Tempests And Slaughter

Tempests And Slaughter by Tamora Pierce, 464 pages

“Discover the origin story of one of the realm's most powerful mages in the first book in the Numair Chronicles.  Arram Draper is on the path to becoming one of the realm's most powerful mages. The youngest student in his class at the Imperial University of Carthak, he has a Gift with unlimited potential for greatness--and for attracting trouble. At his side are his two best friends: Varice, a clever girl with an often-overlooked talent, and Ozorne, the "leftover prince" with secret ambitions. Together, these three friends forge a bond that will one day shape kingdoms. And as Ozorne gets closer to the throne and Varice gets closer to Arram's heart, Arram realizes that one day --soon --he will have to decide where his loyalties truly lie.  In the Numair Chronicles, readers will be rewarded with the never-before-told story of how Numair Salmalín came to Tortall. Newcomers will discover an unforgettable fantasy adventure where a kingdom's future rests on the shoulders of a talented young man with a knack for making vicious enemies.”  I didn’t want to put this book down once I started reading it.  Pierce’s books just seem to get better and better.  I’m always excited when a new book comes out.  Teen fans of fantasy absolutely should read this and all of her books.

A Girl Called Problem

 A Girl Called Problem by Katie Quirk                       242 pages

Shida means problem in Swahili.  She was given this name because bad luck surrounded her birth.  Because mothers are called by their first born children’s names, Shida’s mother is called Mama Shida and most of the bad luck seems centered around her, especially as Shida has gotten older.  She is almost the right age to get married but she doesn’t want that yet.  She wants to continue to learn about healing and help the people in her village.  Her grandfather has decided to move their village and merge with another, larger, nearby village so that both villages will benefit from schools and a clinic, as the president of Tanzania has asked people to do.  Even girls will go to the school so maybe Shida can have her dream.  But her mother is reluctant to move and many people are upset that girls will be allowed at the school.  They think that only boys should be educated and that their village may be cursed if the allow all of these changes.  Will Shida be able to follow her dreams?  A fairly easy read for young teens, this is a pretty good story about life in Tanzania and kids who are interested in other cultures will probably like it.