The Dollhouse Murders

The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright, 1983 Scholastic

     Amy Treloar, her sister Louann, and Amy's best friend Ellen discover a beautiful replica dollhouse of the family home. But playing with the house causes the dolls to reenact the murder of Amy and Louann's great-grandparents thirty years before.
     The girls believe the repeated reenactment of the grisly murder is trying to tell them something. They struggle to solve the murder. Aunt Clare, who owns the house and dollhouse, believes it was her fiancee, but there is evidence it could have been the gardener.
     In investigating the family secret Amy discovers her mentally challenged sister is much more capable than she originally thought. Amy learns that family endures even after trauma and works through the issues which have plagued her family for decades.
     Amy's story is suspenseful and deals with tough issues including trauma, crime, and mental illness. The crimes against the family are more than many children are ready for but handled in an age-sensitive manner. Wright's story is a powerful ghost story aimed at middle school readers.

The Ghosts Beneath Our Feet

The Ghosts Beneath Our Feet by Betty Ren Wright, 1984 Scholastic

     Uncle Frank isn't really Katie's uncle - only an elderly family friend living in a dying mining town in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Katie, her mother, and her step-brother move in with Uncle Frank when her step-father dies. The trio experience typical family drama upon their relocation: Katie and her mother struggle with each other, and Jay rebels with a motorcycle fascination and a bad attitude.
     Katie hopes the summer in a small town will be fun with new adventures and new kids to meet. She is sorely disappointed when the kids are distant and the mining accident thirty years ago left the town reeling. Uncle Frank's son died in the accident but it isn't his ghost Katie runs into.
     The townsfolk warn of "knockers" - the ghosts of the miners who are trying to return to the surface. Katie meets a beautiful young lady who seems to be warning her about something. The apparition shows up outside the old mine, then in a mirror in Uncle Frank's house. Can Katie decipher the ghosts warnings before it's too late, or will she fall prey to the town's next great disaster?
     The Ghosts Beneath Our Feet delves into the aftermath of a community tragedy, be it a large or small group of people affected. Wright's story is aimed at middle-grade readers with a gentle scare and more accessible language.

The Ghost in the Third Row

The Ghost in the Third Row by Bruce Coville, 1987 Yearling Books

     Sixth-grader Nina Tanleven is trying out for the play and is scared. But she sees a beautiful woman in white in the audience encouraging her and knows there is nothing to fear.
     Nina and her best friend, Chris, do some research and discover a beautiful young actress was murdered in their very theater fifty years before. The girls continue to see the ghost of the woman in white throughout the production. With each encounter, they feel the lady is there to help, not to hurt the troupe.
     Someone is haunting the theater, though. Costumes are destroyed, scripts are shredded, and sets are knocked over when no one is there. Nina and Chris are the only ones who don't believe the real ghost is the one trying to stop the show. The cast and crew take precautions to avoid the superstitions that surround the destruction.
     The two sixth-grade girls refuse to believe the kind-looking pretty ghost could be causing such damage and danger. Nina and Chris decide to do some more sleuthing and discover - with the Lady's help - the ghostly damage is caused by a much less supernatural source.
     The Ghost in the Third Row is a quick and vibrant read in the Grand Theater. Nina and Chris are typical twelve-year-old girls with inquisitive minds and caring hearts. Middle-grade readers will enjoy this friendly ghost story.

Here, There Be Dragons

Here, There Be Dragons by James A. Owens, 2006 Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

     three young men are drawn on a dark and stormy night to meet a scholar of remarkable renown. When they arrive their host has been murdered and the trio is chased by creatures unknown. These wendigoes are creatures of myth and chase the young men across a rainy London night to be rescued by Bert. 

     Bert and his daughter, Aven, help John, Charles, and Jack flee the wendigo abord Aven's ship: the Indigo Dragon. They adventure into Avalon then Paralon in the "Archipelago of Dreams". The young Oxford scholars learn they've inherited a magical book that allows them to sail the archipelago. 

