The Face on a Milk Carton, by Caroline Cooney

age group: 14 and up

rating:7

Janie Johnson lives an average life: friends, school, great parents... or so she thinks. Everything changes when she recognizes her own face on a milk carton reporting children missing years ago. From there, everything goes downhill. The only explanation for the carton is that Janie has been kidnapped... by her parents? Puzzle pieces begin fitting together when she realizes that she doesn't look anything like her parents, or that her earliest pictures she can find of herself was when she was 5 years old.

Suspenseful and intriguing, The Face on the Milk Carton was not what I expected. Naturally, I was caught by the title of the book. It pulls the reader along, allowing them to be caught up in Janie's world turned upside down. I often found myself asking what I would do if I found out that I had been kidnapped. Cooney's writing style is filled with visual metaphors that make reading almost a sensory experience.

Meant for mid-teens, The Face on the Milk Carton had some elements I only suggest to the older crowd. Though there are no actual immoral scenes, the behavior is implied. I enjoyed the mystery and unveiling Janie's kidnapping, but I find books by Margaret Peterson Haddix to be a safer option.

"Ida B... and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World," by Katherine Hannigan

age group: 9 and up

rating:9

Ida B has never gone to school, well, besides the two weeks and three days when she was five. Her world revolves around happy hours with Mama and Daddy, Rufus, the ever-salivating-though-loyal dog; Lulu, her cat; the chatty apple orchard, the high-energy brook, and especially, the wise old tree. Everyday is filled with new adventures and peanut butter sandwiches. But Ida B's happy days are numbered; there is something wrong with Mama and Daddy says she has to go back to that hateful school.

I love Hannigan's writing style. Everything is felt, rather than seen. Ida B reaches into the depths of your soul and gently reminds you what it is like to be free, to be excited to be alive, to be so in touch with the world around you that you're certain the brook has just asked you to play. Ida B is real to me, and though her world may be imagined, it is charming and beautiful. It gives off a mood that is difficult to put into words.

Throughout the story (SPOILER ALERT!) Ida B has to overcome a feeling of blackness inside of her. She spends weeks acting on her "new heart," slowly transforming into "Ida," someone who prefers to be alone, who won't smile for anything, who hates the world and everyone knows it. Though I thoroughly understood and felt her anger, I missed the old Ida B. A majority of the book was spent in the hardness of her heart. It was a bit overdone and could have been resolved a lot sooner. Despite my small dislike for the length of her spite, I recommend this book to readers young and old.

Ella Enchanted, by Gail Carson Levine

age group: 11 and up

rating:10

Ella has no choice but to obey. Cursed since birth, Ella must obey what anyone tells her immediately, otherwise her head throbs, her stomach lurches... If someone were to order her to poison herself, she there would be no way to save herself. In this retelling of the classic Cinderella story, Ella goes on a quest to hunt down the fairy, Lucinda, giver of her curse, to ask for it to be removed. Throughout her journey, she faces ogres, elves, her unbearable soon-to-be step-sisters Hattie and Olive, and Prince Charmont, or Char.

A thousand times better than the movie, I have read and reread this book so many times I've lost track. In my unbiased opinion, I believe Ella Enchanted to be the best version of the Cinderella story. Ella is charismatic, spirited, and has a certain sparkle that makes the reader wish they knew her. I like that the Cinderella in this story is strong; though she may be helpless because of her curse, nothing would stop her from teaching her evil step family a lesson if she were free of it. I also liked that Ella knew the prince before the three nights at the ball.

Like Matched, by Ally Condie, Ella Enchanted takes another approach to freedom. We take our agency as an advantage. How lucky we are! We can speak and think freely.

Ella's story is a journey worth taking. The only reason I can imagine one would not like it is that the ending is rather romantic (which young readers may dislike). Other than that, I give Ella Enchanted a 10!

The School Story, by Andrew Clements

age group:8 and up

rating:8.5

Ever think about writing and publishing a book? Imagine seeing your own book on the shelves of Barnes and Noble, with the words "written by:"...you!

