Review: Precious Bones by Mika Ashley-Hollinger

Precious Bones by Mika Ashley-Hollinger.

Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: May 2012
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780385742191

Review: Precious Bones is a spectacular book written by Mika Ashley - Hollinger. The main characters are Bones, a ten-year-old girl, her friend, Little Man, her mom and her dad, Nolay. This book is full of adventure with a special blend of magic and mystery.

Just a regular day by the Florida swamp right? Well think again. It's the end of the summer of 1949 when, all of a sudden, a colossal storm hits the swamp flooding Bones's home. To make it even worse, Bones and Little man find out that there have been two murders in their community within two weeks. All the evidence is pointed directly to her father, Nolay. She hopes that people will see that her father is innocent. Bones decides to take care of this business once and for all.

There are many reasons to enjoy reading Precious Bones. In particular, I like the part where Bones tries not to worry about her father, Nolay, going to jail. Also, I appreciated the part where when they finally use their hope and faith to plead Nolay innocent. It is a good cause to fight for, especially since she loves him so much.

However, there are some parts that I did not enjoy. I didn't like the part where Bones's mom would have to pay three hundred dollars to bail Nolay. To me, that isn't a realistic bail fee. Furthermore, I didn't like when Nolay chased away the Yankee real estate man with a gun. To me, that is probably why the police think Nolay was guilty of the murders. All in all, I would recommend Precious Bones to anyone who enjoys a book filled with adventure.

Review written by Bianca (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Raab Associates for providing a copy of Precious Bones for this review.

Have you read Precious Bones? How would you rate it?

Review: The Broken Lands by Kate Milford

The Broken Lands by Kate Milford. A Companion to The Boneshaker.

Clarion Books
Publication Date: September 2012
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780547739663

Review: The Broken Landsis written by Kate Milford. The main characters are a fifteen year old boy named Sam and a fifteen year old girl named Jin. It is the prequel to The The Boneshakers.

The Broken Lands is about a boy named Sam, who plays cards for a living and lives on Coney Island. He accidentally meets a Chinese girl named Jin, and this sets the stage for the story. Jin's job is to set off fireworks. In the beginning of the story, Jin finds a body, and then passes out when she goes to buy fireworks. When she wakes up, she is with Sam and his adult friends. They find another body behind the Broken Lands Hotel, and they discover in their meeting that one of the adults has a story that relates to the problem. A man named Jack was not allowed to enter God's or the Devil's realm. The Devil gave Jack a piece of coal and told him to create his own place with it. Crossroads are powerful places and the bridge being built between New York and Brooklyn grows stronger by the day. Two creatures that work for Jack try to claim the Crossroads, and then the story gets exciting.

I really enjoyed The Broken Lands. It was a thrilling, action packed story about fighting and saving an 1877 version of New York and Brooklyn. I appreciate electrifying books, and this was no exception. I was not bored reading this thrilling novel. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone who enjoys books like The Broken Lands. The only negative is that the book was slow at the beginning, but after a few chapters, the pace quickened. This book held me hostage for the majority of time I was reading it; it was impossible to put it down. The Broken Landswas one of the best books I have ever read, and I look forward to reading The Boneshakers.

Review written by Kyle (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin for providing a copy of The Broken Lands for this review.

Have you read The Broken Lands? How would you rate it?

Review: That One Spooky Night by Dan Bar-el

That One Spooky Night by Dan Bar-el.

Kids Can Press
Publication Date: September 2012
List Price: $16.95
ISBN-13: 9781554537518

Review: Do you believe in witches, sea-monsters, mermaids or even vampires? Do you want to read a quick story about them? If so, try That One Spooky Night by Dan Bar-el. This graphic novel is illustrated by David Huyck, and it contains three short stories that portray how spooky all of them can be on one unusually scary night. In the first story, the reader meets Giselle, who can't decide what to be for Halloween. Next, Anthony and his brother, Alexander, are transported to a world they never knew existed. Then, in the final story, a group of girls discover some unlikely friends.

