"Catherine, Called Birdy" by Karen Cushman

I recently read the book, "Catherine, Called Birdy". This is a historical fiction book set in the year 1290. Our main character, a young girl of fourteen, is fighting with her father for the rights to pick her husband. Her father ignores her requests and brings in several suitors, none of which are to Catherine's liking. She is tired of having to be a lady and of learing to sew and make soap instead of haveing wonderful adventures. Her mother and her nurse maid, Morwenna, encourage her to embrace the life of a young mistress, but she remains stubborn and steadfast in her ways. Many exciting events twist Cahterine's life and make her realize who she really is. I enjoyed this short read and I thought the author gave some very descriptive writing. The parts about Mass, church, and her brother being a Monk I also found very intriguing. A good book overall, but a short read, and not one that takes up the attention span.

"Through the Looking Glass(and what Alice Found There)" by Lewis Carroll

This is the wonderful side story to "Alice in Wonderland". Sort of similar, and the adventures that go on in the strange Looking Glass world have the same odd feel that those Alice has in Wonderland do. This oddly confusing book stretches the brain and makes you think harder about everything around you, and what would really happen, if you fell through a looking glass.

"A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle

I read this book a while back and I am not sure I remember exactly what it was about, but I know that it is a favorite of many of the teen community and so therefore, I place it here. I intend to read it again, and at that time I shall comment and give my official rating. In the mean time, please feel free to give ratings and comments of your own on this subject.

"Eldest" by Christopher Paolini

This book is the sequel to "Eragon"and the second book in the Inheritance Cycle. This book begins at the end of an epic battle where Eragon has killed one of Galbatorix's right hand men, Durza, a shade. This battle had left Eragon with the amazing and rare title of "Shadeslayer" but it has also given him a large handicap. Before Eragon was able to slay the shade, he was given a long slice from his shoulder to hip. The magicians and healers did their best to remove this horrible wound, but their efforts were in vain. Eragon must now try and complete his training as a Rider with the handicap. When overexerted, Eragon faints and contorts with pain until he is drained of all energy. Because his mind and Saphira, his dragon's, are so closely connected, she physically feels his pain. During the battle, Eragon recieved a link of thought from a man they later learn is named Oromis. This man, or rather this elf, was once a rider himself and promises Eragon the training he needs. Eragon agrees to this and seeks to find this mystery elf. He travels all the way from his comfortable new home to the large forest of Du Weldenvaren. There he does find Oromis, along with many surprises, and he discoveres the true meaning of magic. Before Eragon can finish too much of his training, Galbatorix approaches the Varden, the group of resistance that Eragon has taken save haven with and is now aleiganced to. Eragon must leave Du Weldenvaren and face Galbatorix, or risk loosing his only chance at killing the oppresor of his world. This book is told from 3 different people's points of view and brings us back to Eragon's family and the harships that are befalling the everyday townspeople. It also shows the struggles of leadership and the wills of large masses of people to fight as one for one cause. Dangerous facts twist Eragon's fate toward the end of this book, and leave you gasping for more. An excelent read by any standards, and a must for all who love fantasy.

"Eragon" by Christopher Paolini

This exciting adventure is the first of three in The Inheritance Cycle. These books begin with a farmer boy living near the small town of Carvahall. This boy, Eragon, is an exceptionally good hunter, and one day, while he is hunting amidst a mysterious mountain range that is feared by all who live around it, Eragon finds a strange, blue stone. He brings the stone home with him and later travels to the fair to see if he can sell it to anyone. There he meets Brom, an old storyteller, who advises him not to sell the stone, but to keep it for himself. This stone soon hatches into a beautiful girl dragon. Eragon has no idea that now, but he must be trained to be a Rider, and he is destined to one day fight the mighty Galbatorix, who currently is ruler of all of the land Eragon inhabits.If Eragon cannot meet his destiny, Dragons, and all other races that Eragon lives with, will become extinct. I would reccomend reading all three of these amazing books. They have captivated my attention beyond belief and I never for a moment wanted to put them down. I have only read through the second book so far, but I cannot wait to get the third and pore through its contents. Absolutley a marvelous read.
(Note to Mrs. Uhr:I had already read this book when we were assigned the reading lists, so i read the sequel to this book. I have written this to assist my fellow bloggers and catch them up to speed somewhat so that the second book's post will make some sense.)

"Taken" by Edward Bloor

"Taken" is the wonderful and thrilling story of a girl living in 2035. Kidnapping rich children has become a popular way for criminals to make fast and easy money. Our story begins with, Charity Meyers, our main character, being taken. She soon realizes that in order to keep herself calm, she must think about something other than the white ambulance and stretcher her kidnappers are keeping her in. She decides to immerse herself in her past, starting 4 days before her kidnapping and slowly leading herself up to the present. I enjoyed reading this book very much, although I thought the beginning was a little slow. The ending had many unexpected twists and turns and as soon as Charity started to speak about the present and not the past, I could not put it down. If you have read this book, or have heard things about it, I would like to hear your comments. If you have never read this book, I would recommend it, especially if you are looking for a short thriller or you like surprises in your reads.