Operation Red Jericho

Doug and Becca MacKenzie, two teenage orphans, are forced to
live with their uncle after their parents mysteriously
disappear. Their uncle, Fitzroy MacKenzie, is the sea
captain of a research ship named Expedient. Doug and Becca
over hear Fitzroy talk to an unusual passenger, and decide
to do some snooping about. As they learn, Expedient is not a
research ship at all. It is a World War II Q ship. As a Q
ship, the Expedient is disguised as a defenseless cargo
ship, but once an enemy ship comes within firing range,
cleverly hidden guns rise above the deck and open fire. Doug
and Becca are caught, but Fitzroy offers no explanation for
the guns. Soon after, he effectively removes Doug and Becca
from his ship. Doug and Becca, back on dry land, are
determined to find out if their parents are still alive.
They follow a mystifying set of clues that leads them on an
extraordinary journey.

Operation Red Jericho is an extremely well written book
with teenagers as the main character. Joshua Mowll, the
author, puts you in the character's head with incredible
detail. You can see the gears in Doug's head as he ponders
every new challenge. It is always comical when Doug or Becca
outfox the captain and other characters.
Rating (1-10) 8

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Hamilton, OH USA

The Dragon's Eye

When young Daniel and his sister Beatrice leave boarding school to go visit their parents, the siblings learn that their parents have gone to India. The siblings must travel to see Earnest Drake, one of their parents’ good friends. Upon arriving at Ernest’s castle, Beatrice and Daniel learn that they will be attending a new school where Ernest is the teacher. The main subject of study at this new school is Dragonology. While Daniel and Beatrice learn more about new dangers, the evil Ignatious Cook tries to steal the most important possession of the dragons and the dragonologists: the Dragon’s Eye. Can Beatrice, Daniel, and Ernest Drake defeat Ignatius Cook?

The Dragon’s Eye was pretty appealing, but I think the descriptions could have been more thorough. It was a particularly easy read, and I would have liked it more if it was a little more modern or realistic. If I was younger I may have liked it more, but it wasn’t too bad. This was a definite page turner, but it wasn’t the best book I’ve ever read. I recommend this book to anyone who has a great imagination and would like an upper elementary leveled book. I wouldn’t recommend this for first through third graders, because it was pretty graphic. I think this book would appeal most to readers aged 8-10.
Rating: 7
Content Rating: 1

Reviewer Age:11

Reviewer City, State and Country: Osseo, Wisconsin United States

Return to Zandria by Christine Norris

It’s been three long years since Ivy Peterson last saved the world of Zandria from total destruction by the evil witch queen, Zahara. Ivy is once again faced with the challenge of saving the Talisman and the future of Zandria, but this time it’s with a new twist. She has her best friend Lori with her and the empress’s fairly newborn daughter’s life is at stake. Without very much hesitation, Ivy and Lori, both agree to embark on the life-threatening adventure. A few days after setting out on their dangerous journey, they realize that they are being followed. As they prepare to attack the oncoming stalkers, they recognize the one person as Queen Siobhan and her guards. Queen Siobhan leads them to the Water Gate and from there they cross over into Otherside, where they have reason to suspect it as being the place that the Princess is being held captive by Duke Drake (the empress’s cousin.) After coming through the portal, they exit the cave that they were transported into, and waited for the cover of night to explore. They headed into the small village within a few days of being there, and asked a supermarket owner a few questions, and found out that Drake is somewhere in the premises of the “haunted” and abandoned beach house offshore. They leave the store and head back to the cave. On their way there, Ivy decides to wash-up in the restroom, and tells her friends to wait for her outside. When she comes out, no one is around and it is uncomfortably too quiet. Without warning, a man she doesn’t recognize comes around the corner of the building and chases her through the woods. She trips over a log, and falls to her destiny, which is being captured, tied up, blindfolded, and carried through the woods to his master’s secret lair. She doesn’t know where she or her friends are, who took her, or what the fate of her and her friends, the princess, and the whole world of Zandria will be. Everything rests in the very evil hands of her wicked captor and his psycho master; and whatsoever they choose to do with her is entirely up to them, no matter what it may be.

