All the Lovely Bad Onesby Mary Browning Hahn 

4 stars -

Travis and his sister Corey only meant to have a little fun....

  Spending the summer at their Grandmother's Inn wasn't the most exciting vacation they'd ever had.  Once there, Travis and Corey learn that there's a rumor around town that their grandmother's inn is haunted.  

 Corey decides to shake things up with the guests by pretending to be a ghost herself.   To her and Travis's surprise, however, more ghost sightings begin to be reported.  This time Corey is not the one doing the haunting.  

What started as fun and games has actually released the real spirits of children who lived on Fox Hill - small children who love to play pranks on Corey, Travis, and the guests.  All of the ghosts are not playful or innocent.  They're angry and hurt - and are ready for Corey and Travis to experience the same pain.  Corey and Travis must learn about what really happened to the children and families that lived on Fox Hill - the torture and horrors they experienced.

Before they themselves become one of the lovely, bad ones.....

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Every Soul a Star

  4 glittering stars

Ally loved her life at Moon Shadow Campground.  She loved living near nature, stargazing from her backyard, not having to worry about wearing the right outfit, fitting in at a public school, or finding a boyfriend.

Bree couldn't be more different from Ally.  She was beautiful, popular, and worked hard at creating the perfect life for herself - becoming the girl that every teen wishes she could be.

In Every Soul a Star, Ally and Bree find themselves having one thing in common:  Moon Shadow Campground - a place where thousands of people travel from far way and gather to view a rare moment -the total eclipse of the sun. 

Ally is devastated to learn that she will be moving away from Moon Shadow and attending a public school.  Bree's family will be taking Ally's place.  They will be the new managers at Moon Shadow.  Bree is forced to leave her school and friends behind - all for a life in the dirty outdoors, miles away from civilization, with not even a shopping mall in sight.

Together Bree and Ally decide to unite; they will convince their parents to keep their lives the way they were before.  While working together and spending their summer at Moon Shadow, Ally and Bree discover that change may be a good thing, and they both have more in common than they originally thought.  

Newcomer Jack and Ryan, a summer regular at Moon Shadow campground, also learn that appearances can be deceiving.  That they, too, can find their place in the world - even if they don't always feel like they fit in.  

This novel shows how four middle school students, who appear very different on the outside, are able to form a friendship and bond - one that will likely last forever - not just the summer at Moon Shadow Campground.

 

Sunday, July 25, 2010