Dragon's Oath by PC Cast and Kristin Cast

Anastasia, a spells professor at the Tower Grove House of Night notices that all of her students seem to be enamored with Dragon Lankford. Though she has never met him, she decides to create a spell ensuring that her students are not overtaken with young love. Little does she know however, that this will lead to Dragon actually showing up right before she finishes the spell. Meanwhile, Tower Grove is being threatened by far greater dangers. Can Dragon and Anastasia protect the House of Night, or will their entire world be exposed?
P.C. and Kristin Cast are able to transport the reader to another world, as well as another time period. The dialogue was engaging and the few historical settings made the book more relatable and interesting. The plot line was unpredictable, which was refreshing. The foreshadowing used definitely enhanced the book as well. Overall, this was an interesting read and I would recommend it to fantasy readers.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Colleyville, TX U.S.

The Dragon in the Volcano by Kate Klimo

A missing dragon lost while in dog form, confusing science projects, and a mysterious phrase, things heating up from the Hobgoblins. Things couldn t be worse for our keepers, Jesse and Daisy in the newest installment of the dragon keepers series, The Dragon in the Volcano. After Emmy has abandoned her sock nest, along with all her socks in it Jesse and Daisy can only think of one thing to do-- consult Emmy s mother, Leandra of Tourmaline, who says that Emmy has gone in search of a new nest.  Emmy found one, a fiery one where everyone wears and eats oxygen; but the weirdness doesn t stop there. Here if you touch water, that part of you is lucky to still be attached.  Now one of the Grand Beacons children is plotting to destroy the Fiery Realm.  How do the keepers get out of this situation? Are there other forces at work here? Find out in the new, awesome book The Dragon in the Volcano!
 The Dragon in the Volcano is a book that I believe was written for the purpose of entertaining people, which I also believe was achieved.  The writing in this book flows well and captures and keeps your attention; I read this book two times straight through, which is a good thing. The book was written appropriately for ages 7-12 in my opinion. If you have read this series, then you will like this one , and with the next book, like me, you will have your expectations  for it increased.  I would recommend this book to anyone that likes dragon and adventure books.

Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Dickinson, TX United States

Wild Life by Cynthia DeFelice

Wild Life written by Cynthia DeFelice is a story of a twelve year old boy named Erik who desperately wants to learn to hunt.  His hunting plans are put on hold when his parents are deployed to Iraq. Erik is forced to move from New York to North Dakota to live with Grandparents he doesn t even remember. While left alone at his Grandparent s house he discovers a dog with porcupine quills in his snout. He calls his Grandma and together they call a vet to get the quills out. Erik wants to keep the dog but the vet says that they will probably find the owner because it is a good hunting dog. When his Grandfather comes home he does not want the dog in the house, or the dog to be there at all, so he orders it out to the barn. Erik goes out to the barn to sleep with the dog he has named Quill. He does not want to give him up. The next day Erik decides to run away with Quill and a gun that belonged to his dead uncle. Erik believes having Quill and the gun will be enough to survive out in the prairie but he soon finds out that surviving out in the prairie is not as easy as it looks.
This story was suspenseful and amazing. DeFelice explained everything really nicely and the story wrapped up very well too.  There was no bad language in this book at all.  Wild Life is appropriate for anyone 8 and older.

Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Rochester, NY USA

Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley

Until the woodpecker comes to Lily, Arkansas, Cullen Witter is preparing for another slow summer in his boring small town. A suspicious birdwatcher's alleged sighting of the thought-to-be-extinct woodpecker brings publicity and hope to the small town, and Cullen's hairdresser mother is busy giving young boys bright red mohawks, inspired by the town's obsession with the "Lazarus bird." Cullen highly doubts the birdwatcher's credibility and the existence of the bird, but he also has bigger things to think about. Ada Taylor, the girl of his dreams despite her tragic history of dead boyfriends, is actual starting to take notice of him. His troubled cousin has just died of an overdose, leaving his family fractured and fragile, and Cullen struggles to hold it all together. Weirdest and worst of all, Cullen's cultured and talented younger brother, Gabriel, disappears as suddenly and mysteriously as the woodpecker reappeared.


