The Chicken Dance

Don Schmidt lives on a chicken farm in Horse Island,
Louisiana. He is unpopular at school as well as at home. He
has absolutely no friends and everyone refers to him as "new
kid," even though he has lived on Horse Island since
kindergarten. At home his mother constantly refers to his
dead sister Dawn, and thinks the world revolves around
herself. Out of loneliness he befriends the chickens living
in his backyard and they become his best friends. Don's luck
soon changes when he becomes the youngest person ever to win
the chicken-judging contest at the local dairy fair.
Everyone wants to be his friend and his mother seems to
care about him a little more, but not enough to stop
ordering him around. Don is content with his life until he
finds a metal box with a birth certificate in it. The birth
certificate belongs to a boy named Stanley. Don wonders who
Stanley could be and decides to ask his father. His father
simply tells Stanley that it is his birth certificate and
they changed his name to Don, because the uncle whom he was
named after was a bad man. Don doesn't believe his father
and begins to believe that Stanley is actually his twin that
got kidnapped when they were younger. Stanley isn't real,
but Don believes he is and talks to him like he was a normal
person. Don soon learns that the hidden birth certificate
isn't the only secret his parents have been keeping from
him. Once he learns one secret he is hungry for more, and
then they all unravel into a shocking, unforeseeable truth.

For the most part I enjoyed the book. It was full of
unexpected twists and turns and made me laugh. There were
parts of the book though that made me very mad. Especially
when Don's mother forgot his birthday - twice, and when she
wouldn't even congratulate him on his winning the
chicken-judging contest. I would get very frustrated with
the book and put it down and walk away at these points,
because I feel that no mother should ever forget a child's
birthday and should never treat their child the way his
mother treated him. Besides this, the book was suspenseful
and ends with a bang you would never see coming. Jacques
Couvillon created a good first novel that I would recommend
to other teen readers and I look forward to reading what he
has coming next!

The book has some mature content that I would not
recommend for readers aged 9-12. For example, Don's mother
has an affair which I don't think is very appropriate for
younger children, but some parents may be fine with these
types of topics. Also, there is reference to drinking and
sex, which again may not be appropriate for younger readers.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Cur

Carl Melcher Goes To Vietnam

Carl Melcher, an eighteen-year-old boy from Philadelphia, is
drafted into the Vietnam War. His first six months are spent
fighting, running, advancing, and touring through different
stations. As he meets and fights alongside people, he
acquires several friends. However, as the battle continues,
they begin to fall. One by one, and sometimes two at a time,
his friends fail in battle, and soon it is Carl and three of
his friends that are left of their previous group.

The author, Paul Clayton, shows a clear understanding and
knowledge of several war slang words. This knowledge was
easily shared with me, and I learned a good number. The
actual plot of the story was captivating, and balanced the
genres of adventure, suspense, comedy, and even romance very
well. There would be a time of absolute peril, and all of a
sudden a few sentences that equaled the adventure in comedy.
Carl's romance with the Vietnamese girl was interesting, and
although it was short was satisfying, in the sense of
balancing genres. The wide array of characters kept my
memory moving, and in doing so I easily not only learned,
but memorized the new phrases mentioned earlier. The
stereotypes of soldiers, lieutenants, and captains were
present, but were a minority. The majority of the
characters' personalities were colorful, and I enjoyed the
introduction to each new one every time.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Eagle Creek, OR USA

The Thief Queen's Daughter

This book describes the journeys of the explorer Ven. Set in a parallel world this book includes many different creatures including Ven, who is a Nain. Ven is entrusted with a mission by the king, who wants to discover the origins of a box given to his father. Inside the box is a stone which appears to be made of light. Engraved upon the stone is the seal of The Gated City where the descendants of ancient thieves are forced to live. Ven and his friends have many adventures in the Gated City, including a run in with a weapons dealer, a search missing companion, and a gift from a fortune teller. Eventually, however, their journey takes a turn for the worse when they encounter the queen of thieves and realize that one member of their party has a dark past.

Perhaps most importantly, I would like to say that I would have enjoyed this book much more had I been three years younger. I would not recommend this to older readers because the plot can be predictable at times and the language is not challenging. Another problem I had was that at times it seemed as if the author was attempting to fit a longer story into a certain number of pages. This novel had a lot of potential and an original plot, but the length didn't do it justice. I feel that it would have been more enjoyable had the author put more detail into the adventures. My biggest complaint was that is was simply okay. It didn't excite me or seem to be special in any way. These points aside, I think preteen readers will enjoy it for its creativity.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 5

Reviewer Age:13

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

The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely Lost It by Lisa Shanahan

Gemma Stone’s existence is far from boring. In the beginning, Debbie, Gemma’s sister, is planning to wed her newest boyfriend, Brian. After a plethora of uncanny characters that had held the position of “Debbie’s Boyfriend,” Brian certainly seemed normal…until the Stones meet his war-fanatic family. To add to this, Debbie has gone completely over the edge with her preparation, insisting that the day be planned to absolute perfection. Matters are only complicated when Gemma auditions for the school play. Her initial motive is to gain the attentions of heart throb Nick Lloyd, but her plan splatters as bad-boy Raven DeHead begins creeping into her life, instead. Unwittingly, a unique bond forms between the two, and things begin to get complicated. This sweetly comical narrative, laced with romance and action, is an enjoyable read.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I was hooked throughout a majority of my reading, and captivated by Gemma’s very real feelings. It caught me by surprise that the story takes place in Australia, and I’ll admit that the “lingo” took some getting used to. The author created believable characters, if somewhat unbelievable circumstances. The tone throughout the book was humorous, and at times gentle. I liked that the author seemed to sympathize with Raven, and that even though Gemma tells her story through first person, we can still see her critically. The book might have been more satisfying had the ending been more thorough. I felt as if the conclusion was rushed, and didn’t have quite as much detail or action as I expected. Overall, though, The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely Lost It was a delightful read that I would recommend to any teenage girl who’s looking for a lighthearted, quality read.

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

Haunted Heritage

Haunted Heritage by Michael Norman and Beth Scott is a
compilation of ghost stories and unusual events that have
occurred throughout North America. Divided into chapters by
region, (the Northeast, the Midwest, the South, the West,
and Canada) each section contains stories devoted to the
history and culture of a particular area. There are twelve
stories about ghost sightings on college campuses and
sixteen stories of appearing lights; no one knows where they
came from or their significance. Haunted Heritage is almost
like a textbook of scary, gory, or just plain weird events
that have supposedly occurred in the United States and
Canada. The stories are well researched and provide
insightful views of the supernatural.

Haunted Heritage contains too many ghost stories. The
majority of them are fascinating and intriguing, and some I
even wished I was there. After awhile, however, the
similarities and length of the accounts become barriers to
potentially great stories. The book becomes tedious to read
and some of the stories are boring as they are too factual
and the information takes away from the general theme of the
story. One story I particularly liked was a great tale of
the strange events that occurred on Larabee Street. The
story was frightening and had me turning pages, however,
towards the end, it was devoted to what happened to the
family of the story,including information about the sale of
their house and how much the family lost in value. Haunted
Heritage has such fantastic potential to be a book on every
child and adult nightstand. It contains stories teenagers
will read to friends at sleepovers, trying to scare each
other into nightmares. However, it lost its appeal with too
detailed and informative accounts. Haunted Heritage is worth
the effort, if only it was not deluded with unrelated
information, it would be perfect.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6

Many of the stories are frightening and there are some
accounts of gore and killings that may be too disturbing to
young readers.

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country:
Concord, Massachusetts Unit

Something To Blog About

Sometimes chances come along that you just can't pass up.
That's what happens to Libby Fawcett when she is asked to
tutor Seth Jacobs, a boy who she has liked for nearly two
years. She accepts the offer mostly because of her crush,
but also because she knows that her rival, Angel Rivera,
likes Seth, too. But Libby gets sidetracked from trying to
figure out if Seth likes her or not when she discovers that
her mother is dating Angel's father. In this whirlwind of
events, Libby becomes hopelessly confused about her
feelings toward everyone in her life, namely her mother,
Seth, and Angel. She tries desperately to uncover her own
feelings in the myriad of events that follow, the most
important of which would be her fight with Seth, dinner at
the Rivera's house, and finally, Angel's art show. The
novel culminates as the entire cast of characters decides
things once and for all.

