The Nightmarys by Dan Poblocki

It’s late, but you can’t fall asleep. It seems like your parents are having an argument and then you hear a door slam. Hmm; that’s probably not good. Looking around the room, you notice the light in your closet is on - except it wasn’t on when you went to bed. Weird...

Getting up, you move to the door a little reluctantly. Sure; you might have left the light on and forgotten. I mean, there’s a lot of stuff going on in your life right now. Gripping the handle, you pull the door towards you - slowly - and find...

Oh, I’m not going to tell you. If you want to know what Timothy July finds in his closet, you’ll just have to read The Nightmarys by Dan Poblocki. Let’s just say, though, that the author does a great job of coming up with page after page of really creepy images.

It seems that Timothy is seeing things. His history project partner, Abigail, a new student at school, seems to be seeing things as well - scary things, the kind of things that wait for you in the dark in the corner of your room when you try to sleep. Things Abigail calls, “The Nightmarys.”

Actually, quite a few of the people in Timothy’s life are seeing things. Could it have something to do with a mystery from a long time past or that freaky guy in the long trench coat who keeps showing up in weird places? Uh, I’m gonna’ have to say “yes.”

The Nightmarys is a really fun, creepy book. That said, it is also a story for students a bit younger than those for whom I usually write reviews. I’d say this is a very middle school book - although definitely entertaining for anyone. I liked it quite a lot, but I was aware of the lack of maturity in the characters. Everyone who’s twelve acts like he’s twelve - and that’s probably the way it should be.

LAME FACTOR: Just a small 1 out of 5 for the “kiddie” feel.

YOUR PARENTS WILL FREAK FACTOR: I don’t think your parents will freak, but you might. It’s really pretty scary - which is awesome!

BRAIN POWER: This shouldn’t be a problem for anyone who can read a book with chapters - and that should be all of you.

The Hunger Games - the movie!

Just make sure you read the book first!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

What is wrong with me? Why didn’t I read this book sooner - like a year ago when another teacher told me it was great?

The Hunger Games is awesome. Its main character, Katniss Everdeen, is amazing: resourceful, intelligent, independent. What is there not to like?

Set in post-Apocalyptic North America - and let me just say, I hope I’m not around when that happens - The Hunger Games involves people struggling to survive in the worst of circumstances. Katniss Everdeen is just a kid when her father is killed in an explosion. Left with a mother who has fallen into a semi-catatonic state and a delicate little sister, Katniss needs to take control if her family is going to survive. Arming herself first with small traps and later with bows and arrows, Katniss sets off towards the woods, determined to keep her family from starving.

If that were the worst Katniss had to face that would be - well, boring. Ha! Bring on the Hunger Games, a Roman coliseum inspired competition that pits child against child in a fight to the death. Now that’s cool.

Without letting you know what happens (because YOU should read it for yourself), let’s just say that Katniss rises to the occasion, becoming one of the truly kick-ass heroines of YA lit.

LAME FACTOR: A giant 0 out of 5. No one is lame in The Hunger Games.

YOUR PARENTS WILL FREAK FACTOR: The Hunger Games is pretty violent, but nothing outrageous - you know, like a videogame.

BRAIN POWER: The Hunger Games is very well written - but you’ll manage, won’t you, Children?