Friday, October 10, 2008

Middle School Book Recommendations

Click on the comments link to read about books recommended for Middle School Students by other students.

51 comments:

Reviewer said...

The title of one of my favorite books is Soul Surfer, by Bethany Hamilton. It's a story of faith, family, and fighting to get back on the board. Getting attacked by a shark was really hard for not only Bethany, but for her family and all the people that loved and cared about her. Most of all, everyone thought her surfing days were over. For all that she has put into the sport…would all of her hard work be useless? Waiting in the hospital to find out her results about her condition was so hard for her. That moment finally came; they told her she lost her arm permanently. She now had one full arm on the right… and on the left, just a little stub. She thought her surfing career was over forever. It took her a day or two to realize, "What am I thinking? My surfing days are not over! I can surf with one arm!" The more confidence she had about this grew more and more each day. With all the love and support from her friends and family and most of all God, she did it. She got back on the board. All in all, I liked this book because it related to my life in many different ways.

I would recommend this book to all of my friends. I especially recommend it to the ones who love the beach. Because the beach is so important to me, this book was very interesting and exciting to read. Bethany includes God in everything that she does. Her family, friends, youth group, and most of all God were always there for her. So much love is in this book. I personally think my friends would love this book just as much as I did.

Waverly R.

Reviewer said...

I really liked the book Snakehead by Anthony Horowitz. I read it recently and I could not put it down it was so good. I recommend it to anyone who likes thrilling action stories with lots of suspense. I have read all of the books in the Alex Rider series and I think that Snakehead is by far the best one. Alex Rider (the main character) always seems to get out of sticky situations, which is some of the most thrilling parts about this book series. I like this book because it is very thrilling and there is always action. There are no boring parts of this book.

I recommend this book, and the series, to the age group from11 up. I recommend it to this group of people because it might be a little violent for those below 11 years old. I would say that mostly guys would want to read this book because of all the explosions and intense sequences of battle. If there was one thing I learned from reading this book series it was that you should never join secret intelligence agencies at the age of 14.

Jack I.

Reviewer said...

Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz is filled with action, drama, and suspense. A boy named Alex Rider works for the MI6 in England ever since his uncle was killed. This is the second book in the Alex Rider series. Alex is assigned a mission to investigate a boarding school in France after two of the students' fathers were killed. He went undercover as Alex Friend, son of a millionaire.

While he is there he makes one friend, realizes things very odd about the rest of the 6 students. He makes a few enemies when he finds out that the leader of this school cloned every student and replaced the kids with their clones. It is a thrilling action packed story that will blow your mind. I recommend this book to readers over the age of 12 because it contains violence and a bit of mature language. To everyone over this age, I gurantee you will enjoy the exciting adventure with Alex Rider.

Paul E.

Reviewer said...

The book that I reviewed is Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. I enjoyed this book because it is very interesting and you always want to know what will happen next. It was very hard for me to put it down once I started reading it. I would recommend this book to students that are in seventh and eighth grades because it is appropriate for children above the age of twelve who are already in seventh grade.

Twilight is about a young girl named Bella who attends a new school and makes a few friends. She meets this guy, and his name is Edward, she finds him very attractive. She can’t stop thinking about him. The story starts to get better and better,. She falls in love with Edward. She later finds out that he is a vampire. It is tough to think about what will happen with a vampire, since they are very dangerous. But Bella is not worried and she knows that Edward will protect her no matter what. I recommend reading this book because it is hard to put it down once you start reading it. It is a great book and I am sure that you will enjoy it too!

Olivia W.

Reviewer said...

In Full Tilt, by Neal Shusterman, 16-year-old Blake has a pretty messed up life. His brother is a careless daredevil and Blake has to save his hide constantly. His dad left his mom when he was six. His mom barely makes enough money to feed them. Not to mention, he was the only survivor of a horrible school bus accident when he was seven. But that’s not the least of his problems. He now must save his brother and himself from a phantom carnival that forces its customers to ride seven rides, each of which represents a deep, personal fear, before dawn or their souls will be trapped there forever.

I liked this book because it has a gripping story that always keeps you on the edge of your seat. I also liked it because it teaches readers to never give up on life, no matter how bad it is. Also, I liked how everything is described in great detail, so you can imagine what everything looks like.

I would recommend this book to thirteen-year-olds and fourteen-year-olds. I say this because it contains mature content and language. Another reason is that this book describes problems teens can understand, but not younger readers.

Brian O.

Reviewer said...

