Written by a fantasy writer and her college-age daughter, this definitely feels more like a fun mother-daughter project than serious sci-fi. There's more gossiping and bad-girl behavior than bloody ...
Common Sense Editor
- carriew
- California
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Titles You’ve Reviewed
Book: Marked: House of Night, Book 1
I rate this titleiffyand give itVampire series start is more gossipy than gory.
Book: Sir Fartsalot Hunts the Booger
I rate this titleonand give itGreat fun, and not nearly as crude as the title.
Parents of very reluctant readers need every trick in the book to get kids motivated. But will they stoop to indulging kids' natural tendencies toward bodily function humor? In this case, why not? ...
DVD: The Cheetah Girls: One World
I rate this titleonand give itBig tween fun as the Cheetahs take on Bollywood.
Young fans of the Cheetah Girls and their music probably won't be disappointed. Everyone else, well… While you'd expect more fun Bollywood beats to permeate the Cheetahs' pop sound, only two ...
Book: Ghostgirl
I rate this titleiffyand give itDarkly funny book is full of Goth-chic style.
With a Goth-chic book design and a popular Web site, GHOSTGIRL definitely puts style and dark humor first, but it's not without substance. Each chapter starts with a pithy paragraph about letting go, ...
Book: The Magician: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel
I rate this titleonand give itMagical twins take on Paris in exciting sequel.
THE MAGICIAN is just as fun and exciting as the first book, maybe more so because now Sophie's powers have been awakened and she gets to try them out -- and she's really got some neat tricks up her ...
Book: The Adoration of Jenna Fox
I rate this titleonand give itAmnesia's just the half of it for post-coma teen.
This sci-fi story definitely gets you thinking. Not only about what kinds of ethical decisions humans will have to deal with in the future (way beyond cloning), but also about what the cost is ...
Book: The Clique Summer Collection: Massie
I rate this titleiffyand give itRich-girl series is so materialistic it hurts.
This series releases one book a month during the summer of 2008; the first one -- MASSIE -- hit the top of the bestseller list right away. Kids who love reality shows and news about celebs like ...
DVD: Classic Caballeros Collection: Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros
I rate this titleonand give itWalt Disney's love letter to '40s Latin America.
These two films offer armchair travel for absolutely everyone. There's dancing, singing, bird watching, fine arts, native dress, rodeos, mountains, beaches, the pampas, big cities, and even wilder ...
Book: The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey
I rate this titleonand give itPositive lessons, but more danger than 1st book.
You can say the same thing about the second installment of the Mysterious Benedict Society as you could about the first: It doesn't need to be 450 pages long. But once again, the author's ...
Book: Sweet Valley High #1: Double Love
I rate this titleiffyand give itSeries revamp is the same mix of catty and cheesy.
The light-and-fluffy series every girl read in the '80s -- and way before high school -- is back with a 2008 makeover. The Sweet Valley kids now have cell phones and blogs, a school Web site instead ...
DVD: Drillbit Taylor
I rate this titleiffyand give itMore fights than laughs in Owen Wilson comedy.
Like a first-timer's fist fight, DRILLBIT TAYLOR is awkwardly and mean-spiritedly funny for a second -- until it's painful to watch. Wilson's comedic timing is always great, and the kids who play ...
DVD: The Seeker
I rate this titleonand give itDisappointing adaptation of a great kids' book.
Kids pining for a new Harry Potter-style fantasy film epic will have to keep the vigil going. Will Stanton, seventh son of a ...
