The Stupendous Dodgeball Fiasco by Janice Repka
The story begins at the marvelous Windy Van Hooten Circus, where Phillip Edward Stanislaw, the protagonist, is just trying to fit in. There he cleans up animal poop during one act while the horse rider, Helga, rides her horse around the ring. The end to his current circus career comes when he tries to find a boy in the stands while Helga is doing her act. Without Phillip there to clean up the poop the horse slips in its own droppings, ruining her act. When she talks to his parents he decides he wants to leave the circus. So off Phillip goes to stay in Hardingtown, Pennsylvania, The Unofficial Dodgeball Capital of the World, to stay with his Aunt Veola, his mothers sister, and his Uncle Felix. When he arrives at school the next day, he discovers that being an average kid in Hargingtown is pretty hard when the school bully, B.B. Tyson, doesn't like you very much. In his first dodgeball game he escape getting hit by climbing the rope hanging from the ceiling. After school he goes to his aunt's workplace where she is a security guard. At the snack bar Phillip meets the blind cashier, Sam, and they become friends. During the next few weeks at school, Phillip sprains his wrist and tries to petition against dodgeball, but the petition has to be approved by the Student Body President. The bad thing is B.B. is the President and he doesn't stand a chance. When his wrist is better he has to play dodgeball again and B.B. breaks his glasses he decides to sue her, and while he is at it he sues the Dodgeball Factory. When Sam makes up his mind to become his own lawyer, he puts every thing at stake in court. Can Phillip hold on to his lawsuit when a huge problem occurs?
I found this book a hilarious look into the life of a kid trying to fit in. This book had an excellent amount of detail all the way through. I think this book is great for its age level. Janice Repka is a great author and I look forward to reading more of her books.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewed by GH
Little Darlings by: Sam Llewellyn
Little Darlings, written by Sam Llewellyn, is the story of three naughty children, Daisy Darling, age 12, Cassian Darling, age 11, and Primrose Darling, age 10, and their life changing adventure. Their mother left when they were young. They live with their father and stepmother, but don’t interact with the parents at all. Instead of having their parents take care of them, they have nannies. With Daisy’s nanny-hating skills, Cassian’s engineering skills, and Primrose’s deadly cooking techniques, the Darlings manage to scare off eighteen nannies, putting them on the nanny blacklist, which makes it nearly impossible to find a nanny. The parents’ last chance at finding a nanny turns out to be a group of criminals who dress up as nannies to steal pieces of their fellow worker’s bear, which the Darling residence has a piece of. Without intending to, the children end up on the ship where the criminal nannies live! With the permission of the captain to stay on the ship, the children become right at home. Cassian works on the engineering of the ship, Primose gets right at home in the kitchen, perfecting her cooking skills, and Daisy begins training the criminals how to become proper nannies, so they won’t give up their true identity. The criminals and a group of builders compete to find missing pieces of a stuffed bear that was divided in the past to receive an award from the ship’s chief. The Darling children help the criminals disguised as nannies. Unfortunately, both the builders and the criminals each find three pieces of the bear and are forced to a challenge. The challenge is a fight with one chosen person on each side. The winner receives the entire bear, and the loyalty of the former King of Iceland. Find out how the Darling siblings, Daisy, Cassian, and Primrose, use their skills to aid the criminals and learn the true story about their mother.
