The Sea Singer by Craig Moodie is about a young Viking named Finn and his journeys as a stowaway on Sea Sword, Leif the Lucky’s mighty ship. When the story begins, Finn and his mother are on their farm. Finn’s two brothers and father have set out to go a-viking, in search of a distant, unexplored land. Finn is left behind to tend the farm. Unfortunately, years pass and Finn’s father and brothers have not returned--in fact, not one sign of them has been discovered. Twelve-year-old Finn is growing restless on the farm. He is tired of tending the flock and wants to go voyaging with his father, like his older brothers did. Day after day, he keeps watch for the return of his father and brothers. One day, Viking captain Leif the Lucky’s ship sails into the harbor and docks there. After replenishing the ship’s supplies and food, Leif’s crew is ready to set sail. Finn, desperate to find his father--and some adventure--stows away on the ship. When Leif finally discovers Finn, it is too late to turn back. And too late to turn from the mess they are sailing into!
The Sea Singer is a decent, enjoyable book. It starts a bit slowly but really sparks about midway through. It gives interesting details about Viking life, and many of the characters are real historical figures, such as Leif Ericsson and Bjarni Herjolfsson. The Vikings’ journeys to “Wineland” and their encounters with the “Skraelings” are based on the actual voyages of Ericsson and Herjolfsson to North America--many years before Christopher Columbus arrived there. I would recommend this book to most kids ages 9-12 who enjoy adventure stories, and especially those who enjoyed the book Midshipwizard Halcyon Blithe.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 11
Reviewer City, State and Country: , NY USA
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Follow the Blue by Brigid Lowry
Follow The Blue by Brigid Lowry is a quaint tale of a suburban girl living in Perth, Australia. Bec has always been a levelheaded girl; she looks out for her two younger siblings, helps her world-famous mother in the kitchen, and maintains her school work. After her father, who has recently suffered a mental breakdown, returns home, her mother and father decided to take a long vacation to promote her mother’s new book. This is when Bec decides to live a little. With the aid of a new housekeeper and the love of her siblings Bec meets new friends, has a party, and dives into the crazy world of guys. Throughout the novel, Bec discovers that there is a whole world out there, waiting for her to explore it.
This novel was written in a friendly style, you feel as if Bec is telling her story to an old friend, you. It has a great plot foundation; however I did not feel that the author raised it to its potential glory. Bec is an easy character to identify with but her adventures weren’t as thrilling as one might hope. It was a quick read but in the end I didn’t feel like Bec had changed much. I felt that it ended too abruptly and that Bec hadn’t had a great adventure, instead it seemed like it was only the beginning of exciting things to come. Bec was still mulling over her feelings and opinions as it ended, however, Bec did receive some excellent advice from her housekeeper, Ms. D. Her messages of wisdom are easy to understand and can be used in all aspects of life. It is a nice story of an average girl, but it leaves one feeling a bit confused.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Erlanger, Kentucky America
This novel was written in a friendly style, you feel as if Bec is telling her story to an old friend, you. It has a great plot foundation; however I did not feel that the author raised it to its potential glory. Bec is an easy character to identify with but her adventures weren’t as thrilling as one might hope. It was a quick read but in the end I didn’t feel like Bec had changed much. I felt that it ended too abruptly and that Bec hadn’t had a great adventure, instead it seemed like it was only the beginning of exciting things to come. Bec was still mulling over her feelings and opinions as it ended, however, Bec did receive some excellent advice from her housekeeper, Ms. D. Her messages of wisdom are easy to understand and can be used in all aspects of life. It is a nice story of an average girl, but it leaves one feeling a bit confused.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Erlanger, Kentucky America
Community Spirits by Jonathan Pearce
Community Spirits: Infestations on the Spectral Plane Summary: Not everyone would make the connection between believing in ghosts in being truly in love. Joseph Oliver Kuhn, second-year student in Criminal Justice at Chad County Community College and potential private investigator, does. From the first appearance of Stara, a vision in a gauzy green gown, until the final poof of smoke from the former Dr. Parker, his hometown Balona is populated with ghostly visitors. What do these visitors have to do with true love or journalism or the advance of digital cameras? As Joseph tries to make sense of the strange events, another wrinkle appears. Disappearing goats, poetry-reading chauffeurs, and korndog eating citizens play big parts in unraveling the mystery of true love and falling statues. Put aside logical thinking and get ready for a trip through a hometown wackier than Mayberry.
