Just a Drop of Water by Kerry O'Malley Cerra

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Jake Green is struggling with every-day middle school troubles. He's annoyed that he's not the cross-country team captain, mad that a new addition to the team gets that spot, and even more angry when his old friends start welcoming the new guy who stole his spot.

Then September 11th happens, and his whole world is changed. His best friend Sam-- a Muslim American-- is suddenly distant and suspicious as the community begins to suspect his family had something to do with the attacks. Sam's mother is paranoid and moody and suddenly seems to not trust her son. Sam's father is still traveling, even in the aftermath of the attacks. And Bobby-- the school bully-- is worse than ever. He's even starting to become physically violent. How will Jake cope in a world where everything seems stacked against him?

If the reader can stick it through the build up of the first 30 or so pages, the book definitely hooks you as the events unfold. After reading the teaser, I knew the book would be about 9/11, and I think I was just anxious to get to that part in the book-- this made the beginning feel a bit slow. Though the book is slow at first, I really liked the point of view that this books shares. Jake's post-9/11 fears and anger will really strike a chord with adult readers who remember the experience, and it will do a great job informing younger readers about the true effects of that day on average American citizens. It also gives a timely warning of what happens when we allow our choices to be tainted with prejudice and unfounded fears.

 I'd give this book a 4/5 stars!

On the Fence By: Kasie West

I will be reviewing On the Fence by Kasie West, which would be categorized as a romance novel.

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Charlotte Reynolds, also known as Charlie, is a tomboy. The sixteen year old knows absolutely nothing about being a girl, so when she ends up working at a boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she has no idea how she will get through this. Other than that, she can’t let her three brother, and honorary fourth brother, Braden, know about what she is doing. It will surely not end well for her. She has also met a guy. A guy who has never seen the side of her that involves tackling a bunch of guys to the ground.

Because of all that is happening, Charlie has taken to having fence chats with her neighbor, Braden. This only causes another problem for her: she’s falling for Braden. How can see reveal this without jeopardizing her friendship with him?

What I didn’t like about this book was that it wasn’t very detailed in their surroundings, so something would happen and what I had pictured would be wrong. It’s just hard to change your view after you have had it a certain way for a while.

What I liked about this book is that she shows the main character’s relationship with her brothers really well.

I give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.

"Boost"-- A Great Book for Basketball Lovers!

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I'm a hard sell on books about sports. Sports aren't generally in my interests, but a good author can boost my interests (see what I did there?!). This is certainly true about Boost by Kathy Makel.
 certainly

Savannah "Savvy" Christopher and her family have had some seriously rotten luck over that last few year. After an accident ruins her father's professional golf career, Savvy and her family must move in with her great aunt halfway across the country from home. She has to make all new friends, cope with sharing a tiny room with her older sister Callie, and learn to work on her aunt's sheep farm. Things appear to get easier when Savvy makes in onto the 16 and under basketball team (she's only 14!), but her innate talent for the game and heigh make her not exactly welcome on her team.

To top off all of these problems, Savvy's sister starts acting strangely. One minute she's eating way too much, but then she's taking vitamin supplement to help her trim down for cheerleading. Will Savvy and her family ever get back to normal?

I'd give boost a 4 out of 5 stars. I really liked the story line, but sometimes I wished that the author could have been a little more descriptive. I really enjoyed the dialogue that Makel writes! Overall, it was a good read, and I'd recommend it to anyone-- especially those wanting to try a genre outside of what they might normally read.