Lunch Lady by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

When three kids skip out on a museum tour their punishment is the scariest thing ever!!!! They have to join their schools mathletes. At first the kids are really bummed, but with the help of Lunch Lady and her sidekick, Betty, they figure out that being mathletes can be a wonderful experience. This book has action, humor, and comic book format. If that intrigues you, Lunch Lady is definitely the book for you.

This book was hilarious!!!! My mom is a lunch lady (she wanted to help out because the other lunch ladies are, in my opinion, evil!) and Lunch Lady reminded me of her. No, my mom is not a crime-fighting spy person but my mom is always willing to lend a hand. This book was so funny even my dad who was on the side while I read it laughed out loud. I would recommend this book to anyone who says they want a book with action and humor.

Reviewer Age:9

Reviewer City, State and Country: Charlotte, NC United States

Oreo by Valerique Williams

In the book Oreo, by Valerique Williams, Jayenia is trying to figure out who she is, because she is too black on the outside to be white, but too white on the inside to be black. She thinks high school will be a great time but does not think that after the first day. Jayenia must try to figure out who she is and who she wants to be. She wants to fit in society, but she feels as if she isn't living up to who a black person should really be.

I would not recommend reading this book for many reasons. First, the writing style seems as if it is being written by a first grader during free time, rushing to get it all down. Secondly, the book doesn't even make much sense. It seems as if she just got tired of writing it at the end and said there she's fine, done, let's get this published. This was not a very good book and it just doesn't make sense. I wouldn't have read past the first chapter if I didn't have to review it.

Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Rochester, New York USA

Rating: 1

Content Rating: 1

Echo's Revenge: The Ultimate Game by Sean Austin

Echo's Revenge: The Ultimate Game by Sean Austin is about the video game Echo's Revenge becoming a reality for its online players. The book is written around two brothers, Reggie and Jeremy, and starts in the small town of Meadowbrooke, Washington, with both of them playing Echo's Revenge. Reggie is one of the top players in the world of Echo's Revenge, and as such, he's able to kill the Echo in the game. However, their real life is not so good, with Reggie and Jeremy living with their absentee mother and their abusive step-father Asa. Reggie, being one of the top, was invited to the top players conference at the AAA Reality Games headquarters, but Asa forbids him to go, throwing the invitational letter into the fireplace. Reggie decides to go anyways, and once there, he meets all the other top gamers. After Reggie gets home from the conference, Asa discovers that he disobeyed him, and both brothers enact Operation: Thunderbolt, their plan to escape Asa and go to their dad's house in Pasadena. However, they encounter many trials along the way and end up facing their greatest fear: a real life Echo. Full of danger, Echo's Revenge: The Ultimate Game is a riveting adventure full of unexpected turns and twists.

Although being varied and having many things going on within it, Echo's Revenge: The Ultimate Game can be evaluated in three ways: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

The Good:
Although the idea of a video game coming to life is not a new concept, Sean Austin explores it in a way previously unseen in a story, making it distinctly unique. Also, it is a relatively short read, so it can easily be read on any schedule.  And finally, it's conclusion leaves it very suspenseful, leaving the reader thirsting for more. I know that I cannot wait for the next book.

The Bad:
Although there are hidden twists and secrets behind the book, the majority of the book is extremely predictable. It can make the book a bore at times and makes it a lower level reading material.

The Ugly:
Although I understand this was an uncorrected advanced readers copy, the book is in desperate need of just a basic grammar and spell check. Mistakes are riddled all throughout the book, which makes the book a confusing read. It is not fit to be published until these mistakes are corrected.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Tucson, Arizona U.S.A.

