The Seven Tales of Trinket by Shelly Moore Thomas

The Seven Tales of Trinket was a delightful book.  It is divided into 7 parts, each telling a certain tale.  They all follow a girl named Trinket and her friend Thomas the pig boy as she embarks on an adventure after he mother dies to find her father and, in the process, become a bard like he is.  Following a map of her father's that he had left behind before he left when she was three, Trinket and Thomas befriend a fourteen-telling gypsy girl, seek a child stolen by selkies, confront a banshee, outwit the dangerous fairy queen, fight a ghostly highwayman, and save a baby prince from death.  However, it is the seventh tale that changes her future forever.  I really enjoyed TSTT and would recommend it to boys or girls ages 10-14.  It was 360 pages long, however, they were rather small pages, so the book isn't quite as long as it sound.  Anyway, Happy Reading!

Redwall by Brian Jaques

First off, sorry for the lack of reviews this past month. I could list off all of my excuses, but I really don't feel like it. Anyway, here's my review.
Recently, I had to read Redwall for an English class I'm taking. We read a couple chapters a week and then answered questions about them. Because of this, my only problem with the book was that I couldn't read it faster. The book follows young mouse hero Matthias as he and the peace loving creatures of Redwall abbey fight against the nefarious rat Cluny and his evil army. I loved it. Not only was it incredibly gripping, it also was very well written. In the course of reading the book, I learned several new words. I recommend Redwall to both boys and girls ages 10-14. It was 351 pages. Happy reading, NNY'er

The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald

I read this book in a book club and there was one big thing I noticed.  Usually, people either really like this book or they loathe it (nobody in our group of girls ages 12-14 loved it).  The book follows the adventures of an 8 year old princess named Irene and a 12 year old miner boy named Curdie who both live on an imaginary mountain.  The mountain happens to also house goblins, in hollowed out caves inside of it.  While the princess and her nurse Lootie are out walking, they encounter one of the odd creatures and are saved by Curdie.  I can't tell you anymore without ruining the plot, but it involves goblins, stone clogs, an invisible thread, and Irene's grandmother.  From this description, one might wonder why not love the book, well, the plot isn't the whole picture.  You see Irene and Curdie, particularity Irene, aren't very believable characters.  Both of them are often too polite.  I have no objections to being polite, but Nobody is this polite.  Their politeness often gets annoying.  Also Irene, when not acting polite, often acts snotty and spoiled towards her nurse Lottie, who obviously loves her very much.  She also constantly cries.  That does get annoying.  But, if you can get over that, you will probably like this book.  I recommended The Princess and the Goblin for girls ages 6-12.  It is 262 pages long.  Happy Reading, NNY'er

Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster

The title of the book makes it sound like a book about bugs. DLL is not a book about bugs. The plot actually follow orphan Jeshua 'Judy' Abbot as she attends college. However, she's there by strange circumstances. When she graduated high school, Judy thought she was doomed to be sent off to a low paying, dead end job. Instead, a wealthy trustee of the orphanage in which she grew up agrees to send her through collage on two conditions.
1. She does not know his name
2. She sends him monthly letters
Judy readily agrees and soon gets caught up is college life; we learn about it through the letters she sends to the man she calls 'Daddy Long Legs', because although she doesn't know much about him, she knows he is tall. I personally loved getting caught of in Judy's world and I think many others would to. As learned when I bought the book, it is a classic, so a wide range of people would enjoy it, but I recommend it to girls 10+. Happy Reading, NNY'er

Countdown by Deborah Wiles

This book was probably not very well thought through. There were two big problems, but first I'll have to give you some background. There are many things I've noticed as a reader, the two you need to know now are these:
1. Kids often like to read about kids who are the same age or (more often) older then themselves
2. If you're younger then 10 you probably won't be reading very big (300+ Pgs.) books.
This book is about a young girl who is beginning 5th grade, who lived during The Cuban Missile Crisis. It is 400 pages long. As someone older than Franny, the protagonist, I found the story a bit young. But I know my younger sister (who is 10) would have been bored by it and probably never have finished the book. So really, unless you really, really like historical fiction, I can't recommend this book to anyone. Happy Reading anyway, NNY'er!

