Three Days
Donna Jo Napoli
Puffin Group/2001

    She was spending time having a great time with her father on their way to
Italy.  She didn’t want to fall asleep.  Suddenly, the car was going wild,
and Jackie realized her father had collapsed at the wheel.  Anxiously,
Jackie tries to get a car to pull over to give her some help.  She was
relieved when two men finally stopped.  She got in their car to go get an
ambulance.  What was going on?  They were passing each exit!  Then she
realized it.  These men were keeping her hostage.  There was nothing to do.  
She couldn’t get with her dad.  The two mysterious men did feed her and let
her sleep; they even gave her her toy cat.  But they took her back to their
own house.  Jackie soon was introduced to a woman who is a part the men’s
family.  Her name is Claudia, and becomes a good friend of Jackie’s.  
Despite not understanding Italian, Jackie figures out that finding her way
home depends on figuring out the answer to the mysterious secret of her
captors’ family.

    I really enjoyed how this book was written in first person.  That way, you
could easily understand what was going through Jackie’s head.  Also, that
put pictures in your head without difficulty.  It made the experiences seem
very realistic.  In addition, I really like how this book is suspenseful.
The author uses good wording to give you an urge to quickly continue
reading.  I would suggest this to all children second grade and up.  Even
adults could enjoy this book. It is appropriate for anyone who could use a
good thriller!  I’m not sure there is much about Three Days that I don’t
like.  It was cool to see the relationship that grew between Claudia and
Jackie, especially since they could not communicate.  It is a very
fascinating book, so go get a copy!
reviewed by: Bethany M.

Double Identity

Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix

Publisher/Year of Publication: Scholastic Inc. 2005

Summary: This story is about a thirteen-year-old girl named Bethany Cole. Her parents began acting more and more oddly, then, all of a sudden, they hustled her into the car. They took her to a different state to an aunt she’s never even heard of. Bethany had no idea what was going on, but she was worried her parents were running away from something. They wouldn’t even tell her where they were going. Her only clue was a few words she heard her father tell her aunt Myrlie: “She doesn’t know about Elizabeth.” But Aunt Myrlie wouldn’t tell her who Elizabeth was, or why people in this small town acted as if they’d seen a ghost when they saw Bethany. The mystery grew more complicated when she received a package from her father, including four different birth certificates from four states, with four different last names – and thousands of dollars in cash. And when a strange man showed up at her door asking questions, Bethany realized she wasn’t the only one trying to understand her past. The book’s main characters are Bethany, her aunt Myrlie, and her cousin Joss, all trying to unravel the mystery of Bethany’s past.

Critique: I really loved this book! It was very gripping, and I couldn’t put it down! Since it was written in first person from Bethany’s point of view, it showed many of her thoughts and feelings about everything she was finding out and everything happening to her. I really liked the author’s word choice, and all the different twists and turns in the plot. They made it exceptionally interesting, and every time a question was answered, a new question came up! The only thing I didn’t like was having to wait so long to find out the explanation of the mystery. I would say this book is for anyone eleven and up, only because of the level of comprehension required to read this thrilling mystery that will hold you in its grasp and won’t let go until you solve the mystery!
Reviewed by Alyssa L.

Rebecca

Author: Daphne Du Maurier

Published March 1948

Publisher: Doubleday Publishing

    Rebecca, by Daphne Du Maurier is a sinister book about the marriage of a young girl to Maxim De Winter, a wealthy widower living in an estate called Manderly. Maxim asks this young girl to marry him after a very brief courtship. When the new Mrs. De Winter arrives at Manderly, she is faced with haunting experiences that all seem to revolve around Rebecca, Maxim’s late wife who died when her boat capsized. Mrs. De Winter learns the hard way how to cope with her jealousy of Rebecca and her disturbing housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers. She also must learn how to cope with Maxim, who seems oddly disturbed when reminded of Rebecca. The plot thickens when a ship wrecks near the harbor of Manderly and a peculiar object is found. This “object” just happens to be Rebecca’s boat that was said to have capsized miles away from Manderly (where her “body” was found). The suspense becomes even more thrilling when the body is discovered to be Rebecca’s. The death of Mr. De Winter’s late wife is then suspected to be more than just an accident. Could this “accident” possibly have been suicide or maybe even murder? Read the book to find out!

