Girlfriend Material by: Melissa Kantor

Kate is bummed to find out that her mother is dragging her away to Cape Code for the summer when all she wants to do is spend time with all of her friends. The only positive side Kate sees in leaving is that they will be staying with her mom’s best friend, whose daughter, Sarah, is the same age as her.

Once they arrive in Cape Cod, Kate realizes that Sarah couldn’t be less interested in her and she feels like the beginning of her summer is destined for disaster and lonely days. However, things start looking up for Kate, especially when she bumps into a boy named Adam at the town bookstore.

I really enjoyed this book. It is a quick read, and I could relate to the main character, Kate. Although this author, Melissa Kantor, is quite popular, this is the first book I had read of hers. I look forward to reading more by her. Out of a possible 5 stars, I would rate this book a 4, and I would highly recommend it, especially for the female reader.

How to Survive Middle School by: Donna Gephart

We all remember the first day of junior high because it’s a big day in the life of any teen. David, the main character, does not start out his first day on the right foot. His believed best friend tells him that everyone is going to come to school the first day in t-shirts instead of following their strict private school dress code. However, when David shows up the first day of school, he is shocked to see that he is the only one not wearing the uniform. This is just the beginning of David’s problems in middle school. With a best friend who is turning on him and a school bully who he fears will give him his first swirly, David finds that middle school is not going so well.

With his school life going down the tubes, David finds his joy from making U-Tube videos at home with his hamster. It may sound pathetic, but David’s videos are actually gaining recognition from people on the Web. Will David’s life at school get any better? Will he really get a swirly from the creepy school bully? Will David’s videos change his life?

Looking at the cover of this book, I thought it looked kind of silly, especially with the hamster singing in the microphone. Despite my initial impression, I loved this book. It made me laugh and cry, and I think anyone who has ever been through middle school can relate to David. I would give this book 4 stars out of 5 and would highly recommend it.

13 Treasures by: Michelle Harrison

Tanya has spent her life being harassed by various kinds of problematic fairies because she was born with the second sight, which makes these creatures visible to her. Because of the fairies tricks, Tanya is send to live with her grandmother in a large, eerie mansion where she meets up with the groundskeeper’s son, Fabian.
Tanya and Fabian form a friendship full of adventure, traveling the dark woods and secret rooms in the home, searching for answers to the mysteries of the fairies, a girl who was found hidden behind the walls of the home, and answers to a family secret.

Although I could appreciate this writer’s use of vivid detail, word choice, and creative twists and turns, I did not enjoy this book as much as others have. This author, Michelle Harrison, has been compared to a J.K Rowling, and I can see that she is really talented. However, I do not think this book was as interesting as the J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter series. I have spoke to many students, especially girls, who loved this book, so check it out if you are partial to fantasy titles, especially ones involving the fairy realm.

I would rate this book 3 stars out of a possible 5

Prophecy of the Sisters

Lia and Alice are twin sisters living in the 1800’s in New York City. Although they may look similar, the twins are quite different. With the recent death of their father and a mother that died years ago, the girls are living as orphans.

Alice is acting quite strange, not showing the emotion one would expect with the death of a dad. The other sister, Lia, has also been noticing that strange things have been happening around their old Victorian age mansion. Lia and her boyfriend recently found an old book that lie hidden in her father’s library, detailing an ancient prophecy that has shocking similarities to her own situation.
How does this ancient prophecy relate to her and her sister, Alice? Did her deceased father leave this book for her to find so she could unveil the mystery of the prophecy?

I really enjoyed this book because I love mysteries and anything set during the 1800’s Victorian era. From the first chapter, the book had me hooked. Although I became a little frustrated at the turn of events toward the middle of the book, I would still recommend this book to readers.

This book is part of a trilogy, and after reading the first book, you will want to see what happens in book #2, The Guardian of the Gate.
I would rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars.