Farseed by Pamela Sargent

Ship, the space ship that harbors and rears humans, executes her mission: plant humans on different and various planets. The humans are Ship's "children," and grow and create a community on whahever planet they are placed on. However, in this particular instance, the one band of humans separates into two, one moving south from the northerners. These two bands share a hatred, until Nuy, a human from the south, and Leila, a human from the north, unknowingly set out, to meet each other. Leila simply wants to see what happened to the first group that was sent out, of whom never returned, but Nuy is chased out, for bringing one of the northerners into camp.

The plot was very intriguing and suspenseful, as it switched from Nuy's view to Leila's. As an uncorrected copy, I found some typing errors, but other than that, the words were obviously carefully chosen, and the flow was excellent. At the beginning (since I personally have not read the first book), "Earthseed," it was a little confusing, but things straightened out later on. This is the only problem I found in the book itself, the rest was exceptional. Ship's view was fascinating, I enjoyed both the prologue and epilogue... Although if I were to choose, the epilogue was superior, and enticed me to read the next book. As a reader, I sincerely hope that Pamela Sargent will write a third!

Content:Adult guidance, as the book uses profound words for using the bathroom, and has some vague sexual content.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Eagle Creek, Oregon (OR) USA

Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn

When Ali asks her mother about a mysterious picture she found in the attic, she begins to learn about something that happened in her mother's life that she just wants to forget. The missing child in the torn up picture haunts her as she takes a position as her aunt Dulcie's babysitter at the lakehouse her mother used to go to as a child. Slowly, Ali begins to put the pieces together to form a story about a child, Teresa Abbott, who drowned in the lake some 30 years ago as a child. Then Sissy, a mean child comes to into the lives of Ali and her cousin, Emma and they begin to find out the truth about what really happened that night.

I really liked reading the book. While the book wasn't as suspenseful as I was hoping, the story really kept me interested and I couldn't stop reading. This book is definately for younger readers, but even older ones will enjoy the story. Reading this book has made me want to read more mysteries, especially Mary Downing Hahn books!

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 20
Reviewer City, State and Country: Philadelphia, PA USA

Star Crossed by Mark Schreiber

Starcrossed tells a tale of two starcrossed lovers, caught in modern day time. When Christy first meets Ben, it is at the one place she least expects, the plastic surgeons office. Both wanting to remove unwanted tatoos and painful memories. Besides the fact that Ben has the same name as her last Christy's last boyfriend, they have nothing in common. Christy is and impulsive, wisecracking horoscpe junkie, and Ben is a well mannared college freshman. Together, they dig up old memories, and create some very new ones.

Starcrossed is a comic romance tale of what it takes to forget your life, and your memories, and just how bad lies can get. The plot plays off of a twisted version of Romeo and Juliet giving it a familiar, yet different, feel. The story moves along very quickly, and keeps the reader turning pages, especially towards the shocking end. It is a relatively fast read and would most likely fit to the interests of girls around 12-16. Overall Starcrossed is wonderfully enjoyable, and very exciting to those who are familiar with romance.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Marblehead, Massachusetts USA

Scary Beautiful by Niki Burnham

He’s moving! Chloe’s close boyfriend, Sean, is moving across the country because his dad got a new job at the University of Chicago. After he broke up with her at the airport, word spread quickly. So instead of being Sean’s girlfriend now, she is instead the girl who everybody hates since she is extremely attractive. One day during computer lab, Chloe looks over toward the windows--something she never does--and she sees a guy whom she thinks is Billy the Woo Woo Pizza Guy, the guy whom her friend Rachel likes. After they see each other in the computer lab, they start sitting together and that’s how the whole thing started between them. Chloe knows that whomever Rachel likes is off limits but how can she stop liking Billy, a total geek, when she is totally falling head-over-heels for him? But if she goes out with him, what will this do to her friendship with Rachel and her popularity status?

This is an awesome book! I really enjoyed Chloe because it was easy to understand what she was going through and she was fresh, interesting, and it was fun to read about her life. The author, Niki Burnham, created this book very well and it was almost like you were a part of the book and you were living in Chloe’s complicated world. I think the author did very well at developing Chloe’s character, but I don’t think she developed the other characters very well, definitely Chloe’s friends. I would have liked to have known more details about them and their personalities. This book is extremely realistic and what happened to Chloe could definitely be something that could happen in a real teenage girl’s life. I really enjoyed reading this book and I hope to get a chance to read other books in the Simon Pulse Romantic Comedy series. I recommend this fantastic story to teens, ages 12-16.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Upper Strasburg, Pa United States

The Poker Diaries by Liza Conrad

Lulu has the best of both worlds in New York City. She spends time among high society with her mom in uptown New York. And she spends every other weekend playing backroom poker at her grandfather’s bar in downtown New York. Lulu is leading a pretty uneventful life until her best friend, Dack, breaks the number two poker rule: never bet what you can’t afford to lose. Now Lulu has to try to win back Dack’s watch, deal with her mom’s engagement to the mayor of New York, and her downtown love interest, Mark. But when she is suddenly blackmailed, everything gets out of control. Now she has to play a high stakes, highly illegal poker game or risk a leak to the press that could ruin the mayor’s chances of re-election and her mom’s happiness.

I absolutely loved this book! I could hardly put it down. This is the perfect book for a quick weekend or summer read. Liza Conrad combines the right amount of humor and suspense. I liked the love story between Mark and Lulu and Lulu’s mom and the mayor. I, also, really enjoyed the poker hands, poker slang, and poker rules that were included.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Erlanger, Kentucky United States

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass

When Jeremy was just eight years old, his father passed away in an automobile accident. His family had been dreading this day almost all of his life, ever since a fortune-teller told him he would die at age forty. She was wrong: He died at age thirty-nine.

Five years later, one month before his thirteenth birthday, Jeremy gets a package in the mail that contains a locked, carved box and a note from his father. Fascinated by this gift, Jeremy and his lifelong best friend Lizzy are initially saddened to hear that the keys to the box were lost. Almost immediately, they become determined to find these keys and discover the meaning to life, something which the carving and the note both promise.

The search that follows is filled with ups and downs, tears and smiles, as Jeremy and Lizzie meet many strange and wonderful adults who attempt to help them unlock the box. Though Jeremy ultimately learns that some things are set up to happen in a certain way to aid him in his search, he embraces spontaneity a little bit as well. Throughout the story, he honors the memory of his father, as does his mother. She is still mourning the loss of her husband but is nevertheless a strong character who is a great means of support for her son. He is surprised when he realizes how much she needs him, too.

Think of Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass as I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak for the younger set. As with her previous novels A Mango-Shaped Space and Leap Day, Mass has created a book that will make readers think about life on a grand scale as well as a more personal one. This Meaning of Life is a sweet, touching tale, and readers need only to turn the pages to discover it.

The Great Tree of Avalon by T. A. Barron

This book is the third, and final, book in the series "The Great Tree of Avalon". The main characters: Tamwyn, Elli, Scree, and Brionna, are on a race against time to stop the spirit warlord, Rhita Gawr, and his servant, Kulwych, from conquering Avalon. Tamwyn is trying to climb the branches of the tree of Avalon to reach the stars. The stars are actually the gateways to different worlds: the spirit world and the Earth. Tamwyn is working to stop Rhita Graw from reaching Avalon from these gateways. The only way to do this is to travel through the River of Time. Along the way, Tamwyn meets some new people, and learns new things about some of his old friends. On the roots of the tree of Avalon, Elli must travel to the most dangerous place in Avalon, the realm of Shadowroot. Here, she must find a way to reach a deserted mine where Rhita Graw's servant, Kulwych, has created a deadly weapon, which Elli must destroy. On the realm of Woodroot, Brionna and her friends are trying to stop the Humanity First movement and its leader, Belamir, from unwittingly helping Rhita Graw to destroy Avalon. Instead they will be captured, and learn a dark secret about Belamir. Scree is on the realm of Fireroot, where he is trying to help a village of eaglefolk to re-write their shameful past, and to convince them to fight for the freedom of Avalon. Yet, despite the companions' efforts, nothing can stop the growing battle between Rhita Graw and the defenders of Avalon. In the air and on the ground, a terrible war will be fought to decide the fate of Avalon.

This book may seem to be just another fantasy story- but think again! This book has wonderful messages about the environment. It reminds us that everything in nature is connected, and that we must protect every part of the environment in order for us all to survive. Although the story takes place in another land, the message shines clear- that humans should not pretend to be above the rest of the environment, but rather protect and care for it. This is an important message for us all. This book also contains some important messages about growing up, friendship, and believing in yourself. The characters were well-developed. The book was also funny. I thought the battle scenes were too drawn-out, but I really enjoyed the ending of the book. I thought it properly wrapped-up the series in a satisfying way.


Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Urbana , Illinois United States

Runaway by Wendelin Van Draanen

Holly is a twelve-year old orphan. Her father died in a freak tractor accident and her mother overdosed on drugs. Since then, Holly had been in the hands of social services and was moved from foster home to foster home. Finally, after a particularly abusive foster home, Holly runs away and becomes a "gypsy". As she goes through her many hardships of surviving on the streets and avoiding the police, Holly writes down poems and her experiences in her journal. Will Holly ever find a good home that truly welcomes her?

