Karen Hart's novel Butterflies in May is about Ali, a teenage girl whose life is going pretty well. She has a great boyfriend, she gets along pretty well with her parents, she has a fabulous best friend, she is doing well in school, and she's sure to get into a great college when she graduates. When her suspicions are confirmed about what's happening to her body, however, her world isn't so perfect anymore. Ali is pregnant, and that means making some hard choices. Still, Ali has help, and it'll all turn out okay. Right?
The subject of Butterflies In May is important, and this book doesn't preach about premarital sex the way some books do; Karen Hart realizes that some things are just going to keep on happening. It is also obvious, however, that people have to deal with the consequences of their actions, the way Ali and Matt do (but it doesn't seem like the worst possible thing always happens to every character in the book). The writing in this book is decent, and the plot one that is certainly not terrible either, if a little unremarkable. There are plenty of stories about pregnant teenagers on television, in books, in the movies, everywhere. This isn't a new spin on any of it. It is, however, an important story to tell, and Karen Hart does a fairly good job with it.
Content:This book is probably for a bit more mature readers, but nothing too bad. It deals issues that should be discussed with parents, though.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Asheville, NC USA
Monday, September 11, 2006
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Keeper of the Flames by Jenna Solitaire
The main character of the book is Jenna Solitaire who is the Keeper of the Boards. Jenna has already found two boards and with them she can summon their powers for her own use. Her companion, Simon, and her are going in search of the board of fire which they think is somewhere in Pompeii. While she is there she meets an old man who apparently knew her great-great grandmother and will help Jenna in her quest for the board of fire. Paraud, an evil wizard is trying to take the two boards Jenna has for himself so he can use their powers.
I thought that overall the book was somewhat good. One thing I didn't like about the book is that it was more ment for a girl rather than a boy. There were also a lot of kissing scenes. I think that if the author would have cut back on the kissing then more boys would also enjoy the book. However there also was adventure and excitement. This probably wouldn't be one of my favorite books.
Content:adult guidance kissing scenes
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Chambersburg, Pennsylvania U.S.A.
I thought that overall the book was somewhat good. One thing I didn't like about the book is that it was more ment for a girl rather than a boy. There were also a lot of kissing scenes. I think that if the author would have cut back on the kissing then more boys would also enjoy the book. However there also was adventure and excitement. This probably wouldn't be one of my favorite books.
Content:adult guidance kissing scenes
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Chambersburg, Pennsylvania U.S.A.
Jumping the Scratch by Sarah Weeks
Jumping the Scratch by Sarah Weeks (award-winning author of So B. It) is beautifully written and easy to read with short chapters and explanations of advanced vocabulary, but its subject matter is not suited for its ten-year-old target audience. Better suited for readers over the age of twelve, this young adult book looks at sexual abuse through the eyes of the victim.
Eleven-year-old Jamie Reardon wants nothing more than for his life to be as “normal as cornflakes” – the way it was before his cat died, his father left, and he and his mother moved from their house to his aunt’s trailer to help her recover from an accident that claimed her short term memory. But achieving normalcy is difficult – especially when Jamie can’t forget about the night he was abused by the trailer park manager.
Helping Jamie deal with this traumatic experience is a cast of secondary characters that are both quirky and endearing. Audrey, a classmate otherwise known as Madame Yerdua (Audrey spelled backwards) the hypnotist, befriends Jamie and “sees” him. Arthur, as Jamie nicknamed him, helps Jamie feel safe again. And Aunt Sapphy, short for Sapphire, helps Jamie by being someone he can finally tell his secret to – someone who won’t remember it in the morning. With their support, Jamie learns to face his fears and jump the scratch – like on a broken record – in his life.
Like an after school special, this book mixes poignant moments with a serious topic but only scratches the surface of this delicate issue.
Eleven-year-old Jamie Reardon wants nothing more than for his life to be as “normal as cornflakes” – the way it was before his cat died, his father left, and he and his mother moved from their house to his aunt’s trailer to help her recover from an accident that claimed her short term memory. But achieving normalcy is difficult – especially when Jamie can’t forget about the night he was abused by the trailer park manager.
Helping Jamie deal with this traumatic experience is a cast of secondary characters that are both quirky and endearing. Audrey, a classmate otherwise known as Madame Yerdua (Audrey spelled backwards) the hypnotist, befriends Jamie and “sees” him. Arthur, as Jamie nicknamed him, helps Jamie feel safe again. And Aunt Sapphy, short for Sapphire, helps Jamie by being someone he can finally tell his secret to – someone who won’t remember it in the morning. With their support, Jamie learns to face his fears and jump the scratch – like on a broken record – in his life.
