BOOK REVIEW: The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg

The Plain Janes is a graphic novel from the acclaimed author of Boy Proof, The Queen of Cool and Beige. Jane lives in Metro City, which she loves for the art and culture. But after the city is victim to an increasing number of terrorist bombing and attacks, Jane’s parents panic and move out to the heart of suburban America. Jane thinks her life is over and doomed to be pathetically boring. But one day she gets inspired and convinces her new friends (all also named Jane) to form P.L.A.I.N.—People Loving Art in Neighborhoods—and commit random acts of art all across town. But being in a secret art gang isn’t easy, especially when the school and administration and local police want to shut you down. A fun and quick read, The Plain Janes is definitely worth picking up next time you're in the library.

Book Review: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance—Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem!

It’s hard to avoid Jane Austen. Whether it’s from your Brit Lit class, the PBS mini-series or the countless movie adaptations, no doubt you’ve come across some version of Pride and Prejudice. Co-author Seth Grahame-Smith has re-imagined this classic novel by creating a subplot where a mysterious plague has afflicted England transforming people into flesh eating “unmentionables” (a.k.a. zombies) who roam the countryside killing and dismembering their victims. Grahame-Smith retains roughly 85% of the novel’s original text and his language and style mirrors that of Austen, making the addition of zombie mayhem relatively seamless. Whether you’re a loyal fan or zealous critic of Jane Austen, this book is definitely worth checking out.

Book Reviews!

So you thought those cookie reviews that you wrote over the summer would never show up anywhere, well think again! Do you agree or disagree with the reviews – let us know! Here are the first two:

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Grade of reviewer: 8th

Review: Grace is nearly killed by wolves at a young age. A mysterious wolf, her wolf, saves her. Years later when he becomes human, she falls in love with him. The only problem is that this is his last year being human. Will they find a cure for him in time?

Fruits Basket v. 23 by Natsuki Takaya

Grade of reviewer: 9th

A great conclusion to a long and meaningful series. You felt happen for all the characters and saw that their future was a happy one. The curse was finally broken and everyone was free!

The Best Book You Probably Haven’t Read: Going Bovine

Title: Going Bovine
Author: Libba Bray
Audience: Older Teens & Adults

This book is so far and away my favorite read from 2009 that nothing even came close. On its surface, it is a story about Cameron, a slacker teen who find his whole life thrown off balance when he is diagnosed with Mad Cow Disease. What happens next is a roller coaster ride involving Cameron, a hypochondriac dwarf, a feisty gnome, a punk rock angel and one of the craziest road trips in history. But what really makes this story so irresistible is that it can be read either as a hallucination as Cameron’s loses his brain to his disease bit by bit or as a supernatural battle between good an evil. Either way, you’ll love Cameron’s acerbic humor and root for him in his battle against death. This book is a monster clocking in at 480 pages but the characters are so well defined and unforgettable that you’ll be tempted to start rereading the minute you finish.

My other favorites of 2009: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins; Columbine by Dave Cullin; The Everafter by Amy Huntley; The Forrest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan; When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

And don’t forget to check out Libba Bray’s own book trailer on youtube!

Teen Book Review: The Other Boleyn Girl

The Other Boleyn Girl is one of Philippa Gregory’s best works. It is a historical fiction novel about Mary Boleyn (the narrator) and her family’s desperate attempt to raise both the Boleyn and the Howard names to riches and fame. They try to make their way to the Tudors (the royal family) by making Mary become his mistress in hopes that she can provide the son that Queen Katharine cannot give King Henry.

This novel gives the reader an inside look at the English court and the Tudor family. I was delighted by this book. The dramatic and historical take on this portion of history made me feel engaged in this book. Though it is somewhat lengthy (about four hundred pages), I felt a connection to this book. I had been reading it for so long that I felt married to this book. Oddly, I could have spent my whole life reading this book over and over again. Still, when I was done, I had to put it aside and remember the wonderfully scandalous events.