If there was ever a more surprising and uniquely interesting book, I would be in shock for days. Little Darlings, written by Sam Llewellyn, is a great book to read if you like unexpected turns in a plot, mysteries being solved that you hadn’t even thought of, and three mischievous children saving themselves and their close friends and family in the most unique and humorous ways possible. You might get confused about the plot and who everybody is in the beginning, but DO NOT STOP READING the book, because soon enough you will be so into the book that you won’t be able to put it down. There has never been a character in a book so creative and interesting to read about as the youngest sister in the Darling family, Primrose. Primrose takes over the story with her mischievous charm and well described baked treats. The most unexpected ending I have ever seen occurs in this book. The adventures of the characters don’t stop until the very last paragraph in the book. It is amazing how well the ending caught you by surprise. This book made it to the top of my favorite book list with its highly unique style. In the most creative way possible the book teaches you to enjoy your family and make the best of your childhood memories, because some families, like the Darling family in Little Darlings, don’t interact at all. In fact, in some families the children never see their parents and their parents don’t notice whether the children are at home or not! There were plenty of vocabulary words appropriate for the age group it was written for, but there were a few too many slang words by the criminals. The way the plot twisted and turned made it so you could read Little Darlings many times and be surprised each time. It was nice that the author solved all the mysteries and questions. The only thing I would change in the book is the way that some of the sentences dragged on, making it confusing to follow along with what was happening in that particular sentence. Despite this, Little Darlings is one of the most exciting books ever written.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewed by MP
Shenandoah Whispers And Echoes by Tom Orrell
Tom Orrell’s "Shenandoah Whispers and Echoes" is a narrative embedded within an account by Steven Dickenson, a Virginia newspaperman that was given an old journal. Dickenson, interested in the journal, agrees to read through and prepare for publication the diary of James Randolph Wise of Staunton, Virginia. Wise, born a decade preceding the Civil War, writes a vivid account of his and his family’s life through the upheavals faced by common people during and after the Civil War. Wise’s moving tale progresses through the first 47 years of his heart-breaking life where tragedy upon tragedy rules his life; his brother, Shelby, dies fighting for the Confederacy, Union troops destroy his father’s farm as General Hunter destroyed the Shenandoah Valley, and both his beloved wife and sister die during childbirth. Eventually his parents die, leaving home alone. However, his father, before passing on, tells him of gold that his brother hand found in the California gold rush years before. Locating the gold, Wise pays debts and sells the farm to move to town and make a life with the masonry he loved to word with. He makes a successful business and marries Beverly, a widow living with her mother. Wise is happy for a couple of years until tragedy strikes again. Left alone once again, he decides to travel the country, meeting people and expanding his horizons. Infused with enthusiasm upon returning home to his beloved Staunton, he returns with a positive outlook and truly helps Daniel Jefferson, a former slave who also lost his family. Wise becomes a philanthropist, living a life of giving for satisfaction.
Tom Orrell’s presentation of Shenandoah Whispers and Echoes reveals history, especially the Civil War, in a manner people in any age can relate to. The novel is a quick and easy read that really impacts both through the tragedy and the positive outlook shown by James Wise. The ending really satisfied me and made the novel worth reading. Wise serves as a good narrator because of his constant telling of what went on around him and the opinion of others, a really important part of any historical novel. I enjoyed this view of the famous Shenandoah Valley and learned a lot from the book, both historically and about humanity. I look forward to reading more of Tom Orrell’s work.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 17
Reviewed by SAs
The Green Futures of Tycho by William Sleator
The Green Futures of Tycho, written by William Sleator, is a book about the adventures of an eleven year old boy, Tycho, and a mysterious egg–shaped gadget he found while digging a garden. Tycho’s parents, Bobby and Judy, named each of their four children after a famous person in a particular field, hoping that there children will grow up to join that field. Tycho, 11, was named after the famous Danish astronomer, Tycho Brahe. He is expected to become an astronomer, but he has many other interests he would like to pursue as well. When Tycho was pursuing his interest in gardening and plants by making a garden, he stumbled upon a strange devise that he thought was just a piece of metal, but something inside him told him to take it. His siblings came to him so they could see what he found, but Tycho refused to show it to them and accidentally pressed the top of the devise, causing him to disappear from sight. Tycho had disappeared in the morning and did not show up again until it was dark out. Knowing that this egg-shaped piece of metal was special, Tycho started to examine it to find that it was a time travel device. Tycho used the egg to his advantage by going into the past and changing some events that had haunted him for many years into good memories for himself. Using the egg, Tycho decides to see what he will turn out to be in the future because of his many interests. Each time he goes to the future, he is in a different career, but the one similarity in all of his futures is that he has become a horrible man, not only to his family, but to the world itself. Frightened of his future, Tycho tries to find out how what he can do to fix the mistakes he will make in his life, and in the process he learns that life is all about chance. An example of how chance controls your life is that if you were to stay at a party five minutes later than you wanted to and someone new came in, you could hit it off right there and possibly find the person you will spend the rest of your life with. If you hadn’t stayed at the party, you would never have met that person and your whole life would be different. Knowing this, Tycho decides to go into the future to find out what he can do to save himself from the horrible future he has seen. Soon, Tycho learns that the time travel devise is the cause of the potential horror of his future. Unfortunately, it might be too late to fix his future. Tycho has to be strong, brave, and extremely smart in attempt to find a way to make it so he never saw the egg and to be able to safely return to his time.
