Toto! The Wonderful Adventure

All Kakashi wants to do is go on an adventure. Ever since his dad left for one and never came back, Kakashi has been trying to leave his island. When he finally gets the opportunity to climb aboard an airship to leave, the Man Chicken Family (a gang of criminals) tries to stop him. Kakashi is strong enough to stay on the airship, and he eventually lands on the mainland. With a map of the world, his new found dog, and a friend named Dorothy he takes off on the first adventure of his life -- with quite a few complications.

Toto! The Wonderful Adventure was a really cool story. It was an extremely quick read for me, so it would be good for a short wait or in the car. I liked how the beginning introduced so much about the main character, Kakashi. He is unique because he will do anything to take after his father and go on an adventure. The ending leaves you hanging for the second book in the series, but it is definitely a good finish! I liked how there were little references to Wizard of Oz because they were funny. I think most teenage readers would enjoy it and I look forward to reading the second book in the series."

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, Pennsylvania United States of America

From Alice to Zen and Everyone in Between by Elizabeth Atkinson

When Alice Bunt moves from the city to the suburbs, she thinks life is going to be perfect. Boy, is she wrong. Alice runs into Zen, a boy from down the street, and he gives the tomboy some information about middle school. They take some magazine quizzes to figure out who Alice should be friends with. It turns out that the results are way wrong and Alice learns not to be what everybody else is, but to act as an individual.

I think From Alice to Zen and Everyone in Between is a great book. Elizabeth Atkinson convinced me that the characters were real. Plus, I can relate to Alice and her adventures. This book has a very interesting story line which led to me not being able to put it down. I would recommend this book to anybody who is looking for a nice, easy summer read.

Reviewer Age:12

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

Beyond The Orphan Train by Donna Nordmark Aviles

Oliver Nordmark has run away from his foster family in
search of his brother who was given to a different
family. On his way, he learns to build sod houses,
harvest wheat, build a barn, grow a garden, and work in
the navy. He also does exiting things like hopping
trains! But when he finally reaches where his brother
was, he's not there. Now Oliver has to relocate him!
Will he ever find him?

This book was very good because it was interesting to
learn about the early 1900's. Although it was an easy
reader, all the facts were true because Oliver was the
author's grandfather! I would highly suggest reading the
first book, "Fly Little Bird, Fly" first so you can find
out more about the orphan train; it was a little confusing
because I haven't read it. Other than that, I loved this
book!

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Gearhart, Oregon United States

Fading Tracks by: Kristi Holl

This book is about Jeri McKane, a girl who attends a fancy
boarding school on a scholarship. Jeri is already having
second thoughts about going to the boarding school when
her best friend's bus never returns from a field trip.
When Jeri tries to help, she gets yelled at. Though
malicious principals and meddling reporters try to stop
her, she never stops trying to do the right thing. She
eventually discovers that the saying "never judge a book
by its cover" is completely true, and that praying can
solve even your most daunting problems.

Okay, let me start by saying that if you start reading
this book, you MUST finish it, be cause the last 3 chapter bring it all together. Holl's unrealistic characters are
very confusing. They seem to change personalities too
quickly, perhaps to make the story line work out the way
the author intended. One example is the boarding school's
principal, who is mean at the beginning, then half way
through turns nice, seemingly overnight. Also the rest of
the characters are either good or evil, there isn't any
gray area. In the end of the book you find out that
everyone and everything is good except the one 'bad guy',
and that all the problems of the book were just
misunderstandings. I think that at least 1 or 2 of the
problems should have been real, because it would have made
the rest of the book more satisfying.

Reviewer
Age:11

Reviewer City, State and Country: Exeter, New
Hampshire USA

Fran, The Second Time Around by Amy L. Bernstein

As this book opens, Fran is dreading the first day of high school, a place full of new people she has never met. Mystery surrounds the reasons why she has not continued on with the schoolmates she has known all of her life. Eventually, it emerges that a tragic accident has occurred, one that shocked her family and friends, and dictated her decision to switch schools. The book is divided into three parts, the first describes her life after the accident, the second her life as a popular and carefree middle schooler before, and the third occurs right before, during and after the tragedy. Her parents are supportive, her younger brother Tobey, seems oblivious to her suffering, and her former best friend Tracey has totally rejected her. To help Fran fight her overwhelming depression, her mother introduces her to Peter, who has learned to use meditation to survive the death of both of his parents. Although she initially resists Peters advice, Fran gradually learns to forgive herself. In this book, the reader will discover how people cope with challenges in different ways, and how one girl works to overcome a dreadful situation, and make herself a whole new life.

