Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce.

In which ten-year old Alanna sneaks of to court of Tortall, disguised as a boy named Alan. She becomes a page there and befriends other pages, the prince, and the King of Thieves. During her training she fights mean bullies, battles the sweating sickness, suspects Duke Rodger the prince's cousin and court magican, and proves herself to be as good as the boys. But when she starts her period unexpectedly she goes to George, the King of Thieves, for help. He is more than surprised to find that she is a girl, but takes her to his mother who tells Alanna about womanhood. From then on Alanna and George are best friends. She is invited to join her friends on a trip to the desert to meet some of the locals, where they hear the story of the Black City, and abandoned city with has evil magic that pulls youths to it and eats them up. Alanna wakes in the night and with the Prince they ride to the city. They meet the magical elders and fight an amazing magic battle, that ends with secrets being discovered.

I LOVE this book. I love the whole Alanna series! I think Alanna has become one of my favorite heroines ever. In the beginning Alanna secretly switches places with her twin brother Thom to be a knight while Thom goes to become a sorcerer. Alanna's relationship with all her friends is so much fun to read about it makes you laugh, smile, frown, and you feel every emtion that they are feeling. I Loved all of her friends, Coram, her loving manservant who has been with her since the beginning, Prince Jonathan, George, and Sir Myles, a elderly kinght and teacher who becomes Alanna's new loving father. Tamora Pierce is an amazing writer and I love reading all her books and her heroines are a blast to read about.

This book is in The Song of the Lioness series.

Reccommended for people who like: spunky girls, magic, battles, and amazing friendship.

The Wild Girls by Pat Murphy

In which twelve year old Joan is doubting she will like living in California, when she meets the Queen of the Foxes and her whole life changes. Fox (her real name is Sarah) and Joan become fast friends and soon are spending all their afternoons together climbing trees and becoming the wild girls. When school starts, they enter a contest to write a short story and they win. They meet a writer who likes their story and asks them to join her writing class for the summer and they agree. Joan and Sarah meet many new interesting people and learn to live more freely and ask wonderful questions. The class helps Joan and Sarah deal with the hard problems they are having with their parents and brings them closer together.


It's written in first-person from Joan's view. This story was one of the best books that I have ever read. It was so realistic that I felt very much for the characters and as I got deeper into the story I felt that it was really real and I want to jump in and join them. I LOVED Sarah and Joan's relationship. They were the best-true-friends that everyone always wishes to have. Verla Volante is fabulous! I would very much love to join her class. I loved all the questions she asks and how everyone answers them, it feels like you are almost in it yourself. It was very sad to read about Sarah and Joan's parental problems, but it was interesting to read about what it might be like to have a family that was so torn. It made me feel very blessed to have my wonderful close family and it makes me feel awful for the families in real life that have these problems. I will be suggesting this book to all my friends.
Recommended for people who like: foxes, lipstick war paint, and amazing friendship.

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan.

In which it is the final battle for Percy Jackson and his friends. The prophecy of Percy’s death has been told. New York and Olympus are under attack and the gods are gone fighting a monster. It’s up to Percy, Annabeth and all the campers to save Olympus from Kronos, the evil Titan lord, who wants to destroy the world, humans, and the gods. In the final adventure Percy and his friends run into loving hellhounds, shadow traveling, visions from the past, a beef-brain minotaur, baths in the river Styx, mortals who are more important than they seem, and great battles that are so intense you can‘t look away. Will Olympus and the world be saved and will Percy live through what may be his last adventure?


This book is so serious that you can’t put it down. With the fear that any of the characters can die in the end, you are turning the pages with amazing speed. Even if you are not a big reader this book will make you one! But it is so fun to read. Clarisse is so stubborn that you can’t believe it! What happens to Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and Tyson leaves you so excited that you could scream and jump around! I was a little disappointed with the very ending because it left some stuff unanswered but Mr. Riordan says that the story will keep going but just with different characters. I hope that Percy, Annabeth, Grover, Tyson, and everybody else will still be there to save the day.

