Okay for Now

In Okay For Now, by Gary D. Schmidt, Doug Swieteck is an ordinary 8th grader with a troubled life. He calls his new house, "the Dump", his brother is accused of stealing, his oldest brother comes back from the war without his legs, and his father is always having Ernie Eco, the jerk, over for dinner. In fact, the most interesting thing in Doug's life are the drawings of the birds in the public library. This is a stunning story of sadness, hope, and depression. Gary Schmidt really makes you understand Doug, and what he is going through. He puts you in Doug's shoes as he learns the meaning of friendship, life, love, sorrow, and how not to be a chump. I would recommend this book to anyone over 11, for it is a beautifully written gem.

Natalia, 11

Flip

Flip is about a boy who switched bodies with another person and how he spent his time in another person's body. I liked this book because it was an unusual topic that has not come up in any of the books I've read. I also like it because the boy's favorite band was The Killers which is also one of my favorite bands. The one thing that I did not like about the book was that there was not a lot of action, there were some boring parts that were hard to get through. Besides that though I would recommend this book to my friends or family because it is short and there are a few funny parts in it.  

Spencer, 12

Family

The topic of Family I found to interest me right away. It is about a scenario very much like the Charles Manson case that happened quite a while ago. In fact it was so much like it I knew the ending before the book even started and found that the only difference there was was the fact that the names where changed. I also felt that the author took a view that we already had going into it and never really took us inside the characters heads - the place that I really wanted to be. It was written in poetry, which I felt that I could have enjoyed except that most of the poems where redundant and I found myself getting bored. All in all I did not really enjoy this book and would not recommended it.

Jenna, 14

The Dragon of Cripple Creek

The Dragon of Cripple Creek was a very inspiring book. I liked how Ye, the dragon, thought that Kat knew his name. Although I haven’t recommended the book yet, I told my friend about it and might lone it to her. The only downside was that I got confused at some points. I also didn’t like how Kat’s mother got better, but not much better. I also think that the author either left out some things or is saving them for a sequel, which would be great. Overall, The Dragon of Cripple Creek was a good book. 

Allison, 11

Sidekicks

Sidekicks is alright. Sidekick Scott Hutchinson (A.K.A. Bright Boy) finds his world turned upside down when he finds out his arch-nemesis, Monkeywrench, goes to his school. I would recommend this book to older readers.

Peter, 10

Princess for Hire: The Royal Treatment

The Royal Treatment isn't a topic I usually read about, but I found I liked it. It had magic and princesses, which sounds cliche but it wasn't. Normal girls turned into princesses so the princess can have a vacation. It was funny and smart.

Katrina, 13

Blood Magic

I give a lot of credit to the author for writing a book about something that a lot of people would be disgusted by--cutting yourself so that you can do magic. And at times, I found Blood Magic to be a little graphic; but overall I thought it was really awesome. The plot really pulled me in and I loved both the characters. I would definitely recommend it.

Jenna, 14

Viola in the Spotlight

Viola in the Spotlight was a perfect sequel to Viola in Reel Life. It showed her life in Brooklyn and how she feels when everything is changing around her.

I think it is also something a lot of kids can relate to, when things start to change around you. I didn't like the fact that in the end she went back to boarding school. I think that made the book a cliche and boring to read. There weren't many surprises in the book which was unfortunate. I like that she gets to explore more of her love for film and that she meets up with her friends from boarding school again in this book. It was a lot of fun to read. I think people who like fun, realistic fiction that you can relate to will definitely enjoy this book.

Olga, 13