Teen Reviews of other 2002 books...
 

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Allende, Isabel City of the Beasts  (Contemporary / Magic Realism)

• Main Character is scary how much he resembles me. 5Q 4P. AR, 14.

• This book took a lot of patience to read. It took awhile for anything really to happen. There seemed to be more explanations instead of an actual story. By the time the book starts to pick up (the last 4 chapters) you don't care anymore. 3Q 3P. EA, 18

• While it was a fairly interesting idea, the writing style is just too bland. Nothing extraordinary to say about it whatsoever. It just didn't have the flair of most books that are at my reading level. The way the conversation and descriptions are approached leave me vaguely uninterested. Somewhat of a lower grade reading list, I'd think. 3Q 3P. JL, 16.

Alder, Elizabeth. Crossing the Panther's Path.  (Historical / First Nations - American - British relations / Tecumseh)

• What I liked was how it was really based upon real people. I guess I also liked how the story wasn't exploited either, trying to sell one group better than the others. I also liked how the main character was torn at first, came to a firm decision and still experienced doubt. 4Q3P. EA, 18

Alphin, Elaine Marie. Simon Says.   (Contemporary / Boarding School / Suicide)

• A pretentious load of tripe. The characters were unrealistic, whiny and stuck up. The whole simon says concept was particularly annoying since I have never felt the need to play it. The revelation of the main character was far too predictable. KH, 17.

 Armstrong, Jennifer and Nancy Butcher Fire-Us: the Kindling (v. 1)  (Science Fiction )

• It was too typical. I read it as long as I could stand it. Fast-paced novels are my thing, and this didn't go fast enough. The characters were boring, nothing seemed original and all of it had a kind of predictability that made me want to pull my hair out. 3Q 2P. LS, 16.

• Liked the characters. I enjoyed how they'd always forge on , in light of their predicament. 4Q 4P. AP, 14.

• Interesting Storyline. I'm looking for the next one in the series. 4Q 4P. NB, 12.

Avi. Crispin: The Cross of Lead.  (Newbery Medal Winner 2003) (Historical / Medieval England)

• I loved the ending, it was a complete surprise. I hate it when the endings of books are predictable! I also enjoyed the characters and how the author chose to develop them. The main character, Crispin, is growing and learning throughout the book and I think the main message in the book was that power and wealth aren't everything. 5Q 5P. NM, 14.

• Likes: good plot/storyline. Good characters - you felt like you knew them. Dislikes: very easy read (too young for me), not enough depth or action. 4Q 4P, SS, 14.

• I think Crispin is a pretty good book. I like how he saves Bear. I think though that somehow he should have gotten his claim to Lord Furnival's property, being his son and all. That would have been a better ending. 4Q 4P. SC, 12

• While the plot was too dark for younger readers, I found that the characters, settings, and events were well described, and the historical conditions were accurate. The main character elicited sympathy in the reader, and the events, though improbable, were believable.  I found this to be a good historical novel, which fit in with the general theme that I have found in Avi's work- a child accused of a crime that they didn't commit, and becoming a different person as a result. 4Q 3P. JW, 15.

• It was good. And I liked 'will' and I liked skip. 4Q 4P. KC, 16

Brooks, Bruce. Dolores: Seven Stories about Her  (Contemporary / Short Stories)

• It was incredibly real. I know Delores's. They are amazing people. 5Q4P. KH, 17.

• I enjoyed the thought-provoking ideas and insight the characters had. There was a lot of character development and the way they progressed was fun, and easy to understand. The happy ending was nice, although rather short. 4Q4P. KP, 15.

• The writing style was good -- but of course: it's Bruce Brooks. I liked the main characters -- she's a person I'd be attracted to know in my own life. I like the way the book is staggered into short stories all about one character, and each story dealt with specific events of some importance in her life. It helps show what's significant to the author and for the characters. 4Q4P. JL, 15

•  format was really different and cool but the stories weren't very deep and I couldn't really get into it too much.4Q3P.BA, 15

• This book was pretty cool. I liked the format of this book -- very different from other books. I don't usually enjoy books of short stories, but this one was an exception. What I really liked about this book was the way Dolores talked. I know this must sound strange, but she talks differently from the characters in most books -- "For all I know, I may be cool, or perhaps I may be irretreviably nerdy. But that's for other, wiser, trendier minds to decide." I liked most of the stories in the book, except for "rah".

