Skin Hunger is a book with two stories taking place generations apart. One story is about Sadima, a magician whose mother died the day she was born, and the "magician" helping her give birth robbed her family. The other is about Hahp, who is the son of a rich merchant who sent him to a wizard school, knowing he may well die. Sadima is approached at age 14 by a wizard named Franklin, asking her to join him and Somiss, his master, in the port city of Limori, where they are working to restore magic to a world where it is despised and feared, and there are many fraud magicians. Three years later, Sadima does travel to Limori to seek out Franklin. When she finds him, she joins him and Somiss, helping around the house and doing other menial tasks. Somiss's fervor for his mission frightens Sadima, but she has fallen in love with Franklin who cannot leave, as he is Somiss's slave. As she realizes the danger she is in with Somiss, whose father despises him, she attempts to persuade Franklin to run off with her. However, he refuses. Then, Sadima follows Franklin to a cave outside Limori. Inside, she finds some of the orphans from the streets trapped in a cage. She questions Franklin, who admits they are using the children, but refuses to help free them, explaining that Somiss will just get more from the city. She decides that there is nothing she can do. One night, men light Somiss's apartment on fire, hoping to catch him. They manage to escape with their lives. They set off into the caves to find the ancient home of magic. Hahp's story begins as he goes to the wizard academy. He is a roommate with Gerrard, a poor orphan who shouldn't be there. In the academy, Hahp and the other boys are starved until they figure out how to work the magic stone that gives them food. Franklin, their teacher, seems to regret their harsh conditions but fears the headmaster, Somiss. Many of the boys die before they can get food. Then, Hahp realizes he can make things other than food with the stone, and he makes a bar of soap to clean himself. He is then given new, clean robes that mean he has moved on. Gerrard steadfastly refuses help from Hahp, but Hahp gives him the soap so he can figure out how to make it himself. Gerrard makes soap and is given his own new robes. They are set to new tasks that none of the others have to do. Meanwhile, the boys have to memorize songs in a different language and recite them, and until they do, they will starve again. Hahp and Gerrard finally agree to work together to get through all of the tests set before them.
Skin Hunger by Kathleen Duey is a great book for all young adults. It earns an eight out of ten from me. The way the two stories of Hahp and Sadima are woven together makes it far more interesting. It is similar to the book Holes in that one story is about a good boy and a poor orphan who build a friendship to overcome the troubles set before them, and that it has another story in the past that is closely connected to it. It was a bit boring at times, but the interesting parts made up for that. Another way it is set apart from other stories is that the magic is so much different than in any other book.
Content: Frightening, death
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Chambersburg, PA United States
Monday, July 16, 2007
No Talking by Andrew Clements
Mark and Lyndsey are both fifth graders at the same elementary school. Mark thinks of Lyndsey as a blabber mouth, whos head would blow off if she had to be quiet for five minutes. Lyndsey thinks of Mark as a boy who thinks he is better than all fifth grade girls, but really is the same. One day, Mark decides to imitate Ghandi, and goes to school one day with the goal of not saying one word to anyone, including his friends. The inconveince of this for Lyndsey is that Mark and Lyndsey were partners for a project that had to presented on this very same day. Mark wiggles his way out of giving the presentation, and has done quiet well with achieving his goal untill fifth grade lunch, where he makes Lyndsey a challenge. The challenge is this: Mark and all the fifth grade boys challenge Lyndsey and all the fifth grade girls to two complete days of silence. There were rules however. They were allowed to answer teachers, but with only three words. Also, when the students went home, they had to use the honor system, and honestly report any talking done outside of school. Each word spoke was worth a point. After the two days were up, the gender with the least amount of talking outside the rules won. The signifigance of this was that this specific group of fifth graders were known as the Unshushables. They had a reputation of not knowing when or how to be quiet. As the contest goes on, the teachers and principle become relieved of the noise, but irritated from the short answers and little participation in class. The principle tries to but an end to it, but becomes convenced herself, through Mark, that actually this silence is quiet a good idea.
This book is fabolous for the reading age that it is wrote for. It teaches a great lesson of what some quiet time can actually do for a person. It also teaches the fifth grade girls and the boys in the story, that really, neither one is better than the other. They also learn that although there is such thing as talking to much, that talking really is almost an essential thing for life. Friendships are built, and trust and responsibility are displayed throughout the book.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Athens, Ohio
This book is fabolous for the reading age that it is wrote for. It teaches a great lesson of what some quiet time can actually do for a person. It also teaches the fifth grade girls and the boys in the story, that really, neither one is better than the other. They also learn that although there is such thing as talking to much, that talking really is almost an essential thing for life. Friendships are built, and trust and responsibility are displayed throughout the book.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Athens, Ohio
Spells and Sleeping Bags by Sarah Mlynowski
Rachel Weinstein for what seems like forever, has watched her mom and little sister Miri show off their magic. But now in the third installment of Sarah Mlynowski’s young adult series…………….. Rachel has powers! Plus as an added bonus Rachel and Miri will be going to summer camp, where also Raf will conveniently will be going. But to have the summer of her life, she’ll have to fix some problems.
