Diary of A Wimpy Kid - Rodrick Rules

When this FINALLY got checked in at the library last week, I eagerly snatched it up as I knew I wouldn't see it until about May.

"I guess Mom was pretty proud of herself for making me write in that journal last year, because now she went and bought me another." (p.1) And so it begins.

Greg is back, and we start at the beginning of another school year. As with the first installment, each journal entry describes a day in the life of a pretty hilarious family. From Greg's having to wear his brother's hand-me-down Speedo to swim team, to making Chirag the invisible boy, Jeff Kinney certainly has his finger on the pulse of Middle School existence.

So why "Rodrick Rules"? Well, it turns out that Rodrick knows something about Greg that Greg really doesn't want to get out. So now more than ever, Rodrick is in charge. Greg cannot tell on anything! Not even the party when his folks are out of town.

While there is nothing in this second installment that rivals the "cheese touch", it is a read that kid's cannot put down. As I said before, it is constantly checked out of my school library, and my fourth graders have even nominated the first title for their 4th grade book election this year. Perfect for reluctant and avid readers alike.

The Teashop Girls

A couple of weeks ago, I was lucky enough to attend Simon and Schuster's Librarian Preview. Many books were discussed, and lots of focus was on the elections, but this cutey patootie cover stuck out for me. I was delighted to have this arc in my goody bag!

Annie, Zoe and Genna used to do everything together. Now that 8th grade is coming to a close, however, things seem to be shifting. Genna is into her acting, Zoe is all about tennis and Annie is nervous about convincing her grandmother Louisa that she is indeed old enough to be a barista at The Steeping Leaf. The Leaf is Louisa's store, and it used to be a hangout for Annie, Zoe and Genna. They even used to call themselves the teashop girls! Now it seems like Annie is the only one interested in the place.

After successfully gaining employment at the Leaf, Annie makes a disheartening discovery. Louisa's shop is in trouble. Since her grandfather passed away and a certain chain shop opened up, business is bad. Leaf hottie and budding entrepreneur Jonathan has a few ideas about saving the shop. Annie doesn't agree with his tactics, but is wary of saying anything to ruin her chances with him.

When things go from bad to worse, can Annie rally her friends in order to save the Leaf? Will Zoe and Genna even be interested in their old hangout anymore?

Laura Schaefer has written a tea filled story about friendship and change. Annie is a girl who hangs on tightly to the past, and her friends are moving right along with their Middle School lives. Friendships are pushed and pulled and there is just the right dash of romance. Chapters begin with quotes about tea, and old advertisements are placed at the end of the chapters. I know much more about tea than I did when I cracked open this book. This is sure contender for a book club choice of the mother daughter variety.

Savvy

Mississippi Beaumont is awaiting her 13th birthday. That's the birthday when the savvy comes for her family. Mibs can't wait to figure out her savvy. Her brother Rocket has electricity, and her brother Fish has a powerful weather savvy.

The other good thing about 13 is homeschooling. Until the kids learn to scumble their savvies, Momma thinks it's best to keep them home. No more Hebron Middle School, and no more snarky comments from Ashley Bing and Emma Flint.

Then they get word about Poppa. Mib's world comes crashing down.

While Momma and Rocket speed away to Salina, Miss Rosemary -the preacher's wife - comes on over with her kids Roberta and Will to take care of the Beaumont clan. Mibs' little sister Gypsy has gone and told Miss Rosemary that Mibs is turning 13. Miss Roberta is determined to whip up a birthday party at the church for Mibs, and she won't take no for an answer.

When Mibs awakens on her 13th birthday, a couple of strange things happen that make her think she has figured out her savvy, and she knows more than ever that she has to make it to Salina and lay her hands on her Poppa. At the church, Miss Roberta's husband is yelling at a Bible salesman, and Mibs starts to hear some other voices as well. She leaves the church and sees the Bible man's pink bus, with a Salina address on the side. She knows how she will get to Salina. What she doesn't count on are the other kids. Roberta, Will, Fish, and little brother Samson are all aboard Lester's Bible bus when it leaves the church parking lot, and makes a turn away from, instead of toward, Salina!

