Geo Librarian

  THE NIGHT RAVEN The Moonwind Mysteries #1 by Johan Rundberg, translated by A.A. Prime Amazon Crossing Kids, 2023 ISBN: 978-1662509582 Source: Blue Slip Media & Publisher Ages 10-14 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover, author bios & photos provided by Blue Slip Media. ABOUT THE BOOK Mika is not your average orphan—and she’s about to prove it. It’s 1880, and in the frigid city of Stockholm, death lurks around every corner. Twelve-year-old Mika knows that everyone in her orphanage will struggle to survive this winter. But at least the notorious serial killer the Night Raven is finally off the streets…or is he? Mika is shocked when a newborn baby is left at the orphanage in the middle of the night, by a boy with a cryptic message. Who is he? And who is this “Dark Angel” he speaks of? When a detective shows up, Mika senses something even more sinister is going on. Drawn in by Mika’s unique ability to notice small details—a skill Mika has always used to survive...

IT FOUND US by Lindsay Currie Sourcebooks Young Readers, 2023 ISBN:978-1728259499 Source: eARC from publisher through Netgalley. Middle grade Horror (Fantasy/Speculative fiction) Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK From the author of Scritch Scratch and The Girl in White comes a new spooky mystery about a girl detective who must decode a series of ominous clues tied to a century-old tragedy to find a missing teenager before it’s too late… Twelve-year-old Hazel Woods has always had an unusual knack for sleuthing. Some may call it snooping, but all she really wants is to solve mysteries around town. So, when she not-so-accidentally overhears her brother Den planning to sneak into the cemetery at night for an epic game of hide-and-seek, she decides to secretly tag along. This seems like the perfect opportunity to investigate the claims that the cemetery is haunted. But the moment the game ends, Hazel re...

ENOLA HOLMES, The Graphic Novels, Book One based on the novels by Nancy Springer, by Serena Blasco Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2022 ISBN: 978-1-5248-7132-1 Source: publisher for review (Thanks!) Ages 9-14 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by publisher through Goodreads.com. ABOUT THE BOOK A graphic novel adaptation of the hit books that inspired the Netflix film! Sherlock Holmes’ brilliant, strong-willed younger sister takes center stage in this delightfully drawn graphic novel based on Nancy Springer’s bestselling mystery series. 14-year-old Enola Holmes wakes on her birthday to discover that her mother has disappeared from the family's country manor, leaving only a collection of flowers and a coded message book. With Sherlock and Mycroft determined to ship her off to a boarding school, Enola escapes, displaying a cleverness that even impresses the elder Holmes. But nothing prepares her for what lies ahead… Book One in the series includes ...

A PERFECT MISTAKE by Melanie Conklin Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2022 ISBN: 9780316668583 Source: ARC from publisher/purchased finished copy Ages 8-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. Book cover & summary provided by goodreads.com & the publisher. ABOUT THE BOOK A moving, voice-driven novel about friendship, responsibility, and fighting against unfair expectations, for fans of Rebecca Stead and Erin Entrada Kelly.   Max wishes he could go back in time to before he was diagnosed with ADHD, before he grew to be the tallest kid in his class, and before he and his best friends went into the woods in the middle of the night. Max doesn’t remember what happened after he left his friends Will and Joey and the older kids who took them there. He’s not sure if he wants to remember. Knowing isn’t going to make Joey talk to him again, or bring Will out of his coma.   When the local authorities run out of leads, Max realizes that without his help, they may never ...

THE AMELIA SIX by Kristin L. Gray Paula Wiseman Books, 2020 ISBN : 9781534418851 Source: ARC from publisher for review Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Amelia Earhart’s famous aviator goggles go missing and eleven-year-old Millie has to find them before the night is over in this girl-powered middle grade whodunit. Eleven-year-old Amelia Ashford—Millie to her friends (if she had any, that is)—doesn’t realize just how much adventure awaits her when she’s given the opportunity of a lifetime: to spend the night in Amelia Earhart’s childhood home with five other girls. Make that five strangers. But Millie’s mom is a pilot like the famous Amelia, and Millie would love to have something to write to her about…if only she had her address. Once at Amelia’s house in Atchison, Kansas, Millie stumbles upon a display of Amelia’s famous flight goggles. She can’t believe her good luck, since they’re about to be relocated to a fancy museum in Washington, DC. But her lu...

