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Bayou by Jeremy Love
It was very good. Reviewer, Kevin, Grade 7 3.10 | |||
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Prince of Tennis by Takeshi Konomi
Mada Mada Dane!!! You've still got a ways to go! This is the main character Ryoma Echizen's catchphrase/taunt. This japanese manga is all about him owning other guys at tennis. He is the son of the greatest tennis star of all time, Samurai Nanjiro Echizen. Along the way, he gains many friends, but also many enemies. In the first part of the series, Ryoma's goal is to beat his dad, but after losing an embarassing defeat to Teuka Kunimitsu, the captain of his school's tennis team, he starts to think more about his future goals. Read the series and find out! Reviewer, EzKev, Grade 29 (aka Grade 7) 1.10 | |||
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Sphinx's Princess by Esther Friesner
Nefertiti captures your imagination from the first page in Esther Friesner's Sphinx's Princess. Proud and independent Nefertiti is considered the most beautiful women in all of Egypt. However when she catches the eye of her Aunt Tiye her life is turned upside down. She is forced to move into the royal palace and given a marriage sentence. Whether she wants to or not at the end of three years she will marry Thutmose, who will become Pharaoh when his father dies. While this is the dream of every Egyptian girl, Nefertiti must survive in the palace in her worst nightmare, marriage to a demon in disguise. This was a wonderful book, and I would recommend it to all readers, because when you read this book everything else just disappears. Reviewer, Grace, Grade 10 11.09 | |||
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All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab review of ARC - hardcover release date: January 12, 2010 All Unquiet Things is Anna Jarzab's first book. Though beginning with a slow start, after the first part, the novel is impossible to put down. It takes a hold of you and makes you wonder in suspense. Who killed Carly? Why did she die? Neily and Audrey, an unlikely pair of new found friends try to untie the mystery of the murder of Carly- friend, girl friend, and cousin. You may think you know who it is, but the twist is mesmerizing. Reviewer, Jenny, Grade 10 11.09 | |||
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The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade
I thought that the book was good. The suspension set a good pace which kept you in the book. The plot was also very interesting and original. Reviewer, Nick, Grade 10 10.09 | |||
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Very LeFreak by Rachel Cohn review of ARC - hardcover release date: January 12, 2010 Author of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, Rachel Cohn, once again is able to make a seemingly trite storyline become a have to read plot. In this day of age, it is almost impossible to live without technology - in fact many people find it hard to not use technology for more than one day. In her new book, Very LeFreak, Cohn creates a fun, wild, technology obsessed girl, formerly known as Victoria. After a series of upsets and mishaps- including many ruined relationships, and almost killing one of her friends, Very is sent to get rid of her addiction to technology. However, her journey to get rid of her addiction also led her to dig deep into herself and find the true Very. Funny and touching, Very LeFreak is definitely a must read, and who knows, after reading, you may even find yourself questioning your technology obsessions! Reviewer, Jenny, Grade 10 10.09 | |||
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Skellig by David Almond
Great book. I finished it in one day, as it is a little short. But I still recommend it. Reviewer, Charlie, Grade 7 10.09 | |||
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Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George
Hello. This book review is on a book called Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow. It is about a girl named- well she doesn't have a name- but in the book everybody calls her lass. She is given a name by a white reindeer,who grants one wish to whoever catches it and she also got the ability to speak to animals. After a few many years, she is wisked away by a white bear from the north, who will give her very poor family infinite wealth if she stayed at his palace for a year and one day. While she's there, she finds out some strage things about the bear's palace of ice. And when her curiosity gets out of hand, many servants dissapear, and eventually the bear is too. She goes to the Palace East of the Sun and West of the Moon to save who she finds is the love of her life. Its a great story so read it and you will wake up the next morning without weird stuff in your pjs, unlike all the other fools who read this review and didn't read the book. Have fun! Reviewer, GodForbidSomebodyFindsOutMyReadName, Grade 7 9.09 | |||
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Snakehead by Anthony Horowitz
This book is about a young teenager named Alex Rider. He is used by the British Intelligence Agency, MI6 as a teenage spy. His new mission is to spy on a group of terrorists that call themselves Snakehead. Alex has to face all the dangers of spying and when the manager of Snakehead learns his is spying on them, Alex has to stay alive, while not even being allowed to run away. Alex doesn't even want to run away from his mission. He knows that the whole fate of the planet Earth is in his hands. Snakehead is an action packed novel and I think it was the best in the whole Alex Rider series. If you are looking for an adventure book, read Snakehead. Reviewer, Juliet, Grade 7 8.09 | |||
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Papertowns by John Green
