Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, by Lisa See [adult fiction]

by Wendy, 11th grader

In pre-Mao China, during the 1860’s, two girls from neighboring villages are brought together in a lifelong friendship by a local matchmaker. The story spans the entire lives of the two, one named Lily and the other Snow Flower, from their footbinding days to their old age, and is narrated by Lily. I can assure anyone who likes Chinese history that they will not be disappointed by this novel. But far from being a dry history textbook, Snow Flower is full of philosophical phrases and feeling — I felt myself emphathizing with all the characters and their situations. It resonated with me long after I was finished reading.

The Conch Bearer

The Conch Bearer, by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni [J Fiction]

by Trisha, 6th grader

This is an exciting novel full of action. I definitely recommend this book. When a poor 12 yeaer-old boy gives up his small meal, the man thanks him by giving him a mango. Later, the man comes to Anand, the boy, and asks him to bring a very powerful conch back to its right place in the Himalayas. For, if it gets in the wrong hands, the person could take over the world. Not only is this book exciting, but you also learn a little bit about some Indian foods and culture. I loved this book and I know anyone who reads it will love it, too!

The Cannibals

The Cannibals, by Iain Lawrence (NEW YA Fiction)
by Marina, 7th grader

The Cannibals is an excellent book. It starts out slow in the beginning, but picks up as you go on. This group of kids are convicts and are being shipped to Australia. The main character's father is the ship's captain and everyone has different plans. His father doesn't want to bring his son to jail, and the kids have no intention of going there anyway. The two main characters are framed and not really convicts, and they've read of a place where they think is safe, and where they think they're going to escape to. But the real convicts who have it in for them try to escape first and really screw up their plans.

The book twists and turns, confuses and confounds the reader. Just when you think you have it figured out, it lets something slip and you're in the dark again. I highly recommend it. Enjoy!

Tree Girl

Tree Girl, by Ben Mikaelsen (NEW YA Fiction)
by Monica, 11th grader

Everyone has learned about the Holocaust, about slavery, and maybe even about more obscure atrocities such as the Rwandan genocide from movies (Hotel Rwanda). But what of the 1980s Mayan genocide in Guatemala? It was no less terrifying, no less wrong, than all the other horrible events that fill our history books. Maybe we haven't heard of it before, but it happened, and the story deserves to be told just as much as any other. And we need to listen.

I think this is one of those books that everyone should read. To begin with, it's simply a good book filled with rich imagery. But what's more, it carries a message that is both intensely personal and yet sweepingly metaphorical. It carries you away on waves of thought and emotion. It's beautiful. Unforgettable.

Read it.