`Crave` introduces Savannah and Tristan. Set in East Texas, best friends Savannah and Tristan were separated in fourth grade, neither knows why. Now in high school, both still hold secret mutual feelings of attraction. Savannah soon finds out she is half vampire and half witch and her family was kicked out of the Clann because of her very existence. Though forbidden to be with her, Tristan, the reluctant future leader of the Clann, is now even more drawn to Savannah. Can they overcome their families` rules about their relationship and the tense treaty made between the Clann and vampires, or will they be separated again, this time forever. This is a great read!

Reviewed by Jessica W., University City Regional

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Ethan and Lena survived the dangers of Lena`s claiming only to return home to chaos. Gatlin, S.C. is no longer the small, quiet town that it once was. Locusts, scorching heat, earthquakes, and weakened Supernaturals are just a few impossible events destroying the town and its residents. Even Lena`s family of powerful Casters is suffering. Could all this destruction on the mortal and Caster worlds be a consequence of Lena`s claiming? Or just the wrath of her angry relative, Abraham? Either way, Ethan must end the chaos and save the town and people he loves most. Unfortunately though, only he knows who and what must be sacrificed. This time, there might not be a happy ending for Ethan and Lena. Book three of the `Beautiful Creatures` series.

Reviewed by Kim W., University City Regional

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Have you ever felt like you were crazy? Not just a little on the wild side, but certifiably crazy as in you see things that don’t exist or talk to the walls? Lucinda has felt this way since she was a little girl and first realized that not everyone saw the shadows that she saw. Her kind of crazy has followed her through life and now she is at a reform school because of her somewhat boyfriend’s suspicious death. When she starts having déjà vu around one of the kids at her new school, things really get weird. The shadows seem to be getting much stronger lately. When another student dies in similar circumstances, Lucinda worries that she may really be crazy.

Reviewed by Linda K., North County Regional

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Frances used to be Shine. In Fireless everyone had a special name. Fireless was the made up country her unstable mother invented. She would sing and dance and play with her three small daughters in this imaginary world isolated from others. Then one day her mother smothered each one, all except for Frances who miraculously escaped. But that was a long time ago and Frances lives a normal life now with her adoptive family. She goes to school, has a best friend and a love interest named Nix. Then her mother is released from prison and everything comes flooding back. Will her mother find her? Will she finish what she started or has she really been rehabilitated? How can anyone be sure what she will do?

Reviewed by Courtney A., South County Regional

Reader's comments about this book

This book is great. you will not want to put it down once you read it. Request this book now!!!!
-Ebony, NC

I loved this book! I kept reading and reading it, and finished it quickly! It's a riveting novel and can't be fully described. Just read it!! Then you'll understand!!
-Vera, TN

Worth Reading!
-Cristina, CA

This book was great! However it was a little confusing at times and I had to go back, its totally worth it. It's definitely up there with the Twilight series,in my opinion!
-Kenzie, Atlanta, GA

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For a typical 15-year old city kid like Paul Shackleford, being sent to work on an isolated farm as punishment for a lie seems like a prison sentence instead of a summer vacation. Everyone Paul meets on the Vallenport farm (including the dog) seems to be haunted by the unexpected death of one of the farmhands. As he begins to experience the mystical events firsthand, Paul realizes the lasting impact of a person’s words and actions. A Hole in the World by Sid Hite is a compelling, character-driven novel that offers Southern charm, a hint of romance and a good dose of farm wisdom. It will leave you pondering the power of love, memory and integrity

Reviewed by Rene K., Mountain Island Branch

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You're invited to Dogwood Junior High School's Stardust Dance. There you'll find Tennessee Jones and Peggy Lee Dixon, who have grown up together, becoming more than just friends--and they're not the only students with a story to tell. While some harbor secret crushes and try to muster up the courage to ask someone special to dance, others deal with more serious matters such as abuse, death, and sexual identity. Author Kathi Appelt takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride, from pleasure to sorrow to anger, as she interweaves the tales of these characters who have come together for a night to remember.

Reviewed by Erin N., South County Regional

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The eyes of Teddy, a nine-year-old girl, were drawn to the body swinging from a tree limb. The horror increased when Teddy recognized one of the men in white robes as her father. The author depicts what life might have been like for a girl whose best friend is black and whose father is in the Ku Klux Klan. The tension is there even in normally innocuous sentences, such as when her father says to her, "I want us to have a long talk as soon as we can, but I have a meetin' tonight." You can read more about the many children who participated in the civil rights movement in books such as Witness to Freedom and Freedom's Children.