From Quentin Jacobsen's eyes girl next door, Margo Roth Spiegelman, is pure awesomeness. Margo is the type of girl who creates stories, lives off of plans, and is ** with strings. After Quentin spent a memorable, exciting, adventurous, awesome night full of plans and pranks with Margo, she disappears. Following a disconnected path, Quentin goes on a mystery to find not only where Margo is, but who Margo is, and at the same time, discovering himself. Brilliantly written, John Green once again develops his characters into real beings. With an intricate plot, and idea, Green shows us a paper town and a paper girl. Reviewer, Jenny, Grade 10 6.09 | |||
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Girl Stays in the Picture by Melissa de la Cruz
How do you get famous? What do you do to stay famous? And most importantly, is the price worth it of being famous? Lives of teenage stardom is hectic. Lights, camera and Paparazzi! Devin, just back from rehab, is trying to regain not only her fame, but also her life, her movie, and (gain) real friends. Livia is trying to learn the difference between not only fat and thin, but also fake and real. Casey, new to the scene, is not only learning how tiring an assistant may be, but also how 2-faced her best friend could be. Faced with beaches and boys these girls have a heck of a lot to get busy with. Three girls, different stories. What does fame have in store for each of them? Find out and read Girl Stays in the Picture! Reviewer, Jenny, Grade 10 6.09 | |||
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Misfits by James Howe
Hello! my name is hellowmynameisSteffi. actually thats a character from the book im commenting on. i really didn't like this book that much. but dont take my judgement seriously, i hate every book thats not a page-turner. anyway, it doesn't matter if you wanna read this book cuz you have to anyway. :( depressing, right? Exactly. you, in the future or in the past will have to have read this book! O_O yea, you're like say what?!? anyway, I highly recommend staying away from this book at an, oh, about 20 mile radius. thank you for reading my notsohelpful review. Reviewer, HellomynameisSteffi, Grade 6 6.09 | |||
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Naruto and Naruto Shippuden by Masashi Kishimoto
Ok, this is like so totally kewl cuz its like my, like 2nd time writin' a review and this time its on a book i like!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG...anyway, i am a manga addict so im writin' bout manga!!! ok, ok, so this manga's about this kid, and he is like an orphan, and his name is naruto. so, he like is training to be an awesome ninja person who will be like the best ninja in his village and is known as hokage. He has many adventures and owns people too many times but the manga is still good!!!!!! Read it or eat it!!!! Reviewer, udontneed2no, Grade 6 6.09 | |||
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Willow by Julia Hoban
Willow, a new book by Julia Hoban, is about a girl whose parents are recently desceased in an accident for which she feels responsible. She has now moved in with her older brother and secretly cuts herself. This book, although short, was a nice read. The plot is very easy to follow and the ending is predictable. However, if teen drama books with broken characters are your forte, this book is right for you. It is not an in depth self-discovery book, but a very light read. I recommend it as an in-between books book. It's a little depressing, but please, the book is about a girl who cuts herself. What do you expect? Overall, I enjoyed it, but then again, I'm a sucker for love stories and happy endings. Reviewer, Emma, Grade 9 4.09 | |||
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City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
This book, City of Bones, is one of my FAVORITE books. And i rarely have favorites. This book was one of the books where nothing else matters except reading chapter after chapter, never wanting to let go of the pages that held the story. I read the book in one day-maybe less. City of Bones is for every reader (more for a female) because it has: 1.Romance 2.Fantasy 3.Adventure 4. (at the end of the book) a twist. This book was absolutely five star. Anyone who finds it should grab it immediately and start reading!!! Reviewer, Jessica, Grade 7 11.08 | |||
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Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
**spoiler alert** Of Mice and Men is a book about this guy George and this guy Lennie who have many issues in life. [ex. lennie is mental and george is short XP] They end up having to run from a town called Weed, not for smoking, but because Lennie was accused of rape. Lovely. So in any event they end up on a ranch somewhere and they get to work immediately only to run into problems with a tempermental doode named Curley and his *cencored* of a wife. How it ends is Lennie kills Curley's wife [who apparently doesnt have a name wth???] and runs to hiding only to be found and killed by his best friend. :] …I really didn't like it if you couldn't tell from this review. Reviewer, Bekka, Grade 9 9.08 | |||
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The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls tells about a girl (Jeannette herself) and her family who travel from place to place. They reject the government and everything that comes along with it. Her father spends the little money he makes on booze. Her mother is an artist who can teach but chooses not to and decides to stay at home instead. The story tells all about Jeannette's life traveling, doing things to survive for her siblings, and trying to free herself from her family. This is a memoir. I really liked this book because it was so interesting how people choose to reject society so openly and what happens to them. Reviewer, Rachel, Grade 9 5.08 | |||
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Room for Improvement by Stacey Ballis
If you've ever watched home decorating reality shows this book may be a good choice for you. The main character has just landed her dream job, to be one of the designers on a trading spaces type show. While this is premise and the chapters are titled by episode number and TV Guide synopsis, the story digs deeply into her life and her relationships with her divorced parents, best friends, co-workers, and various men. It’s a pretty mainstream girl book with some humor, romance and a few mishaps along the way. It was also another quick read. Reviewer, Megan, Grade 12 5.08 | |||
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Case Closed by Gosho Aoyama
Jimmy Kudo, great detective of the East, is on a case, but when he suddenly is assaulted and drugged, Poof! he's a first grader again! Now through a story of twists and turns and murders, he must go under the pseudonym Conan Edogawa to solve mysteries and find the mysterious men in black who made him young. I absolutely love this anime. I love the smart feeling I get when I solve the cases. It's fun for anyone who likes anime. I highly recommend this book. In fact, I insist that you get it from your local library. Reviewer, Logan, Grade 8 3.08 | |||
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King Dork by Frank Portman
My taste in just about everything is a bit of an anomaly. I like shopping and nail polish and chocolate in massive quantities, as they are typical "girly things," but growing up with two older brothers pushed me towards many typically "guy things," too. Case in point, a book that I love: King Dork by Frank Portman. The storyline of King Dork is simple: a dork tries to start up a band with his best and only friend, Sam, learn about his dad, and survive high school. But Tom Henderson, the King Dork of the title, isn’t of the same breed of dork as Seth Cohen from the OC, the admittedly dorky kind that you like anyway; he is a full-on social pariah. Tom spends a good portion of his time thinking of ridiculous band names, album names, and stage names for Sam and himself ("The Nancy Wheelers, [with] me on guitar, Sam Hellerman on bass and Ouija board, first album: Margaret? It’s God. Please Shut Up.") despite the fact that he barely knows how to play an instrument. Also, every encounter he has with his stuck-in-the-1960's step dad made me literally ache with laughter (and books don’t make me laugh easily!). There isn’t too much of a plot, but for me, this wasn’t a problem, since reading Tom’s thoughts was so thoroughly amusing. King Dork is honest, intelligent, and effortless – I never felt once like the author was trying too hard to make me laugh or to be witty. There are really only two reasons I haven't shoved it down the throat of everyone I know: one, that I realize that it is the not the cup of tea for people who only enjoy one type of book, like teen girl novels about romance and drama. And two, that it gets very vulgar at times, in more ways than one. Perhaps I’m too old-fashioned, but although the exact details of the book are not completely fresh in my mind, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone younger than fifteen or so. But, overall, if you are open to something off-beat, I say pick up King Dork. Word on the street (aka Wikipedia) is that Will Ferell's production company is making a movie out of it to be released this year, so if you don't believe me that it’s worth it, maybe Ron Burgundy’s approval will convince you. Reviewer, Christine, Grade 12 5.08 | |||
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Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Recently released as a movie, Stardust is about a young man, Tristan Thorn, who does not know about his ancestry. However, he does know that he is in love with the beautiful Victoria Forester. One night, upon walking Victoria home, Tristan proposes to Victoria. A star falls and Victoria promises that if Tristan brings back the star, she will marry him. Determined, Tristan leaves his town and family beyond the Wall, into the magical land of Faerie. Tristan is not the only one in search of the fallen star. There is an evil witch who desires the star's heart to redeem the youthfulness of herself and her sisters. The sons of the Lord of Strumhold are also on the quest for the star, for she weilds the stone that indicates the power that the successor will have. All three groups on a quest for their futures. Reviewer, Shannon, Grade 9 5.08 | |||
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Sammy's House by Kristin Gore
This book is actually a sequel, although I’ve never read the first one. It’s the story of the Vice President’s assistant in the White House and all the problems she encounters both politically and in her personal life. She struggles with the president’s drug problems, her journalist reporter boyfriend moving away and her tarnished reputation on the internet political blog among other issues. The story is very light, quick to read and humorous at times. It’s not a noteworthy book, but it’s an enjoyable easy read. Reviewer, Megan, Grade 12 5.08 | |||
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Freakonomics by Steven Levitt
I though Freakonomics was a very insightful book about the economy. It gave a different perspective on the way the economy works and showed the relationship between *** and the economy. It explained economic concepts ina lyamen's terms in a very effective way. Reviewer, Vidur, Grade 12 5.08 | |||
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The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
This book was recommended to me and I wasn't sure if I was going to like it at first. It tells the story of a single mother running a knitting store in NYC. Her life is filled with many complications including a biracial daughter, a long lost friend and a severed relationship with her parents. While her story is told, there are also several of spin off stories I found interesting to read based on the women who come into the knitting shop every Friday night. The book has a very surprising ending, so even when it gets a little slow in the middle keep reading because you really won't see what's coming. Reviewer, Megan, Grade 12 5.08 | |||
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