Teen Comments on Books Eligible for 2006 & 2007Awards

Schanback, Mindy Princess from Another Planet

Kirsten, Age 16

Should this book be on a list of Best Books for Young Adults no
Because Princess from Another Planet should not be on the list because its silly. Unfortunately, that is the best description. It has a few funny parts, but the main character, who's mother thinks that she's an alien, makes up her mind about that fact way to late in the book. It was written for younger teens, but is still not a Best Book.
Quality Rating 2 - Only for people who are interested in this
Popularity Rating 3 - Some will and some will not care to read it.

Westerfeld, Scott Peeps

This book conveys the everyday struggle in a story we can understand. Also it can give you chills. The most compelling aspects of this book are the plot and characters. I like this book so much. I stayed up till 12:45 (which is my longest time staying up) because I couldn't put the book down. I had to see what happened next. We would be delighted to see your other masterpieces. Please send some ASAP. We can't wait! 4Q, 5P. -- Heather Z., age 18
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Imagine a world where vampires wandered the streets in broad daylight and you couldn’t tell them from normal people. For nineteen year old Cal, that world is a reality. In Cal’s world, vampirism is really a parasite that is transferred through intercourse. Some, like Cal, gain super strength and night vision and simply carry the parasite, but most become walkers of the night who hunger for blood.

Luckily, there’s the Night Watch, and underground society dedicated to prevent the spread of vampirism. Cal, as a new carrier, is recruited as a vampire hunter for the Watch. He soon meets Lace, and the two of them uncover something bigger. Much bigger. Amidst all this, they somehow find time for pepper steaks, swimming pools, and a good love story.

Then there are the even chapters. In every other chapter, Cal discusses a real parasite. These chapters can be a chilling awakening, but their real purpose is to educate the reader about parasites for the later stages of the book.

The story of “Peeps” is radically different from that of the other big vampire book of the year, “Twilight”. However, it is just as good. The general premise is interesting, and what develops should lead to a good sequel. There are unpredictable twists in the plot, and many secrets to uncover. There are also tidbits of irony that many readers will not catch the first time through.

The characters are well developed and fleshed-out. Their personalities interact well together, and their reactions to situations both normal and freakish seem plausible. Most importantly, the characters are easy to like. You want them to fall in love, which, of course, they do.

While sci-fi fans will enjoy “Peeps”, I thoroughly recommend it to the sci-fi intolerant. It is a wonderful, full-bodied blend of sci-fi and general fiction. The characters are realistic, the story is intriguing, and the book is riveting. I cannot wait for my next encounter with Scott Westerfeld’s walkers of the night. I may never look at vampires the same way again.

~Robert, 16 bookmobile.cjb.net

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A vampire story that is eerily possible mixed with frightfully real parasites. The most compelling aspect was that it included factual parasites making this book seem possible. This book is scary because of the possibility of it being true, like a Michael Crichton book it's both educational and exciting, also very original. Not much to not like about it. 4Q5P. -- Katherine, 17
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Top 10, it was a good book with lots of details that make you want to
finish the book. --Juan S., age 17, rating 5

Ryan, Darlene Rules for Life

Kirsten Age 16
Should this book be on a list of Best Books for Young Adults? undecided
Because? While it is a good book with a wonderful moral and a great ending, I don't know if it is good enough to be one of the Best Books.
Quality Rating 4 - Pretty good.
Popularity Rating 4 - Lots of people will want to read it.

Thal, Lilli Mimus

Reader: Katrina M.
Age: 14
Title: Mimus
Author: Thal, Lilli
Publisher Annick
Galley Yes
My review: The chilling adventure of Florin, Crown Prince of the floundering country Moltovia, has to be the about the best i've ever read. The antagonists in this story were ones you loved to hate. Thal makes her characters interesting, and very unique, something that is getting harder to find in novels. I have read this book many times, and although I found the first chapter rather dull, the second chapter grabbed me and held me captive until the glorious end. This is also a good book to read for a book report, or book talk, because it's easy to explain without giving it away. I was also amazed by how descriptive this book was, the way it described the characters, setting, and I found it especially interesting how Thal described the characters feelings. Mimus, I found was the post interesting character, some moments you wanted to strangle him, others hug him, and sometimes you just wondered what the heck he was doing. Overall this is an excellent read that I would recommend to anyone.
Would you nominate this book for an award? Yes
QUALITY 5Q Hard to imagine a better book
POPULARITY 4P Broad general teen appeal
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Reader: Kirsten P.
Age: 17
Title: Mimus
Author: Lilli Thal
Galley Yes
My review: A Medival prince is captured by an enemy king and turned into a court jester (or mimus), a being on the lowest rung of life, even belived to be without a soul. It was an interesting book, but not exactly to this reader's taste. Recommended for those who like Medival stories.
Would you nominate this book for an award? No
QUALITY 3Q Readable
POPULARITY 3P Some Teen appeal
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Reader: Crystal S. Age: 17 Today 's Date: 6/27/06
Title: Mimus Author: Lilli Thal Publisher: Annick Press Pub. Date:
2005

