Sam I Am By: Ilene Cooper

In this book, a boy named Sam has a very diverse family. His dad is Jewish. His mom is Christian. His grandmas are very religious, and don't appreciate the other religion. Sam is very confused about his religion, and trys to talk to God. He doesn't get the answers he expected. Then Sam's class starts learning about the Holocaust, which greatly upsets him. Meanwhile, Sam is acting like any other teenage boy. He is fantasizing about going out with a girl (he eventually gets his dream), who everyone else thinks is snobby.

This book was all right. I liked it because I can relate to Sam because my household has two different religions in it, and I think that other people could also relate to Sam in this way. The book had faults though. There were parts where it could have ended, and I would have been pleased. It just seemed to keep going on and on.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6

Review By: RC

Trick of the Mind By: Judy Waite

This book is about the lives of two teenagers, Matt and Erin. Erin is a magician and loves being one. Matt is a sensitive boy, who is considered by basically everyone he knows a stupid troublmaker. Then one day Matt and Erin both go to the castle, a popular hang-out place, Erin goes to the castle to put on a magic show and Matt goes to see the girl of his dreams. At first sight of Matt, Erin sees love, and at first sight of Erin, Matt sees a very good magician, and nothing else. Matt starts to hang-out with Erin out of pity, and Erin, in hopes of getting Matt to like her teaches him magic tricks. But when life at home takes an unexpected turn for the worse for Matt, he runs away, and finds the only way of survival for him is to use the magic tricks Erin taught to him. During Matt's time on the streets, he starts to learn of a special talent he has. However, Matt is in deep trouble at home, and the only person who can defend him is Erin.

I thought "Trick of the Mind" was a very well written book that had many surprises in it. The parts after Matt ran away really shocked me, and those parts really showed you what the characters in the story were like when they were under pressure, caught off guard, or had their feelings hurt. When those things happened, you would get more insight into what Matt and Erin were really like. The best part of the book, in my opinion, would have to be the ending, mainly because it never explained what would happen to Matt or if the police would believe Erin. The book left you to imagine what would happen next. The only thing that I didn't like about the book was the fact that Erin kept falling for Matt and then how that love she had for Matt ended up hurting her. The book really shows you that things aren't always as you want them to be no matter how much you try to make them that way.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Review by: VB

Small Eternities by Michael Lawrence

What if there actually are realities existing at the same time as ours? What if that one choice you made so long ago created another world of simultaneous but slightly different events that overlaps your own? And what if you somehow found a way to cross over to that parallel universe and meet someone on the other side?

That's exactly what happened in the first of Michael Lawrence's trilogy of novels, "A Crack in the Line," where Alaric and Naia – two teens with the same parents, same house, and only slightly different lives – accidentally and irreversibly switched places. In the sequel, "Small Eternities," each is living the other's life, and they're the only ones who remember the way it used to be. Three months after they switched, Alaric is happier than he's ever been, but Naia is barely learning to survive. At the same time – but in a different time – a young boy named Aldous unknowingly moves along toward a fate that seems inevitable, existing only in a "small eternity," a short time in 1945 right before he dies. Or does he? Because Alaric and Naia have met up again, within this small eternity, and anything they do can change the future of the past.

Sound confusing? It is, at first. "Small Eternities" asks a lot of its readers. You might have to re-read a few pages every now and then, or go back and check something you thought you noticed a couple chapters ago. In fact, the moment I finished the last page I just had to start again with the first page, reading with a new understanding.
This isn't some lazy summer read, but it's definitely worth the extra work. This is a book to read with a couple of friends; a book that inspires discussion; a book that you'll have to set aside a few hours to finish because you won't want to have to put it down; a book that definitely deserves praise.

Rating (0 - 10): 9

Reviewed by Beckie Sheffield for Flamingnet Book Reviews
www.flamingnet.com

The Ranger's Appentice by John Flanagan

Will's life is a complete mystery. Other than the fact that his father died a hero, he knows nothing about his parents death or life. Hoping to follow in his father's footsteps, he asks to get into the Battleschool. Unfortunately, he gets refused. As he is about to steal a paper that could possibly change his life, he learns something that will. The Baron and Halt (the Ranger) catch him, but that's not the reason for their interruption. Will shall have to face his fears in order to become a Ranger's Apprentice.

