The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima is an amazing book, yet it is not as popular as some other books, even though it is on the same level as them. It is about a boy named Jack who other than having to take a special medicine in the morning is an ordinary teenager. Then one day he forgets his medicine. He then feels much stronger and more powerful. This is his first glimpse into the world of the Weir. He soon learns that he is a warrior, one of the magical people living among the anaweir (non magical people). He soon learns that there are other magical races. They are the wizards, enchanters, seers, sorcerers and other warriors. He then learns that he is one of the last warriors on earth. He realizes this at a time when both "houses" are looking for a player in "The Game." The houses are the Red Rose and the White Rose. The houses as you may be wondering are two groups of wizards who are constantly fighting. Since the wizards believe that all other Weir are inferior, they throw warriors into "The Game." In this game, warriors from the two houses fight to the death for their house to have control of all the Weir. Now Jack fears he may be one of the next warriors to fight. What will he do? This book is a riveting story about sacrifice, and the difference between life and death.

To go further into the world of the Weir, visit the author's website.

Ayo G.

Edward S. Rhodes

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer By John Grisham

Theodore Boone is a 13 year-old boy who loves the courthouse. His parents are lawyers so he gets to spend a ton of time in the courthouse. Since he does spend so much time there, he knows all the cases that are going on (especially the criminal cases because those are his favorites). There is a new murder trial case going on and he gets a little too involved in this one. He found some evidence that could change the whole turn out of this case. Read the book to find out what happens to Theo next!

I really enjoyed this book because it left me hanging on every page. The mystery was very intense and kept the reader in to it. I would recommend this book to both, boys and girls and any mystery lovers. I would rate it a 10 out of 10.

Jillian C.

Woodridge School

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

I think that this book was kind of confusing, but I liked it. Miranda is living in her New York apartment with her mom. She is in the sixth grade, (like us). Her mom's boyfriend, "Mr. Perfect," is helping out too. But when Miranda's mom makes it on the 10,000 Dollar Pyramid, she starts getting these strange letters that are telling her to write back, but the problem is that she doesn't know what they mean and where to write back. With out her best friend, Sal, things are getting harder. Along the way Miranda makes new friends, like the "Laughing Man" and talks to people she never thought about talking to, like the "Gangsters" in the garage. Also, does she find out who the mysterious person is? Does her mom win the 10,000 Dollar Pyramid? Does "Mr. Perfect" get a key to the apartment and do Sal and Miranda become best friends again? What happens to the"Laughing Man?"

This book is part mystery, part science fiction. That is why so many things get so confusing. I also think that is why I liked it so much. The confusion was pulling me back into the book. I kept going back to find out or clear up the confusion.

The end of the book was the most confusing of all. It had a lot of references to A Wrinkle In Time, (which I have not read, yet). This book ended with a lot of questions for me. The questions were not literally in the book but in my mind. This is one of my favorite books, despite the fact it left me hanging. I hope that if you read this book it didn't leave you hanging. All in all, this was an amazing book.

Also, her website is very cool!

Anna W.

Grade 6

E. S. Rhodes School

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

This is the first book in Rick Riordan’s new and exciting series. One of the characters, Piper, is at a wilderness school in the middle of nowhere because her rich, famous father is mad at her. She meets a boy named Jason, who has no memory because Hera took it so he won’t remember his terrible, demigod past. Then, the Titans capture Hera and her power weakens everyday so she can’t escape. They take her to an old, warn down mansion where Jason used to live. Since Jason doesn’t have his memory, he can’t remember where the mansion is. Also, on top of all this trouble, another demigod named Leo shows up at the beginning the expedition to tell them both that Piper’s mean dad was also taken by the Titans. Now, they all have to save two people. Will the new demigods, Piper, Jason, and a helpful son of Hespeust be able to save Hera before the winter solstice? Read the book to see if they will save Hera.

I really loved this book! This book was exhilarating and definitely a page-turner! Once you start reading, you won’t be able to stop. Rick Riordan again has used his amazing talents to create an awesome book that is great for readers and that a lot of readers will love, too!

Aliana C.

