In the book, The Goldsmith' Daughter by Tanya Landman, fourteen year old Itacate lives in Tenochtitlan, at the heart of the Aztec Empire. Ruled my the emperor Montezuma and blessed by the gods, the city thrives, but Itacate lives in fear, for it has been predicated that she will bring ruin to those around her. When her father, a goldsmith, discovers Itacate's talent for crafting fine jewelry and statues, she becomes his apprentice, even though the profession is forbidden to women. Her skillful work is soon noticed, and when it attracts the attention of the emperor, Itacate finds herself playing a dangerous game of deception. But nothing is staying the same in Tenochtitlan, as the rumors of pale strangers approaching the city cause fearful acts. Itacate wonders if her the prophesy foretold at her birth is coming true. With her heart full of fear, especially for her family's safety, how can Itacate live through it all?
I truly loved this book, from the moment it begun. Every page is filled with so many enticing details that the author included, and made the book all the better. The way the author writes makes you think you yourself are in the bustling city of Tenochtitlan. There was not any graphic writing or inappropriate context that would make the book more belonging to the young adult category. I give it ten out of ten stars, and I highly suggest this book to anyone who wants to read a good, suspenseful story from the ancient past.
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fortuna, CA USA
Friday, April 02, 2010
The Pricker Boy by Reade Scott Whinnem
What happens when you live in a forest and you see a boy whose skin is gray and resembles dead bark with thorns covering his body. Well that's exactly what happened to Stucks Cumberland. When his friend Ronnie tells all of his summer friends , Vivek ,Emily, and Robin, the story of the Pricker Boy everything goes down hill. If you are caught alone in the woods past the Widow's Stone then you will get kidnaped by the thorns and disappear forever. Is the Pricker boy real, or is he just someone making a big joke. When you adventure with Stucks and the gang you will find out in this thriller adventure what is really out there.
I believe this book was pretty good. Some of it was confusing but it all made sense in the end. The author did a really good job in making it feel like you were in the woods for the summer figuring out this mystery. I really liked what happened in the end and it really tied up all the loose ends well. This book "played" with all your emotions. I was very sad at some parts and cracking up at others. I believe the author found a good balance of mood. It also kept me on my toes the whole time I read it. I didn't find out every thing till the end which was good. I believe it was a little slow at some parts and that was the only thing that the author needed to change. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a woodsy ghost tale and to people who like thrillers and adventures.
There was an incline to suicide, kids smoking cigarettes, and some cursing.
Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Northport, NY USA
I believe this book was pretty good. Some of it was confusing but it all made sense in the end. The author did a really good job in making it feel like you were in the woods for the summer figuring out this mystery. I really liked what happened in the end and it really tied up all the loose ends well. This book "played" with all your emotions. I was very sad at some parts and cracking up at others. I believe the author found a good balance of mood. It also kept me on my toes the whole time I read it. I didn't find out every thing till the end which was good. I believe it was a little slow at some parts and that was the only thing that the author needed to change. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a woodsy ghost tale and to people who like thrillers and adventures.
There was an incline to suicide, kids smoking cigarettes, and some cursing.
Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Northport, NY USA
A Wish After Midnight by Zetta Elliott
This is a good book but, it goes very slow.In this book, Genna gets transported into Brooklyn in the time of the Civil war.I got to page 50 and she still didn't get transported.This isn't a book where the author captures you and makes you want to keep reading.If you like reading about history,be ready to wait.
I found this book not a book to read.I found this book dull.After 20 pages I felt like abandoning the book.This book also has colorful words(bad words).I am never going to read this book again.
I found this book not a book to read.I found this book dull.After 20 pages I felt like abandoning the book.This book also has colorful words(bad words).I am never going to read this book again.
For book's content I gave it a 2 because it has colorful words(bad words).
Reviewer Age:10
Reviewer City, State and Country: Katy, texas United States of America
A Brief History of Mantmaray by Michelle Cooper
The kingdom of Montmaray lies on a tiny island in the
Atlantic Ocean. It consists of a few villagers, a three
remaining princesses, and a crumbling castle. You'd think
it would be boring...but think again. Jump into Princess
Sophia's diary and experience her day to day adventures.
From nursing a love for the housekeeper's son, battling
storms, calming her tomboy sister, and occasionally
combating her mad uncle to unannounced airplane visits and
Nazi soldiers, Sophia's life on the brink of World War Two
is anything but boring. Experience the anxiety, love,
tears, and relief of "A Brief History of
Montmaray."
