FANG by James Patterson is a wonderful book. When seven year old Angel tells Max that Fang will be the first to die or “expire”, as the mad scientists from the School call it, Max doesn’t believe it and is determined not to let it happen. Trying to save the world can be a big [...]

Sixteen year old Kate is looking forward to her summer in Utah with her best friend, going to her writing class, and playing tennis.  In GIRLFRIEND MATERIAL by Melissa Kantor, Kate’s mom has different plans for her summer.  They will go to Cape Cod and “bond.”  Seriously?   She does try to make the best of it, remembering [...]

Emma,  in DONUT DAYS by Lara Zielin, is a pastors’ kid. . . yes, both her mother and father are pastors. Emma, however just isn’t feeling the religion. The story starts off with a memory of when she and her friend were being baptized, and she prayed to God to “let something really spiritual happen [...]

Jim’s father is now the new head gardener at Minerva Hall in Christine Morton-Shaw’s THE HUNT FOR THE SEVENTH.  As they are touring the grounds, Jim hears an eerie whisper, “Find the Seventh.” No one else hears it. So, this story starts off creepy and continues throughout.  Jim and his sister are told by the [...]

Katsa, in GRACELING by Kristin Cashore, has a killer power.  Yes, she is “graced” with the ability to kill.  She first kills at the age of eight.  Because she has this power, the king has chosen her to be his henchman, or henchgirl, to be more accurate.  This life has been chosen for her, and all [...]

Reading PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS  by Michelle Zink, was really good timing for me, because I am studying the book of Revelation from the Bible. The author has weaved mention of events from this source.  Coincidence?  I think not! Like any good story, PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS,  has a mystery to be solved . . [...]

  So I broke down and read a classic, since I missed out on these as a non reading kid.  After reading a summary for LORD OF THE FLIES by William Golding, I thought this might be something that teens of today would like as well.  It has all the key elements. . . survival, [...]

I seriously wish that I could just read a book, and have a beginning, middle and end, all wrapped up nice and neatly.  THE MAZE RUNNER by James Dashner is book 1 in a trilogy.  It is good, but there are still too many unanswered questions in the end that make you go, “WHAT?!?” Thomas [...]

Ok, so if you like the Heir Series by Cinda Williams Chima, this new series, Seven Realms, will surely not disappoint!  The first in the series, THE DEMON KING, is good, but don’t just take my word for it . . . it is on the 2010 -2011 Texas Lone Star Reading List!  Han WAS [...]

If you enjoyed reading LIFE AS WE KNEW IT by Susan Beth Pfeffer, this seems to be the same premise as in THE DEAD AND THE GONE, also by Pfeffer.                The moon is hit by a meteor and is pushed closer to the earth, causing catastrophic weather conditions.  Daily routines of going to work, [...]