Tombs of Atuan by Ursula Le Guin

The 2nd book in the Earth-Sea series. As the High Priestess, the one who tended to the fallen gods and the Tombs of Atuan, Tenar grew up in loneliness and darkness in a world of women, all of whom feared and despised her, without family, or even a memory of one, never knowing love or happiness. That is, until a strange young man from foreign shores came to the Tombs of Atuan. He was known as Sparrowhawk, a powerful wizard from the Archipelago, the only living dragon lord and in search of the ring of Elfarrann. Trapped in the 'Maze' by Tenar, who found herself unable to kill the dark young man and therfore kept him in the 'Maze', he told her of a world of which she never knew, a world beyond simply duty, where laughter often rang out. He told her of long forgotten legends of Elfarrann the Fair, whose beauty was so great an entire island sank. And he offered that world to her, should she trust him. The only problem is, should she trust him, when those around her prove to be traitors?

A compelling book. The characters are well-developed, and we are able to see how Tenar grows from a happy, exuberant child into a dark, self-possessed young woman. Sparrowhawk sheds light into her world, and we see how she once again changes, how she learns to trust and laugh.... Eileen Y.

Scribbler of Dreams by Mary E. Pearson

Kaitlin Malone was born to hate the Crutchfields. Kaitlin's family had hated the Crutchfields since she can remember. Kaitlin had just entered a new school because her parents could not afford her private school. Kaitlin's dad is in prison serving a sentence for killing Robert Crutchfield. While in school trying to hide her identity after switching her last name to her mother's maiden name, she meets a boy named Bram. His full name is Bram Crutchfield, a young compassionate artist who falls in love with Kaitlin. Kaitlin also falls in love with Bram, before realizing that her father killed his father accidentally.

Kaitlin gets caught up in lies to hide her true identity from Bram. Whenever she tells him who she really is, he doesn't care too much because he still loves her, no matter what her name is. I thought this book Scribbler of Dreams by Mary E. Pearson was the most heartwarming and emotional book I have ever read. It taught you what love really is. Chessa H.

The Courtship of Princess Leia by Wolverton

This book was fantastic. If you love Star Wars characters Luke, Leia, Han Solo, and others you should read this. As Han's love for Leia grows, a prince from the world of Hapes wishes to marry Leia. Han kidnaps Leia hoping to win back her love. Unfortunately, they meet up with trouble. Who will Leia choose? Read it to find out. The author cleverly jumps between different story lines by chapter. I liked that style. I highly recommend this book for Star Wars fans. Ellen D.

Forgotten Fire by Adam Bagadasarlan

This book is about an Armenian (in other words, Christian) boy going through a holocaust in Turkey. He must survive WWII without his family and a safe home where he is considered an evil pest to be exterminated by anyone who knows he is Armenian. I had a lot of trouble putting this book down. Many of the deaths and other things he witnesses are very sad, but I found the plot and the history behind this book very interesting. It drove me to find more on this historic event I previously knew nothing about. Katie M.

Fifteen by Beverly Cleary

Jane Purdy isn't the cashmere sweater wearing type of girl and doesn't get vey many dates, until she meets a boy while she is babysitting for a neighbor's daughter who lives a few blocks away. The boy, Stan Crandall, delivers dog meat for the dog of the people she babysits for. Stan is the most popular boy in school, and to Jane's disbelief, he asks her out on a date. At the end of the book, Stan gives Jane his identification bracelet to show that Jane is "his girl". This book, FIFTEEN, by Beverly Cleary was a laughable and humorous book about a girl's first date. I enjoyed it completely. Chessa

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

THE DIARY OF A YOUNG GIRL, written by Anne Frank, is about a 13-year-old girl that goes into hiding with her family during the Holocaust. She keeps a diary of all the things that happen until they are eventually discovered and taken away to the concentration camp by the Nazis. The book was a very detailed book. Anne wrote about every little thing that happened. She told about how the Jews were limited to where they were allowed to go or attend. This book made me feel good when you were reading it because Anne had such a positive attitude. The part that grabbed me the most was how Anne's family was living in a small apartment above where Anne's father worked. They had very little food and space. I felt that some parts of this book were easy to understand, but then some parts were shocking and horrific. Chessa

It Had To Be You by Stephanie Doyon

In the book IT HAD TO BE YOU, Rebecca Lowe is in love with a boy. They have been exchanging e-mails, but the only problem is that they don't use their real names. Meanwhile, Rebecca's band has a new member. His name is Jordan West, but Rebecca thinks he is going to take over the band, so she isn't fond of him. So Rebecca decides to meet face-to-face with her online boyfriend at the Homecoming Dance. The boy goes to her school. Rebecca thinks the boy is this new foreign exchange student from Spain. But it turns out to be Jordan. Rebecca soon realizes that Jordan is actully sweet and loving, not as mean as she thought he was. I thought this book was very interesting. I especially liked how the boy turned out to be. Jordan and Rebecca fell in love with him. The mood of the book was pleasant. by Chessa H.