Obviously, I recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction but I also believe that there is another kind of reader who would enjoy it. This book is for
the girl who waits for the new Lisi Harrison book to come out or the new Gossip Girl book. I can come to this opinion because I am that kind of reader. I thrive on scandalous books that weave social hierarchy into the mix. This was one of my favorite books I have ever read and after a long marriage; I have to put it aside for another Phillipa Gregory novel. With hope it will be as good as the last.

-Reviewed by Larissa-Helen

Teen Book Review: Someone to Love Me by Anne Schraff

Someone to Love Me is a very interesting book, if you like realistic fiction and books that deal with real problems. Someone to Love Me is about a girl named Cindy Gibson who doesn’t love herself, so she dates a boy named Bobby Wallace who abuses her.

I think that, if you read this book, you will love it! Many girls have issues with themselves, emotionally and physically, and this book relates to that. I also liked that Cindy’s friends gave her advice on how to be true to herself and not let any boy give her a negative self-image. Someone to Love Me is a book that will interest you a lot and also the whole Bluford Series!

Reviewed by Maddy

Teen Book Review: Confessions: a novel by Kate Brian

They want blood…

I am befuddled as to what to say about this minute portion of Kate Brian’s writing. It provides for the mystery fans but, hardly provides for followers of Cecily Von Ziegesar books who were led to believe the book was going to be a Gossip Girls clone. For both fans, this novel takes you through a whirlwind; from disappointment to enjoyment, laughter to boredom.

Since this is an addition to Brian’s series, the main idea of the novel seems simple, but is rather complex. In the book, Reed Brennan is attending a private school, Easton. When things seem to be going smoothly, Reed’s current boyfriend is arrested for the murder of her ex-boyfriend. Though the evidence appears to present a clear cut murderer, Reed believes that her boyfriend didn’t commit the crime.

The book is well written and somewhat enjoyable but, this mystery themed novel is not what the Cecily Von Ziegesar fans signed up for. Also, it’s not a book that you would run out to buy or the type of book that you would tote around and read in every waking moment during the day. In the preceding novels, hazing and social hierarchy had a consistent roll in each novel. However, this novel allows those qualities to wither away into what I perceive will lead to nothingness. Kate Brian is trying to change the series’ identity but, she can’t. I’m worried that this book will always try to jump between those two groups of fans I described. The series is going through an identity crisis. Followers of both types of books have one thing in common: They are both blood thirsty crowds that aren’t being satisfied as consistently as they should be. Their commonality is that they want blood.

I wouldn’t prevent anyone from reading this book because it is a well written book. This book would be a fit suggestion for mystery fans. It was over all entertaining and distractive. Since I am not a mystery fan but, rather a Cecily Von Ziegesar fan, I still want blood.

-Reviewed by Larissa-Helen

Teen Book Review- Before I Die by Jenny Downham

Not a book you have to read before you die...

If you want a book that inspires you to gauge your eyes out in horror and disgust, this is the book for you.

Before I Die was written by Jenny Downham. The book’s premise is centered on a teenage girl who is terminally ill with what can be assumed to be a cancerous disease of some nature. This girl decides that, before she dies, she wants to do all the things she has never done. Her sidekick is her best friend, who keeps encouraging the main character to complete the goals on the list.

I disliked this book because it was just so depressing. My first thought, after the first chapter, was that this book wasn’t sad or dark…just annoying. Yes, she is terminally ill. We know. We get it. Then, after a while, she starts to say that she doesn’t want to complete the list anymore but forces her friend to make her continue. Why?

I couldn’t figure out the setting. First, I thought they were in America, then I thought they were in England. Finally, I stopped caring. If you read this book, you’ll be inclined to burn it and if you want to read it, then you’re just crazy.

