Student Recommended Reading

Students of the Franklin Regional Middle School have read the books below and then offered to write a short summary to share what the book was about.  All of the books are shown with the students' reviews and can be checked out of the library for your reading pleasure.

 Bella at Midnight by Diane Stanley
This book is about a girl named Bella.  She is left in the care of a peasant family when her mother dies and her father doesn't want her.  Growing up, she is befriended by a young prince named Julian.  Many years later, Julian is sent away to a neighboring kindgom as a hostage for peace and Bella's father comes back to reclaim her.  While staying with her father's new family, Bella is not treated kindly and learns of a plot that will endanger Prince Julian.  Can Bella save her firend before war breaks out?  To find out read this book.

 Black Duck by Janet Taylor Lisle
The year is 1929 and like almost everyone in his town, Ruben has heard of the Black Duck. The outlaw rum-running boat is half phantom, known up and down the Rhode Island coast for her daring expeditions. This boat was never seen by the average person. Her skipper is too smart and her crew too skilled.  Then Ruben catches the boat landing with an illegal load of liquor one night on an abandoned dock. Soon after, a dead body in an evening suit washes up on the beach. Ruben and his friend, Jeddy, are drawn into a dark world of subterfuge.  It's a place where conventional rules of right and wrong no longer applly, as loyalty turns into betrayal, and betrayal becomes a way of upholding the law. Will Ruben and Jeddy escape this war?

 Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
This book is about a servant girl named Dashti. Right after Dashti takes an oath to stay with her lady until death, she finds out that her lady Saren is to be locked in a tower for seven years. Dashti and Saren move to the tower, and Dashti slowly learns why her lady is there. When they finally break out, Dashti realized at last what has haunted Saren for so long, just in time. To find out how Dashti and Saren survive in a war-torn land, read Book of a Thousand Days.

 The Boy Who Spoke Dog by Clay Morgan
This book is about a boy named Jack whose parents die in an earthquake. He is now adopted and sets out to sea. After he is thrown overboard in a bad storm, he washes up on an island inhabited only by dogs. Will anyone come to rescue Jack or does he even want to be rescued?

 Brooklyn Rose by Ann Rinaldi
This book is about Rose who is a young Southern girl who marries a wealthy man from the North to help her family out in 1900. She moves to Brooklyn, New York and learn to run the house at the same time that she is growing up. The book is written as a diary and tells her thoughts as she tries to learn what marriage is about. It is actually a story about the author's grandparents.

 Brothers, Boyfriends & Other Criminal Minds by April Lurie

This book is about a girl, April, who is in freshman year of high school. She lives in Brooklyn near a bunch of Mafia families and winds up taking one family's son to school every day. She meets a boy who is a musician and likes him, hates her English class and loves counterculture books and music. Her brother is dating a Mafia person's daughter and is in trouble with them for it. Her little brother talks too much and gives secrets away.

April has a lot of decisions to make about her brothers, her boyfriends and the criminals she minds. See what happens.

 Call Me Hope by Gretchen Olson
This book is about an eleven-year-old girl whose mother says mean things to her no matter how hard she tries to please her, and she's thinking about running away.  She develops some health problems from worrying.  Her brother teases her but is really helpful.  Her friend Brody is on her side, and she makes up some things to do to make her life happier.  She helps out at a second hand store where the ladies are really kind and happy.  Find out if she solves her problems.

 The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer
This book is about Enola Holmes who is Sherlock Holmes much younger sister. On her 14th birthday her mother is missing but she realizes that her mother has left her clues to her whereabouts. On the way to finding her, in spite of all of the things she's not allowed to do as a young woman, Enola, (Alone spelled backwards) helps solve other mysteries. There's a missing young boy that she is able to find by sitting in his tree hideout and thinking what would have happened to him. It reminds you of Sherlock Holmes books.