     The group grows with each step in their adventure. Bug (also known as Artus) chooses to board the Indigo Dragon in Avalon. In Paralon they befriend Tummeler the badger who is writing a cookbook. Magwitch is picked up accidentally; abused and threatened by the Indigo Dragon's crew until he escapes back to his own crew in service to the Winter King. 

     The Indigo Dragon's crew and the caretakers of the Imaginarium Geographica discover their magical book is the one thing the Winter King will tear the archipelago apart to obtain. His shadow-born are wraithlike and have no independent thought: they do the Winter King's bidding through the enslavement of their souls. 

     John, Charles, and Jack aren't always in agreement with what should happen next, but they do agree keeping the Imaginarium Geographica from the Winter King and finding a stable ruler for the archipelago are the best they can hope for the new world they've discovered. All seems lost as their allies are slowly knocked to the wayside. Their last hope is to find the Cartographer of Lost Places--the author of the Imaginarium. 

     As the two forces drive toward a resounding clash, secrets are revealed. Friends are lost, and allies become enemies. In the end the map's declaration "Here, there be Dragons" becomes a rallying cry. Readers who enjoy the classic fantasies of Middle Earth, Narnia, and the Nautilus will find this sea-faring adventure in line with the magic of the great stories. Classic authors and their stories are peppered throughout Owens's story of strangers who must rely on each other to survive. 

Black Magic Sanction

Black Magic Sanction by Kim Harrison, 2010 Harper Voyager

     She hasn't quite accepted that she is a day-walking demon, but the Coven of Moral and Ethical Standards is after Rachel anyway. After the shunning, a woman attacks her in the grocery store while she and Ivy shop. Vivian is a member of the Coven, using her white magic with deadly consequences. Rachel is sent to the FIB and made to pay for damages while Vivian is absolved of her part.
     On her way home from the FIB offices, Rachel is summoned to San Francisco where the Coven attempts to railroad her into either being magically neutered, or literally neutered. Rachel is sent to Alcatraz when she refuses where she learns some of the ways the Coven manages trouble-maker witches. The church's gargoyle, Bis, finds Rachel and comforts her until Ivy can summon her back home to Cincinnati.
     Thus begins the tug-o-war between Rachel and the forces who want to control her. Trent Kalamack is still itching to get her under his control, Algaliarept (her demon teacher) attempts to keep her in the ever-after whenever he gets the chance, Pierce (the ghost brought back to life in a previous book) leverages attraction to influence her, and the Coven is on the prowl for her ability to kindle demon magic.
     After several near-death excursions and the loss of a close friend, Rachel makes her stand, accepting her place as a step between witches and demons but refusing to let it be the reason she dies.
     Rachel Morgan doesn't want to use black magic, but her blood is having difficulty kindling standard magic. She is becoming a different entity, and the consequences on her life spiral out of control. Through her friendships and faith in herself Rachel holds her world together and manages to get out okay. Like her reader, Rachel deals with the mess of everyday life as it comes to her and hopes what comes tomorrow won't kill her.

The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, 2008 HarperCollins

     A toddler wanders from the home of his murdered family up the hill to a nearby cemetery. With the killer, Jack, following his footsteps the boy is protected by the ghosts of the graveyard. He is adopted by a couple who never had children themselves and becomes Nobody Owens. The boy is given the Freedom of the Graveyard and a mysterious figure neither alive nor dead, Silas, becomes his guide to the world outside the cemetery.
     Bod grows quickly in the eyes of the dead. He learns to talk and is educated by the ghosts. The cemetery no longer accepts new tenants, but a portion of the property is a nature preserve where families and couples come for picnics. Bod meets and befriends a little girl named Scarlett. He tells the girl about the ghosts who inhabit the graveyard, and though she cannot see them, Scarlett is fascinated. The two sneak into the oldest tomb on the property where they encounter the Sleer - a terrifying presence which is the impetus for Scarlett's parents refusing to allow her visits to the cemetery.
     The boy continues to have adventures: he meets and befriends the ghost of a young woman prosecuted as a witch; he goes to school outside the graveyard, confronts the school's bullies, and triumphs; he dances the Macabray with Death herself; Bod lives a unique life with his dead, unchanging family. With Silas as the voice of wisdom and Mrs. Lepescu a grueling taskmistress Bod is given tools to survive both the world of the living and the world of the dead. He will need those skills as Jack has not ceased searching for the toddling boy who escaped.
     Shaped by ghosts, goblins, friends and a haphazard kind of family, Nobody Owens must discover what makes life worth living. He cannot remain in the graveyard, but must move beyond the memories to truly live. Gaiman tells the tale of a child growing into a young man with a flourishing imagination, in a voice readers of all ages can enjoy.

