Iditarod by Andre Jute

      A story I recently read and enjoyed reading was


Iditarod. It was written by Andre Jute about a woman,

Rhodes. Her dog bites a young Olympians hand, but he

recovers just in time to win the gold medal in downhill

skiing. James, the Olympian, bets her $10,000 that he can

beat her in the Iditarod. She doesn't have that kind of

money, but a rich friend overhears James and puts up the

money.

     From chapter to chapter the novel switches from

Rhodes to James to a pack of wolves, and it hints that

they are on a crash course. Throughout the story they are

chased by bears, overcome by storms, nearly trampled by a

moose, and last of all they run into the wolf pack.

     Iditarod starts out with Rhodes and James running

into each other while they are trying to pull out at the

start of the race. They don't care if they don't win a

prize for first place, just as long as the other one drops

out before they do. It doesn't get much better with Rhodes

fighting a bear and being chased by a moose. James knocks

his head and has a concussion. And they do run into a wolf

pack that is 60 strong.

     During the novel I thought a lot about why the

Iditarod was run, and of all the people that would have

died if the brave men had not delivered the serum to

Nome. Today mushers start in Anchorage and go to Nome

because that was the route that was taken by the serum

deliverers. I thought it was a good book because the

combination of all the elements makes it very

interesting. It will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country:  Leola, South Dakota USA

Rogue Oracle by Alayna Williams

"Rouge Oracle" is the second book in this series that follows Tara Sheridan on her adventures in the world of crime and oracles. Tara is a cartomancer, one who reads tarot cards, and they guide her. This book begins with Tara interogatting a suspected terrorist named Zahar Mouda. When she consults her cards they come out with the fool,seven of cups, and the lovers. About this time some one walks in on her and it turns out to be her own lover Harry Li coming to her for help. He is investigating the disapperance of operatives for a operration know as "Rogue Angel". But they are Special Projects, a branch of the DOD, is at a loss and Harry hopes that Tara can help them. She returns to the farm house of the order of oracles known as Delphi's Daughters so she can pack and tell Cassie she is leaving. Cassie is the future Pythia, or leader of the Delphi's Daughters. Soon another operative disappears but they find their first real clues. First a top of blood that contain DNA from the victims and inside the blood is large levels of radiation. The culprit is soon traced back to be a survivor of Chernobly with sinister plans. He is dying, but before he dies he wants to have the rest of the world feel his pain. To find out what his plans are and if he succeds read "Rouge Oracle" by Alayna Williams.

"Rogue Oracle" is an original story full of adventure, mystery, magic, and underlying tones of romance. This book was very well written and made me feel like I was actually in the story. It also had very memoriable characters who work together perfectly in the plot of this story. Tara is a daring heorine who cares greatly about protectting those around her no matter what the cost. Harry is a truely uniqe character he works to protect his country but is slowly having his job change him to the point it is almost frightening. Galen was born in Chernobly but radionion changed him until he bacame a monster who in his dying days wants to make others feel his pain. And last, but not least, is Cassie a 20 year old woman who is destine to be the next, even though the training can get a little gruesome sometimes. I would recomend this book to any teens looking for a good read.

There are sexual themes that are not suitable for children.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Makanda, Illinois USA

A Graveyard Romance by Jason Krumbine

What happens when you are forced on a date to a graveyard on Friday the 13th, under a full moon? You get A Graveyard Romance.




Michael is forced by his girlfriend, Danielle, on a date to a graveyard, but unbeknown to them, on this night the dead will wake and search for a couple to sacrifice; so that they may live again. In the battle for their lives they must escape the graveyard to survive, or so they think. As it turns out Danielle has stolen a ruby from the undead and now the "Others" are after them.

I loved it. The action is nonstop and kept me on the edge of my seat. I expected nothing less from Jason Krumbine, he is an amazing writer. There were a few spelling errors but nothing major. I also like his word choices such as "swell". Personally I agree with Jason,that opposites attract. With them being opposites made the book hilarious for me. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Reviewer Age:20
Reviewer City, State and Country: Az city, Arizona USA

The Grave Robbers Secret by Anna Myers

Robby Hare despises grave robbing more than anything. All he can think of is the day when he can finally escape, but sadly, he isn't brave enough to actually run away. His only enjoyment is spending time with their other boarder, a kindly Miss Stone. However, Robby knows Miss Stone won't live forever, and that makes Robby all the more depressed. Luckily for him, a wealthy man rents out two rooms in his family's boarding house, and that is seemingly the end of Robby's troubles. Unfortunately, Burke and his daughter are just the beginning of all his troubles.

