When You Reach Me

By Rebecca Stead

     What would you do if you received mysterious notes that predicted the future--and these notes turned out to be right?  Miranda is curious about these notes--she wonders just what this person knows.  And how does the person know it?  Each message she finds brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death.  But who's death?  How?  When? So many questions, and only this book can answer them!

Rebecca Stead

http://www.rebeccasteadbooks.com/index2.html

Reviewer: Carla Ramirez

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

By Tom Angleberger

     Dwight is an outcast.  He is the weirdest oddball you'll ever meet in your life.  But wait til you hear this--He made an origami Yoda who "talks" and can answer ANY question, he even predicts the future!  And it works.  Tommy decides to put all the cases into one file (which is this book), filled with humorous comments, stories, and doodles.  Do you believe in Origami Yoda?

Origami Yoda

http://origamiyoda.wordpress.com/

Reviewer: Carla Ramirez



The Odyssey: A Graphic Novel

By Gareth Hinds

     On Odysseus' way home, he displeases Poseidon.  Therefore, Poseidon curses him and leaves him stranded on an island with no way home.  A god takes pity on him though, and requests Odysseus be released.  Zeus allows Odysseus to return home, finally. Though on his way he must battle man-eating monsters, natural disasters, sirens, and sorceresses.  He must use his wits to overcome them and return to Ithaca.  But will he return safely, or will the suitors of his wife claim his throne?

Gareth Hinds

http://www.garethhinds.com/

Reviewer: Raquel Carey



Half Brother

By Kenneth Oppel

     Ben Tomlin has a brother. . . who is also a baby chimpanzee!  Ben's dad is a well-known scientist, and his newest experiment is to find out whether or not he can teach a monkey American Sign Language.  After many months, everything is going well.  "Zan" has learned many words, and helped make Ben popular with the girls!  But a question itches in the back of his mind--What will happen to his half-brother Zan when the experiment is over?

Kenneth Oppel

http://www.kennethoppel.ca/

Reviewer: Carla Ramirez

Heidi

By Johanna Spyri

     Heidi is an orphan who goes to live with her grandpa in the Swiss Alps.  Many people think her grandpa is a very bad person, but Heidi proves them wrong.  In the middle of the story, Heidi was taken to a city called Frankfurt, where she was raised.  During her life, Heidi has suffered much.  Later she returned to the Swiss Alps--a home sweet home!

Reviewer: Mihiri Kotikawatta

Matched

By Ally Condie

     Cassia, lives on Maple Street, California, where the government controls everything.  Cassia is finally at the age to go to the "Match Banquet" where you get matched to your eternal love.  Cassia gets matched to Xander, her best friend.  After a while, Cassia looks at the microcard they gave her, only to see the face of Ky, a friend.  Cassia knows that Ky's for her, but they can't be together.  Ky is a single, one who shall never be matched.  Cassia is interested in Xander but she falls in love with when he tells Cassia the story of his life.  But will they stay together?  Find out in Matched!

Ally Condie

http://www.allysoncondie.com/

Reviewer: Rosa Zuniga



    

The Maze Runner

By James Dashner

     With no memory, Thomas awakes in the "Glade," an open expanse surrounded by a maze.  But he is not alone--he is welcomed by dozens of boys.  Like Thomas, the Gladers have no memory and have no idea how they got to the Glade, but they do know that they're supposed to solve the maze.  For 2 years, the Gladers explained, they've tried to solve the maze with no luck.  Inside the maze, however, are Grievers: hideous monsters, half-slugs, half-machines that keep them from doing anything else.  Suddenly, everything changes drastically: A girl arrives--something that had never happened before, and brings an alarming message, "I triggered the ending."

The Dashner Dude
http://www.jamesdashner.com/

 

Reviewer: Carla Ramirez

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

by Grace Lin

     Encouraged by the stories her father tells her, young Minli embarks on a remarkable journey to meet the Old Man of the Moon, a wise man who knows everything.  She is desperate to know how to change her family's fortune, for they live in misery.  Along the way, she meets a dragon who journeys with her, a talking fish who helps her, and a powerful king who deceives all.  It is a story about the bonds of family, the secret to happiness, and the insidious nature of envy, jealousy, and want.

Grace Lin
http://www.gracelin.com/

Reviewer: Carla Ramirez