Prom & Prejudice

Prom & Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg, 2011 Point

     Elizabeth Bennet is a scholarship student at Longbourn Academy in Connecticut. Charlotte Lucas, the other scholarship student, and Jane, Lizzie's roommate, are her only friends. When Jane falls for Charles Bingley from Pemberly Academy and he returns from a semester in London, it appears Jane will have the perfect date for that all-important event: Prom.
     Lizzie likes Charles, unlike most of the students at both Lonbourn and Pemberly he genuinely likes her without reservations for her attire or her family's lack of money. The same cannot seem to be said for his friend Will Darcy. Darcy appears to take offence at every nuance of their first meeting causing Lizzie to form a negative impression.
     Like the classic Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Prom & Prejudice follows Lizzie through the ups and downs of relationships and that critical invitation to the event of the year. She challenges her own opinions of the people around her, and worries that she has become what she has despised about Longbourn--a snob.
      Prom & Prejudice brings the classic tale to the exclusive high schools of the modern elite while still holding the essence of Austen's original. More appropriate for middle school readers, the book is an enjoyable read.

A Stone Creek Christmas

A Stone Creek Christmas by Linda Lael Miller, 2007 Silhouette

     Olivia O'Ballivan is one of several veterinarians in Stone Creek, but she has a special affinity for animals that sometimes gets in the way of being human. When the cry of a lost reindeer brings her out in the snow late one November night she meets the contractor her brother, a retired country music star, hired to build a new animal shelter.
     Tanner Quinn isn't the greenhorn Olivia first believes him to be, but his distance from everything in his life seems to tear him down. When his daughter's pony becomes depressed at the girl's absence Olivia is pulled further into Tanner's life than either of them first want. When Tanner's daughter runs away from her fortress of a boarding school Olivia gets to see the man under the mask.
     Their attraction flares and they fight to keep everything under wraps with a precocious twelve-year-old in the house. Before long both realize their emotional baggage is not enough to prevent their future together. In true romance novel fashion they support each other against their respective demons and agree to a Christmas Proposal.
     A Stone Creek Christmas is a light and pleasant read appropriate for more mature readers, encompassing moments of stark sexuality and themes of abandonment and substance abuse.

Wicked

Wicked by Gregory Maguire, 1996 HarperCollins

     Before Dorothy arrived in Oz and defeated the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba was a misfit child with green skin and a tendency toward violence. The daughter of a zealot father and licentious mother, Elphaba was the product of an affair and is raised mostly by the family nanny. Elphaba's younger sister, Nessarose, is not born green as she was, rather she is born without arms and must be constantly cared for. When Nessarose takes up her father's religious zeal she becomes his favorite, which haunts Elphaba to the end of her days. 

     Sixteen years later Elphaba is attending the women's college in Shiz when Galinda of the Arduenna Clan of Gillikin is placed as her roommate. Galinda is more interested in her social standing and its improvement than her green roommate until a fallout with her friends sparks an unlikely relationship between the two women. Elphaba teaches Galinda the worth of her mind and the two attend classes together where they join the movement against Animal (sentient and self-aware animals who have a genetic connection to humans which Elphaba explores throughout the book) discrimination under the despotic Wizard of Oz. When their professor, a Goat, is murdered Galinda becomes Glinda in his memory.

     Glinda and Elphaba create several friendships including Fiyero, a prince of Vinkus with strange blue diamonds etched over his body. Nessarose even joins them in Shiz, still doted upon by her father. The Headmistress of the women's college manipulates Elphaba, Glinda and Nessarose's education and eventually asks them to work on behalf of the Wizard of Oz. When Elphaba and Glinda attempt to forward their cause on behalf of Animals in a visit to the Emerald City the wizard brushes them off and the two women separate for several years. 

     Five years after their separation in the Emerald City Elphaba is still working on behalf of Animals. She encounters Fiyero and they begin an affiar. When he is taken by the Wizard's secret police and thought dead she flees to a mauntery where she meets the woman who created the potion which cured Elphaba's condition and took Nessarose's arms. The woman cares for Elphaba during the shock after Fiyero's presumed death and leads her to seven years later journey to Vinkus to see his family.  Elphaba travels with Liir, a boy to whom she claims no relation. 

     She attempts to tell his wife of their affair, but the woman will hear nothing of it. They stay on and Elphaba discovers a book written in English from Earth which teaches her magic; she is the only Ozian able to read it suggesting an ancestor from Earth. But problems rise at back home in Munchkinland--Nessarose has become a witch and in trying to speak to her for their father, Elphaba accidentally labels her the Wicked Witch of the East. 

     Life seems to be falling apart for Elphaba--upon her return to the Vinkus Fiyero's family has been kidnapped and she must save them. Then a house is dropped on Nessarose--with a little girl from Kansas inside--Elphaba is finally reunited with Glinda, but their homecoming is tainted when Elphaba discovers the girl has Nessarose's enchanted shoes. Elphaba begins to come unhinged, she discovers several secrets from her past, and after an encounter with the girl from Kansas is never seen again. 

     Maguire's story is the history behind Baum's The Wizard of Oz and the Wicked Witch. Unlike Baum's story, Wicked is an adult novel exploring political upset and the power of an individual's history over their future. Elphaba is a passionate and severely misunderstood character, and Maguire gives her life and purpose behind the Wicked Witch of the West. 

Short-Straw Bride

Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer, 2012 Bethany House Publishing

     The Archer brothers are some of the most terrifying men in the county, but that doesn't stop Meredith Hayes from accepting the dare of her classmates. She ventures onto Archer land only to be saved by the oldest Archer brother, Travis.
     Twelve years later when she overhears a plot against the Archer brothers and their land, Meredith rushes to repay her debt. But Travis Archer and his two brothers have been vigilant against the outside world for much longer than they had allowed anyone in. When a young woman who reminds him strangely of the girl he saved years ago, appears on his land Travis Archer is unwilling to allow invaders into his lands.
     Meredith's reunion with the man who saved her doesn't go as she expected. His suspicions, and those of his brothers, do not incline the men to accept this woman and the warning she brings. But when Meredith's life hangs in the balance and she again risks her life on Archer land Travis finds he likes the interloper a sight more than he thought.
     With her courage and wit, Meredith worms her way into the eldest Archer's heart and convinces the three men the world beyond their gate isn't the world they've feared for years. She brings the men more than just a warning, and finds more than just a husband in handsome Travis Archer and his brothers. Readers will enjoy the passion which drives Meredith Hayes to revisit the Archers and the misunderstandings that shape their futures.

