Book Bites Book Reviews

Call Of The Wild by Jack London

Review by Paige

A dog named Buck who is now a sled dog and is called to the wild. My favorite character is Buck because he is the main character and is intelligent. I liked this book because it was very adventurous.

Maximum Ride, The Graphic Novel by James Patterson

Review by B-liz

Angel gets kidnapped and they try to save her. My favorite character is Fang because in my imagination he is hot! I loved this book because it is the best book every, but I hated the graphic novel because they got Fang's hair all wrong.

War Of The Worlds by H.G. Wells

Review by Tori

The Martians come to London planning to eliminate the human race. I do not have a favorite character because the book is more about the story than the characters. I liked this book because it shows how the human race is so infinitely small in the vast scheme of the world.

Old Yeller by Fred Gipson

Review by Paige

A dog, who's name is Old Yeller, saves a family more than once. At first Travis tries to find ways to get rid of Old Yeller, but when Old Yeller saves their lives he changes his mind. My favorite character is Old Yeller because he is a hero and an amazing dog who is trustworthy. I liked this book because ti was detailed and well written and is an amazing book. 

Vesper by Jeff Sampson, and Havoc by Jeff Sampson

Review by Katelyn

Emily is an anti-social person and one night she took on a different personality. She was cool and popular at night, but during the day she was back to normal. Emily tries to figure out what is wrong. My favorite character is Spencer because he is smart and funny and his nighttime personality is really focused. He isn't like Emily and Dalton when they act crazy. I loved this book because it has lots of suspenseful parts in it. 

Alex Van Helsing: Vampire Rising by Jason Henderson

Review by Katelyn

Alex was sent to a boarding school in Europe. He and his friends are nobodies. Then Alex sees his teacher and finds out he is a vampire slayer and so is the teacher. My favorite character is Minni because she is really cool. She is a really good fighter till she is taken away by the Icemaker. I liked this book because it is a good story and is funny.

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

Review by Hannah

This book is the journal of a 12 year old boy named Will Henry. He is an assistant to Dr. Pellinore Warthrop, a Monstrumologist. A Monstrumologist is someone who studies and captures monsters. Will Henry, a graverobber, and the doctor go to a graveyard and find a large group of Anthrophagi, a monster breed. Afterwards, to find out how and why the monsters migrated to America, Will Henry and the doctor got to see Captain Varner in a home for insane people. 

Also Discussed:

Tempted, Untamed,  by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Bleach by Tite Kubo

Book Bites Fall 2013

These book reviews were written by teens and tweens attending Book Bites, an informal weekly book chat.

The Stranger by Albert Camus
Review by Tori
Monsieur Mersault's mother just died. Because his "I don't really care" nature he gets caught up with he wrong people. I do not like any of the characters in this book because I've never read a book like this. I liked this book because the main character has a different perspective.

Viva Jacquelina by L.A. Meyer
Review by Paige
A girl named Jacky Faber goes to Spain to gather information against Napoleon for the British. My favorite character is Jacky because she is the main character and the book is based on her life. I liked this book because it was adventurous.

I Am Number Four by Pitticus Lore
Review by Katelyn
An alien from the planet Lorien is hiding from the Mogadorians. He goes to Paradise Ohio, falls in love, gets a best friend and a dog. He doesn't want to leave and he gets his "legacies" or powers. My favorite characters are Sam, John, Number Six, and Sarah. Sam and John are very funny and I like Number Six's Powers and how she is brave and I like John and Sarah's relationship. I loved this book because it had humor, romance and I like how they get powers. And it has action and aliens in it too.

Anyone But Me by Nancy Krulik
Review by Melody
This is this girl who changes into different mammals. My favorite character is the class hamster because it is really funny. I liked this book because it was interesting.

The Call Of The Wild by Jack London
Review by Tori
Buck is a dog who goes to the Arctic, finding adventures with every turn. My favorite character is Buck because he is an interesting character. I loved this book because the theme was great and the narrator (I read the audiobook) was great too.

Awake At Dawn by C.C. Hunter
Review by Paige
A girl named Kylie is trying to figure out what she is. She gains some powers, but still doesn't know what she is.  My favorite character is Kylie. Though she is whiny sometimes, she is overall an amazing character. I liked this book because it is about supernaturals.

