Scored by Lauren McLaughlin

Scored is set in a world where every kid is continually watched by cameras and scored according to their actions. Any kid who gets a high score is guaranteed a college education and a good job. However, a low score ruins any hope of a successful life. Imani is tested when her best friend's score drops suddenly and she has to choose between her future or her best friend. Imani's high score of ninety is in jeopardy. If the cameras catches her with her low scoring friend, Imani's score could drop considerably. What will she choose?

Scored is an interesting science fiction novel that has an original plot that I guarantee you have never considered. The choice between doing what feels right and what everyone says is right is very complicated and occasionally hard to follow. What makes this story so interesting is that I can actually imagine this happening. For example, an employer could say,"Hey we could hire people easier if we could watch them all the time." The novel's unique story line is fascinating and the writing competent.

There are some inappropriate actions surrounding her friends sudden plummeting score that may make this book difficult for younger readers.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Holland, Michigan USA

Vamparazzi by Laura Resnick

All Esther wants to do is be an actor. So an off-Broadway play is perfect for her, right? However playing the damsel in distress in "The Vampyre" may do her more harm then good. She must: work with an actor who claims he is a real vampire, crazed fans, and paparazzi. Then one of the fans turns up dead; all the blood was sucked out of her. When one of her fellow actors becomes lead suspect in the murder, she is determined to help. Even if it means putting her own neck on the line.
I found this book to be pretty boring. The plot contained developed characters, but the author used too much detail and I couldn't really relate to the characters. It is a definite twist from other Vampire romance novels, but is not a thrilling read like I would have expected. This was not a book that moved me or got me involved in the plot.
This book contains profanity and violence.
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Coconut Creek, Florida U.S.A

Total Blueprint for World Domination (eBook) by Jolene Stockman

The Total Blueprint for World Domination follows a similar formula to Stephen Covey's highly acclaimed Seven Habits series.  Jolene Stockman directs readers through nine scenes towards dominating the only real world out there, yours.  These scenes help readers visualize the world they want to be in, develop an action plan towards accomplishing their goals, and ultimately following through with your blueprint.  Stockman moves readers through these scenes at a swift pace and as a result avoids overwhelming readers at each phase of the process.  Despite similarities that will be seen amongst all books that cover this subject matter, Stockman delivers enough unique messages and methods that will provide a great deal of value to the teenage/young adult group that the book suits best.

As I began reading the Total Blueprint, I wasn't immediately sold on Stockman's premise of an action plan towards world domination, and associated the book with most other self-help books I had read throughout my life.  However, as I continued to read through each scene, I found that Stockman reached a special niche that allowed the Total Blueprint to differentiate itself from other self-help books.  First, as mentioned before, the Total Blueprint is a fast-paced read.  Readers will not be bogged down for hours reading about what to do.  Instead, readers can act on Stockman's message as they read the book.  Second, there is a companion website to the book that will help you develop a digital version of your blueprint.  Finally, amongst all of the ideas and philosophical messages, Stockman points directly to action that can be taken immediately to reach your goals, and readers will develop the skills to discover what we can do today to dominate our future world.  Although this book may be best suited for teens and young adults, there is still value for older readers who would like a shorter book.  The Total Blueprint for World Domination is a worthwhile read for the unique features it brings to readers, and I recommend it to young adult readers in search of an action plan for success.

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

Scored by Lauren McLaughlin

*Scored *is set in a world where every kid is

continually watched by cameras and scored according to their actions. Any
kid who gets a high score is guaranteed a college education and a good job.
However, a low score ruins any hope of a successful life. Imani is tested
when her best friend's score drops suddenly and she has to choose between
her future or her best friend. Imani's high score of ninety is in jeopardy.
If the cameras catches her with her low scoring friend, Imani's score could
drop considerably. What will she choose?

*Scored* is an interesting Science fiction novel that has an original plot

that I guarantee you have never considered. The choice between doing what
feels right and what everyone says is right is very complicated and
occasionally hard to follow. What makes this story so interesting is that I
can actually imagine this happening. For example, an employer could say,
"Hey we could hire people easier if we could watch them all the time." The
novels unique story line is fascinating and the writing competent.

