Prisoners In The Palace by, Michaela MacColl

Becoming an orphan after your parents die in a tragic accident is hard enough, but after learning she must pay her father's debts, Elizabeth Hastings' life begins to deteriorate. Elizabeth, also known as Liza, must become a lady's maid to Princess Victoria in order to cover her father's debts. As a worker at Kensington, Liza begins to see things in a different light. Who is Annie that everyone whispers about? Is Sir John truly trying to become king in all but name? For those who love historical fiction, pick up this book and join Liza as she struggles to help the future queen.

I loved this book. It is an interesting mix of mystery, secret motives, and romance. My favorite character, besides Liza of course, was a teenager who went by the name "Inside Boy." He lived inside Kensington and no one knew he was there. As the story progresses the action's pace picks up and brings everything to an amazing climax that will leave readers satisfied. I think the most interesting part of this book is that it takes a look at what would most likely happen to a maid who had been dismissed from Kensington and how some of the newspapers operated at the time. The most amazing thing about this book, however, is that many of the plot lines have some truth in them. At the back of the book, the author gives her reference books and websites so that the reader can further explore the life of Queen Victoria. This book is a definite read for anyone who likes romance, historical fiction, or just a good plain book.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mineola, TX U.S.A.

Nocturne, by L.D. Harkrader

Vampires, magic, a child abandoned in the night. These are the forces you will encounter as you enter the world of Flannery Lane; a 15-year old girl who was left on the doorstep of Monsieur Anatole's Books, Wonders, and Charms when she was only a year old. She has always wondered who she is and where she came from, and it seems as though Uncle Anatole does not want her to discover the answers to these questions. She possesses a powerful magic and has secretly been studying her art and practicing all the while keeping her actions a secret from Uncle Anatole who happens to be the town's resident wizard. Life progresses normally until, one night, a young vampire hunter arrives at the shop begging for an exceptionally strong talisman, a Talisman of Undead Mastery. She fulfills his order, falling for him along the way, and it is not until her friends and neighbors start to disappear that she really starts to wonder about who he is and what his intentions are. And when a long lost Lord Blakely returns, she takes matters into her own hands and sets out to save her village, her uncle, and the family she never knew.

L. D. Harkrader's "Nocturne", a companion novel to "A Practical Guide to Vampires", grabbed my attention the moment I picked it up. The adventures and personal struggles of Flannery Lane, or Flan, are remarkably similar to choices ordinary teenagers will have to face; such as love, losing friends, and discovering who you really are. The plot was engaging and had several twists that I never would have expected. I would recommend this book to anyone with a taste for adventure and fantastical creatures. However, this is a fantasy book, and if you're looking for something with a bit or reality, this wouldn't be my first choice. It's a wonderful read and I enjoyed every word of it.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Braintree, MA United States

Why Dogs Eat Poop by Francesca Gould

Do you know what species of bird can sew? Do you know what
species of octopus has females that can be 6 feet, 6
inches long, and males that are 1 inch long? And, do you
know the answer to the question that baffles many pet
owners, why do dogs eat poop? This book answers all of
these questions and many more. It also talks about
interesting and disgusting characteristics of animals,
even some species you probably have never heard of.

I enjoyed reading this book, however at some points, I
wished that the author had explained how or why something
happened in more detail. It's written in a question-answer
format, so it gets you curious about a topic, and then
dives into it. After reading the book, I think that it
would have been more enjoyable if I had skimmed through
the questions in the book, and only read the ones that
made me interested in the topic. Overall, this was an
interesting and informal read, but not a cover-to-cover
one.

This book talks about mating rituals, and
reproductive systems.

Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country:
Leawood, KS United States of America

The Tilting House by Tom Llewellyn

You don't understand. YOUR house is straight. Aaron and
Josh never had that option- at least not in this house.
Their house is tilted, but not only that. Beneath its
normal exterior, the house holds many secrets of its past
owner. Aaron and Josh, assisted by their neighbor Lola,
discover somthing extraordinary in the house. Good thing
their dad insisted on buying the house...read the book,
and you'll understand how strange staring neighbors,
different writings on walls, and previous secrets can
be.

In my opinion, the book was haphazardly insane! It
was hard to follow in my opinion. I did not like the
characters, and quite frankly - the story's background
annoyed me. I may sound a little harsh, but I did NOT like
this book. The author did not achieve the "Edgar Allan
Poe" theme he was going for. The author should have better
explained things.

1

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Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country: Panama City, Florida United States

Faithful by Janet Fox

Margaret "Maggie" Bennet has an elegant life amongst the elite families in Newport, Rhode Island. But when Maggie's father tricks her into going on an excursion to the wilds of Yellowstone Park to look for her mother, Maggie realizes that they are in Montana for an entirely different reason. A reason, that Maggie is desperate to find out. Alone and isolated in a dangerous wilderness, Maggie must discover what she wants most: freedom or a life she's always known. Fox's debut novel, Faithful, is a thrilling and heartwarming story of love, discovery, and of course, faithfulness.

The first time I laid eyes on Faithful's book cover, I immediately thought: majestic fear of the unknown. That's exactly how Maggie feels when she first arrives in Yellowstone, uncertain with a desire to conquer the mysteries surrounding the park and her mother's disappearance. Faithful is a great book; not only because it was written quite nicely, but because of the sense of adventure within the pages. The image of Yellowstone is very dominate throughout the story - as it should be - and Maggie's devastation and anger can be felt on a very personal level. I couldn't help but cheer Maggie on as she battled for freedom as the men around her continually tried to control her. When you start this book, you must understand, back then (even in 1904), a woman's future was deeply nestled in the will of a man's. Maggie is at their mercy; sometimes she had to make sacrifices that a 21st century girl would never dream of doing. Even though Faithful is in fact a historical fiction, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to someone who doesn't normally read that genre. Faithful is not all about the time period (even though it is important), it's about knowing what you want and standing up for it. Overall, I absolutely loved Maggie, the adventure, Yellowstone, and the discoveries Maggie made along the journey. I am whole heartedly looking forward to seeing more fiction by Fox.

Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: , NM United States

Stringz by Michael Wenberg

For Jace Adams life has never been really easy for him. His mother moves them from place to place always looking for a better job. Jace on the other had moves from school to school, sometimes four schools in one year. The only thing that can keep him sane is his cello, and whenever he plays his cello Jace goes into a different world. His most recent move is to Seattle. When money is tight at home Jace decides to go to downtown Seattle to play his cello for some extra money. When Jace is finished for the night he collects his belongings and starts to count his money. Jace soon finds out that someone threw in a hundred dollar bill with a business card attached to it. What will happen to Jace? Will he call this guy who gave him a bribe ? Find out when you read Stringz.

I love the beginning of this book it is very comical but still very true. The author did a great job in the setting, characterization, and overall concept of the book. I believed that I was in high school as a freshman all over again. Also I felt that the main characters where my best friends and that they were truly human beings. The writing of the book was very easy to read and very effective. I feel that this book was very interesting. Anyone who likes to read a good book that shows the hard ships of a young person and also an amazing cello player then this book is for you. If you also like coming of age, comedy, and some serious moments stuck into a book you would also like this too. All in all a very good book that I recommend everyone to at least pick up and read.

Some drug references.

Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Northport, NY USA

All Star by Jane Yolen

Honus Wagner was born February 24, 1847 in Chartiers Pennsylvania. He went to school all the way to 6th grade but stopped there. After 6th grade, Honus went to work in a coal mine with his dad. He and his family always played baseball on Sundays because it was his father's day off.
When Honus was still young, he signed up to play on a real team. He was so fast that he had to carry a teammate so he wouldn't pass him. His brother, Al, already played professional baseball and got Honus a deal to play too. Honus set two records in the World Series and one still stands today. When people sold his card in cigar packs, he didn't like it so they stopped printing them. Honus died on December 6, 1955. Now his cards sell for nearly $3,000,000.

Overall I thought this was an excellent book. Jane Yolen did a good job of summarizing Honus Wagner's life. The book is very short and is only about 30 pages but it is still very good. I think this book would catch the attention of boys more than girls just because it is about a boy's sport, but girls would like it too. If you like nonfiction biographies then this book is for you.

Reviewer Age: 13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Merino, Colorado U.S.A.

Princess of Glass

Princess of Glass, a retelling of Cinderella, is a companion
novel to Princess of the Midnight Ball. In this book, Poppy
and her unmarried sisters are sent to different countries
through a royal exchange program of sorts, to promote better
relationships between countries and, hopefully, result in
some marriages. A second aspect of the story is Elenora, a
girl who went from riches to poverty when her father's
business transactions did not pay for their lifestyle and
both her parents died. She changed her name to Ellen, and
started working as a maid. Somehow, she always ruins
whatever she does. One day, an invitation to a royal ball
comes to the Seadown household where Poppy is staying with
her cousins and Ellen is working as a maid. It invites all
the eligible women in the household, and Ellen insists on
going. Ellen does not go to the ball, but a mysterious Lady
Ella does.
This book is as good as, if not better than,
Princess of the Midnight Ball. The suspense steadily builds
as Poppy gains information, but still has no idea how to put
a stop to Lady Ella. There are some sketchy ideas that could
use elaboration, but overall the story makes sense. There is
also a side love story, adding to the plot. Although you
don't need to read the first book, there are references in
this book to tie the stories together. Princess of Glass is
an amazing way to twist Cinderella into a completely new
story.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and
Country: Milwaukee, WI USA

Shooting Kabul by N. H. Senzai

In N.H. Senzai’s debut novel, we see a flash of what it would be like to be a Muslim family in the U.S. during 9-11. Fadi, now entering middle school, has to deal with bullies, honor, and the guilt of knowing that it was his fault that his baby sister was left behind in their escape from the Middle East. Will Fadi, with the help of his new friends and teacher, be able to find and rescue her from a country torn by war on the other side of the globe? This book takes us through issues that are still prominent today. With many people, the Middle East is a hot subject. Senzai explains points of interest in Middle East history and politics from the experiences of this twelve year old boy.

This story gave me a new perspective of looking through someone else’s eyes on events that I myself witnessed. This flashback style plotline jumps around a little, but gives the book the feeling of a photo album of Fadi’s life during this trying period. This wasn’t the first book I’ve read on the Middle East, but it is the first book I’ve read pertaining to these modern day issues. It helped me understand that just because someone is of a certain religion, it doesn’t mean that they agree with radicals who believe that Americans need to die. I enjoyed the book immensely and would recommend it to anyone ten years and up!

Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Provo, Utah U.S.A.

Freaksville by Kitty Keswick

Kasey Maxwell has the gift of sight. Her gift has been passed down by generation in the women of her family. Kasey normally doesn't like using her gifts but when it brings her to the cute British exchange student, Josh, she doesn't mind as much. Kasey can also talk to ghosts, so when she finds that her school theater is haunted, she investigates. But when Kasey and her friends get stuck inside the theater, she wonders how far the ghosts will go and if they will ever get out.

'Freaksville' was an okay book. I didn't think that the story line was very original, and it was kind of a mix of 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Twilight'. I did get a good understanding of the characters and how they thought, so they seemed pretty realistic. I wouldn't really recommend the book to anyone.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Brownsburg, Indiana United States of America