SPY SCHOOL by Stuart Gibbs

Spy School by Stuart Gibbs (series)
 
Fiction, Mystery, Action
2012; 290 pages

Description
Ben Ripley leaves his public middle school to attend the CIA's highly secretive Espionage Academy, which everyone is told is an elite science school.

My Comments
Action, action from the first page. This is a great book for almost any middle schooler. Some vocabulary and idioms may be challenging for readers, but the great plot may carry them through! All of Gibbs' books are a good bet for recommendations.

WHAT STAYS BURIED by Suzanne Young

 

What Stays Buried by Suzanne Young

Horror, Ghosts, Missing Children

2023; 264 pages

Description

School Library Journal Xpress (September 29, 2023)

Gr 6 Up-Calista Wynn sees dead people. But she won't much longer. Once she turns 13 (in a week), her ability to communicate with ghosts will disappear. In this middle grade debut, Calista must rush to use her powers to save the disappearing children in her town of Meadowmere, NY, before it's too late. Calista comes from a long line of mediums who can speak to ghosts but lose their powers on their 13th birthdays. With the help of the ghosts of her father and grandmother, Calista works to stop Edwina Swift, the evil "Tall Woman" who has taken numerous children, including Calista's sister Molly, to make herself more powerful. Young's suspenseful novel is dark; with seances, curses, mediums, and possessions, some readers may find aspects of the book terrifying. Yet, the novel also shows strong family bonds across generations and worlds, while overarching themes of the power of love, family, and friendship make this a solid entry into horror for adventurous readers. VERDICT Those with an interest in the occult will enjoy this book for the well-developed protagonist and solid plotting.-Rebekah J. Buchanan © Copyright 2023. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

My Comments

Another scary book! Seances (summoning and speaking to the dead), the occult, and a wicked witch who is stealing children's souls. The scary stuff is softened by strong family bonds and the value of caring about others. Good prevails in the end!

WHEN THE WORLD WAS OURS by Liz Kessler

When the World Was Ours by Liz Kessler

Historical Fiction, Holocaust, WWII, Friendship

2021; 337 pages

Description

Booklist starred (May 15, 2021 (Vol. 117, No. 18))

Grades 6-8. Best friends Leo, Elsa, and Max are celebrating Leo’s ninth birthday in 1936 Vienna. Leo’s papa takes their picture, and as their lives spin apart during the next five years, all three depend on their copy of that picture as a touchstone. Elsa, who is Jewish, loses her home, is forced into a ghetto, and is eventually transported to Auschwitz. Leo is Jewish, too, and after his papa is arrested, Leo and his mother try to escape Austria. Max, who was a bullied outcast before he met Elsa and Leo, is the son of a high-ranking Nazi, and he embraces the brainwashing camaraderie of the Hitler Youth movement. The heartbreaking narrative follows the characters across time and space as they age and struggle down their separate paths. And though they still remain connected to one another, a reunion now may bring only grief. Based on the real-life experiences of author Kessler’s relatives, the narrative is brutally honest and totally believable. Readers share the inner thoughts of each character as they adapt to their unimaginable circumstances. Despite the characters’ initial grade-school ages, this emotional novel is best suited for older middle-grade readers.

My Comments

A perfect ELA supplement for our 8th-grade Social Studies curriculum. Although the three friends are in elementary school initially, they grow both in age and emotionally as the war wreaks havoc on their lives and friendships. This is a powerful story, but as the reviewer notes, it is best suited for older middle school students. Highly recommended.

 

EAGLE DRUMS by Nasugraq Rainey Hopson

Eagle Drums by Nasugraq Rainey Hopson

Fantasy, Mythology, Native Americans, Indigenous People, Survival, Nature, Animals, Alaska, Friendship

Newbery Honor 2024

2023; 245 pages

Description

Kirkus Reviews starred (August 1, 2023)

The Iñupiaq origin story of the Messenger Feast and a boy who was kidnapped by eagles. Throughout Piŋa’s childhood, he was told haunting stories about the dangers of strangers, an unknown presence in the mountains near his family’s sod house, and his missing older brothers, Atau and Maliġu. His mother’s projection of his brothers’ successes onto him combined with his father’s silence, both expressions of their grieving, leave Piŋa wondering, “How can you compete with someone’s memories, anyway?” One day, Savik, who shape-shifts between man and golden eagle, offers Piŋa a choice: death or captivity. Piŋa reflects on the pain his death would cause his parents. He decides to go with Savik and try to return someday. The eagles teach Piŋa singing, drumming, and dancing. He also learns how to build a giant sod house and host a huge feast. The lessons aren’t easy, and his ego is challenged: “I learned not to lead with demands. I learned to lead with connections.” Piŋa struggles with fear and distrust instilled by his family, overcomes self-doubt, and becomes both “creator and learner.” This orally transmitted tale, once banned like the feast it describes, offers a deep connection to rich cultural teachings. Iñupiaq author and illustrator Hopson enhances the story with full-page color illustrations that visually connect readers with Piŋa’s journey and emphasize the importance of connections to nature, spiritual beings, and human relatives. A captivating tale filled with enduring lessons about overcoming the fear of others. (author’s note) (Folklore. 8-12)

My Comments

The beginning of this story is quiet, describing an Inupiaq family, their home, and the emotions following the disappearance of Pinja's two older brothers while hunting in the mountains. It quickly picks up, however, once the boy is captured by an eagle. Every detail from the story's beginning ties into the plot and the boy's feelings throughout the book.

