Book Review: Warren the 13th

Premise: Warren lives in a hotel that has been in his family for 13 generations. But now, his uncle isn't taking good care of the place, and has married a strange, heartless woman. With no guests, Warren is trying desperately to keep the hotel going, as his aunt destroys the rooms in her quest to find the mysterious "All-Seeing Eye," a treasure she claims is hidden in the hotel.

Title: Warren the 13th and the All-Seeing Eye
Author: Tania del Rio
Length: 224 pages
Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone
Genre: Fantasy, Mystery
Content appropriate for: Grades 3-6

Three adjectives that describe this book: mysterious, creative, fun

This book has all the hallmarks of a fun middle grades book. A well-meaning protagonist, his questionable friends, useless adults, creative humor, and a delicious villain who is both creepy and fun to laugh at.

I was surprised how captivating this book was. I expected it to be quirky. And it was - with details like an uncle who sleeps in the lobby because he's too lazy to go up to his bedroom and a hotel guest who looks and acts like a pirate, but isn't one. There were so many terrific quirky elements thrown in that kept Warren the 13th super fun and engaging.

But what surprised me was how captivating the plot was as a mystery. There were twists and turns and dark corridors and clues and mazes and cellars. The whole thing had a lovely, mysterious, film noir feel and I loved it.

And look at those illustrations!

Plus the layout of the book is beautiful, and will keep middle grade readers going, providing them with visual support and keeping their curiosity/engagement piqued. Check it out:

And if you aren't intrigued enough, be sure to visit the wonderfully-crafted Warren the 13th website and watch the trailer below:

Serafina is True Middle Grade Horror

Premise: Serafina has always lived secretly in the basement of a mansion, warned by her father to never go outside where the dark forest waits. But then one night a wealthy child in the mansion goes missing, and Serafina is the only witness. As more children begin to disappear, she knows that she must follow the clues to save them.

Title: Serafina and the Black Cloak
Author: Robert Beatty
Length: 304 pages
Genre: Mystery, Horror, Fantasy
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Content appropriate for: Grades 4-7
Format: Digital ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley
Publication: July 14, 2015

Three adjectives that describe this book: dark, gripping, mysterious

Serafina and the Black Cloak was much scarier than I expected! It was engaging, complex, and made me question my reading-before-sleeping habit.

I found it really interesting how Beatty wove the actual history of the Biltmore Estate with fantasy and horror elements. At times I was caught off-guard when fantasy elements crept into the story. We'd be going along with fancy mansion-life and dank basement-life, and then BAM mythical creatures in the forest!

A scene from the book trailer with the Biltmore Estate in the background

For a book to be truly scary, you must have a scary villain. So how does the villain in Serafina measure up? He is definitely scary. And creepy. And strange. His skin seems to be falling off and he comes for you steadily in the dark. I was definitely creeped out by him.

Villain in a black cloak. From the author's website.

The only reason I docked a star for Serafina and the Black Cloak is because most of the reveals were kind of evident well ahead of being revealed. Hopefully, upper-middle-grade readers will find them to be more surprising.

Fast-paced and dark, this book will appeal to any MG reader who wants to be truly spooked and enjoys a good mystery.

Author Website

Book Review: The Magician's Fire

Premise: Harry Houdini and his two best friends are starting to command a crowd for their escape acts. All's well until Harry's elderly mentor, Herbie, disappears in a cloud of purple smoke. Certain that Herbie is in danger, Harry is determined to find and rescue him even if it means risking his own life.

Title: The Magician's Fire
Author: Simon Nicholson
Length: 240 pages
Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction
Series or Stand alone: Book 1 of a new series, Young Houdini
Content appropriate for: Grades 3-6
Format: Digital ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley

Three adjectives that describe this book: mysterious, exciting, dangerous

I wasn't expecting much out of this book. While the cover is exciting, there's something about it that seems kind of predictable. But I was still looking forward to reading it because year after year, my 5th graders love Harry Houdini.

