“Dare to be true. Nothing can need a lie. A fault, which needs it most, grows two thereby.” —George Herbert—

“Independence I have long considered as the grand blessing of life, the basis of every virtue.” —Mary Wollstonecraft—

“Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.” —Khalil Gibran—

“Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” —Confucius—

“You can do very little with faith, but nothing without it.” —Samuel Butler—

“Stay strong. Make them wonder how you’re still smiling.” —Unknown—

 “However long the night, the dawn will break.” —African Proverb—

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” —Theodore Roosevelt—

“Adventure is worthwhile.” —Amelia Earhart—

“Happiness must be cultivated. It is like character. It is not a thing to be safely left alone for a moment, or it will run to weeds.” —Elizabeth Stuart Phelps—

“Find ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough.” —Emily Dickinson—

“Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.” —Sir James M. Barrie—

    "Be crazy enough to know you can do anything in life." --Unknown-- 

    "Don't be afraid to take a bit step. You can't cross a chasm in two small jumps." --David Lloyd George--

The Indian in the Cupboard

Title: The Indian in the Cupboard

Author: Lynne Reid Banks

Ages: 8-18+

Rating: ★★★★★

    After locking a toy indian in his new cupboard, Omri discovers that the cupboard is magical - it brings plastic toys to life! Thrilled, he carefully takes care of the little man, named Little Bear. Soon, he realizes something he hadn't really thought of before. The indian is not just a toy brought to life, he is a real man magicked from the past. Little Bear doesn't make things any easier, wanting fire, longhouses, and horses. All the while, Omri must decide what to do - while his secret becomes harder and harder to keep. 

    "Family isn't defined only by last names or by blood; it's defined by commitment and love. It means showing up when they need it most. It means having each other's backs. It means choosing to love each other even on those days when you struggle to like each other. It means never giving up on each other!" --Dave Willis--

The Witch of Blackbird Pond

 

Title: The Witch of Blackbird Pond

Author: Elizabeth George Speare

Ages: 10-18+

Rating: ★★★★☆

    As an orphan, Kit lived with her grandfather until his death. Kit, sixteen, must take a boat to New England, where her Aunt and Uncle live. On the trip, Kit meets Nat, a handsome sailor's son. Upon  arriving in New England, Kit befriends a lonely old woman, Hannah Tupper. The only problem is that everyone belives her to be a witch. As Kit's frindship grows, she must decide between deserting her only friend, or keep her friendship and possibly lose everything? 

    "Imaginatino will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere." --Carl Sagan--

    "Imagination and Creativity can change the World." --Unknown--

    "The soul without imagination is what an observatory would be without a telescope." --Henry Ward Beecher--

    "Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere." --Albert Einstein--

Holes

 

Title: Holes

Author: Louis Sachar

Ages: 8-18+

Rating: ★★★★★

    Stanley Yelnats beleives that his family is cursed, because of his no-good-dirty-rotton-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather. When he finds a pair of shoes, he picks them up, not knowing that they are famous. He is arrested, and sent to Camp Green Lake. There he meets other boys, and each day, they are forced to dig holes, exactly five feet in circumfrence and five feet deep. But Stanley starts uncovering clues that lead him to beleive that the Warden is not trying to build character, she's forcing them to look for something! But what could possibly be buried five feet deep in a dried lake bed? To build the tention, Stanley's frind Zero runs away from the camp, leaving Stanley no choice but to go after him.

Pax

 

Title: Pax 

Author: Sara Pennypacker

Ages: 8-18+

Rating: ★★★★★

    This is a heartwarming story about a young boy's devotion to his pet fox. Peter rescued Pax when he was a kit, but when Peter's father enters the military, Pax is abandoned in a forest to fend for himself while Peter is sent to his grandfather's house. Missing his pet, Peter travels on his own to reunite with his fox. While Pax is waiting faithfully for the return of his boy, he meets other foxes and has adventures of his own.

    “There are no Strangers here; only friends you haven’t yet met.” —William Butler Yeats—

    “In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.” —Khalil Gibran—

    "Friends are the siblings God never gave us." --Mencius--

Wingless

 

Title: Wingless

Author: Catherine Witzaney

Ages: 10-16

Rating: ★★★★★

Back Cover Synopsis:

Since being orphaned at a young age, wingless sprite Asher Songfeather has been sure of one thing: Bat sprites aren't to be trusted. The fact that his own mother was one is something Asher does his best to forget.

But when his adoptive sister Carinen falls deathly ill, he'll risk anything to save her, even if it means striking a bargain with a mysterious Bat sprite newcomer. The deal sends Asher on a perilous quest into the heart of the Bat Colony itself, where nothing is as it first appears. Saving his sister will require more than just courage and wits. It will take trust, too. 

If you're looking for a gripping, enchanting fantasy novel, look no further. Witzaney expertly weaves the story together, out of suspence, battles, and magical powers. This is probably the most enthralling and captivating fantasy novel I have ever read. I can't wait for the sequel!