This was an amazing and touching book. Relating Holly’s amazing journey to find a family that truly cared for her, the book was extraordinarily detailed with a lot of emotion poured into it. As you read through the book, you will begin to feel sympathy for Holly yet eager to see what her next adventure as a “gypsy” is. I thought it was a great read and not your normal book. It contained many deep thoughts and insights into life which can leave you with a whole different impression of those less fortunate than you. I would recommend this book to slightly older readers for understanding issues and the ending will leave you very satisfied and glad you read this book.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Tucson, Arizona USA

The Quest for the Trilogy by Mel Odom

Grandmagister Juhg, head librarian of the Vault of All Known Knowledge, has undertaken a mission. He is trying to convince people who don’t know how to read and have never seen a book in their lives to set up schools so that everybody can cherish books. Oh and another thing: they all fear books like the plague due to the goblinkin rebellion, a time during which everyone found with a book was either killed or enslaved. Craugh, a 1000 year old wizard infamous for turning people into toads who was close friends with Juhg’s mentor Grandmagister Lamplighter, gives Juhg an excuse to detour. Juhg is thrilled; at least until he realizes how dangerous and important it is. His new mission involves tracking down three books written by Grandmagister Lamplighter detailing his encounter with Lord Kharrion’s Wrath. They also, hopefully, reveal the traitor from the Battle of Fell’s Keep, which 1000 years later, still causes distrust between the dwarves, elves, and humans. Juhg soon realizes that discovering the identity of the traitor is the only way for him to succeed with his previous mission anyway. Unless the traitor is found, the humans, elves, and dwarves will never trust each other enough to even consider building schools together. The secret must come out. This is the story of the quests of two Grandmagisters; one of the past, and one of the present.

The Quest for the Trilogy is composed of Grandmagister Lamplighter’s three books and Juhg’s quest to find them. This is a true page turner, full of magic, mystery, and two miniature heroes. Mel Odom’s newest addition to the Rover trilogy is a must read for fantasy readers young and old, whether already fans of Juhg and Wick, or readers new to this amazing world full of friendship, treachery, and the unexpected.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Chambersburg, PA USA

Mike and a Lynx Named Kitty by Mike Kerr

Mike is a 10-year-old Alaskan boy who discovers a lynx while on a fishing trip with his father. Mike names the lynx Kitty. His father doesn’t want to take the little lynx in at first, until they find out that Kitty’s mother and sister have been crushed by a fallen tree. Mike is excited to have Kitty and can’t wait to have an adventure with him. As it turns out, he doesn’t have to wait long! Immediately after returning home with Kitty, the two find themselves saving a girl’s life! When Mike and Kitty retire to the woods for a campout, they save three lost kids. It seems like the excitement will never stop! Soon Mike takes Kitty with him and his father on another fishing trip. Kitty wanders off as usual, but this time, he doesn’t come back. Mike’s father doesn’t want to wait any longer, so Mike is forced to leave Kitty behind. Mike grows up and marries. He learns to fly a plane and continues to enjoy the beautiful Alaskan wilderness he and Kitty used to love to explore together. One day, Mike flies his plane to an island to rest the engine. A rustle in the bushes . . . then . . . Kitty! Kitty limps toward his friend, gray-furred and worn. His paw has been severely injured, and he is dying. Mike says good-bye to his old friend Kitty, and then Kitty passes away. Mike builds a grave for his friend, and then flies home—to be greeted by a new plane, named Kitty—a present from his wife! Mike will never forget his beloved friend, the lynx named Kitty.

I really liked this book because of the special friendship between Mike and Kitty. Also, it was interesting to read about Mike’s experiences in the Alaskan wilderness. His adventures with Kitty were very exciting. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys animal stories or who likes to spend time camping or enjoying nature. Also, anyone who has a favorite animal they really love would probably like this book a lot, too.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 10
Reviewer City, State and Country: Saugerties, NY USA

This Is What I Did by Ann Dee Ellis

Logan Palony is stuck in a new town, which he hates, and where everything is 'fine' and 'nothing is wrong'. With no one to talk to, his best friend gone, and the whole neighborhood (including parents) ganged up on him, Logan doesn't know what to do. All he ever wanted to do was continue being an outcast, continue not liking girls, continue being terrible at sports and reading science textbooks. He never wanted to be like this, silent, alone, and harassed. Logan finds that doing one thing, in one night, can change his entire personality, his entire life, just like that. All from something that he did, and he knows he did. He's in therapy, and even his brothers think he is a complete loser. Aside from one girl who seems to understand him, his life is a complete wreck.

This is What I did: is written from the perspective of 8th grader, Logan Palony. Written in almost entirely screenplay, this book starts out extremely confusing and jumps around from past to present, giving it a choppy feeling which can be exciting for some, but quite tedious for others. The plot however, is original and keeps you turning pages, at least during the climax, but, it has a rather disappointing ending that leaves you hanging in too much suspense. Though This Is What I did: is writtten from the perspective of a boy, it would be enjoyable for girls as well. There is little challenging vocabulary, the reading level is at that of someone around the age of 10, but the content is too mature for someone of that age, making it an odd ‘fit’ for any type of reader. This book acts best as a very quick read, in between more challenging books, or something for light summer reading.

Content:This book has some adult content and is most definately best for a mature reader due to sexual situations and extreme violence.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Marblehead, Massachusetts USA

Corydon and the Island of the Monsters by Tobias Druit

This book is about a boy whose troubles lead him to a friendship with the Greek monsters. He lives with them and become family. Then a warrior comes along and threatens the very existence of his family. Whatever path he chooses I promise you it won’t be easy. He will journey through the pits of apocalypse and back to complete his journey.

I really liked this book. It’s an epic journey like the Greek myths but better. It has a moral. It has precise details of places from Greek myths. And best of all it doesn’t feel like the book is mocking Greek myths. If you like this and say want something like it for your younger child try the Myth-O-Maniac series.

Inventing Ott: The Legacy of Arthur C. Guyton

Inventing Ott: The Legacy of Arthur C. Guyton is about the life of a modern-day Renaissance man. Arthur C. Guyton, also known as Ott, was born on September 8, 1919 in Oxford, Mississippi. He would not only become a successful doctor and professor but also a sailor, radio expert, tennis player, pilot, inventor, carpenter, appliance repairman, electrician, husband, and father of ten children. In 1946, Ott caught paralytic polio which led him to invent the power wheelchair, the “walking” leg brace, and a type of hoist for humans. While teaching and doing research in physiology at the University of Mississippi’s University Medical Center, Ott discovered that kidneys control long-term blood pressure. He then discovered the true relationship between the blood, veins, heart, and kidneys. The more complex form of this discovery is known as the Theory of Infinite Gains. This theory led many people to consider Ott to be the Father of Modern Cardiovascular Physiology. In 1956, he first wrote the Textbook of Medical Physiology. It is the best-selling medical textbook of all time. His teaching methods were so popular that his students called themselves “Guytonians”. All of his ten children became doctors. August 25, 1989 was named “Arthur C. Guyton Day” by the United States Congress. Ott died in a car accident on April 3, 2003.

I use a modern power wheelchair and modern “walking” leg braces. I found learning about their inventor to be fascinating and educational. This book showed me how difficult it is for a person to be a medical resident. The author, Jerusha Bosarge, did not explain many of Ott’s inventions and scientific discoveries in much detail. For example, it would have been interesting to understand more about the instrument used to remove gases and liquids from the gastrointestinal tract during surgery. The author puts Arthur C. Guyton on a pedestal. Jerusha Bosarge keeps mentioning that Ott was a soldier; while he worked as a researcher and surgeon for the military in the United States, he never was a common soldier. Other than these few small errors, the book was very educational and wonderful.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Urbana, Illinois United States of America

House of Red Fish by Graham Salisbury and Wendy Lamb

Tomi is a Japenese-American boy who is trying to bring up his father's fishing boat, the Tayio Maru. He gets his old buddies to help but the boat is just too big, and there is Keet Wilson whose main goal at the moment is the expulsion of the Japenese traitors living on his family's land. He counteracts every attempt made by Tomi. In the end he brings a small army of teens to beat some sense into the boys. But when they arrive the teens see that whatever Keet told them was a lie. They help get the boat up and tow it to a dry-dock.

It was a very good book. I could see what and where things were without having to go to the dictionary every other word. House of the Red Fish should be an easy and captivating read for everyone. This is a unique description of persecution of Japenese-Americans during WW2. It is also another peek into an Americanized Japenese culture.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Raymond, IL USA

Do-Over by Niki Burnham

After spending winter break with her mom in Virginia, Val is back in Schwerinborg with her father and things seem to be going well with her Prince boyfriend, Georg. They decide to take a ski trip, and everyone is having a good time until Val's dad decides to give her some big news, that he's seeing someone. Val doesn't handle this situation in the best way, so she sulks for most of the vacation. When she gets back to school, she decides to help her friend Ulrike set up for the school dance. She wants Georg to go with her, but since their relationship is private, he isn't able to go. Things don't seem to be working out for Val and on top of that, she's starting to feel guilty about going out with her childhood crush back in Virginia and not telling Georg. What will happen next in Val's crazy life?

It was so nice to read about Georg and Val in the next installation by Niki Burnham. The story picked up right where it left off in Spin Control and Val was just as fun to read about. Once I started the story, I couldn't put it down. I also loved how she connected Val with her American friends in the emails. I really hope that the author continues writing about Val and I'm looking forward to reading her next book.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 20
Reviewer City, State and Country: Philadelphia, PA USA

Swede Dreams by Eva Apelqvist

I’m going to Sweden! Calista Swanson is studying abroad in Stockholm, Sweden for a whole semester so she can learn Swedish and keep in contact with her boyfriend, Jonas, but a few days after arriving he dumps her because he decides that it isn’t a good time for him to have a girlfriend. She quickly gets over him after she meets Hakan, a friend of her neighbor’s daughter, Moa. Calista realizes that she has been choosing her boyfriends based on other people’s opinions, so she decides that it’s better to make her own decisions than to let other people make them for her. There is only one problem though; she thinks Hakan is going out with Moa, so why is he hitting on her then? Join Calista as she discovers the many wonders that Sweden has to offer, from trying new foods to learning about the Viking era to making new friends. Swede Dreams is one of the many books in the SASS series, in which each are written by different authors.

