Panama by Shelby Hiatt

The story I read about is a girl who is fifteen year old and her name is Panama. Panama’s family is going to Panama to build canal because the U.S. government has asked them to. When Panama gets there she meets Harry through her father.

There are different types of people there, like Harry who is black and has blue eyes and can speak his tongue and other languages. Panama gets to meet the other people in Harry’s house where the he is staying. Panama ends up meeting Federico and falls in love with him.

While Panama was there, there was a problem which got sorted out. Then it’s soon time for Panama and her family to leave which means she won’t see Harry or Federico again. At the end of the story Panama ends up having two children, being married, having a house and graduating with honours.

Andrea B.

The School for Dangerous Girls by Eliot Schrefer

4.5/5 Stars

The main character in this book is a girl named Angela. She is sent to Hidden Oak after her grandfather dies and she is believed to have killed him. While she is at the school she learns that the ‘golden thread’ girls get reformed and the ‘purple thread’, or bad girls, get locked away and beaten/killed. This is a very good book and I would definitely recommend it, however, it lost points because I thought the ending was too much of a cliffhanger.

Kelli B.

2011 White Pine Titles Announced!

Borderline

By Allan Stratton

An exciting thriller about fifteen-year-old Sami whose life is turned upside down when his father faces terrorism charges. With the help of two friends, Sami attempts to prove his innocence.

Fear the Worst

By Linwood Barclay

Sydney Blake, a young teenager, does not return from work one night and her father Tim is forced to confront his worst nightmares as he searches for his missing daughter.

Fishtailing

By Wendy Phillips

Fishtailing is a gritty free verse exploration of the teen experience as seen through the eyes of Natalie, Kyle, Tricia, and Miguel. These four teens learn first hand what happens when situations get out of control.

Gravity Brings Me Down

By Natale Ghent

Sioux Smith is a high school student who makes keen observations about her teachers and classmates. Her life is made complicated by her friendship with an elderly woman and by knowing a secret about a popular teacher.

Hearts at Stake

By Alyxandra Harvey

Solange Drake is unique as the only female soon-to-be vampire born in 900 years. She is also the instrument in a prophesy that would see the elimination of the current vampire queen. Solange must rely on her own wits, her best friend, and the brawn of her many protective brothers to overcome the life-threatening situations that her existence invites.

The Monkeyface Chronicles

By Richard Scarsbrook

Philip Skyler is born with a facial deformity that impacts every aspect of his life --from school achievement to interpersonal relationships. The novel follows Philip from age 13 to adulthood climaxing with his triumphant return to his home town and people who provided the backdrop for the struggles and trials of his young life.

Swim the Fly

By Don Calame

Matt Gratton and his two best friends Coop and Sean set high goals for themselves. Their collective goal -to see a real, live naked girl!

Some Girls Are

By Courtney Summers

Regina, a high school senior in the popular crowd, suddenly falls out of favour and becomes the object of the same sort of vicious bullying that she used to inflict on others.

The Second Trial

By Rosemarie Boll

Danny McMillan’s father secretly abused his mother. One night, he goes too far, is arrested and convicted. The family’s trials begin when they enter witness protection and try to rebuild their lives.

The Worst Thing She Ever Did

By Alice Kuipers

Grief and guilt have Sophie in a strangle-hold. She must confront the horrific events in her past in order to begin living for herself again.

Message in a Bottle by Valerie Zenath

4/5 Stars

Where the story is taken place (Jerusalem) there is a war going on and Tal’s older brother is a solider. After a bomb attack at the local café she asks him to drop a bottle with a letter inside in the ocean. A few days later Tal receives an email from a boy around her age from the country that they are at war with. At first the boy is very sarcastic and careless about Tal’s feelings and emotions. But after half a year of sending emails he falls in love with her!

Madeleine P.

Dadnapped

4/5 Stars

Melissa Morris is the daughter of best-selling mystery writer Neal Morris. Instead of spending quality time with Melissa, Neal seems more interested in creating exciting missions for Tripp Zoome, the imaginary hero he’s made famous in his books. But when her dad gets kidnapped by crazy fans Melissa cleverly taps in to her own inner “Zoome” and comes to the rescue.

Tanya S.

The Genius Wars by Catherine Jinks

4/5 Stars

The story takes us into the life of Cadel Greenaius, a boy genius who, from an early age, was brought up in a society where using his unique gifts to help a criminal empire was the only life he knew. Once thought to be the son of Prosper English, a feared crime boss who’s empire had its hands in every dirty secret around the world. Times have changed and Prosper is now in prison, far away enough from Cadel that he can finally have some semblance of a normal life.

The story brings us to Australia where Cadel and his friends are attending school. Cadel is trying to figure out a way to help Sonja, his best friend who has cerebral palsy and also a former member of the Genius Squad, to deal with day to day difficulties. Such things as pressing a button to the elevator or pushing the button to open handicap doors. While attending class with Hamish (also a member of the dissolved Genius Squad) he is whisked out of class. The reader is introduced to Detective Inspector Saul Greenaius, who at one time was assigned to protect Cadel and has now become his foster father. Saul brings Cadel grave news with him; Prosper has broken out of prison and is on the loose. Cadel is shown numerous sightings of Prosper all around the country, but soon realizes that it is only a program designed to make it seem as though he is in places that he is not. Cadel is taken to a safe house while the threat subsides. Soon afterwards he is taken out of protection to be back with his friends at school when Sonja’s wheelchair is set on a crash course aimed to attack Cadel. Sonja is taken immediately to the hospital where she is treated for numerous injuries that include a broken leg.

Time passes with knowledge that Dr. Vee, a former teacher of Cadel’s at the Axis Institute, has been tracking Cadel and those who are close to him through the CCTB surveillance cameras. This forces those around him as himself to disguise one another in ridiculous outfits. This is because of being tracked by the measurements of their bodies, rather than the person as a whole, essentially hiding from Vee and others who are working for him. It shows the reader just how much danger is posed to the world with so much technology that if it falls into the wrong hands, which it has, what can ensue and potentially destroy countless lives.

Cadel and Saul, with the help of old friends and new faces, battle back against Proper’s goons and take the fight to them with plans to find out who has been tracking them so far within Australia itself. Disaster strikes hard when a rogue school bus crashes into Cadel’s home, sending Saul to the hospital and turning everything and everyone upside down. Cadel decides it’s time to take matters into his own hands and takes off to America to track down a source that might just lead him in the right direction. He finds himself in Lost Angeles and where he meets Kale Platz; one time saviour of Cadel, from the FBI. Kale brings him to a seaside estate where Cadel’s greatest fears are confronted for the final showdown.

Those who have read the previous books (which I have not) will enjoy the cat and mouse chase between both sides of the spectrum and the reuniting of former associates that have played integral parts in Cadel’s life. The bond that is created between the reader and certain characters within the story brings us ever closer to the action and pain which is shared equally between each of them. The finale of what I assume to be a great series leaves us with one final mystery that keeps the reader craving for more answers from the life of Cadel Greenaius.

Michael S.

The Zombie Queen of Newbury High by Amanda Ashby

It was a very good book about a girl named Mia Everett who thinks her date to the prom, Rob Ziggerman, is now going out with the popular cheerleader, Samantha Griffin. Mia and her friend Candice buy a “love spell” to get Mia’s date back. It turns out that the spell Mia bought was a spell that will make everyone zombies and Mia is their queen! This guy named Chase (a professional zombie hunter) helped Mia out of a few very sticky situations and falls in love with her along the way. In the end everything is back to normal, almost.

Catie H.