The Ersatz Elevator by Lemony Snicket

I really loved this book, The Ersatz Elevator. Lemony Snicket must have put a lot of deep thought into this book. When the three Baudelaire’s, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny, try to get to the bottom of Esme Squalor’s dark and mean scheme, they encounter a little bump in the road. As they are trying to get out of Esme and Jerome’s penthouse apartment, they’re stuck. No one will let them out to get to the police. At this penthouse, there is an extremely odd elevator that is never to be used, however the Baudelaire’s figure out how this elevator works. This odd elevator is really a secret hideout and the only way down is to climb using a rope. Will Violet, Klaus, and Sunny get down the elevator, or will they be stuck in the penthouse forever?

This book is one of my favorites. When Sunny was trying to climb down the elevator, her brother and sister kept cheering her on. That is what I like in a story. Also, it kept you hanging at every chapter. I would always have a hard time taking my eyes off of each page.

Brooke D.

Woodridge School

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

This is the first book in Rick Riordan’s new and exciting series. One of the characters, Piper, is at a wilderness school in the middle of nowhere because her rich, famous father is mad at her. She meets a boy named Jason, who has no memory because Hera took it so he won’t remember his terrible, demigod past. Then, the Titans capture Hera and her power weakens everyday so she can’t escape. They take her to an old, warn down mansion where Jason used to live. Since Jason doesn’t have his memory, he can’t remember where the mansion is. Also, on top of all this trouble, another demigod named Leo shows up at the beginning the expedition to tell them both that Piper’s mean dad was also taken by the Titans. Now, they all have to save two people. Will the new demigods, Piper, Jason, and a helpful son of Hespeust be able to save Hera before the winter solstice? Read the book to see if they will save Hera.

I really loved this book! This book was exhilarating and definitely a page-turner! Once you start reading, you won’t be able to stop. Rick Riordan again has used his amazing talents to create an awesome book that is great for readers and that a lot of readers will love, too!

Aliana C.

Woodridge School

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The Graveyard Book is the tale of a boy orphaned at infancy by the murderer called Jack. He is adopted (and hidden from Jack) by the ghosts in a nearby graveyard. The ghosts and the boy's guardian, Silas (a possible vampire), dub him Nobody "Bod" Owens. Bod grows up in the graveyard, where life proves to be both exciting and dangerous. The Graveyard Book may be frightening to some (as the story includes kidnapping ghouls, murderers, and possible thievery), though I did not find it so.

-Rose S. M.

E.S. Rhodes

To discover more chilling tales by Neil Gaiman, visit his website at http://www.neilgaiman.com/!

Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn

One of the characters in this story, Molly, has a fear of her stepsister, Heather, and so does Molly’s brother Mike. Heather hates everyone -- Molly, Mike, and her new stepmother -- everyone except her father. As soon as they move to a new house with a cemetery in the back, Heather starts making up a girl named Helen. But is Helen really made up? Heather, Mike and Molly find out later that a little girl named Helen was buried in the cemetery. As the mystery gets harder to crack, they find out something horrible about Helen and their own stepsister. You have to read it to find out more!

To be honest, this is one of my favorite books in the world. I love how the author just keeps you interested until you hit the last word in the book. One of the characters in the book, Molly, was trying to figure out what was going on which in a way is like me because I love mysteries and trying to solve them. Now that I read and loved this book, hopefully you will feel the same way, too. If you love mysteries, ghosts or haunted places then you have to read this book. I would recommend this book to anyone in grades 5-8 between the ages of 10-14. – G.O., Stadium School.

The Old Willis Place by Mary Downing Hahn

       When you read The Old Willis Place, a chill will run down your back. Mary Downing Hahn, the author, writes about a brother Georgie and a sister Dianna who are stranded on a farm with no adult supervision. How did they get there? Find out what has happened to Georgie and Dianna by reading the book.

Mary Downing Hahn does an excellent job describing the characters. I had them pictured in my head. When she was describing the setting you had to use your five senses. I felt like I was really there.

