Review: My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan by Seth Rudetsky

My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan by Seth Rudetsky.

Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: January 2012
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780375869150

Review: Have you ever tried to become someone who you're not? In the book My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan written by Seth Rudetsky, it's all about that for the 15-year old Justin Goldbatt and his popularity plan as he tries to become popular in high school but soon learns it's not easy.

Justin Goldbatt, a 15-year old a sophomore is trying to accomplish his dreams: dating the star quarterback, Chuck Jansen. Although there's only one problem, He's the biggest loser in his school. So he soon forms a plan to do three nearly impossible things 1: date someone, 2: have his first kiss, and 3: become popular. As Justin continues working on his plan with some help from his friend Spencer, he faces daring tasks, shocking rumors, and encounters golden opportunities to finally succeed in his plan However as time passes on, he soon learns that it's not all about popularity.

My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan is a funny, clever, and dramatic book all about high school & popularity. The book made me feel like I was a teenager at Justin's high school. In addition, the book's characters are very well detailed as if they should be in a high school. Even though the book itself is great, it would have been better if the author had used less violent language. At least every 20 pages, there was a very bad swear that is definitely not suitable for many children. I would recommend the book for people of over 14 years of age based on the content of the book. All-in-all, the book My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan is a great book and should definitely deserve 4 out of 5 stars.

Review written by Sam K. (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan for this review.

Have you read My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan? How would you rate it?

Review: The New Kid by Mavis Jukes

The New Kid by Mavis Jukes.

Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: December 2011
List Price: $17.99
ISBN-13: 9780375858796

Review: Have you had to move schools and loose all your friends? Well Carson, The New Kid, has had to deal with this situation. His father had to transfer jobs to a different location, so Carson had to leave all your friends and his school that he was so used to. This book is mainly about the troubles of Carson who has just moved to a new school.

Carson has moved to a new town in Northern California by his father, where he'll be The New Kid in class. He is alone and friendless except for his stuffed animal Moose. As Carson gets adjusted to his new surroundings, some mishaps start to occur. The class pet, a rat named Mr. Nibblenose, goes missing. Then his only friend, Moose, goes missing. He is not sure of what to think of his new friend, Weston who gets in a lot of trouble. He likes Nancy who helps him in Computer Class. Carson has to adjust to life-changing experiences. See and somehow figure out who really has been taking the items out of the classroom.

I would recommend The New Kid as it would help kids get through experiences of moving, changing schools etc. It puts a lighter side to hard to deal with experiences that any child might encounter. I would give this a 5 out of 5. Even though it has a rating of 5 out of 5, I would recommend this book to kids who are about 8 and 9. I gave The New Kid a 5 out of 5 because the book had a well developed story and plot. I really liked the character Carson since he was a boy and sort of was like me. The only thing about the book that I didn't like was that it was not meant for me and as I said before it is meant for 8 and 9 years olds, but everything else in the book is awesome.

Review written by Cesco (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of The New Kid for this review.

Have you read The New Kid? How would you rate it?

Review: Teen Boat! by Dave Roman and John Green

Teen Boat! by Dave Roman and John Green.

Clarion Books
Publication Date: May 2012
List Price: $14.99
ISBN-13: 9780547636696

Review: Have you ever wondered what someone abnormal, possibly human, would feel in the common world we live in? If so, then Teen Boat written by Dave Roman and John Green is meant for you. Just like it says, it has the thrills and action parts of life while being a boat, but also the angst, or the nervousness of being a teenager. This teen has a miraculous journey with many dramatic scenes. But can he withstand life as a Teen Boat?

This teen has many adventures and was a star in his time as a teenager. This is one special teen because he can turn into a boat. Of course, his friends try to take advantage of him. Overall, Teen Boat is a kind character, seeking popularity and trying to turn his ability into a good life. This affects him mainly because he will never be a normal teenager and he has to try to make something out of himself. One story he is pressured into a situation. Another time he is attacked by pirates, followed by a phase of time being shunned. And who can forget all of the times he has tried to attract the love of his life. But can he survive the toughest challenge of his life, getting his license?

Teen Boat is a good graphic novel. Teen Boat is meant more for young teens in high school who might be entertained by this humor. Some of the content is not bad but has to do with adolescent behavior and should be put only with the age of the actual character himself. One benefit of Teen Boat would be to give it to 8th graders to show them that they have to be toughened up in high school. I would rate this book 6 out of 10 because I am younger than the intended audience, and this book has concepts that are most appropriate for teenagers to know and be able to discuss. The quote that says the most about Teen Boat is "Listen Joey, until you have the power to turn into something really cool, don't assume you know what it feels like to be me." This quote meant a lot because it says that he thought he was special in a great and he also wanted to make sure Joey knew that she was different than him and that he was also unique in his own little way. Also, he might have said it to make her jealous. As you can see, this book has a restricted audience.

