While My Pretty One Sleeps -- Mary Higgins Clark

Neeve Kearny is an up-and-coming boutique owner in the middle of New York City. Her clientele are among the city's elite, and many of them trust Neeve's expertise when choosing clothing from her store. Among these customers is Ethel Lambston, an author with a very out-spoken opinion who is preparing to publish a scathing article about the fashion industry of the city. Without shame, Ethel has made it clear to Neeve and others that her article will be less than flattering for many of New York City's top designers.

When Ethel misses a scheduled appointment to pick up her new wardrobe from Neeve's boutique, Neeve simply thinks Ethel has forgotten the appointment, so she calls to leave a message for Ethel. When nobody answers the phone, Neeve simply determines to drop the wardrobe by Ethel's house, but nobody answers the door. As the days go by and Ethel does not appear, Neeve begins to feel uneasy. She confides her fears in her father, the former police commissioner, who allays her fears with logical reasons for Ethel's absence. Yet nagging thoughts continue to haunt Neeve, and before long, Ethel's body is found in a park, and Neeve's fears are confirmed: Ethel has been murdered!

As Neeve enlists the help of her father and Ethel's new publisher Jack Campbell, she discovers many who have motive to have killed Ethel. First is Ethel's ex-husband, a man from whom Ethel has been receiving a thousand dollars a month in alimony since their divorce over twenty years before; a man who is now in dire financial straits. Second is Gordon Steuber, a designer who stands to lose his grand reputation when Ethel's article is published. Third is Ethel's dishonest nephew who has taken up residence in her apartment since her death, but never reported her missing, and has been found to have been stealing her money. Is one of these men Ethel's killer? Or is there someone else in the shadows who would benefit from Ethel's death?

Angels & Demons -- Dan Brown

Leonardo Vetra, a prominent scientist at CERN -- a veritable mecca of the world's top scientists -- is found dead in his home at CERN headquarters. His murder is gruesome and puzzling, but most confusingly, it opens a frightening past about a secret brotherhood thought to be long-disbanded: The Illuminati. Branded upon the dead scientist's chest is the anagrammatical word "Illuminati." When the director of CERN, Maximilian Kohler, discovers Vetra and the brand, he immediately enlists the help of well-known symbologist Robert Langdon, whose work and research include extensive knowledge of the old brotherhood. What Langdon finds when he arrives at CERN is far more frightening than a mere murder would have indicated, because the motive for the scientist's death revolves around new technology: the technology of antimatter -- a technology with more destructive power than the world has ever before encountered. And most terrifying is the fact that the largest amount of antimatter that had been created at CERN, by Vetra and his daughter Vittoria, has been stolen from its hidden underground vault. And the clock is ticking, for when the clock strikes midnight, the antimatter will explode, and it will take with it two square miles of anything in its radius.

Through a twist of luck, Langon and Vittoria Vetra learn that the stolen antimatter is hidden somewhere deep within the Vatican, where the sacred ceremony of conclave is scheduled to take place for the election of a new pope. Working against time, they go to the Vatican and struggle to learn and follow the centuries-old "Path of Illumination" created by the Illuminati in order to find the antimatter. But the stakes have risen as well. For an assasin has kidnapped the four cardinals who are being considered for the papal throne, and he will kill one of them each hour.

With the help of Camerlengo Ventresca, the Swiss Guard, and ancient documents locked within the Vatican archives, Langdon and Vittoria trek across Rome and back again to the Vatican in a race to save the Catholic Church from it's age-old enemy, the Illuminati; and the people of Rome and the Vatican from certain death at midnight. And before it's over, people will die, truths will be revealed, and betrayal from within the ranks will become apparent.

Critical Judgement -- Michael Palmer

Dr. Abby Dolan is the newest Emergency Room doctor at Patience Regional Hospital in the small California town of Patience. After only a few weeks on the job, she has managed to impress some with her life-saving skills, but she has also offended others in the hospital with her blunt orders. While striving to find her niche at the hospital and be accepted by the staff, Abby starts to realize that an abundance of her patients suffer from symptoms for which she cannot find a diagnosis; symptoms such as itching and headaches. She becomes frustrated when she cannot discover the reason for the patients' discomfort. And when her fiancee Josh Wyler starts having headaches and displaying uncharacteristically violent tendencies, Abby's fear and confusion are heightened.

