Ptolemy's Gate by Jonathan Stroud

This book is the conclusion to the Bartimaeus Trilogy, which starts with The Amulet of Samarkand. As the last book, it is a fitting final adventure for Nathaniel and Bartimaeus. Honestly speaking, the trilogy is quite dark, with humor only thrown in by the Djinni Bartimaeus. The character Bartimaeus is shrouded in mystery for up to the latter parts of Ptolemy's Gate, where it finally reveals his past. Up to that point, he is shown as an intelligent, witty being, with wisdom from his countless years. Reading his adventures are a treat and knowing that they are over saddens me. Nonetheless, his personality is quite charming in the sense that it is not like most protagonists, especially his magician partner. I cannot give away much about Nathaniel since throughout the series he changes many times. To say anymore would be a very big spoiler. Moving on, the ending was once again, very touching and moving to me, where it leaves one deep in thought. However, the ending wraps up everything starting from book one very nicely, one that left a bittersweet feeling fresh in my mind. Although I keep wondering what would happen under other circumstances, I knew that the ending would end somewhat along the lines that it did, since if one reads the books they can see how it would end. For those of you who choose to read the whole series, you will find emotions similar to mine and wondering about different possibilities for the ending. It is a very enjoyable series and definitely worth checking out, a nice fantasy story with a refreshing take on a hero's journey.  ~ Felix C. (per. 7/8)

My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult

My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult is a definite heart throb. From the beginning, Anna, the main character, has always been there for her sister, literally. She was “created” as a match in order to become a donor for her sister, Kate. Despite the constant blood and bone marrow donations, Kate continues to enter remission, and then relapse yet again. After the announcement that Anna must donate a kidney to save Kate’s life, she has had enough. Sick of her parents constantly forcing her to go through the endless surgeries, she opts for the potentially family splitting way out. Anna makes the decision to sue her parents for the rights to making decisions when it comes to her medical treatments and operations. Anna’s mother, who is an ex-lawyer, represents herself in court, while Anna hires her own lawyer. As the family deals with this immense stress, the book also touches upon the hardships of having a family member with cancer, and the chaotic (and dangerous) actions of Anna’s brother. With an extremely different ending and a much more detailed plot, this story keeps the reader hooked from the first line. Additionally, each chapter is told from a different character’s point of view in order to get a much more realistic and complete story. I would definitely recommend this to anybody who loves realistic fiction! –Kristen C. (per. 3)                          

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Night Circus is hands down one of my favorite books, maybe even my favorite. It's such a unique book and I doubt that anyone had ever read anything like it. It's about a circus, a huge, beautiful one, where everything is magical and amazing. The circus operates at night and it comes one night and just disappears the next, it's called Le Cirque des Reves, the Circus of Dreams. The main characters are Celia and Marco. Celia is the daughter of a great magician, Prospero, whose magic she possess. Marco, doesn't posses the magic, he is taught it and they are set up to compete in a "game" until only one is left standing. The location is the circus. Throughout the book you watch Celia and Marco compete against each other, using their imaginations and powers to create new attractions in the circus. You see the planning of the circus and learn about the founders and how it was created. You travel through time to before the circus, after the circus and during it. This book has a great set of characters and is perfect for everyone. There's fantasy, mystery, romance, and even some action.

- Valerie Gorsh p.7/8

Eight Men Out by Eliot Asinof

This school year I read Eight Men Out by Eliot Asinof.  Eight Men Out is a non-fiction novel about the betting scandal during the 1919 World Series.  Asinof takes a fictional approach to this non-fiction story. Using his research he pieces together the scandal about the Chicago White Sox's decision to throw the 1919 World Series. He tells the story chronologically as it happened then, giving each real life person in the story definable character traits to allow the reader to feel an attachment to the story. Asinof does not spit facts back at the reader, he reveals the story in a way that is understandable and interesting to the reader.  His writing technique have molded this novel into one of the classic
sports books ever written. Eight Men Out provides perspective from many different viewpoints, encompassing everything that had to happen for the White Sox to throw the World Series. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading fiction stories, but would also have an interest in getting
factual knowledge out of what they are reading.

