Gregor the Overlander

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins. Published 2003.

With the release of the official Hunger Games trailer and the excitement that is bubbling over that, I had wanted to reread Hunger Games, but I thought it would be better to tackle something I hadn't read yet, so I picked up her first novel, Gregor the Overlander. With the same suspense and sense of action as the Hunger Games book, this title did not disappoint.

This book is much more fantastical and doesn't have any of the dystopian elements, but with the entrance into the strange Underland and the creation of the caste system of creatures and the quest that ensues, readers would be happy to give this one a try after reading all of Collin's other books.

Gregor and his baby sister Boots, fall into a grate in their laundry room and thanks to a rare air current, they follow through an Alice like Wonderland hole and make it safely to the ground, only to be captured by giant talking cockroaches, or crawlers. They are taken to Regalia, the city of the Humans in the Underland and presented with a quest as had been predicted hundreds of years ago. Gregor agrees to the quest only to save his father who had disappeared more than two year before and has been discovered to be a prisoner of the dread rats, also giant and talking. With the help of giant bats and spiders, the quest sets off into the Underland.

Very Alice and Wonderland but much darker with hints of a Fellowship of the Ring style quest.

Interest level: Grades 3-6 Reading level: Grade 6
Genre: Fantasy
First in a series.

Comparable titles: Alice in Wonderland, Lord of the Rings trilogy

Book Connections: Animals that live in the deep dark, air currents, Creating your own imagined city

Book Trailer:

Walk Two Moons

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech. Published 1994.

Another one on the classic list for good reason! Really loved it and balled my eyes out with this one as well. While I knew what happened with Sal's mother couldn't have been good, it kept me guessing up to the end about her fate which I really liked. Loved the different forms of storytelling, how we were following one story about Phoebe while being framed within the Grandparent road trip which itself was wrapped with the story of Salamanca and her parents. Another refreshing narrator who created really memorable characters who were fully realized and fun to follow along with.

Salamanca, or Sal, or Chickabiddy, has moved away from her beloved farm with her father after her mother takes off across country to Idaho. While on a road trip with her grandparents to trace her mother's trip, she tells the story of her friend Phoebe, or Peeby, who has also had her mother run off on her though for different reasons. By telling Phoebe's story, Sal is able to mourn and grown beyond her own tale. She also has the time to cherish her grandparents as they travel together across the country. There's much more to the story than this, but I don't want to ruin the mystery of it all.

Interest level: Grades 5-8 Reading level: Grade 6
Genre: realistic fiction

Comparable titles: Love, Aubrey, Freak the Mighty...also reminded me of Barbara Kingsolver and Animal Dreams

Book Connections: Road trips, Writing Journals, Old Faithful, Water Mocassins, Blackberries

Book Trailer:

Freak the Mighty

Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick. Published 1993.

This one is in the classics list and for good measure. Max is well over 6 feet tall and has the bulk to match but not the brains. His father is in prison for killing his mother and his grandparents, along with everyone else in town, can't help but notice how much he looks like his old man and wonder if he has anything else in common with Killer Kane. Max is pretty lonely and miserable until Kevin moves next door. A boy from his preschool class who hasn't grown any bigger since due to a rare genetic deformity that has his insides growing at a regular rate but his outsides don't match. Together, they pair up to become Freak the Mighty when Max plunks Kevin on his shoulders and finds Kevin lending him some of his well-developed smarts.

Quest after Quest, Max and Kevin, otherwise Freak the Mighty, become closer and closer friends and with the parole of Max's father, their courage and friendship is put to the test, but their true test in life is how they deal with Kevin's disorder.

Great book. Narration and pacing kept me moving along, but the characters really drew me in and the end was emotional and had me blubbering, but for all the right reasons. Great character story. Loved it.

Interest level: Grades 5-8 Reading level: Grade 5
Genre: realistic fiction, friendship

Comparable titles: Walk Two Moons, Maniac Magee, Stargirl

Book Connections: King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, Bionics, Personal Dictionaries, Computers, Study of Genetic Disorders

Book Trailer:

Artemis Fowl

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer. Published 2001.

This book pleasantly surprised me. I was not expecting The People to be kickass CIA-like recon officers with master technology combined with the use of magic. Who would have expected that? I was also surprised that the title character is the villain and that this series, using that premise, continues on for eight more books (the last hasn't been released yet). My surprise was not tinged with disappointment though.

In this tale, Artemis Fowl is a boy genius and millionaire whose greed for power, or quite possibly just a fairy wish, has him concoct a plan to kidnap a fairy and ransom her for The People's gold (the People here being fairies, goblins and such that live underground). Meanwhile, LEPrecon officer Holly Short is desperately trying to out wit and out maneuver her captor while simultaneously trying to save the other Mud People (or humans) in the house. I would tell you more, but I don't want to ruin the suspense.

The story is told from multiple perspectives and from the point of view of the various characters, which gives it a movie like quality that moves around with the action. It is fast-paced, definitely not boring and has an ending that will satisfy you, but also keep you guessing. I have to say, the epilogue was needed, because I wasn't quite sure what happened with his mother until I read the last section.

Intended reading level: Grades 5-8 Interest level: Grade 5
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure

Comparable titles: Artemis Fowl in Graphic Novel format, The Goose Girl series, H.I.V.E., N.E.R.D.S.

Book Connections: mini-fairy books, fairy language decoders, acorns

Book Trailer:

The Misfits

The Misfits by James Howe. Published 2001.

The Gang of Five, which really consists of four: Skeezie, Addie, Joe and Bobby, are all misfits who have been called names their whole life and will never be part of the popular crowd at their middle school. After Addie decides to take a stand for minorities and those that "Justice for All" don't apply to, the gang creates a third political party to run for Student Counsel whether or not the teachers approve of it. When the gang finds their emerging hormones raging and crushes forming, their love triangles may start to get in the way, but their political message becomes clear when Bobby creates the No-Name Party and runs on a platform of no more name calling.

This was a great, quick read about the difficulties of Middle School and how hard it is to not be part of the crowd and what finding your identity is all about as you leave childhood. I started crying when Bobby gave his speech for the No-Name Party and it was well-deserved tears, not sloppy, heavy-handed, pulling my heart string tears (though I'm not going to say that wasn't part of it). The voices of the characters were fun and real and asked the sort of questions about life that kids this age are really starting to ponder for themselves. Plus it grappled with issues of homosexuality and race without making either of these things the sole focus of the novel.

Intended reading level: Grades 5-8 Interest level: Grade 5
Genre: coming-of-age, realistic fiction
First in a series of companion books

Comparable titles: Stargirl, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, The Absolutely-True Diary of a Part Time Indian

Book connetions: political pins with bad names crossed out, neckties, peanut butter and marshmallow fluff sandwiches

Book Trailer:
Glogster link-http://www.glogster.com/egoode/the-misfits-by-james-howe/g-6lsolig5squfdadejignca0