Ace of Spades by David Matthews

Ace of Spades is an memoir of David Matthews’s search for racial identity in an America that is obsessed with skin color. David Matthews was born on November 8, 1967 to a black nationalist father and a white Jewish mother. His mother was mentally unstable. Matthews’s father had to rescue him from his mother. His mother then moved to Israel. David lived with his father and sometimes with his father’s abusive girlfriends near Washington, D.C. for many years. David and his father then moved in with David’s grandmother in Baltimore, Maryland. When David entered the fourth grade at his new school in Baltimore, he had to choose between being “black” or “white”. Only one student offered him the choice of being “mixed.” David chose “white” because he always imagined that his white mother had a life of luxury. David pretended he was Jewish; he got away with it because there were very few Jews in Baltimore. David became a white supremacist in response to the fact that in Baltimore black children targeted white children for fun. He and one of his friends even burned a cross in the style of the Ku Klux Klan. When David entered high school, he was caught trying to be Jewish by some Jewish students. When David was older, he became a black nationalist. David started lecturing his white friends about their prejudices of black people. David finally reached a peace between his “white” side and his “black” side in the atmosphere of equality in New York City. The memoir ends in the spring of 2002 when David Matthews’s father was dying and David decided to do some last minute research on his mother. David found out that his mother had suffered from severe schizophrenia. Both of her parents had severe schizophrenia, which did not help her. David discovered that she really loved David’s father and never gave up her married name of Matthews. After she left David’s father, she had a daughter with the mayor of Jerusalem that she put up for adoption. The daughter, Mari, was severely abused by her adopted family and her life was a wreck. David’s mother died in New York City on May 1, 1977 from choking. David realized that his mother had really loved him and that his parents had truly loved each other. David realized that he had had a good life and that things could have been a lot worse for him. At the end of the book, David Matthews saw a picture of his mother for the very first time.

Ace of Spaces by David Matthews reflects the nightmare that really exists, as opposed to the dream that Martin Luther King, Jr. had, for a color blind America. As David Matthews crudely illustrates in his book, America is anything but color blind. I could have done without the crude language and the brief sex scenes. Despite that, the end of Ace of Spades is very touching and it was worth reading the entire book for that one part. David Matthews writes with true honesty and a bit of anger about the state of race relations in the United States. As a white person, this book gave me insight on how it must be to be a “mixed” person, because they don’t belong to either white or black culture. Some people may find his writing style and life choices crude. I found it a must read for anyone who wants to find out about race relations in the United States.

Content:2

I suggest that adult guidance be recommended for the Ace of Spades by David Matthews. This book has sexual content, crude language, child abuse, and a disturbing scene about Matthews and his friend where they burned a cross in the style of the Ku Klux Klan.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Urbana, Illinois United States of America

The Misadventures of Benjamin Bartholomew Piff by Jason Lethcoa

Ever since his parents died in a tragic accident, poor Ben has been stuck at Pinch's Home for Wayward Boys, scrubbing pots and eating mush and other normal orphanage-type stuff. He even forgot his birthday, until a kind friend brings him a cake. When he sneaks a slice to eat, he stares thoughtfully at the candle a moment. Finally he closes his eyes, blows, and makes a wish. Little does he know that his wish could change the whole world.

This was a fun, cute book that I zipped right through. The characters were disappointingly flat, but the plot was inventive and the story over-all engaging. A light read that young children who enjoy "wishes-go-wrong" stories are sure to enjoy.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Moscow, ID USA

Booth's Daughter by Raymond Wemmlinger

Edwina Booth has just reached her 18th birthday and is beginning to experience the benefits of adulthood. For one, her father, the famous American Shakespearian actor Edwin Booth, is finally allowing her to see him in his title role in King Lear. For another, she's being invited to all sorts of social outings and parties for young people. The advantage of the latter is obvious - in Edwina's practical mind, she already has plans to find a husband (an artist, preferably) who she can marry and support. In fact, it seems her entire life is planned out precisely the way she wants it. But meanwhile her stepmother's illness worsens, her father has to keep up with his life as an actor, and there's always The Subject that threatens to interfere with the lives of the Booth family. You see, Edwina is the niece of John Wilkes Booth, the man who assassinated President Lincoln.

From a performer's point of view, I rather enjoyed reading a non-performer's view of an actor (Edwina's father) and his struggles and triumphs. The book itself is one that you have to be in just the right mood for, otherwise I suppose it might drag a bit. Edwina's voice seemed just a little flat. Yet I was quite drawn into Booth's Daughter; it was a refreshing and interesting historical tale of one girl's struggles into womanhood. A relaxing read to curl up with.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Moscow, ID USA

More Horowitz Horror by Anthony Horowitz

Horrowitz has done it again! In this new book, chiller tales that will send a shudder up your spine await the reader, as normal everyday people(*cough*) go through expierences that you would only immagine to be found in story books. From a man being baked alive, to a house intent on killing all woman who set foot in it. Of course you cant forget about the the lost boy, and the cannibals can you? More Horowitz Horror has it all! Perfect for people who love to be scared by things that could actually happen.

I enjoyed reading this book. However, some of the stories were a little bit dull( like the phone call from the dead), but overall, this book takes the cake as far as scary stories are concerned. I think this book would be perfect for most guys, and girls who love to be freaked out. I thought some of the storries the author could have done a better job on, like the one with the girl and her hearing aid, but other then that this book was as good as gold.What surprised me the most was that the book actually got me thinking, "Hey! What if this actually happened! It is possibile, of course." So in my opinion, two thumbs up for More Horowitz Horror

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Casa Grande, AZ United States of America

Billy Creekmore by Tracey Porter

Billy Creekmore has a pretty low life. He believes his mother died and his father ran away because of his birth. His nurse admitted him to an orphan boarding house, but he is forced to work on his “masters” land all day long. Fortunately he has a couple of very good friends. One day, actually, the day he was planning on running away, his long lost uncle came to the orphanage to take him home. Billy thought that all his problems were over. But, unbeknownst to him, they were just starting. With blood thirsty mine owners and lying, cheating circus managers, Billy has to learn what his true identity is, and if he wants to accept it or not.

Tracey Porter does a wonderful job bringing her readers into the past with believable characters and a fitting vocabulary. Even though this book was a very entertaining read, it had a lot of sad happenings and in the end I didn’t feel that her character had solved all his problems. As a writer, I was very interested to know that Tracey named all of her boy characters, besides Billy, after boys that had died working in coal mines. I would describe this book as a “revised version” of Oliver Twist.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: , Idaho USA

Horse Crazy: The Saddle Club by Bonnie Bryant

“OMGosh, the MTO (Mountain Trail Overnight) is coming up and I just HAVE to go!” Stevie and Carole have been planning to go on the MTO together for a very long time and now Stevie might not be able to go! Stevie’s mom said that if she didn’t raise her math grade then she wouldn’t pay the fifty dollars for Stevie to go. The only way to raise her grade is to do a dreaded math project, but Stevie comes up with a brilliant idea; instead of doing the math project she could earn the money she needs to go by doing chores for other people. When she tells Carole at the stable where they take horseback riding lessons, Carole doesn’t think that Stevie could possibly go through with it since she hardly knows the definition of “work”. A new girl named Lisa joins horseback riding but when a couple of pranks are pulled on her and she thinks Stevie did them, things turn from bad to worse as the girls try to get back at one another.

Horse Crazy, the first installment in The Saddle Club series written by Bonnie Bryant, is a pretty good book that could keep your attention for a while. The characters were enjoyable and I liked Stevie Lake the best because she had a lot of personality. I didn’t overly like Veronica though because she acted like a stuck-up snob whom I definitely wouldn’t want to be friends with. The Saddle Club series is a wonderful series for horse lovers to read. If you’re 9-12 years old and looking for a quick read, then Horse Crazy is for you!

