With the rage over the TWILIGHT series by Stephenie Meyer, many people started liking Vampire stories. Of course this year has a vampire book on the Texas Lone Star Reading List called ALEX VAN HELSING: VAMPIRE RISING by Jason Henderson. With the last name, VAN HELSING, how can Alex NOT KNOW that he has something [...]

Ok, I really liked THE GIVER by Lowis Lowry. A utopian society where life is perfect, because there is no crime, or hunger, no war, nothing “bad.” Of course this comes at a price. Government control! So in MATCHED by Ally Condie we see a similar premise. The government is in control of the people’s lives. It [...]

Jordan Sonnenblick’s AFTER EVER AFTER can certainly be read as a stand alone read, however, to enjoy this story fully it is recommended that you read DRUMS, GIRLS and DANGEROUS PIE first. Little Jeffery is now an eighth grader. His older brother Steven has abandoned him to go to Africa. Jeff  has a girlfriend, and his [...]

If you liked UNWIND, FULL TILT or many other books by Neal Shusterman, you will probably like BRUISER.  When Tennyson finds out his sister is dating, Brewster, AKA Bruiser, he shows his brotherly concern. He stalks him, and sees a side of Bruiser that others don’t know about.  He has bruises, scars and welts all over [...]

That is an annoying phrase repeated, in Rick Yancey’s THE MONSTRUMOLOGIST, which conveys the impatience of Dr. Warthrop. After young Will Henry hears that all the time, one would think he would not want to serve the doctor any longer. Yet he has a devotion to the heartless man, who only loves one thing. . . monsters.  [...]

Well, I personally don’t think so, but this is how David Greenberg sums up his experience with middle school in the book, HOW TO SURVIVE MIDDLE SCHOOL by Donna Gephart. David lives with his dad, older sister and Hammy (his hamster).  He has a best friend, Elliott, that back stabs him, a new friend (girl), [...]

Ok , so Cat does make a few exceptions.  In Robin Brande’s book, FAT CAT, the main character, Cat,  does her best to live like a hominid (prehistoric person) all in the name of a science fair experiment.  While doing so, she must eat right, and walk everywhere, and find her natural beauty. In doing so, [...]

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 [...]