Young Adult Books

This is a wonderful book. Our main character has just gone to live with her uncle while her mom is away. She meets friends, and is wary of her uncle and his messy house. especially when she finds a surprise in her bed. And, to top it all off, a murderer called the Vampire is on the loose. Police are baffled. Soon, our character finds SHE will be the next victim. the ending is surprising, and very good. this is one of my favorite books.

I love her work. richie is my favorite author of all time. This is the first book from her I read. I still have the book and always read it when I get bored. Darcy Thomas was dumped by her mother, who had a "honeymoon" with a new fifth husband in Europe. The plan was to leave Darcy at her aunt's place but her laywer aunt was busy on a business, so Darcy was dropped to her unknown Uncle Jake, an uncle she had never know, just only heard of by her mother. And what she heard wasn't very pleasant. When she met Uncle Jake she was very surprise because he was young, around 22 or 23, not much older than her. She met his friends Kyle and Liz. Liz was mean to her because she used to having her way before Darcy came. Kyle was nice to her. So was his bestfriend Brandon, who was interest in Darcy. Liz was jealous of Darcy since she was liking Brandon. Then there was Elliott, whom seem to be watching her all the time but nobody see him except her. He appeared almost everywhere she goes. Jake was always nervous when he was around her, almoat afraid of her. Then there were these murders with girls and the culprit always leave his signature behind: a vampire dots on the girl's neck. Darcy thought someone was watching when she went to bed and it turn out that there was. She found the lipstick that use for the signature of the vampire in Jake's closet, and she also found these bloody stain with mud towels in the closet. Jake seem to be having a little secret he doesn't want her to know. Can she trust him or anyone?

I love her work. richie is my favorite author of all time. This is the first book from her I read. I still have the book and always read it when I get bored. Carolyn Baxter and her mother moved to an island to get an inherited Glanton House that left from a distant greataunt whom they haven't talk for years. Mrs. Baxter wanted to transform the house into a houseguests for tourists. Carolyn thought it was a bad idea, since the house was near a cliff, and the ocean that seem to go on and on forever; then there was fog all the time, making it harder to see. Nora, the creepy housekeeper left from Hazel, gave Carolyn all these horrible folklore that scare the hell out of her. Then a drifter came. His name is Joss Whitcomb, who needed a place to stay in exchange of doing handywork for them. Carolyn was half attracted to him with his dark, compelling look and half terrify of him for knowing too much of the tale of the house. the legend of the sea captain was scaring her cuz the captain's wife have the same name as Carolyn. The legend say that the captain have to go and the captain built a widow's walk for her to wait him there to return. But the wait seem to be forever so the Carolyn Glanton fall in love with another man. He was a drifter that she took care of; a cruel he was;very jealos and spiteful. Soon, Carolyn was depress. One stormy night, the ship of Captain Glanton came back but all people died except the captain. He was barely alive. The drifter killed the captain and killed the wife also and left. No one know where he go. With the legend like that, how could Carolyn trust the devastating drifter when she was feared of him?

I love this book so much! It is the story of seventeen-year-old Darcy, who is dumped by her mother at her handsome Uncle Jake's house, who is just 6 years older than her. There, she becomes friends with Brandon, the dark-haired, hot, guy who is already taken, but likes Darcy; Liz, the spoiled girlfriend of Brandon who is used to getting what she wants and does not have any real friends; Kyle, the sweet brother of Liz; and Elliott, the weird young man who never takes off his sunglasses and seems to follow Darcy around. Meanwhile, girls are being murdered in the town and left with slits in their throats and marks that look like a vampire's. Strange things start happening to Darcy, and at first everyone thinks she is overreacting. When Darcy finds a note saying "You are my chosen one," she must hurry to find who is doing the killing before she is next. This book has romance and suspense, and it keeps you guessing until the end. I think this book is somewhat hard to find, but I ordered it off amazon.com and am thankful I did.

Darcy is dumped by her mom, and left at her Uncle Jake's house. His home is inside a horror museum -- The Dungeon of Horrors, which he owns. As soon as she arrives, strange things start to occur. Girls start turning up in dark alleys with their throat slashed, and two lipstick marks on their necks -- implying a vampire bite. Darcy's thrown into the midst of the terror when she believes that she's being stalked and receives a threatening note under her pillow. To add to the situation, she starts suspecting that someone she knows is the killer! Will she survive long enough to find out?.....

"Vampire" was a very good book, and up to par with a great author -- Richie Tankersley Cusick. This was my second book by her, and it was great! Keeping that in mind, it did have a few flaws. It was a bit hard to get into, and didn't get straight to the point. Aside from that, it wasn't too fast-paced. The ending (being the most important part of a book -- especially in mysteries) was satisfying, but not completely shocking -- like most other books. Still, it was unique how the author made you change your mind three times about who the killer was before they were revealed.

BUY IT BUY IT BUY IT! If you have a child coming up on SAT's or even in middle or elementary school, this is the best book out there! It was recommended to us by a reading specialist. I love to read the book just to see if I can recall words. Love IT so BUY IT!

