Flower Feud!

Title: Petal Pushers Book #2: Flower Feud
Author: Catherine R. Daly
Summary: A rival florist opens up a shop in town and buisness is going down! This new shop is so cool and modern, while Del and her family's shop has been the same since it opened. Then she finds out that the new flower store is being run by her crush's parents. Del is suddenly torn. What'll happen? This is a flower war!!!!
Rating: You should read the first book first, but after that one, totally read this one if you liked the first. This book rocks!

Too Many Blooms!

Title: Petal Pushers Series Book #1: Too Many Blooms
Author: Catherine R. Daly
Summary: Del and her three sisters are helping their parents run a flower shop that has been in the family for a long time. Then, they find out they are catering to a bride! Everyone is excited, until Del finds out that her enemy will be the junior bridesmaid. Will Del let this get in the way of planning the perfect wedding?
Rating: I finished reading the whole Petal Pushers Series and I loved every moment of it. I really liked this one though. It is really good!

Best Friends and Drama Queens!

Title: Allie Finkle Rules for Girls Series Book #3: Best Friends and Drama Queens
Author: Meg Cabot
Summary: Allie and her friends are excited when they find out a new girl from Canada will be coming to their class. The girl is Cheyenne, and she turns out be not so nice. Then things go from bad to worse. Cheyenne forms a clique where other girls help her case boys around the playground and then kiss them. She wants all the girls to start "going with" a boy, even though everyone is totally clueless as to what that means. Allie decides she isn't ready for this yet. Will Cheyenne do something to her, how will things turn out?
Rating: I really like the whole Allie Finkle Series, so I will be giving this one five stars!!! It is really good, and totally Allie!

11 Birthdays!

Title: 11 Birthdays

Author: Wendy Mass

Summary: 11 year old Amanda has always had her birthday party with her friend Leo. They are the same age and have the same birthdate. This year though, Amanda won't haver her party with him due to the mean thing he said behind her back last year. Amanda doesn't realize this is a mistake, and until she realizes that she must have her birthday with Leo, she will stay in the same day forever. Every day Amanda will wake up to her birthday but  one day when Leo and Amanda get back together. Will this stop the same day for repeating itself again? or will Amanda be stuck in the same day forever. Leo and Amanda go on an adventure discovering past secrets and things they never knew. 

Rating: Five Stars! I really like 12 Finally the second book in the series, but I've yet to read 13 Gifts! I will soon though!

The Babysitters Club Series Book #1: Kristy's Great Idea!

Title: Babysitters Club Series Book #1: Kristy's Great Idea

 

Author: Ann M. Martin

 

Summary: Twelve year old Kristy one day watches her mom try to find a babysitter for her little brother David Michael. This gives Kristy the idea to start a club where you can reach five babysitters at a time, and only have to make one call. She calls her three friends Claudia, Mary Anne, and Stacie, and soon the club is formed. Will it all work out as planned?

 

Comments: The Babysitters Club is really just such an iconic series; it shaped the lives of many girls growing up in the 90s when it was released and it continues to shape the lives of those (like me) who read the series now in the 2000s. This series of over 100 books is just such a part of pop culture; nearly everyone knows what it is. There have been movies, books, spin-off series by the author (Babysitter's Little Sister, Kids of Ms. Coleman's Class, etc.)

All the girls are likeable in this first book. The series, as it goes on, begins to deal with heavier topics, but this book is light hearted and really good.

This is just such a good series; you haven't read until you've read The Babysitters Club!

 

Complaints: None.

 

Rating: Five Stars!

Moon Over Manifest

Title: Moon over Manifest Author: Clare Vanderpool Summary: It is the hit of the Great Depression and Abilene Tucker is sent to live with a man named Shady in a town called Manifest, a place with a rich past and a bright future. Her father lived here as a child many years ago, and Abilene is excited since she heard many stories about this place. She is a bit disappointed to see that it is only some buildings and a school house. Later, she meets up with two girls Lettie and Ruthann. They search for the "Rattler after finding notes. Abilene stumbles upon old Miss Sadie the diviner who remembered the sad history of the town even when no one else could bear to remember. Abilene learns new things about her father and she is even learning clues to a mystery. What is the mystery and how will it be solved? Rating: Five Stars! This book is really good. It is long so you can read it for a good three days. It is a page turner and really good. It is scary, sad, and tragic, yet happy.  What do you think? We'd love to hear your comments!

