Jubilee Reviews Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan

     The Ranger's Apprentice is a 249-page novel about an orphan named Wil. Wil was discovered on the doorstep of Castle Redmont, Fief Redmont's castle. The Baron Arald takes him in, as well as all the other orphans in his Fief, out of the kindness of his heart. The story begins the night before Choosing Day, the day when all of Redmont's orphans who are turning fifteen choose their profession at the castle, with the agreement of the leaders of those professions at the castle. Tragically, when the day comes, all of Wil's friends are picked, but nobody wants him. Wil is destined for a life at the farms, but the mysterious Ranger Halt passes an odd note to Baron Arald. Wil is curious, and the next night, he is determined to discover the contents of that note.

    Ranger's Apprentice is a heartwarming tale of loyalty and friendship, a book halfway between realistic fiction and fantasy. The beginning half details a tale of day-to-day work and a fierce rivalry. The second half features a dashing adventure with ups and downs, chock full of medieval fun. This is a great book for fans of realistic fiction (think My Side of the Mountain) and fantasy (think books by Brandon Mull). The Ranger's Apprentice is an amazing middle-grade novel and will leave you thirsty for more. Luckily, there's a whole series, then sequel series to Ranger's Apprentice, and The Brotherband is in the same world, too. I deeply encourage you to read the amazing Ranger's Apprentice.

    I personally have read all of the Ranger's Apprentice books, and have even bought the ones that the library didn't have. Again, so gripping! I would recommend this book to 11-year olds to 13 or 14-year olds. I am 11 and grasp pretty much all of it, but I think it would be a fun read for young teenagers, also. The Ranger's Apprentice is one of my personal favorites, and I think it could become one of yours, too!

The first book in a great series!

The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson 

This book came out in 2013, so I think we owned a signed hardback copy for 8 years before I finally read it. Brandon Sanderson's YA Reckoners series is my favorite of his books, so when 13-year-old Benjamin was rolling his eyes at me for never having read The Rithmatist (also for the YA market), I decided to get my act together. I enjoyed it. It was entertaining, and eventually pretty suspenseful. 

The Rithmatist is the story of our protagonist, Joel, who lives in a steampunk world where the USA is a collection of islands and some people can make chalk pictures come to life.  Joel is spending all his time wishing he had been chosen as one of these special people -- he wants to be a Rithmatist. Pretty soon, however, young Rithmatists start disappearing, apparently attacked by one of their own, a mysterious Rithmatist. Joel inserts himself into the investigation and his summer that looked boring at the outset gets very busy indeed. 

Sanderson did a nice job with this book -- solid characters with various motivations and complex backgrounds, a plot with increasing complexity and pacing that starts slow and speeds up by degrees until you're up late because you can't put it down. I really liked how Joel and Melody's friendship developed, and found it realistic and just a lot of fun to see them go from nothing to having inside jokes. There is some violence in the book: it's a mystery about the disappearance (kidnapping? murder?) of high schoolers. I felt like Sanderson kept it solidly PG-13. Ben McSweeney's illustrations definitely added to the book and made it work. All the chalk pictures and the occasional spot art were anchors for me when otherwise I would have been lost, thinking about this magic system.

Jacob warned me when I was starting it that "Brandon says he regrets setting it up for a sequel" because other books and projects have since filled his time. So I knew going in that it would have some unresolved threads at the end of the book. Knowing that was enough for me, and I'm satisfied with the ending. 

I did sometimes feel the book was a little repetitive. Sanderson really wanted to make sure you knew what was going on. Occasionally I felt the writing condescended a little bit, for the sake of clarity. Like, the bad guy reveals himself and then Joel thinks, in a separate sentence, 'he has to be stopped.' That sort of thing.  That said, I didn't really mind because I was reading it for the entertainment and the enjoyment of the story and the story was, indeed, always clear. 

I'm glad I read this one, and only sorry I waited so long to read it! Recommended.