The book I recommend is called Scorpia by Anthony Horowitz. I like this book because this book had many interesting events that made you want to keep on reading it and not wanting to put down the book. Scorpia is a book in a series of books called the Alex Rider series. The book starts out with this secret evil group called Scorpia. They are planning to destroy the world by killing all the kids in it. Alex Rider learns about this plan and he goes to Scorpia trying to stop them. Instead, they persuade him to go and join them. Since this happened, they send Alex to their training camp. When they reveal their plans to Alex he starts to get frightened but he goes along. At the end Scorpia tried to trick Alex and try to kill him but Alex was a step ahead of them and he destroyed the satellite that was going to kill all the kids and destroy the world.

In my opinion I would recommend this book to all student in 6, 7, and 8th grades. I say this because it has a few action scenes and a little mature language. It is also a little hard to comprehend for younger kids. This is why I like the book and recommend it to all middle school students.

Nicholas N.

Reviewer said...

The Book, “Ender’s Game”, by Orson Scott Card, takes place in the future, with space warfare and evil aliens. It is about a gifted child who calls himself Ender Wiggin. Who is recruited by the military at the age of six and sent to “Battle school” so he can learn about space warfare, and fighting the buggers, an evil alien race that attacked Earth a century earlier. Ender, being as smart as he is, easily climbs up the ranks from a new recruit to a Commander of his own mock army. Throughout the book he meets many friends but even more enemies. At age eleven, Ender gets recruited to Command school, where he gets tricked into destroying the buggers and is the hero.

I liked this book because it mixed military and battles into the science fiction genre. I would recommend this to anybody who likes science fiction and reading books about military and war.

Michael W.

Reviewer said...

The book I am reviewing is Cover up: Mystery of the Super Bowl by John Feinstein. I really enjoyed it because of all the excitement it gives to the reader. In the book, the main characters are Stevie and Susan Carol, two 14 year old sports news anchors who work for a popular TV channel called USTV. When Stevie was unexpectedly fired by his boss, the horrible Tal Vincent, he finds a job at CBS working for them covering the Super Bowl. While at a party, Stevie’s girlfriendSusan Carol, also a news anchor, was approached by a drunken doctor who spilled the beans about the team who got to the Super Bowl. The Dreams players had been using the steroid HGH and gotten away with it. Eddie Brennan befriends the pair and he gets them all the information they need to know about the bust. He was one of the players who had taken the steroid. Don Meeker the owner of the Dreams finds out and benches Eddie for ratting him out.

I would like to recommend this book to maybe 7th and 8th graders who enjoy watching football and like to read books about sports and really good mysteries. I really enjoyed this fantastic book and I would read it again.

Max W.

Reviewer said...

The book that I have decided to write about is Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. Bella, the main character, is a young adult who is moving in with her father, Charlie. She never would have thought that such interesting things could happen in as small of a town as Forks, Washington. But she was wrong, VERY wrong… she meets a boy named Edward Cullen and they fall in love. They tell each other everything, they trust each other, and Edward in particular has a secret… a big secret. He loves Bella so much, he cant keep anything from her, and he tells her his secret… he’s a VAMPIRE!

I liked this book because it has a lot of suspense and is very interesting. You feel like you are part of the book, it’s so good. Every character speaks to you in some way and you can easily relate to them, although most are vampires. I recommend this book to people from the age of 14 up. I don’t think the younger kids would want to read a book mostly on romance between a vampire and a human.

Marina L.

Reviewer said...

In the book Snakehead, by Anthony Horrowitz, there is always something crazy going on in Alex’s, the main characters, life. He is a 14-year-old boy who works for MI6, CIA, and the Australian secret service and always has to go on missions, risking his life and has to miss school, just to save the world, usually all by himself! I like this book because Alex always gets himself into trouble but always gets out in a dramatic, almost seeming impossible way!

I would recommend this to 6th 7th and 8th graders because there are many hard words to understand. There are also sometimes harsh language in the book that might be a little inappropriate for young children. Some parts are also very complicated and very hard to understand what’s going on in the book. But I do recommend this book completely for it was very interesting for me and I cannot wait for the next book to come out!

Luke H.

Reviewer said...

Monstrous Regiment, written by Terry Pratchett

In this book Polly dresses up as a boy and joins the army in order to search for her older brother, who joined the army, too. As she learns how to be a soldier and prepares for war she finds out that she's not the only girl in the regiment.

I liked this book because it was, frankly, hilarious. However, it managed to be extremely funny without sacrificing the usual parts of a novel. It had brilliant characters, a sound plot, and a very good message.

