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Gargoyles of Gaylord, by Jonathan Rand 
 Gargoyles Of Gaylord Do you like mystery stories? Do you like scary
creatures? My book is named Gargoyles of Gaylord. In this story, there are two main characters, Corky and Ashley. The problem is that there are
gargoyles flying around at night and they are afraid that they are going to end up dead or hurt very badly. And they don't know what the gargoyles
are looking for from them. The characters want to know why gargoyles are only in Gaylord, Michigan. The gargoyles never attacked them. They come to Mr. K. Their teacher Mr K. is very strange in this story
because they saw Mr. K at the graveyard at night and that night they saw the gargoyles fly into his small house. If I were rating this book I would give it an 8 out of ten. I would love for you to read this
book! Enjoy! Reviewer -- Ray, March 2002.
The Gold Ring: A Christmas Story by John Snyder
I enjoyed this New York Times Bestseller book very much. This is a story about a girl named Anna.
She lives with her father, her mother, her three brothers and her two sisters. They are very poor even though her father works full time on the railroad. For her ninth birthday, her mother gave her a ring
with a precious stone in it. One day, Anna meets a girl wth no home. They become fast friends and Anna gives the girl her ring. Her father got very angry with Anna for giving her ring away. Her father
was sorry for losing his temper and knew he had to make it up to her. When Anna's father was stranded by a snowstorm, he met a lady whose husband and daughter had been killed. Now that she
was widowed, she was in the process of selling everything she owned. The lady was so inspired by the story that Anna's father told her about Anna that the lady gave Anna's father a ring like Anna's old
ring. When he got back to his home, Anna's father put the ring on her finger while she was asleep. He had never given anyone in his family a present before. Within a matter of days, Anna's father died
tragically in a train crash and Anna was the last person to ever see him alive. Reviewer -- Susannah Hope, 2001/2002 Teen Advisory Board.
Gossip Girl (three part series) by Cecily von Ziegesar
The Gossip Girl series (Gossip Girl, You Know You Love Me, and All I Want is Everything) is a story that is filled with gossip, scandals, and surprises. These books tell the story of a group of rich
teenagers living in New York, and the scandalous, edgy lives they lead. The main character, Blair, is a
spoiled, yet likeable character that has major goals in life and won't let anything get in her way. When her old friend, Serena, comes back from a boarding school, the rumors start flying. Why is Serena
back? Was she kicked out of school? The gossip-loving characters supply the reader with tons of hilarious explanations for this occurrence and much more. The "gossip page," after every few
chapters and written by gossip girl on her website, provides the reader with the latest juicy gossip going on in the lives of Blair and her friends. My favorite aspect of these books is the way the author
perfectly describes all of the characters' designer outfits and their latest purchases. For a fashion lover, this is a perfect book. I'd definitely recommend this series to anyone who is remotely interested
in New York, fashion or teenage adventure. An innocent love for gossip wouldn't hurt either. :) Reviewer -- Holly Newmann, May 2003. .
Harry Potter Series, by J. K. Rowling
All the books are exciting and you never know what will happen next. Reviewer -- Kristen Andree,
2000/2001 Teen Advisory Board.
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
 Brian is a 13 year-old kid. His mom and his dad are divorced all because of a
secret. That secret that is the reason of the divorce the dad doesn't even know. Brian wasn't supposed to know, but he found out. One day Brian and his friend
Terry were at the mall. When he saw his mom in a car he was about to say hi but then he noticed that she was in a car with a guy that was not his dad, and the bad
part was that they were kissing. Because his parents are divorced his dad lives in Canada while his mom lives in Hampton, New York. It was summer vacation and
in summer he goes to visit his dad in his house in Canada. On the way to the airport (it was a long drive) Brian and his mom hardly talked at all, but when he
and his mom were almost there his mom gave him a hatchet as a present for all the forest stuff in Canada. So Brian finally got there and he went on the bush
plane. He and the pilot weren't talking much either until the pilot thought of teaching Brian the basics of flying the bush plane. Above the forests Brian was flying the plane. A few hours later something
happened that shouldn't happen, the pilot started to grab his heart and wince in pain, after a while the pilot was in terrible pain and a few seconds later he was dead. Now it is up to Brian to save himself
and it is up to you to find out what happens by reading the book Hatchet. Reviewer -- Joey Grace, March 2002.
