T.A. Barron. The Lost Years of Merlin.
If you are looking for a book that is exciting and has lots of magic and mystery
you should read this book. This book is about a young boy who doesnít remember anything
and is destined to be the greatest wizard ever- Merlin. In this book he sets out
to find his forgotten past and free Fineraca from the evil that has fallen upon it
with the help of friends. As he is on his quest he finds out more about himself and
his past along with his powers. Tyler B. - 2004
Ann Brashares. The Second Summer of the Sisterhood is the sequel
to The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. The four girls try to stay connected
for the second summer by trading off a certain pair of jeans. However, these jeans
are magical. They fit all four girls, despite the girlsí different body builds. If
you want to know how the summer turns out for these girls, read this book.
Kate K. - 2004
Charlotte Brontë. Jane Eyre. At first, Jane Eyre is an unloved
orphan who lives with the family of her uncle. But then Jane becomes a governess
at the strange house of Mr. Rochester. Itís not an easy job. Mr. Rochester is a temperamental
man, and Jane hears strange noises coming from the attic. In time, however, she sees
the good qualities of Mr. Rochester, and he becomes more to her than just an employer.
Read Jane Eyre for a great story of romance and innocence that is an immortal
classic. Caroline K. - 2005
Dan Brown. The Da Vinci Code. In this book Robert Langdon gets
pulled into a fast paced mystery. It starts when he gets an urgent phone call in
the middle of the night. The curator of the Louvre has been murdered. He's left behind
clues to solving his murder and with clues leading to ancient secret society and
something that has been searched for for ages to no avail. Miriam A, Emma W. &
Emily M. 2007
Meg Cabot. All American Girl. Samantha Madison is a girl who has a really
popular sister but she is an outcast. She is an artist. Her parents sign her up for
art lessons, and her whole life changes. She is set apart from everyone else once
again during the first art class, so she skips the next one. That sets her up to
save the presidents life and she becomes famous. To top it all off the president's
son just might be in love with her. Caitlin M. - 2007
Meg Cabot- Avalon High is a book about Ellie who is a teenage girl
who must try to figure out if the teenage boy that she likes is the reincarnated
king William. Ellie doesn't think so but the clues are really making her change her
mind. The clues are really good and actually make you think that he is the king.
Find out what happens in the end and what might happen to Ellie and her teenage boy
Will. Lindsay G. -2007
Orson Scott Card. Ender's Game is a science fiction book about a boy,
Andrew Wiggin, whose nickname is "Ender", with extraordinary intelligence
for his age. When the International Fleet tries to find a new commander to fend off
a possible second invasion by the Buggers, a sentient alien species, Ender, at the
age of six, enters Battle School along with many other brilliant potential commanders
to be trained for command. He encounters few friends and many enemies there, while
moving up through the ranks. It all comes down to the final war with the Buggers.
If you like action, futuristic ideas, and many interwoven subplots, you'll love this
book. Bei D. and Trey R. - 2007
Michael Chabon. Summerland. If you travel to Clam Island, you will
soon realize that thereís a special corner of the island called Summerland. In Summerland,
the weather is always perfect when the local Little League team plays baseball. This
weather is caused by the small creatures called ferishers. The fate of Summerland,
the ferishers, and indeed the entire world, however, is threatened by the ancient
trickster Coyote. The ferishers need a hero, and that hero turns out to be Ethan
Feld. Ethan really hates baseball, and that turns out to be a problem, because heís
about to embark on an adventure involving Sasquatches, giants, learning about his
own inner strength, and a whole lot of baseball. This book is a magical story that
will leave you searching for your own Summerland. Caroline K. - 2005
Gennifer Choldenko. Al Capone Does My Shirts.
