Romeo and Juliet Young Adult Novels Independent Reading Project Son of the Mob, Gordon Korman Vince Luca is a regular high school guy. He has regular problems like any other person, such as his best friend Alex who keeps trying to beat him at everything, and his father, who tells him he must become serious in life. But there is only one difference between him and other kids - his father is the head of a huge criminal organization. There are many advantages to this relationship however. For example, if Vince ever gets poor grades, his teachers will automatically change his marks, thinking that his father will kill them. But Vince is thinking about the future. How will new people he meets react to his family relations? Would he ever be offered a job anywhere? Would he ever be expected to carry on his father's business after completing high school? And the biggest question of all - How will he explain to a girl what his father does for a living? The tempo of the book rises when Vince finally thinks he has found someone. But instead of his dad being the problem between their love life, the girl's dad seems to be the problem. The problem is that her father is an FBI agent, who is working day and night to stash Vince's father in jail! From here, the book shows the son of the mob's struggle in his social life, and how he tries to overcome all obstacles. Scribbler of Dreams, Mary E. Pearson Kaitlin Malone and her sister had to transfer to the public high school. They were registered under their mother's maiden name to protect their identity. Their father had killed Robert Crutchfield and their mother felt this would make things easier for them. The Malones have been feuding with the Cruthfields for several generations and his death was a result of this conflict. Kaitlin meets a very special guy at her new school and they immediately fall in love. She has a major problem: he is Bram Crutchfield, son of Robert Crutchfield. Bram does not know that she is a Malone. Her family does not know Bram is a Crutchfield. Kaitlin's lies continue to build until they explode around her. The future of the Crutchfield/Malone feud depends on Kaitlin and Bram to either continue the conflict or to defuse it. Countess Below Stairs, Eva Ibbotson After the russian revolution turns her world topsy-turvy, Anna, a young russian countess, has no choice but to flee to england. penniless, Anna hides her aristocratic background and takes a job as servant in the household of the esteemed westerholme family, armed only with an outdated housekeeping manual and sheer determination. Desperate to keep her past a secret, Anna is nearly overwhelmed by her new duties—not to mention her instant attraction to rupert, the handsome earl of westerholme. to make matters worse, rupert appears to be falling for her as well. As their attraction grows stronger, Anna finds it more and more difficult to keep her most dearly held secrets from unraveling. And then there’s the small matter of rupert’s beautiful and nasty fiancée... Saving Juliet, Suzanne Selfors Seventeen-year-old Mimi Wallingford, of the Broadway Wallingfords, has a life most girls can only dream of—complete with the starring role in her family’s production of Romeo and Juliet. But acting is not her dream, and she’s fighting for the right to trade her script for a scalpel and become a doctor. Fourteen-year-old Juliet Capulet, of the Verona Capulets, has lived a lonely life—imprisoned by the feud that consumes her family and by her iron-fisted mother’s forcing her into an unwanted marriage. She will do anything to avoid her betrothed, even if it requires faking a boil on her bottom—or something more dangerous. During the play’s final performance, Mimi’s wish to get away actually comes true when she and her heartthrob costar, Troy Summer, are magically transported into Shakespeare’s Verona. Now that she knows the real Juliet, Mimi doesn’t want to stand by and allow the play to reach its tragic end. But if saving her new friend means changing the ending of the greatest love story of all time, will she and Troy ever make it back to Broadway? Once Upon a Marigold, Jean Ferris – Regular Only "Part comedy, part love story, part everything-but-the-kitchen-sink." "A young man with a mysterious past and a penchant for inventing things leaves the troll who raised him, meets an unhappy princess he has loved from afar, and discovers a plot against her and her father." Princess Marigold is blessed (or cursed as one might see it) with a special fairy gift, and has a habit of rejecting suitors; the conniving step-mother who dabbles with poisons and the Dark Arts and, who naturally will stop at nothing to attain power; the seemingly befuddled but likeable old king; and finally, a dashing young hero with a mysterious past, raised by a troll, and whose hobby it is to invent gadgets. Just Ella, Margaret Peterson Haddix – Regular Only A 15-year-old girl is forced to work for her evil stepmother after her father died. Like every commoner she dreams of going to the ball, meeting Prince Charming, and having a luxurious life in a palace. When she is chosen to marry the prince she finds herself trapped in a cobweb of etiquette, and people trying to force her to be something that she is not. Ella is a headstrong and determined commoner who loves to read and to be outside. She is very smart, and