 
 The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
The city of Ember is an underground city where children begin work at 12 years of age. Because of a corrupt mayor, the city of Ember is running out of supplies and the generator that keeps the city lit is dying. Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow just finished school and are about to get their assignments. Lina is a messenger and Doon is a pipeworker. Lina stumbles upon a parchment containing a puzzle. With the help of Doon, she deciphers the message and finds out they are instructions out of the city. This is an exciting adventure that continues in the sequel The People of Sparks.

 Code Orange by Caroline B. Cooney
This book is about a boy named Mitty Blake. He has to do an infectious disease report for his teacher, Mr. Lynch. He discovers an old book on viruses in his mom's library. He finds an envelope with smallpox scabs tucked into this book and accidentally inhales them. Due to this discovery, the scare that Mitty may have smallpox is spread throughout the world.


 Dead Girls Don't Write Letters by Gail Giles
This book is about Sunny's sister, Jazz, who dies in a fire.  Her parents fall apart, and Sunny tries to help them.  One day a letter from Jazz appears and a girl shows up who looks like her, talks like her, and knows a lot about the family.  Is she Jazz?  Why has she just appeared?

 
  Define "Normal" by Julie Anne Peters
This book is about two girls who are in a peer counseling program at school.  Antonia is a straight A student. She also has some serious problems at home. Jazz is a punker who wears black lipstick, has purple hair, tattoos, and piercings.  Although they are totally different, they discover that they have more in common than either one could have ever imagined. This book makes you think about what really is "normal". Read this book to find out what happens to these girls and to see if two extremely different people can ever have a "normal" friendship.

 A Dog's Life by Ann M. Martin
This book is about a stray dog named Squirrel.  It begins with her birth and ends with her old age. In between are many adventures and many friends. Squirrel was a stray dog her whole life. She has a mother and a brother named Bone.  When their mother suddenly left, Squirrel and Bone are forced to set out on their own. By nature's and humans' cruel forces, however, they are quickly torn apart and are forced to survive on their own.  Will Squirrel find Bone and will they ever be happy again?

 Endymion Spring  by Matthew Skelton
This book is about a boy named Blake, who finds an ancient and magical book that has no writing in it when he is in the library at Oxford. He discovers that only he can "read" and understand the book.  Along with his little sister, Duck, he begins to unravel the mysteries of Endymion Spring.  There is an evil shadow, however, lurking around waiting to steal the book.  Will Blake and Duck solve the mystery in time?  Read the book to find out!

 The Entertainer and the Dybbuk by Sid Fleisghman
This book takes place a few years after World War II. A ventriloquist named Freddy meets a Jewish spirit called a Dybbuk. This dybuk is a twelve-year old boy by the name of Avrom Amos, who was killed in World War II by a Nazi named Gerhard Junker-Strupp. The dybbuk 'finds' Freddy and unknowingly controls him. It is not noticed by Freddie, until when at a show, he lets out a German joke! Freddie can't wait to get off the stage. What does the dybbuk of Avrom want? What will happen to Freddie? You'll have to read the book to find out.

 The Faerie Path by Frewin Jones
This faerie tale is about a girl named Anita. Anita is kind of like Cinderella, but instead of having two gowns, Anita has two different lives. In one live, she is Anita Palmer, a normal 16 year old girl with a boyfriend named Evan. In the other, she is Princess Tania, seventh daughter of King Oberon and Queen Titania of the Realm of Faeries who has been missing for 500 years! While she is trapped in the Realm, Tania runs into some problems involving her sisters, Evan, and Gabriel Drake, a faerie lord who is nothing but trouble.

  Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
This book is about an Ayorthian named Aza.  Aza is not very pretty, but she has a beautiful voice.  She can also 'illuse'.  Illusing is when you can make your voice come from anywhere and sound like anyone.  When the vain Queen Ivi finds out about illusing, she makes Aza her lady-in-waiting.  Queen Ivi has her own reasons for wanting Aza...Read Fairest to discover what it is.


