Toppling by Sally Murphy

Toppling is about a boy named John who loves making domino topples with his friends. John has four friends: Christian, Joseph, Tran, and Dominic. Dominic, who is his best friend, gets sick at school and is taken back home. When he doesn't come back the next few days, he and his friends get worried. One day their teacher, Mrs. Timms, says that Dominic is in the hospital and won't come back to school for a few months. The pressure is on as John copes with Ky, the school bully, the Domino Topples paper that is due and the fact that his best friend may be dying.

I like this book because of the plot. It shows what people have to face when someone they know is sick or hurt. Even the bully was kind and really sad about Dominic in the end. The book was very touching as the friends go through their tragedy together. I recommend it for anyone.

Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country: Leesburg, Virginia USA

Me and Jack

Me and Jack


Me and Jack by Danette Haworth is a story about a boy named Joshua, whose dad is in the Air Force. Josh thought things were going to be same as usual, move to a new place, make new friends, and then move again and have to leave them behind, until his dad surprised him with something great, a dog, which he later named Jack. Just when things were going good, things take a turn for the worst, involving missing chickens, a shredded cat, and a dead horse. Everybody blames Jack for all the problems, but Josh knows the real culprit, a coyote. One night, Josh set a trap and as he had planned, the coyote came, but before Josh knew it, Jack had squeezed past Josh, who was standing in the doorway, and chased it up the mountain, with Josh and his dad right behind him. Eventually, Jack chased the coyote into a bully's yard, who blames Jack for the death of his beloved horse, and comes running after Jack and Josh with a loaded gun, but when they come to a clearing, the bully, whose name is Alan, is shocked to see Jack, Josh, and a coyote in a death triangle, and drops the gun. When Josh turns around to get the gun, the coyote lunges toward him, but when Josh turns around and shoots, Jack had stepped in to defend his boy. With a dead coyote and a dog laying on the ground in front of him, Alan is still petrified, but Josh finally got his attention and they carried Jack to Alan's house where Alan's dad called the vet, and because of Josh's rush to save his best friend, Jack survived with only a scar where the bullet had passed through his neck.

I really liked this book because one of the main characters was a dog. I love animals and loved the story because the dog became a hero. He was very protective of Josh. I would love to have a dog like that. I liked that I didn't know what was going to happen until the very end of the book. I would recommend this book to boys or girls 10-13 years old.



Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Leopold, Mo Bollinger

Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel

Callie LeRoux is living in Kansas during the Dust Bowl. All the farmers have moved away, intense dust storms make it hard to breathe, and the hotel Callie's mother owns has long been empty. But when one day her mother disappears in a storm, Callie decides to head to California to search for her. She meets a young hobo named Jack, and together they set off. Little does she know, Callie is about to learn about her supernatural background and the prophecy that she is the center of.

I really enjoyed Dust Girl. When I read the synopsis, it compared it to The Gemma Doyle Trilogy, which is one of my favorite book series, so I was looking forward to reading this novel, and I'm glad it met my expectations. Callie was a very interesting character, especially once we learn more about her paranormal background. I also liked her relationship with Jack. They meet up and decide to stick together as they travel around the Midwest. He was such an asset to Callie on her journey, and I'm looking forward to some prospective romance between them. Dust Girl ended on a cliffhanger, and now I can't wait to read the sequel! I hope the author writes it quickly.

Reviewer Age:20
Reviewer City, State and Country: Aston, PA USA

Mallory McDonald, Super Snoop

Who is super sneaky, but always gets caught when trying to spy on her older brother and his girlfriend? Mallory! Mallory McDonald in the book Super Snoop by Laurie Friedman is the super snoop who is always getting caught. In this book Mallory is trying to see what her older brother and
his girlfriend, Winnie, are doing. They say they are working on a science project but Mallory doesn't believe a word they say. Who would spend ALL their free time working on a science project... there must be something more going on with them. In the end Mallory finds out the truth.


I have read many Mallory books and I think this one is the best of all I have read. Once I started reading I had a hard time putting the book down to do other things. If you like a realistic fiction book with just a bit of mystery you will like all the Mallory books. I think girls between 8-12 will like this book.



Reviewer Age:9

Jackson, MO USA

Queen's Lady (The Lacey Chronicles Book II) by Eve Edwards

Jane s life is full of hardships and complications. Born into a controlling family who wishes to use her as a pawn for their own gains, having the man she thinks she might love practically despise her, having one of her few friends, the wise and elderly Jonas Marquess of Rievaulx, breathe his last breath before her, and much more. In The Queen s Lady , Jane begins her trip to court to join those serving the Queen, as was the dying wish of Jonas. While there, she meets once again, James, the man who had stolen her heart. She tries to clear the confusion on her real reasons for rejecting his brother. Jane becomes re-entangled with her family, who still views her as a way to gain power. Along with a gaggle of conniving stepsons, a needle woman with a difficult romance, not to mention trying to reconnect with James, Jane s life is as busy and confusing as before. Tangled up in more than she can handle, she looks to her closest friends to assist her as she tries to stumble through the problems she faces, and, hopefully, end up alive and married to the man she loves.       I began reading The Queen s Lady with high hopes for the story, and was thrilled to see that the book definitely did not disappoint. Set in a time and place where a Queen ruled, a dowry came with every marriage, and even the most common speech had a wisp of poetic nature, the book remained true to the wonderful history and culture of the United Kingdom. It told the marvelously intriguing story of Lady Jane. The characters too were wonderful, each having extremely distinctive personalities, speech, and habits. The storyline was unique, the twists fascinating, and the writing style captivating. Though there were times when I wished the author would have delved into more detail, the book itself was magnificent and I will be waiting anxiously for Eve Edward s next book.   Reviewer Age:13Reviewer City, State and Country: Phillipsburg, New Jersey USA

