Stormbreaker

Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz

James Bond meets Spy Kids for teens. This book is the first in the Alex Rider series by Horowitz. Alex Rider is a typical fourteen-yar-old British schoolboy, until his Uncle Ian dies mysteriously in a car crash. While looking into his uncle's death, Alex uncovers a secret world espionage. It turns out that his uncle was a top British spy, who was actually murdered! To top it all off, the people his uncle worked for want Alex to be their next agent.

Armed only with a Gameboy, some acne cream, and a yo-yo, all of which are more than they seem to be. Alex is sent off to save his country and possibly the world.

Is Alex the next 007 or the next 00-Nothing?

The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp

The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp by Rick Yancey

This book was awesome! I see it as King Arthur meets Artemis Fowl. This story is all about a boy and a sword. Alfred Kropp is a sixteen-year-old orphan with an enormous head. He lives with his uncle who is a security guard. One day, Alfred's uncle agrees to steal a sword for a mysterious man. Alfred, against his better judgement, helps his uncle. How was he to know that the sword was Excalibur's? How was he to know that the man that he turned it over to was The Dragon, an evil man? Now with the help of a knight named Bernard and a secret organization, Alfred will try to reclaim the sword. Can a sixteen year-old orphan with a big head save the world?

The Thief Lord

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

I recently finished listening to The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke. You might know this author from the book Inkheart. This book is about a group of orphans and runaways living in an old movie theater in Venice, Italy. The rag-tag group is led by a mysterious boy who calls himself The Thief Lord. Just as his title suggests, he steals things to support his gang.

Everything is going well for this group of kids until, Propero and Bo's (two brothers) aunt comes looking for them. She wants to raise six-year-old Bo as her son and send twelve-year-old Propero to a boarding school. The two brothers must call upon The Thief Lord and all his cunning skill to save them. However, there is a snag, The Thief Lord is harboring a huge secret. One that might lead to the groups' destruction.

This book is a fun mystery to read or listen to. I would recommend it for upper elementary to middle school aged kids. Older teens would probably find it a little juvenile.

Truesight

Truesight by David Stahler Jr.

This book takes a look at an interesting world of the future. In the city of Harmony, a young boy named Jacob lives. He is a typical thirteen-year-old. He hates school, his parents are always fighting, and he longs to be a musician. The difference between Jacob and other thirteen-year-old is that he is blind. In fact, everyone in Harmony is blind. They are genetically altered to be this way so that they can have Truesight, an ability to see the world by not being able to see anything.

Even though the town is named Harmony, there is a definite lack of Harmony in it. The colony is facing food shortages, the mayor's daughter wants to be able to see and leave Harmony, and to top it all off, Jacob has regained his sight. Jacob keeps the fact that he can see a secret, but unfortunately it is not the only secret in Harmony.

I really recommend this book for anyone who likes Sci-Fi or Utopian society books, such as: The Giver, The Messenger, Uglies, or Rash.

New Moon

New Moon by Stephanie Meyer

After reading Twilight, I had a lot of unanswered questions about Bella Swan and Edward Cullen. I thought that New Moon might be able to answer these questions. Unfortunately, it left me with even more questions.

In this second book, Bella is dumped by Edward shortly after her 18th birthday. She is heartbroken. Her only solace comes from her new friend, Jacob Black. Jacob and her do daredevil stunts, like ride motorcycles. However, their relationship too is torn apart by a secret that Jacob is keeping.

I can't tell you anymore without giving away the story. You will just have to read the book to find out what Jacob's secret is and if Bella and Edward get back together.

Dark Sons

Dark Sons by Nikki Grimes

This is the story of two sons: Ishmael and Sam. Ishmael, the son of Abraham, is from the Bible. Sam, is a modern day teenager. These two boys have the same problem, a new half brother.

Ishmael is the son of his father's maid, but now his father's wife has given him a son. This leaves Ishmael and his mother out in the cold, since his father only needs one son. Ishmael feels abandoned and upset with his father.

Sam's father has recently remarried. Not only has he remarried, but he married a white woman. Sam feels sorry for his new baby brother who is as he puts it "half and half." Sam is also angry at his father for leaving his mother, remarrying, having another kid, and moving far away.

This book is written in free verse and has an interesting style to it. Readers will find themselves relating to both Ishmael's and Sam's stories. Through their pain, the time period differences vanish and what is left are two sons.

what i believe

what i believe by Norma Fox Mazer

This book was a bit unusual. It is all about this girl named Vicki whose father loses his job and the economic impact that has on the family as well as the emotional impact. The family has to move, Vicki has to change schools, they have to sell many of their possessions, and they have to take in a boarder. Vicki keeps all of this secret from her new friend, Sara. She wants to pretend there is nothing wrong with her or her family. Her lies continue as she keeps a big secret from her family and friends.

The unusual part of this book was how it was written. The book is broken into short poems, lists, and other types of writing. Somehow all of these poems, lists, letters, etc. all flow together to tell Vicki's story. She is also nice enough to tell the reader what type of poem it is in the title of the poem. If you can get past the changing format, this is an okay book. It is a quick read, good for summer reading.