Matt Fein-Period 7/8

Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman

If you are a fan of graphic novels, a history buff, or just love a great story, Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman is a great read. The sequel to Spiegelman's original Maus, this graphic novel switches back and forth from 1940s Poland, at the height of the Nazi regime's power, and 1970s America, following Vladek in his journey through the concentration camps, and his son, who tries to get his story nearly thirty years later. Combined with simple yet unique illustrations (the Nazis are drawn as cats, the Jews are drawn as mice), Maus II surprisingly contains a very thorough and interesting storyline, and makes the reader feel as if they are in the concentration camp with Vladek. Whether you read Spiegelman's first book or not, Maus II is a fantastic read for anyone. ~Zach A. (per. 4)

Haven by Kristi Cook

Haven by Kristi Cook is a fantasy book. It’s about a girl named Violet who has visions. Her visions usually come true. Violet is drawn to a school called Winterhaven School but she doesn’t know why. She then finds out that everyone in school has a psychic gift. She always saw her visions as a curse but now she knows how to control it until a mysterious boy throws her off board. His name is Aiden. They are both strongly attracted to each other. When Violet starts having visions of his death, she will do anything to prevent it.  I recommend this book if you like fantasy. I would recommend it even if you didn’t like fantasy. I honestly don’t like fantasy but this book is worth reading. I enjoyed reading it.

-Selena Hu Period 12

Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

I first picked up the book Angels and Demons when my friend recommended it to me after he read it. I didn't have very high expectations for this book, but it is actually one of the most thrilling mysteries ever. This book is about Robert Langdon, a Harvard professor, who is told to immediately leave America and go to Vatican City. Researchers at CERN created antimatter and hid it somewhere in Vatican City, hoping that it would kill everyone in the immediate area. It was Robert Langdon's job to find the antimatter and save Vatican City. This book is very enjoyable to read because as Robert Langdon travels around Vatican City, the author, Dan Brown, consistently paints the scene with words. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading mysteries. Although the movie that was made based on this book was average, I still recommend everyone who has seen the movie to read the book. The book is always better than the movie! All in all, Angels and Demonsis one of the best mysteries I have ever read. 

-Kevin Chow Period 7/8

A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn

Similar to Alex Flinn’s Beastly, A Kiss in Time is also a modernized fairytale. The narration is in first person but the point of view changes from the two main character; Talia and Jack. Their very different personalities help tell the story in an accurate way. I knew they were written that way purposefully, so that both sides of the story could be portrayed and we could see what each character was thinking in their actions. I recommend this book to anyone who wants something easy to read but also engaging. There are certain parts of the story that seem to drone on but mostly it is a book that keeps you constantly reading. Many people, especially teens, will be a fan of this book.- Val Paulino

Canned by Alex Shearer

Canned by Alex Shearer, is a book about a boy named Fergal Bamfield. Fergal collects cans, but not just any can, he collects cans without labels. He gets his cans from the Bargin Box at his supermarket. Later in one of his travels to the supermarket he meets another can collector named Charlotte. Throughout the book they find many things in the cans like mushrooms, fish fingers, gold, and a note. The note said only one word “Help”. At that moment they started figuring out the mystery behind the note and what exactly happens at the canning factory. I would recommend this book to people who like mystery because of its interesting plot and characters. ~Nicole Miletti Period 2