• This was a medieval, futuristic, and yet godly hunk of garbage. The writing style was too jumpy and it was unclear half the time. I did NOT appreciate reading the baby crap over again. Unnecessary gore. Frustrating character development. This book was not smoothly written nor interesting. I ended up skimming large chunks, especially the chunk of chapters repeating the baby situation. It was stupid and frustrating and goes to the top of my "books to burn" list. 1Q 1P. KH, 17.

• While this was an interesting and enlightening approach to writing the novel, it created the problem of  various virtually incomprehensible characters and an overabundance of self-centredness and pity. Despite its many attributes, overall the story is a great disappointment in quality and content, with an unsatisfactory ending - Hamlet without the literary sense that preceded it. 1Q 1P. AR, 18

• This was such a great idea for a book! It was really different and so funny. I like reading books set in England because it is fun how they say things differently. Altogether it was good but not great. 4Q 4P. BM, 14

• Stupid, too confusing, doesn't draw you in. 3Q 1P. AR, 14.

• I didn't like the character Sandra. She seemed so selfish. 3Q 2/3P. EA, 17.

• It was a really unique story. But I didn't really like the ending. This is an easy book to read, but I would say some of the content is for more mature readers. 3Q 3P. MG, 16

• It started out slowly and I could only read a few pages at a time. It was confusing and the grammar was weird. Language in some parts was not as nice as it could have been. 3Q 4P. KG, 12.

• Like: focus on Little John & telling his story. Focus on Robin Hood's fun-loving, mischievous personality. Dislike: poor grammar, delves into un-necessary long-windedness. 3Q 4P. AR, 20

• Complicated story plot. I expected a little more from it.Fairly easy to read. 3Q 3P. NB, 12.

• This book is sort of a typical stuck in the middle novel. It has everything - intrigue, suspicion, scandals and spirit. Combine all these together and this is a really good novel! I could not put it down and read it all at one time. This book blurs the lines of right and wrong beyond definition. Its up to the reader to make the call. 5Q 5P. CL, 15

• Like: issue of cheating and what to do, how "brains" were not portrayed as geeks, nerds or losers. 4Q 4P. AR, 20

• Very good, realistic. 5Q5P. KB, 14.

• I found it to be slow at the beginning but it got better. 3Q 4P. SC, 13.

• Odd, disturbing. 3Q 3P. AR, 14.

• This book was extremely well-written. The characters from earlier novels were just as believable and endearing and there were no information discrepancies. Although it is a good idea to read the previous books in the series it isn't mandatory. The role Ender's parents played was very interesting especially since I had previously read Ender's game. 5Q 4P RS, 12.

• This was one book I enjoyed immensely. In some ways, I liked it even more than the books that follow Ender because he's the perfect little sad boy that saved Earth. It was great reading about Bean, Petra and the rest of the Dragon Army. They've all grown up sniff and are controlling the Earth one way or the other. You can read this without reading the book right before it, but there are parts where you feel like as if you came for the second half of the joke. You kind of figure out what must've happened. Yes, there were times where I didn't really agree with Card's theology on the whole political situation and the handling of it, but that is exactly why it's his opinion and not mine. To say the very least, this book was good. Not to the same standard as 'Ender's Game' or 'Ender's Shadow' but very close. 'Shadow Puppets' is a more mature book then the two I just mentioned, the tone evolved as the characters grew up which was a relief. All the little side plots were enjoyable and tied in neatly at the end. I loved the character, Mrs. Wiggins. I'd say that was the best part of this book, how all the minor characters got more of a depth. Good book, fun, one or two bits where it was slow, but a great addition to whoever liked the ones that started all of this. 4Q 4P. EA, 18.

Carvell, Marlene. Who Will Tell My Brother?  (Contemporary / Novel in Verse / First Nations Mascots)

• In a word, it was powerful. At first, I thought it would be a tedious book, because it is written as poetry, but by the end I didn't even notice it. I also liked how it gave details, but still let you reach your own conclusions. 5Q 3P. AB, 15

• Different people can identify with Evan because he goes through all these feelings and emotions that teenagers can identify with. Also I think everyone, deep inside of them, wants to make a difference and Evan takes the bold step of trying to do so. 5Q 4P. PM, 15.

