The Facttracker by Jason Carter Eaton - Ages 9+

"

The Facttracker

IF YOU ARE READING THIS, YOU ARE A GENIUS

Is that true?  Who knows!  But it sounds good.  So Does:

THIS BOOK IS BETTER THAN ICE CREAM, 

TELEVISION AND YOUR BIRTHDAY COMBINED!

The Facttracker is full of such statements.  Unfortunately, most of them are lies, which is odd,

since Traäkerfaxx is the town that produces all the world's facts.

So how can a story about a bizarre town with a weird name become

THE GREATEST NOVEL EVER WRITTEN?

Dinosaurs would help. Or maybe aliens. Alien dinosaurs would be dynamite! Alas, we have none of those. 

Here's what we do have: the Facttracker, who tracks all the facts in Traäkerfaxx. 

The just small enough boy, who lost all his facts. And Ersatz, but the less said about him the better.

 And, of course, there are lots and lots of facts and lies, such as:

THIS BOOK WILL MAKE YOU GOOD LOOKING 

AND POPULAR!

Was that a fact or a lie? For the answer, read on and encounter adventure, peril, and even more 

LARGE OVERSIZED WORDS!

What's the Buzz?

“The Facttracker,” by Jason Carter Eaton has a plot that seems to get more and more exaggerated, like a lie that starts out small and then gets larger." - Inkweaver Review

" I really think this a good book because it is really funny. The chapters have interesting names like “A Tiny Chapter That Isn’t Really a Chapter at All So Much as a Really Long Chapter Title Placed Strategically to Waste a Bit of Time In Order to Give the Facttracker and the Small Enough Boy a Moment to Compose Themselves”.  The chapters themselves are even more interesting." - Ayesha Reviews

"The author is full of authorial asides to the reader and lots of playing with authorial conventions. For example, Chapter 13 has the heading crossed out, with the title, "There Will Not Be a Chapter 13 Because It Might Be Unlucky and the Facttracker Needs All the Luck He Can Get Now." - Sonder Books

"The Facttracker is laugh out loud funny, but also has much to say about the relationship between truth and falsehood, understanding and self-deception." - Provo City Library

More reviews? 

 Library Thing * GoodReads

Floors by Patrick Carman - Ages 9+

Floors

What's the Story?

Charlie had his chocolate factory. Stanley Yelnats had his holes and Leo has the wacky & amazing Whippet Hotel.

The Whippet Hotel is a strange place full of strange and mysterious people. Each floor has its own quirks and secrets. Leo should know most of them - he is the maintenance man's son, after all. But a whole lot more mystery gets thrown his way when a series of cryptic boxes are left for him . . . boxes that lead him to hidden floors, strange puzzles, and unexpected alliances. Leo had better be quick on his feet, because the fate of the building he loves is at stake . . . and so is Leo's own future!

What's the Buzz?

"...an eccentric hotel filled with wacky inventions and hidden floors? A mysterious disappearance? Ducks that could save the day? Yes, please!" - Lovely Little Things

"I thought this story was AWESOME from the beginning to the end. The Whippet Hotel is just cool (my favorite room is the pinball room) and Mr. Carman’s story really gave me a good idea of what it would be like to live there." - This Kid Reviews Books

"... Floors has to be added to my list of great books that I have read so far this year. It has all the hallmarks of the great Roald Dahl himself. The story is magical, full of charm and most of all, it's full to the rafters with fantastical imagination that will have you racing to the end of the book." - Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books

"Leo and Remi are good-natured and likable protagonists. The boys act like real children rather than miniature adults, all the while exhibiting great pluck, creativity and independence. While action-packed, the book is also lighthearted and enjoyable." - Kids Reads

I thoroughly enjoyed Carman’s wacky world!  The puzzles were just silly enough, the danger just palpable enough.  SO much fun!  - Kiss the Book

Where Can I Learn More?

Author Patrick Carman loves to experiment with extra online content for books and he's done it again with Floors.  Besides a special website for the book series, Carman had added extras you can only access with a code from the book.  If you're like me and you don't have the code, there's still plenty to see and do.

