The Problem with the Puddles, by Kate Feiffer

Mr. and Mrs. Puddle can’t agree on anything. They couldn’t even agree on what to name their daughter. They each have their own name for her, but everyone else calls her Baby. They wanted a dog named Sally, but couldn’t agree which one to get, so they got both. One day, when the family is moving from their country house to their city house, the Sallies get left behind in all the commotion. When they realized they forgot their dogs, they turn around and their car breaks down. They get the attention of Frankolin, a man who thinks they are a dancing family. He brings them to his messy house that he shares with his wife, Felicia, and their dog, King. Meanwhile, the Sallies are making their way to the city to find the Puddles. Will the Puddles and the Sallies meet up?

I really enjoyed The Problem with the Puddles. Kate Feiffer shows a great sense of humor that kept me reading. The characters came to life with her wonderful writing style and the help of Tricia Tusa’s illustrations. She sprinkles pictures here and there that top off this great book. My favorite part of the book was the end. There was a great twist that tied the whole story together. I would recommend this book to anyone who’s looking for a fun, easy read.

Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Oakmont, Pennsylvania United States

Nothing But Ghosts by Beth Kephart

When her mother passed away, Katie started to feel alone in her huge home. She lives with her dad, who restores old paintings for a living, but still always feels like she is living by herself. Katie takes a summer job at a garden estate where she meets two brothers. With the help of them and the town librarian, she becomes immersed in deciphering a mystery. Katie, the brothers, and the librarian work together to solve the mystery. There are many secrets throughout the mystery; symbols hidden in a darkened painting, and surprises behind a locked door. While decoding the mystery, Katie learns about love and learns to live with her own ghosts.

Nothing but Ghosts was the greatest mystery, yet, love story I have read in ages. It was interesting and really detailed. I absolutely loved how the author would take breaks from the main idea to express smaller points in the plot. As the main characters learned certain things, I learned right along with them. The author, Beth Kephart, did an amazing job from the beginning to the end. I recommend Nothing but Ghosts to all young-adult readers who enjoy love stories or mysteries.

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Fairborn, Ohio USA

Keeper by Mal Peet

World soccer superstar El Gato has just won the World Cup;
he is at the peak of his career and has been named the
world's greatest goalkeeper. Paul Faustino, South
America's top football journalist expected a reasonably
normal post World Cup interview, but what he got was more
than he ever imagined. During the hours of the interview
between El Gato and Faustino, the football legend gives an
exclusive into his intriguing past. He tells Faustino how
the lingering spirit of mysterious Keeper changed his life
and how he went from being the struggling son of a poor
logger to being thrown into the thrilling world of major
league football. The strange life that El Gato lived was
not at all what anyone expected and his unusual past was
not the only shock he was ready to unleash on the world.

Keeper by Mal Peet is a truly interesting and
extraordinary journey through the roller coaster life of a
disadvantaged teenager who makes it big. I'm not
interested in football at all and when told about this
book, I was dubious. By the end of the story, however, I
was caught by its reveling excitement and spine tingling
mystery. There was definitely no need to be a football fan
to enjoy the absorbing story line and enthralling
characters. This book was all told by El Gato in first
person, in the context of Gato telling his life story to
Faustino. There was a bit of football lingo, which was not
always clear and entirely understood, but that was made up
for by the amount of time that went into telling the story
of spirits and ghosts. I am looking forward to the next
Paul Faustino installment and continuation of El Gato's
story.

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and
Country: Melbourne , Victoria Australia

Ignatius Macfarland by Paul Fieg

"Ignatius Macfarland" by Paul Feig is a fast-paced, fantastical novel. Ignatius (AKA Iggy) is picked on at school and builds a makeshift rocket in a vain attempt to go into outer space and befriend aliens that won't make fun of him. When his rocket explodes, he wakes up in a parallel universe with wild creatures and peculiar surroundings. Iggy finds his old English teacher also blew himself up and landed in the same exact place. This teacher is the president of the land, and he has been enforcing the creatures, forcing them to bend to his will, and making them believe he came up with inventions that were really made back on Earth.