This is a fantastic book. I am in 6th grade and got this and loved it. I would reccommend this for grades 6th -- 11th. The way it works: first it shows the word, say "copious". Next, it shows the definition -- in this case, "abundant;plentiful". Underneath, it shows a link word. For "copious", the link word was "cup". An amusing cartoon strip follows, such as the one for "copious" which showed a grinning man proudly holding a massive cup of coffee. The caption read, "A COPIOUS CUP of coffee". Then, there are three good examples. At the end of every ten words, there's a review to make sure you understand. This book is wonderful, and I reccommend it to everyone! I loved it. In total, there are 290 words.

This book is a delight! Both this and it's sister version (Vocabulary Cartoons 2) are wonderful vocabulary builder starters before you drift off into harder works like "The Wizard of Oz Vocabulary Builder." That book sounds easy enough, but it's actually geared towards 12th graders and beyond.

These books are wonderful for visual learners, although, others might get something out of them. Building your vocabulary is a process, but the time spent will be well rewarded. A strong vocabulary helps everything, including foreign language and math skills. As you delve into harder works, you'll be learning Latin and Greek roots which build excellent decoding skills for standardized tests.

These books are perfect for summer education. You want your kids to enjoy themselves, however, it doesn't hurt to move ahead academically either. These materials -- and ones like them -- are fun summer pleasure readers. And they'll learn something along the way. Adults will likely enjoy them too!

No one cares about your education more than you do. Fortunately, we live in the day and age where materials just keep getting better and better. So supplement, supplement, supplement. Have no fear: it can actually be fun. A+

this book was a simple, fun way to review vocab for SAT

This book has been one of my most valuable resources in my classroom. Each of my students owns a copy, and through class activities that incorporate the vocabulary into various literature lessons, I have seen results. One student recently took the SATs for the second time and reported a 210-point increase in his verbal score--an increase that he ascribes to this book. I highly recommend this resource to any literature teacher and college-bound student.

This is the wrap-up volume of the author's "Bromeliad" trilogy (the title of which has to do with tiny Amazonian frogs living in tree-top flowers, who know nothing about the world at large, or even that it exists) -- though it runs parallel, actually, to the second volume, which followed the exploits of Grimma and the nomes who stayed behind at the quarry while Masklin and a couple of others went to investigate the nearby airport. Now it turns out that, in their quest for the Ship waiting for thousands of years somewhere out in space, the three bickering adventurers have managed to stowaway aboard the Concorde and have gotten to Miami and then to Cape Canaveral. There, they meet other nomes, much more widely traveled than themselves (thanks to migrating geese), get close to a rocket launch, and make use of the Thing to contact the Ship. As always, Pratchett tells a delightful, very humane story with lots of humor (the nomes tend to be VERY literal), while at the same time commenting on subjects like interspecies relations, religious dogma, and the whole point of society. Written for adolescents but enjoyable for any thinking reader.

DON'T READ THIS BOOK INTILL YOU READ THE FIRST TWO BOOKS IN THE BROEIMLEAD TRILOGY. This book is about when Masklin (a nome) trys to find this one ship that while supposedly send the nomes to a different planet. This ship is faster than light. The one thing that leads them their is a thing. This thing is like a box with lots of electric inside, and only if this thing is by something that is powered by electric it works. Now in this book Masklin, Gurder, Angalo, and the thing go out to find the ship. At the beginning they fly on a airplane to Florida. When they get their they find more nomes (which they never knew that there was any other nomes). Now they have get the ship to them somehow. Read this wing of a book to find if they find the ship.

My Dad has been reading Terry Pratchett books and he thought I'd like this one. He was right! You should read this book , because it is very funny and exciting. The book is about three nomes that got stuck on Earth and need to take a space shuttle home. The nomes get a lot of useful help from Thing, a machine. But too bad when Thing runs out of "pow" (power)!
I don't have the first two books from this trilogy but I am getting them next!

In Diggers, the nomes living in a quarry found themselves besieged by humans. In the end, Masklin rescued them with nothing short of a miracle. This book is the story of that miracle.

This book is so funny that I often found myself laughing out loud while reading it. Not only that, the action is gripping, and the ending is touching. This book is a wonderful buy.

The Bromeliad trilogy soars to a grand finale with "Wings," the companion volume to "Truckers" and "Diggers." This tale runs parallel to the second book of the series, and brimming over with Terry Pratchett's usual wit and satire... and a mild dose of insanity.

Now that humans are returning to the quarry where the tiny nomes live, the nomes must somehow find a new place to live -- and fast. So Masklin is following the instructions of the Thing (a computer who is smarter than all the other characters put together) and going on a secret mission with Angalo and the Abbot to Florida.

After they sneak aboard the Concorde, freak out the stewardess and hijack the plane, the nomes learn that none other than Richard Arnold (grandson of Arnold Bros, founder of The Store) is on board. Now they must somehow send the Thing into space, so it can contact the spaceship and whisk the nomes away. Easy? No way.

Technically, anybody who has read the end of "Diggers" will know exactly what will happen in "Wings." But like flying on the Concorde, it's the ride that's half the thrill. "Wings" is a little tighter and funnier than its predecessors, partly because it has a much smaller cast -- the small bickering trio, plus the Thing. It doesn't get much better than that.

