Young Adult Books

After spending the previous summer in a magical world where humans are only a legend, Felix settles in back at home for a nice, normal life with his parents. During his trip to the magical world the previous year, Felix's heart condition had been cured with magic, so he is able to finally engage in the kinds of normal activities he has always dreamed of.

But a quiet life is not in the cards for Felix. One day, he is shocked to find his enemy from the magical world, Snakeweed, standing on the front porch. The evil Snakeweed had managed to sneak into the human world. He did not find it to his liking, however, so he sought out Felix to give him the spell to return to his own magical world. As a means to force Felix into giving up the return spell, Snakeweed puts a spell on Felix's parents that turns them into marble statues. Felix soon realizes that he must return to the magical world and enlist his friends' help once again in order to free his parents.

BACK TO THE DIVIDE is a fine sequel for readers who enjoyed Divide, the first book in the trilogy. I must admit, though, that I was not as entertained by it as I was by the original. Perhaps that is largely because the novelty of the magical world was wearing off. But what bothered me more was that the book seemed to focus on an awful lot of traveling. It felt like Felix and his companions moved back and forth across the magical world a dozen times during the story. I'm sure they didn't, but it felt that way at times.

Despite these complaints, I was pleased to see that the fun creatures from Divide were back in this sequel, including giant, bird-like, math-obsessed brazzles and evil, shape-shifting sinistroms. Also, in addition to the main quest in the magical world, there was an interesting sub-plot about how the spell that turned Felix's parents to marble was threatening to destroy the entire non-magical world. This added some tension to the story. And, like its predecessor, BACK TO THE DIVIDE has a great cover that is split in the middle. It does not necessarily contribute to the story, but it is a unique feature nonetheless, that might add to the experience of the book for some readers.

Overall, for those who enjoyed their first journey across the Divide, I recommend a return trip.

Reviewed by: K. Osborn Sullivan

Back To The Divide is a good book to read. It's about a boy named Felix and his friends Betony and Ironclaw. All Three of them have to stop a japegrin named Snakeweed from making his way into Felix's dimension before he can shoe the humans magic.

I think this would be a great book for kids with an imagination. The book has creature like a tangle-person, a brazzle or griffen, brittlehorn or a unicorn and a japegrin or pixie.

In the first book we know Felix goes back and lives happily with his family. But we also know Snake Weed is there too. So Snake Weed turns Felix's happy family in to marble. And could just turning two people to stone effect the whole world? Now Felix must once again cross the divide. And Felix discovers that the magical world is in danger too. Many twists in this story happen. And wait till you meet the new member of this story and her name is......Fuzzy.

okay... so i read the Divide about a year ago, and when i got this bok for $1 (NEW! the inside cover was just a bit bended) and started it, it was surprising how fast it moved. Snakeweed has frozen his parents, and Felix needs to go back the to Divide to find a cure. This adventure leads him, Betony, Ironclaw, and Thornbeak everywhere- even a ride on a magic carpet to a place sort of like Arabia!

Soooo good I would definitely recommmend it!

To save his own world from a disaster caused by the evil Snakeweed, Felix has to go back across the Divide to Betony's world, with its rich cast of mythical creatures. There he meets all his old friends, and has another series of adventures with them - together with some memorable new characters, including a versifying cyclops, a deadly sphinx, a magic carpet with attitude and the adorable(?) chick Fuzzy.

Elizabeth Kay has achieved something unusual here: she has written a sequel that is even better than the original. Anyone who enjoyed her debut fantasy "The Divide" will certainly want to read this one.

Well Done! We need more books like this. It reaches a much needed audience of those pre-teeners that are looking for good, clear cut, easily definable heros. These guys are great examples to follow as they pull together to work for their cause. They're adorable and fun too.

What a wonderful book for children and fun loving adults too. The set of characters are great and the book is written at a level to enhance childrens vocabulary to mature their thought processes. I've seen the pilot TV show and think the book is of the same high quality.

