Nobody's Princess by Esther Friesner

She is beautiful, she is a princess, and Aphrodite is her favorite goddess, but something in Helen of Sparta just itches for more out of life. Not one to count on the gods—or her looks—to take care of her, Helen sets out to get what she wants with steely determination and a sassy attitude. That same attitude makes Helen a few enemies—such as the self-proclaimed "son of Zeus" Theseus—but it also intrigues, charms, and amuses those who become her friends, from the famed huntress Atalanta to the young priestess who is the Oracle of Delphi.

In Nobody's Princess, author Esther Friesner deftly weaves together history and myth as she takes a new look at the girl who will become Helen of Troy. The resulting story offers up adventure, humor, and a fresh and engaging heroine you cannot help but root for.

The Season by Sarah Maclean

Seventeen year old Lady Alexandra is strong-willed and sharp-tongued -- in a house full of older brothers and their friends, she had to learn to hold her own. Not the best makings for an aristocratic lady in Regency London. Yet her mother still dreams of marrying Alex off to someone safe, respectable, and wealthy. But between ball gown fittings, dances, and dinner parties, Alex, along with her two best friends, Ella and Vivi, manages to get herself into what may be her biggest scrape yet. 

When the Earl of Blackmoor is mysteriously killed, Alex decides to help his son, the brooding and devilishly handsome Gavin, uncover the truth. But will Alex's heart be stolen in the process? In an adventure brimming with espionage, murder, and other clandestine affairs, who could possibly have time to worry about finding a husband?

Romance abounds as this year's season begins!

Scat by Carl Hiaasen

Bestselling author and columnist Carl Hiaasen returns with another hysterical mystery for kids set in Florida's Everglades.

Bunny Starch, the most feared biology teacher ever, is missing. She disappeared after a school field trip to Black Vine Swamp. And, to be honest, the kids in her class are relieved.

But when the principal tries to tell the students that Mrs. Starch has been called away on a "family emergency," Nick and Marta just don't buy it. No, they figure the class delinquent, Smoke, has something to do with her disappearance.

And he does! But not in the way they think. There's a lot more going on in Black Vine Swamp than any one player in this twisted tale can see. And Nick and Marta will have to reckon with an eccentric eco-avenger, a stuffed rat named Chelsea, a wannabe Texas oilman, a singing substitute teacher, and a ticked-off Florida panther before they really begin to see the big picture.

That's life in the swamp, kids.

Savvy by Ingrid Law

A vibrant new voice . . . a modern classic.

For generations, the Beaumont family has harbored a magical secret. They each possess a "savvy"--a special supernatural power that strikes when they turn thirteen. Grandpa Bomba moves mountains, her older brothers create hurricanes and spark electricity . . . and now it's the eve of Mibs's big day.

As if waiting weren't hard enough, the family gets scary news two days before Mibs's birthday: Poppa has been in a terrible accident. Mibs develops the singular mission to get to the hospital and prove that her new power can save her dad. So she sneaks onto a salesman's bus . . . only to find the bus heading in the opposite direction. Suddenly Mibs finds herself on an unforgettable odyssey that will force her to make sense of growing up--and of other people, who might also have a few secrets hidden just beneath the skin.

Day of the Scarab by Catherine Fisher

Argelin has killed the Speaker and silenced the Oracle, but who can truly silence the words of the god? The Archon and Seth return from their desert ...more Argelin has killed the Speaker and silenced the Oracle, but who can truly silence the words of the god? The Archon and Seth return from their desert journey to find that Argelin has declared war on the gods, Mirany is in hiding, and what remains of the Nine are scattered. And whose is the sinister new power hidden in the sign of the Scarab? 

To stop the madness, Mirany and the Archon must make the final impossible journey of the soul--through the Nine Gateways into death...and then back again.

The Sphere of Secrets by Cathrine Fisher

Mirany is still Bearer-of-the-God and has succeeded in getting Alexos installed as Archon, as he should be, since he is the god reborn.  Mirany still hears the voice of the god talking to her.

However, the Speaker of the God is still the treacherous Hermia, in league with the ruthless general who is ruling the country and wants Mirany and all of her friends dead.

