Courtesy of Teens Read Too
929528
Along the same lines as&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Pirates-Most-Wanted/dp/1416939342/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Pirates: Most Wanted</a>, WARRIORS takes us behind-the-scenes to discover the true lives of long-lost warriors of old.

This interactive book takes us into the lives of the Assyrians, the Spartans, Alexander and the Macedonians, the Celts, the Romans, Gladiators, the Vikings, the Samurai, the Ninja, Genghis Khan and the Mongols, Medieval Knights, the Aztecs, and the Zulus.

What's great about this book, besides the facts and figures, is its ability to truly draw you into the world that it's describing.  There are posters, envelopes filled with interesting cards, pop-ups, awesome graphics, and all sorts of fun things that you can spend your time getting lost in.

This is the perfect reference book to use as a guide for that pesky book report, or just a good read that you can spend the day exploring in detail.  Either way, you're sure to learn something, and how can your parents say no to that?

Reviewed by:  Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"
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Sixteen-year-old Katelyn McBride is used to city life in sunny California, and it is a second devastating blow on top of being tragically orphaned when she is forced to relocate to her grandfather's rustic home in the Ozark hills of Arkansas. Not only is the culture shock extreme because her grandfather lives in the middle of nowhere, but it is dangerous to go into the eerie woods surrounding his house at night--people have been murdered there.

I would classify this YA novel as a contemporary fantasy. It is also a coming-of-age novel with a paranormal twist. Fans of romantic triangles in YA paranormal plots will have plenty to appreciate here. Trick and Justin are both worthy contenders for Katelyn's love, though one of them is far more dark and dangerous than the other, and that may tip the scales in his favor in a contest to win the hearts of female readers.

There are elements of mystery, thriller, and action-adventure in the exciting main plot, and the secondary romance plots have lots of tension and conflict to ramp up an emotional roller-coaster ride for Katelyn. The authors do a great job creating a spooky atmosphere, and their basic writing skills are excellent.

Potential readers might want to know that this is one of those series where there is a major cliffhanger at the end of the book. If you don't like that type of ending, you might want to wait to start reading this series until it is complete.

I rate this book as follows:

Heroine: 4
Romantic Heroes: 4
Fantasy World-Building: 4
Writing: 5
Action-Adventure/Thriller/Mystery Plot: 4
Romance Subplots: 3
Overall: 4
1098359
This is such a fun read for "tweens."  The story keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time.  It's nice to see how the author incorporates teen issues, i.e., self-image, self esteem, and the flip side of how others actually see you.  It touched on topics such as parental relationships, friendships, and romance.  I really enjoyed this book and would recommend its purchase for all middle school libraries.
I also love how this particular author sneaks in some vocabulary building skills.
836937
If you're a fan of THE MIDNIGHT TWINS, or even if you've never heard of it, you're going to love this book!

LOOK BOTH WAYS by Jacquelyn Mitchard is a fun-filled book, with suspense, comedy, and even romance. It's definitely a book for everybody - there are elements of this novel that would be appealing for any different type of teen reader. Although it is geared for young adults, I think any age group could enjoy it.

Mally and Merry thought life had gone back to normal by the close of THE MIDNIGHT TWINS, but by the first couple of  chapters of their second adventure, they and their readers knew they were in for another wild ride.

The twins, one born the minute before midnight and one born the minute after, have odd dreams throughout the series. At the beginning of the novel, their visions and dreams start up again. They discover, partly through their visions, a secret that Eden, another character in the book, has been keeping from them; one that ties into an accident involving a girl on the cheerleading squad.

Can they figure out what's going on before it's too late?

This book is a fun, quick read - coming out just in time for summer!

Reviewed by:  Margaret Waterman
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This is a perfect read for the summer, and it will have you feeling as if you are right alongside these eight teens as they sail away their summer.  Arthur, Dawn, Joy, Jesse, Bill, Marietta, Crystal, and Logan all came together for a common goal, but each of them were still so different.  This book has something for everyone.  Filled with romance, adventure, mystery, and life lessons, 68 Knots will appeal to teens of all ages.  I recommend it for teens fourteen and up, as this book does contain some mature content.

I really enjoyed how each teen had a story to tell.  Some of them shared early on, while others only fed small tidbits to those they felt closest to.  In the end though, these eight teens would be friends for life and would do anything for each other.  How do you go through what they did, and not stay friends?  Each had diverse backgrounds, but as the story progressed, I would learn a little bit more about what lives each of them came from.  They might all be from different worlds, but in the end, all they wanted was to have the summer of their lives.

