Grass for His Pillow by Lian Hearn

Separated from his beloved Kaede, Takeo was trapped by his Tribe family the Kikuta. Takeo regretted this, having never expected to live after the night at Inuyama where he had both rescued and avenged his adopted father, Lord Otori Shigeru. He was now forced to take part in the wicked duties of spying and silent assassanation, but all the while the magical talents that he inherited from the Tribe were being trained and honed into an acute and focused power. He wished that he could return to his life as Lord Otori Takeo, heir to the Otori clan. The religion of the Hidden that he was born to was lost to him by then, as were any traces of another religion that he might have picked up. He wanted to leave, but he was bound by both word and blood, and if he strayed from Tribe he would be sentenced to certain death. He did, however, run away to fulfill Shigeru's wish for vengeance and to marry Shirakawa Kaede. He learned that he could find safety from the Tribe, however temporary, with all those loyal to the Otori, the shunned Hidden outcasts, and the monks at the monastery of Terayama. Through one of the Hidden, he heard of a prophecy which said that he was to fight five battles, four to win and one to lose. The one he would lose would be at the hands of his child, whose mother was not Shirakawa Kaede. Kaede, one of an extreme few female leaders, also needed to claim a seat of power at the head of two clans, the Shirakawa and the Maruyama. Now faced with winning alliance with the new overlord Arai, the constant threat of the Tribe, and the five battles, Takeo's life was more tense and suspenseful than it ahd ever been before. I was so impressed by Grass for His Pillow. I am eagerly awaiting the chance to read the final book in Lian Hearn's trilogy. Both of the book so far are immensely worthwhile to read, even for those who have less than favorable outlooks towards reading. Nadia J.

Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn

Tomasu was born amongst the peace-loving people called the Hidden who believed in forgiveness and shunned the thought of war or killing. He grew up knowing only of harmony, without the thought of war. This gentle lifestyle, however, was one day shattered when he returned to his village to find everyone dead. He soon realizes that this mass murder was the work of the most powerful warlord in the Three Countries, Lord Iida. He tried to flee, with Iida's men on his tail, but without knowing the art of war, he was defenseless. He was rescued by another great lord, Lord Otori Shigeru, who adopted him as his own and taught him the basics of life in the warrior class. He was renamed Takeo, to make the neglect of his Hidden religion even more complete. He struggled to fully understand which of his identities were really his own, a problem added to when he discovered that he was gifted with the mystical powers of the Tribe. Now swept up in the complicated whirlwind of alliances and confrontations of the warrior class, he had to determine his place in the world. Was it with the Hidden, who are persecuted for their beliefs? Was it with the Otori clan that had accepted him as its own? Was it with the woman he loved, Lady Shirakawa Kaede, or was it with the other side of his heritage, the Tribe who were so contrary to the beliefs of his childhood? Across the Nightingale Floor is a beautifully written work of sheer creativity, a perfect blend of reality and fantasy that made me tingle in anticipation for its sequel. I was amazed by its tale of love, war, and bitter revenge. Lian Hearn's written world is definitely one worth revisiting. Nadia J.

Artemis Fowl The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer

This book is about Artemis Fowl a thirteen-year-old rich genius. In his past two books, he has encounters with the fairy world. Well, in this book he steals fairy technology and designs a C Cube supercomputer. When he made the C Cube it caused fairy technology to shutdown and could make humans find the fairies. Artemis decides to sell the C Cube to Jon Spiro, a big business man. They meet at a restaurant, and Jon Spiro steals the C Cube and shoots Butler (Artemis Fowl's bodyguard and best friend). Can Artemis Fowl save Butler and destroy the C Cube so the fairies world will be saved? Read this book to find out. This book interests me because of the fairies and how Artemis saves them and they save him.
Rishi P.

The Wish by Gail Carson Levine

In this book, Wilma, an unpopular eighth grader, is going to school not knowing that her bus ride could change her life forever. She notices a feeble old lady and gives her seat to her. The lady in turn grants Wilma a wish. She says she can make her one of the crowd, but Wilma asks if she can be the most popular kid at Claverford. Will Wilma still be able to keep her friends? I think this book is wonderful. I love this book because it was really interesting. Rishi P.

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

In the book, The Thief Lord, two boys, Prosper and Bo, run away when they heard they were going to be separated. They decided to run away to Venice, a place their mother talked about a lot. When the two boys arrive at Venice, they meet a kid named Hornet. Hornet told them about how she was a part of a runaway gang who lived in a movie theater. So Prosper and Bo decide to join them. They meet the leader of the gang, Scipio. Scipio was known as the Thief Lord and stole jewels to buy clothes for the runaway kids. Everything was going smoothly till Scipio was asked to steal a wooden wing. Will Scipio be able to steal the wing or is he hiding something? Read the book to find out. I liked this book because it wasn't a book which you couldn't easily find out the ending. Rishi P.