The Green Futures of Tycho is an excellent book. I would recommend this book to anyone, even an adult. You may think that the book starts off a little slow, but after the first four pages, you won’t be able to put the book down. One of the many great aspects of the book is how the characters are named after well known people so that they will join the field of whomever they were named after. It is interesting to think of yourself being put in the position of one of the characters. You would have a career chosen for you that you would have to pursue; otherwise you would disappoint your family. My favorite character was Tycho, because you could see the different changes in his personality after each journey through time. Another reason Tycho is my favorite character is because he has many different attitudes in each potential future, and you can figure out what kind of a person he will end up to be in twenty years once his life is back to normal. The ending of the book is my favorite part of the book because of the way the author grabbed your attention by adding unexpected action into the story. If I were asked how this book compares to any other science fiction book that I have read, I would say that The Green Futures of Tycho is definitely one of the top 5 books in the science fiction category. The Green Futures of Tycho is a pretty easy book to read, but it still contains plenty of appropriate vocabulary for many different ages. This book teaches you that life may rely mostly on chance, but you can make the decisions that will lead chance in your favor. William Sleator’s style of writing is what grabs you into the book. The surprises that the author puts in the book are placed and written so perfectly that when they come, you don’t even expect it. No matter how many times you read the book, the surprises still come unexpectedly. There was just enough detail in the book that you could picture the story perfectly, but still be able to add some of your own creativity into the story. When the book was over, you could picture what would happen next because of how well the author described the entire story. The only change I would make in the story is having Tycho go into the past a couple more times to play practical jokes on his friends and family. The Green Futures of Tycho is one of the greatest books ever written. Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewed by: MP
Revenge of the Wannabees by Lisi Harrison
Alicia Rivera, tired of being second-in-command to Massie Block, decides to start her own clique. Encouraged by her friends from dance, she creates her own clique fashioned off Massie’s GLU (girls like us) clique, and vies to become the most sought after girl. Massie becomes desperate once her inner circle starts to fall apart. She will do anything and everything to continue to be the most popular girl, while her ex-best friend will do the same to stay afloat. Kristen and Dylan, both current GLU’s have sticky secrets that are used to pressure them from one side to another. While Claire Lyon, the new girl, tries to fit in. Lies, betrayal, and manipulation fuel the plot of the third Clique novel.
Revenge of the Wannabees is a very realistic novel. I can see some of this middle school drama actually happening. The scenes range from sad to humorous. Although the girls are 7th graders, at times they seem much older. This is a really fun book to pass the time. All the conflict and drama keeps the reader entertained. Lisi Harrison really makes the reader look forward to the next book in the series.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewed by: LH
The Sledding Hill by Chris Crutcher
Eddie Proffit lost everything. In the same week both his father and his best friend died. As his best friend comes back as a ghost and “haunts” him by giving Eddie advice, he finds condolence in a book written by an author whose other books were banned. He did not choose, however, to read it, as it was assigned. Now the Reverend Tarter is trying to get the book banned and Eddie will have to do some serious detective work to beat Tarter’s allies on the school board.
This review will be from two points of view, that of the fantasy fan and that of the realistic fiction fan. I am both. From the perspective of the fantasy fan, the book was well written, but not very exiting. The only actions besides verbal ones were when both of the people died. In retrospect, the book had great characters, but not as many plot twists as I would have liked. However, in my individual opinion, this book was great. I loved the fact that the author, Chris Crutcher, put himself into the book. This book doesn’t really talk about mature issues, but it mentions them quite frequently. The Sledding Hill also has a large vocabulary, so you need a good reading level. I thought the last chapter was awesome, but the very last few paragraphs were hard to understand. For the fantasy fans—skip over this. For the realistic fiction fans—buy it and read it 3 times. This is my fourth favorite book of all time!
