Rick Riordan’s fantasy book, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is the first book in the Percy Jackson series. In the book, Percy realizes he is a demigod, son of a god and mortal parent, which puts him at risk. On his way to a safe haven camp called Camp Half-Blood, his mom is taken. After befriending a few people, Percy embarks on a journey to the underworld to get his mom back. On the way he faces monsters and many other enemies, as he learns to use his powers.
John Knowles’s A Separate Peace, taking place in the 1940s, goes through the life and struggles of Gene Forrester. Gene is a quiet boy that attends The Devon School, where he meets his future friend Finny. At first, they develop a strong friendship, but it begins to turn sour as envy gets in the way. The friendship takes a dark turn as the tree jumping ritual, developed by the friends, ends in Gene pushing Finny off the tree. The rest of the book is spent on Gene trying to find himself as Finny recovers.
Big Nate Blasts Off is another delightful addition to the Big Nate series, filled with humor, relatable moments, and Nate’s unforgettable antics. In this book, Nate Wright faces new challenges as he deals with school bullies, friends, and his never-ending quest to be the center of attention. With a hilarious storyline centered on Nate's dreams of achieving greatness, the book keeps readers hooked from beginning to end.
Big Nate Flips Out by Lincoln Peirce, the fifth book in the Big Nate series, brings a fresh twist to Nate’s usual antics when his messy habits become a big problem. After losing his best friend, Francis, over his chronic disorganization, Nate decides to make a drastic change. With the help of hypnotism, Nate becomes obsessively neat and organized—but as you’d expect, things quickly spiral out of control in hilarious ways.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Meltdown by Jeff Kinney is the thirteenth book in the series, and it plunges Greg Heffley into the icy chaos of a neighborhood snow war that takes on epic proportions. As winter descends and a massive snowstorm hits, Greg finds himself caught in the middle of a conflict between the kids on his street. The battle lines are drawn, with the Upper Surrey Street kids on one side and the Lower Surrey Street kids on the other.
While this novel is enjoyable, Anne of Windy Poplars is the weakest of the Anne series. Written partly in an epistolary style, the book allows the reader to see the world of Windy Poplars and Summerside High School from Anne’s perspective, as she writes love letters to her fiancée Gilbert, a medical school student in Nova Scotia. Parts of the book retain a traditional narrative style, but many of the characters and anecdotes echo too closely those previously described in earlier books of the series.
Percy Jackson, a seemingly normal kid from Manhattan, New York, discovers that he is actually a half-blood with a god for a father. He is sent to Camp Half-Blood after having numerous encounters with mythological creatures in hopes that he will be kept safe. However, when it is discovered that Zeus’s lightning bolt has been stolen, Percy is sent on a quest to retrieve it with his friends Annabeth and Grover.
Claudia Coleman has never had many friends because of her shyness, but Monday Charles is the exception. The two are inseparable, and close beyond the standard set by their peers. After a poorly timed photo leaves the friends as the talk of the school, Monday mysteriously disappears. The weirdest part? No one but Claudia seems to care, or even remember who Monday is. Claudia dives into the disappearance of her best friend, determined to find the truth and calm her racing mind.
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon is a captivating novel that I’m sure many people are familiar with. The story revolves around Maddy, a teenager with a rare disease that forces her to live in isolation, and her budding relationship with Olly, the boy next door. Despite her condition, Maddy's desire to experience life and love sets off a series of events that change her world forever.
Madeline Whittier has never been outside. At least, for as long as she can remember. This is because of her rare condition that basically means she is allergic to everything. After a tumultuous childhood of doctors and tests, she was put in her air filtered house. Not a speck of anything from the outside world can get inside. Until the new family moves in next door, and the mysterious boy outside Madeline’s window waves back. Curious about this cute friend across the yard, Madeline begins to talk to him through emails. His name is Olly, and he wants to show her everything.
