Anything But Ordinary by Valerie Hobbs

When he is thirteen, Bernie Federman moves to Pittstown, New Jersey. Proudly different than anybody else, he doesn't know anyone in the eighth grade, and from the very first day of school sits in the back of the classroom. Then he meets Winifred Owens, also fiercely individualistic, and possibly the only person less popular at school than Bernie. They fall in love and begin planning their life together. Both very intelligent, they are at the top of their class and apply to all the same colleges, neither of them dreaming they'll end up somewhere different than the other. Then, shortly before graduation, tragedy strikes for Bernie, and all his dreams fall apart. He stops going to school, dropping to the bottom of the class, and starts working in a tire shop, abandoning his plans for college. Winifred is heartbroken, but presses on, going across the country to attend the University of California at Santa Barbara. Once there, she realizes just how much she doesn't fit in, and with the help of her new roommates, she gets a makeover and becomes 'Wini,' changing her major from nanoscience to communications and spending her time partying, gossiping, and drinking lattes. Meanwhile, Bernie realizes he may have lost her forever, so he travels crosscountry to catch up with her. However, once he finds her again and realizes that she's become 'ordinary,' it may be too late for them.

I really loved this book. It's different than a lot of the teen romances available today in that it deals with the dark horses, the underdogs, the "unpopular" kids. You really find yourself rooting for Bernie and Winifred to make it work, for Winifred to wake up and realize how silly she's being, and you want them to get back together in the end. From the moment I picked it up, I didn't stop reading ANYTHING BUT ORDINARY, and I would definitely recommend it. It's a great look at the first year of college and how much it can change a person (for better or for worse), and although the ending is slightly bittersweet, it still leaves the reader with a smile. I'll definitely keep my eyes open for other books by Valerie Hobbs.

Adult guidance recommended, as this book involves the lives of college students and deals with alcohol and sexual situations.

Reviewer Age:18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Little Rock, AR USA

Penny From Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm

Penny Falucci is just a "run of the mill" kid. Well&& except for her huge Italian family. Among her many uncles, mourning Grandmother, annoying cousin, and grumpy mother, Penny's life is a box full of crazy. Her father died when she was just a little baby. She never knew him. Though in a way, she was really close to him. Nobody tells her anything about him and she thinks her uncles just treat her like a princess is because they feel sorry for Penny. But when something extreme happens, she finds out a whole lot more info than what she wanted about her dad.

Penny from Heaven was an excellent book to read. It was a lot of fun to read about how she dealt with her crazy family. Her uncles all had their little quirks and it was fun. She had to balance her father's side of the family, all Italians and her mom's side of the family. Grim-faced bad cooks. It also had a bit of mystery in it. You try to think about what happened to her father. But it was really exciting to find out what in the end though.

Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: , IL

What Happeened by Peter Johnson

On a snowy night, when they were driving too fast, Kyle and his brother find themselves in a predicament that they never expected to be in. In addition to his already crazy and mixed up life, the narrator now must deal with the death of a stranger, a death he was a part of. The book portrays the unpredictable and meaningful experiences of a boy and his brother. Scarily simple and yet complex on many levels, this book was suspenseful without being a horror.

"There haven't been many happy endings in my life or Kyle's, or happy beginnings or middles either, just events needing to be pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle."

This poetic book is the twisted tangled story of mistakes made, and the weight of guilt on the shoulders of the ones who can do nothing. The tale was intriguing at times, but occasionally the change between the narrator's dreams and memories and real life confused me. The vocabulary was simple and easy, but the meanings of some messages were beyond me. The ending was plain but was a wonderful way to close such a mysterious book. Johnson has a way with words that could be compared with Robert Frost, with an exciting, modern twist.

The book had nothing too scandlous in it and was not gory.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Marblehead, MA USA

Ida B by Katherine Hannigan

Ida B is an elementary grade student. Her parents own an orchard that has many apple trees. Ever since she hated kindergarten, her parents have homeschooled her. In her free time, Ida B loves to have fun and talk to the trees and brook that she has named. When her mother develops cancer, her family must sell part of the orchard, and she has to go back to public school. Ida B is devastated because of both things and plans to not talk to anyone because she hates everyone now. She learns that a kid in her class is moving into the part of the orchard that her family sold, and she is devastated even more when she finds out that they will cut down trees to build a house. In the end, Ida B realizes that it is alright and that by being angry forever will not change anything.

