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BennyReed wants to improve the world after reading “A Long Walk to Water.”

A Long Walk to Water

 

Title:  A Long Walk to Water

Author:  Linda Sue Park

Genre:  Contemporary / Historical

Rating: 5-stars

Based on a true story, A Long Walk to Water, by Linda Sue Park, will inspire you to make the world a better place. This is a story about people helping people. After I closed the book, I wanted to become a better kid.

Salva is an 11-year-old African boy in 1985, traveling by foot for 1800 miles to escape the war raging in his country of Sudan. He and his fellow refugees face many horrible challenges, including murderous soldiers, days without food, savage lions, and bloodthirsty crocodiles.

Nya is an 11-year-old girl living in Sudan in 2008. She walks every day for hours to fetch water for her family who desperately needs the water to drink and use. Their lives depend on it. The water is nasty, muddy, and filled with germs, but it is the only water they can get. She and the other kids in her village cannot attend school because they spend all day collecting this unclean water.

Even though Salva and Nya are from different tribes, they join together for something everyone needs: water. The author brings Salva’s and Nya’s stories together in a heartwarming ending.

Reviewer:  BennyReed

Age: 9

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OzzyReed is moved by the numerous voices and lessons learned in “Because of Mr. Terupt.”

Because_of_mr_terupt

Title: Because of Mr. Terupt

Author: Rob Buyea

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Rating: 4 Stars

Because Of Mr. Terupt is one of the most touching books I’ve ever read. This story moved me because it’s about how tragedy brings people together.

Mr. Terupt, a thoughtful, caring teacher, designs a fun classroom for his fifth graders. His students are the classic school kids: the class troublemaker, the shy kid, the smart kid who loves school, the depressed outcast, the popular girl, the followers of the popular girl, the fat kid that gets picked on, and the new kid.

I like the writing style of the book because each chapter describes the same events from the perspective of a different student. All the kids have unique views on the same event, based on their own feelings and lives. The story shows that everyone can change for the better.

Reviewer: OzzyReed

Age: 11

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Untrustworthy Doofus’s mind is blown by the crazy ride of “Full Tilt.”

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Title: Full Tilt

Author: Neal Shusterman

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 5 Stars

Neal Shusterman’s Full Tilt will stretch your mind with its psychedelic imagery. It’s a fantasy in an amusement park that turns out to be full of danger. Blake, a sixteen-year-old, visits his town’s regular amusement park, where he receives a strange invitation from a mysterious yet beautiful girl to go to a different, unknown amusement park. With two friends, he follows his younger brother to the new park: an unreal carnival. Once they enter, they learn that they have to complete seven impossible rides before dawn if they want to get out alive. One ride, for instance, features bumper cars that turn into real cars trying to ram each other in the dangerous alleyways of a city. Will they survive and make it out of the park?

I loved this book because it’s chock full of very immersive imagery. It has a completely unique plot that intensifies with each page. It pulled me in, and once I started reading it, I couldn’t stop.

Reviewer: Untrustworthy Doofus

Age: 14

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Cool_Cat is pulled into the friendships and sacrifices of “The One and Only Ivan.”

The_One_and_Only_Ivan

 

Title: The One and Only Ivan

Author: Katherine Applegate

Genre: Fiction

Rating: 4 Stars

 The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate is a touching book that pulls you into the story as if it was a movie playing in your head.  A silverback gorilla named Ivan lives in a mall circus. He performs in the circus every day with an elephant named Stella. Stella had a rough past and walks with two hurt feet from having been chained during an earlier captivity.  When a new elephant named Ruby arrives with playful energy and strong emotions like fear and love, Ivan and Stella begin to see their caged life in a whole new light.  If you love animals and deep stories of friendship and sacrifice this would be a good story for you.

Reviewer: Cool_Cat

Age: 12

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rydes406 finds depth to tragedy in “Between Shades of Gray.”

