Tuesday, January 17, 2012

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

“He began his new life standing up, surrounded by cold darkness and stale, dusty air.” This how my favorite book, The Maze Runner, by James Dashner begins, with a boy waking up in a elevator with no memories with faces or times. He just knows his name, Thomas.

Kirkus Reviews says “Dashner knows how to spin a tale and make the unbelievable realistic. Hard to put down, this is clearly just a first installment, and it will leave readers dying to find out what comes next.”

I am in a definite agreement with this statement. I stayed up until midnight reading this one. Each chapter, I would say to myself just one more chapter, but every chapter ended with me wanting more so I coudn’t stop. Then I finished the book. I still wanted more. It was amazing! This author and the book have not won any awards, yet. This author has not written any other books, besides the series (The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trails, and The Death Cure.) The recommended reading age is young adult.

I think this book is a lot like the Hunger Games. They are not being pitted against each other to fight to the death. In both of the books they are trapped in an “arena” and can’t get out.

I really liked this book and I hope you do to!

Recommended by Anna Luber

I'm Not Her by Janet Gurtler

The book I would like to recommend is I’m Not Her by Janet Gurtler. This is a must read for anyone who has or wishes they had a sister. This book is all about two exact opposite girls that are sisters. Kristina is the older, prettier, more athletic and popular sister while Tess on the other hand is quiet and smart. Tess is always being compared to Kristina and she hates it, especially when it comes from her mother. When all of a sudden Kristina is faced with life changing news. Now Tess becomes the center of attention and all the seniors wonder what’s up with Kristina. When their parents choose to ignore everything that’s going on, Tess much step in with some support. Read this book to find out the life-changing news and all of the other dramatic events that go on in Kristina and Tess’s life.

“I want to tell her that she’s brave and I love her. But I don’t know how to say it. Talking about things is not what I do.” This is one of my favorite quotes from this book. It shows how much Tess really does care about Kristina. “We’re going to need to to be strong, Tessie. Our Rock.” This is what Tess and Kristina’s dad tells Tess. Tess was my favorite character in this book because she was always putting everyone else before herself and she stayed strong the whole time.

The recommended reading age for this book is young adult. Some other books by Janet Gurtler are If I Tell and Who I Kissed. This author has not won any awards. “I devoured it...this story isn't about the girl in the spotlight. It's about the girl in the shadows, the one who's forced to find her way into the light to keep her family from totally self-destructing. As much as it brought me to tears, I loved watching Tess struggle with her own questions, doubt, frustrations with her parents and their inability to accept and deal with this tragedy, the equal parts love/resentment/fear she feels toward her sister, and her tenuous but unwanted place in the spotlight at school. I'M NOT HER is, quite simply, a downright real story.” said The Contemps.

Recommended by Becca Kennedy

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Recently, over Christmas break actually, I read a book about Peter Pan and how he came to be. In the book Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, Peter is an orphan boy living at St. Norbert’s Home for Wayward Boys. Peter is the oldest of all of the boys living there, and is among the number of boys that are being shipped off to be servants to King Zarboff the Third. But strange things happen on the ship on their way to the country of Rundoon, where King Zarboff the Third rules. Before the ship casts away, two sailors carry aboard a large, mysterious chest. Whenever anyone touches the box itself, they are extremely happy, relaxed and pain free. First, he felt it: a warmth, starting in his hands, but moving quickly up his arms and down his back and into his legs, and everywhere that warmth went, it was…wonderful. Like stepping into a bath. In an instant the pain in his bent old spine, the throbbing pain he had lived with since almost his first day at the dock, was gone. So was the aching weariness in his legs. Gone!

But there was more. There was a…smell. It was flowers. New grass in a meadow right after a spring rain. A fresh orange being peeled. It was cinnamon and honey, and bread just baked and pulled from the oven. And another smell even more wonderful than the others, though Alf couldn’t place it. Like nighttime, he thought. Why did the box make Alf feel so amazing? Was it something in the box, or the box itself?

My favorite characters in Peter and the Starcatchers are Peter and Molly. They are both fearless and have big secrets they are trying to keep from everyone else. They also have big plans, though their plans become compromised and they must find their way out of a horrible situation that their secrets got them into.

This book is amazingly well written and illustrated. It has a vivid plot and hilarious dialogue. Peter and the Starcatchers is one of my all time favorite books. Kirkus Reviews says, “A compulsively readable prequel to Peter Pan. Readers will come away satisfied.”

This book has not received any awards. Other books that Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson co-authored are: Peter and the Shadow Thieves Peter and the Secret of Roondun and Peter and the Sword of Mercy. The recommended reading level for this book is Young Adults.

In my opinion, this book is similar to Peter Pan, though Peter and the Starcatchers more of a prequel to that particular book. I feel that Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson’s writing styles are similar to James Patterson’s writing style. The books by all three authors come, not only from the points of view of the main character, but rather from the point of view of whomever may be able to tell the story best at that point in time.

