Review: All You Never Wanted by Adele Griffin

All You Never Wanted by Adele Griffin.

Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 2012
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780375870828

Review: Two sisters, one beautiful and popular, but plagued by fear; the other has her intelligence, but is only a shell of her older sister. In All You Never Wanted by Adele Griffin, Alex and Thea Parrott work to come to grips with the weaknesses that control their very existence.

Alex Parrott has everything, and now that her mother has remarried, she has more money than she can ever imagine. But, a horrific event has changed her. She has stopped eating, avoids drinking anything, and keeps herself tied to her home. This event completely controls her life to the point that she is at risk of losing everything. Thea Parrott wants too much to change her image from the Òsmart girlÓ to someone more like Alex. She becomes a chronic liar as she tries so desperately to work her way into the inner circle at school. As she gets closer to achieving her goal, her lies start to tear her apart. Thea's greatest accomplishment is the party of the year; she just has to get Alex to agree. Through unexpected romance and the party that Thea and Alex's boyfriend have planned, the Parrott girls' lives are turned upside down.

What sisters haven't secretly coveted what their sister has and they're lacking? They see their sister's attributes as better than their own. In All You Never Wanted, this desire is taken to an alarming level as Thea's own identity disappears when she realizes she will never be her sister. The novel is written chapters that alternate between Thea and Alex. This is confusing at first in that Thea's chapters are written in first person and Alex's chapters are written in third person. Oddly this fact easily goes unnoticed. However, once readers come to understand the format, it proves to be highly effective. Readers get insight into how Thea feels about herself and how she views Alex. Both girls' lives are exciting and tragic in their own ways, and teen girls are destined to find a little bit of themselves in Alex and Thea. The final caveat to All You Never Wanted is the surprising ending. Adele Griffin has truly captured the hopes, dreams and fears of teenage girls.

Review written by Margo Nauert (6th grade teacher).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of All You Never Wanted for this review.

Have you read All You Never Wanted? How would you rate it?

Review: Child of the Mountains by Marilyn Sue Shank

Child of the Mountains by Marilyn Sue Shank.

Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: April 2012
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780385740791

Review: Are you the type of person who loves a heartwarming tale? If so, then Child of the Mountains, by Marilyn Sue Shank is the book for you! Lydia Hawkins, your typical 11 year old girl who just wants a normal life in the Appalachian Mountains, suffers through harsh times including family deaths, her mom being hauled off to jail, and having to go live with an aunt and uncle she barely knows.

Lydia lives in a little shack in the Appalachian Mountains with her mom, her little brother BJ, who's battled cystic fibrosis since birth, and wise old Gran. Her life is pretty much normal until every single good thing in her life falls apart. Her dad and grandpa are already dead and after BJ and Gran die, Mama is sent to jail, and she has to go live with Aunt Ethel Mae and Uncle William. She doesn't even know why she should be alive. If only she could find a way to clear her mother's name then maybe, just maybe, things would be better. ÒIt's about keeping the faith,Ó Lydia always thinks. Can she do it?

Child of the Mountains is the best book I have ever read!! Its very suspenseful plot made me want to keep reading and never stop! It warmed my heart. It has suspense, drama, love, and enough excitement to make you want to keep reading! Child of the Mountains is very well written. This book would be appropriate for kids ages 11+ because some of it may be confusing and some parts are a little inappropriate for kids under 11. Readers will be able to relate to some of Lydia's troubles and see how she handles them in a way that they might, as well. I give this book 5 stars because of its excitement and suspense that all wraps up to a loving tale in the end. It will make you want to keep reading and support Lydia during her hard times. After all, it's about keeping the faith!

Review written by Emily (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of Child of the Mountains for this review.

Have you read Child of the Mountains? How would you rate it?

Review: Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan.

Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 2012
List Price: $18.99
ISBN-13: 9780375870415

Review: Romantic, gothic, and humorous all describe Unspoken, the first book in the Lyndburn Legacy. Unspoken is a thrilling and breathtaking book where Sarah Rees Brennan captivates teens. Main character Kami Glass is an ordinary teen going through several changes while making life funÉ Until Jared and Ash Lyndburn come around. Sarah Rees Brennan has all of this and moreÉ

Kami Glass is an ordinary girl with a best friend and normal family living in England, but there is one exceptionÉ She has an imaginary friend, Jared, who has been her imaginary friend since childhood and who has always been there for her. Kami has never really ever felt alone since she has consistently has Jared present in her mind. Nothing would or could tear them apartÉ until now. At school a fight breaks out involving the basketball team and the new student named Jared Lyndburn. While at the library, Kami is forced to be in the same elevator as Jared when leaving, which is ironic since she had been talking to Jared in the library. In the elevator she continues talking to Jared in her mind. When she asks him what he's doing, his response is, "Stuck in an elevator with some Asian chick." They both realize that they aren't just imaginary friends, but they are both real and alive! How will this change the way Kami feels about Jared? As mystery and suspense surround their sleepy little English town, will a curse bring Kami and Jared together? Or will it tear them apart?

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan is a book that will captivate teens around the world with the familiarity, love, and humor, which is exactly what she does when she creates a safe haven for teen's to go and share Kami Glass's feelings. She adds the extra spice to the recipe making it a twist of, The Beautiful Creatures series by Marcia Garcia by incorporating the dark sorcerer and the journalistic writings of any reporter. One of the most attractive aspects that teens will find is the difference in characterization which is created through descriptive details. Along with the curses used throughout the book, Sarah Rees Brennan brings the familiar happenings of a high school teenager's life along with the spectacular story line and plot her fictional writing creates. She finishes every chapter with a cliffhanger, making you need more of her intellectual writing enforcing the fun, bubby, and gothic persona. Teens all over will just soak up the book eagerly awaiting the next book to come, as am I. She definitely gave me an escape from my life, welcoming me with warmth into her story. I often found myself making connections to how I feel with my friends, which is how Kami often compared herself with her best friend, Angela. She constantly feels dull in relation to her best friend's exotic, gorgeous, and confident self. I sped through this book like no other, needing to find what happened next and I know you will. I give Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan two thumbs up along with five stars for the entire book being engaging and just an overall a book that males and females will enjoy. This book creates room for people to agree and disagree on Kami's or any other character's actions or feelings bringing a controversial conversation to any room. I absolutely can't wait for the hopefully several books to follow with the bar set really high! Sarah Rees Brennan is a skilled author who lured me in with her writing and will for sure reel you in as well. I, as well as anyone else who read this book, laughed, cried, sang, and danced along with the characters who endure the adventures they do. With two thumbs up and five stars this book will go extremely far!

Review written by Abby (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of Unspoken for this review.

Have you read Unspoken? How would you rate it?

Review: Secrets of Shakespeare's Grave by Deron R. Hicks

Secrets of Shakespeare's Grave by Deron R. Hicks.

Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Publication Date: September 2012
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780547840345

Review: Do you like to read books about adventure, action and mystery? Well then Secrets of Shakespeare's Grave by Deron K. Hicks is the book for you! In Secrets of Shakespeare's Grave twelve-year-old, Colophon and her recently acquainted cousin, Julian, try to find their great, great grandfather's "treasure" that he has hidden somewhere in London. Meanwhile, back in America, Colophon's brother, Case, is helping their father try to restore their publishing company before Treemont takes over.

The prologue to the book tells about how and where Miles, the great, great grandfather, gets the treasure. This is really interesting because it kind of builds up the history of the book, and puts more suspense into the parts of the book where they are treasure hunting. The obstacles that stand in the way of Colophon and Julian are mostly Treemont and his goons that are working for him. The chapters of the book rotate usually through the U.S and the U.K. The U.K "story" is about Colophon and Julian treasure hunting and looking for clues to where the "treasure" might be. The U.S "story" is about Case and his father trying to get three authors to sign a contract before the winter deadline.

