Shana and Cody are outdoor kids, and are not adjusting well to their new life in the suburbs, after their father leaves the family. The only bright spot in their lives is the cabin, near a river, that they convince their mom to let them stay at, unsupervised, during the summer. Of course, trouble finds them in the form of a crotchety, old, forest ranger bent on protecting the river. They eventually form a friendship with the old man, and he teaches Cody about the river, where the trout spawn, where the best places to fish are, and even how to navigate the treacherous white waters by canoe. Just why does he teach him these things?

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 3/25/2009

ISBN-10: 0590939750

ISBN-13: 9780590939751

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Eleven year old Gratuity Tucci, called Tip by her friends, has some problems. First, her mom disappears. Then, a bunch of aliens 'the Boov' take over the planet. Finally, the Boov decide to relocate all Americans to Florida. Tip is an independent, resourceful girl, and she decides to try to make it to Florida on her own. Well, she does bring along her cat, Pig. When their car breaks down along the highway, they meet a strangely friendly outlaw Boov named J.Lo. (Humans can't pronounce his real name.) After J.Lo fixes up the car, transforming it into a hover car, the trio joins forces and tries to make it to Florida. Hopefully there they will find Tip's mom. They embark on an amazing adventure that takes them half way across the country where they have crazy misadventures and meet some truly strange people. Then ANOTHER alien race, the Gorgs, invade earth, and they are even meaner than the Boov. Throughout the book, Tip and J.Lo learn to trust each other. Can they find Tip's mom and save the planet in the process?

Similar books: The Doom Machine by Mark Teague; SPHDZ by Jon Scieszka

Reviewed by: lauraf

Date read: 9/24/2012

ISBN-10: 0786849010

ISBN-13: 9780786849017

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When Will Burrows, and his friend, Chester, embark on a quest to find Will's archaeologist father, who has disappeared, they are led to a labyrinthine world underneath London, full of sinister inhabitants with evil intentions toward 'Topsoilers,' like Will and his father. Book one of the Tunnels series.

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 3/25/2009

ISBN-13: 9780545078814

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Travel into a future world in which every child will undergo an operation that will change their lives forever. Tally Youngblood is happily awaiting her 16th birthday, the day she will no longer be one of the 'Uglies' but become a pleasure-seeking 'Pretty.' Waiting for her 16th birthday, Tally meets Shay, another female 'Ugly', who shares her enjoyment of hoverboarding and risky pranks. A few days before Shay and Tally are scheduled to become'Pretty', Shay tells Tally about a distant settlement called the Smoke where people have refused to become 'Pretty'. Shay has decided to escape the city and travel to the Smoke and asks Tally to come with her. When Tally refuses, Shay gives her a cryptic note that will help Tally find the settlement if she chooses to follow her. When Shay is found missing, the authorities give Tally an impossible choice: either she finds Shay and the Smoke or she will be 'Ugly' forever. Will Tally turn her friend in or will her dream of becoming a 'Pretty' go up in smoke?

Reviewed by: BK

Date read: 7/9/2009

ISBN-10: 0689865384

ISBN-13: 978-068986538

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Commenter: St. Charles Reader, grade 0

Their magic tree house takes Annie and Jack to Pompeii, just as Vesuvius is about to erupt, where they must find a Roman scroll, before everything is covered with burning ash.

Similar books: Ancient Rome and Pompeii: A Nonfiction Companion to Vacation under the Volcano by Mary Pope Osborne

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 3/27/2009

ISBN-10: 0679890505

ISBN-13: 9780679890508

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