I bought the book for my nephew and it his favorite book!! He of course sometimes creates his own storyline; but wants everyone to read it to him. Bear in the Big Blue House is OUT!!! and Balloonatiks are IN!!!!

How refreshing to read a children's book that offers up traditional family and social values in such a hip, hysterical venue. The characters jump (or should I say BOING!) off the page and right into your heart. Working late one night in the high-school chemistry lab, five ordinary teen-agers are exposed to a goopy concoction that turns them into Balloonatiks -- reluctant Superheroes with special powers and very off-beat personalities. Their adventures and camaraderie are reminiscent of the Three Musketeers and the Three Stooges. Their bravery and goofiness will delight and impress the young, and even the not-so-young reader. Erica Orloff engages us with her simple, funny and very witty writing style. Her characters' angsts are real, their situations fantastical. After meeting Flator, Squeeker, Airbrain, Bouncer and Sparky, I'll never look at a balloon in quite the same way again. I look forward to more of these adventures, Ms. Orloff. Hurry up and write a couple more. I need Holiday gifts for a whole lot of kids!

Well Done! We need more books like this. It reaches a much needed audience of those pre-teeners that are looking for good, clear cut, easily definable heros. These guys are great examples to follow as they pull together to work for their cause. They're adorable and fun too.

Chilling and riveting, angering and thought-provoking. We start off meeting Suzie, the "box" she puts herself in, and the "cloud" she floats on. A safe, quiet world. A world where her mother can't make Suzie talk...because if Suzie can't talk, then she can't say things to anger her mother and cause her mother to hurt her. Suzie stops sleeping. She stops talking to her mother, her sister, her father, her best friend. Everyone. She stops walking. The one thing she can't stop doing is crying. She retreats into this safe box, those safe clouds, hiding, until she is finally taken get help.

This is a beautifully written that book takes takes a frank look at the family dynamics of co-dependency and abuse, and leads the reader on a journey through Suzie's healing process. The reader will root for Suzie as she opens up and starts to trust. After a dramatic breakthrough, Suzie alters the lives of her sister and herself forever.

Twelve-year-old Suzie has just been dropped off at St. Dorothy's mental hospital after she stops walking, sleeping, or speaking. The only time she feels safe is when she is inside her 'box,' and that's usually how she stays all day long, sitting in a chair with her knees up to her chin, unmoving. Her Uncle Elliot, disturbed by her ever-worsening behavior, initiates her eventual stay at the hospital.

There are already several summaries up for this book, so I think there really isn't a need for me to give another one; plus, I don't want to spoil anyone. I do want to say that Susan Shaw's debut novel is a very beautiful, sweet, and sad story that follows Suzie's struggle to distance herself from the world as she has been doing, and the eventual revealing, through her, of what happened and why she has become the way she is. I was very drawn into the story and her relationships; from her mother, a former singer, her father, her sister Deanna, Karen, a girl in the institution, her uncle Elliot, aides: Marie, Stella, and Bill, and Moses and Joshua, two other children in the institution. The story was moving and powerful, with moments of quiet as Suzie gained a new view of her world and shattering revelations, with characters to care about and hope the best for.

I think this is a wonderful story, not to be missed. It is one of the best books I have read all year long.

I haven't read this in a while, but I intend to read it again soon. This book is extremely intresting, it wraps you up, so that you're forced to turn the page. It almost makes you feel as though you are in the mental institution with Suzie. I do remember that her recovery was suprizingly quick, but Suzie also says that her problem is not completely solved, making the book very realistic.
I love how Suzie defines talking by how you express yourself, not by the actual words.
Hating pineapple is talking...Wearing Peacock feathers is talking...

Black Eyed Suzie is one of the best books I've pulled off the shelves yet. For one thing, it is just a wonderfully written story. True, believable character that you can simpathize and relate with on a totally amazing level. The plot is one that drags you and and forces you to keep reading, no matter what. And after you finish it, you'll end up taking it out and rereading it again and again.

I think troubled teens should give this story, or one like it, a shot. It helps to bring the thought that 'Hey, I'm not the only screwed up person out there.' Over all, a wonderful read that I will return to every chance I get.