Like an after school special, this book mixes poignant moments with a serious topic but only scratches the surface of this delicate issue.
Invisible Ink by Terry Griggs
A pen named Murray, an empty diamond inkwell that emits splashing sounds, and a depressed Persian carpet are only a few of the things that lead Olivier to believe that his step-step-stepgramma is not an ordinary person. Then at his step-step-stepgramma's yard sale, a woman gives him a conch shell and through it, he hears a call for help from a friend. As he is trying to figure out what to do, a little girl gives him a stone, and a strange man sees and immediately starts chasing him. Of course, by this time, Olivier is extremely confused. Why would a man chase him because he has a piece of gravel from a driveway and how can you hear voices in a conch shell? He knows something is wrong, but he is not sure what. That is until he finds his friends and they tell him that all the wind is gone. Someone is controlling the weather and they must find out who and stop him before the world is torn apart! Can they do it? They must.
Invisible Ink, the third book in the Cat's Eye Corner series, is full of strange happenings and odd people. It is an adventure wrought with humor, danger, and astonishing characters. Young adolescents with a sense of adventure will find Terry Griggs' book funny and enjoyable. Cat's Eye Corner is a place where you can always expect the unexpected.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Chambersburg, PA USA
Invisible Ink, the third book in the Cat's Eye Corner series, is full of strange happenings and odd people. It is an adventure wrought with humor, danger, and astonishing characters. Young adolescents with a sense of adventure will find Terry Griggs' book funny and enjoyable. Cat's Eye Corner is a place where you can always expect the unexpected.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Chambersburg, PA USA
Monday, September 04, 2006
The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin
The Rules of Survival is about a boy, Matt, and his two sisters, Callie and Emmy, who live with their slightly unstable mother, Nikki, in South Boston. One fateful night when Matt and Callie risk walking down to the local grocer store (while their mother is out for the night, of course) they witness a man helping a young boy whose father is screaming at him. That incident sparks a curiosity in Matt and he sets out to find this mysterious, strong stranger. Fate plays out and Matt's neurotic mother and the man, Murdoch, begin having a relationship. For once in Matt's life things are going well, his mother has started acting semi-normal, he starts to relax, his sisters are safe. Things can't last forever. Eventually Nikki slips up, and Murdoch discovers her true personality. Then the only question is will Murdoch own up to everything Matt wants him to?
A strong sense of empathy is evoked for the frightened children in this novel. Livid, animated descriptions and an omnipresent sense of fear play a big part in making this book worthwhile. The plot isn't particularly upbeat but life isn't upbeat, and this story is a life story. The author formats the book so that Matt is writing to his youngest sister, Emmy. As the novel progresses the reader begins to feel as if the entire sad story is truly his/ her own. The characters are all very human, they make decisions which they know aren't the best, they struggle through hard times and feel like they should give up. This story is a good portrayal of what some people go through, it is one which everyone should be aware of.
Flamingnet Reviewer: LSam
Erlanger, Ky
A strong sense of empathy is evoked for the frightened children in this novel. Livid, animated descriptions and an omnipresent sense of fear play a big part in making this book worthwhile. The plot isn't particularly upbeat but life isn't upbeat, and this story is a life story. The author formats the book so that Matt is writing to his youngest sister, Emmy. As the novel progresses the reader begins to feel as if the entire sad story is truly his/ her own. The characters are all very human, they make decisions which they know aren't the best, they struggle through hard times and feel like they should give up. This story is a good portrayal of what some people go through, it is one which everyone should be aware of.
Flamingnet Reviewer: LSam
Erlanger, Ky
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Elise The Actress: Climax Of The Civil War by Norma Jean Lutz
Ten-year-old Elise is trying to take people’s minds off the hardships of the Civil War. She puts on skits and writes funny poems and clever riddles for her family, friends, and neighbors. One day while shopping for her family, Elise runs into a man who is labeled a traitor. Milton Finney is hated and mistreated by his neighbors because his son went to fight for the South. But tender-hearted Elise feels sorry for Mr. Finney and begins to leave riddles for him. She could never suspect that reaching out to him in kindness would one day save his life! This book is packed with activity and excitement. There are many events that describe the terrible times the country was going through during the Civil War—especially when a brave and noble president was assassinated! To find out how Elise and her family and friends make it through this difficult time, read Elise the Actress!