Terrier

Terrier by Tamora Pierce, 2006 Random House

     Beka Cooper and her family moved from the Cesspool into the home of the Provost: commander of the Provost Guard, known as dogs, who keep the King's Peace in the capital, Corus. Beka shows, at a young age, her tendency toward Guardwork. When she is old enough the Lord Provost allows Bekka to join the Dogs.
     After a year of training Beka Cooper becomes a Puppy - trainee dog. To her surprise, Puppy Cooper is placed with two of the best Dogs in the city. Tunstall and Goodwin are veteran Dogs who not only care for their jobs, but also care for the justice and people in the Lower City.
     Soon two extensive cases come to their attention: the murder of nine diggers who mine in the basements of the Lower City for precious fire opals, and the kidnapping and murder of Roland Letz grandson. Letz is one of the city's most powerful "scales" known as Crookshank. He goes mad with his grandson's death and creates tension in the Underworld's Court of the Rogue allowing a foreigner, Rosto the Piper and his companions Aniki and Kora, a foothold in the unstable Underground.
     Beka admires the two women, but Rosto and his attentions make her uneasy. When push comes to shove, Beka is grateful for her new friends and the insight they bring. With more diggers turning up dead and with Beka's closest friend's husband, Crookshank's son, kidnapped next, the Lower City Dogs have their work cut out for them.
     The Puppy becomes a favorite among the lower City--not only for her past in the city, but for the tenacity which earns her the name Terrier. Beka Cooper learns to harness her talents and fights her fears to seek justice for citizens of Tortall, just as many of Pierce's heroines do.
     She is feisty and stubborn, but has her fears too. Readers who enjoy fantasy and historical fiction will find a relatable character. Terrier is more appropriate for mid-teen readers with some suggestive content.

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.

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.

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.

The Rising

The Rising by Kelley Armstrong, 2013 Harper

     Maya Delaney and her friends are paranormal experiments. Maya is a skin-walker, able to transform into a cougar. Her best friend Daniel is a benandanti or demon hunter with powers of persuasion and a "super-shout". Their friend Corey gets visions and has a power of charm, it seems all of the teens in their small town have some sort of power. But Salmon Creek is long gone and the friends are on the run from two powerful Cabals who want to control their powers.
     After escaping a forest fire, kidnapping via evacuation helicopter, being chased by the Cabal, losing four of their group, meeting and escaping Maya's biological father, and attending their own funerals the three friends are hoping for any help they can find. When Maya's twin brother shows up the trio isn't sure whether or not they can trust him. Ash has his own issues, but when Maya is captured to allow his escape he meets up with Daniel and Corey.
     The side effects of each teen's transition are surfacing; Corey's headaches are becoming debilitating and Maya is regressing into blind rages where she will attack anyone and everyone. They need the Cabal and its research to stabilize, while Maya is trapped in the Nasts' compound she realizes and recognizes the need. But she still tries to escape. Her biological father, who works for the Cabal, helps Maya, her boyfriend Rafe, and their friend Hayley escape.
     He suggests a plan of negotiation that involves finding another escaped group of paranormal teens. But it takes more than just a call to get their cooperation and even more to evade another capture. Maya and her friends are tired of running, but they will not concede without getting at least part of their lives back.
     Maya, Daniel and the rest of the kids from Salmon Creek have lived pampered lives, but they still know how to fight back and want to maintain their independence. Rather than let the Cabal take care of them, they hope to become more than simply experiments; they are real people and have hopes and dreams. Maya discovers more about her own life, her relationships, and her hopes for the future while running than while in the protective bubble of the Cabal's influence. In the final book of the Darkness Rising Series, Maya discovers who she is, who she wants to be, and how to use her circumstances to her own advantage. The book is focused toward teen readers.

