Cinderella Cleaners Change of A Dress by Maya Gold

In Change of A Dress Diana Donato is a girl of fashion and she loves designing clothes! When she was young, she would always go to the Cinderella Cleaners to visit her grandparents who owned it. Eventually, her grandparents gave the cleaners to her dad, and now she was going to start working there. Even though she would have rather gone out for the school play, she promised her dad that she would work at the cleaners to help the family. One day, Diana finds an invitation to a N.Y. City gala in someone’s coat pocket! Now that Diana has the invitation, she came up with a brilliant plan! Diana decides to make up a fake identity, dress fashionable, and go to the gala! There’s only one big question, will anyone see through her disguise?

I thought that this book was okay. The book was pretty boring at the beginning because of the entire back story that needed to be told. It starts out with Diana in school and wanting to try out for her school play but she can’t because she promised to work at Cinderella Cleaners. Diana also works at the cleaners and she thinks it’s okay but she would rather be in the play. Then as I read on, it got more interesting, especially when she found the invitation! I felt that some parts of the book were not that exciting or interesting, but at other times it was the opposite. I recommend this book for girls from the age of 8-11 because I think that the book is more for younger girls. If someone reads this book that is older then 11they might think that it’s a little immature and might get bored.

~Sarah, Teen Book Reviewer

The Blending Time by Michael Kinch

The Blending Time is a science fiction book that takes place in the future. In the year 2069, Jaym, Reya, and D’Shay are forced (along with all of the others chosen to be blenders) to reproduce with Africans because of the harmful diseases in Africa. The three teens meet each other on the trip to Africa, and become friends. After the trip, everyone goes to their new family in Africa. Each of the three teens face their own problems in Africa, but there are also people who try to kill all of the blenders. Will the three teens meet again in safety, or will they die?

I did not enjoy this book much. It was interesting at some points, but a little boring at others. The characters were very diverse, but none of them were that entertaining. The worst part of the book was the ending. Unlike books that had an open-ended ending, it seemed like the plot just paused in The Blending Time. I would not recommend this book to everybody, but if you are interested in this book, you should be at least 12 years old (there are some inappropriate words).
~Matthew, Teen Book Reviewer

Once by Morris Gleitzman

Once is about a young boy named Felix whose parents are Jewish booksellers. This book takes place during the time of the Nazis, so to protect Felix, his parents leave him in a Christian orphanage. Felix's first encounter with the Nazis was at the orphanage. He saw them burning jewish books outside the orphanage. He thinks that all the Nazis are doing is burning books, which is very serious to him. He later escapes from the orphanage and goes on a quest to find and warn his parents about the Nazis. On the way he matures; saves a girl from a burning house, finds out what the Nazis are actually doing, and gets caught. During the journey one of the only things keeping Felix going are his exaggerated stories about his parents, which help him believe that they're still out there. Throughout the whole journey he has to use his creativity to get out of bad situations. This book is definitely worth reading.

~Max, Teen Book Reviewer

The King of Ithaka by Tracy Barrett

The new book entitled The King of Ithaka is about a boy named Telemachos. He is the son of Odysseus, the decorated Trojan War veteran and the king of Ithaka. Years have passed since the end of the Trojan War. The men returned in person, telling tales and bearing riches from the fallen city, or in the words of friends telling how they had died bravely in battle. Telecamos alone didn’t know what had happened to his father. He consulted Daisy the half- titan who gave him a prophecy: Return to the place that is not, on the day that is not, bearing the thing that is not, on that day the king shall return. So, Telemachos embarks on an epic adventure, sailing to find the father he never knew with only a confusing prophecy to guide him. He travels to Pylos and then Sparta in order to find his father without luck.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and anyone who enjoyed reading the Greek myths; especially for readers who enjoyed reading the Iliad because this story talks about what happens to many of those characters after the Trojan war ended.