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

The Specialists: Model Spy by Shannon Greenland

Kelly James is a sixteen year old genius. Her technological advancement has brought her to the college level. As a foster child, she is constantly moved around, always in a different place. Until a man named TL offers her a home and a family that would be for good. After Kelly breaks into the government's main computer system, she realizes how life-changing this event has become. She is offered to change her identity and become a tennage spy. Kelly Spree, joined by several other teenage masterminds, becomes immersed in a world of top secret business and intense training. The eighteen year old David, who has been near her side during this experience, grows even closer to Kelly, or Gigi (her new nickname). Kelly's first assignment is to find David's dad. She must become a model and go undercover with David, TL, and others to help save one man's life. The Specialists: Model Spy by Shannon Greenland is a novel that follows the life of a teenage girl into her (although,constantly changing) skin.

I really enjoyed The Specialists: Model Spy. Kelly is a kluzty and likeable girl, she learns the importance of family and togetherness during her experience as a "specialist". The novel is filled with spunky, quirky characters that are introduced as Kelly's "team". An enjoyable ride, The Specialists: Model Spy is an action-packed, exciting adventure that has its readers frantically turning pages.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Concord, Massachusetts United States

Diary of a Whimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

The book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid was about a kid named Greg Heffley and his personal diary. How everthing he did went some how wrong. Everything that went wrong ended up to be exactually the opposite as he planned. While his best friend Rowley got the attetion for mostly doing nothing. Greg had a smaller brother who usually got all the attention, and never got in trouble from his parents. He got everthing for christmas, when Greg had got a sweater by mistake. Greg usually picked on his brother and on his best friend Rowley.

I thought the book was good, because it kept me reading on, and interested to what is going to happen next. The best part of the book was when Christmas time was around and Greg got a sweater that was for the giving tree guy, on mistake. There was never a part that didn't make sense or that I didn't like. I really liked the ending because it was interesting. I thought the author really made the book interesting. It kept on making me want to read more.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Sandy, Oregon United States

When Your Teen Is Struggling by Mark Gregston

Mark Gregston is the founder of Heartlight Ministries, a residential counseling facility for teens in crisis. He has more than 30 years helping teens in crisis and uses his experience to help parents going through a crisis or just wanting to prevent a crisis in their lives. Gregston's book is divided into chapters which strive to give hope to parents, to explain the causes of their teen's crisis and to provide solutions to the problems. Each chapter has personal examples of teens and parents to assist the parent in understanding the examples.

This is an outstanding book to assist a parent experiencing difficulties with their teen. The author states clearly that hope is action. Without action there is no hope. Reality is also emphasized in this book when it states that not all teens will be helped, but by putting our trust in God our relationship and outlook can change. We can change the way we communicate with family members and deal with crisis in our life. This book will help any Christian family facing turmoil in their teen's life.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9

Reviewer Age: 59
Reviewer City, State and Country: Spring, Texas USA

Girl of the Moment by Lizabeth Zindel

Lily Miles, entering her senior year of high school, had decided she needs an internship that will set her apart from the rest of the applicants to the school of her choice, Brown University. When her orignal summer plan fails, she begins to wonder why she isn't off at soccer camp like the rest of her friends. That is, until she gets an intership with the Hollywood starlet, Sabrina Snow. As Lily becomes more invested in her relationship with Sabrina her life begins to spin out of control. She notices that her primary support, her dad and her best friend, begin to fade out of the spotlight. Girl of the Moment is a great story that focuses on the importance of love and friendship. Maybe fame isn't everything its cracked up to be.

I really enjoyed Girl of the Moment. I found that the protagonist was incredibly likable. Lily is a good student as well as a good person. Her experiences with Sabrina teach her that people who care and support you are the people you should surround yourself with. This book was an excellent read, a complete page-turner. I fell in love with all of the characters, even the complicated and bratty Sabrina. I would definately recommend this book.

This book contains some teenage drinking and weight related issues. It is not a book to be severely worried about but there are some 'wild' attributes of the characters.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Concord, Massachusetts United States

Anything But Ordinary by Valerie Hobbs

When he is thirteen, Bernie Federman moves to Pittstown, New Jersey. Proudly different than anybody else, he doesn't know anyone in the eighth grade, and from the very first day of school sits in the back of the classroom. Then he meets Winifred Owens, also fiercely individualistic, and possibly the only person less popular at school than Bernie. They fall in love and begin planning their life together. Both very intelligent, they are at the top of their class and apply to all the same colleges, neither of them dreaming they'll end up somewhere different than the other. Then, shortly before graduation, tragedy strikes for Bernie, and all his dreams fall apart. He stops going to school, dropping to the bottom of the class, and starts working in a tire shop, abandoning his plans for college. Winifred is heartbroken, but presses on, going across the country to attend the University of California at Santa Barbara. Once there, she realizes just how much she doesn't fit in, and with the help of her new roommates, she gets a makeover and becomes 'Wini,' changing her major from nanoscience to communications and spending her time partying, gossiping, and drinking lattes. Meanwhile, Bernie realizes he may have lost her forever, so he travels crosscountry to catch up with her. However, once he finds her again and realizes that she's become 'ordinary,' it may be too late for them.

I really loved this book. It's different than a lot of the teen romances available today in that it deals with the dark horses, the underdogs, the "unpopular" kids. You really find yourself rooting for Bernie and Winifred to make it work, for Winifred to wake up and realize how silly she's being, and you want them to get back together in the end. From the moment I picked it up, I didn't stop reading ANYTHING BUT ORDINARY, and I would definitely recommend it. It's a great look at the first year of college and how much it can change a person (for better or for worse), and although the ending is slightly bittersweet, it still leaves the reader with a smile. I'll definitely keep my eyes open for other books by Valerie Hobbs.

Adult guidance recommended, as this book involves the lives of college students and deals with alcohol and sexual situations.

Reviewer Age:18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Little Rock, AR USA

Penny From Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm

Penny Falucci is just a "run of the mill" kid. Well&& except for her huge Italian family. Among her many uncles, mourning Grandmother, annoying cousin, and grumpy mother, Penny's life is a box full of crazy. Her father died when she was just a little baby. She never knew him. Though in a way, she was really close to him. Nobody tells her anything about him and she thinks her uncles just treat her like a princess is because they feel sorry for Penny. But when something extreme happens, she finds out a whole lot more info than what she wanted about her dad.

Penny from Heaven was an excellent book to read. It was a lot of fun to read about how she dealt with her crazy family. Her uncles all had their little quirks and it was fun. She had to balance her father's side of the family, all Italians and her mom's side of the family. Grim-faced bad cooks. It also had a bit of mystery in it. You try to think about what happened to her father. But it was really exciting to find out what in the end though.

Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: , IL

What Happeened by Peter Johnson

On a snowy night, when they were driving too fast, Kyle and his brother find themselves in a predicament that they never expected to be in. In addition to his already crazy and mixed up life, the narrator now must deal with the death of a stranger, a death he was a part of. The book portrays the unpredictable and meaningful experiences of a boy and his brother. Scarily simple and yet complex on many levels, this book was suspenseful without being a horror.

"There haven't been many happy endings in my life or Kyle's, or happy beginnings or middles either, just events needing to be pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle."

This poetic book is the twisted tangled story of mistakes made, and the weight of guilt on the shoulders of the ones who can do nothing. The tale was intriguing at times, but occasionally the change between the narrator's dreams and memories and real life confused me. The vocabulary was simple and easy, but the meanings of some messages were beyond me. The ending was plain but was a wonderful way to close such a mysterious book. Johnson has a way with words that could be compared with Robert Frost, with an exciting, modern twist.

