39 Clues Book 1 Maze of Bones by by Rick Riordan****

Today, I’m reviewing a book called 39 Clues. The setting of the story takes place in modern day in various places. The main characters of the book are Dan and Amy Cahill. These two kids want to take part in finding clues that unlock a secret to their family instead of taking 1 million dollars from their aunt Grace’s will. Along the way, most of the family members try to stop the kids from winning the challenge. At the end of the book, Amy and Dan find out that Ben Franklin is a Cahill and has hidden the first clue in the Poor Richard’s Almanac. At the end, the kids get the clue and start looking for the other clues. There are 10 books in the series following Dan and Amy on this adventure.
by Derek C.

Lemonade Mouth by Mark Peter*****

Lemonade Mouth by Mark Peter Hughes *****
338 pages
Realistic Fiction
Lemonade Mouth by Mark Peter Hughes is about five freshmen by the names of Wen, Stella, Olivia, Charlie, and Mo. By fate, they all end up in detention the same day in a drab classroom at the basement of the school. A couple of them have never been to detention before, while for others, it’s the usual routine. While there, they learn that they all have something in common that they never knew about before--that they all have a passion for music. After becoming friends and wondering if they should form a band, things start getting in the way and arguments arise. Luckily, the students agreed to stay together, and came up with a clever and catchy name, Lemonade Mouth, after the famous Mel’s Organic Lemonade. Many of the older kids, especially those from a competing band, Mudslide Crush, make fun of them and say they don’t know what they are doing. After Lemonade Mouth’s first concert though, a lot of students changed their mind, claiming the music was moving and they became true fans. Wen, Stella, Olivia, Charlie, and Mo had been outcasts, but not anymore. They became pretty famous around their area, and finally, their big break came. They auditioned for a local radio’s contest, called Catch a RI-Zing Star, but the day before the show, they all seem to be out of it and have bad luck. What will happen when they get on stage and they aren’t ready?
Rating: *****
Alana F.
Period 3

Eragon by Christopher Paolini ****

Fantasy
497pages
Eragon by Christopher Paolini starts off with young farm boy Eragon hunting deer in the forest when he stumbles upon a strange sapphire stone. He does not know what the stone is or where it is from. One night Eragon is awakened by a strange noise, which he realizes is coming from the stone. It appears to be breaking and out pops a little dragon. In Alagaesia, where Eragon lives, dragons have long been a legend to humans. As the dragon grows, she learns to communicate with Eragon mentally, and he learns that he is her rider. He tries to keep this a secret, but soon the ruthless leader of Alagaesia, Galbatorix, learns of the dragon. He has tried to keep dragons a secret since the fall of the dragon riders hundreds of years ago and sends men to capture Eragon and the dragon, Saphira. They escape but in the incident Garrow, Eragon’s uncle and guardian, is killed and the Ra’zac, the evil creatures sent to capture Eragon, have fled. Now, Eragon is thrown into a quest for vengeance and understanding. His only helpers are Saphira and an old storyteller Brom who just might know a bit too much about Galbatorix and the "legends" of Alagaesia.
Rating
****
Rebecca B.
Period 7

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova ***

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova is a story of a girl whose name does not get revealed because she is the one telling the story. The story starts with her one night wandering through her father’s library only to come across an ancient book and faded letters addressed to “My Dear and Unfortunate Successor.” She’s tortured by not knowing the secrets of her father’s past. As she digs deeper into the letters’ meaning, she is led to an evil hidden deep in the corners of history. The letters in fact lead to a century-long search of the truth of Vlad the Impaler, the most feared ruler of not just his time. For years historians have risked their sanity and even their lives to find his secrets. Now, she has to decide to either find them or follow in her father’s footsteps into a world that destroyed him when he was a young man. Will the stories she discoveries in Ivy League Libraries come close to the secret that no one in history has found?

by Paige B.

