Heat by Mike Lupica

I am glad that this book was recommended to me by a student. I have wanted to read a book by Mike Lupica for awhile, but have never found the time. This is a cute story about a 12 year old super star baseball player (Michael), who is so good that some of the other coaches don't believe he is 12. This causes problems for Michael especially since he is keeping a very big secret. A secret that rip his family apart. This book grabbed me right from the beginning with a purse snatcher and an amazing throw! Any sports fan will like this book!

NORTH

This story was about a boy named Alvin (which made me think of Alvin and the Chipmunks) who decides it's time to go out into the world and explore on his own. I applauded this decision because Alvin's mother was treating him like a little boy and even having him walked to school by an adult! I did find the story of him making it all the way into northern Alaska a little unbelievable. I was looking for some more action packed adventure. Alvin kept talking about a polar bear, so I expected to read about a run in with a polar bear. I also wanted more of a homecoming with what the mother and grandmother thought of this runaway. Interesting book, but I was looking for more!

The boy who couldn't die

Well this just let's me know that there is a book out there for everyone. This book was about a boy scared of death and makes a deal with a voodoo witch to become "invincible". However, the moral of the story of course is be careful what you wish for. Everything has a price. I really like William Sleator (The Elevator, The Beasties), but had a hard time with the ending to this book. William Sleator is known for leaving his books open-ended, but I felt that this was an extreme. There was a lot of information given in the last page and then it just left you. Any one else have any thoughts?

When lightening strikes

I really enjoyed this book. I was hooked instantly. It starts with this girl (Jessi) who is struck by lightening and ends up having dreams about where missing kids are located. I found this plot entertaining to read. However, I did have a problem with some of the language and innuendos from this book. I felt they were unnecessary and even took away from the unique situation of Jessi. What do you thin?

Daughters of the moon

This book reminded me of the television show "Charmed". This book has 4 girls who each have a special power. One can turn invisible, one can read mines, one can go back in time and the last one has premonitions. Each of these girls need to save the world from evil beings. These evil beings are taking all the hope from people. Can you imagine a world without hope? This was a cute book and a very large series. There is at least 12 books in the series. I was thinking that if girls liked the Clique books that they might like the Daughters of the moon books also!

The Haunting

I love Joan Lowery Nixon. I remember reading a lot of her books when I was in middle school. I did not remember reading this book, so was excited when I picked it out of our tin for book of the week. I was a little disappointed that it took so long to get into the haunted house. The characters in the book kept talking about the house being haunted at night, etc. but it wasn't until almost the end of the book when Lia finally goes into the house at night. I would have liked to hear more of the horrors at night from one of the new owners. I love the reference to Edgar Allan Poe...I am a big Poe fan. I kind-of guessed the ending, but had the wrong story. I was thinking "The tell-tale heart". Overall, a fun read.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

This book was fun to read. I thought the illustrations were funny and went along with Greg's diary perfectly. This book only took me a day to read...it was a fast read. I did think that Greg was mean to his friend Rowley and was glad to see that Rowley had his moments of glory at the end. This book did bring me back to middle school. Back to the good parts and the "not so good" parts. What did you think of it?

The Clique

WOW this book....what to say about this book. There were times when I wanted to throw it against a wall. I was shocked at the way these girls acted towards each other. They were just down right mean and didn't really have a change of heart at the end of the book. I was waiting for some redeeming quality (which they did show on occasion), but overall were just nasty to everyone. Why are these books so popular?

Olive's Ocean

This was a realistic fiction book about a girl named Martha coping with a death of a classmate that she knew nothing about. Olive just moved to town and is killed in an accident. In her Journal that her mother finds is a sentence about how she would like to be friends with Martha. Olive's mother gives Martha this journal page. Now Martha has a family vacation to visit her grandmother, and thoughts about why Olive would have wanted to be friends with her. This was not an adventour story, or a mystery. It was just a story about a girl's summer. That's why I liked it. I could find parts of myself in that summer. What about you?

Hatchet

I can't believe it has taken me this long to read Hatchet. I was hooked on the book. I loved reading about his survival techniques in the woods. I was picturing myself camping and trying to figure out if I would have been that smart. Could I have survived? I don't have an answer yet! My only disappointment with the book came at the end. I would have liked to read more on his rescue. I felt like it skimmed over the rescue really fast. I have not read any of the others in the series (have you?) so maybe they are discussed there. Overall, I am glad that I finally read this book, and I can see why it has been so popular.

The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs

I had never heard of this book before. This was a cute book about a boy who is looking for Seven Wonders in his own very small town of Sassafras Springs. If he is able to find these seven wonders before the week is up then he will be given a ticket to see his cousin in Colorado. Eben wants so badly to get out os Sassafras Springs and see the world. Because of his enthusiasm the town starts to seek him out to tell them of their wonders. But what makes a wonder? It was fun to read of the different wonders of Sassafras Springs. I was positive that something different was going to happen to Aunt Pretty. I really thought Eben was going to give his aunt the ticket to go see her best friend. I also was hoping to hear what happened to her "Beau" who fell asleep on the horse. I thought the book was a fun read and made me think of the wonders that we have in our own backyard!

Lush

This book was about a 13 year old girl named Samantha who has an alcoholic father. At first I wasn't sure if I wanted to read this book. I didn't want to be depressed. However, I found her pen-pal writing with a stranger in the High school library intriguing and funny. I was hoping more was going to come with her neighbor next door (Charlie) because I am always a hopeful romantic. In the end I did like this book and stop to wonder what secret lives people have behind close doors. We just never know what someone else might be going through!

The Christmas Doll

This was a book about two orphans who are trying to survive out on their own during the Christmas season. These two orphans truly shows what it means to be selfless. I enjoyed reading this book and I hope you do too!

Running out of Time

This story reminded me of the movie "The Village". Since the book came first I wonder if the idea for the movie was persuaded by the book? I really liked the idea of this...Girl thinks it's 1840, but discovers it's really 1996 and has to cope with the changes around her. She is trying to deal with new items such as cars and how to talk into a telephone while being chased by people who want to silence her. I liked the book, but would have liked the ending to stretch more. I felt that the ending was really compact. Jessie (the main girl) faints and a large chunk of plot takes place, but as readers we only hear it as an afterwords. Did this bother anyone else?

seven daughters and seven sons

This was a very interesting story to read. I was able to find this book in the fable section of the media center. This story is about a girl by the name of Buran who dresses up like a boy to help her poor family earn money. The story becomes complicated when she starts to fall in love with a boy who thinks she is a boy. This story reminded me of the movies "She's the man" and "Mulan". There were times during this story that I became angry at what girls were not allowed to do, but needed to remind myself that this story was about a girl changing that perception. I ended up really liking the story and how she was able right the wrongs done to her family.

Once upon a Marigold

This book was fun to read. I love anything to do with fairytales, trolls, witches, princes...etc. I felt the plot was well done and enjoyed the characters. I would have liked to known what Marigold felt when she did touch people. We received a lot of her reaction to touching them, but I would have liked to learn more what it was she was reacting to. I also felt that by how this book ended that it might have a sequel? Any thoughts?

I'd tell you I love you but then I'd have to kill you

This book was an entertaining read. It was fun to read about a school of girls who are undercover spies. I found the plots funny and the characters attitude or situations one I have found myself in many times. I was expecting to hear more about the new girl who came to school, but heard there is a sequel and will have to check it out.