Shadow of the Hegemon by Orson Scott Card

       The Shadow of the Hegemon by Orson Scott Card is a sequal to the Ender’s Shadow. Like the Ender’s Shadow, this is in a Bean’s perspective. It takes place after the war with formics. Bean and other Ender’s crewmembers face dangers from greedy world leaders, who want to use the kids’ power to take control of the world. One of them is Achilles who succeeds to capture every other Ender’s crew except Bean. Bean takes challenge to face against Achilles who wanted to kill Bean since they were young. As Achilles becomes a new rising leader and plans to take control of many countries, Bean seeks help to Peter Wiggins who is also an influential world’s popular politician. Although, Bean wants to bring Achilles down, his most important goal is to rescue Petra and prevent her from being Achilles’ another victim like Pope. Unlike, the Ender’s Shadow and Ender’s Game, the setting takes place on Earth. This book is interesting because it shows how Bean also has his emotions. Also the book shows a lot of conflicts between Achilles and Bean; Achilles’ malicious actions are unpredictable and interesting, making the readers to question his actions. Indeed, Bean almost gets killed several times. I would like to recommend this book to anyone who likes the Ender’s Games series or other science fiction books. Although it is not about aliens and space, it still intrigues the readers and I personally like this book just as much as any other Ender’s Game series. ~ Jun Y. (per. 7/8)

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Recently, I have read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. It's very random and kind of confusing at first, but the comedy of it all more than makes up for that. Arthur Dent begins what would seem like a normal day, but little does he know that the Earth is about to blow up due to aliens creating an intergalactic highway. His friend Ford Prefect tells him at the last minute and they escape aboard the alien ship. Thus, they point their thumbs to the stars begin their wacky adventures throughout the universe. I would recommend this novel (and the rest of the series) to anyone that wants some humor in their life, or if they get tired of reading novels with a clear plot that actually makes sense in the end. ~Sarika Persaud, Period 3

The Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot

I've recently finished the Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot, and I've really enjoyed every book.  My favorite book in the series is Forever Princess, which is the last book.  It left me joyful, yet sad, since it was the final book in this amazing series.  It is about Mia, the princess of Genovia, and her transformation in high school into a real princess.  She begins as an invisible, nerdy freshman girl, who finds out she is a princess, which changes everything.  She goes through a whole journey and an entire transformation in her teenage years.  Forever Princess is about her senior year, and some serious changes she goes through.  I don't want to give away anything more, since it would ruin the plot, but this book was a great ending and closing to a great series.  The Princess Diaries always left me so emotional, whether I was giggly, tearful, or even shocked.  I will admit, I lived vicariously through Mia's amazing journey.  I love realistic fiction with a touch of romance and drama, and The Princess Diaries was exactly what I needed.

I recommend this series to any girl who enjoys romance with some drama and realistic issues teenagers go through.  All the topics are very interesting and relatable.  It's like your favorite chick flick or tv show, but enjoying the fun of reading every bit of detail.  Just check out the first book if you're interested, because you will love the series. -Vanessa Vilas, Period 7/8

The New Policeman by Kate Thompson

A book I recently read is called the New Policeman by Kate Thompson. This book takes place in Ireland and is about a boy named J.J Liddy whose family has a suspicious past not even J.J knows about. His family is known for their music and the never solved case of his grandfather and the old priest of the village. J.J loves music and so does his family. His and his family’s connection with music seemed magical and unreal. Supposedly, fairies gave the gift of music to humans but no one believes that old tale, but do they? With times changing and him growing up, he wants to let go of his past and move forward. But time seems to be going too fast and there isn’t enough of it. Everyone knows there’s not enough time. His mom’s birthday wish is to buy some time. This book is about his usual attempt and journey to try to buy time. But in some strange way, his need to buy time will be accomplished by the new policeman.

-Janet Shin Period 4

The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan

The Throne of Fire, written by Rick Riordan is a great sequel to the Kane Chronicles. As always, Riordan perfectly mixes ancient mythology with the modern day. Egyptian mythology in this series. It is also fascinating how Riordan breaks down every egyptian god and goddess from their title to their ancient background. The whole book being replayed in a video cassette, Carter and Sadie Kane both embark on a quest to stop the chaos serpent god, Apophis, from consuming the Sun and destroying the earth. Their only slim chance of stopping Apophis is to revive the first king of all gods and the god of the sun, Ra. Even though this is their only chance to save the world, the most powerful magicians are trying to prevent them from reviving Ra for some reason. This book is a book filled with adventure, action, magic, and mythology all perfectly blended. I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoyed the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series because of their similarities and its uniqueness. -Sam Cheng p.7/8