      I thoroughly enjoyed this romance mystery mainly because of the description. The reader is automatically wrapped up in the gorgeous scenery that Daphne Du Maurier describes on every single page. I would suggest this book to juveniles mainly because the book uses mild language, so it’s a good idea to read at your own risk. (I would also like to list gender appropriateness, and I believe that boys most likely wouldn’t appreciate Rebecca.) But besides that, my favorite aspect of Rebecca would have to have been the beautiful description and the suspense at the end. The thing I didn’t really like was the length of the beginning of the novel. It takes a while to get into it at first, so if you are considering reading it I suggest that you don’t give up during the first few chapters, because reading Rebecca is definitely a worthwhile experience! I consider it to be one of the best books of all time.
reviewed by: Sylvia C.

Out of Step

Author: Nikki Anne Schmutz

Publisher/year: Deseret Book/2002

            Out of Step tells the life story of Jenny Thomas.  Jenny is a Mormon girl who really enjoys dancing.  As described in the book, Jenny just goes and goes when the music gets turned on.  The story really begins when jenny goes to New York for college to become a professional dancer.  She tries to get a scholarship for a dancing class that is known as the hardest to get in to.  Jenny meets many friends along the way, who all help her along the way who all help her along the way with her goal.  The dramatic story of Jenny Thomas is recorded on tape by her friend Paul Taylor.  As Jenny and Paul get taking, you find out that Paul has an unusual goal about dating that he intends to keep.  But you are just going to have to read the book (or watch the movieJ) to find out what that is!  Jenny also meets David Schrader, and finds herself falling in love.  With Jenny’s emotions taking on wild turns, this book is a great description of a teenager’s stresses and thoughts.

            I enjoyed this book a lot.  It was fun to read about another Mormon, which isn’t too common.  I also liked how true it was!  I found I could relate to many things.  Of course, I bet more girls would enjoy this book than boys.  I would recommend this book to Mormons over the age of thirteen, because it does give a lot of love descriptions.  I also think the editor didn’t do a very good job because I found a lot of errors in the text.

Enna Burning

Author: Shannon Hale

Publisher/Year: Bloomsbury/2004

Summary: At first, her fire powers were easy to control – but Enna soon finds herself consumed by the desire to fire. Enna Burning is the sequel to Goose Girl. Enna, after living in the city for two years, went back to the Forrest. She decided to live with her brother, Leifer, after their mother had died. This was really hard for Enna because she had to leave one of her best friends – Isi, also known as the Princesses of Bayern. As time goes on, Enna discovers that Leifer has firepower –the power to control heat and fire with his mind. While this is going on, Tiran has struck up war with Bayern. So Enna and her brother join Prince Geric and Princesses Isi to go fight against Tiran. Sadly, though, Leifer decides to use his fire powers and burns himself to death. Enna is troubled but she too discovers fire powers herself. With this, Enna has the desire to burn. She turns into a spy (With her childhood friend and sweet-heart, Razo and Finn.) and burns enemy camps, but then is captured by a Tiran Captain. The rest, well, that’s up to you to figure out. Will Enna rid of her Burning?

