I had to plod through it though I usually love the medieval period. (Although this is technically set in a fantasy world, it is based on a medieval setting.) And I usually like girls and women who don't follow society's rules. The heroine Meliara is one of them. Sworn to protect her people from the greedy king, Meliara struggles to uphold her promise. Then, when the war is over, she is summoned to court and must learn to discern enemy from friend. Those are the two plots of the separate parts.

The story seems a little forced, and there aren't any extremely emotional or funny scenes, nothing really stands out to me. I don't really feel anything about this book, I don't love it or hate it, if that helps anyone guage whether they will like it. The best thing about this book is the idea behind the story, though it could have been executed better. If you're really into the medieval time period you will probably like it at the start, it just gets boring very quickly. I would recommend this for 12 year old girls interested in history.

All of the Above was written in an unusual style. Every main character and a few others had their parts in which to talk from their own points of view. People who already love math would definitely like this book. And for those who don't, read this book and it will possibly change your view on math forever.

If you like this book, you would probably like Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass, Celeste's Harlem Renaissance by Eleanora E. Tate, and Call Me Hope by Gretchen Olsen.

Taken from her loving but unpredictable mother, Ashley is thrown head-first into a world of orphans, difficult days, and abuse, her little brother Luke as her only company. Forced to move continually, with unhelpful caseworkers and uncaring foster parents, Ashley hardens herself to the word " love." She will never be her Mama's sunshine again.

When she arrives at the home of the Mosses, she is not expecting any special treatment. She is used to these "families", foster parents who take care of more kids than they can handle, and unkind children. But at the Mosses' foster home, all of her previous hardships fade away as she fights to protect herself and Luke from abuse. Uncomfortable positions, impossible tasks, even swallowing hot sauce in a gulp...Ashley is forced to be the big girl, and take care of vulnerable Luke.

This touching memoir of injustice, abuse, and terror is a heart-wrenching read, even more so because it is a memoir. In her fight for what's right, all that Ashley must remember are three little words. What could they be?

Extra information:
The best part of the book is its truth. Every word you read is true.
The worst part of the book is its truth. To realize that all of the abuse that Ashley faced was real strikes a chord in your heart.
The characters do seem real because they are.
The setting is beyond interesting. It is touching, beautiful, and painful.
The story flows like a river. Each problem that Ashley faces turns into a series of events. Some of the things that happened follow her actions, others just happen. Her life was unpredictable.
This book is for mature readers, who can handle things like the Mosses' behavior towards their foster children. This book is also for both boys and girls — it will touch anyone's heart.

Seeing the life of a person from a different culture, and learning in U.S. and world history about the events that she lived, make what you've learned REAL. This book tells of the people far away from us in the Middle East and makes you understand them a bit more. This is my 3rd favorite novel and vital to me. Look it up, you won't be sorry.

I love this book, but I don't think that the male gender would. At all. So, this is a book for women who want a story that draws you in and makes you hang on every word that is said, but I would say that girls under 9 wouldn't understand anything. So, if you want an awesome story that you will love (if you are a girl 9+) then read Ivy.

If you're the sort of person who likes a lot of action, I wouldn't recommend this book. It's not boring or anything, but it spends a lot of time on characters at the beginning. The result of that is a book with really, really interesting and lovable characters. My favorite parts occur when the man is painting, because it's a fascinating way to reveal developments in the story and it's suspenseful. The book has interludes which are flashbacks from the character who first discovered Perse, and they're confusing enough so that you have to keep reading to find out what happened. Also, the main character's life improves as the book goes on and you find yourself rooting for him and feeling his triumphs. Duma Key is a very good read and isn't boring, even when it seems like it would be.

Insomnia by Steven King
reviewed by Siena

Insomnia is a book about magic, old people, mass murder, and bright colors. It starts out a little boring, with a man named Ralph having sleeping problems, but Stephen King's writing makes you keep reading. The man starts seeing auras and then meets a woman who sees them too. They're approached by two magical creatures and asked to save 2000 people from an unknown fate, and then they do some detective work, use their powers, and fall in love. There isn't much time spent on gore and only a few suspenseful scenes, so if you're looking for that kind of Stephen King book, try It.

The thing that makes this book worth reading is the characters, who may be boring people but are full of real-seeming emotions, and develop an interesting relationship. The scenes involving auras and magic are well-described and interesting, and the creatures they meet are hilarious. It's a pretty funny book in general, and gives a good perspective on life. Even though it's a fairly long book, when you're done you still want more.

