If I Ever Get Out Of Here, by Eric Gansworth

 Another OBOB book for the current season, If I Ever Get Out Of Here by Eric Gansworth is a book I can't decide whether to love or hate. I think I feel both.

I'm sure I've read this before, and I really hated to read it again with so many other good books waiting for me.  But much of it didn't feel like a repeat, so maybe I didn't, which I love. This story involved bullying, which I hate (the bullying, not the story). The bully didn't always get what he deserved, which is the real world, which I hate. The story spent a lot of time at middle school, and the adults there didn't do much of anything to help the main character, Lewis, with the bully, which I hate. As the pug of a teacher, I know teachers work very hard to watch out for every young person, which I love. But they don't see everything, which I hate. Kids can be cruel, which I hate. And kids can be amazing, caring and helpful, which I love. The story involves how Native Americans have, and are, treated in the United States, much of which I hate. It also involves the differences between people who have financial means to live comfortably, and others who don't. Living in the richest country in the world, I hate that divide existing. I didn't like - but didn't really hate - how sarcastic Lewis could be in this book. But I understood why he might be that way, which I hate. Lewis, in all, is wonderful, and I loved his character. His friend George is also wonderful, and I loved him, too. Everyone is so...human in this story.

This is one that may stay on your mind for a while...4 paws for that!

A Wolf Called Wander, by Roseanne Parry

 Portland author Parry is a friend of OBOB, having had a few books be part of that awesome program over the last few years. As such, I am always excited to see something new from her, and A Wolf Called Wander is a wonderful addition to her titles!

Wander is the fictionalized account of Oregon wolf OR-7, who was tracked across Oregon as he traveled over 1,000 miles before finally finding a mate and starting a wolf family not far from Springfield, in the Rogue River Valley, where he still lives today. Parry wrote his imagined story from his own point of view, which could have been too silly or trite, but in Parry's capable hands, it was beautifully done.

I could not put this book down, and when I had to I couldn't wait to pick it up again and continue! It is written in a very simple style, and will be easily accessible by all middle graders, as well as late elementary readers, I think. It is a beautiful story, beautifully told, and about an Oregon creature every Oregonian should learn about and know. Cheers for Wander! 5 paws!

Greenglass House, by Kate Milford

 Yay, another OBOB book for this year, and a GOOD one, too! This is one of the books I've been most excited to read the last few months, because I keep hearing and reading such good things about it...I finally found a copy! Two barks and a wag!

Greenglass House is a mystery, in the vein of Agatha Christie. It reminded me a lot of Mysterious Benedict Society in that it is smartly written, complicated - but not so much that you need a map to figure out who's who or what's what. A couple of times along the way I winced a bit because it seemed Milford was spoon feeding me information, in a way that seemed slightly forced. But by the time I got to the last few chapters, I could not turn the pages fast enough! And to think that one of the main characters is...well, I better not give it away. 

There is a follow up book to this one that I have not read yet, but you will want to as soon as you finish the last page of Greenglass. A book that has won numerous awards, including the Edgar Award for Best Mystery! This is a lot of fun - cancel your afternoon plans! 5 paws!

Skulduggery Pleasant, by Derek Landy

 This is not a new book, having been published in 2007, but Book 1 in a multi-book series (and a movie?). But Skulduggery Pleasant made this year's OBOB list for middle school, and it's always been a book I knew I would read...someday! Well, this weekend was "someday", apparently, and what a treat this was! 

A great mystery with a lot of action, a strong girl protagonist (coupled with Skulduggery, who is, in fact, a skeleton!), smart writing, funny, fast-moving...what's not to like, right? A great choice for OBOB, and I'm only disappointed that I didn't read it sooner!

One thing that keeps this from getting a 5 paw rating is the ending. The entire book moved along at a great pace, the writing was clever and unpredictable, but the ending was a little rushed and messy, I thought. To be fair, I read the ending today, and the rest of the book yesterday, so maybe if I had read it all at once I would feel differently. Definitely a book I recommend to any of you, and there are more in the series that I looked for today at the local bookstore but they didn't have any copies in. 

A great OBOB choice, and recommended! You'll want to read all the books, I'm sure! 4 paws and a wag!

Bearmouth, by Liz Hyder

 An ARC means Advanced Reader Copy, which means having the chance to read a book before it is finally out out to the public. Bearmouth arrived for me in the mail two weeks ago, my first ever ARC! Cool, right?! Vivi, the Dog with the Blog, has arrived!  :)

Bearmouth is really good, but not a book for everyone. It tells the story of Newt, who is ends up as a young person doing hard labor in an underground mine, made up of layers and layers of tunnels and mines underground. There are so many things Newt doesn't know and understand at the start of the story, but discovers with time, and pages, and events. These events are not often pleasant, and at times are very harsh. But Newt does create a small community underground, and eventually discovers the power of the word "why". 

You will like this book if you are drawn to dark stories, with multiple layers and themes built in. Bearmouth is a mix of Ship Breaker, Lord of the Flies, and...perhaps some Charles Dickens thrown in? I liked the book - well written, different story line than most books I've read. But again, this isn't for everyone. Probably mature 8th graders and older might like this book. I don't know of anyone younger who would push through it...but maybe I'm wrong? 4 paws.