The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg

By: Rodman Philbrick

Homer is really good at one thing - lying.  And, when Homer's brother is illegally drafted into the Union army during the Civil War, Homer takes off to rescue him.  Along the way, Homer's lying gets him into all sorts of trouble and even helps him out a few times.  Homer also meets many interesting people - some who have bad intentions and some who are there to help him find his brother.

Mrs. Senechal says:
Homer is a very likable character.  He comes from a tough, poor background but still does everything he can to try to get his brother back.  The author does a nice job of weaving in realistic, historical characters that you normally don't think about at the time of the Civil War - traveling performers, a hot-air balloon pilot, a miner, and more.  I also enjoyed the author's descriptions of the characters and the changing setting.

The 39 Clues Book 10 - Into the Gauntlet

By: Margaret Peterson Haddix

This is the exciting conclusion to The 39 Clues series.  Amy and Dan have found out that they are actually part of a secret fifth branch of the Cahill family, and it won't be enough for them to win the hunt - they're also supposed to help all of the Cahills put their hundreds of years of fighting in the past.  Dan and Amy have to use all the skills they've gained as they press toward the end of this race.

Mrs. Senechal says:
I couldn't wait to read this book, and it was a great conclusion to the series!  My favorite things from the previous nine books - suspense, adventure, surprise - were all there.  This tenth book definitely left the door open for more Cahill stories, so I wasn't too surprised that a new 6-book series was recently announced.