Swede Dreams by Eva Apelqvist is an amazing, realistic story that tells about how when you think everything will go terribly wrong that you should never worry because in the end everything will turn out okay. The characters were pretty well developed and I really enjoyed all of the characters except Moa because she is really strange. This story is a real page-turner that will keep you up all night long wondering what will happen next. You think that this book will take forever to read and before you know it you’re on the last paragraph wishing there was more. I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to read the rest of the books in the SASS series. I recommend this fantastic story to teens ages 12-16.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Upper Strasburg, PA United States

Dreams and Visions by M. Herry Weiss and Helen S. Weiss

A collection of short stories, this book focuses on the fantastic, the wild possibilities. A captivating read, the vast differences between each story is tied together by a single unifying thread: dreams. From a hippie's hallucinations to a woman who finds power through her God and her veil to a girl with writers' block, these stories resolve themselves through the power of dreams. Distinguished authors such as Charles De Lint and Tamora Pierce contribute to this book, infusing it with lively characters and captivation story lines. The concise nature of each story makes the book a fast read.

This book dealt with the dreams and aspirations of every fantasy novel reader. A wide range of topics and characters made it impossible not to appeal to anyone. The spectacular writers who created these stories wrote with grace and beauty, making the material inspiring and graphic. It was impossible to read a page without fully visualizing the scene and sympathizing with the characters. Though some of the stories were not as well crafted as others and some topics were a little childish, the overall effect was astonishing.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Overland Park, KS United States

Haunted Homeland by Michael Norman

Seen a ghost? Then perhaps your tale, along with others, is in Haunted Homeland. This book is about American and Canadian ghost stories. Crammed with detail, it tells not just about the ghost, but also about all the accounts of everyone claiming to have seen it. It includes lists of when those particular people were born, and when they died. It even lists how they died. Its grim facts can chill to the core, as you read spooky tales about ghosts and phantoms, poltergeists and specters.

The Haunted Homeland is an extremely fact-filled book. In fact, it is so crammed with detail, parts of it seem like reading a history textbook, rather then a collection of ghost stories. The few parts of this book that I liked were the small tid-bits of the actual ghost stories. I think that this book should be divided into two parts. One part containing the ghost stories, and the other full of the boring extraneous details. I did not like this book, but some people will love this book and all of its extra details.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 5
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Denair, California America

Hearts of Stone by Kathleen Ernst

Hearts of Stone is set in the mid 1800's right in the middle of the Civil War. The main character Hannah struggles with difficult decisions throughout the book. She finds herself homeless with 3 other siblings, hungry, and heartbroken. Her father went off to join the union and died, and her mother soon after that dies from stress, and heartache. Hannah faced with no other option decides that the only way she can keep her family together is to travel thousands of miles to Nashville. There they hope to find their only living relative.

I really enjoyed this book. I know a lot about the Civil War, but I didn't know how bad it was for the children. I know the book was fictional but I'm sure children really did pick cigar buds off the street just so they could have a little bit of food to keep them going one more day. I also felt really bad for Hannah, because the Civil War did put friends against friends and family members against family members. And being young, your confused and it was understandable why she cut off all ties with her best friend just because he was a confederate.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Dundee, Oregon USA

The Last Universe by William Sleator

Susan's older brother Gary falls ill and wheelchair-bound and she is forced to care for him. Unhappy about her new responsibility, she complains incessantly, especially when he makes her wheel him to the garden, a place that irrationally scares Susan. But when strange things happen in the garden, such as the discovery of a maze that they couldn't previously find, that make her brother healthier, she starts to despise the garden a little less. But every time they enter the maze, things change unpredictably in the world outside. As they struggle to find the perfect outcome, their view of perfection becomes more unclear, and they wonder if their only fate is to be lost forever in the maze.

The book began as a typical teenage-esque book, that took away from the heart of the story. As the plot intensified, the reader could excuse the language and enjoy the story, but initially, the story is hard to engage in. But the characters are realistic, and the setting is believable, so there are some redeeming qualities. I found it hard to enjoy fully, however, because the plot was predictable, especially the ending. And the science was explained too simply and for someone who knows a little about quantum physics, there were major plot holes. But the idea was exciting enough to carry me through.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 5
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Overland Park, KS United States

The Big Shuffle by Laura Pedersen

When her father dies of a heart attack, the task of heading the Palmer household falls to eighteen-year-old Hallie. It doesn't help matters that her father's death has caused her mother to go into shock. In a normal-sized family, this would be bad enough, but Hallie has nine brothers and sisters, seven of whom are still at home! She's not completely alone, though--scary but helpful Uncle Lenny, Pastor Costello, the church ladies, and her old friends Bernard and Gil are all helpful. She's got to keep her family together, though--that's something only Hallie can do.

Despite the tragedy that starts this story, it really is hilarious. I was laughing out loud through much of it! Of course, it has its serious, emotional moments, too. All of the crazy characters are interesting, believable, original, and funny--as is the entire book! It's a brilliant book, and I certainly plan to read more of Laura Pedersen's books, especially those about Hallie!

Content:This is for a mature reader due to sexual situations.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10

Reviewer Age: 15

Reviewer City, State and Country: , NC USA

Crazy in Love by Dandi Daley Mackall

This book is about Mary Jane, a high school student who has a crush on a taken guy. Mary Jane is a second daughter whose older sister is a little slow, and is constantly plagued by her inner voices trying to chose her actions. But she is basically a normal girl with normal looks and a pretty normal life, which is why it is a big surprise for her, and amost everyone else, when one of the most popular guys in school seems interested in her. But the popular guy liking Mary Jane turns out to be a problem because it causes his current girlfriend, who constantly cheats on him, to make Mary Jane's life a living hell. As the book goes on, the whole school seems to turn against Mary Jane and her dream guy dumps his girlfriend and starts to date her. Mary Jane's life, although a little chaotic at the moment, seems perfect to her while with her new boyfriend, but as her relationship with him progresses sex becomes a factor in their relationship, and Mary Jane needs to decide to relinquish her virginity or to hold on to it.

Although the book has a pretty common idea, the book itself is really good. The author does a good job at adding new ideas to make the story break away from a common high school relationship that is often portrayed in books. The book forms characters you can symphasize with and antagonists that you really hate. For instances the book chose a really good mall scene with Mary Jane, her crush, and her crush's girlfriend, where the reader is shown new sides to characters and just how mean some are. I think the book's best part was the voices in Mary Jane's head telling her what to do. The book was an interesting story that portrayed interesting situations and people.

Content:adult guidance: contains some talk of sex

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Tucson, Arizona United States

Stake That! by Mari Mancusi

Stake that is about Sixteen year old Rayne who, after looseing her chance to become a vampire, her twin sister Sunny gets the chance to become a vampire and the hunky vampire as her boyfriend! Rayne then learns that she is the new vampire slayer in town, she must now go under cover and stop a vampire who is seeking power by spreading a fatal blood diease. With this and the regular things taht a teenage girl goes through (Boys,Makeup,Homework,More boys) shes under just a little pressure.

I like Stake That because behind all of the action there is a love story going on. After her dad leaving her mom, and her mom now going on dates again, people thinking that why she's dressing gothic is because her dad left, and on top of all of this the her sister's boyfriend and many others safety, might just be resting on her shoulders. You will find yourself being drawn into Rayne's life more and more as the story goes on. With a surprise ending you'll never doubt Mari Mancusi being a good author.

Content:adult guidance
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: fridley, minnesota united states

Vampirates by Justin Somper

“Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a vampirates life for me.” Have you ever dreamt of the vampirates that have sailed the oceans for many a thousand years? Well, twins Connor and Grace Tempest have. Especially after their father had sung the old vampirate sea shanty to put them to sleep. A little later, the twins father dies, leaving them alone with his lighthouse. It is either move into the orphanage, or move in with the rich and snobby banker. Well, Grace and Connor decide to run. They take their father’s ship and sail away onto the horizon. Once out in the ocean, there is huge storm which wrecks their boat. Connor is lifted onto a pirate ship and thinks Grace is dead and has drowned. Grace on the other hand, is lifted onto some mysterious ship where the crew only goes out on the deck at night. Could this be the dreaded vampirate ship? Will Grace ever see Connor again?

This was definitely a well-thought out, delightful book. You can tell right off the bat that Somper has an amazing bunch of characters who actually feel something, they are not a mindless bunch of drones. This was definitely an interesting read. I have never once in my life read a book as far-out as this one is. The way he describes everything with great detail is just astounding. Overall, this is one of the best books I have read yet.

Content:selected readers for minor violence
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 13

The Unresolved by T.K. Welsh

Mallory's story begins on the day she dies. Soon after her first kiss, the steamship on which she is traveling goes up in flames, and, because of her old, waterlogged life jacket, she drowns. She's not the only one to die in the accident; the lifeboats are rusted to the deck, the water hoses rotten, and the lifejackets useless, so many of her friends and neighbors, as well as her little sister, die that day in New York City. Mallory is a silent, incorporeal observer to the aftermath of the accident, unable to move on into whatever comes next for spirits who leave this world. This is not normal historical fiction--it's told from the perspective of a ghost.