Hades

Hades by Alexandra Adornetto, 2011 Feiwel & Friends

     Bethany Church is an angel sent to Earth with her siblings Archangel Gabriel and Seraphim Ivy. The angels were sent to bring light back to Earth and help humans reclaim their goodness, falling in love with a human was not on the agenda.
     When Beth falls in love with her human classmate Xavier Woods their bond gets closer and stronger. Their relationship, though, doesn't stop Beth from being taken to Hell on the back of a motorcycle driven by the demon Jake Thorn. From the beginning of their relationship Jake has been fighting to turn Beth from Xavier and from the light.
     In Hell Jake shows her the order of his kingdom. It would be easy to fall into place with Jake's plan and become the Queen of Hell, but her love for Xavier and the relationship with her family won't allow Bethany to abandon her mission.
     Beth fights not to give in as Jake bargains with her family. What he asks may be scraping the bottom of the barrel on what they can give. Her story is a tale of faith and trust--trusting Gabriel, Ivy, and Xavier to come for her, and trusting God to love her despite her failings.
      The second chapter of Beth's story explores the darkness of life beyond God's chosen scope, without the constant presence of her loving Father. Beth truly experiences humanity for the first time. The story is aimed at readers high-school-aged and older.

The Moon by Night

The Moon by Night by Madeleine L'Engle, 1963 Farrar, Straus & Giroux

     For a summer between their lives in Thornhill and a stint in New York City the Austin family adventures across the United States. They are to visit Dr. Austin's brother and his new family, Maggy Hamilton (an orphan who has been living with the Austins) and her legal guardian Elena, Mr. Austin's new wife.
     Leaving Connecticut the family camps at campgrounds and alongside the road heading ever westward. In Tennessee they meet a teenage gang, in Texas they rescue children from a flood, in Utah they discover an abandoned baby. The journey is an adventure through contemporary society with traces of the Cold War, and anti-US sentiment at a campground in Canada.
     The fourteen-year-old Vicky Austin meets Zachary Gray at a campground in Tennessee and the young man fascinates her. The Gray family has everything they could want in material possessions: their luxurious camp trailer is pulled by a top-model hearse-like station wagon. But the Grays seem to lack what the Austins take for granted--their loving relationship.
     Despite his charm, or maybe because of it, Zachary is confident in his pursuit of Vicky throughout the country. The rest of the family doesn't like him, but the elder Austin daughter is growing up and searching for her independence so encourages his attention. When another young man, more appropriate in her family's eyes, takes an interest Zachary becomes jealous.
     Trouble seems to follow Zachary Gray and Vicky cannot save him from himself. She struggles with developing her sense of self and the summer of her "difficult year" pushes Vicky toward a more adult take on life. The second Austin Family novel is meant for middling readers--late elementary school through early high school--and can remind readers of the struggles that come with growing older.

Summerset Abbey

Summerset Abbey by T. J. Brown, 2013 Gallery Books

     Sir Philip Buxton raised Rowena, Victoria, and Prudence as sisters--three eligible young women who are drawn into shifting class politics in Edwardian England as the world hesitates on the edge of war. Rowena and Victoria are Sir Buxton's natural daughters and Prudence Tate their invaluable governess's daughter. But when Prudence's mother dies she becomes one of the Buxton girls in all but name.
     When their father dies, the three girls are drawn back to the ancestral home at Summerset Abbey where their class separations are thrown into sharp contrast. Until the Buxton daughters reach their majorities their uncle will control Sir Philip's estate, and the three women's fates.
     Rowena doesn't know what to do about her sisters' reaction to their changing circumstances and is frozen into doing nothing for the fear. Victoria suffers from asthma and fights for the life she dreams of, while uncovering a dangerous family secret. Prudence longs to belong, either to the downstairs world where Lord and Lady Buxton have shunted her, but she knows she belongs alongside her sisters. The relationships between Rowena, Prudence and Victoria become strained as they struggle to balance.
     Life at Summerset is not what it seems, and the attendees are more than they portray. As the world rolls closer and closer to conflict on a global scale definitions are re-written and it is the younger generation who will cement the new social and political landscape. Summerset Abbey is a novel for older readers--more appropriate for high schoolers with innuendo and political subtleties peppering the story.

The Lost Years of Merlin

The Lost Years of Merlin by T. A. Barron, 1996 Philomel Books

     When a boy washes up on the coast he cannot remember anything about himself. He finds himself protecting a beautiful woman with long blonde hair from a dangerous boar with razor-sharp tusks. The boy protects the unconscious woman by hiding her in a hollow tree, but is unable to fit too. The two are rescued by a glorious stag who follows the boy through his journeys.
     When the woman wakens she reveals she is Branwen, his mother, and his name is Emrys. Emrys discovers he has magical powers, which he uses to protect his mother from being burned at the stake, but kills a boy and causes his physical blindness in the same encounter. Emrys leaves his mother at a monastery and searches for where he truly belongs.
     Emrys travels to the magical isle of Fincayra somewhere between Heaven and Earth taking only herbs from his mother and a gem with vast powers on his raft. In Fincayra he meets Rhiannon and she tasks him with saving the forest she lives in. When Rhia is kidnapped in Emrys's place he vows to use his powers to save her and make things right.
     In his search for Rhia Emrys discovers several truths about his past which influence his future, one only he can decide. Through his adventures and the secrets they bring to light Emrys challenges his own capabilities, growing and altering to fit his circumstances. In the first part of his tale Merlin becomes the man behind the legend. The Lost Years of Merlin is a read aimed at older elementary students, but can interest readers of all ages.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling, 2005 Scholastic

     Harry has escaped Voldemort's clutches once again, and there is no chance the wizarding world cannot accept the return of the dark wizard--he has appeared in the Ministry of Magic itself. But Harry has been branded a spoiled attention-seeker and his reputation, along with those who support him, has been trampled in the muck. Some still doubt Voldemort's return.
     Alongside Ron and Hermione, Harry returns to Hogwarts for his sixth and penultimate year of school. Despite the chaos outside the walls, it appears not much has changed. But with Snape as his Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and a new Potions Master, Harry finds himself itching to get away.
     It is that new Potions Master that gives Harry his change of scene. Horace Slughorn knew Lord Voldemort when he was young Tom Riddle and first began his quest for supremacy and immortality. Dumbledore's invitation to return to Hogwarts begins a search for Voldemort's defeat--beginning with information Slughorn may have provided the young man. But the professor is hesitant to reveal information which may paint him in a less-than-desirable light.
     Dumbledore begins to entrust Harry with a more pivotal role in the rebellion against Voldemort and his forces. While still participating in his schooling and navigating changing friendships, as well as burgeoning relationships, Harry joins the Headmaster in his search for Voldemort's horcruxes and defeat.
     The war continues to rage around Hogwarts and even the school is not the safe haven it once was. As Voldemort's power increases and the dangers surrounding their questing mount, Harry discovers something more to his fight than just the hope for peace. The second-to-last novel in the Harry Potter Series is meant for older readers and one of the darkest yet, but as outrages pile, resistance gains strength. Harry's battle becomes one the entire wizarding world can take part in.

