​​Jagger Jones and the Mummy’s Ankh
Written by Melayna Evans
Age Level: 9 – 12
Grade Level:  4 – 7

Have you ever wanted to travel to Egypt, to see the pyramids or the sphinx? You don’t have to buy a ticket. Just check out this book by Malayna Evans, author AND Egyptologist. Travel back in time to meet the family of King Tut. He doesn’t figure in this story, but his sister does. She calls Jagger Jones, a kid from the South Side of Chicago back in time. Jagger must fight Egyptian gods and their magic to save the royal family and keep his own sister safe. What a great adventure! I was with Jagger every step of the way hoping he’d beat the bad guys and save the princess. Jagger, thanks for a great trip back to visit ancient Egypt!

​Laila and the Sands of Time
Written by Shirin Shamsi
Age Level: 8 – 12
Grade Level:  4 – 6

​If you’re looking for a story about a different time, a different culture, this is it! Laila was supposed to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca with her father, but everything changed when cancer took him away. Her aunt and uncle take her instead, and that’s when Laila finds herself swept back to 7th century Arabia. She makes a new friend who must get her baby sister out of Mecca, and out of danger. The two girls find a caravan crossing the desert. They’ll follow it part-way then sneak away so they can reach safety in Yathrib, modern-day Medina. Can Laila navigate danger to protect the baby? Will she return home again? If you’re seeking adventure, this is the book for you!

 

Tangled in Time: The Portal
Written by Kathryn Lasky
Age Level: 8 – 12
Grade Level:  3 – 7
 
I love Elizabeth I. If I had a chance to travel back in time, the first person I’d visit is Elizabeth, but of course I can’t. A book is the only way to time travel. This one took me back to Elizabeth’s childhood. I could imagine what her life was like, how she dressed, what she ate, and the people who surrounded her. Kathryn did a great job worldbuilding Tudor England. It matches with all the historical details that I know about Elizabeth’s life.
 
Kathryn added in eleven year old Rose Ashley for her middle grade audience. She’s a great heroine. Rose just lost her mother. She’s placed with a grandmother she barely knows who’s fading into dementia, and to top it off Rose meets the Mean Queens, 3 middle school bullies.
 
But Rose isn’t without powers of her own. She’s a master seamstress who can turn something old into something fabulous. She also finds a new set of friends who help her survive the mean queens of today and of Tudor England. Enter the portal and discover how Rose weaves together her lives in England and in Indiana. This is a great story, and I can’t wait for October 29 and Book 2, The Burning Queen.

​Judy Moody and Friends: Triple Pet Trouble
Written by Megan McDonald
Ilustrated by Erwin Madrid
Age Level:  4 – 6
Grade Level:  P – 1

​This early chapter book is great for kids who want to dive into bigger books. It has 3 stories that match up with social studies/economic standards. In story #1 Dr. Judy has a Venus Fly Trap that needs a cure for depression. In #2 Stink has a lemonade stand, and Judy finds a way to make money right next door. She decides to do pet therapy while Stink sells lemonade. In #3 Judy has a misbehaving toad . . . He pees everywhere. The cure . . . pet behavior school! I think young children will love this book as much as I did!

​Nancy Clancy Seeks a Fortune
Written by Jane O’Connor
Ilustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser and Carolyn Bracken
Age Level:  6 – 10
Grade Level:  1 – 5

If you like Fancy Nancy, you’ll love her chapter book series. In book 7, Nancy’s class is studying the California gold-rush, and her teacher adds in a business project, making a product/doing a service. It’s a two-fer, a great story that shows kids how to make some money. They DO LOVE spending it! Nancy has a couple failures, but along the way she discovers that some things are better than money. What a great way to learn about economics . . . in a kid-appealing story!

​ Crenshaw
Written by Katherine Applegate
Age Level:  8 – 12
Grade Level:  4 – 6

I read this book when it was brand-new, and it’s still one of my favorites. Jackson is about to be homeless again. He got through it back when he was 3, thanks to a little help from his imaginary friend, a cat named Crenshaw. Now that it’s happening again, Crenshaw is back, AND he’s bigger. Why? Jackson’s problems are bigger too.
 
In case you can’t check this book out right away, I’ll pass Crenshaw’s best advice onto you now – be honest with family and friends. It works! I can’t give away the ending, but I’ll give you a hint . . . it’s happy!
FYI – Katharine got the idea from the 1950’s movie Harvie, starring Jimmie Stewart. Harvey is a 6 foot 3 inch tall invisible rabbit. If you’re curious, check out the movie. Katherine took that impossible idea, matched it up with homeless kids, then did research in a school for homeless children. Their stories are included in the book.
 
PS – Music is part of the family’s problem, and I love the way it becomes part of the solution. Read the book to find out how!

​
Galaxy Zack: Return to Earth
Written by Ray O’Ryan
Illustrated by Jason Kraft
Age Level:  5 – 9
Grade Level:  K – 4
 
This is the tenth in a series of easy chapter books. Zac is going home to earth for his first visit, but things get complicated when his dog disappears. Zac and his friend Seth spend the day searching for Luna, but at least they check out some really great places. As for Luna, he finally gets his favorite bone back. If you know a young reader who loves fantasy, this is the perfect book for them.

​ A Hundred Horses
Written by Sarah Lean
Age Level:  8 – 12
Grade Level: 3 – 7

Happy Easter! Here’s a story that can be read long after Easter’s over. Sorry, no bunnies or eggs, but there are lots of horses, 99 to be precise. When Nell is forced to spend her Easter vacation with her aunt and cousins, she starts packing and discovers a carousel her father made before he left the family behind, along with a few scars.
 
When Nell arrives at her aunt’s, she meets Angel, a wild and mysterious girl with her own scars. Slowly they become friends, and their friendship helps them each heal. Best of all Angel is adopted by the owner of a farm with 99 horses. Angel saves the 100th horse, a foal with wonky legs. This story was sweet, but its two mysteries, the carousel and 100 horses, kept it from being super-sweet. I loved it!
 

 

​The Unteachables
Written by Gordon Korman
Age Level: 8 – 12
Grade Level: 3 – 7

​Sometimes those people we minimize and overlook, turn out to have the greatest potential. That’s the character twist written into this story. Mr. Kermit’s teaching career is ruined by a cheating scandal so he quits caring and becomes the worst teacher at school. He’s a year away from early retirement when he’s given the unteachables. It doesn’t matter because Mr. Kermit does the unthinkable . . .  he lets the kids vegetate. But what I really loved about this story, as a retired teacher, is that there’s more to Mr. Kermit, and more to the unteachables. Read how they work to help each other make the impossible come true, and the ending is spot on! This is a great read!

​Mothman’s Curse
Written by Christine Hayes
Illustrated by James K. Hindle
Age Level: 8 – 12
Grade Level: 3 – 4

I love fantasy, and a good mystery! Christine took the real facts of the Mothman story from 1960 newspapers. She updated it, added 2 brothers and a sister, then set the story in Athens, Ohio. I’m a Buckeye, and I love my home state!
 
The sister and oldest brother help their father with the family auction business. That’s where they discover a camera that’s linked to the mothman story. They trace back the curse (that’s the made-up part), and they must break it before Josie dies or someone takes her place. I absolutely loved this story and its mix of fantasy, mystery, and a little horror. It’s a great read!