The Smile

By Donna Jo Napoli

     Monna Elisabetta is almost at the age where she can become betrothed. In her small town in Italy, that is done by throwing a party. When her mother dies while planning the party, everything stops dead in its tracks. At her mother's funeral Elisabetta meets the famous painter Leonardo De Vinci who says that one day, he will paint her. Leonardo introduces Elisabetta to the youngest son of the weathiest and most powerful family in town. His name was Giuliano. Though her family called her Monna Betta, he called her Monna Lisa. And that's where the story of war, dictatorship, and most of all love, begins.

I absolutely loved this book!!!! I couldn't put it down! It gets an 6 out of 5 * * * * * *!!

Savvy

By Ingrid Law

     Mibs's family has powers. Her mother calls them abilities others aren't open-minded enough to get. Mibs's older brothers can cause hurricanes and create sparks of electricity, her mother is absolutely perfect, and her grandfather can make mountains move. You get your power when you turn 13. Mibs's birthday is in two days. Then she finds out her father is in a car accident and is badly hurt. She embarks on a journey to get to her father, making some unexpected friends along the way.

     I loved this book, I give it a 3 out of 5 * * *

Every Soul a Star

By Wendy Mass


     Alli was raised on a camp ground. Her parents bought the site because there was going to be a full eclipse there. The eclipse is in two weeks and after it, she's moving back to California. Bree is a city girl with parents that study space. Her family is taking over the camp ground after the eclipse. In the two weeks before the eclipse these girls make unexpected friends and a hope for the future.


     This book was amazing! I give it a 5 out of 5 * * * * *

Weedflower

By Cynthia Kadohata


     Sumiko was a farm girl who happily lived with her aunt, uncle, little brother and two cousins. She always helped her family on their farm in California. She was the only Japanese girl in her entire school. She barely had any friends and even if she did she was too busy to play with them. Then World War II broke out. Sumiko and her family were anxious. If the Japanese attacked, it would end badly for the Japanese-Americans. Then there was the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Officers came and took Sumiko's uncle and grandfather to a camp in North Dakota. Slowly, all the Japanese families were evacuated from California. With the rest of her family, Sumiko was sent to a temporary home at a race track, then on to a camp in Arizona. There Sumiko meets an unexpected friend and learns a thing or two about life.


     This book was amazing! I love Kadohata's work! She is amazing! This book gets a 5 out of 5 * * * * *

A Corner of the Universe

By Ann M. Martin


     Hattie Owen was a normal girl in the 60's. She lived in a small town, went to school daily, and her family owned a boarding house. But everything changed that one summer. She finds out she has another uncle who is 21. Hattie's grandparents shipped him away to a school for the mentally challenged when he was 12 and now that school is closing down. His name is Adam and he an ecstatic, fun-loving man that wants nothing more than to have a friend and repeat I Love Lucy lines. He had a special way of taking everything normal and flipping it upside down. After that summer, Hattie will be changed forever.


     This book was very good at the end but it kind of dragged in the beginning. I give it a 3 out of 5 * * *