Spring 2006 Authors and Titles

The fourth book in The Children of the Red King series is chock-full of action. The story picks up almost immediately after where book three, Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy, left off. Mr. Pilgrim, the piano teacher, has mysteriously disappeared and Tantalus Ebony has come to take his place. Charlie and Olivia discover the secret of the Castle of Mirrors. Also, Billy has finally been adopted. His new foster parents are a mysterious couple and they lock him up in an odd place called The Passing House. He is not able to touch the front door because he is held back by a magical invisible force. Joshua Tilpin, endowed with the power of magnetism, has entered the scene and seems to be on Manfred’s side. The odds are stacked against Charlie Bone and his friends, but hope lies in a horse with the heart of the Red King’s wife. With the help of the reincarnated horse, Charlie might be able to help Billy and protect his friends and family.

I found this book to be an excellent book. It was fast-paced and action-packed throughout the story. Readers from ages 8-13 will enjoy this book because it does not have too many high-level words and the themes it presents are not too complicated. There are a lot of characters in the story, but the author lists the endowed children in the front, which makes it easier to remember them. In the uncorrected proof version I reviewed there were no maps, but there were two pages marked “Maps TK”, so I believe that maps will be put there. The maps will be very helpful to anyone reading this book because the story takes place in many different settings. All in all, this book was highly enjoyable and I highly anticipate the next book in the series.

In a conspiracy driven town, Bryan Holden is the only sane person left in his family. After the disappearance of his brother, friends Bryan, Jake, and Stephen go on a long journey to seek the captor. He is known only as the Dark Man. After long journeys through the dark, these teens find themselves face to face with the Dark Man himself. After countless losses, they gather to defeat him but only Bryan can face him. Searching for the reason for the loss of his brother, he chases the Dark Man into his own realm.

I really thought this book was poorly written. I was dreading the number of pages left before I could finish the book. There was almost no suspense to a book that was supposed to be suspenseful. I often asked myself, “What is this guy thinking?” I really thought he stole most of his material from Wes Craven, and didn’t do him any justice. There was also an annoying little rhyme that the dark man came to, and oddly it sounded like the rhyme on Nightmare on Elm street. Also the amount of times they repeated in this book really made it terrible.

Overall, I thought this book was poorly written, and shouldn’t even have the chance to be on the shelf. EE Richardson is not a good writer and I would not ever recommend this waste of time to anyone.

This is a story about a girl named Winnie. Winnie is being forced to move to Minnesota and, as if that is not bad enough, she has to live on the grounds of a mental hospital! She is ripped from her home and her group of populettes, the Starlings, and when the kids from her new school find out that she is living on the hospital grounds, she is not easily accepted. This story is set in Rural Minnesota in the year 1959. How can she get back home to Chicago? Will she even want to in the end? It seems like the only person who can help her get her life straight, and see it in a new life, is her new friend Justice, who lives on the nearby Indian Reservation.

I thought that this was a really good book and, although I would recommend it to anyone who likes suspense, I think that this book is more appropriate for middle school children, say in 6^th or 7^th grade. This book touched my heart to the fullest extent, and made me think about what others are going through, and I would definitely categorize this book as inspirational, suspenseful, and fun.

