Nick Newton is not a Genius by S.E.M. Ishida is a children's book about a boy from a family of geniuses. Nick is not a genius, he is a merely average boy from the country of Thauma. He may not be brilliant like his mom and dad or a child prodigy like his sister, but he won’t let that stop him from uncovering the mysteries of a clockwork factory or revealing a war hero’s greatest secret. With help from two new friends and his butler named Jude, Nick embarks on an adventure that will change his life forever.
Nick Newton is not a Genius is a good story about Nick Newton, trying to live up to his family name while still using his unique perspective and interest to be happy. I like that his skill set is still outstanding, but not considered on par with his family's based on standard measures. However, his intelligence just takes a different path. Sometimes being different, and thinking differently, is the key to being happy. I was glad to see Nick's journey being one that highlights this idea rather than him suddenly wowing the world by really being who they wanted him to be. I liked that most characters ended up being different than the perceptions others had about them. I would have liked a little more information on the world the story was taking place in, and its particulars. I feel like we were kind of dropped into a story and missing an introduction, and then we were missing a bit of an ending. While there was a conclusion, there was just way too much unanswered to make me happy. I really wanted more, on both ends of the story. Part of this was because I liked the world and the characters and honestly wanted to know more about them all, and part of it was that I do not feel like I got the whole picture.
Nick Newton is not a Genius held my interest and told a story about finding yourself, and being happy with your own gifts. My only biggest issue with the book is the ending. It was left open ended, with clear paths of continuation. I felt more like I was missing the last chapter than there was a sequel to come.
Star Scouts is a children's graphic novel by Mike Lawrence, and is currently scheduled for release on March 21 2017. Avani is the new kid in town, and she’s not happy about it. Everyone in school thinks she’s weird, especially the girls in her Flower Scouts troop. Is it so weird to think scouting should be about fun and adventure, not about makeovers and boys, boys, boys? But everything changes when Avani is “accidentally” abducted by a spunky alien named Mabel. Mabel is a scout too, a Star Scout. Collecting alien specimens (like Avani) goes with the territory, along with teleportation and jetpack racing. Avani might be weird, but in the Star Scouts she fits right in. If she can just survive Camp Andromeda, and keep her dad from discovering that she’s left planet Earth, she’s in for the adventure of a lifetime.
Star Scoutsis a wonderful graphic novel about a young girl named Avani. She is not into boys and the popular music, she is different and stuck in the rut of wallowing in her unhappiness, so much so that she does not notice other peoples unhappiness. Then she meets Mabel and her group of Star Scouts she finds a great group of friends, and a fellow outsider in Mabel. They face challenges, including the classic battle with a bully in a fresh form, and find out a lot about themselves and friendship on the way. I think readers of all ages can empathize with Avani and Mabel, with the way they feel left out or not good enough. Even adults still face these feelings, and seeing others going through it in books and movies helps us all feel a little less odd. I also enjoyed the artwork very much. I think readers that will identify with the characters, and even those that feel more confident and comfortable in their own skin, can get a lot out of that part of the story. Oh, the adventure and danger portions of the story was awesome to, but I just identified so much with the emotional aspect that it is what stayed with me the longest. It was bright and colorful, and very detailed. Star Scouts is a well drawn comic about adventure, finding yourself, and friendship. I really enjoyed the book and think that it will hit the sweet spot with many readers.
The Time Museum is a graphic novel by Matthew Loux. It is currently scheduled for release on February 21 2017. The internship program at the Earth Time Museum is a little unusual. For one thing, kids as young as twelve get to apply for these prestigious summer jobs. And as for the applicant pool, well, these kids come from all over history. When Delia finds herself part of the applicant pool at the Time Museum, the last thing she expects is to be sent on time-traveling adventures with the others. From a cave-boy to a girl from the distant future, Delia's team represents nearly all of human history! They're going to need all their skills for the challenge they've got in store, defending the Time Museum itself!