Dead Witch Walking

Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison, 2004 Harper Voyager

      Rachel Morgan is a runner for Inderland Security--the I.S. for short--hunting down and arresting the bad guys. But when she decides to get out and start her own firm, the I.S. is not pleased. Rachel's vampire partner, Ivy, and pixy backup, Jenks, follow her and the trio become partners in Vampiric Charms. But in the midst of the changes, the I.S. puts out a contract for Rachel and the demon Algaliarept begins chasing her down.
   Rachel and Ivy move into an old church, renting it from Piscary, the city's master vampire. To thwart her death threat, Rachel moves to take down Trent Kalamack and his illegal Brimstone trade. Trent is a powerful inderlander, holding a seat on Cincinnati's city council but of indeterminate origins, and when he catches Rachel sneaking into his compound as a mink he captures her and forces her to fight in the underground rat fights.
     Before she ends up in the fights, Trent keeps Rachel in his office where she slowly starves herself (she doesn't want to eat poisons or something that will affect her magic) until Trent's new secretary feeds her carrots from her own lunch. Rachel learns about the inner workings of Trent's compound and discovers other, more unsavory business dealings than just illegal Brimstone.
     Rachel is even more determined to escape the rat fights and take Trent down. She discovers the reigning champion is another human-turned-rodent and together they arrange to escape. But even she realizes that she'll need stronger magic to complete the task. She considers black magic and the rat, a human named Nick, helps her get into the restricted books at the local university.
     Just as Rachel and Nick find a book that might be helpful Algaliarept appears to kill Rachel. Nick manages to command him to return both of them to the church where Jenks' wife Matalina and Keasley, the mysterious witch across the street, patch Rachel up. Ivy goes to the Federal Inderland Bureau (the F.I.B. is the human-run equivalent of the I.S.) trying to get Captain Edden to go after Trent.  Edden cannot touch Trent, but Rachel makes another foray into his compound and finds security that prevents Trent from killing her. Trent is unhappy that his attempts at damage control fail and continues trying to get Rachel under his control.
     Rachel Morgan has her own ideas about how the world should work; though she plays within the rules she gets results the "good guys" can't always get. Her tenacity and independence are remarkable, yet they are what also pushes her into the vat of trouble she inevitably finds. Rachel is a strong woman living in a difficult world and surviving. Mature readers will be able to understand more of the gray reasoning behind some of Rachel's exploits, and some content is more suitable for older readers
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The Sleeping Beauty

The Sleeping Beauty by Jacqueline Navin, 2001 Harlequin

     When Mr. Adam Mannion, Esquire, hears about a mysterious lady hidden in the wilds of Northumberland he goes north is search of her fortune and her pedigree. The woman is purported to be beautiful, charming, rich, and a recluse.

     Lady Helena Rathford has hidden in her father’s home since an accident crumpled her confidence and gave her vindictive servant the ammunition to keep Helena under her thumb. When Adam arrives and convinces Lord Rathford to marry them, his invasion into her private sanctuary is unbearable.

     At first the mysteries around Helena and the Rathford home are a fence between Adam and making the Northumberland estate his home. However, as time goes on and he begins to know the people and the property, he falls in love with not only his new properties, but also his wife.

     However, things are not as they seem in Northumberland. Something is working to place the blame for mysterious events on Helena. And while she and Mannion think they are becoming closer and closer their world is falling apart.

     When Helena’s history takes over their future, Mannion discovers how far he will go for the woman he loves.

     For a romance novel The Sleeping Beauty is mild, yet it does have some explicit scenes making it suited for high schoolers and older readers. The plot itself is somewhat of a mystery mixed with the sleeping beauty fairytale. 

