The Red Pyramid -- A review by Ian Zig.

The Red Pyramid

by Rick Riordan

****

The Red Pyramid is a fantastic story about two young siblings, Carter and Sadie, who are thrown into a world of Egyptian magic by a mistake of their father. Their mother died six years before in a horrible accident that was never fully explained or understood. But now their father has been drug down to the underworld in a sarcophagus by the evil demon Set, and they must save their father before Set destroys the world! Will they save their father in time? Will they survive the extremely dangerous task set before them? You'll have to read to find out!

I really enjoyed The Red Pyramid, it was definitely my type of book. I gave it four stars only because I wish that the main characters were a little older. Other than that it was a fantastic non-stop thrill ride! I couldn't put it down! I suggest this book to anyone who loves to read suspense and fantasy, the whole scheme did a terrific job at pulling me into the story!

Shift - a review by George Morejon

Shift by Jennifer Bradbury

**** stars

Shift is a book about 2 boys who travel across America, from West Virginia to Oregon, on bicycles after they graduate high school. Chris is the responsible of one of the two, planning out everything they pack up and managing it all. Win, Chris' friend, is the irresponsible kid that gets himself in trouble all the time.

They're having a great time on their ride at first. The ride's feeling good instead of hurting, they're doing crazy fun things like jumping into every body of water they see, and they're camping out under the stars most nights. One day they even meet the nicest people on a farm out in rural Montana and spend a night there. It sounds like a great trip, and it is, but Win goes missing at the end and nobody knows where he's gone. Chris is just starting school now, and has to deal with Win's overbearing father threatning him, along with FBI agents asking about what happened to Win.

I thought this was a good book that only took ~4 hours to read. The storytelling is broken up with a chapter of current time (school, FBI agents) and a chapter of their trip together over the summer. At first I didn't like that, but after about 10 chapters it really started to grow on me and it made both parts better. I got a feeling that both of them discovered som new things about themselves, but taken in a somewhat unusual way. I was always guessing what happened to Win through the whole book.

High Heat--A review by Bryce Foster

High Heat

By: Carl Deuker

**** stars

This is a book about a teenage baseball player named Shane hunter. He is the protagonist in this story. He has a mom, dad, and sister. They live in a very big house in a rich neighborhood. The dad in this story has a car dealership and is convicted of the crime money laundering. This leads up to him being arrested while at his son's game. He disappears in the story and Shane and other family members have to move to a different school, a different house, and a different lifestyle. He also has to switch the school he throws for. This leads to depression. His mother even has to work at a diner to afford the apartment they had to move into. I will leave you with what happened to his father.. I will also leave you with not knowing whether or not he overcomes this curve ball thrown in his life.

Personally, I enjoyed reading this book. I felt that the author, Carl Deuker wrote this novel with a lot of feeling. It's not only just another book about a sport. It deals with someone your own age, going through something very difficult. I rated it at 4 stars because I thought it was written for more than just baseball fans. I believe this fiction novel could be read by male or female, young adult and either one would be interested in it. This is the second book I've read from this author. The first book was a basketball book. It was called, "On the Devil's Court." I think this author is well known for writing sports book because there are many of them involving different sports. If you love baseball, this is a book for you. If you've had to change your lifestyle, this is also for you. If you had to adapt to a different school with new people, a new neighborhood this is for you.

Queen of Second Place---- a review by Amy Lyon

Queen of Second Place

by Laura Peyton Roberts

***1/2

Cassie Howard has this theory on talent. Everyone has a talent, but not all talents are created equal. When most people think of talent, they think singing, dancing, athleticism, etc. Not all people are fortunate enough to have a glory talent, like Quinn, who can go to a packed concert ten minutes late and still manage to get a parking spot in the front row. Or like Cassie, who has the unfortunate talent of always coming in second, usually to Sterling Carter.

But this time, Cassie is coming in first place, or that's what she hopes anyway. Because this time, a date with the hot new guy, Kevin Matthews, is on the line. Everything is working out perfectly, until Cassie bets Sterling that she- Cassie, Queen of Second Place- will get Kevin to ask her to the winter formal. If only she hadn't opened her big mouth, because now Sterling is stealing the show.

Will Cassie get her dream date, or will she yet again come in second? And if that happens, can Cassie use her talent for a second chance? Or simply melt at Sterling's feet in humiliation?

Queen of Second Place is a fun novel about the quirkiness in all of us. While I enjoyed the surprising twists and turns of this novel, I was disappointed that it seemed to run along the same lines as most high school love stories. Although, the characters and their dilemmas had me almost hysterical, and the plot was a new twist on an old idea. At times, the background seemed to waste too much time, and it got a little too cheesy and cutesy. Overall, I liked the novel and its characters, but I'm not sure I'd check out more books by this author.

But anyone is welcome to persuade me otherwise.

Spanking Shakespeare -- A review by Hope Austin

Spanking Shakespeare
by Jake Wizner
***stars

Shakespeare Sharpio has what he believes is the most embarrassing first name ever (it's not just him; his brother's name is Gandhi). Not only that, he has the most embarrassing parents ever. His mother is extremely neurotic and his father is an alcoholic. While Shakespeare hangs out in the background with his friend Neil (who's obsessed with his bowel movements) and Katie (who loves to swear, but not as much as she loves getting drunk), his younger brother is living the life Shakespeare's always dreamed of. Gandhi is popular, has a girlfriend and does things with her that Shakespeare only fantasized about. Meanwhile, Shakespeare focuses on his Creative Writing class and dreaming of the girl he can't get. The reader follows Shakespeare through his senior year as he recounts his messed up childhood, gains a little perspective, and tries to lose his virginity.

