I thought that "Cry Baby" was a really good book for teens to read. It has a lot of issues in it that a lot of teen girls (and maybe even teen guys) can relate to.

Samantha is not exactly going through the best time in her life right now. One of her friends may be anorexic, her mother is pregnant, and her sister Polly is a constant problem, always making fun of her and telling her what a big baby she always is. Nothing seems to be going right for her, until she meets a boy who is a great match with her. But there is still one problem left....he is her best friend's boyfriend....

Read this cool book to see how things go for Samantha.

*I've read this book so many times I can't even remember how many times I've pulled it off the shelf. This book was awesome because Samantha's problems are so realistic and relevant to any teenager's life. It has all the elements of a great book; drama, love, and comedy*

I read this book once while on summer vacation. When I returned home I pulled the book off the shelf and read it over again, and found out that their were parts that I missed. Total now I've read this book at least 5 times it's been just as great each time round.

been looking for something like this for my 15 year old daughter who is interested in becoming a fashion model. i found it a good source of information on the subject- thanks

Wow! The illustrations in this guide are sooo cool and the advice was smart and to the point- It saved me a lot of time and answered tons of questions I had about the fashion world. I loved the map on NYC and got to check out their hotspot suggestions. Thx so much to those two top models!

This was a great book and they tell you all of the tricks!
I learned a lot from this book and can not wait for the summer so I can get started! I recommend this to anyone who is serious about getting into the fashion industry as a model!!!!!

This is a really cool book. Mr.Frank (who happens to be my sixth grade teacher) has a fun sense of humor, and everyone should buy this book. Also check out his other books Erin's Voyage and Tomb of the Boy King.

Ok, John Frank is my cousin so I can't say anything bad about the book, but actually, it is really good and I recommend all of his books to school age children. He is a fine writer.

In this hilarious story, John Frank conjurs the imagination of a schoolboy and takes all his readers on an adventurous ride. As Alvy whirls through the sky, even the adult reader is warped into the magical times of his own school days, when daydreams took precedence over his homework. Every school child can relate to Alvy's wandering mind and zeal for exploration. Complimented by collaged illustrations, this story is one of the finest children's books I've read. When I have kids of my own, I will certainly share it with them.

From the moment you begin this book, you will want to read it aloud and get caught up in the rhythm of the language..."Mrs. Sump doesn't much like seein' the orphans restin' or havin' any fun, so she puts 'em to scrubbin' the floor with toothbrushes. Even the ittiest, bittiest orphan, little Sweetness. So one day, Sweetness hit the road." Children appreciate the humor in the sheriff's attempts to rescue Sweetness from the perils in the desert.The illustrations are an interesting blend of mediums.This book is just plain, good ole fun.

This is the best of the California Young Reader nominees in it's catagory this year. I thought it was a real hoot, and I am adding it to our school library. It is funny and has a good message about adoption. I really think the children are going to have fun with this one.

Saving Sweetness is a very entertaining read-aloud. Children love the characters and are delighted with the humor. Some childrens comments have been: "I like the way that Mrs. Sump starts to say something about the orphans and then changes her mind and says it in a nicer way." " I think its funny that the sheriff thinks he is saving sweetness." The Illustrations are an extremely integral part of the story. In fact, the pictures add a dimension by presenting an aditional point of view.

Bunny Brown spends a Sunday painting his friend Jack Jones, who has trouble sitting still. After that fun is over, Mr. Paris shows up needing help from the High-Rise Private Eyes. This their fourth case they learn that every morning Mr. Paris ties balloons outside his toy store every morning. But every Friday the balloons disappear. Once again Cynthia Rylant has provided young readers with an introduction to the joys of deductive reasoning and once again, while I am not sure that kids will actually figure out the clues, they will be able to look back and see how Rylant laid them all out to point them in the right direction. While the title really gives a bit too much away, I really like the way the High-Rise Private Eyes not only solve the case, but come up with a neat way of solving the problem. This series is a nice way of introducing youngsters to the fun of mystery stories.

Both our boys, ages 7 and 4, just ADORE this book! We are huge fans of her Poppleton series and just can't get enough of her perfect timing and humor. We've read this one at least 20 times already and they laugh over and over again at Jack's antics and Bunny's exasperation with him. If you're looking for a book to keep several kids of different ages amused, this is IT.

This book is fun to read and has great sounds for the kids to make and repeat! The language flows in a methodical manner that creates a sleepiness. Put in on the nightstand under good night moon!

This is a wonderfully imaginative and calm book which makes it perfect for bedtime, yet is interesting enough to hold their attention. It's characters are realistic enough for a child to relate to. It's illustrations are simple, uncluttered and support the tone of the storyline. A book to keep for years for children of all ages to enjoy.

This modern version of Cinderella is fascinating. Children will enjoy reading a familiar tale in a modern setting. The story in poetry form with the wonderful illustrations will keep children reading it over and over again.

This is a great example of tweeking an old fairytale for today's kids to enjoy. I heard this book read aloud at a literary contest for elementary students and was impressed with the content and readibility. The students in the audience laughed out loud during the reading.

This is a wonderful up-to-date, inter-city version of the classic Cinderella. It is written in poetry-style, in a humorous way. The illustrations are done in a rough childlike way. It is very funny and a really fresh view of the classic.

