Keeper Of The Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

Sophie Foster is a 12 year old misfit. But all that changes when she meets a strange boy named Fitz who has the same special talent Sophie has: They can both read minds. Join Sophie on her adventure in a new world as she tries to find who she really is, and what she really is. If you like suspense, action, emotion, and magic you should definitely read Keeper of the Lost Cities.This book was amazing! I'd have to say it was the best Flamingnet book I have read yet. I didn't want to put it down. The book made me think of things in ways I'd never have thought to. Each chapter got better and better and better. The characters were developed so strongly. I want to give this author a round of applause.Reviewer Age:10Reviewer City, State and Country: Charlotte, NC United States of America

Faking It by Joseph K. Smith

The Revolutionary War was going on, and Deborah Sampson wanted to fight for her country. Disguised as a man, Deborah became a soldier. Although she experienced many setbacks and close calls, Deborah kept on trying. All through her life, she fought for what she believed in. Deborah gave many speeches and presentations. She inspires many people to be brave and go for their dreams. Deborah is now the official heroine of a state.
Although a wonderful topic, this biography seems to drag. It seems the story could have been more exciting; more of a page-turner. It is more of a narrative about her life than an engaging story. It has no dialog. The timeline was interesting because it showed what was going on in her life during famous historical events. The Introduction, Conclusion, and timeline turned out to be the best parts of the book. Faking It is much shorter than I thought, which could be good or bad depending on the age of the reader. All in all, it is sort of a dull book that I do not highly recommend.

Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Calhoun, GA USA

When Life Gives You O.J. by Erica S. Perl

A girl named Zelly really wants a dog. Her parents, on the other hand, aren't so willing to give in. They don't think she's quite ready for the responsibility. But when Zelly's grandpa, Ace (as everyone calls him) comes up with an idea involving an orange juice jug and some extra imagination, things change. You'll need to read the book to find out the rest!!

I was a HUGE fan of this book! I thought the author used a lot of imagination, and was thoughtful and amusing. I also really enjoyed how the author maintained the very humorous spirit of the character of Ace throughout the book. Of course, the other characters' spirits were maintained, too, but there was something in the way the author created Ace that was very entertaining. If you read the book, I have a feeling you'll know exactly what I mean...I don't want to spoil YOUR experience of reading it! The only problem I found was that I wanted the author to write more, like a series or something! I would most definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a little fun!!!

Reviewer Age:10

Reviewer City, State and Country: Evanston, IL USA

Ask Amy Green: Summer Secrets by Sarah Webb

Amy Green's life had just gotten perfect, and then her family had to go and ruin it. Her parents decided to go on a family trip; with her mom's ex-husband and his wife and kids. Meanwhile, her new boyfriend is going to be spending the summer in Rome, without her. Thankfully her cousin Clover is going too, so Amy won't go nuts while on vacation. Just as Amy's summer started to take a turn for the worse, Clover's magazine company decides to send her to the U.S. to interview America's new teen movie star and uncover his secrets. The best part is: Amy gets to go with her! Will Amy's summer finally get better, or will it only get worse?



Sarah Webb has put together a wonderful book for teens. This book takes place mainly in Ireland, and it uses just the right amount of the Gaelic language to make the setting authentic. The only thing I would have added would be a glossary at the end of the book to tell the readers what the different phrases of Gaelic mean. I would recommend this book to younger teens, and girls in-between the ages of twelve and fourteen.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fresno, California USA

It's all a Matter of Taste

Tucked into a little corner of an inside page of the entertainment section of my local paper are a few spare lines about a couple of books. Although print reviews are becoming scarcer, review blogs, like this one, are becoming much more ubiquitous. What do all these reviews have in common? They were placed there by someone the average reader knows nothing about. We don’t know what other books s/he’s read or liked. We don’t know if s/he has the same taste in books as we do. We don’t even know if s/he actually read the book. Most book reviewers have a pile of books to read through, and many of them have deadlines! With over 800 new books published daily, it’s no wonder that so many books get lost in the shuffle. Perhaps some reviewers don’t (or can’t) take the time to read each one cover to cover, so they just skim them. Perhaps that explains why I couldn’t even get through the last book I tried to read, even though it was covered in praise by several prestigious periodicals and the fourth book by an author whose previous three books I highly enjoyed.

It’s all a matter of taste.

Different people like different things. When it comes right down to it, even the name of the author isn’t a guarantee one’s time reading a new book will be enjoyable, although it helps. Chances are, if you enjoyed an author’s first book, you will enjoy their second. If you enjoyed the first two, likely you will enjoy the third. But this isn’t always the case, as I’ve quit authors halfway through the series because it no longer appealed to me for one reason or another. So, when authors no longer entertain us, we must turn to new authors and new books. Trying new authors is always a risk I approach with caution, often re-reading books I’ve previously enjoyed before risking someone new. Even authors who have received the praise of millions may leave me bored. However, we must give new authors a chance, and reviews often help us take these calculated risks with our precious time. Especially if those reviews come from reviewers with whom we’ve built a relationship. Reviewers we have come to trust because their opinions closely match our own.

It’s all a matter of taste.

In the 5 weeks since it’s release, Rowan of the Wood has had overwhelmingly great reviews and has won a National Award! We keep hearing that our readers “couldn’t put it down” or they’re asking when the sequel will be out because they "can't wait" to find out what happens next. Take a look at our review page. Okay, it still is a matter of taste, but could so many diverse people be wrong? ;-) …so…take a chance on these new authors! The book is available now via Amazon (Kindle, too) and wherever books are sold.

Christine and Ethan Rose are the authors of the new YA fantasy novel Rowan of the Wood. They live in Austin, TX with their three dogs and Shadow the Cat.
http://www.christineandethanrose.com/* http://www.rowanofthewood.com/