Tessa Scott is sixteen and knows that her cancer will kill her long before she reaches independence. She makes a list of life experiences to collect before her death and sets out to accomplish them. The list begins with sex, drugs, recklessness and crime, and as she ticks each one off she refines her choices to better reflect what she discovers about herself. She is raw with anger, but as she develops she finds ways to make others relate to her as a person, not as a person who is dying. I have so much sympathy for this character. She reminds us that individuals matter and that each life is important. This is a book that delivered way beyond my expectations.

Reviewed by Catie R., Main Library

Add your comments about this book

Anyone who ever read the Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery might have wondered what Anne’s life was like before she was adopted by the Cuthberts. In Before Green Gables Budge Wilson tries to answer that question. The reader gets to meet Anne’s schoolteacher parents and find out the tragic circumstances that led to her time in the orphanage. You see how Anne’s childhood experiences begin to shape her into the young woman immortalized in Montgomery’s series. Wilson does an excellent job of reinventing a very beloved character. Both her writing style and her portrayal of Anne’s character are very similar to Montgomery’s works. This is a must-read for Green Gables fans!

Reviewed by Jessica B., University City Regional

Add your comments about this book

Set in the slums of Brooklyn during the early part of the 20th century, Betty Smith’s timeless coming of age story has charmed readers for over fifty years with its descriptive passages, richly developed characters, and universal themes. The story centers on the Nolan family and is told through the eyes of Francie, the intelligent and imaginative daughter of immigrants. The author explores themes of poverty, alcoholism, the value of education, and the strength of family, as well as the experience of immigrants who came to this country in search of a better life. Readers young and old will cheer for Francie, forced to leave school early, mistreated by fate and people—as she pushes forward, spirited and determined.

Reviewed by Staci F., South County Regional

See more titles featured in American Classics

See more titles featured in Books for Book Clubs

See more titles featured in Oldies but Goodies

See more titles featured in Books for Teen Book Clubs

See more titles featured in Coming of Age

See more titles featured in Adult Books for Teens

Add your comments about this book

My favorite book is The Little Prince because it leaves the imagination full and the heart young.

Reviewed by Kate B., Actress

This book review was submitted by a celebrity reviewer.

View more Celebrity Book Reviews

See more titles featured in Oldies but Goodies

Add your comments about this book

My favorite book as a young girl was The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, and it is still one of my favorites. This is a book that can be read by both children and adults. It has a message of love that is true and touching, and it is a book that has stood the test of time.

Reviewed by Barbara W., Broadcast Journalist

This book review was submitted by a celebrity reviewer.

View more Celebrity Book Reviews

Reader's comments about this book

I read excerpts of this book in high school French class. I recently read the whole book in English. It's a really great book, and it really makes you think. I highly recommend it.
-Melanie, Huntersville, NC

I love this book. I read it since like fifth grade and I still appreciate it until now. I really get annoyed when someone in class says it's boring. It's not! The book is full of lessons, it makes me laugh, cry and think about life. How could that be boring??
-Marylette, Philippines

I think the book is great... it has lots of things that you can learn. Although it looks really shallow, it actually has some really deep lessons wherein not only the children can relate but also the adults.
-Dana, Tacloban, Philippines

I read a lot, but the meaning of The Little Prince does not make sense to me. I fear that I have become a "grown-up," but the true meaning of this story was not lost on my daughter (who is two). Every night it is the first book that she chooses, and even though I don't understand, I will always read it to her, and be amazed at her understanding of it all.
-Tarra, Lethbridge, Alberta

This is a great book!
-Halie, Valenzuela, Philippines

The book was really great! I really love it!
-Rachelle, Legazpi City, Philippines

I think that this book is extremely amazing. I absolutely love it. It is definitely my favorite book and it has taught me a lot of lessons about life, love, and friendship. I love it!
-Becky, Falfurrias, Tx

It's a great book that reflects the reality of what grown-ups are really like! A good book, especially for kids.
-Cedrick, Zamboanga City, Philippines

This book is an ordinary story with an extraordinary lesson.
-Magnolia, Tacloban, Philippines

Little Prince is a good book. It gives maxims to those who scrutinized the whole story. Aside from that, it is also funny and cute. The illustrations drawn by the author let me enjoy it. I love the book!
-Belle, Davao City, Philippines

It is a treasure. Read it to your infants.
-John, Brisbane, Australia

Innocence is a way to heaven! Magnificent book.
-Ryan Jay Deposoy, Dumaguete City, Philippines

I really love this book! When I first read it, I was touched.
-Kammy, Sichuan,China

I love this fairy tale from the first sight, it helps me to recall beautiful memories. Maybe we are all the little prince when we are young, but now we have lost this ability.
-Hana, Changchun, Jilin - China

