Little Women By: Louisa May Alcott

Little Women is a story about four sisters. Their names are Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March. Meg (the oldest) acts very motherly and ladylike. Jo (who's real name is Josephine) is very boyish and fun. Beth (who's real name is Elizabeth) is quiet, friendly, and loving. Amy (the youngest) loves to draw and is not afraid to "state the facts." In the first part of the story, the girls' father is at war. Their mother raises them. At a party, the girls meet Theodore Laurence, otherwise known as Laurie. He becomes a great family friend. The second part of the story, is about all of the girls growing up. It also shows them getting married. This book is a great novel for young people to read. If you think that you are like one of the characters, you should definetly read this book.


Find out more about Louisa May Alcott, an independent woman author.

By: Hannah F.
E.S. Rhodes
Grade Six

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

Mia Thermopolis is a fourteen year old freshman attending classes at Albert Eienstein High School in Manhattan, where she resides with her mother, and her beloved cat, Fat Louie. Let's just say, Mia does not have the best of luck. Mia is five foot nine, flat chested, and she is as clumsy as it gets. And rather than being one of the most popular girls in school, she's one of the least. Mia is also flunking algebra when her mother, Helen, an aspiring artist, comes home from a parent, teacher conference and reveals to Mia that she is dating her teacher Mr. Gianini. Mia's life is about to change, 100%, and it's just a phone call away.

One day, the phone rings. Mia is surprised when she hears her father Philipe's voice; he never calls her, or her mother. You see, Mia's mother and father separated before she was born due, to...complications. Mia is surprised when her father announces that due to his recent string of testicular cancer...he is no longer able to have children. Mia doesn't seem to understand why this is such a big deal. He already has her, right? However, Mia could tell in her mother's eyes, and her father's voice that this was a VERY big problem. Mia's father informed her to meet him at a very fancy hotel, called the Plaza the next day.

At the Plaza, over tea, Mia's father declares something, big...very, very big. Mia Thermopolis is a PRINCESS! Because Philipe can no longer have children, Mia is the heir to the throne of a small country called Genovia, She could not believe this. Mia...a princess...NO WAY!! To top this all off, Mia is informed by her parents that her Grandmere Clarisse is in town, and Mia must attend Princess Lessons. Mia hates her grandmother, and she has a feeling her grandmother, hates her as well. This is going to be a disaster. Mia cannot become a princess. Just thinking about a whole country relying on her made Mia's head spin in twenty different directions.

Can Mia successfully complete horrid princess lessons with her grandmother Clarisse? Is she going to be able to take on the pressure of leading a whole country? Does Mia have what is takes to become Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo, Princess of Genovia.

Sound interesting? Check out other books by Meg Cabot.
Sydney F.
Grade 6
E.S. Rhodes Elem

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

In a town on Mount Eskel lives Miri, a small town girl with a big dream. Her biggest dream is to work in the quarry. She is small compared to all of the other girls. Her family has lived on Mount Eskel forever. She thinks she can not work in the quarry because she is small, but is that the real reason? She lives her life one day at a time, until something exciting happens. The prince is getting married and is holding a ball. The king orders an academy to be made to make all of the girls in the area like princesses. All girls from ages twelve to eighteen will be attending. Miri has to go to the academy, but her sister can not because she is older than the prince. At the academy Miri makes new friends. One of whom is Britta. At the academy Miri realizes that she can be a bigger person, despite her small size. The Mistress of the academy (Mistress Olana) is very strict. At the academy every girl wants to be academy princess. Miri not only wants to be noticed by the prince as academy princess, she wants her family to get the house that will be given to the princess's family. Will she be academy princess? You'll have to read the book to find out.

Have a look at other books by Shannon Hale.

By Taylor R. and Hannah F.
Grade 6
E.S. Rhodes Elementary

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

The fifth book in the Percy Jackson series is the best! In this book the gods are in trouble. Percy Jackson has just turned sixteen and, according to the great prophesy, he will have to make a decision of great importance that will save or destroy the gods. He and his fellow campers, along with hunters from the third book, must defend New York from Kronos' armies. Percy has to deal with monsters, dying friends, angry Titans, gods, a spy, and temptation. There are many twists and turns and the hero of the prophecy is not the person you expect. This book answers questions that have arisen in the series. I would recommend this book to anyone that at least liked one of them. Read this one last, read it slowly and with care.


