Animal Rescue Team:Show Time by Sue Stauffacher

Keisha Carter is a fifth grade girl who is so getting nervous about her upcoming jump rope competition she can’t focus when she practices. Then another problem comes up. Keisha and her family run an animal rescue called Carters’ Urban Rescue. A lady calls them from Mt. Mercy College petitioning them for help with a squirrel problem. The squirrels on campus are damaging the roofs of buildings and obtaining access to the staff offices. While at the college investing the squirrel predicament, Keisha meets Sarge, an Army officer from the wounded veterans’ hospital on campus. Sarge is re-learning how to walk, this time with a prosthetic leg. He got his artificial limb following his leg amputation after being the victim of an IED (improvised explosive device) outside of Kabul. Keisha hopes Sarge’s story and friendship will help her with her jump roping, but she still can’t perfect her routine. Will she overcome her nervousness in time for the competition? How will she solve the squirrel dilemma?

Opinion: This book was written for 9 and 10 year olds, but it was a good read even for me, a 13 year old. I enjoyed the length of the book, which 147 pages even though it was only ten chapters. I was pleased to find that in the back the author included some facts about squirrels and her experiences with them. Though geared towards 10 year olds, I recommend this book for 9 to 13 year olds or anyone who enjoys jumping rope and/or squirrels.

Content:1

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Annandale, Virginia USA

Out of Xibalba by Liz ColeyChel was just another teenage girl until she traveled back in time to the ancient Mayan civilization of her ancestors. Chel has no idea what to do next. She knows the only thing keeping her alive in this society is the fact that all the locals believe she's the godess Ix Chel. She realizes she was sent back to this time to stop the end of the world and the end of the Mayan civilization. Can she do this and more? Could she possibly find love here? This book was really, really good. When you're reading this book you feel like you are Chel. You feel her pain, her joy, and her longing for her family. The plot is slippery: it twists and turns and you never can really tell what the plot is until you've finished the book. Then everything makes sense. Some of the customs in this book seemed rather barbaric to me, such as the blood sacrifices, but that was a very big part of Mayan belief, so unless you're squeamish it isn't much of a problem. I'd recommend this book to just about anyone over 13 who likes historical fiction

Chel was just another teenage girl until she traveled back in time to the ancient Mayan civilization of her ancestors. Chel has no idea what to do next. She knows the only thing keeping her alive in this society is the fact that all the locals believe she's the godess Ix Chel. She realizes she was sent back to this time to stop the end of the world and the end of the Mayan civilization. Can she do this and more? Could she possibly find love here?

This book was really, really good. When you're reading this book you feel like you are Chel. You feel her pain, her joy, and her longing for her family. The plot is slippery: it twists and turns and you never can really tell what the plot is until you've finished the book. Then everything makes sense. Some of the customs in this book seemed rather barbaric to me, such as the blood sacrifices, but that was a very big part of Mayan belief, so unless you're squeamish it isn't much of a problem. I'd recommend this book to just about anyone over 13 who likes historical fiction.

There is some innuendo, including actual sex. However, this does come with the territory of the ancient Mayans.

Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Rockwell City, IA USA

Scandalous! by Hallie Fryd

Scandalous by Hallie Fryd recounts fifty of the most controversial scandals of the 20th century.  The scandals range from the Black Sox scandal to the Rosenberg Trials and from the Kent State Shootings to the Bill Clinton's alleged affair with Monica Lewinski.  Fryd presents each scandal in a newspaper-style format that was common in print media.  Numerous sections examined different details of the case.  Sections include an overview of the case, memorable quotes, the aftermath, its impact in our society today, and other related people or events for those who want future research.  When these sections are put together, they provide the reader a comprehensive understanding of the scandal, and the reader will surely be able to impress his/her friends (as the cover states).

While this book may only be appropriate for its target age group, Scandalous delivers a quality overview of fifty memorable scandals of the 20th century.  I was very impressed with the layout and format of each section.  The numerous short sections for each case make the reading more manageable while also creating more suspense and drama.  However, this book is nothing more than fifty stories.  It is fairly brief, and it may leave readers unaccomplished.  While some readers may be disappointed, this book will spark interest in most readers to do more research on cases, and ultimately, it will provide a significant educational experience to the reader.  Therefore, with the right age group in mind, this book holds a great deal of value.  The cover boasts that you will be able to impress your friends with the knowledge with this book, and I certainly agree with that statement.   

