The story: there are lots of choices you can make to help yourself survive as a member of a colony on the surface of Mars. Choose wisely, and you'll end up a hero, on your way back home to Earth with bragging rights. Mess up, and you'll find yourself stranded. Or dead. What will happen in YOUR worst-case scenario?

June Cleaver’s ratings: Language G; Nudity G; Sexual Content G; Violence PG; Substance Abuse G; Magic & the Occult G; GLBT Content G; Adult Themes G; overall rating G.

Liz's opinion: I thought this was pretty engaging--enough so that I went through and followed several of the scenarios through to the end. More than one ended up with "you" dead on the surface of the planet, or just having a ho-hum existence during your time there. Make all the right choices, though, and you end up a hero. The mission handbook at the back is full of information that helps readers make good choices so they don't end up dead TOO often...but even if they do, they can always back it up and go a different way. Good for boys, or anyone who's not so bound by linear thinking that they just HAVE to read a book straight through! There are several others in the series, including Everest, Amazon, and Deadly Seas.

OTIS DOODA: STRANGE BUT TRUE, by Ellen Potter

The story: Otis Dooda and his "hillbilly" family have just moved to the 35th floor of Tidwell Towers in New York City, and immediately, strange things start happening. He meets a guy with a miniature pony disguised as a dog that randomly lets off massive fart bombs. He's immediately cursed by Potted Plant Guy, who predicts he's going to break all his bones by the full moon. And it happens! Luckily, though...it doesn't hurt at all. Read this story and prepare to laugh out loud!

June Cleaver’s ratings: Language PG (for farts and poo and that kind of stuff); Nudity G; Sexual Content G; Violence G; Substance Abuse G; Magic & the Occult G; GLBT Content G; Adult Themes G; overall rating G.

Liz's comments: Okay, so it's kind of a stretch to say this one is for 3-6; Otis is probably a 4th grader at best. But the book is just so funny that even older kids will like it. I did, and I'm way older than any kid!

CHARLIE JOE JACKSON'S GUIDE TO NOT READING, by Tommy Greenwald

The story: Charlie Joe Jackson is determined to finish middle school with a perfect record of never having read a book. He has a sweet arrangement with his buddy Jake—Charlie Joe buys the ice cream, and Jake does the reading and summarizing. Even though he’s bright, and no one else can figure out what the deal is, Charlie Joe is committed to NOT reading. Until...the lies and excuses start catching up with him, and he finally gets outed: in the middle of the school dance! Even worse, the girl he’s always liked starts going out with his best friend...and it’s all his fault. Now what’s he going to do? The easy thing would be to just break down and read the book...but Charlie Joe has his honor to uphold, and that would be taking the easy way out.

June Cleaver’s ratings: Language PG; Nudity G; Sexual Content G; Violence G; Substance Abuse G; Magic & the Occult G; GLBT Content G; Adult Themes G; overall rating G.

Liz's comments: I really like this book! Charlie Joe is a fun, engaging narrator, and the story itself truly reads like it’s being told by a bright non-reader—Greenwald has the MS voice down cold. Charlie Joe’s tips for not reading are funny and actually have some good points. Add into that the usual ins-and-outs of MS drama, and you have a fun story that also, oddly, features a happy family dynamic that’s refreshing. Two thumbs up! (And to pay his debt to society, Charlie Joe doesn’t end up reading after all—he ends up WRITING a book, which you’ve just finished. He emerges triumphant! Nice.)

ARE YOU EXPERIENCED? by Jordan Sonnenblick

The story: Rich Barber has never been able to figure out what's up with his dad--why he's so cold, aloof, and rigid. When dad busts him for playing guitar at a protest, Rich retaliates by breaking into a locked guitar case and discovering the guitar Jimi Hendrix played at Woodstock--and when he plays the funky chord for which Jimi was famous, Rich finds himself transported back to 1969 and Woodstock. What he sees and does there will not only change his life forever, but it might change his futures--and the futures of everyone else in his family, too...dead or alive.

June Cleaver’s ratings: Language R; Nudity PG; Sexual Content R; Violence ; Substance Abuse R; Magic & the Occult PG; GLBT Content G; Adult Themes PG-13 (drug use and abuse, including death by overdose); overall rating R.

