Spring 2003 Authors and Titles

Crossing the Panther’s Path is about a boy named Billy, who is half Indian and half Irish and a warrior who fights for the Indians in the War of 1812. Billy knows many languages and becomes very important because of it. He becomes great friends with the great Indian leader, Tecumseh, and falls in love with a beautiful girl. Before the war starts, Billy wants nothing more than to be a warrior and to fight to get his land back from the Americans. He learns life’s great lessons from many different teachers.

Overall, I thought the book was pretty good. At first when I started reading it, it was slow and I didn’t feel like reading it. But halfway through, it picked up, and I could hardly put it down. The book was pretty believable and emotional. I could tell by the way the author described the looks ad feelings of all the people, how they felt on the inside. That was done really well. All of the characters in the book were described well and they were all interesting to read about. Throughout the book, I knew where most of the characters were at all times. But I didn’t know what had happened to a couple of them, like Billy’s dad before and after Billy got hurt, Tecumseh’s brother after he was banished, and Shabonee. Other than that and the beginning, the book was really good.

I think the appropriate audience for this book would be people in the lower high school, grades eight to ten. I am in tenth grade and I enjoyed the book, but I think kids a couple years younger than me would enjoy it even more. I can’t really compare Crossing the Panther’s Path with another book, because I don’t usually read historical books. Even though I don’t, I still enjoyed this book and I think I will start reading them.

~Keelan Quinn, 10^th Grade, Bristol High School, Bristolville, OH

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Up Molasses Mountain, although it’s Julie Baker’s first novel, surprises the reader with its captivating story and genuinely likeable characters. And the book is not only entertaining, but also educational without the reader being aware of it. The struggles between the miners in the town of Clay as well as the dire poverty in most of the families’ lives pull one into the vortex of the narrative until the story takes on a life of its own, so that reader becomes more deeply involved in history than he or she has ever been in any history class at school. Elizabeth and Clarence become real people, Cheetah (Clarence’s pet monkey) becomes everyone’s pet, and the mountains of West Virginia in which this story is set become a home that the readers would’ve sworn they had lived in before. And that—the illusion of reality that remains intact even after the reader sets the book down—is the mark of a truly good novel.

Even though I, an 18-year-old, thoroughly enjoyed this book, it would most likely be best suited for readers between the ages of 10-14. However, that should by no means keep anyone who’s older or younger from reading Up Molasses Mountain, because it has many valuable life lessons in it that anyone could stand learning. Julie Baker does a wonderful job with this, weaving many important values into the story line so that they play a very pivotal part in the plot. Some of these are the value of friendship, family, and that of finding one’s way after experiencing the loss of someone/something close to him or her. Also important is the value of finding an environment where one can be him/herself, which often comes up in the main characters’ lives and is very vital to their survival.

However, the lesson most often stressed in this book is that of overcoming adversity—whether it comes in the form of prejudiced peers or family arguments or simply things one encounters as he or she grows up. As Elizabeth’s grandma said, "Overcoming heartache is sort of like climbing a mountain of molasses" (125). And so it is that Clarence, Elizabeth, Sterling (Elizabeth’s brother), and many other characters—perhaps even the readers themselves—climb Molasses Mountain together in a journey that is unforgettable.

~Kendra Nissley, 12^th Grade, South Range High School, North Lima, OH

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 This was an awesome book.  The story’s main character is a senior in high school named Sam.  When he was in tenth grade, his girlfriend told him she was pregnant.  Sam has been through many tragedies in his life, including the death of his mother and his distant relationship with his father.  Sam’s girlfriend, Brittany, has their baby.  She decides to keep the baby but her mother encourages her to give him up for adoption.  She names the baby Julian.  Sam saw his son in the hospital once after he was born and fell in love immediately.  One day, when he thinks Brittany ’s parents won’t be home he decides to go to her house and say “hi” and to see his son.  Brittany acts surprised to see him but lets him.  They talk a little and her mother’s persuasion has worked.  Brittany decides to give their child up for adoption.  This confession slaps Sam in the face.  In an instant he says he’ll keep the baby.  After Brittany ’s parents and Sam’s dad talk it over, they decide to let the baby stay with Sam.  He has Julian’s name changed to Max.  Brittany ends up moving to a new town, where no one would know her past. 

