Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare is about the relationships between two different couples. Hero is the daughter of the governer of Messina, Leonato. She falls for Claudio, the closest friend of Prince Don Pedro. The make plans to be married, but in a fit of jealousy, Don Pedro's brother, Don John hatches a plan to separate the happy couple. Meanwhile, Benedick, another friend of the prince, has decided to never love and never marry. Beatrice, Hero's cousin, has professed the same thing. Without their knowledge, their friends make plans to get the two together. By the end of the story they have fallen for one another and make plans to marry!

This was the final book I read for my daughter's book club. I have never read any of Shakespeare's other works, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I found this book to be a fun look at life, love, and relationships during the 1600s! There was so much plotting, treachery, and trickery, that I found myself excited to find out what would happen in the end!

Crank by Ellen Hopkins

Crank by Ellen Hopkins is about 17 year old Kristina. One summer she goes to Albuquerque to visit the father she hasn't seen in years. While she is there she meets her first boyfriend who introduces her to crank. Kristina begins acting less like herself and more like her alter ego, Bree, as she spends more and more time high. When she returns home to Reno, her spiral downward becomes even worse and she eventually becomes pregnant. Kristina faces many issues as she makes decisions that impact her own life, the lives of her family members, and the life of the unborn child she carries.

This book is written through a series of poems, describing Kristina/Bree and her experience with crank, love, loss, and life. The author's note explains that the story is loosely based on the experiences of her own daughter. I enjoyed this book, although it is definitely for more mature readers.

Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale

Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale, illustrated by Nathan Hale, is a new twist on Rapunzel. After finding out that her "mother" actually kidnapped her from her true family and forced her real parents to work in the mines surrounding her palace, Rapunzel is locked in a "tower." The tower is actually a tree that Mother Gothel grew as a result of her growth magic. After four years, Rapunzel's hair is long enough that she can use it as a means for escape. Her only goal is to return to Mother Gothel's villa, rescue her mother from the mines, and live happily ever after. Unfortunately, Rapunzel's way is filled with thieves, rabid coyotes, devourers, and a host of unpleasant people! Rapunzel and her friend Jack work together to help everyone they can in order to make their way to freedom.

This graphic novel is excellent! It was hilarious and touching all at once. I truly enjoyed every moment I spent reading it! I am not usually the biggest fan of graphic novels, but I would highly recommend this one!

Revolution is Not a Dinner Party by Ying Chang Compestine

Revolution is Not a Dinner Party by Ying Chang Compestine is about Ling, a young girl growing up in Communist China during the 1970s. Ling's father is a "western" doctor and her mother is a traditional Chinese medicine doctor. General Li moves into a spare room in their apartment, and everything begins to change for Ling. Ling doesn't understand much about the Communist Party and its leader Mao, and all she is seeing is destruction and pain. Eventually, her father is forced to work as a janitor instead of a surgeon and her mother an emergency nurse on the over night shift. Their best friends, the Wongs, faced an even worse fate when Mr. Wong turns up missing, Mrs. Wong is sent to a work camp, and their son Niu, whom Ling has always regarded as brother is forced to denounce his family and become a member of the Red Guard. Eventually, Ling's father is arrested for being an "antirevolutionary," and Ling and her mother work to survive on their own with meager rations and little money.

This was an excellent book. I didn't know anything about China during Mao's rule, and I am now very interested in reading more about it. The author of this novel based many of the events on her own real experiences.

The Disappeared by Gloria Whelan

The Disappeared by Gloria Whelan is about Silvia and Eduardo, a brother and sister trying to survive the harsh rule of 1977 Argentinian Government. Eduardo is captured for protesting and writing letters against the government. Silvia becomes friendly with the son of the general who had her brother arrested, in hopes that he will help her with Eduardo's release. This plan backfires on her and Silvia ends up in the prison cell next to her brother. Only the help of the despised general's wife will see their family free.

Before reading this book I didn't know anything of the Desaparecidos of Argentina. The Desaparecidos are the children who disappeared during the 1970s, who were tortured and even killed for their political beliefs. This book is a work of historical fiction, incorporating many facts in with a fictional story. I am very interested in doing some further reading on Argentina during this time period. This book was told chapter by chapter by Silvia and Eduardo as they wrote "letters of the heart" to one another during their separate ordeals. It was an excellent novel.

Jumper by Steven Gould

Jumper by Steven Gould is about David, an 18 year old man who discovers that he has the ability to transport himself through space and time in an instant. The only catch is that he has to travel to a place where he's already been and he has to be able to visualize it. David runs away from his childhood home, where he was abandoned by his mother years ago, in an effort to get away from his abusive father. He works to come in contact with his mother, only to have her murdered by terrorists after only one visit together. Bent on revenge, David uses his secret power of teleportation to hunt down the terrorists responsible for his mother's death.

