Okay I'll admit it: I'm a fan of Captain Underpants, so it may come as no surprise that when Tegan asked if anyone wanted to read Sir Fartsalot Hunts a Booger by Kevin Bolger, I was the first and only one to raise my hand. .I thoroughly enjoyed this very silly book about a flatulent knight. Prince Harry of the Kingdom of Armpit (Harry Armpit!) is ordered by his father to help Sir Fartsalot on his quest for the foul west wind, which seems to mysteriously appear just after Sir Farty finishes a meal of turnips. Loving a good prank, Harry convinces Sir Fartsalot that he must also search for the elusive and dangerous Booger. Off they go to soon meet up with Sir Knotaclew who joins them on their noble and hilarious quest. Yes, this book is silly but it is also very well written, and the author sneaks in some sophisticated vocabulary and clever plays on words. A great summer read... Whooppee!!! ~ Anne

I just love a good road-trip book for the summer! So far, my favorite for 2008 is Savvy, a sweet, charming yarn that reads like a tall-tale made relevant for today's tweens.

Mibs (Mississippi Beaumont) is about to turn 13, the age when her family members discover their special powers (they call it their "savvy"). Because a savvy can be unpredictable and sometimes dangerous before a person learns to control it, the Beaumonts live in near-isolation. Grandpa can move the earth, one brother attracts water, another channels electricity, and Mibs can't wait to discover her savvy and start figuring out how it works. But right before her birthday, her beloved Poppa gets in a car accident and falls into a coma, and everything changes. Mibs' mother rushes to the hospital with the eldest child of the family, leaving Mibs, stormy Fish (14), quiet and secretive Samson (7) and bubbly Gypsy (3) alone with Grampa and the pushy pastor's wife, Miss Rosemary. Miss Rosemary, as controlling as she is, has her hands full with all the Beaumonts and her own kids, sulky teen Bobbi and reasonably-well-behaved Will Jr. Mibs takes advantage of the confusion and seizes her opportunity to escape. She hopes to help her Poppa with her coming savvy, so she stows away on a bible salesman's bus to reach the hospital. The other kids (except baby Gypsy) tag along, leading to unexpected adventures!

The road trip with Lester, the reluctant bible salesman, is hilarious and exciting in a gentle way. This is a big, powerful, quirky, loving family story. It's intended for ages 9-11, but I think it would make a great read-aloud for families with kids ages 7-16-there's nothing too scary or mature, just lots of great characters and good-hearted fun. ~Tegan

Child 44 is a very creepy psychological thriller. It's been a while since I read such an exhilarating, suspenseful book. The pace is just go-go-go, and with its twists & turns & heart-stopping action, it's like a literary rollercoaster ride. It's quite dark so I don't know if I would read it at the beach or right before a family barbecue, but there's no gratuitous violence or excessively gory stuff so I didn't find it 'over the top'. The book opens in 1933; it's winter in Ukraine and a poor family is scavenging for food when something unpleasant suddenly happens to one of the boys. I can't tell you what happens but believe me, I was already creeped out by page 16. The story then jumps to 1953 in Moscow, and we meet our main character, Leo Demidov, a member of the MBG, the State Security Force under Stalin's rule. Leo is investigating the brutal murder of a young Moscow child. The murder is distinct because of its gruesome characteristics. Soon, a similar murder of a different child is reported in a town a few miles away. The MBG wants to sweep these events under the carpet, because the State does not believe that serial killers exist. To imply that these murders are anything but random is considered a crime against the State. I found this historical aspect of the book very interesting (and more than a bit disturbing) - the way the State rules peoples lives, and arrests & tortures anyone who dares to be different. Based on what he knows about these murders, Leo faces quite a challenge in deciding whether to pursue the perpetrator or not. Nicely complex and there's oh so much more... By the way, you'll have to wait until page 275 to find out what 'Child 44' represents. I couldn't put this book down - it really captivated me, and the story zooms along at a breathless pace. This is Tom Rob Smith's debut novel and I expect more great things from this talented young author. ~ Hilary

I loved The Piano Tuner, Daniel Mason's first novel, and although this story, A Far Country, moves more slowly, I was not disappointed because like The Piano Tuner it casts a spell with very beautiful language and a palpable sense of place .

Fourteen-year-old Isobel lives with her family on a cane plantation in an unnamed country where drought is destroying the crops. Her beloved older brother, with whom she has a mystical connection, dreams of being a musician and leaves for the city. Eventually the threat of starvation forces Isobel's parents to send her to the city to live with a cousin and babysit her infant son. Isobel feels her bother's presence in the city, and with a baby on her hip and love and faith for fuel, she searches for him throughout the confusing and corrupt city.

Once again, Mason has written a lyrical novel that satisfies both your mind and senses. ~ Anne

Tony Horowitz is a voraciously curious, academically rigorous and hilariously honest author. His latest book is just what I love and expect from him. Join him on journeys into the oft-forgotten adventures of the Europeans who explored North America before the Pilgrims, and, like me, you'll laugh and learn through the whole strange and wonderful voyage. Like A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson, this book begins with the author's admission that he feels ignorant: specifically, Horowitz (a history major and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist) really doesn't remember much about the European discovery and settlement of the New World beyond Columbus and the Pilgrims. He has some vague recollections of conquistadors and Vikings playing a part, but when he realizes the richness of the history he has neglected and the myths that many of us take for history, he decided to plunge in and learn all he could. Lucky for us, he wrote it all down and got it published. Horowitz jumps in by reading extensively, then following up his research with adventurous travels to get more information. As he did in his previous books, Blue Latitudes and Confederates in the Attic, he visits historically significant sites, explores museums, travels in the footsteps of historical figures and interviews contemporary residents about the history that took place in their hometowns. The resulting book is chock full of facts, sociological reflections and personal impressions that richly illustrate centuries of history and the impact they have had on our world. Best of all, Horowitz is laugh-out-loud funny as he tells about muggy days in the Dominican Republic, bewildering encounters with Newfoundlanders, a Native American sweat ceremony that nearly boils him alive and countless other incidents along his journey of rediscovery. If you want an intellectually and entertainingly satisfying book, this one's for you! ~Tegan