How Tia Lola Saved the Summer by Julia Alvarez

Recently, I finished the book How Tia Lola Saved the Summer by Julia Alvarez. Twelve year old Miguel is not looking forward to having to share his home with a lot of people and definitely not with a bunch of girls. The girls too thrilled at the thought of spending their vacation in a small town in Vermont, either. Thankfully, his aunt Tia Lola makes the summer an exciting adventure.  And over the course of their stay, everyone changes for the better& with a little help from a little magic, of course.
     Reading How Tia Lola Saved the Summer was a pleasant and enjoyable read. I think that this book was very nice in the sense that it had a happy ending and that everyone was content at the end of the book. This book is age appropriate and kids of the age group will enjoy the book a lot. However, I found the book to not have any surprising twists or turns which would make me want to keep on reading. I thought that the book was great, but if there was a curveball thrown somewhere in the book that would not have been expected it would have made the book even better. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good book to read and I think there should be a sequel for it.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Braintree, Massachusetts United States of America

A Kid From Southie by John Red Shea and Michael Harmon

Aiden O Connor is confused.  He lives in South Boston, known as Southie, with his mother, who can t keep a job thanks to his drunken father s uncontrollable rage and the damage he causes at every bar she works at.  And although Aiden tries to use his skill at boxing to rake in some money, it s not quite enough to pay off the rent.  Aiden finally decides to make some easy money with his friend Tommy to help rebuild his life.  Unfortunately, this involves getting mixed up with the Irish mob.  Although Aiden is fulfilling his dream of never eating Salisbury (fake) steak again by using his influence and the money he gets from working for the Irish mob, he is still thoroughly conflicted about his job, his friends , his struggles with power and money, his family, and whether he s good enough for the girl of his dreams, Angelique.  This book is the story of a 16-year-old s journey to becoming a man through power, love, friendship, betrayal, and the decisions he makes to become the person he wants to be.
A Kid from Southie is a terrific book.  Aiden s personality is consistently loyal and honorable: a kid who tries his best to provide for the people he cares about, but torn between two lives that can t coexist.  The story is told from his perspective, which helps keep the story real and clear by telling what he was feeling and the reasons behind the decisions he makes.  The mood was kind of a dark one, mostly due to the setting in the sketchy parts of Southie, but Aiden s feelings set the tone for the most part, with his internal battles and the goals he sets for himself.  Sometimes, a little more detail on character s appearances or the description of places throughout the book would ve added a little more color and made it easier to picture in my mind.  There was also some inconsistency with ages and times, I noticed.  The language fit the setting, but it did get pretty crude, and a couple of scenes definitely encourage me to recommend it to older audiences due to some mature content.  Altogether, it was a well-written, interesting, and all-around good book.  I couldn t put it down.  I would recommend this book for anyone who can deal with some mature content and language who is looking for a fantastic read.
Crude language, sexual innuendos, violence, drugs, alcohol
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Sandy, OR United States

A Short Handbook for Writing Essays in the Humanities and Social Sciences

Have trouble writing that essay that is worth half of your grade. Then the Short Handbook for essays in the Humanities and Social Sciences is the book for you. This handbook will teach you how to change that boring old piece of paper into an argument that the reader will love. The authors, Salvatore and Dan Allosso, both very good teachers, have arranged this book in a way that is easy to read and understand so that you get the most out of your writing. This book will teach you to take the right notes, squeeze the information out of them, and create a paper that in unique and enjoyable.

I found this book very informative. I had an essay assigned when I got this book and it helped in a way the teacher couldn't. I learned how to look at notes and get the right information. Then it taught me hold to form that information into an essay that could display the topic in a clear, flowing way. I am sure that I will find this book to be essential in every essay that I write, and anyone who is having trouble with their writing can be sure that this will help.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mineola, Texas America

Shadow Magic By Kitty Wells

     Maddy Lloyd is a girl with a magic secret. She has three

tiny ceramic cats that one at a time comes to life. The

pocket cats help Maddy to solve problems. It's when her

cousin Chloe moves in the house that Maddy meets Nibs, the

second cat. Nibs tells Maddy that there is a problem in

the house and she believes that has something to do with

Chloe.

