Finch House by Ciera Burch

 

Finch House by Ciera Burch is a spooky read that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is one of the 2025 RICBA nominees. Much of the action in the book takes place inside of Finch house, which was an abandoned run down house in the neighborhood. It has the reputation of children going inside and never coming out again. When new owners move in and fix up the house, Micah who lives nearby is curious about the house that her grandfather has warned her to stay away from. Then, Micah's grandfather goes missing. Micah must find him, but it is going to involve going inside Finch house!

Wow, this book is a page turner. Fast action and spooky details will definitely grab the reader. There is also an underlying theme that emerges as Micah deals with anxiety about her move to a new home, and her nervousness about leaving her grandfather behind. I believe 5th graders will love getting caught up in this ghost story.

Reviewed by Mrs. Castro

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins is book one of The Underland Chronicles. Suzanne Collins is the author of the Hunger Games series.  I really enjoyed this adventurous fantasy story.  Gregor and his funny little sister, Boots, fall through a grate in the laundry room of their apartment building in New York city and enter into a world that exists beneath the Earth's crust. There, in the Underland, they are met by huge cockroaches and enormous bats, strange pale people and their deadly enemies, the rats. How will Gregor get back home to his mother? She is surely frantic about his disappearance, especially after dealing with the disappearance of her husband, who has been missing for the past two years.

Suzanne Collins once again wrote an exciting story. Read it, then look for the rest of the series coming to our library shelves soon!

Reviewed by Mrs. Castro