Reviews written by Ed Goldberg

Laurie Halse Anderson has a legion of fans and Wintergirls wont disappoint any of them.  It is a stark portrayal of teenagers coping (or not) with eating disorders.  You cant be too squeamish to read Wintergirls, but it is so worth it. The setting:  Lia is...

Did you ever read a book that, despite how implausible the plot is, you MUST keep on reading?  Well, Wherever Nina Lies, Lynn Weingartens debut novel is just such a book.  I couldnt put it down.    Ill give you only...

Danny is living with his father, Jack, in Ogunquit, Maine for the summer, maybe permanently.  His parents were seventeen when he was born, unmarried and unready for a family.  Jack left Danny and his mother, who continued to live with her parents.  She still does.  Its time for Jack...

I read Tucker Shaws The Girls for the recipes.  You should read it because its fun.  I became a fan of his after reading Flavor of the Week, which I also highly recommend (and also has recipes).  As the title states, there are no male characters, although boys are...

A book about an Orthodox Jewish girl is not typically of general interest, but Gravity is an exception.   The issues that sixteen-year-old Ellie faces are faced by most teens in one form or another:  faith, sexuality and family.  And the way that Leanne Lieberman handles them in her debut...

Graceling, by Kristin Cashore is a wonderful fantasy.  In the Seven Kingdoms, certain people are Graced with superb abilities.  Some people can fight, some read minds, some swim.  These Gracelings are identified because their eyes are two different colors.  So it is with Katsa, niece of King Randa of...

I know its just the end of January and I havent read a lot of 2009 books yet, but Eon: Dragoneye Reborn will undoubtedly be on my Top 10 list.  Its got all the elements of a great book:  characters you love and characters you hate, action, suspense, fantasy...

Would it turn you off if I tell you that Let It Snow is lovely?  I hope not, because thats the word that came to mind as I read this book.  I smiled throughout.  I felt good throughout.  Its just what I needed after reading a heavy-duty fantasy.  ...

Fans of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series will no doubt like 3 Willows: The Sisterhood Grows, a sisterhood read-a-like for middle schoolers. Instead of Bridget, Carmen, Lena, and Tibby we have eighth grade graduates Ama, Jo and Polly. Best friends since third grade when they met...

Kristi can read peoples minds. She knows what they are thinking. It all started in middle school. No one knows except her Aunt Ann and her ex-best friend Hildie. Now Kristis in high school. Shes matured physically&shes not as skinny as she used to be...

In This Full House, the final book of the Make Lemonade Trilogy, high school senior Verna LaVaughn returns with the characters from the first two novels. In an accelerated science program, Women in Medical Science, LaVaughn notices startling similarities in mannerisms and looks between her professor, Dr. Moore, and...

Im not a big fan of historical fiction, but Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson may make me change my mind. Isabel is eleven and her younger sister, Ruth, is five. Their master, Madam Finch, has died and her nephew, Robert, the only heir to the estate, decides to...

Weve all heard of Grimms Fairy Tales and Aesops Fables. These wonderful stories written by Muggles have been told to countless generations of children. But, who among us has heard of Beedle the Bard, a famous fifteenth century wizard storyteller? Well, if youve read the last Harry...

Dooleys only seventeen years old and already hes got a rap sheet. At fifteen, after a year or two of drinking, drugging and petty crimes, he got caught and arrested. He served his two years and is now living with his tough minded, ex-cop, uncle. The terms...

There have been a spate of serious girl sports books lately. Until now, my favorite has been Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock about a girl who wants to play football. Well, Boost by Kathy Mackel is a worthy opponent. Savvy Christopher is fourteen and wants to...