Marie had just finished ballet and Monsieur Degas motioned for her to follow him. Marie obediently followed although she was confused as to why Monsieur Degas would want her to follow him. Monsieur Degas was an artist who took ballet dancers to pose for his works of art. Marie had always considered herself as very low on the scale of being a dancer, but this time she didn't feel that low because she was going to Monsieur Degas's studio. The studio was a small room that was cluttered with papers and unfinished paintings; Marie was astonished. Monsieur Degas asked her to put on a practice tutu and go to fourth position, Marie removed her tattered shawl and felt ashamed of her ripped street clothes but she obeyed. Monsieur Degas sketched a few pictures and told Marie to return in a few days. Marie ran home, her face flushed with excitement. She opened the door to find a not so pleasant surprise, her mother had been drinking again, Charlotte was cold and hungry, and Antoinette was nowhere in site. Marie fed Charlotte a small serving and ate nothing herself, but before she went to sleep her mother awoke from her drunken stupor and questioned Marie as to why she was so late. Marie quickly explained to her mother that she was now posing for Monsieur Degas and that she would be late every few days. Her mother was okay with the job since Marie was being paid, but she told Marie that if she were to pose nude she had to raise the price or she would not pose. Marie was terrified, she had never thought that she would be told to pose nude! Who would want to paint her nude small and skinny figure?! She had heard Antoinette bragging to her how she had posed for Monsieur Degas and how she had even posed nude. Marie had heard stories about when an artist asked a model to pose nude they usually had an affair. Marie knew that she would never be able to bring herself to pose nude, let alone tell Monsieur Degas that she needed a raise in order to pose nude! At the next meeting, sure enough Monsieur Degas told Marie to pose nude. After a few minutes hesitation Marie told him she needed a raise and Monsieur Degas agreed. Marie actually found it easy to pose and Monsieur Degas told her to come back twice a week for about six months.

Marie was so excited and brought her pay to the little shop below her small room, and put her coins into the little jar the shop keeper let her keep in his shop. The shopkeeper was Monsieur Lerat and he was very fond of Marie, he knew almost everything about her. How her father had died and how her mother's drinking problem was getting worse, how she was poor, and how Antoinette was attaching herself to every man she could at the Foyer de la Danse trying to become their mistress.

One day, Marie saw a very old friend of hers, Jean-Pierre. They had lived next to each other when life had been better for Marie, but because her family kept moving to avoid tax collecting since they could not pay it, Jean-Pierre and Marie had lost staying in touch. Over the next few months Jean-Pierre and Marie became lovers, but Marie had an obstacle. Her older sister Antoinette had made her go to the Foyer de la Danse with her. The Foyer de la Danse was where the dancers met men and started going on dates with them and usually ended up becoming the men's mistresses. Marie completely disapproved of this but the family needed the money and Antoinette had passed off her most recent man to Marie, he was known as Lulu. Lulu was extremely fond of Marie, but Marie did not like Lulu. Lulu was like a twenty year old trapped in a six years old body. When Jean-Pierre had moved to help his parents Marie was lost, but she was even more lost with out Monsieur Degases help, Marie needed the money more than ever and Lulu wasn't a help. Monsieur Degas was making a miniature statuette of Marie called Little Dancer Aged Fourteen, but Marie had stopped modeling for Monsieur Degas for a while and her stash in the shop didn't last as long as she had hoped. Finally the day came when Lulu asked Marie to become his mistress, she refused because she was in love with Jean-Pierre and she promised him that she would wait for him to come back. After this event Antoinette took Lulu back for herself because her man was no longer a help to her now that he was in debt.

One night at dinner, Marie witnessed the most horrible act, thankfully she was alone and not with her friends. Antoinette had tried to rob Lulu and was dragged off to jail, and was sentenced six months in prison and fined. There was no way Antoinette would be able to pay the fine, nor would she be able to keep her position in the ballet. Marie visited Antoinette every week with food and clean clothes and gave up her position in the ballet. It was time for spring examinations and Marie knew she would not pass, and she didn't. She was no longer a part of the ballet, but Charlotte moved up a group which meant more money. When Antoinette was released from prison she got up and left and said that she would send money to help. She never did, and Marie had to get a job as a seamstress at her aunt's shop. Marie had to move her family in the middle of the night because the tax collector had finally found them, she moved them to an even worse place to live, but at least they were alive. One day Marie got a letter saying that Antoinette was sick from child birth and was sure that she would die, Marie and her aunt went to see Antoinette but nothing would help, from here on life became a little better for Marie, little dancer aged fourteen.

I immensely enjoyed this book because it was full of surprise and I really liked the fact of that a book was centered around a poor girl and her family struggles. I would recommend this book for middle school students because I believe that they would be able to connect a little more with the book especially with Marie's age.