The Boy Next Door by Janet Quin-Harkin

In THE BOY NEXT DOOR, Amber Stevens was having a great life in New York. But then her parents decide to move from the big apple to her ill grandfather's farm in Wyoming. In New York, Amber had a new boyfriend and great friends. But to Amber's dismay, she soon falls in love with Rich Winter, her handsome like-cowboy neighbor. But when Amber's friends come to visit her, everything goes wacko and Amber must decide whether to go back to New York or to stay in Wyoming with Rich. This was a very fascinating book that grabbed my attention very quickly. The part that I enjoyed the most was how Amber chose to stay in Wyoming with Rich and not go back to New York with her friends. I also liked the development of Amber and how she went from being well off in New York to surviving with the bare minimum in Wyoming. Chessa H.

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

There was an old man and a boy who he trained in fishing. The old man was having awful luck and hadn't caught a fish for 84 days. The boy was told by his father to go fish with someone else. So the old man went out fishing alone on day 85. He caught a huge 18-foot swordfish. The old man held onto the line for 2 days before he could harpoon the fish and kill it. On his way back home he was exhausted and was talking to himself. By the time he got home the whole fish was eaten by sharks, except the skeleton. Nobody in the town had seen a fish any bigger. The boy was there to greet the old man. The old man suffered so much pain to not have the fish. Hannah K.

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Eight years had passed for Ann Eliot since she fell in love with a certain Captain Frederick Wentworth. Eight years since accepting his proposal and then breaking off the engagement. But eight years had not diminished her love for said Captain. Now she is a woman of 27, past her bloom of youth, her beauty fading, her father's wealth diminishing. He, a successful naval captain, a war hero, has made his fortune of 25,000 pounds while at sea, still as handsome as ever, still as well-spoken and amiable, all that is witty and intelligent, and secretly harboring an anger towards Anne while still nursing his broken heart.

With his return from the war and in a strange twist of fate, Anne and the Captain are thrown together. He is determined to get her out of his heart even as he discovers how sweet, patient, unselfish, and kind she is, and exactly why he fell in love with her all those years ago. But he remains stubborn, his pride and anger forcing him to distance himself from Anne. And Anne in her despair and agony remains silent.

While Austen has not lost her touch in her final book, her view is more mature. The irony is as strong as ever, and some characters remain as ridiculous. But the heroine is older and more mature, with a better sense of the world, less naivete and much more experience. Eileen Y.

Lord Brocktree by Brian Jacques

This book is about a badger lord and a young hare who journey together to the mountain Salamandastron. They meet many friends and win the mountain back by defeating a great enemy.

I enjoyed reading this book. It kept me wanting to read it more and more. I liked how at the beginning, Dotti the hare was young and impatient, but at the end she was more mature and more patient. Cassie P.

The Accident by Diane Hoh

THE ACCIDENT is an unpredictable novel. It is about a young girl who discovers a ghost, Juliet, in her mirror. She asks to switch places with her for one week. Once they do, the young girl notices something is wrong. Will she ever be able to convince Juliet to give her her life back? Cassie B.

The Five People You meet in Heaven by Mitch Album

The book THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN is about a man named Eddie who worked in an amusement park all of his life and is killed in a tragic accident when a ride breaks down. The book starts with Eddie's death and goes through his first experiences in heaven. In heaven, Eddie meets the five people who had the biggest impact on his life. The book was very enjoyable. It showed another idea of what heaven is like. I found I was very wrapped up in the sorrow, anger, and love that Eddie felt. His story is everyone's story, whether his life was a success or a complete failure. Katy G.

Dead Man's Dance

A mystery about the murder of a judge and the people involved in his life and murder, DEAD MAN'S DANCE was written wonderfully, which made it easy to read. When the judge is murdered, his stepson, Quinn, begins to ask questions about the judge's relationship with eveyone he knew. The people Quinn thought he could trust end up getting hurt or betraying his trust. It's a mystery full of twists. Megan B.

Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice

THE QUEEN OF THE DAMNED tells how the first vampire came to exist according to Rice. To her, it all started with two sister witches, a ghost, and greedy rulers. The Queen of the Damned comes back to life, and the two witches, who are the very first two vampires, must stop her before she kills the human race.

I loved the way Anne Rice wrote this book. She described everything in detail, but not too much detail. It was easy to read and a very enjoyable book. Megan B.

