Jolted: Newton Starker's Rules for Survival - by Arthur Slade

Stories about people being plagued with lightning fascinate me. This was a fun story about a kid named Newton Starker whose family seems to be cursed with lightning. On Newton's mother's side of the family, everyone except his mean grandmother has been killed by lightning. This means Newton is always taking precautions by staying indoors and checking the weather, and checking the weather again.

One a particularly unpleasant trip to visit his grandmother once, Newton's family discovers Jerry Potts Academy for Survival, a boarding school whose entire campus is made of safe, sturdy stone. Newton immediately this safehouse is the school he wants to attend. After his mother's passing, he begins school at this strange new place, where all the classes have an added focus on survival, in addition to the fact that they wear kilts and eat haggis.

Newton has always been homeschooled, and so is excited for the chance to learn how to survive, learn more about cooking, make some friends and shine as #1 in the class. On his first day there he does make a friend, Jacob, but also makes an enemy in Violet, who embarasses Newton by knocking off his kilt in front of everyone.

I have to admit I wasn't sure I liked Newton in the beginning, though I was intrigued by his circumstances. He has a high opinion of himself and feels destined for glory, as long as he can keep from being struck by lightning. But as the story moves on, I liked Newton more and more. He develops his friendships with Jacob and Violet, and acquires a truffle finding pig named Josephine. Through some trials in the end, Newton learns some things and comes out of it all a better person.

It was a light, quick read, and I recommend for anyone looking for a nice little jolt.

Stolen - by Vivian Vande Velde

As with most of Vande Velde's books I've read so far, this was a fun, quick read with a neat little twist at the end.

The same day that the local witch has had her cottage burned down for stealing another child, twelve-year-old Isabelle (is that really her name?) wakes up running through the forest and quickly finds herself chased up a tree by dogs. She doesn't remember anything before the running. Not her name, her family, where she's from, or why she was running. She is taken in by a kind family in the village of Thornstowe to help her recover, but is soon claimed by villagers Mady and Frayne as their daughter Isabelle, who was supposedly stolen by the local witch when she was six. Isabelle is not convinced, and neither is her supposed sister, Honey, who thinks Isabelle was sent by the witch to torment them. Will Isabelle ever remember who she truly is? Will she ever feel like she belongs again? Will she ever find out what happened to her?

Isabelle is an honest, likeable character who, while really wanting to belong and know who she is, is not ready to jump to any conclusions. While she doesn't like Honey, she doesn't disagree with her about the uncertainty of her origins.

As the events unfold and the truth starts to slowly seep in, both Isabelle and the reader feel the dread and anxiety building about how it will end. But it does end, and all wraps up well, and we know who Isabelle is and where she came from, and what happened to the stolen children.

I figured out who Isabelle was early on. But whether you figure it out or not, it is still a delicious little twist on the typical witch fairy tale. I highly recommend it!