These are all book and music reviews written by teens and librarians in our community. Click on the titles to find the items in the Sarasota County Library Catalog.
You can send your reviews to us at this e-mail address: htweed@scgov.net. Please include the title and author or artist, a three or four sentence review, and your first name.
The City of Ember
by Jeanne DuPrau
This book is about the courageous children, Lina and Doon, who find the Instructions to Egress, the way out of Ember, and follow these to find the exit. While they are enjoying their new jobs, Doon discovers a small room with their mayer filling himself with food that Ember was running out of. they try to get their own mayor arrested, they search for the exit out of Ember. Find out what happens in The City of Ember.
-Dominic
The Pilgrim’s Progress
by John Bunyan
This adventurous book is about the courageous Christian from the City of Destruction, that was said to be covered by fire from heaven. Being very concerned, Christian set off for the great journey to the Celestial city. On the way, he will encounter dangerous evil beings, conquer fears, and make great friends, who help him in his adventure. Find out what happens in The Pilgrim’s Progress.
-Dominic
21 Stories
by Graham Greene
A beautifully written book by Graham Greene, Twenty-One Stories has the charm to hold the readers attention throughout each and every story. Greene’s words seem to flow effortlessy along the page and lucidly create the story for the reader. Each of the stories is driven and well thought out. Each story brilliantly conveys a moral and after reading Twenty One Stories, whether you agree with the morals or not, you will have respect for Greene and his writing talent.
-Hannah V.
Twisted Sisters by Stephanie Hale
After Aspen Brooks solves a mystery for her detective friend Harry Malone, she can’t wait to go away to college with her boyfriend Rand. But Harry tells Aspen about his niece Mitzy, who went missing at the college a few months ago. He warns her not to join the Zeta Sorority-the one Mitzy was in and the one he thinks has something to do with her disappearance. As Aspen goes away to college, she joins the Zeta Sorority to figure out what happened to Harry’s niece. Even though Aspen has met new friends and gets along with everyone, there seems to be someone there that is out to get her-trying to make sure she doesn’t find any other clues about Mitzy. Will she ever solve the mystery?
I don’t usually like mystery books, but this one was great. I could never predict what Aspen Brooks would find next and I never expected what happened at the end of the book. I hope you read Twisted Sisters by Stephanie Hale!
-Nicole
Confessions of a Not It Girl by Melissa Kantor
Jan never felt like she was an “It Girl”, unlike her best friend Rebecca who was named one of New York’s “It Girls” in Chic Magazine. Jan suddenly realizes she’s in love with Josh-the older brother of the girl she baby-sits. Although Josh and Jan have hung out a few times Josh ignores her in school, the boy she used to like is now chasing her, and now Josh is trying to get together Jan and his loser cousin.
Rebecca starts seeing a twenty-two year old law school student who doesn’t even know she is in high school. Will Rebecca’s relationship with her boyfriend Brian last? And will Jan stay boyfriend-less for the rest of the year? Read Confessions of a Not It Girl by Melissa Kantor to find out.
The book was really fun to read and entertaining. Reading about Jan’s daydreams about Josh were funny and seeing how Rebecca finds ways to convince Brian she is a senior in college.
-Nicole
Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress by Tina Ferraro
At the end of her sophomore year in high school, Nicolette Antonavich was asked by the most popular boy in school, Rascal Pasqual, to his junior prom. After being dumped two days before the prom, Nicolette is left with her beautiful, pink prom dress-but has nothing to do with it. Through all of this mess Nic must help her mom keep their house, repair her relationship with her estranged dad, deal with her best friend’s brother, and find a use for an unworn prom dress. I though this book was really cute. Every few chapters Tina Ferraro would write one use of an unworn prom dress, which was always an unexpected one.
-Nicole
Pardon My French by Cathy Hapka
Nicole is just an average girl from Maryland who just wants to starts her senior year of high school in her hometown. She isn’t too thrilled when her parents send her off to France for a semester to study abroad. Surprisingly, Nicole begins to enjoy France- meeting new friends from all over the world also in the studying abroad program, living with a new family, and enjoying French food. But as she adapts to a foreign country what will happen to her relationships back home?I loved this book. I really felt like I was in France and the author, Cathy Hapka, keeps the readers entertained and keeps them guessing what will happen all through the book.
-Nicole
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
A Tale of Two Cites is a must read classic. Is is a story about love, hatred, betrayal, adventure, war and romance. This book is set back during the French Revolution where the peasants of the country revolt against the rich. Lucy Manette, one of the main characters, is the daughter of a doctor who was kept in the Bastille for 18 years for being accused of something he did not do. The story unfolds when Lucy falls in love with Charles Darnay, but Charles has a secret that is unknown to her that could destroy them both. In the beginning of the story Charles goes on trial and is freed by the town drunk whose name is Sydney Carton. At the end of the story Charles’ secret is reveal and is sentenced to death. Will Charles live or will he die by the guillotine? Will Lucy love for her husband be enough to save him? Will justice prevail or will the evil society in which Charles lives prevail? What will happen to Sydney Carton? The story ends with one of the famous phrases in all literature… “It is a far, far better thing that I do that I have ever done before.” Read this timeless classic.
