Riverglen Library

This book has many wonderful, funny jokes that you can read in the car on your way to your vacation. The book talks about funny little jokes that happen on family vacations and jokes that could happen. It tells little stories about other (fake) family’s adventures.

My reaction to this book was that next time I should get a better book because some of the jokes in the book are just so corny and sometimes not even funny. But if you are a easy going person you would love the book for just some laughs. To me overall it was an okay book if your on a family vacation and you have nothing to do otherwise in general. It was pretty boring! Okay!

Reviewed by E. M. Kraft

The Admirer -- by Debra Franklin

When Morgan decides to give up guys forever, she begins getting small gifts from an unknown admirer, but when the gifts become scary and she begins getting prank calls of heavy breathing and cruel threats, Morgan just doesn't know what to do, and now her best friend is getting beaten up for her mistakes.

This was a great book for all kinds of people, it will keep you on the edge of your seat. You will not want to put this book down. I give it *****

Rating=Excellent

Reviewed by= N. Bratton

All Things Possible: Kurt Warner – by Kurt Warner (not in Riverglen Library)

This is about a football player who went through lots of challenges. Kurt Warner went from food stocker at a grocery store in Iowa to an MVP Super Bowl champion. No one believed he would make it so far because he did not make it past the training camps. Kurt proved them wrong, very wrong.

I thought this was the best book I have ever read. I liked this because I admire him so much. I like how he never gave up and kept his belief in God because he questioned if God existed and it carried him all the way to the top of the NFL. Excellent book.

Reviewed by J. Whitlow

And Then You Die -- by Iris Johansen (not in the Riverglen Library)

Main characters are Bess Grady and her soon to become friend, Kaldak. The story takes place in a small town, Tenajo, Mexico. A mutated virus has been planted into the drinking water, and killed everyone. Only one survivor remains, a little baby girl. Bess being at the wrong place is now tangled in a web of destruction. With the help of Kaldak they will hopefully find a way to stay alive, and to keep the rest of the world out of harms way, too.

This was the most amazing book ever. I love to read and Iris is my favorite author. She always ties in, murder, romance, and thrill in all of her books. But she always keeps you on the edge of your seat, like I was. She uses real life things and turns them into something more interesting. Iris is the best and so are her books. Excellent!

Reviewed by J. Coles

Anne of Avolea -- by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Anne, now 16, comes home from Queens school and decides to stay and not go to college. Her and Marilla adopt two six-year-old twins, Davy high strung and full of hilarious questions and Dora a quiet easy to please and be pleased. A couple funny and serious times come to Green Gables after the twins arrived. Then Anne becomes schoolmarm of the Avonlea school. During this story Anne and her friends meet a couple of nice people and a romantic web is formed.

This book was better than the first and had more exciting adventures than in the first. I could relate to the characters more than in the first and Anne didn’t go on forever either. Good!

Reviewed by A. Liggett

Anne of Green Gables -- by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Anne, an orphan, is adopted by way of a mistake by sister and brother Marilla and Matthew Cubhert. Anne is a very imaginative girl that gets herself in many tight corners and makes many friends, including Diane who she considers a "kindred spirit". Anne goes to school and is immediately liked by Gilbert Blythe who she does not like.

I really enjoyed this book. Even though Anne can go on forever with her endless wild imagining. I thought this book would be all prissy like and boring but it wasn’t. Good!

Reviewed by A. Liggett

Anne's House Of Dreams -- by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Anne’s best friend Diane has a baby girl and names her Anne Cordelia. Anne is married to Gilbert Blythe and they move to Glen St. Mary and they move in to a small dainty house with a garden, trees, and a view of the bay. While living in their house of dreams the Blythes meet many nice, loving people who they befriend. Anne becomes a mother for only one day, but then about a year later she becomes a mother again. This book comes along with a slight mystery.

This book was by far my favorite. It had the most interesting plot and characters. Excellent!

Reviewed by A. Liggett

Azumanga Daioh! -- by Kiyochiko Azuma (not in the Riverglen Library)

Azumanga Daioh takes everything normal about high school and flips it. Teachers that behave worse than the students, a cool, older high schooler with a secret love of kittens, and so on. The story focuses mainly on a group of female students with very different personalities ranging from shy to spastic and hyper. The lack of plot adds to the plot and allows loose freedom over the many gags found on each page.

This book is not quite as funny as other books I've read. In fact, I enjoyed the anime better. But with such an original concept that is so very hard to find, this graphic novel wins my recommendation.