I read this story in French in high school and loved it - then I read it again in English and fell in love all over again...such a cute story!!!!!
-Nurdan, Pleasantville, NY

I think this book is great. You learn together with the main character, the pilot. The Little Prince's views on life really make you think.
-Eng, Petaling Jaya,Selangor

I have read this book time and time again. It has been 15 years and reading it again never fails to make me ponder and cry over the sadness of life's truths.
-rose anne dela cruz, san fernando pamp philippines

This book reminds me of someone who gave it to me as precious gift in my college years! The book correlates to all kinds of relationships in life and how we handle them both by heart & mind.
-Jennifer RB, Victoria, Australia

I think the "Little Prince" is an amazing book to read, not only for adults but for children too. I was really toched by this book.
-Erica, New Jersey

This book’s wisdom is in its metaphors. Each one can be fully appreciated and perceived in ways more than one. it is surprising that The Little Prince was stacked among the books in the children’s section of the bookstore. Its colorful illustrations may be one quality but the profound wisdom it imparts is far from the grasp of a child.
-johnnymoksanim, Wando, South Korea

Add your comments about this book

Every girl should read this book. For ages 10 and up, it is a work of art about the life of an orphaned girl in the early 1900s and the family that takes her in. Anne is high spirited and is constantly getting into scrapes, but she is a loving person we can relate to. Her mishaps are funny and her tenderness endearing. While Montgomery`s only real purpose is to entertain readers with the story of Anne`s life, it has become world renowned and translated into many languages. Set in Montgomery`s home town of Prince Edward Island, Canada, she does a splendid job of depicting this gorgeous setting.

Reviewed by Lauren B., Charlotte, NC

Reader's comments about this book

This book is wonderful! L.M. Montgomery shows with many details the life of Anne, a high-spirited red-head. If you have ever been to Prince Edward Island, where the book is set, it will make the experience of reading it more meaningful! The movies with Megan Follows are magnificent as well... read the books first though... it will make the movie easier to follow.
-Morgan, Glenburn, Maine

Crazy good!
-Anne, Winnipeg

Add your comments about this book

Bandits lurk along the road, hunger haunts desperate households, and the Lords of the Kingdom sit safely in their castles, immune to the plight of the People. As times grow harder, the innkeeper's daughter, Gywn, listens with sympathy as the ancient tales of Jackaroo circulate afresh. Surely a legendary bandit hero, champion of the poor and bane of the Lords, is merely a wistful fantasy...or is he? Be prepared for an enthralling tale of personal heroism and unexpected sacrifice as Jackaroo rides once again!

Reviewed by Jennifer H., Cornelius Branch

Add your comments about this book

Phileas Fogg is a walking clock. He knows exactly how many steps he walks each day to the prestigious Reform Club of London, he requires his manservant to draw his bath to a precise temperature, and prepare his meals at a stipulated minute of the day. One day his Reform Club colleagues pose that it would be impossible to travel around the world in less than 80 days. Fogg counters that he could make the journey in 80 days or less. He wagers 20,000 pounds on the claim, and within 24 hours he and his newly-hired manservant, Passepartout, are off. Do they make it back to London in eighty days and win the 20,000 pound wager? Read this fascinating classic and find out.

Reviewed by John Z., North County Regional

Add your comments about this book

What race am I??? True Son has the white man's blood coursing through his veins. But he lives happily with the Native Americans who kidnapped him from his white parents when he was just a child and raised him as an Indian. Now the white soldiers have come to "free" such individuals as True Son. But True Son rebels at the idea of returning to live with the white men. "I spit on white men," he says even as soldiers escort him back to his white parents' village. Will True Son actually find happiness in the white man's ways? Will his white blood triumph over his Indian upbringing? Or will his passion for his Indian family draw him back to those who have raised him?

Reviewed by John Z., North County Regional

Add your comments about this book

When I was growing up reading was important. We read for entertainment and knowledge. We didn't have television. We didn't have video games. We didn't have the Internet. Books such as The Call of the Wild, Treasure Island and The Last of the Mohicans introduced us to worlds we could only imagine. But my favorite book was Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. Today, I continue to read every day. I read newspapers, legislation, periodicals and journals. I read novels about history and sometimes I find time to read fiction. But mostly, as I did when I was a child, I read to learn. Due to the ease in which children can obtain material to read today, it has never been more important to do so. Information is power. The more you read, the more you know and the more successful you will become. Take advantage of the resources available to you. Because for every hour you waste watching television, someone else is taking that time to read and learn.

Reviewed by Bob D.

This book review was submitted by a celebrity reviewer.

View more Celebrity Book Reviews

Add your comments about this book