Life As We Knew It -- Susan Beth Pfeffer

Life in Howell, PA is pretty normal for 16-year old Miranda. She is close to the end of her sophomore year of high school, she is about to be a sister again (her dad's second wife is pregnant and they've asked her to be the godmother), and she is semi-obsessed with a famous ice-skater from her home town. And the big news around town and around the world is the meteor scheduled to impact the Moon. Everyone expects this even to be a change from the norm -- an opportunity to gaze at the heavens and see something fascinating. But nobody expects the tragic events that ensue. Because when the meteor hits the moon, it is a greater impact than was anticipated, and the moon is knocked out of orbit and into a closer orbit to Earth. At first, nothing changes. Well, nothing except that the moon looms large outside in the night sky. But by the morning after the impact, news is pouring in about tsunamis along all coastlines, chaos, and death. And that is only the beginning.

Within weeks, Miranda's whole life is changed. Electricy is gone, schools are closed, stores are emptied, and people are moving away in hopes to find that things are better somewhere else. Miranda struggles to enjoy a "normal" summer in spite of everything, but finds that her childhood is gone and she must take on the responsibilities of an adult to help herself and her family survive. Only time will tell if it is enough.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader -- C. S. Lewis

While their brother and sister Peter and Susan are away, Edmund and Lucy find themselves back in Narnia with their whiney cousin Eustace. Their adventure starts when they manage to accidentally enter a painting in the house where they are staying, and they find themselves aboard the Dawn Treader with King Caspian and his crew aboard. Caspian and his men have set out to travel as far East as possible in order to find seven of Caspian's father's dearest friends who had been sent out years before to explore the lands, but who never returned. One of the crew on the journey is Reepicheep, a mouse who believes his destiny is to go to the end of the world.

As the Dawn Treader's occupants travel the known lands, they gain experience and knowledge. But before long, they sail off into the unknown and find many curious lands full of dragons, darkness, magic, and greed. They find that they have opportunities to grow and learn individually with the situations with which they are faced on the different lands. And each of them improves personally through the trials they face on their journey.