Review written by Joseph (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy of Teen Boat! for this review.

Have you read Teen Boat!? How would you rate it?

Review: The Wild Book by Margarita Engle

The Wild Book by Margarita Engle.

Harcourt Childrens Books
Publication Date: March 2012
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780547581316

Review: How would you handle the fact that you had Dyslexia, and were being made fun of all the time about it? How would it feel to not be able to fit in like the rest? This is the struggle that Fefa goes through in The Wild Book by Margarita Engle. Fefa lives with her family in a small village in Cuba as she tries to get by with her disease. Engle has done an amazing job with this book of mysterious, joyful, and sorrow poems that all come together to create a magnificent story.

In The Wild Book, Fefa finds out that she has a disorder that makes it difficult for her to read or write. How will she ever be able to fit in? She even gets made fun of by her taunting sisters and brothers that tell her she isn't important anymore. Finally, Fefa's mother gives her a huge blank notebook, so that she could write all over it- and it doesn't matter if she messes up. It is her journal to keep; it is her Wild Book. Later on, Fefa and her family find out that there are kidnappers on the loose. They start to receive threat letters, and no one is safe anymore. Fefa's brother gets severely injured, as well, to make matters worse. The family eventually tries to get away from the sorrow by staying at the beach, but when they come home, nothing has changed. Fefa just isn't living life the way she planned. How can she fix it?

I found this book to be a great tale about a young girl with hopes and dreams. The Wild Book is appropriate for all ages because it sends out a phenomenal message to always believe in yourself, even if others try to bring you down. This novel was amazingly written; I loved how Engle told the story in a series of poems instead of paragraphs. I think that's a very unique way of writing a book, so this would be a great read for anyone who loves to write or read poetry. I defiantly give The Wild Book a 5 out of 5 review, and I'm sure you would too!

Review written by Sofia (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy of The Wild Book for this review.

Have you read The Wild Book? How would you rate it?

Review: Chronal Engine by Greg Leitich Smith

Chronal Engine by Greg Leitich Smith. A Prehistoric Time-Travel Adventure.

Clarion Books
Publication Date: March 2012
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780547608495

Review: Have you ever felt like you were alone and the non-popular one in the family? Max feels this and much, much more. The story Chronal Engine written by Greg Leitich Smith is an action packed thrill ride with many surprises and tricks. Many of which revolved around the time machine, but a few are from the great dinosaurs themselves. Max tries to exploit his talent for once, a talent of knowing and inspecting dinosaurs, and his brother starts yelling at him and tries to show off. So Max, his brother, and a newly acquired friend make the journey to save their sister. But will they take on the challenges of time, and succeed?

Max and his family are forced to journey through the past. This happens because his sister has been kidnapped, and his grandpa set him up for a journey. Max chases his sister, and her kidnapper into the past with his brother, Kyle, and with a new family friend named Petra. They journey to the dinosaur ages in hope to save their sister. Kyle gets bitten by a dinosaur while their journey continues, leaving it all to Max. But can they save their sister and themselves?

I really enjoyed Chronal Engine. It is a great mixture of clues and red herrings to keep readers guessing, while it still lets you piece together the story. I rate this book 9 out of 10. The only thing I did not like was that there are very few dramatic effects before the climax, so at certain parts of the story, the events were predictable. However, there are far more reasons I enjoyed this book. For one, it gives clues to every decision and the story is very well developed. By this I mean that the plot is well rounded, the characters, including the dinosaurs, are greatly detailed, and clearly researched. Also the setting is always beneficial to the thought process and to the scene, but not always for the characters, bringing them many hardships. Chronal Engine is phenomenal and should be read by everybody. The characters are very easy to relate to, because there are many, all with different personalities. Max is a shy person, but when it matters he is also brave and talented in his own little way. Kyle is a very strong, cocky, showoff type of guy, though he does have reasons to showoff (mainly Petra). Emma is a very neat, friendly person who likes to joke around a lot. And Petra is the clever, aggressive, agile person that tries to do what she can when she is needed. This is proven quite often in this marvelous novel. A quote I found intriguing is when Mr. Pierson says, "Thank you, no. In fifteen minutes the ambulance will be here to take me to the hospital after my massive heart attack." This shows that the Chronal Engine (time machine) really worked and might just have been real. This is an excellent way to start the story and to show an overall course for the plot. As you can see, this was a very well written book.

