From the front flap: There is a new king in Attolia. Attolia's barons seethe with resentment, the Mede emperor is returning to the attack, and the king is surrounded by the subtle and dangerous intrigue of the Attolian court. When a naive young guard expresses his contempt for the king in no uncertain terms, he is dragged into the center of the political maelstrom. Like the … [Read more...] about The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner: A+
YA
Searching for Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede: B+
From the back cover: The cast: an un-ordinary king, and an extraordinary princess, a couple of kooky giants, an overzealous magician, a loyal and helpful witch, and a host of evil and dangerous wizards. The instruments: a broken-down magic carpet, a leaking magical sword, and a few buckets of soapy lemon water. The problem: dragon-napping and magic-stealing. And so the story … [Read more...] about Searching for Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede: B+
Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede: A
From the back cover: Take one bored princess. Make her the seventh daughter in a very proper royal family. Have her run away. Add one powerful, fascinating, dangerous dragon. Princess Cimorene has never met anyone (or anything) like the dragon Kazul. But then, she's never met a witch, a jinn, a death-dealing talking bird, or a stone prince either. Princess Cimorene ran … [Read more...] about Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede: A
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson: A-
From the back cover: From her first moment at Merryweather High, MJ Sordino knows she's an outcast. She busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops—a major infraction in high-school society—so her old friends won't talk to her, and people she doesn't know glare at her. She retreats into her head, where the lies and hypocrisies of high school stand in stark relief to … [Read more...] about Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson: A-
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt: A-
From the back cover: Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could live forever? In this modern classic, author Natalie Babbitt explores the unforeseen complications that arise when the Tuck family unwittingly drinks from a spring of eternal life! Then ten-year-old Winnie Foster discovers them and their secret, as does a mysterious stranger. When the stranger threatens them all with … [Read more...] about Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt: A-