The book had nothing too scandlous in it and was not gory.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Marblehead, MA USA

Ida B by Katherine Hannigan

Ida B is an elementary grade student. Her parents own an orchard that has many apple trees. Ever since she hated kindergarten, her parents have homeschooled her. In her free time, Ida B loves to have fun and talk to the trees and brook that she has named. When her mother develops cancer, her family must sell part of the orchard, and she has to go back to public school. Ida B is devastated because of both things and plans to not talk to anyone because she hates everyone now. She learns that a kid in her class is moving into the part of the orchard that her family sold, and she is devastated even more when she finds out that they will cut down trees to build a house. In the end, Ida B realizes that it is alright and that by being angry forever will not change anything.

Ida B was a page-turner for me to read. The length was perfect for this story. It was also very creatively written and unique. All of the life lessons about having fun, pain, and friendships taught me so much. When I read, I look for books with emotion in them or else it isn't too exciting. Ida B definitely showed emotion and left me crying at the end. The end of the story was well written and perfect for the whole story. I would recommend this story to anyone who wants to read about friendships.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, PA USA

The Pull of the Ocean by Jean-Claude Mourlevat

The Doutreleau family is comprised of mother, father, and seven sons: three sets of twins and Yann. Yann is an unusual child, to say the least. He's ten years old and only two feet tall, but without any deformities of a dwarf. He's mute, but easily communicates with people through facial expressions and gestures of the hand. The mother and father are crude, cruel people who terrify their children.

One night Yann awakes his brothers with a warning that they must leave, or else their parents might do them harm. So begins their journey west as they travel towards the only refuge they know of: the ocean.

The Pull of the Ocean is told from many different perspectives, from the seven boys to the many people they meet along their journey, making it rather difficult to feel connected to any one of the characters. Written in a simplistic style, it is a story of survival and hope. The entire book seemed undescribably strange, though. It left me wondering what the point of the tale was exactly. Perhaps something was lost in its translation to English since it felt so incomplete.

Brief swearing by the mother in one chapter.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Moscow, ID USA

Keeper of the Earth by Jenna Solitaire

This is the fourth book in the Daughter of Destiny series. It is written from the first-person point of view. The author, Jenna Solitaire, is also the main charactor that is trying to retrieve the Boards of Babylon with her good friend Simon Monk. The book begins with a magical battle between two wizards. The victor talks to Jenna, who is watching from the side. He says his name is Emrys, and that he can guide her to the fourth Board, the Board of Earth. The Board can grant control over the very earth they stand on, and it, combined with the other Boards, can give the power of elemental binding, the ability to create the mysterious fifth element. Jenna then wakes up in a hotel room in Rome, hearing the voices of the three Boards that she possess along with the voice of her ultimate grandmother, Shalizander. Shalizander was also one of the creators of the Boards. After Jenna and Simon have a revealing visit with Cardinal Cepheus in Vatican City, they go to Scotland with Armand, a member of the Knight's Templar, to look for the phoenix stone that will lead them to the Board of Earth. They find the stone and the spirit of the wizard Coughlin. From this point on, Jenna will have to make decisions and bear burdens that will shape the very world.

I found this book to be very interesting, even though it is the first book in the series I have read. It did a great job of explaining old concepts and previous details from the other books. Once you start reading this book, you will not want to stop, especially if you like fantasies that are set in our world. The author does a good job of keeping the reader entangle in the plot.Overall, I thought that this book is very good, even though some parts go a little slowly.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Pennsylvania U.S.A.

The Disunited States of America by Harry Turtledove

Justin Monroe and his mother travel to an alternate United States where the Constitution was never created. Each state has broken off and formed its own country. Becky Royer, a young girl from the country of California, journeys with her grandmother to her hometown, Elizabeth, Virginia, so her grandmother can say her final goodbyes. She meets Justin there just as war breaks out between Ohio and Virginia. Ohio releases a tailored virus, trapping the two in Virginia under quarantine. Becky can't return to California, and Justin can't return to the United States he calls home. As those around them begin getting sick and the war intensifies, they struggle to find a way to get to their respective homes, alive and well.

I thought that the book had a fascinating storyline, and that the action was well-developed. However, the language was poorly executed. As the characters conversed, their dialogue was forced and its sole purpose was to further the plot. It broke the believable world of the story. Also, the narration used too much slang, as though the author was trying to incorporate the characters' styles into every aspect of the book: the scenery, the descriptions, the action. Though the story is told from Justin's point of view, Justin himself is not telling the story, and again, it discredited the world Harry Turtledove was trying to create. The character development was unbelievable as well. Either they were 100% heroic, or they had annoying weaknesses that became their entire character. It was hard to relate to the characters, because they were too lucky and too perfect (or absolutely flawed) to allow the reader to sympathize much with their struggles. Though the idea of the book was exciting, I had to force myself to finish it because of all the obvious shortcomings.

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

Secrets of My Hollywood Life on Location by Jen Calonita

Kaitlin Burke fell off Hollywood status when she pretended to be a normal high schooler and got caught. Now she is back in full force working on the next big movie with the next big director. She has the perfect boyfriend, a semi-normal family, and everything starts looking good for her. But when the "Cruella daVille" of Hollywood actresses plus Kaitlin's crazy ex-boyfriend costars in the movie, things start taking a turn for the worst. Follow Kaitlin and her high profile life through breakups and makeups in Secrets of My Hollywood Life on Location.

I loved the book!!! This is the kind of book I love to read. There are so many diverse characters from the yoga obsessed director to the calm and collected Austin, Kaitlin's boyfriend. I also liked throughout the book it has "Hollywood Secrets" such as "Many Stars don't stay for their own premieres." I loved the plot but the outcome was kind of predictable. Kaitlin's relationship was the boy meets girl, boy dumps girl, boy and girl get back together. It was too obvious in the beginning. However, the rest of the book was great and to girls who like girly books, this screams you.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Villa Hills, Kentucky United States

One Whole and Perfect Day by Judith Clarke

Lily is the only sensible on in her family. Soon she finds herself acting like a parent or grandmother would, saying odd phrases and smelling of dishwater and steamed vegetables. Should she fall in love? She seemed to figure that everyone who fell in love weren't at all sensible, surely that would help. Daniel Steadman, a grade eleven in Lily's school, was who she had her eye on. With her Crazy Family and her Pop's Upcoming party on the way, she only wished for just one whole and perfect day!

I thought this was a very beautiful book. At times I caught myself day-dreaming but that surely just means a lot was on my mind. This book was written wonderfully. The use of vocabulary just blows your mind away. I would surely choose to raise the age to young adult since some criteria may not be understandable to younger readers. The ending grabs you by the gut and certainly urges you to read the last 10 chapters as fast as you can. I didn't quite like the character, Lilly, since her attitude was all wrong towards things such as her mother bringing home old people from her nursing home job as a doctor. Her mother just put up with her nagging all the same. This book was also written from a different culture base as well [australia] so i can understand the differences. GREAT BOOK!