The characters in this book are really interesting because they really push themselves to the limit to try to save their father's job. Other characters are really interesting because they do anything they can to ruin a person's job. The author is great at creating suspense because he made me want to keep on reading to see what would happen next. The author sometimes exceeds in humor; I found some parts of the book that were really humorous and others that made say "was that supposed to be funny?" The adventures that the characters go on are exciting, like the one where Julian and Colophon are in an old crypt when the door starts closing on them and Julian makes it through fine, but Colophon on the other hand hurts her ankle and Julian has to reach in there and yank her out before she is locked inside for another couple hundred years. All in all I enjoyed the tie into history and so should you. To me this book by Deron H. Hicks deserves 5 out of 5 stars because the tie into history is great, the book has great suspense and it has a perfect ending. So go to your local bookstore and pick up a copy today!!!

Review written by Noah (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy of Secrets of Shakespeare's Grave for this review.

Have you read Secrets of Shakespeare's Grave? How would you rate it?

Review: Pandas and Other Endangered Species by Mary Pope Osborne

Pandas and Other Endangered Species by Mary Pope Osborne. A Magic Tree House Fact Tracker Book.

Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: July 2012
List Price: $5.99
ISBN-13: 9780375870255

Review: Cute, helpless, endangered animals. Several species are endangered and may soon cease to exist. The book Pandas and Other Endangered Species by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce is a non-fiction companion book to A Perfect Time for Pandas. This book is 26th in the Magic Tree House Fact Tracker series.

Did you know that there are more people on Earth than ever, so people are destroying the animals' homes for their own benefit. And, some of these animals cannot live anywhere else on Earth. Jack and Annie are teaching readers that there are so many endangered species and so few new species to take their place. Pandas, Yellow-eyed penguins, tigers, Asian elephants, Steller sea lions, Bluefin tuna, Mountain gorilla, Javan rhinoceros, and so many more are on the endangered list. Heroes like Jane Goodall, and George Schaller are helping endangered animals by teaching people how to help and study them so we can learn how to help these animals. Like all other Fact Tracker books, Pandas and Other Endangered Species is filled with valuable information for readers and researchers.

Did you know that there are so many endangered species on Earth? For example, China, U.S.A, Africa, Russia, Japan and many other different places on Earth have endangered animals. But, the facts alone are not the only good part of this book. Like in all the Magic Tree House books, Annie is more adventuress, outgoing, and well-rounded than her brother Jack who is more careful. As a result, any child can relate to some trait of Jack and Annie. And, as usual, they get all their questions answered in A Perfect Time for Pandas. The best quality of the book, however, resides in the lessons it teaches. Unless we do something quickly to protect, and help them, they all will be dead. Pandas and Other Endangered Species is a book that anybody and everybody will enjoy - especially animal lovers. I yearned to know more about the types of different animals that are endangered, how to help them, and why they need help. It is a great book for learning, and is a well-organized and insightful book for all researchers like Jack and Annie. Pandas and Other Endangered Species deserves 5 stars because it taught me that animals just like us need help.

Review written by Omar (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of Pandas and Other Endangered Species for this review.

Have you read Pandas and Other Endangered Species? How would you rate it?

Review: Summer at Forsaken Lake by Michael D. Bell

Summer at Forsaken Lake by Michael D. Bell.

Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: June 2012
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780375867422

Review: Do you enjoy books that are interesting, exciting, and suspenseful? Summer at Forsaken Lakeby Michael D Beil is interesting, exciting, and suspenseful book. Michael D Beil's book is just that. He crates suspense that will force readers to want to know more. In the story it says, "that house of Uncle Nick's and the lake - they're both full of secrets. You just have to know where to look. You never know what you might find."

Beautiful lake, small town, and boats help create the setting where Nicholas and his two little twin sisters are heading to visit their Uncle Nick for the summer. While staying at his home, they find a secret compartment, but it is not just any secret compartment, it is a secret closet where they find a desk, a love letter and an unfinished film. Later on in the story Nicholas meets a girl named Charlie who helps him uncover the mystery surrounding the unfinished film. Will they solve the mystery before the summer is over?

