Prisoners In The Palace by, Michaela MacColl

Becoming an orphan after your parents die in a tragic accident is hard enough, but after learning she must pay her father's debts, Elizabeth Hastings' life begins to deteriorate. Elizabeth, also known as Liza, must become a lady's maid to Princess Victoria in order to cover her father's debts. As a worker at Kensington, Liza begins to see things in a different light. Who is Annie that everyone whispers about? Is Sir John truly trying to become king in all but name? For those who love historical fiction, pick up this book and join Liza as she struggles to help the future queen.

I loved this book. It is an interesting mix of mystery, secret motives, and romance. My favorite character, besides Liza of course, was a teenager who went by the name "Inside Boy." He lived inside Kensington and no one knew he was there. As the story progresses the action's pace picks up and brings everything to an amazing climax that will leave readers satisfied. I think the most interesting part of this book is that it takes a look at what would most likely happen to a maid who had been dismissed from Kensington and how some of the newspapers operated at the time. The most amazing thing about this book, however, is that many of the plot lines have some truth in them. At the back of the book, the author gives her reference books and websites so that the reader can further explore the life of Queen Victoria. This book is a definite read for anyone who likes romance, historical fiction, or just a good plain book.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mineola, TX U.S.A.

Nocturne, by L.D. Harkrader

Vampires, magic, a child abandoned in the night. These are the forces you will encounter as you enter the world of Flannery Lane; a 15-year old girl who was left on the doorstep of Monsieur Anatole's Books, Wonders, and Charms when she was only a year old. She has always wondered who she is and where she came from, and it seems as though Uncle Anatole does not want her to discover the answers to these questions. She possesses a powerful magic and has secretly been studying her art and practicing all the while keeping her actions a secret from Uncle Anatole who happens to be the town's resident wizard. Life progresses normally until, one night, a young vampire hunter arrives at the shop begging for an exceptionally strong talisman, a Talisman of Undead Mastery. She fulfills his order, falling for him along the way, and it is not until her friends and neighbors start to disappear that she really starts to wonder about who he is and what his intentions are. And when a long lost Lord Blakely returns, she takes matters into her own hands and sets out to save her village, her uncle, and the family she never knew.

L. D. Harkrader's "Nocturne", a companion novel to "A Practical Guide to Vampires", grabbed my attention the moment I picked it up. The adventures and personal struggles of Flannery Lane, or Flan, are remarkably similar to choices ordinary teenagers will have to face; such as love, losing friends, and discovering who you really are. The plot was engaging and had several twists that I never would have expected. I would recommend this book to anyone with a taste for adventure and fantastical creatures. However, this is a fantasy book, and if you're looking for something with a bit or reality, this wouldn't be my first choice. It's a wonderful read and I enjoyed every word of it.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Braintree, MA United States

Why Dogs Eat Poop by Francesca Gould

Do you know what species of bird can sew? Do you know what
species of octopus has females that can be 6 feet, 6
inches long, and males that are 1 inch long? And, do you
know the answer to the question that baffles many pet
owners, why do dogs eat poop? This book answers all of
these questions and many more. It also talks about
interesting and disgusting characteristics of animals,
even some species you probably have never heard of.

I enjoyed reading this book, however at some points, I
wished that the author had explained how or why something
happened in more detail. It's written in a question-answer
format, so it gets you curious about a topic, and then
dives into it. After reading the book, I think that it
would have been more enjoyable if I had skimmed through
the questions in the book, and only read the ones that
made me interested in the topic. Overall, this was an
interesting and informal read, but not a cover-to-cover
one.

This book talks about mating rituals, and
reproductive systems.

Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country:
Leawood, KS United States of America

The Tilting House by Tom Llewellyn

You don't understand. YOUR house is straight. Aaron and
Josh never had that option- at least not in this house.
Their house is tilted, but not only that. Beneath its
normal exterior, the house holds many secrets of its past
owner. Aaron and Josh, assisted by their neighbor Lola,
discover somthing extraordinary in the house. Good thing
their dad insisted on buying the house...read the book,
and you'll understand how strange staring neighbors,
different writings on walls, and previous secrets can
be.