Peaceweaver by Rebecca Barnhouse

Hild is the sister-daughter of King Ragnar of the Shyflings.  She was a favorite of her uncle until the day she ran across a training field, controlled by a strange instinct, to keep her cousin, the heir to the throne, from being assassinated.  In doing so, she killed her cousin's would-be murderer with a borrowed sword without realizing what she was doing until it was over.  To Hild's surprise, her uncle is not pleased to have his heir safe, but instead is furious at her deed.  His adviser, Bragi, goes so far as to say she has been possessed by evil spirits, while others murmur of the gods chosen.  Because of the doubt that this possession is for good purposes, Hild must be exiled.  Ragnar decides to marry her off to the new king of the Geats.  On her journey to the Geats, Hild meets a terrifying monster, loses her maid, and learns that the union is a ploy. Her uncle plans to attack after the wedding, when the Geats feel secure.  Hild know that when he attacks, she will not be spared.  In only a few days, Hild must find a way to be a true peaceweaver between the two kingdoms.

Hope.  That is the feeling I had when I closed this book.  Hope and determination.  Hild was so brave to endure extreme hardships: from being accused of being possessed, to being attacked by a monster and losing her maid on a journey to be a false bargaining tool.  It wasn't her choice to be possessed, and the punishment is unfair, but Hild doesn't complain.  She simply does as she is told, hoping it will all end well.  Then she arrives in the land of the Geats, which has been ravaged by a dragon.  She almost runs from the small kingdom with so little to offer but decides to stay and help the new king rebuild his country and possibly make peace with hers.  Hild must have felt hope, determination and also a certainty that this was her home now.  This story attracted me because it supposedly involved Norse Mythology.  I was disappointed to learn the author only made use of the three most common gods and goddesses, but it was still a great story.  What more can I say?  It was an amazing and extraordinary story, the kind that makes you want to laugh and cry at the same time.  Thank you, Rebecca Barnhouse.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lake City, IA USA

Emerald Witch

Living with her Grandmother Grace in a small Irish town resides the story’s main character, Amelia. The book follows Amelia as she must abandon her human life to embrace a newfound discovery; she is the last in the line of the Emerald Witches. With her mother deceased, and her father, a dark and infamous wizard, out for her blood to complete a nefarious spell, it is Grace who must help Amelia survive and harness her new powers.  The pair is accompanied by a throng of magical defenders willing to put down their lives in order to save Amelia and stop her wicked father. Together they begin an epic adventure filled with danger, mystery, and malevolence. 

The Emerald Witch begins with Amelia, not knowing about her magical heritage, dealing with mostly normal teenage issues, mixed with strange and unexplainable happenings that become important later on.  It is at these earlier stages of the book that I became acutely aware of the skewed priorities of our heroine. Exploding principals, mysterious disappearances, unsolved murders and in Amelia’s mind, all this pales in comparison to the dreamy way an attractive guy-not the one she is dating, mind you- flips his hair.  I was infinitely grateful when the storyline moved on, and the importance of her love life diminished, replaced with the more significant details of the story. I found myself enjoying the book more and more as it continued on, getting darker and much more interesting every time a key point was revealed. The majority of the characters where unique and had their share of endearing faults, though I could point out a few that where unrealistically perfect. The plot itself seemed very original, while still keeping familiar elements used in the majority of the fantasy genre. In all, the story was enjoyable, and I don’t regret choosing this fascinating book. 

Reviewer Age: 13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Phillipsburg, New Jersey United States

The Mark by Jen Nadol

Cassandra Renfield didn' t know what it meant...until she followed a man and watched him die. She now knows that the strange glow she sees on individuals does not mean she' s crazy . . . it means those people are going to die. Today. Cassie knows that the mark is a remarkable predictor of the inevitable, a warning . . . which is why she feels anxious and panicked when she sees marked people and knows she can 't save them. Or can she? Seeing the mark again and again begs the question: should Cassandra tell the people she knows will die in just hours?  Can she prevent death?
Although it was not the best I' ve read, I liked this book. It has an interesting concept that I haven' t seen before in a story. Cassandra is a believable character, and the dialogue is believable as well. The writing style wasn 't my favorite, but that 's personal preference. Overall, this was a decent book. I wouldn' t recommend it to younger readers, mainly because of harsh language but for more mature readers, give it a try. The Mark is a worthwhile read.

Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Tigard, OR USA

The Princesses of Iowa by M. Molly Backes

Last spring, Paige and her friends were involved in a drunk driving accident; luckily for them, it could have been a lot worse. She returns to her small town in Iowa for her senior year after having been shipped off to Paris for the summer to be an au pair. She's expecting to pick right where she left off, but things have changed. Her boyfriend is distant, her friend walks with a limp now, and Paige feels increasing pressure from her mother to look and be perfect. But when she takes a creative writing class with an inspiring teacher, Paige learns how writing can be therapeutic and uses her new found knowledge to become the person she's always wanted to be.

I really enjoyed The Princesses of Iowa, especially because it addressed a lot of concerns that teenagers have to deal with on a daily basis. This included drunk driving, friendship/boyfriend/family issues, self-image, love interests, popularity, parental/peer pressure, disabilities and gay rights/discrimination. While I was glad to see so many themes, there was almost too much going on in the book for any one point to be fully addressed and discussed.

That being said, I liked that Paige developed like a true dynamic character. She really did change for the better, and it was nice to actually be able to see that. Also, some of the supporting characters were really fun to read about, such as Shanti, Ethan, and Mr. Tremont. Since there is a lot going on, the book is a quick read, and there is never a dull moment. I liked The Princesses of Iowa a lot, but for her next book the author should use a few themes and stick with just them.
Reviewer Age: 20
Reviewer City, State and Country: Aston, Pennsylvania United States

The Secret Circle: The Divide by L. J. Smith

Cassie and the Circle are back, and they are in even more danger than before. The Circle's loved ones and friends are slowly being marked by a witch hunter! Could the hunter be Scarlett, the suspicious new girl in town? Or is the culprit Max, the school's new jock and principal's son? To help save themselves and others, their loyalties and friendships will be tested, lines will be crossed, and lives will be lost. Who is the hunter, and will the Circle be able to stop him or her?

L. J. Smith has created another wonderful addition to The Secret Circle series. This book was filled with action, drama, and romance. This story leaves you on your toes with suspense, and I feel like I can see the book being played out in my head. Even though the story line was amazing, Smith could have cleaned up the end of the story a little better. Most likely there is going to be another in the series, and I cannot wait for it! I recommend this to all girls and lovers of the mystical.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fresno, California USA

Ice Island by Sherry Shahan

Tantum is a young teenage girl that is visiting Santa Ysabel Island (in Alaska) for a week with her mom. She loves dogsled racing and meets and befriends an Eskimo boy named Cole who also likes dogsled racing. They decide to do a trial run, but then a freak blizzard hits leaving them stranded in the middle of nowhere. With half of the dogs exhausted and one dog with newly born pups, one person will have to go for help, leaving the other behind.
Ice Island was a pretty satisfying book. I like do-or-die type of books and this was a good one. The author also does a really good job describing the scenes. An example of this is on page 74 "Cole's team looked like they were swimming down the trail, snow sprayed up from his sled like a wave behind a speed boat". I recommend this for ages 10 and up. If you enjoy it then I recommend books by Gordon Korman, more specifically his Everest and Island trilogies.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Uxbridge, Mass. USA

Erebos by Ursula Poznanski

Nick Dunmore notices strange things happening. He sees a mysterious package that is being passed around at his school. Nicks initially thinks it is only a pirated CD, but after he gets his hands on it, he finds something much better: a computer game called Erebos. He discovers that the game is so addictive that it takes control over the gamers. The game connects with the real world, giving you seemingly mindless tasks to complete in order to level up. The puzzle pieces begin to fit together and Nick now realizes things are far bigger than he imagined, and that Erebos will stop at nothing to reach its goal. This poses a new question. What is Erebos?
I really liked this book. It gave me an inside look on the addictive power of games, and how games can be like a drug: almost impossible to stop. The players couldn't tell the difference between the game and reality. The book depicted the story in explicit detail but still left room for your imagination. It was very mysterious and the conclusion made sense. The author gives us a look inside the game while Nick is playing and shows what it takes to disconnect from Erebos without going completely insane. Although the middle dragged on a bit, the ending was more than satisfying. Now excuse me, I have to get back to my game.


Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Leawood, KS United States