The Byzantium Bazaar

Bridie is lost. Bridie is confused. Bridie is surprised. And Bridie is helped. Not necessarily in that order...

As Bridie travels through the sinister and cold streets of the eerie city that she has come across, Bridie seems to find the help and friendship she needs in the unlikeliest places! As she travels through places she and her 'upright' Aunt Dolly would have never thought 'proper', she finds herself being useful to the Byzantium Bazaar, the home of many animals without homes! As she comes across the wicked Crickbones twins whom have taken over her grandfather's yard and forced him from his home! As Bridie travels around looking for him, she seems to make friends with everything she comes across- even the animals she comes to take care of! Most important of all is Shah of the Byzantium Bazaar. As Amos and Deakin make things complicated for Bridie and her new-found friends, it's up to Bridie to make them right and restore order to the world she knew before.

Stephen Elboz creates a world of mystery and sinister energy. As Bridie plows on and on through the cluster of deep troubles that block her way to her grandfather, she seems to finally understand the true meaning of friendship, loyalty, and trust.

*** I give this book a 9.5 out of 10! Amazing book...***

The Son of Neptune

This book by Rick Riordan can perform magic on it's own. As Rick Riordan pulls the reader into the adventure of the brainwashed Percy Jackson, Hazel, who's supposed to be dead, and Frank, who's life belongs to a piece of wood, you can feel the pressure and action this adventure takes on. As the sequel of the Lost Hero, it's bound to be exciting!

As Percy and his newmade friends from Camp Jupiter make their way to Alaska to terminate the giant Alcyoneus. As things get tight between friendships, survival, greed, and well, death, they find that their loyalty and secrets run deeper than they thought. As Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood get closer together than ever, history is being written- again. Gaea is rising, possibly bringing the end of the gods and goddesses, yet the goddesses and gods are being as unhelpful as ever. The fall or rise of Gaea lies in the demi-gods' hands. Yet without help from above (yes, and below, can't forget Pluto (Hades)), that kind of task is nearly impossible. Yet they all have secrets that they want to keep from each other. Frank's life is weirdly dependent on a piece of firewood, Hazel is a girl from very long ago, and Percy isn't even from this camp. As a story of loss, regret, and forgiveness unravels, they meet Death in a innumerable about of turns. Percy and his friends' lives are threatened at every moment, every hour, and every day. It seems unlikely that they will make it out of this quest with their lives.

Rick Riordan humors us with the adventurous tale of Percy Jackson, the Olympians, and his friends again. It is an amazing book for readers that want something exciting!

*** I give this book a 8.75 out of 10!***

The Midnight Diary of Zoya Blume

Zoya Blume is in a difficult phase of her life. That much I can understand. Yet the book plasters me with questions that I cannot seem to understand, questions about the past of Zoya's life and her secrets, her fears, her beliefs, and her strong relationship to her mother. When Zoya has to let go of her safety and get out of her comfort zones, I wonder, why? Why does she let go. As curiosity makes me edge my way towards reading more and more of the book, I slowly begin to understand, much like a sun letting go a few rays of sunshine until it heats up the sky with a brilliancy that cannot be seen directly by human eyes. When her mother must leave, with the promise to come back in seven days, the little girl that we begin to know begins a midnight diary to keep track of the week that just seems like forever. With Leon, her mother's magical friend, Flynn, her Gypsy neighbor, and Stone Girl, the beautiful stone statue that guards the house are all friends that help her get by. Through each struggle to defeat the Buka, the monster that comes out to haunt Zoya while she is in the darkness of the night, Zoya gets more determined to get to the day when her mom promised to come back: May 30th. Her birthday. As each morning signals another day for Zoya, another night of victory over the Buka, another day behind, one step closer to the returning of her mom, Zoya discovers things she never thought of before about herself, Leon, and Flynn. Is it possible that she might actually enjoy their company?
As Zoya loses herself in the magic of the days alone, it makes the reader think about what she goes through and how you would manage. This amazing book really teaches you about how sometimes, even the strangers of strangers can really care for your sanity and well-being. Like Leon, for one.

***I give this book a 9.65 out of 10***

The Coming of the Dragon: The Darkest Age Begins

The darkest age all begins when Elspeth and Edmund, the ship captain's daughter and the King's son, set off in a boat and meet. Then, a storm that just about seems to come about from no where hits Elspeth's ship, made by a raging dragon with a hint of malice, killing all hands but Elspeth, Edmund, and a old-looking, battered chest, keeper of secrets as the story of their powers and others unravel. Edmund can look in other people's eyes (he is a Ripente) and Elspeth, who the sword that held all the answers to the breaking or keeping of evil, has powers she has never even imagined before. As a story that has been going on for generations unravels between their eyes, they can't help but be amazed and confused at the same time. Read this book as a mystery leading to the depth of another leads you on. You can't put this book down until you finish, leaving you hungry for more and more, kind of like Elspeth's sword permanently embedded in her hand. In this story, Edmund and Elspeth, before at an edgy state finds the best of best friends and loyalty and truth in each other. As they cover and help each other, they find that there are a lot of more things that link them together as friends other than the forbidding Prophecy. Can they make it out alive?
A.J. Lake weaves a story about loss, love, hope, betrayal, and crushing fate that tell the breath-catching story of Edmund of Sussex, son of King of Sussex, and Elspeth, the brave girl that withstood everything and let everything go. They make a team full of bravo and vicious faith. However, skillful in life is the question, and lucky, sometimes, as well. Will they come out with their lives?

***I rate this book a 9.78 out of 10. Really a work of art!***

Kaspar Prince of Cats

It is just another ordinary day for Johnny Trott as bell boy at the hotel when he runs into Countess Kandinsky and the cat, Kaspar, Prince of Cats. From then on, his life changes drastically. From being the poor orphan and turning into one of Lizziebeth's family. This story shows how just and ordinary boy like Johnny can be the best friend that you can have and sometimes, being kind is the best you can do.
Johnny and his story of Kaspar, Prince of Cats shows just how much friendship means, even if it is just a cat, true friends will always stay with you and never lose hope. Even when they feel as if their hopes are being dashed to the bottom of the ocean, much like the Titanic. Even when the Countess and later, Kaspar cease from existence, they are always there in Lizziebeth and little Johnny Trotts' hearts. Every one of his friends that were aboard the Titanic have a place in there as well. Even Little Michie, little as he is.

Kaspar, Prince of Cats is a wonderful, heartfelt story about Johnny Trott's life at the hotel. Perhaps it can truly turn out to be a happy ending, even when he is an orphan with only a bunch of fantasies to give him hope at the beginning!

***I give this book a 9.8 out of 10!***

On My Honor

This Newberry Honor story is about Joel, and his best friend, Tony, going for a swim in the dangerous River Vermillion. On My Honor is a short story on a tragic event that changes Joel's life forever.

On this day, Joel and his best friend, Tony decide to scale the haphazardly sharp and tall river bluffs at the park. However, when they get sidetracked and decide to swim in the Vermillion River instead, it turns to be a even worse idea than to climb the river bluffs. Sometimes, daring things like that cost a lot more than a few wounds!

On My Honor is a story about loss and trust, and most importantly, friendship- sometimes, it's good to have something to hold onto, yet on other times, it's better to let go. After all, there are some things that you can't change- things that already happened. You have to live with the decisions that you've made.

Marion Dane Bauer is an amazing author that manages to fit the pulsing beat of a heart and the feel of life into words and into a short story.

***I give this book a 9.5 out of 10.***