100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson

Henry York is traveling to Henry, Kansas to stay with his aunt, uncle, and four girl cousins because his parents were recently kidnapped. While he is with his relatives he finds (in his own bedroom) hidden cupboards all over the walls. What he discovers with one of his younger cousins in, through, and about these cupboards is extremely mysterious and possibly dangerous. The right decisions need to be made, but Henry is not sure if he is up to it.

100 Cupboards is N.D. Wilson’s first installment in his new fantasy trilogy. He brings to life many new and different characters and this added to my enjoyment of his book. When you read as much as I do you can see similarities in characters from completely different books. I appreciated the uniqueness of Wilson’s characters and enjoyed their adventures. One thing that stood out and was impressive was how I was able to connect, and sometimes even feel like, I was participating in this story.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Durham, NC USA

Truancy by Isamu Fukui

In the experimental City, the tyrannical Mayor and his Educators strive to make each citizen a docile, complacent member of society by controlling education. However, a group of outcast students, called the Truancy, arises to fight the Educators for control. Caught in the midst of the battle is Tack, one of the many students oppressed by the school system. When Tack meets Umasi, he finds relief and listens to Umasi’s wisdom. Umasi becomes his mentor, training him physically and mentally for challenges ahead. But then Tack loses his sister during a Truancy attack, and he runs away from school and home, bent on revenge. Tack is taken in by the Truants and quickly rises as second in command to Zyid, the leader. As he becomes more involved with the Truancy, Tack is torn between following his conscience and avenging the death of his sister.


I think Truancy is a fantastic book. It is full of adventure and action, a definite page turner. It also contains surprises and plot twists which kept me interested. Even though Truancy was set in an alternate world, the Isamu Fukui really made me feel like I was there watching the action. He made the characters were easy to relate to and interesting, especially in bringing out the human side of the seemingly heartless Zyid. Overall it was a great book that I would recommend to any reader who likes science-fiction, fantasy, or action-adventure.

Content:violence

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Erlanger, Kentucky United States

Poseur by Rachel Maude

Charlotte Beverwil, Janie Farrish, Melissa Moon, and Petra Greene attend exclusive Winston Prep in the Hollywood Hills. And that's all they have in common. But hang out together? They'd rather be hanged. Borrow one another's clothes? They'd sooner borrow a zit. So when these four sophomores are forced into a class to create their own fashion label, they Clash with a capital C. Janie thinks Melissa and Charlotte are Beverly Hills brats. They dismiss Janie as a Valley rat in sheep's clothing. And Petra...well, Petra couldn't care less. Can a cool coquette, a shy punk, a hippie goddess, and a ghetto-glam egomaniac make beautiful couture together? At Winston Prep, survival of the fittest comes down to who fits in--and what fits.

I loved Poseur! It was entertaining, interesting, and addictive. It was such a good book and a definite page turner. The characters were easy to relate to and very unique in their own ways. It was easy to get caught up in this book because of Janie's drawings, which made it easier to visualize what was going on and what everyone looked like. Poseur was a really funny and enjoyable book, and I can't wait until the sequel!

Content:This book had sexual content, the use of drugs, and underage drinking.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Leopold, MO USA

Raleigh's Page by Alan Armstrong

This adventure takes place when the U.S. was called the New World by Britain. The protagonist, Andrew Saintleger, starts as a young boy of eleven, not knowing anything about the New World other than its rich farming soil and vast, unclaimed acres of land. When his father finds a job for him, he takes it on; but with caution. The employer is harsh, but perhaps his shell is different from his heart. As Andrew gains height and trust, his employer, Mr. Raleigh, begins to send him on more and more dangerous missions. Finally, he sends Andrew with a crew to Virginia. Finally, Andrew has his dream -- but is his dream a nightmare? Raleigh's Page is a wonderful suspense story, balancing mental and physical scenes perfectly.

Alan Arstrong has triumphed in his second book, as was to be expected by judging how well his first book (Whittington) came through. I have enjoyed both books due to their adventure entwined with just enough mystery and romance, though he still is able to keep it at a level appropriate for many ages. With a winning streak of books just waiting to be written, I can expect wonderful literature yet to come from Mr. Armstrong. This particular book surprised me, at first, by my level of enjoyment. I was expecting a book specifically for younger ages, but I enjoyed it just as much as any other.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Eagle Creek, OR USA

What They Found.........Love on 145th Street by Sheela Gogula

What They Found...Love on 145th Street is a book of short stories that connects a community of African Americans in Harlem. Each story is about one person trying to find love in unlikely places. Some are looking to learn to love themselves, while others are looking to be loved. In every story the characters go through a journey, and by the end of it they are closer to what they were looking for. One story follows Curtis Mason, a man fighting the war in Northern Afganistan. Being away from home is hard for everyone, but its even harder when you're fighting in a war. But, Curtis finds love over there while he is fighting to stay alive for himself and his family. Another story is about a young girl, Noee, who is looking for a boy. She gets herself a "date" with a man named Burn, who doesn't have the best reputation within the community. They both go to a turnaround cruise for handicapped children to help out. Burn entertains the kids but, Noee can't help but notice that he is uncomfortable talking to her or the other adults. Through her journey with him she learns that there is more to him than meets the eye. But she also learns about herself and the strength and compassion she has.

