Review: Extra Normal

By Kate Alice Marshall

New York: Viking, 2023. Fiction. 232 pages.

Charlie is completely normal in a family of extraordinary individuals. Her parents both work for the Division of Extranormal Investigations, her mother has unrivaled psychic powers, and her adopted siblings include a werewolf, a ghost, and a telekinetic boy. Sometimes though, this makes Charlie feel like she has to work harder to keep the household running to be valuable to her family. When something about their new neighbors seems suspicious, Charlie refuses to ask her parents for help and disrupt their much-neeeded vacation, instead deciding to get to the bottom of things on her own.

Though Charlie worries that she is not special enough to fit in with her family, her siblings never miss a moment to show how much they care about her. Her three siblings band together to support Charlie, each using their unique skills to help in her investigations. This thriller also includes some genuinely heart-racing moments for Charlie and her siblings. A perfect spooky read about family bonds and recognizing what makes you unique.

Comments

Five Faves: WWII Spies and Codebreakers

I can't help but assume I'm not the only kid who grew up playing spies. As a child, my imaginative playtime was filled with covert espionage largely derived from the Spy Kids movies. As an adult, my interest in spycraft has never wavered. In fact, the older I get, the more I am intrigued by spies, ciphers, and codes. Combine that with a love of rich historical settings and untold stories of people from history, there are few things I find as satisfying as a historical spy story. If you're anything like me, you'll love this list of stories -- real and fictional -- starring spies, codebreakers, and cryptanalysts. Max in the House of Spies By Adam Gidwitz New York: Dutton Children's Books, 2024. Fiction. 320 pages. After Kristallnacht, Max Bretzfeld's German Jewish parents decide to send him to England via the Kindertransport. Now accompanied by two invisible-to-all-but-him spirts -- a dybbuk and a kobold -- Max is desperate to return home to Berlin. As Max adjusts

Five Faves: Mysterious High-Low Intermediate Books

Intermediate Mystery books are a gold mine. High-low books refer to titles that are of high interest to readers, but contain low level vocabulary. These titles are clever, action-packed, and have several books in the series to keep the mystery alive. These intermediate mystery books are the first in their series and are sure to appease any mystery loving reader. The Ghost Tree Written by Natasha Deen Illustrated by Lissy Marlin New York: Random House Children's Books, 2022. Intermediate. 95 pages. With a dash of paranormal mixed with mystery, this book introduces Asim, a Guyanese American fourth grader who moves to a new town. After a visit to a graveyard, an evil spirit is unleashed. Asim works with new friends, Rokshar and Max, to save their town. With scarily cool illustrations to accompany this text, this book is great for any amateur sleuths who love a touch of creepy. Detective Duck: The Case of the Strange Splash Written by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver Illustrated by Dan San

Display: Dino-mite Reads

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs By Mo Willems New York: Balzar + Bray, 2012. Picture Book. "Once upon a time, there were three hungry Dinosaurs: Papa Dinosaur, Mama Dinosaur . . . and a Dinosaur who happened to be visiting from Norway. One day--for no particular reason--they decided to tidy up their house, make the beds, and prepare pudding of varying temperatures. And then--for no particular reason--they decided to go . . . someplace else. They were definitely not setting a trap for some succulent, unsupervised little girl. Definitely not!" --Editor Smart Vs. Strong! Written by Jill Esbaum Illustrated by Miles Thompson New York: Simon Spotlight, 2021. Easy Reader. 64 pages. "When Thunder gets stuck in quicksand, Cluck uses his smarts to free his friend." --Editor How Dinosaurs Went Extinct Written by Ame Dyckman Illustrated by Jennifer Harney New York: Brown and Company, 2023. Picture Book. "When a child in a museum asks how dinosaurs became extinct, Dad co

Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Search This Blog