The Superstition Mountain Series by Elise Broach

The series follows the three Barker brothers – Simon, Henry, and Jack – who’ve just moved from Illinois to Arizona. They are now living in a town with the Superstition Mountain right next to their new home. Their parents have warned them not to explore the mountain but when their cat Josie goes missing, they see no choice. When they discover three human skulls up in the mountain, they are determined to uncover the mystery. Together with their new neighbor Delilah, the Barker boys take on mysteries, gold treasure, avalanches and a creepy librarian.

These books are fiction but they're based on facts. It’s true that people have disappeared on the Superstition Mountain and were never heard from again. Bodies and skeletons have been found, the Legend of the Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine, all based on truth. A book is always more interesting with a little bit of actual history thrown in.

The greatest thing about these books is that the Superstition Mountain in Arizona is real. I didn’t now it was a real place until I read the Author’s Note at the end on Book 1.

I only found out that this was a series when I found Book 2 and 3 at the library. I was so happy. I should have known it was a series. The first book kind of ended in a cliffhanger.

If you can find all three books and read them all at once, I recommend it.

The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher

12 and Up

Vera and her brother, Will, live in a country that has collapsed from environmental catastrophe. Water is now more precious than gold or oil – and worth killing for. Water is hoarded by governments, rivers are damned, and clouds are sucked from the sky. But then Vera befriends Kai, who seems to have limitless access to fresh water. When Kai suddenly disappears, Vera and Will set off on a dangerous journey to find him – pursued by pirates, a paramilitary group, and greedy corporation.

This is one of the few apocalyptic scenario stories that I actually liked. I mean, a world with limited clean water? How scary is that?!

It’s interesting how the people in the book find ways to save and collect water. Like engineering plants that hardly need any water and using machines to skim across the ocean to collect and filter water.

 And I feel like this could happen. I really believe it’s going to be us in the end that destroys the world. I really do.

Fish In A Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

8 and Up

Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she’s able to hide her inability to read by creating yet disruptive distraction. She’s too scared to ask for help; after all how can you cure dumb?

However, her newest teacher Mr. Daniels sees the smart, creative kid underneath the troublemaker. With his help, Ally learns not to be so hard on herself and that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of.

Ally soon discovers that there’s more to her – and to everyone – than a label, and that great minds don’t always think alike.

This is the type of book that teachers should be giving out to read. Not ‘Island of the Blue Dolphins’ or ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’. I’m not saying those aren’t good books (Except 'Island of the Blue Dolphins'. That book scared me half to death as a child) but they’re kind of out of date and we don’t really relate to the characters. Ally is a character that anyone who has ever thought that something was wrong with them can relate too.

This poor girl thinks she’s too dumb to read and she’s too scared to even ask for help. I know I was scared to ask for help as a child. A majority of my teachers weren’t very nice and/or not willing to help. I had a guidance counselor who was nice to me but that was about it. If you’re lucky enough to have a teacher who actually cares, good for you.

My biggest question is how no one, not the teachers or her parents, realized she couldn’t read until she was in sixth grade. Then again I didn’t start getting help with my autism until sixth grade and that was only after I had a little scene. People really need to pay more attention.

I’m happy that teachers now a days are being taught how to handle children with learning differences. Anyone who thinks that there’s only one way to teach a child is an idiot.

Everyone is smart in different ways. Anyone who thinks there is only one type of smart is an idiot. Ally might have trouble readying but she’s an amazing artist. I love her ideas for drawings they are so creative. She sees her more imaginative thoughts like movies in her head and she sees them so clearly and gets lost in them. My thoughts are in picture form too but it’s like looking though a cloudy piece of glass, I can kind of see stuff but not really.

This book shows that we all have our weaknesses but we all have our strengths. Don’t let your weaknesses bring you down. Fight through them and come out on top.