The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog

The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog is by Elizabeth Peters. The seventh installment in the Amelia Peabody series. Amelia and Emerson head back to Egypt without Ramses or Nefret who are staying with Walter and Evelyn. Amelia is looking forward to spending some time alone with her beloved husband; then Emerson is kidnapped. Amelia and Abdullah rescue him but Emerson has lost his memory and no longer remembers the last thirteen years - which include his meeting and marriage to Amelia. Deeply distressed, but determined, Amelia sets out to help restore Emerson's memory and keep him safe the kidnapper who is still at large. Another great book in this charming mystery series.

Ratings: 8th grade - 9 out of 10 - V (violence).

The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary

The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary is by Simon Winchester. The fascinating tale of James Murray, who led the committee to create the Oxford English Dictionary and the American doctor who assists him. The catch, Dr. W.C. Minor is an inmate in an English insane asylum and is criminally insane and a murderer. This book proves that often truth is stranger than fiction. The story behind the English language's most amazing dictionary is delightful as well.

Ratings: 9th grade - 8 out of 10 - V (violence) - AC (some mature thematic content).

Destined

Destined is by P.C. & Kristin Cast. The ninth book in the fabulous House of Night series. Zoey and friends are back in Tulsa. The Vampire High Council has commanded Neferet to allow them back into the school. Neferet has her own plans though, she and Aurox (the new servant given to her by the White Bull) set about sowing chaos amongst the different groups at the school. Can Zoey and her friends convince the High Council that Rephaim is good and Neferet is evil before she destroys the House of Night? Lovers of this series will not be disappointed.

Ratings: 10th grade - 9 out of 10 - P (profanity) - AC (some mature thematic content) - V (violence).

Fire

Fire is by Kristin Cashore. This book is a companion book to Cashore's popular Graceling. Set in another part of the Seven Kingdoms at a different time, this book is the story of Fire. Fire is a "monster"; she can read and control the minds of others. When she is asked to leave her secluded home in the north and travel to King City to help keep King Nash on the throne she risks her life and her future. This book is set in a time before Graceling, but there is an important attachment to the first book that readers will catch right away. This is a powerful story of the battle between good and evil which is never as black and white as it may seem.

Ratings: 9th grade - 10 out of 10 - AC (mature thematic content) - V (violence).

Ghost Story

Ghost Story is by Jim Butcher. The fourteenth book in the Dresden Files series picks up after Harry has been shot. Harry can't just "go quietly into that good night", not Harry. His ghost is back and he is told he must find his killer or three of his friends are going to die. The problem is that he is a ghost! How is he supposed to communicate with anyone? Does a little thing like being dead stop Harry Dresden - absolutely not! Fans of this series will not be disappointed by this installment.

Ratings: 10th grade - 9 out of 10 - P (profanity) - AC (mature thematic content) - V (violence).

The Throne of Fire

The Throne of Fire is by Rick Riordan. The second book in The Kane Chronicles. Carter and Sadie must travel the world to find the three hidden parts of the Book of Ra so they can travel into the Duat and awake the sleeping god. If they succeed they hope to keep Apophis, the god of chaos, from rising and destroying the world. They must outwit the servants of chaos, the magicians of the House of Light who believe the path of the gods is evil, and the Egyptian gods themselves who aren't exactly excited to have Ra return. If you are a fan of Riordan's books, you will enjoy this one as well.

Ratings: 6th grade - 6 out of 10.

The Lost World

The Lost World is by Michael Crichton. The sequel to Jurassic Park finds Ian Malcolm and his scientist friend Levine studying extinction theory. They decide to search for InGen's Site B so they can mount an expedition to study dinosaur behavior to prove their theories - some people never learn! When Levine goes missing after flying to Isla Sorna, Malcolm leads a team to rescue him, and everything goes downhill from there. If you like Crichton you will love this book as well, it's full of enough scientific jargon and theory to keep the scientifically inclined reading and enough blood, dinosaurs, and action for the rest of us.

Ratings: Adult - 8 out of 10 - P (profanity) - V (violence).