Alysa's Summer Reading

Hello! I did do some good reading this summer that I want to share with you. 

Race the Sands by Sarah Beth Durst 

My book club read this fantasy novel and it was enjoyed by all. A couple of us thought we were reading a YA fantasy book, but it turns out this one is marketed to adults. The main premise is that in Bekar, people live good lives hoping for rebirth as a human or auger. The worst thing to be reborn as is a kehok - a monster. The kehoks are dangerous, but that doesn't stop people from racing them! We follow a trainer, a rider, and the political turmoil in the country. 

Our group agreed that the worldbuilding and characters were excellent. It was so refreshing not to have a love triangle! And the abundance of strong female characters was awesome. There was a fair bit of violence in the book, but prrrrobably definitely less than The Hunger Games or something. No bedroom scenes. I was so into the book that I ended up telling my kids all the plot of it, just because my mind was so thoroughly engrossed. I definitely filtered out some of the violence in my retelling though, ha! Recommended. 

The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse

This was my pick for book club this summer. It met with mixed reviews in the club, partly because it came on the heels of Race the Sands, and Bertie Wooster is very down on Angela Basset throughout! Those who liked it really liked it, and those who didn't, didn't. I find that's pretty typical of humor books. 

The Code of the Woosters is a middle book in the Jeeves and Wooster series. It was the most accessible title at the local libraries, which is why I chose it over Right Ho, Jeeves, which is probably my favorite (Right Ho, Jeeves is especially good on audio). Anyway, the series follows young bachelor Bertie Wooster in London in the 1930's, who is constantly getting into tight spots and requiring the ingenious brain of his valet, Jeeves, to get him out of trouble. This installment details Bertie's misadventures with a collectible silver cow creamer, blackmail, rifts between lovers that could have dire consequences for him, and more. I noticed it was on a list of recommended classics for eighth graders, and I could get behind that. If you want to dip your toes into the Jeeves and Bertie world, you can always look up some of the old episodes of the BBC TV adaptation on YouTube for a taste. 

How Not to Die by Michael Greger, M.D., FACLM

This thick volume details the research on nutrition in health for a number of scenarios. There are two main sections in the book: the first section has chapters organized by disease, the second section has chapters organized by types of foods. Chapters in section one include How Not to Die from Suicidal Depression, How Not to Die from Breast Cancer, How Not to Die from Diabetes and many more. Chapters in section two include Spices, Cruciferous Vegetables, Berries and many more. 

I became interested in reading this book because I did an internet search for "how to lower your estrogen" and the search results I found referenced the book multiple times. Obviously, I thought, it would be a better source of complete information. And I was right, there really is so much info in the book. The author has made a living of studying medical research findings and publishing them in layman's terms. He runs the website nutritionfacts.org. His grandmother's life was saved when she changed her diet in her old age, and he shares that amazing story in the beginning of the book. 

I didn't read the book cover-to-cover, but I did read large swaths of it, and found it fascinating and motivating. I shared enough passages of it with Benjamin that he took it up himself and started sharing passages back with me. We've both been eating healthier since. I recommend it, if you're interested! 

Oh, I also checked out the How Not to Die Cookbook from my library. It was alright. I've learned how to make vegetable broth now. I took down a few of recipes before I returned it: the one for Veggie broth, one for a dish of beans, rice and broccoli, and the last for a dairy-free "macaroni and cheese" dish.  My favorite healthy eating cookbook is still The Smoothie Project by Catherine McCord.

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

This was the August pick for book club, and I had read it for another book club in another state some years ago. I remembered liking it, and I remembered all of the worst and most violent parts. So, I'm happy to say that I really enjoyed the reread!

This is the first in a series of detective novels set in Botswana. The author helps us get to know our lady detective, Mma Ramotswe, explores her country and family history, and takes us on several of her cases. 