I hope that you all read this book and that you enjoy it as mush as I did!

Recommended by Theresa Brehm

Football Champ by Tim Green

A book that I have read this year is Football Champ. It is written by Tim Green. This is a Footbal genius novel. This is also a book fo 8-12 year olds.This is about a kid named Troy. He is on the field and is calling all the right plays.The Falcons win again! After the game a reporter is following him around because he knows something is up. Soon he finds out that Troy is telling Seth the plays. Slowly the reporter is making a bigger and bigger story. Now that the story is broke lose, Seth and Troy’s jobs a on the line. Read to find out if they find a way to prove the reporter wrong or if they both lose their jobs. This is a suspensful book that will keep you reading until all 280 pages are done. I think this is a great book and is geared more toward boy but some girls might like too. I liked this because it is about football and relates to the NFL. The character also relates to my life because he is my age.
This book and author haven’t won any awards yet, but it is a New York Times bestselling author. A quotes from the book that Iliked was, “the noise washed over Troy, crashing from one end of the stadium to the other. I liked this part because it is telling the part were Troy throws a touch down pass. Some famous qoutes are,” Tim Green delivers another thriller with an insiders view of top sports action in this new adventure to Troy.” New York Times.”An engaging page-turner that’s full of play- by-play action.” Kirkus reviews “ A fast-paced read.” Time for kids

Recommended by Frank Brehm

Ever After Ever by Jordan Sonnenblick

Have you ever imagined what it would be like to have cancer? Well, a must-read novel that I am going to recommend to you is After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick. This page-turning book is about a boy named Jeffrey who is a cancer survivor, but still has worries that it will return. His brother, Steven, whom he can usually look to for advice, has moved away to Africa to join a drumming club for a little while. Before Steven left thought, Jeffrey couldn’t help but hear him talking to his parents about why he is going away to Africa; basically to get away from Jeffrey. Jeffrey has a friend named Tad, who he has a lot in common with. Tad also had cancer, but it caused him to have to sit in a wheelchair. Throughout this book, Tad has to overcome many big obstacles in his life. On the start of his eighth grade year, Jeffrey, along with his whole school, was informed that they would have to pass this big test at the end of the year in order to complete and pass eighth grade. Everyone, including Jeffrey’s parents thought that it would be impossible for Jeffrey to pass this test because he is not very smart. So, Jeffrey and his best friend Tad make a plan. Their plan is that if Tad tutored Jeffrey so that he could pass the test, Jeffrey would train Tad to be able to walk again so that he could walk across the stage during eighth grade graduation. The two of them are determined to reach their goals, so you will have to read this awesome book to find out if they will be able to or not.
The recommended reading age for this book is young adult. Some other books by the same author is, “Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie,” which is the first one in this series. This book has not received any rewards. “I’m in fourth grade. One day, I’m sitting in my seat in class, minding my own business. I’m kind of quiet, but everyone knows exactly who I am: Jeffrey Alper, The Boy Who Had Cancer.” That is how Jeffrey describes himself. “A brave book... Jordan Sonnenblick carries it off with such charm and élan, you forget for a moment your heart is breaking.” Frank McCourt, author of Angela’s Ashes states. “Real and raw and heartrending... hysterically funny as well.” Kirkus Reviews said.

Recommended by Maria Morrison

Payback Time by Carl Deuker

Hello. Today I’m here to talk to you about the book Payback Time by Carl Deuker. It is a phenomenal suspenseful mystery/sports novel. This is by far my favorite book by Carl Dueker. It might even be my favorite sports novel of all time!

This book is about a young reporter named Mitch True. Mitch is the reporter for the sports section in his high school newspaper. Mitch isn’t thrilled about his new job because he doesn’t know that much about sports. That all ends when he figures out that the photographer for the sports is Kimi Yon, one of the most popular kids at school. When Mitch and Kimi arrive at the first football practice they notice something a little strange. They see a kid who throws like a champ, but when asked to show his skills to the coach, he goes flat. Mitch and Kimi look into this kid, and realized that they might have one of the biggest cases Lincoln High will ever witness.

When I finished this book I was really sad because it was over. I kept turning and turning the pages till there where no more left to turn. I loved how this book mixed sports action with mystery and suspense. I was constantly on the edge of my seat.

My favorite quote from this book was, “ When I was little my dad took me to see All The President’s Men at a theatre that shows old movies. I didn’t follow politics about Nixon and Watergate, but as I watched I knew I wanted to be a reporter.” I liked this quote because it shows how much Mitch wants to and how determined Mitch is to be a reporter.