Liz's comments: Jordan Sonnenblick moves firmly into the realm of YA with this novel, with its Woodstock-based themes of "make love, not war", along with plenty of questionable language, people running off into the woods to have off-page sex, and an older brother's death by overdose. For those expecting a follow-up to "After Ever After" and the other books in that sort-of series, you're in for some unexpected moments. You could really tell that Jordan Sonnenblick was a fan of Woodstock and all the musicians there. The book even makes you want to go look up Jimi Hendrix's "Star-Spangled Banner" solo on Youtube...but the problem is that readers who are expecting a certain kind of book from this author will find themselves feeling somewhat betrayed. I found the book depressing in spite of the ray-of-hope bit at the end, and thought it was really better suited for a high-school audience, notwithstanding the 7-up rating from SLJ.

The story: Janie’s family has just moved from beautiful Hollywood to dark, gray London, which is still a mess after World War II. Life stinks until she meets Benjamin—a boy with kind of a smart mouth who wants to become a spy. When Benjamin’s father, a mysterious apothecary, is kidnapped, he and Janie must uncover the magical secrets of his father’s book of poisons and spells while trying to keep it out of the hands of his father’s enemies...and at the same time, trying to keep the atomic bomb out of the hands of the Russians. Time is against them...can they find a way to alter it?

June Cleaver's ratings: Language G; Nudity G; Sexual Content G; Violence PG; Substance Abuse G; GLBT themes G; magic & the occult PG; adult themes PG (McCarthyism and Communism); overall rating G.

Liz's comments: I thought this story was charming. Its lack of bad words, its plain contrasts between good guys (yay democracy!) and bad guys (boo Communism!) and its 1950s depictions of life in LA and London reminded me a lot of books from when I was a kid. Add a dose of magic and mystery, and you've got a winner...if you can convince a kid to read it. Don't know why, but historical fiction is truly a hard sell at middle school.

The story: Jackson Opus is seeing things, but it's worse than that: every time he does, the "vision" he sees comes true, and the person he directs to do something does it--from bus drivers to performing magicians. Jax doesn't know what's going on until he's approached by Dr. Mako of the Sentia institute, who helps him recognize his hypnotic abilities and teaches him how to use them. But there's something Jax doesn't know: he's being trained to take over the world. And not for the good guys.

June Cleaver's rating: Language PG; Nudity G; Sexual content G; Violence, PG; substance abuse G; GLBT content G; magic & the occult PG; adult themes PG (people being hypnotized to commit suicide/murder); overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: definitely a change from the trademark Gordon Korman 5-8 book, which frequently features a smart-mouth kid getting into trouble for one reason or another--this reads more like a thriller, and so is something of a surprise when the only was sassing that goes on is between Jax and his friend Tommy. In fact, Jax's hypnotic abilities are pretty much a super power, although somewhat more believable than a kid finding out he can fly, or that he's a demi-god. I liked it just fine, but probably won't follow the series in the future...there are just too many books to read in this world!

I REPRESENT SEAN ROSEN, by Jeff Baron

The story: Sean Rosen has an idea that will change the business of entertainment as we know it. But he doesn't have an agent, and he doesn't have a manager. And since he's only 13, nobody will talk to him with out a manager or an agent. So Sean does what any normal kid would do--he invents a manager, sets "Dan Welch" up with an email and a company name, and gets ready to represent himself. So...will he get famous? Or will he just get busted?

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Nudity G; Sexual Content G; Violence G; Substance Abuse G; GLBT themes G; magic & the occult G; adult themes G; overall rating G.

Liz's comments: this was a really fun story about a kid going after what he wants. All the way through, you're thinking "there's no way he can pull this off"--but when he does, you want to give him a hug and send him off to talk to your kids about being a little more engaged with their own lives. (Although they don't always have to leave their parents completely out of the loop like Sean does.)