Balthazar

Balthazar by Claudia Gray, 2012 HarperTeen

     After rescuing Bianca from Evernight Academy, Skye Tierney starts to have visions of death. Each time she encounters the scene of a violent death, whether it was a murder, suicide, or something as painful as a heart attack, Skye witnesses the event through the eyes of the victim. She reaches out to friends from Evernight with the hopes that her problems will be solved. However, the vampire sent to help her discovers there is more going on with Skye than anyone realized.

     It appears that Skye’s psychic abilities have given her blood unique properties: she can allow vampires to experience life again. When Lorenzo, one of Balthazar’s former companions, has a taste he brings Balthazar’s sire to the scene. Redgrave will stop at nothing to get Skye’s agreement, and if it hurts Balthazar in the process, so much the better.

     Balthazar finds a position at Skye’s school to be a nearby bodyguard. But when the drama in her life rises to the surface, vampires are not the only thing Balthazar wants to protect her from. When their relationship heats up, Skye’s so-called friend spreads a rumor that Skye is sleeping with her History teacher (a technically true rumor). In that unguarded moment Redgrave kidnaps Skye and Balthazar is forced to rely on some unlikely allies to save her.

     In the end, Skye faces the prospect of her hometown becoming the battleground for vampires fighting over her blood. With little left to chose from, Skye manages to embrace her new psychic abilities and hope for a future with the only man she’s truly loved.

     Balthazar has beaten himself raw over the centuries with guilt for his sister’s death, and the death of his first love. When Skye captures his attention and heart, he doesn’t know how to deal with the imbalance between his desires and what he should do. It takes her near-death to make him see that there is more to his undead life than the guilt at his death.

     Unlike the Evernight books, Balthazar deals with Skye and Balthazar’s journey, their relationship, and the aftermath of Lucas and Bianca’s happily-ever-after. Skye has been changed by her experience and Balthazar is learning to live again. Each has emotional trauma they work together to get through, while facing incredible odds. Their story is about overcoming fear, fighting for what you believe in, and survival even when you want to give up. The book is meant for high schoolers, with some intense sexual tension and implied amorous activities.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling, 1999 Bloomsbury Publishing