The nomes are fun protagonists, partly because they're so likably naive about the world in general. If they were left alone, they would probably produce a cute little civilization, and their naivete produces plenty of entertaining humor (Concerning the sound barrier: "All right, own up. Who broke it?"). Pratchett manages to make us laugh with the nomes, not at that.

The long-suffering Masklin has a new slew of problems the moment he leaves, ranging from the Thing refusing to talk to him to Angalo razzing the stewardesses. Atheistic Angalo and the abbot just avoid biting out each other's throat. But it's the Thing's dry, superior guidance that really steals the show.

Pratchett brings his Bromeliad trilogy to a close full of action, suspense, and frogs. A witty and wild ride on the Concorde, and not one to be missed.

Block has to be one of the most beautiful, most creative writers in the whole world! I love her writing style. It is so easy to get lost in her books with all of her wonderful descriptions.... pretty soon you are breathing the musky air of her world.
Witch Baby is adorable with her purple hair and her bad attitude.
The story that Block included within this book about the people who find the glowing globe of blue and then die after decorating themselves with it was haunting....
I felt so bad for Witch Baby because she felt so unwanted....
I love the scene when she dances on the pancakes after hiding in the trunk when Dirk and Duck go on vacation.

A Review by Brittany

This book is about a baby that a family took and called her Witch Baby and raised her as their own. She grew up in Shangri, Los Angeles. She had purple eyes, wild, dark hair and looked at the world in a very special way. Even though Witch Baby tried to fit in, she never felt as if she truly belonged. One day she packed her bat-shaped backpack and put on her black cowboy-boot roller skates and went into the world to find out who she really was.

The realism of this book is that there are some real character names like Rachel and Dirk and two other names, there are such things as surf boards and surfing and water and cars and roads, and a few other things, but other than that there is not a lot. The conflicts in this book there are a few like in the beginning Witch Baby wants to go with Dirk and Duck on their little adventure to one of their moms house. Then there was the conflict when Dirk and Duck found out that Witch Baby snuck into their car and ate all of the fig-newtons. The relevance of this book to todays world is that it almost has a lot of the same things we do as in cars, roads, people, water, surfing, surfboards, etc;. This book is pretty boring. So basically I did not like this book.

The kind of person that might enjoy this book is a person that enjoys mystery.

Never, EVER think that this book belongs on the children's fiction table. Well, it belongs there, obviously. But it would also fit in very comfortably in the adult fiction section.

Witch Baby is a girl who has never quite felt at home in the family who adopted her. This book is all about her trying to fit in, to relate to the people around her, and to find her true niche in life. Although it all sounds very cliche, this is one of the most rewarding books I've read in a long time. The print is large, the book is small enough to read in an evening, and you walk away feeling as if it was more than worth the effort.

Written in fairly plain, even childlike language, using slang that could seem forced in another context, but fits in nicely, it is truly a work of art. At times it is hard to fit Witch Baby into an age bracket - at times she seems little older than ten, but at others she could be seven or eight years older than that.

With characters such as My Secret Agent Lover Man, and Angel Juan, again it seems childlike in its outlook. However, issues confronted in the book, like acceptance of homosexuality, being adopted and finding your true roots are deep and well presented in this book. In this kind of book, a younger reader could encounter, for example, homosexuality in a non-judgemental light, and completely accept it at a younger age.

This book is a jewel to read.

Witch baby the book stands out among the other works in the Dangerous Angels series just as Witch Baby the character does from her colourful, sparkling, and seemingly wonderful almost-family in glittering LA. The story of Witch Baby is written from the point of view of a mysterious, elf-like little girl with a dark, secretive, and magical nature about her. She lives in a world of family, friends, sunshine and movies, but never feels that she really belongs to it. Is it because she's the daughter of a witch? Because she never knew who her father was? Whatever the reason, Witch Baby is determined to find her place in the world (most importantly in her own family), and opens peoples eyes in her own mysterious Witch Baby way. I love this book because it really makes the reader see things from a unique point of view, using the colourful imagery and feeling that Francesca Lia Block is known for. This is a particularly good read for adolescent and teenage girls, but I would encourage anyone to try it, because I think everyone can relate to Witch Baby and her struggle to fit in at some point in their lives.

Francesca Lia Block, Witch Baby (Harper, 1991)

The adventures of Weetzie Bat and Co. continue in this second book in the cycle, though Weetzie takes a background to Witch Baby here. Witch Baby is almost the darker side of Weetzie's coin, and gets into a number of the same messes (the names and dates change, but the situations sound somewhat similar). Block's Acker-esque fasination with ways to twist language continues apace.

The book's major failing, as compared to its predecessor, is that Block lets her prejudices bubble much closer to the surface here, and the books smacks far more of politics than did Weetzie Bat. Political polemic and novels do not mix (though, to be fair, it's easier to do in fiction than poetry; a handful of poets can do it successfully, while perhaps a dozen novelists have managed it over the years). While Block seemed to have the trick down in Weetzie Bat, here it comes off as pedestrian at best. (To be fair, though, unlike most political screed masquerading as fiction, it never gets in the way of the story or interferes with the pace.)

