School of Fear by Gitty Daneshvari

Madeleine is terrified of all insects, spiders, ect. Lulu is claustrophobic. Garrison is petrified of deep water. Theo is scared of dying. But they all have something in common. They will go to the School of Fear over summer break. The School of Fear is an exclusive and elusive school that rids kids of their fears. And now these four kids will be rid of theirs. Things That I Liked: It had an interesting plot filled with twists and turns and I thought that MOST of characters were well thought out defined. Things I Didn't Like: MOST of the characters were well explained. It might just have been my copy but it felt like a part of the book was missing. I found myself looking back for information on a character called Abernathy, trying to see if someone ripped the pages out. It seems as if Daneshvari added information on him whenever necessary. Lulu sees Abernathy spying on them and instantly recognizes him because she had already seen him spying on them before then. It hadn't mentioned Abernathy spying on them before then. That's pretty important information. She also wouldn't have known it was Abernathy because no one told her what he looks like. She didn't even know who he was! She had gone to bed by the time they started talking about him. All in All: I adored the book. I would give it 5 out of 5 stars if that detail had been clarified. But it isn't so I would give the book 4 out of 5 stars.

My Life in Pink and Green by Lisa Greenwald

This is an interesting book about a girl who's family owns a pharmacy that is slowly going bankrupt. She creates a makeup business at the back of the pharmacy to try to save it. When the makeup business shows potential, it's up to her and her friends to try to convince her spacey mom and stubborn grandmother to help. Things That I liked: This was something that I normally wouldn't even look at. It looked like something that was dying to be made into a chick flick. But surprisingly it was okay. The writing style drew you in and the characters had some personality. Things I didn't Like: The adult figures in this book were a little flat. Some of their decisions didn't quite make sense. And this girl finds herself falling in love with her best friends brother. Greenwald spends a lot of pages talking about how disgusting he is. And by the end they are totally in love but the guy is still disgusting and the girl is still the same. None of the characters really progressed. They built the book's ending up and then it fell short of expectations. All in all just an okay book. I'd give it 2 out of 5 stars.

If A Tree Falls At Lunch Period by Gennifer Choldenko

From the author that brought you 'Al Capone Does My Shirts', 'If A Tree Falls At Lunch Period' is an eye-opening and inspirational book about a girl named Kirsten who's friend aruptly changes (and not for the better) and who's parents barely even speak to each other anymore. But then Kirsten meets Walker, who's goal is just to survive at a new school, and the two find a secret that rattles them to the bone. It's a great book and I highly suggest reading it. I would give it 4 out of 5 stars.

The Secret Series by Psuedonymous Bosch

This is an interesting series about a girl and her two friends who become a part of a mysterious society that helps to protect an ancient secret from the clutches of another evil secret society who wants to know the secret. Sounds very secretive, right? It is by the infamous chocolate lover, Psuedonymous Bosch. The books in the series are 'The Name Of This Book Is Secret', 'If You're Reading This, It's Too Late', 'This Book Is Not Good For You', 'This Isn't What It Looks Like', and 'You Have To Stop This'. All are very good books. They are best when read by children ages 10-13.

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

This is a touching story about a boy who's family moves to Alcatraz so his sister, who is diagnosed with autism, can go to a special school. This is in time where Al Capone is on Alcatraz and they haven't quite figured out what autism is. So the story takes place in the 1920s or 30s. It is a very good book which I would reccomend to children ages 9-12. Some things I liked in this story were that it really pulled at your heart strings. It made you laugh, it made you cry, and on certain occasions it made you yell at the wall about how this boy's life isn't fair.I have no complaints for this book. 5 out of 5 stars. If you like this book, I would reccomend the next book in the series, 'Al Capone Shines My Shoes' by Gennifer Choldenko.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella by Stephanie Meyer

Despite the long name, this is actually a very short book about a character that shows up once in Eclipse for about five minutes and then is aruptly killed. She is one of the vampires that come to attack Forks, Washington in the third book and this book descibes her story, and the various lies that people have told her. She teams up with another vampire to figure out what's going on. Trust me. It's a way better book then it sounds like. Fans of the Twilight Saga will hungrily eat up this story. Some things I didn't like about the book was that the casualness of the whole thing made it a little hard to believe and sometimes it seems a bit chaotic and rough around the edges, but still a good story. What I did like though was that the characters and their backgrounds were well described and the book was very well written. A little rushed but nonetheless, still a well written book. I would give it 3 out of 5 stars. A very good book for children ages 12-15.