At the end of book two in the Underland Chronicles, Gregor reads the prophecy of blood. He reads that he and his sister Boots must return to the Underland sometime in the future to help war off a deadly plague. This time, though, Gregor’s mother doesn’t let him return to the Underland. Ripred, the rat, lies to Gregor’s mother and says that they are only needed for a short meeting. Gregor’s mom lets them go under the condition that she may go with them. They go, but his mom gets the plague while they are there. This pushes Gregor into the big mess they will get into later because now he must find the cure for the plague.

This is an excellent book. I am delighted that there will be two more books in this series because it is a creative and innovative way of writing books. I mean, who would think of writing a book about people and animals and insects that live underground and talk to each other? I think that the characters are very interesting and unique. The plot is one of the most creative I’ve seen in a children/young adult book. I would recommend this book to anyone ages 12 and up.

Have you ever read the book "Holes"? Do you remember Armpit? Well, this book, "Small Steps", is all about Armpit's life after his horrible experience at Camp Green Lake. He lives a nice life with his parents, has a job as a landscaper, and is great friends with his neighbor Ginny. But his best friend is X-ray, also from Camp Green Lake. Armpit thought he would live a normal, uneventful life after he got out of Camp Green Lake, but boy was he wrong!

Kiara DeLeon, a beautiful singer, is performing in his town. X-ray ends up getting them twisted up in a ticket scandal, and they have to lie to the cops. Just when things can't get any worse, he meets Kiara DeLeon personally, and they fall in love. She writes him a love letter, and the other members of the ticket scandal find out. Now, the only way to stay out of jail is to sell Kiara's letter. Will he risk losing Kiara to sell the letter, or will he risk going to jail for Kiara's love?

I thought this was a great book, with no typos or choppy sentences. The book really kept me interested throughout the whole story, and I had a hard time putting the book down. I would recommend this book to people of all ages, because anyone could learn a lesson form this book. Young children, teenagers, and I think even adults could learn something and enjoy this book.

It started off with Will who stood out side in the cold dripping wet because his brother, Gavin, had pushed him into the horse trough. Will was mad and completely embarrassed, especially since he still wasn't allowed to have a war horse of his own, all he could have was a courser. Ellie ran to Will, she and Will had always been the best of friends and had actually hoped that someday they would get married, but because Gavin was the oldest son he would end up marrying Ellie and inheriting the land.

Will and Gavin had never been close, they were always competing over something, whether it was jousting out in the field or just over a game of chess, each longed to beat the other. There was a monk monastery not far from the De Granville palace known as Hartslove, and at the monastery there was a monk known as Brother Ranulf. Brother Ranulf had always loved horses and the day that Will passed by on his way to the royal stables to finally pick out his war horse, Brother Ranulf saw Will's courser, Sacramenta. When Will reached the stables he tried out many horses, but when he was about to pick, a flash of red in a nearby stable caught his eye. Will was told that it was the foal of his horse he had now, Sacramenta. The horses name was Hosanna, and he was beautiful. His coat was red and in the middle of his forehead there was a white star, the only white on him. Will rode Hosanna back to Hartslove and when he arrived Gavin teased him because he never did get a war horse, Ellie became annoyed and blew up at Gavin.

Months went by and Gavin was called to go and serve with the king in a battle, during that time Ellie and Will grew closer together. When Gavin came home, he had changed, too much to Ellie's liking, but at least he was still alive. One day Gavin went on a hunting trip with a few of his friends, but his horse Dargent had gotten hurt and Gavin had no more horses. Since Will was away Gavin sent to get Will's horse Hosanna. Gavin kept pushing Hosanna to go faster and faster, he showed no mercy for the horse. When Gavin finally caught what he was hunting he was the only one of the hunting party left, and Hosanna's nose was bleeding very badly. When Gavin dismounted, Hosanna fell to the ground unconscious. When Will found out he was devastated and he absolutely refused to talk to Gavin, Ellie didn't talk to Gavin either. Eventually Hosanna healed while he was at the monastery. When Ellie went with Will to pick up Hosanna she asked Brother Ranulf to teach her how to read. Brother Ranulf agreed. Finally the great crusade called for the De Granville father and two sons to go and fight God's crusade. As soon as they left for war, everything changed at the palace.