~Alexis, Teen Book Reviewer

Ender's Game: Battle School by Orson Scottcard

Ender's Game: Battle School by Orson Scott Card is an extremly short graphic novel, but that doesn't make it not intresting. I read it in about 30 minutes, so you could consider it to be like a tv show. The story, which takes place in the distant future, is about a 6 year old boy named Ender, who has been recruited into a military training facility. This one is more about when he first gets recruited and learns to deal with all the hardships, after all he is only 6 years old. I would strongly recommend this book to action and sci-fi fans. It has alot of refrences to things such as null gravity, virtual reality and much more. As for action, this book packs a punch, whether its Ender taking out a bully old fashion style or laser action fight scene, its jam packed. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick sci-fi action comic book.

~Dean, Teen Book Reviewer

The Unidentified by Rae Mariz

The Unidentified is about Katey [a.k.a kid], who goes to school in a mall that is run by corporate sponsors. As kid goes deep inside the facts to find the unidentified, she gets tangled in a two way triangle. On one side, Katey is recommended to be branded by her sponsors. As she struggles to keep away, she will become involved in the unidentified and make new friends. As Katie begins to uncover more clues about the unidentified, she learns that they are a rebellious group that are protesting the power structure of the school by overthrowing the game. Worst of all, she learns that everything can’t be kept as a secret in the open world. All the cameras are watching, with the spotlight on Katey. The public soon watches Katey and makes her popular. Who is doing this, the corporate sponsors, or the Unidentified? That is left to be unanswered. I would recommend this book to teens who like fiction and suspense novels. Will Katey change and lose her identity to the world and the unidentified? Read the book to find out more about the story.

~Erem, Teen Book Reviewer

Beasts of Burden by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson

Beasts of Burden is a graphic novel that is a little different than that of everyday comics. Instead of a story about human superheroes and their valiant fights against evil, we have average cats and dogs investigating not so average paranormal happenings. Zombie animals, demonic frogs, and a werewolf are a few of their problems. Together, a group of dogs and a single cat keep their seemingly innocent and quiet community safe.

To start off, “Beasts of Burden” is a brilliantly crafted graphic novel. Each gorgeous illustration is watercolored, not photoshoped. The watercolor really does help tell the story. It doesn’t stop there. The story has the right blend of adventure, suspense, comedy relief and heart. While appealing to horror lovers and animal lovers alike, this book no doubt will leave a smile on your face. I highly recommend this story to anyone, however it does get a bit graphic at points. Nonetheless, “Beasts of Burden” is easily one of my favorite books.

~Edward, Teen Book Reviewer

Falcon Quinn and the Black Mirror by Jennifer Finney Boylan

Falcon Quinn and the Black Mirror is the first book in the Falcon Quinn series and it is amazing. Anyone who read the Percy Jackson series and loved it, will also love this book. After the death of his dad and after his mother left him, the main character Falcon Quinn was left with his grandmother in the cold town of Cold River, Maine. As he waits for the bus to take him to school, he talks with his two friends Megan and Max. They soon find out that something is wrong when the bus driver passes by bus stops and takes them to a completely different school. There at their new school, for monsters, Falcon feels the same way as he felt at his old school. He doesn't fit in. Soon he will find out why and what really happened to his parents, and who they really are. With two hearts and a choice between two lives, one as a monster and one as a monster destroyer, which side will he pick? Read the book to find out.

Falcon Quinn and the Black Mirror is a book that will force you to keep reading it to find out more. It has fighting, love, betrayal, sorrow, friendship, and some unexpected turns of events. I would highly recommend this book to any of my friends. I loved the Percy Jackson series and I loved this book too. I couldn't put this book down and I hope you will feel the same too, drawn to find out more by turning the page.

~Wesley, Teen Book Reviewer

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

Most young people love to read fiction and fantasy novels. The otherworldly elements and enticing plot lines draw them to these types of stories. Historical fiction is an equally effective genre which satisfies one’s crave for reading. A Long Walk to Water is one such book.

The book takes place in Africa, specifically the countries Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya. It follows the lives of Salva, the son of the judge of the Loun-Ariik village, and Nya, neice of the head of the Nuer village. Salva is growing up in a warring 1985 southern Sudanese village. The government is in turmoil and war is engulfing the country. One day while at school a shooting occurs nearby, so the students run out so the army won’t recruit them. Salva has no relatives nearby and is lost. His journey to refugee camps takes him to Ethiopia, Kenya, and later the United States.