I hope the politics calm down in the series' later books, and that this was just a dip in quality easily remedied. Guess I'll find out as I keep going. ** ½

This is it, the original manga that started a worldwide franchise. Before the anime, before the card game, before the video games, there was this.

Actually, this first volume is actually Volume 8 of Kazuki Takahashi's manga-meaning that readers will learn as much about Yugi's beginnings as they do from watching the first few episodes of the anime. The source material for the first season of Yu-Gi-Oh!, the manga follows Yugi and his friends from their first encounter with Maximillion J. Pegasus to their arrival on Duelist Kingdom (Yugi's first duel with Kaiba is left out). Those familiar with the anime will also be pleased to know that characters like Insector Haga (Weevil) and Mai Kujaku/Valentine will make appearances. Also featured is a rundown on the Duel Monsters cards used in the current storyline. While those who have watched the anime may not find much to talk about here, it's worth a look for those who want to know what all the buzz is about. But if you're a diehard fan who's got to have Yugi on the go, this is good place to start.

This book is rated T for Teen: Violence, Adult Situations

Ummm...Hello? Why are you people talking about volumes 2, 3, and 5 of the regular YGO manga series? This is Yu-Gi-Oh: Duelist, the original story line of the Duelist Kingdom tournament. It is rated teen...that's been established by my fellow YGO fans. Seriously, if you're a parent, don't get this book for your 7-year-old kid who thinks he knows everything about YGO...these are the mangas that you read backwards, so good luck explaining that to your child, and then there are some (...) situations in the other YGO books (there aren't really any in this one, that I remember). Actually, Mai Kujaku (Mai Valentine for all you dubbies) is very, VERY clad...her (...) are practically falling out of her "shirt." But anyway, I wasn't too enthusiastic about reading this because I own three versions of Duelist Kingdom including this, so I know what happens already. It's kind of hard for me to read through all the duels because I have practically memorized every duel in the DK saga. I am usually very tempted to skip the duels the first time I read this, but I didn't skip them, but now I only read through entire duels every once in a while...but I do really like this book!

i would give this book a A+ cuz its so cool to no the character's origins. as some of the other pple mentioned Seto Kiaba doesnt look to good though that doesnt matter to me since i like yami more. anyway the plot of this story sorta sounds like the episode where kiaba tore up Yugi's granfather's bwd(blue eyes white dragon). The only difference with that is that yugi doesn't duel kiaba right off the bat. i'm not gonna tell more cuz that's 4 u to find out.

another thing is that if ur under 12 u shouldn't read this. someone i no read this when he/she was 10 and wouldn't stop asking questions about it. It has a little bit of perverteness cuz of tristan/honda's nephew jojhi. dont get me mad if ur 7 years old and say u like yu gi oh cuz u dont even no the 1/2 of it.

anzu(tea 2 u unkwoning freaks) is not that bad in this manga. but she does draw the smiley face as the friendship sign and makes the litle speech. actually its the only speech she makes on friendship in the entire series. it's still a great book and i would recomend this book to all my friends if they read yu gi oh.

From the title of the item, I would have to say that this is the new Yu-Gi-Oh! manga, Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duelist. The Duelist series is supposed to be based on what American viewers saw, Duelist Kingdom, Battle City, those things, without the annoyance of fillers like Noa's Arc and DOOM. This manga shows the first introduction of Pegasus, how Yugi-tachi got to the island, and the introduction of Mai and Insector Haga (Weevil Underwood for the American fans.) This is a lot more violent, though, as such, you should obey the "Teen" rating on the series.
Other than that, great book, great series, and help in the cause of getting pictures of the thing onto the Amazon.com site, so people will stop giving reviews for manga 2 and 5!

I really like this book. Well, I'm a big fan of Yugioh, so duh! This is the book in which we first see the Duel Monsters cards and meet the young CEO (though at the time we don't know he is one) Seto Kaiba and the mysterious Shadi.

Beware though, Seto, who usually looks all hot and sexy, doesn't look too spectacular. I'm not sure why, but some of the images of him look rather awkward, so if you are used to watching the anime, this is the manga, note the change. It's not like it matters to anyone but me anyway. (I'm an absessive Seto fangirl).

Also, if you are some silly little kid who's under ten and "thinks" he/she likes Yugioh, back away before I get angry. Don't even READ this if you're under 12.

I'm fourteen, and when I see f'ggin FIVE YEAR OLDS saying they like Yugioh I get real pissed...... So, if you are some baby, this book is too sophisticated for you. It is rated TEEN, whatever it says up there, and includes a lot of (minor) swears and violence and drugs and alcohol and more mature stuff.

Joey and Yugi and Honda (Tristen, to all you unknowing twerps) are known to pull perverted pranks. Once, they watched a movie that mentioned "censoured" girls and Joey trying to see through the censoring....O.O...... but that wasn't in this book, so don't worry about Yugi wanting to watch digitized porn.

Yugioh as a whole is awsome. It's my favorite anime for many reasons. It includes hot guys (SETO KAIBA!!! & Malik, Bakura, Yami), Millenium magic, dueling action (I love action/violence, I don't know why) and everyone else that makes it so unique and awsome.