"Told in the first person, the story is initially funny, but the humor is soon eclipsed by the suspenseful plot and the copious play-by-play football action. These elements work together to create a rousing climax, which is then followed by a softer and more reflective denouement. Nicely played. " Says Kirkus Reviews. The Bulletin raves "It's a solid Cooneyesque mystery/thriller, though, with enough straight-up gridiron action to draw a crowd, and it won't take much booktalking to sell middle-schoolers on this title."

Deuker (Gym Candy, 2003) really cranks up the suspense in his newest pageturner, combining a Seattle high-school football team’s march toward the state championship game with a school reporter’s investigation of an apparent ringer that the coach has slipped in to bolster the defense. Mitch doesn’t think much of his new assignment as sports reporter, but when he sees how Coach McNulty keeps Angel—a reclusive new student who shows star-quality abilities in practice—benched until late in each hard-fought game his suspicions are aroused. Thrilled to think that he has caught wind of an actual cheating scandal, Mitch digs into Angel’s past. What he discovers stirs up far more trouble than he has bargained for, and pitches him into a series of terrifying situations. The game action alone is riveting even for readers who don’t know a naked bootleg from a hook-and-ladder play, but Deuker enriches the tale with several well-tuned subplots and a memorable narrator/protagonist who turns a corner on his own self-image while weathering brutal tests of his courage and determination. Definitely one for the top shelf. Grades 7-10. --John Peters

Carl Deuker has also written Gym Candy, Runner, and High Heat, just to name a few. This amazing author has won many awards for several of his books such as the 2010 Popular Paperback for Young Adults, and the YA Book of the Year in five different states. Payback Time unfortunately not won any awards. The recommended reading age for this book is ages twelve and up. The copyright date for this book is 2010, so it is a rather new book. I would recommend this book to boys because it involves a lot of football and the book is seen from a boy’s point of view.

If you read this book I guarantee you will read right through the 294 pages it contains. So go ahead, give this awesome novel a try.

Recommended by Alex Merten

City of Ashes

Hello my name is Carter. I will be presenting my
book City of Ashes for my book review. In this book Clary is a shadow hunter, a person who kills demons. Her father, Valentine, was a shadow hunter at one time but then he turned corrupt. In this book Clary and her newly introduced brother Jace have second thoughts of which side they really should be on.
I would suggest reading this book to all of my fellow classmates, but you obviously want to read the first book in the series first. I suggest this book to every person who enjoys unpredictable mythological novels. This is a great book because it has a good story line while still maintaining some humorous sections.
Kirkus reviews states that readers of urban fantasy will devour this deliciously overwrought adventure. The author of the twilight series quotes “ The Mortal Instruments series is a story that I would love to live in, Beautiful.”
Thank you for listening. I hope you all read this book.

Recommended by Carter Pins

A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer

For the past 20 years A Child Called ”It” by Dave Pelzer has captivated many people around the world. It chronicles one of the most severe cases of child abuse in the state of California. It tells the amazing story of how Dave Pelzer was brutally beaten and starved by his unstable and alcoholic mother. A mother who would play tortuous and unpredictable games that left him almost dead. The only way to survive was to beat his mother in the games because his mother no longer considered him her son but a slave, a child that she called “It”. Read to find out how Dave beats his mom with his dreams of the outside world and his willpower to get out!

The follow up books in this series are equally engaging and remarkable. There are three more books that tell about his life. This book is recommended for readers of 14 years of age or mature readers. It has been rated five out of a possible five stars from the customers on the Barnes and Noble web-site. Anne Cohn-Donnelly commented that, “To know the torment of abuse and how the child willed himself to survive, read this compelling, spell-binding account. Jack Canfield stated, “A Child Called “It” was so riveting, neither I nor the staff could put it down! One’s life is forever changed after living through the eyes of A child Called “It”. One of the many disturbing quotes in this book is ,”SMACK! Mother hits me in the face, and I topple to the floor. I know better than to stand there and take the hit. I learned the hard way that she takes that as an act of defiance which means more hits, or worse of all, no food. I regain my posture and and dodge her looks, as she screams in my ear.” This quote and many others in this book are disturbing. I think this says that Dave is saying that he has been hit enough to know what to do when his mother hits him yet again. You don’t hit your kid because his hands were out of the sink for a millisecond. I could tell you how much I despise Dave’s mother but then you wouldn't have to read the book. This book is one of the best autobiographies I have ever read! I am pleading with you to read this book. It will open your eyes and make you question, “this really goes on in families across the U.S!!” You won’t believe what you read.