Cold Case by Julia Platt Leonard

Oz Keiller doesn't like having to go in early to take stock. But what Oz finds next sends bad morning into the 'worst morning ever' category. Oz finds a dead body. When his older brother is accused of murder, the day gets worse. The police aren't even looking for other suspects, so it's up to Oz and his friend Rusty to find the true killer. However, the path leads him to secrets about his dead father he never expected to find. I would recommend this book to kids ages 12-14. If you liked it you should read the Hardy Boys series by Franklin W. Dixon (boys) or the Nancy Drew series by Caroline Keene (girls). Happy Reading, NNYer!

The Year Money Grew on Trees by Aaron Hawkins

The Year Money Grew on Trees is an interesting book. It follows a boy named Jackson Jones. When his widowed neighbor convinces herself she has cancer, she becomes determined to find the 'true heir' to the apple orchard her husband once tended. Jackson signs a contract saying if he can earn over $8,000 he will own the orchard. Even with the help of his cousins, he doesn't realize that with 300 trees, $8,000 is nearly impossible. Because his neighbor gets the first $8,000 he earns, in order to pay his cousins he needs to make a lot. But can 6 apple novices pull it off? I recommend this book for kids 10-12 who are interested in farming. Otherwise, it might be dull. It was 293 pages long. Happy Reading, NNY'er!

Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix

An interesting mash-up of historical fiction and si-fi genres, Running Out of Time was a very interesting book.  It follows the adventures of Jesse, a 13 year old girl who discovers that she isn't really living in the 1800's.  As a matter of fact, She's living in a modern tourist site similar to Plymouth tourist site.  The catch, none of the kids know they are being watched, although the adults do.  When an epidemic occurs that kills several people and the doctor mysteriously stops handing out pills, Jessie's mother gives her some modern clothes and and helps her escape to get help.  But for someone who's never seen a car, telephone, or a TV, getting help will be harder then you would think.  Running Out of Time was a very interesting book and I really enjoyed it.  It was 192 pages long.  I recommend it for kids ages 8-12.  If you liked it, I suggest reading any of Haddix's other book, but especially the Shadow Children series.  Happy Reading, NNYer

A Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy

Because of the thousands of books authors have written over time, and the hundreds (literally) of books I've read, it seems to me that stories seem to repeat themselves. Somehow, I've never read a book quite like this one. Now, I'm sure somebody read that and thought 'You've never read a re-written fairy tale!' Well I have. I've read lost of those. This one is different. For starters, most 'new' fairy tales focus on the girl. They sometimes even make her the hero! This does quite the opposite. The storyline starts out soon after the Cinderella story ends. Because Ella has spent her life cooking and cleaning, she wants to discover the world, unfortunately, her groom-to-be, Prince Fredric (commonly known as Prince Charming), is afraid of his own shadow. So she runs away. Naturally, Fredric runs after her. While Ella is getting caught by a witch and escaping from the same witch, Fredric meets Prince Gustav, another Prince Charming. In order to convince people of his hero qualities he agrees to help Fredric. Long story short, Gustav (who is from the Rapunzel story) and Fredric meet the Princes Charming from the Sleeping Beauty and Snow White stories and the 'League of Princes' is formed. The princes soon encounter the witch and well, I won't spoil it for you. However, I will say it's worth reading. Even though the book is an impressive 448 pages, I was always on the edge of my seat. I recommend this for boys or girls ages 12-15.  If you liked it, You should try out the Sisters Grimm Series. Happy Reading, NNYer!

Theodore Boone: Vanished by John Grisham

When Theo's friend April goes missing, he starts searching. Unfortunately, the police aren't much help. But for good reason. Murder suspect Pete Duffy has also disappeared and he's a bit higher priority than April. Nevertheless, April is in good hands, because Theo won't stop until he finds her. This was a great book. I recommend this book for kids ages 13-15 (I might say younger, but this is a fairly large book) if you liked this read the sequel! Happy Reading, Native New Yorker!

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham

Theodore 'Theo' Boone has grown up around law. His mom is a divorce lawyer, his dad is a real-estate lawyer, and his only uncle is an ex-lawyer. So when Pete Duffy, a well-to-do man who lives in Theo's town, is put on trial for murdering his wife, it's no shock Theo is interested. When Theo digs deep, nobody believes what he finds. This was a very good book, Theo is a great character, and I would recommend his book for anyone ages 11-14. If you liked this, be sure to read the sequel, Theodore Boone: Vanished. Happy Reading, Native New Yorker!

