Donna Walker's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Some magic is best not to be born with.In a world controlled by magic, not everyone wants the “honor” of being an Elemental Priestess and becoming a slave to the Church of Four Orders. But when Ria calls upon magic to save her best friend’s life, she discovers there is something worse than being able to control water, air, fire, or earth. There is another power, one that is forbidden, and its use is punishable by death.Ria must flee everything she has known to outrun a creature sent to capture those who use tainted magic. Her best chance of success… show more.

Nicole Williams is an Arete—a fourth child with magical abilities—yet no matter how hard she tries, she can’t Channel her power. In fact, she seems to be the only student at Katon University who fails at magic.That doesn’t stop magic from finding her. It starts with possessed books and cursed spiders before moving quickly to freaky shadows and magical currents. Nicole turns to her best friend for help, along with fellow student Austin Young, who is considered by all a magical rarity. He also happens to be the hottest guy on campus and just might be interested in her.Nicole soon… show more.

Considered the innovator of "horizontal history," Genevieve Foster became frustrated when her two school-aged children complained about the boring presentation of history in their school textbooks. This frustration led to Foster's first book, George Washington's World (1941).

In her unique approach, Foster weaves a story of the world around her central character; rather than focusing exclusively on geo-political events, as most textbooks do, she includes stories of scientific discovery and invention, music, literature, art, and religion. Her keen intuition for stories will especially delight and amuse youthful readers.

In Augustus Caesar's World, Foster traces the seven major civilizations of Rome,… show more.