The aftermath of the accident, when everyone is trying to assign the blame to someone, anyone, is very interesting. It's a look at the way justice worked in 1904, and it's not particularly different from the way it seems to work today. TK Welsh's style, however, isn't as good as it could have been. This could have been a beautifully dark, tragic story; instead it's just an interesting one. The characters, too, are a little disappointing; none of them really jump off the page. Still, this is a gripping story that will surely keep reader's attention. It's worth reading, but it probably won't be anyone's absolute favorite book ever.

Content:It's a book about a horrific accident, and there are details about that accident.

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

Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson

In 1918, Hattie Brooks receives word that an uncle she's never known has passed away and left his homestead in Montana to her. She travels across the country to plant roots in this new place. She is understandably hesitant when she first realizes how much work she has to do to "prove up" her land, but she tackles the many jobs with determination and her own two hands. Those hands also craft letters to her friend Charlie, who is fighting in France, and articles for the newspaper. She befriends a lovable family and others in town as she fights to stake her claim.

This memorable pioneer tale is perfect for fans of Little House, Anne of Green Gables, and Little Women.

Though shelved in teen fiction, this heartwarming story is suitable for kids of all ages. Adults will love it too, especially those who love turn-of-the-century historical fiction and WWI homefront stories. This is the kind of book which could be shelved in three different areas of the library or bookstore and find a following in each place.

I highly recommend Hattie Big Sky, especially to families with children of various ages. Hattie is an admirable leading lady with a great head on her shoulders, unflagging determination, and a big pocketful of hope.

The Fruit Bowl Project by Sarah Durkee

What happens when a teacher and a famous rock star give a class of middle schoolers a writing prompt - but assign each student a different writing style?

This hilarious and self-aware story has two portions:
the initial setup, which is written in prose, and then the variations on the project, which are written in every way imaginable. There's a screenplay. A limerick. A newspaper article. A transcript. The point of view of an insider, an outsider, a popular girl, a gossip hound. Different styles, different kids.

This book completely lives up to its premise. I encourage teachers and students to read and discuss this book in their classroom, then create their own Fruit Bowl Project.

The Hollywood Sisters: Backstage Pass by Mary Wilcox

Sixteen-year-old Eva Ortiz dazzles viewers weekly on a hit television sitcom. Her younger sister, Jessica, does not have any acting aspirations, preferring to led an average life off-camera. When accidents start happening on the set and things start to go missing, Jess decides it's up to her to solve the mysteries.

Jess often has pratfalls, but she also has a very big heart. In fact, the entire family is loving and supportive. Though she is a rising star, Eva is very down-to-earth and likable.

A quick read which is refreshing clean, Hollywood
Sisters: Backstage Pass is suitable for young readers who want a little mystery, a little glamour, and a lot of fun.

Rogue Angel: The Spider Stone by Alex Archer

Another Rogue Angel book, The Spider Stone has a lot of the same elements as Destiny. Annja Creed, an archaeologist, is called in about the discovery of several skeletons of slaves in Kirktown, Georgia. The identity of one of the slaves, Yohance, leads Annja, Professor Hallinger, and McIntosh to West Africa. In possession of the Spider Stone, they become the target of Tafari, an African Warlord after the treasure of the Spider god, Anansi. Roux and Garin, characters from Destiny, also play roles throughout the book. Various minor characters appear and add to the story, leading to all out fights with Annja using her sword (from Destiny) and strength.

I would recommend reading Destiny before reading The Spider Stone to better understand Annja's sword and it's abilities. Like Alex Archer's other novel, this is a page-turner that keeps the reader involved through sharing different characters actions in episodic succession. There is much to learn with the historical content of this novel and Archer does an excellent job of infrming the reader with the background story while narrarating. The characters are formed well, especially the minor characters who move the plot forward. With aspects of mystery as well as history, many readers will enjoy The Spider Stone.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Kansas City, MO USA

The Grays by Whitley Strieber

Think all those stories about UFOs and alien abductions are bunk? Whitley Strieber’s new book, The Grays, disagrees. In this work of fiction, aliens do exist and are about to make the ultimate human contact. For years they’ve been following the life of one special little boy, Connor Callaghan, whose very conception they orchestrated. Now they must send one of their own into Connor’s soul in an attempt to understand the human race and save both species. But not everyone on earth is ready to let the grays carry out their plan. A group of wealthy and powerful men, known as The Trust, is inherently skeptical of the grays and will do anything to stop them from enacting their plot, even if it means destroying all of humanity. Ultimately, the survival of both humans and the grays rests in the hands of Connor Callaghan and his neighbors in a small Kentucky town. The novel ends with plenty of action and suspense and lends itself well to another installment.

Strieber paints vivid and imaginative scenes throughout the novel, whether describing extraterrestrial phenomena or the snow-packed Kentucky landscape. However, his creativity does not come through so well in his characters, who tend to be stereotypical. Most are middle aged, white males with some kind of either intellectual or military power (or both). There are no strong females represented in the story, only an overly-doting mother and a sex-crazed Air Force officer; each scene with the mother involves some kind of gushing sentiment for her husband or son, and each with the officer an analysis of her sexual feelings, past and present. Connor Callaghan himself is so full of self-importance that it’s difficult to sympathize with him as he’s being taunted by classmates or even as he’s being invaded by the grays. Strieber passes up another opportunity to add depth to his characters through their conversations, during which it is impossible to tell one voice from another. This adds to the difficulty readers may have in keeping characters straight and makes this a purely plot-driven novel. Regrettably, the plot leaves too many loose ends to be satisfying. This is most evident when The Trust causes a major earthquake in Washington, D.C., near the end of the story, which kills the president but seems to have no clear or lasting purpose overall. Finally, the plot is weakened by clumsy sentences that feature unnecessary repetition, frequent contradictions, and obscure references—like the one to Swedish actor von Sydow—that are simply meaningless to many educated adult readers, let alone young adults, and really have no place in the story. Even the small details that Strieber doesn’t get quite right, like when the Air Force officer’s colleague refers to her as “soldier” (a term used for Army personnel, not Air Force) rather than “airman” or by rank, detract from the narrator’s reliability and the overall believability of the story. Although The Grays introduces an interesting story and is marked by some vivid and creative descriptions, it feels more like a novel in its draft stages than a finished work.

Content:Mature readers. Book deals with a good amount of inter- and extra-marital sex.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 3
Reviewer Age: 26
Reviewer City, State and Country: New Braunfels, TX USA

Clabbernappers by Len Bailey

Is this a dream or what? Danny Ray, the best rodeo cowboy of the Junior Division in Oklahoma, gets a nasty surprise when he walks through a doorway. One second he was at the Cherokee Country Fair Grounds and another at a Chess-piece Kingdom named Elidor. There he is burdened by a mission: to find the queen before the Great Chess Game begins! Along with the snobby Prince of Elidor, Danny Ray is twirled into an adventure of a lifetime.

Although beginning with a cliché start, Clabbernappers is definitely an entertaining, adventurous and humorous read. Filled with effective details and intriguing suspense, the tale is extremely similar to the style displayed in “Jabberwocky”, a poem by Lewis Carroll. Some may think the story is childish, others may not. In conclusion, Clabbernappers is a must-read for people who love the unlimited borders of imagination.

Rating: 7

Soccer Chick Rules by Dawn FitzGerald

No more sports! That’s what Tess is afraid of when the school district threatens to take away all of the sports, unless the community decides to pay higher taxes. Tess joins the levy committee which supports higher taxes, and she helps with the effort by putting up signs, holding protest signs outside of a school, and throwing a Halloween party to help raise money to keep sports alive. When election day comes everyone is anxious about what the results will be, but it is always important to remember Rule #2: Even when the odds are against you, it never hurts to think positive. If the levy fails there is still something that can be learned from all that has happened, Rule #6: Sometimes you’ve got to take one for the team.

This an amazing story that tells not only about soccer but about what happens in Tess’s busy life. The author picked a very good plot for Soccer Chick Rules and did very well at writing this wonderful book. It was really easy to relate to Tess because she is in middle school, and she’s a girl who loves soccer and having fun just like me. Exciting soccer action is packed into one amazing story that is divided into sections within the chapters. Dawn Fitzgerald really tied the title in with the book because no matter what happened there was almost always a rule that went along with it. This story was kind of dirty with the stuff that the characters say and do, but overall this book was fairly clean and decent for teens to read. I recommend Soccer Chick Rules mostly to young adults, ages 12-16, who love soccer and realistic fiction.

Content:infrequent use of profanity

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Upper Strasburg, PA United States

All The Way: Prom Night by Megan Stine

Carmen Salgado has just moved to a new school. It is her senior year and it has been going horrible. Her only three friends are her cousin, her cousin's best friend, and her best friend from her old school. Most importantly, Carmen NEEDS a date to the prom. Finally, the most popular guy in school asks her out near the end of the school year and she accepts. They go to the donkey basketball game and everyone stares at them the entire time, especially his ex-girlfriend. When they leave the game, he takes her to a lake. He wants to go all the way, but she won't have it. So she walks home, three miles, and is extremely agrivated. He posted a message on his website, that the whole school reads, saying that they did go the whole way. Everyone believed him of course. Her friends and her tried out for the school play and she wanted to be the lead along with her crush, Tyler North. When The entire play cast goes to Cleveland to audition for American Superstar Carmen finds out the real Tyler. Does she ever get Tyler to like her? Does she find a prom date? Will everyone believe her side of what happened? Does she get revenge?

All the Way: Prom Night is a very good read. I read it in one night! The book is a page turner because the reader is always wondering if Carmen will get what she wants. The vocabulary is not difficult either. At the end of the book it kind of leaves you hanging because you don't know what happens to some of the characters. Megan Stine could have added an epilogue to it so we did know what happened. I definitly learned that you should learn more about people before you start to trust them as well as Carmen did. I recomend this book to any female mature readers (guys would be bored because the promlems in it are pretty much female issues).