In my opinion, the book was haphazardly insane! It
was hard to follow in my opinion. I did not like the
characters, and quite frankly - the story's background
annoyed me. I may sound a little harsh, but I did NOT like
this book. The author did not achieve the "Edgar Allan
Poe" theme he was going for. The author should have better
explained things.

1

0

Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country: Panama City, Florida United States

Faithful by Janet Fox

Margaret "Maggie" Bennet has an elegant life amongst the elite families in Newport, Rhode Island. But when Maggie's father tricks her into going on an excursion to the wilds of Yellowstone Park to look for her mother, Maggie realizes that they are in Montana for an entirely different reason. A reason, that Maggie is desperate to find out. Alone and isolated in a dangerous wilderness, Maggie must discover what she wants most: freedom or a life she's always known. Fox's debut novel, Faithful, is a thrilling and heartwarming story of love, discovery, and of course, faithfulness.

The first time I laid eyes on Faithful's book cover, I immediately thought: majestic fear of the unknown. That's exactly how Maggie feels when she first arrives in Yellowstone, uncertain with a desire to conquer the mysteries surrounding the park and her mother's disappearance. Faithful is a great book; not only because it was written quite nicely, but because of the sense of adventure within the pages. The image of Yellowstone is very dominate throughout the story - as it should be - and Maggie's devastation and anger can be felt on a very personal level. I couldn't help but cheer Maggie on as she battled for freedom as the men around her continually tried to control her. When you start this book, you must understand, back then (even in 1904), a woman's future was deeply nestled in the will of a man's. Maggie is at their mercy; sometimes she had to make sacrifices that a 21st century girl would never dream of doing. Even though Faithful is in fact a historical fiction, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to someone who doesn't normally read that genre. Faithful is not all about the time period (even though it is important), it's about knowing what you want and standing up for it. Overall, I absolutely loved Maggie, the adventure, Yellowstone, and the discoveries Maggie made along the journey. I am whole heartedly looking forward to seeing more fiction by Fox.

Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: , NM United States

Stringz by Michael Wenberg

For Jace Adams life has never been really easy for him. His mother moves them from place to place always looking for a better job. Jace on the other had moves from school to school, sometimes four schools in one year. The only thing that can keep him sane is his cello, and whenever he plays his cello Jace goes into a different world. His most recent move is to Seattle. When money is tight at home Jace decides to go to downtown Seattle to play his cello for some extra money. When Jace is finished for the night he collects his belongings and starts to count his money. Jace soon finds out that someone threw in a hundred dollar bill with a business card attached to it. What will happen to Jace? Will he call this guy who gave him a bribe ? Find out when you read Stringz.

I love the beginning of this book it is very comical but still very true. The author did a great job in the setting, characterization, and overall concept of the book. I believed that I was in high school as a freshman all over again. Also I felt that the main characters where my best friends and that they were truly human beings. The writing of the book was very easy to read and very effective. I feel that this book was very interesting. Anyone who likes to read a good book that shows the hard ships of a young person and also an amazing cello player then this book is for you. If you also like coming of age, comedy, and some serious moments stuck into a book you would also like this too. All in all a very good book that I recommend everyone to at least pick up and read.

Some drug references.

Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Northport, NY USA

All Star by Jane Yolen

Honus Wagner was born February 24, 1847 in Chartiers Pennsylvania. He went to school all the way to 6th grade but stopped there. After 6th grade, Honus went to work in a coal mine with his dad. He and his family always played baseball on Sundays because it was his father's day off.
When Honus was still young, he signed up to play on a real team. He was so fast that he had to carry a teammate so he wouldn't pass him. His brother, Al, already played professional baseball and got Honus a deal to play too. Honus set two records in the World Series and one still stands today. When people sold his card in cigar packs, he didn't like it so they stopped printing them. Honus died on December 6, 1955. Now his cards sell for nearly $3,000,000.

