The Tilting House

The Peshik family moves into a strange old house that has tilting floors and writing all over the walls. Jake isn’t sure if he’ll be able to live in such an eccentric house. How is he going to have friends over? But he and his little brother, Aaron, find out through a few misadventures that the house has secrets. The previous owner’s mysterious life and death is evident in the writing on the walls and other things he left behind. Jake comes to realize how cool his new house really is.

This book was a real page turner. I read it in less than a day. But it was a little out of my age range. It’s probably better for someone aged 9-11, but I still liked it and would recommend it to anyone. The tone of the book was kind of goofy and cheerful, despite some of the more morbid bits. In the part that directly deals with death itself, the author adds over the top accents and coffin shaped men to keep the goofiness going. The first person was okay, but I think third person would have worked better for the whole theme, especially since Jake was not a very interesting character, but it didn’t really hurt the book. The book was like a collection of short stories united by the ending, which was an effective technique and seemed to get the job done. The plot was the strongest point of the book, but I think the characters weren’t terribly interesting or sophisticated, although it didn’t end up being fatal to the book. The ending was quite satisfying and tied up a lot of loose ends that those previously mentioned short stories left hanging. Overall, it was very satisfying and I would recommend it because it’s a fun read for just about anyone.
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fairfax, Virginia, USA

Love and Pollywogs from Camp Calamity by Mary Hershey

I recently read the book, Love and Pollywogs from Camp Calamity by Mary Hershey. You would find it in a library under realistic fiction. I found the book to be interesting and very realistic. This book was about 10 year old Effie Maloney going away from home for the very first time. This was very exciting for Effie because no one in her family had ever gone on vacation before because her mom was trying to "make ends meet". See, Effie's mom was Effie's only guardian because her father had been arrested for stealing money from people. Effie was delighted to be able to go to camp without Maxey, her annoying older sister, but apparently, that's not going to happen. Also, Effie has to learn how to swim-fast- as she is not the greatest swimmer in the world. Can Effie survive Camp Calamity? Read Love and Pollywogs from Camp Calamity to find out.

The book, Love and Pollywogs from Camp Calamity was a rather interesting story. I found the setting to be rather believable, as if I was in Texas with Effie and Maxey Maloney. Throughout the book I felt two distinct moods coming from main character Effie Maloney. The first mood was radiated by Effie in the beginning of the book when Effie is excited to be going to camp. The second mood was radiated by Effie in the second half of the book when she gets homesick and wants to go home from camp. The writer makes me believe in the characters as people because the characters were kind, thoughtful, and yet, they would get on each other's nerves sometimes and do some irrational things that I thought made them human. I think the author had put in a good amount of information, and there were also parts that left me hanging so that if there ever was another book and this became a series, I would definitely read it. I think the author achieved her purpose and really connected with the kids reading this book. The writing was kid friendly, and the vocabulary was definitely age appropriate. The strength of this book is that kids everywhere can connect to Effie and the other characters. However, I thought that one weakness of this book is that the author dwelled too much on Effie's homesickness. This book is definitely on my top list of realistic fiction books I've read so far. I found the book to be interesting, and the only thing that I think could be improved on is not dwelling on the homesickness for too long. I thought the ending was good, and made me want to read another book featuring Effie Maloney if one should ever come out. I liked the ending because it finished off the story nicely, yet made me want to read more. I didn't learn much from this book, being as it is a fictitious book with no facts, like most fiction books. I would definitely recommend this book because it is a very interesting book that will keep you turning the pages until you have no more pages to turn! As you can see, this is what I think of the book, Love and Pollywogs from Camp Calamity by Mary Hershey.

Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Braintree, Massachusetts United States of America

Project Seahorse by Pamela S. Turner

"Project Seahorse" by Pamela S. Turner is about seahorse conservation. Diving into the behavior and science of the fish first, the book teaches readers many fun facts. Some include the fact that male seahorses give birth and the fact that seahorses can change the color of their body to camouflage themselves against predators. Seahorse exploitation is given in great detail as are ways to combat them with marine conservation.

