Ninja Sarah's Top 5 Books of 2009

Top 5 Books of 2009

5. Flygril by Sherri L. Smith
Even though I reviewed this book previously, I think it has been overlooked by a lot of readers. This book really plucked my heartstrings. It inspired me to really focus on my dreams. And anybody who likes historical fiction should definitely pick this one up.







4. Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix
(SOME SPOILERS BEWARE)
While this may be for younger readers, I thought the concept was absolutely fascinating. Not only does the main character have to deal with being adopted, but he doesn't even know from when he was taken. Ms. Haddix really threw me for a loop when I discovered the kids were taken from various times in history. Ya know how little girls (and some big ones too) always seem to want to be princesses. Well, in Found, the little girl just might be a princess. I think this series will really touch anyone who has had dreams of being discovered as the long lost whatever.


3. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Ever since reading The Midnighters series several years ago, I have been enthralled with this writer. Leviathan is his latest contribution to the literary scene and I am just as enthralled with this one as his previous works. It is also my first introduction to steampunk (which I am glad to say I will be looking for more). The world he creates is very similar to our own past, but rich with new scientific and biological discoveries following various what ifs. Like, what if Darwin was not only a biologist but a geneticist? I was so disappointed when I got to the end and discovered there were 3 more books in the series not even written!! All I can say is, "Mr. Westerfeld, please write faster." :)



2. Prospero Lost by L. Jagi Lamplighter
As with one of Ninja Amy's books, this book is in the adult collection at our library. However, I think this could really appeal to teens who are "strongly encouraged" to read classics for school. Prospero Lost is a continuation of Shakespeare's "The Tempest". And when I say continuation, I mean it, right up to current times. Miranda, daughter of Prospero, runs Prospero Inc., a company which mellows out the more mythical aspects of the world, like the fire salamandars who are responsible for volcano eruptions, for humans to be able to follow scientific and social progress. At the beginning Miranda discovers a note left by her father Prospero saying he realeased the "three shadowed ones" and to warn her siblings scattered throughout the world. When Miranda attempts to contact her father, he is nowhere to be found. The book follows Miranda as she searches for the locations of her brothers and sisters she has not talked to for years.



1. Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
Yes, I did just list 5 books for my number one slot. And, no, I don't think this is unreasonable. Percy Jackson and the Olympians is just plain awesome. Half way through the first book, I reserved the next 4. I finished all five books in one week! Yes, they are that good. So good, in fact, there is a movie coming out in February based on the first book, The Lightning Thief. And there is an actual summer camp based on the books called, Camp Half-Blood. So, even if action, romance, mystery, and mythical Greek gods are not your cup of tea, Rick Riordan and Percy Jackson just might change your mind.

The Ninja Reviews...Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith

Ida Mae Jones is a young African-American girl living during the 1940s in Slidell, Louisiana. All she wants to do is follow in her late father's footsteps and fly. Her mother allows her to do some crop dusting for local farms. Yet, every time Ida Mae tries to become more than a simple rural crop duster, she is turned down for being a woman and black. Then, her older brother joins the war effort.

When her younger brother hands her a news clipping of a new organization for women pilots called the WASPs, the Women Airforce Service Pilots, Ida Mae knows this could be her chance to help her brother, even if it is only from a distance. However, even though there is nothing in the article stating women of color could not join, the training camp is in Sweetwater, Texas, which in the 1940s is not the friendliest of places for anybody of color. But there is a glimmer of hope. Ida Mae notices, in a picture of the first group of WASPs, an Asian woman. Ida Mae has a lighter skin tone than most African-Americans. Maybe, just maybe, all her dreams can come true.

Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith has been nominated for YALSA's 2009 Teens' Top Ten. I wholeheartedly agree with their choice. Flygirl brings hope to anyone who has struggled to overcome adversity in achieving their dreams. I could not put this book down. If you are looking for great historical fiction, look no further. Sherri Smith takes you on a sometimes heart stopping journey, which will empower you to take the next steps to achieving your dreams.