Content:mature reader for sexual situations

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, Pennsylvania United States

Un Lun Dun by China Miéville

Twelve-year-old Deeba Resham and Zanna Moon were just regular schoolgirls, when strange things started to happen in their hometown London. One night, they ventured out and were teleported to a parallel universe called UnLondon. In UnLondon, they discovered that the abcity was ready to go into war with the Smog, a huge cluster of gas, poison, and other chemicals that had been created from global warming. The Smog has gotten so powerful over the years from all of the pollutions created that it generated the ability to think for itself. Zanna, the Chosen One who's destined to defeat the Smog in the Prophesy, was knocked unconscious during a fight and was sent back to London without remembering a thing. Now, it's up to Deeba to save UnLondon from the powerful wrath of the Smog. Throughout her treacherous journey, she met many friends who were also determined to help her win the battle. With her bravery and dedication, she defeats the Smog once and for all and saved the people of UnLondon from a horrible fate.

This novel is very well written by Miéville. The story has suspense and at the same time, is filled with humor. Just when I thought something was going to happen or Debba was finally going to defeat the Smog, something unexpected happened and Deeba must find a new way to try to annihilate the Smog. For example, when Deeba finally obtained the UnGun, which is the only weapon that is able to defeat the Smog, one of her allies stole it and gave it to the Smog's allies. This created many problems for Deeba and her wide range of friends, which included a milk carton, a half-ghost, a bird, some "words", a rebrella (a fixed unbrella, which is a broken umbrella). But they were able to get the UnGun back and defeat the Smog. The 425-page-book is divided into 99 “chapters” so it’s easy to read and stop. It never gets dull and is packed with action. This is truly a must-read book that everybody will be able to enjoy.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Urbana, Illinois United States of America

Dragon Avenger by E.E. Knight

In the beginning of Dragon Avenger two dragon eggs are hatching. The evil Wheel of Fire clan (dwarves) come into the cave and Wistala (one of the hatchlings) leaves the cave with her older brother. Her brother sacrifices himself to save her and then she is left alone to find her father. When she does, Wistala needs to get metal for her father's stomach. She travels to Tumbledown and meets a cat named Yari-Tab. When the evil Fangbreaker comes to kill her father and her, Wistala runs away. Later she meets Rainfall, an old elf, and the circus led by Ragwrist. Many terrors come and go throughout this book along with deaths and triumphs. Will the book end with one of those? or both?

Dragon Avenger was an interesting book to read. I suggest that only very good readers read this book. It is extremely challenging even for me; I was at an 8th grade reading level in 2nd grade! Otherwise, the book was very good. It kept me entertained all the way throughout reading it.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, Pennsylvania United States of America

Frogs and French Kisses

Rachel has finally got over the fact that she does not have any magical powers and uses her sister, Miri, as much as possible. In exchange for simple spells, like a love spell for her crush, Raf, Rachel has to help Miri stop wildfires, feed the needy and other plots to save the world. Suddenly everything starts to go wrong. First off, their mother, a non-practicing witch who has not been on a date for a very long time becomes a serial dater and uses magic for every possible situation. Then, the love spell goes awry and instead of Raf falling in love with Rachel, it is his brother Will who is under the love spell. Then Miri's attempt to save the world endangers other parts of the world, and even affects the senior prom. And it's up to Rachel to save the day, without magic.

I really liked the first book, Bras and Broomsticks, so I figured that the sequel would be just as much fun. I wasn't disappointed with Frogs and French Kisses, but I don't think it was as good as the first one. The story was interesting though and I kept wanting to know what happened next. The ending also leaves room for the next book, which I'll be looking forward to.

Reviewer: PS

Secrets of a South Beach Princess by Mary Kennedy

Amber Fielding is a local celebrity-her father owns one of the most popular hotels in South Beach and she's an up and coming model. Her life seems perfect, but underneath that facade, Amber has a lot to deal with. First, there's Nick, a guy who she's just hit it off with, but he seems to be flirting with her best friends as well as her. Then, her best friend Zia ends up in the hospital and she gets all the blame. Then, to make things even more complicated, the Changelings, a popular band ends up checking into the hotel a month earlier than they were expected. Amber is finding out that people are not who they first seem to be.

I thought that this book was really entertaining. The crazy twists and turns of the plot kept me reading until the very end. I rarely put the book down! I also loved that the story took place in Florida. The descriptions of South Beach made me want to go there immediately. Overall, I was pleased with how the story ended and I'm looking forward to picking up more books by Mary Kennedy.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10
Reviewer Age: 20
Reviewer City, State and Country: Philadelphia, PA USA

Jinx High by Mercedes Lackey

Fay Harper is like any other “most popular girls at school”-or at least that’s how she appears. But she is really a 300 hundred year old witch that stays young by taking over the bodies young girls. Fay’s power has been running low so she targets Deke, a psychic (though he doesn’t know it), by acting like his girlfriend until she can take his power. She also goes after Monica, the new girl in school who is getting pretty friendly with Deke. Deke’s dad notices something is wrong and calls in his old friend Diana Tregarde. It’s up to Diana to protect Deke and Monica, take down Fay, and prevent an ancient power from waking up and destroying Tulsa.

At first I thought the book was really slow-moving and not getting anywhere. It took a while for Fay to be discovered for what she was even though it was pretty obvious to the reader. But once I was about halfway through it was hard to put down. I really liked how the story built on itself and had a lot of small plots that connected at the end. Mercedes Lackey does a great job of connecting the reader to the characters emotions because I really understood how they were feeling.

Content:MATURE READER
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Erlanger, Kentucky United States

Beyond Basketball by Mike Krzyzewski

Beyond Basketball is a book composed of many personal anecdotes from the life of Duke Basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski to teach readers about the most important characteristics and aspects of life. Coach K talks about 40 different words, from adversity to work, that can be used to define success. Coach K has had a very successful coaching career at Duke, and he uses these exact same ideas principle and characteristics throughout his daily life. This book is a simple read but is also an excellent teaching tool for any team, business corporation, or family to truly attain success.

Overall, I think this book served its purpose very well. Coach K definitely shows that he not only coaches his players for basketball, but also for life. The author does a great job of presenting a simple layout of these ideals, but he also shares some very important lessons that are critical to achieving success. Each chapter focuses on one idea, but instead of simply defining the term, Coach K uses a personal story in his life to help readers understand this idea and to define it in their own terms. I think it is great that Coach K has written this book because it can connect to a wide variety of audiences. It is simple enough for children, but informative enough for adults. In conclusion, I really enjoyed this book, and it should be very successful.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Eden Prairie, Minnesota United States

Confessions of a Beauty Editor by Linda Wells

This book was very good and very imformative about beauty. It basically touches every topic you can think about such as; skin care, applying make-up, dealing with your hair, and it even has tips on going to the salon and spa. In each section it gives you do's and dont's, and even special beauty secrets. It also answers beauty myths which is very important for women.

I really enjoyed this book. I learned so much from it. Its really enjoyable to read because it's not set up in a conventional book set up. The chapters have really small paragraphs, pictures, and boxed in words, and it makes reading the book so much more fun. I would reccommend this book to any girl or woman who is interested in reading about make-up and how to work with your hair or really anything that has to do with your body.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Dundee, Oregon USA

Just In Case by Meg Rosoff

Just in Case is the story of a boy who wants desperately to escape fate. He runs and runs from fate, but can’t ever seem to go quick enough to escape. First he changes his name from David to Justin, with the mentality that he can trick fate into forgetting his existence. He changes his physical state, his wardrobe, even his friends, but all in vain. Fate is not so easily fooled. As the book progresses Justin’s fate plays out in many unexpected and refreshingly peculiar ways.

Reading the first couple chapters of Just in Case, I thought it would have a predictable teenage book plot: guy has problem then guy meets girl, they date and his problem is fixed, leaving him a changed man. No big deal, nothing new. I was so wrong. After further reading I was pleasantly surprised by many unexpected plot twists. As in her first novel, Ms. Rosoff plays with the strand of character relationships until it becomes a delicate and complex web. This works well for the most part, however, it becomes a bit confusing when Fate is given a voice in the novel. The way the book is written, Fate speaks as an ominous entity, seeing all that the characters do. The position of Fate is at times a tad confusing and hard to understand as relevant to the story, but in the end Fate adds to the perplexity of the story line. Although the book begins rather slowly, it picks up shortly and is refreshing because of its ending and intricacy of character relations.

Sasquatch by Jeff Meldrum

This book starts with the explanation of cryptozoology, the study of mythical creatures. It then proceeds to relate the story of a man who found a sasquatch footprint, Ray Wallace. Wallace found a very large footprint in the construction sight where he was working. When Bigfoot hunters appearred though, he said he felt sorry for the critter and said he faked the tracks. From there the book moves on to topics that are grounded in science, such as vocalization and behavioral similarities. It also tells about sighting that were misproven and DNA evidence. Then the author sums up the information in the book as to whether or not the sasquatch exists. He says that based on the scientific evidence that the sasquatch does exist.

This book was highly informative about Bigfoot. There is a large amount of complicated science involved with the text, yet the author explains it a thoroughness that helps the reader understand the material without diluting the science. However, at some points, I found the book to be slightly boring, enough to dissuade casual readers that aren't very interested. Although, in spite of this, this book was a good read.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Chambersburg, Pennsylvania U.S.A.

The Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Though he doesn’t fully understand what is going on around him, Bruno’s new friend in the striped hat and pajamas helps nine-year-old Bruno get though his new life. In the Boy in the Striped Pajamas, the large fence outside of Bruno’s house always separates Bruno from his only friend Shmuel and all of the other mysterious, cheerless looking people on the other side of that fence. Bruno does not realize that what is going on around him is the Holocaust. Though Bruno and Shmuel talked every day, always with that eerie fence between them, Bruno never fully understands how horrible a thing is going on right outside his house. The shocking ending of this moving book will help you realize just a little more how horrific the Holocaust was.

This story is not suspenseful or action-filled, but something special about it grips you and makes it so you just have to keep reading. Bruno, in his naïve state of mind, is the reason this story has such an impact. He is only nine years old and does not understand exactly what horrible things are happening during the Holocaust. That is what made this book so interesting. Though Bruno’s viewpoint is the foundation of what made The Boy in the Striped Pajamas have such an effect, Bruno annoyed me at some points. He was just a nine-year-old though so it’s understandable. Bruno had no idea what was going on around him, or even how to pronounce the names of the horrible things having to do with the Holocaust, so it told the story from a different, yet interesting, vantage point. This shocking, but compelling story is definitely worth reading.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fairview Heights, Illinois USA

Wide Awake bt David Levithan

Wide Awake is about the journey of a group of teenagers, especially a young couple, across the country to preserve what they believe in. America has elected the first gay and jewish president in its history, and plenty of controversy has followed it. When the governor of Kansas demands a recount in attempt to overturn the election, everything in the lives of these teenagers, political and personal, is put into question. This journey tests the strength of the young teenagers' relationships and political identity that will leave the readers' imaginations asking for more.

I thought this book did a great job of posing the question: What if? The author creates such a unique setting in the future of the World that truly drew me into this book. All aspects of the plot were very well presented, but there was just enough uncertainty that caused me to keep wanting to turn the pages. Also, the struggles that the young people go through mentally, physically, and emotionally makes the plot even more interesting. I think this book can be very appealing to many readers because is presents one idea for the future of the world. With everything occurring in the world today, this book could not have come at a better time to enlighten the imaginations of all. Overall, I enjoyed this book, and I think others will too.

Content:Some sexual content and discriminative slang terms.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Eden Prairie, Minnesota United States

Rogue Angel: Destiny by Alex Archer

Rogue Angel is a series of books starring Annja Creed, an archaeologist. In Destiny, Annja travels to France on assignment for Chasing History's Monsters, a television show she occasionally works for to make money. She's investigating La Bete de Gevaudan (the Beast of Gevaudan)in the Cervannes Mountians, when she realizes that she's not the only one hunting la Bete and that there are many secrets hidden in the Mountians. Lesauvage, a criminal searching for la Bete to find hidden treasure, sends men after Annja to capture her. Roux, a five hundred year old man who once served Joan of Arc, helps Annja only to steal the medallion she found. As the story unfolds, mystery surrounds the characters, each holding a fact that leads to the discovery of the truth. It turns out that Annja is the successor of Joan of Arc, possessing her magical sword to do Good.

Rogue Angel: Destiny encompasses many genres, historical fiction, mystery, mythology, and science fiction to name a few and is likely to appeal to a wide range of readers. It is a definite page turner in which Annja Creed faces evil with intelligence and grace. Her quick thinking gains the admiration of even her ennemies. The author, Alex Archer, does an excellent job of explaining the complicated plot and moving it forward without leaving the reader in the dark. I enjoyed the historical references throughout the novel but the book is far from a boring history lesson, it is a thrilling mystery! I would recommend it to high school age readers of all interests.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Kansas City, MO USA

Room For One More by Devra Newberger Speregen

11-year old Harlie has everything going for her-great friends, great parents, and she might even qualify for the Team USA Junior Gymnastics Championships in Miami, Florida. She even had a cool birthday party to see a comic book exhibit at the museum with her friends, Miss O, Juliette, Isabella, and Justine! Her life is pretty much perfect-and she's happy with it. But then things start happening all at once; a new family moves into her apartment building, and Harlie's expected to entertain their very annoying Kindergartener, Lanie! There's more: her mom's been acting really weird, and Harlie still hasn't heard back from her coach if she's made it or not to the gymnastics championships! That's when her parents tell her: her mom's having a baby-and it's due the exact same week as when Harlie's hoping to be in Miami competing! Needless to say, she's not too psyched about things. Will she make it to Miami? Will things start getting better? And for Pete's sake, will Lanie finally leave Harlie alone?!?

“Room For One More” reminded me a lot of how girls act in their tween years. I forgot we had a language of our own! Although I did not particularly like the book, I know my “tween” sister will love it. All in all, it's pretty much the new “Baby Sitter's Club,” of sorts--most likely the next popular series of books for girls. Based on the popular website, missoandfriends.com, it's a sure hit with all of those girls out there who are fans of the website and who are between the ages of 8 and 11!

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 5
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: , IN USA

All You Need Is Love by Emily Franklin

17-year old Love Bukowski returns mid semester to Hadley Prep from her study abroad in London to be near her aunt Mable who has breast cancer. Once back, Love can only seem to compare her wonderful, though few months in London—living in a flat with her best friend Arabella—with her old life where she doesn’t seem to fit in anymore. As Love deals with the pain of seeing her Aunt Mable slowly dying before her eyes, keeping up a long distance relationship with her Brit boyfriend Asher, and her dad’s seemingly tough crackdown on everything concerning her life, Love does not know what to do anymore. In addition, she learns that the schoolwork she did in London will not count because she left mid semester. So now, she not only has to worry about her relationships with old friends, including Jacob her ex, but doing another project as well as writing her college essays. However, it seems as though she is getting closer to finding out who her real mom is.

All you need is Love, by Emily Franklin, was a great lighthearted addition to the principles of Love series. Love is a down to earth girl who is easy to relate to and seems to be stuck in situations that any 17-year-old girl can understand. Although, Hadley Prep (a boarding school) is a college prep high school, the school has a more college atmosphere than high school. If you have not read the previous books in the series, it is hard to understand that she is actually in high school and not college. Franklin writes a fun fast-paced novel, with an ending that is sure to have readers waiting in anticipation for the next sequel.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Kansas City, Missouri USA

Three Clams and an Oyster by Randy Powell

While searching for a fourth member for their flag football team three friends learn something new about themselves and each other.

This book is entertaining, but nothing to write home about. Throughout the book the author focuses on three main characters, all part of a four man flag football team. The characters are faced with the decision to replace Cade, an unreliable member of their team, after he misses a couple of practices. The author mainly dawdles on events such as going to a hot dog stand or the the flee market rather the than more interesting stuff as in the actual football game. The author does scatter a fair amount of humor into the book but just enough to keep it interesting. In the end you feel as if the author rushed to meet a deadline. Overall this pearl is better left inside the oyster.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 5
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Starkville, MS United States

Drawing the Ocean by Carolyn MacCullough

Sadie and her family have just moved across the country from her old home in California. Even the skies and the ocean are different, and Sadie isn't so sure that she'll be able to fit in here. While her worries about friends, boys, and school are normal enough, Sadie has one more tough thing to deal with. Her family is still healing from the death of her twin brother, Ollie, four years ago. The two were twelve years old then, and Ollie will be twelve forever. Sadie still sees him and talks to him, and tries to paint the ocean for him, her last promise to her brother.

Carolyn MacCullough has created great characters in this novel. These characters populate a powerful story that is very well written, one that will capture the attention of readers from the very first chapter. Sadie's worries about her new school will be familiar to any teen who has ever been the new kid (and to many who have not). Hopefully not many people will be able to relate to her struggles over the death of her brother, but that aspect of the book is very well done; the emotions and reactions of Sadie and her family are very realistic. This isn't a book that readers will want to miss, especially if they are fans of MacCullough's earlier work.

Content:Drug use. More mature readers, probably.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Asheville, NC USA

Fangs 4 Freaks by Serena Robar

In this sequel to Serena Robar's Braced 2 Bite, Colby has set up a sorority house that's rather exclusive. Psi Phi is just for half-blood vampires. Colby is one of these half-bloods, but she's more than that; she's their Protector, the one who got rid of the unfair laws persecuting them. Without her, they could all be executed! Of course, now that they're free to exist, that doesn't mean all of their troubles are over. The half-bloods are still being targeted, and it looks like there's a spy in the Psi Phi house. Aside from being a that, Colby's got some problems that aren't so particular to her status as half-blood Protector. Namely, guy problems--she and her boyfriend Thomas aren't taking things to the next level the way Colby would like! Despite the fact that Colby has freed her people, life is anything but cushy for the sisters at Psi Phi House.

Fangs 4 Freaks is a well written book and an original take on the vampire legend. Serena Robar's characters are original and fun to read about. These include a half-blood vampire who wants to be a vegan, one who is overly confrontational, and another who, as royalty, sees herself as above the rest of the sisters. This novel is a fun, suspenseful read with a real surprise twist at the end! It isn't necessary to have read Braced 2 Bite before picking this book up, but it would probably help to fill in some of the background information that I'm still a little fuzzy on after finishing the novel. Fans of vampire novels and even those who don't have a great love for vampire stories will love this book!

Content:Sexual situations, violence.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Asheville, NC USA

Don't Feed The Bully by Brad Tassell

Hannibal Greatneck III is a detective. Handy finds he has some work to do as a sixth grade transfer student in his new school, William B Travis elementary. His new school has a very different idea of what to do about bullies. Handy notices this soon after entering the school--it would be hard to miss. There is a cage, where the bully Ralphie is made to sit, in the middle of the classroom. The power to stop the bullies is given to wimpy Kurt, and that power can be used another way...to become a bully. People in school are scared, and Handy has to figure out why and fix it.