The suspense and action are phenomenal as Iggy and his friends are hunted down by the English teacher's army; he fears that Iggy and his friends will undermine / usurp him. A shocking twist is at the end, both with regards to the English teacher's motives for tyranny and with whether or not Iggy returns home. There is some romance in the novel as Iggy is infatuated with a girl from the parallel universe. However, it is not at all vulgar or perverse (Iggy is twelve, and the audience is meant to be preteen). The way in which Feig writes is simple yet unusually unique. "'K-kill her?' Mr. Arthur said, the words sticking in his throat like saltine crackers when you try to swallow a bunch of them without any water" (Feig, 320).

Reviewer Age:18

Reviewer City, State and Country: Staten Island, NY USA

Brand-New Emily by Ginger Rue

"Brand-New Emily" by Ginger Rue is a dramatic girl's book. In eighth grade, Emily is picked on by the popular Daisy clique. One day, she simply can not take it anymore, and she hires a publicist to make her popular. That same publicist works for a teenage heartthrob. When Emily reveals she knows a secret that could destroy the star, the publicist agrees to work for Emily. As Emily transforms, she becomes a whole new person. Drama ensues when the teenage heartthrob becomes entwined in the publicist's plan. Matters get worse when Emily does not like the person she has become.

This book fully captures the world of school for young teenagers. The taunting and humiliation that Emily faces in the beginning of the book are horrifyingly plausible. Also, the publicist part is fun, especially when public relations lingo is interspersed. While teens may not be able to hire / blackmail others into giving them Hollywood-style help, they learn what a good makeover can do. Also, by the end of the book, teen girls realize that popularity comes at a price--oneself.

Reviewer Age:18

Reviewer City, State and Country: Staten Island, NY USA

Nebula Awards Showcase 2009 by Ellen Datlow

This book is a grand overview of 2008's best work in Science Fiction and Fantasy. It encompasses both writing and screen work. The winners and nominees featured vary in length and topic. Also included are short essays predicting the future of both the science fiction and fantasy genres.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. The greater majority of the award-winning selections were a good representation of the genres of SF and Fantasy. The stories widely varied in their structures as well as topics including poetry, excerpts from novels, novelettes, and short stories.Because the entire book was a collection of short stories, excerpts, and essays, I often found myself having to go back to the beginning of a section and rereading it, paying close attention to what I was reading. I would recommend this book for readers that enjoy reading science fiction and fantasy and are comfortable with different and possibly controversial topics.Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. It's a good book to read to pass the time or over a break.

This book had both controversial and profane topics and language.

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Brownsburg, Indiana United States

Creature of the Night, by Kate Thompsen

Bobby isn't your typical teenager from Dublin. He's part of a gang that steals cars, money, phones, iPods, and anything they can get their hands on. It's hard-wired into his brain. So, when his ma makes him move to the middle-of-nowhere to keep him out of trouble, naturally, Bobby isn't happy. He tries to find a way back to Dublin, but instead ends up having to work on a farm for his landlord. From them, Bobby hears about the child who got murdered in the house he's living in, and the previous tenant who disappeared. Then, his little brother starts obsessing over a little fairy woman who comes to visit in the night, and somehow, his house just doesn't seem that safe anymore. Join Bobby as he lives on the edge, dealing with his crazy brother and money-challenged ma, just trying to figure it all out before something horrific happens to someone else.

Creature of the Night is a fictional story with a little bit of horror and suspense stuffed in. It's got a very raw feeling, as if you're there with the people, and they don't care whether you're there or not. Everyone in the story has some type of attitude, which adds to the tension you feel. As you read, you can feel the main character, Bobby, changing in the way he thinks and feels toward others. The setting is described in a way where there's not too much detail, but just enough to let your imagination fill in the blanks. I really liked this book because it seemed so real, aside from the fairy part. I would recommend Creature of the Night to anyone who likes suspenseful, rough-around-the-edges books. This book is best for older teens, since bad language is used a lot. It was very exhilarating book!