The Hate Crime by Phyllis Karas is an interesting and exciting book that has a very important message. I chose this book because my teacher used it as an example for our project, and I thought it looked like something I would enjoy. It reminded me of the movie American History X, and since I like that movie, I thought I would like this book. The story is realistic fiction. The author uses this genre because she wants to get a specific point across about anti-Semitism. It would have been difficult to discuss the same theme using a different genre.
There are three main characters in this novel, and several secondary characters that are also important to the story. Zack is the main character. He's an athletic, popular sophomore in high school. He's friends with everybody, and has no real problems. Rachel is another main character. She is the best looking girl in high school, and is Zack's girlfriend. Pam, a secondary character, is Zack's ex-girlfriend. They were forced to break up by their parents because she's Christian and Zack is Jewish. Mrs. Levy is also a main character. She is Rachel's mother. Her character is important to the story because she is a concentration camp survivor. Zack's father is a secondary character, but is important to the story because he is an attorney.
The book takes place in modern day America in Boston, Massachusetts. Zack's father is the Essex County District Attorney. I think the author chose a realistic setting because the events of the story could have actually happened. The book spans a few weeks throughout a high school lacrosse season. The author refers to Zack's games all through the story.
The story begins by describing Zack's life as a being pretty regular. His father prosecutes a lot of high profile cases, and tends to bring his work home with him. He tells Zack that his latest case is about anti-Semitic graffiti that was spray painted on the side of a Jewish Temple. The graffiti contained the names of seven concentration camps from the Holocaust in World War II. At first, Zack didn't realize the seriousness of the crime, but throughout the story it became clearer to him. By speaking to his father, Mr. and Mrs. Levy, and making the connections as to why he had to break up with his first girlfriend, he started to understand the hate crime. What he realized throughout the book that anti-Semitism hurts everyone, not just Jews.
The theme of The Hate Crime is that crimes that attack a person's race or religion need to be addressed in today's society. The author uses the characters and their backgrounds to get her theme across. Zack is Jewish, but is unaware of the history of the Holocaust until someone paints racial slurs on a Boston Jewish temple. The main character's girlfriend is the daughter of Holocaust survivors. This is how the author includes historical facts into the story. Phyllis Karas also uses conflict and resolution to get her message of how anti-Semitic acts hurt everyone. It is Zack's teammate that is directly involved in the hate crimes. The author places the setting in the present to allow the reader to know that hate crimes are not a problem of the past.
I would rate this book as being fair. The book is called The Hate Crime, and all it talked about up until the seventh chapter was Zack and his girlfriend. It didn't seem to relate to the topic. It also talked a lot about lacrosse, and I think a lot of these parts could have been left out. I liked the fact that it help me learn more about the Holocaust, and what happened to people in concentration camps. I would recommend this book to people who like lacrosse and want to know more about the Holocaust.

I read this book for a literary class I am taking in high school. I thought the book was very interesting. I liked how the book taught lessons on life. It shows how anti-semitism can hurt people no matter what kind of anti-semitism they use to hurt others. I thought this book was good for someone who might be studying anti-semitism or the Holocaust to see how even many years after the war people are still struggling for equal treatment. I hope that other people find this book as interesting as I found it.

Not only will this book serve as a teaching tool, but it was interesting to read and kept my attention the whole time. I would definately recommend this book to all age levels even though it is recommended for a younger genre of kids.

This book has non-stop action. It moves in a fast paced way though the different parts of Zack's life as he deals with sports, relationships, and the hate crime. I never found myself bored while reading and the first person point of view was very interesting to read. Zack was very brave and it was interesting to go on his adventures. The characters reacted in a very beleivible way and seemed very real. The ending was a happy one and there is a good twist at the end.

"Kara" was the first book I read in the SpringSong Series. While certainly not the best, it's a good, clean book about a girl's struggle to find herself, and find the courage to forgive the woman who lied to her for so long. The only major criticism I would have is the conclusion; it leaves you with the thought, "Yes, and . . .?" But that's what the sequel is for, right? ("Carrie") Anyway, nothing extraordinary but a pleasant (though somewhat melancholy) read.

Kara falls for Don a preppie from England who woos her through wine/food. This book rocks and is fun too. Kara and Don make a cute couple and end up the best of pals in the end. Kara is a fun character who knows how to have fun!

This book was one of my favorite springsong books, with the exception of "Carrie". It kept me in suspense and I couldn't put it down. I like the picture on the front too.

I realize that there are probably a ton of books written on kids who discover a dark secret of their past, but the way she went about searching to find the mystery of the past, the more I got involved in this book. I like how Carrie and her end up liking the same person. That happens a lot in real life, adn in this book it shows hte healthiest way to handle that type of situation-- and that is to search out God's will for your life.

Went and borrowed this from the library when I was recommended it from amazon.com.....I wish I had known how good it was beforehand, I would have purchased it for my son! It is a very good book to read to your kids, and because of the cute illustrations to go along with the wonderful story, it helps the adults who have to read it over and over again! lol

Mr. Carey is different. His garden is different. He looks at things just a little different. This book offers a wonderful message to young and old. We are different. We like different things. And we do things for different reasons. Come join the snails in Mr. Carey' Garden and find out just how different his garden of lace is.

This book was introduced to me during student teaching in kindergarten as part of a science kit on snails called "Snail Trails." I loved the book so much that I bought it myself (before it was at this great price!), and have been reading it to my 4th grade classes ever since. Although Mr. Carey and his neighbors don't directly agree on how to treat the gentle creatures in this book, they do agree on what beauty means, which, along with the lesson of letting all creatures live to perform what they were put on this earth to do, and their agreement blossoms into a ritualistic friendship that children will understand and appreciate. I recommend this book as an aid for children to see seemingly one-sided issues from a "different light," as Mr. Carey himself would say!