Can you keep a secret? Review by Porkers

       

Title: Can you keep a secret?
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Format: Paperback
Price: $9.99

This book was about a girl called Emma Corrigan who lived in London, England. She went on a plane to help out with a meeting and there was a lot of turbulence on the plane. She was so nervous because she doesn't like planes so she accidentally started telling all her secrets to this guy sitting next to her called Jack Harper. Little does she know that he was the founder of Panther Cola. 

I really enjoyed this book. I like the sense of humor the author used and how descriptive she was while explaining where they were or what a person looked like. My favorite part was when Jack Harper had an interview and everyone was watching it from a tv in the office. Then Emma had to man the phones but she went to watch it anyways, and she was mortified because, later after she was watching it for awhile Jack accidentally started saying her secrets on tv.


I rate this book 5 out of 5 chocolate bars.There was violent language in this book.I thought the cover of this book represented the book well because it had key representing when you lock your mouth shut and don't tell anyone the secret that you are supposed to keep.
   

Best Friends For Never, A Clique Novel: Review by Alyx

Title: Best Friends For Never, A Clique Novel

Author: Lisi Harrison

Format: Paperback

Price: $9.99

There are five main characters in the novels of the Clique. First is Massie Block, who is gorgeous and hopes to rule the social scene at Octovian Country Day. Massie decides to throw her first boy/girl Halloween party, to keep her spot on top. Massie is mad. She doesn't know what's scarier, her parents making her invite the entire grade or that she has to throw the party with Claire. Next is Dylan Marvil, who has lost weight, has a bad attitude, and is planning on using her "new" boy to snatch a new guy. Then there's Kristin Gregory, who is jealous that Dylan likes the same guy she does, and she will do whatever it takes to get him. Her favorite quote is, "Clothes are for sharing. Guys aren't." Next, Alicia Rivera, who wants to takeover everything. And finally, Claire Lyons, who is out of the group and really wants back in.

I really enjoyed this book. I like that it is based upon friendship and the fact that I could relate to this book. I like how this book has letters in it because it makes the book more fun to read. My favorite part would have to be towards the end of the book when Claire and Cam were writing "love" letters back and forth. Claire isn't positive if Cam likes her or not. But Claire likes Cam! The last letter that Claire received from Cam, she read the note five times.

I rate this book 4 out of 5 chocolate bars. The book is contemporary fiction. I thought the cover of this book didn't really explain anything, other than the three main characters on the cover giving each other, "I'm mad at you, don't talk to me" looks. These girls are constantly getting into fights and starting drama over a halloween party with some guys. The design on the cover was pretty cool and the book was neatly organized.

The wave by Kolton

Title: The Wave
Author: Todd Strasser
Format: Soft cover
Price: $6.99
Pages: 138

This book is about some kids in high school who watched a video about what the  Nazis did to the Jewish people. The kids suddenly get very interested in it and wanted to do a little classroom experiment, but it gets way out of hand.

I thought that this was a really good book. It was a historical fiction book that was based on an incident that took place in a high school history class in Palo Alto, California, in 1969. One of the book's strengths was how the author makes it seem like the time period, like using the older words. I liked it because the book had lots of words on one page, so it was a longer book, not a really short book. I think longer books have a better storyline. My favorite part of the book was when things go back to normal in the end because it seemed like everything was better after that. Laurie Saunders was one of the main characters, and she seems like she would be a really nice person. I would recommend the book to people who are from the ages of 11 to 18, people who like real stories.

Rating: I give this 5 out of 5 chocolate bars.
Appropriateness: There are a couple of swear words, but that's about it.
Cover Thoughts: I like the cover because it's orange, and I like orange, and it has the Wave symbol.

Title: House RulesAuthor: Jodi Piccoult
Format: paperback
Price: $16.00
Summary: The main character, Jacob Hunt, was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome when he was an infant. Aspergers is on the Autism spectrum, and has many hallmarks that, to those who havn't heard of it, can look a lot like guilt. Most are thing like not picking up any social cues, being terrible at expressing himself and despiratly sticking to routine. But, shying away from eye contact and nervous ticks are both things that make his story even less convincing.
Jacob went with his social skills tutor, Jess Ogilvy, to a pizza shop for his lesson on Sunday. During pizza, they got into an argument and Jess stormed out telling Jacob to "just get lost". For their next lesson, on Tuesday, Jacob went to Jess's house not realizing that she meant what she sayed on Sunday.