I hope Rick Riordan writes another book or series that fulfills the new prophecy that's made in the end. I would not mind some new characters.
Ben L.
Grade 6
E. S. Rhodes

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Curtis

Bud is an 11-year-old boy in Flint, Michigan. His Momma died 5 years ago and he lives in an orphanage that he calls “The Home.” He gets sent to the Amoses’ house as a foster home. They are made up of an abusive son, a mom, a dad and now Bud. The son bullies him and beats him up until he has had enough and breaks out to go “on the lam.” He tries to reach the train to go west, but the police stopped that. Then he travels all the way to Grand Rapids, Michigan to try and find “his place.” He meets Herman E. Calloway and his band there. Will this be his place to stay? Read the book to find out.

I loved this book so much I read it twice. I liked it because it was interesting and had a lot of challenges in it. My favorite part was when Bud found Herman E. Calloway. If I were Bud, I would not like going to the Amoses’ due to the bad situations.

I think students in 6th or 7th grade would like this book and students that are 10-13 years old. A person that likes history and drama stories would like this book. Enjoy! -- D.C., Stadium

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

The second book of the Twilight Saga begins with what was to be a happy occasion, the celebration of Bella’s eighteenth birthday. The event turns decidedly frightening when Bella gets a simple paper cut and everyone there realizes that the slightest sign of blood in the presence of vampires could mean the end of Bella’s life as she knows it. Edward, handsome vampire that he is, decides that he and his family must leave Forks forever in order to save Bella.

Bella descends into a major slump with the departure of her dear Edward. She soon finds that being with a friend, Jacob Black from the Quileute reservation, gives her some moments of relief from her pain. Bella is heartbroken and finds that extreme motorcycle rides and cliff diving bring the consolation of Edward’s voice. Soon after, Jacob can’t see Bella because of another reason. She finds out that Jacob is a werewolf! The triangle becomes even more complicated!

Bella, an ordinary human, seems to fall for extraordinary creatures like Vampire Edward and Werewolf Jacob. Part of the suspense is waiting for whom Bella will choose. Bella has a lot of deciding to do.

Maddy M., Sarah B., E.S. Rhodes

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Twilight is the first book from the Twilight Saga. It is a romantic vampire love story with tons of action. It takes place in a town called Forks in Washington. It’s about a seventeen-year-old girl named Bella who comes to Forks to live with her father. One day at school during lunch, she sees a group of unbelievably special teenagers. They are the Cullen’s. One she specifically notices is a boy the same age who is in her biology class named Edward Cullen. Not much later, Bella is introduced into Edward and his family’s supernatural world. During a game of family baseball, a group of nomad vampires show up and start to track Bella and put her in grave danger. You have to read the rest of the story to find out more. My favorite character is Alice Cullen. I like her bubbly and optimistic personality. She has an amazing super power to see the future, too. 

I absolutely adored this book because the suspense on every page made me went to read on. My favorite part of the book is when Bella goes to Edward’s house. The way the house is described, made me feel like I was really there. I can relate to Rosalie the most because she wants to protect her family just like I do.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves romantic, suspenseful, action-packed books. This book is good for ages 11 and up. If you read the book and like it, you can watch the movie. It came out on DVD March 21, 2009. --  G.L., Stadium

The War With Grandpa by Robert Kimmel Smith

Be prepared to laugh when you read The War with Grandpa. When Peter's grandma dies, Peter's grandpa is very lonely so he comes to live with Peter and his family. At first, Peter can't wait for his grandfather to move in, until he finds out that Grandpa will be staying in his room. Peter is forced upstairs into the spare bedroom, and he does not like it one bit. Peter decides to declare war with his grandpa. He told his grandfather if he won the war then he would get his room back. Throughout the entire book they play cruel and unfair tricks on one another. Peter steals Grandpa's false teeth, and Grandpa even takes Peter's toothbrush forcing him to be late for school.

