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After The First Death by Lawrence Block 
 After Alex Penn is found guilty of murder the first time, he was let out
due to a technicality. After getting drunk one night he awoke with a dead girl right beside him. He is running away from the police, trying to find
someone to believe he's innocent of the girl's death. I just couldn't stop reading this book. The author described everything so well. The length,
I think, could have been a little shorter, but I loved it. This book is really easy to read. I just couldn't put it down. It is his story about what he does after the first girl was killed and he is wanted for
murder a second time. This time he is going to find out who did it and why. My favorite part of the book was that it was so suspenseful you could not put it down or it wouldn't be the same when you
picked it up again. I would not say anything bad about this book. If I could say anything to a friend about this book, I'd say "It's a great book, with a lot of action." Reviewer -- Mike Dahlerg,
September 2002.
After The First Death by Robert Cormier 
 The story starts out with Ben talking about his bullet wound. It is a scar right
through the middle of his chest. He starts to remember the bridge. Miro had been chosen. He and his team member lead by Artkin are to take over a school
bus filled with children and hold them hostage to release certain prisoners and make a secret government agency not so secret anymore. This story had many
emotional twists and turns. It got very confusing. I only began to understand what was happening from Miro's point of view. This view change caused chaos
in the story. Is it possible that the author wanted the reader to feel confused to get a better understanding of the character and make you feel resolved in the
end? During the hostage taking, I felt like I could relate to Miro. He was confused at times but he still had a strong opinion. This is almost like being in a
classroom. He was almost afraid to mess up because of his pier, Artkin. This is like getting a bad grade and having to face up to your parents. I loved this book, especially how it
provided emotion even for the bad guys. You learned to understand Miro even though he is fighting the USA. In conclusion, I think this is a great book. It has its pros and cons ,like every book, and I
believe that you won't regret reading it. Reviewer -- Jon Benaderet, September 2002.
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
 Among the Hidden is a great fiction book! It is filled with exciting events, laughter, and sadness. The main characters are Luke and Jen. The plot for this book
takes place in Luke's home and in Jen's home. Both are in the same neighborhood. The main conflict is that Luke and Jen are third children and have
to hide all their life. They don't like hiding at all, especially when their siblings don't have to. This book is about a boy named Luke. He has two older brothers,
Matthew and Mark. In the town he lives in there are too many people and not enough food, so the government made a law that each family could only have
two children. Luke is the third child in his family. His parents call him a mistake. He is eleven and for his whole life he has had to hide in the attic of his family's
house. Their house is in the wilderness on a farm and his dad is the farmer. Their family is starting to have some money problems, so they have to sell the land and all of their hogs. The government
buys the land and chops down all of the trees. Now Luke can't even go outside anymore. The government built a new neighborhood on that land. What could Luke do now? Every day once the
houses were built Luke would stare out the vent in the attic and watch all of the houses in the new neighborhood. He now knew the daily routine of every house and how many people were in each
family. One house that caught Luke's eyes was the sports family's house. He called this family the sports family because they had lots of sports balls in their yard. Their family's house caught his
eyes because after everyone that normally leaves their house had left, he saw a face in the window of their house. He thought it might be another third child. A few weeks later, Luke decided that he
was tired of the attic. So he snuck around the backyard and pulled open the screen door of the sports family's home. He walked through the house until he heard a noise. The noise sounded like
a beep, beep. He looked into their den and saw a girl about his age. He wondered, if the girl could hurt him or not, and decided that she probably couldn't. The next thing he knew he was getting
knocked to the floor. Obviously, he was wrong. After he explained that he was a third child too she let him get up. Then she talked about herself and said her name was Jen. Luke found out that her dad
worked for the government and that there were lots of other third children, or shadow children, as she called them. For the next few months he visited her regularly. He found out that she was going
to put on a rally to protest having more than two children. She asked him to go with her, but he said no. He thought it might be too dangerous. Luke waited days to hear from Jen, but he never heard
from her. So he decides to enter the home. When he sees her dad with a gun, he gets scared. To see what happens next in this exciting, event-filled book, read Among the Hidden. I really enjoyed
this book. I think that the author wanted to teach kids that there might be people in the world that need some of our food. So not to be selfish. I also think that the author wants our world to give up
more stuff and not be greedy. I think that kids from the ages 9-12 would enjoy this book the best. So, in conclusion, I thought Among the Hidden was a really good book. Reviewer -- Kate, March 2002.
Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
This book was pretty good. It's about a boy named Luke who is an illegal third child and what
happens to him after he meets another shadow child Jen. It really kept me interested the whole book. If I would change something, I'd change the ending. I think it should be a little happier.
Reviewer -- Dennis Pivniouk, May 2003.
The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
The book is about a satellite that falls down from the upper atmosphere and kills off almost everyone in the town it landed near with a strange, unknown disease.
The story starts off with two men, who work for the agency controlling the satellite, who come upon the town and find that everyone in the town is dead. A full-out
scientific study is conducted using a group of elite scientists. The most puzzling part for the scientists is that there were two survivors: an old alcoholic man and a
small baby. I thought that the story was very, very good. At some points it was disturbing and at other points it was extremely interesting. I really liked the scene
in the book when the two scientists were searching the town for the satellite and almost everyone was dead. The scenes depicted were truly haunting and it felt as
if I were right there in the story, experiencing the story. What I really didn't like about the story was how the author would always go on these four or five page long tangents,
explaining a certain aspect of the plot. Although it was much needed information, I found that every time I was done reading the explanation, I would be confused as to where I was in the story. So I
think that the story would be much better off (at least for young readers like myself) with shorter explanations. Because the other part of it was that I wanted to get back to the real plot and the
action, but I had to read this whole long boring tangent explaining something that sometimes I didn't really need to know. The effectiveness of the setting in The Andromeda Strain was truly incredible.
The vivid descriptions made it feel as though I was actually there in the science lab or in the deserted town. And in the scene I mentioned earlier the setting did an almost overwhelmingly good
job. The scenes of people that had killed themselves in extremely bizarre ways and the description of the old man standing in the road were very, very haunting and interesting to read. The character
development was also very, very good. You could really feel the frustrations and the happiness, at times, of the characters. And with the extensive backgrounds given of the characters, you could
really see how each one developed as their research gradually got harder and more frustrating. At the end there was a moment of discovery in the characters when one of the scientists had an
epileptic seizure in a very, very hectic scene. For most of the story he had been hiding the fact that he had epilepsy and it turned out to be his downfall in the end. Theme is also a great factor in the story.
The general theme was that the scientists needed to figure out what the disease was and how to kill it. And there was also the factor of there wasn't much time before they had to have everything
figured out. Overall I thought that The Andromeda Strain was a truly amazing book and I really enjoyed it. I'm not much of a reader but while I was reading this book I actually wanted to sit down
and read it. Almost everything about this book is great; the setting, the characters and especially the plot. It has a very original plot that is very interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone who
doesn't like to read and is looking for a great, awe-inspiring story. Reviewer -- Andy Beneker, October 2002.
Angela and Diabola by Lynn Redi Banks
 If you like books that are filled with a lot of action, I think this is a good book for
you! It's about these two twin girls, and their names are Angela and Diabola. They live in a town that is sunny and dry. Angela is a beautiful, happy, Blue-eyed little
girl who never cries. On the other hand there is Diabola. She has green eyes. Diabola is ugly, mean and always kicking and screaming. Their parents put them
in a school. Angela loves the school but Diabola hates the school. Diabola does some pretty gross stuff like spit in her P.E teacher's eye. Then the principle
decides that Angela is a total genius. The only problem is that Diabola caught the school on fire. The only person that can stop Diabola from being mean is Angela.
When Angela was talking to Diabola, Diabola got mad and went on the roof and fell off and when Angela went running over to see what happened, Diabola wasn't mean and
naughty anymore - she was a totally different person. When Diabola got up she was really nice to Angela. And then Angela and Diabola were like best sisters from that day on. So I think the book
Angela and Diabola was a really great book. I think you should read it. Reviewer -- Carmen Fernandez, March 2002.
Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery
Anne is an interesting and colorful character. The settings are described beautifully. Reviewer -- Susannah Hope, 2000/2001 Teen Advisory Board.
Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery
 I've never been to Avonlea, but L.M. Montgomery really made me feel as if I were
there, among the many trees and gardens. A small red-haired orphan girl named Anne, traveled down the road to her new home at Green Gables. Anne of
Green Gables is a touching book about a girl named Anne and her life and adventures at Green Gables. The book is exciting and I always wanted to turn
the page and find out what was going to happen to Anne next. Anne was adopted by Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert and lived with them at Green Gables.
