Tomorrow's Guardian by Richard Denning

Tomorrow's Guardian, by Richard Denning, is the story of a boy named Tom Oakley who discovers that he can "walk" through time. His job as a Walker allows him to go back in time and save other Walkers. A conflict arises because a dimension parallel to ours, where the Nazis rule, wants to control Tom's world. The story takes the reader from a sinking U-boat to the Great Fire of London, from a Nazi-controlled England to a Zulu vs. English battle. With Tom's ability to walk through time comes hard choices that need to be made, enemies to recognize, and worlds to keep apart.

I really enjoyed reading Tomorrow's Guardian. Richard Denning put a lot of ideas and problems into the book, but the combination worked well and made sense. His descriptions were good, not too general but without the fluff you sometimes encounter. His characters were also very believable. Mary, the Walker rescued in the Great Fire of London, was one of my favorite characters because it made sense that she would be scared and worried at her sudden time change. Her worries and failure to call Tom anything but "Master" were details that made her very real to me. Overall, I think the book was well written, with a believable plot and characters. The book made good use of history, fiction, and science, and I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes science fiction books, adventure, or an enjoyable read.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lederach , PA USA

The Skinny On Success by Jim Randel

The Skinny on Success is not your normal novel. This book is written in stick figures, word bubbles and quotes. It tells a story about Beth and Billy, a couple who both have ambitions, but just can't reach the goal of success. Jim helps them realize what it actually takes to succeed and that it's not just a walk in the park. Throughout the book it gives you all the tips you need to reach the final goal: success.

The Skinny on Success was a very different book to read; I've never really read a self help book before but I liked it. I am graduating high school and I have so many goals to which I want to succeed at. This book was a tremendous help to show me what I need to do to succeed. I recommend this book to teenagers and young adults who are looking for some help in reaching their goals. I'm very glad I read this. It's helped me want to preservere on my current goals. It only took me about a day to read and is definitely worth it. Please Read!

Reviewer Age:18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mantua, NJ USA

Dark Oracle

Tara is a criminal profiler. Her ways of doing things are a little different than those of her coworkers, however. Tara uses Tarot cards and her own powerful magic abilities to learn things about people. Before her untimely death, Tara's mother belonged to a group of women, called the Daughters of Delphi, all of whom had extraordinary powers. By birth, Tara belongs to this group, too, but doesn’t want anything to do with them. After receiving scars all over her body in a previous mission, Tara decides to abandon the profession of profiling so that she can recover from the trauma of her injuries. Her wish, however, is not to be. Tara is recruited by one of the Daughters of Delphi to find a missing scientist whose mind and research may hold enough information that, in the wrong hands, could lead to the destruction of the earth.

This is a book for the person who wants a strong heroine. Tara has to work hard to overcome her fears, and she has plenty of them from having been captured and scarred by a serial killer. Williams, the author, spends too much time explaining the meanings of each Tarot card for the casual reader. It can get a little wearisome when the meanings go on for pages. She could have spent more time, however, explaining the power and the details of the Daughter’s of Delphi, so that the reader better understands their community and its meaning. Overall, Dark Oracle is a little tedious because of the way it is broken up by long definitions and the detailed backgrounds of Tara’s readings. The concept of the story is a good idea, but the finished product could use a little work.

There is one sex scene in this book that may not be appropriate for younger readers. Many of the murders and tortures in the book are described in detail, which may be uncomfortable for readers with a more sensitive nature.

Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Leverett, Ma USA

Conspirator by C.J. Cherryh

The book Conspirator is based on an alien planet dominated by a species called the atevi. There are events already in motion when the book opens, events like political intrigue, attempted coups, and attacks on the atevi seat of government, the Bujavid. Tabini-aiji, and his son Cajeiri and paidhi, Bren Cameron, have survived the coup and have returned to the Bujavid. But regaining control after rebellion is no easy task, and this coupled with the escape of Tabini's son provides a tense opening for the book.

I found this particular book to be rather confusing, especially since I did not read the previous series of books. The names and places were a little overwhelming, and the action was rather confusing. I lost my place in the story a couple times, and I had to read it bit by bit, rereading every so often to make sure I understood where the story was going. I would recommend this book only to fans of the series, or fans of the genre. Personally, it's just not my genre, but it was a little halting anyway.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Loves Park, Illinois U.S.A

The Last Seal

In the year 1380, Stephen Blake of the Liberati released the demon Dantalion. The demon was stopped by the sorcerer Cornelius Silver who trapped Dantalion in a new prison. For 286 years, the demon was trapped beneath London. Now, in 1666, Artemas and the evil Liberati are working to bring the demon back to wreak havoc on the unknowing people of London and the rest of the world. It is up to Benjamin, a school-skipping schoolboy; Freya, a thief; Dr. Tobias Janssen, a Dutch doctor on the run from the King s personal spy; and Gabriel, the only one left of the Praesidium, the group that works against the evil Liberati. Artemas is gathering the supplies and knowledge needed to raise the demon. He also needs
Ben, who is the flesh and bone and blood of the man who imprisoned the demon, Cornelius Silver.
Ben and his friends must stop Artemas. The world is at stake. The Liberati and the Praesidium must fight.  It will be the battle that causes the Great Fire of London and destroys 13,000 homes and leaves 70,000 out of London's population of 80,000 homeless. Will Ben, Freya, Tobias, and Gabriel be able to stop the demon from rising and save their precious London?
The Last Seal by Richard Denning was an interesting book. It is a fantasy book with a hint of historical fiction. One of the main events this book talks about is the Great Fire of London. I found this book more enjoyable after I looked it up and learned a little about what the Great Fire of London actually was.
There were times in this book where I felt nervous and couldn't wait to see what was going to happen. At other times, the book didn t seem to be going anywhere. Overall though it was a pretty good book.
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country:
Harleysville, PA USA