The idea behind this book is sound and the plot provides
plenty of interesting situations, but I thought that it was
not executed as well as it could have been. The character of
Libby Fawcett is believable as a teenage girl, as is the
character of Angel Rivera, but many of the others felt less
real. For instance, Roger Fawcett and Keisha Jones were fairly realistic, but I found myself getting aggravated by them rather than endeared towards them. The subplot of Roger and Keisha's romance seemed to intrude on the main plot of the book and, other than this subplot, they served no real
purpose. The storyline moved along quickly and didn't drag,
but none of the events satisfied themselves until the very
end. As the book ended, the various conflicts resolved in
one of three ways: they ended in a believable, though
clich, resolution, they didn't end at all, or they ended in
a completely arbitrary conclusion. I would recommend this
book for its plot and quick pace, but not for the style in
which it was executed.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Melrose, MA United States

Two-Minute Drill: Mike Lupica's Comeback Kids by Mike Lupica

Scott Parry has just moved to a new town with new kids, new school, new opportunities. Of course he is the biggest know-it-all in the whole sixth grade. His dream though is to become just like Doug Flutie, former player of the New England Patriots. The rest of Scott's skills are very poor and he is not confident that he will make a football team. His "new friend" Chris Conlan is possibly the best football player in the league but his school skills arn't to great. Together will Scott and Chris find a way out of both their delemas?

This book was great for the school "smarty" or for the school's best sports star. The way Mike Lupica set up his story was that he did not want to give the reader too big of a hint. The reader would have to solve it themselves. The characters from this book are from the school nerd to the school bully. In the end it always works out good for the innocent one. I would recommend it because there is suspense along with minor tragedies that keep the book interesting.

Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Forestdale, Massachusetts United States

Ready or Not : An All-American Girl Novel

Sam returns in this sequel to All American Girl busy as
ever. She now has to contend with juggling school, art
lessons, her duties as teen ambassador, and dating her
boyfriend, David (the President's son). Sam is as hilarious
as ever as she fumbles from one incident to another. How was
she to know that taking a life drawing class meant drawing
naked people? Or that despite dying her hair black she would
still be recognizable as the girl who saved the President.
On top of all her worries, Sam's parents insist she get a
job, which creates some more interesting situations. But her
main worry is whether or not to spend Thanksgiving weekend
with David. So once again, we laugh and commiserate with Sam
as this time she tries to dodge her boyfriend while trying
to figure everything out.

Although, I don't think Ready or Not was as good as the
prequel, Sam is still the same amusing teen. Her personality
is what really makes the book come together in the end. In
this saga of the installation, Meg Cabot tries to make Sam
deal with more serious issues. But, in the end, this goal
does not work out as Sam's mirthful personality just makes
them laughable issues and thus undermines the true
seriousness of the topic. But it is still a great, funny
novel that is a great read for relaxing. The writing is
once again fantastic, and Cabot puts in just the right
amount of sincerity to make Sam into a believable character.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age:18

Reviewer City, State and Country: Kansas City, Missouri U.S.A

The Faceless Friend

Emmaline Cayley... Aviation extraodinaire... Robert Burns...
Errand Boy... Princess Purnah... Porok! Glekk!. Three young
children, one evil kidnapper, and a suspenseful adventure in
London- all woven together into one insane story called The
Faceless Fiend. It starts off in a pretty conspicuous
setting, in mad Mrs. Butterworth's cottage, with the three
children attempting a flight experiment shortly followed by
their teacher, Bellbuckle's lecture on why humans can't fly
like birds and the first impressions of the three children's
personalities. Emmaline; calm and scientific, is a careful
and calculating character. Purnah, shown as a bit of a
nutcase to the people of England (although she's mild
compared to the people of her Chiligriti homeland), and
Robert; enthusiastic, and not easily hurt, one of the only
two fans of Mrs. Butterworth's slug cake. (Stanley, the
little brown dog, was the other fan.) And all seems well.
However, when a series of mysterious events regarding
Princess Purnah and Chiligrit arise, everyone's suspicious-
and for good reason. Robert, dressed as Purnah, is kidnapped
by the henchmen of the infamous Faceless Fiend. Purnah,
trying to escape, finds herself lost in a forest, only to be
found by Emmaline, off a newly twisted ankle and bearing
chocolate, to Purnah's salivation... and salivation.
Although riding on separate carriages, all three find
themselves in London, and after Robert's half-baked escape,
he runs into a boy of the London streets, Peachey, who
inadvertently leads him to Banjo, a dog nearing senility,
the newest main character. But in attempting to save Purnah
and her country, and Robert from the Fiend's irritation with
him, can they possibly defeat a criminal mastermind?

I adored The Faceless Fiend. It's charming, funny, and
the characters were the most amusing people in the world.
Even serious Emmaline had her moments. I hadn't read any
other books in the series, but this one stands alone
wonderfully, with all the little details of previous books
inserted into the text, so the reader wasn't confused.
Although I was an avid Purnah fan throughout the book,
Robert was a close second- both of them, especially in the
same place at the same time, created a hilarious duo.
Emmaline, though, had a surprisingly small part in the book,
considering the series name (The Mad Misadventures of
Emmaline and Rubberbone), and I do think she could have been
a bit more prominent. Faceless Fiend is, just a little,
childish in writing style- something I would have
appreciated several worlds more when I was seven or eight,
but for those older adolescents, even adults who are still
fans of Dr. Seuss, I'd definitely recommend this.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Mahomet, Illinois
United States of America

Unholy Grail

This book is definitely a thriller. The pace of the book
travels so fast that the reader is breathless throughout the
reading. However, the fast pace does not cover the bad
writing, and Unholy Grail reads a little like the Da Vinci
Code without Da Vinci. To start the book, two people are
separately lured into Grand Central Station and one is shot
while the other is framed for it. Meanwhile a renegade
priest is killing other priests and marking them with
stigmata. There's also a mysterious Circle of Five, involved
with maintaining the bloodline of Jesus Christ and Mary
Magdalene. But this is all side story, because the two from
Grand Central Station decide to travel together, arguing
about Jesus and going through the story just because, not
even trying to unravel the conspiracies mixed in.

This book is like any of Dan Brown's books, and just as
poorly written. While the plot is interesting, there is so
much clunky dialogue and it seems that every other sentence
is cliche. The actions seem scripted and despite the intense
pacing, no suspense is truly built up. The characters were
all two-dimensional and seemed able to convey emotion only
through their eyes. Their eyes would flash with anger. Their
eyes bug out. Also, the descriptions were drawn-out and
ineffective. Overall, I would not recommend this book.
Rating (0 - 10 scale):

Reviewer Age:17

Reviewer City, State and Country: Overland Park, Kansas
United States

The Heights, The Depths,and Everything in Between

This book is about a girl named Lucy struggling to defy the
stereotypes of life being thrown at her. Her best friend
Jake is a midget with a mom that's in love with a man who's
not his dad. She and Jake start hanging out more and more
with the resident bad kid, Gary. Her dad is currently on the
road, and he doesn't seem like he wants to come back. Oh,
and Lucy's super tall, but she's got the last name of Small.
Watch Lucy come to terms with herself and her friends
lives...whenever that happens.

This book is very well constructed. Sally Nemeth, the
writer, creates a story of dilemma after dilemma, but in a
way that's not overwhelming. Towards the end, you can't peel
your eyes away from the book. But I don't know how well
written it is. I would say that Nemeth could've made her
audience feel more connected to the book. When you read it,
you'll like it, but you don't feel much emotion for the
characters. Maybe you'll sense a little triumph for Lucy at
parts, but that's it.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age:11

Reviewer City, State and Country: San Francisco,
California United States of America

Major Crush

Tired of the beauty-pageant circuit, Virginia Sauter tosses
her tiara, pierces her nose, and auditions for the most
unlikely of roles--drum major of the high school marching
band.

