Six unforgettable kids, with no families and no home, are running for their lives. Max Ride and her best friends are products of an experiment: they were engineered to fly. And that's just the beginning of their amazing powers. Now they've escaped, and they need to know who made them, who's hunting them, and why they were designed to be superior to all other humans. This is the first book in the Maximum Ride series.

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 3/27/2009

ISBN-10: 031615556X

ISBN-13: 9780316155564

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Commenter: St. Charles Reader, grade 0

Are you in the mood for fantasy? Mystery? Historical fiction? How about adventure? The Apothecary has all of these things to offer, and more. The year is 1952. Fourteen year old Janie has spent her whole life in sunny Los Angeles, where her parents are writers for television. When the feds start questioning them about their Communist sympathies, they decide to move to London. Janie is sent to a private school, where she is sure she won't fit in. She meets a defiant classmate named Benjamin there, and he would rather be a spy than follow in his father's footsteps. His father is the neighborhood apothecary, but the two friends soon find out that he does far more than sell aspirin and hot water bottles. He is actually an alchemist, and in possession of a 700 year old book of formulas that can do everything from turn you invisible to transform you into a pile of salt. Janie and Benjamin are swept up into an adventure where scientists aren't just scientists and they must race to stop the Russians from setting off a nuclear bomb. This fast paced story gives a good picture of what life was like after WWII, and stirs the imagination as well.

Similar books: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle; The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

Awards nominated: Rebecca Caudill Award

Awards nominated: 2014 Rebecca Caudill Nominee

Reviewed by: lauraf

Date read: 10/4/2012

ISBN-10: 039925627X

ISBN-13: 9780399256271

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Ten years ago, the people of Earth were helped by superheroes. There was Titan, Energy, Diamond and Quantum, each with a different power. Unfortunately, there were also super villains on the planet as well. Their final battle ends in a stand-off and no one knows what has happened to either force. Now, in the present day, two young friends, Danny and Colin realize they can do remarkable feats. Could there be a relationship between them and the superheroes? When the boys are kidnapped by the evil Fascade, they must use their newfound powers to not only save themselves but the whole world as well. If you like X-Men, you will love this book!

Reviewed by: ewl

Date read: 12/2/2010

ISBN-10: 0399247254

ISBN-13: 9780399247255

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Three children are orphaned when their parents die in a fire. Count Olaf who is a horrible man wants their money and they need to stop him. This is the first book in the series.

Reviewed by: St. Charles Reader

Date read: 11/12/2009

ISBN-10: 006075589X

ISBN-13: 9780064407663

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Bass Reeves was born as a slave in the early 1840's and was well-known as a sharp-witted and good-natured youngster. But everything changed one night when Bass struck his owner during a card game. For a slave, that meant certain death. So under the cover of nightfall, Bass took off for the Indian Territories and lived with the Indians until news reached Bass that the Civil War was over and the slaves had become free. Because of his strong sense of right and wrong, he became well-known in the Wild West. When Judge Isaac Parker tried to bring law and order to the lawless Indian Territories, he chose Bass to be a deputy U.S. Marshall. Bass would quickly prove a smart choice. For three decades, Bass was the most feared and respected lawman in the territories. He made more than 3,000 arrests, and though he was a crack shot and a quick draw, he only killed fourteen men in the line of duty.

Awards nominated: Bluestem Award Nominee 2012

Reviewed by: bklyczek

Date read: 6/27/2011

ISBN-10: 0822567644

ISBN-13: 9780822567646

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