If you like scary stories or mysteries, then you will love The Old Wills Place. It is a shocking and suspenseful fiction story that most readers would enjoy reading. You will never want to put the book down.  E. A., Garden City School

Stolen Children

Amy sometimes baby sits a little girl, Kendra. One day when she was babysitting something went wrong. Two kidnappers broke into Kendra’s house and took Kendra and Amy. They wanted Kendra and Amy to make videos to send to their parents to show that they are okay. Amy decided to give clues in the videos to try to have their parents find where they are. Do the clues work? Do Kendra and Amy get saved? Read Peg Kehret's book Stolen Children to find out.

Samantha A.

Woodridge School

The Scary States of America by Mike Teitelbaum

In The Scary States of America you go through all the states and find all the paranormal in it. You can read about The Beast of Bray Road and the Vampires of Exeter. The few main characters are Jason Specter and his online pals who are with him throughout the book. As the book says "you take a journey around the states and learn the weird and scary. Some ghost/aliens don't mean to hurt anyone, but some of them do." If you like scary books, give this one a try!

By Renny L.

Woodridge School

Skeleton Creek By: Patrick Carman

Welcome to Skeleton Creek. The book, Skeleton Creek, is about two teenagers trying to unlock the secrets of Skeleton Creek. Their names are Sarah Fincher and Ryan McCray. Sarah is adventurous and not afraid of anything. On the other hand, Ryan is easily scared. Ryan loves writing in his journal. (Ryan writes all of their adventures in it.) Sarah loves video recording and records everything she finds. Sarah sends the video to Ryan so that you can watch it on your computer. They go to the dredge where most of the action takes place. Whenever they go there, they risk their lives and then they're forbidden to see each other but they do anyway. You'll have to read the book to get the other juicy information. "Read the book, watch the video and uncover the mystery." I'll give you a clue: New York Gold and Silver. You're going to hear that word all the time so start thinking about what it means.

P.S. There is a Skeleton Creek 2 called Ghost In The Machine but I wish Patrick Carmen would do a third one.

Visit the web site if you dare.

Stephanie G.
Grade 6
ES Rhodes

Ghost in the Machine By: Patrick Carman

Ghost in the Machine is a sequel to Skeleton Creek. Ryan McCray is a 16 year old boy with a broken leg. His best friend, Sarah Fincher, is a 16 year old girl, who is fearless, and has a thirst for adventure. An internet search revealed that Old Joe Bush had stolen gold from the dredge when he worked there. The dredge is a machine that digs up land and finds gold. While Ryan and Sarah try to uncover the mystery, the ghost of Old Joe Bush is trying to keep them away. Sarah makes videos about their adventure and discovery. Will they unlock the secret of the dredge in time? I strongly recommend this book to people who like mystery, and a little scare.


Genna C.
E.S Rhodes
Grade 6

There's a Dead Person Following My Sister Around by Vivian Vande Velde

What do you do when your annoying little sister has imaginary friends? You ignore her, of course. But Ted becomes less annoyed and more intrigued when his sister Vicki’s imaginary friends take a very scary turn. When the two ghostly visitors gets into Ted’s dreams and start to do some real haunting, Ted needs to dig into the history of his house to find out what they want, and how to stop them from hurting anyone in order to get it. When Ted finds a journal belonging to an ancestor, he begins to untangle the mystery and works toward helping these ghosts find their rest after so many years. A spooky ghost story, and extremely satisfying as a problem-solving mystery.

Cool web site:

http://www.vivianvandevelde.com/books.cfm

Go to Vivian Van Velde’s web site. Click on the Books for Teens, or the Books for 8 to 14 year olds. There are so many great titles! She does fantasy, fairy tales turned on their ears, and cyber fiction. Check it out!

Skeleton Man by Joseph Bruchac

If you like scary stories, you'll love Skeleton Man. When Molly's parents mysteriously disappear, a creepy "great-uncle" she's never met before arrives and takes her to live with him. He locks her in her room at night and looks an awful lot like the "skeleton man" from the Native American tales her father told her. Molly's dreams of her Native American heritage give strength, courage, and clues to save herself and solve the mystery of her parent's disappearance as the story of the "Skeleton Man" becomes reality for Molly.

If you want more spooks from Joseph Bruchac, read The Skeleton Man Returns!

Find out more about Joseph Bruchac at his website.