Theodore Boon: The Accused by John Grisham

According to my dad, Grisham is a well-accomplished adult writer. I think he makes a wonderful children's author too. Theodore 'Theo' Boone is in the sticky spot himself in the third of his series. A local computer store was robbed and Theo is the prime suspect. The police think they've nailed him, so it's up to Theo to prove himself innocent. On top of being accused, somebody is out to get Theo. Slashed bike tires and his favorite baseball cap stolen aren't even the worst of it. This book kept me constantly turning pages. Grisham successfully combines funny and serious in a perfect blend. I recommend this book for any boy or girl ages 13-15. If you liked this, you'd like the other Theo books; Theodore Boone: Kid lawyer and Theodore Boone: The Abduction. You also might enjoy the Hardy Boys series and Nancy Drew series. The book is 272 pages. Happy Reading, NNYer!

The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan

TSS was a good book. However, it was fairly similar to the rest of the other books. There are a few surprises though, the first one is (SPOILER ALERT) that when Walt dies (yes he finally dies), well I won't tell you what happens, but it is very interesting. Also, a very interesting thing happens to Ra (I also won't tell you what that is). The third surprise is the best. Riordan hinted that (you'll have to read the book to find out). Ok, sorry, I'm not that evil. Really, Riordan hinted that he would be combining the Percy Jackson series and Kane Chronicle series! I'm very excited about this, I think the interaction with all the characters will be awesome. I recommend this book for kids 12-14, boys or girls. If you liked it, you really should read the PJ series (if only for backstory). Happy Reading, Native New Yorker!

Chomp by Carl Hiaasen

I learned something from this book that I probably never would have learned anywhere else. A Wahoo is a type of fish! Who woulda thunk it (Carl Hiaasen, evidently)? Anyway, Chomp, like may a book, starts out in a suburban home. But this home is no ordinary home. You see, Mr. Cray, the head of the house, is an animal wrangler. Wahoo Cray (named after the wrestler, NOT the fish), his son, knows their mortgage paymest are long due. When egotistical TV (not really) reality star Derek Bager shows up offering 1000$ a day to provide animals for his show Expedition! Survival, Wahoo excepts. After a crazy incident with an aligator, Derek deciders to do his own stuns. The Cray men he'd out into the FL Everglades with a friend they pick up along the way. When Derek goes missing and the friend's dad show up waving a gun around, Wahoo get way more than he bargained for. Chomp, like all of Hiaasen's books, was great. I'd review then too, but I read them a while ago so I'm not really sure of the details (and I never re read a book). Anyway it's totally worth you time to read Chomp. I'd recommend it for boys or girls ages 10-13. Happy Chomping, Native New Yorker! PS I'm looking for a new pen name, any suggestions?

Oopsie! by Native New Yorker

You probably haven't noticed I haven't posted in awhile. One reason is that I just haven't posted.  I've read more than ten books, but I haven't reviewed any... The other is that my system isn't the best. So, I'm simplifying it. Now I'm only going to post every Sunday. Happy Reading, Native New Yorker!

The Other Half of My Heart by Sundee Frazier

The Other Half of My Heart was an incredible book about biracial twins. Before I read this book, I had no clue twins of two different skin colors could exist. I though that a child of a black person and a white person would be the 'average' of the parents' skin tones. Yet Kelli's skin is a dark brown and Minni's (short for Minerva, after her grandmother) is super pale. The plot follows the two girls as they are sent to stay with their grandmother down south to compete in the 'Miss Black Pearl of America' pageant. The book revolves around the racism in the pageant, in their grandmother, and in the rest of the world. The book is told through Minni's POV, so you get to know her very well, however, I fell like you could get to know Kellie better. I subway this book for kids ages 11-13. I think this book is definitely worth the read. Happy Reading, Native New Yorker!

