Books Read In CALIFORNIA!

1. Model Under Cover,  Carina Axelsson.    25/3/14
2. Water Balloon,  Audrey Vernick.    27/3/14
3. The Mystery at Lilac Inn,  Carolyn Keene.    28/3/14
4. Star Crossed,  Jo Cotterill.    29/3/14
5. Spy For The Queen Of Scots,  Theresa Breslin.    30/3/14
6. Fire Storm,  Lauren St John.    30/3/14
7. Dandelion Clocks,  Rebecca Westcott.    1/4/14
8. Sky Hawk,  Gill Lewis.    3/4/14
9. Nancy Drew: The Secret of Shadow Ranch,  Caroline Keene.    4/4/14
10. Nancy Drew: The Secret of Red Gate Farm,  Caroline Keene.    4/4/14
11. The Royal Diaries: Marie Antoinette,  Kathryn Lasky.    5/5/14
12. Dear America: So Far from Home,  Barry Denenberg.    6/4/14
13. The Hardy Boys: The House On The Cliff,  Franklin W. Dixon.    6/4/14
14. Little House in Brookfield,  Maria D. Wilkes.    7/4/14
15. Little Town at the Crossroads,  Maria D. Wilkes.    8/4/14
16. So Super Stylish,  Rose Wilkins.    9/4/14
17. Nancy Drew: Lights, Camera..., Carolyn Keene.    9/4/14
18. Candyfloss,  Jacqueline Wilson.    10/4/14
19. Nancy Drew: A Race Against Time,  Carolyn Keene.    11/4/14
20. Nancy Drew: High Risk,  Carolyn Keene.    11/4/14
21. Nancy Drew: The Clue in the Diary,  Carolyn Keene.    12/4/14
22. Gabe and Izzy,  Gabrielle Ford with Sarah Thomson.    14/4/14
23. One+One= Blue,  M. J. Auch.    15/4/14
24. Saffy's Angel,  Hilary McKay.    17/4/14
25. The London Eye Mystery,  Siobhan Dowd.    18/4/14
26. Girl Meets Ghost: The Harder The Fall,  Lauren Barnholdt.    20/4/14
27. Girl Meets Ghost: Ghost Of A Chance,  Lauren Barnholdt.    21/4/14
28. Finding Family,  Tonya Bolden.    22/4/14
29. Hardy Boys: The Missing Chums,  Franklin W. Dixon.    22/4/14
30. Every Soul A Star,  Wendy Mass.    24/4/14
31. Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life,  Wendy Mass.    25/4/14
32. Princess Mia, Meg Cabot.    27/4/14
33. Princess in Love,  Meg Cabot.    28/4/14
34. So Super Starry,  Rose Wilkins.    30/4/14
35. Princess Academy,  Shannon Hale.    1/5/14
36. Princess Academy: Palace of Stone,  Shannon Hale.    2/5/14
37. Dave at Night,  Gail Carson Levine.    4/5/14
38. 1001 Cranes,  Naomi Hirahara.    5/5/14
39. The Heartbreak Messenger,  Alexander Vance.    7/5/14
40. The Grass Is Always Greener,  Jen Calonita.     9/5/14
41. Princess Diaries: Princess in the Spotlight,  Meg Cabot.     11/5/14
42. Reality Check,  Jen Calonita.     12/5/14
43. Moxie and the art of Rule Breaking,  Erin Dionne.     14/5/14
44. The Winter Horses,  Philip Kerr.     16/5/14
45. Secrets Of My Hollywood Life: On Location,  Jen Calonita.    17/5/14
46. Book of a Thousand Days,  Shannon Hale.    18/5/14
47. Enna Burning,  Shannon Hale     20/5/14
48. Palace of Spies,  Sarah Zettel     24/5/15
49. Pretty Little Secrets,  Sara Shepard     27/5/15
50. Girl Meets Ghost,  Lauren Barnholdt     30/5/14
51. Secrets Of My Hollywood Life,  Jen Calonita     1/6/14
52. Secrets Of My Hollywood Life: Family Affairs,  Jen Calonita     2/6/14
53. Secrets Of My Hollywood Life: Paparazzi Princess, Jen Calonita     3/6/14
54. Secrets Of My Hollywood Life: Broadway Lights,  Jen Calonita     5/6/14
55. That Summer,  Sarah Dessen     8/6/14
56. I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You,  Ally Carter     10/6/14
57. Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy,  Ally Carter     12/6/14
58. Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover,  Ally Carter     13/6/14
59. Out of Sight, Out of Time,  Ally Carter     15/6/14
60. The Fault In Our Stars,  John Green     17/6/14
61. Princess Diaries: Princess In Waiting,  Meg Cabot     18/6/14
62. The Goose Girl,  Shannon Hale     20/6/14
63. River Secrets,  Shannon Hale     23/6/14
64. Girl, 15, Charming but Insane,  Sue Limb     25/6/14
65. Girl, Going On 17, Pants On Fire,  Sue Limb     26/6/14
66. Dealing With Dragons,  Patricia C. Wrede     28/6/14
67. Searching For Dragons,  Patricia C. Wrede     30/6/14
68. The Prairie Thief,  Melissa Wiley     2/7/14
69. Just For Fins,  Tera Lynn Childs     5/7/14
70. Fins Are Forever,  Tera Lynn Childs     6/7/14
71. How To Be Popular, Meg Cabot     8/7/14
75. The Fourth Stall: Part II,  Chris Rylander     9/7/14
76. The Fourth Stall: Part III,  Chris Rylander     12/7/14
77. How To Rock Braces and Glasses,  Meg Haston     13/7/14
78. How To Rock Break-Ups and Make-Ups,  Meg Haston     15/7/14
79. Pretty Tough: Playing With The Boys,  Liz Tigelaar     17/7/14
80. Being Nicky,  Meg Cabot     20/7/14
81. The Clique,  Lisa Harrison     22/7/14
82. Weedflower,  Cynthia Kadohata     25/7/14
83. Girl, Barely 15 Flirting for England,  Sue Limb     26/7/14
84. The Education Of Bet,  Lauren Baratz-Logsted     28/7/14
85. The Allegra Biscotti Collection,  Olivia Bennet     30/7/14
86. Oh. My. Gods.,  Tera Lynn Childs     2/8/14
87. The Rogue's Princess,  Eve Edwards     5/8/14
88. A Clique Novel: Best Friends For Never,  Lisa Harrison     7/8/14
89. Forgive My Fins,  Tera Lynn Childs     9/8/14
90. Tiger Eyes,  Judy Blume     10/8/14     
91. Princess of the Midnight Ball,  Jessica Day George     15/8/14
92. The A-List,  Zoey Dean     18/8/14
93. The A-List: Tall Cool One,  Zoey Dean     21/8/14
94. Tell Me,  Joan Bauer     25/8/14
95. Too Good to Be True,  Laurie Friedman     30/8/14
96. At Somerton: Cinders and Sapphires,  Leila Rasheed     10/9/14
97. At Somerton: Diamonds and Deceit,  Leila Rasheed     16/9/14
98. A Mad, Wicked Folly,  Sharon Biggs Waller     20/9/14
99. Keeping the Moon, Sarah Dessen     24/9/14
100. Noughts and Crosses,  Malorie Blackman     30/9/14
101. Forgiven,  Janet Fox     2/10/14
102. Duchessina,  Carolyn Meyer     6/10/14
103. Close to Famous,  Joan Bauer     10/14/10
104. Gossip Girl,  Cecily Von Ziegesar     14/10/14
105. Gossip Girl: Nobody Does It Better,  Cecily Von Ziegesar     20/10/14
106. Beware, Princess Elizabeth,  Carolyn Meyer     23/10/14
107. Princess For Hire,  Lindsey Leavitt     27/10/14
108. The Angel Factory,  Florence Blacker     30/10/14
109. The Sabatini Drop,  Thomas Blair     1/11/14
110. Hidden Among Us,  Katy Moran     3/11/14
111. The Hidden Princess, Katy Moran     4/11/14
112. How to Ruin a Summer Vacation,  Simone Elkeles     8/11/14
113. How to Ruin My Teenage Life,  Simone Elkeles     12/11/14
114. Into the Wild,  Sarah Beth Durst     15/11/14
115. Racing Savannah,  Miranda Kenneally     20/11/14
116. The Girls,  Amy Goldman Koss     24/11/14
117. Once Upon A Marigold,  Jean Ferris     30/11/14
118. The Selection,  Kiera Cass     5/12/14

Looking at the Stars, by Jo Cotterill

Looking at the Stars, by Jo Cotterill, is about Amina Ambrose, a girl with a wonderful gift for storytelling.