Dark Triumph

Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers, 2013 Houghton Mifflin

     Sybella escaped her father's brutality for the Convent of St Mortain and training as one of Death's Handmaidens. But she has been assigned to her father's household and the depravities of her family by the Abbess of St Mortain, and so, must return to the devil's pit.
     After months in the Count D'Albret's household playing the dutiful daughter, Sybella itches for the chance to kill this man who hopes to rule Brittany. Following the dictates her convent has taught her come directly from the God Mortain she waits for D'Albret's marque, but it chafes when no death marque is forthcoming.
     She begins to believe her God has abandoned her when a task from the abbess demands she free a great warrior. Beast is a great warrior, serving the old God of war with the berserker's fury, when Sybella first discovers him he is a shadow of himself, but still manages to drag her along in his rescue mission.
     With her plans thrown into chaos by the unintended journey, Sybella cares for the brute until he can manage himself. Returning him to the Duchess, thwarting another of her father's plans, and fighting to keep her heart to herself begin to bring Sybella back from the damage her family has inflicted.
     D'Albret and his rebellion continue to feature in the second installment of the His Fair Assassin Trilogy. Sybella has endured more than any woman should from the depravities of her family, and protected her younger sisters from such a fate. The story is placed at the edge of the Middle Ages and suited for older teen readers.

Dead Until Dark

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris, 2001 Ace Books

     Sookie Stackhouse has always been interested in Vampires, especially after they've just come out into the open with other supernatural creatures. She's a pretty little thing, living in the backwoods of Louisiana, working as a waitress in the local bar. And she's never seen a vampire until one walks into the bar and nearly gets himself killed.
     After Bill appears in her life, Sookie is fascinated by the man who is like nothing she's ever seen before. She has a problem of her own: Sookie can hear the thoughts of people around her. Bill is a blank slate, silent. The vampire fascinates her, especially with his silence and his aversion to taking human blood.
     When murder strikes their small Louisiana town Bill and his crowd are accused of murder, and all sorts of paranormal creatures begin to come out of the woodwork. As it all comes to light Sookie discovers even she isn't was she seems.
      Harris's stories bring vampires into the modern world--rather than fairytales for children her stories are an adult take on the paranormal.

Birthday Boys

The Birthday Boys by Beryl Bainbridge, 1995 Carroll & Graff Publishers

     In 1912 Captain Robert Falcon Scott sails for the South Pole. Along the way he and his crew plan to examine the environment. The story follows Scott and four of his crewmen from their home berth in England, south to the dangers of the last frontier in a race for the Pole.
     Based on a true story The Birthday Boys is told from the point of each of the five men, who tell the tale with their own opinions and prejudices. Their story unfolds as one of arrogance--believing their mechanical monstrosities will endure the harshest elements known to man; continuing into the depths despite their predecessors' advice; and believing courage will triumph when sense advises caution.
     Each portion of the tale conflicts and readers are encouraged to make their own truth as the men leave home, sail around Africa, resupply in Australia, and finally brave the Antarctic winter in a vessel ill-suited to the task. It is a race, but one against the elements and the hourglass of time itself.
     Bainbridge's story can be complex and its themes are better understood by older readers, though the events themselves follow along the historical accounts. The Expedition's narrators will never return home, and their story, while short, leaves behind a melancholy taste.

A Confusion of Princes

A Confusion of Princes by Garth Nix, 2012 Allen & Unwin

     Khemri is a Prince in a futuristic universe where the human race has spread across galaxies and become well-versed in different teks. The Empire is ruled by Princes who, in turn, are ruled by the Emperor. Princes are endowed with special abilities, but Khemri is different and he is telling his story.
     Upon becoming a Prince, rather than Prince Candidate, Khemri faces almost immediate assassination attempts. His Master of Assassins leads him from the danger and escorts the Prince to a naval base where he may connect to the Imperial Mind and be recorded--and reborn if necessary. Khemri has been elevated at a unique and delicate time, only two years before the change of Emperor, and must learn that all he has been taught is nearly completely wrong.
     Learning to survive becomes Khemri's goal and, after much conflict, he does well as a Cadet at the naval academy. Upon graduation he is offered a position in a distant solar system where he discovers a secret society governing Princes. While following his dream, hoping to become the next Emperor, Khemri discovers how truly trapped Princes are--their very hopes and dreams are programmed into them to facilitate the continuation of the Empire and its systems of power. But Khemri also learns what it is to be human, and in his final moments he must make a choice--will he become what he has always wished to be, or will he become what he knows he is meant to be?
     A Confusion of Princes takes a hard look at what it means to be human and what creates humanity. Teens and young adults will enjoy its quick writing and open style while following the imagination that created such an expansive culture.

Every Which Way but Dead

Every Which Way but Dead by Kim Harrison, 2005 HarperTorch

     In exchange for testifying against the undead vampire Piscary, Algaliarept convinces Rachel to become his demonic familiar and is on his way to collect on the deal at the beginning of the third Hollows novel. Rachel has yet to tell her friends Jenks and Ivy the night of her first journey into the Ever After, and hopes a loophole in her contract with the demon will keep her safe.
     Al and Rachel meet in a small circle of blasphemed ground in Rachel's back-graveyard where they will perform the ceremony to transfer the familiar bond from the elf-woman Ceri to Rachel. Al whines about Ceri's transformation from the spunky and spicy Elf Princess into the shell of a person she has become after a thousand years of servitude, and his dismissive attitude drives Rachel into a fine temper. Rachel convinces Al to return Ceri's soul, and through a twist of his own dealings, keeps her own soul from his grasp.
     Thus begins the tumultuous relationship between Alaliarept and Rachel. The trio stashes Ceri with Keasley, the mysterious witch from across the road, and continue to squeak by with security jobs and private runs. Rachel continues to keep her familiar-ship with Al a secret from Jenks and Ivy, and her personal life is a shambles. When her relationship with Nick cools and the connection with Kisten heats up, Rachel is in for some friction from a jealous Ivy.
     New allies and friends prove their worth in Ceri and David Hue, a werewolf reprising his role from the second Hollows novel. Kim Harrison brings forward the same characters in a new pattern to push Rachel through yet another personal battle, while gradually turning her into one of Cincinnati's movers and shakers. Every Which Way but Dead is an adult novel that older teen readers will enjoy.

Dragon's Oath

Dragon's Oath by Kristin and P.C. Cast, 2011 St. Martin's Press

      When Anastasia, his wife, is killed Dragon Lankford is devastated. In Dragon's Oath readers understand his reaction.
     Dragon stands sentry over Jack's funeral pyre and opens a locket with a lock of Anastasia's hair. The wind picks up the hair and blows it over the pyre, initiating a spell that reveals her last wish: that Dragon temper his blade with mercy.
    The story continues when Dragon is still human, in England he is banished to America after a scandal with the neighbor's daughter. A vampyre labels Dragon Lankford a fledgling and takes him aboard a ship decorated with a dragon, inspiring his new name.
     In America, Anastasia is a spells and rituals professor at the Chicago House of Night speaking to the headmistress; she has been asked by several fledglings for love spells concerning Dragon. When she does a spell to show them his true self, she draws him to her and discovers she loves him.
     The headmistress worries about one of the local officials and his harassment of vampyre students. Anastasia offers to perform a peace spell, and takes Dragon as a Warrior, the opposite of her goal and a piece of the spell. But when they've done the spell the official chokes Dragon, fights and prepares to rape Anastasia before killing her, but Dragon manages to come to the rescue. Anastasia Changes him into a full vampyre and he swears his Warrior's Oath to her.
     The tale returns to present-day Dragon when Nyx and Anastasia appear to him. They try to convince him to move on, but when Nyx will not return Anastasia to him, Dragon renounces her, slowly turning to the dark side of Neferet.
     Dragon's story adds to the full novels through explaining how Dragon came to be who he is. His relationship with Anastasia is one of the strongest motivating factors of his being and her loss rocks him deeply. Dragon's history enriches the world of the House of Night.

