Author: Paulo Coelho
Publishing Info: 1995, HarperSanFransico
Suggested Reading Level: Grades 9-12
Synopsis:
A young shepherd in Spain is sleeping in the ancient ruins of a church and has a dream that he goes to the pyramids in Egypt and finds treasure. A gypsy interprets the dream and tells him it means exactly what it seems - he will find treasure if he goes to the pyramids in Egypt. The shepherd has always wanted to travel, but, he is also nervous of giving up his living to follow a dream. He then meets an old man who tells him he is the king of Salem. The king knows about the shepherd's dream and tells him he must go look for the treasure because that is his mission in this life, his Personal Legend, and that God will help him to achieve it.
The shepherd sells his sheep and takes a boat to Africa. His money is stolen within hours of his arrival, and the shepherd loses hope in his Personal Legend. He finds a job with a merchant to earn enough money to get back to Spain and buy some sheep. His observations, business sense, and motivation help the merchant's store go from a failure to a huge success. The shepherd earns more money than he needs more quickly than he thought he would. The boy decides if he succeeded as a merchant in a foreign city, he can also succeed in finding his treasure.
He joins a caravan crossing the desert and meets an Englishman who searching for an alchemist who lives at an oasis in the desert to apprentice him. Through associations with the Englishman and the caravan driver, the shepherd boy learns about communicating with the Soul of the World by observing and listening to nature. He learns about watching for omens that show the way to fulfill Personal Legends. The caravan must stop for a time at the Oasis because of tribal wars in the desert. The shepherd meets Fatima and it is love at first sight. He tells her of his Personal Legend and she encourages him to seek it, and that she will wait for him. The shepherd struggles over leaving Fatima or leaving his Personal Legend. As he ponders his predicament he reads an omen that tells of a tribe coming to attack the Oasis. He warns the leaders and the attack is thwarted. The leaders offer him a position as the Counselor for the Oasis, a job that would allow him to stay with Fatima and have a good living.
Then the shepherd boy meets the Alchemist who warns that if he does not follow his Personal Legend through he will regret it.
Showing posts with label fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fantasy. Show all posts
City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments: Book 1)
10.28.2009
Author: Cassandra Clare
Publishing Info: Simon Pulse, 2007
Suggested Reading Level: 13+ years
Synopsis:
Clary is a normal teenage girl until she sees Jace and his two friends, Isabelle and Alec, stake a demon at dance club she is at with her best friend Simon. The problem being that she was the only one who could see them. The very next day something attacks Clary's mom, Jocelyn, while they are on the phone. Jace shows up just as she gets off the phone and follows her to her house where she is attacked by (and manages to kill without Jace's help) a Ravener Demon. Jace takes her back to the "Institute" to be treated for her wounds, where she finds out that Jace and his friends are demon killers called Shadowhunters, and that she has to be the child of a Shadowhunter because she has "the sight" (the ability to see those of other worlds and Shadowhunters wearing runes that hide them from normal humans for a time). Shadowhunters kill demons because they are evil and completely non-human, but they also are the mediators for all of the part-human groups living on earth (including, vampires, werewolves, fairies, elves, and other fae). They were given special powers and the ability to use tatoo-like runes to enhance themselves and their weaponry by an angel who mixed his blood with theirs and gave it to the first Shadowhunters to drink in the Mortal Cup. The Mortal Cup is now lost and the Shadowhunter race dying out. It was lost during a Shadowhunter civil war caused an idealistic maniac named Valentine who wanted to rid the world of anyone not completely human.
While trying to find out what happened to Clary's mother, and why Clary doesn't remember having any connection with the Shadowhunter world, Clary, Jace, Simon, Isabelle, and Alec go on a series of adventures which nearly kill all of them at one point or another.
Publishing Info: Simon Pulse, 2007
Suggested Reading Level: 13+ years
Synopsis:
Clary is a normal teenage girl until she sees Jace and his two friends, Isabelle and Alec, stake a demon at dance club she is at with her best friend Simon. The problem being that she was the only one who could see them. The very next day something attacks Clary's mom, Jocelyn, while they are on the phone. Jace shows up just as she gets off the phone and follows her to her house where she is attacked by (and manages to kill without Jace's help) a Ravener Demon. Jace takes her back to the "Institute" to be treated for her wounds, where she finds out that Jace and his friends are demon killers called Shadowhunters, and that she has to be the child of a Shadowhunter because she has "the sight" (the ability to see those of other worlds and Shadowhunters wearing runes that hide them from normal humans for a time). Shadowhunters kill demons because they are evil and completely non-human, but they also are the mediators for all of the part-human groups living on earth (including, vampires, werewolves, fairies, elves, and other fae). They were given special powers and the ability to use tatoo-like runes to enhance themselves and their weaponry by an angel who mixed his blood with theirs and gave it to the first Shadowhunters to drink in the Mortal Cup. The Mortal Cup is now lost and the Shadowhunter race dying out. It was lost during a Shadowhunter civil war caused an idealistic maniac named Valentine who wanted to rid the world of anyone not completely human.