The Ranger's Apprentice was an extremely well-written story. The descriptions of objects were excellent. I enjoyed the freshness of the character's personality. The clashes of that sort were exceptional. I can't seem to place critisism on any specific part, so the book was consistently good. I think the only bad things were the extremely slow first 75 pages and the annoying British spelling and lingo. You need a VERY extensive vocabulary to get through it. I would have preferred a more in-depth look at the final battle. With all that said, this was one of my favorite fantasy books yet.

RATING: 8

REVIEWER NAME: Josh McLucas

The Waterless Sea

Calwyn and her other chanter friends are out on a routine
run. Their job is to put an end to piracy. Heben is a captive on a
pirate ship. His goal is to find chanters that can help him free his
twin siblings. They meet.

Calwyn has never been herself since Darrow left. When Heben
comes to her and her friends with his request for help, she can hardly refuse.
Maybe it will take her mind off Darrow for a while. She has no idea
what she is about to begin. Rescuing chanter children is no easy
matter. Especially when, as Calwyn eventually finds out, one is
being held in a palace and the other is in the lair of the iron chanters.
Darrow knows he has to help her. He knows what it is like to live in
the Black Palace and the dangers that come with it. When Calwyn
rescues the children and, using new-found powers, begins the healing
of Merithuros to prevent a war, she doesn't realize what she is about
to lose. Her worst fears might have become reality after all.

The Waterless Sea is suspense through and through. Fantasy,
love, danger, and friends intertwine to create a masterpiece. Kate
Constable paints vivid pictures in your mind. She shows you
everything, even the character's expressions and feelings. You feel
as if you are three different people all at once. You feel different
emotions; you see different things, and yet it's as if you aren't in
the least confused by it. It seems natural. The Waterless Sea is so
different from any other book that the reader almost expects the same
feelings the next time he/she picks up a book. You love the tons of
different feelings running through you, and yet you hate them too. You
want something to happen; you're sure it's going to; every sense in
your body encourages the words to be as they want them, but it is
never as you want. Something different and unexpected happens each
time. When you come to the end of the book, which is by no means the
end of the adventure, you reread the end again and again, unbelieving.
You almost feel like if you read it again, it will change, but it
never does. Readers will have a hard time waiting for the third in
the Chanters of Tremaris Trilogy.

Reviewed by a Flamingnet Student Reviewer

Cirque du Freak : Killers of the Dawn by Darren Shan

The newest book in the "Cirque Du Freak" series is as jaw dropping than the last. Now Darren Shan and the other Vampaneze hunters were hot on the trail of the Vampaneze Lord when Darren's girlfriend was captured by R.V while in the sewers. Darren and the other Vampaneze must now escape the Vampaneze driven police and a mob whom ar ready to kill in order to save Debbie and complete their goal in order to save the Vampires from the war between the Vampaneze and the Vampires. This, however, may cost more than Darren can handle.

As I said before the book is jaw dropping and I belive it is the best in the series. The writer kept me intrested the whole way trough with suspence and intriegue. After a while you can really start to feel for Darren and the other characters. All of the great writing methods were used to the best and that is why "Cirque Du Freak : Killers of the Dawn" gets its score.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10

Reviewed by Flamingnet Student Reviewer

Totally Joe By: James Howe

This book takes place in the present day in a small town called Paintbrush Falls. Joe Bunch is your typical teenager. He has bullies to deal with, wacko teachers, but Joe also has something a lot of us don't have to deal with; he is gay. Now Joe is fine with all of Paintbrush Falls knowing he is gay, but his boyfriend Collin isn't. So throughout the book Joe and his friends try to convince Paintbrush Falls that there is nothing wrong with being gay. Then when Joe's Aunt Pam brings Joe a ton of supporting gay birthday presents, Joe resolves to put 100% into convincing Paintbrush Falls.

I thought that the style Mr. Howe wrote the book fit really well with the story plot. It chronicals Joe's life from the beginning of the school year in October to the end of the school year in May. Unfortunetly it was hard at first for me to get a grip of what was going on, but soon afterwards I got it. Overall the book is a must read and I reccomend it highly to all avid readers.