Grave Mercy

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers, 2012 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

     When her arranged marriage nearly ends with her life, Ismae flees to the Convent of St Mortain. There, she discovers the sisters worship and serve the ancient god Death and Mortain himself has gifted his daughter with mortal gifts and a dangerous destiny.
     Ismae chooses to train at the convent and become one of Mortain's Handmaidens, his assassins out in the greater world keeping balance. Ismae discovers a skill with poisons and becomes apprenticed to the potion-making nuns. She discovers a friendship with Annith, the gifted seer and a resident at the convent her entire life, and Sybella, a daughter from one of Brittany's great houses.
     Bolstered by her friends, Ismae is sent on her first mission to the high court. She finds her training, while thorough in matters of death, neglected to teach her the dangers of life at court. The young nobleman she is sent for is more than the abbess taught her to expect. Ismae must choose between what she's been taught and what she knows about her God.
     LaFevers' story is brutal in its violence, suited toward older teens and young adults, with character growth as a powerful reminder that anyone can rise above their situation.

Beauty and the Werewolf

Beauty and the Werewolf by Mercedes Lackey, 2011 Luna

     Isabella Beauchamps watches over her young stepsisters and runs the household for her stepmother, until one night visiting Granny in the forest she is attacked by a great wolf. Bella fights back and survives the attack with no more than a wolf-bite. The next morning, though Bella wakes to find the king's guard whisking her away to the Duke's palace.
     There she learns the mystery of Duke Sebastian and his seclusion. Sebastian is cursed to become a wolf the three nights of the full moon. However, no one knows why. Bella's imprisonment forces her into close contact with the werewolf-duke until it is discovered whether or not she too will become a werewolf.
     Her capture is simply frustrating while the Godmother Elena, Duke Sebastian, Granny and other local magicians search for a solution. To fill her time, Bella takes lessons in magic with Sebastian and discovers he is a scholarly young man, but good company. He teaches her of the Tradition and its role in their lives.
     But with knowledge of the Tradition comes knowledge of the paths it fights to force Bella down. Bella, along with the duke's illegitimate brother and Sebastian himself, searches for a way out of the castle and away from the fateful force of the Tradition.
     Beauty and the Werewolf is a refreshing take on the story of the Beauty and the Beast. Dropped into a world similar to eighteenth century France, Bella is not your average woman and her fate is not that of the average Beauty. The story is suitable for readers of all ages, though some material is more appropriate for teens and older readers.

Exile

Exile by Anne Osterlund, 2011 Speak

     After she's survived the attempts on her life and realized the palace can no longer be her home, Aurelia, Crown Princess of Tyralt, goes on an expedition to meet her subjects. She brings her closest friend and protector Robert but their recent trials have put up a wall between the friends. Guilt on both sides makes them pick at each other and their camaraderie crumples into grouching.
     When Melony's reach nearly ends both Aurelia and Robert's lives they flee with only each other to depend on. The Princess's breakdown immediately following the latest attempt on her life drives home to her that even far from her home and renouncing everything that ties her to the throne Aurelia is a threat to her sister Melony.
     Robert leads the headlong race from their pursuers and the pair stumble upon the kingdom's best-kept secret: Aurelia's mother. The princess attempts to form a relationship with her mother, but it is the former queen's distance that finally pushes her back into some semblance of a life and onto the road where she and Robert can continue her mission to know her people.
     A stop with Robert's parents shows her what she has lost as a result of her family's position, and allows her to love her lifelong friend a little more. Aurelia has always known she needs Robert by her side, but fleeing from his family's homestead brings home just how much. They flee to the desert where they discover Melony's plot was much more extensive than anyone gave her credit for.
     On the run with only one person in the world she can trust, Aurelia must find the presence of spirit to conquer the fears that chase her. Depending on and caring for her friends bolsters her strength as her story pushes ever toward a confrontation with her manipulative sister. Violence abounds as Aurelia's life is in danger, but there are softened moments of passion. Teens and older readers will enjoy her feisty spirit.

Entwined

Entwined by Heather Dixon, 2011 Greenwillow

     Azalea is a talented and passionate dancer, looking forward to her coming-out and the balls filled with beautiful gowns, handsome suitors, music and dancing for a young princess. But when the world collapses around her family and the king forbids dancing Azalea and her eleven sisters dismay of ever feeling joy again.
     Trapped and held separate like the twelve princesses, the Keeper understands their wish to dance carefree once more. He extends an invitation to his underground kingdom where the beautiful princesses may continue their pleasures. But there is a story behind the Keeper's name and he issues a challenge to the eldest princess: release him from his prison or release her sisters into his keeping.
     Faced with a decision between releasing an ancient evil and allowing her ignorant younger sisters to be trapped, Azalea searches for a solution. She discovers there is magic beyond what the keeper has used to try and capture her with.
     The tale is aimed at teen readers, but is enjoyable for anyone interested in reimagined fairy tales or fantasy.

Wake Unto Me

Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach, 2011 Speak

   Haunted by nightmares and the ghost of a Renaissance witch, Caitlyn Monahan leaves her small-town Oregon life behind for a chance at the Fortune School in rural France. Upon arriving at the exclusive boarding school, Caitlyn is offered a deal by the headmistress: succeed and the Fortune School will make her a mover and shaker in the world, fail and she will be thrown back into the obscurity from which she was plucked.
     Caitlyn isn't sure what is expected from her, but when she begins to have dreams about a young man from the Renaissance she draws a connection between the ghost Bianca and her new romance. The vivid dreams begin to consume her and the task set before her fades in importance.
     When her beau vanishes and a history book shows he's been murdered, Caitlyn doesn't know how to respond. Was her dream something she dreamed, or real?
     The Fortune School is dark and dreary, but within its halls are young women with the same troubles as any teen with a spark of something darker flickering through. Caitlyn's talents have marked her to fit into the exclusive school, but will they allow her to stay? Wake Unto Me is aimed at high school readers.

13 Little Blue Envelopes

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson, 2005 HarperTeen

     Ginny has directions to England and an adventure to make her more interesting. Or so she thinks.
     Virginia Blackstone's crazy aunt disappeared to London and Ginny is having trouble accepting the news of what happened there. As long as she goes on this adventure Aunt Peg designed for her, Ginny doesn't have to accept her aunt's death.
     At first the trip is fun, but the envelopes keep coming and the adventures no longer make sense. Along the way Ginny makes new friends, finds romance, and finds herself; yet she still has trouble coming to terms with what awaits at the end of the stack of envelopes. When the thirteenth and final envelope vanishes, Ginny has a decision to make.
     In limbo this summer Ginny Blackstone struggles through her first loss, finds her first real love, and makes it back to herself. But the journey is only the beginning.
     Older teens will enjoy and identify with Ginny's adventures, and her story can be helpful for younger readers dealing with their first loss.