As Abby begins to research these strange cases, she finds that Colstar, the massive battery-producing factory that gives life to Patience, seems to be a key player for each patient. The more she delves into her research, the more curious findings come to light. When a violent car accident that was intended to be a murder-suicide occurs, and the culprit is a Colstar employee, Abby becomes sure Colstar is responsible for all the cases - caused by Cadmium poisoning. Soon Abby finds herself an enemy to many of the doctors in Patience, as well as several people at Colstar, but she finds an ally in Lew Alvarez, another Emergency Room doctor at Patience Regional. Together they work to prove that Colstar has had a Cadmium leak and is responsible for deaths and other issues in Patience.

Yet, somehow, the puzzle never seems to come together for Abby. Too many facts won't link together, and Abby continues to search, putting herself in much danger. And soon, she begins making startling discoveries - ones she never imagined she would find; discoveries for which the price may be her life. In spite of the dangers, her drive to help the people of Patience keeps her working and acting to uncover the truth - but will she be able to prove her case? Or will her enemies discredit her before she can?

Ender's Game -- Orson Scott Card

After having endured and won -- though partially by luck -- two wars against aliens whose aim was to colonize Earth, humans have begun to breed geniuses in order to be prepared to face the third invasion. In a society where most families only have two children, being a third child is a stigma. And Andrew "Ender" Wiggin is a third. But Ender exists because the government of Earth allowed his family to have a third, because both of Ender's siblings were brilliant, but unsuited for being chosen to go to Battle School. Where both Peter and Valentine, Ender's brother and sister, failed by being either too callous or too soft, Ender succeeds in being their average. And so Ender is requested, at the age of 6, to attend the Battle School and to leave his family behind in the interest of Earth's future. Though a hard decision, Ender decides to go, because it means he may be able to save Earth, and most importantly his sister Valentine, from sure death in the impending invasion.

Throughout Ender's five years at the Battle School, his future is shaped by the school administrators, who make sure he is despised by many of the other children and isolated from friendships. Yet, in the face of all opposition, Ender succeeds. He excels at all the games created to teach the students to command armies, and he is quickly moved up in rank until he is the youngest leader of an army of children. When given command over his army, he finds that his army is made up of young and inexperienced "soldiers." But before long, Ender has them performing the impossible and beating the odds.

In the midst of his continued success, though, comes complete hatred from some of the students. In every level of his ascent, Ender makes enemies who hold intense grudges, and before he is able to leave the Battle School, he is forced to resort to self-defense in order to save his own life. And so Ender struggles with his own actions, all the while performing those things that are necessary to propel him to a higher level of responsibility; not because he desires it, but because he feels obligated to help the world. Thus, Ender is soon graduated from the Battle School, and finally decides to acquiesce and attend Command School where he will learn to lead entire fleets. Only then does Ender's education really begin, for only then does he learn the truth about the third invasion. And during the grueling years at Command School, Ender begins to wear down, physcially, mentally, and emotionally; because, although is body is that of a child, his mind and his actions are not. And he begins to wonder if he will be able to save the human race after all -- and whether or not he even cares.

The Presence -- John Saul

Dr. Katherine Sundquist, an accomplished anthropologist, is a widow with a teenage son who, because of severe asthma attacks throughout his life, never made many friends. When she is offered an opportunity by an old acquaintance to spend a few months working in the Hawaiian Islands and receive a hefty paycheck; and when her son returns home from a day at school in New York City with a black eye and cut lip, Katherine decides a change in scenery will be good for both she and her son Michael. But what she finds in Hawaii is beyond her wildest imaginations, as well as those of science. And when Michael and some local boys accidentally become exposed to a substance that affects their breathing, Katherine realizes that Hawaii may not be the paradisiacal escape she had hoped to find.

When Katherine and Michael arrive in Hawaii, they are met by Rob Silver, one of Katherine’s former romances from college. He is eager to show Katherine his reason for her requested presence, as well as to introduce her to her new boss, Mr. Yoshihara, the wealthiest man on the island. When Katherine first sees the site with the skeleton, she is astonished to see that the skull is not human, but is humanoid. As she continues to unearth the skeleton, fewer and fewer things make sense to her. The science she knows tells her that which her eyes are seeing is impossible. As she and Rob hunt for similar skulls using the Internet, they are astonished to uncover startling clues that all involve volcanoes and skulls like the one she has. When the exciting files she has found suddenly disappear, she becomes troubled.