Colfer, Eoin . Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident .

• I like how the LEPrechaun must rely on Artemis instead of fighting and hating him. Alex, 14.

• It was great. 4Q4P. Cam, 13
• This book like the first one was really good. The story is simple but intrigueing. The subject has great appeal because it is about magic and there being other intelligent life on this planet and ones with magic toboot. Artimis is a very complex character while still remaining simple and easy to relate to. This book comes at on more than one level so all ages will enjoy it.5Q5P. NT, 16

Cornwell, Bernard. The Archer's Tale (Historical / Adult)

• I liked the plot, storyline and especially the characters. This book would be better for mature readers as there is a lot of ripping of womens' clothes and raping. 5Q 4P. AR, 14.

Curley, Marianne. Old Magic. (Contemporary / Romance / Magic)

• The characters are wonderful - you can't help but to like them almost immediately. Jarrod's clumsiness is adorable and Kate is "feisty." She has spunk. The two of them make a great pair and the ending makes everything so happy. They're awkward and in love and they're magical and strong. 4Q 4P. JL, 15

• The cover is much better than the American cover. The characters are really really cool. The way you get to read from both characters points of view and you get to know what they are thinking is awesome. I love Kate and Jillian and how they can do magic but not crapy magic that is so unbelieveable that it just doesn't fit, but rather they perform magic that you could actually imagine someone on earth doing. Jared is so loveable and you really care what happens to him. Even the popular kids are exactly like the popular kids in my school. I love how they go back in time. I think they way the author described it was how it really would have been. The ending is awesome everything is perfect once again. 4Q4P KH, 15

• 5Q 5P. KB, 15.

 Disher, Garry. The Divine Wind: A Love Story .  (Historical / WWII / Australia)

• A perfect combination of everything! Love, trials, losing someone and most importantly what war does to us. The author does not override one topic more than the other, which makes me want, at certain times, more of something than the other. Which keeps the suspense going. 5Q 5P. CS, 13.

• This book really examines the way that a person's race and skin colour no matter how much a part of a community can change the way a person sees them in a time of war. It is hard to read about how the people were treated but the fact is it did happen and is happening again to a lot of people especially after September 11th.  5Q 4P. NT, 16

Doherty, Berlie  Holly Starcross . (Contemporary / Families)

• This was powerfully written and easy to follow. I liked the concept of Zed and the role she played in the story. The characters were believable and fit into their assigned positions very well. 5Q 4P. RS, 12.

 Fiedler, Lisa. Dating's Hamlet: Ophelia's Story. 

• What I liked about the book was how it stayed on Ophelia the entire time, it never switched focus to Hamlet. I liked the whole different spin to the entire story and made Ophelia a strong woman instead of a wishy-washy frail that lost her mind. It was cute how they tied it in slightly to Romeo & Juliet. EA, 17.

• It was cute and quaint but I didn't like the ending too terribly much. It wasn't Shakespearean. I don't think Shakespeare would have approved. 4Q4P. KH, 17.

• While admittedly I don't know the story of Shakespeares Hamlet, I still found this book very enjoyable. It's well written, if slightly simplistic. 4Q 5P. JI, 16.

• My chief complaint about Shakespeare is that everyone seems to die; which may be a good way to tie up loose ends, but makes for depressing reading. Fiedler manages to keep her chatracters alive until the end of the book (with, of course, the exception of the evil King), and brings 'Hamlet' to a younger generation of readers by 'dumbing down' the language and complexity of the storyline, and preseting the characters in a way that the readers of today can relate to. Although this book is not for everyone, I think that it would be a good resource for teachers introducing Shakespeare to their students, as well as an amusing diversion for the students themselves. 4Q 3P. JW, 15.

Funke, Cornelia.  The Thief Lord (Winner: Mildred Batchelder Award 2003)

• Like: following the street kids into their world & life, how everyone and everything interacts and is connected in some way. Dislike: at times a little too long & slow. 4Q4P, AR, 20.

• This book was a very good book. I especially like the character Scipio and I really liked how Prosper and Bo got to live with Ida. One thing I didn't like, though, was how mean they were to Barbarossa when he was a child. I think they could have been a bit nicer to him.3Q 4P. SC, 12.  5Q 4P. AR, 14.

