Journal of a Schoolyard Bully by Farley Katz

Niko Kaylor is feared by all-at least, he is feared by all in his middle school! He takes lunch money from innocent nerds and gives anyone willing to face his wrath the ultimate wedgie. When he gets caught, though, and he has to keep a journal of what he does in order to stop his bullying, he actually makes his feelings into a guide for wanna-be bullies. Finally, after weeks and months of being an angel, Niko makes a plan to take down the middle school once and for all, giving everyone, including the teachers and adult staff, a good lesson in bullying.

I thought this book was all right. When I was browsing for a new book, the description said that if you liked the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series that you would like this. Well, being a Wimpy fan, I got the book. I would read it again, but it wasn't my most favorite book in the world. It was somewhat hard for me to believe in Niko Kaylor, the main character, as a real person. He does things that most bullies wouldn't even think of! He dunks kids in the toilet, he launches smell planes, and more! I think that the reason that I can't believe that he is real is because this is a fiction book. oh, well! All in all, it was a fairly good book, and if you like cartoon novels, I would recommend it.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Hopkins, Michigan USA

The Gecko and Sticky : The Greatest Power by Wendelin Van Draanen

The Gecko and Sticky: The Greatest Power is the second book in The Gecko and Sticky series. It is a hilarious action novel in which 13-year-old Dave Sanchez and his gecko named Sticky battle the infamous Damien Black. Dave has a magical ancient Aztec wristband that was previously owned by Damien. The wristband has a slot for an ingot that gives the wearer of the wristband a special ability. Different ingots give the wearer different abilities. In The Greatest Power, Dave must recover items stolen by Damien, including money and a ring.

I found the story absolutely ridiculous at first, but then I couldn't put it down because the story was told so entertainingly. Part of what makes the story so entertaining is the playful wordplay that is rhythmic and rhymes. For example, on the first page, a gun is described as "a multi-muzzled, peculiar puzzle of a gun." The story is also entertaining because of the humor, which made me smile and occasionally laugh out loud. The wordplay plus the magnificently drawn illustrations give the story a cartoon-like feel. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cartoons.

Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Sammamish, WA USA

Knucklehead by Jon Scieszka

This book is about a boy with five other brothers. He is the second born and they get in a lot of trouble together. They also have a lot of fun. They are average boys with average boy dreams. They like the Law Of The Pack promise because to them it means they should run around like a bunch of wild animals.

This book is action packed and realistic. My favorite part is that it is so funny. It is even hysterical at times. It tells about living with five other brothers. They even made up their own game called Slaughter Ball. In Slaughter Ball you jump on the guy with the ball. Boys like that kind of thing. The realistic humor is why I like this book.

Reviewer Age:11
Leopold, Missouri USA