This book was gripping, from the moment I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. I would highly recommend it, especially to middle schoolers or older. The author pulls you into Fran's life by starting the book in the middle and then working backwards. Sometimes it is a little hard to keep track of the characters and time that everything takes place. However, overall it was a really great book. The ending could have been better, it was a little predictable.

This book includes death so some readers maybe react strongly to it.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Hingham, MA USA

The SFWA European Hall of Fame by James & Kathryn Morrow

This book is a collection of short science fiction stories from Europe that have been translated from their native language into English. The sixteen contemporary stories are vastly different from each other. Some topics that are covered are time travel, paradoxes, aliens, the future, space flight, and other worlds. Many of these stories are not hard science fiction filled with detailed futuristic technology. They are closer to fantasy. Some of the stories are designed to make you think about society and the issues that face our world. Very few of the stories have a genuinely happy ending.

I had mixed feeling about this book. I enjoyed some of the stories, but not others. I felt that a better collection of more classic stories, with at least a few more happy endings, could have been chosen. However, the purpose of this collection was partially to provoke thought, and all of the stories did this. Each story was unique and created its own setting, though the characters and settings could have been more thoroughly described. The lack of detail is mainly due to the brevity of the stories. All in all, you should only read this if you enjoy philosophical science fiction and fantasy that has sad endings. Otherwise, more mainstream collections may be better.

Most of the stories contain violence or death. Additionally, some contain sexual content not suitable to young readers.

Reviewer Age:14

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

Love Me Tender by Audrey Couloumbis

"Don't let things fall apart once I'm gone."

That's what Elvira's dad tells her as he packs up his car
to go to Las Vegas for an Elvis impersonation contest.
But when he leaves, it seems like everything starts to
fall apart. Her pregnant mother won't leave the couch,
and her eight year old sister is behaving like she's
three. Elvira feels like everything is up to her, and
it's definitely not fair.

Just when things are getting too hard to handle, a phone
call from Aunt Clare brings the family to Memphis, and a
series of events threatens to push the fragile family
apart. But as time goes on, Elvira begins to realize
that family doesn't have to be perfect, and that
sometimes, you just have to take things as they come.
This feel-good novel about family and forgiveness will win
the heart of girls everywhere, and its intriguing plot
will keep any reader hooked.

This heartfelt story is easy to relate to, and brings
insight into the inner workings of a family. I loved that
the storyline was entertaining and full of laugh out loud
moments. Full of southern charm and dynamic
characters, "Love Me Tender" will satisfy any girl who
loves a good story.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City,
State and Country: Tipp City, OH USA

Keeping Score by Linda Sue Park

Maggie, as most people call her, or Margaret Olivia Fortini,
is one of the biggest Brooklyn Dodgers fans there is. Maggie
lives near the firehouse and has some friends in there. She
listens to every game with them at the firehouse, and even
though she doesn't play the game, she knows a lot about it.
She can recite player statistics, batting averages, innings
and she understands all of the plays. She prays so much but
year after agonizing year the Dodgers still don't win the
World Series. When the firehouse gets a new fire fighter,
Jim, Maggie starts to bond with him over baseball. Then Jim
has to go off to the war in Korea, and the only contact
Maggie has with him is through letters. But what can you do
when your new friend stops sending you letters, while you
worry about his health, and all you can do for the Dodgers
is pray? How can Maggie handle it all?

Linda Sue Park did
a good job and I didn't really want to put it down. It was
an interesting read. I liked this book. I'm not a big
baseball fan but overall it was a good book and I would like
to read more. I would recommend this book to people who like
baseball.

Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and
Country: Oakville, Pennsylvania United States

H.I.V.E. The Overlord Protocol by Mark Walden

The Higher Institute of Villainous Education (H.I.V.E.) is an unusual school that focuses on teaching the world’s future dominators. At this school, they teach all the essentials to make your child the best super villain they can be. Otto Malpenese is one of their promising students. Secretly funded by Global League of Villainous Enterprises (G.L.O.V.E.), this special school is constantly in danger from the authorities or other criminal parties. All the danger begins when Otto’s best friend Wing receives word that his father was mysteriously killed in an accident at his lab. When Otto and Wing go to the funeral, they are suddenly ambushed by one of G.L.O.V.E.’s own members, Cypher. Otto just barely escapes and now he must protect his school while seeking his friend’s kidnapper.