On the other side of the world from Arkansas, a young missionary named Benton Sage works desperately in Ethiopia to please his father and get a grasp on his faith. His disgraceful return to the United States sets off a chain of events that lead to the woodpecker, Cullen, Gabriel's disappearance, and the once-dull town of Lily.


At first, I was wondering how the stories of Cullen Witter and Benton Sage would intertwine in a logical way, but the climax was a beautiful weaving of the lives of two very different and complex characters. The ending left me with no questions, just a satisfied feeling. Though dark and suspenseful, the story had an overall whimsical feel to it, and the chapters from Cullen's perspective read exactly as if I were being told the story by an imaginative and sarcastic seventeen-year-old boy. This was a beautiful debut novel with a perfect balance of sadness and hope, and it painted a great portrait of how extraordinary things can happen in the most unlikely of places.

Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Tarpon Springs, Florida United States

Miles From Ordinary by Carol Lynch Williams

Miles from Ordinary by Carol Lynch Williams is a dark read.  It follows the story of thirteen-year-old Lacey who is barely managing to keep her life together.  The last time Lacey had a friend was in the fourth grade.  Her father left when she was young and her mother, Angela, is sick and suicidal.  Furthermore, Lacey s mother has an obsession with tragedy and often looks at pictures of destruction and death.  Angela sees visions of her own dead father and believes him to be alive.  This ghost encourages Angela to harm herself.


The one constant in Lacey' s life, her Aunt Linda, left when Angela, in a rage, decided to kick her sister out of the house.  Things go from bad to worse.  When she comes to pick up her mom from work, Lacey discovers that Angela is missing.  A friendly boy on the bus, Aaron, offers to help Lacey, giving her the first friendship she s had in years.  Through the book, Lacey, who is extremely protective of her mother, becomes more willing to understand that she has to get help for her mother.
I found this depressing book unenjoyable.  The author did not do a good job of lightening up the tension for even a few paragraphs.  She could have added a little brightness to Lacey s life in some way, such as even a TV show to which the girl looked forward.  The book had one tone without much variation.  The writing was mostly monotonic and dialogue never varied from character to character.  Additionally, I found the use of incomplete sentences such as Not my aunt after all (p. 138) sprinkled throughout the book to be irritating.  While the writing was somewhat descriptive, it never leapt off the page.   Furthermore, the author never made it quite clear from what type of mental illness Lacey' s mom was suffering, leaving the reader with a feeling of not fully understanding Angela' s problems.  The cause of Angela' s disease or Lacey 's feelings about her missing father were never explored.  In all, this book is not a must read.

Reviewer Age:16
Reviewer City, State and Country: Chicago, IL USA

W.S. From Rear-Ender to Slender Brenda by Jane Cuff

Twelve-year-old Katie is thin, popular, and beautiful. When twelve-year-old, not-so-thin Brenda joins Katie s school, Katie immediately nicknames Brenda Rear-ender. Katie and her friends are very cruel to Katie, but within six short months, Brenda mysteriously grows thin and Katie mysteriously puts on the pounds. Brenda still eats sweets and chocolates, yet she never gains any weight. As soon as Katie puts on the weight, she becomes unpopular and her friends turn on her. Everyone makes fun of her, and Katie discovers it s no fun getting the short end of the stick. Will Katie lose the weight, or will she be known as Weighty Katie forever?
I thought this book was pretty good. Sometimes, though, it was a bit hard to understand, because the book is from the U.K., and I am from the U.S. I liked it, though. Jane Cuff did a good job showing just how cruel bullying can be and what happens when the tables are turned and the roles are reversed. I think Ms. Cuff did achieve her purpose, which I believe is that bullying can be cruel and harmful, especially when you are the one getting bullied.