Overall I thought this was an excellent book. Jane Yolen did a good job of summarizing Honus Wagner's life. The book is very short and is only about 30 pages but it is still very good. I think this book would catch the attention of boys more than girls just because it is about a boy's sport, but girls would like it too. If you like nonfiction biographies then this book is for you.

Reviewer Age: 13

Reviewer City, State and Country: Merino, Colorado U.S.A.

Princess of Glass

Princess of Glass, a retelling of Cinderella, is a companion
novel to Princess of the Midnight Ball. In this book, Poppy
and her unmarried sisters are sent to different countries
through a royal exchange program of sorts, to promote better
relationships between countries and, hopefully, result in
some marriages. A second aspect of the story is Elenora, a
girl who went from riches to poverty when her father's
business transactions did not pay for their lifestyle and
both her parents died. She changed her name to Ellen, and
started working as a maid. Somehow, she always ruins
whatever she does. One day, an invitation to a royal ball
comes to the Seadown household where Poppy is staying with
her cousins and Ellen is working as a maid. It invites all
the eligible women in the household, and Ellen insists on
going. Ellen does not go to the ball, but a mysterious Lady
Ella does.
This book is as good as, if not better than,
Princess of the Midnight Ball. The suspense steadily builds
as Poppy gains information, but still has no idea how to put
a stop to Lady Ella. There are some sketchy ideas that could
use elaboration, but overall the story makes sense. There is
also a side love story, adding to the plot. Although you
don't need to read the first book, there are references in
this book to tie the stories together. Princess of Glass is
an amazing way to twist Cinderella into a completely new
story.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and
Country: Milwaukee, WI USA

Shooting Kabul by N. H. Senzai

In N.H. Senzai’s debut novel, we see a flash of what it would be like to be a Muslim family in the U.S. during 9-11. Fadi, now entering middle school, has to deal with bullies, honor, and the guilt of knowing that it was his fault that his baby sister was left behind in their escape from the Middle East. Will Fadi, with the help of his new friends and teacher, be able to find and rescue her from a country torn by war on the other side of the globe? This book takes us through issues that are still prominent today. With many people, the Middle East is a hot subject. Senzai explains points of interest in Middle East history and politics from the experiences of this twelve year old boy.

This story gave me a new perspective of looking through someone else’s eyes on events that I myself witnessed. This flashback style plotline jumps around a little, but gives the book the feeling of a photo album of Fadi’s life during this trying period. This wasn’t the first book I’ve read on the Middle East, but it is the first book I’ve read pertaining to these modern day issues. It helped me understand that just because someone is of a certain religion, it doesn’t mean that they agree with radicals who believe that Americans need to die. I enjoyed the book immensely and would recommend it to anyone ten years and up!

Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Provo, Utah U.S.A.

Freaksville by Kitty Keswick

Kasey Maxwell has the gift of sight. Her gift has been passed down by generation in the women of her family. Kasey normally doesn't like using her gifts but when it brings her to the cute British exchange student, Josh, she doesn't mind as much. Kasey can also talk to ghosts, so when she finds that her school theater is haunted, she investigates. But when Kasey and her friends get stuck inside the theater, she wonders how far the ghosts will go and if they will ever get out.

'Freaksville' was an okay book. I didn't think that the story line was very original, and it was kind of a mix of 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Twilight'. I did get a good understanding of the characters and how they thought, so they seemed pretty realistic. I wouldn't really recommend the book to anyone.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Brownsburg, Indiana United States of America

My Bonny Light Horseman by L. A. Meyer

In My Bonny Light Horseman, Jacky Faber faces many dangers
such as a dangerous battle at sea and a close to death
visit to the guillotine. She comes close to death many
times and every time she wiggles her way out. When she is
captured by her old enemy from British Intelligence, she
is placed as a dancer in a nightclub to get secrets out of
French officers who frequent there. She soon blows her
cover though and is forced to follow Emperor Napoleon
Bonaparte into war. The thing is, this time death might
not let her go as easily.

