Samurai7 by Mizutaka Suhou

This Manga is about a town that is threatened by cyborg bandits for it's rice. The town sends out three people to search for some samurai to help defend there village. The three bump into katsushiro which is a guy who was walking around in the town that they went to. They take him as there first samurai. Later they find out he isn't one and that he is just a plain kid. Though in he helps them to get seven samurai to go to the town. Join them on the adventure to see what happens in volume one of this series.

I loved this manga. This was filled with action and had a lot of the Japanese essence with it. For example, this manga is read like a traditional Japanese book which is from right to left not like our books which read from left to right. If you are not used to this you get used to if after a few pages. In the front they taught you about honorifics. This is used after someone's name like -San or -Sama. This manga also uses some Japanese words and they explain them in the back. It also includes a preview of the second volume though it is written in Japanese. I don't know if it will be translated to English when it is on shelves in a store near you. All in all this was a good book that anyone would like. If your looking for some hack and slash or just for information about Japanese traditions, this manga is the right one for you!

In the manga there is some cursing, smoking, and gory scenes.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Northport, NY USA

Beyond Mars: Crimson Fleet

Beyond Mars: Crimson Fleet is a compelling story that takes you into the 22nd century. A martian evil plots the destruction of all mankind. The evil's growing ferocity only touches at what is to come. Can anything possibly halt this evil in its tracks? What will happen to those who try? That one force is the Martian Fleet and its do or die will to fight.

Beyond Mars-Crimson fleet is a very mood changing kind of book (mood changing as in I like it but a few minutes later you don't then you like it again). I found myself caught up in all the action one minute then wondering if I should keep reading the next. Luckily the action in the book is more memorable then the boring parts. I loved the action and air battle of the future. I also loved how much the author made a difference between book and real time. Sometimes I did get a little lost with some of the futuristic terms not defined enough. I like to read Sci Fi kind of stuff and it kind of kept me reading through out. If you are not a big Sci Fi reader or want to get into Sci Fi, this is not the book for you. Those who are big Sci Fi readers may want to pick up this book.

Reviewer Age:15

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

My Vicksburg by Ann Rinaldi

It is May 1863, and Claire Louise Corbet's beloved hometown of Vicksburg, Mississippi, is being used as a battlefield by the Confederate and the Union Army. When everyone begins to desert the town and move up into caves on the outskirts of town, Claire Louise's family seems to tear apart. Her father is a high ranked doctor for the Confederate Army while her older brother, Landon Corbet, is a doctor for the Union Army. Both her father and her brother are sent to other towns to help doctor people, while her mother is left alone to care for Claire Louise and her younger brother James. Landon returns home with a wounded Confederate solider named Robert, who is hiding a dark secret. Both Clarie Louise and Landon know they must help him before it is too late, but they are battling between what is right for Robert and doing what is right for their reputation. In the meantime, a food shortage occurs and the Corbet family could be on the brink of starvation. Will they make it through the hard times that the war has brought upon them? Read My Vicksburg to see what happens!

Even though I really haven't read too many historical fiction books or even heard of Ann Rinaldi, I thought this was a great book!! It seems you always hear stories about the Union side fighting against the Confederate , but you never hear the stories about a Confederate doctor and his son who serves on the opposite side. Altogether it was an excellent page turner!

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: , New Mexico USA

Bloodhound by Tamora Pierce

When fake money appears in the Corus market, Beka Cooper, along with Clary Goodwin, her temporary partner, and her newly obtained scent hound, Achoo, is chosen to investigate the matter. Their search takes them from Corus to Port Caynn, where it seems that there's far more going on than merely fake silver. Beka has to use all of her many skills, such as talking to pigeons and drawing information from gusts of wind, to find the schemer. Along the way, she meets Dale Rowan, a charming fellow that may or may not be the culprit, Hanse, another possible suspect, and Pearl, the rather unsavory Rogue of Port Caynn. Beka's life is a bit changed after this curious episode in the city of Port Caynn.