What follows is a road trip adventure of the best sort. Friendships, families and savvies are at the forefront, as the children try to get Lester to speed up his trip to Salina and avoid the police who are soon looking for them at the same time.

I have to say, that this little book may be my favourite of the year thus far. Countrified charm, magical realism, a dash of romance, and a family that left me envious, all make for an utterly charming read. Ingrid Law's Savvy is a sweet book that will leave readers wanting more. Fans of Horvath and Wiles take note!

Emmy and the Home for Troubled Girls

Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat is a book that I have always meant to read. In fact, I was supposed to read it this summer since I had the arc of Emmy and the Home for Troubled Girls in my hot little hands. Well, it didn't happen, so I took a leap of faith and jumped right in to the second installment.

Emmy's life is back to normal, and she is trying to distance herself from the rodents. Afterall, who is going to want to hang out with a girl who talks to rats? She knows that it is thanks to the rats that she is back home and away from her awful Nanny Miss Barmy who was only interested in making off with her parent's money. But, Emmy wants to do regular 10-year-old things...things like sleep-overs, parties, going to the park, and make new friends. So when Emmy and best friend Joe are invited to a reception in Rat City, she isn't as happy as she could be.

First of all, she has to get bitten by a rat to shrink down to fit in Rat City. And there is the nasty business of old Miss Barmy being a rat herself now. Unlike Emmy, however, she cannot change her form back to human. What if Emmy runs into Miss Barmy? What will happen?

Now, Emmy isn't the only girl who Miss Barmy took care of. There was Priscilla, Ana, Berit, Lisa, Lee and little Merry. In Miss Barmy's care, they disappeared and their parents mysteriously died. But where are the girls? Closer than you may think.

Before Emmy knows it, she is smack dab in the middle of a mystery and a rescue mission. Lynne Jonell has done the difficult deed of making a second book comfortable to dive into. While I feel like I probably do not know Emmy as well as I would if I had read the first installment, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Readers will feel Emmy's growing pains, and the scenery of Rat City is painted in rich detail. From friendship to nail-biting rescue missions, to a hilarious gopher named Gus, adventure loving kids will not only eat this title up, but will most likely take a second look the next time they see a squirrel in the park!

Waiting for Normal

Addie has it tougher than most other kids, that is for sure. Her parents have split, and she is living with Mommers in the trailer that her step dad Dwight has given to them. When you think of trailers, you would probably think of a cute little trailer park with those wind daisies and picket fences? That's what Addie was thinking of when she heard about moving to the trailer. She was quite surprised to see it on an urban corner of Schenectady, with a gas station on one side, and an empty lot on the other. Not exactly paradise.

But Addie is the kind of kid that makes the best of things. She befriends the workers at the gas station (Soula and Elliot), and manages to make some friends at her new school.

She's not too surprised when Mommers starts staying out late. Sometimes she's gone for days, but Addie knows that her mom is working hard at getting a job. It's better than having her in the trailer chain smoking, surfing the Internet or watching Jeannette for the Judgement on TV. Addie also knows how to take care of herself. How to make food stretch. How to fool her Grandpa when he comes checking in.

Every now and then she gets to see Dwight and her half sisters. The thing is, they are all living in a mansion up in Lake George with Hannah. It's hard to Addie to be there for the weekend and then come back to an empty trailer.

Leslie Connor has written a touching story about a neglected girl who gets by. Addie's attitude is almost to good to be true. She rarely gets angry with her mother, even when a big old rage might be good for her. The outer characters of Soula and Elliot are scene stealers and really made this title come to life. I'd love to hang out in their gas station any day!

Waiting for Normal is a moving tween read. Many readers who think that their lives are "too normal" or "too boring" will curl up with this one and end up with quite a lot to think about.

The Pull of the Ocean

This is why I love visiting the public library. This little gem of a book leaped off the shelves into my heart.