Spud- The Madness Continues by John van de Ruit 337 pgs ****

John (Spud) Milton lives in South Africa it is 1991, and he is about to start his second year at an all boys boarding school. But this year will not be easy. He must juggle rugby, cricket, a trip to London, his diary, schoolwork, his crazy classmates, girlfriend issues, and a wacko grandma. This will not be easy, but it will be funny. Spud- the Madness Continues is a great sequel to Spud and is a great read for boys.

I highly recommend this series.

Jonah
Period 2

So long and Thanks for All the Fish by Douglas Adams 204 pgs ***

Arthur Dent is finally back on earth, and he is hopelessly in love with Fenchurch who is considered to be a complete nutcase by her brother. Together, they embark on a journey to find Wonko the Sane and try to find out where all the dolphins went. In the end they go to Preliumtarn where they meet Marvin, the super depressed robot, and see God’s final words to man.

Jonah M. Period 2

Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams

Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams, the fifth book in the increasingly inaccurately named Hitchhikers Trilogy 227 pgs ****

Arthur Dent wants to be completely normal. Too bad he can fly, and he has traveled in space. After surviving a spaceship crash on an unknown planet, he becomes the village sandwichmaker, one of the best jobs available, using the meat of the perfectly normal beast to make some of the best sandwiches around. On the other side of the galaxy, Ford Prefect is in a bit of a mess. After breaking into his own company’s offices, he then discovers something is not right, The Company is under new management! I guess he never got to say goodbye to the sea monster in its tank. After proceeding to knock his CEO out, he then steals a large amount of money from the corporation. After falling over 50 stories and being shot at by Vulgans, he finally wonders, what should I do next?

This is a wonderful conclusion to one of the best science fiction series of all time.
Jonah M. p.2

Maximum Ride, The Angel Experiment by James Patterson 413pgs **

Angel has been kidnapped, and it’s up to Max and the rest of the flock to save her and discover where they came from and why they were made. Yes made. They are all genetically engineered bird humans with wings and super strength. They have to brave some of their greatest fears to rescue angel and to discover who they really are.

Jonah M. Period 2

Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson 407 pgs ***

Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson 407 pgs ***

Six amazing flying mutant kids are given the task of saving the world, which is a pretty big thing to do. In the third book of this exciting series, Max and her family face dangers from flying robots, wolf men and Jeb, a puzzling man who works for the corporation that made Max and doesn’t seem to have a side. Traveling from Arizona to California to France, and even Germany, The Flock is in for a tough time.

But hey, who said saving the world was going to be easy?

Jonah M. p.2

Over to you by Roald Dahl- 159 pgs ***

Over to you by Roald Dahl- 159 pgs ***

This is a collection of stories about WWII both made up and real. It is mostly about fighter pilots and the troubles they faced.

It is a great, quick read by one of the greatest writers ever.
Jonah M. Period 2

The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy- 387pgs *****

The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy- 387pgs ***** It is the Height of the Cold War, CIA analyst Jack Ryan is charged with a nearly impossible mission, helping a Russian nuclear missile submarine defect to the United States with one of the USSR’s best officers. The problem is that the ship is built with the latest stealth technology, making it nearly invisible to a sonar operator’s ears, and the commander of the sub, Marko Ramius, doesn’t want to be found until he wants to be found. A great game of hide and seek is afoot, with the stakes as high as a possible nuclear war.

The book is a brilliant novel about the cold war, submarine warfare, and intelligence gathering. I strongly recommend this book for any upper level reader.

Jonah M.

Song of the Gargoyle by Zilpha Keatley Snyder **

Song of the Gargoyle
Zilpha Keatley Snyder
219 pages


The main character’s name is Tymmon. Tymmon is a poor boy who wants to become a knight. His father, Komus, is a jester who gets kidnapped by Black Helmet. Tymmon meets a gargoyle named Troff. Now, it’s up to Tymmon and Troff to rescue Komus from Black Helmet.

Will Tymmon become a jester or a knight? Will Tymmon and Troff rescue Komus or will Black Helmet capture all three of them?

