The Last Words of Will Wolfkin by Steven Knight

This novel tells the story of a boy named Toby, who is born completely paralyzed.  He’s raised in a Carmelite convent and lives his days imagining adventures on the moon with his cat Shipley.  One night, Shipley turns into a person (of the Fel race) and informs Toby he’s heir to the Fel throne.  Suddenly Toby can walk and speak, and that’s only the very start of his adventures.

From the very beginning, the story captures the imagination and sympathies of the reader.  Toby is a great character, and I wanted him to succeed every moment of the book.  This book would be a great read for anyone in fifth and sixth grade who enjoys fantasy and adventure.  With a great cast of characters, this is one book you shouldn’t hesitate to ask a librarian for!

Orvis by H. M. Hoover

Orvis is the futuristic story about a robot who is ordered to walk to a landfill and shut itself down.  On the way, he meets two kids, who spark the beginning of his quest to discover himself and become independent of humans.

I enjoyed the story a lot–the main characters find themselves on a big adventure that kept me entertained and turning each page.  The story explores various topics such as what makes a family and what it means to be alive.  My only complaint is that the entire book seemed to be focused on how humans are ruining the environment.  At times, the text was almost pedantic and heavy with warnings about pollution and the dangers of cosmetic surgery.  Because this is a children’s book, I found this aspect annoying and it often pulled me out of the story.

Besides the heavy warnings and predictions for our lonely future, Orvis is a great sci-fi novel for children in grades four through six.

The Crimson Cap by Ellen Howard

When eleven-year-old Pierre Talon sets out in 1684 on what became the last, ill-fated expedition of the great French explorer La Salle, he hopes to find help for his family, who are struggling in a settlement being decimated by hunger, illness, and Indian attacks. But the expedition to relocate the Mississippi River unravels when La Salle and his closest aides are murdered. Very exciting and fast-paced tale for grades 5 and 6.