Critique: This book is filled with adventure, romance, bravery and deceit – if any of those are your thing, I recommend Enna Burning to you! The plot book was really intense at times and left cliffhangers – but I liked it. At some parts though, the story line was thin and dragged on a little to long… but what I liked about the entire book was how Shannon Hale described everything. From the people, to the places to the feeling – she painted a wonderful picture in my mind. I was also satisfied with the ending – it tied up some loose ends – yet it let you dwell on the little “mysteries”. I think this book is for kids 10 and up because there was some kissing ect., but I think most 10 year olds are mature enough…. I also recommend Goose Girl, which, as it always seems better than the sequel. It to left me with an eye-opening plot. For the most part, I really did enjoy this book and I hope that you do too
reviewed by: Abby C.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Author: J.K. Rowling
Publisher/Year: Scholastic/2005

Summary: This book tells about Harry Potter’s sixth year at Hogwarts.  It’s main characters, as many already know, are Professor Dumbledore, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, the Quidditch team, school staff, and the evil Lord Voldemort.  This year, Harry is surprisingly good in Potions class.  In his Advanced Potions book, he realizes that once before it had belonged to the Half Blood Prince. In it, there are also side notes, with a bunch of suggestions that help Harry.  Who is the Half Blood Prince? You find out near the end of the book! Also in this exploratory story, Harry works even harder to defeat the powerful Lord Voldemort. He hasn’t died in previous books yet because he has found a way to make himself “immortal.”  That is where Harry and Professor Dumbledore come in.  Through research of interesting history of Tom Riddle (Lord Voldemort), they find a way to defeat him.  But it takes a lot of work.  They go through many dangerous obstacles, and need superior knowledge to think like Voldemort. Harry said, “I am not afraid, I am with you”, referring to Dumbledore.          

Critique: I really enjoyed this book! It was very adventurous; it also had a lot of foreshadowing, and told more of what was on Harry’s mind.  I would have to say the age group for this book would have to be at least twelve years old.  I decided this because there is a lot of “snogging,” or in an English phrase, intense kissing.  My favorite part of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince was when Dumbledore and Harry went on a very dangerous journey, because they had to go through many trials before they could get to their destination and even when they were there. Yet, I didn’t like the tragic ending.  I still wonder about it; you’ll understand after you read this fantastic book, of Harry’s sixth year at Hogwarts!
Reviewed by: Bethany M.

The Wish
Author: Gail Carson Levine
Publisher/Year:  Scholastic / 2001

Summary:  After Wilma Sturtz’s two best friends had left her alone at the beginning of eighth grade, she found it very difficult to make new friends.  She had just started making a few friends when her English teacher read an embarrassing paper Wilma has written to the class.  That seemed like the end of her social life.  However, one day while riding the subway to school Wilma gave up her seat to an old woman who looked sick.  The woman acted very strangely and offered to make Wilma always be a part of the “in-crowd” but Wilma exclaims that she wants to be the most popular girl at her school: Claverford.  Unexpectedly for Wilma, when she gets off the subway and enters the school, everything is different.  Every girl wants to be her friend.  Every boy wants her to be his girlfriend.  And she simply couldn’t be happier.  Soon, however, Wilma realizes that she only wished to be the most popular girl at Claverford.  She worries that her wish will soon come to an end, and tries to make every moment of popularity last, hoping that it will last forever.

Critique:  This book has many surprises and funny twists.  It keeps you nearly as worried about Wilma’s future as she is.  She is a funny character who has un-common logic; I thought exactly the opposite of her on many accounts.  I think this book is appropriate for anyone from sixth to eighth, maybe ninth grade.  First, it is about a girl around that age; and second, I think it is about that average reading level.  My favorite part of the book is when it describes Wilma as the same girl the way she was before she was popular.  It shows that everyone can be liked for who they are.  I also liked how one of the popular girls was nice to Wilma the whole time, proving that even if you’re popular, it won’t hurt to talk to someone less popular than yourself.  I didn’t like, though, the way Wilma wasn’t willing to be friends with unpopular people when she was unpopular.  She would have had a better time.  I also didn’t like how in the end it doesn’t really explain all that well what happens to her after Jr. High School.
Reviewed by:  Rachelle F.