When Moose and his family move to Alcatraz, his life changes drastically. He has
to leave all his friends behind, and his dad doesnít even have time to play ball
with him anymore. And itís all so his autistic sister can get into a special school
for kids with her disability. But when she doesnít make it in, everything seems to
fall apart. As if that isnít enough, he lives on an island with some of the worldís
most dangerous criminals! All he wants to do is help and protect his sister, live
up to his parentsí high expectations, and most of all, stay out of trouble. But with
the wardenís cute, annoying, nosy daughter around, it seems rather unlikely. In this
entertaining but truthful novel, you learn about the sad and frustrating illness
autism, while laughing out loud at Gennifer Choldenkoís witty writing. This is a
fantastic summer must read! Emily B. - 2005
Eoin Colfer. Artemis Fowl and The Opal Deception is a thrilling
story about a brilliant boy named Artemis who has discovered the hidden life of fairies
underground. This boy is a major criminal mastermind at age 12 who is insanely rich
and has the best bodyguard in the world. Unfortunately, he is torn between abandoning
his criminal life and becoming a normal teenager or having the pleasure of perfectly
executing a plan. The fairies, on the other hand, are three times as smart as humans
and have far more technology. However, they face a problem: their most dangerous
criminal has escaped from a coma and has plotted and commenced a plan that threatens
to wipe out the fairies and expose them to humans. A great book to read over the
summer. Jack B. - 2005
Eoin Colfer. The Supernaturalists is a thrilling, futuristic tale
in which a young boy, escaped from an orphanage, joins a group of teens and young
adults who are chasing down supernatural parasites. These parasites are sucking the
life out of wounded and injured people. It is Eoin Colferís latest book, and it is
every bit as good as Artemis Fowl and The Wish List. It keeps twisting
and turning until the very end. As you read, make sure you know who are your enemies
and who are your friends. If youíre looking for an explosive, action packed book
this summer, look no further. Zach S. - 2004
Caroline B. Cooney. Whatever Happened to Janie? is a novel of a girl who
suddenly finds that her family isnít hers. Janieís real family has been looking for
her since she was three years old after she was kidnapped at a mall. Janie goes to
live with her birth family trying to make the transition from being an only child
in a rich family to a child of five in a cramped, small house with one bathroom.
What happens when she finds she could never love her birth family? Who is she really,
Jennie or Janie? Read this heart wrenching story to find the answers. Johanna
B. - 2005
Nancy Farmer. The House of Scorpion. The house
of Scorpion is about a young clone named Matt. Clones are considered dirty and inhuman,
and are used for organ transplants for the ruling Drug Lords. When a clone is born,
by law it is required to have its brain stunted. Matt's genetic father, El Patron,
is the most powerful Opium Drug Lord in Mexico, so he broke the law to get to know
his clones. Matt is the next in line to rule and El Patron is very old. Matt
must escape El patron's organ needs and overthrow him. Connor S., Pedro
C. & Parker M. - 2007
John Feinstein. Vanishing Act. If you like books that have sports in
them and are also fiction, you will want to read John Feinstein's books. Vanishing
Act is the Sequel to Last Shot. Vanishing Act is about two thirteen year
old sports writers who go to watch the US Open where a famous tennis is kidnapped.
The story is about these two kids who try to uncover who kidnapped her and why. -Dylan
N., Nick C., Tessa H. -2007
Cornelia Funke. Inkheart. Meggie's father is only a bookbinder,
so she can't understand why when a stranger shows up in the middle of the night her
father invites him in as if he knows him as a friend. In the morning, Meggie finds
out that she and her father have to move. When she moves, though, she finds out that
everything is not as she suspected, and she finds herself in the middle of an adventure
full of magic, books, and danger. It is very scary, exciting, and full of adventures.
Lupi L., Sonya G., Michaela H., and Rachel M. - 2007
Lisi Harrison. It's Not Easy Being Mean. This is the seventh amazing
Clique book. What happens when you receive a key from the most popular eight grader
hinting you on how to get the key to the secret room that only popular either graders
can go to? But the only thing stopping Massie Block (the most popular seventh grader,
with designer clothes, best friends, new boyfriend, Derrington, and huge house) from
getting the key is that there are LBR's (losers beyond repair) who are also looking
for it. In a fast-paced, competitive fight to be number one, Massie and the PC (pretty
committee) come up with a scheme to solve the problem. But will she have what it
takes to win? Kate D'Orsi, Annafaye Dunbar, Ella K. - 2007
Shannon Hale. The Goose Girl. Suddenly Ani heard a fierce clank
of swords and many screams in the air. Her first instinct was to run back as fast
as she could to help out and see what was going on. Then it struck her. It had happened.
Syria, her lady in waiting, was taking over, trying to take her position as crown
princess. I have to run to save myself, she thought, All the guards want
to kill me! She nearly screamed at the thought but covered her mouth instead.
She ran to her horse and began to gallop away, This is a fabulous fairy tale that
everyone should read. It the story of a de-crowned princess who needs to find herself
to win back her crown. Rebecca W. - 2004
Karen Hesse. Out of the Dust is a book written in the form of poetry.
