Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce                                                        

Alanna has always longed for the adventures and daring allowed only for boys, while her twin brother, Thom, yearns to learn the art of magic. When Thom is sent off to be a knight and Alanna to become a 'lady,' they forge two letters, then switch places: Thom rides off to the convent to become a great sorcerer. Meanwhile, Alanna, disguised as 'Alan', is on her way to King Roald's castle to begin her training as a page. But the path to knighthood is not a smooth one. As Alanna masters the skills she needs for battle, she must learn to control her heart and to determine her enemies from her friends. Ripe with adventure and mystery, good and evil, clashing swords and deathly magic, Alanna's first adventure begins.

  The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare                                  

 Even before Kit Tyler arrives on the shores of Connecticut in 1867, she is treated with suspicion and disapproval. She has just fled her beloved home of Barbados. She is alone and desperate, hoping family she has never met will take her in. But even they cannot accustom themselves to her strange ways, nor is Connecticut the safe haven she was looking for. Trying to belong in an alien environment, and longing to be herself, Kit struggles to find her place in her new home. But after she befriends Hannah Tupper, the supposed witch, she too is suspected of witchcraft. Who can she trust? And which should she choose? What she feels in her heart, or what she feels is her duty?

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer                                                            

Matteo Alacran was not born; he was harvested. His DNA came from El Patron, lord of the country of Opium, a strip of land between the United States and Mexico. Everyone considers him a monster, but are too scared to do so in front of El Patron. El Patron loves Matt, for Matt is himself. While Matt tries to find answers to his existence, he is surrounded by a cruel and twisted family, and a dangerous bodyguard army. Escape could be the only choice, but even escape from the Alacran Estate is no guarantee of freedom. 

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Meggie is 12 years old, living with her father. She has lived 9 years without a mother and cannot remember the night that her mother mysteriously disappeared. Her whole life is turned upside down when a mysterious man comes to her house where she and her father live. She is suddenly dragged into a battle against an evil man, with strange companions from books to help her. And the biggest blow of all is when she learns the secret her father kept from her; the reason she doesn't have a mother. Can she ever again trust her father? Will she ever get a chance?

Artemis Fowl is a one of the greatest criminal masterminds ever. He is heir to the Fowl family empire - a centuries old clan of underworld figures and con artists. He might just be the most cunning Fowl of all. And he's only twelve years old. Through his interest in mythology and an obsession with the Internet, Artemis discovers some truth in the 'old wives' tales' of fairies. If he can find a certain book, he will gain a fortune in gold treasure. But when his plot for more wealth turns into an all out battle, Artemis must decide what he values most. 

Artemis Fowl website:  http://www.artemisfowl.com/

Harry misses her father, her mother, her home. But she can't go back. She must adapt herself to her new home in the sun-baked desert. But she's different from everyone else, in other ways besides the fact that she likes the desert. She's different in ways she can't imagine. But then she meets the witch king, and everything changes. Will her brother become the loving person she once knew? Can she find a home and a family?

A basketball playing student from the city, a quiet girl from the suburbs, a girl from early Iceland, a street urchin from Regency England, a robot named DaVinci and a boy from the future. What do they all have in common? They were yanked! Stolen from their time to go on an adventure: save a planet from destruction and return stranded children to their home on earth. Will their combined "grit" be enough to outwit the alien forces?

Wild Magic-by Tamora Pierce

Daine, age 13, has come to Cria with a big secret.  Onua, a horse trainer, takes her to Pirate’s Swoop, but  on the long journey Daine realizes she has magic that is uncontrolled, wild magic.  She always knew she had a knack with animals, but she never thought she had magic.  On the journey she meets a powerful mage, Numair.  Will Daine, with Numair’s guidance, learn to control her wild magic? 

(reviewed by: Alaina, Ashley and Brittany)