Shortly into The Magician's Fire I was proven wrong. This book is fun, fast-paced, and well-written. Populated with magic tricks, illusions, sneaky villains, and death defying escapes, it was a really fun read.

The level of character development (quite a bit for 3 primary and 2 secondary characters) and plot complexity (one straightforward tale with some twists) makes it a great selection for the middle grades. The use of the iconic figure of Harry Houdini will also make it a grabber for less-confident readers.

Historical Fiction can be challenging for middle graders, but historic New York City was painted in clear details that made for a great backdrop.

My only complaint is that I kept wondering how much of young Harry's story was based on fact. An author's note to this effect  would have been a great addition.

* Excellent post by Simon Nicholson about his inspiration to write this book
* The Magician's Fire website with educator guide and excerpt

Mysterious and Creepy - The Whispering Skull

Premise: Lockwood and Co have a major case - a strange mirror has been stolen. Not just any mirror, but a haunted mirror owned by a Victorian doctor who tried to communicate with the dead. As bodies pile up, the team must find the mirror and fend off threats from all sides.

Title: The Whispering Skull
Author: Jonathan Stroud
Length: 448 pages
Genre: Mystery, Horror, Fantasy
Series or Stand Alone: Book 2 or 2 (so far) in the Lockwood & Co series
Content Appropriate For: Grades 6-8
Format: Digital ARC provided by Disney and NetGalley

Three adjectives that describe this book: dark, gripping, mysterious

I absolutely loved the first book in this series, The Screaming Staircase. See -

So I was both excited to re-enter the ghost-riddled world of Lockwood & Co., but also terribly nervous. What if The Whispering Skull suffered from Second-Book-Itis? So let's start off by saying that this book absolutely does not suffer from Second-Book-Itis.

It jumps right in with ghost-action and continues to build tension throughout the central mystery of who stole a deadly, haunted mirror spirals to include murder, black-market scheming, raids, and catacombs. Once again Jonathan Stroud has created a complete and compelling world.

Most interesting is that this time around he rounded out the central characters and made them somewhat untrustworthy - George was obsessed with an artifact and perhaps too-trusting of a new colleague, Lockwood ignored all the warning signs and was too focused on defeating a rival, and Lucy...

Lucy found herself directly under the influence of a ghost. This ghost, the title character, can only be heard by Lucy. It whispers rumors about her colleagues, sketchy leads for the investigation, and derisive sniggers. Although she tries not to listen, this ghost may have useful information after all...

4.5 stars

Spirit's Key is Magically Haunting

Premise: Twelve year old Spirit is starting to wonder if something is wrong with her. First, she can't seeing the future like her father can. And secondly, she has started seeing the ghost of her dead dog. When her neighbors start getting sick, everyone blames the wild dogs on the island. But Spirit is convinced that they are not to blame. Together with her ghost dog, she seeks to find the truth.

Title: Spirit's Key
Author: Edith Cohn
Length: 320 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Mystery
Series or Stand Alone: Stand alone
Content Appropriate for: Grades 4-7
Format: Digital ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley


Three adjectives that describe this book: mysterious, captivating, memorable 

Hooray for a well-crafted, haunting, dog book that doesn't make you cry! This book is for every dreamer and wonder-er. For kids who love dogs or a good mystery or interesting magic - or all three!

It's full of magical moments set firmly in the fascinating world of Bald Island - populated by wild dogs and superstitious islanders. The relationship between Spirit and her dog, Sky, is spot-on. Clearly influenced by Ingrid Law's terrific book, Savvy, Spirit's Key is part magic, part mystery, part homage to dogs.

I loved the haunting setting. Edith Cohn's world-building is outstanding. This tight-knit community reminds me of the wonderful Twilight Zone episode, "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street." Both stories ring of McCarthyism and group-think. It's amazing to me how carefully Cohn built the community's paranoia so that it seems somehow superstitious and outrageous, but also totally plausible. And she keeps all of this completely accessible to young readers.

