We are the Goldens by Dana Reinhardt

Fifteen year old Nell tells this story of her relationship with her older sister Layla, her first year of high school and discovering that her older sister is having an affair with a teacher.  The book is short and the plot has some intense elements and being told by the sister's point of view is interesting, but I felt like it was a bit detached. I received this book free to review from Netgalley.

The Fate of Ten by Pittacus Lore

This is the 6th book in a 7 book series.  I am so sad that I have to wait for the last book.  For those unfamiliar with the series, it is similar to the Percy Jackson books, only the teenagers are not hero offspring of the gods, they are aliens with super powers and it is up to them to save the world from the bad aliens.  In a classic war of good against evil, the surviving members of the Garde, the gifted teenage aliens from the previously destroyed planet Lorien, must save earth from the mutant Mogadorians who are lead by the evil Setrakus Ra. The story ends in a heartbreaking cliffhanger leaving us all to wait for the final book of the series.

The Good Dog by Todd Kessler

There are two stories going on in this book, both of which, in my opinion, are not really appropriate for the children this is directed towards.  The first story is that of a dog, whom a boy finds as a stray puppy and brings home, which is nice, but then the boy's parents say that if the dog is bad, he will be sent to the pound, which is depicted as an evil, nasty place.  I think the emphasis on being good without taking any excuses for "bad" behavior into account,  along with the inaccurate depiction of the dog pound are not appropriate for young children.  The second story is of a large processed food bakery that makes tasteless sweets that people eat because there are no better options, that is then threatened by competition from a small, family owned bakery that makes delicious sweets. This is the family that takes in the dog. The evil processed food factory owner tries to make his old tasteless sweets look prettier without actually making them any better and when that fails, he takes bugs and mice from his own factory and puts them into the family owned bakery to sabotage it.  I don't really see that as an appropriate topic for first graders either.  The book is an overly long picture book and while the reading level is about right for first and second graders and it is well written, I think it might be easier for kids to read if it were divided into chapters.  The illustrations are very well done and are my favorite part of the book.  I received this book free to review from Netgalley.

Liberty Frye and the Witches of Hessen by J.L. McCreedy

This is a mystery/adventure story as 10 year old Libby Frye goes to Germany with her overprotective parents to meet a grandmother that she had not known existed.  Once there, trouble compounds and it is up to Libby's best friend, Ginny to help her out.  There are witches, an old fighter pilot, an international traveling goose, mysteries and magic in this fast paced story.  I received this book free to review from Netgalley.

Landfall by Ellen Urbani

Landfall is a story of two women, Rose and Rosy, who share a name and a birth year and whose lives intersect due to hurricane Katrina.  The story is as intense as the storm itself as Rose attempts to track down Rosy's family after being in a car wreck that claimed both Rosy's life and that of Rose's mother, Gertrude.  We learn about the lives of both girls along with a view of the hurricane and it's tragic aftermath.  The story is heartbreaking, sad, and intense.

A Tower of Giraffes Animals in Groups by Anna Wright

This is a beautifully illustrated book with interesting facts about the groups of various animals that it names. The illustrations are different, interesting and lovely and the facts are unusual and interesting as well.  I think that adults will enjoy this lovely book as much as children will.  I received this book free to review from Netgalley.

They're There on Their Vacation by Brian P. Cleary (Author), Jim Paillot (Illustrator)

This brightly illustrated book focuses on the proper usage of the homophones they're, there and their.  Seeing those words used incorrectly irritates me and I am thrilled to see a book that addresses the problem.  This simple and silly children's book follows the Tuckabee family on their unusual vacation to visit places like the world's largest underwear display and the Cheezie Pops factory.  I think that kids will enjoy the book.  I received this book free to review from Netgalley.