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10
Reviewer Age: 11
Reviewed by: JMc
Secret Agent by Spizman & Johnston
Every day for six years after work, Kyle's dad has gone into his room and worked on writing his book called Love In Autumn. Now Kyle's mom has had enough and she goes and kicks Walter (Kyle's dad) out of the house. Why? Because an un-published book does not make any money, which Kyle's mom needs to support the family. So Kyle figures if he can get the book published his parents might get back together, but he is going to need some help. So he recruits his friends Tyrone, Chad, Ruben, and Lucinda, who by the way has a mad crush on Kyle, and Kyle does not have a clue about it. Anyways Kyle and his friends do many interesting "spy like" things like following around one of the biggest editors in the world, pretending to be some one else, sneaking into restaurants, and going into a tofu candy bar. What happens in the end? Does Kyle and the spies get the book published? You will have to find out in “Secret Agent”.
”Secret Agent” had a good plot, but it just wasn't written very well. It took me a while to get a grip on the story and every once in a while it would go back in the story plot, which was very confusing for me. Also the characters weren't really developed except for Ruben. Overall, I really did not enjoy this book, and I would not recommend it to other readers.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 4
Reviewer Age: 14
The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney
This book starts out with a boy named Thomas Ward. He is the seventh son of a seventh son. Then the local spook takes him into apprenticeship. The Spook’s job is to “protect farms and villages from things that go bump in the night. Dealing with ghouls, boggarts, and all manner of wicked beasties”. During his training he meets a girl named Alice and his life goes downhill from there. Including accidentally resurrecting an evil which! Can the spook teach Thomas enough to stay alive?
This is an extraordinarily well-written book for a debut. The ending of this book makes you want to find out what adventures Thomas goes through next. I can’t wait for the next book to come out (whenever it does). I believe it could become a high-selling book and series.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 12
The Witch's Boy by Michael Gruber
This was a stunning fantasy book. It has aspects of many classic fairy tales enwrapped into this book. It starts out with a witch finding a baby boy in the middle of the woods. Though this is not a normal baby boy, he is deeply scarred and deformed. The witch calls him Lump, for the lumps and scars the cover his body. “Charming creature something like a pig, something like a bat. Aren’t babies supposed to be pretty?”. His nurse is a bear and his tutor is a demon. The Author has formed a world of beauty, cruelty, hate, legend, and wonder.
This was an ok book. He mixes the fairytales well into the story, unlike some books. The way he creates the hate towards Lump because he looks different is a reminder of what goes on in the world today. This is the only book of its kind I’ve ever read and that makes it worth the read. Some parts of this book are deep and sorrowful, while others are happy and cheerful. I counted ten fairytales in this book. How many can you find?
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 12
Reviewed by: EH
Nice Girls Don't Get Rich : 75 Avoidable Mistakes by Lois P. Frankel, PhD.
If you’re a girl who has little or no conception of how to move in the financial world, 'Nice Girls Don’t Get Rich' by Dr. Lois Frankel is for you. Dr. Frankel’s book is packed with information on how to invest, protect your finances, and maneuver successfully in the financial world. The author, a woman herself, explains to women that being ‘nice’ in the financial world just doesn’t work. Financial success depends on stopping yourself from being a pushover.
There are many ‘how to’ financial books available today, but it is doubtful that there are many similar, in either quality or style, to ‘Nice Girls Don’t Get Rich’. A financial book designed to help women; ‘Nice Girls’ possesses both clarity and attractive formatting, unlike the multitudes of dry books available on financial matters. Though ‘Nice Girls Don’t Get Rich’ is very helpful and informative, Dr. Frankel’s book contains some questionable advice and immoral content, and is thus recommended for only some teens. ‘Nice Girls’ has the potential to be a great help to all young (or old) women seeking to succeed in the financial world.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 17
Reviewed by: AK
Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson
Three girls, Birdie, Leeda, and Murphy are thrown together at the Darlington’s Peach Orchard for spring and summer break. Birdie has lived on the orchard her whole life and is an extremely shy and unassuming 16 year old. Leeda is her well-to-do cousin. Murphy is a girl from school, doing community service for her transgressions. As the book progresses, the reader gets to know each girl as an individual. As the end of summer approaches, the girls’ bond tightens and the orchard starts to fall apart. Birdie learns about the world outside her safe haven, and both Leeda and Murphy experience the joy of having real friends to lean on for the first time. When tragedy strikes the three friends successfully endure it because of their close, tight knit relationship. Through love, friendship, rivalry, jealousy, and hardship, these three friends face it all and still manage to have the best summers ever.
