The Girls by, Amy Goldman Koss

Ok, I believe that every girl should read this story. I read this book in just a couple of hours. It was 120 pages and a quick read. This story was about a group of girls (5) with one leader! Candace is the leader and whatever Candace wants...she gets. Whatever Candace thinks...she is right. Candace can do no wrong. So when Candace decides that she doesn't want Maya in the group anymore, everyone goes along, even if they don't understand. This book is told through the eyes of each of the 5 girls. Every chapter is a different girl sharing her part of the story. This book also takes place over one weekend. I enjoyed the book for the "eye opening" look into a group of girls who have sacrificed who they are, what they think and feel, just to be friends with another.

Shackleton's Stowaway by Victoria McKernan

This story is based off of the Oct. 26, 1914 Ernest Shackleton's exploration into the Antarctic. I was a little nervous to read this, just wondering if it would hold my attention, and it did. Around 28 men (and one stowaway) left with Shackleton in an exploration of crossing the Antarctic continent. Ice soon became their enemy as their ship "the endurance" became trapped in ice and eventually sank. 28 men without a ship and with no one looking for them must survive the cold, hunger, and killer whales to stay alive. With only 3 row boats the men divided into two groups. One group would try to go back to get help while the other two boats tried to find shelter. This is a story about true endurance...4 months in the antarctic....waiting...wondering. I had never heard of this true story and am glad that I was able to learn a part of history!

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

I was very excited to be reading my first Sarah Dessen book! I feel like it has taken me forever to read a book by her. "Just Listen" was an interesting book that reminded me that everyone and every family has their own problems and sometimes we need to just sit back and listen! This story was about a girl named Annabel who is the youngest of three sisters. All of the sisters are models, yet each is fighting their own battle. Annabel has been shunned by her group of friends for an incident that happened over the summer. Only an outcast boy named Owen offers her a friendship and to just listen to her problems. Throughout the story Annabel's family becomes exposed (Mother depressed, sister has an eating disorder, etc.) and the reader is left to wonder about the people around them. How well do we know what others are going through? Maybe we all need to stop and just listen.