 It is a little rocky for Sam at first but he gets the hang of taking care of Max.  He goes to a new school that offers parenting and graduation classes and has a daycare.  One day, he meets an old friend in school.  Claire used to go to his old high school with him.  She had a baby, too.  Claire and Sam begin hanging out a lot with their kids.  His dad doesn’t like it.  While Claire’s parents love her baby to death, it seems like Sam’s dad doesn’t care much.  In fact, it seems like his father is punishing him by planning his future. 

 Sam brings Claire and the kids to his friend’s house.  Andy used to be his best friend before Sam’s life changed.  Andy does all the normal teenage things and Sam either doesn’t have time for or is too tired.  At Andy’s house, the boys are playing basketball and then something happens to Max.  Andy and Sam rush him to the hospital.  It’s after this event that Sam makes a dramatic decision.   

This is a really great book.  The ending was amazing!  I was sad but I was really happy.  I recommend this book to middle school readers and up.  You can really get into this book and there is so much reality to it.  I really liked the characters, especially Sam.  It was a new twist on the teenage parenthood thing, with the guy taking charge. 

 Dannielle Slaven, 10^th Grade, Lowellville High School , Lowellville , OH

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 The Year of the Hangman is a novel that I most certainly recommend to people that love books about history and espionage.  This novel’s storyline revolves around the British winning the Revolutionary War in 1777, which of course didn’t happen.  If this had happened, this story could have taken place.  The main character is a seventeen year old boy by the name of Creighton Brown.  Creighton lives in Britain at the beginning of the story, where he is introduced as a slacker and a gambler.  He spends his days doing nothing but goofing around in class and hanging around at the pub drinking ale and playing cards.  One day after coming home from the pub he is kidnapped by a British sea captain, and is to be taken to the colonies to serve in Carolina .  He later finds out that his mother sent him to live with his uncle in Carolina .  One day the ship is attacked by a group of patriot pirates.  After the patriots take control of the ship, Creighton tells them he is an indentured servant wanting to live in the colonies, which is a lie.  Creighton then befriends, if that is what you want to call it, a large lad named Peter.  Creighton is believed to be on the patriot side and to have patriot beliefs, which is a lie also.  When redirected to Louisiana , where Creighton’s uncle is jailed as a prisoner of war, Creighton meets a whole bunch of characters like Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Mr. Franklin’s French maid.  Creighton had to choose whether or not to spy for the British or to help his new friends in their fight for freedom. 

 I believe that this book is a great book for history buffs because, even though it is fiction, it has a lot of real places, people and events.  With wonderfully described characters, and a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat, this book is a classic coming-of-age and going-with-your-instincts novel.  This book should be mainly read by 13-17 year olds because of its story and reading level, but I cannot recommend this book enough.  Not many other books compare to this particular book because this story is very unique.  I really enjoyed reading this book, and I hope you do too! 

Jimmy Frohman, 9^th Grade, Lowellville High School , Lowellville , OH

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Hunted is about a teenager named Karen. She is beat up towards the beginning of the book and wakes up in a peaceful forest by a lake. Her instincts tell her not to stay there, and she begins to run as fast as she can for as long as she can. Once she stops she notices she doesn’t know where she is and begins to panic. She notices she is different, her eyesight is distorted and she is not even human. She has been somewhat resurrected in the form of fox. Karen becomes overwhelmed with confusion and horror when a group of fox hunters attempts to catch her. She later finds out that she is a mystical red fox in an entirely different time and universe. She goes through a series of adventures as this magical deity, from a shepherd poisoning her to helping in the rebellion of a king.

This novel is a fantastical tale of believing in yourself, and fighting your instincts. I recommend this novel for ages 12 through 16. Certain things about this book made it sort of confusing at times, but the descriptions of the setting and the characters make up for it. This story is a great work of fantasy, but it lacks the type of hardcore fantasy most are used to reading. If you enjoy books like The Wheel of Time series then skip this book next time you visit the book store, but if your tastes are for a less intense novel pick this book up: it’s worth it.