I wouldn’t recommend Song of the Gargoyle. In the beginning there’s not much action because Tymmon’s life is described. Although the beginning is slow, the middle has more action. For example, Tymmon and Troff goes on an adventure to rescue Komus. Even though I did not like this book, someone who likes books about the Middle Ages might like it.

Rating: **
Tyler K.

Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop **

Castle in the Attic
Author: Elizabeth Winthrop
170 pages

The main character was a boy named William. William was a gymnast, and he loved the toy castle that Mrs. Phillips, the maid, gave him before she left to go to England. He loves the castle and he plays with it all the time.

William was a sneaky little boy because in the middle of the night, he would sneak up into the attic and play with his little toy castle. The king of the castle was Sir Simon. Sir Simon was turned into lead by a man named Alaster. But William wants revenge on Alaster because Alaster hurt his little toy knight.

I wouldn’t really recommend this book because it was pretty boring, because it was really slow in the beginning and the middle because there was little action. I don’t really find the Middle Ages that interesting. If you like the Middle Ages, I think that you might like the book and find it more interesting than me.

Rating**
Shane P

The Door in the Wall by Marguerite De Angeli *

The Door in the Wall
120 pages
Marguerite De Angeli

This book was about a boy who lived in the Middle Ages. His name is Robin whose parents had to leave to do some things and left him with a maid. Robin is crippled and doesn’t like the maid. He scares her away by throwing porridge in her face. Brother Luke a monk comes to Robin’s house and takes Robin to his monastery.

While at the monastery, Robin learns to swim with his arms because his legs are crippled. Later, he receives a letter from his father telling him to come to the castle where he was fighting the Welsh. It was a long journey. Robin, Brother Luke, John-go-in-the-Wynd, and a horse went on the journey. It's a long and fierce journey because Robin had to hike on crutches a long distance, and he also had to sleep in a log because it was raining.

This book was not very good. I wouldn’t recommend this book unless you like books on Middle Ages. The end of the book was really not that good and I thought it was one of the worst books I ever read in my life.


Rating *
Jack R

Stephen Colbert's I Am America (And So Can You!) ****

Let me hit this one right off the bat: when you open Stephen Colbert's I Am America (And So Can You!), don't expect riveting prose and tear-jerking poetry. Also don't expect for him to agree with the ideas you grew up with. In fact, don't expect researched theorems, either. However, do expect to find some of the most hilarious irreverence to come along since the Three Stooges. He's Stephen Colbert. He doesn't need any of those things to captivate an audience. All he needs is himself and a little caffeine.

Apparently, Stephen Colbert isn't able to fit all his unique opinions into his Comedy Central news report The Colbert Report, so he's taken the liberty of placing the rest of his myriad ideas into book format. The result is a guaranteed laugh-fest, and even a substitute for a Bible, or, at least, that's how he defines his creation. For fans of the show, this is essentially more Colbert, which is an entirely good thing. This is not a book. At least, not in the traditional sense. Between the numerous footnotes and sideline doodling, humorous charts depicting all sorts of American essences, and flippant attitude towards many subsets of American culture, Stephen manages to turn the pages of a simple shredded tree into a menagerie of bizarre opinions. It's hard to tell whether this is a book, or something much more dangerous. You can even hear his voice in your head if you listen closely.

Within this book, you will listen to Stephen rant about his views on parenthood, religion, science, race, the media, and much more. Though his views aren't always the most conventional, he preaches his Colbert-ican attitude proudly throughout the book. His ideas, in fact, are more sensible than a lot of the political ideas normal people have today. I say that devoid of humor.

Though Mr. Colbert is obviously not a writer, he's a great humorist, and thankfully, his entertaining style transfers to the written word. For fans of the show, this is a must read and a great companion to the many other Colbert paraphernalia you no doubt have. And even if you've never tuned in to one of his reports, this is still a recommended read. The unique perspectives on America will have any normal human being hooked within minutes.
Mark G.