The Time Museum got off to a slow start, but picked up speed quickly. First off, I really enjoyed the bright and quirky art style. It captured my attention and had me looking for hidden details and clues on every page. It was just fun and well done all on its own. Now as for the story, I always love the oddball characters, and Delia fills that role perfectly. She is smart and a free spirit, but awkward in the way teenagers are when they have not really grown into their full size and personality. Stumbling into the possibility of an internship at the Earth Time Museum and the adventures that awaited her there was just what she needed. There are multiple layers of mystery going on, along with the coming of age, getting along with peers, and fending off dinosaurs. For instance, just who is the Earl and what does he have to do with the Museum? This was just such a fun read, and a delightful find that will appeal to middle grade, young adult, and new adult readers the most. I am hoping to see more of this in series in the future.
The Time Museum is a fun, colorful graphic novel that kept me happy and entertained. I think any reader that likes adventure, science, or mystery will find this well worth the read.
Blurb: A very funny science fiction adventure that will change the way you look at life, the universe and why we're all here. Billions of years ago, our universe was born. Not really that terribly exciting for most life forms except of course yourselves… and, well, Phil. The poor bastard who’s had to watch over all you people the last billion or so years. Well, finally after years of listening to all your griping, bitching and whining, always with some imaginary being getting all the credit, he’s finally had it! Phil has decided to explain what the world is, why you’re here and how you can evolve finally into a species worth talking about at parties. In this hilarious actual account, Phil takes two unwitting Physicists on the adventure of their lives, which isn’t saying much for a couple of physicists, and shows them what life, the universe and lovely little corner pubs really is all about. They’re transported to other dimensions to meet their better looking selves, get taken prisoner by an evil but very good looking race, fly through black holes and help the creation of a new planet all while their greatest challenge hangs in the balance, saving earth from the most evil, and best dressed, species the universe has ever seen. Will they save earth? Has all the years of hard work Phil has done creating you beings be lost? Does any of this really matter? Excerpt:
Ping.
Ping.
“You gonna answer that?”
Delphinia slurred. Typically an attractive female colleague, except now she had
half a glass of Pan Universal Kumquat Juice down her front, and somehow an
equal amount sprayed randomly throughout her hair. We were all drunk—she was
winning.
“Just another idiotic
human with some whiny ‘I can’t do anything for myself’ question.” “Are they
still making you do that? Didn’t you create some god chat line for them to look
up on their own?” asked Braithwaight, a much larger and uglier version of
myself who had the unusual characteristic of having the largest nostrils in the
universe. You wouldn't know them as nostrils, of course, given that their size
and look is of one of your outhouses, massively uneven, bright orange and
dripping with something I'd rather not discuss.
“Ya, but they seem to be
using it mostly for porn and watching other humans or animals doing idiotic
stuff, which is even stranger when you realize that the average human does 4.8
stupid things per week; you would think watching each other in real time would
keep them amused enough,” I replied. Braithwaight was correct, after all—a
number of years ago, I had instructed humans to create something called God Gab
to answer all their questions and, hopefully, quit bothering me. As usual, they
misunderstood, called it Google, and continued to harass me anyway.
“Slow... what dey say?”
Delphinia slurred, spitting Pan Universal Kumquat Juice over both of us, which
as it turned out was actually rather tasty; I decided to order one next despite
it being a bit of a girly drink.
-->
“Dear Lord.” (Dear Phil,
it should have actually read.) Please give me strength in dealing with my two
kids; I’m always so tired, they stay awake for hours on end, I seem to be the
only one in the house able to nap, they eat all my food, hide my weed and are
even messier than my 3 ex husbands. I can’t keep doing it. What should I do?”
Author Info R.P. Momsen was lucky enough to meet Phil in a very lovely but rather smelly pub a few years ago. After listening to the most amazing story of his life, and a half dozen pints, Rick agreed to bring Phil’s story to the world and finally get Phil a vacation. Through an arduous process over the next couple years of intense notes, grand philosophical debates, lengthy trips through multiple universes and numerous beers this masterpiece of answers was named Phil and finally released. A great friendship has been created and Rick has agreed to continue to write the real truth about everything, why it’s kind of a good thing to know and what humankind could do to be invited to the really cool parties.
