As I mentioned in my post about books for Nora, it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish books that would work well for Timmy vs. books that Nora would enjoy. Every year, the overlap between the two lists increases. Here are the books that I decided were most appropriate for Timmy this year.

The Ruins of Gorlan – The Ranger’s Apprentice Book 1

On the surface, this doesn’t seem to have a lot going for it. It’s formulaic and it only develops a small handful of the characters beyond a brief descriptive paragraph. Somehow it works quite well, though. I enjoyed it greatly, and apparently others did as well because there’s 12 books in this series now.

A word of caution: there is some pretty severe bullying in this book, and there is also some (adult encouraged) pretty severe retribution for said bullying. I didn’t quite find it inappropriate, but it did make me just a bit uncomfortable.

The Prisoner in Cell 25 – Michael Vey Book 1

This book is a hormonal high school geek’s fantasy. Michael is unpopular, and constantly bullied for his whole life. Unbeknownst to the rest of his school, though, Michael has a secret super-power. He can manipulate electricity. Taylor, the gorgeous, popular cheerleader, discovers his powers and reveals to him that she also can manipulate electricity. Together, they go on a quest to find others who share their gift.

Quite a fun read, actually. Reminds me a lot of the Lorien Legacies series, except geared toward a younger audience.

The Paladin Prophecy – Book 1

This is yet another book about impossibly talented teenagers battling against an evil corporation or government agency. I’ve been reading a lot of these recently…

I enjoyed The Paladin Prophecy. It’s well thought-out and executed, and the characters and plot are both interesting. The book contains situations and terminology that I don’t quite consider appropriate for Timmy yet, though. This is one to keep in mind for the future.

The Iron Trial – The Magisterium Book 1

Callum comes from a family of prestigious wizards, but something sinister happened in the past, killing his mother when he was just a baby. Now his father has raised him up to be suspicious and fearful of all things magical, but Callum has just been recruited to be a pupil of the head Wizard of the Magisterium.

What happened to turn his father away from magic? How was his mother killed? How does Callum fit into the picture? Follow Callum and his two teammates as they try to uncover the truth about the past and discover together the wonders of the magical world.

After my tirade on comparing books to Harry Potter, I can’t help it with this one. The structure and events in this book are very reminiscent of the Harry Potter series. That’s not to say that this is not an enjoyable book. It is.

Nightmares!

This book is different from your typical YA boys’ novel… until it turns out to be more of the same.

It starts out as a horror story. Charlie is having nightmares every night about a truly terrifying witch, and it seems as though his dreams might be crossing over into the real world. Then, the dreams get shelved for several chapters while Charlie does emotional warfare with his new step mother, dragging his younger brother and father through the mud with him.

The book ends in an all-out battle in dream land, where The Normal Boy, The Girl, The Smart Boy, and The Jock take on The Ultimate Evil. Not a bad book, but not great either.

The Trouble with Chickens: A J. J. Tully Mystery

J. J. is a dog. He is also a private investigator. He is hired by a chicken named Moosh to help find her missing chicks, Poppy and Sweetie. It seems as though Vince “The Funnel” has taken them hostage, but for what purpose? Lots of plot twists in this fun novella.

This is a hard book to classify. It’s very short. It’s also a challenging book to read, even for an adult. It’s written in a strong 1940s hardboiled style, with lots of obscure similes, and a difficult vocabulary. It’s brief enough that it’s not exactly the type of book that I am seeking for Timmy, yet I think any of my younger children would likely have trouble following the narrative.

The Boundless

An incident with Sasquatch and an avalanche sends Will’s father rocketing to a top position in a large railway conglomerate, where he is put in charge of a new breed of steam locomotive, named The Boundless. The engine of this train is capable of pulling several miles of cars and thousands of passengers.

On its maiden voyage, Will unintentionally uncovers a plot to rob the train, and he must navigate what is essentially a moving city to inform his father of the danger. Along the way, he enlists the help of some circus members, including the lovely escape artist, Maren.

This is definitely a book for the older child, tween to teen range. There is some mild adult language, as well as a few somewhat questionable situations. The main characters are not always the best of role models, and don’t make the wisest decisions. I have to admit that I loved it, though. It has a strong sense of mystery and adventure, in an almost-believable steam punk / historical setting.

Wonder

August is an ugly kid. Though the author doesn’t give a complete description of his facial features, you can form a rough image from various implications throughout the story. He is grotesquely, frighteningly deformed. Because of his appearance, he has been home-schooled all his life, until now.

