The Little Woods by McCormick Templeman

Years ago, Calista Wood's sister disappeared in the woods behind a private school; Cally never saw her again. Now Cally is a teenager and attending that same private school. None of the other students know of her connection to the disappearance. Another student disappeared recently - that's why Cally could start in the middle of a semester. Some say that she ran away while others think that she was murdered. As Cally digs deeper into the mystery she uncovers more about her own story, but getting closer to the truth could put herself in danger.

I have a particular fondness for books set at private boarding schools, because there's something that happens when you take the parents out of a story. There are some parents/adults in this book, but they're all at the edges of the action. The book succeeds in creating a creepy atmosphere where people are not to be trusted and anything seems possible. I had trouble figuring out where the story was going to go because I had no idea what was even possible. Is something supernatural happening in the woods? Or is it much more terrestrial? Is Cally in danger, and is there anyone who can trust? It worked in different ways: Cally is an outsider to the school community (and the woods), but she's also an outsider to the kind of rich, fast-lane life that the other students live. This creepy, spooky, mystery is a great pick for a summer read (particularly if you want to read it in the daylight).

Check out McCormick Templeman's website.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Random House Children's Books.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
Fall by Colin McAdam

Oddfellow's Orphanage by Emily Winfield Martin

Delia is a very quiet little girl; she never says anything and never talks to others. She's just moved into a very different place: Oddfellow's Orphanage. It's home to a unique group of students, teachers, and animals. Delia isn't sure how she's going to fit in with all of these people (and animals), but slowly she realizes that she's found a new kind of family who accept her just as she is.

Thinking about booktalking this book, it would almost be impossible not to sound like SNL's Stefon. This book has everything: an albino child with braids, a family of dancing bears, a well-dressed hedgehog who likes to eat, courses in cryptozoology, a boy with an onion for a head, bear-drawn carriages, a tattooed girl, Haircut Day (it's that day where twice a year the headmaster announces that everyone is going to get a haircut). There's whimsy and oddity and a sweetness. It also has a streak of sadness running though it (the children are orphans and have faced tragedy and loss), and this grounds the book from being too over-the-top and spinning off into a endless circle of cuteness. Information about the orphanage and its inhabitants is parceled out slowly over the course of the book, often coming between the chapters. The episodic nature of the story is great for readers who are still getting used to longer chapter books, and any fans of Martin's art will find lots to pore over. I'm excited to see more from this author and illustrator, so I hope she has another book coming out soon.

Find out more about Emily Winfield Martin at her website. She also has a shop that features art from and inspired by the book.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Random House Children's Books.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
The Black Apple's Paper Doll Primer by Emily Winfield Martin
Wildwood by Colin Meloy
The Girl Who Circumvented Fairlyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Rory is really looking forward to starting her new life in London. Wexford Academy promises to be an incredible scholastic environment and she's sure to meet lots of new friends. But she didn't count on London being in the grips of terror. A murderer is terrorizing the city by reenacting the Jack the Ripper murders. As the violence gets closer and closer to Wexford, Rory discovers that she might have a deeper connection with these murders - and that no one around her is safe.

It was quite easy to forget about the Jack the Ripper aspect of the book when I started reading. The first third of the book involves a lot of scene building and introductions: Wexford, students and teachers, London details. This makes sense, because this is the first book in the Shades of London series. But Maureen Johnson has a talent for changing the atmosphere at a moment's notice; one minute there's a school dance and everything's fun and light, and the next minute there's a life and death situation. It's not that it's jarring; the lack of a set-up sometimes enhances the drama, like anything can happen at any time. Speaking of jarring, though, I was listening to the audiobook and when the narration (Rory's voice when not in actual dialogue) has no accent, but Rory's voice has a strong Louisiana accent. So every time she actually started speaking, it felt a bit off. But the book itself was a fun adventure and I'm interested in seeing where the series goes from here.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
Portrait of a Killer by Patricia Cornwell

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

As a child, Jacob loved to listen to his grandfather’s stories about fantastical things. As he grew older, though, he pushed away from his grandfather’s world of make-believe. Then one day his grandfather dies under horrible circumstances, and Jacob realizes that his grandfather might have been telling the truth all along. Jacob and his father travel to Wales to investigate, and Jacob stumbles onto a world that never even dreamed would really exist.

