Pygmalion is by George Bernard Shaw. The classic realistic/historical fiction drama that was the basis for My Fair Lady. Henry Higgins and his friend, Colonel Pickering, make a bet that Higgins can take a common flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, and transform her into a lady by teaching her to speak correctly. Of course, things don't go exactly as planned. A Reader's Corner Highly Recommended Read.
Ratings: 9th grade - 10 out of 10.
The Red House Mystery is by A.A. Milne. A classic mystery novel by the author of Winnie the Pooh; this was Milne's only mystery novel. In a classic locked room mystery, Tom Gillingham decides to drop in at the Red House to visit a friend who is staying there with the odd millionaire Mark Ablett. He arrives, while the rest of the part is out golfing, to find Ablett's secretary banging on the office door which is locked. When Gillingham and Cay enter, they discover the body of Ablett's brother Robert dead on the floor and Mark Ablett nowhere to be found. A fun read for mystery lovers, especially lovers of Golden Age mysteries.
Ratings: 9th grade - 9 out of 10.
Jaguar is by Roland Smith. A fun realistic fiction adventure, the second in the Lanza series. When Jacob Lanza's father heads to Brazil to start a preserve for jaguars in the remote Amazon basin, he leaves Jake with his grandfather in a private nursing home. Not happy with this arrangement, Jake is thrilled to go visit his father in Brazil and becomes part of a dangerous trip into the uncharted rain forest with his father, his father's new girlfriend, and a mysterious adventurer, who might have another agenda. A great read for pre-teen boys.
Ratings: 5th grade - 7 out of 10.
The Hog's Back Mystery is by Freeman Wills Crofts. A wonderful Golden Age mystery from a author most people have never heard of. When Dr. Earle disappears from his home near Hog's Back Ridge, Inspector French is called in to solve the case. Is it murder or something else? A clever and charming mystery. Crofts should be more well known that he is.
Ratings: 9th grade - 9 out of 10.
Truly Devious is by Maureen Johnson. The first book in the realistic fiction mystery series by the same name. Ellingham Academy was founded in the early 20th century by millionaire Albert Ellingham. He wanted to create a "special" school for "special" students. Only a select few are chosen, but if chosen your education is free. Shortly after he opened the school, his wife and young daughter were kidnapped. His wife was found dead, but his daughter Alice was never found. The ransom note was signed Truly Devious. Decades later, Stevie Bell a crime enthusiast, is admitted to the school. She is determined to solve the mystery. Then Truly Devious strikes again and Stevie may be in more danger than she ever realized. The solving of the mystery could mean the saving of her own life.
Ratings: 6th grade - 7 out of 10 - V (violence).
Out for Blood is by Michael P. Spradlin. The third book in the science fiction Killer Species series. Dr. Catalyst is at it again. This time he is sending a hybrid of vampire bats and hornets after Emmet and his family and friends. This time he wants vengeance; he is not even pretending to want to save the Everglades anymore. Can Emmett, Calvin and company stop him again? Can they figure out his identity before it's too late? Fans of the series will enjoy this action packed installment.
Ratings: 6th grade - 7 out of 10 - V (violence).
Narrative Poems is by C. S. Lewis. Lewis's four classic narrative poems: "Dymer," "Launcelot," "The Nameless Isle," "The Queen of Drum." These poems are beautiful and well worth the time needed to work through them. Fans of Lewis should not miss his foray into poetry. A Reader's Corner Highly Recommended Read.
Ratings: 12th grade - 10 out of 10.
Poetics is by Aristotle. The classic philosophical work by the Greek master. This small volume contains his thoughts on drama, stories, music, rhythm, and harmony. It is a wonderful, if challenging, read that is well worth the effort. A Reader's Corner Highly Recommended Read.
Ratings: Adult.
The Wicked Boy: The Mystery of a Victorian Child Murderer is by Kate Summerscale. Interesting nonfiction story of Robert Coombes, who murdered his mother when he was 13. Robert confessed, was convicted, declared insane (due to his age), and spent 17 years in Broadmoor asylum. He was released to a Salvation Army farm and from there moved to Australia where he became a hero during WWI. After the war he returned to Australia and took up a quiet simple life. The story raises more questions than it answers.
Ratings: Adult - 7 out of 10 - V (violence) - AC (mature thematic content).
Out of the Silent Planet is by C.S. Lewis. The classic science fiction beginning to the Space Trilogy by Lewis. While Ransom, a philologist at Cambridge, is out on a walking tour, he is kidnapped by two men named Weston and Devine and is taken in a spaceship to Malacandra, Mars, to be a human sacrifice to the aliens that populate the planet. Once on Malacandra, he escapes and meets the inhabitants of the planet, who are not all as he has feared. As he learns the truth about Malacandra and the mysterious Oyarsa, who seems to rule the world, he discovers much about their planet, his own, and about himself. A moving tale, if not the type of science fiction we are used to. The comparison of Ransom to Tolkien is hard to miss. A must read for fans of Lewis. A Reader's Corner Highly Recommended Read.
Ratings: 10th grade - 9 out of 10.
Reading Lolita in Tehran is by Azar Nafisi. A fascinating nonfiction memoir. A Iranian woman returns to Iran to teach at Tehran University immediately before the fall of the Shah. This is her story as she attempts to teach literature, most of which is soon banned or forbidden, during the revolution and in it's aftermath. Eventually she leaves the university and sets up a home literature class for girls; their first book being Lolita. This is the story of one woman's fight to preserve great literature, as well as the story of how great literature can preserve us.
Ratings: Adult - 8 out of 10 - AC (mature thematic content).
A Wrinkle in Time is by Madeleine L'Engle. The first book in the classic fantasy Time Quintet series. The imaginative tale of the a sister and brother who, along with their friend, set out to find and save their missing father. The meet three strange women, who take them to other worlds where they must fight a great evil to same their father, themselves, and their world.
Ratings: 6th grade - 8 out of 10.
The Final Girl Support Group is by Grady Hendrix. Another gem, this one realistic fiction, from Grady Hendrix. Final girls are the only surviving victim's of serial killers. These girls have joined together with a leading psychologist to form a support group. Then suddenly someone begins killing the final girls. Can Lynette Tarkington, final girl, find the identity of the killer and save the remaining group members before the killer finds her? Another horrific, yet strangely amusing, story by the author of Horrorstor. Fans of Hendrix will not be disappointed.
Ratings: Adult - 8 out of 10 - AC (mature thematic content) - P (profanity) - V (violence).
Diary of an Old Soul: 366 Writings for Devotional Reflection is by George MacDonald. A classic series of prayerful meditations by the giant who influenced both Lewis and Tolkien. Well worth spending a year meditating on by Christians everywhere.
Ratings: 9th grade - 10 out of 10.