Fuzzy by Tom Angleberger and Paul Dillinger is currently scheduled for release on August 16 2016. When Max—Maxine Zealster—befriends her new robot classmate Fuzzy, part of Vanguard One Middle School’s new Robot Integration Program, she helps him learn everything he needs to know about surviving middle school—the good, the bad, and the really, really, ugly. Little do they know that surviving sixth grade is going to become a true matter of life and death, because Vanguard has an evil presence at its heart: a digital student evaluation system named BARBARA that might be taking its mission to shape the perfect student to extremes!
Fuzzy is a book that many kids will relate to despite not living in a time where robots are doing even more of our daily work for us. Max is a student that is trying her best, but seems unable to get ahead or please the people that matter to her most. Who cannot relate to that feeling, I think everyone has or is there right now- even us adults. Fuzzy is a robot programed to learn units own, using fuzzy logic and the ability to make its own choices and desertions. There is plenty of school and friend angst, the adventure of dealing with the technology and those with the money and power to control it, and some fun humor. However, there is also some bigger things going on here. I like there there is a body of community here on human nature and technology- but it does not overwhelm the rest of the story or come off as preachy or a lesson that was the reason for the story. I liked that balance, and many authors fail with that. No one like being preached at when they are reading for enjoyment- at least I do not and I do not expect your readers to either. I found myself lost in Max and Fuzzy’s adventures and wondering how BARBARA because the way she was and how our main characters would come out on top. I was occasionally surprised with the terms the book took, and highly enjoyed the journey.
Fuzzy is an entertaining middle grade novel from Angleberger. The combination of humor, science fiction, and classic coming of age story will make this widely appealing and a great summer read.
I am very fortunate to know a number of authors, which thus far I have avoided reviewing for because I did not want anyone to think positive reviews were biased, or if I did not like a book I was worried about hurt feelings or other complications. I am glad that I was asked by one such author, a coworker, to review and I agreed. Since we have fairly similar taste and fandoms I thought I would give it a go. Now I am both glad I did and disappointed that I did not read her work earlier. Finding another series to read is a double edged sword.
Prisoner of the Mind by Susan Staneslow Olsen currently scheduled for release in July 2016 and is the first book in a series. Rumors about the Kerasi and their violent society abound. Frustrated parents warned their children to stay in bed or a Kerasi might get them. They played marbles with real eyes, ate live toads the way decent people ate peanuts, and executed people just for walking down the street. The worst things Kerasi did didn’t kill you, but you wished they did. Aila Perrin knew that for a fact. A Union operative had been caught on KerasÃm. The Kerasi returned him without incident. His mind had been tampered with, erased, until he didn’t have the sense to feed himself. When thirteen year old Aila finds herself abducted by the Kerasi, she has every right to be terrified for her life. But even bad things aren’t always what they seem, and as Aila is drawn deeper and deeper into the Kerasi’s plot, she can’t help but wonder who the worst offenders are; the patriots fighting to free their own people, or her own precious Union that wants to keep them down. Can Aila forgive her captors and save a race of people without sacrificing her own?
Prisoner of the Mind is the first in a series, so there is some serious world and character building. For some reason the world building reminded me a bit of Jim Butcher's style, even though the world and plot are nothing like his works. Aila is an outspoken, intelligent girl that takes her privilege and independence a bit for granted. The Kerasi culture is one that depend heavily on a caste system, and women are typically thought little of. When Aila is kidnapped the two worlds collide and the reader gets to see both sides of the coin, the pros and cons of both the Union and Kerasi way of life. I liked that we get in the heads of several people, giving us a good glimpse of the big picture. The cultures and personalities were very well described, but at no time was it overwhelming of boring. Aila grows up quite a bit in the story, as one tends to when held hostage, but she is not the only character that grows and changes. I think the connection she makes with those she comes in contact with, some of which were technically her enemies, and her understanding of the larger picture even though she is fairly young was somehow both realistic and hopeful. In fact, I think the state of the societies in the book show a realistic pairing of the fear and hope that seems inherent in humanity and politics. While there is a huge, important social statement here, the story is not heavy handed or preachy (which often happens) instead it is a fantastic story that just happens to say something huge to readers that are willing to listen.
Prisoner of the Mind had me think about the character and world long after I finish the book. I actually had dreams about the characters and had trouble letting go of them enough to get into my next read. I highly recommend the book, and cannot wait to see where the story goes from here. It is an all around great read that is both entertaining and thought provoking.
