Ali Hassan Hassan itibaren Bethany, KS, Birleşik Devletler itibaren Bethany, KS, Birleşik Devletler

I don't know why this book still stands out to me this very day... but there was something about it that was so captivating and at the same time so disparaging. Definitely good for a quick read.

I reread this for our book club and found it as startlingly powerful as ever. It's the third time reading it which enhanced the experience because I was already familiar with all the players and the basic plot and could therefore focus on context, symbology and construction. Excellent.

everyone needs to read a little trash eevry once in awhile! after finishing it: ah jeez it was horrible. why do i do this to myself?

Without doubt one of the best books I've read this year, the second in what looks to be a wildly successful fantasy series. 12 year old Quenelda is the daughter of Earl Rufus DeWinter, Dragon Lord and commander of the Stealth Dragon Services. Quenelda should be going to Grimalkin's College for Young Ladies and learning to curtsey properly, but instead she harbours an ambition to attend the Dragon Isle Battle Academy, because Quenelda is a Dragon Whisperer; she can communicate with dragons through telepathy and her dreams. There is an ongoing war against the hobgoblins. Word comes of the defeat of the hobgoblin leader; a decisive strike could lead to victory. However, there is treacherous use of Maelstrom Magic, and the SDS and dragons are smashed. Quenelda's father is missing, presumed killed and the perpetrator of the treachery takes over as Lord Protector of the Seven Seas Kingdom. Can Quenelda and Root, her squire, survive the dangerous journey to prevent further tragedy? Highly recommended to 9+, particularly for fans of Harry Potter and other fantasy series.

you can feel the tension

The 2011 Newbery Award winner is a real winner! The author (this is her debut novel!) does an excellent job of weaving together past events (1918) to the current day (1936) setting of the story, in which Abilene Tucker finds herself in the small Kansas town of Manifest where her father grew up. She gets to know people of the town who knew her father when he lived there. As secrets are uncovered and stories are told, she gradually learns about his past and comes to understand the loss he feels responsible for and the sense of community the people of the town have. Listed as appropriate for grades 5-8, this is a Newbery book I could recommend without reservation. (I love having the list of characters at the beginning. I think all works of fiction should include that.)