Justin Bieber by Justin Bieber

This book essentially tells the story of how Justin Bieber made his claim to fame. It starts off with his life and family and progresses to when he started singing publically. The book then goes into the story of how Bieber bonded with his manager, recorded his first songs / albums, met celebrities, and became a star. Included are tweets from Bieber that were posted online with date and time cited. His personality is revealed as he talks about pranks and the fragile state of his parents' relationship. The font is large, and there are many pictures. The book cover serves as a poster when turned inside-out, too.

I wanted to see what all the fuss was with the so called "Bieber-Fever." Truth be told, I was expecting some obviously ghostwritten tale of how some pretty boy is fantastic. Surprisingly, I did not get that, and I really enjoyed Bieber's book. His voice is clear in the prose, and sincerity leaks from the pages. Also, I was impressed with how he acknowledges that his success comes from God. Sure, he's not perfect (he's a little girl-crazy and one of his photos has him singing shirtless while grabbing his--um, er--manhood). Still, the book is not overtly offensive, and through all the stardom, readers can hear the tale of a real boy.


Reviewer Age:19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Troy, NY USA

DEAR MRS. KENNEDY by Jay Mulvaney

DEAR MRS. KENNEDY explores the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy.  In the book, the reader is given the opportunity to read some of the most poignant letters sent to Mrs. Kennedy after the tragedy.  These letters demonstrate the compassion given to the First Lady and they also show the impact that one man had on the lives of so many.  This book gives an astute impression of what it was like to live through such a historically tragic event.

  The author succeeded in enlightening his readers on this important period in our history.   I set the book down both entertained and reassured of the good nature of people.  The author managed to capture the loss that the United States felt, while allowing a strong feeling of hope to permeate through the pages.  I would suggest this book to anyone who is interested in history.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.  However, it may not live up to the expectations of a reader who is not passionate about history. .

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Midlothian, Virginia United States of America

Time Riders by Alex Scarrow

Three times in history, a mysterious stranger shows up right before a child was about to die in a disaster. Each time he offers the child a choice: to come with him and live an invisible life, or to stay where they are and die. The three children that accept are taken through time to the year 2001. There they learn about their new job as time riders. They are in charge of keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary that would signify a change in history. If they find one, they must risk life and limb to go back in time and correct the change.  One day, all of a sudden the United States in no longer its own county; it is part of Nazi Germany. The time riders must go back to when the change was made and correct it if they want their world to stay the same.

I thought that this was a good book overall. As far as I know, A. Scarrow came up with a completely original idea and made it into an amazing book. It was easy to identify with the characters; I can see some of the same qualities in myself and my friends. The vocabulary was challenging enough to make the book seem like it was written for teenagers, but not so challenging as to discourage readers. I would definitely recommend this book too. I have a lot of friends who are in to science fiction novels and would enjoy reading through this book just as much as I did. I' d love to see what Scarrow would do with a sequel of this book.

Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Berwyn Heights, Maryland USA

How to Trap a Zombie by A.R. Rotruck

Ever had the need to make a wand on the go, or make a monster-catching net? Well look no further, because How to Trap a Zombie has just what you need. With this handbook you can learn just about everything you need to know about monster-hunting, and make cool stuff with everyday items. If you ever have the urge to go on your own hunt then get How to Trap a Zombie and be on your way.

How to Trap a Zombie was an awesome book. There were so many crafts and activities that it made me want to do them all. With instructions on the proper way to track a vampire, to learning how to make a wand would be fun for just about any young wizard. Almost anyone with a wild imagination could love this book. Just remember to ask an adult wizard before doing anything.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mineola, Texas USA

The Skinny On Willpower by Jim Randel

The Skinny on Willpower is a book that emphasizes the ways that you can build your self confidence. It also uses pictures and comics to help you better understand the topic. There are many great quotes and sayings but one really popped out at me. That saying is: "I find that one reason that people lose the will to achieve their goals is that they don't understand that achievement is tough for everyone. They look around them perhaps at people who seem to get what they want so easily, and conclude that achievers are somehow different. This then causes them to give up, or lose their willpower when confronted with difficulty. But here is the truth: every single person who achieves something of value struggles and at times thinks about quitting. The person who succeeds is most simply the one who does not quit." (43) This taught me that your willpower is strictly controlled by you. Not the people around you. Not the people that think that they can get around things the easy way (because they are the ones that mostly quit.) It is entirely up to you whether you want to proceed and succeed, and be proud of yourself because you know that you powered through it or you can choose to quit when the going gets tough. One of the other reasons that I would recommend this book to any adult or teen is because it teaches you that it is your decision to be strong or weak. It is your decision to be heard or to be ignored. And it is your decision to believe in yourself.