Between-shades-of-gray

Title: Between Shades of Gray

Author: Ruta Sepetys

Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating: 4.5stars

Between Shades of Gray is a sophisticated book about a fifteen-year-old girl from Lithuania named Lina. Her life is perfectly normal until one night, when Soviets come to her house and give her and her family thirty minutes to collect things like clothes. The Soviets take them to the train station and put them on trains to a labor camp in the middle of Siberia. She is separated from her father, as he has been shipped to a prison. The book often revolves around her trying to contact her father and the struggles that she faces while being separated from him, because she was very close to him.

I think this is a very good book for people who like reading about World War II and unknown World War II stories. It goes into depth about the torture, death, and struggles that prisoners like Lina faced at the camp. I think this is one of the best books about World War II mainly because the Genocide of the Baltic People isn’t a very well known story among World War II tragedies. It makes me feel very sorry for the people that had to experience the Genocide of the Baltic People.

Reviewer: rydes406

Age: 14

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Isabella406 finds thrill, mystery and heartbreak in “Twilight!”

twilight-book-cover

Title: Twilight

Author: Stephanie Meyer

Genre: Suspense, Romance, Horror

Rating: 5 Stars

Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer, is thrilling, mysterious, and heartbreaking all at once. Bella, a girl from Phoenix, Arizona moves to tiny, freezing Forks, Washington (the rainiest part of the USA) to live with her dad. On the first day at her new school, she meets a boy named Edward, who seems to despise her from their first interaction.  

As the two grow closer, Bella begins to see Edward as the supernatural creature he is. Mysterious things begin to happen to them and they learn that love for your family can get you in and out of the most dangerous situations… I loved how Bella transitions from an innocent high school kid to a girl whose life will never be the same for all eternity. Twilight is a great series for anyone who wants a fantasy, adventure, and an amazing love story rolled up into one series.

Reviewer: Isabella406

Age: 12

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Hallelujah… explores the meaning of friendship in “Peaches!”

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Title: Peaches

Author: Jodi Lynn Anderson

Genre: Realistic, Romance

Rating: 4 Stars

Jodi Lynn Anderson’s writing is packed with many tender adventures, especially her book, Peaches.  In this book, Murphy, Birdie, and Leeda are three relatable young girls finding their way through adolescence.  Birdie’s family owns a peach orchard where Murphy and Leeda are forced to work all summer. That same orchard will unite these three girls forever.  

At first, Murphy, Birdie, and Leeda are not friends at all: they are quite the opposite of each other. Birdie is shy, homeschooled, and thoughtful, Leeda is bright, attractive, and forgiving, and Murphy is sexy, adventurous, and a troublemaker. But when the orchard goes into financial distress, the three girls come together to save the business.

I thought this book described the meaning of friendship well, and I really loved it!  However, there were some parts I thought to be rude or wrong, like when Murphy stole Rex away from Leeda.  I think the writer could have written Rex to be more loyal or compassionate.  And Leeda was too forgiving in that situation. Nevertheless, I appreciated this book because it is very engaging and a really fun read.  Each character has a wonderful personality and spirit.  I think this is a worthwhile read. I give this book a 4-star rating.  If you read this book, you will learn all about the girls’ unbreakable friendship and the conflict they work out in all three Peaches books.

Reviewer: Hallelujah…

Age: 13

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Nightowl’s breath is taken away by “The Hunger Games!”

Hunger_Games

Title: The Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins

Genre: Dystopian, Science Fiction

Rating: 5 Stars

The Hunger Games is an adventurous fiction book about a girl named Katniss who has to survive a life or death game. It is so breathtaking and wonderful that you don’t want to put the book down until you are done with it. It is about Katniss, a 16-year-old girl who is very responsible and takes care of her mom, sister, and friends, and her friend Peeta, a 16-year-old boy, as they try to survive.

The “hunger games“ is a once-a-year gathering. Two tributes are picked: one girl and one boy between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district. It is televised the whole time. They are put into a futuristic forest arena to compete against each other to the death. In a game for their lives, they will face challenges such as murder, sickness, natural disasters, and homesickness. Will they survive? Will they win?