This book is full of information. It describes the cultures that hunt for seahorses. While the pictures are vibrant, some may not be best for younger readers. One picture has dead seahorses sold for Chinese medicine. Two have spears through fish. Lastly, one has a scantily clad "researcher" in a bikini top. All in all, this book is informative and great for any marine biologist enthusiast.

Some pictures may disturb very young children

Reviewer Age:19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Staten Island, NY USA

The Skinny on Willpower by Jim Randel

“The Skinny on Willpower” is a motivating book that teaches the reader that the key to success is not how good or bad a person is at what s/he is trying to achieve, but how when a person channels the willpower and energy within s/he can turn it into success. This book is deeply researched, and as I read, I felt in good hands. It takes on all different approaches to teaching the reader the ways to success, showing others who are successful and the roads that they took. All of these roads had something to do with willpower. The


book also talks about how once a person gets going it is like inertia; and unless someone steps in to stop him/her, it will continue to go. This book is an extremely quick read, an

hour give or take. I suggest that everyone who has a dream but does not quite know if they can achieve it to read this book!
I personally thought that this book was

inspirational! I've already taken a highlighter to it. “The Skinny on Willpower” is such a short book that's filled with a lot of information. Not a word on the page was a waste of time. I suggest the book to anyone and everyone because it's so informative and appeals to basically everyone. I think willpower is a great thing for people to explore, and this book is a great place to start! There are other “The Skinny on...” books and I'm definitely going to look into them in the future!



Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country:

Libertyville, IL United States

The Secret to Teen Power by Paul Harrington

Paul Harrington's The Secret to Teen Power offers advice to readers about how to live life to its fullest, to find one's inner strength, and overall to make things happen. It focuses on an idea called the law of attraction, the idea that one's thoughts have more power than one realizes. It proposes that if you Think something will happen, then it will come to you. This motivational book focuses on the thought process and believing in one's self. Perhaps positive thoughts could bring more experiences that are positive to one's life.

Honestly, I could not derive personal betterment from the secret. It was disappointing to read that the way to make everything you want in life come your way is not to work for it, per say, but to Think that it will come to you. The book not only touches upon your achievements, but also your health. Unfortunately, it is hard to believe that by actively believing that you will not contract an illness, you will not get one; with passages like this, Harrington slashes apart his credibility. I would not recommend this book to anyone, but if you do decide to read it, please heed this bit of advice: take what you read with a grain of salt.

Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Tipp City, OH USA

Xtreme Art Ultimate Book of Trace and Draw Manga by, Christopher Hart

This book is about how to draw (or trace) the basics of Manga. It is divided onto three different sections Draw Manga, Draw Manga Chibi, and Draw Manga Monsters. At the beginning of each section it tells you what you need to know before you begin drawing. For each different drawing there are only four steps. This book is good for beginning and advanced artists. It is a book that can be loved by many.

I think that this is a good book for artists of all ages. It was very good and improved my skills. Before I read this book I wouldn't be as half as good as I am now. This book gave me some important tips and ideas for my drawings. Out of all of the drawing books that I have read this is by far the best.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mineola, Texas United States of America

Summer Sanctuary by, Laurie Gray

Summer Sanctuary was one of the most amazing books I have ever read, and I've read a lot. Its the perfect combination of what teenagers are going through now, and a harsh bite of reality. It made me want to read more, I truly loved it. I found a real sanctuary in this lovely book, and I know you will too.

Summer Sanctuary by Laurie Gray is about two main characters, Matthew and Dinah. They meet each other in the strangest way, but find that they are the perfect match for true friendship. Matthew is going through hard times with his parents, his mom is pregnant for the fifth time, Matthew's best friend Kyle is gone, and his younger brother Mark is surpassing him in all athletic ability known! And to Matthew's surprise, Dinah is having an even harder time. She's homeless, on the verge of being put in Child Welfare. Matthew needs to help his new friend, and your going to love the way he does. I think this author made it so uncommon, I loved how he mixed the two lives together of Dinah and Matthew. I couldn't get enough of this book! The author really did achieve his purpose in this book. Like I said, I found a sanctuary of my own in this Summer Sanctuary. I loved it so much, and I know you'll enjoy it just like I did.

