Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein

An intriguing story full of puzzles, books, mysteries, and games, which teaches a lot about teamwork, honesty, and playing fair.

Recommended age: 12 – 14; 14 – 16.

Kyle Keeley is only good at one thing: games. He couldn’t be happier when Mr. Lemoncello, the greatest game maker in the world, creates the most amazing library in the world. Right in his hometown! And to top it off, the twelve-year-olds of his town (including Kyle) are offered an amazing opportunity. Each kid may write an essay about the library, and the twelve with the best essays are invited to stay the night before the opening of the library in the library. Kyle is determined to get in. But getting in is the easy part; the hard part is getting out again.  Kyle is caught up in a game called “get out of the library.” The first one to do it gets a prize, but it might be beyond even Kyle’s ability escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library.

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Faithful to the End

“The Last Dogs” series by Christopher Holt

1. The Vanishing
2. Dark Waters
3. The Long Road
4. Journey’s End

A story of three dogs trying to find their owners who have disappeared for an unknown reason.

Recommended age: 10 – 12; 12 – 14

Their owners have disappeared, and they don’t know why.   Max and his two friends have set off to find their masters.  Fleeing starving wolves and seeking their owners, they run into the Corporation — dogs who are much more dangerous than the wolves.   It takes all their courage and resourcefulness to escape and bring freedom to the captives of the Corporation.   In the subsequent books, they continue their journey down river, learning some important information on the way.

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“The Seven Sleepers” series by Gilbert L. Morris

1. Flight of the Eagles
2. The Gates of Neptune
3. The Sword of Camelot
4. The Caves that Time Forgot
5. Winged Raiders of the Desert
6. Empress of the Underworld
7. Voyage of the Dolphin
8. Attack of the Amazons
9. Escape with the Dream Maker
10. The Final Kingdom

Fun fantasy stories about seven young people battling to defeat evil.

Recommended age: 10 – 12; 12 – 14.   Winged Raiders: 12 – 14

The world has been destroyed by nuclear war.   But before the war, seven young children were placed into suspended animation.   Fifty years later, they have been awakened and given a quest — to defeat the evil that is ruling in the land and restore God’s House.

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What We Found in the Sofa and How it Saved the World by Henry Clark

An entertaining book with tessering sofas, Lord of the Rings spoofs, talking dominoes, belly-buttonless clones, and alternate dimensions.

Recommended age: 10– 12; 12 – 14; 14 – 16; 16 – 18.

When a mysterious sofa appears in front of the bus stop, River, Freak and Fiona thinks it’s a good place to sit while they wait for the bus. Not much more. But when they search under the cushions, they come up with a two-headed coin, a flattened peanut shell, a chewing gum wrapper, a plaid sock, a fishhook (which of course gets stuck in River’s hand), an old wooden double-six domino, and a green crayon with a label that says ZUCCHINI. It turns out that this is likely the only zucchini crayon in existence. And that means it’s valuable. Of course, if you found a multi-hundred-dollar crayon, what would you do? Sell it on e-bay, of course! But when the auction goes startlingly high, and when they meet the owner of the mysterious sofa, they realize they’re into something a lot bigger than they could ever imagine. So come along, catch a ride and find out what they found in the sofa and how it saved the world.

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“Alec Flint Super Sleuth” series by Jill Santopolo

1. Alec Flint Super Sleuth – The Nina, the Pinta, and the Vanishing Treasure
2. The Ransom Note Blues: An Alec Flint Mystery (Not reviewed)

Fun kid detective series

Recommended age: 10 – 12; 12 – 14

A museum exhibit regarding the Voyage of Christopher Colombus has been stolen.  Fourth grader Alec Flint and his friend, Gina, figure out some interesting information about the exhibit, catch the criminal and rescue someone.

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“Isle of Swords” Series by Wayne Thomas Batson

1. Isle of Swords
2. Isle of Fire

A very Christian book with a rousing adventure about pirates.

Recommended age: 10 – 12; 12 – 14; 14 – 16.

It takes place in the Caribbean in 1713. The main characters are all pirates who had been cast out of the Royal British Navy. While stopping on an island, they come across an unconscious man. When he regains consciousness, it is discovered he has no memory of his past life. At the same time, the pirate captain, Declan Ross, is enlisted by a top secret group of monks (the Brethren) to find and protect the legendary treasure of Constantine from the evilest pirate on the Seven Seas, Bartholomew Thorne. Meanwhile, Declan’s daughter, Anne, is trying to help Cat, the man with no memory, discover his past.

The second book takes place a year later, in 1714. Bartholomew Thorne, once thought dead, is on the rise again, with a revenge plan of great magnitude. And once again, Declan Ross is the only one in his way. Meanwhile, Cat and Anne, with the help of the Brethren, are chasing down an elusive evil adversary, the mysterious Merchant, who is legendary for dealing in death.

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Much Ado About Grubstake by Jean Ferris

It’s a fun mystery/treasure hunt set in the Old West.

Recommended age: 10 – 12; 12 – 14

Arley Pickett — sixteen-year-old, orphan, boarding house owner, and reader of Penny Dreadfuls — is suspicious. A strange city slicker comes to their dusty little town of Grubstake (population 62) claiming he is going to turn it into a resort! Grubstake is a half-abandoned mining town whose mines are totally empty of profit. And the city slicker wants to buy all the mines! Something doesn’t add up, so Arley gets on the case. Then a strange man dressed all in black comes into town, and Arley gets involved in something deeper than even she could imagine.

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