A Golden Web

A Golden Web by Barbara Quick, 2010 HarperTeen

     Alessandra is gifted--while her older brother avoids his studies as many young boys do, Alessandra soaks up every moment of learning she can. From her earliest moments she glowed with intelligence and curiosity.
     As a young woman, Alessandra's intelligence becomes the greatest hurdle to her happiness. She longs for the freedom to learn at the great university in Bologna where medicine is developing daily. Alessandra's stepmother has another idea and plans to marry her off to a man who will keep Alessandra out of her stepmother's home. In preparation for such a day the young woman is sent to a cloister from which she escapes to the University and the freedom of disguise as a man.
     But in fourteenth-century Italy, a woman disguised as a man is an abomination--a witch to be burned at the stake. Alessandra must be careful of how the world sees her, but her mind is quick and she becomes what she's always dreamed of: a student, a desired young woman, and an expert medico.
     A Golden Web is based on the life of Alessandra Giliani the world's first female anatomist. Her story is embellished and brought to life through Quick's characters breathing fresh life into the young woman who defied the world.

The Return of the King

The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien, 1955 George Allen & Unwin

     In the final installment of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, the Fellowship has been separated for some time, and the stage has been set for all-out war throughout Middle Earth. When Sauron attacks Gondor, Gandalf, Aragorn, and the others scramble to warn the defenders.
     Aragorn calls upon an ancient curse for aid in saving Middle Earth. He travels to the Paths of the Dead and with an army of oath-breakers he marches on Sauron's army, still hoping to distract Sauron from Frodo's quest.
     Sam saves his friend from imprisonment in the tower at Cirith Ungol, leaving Gollum to his own devices. Frodo and Sam continue toward the Cracks of Doom and the Ring becomes more and more powerful preying on Frodo and overcoming his will. With the quest nearly at its end the hobbit surrenders, but Gollum reappears. A struggle ensues and the Ring is destroyed.
     At Sauron's defeat, Aragorn takes back his throne and is crowned king of Arnor and Gondor. Saruman escapes from imprisonment in Isengard and takes over the Shire, only to be defeated by the four hobbits. Middle Earth dissolves into peace and the heroes fade into legend.
     Unlike the first two parts of the trilogy, The Return of the King is focused on the military victory and its aftermath. The Fellowship faces difficult obstacles to reach their goal, and in the end are driven apart by that same duty which pushed them to begin in Fellowship. Tolkien's ending shows that sometimes the heroes don't go home and live peaceful lives, but are driven by their wounds to continue the chaos which created them; however there are heroes who return to their lives and are successful. High school and more mature readers can better understand the points illustrated through Tolkien's trilogy.

Nobody's Princess

Nobody's Princess by Esther M. Friesner, 2007 Random House

     Growing up Helen was always told she was beautiful. When she learns her beauty will gain her different privileges and freedoms that her brothers and sister will never experience. Not only will she be queen of Sparta, but Helen has been blessed by Aphrodite with beauty like no other.
     She learns that beauty will get her anything she wants, but a little persistence will get it for her on her own terms. Helen decides no one will control her and learns to fight just like her brothers. When her younger sister is sent to her wedding, Helen and her brothers go along. They are side-tracked when their uncle sends news of a wild boar rampaging his kingdom.
     In their uncle's hall Helen meets another woman who has learned to fight like a man--though Atalanta hasn't hidden her skill and fights alongside the heroes. Helen befriends the young woman and learns more than just fighting skills from her.
     After disaster at her uncle's court and learning that Atalanta not only doesn't think badly of her, but respects her Helen and her brothers begin their long journey home. They stop at Delphi and the Pythia at Apollo's temple from whence Helen must find her own way home. Helen refuses to allow the world to make her decisions, and finds herself on her own quest.
     In a time and place where women are considered to be property of men, Helen of Sparta challenges the people around her, from her brothers to a complete stranger, to look at the pretty girl from Sparta as more than just her face. Through hard work and persistence Helen becomes friends with a legend and earns the respect of the heroes around her. Nobody's Princess is a story of going after your dreams despite the difficulties and readers in later elementary school and early middle school will enjoy it.

The Secret of the Rose

The Secret of the Rose by Sarah L. Thomson, 2006 Greenwillow

     In the summer of 1592 Rosalind Archer and her young brother, Robert called Robin, leave their country home for London and the safety of their father's friends. Their father has been arrested as a Papist and imprisoned under the Protestant government. The children are stunned to find their father's friends too have been arrested for their Catholic faith.
     Searching for security and hoping to see their father in Newgate prison, Rosalind and Robin meed Christopher Marlowe who finds them honest work and a safe place to stay--the only problem is he doesn't know Rosalind is a girl. Hiding as a boy is the only way Rosalind can be safe in London, but if she is discovered she faces rejection from society and worse. Marlowe has secrets of his own--secrets that can put both Rosalind and Marlowe himself in death's grasp.
     Keeping herself and her brother safe and alive are all Rosalind hopes for, but when Marlowe's secrets threaten to expose her own, Rosalind must make a daring choice.
     Thomson creates a bright and vivid image of late Elizabethan England, complete with the dangers a young woman faced without her family's protection and supported by facts of the day. Rosalind's story is directed toward younger readers (ages 10+) and can be enjoyed by any historical reader.

Cloaked

Cloaked by Alex Flinn, 2011 HarperTeen

     Johnny Marco repairs shoes in a hotel in South Beach, Florida. His family's shoe repair shop is struggling, so Johnny works his summer away helping his mother to make it through. Johnny's best friend Meg works in her family's coffee shop across the hall. When a princess from Aloria, a small country somewhere in Europe, stays at the hotel Johnny and the hotel's pool boy are entranced by the beautiful girl.
     One night Princess Victoriana stops by the Marco family shoe repair with a mission for Johnny: repair her favorite shoes, and deliver them personally. Johnny is excited as any seventeen-year-old boy would be, but when he returns the shoe the princess has a bigger task, and more complicated. He has trouble believing that Victoriana's brother has been turned into a frog and kidnapped by the local witch in Aloria, but when she offers Johnny marriage and financial security he is willing to go out on a limb for the crazy beauty.
     Until she presents him with magical tools, Johnny doesn't believe her brother could have been transformed, let alone transported from Europe to southern Florida. With a magical cloak and earphones that allow him to communicate with once-human animals, Johnny travels to the Florida Keys in search for the missing prince. There he discovers a talking fox named Todd who asks Johnny to complete a task before giving up the information.
     After helping Todd with his task, being kidnapped by the evil witch who transformed Victoriana's brother, being rescued by Meg, fighting giants, and being chased by a homicidal maniac on a motorbike, Johnny returns to Victoriana with her brother in tow. But his adventures didn't prepare him for not wanting to marry the princess.
     With traces of The Elves and the Shoemaker, The Frog Prince, and several other fairy tales Cloaked is a fast-paced story where the characters fall from one crisis into another. Readers of all ages will wonder: What will Johnny chose when his quest is over?

