A girl named Marjan gathers stories to be told every night to the Sultan in order to save the Queen's life. She sneaks outside the palace to find new stories. She must not get caught, or the Sultan will kill her!

Reviewed by: St. Charles Reader

Date read: 2/13/2010

ISBN-10: 0439115507

ISBN-13: 9780689818523

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Olive has just moved into an old house in an old neighborhood with her parents, who are college math professors. Although Olive doesn't have a mathematical bone in her body, she does have an inquiring nature. The old house is full of rooms that have been left as they were when previous owners used them, and antique paintings, which were all painted by the former owner, Aldous McMartin. In her investigations, Olive meets a cat, Horatio, who warns her that 'they' are watching and want Olive and her parents to leave. Not wanting to believe the cat, Olive continues her search and finds a pair of spectacles which allow her to enter the paintings. In one, she meets a boy, Morton, who claims he was kidnapped and placed in the painting, where he was trapped. Pretty soon, Olive finds out that Horatio's warning was true, but Olive doesn't give up that easily and she continues to look for answers to the mystery. This is a suspenseful story that keeps the reader guessing until the end.

Similar authors: Neil Gaiman

Awards nominated: 2013 Bluestem Nominee

Reviewed by: vfv

Date read: 6/30/2012

ISBN-13: 9780142418727

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Young Widge, an indentured servant during Shakespearean times, is talented at shorthand. His master exploits his gift by forcing him to steal Shakespeare's masterpiece, Hamlet, during the bard's rehearsals of the play. When the plan falls apart, Widge finds himself as an actor at the Globe Theatre. See also Shakespeare's Scribe and Shakespeare's Spy.

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 4/13/2009

ISBN-10: 0525458638

ISBN-13: 9780525458630

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As usual, sixth-grader Hero's Shakespearean name prompts teasing in her new school, and her parents are clueless about her difficulties. Resigned to the constant teasing about her name being more suited to a dog, Hero concentrates instead on her newfound friendship with her eccentric, elderly next-door neighbor. Mrs. Roth tells Hero about the missing 'Murphy Diamond,' a precious jewel that supposedly disappeared from the house where Hero now lives. Mrs. Roth thinks it is still hidden somewhere in the house. The missing diamond and the 500-year-old necklace that goes with it reveal a mystery dating back to the time of William Shakespeare. So what is Shakespeare's secret, and who has the answer?

Similar books: Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 4/28/2009

ISBN-10: 0805073876

ISBN-13: 9780805073874

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Commenter: Nw, grade 6

Commenter: St. Charles Reader, grade 0

Don't let the free verse format put you off. This is an insightful young adult novel about a high school art student who loses her right arm in a shark attack. Jane's story is told in a combination of letters, news articles, conversation and free verse. The sparse verse vividly illustrates her thoughts and feelings as she moves towards acceptance, healing, and strength, both physical and emotional.

Similar books: Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

Reviewed by: djd

Date read: 5/19/2009

ISBN-10: 0763632074

ISBN-13: 9780763632076

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Commenter: Cj, grade 12