”Peaches”, by Jodi Lynn Anderson gets off to a slow start. The first few chapters of the book gave off an aura of stereotypical girls (the wealthy popular girl vs. the bad girl image vs. the shy home-schooled girl in the background). But as the plot develops, the girls each become their own individuals. The reader becomes each character as they go through their lives in a first person narrative. Although it is difficult to get through the first part of the book, the rest is a fast read. If you have the patience to wait it out, “Peaches” is ultimately a great book similar to “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”, by Ann Brashares.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewed by: MAs
The Nobodies by N.E.Bode
”The Nobodies”, sequel to “The Anybodies”, is a fantasy novel. The star of the novel, Fern, is an “Anybody.” That is, she has the power to shake objects out of books into the real world and transform herself into, well, pretty much anything. Fern’s “friend” Howard loves spray starch, math equations, and wristwatches and is the “most boring kid” Fern knows. He also happens to be an Anybody. In this novel, Howard and Fern are sent off together to Camp Happy Sunshine Good Times, a camp for Anybodies. Fern can’t wait to get to camp and meet other Anybodies; Howard, who hates being an Anybody, is dreading it. When they get there, they discover that Camp Happy Sunshine Good Times is not exactly what Fern expected. The camp counselors are very mean and bossy to the campers. When Fern finds out from another camper that Happy Sunshine Good Times used to be fun, she decides to take matters into her own hands. Can she defeat whatever is controlling the counselors and master being an Anybody? Read it for yourself to find out!
Opinion: The characters are funny and lovable. The author uses witty jokes and keeps the reader going. The book teaches a good lesson about friendship and family. “The Nobodies” is interesting and fun to read, but I did feel sort of lost sometimes and felt that if I had read the previous book, “The Anybodies”, I would have been more aligned with the plot. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good story about magic and adventures at camp, and I would suggest reading “The Anybodies” first to get familiar with the characters.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 11
Reviewed by: GS
Warriors: The New Prophecy #2: Moonrise by Erin Hunter
The four cat clans and their forest homes are being destroyed by two-legs(a.k.a. humans). Their only chance of survival lies with four chosen cats. These cats, accompanied by two others- Stormfur and Squirrelpaw- go on a mission to try and rescue the clans. While crossing over the mountains, they meet a Tribe of cats. The Tribe cats declare that Stormfur was sent to them to save them from Sharptooth- a mountain lion who has been picking off the Tribe cats one by one. In the end, one cat will not return home.
This is the second book in Erin Hunter’s Warriors: The New Prophecy series. Moonrise is interesting from page one. While it has a little more romance in it than book one, it is not soppy. The ending is action-packed and unexpected, and it is the best part of the book. When you finish reading this, you will want to go immediately to the next book.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewed by BP
The Dark Hills Divide by Patrick Carman
The Dark Hills Divide is about a 12 year old girl named Alexa Daley. Alexa is a small skinny girl that loves to explore everything. Her dad is the mayor of Lathbury, a small town. Every summer, Alexa and her dad leave Lathbury to go to Bridewell. Bridewell is a town surrounded by walls that protect them from a monster in the Dark Hills behind the walls. One day Alexa was exploring the Bridewell castle where she was staying. She finds a small door behind a chair that turns out to be a tunnel through the wall to the Dark Hills. Alexa meets all the animals that live in the Dark Hills that suffer from the wall because they got separated from family and friends. She finds a stone that lets her talk to the animals. Alexa realizes that the walls aren't protecting them from a monster; they are the monsters. She solves the mystery behind the walls and finds out why they are there in the first place. The walls were originally prisons and the prisoners built a wall so that one-day they could trap the people inside and overthrow Bridewell.
