Before T Rex ruled an earth populated with dinosaurs, a class of creatures called synapsids roamed our world. Some were gentle and some were dangerous predators. Through a 'time snag', one of each enters the current world into what is now Colorado. Two thirteen-year-olds, Phoebe and Rob are investigating the disappearance and death of pets in the area when they meet Sid, a gentle beast, who is being stalked by the vicious gorgonopsid. The two friends find out they must help Sid send the gorgon back to its own time to insure the evolution of all things, especially humans. This exciting time travel adventure has wonderful characters, both, good and evil, human and beast.

Reviewed by: ewl

Date read: 9/21/2010

ISBN-10: 038590567X

ISBN-13: 9780385905671

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Aleksander Ferdinand is the son of the Arch-Duke of Austro-Hungary whose assassination was the spark that started the Great War (World War I). But, Alek's Great War is a battle between the Clankers, who build steam-driven war machines, and the Darwinists, who develop fighting and flying animals never seen before, by controlling their lifethreads. Alek must go into hiding in an abandoned castle so that the Germans will not find him and stop him from ending the war, as his pacifist father would have done. Soon after his arrival, he meets Deryn, an Irish commoner and a girl who is pretending to be a boy so that she can fly in the Leviathan. The Leviathan is a mix of the lifethreads of a whale and a hundred other species to produce the flying animal that inspired the Clankers to devise their zeppelins. These unlikely friends will combat the Clankers and their allies, in the hope of bringing a peaceful end to the war.

Similar books: Airman by Eoin Colfer

Awards nominated: Rebecca Caudill Award Nominee 2012

Reviewed by: vverscaj

Date read: 5/19/2011

ISBN-13: 9781416987062

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Following Rachel's father's disappearance during the war, her mother has been working as a live-in domestic for Ms. Moore, an orchid grower. As Rachel grows older, her mother starts to share stories about life before the National Border Defense System and how the people's rights were lost when the United States went to war with Korusal. Just a few days after the war started, the US created THE LINE, an invisible power source that separated the Unified States from what they now call Away. It is only when Rachel receives a mysterious message from beyond the border that she begins to learn about her country's true history and the parts her parents played during the War.

Reviewed by: bklyczek

Date read: 12/22/2010

ISBN-10: 0803734662

ISBN-13: 9780803734661

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Aliens can be walking among us every day, even now! In this book they are. Klatu, Lek and Ploo, three siblings from the planet Loogl, wander the desert toward Las Vegas from their wrecked spaceship. They were told to look for Jo Jo, who is the expert who can repair their ship. When they arrive in Las Vegas, they are surprised to find a pyramid, the Eiffel Tower, and the Empire State building, which they were certain belonged in other cities. To blend in, they have morphed into a boy, a girl and an old man, modeled from pictures in very old books. To stay at a hotel, they must convince the manager that they are big bettors. Soon, they run afoul of the casino boss, who is sure they have been cheating to win at roulette, when they only want to rid themselves of the money they won. Will they find Jo Jo and fix their ship before they are caught?

Similar authors: Daniel Pinkwater

Reviewed by: vverscaj

Date read: 11/5/2010

ISBN-10: 037593345X

ISBN-13: 9780375933455

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In this first installment of the Franny K. Stein series, Franny K. Stein is a mad scientist. She loves bats, tarantulas, snakes, and has a doll named Chompolina that she's modified with steel teeth to chomp the heads off other dolls. When she starts at a new school, the kids don't know what to make of her. They've never seen anyone jump rope with a snake before. They keep their distance, and Franny is lonely. When she decides to experiment to learn how to fit in with the other kids, it seems to be going pretty well until a monster emerges from the trash can. Can Franny save the day and keep her new friends? This funny read is a great story, full of pictures.

Similar books: Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey

Awards won: Gryphon Honor Book, 2004

Reviewed by: emc

Date read: 4/16/2010

ISBN-10: 0689862911

ISBN-13: 9780689862915

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