Rosie and Skate by Beth Ann Bauman

Rosie and Skate are two sisters with not much in common but enough to be their when they know something is wrong. With an alcoholic jailbird father, and no mother in the picture, these sisters must learn to cope with the problems and the feelings they're having on their own. Growing up fast had never been an option for these girls, it had to be done. Rosie just wants a normal father and won't give up hope on him, but Skate already has and ignores the troubles they have with him.

Heartbreak, first loves, and sex are happening way to fast for these girls to even keep up anymore. Skate's love life will take a turn when she's at home alone, and Perry, her boyfriend, is leaving for college. All these girls have is each other and that's all they're going to know if things in their lives don't start to change.

As I was reading the book, Rosie and Skate did keep their character the whole time. Rosie always seemed like the innocent one who wanted a father. Until almost the end when she decides to give up, that was a good twist that I enjoyed. The mood of the book is usually a sad one, which anyone can understand. The mood seemed to fit in well with the settings, plots, events, and the characters. I think writing this story in first person was the best choice. It feels more real to me when it's written in this way because I feel like the person is talking to me.

The vocabulary was age appropriate for the level of book, but for me, it might have been to easy. This could simply be because I am older and have read a lot of different books. I would recommend this book for other people or even for my school to carry it in the library. It's a very good book for young girls to read or girls with the same problems as Rosie and Skate. I did find the book interesting, but at some points, it did seem a little boring. However, everyone has a different opinion and not everyone likes the same kind of book.

Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mantua, New Jersey United States

Treason's Shore by Sherwood Smith

Inda has just returned from an extremely difficult battle against the Venn, his people's enemy. He fought beside King Evred and protected him. However, no one seems to know exactly how, or if, the Venn were defeated. True, they left, but did they leave for good? Things are not spectacular even off the battlefield. Inda married Tdor, an aristocrat that loves him deeply, but sadly loves another, Dag Signi, who is being hunted because she's a Venn and has magical abilities. There are also a few political problems. It's all quite complicated.

Treason's Shore was a very enjoyable read. The characters were captivating and seemed real, with real issues to deal with. I liked Nugget, a one-armed member of the Fox's crew quite a bit. I was fond her character and her dialogue with others. It is not at all suggested to read this book before the three others in this series because it gets quite confusing. There are several characters whose stories are told and it does get a little difficult to keep everyone in order. I enjoyed Crown Duel by the same author, Sherwood Smith, a slight amount more, but still had a pleasant time reading Treason's Shore.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Charleston, SC USA

Flood by Stephen Baxter

Flood, by Stephen Baxter, is a scary wake-up call to what might happen (though not in the near future) to the world, as global climate change worsens. With scientific research and a touch of science fiction, Baxter combines the two into a fascinating whirlwind of information that all leads to the complete flooding of the world. As this catastrophe occurs, Baxter selects a group of ex-hostages and their families to follow. The different stories of at least eight different people all morph as the book documents the flooding. This interesting documentation and science fiction novel provokes critical thinking about the future of the world's generations.

Baxter's novel was astounding to read, and I was fascinated by the very first chapter -- although it took some time to fully understand the depth of the book I was about to read. The sheer amount of research upon global climate change Baxter must have done was humbling. This was a well thought out notion artistically put into book form.Along with research and science fiction content, Baxter was also able to weave human emotion and drama into the flooding world his characters were thrown into. Because Baxter chose both the everyday people (the families of the ex-hostages) and those who have unusual circumstances (the ex-hostages), he covers all the human emotions that could possibly arise.Baxter did an amazing job of fitting science and realistic fiction, drama, romance, humor, horror, and non-fiction all into one intriguing book: Flood.

The vocabulary and scientific references are hard to understand if you don't follow updated research on global climate change, and parts are too graphic for younger readers.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Eagle Creek, Oregon USA

Emily by Emily Smucker

Emily was just your pretty much everyday teenager. She had a great family, everyone in it was very close, they always went on trips together and camped at different places but there is one problem, Emily is constantly sick. She was almost never at school, and she never felt up to doing anything, all because of being sick. Emily thinks that she is sick with what she calls the "Emily Flu" so much because of where she lives, Oregon, but her doctor thinks she has Mono or West Nile. In this book, Emily faces many challenges just trying to do everyday things, like walking without having to use a cane or just going to school, but she has such trouble trying to do those things if she's not feeling up to it. Emily believes that she is allergic to Oregon or something in it and if she were to move she would no longer be sick. Her doctor and her parents think otherwise but Emily is soon to find out if her ideas are correct.

I liked this book, but to be honest, it wasn't one of my favorites. I do love the format of the book and how it is written as if it is a journal, though. I do like the story line of the book, but she seems kind of repetative and says the same things over and over again when she talks about how she feels when she is sick. I also do like the way she describes every little detail that happens in the story, such as the taste of her Snapple after she takes the first drink and the way she described how she felt when she was sick, even though she does tend to repeat herself. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys just reading books about people being sick and the way their lives change throughout the book.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Springfield, Ohio USA

Hamlet by John Marsden

Hamlet is a story about the trials and tribulations of a troubled boy after seeing the ghost of his dead father. The story follows Hamlet through his life and how one supernatural sighting drives him almost mad. This story takes place in the time of castles and kings and queens in the country of Denmark. This book fits into the genre of mystery.

To be or not to be? That is a phrase that everyone has heard of at least once, yet it probably had nothing to do with Hamlet.

