The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick

This is a dark story about a boy named Spaz that is living in a dangerous civilization after the world as we know it was destroyed after a giant earthquake. The world has gone back to survival of the fittest except for a genetically altered few that have separated from the rest in a paradise called Eden. Spaz must get from one side of the Urb, the destoyed city in which he lives, to the other through several warring territories to see his sick sister. He enlists the help of an old man who is writing a book about his life that nobody knows how to read and is hoping for one last adventure. He also is accompanied by a small street boy and girl from Eden. Together they must save his sister and find their places in the world. This is a great story with frightening possibilities dealing with renewed prejudices that come from being uneducated. Katie M.

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul on Love and Friendship

This book, titled CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE TEENAGE SOUL ON LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP, was an inspiring book to read. The stories in this book are very interesting to read beecause they are written by people about my age. This book had stories about breaking up, love, friendship, family, hard times. and growing up. I enjoyed reading this book and I could relate to some of these stories in this book. LISA D.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling

When I read HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN, I liked it. When Harry goes to Hogwarts, the Prisoner of Azkaban has escaped from Azkaban. When Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione find out that Ron's pet rat, Scabbers, is a killer, they are surprised. You should read Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and adults should read it, too. Ronak P.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling

HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS is a wonderful book that I read. It is Harry's second year at the magical school Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It is a great adventure book for kids to read. Will Harry win against the big and deadly basilisk? Find out for yourself when you read HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS. Ronak P.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling

I read HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE, and it was great. It is Harry's first year at Hogwarts. He and his new friends Ron and Hermione quickly find out lots about the Sorcerer's Stone. In the end they were wrong about who was trying to steal the stone. So read the book and you'll find out what happens. Ronak P.

Fences by August Wilson

FENCES is a play by August Wilson and takes place from 1957 to 1965 in the vicinity of Pittsburgh. Troy Maxson, the main character in the play, was a great baseball player. Despite his incredible batting average, he never got a chance to have a career in baseball because of the color of his skin. Troy's son, Cory, has a talent in sports just like his father, however, Troy will not let Cory follow his dream of becoming a football player since he got turned down in baseball because of his race. He didn't want Cory to go through what he had went through. Because of his father's decision to cut him from the team, Cory begins to see Troy as someone who is holding him back. Throughout the play, the writer sets up a dramatic storyline, but at the same time amusing moments are mixed in to make an interesting conglomeration of writing both dramatic and comical. This is why I appreciate the structure of this play and its writing style. Fences tries to keep an imporant message throughout the book. The message is, give one another a shot at their goals and treat each other the way that you would want to be treated because we are all created equal. Bob P.

Heir to the Empire by Zahn

This wasn't the best Star Wars book I've read. It brings out more characters and species, but the story line dragged. The author creates minimal suspense and waits too long to reveal the mysteries. Han Solo tries to create alliances with smugglers for the New Republic. Leia is continually attacked by aliens and learns they have a connection to Vader. We learn of Chewie's world, with cities among the trees. The Empire has employed a new Jedi for their plans. Ultimately, the story is good enough, but it lacked the suspense of the other Star Wars books. Ellen D.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur C. Doyle

The book is set at the end of the 19th century and portrays the cases of the famous English detective, Sherlock Holmes, through the eyes of his loyal assistant, Dr. Watson. Whether it's the solving of a royal family case or discovering a plain old man's secret, the readers become thoroughly interested in the brilliance of the observing eye of the man with a large magnifying glass in his pocket.

Personally, I liked the stories very much. The writing was easy to understand but still managed to paint a picture of the settings and the people involved. Karolina D.

Demon in My View by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

The thrilling sequel to In the Forests of the Night, DEMON IN MY VIEW, captivates readers of all ages. This fast-paced novel depicts 17-year-old social outcast, Jessica, as she is confronted by the dark and mysterious characters of her thought-to-be-fictional book, the most frightening of whom is Aubrey, the all-powerful vampire featured in Atwater-Rhodes' previous book. This book was highly entertaining and pleasantly out-of-the-ordinary. Tanya J.

Macaroni Boy by Katherine Ayres

It is 1933, and the Great Depression has taken its toll on Amerians everywhere. A young boy named Mike Costa is growing up in the Strip. In fact, his father and uncles own the Costa Brothers: Fine Foods warehouse. When Mike's grandpa starts getting sick, Mike and his best friend, Joseph Ryan, try to figure out what is making Grandpa feel so bad.
MACARONI BOY is one of my favorite stories. One part I like about this story is Mike and Joseph's friendship. They would do almost anything for each other. Another thing I like is the mood. Even though times are rough, everyone tries to make the best of it. I also like how the story is set in Pittsburgh. I give MACARONI BOY a double-thumbs-up! Bruce H.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

This is a story about a boy named Jonas. Jonas lives in what some today would think a perfect world, a world without war, greed, winter, or animals. He thinks so until the Ceremony of Twelve, when twelve-year-olds get their careers. He gets the Receiver of Memories as his. While in his training with the Giver, he realizes the truths about the place in which he lives. He also realizes that he needs to do something about it. My favorite part of this book is when he meets the Giver. It is very interesting how Jonas grows to learn that where he lives is not a good place. This is my favorite of Lois Lowry's books. Everyone should read it! Sylvia H.

Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voigt

When Dicey and her two brothers and her sister get abandoned the summer before, they end up at her grandmother's house where they think their troubles are over, but they aren't. The whole story is how Dicey and her brothers and sister start their new life while dealing with going to school, making money, parents dying and helping their sister, Maybeth, learn how to read. But while they are doing or going through all this, they are trying to stay close as a family. I loved this book so much. It was so interesting how they dealt with their troubles. Before you read this book you should read the prequel it called Homecoming. I liked both of these books a lot I think you will too! Sylvia H.