Yann Doutreleau is dragged home by Nathalie a social worker with the best intentions. He doesn't speak, at least not with words, so most people do not understand his wants and needs. One of Yann's older brothers (three sets of twins) tells the social worker that Yann's father threw his book bag down the well.

Upon arrival at the rundown homestead and meeting Yann's mother, Nathalie realizes that she has made a mistake. Yann's eyes tell her as much. Yann is yanked into the house and the door is firmly closed.

What follows is a person by person account of everyone who comes into contact with the seven Doutreleau boys on their quest to run away to the ocean. Tiny Yann, though the youngest, is the obvious leader of the group, and he leads his brothers out of their home into the rainy night.

From truckers, to writers, to nosey old women, to loafers, the story of the escape of the Doutreleau's comes forth.

Jean-Claude Mourlevat's Batchelder Award winning title is a gem of a story. This reworking of the Tom Thumb story is magically lyrical and sure to please. Each character as well as the French countryside come to life in the prose.

All-Season Edie

Meet Edie. She's eleven years old and heading to the lake with her mom and dad, but without her sister Dexter. This summer Dexter's ballet camp conflicts with the family vacation, so she will be staying with Mean Meagan for the 2 weeks that the family is gone. Also, the lake is not exactly the Grand Canyon, but Grandpa just had a stroke, and Edie's dad doesn't want to be too far away.

The lake seems a bit boring at first, but soon Edie's imagination has her in swimming like a whale, and becoming Neptune. She also meets Robert. A fat kid who is at the lake with his mom and a man who is not his dad. Edie and Robert are soon on fishing expeditions, and watching movies. They are just starting to get to know each other when Edie's parents get a call and they leave the lake a whole week early.

Edie is distraught about her grandfather and decides that learning some magic might help him out. Not the bunny out of the hat variety, but the kind of spells that can make people sick or well.

We watch Edie navigate a year in her life as she discovers that the things she always thought were true, suddenly seem less than. Maybe Mean Meagan isn't so mean. Maybe grandpa really is sick. Maybe Edie doesn't hate dancing after all. And maybe Dex isn't so perfect.

This is a wonderful tween book. Annabel Lyon has written a character driven story that is authentic, charming and spot on. Bits of text had me laughing out loud...

"Wow," Robert says for the third time, and I see he's finally starting to believe me. "No kidding?" He squints at me, and I can tell he just thought of something else. "Do you always get caught?" he asks. "Don't you ever get away with anything?"
"No," I say. I figure getting away with something would be like catching a fish: it never really happens, not really. p. 34.

The relationship between Edie and Dexter grows nicely throughout the book, as does Edie's relationship with herself.

A fun read for those who like to get to know their characters.

(And hey, I managed my first title on my Canadian Book Challenge!)

The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney

Have you ever pretended you were someone else? Maybe lied a bit about a nickname, a boyfriend, a circle of friends, a band you saw?

Well, Devon spent her summer lying to a cool new friend named Lexi, after her folks shipped Devon and little sis Katie off to the grandparents while they tried to get their relationship back in order. Devon (or Devi) told Lexi all about her circle of cool friends, and her hot boyfriend Jared. What's the harm...Devi figured she'd never see Lexi again.

Imagine her surprise when Lexi shows up in Mr. Pritchard's class. Now what is Devi going to do? Jared doesn't know she's alive, all of her cute clothes are summer clothes (from her parent's guilt money), and Kim and the popular girls are not really her friends.

Devi digs in deeper and deeper with more lying, instead of coming clean. Soon she's in a spot where a really cool boy likes her, but she can't let on. And sooner than later, her house of lies starts to crumble.

Lauren Barnholt has written a pitch perfect tween school story. Who hasn't lied? Who hasn't wished for a bit of a different life? The interactions between the characters are authentic and Devi's family (problems and all) makes for a great backdrop for Devi's growth. Fun, fast, and filled with tween-speak, this supercute read should fly off the shelves.

Toad Hill Reviews

FINALLY!

A blog by tweensters for tweensters!

