Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

When you hear the word magic, what do you think of? Some guy pulling a rabbit out of a hat? Dragons, elves, leprechauns, and fairies? Well, what you may not know is that there is much more to magic than just simple tricks. In fact, a whole community of witches and wizards may be living under your nose! Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling features spell casting, three-headed dogs, and an in-depth tour of what life is like for one particularly special wizard.

Harry Potter has lived with his aunt and uncle since he was a baby and his parents died. His whole life has been filled with and under-the-stairs closet for a bedroom, daring escapes from his cousin Dudley, unexplainable occurrences, and being unwanted. Then, after many failed attempts to retrieve the numerous amounts of mysterious letters addressed to him, Harry discovers on his eleventh birthday that he's a wizard. He's no ordinary wizard though, as he is the only known person to be able to survive the killing curse from the most feared wizard of all- Lord Voldermort, who mysteriously disappeared after failing to kill Harry. Now, Harry is taken to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where his life has suddenly taken a better turn. He soon makes new friends, enemies, the House Quidditch team, and starts to uncover the mystery of what's behind a forbidden door. Together, Harry and his new friends Ron and Hermione live through their lives, reveal the mystery, and possibly even stop a rebirth. Will Harry be able to survive his first year at Hogwarts?

This book is one-of-a-kind because so much imagination, creativity, and thought is put into it, "spellbinding" you from the first page! Rowling's style is both unique and inviting, and her character come alive on the pages.

Will Harry and his friends be able to solve the mystery in time? Is Quidditch as funny as it sounds? Could and illegal dragon slip into the mix? Read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling and you'll be dying to get the rest of the magic.

Magic or Madness

If you had to choose between using magic and dying earlier than most people or going insane and trying to kill yourself, which would you choose? Or would you try to run away from it and pretend magic doesn't exist? Well, Magic or Madness by Justine Larbalster features these questions and the choices the characters take. With magic stealing, daring shortcuts over balconies, and a teleporting door, this book just oozes magic.

Reason Cansino has been on the run with her mom Sarafina from her grandmother Esmerelda for fifteen years in Australia. But when Sarafina has a mental catastrophe that sends her to an asylum, Reason is sent to the place she fears most- Esmereldsa's house. Seclusive and silent, Reason soon see that the evil grandmother who ate babies and practiced dark rituals she thought she had isn't real, but after walking through the back door and finding herself in New York City, Reason is forced to realize what she'd been told to deny for fifteen years- magic is real. Now, after meeting Jay-Tee in New York, Reason comes to another unpleasant conclusion- Reason is magic.

This book is one of the best because it shows magic in another lights, vividly describing some of the consequences of embracing it. Larbalestier ingeniously writes the stories of Australian Reason, Tom, and Esmerelda, as well as American Jay-Tee's, combining them into a wonderful story.

Can Reason accept the fact that she's magic? Will her mom recover from her insanity? Is Esmerelda hiding something important from Reason? Well, if you read Magic or Madness by Justine Larbalestier, I expect you will find out.

Scepter of the Ancients

Does you life seem uneventful and boring at times? Do you sometimes wish something exciting, even deadly, would happen so you could have some excitement? Well that's the case in Scepter of the Ancients by Derek Landy whether it was wished or not. Containing mystery, vampires, and dangerous escapes, this book is a great beginning to it's series.

Eleven-year-old Stephanie Edgley's life has been peaceful and uneventful, almost boring, until her uncle's sudden and mysterious death. Suddenly, she's swept up into an adventure involving her uncle's murder(!), a skeleton detective, Skulduggery Pleasant, who's alive, for a best friend; and fighting evil with her life. On top of that, she's now getting magic powers, which she has to hide from everyone, AND has to figure out the name she's going to take. Oh, and did I mention she's got to stop the Scepter of the Ancients, a legendary weapon that can destroy anything, from being stolen and used to bring the evil Faceless Ones back. No pressure, right? But will Stephanie be able to save the world from it's deadly fate?

This book is one of my favorites because so much magic, mischief, an adventure is put into words. Landy certainly delivers, and will have you aching for the next.

Can Stephanie survive her dangerous mission? Will she solve her uncle's murder? Is Skulduggery keeping secrets from her that are important to her mission? Read Scepter of the Ancients by Derek Landy, and as Rick Riordan said, "You'll be clamoring for a sequel."