The Girls by Lori Lansens

"The Girls," is a collection of stories about the lives and times of two conjoined twins. These stories are not in chronological order. They are memories of their relationships, their travels, their birth, and many other significant and not-so-significant moments of their lives. At many points in the story, the book is treated like a diary in which the sisters explain what is going on in their lives at the time the book being written. "The Girls," as they are known in their small Canadian town have been looked after by Aunt Lovey and Uncle Stash for most of their lives. They are soon to be the oldest surviving craniopagus (conjoined at the head) twins, and Rose is planning on writing a book of their memoirs. Ruby, her sister, is writing several chapters herself, as it is her life too. The point of view switches from one twin to the other, and the blanks that each sister leaves out is, in most cases, explained by the other.

Overall, it was an extremely enjoyable book. I chose it because it seemed like an interesting idea- I had never before read anything in the perspective of conjoined twins. While this wasn't what I would call a "pageturner" (it took me about two weeks to read, as I had exams at the same time), it is extremely well-written. Lansens has the unique ability to create two completely different characters and weave their stories so well that it is not difficult to believe that these two individual women have spent every waking moment of their lives connected. During some points in Rose's recollections, she tends to go a bit too deep into detail and description at the cost of plot stability, but I interpreted this more as a reflection of Rose and her writing style. I was also able to relate very well to Rose and somewhat to Ruby, despite the extreme differences in our situations. It was a fascinating experience to be able to "meet" these to characters and get to know them, and then to read about what they thought of each other and what happened in their everyday lives that they chose to relate to the reader (or not). "The Girls," is a very educational book- I learned a lot about life and relationships, not to mention the world and customs of other people. After the collection of stories, the ending is very satifying. I felt that in the ending, Lansens captured a true moment of real lives.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Des Plaines, IL USA

Love Curse of the Rumbaughs by Jack Gantos

Ivy was born with the only kind of love she ever wanted, a mother's love. She doesn't know who her father is and has no desire to find out (though Ivy's mother reveals the truth on her sixteenth birthday). But Ivy's mother does let slip that Ivy has inherited the love curse. The curse entails obsessive love of a mother accompanied by constant worry that she will die. Ivy also develops an unusual hobby: taxidermy. She is aided with this pastime by her quirky neighbors, the Rumbaugh twins, who run the pharmacy across the street. The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs chronicles Ivy's battle between overcoming the curse and letting it consume her, and uncovering the secrets of the Rumbaugh twins.

The Love Curse of the Rumbaughs was a bizarre and unusual book. The novel presented different viewpoints on free will, love, and the concept of "superior genetics" which I found interesting. But the book took the taxidermy hobby and obsessive love of a mother a bit too far. Also, the time skipped around, which I found confusing. Overall the book peaked my curiosity but was somewhat morbid; it was interesting but not an attention grabber for me. I would recommend this book be read only by young adults or older due to some of the content.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 5
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Erlanger, Kentucky USA

The Callahan Cousins: Summer Begins by Elizabeth Doyle Carey

The Callahan Cousins: Summer BeginsAuthor: Elizabeth Doyle CareyISBN: 0316736902 Summary: At first, it would seem that The Callahan Cousins couldn't be more different if they tried. Kind, worrisome Kate loves baking. Phoebe is a perfectionist who likes order, cleanliness, and bohemian fashion. Neeve has lived all over the world and has a sophisticated flair. Hillary is still reeling from her parents splitting up and thinks up ways to rebuild her family. When these four get together for a parent-free summer at their grandmother's house, they bond almost immediately. They are twelve years old and determined to take over the world - or, at least, ride their bicycles around Gull Island and stir up an old family secret or two!

This is a good, clean story, just right for a breezy summer read. The book is suitable for ages 8 and up. Each reader will find a character to relate to, as each cousin has a distinct style, appearance, and main interest. Though the girls do engage in a little feud with another family on the island, their intentions are well-meant; they attempt to plant a flag in an attempt to mimic something their fathers did twenty years early. This summer does not only give each girl a self of independence, but one of togetherness, of family.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6

Pish Posh by Ellen Potter

Pish Posh is the place to be in New York City. Superstars and wannabes dine at the aptly named restaurant, craving attention and enjoying the fabulous food. Each person secretly hopes that he or she will not be deemed the next Nobody, and everyone there fears the person who would deliver that verdict: an eleven year old little girl. Clara Frankofile, daughter of the Pish Posh owners and chef, wears a black dress everyday (she has hundreds of the same outfit) and looks down on people through her tinted sunglasses. What she says goes. An actress who walked in as the It Girl may be declared a Nobody before she is done with her meal.

