Daphne and Velma: The Dark Deception by Morgan Baden

Interest Level: YA

Genre: Mystery
Reading Level: 7.5

Daphne and Velma have barely started investigating one case when another mystery strikes. Hundreds of valuable gems begin washing ashore, and soon everyone is convinced it's a sign from the Lady Vampire of the Bay, a ghostly creature who's said to have haunted the town a hundred years earlier. Daphne and Velma are convinced there's a logical reason the jewels have appeared, and they're determined to find out what it is. But asking questions about Crystal Cove's legends can be dangerous. It seems like everyone in town has something to hide . . . especially the families who've profited off the town's mysterious past. Can the girls discover what's lurking behind all this dark deception?

I was excited to read this book because I enjoyed the first book in the series. This book had promised a more prominent role for Shaggy and Scooby. I don't feel that Shaggy and Scooby were as involved as I had hoped. I did not enjoy this book as much as I did the first book. But it was written by a different author, so that may be why. I didn't dislike it enough to give up on the series. When and if the third book comes out, I will read it as well. I would still recommend this book to all Scooby Doo and the gang fans.

The Forgotten Girl by Indie Hill Brown

Interest Level: 3-6

Reading Level: 5.2
Genre: Fiction / Ghost Story

When eleven-year-old Iris sneaks out at night to make snow angels, she was not expecting to raise the ghost of Avery Moore, a girl her own age; but bringing to light the segregated and abandoned black cemetery seems like the perfect way to help Avery get the recognition she craves, and it will also be a good idea for the school project about the history of her small North Carolina town, where racial tensions are never far from the surface--only it seems that if Avery gets everything she wants Iris will join her as a ghost, best friends forever.

This book is listed as an interest level of 3rd to 6th grade. I think it might be to scary for 3rd and 4th graders. I thought it was well written. The author made you care about Iris and Daniel. You do not want any harm to come to them. I liked that the author threaded in some historical facts regarding segregation of graveyards. I would recommend this to any student who likes scary stories. I am usually not a fan of scary stories but enjoyed this book.

The Vanishing Girl: Daphne and Velma #1 by Josephine Ruby

Interest Level: YA

Genre: Mystery
Reading Level: 5.1

I LOVE Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Inc. gang. In this book the gang is in high school but have not yet come together, all five of them, to solve mysteries. The book gives a nod to "A Pup Named Scooby-Doo" and acknowledges that Daphne and Velma were friends when they were children. I enjoyed this book so much that I bought the second book in the series. I will be donating this book to the library collection. I recommend it to all who love Scooby and the gang.

Maybe He Just Likes You by Barbara Dee

Interest Level: 5-8

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Reading Level: 4.2

For seventh-grader Mila, it starts with some boys giving her an unwanted hug on the school blacktop. A few days later, at recess, one of the boys (and fellow trumpet player) Callum tells Mila it’s his birthday, and asks her for a “birthday hug.” He’s just being friendly, isn’t he? And how can she say no? But Callum’s hug lasts a few seconds too long, and feels…weird. According to her friend, Zara, Mila is being immature and overreacting. Doesn’t she know what flirting looks like? But the boys don’t leave Mila alone. On the bus, in the halls and during band practice—the one place Mila could always escape. It doesn’t feel like flirting—so what is it? Thanks to a chance meeting, Mila begins to find solace in a new place: karate class. Slowly, with the help of a fellow classmate, Mila learns how to stand her ground and how to respect others—and herself.

For the first quarter of this book, I was furious. I couldn't believe that none of her friends were listening to Mila when she said that the boys in her class were making her uncomfortable. I was disappointed that Mila felt has had to do something big in order for someone to listen to what she was saying. That being said, this book is a must read. The plot assumes that the boys didn't know that what they were doing was sexual harassment. If that were the case then their parents and the school's curriculum had done these boys a disservice. I would have liked the author to have mentioned some kind of counseling for Mila. I am unsure what moved me to give this book 4 and not 5 stars, maybe it was the topic. 

Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

Interest Level: 5-8

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Reading Level: 6.3

Jude never thought she'd be leaving her beloved older brother and father behind, all the way across the ocean in Syria. But when things in her hometown start becoming volatile, Jude and her mother are sent to live in Cincinnati with relatives. At first, everything in America seems too fast and too loud. The American movies that Jude has always loved haven't quite prepared her for starting school in the US --and her new label of 'Middle Eastern,' an identity she's never known before.

I enjoyed "Other Words for Home". I liked the character Jude and cared about her struggles. The story moved along nicely and I found myself looking forward to reading it. I would recommend this book to any middle school student.

