Friend, Natasha. PERFECT

Friend, Natasha.
PERFECT
New York : Milkweed Editions, 2004

Her mother discovers her secret and Isabelle is sent to group therapy. Among the girls in her group is Ashley Barnum. Ashley is considered ‘the most perfect girl in school’. Despite their seeming differences they develop a friendship and as they do, Isabelle gets more and more peeks into just how Ashley manages to keep herself so "perfect", The balance begins to shift and Isabelle begins to believe in her own strength and to try to help Ashley who is so fragile inside. Like Cut, by Patricia McCormick, this is a story of healing and self-discovery, and like Define Normal, by Julie Ann Peters this is a story about the illusion of appearance and an unlikely friendship. As such it is a book that many girls are drawn to and then tell their friends to read. (New Hampshire Isinglass Teen Read Award committee)

Fisher, Catherine. ORACLE BETRAYED

Fisher, Catherine.
THE ORACLE BETRAYED
New York : Greenwillow, 2004.

Set with overtones of ancient Egypt, this is an intense and multi-layered story of a common girl placed within the inner circle of the servants of "god" when she is chosen to be the one who carries the sacred bowl to the mouth of the god and receive his voice in the form of a scorpion. In the midst of this intense and frightening role, she hears the God speak to her, and becomes convinced that the high priestesses and the powerful head of the military are scheming to betray everything that is sacred and enslave the people with a deception of their religion. She then sets out with an old musician and a young scribe on a long and dangerous journey, to find the true religious heir, known as the Archon. (New Hampshire Isinglass Teen Read Award committee)

Ewing, Lynn. GODDESS OF THE NIGHT

Ewing, Lynne.
GODDESS OF THE NIGHT
New York : HBFC/Hyperion Books for Children, 2000.

Best friends Vanessa and Catty both have special powers, but while Catty revels in her ability to time travel, Vanessa hates the fact that she begins to disappear anytime she feels strong emotion, like when she is about to kiss her boyfriend, Michael. But something happens to Catty, and Vanessa discovers that they are both Daughters of the Moon and that the evil Atrox is plotting to destroy them. Can she find Catty in time to save her? Book 1 in the Daughters of the Moon series. (New Hampshire Isinglass Teen Read Award committee)

Carter, Ally. I'D TELL YOU THAT I LOVE YOU, BUT THEN I'D HAVE TO KILL YOU

Carter, Ally.
I'D TELL YOU THAT I LOVE YOU, BUT THEN I'D HAVE TO KILL YOU
New York : Hyperion, 2006

Cammie Morgan goes to an all-girls private boarding school, The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women. Her friends come from all over the world. Like her they speak 14 languages, and are math, computer and chemistry experts. A couple of things are unusual about Cam’s school. Her mother, the headmistress, is a retired CIA operative. Since you all have level four clearance you already know what is special about this school. It is a training ground for future spies. While on her first covert operation, Cammie meets a boy. A normal, cute, friendly, nice boy named Josh. With a little spy help from her friends, Cammie gets to know and REALLY like Josh. They go through his trash, his email, his history. As a cover she creates a new life story, because if Josh knew the truth about her … as she says “I’d tell you I love you, but then I’d have to kill you.” (New Hampshire Isinglass Teen Read Award committee)

Carey, Kate. BLOODLINE

Carey, Kate.
BLOODLINE
New York : Razorbill, 2005

This novel, told primarily in journal entries, is the story of John Shaw, a young communications officer in WWI who finds out that his commanding officer, Quincy Harker is truly an evil man. After John is shipped home he slowly begins to remember his experiences on the front lines and realizes that his sister Lily, now madly in love with Harker, is in grave danger. Quincy Harker is a vampire! Lily meets Captain Harker during one of her visits to John in the hospital, they fall in love, and he takes her home to Romania to be married. However, Quincey is the son of Count Tepes and Mina Harker, and he has taken Lily to Dracula's Castle to fulfill the family's destiny. Lily and John are also connected to Count Tepes, as John is the son of Count Tepes and Rosemary Shaw. As the wedding day draws near, the full story of the family is revealed. Lily is faced with a dilemma–to live forever as a vampire or to end it all. A fast paced horror story with twists and turns will keep even a reluctant reader involved. This is an interesting mix of romance and grisly revelations that pays homage to the classic tale of Dracula while making it fresh for today’s audience. (Isinglass Book Award committee, 2007-2008)