Virginia wins, but is forced to share the title with
Drew, whose family has held the position for generations.
Sure, Drew is hot, but because of his superior attitude, he
and Virginia are constantly arguing. That is, until they
share more than just their half-time salute...

But as the drum majors' heated competition turns to
sizzling romance, explosive rumors threaten everything--
including the band's success. Love seemed to be a sure
hit, but Virginia and Drew may be marching straight into
disaster.

I loved reading Major Crush. It was pretty realistic
and had many laugh-out-loud moments. The plot was great,
but sometimes it seemed kind of predictable. I also
thought the characters were great, because they were
original and fun to read about. I really liked the
author's style of writing. She included just the right
amount of detail, drama, humor, and romance to make this
book the page turner it was. I really couldn't put this
book down. Major Crush is a must-read for all teenage
girls.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9

There were mentions of sex in this book, which
may be inappropriate for young readers.

Reviewer
Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Leopold,
Missouri USA

How They Met, and Other Stories

"How They Met and Other Stories" is a collection of short
stories. All the stories are related to love and all
different kinds of love. Some are sad, but some are also
very happy. Each story in the book is different, and the
variety ranges throughout the entire book. The age of all
the characters differ throughout the story, as well as the
orientation of the couple involved. They all explain a
situation of love and show the history of the love or how
the love played out. The style of each story is as
different as the plot. Some are written as poems. Others
are written as a story passed on down the generations. And
others are written with dialogue in the present time. The
diversity and range of David Leviathan is obvious through
his writing.

"How They Met and Other Stories" by David Levithan is an
interesting book. Throughout the novel, the reader must
keep an open mind and invite all different thoughts and
opinions inside. David Levithan achieved his purpose of
sharing these love stories with others. The reading was
easy to understand and was not meant to be tripped though
and stumbled over. The different stories make you see all
the different kinds of love in the world. Not every love
will be picture perfect like in movies or in many other
books. These stories are not Disney romances that always
play out perfectly in the end. The novel makes you see
that love is all around us and comes in so many different
flavors and varieties. Not every love will be picture
perfect like in movies or in many other books. By the end of
the eighteenth short story, you will be able to look at love
from all angles and appreciate it so much more. This book is
definitely out of the ordinary and I would recommend it to
others that enjoy romance and have an open mind.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

"How They Met and Other Stories" does have sexual
content for mature readers.

Reviewer Age:18

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

The Highest Tide: A Novel

Jim Lynch's The Highest Tide is the story of Miles O'Malley
growing up over a summer. An only child, he is fascinated by
and spends his time at the beach collecting all sorts of
marine creatures. He likes Angie, his cool neighbor who is a
couple of years older than he is and used to baby-sit him,
but she does not notice him until he makes a life-changing
discovery and becomes famous overnight. At a time when he is
facing his parents possible divorce and is struggling to fit
in with kids his age, he finds a rare squid from the
opposite side of the world. His friend, Professor Kramer,
who was one of the only supportive people in his life, is
astounded. Florence, an elderly neighbor who Miles considers
as a grandma, worries Miles as she declines steadily with
Parkinson's. The Highest Tide presents the dilemmas of a boy
who has to grow up quickly, especially during this summer,
with everything he faces, yet manages to survive.

The Highest Tide is a well-researched book about a boy
with unique hobbies. The author presents a lot of
information about marine creatures and life without
overdoing it. I also enjoyed the multi-layering of the book,
especially with the dilemma that Miles faces regarding his
feelings for Angie, his concern for Florence, and his
future. However, the book takes a while to get into in the
beginning. Otherwise, I liked how The Highest Tide is
similar to many books about the child growing up over a
summer, but has a different setting (in the Pacific
Northwest) and many developed characters.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6

Reviewer Age:19

Reviewer City, State and Country: Kansas City, MO USA

Thank You, Lucky Stars

Over the summer Ally's best friend, Betsy, meets Mona and
together they practically ignore Ally. Betsy and Mona do
everything together as they even started a band with some of
Mona's friends. Ally is being bullied constantly and this
weirdo, Tina, is trying to be her friend. A big fifth grade
talent show is announced and Tina is thinking of all of the
things she and Ally could do in the show. Ally is slowly
warming up to Tina and suggests they disco dance together.
Ally knows Betsy's band is playing and she really wants to
go-go dance for them, but Betsy was too cool for her now. At
a rehearsal, Tina and Ally's dance performance bombs
resulting in a fight between Tina and Ally. Since they're
not talking Betsy asks Ally to dance for them, and she
agrees. They all start to hang out, but Ally still doesn't
seem to fit in, although she is now a part of the coolest
kids in the school. Ally thinks she is happy until she
realizes she misses Tina.

I enjoyed the book; it was a fast easy one to read. The
book inspired me to draw a picture of what I thought the
band would look like. Sometimes bad things happen before you
realize the good that was there, and that the things you
think you want most, are really not what you want after all.
Ally's predicament quickly changes. Your emotions change
with hers, sometimes agreeing with her choices, sometimes
wanting to strangle her for them. The character's actions,
at times, are a bit exaggerated. Keep an open mind about
your friends, don't leave anyone out and always try to be
friendly. I think that most pre-teens would enjoy reading
this book.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7

Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country: Baldwin, Maryland USA

Betrayed

Young vampyre Zoey's life seemed to be getting back to
normal. She finally feels at home in the House of Night's
finishing school where she has made new friends, and even
has a boyfriend. Zoey thought everything would stay normal this way, but soon after she is chosen as the Leader of the Dark Daughters, a series of horrible things begin to happen. The House of Night is suspected of murder when two teens go
missing. Zoey, with personal struggles from her human life,
fears for someone she loves. When they, too, go missing,
it's Zoey's turn to do something about it. Can she put
peace to the war that's raging inside of her?

Fans of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series will fall in
love with these books. Betrayed is a rich and sexy story,
all rolled up into one. All of the scenes seem very real;
P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast are very descriptive writers. I
was nervous reading the cliched of one of those vampire
stories, but the authors pulled it off very well. This
book was very, oddly enough, true to real life, while still
being fiction. I enjoyed it a lot, and recommend it to
anyone who loves a good vampire story.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7

This book is for older teens only. There were a few
scary sequences, and adult-themes.

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Boothwyn, PA US

The Kayla Chronicles

Kayla has spent her whole life feeling secure and strong.
She and her best friend are strong feminists following in
her grandmother's footsteps. Just when things are beginning
to really get rolling and she and her friends are planning
big things for their used-to-be small club, Kayla finds
herself questioning the meaning of being a feminist. With
her newfound interest in boys and love of shoes and dancing,
Kayla wonders why she has been letting her friend boss her
around all the time telling her what to do and how to act.
She feels she must find her voice and stand up for herself
before she explodes.

The Kayla chronicles is a wonderful book for any girl,
though I found it wasn't anything extremely special and
sometimes came off as a bit odd and awkward. However, the
book is very well thought out, and overall extremely fun.
You can picture the well thought out characters and
understand how they're feeling. There were also multiple
situations throughout the book where I could fully relate to
the characters. Although it is a fairly quick read, the
author keeps you entertained with quotes, headlines, and
bulletins, and, of course, Kayla's crazy personality.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Marblehead ,
Massachusetts USA

Teens and The Job Game

Are you a teen looking for a job? Then this book is right
for you. Inside this book, you will learn the skills
necessary to find a successful job. There are five chapters
in the book: Developing your whole self, Education and
Workspace Relations, Choosing a Career, Searching for a Job,
and Behaviors in the Workplace. For example, it explains how
to develop as a whole person by looking from all
perspectives, and encourages readers to set realistic goals.
Scattered in each chapter are quotes from high school
students just like you. Furthermore, there are reflective
questions at the end of each chapter designated to help the
reader focus on their goals, and earn their way towards
those goals. It is essential to have good study skills, and
this book teaches you just that. After learning about how to
become an excellent applicant, the reader will learn about
how to create an excellent resume and cover letter. Most
importantly, it will teach how to contact the employer and
ace the interview. After reading the book, you will be ready
to find your dream job!