Head on over to Toadhillreviews to check it out.

Thanks to 3 Evil Cousins for the link!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Okay, okay...I know that I am late to the party on this one. The problem is that this book stayed checked out from the moment we got it in at the library until the last day of school! I finally found it at my local public library, and happily read it in anticipation of #3 coming out this fall.

Greg is just a typical kid trying to make a go of it in middle school. His mom gave him the journal (NOT a diary, thank-you-very-much!), and he figures that it'll save him time when he gets older and famous in that he won't have to explain his upbringing. But before he gets famous, he's stuck negotiating the halls, Hallowe'en, the school play, as well as the world of popularity and girls.

Greg is trying to convince his friend Rowley that it is time to grow up a bit. Why can't Rowley ask him to "hang out" instead of "play"? Especially when they are in the hallway at school. The thing is, as much as Greg's big brother and some of the other kids at school aren't so nice to Greg, Greg is not very nice to Rowley either. He mainly uses him to get to play video games when he is punished. Can their friendship survive middle school?

Filled with funny and gross moments (like the cheese on the playground, and the Big Wheel birthday), Jeff Kinney has certainly struck a chord with readers. The comic style illustrations pepper the pages and add extra doses of humor to the book. I can say with authority that both guys and girls love these quick reads, and I myself cannot wait to finally get my hands on the second one.

There is certainly a lack of books for tweensters with male protagonists, and there is a lack of funny across the board. Diary of a Wimpy Kid fills these holes with panache. Do yourself a favour if you haven't already...buy multiple copies!

The Graveyard Book

We begin with a murder. A triple murder, in fact. The man Jack was trying for a fourth, but the little baby had a habit of wandering, and he had left his crib, bumped down the stairs, and gone out into the night.

Jack wasn't worried, however. He knew that his keen sense of smell would lead him to the child. He ends up at the graveyard, and he knows that the child is there. What he doesn't know is that after a visit from his newly dead mother, the baby has been taken in by some "residents" of the graveyard, and that he is being protected by a "man" named Silas. Jack is sent off.

The child, named Nobody Owens, exists in the graveyard with ghostly teachers and friends, exploring and learning while knowing that Jack is out there, and is still out for him.

Gaiman has brought a wonderful story in the vein of Coraline. Superbly creepy, outright scary, yet sweet and filled with melancholy. I simply cannot wait to see Dave McKean's art added to the mix for the final copy. Also head on over here for additional information and some incredible illustrations.

My One Hundred Adventures

Jane is living with her poet mother and her 3 siblings by the beach during the summer of her 12th year. Their existence is minimal, yet they really do not want for much. Jane is, however, yearning for adventure. And when she prays one day for Mrs. Parks and not Mrs. Nestor, her energy gets blocked and she feels a need to be redeemed. Following her "healing" preacher to distribute bibles, Jane's adventures begin. From searching for "poodles" connecting the worlds, to babysitting the horrid Gourd children, to catching glimpses of who her father may be, Jane's summer is anything but typical.

In true Horvath fashion, many questions go unanswered. But the sense of place is so compelling that readers won't mind the threads that are left to dangle.

This may be my favourite Horvath title. The writing of course, is superb. There is a dreamy quality to it, and the setting of the beach is just perfect. Horvath really gets the world of children that many adults overlook. Jane is very interesting, as are the old women of the book. A delightful summer read for the deep readers in your life!

Tours, meetings, and chicken korma!

*Whew!* I'm back from my whirlwind trip to Anaheim for ALA's Annual Conference. I left almost before it started since my main thrust was my presentation at the Diversity Leadership Institute, which you can read about over at the ALSC blog! A truly inspiring and informative event!

After the Institute was over, I headed out with my colleague Lana for dinner and we ended up in Downtown Disney. It was quite a sight! We ended up having some pretty delicious tapas before calling it a night.