Merline: Wie Alles Begann
Author:  T.A. Barron
Publisher/Year:  DTV Junior Extra 1996/2001

Summary:  A thirteen-year-old boy called Emris goes blind in a fire accident.  After the accident he figures out that he can know what is around him without seeing it.  He develops strange powers that his dad had.  With his new ability to see he leaves his mother with a special rock called Der Galator and his mother tells him that it has special powers.  On his way he finds a bird that won’t leave him alone so he calls him Verdruss.  He also meets a girl his age called Rhia.  She gets captured by a growing power called Die Schwarze Seite (orcs, goblins, and all that kind of stuff).  He goes and saves her and he also saves the entire land.  Everybody praises him as a hero.

Critique:  I liked the book because I could understand it.  Most German books are hard for me but this one kept my attention and I also reviewed what I read with a book on tape to clarify.  The book is like a 12-year-old book but I liked it because I could understand it.  I thought the plot was kind of overused.  Example:  “Oh no, the world is being taken over by a dark power.  Let’s go with this special rock with special powers and defeat the dark leader.  Wahoo we saved the land because we killed the head Honcho.”  I didn’t really like that about the book that much.  The author should have thought of something more original.  Otherwise I thought that the book was very well written and I liked the way that the author described the details in the book.
Reviewed by: Jacob B.

The Shakespeare Stealer
Author: Gary Blackwood
Publisher: Penguin Group, 1998

A fourteen year old orphan named Widge had a very sad life growing in the
orphanage. Neither being feed and clothed enough nor having friends or
family. One day at the orphanage a man came to buy Widge to be an
apprentice; his name was Dr. Timothy Bright. He was happy to of been bought.
Widge was taught to read and write, and speak Latin. Dr. Bright had made up
a curious abbreviations call Charactery, you could write as fast as some one
would talk. One day a stranger came to the Bright’s home, the stranger was
tall wearing all black with a hood to cover one side of his face. The
strangers name was Falconer he bought Widge for an excessive amount of
money. They ride for days till they get to Widge’s real master house. His
master’s name was Simon Bass. Simon Bass orders Widge with a heavy burden of
writing in Charactery. Falconer threats that if he doesn’t do it rights
Falconer will do something to him. What do Simon Bass and Falconer want with
Widge? What is he apprenticing under? Will he ever have a family or friends?
Widge will have to be braver than ever to choose what he knows is right.

I like this book because it is very hard to predict and has a huge twist at
the end of it. Also the exciting and funny characters. The book makes you
want to keep reading it and never put it down because so many things are
going on all through the book. It’s for kids nine and older because the
vocabulary would be hard for younger kids to read and would also be hard for
them to understand what is all going on in the Shakespeare Stealer. My
favorite part in the book is when the big twist happens in the end of the
book. Why this book is not my favorite book is because all the negative
things happening to Widge and the people around him. Overall it was an
amazing and well written book.
Review by: Maddie P.

Princess Academy
Author: Shannon Hale
Publisher and date: Bloomsbury, 2005

Summary: Princess Academy is a story about a girl named Miri, she lives on Mount Ezekiel. her village cuts stone in the quarry, Miri is not allowed to cut the stone because she is very small. The prince has to choose a wife from their village. In order to prepare for the choosing, all girls from the ages twelve to fourteen have to go to an academy for a year to get an education and learn about being a princess. While Miri is at the academy she becomes interested in quarry-speaking, which is what the quarry’s use to talk to each other in the loud noise. While they are at the academy, bandits come to kidnap the princess and ask for a ransom. Miri knows that she needs to save all of the girls at the academy, she just needs to figure out how.

Critique: I really liked this book. The whole thing was good, and because of that, I could never stop reading it. Even though Miri is the main character, every girl has a different personality so it is fun to try and guess which girl the prince will choose. I recommend this book to anyone, it doesn’t matter the age, you can have someone else read it to you or something. The only thing about this book that I didn’t like was that some of the parts got a little confusing and you had to really think through what was happening. At the end of the book, there is a pretty big surprise, but it is a good surprise. I am glad that I got to read this book, you should read it too.
Review by: Sarah C.