Though I like Ellen Potter's Olivia Kidney series, I found myself wanting more from Pish Posh than I ultimately got. It begins as a sarcastic take on society and celebrity, which I liked, but the focus changed not once but twice before the story was through. Based on the jacket summary, I thought I was in for a cross between the book So Yesterday by Scott Westerfeld and the film To Catch a Thief, as Clara befriends a girl barely older than her who is a jewel thief. It then became a story about past lives, in a way. I won't spoil the ending, but I will say it fell a little short of my expectations. Still, Potter delivers descriptive and funny writing, and I'll certainly continue to pick up her novels.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6
Reviewer Age: 23

Jack's Knife by Beverly Wood and Chris Wood

Jackson Kyle is your typical 14-year-old boy. His best friend is Al McMann, a 90-year-old former Alaskan marshal. After a baseball game, a mysterious dog turns up and takes one of the baseballs. When Jack chases the dog down the street, she leads him into a bush and through a fence, but he doesn't just turn up on the other side of the fence. He finds himself in Juneau, Alaska in the 1930's. Confused, Jack tells Captain Harper, a local captain of a ship, everything that has happened. Captain Harper tells Jack about another boy who was brought to Juneau by this dog. He was only returned home when he did exactly what the dog wanted him to do. Now, to return to his own time, he must correct an error in time and save a life from jail.

I thought that Jack's Knife, by Beverly Wood and Chris Wood, was a good book. The fact that a few of the characters in the book were based off of real people was really interesting. Every character's personality changed throughout the plot of the story. The best quality of the book was that one event led to another. The book stayed to the story and didn't skip around much. I reccommend this book to any dog-lovers and anyone who loves books that foreshadow alot.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Chambersburg, Pennsylvania United States

Inside the Mind of Gideon Rayburn by Sarah Miller

Gideon Rayburn has a twist of fate when he mananges to secure a position in a fancy prep school. From day one, his life is completely changed. His new roommates, Cullen and Nicholas, influence him to do drugs, drink, and even make a bet for him to lose his virginity. With so many girls around, Gideon does not know how to act around them or who he really likes. Through the course of his first term of boarding school, he learns a lot about his personality and what is really important in relationships.

What is different about this book is that it is told through the voice of a girl who is "inside his mind". She is one of the girls Gideon comes face to face with at his prep school, and the thrill of reading this is to find out the identity of the girl. That was the main reason why I finished this book. Gideon was a cute character, but I couldn't get into this story. Maybe I would have liked it better being told through a girl's perspective, but that would defeat the purpose of the story. It was nice reading about what guys think, but I don't think this was the best book. Maybe I will like Miller's next novel more.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 5
Reviewer Age: 19
Reviewer City, State and Country: philadelphia, pa USA

Fingers by William Sleator

Humphrey hadn't been doing to well in his last concerts. Now that he is a big man, and not a little boy, people don't want to see him play anymore. When he was younger, he played great for his age, and people thought he was so cute. Now, his music isn't played like a real musician, and he is no longer cute. Bridget, Humphrey's stepmom and Sam's mom, comes up with a great idea to make it seem like Humphrey created music from the ghost of a famous dead composer. The plan works out great, and Humphrey is once again famous. Until, all of a sudden, it seems like Humphrey is actually composing the music from the dead musician. Will all the strange events like an old man knowing he exact notes that was changed by Humphreys dad, Luke, be coincidence? Or is it something out of the supernatural?

This was a really eerie book. It made you think and wonder what could have caused the coincidences in the story. The author kept me wanting to know what happens, and he kept me bound to the book. I always wondered what would eventually happen at the end. The ending was very good, and made me say "o my gosh" over and over to my self. The author wrote the bok with just the right amount of details, so I wasn't bored at all while reading.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lutherville, Maryland United States of America

Archer's Quest by Linda Sue Park

Chu-mong fell off his tiger and apparently lands in Kevin’s room. Chu-mung tells Kevin call him Koh, Chu-mong the skillful archer but, Kevin insists on calling him Archie or Archer. Archie follows Kevin to the computer which Archie calls a magic box and finds two facts, one he already knows, the other one was that Archie changed his name, when he was king in the time of 55 B.C.. Kevin decides that they would go to the history museum. Archie couldn’t go in the museum because of his bow and arrows. Once, Kevin entered the Korean section of the museum, he realizes that all the things they had were way too recent. It only went as far back as the 1800’s. Kevin decides to talk to Mr. Lee and learns that Archie brought the chopsticks over to Korea from China. Since, Chu-mung’s time was Mr. Lee’s favorite time in history, Kevin knew that he would go on and on about useless information that Kevin didn’t need to know. So, Kevin cuts Mr. Lee short and ran out the door to the awaiting Archie. Kevin has the idea to go to the zoo to see what Archie would do if he sees a tiger. When they go to the zoo, Archie disappears and Kevin finds him inside the tiger cage, petting the tiger. Then Archie climbs out. While going to find another tiger that is metal, they are followed by Mr. Lee. Chu-mung gets on the tiger, Mr. Lee grabs him to take him back to the museum, unsuccessfully. Meanwhile, Kevin figures out that it’s the year of the dirt now and it was they year of metal when Chu-mung lived, Kevin decides to spreads dirt all over the tiger and Chu-mung. Chu-mung disappears.

