Pax by Sara Pennypacker

Peter and his pet fox Pax have been best friends ever since Pax was rescued as a kit. When Peter`s dad joins the army, Peter is forced to set Pax free in the wild and is sent hundreds of miles away from home to live at his grandfather`s house. With a war approaching, Peter sets out alone on an adventure to find his beloved fox.

The chapters alternate between Peter and Pax`s points of view, which makes the story more engaging and although this book is marketed towards children ages 10-14, the writing style and themes of war and friendship make this a great read for teens or adults as well.

It`s simple enough for kids to understand and enjoy yet also thought-provoking and heartwarming for older readers. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves animals or has had a special pet in their life. Includes beautiful illustrations by Jon Klassen.

Night School by Lee Child

Jack Reacher has been pulled from active duty and sent to ‘night school’.  Along with two others, they think they have been demoted for some reason and have to be retrained. In reality, they are being reassigned to a covert operation under the director order of the President to find out what is being sold on the black market for one hundred million dollars and to whom.

With no idea who they are chasing or what it is they are looking for, this is one of Jack Reacher’s toughest assignments. The only thing they can count on is no one will know who pulls the trigger in the end. Night School by Lee Child is another great Jack Reacher story.

My Friend Maggie by Hannah E. Harrison

“My friend Maggie” written and illustrated by Hannah E. Harrison is a picture book about friendship and loyalty. Harrison is an award winning artist and her colorful, detailed artwork brings this book to life.

Maggie the elephant and Paula the beaver have been best friends forever, until a dog named Veronica, makes fun of Maggie for being so large and clumsy. As a result Paula feels the pressure to join in and she hurts her best friend, Maggie, by ignoring and excluding her.

What will happen when Veronica starts teasing Paula about her teeth that stick out too far? Will anyone stand up for Paula?

 
This is a wonderful book that is highly recommended by the reviewer. 

Keep Running, Gingerbread Man by Steve Smallman

Keep Running, Gingerbread man, is a beautifully illustrated children’s book, written by Steve Smallman. It’s one of several picture books in his Fairytales Gone Wrong Collection.

Inside this humorous version of the classic story, you’ll run as fast as the Gingerbread man can, as he scurries from the old man, old woman, the cow, horse and the fox. Find out what makes the Gingerbread man so quick and if the characters in the story eventually catch on to his secret! 

With a bit of a twist on the old tale, the author encourages children, that staying healthy, eating right and exercising can be fun. The reviewer thought using this classic story to teach kids in a fun and upbeat way was a marvelous idea!

Mouse Vacation by Philip Roy

Who has ever had a mouse as a friend?

Well this story is of just that! There is a man whose name is John and he has a friend named Happy which happens to be a mouse!

Happy the mouse wants to go on vacation, but he wants to go to places like Taj Mahal in India or New Zealand, but that’s not possible. John wants to go to the woods or places that would not be very expensive. So, Happy and John have to come up with a compromise!

Stop in at your local branch to grab a copy of this book today!

Palace of Spies by Sarah Zettel

Peggy is desperate - desperate enough to trust a man she’s only met once just because he says he knew her deceased mother, and desperate enough to impersonate a lady-in-waiting at the Court of King George.

Since her uncle threw her out of the house for objecting to the marriage he arranged for her, Peggy has no other option but to go along with the plans of strangers. She takes the place of Lady Francesca, reporting back on court life to her strange trio of handlers. Between spying, passing as an imposter for Lady Francesca, and trying to find out what really caused the Lady’s death, Peggy will be doing well to make it to the end of the season.

Palace of Spies is an engaging young adult read. There are a couple of plot lines to follow, and quite a few intriguing characters with complicated motivation. Zettel keeps the suspense high and throws in some extra personal jeopardy to keep readers hooked.

 
You can find a copy of this book on the eLibraries website!