They had wanted a boy to help Matthew out with the chores, but instead they received a girl due to some mistake or misunderstanding. Touched by Anne's
imagination and kind heart, they decided to keep Anne at Green Gables and raise her. This story takes place in Canada, on Prince Edwards Island in the
small town of Avonlea. Avonlea has many ponds, forests, gardens, and homes. Anne is the main character in the book. She is a skinny orphan girl with long red hair, freckles, and a big imagination.
Anne's best friend is Diana Barry, a nice girl, with black shining hair. Diana does not live to far from Green Gables and Anne and Diana play constantly together. Anne enjoys school, but does not like
Gilbert Blythe, a boy a little older than Anne, with short light brown curly hair. Anne does not like him because once he called her "carrots", referring to her red hair. Anne becomes a rival with Gilbert,
and both of them try to be the best student in the class. Anne's only weakness in school is geometry. She tries to study really hard, but it still seems to be one of her weaknesses. Matthew is
an old man with gray hair and a gray beard. He is shy around people and does not like talking to girls, except Anne. Anne likes Matthew and Marilla a lot because they brought her up in life and
treated her well, and she enjoys living at Green Gables with them. The only problem with Anne is her large imagination. Sometimes she gets carried away and believes in things she makes up that
do not really exist. Anne likes to talk, and sometimes she talks too much. She can go on talking and talking and letting her thoughts out until Marilla stops her. She also likes to use big words while she
is talking like "divinely beautiful" and "kindred spirits". The main theme in the story is Anne trying to
fit in so she can stay at Green Gables. Anne has trouble fitting in because of her large imagination and her unique ways. Another big part in the story is Anne trying to get better grades than Gilbert in
school. They both tie on test grades. Later in the story, Anne and Gilbert and some other people in their class go to Queens to take a big test to become teachers and go to college. It takes a lot of
studying and Anne misses being away from Green Gables and her friends. I would recommend Anne of Green Gables to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. It also takes a big imagination to like this book.
Reviewer -- Katie Hintch, March 2002.
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Have you ever wondered if fairies are real? Artemis Fowl is a book about a twelve-year-old boy who is trying to find fairies and capture one for his/her gold. Artemis Fowl is a rich genius who comes
from a long line of thieves. Genius he may be, but the fairies have a few tricks up their sleeves too. Artemis might want to capture fairy gold, but the fairies just want to stay away and keep peace
between the two races. Butler is a very big, very tall and very strong. Artemis and Butler travel off to bargain with a drunken fairy to get a fairy bible. The fairy bible has all of the fairy rules and rituals
inside of it. It is valuable to Artemis because he can learn all of the fairy tricks from it. After studying it, Artemis is off to capture a fairy. Artemis sails away on a boat with Butler. Butler beat up a few
people for the boat. The fairy world is underground where we can't find it. We know of some magic
folk that are called "Leprechaun" but the fairies believe we got that from "LEPrecon" which is their
police force. Captain Holly Short, an LEP officer, is sent on a mission to keep an eye on a troll as big as an elephant who has ridden a magma spout to Italy. Captain Short is a female fairy who is
constantly discriminated against for being a female on the police force. I think it is cool how fairies get to Earth's crust. In order to get to the Earth's crust, fairies have to ride in ships on magma
spouts. Captain Short does this and lands perfectly. Captain Short is ordered to not do anything to the troll but Captain Short can tell there are children in the restaurant. Since there are children in the
restaurant, she goes in and stops the troll and makes a mess and the fairies have to erase minds. Captain Short is low on magic, so she does the fairy ritual for magic replenishing. That is when she
is caught by Artemis and Butler. She is shocked when she wakes up because she had her shield on that made her invisible. How could he have seen her? Threats are thrown at Artemis by Captain
Short. She keeps telling him that if he doesn't let her go, her people will punish him. Somehow, Artemis isn't scared. I think this is a good book because it is a fairy tale that is much different from
the rest. I would give this book an 8/10, 10 being the best. It is a unique book that you would read if you are bored. I'd recommend it to people who believe fairy tales like Cinderella are getting old. It is
very different and that is the reason I like it. Reviewer -- Michael Meehan, March 2002.