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

Summer of the Geek by Piper Banks

Summer of the Geek by Piper Banks is about a funny, sweet, smart, and charismatic teen named Miranda who faces obstacles in what is supposed to be a good summer. First she lands a job babysitting a young piano player, which is good right? Wrong. The young girl, Amelia, is more interested in practicing her piano than talking to Miranda. Miranda makes efforts to open Amelia's eyes to new things but nothing seems to work. While doing this Miranda worries about her parents continuous arguing, her spoiled and model-like sister, and her hunky boyfriend's ex girlfriend suddenly showing her face around town. Not to mention, her boyfriend has been acting very suspicious lately. But the most important and exciting decision Miranda must make is also the most life changing and relationship ruining decision. This decision could change her life for- well ever. In the end, all ends well and Miranda helps others and herself get through the summer of a lifetime.
Summer of the Geek by Piper Banks was a very enjoyable book. It did not rank high in my 'Top Ten Books List', but it is still very enjoyable. The writing is acceptable. It has its moments with witty outbursts and funny scenes but nothing too exemplary. For the most part, it reminds me of every other teen book: plain, and no significant underlying message. It has an interesting story line, sure, but is this story really going to change the reader's outlook on things? Probably not. The characters are very individual and thoughtful, but they don't get far past that. The writing style is rather good. It is light-hearted and cheerful throughout the book. This is a good read for summer, especially if you'd like a light, cheerful, book on the side of all your summer fun. But probably not a book that will change your view, or impact your life.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Cedar Park, Texas U.S.A.

Nuts by Kacy Cook

When Nell and her brothers, Jack and Charley, find two baby squirrels, which they name Mantha and Jess, in their backyard, they really want to help them. When their parents say yes, Nell finds a person who has raised squirrels named Libby on her website. Nell is not happy when she finds out she should take the squirrels to a wildlife rehabilitator. She wants to keep the squirrels so badly, she ends up lying to Libby about her age and where she lives. Nell also lies to her parents about taking the squirrels to a wildlife rehabilitator. Will Nell and her family be able to raise and release the squirrels with the help of Libby's advice?

I think this is my favorite book I have reviewed. I felt like I could relate to all of the characters in some way. The vocabulary was also age appropriate. I also thought this book was very interesting. I also learned some things about squirrels from this book. I would recommend this book to people who like animals.

Reviewer Age:13
eviewer City, State and Country: Enon, OH USA

Lamplighter by D.M. Cornish

D. M. Cornish starts his latest novel in the Monster Blood Tattoo series (a planned trilogy), Lamplighter, where his first book, Monster Blood Tattoo, left off. Lamplighter follows a Foundling (orphan) boy, Rossamund, who has been summoned to train under the military branch of the Lamplighters, soldiers who walk the Empire's monster-plagued streets and light the Great Lamps for the safety of travelers. Rossamund arrives at the Lamplighters' barracks, Winstermill Manse, and begins his training as a prentice. Not extremely long after his beginning at Winstermill, Rossamund's military prentice quarto (that is, the group he is assigned to) heads out on a prentice-watch to light and dowse the Great Lamps from Winstermill to the Wellnigh House, along the Wormway, but after the overnight stay at the Wellnigh House, on the way back to Winstermill, a carriage comes racing headlong down the Wormway -- a carriage with vicious horn-ed nickers attacking it! Will Rossamund survive his first theroscade, or monster encounter, as a Lamplighter? Who is in the carriage? Read Lamplighter by D. M. Cornish to find out!
I absolutely loved Lamplighter. I was excited when I saw that D. M. Cornish had come out with a sequel to
Monster Blood Tattoo. The book matches, if not outmatches, the creativeness of its predecessor. I thought that the characters all showed their personality well, and you could see Rossamund transform from a weak
Foundling boy into a courageous adventurer. Like the first book in this series, the text is filled with words that
you would never find in Mr. Webster's dictionary : terms like "gretchen-globe," "enkle," and "slot and drag." But not to fear, both books include their own glossary, and it's a whopper at nearly 100 pages. (By the way, you'll also find a few of Mr. Webster's odder words in there too: "pledgets" and "sillibub" make an appearance.)

I recommend this book to readers who liked Monster Blood Tattoo as well as anyone who enjoys intricate plots and detailed descriptions of the fictional world that a story is set in.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country:  Saugerties, NY USA