Fortune's Magic Farm by Suzanne Selfors

Fortune's Magic Farm by Suzanne Selfors is an amazing new fairytale that tells about the strength of the heart and the need to be strong to save those that we care most about. Ten years ago Isabelle was left on a doorstep in a town called Runny Cove, and was taken in by an elderly woman named Grandma Maxine. Grandma Maxine tells stories about long ago when it didn't rain every day and the town was called Sunny Cove. Back then the fathers would fish for food and profit instead of working in the umbrella factory. Now, because of a man named Mr. Supreme, everyone in the town works in the factory, because if they didn't they would starve, since the fish swam away. Isabelle is curious about her past, and it comes and finds her in a way she didn't expect. Her family's farm has an interesting past, but can she find out why she was left on a doorstep, and can she convince her grandfather to help her friends in Runny Cove to be free of the wicked Mr. Supreme?
This book is an amazing find. It has magic on every page and surprises that keep you guessing. I enjoyed reading this and loved every minute of it. Suzanne is an amazing author. She develops her characters so well that you begin to believe that they are real. I hope that she will continue to write more and believe that she has the ability to become the next J.K. Rowling.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Colleyville, Texas USA

My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger

My Most Excellent Year tells the story of three students-
now seniors- most excellent year (their freshman year)
and how their lives all changed for the better. First,
there's T.C.( Anthony), who's obsessed with all things
related to baseball, his best friend Augie, and
Alejeandra, the girl he's in love with, but who doesn't
return his feelings. Augie loves all things that have to
do with Broadway and his best friend T.C. Also, everyone
knows Augie's gay, but he just hasn't realized his true
feelings yet. Lastly, there is Alejeandra. Alejeandra grew
up in a very political and fundamental family. Her father
is a rich diplomat. Though, Alejeandra is expected to
grow up to be just like her parents and her brother her
true love is dancing and singing which is unacceptable to
her family. As, she pursues this passion in life she
begins to become friends with Augie and T.C. and just may
fall in love with the T.C.

My Most Excellent Year was a truly hysterical and cute read that had me turning the
pages nonstop. Steve Kluger told this story in diary entrees, instant message conversations, and letters. I've read this type of writing before, but have never enjoyed it as much as in this novel. It let me get to know the
characters, probably better than it being told in first or
third person, and it kept the story interesting most of
the time. At the beginning his writing could feel a bit so-
so , but as the story continued, and as the characters
began to get more developed, it picked up and started to
get pretty funny. Especially during Augie's parts. Also, I
enjoyed seeing how each character began to grow in one way
or another throughout the novel. At the end, I was sad to
see it come to a close, but knew that it was just the
right time to conclude it. Overall, this story was a cute
coming of age novel that I recommend to all age groups.
Be aware, though, that the beginning was a tad boring.

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country:
Mountain Top, PA USA

The Tsarina's Daughter by Carolly Erickson

The Tsarina's Daughter, a historical fiction book, begins as Tatiana, the daughter of the Russian Tsar Nicholas II, is an old lady living in Canada, retelling the story of her childhood. However, she is not referred to as Tatiana; rather she is known as Daria Gradov. This story explains how her name changed from Tatiana to Daria. Only her husband, who is dead, knows the whole story. Her story begins in 1904 at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. Tatiana's father, Tsar Nicholas II, is the tsar of Russia and her mother is Tsarina Alexandria. The people of Russia like her parents. Tatiana is living happily in the royal place, receiving a good education. However, things begin to change. Tatiana leaves the Royal Palace and sees that the people of St. Petersburg are living in poverty. At the same time, the citizens of Russia revolt and the Russian Revolution begins. Both of these events have a huge affect on her life. Tatiana decides she must help her citizens, so she trains as a nurse and cares for the injured soldiers in the Royal Palace. Tatiana falls in love with an injured soldier, Michael, who she nurses back to health. Michael works for Tatiana's father during the Revolution, but the family is overthrown and forced from the palace to Siberia. Here, they live a very hard life and they held prisoners in their house by the Cossacks. Tatiana becomes very ill in Siberia and Michael nurses her back to health. The local nuns and citizens are trying to free Tatiana and her family. Most of the plans fail because her father is reluctant to leave because he doesn't think the plan will work. Her mother just gives up on all escape plans. At a festival in Siberia, the family has plans to escape. The Cossacks cannot follow them into the church, so a plan is developed for their escape. You'll have to see if the escape plan works!

