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<br /> There are those and so much more in Sheila Turnage's The Ghosts of Tupelo Landing (Penguin,
<br /> 2014, ages 9-12). Turnage's sequel to Newbery Honor-winning Three Times Lucky stars the
<br /> engaging Mo LoBeau, who still wishes to discover the true story of her birth, but clearly has her
<br /> hands full. Miss Lacy, the nicest old person in town, has bought an inn that can't be renovated
<br /> because of troubles caused by its resident ghost. Mo determines to interview the ghost, thereby
<br /> solving the ghost's mysterious death, ending the inn's haunting, and acing her history report.
<br /> Turnage remarkably weaves the main mystery and perplexing subplots into a story that
<br /> celebrates vivid writing, quirky characters, and humor.
<br /> Magic
<br /> Magic weaves a spell on reluctant readers and before they realize it, they've been enchanted by a
<br /> story.
<br /> Karen Foxlee's Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy (Knopf, 2014, ages 8-10) is a great example of
<br /> this kind of writing wizardry. The story begins with a once-upon-a-time tone as Ophelia's father
<br /> takes a job in a rambling museum in a city of constant snows. Ophelia, at 11, is robed in the
<br /> sadness of her mother's recent death. She sees herself as awkward, asthmatic, and scientific in
<br /> her approach to the world, unlike her horror story-writing mother. Ophelia must suspend her
<br /> rational thinking and change her self-concept when she meets the Marvelous Boy, who has been
<br /> imprisoned by the Snow Queen for 300 years. From behind a locked door, he turns Ophelia into
<br /> an unwilling partner in saving the world. Ophelia struggles with magical snow leopards, haunted
<br /> conquistadors, ghost children, and more before she becomes the heroine she never believed she
<br /> could be.
<br /> Non-stop action
<br /> Action stories keep readers on edge as one dramatic event is rapidly followed by the next.
<br /> Action starts almost immediately in Rodman Philbrick's Zane and the Hurricane: A Story of
<br /> Katrina(Blue Sky Press, 2014, ages 11 and up). Twelve-year-old Zane Dupree and Bandit, the
<br /> Wonder Dog,journey from New Hampshire, where "the sky is blue and clear"to New Orleans,
<br /> where "everything smells kind of stinky and moldy and wet."He's just beginning to adjust to
<br /> staying with Grammy, a relative he's never met and whose skin is "like the skin on milky hot
<br /> chocolate when you blow across the top,"when Hurricane Katrina strikes. Philbrick doesn't hold
<br /> back the horrific in telling the story of a young boy who survives the terrible storm with no
<br /> resources, as so many did. Zane faces hunger, heat, rising waters,racism, gunfire, floating dead
<br /> bodies, and poisonous snakes. The story has the driving force of gale winds, one adventure
<br /> leading to the next as Zane teams up with Tru, a local musician, and Malvina, the spunky
<br /> heroine. This disturbing realistic adventure is balanced by their acts of caring and courage.
<br /> Situations that stir readers
<br /> Characters in a tough spot help reticent readers cheer for a happy resolution.
<br /> Lauren Oliver's Panic (Harper, ages 13 and up)pairs a poor town with bored high school grads
<br /> psyched for summer's excitement, a sure set-up for drama. Add a high-stakes, life-or-death game
<br /> of dares that will pay out $67,000 to the winner. Mix in four needy protagonists and you've got a
<br /> recipe for a plot that's on fire. Alternate chapters reveal the heroes' tormented past and roller-
<br /> coaster present. This fast-paced story is seasoned by themes of friendship and betrayal, survival
<br /> and courage, heroism and secrets.
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