Daughter of the Flames by Zoe Marriott

16-year-old Zira’s dying Ruan mother brought a badly injured Zira to the temple after the fearsome attack that left Rua in the control of the Sedorne. Zira’s memories of her life before that night are gone, until the night ten years later when a Sedorne force, sent by the king, attacks and destroys the temple. As the temple people shelter in the Shrine of God, Zira’s memories are unlocked. She is not poor Zira, warrior priestess in training. She is Zahira Elfenresh, the last surviving member of the royal family of Rua. It is she who should be on the throne as Reia, not the Sedorne king.

Once her identity is known, Zahira becomes the leader of the temple refugees. She leads them, unwillingly, to a Sedorne lord who becomes their ally, and much more. But her alliance with the Sedorne leads many of her followers to doubt Zahira. They want Rua for the Ruan, with all Sedorne either dead or driven out of the land. But the Ruan are not a strong fighting force on their own, so Zahira must unite the Ruan and Sedorne people in order to put an end to the bloody rule of the tyrant Sedorne king.

Zira/Zahira is a smart, strong character reminiscent of Tamora Pierce’s Beka Cooper or Robin McKinley’s Harimad Crewe. The book is well-written and the story carries the reader forward quickly and seamlessly. I will be the first to admit that I picked this book up because of the striking cover art, but from the very first page I was hooked. I highly recommend this title to fans of fantasy and strong heroines!

The Gallagher Girl Books by Ally Carter

 I recently read I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have To Kill You by Ally Carter. I loved this book for many reasons, one of them being the story line. It was about a girl, Cammie Morgan, who goes to a school called the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Women. This school may seem like any other, but really it's "spy school" (in other words they get taught how to speak in 14 different languages, how to kill a man in six different ways, one including a piece of uncooked spaghetti, and other "spy stuff.). When on a class mission (for extra credit), Cammie meets this boy, Josh, who seems to like her and she might just like him back. She and her friends agree on figuring out more about him and set them up on dates. The only problem with this is Gallagher girls aren't allowed outside of the school, so Cammie goes through secret passages to get outside and to meet Josh. How long will this last - can she continue to do this? You have to read to find out. This book had an amazing ending and one that really surprised me. I hope that you read I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have To Kill You! It's very good!
~Anna Laws, 7th grade, HMS

One of the books I read from the past few weeks was Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter. I love all of the books in this series, but so far this one happens to be my favorite. I liked this one because there was more excitement in it. For example: the code blacks, the new classified boys' school, and the big test. The story line of the book was that Cammie finds out about a boys' school almost exactly like the Gallagher Academy except called Blackthorne. but, because of what happened last semester with Josh and Cammie, the headmistress of the school decided it would be a good thing for boys and girls to mix, so the boys at Blackthorne moved in to the boarding school. This was because someday the girls would have to work with guys in future missions. When there is a code black the girls blame the guys and bug their dorm rooms and listen in to conversations only to find that the boys were just as smart. The ending was really surprising and I never expected any of that to happen. I loved this book and thought it was great! I can't wait till the next one in the series!
~Anna Laws, 7th grade, HMS

Ms. Heather's Note: The next Gallagher Girls book, Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover, comes out in June!!

Sweetblood by Pete Hautman

The book I am reading right now is called Sweetblood. It is about a girl who believes in vampires and calls herself undead because she is a diabetic. I have told you too much, you will have to read the book for yourself.
~Khiry Young, 7th Grade, HMS

The Watsons go to Birmingham, 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis

In this story you will experience many fun things. The story takes place in Michigan. This family has three children and are poor, but not that much. The family has to suffer from coldness. So they go visit their grandma for a month. The trip doesn't go as good as they planned. So they have to come to Birmingham to visit their grandma and they find they want to stay there, but they can't because of the house they have. So you have to find out if they stay or not.
~Frida Mendez, 7th Grade, HMS

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

Lock and Key was a very interesting story of a young girl named Ruby who goes through many obstacles in her life. After her drug addict mother leaves her to survive on her own she is taken in by her sister and brother-in-law, who she hasn't seen in years. This heartwarming story tells how little you have to do to change a girl who is going down the wrong path. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone who enjoys books about how tough life is, and that small changes can make you a better person. I enjoyed this book very much.
~Lyndsey Morgan, 7th Grade, HMS

The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins

Gregor the Overlander (Book 1 of the Underland Chronicles)
I read Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins. Gregor is a fantasy fiction book abou this land that is far under our Earth. This land has giant Spiders, Rats, cockroaches, and bats. Most of the people in the underland have really pale skin; because where they live they have no sun. This book is about Gregor and Boots who land in the underland after falling through an air vent. They go on a Journey to find their dad because he got captured by the rats. There is a prophecy that they have to follow though, and if they don't follow it they might all die. I hope you read this book.
~Chris Simpson, 7th grade, HMS

 Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane (Book 2 of the Underland Chronicles)
Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane is a great book by Suzanne Collins. In this book Gregor, Luxa, Boots and a lot of other people go on a quest to kill the bane. Before they find the bane these huge serpents start to attack them and Boots gets lost. Gregor and Ares have to go into the cave and kill the bane. While in the caves a few die so its just Gregor and Ares, they get to a point where they are watching rats kill each other. One of the rats yells "don't kill my baby" right before he dies, but Gregor couldn't tell what she said. So I would tell you the rest but it would ruin it for you. I hope you read this book.
~Chris Simpson, 7th grade, HMS

Gregor and the Code of Claw (Book 5 in the Underland Chronicles)
Gregor and the Code of Claw, by Suzanne Collins, is a great book! If you have read any of the books in the Overlander Series then this book is for you because in my opinion this is the best out of all of them. This book keeps you reading right through it every night. I seriously think this book is the book that I have ever read the fastest in my life. Read this book...
~Tyler Simmons, 7th grade, HMS

Books into Movies (Part 3 of 3)

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd


The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd is about fourteen-year-old Lily Owens, living on a peach farm in South Carolina with her dad and her black stand-in mother in 1964. When Lily was four-years-old, her mother, Deborah Fontanel Owens, died.

Deborah had come back from a three-month rip to pack her's and Lily's things and leave T. Ray (Lily's dad) to go live with a Fontanel family friend in Tiburon, SC. However, they didn't pack fast enough. T. Ray heard them and didn't want to let go of Deborah. Lily remembered a gun being on the floor, and her parents fighting. When her mother dropped the gun, Lily picked it up, wanting to help. Then there was an explosion, and her mother was dead.

No, Lily must find the mysterious family in Tiburn, SC, who may have known her mother, and learn about the Black Madonna Honey. A book for girls and women of all ages (10 and up), this book will be treasured for decades between moms and daughters!

~Mary Rose Patrick, 7th Grade, HMS