Harvey Penick's Little Red Book by Harvey Penick rating 4-stars 
 This book was very enlightening and shows that if you relax and concentrate on something you relax and concentrate on something you can succeed at it. In this
case, it's golf, which is probably the most concentrated game of all time. You don't only have to be relaxed but focused on exactly what you're doing. I thought Pennick's
views on this subject were detailed and exact. One of my likes about his book is that, first of all, it's about golf and second of all you can relate to everything he's
saying because he has been in that spot before, being a golfer. The effectiveness of any part of this book teaches you something because he is a teacher of the
game and knows every aspect of it. Another great thing about this book is that he describes the setting just as you would if you went out. He also just knows what
he's talking about when he describes the greens or the fairway. His point of view would be better than a lot of other golfers because he knows the detail and knows how to describe it.
The development of the story is him teaching the game to others and having them develop into great golfers. Reviewer -- Kyle Robinette, October 2002.
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
 This has to be one of the funniest, if not THE funniest book I have ever read. It's the
story of Arthur Dent as he and his friend, Ford Prefect, hitchhike and travel around the galaxy. Aside from the fact that Arthur and various others that they come across
during their journey are traveling around doing various things, the plot really isn't too important. Overall, I think my absolute favorite thing about the book was its
sense of humor. Douglas Adams has a knack for bringing up some random triviality early on in a book, then bringing it back later as some elaborate joke which
suddenly makes several seemingly nonsensical events come through in complete clarity. I think this may very well be (aside from other books written by
Douglas Adams) the only book I have ever laughed out loud when reading. Another great thing about this book are the characters. They are all eccentric and
interesting creations. An example would be Marvin the chronically depressed robot, or Zaphod Beeblebrox, the virtually indescribable mass of nonsense. Each of their unique
characteristics, and frequently their stupidities, greatly aided the humor element of the book, which was what it was really all about. The title refers to yet another wonderful part of this book. There is, in
the book, a reference book, called the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which contains almost completely impractical and irrelevant facts about everything. Every so many chapters the book gives
excerpts from the guide, which, although some may seem completely unrelated to the plot, frequently set up for wonderful jokes. Yet another wonderful thing about this wonderful book is the sheer
creativity of some of the ideas. Such as a ship that runs on a "improbability drive. It calculates the improbability it getting to a certain destination, or doing a certain thing, and thus, does it. Ideas such
as that make a wonderful addition to the novel. It isn't really any one of these things by itself that make the book wonderful. It's the oddball characters in strange situations with strange concepts and little
tie-backs to things that made no sense three chapters ago that really pull it all together. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested. Reviewer -- Robert Chandler, September 2002.
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams 
This is a book that would fall into the genre of fantasy or science fiction. The main character is Arthur
Dent, a middle-aged man living in Guildford, England... that is, before the Earth is destroyed and his best friend, Ford Prefect (who is really an alien from the planet Betelgeuis), saves the both of them by
hitchhiking a lift from the aliens that destroy Earth. After this, the two experience several crazy events, such as why one should never let a Vogon read poetry to them, what the answer is to the question
"what is the purpose of life?", and the waking of a planet that laid dormant for over 5 million years. Before you judge this book upon this brief description, however, let me share with you my opinion
about this book. I thought that this book was very imaginative and original, but it was simply not for me. Generally, when I read a book, I like to be able to envision what it is I'm reading about. In this book,
several opportunities to explore the writing were left untouched. For example, this passage was used when a Vogon guard was taking Arthur and Ford to an airlock, from which they would be cast into
space: "The huge Vogon guard stepped forward and yanked them out of their straps with his huge blubbery arms." Now, I give the author credit for this, and I like the use of the word blubbery. But before
this point, there had been no description of a Vogon, so I had no idea what to picture in my mind what a Vogon looked like until this description had occurred. This may not bother some readers, but it
occurred several times, and it troubled me. One thing I truly liked however, was the reaction that I derived from a very suspenseful scene. I expected one thing when the answer to life's question was
coming up, and got a completely shocking and funny answer instead. The setting of the story was also very vague. It seemed the location shifted very often, as ships jumped into light speed, warp
speed, hyper speed, and non-probability drive. Now again, I admit that these did add to overall creativity of the story, but it was too much for me to follow. For instance, at one moment, The Heart of
Gold, the ship that Arthur and Ford were on, jumps into non-probability drive, which sends them to any point in the universe in nanoseconds. When they engage this drive however, they end up in the same
place, but with a sperm whale floating in space, and a flower pot resting in their ship. This was very confusing to me, and bothersome, as the author proceeded to switch the point of view in focus from
Arthur to the Sperm whale, as it crashed onto the planet below's surface. My biggest quarrel with this story however, is that there seemed to be no character development that I noted. The author seemed
to describe each character once, and then only tell of the events that occurred, and not the characters' reactions or emotions. To sum it all up, I liked this book's creativity and outside-the-box thinking, but
disliked it overall, it seemed that the story lacked the components that I crave. I would recommend this book to possibly an older middle schooler, or maybe a freshman in high school. Reviewer -- Scott
Fink, September 2002.