Rating: 9

Reviewed by a Flamingnet Student Reviewer

The Wizard Test

Dayven and his cousin Soren, are a watcherlads in their city; they serve a powerful leader, Lord Enar, and train as warriors, preparing for an imminent war with a neighboring city. Despite this, the day that Dayven turns fourteen, he must take the Wizard Test to see if he has the capabilities to be a wizard. The wizard who administers the test finds that he is one of the very few who displays an ability to become a wizard. However, wizards are disliked and distrusted by many citizens. For this and numerous other reasons, Dayven is quite reluctant to become a wizard. Lord Enar makes a pact with Dayven to begin the wizard training, but to spy on the wizards to make sure that they will be dependable source of help when the war starts. Dayvan must choose who to be faithful to, Lord Enar, Soren, and his city or the wizards and their cause.

“The Wizard Test” was a short book that had very little action until the last 20 or so pages. Nevertheless, the problem that Dayvan faced in the end was well created and very relevant to the focus of the whole book. The dialogue was easy to read, but some of things that characters said were unrealistic for their situations. For example, when Dayvan starts learning how to be a wizard, his teacher treats him like he has known Dayvan for all his life, rather than for 10 minutes. Even so, “The Wizard Test” is an ideal book for someone looking to try fantasy for the first time.

Chicken Boy By: Frances O'Roark Dowell

In the book, Chicken Boy, Tobin McCauley has a rough life. His mother has been dead for some time now. Her departing made the family fall apart. His brothers and sister are all trouble makers, giving him a bad reputation. His father couldn't care less about whether or not he fails school, or even if he has food. Tobin's grandmother seems to be the only stable thing in his life. Then Tobin meets Henry, an eccentric kid, who thinks chickens can solve all of the problems of the world. Just as Tobin is starting to do better in school, someone important in his life tells social workers about Tobin's living condition. Tobin is snatched away from his home, and only his family's very rusty love can get him back home.

This book was fantastic! I loved all of the conflict around Tobin. He was a kid who didn't care about anybody but himself. When he meets his friend, he begins to open to new ideas. Pretty soon, he finds himself talking to chickens, who a month ago, freaked him out. This book shows the power of animals, and how they calm the soul. This book also represents how a good friend can bring out any side of us, and be there when we need them. Lastly, this book shows that any family, no matter how broken, would do anything for each other. I really enjoyed this book!

10

The Girls They Left Behind By: Bernice Thurman Hunter

In a story drawn from events in her memoirs, Bernice Thurman Hunter uses
potent realism in day by day descriptions to tell the story of one
girl's transition to womanhood in the "greatest generation." The Girls
They Left Behind tells about a young Canadian girl named Beryl who has
to sit and watch friend after friend depart from Union Station to go off
to war, leaving her behind. When even her cousin Carmen leaves, Beryl
decides to move on with her life, and stand silently waving goodbye at
the train station no longer. Changing her name to Natalie (deciding her
other name is "not fit to print"), she gets a job helping the war
effort. The things she learns from her correspondence with her "war
boys" and daily life with others "they left behind" make up the heart
and soul of this novel.

Tiny details like descriptions of blackout curtains, buying of war
bonds, and letters that arrive unreadable because of censoring provide
realistic descriptions of civilian life in wartime; while other details
also keep the story rooted in the forties, like when Beryl (oops,
Natalie) has to wash her hair with Sunlight and vinegar because of
shampoo rationings, or only buy food with certain kinds of ration
stamps, or when she and her friends paint their legs with bronzers and
draw a line up the back of their legs when they can't afford to buy
pantyhose stockings.

But the book isn't just a period piece. The story it tells of love and
sacrifice and family is one just as important as any war novel about the
heroism of soldiers in battle. While it may be directed to an audience
primarily of girls rather than boys, it doesn't mean that anyone
couldn't enjoy this easy-to-read, difficult-to-put-down story based on
true events. I would recommend it as a good coming of age novel, and
wouldn't be surprised to see it on teachers' lists to be used as a
jumping off point for study about the Second World War. At not even 200
pages it is an easy read, but with a meaningful sentiment that is
difficult to forget.

By: B.S.