Worlds of the Golden Queen by: David Farland

David Farland takes you on an adventure through amazing worlds, where there is knowledge on how to expand life, create new creatures/lifeforms, and so much more. But throughout the thousands of worlds there is suffering of people, for the Golden Queen Semarritte is dead, and now the Dronon are in control of the worlds. The Dronon are nasty creatures who have created chaos throughout the worlds. But there is hope to overthrow the Dronon by means of Semarritte's clone, Everynne. On the way to regain control of the worlds Everynne comes across three people, a bodyguard named Gallen, an orphen named Maggie, and a bear named Orick. Gallen, Maggie, and Orick live on what is known as a backwards world, where the tecnologies of the other worlds have been rejected by the original people on the backwards world, and so when they agree to help Everynne they have no idea of what kinds of things or people they will find on their adventure. Throughout Gallen, Maggie, and Orick's journey they find good and bad worlds and people, that always tests what they believe in . The only thing certain about this adventure is it will change them all forever.

I loved "Worlds of the Golden Queen." it was a great book with characters you easily could like. The bad guys in the book you hated, but felt bad for them because of the fact that they were convinced that what they were doing was going to make the world a better place. The best part of the book, in my opnion, was the first time Gallen, Maggie, and Orick meet Everynne. I liked that part the best because that is when Maggie, Gallen, and Orick's life changing adventure begins.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9

Reviewer Age: 13

Reviewed by : VR

Steel Magic by: Andre Norton

Avalon is Earth’s guardian. If Avalon falls into the hands of evil, Earth will soon follow. When Greg, Sara, and Eric are transported to Avalon by a hidden door in a castle and learn how close Avalon is to destruction they know they have to help. With the aid of a steel knife, fork, and spoon, they set off in search of three missing talismans, the protectors of Avalon. Without these iron objects in a land where iron is deadly, the war against evil is sure to fail. Each of them must conquer their individual fears to rescue the sword Excalibur that belongs to King Arthur, the Horn that is Huon’s, the Warden of the West, and the ring that circles Merlin’s finger. If they don’t succeed, Avalon will fall, and Earth, as they know it will be no more.

Magic is real in Andre Norton’s book, Steel Magic. The imagery is vivid throughout the book, and fear is always present and always in different forms. Young readers will adore this thrilling adventure. Andre Norton has created a new fantasy world.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7

Reviewer Age: 13

Reviewed by: SMo

The Adventures of a Notorious Youth: Capt. Hook by: J.V. Hart

Just like the title promises, this book is all about the youth adventures of Captain Hook. He goes to a school called Eton where he becomes infamous. Roger (nicknamed Jolly Roger) becomes James' best friend, James falls in love with a Sultana, and he creates total havoc at Eton. All the while, he had his loyal spider, Electra, by his side. As the book progresses, James makes a dramatic exit from Eton and gains his ship, the Jolly Roger. With his ship and friends by his side, James sets off in search of the perfect island he has always dreamed of.

This book was very interesting. It explained a lot about Captain Hook and how things came to be how they were in Peter Pan. The ending was a bit vague but you can connect it with Peter Pan and figure out what happens. The book has a lot of vivid word choices and the plot twists and turns a lot. Some parts of the book are a little disturbing so this book is better for older kids. Perhaps when you are done with this book, your outlook on Captain Hook will change.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age: 12

Reviewed by: AW

Out of Time by: John Marsden

"Out of Time" by John Marsden has multiple plots to it, but the main one is about a boy named James who sneaks over to Lab 17 every night, where Mr.Woodford makes extrodinary scienctific inventions. One night James sees Mr. Woodford's newest invention, a time machine, but the following night when James goes into Lab 17 he finds Mr. Woodford dead. However, temptation rises and James takes the little time machine home with him. Now that James has the power of time, will he use it to help the lives of others or will he use it for his own personal gain? He must decide for himself before the opportunity is lost.