The Spellman Files ***

The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz is the story of Isabel Spellman, a woman born into a family of private investigators. Isabel has shown interest in the family business since she was eavesdropping on her elementary school peers, and she has worked for her family since the age of twelve. Although this life seems ideal for Isabel, the Spellman home is not an easy one to live in. Being employed by her mother and father is a problem in itself, but when she finds out that her telephone has been wired a true battle begins. In the midst of this are her siblings, her perfect older brother David who has left the family business to become a lawyer, and her younger sister Rae who is addicted to two things: sugar and recreational surveillance. Uncle Ray just adds to the tension. When he is not aggravating Rae, named after him after he was diagnosed with cancer, he leaves on what has become known to the Spellmans as, “Lost Weekends.” This means that he has run off to a motel somewhere to drink and play poker and needs to be picked up in a day or two. When you add all of this chaos to the fact that her parents are following her twenty- four seven and she is working on a case from fifteen years ago, you come up with the craziness of Isabel Spellman’s life. But when Rae goes missing while on a “recreational surveillance” venture all other problems are forgotten until Rae is located and returned home safely. With a family of private investigators, how hard can it be to find a fourteen year old?

Keira G.

Per. 2

Girl Overboard ***

Girl Overboard by Justina Chen Headley is the story of Syrah Cheng, billionaire Ethan Cheng’s daughter. She has everything a girl could want, from one of a kind designer clothes to a Mercedes sitting in the garage awaiting her sixteenth birthday, and she doesn’t want any of it. The one thing she wants is to fly down a mountain on her snowboard with her best friend, Age, but she can’t do that. Just a few months before Syrah tore her ACL while riding in the back country alone where she was buried by an avalanche. It was a miracle that she was found when it was said that she had about a ten percent chance of surviving. Although she has gone through extensive surgery and physical therapy, and her doctor told her that she is healthy enough to snowboard, her parents won’t allow it. On top of that, Age has gotten back together with his old girlfriend, who doesn’t allow him to talk to Syrah. Unable to snowboard and ignored by her family, including her half siblings who are old enough to be her parents, Syrah is a prisoner in a mansion. It isn’t until she finds Amanda, a three- year -old with cancer who also loves to snowboard, that she decides to help. For her entire life people have only heard her last name and tried to get close to her to get to her father; however,when Syrah is about to make a name for herself separate from her father, she is in the world of snowboarding and beyond.

Keira G.

Per.2

The New Policeman by Kate Thompson*****

The New Policeman, by Kate Thompson, combines classic Irish folklore with modern storytelling to create a unique plot in an unfamiliar land that is nonetheless things that we have, for the most part, seen before.
All J.J. Liddy’s mother wants for her birthday is time. The time seems to be seeping away from the residents of Kinvira, a small town located near the sea of Ireland. J.J. takes upon himself this seemingly impossible task; he tries to do odd jobs for his mother, to give her more minutes in an ever-shortening day, while also trying to fit in homework and music practice for the upcoming family dance. But, just like all the other people, J.J. just doesn’t seem to have enough hours to complete his tasks. That is until a neighbor reveals a secret…
As it seems, time is leaking from Earth into an alternate version of Earth, the classic Irish folklore land or Tir na N’Òg, where time stands still. So now, not only is time passing in the “Land of Eternal Youth, “ but there are less hours in the other world. J.J. must team up with a “Fairy” named Aengus Òg to find the leak between the two worlds and restore time to its original flow. From the plot mentioned above, you might not say there’s much to the story; no obvious antagonist, little knowledge of the worlds; among other things. In fact, the plot is rather light in the basic sense: an Irish Teenager searches for a rip in the fabric of Time to save both worlds. But, you’ll only get a small sense of the big picture if you don’t pay attention to the scenes that are obviously a back story. If you look closely, you’ll see a deeper plot present itself, one that enhances the experience much past the basic events of the story. Thus, this is a challenging read for most young adults, but the journey is very worth it. The book is also very rich in Irish Folklore, making it a must-read for those close to their Irish heritage, or those interested in the unique mythology of Ireland.