Mimus is an amazing tale of two warring kingdoms, trickery, betrayal,
and hope. I could not put this book down. I kept wondering, "What's
going to happen next?" The discomfort the young prince had to endure
must have been a difficult thing. Everything about this book was
great...except the ending was kind of disappointing. I wish the jester
would have changed his mind, but I suppose I wouldn't change the ending.
There must be some unexpected turn of events.

I would nominate this book for an award.

I give this book a 5Q for quality and a 4P for popularity
___________ __________

First name or initials: Logan
Age: 13
Book Title: Mimus
Author: Lilli Thal
Should this book be on a list of Best Books for Young Adults: undecided
Because: I am undecided about this book because though it is a great read, it doesn't stand out. The jester idea is ingenious, but there are not any surprises. This is more a personal fault because as a reader i like surprises.
Quality Rating: 4 - Pretty good.
Popularity Rating: 4 - Lots of people will want to read it.
(Optional) I also want you to know...: I think that it is a good story about not just the Prince's growth and escape. It is also about Mimus and how he unfolds to the read through the story. A book to be read in winter by a fire with a cup of hot chocolate inhand.
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Reader Cordi
Age 17
Publisher Annick Press Ltd
Pub. Date 2005
The cover is kind of creepy, and the mood kind of fits the tone of the novel, however it makes the book seem like a fantasy, which it is not. Trust me, its creepy and suspenseful and sometimes makes you want to go hide under the covers, but it is an amazing piece of work, especially considering that it is a translation. Mimus (the elder) is the most compelling aspect of the book. We spend the entire novel trying to figure him out and although Thal gives us bits and pieces, we are never quite sure what to make of him. Generally, historical fiction with no fantasy holds little interest for me. Yet Mimus intrigued me, and I can't give a reason why. Maybe it's the way Thal combines characters, mystery, suspense, growing up, and history into a single novel, seamlessly. The novel is fun to read, if a little creepy at times, and yet leaves you thinking afterwards what really happened. What didn't Thal tell us?
Age ranges of readers suited for this book: 14-15 16-17 18 up
Q (Quality) rating: 5Q Hard to imagine a better book
P (Popularity) rating: 4P Broad general teen appeal
Additional Comments I know I'll probably be gone by the time it goes out to book club members but, I want.

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Top 10 because this is an interesting book and I got into it right away.
All you can think about is what's going to happen next. I am a
bilingual reader and could understand this book.
Ezequiel M., age 16, rating 5
*Would like this book.
____ ____ __________
This book is very detailed and it's a book that you will want to read
more of. It's exciting and definitely thrilling to young adults. There
is a lot of detail on the characters and places.
Tyler W., age 13, rating 4
*would like this book.

Nelson, R. A. Teach Me

Reader Cordi
Age 17
It is quite a striking cover, which is sad because the book is not nearly as pretty.
Would you recommend this book to a friend? No
If you were disappointed with the book, why? The book had the potential to be great, but I feel Nelson fell short. Very short. This is difficult subject matter, a sexual relationship between a student and a teacher, but I felt almost no sympathy for the character. The entire time I was reading I was cursing the stupidity of Nine(short for Carolina) As much as many people hated Doing It, I felt that book dealt much better with the subject.
Check all age ranges of readers suited for this book: 16-17 18 up
Q (Quality) rating: 2Q Needs moree work
P (Popularity) rating: 2P Only for special interest

Patterson, James Maximum Ride: School's Out--Forever Little, Brown May 2006

 I really liked this book it cought my attension just seeing the cover, personally i really like sotries about mutant hybrids with birds.Mostly in this book i looked at how the voice in max"s head efected max.I just loved this story simply loved it. That if you brought another book from this series i would apreciate it. Nominate?yes 4Q 3P ethan h., 12
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I really enjoyed this book. I read schools out forever before I read angle experiment and I was hooked. I've read all three books now. They have a good amount of different genres all in one book. I love the description and I love the charaters. (especially fang and Iggy) I hope pat comes out with a new maximum ride soon! yes 4 5 Katelyn 14
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Reader:          AJ S.
Age:          Middle school student
Title:          Maximum Ride Schools Out-Forever
Author:          James Patterson
Publisher          Little, Brown and Co.
Pub. Date          May 2006
Galley          No
My review:          The story of a group of children with wings. They were all taken away as newborn children. They were tested on and got wings. They are escaping from the men who took their lives away. The captivating story will make you want to never put it down.
Would you nominate this book for an award?          No
QUALITY          4Q Better than most
POPULARITY          4P Broad general teen appeal
__________ _____________