I Can Make This Promise By Christine Day

Interest Level: 5-8

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Reading Level: 6.2

When twelve-year-old Edie finds letters and photographs in her attic that change everything she thought she knew about her Native American mother's adoption, she realizes she has a lot to learn about her family's history and her own identity.

I choose to read this book because it is a nominee for the 2022 Oregon Readers Choice Award. After reading all of the nominated books. This is my vote for the award. I loved the main character Edie. I cared about her journey to find out about her heritage. The plot kept moving. I was compelled to keep reading. I would definitely recommend this book to middle schoolers.

Mighty Moe: The True Story of a Thirteen-Year-Old Women's Running Revolutionary by Rachel Swaby & Kit Fox

Interest Level: 5-8

Genre: Biography

Reading Level: 5.8

The untold true story of runner Maureen Wilton, whose world record-breaking marathon time at age thirteen was met first with misogyny and controversy, but ultimately with triumph.

I chose to read this book when I heard a character on the Netflix series "Atypical" talk about it. I knew that there was a gender barrier in competitive sports that needed to be broken. However, I did not know more than that. Now I know about the women that not only broke that barrier but shattered it in the sport of track. I will be purchasing this book for the middle school library collection. I recommend this to anyone who likes running or stories of perseverance or history.

Some Places More Than Others by Renee Watson

Interest Level: 5-8

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Reading Level: 4.6

Amara, almost 12, leads a comfortable life in Beaverton, Oregon. Her dad works for Nike, and that brings perks. Her mom owns a boutique and is pregnant with Amara’s soon-to-be sister. But when her teacher assigns a family history project, she realizes there’s a lot she doesn’t know: Why is her father estranged from Grandpa Earl? For her birthday, Amara wants to go to New York with her Dad on a business trip and see Grandpa Earl. But her Mom thinks that it might not be the best idea.

A great book with many twists and turns. It made me want to visit New York again. I routed for Amara and I wanted her Dad and Grandpa to reconcile. I highly recommend this book for students in 5th grade to 9th grade. 

Catching the Moon: The Story of a Young Girl's Baseball Dream by Crystal Hubbard

Interest Level: K-3
Genre: Historical Fiction

Reading Level: 4.3

A biography of African-American baseball player Marcenia Lyle, whose love of baseball as a child allowed her to break the gender barrier by becoming the first female member of the professional Negro Leagues.

I happened on to this book; and although I knew it was too young to buy for the middle school library, I had to pick it up and read it. I love baseball and I loved this book. Growing up with all brothers, all boy cousins and in an all boy neighborhood, I was routing for Marcenia. If you happen to see this book in a library or a bookstore, READ it. Or buy it for a young person that you know that loves baseball.

Words on Fire by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Interest Level: 3-6

Genre: Historical Fiction
Reading Level: 5.8

 Danger is never far from Audra's family farm in Lithuania. She always avoids the occupying Russian Cossack soldiers, who insist that everyone must become Russian -- they have banned Lithuanian books, religion, culture, and even the language. But Audra knows her parents are involved in something secret and perilous.

When Cossacks arrive abruptly at their door, Audra's parents insist that she flee, taking with her an important package and instructions for where to deliver it. But escape means abandoning her parents to a terrible fate.

As Audra embarks on a journey to deliver the mysterious package, she faces unimaginable risks, and soon she becomes caught up in a growing resistance movement. Can joining the underground network of book smugglers give Audra a chance to rescue her parents?

I LOVE historical fiction. I highly recommend this book for 3rd through 9th graders. The characters are compelling. The story moves along at a nice pace. The story comes to a nice close; and an ORCA (Oregon Readers Choice Award) nomination for 2021.

The Leaving by Tara Altebrando

Interest Level: YA

Lexile: HL800L
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Reading Level: 5.2

Six kids went missing ten years old. Until today. Today five of those kids return. They’re sixteen, and they are . .  fine. Scarlett comes home and finds a mom she barely recognizes, and doesn't really recognize the person she's supposed to be, either. But she thinks she remembers Lucas. Lucas remembers Scarlett, too, except they’re entirely unable to recall where they’ve been or what happened to them. Neither of them remember the sixth victim, Max—the only one who hasn’t come back. Which leaves Max's sister, Avery, wanting answers. She wants to find her brother—dead or alive—and isn’t buying this whole memory-loss story. But as details of the disappearance begin to unfold, no one is prepared for the truth.