I admit, when I picked this book up, I was a little iffy. The book sounded both promising and juvenile at the same time. I thought it was just going to be a series of quirks without the substance. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised. There's way more going on with these characters than Shakespeare will ever let on. Other characters have to point it out to him. The story's humorous tone serves as a sort of defense mechanism; a darker tone could easily have put this book in the agnsty, dramatic genre. The book's message is loud and clear: no matter how bad you think your life is, it could always be worse.

Also, as of this writing, the book is not in the school library (I bought it at the book fair). If you want to read, go to your local library or bookstore. Better yet, persuade Mrs. Crawford to get O'hara a copy!

Found- Review by Aspen Gates

Found

Margaret Peterson

**** stars

Found is about this thirteen year old kid named Jonah who has known he's been adopted since he was little, but has never questioned why. That is until he receives a letter in the mail saying, "You are one of the missing." At first Jonah believes it's just some prank and ignores it until his new friend Chip is sent a letter saying the exact same thing. However, Chip didn't know he was adopted and now is more paranoid than ever to find out who sent the letters. Jonah on the other hand wants to forget about the hold thing and almost does until another letter is sent to him and Chip saying, "Beware! They're coming for you." Now Jonah is wondering where he, Chip, and thirty-four other kids really came from and why their cases are involved with the FBI. So Jonah, Chip and Jonah's little sister Katherine set out to solve a mystery that not only involves the FBI, but time travel, and people reappearing and disappearing. Will Jonah, Chip, and Katherine solve the mystery? And if they do will Jonah have to make a decision that will affect the lives not only of himself, but his sister Katherine and the rest of the 'Missing' kids? Read this novel to find out.

I thought this book was pretty good considering the age group. Plus I wasn't quite sure what the plot would be and that really gets my attention when the summary doesn't give hardly any real insight to what the story could be about. I gave this book four stars because although I was impressed with the story, I kind of felt that it was dragging in some areas, but I cannot wait to read Sent and Sabotaged which are the next two in The Missing series.

December Book Club Book!

Attention book club members, the book for December is Inexcuseable by Chris Lynch (reviewed by Hope Austin on this blog -- see below). It's only 165 pages long so should be a quick read!

From amazon: "Keir is a senior who fancies himself a lovable rogue. So do his widowed father, his older sisters, and his classmates. He likes being liked; he just doesn't do well with involvement. Keir would never do anything to hurt anyone intentionally–or would he? When he tackles and cripples a member of an opposing football team, it's determined to be an accident–one that earns him the good-humored nickname, Killer. When he and his buddies destroy a town statue, they consider it a high-spirited, funny prank. When he gets drunk, the alcohol abuse is dismissed as silly, harmless drinks, and drugs at parties are strictly recreational. And when he date rapes the girl he thinks he loves, at first he convinces himself that the way it looks is not the way it is. Keir's first-person narrative chillingly exposes the rationalization process that the troubled teen goes through to persuade himself and those around him of his innocence."

Should provoke some great discussion!  See you on Tuesday, December 14 during SSR. This book club will be led by Library Science student, Hope Austin.

Betraying Season --- a review by Amy Lyon

Betraying Season

by Marissa Doyle

****
The twins are back again. But this time, Penelope (Pen) is determined to learn magic, for she desperately needs to catch up with her sister. And this time, Pen will be able to do something.

While learning magic with her sister would have been fun, Persy was too caught up being a newlywed. Instead, Pen is traveling to Ireland to learn from her former teacher and friend, affectionately nicknamed Ally. But Ally is sleeping more and more, hardly ever awake, which even in her pregnant state is not like her.

Ally's father, a wizarding professor, soon becomes Pen's teacher. Unfortunately, this means Pen has to deal with his students. Pen finds some relief, in the forn of Niall, the handsome young man with the charmng mother who only wants the best for him. But will this charming mother take things too far in her quest to reunite her son with his father? And when Pen discovers the truth, will she be able to forgive Niall or herself?

Betraying Season was a fascinating sequel to Bewitching Season, definitely an interesting twist in the lives of these bewitching girls. I loved Doyle's characters, especially Niall's sister. While she had a minor role, it was an entertaining one. And, of course, getting to know the second half of this fiesty duo was a plus. I liked "watching" the relationship between Pen and Niall blossom. Doyle is an author I'd like to see more from.

Definitely recommend!

Book Club Meeting

Hi all -- don't forget that book club meets this coming Tuesday, November 16, during SSR time to discuss Libba Bray's Going Bovine (reviewed by Aspen Gates on this blog). Hope you all have finished reading the book. I look forward to some great discussion.  Bring your lunch and/or a snack -- anyone with first lunch period is welcome to stay on and continue the meeting.

All are welcome!

Ms C.

