Small Persons with Wings (they hate to be called fairies) by Ellen Booraem

A delightful read.  I remember when my son Sam was little and had an imaginary friend named Oslo.  That is what everyone thinks Mellie is talking about when she tells people that she has a "small person with wings" name Fidius.  Fidius is angry that Mellie tells people about him and leaves.  After this, Mellie throws herself into science and logic and has nothing to do with anything dealing with creativity or imagination.  After a family move, Mellie discovers that small persons with wings DO exist and they need help guarding an magic heirloom.  A great book if you like a light dose of fantasy.

The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin by Josh Berk

Interesting little mystery.  Will Halpin has always gone to a school for kids who are deaf.  He is an expert at reading lips and wants to try going to the public high school.  On a school trip the star quarterback is murdered and Will teams up with the one kid even less popular than himself to solve the crime.

A Tale Dark & Grimm by Adam Gidwitz

The narrator of this story cracks me up.  He/She continues to make random funny remarks throughout the story.  What a story it is!  This is the story of Hansel and Gretel, but it doesn't end when they escape from the witch as in the original story.  It follows their horrific adventure through 8 other scary fairy tales until they finally return home ALMOST in one piece!!  Their is now a companion book that has been published that I am ordering for the library.

Jerk California by Jonathan Friesen

I have now read this book twice and loved it both times.  This is the story of Sam Carrier.  Sam has Tourette syndrome and is plagued with tics and twitches and verbal outbursts.  High school is a nightmare and his home life with his step dad is NO better.  Sam's stepfather is AWFUL.  This is Sam's story to find out about his real dad and find peace within himself.  Heart-wrenching and wonderful all at the same time!  The author has Tourette syndrome also and understands Sam's stuggle.

Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson

I really enjoyed this book, which surprised me because I have never been a big reader of non-fiction.  This is the story of the 12 day search for John Wilkes Booth, the man who shot Abraham Lincoln.  The author does a great job of capturing the human drama of history.  This is written in a narrative form and the story just pulls you back to 1865. 

Ready Player One by Earnest Cline

I LOVED THIS BOOK! I was so sad when I finished it last night.  It takes place in 2044 but has great references to the '80s and since I grew up in the '70s and '80s I really enjoyed them.  Wade Watts lives in a world where almost everything you do, you do online and that is where Wade wants to spend his time.  The creator of their online world has died and left his fortune to whoever can find the hidden "egg" at the end of an elaborate online game that includes the '80s trivia and mysterious poems.  If you love adventure and you enjoy video games or games of strategy you will like this story.  I recommend it for older readers. 

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

I listened to this book on my iPhone and, while the narrator for the main character for Auggie was not my favorite, I really enjoyed the story.  Auggie has a VERY severe facial deformity and he is going to go to a "real school" for the first time in his life for 5th grade.  The author gives us glimpses of what Auggie must look like with great descriptive writing.  Ordinary events become extraordinary with lots of unexpected drama, sometimes terribly disturbing and sometimes joyful.  This is a great story!

Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

James Patterson is one of my favorite authors, so I just HAD to read this book!  Unlike my favorite fantasy series of his about the genetically modified "bird kids" (Maximum Ride), this is a realistic fiction/mystery and it's a good one!!  Tandy has been awakened by the police storming into her fancy apartment building in the middle of the night to investigate a murder.  Turns out it was HER parents that were murdered inside their apartment with no evidence of an outside intruder. Tandy sets out to discover who the murderer is...even if it turns out to be her.  I found this to be a page turner.  It was like that show on TV, Law and Order.  Every time I thought I had it figured out...the clues went a different way, or the suspect had an alibi.  I was surprised by the turn of events at the end.  The authors did leave some questions at the end of the books so I am pretty sure we will see Tandy in another adventure. 

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

  Most heroines of YA literature are strong and brave and confident.  Elisa is none of those things.  She is, by her own admission, fat and nothing very special, a "failure of a princess".  Elisa is "chosen by God" for a great destiny and this story is about her finding what that destiny is.  It is a great story and I just couldn't put it down.  This is a book of "high fantasy" with a completely invented world, much like last year's Golden Sower, Graceling. The descriptions of the landscape of Elisa's different homes throughout the story are wonderful.  I am hoping to add the sequel to the library soon.

Unwholly by Neil Shusterman

  I was so excited when I saw this book at the book fair.  Neil Shusterman did not write Unwind intending for it to be a series, but it looks like it will now be a trilogy!!  Cal lives in a world where parents and guardians can choose to have their children "unwound."  Unwinding is when all of your parts are given to others so in a way you are still living....just not as a "whole" person.  This second book explains more about why their world has come to see this as OK.  At the end of this book the action really picks up and I couldn't put it down till I finished.  I would suggest you read the Unwind first or it may be a bit confusing.  I can't wait till book #3 comes out!!