I liked this book because Elise is so much like a real girl of today, even though the story takes place during the 1800s. She has a sense of humor and is very sharp and smart. Elise faces some really tough problems but relies on her faith to give her strength to get through them. Making people feel better during the war and helping out wherever she can are things a real girl might do, so this is an inspiring story. Also, this book is never boring—some parts are sad and some are funny, and there is always something exciting going on to keep the reader turning the pages. Altogether, it’s a great book, and I recommend it, especially to readers who enjoy the American Girl books.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 10
Reviewer City, State and Country: Saugerties, NY USA
I liked this book because Elise is so much like a real girl of today, even though the story takes place during the 1800s. She has a sense of humor and is very sharp and smart. Elise faces some really tough problems but relies on her faith to give her strength to get through them. Making people feel better during the war and helping out wherever she can are things a real girl might do, so this is an inspiring story. Also, this book is never boring—some parts are sad and some are funny, and there is always something exciting going on to keep the reader turning the pages. Altogether, it’s a great book, and I recommend it, especially to readers who enjoy the American Girl books.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 10
Reviewer City, State and Country: Saugerties, NY USA
Befiddled by Pedro De Alcantara
Becky Cohen is completely miserable. Everywhere she goes she’s made fun of. Will Becky ever learn to stand up for herself? She’s mocked at school, gym class, and even at home in her family’s apartment. She’s mocked the most at violin lessons by her teacher and peers. Becky dreams of being a professional violinist, but because of her stage fright she never performs well. Things start to look up for Becky when the apartment’s handyman, Mr. Freeman walks into her life. At first, Becky is still failing everything. Gradually though, things start to get better for Becky. Mr. Freeman is teaching her so many things about the violin, friendship, even life. She’s making friends, doing well in gym, she’s even signed up for a violin scholarship competition, yet violin lessons are still torture because of her stage fright. Becky decides to quit going to lessons even though she has the competition coming up. When her hardworking mother finds out about her not showing up at violin lessons, she loses everything: her violin, violin lessons, and contact with Mr. Freeman. Can Becky speak her mind and get everything she’s lost back? Will Becky win the violin scholarship? Find out in this novel by Pedro De Alcantara.
I liked the theme because it has a very good lesson, which was that you need to learn to speak your mind. The plot was a little slow. The characters, especially Becky, were very relatable. I liked this book.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fayetteville, PA USA
I liked the theme because it has a very good lesson, which was that you need to learn to speak your mind. The plot was a little slow. The characters, especially Becky, were very relatable. I liked this book.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fayetteville, PA USA
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
Brandon Mull’s Fablehaven is bursting with adventure, imagination, and heroism. Kendra and her younger brother, Seth, are less than excited when their parents drop them at their distant grandparents’ house and head off on a seventeen day cruise. The kids are shown to an attic playroom stocked with magnificent toys and even a live hen, Goldilocks, to keep them busy. But they soon find out the real excitement is waiting outside, on the grounds of what they come to find out is a magical creature preserve. It doesn’t take long for Seth’s adventurousness and Kendra’s astuteness to uncover the truth about the preserve, but once they’ve been let in on the secret, they find there’s much more yet to be discovered. For instance, there’s the matter of their missing grandmother. Then, there's the fairies that take a vengeful dislike to Seth. The plot crescendos on the night of the summer solstice, when the creatures are free to do as they please and the caretaker and his meager staff are abducted. Kendra and Seth must summon their courage to venture out onto the grounds to save their grandfather and, in the end, the sanctity of the preserve itself.
Although long and a bit slow at times, Fablehaven is packed with magic, courage, and adventure. Mull uses the setting of an enchanted preserve to get readers thinking about important environmental issues, and the story of an unusual family crisis to inspire thoughts on wrong and right, courage and resourcefulness, and even religion and spirituality. The author has included a reader’s guide at the end of the book to encourage discussion about the material and the topics it broaches. The vocabulary readers will find in Fablehaven may present a challenge for the 9–12 group for which it is intended, with words like “verdant,” “espalier,” and “ubiquitous” gracing the pages, but as long as there’s a dictionary nearby, young readers will benefit from the new terminology. More awkward is stilted prose resulting from a lack of contractions. Mull’s predilection to spell out every “it is” and the like in the non-dialogue parts of the narrative slows readers down and sounds unnatural; a small stumbling block to overcome in return for Mull’s bountiful imagination.