It was also so much fun to read about the trouble that these guys got into!  I was shocked, with my mouth hanging open, by what they did at times.  What can you expect from eight teens that have the summer all to themselves though?  Whether it was stealing lobsters from lobster traps, going skinny dipping in the ocean, or searching for lost treasure, they were always up for trying new things.  However, this summer wasn't all fun and games for them, as they still had to face serious consequences when they arrived home.

The title, 68 Knots, holds a great deal of significance in the story as well.  In the beginning, Arthur, who appoints himself as captain, cuts and hangs sixty-eight knots of rope in the cabin.  Each knot stands for the days they have left till their time on the Dreadnought must come to an end.  As each day passes, Arthur undoes a knot, counting down to the last one.  It was interesting to see how the teens grew over the course of their trip.  With each passing knot, Arthur, Dawn, Joy, Jesse, Bill, Marietta, Crystal, and Logan all slowly developed and truly found themselves.  By the time they came back home, they were different people.

The story of 68 Knots was a bit hard to believe in the beginning.  After Captain McKinley commits suicide, the teens are on their own.  Well, it was all a bit hard to grasp at first.  I think that if things were taken a bit more slowly, then it would have given me some more time to adjust to all that was going on.  However, it was also nice to be plunged right into the story, and forced to feel just as confused and lost as they did.

68 Knots is a thrilling tale of eight teens' adventure of a lifetime, which turns into much more than that.  A wonderful standalone novel that will have you wondering what you can make out of life.  Join Arthur, Dawn, Joy, Jesse, Bill, Marietta, Crystal, and Logan as they set out to have the summer of their lives in, 68 Knots!

-This is T.B. with Another Book Back on the Shelf...
Until Next Time, Keep Reading!
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Fourth-grader Mateo loves reading about knights with his best friend Ashwin. In fact, they have even dedicated themselves as knight and trusty squire, but so far the only battles theyve fought are on the playground with the school bully and his cohorts. However, when Mateo wakes up one night and sees two skunks stealing his little sisters trike, an unbelievable adventure awaits the two young knightsand Mateos little sister as well. A fun story with just enough fantasy to thrill and delight, plus plenty of reality to help young middle grade readers connect with the characters.
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Meghan Chase is a pretty normal teen. She goes to school. She has a crush on the star football player. She's utterly invisible to most of the student population at her high school. Her best friend, Robbie, is pretty much her only friend. Normal. But when Meghan's brother turns mean, Robbie tells her that he's been replaced by a changeling. And with this revelation comes a whole slew of other revelations. Like the fact that faeries are real and that Meghan herself is the daughter of Oberon, king of Summer Country. Oh, and Robbie? Robbie is none other than Robin Goodfellow, aka Puck, tasked with keeping Meghan safe. The only way for Meghan to save her brother is to enter the faerie realm and bring him back herself. With Puck's help, she'll cross over and face a world full of challenges she could never imagine.

So my description doesn't really do it justice. For folks my age, think Labyrinth. In fact, it's very Labyrinth, but with great twists. First, Kagawa introduces creatures I've never heard of. Many (if not all) of them are from classic folktales and mythology (I googled a few), but haven't been used in the books I've been reading. Second, her additional mythology is fantastic. The Iron Fey are super cool and a great modern day addition to the faery realm.
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This book was recommended to me by a friend and I am glad that she recommended it.

Eleanor is an awkward teenage girl that lives with her mom and her stepfather who is a drunk and is pretty abusive to Eleanor's mom and sometimes even Eleanor.  Eleanor lives a somewhat sheltered life until she meets Park.

Park is an awkward teenage boy that loves comics and music.  His home life is pretty much the opposite of Eleanor's.

After meeting Eleanor on the school bus, the two strike up awkward conversations and eventually, the two teenagers eventually become more than just friends.

I really enjoyed this book not just because of the main storyline, but because of the various '80s references. I can totally identify with the way these characters  were in this book, because I was also a teenager that didn't really fit into a group or clique just like these two.

I look forward to reading more by this author.
3577773
We have started reading through this series with our children aged 11 - 17 and we all enjoyed this book. After we started reading it, we were hooked. the story keeps you guessing at what's going to happen next. We usually read a chapter or two at bedtime and it makes for some really good cliff hangers. This is a great book for pre teens, teens, and the teenager in all of us adults. There is suspense, magic, mystery, and even some romantic elements. All in all, it's a pretty awesome book.
571518
Book 2 of the Rhynes series brings the twins Asher and Ariana back together, as well as delving into the gifts and their greater purpose. Unfortunately they don't get a lot of time to develop their gifts before trouble arrives. It was heartbreaking to know that they were at risk from relatives who should have been the first to protect them from trouble. But as all good stories go, there is far more there then one expects and helps come's from unlikely places.