H.I.V.E. The Overlord Protocol is a fantastic book. It is full of constant action and deception. This book is hard to put down. Otto is a fantastic character; with his strange ability to absorb knowledge from books, the possibilities seem endless. Wing, Otto’s friend, is also an enormously brilliant addition to the story. It would have been nice if the character Wing would have been better developed throughout the story.

Rating:9

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Hamilton , Ohio USA

Cicada Summer by Andrea Beaty

In the small town of Olena, lives a quiet girl, named Lily Mathis, with a secret past. When the general store owner's niece, Tinny, comes to visit, everything changes. Tinny steals candy and blames it on Lily. She also tries to steal Lily’s friends and her father's love. Then Tinny disappears and Lily must find her. But it means confronting her hidden past.

This book is terrific! It is very detailed and it feels like you are actually there. I could not put this book down because I wanted to know where Tinny was and how Lily was going to find her! I would go to bed at night dreaming about what I had just read and what would happen next. Of course I was completely wrong about the ending!

Reviewer Age:14

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

Embrace the Night by Karen Chance

Cassie Palmer is in trouble. She recently became the Pythia, the most powerful psychic in the world. Unfortunately, she is bound by a spell to a vampire named Mircea. If she completes the spell, she will end up being under his control for the rest of her life. Her only hope is a book named the Codex: a spell book written by Merlin himself that contains the only spell that can release her from Mircea's control. There are only two problems with retrieving the book: the Dark Circle (the bad people) wants the book and the book had disappeared in the seventeenth century. With the help of her friend, Pritkin, can Cassie break the spell and eventually save the world?

The action and the plot in the novel are phenomenal. The author describes a magical scenery and creates many characters. Girls will enjoy the book because of the female heroine, while the boys will enjoy the action. Because this book is the third in a series, it was hard to start off. If you have not read the other books, you may have a difficult time in the beginning, though you will eventually learn who is who and what is what. This book is filled with magic and mystery, yet the level of romance in the book makes in unsuitable for the young adult category. I would have to recommend the book for ages 17 and up.

The romantic content in the book is only suitable for mature readers.

Rating:8

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Pottstown, PA 19464

Throwing Like A Girl by Weezie Kerr Mackey

Ella Kessler moves to Dallas, Texas in the middle of her sophomore year. She expects bland people, country music, and country accents, but she finds more than that. She finds out she has great athletic ability and tries out for the softball team. She makes it but never understands what is going on in the game. On the team, she meets two girls named Mo and Frannie who becime her good friends. Then she meets Sally Fontineau who becomes her enemy. Sally's brother, Nate, is Ella's partner in a marriage project and she tries to avoid girls’ evil looks, and go on with high school with out making any mistakes. She can't keep letting people fight her battles and she has to learn to stick up for herself.

This book was the best. There are several parts in the book when I could not put it down. It also describes in detail how to throw a softball and how to play the game of softball and of life. This is the perfect book for athletes or teens.

Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Norristown, Pennsylvania USA

Twisted Sisters by Stephanie Hale

Twisted Sisters by Stephanie Hale is and amazing love/mystery book. It is about an eighteen-year-old girl named Aspen Brooks who keeps finding herself solving mysteries. Aspen is a total twirly girly with a capital "TG" who is starting college at the local community college. This book tells you all about Aspen, her hot boyfriend, her incurable diseases and the lunatic, stalking, psychotic boys who fall in love. While at the school Aspen joins a sorority so that she can try to figure out what happened to the member who went missing last semester. But, will she find her, or will someone, maybe even her supposed "sisters," try to take her out of the game? Find out in this amazing sequel to Revenge of the Homecoming Queen.

I really enjoyed this book. Aspen was perfect. She was full of herself, funny, and an amazingly good friend and girlfriend. This book totally captured me and I never once found myself daydreaming or wishing I had read a different book. I totally got the author's purpose and the point of the book. She explains the book so well that you could read it and not read the first, but I wouldn't recommend it, the first book is every bit as engaging. I am so glad that I read this book and I hope that you will be too.