I really enjoyed this book because it was full of twists and turns. I would recommend this book for middle school students.

Lisa, Bo, Teena, and Julian are on their way home from a speech contest when a terrible storm arises. Their car breaks down and they have no choice but to take shelter in an old home. They first realize the house is different when they walk in. After while, they are reluctant to search the house, but become hungry. They find the kitchen but are starting to feel unwelcome. Then, one of them discovers a head on one of the chairs. Soon, sound after sound makes them frightened for their lives. They discover that a crazy magician is actually the perpetrator and he is putting on one of his shows. They must sit back and watch the illusions, or perhaps they can put on an act of their own. Their willingness to play his game will decide their fate.

I thought the book was exceptionally good. I hold mystery books to a very high standard and enjoyed every page of this one. Nixon really knows how to leave a person on the edge of their seat. Situations in the book that would seem highly unpleasant in our society were made to be ordinary in the book. I feel that it is necessary in a mystery novel to make the reader feel as if they were the main character, experiencing everything the book has to offer. I feel that all of the characters in the book had courage and endurance which overshadowed their fear. Overall, I thought the book was excellent and would recommend it to and high school student who enjoys suspense.

Liz is a teenage girl who tragically dies at a young age. She wakes up on the boat to elsewhere, a place where you go after life and only get younger. Her afterlife requires her to be the person she was meant to be, if she was still alive on earth. When she first arrives in elsewhere, she is hurt and confused. She doesn't believe she has passed away. She wants to be a normal teenager again, with family, friends, and school. Once she becomes aware of her surroundings, she starts to make do with what she is given and live her afterlife in elsewhere.

I felt the book was rather boring at the beginning, but got better toward the end. Liz was an interesting person. She was stubborn and high-tempered, pretty much your average teenage girl. She had a short life on earth that was overshadowed by her life in elsewhere. Toward the end of the book, the best of her afterlife came from the woodwork. Liz discovered what it truly means to live and was ready for her next life. Overall, I felt the book was fulfilling and would recommend it to mature teenagers.

Cara Segal was stayed over her best friend, Marlee Rosen's, house, but when they both went down for breakfast, Cara got a terrible surprise. Her father, David Segal, had called Mrs. Rosen saying that he needed Cara to go to the hospital right a way. Cara was shocked and worried, especially when Mrs. Rosen told her a fire broke out at her house during the night and her father needed her. However, Mrs. Rosen refused to tell Cara about her mom, Julia, and her eight year old sister, Janie. Cara knew something had happened to them, and she wondered why God hadn't been there to help. Both the Segal and the Rosen family were Jewish and they strongly believed that God controlled and watched over everyone on Earth. So, why hadn't he been there for Cara's family?

When Cara arrived at the hospital, she saw her dad. He looked old, just like his father. He had been crying, his hair started turning gray, there were random wrinkles popping up on his face from worry, and worst of all he smelled of smoke. At first Cara did not recognize him, but when he looked away from the firefighters she knew it was him. She ran to him and they embraced; they both began to and right then Cara knew her little sister and mother were gone, forever.

The weeks past by and Cara's father wasn't the same without his Janie. Janie had always been like her father, she even resembled him in a couple different ways. On the other hand, Cara had always been like her mother. They had baked together, and her mother had taught her almost everything she knew outside of school. Now that she was gone Cara was lost, and wanted to stay behind a magic wall that made her invisible forever, she would not come out from behind it, and she refused to eat. The first day she ate was the day of her mother and sister's funeral. Friends and family came over and tried to comfort Cara and her father but Cara did not want to be comforted, she wanted her sister and her mother back. Then Cara started to wonder, how did my dad survive, but my sister and mother die?

