Lost in the Secrets of Bearhaven by K.E. Rocha was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon!
Spencer Plain always believed his parents were bear activists, but what he didn't know was that they dedicated their lives to creating a secret bear city-Bearhaven. In this hidden world, bears live like humans. They speak, go to school, play video games, and even have their own underground train. When Spencer's parents go missing, he must work with the bears to try to find their captors.
This is a terrific story that works for both younger and older readers. The world of Bearhaven is definitely fantasy, but it's explained in a way that makes it seem entirely possible. I like that it educates readers about animal cruelty (the reason Bearhaven came to exist in the first place) without being scary. The details of this secret city help bring it to life. Great debut novel from this author with the squeal expected this summer. Perfect for 8 years old and up!
When I first started Once Was a Time by Leila Sales, I assumed it was going to be completely set in WWII Germany. Charlotte's father is a scientist working for the London government on a top secret project. After a few pages, I settled in for a nice historical fiction book (I obviously didn't read the book jacket) when WHAMMO- I was pleasantly surprised to read that Charlotte travels through time to the year 2013. Unfortunately for Lottie, she is alone and left to speculate about what has happened to her family and best friend Kitty back in war torn London. As Lottie tries to find her answers, she discovers that life isn't actually all that different in the future. There are still mean girls and tough pre-teen choices to make.
I think this book is adorable. Lottie and Kitty's friendship is a wonderful testament to what true friendship should look like. Also Lottie's attempts to fit in 70 years into the future are really cute. Of course my favorite part is Lottie's passion for books and the library. She continues to be a voracious reader in a world of iPhones and internet, and it's her love of books that leads her to the answers she is searching for throughout the book.
My only criticism is that the end wrapped up a little too neatly (and a bit far fetched). I had to question the actual science, but I can overlook that because it was a satisfying conclusion.
I'm guessing this book is going to be one of the most popular this year!
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