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
Review by Tori
Aliens invade Earth. The main character is strong. I like that. (I've been reading a lot of books with wimpy main characters. I loved this book because the characters are strong.

Peter And The Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Review by Hannah
Peter and other orphans are sent on a ship to a king with dust in a trunk. My favorite character is Molly Astor. She can easily manipulate people without seeming like she is trying to. She can use the dust for good and doesn't fall to the power of the dust. I liked this book because it is a longer, un-Disney-ed version of Peter Pan and there are multiple books.

Peachville High Demons by Sarra Cannon
Review by Katelyn
Harper just moved to Peachville and she notices that all the women have power in that town. She digs down a little deeper and finds out she is a witch. My favorite character is Jackson because he is a demon and he is really nice. He and Harper are in love and I like reading the parts he is in. I loved this book because it has action and romance and it has supernatural stuff in it.

Born At Midnight by C. C. Hunter
Review by Paige
A girl named Kylie goes to a camp for supernatural. My favorite character is Kylie because she doesn't know what she is. I loved this book because it is about supernaturals.

Smells Like Treasure by Suzanne Selfors
Review by Destiny
A boy named Henry has a dog whose only sense of smell is for treasure. My favorite character is the dog. I loved this book because I love dog books.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Review by Katelyn
Clary is a "Mundane" but she goes to a club and sees shadow hunters killing a demon. It turns out she is a shadow hunter too. and she goes through all these adventures to save her mom from Valentine. My favorite character is Jace because he makes super sarcastic comments that are really funny and he is really sweet too. And because of the love interest between him and Clary. I loved this book because it has humor and a love interest.

Book Bites Reviews

Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
Review by Tori
Tatty becomes a Pretty and afterwards, she falls in love with Zane. While there "bubbly" she and Zane find the pills that destroy the lesions in their brain. In their haste she and Zane spit the pills causing problems. I prefer the 1st book in this series. The best reason I can think of to read this book is because it's the next in the series.

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson
Review by Tiffanie
Tyler finally gets his dream girl and she gets drunk at a party and then the next morning theirs naked pictures of her on the internet and she blames Tyler. The cops get involved and at the end it all works out. I like this book because I like crime things and romance and this book has both. You should read this book because Laurie Halse Anderson is a really good author!

The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting
Review by Paige
This book is about a doctor who's name is Dolittle and he gets a letter from Africa that the monkeys are sick. When he finds out the captain of the ship is bad, Dr. Dolittle kicks him off the ship. Dr. Dolittle sees this little boy locked up and Dr. Dolittle and his animals need to find the boy's uncle. I like this book because Dr. Dolittle knows all the animals languages and can talk to them. You should read this book because it is so adventurous.

The Sister's Grimm: Once Upon A Crime by Michael Buckley
Review by Hannah
The Grimm sisters return to New York city, to find Puck's family, but Oberon, the King of Fairie is poisoned by a traitor. They learn that their mother was involved in the lives of Everafters, which makes Sabrina angry, and scared. The sisters fin a secret that might lead to the heart of the evil organization - The Scarlet Hand.

Lemonade Mouth by Mark Peter Hughes
Review by Katelyn
Five nobody's get detention and they start to play music with little things around the room and their music teacher convinces them to form a band. They become popular and famous.

Other titles discussed:
The Boy On Cinnamon Street by Phoebe Stone
Mission Unstoppable by Dan Gutman
Forever by Maggie Stiefvater
Skinny by Donna Cooner

Book Bites Reviews

Tunnels of Blood, Cirque Du Freak by Darren Shan
Review by Alie
Darren, Evra, and Mr. Crepsley take on Mr. Crepsley's home town. A crazy vampaneze is on a rampage. Will they stop him before he kills Darren's new found love Debbie? I like this book because it has action, romance, and you don't know who the bad guy is until the ending. It has a whole lot of unexpected twists and turns. You should read this series because after the first book, it gets addicting.

Durarara!! by Ryohgo Narita
Review by Tesa
A kid, Mikado Ryogaime, moves to Ikebukuro, Tokyo to visit with his friend, Mesomi Kida. While there, he disovers the city's legend; the Black Rider and Shizuo and Izaya, the city's mortal enemies. He also finds his crush, Anri, and gets caught up in the ciyt's action more than he could hope to be. I like this book because ti is interesting and funny. You should read this book because it is very well written and exciting.