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

Faerie Winter by Janni Lee Simner

  After it is known throughout the town that all born after the war have magic in them the "Afters" are more free to practice their powers in front of the "Befores", those born before the war. Some of them use their gifts to help the town, Liza and Matthew do just this by going on patrols. The point of their patrols is to find shadows, spirits of those who died during the war, and lay them to rest before they reach the town in search of lost loved ones. One day during an ordinary patrol they come across something far from ordinary, a child's charred body buried in the snow. They return to town and tell Tara, Liza's mother, about their discovery so that the child may have a proper burial and the cause of his death can possibly be found. On their next patrol they find another child, but this time he is alive and a firestarter, one who can start fires in his mind. They bring him to the village so that they can possibly find out what happened, but he does not trust their intentions. One day he turns on them setting their house ablaze, Liza uses her gift and calls to him leading out of the house as well as her mother. Upon seeing what he had done he calls the fire back into him, putting his life at risk and burning him horribly. They must go get Kaylen from his town to heal him and Matthew insists on travelling alone so that they will be there sooner, Liza agrees on the condition that he will be back by sunrise.   She wakes up and finds Matthew is not back yet so she decides to set out to find him. To learn what befalls her on her journey read Faerie Winter by Janni Lee Simner.
Simner has created a post apocalyptic fantasy world where nothing is ever quite as it seems and romance keeps hidden in the shadows. The characters are quite memorable, this adds to the story making it that much better. Some of the more memorable characters are Liza,  The Lady, Kyle, Matthew, and Elin. The vocabulary was easy to understand and age appropriate. This book has a voice that is slightly eerie with undertones of romance. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a good read.
This book has mild gore
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Makanda, Illinois USA

The Girl Who Became A Beatle by Greg Taylor

Have you ever imagine becoming a legend? Everyone has a
fantasy of living the life of a famous person but it seems
impossible& right?  Well, Regina Bloomsbury thought it was
impossible too, but after one of the worst days of her
life, her band fell apart because of the minimal gigs they
were playing, she wishes her band the Caverns were as
popular as the Beatles.  The next morning Regina wakes up
and sees the Beatles collectables in her room were gone
and were replaced with Caverns memorabilia.   Suddenly her
life was drastically different from what it was before. 
The Caverns have replaced the Beatles and are on their way
to California to kick off their world tour. At first
Regina loves the fame her wish has brought her but she
realizes that it was not all that she thought it would
be.  When she is given a choice that will change her life
forever she is conflicted.  Will Reginas life be changed
forever or will she go back to her normal life?
Overall
this book was a very good read.  It started with a typical
storyline about a band but evolved into a very interesting
plot.  I enjoyed reading about the ups and downs of
Hollywood and I think that Regina s problems made her very
relatable.  The author told the story in a voice that made
it easy to read.  This book had many Beatle references and
I would recommend it to a reader with interests in music. 

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country:
Owings Mills, Maryland USA

Graffiti Art Coloring Book by, Aye Jay

Ever wish that you could capture the colorful art of graffiti on paper. Well now you can!
Color your own styles of the hottest art on the street. Paints like Lady Pink, Pose, Mear, and many more. So get out some crayons, colored pencils, markers, anything and get to coloring!

No one in the world is to old to enjoy a good coloring book. Now anyone can have his or her own graffiti masterpiece. The owner can color each piece of graffiti in any way. This adds a little of the personal touch the reader has. Whether it's in rainbow colors or outside the lines, this book is sure to satisfy anyone looking for a good coloring book.   


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

The Other Countess by Eve Edwards

Four years previous William Lacey, the new, young, and penniless Earl of Dorset, was kicking Lady Eleanor Rodriguez, Countess of San Jaime, (also known as Ellie) out of his house after her father, ruined the Lacey family s name and fortune.  Now, in the year 1582, the two meet again on different circumstances at the Queen Elizabeth s court.  The Earl seems quite enchanted with Ellie quick wit and exotic looks, not recognizing her for the girl he kicked out so many years before.  If only he could find a bride with the money he needs to bring his family s home to its former glory.  Money - something Ellie was without.  William will have to choose between duty and love, Lady Jane and Lady Eleanor.
This book was absolutely my favorite book Flamingnet has sent me so far.  Eve Edwards s writing is a lot like that of Eva Ibbotson s, who happens to be my favorite author.  I have recommended this book to all my friends and cannot wait to read the next book in this romance series coming out in 2012!  I learned a lot about Elizabethan clothing which was interesting, and the spoken language was old fashioned, but very easy to understand, which made it very beautiful.  I have nothing but praise for this book and hope others enjoy this as much as I did.