At first the book, Archer’s Quest was not very interesting however, as I read on it caught my attention. Although I found this book to be an easy read. The book was exciting because, I love books where kids solve the mysteries and in this book Kevin figures out how to get Archie back to his time. At least that is what I think happens. The author kind of leaves you guessing as to what really happens. This book was very unpredictable! The ending was shocking, I thought that Kevin was going to wake up from a dream! I learned that zoos were once called the garden of intelligence. But, I didn’t really learn anything else. I felt as if this book should have been written for lower than the average fifth grade reading level. I was able to finish this book in just one day. Nothing stood out in the author’s writing style. I have not read anything else by this author but, I think that I would love any of her books, comparing them to this book. I think the author could have improved this story by making the first chapter catch your attention. The author could have also improved this book by explaining what happened to Archie. Can Kevin figure out how to get Archie back to his time or not? Was Archie sent to another time in history, not his time? Is Kevin Dreaming?

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 10
Reviewer City, State and Country: Channahon, IL U.S.A.

King Dork by Frank Portman

King Dork is the story of a sophomore boy named Tom, who is your average, unexpected protagonist. He is a loser. He gets beat up in school, chicks aren’t into him (well not at first anyway), his home-life is messy, he loves and truly appreciates Rock and Roll, and has only one friend like figure. Yet he still manages to view the world through a cynical, witty, and slightly askew eye. Throughout the book he yearns to sew the mystery of his father’s death into his present, by reading his father’s old books and tracking down people his father once knew. He struggles with ever bewildering females and the poor, inane educational structure of AP classes. He is constantly trying to avoid the brainwashed normalcy of the Catcher cult, and humor his hippie-wannabe mother and “cool” new stepfather. All this while trying to play one song in unison with his band.

There are many words in the English language but only one that I can think of to describe this book, amazing. At least it was for me and the type of kids who want to be Bob Dylan, and thinks that the Velvet Underground was the best thing to come out of the Factory. It’s definitely a book for the sardonic Rock and Roller of the world, as it is chocked full of witty, sarcastic, tones and 60s pop culture references. The great thing about this book is that it takes everything you’ve ever thought about cool, redefines it, and makes it much, much better. When reading the book, you can see a little part of your life mirrored in one of the characters, whether it is Tom, his best friend, his illicit lovers, or his inept parental units. It is not a particularly good choice for readers who are not comfortable with sexual innuendo, but it is a great choice if Rock and Roll, bad movies, and uncertainty make up the bulk of your life.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 15
Erlanger, Kentucky USA

George Washington; First in War, First in Peace by James A. Crutchfield

The book gives a concise narrative of the life of George Washington, from birth until death. It makes every attempt to debunk popular myths about our nation's first president, and gives as much historical information as possible without making the book overly pedantic.

All and all, the book was a pleasant read. Imagine my surprise upon finding a book that actually had historical subsistence and wasn’t overly dense. The Flesch-Kincaid level, for the passage I randomly picked, pegged at 12.0, but I find that hard to believe. If I had read this book as a senior, heads would have rolled. Fine read, yes; reflective of grade level, no. The book, I would think, could be easily approachable for middle school, granted that it’s not a “throw-me-into-the-deep-end” read, but even then, it may be achievable for some. I have few real complaints about the book. The biggest that I have is the lack of maps. Personally, I come from upstate New York and have resided in Pittsburgh (you’ll see what I mean when they start hashing out Pittsburgh’s three different rivers during the Fort Duquesne/Fort Pitt skirmish. Even I had to pay attention to remember which river was which), so I was quite familiar with the areas being discussed throughout the book. Someone, especially a middle schooler, from anywhere else would have a hard time keeping geographical track of things, and unless they’re a devotee of history, reading about events that are 200+ years old while trying to keep track of then-General Washington’s movements is not conducive to gaining someone’s interest. Next, while the book tries to not put Washington on a pedestal, like most do, it still has the aura of it. There are a few attempts in the book to show Washington’s “human” nature, but even then, these descriptions are quickly followed by “but then he got right up and persevered!”-ims. Absolutely nothing wrong with that, but come now. Other than that, like I said, the book was quite readable and not historically dense. I give the book a 7 because, frankly, I don’t think I’d read it again, nor would I recommend it to anyone. If someone came up to me and specifically said: “I need a book that details all of Washington’s life briefly, and details major events in an easy-to-read format,” only then would I mention this book. This shouldn’t deter you from considering it. If you have a budding interest in the Revolutionary War period, this book will give you solid footing in the names, events, treaties, and nuances of the time. If you already know a lot about the Revolutionary War, you could safely pass the book up for something more investigative. In brief: good beginner book, good book to get someone interested in the time period, good book to hack through together as a class, perhaps; but hardly fulfilling for someone that has Revolutionary War knowledge and a decent grasp of the diplomacy of that era.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Rochester, New York United States