The Black Sheep

The Black Sheep
by Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout
ISBN: 978-1-4231-0156-7
YA, Fiction: Ages 12 and up
Hyperion Books for Children
Reviewed by Terry South for Quality Book Reviews

The Black Sheep is a funny and entertaining read. The setting is New York and then off to California. It begins as Kendra Bishop a fifteen year old who has had enough of her parents and all their rules; they even keep a binder filled with these rules. There is a reality TV show that offers teens a chance to swap families, so Kendra decides to write to the show for her chance to get away from it all. The winner is chosen on the basis of the most pathetic letter written, Kendra is excited to find she has actually won.

Kendra is taken from her apartment in Manhattan to California to live with the Mulligan family. They are so different, the parents are both hippies, have five children and a pet ferret. Kendra learns quickly the chaos of sharing a bathroom with so many, having to watch her belongings, and living with a ferret that wants to sleep in her bed. But her biggest problem is the pushy producer who will do anything to get higher ratings. And to top all of this Kendra falls for one of the Mulligan’s, Mitch who is seventeen and despises everything this show stands for. Will Kendra win Mitch over or will things continue to decline for her?

Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout bring us a cast of characters who are engaging and winsome. The story is well crafted and pulls the reader into the conflicted feelings and reasoning of Kendra so well.

Toaster Pond

Toaster Pond

By Peter de Witt

Fantasy/Adventure

ISBN: 1-933255-21-8

www.toasterpond.com

DNA Press

PO Box 572

Eagleville, PA 19408

www.dnapress.com

Reviewed by Terry South for Bookpleasures

Toaster Pond is a wondrous adventure for children. The setting is a place called Waterville. In Waterville during the summer the teens are ready for their championship game of Hide and Seek. But this is not your normal regular game.

The story will captivate your child’s imagination. You can discover within the pages six toed fairies, as well as a wealth of different characters. The stories main characters include Doug, Skip, and Pierce, and they are on the Hide and Seek team termed the best team. Peter de Witt transports the game to a magical place of Sangerfiled, here the main characters must put their expert skills into action. Will they be able to save Sanger Castle? To find out you will need to pick up a copy of this great adventurous tale, you will not be disappointed.

Toaster Pond is a quick compact read, once your child has started they will not be able to put this one down. This is Peter de Witt’s debut and is an excellent creation and there will be a high demand for more. This is one enchanting and magical read that the entire family will want to read. This title will win the parents approval, and will be captivating families for generations to come.

Peter de Witt is an author, a adjunct professor in the Graduate School of Education at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY., and he is also has been teaching elementary school for eleven years. He currently resides in New York.