Going Where Its Dark

Students, kids, and life-long readers,

What is your biggest fear?  One of my biggest fears is to be trapped in a small space, and this book opened that fear.  I don't think I will be entering a cave in a long time after reading this adventure about Bucky.

Bucky and his best friend Dave live in the back country of Virgina and have developed a love of exploring caves. Just as Dave is about to move, Bucky discovers a hidden cave that has never been explored called the hole.  With Dave gone, Bucky is risking much to explore it on his own, and he has the summer to figure out how achieve this mission.

But that is not all.  Bucky struggles with a serious stuttering problem that leads to bully issues and worry for the family.  An unexpected connection with Bucky's uncle may be the one who can help Bucky's stuttering in an unsual manner.

This book has many sides plots and great selection of characters that continually interact with Bucky. The writing style of the cave exploration was so vivid that is increased my fear of small spaces and caves.

If you are looking for an adventure book and enjoy the idea of cave exploring this would be a great book for you.

GENRE:  Adventure/Realistic Fiction

AUTHOR: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

GRADE LEVEL: 6-8

Save Me a Seat

Students, kids, and life-long readers,

By looking at the cover of this book, you may notice the clear separation of two lunches from the cafeteria and two authors.  This leads to the premise of this book with two very different main characters struggling with school, Joe and Ravi.  Ravi has recently moved from India to America due to his father's change of jobs.  Ravi is very intellectual, athletic, and has enjoyed school throughout his life.  But school in America is not going as planned for Ravi; especially with trying to become friends with Dillon who happens to be a bully to Joe. Our other main character Joe struggles with school, especially with reading and reading out loud in class, and with having friends.  To make matters worse, his mother has taken a job in the school cafeteria and cause more problems for Joe.

Joe and Ravi appear to have little in common, but a single mission will bring them together over the course of this crazy week in school.

GENRE: Realistic Fiction

AUTHOR: Sarah Weeks/Gita Varadarajan

GRADE LEVEL: 5-6

Scourge

Students, kids, and life-long readers,

What if you were diagnosed with a contagious illness that may spread to your family and friends unless you were to be exiled to island?  Would you go through with it?  How difficult would it be to leave the ones you love, during a time that you need them the most?

This is what our main character faces as she has been diagnosed with the Plague or Scourge and is being sent off with an enemy and her best friend.  Once on the island, they learn that man do not survive, and once you are sent to the infirmary, you may never be seen again. But this plot has more layers as she is part of an unwanted section of society known as the River people.  This faction has been at odds with the more noble section of the city, and this separation will be a turning point in the plot.

Our main character has a very difficult struggle ahead of her, and may even need help from those she does not trust.  But not everything appears s it seems and there are many surprises hidden throughout this book.

GENRE: Adventure

AUTHOR: Jennifer Nielsen

GRADE LEVEL: 6-8