Next up was the ISS sponsored Independent School Libraries tour. We were fortunate enough to visit two incredibly different and amazing libraries. The first was at the Chadwick School in Palos Verdes. A beautiful facility with a reading room featuring beanbag chairs that our middle school kids would die for! Librarian Sarah Knetzer-Davis gave us a fabulous tour, and went above and beyond by delivering some of our ISS members back to conference so that they could make their sessions! Thank you Sarah!

Next up was the Crossroads School in Santa Monica. This felt a bit like home to me as Crossroads is a progressive school, and I have the feeling that many of the students there are quite similar to the ones I have! We visited the Middle and High School library, and it is an amazing site. Most of (if not all of) Crossroads is made up of buildings that used to be used for industrial purposes. The librarians there were great and it sounds like the library is a super active place during the school year, with the students really feeling at home there!

The afternoon was taken up with an ALSC 101 session. Even though I have been a librarian for YEARS (about 12 now), I have been active more with YALSA. Now I am looking to dive into ALSC, so I figured that I would head on over and meet some folks! We had a rousing get to know you fest, and I came away with a better sense of the organization (as well as an author contact for next year! Woot!)

Finding dinner on Friday night was a bit more difficult. Many places had an hour wait. Wandering home I happened upon Gandhi Palace, where I had some really, REALLY good Indian food. So if you are still at Conference and like Indian food, you really should head on over for some dinner!

Then a 4:10 a.m. wake up call this morning, and here I am back in NYC. I'm a bit sad that I didn't get a chance to head onto the exhibit floor, but I am happy to be home!

Off to Cali

Well, like so many of you, I am off to sunny California! I am very excited about this conference because not only am I attending, but I will also be presenting and blogging.

I will be representing my school at the Pre-conference on Diversity. I will be exploring the ways that the library can support school wide diversity efforts, and even spear head some of those efforts!

I will be blogging this for ALSC as well. So if you do not have a chance to come to the pre-conference, head on over to the ALSC blog to read all about it.

I am looking forward to going on some school tours while in Anaheim as well. I love seeing how other folks set things up!

Happy travels!

Violet Raines Almost Got Struck By Lightning

Aaah, a story set in the south read on a hundred degree day. The weather certainly got me in the mood for this one!

Violet Raines is sitting in church, pretty much minding her own business, when in walks the Gold family. They are late, and there is a bit of a buzz. There aren't usually strangers walking through church! Violet's best friend Lottie shoves a note in her hands reading "Don't you think she's pretty? She looks like a model! I wonder how old she is! Let's try to meet her after church!" (arc p.4). So it begins.

Melissa is quite glamorous. She does come from Detroit - the murder capital- after all. Lottie is quite drawn to Melissa and her interest in soap operas, make-up and celebrities. Violet's not quite ready for all of these girlie changes. She still likes hunting down the cups to get free brain freezes, squeezing into the tree cave, and hanging around with Eddie.

When lightning hits Lottie's house, she and her sisters need to find a place to stay. Violet wants her in her house, but Mrs. Gold who has a big house and doesn't have to go to work everyday, insists that Lottie and her sisters stay with them. Violet's heart is fit to break as she tries to navigate what it is to be eleven and not quite ready to move out of being a kid.

Danette Haworth has written a delightful story filled with memorable characters. The push and pull of a friendship between three girls rings so true, as does the subtle shift in the relationship between Eddie and Violet. There is an innocence to the story, but the situation is so universal. Violet is the kind of girl who will stay in your memory for quite some time.

Hate That Cat

I think that this book may have finally gotten me over my fear of sequels for good. The times have changed and sequels seem to be inevitable, and these days, they are often as good, or better, than the first!

Jack is back and lucky for him, Miss Stretchberry has moved up a year as well. (I work in a school and have seen this happen...it's not as rare as you may think. My friend's son had his teacher for 1st, 2nd and 4th grade!). He is back to writing poetry, and even though Miss Stretchberry asks for more words about Jack's dear departed Sky, he has no more words about Sky. Instead, he sets his sites on the mean, fat, black cat that he sees at the bus stop.