Have to zap back all of her clothes(little accident, no biggie)
Get out of baby level in swimming
Bathe in mosquito repellent(won’t leave her alone)
And deal with the backstabber in her cabin
Sounds like fun!
I chose this book to review because it is the third book in a series that I love. But with this one, I was a little disappointed. I didn’t have the same style as the first two books had. Rachel wasn’t as sassy and kind as usual. Also the ending was not what I expected would make the story a little better. But I did love how I and the readers found out what really went down between Rachel’s mom and her Aunt Sasha.
Content: innapropriate language
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Minooka, IL
Have to zap back all of her clothes(little accident, no biggie)
Get out of baby level in swimming
Bathe in mosquito repellent(won’t leave her alone)
And deal with the backstabber in her cabin
Sounds like fun!
I chose this book to review because it is the third book in a series that I love. But with this one, I was a little disappointed. I didn’t have the same style as the first two books had. Rachel wasn’t as sassy and kind as usual. Also the ending was not what I expected would make the story a little better. But I did love how I and the readers found out what really went down between Rachel’s mom and her Aunt Sasha.
Content: innapropriate language
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Minooka, IL
The Invisible by Mats Wahl
Hilmer Eriksson is invisible, no one can see him or hear him. He soon learns that he is missing, but he has no idea ware his body lies. Hilmer must stay close to detective Fors in order to solve this mystery. But, even if he finds his body who can he tell if no one can hear him? It is a struggle to save his own life. Slowly Hilmer is dieing. Can he solve the mystery before his death?
This book is full of suspense and mystery. It is a great ghost story and has many police investigations. The Invisible will keep you on your toes, you will not be able to set it down. However, I was disappointed in the ending of the book. I expected a larger twist and more excitement in the end.
Content: This book is about a murder and it is slightly gory.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lemoore, CA USA
This book is full of suspense and mystery. It is a great ghost story and has many police investigations. The Invisible will keep you on your toes, you will not be able to set it down. However, I was disappointed in the ending of the book. I expected a larger twist and more excitement in the end.
Content: This book is about a murder and it is slightly gory.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lemoore, CA USA
Red Rage by Brigitte Blobel
Her mom is going crazy, her dad is an abusive alcoholic; its no wonder that Mara has anger management problems. But when she starts to work at a child care center, Mara connects with the kids there and meets a guy named Tim. But one day Mara comes home to find her mom gone. After that, her life starts to spiral down out of control. And when the unspeakable happens, Mara decides she needs to get help and take responsibility for her actions. No matter what the cost.
Red Rage wasn't what I expected it to be. Occasionally hard to follow, I had difficulty understanding what was going on. But by the middle all was flowing smoothly, and I was caught up in the book. The ending was predictable, but it was a good book to read nonetheless. I wouldn't say it was my favorite, but I have read far worse books.
language and child abuse
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Casa Grande, Arizona Unites States of America
Red Rage wasn't what I expected it to be. Occasionally hard to follow, I had difficulty understanding what was going on. But by the middle all was flowing smoothly, and I was caught up in the book. The ending was predictable, but it was a good book to read nonetheless. I wouldn't say it was my favorite, but I have read far worse books.
language and child abuse
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Casa Grande, Arizona Unites States of America
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Lily Dale: Awakening by Wendy Corsi Staub
“...The only way we’ll learn the truth is to dredge the lake!”
These words keep reoccurring in Calla’s dream, and when she wakes up, its always 3:17. These words hold the secret to the falling out of Calla’s mother and Grandmother. And as Calla spends time in Lily Dale after her mothers death, Calla comes to realize that Lily Dale is a town for Psychic Mediums. Even her own grandmother, Odelia, has the gift of being able to sense presences that are near. And after Calla starts to see things, things that no one else can, Calla realizes that she too may have to gift. And her being able to sense things, may be able to help solve the mystery of a kidnaped girl, who disappeared over six months. But what Calla wants the most is to be able to speak with her own deceased relative, her mom.