 For One More Day by Mitch Albom
This book is about ... Chick Benetto, whose mother and father didn't get along while he was growing up.  His father wanted him to choose between them.  Chick lived with his mother but only was nice to his father, who lived away from the familyand was only interested in Chick's baseball.  His mother dies and he regrets how he treated her and wants one more day to tell her how he really felt.  He gets that chance, or does he?  This book is great and makes you think a lot.

 Gilda Joyce Psychic Investigator by Jennifer Allison
This book is about Gilda, who is definatley different.  She wants to be a psychic detective and spends a lot of time making things up about people she watches. She misses her Dad who died and tries to communicate with him. But also, she really wants to have an adventure, so finds a way to get invited to a distant cousin of her mother's in San Francisco.

She meets the strange cousin, Mr. Splinter, his unfriendly daughter, Juliet, and the ghost of the cousin's sister, Melanie, and the funny maid, Rosa. She tries to help the daughter discover what happened to the Aunt, but picks a strange way to do it and drives everyone crazy.

 The Girls by Amy Goldman Koss
This book is about 5 girls in middle school. The chapters are divided so they get to tell how they feel about what is going on. The "leader' decides that she doesn't like one of the girls all of a sudden, so another girl decides not to invite her to a sleepover. It's funny how you get to realize what each girl is thinking. It isn't always what you would expect. I'm just mad that the leader seems to get away with her meanness.

 Girl in Blue by Ann Rinaldi
This book is about a girl named Sarah. She is angry with her father who is very cruel and mean. When her father tries to force her to marry a wicked neighbor, she runs away and disguises herself as a male nurse in the Union army. After her first battle, a general discovers Sarah to be a girl and she is offered a job in the Pinkerton Detective Agency and trained as a spy. She is then sent to Fort Greenhow, home of a southern spy, and has many additional adventures.

 Hang on in there, Shelley by Kate Saksena
This book is about a 14-year old girl named Shelley who writes to a pop-star about her life and what happens.  She lives with her brother, Jake, who is 8 and her mom who is 30.  Her parents are divorced and her dad is black and her mom is white.  Her had has a girlfriend and they had a baby.  Well, Shelley  writes to Ziggy (a pop-star) about her life.  She writes about school and her friends.  Shelley also writes about her mom who is an alcoholic and gets arrested.  Ziggy would always write back on a post-card something short like "Hang on in there, Shelley", or something else related to what she wrote.

 
 Heat by Mike Lupica
This book is about a boy named Michael who has grown up close to Yankee Stadium and has the dream of playing in the Little League World Series.  He has the talent to lead his team there, but a jealous player and opposing team questions his age which forces him to be benched until he can provide proof.  His only proof, however, was left behind in his native Cuba. Michael has been keeping other secrets too.  If they come out he stands to lose the only family he has left.  What will happen to Michael?  Read Heat to find out!

 I am Rembrandt's Daughter by Lynn Cullen

This book is about a 14-year-old girl named Cornielia. Her father is the famous painter Rembrandt. Her father is slowly losing his marbles, and it is Cornelia who takes care of him when her brother moves away.

Cornielia is struggling when trying to realize which of two boys she will love, Neel, sweet and quiet, or Carel, who comes along with his quick smile. Cornelia also is discovering some dark family secrets that were hidden until now.

 If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period by Gennifer Choldenko
This book is about some students, Kirsten McKenna, who has family problems, her parents aren't getting along, and "Walk" Jones, who's a new student whose Dad died a long time ago. They don't fit in with the "In Crowd", and also hang out with Matteo, who is tortured by Brianna.

There are a lot of mixed-up connections between the kids mostly caused by Brianna and her crowd. Kirsten's best friend, Rory, has started to hang around with Brianna's crowd and it spells trouble for Walk and Kirsten.

There are some big surprises for you to find out in this book.

