The Falcon’s Malteser, by Anthony Horowitz

Anthony Horowitz may be best known in the book world for his Alex Rider adventures. I, however, first became aware of him through his Diamond Brothers Mystery series. Set in London, the books are narrated by Nick Diamond, kid brother to “detective” Tim Diamond. I put detective in quotes because he is [...]

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Diary of a Wimpy Kid, by Jeff Kinney

Greg Heffley is being forced by his mother to keep a journal (“but if she thinks I’m going to write down my ‘feelings’ in here or whatever, she’s crazy”). Except we really probably ought to call it a diary, since that’s what it says on the cover, despite Greg’s instructions to his mother (“when Mom [...]

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When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead

One theory of time travel is that all moments are happening simultaneously, and we can shortcut from one to the other. In A Wrinkle in Time, Madeline L’Engle called it tessering.
In one of those moments, I have already finished writing this blog post, and I would appreciate it if my future self would tesser herself [...]

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The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place, by E. L. Konigsburg

I’ve literally grown up—grown older, anyway—with E.L. Konigsburg. We share a love of artists and beautiful things. Mine might have started, in fact, with From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, the Newbery award winner that made me, and a generation of readers, want to run away and live in the Metropolitan Museum [...]

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Al Capone Does My Shirts, by Gennifer Choldenko

You get to Alcatraz by being the worst of the worst. Unless you’re me. I came here because my mother said I had to.

The original setting is the first great thing about this book: it’s 1935, and Moose Flanagan’s family has just moved to Alcatraz. His father works as an electrician and part-time guard on [...]

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100 Cupboards, by N.D. Wilson

As my fellow youth services librarians will attest, I am a pretty organized person. You know the old adage, “A place for everything, and everything in its place.” That’s me. That is perhaps what initially drew me to a book called 100 Cupboards. I would love to have a wall covered with 100 cupboards, as [...]

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Uncle Montague’s Tales of Terror, by Chris Priestley

Uncle Montague’s Tales of Terror is a volume of short stories told within the framework of a great uncle sharing scary tales with his young nephew. These are not terribly terrifying tales, but they are just eerie enough for the juvenile audience for which they are written. They are also good for those of us [...]

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Coraline, by Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman is probably best known for his writing for adults, the superb graphic novel Sandman or carefully crafted fiction such Anansi Boys or his collaboration with Terry Pratchett, Good Omens. I think though that Gaiman deserves to be equally well known for his writing for children and young adults. Coraline is a sublimely creepy [...]

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Ruby Holler, by Sharon Creech

Florida and Dallas are the “trouble twins” at the Boxton Creek Home – but after reading this book you’ll realize it’s the Trepids, the couple who run the orphanage, who are trouble. They’re “putrid,” as Florida would say.
Florida and Dallas have given up hope that they’ll ever get out of the orphanage, every one of [...]

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At the Seven Stars, by John and Patricia Beatty

Historical fiction offers readers the opportunity to explore a different time and place within the construct of a story focusing on characters, rather than through a more academic, and strictly fact-based, approach to the topic. The best historical fiction writers, and John and Patricia Beatty are definitely in this group, seamlessly blend together historical details [...]

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