The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien
 Bilbo Baggins; a plain, simple, normal hobbit who likes to sit at home and read all
day long. Like most hobbits, he doesn't like traveling in the slightest bit and would recoil at the notion of leaving the Shire, the hobbit homeland. What would it be like
if a strange wizard appeared in front of his door and asked him to go on a quest? A daring quest to slay a dragon, defiling the western lands and claiming the dwarven
mountain for his own. At first you would think he would refuse and wonder what the wizard was babbling about, but that isn't how the story goes. This fantasy novel
starts of in the home of Bilbo Baggins while the young hobbit is relaxing. All of a sudden, Gandalf the wizard knocks on his door, and following him are 11 dwarves
and 1 dwarven king. The ancient, but strong, wizard wonders if the young hobbit would like to go on a journey. This path would lead from the safe homes of the
Shire through the vast Misty Mountains to Elrond the elf's home. To the deep, treacherous forests of Mirkwood, where creatures of unspeakable dread live. And
finally to the Mountain of Thrain, the dwarven kingdom. There they would fight Smaug the dragon, destroyer of men. Bilbo was half Baggins and half Took. Tooks were known to go off into the wild,
exploring and adventuring, which most hobbits wouldn't dare to think. Eventually, Bilbo decides to leave on this magical journey, wondering if he had chosen the path to an early death. The plot of the
novel is a well-written one, engaging the reader into the story, making them never stop until the book is done. The characters are realistic, however at times they can be long-winded. The story has a
complex plot and should only be read if you have a lot of time on your hands. The characterization is also one of a kind. J.R.R Tolkien shows how the characters develop through the story and learn from
their past experiences. J.R.R. Tolkien also uses a variety of literary devices throughout the story. An example is how irony occurs in many situations. It starts off with Bilbo being the timid creature, as
hobbits usually are, but he eventually becomes the leader of the group. This book deserves 4 out of 4 stars by use of literary devices and how the plot and characters are formed. Reviewer -- Sumeet
Vaidya, February 2002.
The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien 
Bilbo Baggins is a peaceful hobbit (similar to human but 1/2 the size) that likes to stay in his home at
Bag End and read all day. One day a wizard, named Gandalf, asks Bilbo if he wants to go on a journey to slay a dragon. Bilbo accepts. He and a group of dwarves go to the Lonely Mountain to take back
their family's treasure. The group encounters spiders, goblins and other creatures that bring trouble to them along the way. Bilbo saves the dwarves many times. When they got the treasure Thorin's
greediness almost forces a war between the dwarves, elves, and humans. But then they all have to wage war against the goblins and wargs. During the fighting Thorin and others are killed. I thought the
book was well written. It shows that someone shouldn't always try to be ordinary or do ordinary things. I like how Tolkien created such a big world with many different creatures in it. I really liked how he
made the world that they lived in such a vivid picture in my mind. I think he describes the setting really well which gets the reader more into it. Tolkien used a lot of description in the setting which is good.
Reviewer -- Rob Warmbold, September 2002.
The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien
Bilbo Baggins lives in a quiet, peaceful hole in Bag End. He lives in the hole because he is a Hobbit,
who are small, plump people with hairy toes. His peaceful days in his hole are over when the great wizard, Gandalf, enters his home and tells him to join a group of thirteen dwarves on a quest to
reclaim their treasure from the dragon, Smaug. The dwarves are captured by many foes during their adventure but stay safe due to the protection of Gandalf, the quick thinking of Bilbo, and the golden
ring. After they claim their treasure they march to Lonely Mountain to get their compensation, but Thorin refuses and the hobbit and dwarves are trapped inside. At this moment, the goblins and
wolves march toward the mountains and the human, dwarves, and elves are forced to band together to defeat them. I think that this story implies that teamwork is a necessity and in the wild you must use
it to survive. I like that the author uses different survival struggles in the story and that with the help of someone the group gets back to safety. The setting in the book is very critical to the story. For
instance, everything in the hobbit's village is suited for a hobbit. The depiction of the characters in the story really added detail to how they struggled and what weaknesses they showed. As for character
development, the different types of living beings in the story realize that a hobbit can do much more than expected. They started off not agreeing with Gandalf's decision for Bilbo but then realized he is a
mentally strong person at the end of the story. Reviewer -- Aaron Wajsgras, September 2002.