Reviewer Age:17
Reviewer City, State and Country: Gearhart, Oregon United States

Between Two Ends by David Ward

Between Two Ends, by David Ward, is a good book because it s about magical books.  Yeats, the main character, is a 12 year-old boy with a depressed father and a scared mother. He and his parents are visiting his Grandma s house.  He wants to find out why his dad is so depressed, so he asks his grandma. She tells him that 20 years ago, a girl named Shari, disappeared in the library.  Exploring the library, Yeats finds magical bookends that can transport him into any book.  The living bookends also tell him about a girl they transported into the book 1001 Arabian Nights 20 years ago. Shari was his dad' s best friend.  She never came out. So, he goes in after her in hopes of making his dad stop being so depressed.  However, some book' s spells are not easy to break and sometimes the people in the book lose their memory and become part of the story.  This story tells about love, bravery, mystery and humor.  I recommend this book for anyone who likes a good laugh and a great adventure.  Beware!  This book is addictive!
This book is very good with some unexpected twists. It took a while to get me interested,but once I was,it hooked me for good. The author did a good job, accept at the beginning,where he forgets to lay hooks for the reader.

Reviewer Age:11
Reviewer City, State and Country: Merced, Ca united states

The Poisons of Caux: Book Two by Susannah Appelbaum

Ivy the prophecy child and her sidekick Rowan have to travel to the guild to face the evil director.  Ivy keeps on healing others and is becoming well known around Caux.  They make many new friends on the way. They also face many hardships.   This book is packed with action from the start to the deadly encounter.


Overall I enjoyed this book. One of the things that I enjoyed about it were the people in it because they are really interesting.  One example is “the errant taster was on the run from the dreaded Tasters’ guild, where he learned his trade, only to practice it disastrously-killing twenty of Kings Nightshade’s men and the man he was specifically charged with protecting.”   The beginning was sort of slow for me but it got into a lot of action by the end. An example of that is “the footsteps were quickening now as she turned instead to  wake Rowan, and she had little time to shake her friend before the unwelcome arrival was upon them.”   I really hope that the third book in this truly frightening series is like the first two. The author did a great job on her second novel. My favorite thing I liked about this book is the main chaaracter Ivy. She is a very smart and courageous young girl. She also reminded me of Violet from the Series of Unfortunate Events.    I recommend this book to people 10 and up.


Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Uxbridge, MA USA

The Lunatics Curse by F.E. Higgins

In a town named Oppum Oppidulum, a twelve year old boy by
the name of Rex Grammaticus is the son of a famous engineer
and inventor.  His father is pronounced a lunatic by his
evil step mother and taken to a high security asylum in the
middle of a freezing lake. This lake is rumored to be the
home of a giant sea monster and diamonds are believed to be
at the bottom of the lake.  Soon after the story gets going,
there is a jail-break and the head warden of the asylum is
replaced by a mind doctor, who uses hypnotism in crooked
ways.  Rex 's father also escaped during the jail-break and
soon enough found Rex locked in his room by his step mother.
From there, Rex enters into various suspenseful adventures
that help him unravel the mystery of the asylum and the
strange Andrew Fey Society that controls it.
The Lunatic s
Curse was my first book to read by this author and I really
liked it. The characters were very interesting and the story
was good, even though confusing at times for me.  At first,
I wasn't sure I' d like it, but by chapter three, I was
hooked.  I hope that others will like this book, too, and I
think that people who liked books like Artemis Fowl should
especially like The Lunatic s Curse.  It has a good plot and
it is full of action and adventure.  There are a few dull
spots, but it gets interesting again fairly
quickly.