I believe this book is very inspiring, and really does
try to motivate the reader to get out there and find a job.
Not only does it motivate the reader, it also teaches the
reader how this is accomplished. There are reflective
questions at the end of each chapter that helps the reader
reflect and plan their future goals. Also, there are tons of
quotes from actually high school students and teachers,
which is very inspirational for me. I pretty much agree with
every sentence in the book, and believe that this is a very
helpful book for people who are looking for a job, but don't
know how to get one. After finishing the book, I feel very
optimistic about the future. Who won't?
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Urbana, IL USA

30 Days to Getting Over the Dork You Used To Call

Love. Heartbreak. We all go through it. And next time (if
there is a next time) a guy doesn't realize the special
person that he has in front of him, reach for 30 Days to
Getting Over the Dork You Used To Call Your boyfriend. It
helps you get over your ex bit by bit, while providing fun
activities for you to do with your friends. And, also, it
proves that you don't need a man to be happy. You just need
you.

The Dork You Used to Call Your Boyfriend? While I have
without a reasonable doubt that this book will help you get
over your ex asap, there are some parts of the book that
scream THIS BOOK YOU ARE READING WAS WRITTEN BY AN ADULT
WHO HASNT A CLUE HOW KIDS OF TODAY SPEAK. Like Dork, for
example. The only time we use dork now, is when we are
affectionately speaking about our friends. We don't use it
when we are talking about our ex-boyfriends! Another part
of the book suggests before going to bed to dream of Jake
Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger fighting over you. Um. Ew. To
us, those guys are OLD. We don't want them fighting over us.
But if the story said Chris Brown and Chace Crawford.....
But besides those few parts 30 Days to Getting Over The Dork
You Used to Call Your Boyfriend is a pretty handy breakup
handbook.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Casa Grande, Arizona
United States30 Days to Getting Over the Dork You Used To Call

Girl Overboard

Everybody thinks Syrah is the golden girl. After all, her
father is Ethan Cheng, billionaire, and she has everything
any kid could possibly desire: a waterfront mansion, jet
plane, and custom designed snowboards. But most of what
glitters in her life is fool's gold. Her half-siblings hate
her, her best friend's girlfriend is ruining their
friendship, and her own so-called boyfriend is only after
her for her father's name. When her broken heart results in
a snowboarding accident that exiles her from the
mountains--the one place where she feels free and accepted
for who she is, not what she has--can Syrah rehab both her
busted-up knee and her bruised heart?

Girl Overboard was a very inspirational book about
following your dreams and making a difference. I was easily
drawn into the plot, feeling a deep connection with the main
character, Syrah. I thought it was very well-written and
enjoyable to read. Justina Chen Headley's writing was witty
and charming, but at the same time it was moving and
powerful. This amusing page-turner is definitely a must-read.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Leopold, MO USA

Choices

Choices by Katrina L. Burchett is a story that deals with matters of the heart, different facts of life and the hard things to discuss. This book, of realistic fiction, follows the paths of five different girls throughout their latter teenage years. Shauntice, Angel, LaKeeta, Bridgett and Hope all wish that at least one thing in their life was different. In the course of a few weeks, all of these girls grow and change to become more responsible and aware. Some of the hardest choices that they will have to deal with occur during these weeks and the girls are presented with decisions that will affect their lives forever.

This book started out a bit slow but as I read on, I got more intrigued by this way of living. It deals with how Christianity can affect your life for the better. I learned how to respect the life that I live more because of reading this book and seeing different realities of diverse people. This book is an emotional read and draws the reader into the story more than the other realistic fiction books that I have read. I would definitely suggest this book but some topics discussed in it are a bit mature.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7

There is a vivid rape scene and numerous sex scenes.

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Richmond, Virginia United States of America

Wildcats in the House

Wild Cats in the House is a book based on a Disney movie
called High School Musical. Kids, teens, and adults view
High School Musical as a regular Disney movie, but the book
shows the relationship the movie has with God.
This book explains what the songs mean in High School
Musical and the resemblance they have with the Bible.
Everyone in High School Musical teaches valuable lessons
dealing with God. This book is filled with laughter and life
lessons. If you loved High School Musical you will love the
book Wild Cats in the House!

Wild Cats in the house, by Steve and Gabi Russo, is an
amazing book. The authors had three different main
characters you, God, and the cast of High School Musical!
There are funny parts where author Steve Russo talks about
when he was in High School and embarrassing things he had done.
I believe they achieved many goals, which was to show how
God and Jesus are a part of everything we do.
The writing was powerful and appropriate; I found that the
wording was the strongest part about the book because of how
easily it flowed. The weakest part was when the author wrote
about parts of his life. I felt that the book had too much
detail in those areas and needed to have more information
about High school Musical and the relationship the movie had
with God.
Wild Cats in the House is interesting and wonderful,
everything about it is great. The ending left you without
any questions and many answers. I learned different things
while reading this book, especially about myself. I
recommend this to anyone who believes in God or is
interested.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age:13

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

The Thrilling Life of Pauline de Lammermoor

The Thrilling Life of Pauline de Lammermoor, by Edeet Ravel

This book is the first in the series, Pauline, btw. It is
written in a new format, as Pauline is recording her story
as a novel, which she may want to try to publish. As school
lets out for the summer after 6th grade, Pauline decides to
devote her summer to writing her novel. She has lots to say,
about her friends, family, and a certain boy named Yoshi.
Her parents had divorced, and her mother has started dating
again, while her father is busy painting pictures of old
shoes. As her life becomes more and more complicated, she
realizes that writing your life story, however hard it might
be, is actually easier than living your own life.

I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would.
It did not have a very filling story line, and felt like
just a chapter in a bigger novel. I was pleased to see that
her problems greatly resembled the problems of the pre-teens
and teens of today. It was an interesting book, but it was
written as a first-time novelist might write, with many
notations such as, Zane says I need to unveil hidden truths,
so I shall in the next chapter. Rather than a novel, it was
written more in Diary format, with chapter headings instead
of dates. I wouldn't recommend this as a first-choice book,
but rather as a book to read in-between trips to the library.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6

Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country: Boothwyn, PA USA

Springfire

Donavah, a young teen girl, sets out on a hunting adventure
with her two friends, Grey, and Traz in the novel
SpringFire. Xyla, a red dragon and one of Donavah's allies,
is flying the crew to a forest, where they can hunt. While
they are flying, DragonMasters attack them and they are
plunged into another world; the Stychs. When Donavah, Traz,
and Grey regain consciousness, they are in a mysterious
cave. A few days later, a woman named Shandry appears to try
and help them. Traz, Donavah, and Shandry have to venture
out to the closest village in order to save Xyla, who is
very sick. Donavah faces several challenges and must battle
many people in order to stay alive.

Springfire is amazing! I was glued to the book and my
heart was racing as I flew through each page. It's a very
easy read, but there were many details (some grotesque), but
I think they were necessary for the genre. When you read
SpingFire, you feel you're right there in all the action as
Donavah uses her maejic. The reader feels the pain of her
battles. Terie Garrison made SpringFire a heart wrenching
adventure. If you are looking for a magnificent dragon
fantasy adventure, this is the one!
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9

Reviewer Age:11

Reviewer City, State and Country: Osseo, Wisconsin United
States

Soldier of Sidon by Gene Wolfe

Soldier of Sidon is a novel whose purpose is to entertain. It is the third book in a series about a soldier. The story is set in ancient Egypt and the surrounding lands, all of which are filled with divinities. One soldier, called Latro, can see these gods and goddesses. He cannot, however, remember what happened to him even the previous day. In an attempt to preserve his past, he writes down important events on a scroll. The novel is in the form of his entries on the scroll. Throughout the story, there are battles and romantic scenes, but the main conflict in the story is Latro trying to regain his memory.

This novel was a very interesting and entertaining read. Though it was the third in a series, the narrator's poor memory caused many key events in the previous books to be explained. Latro's short memory also makes for an entertaining story. The downside to this is that there are gaps in the story where the narrator did not write down what happened and then forgot and the narrator will repeat or relearn information in several entries. These minor problems actually add to the story overall rather than detract from it, but it can occasionally be frustrating. The ancient deities are an added bonus to the story. All in all, I recommend this book especially to anyone interested in ancient history, mythology, or stories with unreliable narrators, but anyone would enjoy it.

