The book Grounded by: Kate Klise is a wonderful novel about a girl named Daralyn. After a horrible plane crash that kills her father, brother, and sister she gets a bunch of dolls and everyone calls her Dolly. When a mysterious man comes to town and her Aunt Josie falls in love with him Daralyn begins her investigation. After almost getting tricked by the man everything clicks into place and Daralyn discovers this mans secret. Read this marvelous novel to reveal the mans secret and how everyone reacts to it!
The book Grounded by: Kate Klise is a wonderful novel. I think she did a great job on this book. I love Daralyn and how adventurous she is, I am like her in many ways. I think some of the possible maybe not as noticeable themes would be what shows on the outside isn't always what is within, and if you get to know the person you don't like you might find something inside them that you admire. This is a marvelous novel that I have already and will continue to tell my friends about and suggest they read it.
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Sandy, Oregon U.S.A
Wednesday, June 01, 2011
The Amanda Project by Amanda Valentino
Three chairs sat in front of the principal's office and as Callie walked in, she quickly filled the third one, joining classmates Hal and Nia. Three different people from three different worlds, yet one person brought them here, together: Amanda Valentino. After painting the principal's car with strange designs and symbols, Amanda, who was secretly friends with all three students, left a symbol on each of their lockers before disappearing. Always talking cryptically, she had a secret that each one of them knew a part of. Now that she's missing, the three students must put together all that she has ever told them in order to find her before something bad happens.
Unsure of where to begin, Callie, Hal and Nia decide to tell each other all of the information they know about Amanda. They soon realize that she told them each a different story about where she lives and where she comes from. With all of this jumbled information, they have no choice to investigate it all. At every place they stop, they find symbols spraypainted on the wall, indicating that Amanda was there. Now it's just a matter of putting together all the clues before it's too late!
Unsure of where to begin, Callie, Hal and Nia decide to tell each other all of the information they know about Amanda. They soon realize that she told them each a different story about where she lives and where she comes from. With all of this jumbled information, they have no choice to investigate it all. At every place they stop, they find symbols spraypainted on the wall, indicating that Amanda was there. Now it's just a matter of putting together all the clues before it's too late!
A mysterious story of friendship and lies, Amanda Valentino and Melissa Kantor's novel "The Amanda Project" is hard to put down. Thrown into this world without context, it is up to you to put together everything and make sense of what Amanda's plan is. It feels as if you are a part of their world working on the mystery with them, rather than watching from the outside.
Valentino and Kantor understand the dynamics of high school and the ups and downs of being a student which makes it easy to sympathize with Callie, Hal and Nia. It's easy to relate to their struggles with teachers and school work, and their budding friendship as they search for Amanda is something that everybody experiences.
"The Amanda Project" kept me on the edge of my seat till the end. Although it is frustrating to get clues to Amanda's disappearance without being able to put them all together, that is what makes the book interesting. Valentino and Kantor do a great job of balancing mystery and relatability, and with the cliff-hanger ending, I can't wait to read the next book in the series!
Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Champaign, Illinois USA
Baby Grape and Southern Exposure by Thom Rogers
The third book in the Baby Grape series, Baby Grape's Southren Exposure, follows Toby, Jaynee and their forever growing group of tag-alongs as they head south to find Toby's mother and sisters. No journey is simple, however, as they encounter runaway slaves, stolen money, and abandoned children. Everywhere they turn, there are people to be helped, goods to be transported up and down the rivers, and someone coming at them with a gun. With all of the adventures going on, Toby still has to take care of his family, look out for his employees, and make sure everything runs smoothly on his steamboat. Toby has taken on a lot of responsibility, and his leadership abilities show as he and his friends prove once again that they have what it takes to survive.
Baby Grape's Southern Exposure had a much different feel to it then the first two books. The writing style is the same, with lots of dialogue, description and surprises, but the characters are, at times, hardly recognizable. In the beginning of the series, Toby was younger. He had hardly been anywhere or had any adventures up until that point, and was learning what survival meant. In this book, he is much more authoritative. On his boat, he is in charge and expects everyone to do exactly as he says. I felt that his transformation was realistic, but I found myself not liking this Toby as much as I had when he valued other's opinions and had a more even temper. I did like that, although there are many different adventures in many different settings as in the other books, they did not skip around quite as much and gave me time to really concentrate on the goals of the characters. Baby Grape's Southren Exposure had less romance and drama involved than usual, but it did have feel-good ending. It was my favorite Baby Grape book, and I would recommend it to those who read the first two books, like historical fiction, and are ready for a whole new bunch of adventures.
