Undercover by Beth Kephart

Like a modern-day Cyrano de Bergerac, Elisa ghostwrites love notes for the boys in her school. But when Elisa falls for Theo Moses, things change fast. Theo asks for verses to court the lovely Lila—a girl known for her beauty, her popularity, and a cutting ability to remind Elisa that she has none of these. At home, Elisa's father, the one person she feels understands her, has left on an extended business trip. As the days grow shorter, Elisa worries that the increasingly urgent letters she sends her father won't bring him home. Like the undercover agent she feels she has become, Elisa retreats to a pond in the woods, where her talent for ice-skating gives her the confidence to come out from under cover and take center stage. But when Lila becomes jealous of Theo's friendship with Elisa, her revenge nearly destroys Elisa's ice-skating dreams and her plan to reunite her family.

I think I had different expectations for this book but I still enjoyed it. The book was well written and from the point of view of a ten grade student named Elisa. This is the first book for author Beth Kephart but I don't think it shows. While some authors try to simplify the language of their teen characters, Beth Kephart does nothing of the sort. She writes as if she is creating a piece of art and that brings more life to Elisa. Elisa is an honors student who has a more sophisticated mind than her other classmates. There are points in the story that you may not know exactly what she is thinking because she is creating poetry or trying to picture her life differently. I think the author does a good job in making sure that each reader interprets Elisa differently. This book may be a little heavy for the younger half of tweens mainly because they may not understand what Elisa is going through. She has family problems as well as problems making friends. Some people may relate to Elisa because she is the smart girl that people tend to ignore. Her sister is the popular, pretty girl that chooses to ignore her sister in the hallways at first. You can see growth in both characters throughout the book which makes it more enjoyable. It was a relatively quick read for me even though it clocked out at almost 300 pages. This is a book that I would recommend to the dedicated readers as they may understand Elisa more than an occasional reader.

Life as We Knew it by Susan Pfeffer

It's almost the end of Miranda's sophomore year in high school, and her journal reflects the busy life of a typical teenager: conversations with friends, fights with mom, and fervent hopes for a driver's license. When Miranda first begins hearing the reports of a meteor on a collision course with the moon, it hardly seems worth a mention in her diary. But after the meteor hits, pushing the moon off its axis and causing worldwide earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes, all the things Miranda used to take for granted begin to disappear. Food and gas shortages, along with extreme weather changes, come to her small Pennsylvania town; and Miranda's voice is by turns petulant, angry, and finally resigned, as her family is forced to make tough choices while they consider their increasingly limited options. Yet even as suspicious neighbors stockpile food in anticipation of a looming winter without heat or electricity, Miranda knows that that her future is still hers to decide even if life as she knew it is over.

I don't normally read disaster books but I stumbled upon this one and it was different from others that I had read. Written from the point of view of a 16 year old girl in diary format makes the reader feel like they are in a bubble of sorts. The reader is completely aware that the world is completely falling apart after a meteor has crashed into the moon but is only seeing it from Miranda. The book is so descriptive about the events going on in Miranda's life that you feel like you are living it with her. There is a sense of despair that the reader has that makes you feel like the world is ending and you have no power to stop it. There is a sense of foreboding that made me not want to turn the page for fear that something worse would happen and yet I could not put the book down. It is a bit of a heavy read and took me longer than a few of the other books that I have read in the past but I can see it being loved by boys and girls alike. The boys would love it for the disasters that are happening but the girls will love it because they can feel like they are in Miranda's place. I also liked the factor that even though the family is in hard times, Miranda still finds the time to act like a teenage girl every once in awhile. This is a book that I would recommend to all ages and not just the tweens because it is so well written and interesting.

Beastly by Alex Flinn

I am a beast.
A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright—a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.
You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll stay this way forever—ruined—unless I can break the spell.
Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly.

Beastly is a modern day fairy tale for the younger audience. I have only heard of this book in the past week because I saw a short trailer for the movie that comes out in July. I thought I would get a head start and read the book now before the popularity of it explodes at the library. I was pleasantly surprised by the book and read the book rather quickly. The main character Kyle/Adrian is one that you have a crush on but hate in high school. You think he's good looking and he knows he's good looking but doesn't care about you. Beastly is a book that really makes you think about yourself from the inside out and can change how people act around others. I thought all the characters had a great background story and didn't make me feel like I was missing anything. The author did a good job of updating the tale of Beauty and the Beast as well as bringing in other fairy tales into the mix. It reminds me of the book Into the Wild where it also brought fairy tales to life and mixed them with real life situations. Reading the book made me feel like I was actually watching the story in front of my eyes. Everything was descriptive and gave you a real picture in your head. There were only a few rare cheesy lines that I felt were out of place with the rest of the content but that did not stop me from continuing. Beastly is definitely a book I would recommend to kids, tweens and teens. It is imaginative, just the right length and good for boys and girls.