The book I am reading is called Black Eyed Suzie by Susan Shaw. Ever since Suzie's mom abused her, Suzie stopped talking. Eventually Suzie's Uncle Elliot saw her and made her go to a mental hospital. At the mental hospital people try to get her to talk but she can't. She feels she has no words.
The conflict in this book is that Suzie can't talk but people try to force her to. At the mental hospital she has conflicts with only one other girl, Karen. Karen pushes her down and breaks her possessions, but Suzie can't do anything because she is too weak. Often, when people at the hospital help her, they're a little too late. After a while in the mental hospital she thinks, `well maybe if I start talking they will let me go to be with my family.' The conflict starts, like I said, when her mom beats her and her dad is never home. The conflict is not easy to resolve for Suzie.
I think that Black Eyed Suzie is good for teenagers who have a problem, who want to learn what kind of problem people have, or just want to read a good book. I think almost anyone would enjoy this book, but I think really teenagers would enjoy it most. I would tell you the ending but I think you can read it and find out.

this book is still good. i felt there were times that EVERYTHING was working so well for her, but then there would be realistic moments, so that was okay. Would have liked a little more of a look into the attributes of older cutters, and with maybe a more vague ending, because it's an addiction, a rehab cannot cure, but suppress.

However, with all that little nit-picky stuff, it is a book about cutting that is witten by someone I can actually belive interviewed cutters. So hats off, especially that it's a got a little notion of Christianity, haven't run across a book like this elsewhere, so that's why I continued to give this a five star rating.

I am so glad Carlson started writing teen literature. She has done miracles through her work. Thanks to her, we are seeing a refreshing vein in young adult Christian literature. There is now an alternative to the bland novels that Christian authors have written in the past for teens. Either we have the Lurlene McDaniel books where everybody dies, the perky Christy Miller series, or the historical fiction like Anne of Green Gables or Christy by Katherine Marshall which has little relevance for today's teen. I know that all of these have their audience, but what was missing was Christian fiction for today's teen. What teens seem to want these days is books about REAL problems they are facing daily in their schools: drugs, sexual pressure, and self-injury.

Carlson's books fill a much needed gap. I think her books could be enjoyed by Christians or non-Christians because it is real teens with real problems told in a non-judgmental way. Each character does use their faith to help them cope with a traumatic incident, but it is not done in a preachy way.

Blade Silver is part of the TrueColors series, with each book in a different color cover. The lead characters have all been girls, so far, and each book has been excellent. The voices of her characters are realistic and the voice is true to life.

In Blade Silver, Ruth has started cutting herself as a way to cope with the pain she is feeling. Her father verbally abuses her and her brother constantly. Her mother, also a victim, tried to kill herself and now lives in an almost catatonic state. Basically her mom sits in a bathrobe in her bedroom and sleeps all day, leaving Ruth and her brother to do all the chores and take the brunt of her husband's wrath. The reader follows Ruth as she starts to become more and more controlled by the urge to cut herself, at first only once a day and then finally three times a day. Ruth shows how a cutter thinks, wearing long sleeves to hide the slash marks, working in a detailed way to cut, stop the flow of blood, and clean up. I really like the descriptions Carlson gives of the pain Ruth is feeling inside:

"Like a drug, that warm feeling rises up in me, a sense that I have control again, that everything's going to be just fine. Then I watch the red ribbon of blood for just a split second before I press the toilet paper onto it. I breath deeply, and for the moment I am fine. Perfectly fine."

Ruth finally seeks help from a school counselor and ends up in a group home for girls like her. One of the counselors there ends up being a Christians, but these scenes are done in such a natural, non-preachy way that I don't think they would make anyone feel uncomfortable.

I encourage all young adult librarians to familiarize yourself with this series because they fly off the shelf at my library, and they booktalk great. I have also read Deep Blue: Color Me Lonely about a girl who is lonely when her best friend abandons her for a more popular crowd and Bright Purple: Color Me Confused, which deals with a character who learns her best friend is a lesbian. By the way, I wasn't sure if Carlson could pull off such a controversial topic without getting preachy, but she did. Thumbs up to Carlson!