by Mark G. p. 2
Rating: *****

The House of the Scorpion by Farmer, Nancy *****

Science Fiction Pages: 380

Matteo Alcrán (Matt) is a clone, and he was harvested out of a cow. He is the clone of El Patrón, a powerful drug lord. The story takes place in the future and in Opium, a piece of land between Mexico, now called Aztlán, and the United States. Opium is ruled by El Patrón, who is over 140 years old. Matt was created so El Patrón could harvest Matt’s organs when his own organs began to fail. Matt has been raised by Celia, one of El Patrón’s workers. Matt has never met another human besides Celia and the doctor in his entire life because humans treat clones like animals and El Patrón doesn’t want his great-great-grandchildren to have to see him. When Matt is six years old, he jumps out of the window and meets Tom, Emilia, and María. They are all descendants of El Patrón, and have never seen a clone before. Disgust automatically overwhelms Tom and Emilia, but María likes Matt and builds a strong friendship with him as the book continues. The children take Matt back to their family and Matt is treated as a prisoner for several years. He is kept in a room full of sawdust until El Patrón comes to his rescue. El Patrón realizes how similar Matt’s personality is to his as a child and wants Matt to have a better life than he had. As Matt grows into a teenager, he realizes that he loves El Patrón like a father. When Matt finds out that El Patrón only created him for his organs, Matt knows that he cannot let this happen to him. He has high expectations for his life and must leave Opium before El Patrón kills him for his organs. Will Matt be able to escape and start a new life on his own or will he be killed for his organs?
Find out by reading The House of the Scorpion .


Caroline W.
*****
Period: 8

How It Happened in Peach Hill by Jocelyn, Marthe ***

Historical Fiction Pages: 232

How It Happened in Peach Hill is the story of a fifteen-year-old girl named Annie. Annie and her clairvoyant mother who has traveled from town to town Annie’s entire life is scamming people of their money. All Annie’s mom does is lie to people while Annie assists her. When they move to Peach Hill, her mom makes Annie act like an idiot so she can eavesdrop on the townspeople without them becoming suspicious. Annie’s mom puts on a wonderful show for the citizens of Peach Hill and most of them fall for it, especially Mr. Poole. Mr. Poole lives in a huge house on the outside of town. He begins to really like Annie’s mom and decides that he wants to showcase her talents at a performance at his house. Meanwhile, Annie has decided that she’s sick of acting like an idiot and she begins to like a boy named Sammy Sloane. She pretends that her mother magically cured her, and she begins to act normal and go to school. At the showcase at Mr. Sloane’s house, people begin to doubt Annie and her mom. Annie decides that she is sick of lying to people and wants to start a new life on her own. When her mom moves on to the next town, Annie stays in Peach Hill and begins her new life. Read to find out how Annie makes a new life for herself.

Rating: Caroline W
*** Period: 8

The Swarm by Frank Schatzing ****

The human race is in danger: whales start killing people in Canada; exploding lobsters poison water supplies in Europe and thousands die; toxic, eyeless crabs poison New York City; and to trump it all, the North Sea shelf collapses, destroying the offshore drilling industry and ravaging England and Norway. The events are connected – an unknown white substance seems to be controlling sea organisms. Sigur Johansen, a Norwegian scientist, Leon Anawak, a Native American and other experts try to figure out what is happening. They realize that their efforts could save the world. Top government officials have their own ideas about who should win this war with the sea, especially Judith Lee, a top general who has her own plans for confronting the danger. Can humanity win the war against something that they can’t find or is the sea going to have its ultimate revenge for humanity’s abuses? – A challenging read for advanced readers.