Although this books sounds like its for girls, I gave it to my little brother and he liked it very much, too. So I guess that this book is good for any middle schoolers. However, I doubt anyone who does not like English humor (as in satire, randomness, and cynicism) would like this book. Otherwise, its the funniest book I have ever read.

Julia S.

Reviewer said...

A Dog's Life by Ann M. Martin is a story you can’t put down. Squirrel is a dog but is different from most dogs. She lives with her brother, Bone and her mother in a small shed where other stray animals live. But when her mom dies and Bone surprisingly leaves. Squirrel is forced to face the real world by herself. She now deals with people, cars, and the cruel weather that is always changing, all by herself. It is hard to find food, and stay out of trouble with other wild animals. With the help of her two new friends she learns how to survive, but her life will be changed forever. I liked this story because of the stray's dog journey and the continuous action throughout it.

I recommend this book to 6th through 8th graders. It is easy enough to read and comprehend but still has a good plot line. One reason I don't recommend this book to younger classes is the dog abuse that some humans treated squirrel with. Also the fact that Squirrel’s family in the beginning left her to take care of herself. It might be just too mature for some of the younger students. But anyone in middle school either gender would probably enjoy this heart-warming story.

Jessica S.

Reviewer said...

Under the Blood Red Sun by Graham Salisbury is a story about a Japanese boy, his family, and his friends trying to survive during the Pearl Harbor bombing in World War II. I like this book because of the constant action and suspense. I would recommend this book to middle school students. Under The Blood Red Sun actually tells you what happened when Japan bombed Hawaii. Honestly, when I read this book, my parents didn’t force me to read the book, I just couldn’t put it down. That is really rare with books and me. The main character, Tomi, has to deal with many difficult things (which I will not tell you because it will ruin the story for you), but there also are some great times in between. He and his friends have a baseball team. Their team’s name is, the Rats. They go around and play the rival teams in their area. Their teammates treat each other as if they were family. I guarantee that you will at least enjoy this book and I wish you would give it a try.

Eamonn A.

Reviewer said...

I greatly enjoyed the book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling. It is the final book in the Harry Potter series. It is mainly about Harry finally facing Voldemort. He and many of his friends face Voldemort and all of his followers. I liked this book because it was full of action and suspense.

I would recommend this book to students in the sixth grade and up. There are many reasons for this. One reason is because of the difficult vocabulary. It uses a lot of big and/or confusing words. The next reason is also because of the language. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows occasionally will have a bad word or two. And, finally, the last reason I recommend this book to sixth graders and up, is because it might be a little confusing and even frightening to smaller children. I am not saying that no smaller kids could understand it; it just has a very high reading level. It would be confusing because it goes from one thing to another and you have to be able to keep up. It would be frightening because of all the deaths and violent scenarios. Do not take all of this information the wrong way though. It is also filled with happiness, joy, love, excitement, and teaches kids that every cloud has a silver lining no matter what.

Chase H.

Reviewer said...

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi is an adventurous tale. Charlotte Doyle was a wealthy thirteen year old girl. Little did she know her journey to America would change her life forever. Charlotte helped the crew with many things, became a captain, and sailed through a hurricane. It was a truly amazing tale or courage and adventure. I liked this book because there was never a dull moment! There was always action. I couldn’t put it down! I also think it proves that girls can do anything boys can do. We are all equal if we set our mind to it. Charlotte did many things no man could do! She is a role model for all girls.

I would recommend this book to girls from ten to fourteen. It contains mild language, not suitable for anyone under ten. It also has some fighting scenes. If you do not like action or adventures I do not think you would like this story. It could also be frightening at times. I think this book was amazing! I couldn’t put it down!

Cayley H.

Reviewer said...

I reviewed a book called The Givenchy Code, by Julie Kenner is about a college student named Melanie Prescott, who is very into math and solving codes, and obsessed with having designer shoes and clothes. A stranger is being paid to hunt after Melanie and to kill her. The only way Melanie can survive is to beat the stranger at solving clues so that she can win this real-life game and save her life.

I liked this book because it was thrilling and filled with suspense. It is the kind of book where you cannot wait to find out what happens next and you never want to put the book down. I also liked The Givenchy Code because the main character is a normal person and is easy to relate to because some of the things that she goes through in this book are very like some events that everyone has to experience in life too. I recommend The Givenchy Code to every one from about twelve into their twenties, because there is mature content and the use of bad words.

