The Great Cheese Conspiracy

by Jean Van Leeuwen

In this fifth book of a series, Merciless Marvin the Magnificent is tired of small time heists involving popcorn machines and candy bars and decides his gang of mice is ready for the "Big Time". Can they leave the relative safety of the movie theater and pull off a foolproof plan to rob a nearby cheese shop? Van Leeuwen creates a lighthearted caper of short chapters and easily read text. Unfortunately, most of the movie humor will be lost on the targeted audience.

2 of 5 Stars. Recommended.

Sally's Bones

by MacKenzie Cadenhead

Middle schooler Sally Simplesmith goes about her day unnoticed, both at school and at home by her absent-minded workaholic father. To make life more challenging Sally greatly misses her recently deceased mother. Sally is ready to give up and melodramatically asks for death upon her mother's grave. Instead, Sally finds a much needed friend and companion in a tail-wagging pooch made from bones. Life begin changing for Sally, but her new found happiness is put to the test when her pet is accused of a recent crime spree. Cadenhead creates an interesting character in Sally and does a fine job addressing the issues of grief and loneliness.

3 of 5 stars - Recommended.

School of Fear

by Gitty Daneshvari

Four twelve-year old phobic children travel to a remote Massachusetts summer school run by a wacky ex-beauty queen headmistress in an attempt to overcome their fears of bugs, confined spaces, death and water. Forced to follow strange rules and learn pageant etiquette the four must band together and face their individual fears after tragedy strikes the school. Daneshvari creates mildly believable characters with a strange setting for a story line reminiscent of the craziness of Lemony Snicket.  Readers may enjoy visiting the School of Fear website.

3 of 5 stars - Recommended.

The Treasure Keepers

by Chris Mould

The last  book of Mould's Something Wickedly Weird series. Crampton Rock's self-appointed guardian Stanley Buggles and friend Daisy Grouse form the Secret Keepers-Alliance long with the Darkling children. They will need all their skills as Old MacDowell returns on a pirate ship intent on betraying them yet again, that is until he is bitten by the island's werewolf and needs to be locked up himself. The children try their own tricks, along with the help of the talking pike, to save the rock from being blown up for a bit of gold. Unlike the earlier books in the series this book can be read without the others, although the readers would enjoy the background the earlier books would provide.

4 or 5 stars - Recommended.

The Fairy Tale Detectives

by Michael Buckley

The first in a series of detective stories featuring Sabrina and Daphne Grimm. The girls are introduced to Granny Relda and the town of Ferryport Landings. Daphne immediately warms up to Granny Relda, but Sabrina is suspicious and plans to runaway, that is until Granny and her friend Mr. Canis are whisked away by a giant. It is now up to Sabrina and Daphne with the help of their new fairy-tale friends to plan a rescue and maintain the family legacy. Buckley nicely blends a lively plot with familiar fairy-tale characters. A good choice for girls looking for fantasy.

4 of 5 stars - Recommended.

Originally posted 30Jan2011.

The Magic Half

by Annie Barrows

Eleven-year-old Mira has always felt lonely in her unusual family of double twins. Until one day in her new bedroom, Miri looks through a piece of glass. She is magically transported to another time, 1935, where she meets a young girl so much like herself she could be her twin. Miri must now figure out not only how to get home, but how to return to the past and bring Molly back to the future with her. Barrow creates realistic characters in a swiftly moving plot. She deftly handles the issue of time-travel by way of magic, thus side-stepping the need for logic.

5 of 5 Stars - Highly Recommended.