My Sister’s Keeper
Author: Jodi Picoult
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Date: April 2004

Summary: My Sister’s Keeper is a novel about a girl, 13-year-old Anna Fitzgerald, whose original sole purpose of existing was to save her older sister Kate. When Kate was two years old, she was diagnosed with Leukemia. Mrs. Fitzgerald, wanting to do ANYTHING to save her child, underwent preimplantation genetic diagnosis in order to have a child with the exact bone marrow match as Kate. Anna never had anything wrong with that. She seldom complained about the countless surgeries and pain she experienced until now. She is finally taking action and hires a lawyer to try a get medical emancipation from her parents. Anna knows that the decision she plans to make will get her through the difficulties present, but what she doesn’t know is if she’s willing to cope with the problems ahead; would she rather tear herself, or her family apart.

Critique: I thought this book was excellent! One exciting feature it includes is different views throughout the book. Instead of chapters, the author switches from one person to another and you get to see the story from a 360 view. Not only that, the author really exhibits what it’s like to be a kid at our age and what we have to go through to really find ourselves. For me, I don’t think it would have been mentally or physically possible for me to be able to follow through with the un-thinkable like Anna did. In that way I salute her—even though I could never do that to my family… or to my sister.

All in all, I would say this book is an incredible one and definitely works for all ages, genders, and readers. Enjoy!
Review by Romy F.

The Bad Beginning
Author: Lemony Snicket
Publisher: Harper Collins Date: 1999

Summary: Fourteen-year-old Violet, twelve-year-old Klaus, and one-year-old Sunny start this story on the beach. Sunny notices something coming toward them in the mist and they all get scared. It turns out to be Mr. Poe coming to tell them some bad news. Their parents had died. They understood the words but not the meaning, how could their parents have died and what would they do now? For a while they live with Mr. Poe who is charge of their enormous fortune. Then they go to live with Count Olaf, their distant relative. This man is creepy. He lives in an extremely dirty house and has pictures or carvings of eyes all around the house. They get one bed to sleep the three of them and have to eat lumpy oatmeal for breakfast and then do the jobs he leaves for them. He has a creepy acting crew and uses violence to get them to do what he wants. How long will they have to put up with him? Will they ever escape? The only way they have a chance is if they work together.

Critique: I liked this book because it is hard to predict what is coming and how they will get out of their predicament. I recommend this book to anyone over nine because it has the definition of big words right next to them and is a little easier to read but is very exciting and fun. My favorite part of this book was when Violet tricks Count Olaf towards the end because I could just imagine how everyone's mood would change from sad to glad or from glad to mad. I didn't like when they first met COunt Olaf's crew because they were creepy. I am glad I read this book and want all of you to enjoy it as well.
Reviewed by Betsy B.

Inkheart
Author: Cornelia Funke
Publisher: Scholastic Inc. Date: 2003

Summary: Twelve-year-old Meggie lives alone with her father, whom she calls Mo,andthey share an abiding love for books. Meggie is perfectly content until a mysterious stranger called Dustfinger shows up on her doorstep. Dustfinger tells her father to come back with him to see Capricorn, an evil ruler from a world of fantasy. Mo refuses, and he prepares to leave their house, telling Meggie they are going to see her Aunt Elinor. As they are packing, Meggie findsa book that Mo seems to be hiding from Meggie. She has little chance to find out about the book, however, because Capricorn's men kidnap Mo while they are staying at Elinor's house. Dustfinger, Meggie, and Elinor go to Capricorn's village to find Mo, but end up being captured as well. Now Meggie has to find a way to set everything right, and soon.

