Cathy's Book, Cathy's Key and Cathy's Ring by Sean Stewart

This is a trilogy of books about an artistic girl, Cathy, who falls in love with an immortal and spends 3 books battling against other immortals to "hold on to his love." Like Bella in the Twilight Series, she makes stupid decisions and regularly places herself in harm's way. Similarly, Victor, her man, is always there to save her like Edward. The books are in diary format with interactive websites and phone numbers to bring reading to a whole new level. The books also include an envelop with other artifacts related to the story--maps, keys, rings, etc... There are also plenty of sketches and drawings to add spice to the reading.

These books are good. If you like the romance and immortality of Twilight, you'll dig these books. Also, they are fun to read because you can interact with the text--I checked out the websites and they really work.

Death by Latte and Death by Denim by Linda Gerber

Again, I skipped the first one. I blame this entirely on Karson Reed!!! She lied to me in the bookstore about which book came first. To alleviate all confusion--Death by Bikini is first.

Basically the stories are about a young protagonist, Aphra Connolly, whose mom is in the CIA. She begins by falling in love with a boy under witness protection on her father's vacation island and ends up working as a quasi-assistant to her mother who is on the run from an exposed Mole in the CIA. The stories are action-packed and easy to follow!

Anyone who enjoys a little myster and adventure will love these books.

The Dark is Rising and Greenwitch by Susan Cooper

This is an old series--and I skipped the first one in the series unintentionally. The Dark is Rising travels across time as it tells the story of the Light versus the Dark. Will, a young British boy, is a warrior of the Light who is the key to their final victory against the dark in the war ancient and powerful beings have been fighting for centuries. Will is a great protagonist who loves his family, wants to do what is good and learns quickly how to play his role as a warrior. He succeeds in getting all 6 of the "signs" and learning his place of power among the immortal Old Ones. In Greenwitch, Will joins with Merriman's niece and nephews in a search for the golden grail that has been stolen by the Dark. They also witness the creation of the "greenwitch" used by fisherman in a seaside village to bring good luck. These all combine as Will and the Old Ones continue to battle the dark.

I think this series is great, though a little complex at times to follow. It was written in the 1970s but didn't become really mainstream until they made a movie out of The Dark is Rising. It preceeds Harry Potter, and I might venture to say is slightly more enjoyable. It mixes pagan myths with ideas of Christianity, but does not outwardly promote either--it focuses more on the idea of Light beating the Dark. If you love fantasy and the classic struggle between good and evil--think Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe-check out this series.

Regarding the Bees by Kate Klise

This is the last of the books in Klise's "Regarding the ____" series. In this book, our beloved Florence Waters (who built the fountain, sink and bathrooms at Geyser Creek Middle), is substituting for Sam N. via correspondence course. She is suppose to prepare her students for a state exam (Basic Education Evaluation), but instead teaches them about honey bees and beeswax. She also provides them with a bee who is actually able to spell. As usual, the students end up learning a lot from Florence.

I enjoy reading this series--the books are written in letters. It's easy to read, and there are tons of puns and idioms that make you laugh. The illustrations are great as well. It's definitely a light an airy read. I'm kind of sad this is suppose to be her last one in this series...

The Trial by Jen Bryant

This book is written in a series of poems about the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh's baby son. After a ransom was paid, the baby's body was found in the woods and a few years later, a German immigrant was convicted of murder and electrocuted. This story is told from the perspective of an adolescent who helps her uncle, a news reporter, take notes during the trial.

The book is amazing. I loved the lyric-nature of the story. I love how she "makes a story from a chaos of notes" on an historical event that I knew very little about. Katie Leigh, the young protagonists who loves news paper editing, is very perceptive about human nature. This was a quick read and the poem format shouldn't scare you off--it's very user-friendly. You'll like this book if you like historical fiction. It's similar to Out of the Dust.

Skellig, Almond

"We can't know. Sometimes we just have to accept that there are things we can't know."

Michael moves into a new house, meets his new neighbor, worries about his baby sister, helps his dad fix up the yard and finds a strange creature in the decrepit shed. What is this creature who eats Chinese food and drinks beer? He's feeble and scalely and covered in dead bugs, cobwebs and dust. But Michael is compassionately drawn to him and gets his new neighbor, Mina, to help save him. Now, can this strange being save his family?

The book is beautifully written and deals with issues of life and death and what to do when you don't understand how or why things are the way they are. If you like Bridge to Terabithia or Tuck Everlasting, you'll enjoy this book and its exploration of how people can impact and change one another.