This book is in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series

Recommended for people who like: sitting-on-the-edge-of-your-seat-excitement, the river Styx, special life spots, and shadows.

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Rordan

In which Percy is having bad dream about his friend Grover, who is being chased by a large Cyclops! He goes to Camp Half-Blood only to find that Thaila's tree (the tree that protects the camp) has been poisoned, and the camp is under attack! So Percy, Annabeth, and their new friend Tyson sneak out of camp on a quest to find the missing Grover and the Golden fleece, which will heal Thalia's tree. Along the way they bump into Monster Doughnuts, an angry Clarisse, Scylla and Charybdis, C.C.'s wicked spa, Sirens, man eating sheep, and a really dumb Cyclops. Will the heroes get away with the golden fleece?


This series is so exciting and fast! This book was so much fun to read. Annabeth and Percy are a great team as always and Tyson is so sweet. There are many references to the Odyssey, so if you have read that story some of them will be more funny than if you haven't. But it is not necessary. There are many surprises in here. I really enjoyed reading this book. I'm sure all Percy Jackson fans will enjoy it too! Happy reading!


This is in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.

Recommended for people who like: lots of sea travel, Greek myths, and laugh-out-loud moments!

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

In which Percy's teacher calls him out...again. But as soon as they are out of sight the teacher turns into a harpy and wants to kill him! While he is with his mom, Percy's best friend, Grover comes telling them that they are in danger. As they are running, Percy's mom is caught by a minotaur. After that he learns that all the Greek myths are real and that the gods are still out and about messing with peoples lives; and that he is the son of one of the gods. Soon news comes that Zeus' Thunderbolt has been stolen and Percy and his new friends must find it in only ten days. On their quest they meet many monsters, run into a god or two, go through a tunnel of love, get stuck in a hotel were time passes with out you knowing it, and learn that you can't trust everybody, even people they thought they were close to, to keep their word.

This is a very exciting, scary, adventurous, and hilarious book! Percy, Grover, and Annabeth make a great team. Percy, who knows hardly anything about Greek myths but has a very short temper, Grover who is always hungry and scared, and Annabeth who is very smart and sarcastic. The mix of the three will make you laugh out loud! Some of the Gods are very funny how they have modernized them selves to fit in with the modern culture. It took me a while to get past the first couple of chapters but if you can make it past them then you will absolutely will love this book and the rest of the series.

This is the first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Recommended for people who like: adventure, Yankee caps of invisibility, goofy gods, and monsters in disguise.

Walking with Witches by Lynn Huggins-Cooper

In which Eleanor and her friend Isabel see a glass case where the pages of a witch's book start turning! On Halloween they go digging and find a magic pendulum. That's when their troubles begin. They seek the aid of local shop owner Kelli and her daughter Rhanna. After many weird dreams, visions, and very strange coincidences Eleanor and Isabel learn that they alone hold the fate of many women in their hands.

If you have not figured this out yet, Kelli and Rhanna are based on  my mom and me! And Eleanor and Isabel are real people too! (Eleanor is my best friend in real life! hey Elle!) This book takes you into a city in England called Newcastle, where 16 witches and one wizard had been hung on the town moor. It takes you into many landmarks around the old city, including the Lit and Phil library and the castle keep. The dreams are very life-like and you feel almost as if you are the witch. This book keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting to find out how it will end! This historical fiction-fantasy book is great and even if you are not a huge reader like me, this book will change that very quickly!

 

Recommended for people who like: witchcraft, spooky stories, and magic.

The Chimera's Curse by Julia Golding

In which Connie tries to stop her friends from finding a terrible creature, a crazed chimera who argues with itself for all eternity, and ends up being attacked herself. On the verge of death she is saved by Windfoal the Unicorn.When she goes and talks with the Trustees they start to wonder if the chimera has been sent by Kullervo. The Trustees tell her not to prepare for Kullervo's next attack but she does it anyway, causing everybody to get mad. When Col goes missing Connie and Rat go to find him but when the Chimera attacks will Connie escape? Will Kullervo take over Connie's mind and will all humans be destroyed?

This book is SOOOO exciting!.......That's all I have to say. Have fun reading!......No I'm kidding. It is very exciting and worrying, and you feel feeling bad for Connie. She is trying to learn to be a Universal but some in the Society are worried that she will become too powerful. There is one scene with Col and Skylark that my brother and I loved. There is a very big surprise (or should I say surprises) that happens at the end making you reread the sentences again and again (I love when writing can be shocking like that). Golding writes a great ending to the series and I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I did :)

This is in the Companions Quartet.

Recommended for people who like: adventure, excitement, and a very cool, exciting (I said that before didn't I?) and happy ending.

Mines of the Minotaur by Julia Golding.

In which Connie finds herself being woken up by Col on the beach. She learns that she has subconsciously been using dangerous powers but Col's warnings to tell someone go unheeded. At a party Col tells Dr. Brock about what is happening to Connie, which makes her mad; she loses control and almost blasts Col, Dr. Brock, and their new friend Rat with a lightning strike! When she gets expelled from the society she goes to the moors with Argand and she hides in a mine where lives a minotaur who tells her all about mythical creatures who live underground who have been abandoned by the Society.

I love Rat and you will too! He is funny, rambunctious and loves to tease Col and Connie. His companion is very cool and is perfect for him. This is my favorite book out of this seires. It is interesting to read how Connie must learn to love all of herself, even the scary or bad parts. The minotaur is very sweet and is very protective of Connie.

This is book three of the Companions Quartet.

Recommended for people who like: hidden powers, minotaurs, and a great story all around.

The Gorgon's Gaze by Julia Golding

In which Connie is getting lessons in being a universal companion when her great aunt Godiva comes with the news that Connie can no longer be in the society! Godiva takes Connie to her house and homeschools her in a bad way. She won't let Connie see her society friends or mythical creatures. But when Connie hears that Col has gone missing with his mother she must get away. Skylark the pegasus comes for her and takes her to where Col is trapped, she saves him only to be caught by Kullervo herself. After lots of searching and worry, Connie learns to have empathy for Kullervo, and Col and his Dad dress up for a medieval fair to save a forest. Can Connie comes out on top?

This was a very exciting book to read by myself (I couldn't put it down) and to my brother (I tried to give each character his or her own voice).We both loved Argand, the little golden dragon. She is very cute in how she likes to be close to Connie. One scene my brother and I both like was when Connie is studying with Godiva and Argand flys through the window to get to Connie and Godvia screams "That damned parakeet!" We both laughed at that. And even though I don't like Kullervo, what he and Connie did together was very cool.   

This is book two in the Companion's Quartet.

Recommended for people who like: Little dragons, being brave for friends, and really funny dads.

Secret of the Sirens by Julia Golding

In which Connie Lionheart goes to live with her eccentric aunt Evelyn, who leaves Connie all by herself most of the time. She meets to coolest guy in her new class, Col Clamworthy and learns that Col, his grandmother, Aunt Evelyn, and lots of other people are in a secret society she wants to join too. But when Connie fails the test to enter the society, she sneaks out one night and follows her mysterious aunt, and she is kidnapped by Sirens! She learns that the society is called "The Society for the Protection of Mythical Creatures" and that mythical creatures are real.

 These books are full of adventure! The book leaves you guessing about what Connie's companion is (a companion is what mythical creature you are...well a companion to. Col's companion is a pegasus named Skylark. I love Skylark!) and when you learn the answer it is very exciting! It is fun to think that all mythical creatures are real. And you are scared and angry (at least for me and my brother) at Kullervo and no, I'm not going to tell you who he is.

This is book 1 in the Companion's Quartet.

Recommended for people who like: adventure, excitement, and sirens.

The Immortal Fire by Anne Ursu

In which Charlotte is recovering from being battered by Poseidon, and watching the news reports about how Greece is having major storms, hurricanes, weird winds, and rainbows. Mr. Metos (Charlotte and Zee's old English teacher) comes and they tell him all about their ocean adventure. But when a Chimera comes, burns down the school and carries Charlotte away, Zee knows that the Gods are not happy. Mr. Metos takes them to a secret place in London to try to protect them. After saving a boy, finding The Flame, going to Olympus, having weird life-like dreams that are really tests, seeing all the Olympians and meeting the all-mighty Zeus, can they save the world and everybody on it?

My dad gave this book to me as a surprise one day. I was so excited that I almost jumped out of the car! I thought it was very exciting and thought Charlotte and Zee were very brave...again. I felt bad for Charlotte's parents, because they think the their daughter is going crazy. But I LOVED the chapter called "And Now Presenting Zeus on High Father of Gods and Men and Lots of Other Stuff Too." I like to read the Greek section of my big mythology book, so I know all these stories by heart. You might say that I'm a Greek freak. Hee hee. There is definitely a lot of adventure, drama, and suspense. I hope you like the ending of this series as much as I did.

This is in the Cronus Chronicles series.

Recommended for people who like: Goddesses incognito, adventure, and also for people who hate Philonecron (like me).

The Siren Song by Anne Ursu

In which Charlotte is "ultramegagrounded." When her parents decide to go on a historical cruise ship for the summer, Charlotte knows that her summer is sunk. And Zee has started acting strange, going out with the girls at the school, and hardly talking to Charlotte. As soon as they get on the ship things start to lighten up for Charlotte; she has her own room and is free to go wherever she wants. But when Charlotte sees the new boy at school appear and then disappear on the ship, things are not right. After everybody goes to see the singer, Charlotte learns that Poseidon is angry with her for hurting his poor grandson Philonecron! After sailing past Scylla and Charybdis, dressing as a maid on Poseidon's ship, being eaten by a very friendly giant squid named Sir Laurence, and learning that she being used, can she save her parents, Zee, and the ship?



I read this book in one day it was so exciting! When you learn what happened to poor Zee your heart will break. It's all Philonecron's fault of course. He convinced his grandfather, lord of the seas, that those wimpy mortal kids need to be punished. So Poseidon throws a party knowing that they would come of course. Because as you know Poseidon is King of the Seas, but he's also king of throwing parties. My brother and I like to call Poseidon 'Po' for short. And we like to say: "Yo Po!" whenever we see a painting of Poseidon. Sir Laurence is so adorable! I think he is one of my favorite characters.

This is in the Cronus Chronicles series.

Recommended for People who like: the seas, brave girls, and adventure.

The Shadow Thieves by Anne Ursu.

In which Charlotte Mielswetzski lives her life (being followed by pale-faced yellow-eyed bald men in tuxedos). She finds a kitten (or the kitten finds her..?) and names the cat Mew. Then her cousin Zee comes over from London and tells her about how all the kids back in London are getting a mysterious illness and Zee thinks he's the cause! When the kids in Charlotte's school start getting sick and start losing their shadows, they (Charlotte and Zee) go to find out why. In the middle of the night a raven comes and takes them to the mall (of all places) that takes them though a door to that leads to the Underworld. There they meet nursery-rhyming Harpies, a fruit-roll-up -loving Charon, and an evil guy named Philonecron. Can they stop this hot-shot who thinks he can take over the Underworld and save the dead?

Here's something funny: Philonecron means 'lover of death.' That makes me laugh. On the first page the author says: "Pay attention. Watch carefully, now. Look at the sidewalk, there. See that girl - the one with the bright red hair, overstuffed backpack, and aura of grumpiness? That's Charlotte Mielswetzski. (Say it with me: Meals-wet-ski. Got it? If not, say it again: Meals-wet-ski. There. You thought your name was bad?)" I liked the Harpies who sang (my favorite) "Twinkle twinkle, little man, I wonder how you'd taste with jam, Chained above the world so high, Like a lamb chop in the sky. Twinkle twinkle little man, wonder how you'd taste with jam." Ha ha ha ha!

This is book 1 in the Cronus Chronicles series.

Recommended for people who like: shadows, brave heroes and heroines, and a great story!