One of the reasons that this book has received so much buzz and attention has to do with how the book as an object has been put together. Mixed in with the story are real-life photos. Some of creepy, some are bizarre, some are…well, peculiar. [There might be spoilers ahead about the story] The first part of the book seems very much like a horror story. Halfway through, though, it takes a bit of a turn and dives much more into fantasy, leaving the genre lines a bit blurred. Personally, while I found the book to be enjoyable, I think I liked the look and idea of the book more than actually reading it. When I talk about the book with people, I've been saying that the best way to tell if this is a book for you is to look at the front cover. Do you see a girl standing behind a dark patch on the ground, or do you see a child levitating? If it’s levitation, then you might really enjoy this book - or at least parts of it.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
The Sherlock Holmes Handbook by Ransom Riggs
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

And Both Were Young by Madeleine L'Engle

Life has been changing too fast for Philippa. She desperately misses her mother and is still grieving her passing. She wants to be with her father, but instead he has sent her off to a boarding school in Switzerland. She doesn't get along with the other girls; she doesn't think she has anything in common with them. She's alone and miserable...and then she meets Paul, and everything changes.

And Both Were Young was originally published in the 1940s; it was republished in the 1980s and now again in 2011. The cover is decidedly modern (I'm not an historian, but did people really dress like that in post-war Europe?) but the text inside is all as Madeleine L'Engle originally intended (a foreward from her granddaughter explains how the original book was edited to remove some of the more romantic elements of the story). I think I liked this story even more knowing all of its history. Beyond the historical details, Flip's story is still relevant in today's world; sure, maybe few people are at an exclusive Swiss boarding school, but she's also dealing with mourning her mother, concern about a possible future step-parent, fitting in at school, loneliness and homesickness, caring about a troubled friend, and falling in love.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Bloomability by Sharon Creech
Dreams of Significant Girlhood by Cristina Garcia
Camilla by Madeleine L'Engle

Heist Society by Ally Carter

Kat has always been something of a prodigy. At three, she helped her parents case the Louvre. At seven, she was stealing crown jewels. And at 15, she's just staged her biggest con yet: conning her way into a private boarding school. Kat's turned her back on the con life and her family; she wants to be a normal girl. But when an old friend reappears with news that her father's been fingered for a recent heist - a move that could cost him his life. Determined to save her father and prove his innocence, Kat's reluctantly drawn back into the life that she ran away from - and the people she left behind.

This is a very fun book. Not being familiar with Ally Carter's other books, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I had heard so many positive things about this book that I was curious to read it myself. It's not a long book, but it's packed with quality stuff. There are twists and turns, action-packed sequences and quiet moments, interesting characters and a satisfying storyline. Kat's on a deadline, and the days are counted down in the book, which keeps the tension going. The international location hopping is somewhat reminiscent of the Carmen Sandiego computer I used to play, which added to my enjoyment of the story. I remember when news of the movie adaption first came out, people who had read the book were upset at the idea that the characters were going to be aged from teenagers to people in their early twenties. After reading the book, I agree - there's something about the fact that they are kids that makes the story. Still, it will be interesting to see what they do with the movie version.

Find it at IndieBound.

Check out Ally Carter's website.

Read it with:
Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter
I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett
Vidalia in Paris by Sasha Watson
The Mona Lisa Caper by Rick Jacobson

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Things haven't been the same for Sophie ever since she found out that she is a witch. After casting a love spell that goes horribly wrong, Sophie is sent to Hecate Hall (nicknamed Hex Hall by the students) a special boarding school for Prodigium - witches, faeries, and shapeshifters. Sophie, who was raised by her single (human) mother, is frustrated by her lack of supernatural knowledge, and before long she's inadvertently made enemies of cliquey witches, teachers, and the hottest guy at Hex Hall. But all of that pales next to the mysterious attacks on other students. Who is causing these attacks and why? And is Sophie in danger?

The basic plot frames (a mysterious boarding school for supernatural beings, a young witch, etc. coming into their own about their powers, finding out truths about yourself and your ancestors) have been covered in other books, but this book stands apart on the strength of voice of the main character. Sophie has a strong sense of humor and uses a lot of sarcasm; the book has a lot of action, but it's also very funny. I loved the relationship between Sophie and her vampire roommate as well as the way that Sophie and Archer (the hottest guy at Hex Hall) develop their relationship (saying anything more would give away too much). The book has a satisfying conclusion while also setting up the action for the next book, Demonglass.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins