Baxter remembers everything since he was three. Doctors say a fall from a swing rewired his brain, and now he remembers every detail of everything that has ever happened to him, particularly the events surrounding his court testimony that sent Dink, his mother’s boyfriend, to jail.

Elementary school, where he was known as the Memory Boy, was a disaster, and after three years being homeschooled, he has a chance to start over in a new town where people don’t know he’s a freak. He’s especially interested in renewing his relationship with Halle, a girl he knew in kindergarten who doesn’t remember him from before, Trouble is, Dink’s out of jail, and Baxter is sure he’ll find them and seek revenge.

Unforgettable by Loretta Ellsworth is a great book for mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 14 and over to read. At 15, Baxter wants what most teens want, which is the ability to have friends, fit in, feel normal and be involved in something he believes in. Baxter is reading The Great Gatsby, and while he sees parallels between his own life and Gatsby’s, he desperately needs to believe his story can be different.

Book clubs can talk about the choices Baxter makes and how they influence what happens to him. They can discuss the challenges of embracing things that make a person unique without being ostracized from the crowd for being different. There is also a great subplot about environmental concerns as they relate to industrial safety and how that affects everyone in town in some way. Unforgettable covers multiple issues and Ellsworth expertly weaves the threads of these issues into an unforgettable story. I highly recommend it.

For more information on Unforgettable, you may want to check out the book trailer.

Intrigued? Comment here to win your own copy of Unforgettable. The giveaway will run through midnight (PDT) on Friday, October 14 and is open to entrants with U.S. and Canadian addresses. (Please note: the giveaway is closed. Congratulations to April on winning.)

The author provided me with a copy of this book for review.

Taking over the world is easy. All you need are a few minions and lackeys, an evil robot army, and the right clothing. Oh, and you may want to be able to have to ability to actually destroy the world too. All these simple tips and more are included in Kenn Nesbitt’s new book, The Ultimate Top Secret Guide to Taking Over the World. Nesbitt has lots of great tips for kids who are searching for ways to become geniuses and mad scientists as well as to conquer secret agents. Ethan Long’s illustrations perfectly capture the diabolical nature of the suggestions, complete with evil laughs.

Kids will love this funny guide that includes blank pages at the back along with prompts on how to use them to keep “destruction notes.” My teenage daughter even liked reading this. She said it was a welcome relief to read something just for fun in addition to all the serious books she has to tackle for school. I recommend it for kids aged 8 to 12 or older depending on their sense of humor.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book to review.

Here’s a guest book review written by author Christina Hamlett

Title: Ultimate Game
Author: Christian Lehmann
Published: 2000 (originally published in French in 1996)
David R. Godine, Publisher

I’m clearly not the target demographic for Christian Lehmann’s gripping YA thriller, Ultimate Game. To begin with, I’m over 50, female, have never played a computer game beyond an occasional solitaire, have never seen “TRON,” and am daunted every time my husband upgrades our cell phones, computers, kitchen appliances or stereo systems. I often tell him, in fact, that he must never die because he’s the only one who knows where the “on” button is or how to troubleshoot pesky glitches when I can’t access my email. In a nutshell, if I were to find myself in the dark recesses of computer warfare such as the three friends in Lehmann’s novel, I would likely never be seen again.

The book is a fast-paced read (I finished it in one evening) and embraces two dark, very real themes. The first is the obsessive nature of virtual gaming and the insularity it breeds in young people whose time might be better spent reading books, playing outdoors and interacting with friends. Having interviewed a number of educators for magazine/newspaper articles as well as my own books, there’s a growing concern that communication skills are diminishing as students spend more and more time in front of their monitors or vigorously texting.

