The Haunting: Ebram's Story by Esther Locascio

The main character Ebram moves to a new home in Texas. Shortly after moving, he finds out that a little girl who used to live in his house before him haunts the house. His brothers and sisters can all hear the little girl talk in their heads. The little girl sometimes does strange things, like lifting things up in the air and moving things around. This book is also about the struggles that Ebram has fitting in at his new school. He eventually becomes a Shrouda (a group of students who have many Christian faiths. They also try to improve the community and help the needy). He tries to carry out his own plan to help make the community a better place. Ebram also has to face bullies at school. This book tells how Ebram gets to know the little girl and how he adapts to his new school. I think that this book's genre fits in with realistic fiction and supernatural.

I thought that this book could have been a little more supernatural, and the supernatural element of it wasn't very scary. I did enjoy the book it was pretty good. I also found myself daydreaming a little bit during some slow parts of the book. I wish that it had been a little scarier and suspenseful. The writer did make me feel like I was in the book with the characters, and I had a great mental picture in my head. The characters in this book were very real. They didn't seem too perfect, so I could picture them in real life. I think that overall, the author achieved her purpose. The strengths of this book were that it flowed very easily from topic to topic, which I think is important. Some weaknesses are that this book at times was not very descriptive. Sometimes I got a little confused and had to go back and reread. This book is a series, so I think that the author didn't tell what happened to all of the characters.


The vocabulary was very age appropriate. Other books that I have read in this genre were more suspenseful centered than this book because this book also talks about Ebram at school. I have not read any other books by this author. My overall view of this book is that is was an interesting read, but if you are looking for a scarier supernatural book, I would suggest reading a book by a different author. But if you are one of those people who gets scared easily but likes to read supernatural books, this book is for you. I didn't really learn anything from this book, but I would recommend it to others.

Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Leawood, Kansas United States

Wildwing by Emily Whitman

As a young woman of no means in 20th century England, Addy has very few options for her future. When a rich classmate taunts her in school, Addy leaves and becomes the maid of mysterious local man, Mr. Greenwood. While in Mr. Greenwood's house, Addy comes across a time machine in a locked room. She is transported back to the 13th century where she is mistaken for a Lady. Addy is given the chance to live the life of the rich, and she couldn't be happier. But as time passes, she learns that the life of a wealthy lady is just as difficult as hers was. As she comes to this realization, Addy has to make a choice between staying a Lady in the 13th Century or returning back to the future and her family.
As soon as I picked up Wildwing, I got caught up in the story. I'm a huge fan of all historical fiction novels, and this story combined both the 13th and 20th centuries. The idea of time travel made the story more interesting. Addy was a great character to follow and I looked forward to all of her adventures. The only thing that bothered me about the novel was the way it was written; it's better suited for younger readers. But the story was excellent and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.

Reviewer Age:24
Reviewer City, State and Country: Philadelphia, PA USA

All About Daisy by O'Dell Hutchison

High School is a difficult time; this is usually a point at which people find themselves and figure out who they are. Daisy plans to become  popular by making a to-do list full of things like: get a boyfriend, find a BFF, grow boobs, land a spot on the cheerleading squad, etc. Throughout the book Daisy goes through twists and turns and high and low points. Different things happen throughout the book that lead Daisy to find out who she is and what she cares about. Daisy's emotions and personality are something someone her age can relate to in one way or another.  The book leaves you with a surprise ending and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this cute series.
I could really feel Daisy's emotions in this book. I felt like I was right along with her and I was in the book. I could visualize the characters clearly, from the charming Russ to the evil Megan-I felt like I saw them the way she saw them. I wasn't crazy about the writing style of the book, because there are some scenes where Daisy thinks things that didn't make the most sense to me and seemed unnecessary, but that's just a personal opinion. I liked the book and I thought it was a fun read and that the author did  a good job of capturing Daisy's emotions, though it wasn't one of the best books I have ever read. I would recommend this book to readers who like a girly high school coming-of-age book.
For most readers I think this book would be just fine(appropriate wise), though I was quite surprised by some of the scenes. Some of the scenes were just a little mature for what I expected.
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Annandale, VA United States

The Madhouse of Love by Peter G. Mackie

In the book The Madhouse of Love, by Peter G Mackie is a very challenging read, but leaves you in awe. His true, yet dramatic tale of his own experiences in life may leave an impact on the reader. Tony Whitfield was a young teenager at the time of his admittance to the Adolescent Unit of a psychiatric hospital. Being only around the age of 12, he merely was "acting the goat". Tony spent nearly his whole teenage life in and out, not wanting to part with the life he grew to love and accept. There is where he learns about the "fruits" of nature and learns how self-conflicting his infatuation with women can really be. Even though Tony was released a number of times, he always finds himself back at the asylum.
The Madhouse of Love was quite a deep and riveting story. Age-wise, I'd recommend this story for the more advanced reader due to difficulty in understanding the author's dialect. Peter Mackie's points change often and I often had to go back and re-read what I read.


