Elizabeth Eulberg takes readers into the lives of four teens trying to rise to the top of an exclusive performing arts high school in New York City.  In a world where everyone is in competition with each other, the characters Emme, Sophie, Carter and Ethan have much more in your face lessons to learn on whom to trust in their rise to fame.  Readers will gain empathy for Emme, the true protagonist of the novel.  Self-confidence is what she lacks and it takes a two true friends and one soon to be ex-friend to propel her into the spotlight and literally find her voice.  Chapters alternate between the four main character’s voices.  Eulberg writes each one so uniquely that it is easy to follow the storyline that weaves them all together.  Real teen issues are incorporated, such as alcohol abuse, so that any students will enjoy this read, especially those in the performing arts.  Recommended for all high school and public libraries.

Jamie Gordon feels naked without her camera.  Viewing the world through a lense is giving her more opportunities in life than just attending high school.  Becoming a paparazzo in New York City is fast becoming her only passion, even at the expense of her closest relationships with her boyfriend, her handicapped brother and her best friend.  When is is given the opportunity to be in the life of Willow Twine for a week during spring break of her sophomore year in L.A., she jumps at the chance.  Willow’s lifestyle teaches Jaime enough in one week, but is it enough to mend fences with those she loves the most?  Todd Stasser brings forth an interesting look from the camera side of the lense.  The writing style jumps back and forth chapter by chapter between current and past events in Jaime’s life which lead up to the somewhat climatic ending. Nothing to worry about if middle school kids wanted to read this, but they might not like such a choppy style.

This is a sweet little book, perfect for beginning readers, particularly little girls.  The title and book jacket illustration are somewhat misleading.  The cover shows a young girl spooning up an ice cream sundae–yum!  However, the sundae isn’t the dessert, she is–it’s her name.  Dessert is the eldest of four children, whose family owns a French-themed restaurant called ‘Fondue.’  As she starts third grade, she learns from her somewhat eccentric teacher to ‘walk to the beat of her own drummer.’  She uses this newfound knowledge to get her family to allow dessert, the treat, to be eaten first, rather than last, of the evening meal.  The story is fairly mundane, following Dessert around school and at home, having the typical issues that kids have.  Her biggest problem comes when she eats the entire dessert her mom had prepared in honor of her deceased grandmother.  The huge disappointment from her family causes Dessert to rethink her plans.  I was disappointed in the ending, because I thought Dessert would learn how to make and replace the eaten dessert herself.  Instead, she gets their restaurant’s bakery chef to make it for her.  Hummmm….not such a good learning moment.  Anyway, the recipe for the Double-Decker Chocolate Bars in on the back cover; I plan on making them to see if the book would be more believable as a cookbook.

Teddy, a boy whose parents live and work in the FunJungle theme park, knows FunJungle all too well, and finds out that Henry the Hippo was murdered. Teddy decides to investigate the murder himself which turns out to be life threatening when dangerous animals are set loose in Teddy’s presence. As Teddy’s investigation gets deeper, he finds out that a few more animals have died, and it all leads to an emerald smuggling operation. With the owner’s daughter’s help, Teddy exposes the guilty  parties and returns FunJungle back to a place that families can enjoy.

Sage is an orphan who is quick-witted, agile and clever.  Caught stealing meat, a country gentleman bails him out of trouble with the butcher and takes him from the orphanage.  Along with Sage, Conner, the country gentleman, procures two other orphans of similar looks and age.  The three boys accompany Conner and his companions to his estate, where the boys learn of the treasonous plot Conner has hatched.  Conner, one of the king’s regents, wants the boys to compete to become an impostor of the king’s youngest son, believed to have been lost at sea four years earlier.  Unbeknownst to the boys, the king, queen and eldest son have been murdered and the news of their deaths withheld from the public until a meeting of the regents to crown a new king will be held in two weeks’ time.  For two weeks, the boys are schooled in their country’s history, language and grammar, fencing, and horsemanship.  It is understood that the winner will potentially become the new king and the two losers will be killed because of their knowledge.  For two weeks, the boys train and each have their own talents and one of Conner’s cohorts champion and train them.  Sage is the most reluctant and defiant, which earns him punishment instead.