Mockingjay

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, 2010 Scholastic Press

     After she's taken from the Arena in her second Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen is spirited to the long-lost District 13. There she recovers and learns she is to be the face of the revolution. The only problem is President Coin seems to want to maintain the status quo rather than improve the lives of Panem's people.
      When Peta appears to be supporting the government, Katniss is hard-pressed to protect him from the eradication Coin has planned. Only by agreeing to be the Mockingjay can she save him, and so begins Katniss's activism.
      She disobeys orders and fights for the people of her nation, district by district her honest actions win over the people. When Katniss is nearly killed during the siege of the Capitol's final stronghold the people rise to defend her--she has not challenged them, but given the dissatisfied a point to rally behind.
     When the time comes to battle the Capitol within its own bounds Katniss is held back. Haymitch notes that she is a tool, one with an expiration date if she does not support the new regime whole-heartedly. When given the chance to defect and take matters into her own hands the Mockingjay takes her tribe into the heart of battle and fights for the future.
     Like the books preceding it, Mockingjay is a bloody battle for supremacy, rather than subtle maneuvering and manipulation with the Hunger Games Panem breaks out into full-blown civil war and rebellion. The story is not meant for young children or readers who are uncomfortable with gore--it is more suited to older teens and young adults with its graphic violence.

A Conspiracy of Kings

A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner, 2010 Eos

     Sophos has been exiled to his father's island property to learn how to be king. His uncle gives up on the scholar and marries to get an heir. Meanwhile Sounis is still at war with both Attolia and his barons. When Sophos is kidnapped and believes his family murdered the young man is forced to harden into a warrior.
     While Sounis is at war with his rebelling barons, his nephew is hidden on the conspiracy leader's estate serving as a slave: building rock walls to create terraces across the landscape, mending tools, and any other work the weather allows. As summer transitions into fall the king's armies begin to falter and Sophos's father visits his slavemaster.
     At first Sophos hopes to catch his father's eye and be freed, but when his father doesn't recognize him, Sophos realizes he must escape. In the midst of his plannings he discovers the baron plans to kill the king's brother; if his plan to escape will succeed, Sophos finds he must save his father from certain death. Sophos's father is glad to see his so alive, and eagerly agrees to the plans which will allow him to survive the conspiracy leader's trap.
     Once they escape Sophos discovers his uncle has died and he is Sounis. The new king is hesitant of his path, but certain he must speak to his old friend Eugenides who has become king of Attolia. Traveling in secret to evade his rebellion, Sophos makes his way through Eddis to Attolia. The Gen he discovers there is distant and removed from their previous association, more concerned with the well-being of his country than maintaining his friendship. Sophos doesn't know how to deal with this apparent loss of his closest friend, but through conversation with Eddis and Attolia (Helen and Irene) he discovers Attolis is acting in the best interests of the entire peninsula, while Gen wants to assist his friend as best he can.
     After much conversation and debate Sophos manages a treaty with Attolis which will cement his role as Sounis. Attolis will send a select group of troops to set down the rebellion, and it is up to the new Sounis to use his tools properly. But when the Mede Empire invades, all bets are off and Sounis prepares to fight to the last.
     Throughout the political maneuvering and struggle to live, Sophos hopes for a romance with the Queen of Eddis and manages to rekindle the friendship he once had with Gen, and through him a friendly respect for Irene, Queen Attolia. He grows into his role as king as he fights to become Sounis and the change from the Sophos of The Thief is remarkable. Readers of all ages can enjoy the vivid characters and sharp contrasts of A Conspiracy of Kings, though some political dealings are better appreciated by older readers.

The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, George M. Hill Company 1900

   Young Dorothy Gale, and her little dog Toto, are sucked through a twister out of her bland Kansas home with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry into the vivid world of Oz. When she arrives in her family's farmhouse, Dorothy lands on the Wicked Witch of the East freeing the inhabitants of the Munchkin Country.
     The confused girl is met by the Good Witch of the North and gifted with silver shoes thought to be magical. The Witch tells Dorothy that in order to return, she must go to the City of Emeralds and ask the Wizard of Oz to return her home. Dorothy and Toto begin their journey along the yellow brick road under the good Witch's protection.
     The duo meets a scarecrow along the path and free him from his perch. The Scarecrow only wants a brain, so Dorothy convinces him to join them and ask the Wizard for one. Next they meet a Tin-woodman rusted motionless. Dorothy oils his joints and invites him to join them going to the City of Emeralds. The Tin Man resolves to ask the wizard for a heart. Finally the group encounters a Cowardly Lion. Dorothy and her new friends convince him to join them and ask the Wizard for courage.
     The five: Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion survive the journey to the Emerald City together. There they each meet the wizard, in a different form he agrees to aid their quest if they can kill the Wicked Witch of the West. The gatekeeper warns the party the Witch is clever and difficult to kill. And the witch tries as she might to destroy the friends, finally settling on capturing the Lion and Dorothy with flying monkeys, incapacitating the two friends left behind.
     Dorothy is successful, through a complete mishap which destroys the witch and the people of the West are thankful enough to ask the Tin Man to be their ruler--he agrees after he aids Dorothy in her quest to return home. Back in the Emerald City the wizard tries to put off the troupe. Toto ends his rouse when he tips over a screen revealing the wizard as an old man from an Omaha, Nebraska circus.
     He grants the wishes of Dorothy's companions, but when attempting to bring her home, Toto escapes and Dorothy misses the hot air balloon ride home to retrieve her closest friend. In tears the people of the Emerald City suggest Glinda the good Witch of the South might be able to send her home. The friends adventure forth again to find Glinda in the South of Oz. Through trials and tribulations Dorothy finally manages to make her way home--There's no place like home.

Aurelia

Aurelia by Anne Osterlund, 2008 Speak

     Crown Princess Aurelia is impetuous and headstrong. When her father hides several assassination attempts from her and calls to the edges of his kingdom for his former King's Spy the king of Tyralt does not get what he wants. Robert, a former classmate and childhood friend of Aurelia's returns to court in the guise of a young man attempting to find his place--his real task is to keep the princess alive.
     Aurelia is overjoyed to have Robert return, but her friend's return is overshadowed by this strange and inexplicable notion her father has to keep her locked within the palace. Aurelia wants to be among her people and hopes to get to know the subjects she will one day rule, but her father's sudden tendency to be overprotective strain her patience. Even further frustrating her is her father's lack of communion with the people--he is running the country into the ground with lavish parties to please his second wife while the people suffer.
     Robert does not want to keep his real mission from his friend, and when the attacks on her life become more and more overt, the king realizes he may be right. Aurelia is shocked to discover anyone might want to kill her, but agrees to be protected. The friendship between Princess and her favored courtier looks to grow into something more than just friendship when Aurelia is nearly destroyed by a mob--her quick thinking and ability to convince the crowd she is genuinely interested in their concerns save her, but the stakes are raised.
     To prevent another possible disaster the friends plan to bring the conspirators out into the open--but the plan is sabotaged and Aurelia finds herself fighting for her life while her father and Robert watch without chance of rescuing her. Betrayal is at the highest levels of the palace but who can Aurelia trust, and will it gain her freedom?
     Robert is the long-lost suitor, pining for his old friend, but the woman she's grown into is passionate and knows when to concede the point. Their relationship becomes something for the court gossips to chew on, yet their story is one readers of all ages can enjoy.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix

Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix by J.K. Rowling, 2003 Scholastic

     The youngest wizard to win the Triiumbvirate??? Wizarding Cup, Harry Potter returns in his fifth adventure. Cedric Diggory is dead and Voldemort has returned in the flesh--and this time the magic that has protected Harry since his mother's death is part of Voldemort too.
     Harry has returned to the Dursleys's and is making his way home one night when a group of dementors attack him and his cousin Dudley. He performs magic to defend both himself and his cousin and is whisked away from the Dursleys by several friends, before the Ministry of Magic can have him taken away for performing magic in front of a muggle. The group takes him to Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place--his godfather's home. Reunited with Sirius and his friends, Harry begins to enjoy his unexpected summer.
     But things are as they haven't been since Voldemort's demise fourteen years before. Gimmauld Place is the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, a resistance lead by Dumbledore himself. They are forced to act outside the Ministry because Cornelius Fudge (Minister of Magic) refuses to acknowledge Voldemort's return and therefore give the Order legitimacy.
     After a disciplinary hearing Harry is allowed to return to Hogwarts. Once there he, Ron and Hermione discover that Dolores Umbridge, one of Fudge's employees, has been assigned the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. An unusual warning from the Sorting Hat cautions the students from becoming too divided while the world around them doesn't want to believe Voldemort's return. Harry becomes the target of much ridicule as the Ministry finds it easier to attack him and label him an attention-seeking child rather than give credence to his claims.
     As the danger outside Hogwarts' walls increases the students become more and more frustrated when Umbridge refuses to teach them any defensive skills. Harry and several friends form a club that will self-educate in defensive magic. The club names themselves Dumbledore's Army, the D.A. for short, and after Umbridge is appointed High Inquisitor over all Hogwarts's teachers and students they must act in secret.
     Umbridge actively dislikes Harry and frequently singles him out for punishment. She even bans him from playing on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. In protest, Ron's twin brothers Fred and George Weasley storm out of Hogwarts in a great spectacle designed to cause Umbridge as much strife as possible.
     Harry has dreams about a corridor deep in the Ministry of Magic, walking down the corridor in the dark of night. When he dreams that a giant snake attacks Mr. Weasley, Harry's dreams become a danger to him and the Order of the Phoenix. Dumbledore sends him to Professor Snape, Harry's nemesis before Umbridge, to learn to protect his mind from the invasions. Harry's attempts show little progress and Snape is not a pleasant tutor, they begin to go longer and longer between lessons until they no longer meet at all.
     The D.A., however, continues to meet regularly until Umbridge discovers their club. Dumbledore takes responsibility for the formation and continued meetings, he resigns as headmaster and Umbridge takes his place. The school falls into a gloom and the fifth-years begin taking their O.W.L.s.
     Harry's dreams continue, yet he dreams that Voldemort has captured Sirius and is intent on rescuing him. Hermione warns against believing everything he dreams, but when Harry flees to London she and Ron join him. They discover nothing is as it seems, yet the friendships they have cultivated throughout the years will support them through the darkness.
     Rowling's fifth installment of the Harry Potter Series is a dark and gloomy tale of dangers we all experience in one way or another; that teacher whose treatment seems unwarranted and is unfair, the friendships lost because of general perception, and fear of losing resulting in a loss. As the stories become darker Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is no longer appropriate for younger readers. Readers as young as mid-teens will understand the story, yet the nuances are more appropriate for more mature readers.

Snow White and Rose Red

Snow White and Rose Red by Patricia C. Wrede, 2009 Firebird

   The Widow Arden and her two teen-aged daughters live on the edge of Mortlak between the mortal world and the Faerie Realms. They walk the fine line between two worlds and create medicines for their community to survive. When Blanche and Rosamund witness wizards stealing an essence of faerie they have no idea how deeply they will be immersed.
     Widow Arden has tried to keep her daughters from magic and anything that might hint at witchcraft. Their trips into Faerie and the widow's medicines are tenuous, but when the Queen's Astrologer lives in Mortlak and is regularly under suspicion for witchcraft any connection can be dangerous.
     When they meet a large black bear--formerly a half-faerie, half-mortal prince--Blanche and Rosamund do all they can to return him to his human form. They restore his sensibilities and draw his brother to their aid. John explains the transformation of his brother Hugh and the Arden women seek answers and a cure.
     Things become more and more dangerous when Hugh begins to revert to his bearish form and they discover the local wizards are none other than the Queen's Astrologer and his friend and compatriot. The two are trying to harness the powers of Faerie to increase their own magic, but their efforts bring them to the attentions of some unsavory characters in Faerie.
     The fear of witchcraft doesn't seem to stop the denizens of Mortlak from being fascinated by magic or working to practice it. When Faerie uses the mundane law system the attempt to return Hugh to his human form is nearly sabotaged. In the end, persistence and compassion save the Widow Arden and her family from the witch hunter's efforts and reward them in ways they could never imagine.
    Snow White and Rose Red is set in Renaissance England in an era of magic and skepticism. Wrede weaves a vibrant tale of two girls who use their forbidden learning to save friends who have been wronged; they are strong women in a world that refuses to allow women much beyond power over their husbands' household. Young adult readers will enjoy the subtle romance of the story, while readers of all ages can appreciate the fantasy.

Shock Wave

Shock Wave by Dana Mentink, 2013 Love Inspired

     A year after they've both returned from the Afghan war zone and life-altering tragedy Sage Harrington and Trey Black meet again. This time in the disaster-stricken San Francisco. The attraction they felt at their first meeting hasn't deserted either of them, but neither is thrilled to renew the association.
     Still reeling from PTSD and the guilt that her actions caused a good friend's death, Sage is furious to see Trey again, especially when he butts into her search for her missing cousin. She believes her extremely pregnant cousin was done harm by her too charming Hollywood-star husband and is meeting with one of the couple's employees when a major earthquake strikes San Francisco and traps her in the darkness with Trey.
     Trey is startled at the reappearance of the woman who never should have brought her journalistic nose into a war zone, and a little pleased at the turn of events. He hasn't been able to get her out of his mind, despite her aggravating lack of common sense. When the building they've been trapped in begins falling about their ears after a major quake, Trey sees his mission to get the woman he's begun to care about to safety--whether she wants to abandon the search for her cousin or not.
     When Sage's fears for her cousin turn out to not be paranoia as a result of her PTSD the two face more dangerous mistakes than their shared past. A city in pieces, missing mother-to-be, and possible murder all under an old opera house bring out both the best and worst in both Sage and Trey.
     Shock Wave is a love story that isn't about love, the plot is not driven by the burgeoning feelings between the main characters, yet it is enriched by their relationship and their faith. Romance fans will enjoy the subtle growth of their feelings, while all readers can enjoy the plot and characters. Unlike most modern romance, Love Inspired are softer stories and readers of all ages will enjoy the story.