Boilerplate by Paul Guinan

Boilerplate is a robot soldier, written as a historical fiction novel in a graphic novel form.  A man named Campion made the robot.  The robot was meant to end real men dyeing.  Boilerplate was combat with Teddy Roosevelt and Lawrence of Arabia. Campion and his robot also circled the planet with the U.S. Navy, went through the South Pole, made movies. 
I liked the idea of a robot going to war.  The story was well written and is important now that we are finishing a war.  I think it would make some kids feel good that have parents in war.  Overall the pace was quick and the topic was interesting.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Newburgh, NY US

Shatter Me

In a ruined post-apocalyptic world, seventeen-year old Juliette is locked in a mental asylum. Her ailment? Anyone she touches gets a surge of intense pain. She has been locked in a dreary, monotonous cycle in the colorless world of her prison. That is, until a strange boy is sent to be her new roommate and changes everything.

The beginning of Shatter Me read like a journal, with crossed-out portions and Juliette 's staccato thoughts. As the story progresses, the book turns more into a sci-fi romance adventure I didn' t see coming. The writing is very unique. Mafi uses a slew of metaphors to bring her heroine' s unique viewpoint to life. Although I did like this book (and couldn' t put it down at points), it got a bit too fanciful for me at points. I really enjoyed the fast-paced plot and adventure, but the story lacks when it slows down for make-out scenes, more overdone then Twilight, full of fondling and pulling of clothes. There are just too many cheesy romantic scenes that just got tedious and lengthy (read Hush; Hush for a romance with a touch more class) and pretty unrealistic. However, if you just sort of skim the steamy scenes, you actually get a pretty suspenseful story. The development of Juliette' s character is very believable, as well as her internal struggles. The end clearly leaves room for a sequel, which I will await with the hope for classier kisses and more chases. Overall, I would recommend this book to people fans of Twilight and paranormal romance.

There are some pretty steamy make-out scenes that get kinda iffy for younger teens.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Tigard, Oregon USA

Fort Mose by Glennette Tilley Turner

This book is about Francisco Menendez, a man born around
1700 in West Africa. He was captured and brought to North
America where he was enslaved in South Carolina. In 1724, he
and a small group escaped and traveled to St. Augustine
where they became free men. There he joined a militia group
and fought against the English for freedom.  In 1738, he
helped build Fort Mose, which was the first black community
and an actual stop for slaves looking for freedom on the
Underground Railroad. We learn about the groups of people
whom lived there and the struggles they went through to
remain free citizens.

   
    I found this book entertaining from beginning
to end. I think this book would be good for ages 10 + and is
filled with lots of good information and pictures that help
the reader get a clearer idea of what life was like back
then.


Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country:
Henrico, VA US

Arabat: Absolute Midnight by Clive Barker

Candy Quakenbush is back better than ever in the third and final Abarat book. Candy decides to return to Abarat, instead of staying home. She meets up with friends, new and old, to try and stop Mater Motley once and for all. With people telling her what to do and who to be, Candy becomes unsure of her abilities to stop Mater Motley. Secrets are told and steps are taken that could lead to the demise of Abarat and the rise of absolute midnight. Can Candy keep Abarat from going into eternal darkness, or will she fail and die?
Abarat: Absolute Midnight is the best book in the Abarat trilogy. Clive Barker did an amazing job ending this series. Although it could sometimes get confusing, the overall story is wonderful. I kept waiting for a little romance for Candy, and I finally got it in this book. Barker did a good job of making the story real as well. I could see the Sea of Izabella and the islands of Abarat in my mind. It is a good series and I recommend it to those who love action and adventure books.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Fresno, California USA

The Black Hawk by Joanna Bourne

French spy Justine DeCabrillac is attacked on the streets of London by an assassin.  Close to death, she appears on the doorstep of the one man she trusts, hates, and loves-Adrian Hawkhurst.  Hawker wanted Justine to come back into his life, but he never wanted her to be dying in front of him.  While Owl heals, Hawker plans his revenge on the assassin and together, they solve the mystery of the attack...and their passionate past.
I really enjoyed The Black Hawk.  It is set in France and England during the French Revolution.  Adrian is a spy for Britain and Justine is a spy for France.  Bourne created the characters to make them realistic and relevant to the time and setting of the story.  The plot was constantly moving and there were no slow parts; I couldn't put the book down once I started.  I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance as well as historical fiction.
Adrian and Justine are lovers and novel recounts their many passionate encounters throughout the years they have known each other.  Also, many people make sexual comments throughout the book.
Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Brownsburg, Indiana United States of America

Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel

It is 2195 and after an ice age and nuclear war, a new Victorian age has been born. New technology and manners are the basis of this world.  It has been one year since Nora Dearly s father died, or so she thinks. Soon, after Nora gets home from boarding school, she is kidnapped by zombies of all people. But these zombies are cured zombies and don t want to hurt her. Somehow she manages to trust and eventually love one of the zombies, Bram. But they know that there is no way for them to be together forever because the cure only lasts five years. As the two come together more troubles come in front of both them. Will they be able to help the world they have come to know or will they lose what the pair values most?
This book was great. The alternating perspectives really helped the story. I loved how the relationship between Nora and Bram was portrayed. I loved the word choice in this book; it really made the book even better. This was defiantly the best zombie book I have ever read. I recommend this book to people who liked Rot and Ruin, Fallen, Beautiful Creatures, and Hunger Games.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Northglenn, CO United States

Trapped by Marc Aronson

Trapped by Mark Anderson is a great book about "how the world rescued 33 miners from 2,000 feet below the Chilean Desert." It's a non-fiction book that shows what happened when a mine caved in. All the miners were fortunate enough to live, none died. It really helped their survival skills and showed how stressful it can be to get miners out when they are stuck underground. It also shows all of the support you get while trapped.
Trapped by Mark Anderson is a great book. When I first looked at and got the book I didn't realize it was a true story, it just sounded like a good book. When i received the book and told my parents about it my dad said "they made a book out of that already?" and he told me that it happened last year. Then I felt bad because I don't remember hearing or knowing anything about this event. It turned out to be a very good book. It shows all about how stressful it is to get the miners out and how many people care for you and want/try to help. It was a good life lesson book and very interesting too.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Sandy, Oregon U.S.A

Every You, Every Me by David Levithan

Every You, Every Me by David Levithan is a good and mysterious book. Evan loses Ariel, his best friend. He blames himself for it even though he knows he did the right thing. One day as he's walking home he finds an envelope on the ground. He knows it's none of his business but he's curious so he opens it up. Inside he finds a picture. The next day he finds another picture, this time it's of him. He goes on this wild goose chase finding the spots in the photos and receiving more photos trying to figure out who it is and why they are doing this to him. Read this exciting novel to find out who's sending him the letters and why.
Every You, Every Me by David Levithan is a good and mysterious book. I thought it was kind of weird in the beginning because of all the crossed out parts but then I got used to it. It seemed to me that Evan was starting to go crazy if he wasn't already because of everything that had and was happening. I was confused for most of the book and wondering what had happened to Ariel. In the end you find out and it makes things so much clearer. All in all I thought it was pretty good but kind of confusing too.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Sandy, Oregon U.S.A

The Pink Locker Society: Girls in Charge by Debra Moffitt

The PLS (Pink Locker Society) is a group of middle-school girls who run a website, where girls at their school can get their questions answered. The PLS gets the most questions about PBBB s (periods, bras, boys, and bullies). When the PLS gets in trouble with the school principal, they re not sure if they can save the business. But when the PLS gets an invitation to the Tomorrow s Leaders Today conference, they are on a mission to convince the principal just how much their advice helps girls. Despite their effort, Principal Finklestein tells the girls that they may not go on the eighth-grade class field trip&to New York City! Jemma, Kate, and Piper really don t want to miss out on the trip, which would have also allowed them to go to the Tomorrow s Leaders Today conference. Read the book to see how it will end.
Overall, I did like the book. The author did a great job with the writing, and although the book was pretty predictable, she did a great job building in humor. My advice to you is that if you re the kind of person for which a predictable book will ruin the experience, this may not be the perfect book for you. However, I don t like totally happy endings, and while I did predict that this was just going to be one of those books with an annoyingly happy ending, it actually ended rather bitter-sweetly. I think that this book is really adventurous, and, in conclusion, I would recommend it (if you' re a preteen girl).

Reviewer Age:10
Reviewer City, State and Country: Evanston, IL USA

The Death Cure by James Dashner

The end is near. The end of the Trials and the end of the world. In this third and final installment of the Maze Runners series it is up to Thomas to decide. The final surviving cities all around the world are succumbing to the mind eating Flare Virus. There is no known cure and it appears that there never will be. That doesn t stop the organization WICKED and their deadly experiments.  What is worth sacrificing to save the world?
James Dashner s thrilling finale to the Maze Runners series is an amazing book, filled with just as much excitement and suspense as the first two. The eerie future world in which Thomas and the Gladers live  is  truly an  interesting and scary place. I would recommend this book to any fans of the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, but not without reading the first two books! The Maze Runner and The Scorch Trials are vitally important in The Death Cure. This book is guaranteed to keep all readers on the edge of their seats!