PRE-PUB REVIEW The Scar Boys by Len Vlahos

This debut novel will have a lot of appeal for music fans.  Harry (Harbinger Robert Francis Jones) was disfigured in an accident as a young boy.   I won’t ruin it by telling how.  When he finally finds a friend, it is the unlikely Johnny McKenna, popular boy and surely most likely to succeed.  The two of them start a band and after high school graduation, the band goes on tour.  The conflict revolves mostly around Harry’s self-loathing and resentment of Johnny’s normality.  The band tour brings everything to a head with tragic consequences.  Suffice it to say, that it is now Harry’s turn to be a mentor to his friend Johnny.  There is a lot to admire here.  Vlahos captures the voice of a teenaged boy extremely well, and though Harry is troubled, the reader wants him to get over it and enjoy life, which he will eventually do.  The other characters are well written and the parents are involved, not absent or flat, which is so often the case in YA novels.  There is a fair amount of foul language, which is to be expected in a book about a band, and some mention of drug use and underage drinking, although these are not central to the story.  This work will especially resonate with a teen who feels isolated.  It is also interesting to note that Harry addresses the reader directly, as the novel is written in the form of a college entrance essay.  This device works very well in this case, and Vlahos does a good job of not knowing more than his character would be able to know.

June’s Rating System:  Language—R, several F-bombs and assorted other vulgarities;   Nudity—PG;  Sexual Content—R  although not explicit the act is witnessed by Harry and implied on other occasions;  GLBT Content—G;  Violence—PG13 Harry discusses being beaten by bullies;  Substance Abuse—PG  some drinking and smoking a joint is smoked in one scene;  Adult Themes—G  the themes here revolve around learning to live with the blows life deals you.

Robin’s Comments:  Definitely High School, but this is a very good first novel.  I will keep an eye out for new titles by Vlahos.

The story: Zach, Poppy and Alice have been playing together for years, but things have suddenly gotten weird between them. When Zach's dad throws his action figures away, Zach decides he's done playing imaginary games with girls--but then the girls come up with one last adventure, and Zach gets pulled in. Little do they know that the ghost in Poppy's story is a real one, and that their final escapade will land them in the deepest trouble of their lives.

June Cleaver’s ratings: Language G; Nudity G; Sexual Content G; Violence PG; Substance Abuse G; Magic & the Occult PG-13; GLBT Content G; Adult Themes PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: If you've read anything by Holly Black, you'll know she's a seasoned spinner of a creepy tale. I would think the constraints of writing for the 5th-8th audience would make that harder, but she pulls it off expertly. There are creepy foreshadowings from the get-go, but nothing so horrifying that it would give anyone but the most timid kid bad dreams. I liked this one a lot!

The story: Here's the story of Eric Greitens, a man who took a very unconventional route to becoming a Navy SEAL, and who has been doing very unconventional things ever since. Readers will find out there are a lot of reasons for wanting to fight--but the best reasons aren't the ones about YOU. They're the ones about helping other people.

June Cleaver’s ratings: Language PG-13; Nudity G; Sexual Content G; Violence PG-13; Substance Abuse PG; Magic & the Occult G; GLBT Content G; Adult Themes PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: This book starts with Greitens's back story, showing how his life, and the important characters in it, brought him to the place where he decided to become a Navy SEAL. His deep-down wish is to serve others, and after taking a reactive view of service as a young man and a student, he decides he needs to be more proactive in offering protection to those who can't fight for themselves. This is an interesting read and sheds light on a choice I would personally never make (although I do embrace the concept of serving other whole-heartedly), but it really isn't for most MS kids: the blowing up doesn't start nearly soon enough! For the best effect, give this one to thoughtful high school readers.

A MATTER OF DAYS, by Amber Kizer

The story: Their parents are dead. In fact, everyone they know is dead--except possibly their grandfather, a survival expert they've never met. Now Nadia and Rabbit have to make a 3,000-mile journey to find their lost family--but on the way, it's impossible to know who'll help you out and who'll kill you for your food supplies. Impossible to know...until it's too late.

June Cleaver’s ratings: Language R (including one "F-bomb); Nudity PG; Sexual Content PG; Violence R (the heroine kills someone); Substance Abuse PG; Magic & the Occult G; GLBT Content G; Adult Themes PG-13 (worldwide death, mob behavior, death of parents; overall rating PG-13.

Liz's comments:> Not sure whether two category ratings of "R" should equal an automatic overall rating of "R", but I think this one is a solid book for 8th-up. (Its dreary cover will drive most kids off, anyway.) This is an interesting speculative view of how people would change if a global pandemic really did kill off 95% of the population, and although it's not very positive, it's probably pretty accurate. There's lots of stealing that's no longer really stealing because the stuff doesn't belong to anyone who's alive; there's also the occasional glimmer of light as a few people try to do the right thing. Not a real upbeat read--but then, no one reads dystopian fiction for the rainbows and fairies.