Author: Brian Selznick

Brian Selznick is the author of two very interesting books that I have had the pleasure of reading. His books include 'The Invention of Hugo Cabret' (which has recently been made into a movie) and his more recent book 'Wonderstruck'. Both are amazing books. They might seem to be a daunting read, however a good 200 pages or more are just drawings and some pages may only have a paragraph on them. Considering this, I was able to read these 500 page books in about an hour. His books are quite well done and best suited for children ages 9-12, however will be enjoyed by many.

The Molly Moon Series by Georgia Byng

This series is about a girl and her pet pug, Petula, who go around and have amazing adventures in places such as New York, Los Angeles, South America, even the future! They possess astounding powers such as hypnotism, time travel, mind reading, and shape shifting. This series kept me captivated for months and I found it very enjoyable. Georgia Byng authors books with her own signature qualities, which make them unique.

Author: Carl Hiassen

Carl Hiassen is the author of many books such as 'Hoot,' 'Flush,' 'Scat,' and more recently, 'Chomp.' His books are about preserving wildlife, more specifically, The Everglades. Most of Hiassen's books also take place in Florida, USA, and they are extremely humorous and amusing.

Author: Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl is another one of my favorite authors of children's books. He has written so many classics. Some of my favorites include 'Matilda,' 'The Witches,' and 'The BFG.' He also wrote 'Esio Trot' and 'Fantastic Mr. Fox.' His most famous book is 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.'

Cornelia and the Audacious Escapades of the Somerset Sisters by Lesley M. M. Blume

This book is about a girl named Cornelia who has an extensive vocabulary. She is the daughter of two famous pianists and she is always compared by others to her parents. One day she meets her new neighbor who has traveled all around the world with her sisters. Cornelia becomes entranced with her neighbor and her sister's amazing adventures. They become great friends. This is an amazing story for children ages 8-14. Definitions are included in the book. Some things I liked about the book was that the character's personalities were very emphasized and the author's voice was very apparent in the story. The characters were over the top and their adventures very entertaining. Some of the things I didn't like were that it all seemed like most of it was sitting and waiting. I found myself skipping some of the adventures to find where the more interesting ones were. I was disappointed to find that there weren't any. Over all just an okay book. I would give it a 3 out of 5.

11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass

This is an amazing book about a girl who is turning 11 and her party this year will the first one that she hasn't celebrated with her friend Leo. She learns that their parties are on the same night and instead of going to her party everyone is going to Leo's party. When she wakes up she finds that she will keep repeating her birthday until she and Leo are friends again. It is by Wendy Mass who I've mentioned in previous posts. It is a good book for children, ages 9-12. Some things that I liked about this book are that not everything turns out as easy as it seems for the two main characters. Some things that I didn't like were that after a while, the book became a bit boring. If you liked this book, I would definently recommend 'Every Soul a Star' by Wendy Mass. Sidney

Kenny and the Dragon by Tony DiTerlizzi

From the author who wrote 'The Spiderwick Chronicles' series, 'Kenny and the Dragon' is a fictionary masterpiece filled with whim and bursting with delightful qualities. It is a story about a studious rabbit named Kenny who finds a peaceful dragon. The two quickly become friends but soon trouble arises when the townspeople become scared and angry by the arrival of the dragon. They hire Kenny's best friend to kill the beast. It is a story that would be particularly enjoyed by children ages 5 - 8. The things that I liked about this book are that it is very detailed and entertaining. It was fun to read and something that I would not normally have read. I am very glad that I did. I actually have no complaints for this book. A very fun read. 4 out of 5 stars.