Natalie Nelson is twelve and has written a book so good that her best friend, Zoe, is certain that it should be published. Secretly, they make a plan to use a fake name and publish it. The plan circles around their goal to have Natalie's mom to edit her book, without her mom ever realizing who the real author is.

I am a fan of all of Andrew Clement's books, and this one is definitely my favorite. It has a depth that most kids books don't have. The reader gets to know the characters very well, and cannot help but love them. The story explores the tenderness between fathers and their daughters, and between two best friends. I experienced what people would do for those they love. "The School Story" motivated me to work on my own writing. It quietly inspires readers to reach for the stars.

My only objection to the book is in the ending. I found the writing a bit hasty in the last chapter. Throughout the book, there were so many moments with a nice mood. The ending had the same atmosphere, but it was unnecessarily rushed.

Matched, by Ally Condie

age group: 13 and up

rating:10

Your choices are made for you. What clothes you wear and what you eat are decided by the Officials. Who will you marry if you want to get married? Don't worry about it. The Society has it covered; it will choose who is best for you. 17-year-old Cassia has lived her life precisely in this way- the government, or Society makes the best decisions for everyone. Within a year of her 17th birthday, Cassia is Matched. But when she is shown her match, two faces appear on the screen: Xander, her best friend, and a flash of Ky, before the everything goes black. Lost and confused, Cassia is forced to choose one or the other, to decide for herself. The Society's answers are no longer clear- and it is not long before Cassia realizes that maybe, maybe, there is something richer than the perfectly controlled life ahead of her. "Two desires struggle within me: the desire to be safe, and the desire to know. I cannot tell which one will win(Condie 255)."

I really loved this book. It is innocent and real. Cassia's love can only be described as genuine. Ally Condie eloquently captures the true essence of it. Matched subtly drives the reader into asking their own questions about freedom and choices. Is agency worth facing the danger, the possibility of a mistake, or even unpredicted consequences? If all of our choices were made beforehand with utmost care- only to have the best option picked, would we have the courage to say "no thank you? I can do it myself?" Who would accept so much responsibility, knowing that things could go terribly wrong? Yet, who can stand aside and let someone else decide how our life is run?

I savored it the whole way through. There were so many parts where her writing was so beautiful that I marked them for my quote book, or where I felt precisely how Cassia felt: her confusion, anger, willingness, terror, rebellion, passion, everything. I connected not only to Cassia, but all of the characters. The plot was fascinating. I never felt as though it were merely a planned out plot; things were wild and unpredictable, more real life than made-up story. Like Cassia, I wanted to hold onto every moment. I almost did not want to keep reading because I wanted to preserve the few precious pages that I hadn't read yet. I wanted to stop in the middle and know that it wasn't over. Needless to say, I'm already aching for the sequel to come out.

The Host, by Stephanie Meyer

age group:13 and up

rating:8.5

Ever seen the movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers? For those of you who haven't, The Host takes place after mind-and-body-stealing aliens have invaded the earth. Yet the intrigue is not what it seems. When an alien nicknamed "Wanderer" is inserted to Melanie's body, Melanie won't disappear. Instead of vanishing into nothingness when Wanderer takes over, Melanie is constantly present, doing everything she can to hide her memories and protect the last human survivors. Throughout her journey in a stolen body, Wanderer eventually finds Melanie's beloved Jared... and begins to fall in love with him as Melanie already does.
Even at the mentioning of love triangles, vampires, and Mormon authors, Stephanie Meyer is usually the first person to come to mind. Famous for the Twilight series, Stephanie Meyer's work is either instantly disregarded or gushed over. Personally, I was never an obsessive representative for "Team Edward" or "Team Jacob." I've read the series and find it an entertaining page-turner that, whether the reader plans to become truly engaged or is simply along for the ride, is difficult to put down. I felt this way tenfold when reading The Host. It was not how I imagined it at all, and I liked it more than I thought I would. I was quickly entranced. Wanderer was made real to me, and the situation she and Melanie were in was just fascinating. I was able to understand the perspectives of Melanie, Wanderer, Jared, and the entire alien and human population. The complications between the relationships were unlike any I have ever read.

