The Ghost in Allie's Pool by Sara Bodi

For as long as Allie could remember, she has been at her best friend, Marissa’s side. But 8th grade is here. Soon Allie finds that she is becoming farther and farther from Marissa. While at the same time, coming closer to her Pilgrim Ancestry. When Dorothy May( the wife of her great-great-great-great grandfather who jumped overboard), appears at Allie’s side, Allie and Dorothy become friends. 8th Grade is hard, what with bullies, no best friend, and a wacky teacher. But Allie finds her way through it all with just a little help from Dorothy. She may even find a potential boyfriend!

This book is really good! I really enjoyed the fact that the author portrayed what really happens in Junior High. No one really knows for sure what it’s like losing a best friend. But it all worked out in the end. Even if there were a few rough bumps in the road. It was also very interesting to see how the Pilgrims were tied into the story. You get a bit of history and modern 8th graders all at the same time. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a bit of history, and life lessons.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9

Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: , Illinois U.S.A

Code Orange by Caroline B. Cooney

Mitty Blake's biggest mistake was actually doing his homework. He lives in an apartment in New York City. Mitty attends a private school, St. Raphael's. He started a project on infectious disease for biology class. In one of the old textbooks he used for his research, he found an envelope labeled "Scabs-VM epidemic, 1902, Boston." Inside were scabs from smallpox, which was all but destroyed during the twentieth century. For the next week, Mitty can't concentrate on his project, his best friend, Derek, his girlfriend, Olivia, or his classes. He was worried he would catch the virus after finding out that it was from a dangerous strain, variola major. This strain will kill him. His research gets him more and more worried. Mitty decides to write an email to numerous people and organizations on the internet. After writing back, it seems there is a good chance he might catch smallpox. After nine days have passed since touching the scabs, a woman from the CDC approaches Mitty on the street. As Mitty goes with her, he is hit on the head. When he is missing, his mother calls the police. By this point, the FBI has become involved. They ask both Olivia and Derek where Mitty might be. Olivia and Derek then figure out that the FBI is scared one of the contacts from the internet may have been a terrorist and they abducted Mitty to infect the nation. Meanwhile, Mitty regains consciousness in a locked basement. He figures out that there is almost no hope of escape. However, Mitty tricks them and locks his guards in the basement. A few hours later, Mitty rigs a furnace to poison them all with carbon monoxide gas. The next day, the terrorist group leaders come and are about to take Mitty away when he locks the door on them. Mitty had a few scratches from a fight with his guards, but no smallpox. He has to be treated for his wounds in a hospital. All of the terrorists died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Mitty and his friends and family then went back to their normal lives.


Code Orange, by Caroline B. Cooney, is one of the best books I've ever read. It is definitely a page-turner. I stayed up late in the night reading it, and read it every chance I got. School was worse than normal because I couldn't read my book. The only downside is that it was too short. I liked it so much, I finished it in a day. I read on the bus, during breakfast, even in class! I recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers or suspense. It is very similar to Andrew Clements' Things Not Seen in that both main characters have (or think they have) a special medical condition. This book, however, is far more suspenseful. It always leaves you guessing. It throws you right into the plot and there's never a dull moment. You really get to feel what Mitty and his friends are thinking. Also, the fact that the author uses real places in New York City and real references to books is really interesting, and those that have been to these places can relate to this. When it seems Mitty will die, you are ready to start screaming at the book , but then, all of a sudden, something happens and he narrowly escapes. The fact that it could happen in real life is very scary as well. Lastly, since it has been written post-9/11, and is based in NY, it has references to real events that took place on that day. Ten out of ten in my books.

Content:2
Some of the descriptions of the smallpox symptoms could be disturbing to younger children.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10
Reviewer Age: 13

Kiera Davis is going through tough times. She thinks her husband is having an affair, her teenage daughter is being rebellious, and Kiera's been having awful migraines, with bright flashes of light preluding them. She wants to think the migraines are normal, but she knows there's more beneath the surface-maybe connected to a haunting event in her past that she'd rather just forget about. Kiera's been living with a dark secret since high school, and feels the time is near for when she will be punished for it. Kiera feels like she's being haunted-by someone from her past, and by her vestigial twin whom she thinks is inside of her. Kiera ponders that her vestigial twin came to her to remind her of her past. When her friends are murdered, she has to face the truth. At each crime scene, witnesses say a woman who looked like Kiera was seen at each murder. But Kiera believes it couldn't have been her, because she was always in a different location than where the murder took place. As Kiera tries to put the pieces of this puzzle together, she tests her sanity, strength, and spirit as she tries to come to a logical decision through all of this.