Jonah M.
898 pages

New Moon by Stephanie Meyer ****

New Moon by Stephanie Meyer is the second book in the series Twilight. Bella Swan has fallen in love with Edward Cullen, a vampire. Edward and his family decide to throw a little birthday party for Bella. Bella cut her finger opening an envelope. Edwards’s brother, Jasper, is the newest vampire in the family, and can't control himself. He tries to attack Bella. Edward decides that it is best for Bella if he leaves, so that Bella can live a normal life. He does not want Bella to get into anymore danger. Bella becomes very depressed and is very lifeless now. She spends most of her time in her room, or in La Push with Jacob, a family friend. Bella almost jumps off a cliff to get Edward to come back. Edward could see that she was going to jump and assumed she had died. Alice, Edward's sister comes to check on Bella because Edward has gone to the Volturi to ask for death. Edward and Bella cannot live without each other. They rescue Edward, and both Bella and Edward are reunited at last.

547 pagesAmanda G. period 7.

Absolute Brightness by James Lecesne ***

Absolute Brightness by James Lecesne depicts the real life horrors of teenage prejudice. When fifteen year old Phoebe learns that her estranged cousin is moving in with her dysfunctional family, she can’t think of anything that she would like to happen less. Her negative feelings about the situation only increase when thirteen-year-old, obviously gay Leonard shows up on their doorstep. Leonard becomes a trouble magnet when he flaunts his differences instead of hiding them. Whether he is walking down the halls in pink and lime green plaid Capri pants and homemade platform sneakers or giving beauty advice to the women in Phoebe’s mother’s hair salon, Hair Today, Leonard always finds a way to be himself. It wasn’t until Leonard mysteriously disappeared that Phoebe realized what a huge impact he made on her life.

472 pages

Keira G.

period 2

Brisingr by Christopher Paolini ***

Brisingr by Christopher Paolini is the third book in the Inheritance series. The book begins soon after Eldest ends. The citizens of Carvahall have joined the Varden in their struggle against the terrible King Galbatorix, where Eragon and his dragon Saphira play a huge role as the last free dragon and Rider. They are sent on missions to find allies and are key components in battle, when they never know if Eragon’s brother Murtagh and his dragon, Thorn, will rear their ugly heads. They must leave the Varden to help the dwarves choose a new king who is sympathetic to the Varden’s cause and consult with their elf teacher, The-Cripple-Who-Is-Whole. As they embark on their quest they realize their destinies.

748 pages

Keira G.

period 2

Three Willows by Ann Brashares ***

Three Willows by Ann Brashares is the story of friends Polly, Jo, and Ama. These girls have grown apart as they went through middle school and barely keep in touch now that eighth grade has ended. As their summers begin, they all start to realize that nothing is turning out as they planned. Polly has decided to follow in her grandmother’s footsteps and become a model, which means working on her look. She hardly eats at all in order to lose weight. Her mother barely notices because she spends hours at a time in her art studio. While Jo is adjusting to her new job on the beach, she finds out that her parents have decided to separate for the summer. While the news doesn’t come as a shock, it does change the fact that no one will ever be home anymore. This leaves the house alone to Jo, her new friends from work, and her potential boyfriend Zach. Meanwhile, studious Ama has won a scholarship to take courses during the summer as class credit for the upcoming year. When she receives her letter, she expects an invitation to formal classes in an air conditioned library. What she got was a perilous hiking trip that she hates even before she gets there. As their summers start to turn into disasters, Jo, Ama, and Polly realize how much they’ve missed each other and the value of their friendship.