Cara moped around, and her father eventually rented an apartment for he and Cara to live in; he had saved a few items from their house that had not burnt, but he would not go through the boxes with Cara. Cara became frustrated, she needed her dad, but her dad started living, to Cara, what seemed like a ghost. To get rid of her sorrow, she would go over Marlee's house, but Marlee was getting tired of Cara's moping. On the first night of Shabbat that Cara had been to since the tragedy, Cara and Marlee got into a fight. They weren't friends, at least then. Cara kept getting calls for Julia's Kitchen and she finally decided to do something about it, she was going to bring back Julia's Kitchen. Her mother had started her own business known as Julia's Kitchen and she would bake cookies and cakes and sell them. Cara kept getting orders, and she kept taking them, but she never told her dad. She was not sure how her dad would react. Eventually Cara and Marlee became friends again, and they started to bring the business back to life together, until Cara's dad found out what she was doing.

I really enjoyed this book because it was full of different plots that I did not think would happen. I also have a few friends who are Jewish and when holidays come up they talk about them, but I don't understand what they are talking about. There is a glossary in the back of the book that give the definitions to all of the Jewish words in the book. I would recommend this book for middle school students.

In the midst of family problems due to Sky’s sick mother Rosalind and Sky’s distant father the famous Warrior, it is difficult for Sky Meadows to act like a normal teenager. Life becomes even more absurd when Sky unknowingly falls asleep with a magical perfume bottle and finds himself in another world with friars, royalty, and ancient cities. As Sky speaks with Brother Sulien, the friar who is responsible for his stravagation, or time traveling, Sky learns of a family feud between the di Chimici and the Nucci. Furthermore, he meets Sandro, a young boy who serves as a spy under a man named Enrico, who in turn is employed by Duke Niccolo. More conflicts arise when Sky must contact Georgia and Nicholas, two students at his school who are friends with the girl he likes Alice. Together they travel between their home in England and Giglia, trying to prevent murders and stay alive. The various characters in Giglia interact in a completely different world set in Ancient Italy. In a complex but intriguing plot, Sky and his friends find that they are needed to set everything right once again.

This book is best suited for readers in grades six and up. Although it was confusing at first due to skips to different characters in different settings every few pages, I was able to become accustomed to the format and understand what was happening. The plot was a bit complex with so many characters involved, but it could still be followed without much difficulty. I really enjoyed how the author connected City of Flowers to the other two books in the series with all of the main characters meeting each other and working together to protect everyone else. Another nice addition to the novel was the stunning cover that showed an image of the town and the symbolic sword inside Sky’s talisman, the blue perfume bottle. Although the novel was lengthy with almost five hundred pages, it kept the reader fascinated with the events occurring and had very few dull moments. Stravaganza: City of Flowers is a wonderful book for readers who love adventure in fantasy worlds as well as other conflicts that are more realistic.

The Lightning Thief is a story about a young boy named Percy Jackson. Percy is not quite like normal boys, in fact his father is a god. On the contrary, his mother is a mortal. This makes Percy a demigod, not quite mortal, yet not quite a god. Percy exhibits some of his demigod powers throughout this novel.

Percy realizes that his life is not quite normal when his teacher pulls out a sword and kills demons that were sent to destroy Percy. Demigods are usually not wanted, and great evil will go to extraordinary lengths to destroy them. There is only one safe place for Percy to go to to escape the evil that is after him. That place is Camp Half-Blood, and that’s where all of the trouble really begins.

I found this book to be quite enjoyable. It had interesting character development. In some parts of the book, I realized that some of these events could really happen! I feel that middle school students are more suited for this type of fantasy genre. Although I liked the book overall, it did have some controversial faults. One of these faults would be the description of the underworld, for Percy must travel there for his quest. In my opinion, this series looks very promising and creative. Fantasy readers will be craving for the next installment in the Percy Jackson series. I can’t wait for a sequel!

