Review: The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

The Thief Lord by Cornelia FunkeThe Thief Lord
Cornelia Funke
Scholastic, Inc.
Published January 1, 2000

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The adventure begins when an apparently grief-stricken couple hire detective Victor Getz to track down their missing nephews: Prosper, age twelve and Bo, age five. Instead of languishing in the chill of the Venice streets as their aunt fears, Prosper and Bo have allied themselves with a band of urchins led by a boy who calls himself the Thief Lord.

When a shop owner whispers to the group of a special task for the Thief Lord worth an enormous amount of money, the kids are quick to … Continue reading

Review: Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon HaleBook of a Thousand Days
Shannon Hale
Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Published September 1, 2007

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Dashti, a mucker maid, follows her lady into imprisonment in a lonely tower. Lady Saren’s father vows to lock her up for seven years after her refusal to marry the powerfuls but vile Lord Khasar. When Lady Saren’s love, Khan Tegis visits the tower, she begs Dashti to woo him in her place. Dashti complies, unwillingly at first, until the kindness and good humor of the gentle prince stir her own heart. Lord Khasar also visits the tower, demanding that Lady Saren emerge … Continue reading

Review: All the Truth That’s In Me by Julie Berry

All the Truth That’s In Me
Julie Berry
Viking Children’s/Penguin Group
Published September 26, 2013

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Judith returns to her small Puritan community at Roswell Station after a two year disappearance. She remains unable to speak, since her captor removed half her tongue. Her mother grudgingly allows her to live in her home, but rumors about Judith are whispered along the edges of her hearing. No one seems able to believe that she returned with her virtue intact.

Despite the murmurs and dirty looks, Judith tries her best to be kind to the townspeople, especially to her childhood friend Lucas. When an attack by Homelanders … Continue reading

Review: The Enchanted Harp by Clinton Festa

The Enchanted Harp by Clinton FestaThe Enchanted Harp
Clinton Festa
SynergEbooks
Published March 20, 2014

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On an errand for the king, Lillian discovers two things: a handsome boy and an unusual harp. The boy helps her bring the harp home where she examines it more closely. The harp, which has the power to play beautifully on its own, communicates with Lilly. Her mother, whom Lilly lost when she was very young, speaks to her through the notes on the strings.

Overjoyed, Lilly loses no time reconnecting with her mother and beginning the arduous process of learning to play the harp. But the harp, it … Continue reading

Review: The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith

The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. SmithThe Geography of You and Me
Jennifer E Smith
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published April 15, 2014

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On a hot summer night, the lights go out on the east coast, dropping Manhattan into an unfamiliar blackness. Sixteen year-old Lucy and seventeen year-old Owen, strangers who live in the same building, share a few moments trapped in an elevator which blossoms into hours spent talking under the night sky.

Just as the two begin to connect, their lives propel them apart: Owen to the west coast and his father’s unending job hunt and Lucy to the Europe … Continue reading

Review: Jova by Chris Ferguson

Jova by Chris FergusonJova
Chris Ferguson
Bravestar Studios
Published December 2, 2013

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On the night of her senior prom, Jova’s whole world shifts into nightmare. Zombies lunge onto the dance floor, attacking all within their reach. Jova and several other girls escape the mayhem and hole up in the school, struggling to survive each new day. Hunted by cannibalistic men and plague-ridden zombies, the girls defend themselves with hand-made weapons and fierce determination. When the school is compromised, Jova and her friends are forced to flee into the wilds of a destroyed world where even the water is poisonous. Survival depends on choosing the right allies. The future depends on destroying their … Continue reading