Lucy is a beautiful celestial wizard who has formed a team with fire wizard Natsu and a strange cat with wings. They are part of a mage guild, Fairy Tail, and have just received a task. Together, they have to steal a book from the notorious Duke Everlue. However, Everlue has hired special guards to kill anyone who comes near. If they survive then they will start their second mission to battle the increasing Dark Guild. Can Lucy and Natsu make it past their first mission to help with the second?
Reading manga is a different experience for all readers. This one in particular is fantasy; it is complete with magic and monsters. I loved how intricate the drawings were, and how the words to the story matched perfectly. The plot was never boring, and I found myself unable to put the book down. Also, the characters were all well put together and had very realistic personalities. I recommend the first volume of Fairy Tale to any manga or fantasy lover.
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, Pennsylvania United States of America
Monday, September 08, 2008
Sunday, September 07, 2008
The Worst-Case Scenario Handbook by David Borgenicht & Justin Heimberg
Most people wouldn't know what to do if a rhino were charging at them. The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook teaches you lots of ways to survive in different cases. This book discusses how to survive at sea, in the mountains, and in the desert. It also includes how to survive in the jungle, in the arctic, and on a safari. If you complete this survival handbook, you'll know how to fend off a shark, avoid a bear attack, or stop a runaway camel. Readers may also learn how to remove a leech, build a snow cave, and even how to track animals.
Being informed about how to stay alive is a good benefit to everyone. That is why this book was a great read. I highly doubt that I will ever need to know any of these survival techniques, but if I do, then I will be very happy I read them. Since this is a junior edition, the writing was geared towards 9-12 year olds. Some of the jokes that were made were kind of childish. Overall, the vocabulary and images were easy to understand and made it easy to follow along. I recommend this book to younger readers who want to go traveling or have a spare hour to read.
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, Pennsylvania United States of America
Rating: 7
Content Rating: 1
Dream GIrl By Lauren Mechling
Claire Voyante has a very unique life. Her parents are French; her little brother takes midnight walks; she has a couture grandmother, and her best friend is a condiment heiress. But the most extraordinary thing about Claire is her ability to have special black-and-white dreams that lead her on dangerous and exciting adventures. How can Claire manage high school, new friends, jealous rivals, a crazy family and these bizarre dreams? It's not until she comes across a magical cameo necklace that the mysterious truth starts to unfold.
Lauren Mechling's novel, Dream Girl, is a great mystery novel. Claire Voyante is a wonderful detective with her quirks and wit. She makes the plots interesting and exciting. The twists and turns of the novel are always surprising and enjoyable. Mechling develops each character with good supporting details, and I feet well acquainted with the characters. I like how the novel deals with issues of friendship and trust in a very entertaining mystery novel. Mechling introduces the "dream" as a clever mechanism to explain Claire's fantastic mystery-solving abilities. This makes me want to explore Claire's dream world again in a future novel!
Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Phoenix, MD United States
Lauren Mechling's novel, Dream Girl, is a great mystery novel. Claire Voyante is a wonderful detective with her quirks and wit. She makes the plots interesting and exciting. The twists and turns of the novel are always surprising and enjoyable. Mechling develops each character with good supporting details, and I feet well acquainted with the characters. I like how the novel deals with issues of friendship and trust in a very entertaining mystery novel. Mechling introduces the "dream" as a clever mechanism to explain Claire's fantastic mystery-solving abilities. This makes me want to explore Claire's dream world again in a future novel!
Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Phoenix, MD United States
Saturday, September 06, 2008
The Devil's Breath by David Gilman
When an assassin tries to kill Max Gordon while he's out on a run, Max knows his life will never be the same. Finding out his dad is missing only proves his point. A wild goose chase to find his father leads him to Namibia, where he meets a bushman named !Koga, and quickly befriends him. !Koga and Max together try to find his dad, who they discover may have uncovered evidence that proves Shaka Chang is behind a mass ecological disaster and will kill millions unless the evidence is found. Will !Koga and Max be able to save Max's dad, along with the millions Shaka Chang is out to kill? The Devils Breath by David Gilman is the only way for you to find out!
