Levicorpus!

Because I like to steal ideas, I stole one from my friend Nevillegirl (sorry for the misunderstanding!). Today I am going to talk about my favorite book, or rather, my favorite books. These aren't listed or numbered by my favorites; just in the order that I could think of them.

1. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, by JK Rowling.

   

 The war against Voldemort is not going well; even the Muggles have been affected. Dumbledore is absent from Hogwarts for long stretches of time, and the Order of the Phoenix has already suffered losses.

And yet . . . as with all wars, life goes on. Sixth-year students learn to Apparate. Teenagers flirt and fight and fall in love. Harry receives some extraordinary help in Potions from the mysterious Half-Blood Prince. And with Dumbledore's guidance, he seeks out the full, complex story of the boy who became Lord Voldemort -- and thus finds what may be his only vulnerability.

This was my favorite Harry Potter book, by a long shot, and my least favorite Harry Potter Movie, by a long shot. I think I hated the film so much because I sort of set high expectations for it, and I was woefully let down.

I like this book because of the potions. I love the Half-Blood prince, and his descriptions of what the potions books are doing wrong. 

Plus, you know, Levicorpus. 

2. The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart.

"Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?"

When this peculiar ad appears in the newspaper, dozens of children enroll to take a series of mysterious, mind-bending tests. (And you, dear reader, can test your wits right alongside them.) But in the end just four very special children will succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and resourceful children could complete. To accomplish it they will have to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules.

As our heroes face physical and mental trials beyond their wildest imaginations, they have no choice but to turn to each other for support. But with their newfound friendship at stake, will they be able to pass the most important test of all?

Welcome to the Mysterious Benedict Society.

This book is as fun to read as Eragon is detailed and descriptive. 


And that's all I'm going to say.

3. Watership Down, by Richard Adams.

 Set in England's Downs, a once idyllic rural landscape, this stirring tale of adventure, courage and survival follows a band of very special creatures on their flight from the intrusions of man and the certain destruction of their home. Led by a stouthearted pair of brothers, they journey forth from their native Sandleford Warren through the harrowing trials posed by predators and adversaries, to a mysterious promised land and a more perfect society.

I love this book more than you can imagine. I've read it countless times (my copy is falling to ruins, unfortunately), and I never get tired of it. 

4. Flour House, by Kimberley Karalius.

Lettice Morris has the ability to tell stories in flour, making her drawings come to life within the confines of a flour-dusted cutting board. She amuses the children who come to the family bakery, but she harbors a more magical secret at home: there is a boy living in her late mother's dollhouse.

It is a short story, and it can be found here. You'll have a lot of fun reading it, and it's only about 20K words long, so it won't take you too long. It is well written in some parts, though it's a tad rushed in others. Keep that in mind.

5. The Girl Who Could Fly, by Victoria Forester.

You just can’t keep a good girl down . . . unless you use the proper methods.

Piper McCloud can fly. Just like that. Easy as pie.

Sure, she hasn’t mastered reverse propulsion and her turns are kind of sloppy, but she’s real good at loop-the-loops.

Problem is, the good folk of Lowland County are afraid of Piper. And her ma’s at her wit’s end. So it seems only fitting that she leave her parents’ farm to attend a top-secret, maximum-security school for kids with exceptional abilities.

School is great at first with a bunch of new friends whose skills range from super-strength to super-genius. (Plus all the homemade apple pie she can eat!) But Piper is special, even among the special. And there are consequences.

Consequences too dire to talk about. Too crazy to consider. And too dangerous to ignore.

This is also a good book to read. It's quirky, and funny, and also supremely sad in some parts. Sort of like The Fault in Ours Stars.