The White Giraffe By: Luran St. John (5)

The White Giraffe is a book about a girl named Martine who just turned eleven when the book starts. Martine lives in London with her parents and that night everything will change.

The night of her Birthday she has a weird dream where she is climbing up a mountain and it's really hot. Later that night the hotness wakes her up and she finds that's hot in her room. She realizes that there is a fire at her house. Martine has to think fast because the fire could devourer her room in a second! So, she decides that if she ties her bed sheets together it will be like a rope and she could get out. So with having tested it before she does it, and gets out safely. Her parents were not so lucky though-they were killed in the fire.

Martine only has one living grandmother-Gwyn Tomas. Martine never knew about Gwyn Tomas, but Gwyn Tomas knew about her. Her mother had actually been receiving letters from her to. The twist is that Gwyn Tomas lives on an animal reserve near Cape town Africa, and Martine doesn't want to leave at all.

But later she gets there and her Grandmother doesn't seem to like and frankly neither does Martine, she misses her parents and just wants to go home.
One night Martine sees a White giraffe outside when there is a thunder Storm outside. Later in the story Martine goes outside to find the Giraffe and it saves her life from a yellow cobra. Martine and the White Giraffe become best friends.

Maratine doesn't fit in at her school. Everybody makes fun of her love for animals. Martine saves a wild goose and is made fun of again just like she is for everything she does.

Martine saves the life of the White giraffe after he was captured by poachers who trespassed in the animal reserve. Martine goes to the ship yard where the ship with the white giraffe on it is. She saves him ans rides om is back home.

This is overall a great book, and is perfect for animal lovers.

Coraline by: Neil Gaiman (4)

Coraline is a book about a girl who just moved to a house that is spilt between three 'families'. One is Mr. Bobinskee-he has a circus of mice, and Ms. Forcible and Ms. Spink who used to be acrobats. Coraline feels like her parents never listen to her! Coraline finds a doll that strangely looks just like her. She finds a little doors but when she opens it up there is nothing there but brick wall.

That night Coraline goes back to the little door and there is a passage there. She goes there and finds her same house and everything. Her parents were there too. But something was different about them-they had buttons for eyes. There in that weird little world her parents listen to her.

Later she has to rescue her parents because they were caught bye her other mother so that Coraline would go back to save them. The other mother wants Coraline to stay with her for ever and sew buttons in her eyes. So, they play a game-Coraline has to find the souls of the other kids who have been trapped in that other world and her parents. She finds her parents and the souls.

But the weird thing is that when she gets back home her parents don't remember ANYTHING-being trapped, Coraline saving her-all that. But now for some strange reason her parents listen to her!

The Diamond of Darkhold by: Jeanne DuPrau (4)

The Diamond of Darkhold is another one of Lina and Doon's adventures. This time they are trying to find a diamond. A roamer stops at Sparks and trade Lina and Doon a book for a match. With that book the two figure out clues and are led back to their old city-The City of Ember. There Doon gets captured and Lina tries to help Doon bye going back to Sparks.

On the way Lina sees the same roamer that came to Sparks to trade them that book. Lina camps with the roamer too because it is about to rain. The roamer doesn't know how to write, she wants to write a note to her family-the Troggs witch live where Ember used to be-that is where Doon is trapped! So, Lina really writes a note that basically says get Doon out -L (L for Lina).

Later, Doon is given the note by the person that captured him-Trogg. He sees that Lina is going for help.

After a while Doon gets out, with the help of the other prisoner. Lina and Doon sooner meet up and make their way back to Sparks. After they are there for a while Troggs comes to their city-and is furious at Doon for escaping! After some talk the Trogg family is part of Sparks!