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: , Pennsylvania USA
Baby Grape's Southern Exposure had a much different feel to it then the first two books. The writing style is the same, with lots of dialogue, description and surprises, but the characters are, at times, hardly recognizable. In the beginning of the series, Toby was younger. He had hardly been anywhere or had any adventures up until that point, and was learning what survival meant. In this book, he is much more authoritative. On his boat, he is in charge and expects everyone to do exactly as he says. I felt that his transformation was realistic, but I found myself not liking this Toby as much as I had when he valued other's opinions and had a more even temper. I did like that, although there are many different adventures in many different settings as in the other books, they did not skip around quite as much and gave me time to really concentrate on the goals of the characters. Baby Grape's Southren Exposure had less romance and drama involved than usual, but it did have feel-good ending. It was my favorite Baby Grape book, and I would recommend it to those who read the first two books, like historical fiction, and are ready for a whole new bunch of adventures.
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: , Pennsylvania USA
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
A Magic of Dawn by S.L. Farrell
Allesndra Ca'Vorl has become Kraljica of the Holdings of Nessantico. The country had been ravaged by war with the Tehuantin, and her only son, Jan, had only given her Nessantico as an insult. However, Allesandra rebuilt the city of Nessantico, making it nearly as beautiful as before. Now, the Tehuantin again threaten the Holdings, and Allesandra must take extreme measures to ensure the city's relative safety, even if it means using black sand in contraptions called sparkwheels, and naming her son as heir to the Sun Throne. But will these things be enough to save Nessantico? And will Allesandra, the Kraljica, survive the imminent war?
I was slightly annoyed when the back of the book said it was the third book in a series. Luckily, this was a book that worked fine on its own, and there was a timeline in the back to give a general idea of the first two books. A MAGIC OF DAWN doesn't seem to have a set genre, since it's part fantasy, part adventure, and part mystery, as well as a great many other things. This book was more of an adult book than I expected, but that didn't diminish the beauty of the writing. The way it was written made it seem like the author had actually interviewed the characters who provided the view into the story. I would recommend this book to older experienced fantasy readers who are used to following intricate plots.
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lake City, IA USA
Eye of the Desert by N K Bauer
Elizabeth Stanford's grandmother has been missing for five years. Many believe she is dead, but Elizabeth is certain her grandmother is just lost. She leaves for Egypt to look for clues as to where her grandmother Victoria might be, taking Victoria's journal with her. When she arrives, she meets Violet Teasdale, who allows Elizabeth to stay with her. Elizabeth finds a dirty old amulet in a store, and the moment she puts it on, it becomes like new. An earthquake occurs a few days later, after which Violet takes Elizabeth to see Unas and Iraeus, a pair of strange museum curators. These people tell Elizabeth her journey will be much more than rescuing her grandmother. With help from an oracle and a mysterious benu bird, Elizabeth must conquer a great evil. However, if Elizabeth rescues her grandmother, can she stop the evil from stealing Victoria away a second time?
I do not usually like books portrayed as mysteries, but Eye of the Desert was amazing, and seemed to be more adventure than mystery. The author chose an intriguing point of view to tell this story. I liked how each character had a different ability, such as Elizabeth bonding with the benu bird. It was an interesting twist when Elizabeth's friend turned out to be a powerful and evil magiana. I was only slightly surprised to learn that the Tetrad were forms of some of the Egyptian gods. I would recommend this book to anyone unless they truly dislike the supernatural or odd events, such as pouring rain in Egypt.
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lake City, IA USA
I do not usually like books portrayed as mysteries, but Eye of the Desert was amazing, and seemed to be more adventure than mystery. The author chose an intriguing point of view to tell this story. I liked how each character had a different ability, such as Elizabeth bonding with the benu bird. It was an interesting twist when Elizabeth's friend turned out to be a powerful and evil magiana. I was only slightly surprised to learn that the Tetrad were forms of some of the Egyptian gods. I would recommend this book to anyone unless they truly dislike the supernatural or odd events, such as pouring rain in Egypt.
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lake City, IA USA
Sunday, May 29, 2011
The Look Book: 50 Iconic Beauties by Erika Stalder
Have you ever wanted to explore a career as a makeup artist or just wanted to change up your look? If so, The Look Book: 50 Iconic Beauties And How To Achieve Their Signature Styles by Erika Stalder is the perfect resource for you! The book covers 50 beauties throughout the last 100 years and gives you a brief bio highlighting their achievements and beauty innovation. Even if you aren't interested in makeup design, the bios offer a fun and informative glimpse into the beauty standards of bygone eras, and also today. There are also illustrated run throughs with expert beauty tricks to help you achieve each beautys iconic style. From Marilyn Monroe to Kat Von D this book is the ultimate go-to beauty guide!