-Reviewed by Larissa-Helen

Series / Book Review: Warriors by Erin Hunter

Warriors by Erin Hunter leads you through that you have never seen through before, through the eyes of a wild cat, or Clan cats. These wild cats live in 4 different Clans, and they not only are allies, but rivals also. ThunderClan, WindClan, RiverClan, and ShadowClan are all different in their many ways, personality, terrain of their territory, prey, and sometimes, appearance. Their biggest similarity is that they all join under StarClan, their warrior ancestors. After a cat dies, they walk the sky paths of StarClan, and they look down on the living cats, and advise them however they can.
In every Clan, there are 9 different ranks. The first is kits, or kittens. Every Clan cat has two parts to their name, each name is made of two different words, the first part is the part that usually stays with them forever. The second part changes according to your rank, For kits, their name would be [blank]kit (EX.Ripplekit)Then, when they are six moons old, or six months, they are each assigned a mentor, usually a senior warrior, a deputy, or rarely, a leader. At this time, the cat's name would be [blank]paw. (EX. Ripplepaw) The mentors teach every apprentice the way of the Clans, their territory, hunting skills, fighting skills, and of course, the warrior code, a set of rules that each Clan cat must go by, or face the consequences. The next rank is warrior, when an apprentice is about 12 moons old, or when the leader see fit, they become warriors. Then, their name would be totally unique, being [blankblank]. (EX. Ripplepelt) Sometimes, when a cat becomes apprentice, they choose to be a medicine cat apprentice, still following the warrior naming system, but they assist the medicine cat, and learn the different uses of each herb from their medicine cat mentor. As a medicine cat or medicine cat apprentice, you must go to the Moonpool every half-moon and share tongues with StarClan, meaning, going to the Moonpool and talking/conversing with StarClan. Sometimes, when danger is ahead, or some big event, StarClan will go into usually, the leader's or either medicine cat's dreams and give them a prophecy, a mysterious message that might hint about the future. There are two leaders, a leader, which is the highest rank, and a deputy, as a second-in-command. As a deputy, your warrior name stays, but as a leader, the second part of your name will become "star". So, the name would be [blank]star. (EX. Ripplestar) A queen is a she-cat who is expecting or nursing kits in the nursery, and an elder is a cat that has retired from its duties as a warrior or medicine cat. That does not mean that they won't be able to protect their Clan, only that they have retired. There are many other rules and customs of the Clan cats, but if I listed those, I would be here all day. To find out, pick up the first book, Into the Wild, at your local library. To find out more about the Clan cats and the authors, go to http://www.warriorcats.com/. One more thing, did you know that Erin Hunter, the author is actually three people? Kate Cary and Cherith Baldry take turns writing each book, and Vicky Holmes comes up with the major storyline and she is also the editor! Please remember to pick up these books! Also, for some major fan sites/forums, go to:

1. http://www.warriorswish.net/
2. http://www.warriorswish1.proboards85.com/
3. www.kitsufox.com/warriors

There are many more fan sites/forums and if you don't like these that I listed, google it, and go to your favorite fan site/forum!

Reviewed by Laurel

Book Review - The New Rebellion by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

“…As though a million voices cried our in terror and were suddenly silenced.” (Ben Kenobi Epi. IV) On Yavin IV, home of the Jedi Academy, and on Coruscant, capital of the New Republic, Luke Skywalker and Chief of State Leia Organa Solo feel a great shock in the Force. Millions have suddenly perished in a massive galactic genocide. The New Rebellion, by award-winning author Kristine Kathryn Rusch, is set 13 years after Return of the Jedi, and reveals a dire new threat to the New Republic, the Jedi, and the entire galaxy.
On Coruscant, Leia Organa Solo faces a political challenge. Former Imperials have been allowed to join the Senate. Feeling that they will stir up trouble, Leia plans to set the tone for the Senate’s term by boldly reminding everyone of the horrors of the Empire. But it seems that there is a new horror has appeared in the galaxy when a huge explosion rocks the Senate chamber, injuring and killing hundreds. Han Solo, Leia’s husband, follows a lead to Smuggler’s Run, a “wretched hive of scum and villainy” (Ben Kenobi Epi. IV). Meanwhile, Luke tracks down a former pupil turned rogue Jedi named Brakiss, who may hold the secret to the devastation. And on Coruscant, Leia confronts a political disaster. But all these events have been orchestrated by a master of the dark side of the Force, bent on controlling the galaxy. He’s targeted Luke, Leia, and billions more to die in a “holocaust unequaled in galactic history.”
The New Rebellion has all the old favorites facing down a shadowy new menace. Star Wars fans will be pleased to know that this also has famous Expanded Universe characters, such as Talon Karrde, Mara Jade, and Wedge Antilles. The rest of you don’t need to worry, you don’t have to be a Star Wars genius to be able to read this book. This story is most interesting partially because of a storyline involving R2-D2 and C-3PO. The dynamic droid duo turns out to be a lot more than anyone expects and end up being vital to the future of the New Republic.
I highly recommend this stand-alone novel to everybody. You don’t have to love Star Wars to enjoy this magnum opus of a book. Kristine Kathryn Rusch does a masterful job of creating a suspenseful storyline, compelling characters, and a thrilling conclusion.

