Weerdest Day Ever by Richard Scrimger

The Seven Series is where my blog began.  It was also my first published book review in my local newspaper.  I LOVE this series!  I have driven dark snowy roads to see the seven authors on stage-if the seven appear near you - definitely go and bring the kids.  I've tracked them down at book festivals for autographs - they are all friendly!  I also sport a Seven shirt down the school halls.  I keep the series front and centre at my library for everyone to gravitate too and easy to point and recommend.  I've also convinced a few non-reading adult men to give the series a try.  For the back story of this series check out my first blog post here.

In the first series Richard Scrimger introduced us to Bunny through Ink Me.  Bunny's beloved grandfather has just passed away and left a series of tasks for all his grandsons.  Bunny is going to get the tattoo that his grandfather never did.

In the second book the seven cousins have met at their grandfather's cottage to discuss all their adventures while completing the tasks.  While they are there though they discover some secrets about their grandfather that lead the cousins off on another set of adventures.  Read more about this book on my  The Wolf and Me blog post here.

In the Weerdest Day Ever, Bunny is older and for a school assignment he writes the story of a weekend camping trip with his grandfather.  Bunny's grandfather has promised a big surprise for the weekend.  It doesn't take Bunny long to find out that there is a war planned between Canada and the United States and it's taking place at the campsite this weekend!  Everyone seems so excited about it but Bunny finds it scary.  Bunny makes some new friends and enemies while they wait for the big battle to begin.

While maintaining the innocence of Bunny, I am happy to say that his spelling has improved with age.  I look forward to reading the other cousins stories of experiences they had with their grandfather.

The most series are prequels and will be published by Orca Book Publishers in September 2016.

Sight Unseen by David Carroll

 In 2014 I discovered David Carroll while doing the Forest of Reading program at my school.  His first novel, Ultra, was a Silver Birch nominee and I read it aloud with my grade 5 class.  I also reviewed it here on my blog.  The students loved the book and it was one of those stories that got requests for me to come and read to them at lunch hour.  You know you've grabbed their attention when instead of socializing they want to hear more!

I was very excited to see David Carroll has published a second book, Sight Unseen.  This is the story of a boy named Finn that is slowly losing his eye sight.  Slowly he is being forced to give up doing the things he loves.  Biking being his most missed activity.  He's also losing his friends and independence.  While camping with his family and new friend Cheese, Finn discovers there may be a way to keep his eyesight but at the expense of other sacrifices.  Tough decision!

Hopefully this fall David Carroll will be back on the Silver Birch nominee list with Sight Unseen.  I think it will make another great read aloud for one of my classes.

Fragile Bones: Harrison & Anna by Lorna Schultz Nicholson

  Harrison is a 15 year old boy diagnosed with high functioning autism.  He can travel through his high school days with few incidents but he has his triggers and if those triggers start piling up they can lead to a melt down.  Harrison uses many coping tactics to avoid melt downs especially now that he's in high school but sometimes life just overwhelms him.  Other times bullies bring him down.

This year Harrison has joined the 'Best Buddies' club and he's got a new friend named Anna.  Through this new friendship Harrison pushes himself to try new things and he's thrilled to have a new friend.  Anna learns how to be a good friend to someone living with autism.

Fragile Bones is the first book of a series called One 2 One that explores students at Sir Winston Churchill Secondary school.

Fallout by Todd Strasser

It's the summer of 1962 and the threat of war is looming.  Scott is in grade 6.  Old enough to know that things are serious but young enough that his parents don't share the extent of it with him.  Fallout is told by Scott's point of view with the time frame flipping from before the bomb and after the bomb.

Scott's dad has built a bomb shelter for their home.  His mother and all the neighbours think he's crazy.  There won't be a bomb.  Readers quickly discover that there has been a bomb though.  Scott's dad isn't so crazy anymore!  All the neighbours rush to fit into a shelter that has been built for a family of four.  Soon the shelter door is shut and now ten neighbours must survive two weeks with only enough supplies for four people.

Before the bomb is built Scott has normal young boy worries such as getting in trouble for dumb ideas that his best friend Ronnie ropes him into.  Ronnie's next big plan is that before Scott is killed by a bomb he needs to see a woman's breasts.

I really enjoyed Fallout.  Perfect for grade 6-8.  However, not a great read allowed due to Ronnie's obsession with breasts.  There is also some under age drinking.  No bad language though.

The Invoice by Jonas Karlsson

How happy are you with your life?  Do you think you are more or less happy then your friends and neighbours?  What makes one person happier than another?  Is it money?  Family?  Travel?  Love?

The main character (no name given) has received an invoice for an obscene amount of money.  He's been told it is time to pay up for all the wonderful experiences he's had in life so far.  But how has this company come up with this number?  How have they rated his level of happiness?  Is he happy?  What's the worst things that have happened to him?

This was a quick read.  Interesting how he reflects and evaluates his life.  This would make a good book club discussion.  The Invoice will be published in Canada on July 12th, 2016.

Insidious by Catherine Coulter

I enjoy a good murder mystery now and then but it can't be too gruesome and gory and it can't have kids.  That can be tough to find.  I was a bit sceptical when I received a copy of Insidious but all was good.

Insidious was a good clean murder mystery.  A real page turner without a ton of blood and guts and harming small children.  There is a serial killer though and someone is trying to kill an 87 year old grandmotherly business tycoon.  At first it seemed like so many characters to keep straight and try and figure out how they all fit together but it all came together quickly.

Someone has been trying to poison Venus the 87 year old grandmother.  But who?  And why?  Surely, she can't have that much longer to rule the business empire.  Can't they just wait to die naturally?  And which one of her children or grandchildren is so anxious to see her gone?  They are all quick to point fingers.

In Hollywood it's a pretty competitive world.  Everyone is trying to be a star.  After the third murdered starlett the FBI realize they have a serial killer on their hands but how many more up and coming stars need to be brutally murdered before they catch the killer?

The Good Sister by Chelsea Bolan

The Amador family takes great pride in their family name and family business - the bar that all the tourists flaunt to.  They are a family that is respected in their community.  Raul Amador is the proud leader of his family.  Nothing will tarnish their family name.

When rumours begin to circulate that his youngest daughter Gabriela has been up to no good with a local man, Raul can take no chances and must protect his family image.  He acts quickly to cleanse his home and name of any shame not stopping to think twice or listen.

With Gabriela no longer a name that is allowed to be spoken in the presence of her father, Lucy must remain the good sister.  Although her name may not be spoken, Lucy can't drive away her thoughts of her sister.  Where is she?  Is she safe?  Is she alive?

Lucy travels across Mexico to find her beloved sister.  Her travels take her through a side of Mexico that is hidden away from the many tourists that visit every day.  The author, Chelsea Bolan, describes a Mexico filled with history and beauty.  The Good Sister tells a story of tragedy and loss but throughout the story the sisters each encounter so many kind and giving strangers as well.  The Good Sister will transport readers to Mexico with every page.