First name or initials: Logan
Age: 13
Book Title: Maximum Ride School's Out Forever
Author: James Patterson
Should this book be on a list of Best Books for Young Adults: undecided
Because: I say undecided to this book because it seemed to have the same stuff of the first one. The ideas where good but, they just didn't truly get across to the reader.
Quality Rating: 4 - Pretty good.
Popularity Rating: 4 - Lots of people will want to read it.
(Optional) I also want you to know...: This is a need to read book....but only if you have read the first in the series. I think it is more of a bridge between the 1st and 3rd.
_____ ____

Max is back for another ride, and this time she's taking it to the maximum.

Most kids Max's age are worried about their math hmoework and wht to wear on a date. Max, however, worries instead about the mutant wolf-human recombinants that chase her and her flock of bird-children. James Patterson, in the sequel to the New York Times #1 bestseller "Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment" delivers the next installment with as much wry humor and as many heart-stopping thrills as the original.

This time, Max, Fang, Iggy, the Gasman, Nudge, and Angel are running not only from mutant wolf freaks but also from the FBI. So, naturally, they hide out the only place that no one would look for them--a school. Living with the kind Anne, the flock learns to deal with semi-normal problems such as homework and over-zealous headmasters. However, when things get ugly they're off again with their talking dog to save the world.

The story of "Maximum Ride: School's Out--Forever" is excellent, blending thriller, mystery, science fiction, and genre fiction into a seamless collection. Of course, it's simple enough for younger teenagers to follow, but contains enough content for older teens to enjoy. The short chapter format allows for an exciting amount of cliffhangers. Adding to the suspense is that fact that for every mystery the characters uncover, new ones surface, creating a heap of jigsaw puzzles that don't exactly fit together just yet.

The characters are as perfect as ever. The flock retain their personalities and gain new depth. The characters with previously no insight are given a new coat of paint and a disturbing fascination. All of the characters are painfully real, displaying the true feelings and reactions of similar real-life people.

Patterson predictably delivers another bestseller which wil capture old and new fans alike. --Robbie, 16

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Teen Top 10....Because it has a lot of fantasy and adventure in it.
-- Joshua R., age-16, rating-5

Maguire, Gregory Son of a Witch

Reader Robbie
Age 16
Pub. Date Oct. 2005
The cover was really nifty. It did reflect the contents in that it showed how Liir was always in the shadow of Elphaba.
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Yes
If yes, what would you say to convince him or her to read it? I wouldn't need to say anything.
Describe the most compelling aspect of the book. The way Son of a Witch is written is amazing. It has a sort of flow to it so that it just rolls, and things sort of click.
Check all age ranges of readers suited for this book: 14-15 16-17 18 up
Check one Q (Quality) rating: 5Q Hard to imagine a better book
Check one P (Popularity) rating: 4P Broad general teen appeal
It deals with several issues that modern-day teens face. It focuses on a main character that has to find himself in a sea of other people.
Additional Comments Alex Awards candidate?

Wooding, Chris Poison

First name or initials: Logan
Age: 13
Book Title: Poison
Author: Chris Wooding
Should this book be on a list of Best Books for Young Adults: yes
Because: This book at first seems like a gothic kind of tale, but it is more then that. Poison is a girl trying to find out where her sister is and who she is. The thing is that it's not as cheesy as it sounds.
Quality Rating: 5 - One of the best books I ever read
Popularity Rating: 4 - Lots of people will want to read it.
(Optional) I also want you to know...: I really hope that there is going to be more books off this one. Tales of what happens next because Poison needs to fall in love. She would be so mad at her self! Then again, I’m a rather strange reader.
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Reader: Kirsten P.
Age: 17
Title: Nailed
Author: Patrich Jones
Galley No
My review: "Nailed" was a typical teen drama-except from the boy's point of view. That alone makes it interesting to read. When the ease of the read, the wonderful main character, and problems most teens deal with but which are rarely written well are added to that, the book comes up to a wonderful book to read. Both girls and boys will enjoy reading "Nailed".
Would you nominate this book for an award? Yes
QUALITY 4Q Better than most
POPULARITY 4P Broad general teen appeal
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Should be on Top 10 becasue it was very good. It was so descriptive with the people,
surroundings and events. It was just great!
Natassia H. age 13, rating 5
_____________ ________ _________

Top 10
This book has a great ending. You have no clue through the whole book
what's going to happen at the end. I really liked the character,
Poisen, and the way she thought. Great book!
John A
14
5
*Would like this book.