Going Bovine- Review written by Aspen Gates

Going Bovine

By Libba Bray

***** stars

Going Bovine is about a 16 year old boy named Cameron whose life pretty much can't get any worse. He's got bad grades, he's lazy, smokes weed, and to top it all off his twin sister is dating the most popular guy in school. Remember how I said Cameron's life couldn't get much worse? Well it does. After having a complete freak out over the toaster catching on fire, Cameron is sent to the doctor for tests and learns that he has Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease better known as mad cow disease, and to top it all off there is no cure. So while the disease is slowly taking over Cameron's body, destroying his lungs, and feeling pain all over, he meets Darcie. A beautiful angel who tells him that if he finds Dr. X he can be cured, but he only has a certain amount of time before he succumbs to the disease. So without delay Cameron sets off to find Dr. X, but also with the help of Gonzo, a roommate of his in the hospital, and Baldor a talking yard gnome. So, will Cameron succeed in his quest to find Dr. X and if he does will it be what he really expects it to be? Guess you will just have to read this gripping story to find out.

Going Bovine was without a doubt the most hilarious and extraordinary book I have ever read. Don't get me wrong there were some sad times in the book, but a majority of the book was just a big laugh. I gave this book five stars because it was different and it kept my attention the whole entire time Iwas reading it. Libba Bray has really outdone herself on this amazing story, and I advise you all to check it out in the O'Hara Library pronto.

Virals -- Reviewed by Ian Zig.

Virals

by Kathy Reichs

****

Tory Brennan was just an ordinary girl struggling to get through everything that was thrown at her.. Then it all turned downhill with a simple formation of a question in her mind... Whose name was on a single, badly damaged military dog tag? She always felt compelled to answer every mystery she came upon. Tory and her friends start investigating and end up in a lab trying to clean off the tags when everything goes wrong. Her and her friends tried to do the right thing for an infected wolf-dog pup that they found, that was being experimented on.. Next thing, the dog tags pointed them to a 40 year old missing persons case, and strange things were happening to them! Super-human things.. They had become virals! Infected by a designer virus, the group of friends starts a non-stop thrill ride all to solve a little mystery that became a huge mystery for them to work through.

I felt that Virals had a really good mystery, the way that Kathy Reichs unfolded the mystery was well thought out. It kept me guessing. The addition of the super-human abilities was what really grabbed my attention. I gave Virals four stars because I felt that some of the things that happened in were a little far fetched, like sophmores knowing how to pick locks.. Also I really wish that Tory was a bit older, the things she was doing seemed way too mature for someone thirteen years old.. But that's just me. All in all I really liked the book and would recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy and mystery.

Runaway – a review by George Morejon

Runaway by Wendelin van Draanen

**** stars

Runaway tells the story about 12 year old orphan girl named Holly. Holly's had some problems in her life, and has been lost in the foster care system. The current family she is living with treats her terribly, locking her in a laundry room most of the time, among other things. Her English teacher, Ms Leone, doesn't know Holly's current situation, but gives her a journal because she thinks it will help.

Eventually, Holly "breaks" one too many rules in her foster parent's house. She gets severely punished, and decides to run away. She gathers some supplies and steals off one day; and just like that, she's gone. The first part, getting out of the area, is the hardest. Everyone snoops too much and she has problems, but once she can hop on a train heading west, she's clear some of her problems.

When she's travelling up and down the west coast, she runs into problems she didn't even imagine when she left: what will she use for shelter? how will she keep the cops' suspicions off of her? how does a 12 year old girl protect herself on the streets of Los Angeles?

I thought Runaway was a good book. The topic of being orphaned and what a girl in an abusive home would have to deal with was something I had never really thought of before. The fact that Holly is only 12 years old gives it a different tone though. A happy, optimistic tone that says "I can do this. Even if everything doesn't go my way, I can do this because I'm strong and I'll make it work!" Holly gets in some tough spots along the way, but she does make it work in the end. The journal format made it seem more personal, and it was a great ~6 hours I spent reading.

Under the Wolf, Under the Dog -- a review by Hope Austin

Under the Wolf, Under the Dog

Adam Rapp
****stars

Steve Nugent is a patient at Burnstone Grove, a facility for addicts and people who have attempted suicide. Steve doesn't really fall into either group. So, why is he here? one minute, he's at a gifted school for his math ability, lusting after a girl he can never have, the next, his whole life is falling apart. Through Steve's own writings, we are told the sad and twisted tale of how this came to be. We learn about his mother's death and his brother's suicide, how it affected Steve's father to the point that he's permanently asleep in front of the television. And then we learn about all the crazy stuff Steve did (before and after the deaths) that led him up to that point. While we hear a lot about Steve's past, there's also a focus on the present. Steve experiences all sorts of things with the patients at Burnstone Grove including kissing, losing his virginity, and of course, loss.

While reading this book, I couldn't help but draw comparisons to J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. While there are a lot of things to compare (the aimless wandering, for one) the thing they most have in common is their unflinchingly honest narrators. We get to see the ins and outs of Steve's mind, even the stuff we'd rather not see. What I really loved about was how unexpected some of it was. One minute, you'd be reading about something totally benign, the next it's something completely different. One thing that readers might find confusing is that there's little transition between Steve recounting his past and Steve talking in the present.

When i checked this book out, only one other person had read it. It definitely needs more love.