What I liked about the book was that Katniss and Peeta are around my age (a little older), and I could relate to them. Katniss is a girl so that made a difference for me, because not many books have main female characters. I would recommend this book to anyone who has read The Maze Runner by James Dashner or Divergent by Victoria Ross. You would also enjoy this book if you like fast-paced adventure books with cliffhangers. Read The Hunger Games!!!

Reviewer: nightowl

Age: 12

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HockeyDawg is deeply moved by the lasting bonds of friendship in “The One and Only Ivan.”

The_One_and_Only_Ivan

Title: The One and Only Ivan

Author: Katherine Applegate

Genre: Fiction

Rating: 4 Stars

The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate, is a very touching, sad and loving story. It is about two elephants and a gorilla making promises and sacrifices, and being brave.         

In this story, a silverback gorilla named Ivan lives in a domain at the Big Top Mall with an older elephant named Stella and a stray dog named Bob. They perform in a circus three times a day, 365 days a year.

 

When a new, shy baby elephant named Ruby arrives, Stella acts like a mom to Ruby and they learn new tricks together. But a change in Stella’s health worries Ivan and he is scared of what might happen to her and if he’ll be able to take care of Ruby on his own.

 

In conclusion, I loved this book so much that I could read it a thousand times and never get tired of it. Based on a real-life story of a gorilla that was caged in a mall, this story is deeply moving and full of heart. If you like animal stories or stories about the lasting bonds of friendship, this is the story for you.

 

Reviewer: HockeyDawg

Age: 12

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Lbutterfly finds inspiration and adventure in “Nancy Drew and the Secret of the Old Clock.”

Nancy Drew & Old Clock.jpg

Title: Nancy Drew and the Secret of the Old Clock

Author: Carolyn Keene

Genre: Mystery

Rating: 4 Stars

Nancy Drew and the Secret of the Old Clock is an engaging mystery story with cliffhangers at the end of each page. This book inspires me to do more for others and to appreciate fully what I have. To take nothing for granted.

Nancy Drew stumbles upon a family who is in need of money. This family was depending on inheriting money from their wealthy relative, Josiah Crowley. But after his death, his will went missing and they were left penniless. Nancy has to travel to many of Josiah Crowley’s friends’ and families’ houses where she gathers clues. She takes on this case and, with the help of her father and many other people, Nancy journeys to unravel all the secrets.

This book will make you turn page after page for hours on end. I love the way that Nancy just keeps on going. I recommend this book to anyone who likes books that are filled with lots of action, adventure, and mystery. If you have not read this book, I highly suggest it to everyone.

Reviewer: Lbutterfly

Age: 12

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jay Z finds his oasis in “Ready Player One!”

Ready Player OneTitle: Ready Player One

Author: Ernest Cline

Genre: Dystopian, Science Fiction

Rating: 5 Stars

Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline, is a dystopian science fiction novel, set in the year 2044 and chalk full of 80’s video games, adventure, and mystery.

Protagonist Wade Watts is a teen who has found the first clue in the puzzle to a $200 billion fortune left behind by James Halliday.  Halliday is the recently deceased, 80’s-obsessed creator of the virtual reality video game called The Oasis.  

This fortune is hidden deep inside the game as an Easter egg. The catch: the competition is open to the billions of people who own Oasis consoles and haptic equipment. Furthermore, Wade has to contend with IOI, a giant corporation bent on taking control of the Oasis and cheating their way to the egg.

This book is a fantastic, compelling read.  By the second chapter in, I vowed to add this to my permanent library. The characters Cline brings to life are so crystal clear and lifelike, I wished it would never stop. This story was my oasis from the dull reality of life; for this, I am forever indebted to Cline for his enchanting wizardry with words.

Reviewer: jay Z

Age: 13

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FatRat recommends the twists and secrets in “Salt To the Sea.”

