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.

The Mark of the Dragonfly

The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaliegh Johnson, 2014 Scholastic

     Nearly a year ago Piper's father died from factory smoke poisoning. Since then she has harbored deep-seated anger for the Dragonfly King and her own King of the Merrow Kingdom. The two countries battle over iron - Merrow to build weapons, the southern kingdom to build exploratory ships to spread over Solace. But Piper's life in the far north revolved around those things which fall to the ground from other worlds.
     Piper grew up in Scrap Town 16 and is the best machinist there. Her neighbors bring the thirteen-year-old their broken finds and she fixes them. When her friend Michah risks the storm to salvage some of the best scrap available Piper follows and witnesses a caravan being destroyed. In the caravan, she finds a lifeless girl with the mark of the Dragonfly King's protection.
     The girl could be Piper's last chance to escape the scrap town. She helps Anna escape the man following her by jumping the 401, a train which travels the reaches fo both the Merrow and Dragonfly Territories. On the train, Piper learns more about Anna and her strange tendency to remember everything. Grudgingly the girls become more like sisters than friends.
     When they discover the man chasing Anna is a powerful and dangerous enemy Piper must challenge her tendency toward secrecy to trust the crew of the 401. Jeyne Steel, her fireman, and Gee unite to help the girls discover the secrets behind Anna's amnesia.
     This steampunk adventure has touches of romance, danger, and fantasy as Piper learns to find her place and to find a home. Older elementary and middle school readers will enjoy the imaginative adventure across Solace.

Longbow Girl

Longbow Girl by Linda Davies, 2016 Chicken House Publishing

     Hidden in the Welsh countryside raising welsh ponies is the Owen family. Beginning in the 13th century when one Longbowman Owen saved the Black Prince's life with his skill at the battle of Crecy a member of the Owen family has upheld the pledge to the king to defend the monarch's life and report for military duty with their bow. Merry Owen is the current heir to the long tradition.
     Merry is fifteen years old and has been training to follow her father's footsteps since she was five years old. Two years ago the bow she carried and practiced with snapped, taking one of Merry's eyes with it. But she doesn't let the loss of her eye slow her down or dampen her skill. With the help of her best friend James, Merry fights to continue improving her longbow skill.
     Lord James de Courcy is the son of the local Earl de Courcy and heir to his legacy. The Owens and de Courcys have been at loggerheads since Longbowman Owen was granted a parcel from the earl's properties as a reward for saving the Black Prince, and James's parents continue to seek a way to bring the Owen farm back under their control. But James and Merry have been friends as long as they can remember and continue in spite of the opposition.
     When Merry discovers a beautifully illuminated manuscript in a burial mound under the roots of an overturned tree she cannot wait to show James. Her friend is fighting his parents for the chance to try out for the Manchester United training program to become a professional football (soccer) player. When the earl sees the ancient book he, with Merry's grudging permission, shows a historian who names the book as part of a lost collection, and a priceless artifact.
     Merry discovers the family is at risk of losing their home of seven centuries and she suggests to her family that they allow the earl's historians to complete an archaeological dig at the burial mount. They also consider selling the manuscript.
     When a translation leads Merry to a mysterious pool in the mountains above her family farm she discovers a treasure she never could have imagined. The pool leads to Tudor England and the time of Henry VIII. Merry learns history is much more dangerous than she could have thought.
     She returns home, but when James brings a new translation from the book Merry learns she must return to the past to uphold her family's obligation to king and country. This time, Merry Owen isn't the only one to go through the portal. She learns there's more to her than just being the Longbow Girl.
     Merry and James truly are friends and their friendship endures in this story aimed at teen readers. Longbow Girl is written in an easy-to-follow style which younger readers of Young Adult Fiction will enjoy. While Merry faces danger, she proves she's more than a match for anything that challenges her.

Lord Sunday

Lord Sunday by Garth Nix, 2010 Scholastic Books

     After seemingly falling to his death, Arthur Penhalion manages to escape into the Secondary Realms using the Improbable Stair. Under attack by giant insects Arthur cannot concentrate to use the key to protect himself or escape the bugs.
     Suzy Turquoise Blue, meanwhile, is being held by Superior Saturday's minion but manages to escape into Sunday's Incomparable Gardens where she tries to seek out the seventh part of the Will. Arthur's friend Leaf is back on Earth dealing with the results of nuclear strike (how the government dealt with Friday's Sleepers) when Sunday's Dusk attempts to bring her into the house for ransom. The plan fails when the Front door is under attack and Leaf remains as guardian.
    The house is at risk of collapse from Nothing and it appears Sunday, the last trustee, has little or no plan to save the House and its surrounding realms. Arthur attempts to unite the Architect's children against the Nothing which threatens total destruction: if the House falls all of existence will fall with it.
     Can Arthur unite all seen parts of the Will and save the House with all it entails? Or will the Piper, the Mariner, and the Old One stand in his way? In the conclusion to The Keys to the Kingdom Arthur Penhalion decides whether his journey has been worth the efforts or if he will give up the power and opportunity presented in the House to return to a world which has completely changed since he was swept away. Middle Grade readers will find the end of this epic satisfying, if somewhat predictable.

Superior Saturday

Superior Saturday by Garth Nix, 2008 Scholastic Books

     When Arthur returns from his grapple with Lady Friday he discovers Saturday has unleashed the human army on his hometown. With five keys in his possession Arthur is over halfway to  being an immortal Denizen of the House. He leaves Leaf in the human world to sort out his home and hurries back into the Lower House where Nothing is on the verge of destroying everything.
     Arthur goes into the Great Coal Mine where he is partially protected by the sorcery around the Old One. The Old One provides cryptic direction, but Arthur doesn't fully understand it. He makes his way into the Citadel hoping to strike at Saturday before she has a chance to summon the sorcery she has been amassing in preparation for the Will's escape and the appearance of the Rightful Heir.
     Saturday has plans to reach Sunday's realm in the Incomparable Gardens and hopes to slow the growth by destroying the Lower House with Nothing. The Will, in the form of Dame Primus, urges Arthur to return with the final two keys before there is nothing left of the Lower and Middle House. The young man, along with several old friends, travels into the Upper House where Saturday has begun her assault on the Incomparable Gardens.
     The tale ends on a cliffhanger as the battle rages between portions of the Upper House. Saturday and Sunday, their portions of the Will, and their Keys are the last obstacle between Arthur and his place as Rightful Heir. Back at home Leaf calls to Arthur as all appears lost. The story is written for middle grade readers, though those who enjoyed the preceding books will enjoy this penultimate book of the series.

The Iron Trial

Magisterium: The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare, 2014 Scholastic Press

     In the ice beside his mother's dead body are the words "Kill the child". Callum Hunt's father ignores his dead wife's last words to raise Call in a small North Carolina town. Alistair Hunt spends Call's childhood teaching him to hate and fear magic and mages.
     When the time comes for Call to be tested for entry into the Magisterium, a sort of academy where talented children are taught to control and use their magic. Call does his best to fail the test but Master Rufus (the most prestigious Master at the Iron Trial) sees beyond Call's desire to fail and avoid the terrible fate he believes is waiting. Master Rufus accepts Call as one of his apprentices.
     Call joins Aaron and Tamaka as Rufus's apprentices. At the Magisterium the trio share an apartment and attend lessons together. Call discovers a place for himself and friends, a new experience for the kid with a limp which prevents easy movement. The friends learn about the mage wars and Makaris who can control Chaos magic. The Enemy poses the greatest threat to the Magisterium, as a Makar only another Makar can stop him and when Aaron shows himself one of the Makaris the Magisterium has been waiting for, Call and Tamaka are proud for their friend. But on the heels of their pride comes worry for Aaron's well-being. When he goes missing after taking their pet chaos wolf-pup for his daily constitutional, Tamaka and Call know something more dangerous than mere minions has come along.
     Callum faces the Enemy's closest advisor and companion who suggest the impossible. With more to consider than simply his lessons Call returns to the academy for his final portion of the Iron Trial and his first year.
     Call Hunt grows over his first year as he discovers a joy in the work his father has always despised. Call feels guilt at enjoying this place which his father has always warned against. But at the Magisterium Call finds new friends and a place to belong. Aimed at Middle and younger teen readers Iron Year is a fantasy similar to the Percy Jackson and Harry Potter series.

The Sin Eater's Daughter

The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury, 2015 Scholastic Press

     Once, long ago, the God of the Day and Goddess of the Night lived in tenuous harmony, but the Goddess seduced her daily counterpart and Night ruled the land; the crops died and life deteriorated under her rule. But her success in putting the Day to sleep resulted in a child: Daunen. Their daughter's pure song woke her father and brought balance into the world. Night and Day agreed that in times of great strife their daughter would return to Lormere as a beacon of hope.
     Seventeen-year-old Twylla has lived four years as Daunen Embodied, with her title comes great responsibility: her touch is poison. By the grace of the gods only the royal family can touch the young woman and she is trained as the court's executioner. At the palace Twylla is distanced from the court for her title and her power. She is betrothed to the prince, and is pleased her new destiny has taken her from her mother's place as the next Sin Eater.
     But the young woman is isolated, feared, and kept caged to the queen's beck and call. When her guard becomes strangely ill Twylla finds friendship with her one remaining guard: Lief. Lief is from a neighboring country and becomes more than simply a friend to Twylla. Though destined to marry Prince Merek, Twylla finds this new young man who dares to come close and brave her poisoned skin irresistible, even more so when he discovers everything she's lived for the last four years is a lie.
     Living in Lormere's spotlight as a feared weapon is not how the Sin Eater's daughter imagined her life at the palace, but with secrets coming out she discovers there may be a way to salvage the life Twylla dreamed of while still protecting the people's hope in Daunen Embodied.
     Blending mythology and fantasy The Sin Eater's Daughter is filled with power struggles, death and destruction. Twylla is trapped at the whim of a queen increasingly going mad. With Prince Merek and her guard, Lief, vying for attention Twylla struggles to find balance and a future. Her tale is more appropriate for mature readers with gruesome death and dangerous love triangles.

Lady Friday

Lady Friday by Garth Nix, 2007 Scholastic Books

   The fifth Trustee of the House sends an invitation for Arthur, along with the other potential heirs, to take her place as leader of the Middle House. Meanwhile Lady Friday is on Earth in the hospital where Leaf and the rest of Arthur's friends and family are recovering from the toxic mind-control mold which takes over their town.
     Lady Friday, as a denizen of the house, cannot feel emotions. Instead Friday kidnapped at least a thousand humans and transported them to another world where she drained their emotions, Lady Friday drinks the emotions as a way to feel some of the human's feelings.
     Friday arranges a challenge which allows Arthur, the Piper, and Superior Saturday to battle for stewardship. Whoever reaches the fifth key first wins. Suzy Turquoise Blue and Fred Gold Numbers have been kidnapped by the Piper, when Friday sends the invitation they hijack its transport and meet Arthur at the bottom of Friday's terraced mountain .
     At the top of the mountain in Friday's Scriptorium lies a trap for the heir, the Piper is first and his minion is swallowed in the trap of Nothing. Arthur finds the Will and it exerts restraint on the rest and counters Lady Friday's rampant lust for emotion. Arthur uses the Keys to repair the hole of Nothing in the House, though it brings him closer to becoming a Denizen of the House. In discovering the trap Arthur manages to save his friend Leaf, but his mother is not among the people who return. When Suzy Turquoise Blue shows Arthur a letter from the Upper House it confirms his task is not complete.
     Arthur still doesn't want to inherit the House, but with his mother missing, the Keys give him the power to fight back. Readers of all ages can enjoy the fantasy of the House and Nix's action-adventure, the story is aimed at Middle School readers.

Liar's Moon

Liar's Moon by Elizabeth C. Bunce, 2011 Arthur A Levine

     Digger has returned to the capital and, though it is not exactly the same, slipped back into her old life. Staying above a bakery in Seventh Circle allows the young woman access to gossip from all areas of town and strata of society. She has left espionage behind after a quick look into Sarist activity shows any news has been successfully hushed or evacuated from Gerse.
     Durrel Decath, the nob who saved Digger as Celyn from Greenmen and brought her to his family in Starcrossed, is imprisoned for his wife's murder. At first the thief-girl swears to find who has put her friend under the spotlight of blame, and when all evidence points to Durrel she refuses to take the case. When Raffin - a mutual friend, nob, and Greenman - gives her no choice, Digger reluctantly searches for the answer.
     But the truth is more difficult than it may appear - with a magical rebellion and civil war marching on Gerse, the king tightening his fist on any who gainsay him, and the Celystra with her Greenmen burning innocents in the streets Digger has a hard time keeping her nose clean. When the High Inquisitor repeatedly appears to beg Digger return and use her magic for the Celystra, she rejects her brother and the world she was once suffocated by to find the real young woman at the heart of the thief.
     Digger's story is intricate and complicated. She cares for the people of her country, though they may belittle her and attempt to use her and her skills. Emotions between Durrel and Digger become heated the more she learns about herself and the world Durrel comes from. Older teens will enjoy Bunce's descriptive prose, and the unconventional heroine who just might save the nob from the gallows.

Sir Thursday

Sir Thursday by Garth Nix, 2006 Scholastic Books

     Returning from the Border Sea with Leaf, Arthur doesn't make it through the door. It appears something has been slowly taking over his life on Earth. While Leaf attempts to banish the Nithling creature and allow Arthur back home, he is drafted for his required 100 years into Sir Thursday's Glorious Army of the Architect.
     Dame Primus reveals Mister Monday and Grim Tuesday have been assassinated then Arthur is spirited away to a chessboard-like portion of the House where the Army battles the Piper to possession of the Fourth Key. Mistaken for one of the Piper's children, Arthur has his memory wiped and only begins to recall portions of his life months later.
     On Earth Leaf tries to find the Nithling impersonating Arthur. She discovers the hospital they were taken from to the Border Sea has been infected with a fungoid which allows the creature to read and control the minds and bodies of those infected. The hospital believes the fungus to be a biological weapon and sets up a quarantine.
     When Leaf is infected she manages to call Arthur's friend Suzy Q Turquoise for help, just before she is overtaken. Suzy escapes the House to aid Leaf, and returns to find Arthur. Arthur, with his memory slowly returning, is glad to see Suzy and it is with her aid he manages his final battle for the Will.
     Memory and identity play a significant role in Sir Thursday. Thursday is governed by the sin of wrath and finds wiping the Piper's Children's memories hinders their allegiance to the Piper. Arthur is less and less hesitant to become the Heir as he loses and regains his identity, and fights for justice. Adventure pervades Arthur's fourth foray into the House and he again finds his friends are his greatest asset. Readers of all ages can access the language and content of Sir Thursday.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling, 2007 Arthur A. Levine Books

     In the final book of the series, Harry is back at Privet Drive and preparing to leave as the Dursleys go into hiding. The Order of the Phoenix arrives to transport Harry to safety beginning a battle with Voldemort and his Death Eaters.
     With losses to their list of allies, Harry, Ron, and Hermione begin travelling the countryside looking for Voldemort's horcruxes. After a meeting with the new Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, to receive their inheritance from Dumbledore and a Weasley wedding the trio flee to complete their quest.
     Death Eaters follow and the friends finally find temporary sanctuary in Harry's house, left to him by Sirius: Number 12 Grimmauld Place. There Harry, Ron, and Hermione discover Sirius's brother had stolen a locket-horcrux from Voldemort and left a fake one in its place. The house-elf Kreacher tells Harry that Mundungus Fletcher recently stole the horcrux and lost it to Dolores Umbridge.
     Harry, Ron, and Hermione infiltrate the Ministry to steal the locket back and bring a Death Eater within the protective magics of Grimmauld Place. On the run in forests around Britain Harry continues to have visions of Voldemort. Eavesdropping on a group of goblins helps him realize the Sword of Gryffindor (which Harry had inherited from Dumbledore, but the Minister had refused him) could destroy horcruxes.
     The search for the Sword of Gryffindor frustrates the three friends and Ron loses patience, abandoning Harry and Hermione. Hermione is hurt by Ron's abandonment and suggests they search out Bathilda Bagshot in Godric's Hollow with the hope she will give them the Sword. Bathilda, unfortunately, has been killed and her body inhabited by Nagini, Voldemort's snake. Harry and Hermione barely escape her attack and Harry's wand is destroyed.
     While on watch a doe patronus appears to Harry and leads him to the Sword of Gryffindor at the bottom of a pond. The locket horcrux attempts to strangle Harry, but Ron reappears and saves his best friend, using the Sword to destroy the horcrux. Hermione, again takes the lead and directs her friends to Luna Lovegood's father for an explanation of a symbol she found in Dumbledore's book. Luna's father betrays the trio in hopes of getting his imprisoned daughter back from the Ministry, but first he tells them the story of the Deathly Hallows -- three magical items which can stave off death.
     Captured during their escape, Harry, Ron, and Hermione are taken to Malfoy Manor where Bellatrix interrogates Hermione about the Sword of Gryffindor. They are rescued, along with Luna, Ollivander the wandmaker, and the goblin Griphook, by Dobby the Free House-elf. Bellatrix's behavior indicates something of interest in her vault at Gringotts and the trio finds Hufflepuff's cup, another horcrux.
     The final horcrux leads Harry, Ron, and Hermione back to Hogwarts where they infiltrate the borders through Dumbledore's brother. Aberforth connects the trio with Neville Longbottom who has taken over Dumbledore's Army and been training in the Room of Requirement. Harry enlists the D.A.'s help in finding the final horcrux, they indicate Ravenclaw's Diadem missing for decades.
     While Harry searches, Hogwarts prepares for Voldemort's arrival. With the destruction of Voldemort at hand a massive battle wages over the school, but Harry must sacrifice himself before victory is at hand.
     The conclusion of Harry's seven-year battle with the being who attempted to kill him as an infant is elaborate and the final book in the series illustrates the qualities which allow Harry to survive to adulthood. This novel is aimed at older readers, high school-aged and adults with rampant violence as in any war. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ties many of the loose ends together, ending the saga. Readers who enjoyed the Harry Potter series to this point will find many of their questions answered, and those who enjoy fantasy will enjoy the Harry Potter series.

Sandry's Book

Circle of Magic: Sandry's Book by Tamora Pierce, 1998 Scholastic

     Sandry came from a noble house, her parents killed in a smallpox epidemic. Locked away in a cellar guarded by magic. When Master Nico finds her Sandry is terrified of the dark she's been trapped in, and just as terrified of her rescuers.
     Tris as shuttled from family member to family member with strange situations following her until, faced with another rejection, Master Nico sweeps her along his journey. Tris is furious and prickly until she settles in place.
     An outcast from the entire culture she grew up in, Daja fears for her future until the man who plucked her from a sinking ship gives her a path. Master Nico leads her to a place where she finds home.
Master Nico finds Roach as the boy is being taken to the docks and his punishment for thievery. Nico gives the boy a chance to choose his own name and future, but Briar Moss fears his salvation is temporary and fights fitting in.
     Over the course of several months Nico drops his charges at the Winding Circle Temple where they don't fit into the school's general populace. Sandry, Tris, Briar, and Daja are moved to Discipline, a cottage separate from the dormitories. They are watched over by Lark, Rosethorn--Dedicates to the Winding Circle Temple--and the mage Nico, when he settles in place.
     Each child discovers what draws their attention and their passions: Sandry loves fabrics and weaving; Tris is fascinated by the weather and nature's power; Daja is drawn to metalwork and the smithy, while Briar finds a love for plants and growing things. The shock of magic in their chosen skills urges the four children to think of magic in their everyday world.
     When danger strikes the four band together despite their different backgrounds. With their lives at stake, they challenge what their guardians believed possible about magic and magery. Sandry's Book is the beginning of the story and the characters are still developing into their varied selves, yet they maintain a multi-dimensional depth Pierce sows into each of her characters. Readers of all ages can relate to the four students and will find the journey through their stories tightly woven.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.