Woodridge School

Bandit's Moon by Sid Fleischman

Bandit’s Moon is a story about a boy who lives with a very mean woman named O.O. Mary. People call her O.O. because her eyes are always wide, frantic, mean and wild. The boy had always dreamed of running away, because O.O. was very brutal. Sometimes she didn’t even feed him. One day while O.O. Mary was away, the boy ran away to a faraway desert and met some Mexican outlaws riding on horses. The lead outlaw, Wakeen, was polite and welcoming. He was happy to welcome the boy to the clan of outlaws. Then the outlaws get him his own horse. You have to read the exciting adventure story to believe it! I really liked this book because it was interesting how Mexican outlaws could be so friendly to a strange ‘Yankee’ or American boy. Also I liked it because it is a mystery and suspenseful. You never know what’s going to happen next. There is also a lot of action. This story is very unpredictable. It really keeps you on the edge of your seat.

I think you should read this story because it’s a story full of adventure, emotion and suspense. The story is good to read because it shows how two different ethnicities or cultures can come together and get along really well . It’s a great read! You should REALLY try it! -- J.P., Stadium School

The Land of the Dead By Mary Pope Osborne

The Odyssey is the story of Odysseus, a Greek king, who fought in the Trojan War. His journey back was a horrible experience with giants, cyclops, witches, and the land of the dead.

Odysseus and his men travel to an island inhabited by an evil witch who turns travelers into animals. When half of his men go out searching for food they find a palace. The men enter the palace of the witch and only one of them returns to the campground. He told the rest of the men the story of how his friends were turned into pigs by the witch. With the help of Hermes, Odysseus went to get his men back from the witch. The witch made a promise to him that she will do no harm because her magic had no effect on him. She turned his men back into men. Odysseus, his men, and the witch come up with a plan to return to their homeland. The plan is very risky. They have to go to the land of dead and speak to a wise old man that died but still has his wisdom. At the land of the dead the old man says that he can not help Odysseus return home, but he can warn him. He says that on his way home, they will pass an island owned by the sun god. The sun god has sheep. He warns, "Don't touch the sheep. If you touch the sheep the god will get very angry, and destroy your ship so you won't be able to go anywhere. Warn your men not to touch the sheep."

Zachary H,

E.S. Rhodes

The Old Willis Place by Mary Downing Hahn

       When you read The Old Willis Place, a chill will run down your back. Mary Downing Hahn, the author, writes about a brother Georgie and a sister Dianna who are stranded on a farm with no adult supervision. How did they get there? Find out what has happened to Georgie and Dianna by reading the book.

Mary Downing Hahn does an excellent job describing the characters. I had them pictured in my head. When she was describing the setting you had to use your five senses. I felt like I was really there.

If you like scary stories or mysteries, then you will love The Old Wills Place. It is a shocking and suspenseful fiction story that most readers would enjoy reading. You will never want to put the book down.  E. A., Garden City School

Stolen Children

Amy sometimes baby sits a little girl, Kendra. One day when she was babysitting something went wrong. Two kidnappers broke into Kendra’s house and took Kendra and Amy. They wanted Kendra and Amy to make videos to send to their parents to show that they are okay. Amy decided to give clues in the videos to try to have their parents find where they are. Do the clues work? Do Kendra and Amy get saved? Read Peg Kehret's book Stolen Children to find out.

Samantha A.

Woodridge School

Skeleton Creek By: Patrick Carman

Welcome to Skeleton Creek. The book, Skeleton Creek, is about two teenagers trying to unlock the secrets of Skeleton Creek. Their names are Sarah Fincher and Ryan McCray. Sarah is adventurous and not afraid of anything. On the other hand, Ryan is easily scared. Ryan loves writing in his journal. (Ryan writes all of their adventures in it.) Sarah loves video recording and records everything she finds. Sarah sends the video to Ryan so that you can watch it on your computer. They go to the dredge where most of the action takes place. Whenever they go there, they risk their lives and then they're forbidden to see each other but they do anyway. You'll have to read the book to get the other juicy information. "Read the book, watch the video and uncover the mystery." I'll give you a clue: New York Gold and Silver. You're going to hear that word all the time so start thinking about what it means.