The Bellmaker, by Brian Jaques
The Bellmaker is part of the Redwall series and one of my favorite books. The thing about the Redwall series is that the characters aren't humans. They are animals with human-like
characteristics. The book starts out at a place called Redwall Abbey, and takes place in the past. Redwall Abbey is kind of like a hotel, but animals can stay there as long as they want, as long as
they do their share of chores. The main character is an old mouse, named Joseph the Bellmaker, who lives at the Abbey, and has a daughter named Mariel. Mariel is a warrior, and when she hears
that the land of southsward is under attack, she sets out with her friend ,Dandin, to help free it. Meanwhile, in Southsward a fox named Urgan Nagru is attacking the King and Queen of
Southsward with his army of rats. He easily takes control of the land and forces the royal guard to leave, imprisoning King Gael, his wife, and their son Truffen. The band of otters(who used to be the
royal guard) immediately form a plan to rescue the King and Queen. It succeeds, but Gael is recaptured. Back at Redwall, five creatures, Joseph, Rufe, Durry, Rosie, and Foremole, are chosen
to follow Mariel and Dandin to Southsward, and help them on their quest. They team up with a group of water shrews, and a sea otter named Finnber Galedeep who gets them a boat to sail to
Southsward. The thing I like most about this book is that there are four stories going on at once: what's happening at Redwall, Southsward, Mariel and Dandin's quest, and the five creatures from
Redwall. I like it because there's always something interestng going on in at least one of the stories. It's also pretty cool because all the stories come together in the end, and almost all the
questions you have while reading the book are answerd. Over all, I would rate this book a ten out of ten, and would highly recommend it. Reviewer -- David, March 2002.
The Borrowers by Mary Norton
Have you ever imagened surviving by only borrowing things for other people? Pod, Homily, and Arrietty Clock have lived by borrowing things to survive. They are called "borrowers." They are tiny
little people that have survived by borrowing things from a retired old man. They lived there very happy until they are discovered by two greedy people named Sidney and Mabel Platter. When they
are discovered, Sidney and Mabel Platter kidnap the litle people and hold them in an attic, with plans to dispose of them. When an old newspaper is discovered in the attic by the borrowers, they
read about a balloon. Pod, Homily, and Arrietty try to think of a plan to escape and to get back to their home. Will the borrowers make it back to the retired old man's house? Will they be caught by the
Platters and suffer the consequences? To find out read the book The Borrowers! Reviewer -- Brittany, March 2002.
Bud, Not Buddy by Chrisopher Paul Curtis
Have you ever imagined what it would be like living without a mother during the Great Depression in
Flint Michigan and you don't know where your father is? That's how Bud Caldwell felt. Bud lives in an orphanage which he doesn't really like much and hopes for something better. He is finally
accepted into a foster home. Bud didn't think things would turn out well since there was an older boy who lived in the home. He expected being bullied and harassed. Bud had guessed right.
Eventually he runs away from the foster home. He thinks his father is a famous fiddler named Herman E. Calloway who lives in Grand Rapids. But is he right? And how would he get to Grand
Rapids? These are the two big questions in the book. You're going to have to read the book if you want to know the answers. This book is worth ten out of ten on my reading list because it takes you
through different feelings and experiences of a ten-year-old kid. It has won the Newberry award. It's a book that once you get started you can never put it down. Since the events in the book occurred
during the Great Depression, I would recommend to everyone who likes historical fiction books. Reviewer -- Dushy Srinivasan, April 2002.
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White 
I didn't really enjoy the book so much, since I am an older teen, so I highly advise people who are
over the age of 9 NOT to read this book. My favorite book is the Lion, the Witch , and the Wardrobe. Read that!!! Reviewer -- Suzanna, August 2002. .
