Children & Young Adult

It has been a while since I reviewed books geared for older children ages eight and above. I have collected some of the best books with different genres that will have kids turning pages to the end! There are so many books I wish to inform you about that I will list them at the end. These books would be enjoyed by adults as well and read aloud to family members!

One Wrong Step, by Jennifer A. Nielsen, is a historical fiction set in the Himalayans in 1939. Twelve-year-old Atlas and his father are on a quest to climb Mount Everest. Maddy and her father are also on this expedition. However, the two kids remain behind at one of the base camps because it’s too dangerous for them to go any further. Suddenly, they hear that Nazis are nearby attempting the climb making it also perilous at base camp. When an avalanche occurs, the kids must decide if they should go up to save their fathers’ party or save their own lives. There are helpful maps showing the mountain trail and base camps. Check out Nielsen’s other thrilling books!

Charlie Thorne and the Royal Society, by Stuart Gibbs, is part of a series but each book easily stands alone. Reading previous books in this series isn’t necessary. However, once you read this or any of the others, you likely end up reading the entire series! Charlie Thorne is a girl and a genius, and she has been recruited by the CIA to track down Einstein’s equation which is being sought by dangerous opponents. She must use her amazing brain skills to always be one step ahead. Here is a definite page turner!

Magnolia Wu Unfolds it All, by Chanel Miller, received this year’s Newbery Honor award. It’s a delightful and somewhat humorous realistic fiction with wonderful drawings sprinkled throughout that accentuate the storyline. Magnolia has decided to pin all the single socks that have lost their mate on her parents New York City laundromat bulletin board. When a new girl moves in nearby, Magnolia becomes fast friends with her. This is when they decide to go throughout the city in search of the missing socks. And so the humor and adventure begins.

The Magician Next Door, by Rachel Chivers Knoo and wonderful illustrations sprinkled throughout by Alice McKinley, is a magical story that takes place in Northern Ireland. Ten-year-old Callie has left all she knows and loves in London. But when a magical house suddenly crashes upside down in her backyard, everything changes. She meets the owner who is a magician and learns she must help before evil fairies and even dangerous giants arrive. The story and illustrations are a fun read-along with the book being just the right length for ages seven to ten.

The Sherlock Society, by James Ponti, is the first book in this planned mystery series. Two siblings, whose last name is Sherlock, decide to start up a detective agency as an inspiration from their last name. Along with two friends and the help of their retired grandfather, they decide to look for a long lost treasure. This book is full of twists and turns as the kids try to solve clues they find. This smart and well-written mystery will have you hopeful there will be more written about these youthful detectives.

Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody, by Patrick Ness with fun and delightful illustrations found throughout by Tim Miller, is a humorous story about a school made up of animals. Principal Wombat has just made four lizards the hall monitors. Zeke isn’t happy about this as hall monitors are ignored by the other animal students. How he dels with the school bully, a pelican, is interesting and funny. This book is fun and amusing!

Not Nothing, by Gayle Forman, is one of the most powerful books I have read! Twelve-year-old Alex did something very bad and a judge sentenced him to spend his summer volunteering at a care center. But his life makes a complete turn-around when he meets 107-year-old Josey. Josey has stopped talking to others and is waiting to die. He has survived much in life including a concentration camp. But when he tells Alex his life story, a strong bond grows between both and life changes for both.

The Last Dragon on Mars, by Scott Reintgen, is a science fiction fantasy book rich with life on another planet and of course, dragons! Lunar is a boy who is trying to survive on a dying planet, Mars, when he discovers something amazing and surprising deep underground. This discovery might be what Mars needs and just what Lunar needs. This is the first book in a planned two book series.

The Peach Thief, by Linda Joan Smith, is a historical fiction that takes place in Lancashire, England in the 1850’s. Young Scilla, an orphan, has been caught sneaking into an Earl’s precious garden to eat a peach. She is mistaken for a boy and now must work off her mistake by cleaning flowerpots. Soon she’s given a job working but must not let on that she is actually a girl. They would never allow a girl to work there. But life becomes very complicated for her as time goes on. The story is richly woven and well written.

The First State of Being, by Erin Estrada Kelly, is this year’s Newbery Medal Award winner. The story takes place in 1999. Twelve-year-old Michael doesn’t have any friends except for the maintenance man in his apartment building and his babysitter. He worries about the future, about his single mom and just about everything else. This sad story about Michael makes a surprising turn when a teenage time traveler from the future suddenly shows up. This story is full of love, change and encouragement along with a terrific storyline.

Here are more books you need to check out: When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary by Alice Hoffman; The Wand Keeper: A Sky Full of Dragons by Tiffany McDaniel; The Long Way Around by Anne Nesbet; Rosa by Starlight by Hilary McKay; Max in the Land of Lies by Adam Gidwitz; Michael Vey: The Colony #10 by Richard Paul Evans (This series is great for teens and adults); Penny Draws series by Sara Shepard; Faker by Gordon Korman; Puppet by David Almond; Wild Wave by Rodman Philbrick.