We the Children (2010) Andrew Clements

"A 6000-pound wrecking ball is about to demolish Benjamin Pratt's school... and he has only 28 days to figure out how to stop it."

Ben is not your typical kid. He actually likes his school, so when the news hits that his school will soon be demolished in order to become the site of a multi-million dollar amusement park, Ben's not happy. But before he can become too sad, the school custodian corners him in the hall and entrusts to Ben a strange coin...

This first volume (of six) of Benjamin Pratt and the Keepers of the School is not a "series" in the sense that each book is a self-contained story. There's not much closure at the end of this book, but it is a compelling mystery, probably best suited for middle-school readers. We the Children owes a lot to the Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew books, but is more serious in nature and contains a bit of a dark element. It's not quite what I was expecting from the author of Frindle, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I do plan to continue reading the next books and would recommend this book to young mystery fans. 

Illustrated by Adam Stower

160 pages

3.5/5

The Misadventures of Salem Hyde: Spelling Trouble (2013) Frank Cammuso

I often take home kids' graphic novels from the library because (1) I like to know what to recommend to patrons and (2) I just like them. The Misadventures of Salem Hyde was a nice surprise, a book that I hope turns into a good ongoing series of graphic novels for kids. 

Salem is a young witch who doesn't quite have a firm handle in casting spells, mostly due to her not being able to spell correctly. You can see the double meaning of "spell" and soon realize that wordplay is central to enjoying the book. Salem's animal companion Percival J. Whamsford III (or Whammy) is hired to help Salem out, but Whammy has used five of his nine lives and gets a little nervous when Salem starts casting spells, especially while she's losing her cool. 

The Misadventures of Salem Hyde isn't terribly original, but it is charming and Cammuso knows how to tell and compelling, fun story without letting it draw on for too long. The art style is similar to that of Bill Watterson of Calvin and Hobbes fame. While the stories don't have the depth of Watterson, they're still fun. Highly recommended, especially for reluctant readers.  

4/5