Chasing Redbird by Sharon Creech
 Have you ever thought about why something happened in the past? Or if
something happened for a reason? Well, that's how 12 year-old Zinny felt. She lived with her family and her Aunt and Uncle. They shared a house. The one
thing about her Aunt was that she hated snakes. A couple of days after her birthday, Zinny found this long flat rock and another one and another one. She
discovered an overgrown path. Zinny told her Aunt and her Aunt said never to go there again. Well, of course Zinny did. When she was uncovering it she found a
stick that looked like a snake. She showed her Aunt and her Aunt went ballistic and a few days after that her Aunt died. Then, Zinny had a feeling that she had to
uncover the path or else somthing bad would happen. So Zinny pulled weeds and made the path look nice. When she was uncovering the path, Zinny found a
couple of coins. So she went to the museum and they said that the path she was uncovering was a real trail that the pilgrims used. After a few weeks of uncovering the path went on, it was hard for her
to go to the house and then go back to the path. She decided to camp out on the trail. When she was camping out a dark shadow rose across her campground. But that did't stop her. She
uncovered the whole trail. And found a wild hourse that she kept and rode him a lot. Then, when she was done she found a booklet. In cursive it said a snake hypnotized Jamiel Smilles. That's the third
time a Smilles got killed by a snake. Guess what her Aunt's last name was - Smilles. I think that the good parts of the story were that it was an adventure book and I like adventure books. Also I liked
how Zinny was my age. What I didn't like was you could not relate to the book. Another bad point about the book is that some of the parts of the book confused me. This was a great book. There
were more parts that a person who likes adventures would love. You should read this book. Reviewer -- Cathy Storves, March 2002.
Chasing Redbird by Sharon Creech
In the book Chasing Redbird, by Sharon Creech, the main character is a girl named Zinnia Taylor. They call her Zinny for short. She lives in Bybanks, Kentucky with her family. Zinny has three sisters
and two brothers. May, Gretchen, and Bonnie are her sisters, and Will and Ben are her brothers. Next door to them live her Aunt Jessie, Uncle Nate, and her cousin Rose. Zinnia spent a lot of time
with her cousin Rose. When Zinny was four years old, she got sick. Unfortunately later she gave the sickness to Rose. Rose got sicker and sicker by the day and soon died from it. Zinny was really
close to her Aunt and Uncle. She remembers when Rose died her aunt did the strangest thing. Her Aunt Jessie took Rose and put her in a drawer. Nobody knew why she did that. Ever since then
Zinny has never really talked to anybody. Zinnia Taylor thinks that she killed her cousin, Rose. When Zinny was about thirteen years old her aunt died. Nobody really knew how she died, and her aunt
put herself in the drawer before she died. After Aunt Jessie's death her Uncle Nate carries a stick around and hits the ground with it. He now can't be left alone, and somebody needs to watch him if
they all go away for long periods of time without him. Soon an old friend comes back to Bybanks. His name is Jake Boone. Zinnia thinks that he would like May like all the other boys, but Jake really
likes Zinny. Jake gives many things to Zinnia for no reason. Sometimes Jake stole some things to give to her. Zinny finds out that Jake stole them and gave them back. Before her school gets out she
finds a trail and has to uncover it. She has a feeling that she needs to uncover the trail before the end of the summer or something terrible will happen to her. Now Zinnia Taylor is determined to
uncover the "mysterious" trail. When her school is out Zinny starts to uncover the trail. Soon she found something shiny in a pile of leaves. It turns out to be two medallions, there were letters on
them. The letters on the two medallions were TWMA. Names ran through her head. She kept the medallions safe with her. Will Zinnia Taylor ever find out what the letters TWMA stood for? Rating scale from 1 to 10: 10.
Reviewer -- Sonia, March 2002.
A Child Called It, by Dave Pelzer
Have you ever been called "It," or not been part of the family? That's how David Pelzer felt when his
mother abused him almost to death because she was an alcoholic. David's mother, an evil woman, would beat, starve, and torture David. She called him"It" and would make him sleep on an old army
cot. She also forced him to stand at the bottom of the stairs when "the family" was eating dinner, and make him clean the dishes when they were done. He would have to scrape food off the plates
when he washed them because that was all the food he could get. She once starved him for ten days. This made David's life miserable. David's father tried to sneak him some food or try to help
finish his daily chores quickly, so his mother would be impressed and give him some food. But once the evil woman found out, she was sure to stop his father from helping him. She was just too
powerful to be stopped. The evil woman taught his four brothers to hate him. She would let them play with each other and eat while he was doing his chores. They would see him doing chores
while they were playing and shrug their shoulders and walk away. This broke David's heart. This book is very interesting to me. I think more adults will like it but the children who read it will be much
more appreciative for what they have. Dave Pelzer is now a living, rich, adult writing about his stories. He is also trying to prevent child abuse in America as much as he can. The sequel to A
child called it is The Lost Boy. Reviewer -- Nicholas Anthony Obeid, March 2002.