Wintergirls- Review by Aspen Gates

Wintergirls

Laurie Halse Anderson

*** stars

Wintergirls is about this girl named Lia who's life used to be about losing weight at all costs with her best friend Cassie. However, things change when the two girls get in a car accident and wind up in the hospital becasue Lia was so skinny she passed out at the wheel. Now Carrie blames everything on Lia and how she is such a bad influence and Lia can't believe this when it's clear that it's the other way around. Carrie is the bad influence so Lia completely ignores Carrie from now on, and doesn't answer any of her calls for the next couple of days. Then one morning Lia catches the news saying they found Carrie's body in a hotel room, and all Lia can think about is not answer Carrie's phone call last night, or listening to her voicemails. While stuck with this feeling of guilt, Lia has another problem. She can't stop telling herself that she should lose more weight. Every time she eats food calorie numbers start popping in her head and she will just stop eating it or spit it out when no one is looking. Can Lia ever forgive herself for not taking the chance to save her friend Carrie and to stop being anorexic? Read the book which is in the O'Hara library and find out.

I personally did not like Wintergirls because at first I thought the book was about Lia trying to get over the fact that she could have saved her friend from committing suicide, but then it changes to her getting over her sickness of becoming anorexic. It was just very confusing and a little bit predictable in some areas as to what the possible outcome of her decision making would be. I gave this three stars because it felt like Laurie Halse Anderson was trying to write a story that went a completely different rought.

Nailed – a review by Curtis McNeill

Nailed by Patrick Jones
***** stars
In the book Nailed the main character is Bret Hendricks a student at Flint Southwestern High school. He doesn’t fit into his school where people who play sports are more important. He’s bullied by baseball player Hitchings constantly in class. He’s in a band called Radio Free Lint with his friends Sean and Alex. His father doesn’t understand him; he spends more time with his vintage red Camaro. The only one who truly understands him is his girlfriend Kylee Edmonds. But soon things start to fall apart around him and he finds help from some people who he would never imagine.

I personally loved this book because Jones makes it seem like I’m there with Bret through out the book. I would definitely recommend this book to others it is very good. The author Jones also wrote another book called Things Change I shall read that book next. But Nailed is a book that stands alone but I do wish it was series so I could just read a little bit more. Because all of the characters are great! Also if you liked this book you might like Skate it also deals with a teenage boy who doesn’t fit into his high school. The genre for this book is a mix of romance and teen angst. It’s a perfect book for high school students because you can connect to the characters.

On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God – a review by Melissa Lloyd

On the Bright Side, I’m Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God
by Louise Rennison
**** stars

Georgia Nicholson is back in her second sequal. More drama, action, and out of controll mood swings. Gerogia is a 14 year old girl just trying to grasp the fact that she the girlfriend of a sex god better known as "SG". She's so uncontrollably in love with SG that she doesnt know what to do with herself.

The worest news of her life she's moving to the worest place on earth millions of miles away from her boyfreind she's moving to New Zeland. The world is coming to an end, "he's going to move on, he going to forget all about me, I must think of away to stay". Georgia hates her life and her family why in the world must she move why cant her family just leave her behind. She's finally made it she just hit the peek of her life everything is great.


"I hate him, I hate him, he could die and I could care less". Georgia writes down all these events in her diary, she continues to be little herself in details of her life: her huge nose, which means she will forever have to live in ugly home, ugly universe, her sister, Libby, who hides "pooey" knickers in Georgia's bed, and her miserable classmates, the Bummer twins, who use Georgia as an armchair. Everything is going wrong in Georgia's life and guess who's fault it is the stupid, unforgivable, jerk, and love of my life the Sex God.

Hoppergrass – a review by Curtis McClintock

Hoppergrass by Chris Carlton Brown

***** stars

Hoppergrass is a stand alone book that teaches kids what it is like in an institution where there are kids who had parents who could not take care of them and it affected them throughout their lives causing them to make bad decisions. They now have to learn from what they did and be punished for it.

Bowser, the main character is new to the other boys in the story. The other boys think he is different coming from a nice wealthy family, but Bowser has also done things they have done. At the beginning of the book not much thrill happens. In my opinion, you must be patient when you read this book to wait for the excitement of it.

When you pick up this book, you wont be able to put it down. It will have you tired in the morning because you stayed up all night. The genre of this book would be teen angst and the dialogue can be a little gritty but how else would these kind of kids talk? Bowser isn’t friends with many of the boys except one, and his name is Nose. When one of the boys is killed in an accident and it looks like Nose is going to be made a scapegoat for the death, it’s up to Bowser, crazy or not, to stand up for the truth.

The author of this book is Chris Carlton Brown. Hoppergrass is by far his best book. If you like books that really make you think, I think you should choose this one. It is full of excitement.

Skybreaker-- a review by Blake Hughes

Skybreaker
by Kenneth Oppel
***** Stars

The book Skybreaker is about a determined ex-cabin boy named Matt Cruse, a rich and smart Miss Kate de Veres and a group of different people who are risking it all to find a famous airship called the “Hyperion”, which is the ship that belonged to the famous inventor Theodore Grunnel that has been lost for 40 plus years. It starts out where Matt is doing an internship as a assistant navigator on a freighter called the “Floatsom”, and during one of their trips the lookout calls down and says that he sees a ship that is at a height of 20,000 feet, which is the “Hyperion”. They try to reach it but as they get higher and higher they start losing oxygen so they have to turn back. Then he goes back to Paris, where he is going to the world famous Airship Academy, he goes and has lunch with Kate and tells her about all that he has been through. Then Kate gets the idea that she wants to go get it and asks Matt to help her do it. Then after that his principle tells him that Theodore Grunnel's grandson has asked if Matt will give him the coordinates of the “Hyperion”. Matt goes to meet Grunnel's grandson and he finds out that he is a fake and is a pirate. They try to take him away so that Matt will give them he meets a girl named Nidria who says she has the key to the “Hyperion”. Then Matt meets another man whose name is Hal Slater who is the captain of a airship called a skybreaker named the Sagarmatha. And the journey begins. It is a great book full of action, thrills, and a little bit of romance. I highly recommend this book.