Overall, this was a very interesting book. The characters, such as Beka and Clary, seemed real. Beka was not a flat, boring character. Instead, she was a believable person with an unusual job. I really liked the terms used such as cove, gixie, cole, and mot, which mean boy, young girl, fake coin, and girl, respectively. As a whole, the book was pretty captivating, especially the language. It was slow moving in a few places, though it wasn't unbearable, and was only for a page or two, which may be expected in a 550 page book. I very much liked Beka's pets, such as Pounce, a cat and constellation, and Achoo, a dog that she rescued from an unkind master. I would definitely recommend this book to any fans of the famous Tamora Pierce and anyone looking for an enjoyable read with quite remarkable language and appealing characters. Bloodhound isn't the typical mystery or adventure. There are aspects of romance, traces of magic, and rather intriguing characters with all sorts of secrets.

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Charleston, SC USA

Other Earths by Nick Gevers

This book is a collection of short stories that focus on the subject of alternate universes. Starting off with a story about what life would be like if the civil war never occurred, we than are introduced to a world where an alternate universe machine is invented. The next story tells of what might have happened if the Incas were never conquered and developed an advanced empire. Following that is a tale about a world where magic exists and the people who posses it are segregated, and than another story about magic, in a entirely different universe. The next short story tells of what might have happened if Hitler won the war, and the one after that, what might happen if religions were commercialized. The next story is set in World War 2, and men in the army are hearing music. After that is a tale about the path one family might have taken if certain events did not take place, and than another story about what might happen if a author discovered alternate versions of himself. Finally, there is a list of alternate universes our world might have taken.

While some of these stories were enjoyable, only a few of them really fit into the genera of alternate universes. In particular, "Csilla's Story" and "Winterborn" seemed to belong to the fantasy genera, and did not relate to the topic of the collection. While most of these short stories are appropriate for children, the story "Dog Eared Paperback of My Life" contained several explicit sex scenes, as well as frequent drug use and inappropriate language. It's extremely adult content makes this book unsuitable for children, which was it's intended audience. Also, the last short story was confusing and all over the place, further throwing off the intended affect of the book. The stories in this book were not memorable, except for the ones that left a bad taste in your mouth. I would not recommend this book for children, however, I doubt adults would enjoy it either, as most of the stories are not written with an adult audience in mind.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: New Tripoli, PA United States Of America

Secret of the Sleepless Whales by Ana Maria Rodriguez

Dolphins can dive to as deep as 200 yards in a single breath. But according to experiments done by scientists, they do not have enough oxygen to make that dive. What is their secret?
Baby mammals need a lot of sleep to develop their brain and body. But baby orcas don't sleep for the first four weeks after birth! Why is that?
Harbor seals often hunt at night in pitch black water. And yet they are able to successfully capture their prey. How is that possible?
Some dolphins are seen wearing sponges on their snouts when hunting on the ocean floor. What could this mean?
In Antarctica, seals have amazing hunting strategies to catch their prey in the cold waters of the Antarctic. Therefore, scientists set out to discover these mysteries by attaching cameras to their bodies. The results provide a promising glimpse to how seals are able to outsmart their prey.
In this book, you would find out the answers to all of these secrets & and more!

This book is excellent for ocean enthusiasts who want to learn something unique about these marine mammals. However, it is very simple and does not go much into detail. Usually, a book of this type would be packed with exciting pictures and graphics. However, this book somewhat lacks in that category. There was one 6-page span where not a single picture was included. Out of the five secrets this book shared, there was one that stood out from the rest. It was about how seals can locate objects in the water with their eyes blindfolded. This story captured my attention and was very informative and exciting. Overall, this book does not provide too much information about the animals themselves. However, this is a great book for those who just want to discover something unique about these marine mammals.
Reviewer Age:15
Palo Alto, CA USA

Sophomore Switch by Abby McDonald

Can a Sophomore Switch make all the difference?

California girl Tasha's Sophomore year was supposed to be
great. She had cool film classes, fun roommates, and a
steady line of possible guys to date. Though, when the
"Hot-Tub Incident" occurs, she only wants to do one thing,
pack her bags, quickly.

Meanwhile, across the country, Emily's life isn't going that
peachy either. Her boyfriend of five months has just broken
up with her because she wouldn't go "all the way." Also, it
seems like she can't fit it in at stuffy Oxford anymore.

So, when they are offered to switch places- houses, schools,
friends- for a semester, both jump at the chance. But will
this make their lives better or just plain
worse?

Sophomore Switch was a fast paced novel filled with
funny situations, well developed characters, and a question
of what it means to be a feminist. I quickly devoured this
novel in two short days, thanks to Abby McDonald's writing
and her two lead characters: Emily and Tasha. I felt that
both were realistic and quirky teenagers, making them
extremely fun to read about. I loved how they each had
traits that any type of girl could relate to. Emily was the
up tight overachiever, while Tasha was the go with the flow
party girl. My only problem with this novel was that the
minor characters such as Morgan, Will, and Ryan were a tad
under developed.