My Bonny Light Horseman was a page turner and I loved
it. Throughout the whole book I felt I was there with
Jacky Faber. Dancing alongside her, following her into
war, I could really picture every detail. I also loved
Jacky s personality. She was brave, kind, and smart in her
own kind of Jacky Faber way. The book had a lot of mature
content and I would suggest it for the older readers.
Overall My Bonny Light Horseman was an amazing book and a
great read.

I gave the book a content rating of
3 because there were a few words and mature content
that would not be appropriate for younger kids

9

Reviewer
Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country: Panama City,
Florida United states

Men's Stage Monlogues and Scenes by Lawrence Harbison

This book contains the best stage monologues and scenes for men from stage productions in 2009. Since there are many different pieces in this book, it is not possible to give a plot summary. But the book is filled with many dramatic pieces that deal with issues ranging from having a parent walkout on their son to teen pregnancy. There are also comical pieces that are sure to make people laugh when reading. Also, there are pieces that are dramatic AND funny. The scenes have only two actors, both of which can be read as male parts, or male and female. The monologues sometimes contain pauses, which indicate that someone is speaking. This book can be used to entertain or as a reference for finding audition pieces.

I really enjoyed reading the different pieces in The Best Men's Stage Monologues and Scenes for 2009. I enjoyed reading the comic parts, and often became emotional reading the dramatic parts. I think that this is more of a reference book than a book with a plot. However it is still entertaining for people who love to read powerful passages from plays. Anybody with an understanding of theatre will love to read these pieces from familiar playwrights like Don Nigro, and from newer playwrights like Jonathan Rand. This book is great for anyone who is interested in the high school activity called Speech. The comic and dramatic pieces are perfect for that activity. In conclusion, this book contains many great pieces for teens through adults. This book is a great reference for any aspiring actor, or professional actors looking for fresh, new audition pieces.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Paynesville, MN USA

Dormia by Jake Halpern & Peter Kujawinski

Dormia, by Jake Halpern and Peter Kujawinski is a terrifying adventure. Twelve-year-old Alfonso Perplexon is an ordinary boy - while he's awake. However, in his sleep Alfonso can climb 200-foot-tall trees, tightrope-walk on telephone wires and grow a Dormian Bloom that is the key to saving a legendary land called Dormia. When Alfonso's Uncle Hill comes to visit, Dragoonya Plants of War attack the bloom. Alfonso, Uncle Hill, Judy and Pappy escape the Dragoonya Plants in a very old airplane. Alfonso and Uncle Hill then book passage on a rickety old ship which will take them to Barsh-Yin-Binder, the closest port to the Ural Mountains, in which Dormia is hidden. After reaching Dormia with one missing and one blind companion they realize Dormia is under attack from the Dragoonya, their greatest enemy. Will they be able to fight off the Dragoonya? More importantly, will they be able to replace the founding tree of Somnos before it's too late?

This book was so good I was sorry I couldn't read it while I was asleep. It was very easy for me to imagine being one of the characters. I liked their different personalities and their fearlessness. I especially liked Resuza. She seems to like telling Alfonso, "You don't know a lot of things." Bilblox is also very funny. He is always refering to Resuza as "your girlfriend" in Alfonso's case. I found it interesting that the whole plot was focused on a bloom where the petals change colors every six minutes. If you like warfare, adventure, a small bit of romance and sleep-drivers, this is the book for you!

Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lake City, IA USA

Prowling the Seas by Pamela S. Turner

Describing the adventure of the seas through animals, Pamela S. Turner brings a wave full of education to children. Within this wave, is the story of a tuna fish, turtle, shark, and seabirds. These sea creatures serve as a gateway of knowledge to children, in a simplistic way. Using these taged organisms, she weaves in the treatment of oceans and how each organism is important.