Rating=Good

Reviewed by C. Niederer

A Barrel of Laughs A Vale of Tears – by Jules Feiffer

There was a man named Roger. He had a strange effect on people. When he was hunting for boar and stag, he went to a king's castle and the king sent Roger on a quest to the "Forever Forest." He was to be whatever he wanted to be. The people liked him a lot. Roger made them laugh. He then gets along at the end of the book with this one woman named Sadie. They ended up getting married, and lived in the Forever Forest together.

I think the book was a funny and great book to read. Every chapter there was something to laugh about. The author sometimes told how she was feeling about the book. She sometimes said that she couldn't tell you what happened, and that she was going to write some more. I thought she was an excellent author and funny person. Rated Good.

Reviewed by S. McCurdy

Blubber -- by Judy Blume

Linda goes to school with not very nice people. She always gets made fun of because she is overweight. She is treated with very little respect from her classmates. One of her classmates is very popular and mean, she treats her like she is a nobody. Although she realizes how it feels to get made fun of….

This is a wonderful novel to see what it feels like to be made fun of if you are an overweight person. It shows you how the people react when you do get made fun of. Blubber makes you think what it is like to be in the other person’s shoes. I know I will never make fun of someone who isn’t skinny, because the way Blubber (Linda) reacts to getting made fun of.

Reviewed by M. Holmes

Both Sides of Time -- by Caroline B. Cooney

This book is about afifteen year old girl named Annie who has a goal for the summer and that is to make her boyriend into a more romantic man. During Annie's class graduation a force pulls her up into the air and starts spinning her around. But when she drops back down to the floor she is back in time several decades -- to 1895. While Annie is there she meets a romantic man named Strat and falls deeply in love with him. Read to find out whether Annie will stay in the past with the romantic man she has always dreamed of. Or will she go back to be with Sean?

At first the book was kind of slow, but once Annie went back in time it got more interesting. My favorite part in the book is when Annie is in the manion for her class graduation and all of a sudden a strong force pulls her up into the air, but when she drops back down to the floor she is in 1895! Another thing I liked about the book was the imagery the author used to describe the different settings. Good book!

Reviewed by C. Van Valkenburg

Both Sides of Time -- by Caroline B Cooney

Annie Lockwood thinks she is a romantic in the wrong
century. When Annie is at Stratton Point and she falls back a century to
1895, what will she do? She finds her perfect man. Will she stay with him,
and leave her family in 1995 when they need her the most?

Not only is this book a time-travel fantasy, but a murder mystery,
and a romance. This is a great book! It's is a really quick read and has
three sequels! Because it has something for everyone in it, I would
recommend it to anyone! Excellent book!

Reviewed by J. Duffin

The Boy Who Owned the School -- by Gary Paulson

When Jacob wanted to get into the school he hid behind a dumpster and if lucky a kid would open the door and he would slip in. His motto was that if you get noticed then bad things happen. Solution is don’t get noticed. When his beautiful sister got a new sporty red sports car he got a bike. Jacob was late for gym class and when in a hurry he opened the door and ran over Maria Teaser the most talented, the most beautiful, the most everything..…..

It was a good story plot and it had a good sense of fantasy in it. The best part is when he trips and hits the fog machine and it blows and in an attempt to keep from falling on his face he brushed the trap door latch on accident. I would recommend this book to people who like a good sense of humor and lots of action. This was one of very few books that I could not put down. I really like this book and think that it earned all of its awards. Excellent!

Reviewed by T. Lafluer

The Boys Start The War/ The Girls Get Even -- by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

The Boys Start…- Jake, Josh, Wally, and Peter lost their best friend because they have moved to Georgia and now they have new neighbors, but the only draw back that they are girls. From the very beginning the girls and the boys have been waging an all out "war" trying to get back at the other group by outdoing their latest prank. The Girls Get. . . – This is the sequel to the boys start the war and picks up where the other book left off…

This book was very good and funny. Once you pick it up you won’t want to put it down till your done. Excellent!

Reviewed by A. Liggett

Brian’s Winter – by Gary Paulsen

This book is a continuation to Hatchet. It tells what would happen if the press asked him to do it again. Brian and a reporter go back and survive for weeks until they need to go back. So they get a map and make a raft and raft down the river.

This book was great but not as good as Hatchet. This book wasn’t as action packed and mysterious as Hatchet. Gary Paulsen used the same writing as Hatchet and did a good job. Excellent book.

