The Name of the Star

by Maureen Johnson

When Rory's parents accept a teaching job in Bristol, England, she takes the opportunity to spend her senior year at a boarding school in London. As soon as she gets there, some strange murders begin to occur in the neighborhood around her school, which is the area where Jack the Ripper committed his terrible crimes years ago. The killer is recreating the Ripper's crimes, but when caught on video the knife is visible--the killer isn't. Rory finds herself in the middle of a bizarre world, where she can see ghosts, and one of them is trying to kill her.

Love me some Maureen Johnson! She's one of those writers who I imagine writes how she talks. She's witty, clever, and super sharp. This book is a rare treat. You'll laugh out loud at some parts, and be terrified a few minutes later. I also learned a few things about Jack the Ripper I didn't know, and I always find him fascinating. This is the first in a series, but even though there's a bit of a cliffhanger, the ending was still great. Definitely check this one out!

Dragon Seeker

by Anne Forbes

Dragonslayer, a sword with a personality and voice of its own, is dedicated to killing dragons. For centuries it has slumbered with its knight, buried in the depths of Edinburgh Castle. Lord Jezail, a magician, decides he wants to wield Dragonslayer himself, and releases it from its grave. Its grip on him is more intense than he realized. Now the sword and Jezail want to kill Arthur, a kind-hearted dragon, and they begin a mad quest for power. Clara, a human child featured in the previous five novels of the Dragonfire series, has memorized the Book of Spells, and the duo sets out to kidnap her. They need those spells to bring their murderous plans to fruition. Once she’s captured, her brother Neil and their magical friends must work to outsmart Jezail and the sword to save her. The plot-driven story moves quickly, and has enough twists and turns to keep readers involved, but an over-reliance on exclamatory statements is distracting. Those who haven’t started the series may have trouble connecting with the characters, but the tale wraps up neatly, and fans of the previous books will find a satisfying ending to their journey.

I'll Be There

by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Brothers Sam and Riddle are drifters. Their father is a petty criminal, who simply runs to the next location when he feels the law closing in. They don't go to school, have never used a cell phone, and eat what they can, when they can. When by chance Sam meets Emily Bell, he feels a strong connection to her, and she to him. As their unlikely friendship grows, Emily introduces Sam and Riddle to her upper middle class family, who have never seen the likes of these boys. Slowly, and in unexpected ways, the two become entwined with the entire Bell family. To say any more would spoil the suspense as this novel takes a turn from light romance to nail-biting adventure, and a story of physical and emotional survival.

Thanks to Mrs. Smolka for recommending this one to me!

Once Was Lost

by Sara Zarr

Sam is a preacher's daughter, and she's afraid that's all anyone in her small town knows about her. It seems like all the kids in her youth group thinks she's a pillar of faith, but she's not sure what she believes about God these days. Her mom is in rehab after a drunk driving accident, but her dad can't seem to say the words from the pulpit, so everyone is just left to speculate on her whereabouts. To make matters worse, Sam's dad seems to be getting uncomfortably close to the pretty, 26 year old youth group leader. Nick, one of the cutest guys in the group, asked her to dance once last year, but otherwise doesn't seem to know she's alive. Sam's world is already falling apart, and then Jody disappears. Jody, Nick's sweet 13 year old little sister. The town unites to try to find her, and Nick inexplicably reaches out to Sam. Is Jody gone forever? Is Sam's dad lying to her? Will her mom ever come home? And then there's Nick... Does he want to be more than just her friend, or does he have something to do with Jody's disappearance?

Being a preacher's daughter myself, this book resonated with me on several levels. Zarr's writing is solid, and the questions and doubts Sam experiences feel authentic. The mysteries keep you guessing the whole way through, so I was forgiving when they all wrapped up just a little too neatly.

Okay for Now

by Gary D. Schmidt

When Doug's father loses his job, he uproots their entire family to small, seemingly boring Marysville, New York. His dad and two older brothers are borderline abusive, and Doug is miserable with the move, and life in general. But soon he finds a little comfort at the library. Not in the books, but in a display of the works of John James Audubon, a famous painter and naturalist. As he begins working with the librarian, who helps him with his art, and begins a friendship (plus a little more) with Lil Spicer, life starts to look up. But every time something good happens to Doug, something else always seems to come along to mess it up.

This is a story of a young man making something of himself under very difficult circumstances. His struggle is both original and familiar. Doug is a character you won't want to leave. The writing is almost flawless. Schmidt has Doug's voice pinpointed so well that it's hard to believe he's not a real person. I picked this up because I've heard so much about it being a contender for the Newbery Medal. I'll be disappointed if it doesn't at least win an Honor. Just read the first chapter and try to put this down. And while it's not really a sad story, you might just shed a few tears along the way.

The Son of Neptune

By Rick Riordan

***SPOILER ALERT!*** (Don't read this is you haven't read The Lost Hero yet!)

No one does cliff-hangers like Riordan. In this second installment of The Heroes of Olympus series, he jumps off the one he left at the end of The Lost Hero and hits the ground running. Percy Jackson makes a long-awaited reappearance on page one, with almost no memory of his identity, except hazy recollections of a girl named Annabeth. He's in San Francisco, home of Camp Jupiter. It's the other camp for demigods, only here, the gods appear in their Roman forms. Most of the campers are suspicious and scared of Percy, but misfits Hazel and Frank welcome him to camp. The demigod world is in an uproar. Monsters keep reappearing after they're killed, and the campers discover it's because Thanatos, better known as Death, has been chained by Gaea, goddess of the earth. They must go on a quest to free him, and the heart-pounding adventure amps up even more. Riordan's ability to create characters readers care about is extraordinary. Hazel, daughter of Pluto who leaves precious gems jumping from the ground in her path, and Frank, son of Mars, who just might be the key to everything, are some of the most endearing demigods we've met so far. The vernacular of today's teens is captured masterfully, making the writing fresh and funny. These characters practically leap off the page. The ending will make readers smile, even though the wait for the rest of the story can't come soon enough.

The Lost Hero

by Rick Riordan

In this spin-off series by Rick Riordan, we'll meet some new characters, and, thankfully, reconnect with old friends. Jason wakes up on a bus with a bunch of demigods who seem to know him, but he has no idea who or where he is. Before too long he's at Camp Half Blood, and meets Annabeth, who is searching for the missing Percy Jackson. A prophecy from Rachel Dare sends the new campers on another quest, where Jason hopes he'll save the world, and learn his identity. I won't say too much more, just in case you haven't yet finished the Percy Jackson series. The ending of this book ROCKS, and set us up for Son of Neptune beautifully. You'll never guess the twist Riordan throws at us, and I can't wait to see what happens to all of our hero friends, new and old.