"Out of Time" has some good aspects in it, like its multiple plot lines, interesting main story, and great theme. However, the multiple plot lines fail to even remotely go together. The ending is highly disappointing and how the author changes from one plot to another in a paragraph-like structure is a complete flop. Again, the book is an interesting idea, but Mr. Marsden does not make it work.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 4

Reviewer Age: 14

Reviewed by: RF

"Your Name in Print" by: Elizabeth Harper and Timothy Harper

"Your Name in Print" is about how you can improve your writing. Throughout the book, you are taught how to find subjects to write about, tactics you can use to help yourself write better, and examples on how hard work and determination can help your writing. You also learn in this book how you can get your work known to the public. "Your Name in Print" will help teach you how to write anything from school reports to books.

"Your Name in Print" was an interesting book. The most interesting parts of the book for me was when you would learn about how some writer started out. The book did have useful tips on how to help improve your writing, and good ways on how to come up with ideas to write about. It also taught you a lot about how to start out in writing, and move up to doing bigger things. The book did having some parts in it where I was daydreaming while I read it, but other than those few parts, I was really into what I was reading.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7

Reviewer Age: 13

Reviewed by VR

Girls Dinner Club by Jessie Elliot is a story about three high school girls of very different backgrounds bonding together to uncover the mysteries of love, friendship, and the art of cooking. Elliot successfully creates a relationship between the book’s characters and the reader. It’s an entertaining tale of the recipes of life, however too advanced for the targeted audience, who may not be able to see beyond some of the titillating details. Best friends Junie and Celia welcome classmate Danielle to join them for dinner one evening after working on a school project. The casual meal turns into a weekly tradition where the girls try their hand at lavish, mouth-watering cuisines while developing an unbreakable sisterhood union. Individually, the girls each have problems they are desperately trying to overcome. Junie’s yearlong relationship comes to a screeching halt when she becomes unsure of the direction it is taking, and then she becomes tempted by Danielle’s hunky twenty-one-year-old cousin. Celia’s sheltered world is turned upside-down when her father brings home a new woman and her annoying or wait, maybe her mystifyingly charming nephew. Life hasn’t been easy for Danielle being raised by mom, grandma, and big sis Christine especially when bad boy Steve resurfaces as a "changed man." The lack of parental guidance throughout the novel is evident when the seventeen-year-olds either have no curfew at all, or defy the 11:00 p.m. weeknights and 12:30 a.m. weekends set for them. Together the trio battles decisions of sex, underage drinking, cheating boyfriends, and sneaking around behind their parents' backs. The content is not appropriate for 12 and below. I would not be comfortable with middle school readers being exposed to issues like sex, underage drinking, and defiance of family rules. However, this behavior is perfectly acceptable according to this book.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 6

Reviewer Age: 24

Reviewed by: NY

Click Here by: Denise Vega

In this book, a girl named Erin is going through some major changes in her life. She is seperated from her best friend, Jilly, who have always been in the same class together. Now, in middle school, the two girls are seperated into different 'tracks'. Erin is learning how to get on with life by herself, since she has always relied on Jilly to make decisions for the both of them. Erin lets out her feelings on a web-site meant for NO ONE to see. When something terrible happens to Erin, she has to learn how to fix her mistakes.

I didn't really like this book. I found that I did not enjoy the author's style and Erin's personality . She kind of reminded me of a more modern, female Charlie Brown. Only she wasn't as hopeless.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 4

Reviewer Age: 12

Reviewed by RC

The Wandering Schoolgirl by: Gary L. Gallegos

Sixteen year old Breanna Cota is spending a week over a her uncle's place with a few friends planning on going to an anime convention. Not seeing why her friends want to go she goes along anyway. At the convention Breanna gets her photo taken, but instead of a regular photo this one takes her to an actual anime world and plops her right in the middle of a battle between evil world leaders and the resistanse. Here she meets a cast of interesting people along with her talking pig backpack. After going back to the real world, Breanna describes the world she's seen and creates a team out of her friends, and her uncle, to save the anime world.

