Capture the Flag by Kate Messner J Mes

The months-long restoration project for the Star Spangled Banner flag was completed, and the Smithsonian was throwing an extravagant party to celebrate. Anna, Henry, and Jose, all strangers to one another, end up sitting on the same bench at the museum waiting for their responsible adult to drag them out of there.
The next morning they find themselves together again, thanks to a freak snowstorm that has shut down the Washington D. C. airport and stranded thousands of travelers. Then the news reports that the Star Spangled Banner was stolen sometime after the gala at the museum, and there appear to be no suspects.
Anna, who writes for her school newspaper and whose mother is a news reporter, begins to think like an investigative journalist and figures the stolen artifact must also be snowed in at the airport. What follows is some pretty zany and dangerous adventures by the three youngsters, who discover they are all part of a secret society charged with protecting valuable works of art.
Bad guys posing as good guys, good guys assumed to be bad guys, and bunch of innocent people wrongly accused keep this mystery moving at a good clip. You'll have to read the book yourself to find out if these three unlikely youngsters do indeed Capture the Flag.

AR Level 4.5
AR Points 6

Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead J Ste

Seventh-grader Georges (the s is silent) is going through a difficult time in his life. He and his parents have had to sell their house and move into an apartment several blocks away. Dad lost his job, and Mom is working double shifts at the hospital to fill in the financial gap. The good thing is that Georges still lives in the same neighborhood so he doesn't have to start over making friends. But maybe that isn't such good news. He's still the target of the class bullies, Carter and Dallas, who call him Gorgeous, and he still has to watch as his former best friend Jason works his way into the circle of the cool kids.
The best part of the move proves to be Safer, a boy the same age who lives upstairs in the apartment building and heads up the Spy Club.
Stead, who won a Newbery Medal for When You Reach Me, has written an entertaining story with believable but quirky characters -- like Safer's older brother Pigeon, and Bob English Who Draws. There's so much going on in the story that I found myself turning page after page to keep moving through the plot and I slid right over some clues that should have prepared me for the ending. Just remember, the book is called Liar and Spy for a reason. But you'll have to read the whole thing to find out why. And read it you should, as Yoda would say.


AR Level 3.8
AR Points 5

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan J Rio

This is the third book in the Heroes of Olympus series, and, in my opinion, one of the best by Rick Riordan. This is a book with a lot of adventure.  It starts with Annabeth, Piper, Leo, and Jason going toward the Roman camp in the Argo II. When they get there Reyna (the Roman leader) pulls Annabeth aside and helps her figure out her quest.

Whoops, I forgot that I have not told you about Annabeth’s quest. Her mother, Athena, is acting weird and needs help. She gives Annabeth a coin and says, “Follow the mark of Athena, avenge me.” Annabeth must find an object taken by the Romans.

Anyways, where were we? Oh, yes, Reyna. Before Reyna can finish, the Romans attack and Leo appears to be firing at the Romans. Will they escape from Roman fire?

What do Percy’s dreams and Piper’s visions mean? The demigods set off for Rome not knowing what to expect.  Everybody has questions they want answered. They will face many things on their journey, good and evil.

This is a series with a lot of adventure and I highly recommend reading The Mark of Athena.

AR Level 4.8
AR Points 20

By Nick, fourth-grade reader

Nancy Clancy: Super Sleuth by Jan O'Connor J Oco

 Nancy Clancy: Super Sleuth

By: Jane O'Connor

Reading Level: 3.3/ 1pt. 128pgs

The girl you know as "Fancy Nancy" is growing up and moving on to bigger adventures in her first chapter novel. Nancy has decided to become a detective, just like her favorite crime solving fictional character Nancy Drew. But, it turns out she isn't the only one looking for a crime to solve, her best friend Bree has become a detective too! Together, with their matching trench coats, spy glass, disguise gear, and what they've learned from Nancy Drew novels, they are an unstoppable team! Or, at least they would be if the could find any crimes to solve. They sneak, spy, and snoop, but no mysteries are to be found.