Unbroken was a very interesting book. It had a lot of unconventional twists and turns in the story, and I must say that after receiving the book to review and reading the back cover, I was very skeptical about if I even wanted to read it. After you get past Unbroken's unusual oddity (the whole vestigial twin thing) and get into the mystery and suspense of "who's killing Kiera's friends?!?," it makes for an interesting, yet quirky, horror book. Sci-fi fans will love it! Unbroken's not for people who are in the mood for reading about characters with good morals. It's not that the characters are bad, but they just aren't faith-centered, so if you're looking for a book like that, this probably isn't for you. Unbroken also has a lot of harsh language in it, so this book is best suited for mature readers, around ages 15 and up.

Because of certain instances in the book, like where Kiera feels haunted and where her teenage daughter, Trista, might be pregnant, and also because of the language, Unbroken is just better for older, mature readers.

Reviewer Age:15

A Fine Night For Dying by Jack Higgins

Harvey Preston is drug to the bottom of the English Channel wrapped in chains. His death brings up suspicion, and becomes linked to a cross channel smuggling ring. Undercover, Paul Chavasse is sent to investigate this matter. He soon learns the real truth, but before it can be revealed he is caught. It is a constant fight for Paul's life, while he attempts to conceal his secrets.

This book is a fast-paced action thriller. It is a tale of suspicion and murder from beginning to end. It follows a smuggling ship's voyage through Europe in 1969.

I believe this book should be for mature readers only, for two reasons. First, this book contained many murders and was gorey. Also, towards the beginning of the book a man named, Jacaud, attempts to rape a young girl.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lemoore, California U.S.

The Year of My Miraculous Reappearance by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Cynnie is thirteen years old and has taken over the role of her mother. While her mom is sitting one the couch drinking, Cynnie is tending to Bill her 5 year old brother who has Down Syndrome. Cynnie feels as if she is the only one who loves him. This all changes when her mom sends Bill to live with their Grandparents because she feels he is too much of a responsibility. What will happen to Cynnie if she cannot be with her darling Bill? Will the pain of missing him force her to do something she normally wouldn't do?

This book started off a little dull in the beginning, but it became very interesting in the middle and end. This book has a very good moral to it and shows you what the power of addiction can do. This was a very good book and it is very different than any other book I have read. I definatly liked the character Bill because he is such a trooper, he's gone through a lot and he just smiles. I very much enjoyed the ending it keeps you satisfied yet it keeps you wanting more.

I believe this book had some adult content and it had a good amount of language.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, Pennsylvania United States

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

When senior Tyler Miller gets sentenced to community service for putting graffiti on his school, his world turns round. Suddenly, he has a hot body and the school's hottest girl, Bethany Milbury, all over it. This was what he wanted, right? Bethany, the respect of his fellow students for doing the stunt, and popularity. But what happens when good things turn bad and suddenly his world is TWISTED.

This was one of the best book I have ever read. It is about true teen struggle to cope with the odds of life. It also creates a comedy around what is going on with Tyler. This is could keep the attention of almost anyone, even someone who never reads. Anderson has done it again, another book, just as good as Speak.

This book has some content only intended for teens. This includes sexual things such as porn, raping, and some bodily functions.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Shippensburg, usa

Horse Sense: The Saddle Club by Bonnie Bryant

Stevie, Carol, and Lisa are looking for a new member to add to the Saddle Club but they are having difficulty finding someone who meets their two qualifications. The first qualification is that the new person has to be horse crazy and the second is that she has to help others. Stevie and Carole had been very busy with their projects and had been forgetting about Lisa and the club meetings that she scheduled. When a new girl named Estelle starts horseback riding lessons with the girls, Lisa starts to become friends with her. Lisa votes Estelle into the club without her friends' approval, but when Lisa tells Estelle and her other friends that Estelle is now a member, why doesn't anyone but she seem excited?