Don't Feed The Bully is a quick read that kids will be able to relate to. Important lessons are taught, but the book still manages to be funny and entertaining! Even reluctant readers will enjoy this book, with its fun characters and the mystery that is the center of the story. To add to the fun, there are entertaining illustrations by Logan Sibrel that definitely add to the book. Most of thte pictures are a great addition to the story. Just because there are pictures doesn't make this a book for little kids, though; everyone will enjoy this story!

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Asheville, NC USA

The Fugitive from Corinth by Caroline Lawrence

Flavia's father is severely injured one night, and the only suspect Flavia has in mind is her own tutor. Nubia, Jonathan, and Lupus (and later on, Megara) join her in her pursual of him, through unknown terrain, and various cities. An oracle tells Flavia's messanger with a rhyme, which none of them can figure out, and the group dismisses it after a little thought. Before that, though, they'd met a young beggar boy, who seems a little odd, but was otherwise a great help in some ways and a great bother in others. Later on, the boy revealed himself as a girl, Megara, who had more information on the tutor and his brother than any of them had imagined. It's finally in the cave of the Furies that they catch up with the tutor and his brother, who both have stories to tell. It turns out that no one had intended to hurt Flavia's father, and they all run back to Corinth and find him awake and live happily ever after.

I think that the book was a little childish and mainstream. The murder mysteries that end up with everyone living happily ever after, when it shouldn't happen are a little annoying. Other than that, Lawrence delivers the tale in a slightly more interesting way- this takes place in ancient times. With a change of character, setting, and behavior, an otherwise boring tale is made slightly more interesting. Some parts are a little bit strange- like, they just happen to meet a little beggar boy who just happens to be a girl who just happens to know a hell of a lot of stuff about Aristo. But otherwise, it's not that bad.

Content:They give a brief mention to various female parts, but I wouldn't worry.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mahomet, Illinois The United States of America

Adventures in Unhistory by Avram Davidson

Adventures in Unhistory is a collection of mini-lectures that deal with the fantastic: from dragons to mermaids to the travels of Sinbad. Davidson takes on the task of providing the facts of popular myths. As he presents the details that make each legend plausible, he interjects little quips and anecdotes that liven the narration and makes each scholarly essay enjoyable and easy to process. The essays teach a significant amount of history to the reader, but present it in such a way that the knowledge is transferred painlessly, unlike reading a history textbook. It seems almost as though Davidson were speaking directly and personally to the reader. When the reader finishes this book, he/she will be able to fully comprehend the history behind the fantasy in novels that deal heavily with these legends.

This book was immensely exciting to read. The essays, at first, seemed a little dry, but as I adjusted to the witty comments and seemingly random points (that were always tied up at the end), the essays came to life and almost read like a novel. There were times when I was at a loss to some of the humor, mainly because I was not familiar with the background, such as the Latin words Ars longa, vita breva. But it took little away from the narration, and was not hard to research and figure out. And since the stories covered a broad variety of topics, the knowledge gained was well rounded, and applicable to other areas not pertaining to fantasy. I think this book is essential to the fantasy fanatic’s library, and even those with no interest in werewolves or phoenixes will still be captivated by the wealth of information tucked inside this little book.

Content:Though this book contains no violence, sexual situations, or profanity, the language of the book assumes that the reader has significant understanding of classical works and a fairly detailed comprehension of history. Thus, while the content is appropriate for younger children, much of the humor and subtext would not be conveyed. So, the recommendation would be for a mature, intellectual reader.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Overland Park, Kansas United States

Firestorm by Daniel Kass

Have you ever been broken the school rushing record, been turned down by your girlfriend, found out your parents aren’t your parents, and been chased off into the night by strangers, all in one evening? Well, Jack Danielson has, and he wasn’t too happy about the latter three. First he breaks the school rushing record by 200 yards (the rushing record is how far you can run with the ball in football before you are tackled, drop the ball, or make a touchdown,) tries to get his girlfriend to go all the way with him, and gets turned down. He then drives home and his dad tells him to get in the car. He tells Jack that he is not his dad and his mom is not his mom. His dad does these radical tricks with his car to get away from these creatures that are now chasing them. His “dad” tells him to run down to the dock where he will find a boat. Jack rides that boat down to Manhattan. Jack looks around the boat and finds, locked in a safe, the papers to the boat, which have his name on them, and a crazy watch which he puts on. Once in Manhattan, he sells his boat and goes to the park and falls asleep. He is picked up by this girl who offers to take him back to her apartment. She seduces him and then turns into one of those creatures who were looking for him. He quickly gets away, and finds a talking dog named Gisco. The dog leads him away to a train station and they get onboard as a blind man and his seeing eye dog. Quickly they iscover a plot to get them and they jump off of the train. A group of bikers finds them and sells Javk a bike and fresh clothes. Jack and Gisco ride off into the night. Gisco leads Jack to a barn and locks him inside. Jack is furious. He sleeps through the night. When he wakes up he finds a ninja standing there. The ninja beats him up for three days until Jack can beat him. Once Jack finally beats the ninja, he unmasks it and finds it’s a girl. They drive to the beach and train Jack to fight. He is chased away from the islad, with Gisco, by the creatures. To find out more, pick this book up at your local library or bookstore!

This was one of the greatest books I have ever read. This will definitely be the next Harry Potter. Out of all my likes, I had only one dislike, and it was the fact that he, David Klass, used a lot of fragments instead of actual sentences. That got a little annoying. I did like the fact that it was a little fantasy, adventure, romance, and science fiction all wrapped up into one story.

Content:mature reader due to sexual situations and and some violence

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10
Reviewer Age: 13

The End by Lemony Snicket

In The End, Clause and Sunny and Violet, all get shipwrecked on a coastal shelf, along with Count Olaf that is. They meet a girl named Friday, who takes them back to her village to meet Ishmael, who likes to be called Ish. She leaves Count Olaf behind because he is a wicked man. The Baudelaires are made get rid of all their possessions, including Clause’s commonplace book, Violet’s hair ribbon, and Sunny’s whisk. They are put into white robes (that is what the whole village is made to wear) and must drink coconut cordial, the only drink found on the island except salt water. The Baudelaires are fine until they are whisked into an evil plot to overthrow Ishmael and force him off the island. Later they find that there are secrets on the island their parents had kept from them. They find these secrets just as Count Olaf comes with his own deadly plot to make the island his own. He fails and all the inhabitants of the village are forced off the island in a boat. The Baudelaires live on the island a whole other year until they completed a boat to get off the island.

I liked this book a lot. It had adventure and many plots and subplots. One thing I liked was that there was a surprise little extra chapter at the back of the book. One thing I disliked was the fact it told none of the secrets Lemony always wrote about in his books. Overall the final book was not the best in his series, but it was good.


Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 13

Don't Feed The Bully by Brad Tassell

Hannibal "Handy" Greatneck III, a boy detective, moves to a new school. There he discovers an unusual sight. There is a cage in the classroom, and all the students seem to be afraid of a puny Kurt Pesterman. When Handy tries to expose Kurt's misuse of power to the teachers, Kurt frames Handy in an attempt to get Handy in deep trouble. Don't Feed the Bully is a humorous story with a very good moral.

To be frank, I was skeptical about this book when I recieved it. It was thin, had drawings, and sounded...well like something a child would read. I was somewhat wrong. While the plot is geared more towards ages 10-12, there was a surprising amount of extensive vocabulary. The analogies Brad Tassel writes made me chuckle every time. The plot had great lessons on how to stop or deter bullying, and that was amplified by the appendix giving step-by-step explanations about how to overpower bullies. The book has great potential, and I think Brad Tassell could make this into a series. Handy Greatneck might just be the next Encyclopedia Brown.


Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Quincy, Pennsylvania United States of America

Being AGirl That Leads by Shannon Kubiak Primicerio

Primicerio develops Being a Girl Who Leads as a thought provoking and guiding Christian work aimed at teenage girls. She covers everyday topics such as clothing, friends, profanity, boundaries and limits vs. freedom, lying and gossiping, intimate relationships, and parents in a way that explores the Christian point of view but allows people of all faiths and backgrounds to reflect on their actions. Each chapter discusses a relevant topic by explaining how what is often expected of girls, or what they expect of themselves, contradicts Christian teachings and sometimes even common sense. The author provides great examples, some from her life and experience, to illustrate her points. She provides ideas for further thought at the end of each chapter, as well as what should be expected from a good leader.

Being A Girl Who Leads is a great guide for girls to refocus their lives to look at what is important in life. Primicerio takes a very simple and understandable approach to topics that most girls think are out of their control, such as clothing fashions that may be inappropriate. I really think this book would be excellent for youth groups or groups of girls to discuss after reading or topic by topic. My only drawback, for non-Christians, is that the author focuses a lot on the Christian point of view. However, I still reflected on myself and my decisions while reading this book. It's an easy and quick read and worthwhile.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Kansas City, MO USA

The Horse from the Sea by Victoria Holmes

On a dark and stormy night, Spanish ships started crashing on the shore located near Nora Donovan’s home. The next morning her family and their close neighbors help gather up the remains that have drifted ashore from the ship. What Nora finds will change her life forever—a Spanish boy gasping for help. Nora decides to deliver him from the sea, from the English armies who are searching for the Spanish survivors to kill, and also from the evil wrath of Manannan mac Lir (the god of the sea). She also finds a beautiful stallion as white as sea foam which has a wounded shoulder. She decides to call the horse Lir, and takes him to a cave close by to help him recover his health, but inside lurking in the shadows is the injured shipwrecked Spanish sailor. He asks Nora if she will take him to a ship that will take him back to Spain and after pondering the idea for a while, she agrees. She will have to disobey her parents, leave without a trace, escape English soldiers, give up her beloved horse, and risk her life to save a boy she hardly even knows.