Reviewed by P. Longstreet

BRIAR ROSE -- by Jane Yolen

"Tell me Seeping Boot, Gemma," a little girl named Becca cries. Her grandmother, Gemma, goes into a story that is the most horrible and the most wonderful tale of Sleeping Beauty, Briar Rose. As Gemma tells the story of the young princess, her own past of the Holocaust twines in with it in a way that nobody understands. Then, on Gemma's deathbed, Becca promises to find out the truth.

This is a most wonderful book about the horrors of the Holocaust and the wonder of a fairy tale. The story of how a young woman survived is entwined with Sleeping Beauty, making it a wonderful book! Excellent!

Reviewed by M. Bennett

The Cage -- by Ruth Minsky-Sender

Ruth Minsky-Sender was a young girl who was given the responsibility to take care of her remaining brothers that were not taken away from her. The setting took place mostly in a ghetto, then Ruth’s experience at the concentration camp. Ruth went through her tough times, but in the end everything turned out to be okay. Ruth’s writing style for this book was a fast-paced, and interesting, packed full of new obstacles that Ruth was forced to take on.

This was a fantastic holocaust novel! It had very interesting facts on the Holocaust and what people had to go through just to live as an equal person back then. In my perspective this is a fantastic and bizarre way of telling her story, but also adding true facts to learn more about the Holocaust. Excellent!

Reviewed by M. Holmes

Castle -- by Christopher Grabett

This book is about castles in history, what they look like, how they were famous, and who owned.

I like this book because it was really cool how the castles were built for the tools they had back then, like my ancestor is some rich person like the king's advisor in Wales.

Reviewed by M. Boscawen

The Chicken Doesn’t Skate -- by Gordon Korman

Milo, The son of a very famous scientist hatches a science project that involves a baby chick as his specimen. However, the other students of Milo’s science get very attached to the specimen and name her Henrietta. They treat her like a movie star. Willing to do anything for the chicken. Trampling anyone who gets in their way. They make Henrietta a best friend, a key to popularity and a mascot for the hockey team.

I thought the book was a little overboard in stupid jokes and annoying cliches. The book is always in a state of frustration and chaos, and after a while gets old. However I enjoyed the consecutive change of characters telling the story. Sharing their different views and ideas on different issues and how they change on their stances on issues. Poor!

Reviewed by J. A. Yeargin

Chocolate Fever -- by Robert Kimmel Smith

A boy named Henry Green loved chocolate. In fact he loved chocolate so much, that’s all he ever ate. One morning Henry felt a little weird. When he gets to school he had brown spots all over him and he knew they had not been there when he got up. He goes to the doctor and they classify him having chocolate fever. Henry runs away and you have to read the book to see what happens.

It was an okay book. The book goes right into the story as soon as you start reading it. The book is a little far fetched but its funny. I would recommend this book to other people. Okay!

Reviewed by N. Diaz

CHRISTY -- by Catherine Marshall, Adapted by Anna Wilson Fishe

Christy Huddleson is a girl from Asheville, Tennesee who hears a mission worker tell about the need for teachers in schools in secluded areas. Christy volunteers to go to a little place in the Smokies called Cutter Gap. While she is there she learns what true friends are and goes on all sorts of little and not so little adventures.

This is a wonderful book. It is great for someone really interested in reading about the early 1900's Catherine Marshall actually puts you in Cutter Gap, and you can see the things going on around Christy as if it were really happening there around you. Five stars, excellent!

Reviewed by M. Bennett

Class Clown -- by Johanna Hurwitz

Locus Cott is a third grader in Mrs. Hockaday’s class. Even though he is one of the smartest kids in the class he is always goofing off. As the year goes on, he becomes more mature and is great in her classroom

I think it was a really good book. How he worked hard came through not only for himself but also for the dignity of his mother. Good!

Reviewed By S. Shuman

COWBOYS OF THE WEST -- by Russell Freedman

The book is about cowboys and cowhands on their long trail drives through many states. It also shows how they brand their cattle and where they move them and how they move from range to range.

I loved the book because it has to do with cowboys. I really love western books because they have alot of exciting events and they explain in great detail about things that happen in the book. I give it five stars.

Reviewed by S. Parker

Crackerjack Halfback – by Matt Christopher (not in Riverglen Library)

Freddie is a popular student in school, and is good at football; but there is one problem, he can't tackle -- he's afraid. He comes around and makes up for the easy mis-tackles.

Christopher comes up with a weird ending, it threw me off, I didn't really understand
it. Good book.

Reviewed by M. Taylor

Crash -- by Jerry Spinelli

The main character is Crash Coogan. He starts off as a little kid who has never lost before. He meets a skinny kid named Penn Web. Crash starts picking on him from the first moment that he sees him. Eventually, Crash learns that Penn is a Quaker, and doesn’t eat meat. Later, Crash gets a new neighbor and they instantly become friends. I’ll let you read the rest!

