THE ACCIDENTAL AFTERLIFE OF THOMAS MARSDEN, by Emma Trevayne

The story: Thomas's "normal" life as the son of a London grave robber changes abruptly when he helps digs up the body of another boy who looks EXACTLY like him--even down to the blemish on his cheek. Turns out that Thomas was not just a foundling, but a changeling too...and that he's the only one who can free a group of faeries who were stolen from their home and forced into slavery by the evil Mordecai, a sorcerer-wanna-be who uses them to channel the dead and allow his customers to speak to long-lost family members. Thomas wants to help...but if he does, it will change everything. And it's impossible to know if that change will be good--or a downright killer.

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

Liz's comments: This fantasy has a very Dickensian feel to it, and is possibly one of those books that adults like more than kids do. Nonetheless, Thomas is a likable character who makes solid growth during the course of the book. Give this one to the dedicated MS fantasy reader.

YOUNG MAN WITH CAMERA, by Emil Sher

The story: "T---" has been bullied all his life. His enemies are always waiting, ready to pounce, and ready to do their worst not just to T---, but to anyone else he cares about. When the 7th grader befriends a homeless woman, Ryan and his gang come in for the kill, and the terrifying results just get worse and worse. Is there anyone--ANYONE--he can turn to for help?

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 (bullying, psychological torture) R; overall rating PG-13.

Liz's comments: It's hard to describe this book in any way beside "gut-wrenching". Sher introduces the reader to a damaged boy with enormous self control, whose experiences at the hands of truly sociopathic bullies are horrifying and yet who just keeps his head down, trying to figure out his way down a path filled with nothing but dead ends. My only complaint is that the adults, particularly T---'s parents, are so clueless as to be cardboard cutouts, and the unadulterated awfulness that is 12-year-old Ryan is so uniformly terrible that it strains credulity--the kid isn't old enough to be so thoroughly evil. However, Sher ratchets up the tension throughout--clear up to an unexpected twist at the end, and the reader is left exhausted, but still hoping that somehow, T--- will figure out a way to triumph quietly over his adversaries.

NOW THAT YOU'RE HERE, by Amy K. Nichols

The story: In this story of parallel universes that briefly collide, Eevee is sitting in class when stoner Danny is replaced by his twin from an alternate reality. The two, initially wary, must work together with Eevee's super-nerd friend Warren to figure out what's happened, because Danny needs to get back to his own universe (where he's totally not a stoner). Then...as Danny and Eevee fall in love, it seems less important for him to get back--but a world-changing EMP event may not give them a choice, no matter which dimension they're in.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG-13; Violence PG-13; Sexual content PG-13; Nudity PG; Substance abuse PG-13; Magic & the occult (sci-fi doubling for magic) PG-13; GLBT content G; Adult themes (parental neglect and abuse) PG-13; overall rating PG-13.

Liz's comments: This was a unique page turner--couldn't put it down! And even in the midst of Lonestar reading, when I got my hands on the second one, "While You Were Gone", I put everything else aside and read that one too! This was a science-themed romance novel--who even knew that was possible? Geeky girls rejoice--here's once when the smart girl gets the nice guy. (Twice!)

THE AFTERLIFE ACADEMY, by Frank L. Cole

The story: Walter Prairie never expected to get hit by lightning and wind up in the Afterlife. He expected even less to be assigned as a Guardian Agent and assigned to his own HLT (High-Level Target)--Charlie Dewdle, who (in addition to his unfortunate last name) has just found The Summoner's Handbook and is busy summoning demons of all kinds from the unseen realms without even knowing it. Walter's going to give it his best shot, but it sure seems like something weird is going on here. Question is--if you're already dead, can the bad guys kill you again?

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG-13; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Magic & the occult PG-13; substance abuse G; adult themes (demons, demonic possession, occult misbehavior both small and HUGE) PG-13; overall rating PG-13.

Liz's comments: Even though the age of the characters (12-ish) should make this appropriate for upper ES readers, I think the demonic content renders it strictly for the MS crowd. But that's just me--both Kirkus and SLJ rate it for 4th-6th.

HOW LUNCHBOX JONES SAVED ME FROM ROBOTS, TRAITORS, AND MISSY THE CRUEL, by Jennifer Brown

The story: All Luke Abbott really wants is to hang around, play Alien Onslaught with online friend Randy, and keep his brother from going into the Marine Corps and possibly getting killed. Is that so much to ask? Dad says "Yup" and forces him to join the robotics team at Forest Shade Middle School, famous for never having won anything EVER. Could Luke and the team start a new trend? Unlikely, with the group of losers assembled here. But Luke's going to have to figure out some way to take charge of his own life if he ever hopes to keep out of the clutches of Missy the Cruel--and giant Lunchbox Jones may be just the guy to help him do it. Stranger things have happened.

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 (bullying; abandonment) PG; overall rating PG (for grades 4-8).

Liz's comments: Luke is a funny, wise-cracking narrator trying to hide the fear he has about his brother's upcoming departure for boot camp, and his journey to acceptance of this, as well as the team's accomplishments, add a deeper quality to this story than might first be guessed from the cover blurbs. Here's a story with a lot of heart that even kids who aren't robotics-team nerds will like.

RETURN TO AUGIE HOBBLE, by Lane Smith

The story: Augie Hobble is a funny kid, but un-funny stuff keeps happening to him. Bullies, weird stuff at his dad's amusement park--and a possible run-in with not only a werewolf, but a ghost as well. Don't let the "day at the rundown old park" start fool you: this book goes directly from fort-building in the woods to possible werewolves howling at the moon, from buddy story to sucker-punch tragedy, and all the way back again.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG; magic and the occult PG-13; GLBT content G; adult themes (death of a close friend, guilt, paranormal action) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: This was a very strange book, and I found the approach to the unexpected tragedy in the middle of it a little hard to accept. Additionally, the story and its many moods shift so rapidly from place to place that kids reading it and expecting one kind of story may very well be left scratching their heads at the abrupt changes of focus. Give this one to kids who are not easily distracted or upset by outside-the-box thinking!

THE WORST CLASS TRIP EVER, by Dave Barry

The story: Wyatt's class is on its way to Washington DC--but he never expected to run into a pair of kind-of terrorists on the plane, have his best friend kidnapped, or EVER figure out where Gadakistan is. Surprise! It's going to take all four guys in Wyatt's room, plus Suzana Delgado ("a Navy SEAL hidden in the body of a hot 8th grade girl") to foil the plot against the White House and get them all back to Miami in one piece. Funny and fast-moving!

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

Liz's comments: Even though the Suspension-of-Disblief-O-Meter takes a hit with Barry's thriller scenario, the action here is non-stop and the laughs are plentiful too. Just don't hand it to anyone who feels like it's possible to have too many fart jokes.