I personally loved this book! I could relate to Peter's feelings when his grandfather took his room. My uncle is in the midst of moving so right now he is living with us. My sister and I now have to share a room with one another. No, I didn't declare war but I can relate to how Peter felt. I don't think I could pick a favorite part because the whole book was just too good! I caught myself laughing out loud many times when I was reading. I felt as if I knew all the characters because the author included tons of description.

I would recommend this book to 4th, 5th and 6th graders. As soon as you start reading you won't want to put it down . The War with Grandpa has all the characteristics of a good book such as humor and a descriptive author. I had never read a book by Robert Kimmel Smith before but I can't wait to read more by him! So, who will win the war? Peter ... or Grandpa? Start reading to find out! -- A.C., Garden City

The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies

Who doesn’t like a little sibling rivalry? Jessie and Evan Treski experience some during the last six days of summer vacation. Jessie is very smart and skipped the third grade and is going to be in the same fourth grade class as Evan. Evan doesn’t want her to be in his class. They won’t talk to each other because of this. So they start a lemonade war. They make a bet on who can earn one hundred dollars or more by selling lemonade by the end of summer. Jessie teams up with Evan’s crush – Meagan Moriarity. They aren’t just stirring up lemonade mix; they are stirring up some trouble too. Do you want to find out who wins? Pick up the book and read this fantastic story and you might end up in the war too!

I could not put this book down! I got it from school and read it in one day. It is not very lengthy, but a decent sized book. I was so into it, that when my mom called me for dinner I was startled. My favorite part was when Jessie sabotages Evan’s lemonade. The plan was downright dirty – literally! When Evan tried to get back at her, he went a little too far and it had a big effect. This book was just amazing!

This book is great for fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. The reader would get tips in running a business as well as an intriguing story. Be careful though, because you might break your ribs laughing so hard! -- E.D., Garden City

Isaac Newton by Kathleen Krull

Many of us have enjoyed Kathleen Krull's Lives of the Presidents, Lives of the Athletes, and so on. Isaac Newton is the second book in the new series, Giants of Science, and a marvelous book it is!

We meet Isaac Newton the man, with all his hatreds, fears, and idiosyncrasies, as we read about his investigations of light, motion, and matter. Fascinated and frustrated with alchemy, Newton was in some ways a Harry Potter. Cambridge University, where Newton was Lucasian Professor of Mathematics, was not unlike Hogwarts in atmosphere. Here the similarities end. Seventeenth century England was a place where the temperamental Newton verbally sparred with Robert Hooke, Robert Boyle, and Edmund Halley. It was Newton who bridged the gap from a mysterious natural world to modern science based on observation and hypothesis. His laws of motion form the basis for classical physics. 

Check out other biographies in the series, including the soon to be published biography of Albert Einstein,  who called Newton the greatest genius of all time:

http://www.kathleenkrull.com/science.html

Dragon’s Egg by Sarah L. Thompson

"Thief! Where have you taken it?"

This.......this thing that towered as tall as the highest oak and talked like a mountain speaking-this thing was a dragon. Not a "common dragon" which is small and tame and raised for its eggs. This was a "true dragon," the enormous, fearsome, speaking cousins that had once terrorized the kingdom.

The long nostrils quivered with rage.

The dragon's head, larger than a horse's, swooped down close to Mella's face. She squeezed her eyes closed so that she wouldn't have to look at its white teeth, each longer than her finger, the snaky tongue, and the deep red throat.

"I found it. I didn't steal it," Mella insisted. "I'll get the Egg for you. I'll get it and bring it back."

But when Mella returned with the Egg, she discovered that the dragon had been injured by the knight defender whose job it is to keep the kingdom safe from "true dragons." Mella promised the dying creature that she would deliver the warm and glowing Egg to its herd living at the Hatching Ground in the distant Dragontooth Mountains.

Join Mella and  Roger, the knight's page, as they embark on this dangerous quest. Can they keep the egg hot and safe? Can they keep themselves alive?