Nya is a young girl of the Nuer village. Every day she must walk miles to get water and miles to go home. At noon when she gets home she gets a quick bite to eat and makes the long trek for water. Then some mysterious men come to the village. They say there is water where they perform their traditional ceremonies, but the Nuer are doubtful of this. The people begin to drill a well; will there be water?

This book is a great quick read. On a scale of 1-10 I would rate this book a 7.5. The plot keeps your attention and makes you want to read more. The book is also very short with large type, so if you’re looking for a break between novels this book is right for you.

~Luke, Teen Book Reviewer

I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett

In the book I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett, a young witch by the name of Tiffany Aching has spent years of studying amongst other witches. Now she is on her own. She does little bits of witchcraft but they aren’t that fun. Translation: She does the not-so-much-fun work for the poor and helpless. But then one day, someone or something has brought fear to her village and she must set out to find this evil being.

I have read many books on witchcraft and wizardry. It’s my favorite to read about. So I was really excited to read this book. But when I picked it up and started it, at first it was all drawn out and a little bit boring. So I stopped reading it and later on, I picked it up again and it started to get better. So, if your patient and you like witchcraft and wizardry stories, then you might like it. I do recommend it for people who do like this type of story. I hope you enjoy it.

~Alex, Teen Book Reviewer

Sila’s Revenge by Jamie Bastedo

Sila’s Revenge by Jamie Bastedo is about a teenage girl named Ashley who lives in the North Pole. Her icy environment is melting due to global warming. She gets invited to play on her drums at Carnegie Hall. Then some crazy stuff happens! The man who has invited Ashley to play secretly kidnaps her and her friends and forces them to play in a concert in Australia that will be broadcast all over the world. Her kidnapper, Jack, thinks a lot about global warming and is always trying to find new ways to prevent it from happening. Jack believes that humans are responsible for global warming so he plans to “do the earth a favor” and eliminate about 500,000 people. The whole story unravels in Australia at the Scorching Earth concert. If you want to find out what happens, you should read the book.

I think this is a very interesting book because it discusses the current issue of climate change. I would recommend this book to kids ages 11-15 because it contains profanity throughout the entire book. Besides that, it is a great book!

~David, Teen Book Reviewer

Witch & Wizard Battle for Shadowland by James Patterson

I read the book WITCH & WIZARD BATTLE FOR SHADOWLAND, an original graphic novel adventure by James Patterson. It was an interesting book about a brother and a sister named Wist & Wisty. Wist and Wisty have magic powers. They can do amazing things like heal themselves from gunshot wounds and freeze people. They are fighting with lots of help from their friends to beat the evil adults in the New Order. They go into different dimensions through portals and are faced with danger all the time. They go to a dimension called Shadowland that is really scary. The illustrations, by Victor Santos are terrific and make the book as exciting to read as it is to look at. I enjoyed this graphic novel and would recommended it to everyone who likes scary adventure stories.

~Wendi, Teen Book Reviewer

Empty by Suzanne Weyn

Empty is an eye-opening novel with a plot that is relevant to the modern day energy source uncertainties. Taking place in the near future, Empty is the story of teenagers Gwen, Tom, Niki, and Gwen's childhood friend Hector, who have grown up in fictional town Sage Valley, New York. Gwen has always watched Tom from afar, and when she helps him to get gas, which in the story costs $80 per gallon, he finally starts to notice her. But soon Niki starts to like Tom, and the love triangle has been created. In the story, the United States is about to go to war over supposedly dwindling oil reserves over in the Middle East, now that Alaska and Canada are oil-less deserts. For teens in the small town of Sage Valley, the reality of being without oil is about to hit, and things are not going to be pretty. The economy is in shambles, electricity is unreliable, and food and medicine are scarce. The story accounts the teens’ struggle for mere survival in a world where everything is uncertain. This story is excellent for teen readers because not only does it involve stories of romance and modern teen problems, but it provides an interesting look at what might become our future if we don’t fix this energy crisis. It is a page-turner that makes me wonder myself about what can be done to fix this energy crisis.

~Eric, Teen Book Reviewer