My only beef is that the Big Reveal is a bit too ta-da for me. Everything wraps up quickly in a neat little package. More tension in the ending would have fit better with the tone of the rest of the book.

Be sure to check out Edith Cohn's fascinating discussion of her inspirations for Spirit's Key.

Magic and Mystery Collide in Bad Magic

Premise: After a graffiti incident at school, Clay is sent to a camp for struggling kids on an isolated volcanic island. When Clay meets the other campers and discovers ruins occupied by a ghost, he vows to get off the island.

Title: Bad Magic
Author: Pseudonymous Bosch
Length: 400 pages
Genre: Mystery / Fantasyish
Series or Stand Alone: Book 1 in a new series
Content appropriate for: Grades 5-8
Format: Digital ARC provided by Little Brown Books via Edelweiss
Publication Date: September 16, 2014

Three adjectives that describe this book: mysterious, strange, twisty

Bad Magic, is a wildly unique mystery with an intriguing solution. I especially enjoyed all the book-love - one setting is a library, one character is a book nerd, and there are frequent discussions of Shakespeare's The Tempest.

Pseudonymous Bosch is well-known for his Secret Series, in which he makes heavy use of authorial intrusions, similar to those used by Lemony Snicket in the Series of Unfortunate Events. I enjoyed the first few books in the Secret Series, but became annoyed by the over-the-top jokey tone by the end of book 2.

Bad Magic, however, represents a shift for the better for Bosch. He still uses intrusions to keep things fresh, but they are toned-down and refreshing when compared to The Secret Series. Those books were silly, this one was mysterious and effective.

Review: We Were Liars

Premise: Four teens, part of a wealthy American family, spend every summer on the family's own island. They are the best of friends. Then, the summer when they are 15, something happens. Cadence isn't sure what it was... but she was discovered half-naked in the ocean with no memory of the event. Two years later she hasn't heard from her cousins and she's freaking out. Now she is dedicated to figuring out what happened.

Title: We Were Liars
Author: E. Lockhart
Length: 240 pages
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone
Content Appropriate For: Grades 9-12
Format: Digital ARC provided by Random House Children's via NetGalley

Three adjectives that describe this book: mysterious, intriguing, strange

This book is definitely getting a lot of buzz right now. And this might be a case where the buzz actually hurts the book. The author makes it clear right up front that there is a big twist at the end... and the buzz is confirming that.

The problem with that tactic is that the reader is on the look-out for the twist from the very beginning. You spend the first three-fourths waiting for it and feeling frustrated that it isn't there yet. And when it comes, it might not be quite as effective because all you can think is, "Oh! That's the twist."

But the twist really did surprise me. I knew it was coming, but I was still surprised. So I guess that's something. When I finished We Were Liars I was thinking, "5 stars!" The ending packs a powerful punch.

But then I remembered the choppy writing style. 4 stars?
And that only the protagonist was developed beyond simple caricatures. 3.5 stars?
And that the first three-fourths was so slow.... 3 stars?

So let's try some pros and cons -

Book Review: The Castle Behind Thorns

Premise: Alexander (Sand) wakes up in the fireplace of an abandoned castle with no idea how he got there. Everything in the castle has been strangely cut in half, and when he tries to leave, the thorns along the wall attack him. Sand has to figure out to survive until he can escape, but meanwhile some strange things seem to be awakening in the castle.

Title: The Castle Behind Thorns
Author: Merrie Haskell
Length: 336 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone
Content Appropriate For: Grades 5-8
Format: Digital ARC provided by Katherine Tegen Books via Edelweiss
Publication Date: May 27, 2014

Three adjectives that describe this book: mysterious, imaginative, dark

There are so many different things going on in this book! It starts as a mystery - a boy trapped in a castle protected by magical thorns - then turns darker as things that were dead start to come alive, and finishes with royal politics.