This book was a great read because of all the interesting facts and tips it provided! I learned so much about beauty of the past and present, and I had fun while doing it. Even if you never actually try out any of the makeup styles, I would suggest this book to you for a great reference in how to look your best!
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Virginia Beach, VA USA
This book was a great read because of all the interesting facts and tips it provided! I learned so much about beauty of the past and present, and I had fun while doing it. Even if you never actually try out any of the makeup styles, I would suggest this book to you for a great reference in how to look your best!
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Virginia Beach, VA USA
Friday, May 27, 2011
Bloodline Rising by Katy Moran
Bloodline Rising is a companion novel to Bloodline by Katy
Moran that follows the story of Essa and Lark s son Cai.
Bloodline Rising picks up several years after Bloodline
when Essa s family is living in Constantinople after
escaping Britain. Cai is supposed to be looking after the
members of his family since Essa is away at war. But after
Cai s younger sister dies suddenly Cai cannot bear the
grief and so he becomes The Ghost, an expert thief.
Unfortunately being one of the most powerful thieves
naturally makes some other thieves your enemies. One of
the other thieves sells him onto a slave ship away from
his family and the great city he loves. Cai ends up in
Britain, the barbarian land that his parents left, where
he begins to uncover the dark past of his parents that he
never knew. Along the way Cai stumbles across old allies
and hated enemies of his father and unknowingly becomes
ensnared in a political war between different groups in
Britain. Will Cai go back to the ways of his sneaky past
or will he use his stealthy gift for good?
Bloodline Rising was even more interesting than the first
book, Bloodline. The character of Cai, Essa s son, is very
interesting to read about and very well written. Having
characters from Bloodline reappear was a nice surprise and
the writing about Cai s ways as a thief in Constantinople
was fascinating. The ending is similar to Bloodline as it
almost has a and they walked off into the sunset, happily
ever after feel, like the story wasn t wrapped up
properly. On the good side you learn some history about
Britain and other parts of the world at this time period.
I would recommend this book as long as you read Bloodline
first.
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Loves Park, Illinois
United States
Moran that follows the story of Essa and Lark s son Cai.
Bloodline Rising picks up several years after Bloodline
when Essa s family is living in Constantinople after
escaping Britain. Cai is supposed to be looking after the
members of his family since Essa is away at war. But after
Cai s younger sister dies suddenly Cai cannot bear the
grief and so he becomes The Ghost, an expert thief.
Unfortunately being one of the most powerful thieves
naturally makes some other thieves your enemies. One of
the other thieves sells him onto a slave ship away from
his family and the great city he loves. Cai ends up in
Britain, the barbarian land that his parents left, where
he begins to uncover the dark past of his parents that he
never knew. Along the way Cai stumbles across old allies
and hated enemies of his father and unknowingly becomes
ensnared in a political war between different groups in
Britain. Will Cai go back to the ways of his sneaky past
or will he use his stealthy gift for good?
Bloodline Rising was even more interesting than the first
book, Bloodline. The character of Cai, Essa s son, is very
interesting to read about and very well written. Having
characters from Bloodline reappear was a nice surprise and
the writing about Cai s ways as a thief in Constantinople
was fascinating. The ending is similar to Bloodline as it
almost has a and they walked off into the sunset, happily
ever after feel, like the story wasn t wrapped up
properly. On the good side you learn some history about
Britain and other parts of the world at this time period.
I would recommend this book as long as you read Bloodline
first.
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Loves Park, Illinois
United States
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Owl Ninja by Sandy Fussell
The book Owl Ninja is a book is about samurai in training kids that are disabled. Niya with one leg, Taji who is blind, Mikko with one arm, Kyoko who has six fingers and toes, but some of the kids have no problems. In this book, one day comes when the kids hear a drumbeat, calling them to war with the dragon Ryu, but the Cockroach Ryu goes to the emperor to stop the war. On the way, the kids meet Ghosts, acquire ninja skills, and meet a ronin with a battle strategy of losing his pants. What happens to the cockroach Ryu? Does the war stop? Find out in this awesome book!
Owl Ninja was interesting book with no bad language and a well-written storyline with a good bit of humor in it. In this book I think that the author's purpose was to provide an interesting adventure book and the author achieved that purpose. This was an interesting book that keeps you reading and wanting more once you' re into it, you won' t want to stop. I think this book would be good for ages 8-14 and might be hard those under eight. One of the effects of the writing that I noticed is that even though it s told from a boy s first person view, at times you think it could be from anyone, and that Niya, the narrator could at times be a girl. I don t mean that in a bad way, but what I' m trying to say is that it was interesting in a good way that you have to remind yourself who Niya is. I would recommend this book to some of my friends who like books about ninja and samurai warriors around my age, 11.
Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Dickinson, Texas U.S.A.