Reviewer Age:22
Reviewer City, State and Country: Eden Prairie, Minnesota United States

Save the Pearls Part One, Revealing Eden

Save the Pearls Part One, Revealing Eden, is about 17 year
old Eden Newman. Eden lives in a world where the the threat
of solar radiation is very real, preventing her from ever
traveling to the Earth's surface. Instead, humans live
underground, seperated with a class system that favors the
dark-skinned Coals over the weak, light-skinned Pearls.
Eden's father is the lead scientist at Resources for
Environmental Adaptation, where he eventually figures out a
way to add animal DNA to that of humans, increasing their
chances of survival. However, a Pearl-hating militia group
soon causes Pearl, her father, and the arrogant Coal
Bramford to flee into the jungle, where Eden must find a way
to save the human race from the sun, and fight her growing
attraction to Bramford.
Revealing Eden was a suspenseful,
fun read, but the characters were not fully developed. I
could not get a hold on exactly who Eden was, as she was
portrayed as both a selfish, naive girl who only wants to
get home to her technology and as a lustful girl who only
wanted to stay with the genetically modified man of her
dreams. Eden was hard to like, because she never seemed to
grasp the enormity of their situation and acts in her own
interests without thinking of how she is going to affect
those around her. The plot was creative and interesting, but
got very repetitive as Eden and Bramford fell for eachother.
There were also many loose ends that were not fully
addressed by the end of the book, but I assume that they
will be covered by additional books. I would recommend
Revealing Eden to teenage readers who are looking for an
interesting, quick read.
I have given this book a content
rating of 2 because of the many lustful thoughts of Eden and
Bramford.
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and
Country: Harleysville, Pennsylvania USA

No Crystal Stair by Yaunda Micheaux Nelson

In No Crystal Stair , you experience a completely different side of the black rights movement. This is a documentary novel and story of Lewis Michaux, a Harlem bookseller. Although in the beginning of the story Lewis never had an intention of becoming a bookseller, his passion of education later on in life is enchanting. Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are only mentioned very briefly during the last parts of this novel because this story shows the development of the civil rights movement from the very early beginnings in the 1920's. If you're looking for a book that's out of the ordinary and about real American history, then you've come across the right book.

I absolutely loved this book. I found everything about it very interesting. I'm not the history type at all, but by reading this book I turned into one. I'd heard everything about Malcolm X and Dr.  Martin Luther King Jr., I'd heard the I Have a Dream speech more than twice and, frankly, I was getting bored of the civil rights part of history. So, I chose this book purely at random from a group that I couldn't decide between and I'm glad I got this one. I got to finally see the other side of the civil rights movement; it was like going back stage at your favorite concert. No matter how little they are interested, I highly recommend this book to any middle or high school history student. 
Some language and intense themes
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Hopkins, Michigan United States

The Sound of Red Returning

The Sound of Red Returning


Ever wish that there was just one Christian

suspense novel out there that you could get your hot

little hands on? Well, your dreams have just come true

with Sue Duffy s new manuscript, The Sound of Red

Returning! Prominent concert pianist Liesl Bower has had

plenty of sorrow and danger in her young life. When she

was a child, her alcoholic father caused the death of her

beloved aunt. Her mentor, Professor Schell Devoe, was

brutally murdered before her eyes. Now, just when her

life was finally returning to normal, just when she was at

the peak of her career, she is again sucked into the

whirlwind of her tutor s demise. The CIA believes that

Mr. Devoe had quite a bit more going on than he disclosed

to Liesl and the rest of the world including him being a

crucial Russian spy that almost had the control to

completely wipe out democracy and set the stage for

communism s rise to power once more. Yet there s a

drawback. The information, secretly coded, was gathered

up in an unsuspecting Leisl s arms as she collected her

numerous sheets of music just before the Professor s

death. Now, the undercover Russian agents are out to get

that code at any price. Currently on the run, Liesl must

do everything she can to survive, and with the help of a

life-roughened CIA agent and a straight-minded old-timer

and his grandson, she just might make it. What Liesl

didn t expect was to lose her heart along the way&&&

Her eyes locked on Ava Mullins, and the last

fifteen years that slippery cushion between her and

Devoe' s murder fell away.