While trying to find out what happened to Clary's mother, and why Clary doesn't remember having any connection with the Shadowhunter world, Clary, Jace, Simon, Isabelle, and Alec go on a series of adventures which nearly kill all of them at one point or another.
The Golden Compass
Author: Philip Pullman
Publishing Info: Yearling, 2001
Suggested Reading Level: 13+ years
Synopsis:
Lyra Belacqua, a precocious 11-year old orphan, and her daemon (an outward manifestation of her soul in animal form), spy on her uncle, Lord Asriel, and other scholars at Jordan College. They hear about happenings in the North which include a city from another world being seen through the Northern Lights and pictures revealing Dust, a golden substance falling from the sky and collecting on adults through their daemons. Though Lyra doesn't fully understand all that the scholars discuss she gathers that the topics of discussion are sensitive, secret, and thought dangerous by the Magisterium, the ruling theocracy of Lyra's world. From this meeting Lord Asriel receives funding to conduct research in the North on Dust and the world seen in the lights.
Then children in Oxford begin disappearing and it is rumored that the Gobblers are kidnapping and taking them North. When Lyra's best friend, Roger, disappears Lyra vows she will find him. But another visitor to Jordan College, the clever and beautiful Mrs. Coulter, distracts Lyra from taking immediate action. Mrs. Coulter entrances Lyra and convinces her to be her assistant for some research in the North. The Master of Jordan College is worried about Lyra's going and has a secret meeting with her before their departure. He gives her a round, golden object called an alethiometer. He tells her it is a truth reader, he doesn't know how to use it, and she should keep it secret from Mrs. Coulter at all costs. After many months in London Lyra begins to distrust Mrs. Coulter and worries they will never go North. She soon learns that Mrs. Coulter is part of the Gobblers who are working under the direction of the Magisterium. She also learns that the Magisterium has paid the armored bears of the North to keep Lord Asriel prisoner so he can't conduct his research.
Lyra runs away and meets up with Gyptians who are heading North to rescue the children taken from them. They take Lyra under their wing and give her insight into how to use the alethiometer. With practice she finds that she can ask questions to the instrument and understand its answers without the help of the many books that men in the past have needed in order to read it. Lyra also finds out from the Gyptians that Lord Asriel is actually her father and Mrs. Coulter is her mother. The Gyptians enlist the help of Lee Scoresby, an American with a hot air balloon. They also enlist Iorek Byrnison, a powerful armored bear who is the rightful king of the armored bears but was cast out by a usurper of his throne. They also recruit witches who when they see Lyra reading the alethiometer believe she is the child of a prophecy which says she will make a fateful betrayal and is “destined to bring about the end of destiny.”
Publishing Info: Yearling, 2001
Suggested Reading Level: 13+ years
Synopsis:
Lyra Belacqua, a precocious 11-year old orphan, and her daemon (an outward manifestation of her soul in animal form), spy on her uncle, Lord Asriel, and other scholars at Jordan College. They hear about happenings in the North which include a city from another world being seen through the Northern Lights and pictures revealing Dust, a golden substance falling from the sky and collecting on adults through their daemons. Though Lyra doesn't fully understand all that the scholars discuss she gathers that the topics of discussion are sensitive, secret, and thought dangerous by the Magisterium, the ruling theocracy of Lyra's world. From this meeting Lord Asriel receives funding to conduct research in the North on Dust and the world seen in the lights.
Then children in Oxford begin disappearing and it is rumored that the Gobblers are kidnapping and taking them North. When Lyra's best friend, Roger, disappears Lyra vows she will find him. But another visitor to Jordan College, the clever and beautiful Mrs. Coulter, distracts Lyra from taking immediate action. Mrs. Coulter entrances Lyra and convinces her to be her assistant for some research in the North. The Master of Jordan College is worried about Lyra's going and has a secret meeting with her before their departure. He gives her a round, golden object called an alethiometer. He tells her it is a truth reader, he doesn't know how to use it, and she should keep it secret from Mrs. Coulter at all costs. After many months in London Lyra begins to distrust Mrs. Coulter and worries they will never go North. She soon learns that Mrs. Coulter is part of the Gobblers who are working under the direction of the Magisterium. She also learns that the Magisterium has paid the armored bears of the North to keep Lord Asriel prisoner so he can't conduct his research.
