Halt's Peril by John Flanagan

Halt, Will and Horace are on the trail of the Outsiders, a fake religious group that preys on the people's insecurities and whose leader killed Halt's brother, Ferris. Now the Outsiders have crossed over to Araluen and things have started up again. Expecting an ambush, Halt goes ahead while Will follows Halt as his backup. During the fight, one of the assassins grazes Halt's arm with a crossbow bolt. Halt's wound is tended the trio continue on their way to stop the Outsiders. Halt begins to act strange and the wound is infected. Will and Horace realize Halt has been poisoned by the crossbow bolt. Will sets off to ask Malcolm to come help Halt while Horace keeps watch over Halt. As Halt slips deeper and deeper into the grip of the poison, Will, Horace, and Malcolm must work together to save Halt and stop the Outsiders once and for all.

Once again, a great addition in the Ranger's Apprentice series. This entry delevoped Will's and Horace's character more. At times they seemed like young boys (usually around Halt)and at other times, young men with responsibilities beyond their years. Halt keeps saying he is too old for this so I feel like this may be one of the last books in the series.

Killer Pizza by Greg Taylor

Summer has officially started and Toby is already bored. His best friend is in California and that's about it for friends. Toby decides the best thing to do is get a job - one that will keep him away from his annoying sister and out of the house. He gets a phone call from Killer Pizza and is told the job is his but he better be on time tomorrow. When he arrives at Killer Pizza, he finds three other applicants (Strobe, Annabel, and Doug) for the job and this is only a testing period. If he doesn't make the cut, he is out of a job. Strobe, Annabel, and Toby work hard to keep Killer Pizza going but Doug is no help at all. Next thing the three know is the owner, Harvey, wants to meet them. Harvey is really Doug who was watching how they handled the store. Harvey takes them "behind the scenes" and tells them he is the head of a monster hunting organization and he wants all three of them to become active members to help fight the invasion of the guttata.

Good monster book. I liked the characters and the actual fight scenes. Each of the main characters has flaws and learns to share them with the others which only makes them a stronger team. I especially liked the Killer Pizza Dragon Breath pizza recipe. Might have to try it!

I.Q.: The White House by Roland Smith

Q, Angela (his stepsister), and their parents have been invited to the White House to perform for the President and his staff. Angela and Q meet P.K., Will aka the President's Kid who shows them the secret tunnels and many other cool things about the White House. Unknown to their parents, Q and Angela are still secretly working behind the scenes against those who wish to harm the United States. When they find out there is a mole (spy) in the White House, the stakes have been raised because the night of the concert is the perfect time for the bad guys to strike. Can Q, Angela, and the rest of the good guys save the lives of the most important people in the United States or is it to late to stop their plan?

I have waited over a year for this installment of I. Q. and was not disappointed. I kept turning the pages to find out who the mole was and how the plot was going to stopped. If you like adventure, spies, terrorists, and intrigue, I. Q. The White House is for you.

Monster High by Lisi Harrison

Fitting in has never been harder if you are a RAD (Regular Attribute Disorder) or as "normies" call you, a Monster! Frankie Stein, born only 15 days ago, has a chance to leave her father's basement laboratory and go to Master high school but she has to cover up her beautiful green skin, her neck bolts, and her seams so she can go undetected in the "normie" world. On Frankie's first day, she finds out the whole school is freaked out by rumors of monsters in their midst. Frankie soon finds out their are more RADs around than just her and they too are hiding in plain sight. When the school decides to have a Monster Mash dance, Frankie and her friends decide to crash the party as themselves since everyone else will be dressed in monster costumes. Things do not go well when Frankie loses her head. Now what is she and her friends going to do? Can she trust the other new girl at Master High School with her secret and set things right?

This is the first in a series and the story definitely leaves the reader hanging at the end. I listened to this on on CD and all of a sudden it was over. All in all, this book was funny, entertaining, carries a message of acceptance, and sure to be a hit with fans of Harrison's Clique series.

Shiver By Maggie Steifvater

Grace was biten by a wolf when she was young and developed a fascination with the wolves she sees out her window in winter, especially the wolf with the gold eyes. When a high school student is attacked by wolves, the wolves are hunted and Grace does her best to stop the killing. When she arrives home, she find Sam bleeding on her doorstep - a boy with gold eyes. Grace puts things together and realizes Sam is her wolf with the gold eyes. Sam's story slowly unfolds as he tells Grace about his parents, his pack, and how the cold weather causes him to become a wolf. Jack, the high school student who was attacked by the wolves, becomes a problem and endangers Grace, Sam, his pack and the people each of them hold dear.

A different perspective on werewolves gives this story a fresh, new approach while making it seem very real. The relationship between Grace and Sam is troubled but authentic. Shiver provides the reader with a little romance, mystery and an intensity that will keep reader's reading until the last page. Thank goodness, Linger, the sequel to Shiver, is out.

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

When Tessa arrives in England to meet her brother, she is met by Mrs. Dark and Mrs. Black (the Dark Sisters). Once Tessa is in their home, she is held captive and cruelly taught how to use her "gift". All she knows is the Magister wants her to develop her gift and the Dark Sisters will do anything to achieve that goal. Tessa is rescued from the Dark Sisters by the Shadowhunters and taken to live in the Institute where she is safe from the Magister and other members of the Pandemonium Club. It is here she learns about being a Downworlder and exactly who and what the Shadowhunters are. Her loyalty is tested, the world is about to be destroyed, and her life and those of the Shadowhunters are at stake.

Fantastic beginning to the Mortal Instruments series. The story just pulled me in and I went along for the ride. The battles between the Shadowhunters and the forces of evil were believeable. I found myself pulling for the good guys and missing those who are no longer part of the story. My advice is to pull up a chair, get comfy, and start reading.