The New Kids on the Block as civil rights workers in teen fiction??? Yes, it is possible with this book.

En route to a show, the Boston 5 help a Native American reservation and use their star power to bring the plight of this group to their predominately Anglo target audience.

Although I intially bought it when I was in Junior High because Donnie had a staring role in this predictable adventure, some parts of this book are really incredible when it is understood that the New Kids were a very early and original version of the boy bands of today. Yet, because the author's attempt does not create a modern day Billy Jack (where a peace activist provides shady justification for his use of violence while helping Native American children) it is far more interesting than it could have been.

Throughout most of the story, Donnie and the others act as mentors to the American Indian youth and learn about their friend's lives. Although the mentor plot is some what condescending in parts (after all, the book does not mention that Native Americans such as Lenoard Peltier and the American Indian Movement have long been at work on these issues) it also is a good attempt at trying to reach young minds.

While not at all known for writing political books, the authors are careful to avoid preaching to the target readers, and enough material is woven into the otherwise flimsy storyline to encourage children to think about others who may be different from themselves. Since the 1980's was filled with doomsday reports that 60's style activism was all but dead in the age of greed, this remained a nice suprise.

At the same time, there are moments where older readers (even those who grew up with NKOTB) will detect the saccharine plot and wish for something more substantial. Duh, of course the New Kids are going to help the less fortunate and help expand the conciousness of their fans.

Still, not bad for a pre-teen marketed group. Donnie's not Abbie Hoffman or Martin Luther King, but he is given some nice lines in the blook.

Sabotage at sea is enjoyable, with fast-paced action and mystery. I recommend this for any fan of the series. But if you haven't read any Hardy Boys books, I suggest starting with the first book of the series.

It's interesting. I've read this book in my school library. I simply love Ruth Young's books. But this one is fine. I think he can make this book better than this. I wish he could use more beautiful phrases and words that can express the feelings of the characters in the srory better. If he really rewrite this book but this time writing those into the book, I would love to read it. I wish when I finish that book, I will give it five stars when I write a review of the new book.

Being a gifted student at my school, I can honestly say this book was filled with more myths then facts. The authors can't compare to how hard my life is, being labeled as a "geek" and "insane". The quiz in the back of the book is suppose to tell you if you are or not in fact gifted. For example, if you answer yes to some of these questions, you are gifted: 8. Do you find a lot of school lectures boring? (Every student in the world does) 1. Do you think about a particular subject more then other kids your age? (Unless it is Dawson's Creek or 98 Degrees) 31. Do you ever read the encyclopedia for the fun of it? (Well, who doesn't?) 30. Do you like to read? (Teen People and Cosmo girl) My personal favorite: 33. Do you ever consider a lot of teenage fads dumb and a case of herd-following? (I think you can think of your own sarcastic remark for this one.) My five gifted(as told to us by school tests, not the book's) friends and I had a ball laughing about this. The book should be under the humor section, not in the self help part of my library. Five words: Save your money and time.

The reason I gave this book two stars, is because we use this book in our class all of the time. Most of the stories and poems in here are hard to understand and complicated.

I know that you are supposed to use your mind, and there is no right or wrong answer, but you can not use your mind if you dont know what is going on. I keep getting zero's on my daybook assignments, because all I can put in the margins or the pages to write what you think, is that I can't write anything because it was hard to understand, so I get zero's for not understanding, and that to me isnt fair! So, I think that if to this book you tell your opinion, I think that if your opinion is that you didnt understand it, than that should still be counted as "no right or wrong answer".

But besides that, it is a good idea.

Two people who have Ph.D.s should have learned long ago to research the topic they're going to write about, espiecally if they are against it. I am not a Satanist, but, as someone who studies religions, I feel the best way to research and talk about a religion is by reading the major books about the religion. They mentioned Anton Szander Lavey twice in the book, and never sited anything from "The Satanic Bible". This was very convienant for them because, if they had, they would have learned that it actually says the words "Satanists do NOT sacrifice humans or animals"... as well as "Satanists do not take part in rape, child molestation, or defilment of animals". If they would have researched, they would have found that they were wrong.

Aiight first off I wanna state that I am a Christian and this is not a slam on Satanist cause I have friends who are. Satanism is a religion,not a disease. It is not the evil influence of Heavy Metal and such stuff cause I myself listen to Metal and used to be a Satanist. Books should not be written to run down Stanists,no one does that to Christians...So,this book is plain out and simply another false illusion and all copies should be burned...

I tried not to be overly objective and I also attempted to be open to the contents of this book, I still found some things very hard to swallow. I have not yet fully completed my reading, but I will tell you this...Satanism is not a mental disease. The mental disease area belongs to those who think as this book reads. I have been a Satanist my entire adult life. But to tell me that I have a mental disease not a relgion is just the same as saying that all Christians and Catholics are diseased. If you do read this book, just remember...those who write about what they do not know spead a sead of misinformation and seads of the brain if used unwisley can be very distructive. I will give you a full editorial when I am finished from cove to cover.

The book is not well written and has many flaws and supports myths about sex. Masturbation and incest are mentioned by the author as sole male prerogatives, while there is enough evidence to the contrary. Also, book seems to have a feminist undertone when the author mentions that male baby sitters should watch out implying that male baby sitters should not be hired.Rape and sexual harrasment are mentioned by author as a crime by a man against a woman. She conveniently forgets that all women have masturbated some time or the other, there are as many cases of female committing incest (on sons, nephews, cousins), females raping males and females harrassing males. Such views and support to myths about masturbation and incest by author who claims to be authority on these topics make this book a bad choice. Many better books available.