Steel Magic by: Andre Norton

Avalon is Earth’s guardian. If Avalon falls into the hands of evil, Earth will soon follow. When Greg, Sara, and Eric are transported to Avalon by a hidden door in a castle and learn how close Avalon is to destruction they know they have to help. With the aid of a steel knife, fork, and spoon, they set off in search of three missing talismans, the protectors of Avalon. Without these iron objects in a land where iron is deadly, the war against evil is sure to fail. Each of them must conquer their individual fears to rescue the sword Excalibur that belongs to King Arthur, the Horn that is Huon’s, the Warden of the West, and the ring that circles Merlin’s finger. If they don’t succeed, Avalon will fall, and Earth, as they know it will be no more.

Magic is real in Andre Norton’s book, Steel Magic. The imagery is vivid throughout the book, and fear is always present and always in different forms. Young readers will adore this thrilling adventure. Andre Norton has created a new fantasy world.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7

Reviewer Age: 13

Reviewed by: SMo

The Adventures of a Notorious Youth: Capt. Hook by: J.V. Hart

Just like the title promises, this book is all about the youth adventures of Captain Hook. He goes to a school called Eton where he becomes infamous. Roger (nicknamed Jolly Roger) becomes James' best friend, James falls in love with a Sultana, and he creates total havoc at Eton. All the while, he had his loyal spider, Electra, by his side. As the book progresses, James makes a dramatic exit from Eton and gains his ship, the Jolly Roger. With his ship and friends by his side, James sets off in search of the perfect island he has always dreamed of.

This book was very interesting. It explained a lot about Captain Hook and how things came to be how they were in Peter Pan. The ending was a bit vague but you can connect it with Peter Pan and figure out what happens. The book has a lot of vivid word choices and the plot twists and turns a lot. Some parts of the book are a little disturbing so this book is better for older kids. Perhaps when you are done with this book, your outlook on Captain Hook will change.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age: 12

Reviewed by: AW

Out of Time by: John Marsden

"Out of Time" by John Marsden has multiple plots to it, but the main one is about a boy named James who sneaks over to Lab 17 every night, where Mr.Woodford makes extrodinary scienctific inventions. One night James sees Mr. Woodford's newest invention, a time machine, but the following night when James goes into Lab 17 he finds Mr. Woodford dead. However, temptation rises and James takes the little time machine home with him. Now that James has the power of time, will he use it to help the lives of others or will he use it for his own personal gain? He must decide for himself before the opportunity is lost.

"Out of Time" has some good aspects in it, like its multiple plot lines, interesting main story, and great theme. However, the multiple plot lines fail to even remotely go together. The ending is highly disappointing and how the author changes from one plot to another in a paragraph-like structure is a complete flop. Again, the book is an interesting idea, but Mr. Marsden does not make it work.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 4

Reviewer Age: 14

Reviewed by: RF

"Your Name in Print" by: Elizabeth Harper and Timothy Harper

"Your Name in Print" is about how you can improve your writing. Throughout the book, you are taught how to find subjects to write about, tactics you can use to help yourself write better, and examples on how hard work and determination can help your writing. You also learn in this book how you can get your work known to the public. "Your Name in Print" will help teach you how to write anything from school reports to books.

"Your Name in Print" was an interesting book. The most interesting parts of the book for me was when you would learn about how some writer started out. The book did have useful tips on how to help improve your writing, and good ways on how to come up with ideas to write about. It also taught you a lot about how to start out in writing, and move up to doing bigger things. The book did having some parts in it where I was daydreaming while I read it, but other than those few parts, I was really into what I was reading.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7

Reviewer Age: 13

Reviewed by VR

Girls Dinner Club by Jessie Elliot is a story about three high school girls of very different backgrounds bonding together to uncover the mysteries of love, friendship, and the art of cooking. Elliot successfully creates a relationship between the book’s characters and the reader. It’s an entertaining tale of the recipes of life, however too advanced for the targeted audience, who may not be able to see beyond some of the titillating details. Best friends Junie and Celia welcome classmate Danielle to join them for dinner one evening after working on a school project. The casual meal turns into a weekly tradition where the girls try their hand at lavish, mouth-watering cuisines while developing an unbreakable sisterhood union. Individually, the girls each have problems they are desperately trying to overcome. Junie’s yearlong relationship comes to a screeching halt when she becomes unsure of the direction it is taking, and then she becomes tempted by Danielle’s hunky twenty-one-year-old cousin. Celia’s sheltered world is turned upside-down when her father brings home a new woman and her annoying or wait, maybe her mystifyingly charming nephew. Life hasn’t been easy for Danielle being raised by mom, grandma, and big sis Christine especially when bad boy Steve resurfaces as a "changed man." The lack of parental guidance throughout the novel is evident when the seventeen-year-olds either have no curfew at all, or defy the 11:00 p.m. weeknights and 12:30 a.m. weekends set for them. Together the trio battles decisions of sex, underage drinking, cheating boyfriends, and sneaking around behind their parents' backs. The content is not appropriate for 12 and below. I would not be comfortable with middle school readers being exposed to issues like sex, underage drinking, and defiance of family rules. However, this behavior is perfectly acceptable according to this book.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6

