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Wonderstruck by Brain Selznick

I am Sarah. I am thirteen years old and an avid reader; it is one of my favorite things to do. Inspired by the multitude of author’s creation of magnificent places and surprising havens built by simple letters, I aspire to be an author and, meanwhile, nurture the love to write.

Twelve-year-old Ben Wilson was struck deaf by a lightning strike only a few months after his mother’s death. Ready to stop being an orphan dependent on his aunt and uncle, he sets out to find the father he’s never known in New York City, with only a bookmark and name as clues to his identity. Plagued by dreams of majestic wolves, he eventually makes his way to the American Museum of Natural History. Befriending the son of a museum worker, he begins to explore the museum and his family’s roots.

Two generations before, Rose wishes to escape the drudgery of lip-reading lessons and loneliness, setting off for the city to find the famed actress Lilian Mayhew. When the encounter doesn’t go as planned, the twelve-year-old makes her way eventually to the Natural History Museum to find solace among the collections of preserved wonders.

Ben’s and Rose’s paths inevitably intertwine at the museum, which has become both their sanctuaries and somehow the thread which binds them both. Brain Selznick tells their stories in a carefully curated collection of mementos and memories and human connections, masterfully combining Ben’s prose with Rose’s pictures to create a suspenseful cinematic quality that hangs onto every swoop of the pencil and swirl of the ink.

Find it in print here.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

My name is Elizabeth. I love reading, and my favorite book is My Sister’s Keeper. I am in the 8th grade and enjoy dance.

And Then There Were None is written by Agatha Christie. It is an iconic murder mystery book, written by the queen of mystery herself (Agatha Christie). This book tells the story of 10 strangers who are mysteriously invited to Soldier Island. Each received a letter telling them where to be and why. Each letter was from a mysterious Owen. Once they get to the island, peculiar things start to happen. This is when they realize that this island might not be what it seems. Each person is accused of a crime- and this sets the mood for everyone. Each character soon begins to live in suspense, wondering if they will ever get off Soldier Island. There is not one main character, however, the chapters are broken up into sections and each section is from a different character’s point of view. 

This book was amazing. I loved being able to follow along as I read, and try to figure out who the murderer is. The twists and turns really made me get into this book, and want to get to the bottom of the mystery. I would give this book a 9/10. It was really great, but it was also first published in 1939. This causes some of the language to be outdated, and a little hard to understand. Aside from the older language, this book was awesome. I found it was really satisfying, especially after reading the epilogue where you receive all the clues to solve the mystery. 

Find it in print, ebook, eaudiobook, and DVD here.

The Witch’s Boy by Kelly Barnhill

I am Sarah. I am thirteen years old and an avid reader; it is one of my favorite things to do. Inspired by the multitude of author’s creation of magnificent places and surprising havens built by simple letters, I aspire to be an author and, meanwhile, nurture the love to write.

Every pair must have one wrong half, right? At least, that’s what the townspeople believe in the village where a pair of twins, Ned and Tam, run rampant. (They also believe that the world ends at the mountains, but they’re wrong about that, too.) One day, the brothers decide it’s high time they built a raft—but when they’re ready to float it, things go wrong, and only Ned survives, cementing the debate between the villagers that he was the wrong boy all along.

Across the enchanted forest that separates Ned’s country from the kingdom of Duunin lives Ainé, the resourceful and practical daughter of the Bandit King, who lives a good life but is haunted by her mother’s last words to her: “the wrong boy will save your life, and you will save his.”

When bandits threaten the magic that Ned’s mother is intended to protect—the welfare of both Ainé and Ned’s kingdoms hanging in the balance—it’s Ned who steps up to safeguard the magic and protect his community, and Ainé who braves her fears to stop the war threatening to spill between their two kingdoms.

Kelly Barnhill winds an enchanting story of friendship, magic, and fairytales in her trademark no-nonsense, humorously witty style. Written with magic imbued in every syllable, The Witch’s Boy is a book to make you laugh, cry, and everything in between.

Find it in print, ebook, eaudiobook, and CD here.