The Return to Zandria by Christine Norris is a wonderful story and it’s the sequel to The Talisman of Zandria, which also was a fabulous book. I think that this is about as awesome as the first one, but it doesn’t have quite as much adventure and action as the first one did. It was still an exciting read though, and it kept me guessing as to what would happen next the whole time. The plot was very interesting and the author chose a good conflict to write about. The climax was pretty intense and I wasn’t sure what was to become of the characters. I enjoyed how the author had Ivy’s friend go along on the adventure because it made it all the more interesting, definitely since she was a girlie-girl. Overall this novel is a remarkable and outstanding book and a great pick, if you want to add some excitement to your life.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Upper Strasburg, PA United States

Prey

Ryan Piccoli, a good-looking freshman, knows that a teacher is supposed to impart a love of learning--a thirst for knowledge. But it's different with Ms. Lori Settles. All the kids are talking about how hot she is. When she starts giving Ryan extra attention, he feels more than happy--at first. Ryan is used to being the class clown, but he's actually a loner. And then one day after school, the friendship with Lori Settles goes farther than Ryan ever expected. She's his history teacher. She's twice his age, yet it feels so good to have this special relationship. When Lori begins to make demands, Ryan feels overwhelmed. His attempts to deal with his situation also bring to the surface long-repressed emotions about his mother's suicide. Ryan's friend, Honey, can tell something is wrong, but Ryan refuses to admit that anything is going on. Even his busy father sees a difference in Ryan's behavior. In some ways, Lori Settles is more that Ryan bargained for, but the thought of not having her is almost unbearable. In this complex relationship, who is the predator and who is the prey?

Prey was a very well-written novel that demonstrated the dangers of romantic relationships between a teacher and a student. It also proved that the choices we make today can change our lives forever. Although this book was different than Lurlene McDaniel's other books, it still showed the challenges that today's teenagers face. I thought Prey was very insightful and informative, but the whole idea seemed a bit disturbing. Although the relationship between Ryan and Ms. Settles was startling, I thought Prey was very good and well thought out. I liked all of the characters and thought the plot was great. This book contained everything from romance, to comedy, to deceit, a little something for everybody. Prey was a great page-turner that I would recommend to everyone.

This book contained sexual content.

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Leopold, MO USA

Do The Math: Secrets, Lies, and Algebra

In the book, "Do the Math: Secrets, Lies, and Algebra,
the main character is a girl named Tess. Tess' mother
works as an artist for a man named Rob whose wife, Nina,
has just died. Tess' mother lets Tess in on her secret
that she thinks Rob killed Nina. Tess' mother had heard
Rob's story but it wasn't convincing at all. However, Tess
is not to tell anyone of her mother's suspicion. Having a
secret is not easy for Tess and she ends up telling her two
best friends, Sammy and Miranda. Sammy lets it slip to
Lynn, the loud mouth at school, so the rumor is spread to
everyone! Tess realizes she can't trust Sammy with secrets
anymore. Tess' mom finds out that Tess told as well and
gets really mad. After many twists and turns, Tess leans
some valuable lessons. I guess you'll have to read the
book to find out what those lessons are and what really
happened to Nina!

I loved the book. The book was not a book that I
wanted to put down because something exciting happened with
each turn of the page. It was nice knowing that other
girls go through the same things I do at times. It also
reinforces the fact that people should not spread rumors,
especially when they don't have all the facts. This kind
of book is the kind that makes me happy and sad at the same
time. I felt sad that people were hurt for saying things
that weren't true, but at the same time, friendships were
made stronger. These are just some of the reasons why I
loved the book. I know if you are a girl like me, you will
love "Do the Math: Secrets, Lies, and Algebra
too.

Rating: 10

Content: 1

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and
Country: Newville, Pennsylvaina United States

When The Cat's Away

Jake Novak doesn't like cats, but the co-heir of the beach
house where he lives, Mary Katherine "Kate" Forrest, has
two, Jacques and Cleo. Jacques is a special cat and has
helped solve two mysteries. When White Sands, Alabama,
their hometown, is chosen for the location of an
international cat show, their owner, Kate, enters the
beautiful Cleo in the show. Then when a couple of the
favorite contenders disappear, one of them being Cleo, Jake
is hired to find out who is catnapping them. Later when a
murder takes place, things get serious and Jacques knows he
needs to investigate on his own so the case can get solved.

When the Cat's Away is the third book in the Jacques &
Cleo, Cat Detectives series by Gilbert Morris. I didn't
think this book had very much action even though it was a
mystery, so it was somewhat boring. I also found that since
this is the third book in the series, and I was already
familiar with the characters and their development that the
continued repetition of details drove me crazy. The book was
really more for adults but older teens might also enjoy it.
I didn't like the character of Jake very much because he
acted like a jerk a lot of the time, but once in awhile he
would do something nice for someone. Of the three books in
this series, I think this one is my favorite because Ocie
finally accepted Christ and Rhiannon met a new friend.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7

Reviewer Age:14

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

The Astonishing Life Of Octavian Nothing

Octavian is a young boy that has been raised by a group of
philosophers. He has to learn about science, math, language,
and many other things like music. The rest of the people
living there are given numbers as their names have certain
meanings for each number. He is not sure why he and his
mother have actual names. Outside life is a mystery to
Octavian because he can not leave this place. There is even
a door within his house that he is forbidden to enter.
However, he enters it anyway and discovers that the
philosophers have been experimenting with a bad nature and
he has a bad role with them.