Catching Fire

Catching Fire by Susanne Collins, 2009 Schoolastic Press

     After she and Peeta rewrote history and won the Hunger Games Katniss Everdeen returned home to the Seam in District 12. Her supposed relationship with Peeta broke into her friendship with Gale, but they soon fell into an uneasy facsimile of their association before the Games. Now it's time for the Victory Tour throughout Panem when President Snow personally visits Katniss reminding her of the power he has over the people she loves.
     With the threat of her family's life hanging over her head Katniss is charged with pacifying the rebellion throughout the districts. When expressing her heartfelt gratitude leads to the death of denizens throughout the districts and open rebellion, Katniss must deal with consequences she had no claim to. The Quarter Quell, a special form of the Games that happens every twenty-five years, is announced President Snow reveals the tributes for the seventy-fifth Hunger Games will be chosen from the previous winners.
     Katniss goes back into the Arena.
     But will she survive the other survivors' attacks? Her only hope is to keep Peeta alive, willing to die so he can continue the rebellion she has begun. After she makes an agreement with Haymitch to fight for Peeta's survival Katniss is stunned when things in the Arena go wrong. Katniss and Peeta, along with the rest of the districts don't know everything that's happening in Panem, but they know enough to want to fight what has put them in such a difficult spot.

Sabriel

Sabriel by Garth Nix, 1995 HarperCollins

     Away at school in the modern Ancelstierre when a creature of death appears in her dormitory, Sabriel receives a message from her father behind the Seventh Gate of Death. She is to take the role of Abhorsen and defeat the necromancer Kerrigor before he can escape Death and break the Charter of Free Magic, then the Charter of the Old Kingdom.
     Sabriel leaves school to enter the Old Kingdom where magic still runs and the dead are trying to escape. She finds Abhorsen House, her father's home, and teams with the bound Free Magic construct Mogget. Mogget insists on joining her journey and they escape as the Dead attempt to capture her.
     As they flee the Dead, Sabriel and Mogget find the tomb of the royal family and free Touchstone, a man trapped as figurehead in one king's burial ship. Touchstone joins the troupe and they travel to the Capitol where Sabriel finds the Abhorsen trapped in death. He returns long enough to pass the mantle and warn her of the great danger Kerrigor presents. The group stalls his return and hurries to their next task in ending Kerrigor's return.
     Sabriel blends early twentieth century Europe with old magic. It is a defense of the world we know against an unknown we fear and Sabriel's journey is not only the individual's task to complete, but she continues what many before her have set in motion. Uneasy alliances and uncommon friendship aid Sabriel in her task, but it takes learning she never received to save the world. Sabriel is dark but a compelling story for readers of all ages.

Just Ella

Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix, 1999 Aladdin Books

     Prince Charming has proposed and Cinderella said yes. Now Ella Brown has been swept away from her stepmother and stepsisters to what should be a paradise--no chores, beautiful clothes, and a future as queen. But being a princess isn't all she expected it to be. Princess lessons and palace etiquette are suffocating and Ella has little time to herself.
     What would be the time she and her fiance spent getting to know each other is spent with the prince staring at her like a piece of art or treating her as a mirror to his own glorification. Add to that her lack of power as a noblewoman and life back home is looking better and better.
     The only bright spots are Mary, a serving girl from the kitchens, and Jed, Ella's history tutor who stands in for his father. They become her only friends and the support that gets her through living in the bleak palace. When Ella becomes suspicious that Jed is using her connection to support a refugee camp he wants to create, they have a falling out and Jed admits to falling in love with her.
     When Ella falls out of love with the prince's boyish selfishness she asks to end their engagement. Prince Charming becomes violent toward her, and her decorum tutor and chaperon has her taken to the dungeon to change her mind. The treatment only encourages Ella to escape and she does through a sewage hole in the dungeon floor.
     Once free, Ella Brown tries to find the refugee camp Jed has made a reality. When she arrives he is delighted to see her, and proposes, but Ella is marriage-shy and asks for time. In the camp she learns to live her values and support the people around her--she is more than just a pretty face and has the ability to both affect change and help the people she cares for.
     In the end Ella Brown goes from princess and noblewoman to a noble woman caring for the people around her. Young readers will enjoy her spunk and compassion in Haddix's take on a classic fairy tale.

City of Masks

City of Masks by Mary Hoffman, 2002 Bloomsbury

     Lucien Mulholland is a young man living in Islington, North London in modern time. When he falls asleep clutching a marbled notebook from his father, he wakes in Renaissance Italy. Only it isn't our Italy. In Talia Lucien wakes in a Venice-like Bellezza and meets Rodolfo Rossi. Rodolfo is a Stravagante--a traveler between worlds.
     In Bellezza Lucien is simply a student, he learns the magic of Stravigation by apprenticing himself to the Duchessa's counselor Rodolfo. On his first stravigation he meets Arianna Gasparini, who saves him from execution on the Forbidden Day--a day non-citizens are forbidden from the city. The Duchessa, Sylvia, is battling the powerful di Chimci family to keep Bellezza independent from their Talian Republic. She is worried at the portents surrounding Arianna, Lucien and their adventures through the city.
     Lucien finds himself surrounded by intrigue and adventure in Talia while his life in London revolves around his treatment for cancer. The more time he spends in Talia the more of his body that follows his mind to the new world and with every trip he risks leaving London forever.
     Lucien's friendship with Arianna and his apprenticeship with Rodolfo lure him away from the pain and frustration of his life at home. The friendships he creates and the role he plays in Talia's politics are in bright contrast to the normal life Lucien leads in London, but are they worth leaving the only life he's ever known and his family? Readers as young as middle school will enjoy the action and adventure of Lucien's straviagtion to and from Talia.

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, 2008 Schoolastic Press

     Life in the Seam is not easy for anyone, but Katniss Everdeen had discovered a way to support her family and her community through illegal hunting. Along with her friend Gale she supplies meat to the black market and life is bearable. When the annual Hunger Games rolls around, the people of District 12 living along the Seam are hesitant to allow the Capitol to reap their children for the annual fight to the death.
     The champions of the Hunger Games lives in splendor and luxury for the remainder of their lives, but at the cost of their humanity. In order to win the contestant must defeat the remaining Tributes--two teens from each of the twelve districts of Panem--and win the Games. Success would mean Katniss's family's survival, but it could also mean her death--when her young sister is called the first year she is eligible Katniss knows she must volunteer to save her mother's sanity and younger sister's life.
     Along with the baker's son, Peeta Mellark, Katniss goes into the arena defiant and hoping to survive long enough to mean something, but expecting nothing. When her one alliance is destroyed Katniss Everdeen is intent on getting back at the Capitol any way she can. Through luck and the survival skills she and Gale developed beyond the borders of District 12, Katniss manages to make it to the last, bringing Peeta with her. In one last strike at the Capitol and its games Katniss and Peeta threaten mutual suicide and are allowed to live.
     The Hunger Games is not a love story, it is the beginning of a revolution against a government which reminds its populace of its superiority by destroying the humanity of the next generation. The Games are a power tool used to keep the defeated districts under control and Katniss is the spark that lights the fire. The book is not suited for younger readers with vivid violence and psychological manipulation, teens and more mature readers will understand the story's nuances and appreciate its complex commentary.