Looking for fun and goofiness? Is your brain fried after school? Pick up Community Spirits and watch your spirits soar. Enjoy the ride. This book is more fun than a barrel of swirling orbs. R
Beth Edelstein
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 58
Reviewer City, State and Country: Timonium, MD US
Looking for fun and goofiness? Is your brain fried after school? Pick up Community Spirits and watch your spirits soar. Enjoy the ride. This book is more fun than a barrel of swirling orbs. R
Beth Edelstein
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 58
Reviewer City, State and Country: Timonium, MD US
Ark Angel by Anthony Horowitz
In the sixth Alex Rider Adventure, Alex is recovering from his encounter with a sniper who had been sent to kill him. In the hospital, he meets Paul Drevin, son of multibillionaire Nikolei Drevin. While in the hospital, kidnappers come for Paul. The kidnappers are part of Force Three, a group of eco-terrorists who are angry that Nikolei Drevin caused the extinction of several species of birds during rocket launches for his latest project, Ark Angel, a space hotel. However, Alex defends Paul against Force Three and prevents them from kidnapping him. Rewarding Alex for protecting his son, Nikolei Drevin invites Alex to spend some time with Paul and him in their extraordinary homes, leading up to the launch of one of the most important pieces of the space hotel. Alex finds that Force Three, Ark Angel, and Nikolei Drevin are not what they seem to be and despite Alex’s refusal to once again become involved in the world of deception, and spying, he finds himself working to defeat “the biggest criminal in the world.”
I generally find that books in the Alex Rider series tend to get a touch too repetitive. However, in ARK ANGEL, although it did have some parallels to other books in the series, Anthony Horowitz successfully threw twists into the plot that set the book apart from its predecessors. I also congratulate Mr. Horowitz on the great amount of research he did on topics covered in the book. He even threw in some physics, explaining rotational inertia and some nice examples of Newton’s Laws! The setting for the end of the book was very unique and gave the book an exciting ending, but I wish that Anthony Horowitz did not put Alex Rider in so many life or death situations. I enjoy the creative ways Alex Rider slips away from his enemies, but it starts to get a little old when I find that for the third time in the book Alex has dodged a bullet that passes centimeters over his shoulder. ARK ANGEL as a whole has more positives than negatives and definitely is an enjoyable book that Alex Rider fans will love as a great addition to the series.
S C
Age: 15
Maryland, USA
I generally find that books in the Alex Rider series tend to get a touch too repetitive. However, in ARK ANGEL, although it did have some parallels to other books in the series, Anthony Horowitz successfully threw twists into the plot that set the book apart from its predecessors. I also congratulate Mr. Horowitz on the great amount of research he did on topics covered in the book. He even threw in some physics, explaining rotational inertia and some nice examples of Newton’s Laws! The setting for the end of the book was very unique and gave the book an exciting ending, but I wish that Anthony Horowitz did not put Alex Rider in so many life or death situations. I enjoy the creative ways Alex Rider slips away from his enemies, but it starts to get a little old when I find that for the third time in the book Alex has dodged a bullet that passes centimeters over his shoulder. ARK ANGEL as a whole has more positives than negatives and definitely is an enjoyable book that Alex Rider fans will love as a great addition to the series.
S C
Age: 15
Maryland, USA
Defining Dulcie by Paul Acampora
Dulcie's father, a janitor, just died. Her mother decides to move her and Dulcie cross country to California from Connecticut. As soon as Dulcie steps foot in CA, she knows that's not where she belongs. She steals her mother's truck and makes her way back to Newbury, to her grandfather and her home. Dulcie's grandfather, Frank, lets her come back and work for him, without pay, as punishment for worrying her mother when she left. Frank has already hired another helper, Roxanne. Soon, Roxanne and Dulcie become friends. When Dulcie and Frank discover the truth about Roxanne's relationship with her abusive mother, they have to figure out a way to help her.