Buy, or at least READ this book, (if you like Yugioh) because it is NOT some cheesy kid's book like the dubbed TV show has become. Now I'm going to get angry at 4kids and the dubbers..... *throws computer at dubbers, they scream and run, I follow them laughing like Yami Marik swinging the Millenium Rod DAGGER!!! (which, to all you unknowing dub-following YGO babies, DOES exist.... but any true Yugioh fan knows that, right?)*

Thirteen-year-old Mary Chilton has lived in Leyden, Holland almost her entire life; she was not yet three years old when her family fled England in search of religious freedom. But neither England nor Holland feels like her real home to Mary. She has always longed for a place to truly belong. When her parents decide to join other English Separatists living in Holland who are planning to settle in the New World, she feels a mixture of sorrow at leaving behind friends, neighbors, and her three adults sisters, and joy at the thought that she might finally find a place to call home. But the sea voyage on the Mayflower is long and dangerous, filled with storms and sickness, and the difficulties do not end when they finally reach the New World.

Wendy Lawton has brought to life the story of Mary Chilton, a real girl who was a passenger on the Mayflower in 1620. I really enjoyed this book, and I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy historical fiction, particularly those who have a special interest in the Pilgrims or Colonial America.

Wendy Lawton transports us back to the voyage of the Mayflower through the eyes of young Mary Chilton. Her experiences and those of her family give us a first hand look at the trials and obstacles that had to be overcome for them to reach this country. Not usually a reader of historical fiction, I was captivated by the well-written and accurate story of the Chilton family. Wendy Lawton had done her homework! Her extensive research not only informs the reader but educates the reader about his heritage in a fast-paced and easily followed style. Definitely a good read for old and young!

I was hooked from the first page. These books are a joy to read. They keep you interested and inspired. I think every young person should read at least one in this series, when they read one they will want to read more. I plan to pass my copies to all my friends.

"The last time Mary saw her English home she stood tiptoe on a wooden crate so she could peer over the salty-tasting rail. ...The stone walls and arched bridges guarding the town of Sandwich eventually faded into the shimmer of water as the flap, flap, flap of sails being unfurled signaled that she was headed into the unknown."

Wendy Lawton is fast becoming a favorite author due to her exquisite storytelling skills. Through the eyes of thirteen-year-old Mary Chilton, we experience the struggles and triumphs of the Separatists (early Pilgrims) in ALMOST HOME, the third tale in the "Daughters of the Faith" series published by Moody. Lawton expertly handles historical details with insight and sensitivity, such as how the Church of England, "though still called a church...was not a place where people often met Christ or deepened their faith." And later, when the Mayflower lands at Plymouth and the newcomers fear the natives, Mary and her friends conclude, "Some of the stories of savagery may be true, just as they are for our people. Other parts of the stories may arise from lack of understanding...who is to say that God, if we are indeed following His leading in coming here, is not, even now, working in the hearts of some of these who look like savages to us?" This sets the stage for Samoset and Squanto, Native Americans who later assist the settlers. This type of careful thoughtfulness flows just under the surface of this well-written account.

Lesser known facts appear as well, such as the travelers starting their voyage with two ships, but serious leakage problems on the Speedwell force all 102 passengers onto the Mayflower. We also catch a glimpse of the conflict between travelers on board, widely divided by their beliefs--the religious Separatists and the non-believing Strangers.

This book is excellent for discussion about religious freedom, learning about the sacrifices and lives of the early settlers, studying geography (the route of the settlers), and discovering turns of phrases unique to that time period (daydreaming = "woolgathering"). Lawton includes an epilogue and interesting glossary of words. The cover is beautiful full-color, and makes a delightful gift for yourself and/or those you love. In the end, Mary Chilton discovers that "home" is not a place after all. Read ALMOST HOME to find out what it is. Get this book!

Kimn Swenson Gollnick ...

This is the second book by Wendy Lawton that I have read with my classroom in mind. It is a great read for both the young and the vast majority of us older adults. Almost Home is the story of May Chilton and her wondrous voyage to America on the Mayflower! Well written with just enough dialogue to make the characters come alive, the book is not overly "wordy" for children. The plot is great and the theme warm...this tale definitely keeps the audience captive. As with many other books by Lawton, this too has a delightful moral. The greatest part of this well researched book is that it is biographical and thus opens a dialogue between adults and precocious children. Not only about the Mayflower and the founding of america but also family value, I recommend this book for both the night stand and also the classroom.
Way to go Wendy!

Always and forever is an amazing story and I reccommened anyone to read it. THis story is about Melissa Austin, a beautiful girl with a great family and a great life. Her best friend Jory and her brother Micheal were her two most favorite people she knew although Micheal disliked Jory. All Melissa wanted was for Jory and Micheal to get along. Then Melissa received the most shocking news of her life, she was diagnosed with leukemia. This news was very devastating to her family and friends. Her family and friends watched as Melissa went through this ongoing battle with leukemia and all the could do was support her. After Melissa had a relapse at the age of seventeen she died of LEukemia. After Melissa's death Micheal decided to fufill her dream of Jory and Micheal getting along. So Micheal took Jory up with him into his hot air balloon.
This book has taught me that life is short and you should make the best of it because you never know what is going to happen next. It has taught me that even if a persons life seems great things can still go horribly wrong. This book has influenced me to live my life differently and to stop complaining about things because there are people out there who have it worse than I do. Before I read this book I did not think it was going to teach as much as it did, but now that I have read it I am glad I did.