Ida B was a page-turner for me to read. The length was perfect for this story. It was also very creatively written and unique. All of the life lessons about having fun, pain, and friendships taught me so much. When I read, I look for books with emotion in them or else it isn't too exciting. Ida B definitely showed emotion and left me crying at the end. The end of the story was well written and perfect for the whole story. I would recommend this story to anyone who wants to read about friendships.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, PA USA

The Pull of the Ocean by Jean-Claude Mourlevat

The Doutreleau family is comprised of mother, father, and seven sons: three sets of twins and Yann. Yann is an unusual child, to say the least. He's ten years old and only two feet tall, but without any deformities of a dwarf. He's mute, but easily communicates with people through facial expressions and gestures of the hand. The mother and father are crude, cruel people who terrify their children.

One night Yann awakes his brothers with a warning that they must leave, or else their parents might do them harm. So begins their journey west as they travel towards the only refuge they know of: the ocean.

The Pull of the Ocean is told from many different perspectives, from the seven boys to the many people they meet along their journey, making it rather difficult to feel connected to any one of the characters. Written in a simplistic style, it is a story of survival and hope. The entire book seemed undescribably strange, though. It left me wondering what the point of the tale was exactly. Perhaps something was lost in its translation to English since it felt so incomplete.

Brief swearing by the mother in one chapter.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Moscow, ID USA

Keeper of the Earth by Jenna Solitaire

This is the fourth book in the Daughter of Destiny series. It is written from the first-person point of view. The author, Jenna Solitaire, is also the main charactor that is trying to retrieve the Boards of Babylon with her good friend Simon Monk. The book begins with a magical battle between two wizards. The victor talks to Jenna, who is watching from the side. He says his name is Emrys, and that he can guide her to the fourth Board, the Board of Earth. The Board can grant control over the very earth they stand on, and it, combined with the other Boards, can give the power of elemental binding, the ability to create the mysterious fifth element. Jenna then wakes up in a hotel room in Rome, hearing the voices of the three Boards that she possess along with the voice of her ultimate grandmother, Shalizander. Shalizander was also one of the creators of the Boards. After Jenna and Simon have a revealing visit with Cardinal Cepheus in Vatican City, they go to Scotland with Armand, a member of the Knight's Templar, to look for the phoenix stone that will lead them to the Board of Earth. They find the stone and the spirit of the wizard Coughlin. From this point on, Jenna will have to make decisions and bear burdens that will shape the very world.

I found this book to be very interesting, even though it is the first book in the series I have read. It did a great job of explaining old concepts and previous details from the other books. Once you start reading this book, you will not want to stop, especially if you like fantasies that are set in our world. The author does a good job of keeping the reader entangle in the plot.Overall, I thought that this book is very good, even though some parts go a little slowly.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Pennsylvania U.S.A.

The Disunited States of America by Harry Turtledove

Justin Monroe and his mother travel to an alternate United States where the Constitution was never created. Each state has broken off and formed its own country. Becky Royer, a young girl from the country of California, journeys with her grandmother to her hometown, Elizabeth, Virginia, so her grandmother can say her final goodbyes. She meets Justin there just as war breaks out between Ohio and Virginia. Ohio releases a tailored virus, trapping the two in Virginia under quarantine. Becky can't return to California, and Justin can't return to the United States he calls home. As those around them begin getting sick and the war intensifies, they struggle to find a way to get to their respective homes, alive and well.

