Friday, June 25, 2004

Grail Prince by Nancy McKenzie

Knights in shining armor, bards singing tales of wondrous deeds, the beauty of fair maidens, and the evil deeds of sorceresses alike. This is King Arthur's time. GRAIL PRINCE is the story of Sir Galahad, noble son of Sir Lancelot and loyal knight to King Arthur.

If medieval times and magical happenings seem interesting and fascinating, GRAIL PRINCE is the book to read. Nancy McKenzie has done an awesome job putting together a tale as intricate as any to present this well-known hero. Jennifer W.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

One of the finest and most recognized books in American literature is Harper Lee's TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, the story of two young southern children, Jem and Scout, brought up in a racist town. Their father, Atticus Finch, is a lawyer. He defends Tom Robinson, an African American man accused of raping a white woman. Can Atticus still prove Tom innocent through the discrimination and prejudice of the town? TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is one of my favorite books because it is a wonderful, cherished, timeless classic of growing up. Angela M.

Time to Let Go by Lurlene McDaniel

Again, Lurlene McDaniel captures the hearts of her readers, writing yet another heartbreaking but also soothing book. In TIME TO LET GO, Erin Bennett is trying to cope with the loss of her sister from a year ago when she had a car accident. Now, she has been having these painful and mysterious headaches that seem to ocur spontaneously. Erin knows that her headaches had begun just after her sister's death, yet she thought she was over with grieving. Will talking to a therapist about these headaches help her at all? This enchanting tale of life and death immerses readers to ponder the chasm of the undiscovered. Audrey C.

The Unlikely Romance of Kate Bjorkman by Louise Plummer

Kate Bjorkman is writing a romance novel about herself, THE UNLIKELY ROMANCE OF KATE BJORKMAN. She tells the story of how she falls in love with her brother's best friend, Richard. Kate has been secretly in love with him all her life. Their romance began around Christmas time. Richard came along to visit when Kate's brother and his wife came for the holiday. Then the impossible happened. Richard and Kate fell in love. One thing lead to another, and Kate was trying to keep Richard away from her manipulative and gorgeous-looking friend, Ashley. The part that grabbed me most was how Kate and Richard fell in love. The book's mood was comical and interesting. Chessa H.

The Taking of Room 114 by Mel Glenn

Attending one of their last classes of the year, students from Mr. Wiedermeyer's senior history class are in for a shock. Held hostage by their gun-toting teacher, all of the students wonder if their lives are over. I liked how the poems from the kids tell the story. The whole entire book grabbed me. If you like scary and dangerous kinds of books, I would tell you to read this one. Katlinn O.

Brian's Winter by Gary Paulsen

Brian is stuck in the wilderness after a devastating plane crash right after the plane's pilot is killed by a massive heart attack. The book starts in the fall, when Brian is reminded several times that winter is on its way. He tries to get ready, but what he isn't prepared for is two feet of snow. With only a hatchet, bow and arrows, and some clothes he made, how will he possibly survive the winter ahead?

I think the book is good. The book's mood is sometimes happy and sometimes sad. The story is very conflictive, both man vs. nature and man vs. self. The theme is survival in nature. This book interested me because I had read HATCHET, and I thought it was good, so I decided to read BRIAN'S WINTER. Bruce H.

Thursday, June 24, 2004

Princess in Love by Meg Cabot

Being a 14-year-old girl is hard enough. But ruling a whole country is even harder. In PRINCESS IN LOVE, Mia Thermopolis is soon to be Princess of Genovia. The book tells about Mia's princess lessons with her grandma, her struggling Algebra grade, and her huge crush on Michael, her best friend's brother. The part that grabbed me most was the fact that Mia loved Michael all her life. She tried numerous ways to get him to notice her. But in the end, Michael had already liked her from the beginning. I also liked the development of Mia's character, how she went from being a dorky fourteen-year-old girl to Princess of Genovia. Chessa H.

More Than A Friend by Elizabeth Winfrey

Delia Byrne is on a mission to find her one true love before her best friend, Cain Parson, finds his one true love in More Than a Friend by Eizabeth Winfrey. They dare each other that they can each fall in love. Cain boasts about getting a girl is easy, but soon realizes that his one true love is Delia, his best friend. I felt that Cain and Delia's relationship really developed as they were both trying to fall in love with other people. The part of the book that grabbed me the most was that Cain and Delia were best friends for years and never realized that they were in fact in love. Chessa H.

The Illyrian Adventure by Lloyd Alexander

Lloyd Alexander has done it again, writing yet another action-packed adventurous book! In a land of two repelling forces, Vesper Holly with only her guardian to help and protect her must uncover the old feudal history of Illyria. During Vesper's stay, she befriends both side's leader while she is stalked by someone else. Having a close shave with an assassin when she first arrives, Vesper embarks on her dangerous yet exciting quest to find the legendary treasure and the army of magical warriors. Audrey C.