PREMEDITATED MYRTLE A Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery #1 by Elizabeth C. Bunce Algonquin Young Readers, 2020 To be released in October 2020 Source: ARC from publisher for review (Thank you!) Ages 9-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Twelve-year-old Myrtle Hardcastle has a passion for justice and a Highly Unconventional obsession with criminal science. Armed with her father’s law books and her mum’s microscope, Myrtle studies toxicology, keeps abreast of the latest developments in crime scene analysis, and Observes her neighbors in the quiet village of Swinburne, England. When her next-door neighbor, a wealthy spinster and eccentric breeder of rare flowers, dies under Mysterious Circumstances, Myrtle seizes her chance. With her unflappable governess, Miss Ada Judson, by her side, Myrtle takes it upon herself to prove Miss Wodehouse was murdered and find the killer, even if nobody else believes her — not even her father, the town prosecutor. REVIEW Myrtle Hardcastle...

CHARLIE THORNE AND THE LAST EQUATION by Stuart Gibbs Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2019 ISBN: 978-1-5344-2476-0 Source: ARC from publisher for review Ages 9-12 Middle grade adventure All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Throughout history, the greatest scientists — Einstein, Darwin, Gallileo, Newton — have made discoveries that were too dangerous to trust humanity with, so they hid them. The CIA — and many other people — have been searching for these for decades to no avail. But now, an evil organization is closing in on the most dangerous discovery of all — an equation developed by Albert Einstein himself that could destroy the world. Desperate, the CIA has no choice but to recruit the most brilliant person they can find to help them: A twelve-year-old genius named Charlie Thorne. The catch: Charlie isn’t like any genius you’ve ever encountered before. She’s a daredevil. A troublemaker. And possibly a criminal. Now, Cha...

THE UNBELIEVABLE OLIVER AND THE FOUR JOKERS by Pseudonymous Bosch, illustrated by Shane Pangburn Dial Books for Young Readers, 2019 ISBN: 978-0-525-55232-1 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 Middle grade mystery/speculative All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Nine-year-old Oliver dreams of being a professional magician, but he gets stage fright whenever he performs and ends up forgetting his tricks. Much to his dismay, his friends Teenie and Bea have gotten him invited to a classmate's birthday party as the paid entertainment! Desperately hoping for help with his act, he visits The Great Zoocheeni's Magic Emporium, but Zoocheeni sneeringly refuses to teach him a single trick or sell him any props other than a moth-eaten top hat. Oliver is in for a lucky surprise, though. Inside that top hat hides a wisecracking rabbit named Benny, who agrees to help Oliver impress at the party. Little does Oliver know that he'll also end up accused ...

THE LAW OF FINDERS KEEPERS Mo & Dale Mystery #4 by Sheila Turnage Kathy Dawson Books, 2018 ISBN: 978-0-8037-3962-8 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 Middle grade mystery/contemporary All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Pirates, family, and the truth about Mo's Upstream Mother collide in the conclusion to the Newbery Honor and New York Times bestselling Three Times Lucky. When the Colonel and Miss Lana share the clues about Mo's watery origins that they've been saving, it seems the time is finally right for the Desperado Detectives (aka Mo, Dale, and Harm) to tackle the mystery of Mo's Upstream Mother. It's the scariest case Mo's had by far. But before they can get started, Mayor Little's mean mother hires them to hunt in her attic for clues to Blackbeard's treasure, which could be buried right in Tupelo Landing. Turns out, the Desperados aren't the only ones looking. A prof...

ZAP by Martha Freeman Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2018 ISBN: 978-1-5344-0557-8 Source: purchased Ages 9-12 Middle grade mystery/adventure All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Eleven-year-old Luis is left looking for answers after a city-wide blackout leads him to an electrifying mystery in this edge-of-your-seat thriller from Martha Freeman. Luis Cardenal is toasting a Pop-Tart when a power outage strikes Hampton, New Jersey. Elevators and gas pumps fail right away; soon cell phones die and grocery shelves empty. Cold and in the dark, people begin to get desperate. Luis likes to know how things work, and the blackout gets him wondering: Where does the city’s electricity come from? What would cause it to shut down? No one seems to have answers, and rumors are flying. Then a slip of the tongue gives Luis and his ex best friend Maura a clue. Brushed off by the busy police, the two sixth graders determine they are on their ow...

THE INVENTORS AT NO. 8 by A.M. Morgen Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2018 ISBN: 9780316471497 Source: NetGalley Middle grade historical mystery Ages 8-12 All opinions expressed are solely my own. ABOUT THE BOOK Brimming with mystery and treasure, this action-packed tale sends a boy in need of luck and girl in need of a friend on an adventure that will change their lives forever. Meet George, the third Lord of Devonshire and the unluckiest boy in London. Why is George so unlucky? First, he's an orphan. Second, unless he sells everything, he's about to lose his house. So when his family's last heirloom, a priceless map to the Star of Victory (a unique gem said to bring its owner success in any battle) is stolen by a nefarious group of criminals, George knows that there is no one less lucky-or more alone-than he is. That is until Ada Byron, the future Countess of Lovelace, bursts into his life. She promises to help George recover his family legacy...