Readers who enjoy historical fiction will
have their jaws dropping in amazement when they finish
this story. The story is told through Sophia FitzOsborne's
diary and begins with an interesting plot: an almost
forgotten kingdom with a small, sweet family of royals.
Michelle Cooper did a fantastic job of giving her
characters individual personalities that everyone could
relate to: Veronica, a bookish young woman who seems to
always be in control; an ambitious Simon Chester; a young
man, Toby, who's not quite ready for his responsibilities;
a tomboy by the name of Henry; and of course, a mad uncle.
I think some of the best parts of this story are the
subjects that are not necessarily discussed in other books
in this genre such as a king's funeral. I think anyone who
is interested in a thoroughly enjoyable good read would do
well to pick this book up and give it a try.
Reviewer
Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mineola, TX
U.S.A.
Atlantic Ocean. It consists of a few villagers, a three
remaining princesses, and a crumbling castle. You'd think
it would be boring...but think again. Jump into Princess
Sophia's diary and experience her day to day adventures.
From nursing a love for the housekeeper's son, battling
storms, calming her tomboy sister, and occasionally
combating her mad uncle to unannounced airplane visits and
Nazi soldiers, Sophia's life on the brink of World War Two
is anything but boring. Experience the anxiety, love,
tears, and relief of "A Brief History of
Montmaray."
Readers who enjoy historical fiction will
have their jaws dropping in amazement when they finish
this story. The story is told through Sophia FitzOsborne's
diary and begins with an interesting plot: an almost
forgotten kingdom with a small, sweet family of royals.
Michelle Cooper did a fantastic job of giving her
characters individual personalities that everyone could
relate to: Veronica, a bookish young woman who seems to
always be in control; an ambitious Simon Chester; a young
man, Toby, who's not quite ready for his responsibilities;
a tomboy by the name of Henry; and of course, a mad uncle.
I think some of the best parts of this story are the
subjects that are not necessarily discussed in other books
in this genre such as a king's funeral. I think anyone who
is interested in a thoroughly enjoyable good read would do
well to pick this book up and give it a try.
Reviewer
Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mineola, TX
U.S.A.
The Less-Dead by April Lurie
In the book, The Less-Dead, Noah Nordstrom hates being the son of the famous Bible Answer Guy, and constantly likes to rebel against his parents. Whether it's eating crackers topped with apricot-has jelly or coming home drunk from parties, Noah loves to test his father's patience and claim that he's spreading hate. When two gay teens are murdered, Noah is almost positive that it's been a frequent caller on his dad's show. Then Noah meets Will Reed, a cool guy that understands him. But when he finds out that Will's gay, he gets a bit freaked out, and even more when Will seems really into him. Meanwhile, the killer is still out there, and has found it's next victim. Will. Filled with guilt, Noah is determined to find out who has been killing off these gay teens. After pocketing Will's journal at the scene of the crime, Noah uses clues with the killer wrote down in a poem format. The closer Noah gets to uncovering the murderer's identity, the more his own life is put into jeopardy.
I really enjoyed this book a lot. The suspense scenes made me chew on my lip, and can easily keep reader's wondering what comes next. On a rating scale of one to ten, I give it an nine. The way the details are written by the author are very descriptive, and makes you envision the characters and the setting. I don't have any negative comments, except for that their could have been a few more clues to who the killer was and that would've lengthened the book by a little more. There was a lot of content that was always there, but took some studying of the words to get the concept. I suggest no on under the age of 13 reading this.
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fortuna, CA USA
I really enjoyed this book a lot. The suspense scenes made me chew on my lip, and can easily keep reader's wondering what comes next. On a rating scale of one to ten, I give it an nine. The way the details are written by the author are very descriptive, and makes you envision the characters and the setting. I don't have any negative comments, except for that their could have been a few more clues to who the killer was and that would've lengthened the book by a little more. There was a lot of content that was always there, but took some studying of the words to get the concept. I suggest no on under the age of 13 reading this.
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fortuna, CA USA
Watching July by Christine Hart
"Watching July" by Christine Hart is a mix of teenage angst, thrilling mystery, and supernatural sci-fi. When July's lesbian mother is killed in a hit-and-run incident, July [with her other mother's partner] move to where her mother used to work as a shrink and bring the family on vacation. Sad and lonely, July writes in her diary, eventually manages to make friends, and even snags a hot boyfriend. However, she is perturbed by odd sensations she feels in her rural home that make her think she is being followed. Drama escalates when July's boyfriend becomes controlling and jealous.
