Football Genius

Green, Tim. Football Genius. NY: HarperCollins, 2007. 244 pages. (Sports Fiction)

This story is about a young twelve year old boy named Troy White. Troy isn’t just a regular boy, he has a special talent. He can predict football plays before they happen, and he tries to use it to his own advantage. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia, the home of his favorite football team, the Atlanta Falcons. Troy’s home is next to a famous football player’s house, named Seth Halloway. Troy’s mom has just got the job of Public Relations for the Atlanta Falcons. Troy thinks that this is the perfect chance for him to show what he can do. Troy’s enemy just happens to be a Dallas Cowboy fan, named Jamie Renfro. Troy has to deal with Jamie starting quarter back on his school football team, and he has to convince Seth that he can predict football plays. Troy finally gets Seth to listen, but now the coaches don’t believe him. But the Head Coach, Coach McFadden realizes that Troy has a special ability, and then fires Coach Crock who was trying to get Troy’s mom fired.

I selected this book because I am a real sports fan and as soon as I read the back cover of the book, it grabbed me instantly. It was also given to me as a gift by my grandmother and was personally signed by Tim Green himself which interested me even more in reading the book. After each chapter, I wanted to read more and more, and I could not but the book down.

Reviewed by: HockeySnipper13

Smugglers Island

Avi. Smugglers Island. NY: Morrow Junior Books, 1994. 178 pages. (Mystery)

In this book Shadrach or Shad is a snoopy, sneaky, trouble maker who is trying to put a local liquor smuggler boss away in jail for good. Brian, Shad’s little brother, is just a tag along who wont leave Shad alone until Shad lets him help put the smuggler boss away. They lived on Lucker’s Island in a small house with their parents Mr. and Mrs. Faherty. Shad is trying to put Kinlow, the smuggler boss, away for good because he has everyone scared on the island, even his parents. Kinlow’s smuggling has caused many families to move from the island and has threatened almost everybody else. To put Kinlow away for good, Shad tells everything he knows to a government agent, Sheraton, who comes to the island every couple weeks, but it turns out that Sheraton is one of Kinlow’s men, and the man he has been avoiding is a real undercover government agent. Eventual Shad tells the man he has been avoiding, the real government agent, everything he knows. After Kinlow is captured, Shad and his family are very happy and relieved that Kinlow is gone.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read because it is an exciting book, and you just want to keep reading and reading. The most exciting part of this book is when Shad is holding a gun at Kinlow, telling him to apologize to his parents. I would not like to be in this situation because I would crush under pressure. Then again, I would never get in this situation in the first place.

Reviewed By: Pablo

The Penultimate Peril

Snicket, Lemony. A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Penultimate Peril. NY: Harper Collins, 2005. 353 pages. (Fiction Series)

The main characters in this book are the Baudelair orphans: Violet (age 16), Klaus (age 14), and Sunny (age 7). Another main character is Count Olaf. This story takes place in a hotel called The Hotel Denouement. The main problem the Baudelair orphans face is making sure an object called the sugar bowl doesn’t get into the wrong hands of any of the hotel guests. At the same time they have to escape from Count Olaf’s clutches unharmed. The Baudalairs try to solve this problem by getting as many friends as they can to protect them and help them retrieve the sugar bowl. The only problem is that they don’t know exactly were it is. Another interesting event that happens in this novel is that a person who is trying to help the three orphans gets killed, and then the children and Count Olaf are accused of murder and sent to a small town court for a sentence. Another interesting event that happens in the book is that the same man who gets killed shows the children his life’s work - a secret underground library that contain information of every villain the three Baudalaires had ever come across.

This book made me want to keep reading and reading because there isn’t a part in it that makes you want to stop. I would read another book by this author because the problems the children face never end. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a really long mystery with a million possibilities that keep you guessing.

Reviewed by: SouthPole

Spirit Seeker

Nixon, Joan. Spirit Seeker. NY: Bantam Doubleday,1995. 197 pages. (Mystery)

Holly is a normal teenager whose dad is a criminal investigator. To most people this sounds like an exciting job for their parent to have, but to Holly it’s just another long day fatherless. When her dad accepted the job, both her and her mom knew that he would be working long hours, but they miss the man they once knew. One night Holly’s dad was working very late hour, so she assumed he must just be on another case. When he came home, Holly was still awake. He told her he had bad news. Her boyfriend’s parents had just been murdered. Holly immediately rushes to the crime scene even though her father forbids her to. The crime investigators gather evidence and it all points to her boyfriend, Cody. Holly knows he’s innocent. Is Cody really the murderer? This book leads you from chapter to chapter with compelling details that keep you reading. I highly recommend this book.

Holly reminds me of one of my good friends, Mara because she is very determined but also quite gullible. She’s so set on what she believes that nothing or no one can change her mind. Holly and Mara are also very reliable and self-reliant.

Reviewed by: CupcakeSalt

The Five People You Meet In Heaven

Albom, Mitch. The Five People You Meet In Heaven. NY: Hyperion, 2003. 196 pages. (Fiction / Inspiration)

Eddie is an 83-year-old maintenance worker at Ruby Pier. He is currently working on saving a little girl’s life from a falling cart off of Freddy’s Free Fall. The beginning is the end, and Eddie is dead. Now he must go through heaven meeting each and every one of the five people who have touched his life in some way. Some he knows, some he has never meet. Eddie is not quite enjoying himself on his journey through life again. He only seeks one question; did he save the little girl before he died? He asks his first four people if he saved her, do they know? Or is it the last helpless number five who is going to tell him the answer? I enjoyed how this book tells you what you want to know, what happens once the main character dies? This definatly told you what you are interested in, kind of like a behind the scenes tour. I would highly recommend this book to all; anyone can enjoy this flashback on life story.

Reviewed by: PinkPopper