For the past four years, Sage believed that his parents did not love him or care about him.  His father gave some money to the orphanage to care for Sage, but it had run out long ago.  He had to learn street smarts in order to survive.  But listening to Conner, Sage realized that his father did love him and it was that love that sent him to the orphanage.  His father, the king, realized that a civil war was brewing and a plot to overthrow him was eminent.  He wanted to keep his youngest son, the brightest, daringest, cleverest son alive to someday assume the throne.  Conner’s plan to present Sage as the long lost son works, but then works to do him in, also.  This is a very cleverly written historical fiction which elementary and middle school libraries should have in order to introduce historical fiction to students, also to modern-day politics.

In this second installment of School of Fear, Garrison, Theo, Madeleine, and Lulu, are all returning to Summerstone and Mrs. Wellington, Macaroni, and Schmidty, for the required follow-up retraining session.  All four of the returning alumni believed themselves to be ‘fixed’ of their irrational fears, but we find that not to be true.  Shortly after their arrival, they find that Summerstone and Mrs. Wellington are the victims of thievery and burglary.  Mrs. Wellington, a former ‘beauty queen,’ believes it to be the revenge of failed competitors.  Meanwhile, a new student arrives, Hyacinth, with her pet ferret, Cereal.  The premise of this book is that EVERYONE is afraid of something, and that is normal.  However, it is the obsession and paranoia which accompanies some people’s fears that are not normal.  Hyacinth’s fear is being alone, abandoned.  We soon find that the others’ fears have not really been conquered, but merely better hidden.  Life goes on and within a day of arrival, all are on their way to a beauty pageant in which Mrs. Wellington believes the thief will be revealed.  But more importantly, Hyacinth speaks to a reporter at the pageant and reveals the deep, dark secrets of Summerstone.  This reporter threatens to reveal all about Summerstone and Mrs. Wellington’s extreme training techniques.  Everyone gives up hope:  Mrs. Wellington goes into seclusion, the kids are about to say goodbye, when the savior comes…….

This book is definitely quirky and fast-paced, and oftentimes gets confusing.  But the snappy dialogue makes it extremely funny and satisfying.  The humor is one reason I labeled it as a 4th grade and up read; I don’t think younger kids have developed that specific skill of humor as displayed here.  The characterization is spot on!  I actually look at some people who look like they have it all together, and wonder, ‘what is their fear?’  We all have them, it’s true.  Highly recommended for elementary and middle school libraries.

Ewe! Ick! I’ve heard of anglerfish before, and I know that down in the depths of the ocean where there is no light creatures have not evolved with physical beauty in mind, but yuck!  The color photos that fill this book bring to life in all their ugly detail creatures most of us will never personally encounter in our lives.  The text is packed with clear and understandable information about many species of fish that live in the depths of the ocean, including why they have adapted the way they have to their environment, how we study them, and some of the dangers they face.

Obviously trying to target reluctant readers with high-interest topics, this series seems to be more about marketing the substance.  This is the third one in the series that I have reviewed, and like the others, there’s much attention given to dramatic images and fonts, and just a little, relatively shallow, information (okay, I did learn that the legend of the Loch Ness monster has only been circulating since the 1960s, and that oarfish can be 50 feet long).  I guess it’s not bad for what it’s trying to be, but I think there’s better available.

Fans of Egan’s picture book, The Pink Refrigerator, will be able to follow the further adventures of Dodsworth in this series as he sets off to explore the world.  This is one of those bridging books for young readers that claims to be a chapter book (4 short chapters), but would be just as much at home among the Everybody Books, as there are full color illustrations on every page, with limited text.  As Dodsworth sets off to explore the city of Rome, the reader is exposed to a variety of world-famous landmarks, and his traveling companion the duck adds a bit of comic relief through his constant misunderstandings and near mishaps.  When Dodsworth loses his luggage and the pair have no money, the duck comes to the rescue by “finding” funds in the Trevi Fountain.  It’s a cute story, with a bit of humor, and it just might spark some students’ interest in seeing some of these places for themselves someday.