How They Met, and Other Stories

"How They Met and Other Stories" is a collection of short
stories. All the stories are related to love and all
different kinds of love. Some are sad, but some are also
very happy. Each story in the book is different, and the
variety ranges throughout the entire book. The age of all
the characters differ throughout the story, as well as the
orientation of the couple involved. They all explain a
situation of love and show the history of the love or how
the love played out. The style of each story is as
different as the plot. Some are written as poems. Others
are written as a story passed on down the generations. And
others are written with dialogue in the present time. The
diversity and range of David Leviathan is obvious through
his writing.

"How They Met and Other Stories" by David Levithan is an
interesting book. Throughout the novel, the reader must
keep an open mind and invite all different thoughts and
opinions inside. David Levithan achieved his purpose of
sharing these love stories with others. The reading was
easy to understand and was not meant to be tripped though
and stumbled over. The different stories make you see all
the different kinds of love in the world. Not every love
will be picture perfect like in movies or in many other
books. These stories are not Disney romances that always
play out perfectly in the end. The novel makes you see
that love is all around us and comes in so many different
flavors and varieties. Not every love will be picture
perfect like in movies or in many other books. By the end of
the eighteenth short story, you will be able to look at love
from all angles and appreciate it so much more. This book is
definitely out of the ordinary and I would recommend it to
others that enjoy romance and have an open mind.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

"How They Met and Other Stories" does have sexual
content for mature readers.

Reviewer Age:18

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

The Highest Tide: A Novel

Jim Lynch's The Highest Tide is the story of Miles O'Malley
growing up over a summer. An only child, he is fascinated by
and spends his time at the beach collecting all sorts of
marine creatures. He likes Angie, his cool neighbor who is a
couple of years older than he is and used to baby-sit him,
but she does not notice him until he makes a life-changing
discovery and becomes famous overnight. At a time when he is
facing his parents possible divorce and is struggling to fit
in with kids his age, he finds a rare squid from the
opposite side of the world. His friend, Professor Kramer,
who was one of the only supportive people in his life, is
astounded. Florence, an elderly neighbor who Miles considers
as a grandma, worries Miles as she declines steadily with
Parkinson's. The Highest Tide presents the dilemmas of a boy
who has to grow up quickly, especially during this summer,
with everything he faces, yet manages to survive.

The Highest Tide is a well-researched book about a boy
with unique hobbies. The author presents a lot of
information about marine creatures and life without
overdoing it. I also enjoyed the multi-layering of the book,
especially with the dilemma that Miles faces regarding his
feelings for Angie, his concern for Florence, and his
future. However, the book takes a while to get into in the
beginning. Otherwise, I liked how The Highest Tide is
similar to many books about the child growing up over a
summer, but has a different setting (in the Pacific
Northwest) and many developed characters.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6

Reviewer Age:19

Reviewer City, State and Country: Kansas City, MO USA

Thank You, Lucky Stars

Over the summer Ally's best friend, Betsy, meets Mona and
together they practically ignore Ally. Betsy and Mona do
everything together as they even started a band with some of
Mona's friends. Ally is being bullied constantly and this
weirdo, Tina, is trying to be her friend. A big fifth grade
talent show is announced and Tina is thinking of all of the
things she and Ally could do in the show. Ally is slowly
warming up to Tina and suggests they disco dance together.
Ally knows Betsy's band is playing and she really wants to
go-go dance for them, but Betsy was too cool for her now. At
a rehearsal, Tina and Ally's dance performance bombs
resulting in a fight between Tina and Ally. Since they're
not talking Betsy asks Ally to dance for them, and she
agrees. They all start to hang out, but Ally still doesn't
seem to fit in, although she is now a part of the coolest
kids in the school. Ally thinks she is happy until she
realizes she misses Tina.

