Dark Lord

Jamie Thomson
 F THO

So, I read this book at our spring book fair, even before the fair was over!  It has an interesting cover and it just sounded so unusual. Who wouldn't want to find out more about a powerful, evil dark lord trapped in a human boy's body and forced to attend school?

The story begins with Dark Lord crashing out of the sky into a parking lot and being mistaken for a regular kid who is given the name "Dirk Lloyd" because that is what the police and doctors think he is saying when he is mumbling "Dark Lord."  "Dirk" is sent to live with a foster family and forced to attend school.   The adults think he has suffered some kind of trauma because he keeps insisting he is an evil power in another dimension.  

Dirk tells all of his classmates about his powers, which no one believes, mostly because none of his powers seem to work in this world.  Mostly his classmates find him to be entertaining while he is attempting to find his way home.  Dirk is funny and maybe a little bit disturbing.  Dirk is also getting a little stressed because he cannot figure out why is super powerful ring didn't take him back through the portal he made to go home, AND his new friend Sooz got into some serious trouble for something he started!

Dark Lord is a funny book with some weird fantasy in it.  I recommend it to kids who like fantasy, but want something a little lighter, or kids who like humorous books featuring evil villains.

Calli Be Gold

Michele Weber Hurwitz
F HUR

I love this book.

Calli Gold is the third child in a family where everyone is really good at something.  Her parents are constantly pressuring her to find an activity that she will be really good at.  Her sister is a synchronized skater and her brother is great at basketball.  But Calli doesn't want to keep trying out new talents.  She wants to play in the fall leaves, go sledding, or watch a movie with her friends.

When her class begins a new program called in which older kids buddy up with younger kids, she volunteers to work with a 2nd grader, Noah, who doesn't want to or know who to participate in class at all.  Calli works hard to find a way to connect with Noah, and their budding friendship is the first he has made in their school.  However, Calli has to find a way to convince her parents that their group's "Friendship Fair" is just as important as her brother's basketball game and her sister's skating performance.

I really liked how this book puts a strong emphasis on the importance of friendship and making connections with people.  I like how Calli also has to figure out some of these things herself.

This is a good book for both boys and girls about friendship and family.  It is also on the 2014 Illinois Bluestem list.  The Southeast School copies are signed, as the author visited us at our Spring book fair!