Have you ever wanted to start reading, but didn’t have a good book? Ever finished a great book and didn’t know what to read next? Maybe you don’t even like to read at all. Regardless of your situation, this column is here to help find just the book for you.
My name is Rafaela DeMartis. I’m 13, and I love to read myself and have for as long as I can remember. My parents used to read me my favorite stories before bed every night, and my love of reading started very early. In elementary school, I remember falling in love with “Ivy and Bean” by Annie Barrows, “The Princess in Black” by Shannon and Dean Hale, and “Judy Moody” by Meagan McDonald. Around the fifth grade I developed a big interest in graphic novels like “Big Nate” by Lincoln Pierce, “Phoebe and her Unicorn” by Dana Simpson, and “Emmie and Friends” by Terri Libenson. I still love graphic novels, so look out for a column on those soon.
Currently, I’m really into fantasy, mystery, and romance, but this column will cover all genres. One of the things I love about reading is that you never know where it will take you next. Reading can take you into different worlds and different lives, and make you feel every emotion. Before I get into recommending books, I would like to give a fair warning that most of these books have the content and reading levels appropriate for tweens and teens, so they may not be best for kids under those ages.
I want to start off by recommending a few of my absolute favorites. I’m starting this column with books that are part of a series, because if you enjoy them, you have lots to look forward to.
The first series is the “Keeper of the Lost Cities” by Shannon Messenger. These books are about a girl named Sophie who meets someone who convinces her that she is an elf. She moves to the elf world, leaving her parents behind in the human world, only to discover that many powerful elves are after her. Sophie has many unusual powers, which makes her the talk of her school.
As Sophie navigates this new world, she finds a group of friends she can rely on: a crush, a best friend, a confidante. Sophie is 12 when the series begins, and she gets progressively older as the books go on. One of the best things about this book series is the world-building. Ms. Messenger creates a beautiful world different from ours. This series has nine books and one half book. Each book gets progressively thicker. Book 9.5 is coming out soon, so if you love the series like I do, there is lots more to read.
Another favorite series of mine is “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” by Holly Jackson. This series is about a 17-year-old girl named Pippa who is investigating a murder that everyone in her town thinks had been solved years ago. Pippa is not so sure. Everybody in her town has accepted the conclusion the police had come to. Andie Bell had been murdered by her boyfriend Sal Singh, who had killed himself out of grief after. For Pip, some things don’t add. She had known Sal since she was a little girl, and he didn’t seem like the murdering type. As she investigates and starts to fall for Sal Singhs' brother, Ravi, Pippa uncovers secrets that may put her life, and others' lives in danger. This series is full of twists and turns that will make you gasp out loud.
A third series I love is the “Inheritance Games” by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, about a 17-year-old named Avery who comes from nothing. Her father and mother are dead. She lives with her sister and is struggling to make ends meet when she gets a call informing her that she has inherited money from Tobias Hawthorne, one of the richest men in the world. The funny thing is, she never even met him. It is later discovered that he didn’t leave a cent to his family; everything had been left to Avery, and she wants answers. The grandsons, Alexander, Jameson, Grayson, and Nash help her follow the trail of clues their grandfather left for her, and Jameson and Grayson start to fall in love with her in the process. While Avery navigates all this, she uncovers secrets about just who Mr. Hawthorne was and why he left her all this money. This book is for people who love uncovering clues and solving mysteries.
I take suggestions, so if you have a genre I should recommend, or a specific book or book series you want me to consider, you can reach me at [email protected]. Happy reading!