The message of respect for life and community is emphasized, as well as the importance of creating a vision, setting goals, perseverance, and believing in oneself.

This story would lend itself well as a read-aloud and discussion book.

WHISPERING PINES by Heidi Lang

Whispering Pines by Heidi Lang & Katie Bartkowski

Trilogy/Book 1

Horror, Mystery, Supernatural

2020; 312 pages

Description

Booklist starred (August 2020 (Vol. 116, No. 22))

Grades 5-8. After her dad’s mysterious disappearance, Rae moves to Whispering Pines, Connecticut, with her sister and mom, who have seemingly forgotten about him. Rae, unable to forget, is certain something unusual led to his disappearance. She quickly learns that Whispering Pines is filled with strange happenings—disappearing children, random sinkholes, weird school rules. Some of the missing kids are eventually found in an even more frightful way: with their eyes missing. Rae befriends neighbor Caden, whose loneliness stems from his family’s supernatural business, and the pair investigate the occurrences in town and in the Watchful Woods nearby. As Caden and Rae uncover strange truths, they realize the bizarre events may be linked to a local energy company and the disappearance of Caden’s brother. Readers will feel chills from the prologue onward as they’re pulled into the darkness of Whispering Pines. Chapters alternate between Rae’s and Caden’s points of view, slowly unraveling each character’s mysterious past. Caden and Rae are both believable protagonists, admirable for the actions they take and the worries they carry, and readers will enjoy meeting the vast array of interesting side characters as well—and have to decide which ones to trust and which ones to suspect. A thrilling novel perfect for fans of Stranger Things and stories filled with mystery and suspense.

My Comments

Super scary. Ask your students, "How scary do you want?" That said, it's a great page turner, nail biter.

KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES by Shannon Messenger

 

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

Fantasy, Paranormal, Psychic Abilities, Elves

2012; 488 pages

Description

Twelve-year-old Sophie has never quite fit into her life. She's skipped multiple grades and doesn't really connect with the older kids at school, but she's not comfortable with her family, either. And Sophie has a secret--she's a Telepath, someone who can read minds. But the day Sophie meets Fitz, a mysterious (and adorable) boy, she learns she's not alone. He's a Telepath too, and it turns out the reason she has never felt at home is that, well...she isn't. Fitz opens Sophie's eyes to a shocking truth, and almost instantly she is forced to leave behind her family for a new life in a place that is vastly different from what she has ever known.

But Sophie still has secrets, and they're buried deep in her memory for good reason: The answers are dangerous and in high-demand. What is her true identity, and why was she hidden among humans? The truth could mean life or death--and time is running out.

My Comments

My students insisted that I start reading this series after I finished Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland. I see some of the similarities. I am loving reading it and will definitely put this on a list of recommendations!

THE FORT by Gordon Korman

The Fort by Gordon Korman

Realistic Fiction, Friendship, Air Raid Shelters, Bullying, Domestic Abuse, Secrecy

2022; 239 pages

Description

When a tight-knit group of middle school friends discover a trap door in the woods that leads to a completely intact bomb shelter, they vow to keep the place a secret while sharing their individual secrets to build the safest space possible.

"Five friends who need to stick together after they set up a hideout in an abandoned bomb shelter and discover that the only way to be true friends is to reveal their secrets and help each other out.

The morning after Hurricane Leo rips through the town of Canaan, residents awaken to widespread destruction -- power outages, downed branches, uprooted trees, broken windows and damaged roofs. Four eighth-grade friends -- Evan, Jason, Mitchell, and CJ -- meet to explore the devastation. The tight-knit group is dismayed to find that Evan has brought along a stray -- Ricky, who is new to their town and school, and doesn't have any friends yet.

Ricky is the one to find the strange trap door that's appeared in the middle of the woods -- the door to an old bomb shelter, unearthed by the hurricane. Inside, the boys find a completely intact underground lair, complete with electricity, food, and entertainment (in the form of videocassettes). The boys vow to keep the place's existence to themselves.

Things soon get tense. Some bad locals keep snooping around. And what started out as a fun place to escape soon becomes a serious refuge for one of the kids who is trying to avoid an abusive home situation. In order to save the shelter, the friends must keep its secret... and in order to save themselves, they're going to have to share their individual secrets, and build the safest place they can." - The Publisher

My Comments

I was hooked the minute the boys discovered the bomb shelter which is a club house on steroids. The bonds of friendship ring true as do the secrets. There is a subplot of abuse by a stepfather that is realistic but written with sensitivity for this age group. it is especially poignant how the abused boy's friends were unaware for so long, but then found ways to help him once they understood the situation. Korman skillfully portrays the importance of friendship as well as the excitement and difficulties of being a young teen.