Reviewer Age: 24

Reviewed by: NY

Click Here by: Denise Vega

In this book, a girl named Erin is going through some major changes in her life. She is seperated from her best friend, Jilly, who have always been in the same class together. Now, in middle school, the two girls are seperated into different 'tracks'. Erin is learning how to get on with life by herself, since she has always relied on Jilly to make decisions for the both of them. Erin lets out her feelings on a web-site meant for NO ONE to see. When something terrible happens to Erin, she has to learn how to fix her mistakes.

I didn't really like this book. I found that I did not enjoy the author's style and Erin's personality . She kind of reminded me of a more modern, female Charlie Brown. Only she wasn't as hopeless.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 4

Reviewer Age: 12

Reviewed by RC

The Wandering Schoolgirl by: Gary L. Gallegos

Sixteen year old Breanna Cota is spending a week over a her uncle's place with a few friends planning on going to an anime convention. Not seeing why her friends want to go she goes along anyway. At the convention Breanna gets her photo taken, but instead of a regular photo this one takes her to an actual anime world and plops her right in the middle of a battle between evil world leaders and the resistanse. Here she meets a cast of interesting people along with her talking pig backpack. After going back to the real world, Breanna describes the world she's seen and creates a team out of her friends, and her uncle, to save the anime world.

To start off "The Wondering Schoolgirls" is one funny book. It is full of anime puns used as great comedy. The plot is as most animes, but there is a spin so everyone can enjoy it. Huge anime fans may not find this book great, but they might still get a kick out of seeing how their favorite anime characters are compiled into this one book. I can't wait for the next book in the series

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9

Reviewer Age: 14

Reviewed by: RF

The Stupendous Dodgeball Fiasco by Janice Repka

The story begins at the marvelous Windy Van Hooten Circus, where Phillip Edward Stanislaw, the protagonist, is just trying to fit in. There he cleans up animal poop during one act while the horse rider, Helga, rides her horse around the ring. The end to his current circus career comes when he tries to find a boy in the stands while Helga is doing her act. Without Phillip there to clean up the poop the horse slips in its own droppings, ruining her act. When she talks to his parents he decides he wants to leave the circus. So off Phillip goes to stay in Hardingtown, Pennsylvania, The Unofficial Dodgeball Capital of the World, to stay with his Aunt Veola, his mothers sister, and his Uncle Felix. When he arrives at school the next day, he discovers that being an average kid in Hargingtown is pretty hard when the school bully, B.B. Tyson, doesn't like you very much. In his first dodgeball game he escape getting hit by climbing the rope hanging from the ceiling. After school he goes to his aunt's workplace where she is a security guard. At the snack bar Phillip meets the blind cashier, Sam, and they become friends. During the next few weeks at school, Phillip sprains his wrist and tries to petition against dodgeball, but the petition has to be approved by the Student Body President. The bad thing is B.B. is the President and he doesn't stand a chance. When his wrist is better he has to play dodgeball again and B.B. breaks his glasses he decides to sue her, and while he is at it he sues the Dodgeball Factory. When Sam makes up his mind to become his own lawyer, he puts every thing at stake in court. Can Phillip hold on to his lawsuit when a huge problem occurs?

I found this book a hilarious look into the life of a kid trying to fit in. This book had an excellent amount of detail all the way through. I think this book is great for its age level. Janice Repka is a great author and I look forward to reading more of her books.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age: 12