I enjoyed this book and plan on adding it to the middle school's collection. It is set up for a sequel but if one comes out, I don't think I will read it. It appears as if there was a shift at the end of the book to go from a story about the kids to an adventure story. I could be wrong. Either way. I like the character and the writing. I recommend this book to 7th graders to adults.

Butterfly Yellow by Thanhha Lai

Interest Level: YA

Lexile: HL810L
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Reading Level: 5.4

In the final days of the Vietnam War, Hằng takes her little brother, Linh, to the airport, determined to find a way to safety in America. In a split second, Linh is ripped from her arms--and Hằng is left behind in the war-torn country. Six years later, Hằng has made the brutal journey from Vietnam and is now in Texas as a refugee. She doesn't know how she will find the little brother who was taken from her until she meets LeeRoy, a city boy with big rodeo dreams, who decides to help her.

I was looking for books by Vietnamese authors. Thanhha Lai's "Inside Out & Back Again" and "Listen Slowly" are very popular among the middle school students. So, I decided to check out "Butterfly Yellow" and see if it was appropriate for middle school students. I like this book the best of all three. I struggled with how Hang spoke but the author uses the character LeeRoy, who understands Hang, to translate for the reader. I cared about what was going to happen to Hang, her brother and LeeRoy. I wish that there would be a sequel so I could find out what the future holds for these three. I will be buying this book for the middle school library. I highly recommend it to 4th graders and up.

The Similars by Rececca Hanover

Interest Level: YA

Lexile: HL680L
Genre: Science Fiction

Reading Level: 4.8

This fall, six new students are joining the junior class at the elite Darkwood Academy. But they aren't your regular over-achieving teens. They're DNA duplicates, and these "similars" are joining the class alongside their originals.

The Similars are all anyone can talk about. Emmaline Chance could care less. Her best friend, Oliver, died over the summer and it's all she can do to get through each day without him. Then she comes face-to-heartbreaking-face with Levi, Oliver's exact DNA copy and one of the Similars.

I read this book because it was recommended by a colleague. I enjoyed it immensely. I would very much like to read the second book in the series. The characters were compelling. The story moved along nicely. There was just the right amount of twists and turns. I recommend this book to middle and high school students.

The Body in the Woods by April Henry

Interest Level: YA

Lexile: HL720L

Reading Level: 5.3
Genre: Realistic Fiction

While helping the Portland County Sheriff's Search and Rescue to seek a missing autistic man, teens Alexis, Nick, and Ruby find instead, a body and join forces to find the girl's murderer, forming an unlikely friendship, as well.

I recently learned that one of the differences between a mystery and a thriller is that in a thriller the bad guy is often established early on. I would call "The Body in the Woods" a thriller. Although, a student told me that I figured it out that the author did come out and tell the reader who the murder was. Either way, I found the story compelling. Even after I figured out who had done it, I wanted to read the book to the end. April Henry is a popular author with our middle school students. If you like real-life murder mysteries, I would recommend this book. One student did tell me that she had to stop reading it. It was too scary.

Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw

Interest Level: YA

Lexile: HL780L
Reading Level: 4.8
Genre: Fantasy

Rumored to be a witch, only Nora Walker knows the truth. She and the Walker women before her have always shared a special connection with the woods. And it's this special connection that leads Nora to Oliver Huntsman--the same boy who disappeared from the Camp for Wayward Boys weeks ago--and in the middle of the worst snowstorm in years. He should be dead, but here he is alive, and left in the woods with no memory of the time he'd been missing.

But Nora can feel an uneasy shift in the woods at Oliver's presence. And it's not too long after that Nora realizes she has no choice but to unearth the truth behind how the boy she has come to care so deeply about survived his time in the forest, and what led him there in the first place. 

I chose this book because I was looking for books for the library by Oregon authors. I will definitely be adding this book to the collection. I was sitting on the edge of my seat wondering how the author was going to wrap up the story. I cared about Nora and Oliver and wanted things to work out for them both. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a spooky mystery.

You're Welcome, Universe by Whitney Gardner

Interest Level: YA

Lexile: HL610L
Reading Level: 4.4
Genre: Realistic Fiction

When Julia finds a slur about her best friend scrawled across the back of the Kingston School for the Deaf, she covers it up with a beautiful (albeit illegal) graffiti mural. Her supposed best friend snitches, the principal expels her, and her two mothers set Julia up with a one-way ticket to a "mainstream" school in the suburbs, where she's treated like an outcast as the only deaf student. The last thing she has left is her art, and not even Banksy himself could convince her to give that up. Out in the 'burbs, Julia paints anywhere she can, eager to claim some turf of her own. But Julia soon learns that she might not be the only vandal in town. Someone is adding to her tags, making them better, showing off--and showing Julia up in the process. She expected her art might get painted over by cops. But she never imagined getting dragged into a full-blown graffiti war.