Night of Madness by Lawrence Watt-Evans

This book is about a group of people who suddenly had magical powers bestowed upon them in the middle of the night. The powers came as a big shock to all. Many people disappeared and the other people ceated chaos in the streets. The people with the new magic, called warlocks, were considered evil and dangerous by everyone else. The warlocks have to control their new powers and convince everyone else they are trustworthy before they are all exiled or put to death. This was an excellent book that depicted really well how people think and treat others and how they react when faced with something dark and unfamiliar.

Lasher by Anne Rice

As always with Anne Rice's books, this was another great one. I was drawn in by her detail and ability to write. I couldn't put the book down. The story jumps from past to present, but all the bits and pieces fit together in the end.
Lasher is a family ghost that is born again on Christmas. The Mayfair family must stop him before he can wipe out the human race and make his race dominant. Megan B.

What Janie found by Caroline B. Cooney

In WHAT JANIE FOUND by Caroline B. Cooney, Janie's two families appear to have made peace. Life seems almost normal. Janie's even decided to speak to her former boyfriend, Reeve, again. But then Janie's Connecticut father suffers a sudden stroke, and this tragedy leaves her mother reeling. Janie must step in to manage family finances and to support her mother emotionally. While handling her father's business matters, Janie discovers one undeniable fact that could destroy both of her beloved families. And she alone must decide what to do. I absolutely love Caroline B. Cooney's books. This is the last book in the Face on the Milk Carton series, and I have to say it was the best. The book was very suspenseful in Janie's decision to do with what she found. Chessa H.

Armageddon Summer by Bruce Coville and Jane Yolen

Mazina's father, married and conscious of that fact, but ignoring it nonetheless, is dating a co-worker. Jed's mother who happens to be a responsible, reliable science teacher, has decided to run away with some photographer, and, as if their lives weren't messed up enough, their respective mother and father (who are not dating or running away with anyone) have taken into their heads that the world is going to end on July 27th. Right.

They are dragged onto Mount Weeupcut to spend 2 weeks with "religious maniacs" who speak with every word capitalized. Both find that living away from all the modern conveniences and surviving on only canned food really, well, sucks. And why should the world end? Especially right now when they've fallen in love for the first time.

Told in an hilarity-filled way, as both teens go through the normal and abnormal stress of teenage years. And when the Armageddon does come, just not in a way anyone expected, they must learn that life goes on no matter what.... Eileen Y.

Watership Down by Richard Adams

Hazel was a young, strong, promising buck rabbit labelled crazy and insane for listening to his brother, Fiver, and leading a group of rabbits away from the warren in search of a new home. "Blood," Fiver had said. "There is blood eveywhere! Covering the field!" but it was all grass that covered the field. Fiver was having his fits again, that was it. But the warren had not learned to appreciate Fiver's strange visions for soon blood is covering the fields.

Hazel follows Fiver and the group follows Hazel. "Where are we going?" Hazel often asks and Fiver replies the same answer, "To a hilltop... to a place we may call home."

The road to "home" is far from easy as the rabbits soon learn. But with strength, ingenuity, trust, friendship, and hope they may finally find a place to truly call home.

A brilliant piece of work that just leaves you with a happy, pleasant feeling as if all is right with the world. Eileen Y.

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

It is hard to imagine a more different set of sisters than Marianne and Elinor Dashwood. Elinor is the eldest, very gentle and calm with a tight rein on her emotions, and the very image of "sense". Marianne, the younger, is prettier, more artistic, and a hopelessly incurable romantic with a set of leaky waterworks to boot, representing "sensibility". Elinor falls in love with Edward Ferrars, not very handsome, not very rich, but kind and gentle... and also engaged to a witch, aka Lucy Steele, an insipid leech with a high-pitched voice. Marianne is in love with John Willoughby as he is handsome, "rich", and an absolute knight in armor... who enjoys seducing young innocent women and then leaving them with ruined reputations. Then there is Colonel Brandon an upright young gentleman who loves Marianne in silent adoration, but scorned for he is not as dashing as John. What a tangled web we weave!

A very interesting romance, almost as involved as Shakespeare with lots of twists and turns and an ending not exactly predictible. Eileen Y.

The Girl Death Left Behind by Lurlene McDaniel

I love all of McDaniel's books. This one was great. It is about a girl named Beth who is getting tired of her family. A car accident kills every member of her family. Now she finds herself lost, confused, and sad. Eventually she moves in with her aunt and her family. At the end she is better able to cope with the accident. The author uses a wonderful writing style. You feel drawn in to the character and relate to her feelings. It makes you thankful for your family! Ellen D.