Thrilling, interesting, and suspenseful. Summer at Forsaken Lake's setting in a small town, huge lake, and Uncle Nick's house help create a strong backdrop for the story. The characters are also interesting. For example, Charlie can throw a curve ball that will literally go around a curve of a wall. Also Nicholas looks exactly like his dad, which makes Charlie's mom scared. The book has a strong moral, sending the message that you should never be jealous because jealousy ruins your life as you become overcome with a desire to seek revenge. Revenge will always lead to something bad. Michael D. Beil also uses engaging language to create suspense. For example, Nicholas, Hetty, and Hayley go out into the night sailing while it is raining at top power and waves as furious as a lion crash on the shore. "Get your foul- weather gear on girls there's sail boat out there and it's in trouble. The mast is broken, and they're just drifting. Somebody might be hurt. They're waving a flashlight around, and we're the only ones that can help right now." I found myself wanting to keep reading because I could not wait to know what would happen next. Summer at Forsaken Lake is appropriate for all readers because it is just another great mystery everybody will enjoy. Summer at Forsaken Lake deserves 5 stars because it taught me to be kind to everybody because you will live a happier life if people will treat you the way you treat them.

Review written by Omar (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of Summer at Forsaken Lake for this review.

Have you read Summer at Forsaken Lake? How would you rate it?

Review: Cheesie Mack Is Cool in a Duel by Steve Cotler

Cheesie Mack Is Cool in a Duel by Steve Cotler. A Cheesie Mack Book.

Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: June 2012
List Price: $15.99
ISBN-13: 9780375864384

Review: Have you ever wanted to be considered cool by your friends? The book Cheesie Mack Is Cool in a Duel by Steve Cotler is a story about just that. The illustrations by Adam McCauley are enjoyable and entertaining, but there are too few for my tastes. Here is a little bit about the story and what makes it such a good read.

Cheesie and his friend Georgie go to camp together, but end up in a cabin with the big guys. Cheesie ends up in a fight with one of the big kids named Kevin. Every night the campers vote on who is the coolest for that day and at the end of two weeks there is a final vote for the coolest where the loser has to do the punishment. As I read it I wondered what do they do to make themselves the coolest? You might be wondering who will win and what is the punishment? You will have to read the book to find out.

What I enjoyed about Cheesie Mack Is Cool in a Duel was it was so interesting it felt like it was only ten pages and the book is actually 222 pages. What made me keep reading is how entertaining the book is, such as the different ways they tried to be the coolest. I won't ruin it for you by telling you all the ways in this review. What I did not like about the book was that in practically every chapter the author keeps saying "You can find this on my website." I really got tired of reading: on my website, on my website, on my website. Other people would like to read this book because it is a fun get-away. You will escape your boring school day with an adventure for a little while with some fun kids and funny situations. It may even give you a few ideas on how to be cool.

Review written by David (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of Cheesie Mack Is Cool in a Duel for this review.

Have you read Cheesie Mack Is Cool in a Duel? How would you rate it?

Review: Balancing Act by Dominique Moceanu and Alicia Thompson

Balancing Act by Dominique Moceanu and Alicia Thompson. Book Two of The Go-For-Gold Gymnasts Series.

Publication Date: April 2012
List Price: $5.99
ISBN-13: 9781423136323

Review: Are you the kind of person who dives right into an amazing book about athletes? What about gymnastic athletes? Well if so, Balancing Act, by Dominique Moceanu and Alicia Thompson, is the book for you! As you're reading, Noelle, Christina, Jessie, and Britt will all be practicing like crazy at Texas Twisters gym.

Noelle, Christina, Jessie, and Britt are four of the gymnasts at Texas Twisters gym, and all great friends. Noelle, Christina, and Britt are all practicing extremely hard for National, and Jessie is by their side cheering them on. But when David comes into Noelle's life, everything goes wrong. Noelle and her parents have a lot going on right now, so when Noelle gets the letter about the cost for Nationals, she doesn't want to tell her parents. What will she do?

Balancing Act has original characters that made me want to keep reading. The author uses descriptive writing that makes the story full of action and excitement, such as, "David Schaeffer had kissed me, my FIRST kiss. The one I had been saving for Scott," Noelle says. Balancing Act is appropriate for all audiences, but young gymnasts in-the-making will appreciate the well-developed ideas of this wonderful book! Plus, people who are having some difficult situations in their lives right now can easily relate to these characters, and maybe even learn how to deal with their problems. Balancing Act deserves five stars because the writing style is lively and energetic; it will make you want to keep reading!

Review written by Katie (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Disney Publishing Worldwide for providing a copy of Balancing Act for this review.