Eileen K.

Reviewer said...

I would like to recommend the book Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. It is a great book for all, but I would recommend it for middle school aged students. I would recommend this book because it is full of action and adventure, but also has important facts.

Hatchet is the story of a thirteen year old boy named Brian Robeson. He is flying to Canada to visit his dad. While he is on his way, his plane crashes in the middle of the Canadian wilderness. The only thing he has is a hatchet and the clothes on his back. He is forced to learn how to survive and goes through much growth and change.
This is a wonderful story. It has been my favorite book since I was in fourth grade. I have recommended it to many people who have ended up enjoying it. I encourage you to read this wonderful story.

Allison S.

Reviewer said...

The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, was unlike any novel I have ever read. It tells the story of an unsure high school student, Holden Caulfield, attempting to sort out his life while in the Big Apple. After being expelled from yet another prep school for low grades, he decides to wait a few days before breaking the news to his parents. He is a lonely fellow, and spends much time reminiscing to readers about his past girlfriend Sally, strange roommates he had, his deceased younger brother Allie, and his kid sister Phoebe, among others. He visits with an old teacher and meets up with an old friend to see a play. All throughout, he is desperately searching for his identity, as many of us are. I appreciated this piece for its humor and the realism it displayed, forcing readers to analyze the story for themselves.

It was appealing because whenever situations grew tense, hilarity ensued. It was interesting to decipher Holden’s character through just his actions, words, and feelings rather than his description. His complexity and solitude intrigued me, and I could not stop reading. I enjoyed how something as simple as three days in New York City could end up so chaotic and revealing. I would recommend this book to teenagers, thirteen years and older. This is because of its mature content and deeper meaning that younger readers would be unable to grasp. However, for those prepared, it can be an enriching piece of literature. It isn’t a tale one can easily forget, and is a step out of the ordinary realm of books. For those ready to handle its complicated theme and intelligent wit, it is certainly a must–read.

Abby B.

Reviewer said...

A New Earth by Echart Tolle is about bringing peace into your spiritual life. It is an inspiring and uplifting book showing you how to remain calm and at peace with yourself and your life. It talks about your state of consciousness, and how thought can disrupt your true being, your loving, and natural self. I believe that if everyone read this book and understood the message, we would all truly be at peace.

I liked this book because it showed me new way of living. A life of stillness, and just being instead of doing, which is a beautiful thing. It showed me how to live freely and not be dictated by my thoughts by being present. I recommend this book from middle school to adults. I believe for those who are ready, it will truly enlighten you, to tear apart from the ego, unconsciousness, and live a remarkable life.

Camille S.

Reviewer said...

I like Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech because it is full of surprises and it keeps you reading and engaged the whole time. The story is about a girl that finds out there is a whole other world in her life. The ending surprises you every time!

I would recommend this book to anyone fourth grade or over. It is a good book that is not too easy but a flowing and fast read. Even adults can read this book if they just want a story to read in a couple days. The book is about 250 pages long but Sharon Creech is a great writer so she is great at writing a fast flowing and interesting read. I read this book in fourth grade and I am an average reader and I really liked this book. I really recommend this book. I hope you read it!

Abby B.

Reviewer said...

The title of the book I chose is The Outsiders. This book was written by S.E. Hinton. This is a book about a group of boys living in New York. In the book, it describes the troubles and struggles of the Socs and the Greasers, two rival gangs that are always fighting away their problems. Whether they’re in a brawl or escaping from a burning building, there is always something going on. This group of boys goes through many more traumatic events that will change their lives forever.

I like this book because it’s a book that you can’t set down. It has action on every page. I also like it because some of the main characters are about my age. Even though there is a lot of fighting, it is also a very emotional book with an amazing storyline. I recommend this book to boys in 7th or 8th grade who enjoy thrilling stories that won’t let you go. I also recommend it to mature readers who can handle the contents of this amazing novel.

Collin D.

Reviewer said...

Over the summer I read a book called My Side of the Mountain by Jean C. George. This book is about a boy who runs away to the woods to make a new life and learn how to survive in the wild. A boy named Sam goes into this with nothing but the clothes on his back and what he could fit in his pockets.

While Sam is in the forest he learns about the wild and about himself along the way. Sam builds a house in a tree, gets a pet falcon, and makes friends with a weasel. Now if that doesn’t sound like a great book I don’t know what is! For the record this is a really good book. I would think that this is a good book for all 7th graders and up because it is just fun to read. I know sometimes it is hard to just sit down and read a book but when I first started to read this book I couldn’t put it down.