318 pages

~Keira G.
period 2

Bounce by Natasha Friend ***

Bounce by Natasha Friend is the story of a thirteen- year- old girl named Evyn. Evyn lives with her dad, Al, who they call Birdie, and her brother, Mackey, who is a few years older than she is. Evyn's mom died when Evyn was one year old. They live in Maine and Evyn's best friend's name is Jules. When Birdie tells Evyn and Mackey that he is getting married to a woman named Elini, Evyn is not thrilled. To make it worse, they have to move to Boston AND Elini has six kids! When Evyn tells Jules, she is devastated. When they move, Evyn has to share a room with fifteen year old twins Cleo and Cassandra. At Evyn's new school she becomes friends with the popular girls once they find out that she is Ajax's step-sister. They think he is adorable and ask her to find out who he likes. She lies to them about who he likes to keep her popularity. When they find out that Evyn lied to them, they set out to destroy her. To make her life worse, Birdie and Elini tell the family that they are having another child together. At first, Evyn hopes that they are kidding. When she finds out that they are for real, she learns to be positive, even in bad situations. She also learns how to build new friendships, even when you live hundreds of miles away from your best friend. When Jules finally comes to Boston to visit, Evyn and Jules are able to have the time of their life, even though Evyn's life is now completely different!
Caroline W.

188 pages
Period: 8

Where I Want to Be by Adele Griffin ***

Where I Want to Be by Adele Griffin is the story of two sisters named Jane and Lilly. Jane was killed by an ongoing car as she was walking across the street. Where I Want to Be explores both girls' perspectives on what really happened to provoke the accident and on the day of the accident. Lilly is seventeen. She is the younger sister, has always been really popular and has a lot of friends. She has always fit in well and she has a very loving boyfriend named Caleb. When she first started dating him, Jane was very excited when he came over to their house. Caleb had been almost killed by a dog when he was in middle school and Jane had tons of questions for him. Jane is the older sister and is eighteen when she dies. Jane had a mental disability. Once Lilly outgrew the age when she enjoyed make-believe, Jane had always felt left out of her younger sister's life. After Caleb had been coming over to their house for a while, Jane got sick of him being there all of the time because, after all, it wasn't his house! Jane starts to become disappointed with her life when she compares it to her sister's. Her grandparents, who she was extremely close too, died, and that pushed her completely off of the edge. Find out the final reasons leading up to Jane's actions by reading Where I Want to Be.

Caroline W

150 pages
Period: 8

Where I Want To Be by Adele Griffin ***

Griffin, Adele Pages: 150

Where I Want to Be by Adele Griffin is the story of two sisters named Jane and Lilly. Jane was killed by an ongoing car as she was walking across the street. Where I Want to Be explores both girls' perspectives about what really happened to provoke the accident and what happened on the day of the accident. Lilly is seventeen. She is the younger sister, who has always been really popular and has a lot of friends. She has always fit in well, and she has a very loving boyfriend named Caleb. When she first started dating him, Jane was very excited when he came over to their house. Caleb had been almost killed by a dog when he was in middle school and Jane had tons of questions for him. Jane is the older sister and is eighteen when she dies. Jane had a
mental disability. Once Lilly outgrew the age when she enjoyed make-believe, Jane had always felt left out of her younger sister's life. After Caleb had been coming over to their house for a while, Jane got sick of him being there all of the time because, after all, it wasn't his house! Jane starts to become disappointed with her life when she compares it to her sister's. After the death of her grandparents she is pushed completely off of the edge. Find out the final reasons leading to Jane's actions read: Where I Want to Be.

Rating:
Caroline W.

Period: 8

Pretty Tough by Liz Tigelaar ***

Pretty Tough by Liz Tigelaar is the story of sisters Krista and Charlie Brown who have grown apart since Charlie entered high school. Since then the girls have hardly spoken to one another and the words that they do exchange aren’t ones that leave them on good terms. While surfing Charlie meets the new soccer coach, Martie, who is looking for general athletes to join the team. Knowing that her sister has high hope of being captain this season, Charlie agrees if only to see Krista’s face when she hears that she’s on the team. When Krista hears she is more convinced than ever that Charlie is a freaky surfer rebel who is out to get her. Being under constant pressure from her best friend Brooks and her dream boyfriend Cam, Krista just doesn’t have the time or energy to worry about her younger sister ruining her chances at the one thing that is entirely hers. Being on the team turns out great for Charlie; she can get under Krista’s skin and do well in her new position at starting striker. As the season goes on, the girls come closer together as sisters and as a team, but will a big misunderstanding ruin their chances at a championship title?

~Keira G. Period 2

246 pages

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