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and
Country: MEMPHIS, TN USA

Amen, L.A. by Cherie Bennett and Jeff Gottesfeld

Natalie Shelton is in for the ride of her life. She lives in a tiny Minnesota town where her mom is the pastor at their local church. Then out of the blue her mom landed a fantastic job as the new pastor in the Church of Beverly Hills. Natalie is dragged along to California leaving her boyfriend, Sean, behind. Soon Natalie forgets all about her old town and old boyfriend. She's living in a huge mansion, making friends with celebrities, and going to real L.A. parties. But is Natalie adjusting to the Hollywood life too fast? Do her morals even exist anymore?

I thought Amen L.A. was a pretty cute story. I requested it because I just needed a light, fun, book and that's exactly what I got. The characters were very interesting and easy to relate to, especially Natalie. Coming from a small town and being in a long distance relationship myself, her story was very appealing. The plot also kept getting better as new characters kept being introduced. The ending wrapped itself up pretty well, but the authors left plenty of room for a sequel. I really enjoyed reading this book and I am definitely going to recommend it to some of my friends.

Sexual Content, Explicit language, and Use of illegal drugs and alcohol. 

Reviewer Age:15

Reviewer City, State and Country: Hopkins, Michigan United States

Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton

Silla Kennicott had a pretty good life - doting parents, a loving brother, a shot at becoming an actress - until the horrific murder-suicide committed by her father. Silla refuses to believe her father would commit such an atrocious act, and when she receives a book in the mail containing magic spells, she's certain something else is going on. All the spells require blood, but Silla's willing to do anything to find out more about her father's past. That's when she meets Nick Pardee, a transplant from Chicago, and the two might have more in common than they think. This isn't Nick's first experience with Blood Magic, and their shared powers might be needed to defeat evil that's lurking in the shadows of their small town.

I enjoyed Blood Magic and thought it was a decent addition to the Paranormal/Fantasy genre. I haven't read that many books about witches (excluding Harry Potter, of course), so I was intrigued by Blood Magic. Blood Magic was different in that you needed blood to complete any spells, which is a little gruesome but plays into the atmosphere well. The plot was very suspenseful even though it wasn't too hard to guess who the villain was. I thought that Silla was a resilient character because she was able to keep going after her parents died and didn't completely break down. Nick was an okay character; even though part of the book is his point-of-view, I still don't feel like I know that much about him. I'm starting to think that the love-at-first-sight thing is getting overdone, which is what happened in Blood Magic. Silla and Nick have an "instant attraction" but I don't think it was as well-written as it could have been. Besides that, I liked Blood Magic and look forward to the sequel.

Reviewer Age:19
Reviewer City, State and Country: Aston, Pennsylvania United States

Hatshepsut of Egypt by Shirin Yim Bridges

HATSHEPSUT OF EGYPT

Ever since they broke through the walls in Hatshepsut's tomb, people have been wondering about her, and how there could have ever been a female pharaoh. Because weren't pharaohs always males? This story is about a woman who bravely declared herself pharaoh. Why don't we learn more about her in school? You will find out about all of this in this interesting and informative book.


HATSHEPSUT OF EGYPT

Hatshepsut of Egypt is a very good book that I would recommend to GIRLS from the ages of 9-13. The illustrations are well done, and help readers to picture Hatshepsut's times. I thought it was good to learn how she ruled and increased Egypt's treasury. One of the reasons I liked this book is because it shows that women are fit to be rulers. Hatshepsut made plenty of money for Egypt and made peace with others instead of fighting them.

It was fun to read HATSHEPSUT OF EGYPT. It is perfect sized at about 20 pages.



Reviewer Age:12
Reviewer City, State and Country: Rockford, MI USA

Bargains and Betrayals

Bargains and Betrayals continues Jessica's and Pieter's story of love, lies, sacrifices, daring rescues and werewolves. Jessica, Jess, has just been unwillingly torn from her true love and checked into an asylum. Now she has to find a way out in order to save Pieter's mother from a life cut short due to their werewolf genetics. Like any sickness there is a cure but one only Jess can provide. In the third book of the 13 to Life series, Jess and Pieter make drastic sacrifices to keep all they love alive.
I loved the first two 13 to Life books and the third installment to the series kept me just as interested. I tore through the book in less then a day with eagerness that was not at any point disappointed. It was a great page turner but took a little thinking and rereading to understand at times. In this book Shannon Delany skipped in between characters demanding that you pay attention to who is telling the story. I can't wait to see what the next book has to offer.
I rated the content a 3 because it made numerous references to sex and at one point vaguely described it.
Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Glendale, AZ United States