Reviewed by Andrew

Review of A Murder is Announced

A Murder is Announced is a mystery about an unusal crime. The murder is announced in the local Gazette to take place at 6:30 the next afternoon. And, many make the mistake of thinking it as a murder mystery party, even though it is not. Many arrive that afternoon, to witness the murder. As Detective Insperctor Craddock, and Miss Jane Marple investigate, they go on an interesting journey finding new suspects, more murders, and the final culprit. This book has an amazing and unexpected ending. VERY good, VERY recommended. ...A Miss Marple Story. Reviewed by Liza.

Review of A Great and Terrible Beauty

In A Great and Terrible Beauty, Gemma Doyle is in India with her mom in the market when someone whispers to her mom "Circe." Next thing Gemma knows, is that she runs away from her mom and finds her dead. Later in the book, Gemma finds out the reason her mom was killed a why Gemma might also be killed. Her mother was part of the Order and she was the last person who could open the realms which is another world. Now that her mom is killed, Gemma posseses the power to open the realms. Now Gemma must save her friend and more importantly her mother from the dangers in the realm.
In this book you can feel the magic pulling you in with the suspence. If you are a fantasy loving girl, you will be pulled into this book just like I did. And if you liked this book just as much as I did, there is a sequel called Rebel Angels for you to read. Boys- STAY AWAY! Reviewed by Cathy

Review of Milkweed

The book Milkweed is a moving story about the Holocaust and its horrors. It shows the life a kid going through the rough times and finds a way to find hope. He starts as a orphan living in the streets, slowly finding friends, and not living in a house, but in a horse stable. He grows to find more friends who become family, and help him through his journey. It describes the rough conditions of the mistreatment of the Jews during this time, but still focuses on a young boy learning new things and finding new hope. It s a very interesting book, and is VERY recommended. Reviewd by Liza.

Teen Book Review - The Key to the Golden Firebird by Maureen Johnson

When May Gold’s father dies unexpectedly from a heart attack, the Gold family has to continue on with their lives however hard it may be. May’s mother starts working a lot more to pay bills and becomes disconnected from her three children. The three girls all deal with the grief in different ways. Palmer, the youngest, does nothing but watch TV and play softball. Brooks, the oldest, quits softball and starts drinking. May, the middle child, decides she has to pick up the slack around the house and tries to keep the family from falling apart. Her dad’s best friend and his family also try to help out, but nothing is working. All the Gold family really needs is some closure.

This book was a very enjoyable read. When I picked it up off the shelf, I figured it was going to be average chick lit, but to my surprise it had quite some depth to it. I was able to see the affect the dad’s death had on each girl. It was very well written and all of the side stories made the book exciting, but like all chick lit, it was quite predictable!
Review by Amy

Book Review - Nothing But the Truth (and a Few White Lies) by Justina Chen Headley

Patricia Yi-Phen Ho is a hapa. Hapa is Hawaiian for someone who's half-Asian and half-white. Patty doesn't feel totally Asian but she doesn't feel totally white. She never felt completely as a whole anywhere. When she found out her future with Belly-Button Grandma, the Chinese fortune-teller, through her belly button that she might end up with a white guy, her ultra-strict Taiwanese mom sent her straight to the math camp at Stanford. Patty never liked her mom's idea but she found out while at Stanford and at her aunt's house why her mom doesn't let her do things her way and most importantly, she found out about her mom's life and whatever happened to her dad. Patty's new life starts at Stanford with all kinds of different probabilities.
This book is very interesting and definitely funny. Through this novel, you can understand Patricia Yi-Phen Ho's life and views on different things and places. So I would really recommend this novel to anyone who likes comedy/humor, wants to know how a half-Asian, half-white person's life would be, or is interested in knowing about Asian society and culture.
Review by Tina

Teen Book Reviews

BLEACH (graphic novel)

Great Japanese comic with some comedy, action, and seriousness blended together to form a great manga.

