THE TYRANT'S DAUGHTER, by J.C. Carleson

The story: Laila grew up in luxury, thinking her father was the king of their Middle Eastern country. But it turns out he was a dictator--and when his regime is overthrown, her father is killed and the rest of her family has to run for their lives. Ending up in America, life is different than she could ever have imagined. And while it's harder than she dreamed, there are things that could never have happened Before--things like a best friend, a boyfriend, a first kiss. Now that trouble has followed them across the ocean, can Laila even consider going back?

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG; sexual content PG-13; nudity PG; substance abuse PG-13; magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (murder of a parent, revolution) PG-13; overall rating PG-13.

Liz's comments: This is an interesting look at American teen culture as seen through the eyes of girl who's a total foreigner to it. Layla is used to a life of privilege, but one that is also very tightly controlled. American life is totally unrefined and chaotic--but she also knows she would never have gotten her first kiss before marriage in her own country. I found her point of view quite fascinating, but I think that only the very occasional teen would pick this one up on their own--it sounds too much like a social studies assignment!

MURDER IS BAD MANNERS, by Robin Stevens

The story: It's one thing to SAY you're a detective, and another thing to investigate a murder--especially when you're a 13-year-old student at an all-girls boarding school, and the murderer is probably one of your teachers! Meet Wells and Wong, who specialize in snooping as an extra-curricular activity (right in between Latin and field hockey) but who never thought that poking their noses into a crime might turn out to be super risky for the detectives...or that it might drive the murderer to kill again!

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG-13; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG; magic & the occult G; GLBT content PG; adult themes (murder, an implied lesbian relationship) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: Wells and Wong are more than your average set of middle-school sleuths: Daisy's strong personality (unlike Nancy Drew's) can get a little obnoxious at times, and Hazel is essentially a Chinese Watson, a minority at a time in England when minorities were Not The Thing. The fact that they're not perfect actually makes them a lot more fun, yet at the same time, believable best friends. This is a murder mystery in a classic setting--Agatha Christie for the middle-school crowd!

THE HONEST TRUTH, by Dan Gemeinhart

The story: Mark wants to climb Mount Rainier before he dies. The problem is--he could die any time. He's has cancer since kindergarten, but now it's back and worse than ever. The 7th grader makes a huge decision: to run away with only his dog for company, make his way across the state, and climb that mountain before it's too late. Only his best friend Jess knows where he's gone, but will she keep his secret? Mark doesn't know, and he doesn't know how this is all going to end. He only knows he has to try...before it's too late.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG-13; Sexual content G; Nudity G; substance abuse PG; magic & the occult G; adult themes (death, gang violence) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: here's an unlikely adventure story where you end up really wanting the hero to succeed, no matter what--and it's only when you get to the end that you realize success may be very different than what you imagined earlier. Recommended!

Avenue of Spies by Alex Kershaw

The past few years of major anniversaries for important events of World War II coupled with the passing of so many of the heroes and villains of that time have brought forth a plethora of interesting and lesser known stories from the war.  Avenue of Spies tells of the occupation of Paris and the French Resistance from the perspective of an American doctor who lived in Paris and worked at the American hospital there in alternating chapters with the point of view of the Nazi and SS officers who took over most of the residences on the Avenue Foch, where Doctor Sumner Jackson also lived.  The tale includes heroic deeds, nasty Nazis, and slimy collaborators, many of whom were able to thrive after the war when others whose crimes were arguably less, but whose influence and social standing were also less, were imprisoned or executed.  The Germans are portrayed almost completely unsympathetically, as subhuman sadists, which is unfortunate.  A more balanced portrayal might have given the book more depth.  Though there were several gripping passages, as a whole, it is not of the caliber of Ben Macintyre’s work in Double Cross, or Operation Mincemeat.  The material is all there, but somehow, the narrative doesn’t gel.  The reader keeps waiting for the story to get off the starting blocks and it never does.  This is a good title where the interest in World War II or nonfiction espionage is high, but an additional purchase elsewhere. 

Book to be published August 4, 2015

June's Rating System:  Language--PG;  Sexual Content--PG some nudity due to concentration camp situations, some descriptions of relationships between adults.  Nothing graphic.  GLBT content--PG;  Violence--R it is a book about war and killing and espionage;  Substance Abuse--PG lots of drinking and smoking;  Adult Themes--war, political prisons, resistance fighters, etc.  