Because I Am Furniture-- a review by Katie Hayes

Because I Am Furniture
By: Thalia Chaltas
** Stars

In Because I Am Furniture, Anke a teenage girl entering her first year of high school goes through many hardships. Some of those hardships are making the volleyball team, trying to get the cutest boy, Kyler, to actually notice her and many hard struggles with abuse at home. During volleyball Anke meets Rona, who becomes a very close friend of hers throughout the book. Anke has a brother Darren and a sister Yaicha. Anke feels like furniture at home...Like no one even notices her. Maybe that’s a good thing, considering her siblings aren’t getting noticed in good ways, better yet they are protecting her from being noticed by their Dad. Anke’s mom tries to stay out of everything, not even supporting Anke at volleyball or doing what is right for their family. When Anke goes to her father’s work one evening to help a friend Angeline out, everything changes.

This is the first time I have read a book by Thalia Chaltas, and I actually wasn’t too impressed. It was a very fast read, if I actually sat down one day and read it, it may at most take about two hours. In the book, the author would talk about one thing, such as Anke’s school life, and then quickly switch to her home life. I felt like I didn’t get enough information. I gave it two stars because I feel like it wasn’t a book for me, I enjoyed parts of it, and I just felt like it didn’t exactly keep my interest at most parts. I would recommend this to other though because that was my opinion about this book but I feel like others could actually really enjoy it. This book isn’t part of a series but it does stand good alone, she starts the book off well and ends it well. The genre of this book would be teen angst, because it deals with abuse and high school issues.

If I Stay-- a review by Olivia Wright

If I Stay

By Gayle Forman

**** Stars

If I Stay is a heartfelt, teenage angst or drama. Mia, a young 17 year old with much aspiration to become a great musician, is faced with so many life changing choices. It was like she had everything. Mia had a loving punk-rock dad, laid back mom, a fun and quirky little brother named Teddy, a loving boyfriend named Adam, and a chance to pursue her future at Julliard as a classical playing cellist. Then all of this changed in a blink of an eye. It was a snow day for Mia and Teddy, so the family decided to take a road trip to their Gran’s house. A terrible tragedy occurred, something that left Mia with fewer choices in life. So many important questions came to mind for Mia. Do I stay? How critical are all these things in my life? Do I choose love over family and music? Do I Stay? Mia feels alone in her decision making. All the questions she asks herself are difficult to answer.

If I Stay is a cheerless narrative about a young adult who suffers great pain to make a decision. Forman does a wonderful job of showing the emotion that most of us go through. If I Stay is a gloomy story and could be considered a tear jerker. As a human being we all know what it is like to feel such tenderness in our hearts. Life is tough and the decision making process can be hard on anyone. Read If I Stay and find out what catastrophe it was that changed Mia’s life and what choices she confronts that stand in the way of her staying. I enjoyed this reading and would definitely suggest this to readers of all ages.

Slam-- a review by Justin Chang

Slam
by: Nick Hornby

*** stars

Sam is a troubled sixteen years old skateboarder. His idol is Tony Hawk and he even has a poster of Tony Hawk on the wall which he thinks that it’s the best birthday present ever. Sam has two best friends: Rabbit and Rubbish. Rabbit has excellent skating skills and very intelligent and he is almost a professional skater, this is how good he is at skating. There is Sam’s other best friend Rubbish, he is horrible at skating but he is very smart and humorous. Sam has a divorced mom Annie Jones, she had Sam when she was only sixteen years old and now she is only thirty-two years old. Sam and his mom get along together. Annie tries to talk about anything with his son as possible as she can so Sam wouldn’t make the same mistake that his dad made with her. One day, Sam and his mom went to a birthday party which was thrown by Annie’s co-worker, Andrea Burns who is a counselor and also mother of Alicia Burns. Alicia is very gorgeous but she uses her look just to play with boys. So, Sam meets Alicia at the birthday party and Sam and Alicia kind of stand awkward at first time but within a few weeks they start dating together and this is when everything goes wrong. In one encounter, Sam ejaculates inside her while he is not wearing a protection. Do you think Alicia will get rid of the baby? Do you think Sam and Alicia will continue their relationship? Well…Let’s find out!

Even though I don’t like dealing about teen pregnancy, this is totally awesome book deals well with the subject of teen pregnancy and the issues that pertain to it. The author, Nick Hornby shows readers the physcological, social, and economical effects of teen pregnancy in a new way. I would recommend this book to any girls or guys who are interested in teenage pregnancy or anyone who wants to know how life would be when you have your own child at age sixteen. This book is a fiction and it’s about teenage pregnancy.