Above World by Jenn Reese

Every time I go to the library I literally look at all the books in the children and young adult sections. Like many of the books I read, I found Above World in this way. I expected it to be okay. It was much better. Above World takes place in a future world where due to overpopulation, technology was created to allow people to live underwater, in the skies, etc. The technology that allows Aluna and her friend Hoku to live underwater is failing. They travel to the above world where they are captured by the people of the sky. Aluna and Hoku befriend then and though a series of events they end up at HydroTech, where their technology is powered. It is there they must fight Fathom, an evil ruler who is stealing the power that should be used to fuel the technology of the undersea people. The book ends on a cliff hanger that is perfect. Keeps me wanting more, but not too much so that I'm dying and angry at the author for not writing faster. Above World is 368 pages long. There is a small amount of both romance and violence, but not enough that if would bother anyone who objected to those things. I recommend it for boys and girls ages 10-14. If you liked Above World, you might also like The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. Happy reading, Naitive New Yorker!

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay, the final book in the Hunger Games series, was very good. This book centers around Katniss's stay in district 13 and the uprising of the other districts. This book is probably also the one with the most romance drama and in the end you do find out if she ends up with gale or Peeta. Another (unrelated) thing is that this book is the only booking I ever read in which I cried. The ending is very full of both action and emotion. While the official ending would have left me plain sad, the prologue ends the book on a lovely bittersweet note. Mockingjay is truly wonderful book. This book, like the others, has plenty of violence. So again, be warned. I say 12+ for it, but a mature 12. Also if you have a lot of nightmares, this book is a bad idea. Anyway, I loved it, and if you did too, I'd read the first two Hunger Games books along with Collins's Gregor the Overlander book. Happy Reading, Native New Yorker!

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games was magnificent. Catching Fire was almost so. Don't get me wrong, it was good, just not 'that' good. In the first book, Katniss stirs up emotion in the districts by defying the rules of the Capitol's games. She is now marked for death by the Capitol. She gets sent to a new arena because it's the 75th games, a quarter quell. In this games the tributes are chosen from existing victors, so Katniss is shipped off for a second year in a row. But now she is a target of the Capitol. This quarter quell is a one to remember. After the perfect wonderfulness of the first book, I was hoping for something a bit better. However, I was satisfied. I recommend this book for 12+. Do take note though, this book also contains plenty of violence and at one point, Katniss gets drunk. So read with caution. If you liked Catching Fire, you'll probably also like Mockingjay, the final book in the trilogy, and the Gregor the Overlander series, which was also written by Collins. Happy Reading, Native New Yorker!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games was one of the best books I've ever read, and that's saying a lot.  The book follows a girl in her late teens, Katniss.  She lives in District 12 of Panem, a county ruled by the very rich who have no concern for the poor, except that they remain so.  As a punishment for the districts' rebellion almost 75 years ago, the Hunger Games, a reality TV show is held every year.  The Hunger Games is a show where two 'tributes', one boy and one girl, from each district are chosen to compete to the death.  After a very touching string of events, Katniss is ripped away from her life hunting with her friend Gale and sent to the capitol, where she will be trained to put on a good show.  I can't tell you anymore about the plot without spoiling it, but I will tell you that the action is plentiful and gripping.  Not only does "The Hunger Games" keep my attention, it makes me laugh, cry, and beg my mom to let me read just a 'little' longer.  The male tribute, Peeta, adds romance to the mix, many female fans end up on 'team Gale' or 'team Peeta', but it isn't the entire plot, so you won't get sick.  I think both boys and girls 12+ will enjoy this book, but parents, be warned, it's a book about cruel government who forces kids to kill each other, so take care, this book is not for the squeamish.  Anyway, "The Hunger Games" is 384 pages, and if you liked it, I bet you'll like "Caching Fire," the sequel, and "Mockingjay," the final book in the trilogy.  Happy reading, Native New Yorker!

Welcome by Little New Yorker

Hi, welcome to my blog!  I'm Little New Yorker; As you might of guessed by the title, this is a book review blog.  I'll try to review a new book once every four days.  Here's an example of what a post will look like.  The title of the post will the the book title and by (place authors name here) for easy searching.  Then I'll wright a paragraph or two about the book.  Next you'll get a few details about the book such as # of pgs., who I recommend this book to, and if I can think of anything, an if you liked this section.  Feel free to comment if you want more.  Bye!