As for the plot, it is thought out and well written (though she is no J.K. Rowling), and the only change I would make (SPOILER ALERT!)is to have Wanderer be given a body more suited to her needs: one that is older and stronger.

The Host is unique and gripping. I could not put it down! I was so involved that, to my family, it was as if I wasn't present. For younger readers, there is some mild language and violence that should be considered before trying it out.

Claim to Fame, by Margaret Peterson Haddix

age group: 14 and up

rating: 7

What would it be like, to be able to hear what everyone anywhere said about you? A blessing, or a curse? Lindsay Scott, or Curran, is faced with this ... talent? She's "different," and not just because she's a 16 year-old retired child actress. Lindsay hears voices-- people talking about her from Chicago, California, Japan, everywhere. She can even hear the slightest whisper about her in a house three blocks away.

This book was intensely interesting. The story is written in first person, to enable the reader to see, hear, and know what Lindsay really feels behind her role-playing. As she meets new people, she is forced to protect her gift with not-exactly-true stories.

Though the end of every chapter was a cliffhanger, compared to most of Haddix's books, this one was not quite as suspenseful. I also expected one of her trademark "gotcha!" endings. Although the ending was a little more predictable than I had suspected, I was still surprised by it. There are a few elements in Claim to Fame more suitable for mid-teens, but there is nothing that the young readers of Twilight cannot handle. Nevertheless, I did like this book, and recommend it to readers aching for a taste of intrigue.

Maximum Ride: The Final Warning, by James Patterson

age group: 13 and up

rating: 8 until I finished the series and marked it 5

For those of you who don't know, this is the fourth book in the Maximum Ride series. I loved the series the whole way through until I finished this book today. :( The series is about 14-year-old Maximum Ride and her human-avian "flock." Basically, Max and her mis-matched family were born in a secret evil scientist's lab that mutated wings onto their backs. To make a long story short, they've been on the run and doing whatever they can to survive and get back at the company of mad scientists.

The books are mostly written from Max's point of view, which I absolutely love. She is clever, brave, and hilarious. Her flock are all keepers. Each of the characters have unique personalities, and sometimes it's a bit hard to believe they're not really flying around out there somewhere. But their life is no picnic -- every scene was either filled with action or suspense. There were so many twists and turns; I truly could not put the book down.

But in the end (SPOILER ALERT!), none of the questions have been answered, and the story takes a sharp turn into an unwanted direction. A mysterious "Voice" in Max's head appears in the first book, telling her that she was "created to save the world." So Max and the flock eventually find a huge corporation filled with evil scientists planning to destroy half the earth. They fight, good triumphs over evil, and then they forget about shutting down the company and not making sure the "Director" of the company is behind bars somewhere. Instead, they fly off to stop global warming. WHAT?! Turns out, Max's mission to "save the world" was really to give a huge speech to everyone, persuading them to help stop global warming, which is why I give this last book a rating of 5 out of 10. Nothing was explained, and it wasn't really Max's character to simply give a speech and be done with it. Everything was wonderful, but the plot needed work.

Conclusion? Forget this book and enjoy the first three. This series had so much potential, but Patterson has squandered it.

Falling In, by Frances O'Roark Dowell

age group: 9 and up

rating:6

In Falling In, Isabelle Bean, well, falls into a magical world through a closet in the nurses office. I loved the character Isabelle. Her personality is unique and well developed. The writing style is witty and fun.

I rated it 6 out of 10 because the plot could have been more thought out. (SPOILER ALERT!) I expected Isabelle to fall in and have a remarkable magical adventure. In an article on the website "Book talk," Gaye @ Foster writes: "Isabelle's adventures are not overly magical, just fun to read." This rings true. She fell in, but into a world not much more magical than our own. It seems to me that she fell in and that was it. Her falling in was the climax of the story. Frankly, I prefer fantasy stories with a larger supply of magic and adventure.

