The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester

Reading level: ages 8-10

Very exciting plot and characters. Piper is a girl who can fly, and turns out to be exactly what her friends, who also have special abilities, need her to be. She takes them all to new heights because she brings out the best in others and believes in them.

I loved getting caught up in this adventure!

Water Seeker by Kimberly Holt

This book was intriguing from the very first page. The story is propelled by a surreal force, and is very surprising to the very end. The setting is based in in early 1800s with the early movements west and the man character's father is a douser who travels from farm to farm locating sources of water for wells. Intrigued? Well there is more... much more! But you will have to read it to find out.

I would recommend "Water Seeker" to YA because there are some heftier topics covered. There are references to family abuse and many of the characters die in unnatural ways (I don't want to reveal too much). That being said, the entire story is not gruesome, and overall I found this story rather uplifting and entertaining.

Forest Born by Shannon Hale

389 pg. rating 9.9 out of 10.
It is a book that has the characters from 3 other Shanon Hale books:
The Goose Girl,Enna Burning,and River Secrets +a few new characters
but it is a really good book.A young forest girl named Rin goes with her brother to
the city for a change,but War may be approaching and things are getting dangerous.
When the king and some soldiers go to investigate a mysterious village fire,they are attacked from an unknown source.The queen and 2 friends go to track the attackers Rin follows...Okay that is my little summary of the beginning but it is definitely not the end of this epic adventure!!

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: A Flavia de luce Mystery by Alan Bradley

Reading level adult
number of pages 385
published by Bantam Books

I just finished reading a new mystery described as an "enthralling mystery", "a rich literary delight", "a quirky, delightful whodunit" about a little girl about the age of eleven who is both irresistible and incorrigible, a sleuth and a budding scientist. The story takes place in the summer of 1950 in England in a once -grand mansion where Flavia lives with her father and two older sisters. This wonderfully told tale begins when a dead bird is found on the doorstep, a postage stamp bizarrely pinned to its beak. This is the beginning of a series of events that was delicious to read and impossible to stop turning the pages to the very end. There were no slow or dragging parts to the story. Once begun, I was simply pulled in and enjoyed every twist and turn. I am happy to see that the second book in the Flavia de Luce mystery series, The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag is due out this month.

Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

Reading level: 6th grade
Hardcover 383 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 2003

This book is amazing! So well written, the characters just come to life as you read. It's based on an old Grimms fairytale, but I had never even heard of it till I read this book.

Ok, the real reason I'm writing about this book - funny story. I'm doing student teaching in 6th grade right now and my mentor teacher wanted to get the kids more excited about AR (reading program), so we both did a couple of book talks (basically introducing a book in an appealing way) in front of the class. I told them about this book and read a short passage, but I was worried none of the boys would want to read it. I thought about adding a blurb about it not being just a girl book, but decided not to, just to see what would happen. Turns out my boys were clambering for this book! I didn't have a single girl ask me for it, but several boys were searching the book shelf saying, "who took Goose Girl?" It made me sooooo happy.

Prairie Songs by Pam Conrad

Reading level: age 8-10
167 pages

I inhaled this book (from start to finish in just a couple of hours) and it was wonderful. It was very quick to read but was well written. To me this means that story allows me to make a connection with the characters and who they are as well being able to discover subtle themes and beautiful messages.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Reading level: 4th grade - adult
Paperback 375 pg.

Meet Percy Jackson. Your average twelve year old demigod gets accused of stealing Zeus's master lightening bolt and sets off on a quest to find the real thief and clear his name.

Now you may have seen the movie, or previews for the movie, and thought "lame", and there I would have to agree, but the books are actually quite fabulous. My husband and I read the entire series together and loved it. It's especially fun if you have some general background with Greek mythology. I've heard it compared to Harry Potter because it has that secret magical world hidden in our world theme, but it's actually a fresh original idea. It brings Greek mythology to life and points out that being a hero isn't always all it's cracked up to be.

The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander

Reading Level: ages7-10
Paper back: 190 pages

Alexander has a gift with bringing his characters to life. His characters have very unique personalities and Alexander's writing allows you to get to know them. The Book of Three is the first book of the Prydain Chronicles (including the Black Cauldron) and I had to hold myself back from continuing right on to the next book.
The book starts out with Taran, the assistant-pig keeper, who, through events beyond what he could have expected, sets out on an adventure that requires more of him than he thinks he is able to give. Alexander prefaced the book by asking "Aren't there times when we all feel like assistant pig keepers?" Embarking on this journey with Taran, I could relate many times to Taran's feelings of inadequacy, but I, like Taran, often am surprised by what I am able to achieve even if I can still see my flaws.

I'd give this book four stars.

Z for Zachariah by Robert O'Brien

Reading Level: Ages 10-12
Paperback: 234 pgs
Publisher: New York, Collier Books

Winner of the Edgar Allan Poe award, I should have known this book would have tension. From the very beginning, the story was gripping, but I did not enjoy reading this book and about half way through I was very angry. The author's writing is very effective and compelling to the very last page and now that I have finished the book, I think it was a great read, but the process of reading was very aggravating.

This is a story of a girl, Ann Burden, who, as far as she knows, is the last person alive. Nuclear gas has wiped out all life except the protected,quiet valley where she and her family lived apart from society. The radios, telephones and any connection with the outside world are dead and the latest news about the war was bleak. Ann's parents set out to to look for survivors but never make it back. Ann also discovers that her brother who was suppose to stay with her and stowed away in family car, leaving her completely alone. She is able to survive by herself, but then her world changes when a stranger in radiation-proof equipment arrives in the valley.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: The Dial Press; Later edition (July 29, 2008)
 
During WWII, Guernsey, a small island in the English Channel was occupied by the Germans who imposed strict curfews upon the villagers. In order to avoid harsh punishment for being caught out after curfew a common alibi was invented, the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was born. The members of this newly formed group decided to actually start meeting and in addition to sharing books, they served dessert such as potato peel pie, the only pie they could make with the scant supplies available. The club not only ignites a genuine love of reading, but offers a common focus and diversion that helps unite them and carries them through the horrors of war with grace and character. The characters are so delightful and likable, I felt sad to have this uplifting story find it's end. I like a quote that is in the inside cover of the book. "Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers". I am certainly glad that this book found it's way into my home! One of the best recent fiction books written!

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 544 pages
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers; First Edition, First Printing edition (June 25, 2003)

A while ago I started reading Eragon thinking it would be downright scary.It was more exciting than scary,it was a teeny bit at the end but I rate it 4.9 stars. If you like the Lord of the rings trilogy this is a must read series!