Recommended by Jenna Willer

A Piece of Cake by Cupcake Brown

Hi! Today I will be talking to you about the book, A Piece of Cake by Cupacke Brown. This memoir is her first and only book. The book has not won any awards yet, but I think it definitely should. This book is about a girl named Cupcake Brown. When she is just 11 she wakes up to find her mom dead, she died from an epileptic seizure. She goes and lives with her dad. Her real dad left her mom when she was just a baby. Then her mom met another guy ( who is her step dad) they got married then separated. Her brother Larry lived with her dad and she lived with her mom. After the death of her mom the court had to review the custody of the kids. Then her real dad came back and said he wanted them, but he just wanted their money. He then put them in foster care.
That’s where her life fell apart. She was abused multiple ways in her foster home. She decided to run away. That was the first night she tried drugs and alcohol and turned her first trick. From there her life got worse and worse. She got into gangs more drugs and more alcohol and every bad thing you can think of. All before she was 20.
One of my favorite quotes from this book is “ I giggled to myself. Momma was just like me. She hated getting up in the morning, so she put the clock way across the room and turned it all the way up so it scare her awake in the morning.” This is one of the few happy parts of her life. The Chicago Sun Times says, “ Brown’s confessional memoir is one you can’t easily put down. Her life is nothing short of a miracle.” This book is appropriate for ages 14+ and is a very mature read. I found this book challenging to read.This book is similar to the Crank series by Ellen Hopkins and is similar in writing style.

You’ll have to read to find if she cleans up her life and what happens to her family.

Recommended by Meg Stecklein

The Help by Katheryn Stockett

I read the book, The Help, by Katheryn Stockett. The book centers around the writing of the book, “Help.” There are many characters in this book to describe but the two main ones are Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan and Aibleen Clark. Skeeter is a white woman who just returned from college with a degree in writing. Skeeter gets a job as a writer for the local newspaper. Aibleen is an African American lady who is the house-keeper for Skeeter’s friend, Miss Elizabeth Leefolt. Skeeter and Aibleen’s relationship starts when Skeeter gets a job at the “Jackson Journal” writing the “Miss Myrna” column, an article that gives tips on house-keeping. It doesn’t take long before Skeeter realizes that she doesn’t know a thing about housekeeping so she asks Aibleen to help her out with the column. Once Skeeter gets to know Aibleen a little better, she decides to ask Aibleen if she would help her out with the book. After a lot of convincing, Aibleen decides to do it. It took a lot of hard work and talking with other maids for Skeeter and Aibleen to finish the book. After a lot of prayer, they find out Mrs. Stien was going to publish it, but after it’s published, lots of problems occur. Will Aibleen be able to keep her job working for Miss Leefolt? Will anyone find out who the real authors of the book are?

This is hands down the best book I have ever read! Any time I wasn’t doing anything in the last month you would find me with the book in my hand trying to find out what was going to happen next. This 522 page book always kept me attached. There was always something new to look forward to no matter what part you were at. Like I said, there were many characters in this book. My least favorite was Miss Hilly Holbrook who was a friend of Skeeter’s for a while. Hilly is a horrible person and I never liked what she had to say. She thinks/thought that she knows everything and they only thing that matters is herself.

The recommended reading age for this book was not able to be found but I believe any young adult reader or over would enjoy this book. This is Stockett’s first and only book as of now. There are no awards that this book has won yet, but I bet there will be some to come in the future. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from this book, “You is smart. You is kind. You is important,” and “Wasn't that the point of the book? For women to realize we are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I'd thought.” I would compare this author to John M. Wolf who wrote Someone Named Eva because they both chose to write fiction stories about hard periods of time in history.



Kirkus Reviews says:
The relationships between white middle-class women and their black maids in Jackson, Miss., circa 1962, reflect larger issues of racial upheaval in Mississippi-native Stockett’s ambitious first novel. Still unmarried, to her mother’s dismay, recent Ole Miss graduate Skeeter returns to Jackson longing to be a serious writer. While playing bridge with her friends Hilly and Elizabeth, she asks Elizabeth’s seemingly docile maid Aibileen for housekeeping advice to fill the column she’s been hired to pen for a local paper. The two women begin what Skeeter considers a semi-friendship, but Aibileen, mourning her son’s recent death and devoted to Elizabeth’s neglected young daughter, is careful what she shares. Aibileen’s good friend Minnie, who works for Hilly’s increasingly senile mother, is less adept at playing the subservient game than Aibileen. When Hilly, an aggressively racist social climber, fires and then blackballs her for speaking too freely, Minnie’s audacious act of vengeance almost destroys her livelihood. Unlike oblivious Elizabeth and vicious Hilly, Skeeter is at the verge of enlightenment. Encouraged by a New York editor, she decides to write a book about the experience of black maids and enlists Aibileen’s help. For Skeeter the book is primarily a chance to prove herself as a writer. The stakes are much higher for the black women who put their lives on the line by telling their true stories. Although the exposé is published anonymously, the town’s social fabric is permanently torn. Stockett uses telling details to capture the era and does not shy from showing Skeeter’s dangerous naïveté. Skeeter’s narration is alive with complexity—her loyalty to her traditional Southern mother remains even after she learns why the beloved black maid who raised her has disappeared. In contrast, Stockett never truly gets inside Aibileen and Minnie’s heads (a risk the author acknowledges in her postscript). The scenes written in their voices verge on patronizing.
This genuine page-turner offers a whiff of white liberal self-congratulation that won’t hurt its appeal and probably spells big success.