Some of the cases are lighthearted and some are heavier, and the book strikes a good balance. I definitely categorize it as "for grownups," but then again as a teen I read a lot of Agatha Christie. Anyway, since I had read the book before and many of the cases outcomes came back to mind as I was reading, I was able to really enjoy the superb writing in this book and appreciate some of the humor and foreshadowing that I couldn't enjoy last time, because I was on the edge of my seat, metaphorically. I might read more in the series . . .There are apparently 21 books in the series now, wow. 

This is another series (like Jeeves and Wooster, above) that has been made into a television show. After reading the book I did look up the first episode of the show on YouTube, just to satisfy myself that I was pronouncing Mma correctly (and to pass the time as I folded laundry). Unfortunately I can't recommend the series, because it makes the main characters into buffoons. I was offended, on behalf of Mma Ramotswe. (Incidentally, Bertie Wooster is also a buffoon, but he is meant to be a buffoon.)

Read Anything Good Lately? Seven Guest Reviews

I've been thinking for a while that I ought to have some of my bookish friends over onto my book blog. So I emailed 7 women whose taste in books is a great match with mine.  I asked them to recommend a book they've loved, a book that everyone should read, or a book to which they want to give a signal boost. Well these books have just jumped to the top of my list! 

Welcome to my
Guest Review Party!

We've been listening to the audiobooks of the Michael Vey series, by Richard Paul Evans. They are SO much fun! Michael Vey is a teenager who secretly has the power to manipulate electricity. He thinks he's alone in this gift, until one fateful night, his mother is kidnapped, and he discovers that he's one of 17 electric children, born within the same week at a hospital with an experimental machine that went haywire and imbued a number of newborn babies with varying electrical talents. Now he has to find his mother, rescue her from the bad guys who are trying to use the electric children to take over the world, and maybe rescue some of the other electric teens along the way. It has action, adventure, humor, and suspense, and we have loved taking it on road trips or just listening together while we make dinner or do the dishes at night. The series is already complete with 7 books, so no need to wait for new installments. Two thumbs up! -- Ashley my erstwhile coblogger. 

The book that stands out for me this year is Crownchasers, the first in a series by Kansas author Rebecca Coffindaffer. It's a great Science Fiction adventure with an absolutely smashing heroine in Alyssa Farshot, the captain of a worldship and the niece of the emperor. When her uncle suddenly dies, Alyssa is dragged into a race across space against some of her closest friends to become the next emperor. Except the race isn't as fair as everyone thinks. The worlds and peoples that Coffindaffer dreamed up are incredible, but beyond that: this book was a non-stop adventure I couldn't put down. I can't wait to read the next installment! -- Melissa Fox of The Book Nut

I would love to shine a light on Emily Arrow's Studio: A Place for Art to Start. I love whenever I find a book that doesn't follow the typical pattern of solving a problem or extending a familiar series. Studio is a sweet read-aloud poem that celebrates creativity and collaboration in a way that feels fresh and even quietly subversive. The text and illustrations invite readers to think about creativity beyond arts and crafts, and I'm sure it's inspiring readers of all ages to go make something quirky, weird, and totally original. -- Heidi Fiedler at https://www.helloheidifiedler.com/

The book that stands out for me lately is City Spies, by James Ponti. It’s the first of a new middle grade series about a group of five kids from around the world who are recruited to be spies. It’s a perfect combination of humor and action. I was reading it with my daughter nearby, and she asked why I kept laughing aloud. Always a good sign! City Spies inspired me to go read Ponti’s Framed trilogy, which I devoured over the next week or so. I’m eagerly awaiting the second City Spies book, due out in March. -- Jen of Jen Robinson's Book Page

Accidental Archaeologists: True Stories of Unexpected Discoveries, by Sarah Albee, is a great book to offer the 10-12 year old who has an interest in archaeology--the sort of kid that went through an Egyptology phase as an 8 year old--, or indeed to anyone, young or old, who enjoys learning new and different things about history told in a friendly, easy style!

