Below are some of the books I’ve been reading this month; note that the following will contain spoilers:

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, by J. K. Rowling – The sixth book in the Harry Potter series finds Harry attempting to discover what Draco Malfoy is up to and learning more about Lord Voldemort in order to thwart his plans. The reader is also introduced to Professor Horace Slughorn. The over all story really starts to unfold in this novel and, even though the book is told from Harry’s point of view, it’s easy to see secondary and even tertiary characters develop. Although this is a great read aloud, it is also quite dark. There are some scary bits, some adult humour, death, and characters who take the Lord’s name in vain, so I strongly suggest reading it beforehand to make sure the themes will be okay for everyone listening.

Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke – The first in the Inkworld series introduces the reader to Meggie and her book repair father, Mortimer. This is a story I had been wanting to read for a number of years. In many ways it was an easy read and full of action, adventure, suspense. However, it was also a bit of a more intense read than I was anticipating. I had to put the book down a number of times because my mind was so full with what had happened in the chapters I had just finished. I think it could be because I was trying to figure out if certain characters were actually good and if certain characters would still be alive by the end of the story. I love that each chapter begins with a quote from a book. Despite there being some scary bits and the Lord’s name taken in vain a number of times, I think this book could be a good read aloud but I would suggest reading it first to make sure it is appropriate for your audience. It does end on a sort of cliffhanger.

Song of the Sparrow, by Lisa Ann Sandell – This book expands on the Arthurian legends. It follows Elaine, a teenage girl who lives with her father and brothers in the war camp of Arthur before he reigns as king. It is a fairly quick read and very lyrical, written in non-rhyming verse. There is also a list of suggested reads if you are interested in more about the legends and history.

The Green Ember, by S. D. Smith – The first in The Green Ember series finds the reader following brother and sister rabbits Heather and Picket as their world turns upside down. Suddenly thrust into what they once thought were stories of long ago, they are in the fight of their lives as tales their parents used to tell them come alive around them. Action, adventure, betrayal, loyalty, hard work, and learning to control one’s emotions are only some of the themes in this book. This is a great read aloud.

The Never-Ending Story, by Michael Ende – This is an epic story, fun and whimsical, with mind-bending rules and ideas and hilarious characters that fill the pages. I started this book so many years ago that I honestly don’t remember if I even finished it, but it has been sitting on my bookshelf waiting patiently for me to pick it up again. Each chapter begins with a different letter of the English alphabet, going in order from A-Z, which is such fun. This tale follows the world of Fantastica, its ruler, the Childlike Empress, the warrior Atreyu, and a timid, bullied boy from our world named Bastian. There are some scary bits in this story with bullying, and I suggest reading it first to make sure it’s appropriate for your audience, but over all I think it’s a great read aloud.