The Third Coin

By J.A. Howard. 4 out of 5 stars. Fantasy.

Bea lives with her dad, an archaeologist. They’ve traveled around the world, and with this, Bea has learned to always fit in with the popular kids. So it’s surprising that when they move to New York, Bea finds herself drawn towards Nisha Lakewood, one of the girls who is definitely not popular. Bea’s father has been looking for a coin for as long as she can remember–and Bea is sure Nisha knows about it. Nisha knows she’s strange. Her aunt is a fortuneteller who believes in magic. Nisha isn’t so sure about this…….until her own magic starts popping up at school. Bea and her friend Indy soon pay Nisha and her aunt a visit. They come in curious, but leave with unspeakable secrets. Bea, Nisha, and Indy are clearly destined to find this mysterious coin and defeat the evil that’s trying to steal it.  But will they make complete their quest in time?

” ‘You have been asked to take on an exceedingly dangerous task and it appears that you have willingly accepted.’ ”                                                                                                        — J. A. Howard, The Third Coin

 

Cinder

By Marissa Meyer. 4.8 out of 5 stars. Sci-fi/fantasy.

Cinder lives in New Beijing, an ordinary girl. But, in truth, she’s not a girl at all. She’s a cyborg, living with a family who despises her. She’s also a mechanic, a job that soon leads her to meet Prince Kai. Kai is handsome and friendly, and despite her best efforts, Cinder realizes that she is in love. But that soon becomes the least of Cinder’s worries. A deadly plague has spread through the entire world for the last few years, and Cinder finds that she and her loved ones are in more danger than ever before. But that’s not the only international crisis. Earth’s relationship with Luna, our moon, has only worsened over the decades, and Luna’s queen has never made matters easier. With Earth and Luna on the brink of war, and the plague spreading faster and faster, Cinder doesn’t have time to focus on Prince Kai or herself. But she soon realizes that she’s more important than she thought. For Cinder is no ordinary cyborg.

“She was a cyborg, and she would never go to a ball.”
― Marissa Meyer, Cinder

Rain, Reign

By Ann M. Martin. 4 out of 5 stars. Realistic fiction.

Rose’s name is a homonym, something she’s obsessed with. She gave her dog a homonym name: Rain. She keeps a list of homonyms. She point homonyms out. She also loves Rain, and she knows that Rain loves her. But one night Rose’s careless father lets Rain out in the middle of the night. But it’s storming, really storming, and Rain doesn’t come back. Even when Rose calls Rain’s name. Even when Rose looks around the property. Even when Rose calls for her again. And again. And again. It’s clear that Rose must look all around her town, and maybe the next. Rose has to step out of her routines to find her dog, and along the way maybe find out more about Rain’s past. What might be a challenge for most people will be even harder for Rose. Because she has autism.

“Rain and I have routines. We like routines.”
― Ann M. Martin, Rain, Reign

The Wild Robot

By Peter Brown. 3.5 out of 5 stars. Fiction.

Roz is a robot. On an island. In the middle of nowhere. With no memory of her past. But she’s a robot. She can figure things out. The animals of the island aren’t eager to help this strange “monster”, but Roz learns quickly, and surviving on the island becomes easy to her. She even makes friends, adopts an orphaned animal, and saves many of the island’s animals over and over again. Roz becomes loved by the animals, and she loves them, and is content on the island. After all, that’s all she’s ever known. But soon, the real world comes to take Roz from her beloved island and animal friends. Roz has to leave. Unless…………..animals can’t stop dangerous things from taking Roz. Right?

“The island was teeming with life. And now it had a new kind of life. A strange kind of life. Artificial life.”
― Peter Brown, The Wild Robot

Poor Unfortunate Soul

(Poor Unfortunate Soul: A Tale of the Sea Witch) By Serena Valentino. 4 out of 5 stars. Fantasy.