Dreamland, by Sarah Dessen, is a moving novel about a young girl named Caitlin who is trying to find her place in life. Unfortunately, Caitlin doesn't make the right choices and gets sucked into a relationship she normally wouldn't want to be in. Her new boyfriend, Rogerson, is starting to lead her down a path of destruction and pain and there is nothing she can do to get away from it. It seems almost unreal to Caitlin, like she will wake up from her dream. After all the drugs and Rogerson's abuse, Caitlin has had enough. But can she get out of this relationship and still be okay?

This book goes much deeper than some of Dessen's other books. It hits home harder and was very relatable. Caitlin seemed so mesmerized by Rogerson. He led her down a path that she did not want to go down and showed her things that she was not yet ready to see. However, she felt she was in love with him even though he abused her. She was in her own world when she was with him and didn't want to believe he was hurting her. So many girls are fed lies and are given false hope in relationships. This book really showed me to be careful and know the warning signs of abuse. In Caitlin's situation, it started out with Rogerson's controlling attitude.

This book really opened my eyes and will make me think the next time I am getting into a relationship. I think many people will be able to relate to this book, because so many of us are put in this kind of scenario every day. Caitlin only did what every teen girl would do. She went with her boyfriend and relied on him for everything. However, she became to dependant and became caught up in lies and illegal activity.

I felt the book was interesting from the beginning until the end. It kept me wondering about what would happen to Caitlin and how she would act in certain situations. Many emotions came forward while I was reading the book. I felt sorry for her, yet I was happy for her when she triumphed over abuse. Many times we can feel the way Caitlin did about our lives. We may try to live a double life and get caught up between good and evil. Overall, I feel the book was very good. I would recommend it to older teen girls.

This book is about a group of girls that develop unlikely friendships. They are all totally opposite, and wouldn't normally talk to each other if it weren't for knitting. They all found knitting was a way to calm them and they all could easily get absorbed in it once they start. It keeps them distracted from their problems, and is a new hobby for them all that isn't as hard as they thought. When they all meet at "KnitWit", the yarn store, it is like fate. Four totally opposite girls, and they all become friends. They call themselves the "Chicks with Sticks". But when there are four totally opposite girls, there are bound to be problems. Join them in their up and their downs, as they deal with boys, family, illness, and many more problems.

This was a pretty good book, but there weren't many big events that happened. At some points it was kind of boring, because there was nothing happening. Other than the few boring parts, this book was good. It was just like real life, and probably what is happening in a lot of people's lives right now. Their lives are changing, and so are they. So that is why I would recommend this book to teens and adults, because younger children probably wouldn't be able to understand some of the problems and concepts in this book. That is just my opinion on this book, and some of you may have other opinions, so I suggest you read this book and see for yourself. (This book also includes knitting projects.)

Max Sumner’s life was perfect; he had money, trustworthy best friends, and everything his heart could desire, until his parents got a divorce. Then his world turns upside-down when imaginary creatures from a secret card game called Round Table begin invading Avalon, Minnesota. Next he finds the mysterious book called the Codex Spiritus in his grandfather’s secret study. When he accidentally releases a Spriggan, a type of faerie, he names Sprig from the Codex, he realizes that the Codex and monsters are just the beginning. Soon the nearby woods tower over the town and an evil shadow possesses a school bully called Ray. Who are the mysterious Ms. Heen and Morgan LaFey? Then, when Iver vanishes without a trace Max knows something is really wrong. Max’s secret group, the Gray Griffins, must go through challenging tests and fighting evil villains like Ray and the Black Witch to save the world from the evil Shadow King and rescue the Jewel of Titania before it’s too late.

Gregor goes back to the Underland for his normal lessons with Ripred, the fearsome rat who is now teaching him echolocation. Ripred shows him what the Bane has become and Gregor soon is caught up in another adventure with his Underland friends. The mice have been disappearing and when a message is sent to Queen Luxa, Gregor must go and help his friends find out what is happening to the mice. Gregor and Luxa try to sneak out by pretending to have a picnic, but Gregor’s sister Boots, Howard, Hazard, and Temp end up finding out and going with them. They trip is supposed to be a short one, but things take a turn for the worse and they take a lot longer than planned. They must travel through many dangerous regions of the Underland and face many enemies and trials before they can find out what has happened to all the mice.

