Ella Enchanted

I love this book. Love, love, love, love it. It is about 500 quintillion times better than the movie of the same name. If you've seen the movie but haven't read the book, don't hesitate. The movie is deceiving in its mediocrity, because the book is first rate. In fact, it may be my favorite YA novel of all time. It is so clever!!! Ella is cursed with obedience. If someone were to say, "Ella, tie your shoes," or "Ella, cut off your own head," she'd have to do it. It is hilarious, emotional, magical, and ultra fabulously romantic.

The Hunger Games

This is the BEST book that came out in 2008. Holy cow good!!! The sequel, Catching Fire was just released and I am going to burst if our library doesn't hurry up and finish cataloging their copies. I am second in line and they just acquired six copies. I fully intend to buy both books for myself for Christmas - if I can wait that long. Now all I need is money...

A Girl Named Zippy

Great if you like memoirs. Superb, even. I don't like memoirs. But it was pretty darn funny at times.

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow

This is a must read. I say that a lot, but this time...well...you just have to read it. It is so awesome!!!

Beauty

Another read for my Children's Lit class. Beauty if McKinely's most popular book, and incidentally, my personal favorite McKinley work. Everything about it is gorgeous and perfect. Love the heroine, love the story (retelling of Beauty and the Beast), love the setting, love the pure magic of it all.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

I'm am so glad that I'm taking Children's Lit this semester! I haven't read this book in ages and it was a big favorite when I was a child. After reading it, I desperately wanted to run away and live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art too. Good thing it was too far away for me to consider. I don't think my adventures would have gone nearly as well as Claudia and Jamie's. Love this book!

Graceling

This new YA book has a lot of buzz, and it's all well deserved! I especially loved the main character. Our heroine, Katsa (aside from being fabulous, funny, and relatable) is a deadly assassin. This book has intensity and depth and the best compliment I can give it is that I'm anxiously awaiting the sequel.

A Company of Swans

Coming of age plus ballet plus gorgeous south american setting all set this book up as a very original and very classic YA novel. I can't believe it's taken me this long to read it! Loved it.