Gunnerkrigg Court is unlike anything Antimony has seen before.  Strange things are always happening: like the time she discovered she had a second shadow and helped it to escape, or when she went to research Greek myths in the library and ended up finding the actual Minotaur.  Gunnerkrigg Court can be a dangerous place, but it was her mother's dying wish that she go there.  When she discovers that her parents met at this strange institution, Antimony becomes determined to get to the bottom of its many secrets.  Assuming she can survive the school year.

I loved hearing the Minotaur's side of the story: "See, when I was young, it was hard to meet people my own age, being stuck in the middle of a giant death maze and all."  The book is infused with this dry humor and often satirizes the magical boarding school genre.   My favorite character is the demon that ends up trapped in Antimony's stuffed animal and bound to her will.  Siddell plays on the inherent comedy of his situation like a virtuoso.  The ever-optimistic robot comes in a close second.  Then there's the shadow creature...so many great characters!  I'd give this to fans of fantasy and humor.  

Gunnerkrigg Court by Thomas Siddell

Erica's Picks
4th - 6th grade
Tags: Comics, Fantasy, Humor, School Stories

All Travis wanted was to survive the school year.  Not make friends or ace his classes--just survive.  The one thing he had learned was not to expect much from anyone.  His parents died long ago and his grandfather is barely there.  Even his dog disappeared.  He knew that his life would be awful and he had almost even accepted it.  But this year life would surprise Travis.  This year Travis's secrets will be revealed, and for good or for bad it will change his life forever.

The story switches between sparse but powerful chapters from Travis’s perspective and chapters from his Velveeta’s perspective with a lot of personality and flair. Their voices ring true as Schmatz touches on many compelling issues.   I'd give this to teens looking for a quick and touching read.

Bluefish by Pat Schmatz

Erica's Picks
6th- 8th grade
Tags: Character Driven, Contemporary Fiction, Friendship, Issues Fiction, School Stories

After Will leaves his deaf school for a mainstream one, he has plenty of trouble just trying to fit in. So he stays on the sidelines, lip-reading from afar to see what the cool kids are talking about and writing it down with his own snarky commentary in a notebook. Then one of his classmates dies on a field trip. Was it a jealous friend? A jilted admirerer? A hired hitman? Will's notes and lip-reading abilities become valuable assets in his investigation. Will and his new friend are a far cry from the Hardy boys, but together they just may be able to find the killer--if they don't get killed first. 

Will is great a character.  It's easy to empathize with his outsider perspective and appreciate his snarky take on the conversations of the cool kids. Fans of the Hardy Boys who  are looking for something a bit darker will enjoy this novel. 

The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin by Josh Berk

Erica's Picks
7th & 8th Grade
Tags: Contemporary Fiction, Friendship, Humor, Mystery, School Stories

Scientists have discovered that when sharks bite humans it's usually with only a fraction of their jaw strength. The sharks aren't attacking humans--they're investigating these strange creatures with test bites. Luckily for the students of West Valley High, Colin Fischer's investigative techniques are closer those of Sherlock Holmes. It will take all of Colin's observational skills and ingenuity to get to the bottom of this case. Someone has brought a gun to school and Colin knows that their main suspect is innocent.

Miller and Stentz are better known as screenwriters and co-wrote X-Men: First Class and Thor. You can see the influence of this in the fast pacing of the novel and the dialogue. The mystery is engaging, but what really kept me turning the pages was Colin. He has Asperger's syndrome so he's used to studying his peers and looking for clues just to read their emotions. Colin has pictures of Sherlock Holmes, Spock and Data from Star Trek, and Grissom from CSI above his bed.  He tries to emulate these heroes and uses reason to discover the truth--even if it means clearing the name of a bully. Those looking for a mystery or a funny school story will enjoy this book.


Colin Fischer by Ashley Edward Miller & Zack Stentz

Erica's Picks
5th - 8th Grade
Tags: Contemporary Fiction, Fast-Paced, Humor, Issues Fiction, Mystery, School Stories

Hikaru was just a normal kid until he discovered a haunted Go board. Now he is possessed by the spirit of an ancient Go master named Sai. At first, Hikaru tries to ignore Sai and go on with his life like normal.  If anyone ever found out that he was possessed he'd be called a liar or freak or worse.  But Sai won't be ignored. So Hikaru seeks out Go matches to calm the angry spirit. 

The characters and plots in this comic are interesting and the rules to Go (a strategy game like chess) are explained slowly and clearly. The games are illustrated like epic battle scenes. Fans of Pokemon, chess, and of course Go will enjoy this tale of a kid training for tournament battles. 

Hiraku no Go by Yumi Hotta & Takeshi Obata

Erica's Picks
3rd - 6th Grade
Tags: Comics, Humor, People of Color, School Stories, Supernatural

Have you ever wondered what goes on backstage at a show? Or can you remember the panic when a prop malfunctions or an actor misses a cue for yourself? Callie can--and she can't wait for this year's musical. She's in charge of set design and she already has a lot of great ideas--like having a canon that goes off during the play. But just as she's dreaming up an excellent set, reality comes crashing down--they can only afford two set pieces and the school board isn't thrilled at the idea of pyrotechnics. Offstage Callie makes new friends as old ones stop talking to her. Everyone is scrambling to decide who will go with whom to formal and the drama of the real-life relationship of the romantic leads threatens to derail the drama onstage. This year's production will certainly be one to remember--either as a great success or an epic failure.