Itís about a young girl living in Oklahoma during the 1930ís. When drought strikes,
ruining her fatherís crops, the rest of her life starts to go downhill, too. If you
want to find out if this girlís life turns around, read this book. Kate K. - 2004
Carl Hiaasen. Hoot is a great movie for little kids to see and
the book is an easy read. This book is about owls that have burrowed in the ground.
The owls are in danger because the construction workers are saying the den is abandoned
but really it's not. The main character, Roy, and his friends are trying to save
the owls. They pull some crazy stunts on the workers and the cops. Allison M.
2007
Anthony Horowitz: Stormbreaker and the other Alex Rider books are
about a reluctant 14-year-old spy. In Stormbreaker MI6 ñ the English equivalent
of the CIA ñ suspects a man who is giving a new computer called the Stormbreaker
to every school in England. It just seems like too much of a generous act. Too good
to be true. So, they enlist Alex Rider to investigate. If he finds anything, will
he live to tel about it? Read the book, and the series to find out. Kate G. ñ
2007
Khaled Hosseini. The Kite Runner follows a boy named Amir
in his boyhood and through to adulthood. He deals with issues such as rape, suicide
and various other issues dealing with his religion and life in Afghanistan. This
book is a harder read and is for a more mature reader. His childhood friend Hassan
is there with him throughout the book and the main story is about how friendship
prevails all else. Lottie B. & Nico G-H. - 2007
Allen Iverson. Only the Strong Survive, A
young ADHD basketball all-star in the hood who sleeps where he wants and goes to
school when he wants gets caught with drugs right before college. The judge has Allen
Iversonís life in his hands. Will Allen Iverson go to jail and lose his college opportunity
or will he light up the score board at George Town University? This book is all about
Iversonís path to the NBA. I recommend this book to any basketball fanatic. Micki
S. - 2005
Jon Krakauer, Into Thin Air. This book is a suspenseful book about
the dangers of climbing Mt. Everest. Krakauer travels to Nepal where he becomes acquainted
with some of the best known-climbers while traveling to base camp. He fights the
physical and emotional challenges while climbing Everest, which included a terrible
disaster on summit day. Krakauer's incredible tale of hardship and success grabs
the reader and takes them on the journey up Mt. Everest. Lucy S. & Erin D. -
2007
David Lubar. Hidden Talents. Martin is a 13 year old kid who has been
expelled from three schools and is sent to an alternative school in Edgerview. He
meets a very strange group of kids all with strange talents. It's up to him to get
his new friends to realize that they have hidden talents and at the same time, figure
out his own. James W., Daniel A., Gabe B-T. & Curtis M. - 2007
Adeline Yen Mah. Chinese Cinderella is a heartbreaking true story
of an unwanted daughter, Adeline Yen. Unable to visit friends, eat what she wants,
or be loved by her family, her only outlet is her Aunt Baba, who is despised by Adelineís
stepmother. Adelineís aunt encourages her and acts like a mother, but when Adeline
is separated from her and put in a boarding school right in the path of the Communists
during the Cultural Revolution, she is in grave danger. What will happen to Adeline?
Will she ever win the respect of her family? Elizabeth F. - 2005
Carolyn Meyer. Doomed Queen Anne. The virtually unknown story of
Anne Boleyn, the eventually beheaded mother of Queen Elizabeth I, comes to life in
this journal-like telling of her life. Ann, born with no particular wealth, title,
or beauty, in short the ìill-favored child,î becomes one of Queen Catharineís women
and part of the royal court. Anne grows into a pretty and determined young woman,
resolute in trying to capture the heart of King Henry VIII. I really liked this book
as well as the others in the series: Beware, Princess Elizabeth and Mary,
Bloody Mary. I would recommend Doomed Queen Anne if you are REALLY interested
in history, particularly British royal history. Libby C. - 2004
Stephanie Meyer. Twilight. Bella Swan, a junior in high school,
has always lived with her mother. This year, she decides to go to Forks, a small
rainy town in Washington state to live with her father. She meets a lot of people
at her new school, many of which are all too eager to help her with anything she
wants. But four other juniors catch her attention; they don't interact with anyone
other then the members of their group. They are the adopted children of Dr. Cullen
and his wife, and through a series of events, Bella learns they have a terrible secret.
Twilight is a great romance and mystery and it's my all-time favorite book.