To start off "The Wondering Schoolgirls" is one funny book. It is full of anime puns used as great comedy. The plot is as most animes, but there is a spin so everyone can enjoy it. Huge anime fans may not find this book great, but they might still get a kick out of seeing how their favorite anime characters are compiled into this one book. I can't wait for the next book in the series

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9

Reviewer Age: 14

Reviewed by: RF

The Stupendous Dodgeball Fiasco by Janice Repka

The story begins at the marvelous Windy Van Hooten Circus, where Phillip Edward Stanislaw, the protagonist, is just trying to fit in. There he cleans up animal poop during one act while the horse rider, Helga, rides her horse around the ring. The end to his current circus career comes when he tries to find a boy in the stands while Helga is doing her act. Without Phillip there to clean up the poop the horse slips in its own droppings, ruining her act. When she talks to his parents he decides he wants to leave the circus. So off Phillip goes to stay in Hardingtown, Pennsylvania, The Unofficial Dodgeball Capital of the World, to stay with his Aunt Veola, his mothers sister, and his Uncle Felix. When he arrives at school the next day, he discovers that being an average kid in Hargingtown is pretty hard when the school bully, B.B. Tyson, doesn't like you very much. In his first dodgeball game he escape getting hit by climbing the rope hanging from the ceiling. After school he goes to his aunt's workplace where she is a security guard. At the snack bar Phillip meets the blind cashier, Sam, and they become friends. During the next few weeks at school, Phillip sprains his wrist and tries to petition against dodgeball, but the petition has to be approved by the Student Body President. The bad thing is B.B. is the President and he doesn't stand a chance. When his wrist is better he has to play dodgeball again and B.B. breaks his glasses he decides to sue her, and while he is at it he sues the Dodgeball Factory. When Sam makes up his mind to become his own lawyer, he puts every thing at stake in court. Can Phillip hold on to his lawsuit when a huge problem occurs?

I found this book a hilarious look into the life of a kid trying to fit in. This book had an excellent amount of detail all the way through. I think this book is great for its age level. Janice Repka is a great author and I look forward to reading more of her books.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age: 12

Reviewed by GH

Little Darlings by: Sam Llewellyn

Little Darlings, written by Sam Llewellyn, is the story of three naughty children, Daisy Darling, age 12, Cassian Darling, age 11, and Primrose Darling, age 10, and their life changing adventure. Their mother left when they were young. They live with their father and stepmother, but don’t interact with the parents at all. Instead of having their parents take care of them, they have nannies. With Daisy’s nanny-hating skills, Cassian’s engineering skills, and Primrose’s deadly cooking techniques, the Darlings manage to scare off eighteen nannies, putting them on the nanny blacklist, which makes it nearly impossible to find a nanny. The parents’ last chance at finding a nanny turns out to be a group of criminals who dress up as nannies to steal pieces of their fellow worker’s bear, which the Darling residence has a piece of. Without intending to, the children end up on the ship where the criminal nannies live! With the permission of the captain to stay on the ship, the children become right at home. Cassian works on the engineering of the ship, Primose gets right at home in the kitchen, perfecting her cooking skills, and Daisy begins training the criminals how to become proper nannies, so they won’t give up their true identity. The criminals and a group of builders compete to find missing pieces of a stuffed bear that was divided in the past to receive an award from the ship’s chief. The Darling children help the criminals disguised as nannies. Unfortunately, both the builders and the criminals each find three pieces of the bear and are forced to a challenge. The challenge is a fight with one chosen person on each side. The winner receives the entire bear, and the loyalty of the former King of Iceland. Find out how the Darling siblings, Daisy, Cassian, and Primrose, use their skills to aid the criminals and learn the true story about their mother.