Overall, Sophomore Switch was a well written book that I
suggest to fans of Meg Cabot and Sarah Dessen. I look
forward to reading more by Abby McDonald in the future.
Reviewer Age:13
Mountain Top, PA USA

Rooftops of Tehran - Mahbod Seraji

In 1973 Tehran, Iran's sprawling capital city, Pasha is secretly in love with his betrothed neighbor, Zari. But being best friends with her fiance, who is part of a secret organization to over throw the dictating Shah and their secret police, doesn't help much either. When he is found and murdered they are all thrown into grief, while Zari and Pasha's relationship grows strong. Reality shows Pasha and his friends that life is hard and unforgiving, and drives Zari to make a shocking choice which Pasha may never recover from. And it could change the course of their lives forever.

This book is probably one of the best that I have ever read. It opened my eyes to what life is really like in the Middle East and how not everyone from there are bad. I absolutely loved the characters and the reality of the world, and how it's not always a perfect place, like many others make it seem. It was really emotional how everyone dealt with things, and almost had me in tears. I could not put this book down and dreaded having to stop reading. I totally recommend this to anyone who loves books and great love stories.

Violence and Swearing

Reviewer Age: 14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Minooka, IL, United States

Lamentation by Ken Scholes

This book is the first of a quintet of fantasy novels. The world as imagined in the book is divided into the Named Lands and the Churning Wastes. At the beginning, science, magic, and the entirety of the Named Lands have been controlled by the Androfrancines, a religious order, since the time of the Laughing Madness. The balance of power is overthrown when Windwir, the capital of the Andofrancine Order, is destroyed. As a result, war erupts between the different powers of the Named Lands. Lord Rudolfo of the Ninefold Forest Houses allies with Lady Jin Li Tam of House Li Tam to rebuild the library of the Andofrancines and to fight Sethbert, the man who destroyed Windwir. The war is further complicated when two popes claim power over the remnants of the Andofrancine Order. One supports Sethbert, while the other backs Rudolfo. Misinformation, intrigue, and changing allegiances abound before the war is resolved. The story has a conclusion, but a new plot twist is revealed at the end to encourage reading the next book.

This book was enjoyable but confusing. The viewpoint alternates among ten characters. The many plot twists and the various points of view make the story interesting but also keep the reader in the dark. Even at the end, not all the mysteries are solved. The postlude indicates that more answers will be found in the next novel. This book is recommended for anyone who enjoys novels filled with magic, intrigue, and complicated plots.

This book contains sexual and violent content, though most of it is implied rather than explicit. This book would be best for teenage or adult readers.

Reviewer Age:15

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

This Side of Magic by Debbie Dadey

This Side of Magic by Debbie Dadey is a quick entertaining read for kids of all ages. The book is based in a small town and the story revolves around the lives of two kids: Luke and his best friend Penny. When they offer to watch their old neighbor Mr. Leery's cat, Mo, they discover that more lies in the woods behind the neighborhood houses than they anticipated. Not only are strange things happening in the woods, but Mo himself seems to be talking to Penny and Luke. When Mr. Leery returns and is told of the unusual events and informed by the kids that they understand Mo, he tells them a secret that will change their lives. Mr. Leery informs Penny and Luke that they are two of three key holders who hold the power to go into another world when they go into the woods. He tells them this is an important power and that he has been watching them their entire lives to ensure they are ready for this challenge. Penny and Luke are amazed at the power they now hold and it is up to them whether to take on the responsibility of being key holders.

This Side of Magic was an intriguing book with a plot that makes it an easy read and will have kids turning the pages until they are done. Debbie Dadey's style of writing is extremely clear and easy to understand. Penny and Luke are likable characters who seem very real. For instance, when Luke is at school he enjoys playing basketball and Penny loves jewelry of any type. This book is the first of a series and the ending is set up for a sequel. When kids finish this book they will want to go right out and by the next one because the story leaves you wanting to find out the next part of Penny and Luke's journey. This book is appropriate for children anywhere from five up to twelve. It is great for kids who like adventure books or for those who enjoy a touch of fantasy.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Westerville , OH USA