The recommended books for May are about strong young characters who seem to be living in the shadow of someone or something else. They all will find that overcoming their situations has more to do with their own personal perceived limitations, than with the people that they feel are holding them back. Once they believe in themselves and look inside for the strength to change their own lives, they are well on the way to finding the happiness they desire. Enjoy these three books that I have added to my personal collection.
Wishing Moon by Michael O. Tunnell
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Aminah is an orphan living in the streets at the time of Aladdin and his magic lamp. In her attempt to survive, Aminah goes to the palace to beg for a position, hoping that her deceased father’s connection to the palace will help her find favor with the Princess and a job. Aminah is surprised by the hostile, spoiled Princess, who throws Aladdin’s lamp at Aminah and knocks her unconscious in the street. When she wakes, she finds herself bruised, beaten, and blessed with the control of the jinni and three wishes after each new moon. Once Aminah secures the necessities she so desperately needs, she sets up a household and begins to use her wishing power to help the less fortunate.
Meanwhile, the greedy Princess is searching for the lost lamp, now aware of its great power. Can Aminah find the happiness and security that she seeks for herself and those she has come to love before the Princess finds her? Find out by reading Wishing Moon, a book I thoroughly enjoyed.
Clair-de-lune by Cassandra Golds
Clair is a poor young ballerina who lives with her grandmother in a small apartment above the school where she dances. The other girls in the class think that Clair is stuck up because she practices so hard and doesn’t say a word to anyone. The truth is that Clair cannot speak. She has not uttered a sound since her ballerina mother died on stage while Clair was a child.
With the help of a small, brave friend and an unusual monk, Clair goes on a journey to hopefully discover her voice and gain the confidence she needs to love. Clair-de-lune is a sweet story that will be enjoyed by teens and young readers alike.
The Princesses of Atlantis by Lisa Williams Kline
Carly and Arlene are two best friends who are writing a novel based on the lost city of Atlantis. They create twin sisters who are Princesses of Atlantis and write chapters for the novel describing the problems that Princess Lydia and Eva encounter as they try to escape being sacrificed to the rain god, Driz, in order to stop the endless rain. Carly and Arlene have a great time developing the characters and find themselves writing their own personalities and difficulties into the story. They create situations for the twins that mirror the frustrations they feel as they struggle with new friends, a crush, pressure from parents and peers, and life in seventh grade. Will the inevitable adolescent wedge that seems to push the girls further apart destroy their friendship and their novel? Read The Princesses of Atlantis and see if you can predict if it will all turn out in the end.
