Thursday, June 25, 2015

The Chronicles of Egg: Deadweather and Sunrise

By: Geoff Rodkey

Egbert has grown up on the dirty, sweltering, pirating island of Deadweather.  His father, a
former pirate who now runs a farm with workers who were also former pirates, and a sister and brother who constantly pick on him.  One day, Egbert's father surprises the family with a boat trip to the nearby island of Sunrise - Egbert is thrilled!  Sunrise is beautiful and full of rich people and wonderful places.  While there, they meet the Pembroke family, including Millicent who catches Egbert's eye.  But, this meeting leads to the loss of Egbert's family and people trying to kill Egbert!

Mrs. Senechal says:
This was a fun adventurous story with great twists on the typical pirate tale - the action will certainly keep you turning the pages.  I enjoyed the characters and the relationships that grew throughout the story.  The author also created some great fictional settings with the two islands of Deadweather and Sunrise.  I definitely will be reading the other books in the series!

Saturday, June 20, 2015

The Scorch Trials & The Death Cure

By: James Dashner 


Every time Thomas thinks it's "over" a new challenge is thrown at him.  In these two
books, from The Maze Runner series, Thomas continues to fight for his life at every turn.  But, now, he doesn't know who to trust.  Is WICKED bad or good? Which events are real and which were set up as another test to see what he will do?  Thomas, Newt, Minho, and Teresa continue to battle for survival, meet new friends, and confront more obstacles.


Mrs. Senechal says:
 This series is full of the action and suspense I love!  At each turn, I was right with the characters trying to determine who they should trust and what they should do.  The characters also have to make a lot of tough decisions, and as a reader, I like to imagine what I would have done in that situation.  As with the first book, I recommend this series to those junior high age and older.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

The School for Good and Evil: A World without Princes (Book #2)

By: Soman Chainani

Agatha and Sophie returned home, leave The School for Good and Evil behind them.  But,
Agatha finds herself wishing that her "happily ever after" included Tedros, the prince who could have been hers.  Little does she know that this secret wish could reopen her fairy tale and instantly change everyone's lives.  Now Agatha and Sophie must decide if they should trust each other, their friends, their professors, the new Dean, or the boys!

Mrs. Senechal says:
This was a great sequel - I was surprised by so many things!  The author makes it difficult to figure out who is good and who is evil.  Just when you think you have a character figured out they do something unexpected and the plot twists in a new way.  Once again, the ending left me waiting for book #3 (due out in July of 2015)!

Sunday, June 14, 2015

Schooled

By: Gordon Korman

Capricorn "Cap" Anderson has lived with his grandmother, Rain, on a community farm.
 But, when Rain falls, breaking her hip, Cap is forced to live with a foster family during her recovery.  This also requires him to attend the public middle school - up until this point, Cap had been homeschooled.  It is not the academics that cause him trouble, it's the students.  Cap doesn't know anything about football, dances, or popularity.  His fellow 8th grade classmates think Cap will make the perfect, ridiculous class president, and they are completely surprised how it turns out.

Mrs. Senechal says:
I have attended private and public schools and was even homeschooled for one year.  All forms of education have their advantages, but the transition between them can be challenging.  I loved seeing Cap's innocence in so many areas - it makes me wish that no student would have to worry about popularity or bullies.  I also appreciate how Cap sticks to his beliefs and shows how honesty, patience, and kindness can change the culture around you! 

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Loot

By: Jude Watson

March was raised by his father, Alfie, a master thief.  While trying to complete a heist his
dad falls to his death.  He has a few words for March, and it's over.  March is amazed to find out he has a twin sister!  Even more amazing, they realize their dad has left them clues to a treasure worth millions.  But, they quickly find that Alfie's former partner, their mom's sister, and a TV reporter are all after the treasure as well!


Mrs. Senechal says:
I love a story where the usual bad guys, in this case thieves, are actually the good guys!  The author creates unique and interesting characters and keeps the suspense high.  There were many unexpected twists and turns throughout the story.  Watson is one of the authors of The 39 Clues series, and this book was just as exciting!

Sunday, June 7, 2015

The Glass Sentence

By: S. E. Grove

Sophia has lived with her uncle since her parents disappeared on an exploration mission
when she was three years old.  But, her parents were not just exploring new regions, they were even venturing into other Ages.  "The Great Disruption" threw the countries, continents, and people of earth into chaos.  No one know how or why it happened.  Sophia's Uncle Shadrack is one of the best cartologers who has attempted to map these new ages.  Suddenly, Shadrack is kidnapped, and Sophia must decide who to trust as she attempts a rescue.

Mrs. Senechal says:
This is a great science fiction book!  The author creates a completely new idea - the earth separated not only by distance but by time.  I was quickly drawn into the new characters and lands.  The suspense in the story also made it hard to put down this book!  I was enjoying the ending when all of the sudden - cliffhanger!  I hadn't noticed that this is Book One in a series.  I'm just glad the second book is due out in July 2015, so I won't have to wait too long.  The Glass Sentence will probably be more enjoyable to advanced readers due to more challenging vocabulary.