~Jimmy Frohman, 9^th Grade, Lowellville High School, Lowellville, OH

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 Jack is a biography of the United States’ former president, John F. Kennedy.  This book tells about how “Jack’s” childhood progressed, started from when he was born until college.  He had dealt with many issues growing up, some of which include living up to the expectations that his parents had set for his older brother, Joe Jr., and dealing with many life-threatening childhood diseases.  The setting of this book takes place wherever Jack went.  This mainly is at Jack’s houses, vacation spots, schools, or other places where the activities he participated in took place.  Throughout the book there are many facts taken from Jack Kennedy’s life and put into the realistic book that helps give the reader a sense of what being Jack was really like. 

 This book would be most helpful to someone who was doing a research report on Jack Kennedy and his life.  (Specifically when he was younger.)  It is full of facts that happened during his life from when he was very young to his teenage years.  Although the reading and vocabulary level of this book isn’t very hard, I think that it could be useful for many kids of different ages, but I would specifically recommend it to fifth and sixth graders because they could relate to some of the things that Jack was going through.  (Sibling rivalry, illness, friends, school, parents, moving, etc.)  It is also easy to relate to for kids of all ages because this book tells about his whole childhood, so at some point or another Jack was the same age as you. 

 I personally felt that this book was very interesting to read at times, and at other times it got extremely boring.  I felt that the most interesting parts of this book was reading about how Jack was in the shadow of his brother, and how he battled as many illnesses as he did and still survived.  The author of this book does a very successful job of taking many facts, putting them into sentences, and making them into a biography that can grab a reader’s attention.  I also liked the way that she went in time order from when he was first born until he grew up and was finally in college.  She also did a good job of incorporating many pictures into the biography.  The pictures always had to do with something that the author was talking about and they also went in order from youngest to oldest.  In conclusion, I believe that overall this was a pretty good book. 

 ~Kari Thompson, 8^th Grade, Boardman Center Middle School, Boardman, OH

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Borderlands is a novel about inner conflicts and relationships. Jamie, a seventeen-year-old, is living in a psych ward. She believes that she’s living with crazy people, and that she is normal. Jamie has a lot of problems with herself, and keeps them there. She learns to confide in people, with the help of a new friend, and a nurse.

During Jamie’s adventures through the book, I was able to relate her life with mine. Being in the psych ward seems to be a whole different life than anything I’ve ever experienced. When she creates these relationships, it’s easy to recognize feelings she has. Jamie meets someone dealing with the same kind of problems, Adam, and he becomes her confidante. Together, they find ways to release their inner conflicts, through art and music.

I like how the book was set in a place I can’t recognize. It let me into the "world" of mental units, and showed me these people are human, too. They all have the same problems as you and I, theirs just go deeper within them.

The context of the book was very good. Being able to match-up the book with the reader’s own life helps a lot. The grammar of the book was poor. I found many mistakes, such as no periods where needed, no quotation marks, etc. If the reader can get past the grammar, the book is wonderful. I recommend this to be read by high school juniors and seniors, as this group will comprehend at a higher level.

~Kim Bailey, 12^th Grade, Sebring McKinley High School, Sebring, OH

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 Raspberry Hill is thirteen years old and loves money.  It’s her best friend.  She’ll do almost anything—legal—to get it.  She sells discount Valentine’s Day chocolates and pencils to make profits.  Raspberry has hiding places in her room where she stashes all her money. 

 Raspberry and her mother used to live on the streets after her father left.  That’s when she became money hungry.  She never wants to go back to life like that again.  Her appetite for money gets her into some trouble.  She and her friends team up to clean old women’s homes and nursing homes for little or no money.  She and her mother are close but they fight sometimes.  The big problem between them is a doctor.  Her mother is dating her friend’s father.  This situation causes problems between Raspberry and her mother and Raspberry and her friend. 

 This story was okay.  It’s a good book but I’ve read better.  It is obvious how much Raspberry loves money and the characters constantly bring it up.  The plot of the story was good, though.  It’s sad that Raspberry felt she had to save and earn all her money so she wouldn’t have to go back to living on the streets.  The book was touching and the events were realistic but I didn’t really like the characters. 

 If you want to, check this book out for yourself.  It’s suitable for 7^th to 9^th graders. 