Yeah! A book that I carried around just in case I had a minute to read a page or two while I waited for my daughter to get out of work. Great story line, characters that you care about, this book had both. You want YP and Julia to remain friends. You hope that Julia sees through Donovan's fake exterior. I will be recommending this book be nominated for the 2022 Oregon Readers' Choice Award.

Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven by Bella Forrest

Interest Level: YA

Lexile: NR
Reading Level: NR
Genre: Fantasy

Harley Merlin can sense people’s emotions, among other things. It’s how she snagged her first job pinpointing cheaters at a casino. But she has no clue where she got these freakish powers because she spent her childhood jumping from home to home in the foster system, and her father left her with nothing more than a cryptic note. Then she crosses paths with a terrifyingly real monster and a mysterious, annoyingly arrogant young warlock named Wade Crowley. Wade introduces her to a hidden world of beasts, magic, and covens riddled with secrets—as well as clues about her murky past. Whether she likes it or not, this new world is where she belongs. But after a disturbing twist of events, Harley quickly realizes that her past is darker than she could ever have imagined. And that someone in the coven is out for her blood. With the help of Wade and her new friends, she must figure out who the traitor is and why they’re targeting her... Before the human and magical worlds dangerously collide.

This book was recommended for the middle school library. I could not find any reviews that talked about age appropriateness so I read the book. The first scene in the book made me question the appropriateness but I thought that it could be alright for 8th graders. Then I was told by a friend that as the series gets more and more mature as it goes on. I decided to send the book to the high school librarian. I thought the book was interesting. I don't think the plot moved quickly enough to hold a middle school student's interest. I will not continue to read the series because I am just not invested in the characters.

Tomboy by Liz Prince

Interest Level: YA

Lexile: HL460L
Reading Level: 4.5
Genre: Historical Memoir/Graphic Novel

In her first full-length graphic novel, award-winning comics artist Prince tells the story of her lifelong battle with gender stereotypes through the lens of her tomboy childhood, marked by a preference for male role models, slouchy oversize clothes, and some serious bullying. As a kid, Prince chafed at femininity but her offbeat choices made it hard for her to find friends or a boyfriend. She starts to believe that her disinterest in being girly is what makes her unlikable, and soon she feels embarrassed by being a girl altogether. 

I chose to read this book because I wanted to see if it was appropriate to add to the middle school library collection. Growing up I was called a tomboy. I may not have had the same disgust toward dress and all things girly but I could relate to a lot of what Prince wrote. I will be purchasing this book for the library. I would recommend it to 8th graders who have an interest in gender stereotypes.

Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier

Interest Level: 5-8

Lexile: 630L
Reading Level: 4.5
Genre: Historical Fiction/Fantasy

In nineteenth-century England, after her mentor disappearance Nan Sparrow, ten years old, works as a "climbing boy," aiding chimney sweeps, but when her most treasured possessions end up in a fireplace, she unwittingly creates a golem.

This is a tale of survival, friendship and loss. I enjoyed this book immensely. It is the front runner for my vote for the 2020-2021 Oregon Readers' Choice Award. I highly recommend this book to middle school readers.

It Ain't So Awful, Falafel by Firoozeh Dumas

Interest Level: 5-8

Lexile: 730L
Reading Level: 4.7
Genre: Historical Fiction

Eleven-year-old Zomorod, originally from Iran, tells her story of growing up Iranian in Southern California during the Iranian Revolution and hostage crisis of the late 1970.

I grew up during the Iranian Revolution and the hostage crisis. I was young and didn't remember a lot of what was going on at that time or perhaps my parents sheltered me from it. Either way I enjoyed learning more about that time. The plot was well written. I cared about Zomorod and her family. I was angry at the people that treated them poorly. I highly recommend this book to middle school students and older.

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

Interest Level: 5-8

Lexile: 600L
Reading Level: 4.0
Genre: Historical Fiction

A twelve-year-old boy named Moose moves to Alcatraz Island in 1935 when guards' families were housed there, and has to contend with his extraordinary new environment in addition to life with his autistic sister.

I found it interesting that families and their children actually lived on Alcatraz Island from 1934 to 1963. I found this story interesting. I was interested in the characters. I cared what happened to them. I just didn't care enough to read the next book in the series. That is why I am giving this book 4 out of 5 stars.