Three Times Lucky was not a book that I enjoyed. The basic plot was a 12-year old trying to solving several murders and kidnapping cases. There are few books that I can't finish, or only finish because of obligation. Three Times Lucky was one of these books. Although the plot idea was interesting, and the writing style was very good, I think that the concept could have been executed differently. This is definitely a book for young adults, not younger kids. There were many gory scenes, and hair-raising experiences. It was basically a murder mystery. Overall, I do not suggest this book. Of course every person has the right to their own opinion.

Warren the 13th is a 12 year old (old-fashioned) bellhop/valet/waiter/groundskeeper/errand boy. His family has owned the Warren Hotel for generations-even though he's an orphan. Unfortunately for Warren, ever since his guardian/uncle married an evil woman-his new Aunt Anaconda. Aunt Anaconda completely took over the hotel, and is constantly searching for the treasure she believes to be hidden on the hotel grounds-the All-Seeing Eye. Even with all his misfortunes, Warren is dedicated to his hotel, ever curious, loyal and optimistic. Warren wants to preserve his family's legacy, and he HAS to find the treasure first, before it's igtoo late. And as it turns out, Anaconda isn't alone in her search. When others join her, chaos reigns. This is a great read for middle grade. One thing I enjoyed was the very unique and different illustrations. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

When Kendra and her brother Seth are forced to spend their summer with their grandparents while their parents are away on a trip. But when they arrive they find their grandparents place full of secrets and mystery. For one thing their grandmother is nowhere in sight. Then they learn that many mystical creatures are hidden on a refuge called Fablehaven. It turns out their grandfather is the current caretaker. But it is a dangerous job, with many threatening creatures. But on Midsummer's Eve a rule is broken and evil is unleashed. Kendra and Seth must find the courage to save their family from the terrors of Fablehaven. I loved this series, especially the first book. I recommend this book for middle grade and above. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Gertie has a goal. She is going to be the best 5th grader. Her reason for her goal? So that her estranged mother(who is moving away and getting married), will realize that Gertie doesn't need her. But someone else has the same goal. Enter new girl, Mary Sue Spivey, who just moved from California while her dad is filming a movie here. All of a sudden she is the most popular girl in school. She knows the most famous child actresses in the country, she knows all the answers in class, she's the teachers favorite. In Gertie's mind, she is just plain evil. So now Gertie must come up with a new plan. How can she become the best fifth grader ever? How can she become the smartest, the funniest, the most popular? And how can she do it while keeping her friends? I think this book was an interesting view on not-so-average families. Gertie's mom left them when Gertie was very little, but she lives just across town. Now Gertie's Great-Aunt Rae stays with her and her father and takes care of them. And Gertie's father works on an oil rig, so he is gone for two weeks and then home for two weeks. At the beginning of the book Gertie is very self-involved. However, as the book goes on there is character development, and she is a better person at the end. I recommend this to elementary students who like realistic fiction. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Gertie has a goal. She is going to be the best 5th grader. Her reason for her goal? So that her estranged mother(who is moving away and getting married), will realize that Gertie doesn't need her. But someone else has the same goal. Enter new girl, Mary Sue Spivey, who just moved from California while her dad is filming a movie here. All of a sudden she is the most popular girl in school. She knows the most famous child actresses in the country, she knows all the answers in class, she's the teachers favorite. In Gertie's mind, she is just plain evil. So now Gertie must come up with a new plan. How can she become the best fifth grader ever? How can she become the smartest, the funniest, the most popular? And how can she do it while keeping her friends? I think this book was an interesting view on not-so-average families. Gertie's mom left them when Gertie was very little, but she lives just across town. Now Gertie's Great-Aunt Rae stays with her and her father and takes care of them. And Gertie's father works on an oil rig, so he is gone for two weeks and then home for two weeks. At the beginning of the book Gertie is very self-involved. However, as the book goes on there is character development, and she is a better person at the end. I recommend this to elementary students who like realistic fiction. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

The Boxcar Children is a book about 4 young children Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny. Their parents have died, and they are supposed to go live with their grandfather. But the siblings are afraid that their grandfather will be mean and grumpy, even though they have never met him. So they decide to run away, and live on their own. After a night in the woods, the kids find a old boxcar. They fix it up, and make their own home. Henry goes into to town each morning and afternoon to do odd-jobs for a nice doctor to earn money for food and treats. The children are living happily in their little home. But will they be discovered? Will there grandfather find them? Is he really as bad as they supposed? I recommend this book to young elementary children. It is a very low reading level, probably for 2-3 graders. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Orphaned when she was young, teenage Hattie jumps at the opportunity when her estranged uncle wills her his homestead claim, and she makes the courageous trip to Montana to prove up his claim. There she faces many challenges such as weather problems, natural and manmade disasters, and one of the biggest challenges: conflict about treatment of German families, specifically her German next door neighbors who have become like family to her. There are so many aspects of this book that I love. For one thing, it is Christian Historical Fiction, which is one of my favorite genres, and I feel like this is a unique story. Another thing I liked is the different ways Hattie’s story is told, particularly of her internal conflict and her faith in God. While most of the story is told from Hattie’s POV while it is happening, letters to her soldier friend Charlie who is across seas fighting in the war, her prayers and newspaper articles she writes and sends to her hometown also reveal her thoughts and details of the plot. I recommend this book to historical fiction lovers, especially people who enjoy reading about life in America during the time of World War 1. I also recommend it to people who are looking for a book with a strong Christian MC, where the faith is not the main focus but is a strong underlying theme. This is without a doubt one of my favorite books, and I rate it 5 out of 5 stars!

Abby Carnelia's One and Only Magical Power starts when Abby is making a salad. Through a coincidence, she happens to pull on her earlobe while standing in front of a hard-boiled egg. To her surprise the egg starts to spin upright. She keeps her power a secret, but soon decides to attend magic camp to find an explanation. She finds other kids have similar useless powers and is invited to attend supercamp where she soon discovers not all are what they seem-in fact she and her newly found friends may be in terrible danger. I loved this book. I loved how I got to see the process of Abby realizing she has a bizarre magical power, the emotional process and confusion she goes through, the experimentation she does to try and see if she has other powers and the friendship that blooms with the other kids who are like her. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.