 Dannielle Slaven, 10^th Grade, Lowellville High School , Lowellville , OH

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This book is about a boy named Joe Brickman, a senior in high school, who faces problems at being the soccer captain. A new kid from Brazil comes to Joe’s town and this new kid is a soccer phenomenon. This phenomenon takes the girl that Joe likes, and he is the focus of everyone’s attention. Kids from the football team don’t like the attention that soccer is getting from the Phenomenon, and conflicts arise.

This book is believable. I found the ways that Joe acted are very similar to the ways that a normal teenager would act or even the way that I act. Joe is a likeable guy and so is his friend the Mouse. The Mouse is not very interesting, but Joe and his problems are. I wish that the book did not end where it did because I wanted to know more. I can believe that the main character’s actions are realistic. I have trouble believing, though, that Lawndale High School would get metal detectors and cameras because some bully got his hand stabbed by the kid he was picking on. I think this is unrealistic because you can never get rid of bullying, even if you install cameras and detectors. This is a big step the school took without much time to think. Other than that I really enjoyed this book.

I think that only high school kids could relate to this book. This is a book that should be read in class because boys and girls can relate to the story.

~Rob Zingale, 10^th Grade, Hubbard High School, Hubbard, OH

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Just Jane by William Lavender is a work of historical fiction which takes place during the Revolutionary War. Jane, the orphaned daughter of an English earl, embarks on a voyage to America to live with her Uncle. Little does she know that she is being thrown into the middle of a deep and intense battle between tradition and independence that not only has torn apart a nation, but her American family. It is here, in this nation that is struggling to define its principles, where Jane must find her true self. Just Jane is a tale of a girl struggling with family, love, and self-discovery.

In my opinion, Just Jane has a juvenile and predicable story line, as well as infantile and unrealistic dialogue. It might be the eighteenth century ling that has me thrown off, or it just might be the way Mr. Lavender explains every corny detail very directly. In fact, his method of direct characterization, in my opinion, is not very enjoyable. For instance this statement: "During this period Jane had the feeling that she was living through a kind of stalemate herself—an interlude in which the most notable developments were within herself. In the summer of 1778, two years after arriving in America, she was sixteen, her slight girl’s body now fully transformed with the contours of a young woman. Her creamy skin, shining dark hair, and lustrous gray eyes, all enhanced by her kind and gracious nature earned her a reputation as something of a beauty." I find this statement a little creepy, and above all a little stereotypical. Isn’t it just so characteristic of the heroine to have "creamy skin, shining dark hair, and lustrous gray eyes," not to mention to be "graciously natured"?

In conclusion, do not let my negative perception of the author’s style deter you from reading this novel. It is actually enjoyable if you’re bored and/or like an easy read. Books like Just Jane can serve as easy pick-me-ups. If you’re a younger reader, or someone not quite as picky, you may fall in love with this tale of romance and identity. Overall I give it a five on my scale, now read it and see what it is on yours.

~Melanie Luthern, 10^th Grade, Hubbard High School, Hubbard, OH

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This book is about an ancient Egyptian princess who is sentenced to the future of marrying the god Amun and living in the Sacred City. She is not happy with this future especially after meeting a handsome, intelligent Greek soldier named Hector. She is sent with only a statue of the got Taweret to protect her, but after the statue is not sent with her chaos starts. It then becomes up to Hector and a young Egyptian statue. But once they get there the princess has been kidnapped! Now they must find the princess and rescue her before a war starts! Read the book to find out what happens!

This book is full of suspense and romance gone wild! I think middle school students would enjoy it the most, being a middle school student myself I really enjoyed it. I thought that the beginning was kind of boring as it explained Ancient Egypt but by the end it was so suspenseful I couldn’t put it down! The characters were believable, and were my age and were very brave and courageous. Even though they had many obstacles to overcome they accomplished them fairly well.

~Sarah Garstenshlager, 7^th Grade, Linesville High School, Linesville, PA

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 This was a beautiful and well-written story of the life of Queen Anne, who so tenderly grabbed the love and attention of the most powerful man in England , King Henry VIII, and just as she had it all, she lost it all. 