You Wouldn't Want to Be a Medieval Knight by Fiona MacDonald

You (the reader) are the son of a senior servant living in England in the 1400s. Instead of following in your father's footsteps and becoming a servant, you'd much rather become a knight! During your training and as you become a knight, you will discover the tools of the trade, such as your armor, weapons, and horse, and get a glimpse of what it's really like to be a knight.


Have you ever wanted to be a Knight? Maybe you have wanted to wear the armor of a Knight. Well, now you can what it takes to become a proper Knight. This book takes you through the process of what you need to become a Knight and what each one goes through in training and in battle. The illustrations are very well done and make you laugh about the content even if it is about dying in battle. This book is part of a series that takes you through Medieval times as well as other times in history. It gives you the facts about Knighthood all while trying to keep the reader interested in the content. This is a definite keeper and would love to check out the other books in the series.

The Usborne Official Knight's Handbook by Sam Taplin

The ultimate guide for the novice knight, covering everything from sieges to swordplay, feasts to fights and crusades to courtly love. Written in a lively, humorous and engaging style and packed with informative historical detail. Brings the period of medieval knights vividly to life. Taken from www.Usborne.com

I found this book by accident but it was one of the more entertaining educational books that I have read. Usborne writes all kinds of handbooks and guides for different time periods which makes it a better way for the student to learn. Instead of reading through a book that just mumbles out facts, it puts you in a situation and makes you believe that you are trying to become or do something. There are a number of amusing illustrations throughout the book that will catch the eye of kids reading this book and it will stick with them. This book gives information on knights and what knights had to go through but puts a one on one perspective on it. This book is a quick enough read and I breezed through it with no problems. Not only are there points touched upon on how to become a Knight but it also talks about how Knights would court ladies and what the average home was like. The book is a definite good choice to give to students who need help with information on Knights as well as the middle ages.

The Life and Times of King Arthur: The Evolution of a Legend by Susan Harkins

Centuries ago, when the earth was still young and sorcerers and fairies were believed to roam the misty forest, a mortal man changed history. Arthur, born into a dark world of savage violence, united the Britons against their enemies at the battle of Mount Badon. For centuries, Britons shared Arthur's story around their campfires. Eventually, the story passed out of the Dark Ages and into modern literature. Follow Arthur, his wife Guinevere, and the knights of the Round Table as the story evolves from a world of warlords and bloodshed into a kingdom of mythical medieval knights, sorcerers, love, and ultimately, betrayal.

I want to confess that there have been so many legends and stories about King Arthur in the movie world that I forgot that it was part of a true story. This book starts out with the legend of King Arthur which is something that really hooked me on the book quickly. It go back and forth from the legend to the real story and even going as far back as Roman civiliation. The thing that I like about this book is that it includes the different versions of the legend as well as the true story. This book goes from the legend to the death of King Arthur as well as including a picture and information about King Arthur's tomb. The end of the book does have a reason why it is hard to really give the right amount of information for King Arthur. His story has become more of a story than reality even though there was a true Arthur. A legend stays a legend and only grows in time. This book has the right balance of legend and truth that makes it interesting to read and in the right subject area for tweens. I would recommend this book for those needing information on King Arthur whether they want to know more about the legend or his actual life.

Knights: Warrior of the Middle Ages by Aileen Weintraub

Let the battles begin! Way of the Warrior takes readers into the fray with history's most valiant and infamous soldiers for a close look at warriors through the ages.

This book can be misleading with the size that it is because it looks like it would have more pictures than information. There is a lot of information packed into a mere 40 plus pages including the history of the beginning of the knights, crusades, and tournaments. Every few pages, there are little bubbles of short facts that are perfect to include in a book report or term paper for a middle school student. One thing that I liked about this book is that it doesn't just give you the history of the knight but it also gives you how knights are perceived these days. There is a small dictionary in the back of new words which is very convenient for all ages. One other section of the book that I felt was really helpful was the fact that the author gave the reader a further reading section for more research as well as resources on medieval studies. I, myself, did not know that there is a Medieval academy in America. In conclusion, I would recommend this book to students who need material for Knights and the middle ages because there is more information than I expected in the book.

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

Bella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Bella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Bella, the person Edward holds most dear.