Beddor, Frank. LOOKING GLASS WARS

Beddor, Frank.
LOOKING GLASS WARS
New York : Dial Books, 2006

Who was Alice? Not the girl we met through Lewis Carroll’s version of Wonderland….that’s for sure! Alyss, is the heir to the Wonderland throne and she is forced to flee through a wormhole in the Pool of Tears as her evil Aunt Redd tries to overthrow the government. Alyss lives for years in England as her body guard, Hatter Madigan searches for her so she may return to Wonderland and overthrow the evil Redd. But Alyss’s imaginative powers have faded from disuse…can she actually defeat Redd? Enter a world of Cheshire cat assassins, white rabbits that are actually learned scholars, and generals that have an interesting habit of splitting in two. This is a book that is filled with interesting twists on old plot lines and characters. You will be taken into a whole new society where political intrigue and fantastical powers clash for lots of action and suspense. (Isinglass Book Award committee, 2007-2008)

Yep, Laurence. THE EARTH DRAGON AWAKES : THE SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE OF 1906

Yep, Laurence.
THE EARTH DRAGON AWAKES : THE SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE OF 1906
New York : HarperCollins, 2006

Tuesday night. It is early evening in San Francisco. Streetlights come on. People hurry home. No one knows about the danger below. Underneath their feet, the earth begins to stir. Wednesday morning on Sacramento Street. Early the next morning, Henry Travis hears a low rumbling. It sounds like a train coming….Windows rattle. Doors thump. There is a crash above him. Wednesday morning in Chinatown across town, Henry’s friend Chin waits for the trembling to stop. But it goes on and on…”The tenement is falling!” Chin’s father shouts. Walls crack and crumble. Windows shatter. Broken glass sprays like little daggers.
The Earth Dragon has awakened….with a vengeance.

Travel back in time to the spring of 1906, to experience the Great San Francisco Earthquake through the eyes of two boys from very different backgrounds. When the quake subsides, Henry and Chin and their families are lucky to be alive. But now they must escape the fires that have broken out and find their way to safety. (New Hampshire Great Stone Face nominee, 2007-2008)

Woods, Brenda. MY NAME IS SALLY LITTLE SONG

Woods, Brenda.
MY NAME IS SALLY LITTLE SONG
New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2006

Sally May lives on a plantation with her brother, mother and father. They are slaves and work very hard. When Sally May’s father finds out that Sally May and her brother, Abraham, are going to be sold, the family makes plans to escape. But they are not escaping to the North where most slaves head towards. They are escaping deeper into the south! Why would they do that? Shouldn’t they be going north away from the cruel plantation owners and slave hunters? Read My Name is Sally Little Song to find out why. (New Hampshire Great Stone Face nominee, 2007-2008)

Stewart, Paul. FERGUS CRANE

Stewart, Paul.
FERGUS CRANE
New York : David Fickling Books, 2006, c2004.

Nine year old Fergus is not prepared for a flying silver box that arrives bearing a warning from his long lost Uncle Theo. What danger is he in? How do the pirate-like teachers on his floating school figure into this mystery? When the ship sails away with his classmates on board it takes bravery and resourcefulness, (and a flying mechanical horse and a map making lunchbox), to help Fergus find the meaning of the message. Will Fergus save the day? Read Fergus Crane, the first book in the Far-Flung Adventures series by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell to find out. (New Hampshire Great Stone Face nominee, 2007-2008)

Stanley, Diane. BELLA AT MIDNIGHT

Stanley, Diane.
BELLA AT MIDNIGHT
New York : HarperCollins, 2006

Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful young woman, the daughter of a wealthy merchant. But her wicked new step-mother despised her, and treated her as a lowly servant… Oops! Wrong story…

Once upon a time, in the village of Castle Down, a peasant girl named Bella lived in the humble home of a kindly blacksmith and his family, assuming she was one of his own. The country was at war, and the world was fraught with danger on all sides. Little did Bella know that her best friend who often came calling was none other than Prince Julian of Moranmoor! And neither of them knew that she wasn’t a peasant at all…she was, in truth, Lady Isabel, abandoned by her noble, but cruel and deranged father in infancy. There was a terrible plot afoot that placed Bella in danger for her very life…one that would change the kingdom forever! She found herself caught in a web with no way out…but wait! This is a fairy tale! With the help of a handsome prince, a fairy godmother and a large dollop of enchantment, they all live happily ever after…don’t they? (New Hampshire Great Stone Face nominee, 2007-2008)

Springer, Nancy. THE CASE OF THE MISSING MARQUESS : AN ENOLA HOLMES MYSTERY

Springer, Nancy.
THE CASE OF THE MISSING MARQUESS : AN ENOLA HOLMES MYSTERY
New York : Philomel Books, 2006

When Enola Holmes, the much younger sister of detective Sherlock Holmes, discovers her mother has disappeared—on her 14th birthday nonetheless—she knows she alone can find her. Disguising herself as a grieving widow, Enola sets out to the heart of London to uncover her mother’s whereabouts—but not even the last name Holmes can prepare her for what awaits. Suddenly involved in the kidnapping of the young Marquess of Basilwether, Enola must escape murderous villains, free the spoiled Marquess, and perhaps hardest of all, elude her shrewd older brother—all while collecting clues to her mother’s disappearance! (New Hampshire Great Stone Face nominee, 2007-2008)

