THE SIGN OF THE CAT, by Lynne Jonell

The story: Duncan's mother insists that they hide: Duncan can't show how smart he is, can't uncover his red hair, and certainly isn't going to tell anyone that he knows how to speak Cat. But on the fateful day that he aces the national exam and uncovers his head in public, Duncan ends up kidnapped and a prisoner aboard the ship of the man everyone thinks is a national hero. Even worse...the guy eats cats!?! It's up to Duncan, a spunky kitten named Fia, and a warlike tiger named Brig to recover the lost princess and foil the bad guys. Luckily, they make a pretty awesome team!

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult G (unless you count "speaking Cat" as magic, in which case PG); GLBT content G; adult themes (kidnapping, murder, conspiracy; nothing graphic) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: I wished the hero was a little older (he's "almost" 12) because I thought this story was charming and I wish I could think more MS kids would read it. Hopefully Duncan will age up in the next installment!

MINRS, by Kevin Sylvester

The story: Space miners on Perses, a mineral-rich asteroid, are getting ready to send a hugely valuable shipment back to earth when their colony is attacked by pirates just as their position behind the sun cuts off all communication with earth. A small group of teens with Christopher Nichols at the head faces the daunting challenge of staying alive--finding food, avoiding marauders--for the two months until comm systems come back online. And of course there are more challenges than they initially expect...like, who's the traitor in their midst? And can they expose him before his treachery wipes them all out?

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

Liz's comments: The kids' ages are never exactly clear, but this book appears to be aimed at grades 5-8. I thought it was a solid science fiction read, with appealing characters of both the boy and girl persuasion. Alert: it's a cliff-hanger!

INFECTED, by Sophie Littlefield

The story: Carina's uncle is dead, and now she's an orphan. Even worse--she's infected, a result of the top-secret research that killed both Uncle Walter and her mother. Before she knows what's going on, she's passed the infection on to Tanner, the only person left to love in her life. As they track down the pieces to the mysterious puzzle that her uncle left for her, they realize things are even more dire than they thought: there's a deadline. And if they don't meet it...they're dead.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG-13; Violence PG-13; Sexual content PG-13 (not on-page, but the teens have just finished having sex the night before, which is how Tanner gets infected); Nudity PG; Substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (being orphaned, government conspiracies, murder, betrayal) PG-13; overall rating PG-13.

Liz's comments: Looking for a thriller? Here you go! (However...probably more for 8th-up. In my opinion.)

CASTLE HANGNAIL, by Ursula Vernon

The story: The minions at Castle Hangnail are expecting an Evil Sorceress or some other kind of dark master. Instead, they get Molly--a supposedly Wicked Witch who just seems too nice to be in charge. But there's no doubt she has magic, and there's no doubt she's up to the Tasks decreed for the Master--at least, until her former bestie but now arch-enemy Eudaimonia shows up and challenges her to a magical duel. Can the minions get past what Molly's SUPPOSED to be like in time to help her turn things around?

June Cleaver's ratings: Langauge G; Violence PG; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult PG; GLBT content G; adult themes (kids ditching their families) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: Here's a charming magical story in a contemporary setting that brings to mind books by Eva Ibbotson. It's a great fit for girls who like magic of the more-white-than-evil persuasion. Molly is 12, so the 4-7 rating is spot-on.

MOVING TARGET, by Christina Diaz Gonzalez

The story: Cassie Arroyo, an American studying in Rome, has her world ripped apart when someone tries to kill her father. Is she the next target? Cassie sets out to uncover what is happening, only to learn that she is a member of an ancient bloodline that enables her to use the Spear of Destiny--a legendary object that can alter the future. Now running from a secret organization intent on killing those from her bloodline, Cassie must--with the help of some friends--decipher the clues that will lead her to the Spear.

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

Liz's comments: This was a fun, fast-moving adventure that managed to set a reckless pace without having objectionable content. Gotta love that!

A POCKET FULL OF MURDER, by R.J. Anderson

The story: Isaveth's father has been arrested for murder, but the girl knows he would never have done such a thing. She's trying to sell homemade magical wares to scrape up money to help the family get by when she runs into--or rather, is run over by--Quiz, a street boy whose unusual talents make Vettie think they might be able to find the real murderer. She's forgetting that things are never quite what they seem...and that the help that seems too good to be true usually is.