I liked the book because of the mystery. Alexa Daley is my favorite character. She is smart and brave. The book is slow at first, but it gets a lot better. The mystery and idea are very interesting. I really liked the talking animals and how they help bring down the wall.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 11
Reviewed by AJ
Dragon Blade:The Book of the Rowan by Andre Norton & Sasha Miller
Ashen NordornQueen and Gaurin NordornKing are enjoying peace at last, after the defeat of The Great Foulness, a mighty ice dragon. Their infant son has been crowned Bjauden NordornPrins, and though the land still has a lot of healing to do, things are looking on the bright side at last. Unfortunately, things are about to take a huge turn for the worse. When Ashen discovers a mysterious letter in the false bottom of one of her gifts, she realizes that the assault of the Ice Dragons is not over. According to legend, only the Dragon Blade, which was forged from the scales of the Mother Ice Dragon’s mate when he was killed, can subdue her, and until she is subdued, she will continue to produce offspring that will attack the lands of ice and snow. Can Gaurin defeat the mother Ice Dragon without the Dragon Blade? Can Ashen get to her husband in time to give him the map to the Dragon Blade and the Mother Ice Dragon’s lair before it is too late? And can their friends defeat a new ancient evil that threatens the lands while Ashen and Gaurin are away?
Dragon Blade is an unbelievable book. Prophecies and Ancient legends, love, magic, hope, and the strength and courage to attempt the unthinkable are interwoven throughout the story to make it a huge success. The imagery of the piece is unbelievable, making you not only see everything that is happening but feel it too. Fantasy, mystery, and romance readers will all love this book because it is written in such a way that even if you are a romance reader who dislikes Fantasy, or vice versa, you will still love the book. Norton and Miller have done a wonderful job creating this masterpiece.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 10
Reviewer Age: 13
Reviewed by: SMo
Gypsy Prince: War Horse by Tom Townsend
In the book, Gypsy Prince, an innocent horse is thrown into WWII. He was not prepared, but he adjusts quickly in training camp. Gypsy Prince thinks all of the drills are like games. When he really goes into war, he learns otherwise. He goes from a Nazi warhorse to a food cart puller. He even goes to the American side for a little. Gypsy Prince continues wandering, until he finds some trace of his old, peaceful life.
I loved this book. I thought it was kind of like Black Beauty. A horse goes from owner to owner, meeting up with his past now and then. It was great. I enjoyed hearing what war was like for Gypsy Prince. However, I didn't like that the horse was on Germany's side, although I guess he really wasn't for the ideas of the Nazis.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 12
Reveiw by: RC
Gypsy Prince: War Horse by Tom Townsend
In the book, Gypsy Prince, an innocent horse is thrown into WWII. He was not prepared, but he adjusts quickly in training camp. Gypsy Prince thinks all of the drills are like games. When he really goes into war, he learns otherwise. He goes from a Nazi warhorse to a food cart puller. He even goes to the American side for a little. Gypsy Prince continues wandering, until he finds some trace of his old, peaceful life.
I loved this book. I thought it was kind of like Black Beauty. A horse goes from owner to owner, meeting up with his past now and then. It was great. I enjoyed hearing what war was like for Gypsy Prince. However, I didn't like that the horse was on Germany's side, although I guess he really wasn't for the ideas of the Nazis.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer Age: 12
Fresh off the Boat by: Melissa De La Cruz
Vicenza, known as V, hates being called “FOB” (Fresh Off the Boat). A recent Filipino immigrant, she misses her lavish lifestyle in Manila and has a difficult time fitting in with the wealthy girls at Grosverner, her private girls school. Vicenza is hard pressed to admit to her limited means financially and wants a social life like Whitney Bertoccini and her clique, the most popular girls in the freshman class. Refusing to see her life as it is leads to treachery and deceit as V emails Peaches, her best friend in Manila, with fanciful information about her life in San Francisco. Her emails tell of what she wants, Claude Caligari, while her narration shows the reality of her initial disappointment in America. V tries to become someone she is not in her attempts to gain popularity, even though her new friend Isobel accepts her as she is. She looks past Paul, a guy who spends his breaks with her in the Sears cafeteria her mom runs, until she realizes, almost too late, that it is actually him that she likes and understands.
