ATHLETE VS. MATHLETE - TIME-OUT by W. C. Mack

Owen would rather go to basketball camp than go on the annual family Spring Break trip, even if he has to manipulate his family to get what he wants. Since his twin, Russell, bombed at his Masters of the Mind competition (and even threw up on the competition), he's withdrawn from everything. Owen convinces his folks that camp will help Russ bounce back. But there's only one spot left for the basketball camp... Surely Russ won't care if he goes to a multi-sport camp instead so Owen can go the camp he wants. Everybody wins, right?

This series, told from the perspective of both twins, is great for exploring themes like teamwork, friendship, and family. The first two books focused a lot on issues of identity, too. This book adds the theme of responding to failure. The book really clicked for me when Russ says, "No, this camp was going to be a series of failures, one after another." After his huge failure, this camp is going to force him to face that experience and decide what he's going to do about it. This could be a great classroom read-aloud with opportunities to talk about perseverance and responding to failure as well as talking about the differences between the two main characters.

Owen is a self-centered jerk for blocks of this story. When he starts to get some personal insight, it doesn't last long. He has to keep learning his lessons over and over. Russell is a more likeable character and is a great balance to Owen. Both boys get to learn a lot in this book and watching that evolution is a lot of fun.

5 out of 5 stars.
No AR level at the time of this writing.

ONCE UPON A MIDNIGHT EERIE by Gordon McAlpine

Edgar and Allan are on a movie set to star in a show about their ancestor, Edgar Alan Poe. While there, they meet Em and Milly Dickinson, descendants of Emily Dickinson. Together the two sets of twins go on a midnight cemetery tour and search for lost treasure and try to solve a centuries-old murder. But that's nothing compared to the people hunting down Edgar and Allan in order to kill them once and for all.

Another enjoyable book about these fascinating twins! I loved the addition of the twin girls to the story; they were a great complement to the boys. Ghost story is mild; mystery was satisfying. There was less in this book about the over-arching story of threats to the boys, with more focus on the immediate mystery. The contacts from the afterlife continue in this volume, which are amusing. My son introduced me to this series, and I am happy to continue it on my own!

4 out of 5 stars
This book just released this month so there is no AR reading level at the time of this writing.

* I received an electronic review copy of this book from the publisher for free in the hope that I would review it honestly on my blog. Regardless, I only review books I enjoy. I don’t believe in passing on negative reviews. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. 

THE TELL-TALE START by Gordon McAlpine

Edgar and Allan Poe are identical twins who are exceptional - exceptionally clever and exceptionally connected, even moreso than most twins. They are also descendants of the famous writer, Edgar Alan Poe. When their cat goes missing, the boys and the aunt and uncle who have raised them will travel across the country to retrieve the cat, not knowing they are heading right for a trap.

This was a lot of fun. The characters were really interesting, especially the twins. There's a lot of teaser info sprinkled throughout the story, giving readers information the boys don't have. There are also notes from the original Edgar Alan Poe from the afterlife as he tries to help the boys which adds a quirky tone to the story. This story felt a lot like the Genius Files to me as the family was traveling across the country without really knowing what they were getting into. Fans of that series might enjoy this series. There are plenty of references to the works of the original Poe which may lead readers to checking out Poe's works.

4 out of 5 stars
AR reading level of 5.8

ATHLETE VS. MATHLETE: DOUBLE DRIBBLE by W. C. Mack

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher at ALA this summer.

The twins - athlete Owen and mathlete Russell - are back. They're still both playing basketball, but there's a new set of twins on the team - Marcus and Mitch. They are identical, brilliant, and basketball superstars. Where do Owen and Russell fit if they aren't "the twins" anymore - and if they're riding the bench?

I reviewed the first book in this series this summer - I loved it! And I enjoyed this one as much as the first. The contrast between Owen and Russell makes for great storytelling as each takes a turn at the job. Owen's jealousy of the new twins felt authentic, but it didn't make him very like-able. Russell is a good contrast there, again, as he set aside his feelings to really look at Marcus and Mitch as individuals. This is a great story about family, team and identity. I can't wait to share it with students!

4 out of 5 stars.
No AR rating as this book doesn't release until November 5.

CHAPTER BOOK: Athlete vs. Mathlete by W. C. Mack

Owen is the basketball star. He played on the 6th grade team and should be a shoe-in for the 7th grade team - except they have a new coach who wants everyone to try out again! How absurd! And, as if that isn't bad enough, the coach sees Russell in the hallway and says he has to try out, too. Who's Russell? Owen's genius twin brother. Sure, Russell is tall (They are fraternal twins), but he has NO basketball skills. He's going to be a laughingstock - and Owen is sure he will be too, by association. But Russell turns out to have a jump shot and a real role on the team. If Owen isn't the only athlete in the family any more, who is he?

Russell has no interest in being on the basketball team. He has his Masters of the Mind team to lead and competition to prepare for. But when he sees some success on the court - and his dad starts paying more attention to him - Russell starts to wonder if he can have it all, sports and school. But basketball is enough of a distraction to give someone else a foothold in the Masters of the Mind. Russell has to decide who he wants to be.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I picked it up to scan it to see if it would be appropriate to give away to students and I was completely drawn in to the story and decided to read it cover to cover that day. It's a great story about identity as both boys, very different in temperament and interests, have to decide who they are and who they want to be. Interesting family dynamics are described but aren't the focus on the story. I'm looking forward to sharing this with my son as well as with students at school. A sequel releases in November.

Four out of five stars
AR reading level of 3.9

Recommended for: fans of sports stories and school stories, mid- to upper-elementary students, classroom reading. The "lower" reading level could make this a good match for reluctant readers or students reading a grade or so below grade level but it still looks appropriate for tweens.