SPOILER ALERT: (highlight text to read)
Jacob went into the house, and when he couldn't see or hear anyone, he went upstairs. He found Jess's body naked, and lying in a pool of blood in the bathroom. EVEN MORE OF A SPOILER ALERT: He cleaned up the blood in the bathroom and got Jess dressed. Thinking that he would get caught, he put false evidence in place to point the blame in a totally different direction. He then dragged Jess's body into a culvert 200 yards away from her house. OKAY, END OF SPOILER ALERT.

Jess's boyfriend reported her missing and detective Rich Matson was assained the her case. He looked in Jess's day planner and found jacob's leson written down for the day she went missing. He interrigated Jacob and later took him into custody. While in prison, Jacob could not handle it. he constantly injured himself and got into teouble. It got so bad that he was put into a flesh clorored, padded room. The day Jacob was put into jail, Jacob's mom, Emma Hunt, got him a layer named, Oliver Bond. After a couple days, Oliver succesfully got Jacob out of prison and under house arrest. While preparing for the upcoming trial, Jacob tried to tell Oliver what really happened, but he never listened. At the very end of the trial, the defense's last witness was Emma. Jacob got so agitated by the prosecution's questions and his mother's answers that he interrupted the interrogation and demanded to speak. Oliver didn't previously put Jacob on the stand because their defense was an insanity plea and if Jacob testified, Oliver was afraid that it would go horribly wrong. Yet, Jacob told his story and then left the jury to decide. Six days later, the Hunt family received new evidence pertaining to Jacob's case. On the way to the court house, the book ended.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 chocolate bars
Cover Thoughts: I didn't hate the cover. It didn't nessesarily pertain to the book at all. There was no lake in the book, and it might have just been me, but I imagined Jacob a totally different way; even when he was a child. I do realize that it can be hard to get a good book cover, and make it represent all of your book.

Mr.Mario-small steps

Book Title: Small Steps

Format: Paperback

Author: Louis Sachar

Length/number of pages:257

Price: $9.99

This book is cool in many ways. One way is that it has drama, some good and some bad. Another reason why is because it has some weird and funny parts. But sometimes comedy is the best medicine. I’m going to tell you one more reason why this book is good. The last reason is that it has good characters. The protagonist is a guy named Theodore, A.K.A (Armpit). Another protagonist is a young girl named

Ginny. Ginny is Armpit's friend, but you don’t see her until later in the book. There really aren’t any major antagonists.

My favorite part in the book was when Armpit brought Ginny to the concert because they got to sit backstage and watch the concert and they got to meet a girl named Kaira Deleon.

Rating: I give this book 4 stars.

Appropriateness: This book is pretty appropriate. There is some minor bad language, but you won’t be too bad.

Cover Thoughts: I thought that the cover was actually kind of random. Besides the feet, I just didn’t think it fit the book.

Guitar Notes, a review by niallover12

Title: Guitar Notes

Format (Paperback, Hardcover, ebook?) hard cover

Author: Mary Amato

Length/number of pages;  273

Price $ 9.40      

Short Summary:  This book is mainly about a two teenagers tripp and layla meet at school and realize they have very similar lives. They became close friends. They both share an interest in music. They decided to make a gig. But after her dad finds out what she's doing he makes her do a music addition she doesn’t want to do, and she cant do the gig. But the two sneak to the gig, and Layla's dad finds out and drives her to to the addition. On there way the got in a horrible accident. Layla's dad is fine but is Layla?.........  Can the two kids live their dreams?  

Strengths/Weaknesses/Favorite Parts, etc 

A strength I really like is when Layla was in the hospital and tripp was playing the guitar for her. It was really touching.

Rating (out of five chocolate bars)

  Five chocolate bars!!! 

Appropriateness: Describes someone after a car accident, also in a coma.

Cover Thoughts: The cover is cool. It shows something that doesn’t really describe the book.

The Cupcake Queen: A Review By ArwenPond

Title: The Cupcake Queen

Author: Heather Hepler

Format: paperback

Length: About 250 pages

When Penny moves to Hog's Hollow from New York City, her life changes drastically. Penny's mom now runs a cupcake bakery, and Penny is stuck helping out. But that isn't the worst of it. Not only did she leave her friends back home, but her dad stayed behind too. And then there's Charity, resident mean girl who's out to get Penny. With all this, Penny still finds some things to like: Tally and Blake...and Marcus - the cute, quiet boy who runs on the beach every night. But just when Penny begins to accept her new life, she's forced to make a choice that will change everything.

I really enjoyed reading this book, in fact I've read this book several times. Even though I moved from a small town to a large town, just the opposite of Penny, the book actually helps me feel slightly better about the move. Everything about the story is intriguing and the characters are really interesting. I feel everything that the characters are experiencing. At the end of the book you feel a sense of peace, not about having finished a book, but about how everything turned out. But you also wish for more, more of those characters, the setting, everything about Hog's Hollow. The only reason I don't have a favorite part is that I liked the whole book.

