Book Review -- Fire & Ash

Fire & Ash by Jonathan Maberry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Confession time...I am not a fan of zombies. I can't watch them on the screen, big or small. I generally prefer not to think about them at all. So I'm as surprised as anyone that I literally read this entire series in two weeks. This particular book I read in two days. What is it about Maberry's books that made them palpable to me? Heart...the characters were ones that the reader could actually care about. The fact that they were fighting zombies and other bad guys was incidental. The zombies could've been replaced with aliens and it would've been just as compelling of a read. This final book was an excellent conclusion to the series. Maberry tied it up nicely and put a bow on it. Well done, sir. I am now your fan. I LOVED this entire series!

Teachers and Parents -- Violence (and lots of it) between humans and zombies, violence between humans and humans, graphically described zombie gore, teenagers in violent situations without adult guidance, no strong language (thank you, Mr. Maberry), and no inappropriate physical romance. 13+ with no reservations, 12 and under with parental/teacher guidance.

Book Review -- Rot & Ruin

Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don't usually like scary books (or zombie books), but this one captivated me. It wasn't just about the zombies...there was so much more here. The author did a great job of laying out the setting and the backstory of how the zombies first arrived. The main characters drove the story, and the bad guys weren't just the zombies. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but this book was so good, I went straight into the sequel. Also, this is only my second "5 star" book since Christmas break was over. I will absolutely be reading more by this author. Parents and teachers...zombie violence and descriptors, physical violence between characters, mild physical romance (nothing objectionable/inappropriate), mild language (none of the "big" swear words); appropriate for 12+. Some of the younger teen set may not handle this well...it would depend on how "gentle" they are. 14+ for sure.

Book Review -- Refugee

Refugee by Alan Gratz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Alan Gratz is becoming one of the hot authors of my 6th grade class due to his book Prisoner B-3087 which we did as a read aloud. This book, Refugee, is also a good one, although I didn't give it 5 stars because of two things. One, I got impatient with alternating the chapters between the three characters. I'll admit that I cheated at one point and read about five of Josef's chapters back to back. Two, I thought Gratz was going to tie the three characters together a bit more tightly than he did. They do connect at the end, but I had another scenario in my mind. Still, I thought this was a great book, I love his writing, and anyone who's read Prisoner B-3087 or Projekt 1065 will enjoy this one. Parents and Teachers -- historical fiction drama with some killing/death, ages 10+

Book Review -- A Wrinkle in Time

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this back in the day when I was a kid, probably in fifth or sixth grade. Since I didn't remember anything about it, I decided to read it again. It was a bit difficult to get into, but after a few chapters, I was cruising. This is a well-imagined fantasy book with a science fiction twist. Modern kids may struggle a bit since there are times that the writing feels a bit dated (I can vouch for that as several of my sixth graders have tried and abandoned this book), but for those who stick with it, they'll be rewarded with a wonderful fantasy adventure. I gave it four out of five stars because it was slow to start and also because I thought it ended very abruptly. Parents & teachers -- fantasy and adventure peril, children in intense situations with no parental assistance, no foul language, no inappropriate physical situations, ages 10+

Book Review -- The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So, I knew who Neil Gaiman was because of the movie Coraline (which I only watched the beginning of because it was so creepy), but I'd never read any of his work. I heard about this book from a list of YA "must reads," so I decided to give it a whirl. Well. I was captivated! This story absolutely grabbed me right from the first chapter. It was a creative idea (human child raised in a graveyard by ghosts), and it had just the right mix of creepy but with heart. I loved, loved, loved it. Five stars all the way, and Mr. Gaiman is now an author I plan to read more of. Teachers and parents...supernatural horror situations, physical violence, no strong language, no inappropriate physical romance. 13+ for sure. 12 and under with caveats. Not for the 12 and under gentle crowd.

Book Review -- Three Times Lucky

Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a fun mystery story! At first I wasn't sure. It took me a couple of chapters to get into the story and the characters. I think some of the southern-ness was tripping me up (I'm not from the south), but once I got cruising, this was a delightful read. I'll admit, I didn't have the mystery solved until the end of the book. There were several possibilities, but I hadn't guessed the author's solution. I ended up loving our heroine, what a fun person. I heartily recommend this one to all kids in the grades 4-6 range. Parents & Teachers -- crime mischief, kids in tense situations without parental involvement, no swearing (but the text indicates that the characters do use foul language), and no inappropriate physical romance. Ages 10+