Reel Life Starring Us by Lisa Greenwald

In Lisa Greenwald’s book Reel Life Starring Us, Dina is the new girl at Rockwood Hills Middle School. Rockwood Hills is known for its cliques and for Sasha Preston, the now famous movie star that used to attend the middle school. Dina soon learns that Rockwood Hills is not like her old school and that in this school you’re either in the in-crowd or, in Dina’s case, you’re not. When Dina gets assigned to work on a video project with Chelsea, the most popular girl in school, Dina can’t help but think that she will finally fit in. However, Dina soon realizes that Chelsea’s home life isn’t what you would expect for such a popular individual. Will the video project help these two become friends? Will Dina ever fit in? And most importantly, will anyone ever really be in the in crowd at Rockwood Hills Middle School? 

As I read this book, I felt compassion for Dina as she entered Rockwood Hills. People weren’t very nice to her, and being a new student didn’t help her case. I also felt compassion for Chelsea, due to the situation in her home life and the struggle she goes through in order to keep it a secret. The setting played a major role in this book because Rockwood Hills is a very wealthy community and Dina and Chelsea are very different when it comes down to money. The plot in this book was slow at some points and made it hard to read through some of the pages. I felt like this book took awhile to get to the climax of the story, but the climax and the rising action left led to a well thought out ending. If you are looking for an easy read and a book about true friendship, Reel Life Starring Us would be the right choice. 

Reviewer Age:14

Reviewer City, State and Country: Springfield, Ohio USA

Sass and Serendipity by Jennifer Ziegler

A tribute to Sense and Sensibility, Sass and Serendipity is a tale of two sisters. Gabby, the older responsible sister, always sees the glass as half empty. She only has one friend, and spends all of her time either studying or at her job trying to support their single mom. Daphne is a junior varsity cheerleader with high hopes and tons of friends. She is always super positive and loves to kick back and enjoy life. The two sisters never see eye to eye on anything. Gabby always wishes Daphne would get her head out of the clouds and come back to reality. Daphne wants Gabby to get off her back and live a little. When some extreme changes enter these two sisters lives, their lives get turned upside down and the girls start questioning their perspectives.
I loved this book. I wasnt sure how difficult it might be, considering one out of the three words in the title I hadnt seen before, but it was an easy read. (Serendipity means good luck, or events playing out in a good way.) Some realistic fiction books dont seem very realistic. This book applies to any two sisters, and is as real as can be. An engaging mix of realistic fiction and romance, I would recommend this book to any girl over 12, especially ones with sisters.  

Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Leawood, KS United States

Brooklyn, Burning by Steve Brezenoff

Brooklyn, Burning is about a street kid trying to fit in and create an identity for him/herself. Kid is just a teenager who has a love of the music and the soul of Brooklyn, but that is what seems to separate his/her father from him/her. When his/her father kicks his out of his home, Kid sleeps, hopes, and plays the drums anywhere he can find a friend. Another plot comes twisting into the story when Kid is found a likely suspect of burning down the historic warehouse, where he has been living for the past few weeks. In this story of survival, forgiveness, punk rock and love, the city of Brooklyn will be calling you home by the end.

In this book about a street kid trying to find his/her own life, it shows the power and force of dreams and love. Brezenoffs book reveals some harsher city moments, but also the hope that is sparked deep within those times. This book truly transforms the image of Brooklyn and its streets. I was a little confused with who Kid actually was, because it never completely said whether kid was a boy or girl. I understand that this may be intentional, but it bothered me because I couldn't fully relate to the character without completely knowing Kid. I thought that this was a great book, and it had a good fictional twist to the truth of the warehouse burning.


Reviewer Age:13
Reviewer City, State and Country: Lederach, PA USA