The book is self-described as a collection of "chance discoveries by ordinary people" that contributed to our understanding of the past. Arranged in chronological order of the discoveries (which has the added bonus of seeing how archaeology has changed over time), these chance finds from around the world are indeed extraordinary, marvelous, discoveries. Included are some that will be familiar to many kids in the US, like Pompeii and Herculaneum, and some that will quite possibly be new, like an Aztec temple in Mexico City, and a South African cave full of the fossils of a previously unknown early human species. They really are all tremendously exciting finds from around the world!

Albee does a truly great job providing historical context for many of the finds (along the way, for instance, you'll learn lots about the history of Thailand, and slavery in New York), and in some cases, the discoverers are brought to life too--like the black cowboy who found the first huge bison kill site in the US--which adds human interest. Lots of vintage illustrations, maps, and sidebars give even more substance to the already rich descriptions of each discovery. The accessible, almost conversational style of the stories allows Albee to include past injustices, misconceptions, and mistakes in a way that's thought provoking without being preachy.

In short, reading books like this is a great way to learn, and there's lots to learn here, not dumbed down at all, and so much more fun than reading books written for grown-ups! As a professional archaeologist myself, I'm happy to be able to endore this book wholeheartedly!-- Charlotte at Charlotte's Library

I came across one of the strangest books I've ever encountered the other day, and I truly don't know what to think about it so I'm hoping that writing about it will help me wrap my mind around it...you should check it out. Victor by Jacques Maes and Lise Braekers.

Victor has achieved his life's goal of shooting a cheetah and he proudly displays the skin in his home. But after a night of restless sleep during which he dreams of the cheetah's mourning friends, a remorseful Victor decides to make things right with the cheetahs by creating his new life goal: protect the murdered cheetah's coalition from the same fate. Victor sews himself into the cheetah skin and befriends the cheetah's old friends, who think their friend has returned, and he feels a sense of love and family for the first time in his life. However, the coalition eventually comes to realize they've been deceived and decide to give him a taste of his own medicine at that moment Victor awakes from what has been a dream all along.

Most of the story's emotional and tonal progression lies in Braekers' illustrations, and readers are encouraged to seek out every last detail to capture the story in its entirety -- in fact, much like a hunter taking its prey by surprise, the visual story begins even before the title page, where we see Victor shoot the cheetah on the front endpaper. Created in mostly yellows and greens, Braekers' images heavily rely on the contrasts in shape, size, and shadow to carry the emotional weight of the story. The text is fairly minimal, but Maes' words are poignant and resonant.

Haunting? Yes. Horrifying? Definitely. But valuable in its unbridled efforts to generate a lasting sense of empathy.

 -- Mel at Let's Talk Picture Books

You already know Dav Pilkey, author of Dog Man. I am always looking for books that straddle the Pilkey line; i.e. they are equally amusing to elementary students and middle school ones, and I find them engaging as well!

An excellent example of this is Julie Falatko’s Two Dogs in a Trench Coat series. These are definitely goofy. We get to see dogs Sassy and Waldo navigate their boy Stewart’s world and showcase their obsession with food. Since they are bored at home, they plan an elaborate ruse. With the aid of a trench coat, they convincingly present themselves as a new student, Salty, from Liver, Ohio. They are interested in school primarily because of the lunches, but get into many school hijinks. Through it all, their classmates and teacher are, of course, completely oblivious to the fact that Salty is really two canines.

Hysterically funny writing aside, the Colin Jack illustrations are humorous and endearing as well. Stewart loves his dogs and wants the best for them, and if it involves bringing them to school so they are not lonely at home, he is willing to do that. The plots are all vaguely reminiscent of ones where students move to new schools and struggle to make friends, making this a very clever twist on an established middle grade trope.

