THESE SHALLOW GRAVES, by Jennifer Donnelly

The story: It's bad enough when Jo just thinks her father committed suicide--that could damage the family's reputation beyond fixing all by itself. But when she overhears a conversation that leads her to make the jump from suicide to murder, she realizes she's in way, WAY over her head. She'll have to enlist the help of someone who can go where she--a daughter of New York's high society--cannot: Eddie Gallagher, newspaper reporter and most unsuitable person. Jo knows she could ruin her chances for making a suitable marriage by helping Eddie track down her father's killer, but she just can't stop herself: the chase is too exciting (and so is Eddie, for that matter...).

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG-13; Sexual content PG; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (murder, suicide, societal compartmentalization) PG; overall rating PG-13. (This rating is due less to objectionable content than it is to plain density: the story is simply too hard, and too long, for the average MS reader.)

Liz's comments: I thought this was great. Hand it to any high-school girl with an interest in historical fiction or mystery. It's not a quick read by any means, but it's fascinating on multiple levels.

A NEW HOPE: THE PRINCESS, THE SCOUNDREL, AND THE FARM BOY, by Alexandra Bracken

The story: Starts long ago, in a galaxy far, far away...Yup, it's Luke, Leia, and Han, and they've resurfaced in book form to fill in any blanks you might have had in their backstory. Start on Tatooine, make the jump to hyperspace, witness the destruction of Alderaan, and finally accompany the warriors of the Rebellion as they seek to destroy the Emperor's Death Star. It always was a good time, and still is, all these years later!

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG-13; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult (the Force...what else could it be?) PG; GLBT content G; adult themes (political corruption, war, fights with lightsabers) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: If you liked the movies, you'll enjoy the familiar story with the little bit of extra info provided in these new books. Kind of like comfort food in book form! Hand this (and the other two books in the series) to the not-infrequent reader who doesn't mind knowing how the story ends before he even begins!

LISTEN TO THE MOON, by Michael Morpurgo

The story: Alfie and his dad find a girl marooned on an island near their home. She's injured, she can't speak, and she has amnesia. The famly takes her in--but it's World War I, and her German-made blanket convinces the neighbors that she's both a German and a spy. Can Alfie's family solve the mystery of Lucy's life before the persecution goes too far?

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (war, death) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: There's history and mystery in this latest by the author of "War Horse", and the tension ratchets up nicely until the big reveal for Alfie's family (although a canny reader will have figured it all out long ago). Hand this to any kid willing to check out historical fiction!

PAPER HEARTS, by Meg Wiviott

The story: Two girls, Fania and Zlatka, meet and become best friends in the most unlikely place--the Birkenau section of Auschwitz. The two years they spend there will cost them their families, their health, possibly even their sanity--and their friendship is the only thing that keeps them holding on. How can Zlatka help Fani celebrate a birthday when it seems there's nothing to give? Discover the true story of the Heart of Auschwitz in this novel in verse.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence R; Sexual content G; Nudity PG; Substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (genocide, concentration camps during war) PG-13; overall rating PG-13.

Liz's comments: This is a surprisingly gentle book, considering its unflinching portrayal of families separated and exterminated. Zlatka and Fania both know their families probably won't make it through the war, so they're determined to do so in order to keep their memories alive. What they don't expect is a friendship (between the two of them, and a number of other girls in their cell block) that goes beyond the war and lasts the rest of their lives. Yes, Auschwitz was a dreadful place during a dreadful time, but Wiviott's portrayal of a friendship rises above the dismal to pull the reader in and suggest hope even when times are terrible.

MASTERMINDS, by Gordon Korman

The story: Five kids discover the unthinkable--they're all clones of criminal masterminds, being studied like smears on a microscope slide. Each brings his/her talents to work on the Main Task: escape from the tiny New Mexico town that is really a prison built to keep them in. The question: who can they trust? Certainly not their parents. Maybe not even themselves.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse G; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (betrayal) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: Trust Gordon Korman to write a fast-moving, entertaining thriller without any bad words or nasty moments! Hand this to fans of his "Hypnotists" series, or anyone who likes a quick roller-coaster ride.

STITCHING SNOW, by R.C.Lewis

The story: Princess Snow has been hiding out in a Thandan mine for eight years when she's kidnapped and forced to face the endless trouble her father has caused: King Matthias, the prime ruler of their solar system. She ran to keep herself safe, but with her seven drones as helpers and a handsome prince as backup, she goes back to brave life in the palace and try to put things right--despite that pesky evil queen.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence R; Sexual content PG; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (implied incest; murder, political skulduggery) PG-13; overall rating PG-13.

Liz's comments: A fast-paced Snow White knock-off with lots of personality of its own. Snow/Essie isn't waiting for a handsome prince to save the day--but it's okay for him to help, especially since he's a hunky handful. I really liked the fact that it was a stand-alone story. Yay! Snow and Dane can get married, but I don't have to sign up for a long-term relationship.

KISSING IN AMERICA, by Margo Rabb

The story: When plain girl Eva falls in love with athletic-but-sensitive Will, life is just too good to be true...for about a week, after which Will packs up and unexpectedly moves to California. Eve and best friend Annie come up with a truly epic plan for a cross country trip: Annie will compete in a reality TV show that could win her a $200,000 scholarship, and Eve will be her lifeline coach. And of course, Eve will conveniently have a chance to meet up with Will. Not surprisingly, nothing goes quite as planned...

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG-13; Violence G; Sexual content PG-13; Nudity PG; Substance abuse PG-13; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (difficult family relationships, death of a parent; grief) PG-13; overall rating PG-13.

