The Teen Review from the Marathon County Public Library

Notes From A Spinning Planet-Papua New Guinea by Melody Carlson

Taylor H.

Rating: Good (4)

After going along with her aunt on a reporters assignment with her aunt, she is invited to help her aunt again. The topic of this article is Papua New Guinea's growing crime rate and the spreading AIDS epidemic. Maddie meets many inspiring people including a women about her age with AIDS. In the end this book will help you to realize how important the right medicine and even clean water can be. Us Americans are very lucky.

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Notes From A Spinning Planet: Papua New Guinea by Melody Carlson

Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire by J. K. Rowling

Joshua D.

Rating: Excellent! (5)

I absolutely LOVED this book!!!! It was amazing. J.K. Rowling has a very good way of keeping you interested in the book by every so once in awhile putting something in there that makes you think and it ends up being interesting! This was a very long book to begin with but when you got started and kept reading and reading, it didn't seem that long of a book. I would recommend this book to anyone who needs a book to be entertained by.

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Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire by Rowling, J.K.

Shanghai Kiss

Katie B.

Rating: Good (4)

This is about a Laim Liu, who is a 28 yr old Chinese-American actor that lives in Hollywood. One day after he is turned down for a job his car gets towed so he takes the bus. On his ride another passenger, Adelaide, tries to cheer him up and tells him that he should take a chance on knowing her, though she is 16, because she might be "the one" and if he doesn't he would never have the chance. So they have a strange relationship/friendship that plays out and evolves and dissolves. Laim's grandmother dies so he gains a house in Shanghai, on his visit there to sell the place, he meets a woman and decides to move to there because he thinks he can fit in as a person there and be with her. Adelaide tells him it will be a mistake but he is committed to going. It shows this and how the rest of the story unfolds. There are a few parts I don't personally the were needed in the film and makes it a movie i would think would be rated at least PG-13 up to R.

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Shanghai Kiss

Everlasting by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss

Katie B.

Rating: Just Okay (3)

This book is about Abrielle who has to find a way to live her life as a woman in the year 1135. At first she was engaged to a kind man whom she cares for named Weldon de Marle but he dies and she knows she must still marry. He stepfather had lent money to his father, before his father payed it back he died, so is counting on his rewards from the king as a warrior. At the celebratory dinner she sees Raven Seabern, the King's advisor. However things take this family for a turn when the King doesn't provide this vital reward, and the only way for her to save her family from poverty she must marry and the only one interested with out a fortune gained is Desmond de Marle, her former fiance's half brother that she can not stand. Raven is to leave in service to the King so he doesn't court her, though he admires her. But Abrielle thinks he is just being kind but isn't willing to marry without gain money or land.

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Everlasting by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

Katie B.

Rating: Just Okay (3)

This movie is kind of strange. It shows the live of a handful of people that are connected to each other, some without knowing it. It is a movie based on an autobiography of a girl moving too the life of an adult. Her former room is boarded out, to earn money after her father becomes disabled, to John Singer. He is both deaf and mute, so he reads lips and writes little notes to communicate. He moves there so he can be near his friend that is in the hospital. This mostly shows the lives he reached.

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The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

Philippa Fisher's Fairy Godsister

Cassidy M.

Rating: Excellent! (5)

*SPOILERS*

This book is based on a eleven-year-old. Philippa’s life is about to be turned upside down by the loss of her best friend.Which is moving a way to a farm. The exchange of daisy chains and the promises of letters do very little to ease Philippa’s pain. In Philippa Fisher's Fairy Godsister, healing and growth comes from quite an unexpected direction.

Philippa has grown up in a typical town in a typical home, with not-quite-typical parents. Her parents own a party company, so a bright yellow party van doubles as their family vehicle. Not only do her parents masquerade as clowns sometimes, actually love one another and dress as hippies - they hug her all the time and wave good-byes to her every morning at school from the obnoxiously loud yellow van.

