Good Reads

In this re-imagining of Shakespeare's famous tragedy, it is Ophelia who takes center stage. A rowdy, motherless girl, she grows up at Elsinore Castle to become the queen's most trusted lady-in-waiting. She catches the attention of the captivating, dark-haired Prince Hamlet, and their love blossoms in secret. But bloody deeds soon turn Denmark into a place of madness, and ultimately, Ophelia must choose between her love for Hamlet and her own life. In desperation, Ophelia devises a treacherous plan to escape from Elsinore forever . . . with one very dangerous secret, she is pregnant with Hamlet's child. Sharp and literary, dark and romantic, this dramatic story holds readers in its grip until the final, heartrending scene. ...More

"Star Crossed Lovers" - When Romiette Cappelle meets Julio Montague, she feels as though she has met the soul mate who can rescue her from her recurring nightmare about fire and water. But like the Shakespearean characters whose names echo theirs, Romiette and Julio discover that not everyone approves of their budding romance. In their case, it is because Romiette is African-American and Julio is Hispanic, and the Devildogs, a dangerous local gang, violently oppose their interracial relationship.

When the Devildogs threaten to teach them a lesson, Romiette and Julio come up with a risky plan to escape from the gang's fearsome shadow. But things go terribly awry, and the two find themselves caught up in a deadly reality more frightening that Romiette's nightmare -- and in a desperate struggle to avoid the tragic fate of Shakespeare's fam ...More

Shakespeare's classic retold from another perspective. Rosaline won't let anyone or anything get in the way of her future as a healer. That is, until she meets Benvolio. Where Romeo's words had been hollow and unfounded, Benvolio's are filled with sincerity and true love. Now Rosaline finds herself caught between her feelings, her ambition, and her family's long-standing feud with the Montagues.

When Romeo turns his affections toward Ros's cousin, Juliet, their relationship brings the feud of the two houses to a new level. Rosaline and Benvolio hatch a plan to bring peace to the two families. But will they succeed? ...More

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A teenaged fairy decides to direct her own wacky real-life version of A Midsummer Night's Dream in this hilarious novel. When Gretta, a fairy-godmother-in-training, offers her magic services to Morgan Yates, how can Morgan refuse? Gretta promises that she can put together a love charm guaranteed to make Morgan's crush, Ben, fall madly in love with her. But soon Morgan, her friends, family, and even teachers are falling under spells that have hilarious results. ...More

Ariel is beautiful and magical, a creator of dreams and of mischief.

Sprung from the mind of a dazed sailor shipwrecked in the Bermuda Triangle, she rules half of her enchanted isle, dreaming of the savior from the east who will help her conquer all. When Prospero, a lost mariner, appears on the beach, his young daughter, Miranda, in tow, Ariel entices him with her visions of conquest. Together, she promises, they will defeat the mysterious tribe whose drums beat beyond the island's rain forest. The homesick Prospero struggles to resist Ariel's charms, but he almost falls under her spell when Miranda falls in love with their servant, the island boy Caliban. Ariel wants to march west, Prospero wants to sail east, and daughter Miranda wants to play on the beach with her boyfriend. Their clash comes to a head when Ariel, summoning her fu ...More

Using Shakespeare's classic play as a framework, this gripping novel gives voice to Ophelia. Since his father's death, her beloved Hamlet has descended into depression. To make matters worse, the Danish court is filled with deceit. It's up to Ophelia to find a way to save her prince and herself. ...More

A BookPage Notable Title

Now in the fourth installment of Fforde's one-of-a-kind series, Thursday Next returns to Swindon from the BookWorld accompanied by her son Friday and none other than the dithering Hamlet. But returning to SpecOps is no snap-as outlaw fictioner Yorrick Kaine plots for absolute power, the return of Swindon's patron saint foretells doom, and, if that isn't bad enough, The Merry Wives of Windsor is becoming entangled with Hamlet. Can Thursday find a Shakespeare clone to stop this hostile takeover? Can she vanquish Kaine and prevent the world from plunging into war? And will she ever find reliable child care? ...More

The stage is set for mayhem, magic, and misunderstandings in this hilarious retelling of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" set in a modern-day high school. ...More

A story of star-crossed urban love by two-time National Book Award finalist Walter Dean Myers.

Have you ever loved someone from the wrong side of the tracks? Damien has everything going for him. His family wants him to date Roxanne. He falls for Junice, whose life is totally messed up. But Junice tells him that he's the one who needs the reality check.

Sometimes the greatest obstacle to finding true love is ourselves.

Harlem meets Shakespeare in this fresh, original free-verse novel by Michael L. Printz Award winner Walter Dean Myers.

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This moving, historically based account examines the life of Marie van Goethem, a 14-year-old ballet dancer in the famed Paris Opera who was the model for Edgar Degas's most famous sculpture, "Little Dancer Aged Fourteen." ...More

Told in a diary format, this debut novel tells the story of William Shakespeare's daughter, who offer a humorous, witty perspective of Elizabethan England and an unconventional glimpse into the life of the famed Bard's family. ...More

Australian author Ranulfo has cracked open the story of "Hamlet," and "Joker" is what he's glued back together. 208 p. ...More

In this highly entertaining novel, Laurie Lawlor muses on a historical mystery: how there came to be two different marriage license applications taken out on consecutive dates in November 1582 between eighteen-year-old William Shakespeare and two different women, both named Anne. ...More

""Go out and fall in love with somebody! It'll do your understanding of literature the world of good."

For Casey and Stew, this advice from their English teacher is just the beginning. How exactly do they fall in love? Casey meets Dean at a party. Dean is gorgeous, he rides a motorcycle, and he's dancing with her. But Casey soon discovers that Dean's rebel-without-a-cause act can only go so far.

Stew meets Lucy at the school dance concert. He's doing the lighting; she's the star. Everything is going well--until Stew realizes that Lucy's dancing will always come first.

Literature is one thing, but what happens if the person you fall in love with doesn't fall back?

"From the Hardcover edition. ...More

2007 Grand Canyon Reader Award Winner - Teen Books
2005 Kentucky Bluegrass Award - Grades 9-12

Vince Luca is just like any other high school guy--except that his father is the head of a powerful crime organization. When Vince meets a girl, her family turns out to be the biggest problem of all--because her father is an FBI agent. ...More

Blue's new challenge is tackling the greatest mystery in all literature; Who wrote Shakespeare's plays? Blue is sure that Edward deVere, the Earl of Oxford is the true and long-hidden author of the greatest plays in English. But whether he can prove Oxford really wrote Shakespeare's plays is up to the reader. ...More

The eighth grade's plan to get two reluctant "lovers" together by means of a classroom production of Shakespeare's play has some very unexpected results. ...More

Avalon High seems like a typical high school, attended by typical students: There's Lance, the jock. Jennifer, the cheerleader. And Will, senior class president, quarterback, and all-around good guy.

But not everybody at Avalon High is who they appear to be ... not even, as new student Ellie is about to discover, herself. What part does she play in the drama that is unfolding? What if the bizarre chain of events and coincidences she has pieced together means -- as with the court of King Arthur -- tragedy is fast approaching Avalon High?

Worst of all, what if there's nothing she can do about it? ...More