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Harleysville, PA USA

Reaching Through Time by Lurlene McDaniel

Reaching Through Time is an amazing three-in-one book, written by Lurlene McDaniel. In book one, Sarah wakes up to find herself in a place she s never seen before. Her name is her only memory. As she tries to remember where she is, she meets a handsome man named Heath de Charon. He tells her that he found her unconscious at his gate, and quickly brought her inside to heal her. Time passes unusually fast, though, and as she goes to bed at night, she hears voices, calling out to her, begging her to return. Confused, but determined, she tries to figure out who she is, and where she belongs.

 In book two, Drake Iverson begins looking for a job, and finds one at a very unusual house. An old man and his daughter live there, and he is told to write facts and descriptions on unique items that belong to the old man. As he continues to go to the house, he starts liking the girl, Gina, much more than a friend. But when he brings up the nerve to ask her to the movies, she refuses. Also, time seems to differ in this house from others.  As Gina becomes sick, he is determined to help her, no matter what it takes. In book three, Maura is a new girl. When she meets Dylan, she gets scared that he knows her secret. He has his own secrets, too. As they keep running into each other, they end up falling in love. On Sundays, though, Dylan starts to act different. Maura knows that she wouldn t want her secret known, but she tries everything she can to learn his.
Reaching Through Time is a really good book. In most parts, my eyes couldn t be separated from the pages. The author s mood is usually serious, and sometimes even sad.  Great descriptions are used, for I can easily picture the scenes. In book one, the main character is Sarah. In book two, Drake is the main character. In book three, Dylan and Maura are the main characters. I believed in all of the characters as people. In each book, I love the wording used, because it drags readers in. I believe that the author was wise to write the stories in third person. It allows me to understand the characters better. At the end of the third book, however, I was curious what became of Maura. Lurlene s writing is effective and powerful, with no overly-mature vocabulary.  The book has many strengths, such as wording, and great plots. However, one weakness is that, again, in the third book, I don t know what became of Maura.  This book compares to others written by Lurlene, because it has to do with a love and loss. All-in-all, I found this book very moving and fluent. The ending is one of my favorite parts, and the author did an awesome job wrapping up the stories. I would definitely recommend this book, especially to those who love romance novels.
In the second story, there are some slightly sexual situations.
Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Orwigsburg, PA USA

How Tia Lola Saved the Summer by Julia Alvarez

Recently, I finished the book How Tia Lola Saved the Summer by Julia Alvarez. Twelve year old Miguel is not looking forward to having to share his home with a lot of people and definitely not with a bunch of girls. The girls too thrilled at the thought of spending their vacation in a small town in Vermont, either. Thankfully, his aunt Tia Lola makes the summer an exciting adventure.  And over the course of their stay, everyone changes for the better& with a little help from a little magic, of course.
     Reading How Tia Lola Saved the Summer was a pleasant and enjoyable read. I think that this book was very nice in the sense that it had a happy ending and that everyone was content at the end of the book. This book is age appropriate and kids of the age group will enjoy the book a lot. However, I found the book to not have any surprising twists or turns which would make me want to keep on reading. I thought that the book was great, but if there was a curveball thrown somewhere in the book that would not have been expected it would have made the book even better. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good book to read and I think there should be a sequel for it.