This story is a great read for middle school aged kids, very appropriate and had nothing that would not work this age group. It was a fun quick read, with many interesting characters and leads into what I am going to guess will be a 3rd book in the series, as the story will definitely continue on.
2281396
Yes, I got to read this book before it was officially published. Such are the special privileges of the interior formatter. Be jealous.

After reading this, I almost wish I had given the first book in the series four stars just so I could give the second book a higher rating. It is that phenomenal. The premise of this book is darker, more sober, and in some ways more physiological, and that makes it riveting and emotional. This book delves into Floyd's character and his place in Earth's society--meanwhile speculating about the nature of courage and true heroism. The result is that it's not only an engaging treat for fans (and, dare I say it, fangirls) but also a thought-provoking read.

As with the first one, this book is clean. There's some violence and sobering references to deaths caused by the villain, but nothing grossly graphic. There's a brief bout of drunkeness and some references to language, but no explicit or sexual content. A great, quick, fun read for teens. Highly recommended.
3453700
A great teen novel, with some fabulous characters and several twists that will make you want to keep turning the pages. Any teen who loves fantasy novels will love the time travel action, the friendships, the courage of its characters and the intriguing love triangle throughout this book. Looking forward to seeing how the next chapter develops.
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I got the chance to read this book for free, in exchange for my honest opinion, through Book Look Bloggers.

My Review: I was so happy when I stumbled across this on Book Look Bloggers. Typically I don't read books out of sequence, I have yet to read the first book in this series, which I will eventually read. This book, like the rest in the series, is pretty easy to follow whether you've read the whole series, or just picked up one of the books on a whim.

In this third installment of the Samantha Sanderson series, the grades of Robinson have tampered with leading to a lot of angry students and parents. Sam enlists her best friend Makayla's ninja computer skills, to help find the virus, and the person who let it loose in the school's system. However, Sam's new friend Felicia is targeted as a suspect, and one of the school's newspaper writers posts this information on the blog, Sam has to decide to stick by Felicia or write the story as she sees it.

This is really a wonderful series for middle grade girls, it touches on topics like faith, bullies, friends, and doing the right thing. Even in my twenties, I still get life lessons from these books.

They also hold just the right amount of mystery too, while the last book had some predictability, this book had me guessing until the very end, and when it was reveled who did it

Positive Elements: Sam's Sunday school teacher Ms. Martha, asks her kids to pick out a Bible verse to use for their New Years Resolution. Sam picks out Love your neighbor and soon realizes it's more than just her next door neighbor, but also those in her community as well. Sam attempts to reach out to Aubrey. Nikki, Aubrey's best friend, apologizes to Sam for the way her friend treats her.

Negative Elements: Once again, Aubrey the mean girl of the series, makes sure she goes out of her way to purposely be mean to Sam. Aubrey considers Sam a liar and has no problem telling other people she feels that way.

Spiritual Elements: This is a Christian book, so of course, it is full of conversations and sequences about God, the Bible, praying, etc. However, once again, I feel the author did this perfectly and not once does it feel the book is preaching.

Other Thoughts: I love that the youth room has my favorite Bible verse, I think it's an important one. Which brings me to this: Even though it's August and not New Years just yet, I did decide to take a page from this book (no pun intended), and pick out my own verse that I can apply to my life. I choose my favorite 1 Timothy 4:12.
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Dez Harkly has a secret. One that she's been forced to keep her entire life. One that if it were discovered would put her in danger. One that could get her banished from Haven Falls. Or worse.... One that could get her killed.

As a Kythan, a descendant of the guardians of the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt, she is duty bound to be a Protector to humans. And at the age of seventeen she'll come into her powers. But when that day comes, she will no longer be able to keep her secret. She'll no longer be able to hide who she really is. She'll no longer be safe.

Unless she can somehow find a way to hide her powers, she and her mom will have to run. But with their enemies, the Narcolym, descending upon Haven Falls, leaving her home and her friends behind is the last thing that Dez wants to do.

So, when an unexpected ally offers a solution to her problem, Dez must decide whether or not to put her trust in him. But if she's wrong it will cost her everything. Because giving him her trust means not only putting her life in his hands, but giving him her heart.