 The story takes place between 1507-1536.  It tells about Anne’s childhood, her family, her first love, her eagerness to catch the eye of the king, and their time together, all until the final days of her life.  She is thirteen when the story begins and is the ill-favored child of her parents, who she tries so hard to impress and make happy.  Her father is never satisfied with her and she is never close to her mother.  There is a tight jealousy between her and her taunting sister, who would one day kneel before her and then there’s her younger brother who in her loneliest times had been her greatest companion and who died because of her.  She had dark hair and dark eyes and used her stand-out features, wit, and a poet, to grab King Henry’s attention.  Above all, she had been generously blessed with determination and ambition.  These blessings led her to become the wife of King Henry, and the Queen of England.  She had wanted so much more than to just become the King’s mistress.  He, in turn, loved her so deeply that he defied everyone—including his first wife, Queen Catherine—for her.  All was well for the two lovers until she could not give the King the one thing he wanted most in the world.  Her heart-breaking story leads her to the Tower of London in may 1536, where her life was ended and all she could pray for was for her daughter to know who she was. 

 The main character is Anne Boleyn who won the heart of King Henry VIII.  The characters are very realistic and Carolyn Meyer does an excellent job of describing them.  You can really feel for yourself the emotions Anne felt when she had to leave the fancy French courts she loved so much, the first time she set eyes on the king, the impatience she had waiting on him, and the unhappiness and jealousy she felt as queen.  This is why I loved this book.  I believe it is suitable for middle school readers and up.  It is based on the true story of Queen Anne, however, some details were altered to enhance the story. 

 Dannielle Slaven, 10^th Grade, Lowellville High School, Lowellville, OH

Can you imagine what it is like to have to disguise yourself, speak a foreign language, and give up your lifestyle?  Not only that, but can you imagine having to do that in ancient times, during the last few days before a major volcanic eruption and to top it off, while being tracked by technologically advanced aliens?  Well, that is what the members of top-secret Project Star have to do in Andre Norton and Sherwood Smith’s book, Atlantis Endgame.  It’s a story filled with adventure, drama, history, and mystery all at the same time. 

 The members of Project Star, a secret time traveling program, Ross, Gordon, Eveleen, Linnea, and Stavros, must go on their most difficult mission yet, to solve the ancient mystery of Atlantis.  Beginning in modern times, this book then takes a drastic turn around when the team has to change their entire way of life, and learn of a new one; that of the Ancient Greeks.  Abandoning their language, culture, and just about all the luxuries of modern day living, the squad is shopped to the Aegean Sea , where they are transported back in time, to reveal whether the loss of Atlantis was due to a freak accident caused by nature, or another, more sinister force. 

 Despite the fact that the story started off slow, I found this to be a very exciting and captivating novel.  Norton and Smith do a great job in describing the scenery and culture of Ancient Greece, and its people.  The two authors paint a picture of an advanced, religious, and peace-loving society, all while in the shadow of a dark volcano, smoking, and on the verge of eruption.  The characters are all well-rounded, with different modes of thought, and personalities, and all with their own problems that they must work around.  This novel is fit for almost anyone to read; children and adults can both lose themselves in this colorful book of adventure.  So if you are looking for a science fiction story with action, drama, history and adventure, I would highly recommend this book. 

 ~Michael Cramer, 10^th Grade, Girard High School , Girard , OH  

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Agnes Parker is having some trouble with her new friend and her old friend. She is stuck in sixth grade trying to have the better sides of them both. The book’s main characters are Prejean, Neidermeyer, Joe Waldrip, and Agnes Parker. The book kept me very interested because just when I thought something good was going to happen, it didn’t—something bad happened. The book is very believable because I could see most of the things that happened to Agnes happening to a regular, ordinary girl heading into sixth grade. You have your bully, then you have your very cute kid, then finally your best friend! Most of the characters are very likable. They act like normal teenagers once again, and they are always there for each other and caring for each other. I thought that all the characters were equally interesting; however, some of them had qualities that I did not like. For example, Neidermeyer, is supposed to be the bully, but lying about poison isn’t right. Overall I thought the book was really good, and I was pretty interested in it the whole time. I would recommend this book to elementary school students because it was fairly easy to read and it is around their age group.

