Beyond The Sapphire Gate by R.V. Johnson

GENRE: Fantasy, Action-Adventure

[Beyond the Sapphire Gate] by [R.V. Johnson] is a fast paced fantasy adventure. It was a well written, character driven ride. [Johnson] does a great job developing in depth characters that keep you wanting to know what will happen to them next. I look forward to continuing the journey with these characters.

Bonded: The ShadowLight Saga by Mande Matthews

GENRE: Fantasy

[Bonded: Book One of the ShadowLight Saga] by [Mande Matthews] was an fantasy novel with a Nordic twist. [Matthews] intertwines the stories of Nordic gods with the imagination of the author. She used them as a jumping off point to not only create a good story but also, perhaps, generate interest in learning more about the tales of these gods.

Disasters:Natural and Man-made Catastrophes Through the Centuries by Brenda Z. Guiberson

GENRE: Non-Fiction

This is the book I always wanted to write but lack the talent. I am glad [Brenda Z. Guiberson] wrote it so I can share it with my students. I have a fascination with disasters and have since I was young. Unfortunately most of the books about them is not written for a middle school reader. I have had some of the books [Guiberson] used to research on my class shelves for years with few takers. This is just the type of book needed to get them reading non fiction and enjoy it.

The Survivalist: Frontier Justice by Dr. Arthur T. Bradley

GENRE: Post apocalyptic, survival

[Frontier Justice] is the first book in [The Survivalist Series] by [Dr. Arthur T. Bradley]. It was a basic post apocalyptic survival story with some political intrigue involved. [Bradley] did a good job relating a conspiracy without blaming any current political side. Often books in this genre get very political or religious. This one did not become overtly so, which makes it more widely readable.

Hater by David Moody

GENRE: Horror, Suspense, Thriller

[Hater] by [David Moody] was recommended to me by my spouse. Since we have greatly different taste in books I put off reading it. Plus the bloody cover was off putting to be honest. Even though I read end of the world and zombie books graphic violence is usually not my thing but that was not what this book was like at all. Instead it was almost a psychological thriller that left the reader as well as the main character wondering who really were the good and bad guys.

Last Man Out:The Story of the Springhill Mine Disaster by Melissa Fay Greene

GENRE:  Nonfiction, History
This is a compelling story of miners who were trapped underground. In [Last Man Out] [Melissa Fay Greene] does an excellent job of capturing the emotions of those trapped as well as the families above ground. She also connects the political and economic climate of the time by telling the story of how these Canadian miners ended up connected to Georgia's fight for tourist dollars and caught experiencing segregation first hand. This is an emotional and well told story on many levels.

Wyso and the Other Creepy Kids on Gerard Street by Clara Bush

GENRE: Science Fiction, Coming of Age, Serial

[Wyso and the Other Creepy Kids on Gerard Street] by [Clara Bush] starts out really strangely with a language that is not recognizable. Do not let this deter you from reading on because it will all come together later. Also this book is not exactly what it may seem to be even as you read it.

The story is character driven with the main character being Wyso, a young girl whose parents are not capable of caring for her. Throughout the story we get to see her grow up with the help of the boys in her neighborhood who take care of her.

They all meet in their Alien Hunter clubhouse even as they get older. All of the children are a little odd but they are also normal kids growing up and falling in love. The supernatural twists that this book takes will not disappoint readers but also does not overtake the plot from the fabulous characters.