The sequels, New Moon and Eclipse shouldn't be missed either, but nothing can beat
Twilight. Read it! - Rachel F. 2007
Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. Three Cups of Tea. Mortenson
was trying to climb K2 and ran into trouble. His life was saved by his porter, a
local man. Mortenson noticed while staying in a rural village that all the schools
in the area admitted only boys and were run by extremists who promoted conflict and
war. He realized that the way to get peace is to build new schools that would provide
a balanced education and help people become lawyers, business owners, and other members
of an educated community. He raises money for these new schools ó especially for
girls ó in Afghanistan and Pakistan through his organization called Pennies for Peace.
Chloe B. - 2008
Han Nolan. If I Should Die Before I Wake is a very compelling story
that drags you back to a time during the Holocaust. It's about a girl named Hilary,
who is part of a neo-Nazi gang in her hometown. After a terrible motorcycle accident,
she ends up in a Jewish hospital near to death. While fighting for life in the hospital
bed, Hilary falls back into a ìdream landî where she becomes a Jewish girl named
Chana, living during the Holocaust, with Nazis ruling her life. The book contains
vivid details and descriptions of the horrible ways that women and girls were treated
at concentration camps in Germany. If I Should Die Before I Wake gives you
a really good sense of what it was like living during the Holocaust, and you won't
be able to put it down until the very last word! Katie C. - 2005
Christopher Paolini. Eragon. In a world full of magic, trickery,
and legends, a young farm-boy named Eragon finds himself in the midst of it all.
After he finds a mysterious stone in a feared mountain range, he's whisked away on
a journey he would never have thought possible with the most unlikely companions.
Taking place in the magical land of Alagaesia, this book will enchant the hearts
of many. Madison H, Eli D, Cam W - 2007
Gary Paulsen. Hatchet. This life or death book is about a boy named
Brian who gets lost in the woods after a plane crash and has to save himself. With
no food or water, will he survive? This is a great novel about a person versus nature
conflict. In this amazing book one boy connects with nature in a most astonishing
way. It is a must read over the summer. Anything could happen. Will he die? It all
happens in Hatchet! Sean G. - 2005
Gary Paulsen. Winterdance is a hilarious, sad, exciting nonfiction
book about Gary Paulsenís experience training and running in the Iditarod. It includes
his encounters with animals such as skunks and moose, near death experiences, inside
details on the race itself, and much more. Each chapter is like a little story in
itself explaining each experience in such detail. It really helps you respect sled-dog
racers and understand a whole different type of lifestyle. What happened to Paulsen
after being trampled by a moose, being sprayed by six skunks, and witnessing a murder?
Youíll just have to find out yourself. Elizabeth F. - 2005
Katherine Paterson. Bread and Roses, Too. Man, if you like historical
fiction, do I have a book for you. This is a fantastic book about two children born
into a poor Italian family, without a father. When the mother and the older sister
go on strike, the younger brother, Ricci and the middle sister, Rosa, are sent away
to a small town in Vermont, to conserve what little money they have left. A delightful
combination of rebellion, love, and regret, this book is a must-read for anyone who
wants to learn about the terrible working conditions of 1912, or wants to have an
extremely satisfied feeling of content at the end of the best 288 pages youíll ever
read. Nick B. -2007
Jodi Picoult. My Sister's Keeper is a moving book about a family and
their struggles with their daughter Kate. Kate was diagnosed with leukemia when she
was just a small girl. It was a serious diagnosis and they needed to find a donor.
Anna, Kate's sister was the only one that could supply Kate with what she would need
to survive. Many years go by with Anna unwillingly donated and going through surgeries
to keep her older sister alive. Finally Anna was fed up with all the surgeries. Her
parents refused to let her stop so she filed a lawsuit. If Anna doesn't donate to
Kate there might not be any other way to keep Kate alive. Ariel S., & Bridget
H. 2007
Philip Pullman. The Dark Materials Trilogy: The Golden Compass, The Subtle
Knife, The Amber Spyglass. Most of the time I absolutely hate fantasy books,
but I loved these. They are very fast paced and have tons of action, which makes
up for them being so long. These books take place in many different worlds which
two children travel through, and in the end determined the fate of the universe.
They can get a bit confusing so theyíre not a quick read. I know it may sound a little
corny, but theyíre really not and I would recommend them to anybody. Mac M. -
2007
Lemony Snicket. The Series of Unfortunate Events is a group of
10 books. It is about 3 orphans who lose their parents in a fire, but their parents
left behind an enormous fortune. The oldest is named Violet, and she is very good
at inventing things. The middle one is named Klaus, and he has done a lot of reading.
