In a cozy house in the town of Edenfall, PA, a girl named Vasilisa, along with her mother and Babka (grandmother), grieve her pronounced dead father. Not far away, a boy named Ivan sets about his travels, fueled by only the idea of revenge and a promise. Life isn't going the best for Vasilisa. Her father is pronounced dead, lost in the Great War, and now the awful Mr. Goladyen is trying to court her mother. And even worse, her strong Babka is under a spell and seems to be getting weaker.
Legendborn, by Tracy Deonn, is a fantastic novel about a young woman named Bree Mathews. Bree is currently attending an early acceptance program for high school students at a college in Carolina. Although an exciting privilege and one she was proud to be a part of, she, too, was having to cope with the recent loss of her mother, a heart wrenching event that made happiness seem nearly impossible.
Double the Danger and Zero Zucchini by Betsy Uhrig is a book about a boy named Alex. Alex is a reluctant reader and thinks he has better things to do with his time. This all changes when his aunt asks him to read her first book. It starts with a book about a kid and his grandpa who win a zucchini contest. Alex’s job is to point out all the boring parts. But he can’t just tell his aunt to redo the whole book, so instead he gives a suggestion to add more danger and suspense.
Bullies and Peeps by J.D. Suhre is a book about a girl named Meg who is bullied at school. Hannah, the bully, is a popular girl who gets enjoyment out of seeing others struggle. Meg prefers nature to people and sees a nest of eggs with a goose perched on top while looking out of the classroom window. She learns about geese, and when the eggs eventually hatch, a surprise is welcomed into the classroom. Will the bullying stop, or will Meg join forces with nature? Maybe both!
Katie is the teenage daughter of James and Susan Death. Yes, Death is their last name as her father is the Grim Reaper, so as you can imagine Katie's story is nothing like a normal teenager's would be. She begins a new school year in a new town and new school hoping that this once she will find a friend. She is thrilled when she doesn't only find one great friend in Jodie, but rather a group of friends! The start of her hoped-for-normal school year comes grinding to a hault after a catastrophe on the hockey field.
Champions of Women's Soccer is a book that gives facts about some of the best women to play soccer, as well as some facts like the top 10 goals ever made and some of the history of soccer. The opening chapter is about Mia Hamm, followed Abby Wambach, Michelle Akers, Kristine Lilly, and eight other U.S. soccer stars. One of the stories is about Hope Solo, who became the goalie for the U.S. national team. She grew up in Richland, Washington, where she played soccer in high school and was a forward, scoring 109 goals. She received a scholarship to University of Washington to play goalie.
What would you do if death followed you everywhere you went? Katie - The Daughter Of tells the story of a girl who literally lives that very scenario, but not in the way one would think. Seventeen-year-old Katie Death is the daughter of one of the world’s many Grim Reapers, James Death. Grim Reapers are Immortals who serve to help separate souls from their dead hosts. As her dad is Immortal, Katie has heard stories about the Immortals her whole life. These stories include things like the battle between Upstairs and Downstairs and between Angels and Demons.
Benjamin Bradford is a single father, doing his best to raise his daughter, Sofia. He feels he has to be a perfect parent to prevent Sofia's grandparents from taking her away from him. This is made more difficult by keeping his mental illness hidden from everyone but his therapist. When the woman he considers the love of his life comes back into the picture, things get even more complicated, particularly as she is marrying his best friend.
When parents bring children into this world, it is assumed they will provide for them and love them unconditionally. With that, it is also assumed they will teach them responsibility and to work hard to achieve goals in life. As children transition into adulthood, it can be challenging to let them take on adult responsibility, and sometimes parents struggle with that transition. In this story, a mother experiences that struggle and goes too far in assisting her daughter with her college acceptance.