I would recommend the book, The Tsarina's Daughter for many reasons. I think this book was very suspenseful and full of excitement. Although it is fiction, much of the information about Russia at that time is true. Carolly Erickson wrote many nonfiction books before writing this fiction book. I did learn a lot about the Russian Revolution and would like to read more books about it.

Sexual content and fowl language

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Finksburg, Maryalnd USA

Mexican Whiteboy by Matt de la Pena

This novel starts out with a simple plot: a boy moves to his cousin's home, who is very popular. The boy is just about the complete opposite of his cousin, Sofia. Danny is shy, doesn't talk much (because he is ashamed of his non-Mexican accent), and doesn't understand the fashion style in Sofia's world. Sofia introduces him, gets him started in school, and Danny begins his story slowly, revealing his anxiety and self-mutilation problems. A few chapters into the book, an African-American/Spanish boy named Uno enters the story, from his point of view. He doesn't trust Danny and has already given him stitches. However, he is infatuated with Sofia.

I wasn't as happy with the beginning; it had a very small plot, and I was hoping for a more involved story. But Matt de la Pena soon complicated it, and was able to captivate me by the fifteenth page! I was very impressed by his foreshadowing, and there were many examples of it, such as hitting a road sign with a stone: three out of five hits means whatever you're wishing for will happen.

De la Pena was adept at explaining how racial status meant so much to those who were under pressure for it. Spanish, English, and African-American people experience so much more than I had imagined. I am very glad I had the chance to read Mexican WhiteBoy.

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Eagle Creek, OR USA

Thornspell by Helen Love

Ever since he was little, Prince Sigismund has heard about the stories. Of dragons, giant snakes, fairies, and heroic quests that involve princesses being rescued. Could these stories actually be true? From the day a mysterious lady shows up at the castle gates and speaks to him, the young prince's world turns completely over. He dreams of a girl trapped in thorns, a palace waiting for something, and a man in red armor riding a red horse that suddenly turns up at his castle! Sigismund is about to learn whose real, whose fake, what's real, what's a dream, and what's a dream that becomes real.

This book was probably the best book I have gotten from Flamingnet! It was so descriptive. Basically, this book is a version of Sleeping Beauty. Sigismund is the type of character you instantly love and want for a big brother. There are good fairies and bad fairies. But the author is from New Zealand so they call them Faie or Faerie. It was a little confusing at first! I would reccomend this book to anybody who loves adventure, romance, and mystery

Reviewer Age:14

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

Key to Redemption by Talia Gryphon

This book is absolutely amazing! But Key to Redemption is definitely a PG-13 book. I just couldn't put the book down! I like how it doesn't recap the character's lives for a few chapters but gets straight into the story. Key to Redemption has some great humor, and yet, some very serious points. In the book, Gillian Key is a therapist to the paranormal that have been recently legalized. Someone from her recent past comes back and ends up making the therapist need therapy. I really hope another book will come out and expand upon one of Gillian's client's.

I liked how the book was written. It covers all the thoughts of the characters but mostly sticks with Gillian throughout the book. And doesn't randomly cut to another person at a really exciting moment. I also feel like that I can connect with Gillian and feel what she feels. Furthermore, I like the explanations of some of the paranormal creatures that she deals with. This is a series that you don't have to necessarily read in order.

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Guilderland, New york USA

The Knights of the Cornerstone by James P. Blaylock

This novel is set in the isolated, present-day town of New Cyprus. Calvin Bryson is a man who lives alone with his collection of old books. One day, he receives a strange package in the mail and is told to deliver it to his aunt and uncle in New Cyprus. The package supposedly contains the haunted shroud of a dead relative he never knew. On his way to delivering the package, it is stolen. When he arrives in New Cyprus, his uncle tells him that it was a fake and that the real shroud has already been delivered. Calvin stays to visit with his family. He meets a woman named Donna, and they soon get close. However, curiosity, bravery, and danger shatter Calvin's peaceful world. Calvin discovers that the shroud is actually a holy relic and that New Cyprus is the home of the Knights Templar, which he is invited to join. A sinister group led by Bob Postum plan to steal the relic and wreck the Knights' society. Calvin must collaborate with the Knight to save New Cyprus. This novel was written to entertain and is an adventure and mystery novel with religious occult undertones.

