Fun!

Polar Bears Past Midnight by Mary Pope Osbourne
Magic Treehouse Series #12

Sofia and I enjoyed our second Magic Treehouse book together. Afterwards, as suggested by her teacher, we went online to magictreehouse.com and created an account. We followed a really fun online adventure based on the books and earned a medallion. Then Sofia took little quizzes (3 questions each) about the four Treehouse books she has read (two with me, two with her teacher). For each one, she earned a stamp in her Magic Treehouse Passport. She loved doing this and is anxious to read the next book to earn more passport stamps.

In this book, Jack and Annie travel to the arctic where they meet a man in a sealskin coat. They go mushing, play with polar bear cubs, get rescued from the cracking ice by the mama polar bear, and even see the Northern Lights. Sofia and I had read a early reader science book about the Northern Lights a few weeks ago, so she was excited to find a "connection." She is big on finding connections thanks to her amazing teacher!!

In the Garden Trilogy #2

Black Rose by Nora Roberts

The second book in the In the Garden Trilogy is focused on Roz and her budding relationship with the handsome researcher/writer, Dr. Mitchell Carnegie. Mitch is helping Roz research the Harper family history with the hopes of discovery exactly who Amelia, who haunts the Harper homestead, is and why she cannot move on. This book sees a lot more ghostly action and delves a lot deeper into Roz's past and who she is.

I am really liking this trilogy. I think I loved this one even more than the first because of the genealogy and ghost activity aspects.

The Fall and Rise of Teen Love in Verse

What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones

Sophie is a pretty typical teen living in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is artistic, pretty, and completely boy crazy. Her father is never around and her mother lies around watching soaps all day, neither caring too much about what Sophie does. This book is written in verse and outlines the awkwardness of teenage love, dating, and desires.

Saving Zoe

Saving Zoe by Alyson Noel

Just days before Echo's fourteenth birthday, her older sister Zoe was brutally murdered. Now as Echo is approaching her fifteenth birthday she is working through the various steps of grief, trying to be patient and understanding with her zoned out mom and absent dad, and deal with all of the stares, gossip, and comments that come with being the "tragedy girl." The stares and comments have only gotten worse now that Echo is beginning high school where she has to come face to face with Zoe's friends and boyfriend, Marc, each day. Then Marc offers Echo her sisters diary to read. Reading Zoe's diary helps Echo get to know Zoe, the real Zoe, and also gives her clues as to what exactly happened that led up to her being brutally murdered.

I thought this was a really good book. And even though it involves a lot of heavy duty mature themes (murder, sex, drugs, date rape) as a few unfair reviews point out, the book never goes into great detail on these points.

I Like Ruby Oliver

The Boy Book by E. Lockhart

Ruby Oliver is quirky, funny, totally neurotic, has quirky parents, and lives on a houseboat. She wears fish nets and combat boots. In many ways she reminds me of me when I was in high school. In this second book in the series, Ruby is returning to school at the end of summer and is still a social leper. Her best friends have abandoned her, one of whom is dating her ex boyfriend, Jackson, who she may or may not still have feelings for.

Maxwell and King Back in Action

Simple Genius by David Baldacci

Michelle Maxwell is in trouble. Still reeling from the emotional turmoil of their last case, Michelle needs help from a professional. Sean King is willing to do whatever it takes to save her from herself and spends all of their agencies money to do so. he is forced to take a case from his ex, Joan Dillinger. It seems like a simple enough investigation. Head down to Virginia and figure out if Monk Turing, genius extraordinaire, was murdered or committed suicide. However, once Sean arrives at the think tanks compound, he is quickly cut off at every turn, secrets and soldiers are every where and he is forced to go head to head with the all-powerful CIA.

This is the third book in the Maxwell/King series. I love these two characters and also really enjoyed the introduction of Horatio Barnes and hope to see him in future books.

A Very Good YA

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Mia is a talented cellist with her whole life ahead of her. She has a talented rising rock star boyfriend and hipster parents who love her and her little brother Teddy. On the road, her and her family are in a violent accident and Mia has an out of body experience as she lies in a coma watching her loved ones gather and reminiscing on her life thus far while she decides whether to stay or go.

I thought this was an excellent YA. Sad and poignant.