Kevin Delecki

Cassie’s life has always revolved around water. On the day she was born, her town was drowned under thousands of gallons of water, turning Old Lower Grange into a giant, man-made lake. Because she has breathing problems, her mother and her doctor insist that she swim six laps a day, all summer long, in the town pool. In Below, the lyrical new middle grade novel by Australian writer Meg McKinlay, 12-year-old Cassie feels more and more drawn to the old town beneath the water and begins to realize that the lake might be hiding more than it seems.

New Lower Grange, the town that was built to replace Old Lower Grange, is full of people with secrets. Cassie’s friend Liam wears long shorts to hide the scars running down his legs. Liam’s father wanders the town, eternally constrained by the weight of a tragedy he was thought to have caused. Cassie’s father makes pottery to sell to tourists, but also specializes in ceramic “portraits,” generally made without the subjects’ knowledge or permission. The mayor of the town, Howard Finkle, the man who pulled the lever to drown Old Lower Grange, is obsessively protective of the created lake. And Cassie herself hides a secret—she has stopped swimming in the town pool and instead does her six laps a day in the restricted area of the lake above Old Lower Grange.

Below weaves the lives and stories of all these residents together, creating a narrative that is compelling, suspenseful and unique. Combining aspects of a mystery and a coming-of-age story, Below offers readers an opportunity to look beneath the surface and discover what lies below. And as the secrets of the town begin to be revealed, no amount of water can cover up what happens next!

Admit it: Everyone thinks their name or nickname is embarrassing at some point in their life. Yes, even you! (For four years, my nickname was Kevy-Wevy, so I know of which I speak.) However, even the worst name pales in comparison to the hero of our story. In Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin, written by first-time author Liesl Shurtliff, Rump’s mother dies before she is able to tell him his entire name—all she can get out is “Rump.” And in a village where names have power and meaning, being stuck with this name does not give Rump much hope for the rest of his life.

In Rump’s village (aptly name The Village, located on The Mountain), gold is everything. Every day, almost all of the residents of The Village head toward the mines to dig, mine, pan and discover as much gold as they can. In return for their gold, they receive their rations from The Miller, who then gives the gold to King Bartholomew Archibald Reginald Fife (or King Barf, as Rump likes to call him). Rump is not very good at finding gold, so he and his grandmother seldom have enough to eat. However, Rump thinks his luck has changed when he discovers a spinning wheel that allows him to spin straw into gold. And his luck doest change, but not in the way he had hoped.

Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin is the latest addition to the growing trend of fairy tale retelling. What sets this story apart is its creativity and characters. Never relying on convention, Shurtliff takes the traditional fairy tale and turns it on its head, interspersing humor with tenderness, action with insight. Rump shows the other side of Rumpelstiltskin, one of the most vilified characters in fairy tales, and reminds readers that in a good story, very little is as it seems.

“The first butterfly comes the day after the funeral.” Often, the first line of a book is just that, a generic starting point for a story that has to begin somewhere. But sometimes, that first line can be magical, pulling readers into a book that they have no hope of escaping until they arrive, breathless, at the end. When the Butterflies Came is one of those stories. Its sublime first line transitions into a tale filled with intrigue, love, suspense and heartbreak.

Tara Doucet, descendent of a proud, traditional Louisiana family, has just lost her beloved Grammy Claire. Tara’s mother has withdrawn from the family, leaving Tara and her older, much grumpier sister Riley to fend for themselves. But then, the first butterfly comes—big and beautiful, right through Tara’s window—and hovers directly in front of her. This butterfly sets in motion a series of events that will transport Tara and Riley from their home and into the middle of a mystery that becomes more dangerous by the day.

When the Butterflies Came is a unique book that defies definition. It could be called a murder mystery, a coming-of-age story, an environmental tale or a fantasy. Whatever the category, it is definitely engrossing—right from the very first line.

Nate Foster will never fit in with the kids in his hometown of Jankburg, Pennsylvania. In a place that worships sports stars, 12-year-old Nate prefers to belt out Broadway tunes loud enough for the neighbors to hear. So when Nate learns about an open casting call for E.T.: The Musical, he knows that this could be his only chance to escape.

In Better Nate Than Ever, by Broadway veteran Tim Federle, Nate travels to New York armed only with his cell phone, a box of Entenmann’s donuts and his mom’s ATM card.

Once Nate arrives in the city, things don’t go exactly according to plan. From getting caught in a downpour (in his audition clothes), to underestimating the number of kids interested in playing Elliot in E.T.: The Musical, Nate’s big plan for escape crumbles all around him. However, just like on stage, all you need is one twist of fate and everything can turn around.

A confession: Your reviewer is a huge fan of Broadway musicals. And on its surface, this book is written for fans like me. However, there is so much more to this story. Nate is rash and immature, yes, but he is also determined and courageous, and desperate to figure out where in the world he fits. Filled with adventure, suspense, humor and unique characters, Better Nate Than Ever will be enjoyed by anyone who has ever decided to stop waiting and make their own dreams come true.