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

Liz's comments: I thought this was a great fantasy pick for middle school, even though the picture on the cover makes the kids look like they're ten (they're not--12 and 14 is more like it). I wished there had been a little more background info about the Moshite religion and why the family's belonging to it meant everyone else could ostracize them at will--but that notwithstanding, I thought the magic added a lot to a regular murder mystery was a lot of fun. Plus, there were sub-themes that were thought-provoking for an MS fantasy novel: religious persecution, grinding poverty, an entitled upper class and political discontent. Good stuff!

FINDING FORTUNE, by Delia Ray

The story: Ren is afraid her family is about to fall apart--kind of like the tiny town of Fortune, Mississippi: once the pearl button capital of the world, now practically a ghost town. Angry at her mother, Ren runs away from home and hides out at the old/new bed and breakfast hotspot known as the "former Fortune Consolidated School" where she finds a lot more than she ever expected...just as proprietor Hildy's life work seems to be falling apart. Can Ren and her new friends find the treasure hidden so long ago and save Hildy from ruin?

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

Liz's comments: Here's a gentle tale that will have readers rooting for Ren, her family, old lady Hildy, and even cute-but-kind-of-stuck-up Tucker (Hildy's grandson). Proof that you don't need sex, drugs, or rock-and-roll to tell a good story.

NEWT'S EMERALD, by Garth Nix

The story: When Truthful's family emerald, complete with magical powers, is stolen, the proper young lady goes into disguise to go on the hunt for it. Imagine her surprise to find not just adventure--Attacks! Tsunamis! Being stuffed in a barrel with an insufferable major!--but romance as she figures out what's REALLY proper for a young lady to do, and what's not. (Hint: being stuffed in that barrel with the handsome but aggravating Major Harnett is definitely NOT.)

June Cleaver's ratings: Language G; Violence PG-13; Sexual content G; Nudity G; substance abuse PG; magic & the occult PG-13; GLBT content G; adult themes G; overall rating PG-13 (this is more for the Dickensian language than anything else--way above the heads of most 6th graders, although there's nothing exceptionable about the content itself).

Liz's comments: Garth Nix takes a turn in an unexpectedly charming direction with this one, which should be promptly handed to fans of Gail Carriger's "Finishing School" series (no steampunk here, but plenty of magic, manners, and romance). Give Jane Austen's Eliza Bennett a healthy dose of magical ability and you'll get an idea of where this is headed!

The Family Romanov by Candance Fleming

Fleming takes the story of the last Romanov rulers of Russia and simplifies it for middle and high school students.  Contrary to many previous biographies, she is not particularly sympathetic to the family, portraying them as spoiled, selfish, and out of touch.  I would not argue that she was wrong about these attributes, but it does almost seem as if she is justifying the murders of the royal family.  She stops short of saying they deserved it, but only just.  Aside from this rather large flaw, the book is engaging and very well researched.  Fleming manages to tell the story of Russia’s revolution through the lens of the Romanovs.  She does a good job showing how several seemingly small incidences and misunderstandings, and plain mis-handlings of situations led to the end we all know is coming.  Of course, students, who haven’t read any history of this era previously, won’t know what is coming, and that could be a plus for those readers of this book.  Fleming also does a good job contrasting the sensational wealth of the Czar and his family with the terrible plight of ‘regular” Russian farmers and workers.  It is a little long, and may struggle to find an audience, but it is worth reading for students who like history, or who enjoy biography.

June’s Rating System:
Language—G;  Violence—R  There is a war, a revolution and a mass murder, not to mention the plot and murder of Rasputin;  Magic and the Occult—PG  there is some mention of Rasputin’s reputation for hypnotizing people and his “control” over the Empress;  Adult Themes—PG  Some violence, plotting, war, communism…

Robin's Comments:
I enjoyed this book--I especially was glad to see that she included late developments--such as the fact that the bodies have been found--all of them.  Unfortunately, the last two have not been buried (at least at press time), but her inclusion of this material is important since it makes it possible for students to discount the repeated rumors that Anastasia survived. Disney is definitely wrong about that one. 