Finally, one day Nancy and Bree overhear the twins, Wanda and Rhonda arguing over something that has to do with Nancy, but what? Nancy and Bree are thrilled to have at least something of a mystery to investigate. But all too soon this mystery is shadowed by and even bigger mystery: On Family Day everyone brought a special memento to share with the group, but the next day their teacher's special blue marble he brought to share is missing. All signs point to thief, and Nancy and Bree are on the case!

This is a more grown up version of "Fancy Nancy" young readers will love. She's spunky, fun, and still fancy as ever. This is a perfect book for readers who are transitioning to chapter books... whether you read chapter books or have them read to you!

Kepler's Dream by Juliet Bell

Sometimes there is nothing in a book's title that would make a person want to choose the book when they see it on a shelf.. I think Kepler's Dream is one of those books. I chose to read it because I had read the reviews and it sounded pretty good. And it is a good book. It's a very good book and I think everyone who picks it up will enjoy the story. It's about eleven-year-old Ella, whose mother will be undergoing extreme treatment for leukemia. Ella's father hasn't really been a "dad" and is very busy as a guide for fishing expeditions. One grandma is dead, and the other one, Ella's father's mother, is a stranger. Ella has never met her. Yet that's where Ella is sent to spend the summer (she calls it Broken Family Camp) while her mother prepares for and undergoes a stem cell transplant.
Kepler refers to a mathematician/astronomer who lived in the late 1500s and early 1600s. Dream is the title of one of his books, considered to be the first science fiction book ever written. So how are the two connected? Ella's grandmother, Violet Von Stern, owns one of the few existing copies of Kepler's Dream (along with thousands of other rare books she has acquired. So many that she built a separate building on her land for a library!) One night, in the middle of the night, the book disappears.
But this book isn't just about finding a lost book. It's about Ella and her grandmother getting to know each other; making new friends, understanding things about her father and his family that she has never known, and figuring out her place in her somewhat unsettled world. I especially liked seeing the relationship between Ella and her grandmother evolve.
They say you can't judge a book by its cover, and sometimes you shouldn't judge a book by its title. Give this book a try. I think you'll like it.

AR Level 5.1
AR Points 9

Kindred Souls by Patricia MacLachlan

Kindred Souls. That's what Billy says he and his grandson Jake are. Jake's mom seems to think so, too. "When I see the two of you together," she tells Jake, "Sometimes I think you were born for him."
Billy's job during summer vacation from school is to be with Billy. Since Billy likes "predictable," they take the same walk every morning, always ending up at the top of a rise on the farm where the old sod house used to stand -- the house where Billy was born. And predictable Billy always ends their conversation there by saying, "I miss that sod house."
One day Jake asks how a person cut a sod brick. Billy's eyes light up. "You could do it," he tells Jake. And before he realizes it, Jake has been given the task of building a sod house for his grandfather. Then there's the stray dog, whom Billy instantly names Lucy, and who plays a huge part in making Billy well after he get pneumonia.
Enough said about the story. This is a quick book, with strong characters, a bit of magical mystery and such a comfortable, down-to-earth story that I just felt all warm and happy after reading it. In a way, Billy and Jake remind me of my father-in-law and his only grandson in the kind of close relationship they shared. As Billy shows us, sometimes you something for someone, whether you want to or not, just because they ask you to.