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi

This book is about a girl named Charlotte who is put on a ship with a bunch of pirates. One day one of the crew is murdered, and she is blamed for it. Her friend, Zachariah, who was accused earlier of something else, helps her try to find out who really murdered the man. Once she finds out who it was, it is quite a struggle to get the truth out because she doesn't know whom to trust. Finally she tells someone, and then he betrays her. The thing I like most about this story is the way she had to do the dare so that she could become the crew's friend. I loved the way the book was written too. Sylvia H.

Lily's Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff

This book, LILY'S CROSSING, was about a girl named Lily Mollahan. Every year Lily went to Rockaway by the Atlantic Ocean to spend her summer. This year at Rockaway, her best friend, Margaret, and her family have moved to a wartime factory town to live, and Lily's father has gone overseas to fight in the World War II. Then, Lily met a boy named Albert who was a refugee from Hungary. They meet, and they rescued a kitten someone has abandoned in harbor. After that, they became great friends. Lily told him she had lost her mother and was staying with her grandmother, and Albert said both his parents got killed for writing newspapers about how much they hated the Nazis and Hitler. Also, Albert's sister, Ruth, is sick in a hospital in France. At the end of the story, Lily's father comes home and Albert is back with his sister. Lisa D.

Streams to the River, River to the Sea by Scott O'Dell

STREAMS TO THE RIVER, RIVER TO THE SEA was about a Shoshone girl named Sacagawea. It was an evening in late summer when Sacagawea was gathering berries with her cousin, Running Deer. A group of Minnetanees captured Running Deer and Sacagawea and killed many people from her village, including her mother. Sacagawea was taken to a village ruled by chief Black Moccasin. One day, she escaped and came upon a small island. As the nights grew colder, one morning she was rescued by a man named Toussaint Charbonneau. He married Sacagawea because he thought he had rescued her, even though Sacageawea didn't like him. After Sacageawea had a baby, two men named Lewis and Clark came to their camp. Sacagawea went along with the men, because they needed her to be their guide and interpret for them as they explored the Mississippi. Sacagawea went with them on foot, horseback, and by canoe, which was a four thousand mile journey. Lisa D.

Tombs of Atuan by Ursula Le Guin

The 2nd book in the Earth-Sea series. As the High Priestess, the one who tended to the fallen gods and the Tombs of Atuan, Tenar grew up in loneliness and darkness in a world of women, all of whom feared and despised her, without family, or even a memory of one, never knowing love or happiness. That is, until a strange young man from foreign shores came to the Tombs of Atuan. He was known as Sparrowhawk, a powerful wizard from the Archipelago, the only living dragon lord and in search of the ring of Elfarrann. Trapped in the 'Maze' by Tenar, who found herself unable to kill the dark young man and therfore kept him in the 'Maze', he told her of a world of which she never knew, a world beyond simply duty, where laughter often rang out. He told her of long forgotten legends of Elfarrann the Fair, whose beauty was so great an entire island sank. And he offered that world to her, should she trust him. The only problem is, should she trust him, when those around her prove to be traitors?

A compelling book. The characters are well-developed, and we are able to see how Tenar grows from a happy, exuberant child into a dark, self-possessed young woman. Sparrowhawk sheds light into her world, and we see how she once again changes, how she learns to trust and laugh.... Eileen Y.

Scribbler of Dreams by Mary E. Pearson

Kaitlin Malone was born to hate the Crutchfields. Kaitlin's family had hated the Crutchfields since she can remember. Kaitlin had just entered a new school because her parents could not afford her private school. Kaitlin's dad is in prison serving a sentence for killing Robert Crutchfield. While in school trying to hide her identity after switching her last name to her mother's maiden name, she meets a boy named Bram. His full name is Bram Crutchfield, a young compassionate artist who falls in love with Kaitlin. Kaitlin also falls in love with Bram, before realizing that her father killed his father accidentally.

Kaitlin gets caught up in lies to hide her true identity from Bram. Whenever she tells him who she really is, he doesn't care too much because he still loves her, no matter what her name is. I thought this book Scribbler of Dreams by Mary E. Pearson was the most heartwarming and emotional book I have ever read. It taught you what love really is. Chessa H.

The Courtship of Princess Leia by Wolverton

This book was fantastic. If you love Star Wars characters Luke, Leia, Han Solo, and others you should read this. As Han's love for Leia grows, a prince from the world of Hapes wishes to marry Leia. Han kidnaps Leia hoping to win back her love. Unfortunately, they meet up with trouble. Who will Leia choose? Read it to find out. The author cleverly jumps between different story lines by chapter. I liked that style. I highly recommend this book for Star Wars fans. Ellen D.

Forgotten Fire by Adam Bagadasarlan

This book is about an Armenian (in other words, Christian) boy going through a holocaust in Turkey. He must survive WWII without his family and a safe home where he is considered an evil pest to be exterminated by anyone who knows he is Armenian. I had a lot of trouble putting this book down. Many of the deaths and other things he witnesses are very sad, but I found the plot and the history behind this book very interesting. It drove me to find more on this historic event I previously knew nothing about. Katie M.

Fifteen by Beverly Cleary

Jane Purdy isn't the cashmere sweater wearing type of girl and doesn't get vey many dates, until she meets a boy while she is babysitting for a neighbor's daughter who lives a few blocks away. The boy, Stan Crandall, delivers dog meat for the dog of the people she babysits for. Stan is the most popular boy in school, and to Jane's disbelief, he asks her out on a date. At the end of the book, Stan gives Jane his identification bracelet to show that Jane is "his girl". This book, FIFTEEN, by Beverly Cleary was a laughable and humorous book about a girl's first date. I enjoyed it completely. Chessa