Anyone who’s been involved with theatre will be able to relate to Callie’s story.  You don't have to be a theatre geek to enjoy this comic though. A lot of it focuses on the kind of drama that anyone in middle school will understand. I loved the details of the characters' expressions as they faced these dramas and the way their passion for theatre brings them together even as things fall apart. I'd give this to theatre fans or anyone looking for a good comic that takes place in a middle school.

Drama by Raina Telgemeier

Erica's Picks
4th - 7th grade
Tags: Character Driven, Comics, Friendship, Romance, School Stories

Vincent Wu knows Captain Stupendous like no one else. Of the four fan clubs devoted to him, Vincent is president of is the only one that's the real deal.  It only has three members, but Vincent takes his responsibilities seriously.  He writes about Captain Stupendous for every school report, he knows all his moves, and he watches and re-watches footage of his fights. But when he finally meets Captain Stupendous he's nothing like Vincent imagined. On the outside he's big, strong, and super fast but on the inside he's...a girl? Something has gone terribly wrong and Captain Stupendous's stupendous powers have been passed on to a surly girl who doesn't even want to be a superhero. Will Vincent and his friends be able to change her mind or will Professor Mayhem take over the town? 

The premise of this story is hilarious.  The superman-like hero of the story ends up being a sassy teenage girl.  Just because she doesn't want to be a superhero doesn't mean that she can't fight though. And she will beat up Vincent and his friends if they don't watch what they say. The awkward tensions that ensue among them are comedy gold.  I enjoyed watching Jung play with superhero clichés and turn them on their heads. There’s a mad scientist but there are good scientists too. In fact they use science to fight Mayhem. Fans of superhero comics will enjoy the novel. The fast pacing and ample pictures make it great for those just starting to read full chapter books.

Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities by Mike Jung

Erica's Picks
3rd - 5th Grade
Tags: Comics, Friendship, Humor, School Stories

Who are you? Are you who they say you are? Or are you someone else? Or perhaps a combination of the two: the public and the private you? Addie has been called many things by many people: to her fellow misfits she's a friend, to her classmates she's a know-it-all, to her boyfriend she's beautiful but infuriating, to her boyfriend's friends she's a loser social-climber, to her ex-best friend Becca she's badly in need of a makeover, to her grandmother she's a reminder of how times have changed, and to herself she's...a girl trying to figure out who she is. 

The format of a novel in verse provided provides an intimacy that allows a good look into Addie’s psyche. Addie worries about her boyfriend and her social status, but she also worries about stories she reads in the newspaper. The poems range from haikus about her cats to long, loosely structured ones about her grandmother and each format fit the subject. This a quick and easy read. Even though it is economical with its words, the descriptions of the plot, character, and setting shine through just as strongly as in a regular novel. Technically it's the third book in a series but you don’t have to read the first two to enjoy it. I'd give it to fans of poetry, but I'd also give it to anyone looking for an outsider school story.

Addie on the Inside by James Howe

Erica's Picks
5th - 8th Grade
Tags: Character Driven, Contemporary Fiction, Novels in Verse, School Stories

When I say 'rat' what words come to mind? Sneaky? Evil? Untrustworthy? Well don't believe everything that you read in books! Rats aren't all bad.  Malcolm is determined to prove that even though he is a rat he can still be have valor and merit like everyone else in Mr. Binney's classroom. Even the other class pets are prejudiced against rats. It will be hard for Malcolm to prove his worth with everyone against him, but maybe if he can solve the mystery of the spy that's trying to bring down the school, he will finally be able to prove that rats can be trusted.

This is a fun story based on the idea that all the class pets meet after hours to keep the school safe. There’s everything from intelligent iguanas to a tough-guy rabbit.  It's easy to root for Malcolm as he struggles with problems big and small from trying to do the right thing to giving up chewing his whiskers. The pictures provide great details of the action and the expressions on the animals' faces. The story is written as a long note to the teacher. The narrator tells extra tidbits about the students to Mr. Binney and notes when he uses vocabulary words and includes the definitions to show he was paying attention. I'd give this to students looking for a mystery and pet-lovers

Malcolm at Midnight by W.H. Beck


Erica's Picks
3rd - 5th Grade
Tags: Animals, Humor, Mystery, School Stories

The days are shorter than recess and Ariol would like nothing better than to migrate South like a bird. But instead he has to leave his warm, comfy bed to go to school every morning. School's not all bad, there's his best friend Ramono, who always comes up with cool games to play and Petula, the prettiest cow Ariol has ever seen. On the other hand there's also Mr. Ribera, the gym teacher who has no sense of humor and Bizzbilla, who won't leave him alone. If Ariol was Thunder Horse he'd show them all. He'd be the best in gym and always know what to say and no one would be able to tell him what to do. But he's not Thunder Horse—he's just a regular guy like you and me.

This comic is hilarious! It captures small moments of childhood perfectly like when Ariol plays a game of tennis against a wall and provides his own running commentary as if it was a major sports event. The drawings are simple, colorful, charming, and expressive. They satirize childhood with warmth and love. I'd give it to anyone looking for a humorous comic set in a school.

Ariol: Just a Donkey Like You and Me by Emmanuel Guibert & Marc Boutavant
Erica's Picks
2nd-4th Grade
Tags: Animals, Comics, School Stories