I am truly loving the audiobooks that Penguin is so graciously sending me for review.  And, I am a huge Theodore Boone fan.  Plus, there seems to be a cavernous hole in YA where mystery stories are concerned.  Not sure why- or, am I missing something?  This time*, Theo is under suspicion and about to be arrested for a theft that occurred at a local electronics store.  Thus, the young Boone is found in a new place in his life, trying to defend himself.  As usual, his "de-barred" uncle comes to the rescue to help Theo find a way out of his mess.  The beauty of this audio is Richard Thomas' narration.  I dare you to listen and not want to shout, "Good Night, John Boy!"  The pacing and voices Thomas adds to the narrative are soothing to the ears and portray the characters' personalities through voice quite well.  I have listened to the last two Theo Boone novels and have been thoroughly satisfied.

*For those unfamiliar with this series, Theodore Boone is the son of Marcella and Woods Boone, who are both lawyers.  Each novel provides another mystery to be solved, but they are all very close to the main character (i.e.  he doesn't find mysterious dead people, etc).

This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel

It seems to be a bit late for the review, but I LOVED this book! It kept me entranced the entire train ride back from NCTE in Chicago and I finished the last page as the train pulled into the A2 station.

For those who love classics, this book will not disappoint. Young Victor Frankenstein and his twin brother, Konrad, are playing around in their mansion's library with their cousin, Elizabeth, when they stumble upon a secret passageway. Further investigation leads them to a secret library and workshop where they later learn their ancestors used to illegally practice alchemy. The elder Mr. Frankenstein warns against their ever returning to the "dungeon". However, Konrad becomes ill and Victor is desperate to do anything to save him. As Konrad languishes in his bed day after day, Victor and Elizabeth struggle to seek out help from an invalid alchemist in their town in Switzerland. A search, alchemy and romance ensues as the two try to find the three ingredients needed for Konrad's life saving "elixir of life."
This novel is a true gothic read for young adults, something we don't come across very often. As a lover of historical fiction and classic fiction, I loved this book and am so very glad there will be more. I am anxious to see young Victor turn into the scientist of Mary Shelley's. The characters are wonderfully round and there is a plot twist at the end that made me gasp out loud on the train. Get a copy of this and share it with your students! Mine are fighting over it.

By the way, if you have been struggling over how to pronounce this author's last name (like I have for many years- pronunciation is very important to me), the correct way Mr. Oppel says it is: "Opal" Straight from the horse's mouth, ladies and gentleman.

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

I have to confess. I don't usually shy away from novels because of their length, but this one I did. So, I got it on audio and the kids and I listened to it throughout the week. Well, I love puzzles and critical thinking, so this one was great! Plus, I think it gave my own children a new way to look at problems from a different angle.

Reynie, Sticky, Kate and Constance are alone in the world for various different reasons. When eccentric Mr. Benedict has them go through a variety of intelligence and integrity tests, these are the children who come through with flying colors. They are ensconced in Benedict's mansion filled with thousands of books (yum)and he tells them his ultimate plan. He needs the children to save the world from ultimate disaster/takeover at the hands of the evil Mr. Curtain, creator and director of the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened or LIVE- which backwards spells EVIL. The puzzles presented here are wonderful for keeping brains sharp. A great book for kids to read over summer where it seems our district reading test is good at identifying summer "non-readers".

And, Happy Birthday to my little "Benedicts"- Are you both really 6 already?

The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall by Mary Downing Hahn

This is the latest installment from the author I seem to have craved since the spring. I think she is definitely an undiscovered treat for my students, as not many of them have read her books over the years. What a treasure trove for horror/mystery/ghost story fans. The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall doesn't disappoint and delighted me with a Bronte-esque feel to it.

In 19th century London, Florence is suddenly whisked away to the mansion of her wealthy Great-Uncle who has been looking for the orphan for years. Florence finds another distant and sickly cousin (think young Linton)living in the house along with an ill-tempered Great-Aunt (sister of the Uncle). Soon Florence finds out that James' sister, Sophie, died the year before from a fall and is haunting Florence for unknown reasons. In one of her most haunting novels yet, Hahn has captured both fear, illness and mystery in a most gothic tradition. Middle grade readers will be happy with the ending and my 6 year-olds were fascinated that there was "blood on the cover, Mommy." (part of the picture)

Yummy Mysteries

I'm hooked on these fun murder mysteries that combine food, recipes, and dead people. Check them out and bake some of the fun recipes included. I ended up downloading many of them to my Kindle so I could bookmark the recipes and cook them right from my computer screen!



Beware! They'll make you want to bake and eat cookies!

Whispers From the Dead

I was sad to look online and see that Joan Lowery Nixon died- 7 years ago! Where've I been? Well, I continue on my YA ghost story, creepy mystery streak. This one was audio and read by an awesome narrator who did great voices and Spanish that was believable! Sarah Darnell and her family have moved into a new house shortly after Sarah's near death experience drowning at a local lake. This experience has left her "closer to" the spirit world. Her first entry into her new house in Houston sends chills up her spine as she knows something horrible has happened in her home. She begins being "visited" by the deceased Rosa Luiz, who Sarah is quite sure used to be the illegal maid for the former residents of her house. Rosa is giving her messages in Spanish such as "Find it" and she "shows" Sarah how she was murdered. However, no one has any record of Rosa's death. While Sarah is trying to piece together this puzzle, she is introduced to Tony, who she falls for instantly. He is suave and charming...everything a teenage girl could want. When the Darnell's find out that the former residents moved out of the house because their son committed a murder in it, Sarah's mystery becomes even more bizarre. And, the woman who was murdered was a pizza delivery girl-not Rosa Luiz. With an ending twist that I saw coming quite early, this book packs a jaw dropping end and would keep the attention of even the most reluctant reader. I'm going to try it on some of the Read 180 kids. I'm off to read a novel in poetry....

The Uninvited by Tim Wynne-Jones

I just finished The Uninvited last night. This is my first time reading anything by Tim Wynne-Jones and I was intrigued by the mysteriousness of the cover and title. I did buy this one in hardcover after I read a review of it but never got around to reading it.

Mimi Shapiro drives from NYC to get away from a professor-boyfriend-stalker type. She arrives at her artist father's "getaway" cottage, only to find another boy already holed up there. Jay, who she shortly finds out is her half-brother, is busy trying to write music in this small haven. As the two decide to co-habitate for the time being, they discover some creepy pieces of the area. Though remote, the cottage is being watched and burgled by an onlooker who seems quite obsessed with Mimi. The story is told both through the eyes of Mimi and Cramer Lee, resident stalker (another one). Teen readers will love the suspense and climactic drama of this one. I am going to pass it along immediately.