Time's Memory by Julius Lester

Josiah, a white captain of a slave ship, agrees to help Amina, a black slave on one of his ships, in order to calm a storm. Amina is pregnant with Ekundayo, the spirit, or nyama, of her dead father. Josiah sneaks Amina off of his ship and takes her to his home, where she gives birth to Ekundayo as a young man. But Ekundayo dies shortly after and his nyama is transported into the body of Nat, a slave on a Virginia plantation. Ekundayo now must learn to live with the struggles of slavery, the forbidden love he shares with Ellen, the white plantation owner's daughter, and the brutal uprising led by Nat's father. Ekundayo also must complete his mission; he must find peace for the nyama before they destroy the land. Only after Ellen dies does Ekundayo find a solution-to share the stories of Time's memory.

Time's Memory by Julius Lester was a wonderful book with an interesting plot. Lester mixes the traditional West African religion with the spirituals of the slaves. The beginning of the book is a bit confusing and abrupt but quickly picks up and becomes a page-turner. A theme throughout the book is the sadness and pain caused by slavery and death. But the epilogue adds a happy ending to the story. This book is great for anyone who likes to read historical fiction.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Erlanger, Kentucky United States

Open Ice by Pat Hughes

Nick Taglio has been on the ice his entire life. He loves hockey and is the best player on his team despite his three concussions he has had. His life seemed perfect until his fourth concussion. After the concussion, he can never play hockey again. How could Nick give up his entire life just because of a little concussion?

This book surprised me, in both good and bad ways. The situation that Nick is in is greatly emphasised through both his actions and words. Readers can understand the personalities and faults of every character in this book. Some of the dialoge of the characters were inappropriate and may not be suitable for young children. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a realistic-fiction book and to anyone who enjoys sports.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Chambersburg, Pennsylvania United States

The Sea Singer by Craig Moodie

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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