Children of the Lamp: The Blue Djinn of Babylon by P.B. Kerr.

In which djinn twins John and Philippa Gaunt live in New York City and try to keep warm. Philippa enters the Djinnversoctoannular Tournament, a djinn card game where everybody talks trash to each other for fun. There they meet the Blue Djinn, the top djinn who is nether bad nor good. After Philippa is kidnapped by the Blue Djinn, John, Mr. Groanin, Mr. Rakshasas (who's in his lamp), and the dogs go to get her back. They cross a desert and John meets scary ghost men, and bronze oarsman, and grass-eating kings; will he save her in time?

It is very dramatic. You can't believe the tension you go though reading this book. Iblis makes no trouble in the book....until the end. In the back of the book there are "The Official Rules of Djinnversoctoannular" (I haven't tried playing it yet). And I love Mr. Rakshasas. I like how he looks like an Indian but speaks like a Irishman. In this book he wrote a book called "The Shorter Baghdad Rules." The other "Baghdad Rules" was getting too long apparently. I love it!

This is book two in the Children of the Lamp series.

Recommended for people who like: Djinns, brave brothers, faithful dogs, and the saying "Light my Lamp!".

The Lioness and Her Knight By Gerald Morris.

In which Luneta leaves home with her cousin Ywain to go visit her mother's friend Laudine. On the way they meet a fool named Rhience and they stop at Camelot. Rhience tells them about a magical stone that is guarded by a large knight. After many adventures, never-hungry hermits, magic lessons, Luneta almost being burned at the stake, and saving women from sewing, Ywain gets the title The Knight of The Lion and the Lady.


Here's a fun fact: Luneta's parents are Lynt and Gaheris from The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf! (And Ywain's parents are Garth and Lyonesse) Lady Laudine is very pretty but...well...she is as smart as the bird that flies into a window. The author got the story from a 12th-century poem called "The Knight of the Lion" by Chretien De Troyes. In the poem there was a smart young lady who brought Ywain and Laudine together. He added Rhience and changed the lion to a lioness. There is one scene that I liked a lot (well there's really lots of scenes that I liked but this is just one) where Luneta walks into Gawain's room scaring him and Terence. It leads to a very funny conversation.

This in the Squire's Tales series.

Recommended for people who like: smart fools, adventures, magic, and evil stewards.

The Princess, The Crone, and the Dung-Cart Knight by Gerald Morris.

In which Sarah, a young girl looking for the murderer who killed both her mother and her guardian, meets Sir Kai (who teaches her swordplay) and a lovely lady. When Sarah sees Kai and the lady,who turns out to be Queen Guinevere, being kidnapped she goes to get help. She tells King Arthur the bad news. The King sends Gawain, Terence, and Sarah out to go save the Queen and knight. After many adventures, persistent holy-salesmen, knights incognito, mysterious crones and cheerful faeries they get to a magical realm where wounds never heal. They meet a King with no more brains than a goldfish, and a smart princess, and then an evil knight plans to force Guinevere to marry him. Can he be stopped?


I know what you're thinking "Dung-cart knight?!" but have no fears he's only being practical. I think this was my favorite book of the series (although it's very hard because I have SOOO many favorite books). I loved Sarah who is very stubborn and spunky. It was so fun to again meet Piers, Ariel, Terence, and Gawain. The evil knight is called Sir (if you can call him Sir) Meliagant. when I read these to my brother we called in Sir Smellygant. To get into the realm of Meliagant, Sarah and the dung-cart knight (and no, I am not telling you who he is) cross a cool bridge.


This is in the Squire's Tales series.


Recommend for people who like: Spunky girls, fake holy-men, cool crones, and magic.

The Ballad of Sir Dinadan by Gerald Morris

In which Dinadan wants to be a minstrel but is bound to be a knight. One night his father sends him out. He meets a young Welsh knight named Culloch. Together they go to King Arthur's court. When they leave they meet another king and have many adventures. Dinadan leaves Culloch and goes all over England playing his magical music. He meets lots of people including a strange silent knight. After saving a lady and giving a man his throne back Dinadan becomes the most musical knight in all England.