Ever Breath by Julianna Baggott - Ages 9+

Ever Breath

What's the Story?

In a world where locust fairies flutter and firebreathers burst from snowbanks, two children are having the adventure of their lives. Truman and his twin sister, Camille, have just met their grandmother Swelda. . . and she’s a little strange. She whispers a tale about something called the Ever Breath, an amber orb that maintains the balance between our world and a dreamy one of imagination—and evil.

Soon Truman and Camille find themselves in the Breath World, a magical place where ogres clash and a mouse holds the key to a mystery. Some creatures want to help them—and some want them D-E-A-D. That’s because the Ever Breath has been stolen, and an epic battle is raging to bring it safely back. Can the twins save not only one world—but two?

What's the Buzz?

"It brings back all the magic of juvenile fantasy that I often reminisce about. I have a feeling that Baggott’s books will go alongside Eva Ibbotson’s as great reads for 8- to 12-year-olds." - Steph Su Reads

"Her characters, especially the uncoordinated, allergy-besotted Truman and a conscience-plagued mouse informant named Binderbee, are vividly depicted and full of interesting contradictions." - Parent Dish

"After the first chapter, I had one child tucked up on each side of me... When I tried to quit reading for the night, I heard the words that had never been said by my children before: "Just one more chapter!" I felt like I was dreaming. I'm not kidding -- it was weird!" - Little Blue School

"I found The Ever Breath to be a good book. It is funny, and it keeps you wanting to read the next page. It kind of reminds me of The Chronicles of Narnia and Harry Potter combined." - Kayley (6th Grade) @ BookTrends

"Swelda is a hoot, and I particularly liked a talking mouse named Binderbee Biggby, who has the most interesting crisis of conscience in the whole book." - The Book Aunt

Where Can I Learn More?

The Author's official site is here.  Baggett also started a Ever Breath blog but it's been abandoned for a while now.  If you're an internet treasure hunter, you might find a few golden Ever Breath nuggets there if you dig deep enough.

Series: Shark Wars by EJ Altbacker - Ages 9+

Shark Wars

Book 1

What's the Story?

Since the dawn of time, prehistoric shark clans called Shivers have ruled over the earth's oceans, fierce protectors of all who swim. For eons, the Big Blue has prospered under Shiver Law, and the delicate balance of sea life kept sacred. Until now.

Rising sea temperatures and overfishing have caused food to become scarce, and the battle for new hunting grounds has brought with it corruption and warfare.

Now, with the ocean on the brink of chaos, a young reef shark named Gray - exiled from the safety of his peaceful reef home - must venture deep into Open Water to unlock the secrets of his destiny and bring peace back to the ocean. But first, he'll have to discover the truth about who - and what - he really is.

What's the Buzz?

"...if you have middle grade kids who are fascinated by the shark craze, you might want to introduce them to the first in the series of Shark Wars novels." - The Morton Report

" Confident readers will find this book action-packed and reminiscent of the Warriors series (but instead of cats, it's sharks). Mild bloody violence and shark fighting occur." - Story Snoops

"This book was good because of all the epic battle scenes and the tales of budding friendship.  At times I didn’t like how the language was vague and details were left out, but this was a really fast read." - Ian @ Well Read Spartans

"I must admit this is a great fast paced, action packed series, perfect for reluctant young readers." - Geek Dad @ Wired.com

"I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this story. This is one exiting, action packed, fast paced story that takes readers into a whole new underwater world. These's battles, a fabulous underwater setting, and a large cast of great shark characters." - Mundie Kids

"When I first picked this book up I really wasn’t sure I’d like it. The plot didn’t seem like something I’d be interested in. Well -I LOVED THIS BOOK! It is well written, the description of the story made it come alive and the whole story was really good...I give Shark Wars five out of five book worms! " - This Kid Reviews Books

Where Can I Learn More?
Shark Wars has an official website where you can learn about the characters in Shark Wars.  There's also an Iphone app and you can download an excerpt of book 1.

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