Have you read Balancing Act? How would you rate it?

Review: The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Forde

The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Forde.

Harcourt Childrens Books
Publication Date: October 2012
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780547738475

Review: The Last Dragonslayer is an amazing novel about magic. Written by Jasper Fforde, it is a stand alone book. The main character, Jennifer Strange, manages Kazam which is an employment agency for magicians. Add a few dragons, and that's where everything gets difficult.

Magic used to be popular but now it is fading. As Jenifer Strange is running Kazam, sorcerers begin to get visions of the last dragon dying. There is always a dragonslayer who has to kill the dragon. But news of the dragon dying begins to spread and everyone is awaiting its death. Once the dragon dies, the force field separating the dragons from humans comes down and enables people to cross the line. This brings much confusion and everything is very hectic because people want to claim their land that was once part of the dragonlands. While only the dragonslayer themselves and their apprentice may cross the barrier, when it is broken, anyone can roam freely about. Something might change and bring a new kind of magic called Big Magic. This can be greatly beneficial to Kazam, and Jennifer does not want to miss her chance. She sets out to find The Last Dragonslayer, but things go differently than she expects and she finds herself in the middle of it all.

I give The Last Dragonslayer a five out of five rating. It kept me on the edge of my seat every second and I could not stop wondering what was going to happen next. I would describe this book as being similar to Harry Potter but much more realistic. I did have trouble understanding the book in the beginning with all the new people and characters. Although, once I sorted everything out, I understood perfectly fine. I would recommend The Last Dragonslayer to people 13 and older because it is a slightly difficult read. However, younger children can read it if they are up for a challenge. All in all, The Last Dragonslayer is a spectacular book, and I am sure that it will win many awards for the story that it tells.

Review written by William (7th grade student).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group for providing a copy of The Last Dragonslayer for this review.

Have you read The Last Dragonslayer? How would you rate it?

Review: Yesterday by C. K. Kelly Martin

Yesterday by C. K. Kelly Martin.

Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 2012
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780375866500

Review: “Winston Churchill said, ‘Sure I am of this, that you have only to endure to conquer. You have only to persevere to save yourselves.’ I swear his words will be running around in my head for the next fifty years at least." These are the thoughts of sixteen-year-old Freya Kallas - the protagonist in Yesterday, a new dystopian thriller by C. K. Kelly Martin.

Freya Kallas of 2063 is living in a world that has been dramatically affected by the lack of attention paid to the environment in the 20th and early 21st centuries. She lives in a land that is no longer the United States, but is rather the United North America - a result of dwindling governments. In the UNA, climate has been dramatically altered, and coastal destruction has left much of North America desolate. Her world is fearing ecoterrorism, facing the rise of the robot, and a plunge into a virtual world. Family structures have been altered, and as a result of the Bio-net, typical health issues become nearly non-existent. One night, however Freya is fearing for her brother’s life when the SecRos remove her and her mother, give them an injection, and when Freya wakes up, she has no recollection of 2063, but she knows something is not quite right with her life in 1985. Nothing seems real to her until she sees a mysterious boy. But how does she tell him that he’s the subjects of her dreams of a life so far removed from there. How does she tell a total stranger that he’s the only true reality for her?

Martin has written a fantastically unique thriller. 2063 is close enough that readers will fear what could be in their future if changes do not happen today, and the disconnect that Freya feels is utterly believable. Yesterday draws readers in from the first page and keeps them wanting more. Although readers can begin to predict how Freya (and Garren) are transported back in time, the way in which their situation is handled by friends and foe is unpredictable, keeping readers tense and in fear until the very end. While readers are learning about Freya and her adjustments to a new school and a new life and watching her transform into something she’s not merely to have something that seems “real" in her life, readers become more and more passionate about her and her quest to find something that feels right. So when she meets Garren, readers have an investment in Freya’s character and every action becomes personal. Readers will find themselves cheering for her, fearing with her, and crying with her as she faces the most difficult time in her life. Yesterday is filled with enough suspense, mystery, and passion to enthrall any young adult reader.

Review written by Margo Nauert (6th grade teacher).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of Yesterday for this review.

Have you read Yesterday? How would you rate it?