Reviewed by Mel B., North County Regional

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Sarny lives on the Waller plantation. One day a slave named Nightjohn comes to the plantation with Mr. Waller. In exchange for a lip of tobacco, Nightjohn begins teaching Sarny how to write letters. After a while, it is revealed that he was free at one time, but returned to the South to teach slaves to read and write. But slaves caught reading and writing are punished severely. So when Mr. Waller catches Sarny writing, he looks for someone to blame. The punishment he inflicts has a permanent result. This book is filled with meaningful dialogue and characters. Written from Sarny's point of view, it powerfully portrays injustice, wonderment of the written language, and a spirit of hope.

Reviewed by Jeanenne R., Steele Creek Branch

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Reader's comments about this book

It was a great book!
-Sam, New York

Gary Paulsen has written a wonderful story about the brutal history of slavery. I have enjoyed the novel very much.
-koula, Queensland

It was so action packed.
-Des, KY

I had to read this book in 5th grade an i didn't understand it as well, but now I read it in the 9th and I am well informed about what happen back then. This was a wonderful book.
-Shaishai, Mobile, Alabama

This book was really good, and I enjoyed it a lot.
-Lila, Milwaukee, WI

I had really enjoyed this book because it told of how this slave girl met a new slave night John and escaped seeing how she will live a better life as a free person not as a slave.
-Brandon, Brooklyn, NY

This book is a great read, with characters you will love and hate. I got a sense of what it was really like back then. I actually felt like I was a slave. Great job, Gary Paulsen.
-Danielle, London, Kentucky

A wonderful book.
-Narhonda, Texas

This is a wonderful story of courage and the power of knowledge. This book shows that no matter what you lose or gain in life, true knowledge can never be taken away.
-Evelynette, Detroit, MI

I had to read this book in 7th grade. I absolutely loved it. It’s an amazing story and very heart touching. One of my favorites!
-Amy, CA

I love this book!
-Breanna, Mooresville, IN

I read this book this year in 7th grade! It was amazing! I absolutely loved it! I felt like I was in that time period with Sarney!
-Meagan, Brandenburg, Kentucky

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The characters in this rural setting novel are the strong point. Dovey Coe, a twelve-year-old girl living in the Appalachians, has definite opinions and doesn't mind telling people about them. Dovey's parents and older sister Caroline are their own persons enough not to let Dovey run roughshod over them. Dovey also has an older brother, Amos, who, even though deaf, communicates quite well with Dovey. The plot leads to the death of Dovey's antagonist, Parnell Carraway, and how that death occurred. I enjoyed the down-home writing style and the all-too-short visit with the Coe family.

Reviewed by Mel B., North County Regional

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This book - energetic and spicy - comes from the witty mind of Dovey Coe - a young 12-year-old with passion and guts. When she is accused of killing the no-good Parnell Caraway; it's up to Dovey to defend herself in court and save the day. The author's memorable cast of characters include Caroline Coe - Dovey's beautiful older sister - and Amos Coe - her slightly older brother who is deaf, plus many more - including best friend Wilson Brown and heart's enemy - Parnell Caraway. A must-read for all those who love a fresh adventure and unique characters!
-Abby, Charlotte, NC

Dovey Coe is a great story of a girl whose older sister, Caroline, is the prettiest girl in town. Everything is going great for Dovey until Parnell Caraway decides to marry Caroline. Parnell is the handsome son of the wealthiest man in town and, everyone thinks Caroline would be lucky to marry him, except Dovey because she has seen how cruel and mean Parnell really is. Dovey is not shy about telling everyone just exactly what she thinks about Parnell. After Caroline embarasses Parnell by declining his proposal of marriage, Parnell decides to get even with the Coe family. He draws Dovey into a trap and when Parnell is discovered dead Dovey is charged with his murder. It seems Dovey will be sent to jail for delinquent children. Her attorney is new and incompetent and everything is going wrong until they discover that the weapon used to kill Parnell is too heavy for Dovey to lift. In the end the actual killer is revealed.
-Kristin, Chicago, Illinois

