Friday, December 21, 2007

The Aurora County All-Stars by Deborah Wiles


The Aurora County All-Star baseball team is looking forward to playing against their old rivals on July fourth. They had to forfeit last year's Independence Day game because their only pitcher, House Jackson, had a broken arm. Not only did House lose the game for his team-mates, he got his arm broken by a girl running into him - a mere girl. How humiliating! The Aurora County All-Stars vow revenge. They practice hard to win this year's July fourth game - their only scheduled game of the year. Then, disaster strikes! Their mothers sign all of them up to participate in the town's special July Fourth Birthday Pageant. Will the whole team have to lay down their bats and put on tights, and sing and dance instead? Read The Aurora County All-Stars to find out what really happens on this special, fun-filled, surprising July fourth town celebration! Review by Trudy Walsh

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

The New Policeman by Kate Thompson


This book is by the author of one of my favorite science fiction books, Fourth World. Unfortunately, I didn't like this book nearly as much. It started off well, but kind of bogged down about halfway through. In this story, people in Kinvara, Ireland, are finding themselves increasingly short of time. It seems like no one has time for anything anymore. J.J. is determined to get his mother some more time for her birthday, because that is the one thing she really wants. When the book began to fall apart for me was after J.J. crossed over into "The Land of Eternal Youth," or the land of the fairies. Apparently there is a time leak between the two worlds, but while J.J. tries to figure out where the leak is, the story drags on and on. Each chapter begins with a musical transcript of an Irish tune (of course one of which is The New Policeman) and all the talk about the Irish music that J.J. plays with his family is interesting. Review by Stacy Church

Friday, December 07, 2007

The Onts (Secret of Dripping Fang series) by Dan Greenburg


If you are not grossed out by very large insects, feet that really smell, and very snotty tissues, then this might be just the book for you! Twins Cheyenne and Wally are orphans living at the Jolly Days Orphanage until they are adopted by two women...or are they women? Should they leave the smelly, disgusting orphanage where they are overworked and underfed to live with these very weird women, the Onts? The mystery gets even more bizarre as the story goes on. Review by Joyce Levine