Tuesday, April 26, 2011

The Royal Wedding

Excited about Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding?  Here's some royal romantic and historical fiction to set the mood for this weekend.


Prince William, Maximilian Minsky and Me by Holly-Jane Rahlens
Nelly Sue Edelmeister knows exactly who she is: a skinny, nerdy thirteen-year-old Berlin schoolgirl with thick glasses but that's before she develops a hopeless crush on the handsome and newly bereaved Prince William. And it's definitely before she meets the odd but oddly attractive Maximilian Minsky who is klutzy Nelly's last hope for making the school team before it heads off to Eton, England, and virtually into Prince William's arms.

Calypso Chronicles by Tyne O'Connell
When Calypso returns from Los Angeles to her English boarding school for the summer term, she is determined to fit in with the popular crowd. She makes a whole batch of new friends, and even finds herself winning the unwritten contest to woo the prince at the boys' school next door. But when Calypso and Prince Freddy end up in the tabloids, everything seems set to go down the drain. A humorous series about life in an English boarding school and the ups-and-downs of dating a prince.

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
Having recently discovered she is the sole heir to the throne of the tiny European principality of Genovia, Mia Thermopolis tries to live a normal teenaged life and finish high school while coming to terms with her new role and preparing to become a proper princess.  This series follows Mia's misadventures on her way to claim her throne.

Prisoners in the Palace by Michaela MacColl
Recently orphaned and destitute, seventeen-year-old Liza Hastings earns a position as a lady's maid to sixteen-year-old Princess Victoria at Kensington Palace in 1836, the year before Victoria becomes Queen of England. Liza steps unwittingly into the gossipy intrigue of the servant's world below-stairs as well as the trickery above. Is it possible that her changing circumstances may offer Liza the chance to determine her own fate, find true love, and secure the throne for her future queen?

Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix
In this continuation of the Cinderella story,  Ella finds that accepting Prince Charming's proposal ensnares her in royal genealogy lessons, needlepoint, and acting like "a proper lady."  Worst of all, Prince Charming is not the least bit interesting and certainly not charming.  But breaking off a royal engagement is no easy feat.  For Ella to escape, it will take intelligence, determination, and spunk -- and no ladylike behavior allowed.  By the same author: Palace of Mirrors.
     
Carolyn Meyer writes historical fiction focusing on the turbulent lives of young queens and princesses such as Marie Antoinette, Anne Boleyn, and Queen Elizabeth I.

Kimberly

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

The Water Wars and The Carbon Diaries

In The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher, fifteen year-old Vera and her older brother Will live in the Republic of Illinowa in what used to be the Midwestern United States.  After an environmental catastrophe damages the earth's fresh water supply, drinkable water is distilled from the ocean and water is tightly rationed and very expensive.  Life is difficult for the pair until Vera befriends Kai, who seems to have limitless access to fresh water. Kai is a water-diviner. He can tell where fresh water exists under the earth’s surface. When Kai suddenly disappears, Vera convinces her brother Will that they need to rescue him.  The two embark on a dangerous journey in search of Kai-pursued by pirates, a paramilitary group, and greedy corporations.

The Water Wars illustrates the environmental consequences of wasting water through a fast-paced action-adventure story.  If Earth Day has put you in the mood for other books about environmental issues, check out The Carbon Diaries 2015 by Saci Lloyd.  In The Carbon Diaries 2015, global warning has begun to ravage the environment. In response, the United Kingdom becomes the first country to mandate carbon rationing--a well-intentioned plan that goes tragically awry. This story of one girl's attempt to stay grounded in a world where disaster has become the norm is told in short diary entries.  There is even a sequel: The Carbon Diaries 2017.

Kimberly

Monday, April 11, 2011

Three Black Swans by Caroline Cooney

  Three Black Swans is an interesting story about long-lost twins, and what happens when the truth comes out. Missy and Claire are cousins that are very close, mostly due to the fact that they were born just a few weeks apart and only live 20 minutes away from each other. They have similar tastes in clothes, books, games; even boys. They even look a little bit alike! When Missy is given an assignment to pull off a hoax of some kind, she thinks she has the perfect idea. Why not pretend that Claire is her long lost twin? It's just for fun, right? Well...maybe not! Then Missy receives a call from Genevieve, and things really get bizarre.

Karen

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Maze Runner & Scorch Trials book discussion

We'll be having a book discussion on The Maze Runner & The Scorch Trials on April 14 at 7pm.  We'll speculate about what's going to happen to Thomas and the rest of the Gladers in the last book of the Maze Runner Trilogy, The Death Cure, which does not come out until October!

If you cannot wait until October for your next Maze Runner fix, try your hand at Maze Running with this game from author James Dashner's website.