This book is geared more towards younger children, this book is spell-binding, and older children will also enjoy this suspenseful story. The plot is a bit slow at times, but all in all, the story flows well. This book, however, is not for the faint of heart, as some scenes during the grave robbing can get a bit gruesome. While it is a bit gruesome, this book is still acceptable for younger kids. I couldn't put this book down, and I highly recommended it to anyone who enjoys a fast paced novel.

Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Nappannee, Indiana United States of America

Girl's Best Friend by Leslie Margolis

Maggie Brooklyn is a twelve year old dog walker. But when her life fills with conflict and mystery, it's harder than ever for her to focus on her studies and dog walking business. There's a dog thief on the loose, and Maggie is determined to get to the bottom of the crime. Plus, she never expected that her ex-BFF and secret crush may both end up getting involved. Will they be able to stop the thief?

I loved this book to death, and I hope the author keeps writing more. I would also love to see this book turn into a series, because the characters are well developed and I can see many more mysteries easily fitting into the theme. My favorite part about the book was how descriptive and unique it was. I also loved the author's sense of humor, which surprisingly didn't ruin any of the serious parts the book contained. One of the only things I didn't feel to be necessary was how the suspects kept changing, and it kind of started to get a little cheesy. Other than that, I think the book was great!

Reviewer Age:10
Reviewer City, State and Country: Evanston, IL USA

Tall Story by Candy Gourlay

Summary: Bernardo is tall. And being tall is great: gloating about your height, towering above your friends, and dunking the basketball. But Bernardo is tall. Very tall. Bernardo is 8 feet tall. And when you are 8 feet tall, things become difficult: walking, running, wearing pants, bathing yourself, and pretty much everything in life. And coincidentally, Bernardo lives in the Philippines in a small town where earthquakes are common; legend has it that a giant came to save the town from destruction. Common belief has that Bernardo is their hero. Andi, on the other hand, is short. Being short is great: staying hidden, sneaking around, staying dry (because tall people are the first to get wet). But a basketball player has no place being short; height is a necessity. Andi doesn’t need to be 10 feet tall to make the basketball team; her skills make up for her height (or lack thereof). Of course, as soon as the girls’ team recognizes her talents her family moves. The only thing that Andi can look forward to when moving is the chance of a new basketball team. But her dreams are shot out of the air when it turns out that her new school doesn’t have a girls’ program. Then one day, the phone rings; Bernardo, Andi’s older brother whom she has never met, is coming back to live with them. But Andi is simply told that Bernardo is tall. When they go to pick up Bernardo at the airport, Andi has no problem seeing him whatsoever. With a sibling who is nearly twice her height, she has large shoes to fill (literally); will she be able to fill them? Will Bernardo be able to fit in where people expect too much out of him? Will Andi be able to swallow her pride and let Bernardo into her life? Or will the family be torn apart. In a heartwarming tall tale, a family comes together, dreams will be made, and lessons will be learned.

Opinion: With 3 siblings, family is very important in my personal life. I find it amazing to hear about a fantastic family and their coming together. This book does just that, and does it wonderfully. Told from the point of view from the two main characters, the readers are able to experience both sides of a story. I love the writing style when comparing Andi and Bernardo’s thoughts. Tall Story is a perfect book for ages 10-13, both in vocabulary and content. I believe that readers between these ages will be able to connect perfectly to either Bernardo or Andi. I recommend Tall Story, by Candy Gourlay to any person wishing to read a book that they can actually connect with.

Content: 1
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Oakmont, PA USA

Late Eclipses by Seanan McGuire

Toby is a changeling. Her mother is a Fae, and her father is a human. This means that most of Fae hate her. Toby is struggling to survive in a confusing mix of the mortal world and her Fae home. Life doesn’t get better when her fetch shows up. A fetch is an exact copy of the person that will soon be killed. Toby has to deal with her insane mother, an evil sorceress who will stop at nothing to kill her, her fetch (May) living as her roommate, and a bunch of backstabbing betrayals. How will she ever survive? And will she have to make a heart-wrenching choice that she already made, again?