To hide my lies and my problems is one thing to make sure that they never get out is a completely different thing. No one must ever find out the humiliating secrets that I have kept so long. The longer I hide them the worse they seem to get.

In this book Blade Silver by Melody Carlson, Ruth has a lot of family problems and her mom is very "sick". Her dad is abusive and Caleb, her younger bother is talking back a lot to their dad. Ruth has a very terrible secret that no one knows about. For the last year and a half she has been hiding this awful thing from everyone that she loves. Abby her best friend finally finds out what the secret is and Abby is in shock, disappointment and in disbelief that Ruth has never told her the secret.

I believe the beat part is when Ruth is starting to realize that a lot of people actually do care about her and want to help her out. After she realizes that then she starts to accept the help she is getting, then she starts to respect herself a lot more.
The entire theme or the main idea of this book is that you need to love yourself and after you do that then a lot more people will start to take you more seriously. This book really does teach you that you need to love yourself.

This book was the best book that I have ever read. I would recommend this book to mostly girls because it is a little girly, but a lot of people can relate to this book. I just think that this book is all around the best book that I have ever read. I gave this book four stars because it was so hard to put it down. I just wanted to see what was going to happen next.

Blade Silver is about a young girl, Ruth, who turns towards self-injury in an attempt to cope with life. Her father is verbally abusive towards the whole family, which caused her mother to break down and attempt suicide. Ruth hides her cutting by wearing long sleeves and somehow manages to keep it to herself for a number of months.

As a former cutter, I really enjoyed the book in the beginning. It does a very good job at expressing the emotions and feelings that one experiences in self-injurying: before the act, during, and after. Ruth is a realistic character who focuses on trying to keep everyone happy, including her hard-to-please father. As a fiction book, I was expecting it to be different... Many of the fiction books I have read on cutting don't seem real. But it's obvious that Carlson is a good writer with a great imagination. She was really able to pick up on Ruth's feelings, struggles, and resistance to help. The only part that I was not too fond of was the sudden appearance of God towards the end (I guess I just wasn't expecting it). I didn't feel it was very necessary. While it might provide hope for the religious, the non-religious addicts are left with nothing if they do not turn to God. I had really enjoyed the book up until that point.

However, I feel that this book is appropriate for most people: cutters, friends/family of cutters, and even just people who know nothing about self-injury (as long as no one tries to shove God in anyone's face... the book made it very clear that the only way to stop cutting was through God). I would definitely recommend this book.

To say that Ruth doesn't have issues in an understatement. Her family is having problems. Her brother keeps running away from home. Her mother is depressed all the time. Her father is verbally abusive towards everyone in the family. Ruth is tired of putting up with all this, but feels that nothing she does can change it. The only thing that makes her feel better is when she cuts herself. The pain that comes from seeing her blood flow gives her a sense of calmness. But even Ruth knows that this wrong, but she can't seem to stop. She tries to hide it from others but someone wearing long sleeves in summer looks suspicious. It finally takes Ruth's admittance that cutting is an addiction that needs to be stopped for her to realize that she can do something to break the cycle that she's been living in.

This was one of the most difficult and painful teen fiction books I have ever read. It was so real, like I was reading an actual account of a teenage cutter. I wish that no one ever has to go through what Ruth did, but I know that there are so many kids who share the same experience. I could not stand Ruth's dad. I believe that verbal abuse is just as bad if not more so than physical abuse as inner scars are slower to heal. There is an explanation as to why he acted that way but I was glad that the story did not portray him unrealistically changing at the end of the book. It was horrifying to read about how Ruth would get a "high" from hurting herself in such a matter. Even worse because she would feel sometimes that she deserved it. I think that it was very sad that her extended family did not do anything to protect the kids from their abusive father. Ruth's recovery did not seem fake, in fact it only made it more realistic because it took her so long to accept help. Melody Carlson is gifted at bringing touchy subjects like this to life. The subjects in this series are difficult and not ones many Christians like to face. In fact, there are some who think that teens only face these kinds of issues because of a lack of faith. Thus, many teens especially those who are Christians find that they have no one to go to about their problems. This series shows readers what really happens out there, allowing for questions and advice about where to turn for help. I believe this is the first Christian book to mention cutting. There needs to be more books that talk about this subject as there are many people out there who need help.