The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Hobbit is a story about a half-sized man in for a big surprise, when he was in the Shire all by
himself. A wizard, Gandolf, and dwarves come for Bilbo Baggin's help to slay a dragon with danger and trouble on the journey. Bilbo decides to leave the Shire with the group that was sent to retrieve
him. The dwarves also had a goal, to get back the family treasure which wages a war against wargs and goblins. I feel this book has a complex plot, even though it was fun to read. There is a certain
amount of fantasy that gives you the taste of freedom for your imagery to wander. The author knows whoever reads this book would never be given the chance to go on this fantasy journey. I also think
that the whole story revolves around the setting, wherever there is a conflict it is in a new setting. During the whole story Bilbo grows into a new person like he realizes he can do things that he thought
he could never do. The point of view is of an outside person, like someone is watching it from afar. This is a great book. Reviewer -- Brooke Rockentine, October 2002.
The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien
Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit, lives in a quiet and peaceful town, aptly named the Shire. While sleeping one
day, he hears a sharp rap on his door. He answers, to find a gray- haired man at the door. Gandalf has arrived at Bilbo's hobbit hole to invite him on a journey to recover a mountain that once belonged
to his friends the dwarves. Bilbo takes no time to think, and hastily answers no. The next day, when he meets the dwarves, he is coaxed into taking the journey and earning 1/14th of any profits made. After
arising late, he finds a note, and has no time to pack. He hurries off to where the note said to be, as he only had ten minutes to get there. This, right now, is probably one of my favorite books. Tolkien
invented his own language and alphabet (which was once spoken by the elves, but is now dead, and written in runes) specifically for the books and to add suspense to his books. One reason I really
enjoyed reading this book is Tolkien's attention to detail and describing the setting very well. Every page of every chapter I had a vivid image in my head. The further I read into The Hobbit, the more
attached I became to the characters. One would build a certain amount of respect for the dwarves, for their wisdom and knowledge. Also, one would find a place in their heart for the lovable hobbit, Bilbo,
for his sheer curiosity and luck. A few things that I liked specifically were definitely the amount of attention that was put into the description and how every character had a different personality, and how
the author implied humor through the narrator by taking cheap shots at the characters. I don't think I disliked anything about this book, except for the fact that it could have been expanded on a little bit
more. The overall effectiveness of this book is amazing. The author's attention to setting paid off. In the first chapter of the novel, I had a visual image of what a hobbit hole looked like (and was only a few
sentences into the first page). The character development was another strong point in the story. I cannot find the words to describe how well the characters evolved from one page to the next. I think
some of the key events helped evolve the characters - especially Bilbo. Had he not found the magical ring, I doubt that he would have been the burglar he set out to be. Reviewer -- Eric Croskey, October 2002.
The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien
The main character in "The Hobbit," Bilbo Baggins, is a calm content hobbit. He lives alone in his
hobbit hole, with no desires to explore the rest of the world. A wizard named Gandalf persuades Bilbo to come on an adventure in search of lost treasure in a far away mountain. Bilbo, Gandalf and some
other friends, travel to the mountain facing many challenges and dangers on the way. I dislike science fiction novels very much, but this one sort of drew me to it. The characters were luring and the setting
was mesmerizing. Every perspective was a little unsettling, but the emotions behind each character were genuine and true. Greed, friendship, and love, all took place in this novel, while there were many
surprising factors that always came up this novel's ending was somewhat predictable. I found myself actually enjoying myself and putting myself right there with them in their adventures, basically
becoming a character as well. The plot was not quite as original as I felt it could have been. This writer has the potential for grabbing readers by the neck and forcing them to read the story, although it took
some time for me. My feelings were that it was too much fiction and too little truth. None of what happened in this story could have actually happened in real life. In most stories I read I like to have
them relate to my life in some way. Although there was probably some hidden meaning behind the plot, I failed to notice it. Some of the characters surprised me. Bilbo changed periodically going back
and forth from homesickness, and the longing to prove he could go the distance. He would wish for his home one minute and the next he would want to keep moving in the direction of danger. At first he
struck me as a weak sad little man, until I started to read further and decided he was a lot like me. He didn't want to go searching for trouble. Trouble found him instead. The author didn't give any insight to
the other characters' thoughts and feelings, just Bilbo. I feel that the story would have been more interesting coming from all sorts of viewpoints. Take some of the interesting creatures they met for
example. I would have liked to know what exactly they thought of Bilbo and his troop of dwarfs. The creatures played an important role. They showed the obstacles Bilbo had to overcome to reach his
goal. He must face his fears to show the world, but most importantly himself. Although my feelings on this novel are all mixed and vary more than I can say, to sum it up it was an interestingly twisted book. I
probably would not read it again if I was asked to, only because it was partially hard to follow. It was also slow. The author rambled on about tiny meaningless facts that would have the reader all
confused. All in all I recommend this story to those who enjoy science fiction. There is plenty in this book. Reviewer -- Laura Sevo, September 2002.