 The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
This book is about a boy who lives in a train station in Paris who does the work that his father used to do until he died. No one knows that he died though because Hugo keeps winding the clocks as usual. He meets a girl and finds some secret things that keep you wondering what is happening. The best part of what looks like a long, long book is that there are lots of pictures showing what is happening. Look carefully at the book and turn the pages to see what's going on. It's a mystery as well. You'll enjoy it!

 I Was a Non Blonde Cheerleader by Kieran Scott
This book is about the new girl, Annisa Gobrowski, who arrives at a new school in Florida.  She notices something about the school that is unique...everyone is blonde!  Annisa, being a brunnette from New Jersey, struggles to fit it.  She decides to try out for the cheerleading squad, the biggest collection of blonde snobs in the school.  To find out how it goes with Annisa at her new school read this book!  I give this book 5 stars!

 
 The Keys to the Kingdom-Mister Monday (Book 1) by Garth Nix
This book is about a boy named Arthur Penhaligon.  He was not supposed to be a hero.  He has asthma and he is supposed to die an early death but then his life was saved by a key shaped like a minute hand on a clock.  He is saved, but his world is not.  Along with the key comes a plaque with bizarre creatures from another realm.  It is up to him to save the world. A guy name Mister Monday is there to guide him.

 The Kingdom Keepers by Ridley Pearson
This book is about five kids who become Disney World hosts shown as "holograms", where light can pour through them but they can meet and talk with the visitors at Disney World. Because of unexpected side effects, they wind up in the park every time they go to sleep.  They do battle with Malificent, the witch, and a group called the Overtakers who want to destroy the park.  This means that they're in the park after hours and find out that there is a lot going on after it closes.

 
 Last Shot by John Feinstein
This book is about two eighth graders who win a Journalism contest for sportswriters.  They get tickets to the Final Four Basketball Tournament. While trying to come up with the columns they have to write while they are there, they overhear someone trying to blackmail one of the star players into losing the game, and wind up going all over New Orleans trying to solve the mystery in time.  It tells you a lot about the tournament, the players, and the announcers and it's a little funny too.

 Leaping Beauty (and other animal fairy tales) by Gregory Maguire
This book is about all of your favorite fairy tales! I know you are thinking, "Why is that so great?" These twisted stories are based on zany animals!

 London Calling by Edward Bloor
This book is about a depressed teenager named Martin.  His grandmother, who went a bit crazy in the end, dies and leaves a mysterious old radio to him.  As he lives like a mole in his basement, Martin discovers that somehow, the radio is transporting him back to 1940, to the blitz-ravaged streets of London.  There he meets a boy named Jimmy, who asks him to do his "bit' and help.  As you flip every page, the adventure continues, and Martin finally realized what his "job" is.

  The Man with the Silver Oar by Robin Moore
This book is about a boy who was born and raised a Quaker. He was not allowed to go to anything, especially a hanging.  But one day he went to the gallows to watch two pirates be hung. One pirate gets away while the other is buried. On a scale of one to ten, I would rate this book an eleven!

 Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli
This book is about a little Gypsy boy back in World War II.  He is with his best friend, Uri, stealing food and dodging bombs and Nazis.  This is a very good book.

 Montmorency-Thief- Liar -Gentleman? by Eleanor Updale
This book is about a man with a dual life.  He starts as a petty thief and falls through a glass ceiling during a robbery.  A doctory helps him heal but he's also the doctor's model for surgery.  When he gets out of jail he decides to rob people and stores by traveling through the sewers underground, so he can get away without being noticed.  When he's the thief, his name is Scarper.  As he gets money, he pretends to be a gentleman by the name of Montmorency.  He also starts to develop a conscience.  Which life will win in the end? This is really good story.

 My Nights at the Improv by Jan Siebold
This book is about a girl named Lizzie, who moves to a new town with her mother and finds it hard to  make friends because she never knows what to say.  She says she has a '30-second delay'.  One girl is really mean to her and makes fun out of her all the time.

Her mom teaches cooking at an adult school at night while Lizzie does her homework in the projection booth for the school theater. She secretly watches an Improv class and learns things she can use in life.  She finds that she actually has a great sense of humor.

