Cry of the Wolf by Rachel Roberts

Adriane has always shared a special bond with the
mistwolf Stormbringer. So when Storm finds out that she is
not the last of her kind and follows them to another
world, Adriane is determined to find the pack. Then she
finds that the Dark Sorceress has captured them. When she
meets an unexpected friend, they work together to free the
animals. But what is the mysterious rock that has been
following them around.

I was surprised that I still
understood most things without reading the second book in
the series. This book really describes where these sick
animals are coming from. I liked how the author had a
subplot including the mistwolves and the only other human
on Aldenmor. The book also explains how there is a safe
place, which is why not all of the animals on Aldenmoor
are infected with disease. I thought this was a good third
book in the series.

Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country: Exeter , New Hampshire US

Isabelle's Boyfriend by Caroline Hickey

Taryn's mom is recently divorced and she replaced her husband with a dog!!! Her mom treats the dog better then Taryn, her own daughter. But that is just one of the problems that Taryn has to face. Taryn goes to an all-girl's school and she is not the most popular girl on the block. Taryn is taking her dog for a walk when she runs into the boy of her dreams. The down side is his girlfriend is the most popular girl at her school, Isabelle Graham. As Taryn schemes to take Isabelle's boyfriend, she ends up being friends with Isabelle. Taryn is now popular and goes to all the parties, and she likes her new life. So she is faced with the decision of her new life or the boy. Which will she choose?

This book never grabbed my attention at all. It was definitely not what I was expecting. The book had no climax and the author just kept going on about a certain plot point. Then it felt like she was rushing at the end of the book. The book wasn't completely boring, I was able to sit through it, but I would not recommend this book to others. It is a quick read; I read it in one day. The ending didn't really do much for me; it summed it up, but it just sort of felt like it should have ended differently.

Reviewer Age: 13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Tipp City, Ohio United States

Scene of the Crime by Malcom Rose

Do you watch in CSI? Well, it's a great inside look at how forensic scientists figure out who commited a crime. The pictures are very colorful and detailed and easy to read. The book goes step by step to uncover the truth of how the murder happened. There are interesting facts along the way as well as indepth descriptions of what the investigation entails. You don't just read it, you discover who commited the crime yourself!
My opinion of this book was great. It wasn't what I expected for my first book but it was really interesting. The pictures help make the investigation real and exciting. The explaination of the book is very well done and descripive. It was very awesome!

The book has violence in it and isn't appropriate for children.

Reviewer Age:18

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

Macbeth by William Shakespeare

It's Shakespeare's classic story of Macbeth, with lines untouched. The story begins with the king learning of Macbeth's fearless fighting on the battlefield. The king, it appears, is so impressed he decides to reward Macbeth in some way. Shift to Macbeth, our tragic hero, who has no lofty ambitions until he comes across the three weird sisters who inform him that he is to become Dane, and foretell his becoming a powerful king. Macbeth is skeptical at first but when he learns the king has indeed appointed him to such a position he begins to lust for even more power. Soon, he has vaulted down a road of obsession, greed, and guilt a combination that has nasty consequences. But how far is too far? Shakespeare's play goes on to explore the ideas of fate, the power of suggestion, and Machiavellian politics, in a truly emotional story that will grip you from the start.
I can't really say anything against Shakespeare's storytelling prowess. The graphic novel aspect of Classic Comics version of Macbeth made it much simpler to understand the more difficult parts of the play. It really is the best of both worlds: readers get to experience the integrity of Shakespeare's original text while getting the extra help of the graphics to better grasp the nuances of the play. The lines suddenly jump out with a vivacity that wouldn't otherwise be possible; they come alive. The comics helped make the play more understandable and thus more enjoyable without altering the lines. I would highly recommend it for anyone who wishes to explore Shakespeare, but is too afraid to tackle the challenges of Elizabethan English alone.

The play addressed some darker aspects of human nature...including murdering for the sake of personal gain. Additionally, to portray such things the comics showed some graphic pictures of violence, that younger children might feel squeamish seeing. Finally, Elizabethan english is difficult to understand, especially for younger kids.

Reviewer Age:17

Reviewer City, State and Country: Bellevue, WA USA

The Youngest Templar by Michael Spradlin

Tristan of St. Alban's has always lived his life with the monks. Now, he is being whisked away as Sir Thomas's squire. The Saracens are trying to conquer the Holy Land, and Tristan has been pushed into the conflict. Soon he meets a possible traitor within the Knights Templar and is entrusted with the most sacred relic in all Christendom. Tristan leaves Sir Thomas behind as he runs to deliver the relic to safety. His new allies, Robard Hode and a female assassin, help him remain alive and able to continue his quest. Can Tristan make it to safety with the Holy Grail?

By reading the summary of The Youngest Templar I knew it would be about the Crusades. However, I did not expect to read an extremely provoking, fiction story. While the beginning is slightly slow, the additions in plot move swiftly and beneficially in exciting the reader. The vocabulary was perfect for the young adult age group. Also, the character's personalities were intriguing, and the context clues made me want to know more about Tristan. On the downside, many conflicts were left untold and I will have to wait until the second book comes out to find more information.


Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, Pennsylvania United States of America

Rating: 7
Content Rating: 1

The Otherworldlies by Jennifer Anne Kogler

Fern has always been different. She knows this, and her family knows this. What she DOESN'T know is that she is not really human. She's a vampire, an "Otherworldy." The kids at school pick on her, with the exception of her brother and another vampire, and one of the popular girls. Together, the three children set out to discover the truth about Fern.