I decided to read this novel after seeing the movie. I didn't really enjoy the movie, but based on the plot of the movie, I assumed that this novel would be adolescent fiction. This book is NOT adolescent fiction. I would only recommend it to more mature readers because of some violent and graphic situations. I did enjoy the book far more than the movie - they were not much alike!

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong is the first book in the Darkest Powers series. Chloe, a fifteen year old girl who lives alone with her work-a-holic father and housekeeper after her mother died in a hit and run, sees dead people. She winds up in a group home for people suffering from mental illness after being chased by a burned custodian at school. While at the Lyle House, Chloe meets other teens with special powers, and learns to accept the fact that she's a necromancer, or a person who can summon and speak with the dead. She and her friends plan an escape, hoping to find other supernatural people, but everything goes wrong.

I loved this book! The whole "Sixth Sense" idea is so intriguing to me. It was interesting to read about it from a teenage girl's perspective. This book ends with a real cliff-hanger, so I know I'll be reading The Awakening when it comes out in May of 2009.

Castle Waiting by Linda Medley

Castle Waiting by Linda Medley is a fairy tale in graphic novel form. Linda Medley combines elements from many familiar fairy tales such as Sleeping Beauty and Rumplestiltskin, along with other fun original ideas. The first part of the book is a newer version of Sleeping Beauty, explaining how the Castle Waiting got its beginning. The next part is about Jain, a young expecting mother on a journey. She winds up at Castle Waiting, a place where she finds sanctuary for herself and her baby. The rest of the novel is made up of the women at Castle Waiting and a unique convent sharing their own life stories.

I really enjoyed this book! My husband checked it out from the library and I started reading it after just paging through. I was so intrigued that I finished it in a day! I think this book will appeal to a wide audience!

Skin by Adrienne Maria Vrettos

Skin by Adrienne Maria Vrettos is about 9th grader, Donnie, and his family. Donnie's older sister, Karen is anorexic and is ripping the family apart. Donnie begins to "disappear" as Karen takes up more and more space in his family's worries. Donnie is unpopular at school, and eventually makes it his goal to get through each school day with absolutely no contact with other people. He is mostly able to accomplish this goal. The friends he had have left him out so that he is eating lunch by himself at the end of the teacher table in the cafeteria. Karen gets worse and worse and ends up in a hospital twice.

This is one of the saddest books I've ever read. It is absolutely heartbreaking. I really liked the way the author made the story about the brother and his experience with his sister suffering from an eating disorder. Parts of this book were painful to read, but I believe it shows a true account of what an eating disorder can do to a family. This one is for more mature readers - there is some swearing and some adult content.

A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce

A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce is about Charlotte and Rosie, orphaned by their parents during the industrial revolution. The girls inherited a wool mill from their father and desperately try to continue running it so that the town where they grew up doesn't die. The townspeople have long believed that the mill is cursed, and it seems as though that's true as strange bad luck continues to befall Charlotte and Rosie. One of their workers gets his finger cut off, the mill won't open its doors, and eventually all of their wool stock is ruined. In the nick of time, a stranger shows up and promises to fix everything... for a price. At first he only charges Charlotte her mother's ring. The next time it is the necklace her husband gave her. Finally, he asks for either the mill itself or her newborn baby! Charlotte knows she must break the curse immediately to save her son, the mill, and their town.

I loved this book. It is a take on the story of Rumplestiltskin. After reading the author's notes, I found that the information about millwork and life in a town such as Shearing were based on historical fact. The author used the website SurLaLune Fairy Tale Pages for the fairy tale elements in the story. It's a great site for any fairy tale lover!

Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief by Wendelin Van Draanen

Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief by Wendelin Van Draanen is about Samantha Keyes, a 7th grader who secretly lives with her Grams in a senior citizen housing high rise. With nothing to do one day, Sammy peers through her window with binoculars only to witness a man stealing money out of a purse. Just as she realizes what she's seeing, the man looks up at her... Sammy waves! Throughout the rest of the story Sammy and her best friend Marissa start 7th grade, Sammy punches a bully in the nose and gets suspended on the first day of school, and both girls work together to solve the mystery of the hotel thief.

I really liked this book! I have several Sammy Keyes books in my library at school but I've never read any of them. I will probably be reading more in the series, now! I really like Sammy. Also, the author does an excellent job of drawing the reader in - making the reader feel like part of the action. All in all, a great mystery!