Gavin, Jamila. Coram Boy.

• The book is well-written. It shows bits and parts of the treachery of man. The hopelessness some of the poor people back in the 18th & 19th centuries faced. How easily it could've been exploited. The book was filled with grief and loss until the last 1/2 page. And even then it wasn't a Cinderella ending. It left a bit of hope. 4Q 4P. EA, 17.

• Historically speaking, "Coram Boy" does probably paint a pretty accurate picture of times during the Industrial Revolution having studied it recently. All the exploitation, imperialism, defined social classes, and slavery is contrast to the modernization of England was well-described, though merely backdrop for the plot. ... Overall it was a good and solid book. 4Q 4P. KP, 16.

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 Half-Human . Edited by Bruce Coville; Illustrated by Marc Tauss.

• This book was ok but it was not nearly as good as I think it could have been. There was to much in common between all of the stories when they should have shown all of the different sides of being a half-human. Some of the stories were better than others and I would still say read the book but it definitely didn't thrill me. 3Q 3P. NT, 16.

• I think half human is a pretty good book. I especially like the stories Linnea, about the mermaid, and centaur field about the baby centaur. I think it would be cool if you could change into say, a mermaid at will and then change back. 4Q 4P. SC, 12.

Hartnett, Sonya. Thursday's Child. 

• This book was different. Very different. That’s a good thing. If felt real. Like the characters were real people. I really enjoyed the end, at first it made no sense but then it all fit together. 4Q 4P. MH, 14.

Heuston, Kimberley. The Shakeress.

• I liked the depth of this book and how it made me think. A little less of religious content would make this book more appealing to a wider variety of people. 4Q 4P. KE, 13.

• I really enjoyed this book. I found it neat to read a book about the mormon religon as I am a member of the mormon religon myself. I liked the way this book talked about God. How Naomi follwed her heart and really thought out things before she did them. She really found things out for her self. I found I could relly relate to Naomi, the way she wanted to live a life that ment something. I found this book a great break form all the books that could care less about God. I allso enjoyed the history that was scatterd through this book. I wish this book was longer. 4Q 4P. EH, 15.

• I could barely put it down. A combination of tragedy, teen angst and new found love, made this book appealing and sometimes depressing or frustrating. CL, 15

• I just really liked it plain out. It was super good! It is so interesting. I think  it is kind of sad how Lucien dies in his real world, but I think it is really neat how Rodolpho makes him a new transporter so that he doesn't stravagate to his dead body. I just really loved this book. 5Q 4P. SC, 12. Really good. 5Q 4P. AR, 14.

• This book was fun to read, if a trifle predicatable. I found myself thinking "she wants me to gasp, I know she does, but I already knew that going to happen" quite a few times while I was reading. Still, even with its' predicatability, the book is still fun. 3Q 4P. JI, 17.

Hrdlitschka, Shelley. Dancing naked: A novel . (Teen Pregnancy)

• I liked it because it was extremely realistic and you could really connect with the characters. It had a sad ending and was really heartfelt. 4Q 4P. BA, 15

• Liked: format, working, subject, characters, plot. EVERYTHING. Disliked: Nothing. 5Q 5P. CL, 14

• It showed the realities of teenage pregnancy, like the boyfriend who fathered the baby did not care for it or for her, and the decisions she had to go through. The book explained month by month what she went through. 3Q 3P. AT, 16

• I don't think I've ever read a book where the girl gets pregnant and then decides to have an abortion. The girls always go through with it. I love what the title means to the book, it means (to me) Stand tall, and don't let anyone beat you down. CZ, 13

• Overall I liked this book. My favorite part was how the author wrote at the beginning of each chapter what normally happened to a fetus of that age. I liked the characters. It was totally predictable that Justin was gay. I hear all the time about teen pregnancy and adoption and abortion and it was great too see all thoes topics from the mothers point of view. Grace was my favorite Character. 4Q 3P. KH, 15.

Hughes, Dean. Soldier Boys. (Historical / WWII)

• I LOVE the part where Ted warms Spencer's feet and Schaefer warms Dieter's hands. This shows equality, that both sides Axis or Allies, they were human. This entire book is awesome, but that is the best part. 5Q5P. CS, 13.

