I’ll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan
RATING: Worth My Time
Reviewed by Grace (Teen Reviewer)
Since Sam and his little brother Riddle could remember, life had always been on the run. Whenever the voices inside their father’s head told him to flee, he packed up his car, tossed the boys in, and hit the road. With an unstable father and an unstable life, the brothers quickly became inseparable. Emily Bell’s life changed when she met Sam Smith (aka Sam Border). His simplistic life and personality created an unbreakable friendship that would be put to the tested again and again. “I’ll Be There”, is a story about brotherhood, determination, and love.
Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman
Rating: Worth My Time
Reviewed by Gabrielle (Teen Reviewer)
Julie Lefkowitz’ best friend, Ashleigh Rossi, is an enthusiast. She is
always obsessed with something. Ashleigh’s newest craze is the Jane Austen novel “Pride and Prejudice”,and as always, she drags Julie into this obsession. Ashleigh decides that she wants to find true love like the “Pride and Prejudice” characters, so she and Julie crash a formal dance at an all-boys school. There, they meet Ned and Grandison, and instantly develop crushes. But is it true love?
A Child Called “It” by David Pelzer
Rating: Most Excellent
Reviewed by Bobby (Teen Reviewer)
In my opinion, A Child Called “It” was the MOST inspirational book I have ever read in my entire life. It is about a young boy named Dave who lives a completely normal and happy life until he is about four years old. However, he will eventually go through one of the worst child abuse cases in Californian history.
I highly recommend this book if you want a very touching and inspirational read. Dave’s courage to survive is amazing and whenever I think I cannot do something, I think of what Dave overcame and then I realize I can do it. You will not regret reading this book, and once you start you will not be able to finish.
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Rating: Worth My Time
Reviewed by Bobby (Teen Reviewer)
The Outsiders by S.E Hinton is an action-packed book with filled lots of
drama. The main character, Ponyboy Curtis, is a fourteen year old kid who lives with his two older brothers after his parents passed away in a car accident. They are part of the “Greaser Gang” who are financially and socially disadvantaged kids whose rivals are the “socs” the rich kids from the West Side.
After many encounters with the Socs, Ponyboy gets jumped by them and Johnny is forced to stab one of the Socs named Bob to save Ponyboys life. From here, they have to flee the town and get involved in a lot more trouble with no guidance at all. If you enjoy action filled books with lots of drama you should look into reading The Outsiders as it can be hard to put down once you start.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
Rating: Worth My Time
Reviewed by Bobby (Teen Reviewer)
Christopher John Francis Boone is an autistic teenager who has a superbly logical brain. Being Autistic, he relates very well to animals but has virtually no understanding of human emotions. In addition, he despises being touched and everyday interactions have little meaning to him.
Christopher’s life drastically changes once his neighbors dog is killed and he is
blamed for the killing. Christopher has an obsession with Sherlock Holmes, and in awe of Sherlock, Christopher attempts to find the real killer of the dog.
I personally thought this book read started off slowly but finished a lot faster and stronger. If you are looking for a touching comedy, this book is right for you.
The Pearl by John Steinbeck
Rating: Worth My Time
Reviewed by Bobby (Teen Reviewer)
Kino is a pearl diver who lives in La Paz. One day his son Coyotito gets
stung by a scorpion and there family unfortunately does not have enough money to pay the town doctor to cure him. The family is forced to wait it out and see if Coyotito will ever get better. Kino goes diving that day and he finds a very valuable and very expensive pearl that he knows will change his life.
Once the doctor hears of the pearl found by Kino, he treats Coyotito because he knows they are a wealthy family now. Kino’s wife Juana tells Kino to get rid of the pearl because it will bring evil and death to their family. That night Juana takes the Pearl and tries to throw it in the sea but Kino stops her and decides to beat her.
Eventually, they travel to the city to sell the pearl Coyotito is killed by travelers trying to steal the pearl. Kino heads back to La Paz to throw the pearl into the sea as it has brought death and destruction the their family. This book is a very quick read and if you are interested in a quick tragic book, this would be a good read for you.
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Rating: Just OK
Reviewed by Bobby (Teen Reviewer)
In the Book Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis there is a young boy named Bud. Bud’s mother has passed away and he does not have an idea of who his father is. He is currently living in an orphanage and his Mother left him one clue about his father. He has a flyer for a jazz band: Herman E Calloway and the Dusky Devastators of the Great Depression.
It is Buds mission to find Herman E Calloway and the Dusky Devastators. If you are into a sad book that is somewhat funny and is very fun to read in your free time, I recommend this book for you.
On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer
Rating: Worth My Time
Reviewed by: Bobby (Teen Reviewer)
Joel is the main character in the book On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer. Joel is a teenage boy who has a best friend named Tony. Joel promises his parents that he is just going to “Starved Rock” and is not up to any mischief with Tony. However, they both want to go swimming in a very dangerous river. Joel doesn’t know that Tony is a bad/inexperienced swimmer, and he dares him to swim out to a sandbar with him. They both set out for the sandbar and when Joel gets there, he turns around and finds Tony is no where in sight and that he has drowned.
After holding it in for a while, Joel is incapable of holding it in any longer and
has to tell the truth about Tony. If you are interested in a very quick read and a tragedy, this would be a great book for you.
Deep Wizardry by Diane Duane
Rating: Worth My Time
Reviewed by Anson (Teen Reviewer)
Deep Wizardry is about wizards Nita and her partner, Kit, working on their next assignment: underwater! Apparently whales and dolphins can also be wizards. The one recently put in charge, S’reee, now needs Nita and Kit’s help to perform The Song of Twelve, an ancient ritual. Nita goes in, not knowing that her role as the Silent One is to get eaten. By a shark named Ed. As always, Nita and Kit still go to help and defeat their enemy- The Lone Power. Filled with action, blood, and betrayal, this book is great for those willing to read to the end.
So You Want to Be a Wizard by Diane Duane
Rating: Most Excellent
Reviewed by Anson (Teen Reviewer)
In the first book of the Young Wizards series, Nita Callahan is a repeatedly
bullied girl. One day while hiding in the children’s room of the library, she finds a book labeled So You Want to be a Wizard. The amazing adventure that follows is thrilling but ends on a somewhat sad note. I personally loved it and anybody who likes adventures will too.
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