Liz's comments: I really enjoyed this story of a smart girl and a first-time love. However! I agree with both Booklist and SLJ that it's for 9th grade and up. While there's little to object to in the content, it's just too hard a read for younger grades. (I still really liked it, though.)

EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING, by Nicola Yoon

The story: Madeline has been shut away in her house her whole life, victim of a disease that essentially makes her allergic to the whole world. She doesn't go outside, she never interacts with someone who hasn't been decontaminated first, and she's certainly never been in love. That's all about to change when Oliver moves in next door--and suddenly, Maddy realizes that there are worse things than being dead...like, never having lived at all. She's determined to change that, no matter the cost.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG-13; Violence G; Sexual content R; Nudity R; Substance abuse PG-13; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (parental betrayal) PG-13; overall rating R.

Liz's comments: This is a beguiling PG book--all except four pages of it. The sex scene, though "tasteful", is nonetheless a sex scene, and it changes everything in this otherwise sweet tale of growing up and breaking out. It renders the book a solid high-school read, Booklist's 8th-up rating notwithstanding. :(

WE ARE ALL MADE OF MOLECULES, by Susin Nielsen

The story: Two kids who would never be friends in the real world end up in the same house when their parents move in together. Stewart's a geek still trying to deal with his mother's death, as well as with Ashley's total lack of smarts; Ashley is a fashionista who finds Stewart a total freakazoid. And then there's her dad, whose boyfriend just moved in with him next door--what a social disaster! When Stewart tries to save Ashley from the clutches of the totally-hot-but-totally-evil Jared, her reaction is just about what you'd expect. How will they ever figure each other out?

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG; Sexual content PG-13 (attempted date rape); Nudity PG; Substance abuse PG-13; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content PG-13 (child dealing with parent's coming out; gay bashing); adult themes (death of a parent; difficulties of blended families; parents cohabiting) PG; overall rating PG-13.

Liz's comments: Stewart and Ashley are like chalk and cheese--neither would ever figure they had anything in common, although Stewart is more agreeable to trying to have some kind of relationship. Their coming together as sort-of siblings is realistic and proves that you can have commonalities with anyone, as long as you try hard enough: after all, we're all made of molecules.

THIS SIDE OF WILD, by Gary Paulsen

The story: Gary Paulsen shares a whole slew of stories about his life-long love of animals. If you're someone who feels that animals are people too, this one's for you!

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse G; Magic and the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes G; overall rating PG (more for reading level than for content).

Liz's comments: This book is being marketed for kids, but it's not really a kids' book. Paulsen talks like an adult to other adults, and I'm not sure that any MS kid would read more than a couple of chapters before going "Ho-hum" and checking it back in.

CIRCUS MIRANDUS, by Cassie Beasley

The story: Micah's grandpa Ephraim is dying, and when he does, Micah will have to go live with sourpuss great-aunt Gertrude, who hates him. Micah is desperately hoping that Grandpa will pull through, because long ago, Grandpa met the Lightbender, a magician who promised him a miracle when he needed one. Grandpa never used it, and now's the time to call it in. But not only does Micah need to believe in the Circus Mirandus for that miracle to happen...the Circus Mirandus needs to believe in him--which is a lot more difficult than it might seem for a kid who doesn't have a shred of magic inside. (Or does he???)

June Cleaver's ratings: Language G; Violence PG; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse G; Magic & the occult PG; GLBT content G; adult themes: (being orphaned, difficult family relationships) PG; overall rating G.

Liz's comments: This is a charming story, perfect to read aloud to younger grades, and for readers themselves in grades 4-5. However, although it might be rated through 6th, the hero is in 5th grade and his best friend is 10. MS kids won't read past those two facts, which is unfortunate, because Micah's belief in the miracle leads him past the Miss Trunchbull-like character into a rather "Matilda" ending.

A NIGHT DIVIDED, by Jennifer A. Nielsen

The story: The Berlin Wall goes up overnight, trapping Greta's father and brother in the west, and the rest of the family here in East Berlin. In a desperate attempt to reunite the family, Greta and her brother race against time as they start digging a tunnel under the wall. Discovery means death. The tunnel could collapse at any moment. The Stasi could find and execute them at any time. Is there any way this will turn out well?

June Cleaver's ratings: Language G; Violence PG; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG; Magic and the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (political oppression and brutality) PG-13; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: Nielsen, author of The Ascension Trilogy, takes a turn in a different direction with this historical novel of the Cold War. Although a little slow getting started, the tension ratchets up during the course of the story and readers will find themselves drawn into Greta and Fritz's story at the same time as they're learning a bit of recent history that most of them have never heard of. Not a bad combination!

GOODBYE STRANGER, by Rebecca Stead

The story: Bridget, Emily, and Tabitha swore on a Twinkie that they would always be friends and never fight--but their promise gets a little harder to keep as they enter 7th grade and find their interests going in different directions. Bridge gets a not-boyfriend and starts wearing cat ears for reasons even she doesn't understand, Emily's curves are attracting a lot of attention--not all of it good--and Tab is turning into quite the feminist activist. Not to mention there's an unnamed person running away from her life for just a day, whose reasons become clear only as the books progresses.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence G; Sexual content PG; Nudity PG; substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (divorce and family dysfunction) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: This is a fun coming-of-age story, although without the startling time-travel element that made "When You Reach Me" so memorable. Even so, the girls are proof that a friendship can endure even when those friends grow up and branch out.