I though that Crash was a fairly good book. I didn’t like some of the parts in the book, although I also found some of the parts hilarious, for example the time when Penn becomes a cheerleader. Another funny part was when Crash filled Penn’s shoes with mustard. One part that Ididn’t like was when Crash’s grandfather wound up in the hospital. Good!

Reviewed by D. Zubizareta

Darkfall -- by Dean R Koontz (not in the Riverglen Library)

Main characters are Jack, Penny and Davey Dawson, Rebecca and their arch rival a man named Lavelle. The book starts the morning of a homicide and Jack and Rebecca have been called to investigate. The only suspect is a voodoo expert drug lord named Lavelle. As Jack and Rebecca try to save the next victim, they fall into the lap of terror and suddenly they become the next victims.

This scared the pants off me. It was such a great book, and definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. I recommend this book to everyone who loves to read like me. This is the best action and horror packed book!

Reviewed by J. Coles

Dirt Bike Runaway -- by Matt Christopher

A boy and his friend are out scuba diving together out in a lake and found a shiny object on the lakebed floor. But they were running out of air and they had to surface to get new air tanks. They went back down and pulled out of the water a motorcycle. It was in good shape, but wouldn’t start. It was just water damaged, but they did not have the money to rebuild it…….

I really thought that he would return the motorcycle to the owners, but instead he tried to fix it with his friend’s brother. The rest of the tale really turned the story around……. This was a good book!

Reviewed by M. Taylor

The Dollhouse Murders -- by Betty Ren Wright

This book was excellent! Anyway, this book was about a girl whose new to thise school and summer is three weeks away. Abby goes to her aun't house to live with her until summer. The doll house placed the dolls of her great grandparent that were murdered inside the room they were murdered in!

WOW! This book was amazingly shocking. I was surprised at the ending. All along the dolls were talking to Abby. That would frightening to go through what she did. Well, if you like thrillers, and I know I do, then you really should check it out. Excellent book.

Reviewed by M. Rodriguez

Excel Saga -- by Rikdo Koshi

Humorous story about a secret organization plotting to conquer Earth, with
only two teenage girls as members who have to get part time jobs on the
side. One, Excel is probably the most mentally unstable girl alive. While
the other, Hyatt, has so many medical issues that she is constantly
coughing up blood and convulsing. To make it more interesting, throw in a
dog/emergency food ration, a couple of wooden dummies, and the type of
humor only the insane can enjoy. This is Excel Saga!

I love this series. Out of all Five books in it, not one has been
boring to read. The quick wit and slapstick are simply hilarious. This
graphic novel reads right to left and has a cultural footnotes section in
the back. Excellent book!

Reviewed by C. Niederer

Far North -- by Will Hobbs

Two teenagers, Gabe and Raymond, are headed to school in Yellowknife. They get to know each other and then are great friends. They then both decide to leave school and head back home since they are not liking it there in Yellowknife. As they are on their way back the pilot, Clint, asked them if they wanted to take a look at Niagara Falls. As they look at the falls, the plane crashes. Gabe and Raymond are now stuck in the cold in the forest. Will they survive?

I think that this book, Far North, is the best book Will Hobbs has ever wrote. This is also one of the best adventure books I have ever read. The book is just so exciting. I kept wondering if Gabe and Raymond would survive. I could just feel how cold it was reading the book. It was exciting and scary in a way. Excellent book!

Reviewed by S. McCurdy

The Firm – by John Grisham

This book is about a man who is hired by a respectable law firm in Memphis, Tennessee and it is secretly run by the Mafia. He doesn’t find out till around two thirds of the way through the book when he joins up with the FBI to stop the mob. Well it all winds up in a game of cat and mouse. The mafia will stop at nothing to get what they want and that is no exception in this book.

Highly recommended book by a respectable author. It picks up the pace really fast and doesn't stop the whole way through. Very addictive and fast paced. I really liked the attention to things such as the microphones small as a strand of hair. If you like action, check out this book! Excellent book.

Reviewed by B. Jarvis

Frindle -- by Andrew Clements

Nick Allen is a smart kid. He always has good ideas. Nick was in class learning how the world was created. Then he thought why couldn’t a pen be …….

The ending really shocked me even though I was following the book. Most the story has an obvious
turning point and will entertain you through out the book. The book was really good and extremely easy to read.

