Title: The Wondrous Journals of Dr. Wendell Wellington Wiggins

Author: Lesley M. M. Blume

Target: Grades 3 and up

Series: No

Posted by Ford

What this book is about:

Have you ever heard of a Mirrored Pigradillo? How about a Two-Headed Mammoth Buffalo? Or a Amazonian Umbrella Fish? These are just a sample of the ancient (and unfortunately fictitious) creatures unearthed by (also fictitious) Dr. Wendell Wellington Wiggins. Dr. Wiggins is a paleozoologist (surprisingly, a real branch of science), which means that he studies extremely ancient animals. 

These are the journals of his journey around the world, from Brazil to the North Pole, and of the unique ancient life forms found there. Along his journey, he is accompanied by a fruit bat/alpaca hybrid, a monkey with discipline issues, a bear named Davy Crockett, and the voice of Mother Wiggins, who is intent on staying in his head everywhere he goes.

Why I like this book: 
Each ancient animal has a well thought up history behind it. Almost every chapter details the finding of a new animal and there are 34 animals in total. One very interesting and engaging feature is that there is a moral of some kind taught by the extinction of each  animal. For example, the Bunny Fluffs were so light, that one gust of wind would send them flying for miles. As a result they lived underground. However, when their home became overcrowded, none would go to the surface for fear of being blown away. They all stayed underground and died as a result. This goes to show that taking no risk is the worst risk of all. 

Each lesson is clever and I enjoyed guessing what each one would be as I read a chapter. This is a book that someone of any age can enjoy and I strongly recommend it to all.

You will like this book if you enjoy:
Books about dinosaurs or mythical creatures
The Spiderwick Chronicles

Title: Atherton: The House of Power

Author: Patrick Carman

Target: Grades 4-8

Series: Yes

Posted by Ford

What this book is about: 

In the land of Atherton there are three levels. At the top are the highlands. The people here rule over all of Atherton. They are philosophers and government leaders.  They also control the only water supply in Atherton. In the middle is the tabletop. This is where the working class of Atherton lives. They send food to the highlands in exchange for a constant water supply. At the bottom are the flatlands. These are desolate wastelands considered uninhabitable by the people of Atherton. The main character of the story is a boy named Ethan, who works in a fig orchard on the tabletop. He has flashbacks of his father leaving him something in the cliff between the tabletop and the highlands. He is an expert climber and searches for this item every day. One day he finally finds it, a book. Unfortunately, no one on the tabletop can read, so he sneaks up into the highlands to find someone who can. He finds Samuel, a boy whose father has died from mysterious circumstances. They realize that the highlands are sinking into the tabletop, and that there are growing tensions between the two areas. They must get answers about what is happening.

Why I like this book: 

The author does a great job designing the world of Atherton. It is well thought out and original. The premise is interesting as well. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I will leave some of this a mystery to you. The author leaves you with a desire to get your questions answered about the storyline, as well as the main characters’.

You will like this book if you enjoy:

Maze Runner

City of Embers

Title: Bomb 

Author: Steve Sheinkin

Target: Grades 7 and up

Series: No

Posted by Ford

What this book is about: 

During World War II, while the Axis was taking over Europe, and America was entering the war, there was a second battle being fought: The Nuclear War. In 1938, a German scientist named Otto Hahn discovered that uranium atoms could be split, releasing a large amount of energy, something earlier deemed impossible. So much energy was released, that scientists reasoned a bomb could be made using the technology. Because this happened at the beginning of World War II, three countries, Germany, America, and the Soviet Union, all competed to see who could make an atomic bomb first. Each country would use trickery, lies, and deceit to aid in production. The conflict reached from the rugged mountains of Norway to top-secret military bunkers in the United States. Factories were raided, tests were conducted, and spies were captured. This is a great historical novel about an overlooked war, that may have decided the fate of the world.

Why I liked this book: 

This book does a great job of making historical information interesting. For instance, a team of Norwegian soldiers infiltrates a German heavy water plant. You can feel the tension knowing that the people were actually there, sneaking through the air ducts and blowing up generators. This experience makes learning about the events much more exciting than it otherwise would have. The author also explains the science in the book well. The information about nuclear fission and uranium is complicated, but the writer makes it easy to understand. Its inclusion doesn't impair the reader and makes for a better story.

You will like this book if you enjoy:

Books about WWII

Title:       The Bartimaeus Trilogy: The Amulet of Samarkand

Author:    Jonathan Stroud

Target:     Grades 6 and up

Series:      Yes

Posted by Ford

What this book is about: 
The Amulet of Samarkand is told from two perspectives. The third person perspective follows the apprentice magician Nathaniel, who meddles in powers beyond his understanding. It chronicles his life from the start of his apprenticeship, how he was humiliated by a powerful magician, to how he came to require the assistance of the djinn Bartimaeus, who is the other main character in the story. The first person perspective is Bartimaeus’ account of the events, which gives you a unique perspective on the story.

Both accounts explore the world of magicians and the various things they use and the creatures they summon. There is tension between Bartimaeus and Nathaniel because Bartimaeus is forced to oblige to whatever Nathaniel wants, and Nathaniel has some dangerous requests. But together, they discover a plot of treason against the government, and must work together in an attempt to stop it.

Why I like this book:
As I mentioned before, the fact that one part of the story is told in first person, and another in third, gives you an interesting perspective. I found that when Bartimaeus and Nathaniel conflicted, I sympathized more with Bartimaeus, because of his first person perspective. His sections felt more personal and I understood his views more clearly than Nathaniel’s. I would have to assume that this is intended, as the author does a very good job of it.