Somewhere in the Darkness-- a review by Maquille Gatlin

Somewhere in the Darkness
by: Walter Dean Myers
***** stars


Jimmy Little, a 14 year old African American kid from New York City has gone through a lot of pain, but being surrounded by ones who love him; he has learned to accept life and be happy. Jimmy lives with his grandmother, Mama Jean in a run down tenement. The tenant is described as being filled with junkies and drug sellers. Jimmy goes through seeing these things everyday. Jimmy is described as being a very smart individual, but in a very weird way. Jimmy daydreams about things like unicorns and other mythological creatures. Mama Jean loves Jimmy to death and would do anything she could for him.

When Jimmy was a little boy his mother died and he finds out that is father is locked up. Towards the middle of the story Jimmy's father, Crab makes a surprise visit to the tenement and tells Jimmy that he's his father. At this point I was wondering why Crab would think that Jimmy would believe he was his father and Jimmy can't even recognize him. Crab tells Mama Jean he has a job in Chicago and has to take Jimmy with him. Jimmy and Mama Jean are iffy about this but Crab "promises he'll keep Jimmy safe." Somewhere in the Darkness consists of characters that you can really understand because of how life-like their feelings are. The ways they speak to each other and hold conversations is very similar to a real life dialogue.

Jimmy and Crab go to Chicago. Jimmy figures out that Crab has been acting very weird on the way there. Crab admits to Jimmy that he is wanted and being looked for by the police! This puts Jimmy in tears and now the two are on the run and Jimmy has to make the decision of staying with his father or going back to NY with his grandmother. I won't tell why he's being chased by the police, this is for you to figure out, but I will say that he was accused for robbery and murder. Read Somewhere in the Darkness and find out if Jimmy survives being pitted in the crime filled life of his father crab.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were very relating and understandable. The story had me on the edge of my seat and I couldn't wait for what happened next. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Twilight-- A review by Kara Schwartz

Twilight
by: Stephenie Meyer
***** Stars


I read the book Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. The book was very interesting every second a chapter ended I didn't want to put the book down it's something I really enjoyed. If i had to suggest a book or book series to someone it would be the Twilight series because it's a really great book and it keeps you interested keeps you reading. And if someone is looking for a drama romance comedy type book I think that this book is perfect especially for young teens my age who are into this kind of thing. I loved the book and would really recommend it to young teens,

Twilight is full of exciting drama at every inch of the book and I'm going to tell you a little about it. The main setting is in Forks Washington, where a young girl named Bella Swan lives with her father. She attends a school there called Forks High School, where she meets a man named Edward Cullen who at first is bluntly rude to her. This causes Bella to be curious and her feelings are hurt and her mind confused. After a few days past Edward began to talk to Bella in a class where they sit next to each other this was the place it would all begin the place where Bella would get to know and fall deeply in love with the worlds greatest predator.

Dark Song-- review by Catherine Duncan

Dark Song

By: Gail Giles

*** stars



The Dark Song is about a 15 year old girl named Ames living in Boulder, Colorado. Her family has everything they could ever want and then some. They live in a beautiful mansion in the mountains and Ames goes to the best private school in the area. Everything in her life is going great for her until her friend Em asks about her dad’s job situation. Ames hadn’t heard anything. Then a few nights Later the truth came out. Her Dad had been released from his job. He searches for a job but no one will hire him. Soon money starts running low tension in the family is high and Ames Parents are getting more irritable by the second. Lies from the Past end up coming out and now Ames and her family including her little sister chrissy are forced to move to Texas into a dump. The house needs many repairs and one of Ames friends from the area comes and helps. 2 other guys accompany him. One of these Guys caught Ames’ Attention. Marc. He seemed dangerous and fun. Soon she is sneaking out of the house with him and going to see him when she should be at home. Then things take a turn for the worse in the Ford Household.

Dark Song brings up life issues that every person can go through. Lies, humiliation, peer pressure, parental pressure, verbal and physical abuse and many other house bound problems. In This way I think Dark Song was very good in showing me the trouble and the feelings Ames and her family were going through. I did how ever feel the first half of the book was dragged out and could have been shortened. And the ending could have been brought out a little more. I feel like the conclusion wasn’t as clear or drawn out as it could have been. If you like Teen Drama or suspense this book is for you. Over all I would recommend this for others to read because the story, as i said earlier, shows us the true struggles in life. It also shows us the even though everything on the outside might look fine. Everyone has secrets and everyone has their own problems they have to deal with… some dealt with alone.

Meeting Laurie Halse Anderson -- an interview by Johanna Kelly

 I had the privilege of meeting famous author Laurie Halse Anderson a few weeks ago at the Reading Reptile bookstore in Brookside. I came early and sat in the front, and I was able to ask several questions, including the first and the last. Right here, I am writing the questions that I remember and the answers she gave summarized.

Johanna: What drove you to write the novel Speak?
Anderson:"We have a lot of children in the audience, so I will tone it down. I had a similar experience that she did in the book. However, I feel that 10% of the book is what happened to me, 90% is what happened to her."(The novel is about a girl just entering high school who was raped and has to cope with it; it is called Speak because she has a rough time telling anyone about the experience, as many people who have survived sexual violence do).