Ingold, Jeanette.  The Big Burn   (Historical / Forest Fires)

• This is the 2d time I've read this book and I love it no more and no less than the first time I read it. There are only a couple books that don't bug me when there are a couple people telling the story, and this is one of them. I've always known fire ... Jeanette Ingold writes it as if we can add onto the story like what happened to Elway & Abel? 5Q 5P. CS, 13.

Johnson, Kathleen Jeffrie. The Parallel Universe of Liars. (Contemporary)

• I disliked everything about the book. The girl seemed one part crazy and a whole lot dumb. She's supposed to be 15 but things most of the time like a 1 yr old. Her whole relationship with the 22 yr old neighbor was disgusting. She never acknowledged what he was doing to her was wrong due to the age difference. She was so apathetic it made me mad. 1Q 1P. EA, 17

• I believe this is the stupidest book I’ve read. The characters are so shallow and dumb. I hated the story line, I can’t imagine why someone would want to read this. [Best for grades: None. 10-12 are too smart to enjoy this and younger kids couldn’t read because of content.] 1Q 1P. KH, 15.

Kersjes, Mike; with Joe Layden. A Smile as Big as the Moon: A Teacher, His Class, and Their Unforgettable Journey. (Nonfiction)

• I liked how you got to know a lot of the people in the book, and you always got a good sense of what was happening in the book. I also liked that half the time, I was forgetting that the kids were special ed. However, this is definitely not a book for younger kids (or rather, less mature kids) than about grade 9 or 10 at least. 4Q 4P. AB, 15

• This is a great story about determination, overcoming obstacles and true friendship. It shows that even people with disabilities can do things and function in real life. …. 4Q 3P. OL, 15

• . … The story itself was great. I got so into it, that at places where the kids triumphed, I would realize that I also was smiling myself. I really appreciated how the point was made obvious that those special ed kids were no different than regular kids, other than they were dealt a harder hand. This showed how hard they worked (individually and together) to overcome and step out of the box society had put them into. They proved themselves over and over again, in different situations, in different ways. I'm glad that the insecurities and all the negative pressure that everyone was feeling were put in too. So the story felt even more real, not one of those "everything was perfect so the underdogs made it" stories. …. The kids themselves were great. By the end you got to know them, you didn't feel sorry for them, you were proud of everything they accomplished through what odds. Also I liked how the last page gave brief mention to some of them and where they were. It was a good book, but I'm not entirely sure that everyone will be dying to pick it up. Which is a little saddening. 4Q 3P. EA, 18.

Lubar, David. Dunk. (Contemporary / Humour)

• Just recently I saw Patch Adams, which is mentioned in this book. I don't know if I'm totally convinced that laughter is completely better than any medication, but it certainly works some miracles. The author expertly winds all of these subjects together, creating a story which almost transports you to the boardwalk. The only part I don't like about this book is Chad's run-ins with the police. CZ, 13

• I have one word for the book: mediocre. In every way. There was really nothing in it that I disliked, but there was nothing particularly amazing either. It was a good light summer read. 3Q 4P. AB, 15.

• I'm not sure why, but I didn't really enjoy the book. Had the book focused more on the main character's tenant it would have been more interesting. He had more going on. But this story came across as an average boy trying to be more different but didn't work out that well for the story. 3Q 3P. EA, 18.

• I enjoyed this book quite a lot and I thought that the writing was quite good. The author gave really good decriptions and it had many suspenseful parts in it. This book makes you think about having dreams and never giving up. It has a good message, but it's not one of those books that are all about the message; it was actually interesting. David Lubar is a good author and I think that some one who enjoys reality and a good message, while still getting a good read would really enjoy this book. It was very good. 4Q 4P. LM, 13.

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Malone, Patricia. The Legend of Lady Ilena.  (Fantasy)

• It was well written, a very easy read: I got through it pretty quickly. The storyline was almost predictable fantasy - princess living in rundown village, princess doesn't know she's a princess, parents die, princess travels north to where her father told her, princess finds out she is a princess ... but it's still a fairly good book. I'm not sure that it should make BBYA, but it's definitely a recommendation to read. 4Q 4P. RD, 13.

• I was not crazy about the writing style. Books written in the present tense often bother me a little. The plot was interesting but kind of predictable. There were a couple of twists and by the time you reach the last 2-3 chapters you won't be able to put it down. 3Q 3P. KB, 14.