Reviewed by GH

Little Darlings by: Sam Llewellyn

Little Darlings, written by Sam Llewellyn, is the story of three naughty children, Daisy Darling, age 12, Cassian Darling, age 11, and Primrose Darling, age 10, and their life changing adventure. Their mother left when they were young. They live with their father and stepmother, but don’t interact with the parents at all. Instead of having their parents take care of them, they have nannies. With Daisy’s nanny-hating skills, Cassian’s engineering skills, and Primrose’s deadly cooking techniques, the Darlings manage to scare off eighteen nannies, putting them on the nanny blacklist, which makes it nearly impossible to find a nanny. The parents’ last chance at finding a nanny turns out to be a group of criminals who dress up as nannies to steal pieces of their fellow worker’s bear, which the Darling residence has a piece of. Without intending to, the children end up on the ship where the criminal nannies live! With the permission of the captain to stay on the ship, the children become right at home. Cassian works on the engineering of the ship, Primose gets right at home in the kitchen, perfecting her cooking skills, and Daisy begins training the criminals how to become proper nannies, so they won’t give up their true identity. The criminals and a group of builders compete to find missing pieces of a stuffed bear that was divided in the past to receive an award from the ship’s chief. The Darling children help the criminals disguised as nannies. Unfortunately, both the builders and the criminals each find three pieces of the bear and are forced to a challenge. The challenge is a fight with one chosen person on each side. The winner receives the entire bear, and the loyalty of the former King of Iceland. Find out how the Darling siblings, Daisy, Cassian, and Primrose, use their skills to aid the criminals and learn the true story about their mother.

If there was ever a more surprising and uniquely interesting book, I would be in shock for days. Little Darlings, written by Sam Llewellyn, is a great book to read if you like unexpected turns in a plot, mysteries being solved that you hadn’t even thought of, and three mischievous children saving themselves and their close friends and family in the most unique and humorous ways possible. You might get confused about the plot and who everybody is in the beginning, but DO NOT STOP READING the book, because soon enough you will be so into the book that you won’t be able to put it down. There has never been a character in a book so creative and interesting to read about as the youngest sister in the Darling family, Primrose. Primrose takes over the story with her mischievous charm and well described baked treats. The most unexpected ending I have ever seen occurs in this book. The adventures of the characters don’t stop until the very last paragraph in the book. It is amazing how well the ending caught you by surprise. This book made it to the top of my favorite book list with its highly unique style. In the most creative way possible the book teaches you to enjoy your family and make the best of your childhood memories, because some families, like the Darling family in Little Darlings, don’t interact at all. In fact, in some families the children never see their parents and their parents don’t notice whether the children are at home or not! There were plenty of vocabulary words appropriate for the age group it was written for, but there were a few too many slang words by the criminals. The way the plot twisted and turned made it so you could read Little Darlings many times and be surprised each time. It was nice that the author solved all the mysteries and questions. The only thing I would change in the book is the way that some of the sentences dragged on, making it confusing to follow along with what was happening in that particular sentence. Despite this, Little Darlings is one of the most exciting books ever written.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9

Reviewer Age: 13

Reviewed by MP

Shenandoah Whispers And Echoes by Tom Orrell

Tom Orrell’s "Shenandoah Whispers and Echoes" is a narrative embedded within an account by Steven Dickenson, a Virginia newspaperman that was given an old journal. Dickenson, interested in the journal, agrees to read through and prepare for publication the diary of James Randolph Wise of Staunton, Virginia. Wise, born a decade preceding the Civil War, writes a vivid account of his and his family’s life through the upheavals faced by common people during and after the Civil War. Wise’s moving tale progresses through the first 47 years of his heart-breaking life where tragedy upon tragedy rules his life; his brother, Shelby, dies fighting for the Confederacy, Union troops destroy his father’s farm as General Hunter destroyed the Shenandoah Valley, and both his beloved wife and sister die during childbirth. Eventually his parents die, leaving home alone. However, his father, before passing on, tells him of gold that his brother hand found in the California gold rush years before. Locating the gold, Wise pays debts and sells the farm to move to town and make a life with the masonry he loved to word with. He makes a successful business and marries Beverly, a widow living with her mother. Wise is happy for a couple of years until tragedy strikes again. Left alone once again, he decides to travel the country, meeting people and expanding his horizons. Infused with enthusiasm upon returning home to his beloved Staunton, he returns with a positive outlook and truly helps Daniel Jefferson, a former slave who also lost his family. Wise becomes a philanthropist, living a life of giving for satisfaction.

Tom Orrell’s presentation of Shenandoah Whispers and Echoes reveals history, especially the Civil War, in a manner people in any age can relate to. The novel is a quick and easy read that really impacts both through the tragedy and the positive outlook shown by James Wise. The ending really satisfied me and made the novel worth reading. Wise serves as a good narrator because of his constant telling of what went on around him and the opinion of others, a really important part of any historical novel. I enjoyed this view of the famous Shenandoah Valley and learned a lot from the book, both historically and about humanity. I look forward to reading more of Tom Orrell’s work.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age: 17

Reviewed by SAs