Waylaid by Kim Harrison is para junction of the Hollows series and Peri Reed Chrorincles. Since I have only read the Rachel Morgan books it took me a bit to catch up with the details of Peri Reed's world. However, I think fans of Harrison in any capacity will be able to catch on quickly.
The paranormal and the futuristic meet in a novella featuring heroines from two of Kim Harrison’s most beloved series: the Hollows and the Peri Reed Chronicles. The magic of the Hollows runs full force into the technological sophistication of The Drafter when a device capable of carrying a city’s data stream pulls Rachel, the bounty hunter witch of the Hollows, between realities, marooning her in a world where the supernatural holds no sway. To get Rachel and Jenks home, Peri, the dangerous renegade of 2030, must decide what will chart her future: her blind trust in those who grant her power, or her intuition telling her to believe.
Waylaid is an intriguing novella. Rachel are Peri both strong but somehow vulnerable heroines in their own way. Both very different from each other, and very similar. Trust issues, independance, and self reliance about, and make their coming together was as exciting and interesting as I might have hoped. Rachel has to deal with being dropped in a world with no access to her magic and little connection to her support system. Peri honestly thinks Rachel is more than a little looney, at least at first. I like the the novella raised questions for both series, and left me wanting to catch up with both series. THe details of Peri's world is much more technological and and science fiction like than the fantasy world of Rachel Morgan. Finding a way to return Rachel to her own time and place involves trust and magic, both of which are difficult under the circumstances. There is even time for some character development for Peri squeezed in this fast paced, enthralling novella.
Waylaid is a nice union between two very different worlds, and one I really enjoyed. It inspired me to get reading the Peri Reed Chronicles. I have no idea when I will get all the great books out there read when I keep adding more to my lists...
Plip Plap Plop The Beginning Series: Fazo's Junk by Ibk Akin is a transitional or easy chapter book. Uncle Fazo is not your typical Uncle. He was a crazy scientist that invented lots of funny and random things for the fun of it. Zach, his nephew, and Miranda loved to test them out. When Zach's Uncle passes away Zach inherits all of his stuff. Readers join the brave best friends, Zach and Miranda, as they discover some insane inventions like the mute wand, ice cube ray gun, a talking robot and oh' did I mention a teleporting device that takes them anywhere in the world in seconds, where they can discover secrets of old times, solve mysteries and outsmart goons of all sorts? Keeping things action packed the pair need to worry about the evil overlord Tain who has a mission to destroy the very things Zach and Miranda try to save, words.
Plip Plap Plop The Beginning Series: Fazo's Junk is an adventure for readers just starting to read chapter books on their own. When I first started reading the book I was very interested. I wanted to check out of of Uncle Fazo's gadgets and see what kind of trouble they could cause. When the real adventure began, traveling through time and space to save words or help them come into existence I was still on board. The gadgets and adventures still held great promise. then it got a little more complicated, and then a little more so, and then I felt like the original thread of the story that had me hooked was gone. I think some young readers might get set adrift like I felt, while others with revel in the adventure and complexity of the story. It was still fun, and interesting, but not what i had been hoping for when I opened the book.
Plip Plap Plop The Beginning Series: Fazo's Junk is a good beginner chapter book for those looking for high adventure. Readers with an interest in language or inventions will particularly enjoy the book.
Future Shock by Elizabeth Briggs is a young adult book with adventure and science fiction elements. Elena Martinez has hidden her eidetic memory all her life. When powerful tech giant Aether Corporation selects her for a top-secret project, she can't say no. All she has to do is participate in a trip to the future to bring back data, and she'll be set for life. Elena joins a team of four other teens with special skills, including Adam, a science prodigy with his own reason for being there. But when the time travelers arrive in the future, something goes wrong and they break the only rule they were given: do not look into their own fates. Now they have twenty-four hours to get back to the present and find a way to stop a seemingly inevitable future from unfolding. With time running out and deadly secrets uncovered, Elena must use her eidetic memory, street smarts, and a growing trust in Adam to save her new friends and herself.