“Set in the rural South of the 1960's, THE HELP is a startling, resonant portrait of the intertwined lives of women on opposite sides of the racial divide. Stockett's many gifts – a keen eye for character, a wicked sense of humor, the perfect timing of a natural born storyteller – shine as she evokes a time and place when black women were expected to help raise white babies, and yet could not use the same bathroom as their employers. Her characters, both white and black, are so fully fleshed they practically breathe – no stock villains or pious heroines here. I'm becoming an evangelist for The Help. Don't miss this wise and astonishing debut.”
–Joshilyn Jackson, Bestselling author of Gods in Alabama
I really, really hope you read this book!!

Recommended by Sarah Kluesner

Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti

Something Like Fate is a page turning, hard to set down book that captures the attention of girls ages 12 and up. Something like Fate by Susane Colasanti is about Lani and Erin who are best friends and how they have who have been like sisters forever. They always do everything together they are also curious about what their future holds and weather it’s told by a physic, by a palm reader, or even by a weekly horoscope they want to know. But when romance sparks between Erin and the Golden Boy Jason things get a little complicated. To Erin it’s the love of her life, she couldn’t be happier... but Jason on the other hand isn’t feeling it. When Erin goes away to camp for the summer, Lani and the Golden Boy have an undeniable connection that not even a physic can predict. They grow closer and closer over the summer, but one problem Jason and Erin are still dating and can only communicate only through letters, it makes it hard to tell the truth. Find out if Lani and the Golden Boy will continue their relationship and date. Or if Erin will put a stop to it. Also if the school will find out about Lani and Jason. If Erin and Lani will still be friends. And if their lives will be as predictable as it seems.

The School Library Journal has some remarks about the book “Colasanti turns a tired cliché–falling for your best friend's boyfriend–into an honest portrayal of romantic turmoil and backstabbing.” This book reminds me of the same writing as Sarah Dessen because I think it really relates to the reader. A book I would compare this to would be Two Way Street by Lauren Barnaholdt. I say this because the book is about two people who really want to be together but cant because of other people, who surround them.

A quote from this in-depth book is “You are bonded by a tragic event, but will be ripped apart by another.” This is when Lani and Erin get their palms read. When you get done reading the book it will make more sense. I also think that it’s weird how the physic can tell you what will happen in your life. A remark from The Critics is “[Something like Fate is] Credible and engaging character development… and interactions that spark just the right amount of tension to make this a romantic page-turner”

Some other entrancing books by Susane are Take Me There, Waiting for You, When It Happens. All of these books received great praise from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and VOYA. Something Like Fate has not won any awards. but hopefully soon will.(:

Recommended by Quinn Herbst

Can't Get There From Here by Todd Strasser

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live on the streets? Well, whether you have or haven’t I think all of you should read this book. It is called Can't Get There From Here by Todd Strasser. Todd Strasser has also written Boot Camp and Give A Boy A Gun. If you read this book, you will realize how hard it is to not have parents and have nowhere to go. In this book ‘Maybe’ is a teenage girl living on the streets, she lives with others though, A tribe of teens that have run away, been thrown away, abandoned, or abused. In the middle of a cold winter along comes a new addition. She is quickly added to the group. Maybe realized that Tears, the new addition to the tribe, is only about 12 years old. Soon the rest of the groups is slowly disappearing because of things like violence, addiction, and exposure. Since Tears is so young Maybe thinks she can help her get off the streets, but there is many dangers and risks! Will they be able to make it?
This 198 page book will not be put down to the end! It is recommended for young adult readers and I think it is neither a girl or boy book but a great read for everyone! Although this book has no real awards it got a 4.5 star rating from Amazon.com.
This is a great book, but you don't have to take my word for it! Kircus reviews say "A welcome addition to the slice of life genera in Y/A literature that may help to change some real lives" have fun reading!!!

Recommended by Emily Koetz

Deep Zone by Tim Green

I am doing my book review on Deep Zone by Tim Green. This 265 page book is the conclusion to the Football Genius Novels. In this thrilling story, Troy White and Ty Lewis meet in a 7 - on - 7 tournament at that’s being held at the Super Bowl between the Jets and the Falcons in Miami. Ty is a ball boy for the New York Jets, the team his brother Thane, or Tiger, as he is known by everyone else, plays for. In a game against the Baltimore Ravens, Thane is hurt in the final seconds of the game. While Ty is at the hospital with Thane, he sees a face on TV that gives him nightmares: the face of a man that ran a gambling operation for the notorious D’Amico crime family. Ty’s Uncle Gus had gambled with Lucy Catolone, the man in charge of the gambling, and lost big. Now, a few years later, Lucy and some of the D’Amicos are to appear in court with Gus being the star witness. Meanwhile Thane is recovering and Ty is under the protection of the FBI in case any of the D’Amico gang comes after him because of his connection with Gus. I seems that all is well as Ty and his seven-on-seven team win game after game and are headed for the tournament.