Lyra runs away and meets up with Gyptians who are heading North to rescue the children taken from them. They take Lyra under their wing and give her insight into how to use the alethiometer. With practice she finds that she can ask questions to the instrument and understand its answers without the help of the many books that men in the past have needed in order to read it. Lyra also finds out from the Gyptians that Lord Asriel is actually her father and Mrs. Coulter is her mother. The Gyptians enlist the help of Lee Scoresby, an American with a hot air balloon. They also enlist Iorek Byrnison, a powerful armored bear who is the rightful king of the armored bears but was cast out by a usurper of his throne. They also recruit witches who when they see Lyra reading the alethiometer believe she is the child of a prophecy which says she will make a fateful betrayal and is “destined to bring about the end of destiny.”
Vampire Diaries: Awakening (Book 1)
10.14.2009
Author: L.J. Smith
Publishing Info: Published by Harper
Suggested Reading Level: grades 9-12
Synopsis:
Elena is a teenage girl who is beginning her senior year of high school. Until this year, she has been the undisputed queen of the school, but over the summer, her parents were killed in a car crash and she and her toddler-age sister are learning to live with this huge change, which includes living with their eccentric aunt. One of her childhood friends, Caroline, decides to take this time to try to climb the social ladder and overtake Elena as queen of the school. On the first day of school, everyone, including Elena is taken by a handsome, brooding new student. This new student, Stefan, ignores Elena and she takes it as a personal challenge to make him like her.
We as readers already know that Stefan is a vampire, but no one in the story knows this until nearly the end of the book. Because Stefan is ashamed of what he is, he only feeds on animal blood, so he is not a vicious killer as vampires are supposed to be. His shame has caused him to hide out in the dark places of Europe until now, but he has decided to come to (Elena's home town,) Falls Church, to see if he can live in the human world and find some happiness.
Stefan ignores Elena because she is the spitting image of the woman he loved named Katherine, who turned him into a vampire and then died. Stefan's brother, Damon, also loved Katherine and blames Stefan for Katherine's death, even though it was not his fault. Damon comes to Falls Church to see if he can win Elena over and ruin Stefan's life in the process.
Damon, however, did not take the same course as his brother, and glories in feeding on humans because it makes him stronger than a vampire feeding only on animal blood (because of the strong life essence it carries). It also allows him to develop the "Dark Powers" that strong vampires can master (including things like mind control and shape shifting).
Publishing Info: Published by Harper
Suggested Reading Level: grades 9-12
Synopsis:
Elena is a teenage girl who is beginning her senior year of high school. Until this year, she has been the undisputed queen of the school, but over the summer, her parents were killed in a car crash and she and her toddler-age sister are learning to live with this huge change, which includes living with their eccentric aunt. One of her childhood friends, Caroline, decides to take this time to try to climb the social ladder and overtake Elena as queen of the school. On the first day of school, everyone, including Elena is taken by a handsome, brooding new student. This new student, Stefan, ignores Elena and she takes it as a personal challenge to make him like her.
We as readers already know that Stefan is a vampire, but no one in the story knows this until nearly the end of the book. Because Stefan is ashamed of what he is, he only feeds on animal blood, so he is not a vicious killer as vampires are supposed to be. His shame has caused him to hide out in the dark places of Europe until now, but he has decided to come to (Elena's home town,) Falls Church, to see if he can live in the human world and find some happiness.
Stefan ignores Elena because she is the spitting image of the woman he loved named Katherine, who turned him into a vampire and then died. Stefan's brother, Damon, also loved Katherine and blames Stefan for Katherine's death, even though it was not his fault. Damon comes to Falls Church to see if he can win Elena over and ruin Stefan's life in the process.
Damon, however, did not take the same course as his brother, and glories in feeding on humans because it makes him stronger than a vampire feeding only on animal blood (because of the strong life essence it carries). It also allows him to develop the "Dark Powers" that strong vampires can master (including things like mind control and shape shifting).
Heir Apparent
10.05.2009
Author: Vivian Vande Velde
Publishing Info: Published in 2004 by Magic Carpet Books
Suggested Reading Level: Grades 6 to 9
Synopsis:
At the beginning of the book, Giannine is headed to the Rasmussen virtual reality arcade to celebrate her 14th birthday with a gift certificate her distant father gave her. On her way in, she passes protesters from Citizens to Protect Our Children who feel the arcade is corrupting children. She chooses to play a game called Heir Apparent where the goal is to stay alive long enough to be crowned King. The game is total immersion and she wakes up in the virtual reality world as Janine, the illegitimate heir to the recently vacated throne. She makes it to the castle, but while speaking with the other royal heirs (who were not chosen to succeed the throne by their deceased father), a thunderstorm wreaks havoc on the inside of the castle. When she makes it out of the throne room, a man claiming to be the CEO of Rasmussen Enterprises appears and tells her that the protester from CPOC damaged the equipment and the only way to get out is to win the game. She must do it quickly, though, or she risks a “fatal overload” on her real body. Panicked, Giannine manages to get herself killed in several different ways and goes through 4 or 5 (virtual) days before she figures out that she needs to speak to Janine’s father and get a magic ring to help her win. Her next attempt is more successful, and she makes it through 2 of the 3 necessary days before getting poisoned by someone she thought was a friend. On her final (because it is successful) attempt, she is very courageous, confident, and quick to avoid the pitfalls she has learned about on her previous attempts. She befriends one of the other heirs, keeps the royal advisor from stealing all the money in the kingdom, keeps the barbarians from the north from invading, finds a way to travel 20 leagues and steal a golden crown from a dragon, and makes it back in one piece. The dragon comes after her, but she defeats him, too, winning the respect of the royal guards. By the middle of the third day, everyone is ready to crown her King, but suddenly her head starts hurting severely and she can’t see straight. The heir that she befriended helps her get the crown and she wins the game as he holds her in his arms. When she wakes up back in the Rasmussen gaming center, she is confused because the heir is still holding her. She finds out quickly that he is really the owner of Rasmussen Enterprises and that he put his image in the game as a fun twist. The story ends happily with a hint that the two of them might hook up, and her father comes to see her to her surprise.