Rating: 10

Content: 1

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Colleyville, Texas USA

Summerhouse Time by Eileen Spinelli

Everyone at Sophie's house is getting ready for summerhouse time. Then, a new Italian boy, named Jimmy, moves in next to Sophie's real house and she thinks she's in love. When they make it to the summerhouse, everything is normal except Sophie's favorite cousin, Connie, is mean and grumpy. Other than that everything is going great, Cooper is going into the ocean and Jimmy is writing when Orange, the family cat is lost. When you read Summerhouse Time by Eileen Spinelli, you will learn how this family's problem's unravel.

Summerhouse Time by Eileen Spinelli is a great read. I read it in one day because of the adventures Sophie has with her family. I can definitely relate to Sophie because of grumpy relatives, singing relatives, and needy relatives. I like Summerhouse Time because it related to Spinelli's actual experiences in New Jersey. I would recommend this book to anybody who wants a good read and a good laugh.

Reviewer Age:11

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

Fly Little Bird, Fly

Fly Little Bird, Fly chronicles the life of Oliver and his younger brother, Edward, when they become orphans in New York City. After living in an orphanage and being separated from each other for a year, the two brothers are chosen to travel on the orphan train together. This train brought orphans from New York City across the country to find them homes in the Western United States. In Kansas, Oliver and Edward are chosen to live in the home of two farmers. Unfortunately, their new foster home is less than exemplary; the boys are forced to do farm chores and are given no affection. After a few years at this home, Oliver and Edward are once again sent away on the orphan train, since their current foster family could no longer care for them. The brothers arrive in a new town, only to be split up into different families. The two brothers now rest all their hopes on seeing each other again.

Fly Little Bird, Fly was an average book. The plotline certainly had potential: the story of the Orphan Trains that raced across the United States in the late 1800s is a fascinating part of history. Unfortunately, I felt that the author did not live up to this plotline. The writing in this book was tolerable, but nothing special. I felt that the author was not able to put herself in the mind of a young boy very well. Many of the thoughts of Oliver didn't seem very accurate; he often seemed too naive for his age. Some of the events also seemed rather improbable that they would actually happen. I would recommend reading other books about the orphan train before you read this one- they would probably be a better use of your time.

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Urbana, IL USA

Mixed Bags by Melody Carlson

Mix six teenage girls and one 60's fashion icon (retired, of course) in an old Victorian-era boarding home. Add boys and dating, a little high-school angst, and throw in a Kate Spade bag or two...and you've got The Carter House Girls, Melody Carlson's new chick lit series for young adults! When her mom died, DJ had to move in with her grandmother, internationally famous '60s fashion model Katherine Carter. Now Mrs. Carter has opened a boarding home for young ladies, and DJ--who would rather wear her basketball team uniform than haute couture--is just sure they'll all be unbearable fashion snobs. One by one, the girls arrive and begin to figure out how to fit into this new family, getting to know each other and forming friendships. Sure, there's an aspiring diva or two, but before long the Carter House girls are dating, fighting, laughing, shopping, and sharing clothes, purses, shoes...and their deepest secrets.

Reading Mixed Bags gave me mixed feelings. I enjoyed reading about all of the unique characters, but the plot seemed unoriginal, just like everything I'd read before. Not only that, some of the events weren't very realistic, yet I could easily relate to the characters. Also, many times I knew exactly what was going to happen, but there were also times when things totally unexpected occurred. All in all, I have to give credit to Melody Carlson because, her writing keeps me interested and wanting to read more. I thought Mixed Bags was a pretty good book, and I look forward to reading the next in the series.

This book contained underage drinking and sexual references. It could also be considered a faith-based book because of the many references to God.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Leopold, MO 63760

The Rhyme Killer by Judy Gooden & Naomi Helterbran

A serial killer is on the loose in Philadelphia. When Detective Katie Knight, Philadelphia's top serial killer investigator, gets involved, she doesn't know what she was in for. Katie is not prepared for the wild goose chase that ends with a cold trail. When Katie finds the unusual signature of the monster, she realizes she has a problem on her hands. On top of this, the Chief of Detectives, who wants her to leave the homicide division, is hanging over her head. So she and her partner, Avis Rent, set out to find the killer. But when women that look just like Katie start disappearing, she knows she’s in for the most thrilling (and dangerous) time of her life.