     Harry returns to the Dursleys' house for the summer after his first spectacular year at Hogwarts. Very few things have changed: Harry is still at the beck and call of his aunt, uncle, and cousin, but he has been moved from the cupboard under the stairs to the upstairs second bedroom. While the Dursleys are hosting a dinner party a house-elf, Dobby, appears to Harry and attempts to warn him away from returning to Hogwarts. However Dobby's methods only cause more problems at the Dursley home encouraging Harry to return to school at the earliest opportunity.
     That opportunity is presented when Ron, Fred, and George Weasley steal their father's flying car and break Harry out of Number 4 Privet Drive. Harry spends the rest of the summer at the Burrow with the Weasley family.
     Preparations for school go awry when Harry mispronounces Diagon Alley and the Floo network (magical transportation from fireplace to fireplace) sends him to the dark-arts center, Knockturn Alley. Hagrid rescues him and returns Harry to the Weasleys in Diagon Alley. Harry and Ron's family meet Gilderoy Lockheart--a famous wizard taking up the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts--who insists upon a picture with Harry for the papers. Returning to Hogwarts is again difficult for Harry and Ron when the barrier onto the Platform refuses to let them through; they borrow the flying car again, following the train, but crash into the Womping Willow when they try to land it. They manage to make it to Hogwarts, but Mrs. Weasley sends Ron a Howler proclaiming her displeasure to the entire banquet hall and threatening to yank him out of school if he misbehaves.
     Harry, Ron, and Hermione discover that his fame is all Lockheart is willing to talk about and his classes become monuments to his accomplishment, rather than teaching opportunities. Things get even stranger than normal at Hogwarts when Mrs. Norris, the caretaker Filtch's cat, is petrified and someone writes in blood on the wall "The Chamber of Secrets has been opened, enemies of the heir beware." The trio does some research and discovers Salazar Slytherin had created the Chamber of Secrets during the building of Hogwarts, it houses a monster only the heir can control.
     Harry comes under suspicion when he speaks Parseltongue at a meeting of Lockheart's dueling club--Slytherin was known for his ability to speak Parseltongue. When Harry finds Nearly Headless Nick and an annoying Gryffindor first-year petrified he becomes the number one suspect. Harry and his friends suspect Malfoy and disguise themselves as Crabbe and Goyle to test their theory. Malfoy is not the heir, but he reveals the chamber was opened fifty years before. Things are quiet but soon a mysterious journal appears in a flooded bathroom. Harry writes in the journal and it writes back: it houses the spirit of Tom Riddle, a student who, fifty years previously, falsely accused Hagrid of opening the Chamber of Secrets getting Hagrid expelled.
     It isn't until Hermione is petrified and sent to the Hospital Wing that the boys learn what the creature is or how it travels the castle. The basilisk slinks through Hogwarts at the beck and call of the heir and those lucky enough to escape its direct glance are simply frozen in place rather than immediately killed. But with Hermione lost Harry and Ron hurry to find Hagrid, hoping to discover the heir before he or she can do more damage to the school. Before they can speak to him, Hagrid is taken to Azkaban prison for opening the Chamber and releasing its terrors on the school. His only advice is to "follow the spiders" as they flee Slytherin's creature. Harry and Ron follow the spiders into the Forbidden Forest where they come across Aragog, a giant spider and pet of Hagrid's. Aragog points them to the girl killed fifty years before, a girl found in a bathroom. The only answer is Moaning Myrtle, a ghost living in the bathroom where she died.
     Harry and Ron drag an escaping Lockheart along with them as they enter Myrtle's bathroom. Using Parseltongue, Harry opens the chamber, but must leave Ron with an incapacitated Lockheart when he causes a cave-in with Ron's broken wand. Within the chamber proper, Harry discovers a semi-solid Tom Riddle over Ginny's prone form. Riddle tricked Ginny into opening the chamber and acting for him until he was strong enough to reform and take over his inheritance. Riddle calls the basilisk to kill Harry, who cannot fight back as he cannot look at the creature.
     Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes, appears with the sorting hat and blinds the basilisk, infuriating Riddle. The phoenix drops the hat and it produces Godric Gryffindor's sword, giving Harry a chance against the giant serpent. He defeats the creature, but is bitten by one of its poison fangs. Fawkes's tears heal Harry's wound, but Riddle is solid and attacks him. Harry stabs the journal with the basilisk fang and it bleeds ink as Riddle disintegrates into nothing.
     Harry and Ginny return to the cave-in and, with Lockheart and Ron, the school where they reunite with the Weasleys. Ron and Harry are commended, the basilisk's victims are revived, and all returns to normal. Harry confronts Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father, for slipping the journal to Ginny and tricks him into releasing Dobby the house-elf, earning Dobby's eternal gratitude. Harry reluctantly returns to the Dursley home for the summer holidays.
     In this second novel, Harry encounters a crisis of identity: while he knows he is not the perpetrator of the crimes, his entire school is not so convinced and the evidence against him grows. Harry must deal with the difference between what he knows to be true and what the people around him believe, yet he manages to maintain his sense of self, listening to his mentors' advice--we are a sum of our choices, rather than our abilities. Dobby's appearance and the accompanying prejudices mirrors challenges of race and personhood that appear throughout our society, as do the issues of magical and non-magical beings and their access to the magical world. One major theme that is magnified through Lockheart and Riddle's Diary is the acceptance of information without looking into motivations or biases. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is about muddling through appearances and deciding whom to become based on personal wants and desires, rather than the dictates of society. The ideal audience is older elementary to middle school, though anyone can find something enjoyable in the story.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling, 1997 Bloomsbury Publishing