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K Rowling

This is the last book of the Harry Potter series! Almost everyone in our generation, at least, knows what Harry Potter is. So what I want to tell you guys is that this series is not just for our generation, but it's for everyone to read and enjoy. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is about Harry and his friends trying to destroy horcruxes, ultimate goal being killing Voldemort. They overcome dangerous and difficult obstacles with success, however losing some of their friends, meeting complete different side of some of the characters we've seen. This book, in my opinion, is a great book to read for readers all ages. Personally, I've started reading this series when I was in 1st grade, and I've been enjoying every part of this series since. Most people already have read this book, so I'm not going to say much about what genre or kind of book this is. This fantasy just evokes your emotions from deep inside, with feeling of sympathy, but at the same time, it allows you to make up your own imagination and create your own story. I think the expansion of your imagination this series give to us is the best part of this series. So if you haven't, or know somebody you haven't read this book yet, this is a must read for everyone! ~Jooho Lee (Period 7/8)

The Stranger Beside You by William Casey Moreton

This book is a very well written Thriller.  It starts off with a lot of commotion happening.  Brynn and Tom Nelson are the most average high-class citizens.  Those ones that never have any problems, and have the perfect relationship, family, and jobs.  There seems to never be any conflict.  Brynn is woken up at two o'clock in the morning, to banging on the front door.  She wakes Tom, and asks him to go see who it is.  When he's about to open the door he hears a man say,"FBI, open up."  He immediately just went into shock.  Which obviously showed that something was up, and he knew it.  Their two little boys woke up, and the house was in a panic.  Tom was being charged for murder.  He was immediatlely taken, and Brynn was left with the children, and a swarm of FBI agents taking almost everything they owned into evidence.  This whole book is Brynn's point of view, and how confused she is because no one will tell her anything.  It turned out that Tom was framed for a murder because his best friend Clive took money from a loan shark (kind of).  He was having money problems and being a high-class man didn't want to look bad or dissapoint his family.  Since he couldn't pay back, this head boss was coming for them.  Tom escaped and faked his death by "getting hit by a train".  The entire book Brynn thinks Tom is dead, when really he is alive, and trying to find the head boss to kill him.  Her kids were taken to a safe house, but the boss found them and kidnapped them.  So her whole life, and everything she loved could be gone in the snap of a finger, but she couldn't do anything because she had absolutely no idea what was going on.  It's a really great book if you're looking for something that is realistic, and has a ton of action, and suspense.  I recommend this book to anyone who's looking for an easy read, but something that has a complex, action packed story line.  Also, anyone who likes realistic thrillers.  -Kaitlyn Hill

The Adventures of Robin Hood by Paul Ceswick

The book that I choose to recommend is The Adventures of Robin Hood by Paul Ceswick. This is a great book and I really enjoyed reading it. I would recommend this book to those who are a fan of adventure books. Robin Hood is not 1 huge adventure but rather a collection of the many adventures Robin Hood and his greenwood men embark upon. It contains stories of how he met many of his men and how he became Robin Hood, all ordered chronologically. Robin Hood in general is a tale of adventure and defiance because through the many events that take place in the book, Robin Hood is constantly being chased by the sheriff and his men. This book would be great for anyone interested in adventures and medieval times and it is a classic so it is a great book to add to any collection. That is why I would recommend The Adventures of Robin Hood by Paul Ceswick. ~ Nikola Trakilovic

Lord Edgware Dies by Agatha Christie

In this novel, Hercule Poirot is attracted to yet another curious case. At a party, he overhears a popular actress's plan to get rid of her husband, Lord Edgware. She claims that he is "strange" and refuses a divorce, but does not say why. Not even days later, the Lord is found murdered in his library. Naturally, everybody would suspect his wife, who constantly bragged of her plans to do away with him, but at the exact time of his murder, she is with many friends at a grand party! It is not possible that she could not be in two places at once. But of course, no case is too much for Hercule Poirot, as he once again finds the murderer. This book is perfect for anybody who enjoys mystery novels, especially more complicated cases. Agatha Christie is not a writer who would have a simple solution, so this book may not be the one for a classic mystery lover. I hope that anybody would have this book on their "must read" lists! - Kevin G- Period 4