Do you believe in true dragons? Explore the links in Fact Monster's Menacing Monster Guide. 

http://www.factmonster.com/spot/monsters1.html

Cozy up with a Komodo Dragon and don't miss the video at http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/komodo-dragon.html

Hoot by Carl Hiaasen

This realistic fiction, often mystery is a definite page turner. Roy is the new kid in his middle school in South Florida. He finds two off-beat friends, Beatrice (with “major attitude”), and her runaway brother, Mullet Fingers (you’ll find out about the name on your own). The three of them unite when they discover that a major pancake restaurant chain is going to build its newest store on land that is home to a protected species of owls. There’s a big cover up going on, and what can three kids do in a world of grown-ups? You’ll be surprised, and delighted, and very gratified at the imagination with which Roy, Beatrice and Mullet Fingers manage their…sabotage. This book, which inspired a movie in 2006, is perfect if you care about animals, the environment, and making a difference.

Check out the author's web site:

http://www.carlhiaasen.com/young.html

Carl Hiaasen’s web site for young readers. Take a look at some of his latest books.

The Boggart by Susan Cooper

Twelve year old Emily and her brother Jess manage to be regular kids, even after their family has inherited a real, old, damp, drafty Scottish castle. They visit it during the summer to tend to details, like caregivers and fix-up work, and they bring some souvenirs home to Canada. Including, unknown to them, a mysterious…something. Ice cream and peanut butter start to disappear, and things that never went bump in the night are doing it now. What was in that desk that Emily brought home from Scotland? Whatever it is, it’s discovering electricity for the first time, as it tries to communicate and play jokes on Emily and Jess through their computer, the lights in a theater, and worst of all, traffic lights… This supernatural tale combines science and legend with humor and very believable consequences.

Author's web site:

http://www.thelostland.com/bogg.htm

The Lost Land is Susan Cooper’s web page. It has lots of information about her other books, including the Dark is Rising Series.

There's a Dead Person Following My Sister Around by Vivian Vande Velde

What do you do when your annoying little sister has imaginary friends? You ignore her, of course. But Ted becomes less annoyed and more intrigued when his sister Vicki’s imaginary friends take a very scary turn. When the two ghostly visitors gets into Ted’s dreams and start to do some real haunting, Ted needs to dig into the history of his house to find out what they want, and how to stop them from hurting anyone in order to get it. When Ted finds a journal belonging to an ancestor, he begins to untangle the mystery and works toward helping these ghosts find their rest after so many years. A spooky ghost story, and extremely satisfying as a problem-solving mystery.

Cool web site:

http://www.vivianvandevelde.com/books.cfm

Go to Vivian Van Velde’s web site. Click on the Books for Teens, or the Books for 8 to 14 year olds. There are so many great titles! She does fantasy, fairy tales turned on their ears, and cyber fiction. Check it out!

Out from Boneville by Jeff Smith

We meet the Bone threesome in Book#1 under very trying circumstances. Due to one of Phone Bone's financial swindles, the three Bone cousins have been exiled from Boneville and they are lost and disheartened. Fone, the goodhearted hero, tries to lead the group on to find water and whatever else can be had, while looking out for his cousins. Turns out, the valley is populated by bugs, rats, a dragon, and even humans! Thorn and her Cow Racing Gran'ma take Fone Bone under their wings. We soon get the idea that something is not quite right as Gran'ma gets the "gitchy" feeling that's an omen of bad things to come....

Watch the video where Jeff Smith takes us to the setting for

Bone #6 Old Man's Cave

http://www.scholastic.com/bone/index.htm

Skeleton Man by Joseph Bruchac

If you like scary stories, you'll love Skeleton Man. When Molly's parents mysteriously disappear, a creepy "great-uncle" she's never met before arrives and takes her to live with him. He locks her in her room at night and looks an awful lot like the "skeleton man" from the Native American tales her father told her. Molly's dreams of her Native American heritage give strength, courage, and clues to save herself and solve the mystery of her parent's disappearance as the story of the "Skeleton Man" becomes reality for Molly.

If you want more spooks from Joseph Bruchac, read The Skeleton Man Returns!

Find out more about Joseph Bruchac at his website.