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Title: Salt to the Sea

Author: Ruta Sepetys

Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating: 4 Stars

Salt To The Sea, by Ruta Sepetys, is compassionate and filled with tragedy. It takes place near the end of World War Two. This book follows the perspective of four main characters, all with secrets to hide: (1) a former worker at Hitler’s personal museum now on the run, (2) a fifteen-year-old immigrant from Poland, trying to hide her nationality, (3) a Lithuanian nurse, trying to get to Germany, and (4) a Nazi, at the bottom of the pecking order, with delusions of grandeur, an inflated ego and a desire to please his betters. The first three of these four all meet in East Prussia through luck, bad luck, and coincidence. They get wind of a ship that would take them out of the war and into safety, The Wilhelm Gustloff. Meanwhile, the Nazi is assigned to help clean and manage the very same ship. These characters are pulled along the plotline by tragedy, love, war, and greed to their destiny.

Salt to the Sea is an engaging book and does a great job of bringing these characters to life. I am amazed at how the author was able to show the point of view of four different characters. It is filled with twists and is an interesting book to read.

Reviewer: FatRat

Age: 13

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Martin_Montes finds mysterious threads in “The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-Time.”

Curious Incident.jpg

Title: The Curious Incident of The Dog in The Night-Time

Author: Mark Haddon

Genre: Mystery

Rating: 4 Stars

The Curious Incident of The Dog in The Night-Time, by Mark Haddon, starts with a fabulous mystery because a dog has been killed with a giant pitchfork. The narrator is Christopher and he is an autistic teenager. His mom died two years ago.

In the neighborhood, on the night he finds the stabbed dog, Christopher decides to investigate who killed the dog. Christopher investigates about of the murder of the dog by himself. What will he find?

I like this book because it has so much mystery and I get to focus on the story and it is a good story.  But sometimes, the story is kind of strange. For example, the chapters are in prime numbers. The text includes drawings. The main character misunderstands people because of his autism.

This book succeeds in maintaining a mystery throughout while giving the reader a deep sense of what it would be like to have a mental condition. In this way, the reader learns a lot.

Reviewer: Martin_Montes

Age: 15

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audrey.warren hones in on the importance of memory in “The Giver”

The Giver

Title: The Giver

Author: Lois Lowry

Genre: Dystopian

Rating: 4 Stars

The Giver, by Lois Lowry, is an intense and profound book to read. This story is set in a society which first appears to be utopian but is revealed to be dystopian as the story continues. The book follows an eleven-year-old boy named Jonas throughout his journey discovering what this society is about.

The citizens of the society Lowry creates can’t see color. When Jonas starts to realizes he can see color, he wonders what this means for him in the future. He’s different from other kids because he can see beyond. Jonas receives the job as a receiver, which means he holds all memory of history. This is isolating. Jonas starts training with this old man known as the Giver. The Giver slowly gives Jonas an idea of what the receiver’s job is. Jonas is scared and confused about why he was chosen as the receiver and as he receives the memories he sees his society is not as “perfect” as it seems.

Lowry came up with the idea of a scary, sterile world where nearly everyone takes drugs so they don’t remember their memories and emotions. In real life, so many have suffered the pain of losing someone. In this book, Lowry considered how much different our existences might be if we didn’t have memories at all. Lowry shows us that when we lose our memories we lose parts of our humanity.

Reviewer: audrey.warren

Age: 14

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HockeyGirlMT finds a stunning message in “The War that Saved My Life!”

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Title: The War that Saved my Life

Author: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating: 5 Stars

The War that Saved my Life is a stunning book that takes the reader through a girl’s daring escape not only to get free from her fears, but to find her strengths. Ada has never left her one-room apartment because her horrible mother is too ashamed about Ada’s twisted up foot. When World War II hits London and kids evacuate to the country, Ada escapes with them. But will she be free or will the grip of her abusive mother pull her back? The War that Saved my Life is an extraordinary book with beautiful detail. You will love this book if you are interested in life around World War II or if you just want to read a tremendous and moving book. This book is very well written: I can imagine each scene because author Kimberly Brubaker Bradley writes with beautiful description. The War that Saved my Life is one of my favorite books and I can’t wait to read it again.

Reviewer: HockeyGirlMT

Age: 12