Pop Sculpture by Tim Bruckner

Pop Sculpture is a guide to making great action figures and highly detailed collectible statues. Some of the most talented individuals in the business pool their knowledge and secrets into this book to aid any aspiring toymakers. The book starts with a brief introduction to the industry and its impact on American culture. The book then dives into the detailed tutorial of two different items: the traditional action figure and the collectible sculpture. This guide addresses every stage in the creation process from research and design to mold making to painting. With hundreds of pictures showing each step in the process, Pop Sculpture is a definitive look at the artistic process of bringing some of our favorite characters to life.
The collaboration of action figure icons for this book is what makes Pop Sculpture a must-read for anyone planning on joining the industry. However, for those who are more interested in the history of action figures and comic book characters, this is not the book for you. Pop Sculpture focuses on the technical aspects of making action figures and collectible statues. Furthermore, the authors provide very valuable insight for certain stages of the toy making process. These pieces of information from some of the most experienced designers in the industry create the value in this book. Overall, Pop Sculpture is a great technical guide, but it is not by any means a historical perspective for the casual reader.

Reviewer Age:21
Reviewer City, State and Country: Eden Prairie, Minnesota United States

The Raven's Bride, by Lenore Hart

Virginia, or Sissy, Clemm isn't a name that most people will recognize, but her husband, Edgar Allen Poe, is
probably one of the most acclaimed authors. Like most famous
authors, Edgar Allen Poe was neither rich nor famous
throughout his life. The Raven's Bride by Lenore Hart is a
fictional account of Virginia and Edgar's unlikely romance
and the hardships they went through, both before and after
their marriage.

The premise of this novel seems very,
very interesting because Edgar Allen Poe's marriage was
very, very screwed up. He married his thirteen-year-old
cousin; plus, he was thirteen years older than her! Honestly
though, I don't think this novel did their relationship
justice. The author tries too hard to make their romance
seem normal. It seems like she's aiming for the audience
to go aw and to have heart-warming moments, but really,
with a twisted romance like Edgar and Virginia's, that's not
possible. I give her credit for trying to attempt something
like that, but the result was many unrealistic moments
filled with purple prose. Despite the purple prose, the
writing wasn't bad; it wasn't spectacular either.

The main problem with this book, however, was the pacing.
The book just dragged on and on and on. Maybe it's because I
don't like angst, but it felt like the situations were
overly dramatic--to the point that they weren't interesting
anymore. Overall, if you're looking for historical fiction,
there are much better choices.

Reviewer Age:  17
Reviewer City, State and Country:  Hinsdale, IL USA

The Secret Journeys of Jack London: The Wild

In the beginning of the book you find Jack on a boat heading to the Yukon River in Alaska to find gold for
his family with his brother-in-law James. Once he gets to Yukon he sets out on a gold finding adventure. Sadly though, his brother-in-law had to go back due to sickness. Jack sets out to Dawson City with his newfound friends Jim and Merritt. He gets in a brawl with slavers and ends up being a slave. The first night he's there a Wendigo (a cannibalistic spirit that possesses a human) attacks the camp. His so-called "guardian" wolf saves him. When he wakes up he finds himself in a hut with no one else. He soon finds out he was taken in by a girl called Lesya. She tells him her father is a nature god of the surrounding forest. When he takes a walk in the woods he sees bodies entwined in trees. The horrific thing was that they were still living. He finds out it was Lesya who did it. What he learns from Lesya is that the men in the trees were lovers trying to get away so they don't have to stay forever with her. He luckily gets away before it can
happen to him. Once he gets far away he runs into the slave camp. There he meets up with the Wendigo again. Will he live though this reunion and head home? Read this exciting book to find out.
 I thought this book was awesome. The two authors made a book that Jack London would be proud of. The illustrator's pictures a open window into the world of Jack. I think any teenager would love this spooky book. This book is a great starter book in the series. Any teen would enjoy its adventure style. I think the authors achieved there purpose.

