The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle

The Charmed Children
of Rookskill Castle
by Janet Fox

From the publisher:
"Something is not right at Rookskill Castle, a rundown Scottish manor shrouded in mystery. The castle is a temporary boarding school for children escaping the Blitz, but soon it’s clear there is something terribly wrong. There are clues hinting that a spy is in the house, and there are undeniable signs of a sinister magic. When the children in the castle’s temporary boarding school begin disappearing one by one, it’s a race against the clock for twelve-year-old Kat Bateson, her two younger siblings, and their new best friend."

It took me a while to get into this one, which concerns me for my middle schoolers. You have to grab them and hold on with both hands to get them to read sometimes, so I'm not sure how this one will go over. Eventually the plot became very exciting and even creepy, so I think if they just keep going it will win them over. It also attempts a lot of plot lines, which might be hard for some of my students to keep track of and understand.... WWII and the Blitz, boarding school, magic, spying and mechanical things. The main character is a little annoying at times, but she has a lot on her plate. All in all, I mildly enjoyed it but was annoyed at the open ending and no sequel. 

Areas of concern:
*Some pretty gruesome magic goes on including trading fingers and limbs for special charms.
*Really evil person stealing the souls of children.
*A parent in grave danger from the Nazis

Suggested Ages:
Publisher's Weekly - Ages 10+
School Library Journal - Grades 6+

Serafina and the Black Cloak

Serafina and the
Black Cloak
by Robert Beatty

From the publisher:
"“Never go into the deep parts of the forest, for there are many dangers there, and they will ensnare your soul.”

Serafina has never had a reason to disobey her pa and venture beyond the grounds of the Biltmore estate. There’s plenty to explore in her grand home, although she must take care to never be seen. None of the rich folk upstairs know that Serafina exists; she and her pa, the estate’s maintenance man, have secretly lived in the basement for as long as Serafina can remember.

But when children at the estate start disappearing, only Serafina knows who the culprit is: a terrifying man in a black cloak who stalks Biltmore’s corridors at night. Following her own harrowing escape, Serafina risks everything by joining forces with Braeden Vanderbilt, the young nephew of the Biltmore’s owners. Braeden and Serafina must uncover the Man in the Black Cloak’s true identity . . . before all of the children vanish one by one.

Serafina’s hunt leads her into the very forest that she has been taught to fear. There she discovers a forgotten legacy of magic, one that is bound to her own identity. In order to save the children of Biltmore, Serafina must seek the answers that will unlock the puzzle of her past."

I'm just going to start this by putting it out there that this book is quite scary and eerie. It starts out with a lot of discussion about rats. I have (luckily) never had a run-in with a rat, but since I am scared witless by mice, I was very disturbed by all of the rat talk. But that is just me, there is a lot more than rats here to terrify middle schoolers. I have a couple of students who LOVE the Lockwood and Co. books, and to tide them over between those books I think I'll steer them towards Serafina. There is definitely no lack of action and atmospheric creepiness. A black-cloaked, zombie-like monster who steals children, a creepy forest with an abandoned village and a mysterious and scary cemetery. Who can you trust? There are many people who could be suspect. 
The setting of the Biltmore estate was a fun part, and now I want to go visit it.... but NOT live in the rat-infested basement. 
I like the character of Serafina, she is brave and good and strong, but let's face it, sometimes pretty foolish. I felt sorry for her poor pa, who loved her and was always worried about her as she went off and left without telling him. I also liked Braeden and had a lot of compassion for his story. While I figured out some things quite easily, the way the author got around to explaining them was gripping. I really enjoyed this book, but it is not for the faint of heart. 

Areas of concern:
*Children disappearing in a very scary way.
*Atmospheric tension
*Blood and gore play a small part.
*Animal attacks
*Very little parental supervision
*Rats! Creeping, crawling, being caught, being killed.

Suggested Ages:

Publisher's Weekly - Ages 8-12 (Wow!  8 years old?  Really?  Way too young, in my opinion.)

School Library Journal - Grades 5-7

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine's Home 
for Peculiar Children
by Ransom Riggs

From the publisher:
"A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of curious photographs.

A horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows."