Yet, at some points I really could relate to his thoughts and I could always argue against them. Generally, this tale would be considered a "coming of age" one, due to life lessons learned and self-realization. The author's use of distinct vocabulary was very powerfully projected.

The ending of the book, I must say, wasn't very impressive but the theme of the book; "The place of comfort is never easy to let go of", was very meaningful.

Overall, the story was charming and made me smirk every couple of pages. Recommended for mature readers due to intense vocabulary, confusing translations, and content more aimed for 17+.
 
I rated this for it's intense language and sexual references of the mind of a growing teenage boy. That and the difficulty of the read.
 
Reviewer Age:18
Reviewer City, State and Country: Naugatuck, Connecticut United States

Life on Hold by Karen McQuestion

Rae has never stayed anywhere for long. Her free-spirited mother moves herself and Rae every time things don t work out. Rae, now fifteen years old, has learned to never get attached to any place, but her mom has made her a promise:  no moving until Rae graduates. Rae has made a few friends, and is starting to enjoy life. But nothing prepares her for Allison. Rae was picked by her vice principal to show the new girl around, but Allison seems ungrateful. Rae has a sleepover to try and break the ice, but it goes wrong. Rae sees another side of Allison, and doesn t know what to think. Rae learns she must make some big decisions about family and friends, or her life will start to unravel.

This was an enjoyable book. The author really does a nice job of connecting with the reader. I have never had to move, but after reading the book, I can understand how stressful it would be through Rae s character. It also deals with friendship and how one person can impact another. This book was fresh and well thought out, a nice and easy read for the young adult audience.

Reviewer Age:13

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

Priscilla the Great by Sybil Nelson

I very recently just finished reading the book Priscilla


the Great by Sybil Nelson. This book is about a seemingly

ordinary 12 year old girl who discovers she has super

powers that she inherits from her mother. All her life,

her mother has been away, traveling the world under the

ruse of being a pharmacist. However, it turns out her

mother has been out trying to save the world from the evil

Selliwood Academy, a place where children are turned into

heartless violent machines. Will Priscilla be able to help

defeat the Selliwood Academy? Read Priscilla the Great to

find out.

Priscilla the Great by Sybil Nelson was a very

interesting read. I was mesmerized by the story and I

couldn't put the book down. Even after I finished reading

about it, I found myself thinking about the book and

wondering what would happen next. While reading the book,

I found myself laughing out loud at Priscilla's quirky

humor. Although Priscilla has super powers, she still

reminds me of a normal 12 year old girl trying to enjoy

her childhood. This book could very well become the next

Harry Potter. The mixture of comedy, suspense, and action

make it hard to stop reading. I really hope this book

becomes a series and I can't wait to read

more.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Braintree, Massachusetts United States of America

Pop Sculpture by Tim Bruckner

Pop Sculpture is a guide to making great action figures and highly detailed collectible statues. Some of the most talented individuals in the business pool their knowledge and secrets into this book to aid any aspiring toymakers. The book starts with a brief introduction to the industry and its impact on American culture. The book then dives into the detailed tutorial of two different items: the traditional action figure and the collectible sculpture. This guide addresses every stage in the creation process from research and design to mold making to painting. With hundreds of pictures showing each step in the process, Pop Sculpture is a definitive look at the artistic process of bringing some of our favorite characters to life.
The collaboration of action figure icons for this book is what makes Pop Sculpture a must-read for anyone planning on joining the industry. However, for those who are more interested in the history of action figures and comic book characters, this is not the book for you. Pop Sculpture focuses on the technical aspects of making action figures and collectible statues. Furthermore, the authors provide very valuable insight for certain stages of the toy making process. These pieces of information from some of the most experienced designers in the industry create the value in this book. Overall, Pop Sculpture is a great technical guide, but it is not by any means a historical perspective for the casual reader.

Reviewer Age:21
Reviewer City, State and Country: Eden Prairie, Minnesota United States

The Raven's Bride, by Lenore Hart

Virginia, or Sissy, Clemm isn't a name that most people will recognize, but her husband, Edgar Allen Poe, is
probably one of the most acclaimed authors. Like most famous
authors, Edgar Allen Poe was neither rich nor famous
throughout his life. The Raven's Bride by Lenore Hart is a
fictional account of Virginia and Edgar's unlikely romance
and the hardships they went through, both before and after
their marriage.