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

I am Zach. I am an eighth grader and live in Ketchum, ID. I enjoy playing board games, reading, mountain biking, Nordic and alpine skiing, playing with my family, snowmobiling, and being outside.

Reynie has grown up without the support of parents at an orphanage. One morning he finds out, from his tutor, about an odd advertisement in the newspaper targeting gifted children. He follows up and finds himself at an old building. There, he is put through a series of oddly weird puzzles, with each one harder than the last. Hundreds of people begin the challenge, and only five people make it through the final puzzle. These tests were designed to find people of a very specific demographic, kids who are alone, relatively smart (or think about the world differently), and who try hard. These kids were picked for a special mission to infiltrate a school and stop an evil villain trying to control people through wicked ways. Reynie and the other four people are extremely nervous at first, the task seems daunting, but once they start, there is no going back.

I absolutely love this book for how well Trenton Lee Steward transports you into this fictional world. You get to test your own skills along with the characters, and it is thoroughly entertaining. All of the interactions between characters are quite believable, and the descriptive words are quite effective at setting the scene. This story is about tapping into your orenda and changing the world. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys action-packed writing that makes you think about the world in a different way.

Find it in print, ebook, eaudiobook, and CD here.

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green

Hi, I am Sarah. I am fourteen years old and an avid reader; it is one of my favorite things to do. Inspired by authors’ creations of magnificent places and surprising havens built by simple letters, I aspire to be an author and, meanwhile, nurture the love to write.

April May is a twenty-three-year-old working in design in New York City. She’s funny, sweet, charismatic, and bluntly honest. She has a regular, normal life… until she and her friend Andy, as a part-joke-part-art-appreciation video, interview a mysterious fifteen-foot-tall robot statue, whom she christens Carl.

The next morning, she is the star of a viral video. Because fifty-nine other Carls appeared overnight in sixty major cities across the globe. They are an utter enigma, and all eyes are on April, the “discoverer” of the Carls, to find out why they’re here.

April, plus a few accomplices, are curious, and begin discovering more about the mysterious, extra-terrestrial statues. Simultaneously, April enters a race to be the person who knows the most, spreads the word, builds a platform, and makes their mark on the work… and April is soon catapulted to massive, international internet fame.

Hank Green’s sciencey, other-worldly debut grapples with powerful questions about keeping sane in an intense media spotlight, retaining humanity when faced with enticing alternatives, and whether or not it’s possible for humanity to work as a cohesive whole to solve a much bigger problem when faced with it. April believes this cooperation is possible, and such is the nature of the journey she embarks on… an extra-terrestrial journey that, ultimately, is very human.

Find it in print, ebook, eaudiobook, and CD here.

The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan

Hi! My name is Madeline, I am in 9th grade and live in Hailey Idaho. I love politics, philosophy, writing, and playing the violin. I could talk about these topics all day. I also love reading, my favorite books are The Lord of The Rings, anything written by Tolkien, and Fahrenheit 451.

The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan, one of the greatest literary works, is an allegory of the struggles and joys of Christianity.

The story centers on Christian, who lives in the wayward city of destruction. One day, he meets a man named Evangelist who tells him that his city will soon be destroyed because of wickedness. Christian is told that he must travel to the Celestial city where the King lives where he will be safe and will be eternally happy in the Good Kings presence. He longs to follow Evangelist’s advice, but when he tells it to his family and the other towns people, they think that he is absurd and mock him. Christian decides to begin his journey anyway, even though he will be leaving everything he knows behind, even his wife and children, who still think he is foolish. To begin his journey, he must travel to the wicket gate, where he is given a scroll with the King’s words on it. Soon he reaches the cross, where his burden if guilt falls off his back, never to be seen again. Throughout his journey, Christian is met with many hardships, such as a nasty battle with one of the wicked one’s servants, his fellow pilgrim’s martyrdom in the city of Vanity Fair and happens upon many tempters who try to dissuade him out of the Way. Through it all, Christian overcomes every trial and temptation with courage and faith, eventually entering the Celestial City where he is jubilantly received, and lives in joy forever.

This story is a timeless allegory that will not be soon forgotten by the reader. I recommend this book for ages 7^th grade and up.

Find it in ebook format here.