• This book was too young for me.The plot was ok, but you never got to know the characters.The romance part was not well done at all. The scenery and plot was done pretty well, it gave you a good idea on how the Norse people held govn't. 2Q 3P. JN, 15.

Marsden, John. The Other Side of Dawn   (Contemporary / Survival / War)

• This was an awesome ending to my favourite series. It really tied things up, but still had the high-energy action as the other 6, and showed Ellie's personal growth from the beginning of the war, to then end. I read it all in one sitting, because i couldn't put it down! The only part that could use some work would be the epilogue, and the ending wasn't quite as strong as i'd hope, but nonetheless it was an awesome book from an awesome series by an awesome author! 5Q 4P. B, 15.

McKay, Hilary . Saffy's Angel [Winner: Whitbread Children's Book Award 2002]

Mikaelsen, Ben. Red Midnight. (Contemporary / Survival)

• This was a good book and well written. It shows the hunger and pain were described well. 4Q 4P. JW, 12

• I liked how the author kept the story moving and also provided historical facts through an interesting story. 5Q 4P. AR, 14

• This was a superb adventure. It definitely couldn't be better. It was amazing how much hardship these two children went through. Just when it was as bad as it could be, it got even worse. This book had a great, real life storyline that made you keep turning the pages. It was a wonderful, suspenseful adventure. 5Q 4P. EH, 12

• The characters were very believable. The adventure starts on the first page and doesn't stop until almost the end, but it didn't get tiresome. There was always a perfectly clear image in my head of what was going on that always made sense as well. It also had a very satisfactory ending. 5Q 4P. KW, 14.

• I liked how this book wasn't made into a political story, how it stayed on the plight of the victims. I liked how it wasn't filled with jargon. The story was good, and I liked how the character admits to being afraid. 4Q 3P. EA, 17.

Murphy, Rita. Harmony.

• I really liked this book, all the things happening kept you reading right until the last page. Harmony was one of those characters that you like instantly, she was so understanding, you felt like you could tell her anything. I wish the author could have told you more about where she came from because when she finds her new powers you wonder where she came from and how felix found her.4Q 4P EW, 13
• I liked that it had interesting facts, descriptions were fairly detailed. The plot line, the mysteries of what and where Harmony came from and is. I liked that she had a different life than others. 4Q 2P. AM, 12.

Namioka, Lensey. An Ocean Apart, a World Away (Historical)

• I like how Yanyan followed her dreams and didn't run off with the boy she loved. I loved the ending when L.H. stood up for Yanyan even though he had a risk of getting hurt. TL, 12
• This book was amazing! It was captivating, interesting and well written. The main character was well thought out and you can really tell that the author did a lot of research on the period the book was set in. It has adventure, romance and bravery the perfect mix.5Q 5P. CL, 15
• I enjoyed that this book is about an oriental girl. There isn't that much fiction that incorporates cultures other than North American and I enjoyed this small peek into the life of a Chinese girl at the turn of the century. However I found that this book was written much too simply for the subject matter. JI, 16
• I liked the first half of the book. It was interesting, you were introduced to the different cultures, the character had character. Then it went downhill. The character paled out, she seemed to weaken, no longer feisty. 3Q 3P. EA, 18.
• I really liked the book. The character Yanyan is so adventurous wanting to be a doctor in times like those. And her so many interesting features like not going by tradition ability to cope and make friends. Really good book. 5Q 4P. AM, 13.

Nicholson, William. Firesong. (Wind on Fire trilogy, v. 3) (Fantasy)

• Beautiful. I adore this book. Firesong is the third book in the trilogy, and very, very well-written, and the best book of said trilogy. Bowman (the wonderful hero-not hero), Kestrel, Sisi, Mumpo, Pinto and Tanner were alive and well. KC, 16.

Nicholson, William. Slaves of the Mastery. (Wind on Fire trilogy, v. 2) (Fantasy)

• I love to watch the characters change. Eg. Mumpo. 5Q 5P. AR, 14

• I found almost every character in this book either annoying or boring. So while this book has a decent story with an interesting view on slavery (which is normally depicted very darkly) I found myself losing interest in the book because of the characters. 3Q4P. JI, 16

• Like: was able to stand alone, charcters were not one-dimentional (for most part) they grew and changed, story was about characters and how they interact and grow more so than the basic plot. Dislike: could be long-winded, a little confusing with the singpeople and the march. I didn't start Lady Knight cus I was reading this - that definitely means something. 4Q4P AR, 20.