Reviewed by M. Taylor

The Giver – by Lois Lowry

Jonas lives in a Utopian society where there are very strict rules and the families are put together. Each year in December you move up a year, for example if you were in the group call Nines you would
get to the Tens. Jonas because a Twelve. When you become a Twelve, you get assigned a job in which you will train for. Jonas's job is important.

My reaction to the book is that it was a little strange. I think the way the community was organized is weird. I would not be able to live by that many rules, and I would want to dress my own way, instead of being able to tell how old I am by what I wear, or length of my hair. After I understood the book it was cool. Okay book.

Reviewed by R. Hawkins

FOR ADDITIONAL REVIEWS ABOUT THE GIVER CLICK HERE

The Golden Compass -- by Philip Pullman

A little girl named Lyra and her daemon, Pantalaimon, start on an magical adventure when they sneak into a forbidden part of the University where she lives. She finds herself having to hide as a meeting is being held there. What she sees leads her into the dangerous far North where the Northern lights dance on the horizon. With the aid of the special "dust" that she discovers, she can see another world in the colorful lights...

This book is an excellent Science Fiction/Adventure story. I would recommend this book to anyone. It was a real quick read. I couldn't put it down!

Reviewed by M. Bennett

The Golden Compass -- by Philip Pullman

Lyra's curiosity lands her in the middle of the biggest adventure of her life. She searches the North with her friends trying to find and rescue children that are being kidnapped in the wortst way possible. Will Lyra rescue the children or face the same terrible fate?

I loved this book! It was so unpredictable and I was always wondering what was going to happen next. By the end of the book I wished I was in the North with Lyra. I would recommend this book to anyone! Excellent book!

Reviewed by J. Hunt

Half-Life -- by Sierra Studios (not in the Riverglen Library)

A worker at a high tech company that was a victim of a multi dimension experiment that goes wrong he must now go through black mass to try to save his own life I thought it was fun and gory, with a good plot. I didn't like the fact that he had so many attempts on his life

Rating=Good

Reviewed by D. Shamy

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets -- by J. K. Rowling

The book starts out at his aunt and uncle’s house, whom he hates so much. When summer is over he goes back to Hogwart's Witchcraft and Wizardry. At school Harry and his friend Ron notice one day that Ron’s sister Jenny was missing. When they look in her room they find a diary, but it is not her diary. Harry took it and wrote in it and the diary wrote back. It belongs to someone that used to go to Hogwarts years ago. Harry thought if he found out who was writing back in the diary he would………

It was a great book. It was so exciting, especially the ending. Once you get into the book you don’t want to put it down. When you finish it you will want to read it again. I would recommend this book to anyone. This book would be a great birthday or Christmas gift. Excellent!!

Reviewed by N. Diaz

Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets -- by J K Rowling

Harry Potter goes back to Hogwarts but his old enemy is there and is trying to seek revenge. Harry, Ron and Hermione are trying to unlock the chamber of secrets but are having a problem even finding it.

This book was one of the best books I have ever read. If you like fantasy novels you’ll love this one. It is full of never ending excitement. The quidditch team is better than ever. Excellent!

Reviewed by J. T. Moore

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire -- by J. K. Rowling

The famous wizard, Harry Potter, has yet another exciting adventure. Harry finds out that there is something very special happening at Hogwarts this year... the Triwizard Tournament. This tournament only happens every 10,000 years, but the bad thing is,only sixth and seventh year students get to try out. The weird thing is, Harry is picked. From then on, Harry is faced with very difficult tasks.

J. K. Rowling was brilliant in this book. What the good thing is about book number four is that it's soooooo long. I enjoyed every minute of it. Some of the parts went a little slow, but that didn't stop me. The ending is very ironic. I read this book for almost four hours straight, it was so good. Miss Rowling, you have the greatest imagination ever, this book was awesome. Excellent Book!

Reviewed by B. Sinclair

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire -- by J.K. Rowling

It is about this boy and his name gets put in the goblet of fire for the tri-wizard contest. And it is drawn and he is a champion. And they go through this maze and face three tasks.

I thought it was a great book because it was very suspenseful. Like when his name got picked out of the hat. It was very different then the other books.

Rating= Excellent

Reviewed by= S. Christy

Hatchet – by Gary Paulsen

Brian is flying in an airplane and crashes over a Canadian forest and the pilot dies. Brian survives for weeks in the forest by eating berries and fish that he caught. Brian gets out by finding the crashed airplane in the lake near his den and uses the back up supplies in it and used the radio transmissions to call for help.

The author of this book has a unique way of expressing ideas. His style is challenging because this book is a survival book. This book is the best book I can remember reading. I have read this book many times.
This book is a great award winning book. Excellent book.