I was pleasantly surprised by The Devil's Breath. I am not a big fan of action/adventure, so I didn't think I would enjoy the book. Boy was I wrong! I was unable to put the book down! It kept me on my toes and had me guessing, all while feeling a connection with the main character Max Gordon. The twists and turns made it unpredictable, and I was shocked in almost every chapter. Anyone who wants an exciting, well-written, and all-around great book needs to grab a copy of The Devil's Breath, by David Gilman.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Casa Grande, Arizona USA
I was pleasantly surprised by The Devil's Breath. I am not a big fan of action/adventure, so I didn't think I would enjoy the book. Boy was I wrong! I was unable to put the book down! It kept me on my toes and had me guessing, all while feeling a connection with the main character Max Gordon. The twists and turns made it unpredictable, and I was shocked in almost every chapter. Anyone who wants an exciting, well-written, and all-around great book needs to grab a copy of The Devil's Breath, by David Gilman.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Casa Grande, Arizona USA
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Beacon Hill Boys - Interview with Ken Mochizuki
When and why did you begin writing?
In 1981, while working as a professional actor in Los Angeles, I also had time to read the “classic” American novels that I should have in high school and college. I thought about becoming a writer instead, so I started writing my own novel at that time which would eventually become “Beacon Hill Boys.” I originally wrote it as an adult novel, but then the opportunity came along to turn it into a YA novel which was published in 2002.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Probably when I first seriously said to myself that I am going to be one – not just thinking about it or talking about it, but actually doing it. So, if I was going to be a writer, I had to learn how to write. I returned to my hometown, Seattle, that same year (1981) and started writing for local newspapers. Being a journalist taught me a lot about writing, especially about being concise – saying the most with the least amount of words, which would help tremendously in the genre of “juvenile literature,” especially in writing picture books.
What inspired you to write your first book?
In 1981 when I still lived in Los Angeles, I heard of the murder of a friend who was also an instructor of mine at the University of Washington (it was later uncovered that he was assassinated by orders from the regime of the former dictator of the Philippines). That incident made me think of those days when I was attending the university during the early ‘70s, when I was involved with others in fighting for the “Asian American” identity instead of being called “Orientals.” It was also a unique time all over America, and I wanted to recall those times and pay tribute to it.
Who or what has influenced your writing?
Aside from being a journalist, the Asian American authors who came before me and are
currently writing books, especially fiction, are major influences. Another major influence – although I didn’t know it at the time – were the TV series of the ‘60s. “Combat,” an early ‘60s series about GIs in France during World War II, the original “Star Trek,” “Mission: Impossible” and especially “The Twilight Zone” were often brilliantly written and were actually 30- 60- minute short stories. Looking back, that’s where I learned story structure, character development and the character arc, the beginning, middle and end.
What genre are you most comfortable writing?
My books so far have been in the picture book and YA categories, both fiction and non-fiction, so those are what I’m used to so far. I tend to gravitate toward historical fiction – “Beacon Hill Boys” has been put in that category. But, all writing isn’t easy and – contrary to what most people might think – picture books are the hardest because so few words are required to tell the story. I often use this analogy: writing picture books is like driving on city streets, where you
travel slow and have to stop for the lights and signs. Novels are like hitting the freeway and opening it up.
Is there a message in Beacon Hill Boys that you want readers to grasp?
Young people who know their histories, their family histories, are more proud and self-confident when they know of the achievements of their own. The underlying theme of the novel is the protagonist and his friends’ search for something to be proud of. Also, I wanted readers to know that everything that might be taken for granted today was gained by those before them who fought, struggled and sacrificed.