I thought that this book was a good way to provide knowledge to children in an understandable way. Everything was age appropriate and held pictures to perk their interests. It gives the reader information on the organisms and the facts about the ocean. There are diagrams that are simple enough for a child to understand and get something out of it. I would recommend this to children to provide easy awareness and education.

Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Carlisle, PA United States

A Wind in Montana by Mitch Davies

Rory is a 16 year old guy whose life shakes in his junior year of high school. He has played basketball and in the band for years, but he decides that chemistry is his true calling. When a scholarship opportunity arises, Rory quits everything but chemistry--and girls. Rory struggles to determine which is better: relationships or academics. When Rory meets Victoria, a girl interested in playing the oboe, he reassesses what is important to him. Of course, teachers, coaches, and parents try to influence him to live out his life THEIR way.

When I began to read this book, I was very interested in the subject matter. Like Rory, I love chemistry and want to study it in college. Rory's personality and relationships with others are strikingly similar to those that I have. This connection made the book realistic and contemporary. The writing was well done, and it is accurate to real life. Some of the main themes are trying to succeed, falling in love, and power struggle between teenagers and adults. I recommend this book to any teenager who desires advice on the coming-of-age. It may also be a good read for parents who do not understand the behavior of their teenage child.

This book contains many sexual scenes and uses some foul language.

Reviewer Age:16

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

Painting Souls by Benjamin Dudley

Painting Souls is the story of two heroes in a magical fantasy world full of adventure and mystery. The Unholy War pitting an alliance of numerous races against the evils of the Shadow and the Wraith has ended by the sword of Adrian, the first hero that is introduced in the book. He is canonized across the world of Celestia as the greatest hero the planet has ever known. However, when Adrian returns home after days of celebrations in his name, he finds that everything dear to him has been swept out from under his feet. Gai, the second hero of the story, is a student at the Ibiza Peacekeeping Academy. One can think of it as a Hogwarts with magic only being one of the subjects taught. Throughout Gai's time at the academy, he experiences blackouts and encounters a form of himself from the future. At the end of the book, these two stories develop and ultimately face the same threat of a new war. This threat looms until the next book in the series.

On the final pages of the book, Gai says to himself, "Are we headed anywhere?" Unfortunately, I felt the same way as I finished this book. The book claims to be the most enveloping fantasy fiction story ever written, and this claim could be very true. However, the ambitious inclusivity of Painting Souls is its ultimate downfall. Fantasy fiction stories that have lasted the test of time all have expansive backgrounds and mystical beings. However, there are intangible "limitations" that appear to the reader. How could readers relate to a world that appears to have no borders or limits? The seemingly endless amount of different races the author presents becomes overwhelming very quickly. Furthermore, the numerous attempts by the author of hints at universal truths are placed in the most awkward locations, and the dialogue rarely seems fitting for the character or the situation. As a whole, Painting Souls seems like a collection of pieces of other famous fantasy works. Very little seems original or thought provoking in an innovative way.

Language and sexual references.

Reviewer Age:20
Reviewer City, State and Country: Eden Prairie, Minnesota United States

After the Moment by Garret Freymann-Weyr

Both Leigh and Maia have issues. For Leigh, he's in love, with no hope of falling out of it with Maia. She on the other hand has too many problems of her own to think about love; after battling anorexia and physically hurting herself, she thinks she can't handle romance or even close friendship in her life. Even with all these factors against them, love quickly blossoms then disappears after Maia’s tragic rape by three prep-school boys. With Maia at her most vulnerable, she needs Leigh to help her, but Leigh discovers that the world such as the case with war can reason everything, especially what the guilty does. After the Moment takes place four years after the last time Leigh and Maia were together and it is a time of remembrance and overall forgiveness for both.

Freymann-Weyr has one of those strong writing styles that brings the reader in with such clarity that it displays the raw emotion of young love and the lasting pain it can cause. Each character was created with their own unique personality that also brings the reader into each character's own personal struggles. Leigh especially was created so deeply to love and protect, that for each movement he made the reader was blindly aware that it was calculated and directed towards Maia. I felt like this book was a little too serious, though there were happy moments the book had an overall melancholy feel that left me questioning if love is worth the pain.