This book always looked way too creepy for me. However, many of my students love this series, so I thought I would see what I was missing. It was not that creepy - it was gory and violent at times, but not necessarily weird or creepy. Okay, maybe it was weird and a little creepy. All in all it was reasonably gripping and exciting. I thought it was an interesting premise, but sometimes it felt very disjointed. When I got to the end of the book and saw the pictures from the movie, I couldn't remember anything about the twins. I remembered their picture, but couldn't remember their names or what they did. Sometimes it felt like the author just wanted to use one of his old, creepy pictures so he threw in a character and then forgot about them. (And speaking of the movie..... Emma is the levitating girl and Olive has the fire?! Why?) 
There were other things that bothered me about this one as well. The whole romance-with-your-grandfather's-soul-mate thing was kind of yucky. You'll have to read it to understand, but I was disturbed by it. There was some pretty gruesome violence. And I never felt completely connected to the characters. I thought Jacob was obnoxious at the beginning, and it never really explained the reasons for that. And why did he have no friends? I didn't feel like that was explained either, just used and made necessary so he wouldn't care about leaving. 
However, it is imaginative, I loved the setting and I loved the time-loop concept. I can see why the kids seem to love it.

Areas of concern:
*Around 50 uses of cussing and/or vulgarities (depending on whether you're a Yank or a Brit).
*Already stated gruesome violence (disgusting monsters who eviscerate and eat sheep and a couple of the characters in the book - among other things).
*Weird romance which involves kissing. (The boy is 16 and the girl is something like 83 but is stuck in a time-loop at age 16. When she was really 16, she was in love with the boy's grandfather.)
*Trusted adults either acting like idiots or villains. 

Suggested Ages:

Publisher's Weekly - Ages 12+

School Library Journal - Grades 8+

Dream a Little Dream

Dream a Little Dream
by Kerstin Gier

From the publisher:
"Mysterious doors with lizard-head knobs. Talking stone statues. A crazy girl with a hatchet. Yes, Liv's dreams have been pretty weird lately. Especially the one where she's in a graveyard at night, watching four boys conduct dark magic rituals.

The strangest part is that Liv recognizes the boys in her dream. They're classmates from her new school in London, the school where she's starting over because her mom has moved them to a new country (again). But what's really scaring Liv is that the dream boys seem to know things about her in real life, things they couldn't possibly know--unless they actually arein her dreams? Luckily, Liv never could resist a good mystery, and all four of those boys are pretty cute..."

I'm not quite sure what to think of this book. There were some things I really liked and some things I couldn't stand. I will admit I was expecting more. I loved this author's Ruby Red , with it's snarky yet charming main character and the many exciting adventures, but this one didn't hold quite the charm for me that Ruby Red did. 

Things I liked: 
*Another snarky and funny main character.
*Little sister Mia. I laughed out loud several times at her antics. 
“Liv, stop it!" hissed Mia. "You look like a lovelorn sheep!"
I gave a start. "As bad as that? Oh, that's terrible." I added - and I was to regret it in the course of the day - "If you see me looking like that again, give me a nudge or throw something at me. Promise?"
"With pleasure," said Mia, and three hours later, because she always kept her promises, I was black and blue around the ribs and had been hit by assorted flying objects: several chestnuts, a spoon, and a blueberry muffin.” 
*I loved the relationship between the sisters. 
*I liked the character of Grayson, although I'm sure we will find out many more things about him in the coming books in the trilogy.
*I thought the concept of sharing dreams was pretty cool (although I would definitely be putting a lot of safeguards around MY door). 

Things I didn't like:
*Bad teenage behavior throughout! Guh, I could go on another Raven Boys rant - which would be apropos because this one actually reminded me just a little bit of that book. 
*How many outrageously gorgeous students can GO to one high school?! I got so tired of hearing about perfect features and hot looks. When the 4 beautiful boys are spotted walking down the school hall in perfect unison, I pictured a slow motion take of Edward, Emmett, Jasper, Alice and Rosalie walking down the corridors of Forks High School and kind of giggled to myself.
*The dream-theme was pretty interesting, but the demon-theme was not very believable. Actually, I guess that is a good thing for me. But I feel like it was meant to be very atmospheric and dark and it didn't make that impression on me.
*The main character seemed to really have her head on straight, which made it so annoying when she started to agree to do the stupidest things.
*There was a mild romance, but I never really believed in it or felt it. 