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

Facing our problems and getting to the root of things is never easy. Everyone has experienced a time when they were sure they couldn't possibly face what was coming next. Was it knowing you got a poor test grade because you failed to study? Was it a punishment because you disobeyed your parents? Or was it something serious, like facing the grim reality that someone in your life will not be coming back anymore?

"During the week before we left, the sound of the wind was hurry, hurry, hurry and at night even the silent darkness whispered rush, rush, rush. I did not think we could ever leave, and yet I did not want to leave. I did not really expect to survive the trip. But I had to go and I would go...I believed that if there was any chance to bring my mother back home, it would happen on her birthday."

And so begins the mission for thirteen year old Salamanca Tree Hiddle, better known as Sal. She needs to reach Idaho before her mother's birthday. Sal knows this might be her only chance to get her to come home, so she hits the road with her grandparents, in hopes of making it to Lewiston in time. On the way, Sal starts to tell a tale of her friend Phoebe Winterbottom and what happened when Phoebe's mother disappeared. As the trip travels through state parks and monuments, Sal's story of Phoebe becomes more of her own journey towards dealing with her grief and pain. The reader begins to see that there is more than one way to lose a mother. With the help of her grandparents, Sal is able to finish the difficult task of facing her own story, one that is filled with the question of whether or not her mother will return.

Winner of the 1995 Newbery Award, Sharon Creech takes us on a journey through grief, love and acceptance for the different paths life can bring us down. The Newbery committee has called Walk Two Moons a "book packed with humor and affection and is an odyssey of unexpected twists and surprising conclusions." Read more to find out how Sal will fare by the end of her trip and what it is really like to walk two moons in someone else's moccasins.

Sharon Creech www.sharoncreech.com

The Dolphins of Laurentum by Caroline Lawrence

Teen years in the roman Empire? Sound exciting? Perhaps. Depending on whether you were free or slave, your life had exciting potential or horrific possibilities. Flavia, Jonathan, Nubia, and Lupus are four teens , all of whom share a spirit of adventure, bonds of friendship, aptitudes for sleuthing, and talents in the music of 79 CE.

The four adventurers take refuge at the Laurentum villa of Pliny the Younger. The villa is on the Mediterranean Sea and they discover that there is a sunken ship , laden with treasure, not too far from shore. While the friends are in agreement that they should plan to dive for the treasure, they have very different ideas about what they might do with their prospective fortune. Plans change dramatically when they learn that someone else is also diving for the treasure. That someone is a person from the dark days when Lupus was enslaved.

There are 20 books in the series. The web site reports that in England the television program based on the series begins in January 2009.

http://www.romanmysteries.com

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

What an exciting meeting of fantasy and mythology! Percy (Perseus) Jackson has troubles in school and troubles at home. His ADHD has tried the patience of his mother and his teachers at several different schools. Camp "Half-Blood" is a refuge for Percy and others like him. Percy finds himself and unravels the mystery of his heritage in the company of demigods. The Olympians are his true family and he is a hero among them.

This series blends modern concerns with tales of gods, satyrs, and minotaurs. Harry Potter fans will love this series!

Visit Rick Riordan's web site to see other titles in the series :

http://www.rickriordan.com/children.htm

Book Suggestion: Shredderman Series #1: Secret Identity, by Wendelin Van Draanen

If you need a step up from Diary of a Wimpy Kid, you need to check out Wendelin Van Draanen's realistic fiction Shredderman series. There's the unlikely but likeable protagonist, Nolan, his very real-life problems (bullying), and the stroke of genius which inspires his unusual solution: he creates his own super-powered cyber secret identity. Fortunately, this is the first of a series of five, and you're going to want to read each one (best in order, of course). The illustrations by Brian Biggs are hysterical.

If you're really curious, I'll save you some time with the sequels:

#2 Attack of the tagger

#3 Meet the gecko

#4 Enemy spy

#5 (stay tuned! Coming out May, 2009)

Related links:

Shredderman's own extremely fun website

http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/vandraanen/shredderman/

The author's website

http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/vandraanen/shredderman/clean/about.html