I thought that the book had a fascinating storyline, and that the action was well-developed. However, the language was poorly executed. As the characters conversed, their dialogue was forced and its sole purpose was to further the plot. It broke the believable world of the story. Also, the narration used too much slang, as though the author was trying to incorporate the characters' styles into every aspect of the book: the scenery, the descriptions, the action. Though the story is told from Justin's point of view, Justin himself is not telling the story, and again, it discredited the world Harry Turtledove was trying to create. The character development was unbelievable as well. Either they were 100% heroic, or they had annoying weaknesses that became their entire character. It was hard to relate to the characters, because they were too lucky and too perfect (or absolutely flawed) to allow the reader to sympathize much with their struggles. Though the idea of the book was exciting, I had to force myself to finish it because of all the obvious shortcomings.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 5
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Overland Park, Kansas United States

Secrets of My Hollywood Life on Location by Jen Calonita

Kaitlin Burke fell off Hollywood status when she pretended to be a normal high schooler and got caught. Now she is back in full force working on the next big movie with the next big director. She has the perfect boyfriend, a semi-normal family, and everything starts looking good for her. But when the "Cruella daVille" of Hollywood actresses plus Kaitlin's crazy ex-boyfriend costars in the movie, things start taking a turn for the worst. Follow Kaitlin and her high profile life through breakups and makeups in Secrets of My Hollywood Life on Location.

I loved the book!!! This is the kind of book I love to read. There are so many diverse characters from the yoga obsessed director to the calm and collected Austin, Kaitlin's boyfriend. I also liked throughout the book it has "Hollywood Secrets" such as "Many Stars don't stay for their own premieres." I loved the plot but the outcome was kind of predictable. Kaitlin's relationship was the boy meets girl, boy dumps girl, boy and girl get back together. It was too obvious in the beginning. However, the rest of the book was great and to girls who like girly books, this screams you.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Villa Hills, Kentucky United States

One Whole and Perfect Day by Judith Clarke

Lily is the only sensible on in her family. Soon she finds herself acting like a parent or grandmother would, saying odd phrases and smelling of dishwater and steamed vegetables. Should she fall in love? She seemed to figure that everyone who fell in love weren't at all sensible, surely that would help. Daniel Steadman, a grade eleven in Lily's school, was who she had her eye on. With her Crazy Family and her Pop's Upcoming party on the way, she only wished for just one whole and perfect day!

I thought this was a very beautiful book. At times I caught myself day-dreaming but that surely just means a lot was on my mind. This book was written wonderfully. The use of vocabulary just blows your mind away. I would surely choose to raise the age to young adult since some criteria may not be understandable to younger readers. The ending grabs you by the gut and certainly urges you to read the last 10 chapters as fast as you can. I didn't quite like the character, Lilly, since her attitude was all wrong towards things such as her mother bringing home old people from her nursing home job as a doctor. Her mother just put up with her nagging all the same. This book was also written from a different culture base as well [australia] so i can understand the differences. GREAT BOOK!

Young Adult would suit this book more appropriately since the vocabulary is quite confusing at points. At times I had to refer to a dictionary. Mature Readers may be an overstatement but I picked what was closest to the book. There is nothing in the book that is inapropriate so all readers are welcome, but it may be harder to understand.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, PA USA

Hollywood Hills by Aimee Friedman

Best friends Alexa St. Laurent and Holly Jacobson are off on a new adventure to Hollywood after Alexa manages to secure an invitation to the hottest event in California, Margaux Eklundstrom's wedding. It's a whole week of shopping, partying and fun in the sun. The girls get to stay in the guesthouse of Margaux's hot brother, Jonah, and Alexa hits it off immediately with Jonah. But as they hang out more, Alexa realizes that they may not be meant for each other. Holly immediately senses that there seems to be trouble in paradise. She is not getting along with her boyfriend, Tyler, which puts a damper on her mood. The girls try to put their boy problems aside and have fun relaxing on the beach and shopping. Holly realizes that she loves California and decides that she wants to go to college there, which means that she will be separated from Alexa for the first time. After a week in Hollywood, both Holly and Alexa learn a lot about themselves.

I liked this book. It was a great book to take my mind off of serious things. But this book was somewhat predictable and unrealistic, but that made the story more fun. Once I started this, I didn't want to put it down. I really want to go to Hollywood now after reading this! Alexa and Holly are fun characters to read about and I hope that the author will write more books about them.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 20
Reviewer City, State and Country: Philadelphia, PA USA