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City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
This book, City of Bones, is one of my FAVORITE books. And i rarely have favorites. These book was one of the books where nothing else matters except reading chapter after chapter, never wanting to let go of the pages that held the story. I read the book in one day-maybe less. City of Bones is for every reader (more for a female) because it has: 1.Romance 2.Fantasy 3.Adventure 4. (at the end of the book) a twist. This book was absolutely five star. Anyone who finds it should grab it immediately and start reading!!! Reviewer, Jessica, Grade 7 11.08 | |||
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Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
**spoiler alert** Of Mice and Men is a book about this guy George and this guy Lennie who have many issues in life. [ex. lennie is mental and george is short XP] They end up having to run from a town called Weed, not for smoking, but because Lennie was accused of rape. Lovely. So in any event they end up on a ranch somewhere and they get to work immediately only to run into problems with a tempermental doode named Curley and his *cencored* of a wife. How it ends is Lennie kills Curley's wife [who apparently doesnt have a name wth???] and runs to hiding only to be found and killed by his best friend. :] …I really didn't like it if you couldn't tell from this review. Reviewer, Bekka, Grade 9 9.08 | |||
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The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls tells about a girl (Jeannette herself) and her family who travel from place to place. They reject the government and everything that comes along with it. Her father spends the little money he makes on booze. Her mother is an artist who can teach but chooses not to and decides to stay at home instead. The story tells all about Jeannette's life traveling, doing things to survive for her siblings, and trying to free herself from her family. This is a memoir. I really liked this book because it was so interesting how people choose to reject society so openly and what happens to them. Reviewer, Rachel, Grade 9 5.08 | |||
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Room for Improvement by Stacey Ballis
If you've ever watched home decorating reality shows this book may be a good choice for you. The main character has just landed her dream job, to be one of the designers on a trading spaces type show. While this is premise and the chapters are titled by episode number and TV Guide synopsis, the story digs deeply into her life and her relationships with her divorced parents, best friends, co-workers, and various men. It’s a pretty mainstream girl book with some humor, romance and a few mishaps along the way. It was also another quick read. Reviewer, Megan, Grade 12 5.08 | |||
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Case Closed by Gosho Aoyama
Jimmy Kudo, great detective of the East, is on a case, but when he suddenly is assaulted and drugged, Poof! he's a first grader again! Now through a story of twists and turns and murders, he must go under the pseudonym Conan Edogawa to solve mysteries and find the mysterious men in black who made him young. I absolutely love this anime. I love the smart feeling I get when I solve the cases. It's fun for anyone who likes anime. I highly recommend this book. In fact, I insist that you get it from your local library. Reviewer, Logan, Grade 8 3.08 | |||
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King Dork by Frank Portman
My taste in just about everything is a bit of an anomaly. I like shopping and nail polish and chocolate in massive quantities, as they are typical "girly things," but growing up with two older brothers pushed me towards many typically "guy things," too. Case in point, a book that I love: King Dork by Frank Portman. The storyline of King Dork is simple: a dork tries to start up a band with his best and only friend, Sam, learn about his dad, and survive high school. But Tom Henderson, the King Dork of the title, isn’t of the same breed of dork as Seth Cohen from the OC, the admittedly dorky kind that you like anyway; he is a full-on social pariah. Tom spends a good portion of his time thinking of ridiculous band names, album names, and stage names for Sam and himself ("The Nancy Wheelers, [with] me on guitar, Sam Hellerman on bass and Ouija board, first album: Margaret? It’s God. Please Shut Up.") despite the fact that he barely knows how to play an instrument. Also, every encounter he has with his stuck-in-the-1960's step dad made me literally ache with laughter (and books don’t make me laugh easily!). There isn’t too much of a plot, but for me, this wasn’t a problem, since reading Tom’s thoughts was so thoroughly amusing. King Dork is honest, intelligent, and effortless – I never felt once like the author was trying too hard to make me laugh or to be witty. There are really only two reasons I haven't shoved it down the throat of everyone I know: one, that I realize that it is the not the cup of tea for people who only enjoy one type of book, like teen girl novels about romance and drama. And two, that it gets very vulgar at times, in more ways than one. Perhaps I’m too old-fashioned, but although the exact details of the book are not completely fresh in my mind, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone younger than fifteen or so. But, overall, if you are open to something off-beat, I say pick up King Dork. Word on the street (aka Wikipedia) is that Will Ferell's production company is making a movie out of it to be released this year, so if you don't believe me that it’s worth it, maybe Ron Burgundy’s approval will convince you. Reviewer, Christine, Grade 12 5.08 | |||
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Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Recently released as a movie, Stardust is about a young man, Tristan Thorn, who does not know about his ancestry. However, he does know that he is in love with the beautiful Victoria Forester. One night, upon walking Victoria home, Tristan proposes to Victoria. A star falls and Victoria promises that if Tristan brings back the star, she will marry him. Determined, Tristan leaves his town and family beyond the Wall, into the magical land of Faerie. Tristan is not the only one in search of the fallen star. There is an evil witch who desires the star's heart to redeem the youthfulness of herself and her sisters. The sons of the Lord of Strumhold are also on the quest for the star, for she weilds the stone that indicates the power that the successor will have. All three groups on a quest for their futures. Reviewer, Shannon, Grade 9 5.08 | |||
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Sammy's House by Kristin Gore
This book is actually a sequel, although I’ve never read the first one. It’s the story of the Vice President’s assistant in the White House and all the problems she encounters both politically and in her personal life. She struggles with the president’s drug problems, her journalist reporter boyfriend moving away and her tarnished reputation on the internet political blog among other issues. The story is very light, quick to read and humorous at times. It’s not a noteworthy book, but it’s an enjoyable easy read. Reviewer, Megan, Grade 12 5.08 | |||
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Freakonomics by Steven Levitt
I though Freakonomics was a very insightful book about the economy. It gave a different perspective on the way the economy works and showed the relationship between *** and the economy. It explained economic concepts ina lyamen's terms in a very effective way. Reviewer, Vidur, Grade 12 5.08 | |||
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The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
This book was recommended to me and I wasn't sure if I was going to like it at first. It tells the story of a single mother running a knitting store in NYC. Her life is filled with many complications including a biracial daughter, a long lost friend and a severed relationship with her parents. While her story is told, there are also several of spin off stories I found interesting to read based on the women who come into the knitting shop every Friday night. The book has a very surprising ending, so even when it gets a little slow in the middle keep reading because you really won't see what's coming. Reviewer, Megan, Grade 12 5.08 | |||
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