Meanwhile, Michael makes friends with local boys who take him on a night-dive in the ocean. The boys “borrow” their oxygen tanks from a local dive shop, but during the dive, four of the five tanks seem to run out of oxygen early, forcing the boys to the surface. Mysteriously, all four of the boys who ran out of oxygen begin experiencing breathing problems over the next several days. One of the boys dies and the other two disappear. When Michael’s breathing problems begin, Katherine is terrified that the asthma Michael had overcome has returned. But in reality, his problems are much worse than asthma – they are fatal and unknown; Michael has become an unwitting and accidental participant in a research project that could cost him his life.

As Michael’s breathing becomes noticeably labored and as he wakens and flees into the night from nightmares; as Katherine uncovers clues about the odd skeleton she is unearthing; and as a local astronomer begins receiving intriguing signals from space, everyone begins to realize that these things are interconnected and all roads lead back to Mr. Yoshihara. As more evidence comes to the surface, it becomes evident that Mr. Yoshihara has been performing human experimentation with an unknown substance; a substance to which Michael and his friends have somehow been exposed. With Michael’s life on the line, Katherine finds herself seeking answers to questions she does not understand and forcing herself to stay calm amidst chaos and fear. And when the answers come, all of human history is altered.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince -- J. K. Rowling

At sixteen, Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts amidst chaos in both the wizarding and muggle (non-wizarding) communities. That the greatly feared evil wizard Lord Voldemort has returned is no longer a suspicion or a rumor, but is a known fact. Fear runs rampant as people are harmed and even killed. Despite these facts, Hogwarts opens for another yeark and Harry, Ron, and Hermoine return for their 6th year of schooling.

Classes are harder for everyone in their 6th year, but Harry finds help from the "Half-Blood Prince," a former Potions student who made generous and useful notes in Harry's borrowed Potions textbook. In addition to classes, has extra responsibilities, such as Quidditch team captain for the Griffendor House. Furthermore, he finds himself in private tutoring lessons with Professor Dumbledore, the school's headmaster. In time, Harry learns the beginnings of the evil Lord Voldemort and discovers a truth so horrible it almost seems impossible.

Harry's 6th year at Hogwarts is filled with mystery, frustration, love, loss, deceit, fear, and bravery. It is Harry's hardest year yet, and he will face horrors he never imagined.

Al Capone Shines My Shoes -- Gennifer Choldenko

Alcatraz Island is home to some of the nation's most notorious criminals in 1935, including Al Capone. In addition to the convicts on the island, several families also live on Alcatraz. These are the families whose fathers work at the prison. Twelve-year old Moose Flanagan's family, made up of himself, his father, his mother, and his sister Natalie (who "has her wires crossed"), has lived on Alcatraz for about 8 months. Natalie has recenlty been admitted to a special school on the mainland, known as the Esther P. Marinoff school. It is a school that specializes in helping people who are different and who think differently from everyone else. Natalie's admittance into the school is a relief to her mother and father, but for Moose, it also means something else. For Moose, it means Al Capone helped him by pulling some strings and getting Natalie admitted. And soon, Moose finds out that it also means Capone will expect repayment. Before long, Moose finds out just what it is he owes Al Capone to repay the favor.

While Moose tries to do the right thing for everyone and make everyone happy, he struggles with keeping himself and his family from getting into trouble. If anyone were to find out he was doing favors for a con -- or that a con had done a favor for him -- his dad would lose his job! So Moose goes about trying to secretly help Al Capone, because he fears what the other cons would do to him if he doesn't help Al. Meanwhile, Moose also has to deal with his inexplicable attraction to the warden's beautiful, but spoiled, daughter Piper; the hurt feelings of his two best friends on the island, Jimmy and Annie; a lie that threatens to destroy the jobs of both his dad and his friend Jimmy's dad; and an escape scheme the cons develop that employs Natalie as a bar-spreader smuggler. Is Moose in over his head, or will he figure out a way to make everything right, like he always does?

Join Moose as he matures through life on the small island of Alcatraz and comes to realize that not everybody can be trusted or taken at face-value; that sometimes girls make no sense at all; and that sometimes he can't just comply to make others happy -- sometimes he has to take a stand to protect the ones he loves.