Melissa de la Cruz tackles the ever-repeated story line of girl wants boy but does a pretty good job of keeping it from sounding trite. Fresh Off the Boat qualifies as a "page turner" in a way similar to other young adult books narrated from a teen point of view. The inclusion of emails to Peaches at the end of chapters adds a great deal to the narration because it adds insight into Vicenza’s desires. Fresh Off the Boat reminds me of the Samurai Girl series by Carrie Asai but is a much shorter and condensed account. The role of Whitney Bertoccini, the popular girl, is totally cliché but overall Fresh Off the Boat is worth reading for fun, perhaps as a stress reliever among other activities. Vicenza's prince, Paul, is a very likeable character even though he is in the background for most of the narration. The author, to mix things up a bit, could have avoided some of the overused ideas in setting up her characters. It is a book I can see made into a movie, such as Meg Cabot’s Princess Diaries.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 17
Spy High Mission Five: Blood Relations by: A. J. Butcher
Things are turning for the worst for Ben Stanton. His grades are dropping. Final exams are very soon, and it seems like Ben may not pass. Also his relationship with Lori is almost destroyed. Ben needs something to prove himself again, and lucky for him, there is a new mission. Soon he wishes he wasn't in this mission because some of the suspects are Ben's family members. As they lead more and more to his family, Ben is very upset with his life. He also loses his last pride... his leadership, as the leader of bond team. But Ben has to fight through all of this, and try to find out what a temple is doing to young orphans, who are getting "transformed" somehow.
This book was very exciting. At almost all points of the story there was suspense and action. Every corner another obstacle would come up. I was reading for hours trying to find out how the plot would unveil. This was a great book, and it also talked about life and challenges.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
Reviewer Age: 10
Reviewer: MY
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
Ginny receives 13 little blue envelopes from her recently dead Aunt. These envelopes soon direct her on a wild ride through Europe to not only have the experience of a life time, but to discover something about her self and to solve the mystery of what her Aunt really wants her to do. One problem: there are rules to this chase. 1) She can only bring what fits in her backpack. 2) No guide books, phrasebooks, or any kind of foreign language aid, and no journals. 3) No extra money that includes debit/credit cards traveler’s checks etc. 4) No electronic crutches (No laptop, no cell phone, no music, and no camera.) She also can't talk to people in the US by phone or Internet. Because she can only open one envelope at a time she has no idea where she'll be going next. On the way she finds love, adventure and learns a lot about life.
I enjoyed the variation of writing. There was some romance, humor, adventure, mystery and just plain good realistic fiction. There was something for everybody, but there was not any fantasy. Although, I must say that it was mostly chic literature. Every book has its ups and downs. In this book the unexciting parts were few and far between, but they immediately are followed an extremely exciting scene, which made them seem better than they really were. At those points you almost wanted to put the book down and get a snack, then come back in a few minutes to start the building up to excitement again. Good thing that there were only two or three of those parts.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Review by KA
Measle and the Dragodon by Ian Ogilvy
“Measle and the Dragodon” is about a boy named Measle, whose parents are wizards. Measle's parents work as Wrathmonk hunters for the Wizards' Guild. Wrathmonks are evil, pale, small creatures that are followed by rain clouds and practice magic. The reason they are so dangerous is that they are insane. One day, Measle's mom is kidnapped outside a supermarket. Measle is sure that Wrathmonks kidnapped his mom, but when he goes to ask his dad who the kidnapper is, his dad doesn't even recognize that Measle is his son. Measle knows that Wrathmonks are dangerous, but they don't cause amnesia. So he begins to investigate. He finds evidence that the Wrathmonks and whoever is aiding them are hiding at the Isle of Smiles (an amusement park). So, with the aid of lemon jellybeans that turn him invisible, an auto piloted car, night-vision goggles, and his faithful dog, Tinker, Measle sets off for the Isle of Smiles. Can Measle go up against the Wrathmonks and the Dragodon and his giant pet dragon, Arcturion, to rescue his mom and restore his dad's memory? Opinion: This book is a great fantasy adventure. Measle is a charming character. The author uses creative figurative speech to describe objects and characters. This makes the characters interesting and the story fun to read. All readers will love Measle's dog, Tinker. I loved this book and think Mr. Ogilvy should write a sequel. I'm looking forward to reading the book that came before this one, “Measle and the Wrathmonk.” Readers who liked the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud would probably also enjoy this book. Rating (0 - 10 scale): 9
