Recommended Books for Girls

Books for girls are reviewed here. We do not accept advertising revenue. We just give the straight scoop on what's good!

Dorothy Must Die (No Place Like Oz) by TBD- 4 Star Fiction. Buy at Barnes & Nobel, Amazon, The Apple Book Store or any major on line retailer.

The Kansas girl grows up & realizes she made a mistake. But how can she get back to Oz?

Dorothy Gale visited Oz when she was a sweet girl of 13. By her 15th birthday, she realizes the Kansas farm offers little opportunity and is boring. Back in Oz, she was the hero witch slayer in a beautiful place with people who worshiped her. She made a big mistake in returning to Kansas.

After a disastrous 15th birthday party, she is crying in her room when Toto the dog pulls a final gift from under the bed. A pair of red shoes in the Oz style.

A gripping fictional account that brings realism into the story of Oz. This book is a bit cynical but is appropriate for girls age 13 and up.

p.s. I once read a review of some Oz books in which the commentator talked about the Dark Side of Oz. And I thought "What are you talking about?" Since then, I have read many more of the original Oz stories and discovered the commentator was right. I conclude by saying that "Dorothy Must Die" is not "off base" either in terms of the original stories or in terms of a realistic assessment of Dorothy's life as she grew into a teenager during the Kansas Depression Years.

Greenglass House by Kate Milford- 4 Star Fiction. I bought my copy at Powell's Book City in Portland Oregon. Should not be hard to find.

Milo is looking forward to a quiet Christmas with his family in their ramshackle house hotel, when six strange guests arrive. Arguments soon erupt between the guests as an odd assortment of things goes missing from their rooms. Milo is soon involved with Mendy in trying to find the missing objects and unravelling why this odd assortment of guests arrived.

Fast moving, constantly entertaining and enjoyable. I highly recommend Greenglass House for boys and girls age 9 to 12.

Review by Athena

The Story Thieves by James Riley: 5 Star Fiction Girls fiction, magical violence of the funny sort, Age 10 & up (Amazon, Barnes & Nobel, e-book etc.)

"The Story Thieves" is a book about a kid who goes into a library and sees a girl from his school crawl out of the pages of a book. After some tough negotiating, she agrees to take him along and the two of them jump into his favourite magical fantasy series. It's not long before 'the Magister' is not so nice as he seemed in fictional readings and he is most unhappy to be told that his life is a script and without free will. As a result ....

Well, you really will have to read it to find out the consequences of Betheny and Owen's involvement in the fictional domain.

"Story Thieves" is a Must Read!

Cabinet of Wonders by Marie Rutkoski: 5 Star Rating. I bought mine at Barnes and Nobel This was formerly one of my spotlight books, because the writing, characters and setting are all wonderful. I have moved it to make room for new entries, but it remains one of my favourites. (G,v,F, Age 6-12, Amazon, Barnes & Nobel, e-book etc.)

Marie Rutkoski brings us excitement, action & great characters through the adventures of a 10 year old girl in medieval Bohemia.

This is not your average, magic wielding fantasy book for 8 to 11 year girls. It is a rich & beautifully written adventure about a very good girl in an exotic land. After the prince steals her father's eyes leaving him blind, she decides to go to Prague & steal them back. Her desperate plan forces her to join forces with a Gypsy thief, use deception to get a job in the castle and finally try to break into the Prince's collection. Through the unfolding of this lovely story, we witness the maturing of a child into an adult who must deal with a world of hard choices that is no longer "black and white".

I like this story because it reveals the unfolding of conflicting elements in a journey of discovery and problem solving. Petra obviously has high moral standards & yet is thrust into a world of medieval cruelty. She must somehow reconcile the "rightness" of her mission with the deception, trickery & questionable alliances needed to achieve her goal.

There are two other stories in this series and I have begun reading the second one to my 8 year old daughter. Cabinet of Wonders (book 1) is truly a gem for either girls or boys. It is sure to please.