Now let's talk about the ending. What?! Until the last page and a half, I was thinking, Hmmm, why is this a trilogy? It seemed to be having a good ending. Then, BOOM! Okay, now I see why there needs to be another book. 
I think middle schoolers will like this book, but I don't think I will recommend it to them because of all the bad behaviors. 

Areas of concern:
*A lot of bad language! Never the *f* word, but tons of others.
*A lot of teenage drinking and partying. One party was going on in the pool house with the teenagers, while the teenager's dad was throwing an adults-behaving-badly party in another part of the house.
*Dysfunctional families abound. Is there one good, loving family in the whole book?
*A lot of talk about teenage sex. One of the main plot points is that they are having trouble finding a teenage virgin to conjure up a demon.

Suggested Ages:

Booklist - Grades 7-10

Kirkus Reviews - Ages 12+

School Library Journal - Grades 9+

*Mrs. Duke is going to have to side with School Library Journal on this one.

Clockwork Angel

Clockwork Angel
by Cassandra Clare

From the publisher:
"Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all."

This book is the first in a series that is a prequel to the very popular Mortal Instruments series.  A movie is coming out from the first book of that series this summer.  This series is about the ancestors of the Mortal Instruments characters.  It is very much a steampunk novel, which is very popular right now.   The setting is Victorian London, but an alternate sort of London.  The action certainly starts right away in this book.  I was immediately drawn to Tessa, I thought she was the perfect heroine; innocent, sweet, loyal, yet spunky, brave and strong. I loved the allusions to Boadicea, the warrior queen. But even though there was action from the very beginning, portions of it felt very slow. I have a feeling that the next 2 books are probably even better because everything has been set up and we know all the characters so the story can just go forward.  I found the character of Will very annoying, but I'm sure there is a very good reason for his sullen and irritable behavior, which we will discover in the sequels. Other things I really liked were the chapter headings of Victorian poetry, and the literary quotes between Tessa and Will. I forgive a lot of things for a A Tale of Two Cities quote or an Oscar Wilde poem. 

Areas of concern:  I don't remember any bad language in this book, if it was there it was very mild.  They had a phrase they used - "by the Angel" - which might have been profanity to them but it didn't bother me.  The romance was very clean, just a couple kisses.  There was some talk of brothels.  The violence was very heavy with Shadowhunters against demons and mechanical creatures.  Tessa was treated very roughly when the book started.    The feeling of the book was pretty dark overall.  

Ashes

Ashes
by Ilsa J. Bick

From the publisher:
"It could happen tomorrow . . .

An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions.
Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom—a young soldier—and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP.

For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it’s now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human.

Author Ilsa J. Bick crafts a terrifying and thrilling novel about a world that could be ours at any moment, where those left standing must learn what it means not just to survive, but to live amidst the devastation."

I really liked the first half of the book, and I felt like it could have been so much more. I almost quit several times after I got halfway through. The first part was very gripping and intense, I cared greatly for the characters and what happened to them, and then it just got disgusting.  I do have this disclaimer - I am NOT a zombie fan, so if you are you might have a completely different opinion on this book.  And zombies do seem to be the "it" thing right now.  This book was highly recommended by several reviewers, which is why I purchased it for our library. 
Usually 1st-in-a-series books leave you wanting more, this one left me wondering why I had wasted my time, and gave absolutely no closure and no answers.  Obviously setting up for a sequel, but I won't be wasting my time with that.   

Areas of concern:  This book was incredibly violent and had lots of bad language.

Suggested ages:  (all over the map, so I'll list all I could find)
Booklist:  Grades 7-10
Kirkus Reviews:  Ages 12-15
Publisher's Weekly:  Ages 14+
School Library Journal:  Grades 10+

City of Bones

From the publisher:

City of Bones
by Cassandra Clare


 

"When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder—much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing—not even a smear of blood—to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?
This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .
Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare’s ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end."


 This is a huge series in YA paranormal right now.  It is soon to be a movie, so that should add to the hype.  Our 8th graders can't get enough of this book.  It was one of the very first YA paranormal books I read, and I wasn't all that impressed.  I should probably read it again now that I'm used to the genre. 

Areas of concern:  I read this quite some time ago so I don't remember much, but other sites have mentioned some language, quite a bit of kissing (nothing graphic), and some gory violence.  I've heard that the books toward the end of the series get quite a bit racier.

Suggested ages:
School Library Journal - Grades 8+
Publisher's Weekly - Ages 14+