Down The Rabbit Hole

Author: Peter Abrahams

Ingrid leaves her soccer cleats at someone's house but she can't get them back because it is now the site of a murder. Slowly she starts to become involved in a mystery that she thought only happened to people like her idol Sherlock Holmes. Ingrid is already in over her head with everything that she is doing Alice in Echo Falls version of Alice in Wonderland, soccer and school. Suddenly, strange things start happening. Her director has a very serious strange accident on stage and the police seem very interested in everything about her. What can Ingrid do? How can she solve a mystery that just seems to be getting thicker by the minute? I loved this book. I do have a soft spot for a good mystery ever since I was young and started reading the Nancy Drew books. For this book I really just could not figure out "who dun it" till Peter Abrahams, the author, gave me the answer.

For Parents: 13+

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Wrapped

Author: Jennifer Bradbury

Agnes Wilkens is a seventeen-year-old girl living in London in 1815. She dreams of having adventures that take her out of the country and all around the world. Then she is thrown headfirst into an adventure that she didn't expect. One that starts with having the first cut into the wrappings of an ancient Egyptian mummy. Why is everyone paranoid about everything being returned that they found in the mummy? Why does she keep the little trinket that she found without anyone noticing? What is so special about it? I liked this book very much. It was interesting and throws you into a world where secrets lie in museums and things go bump in the night.

For Parents: 11+

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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Author: J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter is an odd boy. He lives with his aunt, uncle, and cousin. They told him that his parents died in a car crash when he was a baby and that's how he got the lightning shape scar on his forehead. He had no reason to disbelieve them until he starts getting letters that he's not allowed to read and a giant comes and tells him that he is no ordinary boy; he is a wizard. Harry then goes to Hogwarts School of Wichcraft and Wizardry where he meets new friends and learns extrodinary things. He also finds out what really happened to his parents; how they were killed by the dark wizard Voldemort. Harry must face things that will threaten his life and will make several enemies. Will he make it out of his first year at Hogwarts? In this magical book, there are extordinary creatures and magical spells. You will be transported to a different world that you have only dreamed of that exists right under England's nose. I love this book so much. I grew up with the Harry Potter series and am sad that it is over. I have read this book at least fifty times and it still suprises me every time.

For Parents: For the whole family

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Trickster's Girl

Author: Hilari Bell

Kelsa's father just died from a disease that started in the trees and he isn't the only one. Then she meets someone, someone who says that he knows how to stop the sickness from spreading, to stop it all together. He is a very strange boy who claims to be the mythological god, Raven. He wants her to help him save the world before it is too late. This is the first book in a series. The second will come out in March. I found this a very interesting book. I was fascinated with this view to our killing the environment and how two people can help save it. I personally can't wait till the second book comes out so I can see what happens next.

For Parents: 11+

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To Kill a Mockingbird

Author: Harper Lee

In the little town of Maycomb, Alabama, a court case changes it from quiet, sleepy to full of energy and hatred. Scout Finch's father has been given the case of a black man raping a white women. Scout and her brother Jem start hearing about it and they start getting nasty looks and words because their father is representing an African American. Will Atticus convince the jury that Tom Robinson is innocent? Or will he be killed like everyone else was in this time period? This is such a fantastic book. It is so well written and it really keeps you interested. I could not put it down. I had to read it for class and I finished it something like three weeks before we had to. It really shows you what went on during this time period. If I had to rate this on a  scale of 1-10 I would give it an 11.

For Parents: It talks about some pretty touchy subjects and it has some violence so I would not recommend it for anyone under the age of 13 or 14. It really depends on the child.

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Twenty Gold Falcons

Author: Amy Gordon

Aiden is forced to move away from their family farm with her mother after her father dies. She still greatly misses her father, misses the farm, and she doesn't fit into her new private school. Then, she is told the story of treasure hidden in in the Ingle Building. She starts to search for the gold falcons and she meets several surprising people, and has one of the most amazing treasure hunts of all time. I loved this book. I really didn't know where the treasure was until they told us at the end. Some of the characters that she meets surprised me greatly. I really would suggest this to anyone who likes a good treasure hunt.

For Parents: 10+

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Seeing Red

Author: Frank Beddor

This is the second book The Looking Glass Wars series. Alyss Heart the ruler of Wonderland has just begun to rule and already there are people that are trying to destroy all the things that are worth imagining. Still even with all of these things going on she trys to dodge away from her new bodyguard, Homburg Molly, so that she can spend some time with Dodge. Now everyone is seeing Alyss' Aunt Her Imperial Viciousness Redd. What should Alyss believe? That Redd has gotten out of the Heart Crystal and resurrected her former army? Because if she hasn't...who has? I didn't like this one as much as the first. It was ok, but if I had to rate it between 1 and 10 I would give it a 7.

For Parents: 11+

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