     In the first book of the Harry Potter series, Harry is an eleven-year-old living with his cruel Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon Dursley. His parents were killed when he was only one year old and his aunt and uncle refuse to speak of it, other than to tell young Harry that his parents were worthless. To make matters even more unfair, Harry lives in a cupboard under the stairs while his cousin is spoiled with two bedrooms of his own and anything he could possibly ask for. Everything changes on Harry's eleventh birthday.
     A letter arrives in the mail, addressed directly to Harry Potter, cupboard under the stairs. The Dursleys throw the letter away before Harry can open it, and when others arrive, they dispose of them as well, until they cannot stop Harry from opening a copy of the letter inviting him to attend Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Still Harry is kept from preparing for school until a representative of the school, Hagrid, appears on Harry's birthday to tell him he is a wizard and to help him phase into the wizarding world.
     Harry catches the train to school and meets Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, with whom he becomes good friends, Draco Malfoy and his cronies Crabbe and Goyle, who become Harry's arch enemies, and a slew of other characters who continue through the story with him. When they arrive at Hogwarts the first-years are sorted into houses where they will live for their time at school. Harry and his friends are sorted into Gryffindor where the rest of Ron's family has been sorted, while Malfoy and his crowd are sent to Slytherin.
     The school year commences and Harry meets Professor Minerva McGonagall, head of Gryffindor and transfiguration professor, Professor Severus Snape, head of Slytherin and potions master, other professors, wizards and witches important to the wizarding world, Professor Quirinus Quirrell the defense against the dark arts professor, and Professor Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts. McGonagall takes on a motherly role in Harry's life while Snape spends his every waking moment making Harry's life as difficult as possible, and there's just something about Quirrell that makes Harry's scar hurt.
     It isn't until Malfoy's mockery and Hermione's open-mouthed awe make him start asking questions that Harry is told about Voldemort and the significance of his lightning-bolt scar. When Harry was just a baby, Voldemort was the most dangerous and evil wizard that had ever existed seeking world domination and immortality, for some reason he came after Harry trying to kill him, and gave the infant not only the protection of his mother's sacrifice, but also the power to overthrow Voldemort himself.
     Harry and his friends go about their days, but there are little things about Hogwarts that make them question what they see. When Professor Snape starts acting strangely, they begin to suspect he is trying to steal whatever it is that's hidden on the forbidden third floor corridor. When they discover it isn't Snape, but Quirrell, and the parasitic Lord Voldemort on the back of his head, they must go after him. Through teamwork they manage to make it past the challenges set before them, but only one may continue to the end. Harry confronts Quirrell and rescues the Sorcerer's Stone, but not before being injured by the escaping spirit of Voldemort when he flees Quirrell's corpse.
     The friendship between Harry, Hermione, and Ron sets the tone for the series, providing support and strength for each of the three friends. Why three first-year wizards can make it past the guards meant to hold back one of the most dangerous wizards of all time is a troubling question, but shows their synergy and its power.

Afterlife

Afterlife by Claudia Gray, 2011 Harper Collins

     Bianca has died. Her new status as a Wraith is confusing and the draw to leave her life is a constant pull, but Lucas has died too. When Lucas' worst nightmare comes true, Bianca is the only thing keeping him from losing control and the animosity between vampires and wraiths isn't going to keep them apart.
     But Lucas' bloodthirst is stronger than either of them could have anticipated. The only place to go is Evernight Academy, risking the perils that stalk those hallways. Lucas, Bianca, and their friends discovered, in a previous story, that Mrs. Bethany allowed specific humans to enter the school because they had lived haunted lives, and the wraiths followed them to Evernight only to be trapped by Mrs. Bethany.
     Bianca and Lucas carve out a corner of the school where they could meet with friends and plan a way to make the academy safe for Bianca to roam. They conquered the challenge of the traps, and worked toward understanding why Mrs. Bethany drew the wraiths to Evernight. While the vampires try to control Lucas' bloodthirst, Bianca tries to understand Christopher--the wraith who seems to lead the others--and the power he wields.
     After many challenges to their relationship and their very existences, Lucas and Bianca help to break down barriers between the vampires and wraiths, as well as the undead and humans. All while maintaining their relationship and fighting for each other. In the final segment of the Evernight series, Lucas and Bianca are finally able to be together without the prejudices of their world trying to separate them. The story is accessible and concludes the series with the push that began Evernight.