In Miami, Ty meets Troy, the “football genius” of the Atlanta Falcons, who is also with his team in the tournament. In the beginning Troy and Ty don’t get along because Ty seems interested in Tate McGreer, Troy’s friend. One night, Troy thinks that he and Thane are being followed. The excitement builds as Ty, Thane, and Tate go on a tour through the Everglades to see alligators. They go past a haunted fishcamp and on the way back they get drenched by poaring rain. Back at the hotel, Ty sees the killer who is part of the D’Amico gang. Throughout the tournament, both Ty’s and Troy’s teams keep winning until both make it to the championship game. Then the unexpected happens the night before. Troy thinks he sees his dad and runs after him. Ty sees everything play out before his eyes and goes after Troy. Then Ty is jumped on by two of the D’Amico gang members and kidnapped and taken with Troy and his dad to the fishcamp. Ty texts Tate and tells her where they are at and she comes to the rescue. While escaping, they are all caught and taken back. Later on, Troy’s dad frees all three kid, but Troy breaks his ankle during the escape. The kids are safely returned and Troy’s dad leaves without another word.

In this highly acclaimed and suspenseful novel, you will witness experience after horrifying and exciting experience. I think this would be a great book for any football fanatic. Deep Zone has not received any rewards and recommended reading age is 8-12. Kirkus reviews says, “NFL insider Green brings together his two heroes—Ty and Troy—in this gridiron mystery focused on teen football phenoms.” Joy Held says, “Green is a master with a meaningful metaphor and writes the life and brains of 12-year-old boys really well. The series is a winner, and Deep Zone is one of the star players.” Some other books by Tim Green are Football Genius, Football Hero, Football Champ, The Big Time, Rivals, Baseball Great, and Best of the Best. If you like any books by Mike Lupica including The Underdogs and Million Dollar Throw you are sure to like Deep Zone. A quote from the book is “Ty didn’t react, but on the snap of the ball, he gave a head fake outside, then back inside. Moby’s hands shot out and struck Ty, but Ty had already turned sideways and started back out to the outside: the double fake. Moby’s blow glanced off Ty’s ribs, and Ty shot past the cornerback, racing straight down the sideline.” I highly recommend this book because you constantly are asking yourself questions. Who will win the tournament? What about the Super Bowl? What happens to Ty and Troy? Will the D’Amicos be arrested by the FBI? You have to read this gripping novel to find out.

Recommended by an 8th grader

Rivals by Tim Green

Hello, I’m going to review the book Rivals by:Tim Green. Josh is thrilled when all his hard training pays off in a big way and his team, the Titans makes it to a national tournament in Cooperstown, home of the National Baseball Hall Of Fame. Winning would mean everything to his Dad the Titans Coach. After a dirty play and brutal injury threatens to sideline Josh. While at the tournament Josh sees suspicious things at a Comet’s game. Josh tries to tell his friend Jaden about it but she’s to busy spending time with the Comet’s star pitcher Mickey Mullen Jr. Jaden says she’s doing research for the newspaper... but is she? Now Josh has a rival on and off the field. As Josh swings fro the fences in a game that quickly becomes dangerous.
Tim Green is the author of the New York Times Best Seller Baseball Great . A famous quote is “Green delivers a fast-paced story, told in short chapters that build to the exciting climax” ALA Booklist. I think this book is a lot like Football Hero because Ty faces chalenges just like Josh does. Other books by Tim Green are: Baseball Great, Best of the Best, Deep Zone, The Big Time, Football Champ, and Football Genius. A quote I liked is when Josh said to Benji, “ Dude did you pee your pants.” I really liked this book and it kept me on the edge of my seat and I hope you read it too.

Recommended by Noah Smith

Maggie's Miracle by Karen Kingsbury

Hello! Today I am doing my book review on the book Maggie’s Miracle, by:
Karen Kingsbury. It is the second book in the Red Gloves Collection. The
other three are; Gideon’s Gift, Sarah’s Song, and Hannah’s Hope.
Megan remembers what her life was like before all the work, and
her son Jordan. The summer when she was 12, when she met Kade, and
when life started to mean something. Back then her name had been Maggie.
Maggie Howard. Maggie Howard believed in love, but Megan Write gave
up on it. When her husband died, their son Jordan was devastated. He had
started to slack in school, and was depressed. When Megan saw the article
for Healing Hearts, she knew it was right for her son.
Casey Cummins has just lost his wife and child from childbirth. Right after
the twin towers attack, to make matters worse. When he saw the Healing
Hearts program, he knew he needed to move on after his wife’s death.
Neither family thought they would find more than a friend. I loved these
books, and they are perfect to read during the holidays. Your emotions will
take flight with this heartwarming collection.