Young Adult would suit this book more appropriately since the vocabulary is quite confusing at points. At times I had to refer to a dictionary. Mature Readers may be an overstatement but I picked what was closest to the book. There is nothing in the book that is inapropriate so all readers are welcome, but it may be harder to understand.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, PA USA

Hollywood Hills by Aimee Friedman

Best friends Alexa St. Laurent and Holly Jacobson are off on a new adventure to Hollywood after Alexa manages to secure an invitation to the hottest event in California, Margaux Eklundstrom's wedding. It's a whole week of shopping, partying and fun in the sun. The girls get to stay in the guesthouse of Margaux's hot brother, Jonah, and Alexa hits it off immediately with Jonah. But as they hang out more, Alexa realizes that they may not be meant for each other. Holly immediately senses that there seems to be trouble in paradise. She is not getting along with her boyfriend, Tyler, which puts a damper on her mood. The girls try to put their boy problems aside and have fun relaxing on the beach and shopping. Holly realizes that she loves California and decides that she wants to go to college there, which means that she will be separated from Alexa for the first time. After a week in Hollywood, both Holly and Alexa learn a lot about themselves.

I liked this book. It was a great book to take my mind off of serious things. But this book was somewhat predictable and unrealistic, but that made the story more fun. Once I started this, I didn't want to put it down. I really want to go to Hollywood now after reading this! Alexa and Holly are fun characters to read about and I hope that the author will write more books about them.

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

Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins

Debbie wished something exceptionally exciting would happen to her--a normal, average girl living in a boring, old city. Hector, the other main character, wants to learn how to play the guitar and impress a girl named Meadow. There are a few different characters that are the narrator in this story and each is very similar to the other. They sit in Lenny’s dad’s old pickup truck a lot and listen to a show called Criss Cross on the radio. Debbie has lost her necklace and it gets passed along to each character until it finally ends up being given back to her. Criss Cross mainly tells about the life of these teens through each one’s own perspective.

Criss Cross was a pretty good book but it didn’t really seem like there was a main focus to it. It mostly seemed like the author, Lynne Rae Perkins, just wrote this HUMONGOUS story to tell about some events that happened in these teens’ lives. I thought it was really neat how the author added extra things like haikus, poems, songs, and pretty detailed pictures to help you visualize what was occurring at that time. I think that the characters and their personalities weren’t really described well enough though. The characters were pretty much static (unchanging) and it was kind of hard to tell who the narrator was at times because they were so identical. I also think that there were definitely TOO MANY people involved in this novel. Criss Cross was written by Lynne Rae Perkins and is a Newberry honor book.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Upper Strasburg, PA United States

Forever in Blue by Ann Brashares

Lena, Tibby, Carmen, and Bee have just finished their first year of college, and are hoping for some time together. As in summers past, that doesn't work, and they rely on the pants to keep them together as their worlds are rapidly changing. Bee is upset to find that her boyfriend, Eric, is going to teach at a summer camp in Baja without her; as a way to get back, she signs up for an archaeological dig in Istanbul- finding more than just “ancient dirt.” Tibby is trying to find out if Brian is the one. After a rough summer start, she breaks things off with Brian in search of answers, while also staying for a summer class at NYU. Lena is still trying to forget about (forgetting about) Kostos, by having a summer fling with a boy in her summer art class. Carmen is the September having the hardest time dealing with change; the girls' first year of school separated was brutal to her. She, in turn, goes to theater camp for the summer to try and find out who she really is. Forever In Blue takes the girls on their own personal journeys; it questions how far they want to go in life, and for how long they want their friendship to last. As the last summer with the pants comes to a close, Tibby, Carmen, Bee, and Lena come together to realize that their friendship, with or without the pants, will be never ending.

Forever In Blue was a good ending to a wonderful series of books. It was very poetic; I experienced the lives of the Septembers as they experienced everything themselves. The book had a wonderful message: true friendship conquers all. The only things I would have recommended Ann Brashares not to put in the book were scenes in which Tibby had sex and in which Lena had sex. It didn't go into too much detail, but it was not necessary. This would have rated a 10 on the Flamingnet scale if not for those factors.

Content:Forever In Blue is best suited for mature readers, due to some sexual situations.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: , USA

Crispin - At the Edge of the World by Avi

When we last left Crispin, he was walking out of jail after saving his mentor and friend, Bear. As they are walking down the road, they stop at a hut to eat and drink,but after Bear gets in a fight with the owner of the house, he gets shot in the shoulder as they leave. They must run as they try to escape their newfound enemy. As Bear gets worse, they meet two suspected witches, Auge and Taaaa. When they are forced to run again, they must take Taaaa with them. They end up taking a boat to a new land... with new dangers.

Avi delivers once again! I think this is a solid book with a good storyline and an awesome moral. I did have some trouble staying with the book, but I think thats just me. I can almost guarantee that this will be a good read for any age. It isn't a very long book though, so it should only take about 5 days. Anyone who likes realistic fiction, or Avi, will like this book. It has already won a lot of rewards, and is one of the best books I've read in a while.

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

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

It is the middle of the Vietnam War with young Holling Hoodhood living on Long Island in New York. Everybody in Holling's new seventh grade class either goes to temple or church on Wednesday afternoons leaving him with his new teacher, Mrs. Baker, Wednesday afternoons. Having to survive an afternoon once a week for the school year doesn’t seem that hard, except that Holling feels that Mrs. Baker “hates his guts” and his family won’t help him at all. So every Wednesday afternoon all of his friends leave and Holling is stuck sitting with his teacher reading Shakespeare. Holling’s father an architect with his own company thinks about only two things the future of Hoodhood and Associates and Walter Cronkite’s evening report. Now Holling has to survive seventh grade, not just against Shakespeare, but rats, the class bully, Doug Swieteck’s brother, cream puffs, track, feathery tights, and many other things, while fate keeps giving twists and turns everywhere.

The Wednesday Wars is an amazing book that tells the story of an average kid leading an exciting life. The book is very good and has bits of history entwined in it like the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy. The book shows a lot of unexpected things happening that all seem perfectly logical making this book a good read that keeps you entertained and waiting for the next twist. It is definitely a page turner, even when my mom said lights out; I took out a flashlight and continued reading. I enjoyed how the entire book was written form the point of view of a seventh grader showing every event form their point of view.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Eastchester, NY USA

Pompeii: The Living City by Alex Butterworth

Pompeii is a well- researched historical non-fiction that examines life in the Roman city of Pompeii. The book begins with the arrival to power of Nero, a vibrant new Emperor. The twenty-five years preceding the eruption of Vesuvius are detailed in many aspects, including economic, social, and political problems as well as greatness. The eruption of Vesuvius, and the subsequent burial to the city under volcanic ash and mud, is considered to be one of the most catastrophic events faced by the great ROman Empire. As the authors explain, it is nearly impossible to positively date artifacts so far back in antiquity and since the initial discovery and excavation of Pompeii began in the eighteenth century, much of that work has to be deciphered as well. This book tells a story based on the understanding of the authors and many scholars to allow readers to discover Pompeii for themselves without sorting through the tremendous amount of artifacts made available through the discovery of Pompeii.

I really liked the authors' style in introducing individual chapters, and different time periods with short stories showing emotion and daily activities. This book, I believe, is intended for individuals interested in the social sciences. It is not necessarily a quick read to pass the time in the afternoon, although the authors do an excellent job of putting their tremendous research into an understandable story. Readers will definitely learn a great deal, but patience is the key when dealing with historical non-fiction. I like how the book has a specific aim and provides a lot of detail in presenting the twenty-five years preceding the eruption Vesuvius. I also appreciate the fact that the authors do not assume great amounts of previous knowledge regarding the subject. Overall, not everyone will enjoy this but it is a great book.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Kansas City, MO USA

Pompeii: The Living City by Alex Butterworth

Pompeii is a well- researched historical non-fiction that examines life in the Roman city of Pompeii. The book begins with the arrival to power of Nero, a vibrant new Emperor. The twenty-five years preceding the eruption of Vesuvius are detailed in many aspects, including economic, social, and political problems as well as greatness. The eruption of Vesuvius, and the subsequent burial to the city under volcanic ash and mud, is considered to be one of the most catastrophic events faced by the great ROman Empire. As the authors explain, it is nearly impossible to positively date artifacts so far back in antiquity and since the initial discovery and excavation of Pompeii began in the eighteenth century, much of that work has to be deciphered as well. This book tells a story based on the understanding of the authors and many scholars to allow readers to discover Pompeii for themselves without sorting through the tremendous amount of artifacts made available through the discovery of Pompeii.

