Thistle Down by Irene Radford

For generations, the children of Skene Falls, Oregon have befriended the Pixies of the Ten Acre Woods. Eventually the kids grow up and lose their beliefs in the Pixies. However, Dusty Carrick and her brother Dick are the rare exception.  When Dusty and Dick's childhood friend Thistle Down appears in a human body, they have no choice but to believe her when she says she is exiled amongst the Pixies. With Thistle comes yet another problem. The antagonists of the novel want to tear down the Ten Acre Forest, which would forever alter the lives of the Pixies, children, and the residents of Skene Falls. It's up to Dusty and her friends to save the forest and help Thistle Down.

I really enjoyed Thistle Down. It had an extremely intriguing plot and made me continue turning pages right from the beginning. Irene Radford did a really nice job of making sure we knew who was telling the story.  Even with about five different characters sharing the spotlight, it was extremely organized. I would recommend this book if you're into fantasy and the present day!

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Hermantown, MN USA

The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson

When Ginny Blackstone lost the last little blue envelope in Greece, along with the twelve other letters, she accepted that she would never find out what her aunt had to tell her in that last letter. But when someone calls to say that he found her backpack with all the letters, Ginny finds herself heading to England again for another adventure. The boy who found the letter, Oliver, wants to help Ginny, but only if he is allowed to accompany her and take away half the profit from one of Aunt Peg's paintings. Ginny reluctantly agrees and she finds herself traveling Europe with not just Oliver, but her old friend Keith and his new girlfriend Ellis. If this trip is like last summer, Ginny is in for the treat of a lifetime.
I was really excited to read The Last Little Blue Envelope because it is the newly released sequel to one of my favorite books, Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes. In the first book, Ginny loses the last envelope, and accepts the fact that she might never know what her aunt had to say. But luckily for us, The Last Little Blue Envelope provides some closure with Ginny receiving the last letter in a rather unorthodox manner. Oliver, the boy who found the letter, seems very manipulative, because he will only give Ginny the letter if she allows him to take away half the profits from one of Aunt Peg's paintings. As the story progresses, we learn more about Oliver and start to like him more. Old favorites like Richard, Ginny's uncle, and Keith, Ginny's sort-of boyfriend, make a reappearance in this latest installment. The Last Little Blue Envelope was full of humor, adventure, and even some romance and is the perfect sequel to a great book.

Reviewer Age:19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Aston, PA United States

Subway Girl by P. J. Converse

Simon is a teenage boy struggling to complete school in Hong Kong. On top of English class and pressure from his parents, Simon may not be graduating this year. But Simon's luck begins to change when he sees the most beautiful girl he has ever seen on the subway. He finally gets up the nerve to speak to her and learns her
personality is just as beautiful as her appearance. But is Subway Girl what Simon thinks? Or is she living a double
life?

At first I was skeptical of this book. I assumed it would be like every teen romance novel - cheesy and
fictional. But as I read on and opened my mind, I found this book was different from all the others. Simon's urge to be with the mysterious Subway Girl could cost him everything - yet he risks it all to be with her. This book is perfect for the girly-girl or sensitive guy!

Adult Themes

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Panama City, Florida USA

Diary of a Bad Boy by Traci Hall

Josh Grady was a bad kid. He was abused and hurt physically and emotionally by his father and it hardened him into a troubled person. He took one big step in the wrong direction and the result put his best friend in a coma. Instead of being sent to jail, Josh is given a second chance and he goes to Shining Star Boy's Ranch to straighten out his life. For a while, Josh hated it. He hated all the rules, the teachers and counselors, and most of all he hated how kind everyone was to him because it reminded him of what he didn't have. Even though he thinks his whole life has been messed up, Josh finds that the hardest thing he has to do is find forgiveness for himself and others.

Josh was a bad kid. He made so many mistakes in his life and what he really needed was to find forgiveness for himself and for others. When I first picked up The Diary of a Bad Boy, I didn't like it and I thought I would be bored with it. Then I got into it, and I found myself being mad, sad, happy and confused along with Josh. I felt his hurt and anger and then I felt his forgiveness. I loved how much he turned around his life. I felt like I was reading about a real person's struggles in life and I felt proud of him when he made a good decision. After I began reading it, I couldn't put it down! My one complaint is the excessive cursing and some grammatical errors that I found. Aside from that, Traci Hall did a great job with the message for forgiveness she was trying to get across.