 My Secret War: The World War II Diary of Madeline Beck by Mary Pope Osborne

Madeline Beck lives with her mother in a boardinghouse while her father is stationed in the Pacific somewhere. She likes Johnny Vecchio at school, who is impressed that her dad is in the war. She runs into some gruff foreigners when she is out walking on the beach and what she discovers she needs to tell the FBI about. The story tells a lot about how pople lived during the war and how they supported the cause.

 The Name of this Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch
This book is about two kids who find a strange, smell-filled box. They must try to discover the truth about a dead magician, a mysterious lady, and a seemingly blank notebook everyone wants...all the while dodging the adults! This is a fun book to read.

   Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes
This book is about Martha, a 13 year-old girl who can only imagine being Olive's friend, since Olive was killed by a car while riding her bike. She only wishes that she had been a better friend to Olive. When Martha and her family vacation in Cape Cod, she often writes about Olive. Martha also falls in love for the first time, only to be crushed by her boyfriend's deceit. Excellent story!

 one of those hideous books where the mother dies by Sonya Sones
This book is about a very interesting girl named Ruby Milliken.  RUby's mother just died and she is going to move in with her movie star dad, Whip Logan.  Ruby is not very fond of Whip at first because he has never played a big role in her life.  In fact, she rarely saw him.  This book is about Ruby getting to know, trust, and believe it or not, love Whip.

  Or Give Me Death by Ann Rinaldi
This book is about the two daughters of the famous statesman, Patrick Henry. When their mom loses her mind, she is locked in the cellar of their home. Patsy, who is the oldest, takes charge. Anne,who understands her mother, talks to her every day. She finds out who has "bad" blood, but lies and says that it is her. Patsy then gets married. Her mom dies eventually and secrets that have been kept reveal themselves.

 Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
This book is about Peter Pan.  It's a prequel to "Peter Pan".  It tells how Peter learned to fly, where he came from, where Tinkerbell came from, where the Lost Boys came from, why Captain Hook was angry with him, where the crocodile fits in....on other words...it starts before "Peter Pan".

Peter is an orphan from St. Norbert's Home for wayward boys, and is going to be taken with some other boys to be a slave to King Zarboff III on his island, and nothing good can come from that.  He winds up meeting Molly, who is secretly a Starcatcher, and introduces him to the magic in the trunk, and enlists his help to keep it safe.  There are lots of pirates, battles, savages, and mermaids.

It's very funny in parts, some parts are a little scary, some parts are magical, and mostly it's adventurous. It moves very quickly even though it is a big book.  I really liked it.

 Pirates! by Celia Rees
This book was full of adventure until the very last page. It's about Nancy Kington, a daughter of a rich merchant. When her mother and father die, she is forced to leave her home in England to live on her father's sugar plantation in Jamaica.  Her older brother wants her to marry a rich Brazilian plantation owner.  So she runs away with her good friend Minerva Sharpe to join the pirates!  If you like fast paced adventures, this book is for you!

 Playing for Keeps by Joan Lowery Nixon
This book is about Rose Ann, a girl who has the chance to go on a cruise with her grandmother, Glory, to the Caribbean.  She's had an arguement with her mom and a bad time at a party and wants to get away.

It's also about a boy, Ricky, who is trying to escape Cuba with his uncle in order to play baseball in the United States. He must be on United States soil to be able to ask for asylum to live here, and a Cuban military man is trying to stop him as well as several others that we don't know.  Can he make it?  Can Rose Ann help him?

 Princess Nevermore by Dan Curtis Regan
This book is about a 15 year old princess named Quinn, who is the future queen of the underground kingdom of Mandria. Quinn longs to visit the Outer Earth, the world which is on the other side of the Mandrian River above the Wishing Pool. One day Cam, the wizard's apprentice, send Princess Quinn from medieval times to the present world by mistake. Quinn accidentally brought a magic ring with her and some student suspects that she has magical powers. Quinn's life, and the entire existence of Mandria, is in danger.