I really liked the authors' style in introducing individual chapters, and different time periods with short stories showing emotion and daily activities. This book, I believe, is intended for individuals interested in the social sciences. It is not necessarily a quick read to pass the time in the afternoon, although the authors do an excellent job of putting their tremendous research into an understandable story. Readers will definitely learn a great deal, but patience is the key when dealing with historical non-fiction. I like how the book has a specific aim and provides a lot of detail in presenting the twenty-five years preceding the eruption Vesuvius. I also appreciate the fact that the authors do not assume great amounts of previous knowledge regarding the subject. Overall, not everyone will enjoy this but it is a great book.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Kansas City, MO USA

Halcyon Blithe: Dragonfrigate Wizard by James M. Ward

Dragonfrigate Wizard Halcyon Blithe, by James M. Ward, starts as Halcyon Blithe, an Arcanian midshipwizard, heads off to attack a fleet of Maleen ships. They single out one ship in particular, a small ketch. As they attack the ketch, it fires red-hot mortar shells back at them! Halcyon; Ashe Fallow, a friend and countryman of Halcyon’s; Denna Darkwater, a half-troll marine; and a few other marines take a rowboat and launch off their dragon ship, the Sanguine, as soon as the ketch has been wounded. Halcyon and his war party quickly take over the ketch, the Salamander. Halcyon goes belowdecks and discovers the captain of the ketch. Halcyon disarms the captain by managing to heft a table at him. After defeating the captain, Halcyon and his crew sail smoothly. Smoothly, until one day a ship has been spotted a couple of miles off. As the ship draws nearer, it is identified as a demon ship--a ship made of metal, with no sails, that is piloted by demons. The crew panics and thinks that they are going to die. Halcyon, having demon heritage himself, remembers some powerful demon spells. Beginning to cast the spells, Halcyon starts to grow bigger in size. Halcyon’s spells are powerful, and he begins to grow savage; all the while, the demon ship is drawing nearer to the small Salamander. Will Halcyon and the rest of the crew defeat the demon ship, or will Halcyon forget his loyalty and kill all of his fellow crew? Read Dragonfrigate Wizard Halcyon Blithe to find out!

I liked Dragonfrigate Wizard Halcyon Blithe because I like books about sea adventures and mystical characters. However, I think that the author gives Halcyon a bit too much luck and skill. I thought to myself as I was reading certain parts of the book, “He should have just died.” Although this unrealistic good fortune took place a lot, the book was very enjoyable. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the previous book, Midshipwizard Halcyon Blithe, or likes naval combat and fantasy stories.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Saugerties, NY USA

Why I Let My Hair Grow Out by Maryrose Wood

Relationships can be tricky at best and are especially complicated for high school student Morgan whose boyfriend Raphael breaks up with her just before summer vacation. She responded as any heart-broken teenager would; she cut off twenty-four inches of her strawberry blonde hair and leaving nothing but stubble. Her parents decided a change of scenery was in order and sent her on a bicycle trip through Ireland, the land of leprechanus and magic stories. They had not counted on time travel as part of the adventure, but it was. Morgan learned, among other things, that hair grows back and a broken heart does not have to stay that way.

Imagine bicycling around Ireland with newly married starlets, a grieving widow and a family with two middle schoolers. Not much opportunity for friendships, or so Morgan thought. Her definitions of friend and boy friend change as she peddles up and down the hills and across time. Across time? Yes, she can and does. For readers who like just a bit of fantasy with their reality, this is a perfect book to read while you are waiting for your hair to grow out. Even if you have no hair issues, you are sure to find this book well worth your reading time. I highly recommend it.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer City, State and Country: Timonium, Maryland US

L8r g8r by Lauren Myracle

L8r, g8r by Lauren Myracle is a fictional compilation of instant messaging between three friends. Maddie (mad maddie), Angela (SnowAngel), and Zoe (zoegirl) depict the drama of their senior year by typing frantic, excited, or depressed messages to each other. Jana, a girl that has been the bane of the trio's existence, is along for the ride, playing cruel tricks on each one of them. It is a novel of budding romance, but it especially demonstrates the strong power of friendship that binds the girls together as their support, love, and compassion are expressed.

I have read both of the previous novels in this series, TTYL and TTFN. I enjoyed each of them immensely and was incredibly excited for the chance to read the third segment of Myracle's work. Although the novel drags at some points, the AIM "language" and pace allow the book to go quickly and the hilarious antics of the girls have you laughing from the start. This novel is both sharp and entertaining; the characters are fascinating and keep you wanting to read more. Maddie, a wild child, acts as the mature grownup in this book; she consoles her friends and gives them helpful advice. Angela experiences the most difficult events. She undergoes troubles with her boyfriend and Jana; this begins to affect her usually carefree spirit. Zoe, the more conservative “good girl”, finds that having a boyfriend can turn your world upside down (or right-side up) and she learns just how important love is. As the girls go to the end of their senior year, they realize that the time for fun is also a time for goodbyes. L8r, g8r appropriately declares the book about farewells but also about new beginnings. This book is a great, quick and easy read.

Content:There are several situations in which the girls discuss sex and protection(Zoe begins to have sex with her boyfriend) and several swears are used throughout the novel. This book should probably be considered for a mature reader.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Concord, Massachusetts United States

God Can Work It Out by Stephanie Perry Moore

Can Faith Thomas’s life get any worse? Faith’s family members are constantly fighting, she has a sparse supply of friends, her teammates on the cheerleading squad are total jerks who think they’re “all that”, and her mom wants her to hang out with the new girl across the street. From friends to family to cheerleading, something is always going wrong and Faith doesn’t see how if there really were a God, why he would let such things happen to her. After a state of depression, God finally gets through to her, she accepts him into her heart and things start to turn around until… her dad leaves. Her life once again is back to being a wreck and all Faith knows is that it is going to take a miracle to turn her messed-up life around.

It is very neat how God Can Work It Out is a book that is designed like a magazine. It is a very good choice for those who get bored easily by the layout of regular stories and enjoy reading magazines. It has many different things included in it, such as blogs, a quiz, character profiles, a few short reads called Salvation’s Path, and much, much more. It is divided into twelve chapters by what month the events are taking place. I very much enjoyed God Can Work It Out by the wonderful author, Stephanie Perry Moore, and I can’t wait for the next installment. This is the first book in the Faith Thomas Series, and I think girls who are interested in cheerleading will most definitely enjoy reading this awesome story.

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

Kichi in Jungle Jeopardy by Lila Guzman

Kichi in Jungle Jeopardy, by Lila Guzmán, takes place in Chilaam, an ancient temple, where Kichi, a rare blue Chihuahua, is pampered by Fortune Teller and everyone else in the Mayan City. Kichi is so happy in Chilaam, he does not know what he is in for! One day, Ah Tok, Fortune Teller’s brother, comes back from a raid with a slave named Uxmal. Kichi is delighted to see that Uxmal can speak Dog. After so many years of trying to get Fortune Teller to understand his language, he almost gave up on having anyone to talk to! Kichi takes a liking to Uxmal, and they meet every day. Until . . . an army attacks Chilaam and kidnaps Uxmal. Kichi sets out into the jungle, a scary place for such a small dog. Kichi has adventure after adventure, eventually learning a big surprise about Uxmal that turns out to be very important for Kichi and the future of his friends.