~Nicole Stoddard, 7^th Grade, Lowellville High School, Lowellville, OH

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 The morning after Neil Armstrong’s death, the Saturn V launches itself from Pad 34.  The only person to see this was a man named Rick Spencer, a NASA amateur astronaut.  He sees this ship a few times during the week.  The ship sends information back from the moon and just disappears.  NASA is confused and theyw ant to find out what is going on so they decide to send Rick to try and man the ship on the way to the moon to see if it doesn’t disappear during a manned flight.  It works and just outside of Earth’s orbit another NASA team is doing experiments while Rick and the Saturn V are exiting Earth’s atmosphere.  Rick asks for two people to come aboard the Saturn V.  This gets NASA angry because Rick is going to try to land the Saturn V on the moon.  Tessa McClain and a female Japanese astronomer come aboard.  Tessa, being his girlfriend, is very happy.  The ship’s target zone is the moon’s north polar area, which was the spot the original ship was to land, but the coordinates were changed.  When they land they find an ice-like substance which can be changed to water.  While on the moon, Rick asks Tessa to marry him.  On the way home they discover that Rick controls the ghost ship through his mind, and that positive thoughts bring negative results.  So the two females have to keep him awake so he doesn’t dream of happy thoughts, because this will make the ship disappear. 

 On Earth, the two are considered heroes, but they are put in quarantine because of their powers.  Now Rick and Tessa meet a few characters that bring out Rick and Tessa’s psychic ability.  They have many adventures with their new found ability, but none will meet up to the war with a Lithuanian dictator. 

 This book is one of the greatest works of science fiction I have ever read.  I knew that Jerry Oltion was a great author, but this is amazing:  a perfect mix of science fiction, supernatural, and a great love story.  I recommend this book to everyone ages 15 and up. 

 ~Jimmy Frohman, 9^th Grade, Lowellville High School, Lowellville, OH 

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This novel is science fiction. Though it is set far into the future on a distant planet, the main character, Tria, is still very real to readers, Earthlings of the 21^st century like you and I. The author, Ms. Rector, has written a story that is very off beat yet we still care about her characters.

The main character, Tria, will never go outside, as the germs that killed her father are out there. Her mother is an archeologist and usually isn’t home, so Tria lives alone inside her pod with her best friend, a hologram named Star. She relies on virtual reality videos to supply her with visions of the outside world. And her tutor, Mr. Willoughby, teaches her everything she needs to k now. But when Tria’s mother sends Star some important information, Tria finds out that she and her mother are in grave danger! Star tells Tria that they must get to South Back to Basics School, where they will be safe and that she can tell Tria what is going on when they get there. In order to get there with Star, Tria will have to turn Star off, something Tria has never done before. When Tria gets to South Back to Basics School she desperately looks for a hold-projector, but to her dismay, she finds out that none are allowed at the school. No technology or any other modern influences are allowed in the school either. Tria needs to find a projector so Star can tell her about her mother’s message. Tria must face new obstacles to find a projector. But will she find one in time to save her mother?

Tria and the Great Star Rescue is an exciting, action-packed story about a young girl and her courage to stand up against things she never though she would have to, in order to save her mother. I recommend this book for students in the third to ninth grades who enjoy science fiction.

~Dakota Unruh, 6^th Grade, Gifford Middle School, Vero Beach, FL

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Thriller, drama, and page-turner are the three words I would use to describe the clever book What Happened to Lani Garver by Carol Plum-Ucci. You have just enough information to keep you turning the pages, but she stops and turns the opposite direction as soon as you come up with a conclusion of your own.

The book starts off as a memory from Clair, the main character and the narrator of the story. She is recalling the past of her high school days with her "friends" and the stories she tells can be very startling. Her friends are the types to tell it like it is, even if it hurts your feelings and makes you miserable. The setting is her high school and throughout her town on a small island off the coast of San Francisco.

A new kid in school starts a ruckus among Clair and her friends. They talk to the new kid because of curiosity and find out nothing you can’t tell by just looking at him. The kid causes confusion, but Clair is attracted to him for some unknown reason. With Clair’s life in turmoil, she and Lani (pronounced Lonny) become close friends. With his street smarts and wit he turns her life upside down. The story moves on to a riveting ending that was very surprising and delightful.