I give this book 5 out of 5 chocolate bars because it's absolutely amazing.
There was nothing inappropriate about this book.
I thought that the cover was a perfect fit for this book because exactly what's happening on the cover happens at the beginning.

ArwenPond

Nearfall, by Joe Rasbeck, a review by nothingdoer

Title:  Nearfall

Author:Joe Reasbeck

Format:  paperback

This is a book that comes from two people's point of view.They are brothers named Matt and Mike. Matt is a fourth grader and Mike is a seventh grader. Mike is a brother who will pound anyone who hurts Matt. Mike is also a wrestler for his school. Matt is being bullied by a kid named TJ because Matt likes a girl named Kimberly.

                                                                                         

Matt's story

   

Matt gets in trouble a lot at school but he gets out of it by flashing his "signature smile." (Ladies don't get any ideas he is fake.) At recess if there is mud he plays smear with 5th graders. Smear is a game where a fourth grader gets a football and runs across muddy concrete without getting smeared by 5th graders. He likes a girl named Kimberly. Unfortunately all 4th and 5th graders do, too. Tj thinks Matt likes her a little too much, so he beats him up.

                                                                                         

Mike's story

Mike gets caught cheating on a nerd named Billy's test Billy doesn't tell... yet!(DRAMATIC MUSIC.)The next day Billy gets a B- Mike gets an A-. Billy almost tells, but Mike begs. Billy doesn't tell. Mike has a best friend named Dan. Dan is the best kid on the wrestling team. Sorry I can't say more, but I'll talk about it in Billy's story. He also is an over-protective older brother.

                                                                                       

Dan's story

Dan is the best kid on the wrestling team. He used to be fat. His dad abused him. So he worked out. His dad doesn't work -- he drinks, and he smokes. Dan doesn't like him. Dan's best friend is Mike.

Billy's story

Billy talks to Mike at Pattison Park. For cheating Mike will have to teach Billy wrestling. Billy comes home and his sister Kimberly is crying. He asks her what's wrong, and she talks about how Matt got beat up. Billy makes it worse by saying Matt's brother is a jerk.

Billy ends up being a wrestler. So does Matt (long story).I won't say any more so I won't give it away.

This book has violence but is fast paced. It has drama. I'd only read this book if you are 10 or older. The cover doesn't pop out. In fact it's really boring. I would rate this book 4.5 chocolate bars, because at parts it is slow but the rest is good.

My Dilemma: Chapter 1: original fiction by cece07

Chapter #1: Close call

My heart was racing, heels clicking against the chipped cement floor of the subway station. "How could this day get ANY worse?" I wonder making a beeline for the bathroom.

I started to gag. Cramming myself into one of tiny run-down stalls, I puked. Then once more.Walking out of the stall, I swiped my sleeve across my cheek. It reeked of lemons and bleach. The pale pink walls had etchings carved into the plaster. While I was washing my hands, someone, something walked in through the door.

My Mother...Irene. Five foot four, short blonde hair, tight jeans, and long dangling earrings. " What the heck, Raini? You don't just run off like that!? "

"Sorry mom, I...uh...had to pee." My voice quivering.

"Well, let's go! We got grocery shopping to-do." She then turned around and trotted out like one of those show horses. Shoving a piece of cinnamon gum into my mouth, I trailed behind.

Shiloh, a review by do nothing

Title: Shiloh
Author: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Format: Paperback

Shiloh is a book for serious readers. If you are not sure if you should read it, read it anyway. There are many parts where you will want to quit reading, if you read through it you won't regret it. It also has many good parts I won't say any because that would ruin the book.
  
There are many parts where you won't understand the plot (at least if you're me.) I think it may take place before Elvis Presley was born or maybe it takes place a day - a year after he died. (OH THANKS A LOT, YOU GOT ME OFF TRACK!)

Now I will tell you the plot. The boy named Marty will do any thing to save Shiloh. That is the plot, plain and simple.  The dog is being abused, and Marty doesn't think it's fair.  

The book's strengths are the way it explains about how Marty feels about the dog.  The book was a little slow.  It had a little too much description.

Appropriateness: there are uses of tobacco, and alcohol. There may be swearing a few times but I don't remember any. I wouldn't read this book if tobacco and alcohol will make you stop reading.
           
I'd rate this book 3.5 chocolate bars. 
Cover Thoughts:  I don't really know how much it has to do with the book.