What I liked best about this series, which makes me a little sad now, is that Falatko seemed to understand my dog Sylvie’s very soul. The attitude that Waldo and Sassy have towards squirrels, their constant attention to all available food, and their phrasing all harken to the “conversations” that my dog had with my daughters before she passed away. “Tiny carrots wrapped in bacon!” has become a family catch phrase for good eats! Given that I was the primary voicer of Sylvie's thoughts, perhaps Falatko understands MY very soul.

Two Dogs in a Trench Coat has numerous slapstick moments, many visual jokes, and plenty of goofy humor, but at its heart, the series is a highly philosophical discussion of the bond between dogs and their human, and the deep contentment that dogs find in moments of domestication. Waldo voices this perfectly in this interchange:

"If wild dogs knew how dry and warm it was inside, they'd stay in when it's raining, too. But okay. We are wild dogs on the inside."

"Inside of the house," said Sassy.

--Karen at Ms. Yingling Reads

*********

It has been so fun putting this post together. It brought back memories! I thought of eating lunches together at KidLitCon. I smiled about long email threads exchanged with these friends about Cybils books. I felt like I got a peek at the bookshelf, in this time when I haven't seen anyone else's bookshelves in ages! 

The thing I miss most about pre-Covid life right now is the "incidental learning" that happens naturally when people get together. I miss noticing that a friend has a book sticking out of her purse and asking her about it. I miss watching my friends in their kitchens and going home with new ideas on how to cook and clean. I can see the light at the end of this tunnel, and I'm thankful for some of the brilliant moments within the tunnel as well.

Happy Reading! 

Exciting New Installment in The Dragonwatch Series!

Alysa here, and I've got a special guest review for you today. My sixth-grade son Benjamin and his best friend Zaya have both read and reviewed the latest Brandon Mull book. Enjoy!

Dragonwatch: Master of the Phantom Isle—Book 3 in Brandon Mull's Dragonwatch series.

This thrilling sequel to Dragonwatch: Wrath of the Dragon King, is packed with action. Seth is desperate to figure out where he fits in in the magical world. Kendra is equally desperate to find her brother, Seth. Kendra's quest to find Seth brings her to a fallen dragon sanctuary. Can Kendra find her brother? Can she and her allies win the perilous war with the dragons? Can Seth resist the darkness that surrounds him? Find out in Dragonwatch: Master of the Phantom Isle.

Zaya: I was excited to read Master of the Phantom Isle. because the book before is a real cliffhanger. I actually think it’s probably one of the best cliffhangers because it really involves the main characters and its resolution could completely affect the plot line. I had to find out what would happen! It was fun to read and It really pulled me in.

Benjamin: Yep! Ditto.

Zaya: When I only had 20 pages left, my older brother stole it from me at school and I was devastated. And super mad. I yelled at him.

Proven Books for a 13 year old boy: Teen-tested Top Favorites

Updated April 2024

Here on Everead the long-standing most popular post is my list Books for 13 Year Old Boys: Ten Exciting Titles to Keep Him Reading. But, it has been a couple of years since I wrote that post. The good news is that books that were quality a couple of years ago are still quality. Nevertheless, it's time for a new take on the list. For this post I turned to the 13-year-old boys I know personally, and to some friends who have 13-year-old sons. I asked, "What is your favorite book?" Here are their answers.

The next 8 books are top favorites of multiple 13-year-olds I talked to. Most of them are bestselling fantasy or sci-fi series that are popular enough to have been adapted for the screen. Reliable selections, if you're shopping or browsing outside of your own area of expertise.

Dragonwatch -- These are crazy popular. This series isn't complete yet, but it is the latest from Brandon Mull's Fablehaven world. The Fablehaven series is complete with five books, which have the same two protagonists: Seth and Kendra.  When I accepted a review copy for book 2 in the Dragonwatch series, it was instantly snatched up by my son, then passed around his friends. Book 3 was so good he reviewed it himself. Book 4 comes out in October 2020.