Critique: This book was really interesting, and I could never seem to put it down formore than a few hours. It was really well written, and there are so many surprises hidden in the story. It took place in our world, but there was fantasy and mystery woven into the plot. My favorite thing was the marvelous way in which they described books as the door to a new world, which is the way I think of them as well. My least favorite thing was all the evil in the story. It was very sad at times, and I shuddered to imagine the characters' situation. I also didn't like how they never really told us where the story was taking place. They hinted at it, using Italian words, names, and food, but I wish I had known where they really were. I think anyone over nine years old should be able to read it, because there is a lot of evil, even though the reading level is fairly easy.
Reviewed by: Elissa C.

THE CALL OF THE WILD
Author: Jack London
Pubisher: Scholastic Inc. Date: 1903

Summary: Buck, a St. Bernard- Shephard mix is taken away from his family and
his home in the Santa Clara Valley. He taken up to the Northlands, where he is used as a sled dog. He than passes through many owners and is taught the law of survival. Buck fights his way through dogs to win his place as the leader. After an especially dificult ownership, he is taken into the loving arms of John Thornton. Later, while John and his team are looking for gold, Buck hears a mysterious call from the forest. He chases after this call of the wild, and finds his "brother," a timber wolf. Buck feels a rush of adrenaline and feels as though this is what his heart has been searching for. He comes back to the camp later to find that the Yeehat Indians have killed the entire team, dogs and men. Buck is enraged and kills many of the Indians as an act of revenge. He then feels that all ties between dog and man are severed, and that he must return back to the wolf pack. He is
respected for his bravery, strength, and agility, and is once again made a leader of the beasts. Any Teehat Indians who survived this "massacre" knew Buck as the "Ghost  Dog" who is feared by all. Buck is a very strong animal and can adapt to any circumstance that is thrust at him.

Critique: I absolutely love this book. I think that the age appropriateness depends on the level of maturity. Fifth grade up to High School sounds reasonable, but again the maturity level is the main point. There are many death scenes, and is also very exciting. My favorite part of the book has to be just about everything. Jack Lodon uses such exquistite words and adjectives, it makes the reader feel as though they are right there, experiencing it along with Buck. My least favorite thing has to be when the owners, like the man in the red sweater, beats the dogs. You can feel the excrusiating pain, the things they had to deal with. Two thumbs up for Jack
London, this book is so realistic that it could almost be qualified as non-fiction. If you have not read this book, i highly recommend it. After you start to read it, it is hard to put it down.
Reviewed by: Sydnie S.

Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo
Author: Obert Skye
Publisher: Shadow Mountain, Year: 2005

Summary: This book is wonderfully told about Leven Thumps, who is adopted by his evil aunt because his mother had died when he was born; Winter, a girl who is misunderstood greatly and knows more than she thinks; Geth, once a great tree and now a toothpick; and Clover, a great helper to Leven from Foo.

Sabine, the evil ruler of Foo, is trying to find the gateway out of Foo to rule the human world.  Leven is the only one who can shut the gateway down before Sabine gets through.  On his long and perilous journey, Leven figures out that he is an “Offing.”  An Offing is a person from Foo that has two special powers.  Leven’s powers turn out to be that he can control lightning and he can alter the future.

Leven feels as if he does not belong in this world when he meets Clover.  Clover was sent from Foo to help Leven on his journey.  When Leven goes to school the next day, he meets Winter when he is being pushed around by bullies.  Winter is a “Nit.”  A Nit is someone from Foo like an Offing but only with one power.  Her power is that she can freeze anything she wants.

Together they set off to find the Gateway.  Eventually, Sabine finds out they are tryig to close the gateway, so he sets off to find and kill Winter, Leven, and Geth.

Critique: Personally, I really liked the action and the suspenseful plot.  My favorite part in this book is when Leven meets Sabine for the first time in his life.  A power fight breaks out.  Sabine, who is a Nit, can freeze things like Winter.  And Leven refers to the fight as if he was fighting Winter.  I liked this part because of all the action and illustrations.  I don’t really have a part that I hated, but when Sabine tries to find the gateway, I thought it was pretty boring.

I would recommend this book for people between ten and fourteen, because it has some words and phrases that someone under ten wouldn’t understand.
Reviewed by Madison S.