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

A Kid From Southie by John Red Shea and Michael Harmon

Aiden O Connor is confused.  He lives in South Boston, known as Southie, with his mother, who can t keep a job thanks to his drunken father s uncontrollable rage and the damage he causes at every bar she works at.  And although Aiden tries to use his skill at boxing to rake in some money, it s not quite enough to pay off the rent.  Aiden finally decides to make some easy money with his friend Tommy to help rebuild his life.  Unfortunately, this involves getting mixed up with the Irish mob.  Although Aiden is fulfilling his dream of never eating Salisbury (fake) steak again by using his influence and the money he gets from working for the Irish mob, he is still thoroughly conflicted about his job, his friends , his struggles with power and money, his family, and whether he s good enough for the girl of his dreams, Angelique.  This book is the story of a 16-year-old s journey to becoming a man through power, love, friendship, betrayal, and the decisions he makes to become the person he wants to be.
A Kid from Southie is a terrific book.  Aiden s personality is consistently loyal and honorable: a kid who tries his best to provide for the people he cares about, but torn between two lives that can t coexist.  The story is told from his perspective, which helps keep the story real and clear by telling what he was feeling and the reasons behind the decisions he makes.  The mood was kind of a dark one, mostly due to the setting in the sketchy parts of Southie, but Aiden s feelings set the tone for the most part, with his internal battles and the goals he sets for himself.  Sometimes, a little more detail on character s appearances or the description of places throughout the book would ve added a little more color and made it easier to picture in my mind.  There was also some inconsistency with ages and times, I noticed.  The language fit the setting, but it did get pretty crude, and a couple of scenes definitely encourage me to recommend it to older audiences due to some mature content.  Altogether, it was a well-written, interesting, and all-around good book.  I couldn t put it down.  I would recommend this book for anyone who can deal with some mature content and language who is looking for a fantastic read.
Crude language, sexual innuendos, violence, drugs, alcohol
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Sandy, OR United States

A Short Handbook for Writing Essays in the Humanities and Social Sciences

Have trouble writing that essay that is worth half of your grade. Then the Short Handbook for essays in the Humanities and Social Sciences is the book for you. This handbook will teach you how to change that boring old piece of paper into an argument that the reader will love. The authors, Salvatore and Dan Allosso, both very good teachers, have arranged this book in a way that is easy to read and understand so that you get the most out of your writing. This book will teach you to take the right notes, squeeze the information out of them, and create a paper that in unique and enjoyable.

I found this book very informative. I had an essay assigned when I got this book and it helped in a way the teacher couldn't. I learned how to look at notes and get the right information. Then it taught me hold to form that information into an essay that could display the topic in a clear, flowing way. I am sure that I will find this book to be essential in every essay that I write, and anyone who is having trouble with their writing can be sure that this will help.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Mineola, Texas America

Shadow Magic By Kitty Wells

     Maddy Lloyd is a girl with a magic secret. She has three

tiny ceramic cats that one at a time comes to life. The

pocket cats help Maddy to solve problems. It's when her

cousin Chloe moves in the house that Maddy meets Nibs, the

second cat. Nibs tells Maddy that there is a problem in

the house and she believes that has something to do with

Chloe.

     Maddy's cousin Chloe is in middle school, she is not very

friendly to Maddy or anybody and this is because she feels

homesick. Thanks to magic powers, Nibs makes Maddy

invisible and this helps her to spy on Chloe. Maddy will

find out the problem and when it is solved, Nibs goes back

to be ceramic and Maddy waits to meet the next pocket cat.



     I liked the book because it is about magic. I also

liked the fact that the cats came alive and they act like

real ones even if they are two inches tall. I loved the

main character Maddy because she is a kind and caring

girl. Her determination also helps her cousin to stay and

make new friends. I wish I could live the same experience

as the main character since I love magic and cats.

My favorite part of the book is when at the end Chloe

apologizes to Maddy for being rude and they become closer

again. I admire the forgiveness of Maddy to her cousin and

the real friendship that unites the two girls. These are

special feelings.

     I will recommend this book to a friend because the story

is interesting with a hint of magic. In conclusion the

story is amusing but at the same time helpful to kids by

teaching how to deal with everyday situations and making

the right choice.





Reviewer Age:9
Reviewer City, State and Country:

newburgh, ny usa

Magebane by Lee Arthur Chane

This book is an adventure book with magic in it. It is about a country where they are divided from the rest of the country by a massive magic wall called the Great Barrier. MageLords rule this world over the commoners. The commoners are not happy with the rule of the MageLords and are forming secret societies that are trying to revolt. They would revolt except that the MageLord have magic that can blow them apart. The government is very corrupt, and the King doesn't rule, the MageLords do. Will anything change?

This author is a very good author. He makes you feel like you are standing right next to the characters. Some of the book was a little inapropriate, but it was a very good book. This book's strength is that the author, as I said before, makes you feel like you are right there. Its weakness is that some of the book is a little hard to understand until you read farther. I would recommend this book to others.

Reviewer Age:14
Reviewer City, State and Country: Hunting Valley, OH USA