Is the book based on someone you know, or events in your own life? “Beacon Hill Boys” started out as a sort of disguised autobiography, or at least about that time in my life. And as fiction writing goes, and when you start working with an editor, there are plot changes and cuts, characters change, or multiple characters are morphed into one. So, even though some of the incidents portrayed in the book did actually happen in my life, the story is still a work of fiction.
Can you tell us two of your favorite books?
My favorite of all time is Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” and that novel is often considered to be YA now. I would have to say another would be “The Wizard of Oz.”
What book are you reading now?
A lot of the books I read are for research for my present writing project. However, a memorable book I read this year would be Sherman Alexie’s “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.”
What are you currently working on?
A YA novel set mostly in an incarceration camp for Japanese Americans during World War II.
Do you have any advice for young writers?
Read – that is the only way you will see how words are put together to become good writing and good books. And not only books, but read newspapers, news magazines – any form that tells a story. It is said that some of the best writers are sports columnists. Then you have to become a good observer. Everybody has the ability to look, but not everybody has the ability to see. Why do people do what they do? Then put those words together and write and write. It is a process in which you can be taught all the “how tos,” but it is also one in which you can only learn by
doing.
Thanks again to Ken Mochizuki for appearing, courtesy of Provato Marketing, for other stops on the tour please check www.provatoevents.com.
In 1981, while working as a professional actor in Los Angeles, I also had time to read the “classic” American novels that I should have in high school and college. I thought about becoming a writer instead, so I started writing my own novel at that time which would eventually become “Beacon Hill Boys.” I originally wrote it as an adult novel, but then the opportunity came along to turn it into a YA novel which was published in 2002.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Probably when I first seriously said to myself that I am going to be one – not just thinking about it or talking about it, but actually doing it. So, if I was going to be a writer, I had to learn how to write. I returned to my hometown, Seattle, that same year (1981) and started writing for local newspapers. Being a journalist taught me a lot about writing, especially about being concise – saying the most with the least amount of words, which would help tremendously in the genre of “juvenile literature,” especially in writing picture books.
What inspired you to write your first book?
In 1981 when I still lived in Los Angeles, I heard of the murder of a friend who was also an instructor of mine at the University of Washington (it was later uncovered that he was assassinated by orders from the regime of the former dictator of the Philippines). That incident made me think of those days when I was attending the university during the early ‘70s, when I was involved with others in fighting for the “Asian American” identity instead of being called “Orientals.” It was also a unique time all over America, and I wanted to recall those times and pay tribute to it.
Who or what has influenced your writing?
Aside from being a journalist, the Asian American authors who came before me and are
currently writing books, especially fiction, are major influences. Another major influence – although I didn’t know it at the time – were the TV series of the ‘60s. “Combat,” an early ‘60s series about GIs in France during World War II, the original “Star Trek,” “Mission: Impossible” and especially “The Twilight Zone” were often brilliantly written and were actually 30- 60- minute short stories. Looking back, that’s where I learned story structure, character development and the character arc, the beginning, middle and end.
What genre are you most comfortable writing?
My books so far have been in the picture book and YA categories, both fiction and non-fiction, so those are what I’m used to so far. I tend to gravitate toward historical fiction – “Beacon Hill Boys” has been put in that category. But, all writing isn’t easy and – contrary to what most people might think – picture books are the hardest because so few words are required to tell the story. I often use this analogy: writing picture books is like driving on city streets, where you
travel slow and have to stop for the lights and signs. Novels are like hitting the freeway and opening it up.
Is there a message in Beacon Hill Boys that you want readers to grasp?
Young people who know their histories, their family histories, are more proud and self-confident when they know of the achievements of their own. The underlying theme of the novel is the protagonist and his friends’ search for something to be proud of. Also, I wanted readers to know that everything that might be taken for granted today was gained by those before them who fought, struggled and sacrificed.