Beyonders -- This trilogy by the same author, Brandon Mull, is complete and ready to go. It stars protagonists Jason and Rachel who have both been drawn into a mysterious world ruled by an evil emperor and are looking for a way home. If Dragonwatch and Beyonders aren't enough Brandon Mull for you, check out his Five Kingdoms series or The Candy Shop War and its sequel.

Rick Riordan -- This author is so popular that none of the teens I talked to mentioned any book by name, just all the "books by Rick Riordan." He's currently writing The Trials of Apollo Series, and will complete it with the release of book 5 in September 2020. Rick Riordan has already completed the following series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Heroes of Olympus, The Kane Chronicles, Magnus Chase, and he has contributed to the 39 Clues, a series where bestselling authors each contribute a book. My husband and I read all the Percy Jackson books as they were coming out (ten years ago, now...eep!) and I really appreciated Percy's good humor and can-do attitude. Friendship and family are big themes in the series. 

Alcatraz -- Brandon Sanderson is a favorite in our house. Thirteen-year-olds mentioned the Alcatraz series specifically and also other books by Brandon Sanderson. Alcatraz is his series marketed to middle grades, The Reckoners and The Rithmatist and Skyward are his books marketed to teens. He also has several series marketed for adults. My twelve-year-old who is begging for more Brandon Sanderson has read Sanderson's books for teens and adults, because my husband and I have read them and consider them at a PG-13 level. 

Consider Audiobooks -- If you spend time driving together or cleaning the bathroom needs to become more fun, an audiobook version of these books could be just what you need. Here's a link to Audible Plus, which has a nice free trial.  

Maze Runner -- This series by James Dashner is complete at 5 books. Our protagonist wakes up on his way to The Glade and can't remember anything but his name. Soon, he's surrounded by other boys whose memories are gone, and he becomes one of the few to run the ever-changing maze that keeps them all trapped.

Ready Player One -- Wade Watts is on a hunt for an easter egg, a virtual easter egg that is worth billions of real dollars. Virtual reality becomes all too real when he pulls ahead of the pack and big business feels threatened. I haven't read this version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for the retro video game nerd myself, but people do say it's tough to put down.

Ender's Game -- An oldy but a goody! Originally published in 1985, you know a book has staying power if 13-year-olds are still talking about it in 2018. This book follows Andrew, nicknamed Ender, as he leaves home for the military training school that he was literally born to enter. Ender's Game is the first in a series, but stands alone well.

Alex Rider -- This series is complete at 10 books (and one short story collection). Pegged as a teen-led tribute to James Bond and perfect for those who like Jason Bourne, the Alex Rider books follow Alex, whose uncle and guardian suddenly dies in a very suspicious car crash. Alex knows something isn't right, and soon he's right in the middle of all the danger.

Are the books above too mainstream?

Introducing 5 remarkable books, 

favorites of genuine 13-year-old boys: 

Space Case -- This is the current favorite book of a 13-year-old who was described to me as someone who "Doesn't read. He only reads for school." It is the start of the Moon Base Alpha series by Stuart Gibbs. I haven't read Space Case or the rest of the series, but I did read Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs and remember it being well written. My son also recommends this series and Gibb's Spy School series.

The Wild Robot -- The Wild Robot is the current favorite book of a 13-year-old, and a 15 year old I know mentioned it to me as "a great book" the other day. Lucky for them there is a sequel, The Wild Robot Escapes. This series follows a shipwrecked robot washed up on an island. Roz the robot doesn't know she's out of place, but she is programmed to learn and adapt and that's what she does, eventually learning to survive and thrive in the wild.

Sabotage, The Boys in the Boat, Call It Courage  -- These three are the favorites of a 13-year-old who loves non-fiction. Sabotage: The Mission to Destroy Hitler's Atomic Bomb details the amazing work of Norwegians who not only survived the elements outside of Vemork but also decimated the bomb-building progress there. The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown also touches on defeating Hitler, but in this case it is the US rowing team hopes to defeat Germany at the Berlin Olympics. (The Boys in the Boat comes in a Young Readers Edition as well.) Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry is historical fiction about Maftu, a boy who must face his fear of the ocean and survive the elements on his own. Call It Courage won the Newbery Medal, and is super affordable.

