The Search for Wondla

Title: The Search for Wondla
Author: Tony DiTerlizzi
ISBN: 781416983101
Copyright: 2010

The Search for Wondla is a bit older than most books I review on here.  However, since we only just purchased it for the library it demands a bit of attention.  It is rare in our vampire, werewolf, Harry Potter world to see new books that don't fall into our fantasy shelves but The Search for Wondla is straight up science fiction at it's finest!

Eva Nine has spent her life growing up in an underground Sanctuary, her only companion is MUTHR, a Multi- Utility Task Help Robot.  She has neevr seen the sun, or trees, or grass.  Eva Nine has spent the last 12 years training with holograms and computer programs to prepare her to face the outside world when necessary. 

Facing the outside world comes quicker then its supposed to when her Sanctuary is attacked by an alien.  Eva Nine escapes into the wilderness above only to discover that nothing is what it's supposed to be according to the computers.  With the help of many different alien life forms Eva Nine finds the truth about herself, her people, and what it means to survive in the world. 

This is a perfect story for kids who loved Star Wars and Star Trek and are looking for something new to read.  Tony DiTerlizzi expertly crafts a whole new world for kids to get lost in.  Plus there is a super cool website WondLa.com that goes along with the story that kids can play online!

Benjamin Bear in Fuzzy Thinking

Title: Benjamin Bear in Fuzzy Thinking
Author: Philippe Coudray
ISBN: 978-1-935179-12-2
Copyright: 2011

Just in time for the holidays comes the amusing antics of Benjamin Bear.  This is one of the newer stories from TOONbooks who also brought us Silly Lilly, Benny and Penny, Little Mouse, and Stinky (all of which are available at the Norway Memorial Library). 

Benjamin Bear attacks life in his very own way.  He is friends with a penguin, a bunny rabbit, and many forest animals.  The book is broken up into short comic strips that are easy to read.  For beginning readers this is a great book to get the "feel of reading" without needing to slog through pages and pages of text.  On the plus side, the reader is sure to laugh at each seperate storyline. 

If you don't believe me that this book is sure to be a winner, come in to the library and check it out.  If your kid doesn't laugh we will give you your money back!  (But lets be honest who could read this whole graphic novel and not laugh once?)

Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur

Title: Eight Keys
Author: Suzanne LaFleur
ISBN:978-0-385-74030-2

By nature I am a skeptical person.  I was picking out which books I was going to read from a new shipment of Children's Books that the library received and I saw Eight Keys by Suzanne LaFleur.  Under the title it say "Eight secrets.  Each will unlock the past..."  Meh, I thought.  The book looked fairly short and I knew it would be a fast read so I grabbed it and checked it out.  On the back one of the quotes from other reviewers said "Quite simply the best book for girls nine and over that I have ever read,"  at this point I think I snorted just a little.

Truthfully though, the book was brilliant.  It is the story for every child who can't quite deal with middle school, and lets be honest who can.  Elise is just starting sixth grade and everything that can go wrong for her does.  On the first day of school she finds out that she needs to share her locker with the meanest girl ever and she gets given the nickname "Scabular"  not exactly the best way to start a new year.  If that isn't bad enough, all her teachers hate her and she can't seem to get her act together.  She forgets about her homework, misses the bus, fails tests and eventually gets sent to the principals office for fighting.  While all this is happening she is also learning more about her parents who are both dead and the aunt and uncle who raised her. 

This book is most definitely a tear jerkier, not the snuffly nose, weepy eyes sort.  Instead it is more of the maybe if no one gets real close they won't know that I am crying type of book.  When I got to the end of Eight Keys I was actually disappointed that it was finished.  It reminded me of when I was in middle school (also having a horrible time of it) and my mom gave me Whirligig by Paul Fleischman.  While that book didn't exactly spur me into action to change my life, perhaps Eight Keys will be able to help your favorite middle school student. 

P.S.  Kids really hate it when you say "This is a great book you have to read it!"  That never works instead try to surreptitiously slip this one into their Christmas Stocking..  Plus it is by the same author of Love, Aubrey so if your kid was a fan of that she is sure to love this one!

Bake Sale by Sara Varon

Title: Bake Sale
Author: Sara Varon
ISBN: 978-1-59643-740-1

The newest graphic novel from the author of  Robot Dreams which I know that everyone has read and absolutely loves comes Bake Sale.  It is hard to resist any book where the two main characters are a cupcake and an eggplant.  The cupcake, named Cupcake, wears a cherry on her head.  At one point in the story she tries wearing a blueberry but it's just not right. 

When Cupcake, (who plays drums in a band) finds out that her best friend Eggplant is going to Turkey to visit his friend Aunt Aubergine and her friend Turkish Delight she knows that she just can't be left out.  However Cupcake doesn't have enough money to fly to Turkey so how will she earn the money to meet her hero Turkish Delight?  Well through Bake Sales of course!

I am sure nobody was able to guess how this plot line would go...  The ending is quite unpredictable, and the book is filled with baking tips, information and recipes to make cupcakes and other treats, as well as a gravy boat full of culinary jokes sure to make any reader laugh!  This is a delightful book and for all the little girls out there who love Baby Mouse, this is sure to be a hit!