Girl of Nightmares by Kendra Blake
Review by Liz
This book is about a guy who keeps having nightmares about Anna. Anna keeps reappearing. I like this book because it is bloody and gory. You should read this book because it is awesome and scary.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Review by Paige
This book is about a girl named Miranda and her mom is going on a show to win money and so Miranda makes cards for her to practice on. I like this book because Richard, Miranda's mom's boyfriend is funny. You should read this book because it has lots of questions that are answered.

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
Review by Tori
This book is about an Eskimo who wanders out into the wild and comes upon a pack of wolves. Starved half to death she shares food with the  beast and becomes long lasting friends with the pack. I like this book because the friendship between Julie and the wolves is a tear bringer.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel by Jeff Kinney
Review by Becky
Greg has a brother Rodrick, and gets a new brother Manny. He gets new neighbors. Manny is afraid because his neighbor acts like a robot. Then, they have a school dance, and everyone gets a candy gram. Greg gets jealous because he doesn't get one so he sends them to himself. Greg decides to babysit from the neighbors, but the kid, Wesley,  locks him in the basement. So he climbs out a window. He gets tired and sleeps in. Wesley's parents come home. You should read this book because it is an awesome series and catches your attention.

The Fairy Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley
Review by Hannah
Two sisters, Sabrina and Daphne, are foster kids and they have been moved from house to house until they get moved to their "Grandmother's" house. They realize that fairytales are real. The town is surrounded by a barrier that keeps the fairytale characters in. The characters are mad at the Grimm family for putting up the barrier in the first place

The Wake of the Lorelei Lee by L. A. Meyer
Review by Tori
A notorious former pirate steals a bit of King George's gold for her own benefit. Her two enemies accuse her of false charges. As a result, she gets sent away to South India. I like this book because every page you turn is a new surprise! you should read this book because the story is awesome! This book is my favorite in the series.

The Shaktra by Christopher Pike
Review by Paige
This book is about a girl who goes on a journey by herself to the "world" again. And this time she packs to go. I like this book because it's adventurous and magical. You should read this book because Ali finds something unimaginable.

Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendra Blake
Review by Liz
This book is about a super powerful ghost named Anna Korlov. She died in her house when she was 16. She can murder and be kind. I like this book because they have funny names like Thessius Cassio and Carmel. You should read this book because a guy falls in love with a girl who is dead.

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
Review by Hannah
Percy Jackson is missing and in his place, Jason, Piper and Leo show up. Jason is from a Roman camp instead of a Greek camp, and has lost all of his memories which leads to a lot of confusion. Jason is the son of Zeus, Piper is the daughter of Aphrodite, and Leo is the son of Hephaestus. They go on a quest to free Hera from her cage, and prevent a war between the gods. You should read this book because it is a very good sequel series to the Percy Jackson Series and very interesting because it compares Greek Mythology and Roman Mythology.

Book Bites Reviews

Stick Dog by Tom Watson
Review by Melody
This book is about a guy who has a story about a dog but I don't know the story yet. But it is really funny. You should read this book because it's really funny.

Chosen At Nightfall by C.C. Hunter
Review by Tori
Kylie Galen is training at her Grandfather's house to learn more on how to control her chameleon powers, when Mario, the chameleon turned bad, tries to eliminate Kylie. I like this book because it's filled with adventure! There isn't one page I turn that isn't filled to the top with excitement. You should read this book because the writing is awesome! I love this book.

Leap by Jane Breskin Zalben
Review by Hannah
A girl named Krista's friend Daniel has a reaction to anesthesia and he looses the use of his legs. Krista helps Daniel with the physical therapy, even though she isn't his best friend anymore. I like this book because it's about how Daniel overcomes his obstacles. I also like this book because when Krista helps Daniel, they become better friends again.

From Bad To Cursed by Katie Alender
Review by Katelyn
The Sunshine Club has a book with the spirit Avalt in it. It gives them everything they want, but then Tashi leaves and everything gets out of control. I like this book because it is a really good story and the plot is really good, also. You should read this book because it is suspenseful.