Overall, The Rhyme Killers is a well written and a mind-capturing book. The authors, Judy Gooden and Naomi Helterbran, developed the characters so no one was boring. I think a mistrusting and evil mood developed as the plot was set in motion, which was totally appropriate based on the malevolent characteristics of the characters. The killers were given an unfavorable aura which made you want them captured by the desperate police. These characters were the master piece of the book, and they added extra spice to the novel. The only unfavorable aspect of this book was the constant high level of profanity. At first, this profanity seemed totally unnecessary, but I later realized that it shaped the characters and gave them one aspect of true killers.

I think the authors succeeded in displaying the unfolding trauma in a desperate light, but I did not feel as if the writing flowed. I almost felt as if the story jumped from one scene to another too quickly and suddenly. The profanity, as I mentioned earlier, was unnecessary in some parts of the novel. Despite this, The Rhyme Killers plot was definitely well thought out and intricate, and the content of the book shows this. The Rhyme Killers was very different from many other science fiction books that I have read, in that it had a high level of violence and cruelty. Altogether, The Rhyme Killers was a very interesting book. However, even though there is some degree of suspense in the book, I think the author could have infused more. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read an out-of-the-ordinary novel.

There is not only profanity, but also some of the things the characters do are for mature readers.

Reviewer Age:11

Reviewer City, State and Country: Baltimore, Maryland United States of America

Blue Like Friday

Olivia and Hal are best friends despite their differences. But one thing has always bothered Hal; his almost stepfather Alec. In order to get rid of him once and for all, Hal comes up with a plan and carries it out with the help of Olivia. But the plan backfires, and instead of Alec leaving, Hal's mother vanishes. Things begin to get complicated after she doesn't show up for a few days. Hal gets worried, but while she's gone he finally learns how to patch up his relationship with Alec. So, does Hal's mother show up, or is she gone for good? And where does that leave Hal and Alec's relationship?

I found this book to be a fun, quick read for all ages. It highlights the most important things about life and relationships, like friends and family. Although short, the book had two especially strong and powerful messages: friends are always there for you and people aren't always the way they seem. Reading this book, I found it interesting. Everything flowed well and came together in the end, which made the ending perfect. At first glance, this book looks like a fun and sweet story about a couple of kids, but if you look closer you realize that it teaches you about much much more.

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Champaign, Illinois USA

Rating: 7

Content: 1

The Kingdom of Strange by Shula Klinger

Thisbe's English class is assigned to work with a student from another school. She decides to post stories on an internet chat room to get reviews and critiques from other teen writers. At first no one seems interested in her cause, until one day Iphis starts posting back. Together they form a friendship online finding that they have much in common. Apart from her online friend, Thisbe's social life isn't going as she pictured.
Together, Iphis and Thisbe must try to make sense of love, life, the transformation of friendships and simply growing up in this hectic world.

This book failed to grasp my attention. However, I could relate to some of the things Thisbe was going through. Almost any reader in my opinion would be able to see a little bit of Thisbe in themselves. Many pre-teens and teenagers alike know what if feels like to lose friends or have things surprise them for the worse. Shula Klinger did do a nice job making this book believable and capturing the drama of school and teen life. Even though I personally thought the book was anti-climactic, a younger audience may find this better suited for them.

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Seaside, OR. USA

The Squad: Killer Spirit by Jennifer Lynne Barnes

The Squad: Killer Spirit is the second edition in The Squad Series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, a series of books about secret agent cheerleaders. Unlikely cheerleader Toby Klein is preparing for homecoming where she might be actually become the first 10th grade homecoming queen. Oddly, she is more afraid of that than she is of the dangerous mission that the squad is faced with. But when things go wrong, the squad has to make some tough decisions. Can they do it, or will it be a flop?

I thought The Squad: Killer Spirit was a great novel that had a good mix of two things you would never think went together, Spying and Cheerleading. The author did a great job intertwining the two, without making it seem as she was trying hard to not make the squad's cover blow. I loved the book so much that now I have to read the first one, The Squad: Perfect Cover, to see how it all started. The characters are all very interesting and the adventure in the book was captivating. Definetely a page turner for everyone. I am really looking forward to reading other books by Jennifer Lynne Barnes!

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: East Islip, New York United States