Alexis and the Perfect Recipe!

Title: Cupcake Diaries series Book #4: Alexis and the Perfect Recipe

Author: Coco Simon

Summary: Alexis is a really organized neat cupcake club member, but wait until you really meet her. She has a big crush on Emma's older brother! This is her first love. Will she even survive? This causes lots of conflict with all the club members. Will she turn out alright and find the recipe for this? Also, how can she take on planning her older sister's big sweet sixteen party? 

Rating: All the Cupcake books are good, but this is really good. Alexis is a very innocent neat club member, but here you see her for who she is! Read this book if you liked the other books of the series!

Times Sqaured!

Title: Times Squared
Author: Julia DeVillers and Jennifer Roy
Summary: The Mills' twins are back in an all new adventure! This time it is in the big city of New York! They will be going on a field trip there with their drama clubs and mathletes. Payton meets up with her enemy Ashlyn the former owner of Payton's "Summer Slave" clothes. Is everything going to turn out wrong because of her? Find out in this all new adventure. 
Rating: This book totally rocks! It is a pretty big deal since it is in New York City. They are totally awesome twins, and the whole series is good, though I will soon be reading the last one! I'll tell you how it is!

Take Two!

Title: Take Two
Author: Julia DeVillers and Jennifer Roy
Summary: This is the second book in the four book series of Payton and Emma the identical twins.
The book picks up where Trading Faces left off. Payton and her new friends are helping make the set for the school play and Emma decides to tutor two identical twins. They turn out to be big trouble! The girls' trade places with each other, and cause mix up and mayhem. What will happen, and will they be found out?
Rating: This is a total five star rating. IT is just as good as the first book and if you liked that one, you'll love this one even MORE!

Trading Faces!

Title: Trading Faces
Authors: Julia DeVillers and Jennifer Roy
Summary: Two identical twins Emma and Payton have just entered middle school. They have opposite personalities. Except for their personalities, no one can tell them apart. The girls go through middle school fights and troubles and decide to change faces. They become each other and see what life is like for one and other. What will happen. Will their secret twin switch be found out?

Comments: This book is awesome! It doesn't have much "iffy" content, but I think it is better for those who are 10+, just because it will be more relatable with the "middle school" stuff and all.

Rating: Five Stars!!!!! This is truly the best book ever. This is a total must read, the whole series is! It is a nice challenge! This is a total must read. READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!

We'd love to hear your comments!

If you decide to read any of these books featured on this website, please be sure to leave a comment about your opinion. We love getting comments whether you liked the book or not. Even if you don't comment, we hope you still read the books. They are truly good! ENJOY!!!!!!:)

Rules!

Title: Rules

Author: Cynthia Lord

Summary: Twelve year old Catherine wants a normal life and a normal brother - one that doesn't have autism. She feels upset that her whole family revolves around him. She tries to teach her brother David to behave better by giving him rules. But during the summer, Catherine meets Jason, a nice boy in a wheel chair, and Catherine's take on disabilities slowly begins to change. Also, she has met a new next door possible best friend, but she isn't sure about this girl, and is surprised with her own behavior. What is normal?

Rating: Five stars. This book is really good and I recommend it. It is a story about a girl learning to except her brother's autism and she is finding that there really isn't any normal. Everyone is just themselves. 

Touch Blue!

TITLE: TOUCH BLUE

AUTHOR: CYNTHIA LORD

SUMMARY: Tess and her sister are living on an island in Maine, but the island may shut down the school, which means that her family may move. Tess and everyone else on the island do not want this to happen, so they decide to raise the school population and take on foster children. Tess and her family are given a thirteen year old boy Aaron. He is a really good trumpet player, but very shy and sad. Tess wants Aaron to see his mom again, so she plans a big plan. Will it all turn out, or will everything be left the same?