A SCHOOL FOR UNUSUAL GIRLS, by Kathleen Baldwin

The story: In a time when smart girls aren't valued, Georgiana knows it'll be hard for her to catch a husband--and things only get worse when a chemistry experiment gone wrong burns down the stable and Georgie is banished to Miss Stranje's house--a school for "unusual" girls. Little does she know that it's really a school for spies, and that the adventure of a lifetime (complete with a handsome, brooding, often sarcastic stranger) is about to begin! Can Georgie produce the invisible ink that will save the lives of thousands in Napoleon's Europe? Press on, gentle reader, to find out!

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG-13; Violence PG-13; Sexual content PG; Nudity PG (lots of low-cut gowns here); Substance abuse PG-13; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (war, murder, abduction, torture, parental disinterest) PG-13; overall rating PG-13. (As much for the Regency way of writing and speaking as for the content.)

Liz's comments: I enjoyed this one a lot, despite all the heart pounding and cheek stroking from the heroine. Give it to girls 8th grade and up, especially ones for whom historical fiction isn't a deterrent. Not exactly a bodice-ripper, but as close as you get in YA fiction!

THE BLACKTHORN KEY, by Kevin Sands

The story: Someone is murdering apothecaries in 1660 London, and that gives Christopher Rowe plenty to worry about--he's Master Blackthorn's apprentice, and if someone's planning to kill the Master, they might just want to kill the apprentice as well. When the horrifying happens, Christopher is forced out onto the street, one step ahead of the man with the knife. Now he has to use his wits--and the knowledge of potions and codes he learned from the Master--to outsmart the killers and clear his own name. He's just a kid, so he'd better think fast...and stay at least two steps ahead of the shadowy killers who want him dead too.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG-13; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG; Magic and the occult PG-13; GLBT content G; adult themes (murder, conspiracy, political intrigue, being orphaned, physical abuse) PG-13; overall rating PG-13.

Liz's comments: Here's a rip-roaring read that feels like fantasy and yet is (so far) an historical thriller that will knock your socks off. Luckily, there are enough loose threads that one can hope this stand-alone will turn into a series!

LOSERS TAKE ALL, by David Klass

The story: When their sports-obsessed new principal decrees that every senior in the school is now required to participate on a sports team, Jack and his group of un-athletic friends decide to make the best of what they know will be a terrible season by losing on purpose. Before they know it, the lovable Losers are all over the national media, and the principal is all over THEM. Nothing like this has ever happened at Fremont HS (aka Muscles High)! But the big question is--can you actually find the freedom to do what you want by being the biggest bunch of losers anywhere???

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG-13; Violence PG-13; Sexual content PG; Nudity PG; Substance abuse PG-13; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (bullying, debate on the over=valuing of sports in our culture) PG; overall rating PG-13.

Liz's comments: Jack is a funny, conflicted narrator, the son and brother of great athletes who has yet to find his place in a school run by a coach gone psycho. His characterizations of the different types of geek who form the Losers is spot-on, and will resonate with the geeky kids who pick up this book. Athletes will probably be confused by it, but might actually also get something from the story if they give it a chance. Due to the density of the prose, probably best for 8th grade and up.

THE TALE OF RESCUE, by Michael J. Rosen

The story: A boy and his parents are lost in a whiteout--so close to shelter, but completely unable to reach it. Everything depends on the dog: will she find them? Can she save them? Will she disobey her master to do it?

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

Liz's comments: Here's a fine animal story that doesn't involve talking rodents or warring felines. Yay! If you've ever had a soft spot for a dog, this one is for you.

CHASING SECRETS, by Gennifer Choldenko

The story: In 1900, the black plague hits San Francisco--but no one's talking about it, no one's warning people to take caution, no one seems to care. Has Lizzie stumbled upon a conspiracy to keep the truth from the public, just so a set of greedy millionaires can keep doing business as usual? And what can one girl - plus the Chinese kid hiding out in the attic - do about it?

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

Liz's comments: Reminiscent of "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate", "Casing Secrets" features Choldenko doing her usual excellent job of telling a story set in the past but making it relevant to the present. Give this to the occasional kid who can be talked into reading historical fiction.