In "Broom with a View", the first story, Giselle has trouble deciding what she will be for Halloween. After she finally makes a decision, something strange happens and her spooky night begins. You'll just have to read in order to find out about what tricks or treats follow. The second story, "10,000 Tentacles under the Tub", is about the spooky adventure that Anthony and Alexander encounter in their bathtub. After a wild and playful Halloween night, they discover something unusual in the tub. How will they handle what they find lurking below? Read this story to reveal their findings. In the final story, "The Fang Gang", what do you get when you taunt girls about their Halloween costumes? A scare, that's what! When a group of girls gets frightened, they improve their costumes to scare those who dare to taunt them. On their journey they run into a frightening bunch called the Fang Gang. What will happen when they meet these friends or foes? Read "The Fang Gang" to uncover it all.

I love the author's original ideas about children on Halloween. In my opinion, the best part of That One Spooky Night is that it is a graphic novel. The illustrations help make the characters believable and well-rounded. Unfortunately, there are confusing subplots within the three short stories. Many times, I had to re-read some parts of the stories because I thought I had missed a page. However, the theme is unique for a Halloween comic. The author's writing style is descriptive and original, with an immediate comedic effect. In my opinion the stories are a little predictable, because the reader can pretty much sense what comes next. I recommend this book to all graphic novel fans, because overall it was a great book.

Review written by Alex (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Raab Associates for providing a copy of That One Spooky Night for this review.

Have you read That One Spooky Night? How would you rate it?

Review: Diary of a Parent Trainer by Jenny Smith

Diary of a Parent Trainer by Jenny Smith.

Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: June 2012
List Price: $12.99
ISBN-13: 9780385741989

Review: If you think you know how to train your parent, then you're WRONG! An exciting new book that is funny and crazy by Jenny Smith is perfectly titled Diary of a Parent Trainer. A shocking twist comes into Katie Sutton's normal life when her mother starts dating a new man after her dad dies.

Katie Sutton is just a normal teenager with two best friends, Hannah (who is also Katie's cousin), and Louise (whose nickname is Loops because she has long curly hair). Katie's family and friends live in a small town named Brindleton. Katie thinks she's a pro at operating grown-ups, but she begins to doubt herself once she can't ÒcontrolÓ her mom. But she blames Stuart, her mom's new boyfriend, because she claims that her mom has been acting differently ever since she started seeing Stuart. Katie and Mandy try to get rid of Stuart by doing many things he doesn't like and by trying to annoy him so he will break up with their mom. Katie tries to use her operating ÒskillsÓ to control her mom so she can get her to do something that Stuart won't like. But, will it work or will it make things worse?

I really enjoyed reading Diary of a Parent Trainerand I couldn't wait to read what was going to happen next. It is a good book for girls that enjoy humor. I think the people who read this book should probably be 6th graders- 8th graders. There are a lot of good parts in the book, but one that I really like is when Hannah and Loops forgive Katie for betraying Loops. It is very emotional and really drew me into the book. Another part of the book I like is when two girls named Leanne and Shannon (Katie's other cousins that are very mean to her) started to torment her, as usual. Although Katie and her friends are outnumbered when this happens, more and more of Katie's friends come to defend her, until Katie's friends outnumber Leanne and Shannon's friends. This part of the story shows that your friends will always have your back and I really liked reading that part. In the end Katie learns that being a parent trainer is not as easy as she thought and she realizes that she is happiest when her mom is happy too.

Review written by Lindsey (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of Diary of a Parent Trainer for this review.

Have you read Diary of a Parent Trainer? How would you rate it?

Review: Secrets from the Sleeping Bag by Rose Cooper

Secrets from the Sleeping Bag by Rose Cooper. A Blogtastic! Novel.

Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: July 2012
List Price: $12.99
ISBN-13: 9780385742467
Review: Humor, romance, and more humor are all words to describe this book! Secrets from the Sleeping Bag by Rose Cooper is a novel you must read!! Sofia is NOT looking forward to going to summer camp. Little does she know the surprise that she's in for! Journey through all of Sofia's crazy adventures at Camp Krakatow and maybe have a laugh while you're at it, too!

Sofia Becker is not happy about having to go to summer camp for four weeks. What makes it worse is that she has the meanest counselor and she has no friends in her cabin. She does like seeing the cute boys though and there is one she has a crush on. Luckily, she has her diary for writing all her adventures. Things at Camp Krakatow just aren't normal, especially for Sofia. Can she survive?