• I like comics. This has comics. And Rats. I am wondering about a main character by the name of ‘Margaret’, but it is acceptable (she’s 12. It should be Maggie or something.) And if the mother sleeps all the time, why haven’t her children been taken away yet? Despite these, the plot is inventive, the characters are likeable. KC, 16.

• The descriptions were rich and it was plotted very carefully. The characters explained themselves and their emotions. The book had some suspenseful parts which made the book more exciting. I liked the editors notes because then you knew what was happening to the other characters. KM, 12

• Reading it was sort of like doing the jigsaw puzzle in it. The pieces all fit together perfectly but you don't get to know what the picture will be until the end. 5Q 4P AB, 16.

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One Hot Second: Stories about Desire . Cathy Young, ed. (Short Stories)

• I like that it was not sexist. 5Q 5P. KB, 14

• Some of the stories were too cliched while others pulled you in and made you wish they were longer. The characters could be too predictable at times but in other cases were very deep and profound. It was a 50/50 split of writing. Sometimes amazing, other times brutally tiresome and dull. 4Q 3P. KH, 17.

• This is a really good selection of stories. I like how they are all from very different perspectives and different opinions.4Q4P. BM,15.

Pierce, Tamora. Lady Knight (Protector of the Small, bk 4) (Fantasy)

• I thought the book was wonderful. I would give examples of my favorite parts and the best parts...but then i would be typing out the whole book. 5Q 5P. A, 13.

• I loved this book! It rocks! It is high time that a great fantasy author like this got some recognition for their excellent work. It is really good and I think the appeal is there for everyone to like it, male or female, although it's the fourth in a series and they might be confused if they haven't read the first three books. 5Q5P. C, 13.

• No book written by Tamora Pierce fails to delight the reader, but Lady Knight is even better than most. Kel develops into an independent person, and acts on her own, instead of under the orders of her superiors.  Kel becomes real to the reader, in a way that very few characters do. She is portrayed as a warrior devoted to her duty and her country, but torn by a quest given to her by the Chamber of the Ordeal. The action is well drawn and the characters well crafted- life in the refugee camp and on the battlefield is made real for the reader, drawing them into a richly imagined fantasy world. 5Q 5P JW, 15.

Qualey, Marsha. One Night. (Contemporary)

• It was a quaint modern fairy tale. I loved that it was cute and happy and yet vaguely dark. Both main characters were exciting and fun to get to know. 5Q 2P. KH, 17.

• A lot of fun to read and wasn't a fluff book either. It was honest and straightforward. I liked how it starts off involving you directly. Asking you the reader questions. Both main characters had had a hard life and they were dealing with it and moving on. I liked the whole chance of it too. 4Q 4P. EA, 17.

• I thought that this book dealt with some pretty tough issues but it did it through the story and the developement of the characters rather than as a side dish. I think that it will help people to see that even when people have serious problems like drug addictions that if they have someone there to talk to and to support them even if it is just a person who you just met and probably wont see again that it can really help them to work through stuff. I liked the way that this book ended. 4Q 4P. NT, 16

• Ok, so it says right on the inside of the cover that "this, if not quite a fairy tale... this, reader, is a love story". If a love story is what you are looking for, you will be sorely dissapointed. I hate that when the synopsis says one thing, and then the story is totally different. While I didn't dislike this book, I didn't love it either. I felt that the author was trying too hard to make her characters different. Did she really need to give Kit only one hand? I think not! And even if she did need that little quirk to make Kit more interesting, did she have to give Kit a big hook? I did find the brief glance into an "ex-junkie gofer's" life kind of interesting. 3Q 3P. JI, 16.

Rees, Celia. Sorceress (Contemporary / Historical / Sequel to Witch Child)

• That it was the sequel to Witch Child. 5Q 5P. KB, 14.

• I really liked this book. At first it was hard to get into the book because I hadn't read the book that comes before it. After a couple chapters when it got into the part about Mary I started to enjoy the book and coudn't put it down. There was lots of action and Mary was so brave. I liked the pictures that were painted in my head when I read this book and how every thing seemed to come to life. I think other people will find this book hard to read if they haven't read the first one but if they stick to it I think any one would like this book. 4Q 4P. EH, 15.