The Client by John Grisham
 The main plot is that two young boys named Mark and Ricky witness a suicide of
a lawyer who is running away from the mobster he is representing. They want to kill him because of what he knows. Mark goes up and talks to the lawyer, but he
takes Mark hostage. Then Mark tries to talk him out of it, while his brother witnesses everything from the bushes. The lawyer tells Mark all about the case,
and hears about how a mobster killed a U.S. senator and hid the body where nobody knows except the lawyer. Mark gets loose, and runs away, and the lawyer
kills himself. The brother goes into a coma from seeing such terrifying things, and the cops are chasing Mark, because they know that he knows. And later the
mob finds out that he knows, and they are all chasing him. The police keep questioning Mark, but he will not crack so they take him to court and he still does
not tell. Later, Mark tells his lawyer Reggie where the body was hidden. By the time they get there the mob is also there, and they have a fight. A gun shot goes off, hits a power box, and sets the
home alarm off. Then the police come.... This book was very easy to read and it was not confusing at all. My favorite thing about the book was that there was always something to look forward to on
the next page. It kept you in suspense the whole time. I would tell my best friend that this is a great book, and that he has to read it. It is very suspenseful. Reviewer -- Jakub Sikora, September 2002.
The Client by John Grisham
The client was an interesting book; it was about a boy named Mark Sway. One day he and his brother went outside to smoke a cigarette. To their surprise there was a man trying to commit
suicide by putting a hose in his exhaust pipe of his car and putting the hose in the car window. Mark kept unplugging the hose so the man wouldn't die, but one time Mark was caught and the man took
him in the car with him. In the car Mark found out this man was a lawyer and was defending a guy that killed someone, but the man couldn't defend him because he knew where the body was and he
told Mark. Mark escaped and ran away as the man committing suicide followed. The man couldn't find Mark so he gave up and shot himself. Mark's brother was so stunned that he went into shock
and was taken to the hospital. The bad guy known as "Blade" found out the boy could have been told where the body was so he sent some people to try and kill Mark before he told anyone. The
press and big time lawyer Roy Foltrigg tried to get the information from young Mark. Mark didn't want to get killed so he tried everything to not have to tell anyone. He then went and decided to hire an
attorney, her name was Reggie Love. She was very good at defending Mark in every chance she got. Reggie was especially a big help when Mark told her where the body was and she decided to take
him to the boathouse to find the body. Little did they know the Blade and his men were also going there to move the body. Mark and Reggie got there first and found the body, the bad guys walked in
just as Mark and Reggie were leaving. I thought that this book was pretty entertaining. It held my attention mostly throughout the whole book. I think Mark was a little tougher on the outside than he
really was deep down. I like how Reggie Love was such a good attorney and she always proved everyone wrong that was after Mark's knowledge. It was odd how Mark's brother was so stunned by
the sight of the man killing himself that he had to go to the hospital. I've never heard of that happening before. Why didn't Mark also get stunned just like his brother? They both witnessed the
same thing. I got an impression just from the Blade's name that he was kind of goofy for a bad guy and didn't really seem to fit in the serious bad guy part in this book. My favorite part in the book was
when all of those bad guys kept trying to catch and kill Mark. I also liked when Mark and Reggie went to find the body. I would tell my best friend that the book was pretty good. I think the book was well
written and the story had an excellent plot line that included many suspenseful details that could help keep your attention. Reviewer -- Zach Pollock, September 2002.
The Client by John Grisham
The Client is a story about a young boy named Mark who witnesses the suicide of a Mafia lawyer. This man prior to his death confessed that the mafia was to blame for the murder of a U.S. senator.
Mark's brother was put into a coma by this terrible sight. Fellow mafia member Barry Muldano hears of this and is on Marks tail. Not knowing what to do, Mark decides to get a lawyer. He chooses
Reggie Love. Mark was very idiotic for making the choices he did, although I am not sure if I would have made any different decisions. Mark's stupidity gets him in to this whole mess, but it was his
smarts that got him out. I think the author did a wonderful job of showing what Mark was really thinking. I feel strongly towards Marks bravery. If I could have one of Marks characteristics, it would
be his Bravery. If my brother were in Mark brother's position, I wouldn't know what to do. The things Mark had to go through made me feel like my life was so simple and non-confrontational. This was
truly a classic novel. The author really makes you think about life. This book was a little difficult for me to understand. Also the book was a little too long for my liking. My favorite thing about the book
was the ending. This is one of the most outstanding books I have ever read. Reviewer -- Brian Karadsheh, September 2002.
