Mrs. Neill’s picks:

Hi,

I'm not a teacher, but when I was in the 6th grade, my favorite book was Mara, Daughter of the Nile by Eloise Jarvis McGraw. At our school library, we were not allowed to renew a book more than once, because there was usually a waiting list. So, I would get this book out, read it over & over, return it, then wait a week and do it again. I *loved* this book. I can remember reading it under the covers, with a flashlight. In fact, when I first started working at the Cranford Book Store this was the first book I researched and ordered for myself, just so I would have it forever. It has a strong female lead character; it has romance, history, mystery and intrigue. It did literally take me to another world, and with my love of history and ancient Egypt, that made it all the more compelling and exotic.