Isle of Swords by Wayne Thomas Batson

Isle of Swords by Wayne Thomas Batson
341 pages
    Declan Ross, the pirate captain of the William Wallace, has a problem-several, actually. Ross doesn't want to be a pirate any more, but he doesn't have enough money to buy a house. Plus his daughter, Anne wants to become a real pirate herself.
     Anne finds a young man unconscious in the sand on an island. When he wakes up, he can't remember anything. Monks from an island that was once a safe haven for pirates ask Captain Ross to find the legendary treasure on the Isle of Swords. Will the crew abord the William Wallace find the treasure before the other pirates do? Will Ross Give up the treasure that could free him from being a pirate forever? And who will the mysterious young man turn out to be?

The 39 Clues book #11 Video

Watch the video about the new 39 Clues book. Vespers Rising comes out April 2011.

Palace of Mirrors

Palace of Mirrors by Margaret Peterson Haddix
297 pages

     Cecilia is not really a commoner. She is the true princess of the kingdom, but she is hiding from the enemies that killed her parents. One day, she decides to go to the palace, along with her best friend Harper, and save the girl, Desmia, who is pretending to be the princess from danger. When they gets to the palace, Desmia locks them in the tower and leaves them there. Will Cecilia and Harper be able to convince Desmia that Cecilia is the real princess, or is Desmia working for the people who killed Cecilia's parents?

"Somewhere in the world I have a tiara in a little box. It is not safe for me to wear it. . . . It is not safe for me even to tell anyone who I really am. But I know - I have always known."

Watch the video.

Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix
218 pages          
     Ella is to be married to Prince Charming because she is the one whom the glass slipper fits. At first, she enjoys living at the palace, but after a while, it starts to get boring. She can't do anything productive-all the maids do that- and the prince doesn't pay any attention to her. Ella soon realises that being a princess is not what she expected it to be and she plots to escape.

Visit http://haddixbooks.com/ to learn more.

Among the Imposters by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Among the Imposters by Margaret Peterson Haddix
172 pages
     Luke Garner has come out of hiding and is now attending Hendrick's School for Boys under the identity of Lee Grant. Lee Grant was a Baron who died mysteriously in a ski accident. When Lee's brother, Smits, come to visit his "brother", will he keep Luke's secret?
     Smits' strange bodyguard, Oscar, always follows Smits around and will not even leave him in the lunch room. Can Luke trust them both, or will one betray him?

Visit http://haddixbooks.com/ for more information.

**Book 2 in the Shadow Children Sequence**
Previous book: Among the Hidden
Next book: Among the

Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
153 pages

     Luke Garner is child number three in a futuristic country where families are only allowed to have two children. The Garners live in the country, so Luke is occasionally able to go outside to play with his brothers. But when a new house development is built behind his house, Luke is forced to hide in the attic. Just when he thinks that he will spend the rest of his life hidden in an attic, Luke sees another child's face in the window of the house behind them-a house where two children already live.
     Will Luke have enough courage to go meet the other third child? And if he does, will they be able to fight against the government?

Visit http://haddixbooks.com/ to learn more

Holly Claus The Christmas Princess by Brittney Ryan

Holly Claus The Christmas Princess by Brittany Ryan
    This beautifully illustrated picture book tells the story of Holly Claus, Santa Claus' daughter.
     A young boy named Christopher writes to Santa one year at Christmastime. But instead of telling him what he would like for Christmas, Christopher asks Santa what he would like for Christmas. This letter gives Santa his greatest wish: to have a daughter.
     But when Holly is born, the evil warlock casts an evil spell on the princess. Will Holly overcome the evil in the world in time to save Christmas and those she loves?

Violet Eyes by Debbie Viguie

Violet Eyes by Debbie Viguie
                 A Retelling of "The Princess and the Pea"
195 pages

    During a storm, the prince falls off his horse in Violet's family's field. While Violet helps heal the prince, they become friends. Prince Richard tells Violet that his parents are holding a contest for all the princesses in the world to find out which one is a true princess so he can marry her. Violet wishes to compete in the contest, but she is only a peasant.
     Violet decides to enter the contest anyway. Will Violet be able to win, or will Prince Richard be forced to marry one of the proud, arrogant, and terrible princesses that have come for the contest as well?


     Violet realized that the room had grown quiet as everyone stopped talking. She could feel that all eyes were on her.
    The king cleared his throat. "So, we have you to thank for the safe return of our son?" he asked.
    Violet glanced at Richard, who was nodding his head. She hadn't been the only one to care for the prince. Her parents and Father Paul had aided him as well. Still, from the look in Richard's eyes she could tell this was no time for her to be humble. "Yes," Violet said.
    "My dear, we owe a debt of gratitude to your family for caring for our son while he was ill. We would like to reward you. However, only a princess can enter the competition," the king said, his voice still gentle.
    "And a princess before you," Violet said, raising her chin."

Flight of the Dragon Kyn by Susan Fletcher

Flight of the Dragon Kyn by Susan Fletcher
About 213 pages
     When the king's men come to Kara's village and say that the king wants her, Kara agrees to go. On the way, she finds out that the king has heard of her ability to call birds and thinks that she can also call down dragons. He wants Kara to call dragons so his armies can kill them and he can marry the girl that he loves.
     One night, Kara decides to run away. She falls into a cave full of dragons and realizes that she cannot betray them. Will she be strong enough to resist the will of the king and his men, or will she call the last dragons to their deaths?