Secrets from the Sleeping Bag made me laugh out loud! It was so fun to read about all of Sofia's adventures. This book is very well written and I loved it! It has extremely creative ideas and I think readers will be able to relate to some of their own summer camp experiences. Secrets from the Sleeping Bag is appropriate for all audiences but I think it would grab the attention of kids between ages 8-12 most. I give Secrets from the Sleeping Bag five stars for its humor and creativity! You must read this book! You will love it!
Review written by Emily (6th grade student).
We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of Secrets from the Sleeping Bag for this review.

Have you read Secrets from the Sleeping Bag? How would you rate it?

Review: All You Never Wanted by Adele Griffin

All You Never Wanted by Adele Griffin.

Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 2012
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780375870828

Review: Two sisters, one beautiful and popular, but plagued by fear; the other has her intelligence, but is only a shell of her older sister. In All You Never Wanted by Adele Griffin, Alex and Thea Parrott work to come to grips with the weaknesses that control their very existence.

Alex Parrott has everything, and now that her mother has remarried, she has more money than she can ever imagine. But, a horrific event has changed her. She has stopped eating, avoids drinking anything, and keeps herself tied to her home. This event completely controls her life to the point that she is at risk of losing everything. Thea Parrott wants too much to change her image from the Òsmart girlÓ to someone more like Alex. She becomes a chronic liar as she tries so desperately to work her way into the inner circle at school. As she gets closer to achieving her goal, her lies start to tear her apart. Thea's greatest accomplishment is the party of the year; she just has to get Alex to agree. Through unexpected romance and the party that Thea and Alex's boyfriend have planned, the Parrott girls' lives are turned upside down.

What sisters haven't secretly coveted what their sister has and they're lacking? They see their sister's attributes as better than their own. In All You Never Wanted, this desire is taken to an alarming level as Thea's own identity disappears when she realizes she will never be her sister. The novel is written chapters that alternate between Thea and Alex. This is confusing at first in that Thea's chapters are written in first person and Alex's chapters are written in third person. Oddly this fact easily goes unnoticed. However, once readers come to understand the format, it proves to be highly effective. Readers get insight into how Thea feels about herself and how she views Alex. Both girls' lives are exciting and tragic in their own ways, and teen girls are destined to find a little bit of themselves in Alex and Thea. The final caveat to All You Never Wanted is the surprising ending. Adele Griffin has truly captured the hopes, dreams and fears of teenage girls.

Review written by Margo Nauert (6th grade teacher).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of All You Never Wanted for this review.

Have you read All You Never Wanted? How would you rate it?

Review: Child of the Mountains by Marilyn Sue Shank

Child of the Mountains by Marilyn Sue Shank.

Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: April 2012
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780385740791

Review: Are you the type of person who loves a heartwarming tale? If so, then Child of the Mountains, by Marilyn Sue Shank is the book for you! Lydia Hawkins, your typical 11 year old girl who just wants a normal life in the Appalachian Mountains, suffers through harsh times including family deaths, her mom being hauled off to jail, and having to go live with an aunt and uncle she barely knows.

Lydia lives in a little shack in the Appalachian Mountains with her mom, her little brother BJ, who's battled cystic fibrosis since birth, and wise old Gran. Her life is pretty much normal until every single good thing in her life falls apart. Her dad and grandpa are already dead and after BJ and Gran die, Mama is sent to jail, and she has to go live with Aunt Ethel Mae and Uncle William. She doesn't even know why she should be alive. If only she could find a way to clear her mother's name then maybe, just maybe, things would be better. ÒIt's about keeping the faith,Ó Lydia always thinks. Can she do it?

Child of the Mountains is the best book I have ever read!! Its very suspenseful plot made me want to keep reading and never stop! It warmed my heart. It has suspense, drama, love, and enough excitement to make you want to keep reading! Child of the Mountains is very well written. This book would be appropriate for kids ages 11+ because some of it may be confusing and some parts are a little inappropriate for kids under 11. Readers will be able to relate to some of Lydia's troubles and see how she handles them in a way that they might, as well. I give this book 5 stars because of its excitement and suspense that all wraps up to a loving tale in the end. It will make you want to keep reading and support Lydia during her hard times. After all, it's about keeping the faith!

Review written by Emily (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of Child of the Mountains for this review.

Have you read Child of the Mountains? How would you rate it?