This book was very exciting and it moved the plot of the Underland Chronicles along a lot. It sets up a lot of suspense for the fifth and final book in the series. I think that it is a good book for most middle school and high school students. The plot is very interesting and the book moves very quickly. The characters also develop more and Gregor’s abilities as a rager develop more fully. The book ends with a cliffhanger and sets up the main story for the final book in the Underland Chronicles.

Amy, a 16 year old girl in high school, was going on a family trip. Unfortunately. Her aunt was letting them stay in a free hotel on the beach, so they couldn't refuse. Dealing with her mean step dad was bad enough, but when they get to the hotel room, they find out that it's really small. They have to deal with each other for the next week. But when it's time for them to leave, Amy decides she wants to stay there at the beach with her aunt. While she is there, she meets a guy and decides to get a job. After a lot of pushing, she gets a job at Mermaid Park. Girls dress up as mermaids and put on shows for the audience. Then she starts to find out some secrets about Mermaid Park. Read the book, and find out the secrets of Mermaid Park, and the secret's of Amy's past.

Theories of Relativity is a book about a boy named Dylan who lives on the streets. He has been kicked out of his home, and forced to live on the streets by himself. Everyday he sits at and office building and begs for money. At night he has no place to go, so he tries to find any available spot that he can sleep on. His life is not very good. Dylan has a collection of theories. These theories such as every fourth person will give you money allow him to survive. These theories are the basis of his being, where he keeps his thoughts and dreams. He also has a backpack that he keeps around with him. In it is a collection of his past such as pictures and notebooks from his home. As he is on the streets, he encounters friends and enemies. These people help him to survive, and thrive. As the story goes on, Dylan tries to overcome hardships, such as avoiding Vulture who keeps trying to take his territory. In the end, Dylan is confronted by many different problems and must confront them all in order to survive. The question is: does he?

In my opinion, this was one of the greatest books I have ever read. The story is down to earth, which gives me the impression that Dylan is REALLY talking to me, not as if the author was writing to it. Dylan is so fair-minded and smart that he seems almost supernatural. He has an aura about him that I can relates to. He learned very quickly how to live, which I loved. The author did a very good job writing this novel. She captured the emotions of homeless runaways perfectly, at least how I would feel if I ran away. All in all this is a good book that I would recommend for kids 9^th grade up.

~ Vincent Calautti, grade 10, Boardman High School

Noah Underwood’s dad always goes a “little overboard” when trying to protect the environment but this time he has gone way too far. After sinking the Coral Queen, a casino boat, for dumping its sewage tank into the basin, he pulled out a folding chair and watched it sink. The police found him sleeping there in the morning and captured him. Then after visiting him in jail, Noah decides to help his dad capture Dusty Muleman, the owner of the Coral Queen, and prove the accusations made against his dad are false. He and his sister Abbey must outsmart everyone, get undercover spies to help them, and must carry out their master plan named Operation Flush. He will do anything it takes to help his dad.

This book was really good and full of humorous incidents. It was similar to Hoot since it was about saving the ecosystem but with different plots and funny new characters. I think that Carl Hiaasen did really well this time and I really like how everything flowed from one thing to the next and even when they had to explain things it was humorous and kept on moving. I only wish it was longer and I really dread when I had to turn to the last page. If Carl Hiaasen keeps up the good writing I’m going to have to read all of his books! This book is a good middle school book because it isn’t hard to read but it is very funny. High school students would also enjoy it although it doesn’t have high vocabulary words and since the plots are easy to understand, a high school student wouldn’t learn much from the book. Furthermore, adults would also enjoy reading this excellent book.

