Grade Level:  2-5

Genre:  Mystery

Summary:  India Wimple is an expert speller, and has just won the Stupendously Spectacular Spelling Bee in her little hometown in Australia.  When she receives an invitation to participate in the Most Marvelous International Spelling Bee in London it is like a dream come true.  When some mysterious accidents keep happening during the spelling bee competition, India and her new friends are determined to find out what is going on so the spelling bee can continue.

My Thoughts:  This was the sequel to the book The Stupendously Spectacular Spelling Bee by the same author.  I found the storyline easy to follow, even without reading the first book.  I thought the story was very cute and would appeal to grades 2-5, especially those reluctant readers.  Each chapter's title is a word followed by its definition.  In addition to the mystery aspect of the book, India and her friends all have problems such as neglect, parental divorce, a sick sibling and overbearing parents which I think many kids will relate to.  Each chapter has at least one drawn picture, which will help keep children engaged.  Recommended.

Grade Level:  3-8

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Summary:  Minni lives in a very poor section of Mumbai.  Water is very limited there.  She dreams of creating a way for everyone to have equal access to clean, pure water.  To make matters worse, the current water shortage is being threatened by water shortages and thieves who are trying to steal the water for profit.  When Minni must go to work as a maid/servant for a very rich family, she meets the water mafia boss.  Should she expose him to the police and risk her job and the well being of her family?

My Thoughts:  It is no wonder this book was picked as the intermediate elementary Global Read Aloud Book.  This is such an important story.  It not only taught me about the water shortages/problems in India, but also a lot about the Indian culture.  I instantly fell in love with Minni's character, and felt such empathy for her and her family.  My new library position serves about a 70 percent Indian population and I am happy to see that more novels are being written with Indian characters.  Highly recommended.

Grade Level:  4-8

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Summary:  The sequel to Newbery-Honor book Wolf Hollow.  It has been several months since Annabelle witnessed tragedy.  For Annabelle, it has been very difficult to move on   When a storm hits, and she is hit by lightning, Annabelle realizes that she has acquired a new gift when relating to dogs.  While searching for her brother's dog, she runs into her former enemy, Andy Woodbury.  Is Andy as much of a bully as she thinks, or has Annabelle misjudged him?  Could it be possible that Andy has a reason for his bad behavior?  

My thoughts:  I enjoyed reading this book.  The writing is beautiful, and I thought all of the characters were extremely well developed and relatable.   The story really explored two very difficult topics:  bullying and abuse.  The historical fiction genre can be a difficult sell for middle grade students.  I think students would find this story enjoyable and highly relatable.