Confectionately Yours Book #3: Sugar and Spice!

Title: Confectionately Yours Book #3: Sugar and Spice

Author: Lisa Papademetriou

Summary: Haley has finally gotten all the way used to living above Gran's tea shop and she now is happy to call it home. Haley has now found a new friend Meghan, and they are both becoming great friends. Things are going good with them, until Artie steps in and starts interfering with their friendship. Meghan and Artie just don't fit together, and Haley has to learn how to keep her frenenemy happy, but still manage to keep herself happy as well.
 

Comments: Haley is a likeable character in this small series, however, like all other trending books about middle school, this book is plagued with talk about "crushes" and "enemies" and the like. However, Haley is a sweet girl and the book is not over-the-top. I read this series first when I was 10, however, anyone above 8 could probably find something in it to relate to.

 

Complaints: This wasn't my favorite book, that is for sure, however, the series is pretty good considering what it is marketed as (trendy, tweeny, etc.).

 

Rating: 5 stars

Confectionately Yours #2: Taking the Cake!

Title: Confectionately Yours Book #2: Taking the Cake

Author: Lisa Papademetriou

Summary: Haley has sort of gotten used to living above the tea shop, and she finds it a bit fun to be able to go down and bake in the kitchen whenever she wants. But Artie has been acting even stranger then ever, and is now dating some dude. Haley suddenly begins to crush on Artie's boyfriend, which just makes things even worse between them. Will Haley be able to deal with all this stress?

Rating: 5 stars!

Complaints: none!!!
Comments: This little trilogy series is good, though drama filled in unnecessary parts. But it is a bit of a guilty pleasure for me, I think.

Confectionatley Yours Book #1!

Title: Confectionately Yours Book #1: Save the Cupcake!

Author: Lisa Papademetriou

Summary: 12 year old Haley's parents just got divorced and now she is stuck sharing a room with her little sister in the cramped apartment above her grandmother's tea shop. Also, her best friend Artie is acting stand-offish, and not very nice to her. Haley feels lost with everything in her life so jumbled up. But then, just when things couldn't get any worse, they do - her dad gets an annoying girlfriend that Haley knows she has seen with him before. As she begins to lose her friend Marco too, Haley is soon left all alone, with her cupcakes, sugar, and spice. Though, for the first time, none of that will make anything nice.

Rating: 5 stars

 

12 Finally!

Title: 12 Finally

 

Author: Wendy Mass

 

Summary: 11 year old Rory is SO excited to finally turn 12. Ever since she was really young, she has kept a whole list of things she can do when she is 12. But once she is 12, Rory changes. She wears makeup, gets a cellphone, gets a bunny, gets her ears, pierced, and attends a boy and girl party. But nothing is ever going the way Rory wants. Nothing is really what it seems. Rory learns that she shouldn't be in such a hurry to grow up, and eventually sits back and enjoys childhood, which is how she really wanted it anyways.

 

Comments: Rory is a likeable character, and I feel like she felt that as soon as she turned 12, she had to change who she was - she was ready to get a cellphone, a pet, ear piercing, etc. and everything goes wrong! In fact, it is pretty humorous at times.

Rory was in a phase of trying to be cool and popular (whatever that is? XD) and I like how at the end of the book, she realized she didn't need to change. Rory was a well developed character who learned continuously throughout the book, which made the end make more sense.

 

Complaints: None.

 

Rating: 4 stars

Out of My Mind!

Name: Out of my Mind

Author: Sharon Draper

Summary: 11 year old Melody Brooks has never been able to walk, talk, or do hardly anything by herself without help. The reason is because she has cerebal palsy that limits her body, - but definitely NOT her mind. She has mountains of things to say, and she can't. It makes her upset and frustrated. In this book, Melody takes you through her life, starting with the day she was brought home from the hospital, to the day she got on the Whiz Kids Quiz Team, and all her experiences in between. Once she finally gets a voice, not everyone is ready to listen.

Rating: 5 stars

Complaints: NONE!! BEST BOOK!! MUST READ!
Comments: This book is wonderful. Beautiful. Well written. Melody is a girl who has everything going against her, yet she still comes out on top. To have the privilege of seeing the world through Melody's eyes was just so amazing and deep. It was also interesting to see that a lot of the people that Melody was with acted different around her, without even meaning to at times. Like her teacher, even her friend Rose. The book takes the reader through Melody's life, from birth to fifth grade. This is a must read for readers of all ages.

Best Buds!

Petal Pushers Series Book #3: Best Buds
Author: Catherine R. Daly!
Summary: Del is excited for her birthday! That is until her enemy is having her birthday party on the same day that Del should be driving up to the beach, and she wants flowers with it! Del is so upset with her family for choosing to do the job over going up to the beach right away. She really isn't happy, and worst of all, she has to help! Will Del stand up for what she wants? Will she end up having the best birthday ever?
Rating: 5 stars
Complaints: None.
Comments: This series really isn't so amazing, but it is a fun read for a young reader searching for a light, carefree read with just the right amount of teen/tween drama without being inappropriate.

The Lemonade War!

Title: The Lemonade War

Author: Jacqueline Davies

Summary: Two siblings Evan and Jessie Treski go against each other in the biggest Lemonade War ever! They are trying to raise more money then the other, and they are both determined to win. Who will win the greatest war in Lemonade history?

Rating: 4 stars

Complaints: I thought that the book was a bit boring at some parts, and at a couple parts I lost interest, but over all, a really good and interesting book! Also, am I the only one disappointed that neither child was making lemonade from real lemons? What has happened to this world!? XD :P