I enjoyed the book; it was a fast easy one to read. The
book inspired me to draw a picture of what I thought the
band would look like. Sometimes bad things happen before you
realize the good that was there, and that the things you
think you want most, are really not what you want after all.
Ally's predicament quickly changes. Your emotions change
with hers, sometimes agreeing with her choices, sometimes
wanting to strangle her for them. The character's actions,
at times, are a bit exaggerated. Keep an open mind about
your friends, don't leave anyone out and always try to be
friendly. I think that most pre-teens would enjoy reading
this book.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7

Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country: Baldwin, Maryland USA

Betrayed

Young vampyre Zoey's life seemed to be getting back to
normal. She finally feels at home in the House of Night's
finishing school where she has made new friends, and even
has a boyfriend. Zoey thought everything would stay normal this way, but soon after she is chosen as the Leader of the Dark Daughters, a series of horrible things begin to happen. The House of Night is suspected of murder when two teens go
missing. Zoey, with personal struggles from her human life,
fears for someone she loves. When they, too, go missing,
it's Zoey's turn to do something about it. Can she put
peace to the war that's raging inside of her?

Fans of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series will fall in
love with these books. Betrayed is a rich and sexy story,
all rolled up into one. All of the scenes seem very real;
P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast are very descriptive writers. I
was nervous reading the cliched of one of those vampire
stories, but the authors pulled it off very well. This
book was very, oddly enough, true to real life, while still
being fiction. I enjoyed it a lot, and recommend it to
anyone who loves a good vampire story.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7

This book is for older teens only. There were a few
scary sequences, and adult-themes.

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Boothwyn, PA US

The Kayla Chronicles

Kayla has spent her whole life feeling secure and strong.
She and her best friend are strong feminists following in
her grandmother's footsteps. Just when things are beginning
to really get rolling and she and her friends are planning
big things for their used-to-be small club, Kayla finds
herself questioning the meaning of being a feminist. With
her newfound interest in boys and love of shoes and dancing,
Kayla wonders why she has been letting her friend boss her
around all the time telling her what to do and how to act.
She feels she must find her voice and stand up for herself
before she explodes.

The Kayla chronicles is a wonderful book for any girl,
though I found it wasn't anything extremely special and
sometimes came off as a bit odd and awkward. However, the
book is very well thought out, and overall extremely fun.
You can picture the well thought out characters and
understand how they're feeling. There were also multiple
situations throughout the book where I could fully relate to
the characters. Although it is a fairly quick read, the
author keeps you entertained with quotes, headlines, and
bulletins, and, of course, Kayla's crazy personality.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Marblehead ,
Massachusetts USA

Teens and The Job Game

Are you a teen looking for a job? Then this book is right
for you. Inside this book, you will learn the skills
necessary to find a successful job. There are five chapters
in the book: Developing your whole self, Education and
Workspace Relations, Choosing a Career, Searching for a Job,
and Behaviors in the Workplace. For example, it explains how
to develop as a whole person by looking from all
perspectives, and encourages readers to set realistic goals.
Scattered in each chapter are quotes from high school
students just like you. Furthermore, there are reflective
questions at the end of each chapter designated to help the
reader focus on their goals, and earn their way towards
those goals. It is essential to have good study skills, and
this book teaches you just that. After learning about how to
become an excellent applicant, the reader will learn about
how to create an excellent resume and cover letter. Most
importantly, it will teach how to contact the employer and
ace the interview. After reading the book, you will be ready
to find your dream job!

I believe this book is very inspiring, and really does
try to motivate the reader to get out there and find a job.
Not only does it motivate the reader, it also teaches the
reader how this is accomplished. There are reflective
questions at the end of each chapter that helps the reader
reflect and plan their future goals. Also, there are tons of
quotes from actually high school students and teachers,
which is very inspirational for me. I pretty much agree with
every sentence in the book, and believe that this is a very
helpful book for people who are looking for a job, but don't
know how to get one. After finishing the book, I feel very
optimistic about the future. Who won't?
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Urbana, IL USA

30 Days to Getting Over the Dork You Used To Call

Love. Heartbreak. We all go through it. And next time (if
there is a next time) a guy doesn't realize the special
person that he has in front of him, reach for 30 Days to
Getting Over the Dork You Used To Call Your boyfriend. It
helps you get over your ex bit by bit, while providing fun
activities for you to do with your friends. And, also, it
proves that you don't need a man to be happy. You just need
you.