All throughout the book, Carol Plum-Ucci uses great detail and descriptions to make it feel like you are in the story with Clair and Lani.  The details she uses to describe Lani are unbelievable and make you believe you know him from a past life.  The question throughout the story is whether Lani is a girl or a boy.  The story and the plot make you feel sympathy for Lani and Clair, yet you know they have the strength to fight through what they are against.  As you read the book,  you scream out advice to the characters telling them when someone is coming or what to do.  The characters are very believable and described with outstanding detail.  They are so life-like; it makes you become a friend with them instantly.  

I believe the story is better suited for an older, mature audience, like high school to college.  The story deals with various sexually oriented details and it also contains some violence and language that may not be suitable for a younger audience.  Don't let that stop you from reading the book if you don't like either of those because they are very subtle.  I believe they are needed to give the book that extra flair and excitement.  

~Kristy Krerzeczowski, 12th Grade, Howland High School, Howland, OH

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In The Flight to Freedom, a first-person fiction by Ana Vecianna-Suarez, a young girl named Yara Garcia and her family live in Havana, Cuba. In 1967 a communist ruler named Fidel Castro tries to get a better hold of Cuba. Now the Garcia family does not believe in a communist party and they flee from Havanan, to Miami, Florida. When Yara and her family get to Miami, it’s a very foreign place. They know very little English and Yara discovers that at her new school, the students have more freedom than she and her sisters do. Through the many months, Yara’s Mami and Papi grow apart. Mami becomes more independent and Papi joins a Militia group that doesn’t like Castro. Everything changes after moving to America.

The quality of Flight to Freedom is very high. It’s almost like becoming Yara Garcia and taking a journey to a new and better life. Reading this is very believable. You feel as if you’re right there writing the journal entries of your everyday life. Yara is a very interesting person. When she first came to America, it was a whole new life she had to get used to. Yara worked hard to learn English and to fit in with the rest of the students at her high school. I think Yara is brave and very smart. I wouldn’t mind becoming her and living some of her life when she came to America.

Flight to Freedom is a fantastic book to read. It’s the kind of book you read to get to know someone. I mean reading the logs Yara wrote is like meeting her in person. I think that Flight to Freedom has, like the character telling the story; seeing what it’s like to move to a new and different place, and trying to fit in when everything is so different. It’ll grab reader’s attention and make them want more books with these qualities. I myself will always love reading Flight to Freedom.

~Veronica Nolen, 9^th Grade, Rayen High School

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 The first person fiction story Flight to Freedom written by an outstanding author with Spanish cultural background, Ana Veciana-Suarez, is an interesting and exciting story to read about the experience of coming to America . 

 It is the life collision of a Havana family who met a political and social struggle for the better life.  Coming to America , for some, is a matter of choice; for others it is a result of persecution, war, or exile.  For Yara Garcia, the main character in the novel, and her family, it was hard to make a decision to leave their homeland and daily routine to go to live in Miami , Florida .  Garcia’s family did not share the political views and beliefs of the Communist ruling party whose leader is Fidel Castro.  They are forced to leave their country to search for a better place to live. 

 The six year old girl is going through a difficult and strange time in her life.  At this stage of her life she was moved from her native school and friends, surroundings and native childhood places to an absolutely new society, new country, new rules and laws, new school, and new friends.  Suddenly on the shoulders of the young girl comes a big responsibility of making new friends and adjusting to a new life even without knowing a single word in English.  Yara is going through both tough and exciting times in her life, facing many difficulties and responsibilities and also learning how to make mature decisions in life. 

 The characters of the book are interesting for the reader as they can be discovered through Yara’s memories about her family’s experience during the first years of living in the United States . 

 Overall I think the book is very pleasant and interesting to read.  The novel is written in the way it is easy to read and understand.  I recommend this book for the middle school students who will be the best audience. 

 Olena Fomina, International Exchange Student on Future Leaders Exchange Program, 12^th Grade, Lowellville High School , Lowellville , OH

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The book To the Edge of the World is about a boy, Mateo, who signs up to be on the crew of Magallenes.  They are trying to find a way east by going west in order to reach the Spice Islands .  This is a factual book based on the voyage of Magellan in 1519 but in this book the name Magallanes is used. 

 The story is told through the eyes of Mateo whose parents died of pestilence.  Mateo faces many problems on the voyage from hunger to conflicts among the crew.  This is a very believable book.  I felt like I was there with Mateo on the ship sharing his pain and joys.  The friend of Mateo named Roderigo is very likable and interesting because he matures on the voyage.  He does a worthy thing that actually contradicts his views at the beginning of the voyage. 