I found this book a bit mediocre and confusing. The plot is fairly typical, with a secret society that the main character joins and fights for. The romance is quick and straightforward. The religious occult part of the book make it unique, yet also confusing. The powers of the relics are never truly explained. Also, near the end, the plot moves very quickly with too little information or explanation. I never quite figured out each character's role in the ending action. The book was not bad, but I felt it was just mundane.

This book has some sexual references, violence, and death. There are also religious references, but the book does not require knowledge about religion or belief in God to read.

Reviewer Age:15

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

Slant by Laura E. Williams

Lauren is a Korean-American teenager, who was adopted when she was a year old. Being Asian her eyes are slightly different from everyone else in her class. Her best friend tells her she has beautiful eyes, but some of the boys in her class disagree. They call her derogatory names such as "Slant" and "Gook". After a long time of listening to their racial comments, Lauren finally has enough money to pay for a special eye surgery. This surgery will deepen the crease of her eyes to make her look like everyone else in her class. When she finally has her father's agreement on the surgery she has to make the decision: should she undergo the surgery and hope she obtains confidence and the popularity that she desires, or can she obtain the confidence she needs in herself without such drastic steps?

I thought this book faced a very important issue, discrimination. By Laura E. Williams having Lauren face teasing because of her race, she connects her book with anyone who feels different. I thought it was particularly interesting how Lauren feels that she needs to be so drastic in her way to overcome her emotional conflict. While the book deals with a very heavy topic, it reads very quickly. I thought this book shed light on an issue that some people did not realize existed.

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Plesset, Maryland USA

Out of Reach by V. M. Jones

Out of Reach by V.M. Jones is a story about a struggling relationship between a father and son. Thirteen year old Pip McLeod has been playing soccer since he was little. He is always striving for perfection to meet his father's approval. After every game Pip played, his father looked at him in disappointment, wondering why he wasn't like his brother Nick. Pip wasn't like his brother. He didn't like soccer and he could never have the same bond his father and Nick shared. One day Pip came across a new sport, climbing. He began to climb and soon couldn't stop. Pip enjoys the sport and all he can do is think, dream and live climbing. The only thing keeping him from reaching the top is his father and their relationship that is falling apart.

I thought the book Out of Reach by V.M. Jones was a great book. The beginning was boring, but once you got past the introduction it was hard to put down. Somewhere after the introduction I began to be interested in the struggles Pip and his father shared and began to wonder what would happen next. The strength in this book was the ending. The ending left you with very few questions and many answers. The weakness was the introduction. The author had many messages in this book. One that stood out was how you can have a best friend; but when it comes down to it family is always going to be number one. I recommend this book to anyone who likes stories based on relationships and family struggles.

Reviewer Age:14

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

The Wooden Mile by Chris Mould

In Chris Mould's The Wooden Mile, the protagonist, Stanley Buggles, travels to Crampton Rock, a fishing village, where he's come to explore his inheritance, an old manor. What he expects to be a relaxing summer exploring his new house turns into a baffling adventure full of pirates, a werewolf, and a talking fish. Stanley first notices the odd nature of the town at nighttime, when a horn is sounded and all the people of the town flee into their houses while watchmen hide up in designated towers. When Stanley starts investigating the reasons behind the curfew, he meets Randell Flynn, a part of a group of pirates seemingly dedicated to getting rid of a suspected werewolf. Through his adventures with the pirates, Stanley confronts the problem of who is really good and who is evil and what that means for him.

This book was a little young for me. I would recommend it to kids who are in the middle school to late elementary school age range, depending on their reading level and ability. Its a gripping tale, and leaves you wanting more at the end with an decent attempt at a cliff hanger ending. It is the first in a series of books about Stanley, of which there are 3+ already published, so is you're a young reader looking for a spooky series, then this is the one for you. Stanley appeals to younger kids because he is young himself, and his thoughts and words are portrayed as if a 10 year old were actually saying them instead of an adult trying to sound like a 10 year old. I think that over all, this book is a compelling novel, and a great start to a series.

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Hingham, MA USA