Starclimber

Kenneth Oppel's Starclimber was a really great book. This is the third in a series - following Airborn and Skybreaker. Starclimber follows the adventures of Matt Cruse and Kate de Vries as their relationship changes and as they travel to new places and discover new things. I really enjoyed reading this book. Oppel writes about a different world but in a recognizable way. I would recommend it!

The Returning

The Returning, by Ann Tatlock, was a pretty good story. There are other books by her that I would be more likely to recommend (I'll Watch the Moon is the main one - actually, I like this one so much that I just bought it online.) Anyway, The Returning is about a family that has troubles to work through after one of the family members returns from a long absence. Each member has certain trials that they need to work on in order to come together as a strong family unit.

Kira-Kira

I really enjoyed Kira-Kira. It's about a Japanese family living in Georgia in the 50's. As a family, they have some difficulties to deal with; including illness, work, and racial problems. I liked the voice of the author - she was very enjoyable as a narrator. I would recommend this book for sure.

A Single Shard

A Single Shard was a really enjoyable book. I felt like it included a lot of history and taught a lot about some Korean history. This story is about a young orphan boy that overcomes great obstacles a learns many things. Tree-ear wants more than anything to learn to be a potter from the great Min. This story takes Tree-ear through this adventure.