Is the book based on someone you know, or events in your own life? “Beacon Hill Boys” started out as a sort of disguised autobiography, or at least about that time in my life. And as fiction writing goes, and when you start working with an editor, there are plot changes and cuts, characters change, or multiple characters are morphed into one. So, even though some of the incidents portrayed in the book did actually happen in my life, the story is still a work of fiction.
Can you tell us two of your favorite books?
My favorite of all time is Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” and that novel is often considered to be YA now. I would have to say another would be “The Wizard of Oz.”
What book are you reading now?
A lot of the books I read are for research for my present writing project. However, a memorable book I read this year would be Sherman Alexie’s “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.”
What are you currently working on?
A YA novel set mostly in an incarceration camp for Japanese Americans during World War II.
Do you have any advice for young writers?
Read – that is the only way you will see how words are put together to become good writing and good books. And not only books, but read newspapers, news magazines – any form that tells a story. It is said that some of the best writers are sports columnists. Then you have to become a good observer. Everybody has the ability to look, but not everybody has the ability to see. Why do people do what they do? Then put those words together and write and write. It is a process in which you can be taught all the “how tos,” but it is also one in which you can only learn by
doing.
Thanks again to Ken Mochizuki for appearing, courtesy of Provato Marketing, for other stops on the tour please check www.provatoevents.com.
Bobbie Faye's (kinda, sorta, not exactly) Family Jewels
"Bobbie Faye's (kinda, sorta, not exactly) Family Jewels" by Toni McGee Causey is an unusual book. The mystery book is set in Cajun country in Louisiana and includes many of Bobbie Faye's crazy relatives. Evidently, Bobbie Faye, a crime solver, had a dangerous escapade in her first book, which included some of the characters in this book. In this funny mystery, Bobbie Faye is asked by her cousin, Francesca, to help find some diamonds that Francesca's Mom took from her Dad. After this request is made, Bobbie Faye is kidnapped by three different groups, all of whom have an interest in the diamonds. Then there is a very handsome FBI agent, assigned to watch over Bobbie Faye and a very handsome detective ex-boyfriend who are also involved in the escapades. Both are vying for Bobbie Faye's affection. Bobbie Faye gets herself into one predicament after another and many crazy characters come out either to help or gawk at her. A celebrity in her town, Bobbie Faye will lead you on a funny, action filled ride.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read something that is funny and light to read. I did find the book confusing in the beginning and wonder if it would have been easier to understand if I had read the first book. Bobbie Faye is a resilient character, not afraid to dive into any problem. But if it is realism you are looking for, this is not the book for you. It is a lighthearted read, with funny situations. Not a book to be taken seriously.
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Finksburg, MD USA
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Under the Banyan Tree by Toni DePalma
When Irena runs away to Key West, to escape her aggressive father, she comes across an unusual motel, The Banyan Tree. When she takes a job there as a maid, Irena begins to feel that The Banyan Tree motel was where she had always belonged. She soon becomes part of the Banyan Tree family. Surrounded by all her friends makes life seem almost perfect. Then, Irena finds out that The Banyan Tree is on the brink of bankruptcy. Irena soon learns that her new life of friendship and family may soon come to a tragic end. Irena goes on a mission to save her new home, but can she succeed before it's too late?
Under the Banyan Tree, by Toni De Palma, is one of the best books I have ever read. I read this book in one day, because I couldn't put it down. It appreciates the meaning of family and friends. While reading this book, I felt a mixture of happiness, anger, love, and suspense. I found it easy to get lost in this book and see the world through Irena's eyes.