If there was ever a more surprising and uniquely interesting book, I would be in shock for days. Little Darlings, written by Sam Llewellyn, is a great book to read if you like unexpected turns in a plot, mysteries being solved that you hadn’t even thought of, and three mischievous children saving themselves and their close friends and family in the most unique and humorous ways possible. You might get confused about the plot and who everybody is in the beginning, but DO NOT STOP READING the book, because soon enough you will be so into the book that you won’t be able to put it down. There has never been a character in a book so creative and interesting to read about as the youngest sister in the Darling family, Primrose. Primrose takes over the story with her mischievous charm and well described baked treats. The most unexpected ending I have ever seen occurs in this book. The adventures of the characters don’t stop until the very last paragraph in the book. It is amazing how well the ending caught you by surprise. This book made it to the top of my favorite book list with its highly unique style. In the most creative way possible the book teaches you to enjoy your family and make the best of your childhood memories, because some families, like the Darling family in Little Darlings, don’t interact at all. In fact, in some families the children never see their parents and their parents don’t notice whether the children are at home or not! There were plenty of vocabulary words appropriate for the age group it was written for, but there were a few too many slang words by the criminals. The way the plot twisted and turned made it so you could read Little Darlings many times and be surprised each time. It was nice that the author solved all the mysteries and questions. The only thing I would change in the book is the way that some of the sentences dragged on, making it confusing to follow along with what was happening in that particular sentence. Despite this, Little Darlings is one of the most exciting books ever written.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9

Reviewer Age: 13

Reviewed by MP

Shenandoah Whispers And Echoes by Tom Orrell

Tom Orrell’s "Shenandoah Whispers and Echoes" is a narrative embedded within an account by Steven Dickenson, a Virginia newspaperman that was given an old journal. Dickenson, interested in the journal, agrees to read through and prepare for publication the diary of James Randolph Wise of Staunton, Virginia. Wise, born a decade preceding the Civil War, writes a vivid account of his and his family’s life through the upheavals faced by common people during and after the Civil War. Wise’s moving tale progresses through the first 47 years of his heart-breaking life where tragedy upon tragedy rules his life; his brother, Shelby, dies fighting for the Confederacy, Union troops destroy his father’s farm as General Hunter destroyed the Shenandoah Valley, and both his beloved wife and sister die during childbirth. Eventually his parents die, leaving home alone. However, his father, before passing on, tells him of gold that his brother hand found in the California gold rush years before. Locating the gold, Wise pays debts and sells the farm to move to town and make a life with the masonry he loved to word with. He makes a successful business and marries Beverly, a widow living with her mother. Wise is happy for a couple of years until tragedy strikes again. Left alone once again, he decides to travel the country, meeting people and expanding his horizons. Infused with enthusiasm upon returning home to his beloved Staunton, he returns with a positive outlook and truly helps Daniel Jefferson, a former slave who also lost his family. Wise becomes a philanthropist, living a life of giving for satisfaction.

Tom Orrell’s presentation of Shenandoah Whispers and Echoes reveals history, especially the Civil War, in a manner people in any age can relate to. The novel is a quick and easy read that really impacts both through the tragedy and the positive outlook shown by James Wise. The ending really satisfied me and made the novel worth reading. Wise serves as a good narrator because of his constant telling of what went on around him and the opinion of others, a really important part of any historical novel. I enjoyed this view of the famous Shenandoah Valley and learned a lot from the book, both historically and about humanity. I look forward to reading more of Tom Orrell’s work.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age: 17