Always and Forever by Lurlene McDaniel is an very inspiring story and I reccommened anyone to read it. This book is about melissa Austin, a beautiful girl who has everything she could want in life. Jory, her best friend, and Micheal, her brother, are her two most favorite people but Micheal, Jory's crush, shows a dislike towards her. All Melissa wants is for them to get along. When everything seems to be going well Melissa is faced the most shocking news of her life. She waqs diagnosed with leukemia. The news was devastating to her family and friends. Her family and friends had to watch Melissa battle leukemia and all they could do was support her. After a long time of struggling, and a relapse, Melissa Austin died of leukemia at age seventeen. After her death micheal decided to fufill Melissa's wish of him and Jory getting along. So Micheal takes Jory up with him in his hot air balloon.
This book has taught me that life is short and that you should live it to the fullest because you never know what is going to happen next. It has taught me that even if a person seems to have the perfect life something can still go horribly wrong. This book has influenced me to not complain as much because there are people out there who have it worse than I do. Before I read this book I didn't think it was going to teach me as much as it did. This book as influenced me in so many ways and I am glad I read it.

Always and Forever by Lurlene McDaniel is such a great book and I reccommened anyone to read it. This book is about Melissa Austin, a beautiful girl who has everything. Her best freind Jory and her brother Micheal are her two most favorite people but Micheal has a dislike towards Jory. The only thing Melissa ever wanted was for them to get along. She was having a great life until the most shocking thing of her life happened. She was diagonosed with leukemia at sixteen years old. Her family and friends had to watch Melissa go through this ongoing battle with cancer. After battling cancer for a while, having a relapse, and being diagnosed again, Melissa Austin died of leukemia at sixteen years old. After she died Micheal decided to fufill Melissa's wish that Jory and Micheal would get along. So Micheal took Jory up with him in his hot air baloon.
This book has taught me that life is short and it has inspired me to live life to the fullest because you never know whats going to happen next. This book has taught me that even if a person has a great life somrthing can still go horribly wrong. When I started reading this book I didn't think it was going to teach me as much as it did. This book has influenced me in so many ways and I am very glad I read it.

this book is one of my absolute favorites books written by lurlene mcdaniel. If you by this book you wont be sorry!

this book was amazing. I picked it up off the school library shelf because all of my friends had said it was an awesome book. they weren't exagerating.

This book tells about a young girl, in her junior year of high school, who is dignosed with lymphocytic leukemia. Melissa is very smart, she is working hard to get the merit scholorship for college. Her best friend Jory, it always there for her, and always working by her side. Jory isn't as "smart" as Melissa, and keeps telling her friend she should get a better social life. Melissa doesn't care about boys, or partying, she just wants to study.

About four months into her junior year Melissa is feeling sick, and gets these bruises on her legs. So the gym teacher reports them to the guidence cousular. She thinks Melissa is getting abused at home. Melissa freaks out, her mother and older brother Micheal have always been supportive...and loving to her. So her mother takes her to the doctor to get checked out. they take a few tests, draw a little blood...and boom. Melissa has lymphocytic leukimia.

This book really shows the hardships of cancer. The chemotherapy Melissa has to go through, makes her get sick almost every five minutes. She is always drowsy, and feels like crap. The way Lurlene McDaniel captures Jory's, and Micheal's and Melissa's feelings is amazing. I cried through half of the book. Its amazing...I recomend this book to anyone. Its more of a girly book, but hey...guys if you like this type of stuff...its an awesome book!

It's been a long time since a book for teens has touched me as powerfully as Bad Girls Club, Judy Gregerson's emotionally-raw debut novel for young adults. In it, the author, a childhood victim of abuse and neglect herself, explores the devastating impact of a parent's mental illness. As her mother descends into madness, teenaged Destiny becomes caregiver to both her Mom and her little sister, and fights to keep her family intact. It's a gripping tale, written with the authenticity of experience.

With mental health issues being so prevelant in society I was very intrigued by the premise of this book. Let me tell you that as hard as it was I read it in one sitting - it grabbed hold and would not let go.

All Destiny wants is to get a job and try to have a semblance of a normal life. Instead she is burdened with the responsibilty of taking care of her mentally ill mother and trying to protect her younger sister Cassidy from the violent rages and outbursts that have become more common than not. Destiny's life has never been anything but that of a constant caregiver and mediator...especially since the incident at Crater Lake. She loves her mother, and even though she knows that this is not a normal family life she is willing to do what her father asks and help keep her mother in their home, for better or worse.

As this book unfolds you watch this family go on such a downward spiral that my heart was literally breaking. As much as I hated to turn to the next page for fear of what was going to happen next, I was compelled to do so in hopes that a ray of light would be found and something positive would happen to change some of the bad to good. At first I was unsure if this could really happen - how could both parents let their children go through this living hell? I then thought of my own life, and the lengths I may go to keep my family in tact. Love is a very powerful emotion, and nothing is more powerful than the love between a parent and their children. As Ms. Gregerson points out in her Author's Note, children that come from abusive families are even more loyal to their parents than children who don't. They seem to constantly be searching for a way to gain acceptance and love from the parent(s) who neglects or abuses them.