97 Orchard Street, New York by Linda Granfield

97 Orchard Street, New York by Linda Granfield is the story of a New York City tenement during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Linda Granfield traces the stories of four different families who lived at 97 Orchard Street during that time. Throughout each story she uses different facts and events to describe what life was like for early immigrants to the United States.

This book was really interesting. I don't know very much about what life was like for immigrants in New York in the 1800s and 1900s. Linda Granfield did an excellent job of telling real peoples' stories while filling in gaps with factual information.

Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor

Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor is about twelve year old Addie. Her family has taken some "twists and turns" and now Addie lives alone with her mother in a dilapidated trailer under some railroad tracks, while her beloved step-father and her half-sisters live together some distance away. Addie's mother has a history of leaving the girls alone for days at a time, and continues to do so. Addie befriends an odd "couple" across the street from her trailer - Soula, who lives in the convenience store on the corner and is suffering the after affects of her battle with cancer, and Elliott, Soula's best friend and co-worker at the convenience store. Things begin to fall apart for Addie, despite how hard she tries to keep everything together.

I really enjoyed this book! Addie is such a sweet character - I felt for her throughout the entire story. She is strong and brave despite having lived a pretty difficult life.

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer is the fourth and final installment in the Twilight Series. It just came out today (12:01am). After purchasing the book at around 12:04am, I read until around 4:00am. Then, after waking at 8:30am, read off and on all day. I just finished all 754 pages at about 10:00pm. I don't want to give too much away for those of you who were as excited as I was for this one to come out. I will say that Bella makes her choice between Edward and Jacob, but a surprising twist makes everything OK. Does Bella become a vampire? Do the Volturi come after the Bella and the Cullens? Those questions are also answered, but I'm not telling!

As fast as I read this book, and as excited as I was for it to finally come out, it was hard for me to close the cover on this series. I think I might read all four books again soon, just so I don't have to feel like the world of Bella and Edward has come to a close. While I did enjoy all of the loose ends that were tied up in this final book, I will always love Twilight, the first book, the most out of all four.

Best Friends for Never by Lisi Harrison

Best Friends for Never by Lisi Harrison is the second book in the Clique Series. This book takes place immediately after The Clique ends. Claire and her family are still living in Massie's family's guest house. Massie and her friends are still unwilling to accept Claire into their friendship, but their resolve is waning. Massie wants to host a Halloween party at her house and convinces Claire that they need to pretend to be friends so their mother's will agree. During the party Claire meets Cam, a boy from the all boy's school in town. Unbeknownst to her, Massie also develops a crush on Cam! The big news at OCD, the all girls' school they attend is that they will have to begin wearing uniforms. This spawns a contest for the best school uniform that has all of the girls competing.

This was a good book. It was easy to jump right in to the story after having read The Clique first. Again, there are themes all teenage girls can relate to - cliques, mean girls, fitting in, etc.

The Clique by Lisi Harrison

The Clique by Lisi Harrison is about Massie, a 7th grader who attends the elite Octavian Country Day School. Her life revolves around shopping for and wearing the latest fashions, teen magazines, and her three BFF's, Dylan, Alicia, and Kristin. Her life is turned upside down when her father's old friend and his family move into their guest house while they look for a place of their own. Claire is also a 7th grader who now attends OCD, but she is completely out of place. She does not fit in with the rich and snobby girls who go to her school, much less the most popular one, Massie, despite how much their parents try to push them together. Massie and her pack are relentless in how mean they are to Claire, but in the end Claire finds some ways to get back at them.

This series is very popular with the girls at my school. I can understand why! The girls in this novel face the same types of issues as girls everywhere - crushes, cliques, mean girls, fitting in, grades, etc.

The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti is about Helmuth, a young German boy growing up during WWII. Helmuth becomes increasingly troubled with the ways people are being treated by Hitler and the Nazi's, so he starts to do something about it. He uses a short wave radio his brother left behind when he went off to battle, to listen to the British broadcast of the war. This information completely differs from the information the German radio broadcast gives, which is the only radio broadcast that is legal. Helmuth begins creating leaflets with the new information and distributing them across the city of Hamburg, Germany, with the help of his two best friends, Rudy and Karl. Eventually they get caught by the Gestapo and endure hours of torture. Helmuth is sentenced to death after taking all of the blame, and Rudy and Karl each get prison sentences.

This was a very good book. It is historical fiction, in that the author created some of the thoughts, conversations, and internal dialogue for the characters, but it is based on a real person. Susan Campbell Bartoletti got much of her information for this book from interviewing Karl and Gerhard (Helmuth's older brother). The story is told in flashbacks, which makes it seem as though there are two different stories combining at the end.