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Potomac, Maryland United States of America
Wish You Were Here by Catherine Clark
Ariel (no, not the little mermaid) Flack is obsessed with
exactly two things: skittles (who wouldn't be?) and
sending postcards home to Gloves, her cat, and Dylan, her
almost-sort of-kinda boyfriend. After her dad gambles the
family's life savings away (not to mention Ariel and her
little sister's college money) and embezzles from his
company, her family's dilemma is splashed across the cover
of newspapers everywhere. Soon after, Ariel's mom divorces
her gambling husband and like only a self-help author can,
drags her reluctant two daughters, Ariel and Zena, into a
weeklong bus tour called Leisure Lee's. Sound bad? You
haven't heard the worst of it. In an attempt to give her
daughters a "responsible male figure" in their lives,
their eccentric uncle, who has a bizarre phobia of
squirrels, is along for the ride as well with their
grandparents too. Just when everything seems to be awful
(who wants to spend a week in a small space with a
gazillion senior citizens?), Ariel discovers the other
reluctant teen on board - Andre. Together, they plot to
escape their "prison" and Ariel decides that maybe, just
maybe - mind you, things aren't so bad after all. In this
wonderful bit of realistic fiction, the characters come
alive and well, this is as "fantasterrific as it gets,
folks.
Told from the view of a sixteen-year old girl,
Ariel Flack, the tone is cheerful but sometimes angry. Her
voice is slightly bitter, but Ariel has a positive outlook
on things and can be funny. It wasn't my favorite book -
it left me kinda bored and I think some of the characters
were a bit stereotyped and there was a little less detail
than I would have liked. Catherine Clark's meaning in the
story seems to be that you can always find hope no matter
what situation you are in, and she addressed that fairly
well. I would recommend it to other people because, even
though it wasn't my favorite sort of book, it is a decent
read. Although I think Clark's other books, such as The
Alison Rules draw you in more, Wish You Were Here is a
fun, quick read for people of all ages.
Reviewer
Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Canton,
Michigan United States of America
exactly two things: skittles (who wouldn't be?) and
sending postcards home to Gloves, her cat, and Dylan, her
almost-sort of-kinda boyfriend. After her dad gambles the
family's life savings away (not to mention Ariel and her
little sister's college money) and embezzles from his
company, her family's dilemma is splashed across the cover
of newspapers everywhere. Soon after, Ariel's mom divorces
her gambling husband and like only a self-help author can,
drags her reluctant two daughters, Ariel and Zena, into a
weeklong bus tour called Leisure Lee's. Sound bad? You
haven't heard the worst of it. In an attempt to give her
daughters a "responsible male figure" in their lives,
their eccentric uncle, who has a bizarre phobia of
squirrels, is along for the ride as well with their
grandparents too. Just when everything seems to be awful
(who wants to spend a week in a small space with a
gazillion senior citizens?), Ariel discovers the other
reluctant teen on board - Andre. Together, they plot to
escape their "prison" and Ariel decides that maybe, just
maybe - mind you, things aren't so bad after all. In this
wonderful bit of realistic fiction, the characters come
alive and well, this is as "fantasterrific as it gets,
folks.
Told from the view of a sixteen-year old girl,
Ariel Flack, the tone is cheerful but sometimes angry. Her
voice is slightly bitter, but Ariel has a positive outlook
on things and can be funny. It wasn't my favorite book -
it left me kinda bored and I think some of the characters
were a bit stereotyped and there was a little less detail
than I would have liked. Catherine Clark's meaning in the
story seems to be that you can always find hope no matter
what situation you are in, and she addressed that fairly
well. I would recommend it to other people because, even
though it wasn't my favorite sort of book, it is a decent
read. Although I think Clark's other books, such as The
Alison Rules draw you in more, Wish You Were Here is a
fun, quick read for people of all ages.
Reviewer
Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Canton,
Michigan United States of America
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Snakehead by Ann Halam
This book retells the ancient myth of Perseus, the god touched son of Zeus and the beautiful princess Andromeda. Perseus and his mother are refugees from main land Greece. They were thrown out after Perseus's mother's Immaculate Conception and the birth of her son. Whether by luck, chance, or fate, the mother and son survive being locked in a box and thrown out to sea. Many years later they end up living in Serifos where they lead an easy life working in a restaurant. Then Perseus meets and falls in love with Andromeda (or Kore). Now they must set off together to Gorgon's Head to fight her sacrificial destiny.