Johanna: What did you think of the movie, Speak, which is based off of your novel?
Anderson: "I loved it. They did tone it down in order to make it appropriate for a television audience, but it followed the book really well. I really wish there was a bigger budget, however. The sound is not the best, a better sound system would have made it perfect. I was really happy that the director let me have a part. I am the lunch lady serving mashed potatoes. They had to do eight takes for me to get it right, I bet he regretted his decision to let me in the movie, hah."

Johanna: I did not like Twisted. I was tired of reading the sexual thoughts of a teenage boy. It is nothing like my favorites, Speak and Chains. What drove you to write it?
Anderson: Thank you, it was not meant for the same audience. I wrote it to appeal to boys. It is stereotypical that boys do not like to read. With Twisted, I wanted to give them a book they could relate to and would love. Speak got such great reviews, and teachers started teaching it in the classroom. Girls loved it, but boys could not relate. Sadly, I got feedback saying that the boys didn't think what happened (rape) would bother a girl so much. I decided to write them a book that could change their life.

Johanna: Which of your books is your favorite?
Anderson: The book that is the newest is always my favorite. Therefore, Forge is.

She gave very long answers and spent most of the time expanding on the questions I asked. She also talked a lot about "historical thrillers" which is what she says her books, Chains and the newest, Forge, are. She hates that slavery, especially slavery in the north, is covered up and forgotten. The books are set in new york in the 1700's. Chains, which I am in the process of reading, is written in the first person from the point of view of Isabelle, a teenage slave. I feel her pain when I read, she often faces disappointment.

A few other topics discussed were that she wished English teachers would teach books kids would relate to, and she said she would never write a vampire book. I clapped.

I wish we could all have gone to meet her. I loved getting to meet her. I should have taped the event! I really love meeting and talking with authors.

Payback Time -- a review by DJ Griffin

Payback Time

by: Carl Deuker

**** Stars

Daniel True, a journalist for the paper at Lincoln High School in Seattle, Washington, is searching for the story to finally put his name on the map. Then, all of a sudden, the editor of the paper moves him to writing the sports section. Sports!? Daniel, "Mitch," in his mind, is the last person that should be covering sports. He figures it will get him some attention from other big name papers so he goes with it. But later he learns that sports doesn't have a lot of freedom like the other sectioins. The coach controlls what and who Mitch will write about. But Mitch just goes along with it. That is until Mitch and his photographer Kimi discover another player, Angel, who looks and plays like an NFL quarterback. But in front of the coach, he acts like a mediocre high school player. Mitch decides this is the perfect story to finally put his name on the map. What is Angel's secret? Why is he in Seattle? And why is he pretending to be someone he's not?

I often surprised myself when reading this book when I found myself enjoying the book. I usually dont like to read but this was not the case. This book kept me at the edge of my seat at all times.

Point Blank-- a review by Bryce Foster

Point Blank

By: Anthony Horowitz

**** stars


The novel is the second in the series of the author, Anthony Horowitz. It is about a boy who is roughly at age 14. His name is Alex Rider and he is the youngest agent of MI6. He is the secret weapon of MI6.

He is sent on a mission when MI6 links a death to a boarding school for rebellious, delinquent sons of the rich and famous. Alex discovers Dr. Grief has formed clones and forming duplicates of each teen through plastic surgery. He plans to send the clones’ home and use them to receive political secrets and power. Then, Alex's cover is blown and he is left to the mercy of Dr. Grief unless he can devise a plan to escape and warn MI6 before it is too late. At Point Blanc, Alex finds out quick that on the upper floors look like the main floor. In fact, He is told that they have exact replica of the rooms and there are Clones acting like what the kids downstairs are. The big question is how is Alex going to save the day?

Personally, I found this book was exciting to read. It caught my interest and since this was the 2nd book in the series I definitely want to read the rest because it is a mystery you want to find out. I rated it 4 stars because I liked the book but it seemed as if a 14-year was telling it and since I’m 18 I see things way differently. Overall, I would recommend it to someone that like mysteries. If you are into action books you would also most likely enjoy reading this one.

The House of the Scorpion -- Review by Adam Bryant

The House of the Scorpion
By: Nancy Farmer
Rated: ****

When I picked up the book The House of the Scorpion in the library, I was a bit skeptical about reading it. Normally, I dive deep into the adult sections at library and don't even bother with the young adult. This time, I went to check out an adult book and for the first time, got rejected. So to my disappointment, I went to find one from the young adult section. Not really caring at this point, I grabbed The House of the Scorpion because it had an interesting cover. Immediately as soon as I opened it, I was hooked. The story is very addictive and I finished it easily within a few days.
The story takes place in an area between the United States and Aztlan. In this area, all of the drug farmers have created farms. The whole society revolves around artificial people. The Farm Patrol captures people and places microchips inside of them to create slaves that have no consciousness of their own. And clones are created and used for transplants of organs to the original. In this abusive society, Matt is born a clone. He is abused at first then gradually begins to become more important. Matt faces many struggles, mainly being a clone and being lower in society than anyone else. He makes friends with a little girl named Maria and they have many adventures. Matt also discovers and creates, in his mind, his new family of bodyguard Tam Lin, servant Celia, and his shared identity El Patron.
This book is an amazing book and I highly recommend it for anyone in search of a quick, but complicated, novel. This book is not part of a series and you don't have to worry about reading anything previous. That being said, anyone who enjoyed Fahrenheit 451 would definitely enjoy The House of the Scorpion.
The ending is also very well wrapped up, leaving me without questions. It easily earns four stars on my scale.