     Maddy's cousin Chloe is in middle school, she is not very

friendly to Maddy or anybody and this is because she feels

homesick. Thanks to magic powers, Nibs makes Maddy

invisible and this helps her to spy on Chloe. Maddy will

find out the problem and when it is solved, Nibs goes back

to be ceramic and Maddy waits to meet the next pocket cat.



     I liked the book because it is about magic. I also

liked the fact that the cats came alive and they act like

real ones even if they are two inches tall. I loved the

main character Maddy because she is a kind and caring

girl. Her determination also helps her cousin to stay and

make new friends. I wish I could live the same experience

as the main character since I love magic and cats.

My favorite part of the book is when at the end Chloe

apologizes to Maddy for being rude and they become closer

again. I admire the forgiveness of Maddy to her cousin and

the real friendship that unites the two girls. These are

special feelings.

     I will recommend this book to a friend because the story

is interesting with a hint of magic. In conclusion the

story is amusing but at the same time helpful to kids by

teaching how to deal with everyday situations and making

the right choice.





Reviewer Age:9
Reviewer City, State and Country:

newburgh, ny usa

Magebane by Lee Arthur Chane

This book is an adventure book with magic in it. It is about a country where they are divided from the rest of the country by a massive magic wall called the Great Barrier. MageLords rule this world over the commoners. The commoners are not happy with the rule of the MageLords and are forming secret societies that are trying to revolt. They would revolt except that the MageLord have magic that can blow them apart. The government is very corrupt, and the King doesn't rule, the MageLords do. Will anything change?

This author is a very good author. He makes you feel like you are standing right next to the characters. Some of the book was a little inapropriate, but it was a very good book. This book's strength is that the author, as I said before, makes you feel like you are right there. Its weakness is that some of the book is a little hard to understand until you read farther. I would recommend this book to others.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Hunting Valley, OH USA

Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Kiss of Frost is the second book in the Mythos Academy series. In this book, the students at the academy go on a holiday. Before they leave, Gwen almost gets shot with an arrow. She thinks this is happening because a Reaper wants revenge for another Reaper. Once the students arrive at The Winter Carnival, strange things start happening. Eventually, Gwen is led through a series of events that will lead her to uncover the truth behind it all!

While I really enjoyed this book, I felt like the main character Gwen, was a bit on the whiny side for me, which kept me from really enjoying her character. I actually really enjoyed the supporting characters in this book more so than the main ones.

The book was fast paced and definitely easy to read in a day or two. This is my kind of book. Over all I really enjoyed the book, the fast pace of the story and plot with the twists that it took. It kept me guessing and anticipating the next page!

I haven't read the first one, but now, I definitely want to go back and read it. I look forward to the next book in this installment!

Reviewer Age:26

Reviewer City, State and Country: West Columbia, Texas United States

Forbidden (eBook) by Amy Miles

This book is about a vampire named Roseline. Roseline was made into a vampire her wedding night by her husband Valadimir. Roseline was sixteen when this happened. Valadimir is abusive to Roseline. One night after a very brutal beating, Roseline escapes to America. When Roseline gets to the US, she attends a private high school. At the school, Roseline meets a boy named Gabriel. She is unexpected attracted to Gabiriel. Will Roseline really escape Valadimir? Will she figure out her attraction to Gabriel?
This book was not very good. The book is a lot like Twiligjt. It had a lot of similarities such as Roseline saving Gabriel in a car crash, Gabriel has to save Roseline, and Roseline having no spine at ALL! ﾠWhat happened to the days when girls didnt always need a guy?! Why dies the VAMPIRE need to be saved by the HUMAN! Why? Honestly. When I heard about the book, I thought it would be really good. It started out good, a girl leaves her abusive husband. I was really hoping that Roseline would be a strong and independent woman, but I was so sadly let down. I would not recommend this book to anybody who wants to read something meaningful.ﾠ