Robin's Comments:  This is a very serviceable book, just not a great one.  I found it interesting, especially the vagaries of who survived and who didn't, who got caught and how.  So much depended on coincidence and luck.  If you have students who like to read about history or espionage, then this will be a good title, bu the writing does not flow quite as easily as Erik Larsen--one never forgets that one is reading a history book and not a novel.

THE BATTLE OF DARCY LANE, by Tara Altebrando

The story: What was supposed to be a fun summer turns nasty when new girl Alyssa moves in and immediately steals Julia's best friend. Alyssa says awful things about people and is just plain mean--why can't Taylor see it? And now that Julia's figured out she has a crush on long-time friend Peter, it looks like Alyssa's going to try to steal him too. How can you hold on to what you have without being mean too? Clue: it could have something to do with Russia!

June Cleaver's ratings: language PG; violence G; Sexual content G; nudity G; substance abuse PG; magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (bulllying behaviors) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: Altebrando has a great way of showing what it's really like to be in 7th grade, where friendships are everything and betrayals feel like the end of the world. Julia's journey to understanding that proximity isn't always the best ground for friendship is believable and her frustration about her mixed feelings for "would be" crush Peter are fun and engaging. A snappy little read, totally for girls.

ALL THE ANSWERS, by Kate Messner

The story: Ava is worried about a lot of things. So when she finds a pencil that has the ability to answer questions, it seems like it could be the solution to a lot of her problems. But--sometimes knowing the answers just leads to more questions! Should she stop asking? What if she can't?

June Cleaver's ratings: Language G; Violence G; Sexual content G; nudity G; substance abuse G; magic & the occult PG; GLBT content G; adult themes (death of a grandparent, anxiety disorders) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: This story will resonate with girls who are worriers (and aren't we all, at some point?) Ava learns there are no easy answers after all, and that like Winnie the Pooh, she's smarter than she thinks and stronger than she knows.

I BECOME SHADOW, by Joe Shine

The story: Ren Sharpe disappears at the age of 14 a normal girl--and returns to the world at 18, a trained killer. A Shadow. Not that she's going to kill just anyone--only any bad guy who wants to get hold of Gareth Young, a Future Important Person bound to change the world in some profound way. Some day. But for now, Ren just has to keep him safe...which will almost certainly be harder than it sounds!

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG-13; Violence R; Sexual content PG; Nudity PG; Substance Abuse PG; magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (kidnapping, children raised with violence) PG-13; overall rating PG-13.

Liz's comments: An interesting, kick-butt story from concept to execution. Ren is a smart, brassy, brave heroine who is also missing her family and looking for love. Expect to see more of her from Texas author Shine.

THE START OF ME AND YOU, by Emery Lord

The story: It's been a year since Paige's boyfriend died in an accident, and she knows it's time to move on. So she makes a plan, listing ways to do it: join a club. Swim. Date. And for the last bullet point, she has a go-to guy in mind: Ryan Chase, her crush since third grade. Still--as she gets to know Ryan better, she can't help but notice his kinda-geeky, kinda-cute cousin Max: and before she knows it, things are going in a way she never expected...which might turn out to be the best way of all.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG-13; Violence G; Sexual content PG; Nudity G; substance abuse PG; magic and the occult G; adult themes (divorce, death of a grandparent; parental neglect) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: This is an engaging story--strictly for girls!--not only about moving on, but about expanding your horizons. It's a stretch to believe Paige didn't figure out her feelings for Max earlier in the story when she can talk to him about anything and can't talk to Ryan at all--but you have to leave something for the end, right? Recommend to fans of Sarah Dessen's books (although this one is suitable even for 6th graders).

URBAN OUTLAWS, by Peter Jay Black

The story: Five kids live in a hidden bunker under the streets of London. They're the Urban Outlaws, orphans living off the grid, each one using their special abilities to get away with Random Acts of Kindness while staying one step ahead of their enemies--the people whose money they've stolen to finance their good deeds. But when they "transfer" a cool million from criminal mastermind Del Sarto, it doesn't take long before they realize that this time, they may have bitten off more than they can chew.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG-13; sexual content G; Nudity G; substance abuse G; magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (parental abandonment; kids committing crimes) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: Here's a story whose heroes model themselves on Robin Hood: they specialize in stealing money from bad guys and using it for good causes. (No one seems to question the idea that it's okay to steal as long as you're stealing from bad guys. Am I the only one who finds this a dubious piece of morality?) Preaching notwithstanding, boys especially will like this one because it's one wild caper after another featuring lots of cool techno-gadgets, and without a whole lot of character development to get in the way of the story. If you liked Jude Watson's "Loot", you'll like this one too.