The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This fourth installment in the Percy Jackson series was just as action-filled as the other three. Percy is attending freshman orientation at yet another private school when he is confronted by what appear to be cheerleaders, but which turn out to be much more dangerous. This begins a summer of dangerous adventures for Percy and his friends as they try to prevent the evil Titan Kronos from coming into their camp and destroying Olympus. I will need to order this one for our school library - the fourth and fifth graders will be clamoring for more of this series.


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Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was a really quick read. Joey is a boy who in his own words is "wired wrong". He is on medication for attention deficit, but it doesn't seem to be working and Joey keeps making bad decisions when he starts to feel wound up. Finally, Joey gets in so much trouble that he has to go to a special school for six weeks. At first that seems terrible to Joey, but it turns into a good thing when they begin to find the right medicine and the best methods to help Joey get along in the world. Joey is a lovable and endearing character and I can't wait to read more about him.


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Igraine The Brave by Cornelia Funke

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a story about a girl who wants to become a knight. She is eleven years old, almost twelve, and her parents and brother are magicians with singing magic books. But Igraine is not particularly interested in magic. She wants to be a famous knight and spends all of her spare time practicing to be a knight. Then her parents make a mistake in one of their spells and the nephew of the baroness next door comes to try to capture their castle and steal away the magic books. Igraine and her brother Albert must find a way to reverse their parents' magical mistake and defend the castle at the same time. If you enjoy adventure and fantasy, this is a book for you.


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The Next Thing on My List: A Novel by Jill Smolinski

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was a recommendation from the LM_NET listserv. It took awhile to get it since it was checked out each time I looked for it at the public library. Then, at last, it was in. The story is about June Parker, a 34 year-old woman whose life seems to be going nowhere. Then she picks up a woman who needs a ride, gets in a car accident which kills the woman she thought she was helping. She finds a list that the woman had made of twenty things she wanted to do before her 25th birthday with only two items crossed off. June knows she should give the list to the family of the victim, but something makes her hold onto it. Then, she decides to try to complete the list. This is a very entertaining and touching story about a woman's journey to find a purpose in life.


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The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Gratuity Tucci is a twelve-year-old girl who has an assignment to write a five page essay on "The True Meaning of Smekday" for a National Time Capsule contest. She isn't sure how to get started, but then her mother suddenly develops a mole on the back of her neck, which seems to be sending messages. Aliens have taken over the Earth and all humans in America are being sent to Florida. Then,on Christmas Eve, Gratuity's mother is abducted by aliens and Gratuity decides to try to find her. Gratuity's adventures in this story are funny and exciting as she learns more about the aliens after making friends with one. Read to find out what happens to Gratuity and her mother as well as the whole human race.


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Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire: The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56 by Rafe Esquith

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book is an inspirational look at what a caring, dedicated teacher can do with a class of fifth-grade students. Just reading this book makes me want to be a better teacher. I think this would be a great book for a faculty to read to get charged up for a new school year. I found myself reading parts aloud to my husband. There were many great ideas in this book to try with kids. I highly recommend this for teachers to read.


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The Scent of Lilacs: A Novel by Ann H. Gabhart

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a beautiful little story about a preacher's daughter in a small town. Jocie Brooke lives with her father and her Aunt Love. Seven years ago, Jocie's mother and older sister left without a word. Jocie has been praying that her sister will come back and that she will get a dog. Suddenly, both of those prayers are granted. This was really a heart-warming story with many twists that left me feeling glad I had read it.


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The Prophet of Yonwood by Jeanne Duprau

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
While this book is listed as the third Book of Ember, it is actually a prequel of sorts to The City of Ember and The People of Sparks. The main character in this story is Nickie, a girl of twelve, who is going with her aunt Crystal to help get her great-grandfather's house, Greenhaven, cleaned out and ready to sell. This house is in the small town of Yonwood. One of Yonwood's citizens, Althea Tower, has had a vision of the cataclysmic end of the world, and after falling into a coma-like state becomes known as the Prophet, whom the citizens believe is giving them instructions on how to avoid the end of the world that she has seen. Nickie has three goals when she gets to Yonwood: to convince her aunt to keep Greenhaven, to fall in love, and to help the world. To find out if she achieves her goals, read this fantasy adventure story.


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Rhett Butler's People by Donald McCaig

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
I was unsure whether or not to read this, since I am such a fan of Gone with the Wind. I decided to try it when I learned that the author was chosen by Margaret Mitchell's estate to write Rhett Butler's People. I found the first half of the book rather heavy going. It seemed to jump around with no real connection between the chapters and sections. Some of this made sense as the book continued, but at one point I almost put it down. I did enjoy much of the last half of the book, and I do feel that it helped to explain Rhett's character. What I probably enjoyed the most was that this book extended past the end of Gone With the Wind and continued some of its stories. If you are a fan of Gone With the Wind and/or the Civil War, you might enjoy this book.


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