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Baltimore, Maryland U. S. A

All You Desire by Kirsten Miller

This book is a sequel to a book called The Eternal Ones. It takes place in Rome and New York. It is about a girl named Haven who reincarnates after every life that she lives so that she is with her love, Iain Morrow, forever. She also has another man who has been her lover in past lives. His name is Adam Rosier and he runs a group called the Ouroboros society. In the past, he has been evil. After Haven s best friend, Beau, disappears while going to New York to meet his soul mate, Haven knows that she must find him. She rushes to New York and with the help of Adam Rosier and a mysterious group called the Horae, she just might find her friend. It is a romantic mystery.
While reading this book, you feel like you are part of the story. The author is very descriptive. The mood is romantic, yet it is also mysterious because this book is about love and soul mates. It is mysterious because as you read, you figure out lots of secrets. I believe that the characters are real people because they live real lives and they seem like a person that I might meet in my own life. I liked the characters because they were all unique and they added essential parts to the story. The author s voice is normal, just like the voice of someone who would be telling you the story orally. I liked the style of this book because it wasn' t very specific and I could let my own emotions tell the story. It was told in first person, which is very appropriate. The author ended the book well except for one thing;  she left us wondering what happened to a certain character. The author achieved their purpose because I was very entertained by this book.  The writing was beautiful and very well done. The vocabulary was age-appropriate. The strength of this book is the beauty of the writing, but the weakness is that sometimes the writing was too long and too descriptive when it needed to be short and concise. This book was one of the better books that I have read in this genre, but not the best. I have not read other books from this author except for the first book in this series. I didn t really learn anything in this book, but it was still a good read. I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to others, but I would recommend it to mainly girls.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Leawood, Kansas United States

The Dragonfly Prophecy by Jacquelyn Castle

This novel, entitled The Dragonfly Prophecy, is a wonderful tale of a seventeen-year-old girl named Lexi Blane, who is struggling to survive in a world which is both her own, and somewhat foreign to her, after waking from a two month coma. But that s impossible; she was in the Bahamas with her parents and her boyfriend, William, while everyone says she was in the coma. But, as her aunt says, her parents are dead, and no one knows anything about William. As her aunt takes her in, Lexi sees William in her dreams every night. He explains the truth about her parents death, himself, and an alternate universe. Aided by her best friend, Chase, who explains what William happened to leave out, like Lexi s superhuman abilities, Lexi sets out to live with her parents and William, while Chase tries to convince her to stay. Getting caught up in an evil scheme for the dominance of two worlds, a captivating love triangle with two men who aren t who they seem to be, and battling bad guys with super powers, Lexi Blane makes an amazing journey in The Dragonfly Prophecy.

It got interesting right away (about page 16), I got engrossed quickly. I found this a truly suspenseful story. So suspenseful, in fact, that I read it in just a few hours, and by the time it was over, my hands were shaking. The incredible story line and action will leave you refusing to put it down. The memorable characters are amazing, and I wish they were real people.  Jacquelyn Castle writes powerful messages in the story, and although some are more difficult to understand, they get through. The Dragonfly Prophecy is one I'm telling all my friends to read.


Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Alton, MO US

Lost in Time by Melissa De La Cruz

Lost in Time is the sixth installment in the Blue Bloods series by Melissa de le Cruz. This stunning novel tells the stunning stories of three characters: Schuyler, Allegra, and Mimi. Schuyler and her newly bonded husband Jack are in Cairo looking for the Gate of Promise. But, there may be more going on with the Gate of Promise then what is on the surface. Allegra is about to be bonded to Charles, her twin, until a human from her past makes an appearance. Who will she choose? And who's lying? Mimi is traveling to the Hell to rescue her beloved Kingsley. She travels with her human Conduit Oliver. But, in Hell Mimi and Oliver's eyes are opened and will soon understand the meaning of true sacrifice.

   This book was a fast paced action-romance that was very enjoyable to read. I've never read any of the series before, but now I'm hooked. If you enjoyed Twilight and other vampire love stories, this book is for you. You end up falling in love with all the characters, hoping they will live through their trials and tribulations. It is a beautifully crafted story, a true work of art. This story will leave you thirsty for more Blue Bloods.


Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Silver Spring, Maryland USA