I truly did enjoy this book immensely. It had

suspense, mayhem, comedy, and just a hint of romance that

kept me interested all the way through. I loved how I

could relate to some of the predicaments some of the

characters got themselves into even if I haven t exactly

been chased across the country by demented spies. It had

some soul searching moments, but not enough where it got

to be tiresome to read. The characters in this novel

really complemented the plot all coming from different

backgrounds, different lives, and then being thrown

together by fate s twisted path. This book grabbed me

from the very beginning, and drew me into it, until I read

it from beginning to end. The vocabulary was near

perfection too, enough where it wasn t dry but not so

complicated that I would get utterly lost. One thing I

disliked about this book was that some of the Russian

spies had such difficult names that it took me a while to

sort out who was who and what they were doing. Besides

that one little bump in the road, this book was a

fantastic read.

Ava peered out the window, and Liesl heard her

whisper, God help us all.

I would recommend this book for ages seven and up,

because this book is quite long and some of the story plot

might be hard to understand for younger readers. There is

absolutely no profanity in this book, you have my word as

a gentlewoman. Remember, this book is faith based, with

mentions of the LORD frequently. If this offends you, I d

advise not to read this book.

In the midst of all this terror and trauma, will

Liesl be able to get out of the whirlwind of deceit and

chaos that revolves around the Russian underground alive?

Or will she perish and let the Russians take over all of

Europe? If you want to uncover the answer, read The

Sound of Red Returning by Sue Duffy!



Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country:

Leopold, Missouri U.S.A.

The Serpent in the Glass by D.M. Andrews

The Serpent in the Glass takes place in the present. It is about a boy named Thomas Farrell, whose father dies and leaves him a glass with a serpent in it and an already paid for education at Darkledun Manor, a school for gifted children.  Thomas doesn't feel very gifted, but goes anyway, and soon finds out that Darkledun Manor is anything but ordinary. While going to this school he will face challenges, along with his sister and friends. The main theme of this story is Thomas trying to find out who he is and how he fits into Darkledun Manor. This book would most likely be in Adventure, and Fantasy.

The Serpent in the Glass really pulled me in. I was dying to know what happens next, so I didn't want to put it down. Also, I felt like I could actually see everything that was going on like watching a movie. The mood of the story felt like a mystery, but also fun. I really liked the main character, Thomas. I really wanted him to find out who he is. Also, I liked his attitude towards everything. It didn't leave me hanging on any character, but it made me want to know if a second book will be made.


I think the author did achieve his purpose. The writing was effective and age appropriate. The strength of this book was how it pulled you into the book. Its weakness was trying to tell if the dreams where connected, some of them were italic, some were not.  It could become a movie, but I'm not good at telling if a book is good enough or not.  I haven't really read anything by D.M Andrews before now, but I am considering finding books written by him. My over all opinion of this book was it is really good and I am hoping there is a part two. The ending was great, it didn't leave me with any questions or confusion. I would recommend it to anyone who likes adventure, fantasy, or even just a bit of action.


Reviewer Age:18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Oskaloosa, Iowa U.S.A

The Survivors: Point of Origin by Amanda Havard

Point of Origin is a Paranormal Romance centered on Sadie Matthau and her quest for answers. Sadie, however, is not mortal, nor is her main love interest, Everett. Sadie is what is described as a Survivor, or, to humans, considered a Witch. Everett however, is called a Vieczy-a type of vampire. The pair, accompanied by some of Everett's family, travel across the globe researching more about their questions. Sadie yearns to know more about what she is exactly, how to kill a Survivor, if there are Survivors other than her and those in the Survivor City where she came from, and where they really originated from. However their search causes many problems and leads them to many dead ends and obstacles, both external and internal-including Sadie's struggle on whether she wants to be with her supernatural boyfriend Everett, or her old human flame, Cole, who still pines for her.