This story takes place in modern Japan where people go on doing their every day jobs. Except what most people don’t see is what one person can see. Ichigo is you basic high school kid with friends and a family except for one thing that separates him from most people -- he has the ability to see ghosts clearly. It is a rare ability in which only one in every 50,000 people will have and only a handful of people can see them clearly. Ichigo’s life changes one day when he sees for the first time a hollow and a soul reaper engaged in battle. The hollow is slain and the soul reaper disappears. Life goes on but when his family becomes under attack by a hollow he is forced to become a soul reaper to save his family.
Review by Al


The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Clubis truly one of those books that can be enjoyed and appreciated by women readers ranging from any age. The Joy Luck Club tells the stories of four Chinese women and their daughters. Each woman has their own story to tell as do their daughters, with which the reader can see the different points of views of two different generations searching for essentially the same thing-happiness. The joy luck club meets every week and was started by Suyuan Woo. Yet, after Suyuan dies, her daughter is forced to replace her in the joy luck club. It is then that her daughter learns about her mother’s dark past and becomes closer to her than she was when Suyuan was actually living. This novel is refreshingly different from most other novels because each chapter contains a different story from either a mom or a daughter that relates an individual struggle; however, each tale is connected to one another, reminding the reader of the intimate bond shared between the joy luck club. The Joy Luck Club truly is a splendid book that displays an innovative writing style by Amy Tan and a depth of human emotion and understanding. Such a remarkable story is indeed a rare find.
Also recommended: Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Review by Deekshita


The Awakening by Kate Chopin

Kate Chopin’s The Awakening was one of the first American books to openly challenge a women’s constrained role in society and her desire for liberation. This novel chronicles Edna Pontellier as she realizes that she is worth more in life than just a “housewife” burdened with trivial matters. As Edna’s eyes awaken more and more each day to the world of possibility out there for her, she begins to make some radical changes -- one of these changes being that she moves out (leaving her husband and two sons) into her own apartment. Such a move was virtually unheard of in the early 1900s. Consequently, Edna must face the consequences of her behavior as she spirals down a path of unhappiness.
The Awakening, interestingly enough, was one of the only controversial books whose controversy had driven it into obscurity; most books receiving so much notoriety usually become more popular because of that attention. The Awakening, however, is still vastly unheard of even in this decade. This novel offers an interesting portrait into the lifestyle of women ruled by Victorian code, but it is not a book for all readers. It has a rather slow start and is meant for the more patient reader.
Also recommended: Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert, Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, and Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence
Reviewed by Deekshita


The Devil Wears Prada
by Lauren Weisberger

Before becoming a movie, The Devil Wears Prada was a New York Times bestseller for weeks. The novel chronicles recent college graduate, Andrea Sachs, as she struggles to attain her dream job in the big city -- to become a writer for The New Yorker. However, instead of landing her dream job, she lands the job that turns into her worst nightmare. Andrea ends up working in a fashion magazine, an area that she knows absolutely nothing about, for the powerfully mean Miranda Priestly in exchange for a recommendation to work at The New Yorker. Andrea’s world turns upside down as she is introduced to the glitz and glamour of city life. Yet, she realizes that the glamour is really a cover-up for a world that is filled with superficial phonies who have no real purpose in life except to gossip, party, and shop. Likewise Miranda makes Andrea’s life as miserable as possible as she sends Andrea on absurd tasks like getting a hold of the latest Harry Potter book a day before it hits stores or to pick up her dry-cleaning in the middle of the night. Andrea patiently sticks with her job so she can get her recommendation, until she notices that she has turned into a miniature version of Miranda herself. The Devil Wears Prada is a very funny book that is perfect for a lazy day. At the same time, it offers a witty dialogue and some very deep character insights.
Also recommended: Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella, The Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella
Reviewed by Deekshita


