Tyler considers himself a loser-a lemon. He can't seem to do anything right. He's always in trouble with the principal at school. One night, he and his friend, Lymie, sneak off to the quarry to swim. Instead, they find a dead body. And the body turns out to be someone from school. Tyler overhears two boys talking about the death, like they're responsible. Can Tyler get the boys to confess without getting into serious trouble? Read to find out.

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 4/13/2009

ISBN-10: 0449704165

ISBN-13: 9780449704165

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Mabel loves her younger sister, Violet, but she wishes Violet could be more like her: organized, neat, and clean. Then, mysterious things begin to happen around Mabel and Violet. Mabel looks in the mirror, and her image fades in and out. Violet finds her mother's wallet in the freezer. Something strange is happening. Will the appearance (and disappearance) of Uncle Vartan shed light on the mystery?

Reviewed by: emc

Date read: 9/10/2010

ISBN-10: 0439872464

ISBN-13: 9780439872461

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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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Thirteen-year-old Charlotte finds herself the only passenger on a transatlantic voyage in 1832. Within hours of sailing, a dagger is placed in her hand by the ship's cook 'for her own protection.' All too soon she learns the need for the dagger, even as she learns to her horror that it's a weapon to be used against her!

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 3/27/2009

ISBN-10: 0380728850

ISBN-13: 9780380728855

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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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