When Amina’s father is killed by soldiers working for the country’s dictator, Amina, her mother and her two sisters flee their home. At a checkpoint, Amina and her older sister, Jenna, are separated from their mother and their younger sister Vivie. As they are very worried about their safety and that of their mother and Vivie, Amina and Jenna decide to walk to a refugee camp, hoping to be reunited with them there. 

In the refugee camp, the two girls have the good fortune to meet Cosima and her two sons, Aron and Lemo. When the sisters agree to stay with Cosima’s family in their crude, makeshift tent, Amina and Jenna have to adapt to living in the harsh refugee camp very quickly.  While in the camp, they have to struggle for survival every day. Filled with despair, Amina starts to let her imagination run and she begins to tell stories about the stars. Her stories transport many people’s minds to a wonderful starry world, taking them, just for a while, away from the cruel reality of their lives.  Amina’s stories help the people in the refugee camp. The stories make them hopeful that there will be an end to the war and that they will be happier one day. Will Amina and Jenna ever see their mother and Vivie again?

Looking at the Stars is a book that I will always remember, it pulled at my heartstrings. All the characters are so well written, they seem alive, and the stories that Amina weaved left me star struck.

I’m unsure as to whether there should be a sequel to Looking at the Stars; it’s perfect as it is. However, to learn if the sisters are able to build a new life for themselves would be one book that I’d definitely read.  

Cat O’ Nine Tails by Julia Golding

Cat O’ Nine Tails is the fourth book in the fabulous “Cat Royal” adventure series by Julia Golding.  The main character is Catherine (Cat) Royal, a courageous 14 year old girl who lives in Georgian London.

When Cat hears that one of her oldest friends, Syd Fletcher, has gone missing, she and two of her other friends, Frank and Pedro, decide to search for him. They set off for Bristol, the last known location for Syd. To their horror, when the three friends arrived at their destination, they were kidnapped and taken aboard the HMS Courage- which was heading for post-colonial America!

You should definitely read this brilliant book to find out about all the exciting adventures Cat and her friends have as they try to escape their kidnappers and find Syd.  Will they ever make it back to England?

I thoroughly recommend Cat O’ Nine Tails and I really like this series of books by Julia Golding. These books are action-packed, witty and guaranteed to make you laugh.  Cat Royal is a heroine to look up to.

Cat O'Nine Tails

For a preview of all the books in the series, go to the website below.

Julia Golding

Ask Amy Green by Sarah Webb

          Ask Amy Green is an amazing series of books by Sarah Webb. If you want to read a book that makes you giggle, smile, feel for the characters and always leaves you wanting to know what happens next, then Ask Amy Green is the series for you.

          The series is centred around Amy Green, a caring 13 year old girl, who lives on the outskirts of Dublin in Ireland. Amy loves to help others and to write, and is able to do both by co-writing the ‘Agony Aunt’ pages on The Goss magazine with Clover, her crazy 17 year old aunt.

          Ask Amy Green is a great series for any 11-17 year old girl. It is warm, funny and Amy is a very engaging lead character. Amy and Clover portray the average teenager’s life and all its problems with friends, boys and crazy families. It shows you that as long as you have a kind heart, caring friends and family-however crazy they may be- you can always help someone else with their problems.     10/10.

My favourite book in the series is:

Bridesmaid Blitz

For a preview of all the books in the series, go to the website below.

Ask Amy Green website

 

Books Read In January-March 2014

1. Why the Whales Came,  Michael Morpurgo    2/1/14
2. The Queen's Lady,  Eve Edwards    11/1/14
3. The Quietness,  Alison Rattle    13/1/14
4. Love at Second Sight,  Cathy Hopkins     16/1/14
5. Indigo's Star,  Hilary McKay    19/1/14
6. Caddy Ever After,  Hilary McKay    21/1/14
7. Troubadour,   Mary Hoffman      22/1/14
8. Magic Flutes,  Eva Ibbotson    25/1/14
9. Fairest,  Gail Carson Levine    27/1/14
10. Looking at the Stars, by Jo Cotterill.    4/2/14
11. The Eye of the Horse,  Jamila Gavin.    21/2/14