The Science Fiction Hall of Fame by Ben Bova

The Science Fiction Hall Of Fame: Volume Two B, edited by Ben Bova, contains eleven science fiction novellas written between 1928 and 1961. These stories were written before the Nebula Award was created for best science fiction novella of the year. The stories are listed with a quick summary of the plot in one or two sentences.

The Martian Way, by Isaac Asimov - the government of Earth limits the shipment of water to the people of Mars and they have to find an alternative water source.

Earthman, Come Home, by James Blish - is about earth people who wander from planet to planet and find a planet that is occupied by other earth people who have a harsh and cruel slavery system. Will the newcomers ever make the planet their own?

Rogue Moon, by Algis Budrys - a project to place an astronaut on the dark side of the moon either kills them or drives them insane. Dr. Edward Hawks needs someone who is not afraid of death, but what will that person's personality be like?

The Spectre General, by Theodore Cogwell - is about what happens when the remnants of two empires meet.

The Machine Stops, by E.M. Foster - answers the question of what would happen if humans were controlled by a machine and that machine stopped.

The Midas Plague, by Frederik Pohl - is about a society where poor people must be constant consumers. Can Morey break the vicious cycle of the people being forced to consume everything?

The Witches of Karres, by James H. Schmitz - Captain Pausert of the Republic of Nikkeldepain tries to return three witches from the planet Karres to their home with mysterious consequence.

E for Effort, by T.L. Sherred - Two men, Edward Lefko and Miguel Jose Zapata Laviada use a machine that records all of history in order to make movies. What happens when they use to the machine to end war forever? This question is answered in E for Effort.

In Hiding, by Wilmar H. Shiras - answers the question of what it would be like to be a genius in a world of regular people.

The Big Backyard, by Clifford D. Simak - Hiram Taine is a regular handyman and antique dealer in Willow Bend in the United States. One night, he discovers that his house is being used by aliens as a connection between the Earth and a distant planet. Find out what happens in the Big Backyard.

The Moon Moth, by Jack Vance - Ser Edwer Thissell has to search for a murderous imposter on a planet where everyone wears a mask.

The Science Fiction Hall of Fame: Volume Two B, edited by Ben Bova, deserves a rating of 9. I have not read a lot of Science Fiction novellas, but these were well written, thoughtful, and entertaining. If you enjoy Science Fiction, you will definitely enjoy this book. I especially enjoyed The Witches of Karres by James H. Schmitz and E for Effort by T.L. Sherred. I enjoyed The Witches of Karres because it was entertaining and fun. I found E for Effort very interesting because it is thoughtful about the character of human nature. Reading this collection has inspired me to read other books by these Science Fiction authors, such as I, Robot by Isaac Asimov who wrote the story The Martian Way. The Science Fiction Writers of America chose well when they compiled these novellas into this book.

Reviewer Age:18

Reviewer City, State and Country: Urbana, Illinois United States of America

Read My Lips by Teri Brown

Serena Nelson had to leave her whole life behind to be transported to Preppyville. Though this wouldn't seem like much of a punishment for most people, for Serena it was hell. This is also made hard because she is deaf. When the popular girls find out about her lip reading talent they recruit her, if only to find out the exclusive gossip. As the school year processes, she starts to make friends, enemies and begins to embrace this new life. Though it seems that the challenges are over, Serena has to face even more, without losing herself.

This novel seemed at first to be a book that resembled the theme of The Clique series, but as I continued to read, it became so much more. Teri Brown successfully wove character depth and realistic emotions into this fictitious novel. As I continued to read, I felt sympathy and yet disapproval for the characters as the story matured. This author consistently uses detailed character and plot development. I would suggest this book to anyone who wants a great read who also enjoys books by Lisi Harrison.