Holes, Louis Sachar 
This novel was about a boy named Stanley Yelnats (Yelnats is backwards for Stanley) that was accused for a mistaken crime. Some people said that he stole
some superstar's shoes but this was wrong. Stanley either had a choice of going to jail or going to Camp Green Lake ( a camp for bad boys). He chose the Camp
Green Lake. When he arrived, this camp wasn't green neither was it a lake. But 100 years ago it was shining like this. Now that it's fully dried up like a desert, the
campers have to use it for a special reason. They have to dig up a 5ft deep hole by a 5ft wide hole with a shovel that was 5ft tall! It was told by one of the campers
that the 2nd hole is always the hardest. Not that Stanley was settled in camp, he became best friends with a kid nicknamed Zero. Zero was a poor kid that didn't
know how to read. Stanley made a deal with him stating that if Zero dug up his holes, he would teach him to read. Zero agreed and started to read. Stanley wanted to go on a hike
one day and take Zero with him and they find a boat they stay in for a while and many things happen through the journey. Read this book to find out what goes on in this adventurous story. It had a great
plot and no one should judge it by its cover because it has a tremendous story into it! Reviewer -- Raya Abu-Zahra, February 2002.
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
 This novel deals with a teenager named Esperanza, who is of Hispanic origin. Her family has moved from run-down house to run-down house, and finally they
have settled into a house on Mango St. Esperanza tries to make friends with the people in the poor neighborhood, and befriends a lady who is leaving soon to
escape "the flood of Hispanic families", such as Esperanza's. Esperanza feels embarrassed by her background, and tries to befriend other people. She meets
two girls and they instantly become friends. As the year goes on, Esperanza meets other girls who teach her about boys, and makeup, and other aspects of
life Esperanza hasn't experienced yet. Throughout the year that the novel takes place in, Esperanza is raped while at a carnival. She becomes traumatized by this
experience, and from then on hates all boys. Esperanza also writes poetry; she writes about her dream house that she will live in when she grows older and
becomes wealthy. She often ponders on the time when she will leave Mango Street, and live on her own. I thought that this novel was well written and exciting. It kept you on the edge of your seat. At
some parts of the novel, you could really relate to some of the things that Esperanza was going through. As a teenager, she learned some lessons the hard way, and as a reader we sympathized
with Esperanza through those hard times. One of my favorite parts in the novel was when Esperanza told us about her poetry, it seemed as if she experienced life through her poetry. I felt that this novel
tells the story of many teenagers today who are embarrassed of their life. I disliked the part when Esperanza got raped and when Sally, Esperanza's friend, got beaten. I believe this part of the novel
was an exaggeration of what really happens in Hispanic families. Although it may be true, it was disturbing to read about. Overall, I felt that this was an intriguing novel. I recommend this novel to
anyone who enjoys novels dealing with the real world. Reviewer -- Marwa El-Bohy, October 2002.
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
This book was about a girl, Esperanza, who was born into a poor family. The family has to move from
place to place because of problems with the apartment buildings, like something would break and the landlord wouldn't be able to fix it. They moved from apartment building to apartment building.
Esperanza and her family finally moved into a place they could call their own. They called it the house on Mango street. They don't have to worry about sharing anything with anyone. But still this isn't the
house they have all dreamed of. I enjoyed this book very much. I would say that the setting in this book is very important because this book is mainly about where she lived from when she moved from
one place to the other. I like how the author goes into detail about all the characters and the setting. I
think the book is well written, and I liked how the book wasn't too long and how the chapters aren't too long, so it keeps you interested. Reviewer -- Kim Cascadden , October 2002.
