Once...

 Title: Once
                                                 Includes:
                                                              Before Midnight

                                                              Golden

                                                              Wild Orchid

                                       Author: Cameron Dokey
                                       Previous Work: How NOT to Spend your Senior Year
                                                                  16 other stories in the Once Upon a Time 
                                                                   series 

                                       Summary: Before Midnight- Cendrillon has always wanted
                                       love. Her father refuses to give it to her and her stepmother
                                       seems distant. Could a royal ball be the answer to her
                                       troubles?
                                       Golden- Rapunzel was born without hair. Her mother,
                                       unable to love her, gave her to a sorceress to be raised.
                                       However when she finds the sorceress had her own intents
                                       behind raising her, can Rapunzel swallow her pride and help
                                       her foster mother?
                                       Wild Orchid- When Mulan's father comes back after years of
                                       being away, she is not the daughter he expected, but he still
                                       learns to love her. When he is called away to war Mulan takes
                                       action, replacing him in the line up.
                                       Rating: This book is a 3.
                                       Awards: None
                                     
                                       Opinion: The books were very well written and the plots well
                                       thought out. However many of the same central themes
                                       repeated and the girls seemed to have the same issues. The
                                       best story in here was Before Midnight, in my opinion. The
                                       book was an interesting read at most, a slight let down at
                                       least. However I will be checking the library for more by this
                                       author.

Christmas Miracle

 Title: The Legend of Holly Claus
                                     # of Pages: 544
                                     Author: Brittney Ryan
                                     Illustrator: Laurel Long
                                     Previous Work: 
                                     The author has been involved in many theatrical works.
                                     The illustrator has illustrated 7 other books, most of them
                                     under 40 pages.

                                     Summary: This story begins with a little boy asking Santa
                                     what has never before been asked. "What do you wish
                                     for Christmas, Santa?" Then Holly Claus is born.
                                     Unfortunately she has the purest heart ever existing and an
                                     evil Warlock hatches a plan to steal it for his own personal
                                     gain. A magical life and adventure follows.
                                     Rating: Definitely a 5.
                                     Awards: 
                                     Part of  "The Julie Andrews Collection"
                                     Opinion: This book may sound cheesy, but it is very
                                     eloquently written. The plot is unpredictable, the characters
                                     endearing. Plus the illustrations are so gorgeous and detailed
                                     you could stare at them for a half an hour and still not be
                                     satisfied. However I must warn fans of "Quicky books" this
                                     story is 522 pages (Not including "The Characters and Places
                                     of Forever") long. It is totally worth it, though; I've read this
                                     book 3 times, only one of those times being at Christmas. And
                                     it is still amazing! (The picture shown below is on the back of
                                     the book, with the bottom cut off.)

The Land of Immortals

                                   

                                     
                                     

Gimme a Future

Title: Gimme a Call
                                   # of Pages: 320
                                   Author: Sarah Mlynowski
                                   Previous Work: (Divided as the author did)
                                                        Teen novels:
                                                        Bras & Broomsticks 

                                                        Frogs & French Kisses 
                                                       
                                                        Spells & Sleeping Bags,

                                                        Parties & Potions

                                                        How To Be Bad
                                        
                                                        Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't 
                                                        Have)
                                  
                                                        Non-Fiction: See Jane Write
                                  
                                                        Five adult novels
                                  
                                                        Nine short stories

                                     Summary: Devi's boyfriend Bryan was everything to her.
                                     When he breaks up before prom, she's devastated. Then to top
                                      it all off she drops her phone in the fountain at the mall.
                                      However, she realizes it still calls one number. Her number
                                      from three and a half years ago right before she meets her
                                      boyfriend. Devi realizes she has to stop younger Devi from
                                      dating Bryan to get her life back on track.

                                      Rating: I give this book a  3.5.
                                     Awards: A movie is "in development"!
                                      Coming Soon. net
                                 

                                     Opinion: I really like this book, but it's because of younger
                                     Devi (Frosh) not older Devi (Ivy). Older Devi seems controlling
                                     and only care about the feelings of herself, not the work she's
                                     making younger Devi do. Other than that I feel it's a great
                                     story.

Thine Eyes Hath Seen

 Title: Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller
                                      # of Pages: 240
                                     Author: Sarah Miller
                                     Previous Work: 
                                                        Wrote for 4 magazines

                                     Summary: Annie Sullivan knows that now that she can see
                                     she needs to find her own way in the world. So she decides
                                     to teach blind and deaf, Helen Keller. So far only one person
                                     has been able to teach the blind-deaf (and he only managed to
                                     do it once)! But Anne immediately feels a connection with
                                     Helen and is determined to help her.
                                     Rating: This book gets a 4. You really connected with Annie,
                                     both from her actions with Helen and her own troubled past.
                                     Awards: 
                                     ALA Best Books For Young Adults
                                   
                                     Booklist Editors' Choice

                                     Jefferson Cup Honor Book

                                     Awards (or nominations) in- Alabama
                                                                                 Kansas
                                                                                 South Dakota
                                                                                 South Carolina
                                                                                 Virginia
                       
                                     Opinion: This book provided an interesting view into Anne
                                     Sullivan's life I highly suggest you read it. (Though it ended
                                     at the "water pump breakthrough" while I would have
                                     preferred it go further.)
                                     Extra: I know the sign language alphabet, but many people
                                     don't. Since the book didn't include one I'll add a dictionary
                                     right here.

Sign Language Alphabet, Numbers, and Highly Used Words