Future Shock is a great book with vibrant characters. I like the fact that the characters are all so different, and yet share common issues. The majority of major players come from the foster care system but even Adam, the only one not in the system, has issues of his own. It was also nice to see a variety of races and background issues for each of the characters, and they all felt very real and organic rather than forced. Elena and the crew all have trust issues (who can blame them), but they doubt themselves as well as each other. Their mission seems simple, find technology and information in the future that can earn Aether Corporation big money. However, there are secrets and lies that throw everything off and make everyone even more distrustful. I like the serious character development we see with Elena and the murder mystery component of the story, as well as the fact that the romance aspect did not take over the other aspects of the story. It was a real page turner, and I was very much engaged with the characters through the entire book.
Future Shock is a book with a great premise and execution. I enjoyed the read greatly and will be looking for more from the author, hopefully to continue the story.
The Genius Factor: How to Capture an Invisible Cat is a middle grade novel written byPaul Tobin and illustrated by Thierry Lafontaine. Every Friday the 13th, 6th grade genius and inventor extraordinaire Nate Bannister does three not-so-smart things to keep life interesting. This time, he taught a caterpillar math, mailed a love letter, and super-sized his cat Proton before turning him invisible. As Nate and his new (well, only) friend Delphine race to stop Proton from crushing everyone and everything in town, they come face-to-face with Sir Jakob Maculte (the twenty-seventh lord of Mayberry Castle and leader of the nefarious Red Death Tea Society). Known for its criminal activity, killer tactics, and impressive tea brewing skills, the Red Death Tea Society will do anything to get in their way. Nate and Delphine must pull out every mind-blowing gadget, half-perfected invention, and unproven but theoretically sound strategy they've got up their sleeves in order to survive to see Saturday the 14th!
The Genius Factor: How to Capture an Invisible Cat is quite an adventure. The story begins with Delphine being the quirky girl she is. She is bubbly and interesting and even though she is far from boring and often gets herself into trouble she makes friends easily with just about everyone. Nate tends to disappear into the background even though he is a genius. I liked his awkward brilliance, and how he thinks well outside of the box. The very different kids come together in friendship and work together to solve a giant, invisible problem, and manage to cooperate even when they do not completely understand each other. I like that while to two become friends, their relationship is as unique as the two in it rather than becoming instant and forever best friends. The action was fast, sometimes silly and other times made me nervous for the characters. The story was very creative and the characters unique while not being difficult to relate to, which is a tough balance to find. I believe this is the start of a series, and am looking forward to seeing what Nate does on the next Friday the 13th as well as what further fiascos from the Red Death Tea Society has in store.
The Genius Factor: How to Capture an Invisible Cat is a fantastic adventure with great characters and action. I think it will capture the attention of a wide variety of readers and might become a fast favorite for many.
The 39-Storey Treehouseis a children's book written by Andy Griffiths, illustrated by Terry Denton, and the audiobook is narrated by Stig Wemyss. Both formats have something to recommend them, but I will save that for the end of the review. This is the third installment in Andy and Terry’s book series about their ever-growing treehouse. While it is more fun to read in order, it is not necessary. The action and zaniness come through just fine without having read the previous book.The previous books are The 13-Storey Treehouse andThe 26-Storey Treehouse.
Andy and Terry’s amazing treehouse has 13 new levels including a chocolate waterfall, a non-erupting active volcano, an opera house, a baby-dinosaur petting zoo, Andy and Terry’s Believe it or Else! museum, a not-very-merry merry-go-round, a boxing elephant called the Trunkinator, an X-Ray room, a disco with light-up dance floor, the world’s scariest roller-coaster and a top secret 39th level that hasn’t even been finished yet! Part of the unfinished treehouse is the "once upon a time" machine to help them meet their latest book deadline. But, as usual things go a bit awry and adventure ensues.
The 39-Storey Treehouseis the third installment of the series, and is just as funny as the previous adventures. I think the action in this book is actually a bit more intense than that of the previous books, although there is plenty of silly fun and entertaining illustrations (or wacky voice acting) as well. I got a kick out of the new inventions, and the new characters. The inclusion, and then un-inventing, of things like hot ice cream and a cross between frogs and hippos made my kids and I laugh more than once. I do not want to expose all the fun in this installment- just know that if you liked the humor and style of the first two books, this installment has all that and more.