Content: 4
Rating: 8
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Tatamy, PA USA

Badd by Tim Tharp

Ceejay has always grown up in the shadow of her rebellious yet charming older brother, Bobby. She doesn' t mind, though. Ceejay and Bobby have always been able to understand each other better than anyone else. So when Bobby is sent to fight in the war in Iraq, Ceejay is devastated, and can't wait until he comes home. But when he does, it' s not quite how Ceejay had imagined. Bobby has changed, and no one, not even Ceejay, understands him anymore. First, he's avoiding his family, then he 's consorting and even befriending Ceejay's enemy, Captain Crazy? Something just isn't right and Ceejay takes it upon herself to find out what it is. As Ceejay investigates, she will come to the realization that not everyone is how they seemed. She will gain unexpected friends, and lose a few on the way. This is a coming-of-age story, in which Ceejay will discover things she 's never known about people, and change her whole perspective on life.

Badd was an interesting book. Its unusual plot helped it to maintain the element of surprise and keep the reader on their toes. The main character, Ceejay, was spunky and original: a tough girl with a twist. She acted like a boy, like Bobby, like nothing could faze her, but there were a lot of mixed emotions in her. She had a hard shell on the outside, but she was confused inside. These feelings were revealed through the first person dialogue,
which fit well with the story.

The rest of the characters were easily recognizable with their lines ; they all had specific personalities that complimented each other. The uses of contrasting characters (catalysts) aided the plotline and added some exciting scenes. The language fit the first person dialogue, but there were many cases of foul language. It also included some sexual innuendos, as well as drug use and references. This book was an interesting book that got me thinking. It included a lot of tough subjects, like the war and what it can do to people, teen drinking and pregnancy, drugs, and most of all, changes, for better and for worse. I would recommend it for anyone who wants a page turner and doesn't mind the references and language.

foul language, drug use, sexual reference

Reviewer
Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Sandy, OR United States

Rotters by Daniel Kraus

Joey Crouch was a sheltered kid, if one can be sheltered in Chicago. He is very attached to his mother and fears for her life daily. His life gets flipped upside down when she is hit by a bus and Joey is sent to live with the father he has never even heard of. Ken Harnett doesn't know what to do with his new son and Joey has to attend a new school, Bloughton High. But school isn't any better, Joey is bullied, used as a specimen in biology and still gets straight A's. Determined to find out the source of Harnett's horrible smell and local nickname "The Garbageman," Joey climbs in the back of his truck with a camera and follows Harnett to a job. Then it is revealed that Ken Harnett is a grave robber. Eager to make something of himself in a place where everyone wishes he wasn't there, Joey and his father come to an understanding and Joey starts learning the family business.

Rotters is a very dark novel but it doesn't end as darkly as I thought it would at the beginning. It seems well researched and smart. The characters are surprising but relatable; everyone has faced the type of rejection Joey has. The book's major overarching themes are family and mortality. It's a new view of the outsider storyline without the typical ending. Rotters is an unusual and absorbing coming of age story that anyone (who can stand to be grossed out a bit) would enjoy.

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Sterling Heights, MI United States

Gossip From The Girl's Room by Rose Cooper

I recently read the book Gossip from the Girl s
Room by Rose Cooper. This book follows the life of 6th
grader Sofia Becker and her trying to fit in the popular
crowd at school. In order to gain popularity points, Sofia
decides to start an anonymous blog on her school s website
with all the latest gossip. However, keeping the blog up
is not as easy as it seems until Sofia realizes all the
juiciest gossip can be overheard in the girl s bathroom.
Soon, she has a very popular blog on her hands. But how
much gossip is too much?
I found the book Gossip from the Girl s Room by Rose Cooper to be very interesting and entertaining. I found striking similarities to the book
series Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and I found it to be very
entertaining for teenage girls who need a laugh at their
own life. Cooper was right on the spot with an all-out
hilarious book. I thought the book was very down-to-earth.
This book has the potential to become the next best-
seller. I think the ending left me hanging, and I cannot
wait for the sequel to come out. I highly recommend this
book, and you will definitely enjoy it as well.
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Braintree, Massachusetts United States of America

Sorrowheart. . . . This is an eBook by Kendra Thomas

Brenia Sorrowheart is going on her first adventure! Whoa! Slow down! From a mere stable girl, to the lady in waiting, to the Queen,(not to mention her best friend), and now this! All in what, a few weeks? Amazing as it all seems, Bree has to focus. She must find the lost key to a box that's been locked for centuries- And we're not talking about some key hidden under a bed; we're talking about a key guarded by the darkest secrets of the deep. But is the key really an object she's looking for, or a lost part of her?