The Dork You Used to Call Your Boyfriend? While I have
without a reasonable doubt that this book will help you get
over your ex asap, there are some parts of the book that
scream THIS BOOK YOU ARE READING WAS WRITTEN BY AN ADULT
WHO HASNT A CLUE HOW KIDS OF TODAY SPEAK. Like Dork, for
example. The only time we use dork now, is when we are
affectionately speaking about our friends. We don't use it
when we are talking about our ex-boyfriends! Another part
of the book suggests before going to bed to dream of Jake
Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger fighting over you. Um. Ew. To
us, those guys are OLD. We don't want them fighting over us.
But if the story said Chris Brown and Chace Crawford.....
But besides those few parts 30 Days to Getting Over The Dork
You Used to Call Your Boyfriend is a pretty handy breakup
handbook.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Casa Grande, Arizona
United States30 Days to Getting Over the Dork You Used To Call

Girl Overboard

Everybody thinks Syrah is the golden girl. After all, her
father is Ethan Cheng, billionaire, and she has everything
any kid could possibly desire: a waterfront mansion, jet
plane, and custom designed snowboards. But most of what
glitters in her life is fool's gold. Her half-siblings hate
her, her best friend's girlfriend is ruining their
friendship, and her own so-called boyfriend is only after
her for her father's name. When her broken heart results in
a snowboarding accident that exiles her from the
mountains--the one place where she feels free and accepted
for who she is, not what she has--can Syrah rehab both her
busted-up knee and her bruised heart?

Girl Overboard was a very inspirational book about
following your dreams and making a difference. I was easily
drawn into the plot, feeling a deep connection with the main
character, Syrah. I thought it was very well-written and
enjoyable to read. Justina Chen Headley's writing was witty
and charming, but at the same time it was moving and
powerful. This amusing page-turner is definitely a must-read.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Leopold, MO USA

Choices

Choices by Katrina L. Burchett is a story that deals with matters of the heart, different facts of life and the hard things to discuss. This book, of realistic fiction, follows the paths of five different girls throughout their latter teenage years. Shauntice, Angel, LaKeeta, Bridgett and Hope all wish that at least one thing in their life was different. In the course of a few weeks, all of these girls grow and change to become more responsible and aware. Some of the hardest choices that they will have to deal with occur during these weeks and the girls are presented with decisions that will affect their lives forever.

This book started out a bit slow but as I read on, I got more intrigued by this way of living. It deals with how Christianity can affect your life for the better. I learned how to respect the life that I live more because of reading this book and seeing different realities of diverse people. This book is an emotional read and draws the reader into the story more than the other realistic fiction books that I have read. I would definitely suggest this book but some topics discussed in it are a bit mature.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7

There is a vivid rape scene and numerous sex scenes.

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Richmond, Virginia United States of America

Wildcats in the House

Wild Cats in the House is a book based on a Disney movie
called High School Musical. Kids, teens, and adults view
High School Musical as a regular Disney movie, but the book
shows the relationship the movie has with God.
This book explains what the songs mean in High School
Musical and the resemblance they have with the Bible.
Everyone in High School Musical teaches valuable lessons
dealing with God. This book is filled with laughter and life
lessons. If you loved High School Musical you will love the
book Wild Cats in the House!

Wild Cats in the house, by Steve and Gabi Russo, is an
amazing book. The authors had three different main
characters you, God, and the cast of High School Musical!
There are funny parts where author Steve Russo talks about
when he was in High School and embarrassing things he had done.
I believe they achieved many goals, which was to show how
God and Jesus are a part of everything we do.
The writing was powerful and appropriate; I found that the
wording was the strongest part about the book because of how
easily it flowed. The weakest part was when the author wrote
about parts of his life. I felt that the book had too much
detail in those areas and needed to have more information
about High school Musical and the relationship the movie had
with God.
Wild Cats in the House is interesting and wonderful,
everything about it is great. The ending left you without
any questions and many answers. I learned different things
while reading this book, especially about myself. I
recommend this to anyone who believes in God or is
interested.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Sandy, Oregon United States