I thought this was a great book! It was definitely a huge page turner. The author makes you feel like you are in the story. He talks directly to you. The tone of the author's voice is calm and nice, and it can also be happy and excited at times but is never angry or sad because it focuses on willpower. There are basically three main characters: Jim, Beth and Billy. Jim acts like the narrator and does most of the talking. Beth and Billy are a married couple and they are only in the comics and pictures. The author is great because he achieved and succeeded his purpose to build my willpower in this book. The writing is very effective, powerful, and touching. This is one of those books that I would definitely recommend to those adults and teens that may need to boost up there self confidence and have faith in themselves.

Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Overland Park, Kansas USA

Cate of the Lost Colony by Lisa Klein

Lady Catherine Archer, the heroine of Cate of the Lost Colony by Lisa Klein, is an orphan without a cent to her name until she is called by Queen Elizabeth to be one of her maids of honor. At Queen Elizabeth’s court she soon catches the eye of Sir Walter Ralegh, a man with ambitions to establish a colony in wild, unexplored Virginia. Unfortunately, the queen also has her heart set on Ralegh, and banishes Catherine to the colony of Roanoke in Virginia when she hears of their romance.

Catherine, now called Cate, embarks on the dangerous voyage, filled with hope and eager to start a new life. When she reaches Roanoke, she and the other settlers find that life is harder than they imagined, and must deal with hostile natives, hunger, and poor leadership. Cate befriends an Indian named Manteo, who aids the colony and helps them survive. Eventually, Cate and the remaining colonists live with the natives because of near starvation and dwindling numbers. Back in England, Sir Ralegh longs to be reunited with his Lady Catherine and convinces the queen to let him go back to Roanoke to reclaim her. Cate must decide whether to embrace her new identity and make a new life with Manteo, or go back to England with Sir Ralegh.

Cate of the Last Colony is a historical fiction novel that, through the eyes of Catherine Archer, tells the story of what happened to the colony of Roanoke. Cate of the Last Colony was an engaging, fast-paced book that wove historical details with fictional material. The heroine, Catherine Archer, was a lively, spirited young woman who was both sincere and relatable to the reader. The setting of bleary, rugged Virginia was made clear by the descriptive language found in the book. I enjoyed how the narrators changed from Sir Ralegh to Manteo to Cate throughout the book, and thought it provided more information to all sides of the story. The characters were, for the most part, strongly supported, and I found myself relating to brave, quick-witted Cate. I was pleased with the higher level of vocabulary and found the content appropriate for the age level the book was written for. I liked this book better than the other I read by the same author. I enjoyed the ending, even though it was a bit predictable. I thought it was an excellent example of historical fiction, and I would recommend it to girls interested in the Elizabethan era and the colonization of America.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Bayside, WI U.S.

Full Metal Jackie: Certified by Jackie Kajzer

Full Metal Jackie Certified: 50 Most Influential Metal Songs of the 80's is a very informative and enjoyable book. This book discusses the lyrics of some amazing songs of the 1980's. It contains 32 artists/bands and 50 songs with deep backgrounds. Some of these include: Ozzy Osborne, Metallica, Slayer, Black Sabbath, and Judas Priest. If you like metal music or even punk, you will be very pleased with this book.

I thought that this book was very interesting, especially since it was about the lyrics of the songs and not the music. So, even if you don't really like metal music you can still appreciate this book. I am happy to say though that I have many more songs to put on my iPod. There were only a few things I didn't like about this book; I thought that the chapters were a little long for just one song and that the book didn't really tell you what the lyrics to that song were. So, in the beginning of the book when it says to print out the lyrics, do so. But, overall if you like music then you should definitely read this book to help you brush up on your rock history.