There are more poems about poems and about poets as well. Walter Dean Myers is back, as are Christopher Myers, Edgar Allan Poe, Alfred Lord Tennyson, William Carlos Williams, T.S. Eliot, plus mentions of others. Jack's Uncle Bill makes sure that he tells Jack his opinion of the famous poets as well as Jack's own short lines.

Maybe the most poignant piece of the book is the exploration of the relationship of Jack and his mom. Jack's mom is deaf, and Jack wonders how words exist in her head. He wonders how she "hears" his poems. A favourite of mine is Jack's June 5th entry of "This is Just to Say" (pg. 124-125 arc).

Interestingly enough, the mean old cat ends up doing something nice for Jack and his family, and while Sky will never be replaced, perhaps Jack can spread some of his love after all.

Creech has done it again. This book seems so effortless. It is a fast read, and is perfect for reluctant and avid readers alike, but there is so much story...so much meat in the sparse words. I find myself amazed at these little books.

Rapunzel's Revenge

Rapunzel is tired of staying behind Mother Gothel's walls. Of course, there is enough to eat, some kind guards to play with, and a bit of exploring to do, but Rapunzel is still drawn to the wall. She thinks that if she can just look over it, she might make sense not only of her world, but of the strange dreams that she keeps having.

One day Rapunzel does get to the top of the wall and she can hardly believe what she sees. Beyond Mother Gothel's lush garden lies a virtual wasteland. Mines are dug out of the earth, and smoke stacks dot the horizon. Everything looks grey. Rapunzel also comes face to face with some of the workers from the mine camps. And one of them looks familiar...like the woman in Rapunzel's dreams. It is her birth mother. Before she knows it, the guards have pulled Rapunzel away from her mother once more.

When Rapunzel does not bow to Mother Gothel's wishes, and calls her a liar, Mother Gothel has her henchman Brute take her away into the forest where she is housed, not in a tower, but in a tree. Mother Gothel's growth magic allows Rapunzel food, but a side effect is that Rapunzel's nails and hair keep growing at an alarming rate. Each year, Mother Gothel returns to see if Rapunzel has repented, and every year Rapunzel refuses. Before long, Rapunzel finds a way to escape, and must navigate a land filled with desperation in order to find her birth mother and save her from the mines.

A quest to rival the best of them is penned by Shannon and Dean Hale. Sidekicks, villains, kidnappers, and giant sea serpents fill these brightly illustrated pages. This is a fun read, that will appeal equally to girls and boys. A fractured fairytale that goes deeper, Rapunzel's Revenge is a must for graphic novel readers.

Meme of Five

Now, unlike ShelfElf, I love the meme. I realize that I probably shouldn't broadcast this, but here it is.

And away we go.

1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
3. At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read the player’s blog.
4. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

What were you doing five years ago?

I had just had my first daughter and was deer eyed in the headlights about it all. In my first month of taking 5 months away from the library and busily learning how to be a mom.

What are five things on your to-do list for today (not in any particular order)?

1. Watch a demo lesson.
2. Prepare tomorrow's curriculum.
3. Spinning class.
4. Dewey Decimal Bingo.
5. Lunch duty.

What are five snacks you enjoy?

1. Chocolate from Vosges
2. Cashews
3. Cheese
4. Strawberry smoothies
5. Oatmeal cookies (no raisins)

What five things would you do if you were a billionaire?
(not in order of action folks!)

1. Pay all the bills (mortages and all).
2. Buy lots of glass and equipment for lampwork bead making.
3. Give money away to family, friends and causes I believe in.
4. Buy that new car that I like.
5. Travel, travel, travel.

What are five of your bad habits?

1. I have a book habit.
2. I have a shoe habit.
3. Not using those left-overs.
4. Overthinking the obvious.
5. Sliding into a Brooklyn accent every now and again.

What are five places where you have lived?

1. Niagara Falls, Ontario
2. Kingston, Ontario
3. Toronto, Ontario
4. Montreal, Quebec
5. NYC


What are five jobs you’ve had?

