This week I have been sharing books for different levels of readers in hopes of helping your kids avoid the summer slide. Today I am going to share two middle school level books. The first book is the second book in the Odd Series by Amy Ignatow. I reviewed the first book here and this one has sat on my shelf for some time and for some reason I didn't review it even though I read it ages ago. Sorry for not sharing it sooner. I loved reading it, so I am not sure why I didn't. Anyway, the newest book is Against the Odds.
This book picks up where The Mighty Odds left off. The four middle school kids with their not so wonderful special powers are trying to figure out what happened and how to deal with these special powers. They are not sure what happened to their substitute teacher after he set a huge fire (his new special power is fire) and they are trying to figure it all out. Plus there are two new special powered people--the invisible bus driver and an Amish teenager. Can they figure out what happened and find a way to get back to normal or if not control their powers. And who should they trust while trying to do all this?
The story is well written and draws the reader in. It has you guessing what might happen and it is a fun storyline. I enjoyed reading this installment of the story and love getting some answers to the bizarre situation the kids are in. Although it is not necessary to have read the first book, I think the reader would enjoy this one more having read it. The characters and situation are a bit bizzare and the more background the better. The series however is perfect for some fun summer reading. It is recommended for ages 9-12.
Our next book is the third book in Rick Riordan's The Trials of Apollo series. It is The Burning Maze. Now I will admit, I have not read this one. Although I find Rick Riordan's books interesting they really are not my genre. However I passed on one of his other books to a young man who just finished sixth grade and he loved it! The Burning Maze is described the publisher:
The formerly glorious god Apollo, cast down to earth in punishment by Zeus, is now an awkward mortal teenager named Lester Papadopoulos. In order to regain his place on Mount Olympus, Lester must restore five Oracles that have gone dark. But he has to achieve this impossible task without having any godly powers and while being duty-bound to a confounding young daughter of Demeter named Meg. Thanks a lot, Dad.
With the help of some demigod friends, Lester managed to survive his first two trials, one at Camp Half-Blood, and one in Indianapolis, where Meg received the Dark Prophecy. The words she uttered while seated on the Throne of Memory revealed that an evil triumvirate of Roman emperors plans to attack Camp Jupiter. While Leo flies ahead on Festus to warn the Roman camp, Lester and Meg must go through the Labyrinth to find the third emperor--and an Oracle who speaks in word puzzles--somewhere in the American Southwest. There is one glimmer of hope in the gloom-filled prophecy: The cloven guide alone the way does know. They will have a satyr companion, and Meg knows just who to call upon. . .Riordan's books tend to use figures from various ancient mythology and bring them to modern times. The are action packed and perfect for tween and teen boys and action loving girls. I love how the reader learns a bit about mythology in the stories and like I said my sixth grade reader loved the previous one.
I hope you will check out these books for your middle school readers!!