This newly written version of William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" is wonderfully written so that anybody could pick the book up and read it without being confused by old English words. The plot follows the original play so anyone who loved the play by Shakespeare will love this. I had not read the original and it still held my interest through the entire book.

Hamlet had a few sexual references, so I would recommend that the parents check it out first.

Reviewer Age:17

Reviewer City, State and Country: Mantua, NJ USA

The Sisters Club: Rule of Three by Megan McDonald

"The Sisters Club: Rule of Three" by Megan McDonald is an uproarious book for girls. The middle child Steven does the narration, discussing her intereactions with her yougner sister Joey and her older sister Alex. Alex is the breathtaknig actress, Joey is the "Little Women"-obsessed writer, and Steven is the singing cupcake maker. Tempers flare when Steven wants to try out for the lead role in the school's musical--in direct competition with her sister, who is also auditioning. The ending is happy but anything but predictable.

This book has everything. The cover is eye-catching with glitter, doodles, and cake (judging books by their cover is discouraged, but this one doesn't help the arguement!). The characters are three-dimensional with emotions and feelings that seem plausible. Issues like boys and beauty are confronted while still being age-appropriate and kid-friendly. Also, in between chapters, McDonald inserts lists/drawings by Joey and scripted dialog from Alex (often including her stuffed monkey). This book is a winner.

Reviewer Age:18

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

Goblins! by Royce Buckingham

Two boys, Sam and PJ, meet guardians of the underground while they are tracking escaped goblins. Their curiosity leads them to follow the guardians back underground. Soon Sam and PJ find themselves in an underground world full of strange creatures. On their adventure they meet good goblins, try to escape from bad goblins, and are part of an all out war between good and evil. Sam and PJ are in a lot of trouble as they try to escape from the underworld and make their way back to civilization.

Goblins! was an excellent book. Royce Buckingham wrote the book with a strong plot and it was fun to read. He really made the characters stand out, and the scenes and settings were unlike any other book. It was cool to try and picture the scenes in your mind. I would definitely recommend this book to others.

Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Randolph, NJ United States

Girl on the Other Side by Deborah Kerbal

Lora Froggett has many problems at home on top of those she faces at school. Everyone bullies her despite the fact that she is the most intelligent student in their grade. Tabby Freeman, the most popular girl in school, is beginning to realize that she also has problems. Her father's business is being investigated by the police, and she feels like her parents are never there for her. Both girls are holding more pain than either one can handle, but when they come together--perhaps by fate--they seem to be able to hold on for just a little longer. They come from completely different families, so why are they exactly the same?
It is unusual to find a high school student who is not in a clique or some sort of social group. Something even more unusual is to find the groups connecting together. This book tells a story that sets a perfect example of why teenagers should not judge each other and try to be friends with those who are different than themselves. Girl on the Other Side was highly emotional and therefore a great motivator for humans to try to understand each other. The vocabulary was accurate with what teenagers would actually say, and the way that the chapters were organized (going back and forth between the two girls) helped the flow of the book. Also, readers would be able to get inside both of the heads of the characters and make connections.
I recommend this book to high school females.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, Pennsylvania United States of America

The Twilight Companion by: Lois H. Gresh

The Twilight Companion: The Unauthorized Guide to the Series by Lois H. Gresh is an assortment of all things related to the Twilight series. From tips on what to expect if you fall in love with a mythical creature like the vampires and werewolves of the saga, to interesting legend and facts about their history, it has a large variety of materials. This book also includes many quizzes ranging in various vampire related subjects such as whether you would be compatible with some of Twilight’s characters, or what type of vampire you would be. You can also read the true story of the real life Vlad “the impaler” Dracula who the Dracula legends are based off. Another feature is the comparison of the twilight vampires and werewolves to those in other stories. This book is, as it title states, a guide to all things Twilight.

However, though I would consider this book to be a good read for all the Twilight obsessed teens out there, it repeatedly strays from the basics of the series. From statements such as how werewolves are man-eating beasts to suggesting that characters could make themselves less appealing to vampires by simply wearing gothic makeup it is filled with inaccurate accounts of the saga’s details. It does have some redeeming qualities, though. Some of the quizzes- though very biased- are entertaining and some of the legends included in it are interesting to compare to those of the chronicles. Though I personally wouldn’t likely read it again, others may enjoy this unofficial companion to the Twilight series.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Marble Hill, MO USA

Change-Up: Mystery at the World Series by John Feinstein

"Change-Up: Mystery at the World Series" is the story of Stevie Thomas, a freshmen in high school who also happens to be a world-class reporter. He and his girlfriend, Susan Carol Anderson, are asked to cover the World Series for the Washington Post and Washington Herald. When they get there, they learn the story of Norbert Doyle: a 30-something rookie pitcher who's wife died in a fatal car accident years earlier. He pitches well in his first Major League start and he's suddenly the story of the series. But Stevie and Susan Carol find out there's more to Doyle's story than he's letting on. What could it be?

This book was not as good as I hoped it would be. I had read the three books preceding this one (Last Shot, Vanishing Act, and Cover-Up) and they were all fantastic! This one, however, was disappointing. Several choices the author made concerning the story and the characters were unpleasant and unnecessary. Eventually, everything worked out, but it seemed as if the author was attempting to make a secondary conflict carry the entire story, which made it fairly boring and tedious. I would still recommend this, but it is important to know that the first 100 pages are extremely unpleasant to read.

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Westerville, OH United States