I loved this book to pieces! The author wrote the story so that it almost seemed like you were there, watching it unfold. The author made the characters very believable, and I loved all the main ones. I think that the story was wrapped up quite nicely, though there was room enough for a sequel, if desired. The vocabulary used was appropriate for middle school and up, though some elementary school kids would understand and enjoy the book as well. This book is different from other vampire books I've read, because the author took the term vampire and completely redefined it. I loved this book, and begged my library to get a copy so that others could enjoy it as well.

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Highland, MI USA

The Floating Circus by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer

The Floating Circus by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer tells the story of Owen, a 12-year-old orphan in 19th century Pittsburgh, PA. As the book opens, Owen seriously damages his arm falling out a tree at the orphanage where he and younger brother, Zack, live. Within weeks, they are herded onto a train with dozens of other orphans being sent out West to be adopted. The boys have to give up their dream that their penniless mother and alcoholic father will reclaim them, but they still hope to be placed together. Although they are accompanied by two elderly Quaker sisters who dote on them, Owen fears that his useless arm will prevent anyone from adopting him. Not wanting to hurt Zack's chances for a new family, he runs away. He ends up on one of the 'floating' circus boats on the Mississippi River, after being saved from drowning by Solomon, a former slave who has bought his freedom, but is still subject to a multitude of indignities. Although Owen works with many animals, the elephants really capture his fancy. This book relates the adventures of a young boy trying to find his own niche in the world, and also discovering the tough reality that African Americans faced in 19th century America.

Although historical fiction is not my favorite genre, this book had a relatively interesting story line, with the intriguing theme of trying to find your place in the world. Even though I was interested in Owen, and the descriptions of circus life were fascinating, the main reason that I kept reading the book was to find out what happens to Solomon, a free African American, and former slave. Solomon reveals that he has made terrible mistakes in the past, but he is goodhearted and tries to protect Owen as well as the circus animals from cruel treatment. The author's research is impressive, and her writing is clear, but there were so many subplots--including one involving the Greenes, a circus family whose son Caleb befriends Owen, and also features a depressed mother, and a beautiful, snooty daughter. The ending was disappointing for me as it left too many loose ends hanging, particularly Solomon's fate. I usually read a book in a few hours or days, but this book took weeks to get through as it rambled along and did not hold my attention very well. Even though this book is not at the top of my list I would still recommend it to readers between 9 and 14, especially if they like historical fiction, or are curious about circus life.
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Hingham, MA USA

My Name is Number 4 by Ting-xing Ye

In a time where what your parents did defines who you are, Ting-xing Ye is growing up. As the Cultural Revolution evolves and changes from white to black, Ye is trying to go to school and become smart enough to go to a University like her brother. That is the only way for her to become independent of welfare and live a better life then what she has. But when Ting-xing Ye is sent to a prison farm so her sister can get a job, not only has it become a much more difficult struggle to survive, but also it means the chances of her going to a University are getting thinner and thinner. Injuries and sickness plague the farm, but will Ting-xing be able to survive and overcome, and eventually be able to achieve her dreams?

Wow. Wow and amazingly good. That's really all I can say about this book. For this author to be able to go through what she did and then write about it is truly amazing to me. My Name is Number Four is a shockingly true poetic novel that will have every single person who opens the book unable to put it down. Not only is this book surprisingly easy to fallow, it also educates the reader about the Chinese Cultural Revolution without being boring or sounding to much like a homework assignment. My Name is Number Four may be one of the best books I have read this year.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Casa Grande, Arizona USA

The Golden Path by Anson Montgomery

In the book The Golden Path by Anson Montgomery you get to decide your own destiny. You and your two friends, Dresdale and Peter, spend the summer on an internship at an archaeological and geological expedition run by your parents in the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. You and your friends are exploring off the trails when you find an unusual pottery shard. You start researching it and decide to use it as a project for school. The next thing you know your parents are missing, some guy is accusing you of stealing the pottery shard and you're getting expelled from school. You have no choice but to find your parents and save the day. It's up to you to be the hero in this adventure.
I thought the Golden Path was a good book. I thought the beginning was slow, but the more I got into the book, the harder it was to put down. I thought it was a great idea to let the reader choose the decisions the character made and how the book was left with multiple endings. One of the strengths in this book is how it draws the reader's attention further and further into the story. I think a weakness in this book are some parts where the reader gets to decide what happens to the character, I think it becomes more confusing, like where the character can die. You have to find the place where you went wrong and re-read it and make another decision of what to do. I found myself trying to remember my page number or writing it down so I could just go back to that page if I made a mistake. I thought the ending in this book was okay. It left me with many questions but just enough answers to buy the next volume book and read on. I would recommend this book to anyone who is tired of reading the same types of books and wants to try something new.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Sandy, Oregon United States

The Miracle Girls

The Miracle Girls by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt tells
the story of 14 year-old Ana Dominguez. Ana has just moved
from San Jose, California to the nearby small town Half
Moon Bay. A few weeks after she starts her freshman year
of high school in this new town, Ana lands herself and
another girl, Riley McGee, in detention after accusing
Riley of cheating on a pop quiz. While there, the teens in
detention are required to write an essay entitled "The Day
My Life Changed" and are then divided into groups of four
to whom they must read their essays. Ana is paired up with
Riley and two other girls, Christine and Zoe. After each
girl reads her essay, they all realize that the four of
them each would have died years ago, but each was saved by
a miracle. Ana and Zoe team up and try to befriend the
other two "miracle girls" and in the end the four
experience adventures that can only be experience with a
true friend.

This book was an exciting, heartwarming page-
turner. The Authors have successfully written an
intriguing story for teens and preteens. The story is both
slightly foreseeable while also being reasonably
unpredictable. The details are vivid enough to let you
easily picture the settings of the story. Also, the
characters are very much real to life. The Miracle Girls
is an excellent book that I would recommend to any teenager
especially girls.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City,State and Country: Marble Hill, Missouri, USA