April lives next door to major gangsters (as in the Mafia).  Without her parents knowledge, she has a “date” with a trouble maker at school.  Her best friend sets her up on a double date with guy from a local private school.  If that wasn’t enough, she finds out her brother’s best friend thinks she’s hot (and see kind of likes him too.)  To top it off someone has been slipping hundred dollar bills in her school books.  She has a sneaking suspicion it is “Soft Sal” Luciano, her next door neighbor and made man.  He asks her for a favor, to walk his mentally retarded son to high school each day.  April genuinely likes Sal’s son Larry and she walks him to school in friendship not because she expects something out of it.  She doesn’t quite know how to tell a mobster “no thanks.”  To make matters worse, her brother gets the role of Romeo and his Juliet is the Mob boss’s daughter.  This might not be so bad except her brother Matt falls in love with Bettina (Juliet) and her father forbids it.  When they try to see each other anyway, Matt gets a black eye.  Still insistent that he loves her, he goes through with the play.  After opening night some of the mobsters jump him and he never sees Bettina again.  If you are looking for a funny, suspenseful drama look no further.  What more could a girl want from one book?  In the end, who should April choose the misunderstood bad boy, the nerdy but sweet prep school guy, or her brother’s best friend who has always been so sweet to her?  I found it fascinating that the author April Lurie based some of her novel on her own life.  She grew up in a neighborhood with some gangsters living down the street.  How cool is that?!

Let me begin by saying I just love Jennifer and Matt Holm’s Babymouse series.  With that being said, how could I not be interested in this book?  The cover art is outstanding.  When this arrived at my school’s library, I grabbed it first thing and rushed off to read it.  My eighth graders we asking me what it was about and interested in checking it out next.  The format over the book is really unique and easy to read for reluctant readers.  It is a collection of momentos from Ginny’s life.  We learn all about Ginny’s hopes and dreams. She wants the role of Sugarplum fairy in the school play.  She tries hard in school, but is not a perfect student.  She wants to fit in and reads the fashion magazines for beauty tips.  Ginny is your average middle school girl.    Although she doesn’t get the role she hoped for in the play, she surprises herself by winning the science fair.

The interesting assortment of items in this book make it highly entertaining.  For example, Ginny has included: a drawing from art, instant messages, a referral to the principal, chocolate candy and wrappers, magazine clippings and many other creative items.  Kids will relate to her because so many of us have big dreams, insecurities, frustrating parents, and we juggle so many things at once…just like Ginny.

Sophie and Josh are your ordinary twins, until one day a strange car pulls up outside of the shops they work at. Immediately they know something is wrong. The smell of rotten eggs fills the air as strange gray “men” get out of the car. These men go into to Nicholas Flemming’s store and Josh is stunned to see magic flowing from the fingers of Dr. Dee as he attacks Nicholas. It turns out, both Dee and Flemming (aka Flamel) are immortal. The twins come to the rescue of Flamel and he sweeps them off to safety, however Flamel’s wife Perenelle is not so lucky. Dee kidnaps her along with the most powerful book in the world…The Codex. Flamel quickly explains that he has been the guardian of the book and since the kids are too involved to go back to their ordinary lives, they must stay with him until things have settled down. Before long another motive is revealed. The Codex, prophesized that twins would save the world or destroy it. Flamel works as their guide and teacher and takes them to Awaken their magical powers. Dee keeps interfering and Flamel, the twins, and their friend Scatty must battle against all kinds of Elders, undead, and mythological animals. I enjoyed reading so many familiar names of gods and goddesses and mythological creatures. I was surprised by the author’s footnotes about just how much of the book is based on fact. Teens will enjoy reading about their favorite mythological characters such as vampires, werewolves, and the sphinx. In the end, the reader is left anxiously awaiting book two: The Magician. 

Any girl can relate to this funny well written book about love and heartache and starting over again. Jennifer Lewis has the perfect life, until her boyfriend dumps her without any warning. She is heart broken and depressed about losing the love of her life. Since she can’t think of a reason why Max left her, she starts to find fault in her self. That’s when Nana comes to the rescue. After hearing a talk radio program about a new self help book called The Breakup Bible, Nana buys it to help Jen get over Max. At first Jen finds the book

ridiculous, but the more depressed she becomes the more she realizes maybe there is something good in this book. To distract herself from thinking about Max, she pours all her energy into an article she is writing about race relations at her high school. Her school sponsor is so impressed with her that he recommends her for an internship at The New York Times. Things start to look up for her when her father sets her up on a blind date. Gene is sweet and funny and Jen really hits it off with him…until he kisses her and all she can think about is Max. She begins to fear that she will never get over Max, when all of a sudden she realizes she never really knew him at all. After taking some heat over the controversial article she has written for the paper, Max approaches Jen and accuses her of retaliation for dumping her. Shocked, she can’t believe that he could ever think she would be so cruel. At that point, a switch turns off and Jen decides Max was never right for her after all. The novel ends, full of hope. Will Jennifer get the internship? What happens with Gene? Is Max out of her life for good? Readers will be joining “Team Jennifer,” and cheering her on right up until the last page.

What if you knew that Faeries existed? What if you saw them playing tricks on people and they never knew? What if one of them wanted you and there was no way to resist him? Aislinn has known about “sight” since she was a child. Her grandmother taught her all the rules to keep her safe from the faeries and other creatures that coexist with our society. However, when an important faerie named Keenan (which she later finds out is a King in his realm) takes notice of her, she does everything she can to avoid him. She turns to her almost boyfriend Seth with her secret and they work together to try to stop Keenan. The Summer King’s power is too strong and she unknowingly is forced to enter the faerie world when he decides he wants her for his future queen. Once chosen, Aislinn must complete a special ritual. She must take the staff from the winter queen or choose to be a summer girl. If Aislinn is the One when she takes the staff she will be transformed into the Summer Queen. However, if she is not the right person she will succumb to the cold and be turned in a winter girl. Keenan’s mother is the Winter Queen and will lose her throne if her son finds his Summer Queen. The Winter Queen does everything in her power to ruin Keenan’s chances of ruling the faerie realm. But what about Seth? Aislinn wants nothing more than to be with him. How can she rule the faerie world with Keenan and not have Seth? In the end Seth stands by Aislinn’s side. Keenan, Aislinn and the Winter Girl work together to overthrow the Winter Queen. Aislinn takes the staff and is the ONE. Keenan understands that Seth will always have Aislinn’s love and they agree to rule together more like brother and sister. I really enjoyed this book, but I was left wanting more. I was wondering: does it really all work out with Seth and Aislinn? How can Keenan allow her to be with Seth when it seems he loves her himself? This book screams sequel. I have not heard about one in the works. This disappoints me and leaves me wanting more from Melissa Marr.