Yep.  Dragon's Gate.

Yep.  Dragonwings.

Yolen, Jane.  Briar Rose.  New York: Tom Doherty Associates Inc.

ÙÙÙÙÙ Miranda M., senior 

Upon the death of her grandmother, Rebecca tries to fulfill her last wishes. As a child her grandma always told the story of Briar Rose, when asked why, she would always say, “I’m Briar Rose.”  Following the paper trail that leads Poland, Rebecca discovers how close her grandmother was to the truth.  This story borders between a fairy tale and a Holocaust survival story, the amazing things Rebecca learns about her grandmother and the lives she affected, really does show that fairy tales can come true.    

Yolen, Jane.  The Wild Hunt. 

Zindel, Paul.  Confessions of a Teenage Baboon. New York: Bantam Books

ÙÙÙÙÙ Miranda M., senior 

     Zindel always adds a strange twist to his stories, and this one’s no different.  It’s a coming of age story about a teenage boy named Christopher Boyd, however, when he witnesses a traumatic event it alters his life for the better.  The characters are all abnormal, but the author does it so their imperfections and personalities seem commonplace.  Without shedding too much emotion on the matter Zindel recreated the crucial point of this boy’s life that in turn made him a better person himself.

Paul Zindel.  I Never Loved Your Mind.  New York, NY.  

ÙÙÙÙÙ Miranda M., senior 

 A high school dropout named Dewey writes his story in a first person narrative.  This is the story of his life, about how he loved and lost.  It is a very personal story as he tells a lot about himself and whatever he can’t slip in between sentences are put into personal footnotes.  His life story is peculiar, and with the help of environmentalist, Yvette, it will never be the same again.  No amount of trust and understanding, however, would prove enough to keep her, especially considering her near psychotic obsession with nature and shoplifting. Dewey’s personal account of events really shows that it is better to have loved and lost than never to love at all.

ÙÙÙÙÙ Jason P., senior 

This is a book that shows the love of two teenagers in a dangerous world.  Dewey Daniels works at a hospital where he meets Yvette.  She was a strange girl, but that only interested Dewey more. Yvette was vegetarian animal activist, which thought almost all the people in the world were evil.  After they have some good times together, Dewey is torn apart by Yvette’s comments.  Dewey is determined to win her back, even though she told him he is not like her.  He is determined to figure out her secret.

Zindel, Paul.  Loch.  New York: HarperCollins Children's Books. 

Zindel, Paul.  My Darling, My Hamburger. 

Zindel, Paul.  The Pigman and Me.  New York: HarperCollins Children's Books. 

Look for it in the biography section. 

Zindel, Paul.  Pigman.  New York: Bantam Books.    

  ÙÙÙÙÙ Darcy, ninth grade 

     Lonely old Pigman. John and Lorraine don’t know it in the beginning but The Pigman is a lonely old man who lost his wife and his best friend is a baboon named Bobo. John and Lorraine met him when they made a prank call to his house asking for a donation. When they went to pick up the donation, he invited them in for wine, and he showed them a room full of antique pigs, and that’s how he got his name. After that, John and Lorraine often skip school and go to his house. But one day Pigman has a stroke and is sent to the hospital for a few days. While he is gone, things get out of hand. I would suggest this book to anyone who needs a fun and easy book to read. 

  ÙÙÙÙÙ Kate, ninth grade 

     Mr. Pignati is an old, jolly man with a beer belly, bright, twinkling eyes, and a wide smile. But this smile hides his loneliness and his grief. John and Lorraine meet him by accident, and the three of them become best friends. John and Lorraine help chase the Pigman’s loneliness out of him through friendship.

       This novel is told almost like a long journal entry. One chapter will be through the eyes of Lorraine and the next chapter through John, and so on. It’s a brilliant story line that deals with relationships, love, responsibility and death.

ÙÙÙÙÙ Jason, senior 

Loraine and John, two sophomores in high school meet an old man that they call "Pigman". This old man changes their lives in many ways and they change his. These two kids have a lot of fun with him and don't mind skipping school to be with him. Loraine and John learn that Mr. Pignati has a secret. They tell the story right here in this book and it is nothing but the truth.