The 39-Storey Treehouseis another winner for fans of silly reads with great action. If you (or your kids) liked the previous books and like illustrated chapter books then this book will keep everyone happy. My son keeps rereading this one, because he notices new or different details in the book every time!
Synching Forward by W. Lawrence 1st Place for 2015 Feathered Quill
Award, Science Fiction/Fantasy
Finalist in the 2014 Book Pipeline Contest
Description:
--Travel to the future - it will only cost you everyone you love.--
Attacked and injected with a drug which slows his metabolism to a fraction of
normal, Martin James becomes an unwilling time traveler who hurtles
through the years. His children grow up, his wife grows older, and his only
hope is finding the people who injected him in the first place- not an easy
task when one day for Martin lasts four years. And while Martin James
strives to find a cure before everyone he loves is gone, others are uncertain
if his journey can be stopped at all.
W. Lawrence weaves a dystopian future filled with the best and worst of
humanity, highlights the blessings and curses of technology, and pushes the
limits of faith and hopelessness. Above all,Syncing Forward is a tale of one man's love for his family,
and their devotion to saving him from being lost forever.
Bella’s
sentences were all blended together, and before I could respond she was being
pulled from the room by my wife. I blinked hard and flapped my eyelids to keep
them from stinging and—hopefully—to clear my head. I tried yawning to pop my
ears, thinking perhaps they were clogged. A second later Dave stood by the
bedside, shaking my arm.
“Martin
Martin are you okay can you hear me what’s wrong Buddy you’re not looking so
hot can you please just say—” Dave was talking as if on fast-forward, his words
riding one upon another.
“Slow down,” I started to say,
trying to cut through their rapid speech and the concern on their faces. “I
feel very strange—”
The nurse cut me off. My voice
sounded raspy in my own head, and low-toned.
“Martin why are you talking so slow do you understand what
I am saying?”
“Yeah, but
you can’t talk so fast—”
“I need you
to tell me what you’re feeling right now.”
I tried to
get a word in edgewise. “I’m trying to answer, if you would let me—”
Amara had been standing in the doorway, watching the chaos
from a distance after being yanked into the hallway by somebody on the staff.
She ran back into the room with the hospital worker chasing after her. “Daddy
why are you talking like that are you fooling around you’re fooling right come
on Daddy tell the truth you are playing right you are pretending right Daddy?”
“No, sweetie, I’m not. I don’t—” I couldn’t even finish
one sentence as the girls kept talking over me. The woman grabbed Amara with
both hands and pulled her kicking and screaming from the room, her face flushed
with anger as they rapidly sank backward toward the hallway. “Let go of my
kid!” I tried to yell, but the command stalled in my throat and sputtered out
like a whisper.
The room became a swirl of battered sentences strung
together and overlapping. The doctors and nurses took the foreground, asking me
questions, never waiting long enough for me to answer. For split seconds I
could catch the movement behind them. Miranda was holding onto Amara now,
dragging her from view. The hospital worker was bent over the crying face of
Bella.
Life turned sideways as they wheeled my gurney from the
room and raced to the rooftop. Tears were building in my eyes again. I had to
resign myself to quick glimpses of the world as I shut my lids and peeked from
behind them when something caught my ear or moved me enough to rouse my
curiosity.
By the time they got me into the
medivac helicopter, I finally understood what Bruchmuller had injected me with.
Those four syringes were the culmination of what these doctors had been
researching. The world wasn’t speeding up; I was slowing down.
W
Lawrence was born in San Francisco, California, and moved two dozen times
before settling in Pennsylvania with his extraordinarily patient wife and two
precocious daughters. He wants a boy dog. He works in the world of corporate
security as an investigator and professional interviewer/interrogator.
Lawrence
is obsessed with 5K zombie runs, comes home empty-handed from hunting turkeys,
and loves non-fiction books about pirates. He has no problem reconciling that
his two favorite shows are Downton Abbey and The Walking Dead.
