This is a fast paced, action packed adventure story set in Australia. Fifteen year old Callum Ormand is thrust into life on the run after his father's mysterious death. Hunted by both the ruthless killers and the police Cal must try to survive, solve the mystery of his family's secret and discover the truth behind his father's death. This book will appeal to middle school aged readers and older but has a 4th - 5th grade reading level. The series comprises twelve books, one for each month of the year. They are written in a diary format with short un-intimidating chapters, large font and a reverse countdown of page numbers. With non-stop action and a great accompanying website it should draw in even the most reluctant of tween/ teenage boy readers.

Reviewed by: jc

Date read: 12/13/2012

ISBN-13: 9781935279495

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Dominic has always wanted to climb mountains and his dream is to be part of Summit Sports quest to send the youngest person ever to climb Mt. Everest. Can he survive the brutal training camp and be chosen for the elite squad of four climbers? If you enjoy this book, you'll want to read the two fast-paced sequels to find out who makes it to the summit of Everest and what the journey demands from the climbers.

Reviewed by: msp

Date read: 8/19/2010

ISBN-10: 0439401399

ISBN-13: 9780439401395

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Life is already tough enough for 14-year old Tom Tin living in London in the early 19th century. After his younger sister drowns and his mother is terribly depressed, they have to move yet again due to unfortunate circumstances that keep his father from getting a job. Seems like Mr. Goodfellow is really quite a bad fellow who is responsible for most of the awful things happening including Tom's father being taken to debtor's prison. As sad as all this is, it is only the beginning of the torment and misery that comes Tom's way when he is unjustly arrested for murder and sentenced to 7-years. As a convict Tom befriends a young 10-year old boy and fights to keep them both safe on the prison ship. Readers will be spellbound as the daily struggles unfold and Tom plans his escape. The tale continues with The Cannibals followed by The Castaways.

Similar authors: Anthony Horowitz

Similar books: Alex Rider series

Reviewed by: adf

Date read: 12/22/2009

ISBN-10: 038573087X

ISBN-13: 9780385730877

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During World War II, a father is in the army and the mother has to work, so a five-year-old boy is sent to stay with his grandmother, who works as a cook for a road-building crew in northern Minnesota. At first, his day consists of long stretches of quiet as he tries to amuse himself, only to have the peace invaded by the crew of large, loud, good-natured men, who inhale great amounts of food, ruffle the boy's hair, and then get back to work. The boy ultimately gets over his shyness when they take him out to work with them, and let him ride in the big trucks.

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 4/29/2009

ISBN-10: 0531085279

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Chris is an incredible ice skater: he's been taking figure skating lessons all his life. But figure skating isn't fun anymore, and Chris knows he's not good enough to become an Olympic athlete. When he notices hockey tryouts at the rink where he skates, he decides he'll give hockey a shot. It seems like everything's against him: Chris is small for his age, his mother thinks hockey is dangerous, and he's never played before. Will he make the team, or just embarrass himself? Does he have what it takes to be a hockey player?

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 8/18/2009

ISBN-10: 0316135208

ISBN-13: 9780316135207

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