P.S. There is a Skeleton Creek 2 called Ghost In The Machine but I wish Patrick Carmen would do a third one.

Visit the web site if you dare.

Stephanie G.
Grade 6
ES Rhodes

Ghost in the Machine By: Patrick Carman

Ghost in the Machine is a sequel to Skeleton Creek. Ryan McCray is a 16 year old boy with a broken leg. His best friend, Sarah Fincher, is a 16 year old girl, who is fearless, and has a thirst for adventure. An internet search revealed that Old Joe Bush had stolen gold from the dredge when he worked there. The dredge is a machine that digs up land and finds gold. While Ryan and Sarah try to uncover the mystery, the ghost of Old Joe Bush is trying to keep them away. Sarah makes videos about their adventure and discovery. Will they unlock the secret of the dredge in time? I strongly recommend this book to people who like mystery, and a little scare.


Genna C.
E.S Rhodes
Grade 6

The Boggart by Susan Cooper

Twelve year old Emily and her brother Jess manage to be regular kids, even after their family has inherited a real, old, damp, drafty Scottish castle. They visit it during the summer to tend to details, like caregivers and fix-up work, and they bring some souvenirs home to Canada. Including, unknown to them, a mysterious…something. Ice cream and peanut butter start to disappear, and things that never went bump in the night are doing it now. What was in that desk that Emily brought home from Scotland? Whatever it is, it’s discovering electricity for the first time, as it tries to communicate and play jokes on Emily and Jess through their computer, the lights in a theater, and worst of all, traffic lights… This supernatural tale combines science and legend with humor and very believable consequences.

Author's web site:

http://www.thelostland.com/bogg.htm

The Lost Land is Susan Cooper’s web page. It has lots of information about her other books, including the Dark is Rising Series.

There's a Dead Person Following My Sister Around by Vivian Vande Velde

What do you do when your annoying little sister has imaginary friends? You ignore her, of course. But Ted becomes less annoyed and more intrigued when his sister Vicki’s imaginary friends take a very scary turn. When the two ghostly visitors gets into Ted’s dreams and start to do some real haunting, Ted needs to dig into the history of his house to find out what they want, and how to stop them from hurting anyone in order to get it. When Ted finds a journal belonging to an ancestor, he begins to untangle the mystery and works toward helping these ghosts find their rest after so many years. A spooky ghost story, and extremely satisfying as a problem-solving mystery.

Cool web site:

http://www.vivianvandevelde.com/books.cfm

Go to Vivian Van Velde’s web site. Click on the Books for Teens, or the Books for 8 to 14 year olds. There are so many great titles! She does fantasy, fairy tales turned on their ears, and cyber fiction. Check it out!

Skeleton Man by Joseph Bruchac

If you like scary stories, you'll love Skeleton Man. When Molly's parents mysteriously disappear, a creepy "great-uncle" she's never met before arrives and takes her to live with him. He locks her in her room at night and looks an awful lot like the "skeleton man" from the Native American tales her father told her. Molly's dreams of her Native American heritage give strength, courage, and clues to save herself and solve the mystery of her parent's disappearance as the story of the "Skeleton Man" becomes reality for Molly.

If you want more spooks from Joseph Bruchac, read The Skeleton Man Returns!

Find out more about Joseph Bruchac at his website.

The Dolphins of Laurentum by Caroline Lawrence

Teen years in the roman Empire? Sound exciting? Perhaps. Depending on whether you were free or slave, your life had exciting potential or horrific possibilities. Flavia, Jonathan, Nubia, and Lupus are four teens , all of whom share a spirit of adventure, bonds of friendship, aptitudes for sleuthing, and talents in the music of 79 CE.

The four adventurers take refuge at the Laurentum villa of Pliny the Younger. The villa is on the Mediterranean Sea and they discover that there is a sunken ship , laden with treasure, not too far from shore. While the friends are in agreement that they should plan to dive for the treasure, they have very different ideas about what they might do with their prospective fortune. Plans change dramatically when they learn that someone else is also diving for the treasure. That someone is a person from the dark days when Lupus was enslaved.

There are 20 books in the series. The web site reports that in England the television program based on the series begins in January 2009.

http://www.romanmysteries.com