Noah Barleywater Runs Away by John Boyne

This book tells the story of something most children think of at least once in their life-running away. Noah, however, does more then that. He not only runs away, but ends up in an enchanted forest of sorts. There, he meets an old man, who keeps his father's toy shop. The toymaker has some pretty interesting stories, all of which happened in his life. The story goes back and forth from Noah's point of view to the old man's and back again. Eventually, Noah goes home and forgets about the toymaker. When he does come back many years later, the toymaker is not who Noah thought he was.

This book is a combo of fiction and fantasy combined in the best possible way. It is quite easy to relate to this book, as everyone has dreamed of running away at one time, but Noah, the main character, actually does. At first, it is a bit hard to follow the story line, but after the first few chapters it is quite easy to follow along. I enjoyed this book, and the author is able to put a few interesting spins on the story. All in all, I believe readers of all ages will enjoy Noah Barleywater Runs Away.

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: n, Indiana United States of America

Stealing the Wild by Beth Hodder

This threesome of friends, Jessie, Will, and Allie, and Jessie's dog Oriole, get themselves in a fair amount of trouble. This book takes place in the middle of nowhere, Schafer Meadows within the Great Bear Wilderness. They get caught up in the middle of the mystery to find out who is poaching animals. However, Jessie's parents don't want her involved in any way, so they have to do a bit of sneaking to pull this off. They made a wrong turn here and there, quite like another character, Lost, who they suspected for quite a time. Eventually, they do find the true thieves.

I enjoyed this book- it is similar to a present day Sherlock Homes. However, these preteens took quite a bit more risks then he did, and they did some sneaking behind their parent's backs. While this book is an enjoying, adventurous read, it got just a bit boring at times. With that in mind, I believe that this book is more geared towards younger kids, but an older kid could enjoy this book as well. All in all, Stealing the Wild is a book that will stick out from the crowd, and you won't forget it easily.

Reviewer Age:13

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

Everfound by Neal Shusterman

One fateful day, Allie and Nick s car crashed on a dangerous road. While trying to get to the light at the end of the tunnel, both were knocked off course and into a land called Everlost. Stubborn Allie tries to find a way to get home, dragging Nick along with her. They meet an ensemble of characters including the charismatic and self-righteous Mary and the hideous monster McGill. Everfound is the concluding novel of the trilogy.

I fell in love with Neal Shusterman after reading his dystopian novel, Unwind. The creativity of the plot, the intricate world he portrayed, the unique characters, the intense pacing of the book just blew me away. Although all these characteristics exist in this trilogy, I felt it was to a lesser extent.

I felt that his cast of characters was truly amazing. The way he wrote the antagonist was really well-done; he didn t just portray her as evil and malicious. In fact, I had to finish the first book in order to figure out who the antagonist really was. Although I found the pacing to be intense on the whole, some parts were a little slow.



The best part of the series, however, was the attention to little details of the world Shusterman creates. Although he touches on a sensitive subject, he never tries to impose his views on the reader. The story wasn t a vehicle to try to persuade the reader to believe in an afterlife. It was simply a story, a testimony of his imagination. Really, the only series with a more intricate world would be the Harry Potter books, and J.K. Rowling had seven books to develop it; Shusterman only has three.



The only problem I had with these books was that they felt a bit censored. Granted, this is geared towards a younger audience, but I feel like the book would have been much more profound if he made his characters older and didn t make it so clean-cut; it would have had much more impact. The subject matter of the books isn t really appropriate for younger kids, and yet, who his audience was. Also, I felt like he could have made his characters a lot more complex. Again, he had a good idea and a good start for his characters but tried to simplify it too much.



Regardless, this trilogy was a fast read, and by the end of the books, I found myself looking at the world with a new perspective. These are a definite read if you re looking for something fresh, creative, and thought-provoking.

Reviewer Age:17

Reviewer City, State and Country: Hinsdale, IL USA

Ultimate Guide To Basketball by James Buckley, Jr.

Have you ever wondered how basketball was invented? The complete rules to play the game? Then this is the book for you! It has everything you need to know about basketball. It has tons of facts about every NBA team, trivia for your friends and you, and cool little fact pages about sneakers, the ball and stuff like that. Even if you know everything about basketball this is the book for you!

I really enjoyed this book. I play basketball myself and found it really interesting. A way that I found it interesting is the funky facts for each team. One of them is about the Hacks real live mascot who delayed a game by being perched on the backboard and not going to his trainer. The author does a really good job putting it together. I found it easy to read and follow. I recommend this book to all ages.

Reviewer Age:10

Reviewer City, State and Country: Uxbridge, Ma USA

Leap by Jodi Lundgren

Dance is fifteen-year old Natalie s life. All of her friends dance. There is very little time for boys or friends who don t dance. It is her therapy. Danced helped her through her parents divorce, her father s move halfway across the family and his decision to start a new family one that doesn t include her. Now, in her new status as an adult, Natalie is struggling. She is getting attention from her best friend Sasha' s older brother. But that is not allowed if her relationship with Sasha is to endure. With her budding status as the slut of the dance team, Natalie begins to wonder if dance is making things better or worse.

