Maximum Ride: The angel experiment by James Patterson

Meet Max, Fang, Iggy , Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel. 6 kids who hold a secret. They all have wings and yes,they can fly.Having wings comes at a price. Scintists from a place called the School are trying to lock them up in dog cages and study them till their death. Even if it means killing them to get them, they will not hesitate. Max and her gang are on the run from mutants called Erasers who work for the School as they try and find out more about there past and how they ever got into the hands of these evil scintists.Join this thrilling ride with Max and her gang.

Submitted by Solidad100

Under Siege!: Three Children at the Civil War Battle for Vicksburg by Andrea Warren

The Siege of Vicksburg during the Civil War is told from the perspectives of three children who witnessed the event from both sides of the conflict. The information is based on interviews and articles by these children and includes details of the siege, including the escape of the residents of Vicksburg from their homes to nearby caves in order to avoid the bombardment of the city by the Union Army. 12-year-old Frederick Grant’s story is also told as he accompanied his father, General Grant, through numerous campaigns and battles and lived in the camps with the soldiers. This excellent volume provides not only well-researched historical information but a spellbinding story as well. Primary sources, photographs, illustrations, and maps are used throughout. A bibliography and index are included.

Smoke by Mavis Jukes

12-year-old Colton and his mother move from Idaho to California, away from his beloved grandfather and his frequently absent, rodeo-champion father. His mother is hoping to start a new life and just when Colton is getting a handle on this change, his cat, Smoke, disappears. When Colt goes looking for his cat one night, he finds himself possibly stalked by a cougar and barricades himself in a supposedly haunted cabin, leaving the adults in his life to wonder where he is. His disappearance brings his father to search for him, along with Colt’s friends and neighbors, and helps Colt to come to an appreciation of all that he has. This is a sweet story about dealing with loss, change, and family. The characters are varied and well-developed and will ring true to the book’s intended audience.

The Seven Keys of Balabad by Paul Haven

12-year-old Oliver, who is living in Balabad with his reporter father and art-historian mother, misses New York. His friends Zee and Mr. Haji are the only things that make living in Balabad tolerable. But things become more interesting when a priceless carpet is stolen from a mosque and Mr. Haji is kidnapped. Oliver and Zee try to unravel the mystery and decipher the connections between Mr. Haji, the carpet, and Zee. The story jumps around a bit from character to character and place to place. But all of the threads of the story come together in the end like a well-woven carpet. Balabad is a fictional country with a rich culture and the characters and settings are well-developed. A perfect book for both adventure and mystery lovers.

Jane in Bloom by Deborah Lytton

When Jane’s sister dies from complications resulting from anorexia, it sends Jane’s family into a tailspin. Her parents separate and Jane must find the strength to endure her grief. She does this with the help of an unusual babysitter, a puppy, a camera, and a new friend. This is a powerful look at the effects of anorexia on a family and the characters are authentic. The ending is somewhat disappointing, but readers will be drawn into Jane’s story as she tries to find peace in a difficult situation.

Flora's Dare by Ysabeau S. Wilce

In this sequel to Flora Segunda, the heroine is determined to learn Gramatica so that she can expand her ability to do magick. She is side-tracked by a sea-monster who is destroying the city, her best friend who has been possessed by a pair of magic boots, her sister who has gone AWOL, and her newly sober father who has become a stern taskmaster. Flora is spunky with a self-deprecating wit and the world she lives in challenges stereotypical gender roles. The action is fast-paced, though occasionally a little confusing. Also confusing, at times, is the fantastical vocabulary. This story will be enjoyed most by those who have read the first book.

Dandelion Fire by N.D. Wilson

Henry York, after learning that his adoptive parents are coming to get him, once again ventures into the magical cupboards to try and find where he came from. Meanwhile, his cousin Henrietta and the rest of the family end up scattered in different parts of the world from which Henry and his uncle came, fighting against an evil witch who is determined to take control of the world. This second installment of the series is once again full of the magic and adventure that characterized the first one. The first part of the book, while Henry is still in our world, drags a bit. But once he enters his world, the story picks up and is hard to put down. The story alternates between Henry, Henrietta, and the rest of the family and may be a bit confusing to readers who have not read the first book of the series. Though the satisfying ending feels like the end of the series, fans will be happy to know that there is still one more novel to come before the trilogy is complete.

Alligator Bayou by Donna Jo Napoli

14-year-0ld Cologero lives with his uncles and cousin in 1899 Louisiana. The immigrants from Sicily own and operate a produce store and try to get along with all of the townspeople, no matter what their race. However, the town is racially divided and the Sicilians find that they belong with neither the whites nor the blacks. Racial tensions mount as their business grows and the whites become more distrustful until a wandering goat causes violence to erupt. The story highlights the anti-immigration sentiments that were prevalent in Louisiana at the time. Napoli gives readers a look at everyday life during this period while also shining a light on deep-rooted prejudices and Cologero is a likable character who explores the racial tensions while trying to figure out where he belongs. The tragic climax will stick with readers long after the book is finished.

Juliets Moon by Ann Rinaldi

This book was amazing. I could not stop reading it! It takes place during the civil war. Juliet's brother goes off to the war. She is left alone with her slave. They go to her brother's girlfriends house. Somehow, they go to jail and the jail collapses. One thing leads to another and she gets kidnapped!

I would reccomend this book to anybody. Even if you dont like history, this book is amazing. I really enjoyed it. She is a great author. This is the first book by her I have read, but I am going to read another by her. This is one worth reading twice.

