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.

WINGS OF FIRE (Series) by Tui Sutherland

 

Wings of Fire (Series - 15 Books)

The Dragonet Prophecy (Book 1) by Tui Sutherland

Fantasy, Dragons, Survival, Adventure, Friendship, Courage

Text and Graphic Novel formats

2012; 304 pages

Description

Booklist (May 15, 2012 (Vol. 108, No. 18))

Grades 4-7. One stormy night on an island of warring dragon tribes, five eggs from five separate tribes are stolen from their nests. The eggs hatch in a secret location, and the dragonets are raised to fulfill a destiny they neither understand nor wish to face. They tire of the secrecy that has dictated their lives at the behest of the shadowy organization the Talons of Peace, and they look for any opportunity to break free. When that opportunity finally comes, it has ramifications they could never possibly imagine. As the first title in a multiple volume series, this gets down to the business of introducing readers to the key players in what is set to be an epic saga. While a lot happens in this first book, Sutherland has taken time to flesh out the characters and make each vital to the story, rather than simply overwhelming in their numbers. Dramatic battle scenes, double-crosses, and one seriously deranged queen makes Wings of Fire a series that should have broad appeal for middle-grade fantasy fans.

My Comments

I am hooked! Literally binge listening and reading to this series. Absolutely wonderful. Good for upper elementary (there are some really mean dragons and some violence), but the little dragonets offer counterpoints of peaceful resolution to conflict, loyalty, kindness, and bravery. A winner for kids (and adults like me) who like dragons and action!

Additional Stand-Alone Books

Legends

• Dragon slayer 
• Darkstalker

Winglet Series

ENOLA HOLMES AND THE CASE OF THE MISSING MARQUESS by Nancy Springer

 

Enola Holmes and the Case of the Missing Marquess

Mystery, Historical Fiction, Adventure, Humor

216 pages

Description

Enola Holmes, much younger sister of detective Sherlock Holmes, must travel to London in disguise to unravel the disappearance of her missing mother.

School Library Journal (February 1, 2006)

Gr 4-8-In what is hopefully the start of an exciting new series, Missing Marquess features the intriguing, much younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes. Enola was a late-life baby, causing something of a scandal in society. Her rather vague mother is a 64-year-old widow who disappears on Enola's 14th birthday. It takes the girl a short time to realize that her mother left her some ciphers that indicate why she went away and how she is faring. The teen reluctantly enlists the services of her adult brothers, who quickly determine that Lady Holmes has been padding the household accounts for years. When they decide that their sister belongs at a boarding school, Enola escapes and heads for London dressed as a widow. There she is able to solve a mystery involving the disappearance of young Viscount Tewksbury. She decides to stay in the city, adopting a number of disguises, and become a "Perditorian," or finder of lost things or people. Springer focuses a great deal on the restrictions placed on Victorian females by showing how unusual Enola's bravery and common sense are, even as she often struggles with conventional reactions. She wants her brothers' affection, or indeed anyone's, but knows that a socially accepted life will strictly limit her freedom and learning. Enola's loneliness, intelligence, sense of humor, and sheer pluck make her an extremely appealing heroine who hopefully will one day find the affection for which she so desperately longs.-B. Allison Gray, John Jermain Library, Sag Harbor, NY Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

My Comments

Entertaining! Great female role model who is strong, smart and funny! The beginning chapter is a little dark, but then all is explained!

TRISTAN STRONG PUNCHES A HOLE IN THE SKY by Kwame Mbalia

Science Fiction, Paranormal, Legends, Adventure, African American Folklore

482 pages

Description

Booklist starred (August 2019) Vol 115, No. 22

Grades 4-8. After losing his debut boxing match, two weeks following his best friend Eddie's death, Tristan Strong is sent to his grandparents' Alabama farm. He grew up on his nana's stories-Black American folklore and African myths-which Eddie had been collecting in writing. This journal is all Tristan has left of his friend, so when one of those myths, the hilariously volatile Gum Baby, shows up to steal it, Tristan gives chase. In the struggle, he punches a Bottle Tree, inadvertently unleashing an evil spirit and tearing a hole into a parallel univer. The world he falls into is an amalgam of Nana's stories, and as Tristan lands in the middle of a conflict between gods, heroes, and ruthless iron monsters-snapping, serpentine manacles-he must reclaim Eddie's journal and return home, but not before discovering his own power and fixing the damage he caused. Mbalia's epic debut centers African American characters and tradition, featuring a pantheon of legends and aplot worthy of such tricksters as Brer Rabbit and Anansi the Weaver. perfectly paced, this cinematic adventure never drags, anchored by Tristan's conversational narration and balanced by his struggle to cope with a friend's passing. It brims with heart, humor, and action, successfully crafting a beautifully unified secondary world that brings the power of stories to glorious life.

My Comments

Fun, fast-paced adventure. Good for Riordan fans! Sequels: Tristan Strong Destroys the World and Tristan Strong Keeps Punching. Teacher's Guide available.