This book feels a bit like "The Lovely Bones," but it has enough differences to not seem like a direct copy. The author has some predictable moments, but others are truly twists (e.g.- who July's mother's real killer is, who is following July, etc). In terms of lessons, it's great that July's gorgeous boyfriend is seen as obsessive. Usually, culture paints the good-looking as virtuous, and it is essential for teen girls to learn that appearances do not always reflect character. In terms of detail, there are no explicit details of relations, but the author hints at events that make this not suitable for very young readers.
There is some swearing, sexual innuendos, and the fact that the main character has "two mothers"
This book feels a bit like "The Lovely Bones," but it has enough differences to not seem like a direct copy. The author has some predictable moments, but others are truly twists (e.g.- who July's mother's real killer is, who is following July, etc). In terms of lessons, it's great that July's gorgeous boyfriend is seen as obsessive. Usually, culture paints the good-looking as virtuous, and it is essential for teen girls to learn that appearances do not always reflect character. In terms of detail, there are no explicit details of relations, but the author hints at events that make this not suitable for very young readers.
There is some swearing, sexual innuendos, and the fact that the main character has "two mothers"
Reviewer Age:18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Staten Island, NY USA
Mango for the Beginner Chibis by Christopher Hart
"Mango for the Beginner Chibis" by Christopher Hart is an instructional drawing book for kids. A chibi is a term for a short, stock, cute character in Japanese manga (cartoons). They tend to represent children or are supposed to be adults transformed by emotion. Their bodies are only about as long as three of their large heads, and their expressive eyes take up most of their face. This book both shows and tells readers the basics of drawing them and then goes into the more complex nature of motion, backgrounds, costumes, sidekicks, and more.
This book is great for kids that want to draw cute little chibis. Girls will probably enjoy this book more than boys because, while there are some action drawings and weapons, for the most part, the drawings are fluffy and girly. While chibis are a form of Japanese manga, this book does not show just Asian-looking characters; providentially, there are some Aryan looking characters as well as some African looking characters. Additionally, while some manga has a bad reputation of depicting boys and girly grossly immodestly, this book shies away from that and does not draw characters with "adult" bodies. Overall, this book would make a great gift for young artists, especially girls.
Reviewer Age:18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Staten Island, NY USA
This book is great for kids that want to draw cute little chibis. Girls will probably enjoy this book more than boys because, while there are some action drawings and weapons, for the most part, the drawings are fluffy and girly. While chibis are a form of Japanese manga, this book does not show just Asian-looking characters; providentially, there are some Aryan looking characters as well as some African looking characters. Additionally, while some manga has a bad reputation of depicting boys and girly grossly immodestly, this book shies away from that and does not draw characters with "adult" bodies. Overall, this book would make a great gift for young artists, especially girls.
Reviewer Age:18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Staten Island, NY USA
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Dark of the Moon
Brittany, a young girl, strives to be a Dark Guardian, a group of powerful shifters. She wants so badly to be a Dark Guardian. But, to be one, you have to be a shifter. Unfortunately, Brittany did not experience shifting and she was devastated. She acted normal, assuming everyone thought she was a shifter. She became close with Connor, a longtime crush. Connor and Brittany were captured by Mason, a scientist, and while they were locked in a cage they grew closer. Will they escape?
I really liked this book. I was not at all into fantasy books before reading this. But this book kind of ties romance with fantasy, and it makes the book more interesting. I would totally suggest reading this book! It describes vividly what is going on and puts you in the moment.
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Cedar Park, Texas United States
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
What would you do for money? Would you travel to a foreign country thousands of miles away from home? Would you risk your life? "Dodger's Lot" tells the tale of Jack Dawkins, a 14-year old orphan willing to do whatever it takes to get his hands on some "shiners". This adventure book follows Jack, better known as the Artful Dodger, after the story of Oliver Twist.
Jack's story begins as Bill Sike's ends, supposedly. Sikes, Jack's friend in the "business" of stealing, fakes his death as the entire town of Borough,London watches. When Jack meets up with Sikes, the pair stays at a suspicious boater's house for the night. Their suspicions are confirmed when the boater sells Jack and Sikes to the captain of the Opium Clipper.