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Brewster, N.Y United States

The Hard Kind of Promise by Gina Willner-Pardo

The Hard Kind of Promise by Gina Willner-Pardo is about a girl, Sarah, who promises to be best friends forever with Marjorie. The only problem is that she promised this when they were young and now Sarah and Marjorie like different things. Sarah tries her best to be friends with Marjorie, but they are just too different. It would be very hard for Sarah to keep this promise. This is a story about friendship and how hard it can be.

The Hard Kind of Promise by Gina Willner-Pardo was not one of the best books I have read. I found it hard to keep reading because there was nothing to draw you into the mood of the book. The plot was not very good. Willner-Pardo's writing style did not draw the reader in or make you feel a strong connection with how the characters felt. This is a book I would definitely not recommend to anyone.

Reviewer Age:12

Reviewer City, State and Country: Braintree, Ma USA

A Legacy of Daemons by Camille Bacon-Smith

Evan Davis and his partners, Kevin Bradley and Lily Ryan, handle dangerous and otherworldly cases in Philadelphia. Lily and Kevin (Brad) are daemons that belong to the second celestial sphere under the lord Ariton. When Matt Shields hires Evan to retrieve a box from the house of the recently deceased Grayson Donne, Evan is trapped in the middle of a battle between daemons and a group of wealthy people with a dangerous interest in the dark arts. During the investigation, Evan is captured by those people. After he escapes, the police search the grounds of the manor where he had been held, only to find a graveyard full of tortured mortals. The police interrogate Carlos Sanchez, whose daughter Alba is missing and who worked for Grayson Donne. Then, Sanchez goes missing and Evan has to find him and an heir of Grayson Donne to unlock the box and release the demented daemon, Kady (Kady and Matt Shields were bound by Grayson Donne to the box). As Grayson’s plot unfolds, a new angle of the problem comes to light; a half-daemon child named Katy(not to be confused with Kady), the sole heir of the Donne fortune and the only one who can release Kady from the box. Evan and Kady must summon daemon lords to release Matt Shields and Kady from the binding put on them by Grayson Donne to prevent a war between the lords of the second-celestial sphere.

The book itself was difficult to understand and connect to. I often reread a paragraph or chapter to get a better understanding of what the characters were doing. The story line was a follow-up from two previous books, which I was not able to find in my public library, making it hard to connect to the characters’ references of pain. The author was very descriptive of some of the settings from the main character’s point of view, such as Evan when he was kidnapped at the manor house. The storyline was moving and the book had a great ending with the introduction of Katy, but left me wondering if they found Alba Sanchez and why Lily left Evan. I might recommend the book, but only after reading the first two books. It also contained mature content I didn't think was suitable for a young teenager.

Content: 1
Rating: 4
Reviewer Age:
Reviewer City, State and Country: Garden Ridge, Texas USA

Amazon Queen by Lori Devoti

Zery has only ever known the tribe, her family of Amazons. After living for over a hundred years Zery is a queen; the top of the heap. When a new priestess comes to her safe camp and starts to challenge Zery s authority things start to go from bad to worse. The tribe is falling apart and Zery is on the outside, it doesn t help that she seems to be falling for a son, the sworn enemy of the Amazons. In this stunning sequel to Amazon Ink; Zery s life falls apart as she finds old friends, new friends and her voice.

In Amazon Queen by Lori Devoti, Zery the queen of the Amazons finds her world falling apart. The book starts out strong with a fast paced action scene and the tone is continued throughout the book. With multiple twists and turns that keep you on your toes this quickly moving book keeps a reader entertained till the early hours of the morning. On top of the constantly changing alliances and friendships there is an underlying element of romance that although present does not over power a book based on powerful women. Over all this book was and exciting and entertaining read that I certainly recommend.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Greenwood Village, Co USA