Content: There are some sexual scenes, as well as limited violence. None of this is too explicit or offensive.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Royersford, Pennsylvania United States

Trigger by Susan Vaught

A young boy makes a sorry attempt at suicide only waking up to find that he survived. Confusion, Hurt, Loss, and Dissability are a vast part of his life now. The bullet's placing has now left him almost motionless on one side of his body and long as well as short term memory are almost useless at this point. Everything before the suicide is blurry. He's left with questions like; Why did i do it? Why does everyone hate me? Is the House Okay? How long has it been? He is stuck piecing his life together bit by bit with an old friend, who herself will never cease to amaze him.

I think this book is VERY well written. It depicts the struggles of disabled people greatly and it shows the change in mental health perfectly. The young boy's mentality goes from 15 years old straight down to 7 years old and he struggles to understand his life as it had been. There's absolutely nothing better I have ever read that could relate to such true accounts in our daily lives. THIS IS A FANTASTIC BOOK!

Content: There is some brief swearing and some of the topics such as suicidal motives, abuse, and violence may not be suitable for some readers.

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

Runemarks by Joanne Harris

It is pretty much the end of the world. All chaos, magic, glamours, old gods, and Faeries were supposedly gotten rid of a long time ago. Maddy Smith knows that magic is still around because she was born with a 'ruinmark'. The other townspeople fear her because she is a witch. Then a traveler comes along, named One-Eye, and he sees Maddy's mark. He tells her she has a destiny. Maddy starts learning about runes, cantrips, and glamours so she can follow that destiny. All of this is mixed into old Norse tales and ancient powers that must be released to make the world again.

Runemarks was a very long book. However, it was extremely unique. This is because of all the Norse tales and the interesting characters. Maddy Smith is an interesting character because she is very different than the rest of them. She is stuck in her world of magic when everyone else fears that. Words that were made up were very amusing because it was something creative. The rest of the vocabulary was easily understandable, yet not too easy that I fell asleep. This was a very great book and I'll probably read it several times.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6
Reviewer Age: 14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, Pennsylvania United States of America

Springfire by Terie Garrison

Donavah, a young teen girl, sets out on a hunting adventure with her two friends, Grey, and Traz in the novel SpringFire. Xyla, a red dragon and one of Donavah’s allies, is flying the crew to a forest, where they can hunt. While they are flying, DragonMasters attack them and they are plunged into another world; the Stychs. When Donavah, Traz, and Grey regain consciousness, they are in a mysterious cave. A few days later, a woman named Shandry appears to try to help them. Traz, Donavah, and Shandry have to venture out to the closest village in order to save Xyla, who is very sick. Donavah faces several challenges and must battle many people in order to stay alive.

Springfire is amazing! I was glued to the book and my heart was racing as I flew through each page. It’s a very easy read, but there were many details (some grotesque), but I think they were necessary for the genre. When you read SpingFire, you feel you’re right there in all the action as Donavah uses her maejic. The reader feels the pain of her battles. Terie Garrison made SpringFire a heart wrenching adventure. If you are looking for a magnificent dragon fantasy adventure, this is the one!

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Osseo, Wisconsin United States

Hear Us Out by Nancy Garden

In this collection of reviews and short stories are the struggle, progress, and hope of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transsexuals, and people who are questioning whether or not they are (GLBT). In each section, 1950- the present, two different stories are told by the people struggling. At the beginning of the section, a summary of the decades progress in acceptance and civil rights and how they effected the lives of GLBTQ emotionally and physically. The stories begin with the lives of Angie and Elizabeth, two best friends who fell in love. Elizabeth's mother finds out about the bond between the girls, and forbids them to see each other. However, both the girls keep writing to each other. Will their relationship succeed, or will Elizabeth's mother win? The stories end in this decade with Lisanne, thrown out by her parents for being a lesbian. Will she be taken in by friends, or will she be forever homeless?

Hear Us Out answers most questions about GLBTQ kids, and lets you inside their thoughts and emotions. Each story has a small plot line that leaves you hoping for the best for each character, and every essay tells of a history full of prejudice, loss, happiness, and hope. Nancy Garden wrote a wonderful book that opens the eyes of its readers to a few new causes to fight for, including the AIDS foundation. I found this book very moving and interesting, because it gives insights to the lives of GLBTQ kids. I would recommend this book to others because it shows what becomes of people's prejudice against GLBT people.

Sexual Content, Language

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Colleyville , Texas United States

100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson

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

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

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

Truancy by Isamu Fukui

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


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

Content:violence

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

Poseur by Rachel Maude

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

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

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

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

Raleigh's Page by Alan Armstrong

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

High Spirits

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

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

Reviewer Age:15

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

The God of Mischief

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

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

Reviewer Age:13

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

The Case Against My Brother

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

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

Reviewer Age:13

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

American Fringe

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

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

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

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Leopold, Missouri USA

Iron Thunder

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

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

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

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Lemoore, CA USA

The Third Eye

If you're looking for a book with fairies prancing through
meadows, or high school basketball players shooting hoops
till 8:00 at night, The Third Eye is definitely NOT the book
for you. Zarku, a mysterious new healer comes to the village
of Morni, a Hindu village in India. Tara, and her brother,
Suraj, live with their dreadful stepmother, Kali, her wicked
daughter, Layla, and their father, Shiv. After Tara and
Suraj have enough of their step- family's odd wickedness,
they escape into a supposed haunted forest where men of
Morni, return in a deformed manner, known as the Vetalas.
The Vetalas are a translucent green, with a huge wound on
their forehead, and a strange black liquid which oozes its
way out. Their feet are turned backward from the ankle, and
their chests are 100% transparent -- you can see a black
heart pumping the black liquid throughout the whole body.
Suraj struggles to survive as a fever takes over. Tara
struggles to find her mother, Parvati, and Prabala, her
grandfather, in time to save their village from the evil
Zarku, and free the captives in this thrilling story.

The Third Eye, by Mahtab Narsimhan was a definite page
turner. The Third Eye described Hindu mythology and its
gods, including: the God of the Sun, the Underworld, the
Lord of the Dead, and the Heavens. This was a particularly
easy read, but some sections of the story were a bit
confusing. The Third Eye's genre would be classified as
mystery/thriller/adventure. Narsimhan included wit when it
was necessary, but most of the novel was serious. This book
wasn't very predictable, and took some subtle and some
obvious twists and turns. The Third Eye isn't the type of
genre I would typically read, but I found it very well
written.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10

Very violent situations and some situations where some
younger children may not understand.
NOTE- Not an advanced proof and several spelling errors.

Reviewer Age:11

Reviewer City, State and Country: Osseo, Wisconsin United
States

Snakehead

Snakehead is about Alex Rider, a fourteen year old spy,
being sent undercover into a Chinese gang, Snakehead. His
mission is to discover how Snakehead is illegally
transporting Afghanistan refugees into Australia. Being
forced to accept this assignment, Alex is not given any
weapons or support, but he is determined to survive. Of
course, he gets caught in a couple of tight places and is
forced to think on his feet. In true Alex Rider style, he
manages to come out of dangerous situations spectacularly.

Snakehead is a ten out of ten all the way. This book
is the seventh book in the Alex Rider Series, and just like
the others, this one was a thriller. Snakehead is a fast
paced adventure. Having read all the previous Alex Rider
books, I would rank Snakehead as my second favorite.
(second only to (Scorpia) The author, Anthony Horowitz,
usually ends each book with a cliffhanger. The previous
book, Ark Angel, left Alex in a capsule falling from space
into the Pacific Ocean, only to be captured by the
Australian Secret Service in Snakehead. I'm an avid fan of
the Alex Rider series and I'm already checking to see when
the next book will be released.
Some gunfire and a few deaths
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10

Some gunfire and a few deaths.