The premise of this novel seems very,
very interesting because Edgar Allen Poe's marriage was
very, very screwed up. He married his thirteen-year-old
cousin; plus, he was thirteen years older than her! Honestly
though, I don't think this novel did their relationship
justice. The author tries too hard to make their romance
seem normal. It seems like she's aiming for the audience
to go aw and to have heart-warming moments, but really,
with a twisted romance like Edgar and Virginia's, that's not
possible. I give her credit for trying to attempt something
like that, but the result was many unrealistic moments
filled with purple prose. Despite the purple prose, the
writing wasn't bad; it wasn't spectacular either.

The main problem with this book, however, was the pacing.
The book just dragged on and on and on. Maybe it's because I
don't like angst, but it felt like the situations were
overly dramatic--to the point that they weren't interesting
anymore. Overall, if you're looking for historical fiction,
there are much better choices.

Reviewer Age:  17
Reviewer City, State and Country:  Hinsdale, IL USA

The Secret Journeys of Jack London: The Wild

In the beginning of the book you find Jack on a boat heading to the Yukon River in Alaska to find gold for
his family with his brother-in-law James. Once he gets to Yukon he sets out on a gold finding adventure. Sadly though, his brother-in-law had to go back due to sickness. Jack sets out to Dawson City with his newfound friends Jim and Merritt. He gets in a brawl with slavers and ends up being a slave. The first night he's there a Wendigo (a cannibalistic spirit that possesses a human) attacks the camp. His so-called "guardian" wolf saves him. When he wakes up he finds himself in a hut with no one else. He soon finds out he was taken in by a girl called Lesya. She tells him her father is a nature god of the surrounding forest. When he takes a walk in the woods he sees bodies entwined in trees. The horrific thing was that they were still living. He finds out it was Lesya who did it. What he learns from Lesya is that the men in the trees were lovers trying to get away so they don't have to stay forever with her. He luckily gets away before it can
happen to him. Once he gets far away he runs into the slave camp. There he meets up with the Wendigo again. Will he live though this reunion and head home? Read this exciting book to find out.
 I thought this book was awesome. The two authors made a book that Jack London would be proud of. The illustrator's pictures a open window into the world of Jack. I think any teenager would love this spooky book. This book is a great starter book in the series. Any teen would enjoy its adventure style. I think the authors achieved there purpose.

Very bloody secenes and alot of strong language.

Reviewer Age:12 Uxbridge, Ma USA

The Visconti House by Elsbeth Edgar

Laura Horton just moved into the Visconti House, a very old place built by a Mr. Visconti. In school, Laura is constantly made fun of for being the Ghost Girl, and she's getting tired of it. So when Leon Murphy, a weird new kid at her school, moves in next door, she can't help but make herself a promise to stay away from him. She doesn't need any more abnormal ties in her life. After hearing lots of comments about the house she is now living in, she decides to explore the house's history, with Leon doing some research of his own. Can Laura and Leon discover the Visconti House's secret? And will they join together and form a wonderful friendship? Read to find out!



The Visconti House by Elsbeth Edgar has a story line that is original and common, but it still amazed me. It has a little mystery, friendship, romance, and some of the issues normal teens go through today. The author had a really good ending; it left me wanting more, but it did end at exactly the right moment. The only thing I would add to the book is a little more suspense about the house and owner's history. It was wonderful, and I would definitely recommend it to grades five and above.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fresno, California USA

The Reinvention of Bessica Lefter

The Reinvention of Bessica Lefter is a fabulous fun-filled fiction work.  After a few accidental incidents, eleven-year-old Bessica Lefter is forbidden to be with her best friend, Sylvie. Then, Sylvie moves to a new school, leaving Bessica to start middle school friendless. On top of everything else, it doesnt help that Bessica's special grandmother is off on some crazy road trip with her weird new boyfriend and has little or no time left for Bessica.  It also doesnt help that the gorgeous Noll Beck just thinks she's some little kid.  I highly encourage young teens to read Kristen Tracy's, The Reinvention of Bessica Lefter.  Every reader will greatly enjoy him or herself and the book will unlock a new world through the fun-loving eyes of Bessica.

In my opinion, The Reinvention of Bessica Lefter was a very humorous and yet dramatic story.  I believe any book possessing both of these qualities deserves an extremely high level of praise. I think Kristen Tracy's fun way of putting things and incredible intellect is what makes her books so amazing. I will definitely continue to read her priceless works.

Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Akron, Ohio United States

The Vanishing Violin by Michael D. Bell (Red Blazer Girls series)

The unstoppable Red Blazer Girls are back in The Vanishing Violin to solve yet another captivating mystery, or mysteries. Someone has been breaking into their school and instead of stealing or vandalizing, they are redecorating! But their big mystery doesn’t start until Margaret gets a violin bow in the mail that is worth a lot of money, and with it the clues to find the even more expensive violin that goes with it. Another real problem comes about when a violin is stolen from Margaret’s friend Mr. C., who owns a violin store by Perkatory, the girls’ favorite Cafe (which the Blazers’ band also performs at). Mr. C’s alarm never went off and no window or door is broken, so the only thing more mysterious than who did it, is how they did it. Relationships are heating up, too. Not only do Rafael and Sophie date, but Margaret gets a new crush on a boy named Andrew from her music class. The Red Blazer Girls also have a new rival, Livvy, who hates the group. The best part of the book is at the end, with a couple of plot twists and surprises you’re sure to enjoy.

All in all, I thought this book was enjoyable and slightly humorous. Even though the plot was not as suspenseful as others like it, it is sure to be a book that you will enjoy reading. This book also flexes your mind with puzzles and riddles, unlike most books of its kind. The Vanishing Violin is a mystery and is a pretty light read, and I fell in love with the characters. With their brains and charm, I think the Red Blazer Girls have earned a spot up there with the likes of Sherlock Holmes.

Content: 1
Rating: 8
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Leawood, Kansas USA

Excalibur: The Legend of King Arthur

The graphic novel starts off when young Arthur pulls
the legendary sword Caliburn from the stone. Ulric, the
current king of Britain, challenges Arthur to a duel at
dawn. Arthur accepts. Merlin takes Arthur to the Faerie
Realm to train for 2 years and a day. When he gets back
Arthur is 17 years old and trained in the art of fighting,
kingship, warcraft, and politics. He wins the duel and
becomes the king over Britain. King Arthur s evil half-
sister Morgana sends Merlin 7 years into the future. When
he gets back King Arthur had already married Lady
Guinevere and built Camelot. Morgana (Arthur's half-
sister) makes an evil replica of King Arthur and
challenges the real King Arthur to war. Will King Arthur
win and Albion be saved? Read this eye-catching book to
find out.
Excalibur was an awesome graphic novel.
The pictures make you feel like you're in Albion beside
King Arthur. Tony Lee tells the story of king Arthur
perfectly. Their work combines to make an ideal graphic
novel for young adults. I thought the book was hard to put
down. I recommend this to anyone who likes a good action
book.
Reviewer Age:12 Uxbridge, Ma USA

Terezin: Voices From The Holocaust by Ruth Thomson

In Terezin: Voices from the Holocaust, by Ruth Thomson, you journey from pre-World War II to the end of the war focusing on the Holocaust but in particular a ghetto/concentration camp in Terezin, Czechoslovakia. Most of the people sent to Terezin died. They died either in Terezin due to health issues caused by ghetto life or during transport to Auschwitz, called going east , or in the gas chambers at Auschwitz. You see first-hand quotes, diary entries and drawings that were secretly hidden and every now and then a real photo of life in Terezin. This book gives you all the information you would ever want to know. It gives you information about what a ghetto/concentration camp is to even the food schedule.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the Holocaust and anyone who likes to read interesting non-fiction books. Even if you do not like reading non-fiction this book makes it seem like you are reading a normal book just with facts thrown in. Having read other non-fiction books that can be heavy on the details, I thought the balance between the text and images were perfect.


In this book the life-like drawings make the reading more life-like and captivating. With quotes from real people that were in Terezin you really learn how horrible this was for all the Jewish people in the time period.


Reviewer Age:10
Reviewer City, State and Country: Rochester, New York United States

Amazing Crayon Drawing with Lee Hammond

This book teaches you how to draw amazing pictures with a
childhood favorite - Crayola Crayons. It is hard to
believe the life-like images were produced by crayons, but
this book teaches you the techniques that can be used with
crayons. There are warm-ups and projects, step by step and
telling you what colors and techniques to use for each of
them. It teaches how to make the unique look of crayon to
works to your advantage and shows you how to make a
variety of texture. Anything you need to know about
drawing with crayons is in this book.

