In a word, “delightful!” I actually can’t stop raving to whomever will listen to me about Newbery Medalist Cynthia Voigt‘s Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things.  The first book in a new trilogy for middle readers, this book enchanted me from page one – its captivating story, chock full of mysteries large and small; smart, likeable characters; detailed and delicate pencil drawings from Iacopo Bruno; and beautifully rendered historical details – it’s everything I love in a book and more. 12 year old Max Starling’s parents are famous actors and they’ve been invited to India by the Maharajah of Kashmir himself, with two firstRead More →

At the core of its plot, Erased by Jennifer Rush features psychological and genetic engineering that erases important memories and plants false ones in the void.  Four of the experimental group teens manage to escape the Branch lab.  Anna, unable to let go of the past, is on the run with loyal and noble Sam, the irritatingly adorable Cas, and Nick, “a shark masquerading as a panther” (19).  The Branch has been using biotechnology to turn teens into weaponry, and the four have received genetic alterations and programming to turn them into a team of assassins, with Anna as the leader. Hunted by the Branch,Read More →