I was not interested in this book at all. I think, at the start, it threw way too much information at you at once and didn't give you any time to get to know the characters or surroundings. So after a slow start I was never caught by this book. I never felt any incentive to read it. I do acknowledge that it would have been very hard to rewrite an ancient Greek myth but none of the fictional characters she introduces nor the characters from the myth were very interesting or people to whom I could relate. Overall I think Ann Halam has a wonderfully descriptive imagination and creative ideas, but I think they could have been put to better use in maybe a more suitable genre. If I were to recommend this book to others it would be to those who are interested in Greek mythology and could take something from this rendition of the story.
Rating: 4
Content Rating: 1
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Melbourne , Victoria
I was not interested in this book at all. I think, at the start, it threw way too much information at you at once and didn't give you any time to get to know the characters or surroundings. So after a slow start I was never caught by this book. I never felt any incentive to read it. I do acknowledge that it would have been very hard to rewrite an ancient Greek myth but none of the fictional characters she introduces nor the characters from the myth were very interesting or people to whom I could relate. Overall I think Ann Halam has a wonderfully descriptive imagination and creative ideas, but I think they could have been put to better use in maybe a more suitable genre. If I were to recommend this book to others it would be to those who are interested in Greek mythology and could take something from this rendition of the story.
Rating: 4
Content Rating: 1
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Melbourne , Victoria
Friday, August 29, 2008
By Venom's Sweet Sting by Tiffany Trent
After the violent destruction of Falston Manor, Corrine and a few others embark on a dangerous quest to Scotland to retrieve the rathstone from the powerful trickster, Rory. That is how Corrine meets Euan, a young man who is everything Corrine has ever dreamed of--and A LOT more! Corrine finds out that he has mysterious powers when Euan saves her from certain death onboard the Great Eastern and thats just the beginning. As the servant for Sir James, Euan always seems to be around since they are also staying at the mansion, but maybe he's around just a little too much?? At least, it seems that way since no matter where they are, in town or not he always happens to show up. Also, Sir James is certainly acting strangely; accusing her of things that she didn't even do and Rory is nowhere in sight. Corrine's friend becomes mysteriously ill; and to top it all off, she gets attacked by a crow and nearly loses her sight. If all of that wasn't bad enough, she still has to go into the Prince's rath to try and cut out his heart, otherwise known as a rathstone. So her stay in Scotland isn't going to be as pleasant as she'd hoped it would be.
I absolutely love this series! These books just keep getting better and better. This is one of my favorite series and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. Even people who don't like to read would love the Hallowmere series; that is how wonderful these books really are. By Venom's Sweet Sting is full of adventure and mystery with a perfect twist of romance, love, and hate. This novel kept me intrigued and guessing what would happen next until the very end and still after I finished reading it. The author is an awesome writer and uses vocabulary mostly appropriate for the age level, but a few words are kind of hard, so occasionally you might need to pull out the dictionary and look a few words up. I can't wait to read the rest of this powerfully dramatic series and find out what will happen to Corrine, her friends, and her love life next.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Upper Strasburg, PA USA
I absolutely love this series! These books just keep getting better and better. This is one of my favorite series and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. Even people who don't like to read would love the Hallowmere series; that is how wonderful these books really are. By Venom's Sweet Sting is full of adventure and mystery with a perfect twist of romance, love, and hate. This novel kept me intrigued and guessing what would happen next until the very end and still after I finished reading it. The author is an awesome writer and uses vocabulary mostly appropriate for the age level, but a few words are kind of hard, so occasionally you might need to pull out the dictionary and look a few words up. I can't wait to read the rest of this powerfully dramatic series and find out what will happen to Corrine, her friends, and her love life next.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Upper Strasburg, PA USA
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