Reviewed by P. Longstreet

Holes – by Louis Sachar

This book is about a kid named Stanley who had bad luck and got into trouble by it with the law, and he is sent to do his community service in Green Lake, Texas. After his 12 hour bus ride he finally meets his destination -- a big desert full of nothing but desert and holes. Through this experience he encounters the likes of good people and bad people.

I think this book teaches you keep out of trouble so you don’t do the same. It was a good book.

Reviewed by C. Halvorsen

Holes -- by Louis Sachar

Stanley Yelnats and his family have a history of badluck, always blamed on their "no good, dirty, rotten, pig stealin great grandfather. " So Stanley wasn't too surprised when he wound up in Camp Green Lake, a correctional facility for boys. A series of events leads Stanley to changing his fate and never having to worry about bad luck again.

This is a great book. I really enjoyed it. It is a really great book for those who like the climax to have kind of anunexpected twist. This is a really quick reader.

Rating=Excellent

Reviewed by=M. Bennett

The Hobbit – by J.R.R Tolkien

The hobbit is a little dwarf named Bilbo Baggins. He meets a wizard named Gandalf and they become friends. After that he has a party of about 20 dwarfs and it was a mess. Bilbo, Gandalf,and the dwarfs
go out for big adventures to places like thunder mountain and the cave where the goblins are located.

I liked that book a lot because of all the adventures that they have been on. It was a little depressing from some of the dwarves deaths. This is a book that I could read over and over again. You could really free your mind by reading this. And it is a book that I think everybody should read. Excellent book!

Reviewed by T. Smith

How to Argue and Win Every Time – by Dwight Hiltus (not in Riverglen Library)

A thorough explanation of argument and how to win. But it was vary humorous in times- he explained a time when he would get in arguments with his mom in the old folks’ home. Later start arguing with everyone that had been admitted.

I thought it was funny and had its boring parts.....well a lot of boring parts. But it was helpful learning about past mistakes he had made in arguing and he develops a skill at manipulating your personality and using your ideas against others -- very pushy!!!! Okay book.

Reviewed by D. D. Shamy

How to draw Manga -- by Katy Coope (not in Riverglen Library)

A 64-page book helping those new to Manga draw. It includes each step in the drawing process, from spine to finished product.

This book is probably one of the worst i've seen! Using manga as a way to make money, this book sterotypes Manga as "poke'mon and big eyes." Then again, what would you expect for Seven bucks? I bought this book out of sentimental value, because it's the first Manga how-to I'd read. Though it might help many newbies, I find the drawing mere doodles. Why not save your money, and buy a nice, shiny copy of "Excel Saga" instead?

Rating=Poor

Reviewed by C. Niederer

I Have Lived 1,000 Years -- by Liva Bitton

A young girl growing up in Hungary is happy with her life. That is until the Nazis invade her quiet town by the Danube River. She and her family are shipped off to Auschwitz where they are split up from each other. Through the horror that they experience during the shipments and the deaths she finds a way to hope.

I loved the book! Not only because it was a great source of our not too distant past, but because of the real human happenings that go on in these death camps. Some horrific and some relieving. This is a great book for anyone? I give it 5 stars!

Reviewed by M. Bennett

Ice -- by Phyllis Naylor

Crissa is a girl who doesn't get along with her mother, so her mom sends her to live with her grandma. She's trying to find out about her father who she hasn't seen for more than 3 years. She goes through all of her grandma's things to find out about him. What will she find out about her father?

By the second page I was hooked because of how she had to sneak through the house to find out about her dad. I was sitting on the edge of my seat the whole time; it was just so exciting. It had a lot of suspense and a lot of mystery in it. The thing I like best about the book is when Crissa is talking about the ice storm that they had. Excellent book!

Reviewed by K. Wheldon

If You’re Not Here, Please Raise Your Hand -- by Kalli Dakos

This is a book about school poems. I think that this should not be in a junior high library. It was too easy, sort of like an grade school book.

I think I made a bad decision getting this book. I feel that it in general was aggravating. It was one of those books that makes me want to just get it over with and get a new one. Poor!

Reviewed by J/ T. Moore

In The Mouth Of The Wolf -- by Rose Zarr

This is a true story about a girl named Riva who was a Jewish girl in the holocaust. Her father tells Riva that she could pass as Polish. He makes her a fake identity so she can run away. On her journey she goes through many different jobs and travels from place to place trying not to get caught because she is Jewish. During her adventure she gets a job being a full time maid to a couple and there baby. Riva
becomes very close to these people….