Review written by Joseph (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy of Chronal Engine for this review.

Have you read Chronal Engine? How would you rate it?

Review: Traitor's Son by Hilari Bell

Traitor's Son by Hilari Bell. Book 2 of The Raven Duet.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication Date: March 2012
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780547196213

Review: Bees, otters, and hawks oh my! Imagine standing just standing next to your car waiting for your client, like any other day. when out of nowhere gunshots and the roar of motorcycles come in to range, immediately you think drug gang, and a girl tosses you a medicine pouch from over the 12 foot fence, only spurring on your suspicions. As soon as it is over and you're on the road with your client, a swarm of bees follows you, and just to make it weirder why don't we make sure they emit flashes of light when they explode? In Traitor's Son, book 2 of the Raven Duet, by Hilari Bell, for Jase Mintok that is just the start of it.

It all started when he was three, when a raging war broke out between his grandfather and dad, over the three sixteenths native that is Jase. Now his world is turned upside down when a girl gives him a medicine pouch with what appears to be not a drug, but instead appears to be dirt, and after coming in contact with the pouch he starts having dreams of an old woman. Also, he is confronted by a girl his age named Raven, who claims to come from a different dimension, and insists to him that magic is real. Oh and did I mention that she can actually shape shift into a raven, and that he now has to help her heal the Earth? After countlessly discarding that magic is real he finally gives, but only because Raven has now hexed his Tesla, and he ends up healing the taiga, as well as leaning that they also have to heal Earth from the air and sea. At night Jase dreams once again of the old lady but this time she is furious at him and pits him against an Olmaat, a monster from Ananut culture, in a very real dream. But then the Otter woman, who Jase now knows is Raven's enemy, goes too far by kidnapping his grandmother Gima in the shadow world, since she is not allowed to harm him directly. At which time Jase and the Otter woman strike a bargain: all of the dust in his possession for his grandmother, but she doesn't hold up her end, and once Raven heeds word of this she became furious at Jase. Will Jase ever be able to save Gilma and the Earth, and if so at what cost?

Traitor's Son is a miraculous book that will mesmerize anyone with its ecological theme and with its twist of magic. Hilari has done what many wish to achieve to create a book that takes readers to another place, from the taiga, full of "glossy black dragonflies, and a few iridescent blue ones," to the shadow world, full of hook-flowers, and to that simply of 2098. Also, it captures the thoughts a 16 year old boy would have no matter how inappropriate they may be. All in all, Traitor's Son, by Hilari Bell, is a miraculous and mesmerizing book that will keep you on the edge of your seat an deserves 5out of 5 stars.

Review written by Matthew (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy of Traitor's Son for this review.

Have you read Traitor's Son? How would you rate it?

Review: Cross My Heart by Sasha Gould

Cross My Heart by Sasha Gould.

Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: March 2012
List Price: $17.99
ISBN-13: 9780385741507

Review: What if you had the chance to get out of one of your biggest problems but you first have to tell the Segreta your deepest and darkest secret? Would you trust them like Laura does in Sash Gould's Cross My Heart? In Cross My Heart, poor Laura has left the convent because her dear sister Beatrice has died from drowning. Laura soon learns from Faustina, one of her father's servants, that everything is not as it seems, so Laura tries to piece together the puzzle pieces to find out if her sister was truly murdered. But along the way, she falls in love, and suddenly everything becomes too hard to handle…

Cross My Heart is an amazing read because it is unexpected and full of excitement, and I couldn't stop reading it. It is full of adventure and is a very exciting read. Laura is a character who is easy to relate to because she is like any other teenager that wants to know the truth and falls in love unexpectedly. Cross My Heart is honestly a one-of-a-kind read that will keep you wanting more. I really enjoyed reading this book because it is simply awesome.

I rate Cross My Heart ten out of ten because it is truly entertaining and kept me at the edge of my seat wanting to know what was going to happen next. I could not put the book down, and I had to keep reading it. I couldn't resist reading it, and every time something unexpected happened I just loved the book even more. Sasha Gould is a very talented writer which is why I rate Cross My Heart by Sasha Gould a ten out of ten.

Review written by Mia (7th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of Cross My Heart for this review.

Have you read Cross My Heart? How would you rate it?