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Hamilton, OH USA

Beautiful Stranger

Anna decides to take an end-of-summer getaway--to get away
from her drama-filled LA life. So she packs her Louis
Vuitton, grabs her close friend Sam, and heads to the Big
Apple. Between trips to the Met and shopping at Bendel's,
the girls are living the A-List life on Anna's home turf.
But their trip isn't exactly a vacation. Sam is here to spy
on Eduardo and decode his recent strange behavior. Will
what she discovers send her hopping on the next private jet
back to Beverly Hills? And who is the beautiful stranger
who appears on Anna's Upper East Side doorstep? Anna begins
to wonder whether she wants to head back west
again--especially since Ben seems to have moved on...with
someone who isn't a stranger at all. When it comes to the
A-List, there's drama coast to coast.

Filled with humor, romance, drama, and everything in
between, Beautiful Stranger was a wonderful book. The plot
was interesting, suspenseful, and pretty original, making it
very hard to stop reading. Although I haven't read all of
the A-List books, Beautiful Stranger was easy to read
because everything from the other books was explained so I
didn't get confused. I liked how I really got into the book
and could relate to the characters. It was also interesting
to see how the rich and glamorous live. The only thing I
didn't like was that some of the plot seemed a little
unrealistic. All in all, I loved Beautiful Stranger. I
would definitely recommend it to teenage girls.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country: Leopold, Missouri USA

Thick As Thieves

This novel is an autobiography of Steve Geng. Its purpose
is to entertain, to explain Steve's and his sister's life,
and to persuade the readers to take care of themselves.
This book is the story of Steve and Victoria Geng's life and
relationship as siblings. Steve has been an actor, a thief,
an alcoholic, and a drug addict throughout his life. His
sister was a writer. Throughout the story, they share a
close bond as they grow up and face the challenges of their
lives. The book grows darker and more desperate as the time
passes in Steve's life. This novel portrays a scarily
honest view of life's pain, sickness, and tragedy.

This book is truthful and deep. It deals with illness,
death, and other serious issues. I sometimes found it
depressing. Also, the author does not gloss over his or his
sister's faults, so it is not always easy to like them and
be sympathetic. The end of the book occasionally sounds
wishful, and there is not a standard happy ending. I
recommend reading it only if you are looking for a serious
and sober read.

This novel has sexual content, violence, and drugs. It
also deals with HIV and cancer. It should only be read by
extremely mature readers.
his novel has sexual content, violence, and drugs. It also deals with HIV and cancer. It should only be read by extremely mature readers.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7

Reviewer Age:14

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

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by
Sherman Alexie is about Arnold Spirit, also known as Junior.
He lives on the Spokane Reservation. Junior lives with his
kind but alcoholic father, mother, tolerant grandmother, and
his hermit sister, Mary Runaway. Junior was born with too
much cerebral spinal fluid in his skull. The doctors had to
drain the fluid out of his skull. This surgery led him to
have seizures and other medical problems. Junior cries
easily so he is bullied often on the reservation. His
friend, Rowdy, who is mean and tough but protects Junior, is
the most important person in Junior's life. Another
important person in Junior's life is his father's best
friend, Eugene, who is an optimistic alcoholic. On the first
day of geometry class in his freshmen year of high school,
he notices that his geometry book had been used by his
mother at least thirty years before. Junior becomes angry
and throws the book at his geometry teacher, Mr. P. While
Junior was on suspension, Mr. P. stops by his house. Mr. P.
asks Junior to forgive him because Mr. P feels that when he
was a young teacher, he tried to take away the Indian way of
life. Mr. P. tells Junior that Mary Runaway had wanted to be
a Native American Romance Novelist, but lost her dream after
she left high school. Mr. P. tells Junior that he has to
leave the Reservation in order to find hope. That night,
Junior asks his parents if he can go to Reardan High School.
Reardan High School is a white school where fifty percent of
the school goes on to college. Rowdy beats Junior up when
Junior tells him that he is going to Reardan High School. On
his first day at the new school, Junior punches Roger, the
lead jock at Reardan High School, after Roger makes a racist
joke. Junior earns Roger's respect after that. As time goes
on, Junior begins to adapt to his new life at Readan High
School. He makes some surprising new friends, and even has a
chance to become a superstar. But, in the process, he will
loose his old friend Rowdy even more. When tragedy touches
his family, Junior will have to reconcile with his own
choices in life, and come to terms with the people closest
to him.

I give this book a three. The ideas were all there to
make a good book, but the author did not write it properly.
The author tried too hard to be funny. For example, he told
several jokes about seizures that just fell flat. He also
tried to write as he imagined a teenager would write, even
though he was not a teenager, which didn't really work. A
cartoonist drew cartoons for the book, but they also lacked
humor. I would suggest reading other books on this subject
rather than this one.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 3

Reviewer Age:17

Reviewer City, State and Country:

First Light

Peter is going on an expedition to Greenland with his
scientific father, mother, and a young man named Jonas. He
is really excited to go, but lately has been feeling weird
when he sees random visions. They also lead to headaches.
Peter tries to figure out what they mean while sharing his
dad's adventures and playing with the sled dogs, especially
Sasha.

Meanwhile, on another side of First Light, Thea tries to
convince her people to move back to the surface of the
actual Earth. She is the seventh in a generation of people
that have lived in a secret place inside the arctic ice. Her
grandmother, Rowen, definitely disagrees with Thea's plan,
but when Thea gets a mysterious map she comes up with an
even better plan to move back to the surface and see the sun
for the first time.

Together, Peter and Thea search for answers and try to live
their dreams with help from maybe only one or two others.
What would happen if they broke their world barriers and met?

First Light had an excellent description of the setting
the entire time. I loved how the story kept switching from
character to character and that I could follow each side
very easily. Both main characters, Peter and Thea, were well
described and I loved their personalities because both were
determined to succeed. Because of the switching of the two
characters, I loved how it was written in third person. If
it was written in first person, I may have gotten lost or
forgotten which character it was. For my age group, the
writing and vocabulary was perfect. It wasn't so easy that I
knew every single word, but I didn't need a dictionary
beside me while reading it either. The whole time I was
reading the book,I loved each plot and how each side
advanced equally. Even though they were separate plots. I
also liked how the plots combined together so well. First
Light is definitely a book I would recommend to others if
they like adventure and mystery.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country:
Carlisle, Pennsylvani

The Highwayman

The Highwayman is a book set in three different sections,
each ten years apart. The first third is about Bran Dynard,
a monk of Abelle. He is married to a native of the southern
land of Behr. Her beliefs are similar but not identical to
his own, so the church of Abelle refuses her as his wife.
He won't make her leave, however. Sen Wi, his wife, is
pregnant with a child, but she must hide to avoid being
killed. When she gives birth, she dies during childbirth.
Her book of teachings, the book of Jhest, is thought to be
destroyed, so the church believes it is safe. Bran then
makes a pilgrimage to the northern Chapel of Abelle, but is
killed along the way. Their son, Bransen, is raised by his
friend Garibon Womak. Ten years later, the story is about
Bransen, a cripple since birth, who is taken care of by
Garibond. After a while, however, Bransen is given to the
church, who are paid with a sword crafted by Sen Wi.
Bransen had taught himself to read and had read the Book of
Jhest before he went to the chapel. He copied it onto the
walls, but the monks recognized it. They went to Garibond's
house and found the book. It was destroyed, and Garibond
burned for heresy. The politics at this point are unstable.
The Laird of Pryd, where the story takes place, is forced
to align himself with a greater holding in the coming war.
As he cannot continue his line due to a wound from battle, a
choice is forced upon him. Also, the two major religions,
the Blessed of Abelle and the Samhaists, are vying for
supremacy. Ten years later, Bransen learns of his mother's
sword in the possession of the Laird and of the death of
Garibond. He adopts the name "The Highwayman" and uses a
sacred soul stone stolen from the monks to heal his crippled
body. But will Bransen use his newfound freedom for just
vengeance, or to his own gain? Read The Highwayman to find out.