Horse Sense is the third installment in The Saddle Club series written by Bonnie Bryant. I really enjoyed this book the best of all out of the three Saddle Club books that I have read so far. The reason is because much more went on in this story than in the others and there was almost always a constant problem going on which had to get solved. Bonnie Bryant did a fantastic job of using descriptive words and with writing this excellent story. Horse Sense is an excellent book for girls who love horses and who are looking for a quick read.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Upper Strasburg, PA United States

Exploits of a Reluctant Hero by Maureen Fergus

Exploits of a Reluctant Hero by Maureen Fergus is the story of a young teenager’s journey to save the local soup kitchen from shutting down. The beginning of the story paints a picture of an adventurous teenager and his many unusual endeavors. His family moves to Winnipeg because his father is taking over the family business in town, and he joins the local business manager association. After a failed attempt of swindling over $900 from his dad’s business, our “hero” is sentenced by his parents to serve at the local soup kitchen. Here he meets and gets to know Jerry, the head of the Holy Light Mission. As the story progresses, the protagonist begins to see past what is best for him and starts to do the right thing. After a near death experience with a local business owner, the business management organization blames the people who seek refuge at the mission. This sparks a debate that divides the small town into those who support the mission and those who want it closed. With his heritage on one side and his mentor on the other, our hero has to decide between his interests and what is right. With a surprising ending and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, Exploits of a Reluctant Hero by Maureen Fergus is a great story of a boy rallying support and of excess fried chicken eating in front of the TV.

This book was one of the most enjoyable, hilarious, and insightful stories I have ever read. The author uses humor and a story almost everyone can relate to in order to send a wonderful message. The subtlety of this message allows it to be entrenched in the reader's mind instead of pounding the typical "let's save the world" idea in our heads. Using the format of journal entries by tape recording, the story allows readers to enter the mind of the protagonist and understand his thinking. The end of the story was perhaps my favorite part. Even though things didn't work out, it didn't stop the "hero" from continuing to make a difference. This book made me laugh, and it made me realize that anyone, regardless of who you are, can make a difference for someone else. A fun and hysterical book that I definitely recommend.

Content:3 Sexual humor and references.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10
Reviewer Age: 17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Eden Prairie, Minnesota United States

Cam's Quest by Dian Curits Regan

Cam's Quest is the long-awaited sequel to Princess Nevermore. In this book, it's time for Quinn to follow Mandrian tradition and choose a husband. She isn't the least bit interested in any of her noble suitors, though. She can't forget Adam, the boy from Outer Earth she used to love. And what about Cam, her childhood playmate? Cam has a problem of his own, too. He is no longer the wizard Melikar's apprentice. His quest is now to discover his past, with only a few mysterious objects from his childhood. His quest might take him to the most unexpected places...and lead to such drastic changes in his life that he can't even imagine them.

This book will not disappoint fans of Princess Nevermore. The characters readers grew to love in the first book are back, and their adventures are even more interesting this time around! Cam's Quest is a page turner written by a talented author. Like Princess Nevermore, Cam's Quest is a fairy tale that readers of all ages will enjoy! I'd love to see another sequel, but I didn't feel like one was really being set up at the end...But you never know!

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Asheville, NC USA

The Thief Queen's Daughter by Elizabeth Haydon

The Thief Queen's Daughter continues the adventures of Ven Polypheme, a Nain who is travelling in foreign lands by himself, having all sorts of adventures. In this volume, Ven is sent by the King himself to visit the Gated City. The Gated City is where all sorts of criminals live, and it is ruled by the Queen Of Thieves. Ven and his friends enter for market day, planning to leave at the market's close--but when one of their number is kidnapped, they are forced to remain behind and try to rescue her. Once you're in the Gated City past market's closing, though, chances that you'll never get out increase drastically.

Elizabeth Haydon's wonderful characters, those who are human and those who are not, are all incredibly three-dimensional and interesting. The situations she puts these characters in will have readers turning pages as fast as their fingers allow! Haydon's skill at creating the fantastic world to which her characters belong is obvious. She's a brilliant writer whose words really come to life. I for one cannot wait for the next installment in the journals of Ven Polypheme!

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 15Reviewer City, State and Country: Asheville, NC USA