Benny’s life has always been different. Benny’s mom, Nola, is tired of living in small-town Missouri, and longs to be back in New Orleans. Benny’s dad, Calvin, grew up in Dennis Acres and could never imagine leaving it, and his “collectibles,” behind. In Homesick, the new novel by Kate Klise, these conflicting emotions become too much. After Benny’s dad loses his store, he has to move his entire inventory home. Furious, Benny’s mom demands that Calvin throw something—anything—away. When Calvin refuses, Benny’s mom walks out the door, leaving Benny and his dad behind.

Benny’s dad has always like to collect things—“irredeemables” from the repairman in town, electronic equipment that he believes will be part of a computer network that connects the entire country (Homesick takes place in 1983, before the Internet was widely used, or even known), and anything else he can find. After Nola leaves, though, Calvin begins to “collect” everything—used pizza boxes, truckloads from the dump and enough spare parts to actually build a working motorcycle. It fills the house that Benny and his dad live in, and then spills out onto the porch, and into the yard.

This mess would be bad enough under normal circumstances, but when Dennis Acres accidentally wins the title of “America’s Most Charming Small Town,” everyone realizes that Calvin’s mess needs to be cleaned up. Everyone that is, except for Calvin. Benny enlists the help of a number of memorable characters to devise a way to clean up and clear out his house. However, there is another force that no one sees coming that will change everything.

Homesick is a unique novel that offers both hilarious situations and heartwarming moments. There is a relatively small cast of characters, but each is presented carefully as having both flaws and redeemable characteristics. Klise, who lives in the Missouri Ozarks and has written several award-winning books for children, creates a community that invites you into its inner workings, and makes it easy to feel as if you know everyone in town. Her latest novel holds broad appeal for anyone who likes a good story and great characters. One warning, though: the ending will really blow you away!

Things are tough for Tommy Pepper. His mother has recently died, his sister refuses to speak, and his father is engaged in a desperate fight to keep their home from being torn down by an over-zealous real estate agent. In What Came from the Stars, the latest book by two-time Newbery Honor-winning author Gary D. Schmidt, Tommy finds his life very different from what it was only a few months earlier—and it only gets stranger when he finds a necklace in his lunchbox and puts it on.

Times are dark for the Valorim—the evil Lord Mondus is only hours away from taking control of the Ethelim, and dooming their race. In an act of desperation, the heroes of the Valorim bind their art and beauty into the Chain of the Valorim Art, and entrust Young Waeglim to protect it from Lord Mondus and his evil army of O’Mondim. Young Waeglim does the only thing he can and spirits it away, through the cosmos and galaxies, and on and on until it falls, unnoticed, into an Ace Robotroid lunch box in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

As soon as Tommy puts the necklace on, he begins drawing beautiful, detailed pictures of the twin suns of Valorim, and acquires a great deal of knowledge about what appears to be a nonexistent universe. However, none of this matters when Ouslim the Liar and one of the O’Mondim begin tearing Plymouth apart, looking for the Chain. Tommy must then protect his family, friends and city, as well as a world he has never seen.

What Came from the Stars is written with two parallel story lines—Tommy’s story in normal print and the Valorim’s story in italics—giving the book added depth and interest. This is a rich fantasy that draws the reader in from the first chapter and keeps hurtling along at a breakneck pace until the exciting and satisfying end. Perfect for fans of science fiction and adventure stories, What Came from the Stars is a fast-paced and thrilling journey that sees a young man grow beyond all expectations.

Hey! Hey you! Yeah, you right there, reading this review. Don’t you think it’s excellent that I’m writing a review of The Templeton Twins Have an Idea? Of course it’s excellent—otherwise I wouldn’t be doing it. What’s not to like about genius twins, their clever-yet-flighty father and the evil twins who kidnap them: Dean D. Dean and Dan D. Dean?  Nothing—that’s what. Now do yourself a favor and pick up this book!

The Templeton Twins Have an Idea is the first book in a new series written by Ellis Weiner and brilliantly illustrated by Jeremy Holmes. It features an ever-present narrator who talks to the reader, interjects comments and generally makes a hilarious nuisance of himself. However, his presence is also what makes this story so much fun to read. Professor Elton Templeton is the famous inventor of such products as the Adjust-O-Matic Diving Board and the Battery-Operated Toothpick. His children—Abigail, who loves to solve cryptic crossword puzzles, and John, who practices every day on his drum set—can work together to solve almost any problem. However, their latest problem may be more than they can handle when they are kidnapped by Dean D. Dean, a former student of Professor Templeton’s, as revenge for (supposedly) stealing Dean’s idea for a Personal One-Man Helicopter.

The Templeton Twins Have an Idea is hilarious, full of adventure and suspense, and completely original. The narrator provides insight, witty (and sarcastic) commentary and ridiculous statements, including review questions at the end of each chapter, such as “How would the Templeton twins’ lives have been different had they never been born?” Reminiscent of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, this is a promising start to an excellent new series.