loves to learn when she is interested in something. When she has to learn rules and needlepoint at the castle she feels bored and out of place. Jed, her tutor and best friend, is also very important in this story. He dreams but never really takes action about anything. An example is that he wants to start a refugee shelter, but since the prince won't fund him, he has almost given up. Now Ella must choose between a life of luxuries and riches or happiness. Can Ella choose what is right and live happily ever after? The Smile, Donna Jo Napoli – Honors Only In the Florentine countryside, Monna Elisabetta struggles to become the noblewoman she's destined to be. Although her father is challenged to keep his silk business thriving during difficult economic times, Monna's mother is planning to give her an elaborate 13th birthday party in order to meet a suitable husband. But upon Mamma's sudden death, the event is canceled, and Monna turns her grief into preparing meals and working alongside her father. His friend Leonardo da Vinci has introduced her to Giuliano de' Medici, who becomes smitten with her smile. When her father remarries into nobility, Monna is forced into an arranged marriage, despite the fact that she has given her heart to Giuliano. This tribute to the woman behind Leonardo's masterpiece is another wonderfully researched and well-crafted novel from Napoli. Artfully blending fact and fiction, the author tells a tender story of a girl coming of age during a turbulent time. Readers will be moved by the plight of this three-dimensional protagonist Twelfth Night, William Shakespeare – Honors Only In the two major subplots of the play, Sebastian (Viola's twin, presumed dead) comes ashore in Illyria thinking that Viola has drowned in the shipwreck. A man named Antonio rescued him from the surf, and continues to aid him—at some risk to himself, as Antonio fought against the Duke at one time. Meanwhile, in Olivia's house, Sir Toby Belch (her uncle) has hoodwinked a foppish Sir Andrew Aguecheek into supporting him by convincing him that he could be a suitor to Olivia. There is a running feud between Malvolio and Belch; with the help of Maria, Olivia's maid, and Feste, a clown, Belch plots to make a buffoon of the steward. Maria writes a love letter to Malvolio that will make him think Olivia has fallen for him. Malvolio falls entirely for the sport, which eventually leads to his confinement as a madman. All the while, Belch is egging Sir Andrew into a duel with Viola's "Cesario" character as she departs from Olivia; Olivia is now entirely smitten with Cesario, even though Viola continues to press Orsino's cause. As Viola and Sir Andrew prepare for a duel that neither one wants, Antonio happens upon the scene. Believing Viola to be Sebastian, he intervenes and is arrested. Viola, of course, does not recognize Antonio. Later, Belch and Sir Andrew encounter Sebastian, who doesn't back down from Aguecheek when challenged and resoundingly beats him. Olivia intervenes in the matter, and—mistaking Sebastian for Viola/Cesario—presses her suit for him. A bemused Sebastian agrees to marry her. Romiette and Julio, Sharon Draper – Took Out When Romiette Cappelle and her best friend Destiny, decide to order The Scientific Soul Mate System from the back of the Heavy Hunks magazine, they're not sure what they're getting into. But Destiny, a selfproclaimed psychic, assure Romi that for $44.99 plus shipping and handling, it's the only way they're ever going to find out who their soul mates really are. If nothing else, maybe Romi will get some insight into that recurring dream she's been having about fire and water. But they are never expect that the scented candle and tube of dream ointment will live up to their promises and merge Romiette's destiny with Julio Montague, a boy she's just met in the "cosmos" of an International chat room. It turns out they go to the same high school, not to mention having almost the same names as Shakespeare's famous lovers! Sweet-scented dreams of Julio have almost overtaken Romi's nightmares... ......when suddenly they return , but this time in real life. It seems the Devildogs, a local gang, violently oppose the relationship of Romiette and Julio. Soon they find themselves haunted by the purple-clad shadows of the gang, and the fire and water of Romiette's dream merge in ways more terrifying-and ultimately more affirming- than even Destiny could have foreseen. The Shakespeare Stealer, Gary Blackwood Steal Shakespeare's play Hamlet or else. That's the mission from his master, Simon Bass. Widge is a poor orphan who has the rare ability to write a unique coded shorthand that he learned from a previous master. He has no choice but to follow these orders. So Widge works his way into the Globe Theatre, where Shakespeare's troupe rehearses and performs. This is where Widge's life changes forever. At all costs he must hide his real reason for being there from Shakespeare and his players, who take him in and treat him as one of their own. He begins to like the theatre and his new friends. Maybe he could hide out and stay there. However his master's henchman, Falconer, is combing the city looking for his master's property. Will he do it? Will Widge take the book betraying his new friends and giving up his first chance he has ever had to belong? Read the book...