Jason S.

Reviewer said...

The title of the book is Artemis Fowl The Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer.
After disappearing for three years Artemis Fowl is back and he has two new younger brothers and his mother has contracted a deadly illness. It is up to Artemis to go back in time with the help of his fairy friends to get the brain fluid of an extinct species called the silky sifaka lemur to save his mothers life. The rules of time travel are far from simple but to save his mothers life he will have to break them all.

I like this book because it is an adventure book and I love adventure also because I have read all the other books in the series and they were all great. I would recommend this book to all 6th and 7th grade students and for more of the people who like adventure.

Justin S.

Reviewer said...

I recommend The Sister Hood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares. I liked this book because it is about four best friends and the summer that they spent apart from each other. I liked what each of them did when they were away with the pants. I would recommend this book to girls 12 and up.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is a book about four best girl friends with a plan to stay connected with one another as their lives start off in different directions for their summer: they pass around a pair of secondhand jeans that fits each of their bodies perfectly, that they found at a thrift shop. Which is weird because all of their bodies are different from one another. Each girl gets to have the pants for one week. Also they came up with rules for the pants and they have to write a letter to the person they send the pants to about what happened that was the most important that week. There is much more about their summer if you just read the book.

Kalynn S.

Reviewer said...

The title of the book I liked was called Running out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix. I liked this book because I was interested throughout the story and was asking questions very often when I was reading the book. There was a little town called Clifton, Indiana in 1840 where Jessie and her family lived. In Clifton many kids started to get a disease called diphtheria and some kids started dying. Jessie’s mom told Jessie a secret that was shocking to her- it was really 1996. Clifton was still living in 1840 because Clifton was used as a tourist site to show people what it was like living in 1840. Outside of Clifton there was a cure for this fatal disease and Jessie was sent out of the world of 1840 to try and find that cure. But when Jessie was told to find a doctor her mother knew he turned out to be an imposter. So Jessie had to escape from him and ran into many other problems. It turned out that Jessie went through all these problems and found a cure for the kids in her town of Clifton. She remained in Clifton but her parents were taken away from Clifton temporarily and the children were sent to foster homes. But in the end, she went back to Clifton and lived with her parents and family.

I would recommend this book to girls and boys in middle school because once you start reading you cannot stop because you will be asking questions and you want to find the answers. I found the book very mysterious so if you like to read mysterious books, I would definitely read this book.

Kathleen J.

Reviewer said...

Bratfest at Tiffany’s by Lisi Harrison is part of The Clique series. It is the eighth book. This book takes you into the eighth grade and they rule the school, or they think they do. Ever since the roof caved in at the Briarwood Academy (brother school of OCD Octavian Country Day) things have not been the same.

Briarwood is a private all boys school, and OCD is a private all girls school, with no uniform. When Briarwod boys invade OCD, will that be the end of the Pretty Committee? Since the Pretty Committee swore off boys, how are they supposed to avoid their ex-crushes? Will the boys be the new alphas instead of the Pretty Committee? This book is for teenage girls, and you should be 12 and up if you are reading the series. When reading this book it draws you in quickly and you will not want to put it down.

Kathleen D.

Reviewer said...

I recommend a book called A Corner of the Universe which is written by Ann M. Martin. It is about this girl named Hattie Owen and her family who own a boarding home. There are many secrets in Hattie’s family, but the biggest one is how Hattie doesn’t even know that one of her uncles, named Adam, exists until he shows up at her house. This all happens before Hattie turns twelve years old. Hattie’s family and the others that live in her boarding house do not know how to deal with Adam’s mental problems. Hattie gets stuck in the middle of everything. She learns how to make new friends, overcome challenges, and how to live her life in a small town.

I liked this book because it really caught my attention and I found it very interesting. I like it because it talks about real characters in an exciting plot. After getting into the book you really feel for the characters as they go through painful challenges. This book was important to me and is one of the best books I have read. I would recommend this book to girls over eleven years old because the vocabulary level may be too high or some events in the story may be hard to understand. I hope you have the time to read this amazing book.

Juliana L.

Reviewer said...

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George is a story about a boy named Sam Grimbly. He is on a mission trying to prove to his family that he is not a wimp. So he sets on an expedition to go and try to find his grandfather’s land in the forest. When Sam finally finds it he discovers that he will need to build a home. Sam starts to get lonely and adopts a bird and names her Frightful.