But if you're searching for a book for a small taste of fantasy, try it out. If not, try looking into the Fablehaven series or The Revenge of the Shadow King.

Rapunzel's Revenge, by Shannon and Dean Hale

(graphic novel)

age group: 11 and up

rating: 10!

I love this one. Rapunzel's Revenge gives a fun twist to the original story. In the original tale, Rapunzel is taken by a witch when her father steals rapunzel lettuce from her garden. She is then trapped inside an impossibly tall tower until she meets a handsome prince. The witch discovers her secret and sends her into the wilderness. This is only the beginning! In this version, Rapunzel rescues herself and finds a way to get back at the "Mother" that put her there. Rapunzel is daring, quick-witted, and charismatic. She develops so much after she leaves the tower. It was also fun to see characters from other fairy tales meet up with her while she went through adventure after adventure. The illustrations are beautiful and the script is well written and funny.

Sideways Stories from Wayside School, by Louis Sachar

age group: 8 and up

rating: 9

This book is perfect for elementary readers. My third grade teacher read this to our class and I loved it. I read it again before rating it, but I still love it. Sideways Stories from Wayside School is fun, creative, clever, and silly.

It's about an elementary school that is mistakingly built 30 stories upward rather than a one story school with 30 classrooms. The students and teachers are different from you and me. Mrs. Gorf can turn children into apples by wiggling her ears and sticking out her tongue. Sharie learns when sleeping, and John reads best when he is upside down.

When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead

age group: 13 & up

rating: 8

genre: mystery, suspense, time travel!

Most time travel books are really confusing, but this one was really good at explaining things. Like Harry Potter, everything fits together in the end; the reader has an epiphany. The story begins when Miranda finds a note addressed to her saying "I am coming to save your friend's life and my own." I especially liked it because I'm always trying to find the balance between too much "pretend" in the story or too much school drama. In When You Reach Me, it had the right mix of school, friends, and mystery.

Like all time travel stories, this one had a slight glitch. In the movie, Somewhere in Time (which I loved), the origination of the watch is a mystery. (SPOILER ALERT!) The note to Miranda was written to her by a person traveling trough time. The only way this person knew what to do and what to write on the note was the fact that Miranda gave it to him years before. The question is: who wrote the original note?

The Princess of the Midnight Ball, by Jessica Day George

age group: 12 and up, although I'm sure 11-yr-olds will enjoy it.

rating: 7 out of 10

Yay! Another fantasy! This one, too, is based on an old fairy-tale: The 12 Dancing Princesses. It's about twelve princesses cursed to dance for the evil King Understone due to a deal their mother made to give birth to them. There's also a handsome and clever solider involved. I give it a seven because the writing is good, but the ending is rather predictable (especially if you've read the picture book). I wasn't jumping up and down at the end, but I was satisfied.

The Maze Runner, by James Dashner

age group: about 14 & up

rating: 8

I just read this recently. I really liked it. It's very suspenseful- I really couldn't put it down. The most I will tell you is that the main character, Thomas, wakes up inside a gigantic maze without any memory of his life before. There is a group of boys there who cannot remember their previous life either and live inside a walled in area they call "the Glade." Every night the huge doors leading to the maze close, shutting them in.

I wrote that The Maze Runner is more suitable for older kids because there is violence and it can be a bit intense. I admit I'm a little afraid to read the sequel because the reality the "Gladers" live in a world that often requires grisly violence.

East, by Edith Pattou

age group: 12 and up

rating (out of 10): 8.5

I loved this one. It's a fantasy book, based on an old fairy-tale about a girl named Rose who joins an enchanted talking bear in exchange for her sister's health and means for her poverty-stricken family. The writing is easy to understand and the format is unique. Each chapter is titled with the name of the character narrating it. The main character, Rose, is intrepid and charismatic.

I rated it 8.5 because it is a rather thick book (which is by no means a bad thing, but not all people prefer them), and the story can sometimes get a bit slow.