This book is another one coming of age story. It does, however, take a unique perspective in using the medium and power of dance to convey many of the main character s emotions and tribulations. It is a story of emergence into adulthood, womanhood, confidence and the world of dance. It was a good book for light reading and, although it will not find a place on my "favorites" shelf, it was an enjoyable read.

Reviewer Age:18

Reviewer City, State and Country: New York, NY United States

Don't Touch That Toad by Catherine Rondina

In Catherine Rondina's book don't touch that toad it describes the difference between what parents say is true or not. Such as sitting to close will ruin your eyes. Kids their eyes can focus on the television better therefore making it so that their eyes don't get hurt. So they can sit as close as they want and it will not effect them as much as it will their parents who can't focus on it as well. Catherine Rondina's book was both a delight to read, as well as serving an educational purpose. I would recommend this book to everyone, I have already loaned it to several of my friends and they have all loved it as much as i have.

This book is a delight, it is a great book for kids. This book keeps you locked in to the end with all of the things people tell you and aren't true. Such as eating, and then having to wait an hour to go and swim. I loved this book I sat down and read it from cover to cover and didn't stop. I actually read it multiple times.

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: sandy, OR USA

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Lochan and Maya are brother and sister, but they were always more like best friends. When their mother leaves them to live with her boyfriend, they are left taking care of their three younger siblings. Lochan and Maya become closer and closer throughout this experience, so close in fact, that they fall in love. They know that their newfound feelings can send them to prison, but they can t help thinking that their love feels so right. Will their love ruin everything or will they be able to live unscathed?

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma is a wonderful love story. Even though it is a very detailed to the point where only juniors in high school and above should read it, it is still a good read. At first I believed it was going to end the way I wanted it to, so I was really disappointed when she wrote the ending a different way. I can t wait to read it again, though! I recommend this book to those who are hopeless romantics and students in grades eleven and above.

It goes into detail about Lochan and Maya's intimate gatherings. It also throughly describes Lochan's thoughts about Maya and what goes on during those gatherings.

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Fresno, California USA

The Mangrove Tree by Susan L. Roth and Cindy Trombore

This book tells the true story of a third world country that was lacking both food and money. A doctor had a unique idea: could mangrove trees feed the livestock in this country? Although a worthy plan, this would not come easily - they would have to plant the trees and wait for them to grow. Eventually the mangroves grew into a 4 mile forest!

This is a good book for children. This book is interesting and has a good moral. The authors' definitely achieved their purpose in explaining how the scientist carefully chose this tree, measured the progress of livestock s growth, and oversaw the health improvement of the entire village. I recommend others read this book, as it is both fun and educational.

Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country: Rockford, MI USA

R My Name Is Rachel by Patricia Reilly Giff

It's 1936, and America is deep into the Great Depression. Twelve-year-old Rachel is living in a busy city with her Pop and two siblings, Joey and Cassie. Rachel's best friend is Miss Mitzi, who runs the florist shop. However, all this quickly changes when Pop loses his job and moves his children to broken-down farmhouse miles from the city. Then Pop must leave for Canada or not get a job at all. Now Rachel is in charge, but things go badly wrong. Xenia, the goat, eats the garden, Cassie loses every penny they have, and there's nothing to eat but fish and beans. Through all this, Rachel finds comfort by writing letters to Miss Mitzi, but she worries. Will they be able to pay the rent? Will she be able to get more seeds? When will they ever hear from Pop?

This was a very emotional novel, which is why I think the author made a wise choice by writing it as a personal narrative. Since it is a personal narrative, it's like you are talking to Rachel; you're getting the information straight from her. I also enjoyed how the plot thickened considerably in some parts but not so much in others. I disliked that almost every chapter was very short; I think there could have been more detail in some places. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories of the Great Depression.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Annandale, Virginia USA

The Big Book of Spy Stuff by Bart King

Have you ever wanted to be a spy? If yes, then you should read this book. It is jammed packed with information about spies. Some of the stuff in it is: How to make a secret code, sneak around without being seen, and how to defend yourself. It also tells you about almost every spy there ever was. Some of them are people you know about but didn' t know there were spies. Take Roald Dahl for example. Most people know he was a writer. But you didn 't know he was a British spy in World War 2!

I absolutely loved this book! A reason I loved it is that the author puts it in certain way that you learn stuff but it doesn' t seem it. It was also very informative. An example of this is it has 30 chapters. In each chapter it has certain information about a topic. Then it goes into lengthy discussion about it. For example, a chapter title is Spymasters. It then talks about what they are. I recommend this book to any ages.

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Uxbridge, Ma USA