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: coatesville, pa usa

The Spy Who Haunted Me, by Simon Green

In 'The Spy Who Haunted Me' Simon Green creates a wonderful world that teaches us value. Edwin Drood is part of a very highly regarded family, who help protect humanity. He works for his family as a field agent. His undercover name is Shaman Bond. He is sent off on a mission to stop what is going to happen to the London Tower. He sets off with a group that is planning to kill all the famous London Ravens. Drood starts off going along with it, but at the end he stops Big Aus (the Leader) from stealing the Crown Jewels.
Later on Drood is sent off again, but this time it is to win a game.
The famous Independent Agent sets up a game for 6 chosen spies and field agents. They are all competing for all the knowledge and treasures of the Independent Agent. During the competition 2 agents die and 1 goes missing. Drood and Walker, a fellow competitor, return to the Independent Agent's house to discover that Independent Agent has been competing all along as his grandson, Peter King. He will never give up his secrets. In the end, Walker and Drood blow up the Independent Agent's house, with him in it.

The author does a good job describing things and it is fairly easy to put your mind into the places the main characters go. You can get the feel of suspense as you read. I like Edwin Drood and his undercover identity, Shaman Bond. The author's voice was very distinct and was very British (colour, favourite). The vocabulary met the standards of the age group. Green does a good job with description and dialogue. He fails at little things. This book makes it to the top of my sci-fi list. I found it very interesting and it was hard to put down. The ending was very surprising. I would definitely recommend it to others.

I gave it a 3 because it was in the adult section of the bookstore and it had more adult-rated descriptions.
Reviewer Age:12, Mt. Pleasant, SC USA

Lovestruck Summer by Melissa Walker

Music-loving Quinn is going to be an intern at Amalgam Records in Austin, the company that signed her favorite band, the Walters. So she's off to Texas to stay with her cousin Penny, a girl who is president of her sorority and is nothing like Quinn, whose wardrobe consists of jeans and t-shirts of her favorite bands. Nevertheless, Quinn is all ready to hit the Austin music scene and snag the perfect indie boyfriend. That is, until she meets frat boy Russ, who happens to be Penny's neighbor. He's annoying, likes country music and has the nerve to call Quinn by her real first name, Priscilla. Even though Russ is completely irritating, there's something about him that Quinn likes. Could he end up being the guy for her?

I was really surprised by Lovestruck Summer. I knew it was a romantic comedy, so I was expecting it to be shallow and a little corny. Instead, I was hooked after the first page. I am not like Quinn or her cousin Penny or any of the other characters, but I was able to relate to and become fond of all of them. The romance aspect was a little predictable, but the ending turned out a bit different than how I thought it would. There were a ton of funny moments and quirky things that made this book enjoyable. For example, Quinn's cousin has a cross-dressing dog, which is definitely unique. Things like that made this book stand out from other romantic comedies. I thought Lovestruck Summer was adorable and I can't wait to read Melissa Walker's other books.

Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Aston, Pennsylvania United States

The Devil's Queen by Jeanne Kalogridis

Caterina de Medici, the Italian duchess of Florence, has witnessed betrayal and hardship at a young age. As a prisoner of the rebels who wanted to take over Florence, she has suffered through hunger, cold, and the plague. With the help from a horoscopist and prophet, Cosimo Ruggieri, Caterina was able to escape from her captors and be placed in the favor of her uncle, Pope Clement VII. In a political power play, Clement married her to a French prince, where she was forced learn a new language, customs, and name: Catherine, queen of France. But to get what she most desires, first, children, and later, for her children to remain on the throne, Catherine must delve into the black arts and do everything in her power, short of selling her soul.

I learned about Catherine de Medici briefly in history class, when we were discussing the evolution of Protestantism in France, and I decided to read this book to see what else I could learn about her. Jeanne Kalogridis does a great job of using a lot of detail and information to describe Catherine's life. The book is really long, and I felt like I was living Catherine's life along with her as I turned the pages. Upon completion of the novel, I did some research on Catherine, and not everything in the book is accepted fact. A lot of what the author wrote, mostly regarding the black arts Catherine is involved in, are rumors, so they could be true or untrue. Even though the book wasn't completely historically accurate, I liked that I could get a different view on Catherine than what is normally written about her, since Catherine is considered to be a ruthless monarch. Putting aside the disputed authenticity of the book, I can definitely say that The Devil's Queen was entertaining, and any fans of historical fiction will enjoy it.

Reviewer Age:17

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