AR Level 3.0
AR Points 1

Brothers at Bat by Audrey Vernick

A trend I really enjoy in children's literature is using the picture-book format to tell the story of an interesting real-life event. Brothers at Bat: The True Story of an Amazing All-Brother Baseball Team tells a story most people don't know. The Acerra family, from New Jersey, had 12 boys, spanning 25 years, (and four girls, too!) In the 1920s and 1930s, before TV and other electronics, baseball was how they spent their spare time. So it only made sense when enough of them were old enough, that they had their own team. That began in 1938. The oldest brother, Anthony, was 32 at the time; the youngest on the team was Freddie, age 13. But there were three more boys waiting to play as soon as they were old enough. They took a break from baseball during World War II, when six of the brothers went to war. All six of the brothers came home, and it wasn't long before the team was ready to play again. And they kept playing until 1952. The Acerra brothers are the longest-playing all-brother baseball team ever. They were honored at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997.
This is a neat story about baseball, families, and a time-period from almost 80 years ago. And it is just a fun, little-known story in the history of America's game.
For books that tell other little-known stories, pick up a copy of the bookmark "Picturing History" next time you're at the Library.

AR Level 4.4
AR Points .5

The Genius Files: Never Say Genius by Dan Gutman

This second book in the Genius Files series follows Coke and Pepsi McDonald from their ill-fated meeting with the evil Dr. Herman Warsaw at the House on the Rock in Wisconsin, to their destination, Washington D. C., for their Aunt Judy’s wedding. Of course, with their mother, author of the “Amazing But True” web magazine, planning the route, this leg of the journey includes stops at the first ever MacDonald’s restaurant, a Hoover museum (it’s not the one in Iowa),  the world’s largest collection of outhouses, as well as some more normal venues, like Wrigley Field for a Cubs game, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and Center Point Amusement Park – famous for its variety of roller coasters.

What a great trip, right? Well, not if you’re looking over your shoulder everywhere you go, trying to figure out who’s trying to kill you and where they will turn up next. And those secret codes that turn up every few days – even inside the shell of a soft-boiled egg – are a little unsettling, too.

Of course, once Coke and Pep decide to clue mom and dad in on the Genius Files project, their parents just laugh and attribute all the stories to the twins’ vivid imaginations. No help from the grown-ups on this trip.

But you’ll be happy to know that they make it to Washington D. C. and to Aunt Judy’s wedding, which provides them with maybe the biggest surprise of their journey – and the jumping-off point for Book 3. They do have to travel back to California, you know.

 I love the Genius Files books because they are goofy, have an element of mystery, and contain some interesting bits of information that are true and amazing. I also like Dan Gutman’s style of writing, like he’s sitting right next to you telling you the story, talking directly to the reader. If you haven’t read the first book in this series (The Genius Files: Mission Unstoppable) well, I think you should. In fact, it’s one of the books we selected to give away as a summer reading prize. If you have read it, are reading it, or selected it for your reading prize, I suggest you get your name on the hold list for the second book. It’s brand new and will be in big demand after people read the first book.

And, these are the perfect books for “staycations” because you can travel right along with the McDonald family and even track their travels using websites included. And you don’t have to spend hours on the road in a motor home!

AR Level 4.8
AR Points 7

Out in Left Field by Don Lemna

Out In Left Field was a great book.  The main character is Donald and he loves to play baseball and hockey.  Donald has a lot of bad luck with his sports and works hard to get better.  I would recommend this to book to boys and girls 10 and older because it is a little scary and the vocabulary is difficult. 

by Joseph, fourth-grade reader




AR Level 5.3
AR Points 8

Theodore Boone, the Accused by John Grisham

Theodore Boone, 13-year-old son of two lawyers and an aspiring lawyer himself, finds himself on the wrong side of the law when stolen electronic tablets from a local break-in are discovered in his school locker. Theo knows he didn't do it, but the evidence is overwhelming, including his Minnesota Twins cap that was found at the scene of the crime. The police believe they have their boy; Theo's parents believe the legal system works correctly and they patiently wait for things to sort themselves out; Theo envisions life in and after a juvenile detention center and decides the only way to avoid that is to point the police toward the real culprits. The problem is, Theo has no idea who would want to set him up. Theo's uncle Ike, a disbarred hippie-type lawyer, isn't too worried about bending a few rules, and helps Theo arrive at a list of possible suspects. Oh, and while Theo is serving a school suspension for fighting, he takes time to defend a spitting llama and its owner in animal court. It's the quirky elements like that, along with interesting and well-defined characters, and a mystery so tightly written that you won't have it figured out right away, that make Grisham's Theodore Boone series fun reads for everyone -- even his adult fans. This is the third Theodore Boone book but you don't have to read the first to enjoy the others. 