Reviewer Age:14

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

Rating: 8

Content Rating: 1

The Mind of a Genius

David Snowdon created The Mind of a Genius with a theme that seems to appear often: government secrets. A British man named Malcolm Prince discovered a formula that can replace gasoline with a more environmentally-safe liquid. However, the Prince unexpectedly dies, leaving a wife to be questioned by the MI4, CIA, and Denmark Intelligence agents. These three spy companies all work carefully and professionally, until their own dealings put agents in jail, and in love. Mrs. Prince is at first a tool, but circumstances change as the agents chip away at the mystery surrounding the formula.
Mr. Snowdon certainly managed to make two themes clear. The first, and most outstanding theme, shows that love conquers all. The secondary theme exposes the government and how it can so easily hide secrets from its people. The dominant theme surprised me in how the action-filled story could suddenly turn into a romance, but David Snowdon achieved the morphing phase slowly and surely over the course of the book. The Mind of a Genius has an exciting plot, perfect characterization, and enough romance to keep it smooth.
Several sexual scenes.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Eagle Creek, OR USA

Maid Machinegun by Aaliyah

This book was set in Japan and the Japanese world of manga and anime fans. Manga is a style of Japanese graphic novel, and anime is a style of animated shows and movies with a drawing style similar to manga. The main character is a clumsy but excitable girl named Aaliyah. She is earnest in her desire to become the best maid there is. A maid is a waitress dressed as a maid in a restaurant for manga and anime fans. Aaliyah makes friends with her coworkers, but one of them, a new male employee, says he is in love with her. He is a jerk, so this just makes her life complicated. Everywhere she goes, weird things happen, and the other maids become suspicious. This novel is short and written like an online diary, complete with comments by other people.

I disliked this novel. I felt the plot was confusing, jumpy, and underdeveloped. The main character, Aaliyah, and her past made very little sense. When I learned Aaliyah's secrets, I felt that they were suddenly inserted in the story, rather than being developed. I did not even like Aaliyah; I found her annoying. The ending was confusing and did not make sense with the rest of the story. In addition this story should probably only be read by someone interested in the different categories of anime or manga. There is a glossary with terms, but anyone who reads this book should be interested in these genres and have prior knowledge. That being said, I enjoy both anime and manga, but I did not like this story.

There is no real violence, but there is discussion of homosexual and adult mangas and animes. It is not very bad, but, if this offends you, do not read it.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Royersford, PA United States

Six Innings by James Preller

Sam's life is playing baseball with his friends, but now that he has leukemia, he can't play anymore. He is now watching from above as he commentates on the most important game of the season. Meanwhile, his best friend is in the game, but nothing is the same as it was before. Each of them has to suffer their separation from each other. While they both find it difficult to keep things normal under the extraordinary circumstances, in the end, they find a way to rebuild their friendship.

While the premise of the book was well founded, I felt that there was too much description of the actual baseball game. Almost all of each chapter was devoted to an extremely detailed account of the game. These descriptions might be enjoyed by a avid baseball fan, but they seemed overdone, because each and every pitch was detailed. I didn't feel like enough attention was given to Sam's illness and the toll that it takes on his friends and him. The ideas behind this book would have worked much better, I believe, if there had been less time given to the game itself and more given to Sam's illness. I found the plot difficult to get involved with, because it was comprised almost entirely of game description and little of it was about Sam at all. Therefore, I would recommend this to extreme baseball fans who want a full game description, but not to people who want to see how cancer affects relationships.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Melrose, MA United States

I am Not Joey Pigza by Jack Gantos

In the book, I Am Not Joey Pigza by Jack Gantos, Joey, a troubled boy tries to find his true identity. Joey lives with his mother because his father left the family. While Joey's father is away, he purchases a winning lottery ticket and receives a lot of money. His father thinks he is a new man when he receives the money. He goes back to his family and says he changed and wants to be part of the family again. The mom accepts him but Joey hates the idea. Joey's dad then changes the names of the family members. The mother's name becomes Maria Heinz and Joey's name becomes Freddy Heinz. The father thinks that changing the names will be a new start for the family and they will forget the past experiences. The genre of this book is realistic fiction.

The mood of the book is freewheeling, calm and always changing. The author makes Joey seem like a real character as he describes him vividly. I like the main character, Joey, because he cares about his mother; he also tries to be himself and keep his real identity. The author's voice is descriptive. The story is told in the first person view and it was appropriate. The writing is powerful and the vocabulary was age appropriate. I learned from the book that family is important and that everyone deserves a second chance in life. I would recommend this book to others becasue it tells a good story and is very realistic.

