Elixir

Elixir was a fun light read. But that was all it was to me, I am not going to think about it again. It was about a girl named Clea whose father has gone missing. She is shocked and upset, especially when she realizes that in all of the photos that she has taken there is a man in the background. Soon after noticing this she is brought in a whirlwind of adventure and romance. As on of a series do not be disappointed when you get to the end only to find more cliffhangers than when you started.

Jenna, 14

President of the Whole Fifth Grade

Brianna really wants to be a professional cupcake baker and have her own T.V. show. Her hero, Miss Delicious, who is from Brianna's home town and attended Brianna's school, visited Brianna's fourth grade class last year. Miss Delicious said she didn't think she could have been so successful as she was if she hadn't gotten elected president of the fifth grade. After hearing that, Brianna's full obsession is becoming president of the fifth grade. She thinks it will be easy, considering that she's known most of the kids in her class since kindergarten. But then Jasmine Moon comes along and brings her foolishness with her. I like this book because it has cupcake recipes and it's realistic and seems like it actually could happen. I would recommend President of the Whole Fifth Grade to anyone who likes cupcakes or realistic fiction.

Meredith, 9

Starcrossed

By the same author of A Curse As Dark As Gold, Starcrossed is exciting, action-packed, and full of thrilling mysteries.

Digger, a thief, is chased by the Greenmen, the secret police of an evil king. On the run, she is rescued by a bunch of nobles. She begins her new life with nobility, but is still haunted by the loss of her partner. Then she meets someone who threatens to reveal her past, is caught up in a conspiracy, and discovers a secret punishable by death: magic!

This book is a great blend of action, mystery, and romance. It is a must read for Tamora Pierce fans. Its spunky heroine reminds me of Allana or Keladry.

Mattie, 12

Moon Over Manifest

I found Moon Over Manifest to be a moving story that is beautifully told.  It is about a young girl who has arrived in a small town in Kansas in the 1930’s.  Her story is interwoven with a mystery she is trying to solve about two boys who lived in the town in 1917.  There are many wonderful characters, all of which you come to care about, who connect these two fascinating eras.  It is thought provoking and intriguing.  I think it is one of the best new books I have read in a long time and I highly recommend it!

Jacob, 13

Fallout

I enjoyed Fallout because it was a fairly quick read. The book has a very thick plot with many exciting moments. One thing I liked especially about Fallout was teh character splits. I like the character splits becauzse they let you see things from more than one person's perspective. One thing I disliked about the character splits was that if you weren't paying extreme attention to the text adn then you miss a split, you end up very confused. In conclusion, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes  a good poetic read.

Aaron, 13

President of the Whole Fifth Grade (2nd Review)

President of the Whole Fifth Grade is about a girl who is running for 5th grade president while working as a cupcake baker. I kept reading because I wanted to find out if she was going to win the election. There are lots of twists and turns in the story. The main character, Brianna, learns that money is not the most important thing in the world. I recommend this book to 3rd graders and up.

Emily, 9

The Miracle Stealer

The Miracle Stealer was eerie, but not in a way that made me excited to find out the ending. The plot had serious potential, but it was executed in a way that I didn't find myself drawn to. Parts of the book made my skin crawl, but not (if there is such a thing) in a desirable way. The power to evoke such strong feelings is definitely a special skill to have, but the way author Neil Connolly did so was not something I enjoyed. To be fair, I'm sure my disinterest for the story is related to a specific aspect of my life, namely that I attend a Catholic school and found the religious overtones in The Miracle Stealer too preachy, possibly because there is a lot of preaching at school. I’m sure that enjoying The Miracle Stealer is far from impossible.

Orly, 13 

The Defense of Thaddeus A. Ledbetter

The Defense of Thaddeus is an intriguing book. Written in scrapbook style, it tells the story of a boy named Thaddeus who has been put in ISS (in school suspension). Thaddeus, a rather strong headed boy, decided to write a defense to get himself out of ISS. Unfortunately though, Thaddeus has done everything the school is accusing him of, and more. From setting a priest’s robes on fire, to choking old ladies with oranges, Thaddeus is going to have to write a pretty good defense if he wants anyone to believe him. The Defense of Thaddeus is a hilarious story about a boy who causes chaos wherever he goes.

Leila, 12 

Crescendo

Nora Grey is a regular teenager, except for the fact that she's in a forbidden relationship with her guardian angel, Patch. Nora gets suspicious when Patch refuses to answer some of her questions. Her doubt soon deepens when she suspects that Patch had something to do with her father's murder. If Patch truly loves her, then why does he keep lying to her? I enjoyed Crescendo. It was exciting and it kept me reading late at night. The only thing I disliked was the lack of good female characters. Nora, the most promising girl, got on my nerves quite often. I strongly recommend that you read this book if you want a quick, fun read.

Katrina, 13 

Bloodthirsty

Bloodthirsty is a refreshing take on the (in my opinion) really, really overused vampire plot. Sun-sensitive reader Finbar has felt overlooked all his life in favor of his brother, Luke, the cool twin. Luke has always been more popular- and gotten all the girls. That is, until Finbar decides to become a fake vampire. This book chronicles his struggles with love, high school, friendship, and of course, vampirism. It’s a pretty funny idea implemented almost perfectly. I didn’t love the book, but it was definitely worth my time, and much better than some other vampire novels.