Owl Ninja was interesting book with no bad language and a well-written storyline with a good bit of humor in it. In this book I think that the author's purpose was to provide an interesting adventure book and the author achieved that purpose. This was an interesting book that keeps you reading and wanting more once you' re into it, you won' t want to stop. I think this book would be good for ages 8-14 and might be hard those under eight. One of the effects of the writing that I noticed is that even though it s told from a boy s first person view, at times you think it could be from anyone, and that Niya, the narrator could at times be a girl. I don t mean that in a bad way, but what I' m trying to say is that it was interesting in a good way that you have to remind yourself who Niya is. I would recommend this book to some of my friends who like books about ninja and samurai warriors around my age, 11.
Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Dickinson, Texas U.S.A.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
The Forever Crush by Debra Moffitt
The Forever Crush by Debra Moffitt is a book about girls in their teen years. This book expresses how you can do something you later regret or think you want something but when the time comes you find out you really don't want it. Jemma has a forever crush on Forrest so when he asks her to be his pretend girlfriend she goes along with it. Later she finds out that she doesn't like how it's going and how she can't tell her friends. At the same time the Pink Locker Society is getting blackmailed. Read this novel to see who is blackmailing them and how the fake relationship with Forrest turns out!
The Forever Crush by Debra Moffitt in my opinion was a pretty good book. You get to see what it's like to get to have a fake relationship with someone you're crazy about and see how scary blackmailing and keeping secrets can be. I liked how you could see that everyone is scared about growing up but it all ends up fine. I also liked how they had a website to help girls out with the things they were scared of and get multiple people's opinions on it. I think that would've been very helpful for me when I was younger and scared about what would come as I grew older.
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Sandy, Oregon U.S.A
Monday, May 23, 2011
What Comes After by Steve Watkins
Iris was raised in the loving family of a single father
who loved animals and led a vegetarian life. Her life
turns upside down when the death of her father and the
divorce of her best friends' parents (her guardians) cause
her to move from the sea side land of Maine to the cold
lifeless place of North Carolina. Her aunt(Sue) takes all
the money from her dad's estate and constantly smacks her
around when something isn't done right. Iris who can't go
anywhere because Aunt Sue is the only living relative,
finds comfort in the farm animals, which includes a few
goats and a dog named Gnarly. Iris feels like everything
is spinning out of control when the pregnant Goat has 3
little weathers (castrated goats) and they are going to be
sent to the slaughter house. Iris, after attempting to let
them escape is forced to watch as book slaughters a little
weather in an inhumane manner. The thing she does to save
them is like an adventure.
The book was interesting right from the beginning where she is forced to leave her best friend behind right up till the end! The suspense was great and it kept the story going. I loved it and I would recommend to everyone. It was very eventful and didn't have a part where the book was putting me to sleep. I thought it was age appropriate and all the words that would have been hard for a person that doesn't know about goats, had their definitions right within the text, so it didn't feel like I was reading a dictionary or a book about goats. The only thing was there was not a lot of information about what happened at the lake, and after
everything that happened, how did Book and Aunt Sue's trial go? Another question that was only partly answered was how and who found out and reported child abuse that occurred at the lake.
There were some swear word that some parents may not find appropriate for their kids of certain age to read
Age:13 Uxbridge, Massachusetts U.S.
who loved animals and led a vegetarian life. Her life
turns upside down when the death of her father and the
divorce of her best friends' parents (her guardians) cause
her to move from the sea side land of Maine to the cold
lifeless place of North Carolina. Her aunt(Sue) takes all
the money from her dad's estate and constantly smacks her
around when something isn't done right. Iris who can't go
anywhere because Aunt Sue is the only living relative,
finds comfort in the farm animals, which includes a few
goats and a dog named Gnarly. Iris feels like everything
is spinning out of control when the pregnant Goat has 3
little weathers (castrated goats) and they are going to be
sent to the slaughter house. Iris, after attempting to let
them escape is forced to watch as book slaughters a little
weather in an inhumane manner. The thing she does to save
them is like an adventure.
The book was interesting right from the beginning where she is forced to leave her best friend behind right up till the end! The suspense was great and it kept the story going. I loved it and I would recommend to everyone. It was very eventful and didn't have a part where the book was putting me to sleep. I thought it was age appropriate and all the words that would have been hard for a person that doesn't know about goats, had their definitions right within the text, so it didn't feel like I was reading a dictionary or a book about goats. The only thing was there was not a lot of information about what happened at the lake, and after
everything that happened, how did Book and Aunt Sue's trial go? Another question that was only partly answered was how and who found out and reported child abuse that occurred at the lake.
There were some swear word that some parents may not find appropriate for their kids of certain age to read
Age:13 Uxbridge, Massachusetts U.S.
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