Upon the Clipper, Jack learns to be at ease with the seafaring life, thanks to his new friend, Aaron. He also meets Jeremy Fynne, an aristocratic businessman, whose refined ways persuade Jack to work with him. Mr. Fynne promises Jack more money than he can imagine if he plays a small part in stealing opium sold by a merchant in India.
Turns out, the plan is a little more complicated than Mr. Fynne let on. However, Jack sticks to his goal and motto, "in for a penny."
Jack's story begins as Bill Sike's ends, supposedly. Sikes, Jack's friend in the "business" of stealing, fakes his death as the entire town of Borough,London watches. When Jack meets up with Sikes, the pair stays at a suspicious boater's house for the night. Their suspicions are confirmed when the boater sells Jack and Sikes to the captain of the Opium Clipper.
Upon the Clipper, Jack learns to be at ease with the seafaring life, thanks to his new friend, Aaron. He also meets Jeremy Fynne, an aristocratic businessman, whose refined ways persuade Jack to work with him. Mr. Fynne promises Jack more money than he can imagine if he plays a small part in stealing opium sold by a merchant in India.
Turns out, the plan is a little more complicated than Mr. Fynne let on. However, Jack sticks to his goal and motto, "in for a penny."
I enjoyed the time period and setting that this book took me to. The author's descriptive words and old-fashioned writing style made me feel as if I were right alongside Jack in the poor streets of London, the rough decks of the Clipper, and the exotic town of Calcutta.
The mood was constantly suspenseful and mysterious, which kept me turning the book's pages. The plot contained tons of twists and turns, so I was never bored. However, the ending left me wanting to know more. Luckily, the last page of the book advertises the sequel to this story.
After reading this story, I learned much of the olden day British lingo. At times, Jack's crude grammar was hard to follow, but made the story feel more "real". I also found quite a few of typos and misspellings.
I would recommend this book to adventure and suspense lovers. If you liked the movie "Pirates of the Caribbean", this book is for you.
This book contains lots of violence and murder. Some of the language is also crude.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Wailuku, Hawaii United States
Monday, March 29, 2010
Shadowrise by Tad Williams
Barrick and Briony Eddon are prince and princess of a northern nation called Southmarch on the continent of Eion. The people who live to the north of them are the elfish race called the Qar. After two hundred years of peace they again are about to attack the castle of Southmarch for some reason only known to them. Hendon Tolly takes control of the castle after Barrick leaves for war against the Qar and after Tolly's failed plan to get rid of Briony, Briony is smuggled safely out from the castle by the master of arms. While this is going on the mad Autarch of the large country of Xis is trying to take control of Eion also. While Briony is trying to round up troops in other countries to retake her rightful castle her brother gets entangled with Qar's problems and learns of why the Eddon family is cursed. The third book of the Shadowmarch series is full of other exciting plot twists and interesting characters like Qinnitan, one of the youngest of the Autarch's wives who can somehow talk to Barrick when their asleep and Ferras Vansen the guard captain who is in love with Briony.
Considering Shadowrise is the third book in a series and I read the other two it was a very good book. Even with the synopsis of the other two books in the front you wouldn't understand some things that happened to the characters and important stories the characters tell about the stories of the gods that are important to the story. The plot was very good especially with the random twists that sometimes happen especially at the ending. Because of the many characters that have their own unique personalities and quirks it's not boring at all. Sulepis the crazy Autarch (god/king) was one of the more interesting characters I think. The point of view changes frequently in this series at least at every chapter. Just when something exciting or important happens in one chapter it turns you into the next point of view. If you don't like when books do that then you probably shouldn't read it but otherwise it is a very good book.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Loves Park, Illinois United States
Considering Shadowrise is the third book in a series and I read the other two it was a very good book. Even with the synopsis of the other two books in the front you wouldn't understand some things that happened to the characters and important stories the characters tell about the stories of the gods that are important to the story. The plot was very good especially with the random twists that sometimes happen especially at the ending. Because of the many characters that have their own unique personalities and quirks it's not boring at all. Sulepis the crazy Autarch (god/king) was one of the more interesting characters I think. The point of view changes frequently in this series at least at every chapter. Just when something exciting or important happens in one chapter it turns you into the next point of view. If you don't like when books do that then you probably shouldn't read it but otherwise it is a very good book.
Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Loves Park, Illinois United States
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