This book was absolutely brilliant. It brought tears to my eyes and hatred to my face. Anyone should read it.
-Peter, Teddington, Middlesex

Dovey Coe was a very suspenseful story that I couldn't get enough of. At first, Dovey never liked the greedy and rich Parnell Caraway. When he started flirting with Dovey's sister, you would think that the story would stop like that but there is a lot more to it. It all ends up with Dovey being accused of killing Parnell Caraway but Dovey is smart enough to separate the fact from the fiction.
-Vivian, Poquoson, VA

Dovey Coe is a headstrong girl who doesn't let people get away with everything. I think Dovey is a great, realistic and admirable character that any girl could look up to.
-Jordana, Bergen County, NJ

I loved this book! I could not put it down until I was finished! I think that this book can relate to more people's lives than you would think! I knew when I first started reading it that the story was just a once in a lifetime thing. Then I started thinking about it, and I can relate to it even more. I think that Frances O’Roark Dowell is a great author, and just makes the book so interesting. I was waiting on someone to get killed, but I did not expect Amos to do it! I thought of all people that Caroline or the father would have been the one to kill Parnell, not Amos. I knew that even though Dovey is a strong girl, I never thought that she would kill even a fly! Again, I loved this book! And, I am hoping to see a sequal coming soon!!!
-Bridgette, Burlington, North Carolina

I loved this book. I just couldn't put it down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-MacKenzie, Greensboro, NC

I loved this book. I even did a book report on this. I could not put this book down until I was done.....I love it!
-Jess S., KS

Dovey Coe is the most addicting book I've ever read! When I finished reading, I read it over and over again!
-Rachel, New York

I read this book 7 times because it was so exciting. It made me feel that I was in North Carolina living with all of the Coes. Please, please, please read this book. I did and I am only 11 years old!
-Dakota, CA

We are reading this book in school and we are just at the part were his mom walked in on them after dovey woke up and I really want to finish it! I cant wait till tomorrow to find out what happens!
-Mali Rankin, Houston, Texas

This book is great! My favorite charecter was Amos!
-Colleen, Silver Spring, Maryland

This is an amazing book.....I thought that I would start to cry. It was phenomenal! I made all of my friends read it too! I can`t stop talking about it!
-Jessica, Harrisburg, North Carolina

Everyone should read this book because it was the best book I have ever read! It brought tears and joy to me. I was so suprised when we got to the middle of the book. Dovey is a really neat charcter. She is funny, sweet, and sporty! When you get a chance to read this book you should!
-Emma, Johnson City, Tennessee

I loved this book it is one of my favorites.
-Kaitlyn, Wilkesboro, NC

I love Dovey Coe. My teacher read it, and she recommended to me so that is how I found out about Dovey Coe. It is awesome; I can’t believe this book was that good. That is my favorite book EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Samantha, DC

I love this book. I never wanted to put it down when I finished a chapter.
-Allie, Thimasville, GA

Dovey Coe was the beat book I have ever read in my entire life! No joke!
-Olivia, Marion, North Carolina

I love this book. I wish other people could see what I was talking about- how it was a good book.
-Jazmine, WA

Dovey Coe is a great story of a girl whose older sister, Caroline, is the prettiest girl in town. Everything is going great for Dovey until Parnell Caraway decides to marry Caroline. Parnell is the handsome son of the wealthiest man in town and, everyone thinks Caroline would be lucky to marry him, except Dovey because she has seen how cruel and mean Parnell really is. Dovey is not shy about telling everyone just exactly what she thinks about Parnell. After Caroline embarasses Parnell by declining his proposal of marriage, Parnell decides to get even with the Coe family. He draws Dovey into a trap and when Parnell is discovered dead Dovey is charged with his murder. It seems Dovey will be sent to jail for delinquent children. Her attorney is new and incompetent and everything is going wrong until they discover that the weapon used to kill Parnell is too heavy for Dovey to lift. In the end the actual killer is revealed.
-jessica, new york

This book is great! Every time I read it, I can not wait to find out what happens next.
-Jonathan, Raleigh, NC

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Honey, a twelve-year-old girl, lives in the town of Heaven, Florida, population six. When an egotistical movie star named Miriam Season builds a house outside of town, all of Honey's attention is focused there. As Honey gets to know Miriam's daughter Christmas, Honey learns more about friendship than she had ever known before.

Reviewed by Mel B., North County Regional

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