This story was great. It was exciting around the edges and mild in the middle. My favorite part was when Uxmal was captured and Kichi is sent on his journey into the jungle. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes talking animals who behave like people, and slight wars (without too much violence). The theme of this book, in a sense, was friendship, and sticking by a friend in a difficult situation. Also, I learned some of what it is like to have a really good friend. I really enjoyed this book!

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Saugerties, NY USA

Summer of Love by Emily Franklin

Summer of Love, by Emily Franklin, is part of a series about a girl named Love Bukowski, this time focusing on the summer before her senior year. As the book begins she looks forward to a great summer with her best friend and to using the summer to discover the mysteries of her past, like the whereabouts of her previously absent mother. She soon finds some of the fun she was seeking but with it comes new confusion about her past. As she tries to live in the moment, she is thrown into even more confusing situations and faced with new obstacles, like choosing a good college and making important decisions about her future goals. The book ends with a new set of revelations, and therefore a new set of questions for Love to answer in the next book.

This book was sprinkled with a plethora of musical references from the Talking Heads to the Beatles and everyone in between. It was an easy read; information from previous books in the series wasn’t necessary to understand what was happening. Love seemed like a real character, however, the circumstances of her life were a bit too unrealistic. The book floated along but without any real substance to hold onto, relying instead on clichéd situations. Some parts screamed potential but then were left with the surfaces unscratched. Franklin’s characters are easily related to but the plot was so quick and implausible that they could not be empathized. The plot was nothing too exciting or new but it wasn’t horrible because it was expected. Overall, it was an easy and semi-enjoyable read, but lacked potential depth that it could have held.

The Invisible by Mats Wahl

A high school boy, Hilmer Eriksson, becomes invisible on a Monday morning, and is the main character in a murder mystery. Once he realizes it, he becomes dependent on the detective investigating his disappearance; Detective Fors. Hilmer stays invisible through Monday morning to Tuesday afternoon, following Fors in hopes of becoming visible again. But, as the detective uncovers more clues, Hilmer suffers invisibly, where no one can help him. In the visible world, Detective Fors finds information on Hilmer's troublesome classmates. In the end, he discovers just who caused Hilmer to be where he is now.

This is one of the best mysteries I have ever read! It is quite literally a book that you cannot put down! If you are a mystery lover, whether you care if it is a murder mystery or not, this book will have you hooked and wanting more! It includes wonderful dry humor, engaging interrogations, and, several flashbacks between the past and present. The author clearly wound these three key attributes around an original plot, to create a fantastic book.

Content:Has some extreme violence and vague sexual content, but I do not think it should be restricted to a mature reader.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Eagle Creek, OR USA

Penelope Bailey Takes the Stage by Susanna Reich

Penelope Bailey is an 11 year old girl who is absolutely obsessed with acting. She lives, thinks, and talks acting. If you haven’t guessed already her dream is to be a famous actress on stage. Penelope and her best friend, Cassie are planning on practicing scenes from Romeo and Juliet over the summer to perform at their school in the fall. But, Penelope’s mom decides to go and help her dad on a scientific experiment and sends Penelope to live with her aunt and three cousins. Penelope is horrified. She can stand her bratty cousins, but not her aunt. Her aunt thinks that anything and anyone to do with the theater is vulgar and shouldn’t be on the earth. Penelope doesn’t think she will survive. Then she befriends a girl at her new school, a professional actor next door, and a flamboyant dancer/actress who has a totally different life style then Penelope has ever seen or heard of before. With their help and encouragement Penelope learns to follow her dreams and to never ever give them up.

Named by Scripps Howard News Service as One of the Best Kid’s Books of 2006, this book is definitely one of my favorites. I am an aspiring actress and this book was perfect for me. It gave me encouragement, self confidence, and even some useful tips on acting. I believe any performer, actress, dancer, or singer will eat this book up just as much as I did. I applaud Susanna Reich.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Moscow, Idaho United States of America

Such A Pretty Face

"Such a Pretty Face" is a collection of stories about beauty. The first story is about a beautiful, seemingly perfect girl wanting to just be ugly and fit in with everyone else. The second about a girl living in another country where everyone she sees seems beautiful, making her feel like an outsider. The third a story of a boy stuck in the hospital with a broken back and falling in love with a nurse he can't evem see. The fourth is a story of a girl who has a a hair on her chin that keeps growing longer and thicker, and on the day of prom too. The fifth is a story of boy going to a circus freak show, and finding a beauty he did not expect. The sixth story is about a girl trying to find her own look, a look that does not parallel her mother's looks. The seventh of a very hairy boy nicknamed "ape," who just wants to get a date with his dream girl. The eigth is of a a beautiful girl whose mom wants her to be a model, but who doesn't want to draw attention to herslef. The nineth is about a depressed boy whose best friend is trying to make him feel better by making up a bingo game with him. The tenth is about a girl named Beauty, but is considered anything but a beauty. The elventh is about a depressed, suicidal girl who is getting therapy from a short comedian. And the twelfth is about moments in a girl's life when her perceptiona of beauty does not include her.

First of all, I am sorry about my summary, it's just that it is hard to convey the plots of every story in this book in a couple of sentences. I liked this book because although every story in this book is very short, all the stories are long enough to send the reader a message about beauty, not always outward beauty but sometimes inner beauty and perceived beauty. I especially liked how every story offered something different, told something different about beauty, which made it so the book was not a repitition of the same idea. The book was good because every writer wrote kind of heart warming characters that you could somehow relate to because of their perception of beauty. Some of the stories in the book left you hanging, though, but it wasn't a necessarily bad thing not to know what happened to each charater, and those stories left the future of the charater's and their ideals up to the reader to decide, which I think made those stories better. This book was also good because it made you think about beauty and how you define it, which before I read this book I never actually considered anything outside of the magezine definition of beauty. I thought this was a great book that you should at least read once.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Tucson, Arizona U.S.A.

Stuff - The Life of a Cool Demented Dude by Jeremy Strong

Life isn’t always easy, and never has that saying been truer for Simon. His parents are divorced, and now Simons house has been taken over by GIRLS(Sherry Trifle, his dads girlfriend, and Natasha, his new stepsister)!!! What’s more is that there is an evil man-obsessed rabbit that wants to kill Simon and his dad! But Simon finds solace in his comic book drawings and dreaming about a new girl in his class, Sky. But when Simons art teacher has him draw an anonymous comic strip for the schools magazine, what is everybody going to do when they realize the people in the comic strip are based on them? Will Simon survive having to live with girls in him home? Will Sky, the love of his life, ever like Simon back? Will Pankhurst, the rabbit, kill Simon before he has had a chance to live?? Find out in Stuff: The Life of A Cool Demented Dude.

I did not really like the book at the beginning. It was confusing at first, and some of the English sayings (like thing thong and Citroen)were driving me nuts, because I did not know what they meant ( I didn’t know about the glossary in the back). But after the first few chapters, I started to really get into it, and couldn’t stop reading it! I felt that a lot of the things in the book were true, about the way Middle school is in real life. Overall, It was a good book, with a lot of surprises!

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Casa Grande, AZ United States of America

The Chaos King by Laura Ruby

Georgie may be the Richest Girl in the World, but she may also be one of the most unhappy. Her parents are being overly protective and won't let her use her invisibility skill anymore. Her best friend Bug is now a superstar, constantly blabbering about the latest commercials and movies he's been in. Being a teenager is pretty hard when you feel so alone. It isn't long, though, until Georgie is caught up in fresh adventures. Weird things keep occurring around Bug and herself, but all of the events are seemingly unconnected. Not wanting to scare her parents, she lies whenever they worriedly ask about her life. In the end she realizes that this was not a good idea, and that her parents are protecting her because they love her.

