First Place: The Lovely Bones by Rebeca Valescot (Grade 11)

The first sentence had me addicted to The Lovely Bones. I liked how the story was told from Susie’s point of view. I liked that Mr. Salmon knew that Mr. Harvey had killed his daughter and was so passionate to get justice. Even though Mr. Salmon got beaten while trying to catch Harvey in the cornfield, it showed that he had courage and guts. I think Alice Sebold intended for her book to affect the way we see others and ourselves, showing how one person missing or dying can affect a whole community of people. This book taught me to appreciate those around me better.

Although I think that The Lovely Bones was a good book, there were certain parts I didn’t like or understand. I didn’t like the part where Susie took over Ruth’s body but didn’t catch her murderer. If I had been killed and had a chance to be back on earth, I would get revenge on the person who killed me.

Another part I disliked was Mr. Harvey’s death in ice. I would create a more gruesome death for him.

I think having a death he deserved would make a better ending.

Second Place: The Wizard Heir by James Gonidakis (Grade 12)

I gave The Wizard Heir a solid ten out of ten for several reasons. The book was creative, fun, and easy to follow. I am a big fan of books that involve magic and combat. After having read The Warrior Heir, I knew I would enjoy The Wizard Heir. I enjoyed the plot at the Havens school and how Seph was being tortured with nightmares. It’s always a pleasant twist when the main character teams up with a suspicious character, in this case, Jason Haley. The parts that stood out for me were when Seph meets up with Jack and Ellen. I was able to recollect a little about The Warrior Heir and compare it to this sequel. I recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys action-packed pages and surprising twists. I

am looking forward to reading The Dragon Heir as well. Cinda Chima does a good job bringing her characters from her prequels into her sequels. The Wizard Heir was one of the best novels I have read in a while

made me laugh, cry, and wonder about how I am living my life. It is a great book that teaches people

to live life to the fullest and to take every opportunity in the world.

What stood out for me was how Randy was calm about his situation and how he had a positive attitude toward it. Moreover, his knowing that he would die soon, but not showing any signs of sorrow

was a surprise to me. It was interesting how he presented his lecture. My favorite part was when he brought out the cake for his wife.

Reading this book it was hard for me to believe that it was a true story because knowing that made it sadder. This book taught me many things about how to live life. Rest in peace, Randy Pausch,

First Place: The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Ashley Matos (Grade 11)

The Memory Keeper’s Daughter was, to me, a very good book. It had a very good plot that unfolded in a very interesting way. I liked the unpredictability of this book because not being able to tell what is going to happen next makes a book hard to put down and easier to get into. The part that stood out for me the most was when David Henry gave his daughter away just because of her disability. That part broke my heart because it was an example of how some people can have no respect for human life, even that of one’s own child. Another part that stood out was when Caroline took it upon herself to raise the child as if she were her own, rather than leave that small, helpless baby in the institution all by herself. My favorite character was Caroline because she was brave and strong. No matter what happened she didn’t give up on Phoebe as her own father did. I disliked David because of his giving away his new-born daughter without letting his wife know that the baby was alive. That made him selfish, because he was too worried about suffering if something happened to Phoebe. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter was a good book and I’d definitely read it again.

Second Place: Rucker Park Setup by Mark Jenkins (Grade 11)

Rucker Park Setup was a book I could really relate to because I used to live near the park itself.

I am a huge basketball fan and that helped me find a connection to the book. Reading the in-game sequences I would sometimes find myself sweating with anxiety, especially when Mackey got fouled with one second left. I was just wondering what he would do with his two shots. I put myself in his situation and I was boiling over with a cesspool of nervous anxiety. What I also enjoyed about the book was visualizing Mackey and the others playing basketball, although I did find the extreme pressure he faced with Fat Anthony to be frustrating. At times I disliked Mackey for his decision making and for not going to the police for help, but then I had to feel for him because a kid of that age deserves credit for handling the things he did. Surprisingly, I liked Fat Anthony’s character a lot, although from the beginning I had an uneasy feeling every time he was mentioned and sort of held a reader’s grudge against him for that. Nevertheless, he was such an immoveable force, dormant but with a penetrating vibe. What was interesting was finding out that Greene really killed J.R. Rucker Park Setup was a very entertaining book. It kept me sweating, wondering, and thinking all the time.

Third Place: Eclipse by Nicole Cavalluzzi (Grade 11)

I am absolutely NOT a fan of the Twilight series. However, maybe, just MAYBE, I thought, Meyer would change her 13-year-old way of writing and stop describing Edward as breathtakingly beautiful in every other sentence. I read the first book in freshman year, didn’t like it, and stopped there.

My friend, a fan, told me it gets better, though, and she took me, no, forced me to see the movie with

her. (It wasn’t any better, in my opinion, and worsened my thoughts of the series.) I didn’t bother to read New Moon that year but read it this summer to prepare for Eclipse. New Moon was aggravating.

I admit that I skimmed through it-- with care.

Now about Eclipse. I admit that Meyer is original in her idea. On the other hand, I don’t like the fact that she slaughtered the original vampire legend. It’s mostly her characters that make me want to throw the book across the room. In freshman year, I said that Bella is a Mary Sue. I take that back. Edward’s the Mary Sue (well, Gary Stu) while Bella is just annoying. She’s the heroine, but Meyer makes her so useless and in need of Edward to rescue her. I find it hard to believe that a war rages between two superior species over protecting someone like that. Also, the characters’ behaviors are too unrealistic (even for fiction) for me. Again, Meyer cut out the epic battle. Overall, I can’t take it any more. Will I be all right when my friend forces me to watch New Moon? I hope my brain doesn’t explode. With that said, I think Eclipse might be the best so far for me.

First Place: New Moon by Keyana Miller (Grade 10)

Stephenie Meyer’s New Moon is one of the most action-packed books in the series. After Edward leaves, the wolves are introduced and we get a better look into the life of one of my favorite characters. Jake is a free-spirit and the glue in Bella’s life. He’s the sole catalyst that’s keeping her from falling to pieces. One of the most memorable and heart-breaking moments is when Edward leaves and Bella goes into a deep depression. For me, it was unexpected but only drove me more to finish the book. I personally love the whole romantic aspect of the series. Edward was the forbidden fruit and Bella was drawn to that—which is why in the end, even after all her pain, she will still do anything for him.

Second Place: New Moon by Sarah Aufiero (Grade 10)

New Moon was absolutely awesome. I couldn’t put it down and I can’t wait to read the next one. Parts were sad, parts boring, then exciting, then cheerful. The part that stood out to me was that Bella leaves Jacob like that after all he did for her when Edward wasn’t there. I loved Jacob and I

dislike Edward. Jacob was so nice, sweet, and loving to Bella, a good friend. Bella led him on to think there could actually be something between them. Edward just picks up where he left off, but Bella still

chooses him. I know he left to protect her but he wasn’t thinking about who would protect her from herself. Monsters, myths, legends, everything you think would be fake is real and alive in this book. I

would tell all my friend to read it—that’s how good it was.

Third Place: The Dark and Deadly Pool by Ariana Robinson (Grade 10)

I usually fall in love with mysteries and I most definitely love Joan Lowery Nixon, but The Dark and Deadly Pool wasn’t what I expected. To start off, the story line went way too slow. Every event was predictable, with only a few suspenseful moments. My favorite characters were Mrs. Bandini and Mrs. Larrabee, minor characters, because they were smart and witty. They helped find the criminals

throughout the whole book and could spot even the littlest details about someone to help close the case.