I laughed when I saw this book, saying "Drawing professional art with crayons?! Yeah right, I've got to see this."
Even with myself being an artist, it was hard to believe you could
make professional with something so common and cheap it
was considered to be a child's toy to scribble with when
they were bored. Although when I saw the artwork on the
cover I thought, wow, these really are drawn with crayon.
This book is a great way to learn to draw with crayons,
teaching you how to use different techniques, make various
textures and create masterpieces. There are many step-by-step warm-ups
and projects that help you get the feel of how to use the crayons and what colors to use to best serve your art. I told my mom to go get some crayons, and have had fun using the book to its best potential.

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and
Country: Santa Fe, TX USA

How Tia Lola Learned to Teach

"How Tia Lola Learned to Teach" is about a Spanish aunt who came to the United States from the Dominican Republic. She came to help her sister - who just got divorced - raise her son and daughter, Miguel and Juanita.
While Tia Lola was in the U.S she was volunteered to teach Juanita and Miguel’s classes Spanish. During Tia Lola's visit she soon finds herself helping everyone, but she doesn't mind. Tia Lola is a very helpful person. She helps Rudy with his restaurant, and everybody else in the town with everything you could imagine.

I didn't really like "Tia Lola Learns to Teach" because the story line isn't something that I'm in to. I did like the fact that the book had a lot of Spanish in it. I also liked the lessons it taught. There were Spanish sayings, but some of them Americans say, too.

Reviewer Age:10
Reviewer City, State and Country: Claremont, NH USA

A Crazy Day With Cobras by Mary Pope Osborne

The book "A Crazy Day With Cobras" was a very exciting book. In this book Jack and Annie set off to India to find an emerald rose. They are searching for this rose because Teddy acciendtally turns Penny the penguin into stone. Annie has to pretend to be a boy because in India, 400 years ago women were not allowed to show their faces in public without being killed. In order to get this rose, Jack and Annie have to bring the Great Mongul,(The ruler of India),a precious gift and pick the correct stone from a tray filled with different jewels. I really enjoyed reading this book.

In my opinion "A Crazy Day With Cobras" was an exciting and adventurous book. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good book. Out of all the books Ms.Mary Pope Osborne has written, this one is my favorite. The content of this book is just right for the recommended age. I loved this book and can't wait for book 46 to come out in August.

Reviewer Age:10
Reviewer City, State and Country: Glenwood, Arkansas U.S.

Can You Survive The Zombie Apocalypse? by Max Brallier

You're just one of the many 25-year-olds in Manhattan with a monotonous life and equally (if not more) monotonous job. Well, until the day zombies take over. Gruesome killing on every street corner; an unhealthy abundance of blood, gore, guts, and brains. Your survival depends on you -- solely you - and the decisions you make with each turn during your race for victory. Die, become a zombie, or perhaps, stay alive until the very end -- it's all up to you.

Maybe I was deprived as a child, but I was never given any Choose Your Own Adventure (CYOA) books. Reading through Max Brallier's Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse? turned out to be quite an experience. Peppered with interesting characters that slather raw meat juice on themselves to imitate zombies and others that are just alarmingly trigger-happy with a machine gun, this book was an intense read. That is, if you don't mind dying and instantaneously resuscitating yourself a couple hundred times. Of course, the burning question here is: can you survive the zombie apocalypse? Profanity and sexual content.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Palo Alto, CA USA

The Skinny On Time Management by Jim

I read the book The Skinny on Time Management. The book
was written in comic form. The author, Jim Randel, wrote
links to outside sources, such as the internet and other
books. The book tells you detailed step by step things
on how to reach your goal in a certain amount time. The
author puts other links to outside sources so one can do
his or her own research.
I thought the book was useful. He clearly states ways one
can fix his or her problems with time management. He also
made it fun to read it. The author says jokes throughout
the book. He uses helpful visuals throughout the book
too. The book is written as a cartoon, which makes it fun
for a child to read. He writes other sources for helping
oneself, such as titles of other books and names of online
sites. The book was well-written and I really liked it
because it really helped me.

Reviewer
Age:13 Uxbridge, MA USA

The Fortune of Carmen Navarro by Jen Bryant

Carmen Navarro dropped out of school when she was in high
school. Her true love is music, until she meets a guy on
campus named is Ryan. When Ryan spots Carmen, his pulse
quickens. She usually doesn't like to get into a
relationship, but this time, she feels something.

If you want to know more, read the book !!

The book was
really good. I enjoyed it a lot. It was very romantic. It
even made me cry a little at some parts. Overall, good
book.

Some kids will make fun of romances. So, you have
to be mature about the book and not think of it as some
silly story.

Reviewer Age:13

Reviewer City, State and
Country: Lakewood, Ohio United States