Very bloody secenes and alot of strong language.

Reviewer Age:12 Uxbridge, Ma USA

The Visconti House by Elsbeth Edgar

Laura Horton just moved into the Visconti House, a very old place built by a Mr. Visconti. In school, Laura is constantly made fun of for being the Ghost Girl, and she's getting tired of it. So when Leon Murphy, a weird new kid at her school, moves in next door, she can't help but make herself a promise to stay away from him. She doesn't need any more abnormal ties in her life. After hearing lots of comments about the house she is now living in, she decides to explore the house's history, with Leon doing some research of his own. Can Laura and Leon discover the Visconti House's secret? And will they join together and form a wonderful friendship? Read to find out!



The Visconti House by Elsbeth Edgar has a story line that is original and common, but it still amazed me. It has a little mystery, friendship, romance, and some of the issues normal teens go through today. The author had a really good ending; it left me wanting more, but it did end at exactly the right moment. The only thing I would add to the book is a little more suspense about the house and owner's history. It was wonderful, and I would definitely recommend it to grades five and above.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fresno, California USA

The Reinvention of Bessica Lefter

The Reinvention of Bessica Lefter is a fabulous fun-filled fiction work.  After a few accidental incidents, eleven-year-old Bessica Lefter is forbidden to be with her best friend, Sylvie. Then, Sylvie moves to a new school, leaving Bessica to start middle school friendless. On top of everything else, it doesnt help that Bessica's special grandmother is off on some crazy road trip with her weird new boyfriend and has little or no time left for Bessica.  It also doesnt help that the gorgeous Noll Beck just thinks she's some little kid.  I highly encourage young teens to read Kristen Tracy's, The Reinvention of Bessica Lefter.  Every reader will greatly enjoy him or herself and the book will unlock a new world through the fun-loving eyes of Bessica.

In my opinion, The Reinvention of Bessica Lefter was a very humorous and yet dramatic story.  I believe any book possessing both of these qualities deserves an extremely high level of praise. I think Kristen Tracy's fun way of putting things and incredible intellect is what makes her books so amazing. I will definitely continue to read her priceless works.

Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Akron, Ohio United States

The Vanishing Violin by Michael D. Bell (Red Blazer Girls series)

The unstoppable Red Blazer Girls are back in The Vanishing Violin to solve yet another captivating mystery, or mysteries. Someone has been breaking into their school and instead of stealing or vandalizing, they are redecorating! But their big mystery doesn’t start until Margaret gets a violin bow in the mail that is worth a lot of money, and with it the clues to find the even more expensive violin that goes with it. Another real problem comes about when a violin is stolen from Margaret’s friend Mr. C., who owns a violin store by Perkatory, the girls’ favorite Cafe (which the Blazers’ band also performs at). Mr. C’s alarm never went off and no window or door is broken, so the only thing more mysterious than who did it, is how they did it. Relationships are heating up, too. Not only do Rafael and Sophie date, but Margaret gets a new crush on a boy named Andrew from her music class. The Red Blazer Girls also have a new rival, Livvy, who hates the group. The best part of the book is at the end, with a couple of plot twists and surprises you’re sure to enjoy.

All in all, I thought this book was enjoyable and slightly humorous. Even though the plot was not as suspenseful as others like it, it is sure to be a book that you will enjoy reading. This book also flexes your mind with puzzles and riddles, unlike most books of its kind. The Vanishing Violin is a mystery and is a pretty light read, and I fell in love with the characters. With their brains and charm, I think the Red Blazer Girls have earned a spot up there with the likes of Sherlock Holmes.