The Storyteller's Daughter by Cameron Dokey

The Storyteller's Daughter by Cameron Dokey
                                       A Retelling of "The Arabian Nights"
218 pages

     Shahrazad is the blind daughter of the storyteller. She "reads" the pieces of cloth from her trunk with her hands and tells beautiful stories from them. When the king of the land is betrayed, his plan endangers all the women in the area. The only way to save the young women is that one must agree to marry the king and give up her life.
      When Shahrazad is the one to volunteer, everyone is horrified. In order to stay alive, Shahrazad begins to weave an elaborate tale for the king on her wedding night. When morning comes and the story is not finished, the king spares Shahrazad's life for one more night so she can finish the story.
      This continues for many nights and Shahrazad starts to gain the king's trust. Will their new love and loyalty for each other be enough to save themselves and the kingdom from an attack?


    Can you see me now? Not as I am, but as I was?
    A young woman of seventeen years. Straight and slim, my hair and eyes as black as the ebony wood chest that was the only possession my mother brought with her when she married my father. My skin, the color of rich, sweet honey.
    Are you ready to hear my greatest secret? The one that I have never spoken? You know only a small part of my story. What I am about to relate has never before been told.
    "How can this be?" you ask. All have heard of the storyteller so gifted with words that she told tales for one thousand and one nights running. With her gift, her voice alone, she saved her own life and countless others. Through the years, this story has been handed down, with never a hint at anything left out. How, then, can what I claim be true?

    Listen now. Listen truly. Fall under my storyteller's spell.

Midnight Pearls by Debbie Viguie

Midnight Pearls by Debbie Viguie
                       A Retelling of "The Little Mermaid"
198 pages

     Pearl was rescued from the ocean by a fisherman when she was a baby. The fisherman and his wife have raised her for seventeen years. A plot is revealed against the royal family and Pearl's secret friend, the prince.
     When Pearl is on the beach one night, a strange young man comes up to her and claims to know her. He tells her that she went missing from the sea a long time ago. Can this boy be telling the truth?


    "You've traveled far?" she asked.
    He laughed shortly. "Farther than you know."
    She stared at her pale fingers wrapped in his. We must have come from the same place, she thought with growing excitement. "Are you my brother?"
    "No. I'm not. We are not related."
    "Good," she answered before she could stop herself. She felt a blush rising to her cheeks and was grateful that her couldn't see it.
    He was rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb, and her skin tingled where his touched hers. James did the same thing to my hand two days ago and it felt good, exciting, but nothing like this. . . . Something about him feels so right, even though I don't know him.
    She was suddenly nervous; the silence around them felt like the air did when a storm approached from across the sea. She spoke just to calm herself. "You've been searching how long?"
    "Thirteen years."
    "How did you know it was me if you haven't seen me in so long?"
    "How does the whale know when to swim to warmer waters for winter? How do the fish know when a predator is near? How do you know when love is real? You just know."

Golden by Cameron Dokey

Golden by Cameron Dokey A Retelling of 'Rapunzel'
179 pages

     When Rapunzel is born, she is bald! When her mother, who is obsessive over her own hair, sees that her daughter will never grow hair, she agrees to give her to the sorceress Melisande. Melisande names Rapunzel and cares for her as if she were her own child.
    When Rapunzel discovers that Melisande has a daughter named Rue, Rapunzel is not sure if she can trust Melisande any more. But when Melisande tells Rapunzel that Rue has been trapped in a tower by an evil wizard, Rapunzel chooses to be the one to save her. When the two girls meet they do not get along. Will Rapunzel and Rue figure out a way to work together before they are trapped there forever?


    "Your mother was a very beautiful woman, but her heart was less lovely than her face, for it had room for only one."
    "My father," I guessed at once.
    "No," Melisande answered in a quiet voice. "Your mother's heart had room for in it herself alone. When I saw this, I did the only thing I could. I made room for you inside my own heart. There you have stayed from that day to this. That is why you live in my house: because you lived first within my heart."
    I felt my own heart start to thump at this. Her words brougth me pain and joy. In all fairness, I had asked for both.
    "It's because I'm bald, isn't it?" I asked. "That's the reason she didn't want me."

Dragon's Milk by Susan Fletcher

Dragon's Milk by Susan Fletcher
About 242 pages
     Kaeldra lives with her foster mother, sisters, and grandmother, but she has never felt welcome. Her foster mother doesn't seem to like her and everyone think that she is strange because she is taller and blonder than all the others in her village. Plus she has green eyes, which means she can talk to dragons.
     Kaeldra's foster sister, Lyf, is deathly ill and only dragon's milk can save her. Her grandmother sends Kaeldra to find that last female dragon known to be alive.When Kaeldra finds herself in debt to the mother dragon, she embarks on a dangerous journey to save the last known dragons from disappearing.

Brisingr by Christopher Paolini

Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
About 763 pages
      Eragon has promised to help his cousin find Katrina, who was taken captive before he left Carvahall. In addition to his promise to Roran, Eragon has made many other promises. Will he be able to keep them all?
     As the Varden gather in Surda for battle against the Empire, Eragon remembers that his teacher in Ellesmera said that he knew Galbatoix's secret. Eragon also needs a new sword. So he travels to Du Weldenvarden to find what he seeks, but at a time when the Varden need him most. Will he find what he needs and return in time?

Visit http://www.alagaesia.com/index.php#/home to learn more.

Eldest by Christopher Paolini

Eldest by Christopher Paolini
About 677 Pages                       Genre: Fantasy
    Eragon is still learning what it means to be a Dragon Rider. After staying with the Varden in Farthen Dur, he travels to Ellesmera where he trains with the Elves.
     Eragon's cousin, Roran, faces many troubles as Carvahall is attack. Roran gathers men to help protect the small village, but will it be enough?
     Eragon know little about his family other than the fact that his mother, Selena, left him with her brother before she died. He longs to know who his father is, but will the truth help him, or will it hinder him?


Visit http://www.alagaesia.com/index.php#/home to learn more