Lock & Mori

From Publisher's Weekly…

Petty debuts with a suspenseful, sure-footed mystery, set in present-day London and starring a teenage Holmes and Moriarty. The narrator, James "Mori" Moriarty, meets the absent-minded, egotistical, and truth-obsessed "Lock" at school. They are both curious, analytical observers, so when they learn of a bizarre murder, in which a man is found stabbed with his hands in his pockets, they decide to investigate. The teens are both unmoored: Lock's mother is ill, and Mori's father has been abusing Mori and her brothers ever since their mother died six months ago. Lock and Mori initially promise to keep no secrets from each other, but when Mori suspects her mother may have been involved with this and other murders, she withholds information, putting both teens in harm's way. The chemistry between the protagonists is at the heart of the story, and their sparring relationship predictably, but enjoyably, develops into romance. While some readers may guess the killer's identity early on, this is still a quick-moving mystery distinguished by clear writing, memorable imagery, and some keen insights into human fragility. Ages 14–up. 

I thought this was just ok, a little mature for middle school.  

Lucy Long Ago

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 5-10–The Beatles song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds was playing the night paleoanthropologist Donald Johnson found the first fossilized remains of the hominid that became known around the world as Lucy. This extraordinary discovery changed how scientists understood one of the basic concepts of human evolution–it proved that our ancestors began walking upright before the size of their brains increased. Thimmesh uses this discovery to explore several topics in the fields of anthropology and evolutional biology, such as how the bones were fossilized, the process for deciding that Lucy belonged to a previously unknown species (Australopithecus afarensis), and the cast-making process that allowed biological anthropologist Owen Lovejoy to reconstruct her pelvis and prove that she was bipedal. The author even touches upon what fossils can't teach us about our ancestors–their emotions and family patterns. The final chapter discusses the process used by paleoartist John Gurche to create a life-size sculpture of Lucy. The book's greatest strength is how it underscores the fluidity of our understanding in a field like anthropology; it shows how one discovery can change the thinking of scientists in a dramatic way. This book also emphasizes the rigor of the sciences that study our human ancestors and explains clearly how these scientists carefully take the known to formulate new ideas about the unknown parts of our human history. The clear writing, excellent photographs, and the unique approach of exploring the field of anthropology through one spectacular specimen make this book a first purchase.–Caroline Tesauro, Radford Public Library, VA 

Excellent!

Scaly Spotted Feathered Frilled

From GoodReads..

No human being has ever seen a triceratops or velociraptor or even the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex. They left behind only their impressive bones. So how can scientists know what color dinosaurs were? Or if their flesh was scaly or feathered? Could that fierce T.rex have been born with spots? In a first for young readers, the Sibert medalist Catherine Thimmesh introduces the incredible talents of the paleoartist, whose work reanimates gone-but-never-forgotten dinosaurs in giant full-color paintings that are as strikingly beautiful as they aim to be scientifically accurate, down to the smallest detail. Follow a paleoartist through the scientific process of ascertaining the appearance of various dinosaurs from millions of years ago to learn how science, art, and imagination combine to bring us face-to-face with the past.

A book from the LBJ library that I added to the collection.  Very interesting! 

The Seventh Most Important Thing

From School Library Journa…

Gr 4–7—A middle school student learns the meaning of redemption in this excellent coming-of-age story. For the rest of the country, it was the year President Kennedy was assassinated. For Arthur Owens, it would always be the year his Dad died. Arthur is struggling to adapt. When he sees his Dad's hat being worn by the neighborhood "Junk Man," it is just too much. Arthur isn't a bad kid, but he picks up that brick and throws it just the same. The judge pronounces a "highly unconventional sentence." At the behest of the victim James Hampton, the "Junk Man," Arthur must spend every weekend of his community service helping to complete Hampton's artistic masterpiece. Inspired by real life artist James Hampton's life and work, "The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly," the plot avoids overt religious tones and sticks with the exploration of friendship, love, and life's most important lessons. From the "Junk Man's" neighbor, Groovy Jim, to no-nonsense Probation Officer Billie to Arthur's new best pal Squeak, and even his family, Pearsall has struck just the right tone by imbuing her well-rounded, interesting characters with authentic voices and pacing the action perfectly. Give this to fans of Wendy Mass's Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life (Little, Brown, 2006) and Gennifer Choldenko's Al Capone Does My Shirts (Penguin, 2004). Reluctant readers may be intimidated by the page count, but a booktalk or read-aloud with this title should change their minds. VERDICT A recommended purchase for all libraries.—Cindy Wall, Southington Library & Museum, CT

Excellent! 

Line of Fire

From Publisher's Weekly…
2015-2016 NM Middle School Battle of the Books

The hundred-year-old diary that forms the text of this work was found by French author-illustrator Barroux on a Paris sidewalk in a heap of trash. In entries rendered smoothly into English by Ardizzone, the anonymous author tells of his first months as an infantryman in WWI. Barroux (Mr. Leon’s Paris) quarters the pages, providing rough, black charcoal drawings for each sentence or two of text. He conveys the monotony and dread of the soldier’s life: the endless digging of trenches, the sight of wounded soldiers and fleeing families, the way dark and rain make everything worse. Only the clunky triangular noses and gentle features Barroux gives his human faces soften the grimness. Before long the narrator is wounded, and he describes his stay in the hospital, surrounded by suffering (“while a gunner who had been begging to die since the morning breathes his last”). The diary finishes abruptly: “Sometimes I’m sorry I didn’t stay in the line of fire.” The documentary-style pacing makes this account best suited to those with an established interest in accounts of military life, but it remains a remarkable artifact, given haunting new life. Ages 10–13. (July)■

Hate That Cat

From School Library Journal

Sharon Creech's free-verse novel (2008) continues the story of Jack, first introduced in Love That Dog (2001, both HarperCollins/Joanna Cotler Books). Jack is delighted that his teacher from the previous year, Miss Stretchberry, has also moved up a grade. For the second year in a row, Jack is encouraged to express his thoughts and feelings through a poetry journal. Miss Stretchberry introduces her class to the works of a variety of poets, and also introduces Jack to a kitten who captures his hear. As Jack explores rhythm and sound, he also wonders how poetry is experienced by those who cannot hear, such as his mother, who communicates her appreciation of Jack's poetry through sign language. The novel's combination of formats-journal and verse-is well narrated by Scott Wolf whose youthful diction captures the spirit of Jack's exuberant blank verse; his use of pauses and emphasis hints at the structure of the words on the page. The recording includes an appendix of some of the poems used in the class. This story will be enjoyed by reluctant readers for the accessible story line, and applauded by teachers for the embedded lessons in writing and poetry appreciation.-Misti Tidman, Boyd County Public Library, Ashland, KY

Adorable!  

The Deadly Sister

From Amazon.com

From the author of The School for Dangerous Girls, a suspenseful stunner about loyalty, sibling rivalry, and murder.

Abby Goodwin is sure her sister Maya isn't a murderer. But her parents don't agree. Her friends don't agree. And the cops definitely don't agree. Maya is a drop-out, a stoner, a girl who's obsessed with her tutor, Jefferson Andrews...until he ends up dead. Maya runs away, and leaves Abby following the trail of clues. Each piece of evidence points to Maya, but it also appears that Jefferson had secrets of his own. And enemies. Like his brother, who Abby becomes involved with...until he falls under suspicion.
Is Abby getting closer to finding the true murderer? Or is someone leading her down a twisted false path?

Good, interesting twist at the end!