'Late Eclipse' was a fascinating read. It definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. I felt like I was watching the story play out through Toby's eyes, and really felt sorrow and anguish as she did. I came to love most of the characters in the book and couldn't have asked for a more complex cast. The detail was incredible and I would recommend this book to anyone. I loved the beginning, middle, and end!

There is mature language and content (profanity and violence). I do not suggest a specific age; just talk to an adult about anything you do not understand.

Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country: Coconut Creek, Florida U.S.A

The Day the Fortune Teller Died by Marianna Heusler

The Day the Fortune Teller Died is a book about three best
friends, narrated by one of the three-Isabella. This book
is about Vicky, Isabella, Lauren, and a new girl that
comes to them asking for help, by the name of Eva.

Eva comes to the three girls with a problem. Someone wants
to kill her! So the three girls go off on a mission of
finding who and why they would want to kill Eva.

They end up with a new mystery, though. Who killed the old
fortune teller who predicted Eva would be killed?

This is a great book for whoever is seeking an action-
packed adventure!It had many characters, but instead of
being someone who did nothing, they all had a big part in
the story. The story did have three main characters-Eva,
Isabella, and Vicky. There was some new vocabulary that I picked up.
I thought this book was written very well, especially
toward the end. I don't think it's good enough to be the next Harry
Potter, though.

Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Skokie, Illinois USA

Bloody Times by James L. Swanson

Bloody Times is a historical nonfiction account about
the manhunt for Jefferson Davis and the funeral procession
of Abraham Lincoln. It is about the long funeral train
that carried the 16th President home to Illinois. It is
also about the manhunt for Jefferson Davis. Jefferson
Davis was the first and last president of the Confederate
States of America. He decided to flee to the deep south to
evade capture from the federal troops that were searching
for him. The Funeral trains route was covered in black
crepe at each stop ,to mourn the fallen President of the
United States of America. Each major city hosted a great
arrival for the fallen president.


The book was very informative. It was some of the
best work I've seen by this author. It is a great
historical nonfiction for readers looking for a good book
on this period of American history. It was a great book
and I loved it.

Reviewer Age:11, Uxbridge, MA USA

Invincible by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Nick is a poor fourteen year old boy who has incredible powers that he can not yet control. He survived the zombies and getting shot by a gun, apparently in the previous book. Oh yeah, it appears he also played a big role in getting his mom fired from her job! However, soon enough, his mom got a new job working at a hang-out place named The Sanctuary, where we soon find out a bunch of shape-shifters work there, also.

Nick wakes to find out that he's been surrounded by demons and many more than he thought at first. Not to mention, he has a job helping his boss, who is a super-rich-shadow-hunter-in disguise, named Kyrian. Now, it ain't any better at school, either, with a newly hired football coach. About the same time this coach arrives, a series of thefts at school happen and even murders of some fourteen year old boys in New Orleans. Could the coach have to do any thing with this? The coach is willing to let Nick back on the team only if he helps him with some not-so-pleasant work that he has to have done.

Then there s the football star, Caleb. He also turns out to be a demon, but not quite such an evil one. Nick has demons hunting him because he's part of a prophesy that says he's a Malachai. So now every demon is out to hunt and kill him except his friends, Caleb and Kody, who are demons. Caleb is supposed to be Nick's physical protector. Kody is supposed to be his mental protector. However, when Nick starts to see visions of Caleb choking him, one wonders, is he really his protector, or just a fraud?

When I started this book, I didn't realize it was not the first book in the series of books by this author. This is the first book I have read by Sherrilyn Kenyon. I was a bit confused about the characters near the beginning, but I seem to have gotten it straightened out in the first half of the book. This helped me better figure out the main theme of the story. I love how the author put this book together. It's a fast read. I hope it will keep you on the seat of your pants the whole time you're reading this book, like it did me. I feel this book is just AMAZING! I really look forward to reading more of this series.

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Memphis, TN USA