Book Buzz October, 2013

The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop
by Kate Saunders
Meet twins Oz and Lily Spoffard. They are about to start on an unbelievable journey involving magic, mystery and adventure. Their family decides to move to a new house that has been left to their father by a long dead uncle. The house has a talking cat and rat, and used to be an old chocolate shop! Their great-great-uncles that ran the shop had magical powers and Oz and Lily think they have inherited their abilities. When an evil gang tries to steal an old family chocolate recipe, the kids must help keep safe.
Kristin (J Fiction)

The Hostage Prince

by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple

Snail is a clumsy apprentice midwife in the Unseelie Court. Aspen is a Seelie Prince who was given up as a hostage to the Unseelie in order to prevent a war. By the rules of the Unseelie Court the two should never meet, but through a series of misunderstandings they find themselves thrown together and on the run for their lives. They are trying prevent war between the Seelie and the Unseelie, but will their actions accidentally cause a war instead?  A great read for middle-grade readers of fantasy that will leave you excited for the next book in the series. Alia (J Fiction)

 

The Truth of Me by Patricia MacLachlan 

The Truth of Me is not your average book about summer vacation. Instead of camp, Robbie's parents (who are famous classical musicians) send him off to visit his eccentric grandmother who lives near the wilderness. When they decide to go camping and his grandmother gets hurt, Robbie has a lot of time to learn about himself and his family. This is a quick read, but don’t let that fool you: this is a book with depth. Young readers (and their caregivers) who enjoy shorter books but who are looking for stories with more emotional complexity should pick this up. In addition, this book may appeal to dog and wildlife lovers and those of us who have complicated relationships with our parents. Who doesn’t? Cassie (J Fiction)