-Lynn H.
The Dangerous Days of Daniel X
by James Patterson
This book is about a 15 year old kid whose parents where torn away from him at the age of three. He’s back for revenge and to finish what his parents started. With the power to create he proves that’s the greatest power of all. So will he avenge his parents or will he go after something larger and more powerful then he can handle. Everything we know about our planet (Earth) is a lie and Daniel is are only hope for the whole galaxy. Read this exciting book to find out. The ending will get in your head and shock you.
-Christopher S.
Maximum Ride
by James Patterson
Maximun Ride is a action pack thriller series that keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time. It’s about a group of kids that have weird talents, one being that they can fly. Two of the kids fall in love while trying to save themselves and the world. So can Max, Fang, Angel, Iggy, Gasman and Nudge save the world or will they be crushed in the depths of the ocean. The problem is that the machines (assassins) are more deadly and stronger than ever. Oh and they’re also watching every move the flock makes.
-Christopher S.
The Taming of the Shrew By Shakespeare
The Taming of the Shrew is about two sisters, one young and beautiful and the other as wild as an untamed horse. The youngest daughter, named Bianca, is the beautiful young lady who is desired by every young man. Katherine, known as Kate, is the one who has an untamed temper and is the oldest of the two sisters. As the plot starts to form you learn that a strapping young man wants to wed the fair Bianca but their father refuses to wed Bianca until Kate is married. At this time in the story a man named Petruccio wishes to wed the violent Kate (for her money.) Their father quickly excepts his marriage proposal and weds Kate off to Petruccio. Petruccio takes Kate back to his mansion and attempt to tame her temper. Will he succeed? Will Kate be happy with the man she is married to? Will Kate and Petruccio find true love in each other? Read this delightful book by Shakespeare to find the answers to these questions.
-Lynn H.
The Iliad by Homer
As one of the most oldest stories ever written down, the Iliad is the ultimate classic of all time. The story starts when the leading men of an army, Achilles and Agamemnon, quarrel over a woman named Briseis. Achilles one of the more prominent characters in the story is the world renown warrior who has the strength of the gods. The gods play a huge part in the lives of the characters. Ruling the world, Zeus is the god of all and holds the lives of every mortal alive. Other gods such as Aphrodite, Athena, Hera and many more risk their place in heaven to see their mortal heroes succeed. The rising action of the Greeks and the Trojan’s epic battle is a historical and amazing turning point in history. At the end of the book Achilles and Hector, both arch enemies, fight with strength only the gods can give. Who will prevail? “The Iliad” thrills readers today just as it thrilled readers thousands of years ago.
-Lynn H.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
This is a story about a man named Nick Carraway who moves from the country to the city. He experiences the high life society in the 1920’s. One of the reasons Carraway comes to the city of New York is to visit his cousin who is married to Tom. Moving in right next to the wealthy Jay Gatsby, Nick Carraway is forever curious why Gatsby never attends the extravagant parties he holds at his house. Further along in the book you find out that Gatsby is passionately in love with Carraway’s cousin Daisy. Gatsby has known Daisy since childhood and still loves her with all his heart. Will Gatsby finnally get the girl he desires or will Daisy choose to stay with Tom who she is married to? Will Carraway decide to stay in New York or will he go back to Minnesota where he was born? Read this book and you will understand why scholars call it a classic.
- Lynn H.
The Great Gatsby was a different book then I ever thought it would be. It had some bad morals like a man living with another woman while he’s still married. It also had a lot of parties, drinking and bad influences. The 1920’s were not a good time period to live in if you had the wrong friends and influences. The book is about a man named Nick who narrates the story. He talks about how Gatsby is trying to get his old girlfriend back, even though she’s married. It was interesting. I would suggest kids 14 and older could read it if they want to, but I would suggest you figure out what your morals are before you read this book.
-Ashley S.
A Clockwork Orange
Written in 1962, A Clockwork Orange is a dystopian novel written by Anthony Burgess. This story is different from other dystopian novels in that the story is told in first person, by the protagonist, Alex. Because of the narrative aspect of the story, it is a very biased and limited point of view, which adds to the effectiveness of the story. Alex is a teenager living in a fascist of England, in the not too distant future. The story centers around him and the gang he leads causing much mayhem around the city. Eventually, while robbing a house, Alex is caught and sent to prison where he is given a new kind of treatment—a treatment that associates the music he loves to listen to with nausea, while associating both of those with violence. Through this “treatment” Alex loses his violent tendencies and returns to society. He is then attacked by many of his previous victims and, unable to defend himself, goes unconscious. I will not spoil the ending by summarizing further, but the ending is, in a way, unexpected. This is a very good, albeit violent, story.
-Griffin P.