This book is completely different from the ones I have reviewed in the past. This mystery is suspenseful, yet also has romance and drama. It will appeal to many different readers, of all ages. Wendi Corsi Staub realizes what it feels like to lose someone close to you, and she puts that raw emotion into her writing. This book is the perfect type to curl up with an ice cold lemonade on those hot summer days, and is a great pool side read. You will find few that don’t fall in love with Staub's books.
Content: language
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Casa Grande, Arizona Uniteds States of America
These words keep reoccurring in Calla’s dream, and when she wakes up, its always 3:17. These words hold the secret to the falling out of Calla’s mother and Grandmother. And as Calla spends time in Lily Dale after her mothers death, Calla comes to realize that Lily Dale is a town for Psychic Mediums. Even her own grandmother, Odelia, has the gift of being able to sense presences that are near. And after Calla starts to see things, things that no one else can, Calla realizes that she too may have to gift. And her being able to sense things, may be able to help solve the mystery of a kidnaped girl, who disappeared over six months. But what Calla wants the most is to be able to speak with her own deceased relative, her mom.
This book is completely different from the ones I have reviewed in the past. This mystery is suspenseful, yet also has romance and drama. It will appeal to many different readers, of all ages. Wendi Corsi Staub realizes what it feels like to lose someone close to you, and she puts that raw emotion into her writing. This book is the perfect type to curl up with an ice cold lemonade on those hot summer days, and is a great pool side read. You will find few that don’t fall in love with Staub's books.
Content: language
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Casa Grande, Arizona Uniteds States of America
Friday, July 13, 2007
The Pilgrims of Rayne (Pendragon) by D. J. MacHale
In this book, Bobby Pendragon uses the flume to travel to 1st Earth with Courtney. When they get there, they go to the Manhattan Tower. Bobby leaves Courtney with Dodger so that they can search for Mark, and he leaves for the territory of Ibara. When Bobby gets to Ibara, he is attacked by bees and becomes unconscious for several days. When he regains consciousness, he is arrested for being an outsider and is taken to see the Tribunal. He is released and told to hang out with Siry, the Traveler of Ibara. Siry takes him into the jungle and introduces him to the Jakills, a bunch of rebel teenagers. The Jakills have plans to escape from the island, and they expect Bobby to help them steal a boat to do so. They successfully steal the ship, and they travel to the city of Rubity. There they are ambushed by Flighters. Siry and Bobby believe that they are the only two to survive the attack. They go back to the island to warn the Tribunal of an attack from Saint Dane, the ultimate bad guy. Bobby decides to throw out the rules, and starts mixing the territories. He comes back with a few things from three different territories. Alder comes back with him, and they start thinking about how to beat Saint Dane. They come up with a plan, and defeat Saint Dane and his army. Afterwards, Bobby sends Siry and Alder away, and then blows up the flume, trapping Saint Dane and himself on Ibara. While all this is happening on Ibara, Courtney and Dodger are searching for Mark on 1st Earth. They discover that Mark boards the Queen Mary and is killed. They arrive on the Queen Mary as stowaways and begin searching for Mark. They find him and convince him that he needs to return to 2nd Earth with Courtney.
First off, this book was so good, I stayed up REALLY late to finish it. One of my favorite characters was Courtney, because she was always ready with some sassy comeback or retort. I was very sad about the ending, but I still liked it because Bobby wasn’t thinking about just himself, and he finally realized that he could be defeated. This book was just as good as, maybe even better than, the rest of the series. I learned that no matter who you are, you can still be defeated, so you shouldn’t get really full of yourself. The vocabulary and content used was appropriate for teenagers. This author is a superb writer, and I love his style. He regularly uses plenty of detail. I don’t see any way the author could improve this book.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Highland, MI USA
First off, this book was so good, I stayed up REALLY late to finish it. One of my favorite characters was Courtney, because she was always ready with some sassy comeback or retort. I was very sad about the ending, but I still liked it because Bobby wasn’t thinking about just himself, and he finally realized that he could be defeated. This book was just as good as, maybe even better than, the rest of the series. I learned that no matter who you are, you can still be defeated, so you shouldn’t get really full of yourself. The vocabulary and content used was appropriate for teenagers. This author is a superb writer, and I love his style. He regularly uses plenty of detail. I don’t see any way the author could improve this book.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Highland, MI USA
Quantum Prophesy: The Awakening by Michael Carroll
Ten years ago, superheroes roamed the earth, bringing evil to justice and saving humanity from itself. But in a battle against a supervillain, Ragnarok, all the superheroes lost their powers and were effectively lost forever. But now, it seems Danny and Colin, two best friends, have abilities that only superheroes could. Caught up in a whirlwind of conspiracy, the two and their "superhero" parents are kidnapped and sent to America, where Colin escapes and is set against not only trained soldiers but the mystery that is America. Danny and the adults find themselves in a secure bunker in California, where Danny must keep the villains at bay until Colin can come to save him. Colin locates the two superheroes who didn't lose their powers ten years ago, a superhero with no special powers to lose, and a telepath who was miracurously unaffected. Together, they try to rescue Danny and the others. But both Danny and Colin's struggles are rife with obstacles and betrayal, and they wonder who they can trust, and how they can possibly triumph over evil.