Analysis:
Heir Apparent was a very fun, quick read. It’s almost like a choose your own ending book, without being so annoying. The lead character is a girl who makes mistakes, but uses her intelligence and courage to do what she needs to in order to save her life and win the game. I think it would be a good model for young women. I don’t think boys would enjoy the book quite as much, but there is mystery, adventure, dragons, swords, barbarians and magic involved, so the book is not completely devoid of things boys might be interested in. Giannine has a strained relationship with her father, which a lot of kids might relate to as well. I think it would be a good book to start discussions in a classroom about courage, making decisions and the effects of wrong decisions, how relationships can effect our lives and decisions, and possibly human rights and how to protect them without hurting others. It was not difficult reading, so it could also be recommended to students who are older, but may have a lower reading level. Good book!
Publishing Info: Published in 2004 by Magic Carpet Books
Suggested Reading Level: Grades 6 to 9
Synopsis:
At the beginning of the book, Giannine is headed to the Rasmussen virtual reality arcade to celebrate her 14th birthday with a gift certificate her distant father gave her. On her way in, she passes protesters from Citizens to Protect Our Children who feel the arcade is corrupting children. She chooses to play a game called Heir Apparent where the goal is to stay alive long enough to be crowned King. The game is total immersion and she wakes up in the virtual reality world as Janine, the illegitimate heir to the recently vacated throne. She makes it to the castle, but while speaking with the other royal heirs (who were not chosen to succeed the throne by their deceased father), a thunderstorm wreaks havoc on the inside of the castle. When she makes it out of the throne room, a man claiming to be the CEO of Rasmussen Enterprises appears and tells her that the protester from CPOC damaged the equipment and the only way to get out is to win the game. She must do it quickly, though, or she risks a “fatal overload” on her real body. Panicked, Giannine manages to get herself killed in several different ways and goes through 4 or 5 (virtual) days before she figures out that she needs to speak to Janine’s father and get a magic ring to help her win. Her next attempt is more successful, and she makes it through 2 of the 3 necessary days before getting poisoned by someone she thought was a friend. On her final (because it is successful) attempt, she is very courageous, confident, and quick to avoid the pitfalls she has learned about on her previous attempts. She befriends one of the other heirs, keeps the royal advisor from stealing all the money in the kingdom, keeps the barbarians from the north from invading, finds a way to travel 20 leagues and steal a golden crown from a dragon, and makes it back in one piece. The dragon comes after her, but she defeats him, too, winning the respect of the royal guards. By the middle of the third day, everyone is ready to crown her King, but suddenly her head starts hurting severely and she can’t see straight. The heir that she befriended helps her get the crown and she wins the game as he holds her in his arms. When she wakes up back in the Rasmussen gaming center, she is confused because the heir is still holding her. She finds out quickly that he is really the owner of Rasmussen Enterprises and that he put his image in the game as a fun twist. The story ends happily with a hint that the two of them might hook up, and her father comes to see her to her surprise.
Analysis:
Heir Apparent was a very fun, quick read. It’s almost like a choose your own ending book, without being so annoying. The lead character is a girl who makes mistakes, but uses her intelligence and courage to do what she needs to in order to save her life and win the game. I think it would be a good model for young women. I don’t think boys would enjoy the book quite as much, but there is mystery, adventure, dragons, swords, barbarians and magic involved, so the book is not completely devoid of things boys might be interested in. Giannine has a strained relationship with her father, which a lot of kids might relate to as well. I think it would be a good book to start discussions in a classroom about courage, making decisions and the effects of wrong decisions, how relationships can effect our lives and decisions, and possibly human rights and how to protect them without hurting others. It was not difficult reading, so it could also be recommended to students who are older, but may have a lower reading level. Good book!
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