Ender’s Game
Author: Orson Scott Card
Publisher: Tor, Year: 1985

Summary: This book has won numerous awards including the Nebula and Hugo awards.  This action-packed book was a great story of a young boy who was a military genius.  He is taken from his home at a very young age to a battle school where he trains to be a commander in the International Fleet to protect the world from an alien race known as buggers.  While in school he learns military strategy, hand-to-hand combat, how to shoot accurately, and how to operate in zero gravity.  He also studies the buggers trying to understand them to anticipate what they would do in battle.  He excels at the school and goes on to commander school in the asteroid Eros, chosen to be the commander of the entire fleet.  His mentor who will help him bear this burden is none other than the hero from the last bugger invasion, Major Rackham.  While in command school he also has friends from battle school come and join him in order to defeat the aliens.  After the battle, Ender meets with his sister and they go and help colonize one of the buggers’ worlds.

Critique: I don’t like a lot of science fiction books, but I really enjoyed reading Ender’s Game.  Orson Scott Card did a great job of making this book seem so real, in other words making you feel like you are right beside Ender going through the “games” or just talking with his friends.  I liked how Card was able to involve so much action and still stick to the story of how Ender is forced to do things that aren’t fair and he doesn’t agree with.  The vocabulary in this book isn’t too complicated, but some of the concepts are complicated enough that you have to read parts of it a few times before you get what is going on.  It also takes a lot of time to finish.  Besides these two things, Ender’s Game is one of my favorite books.  I would recommend it to anyone.
Reviewed by Calahan L.

Dark Angel
Author: Robert Kirby
Publisher: Cedar Fort Inc., Year: 1991

Summary: This book takes place in Utah Valley during the summer of 1869.  When Rose Lee Merrell (Budge) and her beautiful sister Laurel Anne are being attacked by three drunken soldiers, a strange man comes to their rescue.  This man is scarred from serving in the Civil War and is known as Ghost Smiler, Hash Face, Red Legs, or Devil Man.  He rescues the sisters from their attackers.  He doesn’t talk and won’t let anyone into his life or see his face.  The Mormon bishop Merrell takes the “Devil Man” into his home with gratitude for the safety of his daughters.  The quiet community is very angry to have this gunman in their presence.  Budge, being a curious and energetic ten-year-old, wants to find out more about this dangerous gunman.  See the dangerous things she tries to find our and the relationship that grows between this ten-year-old girl and “Devil Man.”

Critique: This book is absolutely my favorite book.  It made me laugh and cry.  I got extremely nervous at some of the stupid and dangerous things Budge does for her own curiosity.  This book is extremely funny and you will have to laugh.  It is a bigger book, but I wish that it never ended.  I read it all in one night.  The age for this book would be a mature teenager and up, because for a little of the contents you should be able to handle it.  My favorite thing in the book is Budge’s point of view, her big mouth, and her curious ways.  I love the adventure to the book.  I also like how it holds many different styles like adventure, humor, mystery, etc.  There was nothing that I didn’t like.  The only thing is that the first few pages take maturity, but after that I KNOW you will absolutely love it!  Don’t stop; it is such a fantastic book!
Reviewed by: Amy D.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Author: Richard Bach
Publisher: Harper Collins, Year: 1970

Summary: Jonathan Seagull is no ordinary seagull and doesn't think that the only thing to the life of a seagull is fighting for food. He discovers a new talent of flying. The seagulls soon learn not to like him and he was abolished from his seagull clan. As Jonathan grows older he gets better and better at flying. One day some seagulls that know how to fly well, like Jonathan, take him away to a "better world" in heaven. Jonathan overcomes his weaknesses at flying by practicing. His hope is to return to earth and teach the other seagulls there how to be good fliers and how to be kind to each other. Will he be successful and make the world of the seagulls a better place?

