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Rhoda’s Rock Hunt
by Molly Beth Griffin 

Rhoda, along with her aunt and uncle, go on a backpacking trip. During the trip Rhoda begins collecting rocks, but as the days wear on her pack becomes heavier and she gets tired. On the final day when they reach the beach, Rhoda’s enthusiasm returns as she finds even more rocks on the beach. By the time she gets back to her pack with all the rocks, she realizes she cannot lift her backpack and will have to leave some rocks behind. So she keeps a special few rocks and leaves the rest in cairns. This book holds special meaning for me as I loved to collect rocks on hikes and camping/backpacking trips when I was younger and I still have boxes of rocks in my closet. Ages 4-8

My Pet Book
by Bob Staake

A boy wants a pet, but with less responsibility. His parents suggest a book and together they walk to the local bookstore to pick out the perfect book for him. The book is exactly what he wanted, but gets mistakenly donated to a charitable cause by the maid. The boy and the maid rush down to the thrift store in search of the book and find it in the pet section inside a dog house. Ages 3-7.

The Maze Runner
by James Dashner

I enjoyed this book almost as much as the Hunger Games! I have not seen the movie yet. Thomas arrives in a place called The Glade via a box which is much like an elevator; he remembers little of his previous life. There are numerous boys in The Glade who have lived there two years or less, and each month the Creators send another boy.  Shortly after Thomas’ arrival, a girl named Teresa arrives in a coma—the first girl ever and she bears a message that she is the last.  Until Teresa’s arrival, certain boys appointed as “runners” have been searching for a way to escape via the maze which surrounds The Glade.  Thomas is instinctively drawn to the maze and, due to impulsive courage, is trapped in the maze soon after his arrival. No one has ever survived a night in the maze.  This book is a suspense thriller from the get-go; I highly recommend it for fans of The Hunger Games, both teens and adults. Age 12 and up.

The Girl in the Wall
by Daphne Benedis-Grab

I read this book in one day—100 stars out of 10!  This Young Adult book is not for the faint of stomach due to violence and some gore.  Ariel’s birthday bash is going to be the party of the year with a famous pop star doing a private concert at her billion dollar dad’s mansion. Sera is not looking forward to the party because she and Ariel had a falling out and Ariel turned the whole school against Sera. When all the guests have arrived at the party and the concert is about to begin, the lights cut out and the party is taken over in a hostage situation. Ariel, fearing for her survival, hides in the old walls of the mansion which used to be part of the Underground Railroad. Many people die. In this page-turning and plot-twisting ending, Ariel and Sera find a way to forgive each other and forge an alliance. Ages 14-18

The Swap
by Megan Shull

Ellie has had tough summer—recently getting dumped by her best friend. Jack is under a lot of stress due to his drill sergeant dad’s parenting methods and the recent death of his mom. On the first day of school, they both end up in the nurse’s office and the nurse, on hearing both of their stories, decides to have them switch bodies. Due to puberty and their equally tough lives, both have a hard time adjusting to each other’s lives and bodies. In the heartwarming ending, Ellie and Jack realize how each other’s lives are good and bad which lead to dual epiphanies and they switch back. Ages 10-14