Alosha by Christopher Pike
Review by Paige
This book is about a girl named Ali who has powers and used to be someone very important. She has to go all the way to Pete's Peak with her friends. On the way she meets with monsters. I like this book because she gains powers when she goes through these obstacles. And she has to survive with her powers and keep her friends alive. You should read this book because there are magical creatures like elves, trolls and other creatures. Ali also has two friends she takes along, Paddy a leprechaun and Farble a troll.

Book Bites Reviews

The Demigod Diaries by Rick Riordan
Review by Hannah
This book is short stories that give back story to the Percy Jackson series and more information about important parts like the Mist. I think that this book is important to read, and I was a little disappointed by the illustrations. I like this book because it gives greater detail and explains things like the Mist. You should read this book because it provides vital information to completely understand the Percy Jackson series.

Arata by Watase, Yuu
Review by Tori
This book is about the heir of a princess thought to be a girl, but who is actually a boy, who switches lives with a boy from the real world. From there the story unravels into an action packed manga. I like this book because it is action packed. You should read this book because the story and art is great.


Guitar Notes by Mary Amato
Review by Jocelyn
This book is about two musicians named Lyla (a cellist) and a boy named Trip
p (guitarist). As time goes on these two start passing notes and becoming really close. I like this book because it talks a lot about music and friendships. You should read this book because it is a funny and sometimes sad book, that talks a lot about music.


Romeo and Juliet and Vampires by Claudia Gabel
Review by Katelyn
Romeo is a vampire slayer and Juliet is a vampire and they fall in love. I like this book because it was interesting and really good.

Fushigi Yugi by Watase, Yuu
Review by Paige
This book is about a girl who is sick and it doesn't exist in the other world and everybody knows about it. They are trying to get the other half of the warrior.(sic) I like this book because it is action packed and it's a manga. You should read this book because it's a really good book.

Also Discussed:
The Darkest Mind by Alexandra Bracken

Book Bites Reviews

Where the Mountain Meets The Moon by Grace Lin
Reveiw by T.B.
This book is about a girl who sets out to change her family's fortune, and meeting friends on the way. She befriends a dragon who can't fly, a talking fish and a powerful king. But she must learn the true meaning of fortune and friendship. I like this book because it poetic and cute. You should read this book because you will love this cute story.

Fushigi Yugi by Yuu Watase
Review by Paige
This book is about a girl whose mother dies while her father is writing a book named The Universe of the Four Gods. She goes inside the book and needs to find the seven warriors. I like this book because it is a manga and you should read it because it is amazing.

Vampire Knight by Matsuri Hino
Review by B-liz
This book is about vampires. It's very funny. Lots of blood. I like this book because all the guys are ugly. You should read this book because the sound effects are weird.

A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz
Review by Hannah
Hansel and Gretel embark on several journeys to prove that they don't need parents. This fairy tale ties into other not-very-well known fairy tales. I like this book because the author keeps interrupting the story to make the story more interesting or to warn the reader of (what he thinks) really scary parts. You should read this book because this book is very funny. You should't be intimidated by the cover because it isn't scary, just funny.

In A Glass Grimmly by Adam Gidwitz
Review by Hannah
Jack and Jill travel through scenarios only to find that they like themselves despite the fact that they're rejected by the people they want to impress. After the quest, the kids realize that they shouldn't care what other people think of them, and they end up finally feeling at home.

The Giver by Lois Lowry
Review by Tori
This book is about a boy in a black and white world, searching for a brighter one. I like this book because the writing is great. You should read this book because it has great writing and is awesome.

Cages by Dave McKean
Review by Tori
This book is about how the author interprets God, life, and death. A wonderful story...but it's no easy read. It's and in depth story. I like this book because it is so soothing to read. It has such a great theme. You should read this book because the pictures are great! It gives you a different view on the world.

Swallow Me Whole by Nate Powell
Review by Paige
This book is about a girl who sees things. And her grandmother is really sick and sees things too. Her brother has a pen with a wizard on top of it that talks. I like this book because it is a graphic novel and you should read this book. It's a great book. The title goes with the book.

Other Books Discussed:
The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephanie Meyer