Laura Ruby's brilliant writing caused me to fairly zip through this book. She creates all sorts of subplots and inventive circumstances, somehow making everything flow smoothly and perfectly. A fantastic and colorful read, The Chaos King is at least as good as its predecessor The Wall and the Wing, if not better. Highly recommended!

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Moscow, ID USA

The Book of Lies by James Moloney

The story begins with four mysterious men carrying a boy, Marcel, to an orphanage close to Fallside. When he gets there, Lord Alwyn, an evil magician, makes him listen to a book that tells a story. The book is called the book of lies and anything you say that is a lie, will be recorded in it. When the truth is told, it glows golden. Bea, another orphan, secretly places cotton balls into Marcel's ears to help him not hear the story. If he does hear it, then he will forget everything he has ever known and believe that this is his true story. The book told him his name was Robert before his ears were plugged so he believed that. When two men get ahold of Marcel, he leaves the orphanage with Bea, Nicola, and Fergus. However, that is not so easy because Lord Alwyn has placed a ring on his finger that will not come off until he finds the courage to get it off, and if he leaves the orphanage, Termagant will come. Termagant is Lord Alwyn's evil beast that will cause destruction and death. Marcel leaves anyway, eager to find out how his life actually was before he was taken. He finds out he is related to Nicola and Fergus and that they are royalty. Their mission now, is to throw King Pelham out of power because Marcel, Fergus, and Nicola's parents are the rightful king and queen. Do they manage to succede?

The Book of Lies is a very entertaining book. While I was very interested in it, it wasn't a page turner for me. I can't compare this book to any other book because it is so different. It is fantasy, however there are many other features that make it its' own genre. The book was written in third person, and it flowed really well. If it was written in first person it may not have shown all of the wonderful details it does now. Lastly, The Book of Lies ended in a way that gives you enough knowledge to know what happened, but you want more.Content:

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, PA U.S.A.

Titans of Chaos by John C. Wright

Titans of Chaos revolves around the story of five orphans, Amanda, Colin, Vanity, Quentin and Victor who are running away from their parents mythological deities. Each orphan has a unique power which they have to use to save the universe.

Titans of Chaos is an "unique" book about five "unique" orphans with "unique" powers but what makes this book special..... Titans of Chaos revolves around the story of five orphans, Amanda, Colin, Vanity, Quentin and Victor who are running away from their parents mythological deities. Sounds interesting, well yeah it is, the idea anyway but the story is brought down by poor execution. The author gives each orphan a special power. Colin has super strength, Vanity can see doors through solid objects and Quentin can see dead people and summon them. Other than that I'm not really sure what their powers are let alone how they work the author cuts their powers on and off at a whim. He does attempt a rudimentary explanation concerning their powers that leaves a lot to be desired. This failed explanation leads to a lot of confusion during the action scenes when they are actually using their power. Frankly you don't know what going on. You would at least think you would know what planet the characters are on and then you find out that their on Mars. I will give the author points for unpredictability you never know what going to happen which is good and kinda bad because not knowing whats happening, whats going to happen, or what has happened leaves you wondering a lot. Overall I would compare this book to the Super Bowl XLI . "Assuming" the Chicago Bears came into the Super Bowl with a plan to win the plan was brought down by poor execution and of course by Peyton Manning.

Content:Some profanity and sexual comments worthy of a surprised smiley face.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 5
Reviewer Age: 17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Starkville, Mississippi USA

How to Be a Budget Fashionista by Kathryn Finney

Are you on a tight budget and want fashionable things? Are you a fan of Dooney & Bourke but have the budget for Wal Mart? If so, then this book is for you. It's an easy guide to show you that you can shop til you drop without dropping your wallet. It also compares side by side the expenisve and inexpensie and sometimes the only difference is the price tag. How to Be a Budget Fashionista also shows the new style trends that anybody can afford. It also gives great tips on easy to make facials, creams, conditioners, etc. If you are a shopaholic, you will go crazy over this guide.

At first when I received the book, I was kind of surprised. I was expecting a twenty page book that says "Watch your budget" over and over again. But, to my surprise, it gives the reader an in depth look on how to save. I got some great tips that I used on getting makeup and some online stores. What did turn me off was that it seemed like it was written for a 30 year old women. Most of the time it talks about salaries and how to balance one's mortgage and spending. Most teenagers don't have to worry about that. Some of the stores I haven't even heard of and when I looked at them online, they were for high class business women, not teenage girls looking to save a dollar or two here and there. Overall, the book was good, but not for a 16 year old.

Content:There were a couple of curse words but that was the extent of it.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 4
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Villa Hills, Kentucky United States

Anatomy of a Boyfriend by Daria Snadowsky

When 17-year-old Dominique, or Dom for short, meets the boy of her dreams it is when she least expects it. She is sandwiched between a fat lady and this insanely gorgeous boy, covered it mud, standing next to a porta-potty. However, even though it their relationship seemed to be off to a rough start, things somehow flip upside-down, much to the suprise of Dom. As their love grows they end up experiencing many firsts: true love, dates, sloppy kisses, and boyfriends, together. If only he came with instructions...

Anatomy of a Boyfriend is an extremely fun book to read. The author, Daria Snadowsky, perfectly captures the emotions of a teenage girls perspective on a first relationship. Though the plot is a bit dry and fluffy for the first half of the book, it is still fun to read. The climax of the book comes as quite a shock, and will keep you turning pages as fast as you can. Anotomy of a Boyfriend is definately geared towards girls and is a great quick summer read.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Marblehead, Massachusetts

On The Wings of Heroes by Richard Peck

This book is about a kid named Davy growing up in World War 2. Davy's dad was in World War 1 and his brother is in the second. The first section of the book is about him before the war, everything a game. The other three sections are living in war times. Most of the book is lighthearted and funny but the last section is really intense. It's about how hard war times are. The ending is a little obvious but it was so beautiful it didn't matter.

I loved this book. It is funny yet still beautiful. All the characters are well developed especially Davy's dad.The only problem is the beginning is a little unclear. It is definitely up to Richard Peck's usual standards. You will fall in love with this book at first sight.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 10
Reviewer City, State and Country: San Francisco, California America

Septimus Heap - Book Three - Physik by Angie Sage

In this third book in the Septimus Heap series, the ghost of the awful Queen Etheldredda has come back to the palace, and her prescense creates chaos within the castle walls. She's as dangerous now as she was then, despite her ghostliness, and now she seems to be after Princess Jenna. Her plan also includes her son, an old looking glass, and Septimus Heap, Jenna's adopted brother. The looking glass is more than an ordinary mirror--it can send people back in time, to the time five hundred years ago when Etheldredda ruled the kingdom. When Etheldredda arranges for Septimus to be sent back, Jenna will do anything to find her brother--even if it means putting her life in even greater danger.

Physik is the wonderful third book in the fantastic Septimus Heap series, but even readers new to the series will enjoy this magical adventure. It's full of the same wonderful characters from the previous two books, as well as a few new--and just as believable--ones. The story itself is at least as good as the previous two, if not better. Angie Sage's imagination is brilliant, and it shows in this book! Besides being a brilliant story, Physik is also well-written, in such a way that will have the reader racing through the pages, eager to find out what happens next--and, at the end just as eager for the next book!