The Lampkins by Eve Bunting
“The Lambkins” is a story about a lonely woman and how she manages to make a family, even without her husband, Magnus the Magnificent. Mrs. Shepherd, the lonely woman, had a dollhouse that Magnus had made for her. The dollhouse was an exact replica of her real house. It even had electricity at one point! Needing to fill her house with dolls, Mrs. Shepherd decided that she could help real kids in the process. Whenever Mrs. Shepherd found a kid who was an artist of some kind, whether it was in writing, music, painting, acting, or singing, who had a struggle to continue with their passion, Mrs. Shepherd would kidnap them. She would cleverly trick the child into reaching for something in her trunk, then, suddenly, she would give them a shot to make them as small as a doll. Mrs. Shepherd would place the doll-sized kids, who she called “Lambkins”, in her dollhouse, but only four at a time to allow for each kid to have their own room. When one of the Lambkins died, another kid would be kidnapped and shrunk to doll size. The Lambkins were McNamara Chang- a baseball player who wanted to write, Tanya Roberts- a foster child who played the violin, Lupe Sanchez- a four-year-old girl who was taken because Mrs. Shepherd wanted a little girl to act, and John Ponderelli, a singer who died and was replaced with the main character, Kyle Wilson, a painter. There was also a dog named CH Pippy (CH stood for champion). These four kids and their dog try to escape many times, but fail every time. After months, they get the chance for an escape when there is a leaking pipe. Mrs. Shepherd had to call a plumber to fix the pipe, and the Lambkins were positive that she would show him the dollhouse. They painted, “Help. Mrs. Shepherd kidnapped us. We are hidden in her house”, and they listed their names. Unfortunately, Mrs. Shepherd saw the note before the plumber came and decided that she had to get rid of her present Lambkins and get new ones. Luckily, the Lambkins were able to knock her down with a stone to escape. Finally, they escaped to the neighbor’s house and were in safety for the first time in months.
The book, “The Lambkins”, is one of my favorite books that I just couldn’t put down. With the help of a great plot, this book was almost perfect. Even the beginning was interesting, as opposed to containing a long, introductory build up, which is hard to find in books. Every aspect of the book was entertaining, especially the characters. My favorite character was Mrs. Shepherd, because of her surprising personality. You never knew whether she would respond to an action kindly, with a giggle, or angrily, with a beastly roar. The character, Mrs. Shepherd, made the book a never-ending surprise. Everyone would enjoy the characters in this book. The ending of this book brought a definite surprise. The plot in the end just kept turning and turning, so you wouldn’t be able to guess what was going to happen next. When I saw the Lambkins plan failing with only a few pages of the book left, I thought the story would end with no solution to the problem. It was a shock to see how well the writer kept the suspense throughout the book, and ended it so quickly, without sparing great detail. If I were to compare this book with another science fiction book, like “Running Out of Time” by Margarot Haddix, I would automatically say that “The Lambkins” by Eve Bunting is better in many ways. The ending to “The Lambkins” was excellent, and so was the plot of the story, but unlike “Running Out of Time,” it was not the type of book that would be read over and over again. “The Lambkins” introduces new vocabulary, such as the word “retch”. The dangers of being allured by strangers are definitely well described. You are also able to learn some of the vocabulary easily because the words are defined within the book for explanation to one of the characters, the four-year-old Lambkin. The way the author grabs the reader into the book is amazing. Her writing makes you feel like you’re there, in the book. You can feel the fear and eagerness of the Lambkins to get out. There is just enough detail in the book to make you understand the struggles of the Lambkins. Unfortunately, I was hoping to find out more of what happens to the Lambkins after their escape, but it is also nice to leave the aftermath to your imagination. “The Lambkins” is an excellent book that makes you eager to read the author’s other books.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer: MP
