Muppet Treasure Island directed by Brian Henson

Muppet Treasure Island directed by Brian Henson is a hilarious, swash buckling adventure following young Jim Hawkins and his friends Gonzo and Rizzo as they come into possession of a treasure map and head off on an adventure to find it with the help of Captain Smollet and others.

But unbeknownst to them, there are a group of pirates who want the treasure too, and have devious plans of getting it back once they get to the island. But on the island, the good guys get the unexpected help of Benjamina Gunn, an old girlfriend of Captain Smollet's who was marooned by the bad guys. Will Jim Hawkins and his friends get the treasure, or will the pirates get it first?

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling follows twelve year old Harry Potter through his second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. His year starts off on the wrong foot when he and his friend Ron Weasley can't get through the barrier at Platform 9 and 3 Quarters, and decide, instead of sending an owl or waiting for Ron's parents, to take the magical car and drive it all the way to the school!

Of course they get in trouble for this, but this isn't Harry's worst problem. Something only Harry can hear, is going around the school petrifying students (and even 1 cat and a ghost!) Will Harry and his friends discover and defeat the monster before it kills someone, (like it did fifty years before)?

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling is the first book in the exciting adventures of Harry Potter and his friends Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley at their Wizarding School, Hogwarts.

The first book has Harry figuring out he's a wizard and setting off for school and having to face all sorts of difficulties and dangers because of Voldemort and his followers. This story involves Harry and his friends following clues to find out what the three headed dog in the third floor corridor is guarding, and who Nicholas Flamel is. And somebody at the school is out to get Harry, but is the the person Harry thinks it is?

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien is a classic tale that most people are familiar with. It has had many movies based on it, and it will probably be read consistently for many hundreds of years.

Frodo Baggins, the relative of Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit, becomes responsible for the One Ring which Bilbo just thought made him invisible, but is actually a very bad ring that is sentient, and wants to get back to Sauron so they can wreck the world together. Frodo Baggins is entrusted to take the ring back to Mordor where he must throw it into the lava of Mount Doom. To do this, he gets 8 companions, including his best friend, Sam Gamgee. But ring wraiths (bad undead guys in black cloaks) are after the ring! This book ends kind of in the middle of action, and is followed by The Two Towers and The Return of the King.

The Forgotten Locket by Lisa Mangum

The Forgotten Locket by Lisa Mangum, one of the most talented authors/editors I know, is an exciting fantasy/time travel story about a girl named Abby and her boyfriend Dante as well as Dante's brother Orlando, who are trying to stop the evil Zo (Lorenzo) from destorying time itself.

It is the third book in the series, and it is a great conclusion. Through devious ways, Zo tricks Abby into giving him her locket which contain's Dante's life force. But will Abby, Dante, and Orland be able to get it back and save the river of time from unraveling altogether? Read this exciting book and find out! This book is more for older kids and adults as it contains kissing. The scenes are clean and there is nothing more serious than PG in the book.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness is one of my favorite books of all time. I just finished listening to the audiobook, and I really enjoy it. Though (obviously) lacking the amazing pictures that help tell the story in the book, the audio book, narrated by Jason Isaacs tells the story just as well as the paper book.

Young Conor is stressed, worried, grieving. His mom is slowly dying of some unnamed disease, though it is strongly inferred that it is cancer, and he doesn't know how to deal with his emotions. Along comes a tough-love, compassionate monster formed from a yew tree that grows on a hill behind Conor's house. It patiently walks him through his emotions through different stories it tells him. In the end, Conor needs to tell one himself. A true story. But will he have the strength to face himself enough to do so? Read this wonderful tale, and find out!

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl is a delightful children's story about a little boy named James and how he goes on an adventure with some unusual friends.

Poor little James is forced to live with his wicked aunts, Aunt Spiker and Aunt Sponge after his parents are eaten by a rinoceros. One day, he encounters a strange little man who gives him a paper back filled with strange, wiggling cristals, and shortly after that, an old peach tree that didn't have so much as a leaf on it before, begins to grow an enormous peach! What happens after James discovers what (or who) is inside the peach? Read this fun book and find out!