Kieran Crowley (1949–2016)

Literary Merit: Great
Characterization: Good
Recommended: Yes
Level: Grades 6-8

The Misfits Club is a group of kids who work to solve mysteries in their infamously boring town. Truthfully, they haven't had a mystery to solve in a couple of years. A new kid moves to town and decides to join the Club, and as she is going through initiation, the group discovers stolen goods in an abandoned cottage in the woods. The Misfits Club immediately begins working on solving this newfound mystery and must overcome overbearing and unbelieving adults to do so.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters each are clearly defined and have significant and balanced back stories. There text includes journal entries and newspaper articles for variety. This is a fun and entertaining read. Recommended.… (meer)

This book is about Noah, nicknamed "The Mighty Dynamo", who wants to be a professional soccer player when his dad moves to Australia and hopes the money he makes can bring him back. The upcoming Schools' World Cup gives him the opportunity to be noticed. However, he gets blamed for something he doesn't do and is kicked off the school's soccer team. Noah won't let that stop him and goes all in on trying to get back into the competition. One thing I liked about this book is that it is set in Ireland, so it helps provide a window into Irish culture. I also thought it was a fun book to read. I would use this book in an Ireland themed lesson or on a lesson about never giving up. However, I think this book is a bit difficult for elementary school students and recommend it for middle school students.… (meer)