Bury the Dead: Corpses, Skeletons, Mummies, Tombs. Christopher Sloan.

• Bury The Dead was an awesome book. Some people may be turned away by it's small size, but don't be fooled. This book is jam packed with tons of cool little tidbits of information and really just an all around cool story. The book is divided into sections for different civilization's and the photos are absolutely amazing. 4Q 4P. EH, 13.

Spinner, Stephanie. Quiver. (Fantasy / Atalanta)

• Stayed truer to the myth than most. Really quick read. Doesn't really captivate you, but holds your attention. Could've been both longer or shorter. It was ... decent overall. 4Q3P JL, 16.

• Really Good. 5Q 4P. AR, 14.

von Ziegesar, Cecily. You Know You Love Me: a gossip girl novel. (Contemporary)

• A delightfully nasty portrayal of the lives of the rich and snobbish in New York's Upper East Side, this novel portrays the juvenie protagonists as selfish, shallow, and spiteful, yet each has a redeeming characteristic. One has to doubt that people are really so self-centered and nasty, but their adventures make reading 'You know you love me' a pleasure- albeit a guilty one. 4Q 4P. JW, 15.

Wayland, April Halprin. Girl coming in for a landing: a novel in poem (Novel in verse)

• I was very impressed by this book. The poetry is beautiful, but also very readable. It was very hard not to see myself in these poems. Not sure how much a boy would like it, but it reflects perfectly being a teenage girl. 5Q 5P. AW, 17.

• This is a gook that goes thru an entire school year by poems. Brilliant idea but the poems are too short and the chronology needed to be better for it to make the reader interested and to draw the reader in. Also that it did not really have any ending leaves something lacking in the book. 2Q 1P. PM, 15.

• My favorite part of this book was the illustrations on each page. The thing i didn't like was that it didn't have a stong plot. Because the poems are fairly undescriptive I found it hard to figure out what had/was happening. This book went by extremely fast. 4Q 3P. KH, 15.

•  I can't comment much on the poetry itself, as everyone likes different styles of poetry. However, I will say that it didn't quite appeal to me lyrically. The story itself was quite nice though. I particularly like the ones pertaining to her crush on Carlo. They're really quite cute. Several recommendable poems…3Q 4P. JL, 16

Wild, Margaret. JINX. Contemporary / Novel in verse

• I really enjoyed this book because it was right to the point. The author was able to convey the story (which I found to be quite interesting) in freeverse poems. 4Q 5P. JI, 16.

Wittlinger, Ellen. The Long Night of Leo and Bree. Contemporary / Kidnap

• This was a really cool idea for a book. I liked it because if you didn't know the characters that well you probably wouldn't like them, but the author makes you understand what they are going through so you know why they act the way they do. The characters change throughout the book, even thought it is just one night, and it is cool to see how different they are at the end. 5Q 4P. BM, 14.  The whole thing about sharing feeling to a person you never met before in your life. And the strange and unexpected way things turn out. 4Q 3P. AM, 13.

Yumoto, Kazumi. The Letters. (Contemporary / Memoir)

• The Letters is a very kind of touching book. It kind of makes you think about things but i'm not sure what. My favorite character is Mrs.Yanagi. i think she would be the kind of lady i would want for a grandma. 5Q 3P. SC, 12.

• I absolutely loved the characters. They seemed like real people. I always cared what was about to happen to Bridget. I couldn't put the book down. Everything was detailed but not too much. We found out everything we had to know at the right time. 5Q 5P. KH, 15.

• Nice writing style and the author did a good job with all the characters and their feelings. I didn't like it a whole bunch because the main character was so depressed all the time and it wasn't very fun to read. 4Q 3P. BM, 16.

Zoya with John Follain and Rita Cristofari. Zoya: an Afghan woman's struggle for freedom (Nonfiction / Autobiography / Afghanistan)

• This book tape was amazing. I liked how it was written by some one who actually lived in Afghanistan. The history parts were sometimes confusing. I think it would have been easier to read as I would be able to go back and reread things that I had found confusing. This book helped me understand something I knew nothing about. This story really came to life for me and I seemed to really know the character. 4Q 5P. EH, 15.

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