chicken soup for the teenage soul letters is a book that has a lot of volumes. i really liked this book because it was very interesting. some of the stories were really sad and some of them were really happy.some people would talk about how their life was really bad and how they didn't want to live on this earth anymore and some were really happy love stories. this book was a book talking about real people and real things that happen to kids in their teenage year. when i read this i didn't get bored because it was very eye catching. it's like when you start reading it you just can't stop.
so i give this book 5 stars because i like it so much. if you read this book you will not regret it because it's that great.

I often wonder if other people have the same response to something that I read. This book lets me know that people do.

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul: Letters is a collective book of responses to the first three novels of Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul. Each story is just as heart warming as the stories in the original book, but this time the stories are ones that occurred due to the previous books in the series. Each story delivers a heart felt lesson of an "oh well, I guess that my life isn't that bad after all, " or a "maybe I should change my life too". Many of the writers were going through times when they thought suicide was the best option or that there was no option at all, each writer then expressed their own reaction to the book and how their life was changed and put back on the right track. Within the contents of the book, I found some truly amazing and uplifting stories; one was about a girl suffering from the loss of her only sister and how each section of the book brought her to overcome her devastating reality. Another was about a girl who got copies of the book for the grieving students at Columbine. Each story was compelling, up lifting, and really let me see what living is all about.
On a scale from 1-10 I would give this book a 9, because of it's mysterious ways to make me feel better about my self or just put me in a better mood. One of the most important reasons to pick up this book is because it lets me know that no matter what I do I am not alone and that where ever I go, I can make a difference if I am compelled to help.

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul: Letters is a collective book of responses to the first three novels of Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul. Each story is just as heart warming as the stories in the original book, but this time the stories are ones that occurred due to the previous books in the series. Each story delivers a heart felt lesson of an "oh well, I guess that my life isn't that bad after all, " or a "maybe I should change my life too". Many of the writers were going through times when they thought suicide was the best option or that there was no option at all, each writer then expressed their own reaction to the book and how their life was changed and put back on the right track. Within the contents of the book, I found some truly amazing and uplifting stories; one was about a girl suffering from the loss of her only sister and how each section of the book brought her to overcome her devastating reality. Another was about a girl who got copies of the book for the grieving students at Columbine. Each story was compelling, up lifting, and really let me see what living is all about.
On a scale from 1-10 I would give this book a 9, because of its mysterious ways to make me feel better about my self or just put me in a better mood. One of the most important reasons to pick up this book is because it lets me know that no matter what I do I am not alone and that where ever I go, I can make a difference if I am compelled to help.

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul: Letters is a collective book of responses to the first three novels of Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul. Each story is just as heart warming as the stories in the original book, but this time the stories are ones that occurred due to the previous books in the series. Each story delivers a heart felt lesson of an "oh well, I guess that my life isn't that bad after all, " or a "maybe I should change my life too". Many of the writers were going through times when they thought suicide was the best option or that there was no option at all, each writer then expressed their own reaction to the book and how their life was changed and put back on the right track. Within the contents of the book, I found some truly amazing and uplifting stories; one was about a girl suffering from the loss of her only sister and how each section of the book brought her to overcome her devastating reality. Another was about a girl who got copies of the book for the grieving students at Columbine. Each story was compelling, up lifting, and really let me see what living is all about.
On a scale from 1-10 I would give this book a 9, because of it's mysterious ways to make me feel better about my self or just put me in a better mood. One of the most important reasons to pick up this book is because it lets me know that no matter what I do I am not alone and that where ever I go, I can make a difference if I am compelled to help.