The Horse from the Sea is a wonderful book that I enjoyed reading. It is full of adventure and edge of your seat suspense. Victoria Holmes has two other horse novels called Rider in the Dark and Heart of Fire, which I can’t wait to read. The plot was well chosen, the title fit very well, and the cover was gorgeous. Even though this book was a good read, I think that the story was continued for too long and should have ended much sooner. I recommend this book mostly to girls ages 9-14.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Upper Strasburg, PA US

Haters by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez

Pasquala, a.k.a Paski, was known as one of the populars in Taos, New Mexico. Her mother left Paski and her trying-too-hard-to-be-a-role-model father when Paski was only a little girl. The only "women" figures she has now is her weird, physic grandmother and her expreienced best friends, Emily and Janet. When Paski's life seemed to be going well, it came to a halt. Her dad got a promotion in Los Angeles. It may sound cool leaving the snow and heading for sunshine but when her grandmother warns her of bad times to come, she's not so sure about it anymore. Now she has to deal with a whole new school and a whole new group called the Haters. When Paski sees trouble ahead for one of the Haters she has to decide whether to tell her and be compoletely humiliated or let it take its course...literally.

I have to say this is probally one of the best books I have read coming out of Flamingnet. I was kind of iffy about it because I am used to reading books that can be realistic somewhat. Paski, the main character, has the ability to see in the future and that turned me off at first. But then I realized, without it, the book would be one of those popular, sterotypical books that get old after a while. Haters has substance and didn't drag on like other 350 page books do. I would love to see Rodriguez create a sequel or another young adult novel that had as much interest and integrity as Haters did.

Content:The majority of the book was fine. However, there was a paragraph or two towards the end of the book that I strongly suggest should only be for a mature audience due to sexual content.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
eviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Villa Hills, Kentucky United States

More Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet by Lola Douglas

Just when Morgan Carter was beginning to love the simple life she had built in Fort Wayne, Indiana, her true identity as an infamous Hollywood starlet was exposed. This book is a sequel to “Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet” and features the same characters. Morgan is now 17 and trying to live the simple life in Fort Wayne when her archenemy: Debbie Ackerman revealed her identity as a Hollywood starlet. Now she is trying to deal with her new life being followed by paparazzi after she left rehab. Morgan has a choice to make: return to her glamorous movie star existence—or stick with the wholesome life, and love, she's found in the Midwest. In this journal by Morgan, she tells gossips and rumors. Her mom, Bianca, wants her back in LA for Thanksgiving with Sam, her stepfather. But Morgan wants to stay with her new “boyfriend” Eli and the rest of her new friends. She goes through countless mood swings, and encounters many obstacles on her way to become sober from drugs and alcohol. This is definitely a good story for teenage girls, for it has a lot of elements that will be especially interesting for them.

I'm not such a big fan for journals, especially ones with gossip and other things that are mostly intended to entertain girls. The author did a good job of putting all of the elements together and made it look like a book, but I'm not really interested in reading it. Like I said before, this book really isn't for boys, but Lola Douglas did not really intend to write it just for girls. Overall, it's not a bad book, but I'm just not interested when reading More Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet. The book might be a little more interesting if I've read the previous book: "Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet".

Content:The book is mostly intended for teenage girls, but boys are not restricted to reading it. There is some profanity and sexual situations, so I'm recommending that you have to be at least 12 and up to read this.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Urbana, IL USA

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

Alyss Princess of Wonderland is set to recieve the throne of wonderland once her dear mother passed away many years in the future, that is until her evil Aunt Redd assasinates her parents in an evil plan to control the world. ALyss escapes through a magical pool to Earth and is taken in by a nice London family. She procedes to grow up teaching herself to believe wonderland was a figment of her imagination. Her perfect life is shattered on her wedding day when her childhood playmate Dodge. She is swept back into wonderland and all of its politics as she is forced to battle Redd for the Queendom.

The book is a very nicely done spin-off of Lewis Carrol's Classic. This book will most likely overcome the shadow of Carrol's book. The card soldier invention was great. I would enjoy to read any sequal by Beddor, and he should write a sequal. The adding of imagination powers is a nice addition.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Raymond, illinois United States of America

Queen B by Laura Peyton Roberts

Cassie Howard, always the runner up in school, has somehow managed to take the hottest guy, Kevin, from Sterling, the most popular girl in school. As her popularity starts to rise in the school, so does her rivalry with Sterling. Add on to the situation a little brother who manages to get her into sticky situations, Cassie seems to be losing her touch. Then, she is given a role of stage director in the talent school her school is holding, and more and more people are not taking Cassie seriously. She has to find some way to hold on to her new boyfriend and solve problems in school before it's too late.

I thought that this book was really cute. As soon as I picked it up, I couldn't stop reading this. Cassie was such a cute character to read about. The situations she got into were so funny. I can't wait to read the prequel to Queen B! I think this is the perfect book to pick up. I hope that Laura Peyton Roberts continues to write about Cassie's adventures.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Philadelphia, PA USA

London Calling by Edward Bloor

Martin Conway is in serious depression. At his school, he gets slapped in the face by a boy living up to a legacy, his father is an alcholic, and his grandmother recently died. When Martin visits his Aunt's house where his grandmother lived, he inheirits an old radio. Every night, instead of the TV, he tunes the radio between stations and falls asleep to the soft glow of the dial. But this is not without consequence. Every time he falls asleep to the radio, he is transported back in time to 1940s London during the Blitz. There he meets a boy who needs Martin's help. Martin's time-travling adventures lead to a trip to present-day London, in order to help the boy.

Edward Bloor wrote one of my favorite books of all time, Tangerine. London Calling is every bit as captivating. Martin portrays a common figure, in a not-so-common circumstance. The things that happen to Martin (other than his time-traveling) could easily happen to anyone. His struggle through life, then the uplifting of his spirits makes this novel an emotional adventure too. The book was consistently well-paced, and kept me reading the whole time. The ending is capable of warming even the coldest heart. Bloor writes yet another tale that makes you question what could happen, or what we believe in. London Calling has great potential win awards, or simply capture young minds to the enthralling adventure that is life.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Quincy, Pennsylvania United States

Underland by Mary Patterson Thornburg

After giving her a mysterious gift, Alyssha Dodson's older brother Billy vanished without a trace. Now, four years later, Alyssha is twelve, and being chased by frightening strange men who are searching for something, Alyssha runs to a room under a bridge, the refuge shown to her by her brother soon before his disappearance. When she leaves that room, she is in another universe. It is much like the one she left, but also very different, and she is not as safe there as she might have hoped; she is still being pursued, this time by the powerful Lord Raf Var Ne, whose stepson, Kardl, aids Alyssha in her escape from the Rydor Lord and her search for her brother; Billy, apparently, also traveled to this parallel world. The following adventure includes a revolution, a hint of romance, and more!

Upon opening this book, I had no expectations as to the quality of it, but if I had they would certainly have been surpassed! The characters and plot were well-thought out, and the writing pulled me right in! I couldn't put down Underland; I found myself turning page after page until I'd read the entire book in one sitting! Though the characters are realistic, they also seem a bit too mature for their supposed ages a lot of the time (Alyssha and Kardl in particular); but then, I suppose they've been through a lot. Still, it might have been a bit more believable had their ages been stated as a few years older than those given. I also had a few unanswered questions upon finishing the book, but hopefully that just means there is a sequel in the works!

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Asheville, NC USA

Emil and Karl by Yankev Glatshteyn

This story describes the hardships of two young boys in Vienna, Austria during World War II. One of the boys, Karl, is forced to leave his home after his mother is taken away by soldiers. He goes to his best friend Emil’s house. Emil is Jewish, but Karl is not. Emil’s father has been killed, and his mother has lost her mind. Together, Emil and Karl go into the city, meeting some kind people, others not, while searching for a safe place to stay.

I really enjoyed this book. The book showed the power of friendship. I liked the many different characters, and how they each resembled different people’s reactions to what was going on around them. Some people were too afraid to speak out against hate, others were taken in by hate, while other people tried to fight back against hatred. The book also showed that in the midst of hatred, there are still kind people. I thought the translator’s introduction was touching, giving the reader a picture of who was reading this book when it was released in Yiddish in 1940. It reminded the reader that this story cannot just tell about the past, but also reminds the reader to remember the challenges faced by children around the world.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Urbana , Illinois United States of America

The Black Tatoo by Sam Enthoven

It all begins with two normal teenage boys, Charlie and Jack, walking down the street leading seemingly normal lives. That is, until they are stopped by a mysterious, dark stranger named Nick. Nick soon pulls Charlie and Jack into the Brotherhood, a secret society charged with keeping the Scourge, a liquid black Demon, imprisoned. The boys team up with Esme, another teenage girl who has trained all her life to fight the Scourge. During a fight for leadership of the Brotherhood, Charlie accidentally becomes the host body of the Scourge, which has escaped. Through Charlie the Scourge opens and enters the Fracture, or gateway to Hell. Jack and Esme follow and are confronted by the Emperor who only grants requests by winning a match in the bloody gladiator pits. The book continues as Jack tries to stay alive, Esme braces herself to fulfill her destiny, and Charlie fights to save his friends and himself.

I really liked this book. When I first got it and saw how many pages there were I thought it would be long and boring. But it was packed with adventure, suspense and mystery. Sam Enthoven did a great job of the keeping the novel moving. I could really connect with the characters and their emotions. It also presents unconventional, interesting viewpoints about demons, etc. Overall, I thought it was a great book.

Content:adult guidance
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Erlanger, Kentucky United States