Alix, 13 

Beautiful Darkness

Beautiful Darkness is a very quick read despite its size. It is the second book in what appears is going to be a trilogy, and I would recommend that you read the first book before this one, as it would be very confusing if you didn’t. This book is about a southern town called Gailtin where mortals and casters live together (though most of the mortals are unaware of this.) Ethan Wate (who is mortal) is in love with a girl named Lena (who is not.) When Lena runs away from home, Ethan and his two mortal friends go looking for her deep into the caster world. I found this book enjoyable but also rather forgettable; a great read if you just want something light and fun.

Jenna, 14 

Jane (2nd Review)

I read Jane Eyre before when I was younger, the children’s version, and then part of the adult version. Jane is quite similar to the basis of Jane Eyre with a modern twist. The story plot is generally the same although the characters, events, character traits and descriptions are modernized. I liked how it was in a way the teen version of Jane Eyre. It has the same plot and more advanced ideas yet it was not the simple version of the children version of Jane Eyre. The only negative comment I would say about it is that it is extremely similar to Jane Eyre, just restructured to fit the time period. I would say that one confusing point in the story is that there, as in Jane Eyre, the main protagonist other than Jane Moore is that Nico Rathburn has been married to another woman and is now making his comeback. The woman he refers to as his former wife is also Maddy’s mother. Overall I would rate this book a 7.5-8 out of 10! 

Leela, 14 

Jane

The book Jane, by April Lindner, is a modern retelling of Jane Eyre, a well-known book which I have never read. Even though I haven't read it, I was just as entranced by this book, as people who have read it will be. The book starts of slow and steady, but not hard to get through. Halfway through, the book takes a surprising turn that unless you know the book, you cannot predict. In the end, you feel the happiness of the characters, but also a sense of longing, of needing to know how everything works out. Even with that sense of longing, I was satisfied and enjoyed the book.

Celia, 13 

The Last Good Place of Lily Odilon

When Lily Odilon mysteriously disappears, her boyfriend Albert is driven to search for her both by his love for her and the circle of suspicion that surrounds him. Accompanied by Lily’s sister, Olivia, Albert must begin an adventure to find Lily before it’s too late. The Last Good Place of Lily Odilon is uniquely told through three different time lines, each adding gradually to the reader’s understanding. As the story progresses, it explores not only the circumstances of Lily’s disappearance, but also the personalities of the characters. Very powerfully written - Read it! 

Megan, 13 

The Goblin Gate

The Goblin Gate is a story based in a fantasy world about a boy named Jeriah. In this book Jeriah goes on a quest to rescue his brother Tobin from the Other world kingdom, but he has to seek help from goblins who have a very strange way of helping where if they help you, you have to help them or you will be in debt to them until you pay it off. To get his brother out of the Other world kingdom he must find a way to work with goblins, can he do it?

Jackson, 10 

Write On, Callie Jones

Callie Jones wants to be a newspaper reporter. She is in 7th grade and being a reporter doesn’t work out as well as she thought it would when her article isn’t popular and a teacher closes down the school paper. She is friends with a boy who wants to take Sewing class, so she writes an online school article to help him get in. I recommend Write On, Callie Jones to kids 8+ who are interested in writing and reading.

Emily, 8

The Clockwork Three

I liked The Clockwork Three because it takes place here (New England)!  I also liked the book because it is really interesting and exciting!  The Clockwork Three is about a musician who finds a mysterious violin that helps him make lots of money, a clockmaker's apprentice trying to make an überclock/person, and a little girl who is a servant and is searching for treasure.  When they meet, who knows what they will do???  This book is good for people who are from the age nine-years-more-than-six-months to twelve-years-about-five-months and like fiction books.

Tobit, 9

The Carnival of Lost Souls

The Carnival of the Lost Souls by Laura Quimby is an exciting adventure in which a young orphan, Jack, must follow his hero Houdini and escape from Mussini, the greatest magician ever. Jack thinks he has finally found a home with his new guardian the professor, until the professor sells him off to Mussini who takes Jack to the Forest of the Dead, where Jack is forced to take part in Mussini’s traveling magic show. There, a terrible fate awaits him, unless he can escape in time. Throughout the story Jack strives to be like his hero Houdini, which I think is the author’s main point: follow your dreams. The Carnival of the Lost Souls is a page-turning adventure with an unexpected twist at the end, in which you will be wondering “can Jack escape the inescapable?”

Natalia, 11

Agent Q, or The Smell of Danger!

Action! Adventure! Betrayals! And of course, the bizarre state of DELAWARE! One of the best of the wonderful series by M.T. Anderson, Agent Q, is laugh out loud funny. Delaware, covered in mountains and full of dinosaurs, is ruled with an iron fist (or iron mittens, as you will find out) by the horrific ministry of silence. Jasper, Lily and Katie must make it to the border of Delaware before the ministry of silence catches them. But who will get there first?

Nathan, 11 

Beast Friends Forever

Beast Friends Forever was hilarious, especially when Otto, the beast, swaps things like a tennis racket into a fish, or a toy dinosaur into a little person in the bathtub. There are comic strips in it that are very funny. I am looking forward to book 2. My friends, Isaac, Felix, Lola and Matt, would probably like it. They are 8 years old, too.

Conor, 8