I Escaped the California Camp Fire by Scott Peters and S.D. Brown

Genre: Upper Elementary, Middle Grade, Adventure

Source: I won a copy from LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers

For a small book this packs a powerful punch. Fourteen-year-old Troy is left in charge of his younger sister while his parents are away for twenty-four hours. Troy wakes to his cell phone ringing, his dog tugging on his sleeve and pitch blackness.  Unable to reach their parents Troy goes next door to the neighbor for advice. Mrs. Jones makes it clear they should stay put. When Troy sees houses on their street erupt in flames he decides they have to leave. Unfortunately he can’t convince Mrs. Jones. Troy loads up his sister and their two pets in their dad’s Bronco and heads for what he hopes is safety. 

This book is full of realistic action between the older brother and younger sister. He takes his promise to his parents to protect his sister even when she becomes annoying. This is fast-paced, on the seat of your chair action from the very beginning.  For those who are fans of the “I Survived “ series by Lauren Tarshis, I guarantee that you will enjoy this series. I highly recommend this to all adventure readers.

Behind the Bookcase by Mark Steensland

Genre: Upper Elementary, Middle Grade, Mystery

Source: I purchased a copy

If you like creepy mysteries then I recommend this book to you. Sarah and Billy will be spending their summer fixing up her late grandmother’s house to sell. Sarah’s mother just wants to get things done and the house sold. She has never liked the house and she believes that her own mother was a little crazy. The reason it that Sarah’s grandmother used to tell some pretty crazy stories to her mom. While cleaning things out Sarah finds an unfinished letter from her grandmother. She states that “strange things are happening behind the bookcase.”  When Sarah finds an opening behind the bookcase she just has to see where it leads. Unfortunately it dumps her into the land of Scotopia. But things aren’t what they seem in Scotopia either. Why would her grandmother leave her an unfinished note and what is it that she is supposed to do or learn?  Why is there a locked door in the basement that no one seems to have the key to?

This book is full of secrets, a talking cat with his own evil agenda and fantastic worlds.  More importantly the message of the importance of family with all of their quirks is a main theme running throughout this book. I am sad that I had the book with me at home when we were forced into online school. None of this year’s students got the opportunity to read this wonderful book. However, I will make sure that next year’s students hear all about it.

Free Verse by Sarah Dooley

Genre: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction

Source: I purchased a copy

Sasha is a young girl living in foster care. For a long time it was Sasha her brother Michael and her father. The coal mines took her father. Michael is her everything. He tells her that one day they will leave the small town of Caboose. Before that can happen her firefighter brother is killed on the job.

Sasha’s reflex reaction is to run away. Sasha is introduced to poetry. Through this she finds a way to find herself, to deal with those shadows in her soul. This book was so much more than I expected. I thought it would be a simple book with some nice poetry. Instead I found a girl who has lost her way. While in foster care she learns she is related to the neighbors.  This story is full of different layers. There are so many things for readers to relate to, loss, death, foster care, finding your way through the hardships of poverty.  There are so many things this book can teach.  I absolutely loved it.