During the Bartimaeus sections, the author includes subtitles which often feature witty and amusing remarks that are worth your time to read, so don’t skip over them!  This is a cleverly written book that I strongly recommend.

You will like this book if you enjoy:
Harry Potter
Lord of the Rings

Title:         Ender’s Shadow

Author:      Orson Scott Card

Target:      6th - 9th grade

Series:      Yes

Posted by Ford

What this book is about: 

This story is a companion novel to Ender’s Game. Unlike the first book, however, this story focuses on Bean, one of Ender’s many friends. Bean is an orphan living on the streets by his wits alone. There is just one catch, Bean is only two years old. 

At this age, Bean manages to completely change the street life of the city he lives in. Once his amazing abilities are found out, he is taken to battle school, where he learns the art of tactical combat. There is a rumor that he could be the one boy to rise up and become the commander to defeat the buggers - an alien menace set on conquering Earth. His wit and skill are the only ways he is able to survive this school of cunning, sneaky, and vicious boys. As he adapts to life at battle school, he makes some very key discoveries about the true intent of his teachers and superiors. 

Why I like it: 

Keep in mind that this is a companion novel, and I recommend that you read Ender’s Game first. Both books are very well written and vividly describe life at battle school. The author helps you to picture a futuristic world of spaceships and interplanetary travel as you read. I especially enjoyed reading about the simulations of war in battle school involving stun lasers and obstacles in a zero gravity environment. This book is a great novel that readers of Enders Game and people new to the duo alike will enjoy.    

You will like this book if you enjoyed:

Ender’s Game

Divergent

A Wrinkle In Time

Title:           The Sea of Trolls

Author:       Nancy Farmer

Target:       5th-7th grade

Series:        Yes, a trilogy

Posted by Ford

What this book is about: 

Jack, a hard working farm boy in Saxon England, is asked to become the local bard’s apprentice. While studying together, he learns that the bard has been plagued by nightmares sent from an enemy troll-queen, Frith. He learns that the queen has sent an army of berserkers from the north to attack Jack’s village and kill the bard.  When the berserkers come, Jack is able to save the village, but gets captured, along with his sister Lucy.  After unwittingly using a spell that causes the troll queen’s hair to fall out, Jack must go on a quest to find the spell that will bring it back, with the queen holding his sister’s life in the balance.

Why I like it: 

This book’s adventures are wonderfully described and are a thrill to read. The author’s excellent storytelling makes this story sound like a true Norse Myth. There are trolls, dragons, longships and many more things relating to the Norse Gods. 

You will like this book if you enjoyed: 

The Ear, the Eye and the Arm
Odd and the Frost Giants
Lord of the Rings

Title:          A Confusion of Princes

Author:      Garth Nix

Target:       6th grade-8th grade

Series:        No

Posted by Ford

What this book is about:
It’s great to be a prince in the Empire. You get what you want, when you want it. You are faster, smarter, and stronger than normal humans. You also get a shot at being chosen as one of the 1000 candidates to become emperor. Unfortunately, as young prince Khemri learns, most princes will go to extreme lengths to narrow down the selection. To avoid the wrath of his fellow princes, he must travel to the edge of the empire, where he meets a young woman, called Raine. This encounter changes Khamri’s views on the Empire and the life he has always lived. But the Empire has different plans for him. The story follows Khemri’s adventures as he attempts to stray away from the path that has been laid out for him and his realizations of what really happens in the world around him.

Why I like it:
The author does a great job explaining the futuristic world. Not too much is given away, but enough so that you understand the setting. It is very fun to attempt to figure out what an unfamiliar word means, when the characters use it all the time and without regard. The book also maintains a fairly consistent flow of action, from the heat of a battle to the exhilaration of blasting through space in a starship. There are not many dull points and it moves freely between settings. Each time Khemri has a new experience, you feel the just as surprised or confused as he does. These features all make for one great book (pun intended.)

You will like this book if you enjoyed:
Ender’s Game

Title:         Evil Genius

Author:     Catherine Jinks

Target:      6th grade - 8th grade

Series:       There is a sequel

Posted by Ford

What this book is about: 

Cadel Piggot, an adopted boy, is great with computers. So great, he has gotten in trouble with the police numerous times for hacking into high security networks, such as the power grid and bill paying service. Because of these scandals, he is told to visit Dr. Roth, a psychiatrist. Rather than quelling Cadel’s interest in technology, Dr. Roth helps him to embrace his true potential, telling Cadel that he could become an evil genius, like his true father, Phinias Darkkon, an infamous criminal genius. 
In fact, before he was imprisoned for life, Darkkon set up a school, titled the Axis Institute, specifically to teach Cadel what he will need to know to follow in the footsteps of his father. The story chronicles Cadel’s adventures to find the answers to his questions about what evil really is. 

Why I like it: 

The book does a good job clearly describing Cadel’s struggles about how far he should go to accomplish the tasks his father and Dr. Roth place upon him. The author puts the reader in Cadel’s position and you are just as surprised as Cadel when a new detail is revealed. 
The author also does well in describing the personalities of many characters, such as the teachers at the Axis Institute. There is a hyper computer geek, a mysterious master of disguise, a stern and somewhat rude con man, and many more. The diversity of the characters will enthrall the reader as they search to find each one’s role in the shadowy events of the story. 


You will like this book if you enjoyed:
H.I.V.E.
Artemis Fowl