I wanted to review two different popular series today and show the difference in what I thought of them. I'm going to try and be as neutral as possible about this book because I'm very opinionated about it but I might not be able to do. I had decided to read these books because I noticed the popularity of them at my previous job. After reading the entire series, I first wanted to say that Stephanie Meyer did not seem to have the right grip on her characters and they drastically changed in the fourth book. Bella Swan never truly seemed happy about the situations she was in and once she finally got what she wanted, she still seemed miserable. Edward seemed far too angsty for my tastes and too overprotective. I do not know what girl would actually enjoy being followed all the time, being watched while sleeping, and having their property damaged so they could not go out. Jacob had a very egotistical personality that frustrated and annoyed me every time he was in the book. Bella's father did not seem to have a lot of say in what his daughter did nor did he seem to have very much control. Stephanie Meyer's writing could use a serious amount of improvement and I felt like there was no editor in the book writing process. it felt extremely amateurish and I honestly felt like I was reading glorified fanfiction. Very little actually happened for most of the first book which I found to be really boring. Stephanie Meyer seemed to be depending on the reader connecting with Edward and Bella instead of actually bringing the plot forward. It was only when she could not find anymore adjectives to describe how beautiful Edward was that she introduced the conflict. Having read the back story behind how she came up with the idea to write Twilight made me seem a bit uncomfortable. The way she writes Edward seems like she is trying to idolize and turn him into some type of God. Even when he does unexcusable things to Bella, Bella still finds the heart to forgive him and turn the blame on herself. Stephanie Meyer does not paint a strong image for growing girls at all which I find very disheartening. There was no character that I could really relate to properly or even favor. I cannot and do not recommend this book to tweens who ask for books to read because I don't see a positive message being portrayed.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

For most children, summer vacation is something to look forward to. But not for our 13-year-old hero, who's forced to spend his summers with an aunt, uncle, and cousin who detest him. The third book in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series catapults into action when the young wizard "accidentally" causes the Dursleys' dreadful visitor Aunt Marge to inflate like a monstrous balloon and drift up to the ceiling. Fearing punishment from Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon (and from officials at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry who strictly forbid students to cast spells in the nonmagic world of Muggles), Harry lunges out into the darkness with his heavy trunk and his owl Hedwig. In this third installment in the projected seven-volume series, Sirius Black, imprisoned for killing 13 people with one curse, escapes from Azkaban. As he heads for Hogwarts, the chilling Dementors who trail him quickly descend upon the school. Taken from Amazon.com

This review might be a little biased because I am a big fan of the Harry Potter series. I have always thought they were entertaining, well written, and a perfect book to read for younger and older audiences alike. I picked the third book to review because the plot was different than the rest of the books (save The Deathly Hallows, kind of). This was the first time that Voldemort was not going after Harry Potter but he believed a murderer was coming after him instead. He ends up finding out that it is his Godfather and finds out the truth of what really happened to his parents. The book has a lot of action but heartfelt moments as well. I believe JK Rowling really captured the mind of a 13 year old even though he never grew up in a normal environment. She is able to create an entire world and make the reader believe that they are right there next Harry Potter trying to survive. The thing that I love so much about these books is that the readers grow up with Harry Potter and the writing improves. I could tell that JK Rowling was a relatively new writer with the first book but gained experience as each book came out. She paid attention to the demographic of her readers and was aware that they were not all 5 years old reading the book. The Deathly Hallows was the most adult of the series and you could tell how close she was to the characters she created. All in all, The Prisoner of Azkaban gives more insight to Harry's past as well as seeing how much he could grow. I also enjoyed the time travel plot with Hermione and it showed how determined Hermione is to be a strong, independent girl in that world. I thoroughly enjoy this book in the series and it is not even my favorite book in the series. I would recommend it to any child, tween or teen who wants a good book to read.

Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson

When the math teacher disappears with the funds just eleven days before the dance, determined and organized Nat goes into high gear to find alternative ways to make the prom happen and drags an unwilling Ashley into the flurry of urgent details.
Ashley has enough problems in her life already, starting with the complexities of her crowded but loving working class family -- her extremely pregnant mother and her three exuberant and prom-crazy aunts, and her cab-driving father and three younger brothers, who think nothing of happily trashing the kitchen in a game of hot dog baseball. Then there’s Mr. Gilroy, the evil vice principal of discipline, who has Ashley on endless detention, her awful job at EZ-CHEEZ-E, where she has trouble seeing the customers through the eyeholes of her rat costume, and her good-looking but lowlife boyfriend TJ, who wants her to join him in a future as depressing as the dank one-room apartment he has so proudly rented for them. Not to speak of Nat’s loony grandmother, who wears her red bathing cap even when she’s not doing the backstroke in a wading pool, babbles at Ashley in Russian, and spits on the floor to show her disapproval.

After I read Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, I knew that I would more than likely enjoy Prom. The content is not as dark as the first which is something that I enjoyed. It was a light hearted book about a teenager who hates prom. Ashley has a boyfriend who seems to have a one track mind and wants to have Ashley all to himself. Her parents are horndogs which is so well described as a teenager would describe it that I felt like a teenager had written this book. There were a lot of little points throughout the book that made me laugh because of how everything was written. The characters (except for Ashley's boyfriend) all have a quality that I liked and it made you root for every single one of them. There is heart in this book even though you believe Ashley doesn't care about most of the stuff going on. She hates her job, she obviously does not care about school in the beginning, and just wants to get out of there. Trying to save prom changes her character in a way that is for the better. She becomes more motivated and sees the light about a lot of issues. I quite enjoyed this book and I would recommend the book for the older tweens due to a little bit of adult content. It is also a quick read so it is one that tweens can easily breeze through.