Sardine in outer space

Sardine is the spunky niece of Captain Yellow Shoulder- in the company of her cousin and companion Little Louie, these space pirates defeat the evil Supermuscleman and free the orphans from the orphanages he operates. Through out the twelve chapters Sardine and her companions come face to face with cosmic squids, talking clouds, and space leeches on their adventures to save the orphans. The illustrations are brightly colored and appear to be drawn with the detail only a 5th grader could muster, but that only adds to the allure.


Gilbert, Emmanuel. (2006). Sardine in outer space. New York : First Second. 122 pages. ISBN: 978-1-596-43126-3.

Ages 9-12
Rating: High Additional

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Lush illustrations situated on the page to resemble a movie screen accompany the text to create a world that young readers can fall right into. The story is that of a 12 year old orphan, Hugo, who lives in a bustling train station in Paris at the turn of the century. After his father is killed in a fire, he goes to live with his uncle in the train station, where he earns his keep by helping him keep the clocks of the station working and keeping perfect time. Hugo's one obsession is all that he has left of his father- the mystery of the automaton. At the time of his death, his father, a clockmaker, was working on repairing an automated figure, a small man who was seated at a desk with a pen in hand as if ready to deliver a message. The only physical thing that Hugo has left of his father is the notebook that details the automaton's inner workings.

In his quest to fix the automaton, Hugo is caught stealing toys from a stand in the train station and the owner, a very grumpy old man forces him to empty his pockets. When he sees the notebook, he is transfixed and refuses to return it to Hugo until he works off payment for all the toys he has stolen from the toy stand.

The story itself is captivating and the mystery of the automaton will keep even the most reluctant readers engaged with the help of the illustrations. The illustrations keep the story moving, as a picture is worth a thousand words. Younger tweens interested in mysteries, film, magic, and machines will be amazed and entertained by this work. 

Selznick, Brian. (2007). The Invention of Hugo Cabret. New York: Scholastic Press. 533 pages. ISBN: 978-0-439-81378-5.

Ages: 8-12
Rating: High Additional
Winner of the Caldecott Award 2008

The Shadows: The Books of Elsewhere, Volume 1

When Olive and her parents move into an old Victorian house it almost seems too good to be true. The old lady who lived there before had no living heirs, so all of her possessions (read: all of her old stuff) was inherited by Olive's family. The house is filled with furniture, old books, and most importantly tons of antique paintings. One day, while exploring the house, Olive notices a quick, but small movement in one of the paintings and senses that she's being watched.

After further explorations, she finds a pair of spectacles that allow her to enter any one of the paintings in the house. When she returns to the particularly strange painting, she meets a young boy named Morton who is particularly annoying and sets in motion a series of events that lead Olive to the truth about the old house, it's former inhabitants, and most importantly herself.

This story is cleverly written and just creepy enough to keep older tweens interested. Olive is a lonely and very intelligent and curious young girl. As she sets out to find out exactly what is happening in the paintings in her new house she makes some new feline friends who attempt to guide her and keep her safe. The conclusion of the mystery will surprise even the most astute readers and mystery solvers. Fans of Roald Dahl and Neil Gaiman will enjoy spending time with this young quirky protagonist.

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West, Jacqueline. (2010). The Shadows: The Books of Elsewhere. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. 241 pages. ISBN: 978-0-803-73440-1.

website for the book: http://www.thebooksofelsewhere.com/
Ages 9-11
Rating: High Additional
2010 Cybils Award Winner

11 Birthdays

What if you had to live through the same day again and again? If that day was your worst birthday ever, you might give the question more thought. On Amanda's 11th birthday, she finds herself celebrating without her best friend Leo for the first time in her life- they've celebrated every single birthday together since they were a year old. On their first birthday they learned to walk, on their fifth birthday they planted seeds in pots and watched them grow, and on their tenth birthday they learned that words can really hurt. Since they had a fallout the year before, Amanda hasn't spoken a single word to Leo and won't explain what happened to her parents or friends. The story will undoubtedly remind adults of Groundhog Day, but unlike the movie's protagonist, Phil, Amanda and her friend Leo are embroiled in an ancient curse that has sealed their families fate for generations. The story is as much about friendship between boys and girls as it is about solving mysteries and puzzles. Friendship is the heart of the story and the mystery is the skin and bones. Readers who enjoy Rebecca Stead's When You Reach Me, or the classic tween mystery The Westing Game will find this title worth the time.

Mass, Wendy. (2009). 11 Birthdays. New York: Scholastic Press. 267 pages.  ISBN: 978-0-545-05240-5.

Ages 9-12
Rating: High Additional

Shiver

The beginning of this series finds Grace, an intelligent young teen, obsessed with one wolf in particular, and a pack of wolves in general, that live in the woods near her home. She survived an attack by this same pack when she was younger and is haunted by the yellow eyes of one wolf in particular. The eyes were so human, so feeling.

The wolf, half wolf, half human is obsessed with Grace as well. His human name is Sam. The book switches narrators from Grace to Sam and follows them through their courtship and into the beginnings of their lives together- until their obligations to their families and friends threaten to tear them apart.

I would recommend this series only because it is extremely popular and appears to be the next go to read for young tweens after the Twilight series.

Stiefvater, Margaret. (2009). Shiver. New York: Scholastic Press. 392 pages. ISBN: 978-0-545-12327-3.

Ages 12+
Rating: High Additional