At some points, The Highwayman was great, at others slow.
Once you're into the book, however, it's hard to put down.
The advancement of the story over ten years is a bit
confusing at first, but it all adds to the overall quality.
This was a great book that I would advise to any and all
fantasy readers.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9

Violence, sexual references

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Chambers

The Year My Sister Got Lucky

Katie, a New York City fashionista and dancer at the
Anna Pavlova Academy, the finest and most competitive of all
ballet schools, has just hit a brick wall. Her family is
leaving the city for, yes, Fir Lake, population: 2,100. All
of a sudden her bags are packed and her friends, ballet, and
the bright city lights, are gone and replaced with Ms. Mabel
Thorpe's School for Dance and Movement, people who climb
mountains and milk cows for fun, and neighbors who know you
too well. When school starts Katie sticks out like a sore
thumb, but somehow her sister Michaela seems to fit right
in, quickly befriending the popular girls, getting the
attention of all the boys, and, worst of all, forgetting all
about ballet. And when one day Katie stumbles upon a great
secret that her sister, her best friend, hasn't told her
about, she suddenly realizes that she needs to stand on her
own two feet from now on if she ever wants to fit in.

The Year My Sister Got Lucky has all the components
of a fun and believable book, you feel as if you are
experiencing this, and feel the characters sadness and
excitement. The characters are well built up with background
information, so they are very realistic and a picture comes
easily to mind. The plot is very fun, but occasionally in
areas it is either too drawn out or leaves you wishing there
was more. For me, the book ended abruptly and I was very
frustrated, and wanted to know what happened next. Overall,
I would say this book is nothing particularly special, it
lacks the power and strength of many books, but I would
recommend it to girls looking for a quick, fun, and
leisurely read.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country:
Marblehead, MA USA

Choices (Burchett)

Summary: In Katrina L. Burchett's Choices, a group of
African American high school students from York, PA face
questions about relationships, peer pressure, and religion.
The main friendship group includes La Keeta, pregnant out of
wedlock with no contact with the baby's father, Angel whose
workaholic mother ignores her, Shauntice whose father abuses
her mother, and Hope and Bridgette, Christian girls hoping
to influence their friends. High school boys circle around
these girls as relationships emerge and dissolve with
painful consequences. Stay tuned because this is the first
novel in a trilogy.

Burchett envisions a world where Christian praise
services and Bible quoting teenagers can serve as an
antidote to invasive popular culture. At times the dialogue
seems forced and I wonder if teen agers really cite chapter
and verse when talking about the Bible. The problems the
adolescents face are, however, quite real and some of their
solutions ring true. This book could begin to bridge the gap
between popular culture and Christian values and open
conversation between teens and parents about the
consequences of choices.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7

Reviewer Age:60

Reviewer City, State a

68 Knots

68 Knots by Michael Robert Evans is a novel about eight
teenagers who spend their summer sailing off the coast of
Maine. Arthur, Dawn, Jesse, Joy, Crystal, BillFi, Marietta,
and Logan begin a summer of sailing aboard a beautiful
schooner with Captain McKinley and his crew. In a series of
seemingly disastrous and quick-moving events, McKinley shows
his true colors as a pompous jerk aboard the ship; the
counselors desert the crew and sail home; and McKinley
commits suicide. The eight teenagers are left, stranded on a
sailboat with little sailing experience. After several
panicked hours, the crew decides not to abandon ship but to
continue the adventure they came to camp for. In the 68 days
ahead, each young man and woman learns the experience of
sailing a ship, making friends, saving lives, finding
romance, and discovering themselves.

68 Knots is an exciting adventure novel, but not from
page one. At the beginning, the story moves too fast, the
characters are barely introduced before McKinley dies and
they are left alone. However, Michael Robert Evans writes in
a cyclical way, the story comes full-center at the middle,
where action-packed adventure has you turning every page.
Each character has his/her own story and mysterious past;
some are more likable than others. Arthur is reliable,
consistent, the leader of the crew; Dawn is spiritual, her
willingness to find a common-ground in every argument is a
great asset to the team; Jesse is physically strong but
emotionally torn by a devastating past, he hides behind a
mask of colors in the novel. Joy is incredibly religious and
desperately trying to spread God's will among her cabin
mates, but realizes that God may be found in different ways;
Crystal is strong willed and slightly standoffish but is
softened by her fellow peers; BillFi is an orphan with a
special gift that leads the group to many victories;
Marietta is a dark presence on the ship; and Logan's,
well, Logan's unique story will have you loving him by the
end.Reading 68 Knots is an experience that will have you
waiting impatiently for a summer experience of your own.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9

There is drinking and swearing throughout the novel.

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Concord,
Massachusetts United St

Sweep:The Coven

Morgan Rowlands was just a typical Catholic girl, until her
world got turned upside down by Cal, the hot, new boy. He
showed Morgan and her friends the amazing art of Wiccan
Witchcraft. It has been just a few weeks since their first
circle (in book one). Now, she has found out she is one of
the most powerful blood witches. (a witch whose parents were
both witches) She has also found her muirn beatha dan
(predestined soul mate) and lost her best friend, Bree,
over all of this. Bree and Raven, one of Bree's friends,
begin their own coven and are planning to get revenge on
Morgan. The very next day, Morgan finds out she was
adopted!! Morgan is devastated and it takes her a while to
get over it. One day, Morgan and Cal, her current boyfriend
and muirn beatha dan, are planning to go to the movies.
Morgan accidentally walks into her mother's study.
Inside, she finds her mother's Book of Shadows, a book
witches used to write down new spells and things about
themselves. Morgan's discovery of the book leads her into
the past.

Cate Tiernan has written another masterpiece,
even better than the first. Morgan is cast into a world,
painted to the fullest detail, where she has to figure
things out for herself. Tiernan described her characters'
emotions so well that they seemed real. Also, the
love between Cal and Morgan is so believable; some authors
will put the most unlikely people together. You knew right
away Cal and Morgan were perfect for each other. Although
short and an easy read, I got lost in the story and could
not put the book down, even if I wanted to. All together, a
great read!

sex and witchcraft
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer
City, State and Country: Shippensburg, USA

Candyfloss

Floss, lives a fabulous life, she resides with her mother,
step father and half brother Tiger. She enjoys visiting her
real dad at his run-down restaurant every weekend. Her only
concerns are at school. She has some problems with her
peers. Floss wants to impress the popular, snotty girls, in
order to feel accepted. Subsequently, she realizes that
there are more important things to think about. For example,
she might not see her dad for another year, because her step
father accepted a promotion in Australia! (That's half way
across the world from her home.) Floss doesn't want to
leave behind her friends and memories. (How is she going to
break the news to her dad?)

I thought that Candyfloss was a fun and easy read. I
think Jacqueline Wilson is a witty author. I thought that it
was clever the way she incorporated American and English
slang sayings into the book. (Some people say slow poke, and
others say slow coach.) A few things that I wasn't too fond
of were the attitudes of the characters, some of the plot
was lacking, and sometimes the book was not very realistic.
Other than that, I loved Candyfloss.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Renton, WA USA

Beings in a Dream---Friends and Enemies Part II

After the recent "Fruit Salad Mass," at which the evil
priest Drogo was exposed as the villain who had killed
Eleanora de Narbonne more than a decade ago, Eloise and
Tommy are forced to flee the sixteenth century and the
clutches of Drogo's brother, the Bishop of Toulouse. They
escape back to Tommy's time through the etching that had
originally taken him into the past, and instantly Eloise is
shocked by the culture change. She cannot understand a world
where all people are equal, capital punishment is illegal,
and girls wear almost nothing. But it isn't as if she has
time to appreciate the good things about modern life, for
Drogo has chased them through time and will stop at nothing
to see Tommy and Eloise murdered. When Eloise is sucked back
through time by Drogo's tricks and imprisoned in a nunnery
by her own relatives, Tommy must also find a way back to
rescue his love and capture Drogo. Knowing Tommy and Eloise,
though, it shouldn't be too hard-- after all, they still
have Tommy's beloved mobile phone for contact with the
future, along with all of the friends that they had made on
Tommy's first trip to the past.