Star Scouts is a children's graphic novel by Mike Lawrence, and is currently scheduled for release on March 21 2017. Avani is the new kid in town, and she’s not happy about it. Everyone in school thinks she’s weird, especially the girls in her Flower Scouts troop. Is it so weird to think scouting should be about fun and adventure, not about makeovers and boys, boys, boys? But everything changes when Avani is “accidentally” abducted by a spunky alien named Mabel. Mabel is a scout too, a Star Scout. Collecting alien specimens (like Avani) goes with the territory, along with teleportation and jetpack racing. Avani might be weird, but in the Star Scouts she fits right in. If she can just survive Camp Andromeda, and keep her dad from discovering that she’s left planet Earth, she’s in for the adventure of a lifetime.
Well, finally after years of listening to all your griping, bitching and whining, always with some imaginary being getting all the credit, he’s finally had it! 
Excerpt:
Prisoner of the Mind by Susan Staneslow Olsen currently scheduled for release in July 2016 and is the first book in a series. Rumors about the Kerasi and their violent society abound. Frustrated parents warned their children to stay in bed or a Kerasi might get them. They played marbles with real eyes, ate live toads the way decent people ate peanuts, and executed people just for walking down the street. The worst things Kerasi did didn’t kill you, but you wished they did. Aila Perrin knew that for a fact. A Union operative had been caught on KerasÃm. The Kerasi returned him without incident. His mind had been tampered with, erased, until he didn’t have the sense to feed himself. When thirteen year old Aila finds herself abducted by the Kerasi, she has every right to be terrified for her life. But even bad things aren’t always what they seem, and as Aila is drawn deeper and deeper into the Kerasi’s plot, she can’t help but wonder who the worst offenders are; the patriots fighting to free their own people, or her own precious Union that wants to keep them down. Can Aila forgive her captors and save a race of people without sacrificing her own?
Future Shock by Elizabeth Briggs is a young adult book with adventure and science fiction elements. Elena Martinez has hidden her eidetic memory all her life. When powerful tech giant Aether Corporation selects her for a top-secret project, she can't say no. All she has to do is participate in a trip to the future to bring back data, and she'll be set for life. Elena joins a team of four other teens with special skills, including Adam, a science prodigy with his own reason for being there. But when the time travelers arrive in the future, something goes wrong and they break the only rule they were given: do not look into their own fates. Now they have twenty-four hours to get back to the present and find a way to stop a seemingly inevitable future from unfolding. With time running out and deadly secrets uncovered, Elena must use her eidetic memory, street smarts, and a growing trust in Adam to save her new friends and herself.
The Genius Factor: How to Capture an Invisible Cat is a middle grade novel written by Paul Tobin and illustrated by Thierry Lafontaine. Every Friday the 13th, 6th grade genius and inventor extraordinaire Nate Bannister does three not-so-smart things to keep life interesting. This time, he taught a caterpillar math, mailed a love letter, and super-sized his cat Proton before turning him invisible. As Nate and his new (well, only) friend Delphine race to stop Proton from crushing everyone and everything in town, they come face-to-face with Sir Jakob Maculte (the twenty-seventh lord of Mayberry Castle and leader of the nefarious Red Death Tea Society). Known for its criminal activity, killer tactics, and impressive tea brewing skills, the Red Death Tea Society will do anything to get in their way. Nate and Delphine must pull out every mind-blowing gadget, half-perfected invention, and unproven but theoretically sound strategy they've got up their sleeves in order to survive to see Saturday the 14th!
The 39-Storey Treehouse is the third installment of the series, and is just as funny as the previous adventures. I think the action in this book is actually a bit more intense than that of the previous books, although there is plenty of silly fun and entertaining illustrations (or wacky voice acting) as well. I got a kick out of the new inventions, and the new characters. The inclusion, and then un-inventing, of things like hot ice cream and a cross between frogs and hippos made my kids and I laugh more than once. I do not want to expose all the fun in this installment- just know that if you liked the humor and style of the first two books, this installment has all that and more.
Synching Forward by W. Lawrence
W
Lawrence was born in San Francisco, California, and moved two dozen times
before settling in Pennsylvania with his extraordinarily patient wife and two
precocious daughters. He wants a boy dog. He works in the world of corporate
security as an investigator and professional interviewer/interrogator.