Some of Dinadan's songs are funny and the remarks people make are even more funny. Dinadan's older brother Tristram has made a vow of silence. Never will he speak of his love (and he goes on to tell Dinadan "to speak of the gold of her flaxen hair, to tell of the blue of her eyes, to express my love for her would only harm me.") When Dinadan offers to ride in silence Tristram says "It would be to tear open my wound yet again, for every word I speak of her is as a red coal pressed to my breast, searing me to the very heart. Nay, I can not even speak my own, for to tell my own name is to speak of her, for what is Tristram but the slave of Iseult?" That Tristram talks constantly of his vow of silence is very funny!!

This is in the Squire's Tales series.

Recommended for people who like: Ballads, Tristram and Iseult's story, and laughing out loud!

Parsifal's Page by Gerald Morris

In which Piers, who wants to be a page, and Parsifal, a woodsman who wants to be a knight, meet a nice old man who knows a lot about being polite and they live three months with him. Then they continue traveling and after many adventures with Parsifal and the knight Gawain, Piers learns more about his father (who may not be who he seems. . .)

Before this book I had never heard of Parsifal (I had never heard of Gawain before these books either but never mind that). In the author's note, Morris tells you how some of the names in these stories are spelled in many different ways, and explains why he chose the spellings he did for his retelling. For example, here are a lot of ways to spell Parsifal's name, you can spell it Percival, Parzival, Parsifal, or Peredur. All of these different spellings are from different places which I think is so cool! I can't wait till you meet Ariel, a water nymph who is so fun to read about. Happy reading!

This is in the Squire's Tales series.

Recommended for people who like: red armor, magical castles, and adventure.

The Savage Damsel and the Dwarf by Gerald Morris

In which Lady Lynet lives in a castle that is under siege by the evil Red Knight who wants to marry her older sister. One night Lynet sneaks out to go get help. She meets a dwarf named Roger on the way. When she gets to King Arthur's court nobody will help her except for a kitchen knave called Beaumains. After many adventures, fights, and colorful knights, Lynet, Roger, and Beau (as they call him) get to the castle and Beau defeats the Red Knight! But her older sister won't marry Beau until he tells her what his name is. Lynet learns to be an enchantress and saves Roger who has been taken prisoner by her sister only to learn something new.

This is a very funny book to read. I loved Lynet and Roger the Dwarf. (You don't find out who Beau really is until the end of the book.) You will meet old characters like Terence, Eileen, Gawain, and Morgan Le Fay. Lynet was a new character.

This is in the Squire's Tales series.

Recommended for people who like: Strong-minded women, knights incognito, damsels in distress (although, really who does like damsels in distress? So dependent!) and happy endings.

The Squire, His Knight, and His Lady by Gerald Morris

In which Terence and Gawain are at the Christmas feast when a large knight all dressed in green comes and challenges any knight to play his game, to chop of the Green Knight's head tonight only to have his (whichever knight takes the challenge) head chopped of in one year. The King, being sad because his Queen has fallen in love with Sir Lancelot, says he will play. Gawain stops him and accepts the challenge. So Gawain and Terence go to find the green knight. Gawain is captured by a evil Marquis. Terence goes to the Marquis's castle and he saves Gawain with the help of the Marquis's niece Lady Eileen who runs away with them. They get into the Other World and find a magical castle with a silly lord and stay before they meet the Green Knight.

I love this book! There are a lot of funny-laugh out loud, happy, and scary scenes in this book. (It is hard to do reviews for these books because there is adventure on every page!) The author Gerald Morris has made up some characters like Terence and Eileen to make the stories more fun but most of the characters are from the Medieval versions of th stories like Sir Alan, Sir Lancelot, Sir Gawain, and Parsifal.

This is book 2 in the Squire's Tales series.

Recommended for people who like: Kings incognito, mythical wild woodsmen, short-tempered ladies, and Sir Wozzle.