Runnerland by John Burns

Peter is a normal high school kid, just trying to get through life. Suddenly, his dad dies and makes everything change. While looking for something, Peter discovers that he is adopted! He decided this was a big thing that his parents didnt tell him, so he decides to run away from home. Peter ends up being involved with a guy who is involved with gangs, but will this change Peter? Will he give into what he trys to tell him?


I really enjoyed this book. The author really made it so I knew exactly what Peter was going through. It was also like I could feel everything that was being described throughout the book. The main character, Peter was very realistic sounding. He goes through many things in the book that an average teenager goes through. I think that the vocabulary used in this book was appropriate; it wasn't for a little kid, but it wasn't too bad. There wasnt much swearing in this book, which made me happy. I would recommend this book to others because it is a good book to read if you are wondering what some people go through. I know for me it was a change because I never realized that people actually have to go through things like this.Overall, I enjoyed reading this book.

Content: There is some swearing in this book, and some violence.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7

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

Grains Of Sand: The Fall Of Neve Dekalim

In Israel, an average family of two children and two parents
are living in Gush Katif. The two children, Yair and Efrat,
are growing up as all children do, but with one large
difference: the Disengagement is looming over their studies
and every-day life. Their parents, Yoram and Miri, are doing
their best to maintain a healthy lifestyle, but when the
family finds gun shots at night normal, perhaps it is time
to become worried. Yair, Efrat's younger brother, finds his
new hobby as finding live bullets, while Efrat goes into
recession, trying to escape all the Disengagement horror...
while their government crumbles around them.

Grains of Sand begins a little too calmly. However, once
I got four chapters into the book, it began to pick up the
pace. The descriptions of all the different objects were
wonderful, ranging from a bloodied moon to a fluffy dog. The
action was wonderful (once four chapters in), ranging from a
peaceful walk across sand dunes to a protest led by
teenagers. And most of all, the psychological message was
powerful. All at the same time, it informed me of the
happiness of a regular family, moving onto the frustration
and anger of that same family, all because of a government
that could not sustain itself. Grains of Sand closely
follows the story of a once happy community destroyed by
powerful outsiders.


Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Eagle Creek, OR USA

Cover-Up

Stevie and Susan are teen writers and stars of a new TV
show, Kids-Sports. They go to lots of events as reporters,
but it seems wherever they are a deep, dark secret is
uncovered. But, this time, during the Super Bowl it's not
going to happen. I mean it's the Super Bowl, what could go
wrong? Because of a slinky business deal Susan and Stevie
aren't working with each other. They soon realize that the
only way their problems can be solved is if they work as a
pair. The hard part is everyone around them doesn't want
them working together....

This book was a delightful read for me since I absolutely
love football. Even though Stevie is the opposite gender of
me, I felt at many points I could really relate to his life
and thoughts. I believe any football or sports fan would
enjoy Cover-Up and want more when it's done. This is John
Feinstein's third book about Stevie and Susan and definitely
my favorite. A bit of language and boyfriend/girlfriend
content, but overall a very suitable book.


Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Durham, NC USA

Sebastian Darke: Prince of Fools

Sebastian Darke: Prince of Fools is about a young half-elf
jester whose father has recently died. Sebastian embarks on
an adventure to the kingdom of Keladon to seek employment,
which his father never got to finish. Along the way,
Sebastian (and his pessimistic buffalope, Max) meet a
Golmirian warrior named Cornelius and a spoiled princess
named Kerin. Sebastian is shocked to learn that Kerin is the
niece of King Septimus of Keladon. After saving Princess
Kerin from the barbaric brigands and wolflike lupers, they
get to Keladon and are welcomed by Septimus. But little do
they know that the treacherous King Septimus is plotting
against them...

I loved Sebastian Darke: Prince of Fools! It was filled
with action, comedy, suspense, and even drama! It had an
entertaining, if unfortunately, slightly predictable plot.
However, if you can make it past the first two chapters, the
plot gets a bit more interesting with the addition of new
characters and different segments to the adventure. The
characters are colorful and even though there is so much
going on that is fantastical in nature, the author manages
to keep it grounded in a way that makes it believable. It
was interesting to see the way the characters change
subtlety over the course of the book, too. If you want a
good, entertaining book, Sebastian Darke: Prince of Fools is
the way to go.


Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Saugerties, NY USA

Speak Easy

Speak Easy is an informational book comprised of 52 ideas to
help you become a better public speaker. Along with the
main text of each chapter, small bits and ideas are scrolled
along the margins. Also, each chapter concludes with a
question and answer page. Idea topics ranging from the
events at which you choose to speak, to handling a
technological failure during your presentation are
discussed. The author offers stories, anecdotes, and
easy-to-remember statements in order to make you a better
public speaker.

I thought this was a very informative book. The author
really covered all aspects of public speaking in presenting
the 52 ideas. This book is one of a series that portrays
the theme of 52 ideas. I really liked how the author
incorporated smaller ideas into the main idea of each
chapter. It allows readers to choose which ideas they like
and wish to try. The flexibility of this book is its
strongest asset. At first, I didn't agree with some of the
points the author was making, and I was left wondering about
the consistency of the arguments. However, I realized the
author's purpose, and can now understand and appreciate the
basis of the book. This book would be great for all
speakers, but I highly recommend it for beginner and
intermediate level speakers.


Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age:17

Reviewer City, State and Country: Eden Prairie ,
Minnesota United States

The Case Against My Brother

Carl Matsuki and his brother Adam are living in Portland,
Oregon with their Uncle Pete ever since their mom died.
Adam has always been the one that Carl relied upon,
especially now, being Polish Catholics living in an
anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic area. However, Carl's world
is turned upside down when his brother is accused of
robbery. Carl sets out to clear his brother's name, but
uncovers a secret underworld on his journey. He takes
charge to help his brother, even if he must witness
blackmail and murder to do so.

This book was a thought-provoking novel. I learned a lot about the time period it was set in. However, the story seemed too short. There is very little actual action. Most of the novel just seems to describe the time period and the characters. It was still good, but could have used more of a plot and more action.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Royersford, PA United States

Spanking Shakespeare by Jake Wizner

Spanking Shakespeare is an amusing, and witty book. It is written in first person, as a boy who is trying to survive his senior year in high school. The boy writes memoirs, college essays, and obituaries for his classes. It seems like his life is just one big joke. (He hates his name, he was born on Hilter's birthday, he doesn't have a girlfriend, and he still can't figure out how to blow his nose!) I think Jake Wizner is a talented author, because he teaches us that it's okay to laugh at ourselves once in a while!

When I first started reading Spanking Shakespeare, I thought it was a funny and an interesting book. But as I read further some of the content was inappropriate for girls my age. The book got to a point where I did not feel comfortable reading it any more. I would suggest that the author cut out some of the offensive parts, and replace them with his hilarious jokes. Also I would change the age group to 14 years and older, and direct it to male readers.

Content: See my review.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Renton, WA USA

The Hollywood Sisters: Caught On Tape by Mary Wilcox

Jessica and Eva are back, doing what they do best. Jessica has to find out who is in charge of the tour buses that are wreaking havoc among the celebrity neighborhoods, and also, how to stop them! And Eva is under more pressure then ever, trying to make her televsion series Two Sisters gain ratings, otherwise (*gasp*) Two Sisters may have to stop the shows altogether. Of course, Eva still has time to find the perfect boyfriend for Jessica. But who will Mr. Right be? Jessica's celebrity crush or a made-up man named heathcliff.

The Hollywood sister:Caught on Tape is a funny, realistic story that makes you feel as if you were right next to each character as different disasters occur. Mary Wilcox makes you feel the humilation and joy that emits from the Ortiz sisters everyday. Well-written. The only thing I didn't like about the book was that, thanks to the title, you could figure out how the culprit works way before the main characters did. But other than that, it was one of the best books I have read recently, and I am sure hundreds of others will feel the same way!

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Casa Grande, Arizona Unites States of America

The Boys Next Door by Jennifer Echols

Which boy will she choose? Lori loves to swim, wakeboard, and hang out with her friends at her lakeside home. She and her neighbors, the Vader boys, are terrific friends and love to spend the hot, humid summer days together. Lori and Adam, the youngest Vader brother, are inseparable friends who do everything together; although she can’t deny her crush for Adam’s older brother, Sean. She’ll do anything to get his attention, even if it means “fake” dating Adam, which involves making out with the boy who she has always considered to almost be her brother. After realizing that getting Sean’s attention is going to take a lot more work than expected, she decides to crank things up a notch with her and Adam’s relationship. After taking things to the next level she realizes that maybe it’s not Sean that she wants after all. But even if it is, she has gone too far to turn back now--or has she?

I really enjoyed The Boys Next Door because it mixed the right amount of romance, suspense, and irony to get the perfect concoction. The author, Jennifer Echols, picked a wonderful theme for the plot of this amazing story. I loved this book so much that I couldn’t put it down, and I stayed up for hours into the night and lost a ton of sleep just to find out what would happen next. This is a great read year-round that will get your love life sizzlin’. I recommend The Boys Next Door to teenage girls who love reading novels that have a twist of a romantic conflict.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9

Reviewer Age: 13

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

Queen Geeks In Love by Laura Preble

The Queen Geek Social Club, started last year by Shelby and her friend, Becca, seems to be getting bigger. With 2 other officers and a new plan to start a website, things seem to be going great. But when boys are factored in, everything seems to go downhill. Shelby is happy with her boyfriend, Fletcher, though she thinks they’re getting serious way too fast. The problem really lies with Jon, their comic book designer, who has two queen geeks fighting for him. As the summer comes to an end, the girls realize that they need to come up with a new and exciting project. That’s when they come up with Geekfest, a talent show to showcase all the best geeky talents their high school can offer. But as the year goes by, the girls realize that they should stay true to their geeky selves and not let anyone, especially guys, come between their friendship.

The next adventure in the Queen Geeks books was just as entertaining as the original. Laura Preble’s writing style is comical and the plot kept me interested until the very end. Shelby is a likeable character and I think many girls can relate to her. I would definitely recommend this to teens who are looking for a light, entertaining read. I hope the author will continue to write about the Queen Geeks.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7

Reviewer Age: 20

Reviewer City, State and Country: Philadelphia, PA USA