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Thornwood , New York United States

Maiden of the Wolf by Tiffany Trent & Angelika Ranger

When Ilona is transported to a rath controlled by an evil countess where she is ordered to rescue the rathstone for Hallomere, she finds way more then what she bargained for. A countess who takes young girls from their families, tortures them, and bathes in their blood, a werewolf Ilona happens to be falling in love with, and being forced to be a part of the countess’s army, tops the list. And did I mention the army general is a werewolf? How will Ilona get the rathstone without the countess, the general, and the evil Madame Joo finding out who she really is? Read Maiden of the Wolf to find out.

Classic love stories can be boring. Maiden of the Wolf? Not so. This awesome book has every thing you want in a good novel. Romance? Check. Action? Check. Suspenseful plot? Check! This book may seem long at a glance, but once you read the first few pages you are so intrigued about Ilona and what will happen, you are pulled into the book and won’t be able to put it down until you have read the very last page. I loved reading this book and have probably read it twice since I finished it the first time. It will never be boring, and you won’t regret reading Maiden of the Wolf.

graphic and not for faint-hearted readers

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Casa Grande, Arizona United States

Future Americas by Edited by John Helfers & Martin H. Greenberg

This collection of short stories about the future includes murder mysteries and descriptions of quaint and peaceful rural homes. But each story makes the reader realize it’s hard to peer into the future, no matter how many clues the present may hold. One of the authors provides a glimpse into the future with travelers who don’t travel into the future, but instead take a step back in time with each year. For instance, travelers step back into the medieval times with its fancy clothing, but the story still has a touch of the future with tour guides and hover cars. Another short story is “Family Photos” by Andrew Swann, which peers into the future where killers and abusers outnumber regular civilians. In “Jesus Runs,” by George Zebrowski, twelve men called “Jesus” run for presidential office; they are considered frauds, but can mysteriously bring the long dead back to life. Overall, most of the stories had one message: the future is not bright.

I thought most of the stories were great, but my favorite was, “Acirema the Rellik,” by Robert Jeschonek. It is a murder mystery. The story I least liked was “The Rotator,” by Pamela Sargent, because I didn’t really get the point of the story. It was kind of confusing. Overall, all of the stories had an important lesson about how we can change the future with the actions we take today.

Rating:8

Reviewer Age:11

Reviewer City, State and Country: Ocala, Florida United States

My Feet Aren't Ugly by Debra Beck

Have you ever felt like you didn't fit in? Do you ever feel self conscious around other people? Have you ever been pressured to do something you don't want to do? In My Feet Aren't Ugly by Debra Beck, helps you with all the following:

-Loving Yourself
-Fears
-Creativity
-Health
-Drugs
-Suicide
-Womanhood
-Sex
-Healing Yourself

The author achieved exactly what she was trying to. After I read this book, I went out to the real world and yelled "Sock it to me! I can do it!" It helped me overcome peer pressure, and I really found myself.

It talks about sex and drugs.

Reviewer Age:14

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

Rating: 8

Content Rating: 2

The Diamond of Drury Lane by Julia Golding

A theater might not be the most normal place to live, but for Cat the Theater Royal is home. She spends her days helping out actors and playing in the London streets, her evenings watching whatever newest production her "family" has put on, and her nights curled up on discarded costumes in the attic of the theater. Life is good, but when a mysterious diamond is hidden somewhere in the theater, everything changes. Suddenly gangs are fighting over Cat and lords and ladies are sneaking into the theater to snoop. Cat knows that she has to protect the diamond, but will her supposed friends, Pedro and Johnny, be helpful or simply doom her mission?

What with the intriguing plot, cover, and play-like way of storytelling, this book promised to be good from the get-go. The characters were fresh and lovable, the theater where most of the story took place was bustling with excitement, and it seemed that the direct, amusing tone that invited readers "brave enough to follow" into Cat's life would continue throughout the novel. Unfortunately, this was not to be. A few chapters into the book it became clear that Ms.Golding has forgotten an elementary rule of creative writing-- to "show" and not just "tell." Throughout her novel, things only happen when they are entirely necessary, and are told so matter-of-factly that this is blatantly clear. This results in a boring and predictable novel that, despite all that it had going for it to begin with, falls brutally flat. Sure, it might be worth a read, but don't expect anything miraculous-- in fact, as Cat herself says, "Be warned."

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: , Maryland United States

Rating: 6

Content Rating: 1