This book was... captivating!!! It was the perfect balance of action and fitting together puzzle pieces. After a chapter of fitting things together, you jumped right back into the action somewhere else. There was always action somewhere else. I have to admit, the book was a little difficult to pick up, having not read the first book. (There is a first book, right? It's not just me?!) Overall it was a great plot, complete with characters with lots of depth, including one coping with the loss of a best friend. I can't wait for the next book!!!! :) (There is a next book, right?!!!)

Reviewer Age:11

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

The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge

There is a necrovirus that is taking over the people and turning them mad. Lovecraft is set in a future New England. It is run by the machine and controlled by the Proctors. Aiofe Grayson is an orphan. She never knew her father and both her mother and brother have gone mad. Aiofe' s family is a little different, however. Their blood carries a strain of the necrovirus that remains dormant until their sixteenth birthday. When Aiofe receives a note asking for help from her brother, Conrad, a few weeks before her sixteenth birthday, one of the only times he' s contacted her since he went mad and tried to kill her on his birthday, she decides that she has nothing to lose. She sets off with her friend, Cal, and their guide, Dean, on a dangerous adventure, outside the city walls, to save Conrad. Or are they off to destroy Lovecraft and the world as they know it?

This book was amazing. Kittredge creates a world that is a merge of science, magic, and intrigue. The characters are complex and keep a reader interested in knowing more. Once I began this book, I could not put it down. A reader never knows where it is going to go next in plot, or character relations. Kittredge gives the reader just enough information to think that the understand yet they are totally uninformed and it keeps you hooked because you always need to read more. I would have been happy if it went on for another 500 pages!

Reviewer Age:18

Reviewer City, State and Country: Leverett, MA USA

Rating: 10

Content Rating: 1

Be Healthy! It's a Girl Thing!

Be Healthy! It's A Girl Thing: Food, Fitness and Feeling
Great by Mavis Jukes and Lilian Cheung is a very
informational book teaching you about everything you need
to know to about becoming a healthier person. It is a
nonfiction book and topics range from getting enough
exercise to how much water to drink a day to how to
nutrition labels. It is the perfect book for preteens and
teens because the writing is easy to understand. You may
think you know everything about how to be healthy, but this
book provides much more that most people forget about
including in a healthy lifestyle such as: the Percent Daily
Value, friendships and how to ignore common stereotypes.
This book has everything you need to know about creating a
healthier lifestyle for yourself!

I thought that, Be
Healthy! It's a Girl Thing: Food, Fitness and Feeling Great
by Mavis Jukes and Lilian Cheung, is a bit dry. Some parts
give interesting information but overall it is difficult to
read continuously because I would find my mind daydreaming
often. The subjects are mostly interesting but occasionally
there is a very dull subject that I would rather skip over.
Also, the subjects are very brief and I think some could be
expanded. A couple topics only gave a sentence or two about
it. If the authors were to go back and revise the book, I
would recommend them to add a bit more about some of the
topics. The book is very encouraging which is helpful in
the beginning but gets a bit annoying after reading it for
a while. In addition, there is something called the Cactus
Plan on page 29 which, to this day, I still cannot figure
out how it works. It is a diagram about how to limit foods,
however, it is incredibly difficult to figure out how it
works. The authors do not make it clear how to read the
diagram or even how to read it. However, I do like some
things about Be Healthy! It's a Girl Thing: Food, Fitness
and Feeling Great as well. For example, I like how there is
some background information at the beginning of the book
like what the book's purpose is and a brief description on
what a growth spurt is. That makes it easier to ease into
the book and to help know what you are about to read. It
also makes you a little more excited to begin reading it. I
think that this book is child friendly because it feels
like a nice teacher or adult that you like is talking to
you. I also think that the vocabulary is good for the
recommended age of 10 and up. In conclusion, I learned
several things after reading this book that encourage me to
become a healthier and more active person!

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country:
Milwaukee, Wisconsin United States