I haven't read a book this good since "Where The Red Fern Grows". I liked the way it told the story of running away. Something that all kids think or dreama about. It pointed out the fact that whatever you look like is not who you really are. I definately would recommend this book to anyone. It was one of those books that I couldn't put down.

This is the best book I have ever read in my entire life.
Harold is an albino - a person with no color in his skin, hair, and eyes. When he runs away from the taunting kids in his town, he meets a pair of circus "freaks" - Tina, a woman the size of a doll, and Samuel, a giant man covered in hair. They give him a ticket to the circus they work in and invite him to join them. Which he does, becoming the elephant trainer, trying to teach them to play baseball.
Life seems good for a while - Harold is accepted in the circus, with the exception of a boy named Ramon who torments Harold just like the children in his town, calling him "Maggot" and "Whitey", but another friend, a horse-back-stunt-riding girl named Flip makes up for it.
A lot happens in this book, there isn't enough room to write about it all, but it talks about how Harold changes, etc., etc. I won't reveal the ending b/c it'll ruin the book, but here's a warning: it is MAJORLY sad. I am not kidding when I say I cried. This is a terrific book, but make sure you have a pack of tissue nearby.

The ghost boy was a really great book. The book was really intresting it started getting really scary in the middle of it . The ghost boy is a book that suprises you because it is a mind twister. I would really consider teenagers to read this book for a report , because they will be surprised when they find out what happens.

The Smugglers
Book review

This book is about a boy named John. John had a father who bought a ship called the dragon. This dragon caused a lot of trouble to John and his father. Also, his captain was a very evil man that used to smuggle other people and products like brandy. He also tried to kill John on the way to London. Luckily, Dasher helped save Johns life several times.
I chose this book because my friend had told me that it was fun. The cover was also very interesting. The designs and the boat looked very detailed in the huge storm. The smugglers sounded like a very fun and exciting book. Once I read the first few chapters, it felt as if I had to read the rest of the book. I liked this book because it had many exciting parts and lots of action.
My favorite part of the book is when John gets shot from dasher. He got shot twice and was very scared. He talked about getting flashbacks right before you die. The reason why I liked this part is because it was very funny. A few pages after this event, it explains that the gun he used had no real bullets and just made a hole on his clothes.

A wonderful companion to The Wreckers, The Smugglers followsJohn Spencer, a young teenager and finds a world of mystery and ofcourse smuggling on his new ship, The Dragon. A must read for all fans of Treasure Island, The Wreckers or any other books about Historical Boat runs.

A Review by Nate

Johny is a young boy living in France in the year 1914. Johny's father is an amazing toy maker. He made his son an entire army of nutcracker men. Johny loves to command his small wooden soldiers across his kitchen floor. When the war breaks out Johny sees many parades for soldiers going off to fight in the war. He notices that his father hasn't gone off yet. Sadly enough it is because his height. He is far too short. Eventually the limit is changed enough for johny's dad. After his father goes to war Johny's mother sends Johny on a train to his aunt's house. The house is out in the middle of no where. There he learns many valuable life lessons.

This book is certainly good historical fiction. The beginning is very good. It sets the scene quite nicely. It shows you the characters and how they feel. The writer gives details in a way you can truly like you are there with Johny every step of the way. You are there when he is on the kitchen floor or on the crowded train. You always know how he is feeling. Where ever he is. The writer has a great eye for details. You know what is happening always. The characters emotions feel very real and quite believable. I like this book.

I would certainly recommend this book to any historical fiction readers. Even to younger readers. It is not too long or difficult.

Both my 11-year-old son and I found this book, set during World War I, compelling and touching. The 10-year-old hero is left with a relative when his father, a toy maker, goes off to fight in the war. His father sends him handmade toy soldiers from the front, and he uses them to create his own make-believe war. The war begins to mirror his pretend battles. The author paints a very effective picture of the horrors of that war, and how it effected those on the homefront.

I bought this book for my 10-year-old and he loved it, as much or more than Pullman, Potter, Redwall, etc. So now I'm reading it, and it's gripping. The characters are true, the plot sneaks up on you and then grabs you by the throat, and it will make you feel like you're ten all over again.

John and his father had just sailed on a ship for an adventure. During the trip, a terrible storm hit and destroyed it. I seemed as thought John was the only surviver. Everyone else on the ship died. The worse part is, he found out it was some group of people on the island that tried to wreck the ship on purpose. The people spared his life, and John lived there for some time now. He met a friend named Marry. But during the days, John discovers many secrets. He may even find out his father is still alive, but would he be able to save him?

I liked this book because it had adventure, and action almost throughout the whole book. It never became boring and left a lot of suspension in the book that made me want to read more. Like if someone was going to die or not. The whole book was fun and was even more interesting as I read. The part I liked the most about the book was when John was running for his life from the pirates. It had all this action and the author described it very well.