Critique: I really like this book because of its meaning in my religion. My favorite part is when Jonathan wouldn't give up because he was determined to do something. That really inspired me to overcome my weaknesses. If I practice and I'm dedicated to something I can do hard things. There are a few words readers younger than nine or ten might not understand. There are some parts I was confused about but later understood. The only thing I disliked about the book was that it wasn't longer!
Reviewed by: Kevin K.

Eragon
Author: Christopher Paolini
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopg Publishing Year: 2003

Summary: The story starts out in the mystical land of Alagaesia. Deep in the mountains of The Spine the fifteen-year-old Eragon finds a polished blue stone. He takes the stone to his house and a dragon hatches from it. Then the Ra'zac, servants of King Galbatorix, come to his small town and completely destroy his old life. He, Saphira, his dragon, and Brom, the story teller from his village, travel across Alagaesia in hopes of getting revenge on the Ra'xac. While they travel Brom trains Eragon how to swordfight and use magic. In their travels, a boy named Murtagh saves them from the Ra'zac. Later in the book Eragon and Saphira decide that they want to join the Varden, a rebel group whose goal is to annihilate King Galbatorix's evil Empire. While getting to the Varden they face many servants o fthe king and face many challenges in the land of men, dwarves, and elves.

Critique: I really liked this book; it's one of my favorites. I like the fantasy things in it like dwarves, elves, dragons, and magic. This book is best for twelve and up because it would not be interesting to younger children and there are some violent parts that young children should not read. My favorite part is when Eragon kills Durza and when Saphira breathes fire. My least favorite part is when they go to the tavern and get drunk. This is a great book full of adventure. This is a good book for anyone who likes fantasy. I can't wait until the next book comes out.
Reviewed by Jeffrey B.

Artemis Fowl
Author: Erin Colfer
Publisher: Hyperion Publishing Year: 2001

Summary: Artemis Fowl is a criminal mastermind, and he’s only 12-years-old. After his father’s mysterious disappearance, Artemis is left in charge of the family’s criminal business. It is up to him to restore the fortune of the Fowl family. Artemis learns that the magical world of fairies and elves still exist, and more importantly, their gold exists. Artemis and his faithful bodyguard soon find out, though, that fairies and leprechauns do not part easily from their gold. Soon, Artemis and Butler are facing the LEP (the fairy world’s police force) in the battle for gold, and only what group is going to end up with it!

Critique: I absolutely love this book. It combines a magical world with the world that we live in today. I think it will appeal to people ages 10 and older because the content isn’t very hard to understand, but there’s some violence that children younger shouldn’t read. My favorite thing about the book was how Artemis is only 12, but he’s really smart. He figures out so many problems and has everything planned out. My least favorite thing about the book is that it left unanswered questions. Good thing that there’s a second book!
Reviewed by Caroline L.

Mara, Daughter of the Nile
Author: Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Publisher: Puffin Publishing Year: 1990

Summary: Mara, Daughter of the Nile is set in ancient Egypt. Queen Hashupet has taken the throne from her brother, who is the rightful pharaoh. Mara, however, does not care about this. The only thing she thinks about is how she can escape her life as a slave. The opportunity comes when she is bought by the Queen’s servants to be a spy on the Queen’s brother to see if he is receiving any secret messages from the outside. Her reward for obeying is freedom. However, while on her war, Mara meets with the mysterious Sheptu, who also asks her to be a spy for the Queen’s brother! Both sides promise her freedom, but Mara must decide which side is right to rule the land of Egypt. The fate of a nation rests in her hands.

Critique: This is one of my most favorite books in the world. I love the descriptions and characters that McGraw creates in her book. This book is most appropriate for people over the age of 14. It deals with concepts that younger people might not understand. My most favorite thing about the book is the main character, Mara. I like seeing how she changed from thinking about herself to thinking about others. My least favorite thing about the book was some of the language. Parts of it were hard to understand because I don’t know Egyptian mythology that well. Everyone should read it though, because it is a great book.
Reviewed by Caroline L.