***

Destiny's Fire is a fast-paced, exciting and deliciously different paranormal young adult novel by author Trisha Wolfe that takes readers to a future where the descendants of an ancient race of beings that guarded the Pharaohs of Egypt are fighting for their survival.

This action-packed story is the first book in a new series by the author, set in the not-so-distant future in a place called Haven Falls, where the Shythe have been trying to maintain the peace with their enemies, the more aggressive Narcolym. Both have grown weaker as humans continue to grow less dependent upon them as Protectors and the demand for their powers diminishes.

And as a race whose existence is bound to the humans' need for them, the Kythan are in danger of facing extinction. With only the Shythe and the Narcolym remaining of their kind, the two must not only co-exist, but work together to come up with a way to ensure their survival. Even if it's one that may incite a rebellion.

As Dez, Jace, Lana and Nick try to discover just what the Shythe Council knows, they prepare themselves for war. Training in secret, even before they've come into their powers, they want to be ready to defend themselves and their kind against the enemy Narcos. But when the Narcos start appearing around Haven Falls, it becomes even more important to find out why they're there and just what they they plan to do. Before it's too late.

From cover to cover, Destiny's Fire is filled with action, suspense, mystery and an intense and heartbreaking love triangle that will keep readers captivated. The world is intriguing, the characters are incredibly likable and their abilities are simply fascinating.

The main character Destiny "Dez" Harkly is brave and strong and courageous and yet delicate, fearful and indecisive when it comes to love. Her relationship with Jace is ever-changing and adds to the dramatic tension. And each of her encounters with Reese sends the tension through the roof. For her, for Jace and especially for the reader.

With all the excitement of a paranormal adventure combined with all the heat and anguish of a gripping love story, this incredibly fast-paced story, that can easily be devoured in one sitting, will be unputdownable.
2172708
I had the opportunity to read this amazing book before it was published (helps to know the author, right?). I was so impressed by the storyline in this book. Completely unique, and filled with engrossing characters who were at once sympathetic and enthralling.

This is the story of teen Ben who's renting a house where he lets other troubled teens live. None of them know it's his house, they believe it's owned by their landlord, the mysterious Mrs. Kremer. The story begins when Megan moves into the house, upsetting the sort of strange balance these teens have found together. Her move-in is particularly upsetting to Emily, who has something of a crush on Ben, especially when Ben quickly develops feelings for Megan.

It would be a good enough story just watching this group of troubled kids dealing with their many, many issues, but something wicked has come into the house and creates new tensions. Each teen deals with one another, their own issues, and the strange new happenings in their own unique ways until finally everything comes to an explosive head.

Debra portrayed each of the kids in such realistic ways that I wanted to reach into the book and pull them out and give them a hug and protect them from the hurts they were going through. This is not a light read, as others have stated, but it's so fascinating I found it very difficult to walk away from, and couldn't wait to get back to it. Great book that you'll find yourself thinking about long after you've finished it.
4114400
Overall,  this was a good book. It looked like it was professionally edited, which is such a treat with the influx of self-published books. It's set in the future where "norma)"  teens turn into mind readers. Even though it's in the future and most people can still read minds,  there's a lot of bullying going on. When Kira discovers special special abilities,  it takes the book to the next level. While I admire Raf's loyalty to her,  she gets a little sappy about it. It's paced nicely, has great conflicts, suspense is great making you to want to keep on. All in all,  a good book both for teens and those who enjoy that genre.
3623860
Looking for a teen romance meandering into Sherlock Holmes? Margie Broschinsky fits the bill.  Phoebe Levick's in a bit of a crisis. She's hundreds of miles home in--of all places--an apple orchard. Instead of that elite NYU summer art program she craves, she's out watering trees and selling caramel apples. While Phoebe's learning the skills required to survive in an orchard, she's also finding out that Iron Springs holds keys to her family's mysterious past.

Moving scenes lift this story. Phoebe's no ordinary teenager. She's working out life's mysteries, and she's not about to miss the little details that paint the grander picture. When circumstances carry her to a graveyard, she sees an old man clearing grass and leaves from a headstone, and notes the tenderness in the way he arranges flowers. While she fights going to church, once she goes through the doors, she's ready to listen--and to learn. Perhaps most importantly of all, she's capable of moving beyond her boyfriend's failures, learning important lessons about love and forgiveness. These lessons become critical as Phoebe confronts some of the most significant challenges in her life. There's much to see as this innocent girl grows and changes in a complex teenage world.

Kate Calina