Need more? Here are more recommendations for a 13-year-old boy who likes books to be fast-paced and exciting. 

Here is a list of 7 adventure titles for 13-year-old boys. 

6 Books My 10-year-old Loved

The other day Benjamin was looking for something good to read. I popped over to the Cybils website and we browsed the shortlists from 2017 for some books. We put them on hold at our library and once he had read them all, I asked him to rank them for me. "Which one should I read?" He picked one and then I asked him to put the rest in order for me.

Benjamin said, "It's kind of hard to rate them, because they're all really good."

One of the books was non-fiction: Two Truths and a Lie: It's Alive! by Paquette and Thompson. I love the premise of this book. Each chapter has three short articles about interesting plants/animals. The kicker is that one of them is a lie! The idea is that this gives the kids practice reading critically and checking the sources of an article that appears to be non-fiction. The boys ate it up, and Jubilee has asked to get in on the fun and had me read several chapters to her.  Of this book, Benjamin said, "I know you've read part of this, so decide."

In 5th place...
The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson. This one is realistic fiction, and Benjamin prefers fantasy. But he likes a good test of his wit, and The Parker Inheritance is "a puzzle book, like Under the Egg and Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library. Something you can kind of solve along with the character, but it's still a story and has all those plot twists." He mentioned that it has themes of History and African Americans.

In 4th place...
A Properly Unhaunted Place by William Alexander. According to the cover, this author has previously won the National Book Award. So that's a good sign. Benjamin said, "Truthfully, I couldn't decide between this one and The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart. It's actually kind of about respect." (Oooh, he's picking up on themes! Because he said this, I asked him about themes in each of the other books.) "But not in a 'respect your elders' way. It's about ghosts. It has plenty of action in it; and things that can happen to the narrator and the reader is like 'What?! That can happen?!' It's written in the first person."

In 3rd place...
The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart by Stephanie Burgis. Benjamin said, "This one is really good. It definitely includes magic, as you can tell. It ends on a very happy note—all of these books do, but this one was, like, a really nice ending. Plenty of action and you get to experience the book from the viewpoint of a dragon which isn't often explored." (And yes, when he said "which isn't often explored" I was duly impressed.) He said this one has a theme of Family. I've listened to the first chapter or so of this on audio already.

In 2nd place...
Miss Ellicott's School for the Magically Minded by Sage Blackwood. Benjamin said, "It has some magic performed in really intriguing ways. It also has a mystery inside of it." He has already checked out the Jinx trilogy by this same author, because he liked this one so much. He said this one has the theme of Problem Solving.

In 1st place...
Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh. Benjamin said, "Read this. It has the right amount of action, scariness, and . . . 'tradition' almost? And it's very good." When I asked him what the theme was, he said Tradition. That's a little more nebulous than the others, and since this one is his top recommendation, I think I'm going to have to read it.

I think I'll start right now.

[UPDATE from Alysa: I just finished Spirit Hunters. It is scary! It's really well written, and it does have a happy ending, as Benjamin promised, but it is more violent than I was expecting it to be. It reminded me of the one single Goosebumps book I read in childhood, which was enough for me. So I don't know if I would recommend it for a 10 year old? I just don't generally recommend scary books. If I were going to recommend a scary book, this one is actually really good - great interplay between tension and happier moments,  strong, well developed characters. It has a very satisfying ending, but sets up well for a series and book two, Spirit Hunters 2: The Island of Monsters is already out. And I kind of want to read it despite my trepidation when it comes to reading in the horror genre . . . so maybe that's recommendation enough? I don't know if I would even classify Spirit Hunters as horror, maybe a horror/realistic fiction/fantasy blend. Hmmm.]