The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan

The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan
262 pages

    Gilan has chosen Will and Horace to travel with him to a neighbouring village, but no one is there when they arrive. It seems as if all the inhabitants have left in a rush. But why? After finding other villages in the same state, Gilan goes ahead to report their findings.
    While they travel, Will and Horace run into a group of Wargals working for Lord Morgarath. When they follow them, they find out a big secret, one that could change the outcome of the upcoming battle.

 THEY'RE COMING . . .

    The chanting was closer now. It no longer died away as the breeze came and went. It was growing louder and more defined. Will, Horace, and Evanlyn crouched among the bushes, listening as the voices can closer.

    "Maybe you two should move back a little, Will suggested. He had left himself a relatively clear view of the road. He knew that, wrapped in his Ranger cloak, with his face concealed deep within the cowl, he would be virtually invisible, but he wasn't so sure about the others. Without any reluctance, they squirmed back, deeper into the cover of the thick shrubs. Horace's reaction was a mixture of curiosity and nervousness. Evanlyn, Will noted, was pale with fear.
    They had already struck the camp and moved the horses back about a hundred meters into the rocks. He glanced around quickly now to make sure they had left no sign of their presence. Satisfied that they had done everything they could, he turned his attention back to the road.
    " Who are they?" Horace breathed as the chanting grew louder still. Will estimated that it was coming from somewhere around the nearest bend in the road, a mere hundred meters away.
   "Don't you know?" Evanlyn replied, her voice strained with terror. "They're Wargals."

                                                             ~from The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan

**Book 2 in Ranger's Apprentice**
Previous book: The Ruins of Gorlan

Next book: The Icebound Land

 Australian Cover

The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan

The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan
249 pages

    Fifteen-year-old Will wants to be chosen as an apprentice for Battleschool, but he is rejected. Instead, he is accepted by the Ranger, Halt. No one really knows what the mysterious Rangers do, but everyone is afraid of them. Some even think they practice black magic. So, naturally, Will is horrified at his new job.
    But soon he finds out that the Rangers are the king's helper and they protect the kingdom. Will is quickly caught up in plans for protecting the people from Lord Morgarath, the exiled lord who is ready to attack.

THE EPIC BATTLE HAS BEGUN . . .

    It was ten minutes before they heard the screaming. It was an unearthly sound the twisted the stomach into knots of fear and turned the blood cold. Involuntarily, the Baron and Sir Rodney reined in as they heard it. Their horses plunged wildly against the reins. It came from straight ahead of them and rose and fell, until the air quaked with the horror of it.

    . . ."What is that?"

   It's the Kalkara, " Will said. "They're hunting."

**Book 1 in Ranger's Apprentice**
Next book: The Burning Bridge

 Australian Cover

The World Above by Cameron Dokey

The World Above by Cameron Dokey
                            A Retelling of "Jack and the Beanstalk"
175 pages

    Gen lives in the World Below. When her twin brother, Jack, trades the family cow for magic beans, Gen is furious, but, to her surprise, their mother is not-she's happy. She tells the twins that the stories she told them about the World Above are real, and the beans will grow magic beanstalks so they can climb there.
    In the stories, Gen's mother was the duke's wife, but she had to escape when her husband was murdered. Now, she knows she can go back with her children and claim what is rightfully theirs.
    But when Jack doesn't come back from the World Above and Gen goes after him, they realize that things are much more complicated.


    "I'm sorry I never really believed," I said. "Not the way Jack did."
    "It doesn't make any difference," my mother replied. Her eyes focused on the beanstalk for a moment, then returned to mine. "You believe now. Be safe and smart up there, my Gen. Be yourself.
    Before I could answer, my mother turned away and walked quickly toward the house. I turned to face the beanstalk.
    There is no going back, now, I thought.
    For better or worse, there was only going forward. There was only going up. Seizing the trunk of the beanstalk with both hands, I pushed of from the World Below and began to climb

The Pale Assassin by Patricia Elliott

The Pale Assassin by Patricia Elliott
327 pages

    Fourteen-year-old Eugenie de Boncoeur is a spoiled aristocrat living i the midst of the French Revolution. Her brother, Armand, is keeping many secrets from her. This annoys her very much, for she would like to know just what is happening in her country, but there is an even greater secret than the Revolution ideas that Armand is keeping.
    Their guardian arranged for Eugenie to marry a wealthy man called Le Fantome. The arrangement was made for wealth, but Le Fantome hold a secret grudge against the de Boncoeur family. Can Armand keep his sister safe from the Revolution and Le Fantome?