This book is a true eye opener, although it is fiction we can't turn a blind eye to the fact that there are families like this in every town in America. I am hopeful that this book will give some of these families the strength they need to get the help so desperately needed before it is too late and the children are damaged to a point of no return. It will hopefully also make people think closely about some people they know and maybe will give them the strength to intervene in situations they know are not healthy for the family involved. The author has done a true service by writing about an issue that should not be ignored.

Questions for the author:

What made you decide to write the story from the perspective of the oldest daughter?

Well, it was personal really. I was a parentified child, meaning that I was one of those kids who took care of my mother and my older sister when my family was spiraling out of control. I was the one who felt responsible to hold everything together because no one else would. And I believed that multitudes of people all around the world experience that same thing -- they become the savior of their families because no one else will. I wanted to shine a spotlight on that problem and what it does to a kid. And on another level, this is a cautionary tale: beware what you do to your children. When 5 children a day die in this country because their mother, a family member, or someone who knows their parent kills them, we're in deep trouble. We are allowing the ruin of our children and then we wonder why these kids can't learn in school or why they turn to crime, or why they're depressed. This book tells why, in some cases, our children are lost.

What was your inspiration for the story?

There were several things that inspired me. And in some sense, it was reaching critical mass and feeling that I had to say something about this problem. I tell everyone the story about meeting a man whose mother set their house on fire after locking him and his little brother in. There was Susan Smith and Andrea Yates. I thought they were anomalies, but I found out that they aren't. I started studying this issue and realized that 500 mothers a year kill their children. I started wondering what it would be like to live in a family like that. What if every day, your little sister's life was on the line and you couldn't do anything except be the one who stood between her and your mother? What if you knew your life was on the line and you had to live with one eye open so you could survive? These are the things I thought about, they're the questions that horrified me, as I wrote this book.

Do you have any books currently in the works?

I currently have one book in the works about a girl whose mother deserts her at the local grocery store, leaving the girl with her eccentric extended family and the question, "Why did she leave me?" I'm about a third through that and may get back to it soon. I also have another book finished about a girl in a trailer park who's the underdog and can't seem to find her way.

What hobbies do you enjoy?

Oh, I'm an odd one. I love to research. That is really relaxing to me. I pick a topic and then I search it out. I travel a little. We have a summer place on a beautiful glacier fed lake and I love going there. I hang with my daughters who are almost 18 and 21. They're my greatest joy. I read some, mostly nonfiction. I have a few favorite TV shows like CSI and Ugly Betty. Other than that, I just hang and try to find things to laugh at. The absurdity of life amuses me.

[...]

From the opening pages where Destiny's father tells her that her job is to help her mother, June, to the final pages where Destiny must make a tough decision about her family, we see a girl torn between love for her mother and facing the reality of her mother's illness.

As her mother sinks deeper and deeper into her world of darkness, Destiny attempts to hold the family together. She remembers earlier times, when her mother was kind and gentle and showed her how to paint. But those days have long passed, and now Destiny is the only protector of her younger sister, Cassidy, who has imaginary friends and bruises and bald spots where she's pulled out her hair, and who talks to no one except Destiny. Their dad, Bob, lives in his own world of denial, defending his wife, saying she'll get better. Destiny wants to believe him, so she does.

In bits and pieces throughout the story, Ms. Gregerson reveals what happened that awful day at Crater Lake, the day their mother changed their lives forever. The only person Destiny can confide in is her best friend, Chloe, who urges Destiny to come stay with her family. But Destiny cannot leave: Her mother needs her, Cassidy needs her, even her father needs her. Finally, Destiny's grandmother recognizes the hopelessness of the situation and gives Father an ultimatum: Put June in the hospital or the girls go home with her.

Bad Girls Club portrays a realistic look at a family in crisis and what happens when the truth is denied. Have a box of tissues handy. You may need it.

Listen to the Ghost
Secrets I Have Kept

Like any teen, Destiny just wants a normal life. She'd love to get a summer job, hang out with her best friend, Chloe, and her boyfriend, but she can't. Instead her life is spent caring for her younger sister, Cassidy, and insane mother. The father uses guilt and fear to manipulate Destiny, mentally keeping her a prisoner.

The darkness of this mental illness was so strong in the story that it manifested itself. At first, Destiny thought she was imagining things until the shadows started to follow her mother around, fueling her madness. When she finds her sister taking to an imaginary friend with black wings who flies and plans to cut their mother up into pieces, she realizes this madness is spreading like a disease. Slowly, this darkness tries to take her away too.

As the story unfolds, I begin to wonder why their mother isn't in a mental health facility and then memories of Andrea Yates hit. Do you know that the American Anthropological Association stated in 2005 more than 200 women kill their children in the US every year? These are the cases where a death has occurred and therefore is news worthy. What about those children who aren't killed and have to live through this mess? "Bad Girls Club" is a work of fiction, but it's definitely not a far fetched story.

Kudos to Judy Gregerson for bringing a story like this to the surface where it can be discussed.