My favorite quote from this book is”But Maggie had never forgotten
something the boy told her that summer. Hold out for real love Maggie,
because real love never fails.”

“Karen Kingsbury is a great fiction writer and an even better person.
Wait until you read MAGGIE’S MIRACLE! You will be deeply touched.”
~Pat Williams, Sr. Vice President, Orlando Magic. From Publishers
Weekly “Kingsbury, whose novella Gideon's Gift struck a fervent chord
with readers last year, offers this second story in the "Red Gloves Series": as
one character declares to another, "Red is the color of giving."
Kirkus Reviews had nothing on this book.

Karen Kingsbury has also written Gideon’s Gift, Sarah’s Song, and
Hannah’s Hope, all of which are in the red gloves collection. She is the
author of the CBA #1 bestselling Reunion series. Recently Gideon’s Gift
has been made into a movie. Karen has won the 2009 Extraordinary Woman
of the Year award, the 2007 Evangelical Book of the Year, and the 2005
Gold Medallion Book Award. She has made both the USA Today and the

New York Times Bestseller Lists. The recommended age for this book is
13, but I enjoyed it a lot. It was by far one of my favorite books ever. It was
copyrighted in 2003. I would say it is for both boys and girls because it is
a good holiday read. All of the books take place during the Christmas time,
but you can read them any time of the year.

Recommended by Isabel Brehm

Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo

Hi! I’m here to you today to talk about Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo. It’s a biography that Todd wrote about his son, Colton’s, experience to Heaven and coming back. It tells about how Colton got to be so sick and how Todd figured out that Colton went to Heaven.

Matthew Hickman says “Heaven is for Real is a heartwarming, simple, and surprisingly biblical glimpse into a little four year old boy’s journey into Heaven.”

Todd Burpo has also written a kid’s version of Heaven is for Real but has not written any other books. The book most like Heaven is for Real other than the kid’s version I think is 90 Minutes in Heaven.

My favorite quote from this book is when Todd is getting frustrated because Colton says none of the paintings of Jesus look like him.

“So what’s wrong with this one?”

“Nothing Daddy, this one’s right”

The recommended reading age for this book is young adult to adult.

Sadly this book has not one any awards.

I think everyone should read this book because we’re all Catholic and this book just proves that Heaven exists.

Recommended by Laura Snyder

Beauty Shop for Rental Fully Equipped, Inquire Within by Laura Bowers

Hello classmates, today I would like to recommend the book Beauty Shop for Rent Fully Equipped, Inquire Within by Laura Bowers. This a non-fiction, page turning book. The recommend reading age is 12 and up. This book hasn’t won any wards, but I think it should of because this is the best book I have read all year. Another book that Laura Bowers wrote is Just Flirt. I would love to read this too, because I loved Beauty Shop for Rent. My favorite character in this book is all of them because the author does such a good job of painting a picture in your mind of what is happening and what they look like. I really didn’t like Abbey’s mom though because she was really mean to Abbey. Read to find out if she still is mean or will she turn nice. That plot takes place a lot at the Beauty Shop.

Beauty Shop for Rent is about a teenage girl Abbey who lives with her great-grandma. Her great-grandma runs a beauty shop that she has been wanting to sell for a very long time. Then one day while Granny Po goes plays bingo Gena comes to the shop wanting to buy it. After Granny Po just got done telling Abbey not to let anybody in or around the shop, Abbey totally just ignored that and welcomed her in to look around. When she was leaving Gena gave Abbey her business card. Abbey didn’t give the card to Granny Po for a couple days, because she doesn’t want the shop to be sold. Abbey was given to her Great-Grandma after her mom left and her dad filed for divorce. In the book her mom calls for the first time since she was left at her grandma’s house. Read this awesome, very well-written book to see what her mom does, and if she hears from her dad.

“This is a down-home, whole-heart story..... about the wrong dream, the right guy, righteous gossip, and the power of a good spa treatment. Funny, aching, and authentic, Laura Bower’s debut is one of the finest, most entertaining I’ve ever read.” Cynthia Smith author of Rain is Not my Indian Name. “Step into this Beauty Shop for Rent for a good, clean read that will tickle your funny bone, massage your mind, and warm your heart. Highly recommended for teens and adults.” Amazon stated. I agree with this quote 100% because on all the pages you will either be crying, laughing, or in shock. A quote from this book is the first line of the book it said,”I’ll be a millionaire by the time I turn thirty-five. Successful. Independent. Abbey Garner-self-made financial genius.” I suggest you all to read this. I think this is more towards a girl read because all the characters are girls except Abbey’s boyfriend. This book doesn’t remind me of any books because it is so unique.