Schlitz, Laura Amy. A DROWNED MAIDEN'S HAIR : A MELODRAMA

Schlitz, Laura Amy.
A DROWNED MAIDEN'S HAIR : A MELODRAMA
Cambridge : Candlewick Press, 2006

A Drowned Maiden’s Hair: A Melodrama has a great opening:
"On the morning of the best day of her life, Maud Flynn was locked in the outhouse, singing 'The Battle Hymn of the Republic’. She was locked in because she was being punished. The Barbary Asylum for Female Orphans was overcrowded; every room in the wide brick building was in use. There were few places where one could imprison a child who had misbehaved. The outhouse was one such place, and very suitable for the purpose, because the children hated it."

Set in the early 1900’s, troublemaker Maud Flynn gets to leave the orphanage this very same day when adopted by the Hawthorne sisters, who despite coming to adopt a child of eight, choose Maud for her small stature and nice singing voice. These three older ladies live together in a wealthy home. They treat Maud to good food, new clothes, and the use of indoor plumbing to win her over. Maud takes to sister Hyacinth and longs for her approval and love, doing whatever she asks for bits of praise. It isn't long before the sisters have thrust Maud into the family business of betraying customers with fake séances. The story follows Maud as the sisters use her in a scam against a wealthy woman whose daughter drowned the previous summer. This ghost story is wonderfully intriguing and readers will be rooting for Maud to find happiness. (New Hampshire Great Stone Face nominee, 2007-2008)

Russell, Christopher. DOGBOY

Russell, Christopher.
DOGBOY
New York : Greenwillow, 2006

Twelve year-old Brind, having been abandoned at birth, has been raised with a pack of mastiffs in Sir Edmund’s barn. Brind can communicate with the fierce mastiff dogs and they are his friends. Sir Edmund, an aging knight, must prove his value to defend England as he embarks in battle against France. The year is 1346. Into battle he heads with his prize pack of mastiffs, along with Tullo, his cruel huntsman and Brind, the dogboy. As Sir Edmund falls in battle, Tullo sets in motion his plan to take over the prize pack of Mastiffs and return to England to take his place as the hero and win the affections of the knight’s widow. Will Brind’s bond with the pack be stronger than Tullo bargained for? What measures will Tullo take to sever the ties that Brind has with the pack? If you like action, adventure, narrow escapes and a little history, then you should read Dogboy. (New Hampshire Great Stone Face nominee, 2007-2008)

Roy, Jennifer Rozines. YELLOW STAR

Roy, Jennifer Rozines
YELLOW STAR
New York : Marshall Cavendish, 2006

Syvia is only four years old but she knows something is wrong. She has to hide from the Nazis in the cellar and wear the yellow star on her new coat. Her family has to leave their home and join 200,000 other people being resettled into a ghetto for the Jews. Syvia understands the word Jew; she knows she is one; so is the rest of her family. Why people hate them is a question she cannot understand until she lives through the war and is one of only 12 children to leave the ghetto six years later. You’ll have an understanding too when you read this true account called Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy. (New Hampshire Great Stone Face nominee, 2007-2008)

Pennypacker, Sara. CLEMENTINE

Pennypacker, Sara.
CLEMENTINE
New York : Hyperion Books for Children, c2006.

Hi, I'm Clementine and I'm having a “not so good of a week.” Even though “spectacularful ideas are always sproinging up in my brain” I still got in trouble over gluing Margaret’s hair back on her head. I wasn’t even the one to cut it off in the first place, at least not the first time. And why does everyone tell me I'm not paying attention when I'm the one who notices things like what's happening outside the classroom window or what that the lady in our building is feeding the pigeons out her front windows? Trust me, both these things come in handy. Read Clementine by Sara Pennypacker to see what I mean. (New Hampshire Great Stone Face nominee, 2007-2008)

Paterson, Katherine. BREAD AND ROSES, TOO

Paterson, Katherine.
BREAD AND ROSES, TOO
New York : Clarion, 2006.

Conditions of immigrant labor in the mills in Lawrence Mass in 1912 are the backdrop for a friendship between 12 year-old Rosa and 13 year-old Jake. Rosa is in a family where the father has died in a mill accident and the mother and older sister are working at the mill for very poor wages. Jake is working in a factory until it is closed because of the strike. When the children are sent to Vermont to keep them safe, Jake jumps on the train with Rosa thinking he's going to New York. In Vermont, Rosa continues her education and Jake learns to trust others. A realistic view of the roles women and children played in the New England factories of the early 1900s (New Hampshire Great Stone Face nominee, 2007-2008)