Untwine by Edwidge Danticat

Untwine
Author: Edwidge Danticat
Lexile: Unavailable
Length: 320 Pages
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Awards: None Yet
Reading Ram Star Rating: 4.8 out of 5 Stars

This book comes out on Tuesday September 29th. Thanks to Holland Saltsman of The Novel Neighbor bookstore, I got to read an advanced reader copy.

                                  Giselle and Isabelle Boyer are identical twins. So identical that even their parents have trouble telling them apart. Giselle is into drawing, and Isabelle is into music, she plays the flute like an angel. Giselle and Isabelle are on their way to one of Isabelle's concert's, stuck in traffic, and they will most likely be late. Then a freak accident happens, and Giselle's life is thrown into a blender. She wakes up in a hospital, with no clue how she got there, or where Isabelle is. Trapped inside herself, she is unable to communicate with anyone. Should she just give up and let go?
                                   This book was so good! I am so happy I got the chance to read it before it came out, otherwise I probably would have never read it! This story was so well written and so sad, I almost cried. (Well, actually, I did cry, but that's not important.) This book had no inappropriate parts in it. I would recommend it to 7th grade and up. You should really try it out in your free time!

The Dungeoneers by John David Anderson

The Dungeoneers
Author: John David Anderson
Lexile: None
Length: 448 Pages
Genre: Fantasy
Awards: None
Reading Ram Star Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars





                           Colm has eight sisters, and two parents.  In other words, their house is EXTREMELY crowded. Money is super tight, their father's job is as a shoe cobbler barely pays for the bare necessities. And of course Colm's mother doesn't work. So often the family goes without a treat for a week. Say sugar, or butter, or even (gasp) soap. Colm is tired of living in such a horrible way. He decides to go out in the market to get some money. Except he doesn't get it by working, he pickpockets off of every rich nobleman or woman in the square. When gives it too his parents, they tell the local law enforcer. Instead of him, a strange man named Finn Argos shows up at his door, offering him a choice. He can either be punished for his crime, or he can become a dungeoneer. Of course, Colm chooses the latter. The world of thievery is very complicated, thieves are only welcome at the dungeoneers castle fortress. Things are not as they should be, however, and Colm teams up with 3 other dungeoneers to pass the tests and find out what is wrong.
                           I did like this book, it was very creative. It told a story from a different side of view than the hero, the thieves. I really enjoyed that part, although they really didn't encounter any do-gooders that tried to catch them. But it was still interesting to me. The reason I gave it 4 out of 5 Stars, was because it was a little childish. It was probably directed towards a younger audience, but still. I would recommend this book to 4th grade to 6th grade. Just because of the age thing. But if you like Fantasy and want a different story, you could try this book.

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

The Testing
Author: Joelle Charbonneau
Lexile: 830
Length: 344 Pages
Genre: Dystopian
Awards: None
Reading Ram Star Rating: 4.9 out of 5 Stars




                             The Seven Stages war that has destroyed the world is a thing of the past. The world has been rebuilding for quite some time now, and is at a new stage in society. Cia has been chosen from the Five Lakes Colony for the Testing, along with 3 of her other classmates. They are the first to be selected from the colony in years, and everyone is nervous and quite surprised. It is a great opportunity for all of the candidates, because the winners of the testing get to go to the University, and receive prestigious positions of great importance in the government once they graduate. But Cia's father, a candidate from the Testing warns her that it is not the usual tests she is used to. Cia and her friend from school, Tomas. They each complete the test after test, but if either of them fails, the penalty is death.
                              I loved this book so much! It was like a combination of The Hunger Games and Divergent. Both books that I love. It was very interesting, and there were so many surprises, I never thought that any of that stuff would happen. I also heard that they were making a movie for it, but if they really are going to, it would be kinda scary and/or creepy. The nasty (in my opinion) parts of the book weren't so bad too read, but they would be icky to actually see. That is why I would recommend this book to 6th grade and up. That is also why I gave it 4.9 instead of 5 Stars. I don't like nasty things. You should definitely try this book out in your free time! If you are okay with a bit of gore.

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Lightning Thief
Author: Rick Riordan
Lexile: 740
Length: 384 Pages
Genre: Fantasy
Awards: New York Times #1 Bestseller
Reading Ram Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars




                             Percy Jackson has been kicked out of every school he has ever attended. This is because he is different from other kids. He is a demigod. Half human... Half God. As in Greek God. Like the old myths he learned about in school. Percy goes to camp Half Blood, a special safe haven for the other children of the gods. But in Olympus, somebody has stolen Zeus' Lightning Bolt, his most prized weapon. And he thinks Percy did it. Percy, Annabeth, and his friend Grover embark on a quest to find Zeus' missing Lightning bolt before it is too late. But on the journey, they get much more than they bargained for, and discover something that will change their lives forever.
                             I loved this book so much! Rick Riordan has to be my favorite author besides Stephanie Meyer, Kathryn Stockett, and Richard Paul Evans. He is so good at coming up with a story that draws you in, then you can't even put the book down for a minute. To be honest, the first time I tried reading this, I didn't like it and stopped reading. Then the second time, it was so good I finished it in a couple of hours. Thank goodness I had the rest of the series at my house, otherwise I would've been miserable until I got the rest. The series is kind of a pre-Heroes of Olympus, but it's only about Percy and Annabeth. This book is not inappropriate at all. I would recommend this book to 5th grade and up. I am sure most adults would like this adventure because of the way it is written. You should SERIOUSLY go and try this book out, it is amazing!!!!! Get the rest of the series while you're at it, trust me, you'll need it.

