North of Beautiful

by Justina Chen Headley

From first glance, Terra Cooper is beautiful. However, she does not feel beautiful, because behind the makeup, Terra's face houses a large birthmark. Terra's life is ruled by a controlling father, who doesn't want her to attend a college out of town and who claims her artwork is anything but artistic. Headley's novel discusses Terra's life, family problems, love, friendship, travel, and the meaning of inner beauty.

Personal Thoughts: Fantastic novel! Terra is a believable character due to her flaws, insecurities, and self-realizations. I loved traveling with Terra on her journey to find love and beauty.

Eon Dragoneye Reborn

by Alison Goodman

An ancient kingdom centers on twelve dragons, and each dragon rules one year within a twelve year cycle. Each dragon works through a DragonEye, a human man chosen by the dragon to harness the dragon’s energy.

Although Eon is crippled, he hopes to be chosen as the Rat Dragon’s apprentice. He has trained for years and has the unusual power to see all eleven dragons in the kingdom. Eon is only able to see eleven dragons because the Mirror Dragon has been missing for several hundred years.

Despite the physical disability of being crippled, Eon has even a larger problem. Eon is not a boy, but a girl – Eona. The secret of Eon’s gender is only known by Eona herself and her master. If the political leaders discover a girl was trying to become a DragonEye apprentice, Eona would be killed. Despite her secret, Eon performs at the Rat Dragon’s ceremony, hoping to be chosen by the Rat Dragon. Eon is not chosen, yet as Eon starts to leave the stadium, the long-missing Mirror Dragon returns and chooses her as DragonEye apprentice.

Eon now holds a place of power in the kingdom and must keep her gender secret. Will Eon be able to keep her secret from other DragonEyes? Why did the Mirror Dragon appear and claim Eon?

Personal Thoughts: Fantastic! I cannot wait to read Eona The Last Dragoneye!

Elijah of Buxton

by Christopher Paul Curtis

Elijah of Buxton, a coming-of-age novel, tells the story of Elijah, the first free-born individual in Buxton, Canada. Although free, Elijah hears the stories of slavery shared by his community and parents. Even though Elijah's parents believe he is "fra-gile," he is forced to make very difficult decisions.

Personal Thoughts: Elijah of Buxton is one of my favorite books! The stories of Elijah's life made me laugh and cry. I was hooked from the first chapter where Elijah played a joke on his mother. Elijah is a believable character, and he shares his struggles, triumphs, and fears with the readers. What a fantastic journey!

Impossible

by Nancy Werlin

At the age of seventeen, Lucy becomes pregnant. At the age of seventeen, Lucy also discovers a curse that plagues the women in her family. If Lucy does not complete three impossible tasks and break the curse, she is destined to fall into madness upon the birth of her child. Her child will then suffer the same fate as all of the other women in the family.

Although the tasks seem impossible, Lucy fails to give up. With the help of her foster parents and childhood friends, Lucy works diligently to break the curse. Will she be successful?

Personal Thoughts: Nancy Werlin's novel is full of suspense and romance. I loved watching Lucy discover family secrets, as well as research ways to break the curse. Zach, Lucy's childhood friend, and foster parents teach Lucy the importance of love and family.

Inkheart

by Cornelia Funke

While reading a book one night, Meggie notices an odd-looking individual outside of her window. Her discovery of Dustfinger takes Meggie on an adventure through books and imagination. Mo, Meggie's father, has the ability to "read" characters to life, and as they become part of today's world, the characters bring their world into Meggie's world.

Personal Thoughts: Cornelia Funke's book captured my interest from the start. While it would be exciting to have storybook characters enter our world, what if the characters brought evil?

Remember to check out Inkspell and Inkdeath.

Graceling

by Kristin Cashore

In a land of seven kingdoms, certain people hold special talents. These "Gracelings" are identified by their eyes, which are two different colors. Katsa, a Graceling working for King Randa, does not enjoy her gift and yearns to escape the rule of the heartless king. Po, another Graceling, faces problems of his own. Together, Katsa and Po form a powerful friendship. However, will their alliance help them resolve their problems?

Personal Thoughts: I love this book! Katsa is a strong female character and remains true to herself and her goals. Po also proves to be a young man who possesses integrity and honor.

I can't wait to read Fire, the prequel to Graceling. Cashore's second novel is set to be released in early October 2009.

Artichoke's Heart

by Suzanne Supplee

After dealing with the rude comments and remarks of schoolmates and family members, Rosemary finally decides she wants to lose weight. Supplee's novel follows Rosemary's journey, a journey where she slowly comes to terms with her weight and her mother's cancer. Rosemary soon discovers the importance of friendships and relationships, as well as the harsh truth about those around her.

Personal Thoughts: I loved this book! Rosie's voice is full of humor and wit, and many readers relate to the problems she faces.

The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones

by Rick Riordan

The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones, the first book in a scheduled series of ten, follows the adventures of Amy and Dan Cahill. These two youngsters are members of the powerful Cahill family and must uncover thirty-nine clues left behind by Grace Cahill. The clues will help them discover the secrets of their heritage.

Personal Thoughts: From the opening sentence, Riordan's book immediately caught my interest. Not only did the novel keep me on the edge of my seat, it seamlessly incorporated history into the storyline.