My reaction to this book is I think she was very brave to go through everything that she went through. I think that Rose had a very good idea to name her book "In The Mouth Of The Wolf" because to me I think it is very true. It’s like everywhere she goes after some time she always gets herself surrounded by the enemy even though she doesn’t know it. I think this was one of the best books I have ever read. I think that anyone in this world would be touched by this book. Excellent!

Reviewed by E. Kraft

Jonny Long Legs – by Matt Christopher (not in Riverglen Library)

Jonny's father was killed, so his mom was single. She meets a guy and they get married. Jonny and his new step-brother Toby are interested in basketball. Jonny managed to get onto Toby's basketball team, White Cats, even though it is in the middle of their season.

I was really shocked when Jonny and Toby became friends with Jim Sain after he treated them like junk. Then something happens that wasn't expected. Good book.

Reviewed by M. Taylor

Kare Kano -- by Masami Tsuda

Yukino Miyazawa has the perfect life. She's popular, at
the top of all her classes, and beautiful, too! But this is all a mask.
The real Miyazawa is an obsessive ego-maniac with a strong need for
attention. So when "that jerk" Arima comes along and steals the spotlight,
she vows to ruin his life. Then Arima uncovers her secret. Now that she is
vulnerable, how will she react, and can the two ever really be together?

Guys simply do not read romantic comedy...period. Yet
when I picked it up I found it strangely addictive. I couldn't stop reading
it! I now own all Eight books in the series so far, and yet I'm still
reading and re-reading the same books for hours. Give these books a try.
You will not be disappointed. Excellent book.

Reviewed by C. Niederer

The Left Behind (volume 1) – by Tim LaHaye, Jerry P. Jenkins

The Left Behind book is about a group of kids who havea hard time in life. Until one day everyone starts to disappear and bad things happen. They find each other and realize it just the beginning of the return.

My reaction to the book was "wow". If this wasreally to happen then I and a lot of others would be in trouble. Good book.

Reviewed by S. Smith

Look For Me By Moonlight– by Mary Downing Hahn

Cynda moves to her dad’s house, with her stepmother and their son Todd. Todd is a very loved, spoiled kid. She feels left out and then a man comes to the inn and makes her feel like she belongs. His name is
Vincent and he stays in his room all day long. He hardly ever eats, he only drinks wine, or is there something else he drinks?

At first I thought it was a little slow but on the second chapter I was hooked. This book is very interesting. There is a lot of foreshadowing, maybe too much. Some of the stuff that happens gives away what will happen at the end. Good book!

Reviewed by R. Hawkins

Look for Me by Moonlight -- by Mary Downing Hahn

Cynda goes to live at her dad's Inn while her mom and stepdad go on vacation to Italy. Cynda learns a legend of the Inn. In the winter the Inn is almost always empty, but they get an occasional visitor or two. Cynda meets a boy named Will and she thinks that she is in love with him. Then all of a sudden, the Inn gets an exotic visitor. Cynda instantly falls in love with him and him with her. Cynda's dad and stepmom notice that there is some romance between them. Cynda and this man begin to meet by moonlight on a daily basis, but then suddenly, the romance takes an ironic twist. What will happen to Cynda?

I loved this book. This book not only puts you in the story with the characters, but it makes you feel what Cynda is feeling. I would recommend this book to anyone, and I give it five stars!

Rating=Excellent

Reviewed by = M. Kvapil

Losing Joe’s Place -- by Gordon Korman

The author is always putting new people into the story. About Jason and his friends Don and Ferguson, borrowing Joe’s place while he’s in Europe.

I thought that the author described the characters really well. I especially like Rootbeer Racinette a guy that likes to do dangerous things for money. I thought that if Jason’s brother was rich enough to go on a trip that he would have been able to fix up his apartment. Excellent!

Reviewed by I. Ramsay

Love Hina -- by Ken Akamatsu

It's hard to classify this book as strictly a romance or a comedy, since it leans so closely toward both. As a boy, Keitaro Urimeshi, and his childhood love had vowed to go to Tokyo University together. 15 years pass by, and not only has he not fulfilled his promise, he's failed the entrance exams twice! Believing a trip to his grandma's unoccupied Inn will do him some good, he comes to find out that it's been changed into a girl's dorm for Tokyo University! This leads to hilarious gags that makes these guests see him only as a pervert. But, just as he's about to pack and go, he leans he's the new manager! Will he ever meet his childhood love and fulfill his 15-year-old promise? And will he ever gain the respect of his female guests? In Keitaro's life, who knows what will happen.

