The Book Search

I'm plowing through the CYBILS middle grade speculative fiction.  There were a few dogs in the pile but I've hit a bit of a hot streak and it's SO much fun to read such imaginative, creative, exciting stories!  Check out these beauties! The first one is called "The Shadow Cipher" and it's the first one a series called York by Laura Ruby.  I'm relieved that this only the first one because the characters and plot of this one were so interesting, I was really sorry for the book to end!  It's about fraternal twins, Tess and Theo, who live with their parents in an old apartment building in New York.  The apartment has been in their family for several generations and there is a story about a mysterious treasure that's hidden with lots of clues and ciphers.  They connect with a boy who lives in their building, Jaime, who is a computer whiz.  He lives with his grandmother, the building's caretaker.  Suddenly, they have a very sharp deadline for solvi...

Since I've basically read nothing but middle grade fiction since October, I'm glad to be reading something else.  I fell with a thump into the YA books that have made all the "awesome" lists for this year and lucky for me they were all available at my local library!  I lead a charmed life. The first one I read was called "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon.  It's about 18 year old Madeline who leads a very sheltered life because she has a rare immune deficiency which leaves her vulnerable to air and food borne pathogens.  Picture Bubble Boy as a girl.  Madeline is a kind, thoughtful, smart girl who is mostly obedient and makes the best of her situation (no whining or complaining for our girl!).  Madeline's mom is Japanese and her dad was African American but there aren't too many cultural references (other than to her hair)  there so I'm not sure that it matters.  Madeline's world is rocked when a new family moves in next door.  The...