Cassie’s whole world has turned upside down. Her dad came to pick her up from school and then they start getting shot at and her dad tells her to find someone named Brother Gregorio and that she can trust no one. Then Cassie finds out that she is the descendant of an ancient bloodline that can control the Spear of Destiny- a tool that allows the user to change the future. The only problem is the Hastati, a group sworn to destroy those who can use the Spear of Destiny, are after her and Cassie has to find the spear before they find her. Cassie will go on a quest to find the spear with only the help of her best friend, Simone, and Asher, a boy who is sworn to protect her. Cassie gets chased and shot at and betrayed by those she thinks she can trust. And in the end finds out something that turns her world upside down. If you like action and adventure, you will love this fast paced novel, Moving Target!
May never believed that Libby really died. Everyone said Libby had died. They even found the body that had Libby’s ID card with it. May has started to move on with her life, but then she is visiting her dad in Seattle and she starts seeing Princess X stickers everywhere. Princess X was the story that Libby and May created when they were children. No one else knew about Princess X. Why would these stickers be showing up now? May has to solve the mystery of who has raised Princess X from the dead. With the help of her new computer hacker friend, Trick, May uses clues from the Princess X website online- clues she is sure that Libby has left for her so that May can find Libby and save her. But the search turns dangerous and May is afraid she has gotten in over her head. But she asks herself, what would Princess X do? Princess X would continue on no matter how dangerous it gets! If you like a fantastic mystery, you will love I Am Princess X! From the Publisher From New York Times bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen comes a stunning thriller about a girl who must escape to freedom after the Berlin Wall divides her family between east and west. With the rise of the Berlin Wall, twelve-year-old Gerta finds her family suddenly divided. She, her mother, and her brother Fritz live on the eastern side, controlled by the Soviets. Her father and middle brother, who had gone west in search of work, cannot return home. Gerta knows it is dangerous to watch the wall, to think forbidden thoughts of freedom, yet she can't help herself. She sees the East German soldiers with their guns trained on their own citizens; she, her family, her neighbors and friends are prisoners in their own city. But one day, while on her way to school, Gerta spots her father on a viewing platform on the western side, pantomiming a peculiar dance. Then, when she receives a mysterious drawing, Gerta puts two and two together and concludes that her father wants Gerta and Fritz to tunnel beneath the wall, out of East Berlin. However, if they are caught, the consequences will be deadly. No one can be trusted. Will Gerta and her family find their way to freedom? I love historical fiction books and I really liked this one. I knew very little about the Berlin Wall or the people who were stuck in the east part of the city during this time period so I found that very interesting- interesting enough that I went and found additional information about the Iron Curtain. The book has kind of a slow pace as Fritz and Gerta struggle day to day to keep their tunnel concealed, but the pace really picks up towards the end where they have to complete the tunnel and try to leave the city before Fritz is captured by the East German soldiers. The book is held together by the strong relationships that Gerta has with her family and by the fact that she will risk everything- including her life- to be together as a family again. From the Publisher Everyone says that middle school is awful, but Trent knows nothing could be worse than the year he had in fifth grade, when a freak accident on Cedar Lake left one kid dead, and Trent with a brain full of terrible thoughts he can't get rid of. Trent's pretty positive the entire disaster was his fault, so for him middle school feels like a fresh start, a chance to prove to everyone that he's not the horrible screw-up they seem to think he is. If only Trent could make that fresh start happen. It isn't until Trent gets caught up in the whirlwind that is Fallon Little--the girl with the mysterious scar across her face--that things begin to change. Because fresh starts aren't always easy. Even in baseball, when a fly ball gets lost in the sun, you have to remember to shift your position to find it. The cover of this book has a bright and colorful sun design and so I was really thrown when the book has a pretty dark tone. Trent has trouble everywhere he goes- keeping his temper, handling his dad and step mom, with kids at school, with the teachers, even trying to play baseball- one of this favorite things. So it’s a great thing when Fallon Little comes along because she and his relationship with his mom are the two bright spots in his life. The author, Lisa Graff, does such a great job of developing Trent and Fallon’s characters and of leaving things open for interpretation. I liked how some things were resolved by the end of the book, but not everything was resolved because it makes it more realistic that there are still problems that Trent is having to deal with. A great realistic fiction novel that I highly recommend! |
Mrs. DeJongLibrarian, Avid reader, Reality tv lover, Runner, Philadelphia Eagles fan Archives
February 2016
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