Secondly is the anesthetizing effect that violent video games and movies have on impressionable young minds. It’s almost as if they see it on such a regular and graphic basis that there’s a disconnect between the gore and horror of what’s on the screen and the realities of violence and bloodshed that exists in the real world. In Lehmann’s novel, it’s entirely plausible that the young pals would get caught up in their latest find—a single diskette with content that surpasses their wildest fantasies about daredevil deeds, destruction and death. It would make a good candidate for a book club read and discussion because of its undercurrent of morality issues and the underlying threat of becoming so obsessed with unhealthy pasttimes that you lose all sense of personal identity.

David’s dad is a therapist who lives in the small French town of Cornouaille. David knows not to get to close to the patients, but Zelda fascinates him. She claims to be from another planet, and she’s here on earth to find her chosen one. To her it makes no difference that in the process of searching she needed to steal food, and when she was caught she sent to security guards to the hospital.

At first David thinks Zelda is as crazy as his dad’s other patients, but as he gets to know Zelda better, he begins to believe her bizarre story. And he finds himself inexplicably drawn to staying with her no matter what sorts of mayhem she creates during her quest.

How I Stole Johnny Depp’s Alien Girlfriend by Gary Ghislain is funny, and thoughtful. After hearing the name I was skeptical as to whether I would like it, but David’s voice one me over on the first pages. At 14, he’s self-conscious of his small build, interested in girls but sure they wouldn’t be interested in him, and curious. He’s never rebelled against his parents before, so he surprised that he feels so compelled to break their rules over Zelda.

David and Zelda break a lot of rules as they blaze their way for Cornouaille to Paris, where his ice-queen mother lives, to St. Tropez. It’s a wild ride that will keep you turning pages, questioning whether aliens really do live among us, and cheering for David along the way. I recommend it for readers, including boys, aged 14 and up.

Publisher Chronicle Books provided me with a copy of this book to review.

Author Nigel Hinton grew up hearing how his grandfather left his large, poor family from Poland at the age of 11 to seek his way in the world. His book, Walk the Wild Road, fictionalizes the family legend and imagines what could have set a boy off into the world on his own.

Leo’s family is desperately poor, and when his mom becomes pregnant with a new baby, all the older children must look for work. But times are hard, and there is not much work to be found. Leo’s younger sister finds a place in a tavern, and Leo hears of a job at the manor. But when the landlord’s cruel son accuses Leo of a crime that will send him to jail with hardened criminals, he takes to the road instead, hoping to better his life and send money home to his family.

The country was preparing for war with France in 1870, and Leo meets with a suspicious population and hardship on the road. Then he meets Tomasz, who is making his way to America. The two boys journey together, buoying each other up through the hardships they encounter.

Walk the Wild Road is an adventure story with a heart. Leo always wants to do the right thing, but hunger and exposure sometimes compel him to steal food and sneak lodging. He meets people who are kind beyond his expectations, and others who are cruel without reason. He learns that hardship is easier to face in the company of a friend, and he never gives up hope for a better future. Hinton does a nice job transferring this story from family lore to a tale that will resonate with teen boys and girls.

Publisher Sourcebooks provided me with a copy of this book to review.

Children’s author Ralph Fletcher seemed to live an ideal life for a child. The oldest of a large clan in the small town of Marshfield, Massachusetts, Fletcher had nearby woods to roam in, numerous bothers and neighbors to recruit for games, and parents who loved him. Fletcher recounts stories from his young days in Marshfield Dreams: When I Was a Kid.

Like Fletcher’s other books, this memoir is written for young readers aged 9 to 12. But moms and dads (and younger kids too) will be equally charmed and drawn in by accounts of mud puppies, raising chickens, new babies arriving almost every year, and bouts of chicken pox and mumps. As I read I found myself wanting to visit Fletcher’s home on Acorn St. myself and explore all the areas he talked about. Reading Marshfield Dreams with your child could bring up stories to share from your own childhood. Kids of today are likely to marvel at the relative freedom children had growing up in the ‘60s and the amount of time many of them spent outdoors.

The chapters are short and accessible. It’s also fun to look at the family photos that appear at the start of each chapter. Fletcher’s family moved away from Marshfield to Chicago when he was 13. This tribute to his boyhood home shows how much his life on Acorn St. continues to live on in his memory.

