dcampbell

Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George

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.

Creelisel’s aunt is dumber than two turnips in a rain barrel, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. To save the family from financial ruin, said aunt decides to sacrifice Creel to the local dragon, in the hopes that some marriageable knight will come to rescue the poor damsel-in-distress from its clutches.

Well, Creel’s having none of it. So when she falls into the claws of the mythical beast, she bargains her way to freedom along with a pair of blue slippers, heading off to find work as a seamstress—and a new life—in the King’s City, capital of Faravel. But it’s not as simple as that. As Creel befriends a community of dragons so different from what the fearsome stories always told, she realizes she’s caught up in a much bigger mess than the one she escaped from—a conflict between two countries, and two species, that happens to include her blue slippers at its epicenter.

Told with wit and humor and a certain eye for cultural detail, Jessica Day George weaves a fast-paced story that, much like Creels’s embroidery, is colorful, complicated, and incredibly entertaining. As Creel makes unlikely friendships and is quick to gain enemies, she finds herself the mediator between two sides of a centuries-old rift—and that the chance to prevent bloodshed may land squarely on her unsuspecting shoulders. 

Find it in print, ebook, and eaudiobook here.

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

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.

This is the story of a witch. A witch who steals babies. A witch who eats babies. A witch who terrorizes the sad, foggy town of Protectorate, which is why they must sacrifice their babies.

Or, it’s the story of a witch who nurtures them. A witch named Xan. A witch who has love in her heart and does all to share it.

Or, it’s the story of a witch who eats the sorrow of those left behind. A witch with a tiger’s heart. A witch cunning and selfish and corrupted.

Or, it’s the story of both. Or neither. It’s the story of a mother who went quite mad. Of a flock of paper birds with uncertain motives. Of an ancient, poetic swamp monster. Of a boy with hope in his heart despite the sorrow surrounding him. Of a very friendly, Perfectly Tiny Dragon. Of children with stars in their eyes. It’s the story of a witch. It’s the story of a wild girl named Luna, a girl who drank the moon.

It’s the story of all of them. Words are powerful things, you know.

Kelly Barnhill writes a powerful, interconnected story about love and sorrow and hope and loss, a story that twists and turns, letting puzzle pieces snap in unexpected but absolutely remarkable ways. Through her original and quirky prose, she weaves her tale with power and starlight and some magic boots and a scattering of stars.

And words, of course, because words are the most powerful magic of all.

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

Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney

Hi, I’m McCallen. I like skiing and basketball.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Last Straw is a great book that I think everyone should try. One reason is because this book is super funny and the drawings are great. If you love middle school drama and humor this book is for you. For a quick summary, this book is about two middle schoolers, Greg, and Rowley.  Their lives revolve around middle school. They try very hard to be popular. Also, to add to the stress they face, Greg’s dad works super hard to try and get them to toughen up, not be so lazy, and not play videogames all day when they don’t have school. Anyway, that’s a quick summary of what this book is about. The Last Straw is a really good book that should take you one to two weeks to read. I definitely recommend reading it if you have a week or two. It is the third book, in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, and you should check out the rest of the series because all the books are great.

Find it in print, ebook, and eaudiobook here.

Los Pandas by Kathleen Pohl

My name is Diego. I’m 11 years old and I like to play with my dog and spend time with my family.

Los pandas parecen osos pero no son sólo parecen. Los pandas son blanco y negro. Tienen la cara blanca, las orejas negras y manchas negras en los ojos. Los pandas comen mucho! Comen una planta llamada bambú. Y en los zoológicos les dan zanahorias y manzanas. Ellos sostienen la comida con las zarpas. Usan las zarpas delanteras como si fueran manos. Las afiladas garras de sus zarpas permiten a los pandas subir a los árboles. A los pandas les encanta dormir en los árboles. Los pandas vienen de China, pero allí ya sólo viven unos pocos. Los zoológicos ayudan a proteger a los pandas.

Pandas are really cute and look like bears but aren’t. I think you should learn about these animals because they are really interesting.

Find it in print here.

The Pants Project by Cat Clarkey

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.

The first year of middle school is bad enough already, but even worse when your school has an outdated uniform policy and you’re stuck in an itchy school uniform all day. Especially when you’re Liv, because even though he was born a girl, he’s absolutely, most definitely a boy. And for some incredibly dumb reason, he’s not allowed to wear pants at this new school. He’s stuck wearing skirts. 

Liv isn’t the type to sit back and let it blow over. And so, Operation: Pants Project is born. The objective? Change the school policy, and for heaven’s sakes get rid of those stupid skirts!

With the help of some new friends, Liv goes on a mission to change the mind of the principal, the whole school… and pretty much change his life—which is a pretty big deal. 

Cat Clarke weaves a humorous, witty, and profoundly honest novel about having the courage to stand up for what you believe in, and how being just like everyone else isn’t all that great when you really think about it. Liv thinks there are much better things to worry about – caring for good friends, new and old, not taking your family (and especially not your awesome moms) for granted, and trying to make the world a little bit of a better place. As Dr. Suess says, “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”

Find it in print and ebook here.

The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

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.

Do you believe in true love?

Natasha doesn’t. She believes in science. She believes in the cold hard facts and the cold hard truth – and yet that doesn’t stop her from wishing for the impossible, for some miracle to stop her family from getting deported today.

Daniel does. He’s the aspiring doctor who wants to be a poet, the dreamer who falls in love with Natasha and thinks that it’s worth it, the one on the path of parental appeasement who believes in the search for happiness.

Do you believe in the Universe?

Natasha thinks everything is cause and effect. Things aren’t meant to be. The “Universe” doesn’t make things happen; your life is a chain of events that begins when you’re born and ends when you die.

But Daniel thinks that somehow fate has led them together, to meet on this path of destiny, that the Universe is making something and that something is meant to be.

Nicola Yoon illustrates a playful, passionate meeting of chance in the middle of New York, where Natasha and Daniel’s paths are inevitably heading in opposite directions – but, whether it be fate or not, romance might be in the works.

And who knows? Maybe love can be described by science. Maybe meeting Daniel is the cause and Natasha can’t help the effect that comes next.

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