"Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

Hattie Big Sky is an inspirational book about a young girl looking for a better life. She trys to find it by going to work on her uncle's homestead out in Montana. She finds that everything is going to need alot of work including the house if you can even call it that. She goes through long and enduring work to plant all her crops and harvest them on time. She makes new friends that always willing to help her out but still there are some people that don't believe that a woman, especially of her age, should run a homestead by herself.

In Hattie's hard life will she still find time for herself to relax? Will she get the crops harvested on time? Find out in this exciting journey through the eyes of a young lonely girl in Hattie Big Sky. I would give this book a 4 out of 5.

"Buddha Boy" By Kathe Koja

This book focuses on a boy named Justin as he gets to know a boy called Jinsen, or as he is labeled by the others at school, "Buddha Boy." He wears over sized tie-dyed T-shirts with dragons on them, his head is shaven, he is always smiling, and is considered a freak. He also begs for change at lunch like a monk, and doesn't let things get to him. Normally, Justin would just avoid a person like Jinsen, but they are teamed up for a class project. At first, Justin just wants is to be over quickly, so he doesn't have to be around this strange kid. But Justin then learns of Jinsen's amazing talent in art, and then he starts to like him. However, none of the kids at school seem to feel the same, especially McManus, the school's social leader. I enjoyed reading this book, it helped me understand a little more about Buddhism, art, understanding, and Karma. I also enjoyed how the words were used together, making this book not only a story, but a work of art. I would recommend this book to anyone age 13 or over (due to language). I give this wondrous fantasy a five of five stars.