The Gecko and Sticky : The Greatest Power by Wendelin Van Draanen

The Gecko and Sticky: The Greatest Power is the second book in The Gecko and Sticky series. It is a hilarious action novel in which 13-year-old Dave Sanchez and his gecko named Sticky battle the infamous Damien Black. Dave has a magical ancient Aztec wristband that was previously owned by Damien. The wristband has a slot for an ingot that gives the wearer of the wristband a special ability. Different ingots give the wearer different abilities. In The Greatest Power, Dave must recover items stolen by Damien, including money and a ring.

I found the story absolutely ridiculous at first, but then I couldn't put it down because the story was told so entertainingly. Part of what makes the story so entertaining is the playful wordplay that is rhythmic and rhymes. For example, on the first page, a gun is described as "a multi-muzzled, peculiar puzzle of a gun." The story is also entertaining because of the humor, which made me smile and occasionally laugh out loud. The wordplay plus the magnificently drawn illustrations give the story a cartoon-like feel. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cartoons.

Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Sammamish, WA USA

The Summer of Moonlight Secrets by Danette Haworth

When Allie Jo’s friend goes away for the summer, she doesn’t expect to do much more than her usual. But when a guy named Chase comes to stay at the hotel everything starts to change. Soon she sees Chase getting tremendously hurt. Allie Jo meets a girl walking straight out of Hope Springs. Fate soon arrives and they all meet and become friends. Once Chase and Allie Jo know the girl’s, Tara’s, secret, can they keep it; or will they ruin the secret and Tara’s life?

The Summer of Moonlight Secrets is an enthralling, captivating book that you don’t want to put down. It’s a story about friendships, summers, first loves, and the importance of keeping the secrets entrusted into your care. At first the story frustrated me with the switching of characters every chapter, but then I realized that to hear the story from both Allie Jo’s and Chase’s sides was the only way to hear it. I hope the readers will love this book for years to come.

Reviewer Age: 13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Fresno, California USA

Andrea Carter And The Trouble With Treasure by Susan K. Marlowe

The bank robbery in Fresno won't stop Andi and her friends from taking their long anticipated camping trip to the mountains. But when her brother Mitch gets gravely injured, it's up to Andi to save her brother. When the former deputy visits them things become complicated, and dangerous. Can Andi save her friends? Andi has never wanted to grow up, but when she gets a lot of responsibility on her shoulders, she decides it might not be so bad after all.

Susan Marlow did a great job writing this book. It s action-packed and exciting. All the characters have great depth, especially Andi Carter. The responsibility that falls on her shoulders is portrayed realistically. The twists and turns really keep you wanting more. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves old western stories.

Reviewer Age:10
Reviewer City, State and Country: Rockwell City, IA USA

Beautiful Americans by Lucy Silag

Beautiful Americans follows four American exchange students who join a Parisian study program. Alex, a typical New York socialite and an expert in spending her parents money, joins the program after she is cut off. Olivia has been given the opportunity to train at a famous ballet school. PJ is hoping to get away from a scandal plaguing her family. Zach is a Southern boy who has been hiding his gay lifestyle from his conservative hometown. In Paris, all four students want to escape their problems at home and hope to change their lives for the better. The story alternates between the different perspectives, and documents the trials and adventures of the four teens as they live in Paris for the year.

As a fan of books like Gossip Girl and the like, this plot of this book interested me right away. The plot of Beautiful Americans isn't a new one, but the way the story was written was attention-grabbing and the Parisian background adds a whole new level to the novel. The drama behind the four teens is interesting to read and the further I got into the story, the more I wanted to know about them. Beautiful Americans is a great summer read. This book is the first of a series and there are new other books out. So for a taste of teen drama and adventure, give the Beautiful American series a try!

Reviewer Age:23
Reviewer City, State and Country: Philadelphia, PA USA

The Tale of Halcyon Crane by Wendy Webb

With one letter, Hallie James' life changes in an instant. After discovering that her mother had died recently instead of many years ago as she had previously believed, she is summoned to a remote island to hear her mother's will read. But that's the first of many strange things that Hallie encounters. She inherits millions of dollars and an old mansion where she discovers that she's been living a life full of lies. In the mansion, she finds ghosts, magic and other unnatural beings. She learns a lot about what happened to her family so many years ago and it's up to Hallie to clear her family's bad name and break the curse that's kept a hold on the family.

Once I picked up this book, I couldn't put it down. It had aspects of all my favorite elements, from mystery, to suspense to romance. Hallie James was an interesting character to read about and the plot was captivating. This is not a story for someone who gets scared easily! The Tale of Halcyon Crane is not the typical summer beach read, but it's one that I definitely recommend picking up. I'm looking forward to seeing what the author will come up with next!

Reviewer Age:23
Reviewer City, State and Country: Philadelphia, PA USA