AR Level 5.7
AR Points 9

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai

Inside Out and Back Again is about a Vietnamese girl named Ha. She lives in Saigon and loves life. She loves the market, her family and her very own papaya tree. But, when war invades Saigon, Ha's family is forced to flee. Her bumpy boat ride is not a good start for Ha in the new land. She will live in the state Alabama. She and her family are forced to fit in, and sometimes that's not always easy. This is a touching story every kid should read.
by Tyler,  fifth grader.

Note: This book won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature and was named a Newbery Honor book in 2012.




AR Level 4.8
AR Points 2

Cracker! The Best Dog in Viet Nam By Cynthia Kadohata

Cracker was a very lively and suspenseful book about Cracker, an extremely loyal and stubborn dog who turns out to be a scout dog in the Vietnam War. The book starts out having Cracker with Willie, a boy who has just moved in to an apartment in Chicago that doesn’t allow pets. So, Willie has to give Cracker up to the terrors of the Vietnam War. While in Vietnam, Cracker meets Rick, her handler, who is an affectionate person that sneaks hot dogs (called wieners in the book) to Cracker. Cracker and Rick have many good times and many bad times so, if you want to know more about the adventures of Cracker and Rick, read this book!!!

by Doug, fifth-grade reader

Note: This book is available through the Indianola Public Library as an online audiobook. It is recommended for readers age 10 and above.

AR Level 4.9

AR Points 9

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

The Son of Neptune is about these three kids named Hazel, Frank and Percy Jackson. Hazel is supposed to be dead. Frank is a klutz. Percy can't remember anything . . . except for a girl named Annabeth. This book is sure to leave you reading. It's full of suspense. I would recommend this book to everyone, especially to kids who love Harry Potter and The Hunger Games.

Tyler, a fifth grade reader
Note: This is the sequel to The Lost Hero, the first book in the "Heroes of Olympus" series. Five books are planned for this series, a spin-off of the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series. If you loved the Percy Jackson books, you'll love this new series, too.

AR Level 4.7
AR Points 17

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

Dead End in Norvelt is about a boy named Jack with nose problems. The problem with his nose is that whenever he gets too excited or scared about something his nose starts gushing blood. One day he is messing with his dad’s World War II souvenirs and using his dad’s Japanese binoculars to watch a war movie. His mom gets mad at him because he isn’t allowed to watch war movies because it will make his nose bleed. Another crazy act gets him grounded for the summer by his mom who thinks he’s been shot. A couple of days later, his mom makes him start helping his neighbor, Miss Volker, to write obituaries for all of the people who have been dying in Norvelt. He learns a lot about the lives of the people who have lived in his town.

This is a really funny story about a boy growing up and the many unexpected things that happen to him during the summer. This book is the 2012 Newbery Medal winner and you should read it!

Liam, fourth-grader reader

AR Level 5.7

AR Points 12

Brixton Brothers 3: It Happened on a Train by Mac Barnett

Steve Brixton is a retired kid detective. His mom’s boyfriend, Rick, is a cop. While Rick is taking Steve and his friend, Dana, to the train station to go to San Francisco, Rick sees someone trying to break into a car. They have to stop and catch him even though the only reason that he’s trying to break into the car is because he locked his keys inside of it. Steve and Dana miss their train but head out on an adventure involving lots of detective work, stolen cars and a mysterious train car. This is a good book and I recommend you check it out for yourself!

by Liam, fourth-grade reader

Note: This is the third book in the Brixton Brothers series. Sound interesting? If so, you might want to start with Book 1, The Case of the Mistaken Identity.

AR Level 4.0

AR Points 5