The Wall ( 288 Pages)

William Sutcliffe has written a book that will keep the reader thinking long after the book has been completed. I read the inside cover to my daughter and she said,"Gee it could have been about the Berlin Wall." My response was,"Yes, or the USA-Mexican border!" What is it about walls that make people feel safer? What is it about isolation that keeps people from understanding others? In this book, Sutcliffe has placed the setting in a reality closely mirroring Israel's West Bank. The book is tense, and surreal, while at the same time being completely plausible. It is not fantasy! Josh could easily be a young boy any where today. He is with a friend who is a bit of a duffus and who "accidentally" kicks Josh's new, leather soccer ball over "The Wall." And so the story begins. This is such an important read. One that is so in need of discussion. I can easily see it as a whole class read where a smart teacher guides discussion to the point of students questioning "the enemy". Who decides this? Is it important to maintain enemy status? Why? Get this book into your classroom ASAP!

The Tragedy Paper (304 Pges)

Elizabeth Laban has written an amazing book on so many levels! It has two voices speaking to the reader. One of the two belongs to Tim, an albino student, at a prestigious eastern prep school. His albinism is important and as the reader takes in the text, s/he learns why a complete lack of pigment could be a problem for an adolescent. I had no idea that eye problems could develop as a result of being an albino. I was not surprised that Tim felt uncomfortable with himself and they way people reacted to him. The second voice belongs to Duncan, who is a year younger than Tim, and who "inherited" Tim's room for his senior year. It is a tradition that each year graduating seniors leave a "treasure" for the student who will be the next to live in his room. These treasures vary from a bottle of booze to a dinner at a local restaurant and some that are just plain silly. Duncan enters his room to discover that Tim has left him a stack of CD's to listen to, in which he learns all the facts leading up to the tradition of the senior stunt. The story weaves in romance, mystery, and the pressure of the senior paper. This paper's theme is (and has been for years) Tragedy. Students have read various Shakespearean tragedies, and have discussed the various qualifications for a tragedy to be called such. Throw in a slightly obnoxious senior boy who takes on the organization of the senior stunt. How this turns into a night of horror, is the culmination of this remarkable book.

Throne of Glass (404 Pages)

Sarah Maas has won an award for this book, although I can't remember the name of the award! However, it is well deserved. Throne of Glass is a fantasy read, but is written with such precision to detail, that this reader forgot it was a fantasy! The Throne of Glass tells the story of an unforgettable heroine, Celaene. She is known to be the most famous and most successful assassin on the island. The vicious king of the glass throne kingdom, catches her and puts her in the prison salt mines for life. She is not expected to live for a long time as the guards there are ferocious! However, the king feels he needs a champion (a person who will do as told, obviously to include killing for the king) The Captain of the Guards and the Crown Prince are given the job of finding 23 possible contenders for the job. One of these turns out to be Celaena. The contenders are forced into a competition of elimination, and the winner will be the king's champion. What happens throughout the book is spellbinding, and deserves the quote from USA Today saying that this book is "a must-read."