The White Tower

by Cathryn Constable

Livy Burgess's best friend Mahalia has just lost her battle with leukemia. Livy is reeling with grief, but her parents decide it might be good for her to take an opportunity for free tuition at the prestigious Temple College, a preparatory school in London. Livy's dad is offered a job as the new librarian there, and it's a chance the family can't pass up. The action starts immediately when, after the move, Livy and her mom encounter the eccentric ex-librarian at Temple, who appears to be homeless and quickly losing his marbles. Also, the stern and intimidating headmistress seems to have an agenda; she's very interested in a possible connection the Burgess family may have to the founder of Temple College, scientist Peter Burgess. Livy senses something's not quite right at her new school, and when she meets an intriguing boy on the roof, even more questions are raised. She's determined to figure out what's going on, even if she has to risk her own life to do it. Livy's love for her departed friend, and her struggle to make new ones and find her place in the world, will resonate with readers. Minor characters are underdeveloped, with the exception of Livy's lively four-year-old brother Tom, and there are a few aimless plot points. The twist at the end is a shocker, though, and the resolution satisfies.

Dragonfly Song

by Wendy Orr

Aissa is the firstborn daughter of the Lady, the village priestess, but the extra thumb on each of her hands makes her unworthy in the eyes of the gods. She is supposed to be left to die, but the Lady’s wise woman quietly sneaks her to a family of goatherds across the mountain. When that family is also tragically lost to her, Aissa finds herself back in the Lady’s house, working as a servant and choosing to be mute. Abused, rejected, and knowing nothing of her true parentage, Aissa is eventually cast out of the city by the other servants. Each year, soldiers from Crete come for one boy and one girl tribute to dance with the bulls. If they survive, their community is freed from providing future tributes, but no one has ever come back. Aissa knows she has to try to dance with the bulls…she truly has nothing to lose. The Bronze Age setting makes for a unique backdrop to Aissa’s story, and she is a sympathetic character. Her struggles are heart-wrenching, and made more so by the lyrical storytelling style. The descriptions of the dances are especially vivid.

The Empty Grave

by Jonathan Stroud

With a deep sigh, I say good bye to this amazing series. Stroud kept the quality of all five books consistently engaging, which is no easy task. Every book in this series has one major mystery the crew needs to solve. This one, in addition to that, manages to also wrap up the biggest mystery of all. That's right. We get to find out what started the Problem. And it's no lame cop-out of an ending, either. A fantastic conclusion to one of my favorite book series of all time.


Lucy, Lockwood, George, Holly, and last but not least, Skull...a sad farewell!