He and his parents have together decided that he should start attending a private middle school with other kids his age. The story of his experiences during the first year of integrated education unfolds through a progressive series of overlapping vignettes, each from a different main character’s point of view.

No magic or fantastical events here, except those of the type that happen all around us every day.

Timmy Failure: Now Look What You’ve Done!

I mostly tried out this book because of the protagonist’s name: Timmy. It’s a short, simple read, with a lot of action and humor. That’s about all it has going for it, though.

The title character, Timmy, is a highly-delusional, super-messed-up kid. He spends the entire book performing one inane, senseless act after another, getting himself further and further into trouble. Ever wonder what Inspector Gadget was like as a child? Then pick up this book.

Counting by 7s

The book starts out with Willow’s parents dying. She is an only child with no surviving relatives, and no close friends. Willow is a super-genius, introverted, and socially awkward, and now she’s a foster child at age 12. Follow her story as she learns to cope with grief, inspires the adults around her, and finds a new family in the process.

This really is a fantastic book. I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone in grade school, because of the challenging, slightly disturbing subject matter. Read it with your middle-school child. There will be plenty to talk about.

Doll Bones

Unlike Nightmares!, which turned out to be a super-kids-save-the-day book disguised as a horror novel, Doll Bones is a truly spooky ghost story. Three friends set out on a quest to put to rest the remains of a dead girl whose ghost is haunting them.

I’m conflicted on this one. I enjoy a good scare, and this book delivers on that, but the activities that the group engages in  ‒ running away from home, avoiding authority figures, lying, stealing ‒ all in the name of their quest… I don’t know. It reminds me a bit of Stand By Me, but with a ghost story thrown into the mix.

The Zombie Chasers

The fact that this is a short novel, combined with the goofy, cartoony cover art might lead you to think that it’s a comedy, geared toward 3rd to 5th graders. At least that was my expectation. Don’t judge this book by its cover.

The Zombie Chasers is a true zombie horror story. Think The Walking Dead, except that all the main characters are middle and high school students. People get mauled, maimed, and eaten throughout this story, and these incidents are described in gruesome detail.

Also, just like any good zombie story, it doesn’t end. Our heroes get to their destination, but is it the safe haven they had hoped for? You’ll need to pick up the next book in the series to find out.

– danBhentschel

I’ve spent the last few months listening to audio books in search of gems to put on Timmy and Nora’s Christmas wish lists. Here is what I came up with for Nora.

The Dragonet Prophecy – Wings of Fire Book 1

This is a wonderful book about a group of five young dragons, a Mudwing, a Seawing, a Sandwing, a Nightwing, and a Rainwing, all raised together in captivity and rigorously trained by the Talons of Peace to fulfill a prophecy and end the dragon war.

This series is unique in that the main characters are dragons, and while humans exist in the world, the dragons don’t interact with them much except to hunt and eat them. It can be a bit gruesome in this respect, but if I read the foreshadowing correctly, I believe that the dragonets may team up with the humans (called scavengers) in a future book.

The Mysterious Howling – The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place Book 1

This book is reminiscent of the classic, Jane Eyre, but geared for children. Miss Penelope Lumley, age 15, has just been hired as the new governess at Ashton Place. Her charges are three young children who were found in the woods, apparently raised by wolves. Miss Lumley has her work cut out for her, since the children are completely uncivilized, and she’s expected to get them presentable in time for the upcoming Christmas party. Fun, mysterious, exciting, and shocking. I heartily recommend this one.

The Frog Princess

This was a fun read. It’s similar in concept to the Disney movie The Princess and the Frog in that the princess kisses a frog who claims to be a prince, but instead of changing him back, she changes into a frog as well. Now they must learn to live with each other (and to stay alive) while they try to figure out how to reverse the enchantment. My opinion on this book: mostly harmless.

The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester

I have many problems with this book. My biggest complaint being that the adults are terrible. They constantly threaten the children, but never make good on their threats, and generally let the kids get away with whatever they want to do, which includes blatant disobedience, lying, stealing, vandalism, bullying, and performing horrifyingly dangerous stunts.

This might (maybe) be acceptable if it was done humorously. Instead, this book tries to position itself as a coming-of-age story in which the protagonists learn nothing, and everything works out beautifully for them in the end. I recommend you avoid this one.

Sophie Simon Solves Them All

This book has a lot going for it. It’s witty, charming, humorous, and short. Admittedly, the characters are rather flat, and don’t learn much. Also, the adults in the story are complete imbeciles, but in a cute, funny way. The book teaches just a little bit about diverse topics such as calculus, lemurs, and French culture, never sounding like it’s lecturing, even when it is.