Sexual,drug, and alcohal refrences and use. Explicit language

 Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Hopkins, Michigan United States of America

Ascendant by Diana Peterfreund

Astrid is back in the mind-consuming book, Ascendant. When one of her friends gets hurt while on a unicorn hunt, Astrid is given the option to leave and watch over the girl or stay and continue hunting with the other girls. Upon leaving, she faces another opportunity; to work in a lab and help the unicorns. Once she gets she gets there, she finds out that her ex-boyfriend is under employment there, and she ends up realizing she isn't sure if she can hold onto her new long-distance relationship. To add on to the troubles, she also isn't sure if unicorn hunting is the job for her anymore. Confused and troubled, Astrid moves on through the whole book making different lives for her self. Which one will she choose, or will one be chosen for her?


This was an amazing sequel to Diana Peterfreund's first book, Rampant. Astrid is here again with even more flair and determination than before. When I was reading the book, it felt like the book was turning its own pages for me. It had everything from being realistic to having lots of action. It even had some romance scenes. I can't wait to see what Diana brings up next if and when she makes another companion to Ascendant.
 
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fresno, California USA

Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson

In this stunning sequel to the National Book Award Finalist Chains, Isabel and Curzon are once again faced with a trial of survival and must continue their fight for freedom amid the backdrop of our country’s War for Independence. As the tale unfolds this time from Curzon’s perspective, Anderson takes us on a journey to the Revolution’s most famous battle of will, Valley Forge. Enduring the harsh winter as an escaped slave, Curzon must learn to fight his fears and find the strength to hope.

Following events and important figures throughout America’s Revolutionary War, the thrilling story of two young, runaway slaves is not the only thing that makes Forge a unique book. Readers will marvel at how Anderson has brought history to life and has shown us little known facts about our nation’s beginnings.

In the first novel, our heroine Isabel takes us to the streets of New York City where some of the first battles for freedom began. In Forge however, Anderson lets us follow the events through a new set of eyes. Curzon is an interesting character voice that differs from Isabel not only because it’s from a young man’s point of view, but from a solider’s as well. In this second installation to the Seeds of America series, Curzon gives us an even more gruesome and realistic look into the time period, war, and  the hardships of a slave. As a big fan of historical fiction, I absolutely loved reading both Chains and Forge; I believe Anderson gives great insight on what was going on (rather than just the war) during 1777-78. Anderson is truly a gifted writer.

Readers of all ages will become absorbed in Anderson’s captivating and well researched novel of early American life and slavery. Living up to its expectations, Forge will not disappoint. 

Recommend to ages 12 and up.

Reviewer Age:18

Reviewer City, State and Country: , NM USA

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Nine of them came here. They have powers we could dream of having. They are far stronger and faster than we are. They live among us and look just like us. They are the Loric, aliens from another planet that was destroyed by power hungry,war obsessed other species of aliens called the Mogadorians. The nine Loric children were lucky to escape the total annihilation of their planet, along with nine adult Loric. All were sent to Earth to live, train and become stronger to fight against the Mogadorians. But to survive as long as they can and not be noticed by the Mogadorians they must split up. With the help of a protection charm that was cast before they left Lorian which only allows the Loric children to be killed in order of their number, Number Four and the adult Lorian in charge of him (Henri), have survived by being cautious and only staying for a few months in each town they have lived in. But now after ten years Number Three is dead and the Mogadores are coming for Number Four! After actually making a few friends in Paradise, Ohio John (alias of Number Four) doesn’t want to leave. Does he listen to the advice of Henri to get up and move somewhere else? Or will the Mogadorians find him and kill the people he loves?

This book was very well written and will make a very good movie when it comes out in February 2011. The book has a good ending but still has some questions to be answered because of the cliffhanger-ish ending. It’s interesting how the author mentions his name a few times in the book. The question is how did he know about John’s life in Paradise since he wasn’t there? Since the ending doesn’t really have a conclusion other than a death of a character, death of some Mogadorians and a “the rode off into the sunset” feel, it has some things that will tie it into the sequel. I definitely recommend this book especially to people who like some alien action!

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Loves Park, Illinois United States