 Really, Truly, Everything's Fine by Linda Leopold Strauss
This book is about a girl named Jill whose father was arrested for giving information to a person so that person could steal jewels. Jill's mom is working two jobs so Jill has to take care of her brother.  Kids at her school tease her about her father going to jail. Jill finally meets someone she can talk to without hearing about her father. To find out more, you must read this book!

  Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings
This book is about a boy who discovers a terrible secret involving his two best friends and the accidental death of his three year old neighbor.  He is torn between doing what is right (calling the police) and trying to be a loyal friend. Read this book to find out what he finally decides.

 Revenge of the Shadow King by Derek Benz & J. S. Lewis
This book is about four children named Max, Harley, Ernie, and Natalia. They play a card game with the elderly owner of the town's antique store, Iver. Iver and the children begin to take the game seriously when mythical creatures such as goblins, unicorns, and fairies are unleashed from playing the game and begin to threaten their small Minnesota town. Can Max, Harley, Ernie, and Natalia rescue their town from the wicked creatures that are trying to destroy it? Read The Revenge of the Shadow King to find out!


 The Sacrifice by Kathleen Benner Duble
This book is about the Salem Witch Trials. In 1692, people are getting ill and two girls from another town are seeing witches. When the two girls are brought to the town of Andover, people start worrying that they may be living next to witches. Two sisters from Andover, Abigail and Dorothy, have to live through this tough time. Many people are accused and taken to prison where you have only three choices...deny it and condemn yourself to hang, say you are a witch and stay in prison, or speak and accuse someone else in the hopes of freeing yourself. What happens to Abigail and Dorothy? Read this book to find out. It's hard to put down!!

 Sammy Keyes and the Dead Giveaway by Wendelin Van Draanen
This book is about a girl named Sammy Keyes. She is trying to stop a city council member from tearing down a neighborhood. There is another woman trying to stop it too. Is it because of the mysterious remains in the backyard? To find out...read this book!


 Secret in St. Something by Barbara Brooks Wallace
This is the story of Robin, a boy who has a nasty stepfather named Hawker Doak. It takes place in New York City before 1900. Robin has to collect the rents from the poor people in the tenements. He runs away when Doak threatens his baby brother, and carries him around the town until he finds a church where he hides in the basement. There is a pack of runaway boys who help him take care of the baby. It's a scary life trying to hide a baby who might cry at any time but there's a surprise ending.


 Shakespeare's Spy by Gary Blackwood
This book is about a boy named Qidge who acts for Shakespeare's company called the Chamberlain Men. One winter evening while the company is performing for the Queen of England, Widge looks at the Queen and sees she is very ill.  All of a sudden the Queen gets up and moves her seat forward.  Widge and the other men are very nervous because of this.  Widge then thinks that the Queen may be dying and ponders the idea of what will happen to acting because she is the only government official who supports them.

  Shoeless Joe & Me by Dan Gutman
This book is about a boy named Joe who can travel back in time using baseball cards. He tries to go back in time to stop the "Black Sox Scandal" but ended up not being able to. In the end, he learns that life isn't always fair.

           Shredderman Series by Wendelin Van Draanen
Nolan Byrd, a.k.a. Shredderman has adventures in each of these stories.

 Someone Named Eva by Joan M. Wolf
This book is about an eleven year old girl named Milanda who lives with her mama, papa, brother, baby sister, and Babichka in Czechoslovakia. Milanda is taken away from her family to a school in Poland, where she fits the Aryan ideal, with her blonde hair and blue eyes. She is renamed Eva and supposed to become the 'perfect' German citizen and forget that she is a Czech girl named Milanda. Deep down Eva knows that she doesn't belong in Germany, but her old life from Czechoslovakia starts slipping away as she becomes a German young lady.