Reviewed by SAs

The Green Futures of Tycho by William Sleator

The Green Futures of Tycho, written by William Sleator, is a book about the adventures of an eleven year old boy, Tycho, and a mysterious egg–shaped gadget he found while digging a garden. Tycho’s parents, Bobby and Judy, named each of their four children after a famous person in a particular field, hoping that there children will grow up to join that field. Tycho, 11, was named after the famous Danish astronomer, Tycho Brahe. He is expected to become an astronomer, but he has many other interests he would like to pursue as well. When Tycho was pursuing his interest in gardening and plants by making a garden, he stumbled upon a strange devise that he thought was just a piece of metal, but something inside him told him to take it. His siblings came to him so they could see what he found, but Tycho refused to show it to them and accidentally pressed the top of the devise, causing him to disappear from sight. Tycho had disappeared in the morning and did not show up again until it was dark out. Knowing that this egg-shaped piece of metal was special, Tycho started to examine it to find that it was a time travel device. Tycho used the egg to his advantage by going into the past and changing some events that had haunted him for many years into good memories for himself. Using the egg, Tycho decides to see what he will turn out to be in the future because of his many interests. Each time he goes to the future, he is in a different career, but the one similarity in all of his futures is that he has become a horrible man, not only to his family, but to the world itself. Frightened of his future, Tycho tries to find out how what he can do to fix the mistakes he will make in his life, and in the process he learns that life is all about chance. An example of how chance controls your life is that if you were to stay at a party five minutes later than you wanted to and someone new came in, you could hit it off right there and possibly find the person you will spend the rest of your life with. If you hadn’t stayed at the party, you would never have met that person and your whole life would be different. Knowing this, Tycho decides to go into the future to find out what he can do to save himself from the horrible future he has seen. Soon, Tycho learns that the time travel devise is the cause of the potential horror of his future. Unfortunately, it might be too late to fix his future. Tycho has to be strong, brave, and extremely smart in attempt to find a way to make it so he never saw the egg and to be able to safely return to his time.

The Green Futures of Tycho is an excellent book. I would recommend this book to anyone, even an adult. You may think that the book starts off a little slow, but after the first four pages, you won’t be able to put the book down. One of the many great aspects of the book is how the characters are named after well known people so that they will join the field of whomever they were named after. It is interesting to think of yourself being put in the position of one of the characters. You would have a career chosen for you that you would have to pursue; otherwise you would disappoint your family. My favorite character was Tycho, because you could see the different changes in his personality after each journey through time. Another reason Tycho is my favorite character is because he has many different attitudes in each potential future, and you can figure out what kind of a person he will end up to be in twenty years once his life is back to normal. The ending of the book is my favorite part of the book because of the way the author grabbed your attention by adding unexpected action into the story. If I were asked how this book compares to any other science fiction book that I have read, I would say that The Green Futures of Tycho is definitely one of the top 5 books in the science fiction category. The Green Futures of Tycho is a pretty easy book to read, but it still contains plenty of appropriate vocabulary for many different ages. This book teaches you that life may rely mostly on chance, but you can make the decisions that will lead chance in your favor. William Sleator’s style of writing is what grabs you into the book. The surprises that the author puts in the book are placed and written so perfectly that when they come, you don’t even expect it. No matter how many times you read the book, the surprises still come unexpectedly. There was just enough detail in the book that you could picture the story perfectly, but still be able to add some of your own creativity into the story. When the book was over, you could picture what would happen next because of how well the author described the entire story. The only change I would make in the story is having Tycho go into the past a couple more times to play practical jokes on his friends and family. The Green Futures of Tycho is one of the greatest books ever written. Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10Reviewer Age: 13

Reviewed by: MP

Revenge of the Wannabees by Lisi Harrison

Alicia Rivera, tired of being second-in-command to Massie Block, decides to start her own clique. Encouraged by her friends from dance, she creates her own clique fashioned off Massie’s GLU (girls like us) clique, and vies to become the most sought after girl. Massie becomes desperate once her inner circle starts to fall apart. She will do anything and everything to continue to be the most popular girl, while her ex-best friend will do the same to stay afloat. Kristen and Dylan, both current GLU’s have sticky secrets that are used to pressure them from one side to another. While Claire Lyon, the new girl, tries to fit in. Lies, betrayal, and manipulation fuel the plot of the third Clique novel.