These books are fully amazing. They are not the longest books ever, but they are very interesting and keep you on the edge of your seat. They even have a review by J.K. Rowling which should mean a lot to any good reader. They are fascinating and take you to a world in your imagination that you never thought you would see. I bought the first book and finished it in a day and have in they past three days, bought the next two and read both of them! They are virtually impossible to put down. You feel the pain and the happiness that the characters feel. You almost become emotionally attached to them and you feel like it is a real life experience that you are part of. Darren Shan is an amazing author and it is shown in this book.

I read these back in high school... well, up to book seven, I think. Anyway, I forgot all about them after graduation... but recently, I've been going back to the young adult novels I read from way back when.
I have to say, I do plan on buying this set. I love the characters, and the plot twists, and the story in general. I really do recommend this series!

Darren Shan (the author and main charater) is amazing!
Not only do I love the entire Cirque Du Freak series, but the other series he is currently writing, Demonata, as well!

These books catch your intrest immediately. They are full of twists! I've read the series more than once and I never get sick of it.
The aren't only for younger people, many of my family members have read them and they all love them just as much as I do.

My thirteen year old son loves these books. He is already on the 3rd and only had them a short amount of time. He is not a reader at all. I was really happy that he found books he would read and is interested in.

I read them when i was only 12-13 and enjoyed them. Obviously not all of em but i read the first two or three when i was young. Then read them all last year and i have to say i enjoyed every minute. It's not the most depth books but there very enjoyable.

This set is only 25 bucks and you get three great books. Only problem is there to short. I love how the book starts off right away with some crazy ideas. Then book two is a great, even heartbroken, ending. Then you have book 3 and 4 which you must read together since there so good and must be read. Then when your done with book 4 ya'll want book 5. So lets go to that set of books!

I wish I would have read this a long time ago. To the point and great read on Social teaching.

This compendium is surprisingly readable, and gives a broad view of the Church's glorious social teaching -- something which is not well understood by many. I am confident that in time, my copy will be dilapidated.
I must take issue, however with a reviewer who also gave five starts to the Compendium. He said it was "essential for deacons". But in the book's introduction, it is plainly stated that the book was primarily for Bishops, but also for priests, for men and women religious, for lay people, for Christians in non-Catholic communities, for those of other religions, and for those with no religion at all. In short, the book is for every human on this planet EXCEPT Catholic Deacons.

I'm one quarter the way through: reading slowly with pencil often in hand. This is a MUST READ for all who have grown tired of the way of the world. It offers so much tangible direction and as a result hope. "Hope" in the sense of what we are to be about.

Another reviewer suggested that a family might read it. Indeed! I've all but decided that it shall be the gift I give to those about whom I care come Christmas. Surely, some eyes might roll. But it is too precious of a "gift" not for some attempts to be made to put it on a lamp stand.

This is essentially a book about good citizenship. It can and should be read by any senior adolescent or adult person of good will. It should be on the bookshelf of any family raising children, just like Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, and parents should discuss it with their young as these are nearing adulthood. Likewise, it should be discussed in the junior and senior classes of any high school, and certainly again in college and university level courses of human sciences (e.g. Sociology).
The book is absolutely non-confessional. In fact you need not even be a Christian to appreciate it, just, as I said before, a person of good will. Of course, the reader will have to tolerate that the words God and Church are mentioned here and there, but there is no religious indoctrination per se. The practical concepts are bound to be convincing to most everyone.

. . . which belongs on the shelf of priests, deacons, pastoral associates, and social justice ministers throughout the Catholic Church.

The "Compendium" does not break any new ground. It does not promulgate any new doctrine. It offers no new teaching. What it DOES do, is gather under a single cover, a concise presentation of ALL the Church teaching on social issues from Rerum Novarum through its publication in 2005. In other words, it is one of the most useful single-volume reference works available for anyone in ministry. No more having to keep shelves of reference material -- everything even remotely related to social justice, human rights, economic and political concerns, environmental issues, etc. can be found -- and easily accessed -- in this document. In addition to 250+ pages of text, there is a lengthy list of Church documents which are used as source material, and an extremely thorough index. I have personally taught from this book, and am proud to recommend it both personally and professionally.