I liked this book even though it was really different.
The language is written in somewhat of an older English. It
makes it interesting when you are reading conversations
between people, so it is pretty cool. The beginning chapters
really introduces the story to you and gives the reader
enough background to support the plot. One of my favorite
things were the maps and graphs that were randomly placed
throughout the book. I was pleased to see that there were
several newspaper articles and letters in this story. They
brought a new look on the events that were taking place.
Overall, the ending pulled the whole story together and
finished it off with what it deserved. I recommend this book
to anyone interesting in reading something different because
it was really unique.
Rating: 7

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, Pennsylvania
United States of America

July 5

Jerome Banneker lives in the projects, but doesn't see the
reason for the "commmunity pride" of its other black
members. Josh Stanton has always been told that his life is
great, but doesn't understand the "morality" that everyone
tells him he lacks. And Rob Flaherty lives in an
impoverished town full of racist Irishmen, but thinks of
himself as a rebel. The boys' three communities are in a
heated debate over the fate of a nearby shoe factory, and
according to the adults around them, the three should avoid
each other at all costs. But a mysterious businesswoman
brings them together, and the boys can't help but see each
other, not as rivals, but as friends.

This book is the worst I've read in a long time. The
author took a mediocre plot line, added three almost
identical characters, and called his book finished. Perhaps
if it had been written well, it would have still been an
enjoyable book, but Mr.McHugh's novel is littered with comma
errors and awful dialect. All of the characters are one
dimensional-- the children overly perfect clones of one
another who enjoy breaking into monologues and the adults
irrational bigots. Only one character has any intrigue at
all, and McHugh seems to expect her interactions to make up
for the blandness of her companions by including her
everywhere. The three protagonists cause the book to be
redundant, as McHugh's attempts to make them similar to each
other only mean that whenever something happens to one, a
similar thing must happen to the rest, and instead of using
foreshadowing, he simply includes random unrelated events to
explain others. The book's condescending tone makes it a
truly unpleasant read, and unless you suffer from insomnia,
you should certainly look elsewhere for a way to spend your
time.

The book has anti-racism themes throughout, causing it to
create cruel stereotypes about races, and all characters
curse. A teen also uses drugs and is offered alcohol and
drugs by an adult, and the book contains violence, attempted
murder, and attempted suicide.
Rating: 2

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: , Maryland United States

The Sweet Far Thing

The Sweet Far Thing is an enchanting adventure novel that
concludes the tales of Gemma Doyle. Felicity, Ann, and Gemma
are finishing up their last year at Spence Academy. Ann will
go to her cousin's house to be a governess, while Felicity
and Gemma will be presented to society and begin their
seasons. However, matters in real life seem petty to the
problems in the realms. The woodland creatures are fighting
with the Hajin and Circe might still be around. Pippa and
her friends are growing stronger with hate and magic of the
Borderlands while an army appears to be festering in the
Winterlands. Kartik has been avoiding her lately and Gemma
wants to know why. The end to the Great and Terrible Beauty
series is unimaginable and different, completely unexpected.

Libba Bray amazes with her entire series. The Sweet Far
Thing is a beautiful conclusion to a wonderful tale. Readers
who enjoyed Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter will love this
tale of heroism and magic. Gemma is a bright light in such
dark times and being privy to her thoughts is a magical
experience. The Sweet Far Thing brings back characters
beloved in the previous novels, Ann, Felicity, Kartik, and
even those who are not, Miss McCleethy, Mr. Fowlson, and
Cecily. The only bad thing about this novel is that it comes
to an end. The Gemma Doyle trilogy is a series everyone
should read and one that everyone will cherish.

This novel is borderline 3. It has frightening images and
it is also a tale of love.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Concord , Massachusetts
United States

Edward's Eyes

Jake knew, from the very day that his mother, Maeve, brought
Edward home and sat his baby brother on his lap, that he and
Edward would be a team. It was from that very first look
into Edward's eyes. As Edward grew, Jake was always at his
side. Whether it was potty training or learning to read,
Jake helped him. Edward was the best friend and brother that
Jake ever had, until the accident.

This book is very short, most definitely designed for a
younger audience, mostly in grades four through six.
Although the book was short, it made up for lack of pages
with tons of emotion. This was just as good as any
tear-jerking adult novel on the shelves. The character of
Edward is the one we all know and hold close, the child
prodigy that we love and call a sibling. The bond between
Jake and Edward is on a whole new plane. I have never met a
pair of brothers this loving and helpful. The plot was a tad
weak in some areas. At one point the author drops a
metaphorical bomb on the plot, but then doesn't fully
resolve it. She puts off this bomb until the end of the
novel and has no way to tie up the loose ends. It is like an
abrupt stop in the plot. One good characteristic of the book
is how engaging it is. I was into the book from the very
first sentence and read it straight through in one sitting.
I expect to see other great works of fiction coming from
Patricia MacLachlan soon!
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Shippensburg, USA