Content:It might be wise to recommend adult guidance with this one, as there are some morbid topics and violent scenes. For instance, before the story begins, Kendra and Seth's other grandparents are killed after a gas leak incident.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 26
Reviewer City, State and Country: Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD USA
Although long and a bit slow at times, Fablehaven is packed with magic, courage, and adventure. Mull uses the setting of an enchanted preserve to get readers thinking about important environmental issues, and the story of an unusual family crisis to inspire thoughts on wrong and right, courage and resourcefulness, and even religion and spirituality. The author has included a reader’s guide at the end of the book to encourage discussion about the material and the topics it broaches. The vocabulary readers will find in Fablehaven may present a challenge for the 9–12 group for which it is intended, with words like “verdant,” “espalier,” and “ubiquitous” gracing the pages, but as long as there’s a dictionary nearby, young readers will benefit from the new terminology. More awkward is stilted prose resulting from a lack of contractions. Mull’s predilection to spell out every “it is” and the like in the non-dialogue parts of the narrative slows readers down and sounds unnatural; a small stumbling block to overcome in return for Mull’s bountiful imagination.
Content:It might be wise to recommend adult guidance with this one, as there are some morbid topics and violent scenes. For instance, before the story begins, Kendra and Seth's other grandparents are killed after a gas leak incident.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 26
Reviewer City, State and Country: Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD USA
Miss O and Friends Write On! The Miss O & Friends Collection of Rockin’ Fiction
The book is dedicated “For all the girls out there who love to imagine, create, and write!” What a great idea! Girls visit the website (www.missandfriends.com) to submit poems and short fiction. The winners are published. The collection includes stories about friendships, growing pains, and family concerns. Sometimes writing ideas are right under your nose and sometimes you find them in poems “at the edge of the universe.”
This book is a creative addition to a middle school writing program. Teachers could use suggestions for submission for lesson plans on writing. These short stories and poems told in middle school voices are sure to appeal to girls, their teachers and parents. Hermine Brindak’s illustrations are delightful and engaging. This is the most exciting book of children’s writing that I have seen in a long time.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10
Reviewer Age: 59
Reviewer City, State and Country: Timonium, MD US
This book is a creative addition to a middle school writing program. Teachers could use suggestions for submission for lesson plans on writing. These short stories and poems told in middle school voices are sure to appeal to girls, their teachers and parents. Hermine Brindak’s illustrations are delightful and engaging. This is the most exciting book of children’s writing that I have seen in a long time.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10
Reviewer Age: 59
Reviewer City, State and Country: Timonium, MD US
Diva by Alex Flinn
Caitlin McCourt has plans to be a diva- but not a pop star, an opera singer. With this goal in mind, she auditions for the muical theater program at Miami High School of the Arts. Her amazing voice sweeps her in the door, but at this new artsy school, she just doesn't feel as interesting as the other students, who are all self-confident and inhibition-free. Caitlin, who spent the first fifteen years of her life overweight and uncomfortable with herself, spent her first year in a newly thin body with an abusive boyfriend, a perfectionist mother, and a lot of self doubt. After spending so much time just trying to blend in, its a huge challenge for her to learn to be herself again, but her new friends and voice teacher are there to help her out. As she finally has a chance to discover her full potential, will she be able to overcome all the fears and doubts she has had in the past and head for the stage?
I really enjoyed reading Diva. I could associate with Caitlin and grew to really like her, despite her self-deprecation and sometimes grating issues. The fact that she is an opera singer, not an actress or dancer, sets her apart from the slew of books about artsy kids. My only issues with the book come at the very end. While its true I would not have liked Caitlin to continue suffering in her abusive relationship with Nick, I felt like the resolution was a little too abrupt and was unrealistic. I was, however, very excited to see her start a new section of her life, and I was left hopeful for her future as a singer.
Content:adult guidance, for some more mature relationships and problems
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Edina , Minnesota USA
I really enjoyed reading Diva. I could associate with Caitlin and grew to really like her, despite her self-deprecation and sometimes grating issues. The fact that she is an opera singer, not an actress or dancer, sets her apart from the slew of books about artsy kids. My only issues with the book come at the very end. While its true I would not have liked Caitlin to continue suffering in her abusive relationship with Nick, I felt like the resolution was a little too abrupt and was unrealistic. I was, however, very excited to see her start a new section of her life, and I was left hopeful for her future as a singer.
Content:adult guidance, for some more mature relationships and problems
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Edina , Minnesota USA
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