White Oleander by Janet Fitch

Astrid Magnussen is a girl living the perfect life with her brilliant poet mom, Ingrid, until Ingrid murders a man with poison and lands in jail. Astrid is then left motherless during a crucial point in her life -- when she starts growing up. Astrid winds up in a string of foster homes that are all very different, all of which have something important to teach her as Astrid tries to decide who she is and what she wants. Astrid’s first home is with Starr Thomas (a born-again Christian who is also a recovering alcoholic) in a trailer park. Astrid is soon kicked out after she begins having a relationship with Starr’s boyfriend. Astrid then winds up with Clair Richards and her husband. Claire provides Astrid with the perfect life -- a caring family, a wardrobe full of pretty new clothes, and lots of attention. Yet, Claire struggles from depression, forcing Astrid to look after her. After a dark tragedy in the Richards’ house, Astrid ends up living with Rena, a cynical Russian businesswomen who teaches Astrid all about money, hard work, and the real world. During all of this, Astrid continues to come to terms with her mother’s crime, which she eventually has to confront at the end of the novel. White Oleander is a very touching story about one girl’s perseverance and strength in midst of one very chaotic and troubled life.
Also recommended: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom, Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Reviewed by Deekshita

Some Cookie Reviews from Summer '06

Turnabout by Margaret Peterson Haddix
This book is a great book for sci-fi lovers. It's about two scientists who experiment on about fifty old-aged men and women (ready to die), who give their patrons a shot that reverses their aging process! But what happens when they get too young? Read the book to find out! (7th grade reviewer)


Perfect by Natasha Friend
When Isabelle's dad dies she turns to becoming bulimic to overcome her own grief, as well as her mother's and sister's. When she joins a group and finds out the most popular girl in school is there too, even more obstacles appear. (9th grade reviewer)


Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
In this soap-opera like novel, Tolstoy's characters contemplate the meaning of family, love, marriage, religion, and death. The book may be long and intimidating, but I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for thrilling, exciting classical literature. (12th grade reviewer)

The Music of Dolphins by Karen Hesse
The book is about a girl, Mila, who was found by Doctor Beck, a scientist. The book tells you how she improved in talking and being a human. (6th grade reviewer)



A Door Near Here by Heather Quales
A family of four tries to stick together as their drunken mother neglects them in her life, and the only one who can help is their father in Michigan. (9th grade reviewer)



The Wright 3 by Blue Balliett
The Wright 3 was a suspenseful mystery book about three kids trying to save a house that got knocked down. I really enjoyed it. (7th grade reviewer)



Wolf Rider: A Tale of Terror by Avi
A boy gets a call from a stranger saying "I've killed someone." Now he must try to solve the mystery before things get out of hand. (10th grade reviewer)



The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
The Secret Life of Bees is a remarkable story about Lily Owens, the daughter of an abusive single "father" living in the south in the 1960s. Lily's journey to discovering the truth about her mother, as well as herself, is moving and extraordinary. An excellent, eloquent novel by Sue Monk Kidd! (9th grade reviewer)


Tersias the Oracle by G. P. Taylor
In the streets of London, a boy named Tersias sees the future. But as everyone hears about him, more wish to use his power of foresight for the wrong reasons. Read this book to find out the outcome! (8th grade reviewer)


The Mediator 6: Twilight by Meg Cabot.
Suze is a Mediator; a connection to the living and the dead. But Suze can do more than see ghosts, she can travel through time. When Suze goes back in time to save the ghost that haunts her bedroom she makes a terrible mistake by bringing his body to the future. Can he live through the future or die never knowing Suze? (7th grade reviewer)


Captain Hook by James Hart
This book was an interesting read because it talks all about Captain Hook's life before Peter Pan. It was a fun way to find out background information on the villain before he turned evil. (9th grade reviewer)