David Field's second book in the "Friends and Enemies"
series, while worlds improved over the first, still leaves
much to be desired. His characters, Eloise especially, are
incredibly clinched, too perfect to be at all believable or
even likable, and the setting, certainly in one of history's
more interesting periods, is not in fact entirely
historically accurate. All of the characters speak in the
same voices, complete with twentieth century slang, and the
varying castes can only be differed from one another in
terms of dialect. These weaknesses cause the plot, which, if
pulled off accurately, could have been incredibly
intriguing, to fall flat and become not only predictable but
also uneventful, because as a reader I could not sympathize
at all with the characters. This book's only true strength
was in its writing style, which pulls off a third person
omniscient point of view better than any book I've read in
the past. In fact, at times it was only reading from inside
the minds of certain lesser characters that kept me set on
finishing this book, along with Field's beautiful
descriptions from time to time. Indeed, once the author
masters dialogue and characterization, his books will
certainly rank with some of the better in young adult
literature. Until then, though, the "Friends and Enemies"
series might be better left unread, for fear of discouraging
Field's potential readers.

Almost all characters commit murder or believe themselves
to have done so, and there are many small sexual references.
Christianity is also portrayed in a negative light.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 5

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: , Maryland United States

Sweep:Blood Witch

When we last left Morgan Rowlands, she had just been caught
by Cal, her boyfriend, and Selena, his mother. Selena gave
Morgan her mother's Book of Shadows, a book witches use to
write down spells and things about themselves. Bree,
Morgan's ex-best friend, and Raven, Bree's new best friend,
are still planning their revenge on Morgan for taking Cal.
This time, Hunter, Cal's brother, and Sky, a woman from
Selena's coven, join them. Hunter claims to want to save
Morgan from Cal. Morgan gets some lessons on witchcraft
from her friends in Practikal Magick, a Wiccan store. Alyce
and David, clerks at the store, help Morgan along. Morgan
discovers in a vision where her mother's ceremonial tools
are and goes to find them. Morgan takes them over to show
Cal and Hunter shows up. He aggravates Cal so much that Cal
kills him. Will Morgan be able to see Cal the way she used to?

In this continuation of the Sweep series, Cate Tiernan
broadens the story, adding new characters and along with
them, new conflicts. I love how her characters never do
anything you would not expect them to do, and they always do
things that are believable for their character. The love
between Cal and Morgan is so complex that it is hard not to
keep reading, just so you can find out what is currently
going on between them. This series has sparked an interest
in Wicca for me. It made me want to learn more about the
art and religion.

Murder, some talk of sex, and it talks
about witchcraft.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Shippensburg, USA

Borderline

A brilliant coming-of-age story, Borderline portrays an
overwhelmed older brother, an over-ignored son, and a
determined caregiver in the form of Guy Ritter. And a
teacher who has it out for you, a best friend who won't stop
eating, and a temperamental semi-girlfriend isn't enough,
Guy's also been dealing with his "autistic" brother for way
too long. All of the problems Guy's been burdened with has
created quite a bit of stress. What can a thirteen-year-old
kid do when his best friend's father's fast food feasting
becomes perilous? And what will the utterly impulsive Guy do
when he comes across a majestic experiment animal that soon
becomes his best friend? And what about his brother's
controversial treatment? And most of all, can one child
really deal with all that?

I was quite fond of Borderline, especially the
highlighting of controversy- from Austin's autism treatment
to the experiments on wolves. Rozanski's writing style was
masterful with emotion. I could feel Guy's frustration,
excitement, irritation with every word. I found it a
page-turner from the first word; I could hardly put it down.
Although it moved a little slow in some places, it moved at
a relatively good speed. However, I was surprised at the
personality of the mother, Mrs. Ritter. She was almost
unrealistically uncaring and paranoid- although I suppose
that having an autistic son can do that to you. The
character development of some of the secondary characters
could have been more thorough. However, overall, I loved the
book; which was an achievement- because normally, angst
annoys me.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Mahomet, Illinois
United States of America

Right Behind You

Right Behind You, by Gail Giles, is a book about a kid named
Kip McFarland. When he was only nine years old he set Bobby
Clarke on fire. Bobby was Kip's neighbor, and it was his
birthday, so Bobby went over to brag about his new baseball
glove. Instead, he started to brag about how he had a mom
and Kip didn't. When Kip was little his mom got very sick
and died. So, instead of just getting pleasure laughing at
Kip, Bobby set him on fire. Three days later Bobby died in
the hospital. Kip was sent to a mental hospital, where he
stayed for four years. When Kip left the hospital, his
shrink told him about a hungry ghost. Kip didn't understand
at the time that the hungry ghost was seeking for the truth.
It was ready to tell his secret at anytime.
So, to keep Kip's secret he changes his name to Wade and
moves to Indiana.
There Kip, now known as Wade, starts a new life. Even though
he is making friends and playing sports, Kip still feels he
has to let his secret loose. Will Kip tell who he really is,
or will he keep it bottled up forever?

Gail Giles, the author of Right Behind You, wrote a book
that has lessons and realistic problems. This book is about
more than a kid who was a murderer, it's about lessons. The
lessons were on guilt, decisions and trust. The author wrote
the book on these three main priorities. That's what makes
this book so interesting and realistic because these are
priorities in life as well.
Right Behind You is a page turner, it makes you feel as if
you were right there watching. The mood seems more like
anger and depression, which is the way the characters felt
most of the time. I really liked this book and thought it
was amazing. I would recommend this book to anyone who is
interested in a book on realistic fiction.

It has a lot of inappropriate language and mentions sex a
couple of times.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9

Reviewer Age:13

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

Haunted America

Did you know that along with a Bloody Mary, there lived a
real-life Bloody Polly? Did you know that not ALL the
residents at the White House are alive? Did you know that
not all ghosts are mean, but most like to play tricks?
Haunted America is a chilling collection of stories you
wouldn't want to read in the dark. These tales are all from
the 50 states of America and some provinces in Canada.

Though the book had some very interesting stories inside,
such as Bloody Polly, I believe the book lacked
spine-tingling tales. Most of the stories were of ghosts
turning on and off lights and scaring people half to death.
The book was a bit slow, especially closer to the middle of
the book. There weren't any main characters in the book, so
if you are looking for a story about a child who finds a
ghost, I would not suggest this book. On the bright side,
this book does have some stories that will keep you
quivering the entire time you read.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 4

This book is a little scary for some children.

Reviewer Age:14

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

Lucky

Jenny Humphrey has attended some crazy parties at Waverly
Academy, but none as hot as the bash at Miller farm, where
the antique red barn went up in flames. Literally. So when
Dean Marymount announces that someone is going to be held
responsible and expelled from Waverly, it's every owl for
himself--and herself. Tensions are rising, rumors are
spreading, and pretty soon everyone is a suspect. Jenny is
worried about her adorable, shaggy-haired new crush, Julian,
whose silver engraved Tiffany lighter was found at the scene
of the crime. Callie is petrified she and Easy will get
kicked out, because they were in the barn--together--when
the blaze began. And Tinsley knows she'll take the heat for
organizing the wild soir￩e in the first place. Luckily
she's come up with a crafty way to keep from getting in
trouble: by blaming Jenny. Of course. After all, Waverly's
girls always fight fire with fire. But watch out,
ladies--in a battle like this, someone's bound to get burned.

Lucky was an awesome book. I loved every minute of it
and couldn't put it down. From page one, I was immediately
drawn in and engrossed in the storyline. I really liked the
plot because it was different from other books I have read
and captured my full attention. The characters, all unique
and interesting in their own ways, were very easy to relate
to, and I honestly felt like I was right there in the book
with them. I loved how each chapter was a different
character's point of view, which allowed me to know what was
really going on and what everyone was thinking and feeling.
I have read all of the other It Girl books, and can say
Lucky was another wonderful book to add to my collection.
The only problem with this book is that if you hadn't
read the other books in the series first, you'd be very lost
reading Lucky, and would have no clue what was going on. I
really, really loved this amazing page turner. If possible,
I'd give it a twelve out of ten!!
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10

This book contained language, sexual material, and
underage drinking.

Reviewer Age:16

Reviewer City, State and Country:
Leopold, MO USA