Very, very highly recommended

This book may work with a Civil War Unit for upper elementary or higher. Students may find this book to be a clever and fascinating book. Although the letter-format is fictional, the book tells a true story. A black woman and a white woman worked for the Union cause. This book may not be appropriate to read cover to cover to a class, but it could be interesting to do so. Just one letter a day, for example, would carry the discussion the entire year. The book could prompt many different kinds of discussions, including ones about historical figures.

I read the book Dear Ellen Bee. It is by Mary E. Lyons and Muriel M. Branch. I would give this book four stars because it was good but there is not a lot of adventure. The story is about a young black girl named Miss Bet. She wants to became a teacher so she moves to a big city and she can not wait to go home, sence she is almost finshied school. When she is done with school she can not go home because something has happen to her home. They are taking the blacks for slaves so she has to stay there and try to be careful of her life. If you want to know what happens then you have to read the book for your self. I would recammend this book to 13-16 year olds because it is really hard to understand at first. I hope you read this book for your self so you can see how good it is.

Dear Ellen Bee is a very exciting story. It contains a lot of action and suspense. I enjoyed this book very much. I liked it a lot. I like reading books about the Civil War. Anyone who likes action reading with a personal touch would LOVE this book.

Dear Ellen Bee is a very exciting story. It contains a lot of action and suspense. I enjoyed this book very much. I liked it a lot. I like reading books about the Civil War. Anyone who likes action reading with a personal touch would LOVE this book.

Liza, a freed slave, hates having her life all planned out for her. She thanks Miss Bet for freeing her but she doesn't want Miss Bet to plan her life for her. After returning from school in Phildelphia and after getting married to a free black call Wilson she finally gets to live her own life. So when Miss Bet comes up to her to plee for her help in the fight against the Rebels in Richmond she is hesitant. Working at the rebel's president's house is going to be one hard thing for Liza to do. However her decision is finally made up when she sees how the Rebels treat her husband Wilson. When he finally escapes to the North and joins the Union army Liza begins her spying in the President's Residence. Through secret codes and letters she and Miss Bet use the code name Ellen Bee to communicate.

Written in diary from with drawing and scrapes from hear and there this book was really a very good book that gave great insight into the minds of two Union spies. I recommend anyone who likes this book to read the Dear America Series which is also historical novels written in diary form about different girl's lives in different parts of history.

this is a very charming tale of this mean girl who adopts this boys cat when his dad develops an allergy.he misses the cat so much he goes over to thier house all the time.one day dinky hockers[WHAT A NAME!]cousin same over and the boy and her fall in love.her name is natalia line.shes a schizophrennic who rhymes all her sentences and words when under stress.its a wonderful story that has a "to kill a mockingbird" like charm to it.not the bad stuff but the parts where the kids are just bein g kids.i fell in love with this story right away.it will always have a place in my heart.

It has been seven years since I was assigned to read this book for my eighth grade class and I stll think about it to this day. The book has a way of drawing you in to their everyday routine. I am sure I still have the book somewhere in my room, but I just can't find it.

I read this book when I was in junior high school. That was over 30 years ago and I still remember it and how well I could relate to the struggles of teen life. If you are a teenager considering this book or a parent considering buying it for your child, do not hesitate. After all, though I am a pretty smart and well educated person, this is the only book (I'm serious here) that left a lasting impression on me from the K-12 years. It's gotta be special.

Books written by adults for adults that talk about politics usually want you to pigeonhole them. Once you understand the gist of the bookýs take on life and liberty you can decide whether or not its politics are the same as yours, thereby allowing you to instantly love it or hate it without even reading it. Books written by adults for children or teens that talk about politics also usually want you to pigeonhole them. So went my thinking until I read "Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack!". Ladies and gentlemen, I have just changed my worldview on politics in childrenýs books. And itýs all thanks to this little number.