Author Visit featuring Eoin Colfer, Jonathon Stroud, and Ridley Pearson

Are you a fan of the Artemis Fowl series? Or the Bartimeous trilogy, or the Disney Lands-The Kingdom Keepers books? Well then this author visit is the right one for you! All of the authors of these books are coming to St. Louis on Wednesday, September 16, 7:00 pm, in the St. Louis County Library auditorium. Mark it on your calendar now!

Rick Riordan Author Visit!!!!!!

Do you love the Rick Riordan Series as much as I do? Do you want the chance to meet him? Well then come on over to the St. Louis County Library on October 13, 7:00 p.m. to whatever time he leaves! Get a pre-signed copy of his newest book, Magnus Chase, The Sword of Summer! Tickets go on sale September 10th, 9:00 a.m. through www.slcl.org or at the Library Headquarters! Make sure you reserve your spot to meet Rick Riordan!!!!

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

The Lost Hero

Author: Rick Riordan

Lexile: 660
Length: 592 Pages
Genre: Fantasy
Awards: None
Reading Ram Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars



                          Jason wakes up on a bus in the middle of nowhere. He doesn't know where he is, or even who he is. He is holding the hand of a pretty girl, Piper, who tells him that he is her girlfriend. They are on their way to the Grand Canyon, accompanied by Jason's "friend" Leo. Jason doesn't remember him either. After an impossible accident, the three are transported to Camp Half Blood, where they find out that things are not as they should be. Jason, Piper, and Leo embark on a quest to save the gods from a terrible new threat rising from the Earth.
                           I really loved this book a lot. It is sort of a second series after Percy Jackson and the Olympians. So I  would recommend to read that series before you read this one, otherwise, you'll be really confused. Like I was. Except I had to stop halfway through, read the other series, then keep going on this one. There are five books in the series, and trust me, you'll want to read all of them. So when you get this one, get the next one too. You WILL need it. I would recommend this book to 5th grade and up. It is really awesome for most ages! You should really try this book out in your free time!

Magyk (Septimus Heap book 1) by Angie Sage

Magyk
Author: Angie Sage
Lexile: 640
Length: 640 Pages
Genre: Fantasy
Awards: None
Reading Ram Star Rating: 4.8 out of 5 Stars



                          Septimus Heap is the seventh son of his father, who himself is a seventh son. In the magical world, this is a good omen. It means that Septimus will have immense magical powers. Powers that some people may use for evil if they found out. But Septimus goes missing somehow, and he is declared dead by the midwife. The same night, when Silas Heap, Septimus' father is returning home, he finds a baby girl, wrapped in blankets, left out in the snow. He considers it a good omen, after losing Septimus. He takes her home, and they name her Jenna. When Jenna grows up, they still don't know who she is, and where Septimus is, if he had lived. The Heap's are part of an intricate plan for domination, and secrets they never dreamed could be real are uncovered.
                           I loved this book a ton! It was so well made, an exciting! I could have never guessed what happened! I think it deserves a higher lexile that only 640 though. It was so amazing, I couldn't wait to read the next one! The heroic story of Septimus, Jenna, and the rest of the Heaps was sooooo good! I think it was really cool how all the magic words in the book were spelled with a y instead of an i. Like the title. And most of the c's were k's as well. The only reason I gave it 4.8 out of 5 stars though, was because it got really boring in some parts of the book, and I was tempted to skip them, but I'm glad I didn't, otherwise I would've missed a lot of stuff that was important. This book was not inappropriate in the least, it was very appropriate actually. I would recommend it to 5th and up, because some of the stuff it talks about is hard to understand by little kids. You should try this book out in your free time soon!

The Land of Stories, The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer

The Land of Stories; The Wishing Spell
Author: Chris Colfer
Lexile: 720
Length: 464 Pages
Genre: Fantasy
Awards: None
Reading Ram Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars



                         Connor and Alex Bailey are just your regular pair of twins, or so they think. They both go to the same school, and are in some of the same classes. Then one day it all changes. Alex and Connor are magically transported to the fairytale world. Their only hope to get back home is the Wishing Spell. But collecting items from the most famous fairytale characters in the world will prove much, much, much more difficult than either twin could have ever imagined. Will they ever be able to return home to the world they know, or will they live out the rest of their days in the fairy tale world?
                         I did enjoy this book a lot, although it was a little too young for me. However, this did not stop me from reading the second, third, and fourth book in the series, and I am anxiously awaiting the fifth book. I found that it, although exciting, was extremely predictable. I could basically guess what was going to happen at the end, so it wasn't too much of a surprise for me. It was still a good enough book that I really wanted to read the one after it, and the one after that. So that is why I gave it 4.5 stars instead of something lower. I cannot wait for the fifth book to come out, and there may possibly be a sixth coming out soon after that. Chris Colfer is as good an author as he is an actor, and I think he should keep writing new series of books for kids to enjoy. I would say this book is a good read for 4th to 8th grade, but I'm sure a lot of adults and high schoolers would enjoy it as well. You should definitely check this book out from your local library, I'm sure you will enjoy the series as much as I did.