The Client by John Grisham
This is a novel about a boy who knows too much. Mark Sway is that boy's name. He unintentionally
dug information out of a man before the man committed suicide. The information is where a body is buried, part of a huge case. Mark's brother goes into shock after seeing the man blow his own
brains out. Mark and his family go and stay at a hospital for weeks while his brother recovers. The mafia, who killed a senator and hid his body, try to keep Mark from revealing the secret location of
the body. Mark hires a lawyer. She helps him and advises him about telling the location. I felt sorry for Mark right away when I learned of his family's condition. No dad, mom working for minimum
wage, and living in a trailer. It was a bit sad. This book was a bit complicated, mainly because of the legal complications, and it really makes one think. I didn't mind that, however. In fact it probably
helped make the reader get more indulged in the book. My favorite part about this book was the suspense when Mark scares the henchman away from digging up the body. I would tell a friend to
read it only if they were a serious reader, and enjoyed complicated plot lines. I was, overall, satisfied by this book. Reviewer -- Jonathan Lau, September 2002.
The Client by John Grisham
The Client is a story about a young boy named Mark and his brother Ricky who witnesses the
suicide of a Mafia lawyer. Before the death of the lawyer, he confessed that the mafia was to blame for the murder of a U.S. senator. Mark's brother Ricky was put into a coma by this terrible sight.
Fellow mafia member Barry Muldano hears of this and is on Mark's tail. Not sure what to do, Mark decides to get a lawyer. He chooses Reggie Love. Mark tells Reggie everything he knows about
the murder of the U.S. senator. The mafia then finds out that Mark knows way too much. You can
read the rest of the book for yourself to see what happens. I will tell you this, the rest of the book will keep you on the edge of your seat. I think that Mark could have made some better choices. I also
think Mark should not even have tried to save the lawyer's life. I think that it was a very easy read because it was such a good book. The best part of the book was that it always kept you wondering
what was gonna happen in the next chapter. After reading the book, I told my friend that he would love it. Reviewer -- Brian Opie, October 2002.
 Clover: a novel by Dori Sanders
Dori tells the story of a white woman's husband dying and leaves his black child
for her to take care of. This will lead into two different cultures clashing together. When Clover's father, Gaten, dies four hours after marring his new wife, Sara
Kate, a big funeral came about. Sara didn't know the traditions that Gaten family did so in their eyes she seems strange. At first Clover didn't like Sara; neither
did her family. But later on Clover started to like Sara and Clover took her side when her other family members were talking about Sara. At the end of the book
Sara started to share things with Clover and started to tell people that was her daughter. And Clover's family began to like Sara after seeing her help out each
family member - such as the drunk in the family by giving him a job to do every day. Sara helped Clover's aunts by helping out in their Peach Orchards. I felt that this book could relate to a lot of
different types of cultural families, such as parents that adopted children of different races. Some expressions that the author shows is that how some kids adapt with stepparents. I think that when
Clover got to really understand Sara, she was shown that color really doesn't matter because we are all the same in heart. I was wondering about what ever happened to Clover's Uncle Jim Ed
when he got stung by tons of wasps,because he is allergic to them. Did he die later on or is he still alive? I think this book was easy to read but there were some parts in here that confuse me. The
parts were when the author was writing about a current event but that turned into a flashback. My favorite thing about the book was when Clover told off Sara for the first time. That was my favorite
because Sara went and told Clover's aunt Everleen, and Everleen didn't really like Sara at first. But then she took Sara's side and told Clover to apologize. And Clover didn't want to but in the end she
did. Yes I like the book, because it showed two different cultures living together and getting to learn about one another. I will tell my best friend, that they should read this book because it tells about
how families might be mess up but they always stick together in the end. Reviewer -- Darius Watt, September 2002.
 Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier
review Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier begins as a story of a man named
Inman, in the Civil War on the confederate side. He gets shot in the neck, and has to stay in a confederate hospital. All he could think of was his girlfriend that
he left back home and how to get back to her. He decides to get up and leave, because in a week or two he will be back in action anyways. For a while he just
walks and walks down a dirt road, asking people which way to his home town, stealing food, and telling people stories. Then one day he comes across a
naked white man, named Beasey. He asks why doesn't he have any clothes on, and the man replies that the Union army attacked his town and hung him by his
clothes, and he had to escape somehow so he jumped out of his clothes. It was just about winter (and 200 pages later) when he stopped walking, and heard a gunshot. He turned
around and saw Ada, and she was about to shoot him. What was the author thinking? He just all of a sudden saw her, and it never said what she was doing with the gun. She thought he was some
sort of begger, then realized it was him. He looked so different. The book was not easy to read because it was confusing, and dull. Inman kept walking on the road, and was saying how he
misses his wife for 2/3s of the book. It was awfully repetitive. The best thing about the book was the history of the war. I did not like the book because it was awfully confusing. To make it better I would
have put some more adventure into it. I would tell my best friend that it is a terrible waste of time, and 350 pages. Reviewer -- Jakub Sikora, September 2002. .
 The Color Purple by Alice Walker
The Color Purple is an inspiring novel about an African- American woman
named Celie who is treated poorly by many men in her life. Celie is abused and raped by her father until she is married to a husband who treats her the same
way. This story tells about the hardships of not only an African American woman, but of a woman who is trying to stand up for herself and learn how to love
herself. After finding out that her husband has been stealing letters from her sister, Celie decides to join Shug Avery, a performer and mother to Celie's
husband's children. I found this book very enjoyable because it shows women standing up for themselves in a time when it was thought of as wrong. I was very
surprised at some parts of the book where the men would beat and rape the women. These parts of the book were violent, but it wouldn't have proved how
wrong it is to do these things if the author, Alice Walker, had left them out. Characters were well described and well-developed throughout the entire book. A part of the book I did not like is how
Alice Walker left certain settings and scenes vague. I wish that she would have described certain things a little better. For example, I did not have a clear picture of the house that Celie lived in with
her husband and her husband's children. Since a lot of the book takes place at the home and on the farm, I feel that Walker should have described it much better that it was. My favorite character in
this book is Celie who is the main character. This is because she goes through the most hardships and changes herself for the better throughout the story. In the beginning Celie seems like a not very
intelligent person, but towards the end you begin to appreciate some of the choices she has made in the book. I also liked Sofia Butler and Shug Avery. These women are great role models since they
wouldn't let any man boss them around at all. They almost always stood up for themselves and even for others who couldn't. Another thing I love about this book is how it is told by Celie through a
diary entry type book. Celie doesn't have the perfect language since she wasn't very well schooled and you know this by reading what she says in the book. I like how Alice Walker did this to make the
book seem more realistic and to let you know that Celie was really telling the story. Even though Celie has to endure many hardships before she finds happiness (which she does, don't worry!),
she learns so much on the way which is the most important part of this book. Learn from your mistakes, stand up for yourself, and live your own life how you want to live it and with the people you
want to live it with! Reviewer -- Laura Peterson, September 2002.
The Cure by Sonia Levitin
 Imagine that you are in the year 2407. Everyone wears masks and has a twin. There is no music, hostility, or love. When Gemm 16884 starts to sing and fight,
the United Social Alliance is worried. Gemm is given two choices -- to recycle or go through the cure. Not many people have lived through the cure, but Gemm
accepts the challenge. He is thrown into the year 1348 to Strasbourg, Germany. He is now Johannes, a Jewish boy who loves music. It is the beginning of the
Black Death. A widely spread epidemic has extended throughout Europe. The Christians adamantly believe the Jews have poisoned some Christian wells. The
Christians need proof; so they take Jews and torture them until they confess. Johannes' father is chosen to be tortured, but does not confess. Finally they get
someone to confess. All the Jews must be persecuted. Meanwhile, through the agony of the confessions, Johannes falls in love. He meets Margarite and is set on marrying her.
They share their grief and troubles with each other and provide comfort to one another. Everywhere, Jews are being killed, yet Johannes's family has hope for the future. Their hope is forgotten when
officials come to their city and say all the Jews must be executed. Johannes family is devastated. It is Passover, a day of great joy, yet great sorrow is felt. Johannes brings his flute. All the Jews are
packed into a wooden shed, which is then set on fire. There is a lot of singing and Johannes plays his flute. It is then that he returns to the year 2407. He never sings or hums again, because when he
thinks of music, he thinks of pain and suffering. Reviewer -- Amy Werner-Allen, 2000/2001 Teen Advisory Board.
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