I chose this book, because many people read it, and said it was fun and interesting, especially my teacher. She said that the book was great and fun. My parents also encouraged me to read it. My dad said that he used to read about stories like this, and it was great. That's why I got it.

The Wreckers
by:Iain Lawrence
In this book, the main character whose name is John Spencers is on a sailing ship that is transporting wine when a huge storm comes. They are headed for England but were lost and couldn't find their way. After a few minutes they see beacons and thought it was the port but after they had come closer to shore, they realized that it was rocks and cliffs as far as the eye could see. They tried to turn around but the current pulled them into the rocks. John thought he was the only survivor, but little did he know there is one more person alive on the island that he knew very well. John sees people coming and hides in the sea weed. He knows that if the wreckers found him they would kill him on the spot. John manages to climb up the cliffs and at the top he sees a village and in the middle was a church. John sought refuge in a nearby house and finds a man who has no legs. His name is Stumps and he asks if they were looking for you and John said yes. Then Stumps threw him outside. The men find him and were about to kill him when a tall man came and stopped them. He took John back to his house up on a hill. He gets new clothes and he sleeps there. Eventually he finds the other person that survived, his father, and they leave the island on a monthly packet back to England.
I like the style that the author wrote in and how descriptive he was. I also liked the characters and how mysteries they were. I think this book is very well written.

Seventh grade English teacher here. I was looking for some extra reading to follow up a class read of Treasure Island. Although some of my students would have difficulty with the language in The Wreckers, I know many of them would love it. I was intrigued with the way Lawrence cast suspicion on all the characters so I didn't know who was trustworthy and who intended evil. In fact, I almost sneaked a peak at the end of the book because I was ao anxious to find out how the story ended. I'm planning to add this title to my classroom library.

Iain Lawrence does an excellent job of bringing his reader back and forth between what his main character Squid remembers as a child growing up on Lizzie Island and what she feels now, at the age of 17, as she returns to the island to see her parents after she went away to have the baby she became pregnant with at 13.
This book lets readers think about how they saw things as a child and how they realize how their thoughts and ideas have changed as an adult or even young adult as they follow Squid through this realization.
Lawrence's description of the island and the family that lives on this lonely island are captivating. You are instantly brought into a lightkeeper's life with his great imagery, and I thought once I could smell the salt in the air of my living room.
Even though this book was almost 250 pages, it was an easy and fast read that left me wanting to know what had really taken place on the island, what really happened to Squid's brother who mysteriously died before she left the island, and how her daughter, the baby girl she left the island to have, will react to this mysterious and lonely island, as well as her grandparents.

Recommended for older readers is Iain Lawrence's Lightkeeper's Daughter, a story of seventeen-year-old Squid, who returns home to her parents' isolated life on an island bringing with her a young daughter. Squid has a lot to face before she moves away from her parents: she resents them for their isolated life, blames them for her brother's untimely death, and seeks a closeness with them which might never be. Lightkeeper's Daughter is a warmly recommended story of family differences, strife, and the effects of an isolated environment on the family unit.

Set on a remote island on the western coast of Canada against a backdrop of wicked storms, anguished memories, and vast loneliness comes the beautiful and poignant story of 17 year old Squid and her family, the Mc Craes. Though much of the story is about Squid, the story is told mostly from the perspective and memories of Squid's mother Hannah, as the reader is drawn into the world of separation, and reunion.

Growing up on the remote Lizzie Island and as a lightkeeper's daughter, Squid could swim before she could walk, and had only met 50 people in her entire 17 years. Squid returns to the island after three years separation with her three year old daughter Tatiana in tow. The reunion is painful, and redeeming, much of it bringing back memories of accidental or perhaps suicidal drowning of Squid's brother Alistar, and of Squid's pregancy from a lone kyaker when she was 13 years old. Much of the conflict in this story stems from the death of Alistar and how each member of the family deals with the regret, guilt, and loss, and from the difficulties and beauty of living daily with isolation and often violent nature.

I loved this book, and think it would be a wonderful read for the older thoughtful teen reader. I thought the rating as a 14+ teen novel was misleading as the slow poetic pace and thought provoking nature of the book might not capture the attention of the average teen. But, the gift in this book for me was truly the beautiful langugage Lawrence weaves throught out the story...The descriptions of the sea and rugged beauty of the island were truly captivating.

My son loves lift the flap/pull the tab books so I thought this would be a good purchase for him. But the tabs are really hard to pull. I couldn't get some to move at all. He just gets frustrated with this book.

This book is the story of some cute mosters who live in "Ovadare" which is just outside of the human world. They frequently find items from the human world and try to figure out what they are. It features lots of pull-tabs, pop-ups and flaps for lots of exploration. The book sparks the imagination of young people as they try to figure out what the umbrella is for. A great adventure to share with your kids