Betsy Byars

Betsy Byars

Betsy Cromer Byars, Jacqueline Rogers

Meg Cabot 'You're not Mia Thermopolis any more, honey,' Dad said. 'You're Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo. Princess of Genovia.' A Princess?? Me??? Yeah. Right. One minute Mia's a totally normal Manhattan 14-year-old. Next minute she's heir to the throne of Genovia, being trailed by a trigger-happy bodyguard, taking princess lessons with her bonkers old grandmere, and having a makeover with someone called Paolo. Well, her dad can lecture her till he's royal-blue in the face, but no way is Mia going to turn herself into a style-queen. And they think she's moving to Genovia? Er, hello?

Meg Cabot 14-year-old Mia Thermopolis is still coming to terms with the fact that she's a princess - and heir to the throne of Genovia! But when she announces on national TV that her mum is pregnant by her algebra teacher and plans to marry him, a right-royal fuss results! For now Mia's dreadful old Grandmere is all set to plan the year's biggest society wedding, with every A-list celeb invited, from the Reagans to Phil Collins. But will the bride and groom turn up?

Meg Cabot Mia's got everything a girl could possibly want. She's a princess and she's got a boyfriend! But that's where it all goes wrong. Because Kenny is just not the guy she really wants. Michael's the one she's loved forever but he's going out with someone infinitely cleverer than Mia. Someone who can clone Fruit Flies, for heaven's sake! Will the story end happily ever after for the Princess of Genovia?

Meg Cabot Mia and Michael are finally an item, but Grandmere seems to have other plans. Just before the happy couple's first hot date, an unmissable royal engagement turns up. Could it be that Michael doesn't measure up and that (please not!) Grandmere's got someone else in mind for Princess Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo?

Meg Cabot Mia Thermopolis is your average urban ninth grader. Even though she lives in Greenwich Village with a single mom who is a semifamous painter, Mia still puts on her Doc Martens one at a time, and the most exciting things she ever dreams about are smacking lips with sexy senior Josh Richter, "six feet of unadulterated hotness," and passing Algebra I. Then Mia's dad comes to town, and drops a major bomb. Turns out he's not just a European politician as he's always lead her to believe, but actually the prince of a small country! And Mia, his only heir, is now considered the crown princess of Genovia! She doesn't even know how to begin to cope: "I am so NOT a princess.... You never saw anyone who looked less like a princess than I do. I mean, I have really bad hair... and... a really big mouth and no breasts and feet that look like skis." And if this news wasn't bad enough, Mia's mom has started dating her algebra teacher, the paparazzi is showing up at school, and she's in a huge fight with her best friend, Lilly. How much more can this reluctant Cinderella handle?

Offbeat Mia will automatically win the heart of every teenage girl who's ever just wanted to fit in with as little fuss as possible. Debut author Meg Cabot's writing is silly and entertaining, with tons of pop culture references that will make teens feel right at home within her pages. This is a wonderfully wacky read. (Ages 12 and older) —Jennifer Hubert

Ally Carter

Beverly Cleary

Beverly Cleary

Beverly Cleary

Beverly Cleary

Beverly Cleary

Helen Cresswell

Paula Danziger

Paula Danziger

Paula Danziger

Paula Danziger

Paula Danziger

Paula Danziger

Louise Fitzhugh

Louise Fitzhugh

Julia Golding

Odo Hirsch The Queen is a very busy woman and rules over seven different kingdoms, some of which she has never even seen. Each kingdom is filled with its own exotic delights, and her loyal subjects constantly send her gifts from far and wide: monkeys, flamingos, giraffes, unusual furniture, chess sets, woven carpets, plants ... you name it, the Queen has it. But her real pleasure comes from tasting the fruits of her kingdoms—there is nothing she likes more than biting into a rich, sweet, delicious fruit that has come from over the seas. But there is one fruit she craves—the melidrop—which, until now, has been out of her reach because it rots on the long journey from the far-off country in which it grows.

Enter Bartlett—the intrepid, stubborn, inventive and irreverent explorer who makes a deal with the Queen. He will return with the elusive melidrop if she will fund his expedition to The Margoulis Caverns—the longest, deepest chain of caves ever found. And the race is on.

Bartlett and the Ice Voyage is a rip-roaring, fantastical, roller-coaster of an adventure story which fairly brims over with the kind of bombastic wit and rollicking suspense that captures the imagination of a young reader and leads them, laughing and breathless, through the pages, leaving them begging for more.

A fine example of good, old-fashioned storytelling at its very best, Bartlett and the Ice Voyage is a sure-fire winner for any child who really enjoys losing themselves between the pages of a book. (Age 10 and over) —Susan Harrison

Eva Ibbotson Tally Hamilton is furious to hear she is being sent from London to a horrid, stuffy boarding school in the countryside. And all because of the stupid war. But Delderton Hall is a far more interesting place than Tally ever imagined, and an exciting school trip to the beautiful and luscious kingdom of Bergania whisks Tally into an unexpected adventure ...will she be able to save her new friend, Prince Tamil, before it's too late?

Dick King-Smith

Lois Lowry "SWM, 28, boyish charm, inherited wealth, looking for tall young woman, nonsmoker, to share Caribbean vacations, reruns of Casablanca, and romance."

To 13-year-old Anastasia Krupnik, this Single White Male from the magazine personals section sounds perfect. And really, she's not lying when she writes to say she is tall, young, hates smoking, has seen Casablanca so many times she can recite some of it, is quite sure she would like Caribbean vacations, and is definitely ready for romance. And later, when she writes to say she owns a sloop and that she races occasionally, well, that's not exactly a lie either. Tension and hilarity build as Anastasia digs herself deeper into this embroilment. When SWM writes to say he would like to meet her, it looks like the jig is finally up. How will our outspoken, fast-thinking, SWF get herself out of this mess? Anastasia, the subject of many award-winning books by Lois Lowry, is a terrific modern role model for girls. Headstrong, independent, warm, and open, she manages to pull herself out of every one of the many predicaments she gets into. As she struggles with the changing feelings of adolescence, she maintains a good, yet realistic, relationship with her parents and young brother. (Ages 9 to 12) —Emilie Coulter

Lois Lowry

Lois Lowry

Lois Lowry

Lois Lowry

Lois Lowry

Bessie Marchant

Bessie Marchant

Marcia Martin

Katherine Louise Oldmeadow

Jane Shaw

Jane Shaw

Gene Stratton-Porter

Julie Tatham

Julie Tatham

Helen Wells

Helen Wells

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Ingalls Wilder