Author: Dan Green

Dan Green is the author of several children's nonfiction books, such as 'Oceans: Making Waves!,' 'Human Body: A Book With Guts!,' and 'Algebra & Geometry: Anything But Square!.'  He gives each and every item a unique attitude, opinion, and characteristic. Writing witty books that contain memorable information, Dan Green is a one-of-a-kind author.

Dark Life by Kat Falls

This is a great book. It is very unique. Several books describe what might happen in the future but there hasn't been one that takes place underwater, that I've heard of. Earthquakes shattered the Earth and water flooded about half of the world. The people who live on land barely have a closet to themselves but this is the future, so people can live underwater, too. The kids who do are said to have almost magical powers. There are two main characters; a girl who comes to look for her older brother and a boy who lives underwater and whose home is threatened by outlaws. This is a book that shows you the beauty of deep underwater and makes the impossible possible. This book is good for children ages 8-13. Some things that I liked in this book are that it really captures the beauty of deep underwater. It's setting is made surreal through words, which I always look for and books. No complaints, here. An amazing books that I would give 5 out of 5 stars.

Author: Wendy Mass

Mass is an author who goes above and beyond in the world of fiction. 'The Candymakers' was what got me first interested in her as she spun a sugary, sweet tale that taught me not to judge a book by its cover.  It promised to be a delicious and mouth-watering tale (which it was) but was also a mystery where everything interlocked so well that it made you have an 'Aha!' moment.

Her next book, which I read, reached stellar heights. 'Every Soul a Star' was a tale of astronomical proportions that you just couldn't put down. Many friends have recommended that I also read her book: '11 Birthdays.'  I recommend this author to anyone who enjoys bright, vivacious books about stars, cake, and candy. Sidney

The Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer

This is an amazing series! I think that it gets a bad reputation from the movies. Most people will be surprised to know that it is a pretty decent series. It is about a teenager who falls in love with a vampire and has to deal with the fact that her best friend is a werewolf. The vampire and werewolf hate each other. I would not recommend this book to anyone younger than 16 years old. Sidney

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

With all of the hype from 'The Hunger Games' movie, this has become a pretty popular book. It should be. Ms. Collins has outdone herself. This is an action adventure for almost all ages. The 'almost' comes from the fact that anyone younger than 11 should not read this book. However, it is such an amazing book because it keeps you on the edge of your seat and is a book you can't afford to miss. It is about what happens when Katniss goes back to the arena with Peeta and the effects of the growing revolution. An amazing book. It has so much feeling in the words. A job well done and a welcome addition to the world of literature. No complaints.

The Last Holiday Concert by Andrew Clements

Andrew Clements is one my favorite authors. He won me over for his work with 'Frindle' and 'Lunch Money' and also 'No Talking'. His books are entertaining and present life at school if the kids made all the rules. 'The Last Holiday Concert' goes beyond that. It is chaotic and you can't put it down. It is about the most popular kid in school. When he shoots a rubber band at his teacher, the teacher leaves it up to the students to plan the upcoming holiday concert. This book is great for children ages 8-11, or for anyone like me who enjoys Andrew Clements. If you enjoyed this book you should also read 'Frindle,' 'Lunch Money,' and 'No Talking.' One of the things I liked was that the book had a good story. Overall for me, the book hooked me for a while but it was just okay otherwise. I would give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Welcome to Sidney's Literary Review

Welcome to Sidney's Literary Review!

This site is for people of all ages interested in finding interesting books. Each review provides an overview and rating on the book as well as space to read comments from others who have read that book. You can also take surveys.

On average, I read 50 - 75 books per year. I hope to review these books for your benefit. Feel free to leave questions or ask me to review any books. I'll do my best to respond unless the comments are impossible or unreasonable.

Thank you for visiting! Sidney