The Little Mermaid. A prince, a gull, a crab, a protective father, a sea witch. A well known story, at least from Ariel’s point of view. But what of the wicked sea witch, Ursula? Her part in Ariel’s story is a big one, filled with loathing for King Triton. Ursula’s past is quite the story, and you’ll soon find out that King Triton and Ursula go way back. Maybe Ursula did have a reason for her hatred of the king of the mermaids. Maybe………………

“But Ursula was different. There was no one to distract her, no one for her to love. She was alone in the world, alone in her grief, and alone with her pain.”      – Serena Valentino, Poor Unfortunate Soul: A Tale of the Sea Witch

Fairest of All

(Fairest of All: a Tale of the Wicked Queen) by Serena Valentino. 4.2 out of 5 stars. Fantasy.

Everyone knows the story of Snow White. A young girl, dead parents, beauty and jealousy, the Huntsman, a forest, a castle, a prince, seven dwarfs, a magic mirror, and an evil stepmother. But what about the stepmother? Her heart was filled with hatred. Her story is one of love, hate, and loss. She wasn’t always evil, jealous, and vain, after all. This is the story of her life…………………and how she became known as an evil queen.

“Magic Mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?”
― Serena Valentino, Fairest of All: a Tale of the Wicked Queen

The Wednesday Wars

By Gary D. Schmidt. 3.7 out of 5 stars. Realistic fiction.

Holling Hoodhood is in seventh grade. Which should be fun. Or fine. Or at least bearable. But Holling is sure that his teacher, Mrs. Baker, both hates him and is out to get him. Which is unfortunate since he has to spend every Wednesday afternoon, alone, with her. And Shakespeare. On top of that, his dad is obsessed with his business, and insists that Holling tries to be nice to Mrs. Baker. But how can Holling survive the year with such a mean teacher?

“Toads, beetles, bats.” 
― Gary D. Schmidt, The Wednesday Wars

 

Ready Player One

By Ernest Cline. 5 out of 5 stars. Dystopian fiction/adventure

In the future, the world is a scary place. Poverty has swept through the country. No, that’s not right. Through the world. Wade Watts lives in Columbus Ohio in the new, bleak Earth. But he has grown up with a way to escape it…………. the OASIS. The OASIS is a virtual world where you can be and meet anyone, see anything, explore anything, and do anything. Its creator, James Halliday is a genius. Was a genius. Because he’s dead. He had no wife, kids, or living relatives. So he promised his fortune to whoever found the Easter egg he hid in the OASIS. That was five years ago. And the scoreboard Halliday made for whoever found the keys that would unlock the gates that would eventually lead to the egg? Blank. But you never know when that could change. Especially with someone like Wade.

“For a bunch of hairless apes, we’ve actually managed to invent some pretty incredible things.” – Ernest Cline, Ready Player One

The Night Diary

By Veera Hiranandani. 4 out of 5 stars. Realistic fiction.

Nisha lives in India with Papa, Dadi, Amil, and Kazi. Well, it was India. But India has been freed from British rule, and Nisha’s India isn’t India anymore. It’s Pakistan. A dangerous place for Nisha’s Hindu family. But Nisha isn’t sure that they are just Hindu. After all, Mama was Muslim, and even though she’s gone, that has to count for something, right? But Pakistan isn’t safe, so Nisha and her family must make the dangerous journey to the new India, a trip that already has many people dead. Taking trains, walking, such simple things to do. But a once whole country is divided, and simple things are now……………deadly.

“When you divide people, they take sides.”
― Veera Hiranandani, The Night Diary

Love, Stargirl

DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVE NOT READ STARGIRL. (spoiler alerts)

By Jerry Spinelli. 4.5 out of 5 stars. Realistic fiction.

Leo and Stargirl. Stargirl and Leo. But, of course, Stargirl has moved away. Away from, Leo, who loved her and who she loved. Away from the vicious students of Mica High. Away from Archie, a true teacher. Away to a new home. There’s so much to miss…………. and yet so much to look forward to. Dootsie, the adorable 6 year old that thinks she can become invisible. Alvina, the hotheaded girl that Stargirl can’t help but try to befriend. Betty Lou, the woman that hasn’t left her house in 9 years. Charlie, who sits all day, every day next to his long gone wife. Arnold, the mysterious wanderer. Margie, the owner of the best donut shop in town. And, of course, Perry Delloplane who soon buries his way into Stargirl’s heart……………right next to Leo.

“Live today. Not yesterday. Not tomorrow. Just today.”- Jerry Spinelli, Love, Stargirl