A plot synopsis. This is a story about Tucker Woolf, his family, his friends, and his friendsý families. In New York city, Tucker is fifteen years old and for the first time in his life heýs seriously interested in a girl. This interest isnýt without its complications. The girl, Natalia, attends a school for the mentally imbalanced. And her cousin, Dinky Hocker, has issues of her own. Dinky is overweight, an unsurprising fact when you consider her negligent, often cruel, parents. From this unlikely set of characters comes a story about dealing with the problems of others, as well as yourself. Kerr could have easily taken the easy route with this book. How simple it would be to turn this plot into an After School Special, complete with everyone a little older and wiser at the end. Instead, the author meets such ooey-gooey sentiments head on, challenging the hypocrisy people exhibit every day. Along the way, other issues are brought up as well. Originally conceived and published in 1972, the book deals with politics. Everyoneýs parent is a liberal of the 60s, though how they display this political leaning differs per person. When we meet the radical P. John, Dinkyýs brief beau, the reader is suddenly shown a human being that doesnýt fit neatly into any real category. P. John is conservative, racist, intolerant, and honest. To read his character is to question everything the book is saying about the political climate of this country. But if you really read this book, really examine whatýs itýs saying, itýs clear as crystal that there is no single political stance taken in this story. People are not all one thing or another. Not all liberals are whining wimps waiting for a handout. Not all conservatives remain unchanging and unsympathetic. I can see how people would love this book and how people would hate this book. All I ask of you is that you find yourself intrigued by this review and decide to actually read this book. Draw your own conclusions. Decide Iým insanely wrong or absolutely correct. The point is, this book should never be forgotten. It is so well written, so interesting and full of great points that I canýt even give you a glimpse of what it really means. Youýll just have to find out for yourself.

This book starts out as being the story of Tucker Woolf, self-apointed expert on libraries, and cronicler of strange existences. But it soon turns out that it is actually the story of four young teenagers, and, on a broader scale, their parents and their entire society.
Tucker has to deal with having a faher who cares too much about apearances, and drills Tucker into only revealing parts of the truth when dealing with strangers. Tucker is feels somewhat out of place wherever he is, and when he finds a stray cat he imediately bonds with it. When his dad turns out to be allergic, he has to give the cat away. It is this cat who, directly and inderectly, brings him into contact with the other characters. It is adopted by Dinky Hocker, a tragically overweight girl, whose parents completely ignore their daughters problems, in favour of helping drug-addicts and othe worthy causes. Her cousin Natalie, and a boy who shares Dinkys rather enormous problem, together form the core of the story.

The book is funny, the characters quirky and the situations somwhat absurd, but the real fascination of this book comes from seeing how the parents of these children forget them in favour of either their own problems or the problems of strangers. The thing that struck me most is that Dinkys charity-mom is actually one of the most selfish people in the world. I would recomend this book to anyone, even though it is technically a YA-novel. Its a good read, all the same.

This is an official book on the world's best boy band! It's especially cool since the guys put their own special messages at the end of the book (Scott's one is hillarious, check it out).
In the book, you find out how they got together, about the house they lived in together and their debut single "Slam Dunk (Da Funk".
There are also profiles on each guy, and a questionnaire written in their own handwriting! All the pictures are great, and overall it's a gorgeous book! Definitely buy it!

This book is the official one and I noticed 5ive put their own special messages at the end, check out Scott's one it's funny. Anyway, this book rulz. It has all the info on each 5iver and even a quiz they answered themselves. Loads of good pics and lots of info on how they started and stuff like that. If you're a 5ive fan and you want some info on those great guys buy this book it's the best because it's official!

This book is great. It has loads of pictures and information.Each of the guys even wrote a message at the end of the book(isn't that sweet?)! If you are a fan of Five you better get or you'll be sorry that you didn't.ALL FIVE FANS WILL LOVE THIS BOOK,I do.

I like this book, it is a must for every fan, it has some interesting facts and some brilliant photographs. it's a good book, for fans.

This book gives all the information on 5ive, The Neighbours From Hell, you ever wanted to know. Filled with loads of fantastic pictures and their views on the world, this has to be the best biography ever! So, go and buy it, it's brill!!!!!