This is an awesome book that will keep you guessing and laughing over and over again. With a clean art style and a deep and interesting story line, there are few things not to like. However, this book is definitely not school appropriate. Unfortunately, this is the only thing stopping it from getting an excellent rating, though a major one indeed.

Rating =Good

Reviewed by C. Niederer

Maniac Magee -- by Jerry Spinelli

This book is about a kid named Maniac Magee and he ventures to the east part of town where the blacks live and the whites live in the west part of town. When he goes there he meets a girl and she invites him in. Soon they find out he has no family and they let him live with them. That is just one of the many things he does. He can untie any knot, hit any ball thrown to him or catch any football. Just read the book to find out more.

This book is a good book and I can’t put it down. Reading book "Maniac Magee" is very funny. Good!

Reviewed by C. Seward

Maniac Magee -- by Jerry Spinelli

Maniac Magee is a normal boy until his parents are killed in a car. He is sent to live with his aunt and uncle who fight all the time. One day he gets pushed to far and he begins to run.

I liked this book. I thought it was pretty good. It doesn’t take long to read. If you like fantasy adventure books this book is for you. If you hate funny and fun books this book is not for you. Good!

Reviewed by K. Ethridge

The Martian Chronicles -- by Ray Bradbury

The book starts out on mars, from the Martians' perspective, then it quickly changes to the colonists perspective. The Martians become quite rare, for an unknown reason. People settle on Mars, until a great war breaks out on earth.

I really liked this book, it had an intriguing plot line. Although the book is a collection of short stories, they follow a plot-line and you meet new characters all the time. The book is an older one, and they refer to 1999 for things that didn't happen, but what they made up is quite believable, even today. I would recommend this book to any and everyone.

Rating = Excellent

Reviewed by E. Logan

Martin the Warrior -- by Brian Jacques

This book is one of the Redwall Series where all the characters are fuzzy little animals. In this one, Bandrag, a evil ferret slave driver, rules the fortress of Marshank. One of the slaves is Martin, the mouse warrior. He and a few friends escape. With his friends, he travels to Noonvale so he can get an army to kill Bandrag and free the other slaves (so peace can come back to the land). Will he succeed or will Bandrag rule?

I thought this book was good. There was action, making it interesting. Many battles were fought. I also like the way the writer makes all the animal talk differently. For instance, moles talk like: "ho, hurr! Io be read for some cake!" A good book!

Reviewed by O. Wise-Pierik

Megatokyo -- by Fred Gallagher and Rodney Caston

This humorous book starts out with two typical 21-year-old guys
going to a gaming convention. After a series of mishaps the two flee the
country to see the sights in Japan. Unfortunately, the two waste money on
souvenirs and can't buy a plane ticket home! Largo is a destructive gamer
with a paranoia that the people around him are zombies. His best friend,
Piro, plays the straight man a lot. Each page is designed to be read by
itself, but when all the pages are read together, they form an addictive
story that you will be reading until Three A.M.

This graphic novel is one of those that you just cannot stop reading. Many a
time have I pulled all-nighters to finish this addictive series. There are
currently two books in the saga, but a third is soon to arrive. Plus,
visit the website at www.megatokyo.com and read the books for free! With a
bargain like that and a great storyline, there is no excuse to not read
this masterpiece! Excellent book!

Reviewed by C, Niederer

Mississippi Bridge -- by Mildred D Taylor

A boy named Jeremy has to go through a lot of prejudice in his family. Even thought he doesn’t have anything against blacks his family does. He has to put up with prejudice through the whole book.

I have read better books, but it wasn’t that bad. Okay!

Reviewed by S. Shuman

Net Force Secret Agendas – by Tom Clancy (not in the Riverglen Library)

An orginization called NetForce polices the net for lost imformation by the government. They come across some one dropping information off in chat rooms of bombs and weak places in security along with numerous other things.

I thought it was great. Very suspenseful and very articulate. The plot alone was beautiful and
complemented by the intricate style of Mr. Clancy. Good book!

Reviewed by D. Carr.

Never Cry "Arp!" And Other Great Adventures -- by Patrick F McManus

The book was about all sorts of stuff and adventures. Like when two boys climb a big mountain and other cool stuff.

I thought in some instances the book was kind a funny but in other times I kind of couldn’t understand it. Like one when I didn’t know if they were talking about a dog or a person. Okay!

Reviewed by B. West

Neverwhere -- by Neil Gaiman

Richard Mayhew, a young man on a business trip in London, finds a girl on the side of the street bleeding. From that moment on he finds himself in a place he never thought existed. This new world he is now in