When I first began Point of Origin, I was actually a bit disappointed. It seemed that every time something exciting happened, it would get pushed aside and the plot would continue on without much mention of it. However, as the story progressed and I learned more about the situation and the characters, I began to get more involved in the book. I also realized that the past predicaments where pushed to the side for a reason. Each would be brought back at its proper time in order to help complete the plot. By the time the story was brought to its cliff hanger conclusion, I was completely engrossed in the book and anxious to know the answers to Sadie's questions-even those that I had previously thought of as somewhat insignificant to me. Overall, this book was suspenseful and thought provoking, and I will be waiting eagerly for the third installment of The Survivors.

Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Phillipsburg, New Jersey United States

Rating: 8
Content Rating: 1

Project Jackalope by Emily Ecton

Project Jackalope is about a boy and a girl who are on the run with a killer jackalope. A government agency named DARPA is after Jeremy who is a distracted boy, and Agatha who is a girl who is always trying to get good grades. These two kids are on the run with a killer bunny that Professor Twitchett, who is a scientist that dumped the jackalope in there hands, to take care of. But after those eyes blinked at Jeremy everything started going wrong. At the end do they get to keep it or have to give it to DARPA? Read the book to find out! 
I think that this book was very interesting. It is a fun and adventourous book. I recomend this book to all readers. It uses a swear word four to five times. I loved this book. 
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Tomah, Wisconsin United States of America

Fire Works in the Hamptons by Celia Jerome

The book 'Fire Works in the Hamptons' is the incredible third installment of a series by Celia Jerome. I would describe it as a mix of sci-fi/fantasy, romance, suspense, and magic, all in one extraordinary adventure. The story is written from the point of view of the main character, Willow Tate, who is an author/artist visiting her summer home of Paumanok Harbor, Long Island. The town is home to not only over half a population of psychics, but to a whole range of mysterious rumors that just so happen to be true. Willow is a visualizer, similar to being telepathic, but only with pictures. Somehow or other, she 'summons' magical flaming beetles (or fireflies, as they are referred) that are starting fires all over the town. With the help of an unusually gifted fireman, Willy has to figure out what the fireflies are there for and for a way to get them to leave. Within her stress-filled adventures, she encounters obstacles other than the beetles she feels the need to protect: a flame-crying baby with an abusive father out to get the both of them, a reporter who may not exactly be what he seems, a science teacher who is trying to catch the bugs for 'scientific' purposes, and not to mention the confusing romantic tensions filling the air.

While it took me a little while to actually get around to reading this book (due to a small pile of other books needing to be read first), I really enjoyed it. I was unhappy to learn, after I had already received it in the mail, that it was the third book in a series; however, I was very relieved to see that it was not the type that requires you to read the others beforehand. Though some parts of the storyline refer back to the two previous books, they are nothing too relevant to the plot, and are easily explained without feeling like you've just missed something completely. This book is a very fantastic story with beautiful descriptions that make you feel as though you yourself were witness to the awesome splendor of the 'fireflies' plaguing the town. Overall, it is a wonderful read, and I highly recommend it, along with the rest of the series, to anyone who loves a good fantasy.


The main character, Willow, is relatable to people from the ages of mid-teen to early thirties; she has several issues that I am sure a lot of young women can sympathize with (for instance, her mother constantly nagging at her to settle down with a man and give her grandchildren). I think she is a rather down-to-earth person, even if every psychic in town thinks she is both looney and 'cursed'. She cares a great deal for the dogs that her mother rescues-though she may not always admit it. She says that she can't stand her hometown, but I think she secretly loves it-she just tires of it easily almost immediately after arriving. She claims that she would be a horrible mother, but yet grew so attached to a little baby that she was often referred to as "momma."
 
Rating:  3  I rated this book 3 because while it does not actually contain any sex, it is implied and talked about. I do not feel that anyone under a certain age should read something like that-I would definitely put this book in the teen section of a library.
 
Reviewer Age:17
 
Reviewer City, State and Country: Oskaloosa, Iowa USA