Super Suite by Mark Montanos

SUPER SUITE by Mark Montanos is a great bedroom makeover guide for girls. I really enjoyed this book. It gave me lots of wonderful ideas for all different styles. Mark Mantano teaches you how to make great accesories on a budget. From ribbon pillows and tin tables to popsicle stick picture frames, you're sure to find your perfect style. If you're planning on redecorating your bedroom, this is a must. Angela M.

Polgara the Sorceress by David Eddings

Polgara the Sorceress is 3000-some-years-old, the Duchess of Erat, the most beautiful woman in all the world (with the exception of her sister, Beldazan), and has worked her magic for eons. We see through her eyes the story of her long and vivid life. From her birth to the homecoming of her wayward father and the losing of a most beloved sister, to the ledgendary battle of Vo mimbre, and finally, the fulfillment of her destiny as the Guardian and protecter of the Godslayer, whose coming had been fortold and on whose shoulders the fate of the world rests.... Eileen Y.

Leap Day by Wendy Mass

LEAP DAY by Wendy Mass is an excellent book. I enjoyed it from the first chapter to the last.

Josie Taylor has an odd birthday. She only has one every four years. Today she turns sixteen, and there is so much to do and so much going on. She must get her drivers license, try out for the play, go on the sophomore scavenger hunt, go to the lake and much more.

I like how the story was laid out and how the author put aside the thoughts of everyone else as well as Josie. I rate this book as an eight because it was an excellent book and was very detailed. Zach B.

How Angel Peterson Got His Name by Gary Paulsen

HOW ANGEL PETERSON GOT HIS NAME is not only funny, but daring. It tells not only odd ways to break records but also inane reasons why five boys break five records.

Carl wanted to beat the 74 miles per hour record on skis. Emil accidentally invented hang gliding. Wayne was the first to do a perfect backward somersault off a bicycle, Orvis the first to stay in the ring with a fighting trained bear for sixty seconds, and Harris the first to experience the negative effect of bungee jumping in a barn.

The causes and effects of what's to happen after such attempts are especially funny. I think that's why they call them extreme sports. Zach B.

Arena by Karen Hancock

I read the book ARENA by Karen Hancock about a girl who must decide who to put her courage in. Choices are all around her and will change her life forever.
Callie Hayes is in a dead-end job feeding rats and going to experimental money offers with her best friend, Meg Riley. This time a supposed obstacle course leads them to a new world where she meets the love of her life, defeats her fears - not only of heights - and fights the opposing Evil whie her faith is tested with her link of Elhanu.

I enjoyed the climax and rising action of Cassie and Pierce wondering, "Will they make it?" over and over again. The setting of this story in this new world was an excellent representation of distraction of what we got through that keeps questioning what we believe in. Zach B.

The Young Entrepreneur's Guide to Starting and Running a Business by Steve Mariotti

Mr. Steve Mariotti is a very smart man, and I appreciate his tips in business in his book, THE YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR'S GUIDE TO STARTING AND RUNNING A BUSINESS. I like the side details of how to handle your money, how to get started, and the success stories of Berry Gordy, Bill Gates and many others. Zach B.

Five-Minute Mysteries by Stan Smith

These five-minute mysteries are fun and challenging. I enjoy trying to solve them. I like the one especially of the case of the kidnapped consultant. They interviewed the employees, only to find one of them has a part in the crime. Zach B.

Dream-Weaver by Louise Lawrence

This story is about an earth boy on a ship going to colonize another planet and a girl that lives on that planet. The boy is appalled by the idea of making the locals slaves and destroying the planet the way ours was destroyed. The girl has the power to travel in a dream state like others in her peaceful society. They meet while she is dream travelling and discover he is heading to her planet. They and others on her planet must figure out how to deal with the approaching ship. Should they let it land and deal with the evils it will bring or force it to go somewhere else? This story is about working toward a greater good and the human fear toward things not understood. It is an ecellent story of love and betrayal with important thought-provoking themes and issues. Katie M.

Second Sight

SECOND SIGHT is a great book by various authors with different views of the millenium. Some stories take place back in 1000 AD and some take place in 2001 AD for those who believe on the extra year. I like how the stories each express their individualty and how each author responds. These authors are some of my favorites with with hit books such as Avi's Crispin or Madelenine L'engle's Wrinkle in Time. Zach B.