Loser – a review by Brandon Dennis

Loser by Jerry Spinelli

**** stars

Have you ever wondered how it feel to be a first grader? Well Donald Zinkoff can tell you what its like! Zinkoff is like all kids he runs alot and rides his bike and plays with his friends Andrew and Polly. Hoping for snow days, wanting to be his dad when he grows up.

But Zinkoff is not like the other kids in his class, he has the mannors of a old man and is nice and is a great kid! But as most first graders he trips over his own feet, falling down with laughter over a word like "Jabip" and him laughing is makeing all his clasmates laugh. The kids have their own word to describe him, but Zinkoff is too busy to hear it.

Newbery Medal-winning author Jerry Spinelli uses alot of humor to create the different story of Zinkoff as a kid that only wants to be in school. Loser is a great book and teaches us how great life can be if we have fun.

The Pushcart War – a review by Amory Gunter

The Pushcart War by Jean Merrill

**** stars

In New York city on March 15, 1976 thats when the pushcart war started. The trucker ran over a cart belonging to a flowser peddler. All the push cart around New York city made a group called the Pea-Shooter Capaign. The group shot sharp objects out of a straw at the trucker tries. Than war between both groups started to get worse, and had to bring in the police and the mayor. The mayor was protecting the trukers, and wanted the pushcart gone. The pushcart war goes so wrong; wich the rest you have to find out but the truckers takes the war to far and end up kiddaping to hostaging peoples.

My opion about this book, I give it a 4 star because it may be an old book but it has a story line to it. This book is more like a freshman book, not teen, but I found it in the high school library.I like how the pushcar people and the truckers did not like each other. The truckers would some times try to run down the push cart with there simi truck. The push cart people would bounce back by shooting the truckers tire. The push cart people would have to defeat the truckers and the mayor in order to sustane there business. If this was true story, I think it would be cool if this really happen, but not push carts being ran over by truckers and stuff.

Forged by Fire -- Review by Brianna Massey

Forged by Fire

By: Sharon Draper

*****

In, Forged by Fire, Gerald was fascinated by fire when he was three. His mother, a drug addict, leaves him alone one time too often and he accidentally sets the apartment on fire. His substance-addicted mother is taken from him. Then he loses the loving generosity of a favorite aunt. A brutal stepfather with a flaming temper and an evil secret makes his life miserable. The one bright light in Gerald's life is his little half sister, Angel, whom he struggles to protect from her father, Jordan Sparks, who abuses her, and from their mother, who’s irresponsible behavior forces Gerald to work hard to keep the family together.

As a teenager, Gerald finds success as a member of the Hazelwood Tigers basketball team, while Angel develops her talents as a dancer. Trouble still haunts them, however, and Gerald learns, painfully, that young friends can die and old enemies must be faced. In the end he must stand up to his stepfather alone in a blazing confrontation. I believe Sharon M. Draper has interwoven characters and events from her previous novel, Tears of a Tiger, in this unflinchingly realistic portrayal of poverty and child abuse. It is a very inspiring story of a young man who rises above the tragic circumstances of his life by drawing on the love and strength of family and friend.

Forged by Fire is the second book in the series of the Hazelwood High Trilogy. Reading the first book is not necessary, but I would recommend it just to get the feel of the whole series. I would definitely recommend this book to others along with the rest of the trilogy. Forged by Fire would fall under the genre “teen angst” along with a similar book called “The First Part Last” by Angela Johnson. I also would recommend that book and give it five stars just like Forged by Fire.

Accomplice -- a review by Hope Austin

Accomplice
by: Erieann Corrigan
***

Chloe Caffrey has gone missing. The school halls are filled with crying girls and distraught teachers. Among them is Finn, whose tears are fake. Why? Because she knows where Chloe is: in Finn's grandmother's basement, watching T.V. and reading romance novels. It's all part of their plan. Chloe was the beautiful girl who was going to go missing and Finn was going to play the part of the hero, who saves Chloe from her big, bad abductor. Chloe's abduction would be on every news outlet, making her a celebrity. Finn's rescue would make her famous, too. That's good, because according to their guidance counselor, perfect grades and hundreds of community service hours just aren't enough to get into college anymore. So the girls set up an elaborate plan, and after weeks of planning, it's finally happening. Unfortunately, there are some things they didn't plan on: the lengths the police department would go, celebrities coming to console Chloe's family, and the suspects. When Finn sees how Chloe's disappearance is affecting her family, she wants out. Too bad Chloe won't let her.

The book had a great setup, but poor execution. The author has apparently never heard of "show, don't tell" so random facts about characters are only mentioned when the reader needs a reason to hate them. The best example is the way Chloe's grieving mother is portrayed. She lashes out once, and Finn (the narrartor) goes on a spiel about how she is the most terrible woman on earth. This leads me to the other thing I really diliked about it: Finn. I couldn't stand her attitude. She passes judgement on people when she herself is in no position to judge, made worse by the fact that she is never called on it. There were other things that annoyed me, like how the characters, supposedly incredibly smart, couldn't believe that the police would actually follow any lead they had on Chloe's "disappearance." It's such a shame, because this book has a really good premise.