Ratings: Five Stars. This book was pretty good. It was interesting to hear about Tess and the foster child. It was a really cool island themed setting and I think it was very well written.

The Westing Game!

  Title: The Westing Game

Author: Ellen Raskin

Summary: Sixteen heirs, all living in Sunset Towers in Westingville, are called together for the reading of Sam Westing's will. He says he has been murdered and one of the sixteen heirs was the murderer. He sends all of them on a clue searching adventure to figure out the mystery. Who is it? Read and find out!!!

Rating: This is a five star rating. If you have played the original board game of clue, you will absolutely love this book. It is packed with suspense and a really awesome page turner! There are some more mature themes though, so I'd recommend it for 12+ or maybe a mature 10 year old.

Ida B.!

Title: Ida B........ and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and Possibly Save the World
 

Author: Katharine Hannigan
 

Summary: Ida B. is a fourth grader growing up in Wisconsin. She is happily living on a farm with her dog, cat, mom, and dad. She enjoys talking to the trees and brook everyday, and she loves homeschooling. Life is as happy as can be for Ida B. until her mother gets cancer and Ida B. is forced to go to regular school. Ida B. must quickly make up a plan, making lots of mistakes along the way.

Comments: I enjoyed this book. Ida B. is a likeable character and I feel that any reader could have a connection to her. I know that I did! I thought it was really neat that homeschooling was portrayed in such a nice light in a book too. There is tragedy in this book (Ida B's mother is diagnosed with cancer, etc.), but Ida B. stays likeable and relatable throughout the whole book.
While the book has tragedy in it, things aren't taken too far (such as they are in the book Nest). I would probably recommend it to children of the age 10+ (I read this book when I was 9).

Complaints: None.

Rating: 5 stars

Standing for Socks!

Title: Standing for Socks

Author: Elissa Brent Weissmen
 

Summary: One day Fara accidently wears mismatched socks to school one day. All her friends think it is cool, and Fara decides to keep doing it so she can make a statement. Then she gets a little upset that everyone cares about her socks and no longer pays much attention to her problems, or even her. She then runs for School President. She then learns she is running against her enemy Melodee Simon. Melodee's mother wants her to win, so she is doing everything she can to keep Fara from winning. Then, she takes it too far and gets Fara disqualified. What'll happen next?

 

Comments: I couldn't put this book down and I thought it was great and I loved the front cover. Fara is really just an average middle school girl trying to make a statement. I think it was a pretty light read, but it would be best enjoyed by those 10+.

Complaints: None.

Rating: 5 stars
 

Cupcake Diaries: Katie and the Cupcake Cure

 

(This is the first book in the Cupcake Diaries series)

Title: Katie & the Cupcake Cure

 

Author: Coco Simon

 

Summary: Katie is about to start 6th grade, the only problem is, she just lost her best friend to a group of mean girls. As Katie sets out on her middle school adventure alone, she comes across three friends and together they form The Cupcake Club.

 

Comments: This book is by no means "fine literature" or anything of that sort. The book is good though, and the characters all have a little something for the average tween reader to relate to. The book doesn't pretend to be something it isn't and its trendiness and middle school stereotyping (gossip, drama, boys, mean girls, etc.) is not hidden. For a quick and fun read for a tween, this is probably a good choice. I finished the whole series because the book really took me into the story. Also, more and more books are being released in the series (about 4 a year, I believe - 25 are out so far), so this is a fun series to get "hooked" on!

I feel as though I should probably title this book as the "21st Century, Baking version of the Babysitters Club", due to its story of middle school girls forming a club. The characters are quite similar too (I have always thought of Alexis or Katie as the Kristy Thomas of the club, Emma as the Mary Anne Spier of the club, and Mia as the Claudia and Stacey of the club - Babysitters Club fans will know what I mean!).

 

Complaints: None.

 

Rating: 5 stars.  

 

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Hi! I'm Elizabeth, a 13 year old girl who loves to read! I created this blog so that others who love to read can discover a new book or two. This blog features nearly 100+ book reviews on stories that are generally for the age range of 8 to 13/14 years of age. For more information on this site, please click on the "About" tab at the top of the page.

Happy Reading!

 

~Elizabeth