Star Splitter by Matthew Kirby

The year is 2198 and Jessica Mathers is teleporting to meet her scientist parents on their exploratory mission to Carver 1061c. Teleportation is an expected and safe form of travel, but when Jessica arrives, things seem to have gone very wrong. Instead of waking up in a spaceship orbiting above the planet, Jessica is on a lander that appears to have crashed. The crew members are gone and outside the ship are graves marked with the names of strangers.

In Star Splitter, Kirby combines mystery, thriller, time travel, and survival story all into one. The story is short and fast paced. I’m not usually a science fiction lover, but I was intrigued and enjoyed the mystery aspect woven into a new and unexpected setting. Along with an exciting story, Jess’s situation also delves into ethical questions and other deep plot points. A good read for a variety of readers, but the twisty plot does require concentration.

Recommended ages–12 and up

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys

Cristian Florescu is a seventeen-year-old living in communist Romania. When he is caught with foreign currency, Cristian is pressured to spy on the American diplomat’s son he knows. Cristian dreams of being a writer, able to write whatever he thinks, but in his world anyone could be an informer, including himself.

I Must Betray You is a heart breaking window into communist Romania on the eve of its collapse. Cristian’s experience is fascinating and opened my eyes to a period of history I knew little about. This is a powerful and well researched book with a difficult but important story to share.

Recommended ages–13 and up

Dead Wednesday by Jerry Spinelli

Worm Tarnauer likes being invisible. He floats through eighth grade letting his best friend Eddie take the lead on everything. And for someone who likes being invisible, Dead Wednesday is going to be the best. On this day, each eighth grader is given a name of a teenager who died in the past year. The 8th graders all wear black shirts and everyone pretends they don’t exist (teachers and townspeople alike) while they are supposed to contemplate their own mortality. But everyone knows it’s just a day to goof off and Worm is delighted.

However, Worm’s experience doesn’t go the way he expects. Becca Finch, the person he is assigned, actually shows up, but only Worm can see her. Not only that, Becca is talking to Worm and ordering him around. Their day together will change them both in ways they never suspected. As usual, Jerry Spinelli tells an excellent story filled with memorable characters. Dead Wednesday is a great read for middle grades and would make an excellent class read aloud. It is a fun audiobook as well.

Recommended ages–10 and up