A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, 1843 Chapman & Hall

    Ebeneezer Scrooge is the epitome of a person without any Christmas Spirit. He begins his story as a lonely old man who refuses any Christmas extras to his employees. One night he is visited by a series of spirits--Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Future--who encourage Scrooge to look beyond the physical things that are put together to make up the Christmas Season.
     The first spirit, Christmas Past, takes Scrooge into his own past to view the Christmases that shaped his views of the holiday. He sees that Christmas and the holiday season wasn't always something that took his workers away from making a profit, he once enjoyed the season with a child's joy.
     Christmas Present, the second spirit, takes Scrooge around to his secretary's home where he sees the young man's son, Tiny Tim. Tiny Tim is suffering from illness and might die if he doesn't get the care his family cannot afford. Scrooge begins to see how his dislike of the Christmas holiday and season are affecting the people around him, despite their innocent joy and faith in the season.
     The third ghost brings a bleak picture of Scrooge's future Christmases. The silent figure takes Scrooge through time to his future, to his tombstone. When he sees the stone, bare and without any appearance of mourners, Scrooge begins to see things differently.
     On Christmas Morning, after a night of travel, Scrooge thinks it was all just a dream, but has changed his take on the season. Eager to change his future, he rushes to his secretary's home to celebrate Christmas with his family. A Christmas Carol is the ultimate tale of Christmas Spirit, and the joy of the intangible elements of the season appropriate for children of all ages.

Hourglass

Hourglass by Claudia Gray, 2010 Harper Collins

     Bianca has decided to escape Evernight with Lucas, but their life with the Black Cross (the vampire hunting community Lucas comes from) becomes more and more difficult. Bianca requires blood to stay alive, and her substitution of pigeon blood for human is not working. Lucas insists on feeding her his own blood even though Bianca is adamant about not wanting to suck the life force from her love.
     The couple plan their escape from Black Cross, but Lucas' stepfather keeps a tighter and tighter watch over the group. As Bianca becomes weaker and weaker the two fear that her secret will be found out. When they finally make a break for it, the Black Cross has come across Balthazar (a vampire from the academy) and the two run away when Lucas' parents' backs are turned during the battle. But Bianca hasn't had enough blood and is dying. Balthazar escapes and catches up with them, only to find he is about to lose his friend. The former enemies begin to bond as the situation becomes more and more dire.
     While Lucas and Bianca's relationship is still following the lines of Romeo and Juliet they have moved from the puppy-dog love to a kind of romance that allows for their strengths and weaknesses to be a part of the relationship. They develop as characters separate from one another and deal with the challenges they are presented with. The story is written for a younger high school audience, but has elements readers of all ages can identify with.

The Mystery at Lilac Inn

The Mystery at Lilac Inn by Carolyn Keene, 1961 Grosset & Dunlap

     In her fourth adventure, Nancy visits her friend Emily and Emily's Aunt Hazel at an inn and resort owned by Emily and her fiance, Dick. The Lilac Inn is being haunted by a woman with dark hair and a flowing gown, driving away employees and causing strife throughout the resort.
     Nancy is called home to investigate a break-in at her home. She discovers that someone has been wearing her 'distinctive clothing' and using her identity to charge large purchases to her account. When she returns to the Lilac Inn, Nancy witnesses the theft of Emily's jewels and encounters her own apparition.
     With a twist involving Dick's friend John, Nancy displays a willingness to explore into new and different hobbies in the course of the case. After a close encounter with drowning and a cold war spy ring, Nancy captures her impostor, solves both cases and returns home safely.
     The elements that create Nancy Drew come together in this book: her disguises, uncommon skills, traditional values, and a system of deductive reasoning that carries her through to the end of each case. The writing is accessible and the ink and pen drawings allow an image of Nancy's era.