The best aspect of Sophie Simon Solves Them All is its phraseology. It uses clever language, and strategic repetition to excellent effect, making even the most mundane of happenings incredibly enjoyable to read.

Aliens on Vacation – The Intergalactic Bed and Breakfast Book 1

Scrub (David) is spending summer vacation with his eccentric grandmother in a tiny hick town in Washington state. She is apparently some strange combination between new-age hippy and 60s sci-fi nerd. Scrub is convinced she’s crazy… until he discovers that all of the customers of her bed and breakfast are actually aliens in disguise.

I’m not sure who this book is for: Timmy or Nora. I decided to put it onto Nora’s list because it’s short, and it’s sort of a silly romance, which is definitely her thing. But it certainly would work well for Timmy too. The protagonist is a teenage boy, and much of the subject matter (basketball, male bonding, girl confusion) is definitely of the teenage boy flavor. Bottom line: I think they both would enjoy it.

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy

This is a bizarre, whimsical story about a girl named Ophelia who meets a boy in a locked room at the museum. They can converse through the keyhole, and the boy divulges to Ophelia a wonderful and fantastical tale about kings and wizards, witches and swords. At first they are just fun and interesting stories, but soon Ophelia begins to realize that the boy’s words are all true, and that she is in terrible danger.

This book makes very little sense, nor does it need to. Things happen without much rationale, in a sort of Alice-in-Wonderland way, but it’s not obnoxious. It actually works quite well. It’s well-written, engaging, and just plain fun. I think Nora would love it.

A Snicker of Magic

This book is spectacular. Absolutely fabulous! I can’t say enough good about it. There is magic in it, but only a little. For the most part, it’s a pretty mundane type of magic. One person can make incredible ice cream. Another person is a very good musician. Felicity Pickle sees words. Words are everywhere for her: hovering around people and objects. She collects these words and writes them in her notebook, or on her shoe if her notebook isn’t handy.

The story in A Snicker of Magic is engaging, but it’s certainly not the star of the show. Even the wonderful characters (and they are very good) take back stage to the writing. Natalie Lloyd paints with words the way artists use pigments. Just about every single paragraph in the entire book is a work of art. For some, the writing may seem over-flowery and annoying, but I found it a pure joy, from start to finish. Highly recommended.

Half a Chance

This is a very challenging book. It’s not the vocabulary that is so challenging, though, but the situations. The protagonist, Lucy, is faced with some very difficult social and moral dilemmas that she must work through.

Lucy is an amateur photographer, and her most profound problem comes in the form of a photograph. Her best friend (Nate)’s grandmother is suffering from the early stages of dementia, and Lucy accidentally captures a photo of the poor lady in a moment of complete fear and misery, over a teacup of all things.

After seeing the picture, Lucy knows that it’s the best photo she has ever taken, and she is sure that it would win a prize if she were to send it in to a photography contest. Nate doesn’t want her to, though. He hates the picture. What should Lucy do?

While I think this is a well-written and interesting book, I don’t think it’s a good match for my family at this time.

Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures

Ummm… Wow. Seriously, wow. What did I just read? Ulysses was a squirrel who accidentally got sucked into a vacuum cleaner, and when he came out he had super powers. He could understand human speech, he had super strength, he could fly… and he could type. In fact, he typed poetry, of all things.

This book is silly, ridiculous, and totally unbelievable. I often found myself wondering, did I just read what I think I read? And yet, it is frequently surprising in its depth and empathy. Take a look at some quotes from the book to get an idea of what I’m talking about.

“All things are possible. When I was a girl in Blundermeecen, the miraculous happened every day. Or every other day. Or every third day. Actually, sometimes it did not happen at all, even on the third day. But still, we expected it. You see what I’m saying? Even when it didn’t happen, we were expecting it. We knew the miraculous would come.”

Sky Jumpers – Book 1

Hope lives in the small village of White Rock, nestled among mountains, protected from the rest of the world. It has been a couple generations since the end of World War III, and the entire planet is in the process of recovering from the fallout.

Life is hard. There is very little technology to speak of, and everyone must pull their own weight. The survival of the entire community depends on it. Yet, life is peaceful for Hope and her friends, until the bandits arrive.

They take the entire village hostage, and it’s up to Hope and her comrades to hike over the mountains to the neighboring town and recruit help. This story and the characters in it, are likeable and fun. I think Sky Jumpers is right up Nora’s alley.

– danBhentschel