The book was a nice quick read, but not something to take seriously. The language was clumsy, and the plot was predictable. But it had its moments. There were times when the characters truly shone, and the narrative sparkled with clever, lively language. However, the majority of it was sluggish, and the action scenes were too short and unrealistic. The book had potential, but it was never realized.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 5
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Overland Park, KS United States
The book was a nice quick read, but not something to take seriously. The language was clumsy, and the plot was predictable. But it had its moments. There were times when the characters truly shone, and the narrative sparkled with clever, lively language. However, the majority of it was sluggish, and the action scenes were too short and unrealistic. The book had potential, but it was never realized.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 5
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Overland Park, KS United States
The Campfire Crush by Cylin Busby
You are finally a junior counselor at Camp Butterfield and can’t wait for all the new experiences you are about to encounter. From hiking to horseback riding to flirting with a cute guy, there is always something to look forward to. Sometimes though there are snakes to worry about, poison ivy to watch out for, and paths that could lead you off course and get you kicked out of camp, so be careful! This is a choose-your-own-boyfriend book where you get to make the decisions, which could either lead you to true love or realizing that he’s not the one after all. With over twenty different endings to choose from, you are bound to find the right guy for you!
The Camp Fire Crush is the first book in the Date Him or Dump Him series written by Cylin Busby. I thought it was really cool how The Campfire Crush was created like the Choose Your Own Adventure series, which are really fun to read. This is an extremely quick, and enjoyable summer read with unpredictable endings. I think that the author had a great idea for this awesome series that allows you to choose your own boyfriend. It’s neat how if you don’t like the decision you made, you can go back and make a different one. If you enjoyed this series, then don’t miss the next two releases called Ski Trip Trouble and The Dance Dilemma.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Upper Strasburg, PA USA
The Camp Fire Crush is the first book in the Date Him or Dump Him series written by Cylin Busby. I thought it was really cool how The Campfire Crush was created like the Choose Your Own Adventure series, which are really fun to read. This is an extremely quick, and enjoyable summer read with unpredictable endings. I think that the author had a great idea for this awesome series that allows you to choose your own boyfriend. It’s neat how if you don’t like the decision you made, you can go back and make a different one. If you enjoyed this series, then don’t miss the next two releases called Ski Trip Trouble and The Dance Dilemma.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Upper Strasburg, PA USA
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Everything You Need to Know About the World by Simon Eliot
Did you know... ...the Southern American electric eel can knock out a horse from nine feet away? ...Rubbing your hair with peanut butter can remove gum from your hair? ...the word pineapple got its name because the first Europeans thought it looked like a large pine cone and tasted like an apple? ...a Japanese man farted over 3000 times in a row on TV in 1980? ...hens don't actually sit on their eggs, but sit behind them and puff out their feathers in front of them to cover the eggs? Well if you don't know these things, and are surprised by it, you will surely enjoy this book! "Everything You Need to Know About the World" is a packed book filled with funny facts that ranges from weird science to pop culture. Also, the little cartoons and "handwritten" comments add to its fun. With 180 pages of fun little facts, people of all ages can be amazed by it! This book is filled with facts about things you never thought you knew, or thought you knew but were incorrect, or was just plain embarrassed to ask!
This book just pops random facts here and there. But there are 22 chapters, or categorizes that ranges from 1 page to 24 pages. It gives all sorts of different facts that the whole family can read and enjoy! There are numerous things in this book that I had no idea about, or I thought I knew but were wrong. Some of the items in this book really surprised me. I'm sure it'll surprise most people out there too. Overall, this book is a really easy, simple book packed with amazing facts. The cartoons and drawings make it more fun to read, and I sure enjoyed reading this book.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Sunnyvale, CA USA
This book just pops random facts here and there. But there are 22 chapters, or categorizes that ranges from 1 page to 24 pages. It gives all sorts of different facts that the whole family can read and enjoy! There are numerous things in this book that I had no idea about, or I thought I knew but were wrong. Some of the items in this book really surprised me. I'm sure it'll surprise most people out there too. Overall, this book is a really easy, simple book packed with amazing facts. The cartoons and drawings make it more fun to read, and I sure enjoyed reading this book.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Sunnyvale, CA USA
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