Having Our Say by the Delany sisters and Amy Hill Hearth is a classic book about two sisters' lives throughout the 20th century. This is a detailed memoir of two African American women who live through historical events such as voting rights for women in 1920, segregation, and the civil rights movement. The book is a vital historical record as well as a moving story about two sisters who love and embrace life even through faced with racism and sexism. Both women break barriers. One becomes one of the first female dentists, the other one of the first African American teachers in New York City. This book is extraordinary and is a charming oral history of our nation's heritage.

Librarian's note:
For more on the events experienced by the Delany sisters, visit the excellent African-American history collection in our reference room including:
305.8 Encyclopedia of Race and Racism (3 vol.)
305.8 Racial and Ethnic Relations in America (3 vol.)
322.4 Civil Disobedience (2 vol.)
342.7308 Encyclopedia of American Civil Liberties (3 vol.)
973.0496 African American Atlas
973.0496 African American Desk Reference
973.0496 Encyclopedia of African American Culture and History (5 vol.)
973.0496 Encyclopedia of African American History 1896 to the present (5 vol.)

and please go explore our new online subscription resource: African-American History Online.
Your user name is your library card number (no spaces).

You can wander through the site, exploring the maps, videos, primary sources, biographical entries, and other features. Or you might try searching delany, then scrolling down the list of results to see a sample of the wealth of reference sources that are included in this online database.
Encyclopedia of Black Women in America.
Encyclopedia of African-American Heritage, Second Edition.
Encyclopedia of African-American Politics.
Encyclopedia of African-American Literature.
Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance.
etc. etc.

This is a great book. The story gets more and more complicated with each chapter, and is filled with humor, for example with aliens trying to speak English (wereto you be knowing that...?). I recommend this book to everybody over 10 including adults. It's a great novel that pulls you in and doesn't let you back out. On the other hand, the last part of the book has Disney written all over it and entertainment parks with mouse mascots are a very big part of the story.

From time to time we have had print reference books to help you sort out the order of books in series, but the newest stuff is never in there.

So, try this great finding aid from the Kent District Library in Western Michigan.

What's Next Database

Just be sure to spell authors' names correctly, and remember that guesses at series titles can be wildly inaccurate. If you get zero results, think it out, rephrase, and repeat.

Scout is merely six, but she can read, write, and play as well as her older brother Jem. Her father, Atticus, is fair to them and treats them well. But through her innocent and clear eyes, something is brewing. Atticus has accepted the duty of defending a black man. The crime? He is accused of raping a white girl. Soon, Scout finds the ordinary people of her town, Maycomb, looking down at Atticus the same way that they do to the African Americans. And, during the painful trial, the true ugly face of segregation and discrimination rears its head.

A message in the title, To Kill a Mockingbird is more then your average book. Oh sure, one has probably heard it being assigned in 9th grade, as a Literature assignment, but don't let that fool anyone. This book, rich with detail, precision, and a realization for all, is a classic story for a reason. It tells of the time before the true melting pot of America, and echoes lessons of the past. Cutting through all twitters and chirps, the book is true to the view of Scout, and never would you think Scout is not alive and telling her story. Awarded the Pulitzer Prize and made into an amazing movie, it's not just another English assignment book; It's a classic.

Valiant is the story of seventeen-year-old Valerie who runs away to New York City from New Jersey. She moves into an abandoned subway station with three others around her age: sweet but slightly crazy Lollipop, Sketchy Dave, and Luis, Dave's one-eyed brother. Eventually, Val discovers that there is more to her new friends than meets the eye. Luis has the Sight, which means that he can see faeries, and works for a troll named Ravus who lives nearby, delivering a potion which helps the faeries of New York to resist iron. What's more, Lolli and Dave discovered early on that if they inject that same potion into their bloodstream, it gives them a certain amount of faerie magic temporarily. As Val begins to take the potion/drug and accidentally binds herself to service for Ravus, she becomes more and more deeply entwined in the world of faeries which has been right under her nose all her life.

This book, a romantic fantasy which I consider a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast, is one you won't be able to put down until the very end, and once you've finished it, you'll want to read it all over again. It has complex and likable characters; I thoroughly enjoyed Val's comparisons of life to video games and some of her reckless decisions, and I adored Ravus, with his gold eyes and wisdom. I even found myself liking the sullen Luis towards the end. It has faeries and sword fighting. Best of all, it makes you think about things you've taken for granted your entire life in a whole new light, the way Ravus, with his broad perception of beauty, does; In his eyes, a gum wrapper transforms into "a mirror that never cracks," and a cigarette butt becomes "the breath of a man." The best books, in my opinion, are the ones that make you think even after you're done reading them, and needless to say, Valiant is one of them. Make sure to read it while it's not as popular, though—Holly Black's enticing story is being optioned as a movie, possibly to be released in 2010!

