Vocabulary.com

This is a great website for improving your vocabulary for the SAT or any other purpose. The vocab challenge ensures that words tested are not too hard or too easy. There is not a time costly pretest, as the program learns from your wrong answers and adapts itself to your knowledge. As a reward for mastering words, you can earn badges, much like Khan Academy. Each badge means that the owner has a minimum number of points. I have 99,525 points and a prodigy badge. To achieve the prodigy badge, you need a minimum of 10,000 points. There are also patches for achieving various missions, like completing a whole round without a mistake. You can see all your friends’ achievements in the leaderboard.

Vocabulary.com also has a dictionary.  One of my favorite parts of the dictionary are the funny, amusing example sentences that make words memorable. The dictionary is different from the usual dictionary because you can look for lists of words. For example, a search for partsof:bicycle will come up with a list of words and their definitions, all parts of a bicycle.  Any search using the syntax partsof:<your noun here> will find the parts of that noun. The dictionary will also find words that rhyme with a specified word. Look on the left side of the screen while playing the challenge for tips on special search syntax and other help.

Another feature of Vocabulary.com is the blog and word lists. The blog has various vocab related articles that are extremely interesting. The word lists are lists of words composed from literature or the dictionary that people liked. These include lists for practicing for a spelling bee, making the lists worthwhile to read.  At any time, you can choose to designate a word from the website dictionary or a list from the list library as something you would like to include in your personal quizzes. The whole site is also ad-free for a non-irritating learning experience.

The Secret Prophecy by Herbie Brennan

Sad But Exciting Mystery

When Edward "Em" Michael Goverton finds his father dead, he is devastated. Then men with guns show up. Em's whole world starts to collapse and a horrifyingly deadly, awe-striking conspiracy arises with Em right in the middle of it. What a mess!

This story starts out interesting, slows down in the middle, and then picks up again. An endearing main character ensures that readers won't put the book down. Constant twists and turns keep excited followers anxiously waiting for the climax!

I didn't enjoy the book as much as I might have due to the mild profanity the characters used. I know that this kind of dialogue becomes more common with tween books and above, but I don't feel it adds to a story and I don't appreciate it personally, so because of that I gave the book three stars.  Readers should be prepared for a sad ending if they are sensitive to that kind of thing.

Wildwood: The Wildwood Chronicles, Book 1 by Colin Meloy

A Tangled Tale

            When Mac, Prue Mkeel’s brother, is swept up by a flock of crows, Prue is forced to trail them into a forest aptly named the “Impossible Wilderness.” Rescuing one baby brother isn’t so easy. Entanglements with evil tyrants and talking coyotes delay things. Against such odds, even with the help from bandits and mystics, the question is, will she make it before her brother is sacrificed to a plant by a power-hungry governess? 
             I thought this book had a perfect mix of comedy and adventure action. The characters were both likeable and realistic, making the story believable. I thought the bandits in the story were an interesting twist on the typical, all-good protagonist model. The bandits fulfill the expectation of good/bad protagonists as they steal from good South Woods citizens while they bring down a tyrant. There is a twist in the ending that seems to sum up the story perfectly. Also, many people will enjoy the avid description in the story and realistic characters. Parents should be cautioned there is some swearing in the story, but I would definitely recommend this to other tweens.
5 Star Favorite!

Zip by Ellie Rollins

Whimsical and Sweet

One girl, five states, and six days to cross them in -- this is the situation Lyssa Lee is forced into when she finds that her home in Texas is to be destroyed. So, she hops on her scooter and heads home. Along the way, magical things, gifts from her late mother’s spirit, happen and speed her on her way. Will she make it? Regardless, it will certainly be a most fantastical adventure. This is a sweet story with a slow pace. Lyssa is a very lovable and believable character. The miracles along the way make the story seem quite light-hearted. This is a book to read to lighten a depression, as it has a sense of joy about the plot. I would definitely recommend it to younger readers. Older readers may find it boring. However, if you like miraculous, feel-good stories than this book is for you. Personally, I thought that Lyssa should work a little harder for her goals.

Madison Morgan: When Dogs Blog (Vol. 1)

Dog Lovers Delight

Madison Morgan is unhappy. She doesn't understand boys and fashion, nor does she understand her friend Paige's interest in those things. What she really wants is a dog, but Dad says no. On top of all this, the school bully picks on her and her friend Cooper constantly. Cooper has a dangerous secret too, and her step-dad manages everything just a bit too much. The tale about how all this gets resolved is an interesting mystery that puts many dogs at risk. Though the pace of the book was a bit slow for my tastes, I would not say it was boring and I still found it a good read. I like how the main character, Madison, expresses her thoughts to the reader. The well-rounded characters had interesting quirks and personalities that brighten the whole story. I would recommend this book to others from ages twelve plus for its winding plot. Note: Parents should know that the story contains an occasional mild swear word.

A Boy And A Bear In A Boat by Dave Shelton

Boy And A Bear Bantering

When a boy steps in a boat with a bear, he doesn't expect this voyage to be anything special, but it is. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, like a lack of food, this turns out to be one eventful sea voyage. I thought this book was amusing, but the plot was fairly simple. The obstacles could be exciting at times, but the book remained only moderately interesting. I liked the sibling-rivalry-style relationship between the boy and the bear. The bantering dialogue between the characters was the most entertaining part of the story. However, the characters' objective at the start of the story is never fulfilled and leaves the reader with an open ending at the conclusion. This story was listed in the Tween category, but I feel it is probably more suitable for younger readers.