Review by J. Kaye at http://j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com/

The Bad Girls Club is a riveting look at a family ravished by mental illness. The first chapter pulls you into Destiny's crazy world and won't let you go. Gregerson uses flashbacks to the mysterious Crater Lake incident, revealing bits and pieces, and making us ask ourselves--do I really want to know what happened? And when we finally do learn the truth, we don't think it can possibly get any worse. But we're wrong. A heart-wrenching, eye-opening story that you will never forget.

I loved the book. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened to the main character, "Sticky." It's not the kind of book you have to use a dictionary all the time. It's written in plain simple language.
The only draw back was the lines that were repeated. Other than that, it was an excelent story. I even got motivated to dig the old basketball out of the closet. Good show!

This is a great book. Everyone should read this book. And the movie is gonna be really good.

I liked his book because it was about basketball and I have played basketball for the last nine years. I felt like I understood the book because I know a lot about basketball. It also told of a story about a boy growing up in the foster carte system.
Sticky was the main character of this book. It starts out when he is 16 years old waiting for a chance to play a pick up game at the recreation center. All the guys from the neighborhood like to hang out there. He is the only white player on the court. The other players make fun of his name. It was a nickname his mother gave him so he likes it and gets angry because they wanted him to say his real name or change it.
The book flips back and forth from his rough childhood with his single mother, to his multiple foster parents, to current time. It took him through rough and good experiences with friends and foes.
He meets a girl from high school who he likes and they start dating. They want to go to the same college so Sticky has to try really hard to get a basketball scholarship.
He learned life lessons throughout the book. Most of his lessons were learned on the court at the recreation center. There were lots of fights, laughter, and yelling, homeless people, young and old people.
I give this book a 5 star rating and you should for sure buy Ball don't lie if you don't you'll be missing out.

I'm not usually a big book guy, but I knew I had to read my boy "Cali's" first book. We play ball together at the Prospect YMCA. So I went and bought a copy to show my support. Then I didn;t read it for about six months. Well I just finished it last night. I couldn't believe how good it was. This dude can really write. And I love the story. It's sad, but in the end you feel like the main character is going to be alright. Speaking of the main character. He's from the west coast which usually means he'd be soft, but this kid has got some heart. so get get a copy of this book and support my boy Cali. You'll be happy you did.

This book starts out really slow and boring because you are blinded by all of the basketball details. So you think "here's another boring sports book" and by chapter 3 it is already unraveling into a book you just can't put down. Sticky is a ghetto and rough-around-the-edges white guy that has grown up on the streets, moving from foster pad to foster pad, eventually making it to an area where he is daily playing ball with the regular crew down at Lincoln Rec. He knows that he has to have something special to get out of this life he doesn't want to be stuck with forever. It really does suck you in and has you going through every trial with Sticky from past to present making you feel as if it were you telling the story of Sticky's crazy and hectic life.

I read this book over, and over and over...I have memorized the opening and closing lines to this book, along with everything in between. Something magical happens within these pages, even if some details or concepts are far-fetched. At seven years old - so what?! And almost 20 years later I still say so what. This book inspired me to start writing my own books at such an early age because the story that played out in my head while reading this was so vivid and real I wanted to create that same vision. My younger sister soon snagged this book from me and she too read it many times over. I had to mask the whole book back together with tape and secure loose pages because it was used so much it fell apart. I still have my original copy of this but it looks like something found in an ancient riun so I just purchased another copy on Amazon. Trust me, this book is worth it. Growing up I loved horses and longed for a girl to admire. The romance is just right for the age group. There is adventure at every turn of the page. I am going to preserve my newest copy for the kids I hope to one day have. Buy yours before they are gone forever! You or your kids will read it over again and again.

This book is my favorite book ever! You need to read this book, It has Adventure, Danger, and Romance!!! Its such a good book. I picked this book up when I was 10. I loved it! Now im 13 and I still fall in love with it more and more every time I read it! Bill Wallice NEEDS to right a sequel to this book, I want to know what happens! Does David and Amanda get married or do they go on another adventure that comes in there lives!? What does Amanda say to Philip? What happens to Potlicker? Bill Wallice I need to know what happens! PLEASE make a sequel! and you need to read this book! If you read this book trust me you wont regret it!

I read this book first when I was about 9 and have read it many, many times since. I even have a hankering to read it again right now and I'm 19 years old and in college! It's is a beautiful and subtle romance, but, even more than that, it is a journey of discovery. I really identified with Amanda's changed feeling towards a place because i experienced the same sort of "traumatic" move and uprooting from what i was used to. I think that this book is not only a good read for those who are younger than 12 but also for anyone who loves a fun, happy, well told tale that puts life in a good light. My mother read it more than once and loved it as well. This book is for the young and romantic at heart.

If you like the Wild West, adventure, romance, or all three, this is the book to read. I read my first copy so many times it's falling apart. I had to go buy a new one! It has to be my favorite book in the world. Read it once and you're hooked for life. Take my word and buy it. Belive me-- you won't regret you did.

I was eight when I first grabbed this book in my schools library. 11 years later I'm still wishing to go back and read this book in between my Dragonlance novels. I think that in itself is a testement to how fantastic Buffalo Gal is. Once you've read it, age doesn't matter. It is a classic that stays with you always.