Her escape from this constant embarrassment is her tree house in the backyard, the very same tree house she’s shared with Charlotte, her best friend, where they gossip, sing, and write stories together. Now, though, Charlotte’s family is moving to a country farm after having been neighbors forever. Even her tree house is sad and lonely now with no Charlotte.

While making their farewell daisy necklaces, Philippa finds a daisy that seems taller and brighter than all the other flowers. In a rare moment of whimsy, Philippa tucks the pretty daisy into a little box in the tree house, thinking it might turn into a fairy at midnight - like in the song her mom used to sing to her when she was little. Instead, later that night, Philippa berates herself for believing in such things and tosses the little flower out the window just before midnight.

When the new girl in school, Daisy, shows an immense amount of anger towards her, Philippa can’t figure out what she’s done to annoy Daisy so soon. Because it is Philippa’s job to show the new girl around school, she’s stuck beside someone who obviously doesn’t like her while mourning the loss of her best friend.

The narrative bounces from Philippa’s point of view to random chapters of Daisy’s world. Daisy was given the chance to be a fairy godmother to a sad, lonely human. Unfortunately, Daisy has a pretty big chip on her shoulder when it comes to humans and wants nothing at all to do with Philippa. Being thrown out the window hasn’t done anything to make her feel better about her assignment. Daisy just wants to give out her Three Wishes and move on to her next job.

Though simplistic to a fault - both in storytelling and in basic grammar - the story of Philippa and her fairy “godsister” is a sweet one. Both girls have important, life-changing lessons to learn that will shape their experiences and personalities for the better. The positive message, as well as the silliness involved, makes it a delight.

It might be more enjoyable to the eight to nine-year-old set, rather than middle-schoolers, however. (Philippa Fisher's Fairy Godsister is a half-step above the beloved Junie B. Jones stories, and reads something like the A-Z Mysteries or the Ivy Bean books.) The young to mid-elementary school set would definitely enjoy the simple, happy sketches sprinkled through out the pretty little purple novel.

Liz Kessler has created a sweet, simple story of emotional redemption and positive self-esteem, weaving in the mysterious world of the fairies, making it a sure joy for little girls. Philippa Fisher's Fairy Godsister is an afternoon’s pleasure. Sometimes, a little happy ending is what we all need.

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Philippa Fisher's Fairy Godsister by Liz Kessler

Maximum Ride by James Patterson

Adelle H.

Rating: Excellent! (5)

Max (Maximum) and the rest of the flock were on the run when a man helped them make a new life. For a few years they lived a peaceful life. But when the man who helped them dies and Angel is stolen by erasers (wolf like men) Max, Fang, and Nudge chase after her. As Max struggles to keep the flock together who knows what terrible things "they" are doing to Angel at the "school?" Will The flock be able to save Angel? Or will they all be in need of a rescue? The only way to find out is to read the book!

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Maximum Ride by James Patterson

Dreamland by Sarah Dessen

Anna J.

Rating: Excellent! (5)

**SPOILER ALERT**

Caitlin's sister ran away from home, making her and her parents completely different. Her mom starting collecting creepy dolls, her dad worked long hours, and Caitlin tried to be a different person so she wasn't always in second place for everything because her sister Cass was always first. Caitlin tried out for cheerleading with her friend Rina and hated every minute of it, but since her mom was proud, she didn't want to quit. One night Caitlin and her friend were cleaning the car because one of her friend's boyfriend puked in it. At the car wash, Caitlin met a guy named Rogerson. They started dating after a while, but Caitlin soon learned Rogerson was dangerous. He punched her painfully in all the parts of her body that could be covered up by turtlenecks and pants. But Caitlin let him hit her because she loved him. One day, however, Caitlin was getting into his car and forgot to close the door all the way. Rogerson started punching her, and she fell out of the car. Rogerson continued to punch her, and one of Caitlin's neighbors saw what was happening, so an ambulance was called. A couple weeks later, Rogerson was in court trying to get his way out of going to jail, and Caitlin was in a rehab center. Caitlin knew that she never wanted to be the girl she was when she was dating Rogerson, and so she quit smoking pot and was soon normal and happy again.

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Dreamland by Sarah Dessen