I Am the Cheese by Robert Cormier
 We meet Adam, a young teenage boy, on his quest to find the truth of his
existence. Adam is on a strenuous bicycle journey to visit his father in the hospital. Adam is in Monument, Massachusetts and is headed toward Vermont
where his father is. The exhausting and frightening trip is interspersed with excerpts from a taped interview between Adam and Brint, the interviewer. Through
these taped interviews, we find the horror that has existed for Adam and we learn of his eventual fate. The tapes also reveal that Adam has been heavily medicated,
that his memories are full of gaps and that Brint has reasons of his own in helping Adam work his way through those memory gaps. We learn what Brint has
recommended for Adam's future. The sad realization is that all this is still impersonal, that those in power can have acted so callously. The title makes one
wonder how and why Adam, the Cheese, as the fairy tale goes would stand alone. As a reader, one feels that it is often said that the truth can set you free. The truth that Adam is
in total denial holds the key to his past, present and future. I felt that Adam wanted to know and remember the truth. His distrust of Brint and his realization not to take the medication gave me hope
as a reader that he would succeed. It was frightening to me to realize the lengths the government and the underworld would go to totally disrupt a family's life. The book was an easy read for me because I
put myself into Adam's world. I could easily identify with his feelings. I was uncomfortable, like Adam, when the interviews were being recalled. I know the strength of the family unit and felt that pull from
Adam as he cycled in search of his father and the truth. Reviewer -- Drew Kasprzyk, September 2002.
Into the Land of the Unicorns, Bruce Coville
This is a book is paced with adventure just waiting for you to jump into. Into the Land of the Unicorns
is a Fantasy and Adventure mixed with a heroine. A brief summary of the book would be... The setting takes place in modern time, in a fantasy world called Luster. Cara followed her grandmother's
instructions; she uses a magic amulet to escape to the world of Luster, the land of the Unicorns. Cara's reasoning for coming to Luster was to deliver a message her grandmother gave to her, for the
Unicorn Queen. She is later accompanied by Lightfoot, a unicorn she meets along the way, Squijim a little squirmy animal along for the ride, and also a bear-like creature named Dimblethum. On this
quest she has to battle enemies, build up the strength to finish her journey, and also she has to learn and experience new things. Cara also learns more about her family and the unicorns. My person view
of the book is... Though this book was a fantasy; the plot seemed believable, and realistic. It was clever and hooked you in from the beginning, but the plot line was also unbalanced and a bit
predictable. Cara, the main character is interesting, and understanding. Her bad traits include she isn't very open-minded, and also is spoiled by her friends. Lightfoot her companion is a nice Unicorn,
who understands emotions, and is extremely sympathetic. But then again he knows everything, and is very rarely surprised. Bruce Coville used point a view as a interesting literary device, he used Cara's
point of view, and it was interesting because she is about my age and experiencing the same things, so some of her ideas were like mine. Another problem I had with the book is that it didn't use very big
descriptive words, only basic ones. I think that overall this was an excellent book, and if you like Fantasy and Adventure this is the book for you. Reviewer -- Jennifer Sprague, February 2002.
The Island on Bird Street by Un Onlev
This intriguing novel is full of suspense. WWII has begun and hard times have fallen upon the Jews, and in particular, Alex. Alex and his father are hiding in a rope factory until the Germans hold a
selection. This is when the Jews are selected for concentration camps. Unfortunately, Alex's father is chosen, but Alex escapes. Alex stays in a old, run down apartment building with the address 78 Bird
Street. It is a dark and damp place, and at night he hears footsteps and voices. Looters roam around hunting for lost valuables left behind by Jews who were forced to leave. Also, policemen come to
search the house, but can't fit down the narrow passage way. Alex constantly is on the quest for food and drink. His only companion is his mouse, Snow, who helps him sniff out food. His life is full of
danger and trepidation, and he must be cognizant at all times. Then he has a plan. He gets rope and climbs up to some apartment rooms up stairs. They have food, running water, beds, and other
necessities. While he lives there, he is faced with bullies, rough men, looters, and lack of food and water. Finally his father comes back, safe and sound. This is a really moving book with a lot of
examples of courage, bravery, perseverance, and love. Reviewer -- Amy Werner-Allen, 2000/2001 Teen Advisory Board.
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