Kiwi in Cat City by Vickie Johnstone- 4.5 Star Rating (9 to 75 years old) for boys & girls who like cats) I bought mine from the Apple Bookstore. This should be easy to find on major on-line book stores.
Amy & James follow their cat Kiwi into the night, only to be invited to go with her to Cat City. Upon arrival, they find themselves transformed into kittens & along for the ride as Kiwi helps Inspector Furrball unravel the Cat Crime of the decade.

Kiwi in Cat City is fast paced & fun. Pace & utter disregard for reality result in a novel with the spontaneity of a good comic. Ridiculous but fun. Park your brain & go for the ride. You'll like it!

Review by Athena: 5 Star Rating I recommend the book for any age (9 to ...... 108 years). This book has everything including good fun, action & humour.

The book is about 9 year old Amy & her younger brother who follow their cat Kiwi into the night to see what she does when they're asleep.

The two kids get the shock of their lives when they end up in Cat City, where they are transformed into kittens. From there, Amy & James follow their cat around (instead of their cat following them) in a fast paced mystery & cat-crime adventure.

The author seems to have an unlimited imagination which makes the story enjoyable for all ages. I recommend that you read this book. I believe you will have a bucket full of enjoyment!

Kiwi in the Realm of Ra by Vickie Johnstone- 4.5 Star Rating (9 to 75 years old) for boys & girls who like cats

Kiwi in the Realm of Ra is yet another of Vickie Johnstone's wonderful adventures of Kiwi the cat and her human masters (Amy and James). In this episode, Kiwi and her human masters (James and Amy) are transported back in time and visit ancient Egypt. Together with animal friends from earlier books, they end up on the trail of Dev the criminal mastermind of the cat world. Ancient Pyramids, cat bandits and Ancient gods who are often not in sympathy with the cats are all intertwined in a book of mindless fun so typical of this author.

I have read and enjoyed all the Kiwi books. In "Kiwi and the Missing Magic" Kiwi's mother and father are introduced and play prominent roles. A new dimension of "cat magic" is introduced in the stories. The Kiwi Christmas story is good. In fact, all the Kiwi books are all good, but the Realm of Ra is outstanding!

Varjak Paw by S. F. Said: 5 Star (animal stories)
B&G, v, F, Age 6-60, Amazon, Barnes&Nobel, e-book

Young Varjak's family is in danger when the Contessa dies & a strange man with his black cats take over the house. Moments before being murdered, his grandfather sends the young kitten Varjak to seek help in the outside world & to save his family. Varjak has great help from Holly and Tam. But can these three cats succeed?

This is a fabulous "coming of age" story & also a story of loyalty to family and friends. Sequel The Outlaw Varjak Paw is equally gripping. We only regret there are no more.

The English Roses by Madonna: 5 Star
G, F, Age 5-10, Amazon, Barnes&Nobel etc.

Five best friends almost break-up their friendship over an unbelievably cute new boy in class. This beautifully illustrated book follows the story of their jealousy, the help of their teacher and a final resolution that preserves their friendship. (60 pages, about half text)

There are many books in this series. It seems they are all lovely and well illustrated with fun artwork!

The City of Ember by Jean DuPrau, 4 Star (Futuristic)
G, F, Age 8-14, Barnes&Nobel, Amazon etc.

12 year old Lina and her (boy) friend Doon grow up in a futuristic underground city, intended to "protect humanity" for 200 years. But the time is passed & supplies are almost gone. They sense something is terribly wrong & it is time to push to the outside world despite political leadership that thinks otherwise. Can they break free from the city they know & escape to the outside world? Can they take the people of Ember along on this journey? This is their challenge.

This story is very well written & the theme solid. Character growth is evident. A clear portrait of possible futures is presented along with its ultimate consequences. This book is a bit old & possibly hard to find, but well worth reading.

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