 The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
This book is about a reject mouse in love with the beautiful princess, Pea.  He goes on a journey after being sent to the dungeon for talking to humans.  Despereaux find his way out but returns to rescue Pea from a rat that is holding her captive.  He finds Pea and Mig, but can they get upstairs away from the rats?

 Tangled Threads-A Hmong Girl's Story by Pegi Deitz Shea
This book is about an Asian teenage girl who lives with her grandmother in a refugee camp.  She has been waiting a long time to go to America where her cousins, aunt, and uncle are.  They left the camp five years ago.  The girl's name is Mai.  Mai has learned some English from camp schools, but not much.

Finally, one day, she and her grandmother go to Rhode Island to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousins.  Life in America is much different than Mai expected.  Her cousins have changed and she hardly recognizes them.  Everything is so different; she wonders how will she ever fit it.

  The Trial by Jen BryantThis book is about the Charles Lindbergh baby kidnapping.  To unravel the mystery, read this book. It is told in poem format from the view of a twelve-year old girl who finds herself inside the courtroom at the Lindbergh baby trial as an assistant to her reporter uncle.

 A True and Faithful Narrative by Katherine Sturtevant
This book is about a sixteen year old girl named Meg Moore.  She is the daughter of a book seller and her passion for books and writing drives her to be a perfectionist.  Meg's firiend Edward shows feelings toward her, but she is afraid of what would happen if she should marry.  Edward leaves on a journey to Italy to explore the world and on that day declares his love for her. Meg answers him with a thoughtless joke.  She soon hears news that Edward has been kidnapped and worries that her careless remarks may have been the cause.  Meg then makes it her mission to raise the ransom for Edwards's safe return. 

  Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
This book is about a girl named Tally Youngblood.  Tally can't wait to be sixteen. It's only a few months away and then she will be with all her older friends and she'll finally be pretty.  In Tally's world when you turn sixteen, you have an operation that turns you from an "ugly" into a "pretty".  She meets a girl named Shay, who teaches her new ugly tricks and they become best friends. Shay decides one night that she doesn't want to be a "pretty" and she runs away to Smoke, a place where people who don't want to be turned "pretty" can go. Tally is called into Special Circumstances and given the job to find Shay and the place Smoke, or never be turned "pretty". Tally has a choice to make.  Betray her best friend or remain ugly forever.

 Wormwood by G. P. Taylor
This book is about an astronomer named Dr. Blake, who receives as a gift a book about the legend of Wormwood, a comet that will bring earth shattering events. His servant girl, Agetta, steals the books and is then pursued by demons, angels, and gargoyles who want the book back. Agetta also is wanted as a sacrifice for her body to be taken over by the fallen angel, Lillith. There is a struggle for the earth...Good vs. Evil.  Read this book to find out what happens!

  The Wedding: An Encounter with Jan Van Eyeck by Elizabeth M. Rees
This book is about a young girl in Italy who falls in love with a young man and tries to get to know him. Her father is in a failing business and it seems that he may have been doing something wrong. She desperately tries to find the young man before she has to marry an older man to help out her father. The story tells alot about how it was to live in the Renaissance times. It's interesting especially when you realize that it's a story about a very famous painting.

 The Whitby Witches (Book One of the Whitby Witches Trilogy) by Robin Jarvis
This book is about a boy named Ben and his sister, Jennet.  They are sent to live with elderly Alice Boston.  When they first arrive in the town of Whitby, everything there seems perfect.  Then, a newcomer arrives.  As soon as Rowena Cooper sets foot in Whitby, strange things begin to happen, some resulting in deaths  To find out if Ben and Jennet are able to stop her, read The Whitby Witches

  The Wish List by Eoin Colfer
This book is about a girl named Meg Finn who tries to rob an old man's house with her partner, Belch. During the robbery, something terrible goes wrong. Now Meg is split between heaven and hell. To find out where she is going, she must help the man she robbed finish his wish list. To see where she goes, read the Wish List.