When they ruin any chance of career advancement in the state of Illinois by having a scandalous affair, college history professor Frank Nichols and teacher Dora Chambers retreat to the countryside. Frank has inherited a home in a small Georgia town called Whitbrow and, while it's a little isolated and creepy, living out in the boonies definitely beats bunking at Frank's brother's apartment. Even though his aunt urges Frank not to move in, to sell the place immediately, Frank dismisses her warnings as the ravings of a senile old woman. He wants to write a history of his family's plantation, which he knows was nearby. What better way to immerse himself in the project than to live on site? Besides, it's not like he and Dora have many other prospects.

(Readalikes: Hm, I don't know. Nothing's really coming to mind. Any ideas?)

Grade: C

If this were a movie, it would be rated: R for strong language, sexual content and intense situations

To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of Bleed from the generous folks at Hyperion Teen. Thank you!

Little Elm Hills, New Jersey, isn't where Chet Roscow wants to spend his summer, but he has to admit the place isn't all that bad. The 10-year-old likes living with his kind uncle Jerry, enjoys helping the older man out at the diner, and is especially excited about swimming in the cool, refreshing Matawan Creek with his new friends, Dewey, Sid and Monty. It's a good place, really, for Chet to hang out while his parents chase another one of their crazy, get-rich-quick ideas.

I Survived: The Shark Attacks of 1916 is another installment in Lauren Tarshis' educational, but entertaining series about kids grappling for survival during famous disasters like the sinking of the Titanic, Hurricane Katrina, etc. Based on real events, this book recalls what happened in July of 1916, when a shark (or sharks) killed four people along the shores of New Jersey. One of the attacks really did happen at Matawan Creek, which lies 16 miles inland. While Chet Roscow is a fictional character, he helps readers feel the fear and disbelief that must have come over people when they heard news of these horrifying events. Because it's written for middle graders, the book never gets too graphic - it keeps the action going without worrying too much about character development, gripping dialogue or gory details. Still, the story's engrossing. Middle graders, I'm sure, will find it both interesting and exciting. As did I.

Of all the crazy ideas his mother's had during her "spinning" times, 11-year-old Jack Martel likes this one best of all. Not only does he get to spend the last weekend before school starts camping in Acadia National Park with his mom, but he also gets to take an elephant ride at the famous York's Wild Kingdom on the way home to Boston. For a pachiderm-lover like Jack, it sounds like the perfect vacation. And it is. Until the second day, when Jack crawls out of his tent to find his mother gone, along with the small tent she was sleeping in and the rental car they drove to Maine. Any other kid would freak. Not Jack. He's not like other kids. And his mom? She's definitely not like other moms.