 Magallanes is likeable also, but I believe that he turned mad in his pursuit to spread Christianity which ultimately cost him  his life.  The master-at-arms, Espinsoa, was the most noble man aboard.  He is the one who influenced Roderigo and Mateo greatly on the voyage.  Espinosa is best described as a merciful man who can also lay down the law. 

 This was a great book.  It was very interesting and suspenseful.  There were also conflicts which resulted in battle.  This book is for high school students.  I believe that it is a little too gruesome in places for everyone to handle.  I do not want to go into detail but when the crew got hungry they ate pretty much anything. 

~Rob Zingale, 10^th Grade, Hubbard High School , Hubbard , OH

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Your first love is your hardest love and this is the lesson the main character, seventeen-year-old John, learns in this story.  John has a rough family life.  His parents got divorced when he was ten years old.  His mother hasn’t touched him since, and he and his father never really spend their weekends together.  John only had one friend, Brian, who is obsessed with girls.  John always thought he was doing Brian a favor by being his friend.  Later on in the story, he realizes that he needs Brian more than Brian needs him. 

John finds relief writing his zine, a homemade magazine, and reading other people’s work.  He is amazed when he reads the first issue of Escape Velocity.  The author of the zine is a girl named Marisol.  Her articles and poems stick in his mind and he realizes he needs to meet her.  Their relationship is rocky at first but they soon begin opening up to each other.  They are both protective people but put a lot out in their zines.  One thing that you need to know about Marisol is that she is a lesbian.  John mistakes their close friendship for love.  This scares Marisol away from him.  John loves Marisol and she hurts him badly but she sets him know she loves him all that she can. 

I really liked this story.  The characters are likable and the plot was great.  It can be a true life experience and it describes all the harsh details of falling in love for the first time.  Ninth throught twelfth grade would enjoy this book. 

Dannielle Slaven, 10^th Grade, Lowellville High School , Lowellville , OH

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Hush is a wonderfully gripping book about a young girl, Evie Thomas, previously Toswiah Green, and the changes that take place in her life when her family enters the witness protection program. Evie is ripped from the only home and friends she’s ever known and transplanted to a new place where she and her family must start a new life. This book examines the relationship between a father and daughter. It also explores the bond between sisters who discover at rather young ages that siblings can also become friends. Throughout the book the author also touches on the subjects of racism, violence, and love and how they can all be intermittently intertwined.

Jacqueline Woodson has brilliantly created a family of believable characters, each with their own flaws and benefits. Evie’s father is struggling inside with his past and decisions he has made that affected his family. Her mother is desperately clinging to her new religion as the only stability in her life. Ana, Evie’s sister, is constantly longing for her old life and trying to control the anger she feels towards her father. Finally, there’s Evie, who is poetically analyzing the changes and sadness within and around her.

This book is not specifically for a particular age but merely for a certain kind of person. If you are experiencing any kind of change in your life or longing to find a way to define yourself, Hush is for you. Those who are rather sentimental towards the bonds among family members would also enjoy this book. I personally loved Hush and would love to read another book just like it.

~Denah Julian, 10^th Grade, Hubbard High School, Hubbard, OH

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This story starts off in the present, when Chiaki is older, but most of the story is told in the past. What spurs on this trip to memory lane? Chiaki (the main character) finds out the landlady, Mrs. Yanagi from the Poplar House, has died. After her father’s death Chiaki and her mother discover the Poplar House and through an illness Chiaki sees the landlady in a new light, which helps her get over the death of her father.

This book had a very boring and strange beginning, but it did fulfill its purpose, to imitate real live. In the middle of the book, actual events start happening, and I was just starting to like the book when the ending came with no resolution!

In English class we learned the three types of conflict, this book exhibiting Chiaki vs. herself, and there is no sense of stability in the end. It seemed like the author just wants to leave you hanging, or might write another book.

I think this book could be read by middle schoolers, it is definitely NOT meant for teens. If you like books about real life that go nowhere fast, and have its-up-to-you endings, then many you should read The Letters by Kazumi Yumoto.

~Sarah Mindek, 10^th Grade, Bristol High School, Bristolville, OH

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