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

The Son of Neptune, written by Rick Riordan is a strongly recommended book. It is book two in the series The Heroes of Olympus. This series continues the five Percy Jackson books. The book begins when Percy wakes up confused and all memories of himself and Camp Half-blood are lost.  He manages to arrive at a half-blood (half human and half god) camp called Camp Jupiter and it is for Roman demigods. Percy is a Greek demigod and both groups have hated each other for centuries. Since Percy does not know he is Greek, they let him stay at the camp. As he stayed at camp, Percy trained to fight with other Roman soldiers. When his training was over he was given an important quest to free the god, Thanatos (Hades’ assistant that makes sure that no one leaves the underworld). He needed to be rescued from a giant named Alcyoneus that could destroy both Greek and Roman gods. They had to succeed or else he would free all enemies of the gods. Once this happens then, Olympus could be destroyed. Percy and his new friends he made at camp must free him in order to save Olympus. This book is recommend because it is informative about Greek and Roman mythology, it contains an excellent plot in which readers will not want to put the book down, and it contains humor that is appropriate for all readers. ~Matthew Sweet (Per. 7/8)

The book I read this year is The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan. This book is part of a series called the Heroes of Olympus. This series is preceded by the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. This book is filled with humor and Greek/Roman mythology all of which is uniquely inserted into the modern world. In this installment Percy awakes without his entire memory. He finds his ways to a camp full of Roman demigods (half-mortal and half-god) and mythological creatures. He then meets two demigods Hazel(daughter of Hades or Pluto) and Frank (son of Ares or Mars). They are forced to go on a quest to redeem the reputation of the camp but are met by many obstacles along the way. giants, cannibals, gods against them, and Amazons. Percy also starts to slowly regain his memory and is conflicted by the two cultures that he has come to know. All in all, i would recommend this book to anybody who enjoys humor, mythology, action. Rick Riordan does a very good job constructing the plot of the book and series. However a knowledge of the first book in the series, The Lost Hero would help in fully understanding the book. This book will have you reading on the edge of your seat and once you pick it up, you'll never want to put it down. ~Conor M. (per. 12)

This year, a squel to a book came out called, The Son of Neptune. This book is written by Rick Riordan and involved a well known character named Percy Jackson. This book is about how Percy lost his memory of his friends and his past while waking up in some unknown area. He does meet some demigods however, demigods being half human and half god, and is brought back to a mysterious camp. While Percy's past life was all about his Greek parents and everything about Greek mythology, he finds himself in the midst of a Roman camp. He makes friends there and gets mixed up with Roman gods and such while his lost memory was all about the Greek gods. As the book continues, he regains his memory slowly bit by bit with the help of his newly acquired Roman friends. To find out the details of this mind blowing book and what does happen with Percy and his memory, you will have to read this book and find out.
     I think people who have an interest in Mythology and fiction would definately enjoy this book. This book includes action and thrills beyond imagination, but also indirectly informs you about the Greek gods and in fact the Roman gods too. I have thoroughly enjoyed this book and would read it a second time without a second thought. Rick Riordan's style of writing this book connects to everyday life yet connects with the Greek and Roman times. I reccommend this book to anyone with an interest in fiction, or any teens looking for an adventured filled book.  ~Vincent C. (per. 2)

Primary Colors by Joe Klein

This year, I've been experimenting with different types of literature instead of my usual non-fiction and historical/realistic fiction. My search led me scurrying back to my genres of comfort, where I got to read what was in my opinion the best book I ever read. I recently had the pleasure to read Primary Colors by Joe Klein, which relayed a mocking fictional account of the real life ascension of William Jefferson Clinton to the Presidency. Essentially, an idealistic Washington insider joins the campaign of a southern governor named Jack Stanton, and deals with the realities of a political campaign. He must accept the philandering, schmoozing, and other activities he found immoral. He must eventually choose whether to stay on with this campaign or not. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in political happenings and reality, and general action and drama. Overall, this was an excellent book that all must read if given the chance. Go out and get it now!-Shravan Period 4