. Both Pax and Peter will have to depend on others to try to make it back to each other, despite the war and battle lines that are quickly approaching that bring more danger every day.  

Pax was a precious story that really highlights the deep relationship between a child and pet that can sometimes supercede other relationships in a person's life.  It is a beautiful tale of a fierce love and loyalty.  While I loved the novel and look forward to reading the sequel, I did not love the ending to this novel.  I was relieved to find there was a sequel, not knowing this when I began the novel.  I don't recommend this novel to readers below 5th grade and feel this novel is better suited for middle grade readers.  While some resources suggest this may be an appropriate read for a 4th grader based on Lexile level, the vocabulary in this novel is very advanced.  Sara Pennypacker's writing style is incredibly beautiful and also very detailed.  While the book may not seem like an "action" novel, there is a lot that happens in these pages, but some can be lost in the details.  The novel also shows the impact of war - on people, on families, but also on the animals and nature that have their homes invaded as well when war strikes.  Some of these harsh realities could be difficult for a younger reader.  However, the story of Pax the fox and determined Peter is incredibly beautiful and worth reading every page to understand how deep friendship can run - friendships that have lasted a lifetime, but also new friendships found in the most unusual places and unusual circumstances.   

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus is a realistic fiction novel by Dusti Bowling.  While it is realistic fiction, there is a bit of a mystery to it as well that will appeal to readers looking to figure out a secret.  The book is 39 chapters long and 262 pages, so it is an average size for a teen novel. The story is told through the eyes of Aven, a teen who was born without arms.  Aven is a memorable character who has a great senese of humor and a fantastic attitude and outlook on life.  Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus also has a sequel for readers wanting to read more about Aven's life: Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus.  

Aven's life is flipped upside down when her parents tell her they are moving from the comfort of the life they have known in Kansas to Arizona, where both her parents will now manage an old, dying theme park.  Aven will be leaving her friends and school, who know her well and have been able to look past her different way of doing things due to her missing arms.  Aven quickly learns life in Arizona is VERY different from Kansas - from the weather to the plants and to the people.  People at Aven's new school don't understand her disability and are fascinated that she is determined to live life as normally as possible and do everything independently that all the other kids at that school do: brush her hair, eat her sandwich, write her own notes, open doors, and even play the guitar.  While Aven is adjusting to life out west, she begins to notice some strange things at the theme park in her daily walks around the property: an owner no one has ever met, pictures of the owner's family that have been removed from walls, a silver and turquoise necklack buried in the sand under a large saguaro, drawings and photographs of tarantulas everywhere, and a packed storage office that has been locked and marked with multiple "Keep Out!" signs.  Then there is Henry, the ice cream shoppe worker that has been an employee of the theme park for 66 years and keeps mixing up Aven's order and asking where her arms went.  The transition is tough until Aven meets Connor, a kid at school who struggles with his own disability that is noticeable to others as well. Together, Aven and Connor are determined to figure out what the secrets are at the theme park in the hopes of keeping it open to the public.  

I started the summer with Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus at the recommendation of one of my students and it did not disappoint!  Aven is an awesome character and I aspire to show the resilience and positivity that she does!  For anyone struggling with something that you feel makes you "different" than others - whether it be a physical, mental, or emotional - this book is for you!  Aven's character shows us all how to change the "can't do" into "can do."  She understands there are things that she never be able to do because she was born without arms (she gives basketball as an example), but that almost everything is possible for her, but just may look different than how other people do it.  She also is focused on finding things that highlight her strengths and things she may even do better than others, such as soccer.  Aven recognizes that *most* people stare at her out of their curiosity and ask questions for the same reason, rather than they are making fun of her, and she strives to show others that a single setback out of your control doesn't have to define you - a mindset she is determined to teach Connor as he struggles with his own disability himself.  I do think it is a better fit for female readers only because Aven is the narrator and shares her thoughts and insecurities more females may struggle with in her situation, such as longing for the confidence to wear tank tops and spaghetti straps that fully expose her lack of arms more than a short-sleeved top.  However, I think male readers will also be able to relate to Connor as well.  I would recommend this novel for true middle school readers and would not suggest it to anyone below 5th grade just due to a few comments and thoughts Aven shares that are better fit for adolesents, but this is a fabulous 6th/7th grade choice!            

Wink

Wink is a realistic fiction novel by Rob Harrell.  The novel is set in the present day and follows a 7th grader, Ross, through his diagnosis and treatment with a rare form of eye cancer.  While the novel is a work of fiction, the events in the book are inspired by the author's personal journey with cancer.  The novel is just over 300 pages long, so it is a bit of a longer read for kids. However, it is also peppered with drawings related to the plot and comics of "Batpig" - the comic strip the main character draws.  

Ross is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in 7th grade that affects his right eye.  His family is no stranger to cancer - Ross lost his mother to cancer just before he turned 5.  Now this diagnosis flips his world upside down, as well as his father and stepmother's. Ross's daily routines now include a visit to the proton center for radiation, putting goop in his eye, wearing a hat to protect him from any other unnecessary radiation, and just getting through middle school one day at a time.  The only thing holding Ross together is his best friend, Abby.  As if daily attempts to save his vision were not enough to contend with, memes start floating around the school making fun of Ross's condition. Suddenly, everyone is a suspect: Jimmy, the over-sized bully that sits across from him in English class, Isaac, who used to be best friends with Ross and Abby until the diagnosis and then mysteriously disappeared, or any other kid at his middle school that doesn't understand what Ross is going through daily.  Ross and Abby are determined to find the person creating the terrible memes and texting them to everyone in the school, as each meme is worse than the last.  But Ross finds a friend in the most unexpected place: the treatment center.  It is Frank, the technician for his radiation treatment, that helps Ross discover that he is not only a talented artist like his mom, but also has a passion for music.  Together with Abby and Frank's help, Ross learns how to navigate even the hardest challenges life has to offer.  

Wink is a fabulous read, especially for middle school readers.  The novel will make you laugh, it will make you tear up, it will surprise you, it will make you frustrated - perfect for middle schoolers.  Ross is such a relatable kid who wants nothing more than to be normal and blend in with his surroundings - as so many middle school kids do - but his illness will not allow for that. There is some crude humor and some other medical information that makes this better suited for middle readers, so I wouldn't recommend this for readers younger than 5th grade.  Both girls and guys will enjoy this novel and the humor and lighthearted style that Rob Harrell brings to this serious situation.  I love this book (and any book) that sheds a spotlight on a personal or medical situation that allows a reader to learn more about the situation and allows a reader to build empathy for others struggling through similar situations.  One thing I loved most about this book is the lessons in the value of friendship.  Ross learns that friendships come in all shapes and ages and sizes.  Friendships can't be predicted and pop up (and disappear) when least expected.  Friendships can blossom from the most random connections, including cancer and music.  I strongly recommend Wink if you are looking for your next realistic fiction read!             

 

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!