Librarian's note: this is the second book in the series Modern Tales of Faerie

This story is one that I actually liked the movie version better (the only other one is The Count of Monte Cristo, because I don't like the ending of the novel) because the writing in this one was very past tense, but maybe that was because I was reading it when I was in fourth grade and had just read Harry Potter which couldn't be more different. Rereading this book I liked the writing, it is choppy but it is supposed to be, it lends Melinda more character. The writing is powerful but still depicts a young girl's struggle to fit in in high school. There is also the mystery surrounding what actually happened to her at the end of school the previous year. The story is amazing and looking back the writing is awesome as well, I guess I don't like the movie better than the book now, and this is a good thing, I was feeling like a traitor, but the movie is also amazing, it's with Kristen Stewart and she is superb in it. Ever since watching it she has been one of my favorite actresses. The story of this high school outcast is a worthwhile read. I would suggest waiting until a little later to read this book so you can really appreciate the writing.

Nation is a book about a boy named Mau who goes to an island to become a man, just as every other true man that ever lived on the island called Nation had. He makes himself a boat to get back to Nation, then, there is a tsunami; Every person that was on Nation at the time is killed by the murderous wave, though Nation isn't the only island which feels this tragedy. Mau survives and paddles back to his home to find the hundreds of family members and friends laying dead. He makes himself a hut and while he is asleep a spirit version of himself clears away the bodies and sends them all into the ocean to become dolphins, an animal formerly worshiped by his people. When he wakes up there is a strange breakfast in front of his hut. Mau searches for this unseen provider of food and finds her easily. She is Daphne, an English-woman. They are scared of each other the first day, but then they really meet each other and become friends. They overcome challenges like speaking different languages and helping the 100 or so people that come to Nation as their last hope, only to find that Nation had also been overrun by the tidal wave. But the quote on the front of the book: "When much is taken, something is returned" holds true and they find a way to survive as a new and improved Nation.

The characters in this story are very realistic even though some of the happenings in the story are impossible. I would say that this book might be a little inappropriate for younger readers but that people in the 10+ range would love the book if they like almost-but-not-quite-tragic stories with incredibly satisfying endings.

John Fitzgerald is both a naturalist and a taxidermist for aviaries. Basically, he preserves dead birds, though haunted by a failure many years ago when his once promising project died . He quietly disappeared back into his small taxidermy job until many years later when an inquirer by the name of Anderson comes calling, looking for the Mysterious Bird of Ulieta which has vanished from history. Anderson claims a lead on the bird, and offers John a chance of a lifetime. Soon, other prospectors arrive, including a shady Mr. Potts, and Gabriella, John's former partner. It's a race for leads to find whether the bird now exists at all.

Yet that is not all of the story. It whisks you into the past, into the true love story of Joseph Banks and his mistress, the mysterious Miss Brown. It details their intricate lives and feelings, creating a mystery thoroughly and beautifully haunting.

This book is an intricate mystery, the race for the last specimen of a probably extinct bird. Twisting and captivating, this book pleases and puzzles. The mystery is hard, but the moments of glory are spectacular, especially the beautiful ending of the book. Martin Davies has proved his ability to write mind-blowing mysteries that keep you on your toes, and The Conjurer's Bird is no exception. This is an excellent mystery with a touching message of holding on to the lost.

The battles of the Trojan war are well known and recited throughout ages. The clever Greeks and the spiteful Trojans. But this tale is not one of the battlefield. It lies in Aphrodite's game; two sisters with God sight are set against longings not known before, and, all the while, the war rages on. This story depicts what the great Trojan War was like from the viewpoint of women.

The book was a captivating read. Although one must know quite a bit about the Greek heroes and deities, it is a realistic tale of war siege combined with the cruelty of love and trickery among the Olympians. I recommend this book only for older teenagers and adults as it contains rather suggestive themes and gruesome scenes. Girls would probably enjoy it more than boys due to the action flowing more slowly than usual, but it is not standstill. The characters acted as real humans would at that time, and I think Geras did a good job depicting them. An adventure of the other side of the Trojan War is there for those who wish to read it!