1. Short order cook
2. Perfume sniper
3. Waitress
4. Clothing retail
5. Children’s Librarian

Now… for my victims. I shall tag:

Accordion Guy
Propernoun
Wizard's Wireless

(Do with it what you will!)

Zibby Payne and the Party Problem

Zibby used to love parties...back when they were fun. Before special coupons and secret sleepovers. Things seem to be changing now that sixth grade started. Amber (of the Grapilicious lip gloss and boy band love) tells Zibby that she is having a party for all of her "peeps". Zibby and her best-friend Sarah gather around Amber to open their invitations. For some reason, Amber wants all of the girls to open their invites at the same time. Some of the girls get special coupons, and some of the girls don't. Apparently, the coupons are for special prizes at the party. Zibby thinks this reeks of unfairness.

Pile on the fact that the next week, Savannah has a party. It's a super fun roller skating party without special coupons. And Zibby can't wait for the sleepover portion. But when she tells Sarah about it, she figures out that not everybody who invited to rollerskate, is invited to the sleepover. Unfair again.

This is when Zibby decides to have her own party. One where everyone is invited to everything, and nobody is left out. She even invites dorky Franny and Vanessa just to make a point. But when Franny insists on having her party planner mom help out with Elmo and princess paraphenalia, Zibby isn't feeling so generous. She just may end up uninviting them.

Author Alison Bell has written a spot on story of negotiating one's way through the sixth grade. Zibby is ultimately likable and is experiencing those middle school changes that make the ride so rocky. A perfect series for the fans of Amelia's Notebook, and for the girl reluctant readers that are out there. Fast and fun, Zibby Payne is a series sure to please.

Fablehaven - Grip of the Shadow Plague

Seth is at it again. After ignoring his grandfather's wishes not to deal with the satyrs, Seth is heading out for a secret meeting with Doren and Newel. Batteries are to be exchanged for gold, and all that Seth has to do is accompany the satyrs and pillage one of the nipsie's Seven Kingdoms. It's not supposed to be too hard seeing as the nipsies are only about an inch tall and have no real defenses. Everything is going according to plan when it is apparent that the ever peaceful nipsies aren't so peaceful anymore. Something has befallen two of the Kingdoms. The nipsies themselves are claiming allegiance to a new master, and have changed in appearance. The dark nipsies have grey skin, blood red eyes and fangs. What can this all mean?

Meanwhile, Warren and Tanu are returning to Fablehaven after trying to find out if Vanessa's accusation of the Sphinx is true. It turns out that all over the world at different preserves, dark creatures are overturning the light. The Knights of the Dawn are supposed to be having a united gathering in an effort to overthrow the Society of the Evening Star, and the big news is that the Captain wants to induct Kendra. Her grandparents are upset, because knighthood pretty much guarantees even more danger than Kendra faces at Fablehaven.

Seth is so jealous he can hardly stand it. Now Kendra gets to go off on more adventures and he is stuck under orders not to go into the woods at Fablehaven. However, it doesn't take long for there to be quite a bit of action on the preserve. The nipsies aren't the only ones choosing the dark. Soon there are dark fairies who are not fallen like the imps, and while humans who are infected do not necessarily turn dark, they certainly disappear.

While this is going on, Kendra (under the supervision of Warren) has travelled to Lost Mesa with the charge of locating a magical artifact and giving it to the captain of the knights. The problem is, of course, the fact that no one really knows who the captain is. Could the Captain be working for the Society of the Evening Star?

In true Brandon Mull fashion, this third installment is fast paced and action packed. By taking some of the action from Fablehaven and bringing it to Lost Mesa, the reader sees the different cultures of the different preserves, and is allowed access to even more magical creatures. I do have to say that I am feeling a bit of Jackie Faber syndrome here. I expected a wrap up with Shadow Plague, and while it continued the journey, the story is not over. We have ended with another cliff hanger, and I am a bit sad about this. That said, I am left happy about the introduction of Gavin, the deeper story surrounding Patton, and a bad taste in my mouth regarding our friend Warren. Maybe next go round, I will see if my suspicions are true!