THE BOY AT THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN, by John Boyle

The story: Orphaned French boy Pierrot is sent to live with his aunt, who just happens to be the housekeeper at the Berghof, Adolf Hitler's country home. As he comes into repeated contact with Der Fuhrer, "Pieter" gradually loses his innocence and become a mini Hitler himself. What will it take for him to regain his humanity?

June Cleaver's ratings: Language G; Violence PG-13; Sexual content PG-13 (a foiled assault attempt); Nudity G; Substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (exposure to barbaric acts; Nazism) PG-13; overall rating PG-13.

Liz's comments: While a 5th grader could read the text of this story, its underlying themes are really for older audiences--at least 7th grade and up. Pierrot starts out as a likeable child but changes into a monster teen--showing that anyone can be corrupted if influenced by respected adults over the course of time. This was not a jolly story, although it was thought-provoking. However, don't expect MS kids to pick it up and read it for fun. Cuz. Not fun.