The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest

From Monica Salo
author: Larsson, Stieg
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest   
The final book of Larsson’s trilogy is fast-paced and thrilling.  The book continues where the Girl Who Played with Fire left off.  We find Lisbeth in a hospital, shot in the head and accused of multiple murders.  Our favorite hacker is without devices to help prove her innocence.  Mikael Blomkvist sets out to aid her and help clear the charges against Lisbeth.  Many of the characters, who were an ally of Lisabeth’s during the first two books, play a part in helping unravel the mystery.  The mystery involves many components including a secret agency, top ranking officials in the government, and Lisbeth’s father who was a Soviet defector.  The ending is bitter-sweet, knowing that we will never see Larsson’s memorable characters again.

Clone Codes

From Monica Salo
author: McKissack, Patricia C.
Clone Codes
It is the year 2170 and Leanna is enrolled in the All-Virtual-School.  She is studying slavery by virtually being part of the escape to the north with Harriet Tubman.  Her life soon parallels the historical events that she is studying in school.  Her mother, a respected psychologist, is arrested for being part of the Liberty Bell Movement. It is a movement that is supporting the rights of clones who serve as slave labor.  Leanna, who always thought she was a “First”, an original biological being, finds out after her mother’s arrest that she is a clone. Asking for her mother’s friend for help, she soon learns of her importance to the movement that takes her on a fast paced adventure.  Its ties to civil rights and identity will be an added plus.

One Crazy Summer

From Monica Salo
author: Williams-Garcia, Rita                                         
One Crazy Summer
It is the summer of 1968; eleven year old Delphine and her two younger sisters are being sent across the country to Oakland, California to visit their mother.  Their mother deserted them after her younger sister was born and though she has had no contact with them over time, the girls’ father felt they should get to know her.  Upon arriving, they realize that their mother still has no interest in them and would not be taking them to the typical tourist sites.  She kicks them out each morning, sending them to a community center run by the Black Panthers, so that she can write her poetry in peace.  It is a time when Black Panther founder Huey Newton had been jailed and member Bobby Hutton was gunned down.  This heartwarming, poignant and at times funny story is told by Delphine who comes to understand her mother and as readers we come to understand the events occurring at that time and how it affects the three sisters.

Hunger Games

From Monica Salo
author: Collins,Suzanne
Hunger Games
In this engrossing, futuristic story set in North America, a 16 year old girl named Katniss takes the place of her younger sister to represent the District 12 in the Hunger Games.  The capitol of the districts keeps order by demanding two young representatives from each all 12 districts, to compete in their game.  Competing meaning that only one person is able to win and that is the surviving participant from all the twelve districts.  They are forced to eliminate their competitors in a controlled area with unnatural and harsh conditions, while the people of all the districts watch this competition on television.   This is a fast moving adventure story with riveting suspense and great character development that will have you looking forward for the sequel.

The mostly true adventures of Homer P. Figg

From Monica Salo

The mostly true adventures of Homer P. Figg

author: Rodman Philbrick.
Homer’s older brother is forced to join the Union Army under false conditions by their wicked uncle.  Homer, age 12, sets out to find his brother and hopefully relieve him of his duties.  He tries to trace the path of the regiment, encountering many misadventures along the way including being abducted, being robbed and put in a cage with pigs, and traveling with a questionable man and his medicine show.  Homer eventually ends up at Gettysburg on the eve of one of the most important battles.  Homer is courageous, but he has a quick tongue that is always on the path of a lie, making this a fun read while encountering many of the serious sides of the Civil War.