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

Raven by Dean Whitlock

Raven has fled the Baron Cutter’s estate. Four years later, she goes back to find her mother who did not accompany her. Trying to find the truth, she goes back and finds her mother with a new child and she is married to the baron!! Raven flees. When the Baron dies, Raven’s mother is shipped off as a bond servant. Raven goes to find her with the unexpected help of a boy named Hero.

This story had many surprises, from finding that raven’s mother has a child to seeing everything from a bird’s eye view. There were a few parts of the story that could have been heavily elaborated on, but other than that the story was fine. Whitlock uses an extensive vocabulary, and a lot of strange curses. Overall, this was an excellent book to read again and again.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Shippensburg, PA

Mistletoe by Hailey Abbott, Melissa de la Cruz, Aimee Friedman, and Nina Malkin

In this book, there are four stories all about romance and happiness. In Working In a Winter Wonderland by Aimee Friedman, a college girl named Maxine Silver is looking for a job so she can buy the perfect dress for her friend’s party. Low and behold, the guy of her high school dreams walks up and tells her about a job at his department store. She takes it… then finds out it is for the elf position. In Have Yourself a Merry Little Breakup by Hailey Abbott, Aria(the main character)’s best friend, Emily, went off to college. She is coming back for winter break and Aria needs to help her friend’s boyfriend find the perfect gift. Marcus, Emily’s boyfriend, is having a rough patch and doesn’t think he and Emily will make it. Aria doesn’t know if she has feelings for Marcus or not. In Scenes From a Cinematic New Year’s by Nina Malkin, a star named Connor, is going to be going home for Christmas. When a surprise audition pops up, he has to go. On his way there his car breaks down an there is only one house around, so he knocks on the door. Inside is a girl named Talisa. They go out and check his car to ge it working. Afterwards they fall in love, but he can’t find her after 3:15. In the Christmas Choos by: Melissa de la Cruz, Kelsey Cooper and her boyfriend have been together for a long time. She only has $42 to spend on his present. She finds the perfect jacket, but it is $400. So she sells her grandmother’s dress to buy him the jacket.

This is a wonderful book written by four aspiring romance writers. I loved how it was four stories in one. I would recommend this to anyone looking for one of those awwwww… moments. These sweet stories will have you wishing you had a guy like him.

Content:mature reader

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

Vanishing Act by John Feinstein

Last year, Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson saved Chip Graber, Minnesota’s point guard, from blackmail at the Final Four. Now they’re back at the U.S. Open to witness one of the year’s best tennis events. But things don’t go as planned when Nadia Symanova, a talented new Russian player, is kidnapped on her way to her first match. Stevie and Susan Carol, along with their friends Bobby Kelleher and Tamara Mearns, take the challenge to figure out what happened to Nadia and where she is. But they’re saved the trouble when her kidnappers return her. The duo soon realize that there’s more to this story then meets the eye. As they keep investigating a trail leads to Susan Carol’s uncle, Brendan Gibson. What did Brendan have to do with the kidnapping? Who really kidnapped Nadia Symanova and why? These are the questions that you’ll keep asking yourself when you read the book.

John Feinstein did an excellent job on this book as he captivates the reader in a suspenseful mystery. His writing style was so eloquent that it made me feel that I was with the main characters in their quest for the truth. Even though the book is written as a sequel to Last Shot, there really isn't much connection between the two books. So, anyone can pick this book up and enjoy it in the same way that I did.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Champaign, Illinois USA

Going Nowhere Faster by Sean Beaudoin

Going Nowhere Faster stars Stan, a boy handicapped by his name and the weirdness of his family, but with an extraordinary mind. Ask Stan any math question, or anything about the video collection of Happy Video, where he works, and he'll blink, and in that time, come up with the correct answer. Still, though, Stan has a difficult time in life. He doesn't have a girlfriend. He has one friend. He hasn't even applied to college. He doesn't know where he's going with his life--or even if he'll make it through the summer, as someone is out to get Stan!

Going Nowhere Faster is a well-written book. It's very interesting, and I especially loved Stan's very...unique family. Going Nowhere Faster is full of interesting characters, especially Stan himself. He gets into the most hilarious situations, too! It's a funny, fresh, and wonderful story that's well worth reading!

Content:Some adult guidance

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

Faerie Wars by Herbie Brennan

Henry Atherton is an average boy. When he wakes up on a not so average day, he finds out several things. First of all, his parent's relationship is ruined because his mother is having an affair with his dad's secretary. Secondly, when he goes to work for old Mr. Fogarty, he finds a mysterious fairy named Pyrgus Malvae, the Crown Prince. Pyrgus is from a different world, the Faerie Relm, and he is next in line for Emperor. He doesn't care for politics too much anyway. While he is out roaming the streets, Brimstone of the glue factory captures him and needs to sacrifice him to the demon Beleth. Pyrgus gets rescued by the Emperor's guards [his father's]. When his father knows he isn't safe in their world anymore, he gets sent in their magical portal to the Analouge World [the human world]. Pyrgus somehow gets sabotaged in the process, so instead of going to an island, he gets sent to Mr. Fogarty's backyard. Henry and Mr. Fogarty try to help Pyrgus get back to his own world, but something else goes wrong. The whole time this is going on, his sister Holly Blue, is trying to help get Pyrgus back and find out who sabotaged him. Will he get back to the Faerie Relm safely?

When I first started the book, I thought it would be about a war going on [because of the title]. However, after reading a few chapters I knew that it wasn't. The chapters go back and forth from character to another to another so you have to pay attention to understand the whole story. The vocabulary is understandable and has a great variety. I would recommend this book to people who like fantasy because of the different 'species' of characters. There is great foreshadowing to help you predict events that would happen later in the book. I found this book very well-written, addicting, and I can not wait to get the second book to read in this series!

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, PA USA

Not Like You by Deborah Davis

Kayla's mother, Marilyn, is always moving them from place to place. Even though she claims to be starting a new, better life for them every time, things don't usually change. Most of the time, she's just moving on and leaving her life in one place (and, she likes to think, mistakes there) behind. Kayla feels like the only mistake that Marilyn can't leave behind, but in New Mexico, she's starting to put down roots for herself. She's making some money with her dog-walking, she's got a new friend, Luz, and she might even have the attention of an older guy. She doesn't want to be an afterthought in her mother's life of men, booze, and mistakes, but she's not sure what her own life should be, either. Can Kayla find a balance between having her own life and loving her mother?

Not Like You is a pretty good book. Certainly, the subject matter, though heavy, is handled admirably, with even some funny moments! It has some wonderful characters, and the story itself seemed to have a lot of potential. For the most part, it was wonderful, but there were moments when Deborah Davis's obvious talent for writing did not shine through, for no particular reason. Not Like You is a very painfully real, honest book. It's a good one, and certainly worth reading!

Content:For a mature reader because of some sexual situations.

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

Bloodline Two: Reckoning by Kate Cary

The story takes off right where Bloodline ended. As Quincey Harker turns his back on his bloodline, he leaves his home at Castle Dracula and goes in search of Mary Seward. Mary has since fled back to her home of Purfleet and wants nothing to do with the darkside. But Mary soon realizes that she can't get away. Her father succombs to a strange virus where are his blood is taken from his body and soon, Mary's patients are dying from the same affliction as well. She knows that evil is near and when Harker comes to her asking for help, she has to decide whether Harker truely wants to turn his back on evil or whether he's toying with her emotions.

After reading Bloodline, I've been waiting to read this sequel and it has definately lived up to the first. I couldn't stop reading the book once I started. The author has left the story in a place where it could be continued, so I'm hoping there will be a third book to follow. This book is for anyone interested in action, mystery and horror and it even has some romance. These books have made me very interested in stories about Dracula and I can't wait to see what happens next!

Content:There is some violence in here, so this is not for younger readers.

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

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