**Book 1**
Next Book: The Traitor's Smile

Precisely Terminated by Amanda L. Davis

Precisely Terminated by Amanda L. Davis
347 pages

    Monica is the only slave in the world without a tracking chip in her skull. The Nobles have them implanted at birth so they can control their slaves, but Monica escaped. Now, Monica is their only hope of being free from death and oppression. Can Monica stay hidden from the enemies? Can she be brave enough to fight off the evil and save her friends?


**Book 1 in the Cantral Chronicles**
Next book: Noble Imposter

The Princess Curse by Merrie Haskell

The Princess Curse by Merrie Haskell
322 pages

    Reveka is apprenticed to an herbalist. She like her job well enough, but she would rather live in a convent and open her own herbery. The only problem is that she doesn't have the money. Then she learns of the curse on the twelve princesses. The king offers one of his daughters in marriage to whoever breaks the curse and if a girl breaks it, he will provide her dowry-or money for the convent, in Revka's case. So Revka sets out to break the curse.
    But things are much more complicated. Anyone who has stayed in the princesses room to find where they go to dance is either found in an endless sleep or they disappear. Reveka is frightened by the terrible fates of the many who have gone before her, but she knows she must continue. With the help of unexpected friends of all kinds, she continues her quest. But will she succeed? Or will the curse get her as well?

Two Horses- Author Unknown

This beautiful story was given to me by an english teacher who got it as an email:

Two Horses
Author Unknown

Just up the road from my home is a
field, with two horses in it.

From a distance, each horse looks
like any other horse.
But if you stop your car, or are
walking by, you will notice something
quite amazing. . . .

Looking into the eyes of one horse
will disclose that he is blind. His
owner has chosen  not to have him
put down, but has made a good
home for him.

This alone is amazing. If you stand
nearby and listen you will hear the
sound of a bell. Looking around for
the source of the sound, you will see
that it comes from the smaller horse
in the field.

Attached to the horse's halter is a
small bell. It lets the blind friend
know where the other horse is, so he
can follow.

As you stand and watch these two
friends, you'll see that the horse with
the bell is always checking on the
blind horse, and that the blind horse
will listen for the bell and then slowly
walk to where the other horse is,
trusting that he will not be led astray.

When the horse with the bell returns
to the the shelter of the barn each
evening, it stops occasionally and
looks back,
Making sure that the blind friend isn't
too far behind to hear the bell.

Like the owners of these two horses,
God does not throw us away just
because we are not perfect or
because we have problems or
challenges.

He watches over us and even brings
others into our lives
To help us when we are in need.

Sometimes we are the blind horse
being guided by the little ringing bell
of those who places in our lives.
Other times we are the guide horse,
helping others find their way. . . .

Good friends are like that . . . You may
not always see them, but you know
they are aways there.

Please listen for my bell and I'll
listen for yours, and remember . . .

Be kinder than necessary-
Everyone you meet is fighting
some kind of battle.

Live simply,
Love generously,
Care deeoly,
Speak kindly . . . . .

And leave the rest to God!

FOR WE WALK BY FAITH AND
NOT BY SIGHT

Steel by Carrie Vaughn

Steel by Carrie Vaughn
287 pages
     Sixteen-year-old Jill, a competing fencer, finds a broken tip of a rapier on the beach where here family is vacationing. She picks it up and it magically transports her to an eighteenth-century pirate ship. The ship's captain, who happens to be a girl, is fighting with another pirate named Blane, whose sword is missing the piece Jill found. While Jill struggles to find her way back home, she is caught in the middle of the fight. What will it take for her to find the secret to the magic sword?

Wonderful Mail

Guess what came in the mail yesterday. A package from Anne Elisabeth Stengl! I won signed copies of both her books, Heartless and Veiled Rose . . .

A book mark for each book . . .





 plus a Veiled Rose magnet and a pencil  for each book.

And I thought I was only getting signed books!. . .  Book pencils. What a great idea!

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan
513 pages

    Percy Jackson has a huge problem: he cannot remember anything about his life. He woke up in a cave with a wolf named Lupa. Lupa taught him some basic things about being a demigod and sent him off to find the Roman demigod camp, Camp Jupiter. Percy does remember one thing, though-Annabeth. But who Annabeth is or where she is is still out of his mind. So Percy travels across the country to find the camp, battling monsters the whole way.
    At camp, Percy is greeted by the Roman legion. On top of being overwhelmed by the size of the camp, Percy realises that some of the campers might turn out to be enemies. Soon he is sent on a quest-much to some of the campers' disgust-with Hazel and Frank, two other demigods. They must free the Greek god of death so the monsters will stay dead and defeat the giant sons of Gaea. With monsters, prophecies and the past all hindering their progress, with Percy, Hazel, and Frank be able to complete their quest and return home alive?


**Book 2 in The Heroes of Olympus**
Previous book: The Lost Hero
Next book: The Mark of Athena