Recommended by Megan Maahs

Girl Stolen! by April Henry

Girl Stolen!

Hello, I am doing my book review on Girl Stolen. This amazing book is by: April Henry. Everyone should read this because it is a great book! It is about sixteen year old Cheyenne Wilder and she is kinapped. Her stepmom was going to get pills for her in the pharmacy, because she had pneumonia. Cheyenne wanted to keep the keys in the car, just in case she got cold. Suddenly the door opened, Cheyenne thought it was just her stepmom. Then Cheyenne quickly remembered that her stepmom didn’t smoke. The kinappers figure out that Cheyenne’s dad is the president of a powerful company Nike, and they want money. Cheyenne has to try to figure out who these people are and what they want with her, but it was going to be a bit hard, because Cheyenne is blind.

My favorite quote in this book is, “ Griffen snorted, Mainstreamed! Even I know that’s a fancy pants private school.” Gail Giles, bestselling author of What Happened To Case McBride, said “ April Henry’s Girl Stolen is page-turning suspense with a clever heroine who meets up with bad luck, bad man, a bad dog, bad weather, bad health, and has to face them without seeing them . A nail-biter. Kikus Review states, This can’t put-down crime thriller unfolds through the viewpoints of both victim and criminal.

The reccomended reading age for this book is 12-18. This book has not won any awards. Another book by this New York Times Bestselling Author is, Face Of Betrayal. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

Recommended by Lisa Schroeder



Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be kidnapped? It can be a very scary thought, even if you can see. In the book, Girl, Stolen by April Henry, sixteen year old Cheyenne was kidnapped while her step-mom was filling a prescription for pneumonia. All of a sudden Cheyenne hears something, thinking it is her mom. Little did she know, she was being kidnapped. Besides feeling awful with her illness and scared for her life, Cheyenne has something else to overcome in dealing with this conflict: she's blind. Will being blind stop Cheyenne’s escape? How will she get away with not being able to see what she is doing? This novel will make you grateful that you can use all of you five senses. Read to find out how Cheyenne will use her eyes, ears, mouth, and hands. Will she be able to escape the bad guy and get home to her family safe and sound? This suspenseful and captivating novel will have you up all night just flipping through the pages until the end! This is a true nail biting thiller!

This 224 page book is recommended for young adults. This book has received a four and a half star rating according to Barnes and Noble. Unfortunately, this novel has not won any awards. Other books by April Henry are The Night She Disappeared, Torched, and Buried Diamonds. April Henry is New York Times Bestselling Author. I would compare April’s writing style with Peg Kehert because both of their novels haves a lot of suspense. Another similarity is they both use very descriptive and suspenseful words. They also make you have so many questions just flying through your head. You will not find an answer to your question until the last page. This is what makes you read and read for hours on end!!!

Once you read this thought-provoking novel, you will agree with this statement by Todd Strasser, “A unique and clever premise. Cheyenne has to be one of the most resourceful heroines in recent memory.” Todd is the bestselling author of Wish You Were Dead. "Girl, Stolen is a fast and ripping read, highly recommended for reluctant teen readers. The vocabulary is not challenging, the characters are strong, and there is not an over-reliance on things techy. It's a book, no batteries required, for entertainment and a whole new world.” Exclaims Eileen Granfors from Amazon’s reviews. Those are the perfect words to describe this captivating book! Girl,Stolen compares to the book Abduction by Peg Kehret. Both of the main characters get kidnapped by some wacko man. Both kids have only on choice.... escape. Will they get away from the kidnapper? This question will remain until the end! My favorite quote from the book is, “Every blind person had their own way of folding money to tell it apart.” I really liked this quote because it made me think that being blind doesn’t mean you can’t be normal. I think this book would be very inspiring for some one who may not be able to see. The main character was blind, but she still was able to use the rest of her senses to figure out that she was being kidnapped. Being blind did not stop Cheyenne from learning how to deal with not being able to see. Cheyenne is a very independent person because she has to learn things that will help herself. She may have had to change the way she lived, but she still figured it out. This quote really makes me want to help all of those who have a challenge when it comes to seeing!

This is a book that I would recommend to anyone who has ever had to overcome some very hard challenges. This book has characters that will leave you thinking about their actions for days. The characters will express their feelings in ways you never thought were possible.
An innocent girl who ends up with bad luck, bad men, a bad dog, bad health, and has to overcome them without seeing! Will Cheyenne be able to escape the bad guy and get home to her family safe and sound? Read to find out!

Recommended by Morgan Olsem