I absolutely enjoyed The Castle Behind Thorns, although the heavy focus on saints and relics got to be a bit much at times. I loved the themes of forgiveness and finding your own path.

Creepy Ghost Story, Stunning Illustrations

Premise: Billy wishes he had never taken a job as a prison guard. Now that he has been transferred to the night shift, Billy's discovering that this is no ordinary prison. Not only do the haunted cells have a history of killing their inmates, but the prisoner in the Witch Well must be tended every night. Sooner or later, it will be Billy's turn.

Title: Ghost Prison
Author: Joseph Delaney
Length: 112 pages
Genre: Fantasy (Horror)
Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone
Content Appropriate For: Grades 5-8
Format: Digital ARC provided by the publisher via netgalley.com

Three adjectives that describe this book: spooky, dangerous, mysterious

Delaney's new work is a departure from his famous Spook stories such as The Last Apprentice. Rather than a full-length novel in a well-developed world, Ghost Prison is essentially a short story designed for maximum creepiness. And boy does it deliver!

Freak Show and a Murder Mystery - Wild Boy is a Winning Combination

Premise: Wild Boy is a freak. Born fully covered in long brown hair, he has no future except as a freak show oddity in the circus. When he and a fellow circus star are accused of murder, they must find the real killer to clear their names.

Title: Wild Boy
Author: Rob Lloyd Jones
Length: 304 pages
Genre: Historical Mystery
Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone
Content Appropriate For: Grades 4-7

Three adjectives that describe this book: gritty, exciting, memorable

Wild Boy Book Review:
Rob Lloyd Jones has combined some seriously interesting elements in this terrific novel. The main characters of Wild Boy and Clarissa are wonderfully crafted and deliciously complex. The struggles of both will stick with me for a long time - Wild Boy is mocked and abused, relegated to life as an outsider just because of how he looks. How can you view yourself as anything but worthless when people can pay a penny to kick you, and even your guardians call you Monster?

Debut Fairy Fun: The Circle

Premise: The story follows Calum Ranson, whose Sidhe family is living among us in The Realm of Man. Though they use magic to clean the house and do other tasks, the family also must fit in among humans to keep their identities secret. When a new family comes to town, Calum discovers too many disturbing coincidences between a missing child from both the Sidhe and the humans.

Title: The Circle
Author: Cindy Cipriano
Length: 186 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Series or Stand Alone: First book in a new series
Content appropriate for: Grades 4-8

Three adjectives that describe this book: fun, mysterious, interesting

I enjoy a good fairy story. This debut novel is certainly a good fairy story. Though slow at times, the novel has some intriguing twists. I think this book would be a great introduction to the fairy world from middle grades students, especially boys. This novel for middle grade readers was fun to read. Though irritating at times, I think the intended audience will really enjoy it.

The Fellowship for Alien Detection by Kevin Emerson

Premise: Hayley and Dodger have some pretty compelling evidence that aliens are involved in strange cases of missing time, vanished people, and a lost city. They travel the country, interview witnesses, get chased by creepy maybe-aliens, and ultimately discover the truth.

Title: The Fellowship for Alien Detection
Author: Kevin Emerson
Length: 432 pages
Genre: Science Fiction
Stand-Alone or Series: Stand-Alone
Content appropriate for: Grades 5-8

3 adjectives that describe this book: mysterious, adventurous, intriguing

I love watching science fiction television - Dr. Who, Eureka, SG-1, X-Files, Battlestar Galactica, Firefly... This book was like reading an episode of your favorite sci-fi detective show. I was totally hooked by the mystery of it and intrigued by all the alien-y twists. While young adult science fiction is overly populated by dystopia, middle grade science fiction can be hard to come by. Luckily, with books like The Fellowship for Alien Detection, the problem of limited children's science fiction is on it's way to being solved.