This is a believable book that makes you feel as if you were there. The language that Myers uses embodies the characters well and the detail he uses creates a picture in your head. Each story has a mood to it which makes it difficult to trasition between them. The stories jump from being humorous to being sad. Myers writes in a way that makes you feel like you are the character which is a great way of drawing you in. The stories that Myers writes are very powerful and have a strong moral at the end. He does a great job of showing the emotion of the characters and creating a connection between the reader and the characters in the book. Overall the book is very mixed. I enjoyed some of the stories while others tended to drag. Personally, I think that the enjoyment of the book is linked to how well you can relate to the characters. The more you understand what they are going through, the more you will enjoy it. I would recommend this book to people who are looking for an emotional, powerful book that makes you think.


Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Champaign, Illinois USA

High Spirits

High Spirits by Dianne K. Salerni is about two real historical figures. These girls, Maggie and Kate Fox, started rapping out messages from spirits as a joke to scare their family. Soon everyone in their family and town believes them to be mediums that are able to communicate with the dead. Their older sister starts using their "gift" for money-making purposes, which leads the girls to creating a national craze known as spiritualism. When Maggie meets an Arctic explorer, she must choose between the man she loves and her spirit rapping.

I really enjoyed this book. It has the right amount of humor, spooks, romance, and character development. You step into Maggie's shoes and see the mid 1800's as she does. The book spans over several years of her life, and you begin to grow up with her. It is very detailed and informative, and Dianne K. Salerni does a wonderful job of storytelling. Even if you don't like historical fiction, this book is a great read, especially since all the characters actually lived in the past.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Aston, Pennsylvania United States

The God of Mischief

The murder mystery, The God of Mischief takes off with a
mysterious body being buried in the garden of Sir Septimus
Cloy; and after that it's a roller coaster to the ending. As
soon as the intrepid twins, Mog and Nick, watch the corpse
being buried, a string of events that endanger both of the
twins lives follows. It's probably a coincidence that their
governess was found hanged right? Or is it a curse that is
causing all of these evil things to happen? Or maybe it is a
God causing these things to occur... A God of Mischief, perhaps?

I didn't really enjoy this book as much as I thought I
would. It was confusing for me to follow, and I often had to
go back and re-read parts of the book for me to understand
what had happened. But I believe that people who are into
these types of books, the kind that talks about Gods and
curses and the like, will have no trouble at all reading
this book. After a while, though, I really got into the book
and I was shocked by the ending. And it was nice to know
that all the questions I had about Mog and Nick's past were
answered in the end.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Casa Grande, Arizona
Unites States of America

The Case Against My Brother

Carl Matsuki and his brother Adam are living in Portland,
Oregon with their Uncle Pete ever since their mom died.
Adam has always been the one that Carl relied upon,
especially now, being Polish Catholics living in an
anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic area. However, Carl's world
is turned upside down when his brother is accused of
robbery. Carl sets out to clear his brother's name, but
uncovers a secret underworld on his journey. He takes
charge to help his brother, even if he must witness
blackmail and murder to do so.

This book was a thought provoking novel. I learned a lot
about the time period it was set in. However, the story
seemed too short.There is very little actual action. Most
of the novel just seems to describe the time period and the
characters. It was still good, but could have used more of
a plot and more action.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and
Country: Royersford, PA United States

American Fringe

Spring has arrived in Brooklyn, and everything's coming up
roses. Adora Benet is madly in love with her boyfriend,
Noel, and she's landed her own teen advice column in the
local paper. Imagine her surprise when one of her articles
makes her a national sensation! Adora wouldn't mind all the
attention, except that the media frenzy and her unexpected
crush on a new guy are suddenly distracting her from Noel.
Unfortunately, she's also far too distracted to help out Eli
and Liza, whose friendship has hit a rough spot. Well, if
Adora, the advice queen, can't help them patch things up,
maybe the cute barista at the local coffee shop can do his
part by serving Eli a spring fling that will make her forget
all her troubles...

American Fringe is one of the best books I've read in a
long time. It was hilarious, entertaining, and realistic.
I definitely could not put down this highly amusing page
turner. I thought this book was very well written and I
really enjoyed reading it. I often found myself laughing out
loud. The characters were funny and very likable. They
seemed like real people that I could relate to. I also
really liked the plot because it very interesting and
unique. I loved American Fringe, and I recommend it to all
teenage girls!
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10

This book contained some profanity, sexual references,
and the use of drugs.

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Leopold, Missouri USA

Iron Thunder

Iron Thunder by Avi is an outstanding book about a thirteen
year old boy, named Tom Carroll. In this story his father
died fighting in the Civil War, so Tom has to work in order
to take care of his mom and little sister. He finds a job
building The Monitor, a unique ship made of metal. This ship
is supposed to help the Union win the war, but in order to
do that they need it to remain a secret. The crew,
especially Tom, is constantly threatened and bribed to
discuss the Monitor. This book takes you through the entire
life of the ship all the way from the making of it, the
final battle, and then to the destruction of the ship.

Iron Thunder by Avi is a historical fiction. In fact,
the Monitor was an actual ship in the Civil War; if you look
in the last few pages of the book you can learn more about
the ship. This book keeps your attention from beginning to
end; it is none stop suspense. It is a fantastic book that
is not only interesting, but also educational. This book
makes you feel sorry for all the teenagers who really had to
fight in the Civil War after the death of a parent. It is an
extremely well written book and one of the best historical
fiction books I have ever read.

Since it is about the Civil War it is fairly gory.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Lemoore, CA USA