Out of the Shadows by Sarah Singleton

Elizabeth, a young Catholic girl living in 1586 England, and her family are in danger. It is the Reformation and they have been accused of hiding a priest. Elizabeth’s mother has been taken for questioning, leaving Elizabeth and her sister alone. Help comes from an unlikely source, Isabella, a young girl who has been living with the fairies for the past 300 years. She was unable to help her mother when she was tried and hanged for witchcraft, but is determined to prevent tragedy from befalling Elizabeth’s family.

This smoothly written tale relates the story of two girls whose families have suffered much at the hands of others. The bond formed between them is strengthened as they struggle to protect Elizabeth’s family and the priest that her family was protecting. Isabella’s experiences in the land of the fairies has given her an unusual perspective and a surprising means to help Elizabeth and her family, while trying to find her own place back in the land of people. However, there is too much going on in the story. The issues surrounding the Reformation, Catholicism, and fairies will have readers’ heads spinning as they try to make sense of it all.

3 Willows: The Sisterhood Grows by Ann Brashares

Three close friends, Polly, Jo, and Ama, delve into their separate summer activities. Polly tries to make herself over to become a model. Jo spends the summer at her family’s beach house and deals with her parents’ separation, and Ama finds herself at a wilderness trip when what she really wanted was to spend her summer at an academic camp. As they change and grow, they wonder if their friendship will survive.

The three friends who have known each other since third grade are drifting apart and now face spending the summer separately before they begin high school. Each girl is trying to find herself in her own unique way. There are strong messages here about self-acceptance, self-confidence, and friendship and the well-developed characters deal with some serious issues. Fans of the Travelling Pants series will encounter those girls as they make brief appearances, but those episodes feel somewhat contrived. Overall, a sweet story with a satisfying ending that will appeal to tweens.

Incantation by Alice Hoffman

16 year-old Estrella's honest, humble family has lived in the small village of Encaleflora, Spain, for as long as she can remember. The year is 1500, one of the most hard and toughest times to live in history. The Spanish Inquisition has just been passed, all Jews must convert to Christianity - or die. As violence outbreaks in the village, brought-up Catholic Estrella learns the truth: her family are secret Jews. The fact that Estrella's best friend begins to become envious of her just makes the situation worse.

As time progresses, Estrella's worries begin to rise: what will happen to her family? What is the reason behind her friend's jealousy?

In this short, but poetic novel, readers are captivated by the voice of Estrella, who reminds us that while times may change, people don't - but there is always hope.

Get it off the shelf.

Now.

The Tomorrow Code by Brian Falkner

Teenage friends Tane and Rebecca receive messages from their future selves warning them that they must stop the Chimera Project to avert an ecological disaster. With Tane’s brother, Fatboy, the teens frantically try to decipher the messages and figure out what they are supposed to do to stop the catastrophe that has been set in motion by scientists who have inadvertently created a cloud of organisms programmed to destroy mankind.

A timely eco-thriller that readers will find hard to put down, The Tomorrow Code presents a frightening picture of how mankind’s quest for scientific knowledge could lead to our own destruction. The teens’ path is unbelievable at times (buying a house and a submarine by themselves) but the storyline is intense and the cloud of creatures feels like something out of a Stephen King novel. The ending is fascinating and will leave readers wondering if something like this could really happen.

Scat by Carl Hiaasen

Mrs. Starch mysteriously disappears on a field trip to Black Vine Swamp after a fire cuts the trip short. Everyone suspects Smoke, a troubled youth, of setting the fire but Nick and his friend Marta think something fishy is going on. As they investigate the arson, they discover a quirky environmentalist, a couple of shady oilmen, and an endangered panther and her cub. Meanwhile, Nick is dealing with the return of his beloved father from Iraq, who has had his right arm amputated.

The premise is familiar from Hoot and Flush; plucky teenagers battling greedy adults that are destroying Florida’s environment. But Hiaasen weaves his stories so well that it is still a pleasure to revisit this theme. The fully realized characters, with all of their strengths and weaknesses, come alive in the pages as they strive to make sense of life’s ups and downs. There is enough tension (criminal acts and coming face to face with a panther) and humor (a bird that speaks three languages) to keep most readers turning the pages until the very satisfying conclusion.

I Put a Spell on You by Adam Selzer

Shortly before the annual school spelling-bee, Chrissie Woodward, who has always been the school tattle-tale for the principal, begins to suspect that the bee is being rigged by the school principal. As she investigates the adults involved in the conspiracy, she gets to know her fellow students better and switches her allegiance, vowing to bring the offenders to justice.

Told from the perspective of various students, this humorous story recounts the conspiracy surrounding the annual school spelling-bee, which is a major event in town. The adult-bashing humor will have readers laughing from the start. Chrissie grows throughout the story as she begins to really see the complexities of her fellow students, who are trying hard to do the right thing and steer clear of the adult manipulations.

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

This book is about 6 kids, Angel (the perfect 6 year old), Gasman (A cute little 8 year old), Nudge (a big-mouthed 11 year old), Iggy (a blind 14 year old that makes GREAT bombs), Fang (kinda the 2nd in command), and Max (the leader). Heres the kicker. They arent related and they are MUTANT. They have wings and un-humanly sarcasm. But Angel gets taken away! How does it all end out? Read and find out!

I really enjoyed this book and often found myself laughing along with the characters. It was a great book. If you like this book, then read the next 3!  I reccomend it with 2 thumbs up!