Title: The Dead End- a Poison Apple book
Author: Mimi Mcoy
Level:
Location: J McCoy

Casey Slater and her best friend Jillian have plans for a great summer when Casey's parents announce they bought a summer house in New Hampshire. Casey is ok with a vacation away from the city until she finds out her parents plan on living in New Hampshire the entire summer!

Soon after school is out Casey's parents pack up the car and a rental van and off they go to Stillness, N.H. This town is appropriately named because there is nothing going on in Stillness. There isn't even a real grocery store. The house doesn't have ac and the power isn't working. Wouldn't you be thrilled.

Soon odd things happen in the house. Casey has some strange dreams. Then she starts reading the journal of Millicent Hughes, a girl her age, who once lived in the house. Millicent was also having strange dreams and experiencing odd things in the house. Casey tries to talk to her parents about it all, but they don't believe her and think it's just her bad attitude. When Millie's journal suddenly stops Casey has a bad feeling. Find out what happened to Millie and how she is connected to Casey. Will they have the same fate? Pick up this quick read to find out.

Bottom Line: A fairly quick, interesting read. It's spooky, kind of strange, without being scary or weirding you out. The story is believable and made me want to checkout more titles in the Poison Apple series. ( Which Indian River owns- This totally bites!,Miss Fortune,Now You See Me...)

Guys Read: Funny Business

Title: Guys Read: Funny Business
Edited by: Jon Scieszka
Level: 8-12
Location: J Guys

Funny Business is based around the theme of—what else?—humor, and if you’re familiar with Jon and Guys Read, you already know what you’re in store for: ten hilarious stories from some of the funniest writers around. Before you’re through, you’ll meet a teenage mummy; a kid desperate to take a dip in the world’s largest pool of chocolate milk; a homicidal turkey; parents who hand over their son’s room to a biker; the only kid in his middle school who hasn’t turned into a vampire, wizard, or superhero; and more. And the contributor list includes bestselling author, award winners, and fresh new talent alike.
Bottomline:
Some of these stories were just too silly or gross for me, but I did find a few quite funny. My favorite, and I recommend to anyone perusing the book, is "Your Question for Author Here". It was a parody of Dear Mr. Henshaw, which was one of my favorite books as a kid. This one was written by Jon Scieszka and Kate DiCamillo - and it was hilarious! Great funny short stories for any reluctant reader!

Extraordinary

Title: Extraordinary
Author: Nancy Werlin
Reading Level: Young Adult
Location: YA Werlin

Phoebe finds herself drawn to Mallory, the strange and secretive new kid in school, and the two girls become as close as sisters . . . until Mallory's magnetic older brother, Ryland, shows up during their junior year. Ryland has an immediate, exciting hold on Phoebe, but a dangerous hold, for she begins to question her feelings about her best friend and, worse, about herself. Soon she'll discover the shocking truth about Ryland and Mallory: that these two are visitors from the faerie realm who have come to collect on an age-old debt. Generations ago, the faerie queen promised Pheobe's ancestor five extraordinary sons in exchange for the sacrifice of one ordinary female heir. But in hundreds of years there hasn't been a single ordinary girl in the family, and now the faeries are dying. Could Phoebe be the first ordinary one? Could she save the faeries, or is she special enough to save herself?

Bottomline:
Interesting story, but I have mixed feelings about the plot. We know from the get-go that Mallory and her brother are faeries and sent to befriend Phoebe, for reasons unknown until the last few chapters. They gain her trust, then are instructed to crush and belittle her to get her into a certain frame of mind for their purposes. It all turned out well, but I was hoping for more redemption for their actions towards her. Is this supposed to be a girl-empowerment novel? There had to be kinder ways for her to realize that she's "extraordinary".

Missile Mouse the star crusher

Title: Missile Mouse the star crusher
Author: Jake Parker
Level: 8-12
Location: graphic novels J Missile STA

This is a science fiction graphic novel that takes place in space. Missile Mouse is an agent with the Galactic Security. He is a bit like Indiana Jones in that he means well, but things just don't seem to go quite like he plans. The RIP are trying to get hold of the information to make a star crusher. Star crushers basically create black holes- not good for the galaxy. Missile Mouse is assigned a partner, but he would rather go out on his own. Find out if Missle Mouse can save the galaxy, a scientist or his partner.

Bottom Line: This one is going to be in demand. Boys will definitely want to pick up this adventure graphic novel. Girls will enjoy this book too! Think Star Wars creatures with a bit of Indiana Jones. Great color and art work with easy to follow panels and a good, quick moving story. The next Missile Mouse comes out this winter 2011.

Bright Young Things

Title: Bright Young Things
Author: Anna Godbersen
Reading Level: Young Adult
Location: YA Godberson

Set in the roaring twenties, this first book in a new historical fiction series by the author of The Luxe follows three very different girls: Cordelia, Letty and Astrid. Cordelia and Letty fled their small town in Ohio for the bright lights of New York City while Astrid has grown up amidst the luxury and splendor of the New York elite. Once they arrive in New York, Cordelia wastes no time finding the father she never knew while Letty searches for a job that will jumpstart her career as a star on the New York stage. Meanwhile Astrid is becoming increasingly frustrated with her own life, her moody boyfriend, Charlie, and her conniving mother. Will the girls find fortune and happiness amongst the movers and shakers of 1920's New York? Or will the danger, intrigue and betrayal of the big city catch up to them?

I loved Anna Godberson's Luxe series so I was thrilled when I saw that she was writing something new! Unlike The Luxe, this book seemed to focus a little less on the cattiness and more on the characters and their complex interactions with each other. I am continually impressed with Godberson's writing and the depth she lends her characters. I found myself embracing these new characters and enjoying them as much as those in her last series. I grew particularly fond of Astrid simply because she seems so emotionally lost at times but still displays such strength and intelligence. Even though the characters are developed there is still plenty of drama, betrayal and even a death to keep the plot moving. There was not a dull moment in this entertaining story and I am waiting in eager anticipation for the next installment!

The Bottom Line: I absolutely adored Bright Young Things and was so bummed when it was over! The superior writing and character development makes this chic-lit novel stand out from the crowd. Fans of Anna Godberson, Lisa Klein, Marissa Doyle and other historical fiction novels should love this one. Those who prefer their drama set in more modern times, like Gossip Girl and The Clique, should give this a try as well.