When messengers come from the Empire wanting access across the desert to ancient silver mines, a train of events is sent in motion.  Alexos says he needs to go to the Well of Songs and bring his people water.  He goes off with Seth and Oblek and the Jackal, leaving Mirany alone to deal with treachery and even war.

This book is full of suspense.  It’s good to watch Mirany continue to grow as a person, brave enough to do what’s right even when she must stand alone.  This is a magnificent series.

The Oracle Betrayed by Catherine Fisher

They might not know what the future holds,But they know they hold it in their hands.

Mirany has been chosen to be Bearer-of-the-God ahead of other, more qualified, members of the Nine.  It soon becomes apparent that she was chosen simply because it was believed that she would be too mousy to make a fuss.  The Speaker-for-the-God is conspiring with the general of the army to install a puppet as the Archon. 

When Mirany hears the voice of the god, telling her who the true Archon should be, she must brave dangers to try to get him to the right place on the ninth day.  For the new Archon is a ten year old boy in whom the god now lives, after the death of the old Archon.  He can’t help her, so how can she defy everyone in power and carry out the god’s wishes?

Seth, a scribe with a plot to help a tomb robber, and Oblek, an old court musician, also get embroiled in the scheme.  And during all of it, the land needs rain, making water more valuable than gold.

This is an intriguing story, wonderfully written.  The alien culture is beautifully portrayed, and the suspense makes it very difficult to stop reading.  Most of all, Mirany is a character I couldn’t help but like right away, and I rejoiced as she grew stronger and more capable as she was forced into a role she didn’t want.

Daughter of the Flames by Zoe Marriott

What if your deadliest enemy were the only one who could save you?

Inside an ancient temple in the mountains, fifteen-year-old Zira trains in the martial arts to become a warrior priestess who can defend the faith of the Ruan people. Bearing a scar on her face from the fire that killed her parents, the orphaned Zira is taught to distrust the occupying Sedornes. Terror strikes when the forces of the tyrannical Sedorne king destroy the only home she knows. To survive, Zira must unravel the secrets of her identity, decide her people’s fate — and accept her growing feelings for a man who should be her enemy.

In a world of clashing cultures, a girl fights for freedom - and finds a surprising romantic ally - after learning a startling truth about her identity.

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

Thirteen-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle's mother has disappeared. While tracing her steps on a car trip from Ohio to Idaho with her grandparents, Salamanca tells a story to pass the time about a friend named Phoebe Winterbottom whose mother vanished and who received secret messages after her disappearance. One of them read, "Don't judge a man until you have walked two moons in his moccasins." Despite her father's warning that she is "fishing in the air," Salamanca hopes to bring her home. By drawing strength from her Native American ancestry, she is able to face the truth about her mother.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

As the Shadow of Mordor grows across the land, the Companions of the Ring have become involved in separate adventures. Aragorn, revealed as the hidden heir of the ancient Kings of the West, has joined with the Riders of Rohan against the forces of Isengard, and takes part in the desperate victory of the Hornburg. Merry and Pippin, captured by Orcs, escape into Fangorn Forest and there encounter the Ents. Gandalf has miraculously returned and defeated the evil wizard, Saruman. Sam has left his master for dead after a battle with the giant spider, Shelob; but Frodo is still alive -- now in the foul hands of the Orcs. And all the while the armies of the Dark Lord are massing as the One Ring draws ever nearer to the Cracks of Doom.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Fellowship was scattered. Some were bracing hopelessly for war against the ancient evil of Sauron. Some were contending with the treachery of the wizard Saruman.




Frodo and his Companions of the Ring have been beset by danger during their quest to prevent the Ruling Ring from falling into the hands of the Dark Lord by destroying it in the Cracks of Doom. They lost the wizard Gandalf in a battle in the Mines of Moria, and Boromir, seduced by the power of the Ring, tried to seize it by force. While Frodo and Sam made their escape, the rest of the company was attacked by Orcs." Now they continue the journey alone down the great River Anduin - alone, that is, save for the mysterious creeping figure that follows wherever they go.
Thus continues the magnificent, bestselling tale of adventure begun in The Fellowship of the Ring, which reaches its soul-stirring climax in The Return of the King.