Stormbreaker

Stormbreaker
by Anthony Horowitz

This book is about a kid named Alex Rider who unfortunately lost his parents. His uncle, Ian Rider, watches him until an accident occurs. Alex is attracted to where his uncle used to work. When he arrives at the building (a so-called bank) he thinks it looks a little weird for a bank. He figures out that it isn't really a bank, and he thinks the people there are a little crazy.

When I started this, I was like "is this about a regular kid with a semi-real life?" Later in the book, I realized it's not. It is filled with a lot of action, mysteries, and more. If you want to see what it's about, read it! This book was so exciting, I carried it everywhere I went until I finished it.

-J. Clemson

Alex Rider thinks his uncle is a bank manager and that their lives are quiet and simple. After his uncle is killed in rather mysterious circumstances, Alex realizes that nothing is what he thought. His uncle was a spy for an elite British agency, M16, and now they want Alex to finish the mission his uncle died on. Forced into spying, Alex is trying to uncover the secret of a computer donation which, from all appearances, will change the educational system for the better. But there is something sinister at work here, from the businessman who runs a plant like it is a secret military zone to the murder of Alex's uncle, nothing is safe. Alex must work quickly, or all the children in Britain may face disaster.

This is an exciting read with lots of action and plot twists, and Alex is clearly meant be to be a teenage counterpart to 007 and other famous spies.

-Ms. McConnel

The Outsiders

The Outsiders
by S.E. Hinton

There is a boy named Ponyboy Curtis. He has two older brothers named Sodapop and Darry. Their parents died in a car accident. The brothers are in this gang called "Greasers". They are called that because they have long hair and put a lot of hair grease in it. They have four other people in their gang; their names are Two-Bit, Johnnycake, Steve, and Dally. They all stick together.

There is another group calls "Socs". The Socs are a bunch of West-Side rich kids. They will jump a Greaser walking by them for no reason whatsoever. The Greasers go through a lot in this book. Two of the gang members in the Greasers group will die...read the book to find out who!

This is a very good book, and it shows how brothers stick together. Read "The Outsiders".

-D. Smith

This is a wonderful novel about a boy named Ponyboy. He lives in a divided town. You're either a Soc, or a Greaser. Ponyboy is a Greaser, and has gone through many hardships, such as being bullied by Socs, experiencing a murder, running away, and having to run through a burning building to save some kids. While saving the kids, his friend Johnny gets severely burned, along with a broken back, and ends up being hospitalized. There is also a big fight between the Socs and the Greasers. Read it to find out what happens!

-Y. Zarrouk

This is a story about a boy named Ponyboy. You have to decide if you are going to be a Greaser or a Soc, and Ponyboy and his brothers hang with the Greasers. They currently live in a different town where no Socs should come around. Ponyboy has to go through a lot to learn and understand what life can do to you when you decide to make bad choices. Ponyboy is a great writer and loves to read books. He has a really good friend named Johnny who in the past has been beaten by some Socs. Ponyboy and Johnny experience a terrible murder, run away, and Johnny gets severally burned with a broken back: what will Ponyboy decide to do now?

I think you should read this book because it teaches you lessons that you don't have to experience, and this book is very emotional.

-E. Fernandez

Little Brother

Little Brother
by Cory Doctorow

A near-future terrorist attack on San Francisco's Bay Bridge leads to the arrest and detention of Marcus by the Federal government. The fear and humiliation he experiences when he is questioned are detailed and convincing. These experiences lead him to take a stand and become a leader of the resistance and a civil rights activist.

This thriller shows how one can defend themselves digitally from the government's efforts to spy on you. Although the flow of the story is often broken up by Marcus's explanations of RFD cloners, cryptography, and Bayesian math it is a fascinating tale deserving of its choice as one of the ten best books for youth in 2008. A great read.

-Mr. Dale


Marcus Yallow is not the average San Fran teenager. He is a hacker, and a highly skilled one at that. After ditching school, San Francisco is blown up by terrorists. Marcus is unfortunately at the wrong place at the wrong time. They find all his gear and believe he and his friends Darrel, Van, and Juloup are the ones responsible. Of course, they are not, but the Department of Homeland Security thinks they are. Get ready for a techy adventure that will blow your mind by the time you read the first page.

-A. Ellis

H.I.V.E.

H.I.V.E
by Mark Walden

Before I start with this review, I would like to explain something. I will rate book on a scale of 1 to 10. 1 is the lowest and 10 being that highest. So at the ends of my reviews I will give a number. Now on to my review.....


H.I.V.E. is about Otto Malpenze. A student who has an enormous gift for intelligence. But when he is kidnapped to H.I.V.E (or as it stands for) The Higher Institute for Villainous Education. Once at H.I.V.E. Otto sees some of its features. But when he learns that the has to stay here for 6 years, Otto refuses. But there is nothing he can do about it.....or is there? Join Otto with his Friends Wing and his other companions, as they attempt to be the FIRST STUDENTS EVER to escape form H.I.V.E. Will Otto make it out alive. Or will his brain fail him for the first time ever. Find out in H.I.V.E.


Review number: 8

-S. Rauf


Otto Malpenze was brought to the Higher Institute of Villainous Education against his will. Wing Fanchu is also kidnapped. Once they arrive Otto and Wing quickly become friends. Along with Shelby Trinity (world class thief) and Laura Brand (ultimate hacker), they plot to escape that infernal school.

H.I.V.E. is the first book in a two part series that will have you awake at midnight.

-A. Ellis