Revenge of the Wannabees is a very realistic novel. I can see some of this middle school drama actually happening. The scenes range from sad to humorous. Although the girls are 7th graders, at times they seem much older. This is a really fun book to pass the time. All the conflict and drama keeps the reader entertained. Lisi Harrison really makes the reader look forward to the next book in the series.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10

Reviewer Age: 15

Reviewed by: LH

The Sledding Hill by Chris Crutcher

Eddie Proffit lost everything. In the same week both his father and his best friend died. As his best friend comes back as a ghost and “haunts” him by giving Eddie advice, he finds condolence in a book written by an author whose other books were banned. He did not choose, however, to read it, as it was assigned. Now the Reverend Tarter is trying to get the book banned and Eddie will have to do some serious detective work to beat Tarter’s allies on the school board.

This review will be from two points of view, that of the fantasy fan and that of the realistic fiction fan. I am both. From the perspective of the fantasy fan, the book was well written, but not very exiting. The only actions besides verbal ones were when both of the people died. In retrospect, the book had great characters, but not as many plot twists as I would have liked. However, in my individual opinion, this book was great. I loved the fact that the author, Chris Crutcher, put himself into the book. This book doesn’t really talk about mature issues, but it mentions them quite frequently. The Sledding Hill also has a large vocabulary, so you need a good reading level. I thought the last chapter was awesome, but the very last few paragraphs were hard to understand. For the fantasy fans—skip over this. For the realistic fiction fans—buy it and read it 3 times. This is my fourth favorite book of all time!

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10

Reviewer Age: 11

Reviewed by: JMc

Secret Agent by Spizman & Johnston

Every day for six years after work, Kyle's dad has gone into his room and worked on writing his book called Love In Autumn. Now Kyle's mom has had enough and she goes and kicks Walter (Kyle's dad) out of the house. Why? Because an un-published book does not make any money, which Kyle's mom needs to support the family. So Kyle figures if he can get the book published his parents might get back together, but he is going to need some help. So he recruits his friends Tyrone, Chad, Ruben, and Lucinda, who by the way has a mad crush on Kyle, and Kyle does not have a clue about it. Anyways Kyle and his friends do many interesting "spy like" things like following around one of the biggest editors in the world, pretending to be some one else, sneaking into restaurants, and going into a tofu candy bar. What happens in the end? Does Kyle and the spies get the book published? You will have to find out in “Secret Agent”.

”Secret Agent” had a good plot, but it just wasn't written very well. It took me a while to get a grip on the story and every once in a while it would go back in the story plot, which was very confusing for me. Also the characters weren't really developed except for Ruben. Overall, I really did not enjoy this book, and I would not recommend it to other readers.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 4

Reviewer Age: 14

The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney

This book starts out with a boy named Thomas Ward. He is the seventh son of a seventh son. Then the local spook takes him into apprenticeship. The Spook’s job is to “protect farms and villages from things that go bump in the night. Dealing with ghouls, boggarts, and all manner of wicked beasties”. During his training he meets a girl named Alice and his life goes downhill from there. Including accidentally resurrecting an evil which! Can the spook teach Thomas enough to stay alive?

This is an extraordinarily well-written book for a debut. The ending of this book makes you want to find out what adventures Thomas goes through next. I can’t wait for the next book to come out (whenever it does). I believe it could become a high-selling book and series.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9

Reviewer Age: 12

The Witch's Boy by Michael Gruber

This was a stunning fantasy book. It has aspects of many classic fairy tales enwrapped into this book. It starts out with a witch finding a baby boy in the middle of the woods. Though this is not a normal baby boy, he is deeply scarred and deformed. The witch calls him Lump, for the lumps and scars the cover his body. “Charming creature something like a pig, something like a bat. Aren’t babies supposed to be pretty?”. His nurse is a bear and his tutor is a demon. The Author has formed a world of beauty, cruelty, hate, legend, and wonder.

This was an ok book. He mixes the fairytales well into the story, unlike some books. The way he creates the hate towards Lump because he looks different is a reminder of what goes on in the world today. This is the only book of its kind I’ve ever read and that makes it worth the read. Some parts of this book are deep and sorrowful, while others are happy and cheerful. I counted ten fairytales in this book. How many can you find?

