Sphere by Michael Crichton

Michael Crichton brings forth yet another suspenseful thriller with the novel SPHERE. Set a thousand miles beneath the South Pacific, a group of experts are bewildered by a plethora of perplexing paradoxes. Having been sent to investigate an alien spacecraft, they are amazed with its titanic size, discover the craft to have controls in English writing, and find it to be over 300 years old and surprisingly undamaged from any fall into the ocean. Even more intriguing, deep within the confines of the craft, a perfect, metallic sphere marked with odd symbols - perhaps from an alien culture - is uncovered.

During the scientists' stay, drama and suspense mount after the sphere mysteriously opens up. The boundaries between reality and the imaginary blur as the characters are plunged into nightmare. Each has to confront his/her own deepest fear as the scientists become aware of the terrifying power they've unleashed that overwhelms and threatens to destroy them. Andrew C.

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

When 5-year-old Bo and 12-year-old Prosper's parents died, their Aunt Esther decided that she would only take in the angel-faced Bo while Prospero would be dumped into an orphanage away from his little brother. Before she could do this, Prosper ran away with Bo to the beautiful city of Venice, described to them by their mother as a magical paradise. The cold reality of their predicament hits them as they are forced to fend for themselves. They are rescued by a band of young thieves, led by another child who called himself the Thief Lord, who help them find shelter and food, but eventually their aunt, furious of their escape, hires a detective to find them.

This fast-paced story describes the city of Venice through the eyes of the young thieves. Reading these children's adventures and escapes is full of so much suspense that it keeps the reader guessing until the last page. This book is a must-read to anyone who enjoys an exciting and amusing story. Tanya J.

A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks

A WALK TO REMEMBER by Nicholas Sparks was truly a wonderful and moving book. The book was told from a man looking back at the time when he was seventeen. He tells about experiences of joyfulness and a heartrending romance with the minister's daughter, who changed his life forever. This book was one of the most awe-inspiring and unforgettable books I've ever read. I thought the mood of this book was passionate, yet it grabbed your attention and made you keep on reading. The writing style that Sparks used was peaceful and relaxing. The part that grabbed me the most was how Landon and Jamie fell in love. I say this to anyone who reads the book, that this book will truly touch your heart. Chessa H.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

This book tells about Harry Potter's third year at Hogwarts. Harry and his best friends, Ron and Hermione, experience yet again the excitement of spells, Quidditch, and various magical creatures associated with the "non-muggle" world. This time, however, the atmosphere is thickened by the escape of an extremely dangerous person from the wizard prisoner, called Azkaban. Will the Ministry of Magic be successful in protecting Harry from this villain? Will Voldemort be prevented from gaining power? Overall the book is very well written and keeps the reader's attention from the beginning to the end. It brings many surprises and is quite differenct from the previous two books from the series. Whether you are a kid or an adult, I'm sure that you'll enjoy the adventure of Harry and his friends in dealing with the escaped prisoner. Karolina D.