When I first picked up this book, I thought it would be a sad story about death and moving on. It was sad, but the novel also had a feeling of hope and looking towards the future. Aside from death, Defining Dulcie also dealt with serious issues like abuse. This book was pretty good, especially for a debut novel. I'll be looking forward to reading more books by the author.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA
When I first picked up this book, I thought it would be a sad story about death and moving on. It was sad, but the novel also had a feeling of hope and looking towards the future. Aside from death, Defining Dulcie also dealt with serious issues like abuse. This book was pretty good, especially for a debut novel. I'll be looking forward to reading more books by the author.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA
M or F? by L. Papademetriou and C. Tebbetts
M or F? by Lisa Papademetriou and Chris Tebbetts defies the format of most typical high school romance stories. Like many, it combines a story of friendship with a story of romance. Frannie falls for an attractive guy that her best friend Marcus actually approves of. His name is Jeffrey Osborne and he’s all too perfect: popular, smart, gorgeous, and sincere. Frannie even has the opportunity to speak to him online. Here’s the twist, though: Frannie gets too queasy to talk to him by herself. So instead, her gay best friend does the talking for her. Eventually, while things are getting hot, Marcus gets out of control and starts chatting with Jeffrey without Frannie knowing. This tests Frannie and Marcus’s friendship, and makes both of them struggle to learn which is stronger: friendship or love?
It was a pleasure to read M or F? and I recently recommended it to friends of mine who are members of our school’s GSA. Not being able relate to Frannie’s struggle of deciding whether Jeffrey is falling for her or for her “brain twin,” Marcus, shouldn’t stop you from reading the book. No one I know escapes fights with friends over what type of relationship is most important. Organized into chapters from both Frannie and Marcus’s perspectives, it is easy and enjoyable to hear both sides of the story for once. As your eyes latch onto the neon-colored cover, your natural paranoia and compassion will latch onto Frannie’s mind in this realistic high school setting.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Farmington, CT USA
It was a pleasure to read M or F? and I recently recommended it to friends of mine who are members of our school’s GSA. Not being able relate to Frannie’s struggle of deciding whether Jeffrey is falling for her or for her “brain twin,” Marcus, shouldn’t stop you from reading the book. No one I know escapes fights with friends over what type of relationship is most important. Organized into chapters from both Frannie and Marcus’s perspectives, it is easy and enjoyable to hear both sides of the story for once. As your eyes latch onto the neon-colored cover, your natural paranoia and compassion will latch onto Frannie’s mind in this realistic high school setting.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Farmington, CT USA
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
The Land of Debris and the Home of Alfredo by Kenn Amdahl
A man walks through the deserted prairie of Oklahoma. He knows he is missing something, but he can’t quite figure out what it is. Suddenly, in a moment of breakthrough, he realizes he has no memories left. Who is he? Why is he in the middle of nowhere? He finds a gas station and tries to call the one number that he remembers and gets an answering machine to “The Land of Debris and Home of Alfredo”. Progressing through the most ludicrous of situations, the man finds himself in such places as New Mexico, Mexico City, Oregon, Las Vegas, Lousiana, and Kansas. The man is the accomplice to drug trades, casino scams, police cover-ups, and voodoo ceremonies by total default.
I found the book to be enthralling, but not super coherent. It was just plausible enough to keep a story and yet it somehow kept me reading it. It was laced with drug references and innuendo, but it still keeps its main objective in sight: to find out the identity of the protagonist. Its storytelling was superb, and I found it digging deep into me and finding the vagabond hidden in my personality. The book built up to a fantastic ending, but it left me with nothing. I really hated the ending, but the incredible body of the book almost totally made up for the overly demure ending.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Greencastle, PA USA
I found the book to be enthralling, but not super coherent. It was just plausible enough to keep a story and yet it somehow kept me reading it. It was laced with drug references and innuendo, but it still keeps its main objective in sight: to find out the identity of the protagonist. Its storytelling was superb, and I found it digging deep into me and finding the vagabond hidden in my personality. The book built up to a fantastic ending, but it left me with nothing. I really hated the ending, but the incredible body of the book almost totally made up for the overly demure ending.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Greencastle, PA USA
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Dreamhunter by Elizabeth Knox
The Place, a land that seems utterly different from the real world, but it is so close. Laura and her cousin, Rose, are both fifteen. At fifteen they are qualified to go into the Place but they must past the test first, the Try. But before they could enter, they dicover a dark secret hidden in the Place. As Laura and Rose try to figure out the secret, Laura's father disappears. Now Laura and Rose have to find Laura's father and the secret before time runs out...