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age: 12

Reviewed by: EH

Nice Girls Don't Get Rich : 75 Avoidable Mistakes by Lois P. Frankel, PhD.

If you’re a girl who has little or no conception of how to move in the financial world, 'Nice Girls Don’t Get Rich' by Dr. Lois Frankel is for you. Dr. Frankel’s book is packed with information on how to invest, protect your finances, and maneuver successfully in the financial world. The author, a woman herself, explains to women that being ‘nice’ in the financial world just doesn’t work. Financial success depends on stopping yourself from being a pushover.

There are many ‘how to’ financial books available today, but it is doubtful that there are many similar, in either quality or style, to ‘Nice Girls Don’t Get Rich’. A financial book designed to help women; ‘Nice Girls’ possesses both clarity and attractive formatting, unlike the multitudes of dry books available on financial matters. Though ‘Nice Girls Don’t Get Rich’ is very helpful and informative, Dr. Frankel’s book contains some questionable advice and immoral content, and is thus recommended for only some teens. ‘Nice Girls’ has the potential to be a great help to all young (or old) women seeking to succeed in the financial world.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7

Reviewer Age: 17

Reviewed by: AK

Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Three girls, Birdie, Leeda, and Murphy are thrown together at the Darlington’s Peach Orchard for spring and summer break. Birdie has lived on the orchard her whole life and is an extremely shy and unassuming 16 year old. Leeda is her well-to-do cousin. Murphy is a girl from school, doing community service for her transgressions. As the book progresses, the reader gets to know each girl as an individual. As the end of summer approaches, the girls’ bond tightens and the orchard starts to fall apart. Birdie learns about the world outside her safe haven, and both Leeda and Murphy experience the joy of having real friends to lean on for the first time. When tragedy strikes the three friends successfully endure it because of their close, tight knit relationship. Through love, friendship, rivalry, jealousy, and hardship, these three friends face it all and still manage to have the best summers ever.

”Peaches”, by Jodi Lynn Anderson gets off to a slow start. The first few chapters of the book gave off an aura of stereotypical girls (the wealthy popular girl vs. the bad girl image vs. the shy home-schooled girl in the background). But as the plot develops, the girls each become their own individuals. The reader becomes each character as they go through their lives in a first person narrative. Although it is difficult to get through the first part of the book, the rest is a fast read. If you have the patience to wait it out, “Peaches” is ultimately a great book similar to “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”, by Ann Brashares.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8

Reviewer Age: 15

Reviewed by: MAs

The Nobodies by N.E.Bode

”The Nobodies”, sequel to “The Anybodies”, is a fantasy novel. The star of the novel, Fern, is an “Anybody.” That is, she has the power to shake objects out of books into the real world and transform herself into, well, pretty much anything. Fern’s “friend” Howard loves spray starch, math equations, and wristwatches and is the “most boring kid” Fern knows. He also happens to be an Anybody. In this novel, Howard and Fern are sent off together to Camp Happy Sunshine Good Times, a camp for Anybodies. Fern can’t wait to get to camp and meet other Anybodies; Howard, who hates being an Anybody, is dreading it. When they get there, they discover that Camp Happy Sunshine Good Times is not exactly what Fern expected. The camp counselors are very mean and bossy to the campers. When Fern finds out from another camper that Happy Sunshine Good Times used to be fun, she decides to take matters into her own hands. Can she defeat whatever is controlling the counselors and master being an Anybody? Read it for yourself to find out!

Opinion: The characters are funny and lovable. The author uses witty jokes and keeps the reader going. The book teaches a good lesson about friendship and family. “The Nobodies” is interesting and fun to read, but I did feel sort of lost sometimes and felt that if I had read the previous book, “The Anybodies”, I would have been more aligned with the plot. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good story about magic and adventures at camp, and I would suggest reading “The Anybodies” first to get familiar with the characters.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7

Reviewer Age: 11

Reviewed by: GS