Eden had always been able to see the three dead sisters, but little did she know how being meddlesome could change her life. The three sisters had always bothered Eden, but she also never knew that they could one day save her life. After going to summer camp and becoming friends with her cousin (but she never knew it was her cousin), Cora, she began to notice a change in the spirit world, there were...more. At camp, Cora and Eden battle a white figure that greatly troubled Cora, but Eden didn't know what or who it was, and she didn't want to. Cora had to leave right in the middle of camp after the incident because her grandfather had died then her mother, father, and then Cora died a painful death. Eden never knew this until later and she wanted answers about her mother and her relatives. When she found out about one person, she needed to find out more, which only led her to trouble. Her cousin, Malachi, kept trying to murder her at random times after he got out of jail, but never prevailed. When Eden arrived at a swamp looking for the book of her grandfather, a book with spells in it that could raise the dead, she met again with Malachi. Eden and Malachi fought, each attempting to wound the other, but nothing worked. Eventually, Eden was able to get Malachi into the trunk of his car that she had previously been. Then Eden traveled into the swamp by herself. When she neared the spot where the book was supposed to be, Eden met one of the three sisters. Then she saw the other two, she witnessed how each died, killed by her own grandfather. When she arrived at a small hut, where she had seen her grandfather walk into, she saw him become more clear, he wasn't just an apparition, he was real. There on the bed, in the far corner of the hut was Malachi, scared to death. Eden had no time to think because her grandfather was talking to her. They fought, orally and physically, Eden won, and with the victory she found all the answers that she had been looking for.

I really enjoyed this book only, all of the other reviews on the back say it's a mystery book and even in the author page it says it's a mystery book, but I didn't find it scary at all. Don't get me wrong, it was extremely well written, but it just wasn't scary. I would recommend this book for high school students because of the high level words and because vulgar language in it.

Sing a song of breath mints, banana cream pie. Four and twenty blackbirds take to the sky. When the sky is filled up, with all the feathered wings, the birds will come protect me from all those other things.

~ Ashley Aldan, grade seven, Boardman Center Middle School

Lucy was found in the back of her uncle's new Buick after a very hard poker game. Her aunt, Rhodi Sandoni, was the one who found her. In fact, Rhodi was the only aunt that Lucy trusted. When she was found in the back seat of the Buick, there was a piece of paper attached to the blanket that she was wrapped in, it said Lucy. Her aunts and uncles named her Lucretia, but Rhodi was the only one who called her by Lucy. At night when Lucy was little, Rhodi would whisper her name, Lucy Buick, to her to help her sleep and so that she would know, she wasn't a Sandoni, but a Buick. As Lucy got older, Rhodi would tell her to leave the Sandoni home and go out looking for the Buicks by using signs. Lucy was eighteen when Rhodi died, she had been the last aunt to die, but now Lucy was left in the hands of her greedy uncles. Her uncles had her whole entire future planned out, who she would marry, where she would work, and how much money she would give to them. On a Saturday, Lucy made her way to her uncles' nylon factory, but she never did get there. She went to get ice cream and walked through the park in New York. She was at the top of a hill, overlooking her uncles' factory when it blew up. She heard sirens everywhere, and she saw Rhodi, she never knew she could see the dead, but now she could. Rhodi told her to go and look for the Buicks and start a new life. Lucy boarded a train in search of the Buicks, but not sure what or whom she was looking for. After a few days of riding trains and sleeping, Lucy was visited again by Rhodi who told her to keep looking, but later when her other aunts appeared they told her to go back to her uncles because they needed her. Lucy showed them the newspaper article claiming that she was dead; that she died in the factory explosion. Her aunts protested only because their brothers were going to open up a strip club, Lucy only laughed, she knew that wouldn't last long. One day a man named Brian boarded the train. Brian and Lucy quickly became friends, but Brian was getting off at Iowa. Lucy was planning to go to California, but she got off in Iowa also, only Brian didn't know that. In Iowa, Lucy met many people that she would never forget if she were to leave, but she never did, because she found the Buicks. They weren't what she expected, but she found them, at last.