I thought this book was fairly good. I loved the plot and how the setting connected with the story line. All the characters had their distinct features and personalities about themselves. However, I wish the story was told in someone's point of veiw, not third person. It was a little difficult to get a sense of their emotions. Overall, Elizabeth Knox kept the story in line and did not go off track. It was a good book!
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Villa Hills, Kentucky United States of America
I thought this book was fairly good. I loved the plot and how the setting connected with the story line. All the characters had their distinct features and personalities about themselves. However, I wish the story was told in someone's point of veiw, not third person. It was a little difficult to get a sense of their emotions. Overall, Elizabeth Knox kept the story in line and did not go off track. It was a good book!
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Villa Hills, Kentucky United States of America
Maggie's Dare by Norma Jean Lutz
When twelve-year-old Maggie Baldwin goes to her friend, Adelaide’s, house, for her weekly dance lessons that occur on Thursdays, she is in for a big surprise! While waiting for her dad after dance lessons Adelaide breaks the big news that Maggie is invited to travel with her to Salem in a fancy stagecoach. Adelaide is getting a slave girl for a Christmas present, but Maggie disagrees with the whole idea of owning slaves. After seeing that Adelaide treats the girl poorly, Maggie decides to help her and the less fortunate against Adelaide’s wishes. Will the girls be able to stay friends after having conflicts about almost everything or will they give up trying and go their separate ways?
Maggie’s Dare is one of the many books in the Sisters In Time Series, which are all about girls living in different time periods. I loved Maggie’s Dare so much that I couldn’t put it down; it was a real page-turner. This is a wonderful Christian-based book that can keep you up all night long trying to find out what will happen next. I really liked the character named Jacob because he brought life to the story and it made the story all the better. Maggie’s Dare is recommended for kids ages 8-12.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Upper Strasburg, PA US
Maggie’s Dare is one of the many books in the Sisters In Time Series, which are all about girls living in different time periods. I loved Maggie’s Dare so much that I couldn’t put it down; it was a real page-turner. This is a wonderful Christian-based book that can keep you up all night long trying to find out what will happen next. I really liked the character named Jacob because he brought life to the story and it made the story all the better. Maggie’s Dare is recommended for kids ages 8-12.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Upper Strasburg, PA US
Monday, March 20, 2006
So Super Stylish by Rose Wilkins
Octavia Clairbrook-Cleeve, daughter of a famous actress and director, has no wish to be in the spotlight. After leaving her glitzy school behind, she enters the local high school. For a while, she believes that she has gotten away from her former life. Unfortunately, she is mistaken. Bud, her mother's boyfriend, decides to pack up and move to live with them, bringing his son, Milton, along. While that causes some excitement, nothing can compare to the fact that India Withers, Octavia's nemesis, comes to her school claiming that she's doing research for her next acting gig. And India is in to cause as much harm as possible to Octavia's somewhat calmer life.
I really liked reading So Super Stylish. I wish that I had started with it's prequel, So Super Starry, first. It was interesting to read about the life of someone famous. While this reminded me of the Introducing Vivian Leigh Reid and the A-List, So Super Stylish is original in it's own way. The story kept me interested as soon as I read the first page. I would recommend this book as a fun, quick read for the summer.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Philadelphia, PA USA
I really liked reading So Super Stylish. I wish that I had started with it's prequel, So Super Starry, first. It was interesting to read about the life of someone famous. While this reminded me of the Introducing Vivian Leigh Reid and the A-List, So Super Stylish is original in it's own way. The story kept me interested as soon as I read the first page. I would recommend this book as a fun, quick read for the summer.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Philadelphia, PA USA
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