Julian’s always been closer to his mother than his father. So when she leaves their home in North Carolina to manage a hotel in Florida for her parents, he knows there’s more to the story. Stuck at home until summer so he can finish 10^th grade, Julian slowly starts to spend more time with his dad. As he gets to know his dad, he also forges a bond with the elderly woman next door, and a young cashier at the grocery store. With his world expanding, Julian begins to find what’s most important to him, and he learns more about his parents and their relationship along the way.

Heart with Joy by Steve Cushman is an unexpected look at the life of a teenage boy. Julian doesn’t have a lot of friends to confide in, and he can’t escape into electronic games, because he doesn’t have any. He likes to cook, but he’s afraid to tell anyone, because he believes they may be critical of his work in the kitchen.

Without his mother to confide in, Julian slowly opens up to possibilities around him. From his elderly neighbor, Mrs. Peters, he learns to notice and appreciate the birds in his backyard. From Tia, the cashier, he learns that it’s okay to let other people know what you’re really like.

Above all, Julian has to find out who he is separate from either of his parents. His journey to self-awareness unfolds gently, and it provides many things to discuss for members of mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 12 to 16. I recommend it.

David MacAvoy—Mack for short—is an unlikely hero. He’s 12, picked on by bullies, and he has a phobia of nearly everything. Unexpectedly he finds himself under the protection of the school’s biggest bully and getting messages from strange old men who can stop time. Then he learns that he’s one of a group of 12 kids who are the only ones who can save the world from an evil queen who’s been imprisoned for thousands of years. It’s too much for Mack to believe, until many unbelievable things start to happen around him.

The Magnificent 12: The Call is the first in a new series for young readers by Michael Grant. Mack is an ordinary kid—just the sort of hero to appeal to both boys and girls aged 9 to 12. The book is funny, and it takes lots of jabs at modern society. For instance, Mack’s middle school (Richard Gere) offers advanced placement yoga and noncompetitive bowling among its electives. Bullies in his school are assigned to specific populations, so there are bullies for nerds, jocks, fashionistas and other clique groups.

An ancient language, a bit of magic and a touch of world travel all come into play as Mack goes about finding the next member of The Magnificent Twelve. I expect his journey will be fun to follow as it unfolds.

Lots of kids love gross stuff. They may learn to be polite and hide their fascination with body fluids, creepy bugs and germ-ridden places, but that doesn’t mean they’re less drawn to reading about them. Which is why lots of kids will also love the latest addition to The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook series—Gross Junior Edition.

Before I even picked this book up to read my daughter was already quoting tidbits she had gleaned from its pages, like the types of burps listed in the Burp Classification System and advice on removing a tick.

The gross scenarios to survive are divided into four chapters that cover situations with the human body, at home, at school and in the wild kingdom. Parents may even want to refer to this handy little guide when they have to deal with gross things like getting rid of lice and dealing with an infestation of flies.

Fast facts like this one are scattered throughout: “While most bacteria and viruses need moisture to survive, some germs can live in a piece of ABC gum for up to a year.” With recipes at the back for fake blood, vomit, poop and snot, this handbook may even inspire kids to head to the kitchen for a little experimental cooking.

Profiles of authors David Borgenicht, Nathaniel Marunas, and Robin Epstein, and illustrator Chuck Gonzales are listed in the back alongside bios of the scientists and experts consulted to compile the material. This book is a sure-fire winner with any kid or adult fascinated by the gross stuff all around—that means most of us.

After our mother-daughter book club read Going Solo by Roald Dahl, my daughter, Madeleine wrote this review.

Going Solo is a memoir that picks up where Boy left off. It follows Roald Dahl’s adventures in Africa and around the Mediterranean just before and during World War II. From encounters with deadly snakes, lions, and German fighter pilots, this book is filled with adventure and history, and it’s one of my favorite books that our group has read. – Madeleine H., Portland, Oregon