The youngest one is named Sunny, and she has four very large sharp teeth. The unusual
talents of the Baudelaires come in handy throughout the series. An evil man that
was their first guardian named Count Olaf is following them everywhere they go trying
to get their fortune, and the children use all of their talents to escape from him.
Matt T. - 2004
Sandy Tolan. Me and Hank , Do you think youíre a baseball fan?
Well youíre not unless you have read this incredible book about Hank Aaron and one
of his greatest fans, Sandy Tolan. Sandy Tolan kept a scrapbook about Hank and his
journey to break the Babes record 714 home runs in his career. Twenty five years
later Tolan's dream comes true, and he meets Hank Aaron. To learn more about Hank
Aaron and his struggle through racism, read this book, Me and Hank. Jones
A. - 2003
Vivian Van Velde. Heir Apparent is an amazing novel about a girl whose
life is threatened through a video game. Giannine Bellisario went on a normal trip
to the video arcade to use her birthday gift certificate. She never thought the protesters
outside could put her life in danger. As she begins an arcade game called Heir Apparent
the protesters break in and start damaging the arcade. Either she can quit immediately
and have intensive brain damage from the damage done to her game or she can beat
the game. She has one hour to do this. If she fails to win the game she must begin
again and again and again and again until she succeeds. - 2004
Jeannette Walls. The Glass Castle. It's a memoir about a
journalist who during childhood had moved with her family more than twenty times
times by the time she reached eighteen! Her parents chose not to live a regular
middle-class life, were not ingrained in society, took short-term jobs when they
worked at all, and didnít believe in medicine as well as in many other things we
consider parts of normal, middle-class life. The father is an alcoholic and
the mother isn't very good at coping with life. Somehow the kids turn out well.
Alana Bond, English teacher - 2008
Scott Westerfeld. Uglies plot is everything but unoriginal. It
takes place in the future in a world that deceptively seems perfect. Tally is dying
to turn sixteen, so she can turn pretty. In the futuristic world that Westerfeld
creates, you get an operation to turn pretty on your sixteenth birthday, and then
are able to live in New Pretty Town. However, while waiting for her birthday, Tally
meets a new friend, Shay. Shay doesn't want to turn pretty. She actually runs away.
Tally is taken to the authorities because she can help them find Shay. Tally is thrust
headfirst into an adventure to find Shay, or she will never turn pretty at all. Alice
R., & Miriam W. - 2007
T.H. White. The Once and Future King is driven by a plot thick with excitement
and tension, romance, and fury. It is a wonderful book but not for all ages, since
it has it a sophisticated writing style and ìmatureî parts in the book. Young King
Arthur is but a rudely treated kitchen boy, Can he make it through the hard times
and live up to his compelling destiny? Read this epic to find out.
Peter M. - 2004
Doug Wilhelm, The Revealers. Parkland Middle School is home to
bullies, cliques, and their tormented victims until three rejected kids get together.
A new girl from the Philippines, a dinosaur geek, and their leader Russell, a quiet
kid ignored until now. They start an online newsletter, The Revealer, to spread the
truth about bullies at their school. To their surprise, it becomes popular and starts
to slowly change the way kids are treated. This does not go smoothly though; they
run into trouble with jocks, a popular clique and the principle. See how they make
their school a better place, increase awareness of bullying, and escape trouble in
this new, suspenseful story that anybody can learn from. Jocelyn S. - 2007
Richard Yancey. The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp. - If
you're looking for a very funny and thrilling book, this book is for you. Alfred
Kropp is a normal boy who lives with his uncle. His uncle has dreams of being a millionaire
but has to steal something to get there. This something is sacred, and has people
guard it with their lives. Alfred leaves the sword in the wrong hands, and has to
attempt to recover it. The only problem is that people do guard this item, and the
people who guard this item with their lives chase Alfred through many adventures
that will leave you on the edge of your seat. What we loved about this book is the
jump from a calm talking moment to a chaotic fighting scene. Jack W. & Jake
R. - 2007
Gabrielle Zevin. Elsewhere. Everybody some point in their lives;
think about what will happen when you die. Many people believe in Heaven and, when
they die thatís where they will go. Lizzie is a 16 year old who is about to go to
prom. She bikes across the street and right away a taxi hits her and she dies. After
Lizzie wakes up, she finds herself going to a mysterious place, later on she finds
out itís called Elsewhere. Many magical things happen in Elsewhere. Elsewhere is
a magical world, and Lizzie learns to respect it! Hattie S. - 2007 |