Out of Control by Rick Jasper

In the book, Out of Control, by Rick Jasper, Carlos 'Trip' Costas is a key player in his all-star team, the Roadrunners. But when baseball starts becoming more of a chore than a sport to Trip, he asks for a break. When his father, the international superstar Juilo Costa, hears that Trip will be sitting out for a few weeks he threatens the whole team into financial devastation. Trip must decide to live out his father's dream or his own, music. With the help of his best friend, Lisa, the coaches and an unexpected injury, Trip finds a way to continue his music and baseball.The book "Out of Control" by Rick Jasper was a book about Trip trying to break away from his father's expectations and follow his own dreams. This book was a quick read with an easy to follow plotline and an insight on the sport of baseball. The characters and situations were all well developed by the end of the story and were easy to relate to. The story was also fast paced and never settled at one point for too long. I would recommend this book to whoever is looking for a quick read or any sport/baseball fans.Reviewer Age:14

Chasing the Falls (eBook) by C. Leigh Purtill

Lila is a relatively normal girl living in Ladder Falls, Massachusetts, who cares lovingly for her sick, single mother. When her mother s cancer becomes too powerful, Lila is left with a funeral and an uncaring father who lives on the opposite coast. Lila is quickly sent to live with her father, Lionel, as much as she despises him. At first, Lila can t understand why he would use his talent of photography to capture pictures of movie stars and sell them to the media. Lila and her mother had always shared the obsession of photography but had always disapproved of her father s decision to photograph only for money.  When Lila begins to accompany her father on some of his frequent outings to capture shots for the media, however, she starts to comprehend why he still engages in his unsuccessful, perilous, and widely detested career.  Before long, Lila has begun to weave her way into a life with her father, but not before she faces some serious questions about what she wants, what is right, and who she is.When I first starting reading Chasing The Falls , I expected to be disappointed. The main character seemed grossly undeveloped, and the plot seemed dreary and undefined. But it didn t take C. Leigh Purtill long to get the book moving. By the end of the book, I was thoroughly pleased with both the characters and the plot. The writing was so strong that I frequently felt frustrated when Lila made terrible decisions, and delighted when she made the correct ones. At the beginning of the book, Lila is understandably upset and disoriented. More important, however, are her lack of friends and lack of confidence.  With time, the character grows; she gathers friends and  courage, and finally, at the end of the book, Lila has blossomed into a intricate, unwavering, character.  Surprisingly, my favorite character is Erika. Girlfriend of the Hollywood paparazzi, I expected her to be a vicious, lip-sticked tyrant. But she turns out to be a kind, funny and empathetic woman. Throughout the book, Lila questions her father s choices and his character. But I felt that Erika s compassion and devotion to Lionel forshadowed the fact that in the end, Lila s father means well, despite his career. This book was interesting and fun to read, and I think I will definitely read it again sometime.Reviewer Age:13Reviewer City, State and Country: Eagle River, Alaska United States

Chance Falls (eBook) by James Unger

This book, Chance Falls, by James Unger was about a student who is given a full scholarship to an elite high school in Baltimore. There he meets Elaine, a girl he quickly falls in love with. During the fall break, he travels to Chance Falls, to meet Elaine's parents. Soon unexplainable things begin to happen, and nobody will give Ryan answers. When Ryan begins to suspect Elaine is plotting against him, in his frenzy for answers he is watched and followed. When everything leads back to a familiar place, Ryan is forced with the decision that could change the lives of more than just the occupants of Chance Falls.The book Chance Falls, by James Unger, is a fast paced mystery that is full of suspense. It will keep any reader wondering what Ryan will do next throughout the whole book. With a riveting plot and shady characters, this book has a unique tension and written in a new and upbeat fashion. The emotions described in the book were realistic and descriptive and Ryan, the main character, was easy to relate to. I would recommend this book to people who like a fast paced book that has a more in depth, complicated plot line.Reviewer Age:14Reviewer City, State and Country: ,

Escape from Texas by James W. Russell

James, a slave, thinks like no other slave. He wonders about things and thinks a lot. When he is told that slavery is over, he runs away from his Master. But when slavery starts back up again, he is taken back to his Master. He has to decide whether he should run away again, or stay a slave.I found this book rather boring. I was expecting it to be better, since I love Historical Fiction, but.... it was just bad. I actually had to skip over some parts because there was just so much description and no action or dialog at all. There were very long words, and at times there were parts that were confusing. All in all, a very boring book which I am unhappy with.Reviewer Age:13Reviewer City, State and Country: Yucaipa, CA USA

Jersey Angel by Beth Ann Bauman

Seemingly derived from the typical Jersey Shore character, Angel is a teen girl having fun and partying constantly during the summer before her senior year of high school. At the beginning of the novel, she is shocked when her on-off boyfriend, Joey, does not want to mess around anymore. He wants a relationship, and Angel refuses. Instead, she ends up having romantic encounters with her best friend s long-time boyfriend, Cork, and two other guys as well. As the book progresses, Angel makes decisions impacting her family, friends, and lovers.The main conflict in Jersey Angel is that Angel does not want to be in a relationship with Joey, but still wants the romantic benefits. She finds herself attracted to several other guys, like Cork and the more-or-less social outcast, Kipper. Personally, I find reading a novel where the majority of the story is about a girl sleeping around a bit pointless. I would describe the plot as an indecisive teen girl who is looking for love, and the boys who fall for her. The book itself is not bad per se, but it is not your typical romance book.This book contains multiple sexual encounters between the main character and other characters. Reviewer Age:14Reviewer City, State and Country: Leawood, Kansas United States