Dragon's Breath

Dragon's Breath is by E.D. Baker. The second installment of the Tales of the Frog Princess series. Emma and Eadric must help Aunt Grassina collect the ingredients needed to turn Haywood back into human form. Emma's grandmother had turned him into an otter. Aunt Grassina is so lovesick she can't focus on her magic, and her magic is needed right now. The kingdom is about to be attacked by a neighboring king and his magician. A continuation of a cute series for young readers.

Ratings: 5th grade - 8 out of 10.

The Children of Odin

The Children of Odin is by Padraic Colum. A great introduction to Norse mythology. This book contains stories regarding all aspects of Norse gods, goddesses, and heroes. If you know nothing about Norse mythology, this is the place to start.

Ratings: 7th grade - 9 out of 10.

Julia Roberts

Julia Roberts: People in the News is by Terri Dougherty. A great starter biography for young readers. This books looks at Roberts' life and career.

Ratings: 7th grade - 7 out of 10.

The Goldfinch

The Goldfinch is by Donna Tarrt. Theo Decker is a thirteen-year-old boy who survives a terrorist attack at a museum that kills his mother and many others. Wounded and in shock, he speaks with a dying victim who gives him a ring and a cryptic message; then escapes the destruction of the museum with a priceless painting tucked in a sack. The Pulitzer Prize winning novel, follows Theo's life as he grows up and how the museum tragedy and his removal of the painting change his life forever. A masterful novel.

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

Max

Max is by James Patterson. This is the fifth book in the Maximum Ride series. Max and the flock have recovered from their trip to Antarctica and are working with a coalition to end global warming. Now, Max's mother has been kidnapped by a new enemy, Mr. Chu, and the flock must rescue her. They are also enlisted by the government to find out who is destroying ships in the Pacific. Fans of the series will not be disappointed.

Ratings: 7th grade - 8 out of 10 - MP (mild profanity).

Slaughterhouse-5

Slaughterhouse-5 is by Kurt Vonnegut. The classic must-read by the master of dark humor and satire. This story follows Billy Pilgrim through his life to his capture by the Germans in WWII, and his survival of the fire bombing of Dresden. Billy has become unstuck in time after his abduction by aliens from the planet Tralfamadore, so the book's plot line is also "unstuck in time". Similar to Catch-22 in it's use of dark humor to take an anti-war position. A Reader's Corner Highly Recommended read.

Ratings: 11th grade - 10 out 10 - P (profanity) - V (violence) - AC (mature thematic content).

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking is by Malcolm Gladwell. This book looks at "blink-of-an-eye" judgments and decisions we make every day. Why are some of our instincts correct and others faulty? Can we do anything to improve our ability to make snap decisions? Gladwell looks at everything from fake art to "New Coke", from the election of Warren Harding to the police shooting of Amadou Diallo. Another must-read book by this author. You always learn a lot about others and about yourself from his books.

Ratings: 10th grade - 10 out of 10 - P (profanity).