I am Jack by Susanne Gervay

Illustrated by Cathy Wilson
126 pgs.
Target audience: Ages 8 to 12
Rating: Wizard

Jack lives with his mom and sister, Samantha. His dad left and remarried. Rob, his mom’s boyfriend is a steady presence at home. While his family life is safe and welcoming, his school life becomes more terrifying every day because of George Hamel, popular rugby player and bully. After the kids overhear Jack’s mom talk to the coach about the dangers of playing rugby, George launches Jack’s new nickname, Butt head. Jack can never seem to find a good time to tell his mom what’s happening. His new status at school spreads like wildfire and soon even his friends are ostracizing him, all except for Ana. The more he’s picked upon, the worse his headaches get, so much so that he fakes illnesses to stay home. What should he do? He doesn’t want this problem to affect his family. What if his grandma dies or Rob leaves? After all, his dad left, he could lose everyone he loves. The author takes on the topic of bullying effortlessly with genuine compassion. Jack’s emotional and physical reactions are true to life. Kids will easily identify with him and want to see him triumph. The author includes a list of anti-bullying internet resources for both kids and parents. This is an excellent addition to the growing need for anti-bullying literature. (This book provided for review by Children's Lit - www.childrenslit.com).

 

 

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Marco Impossible by Hannah Moskowitz

247 pgs.
Target audience: Middle Reader
Rating: Griffin

Middle school children Marco, Stephen and Sasha have been investigating minor transgressions since they were five – lost dogs, missing socks, stolen lunch money and the like. But ever since Marco came out, the new exchange student from England, Benji, has been the sole focus of the group’s attention. When Marco hears that Benji’s band will be playing the high school prom, he drags Stephen into an impossible scheme to crash the prom and confess his undying love for Benji on stage. The Prom Heist as Marco calls it, becomes so complex that it requires the involvement of four of Stephen’s five siblings, faked permission slips, fixing broken down buses and much more. While the kids are planning and organizing, hate crimes are popping up at schools in the area. For some reason, the hate crimes at their school are focused on gay bashing one person, Marco, who has been receiving threatening notes and found his locker smashed in. Nothing is resolved with this theme other than the school bully getting caught in the end by the kids and nothing definitive done by the school administration. The story is told from Stephen’s perspective revealing him to be a sweet boy and a bit of a pushover. The friendship between Marco and Stephen seems insincere because Stephen will stop at nothing to help his lovesick friend who in turn consistently treats him like his personal doormat. Marco does redeem himself barely, but not until the very end of the story. Looking at this book from a purely adventure and mystery stance, it will appeal to those who love crazy hijinks. Stephen and his siblings are wonderful characters who will touch your heart and make you laugh. (This book provided for review by Children's Lit - www.childrenslit.com)

 

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Domino 29 by Axel Avian

368 pgs.
Target audience: Young Adult
Rating: Wizard

Colt Shore attends a training academy for the organization F.A.L.C.O.N., Free Alliance for the Lasting Cooperation of Nations, which is not affiliated with any specific government. As exotic as that might seem for a fifteen year old boy, Colt feels ordinary when compared to his perfect-in-every-way older brother, Dixon, who died at the age of twenty-two before Colt was born. But in one singular moment his life is catapulted from the mundane to downright adventurous and life threatening when the first of twenty-nine dominoes falls. Lucy and Victor aren’t his real parents and his older brother, Dixon, is in fact his dad who was killed on assignment. As an active agent, Colt’s mother turned him over to the care of Dixon’s parents and away from all the danger typical of active agent work. Reeling from the shock of it all, Colt discovers that one of the most admired field agents at his academy is his mother, Amber Coltrane. He’s given no time to process this new information as he is rushed into active duty by Mr. Waverly, head of F.A.L.C.O.N. His mission is to protect a brother and sister pop singing group on a USO tour after receiving a kidnapping threat. Active agent Colt Shore is equipped with all sorts of Bond worthy gadgets including a poison injecting ring, and a watch complete with GPS, call scrambling, panic button, flashlight, laser cutter, sonar plus the ability to run a car by voice command. This alone is any boy’s dream. Add to that a mind blowing car chase ending with an escape through a holographic wall to HQ, subbing for the drummer in a rock concert, being chased from Afghanistan to Germany where a daring rescue takes place. A nice nod to "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." in naming the big boss Mr. Waverly. Count this as a definite winner in the boy-turned-spy genre and let’s hope there will be more Agent Colt adventures. This is an ideal choice for fans of the “Alex Rider” series by Anthony Horowitz.

 

 

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The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

325 pgs.

Target audience: Young Adult

Rating: Wizard

 

Outside the boundaries of the United Commonwealth Colonies the earth is a corrupted wasteland after the Seven Stages War. Cia lives with her family on the outskirts of the Fire Lakes Colony where they work in a nursery growing genetically enhanced plants that can survive outside in the wild. Cia’s graduation day approaches and the chance to be chosen. Only those selected for the Testing are allowed to study at the university in the capitol of Tosu City. For the first time in ten years four students from Fire Lakes including Cia are chosen. Cia’s own father had been chosen at his graduation and she hopes to follow in his footsteps. On the eve of her departure, her father confides to her about his experience and his suspicions about the true purpose of the Testing. His last warning to trust no one lingers at the back of her mind as she and the others arrive at the Testing Center. The living quarters are monitored by secret cameras, students who fail a test either mysteriously vanish or take their own lives. The tests are arduous, timed and dangerous and students who perish under these conditions are unceremoniously removed. Cia is among a small group of candidates who reach the final phase where they are deposited into the wild hundreds of miles outside the protection of the Commonwealth. Their task is to find their way back to Tosu City. The tests are tame compared to this cruel, suicidal mission. Loyalties are tested and friendships formed and pulled apart. The plot has enough twists and turns to keep readers interested, enough romance to offset the horror of their world and enough suspense to bring them back for the next volume.  (This book provided for review by Children's Lit - www.childrenslit.com).

 

 

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The reluctant assassin by Eoin Colfer
Target audience: Young Adult
Rating: Wizard

From the man who brought us the popular “Artemis Fowl” books, comes a new wickedly fun and deviously intricate science fiction series featuring a wormhole machine, a teen almost FBI agent called Chevron, Garrick, a magician turned assassin, his young assistant, Riley and W.A.R.P., the Witness Anonymous Relocation Program. The FBI has been using this time machine to transport high profile witnesses  to Victorian London until it’s safe to return them for the trial. But with all great technological advances, there are glitches. Mutations keep popping up among those returning from the past. The current problem lies with the crime banker by the name, Terry Carter, who has decided that life in the past where anonymity is to his advantage is much more preferable. He changes his name to Tibor Charismo and sets up a nice little crime network for himself using the ready supply of waifs and criminals on the streets of Victorian London. Complete success at this enterprise requires eliminating all those from the future who can identify him including the scientist who created W.A.R.P. and Riley’s FBI parents. He employs the service of the notorious assassin, Garrick. Riley escapes into the future followed by his master and chaos ensues as Victorian and modern day London collide with spectacular results. Colfer creates villains worthy of hatred and reluctant heroes destined to become favorites. The non stop action, crazy science, mobsters from both centuries, and the shear genius of the plot execution will have kids craving the next installment. (Book provided for review by Children's Lit - www.childrenslit.com).

 

 

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