Content: 1
Rating: 8
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Leawood, Kansas USA

Excalibur: The Legend of King Arthur

The graphic novel starts off when young Arthur pulls
the legendary sword Caliburn from the stone. Ulric, the
current king of Britain, challenges Arthur to a duel at
dawn. Arthur accepts. Merlin takes Arthur to the Faerie
Realm to train for 2 years and a day. When he gets back
Arthur is 17 years old and trained in the art of fighting,
kingship, warcraft, and politics. He wins the duel and
becomes the king over Britain. King Arthur s evil half-
sister Morgana sends Merlin 7 years into the future. When
he gets back King Arthur had already married Lady
Guinevere and built Camelot. Morgana (Arthur's half-
sister) makes an evil replica of King Arthur and
challenges the real King Arthur to war. Will King Arthur
win and Albion be saved? Read this eye-catching book to
find out.
Excalibur was an awesome graphic novel.
The pictures make you feel like you're in Albion beside
King Arthur. Tony Lee tells the story of king Arthur
perfectly. Their work combines to make an ideal graphic
novel for young adults. I thought the book was hard to put
down. I recommend this to anyone who likes a good action
book.
Reviewer Age:12 Uxbridge, Ma USA

Terezin: Voices From The Holocaust by Ruth Thomson

In Terezin: Voices from the Holocaust, by Ruth Thomson, you journey from pre-World War II to the end of the war focusing on the Holocaust but in particular a ghetto/concentration camp in Terezin, Czechoslovakia. Most of the people sent to Terezin died. They died either in Terezin due to health issues caused by ghetto life or during transport to Auschwitz, called going east , or in the gas chambers at Auschwitz. You see first-hand quotes, diary entries and drawings that were secretly hidden and every now and then a real photo of life in Terezin. This book gives you all the information you would ever want to know. It gives you information about what a ghetto/concentration camp is to even the food schedule.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the Holocaust and anyone who likes to read interesting non-fiction books. Even if you do not like reading non-fiction this book makes it seem like you are reading a normal book just with facts thrown in. Having read other non-fiction books that can be heavy on the details, I thought the balance between the text and images were perfect.


In this book the life-like drawings make the reading more life-like and captivating. With quotes from real people that were in Terezin you really learn how horrible this was for all the Jewish people in the time period.


Reviewer Age:10
Reviewer City, State and Country: Rochester, New York United States

Amazing Crayon Drawing with Lee Hammond

This book teaches you how to draw amazing pictures with a
childhood favorite - Crayola Crayons. It is hard to
believe the life-like images were produced by crayons, but
this book teaches you the techniques that can be used with
crayons. There are warm-ups and projects, step by step and
telling you what colors and techniques to use for each of
them. It teaches how to make the unique look of crayon to
works to your advantage and shows you how to make a
variety of texture. Anything you need to know about
drawing with crayons is in this book.

I laughed when I saw this book, saying "Drawing professional art with crayons?! Yeah right, I've got to see this."
Even with myself being an artist, it was hard to believe you could
make professional with something so common and cheap it
was considered to be a child's toy to scribble with when
they were bored. Although when I saw the artwork on the
cover I thought, wow, these really are drawn with crayon.
This book is a great way to learn to draw with crayons,
teaching you how to use different techniques, make various
textures and create masterpieces. There are many step-by-step warm-ups
and projects that help you get the feel of how to use the crayons and what colors to use to best serve your art. I told my mom to go get some crayons, and have had fun using the book to its best potential.

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and
Country: Santa Fe, TX USA

How Tia Lola Learned to Teach

"How Tia Lola Learned to Teach" is about a Spanish aunt who came to the United States from the Dominican Republic. She came to help her sister - who just got divorced - raise her son and daughter, Miguel and Juanita.
While Tia Lola was in the U.S she was volunteered to teach Juanita and Miguel’s classes Spanish. During Tia Lola's visit she soon finds herself helping everyone, but she doesn't mind. Tia Lola is a very helpful person. She helps Rudy with his restaurant, and everybody else in the town with everything you could imagine.

I didn't really like "Tia Lola Learns to Teach" because the story line isn't something that I'm in to. I did like the fact that the book had a lot of Spanish in it. I also liked the lessons it taught. There were Spanish sayings, but some of them Americans say, too.

Reviewer Age:10
Reviewer City, State and Country: Claremont, NH USA