He discovers new mysteries in the forest that he never knew about. When he finds shelter and starts to settle in visitors start to come and some people have seen Sam in the woods and have reported him. What will Sam do? This book is a story for seventh graders and six graders. I will say that this book has mystery and fun and excitement in it.

Manci R.

Reviewer said...

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry is a very good book. I liked this book because I got really hooked on reading it. It was so exciting that I couldn’t put it down. This author really made me want to read all of her books because I liked this book so much and I was sad there wasn’t a series. This book was about a girl who was Jewish and her name was Ellen and Annemarie her best friend had to save Ellen during World War II. The Nazis were after all the Jews to send them to concentration camps.

I would recommend this book to girls and boys nine to fifteen years old. I would recommend this book to those ages because you have to know about the Nazis and who Hitler was. I thought those ages would be the most interested in this book because you are usually learning this subject in History class. So I would pick this book up at the library or buy it now. Trust me I’m very picky and I loved this book Number The Stars.

Makena M.

Reviewer said...

I reviewed the book Rangers Apprentice by John Flanagan. It is a very interesting book. It takes place in the Middle Ages. The book is about a young boy that is fifteen years old who gets asked to be a Ranger. Rangers are people who work for the king. They are very secretive people. They are like the CIA or the FBI (except a lot cooler). The Rangers are feared by normal people. Normal people don’t know much about the rangers but most of them think that they are sorcerers. They think that because they have been known to disappear on plain sight. They don’t really disappear they just have these cloaks that blend them in with their surroundings.

I would recommend this book series to kids 8-14. They are very interesting books. You will not want to let go of these books. I mostly liked the action in these books and the whole spy thing.

Pablo O.

Reviewer said...

I recommend the book Half-Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer. I liked this book a lot because it was about detective work done by a twelve year old. This is a great book for those who like mysteries and investigations. A twelve year old boy named Fletcher Moon is a private detective. At school people call him Half-Moon. One night he gets hit with a bat and goes to the hospital. He goes out and gets caught in a fire and is blamed. He goes away from his parents for a day and solves the mystery.

I would recommend this book for boys in 5th grade through 7th grade because it is told from a boy’s point of view and gives thoughts about what this boy feels. I don’t think 4th graders or younger should read this book because it is a little violent and you have to be smart enough to understand the vocabulary of the book. I hope you enjoy the book!

Storm S.

Reviewer said...

The book Peak by Roland Smith is exiting, thrilling, and suspenseful. It is a very fun book to read that I would recommend. It is about a boy named Peak who is arrested for climbing a sky scraper in Manhattan, New York. He goes with his father to Thailand instead of jail. What Peak doesn’t know is that his father is planning a little more than expected. His father wants to make him the youngest person to ever to climb Mt. Everest. I liked this book because of the adventure. Will he make it to the top, or perish with the others who have attempted the daring journey?

This is a very enjoyable book because the element of surprise. You never know what twist of fate will come Peak’s way. The tough times, good times, and nail biting times. This book would be a good read for 5th graders and older because of sometimes confusing mountain talk. I hope you will enjoy this book like I did.
Sophia D.

Reviewer said...

I suggest a great book named Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke to students from 5th to 8th grades. The main characters of this story are Ben, Piredrake, and Sorrel. They are on a quest to find the place where dragons could live forever in peace. They run into all kinds of villains. One is the returning Nettlebrand. He is a dragon that eats other dragons, but for many years he has been only praying on sheep and cattle. Now he has set out to find the hidden place where dragons could live forever to destroy all that is there.

I like this book because there is a lot of suspense to this book. There are many twists to this story too. This book was so good I would sometimes spend over two hours reading it. Overall, I would rate this book four and a half stars out of five. I thought there were too many details in some parts in the story over small characters that did not play a big role in the story.

Jonny E.

Reviewer said...

I reviewed a book called Ark Angel, by Anthony Horowitz. In this book, the main character, Alex Rider, is in a hospital recovering from a bullet wound. While he is there, he finds kidnappers and tries to stop them. But then he finds himself trapped in a burning building, but escapes by tightrope walking. So he is congratulated for rescuing a billionaire’s son and is brought to his multi-billion dollar house. But Alex discovers that his project ark angel, the first hotel in space, is billions of British pounds over budget. So he plans to destroy the Pentagon with it. But Alex goes to space and stops it from happening.

I liked this book because it is full of action, horrors, mystery and adventure. I would recommend this book for all ages over 8 years. Some people say books are boring, but this is one of the best books I have ever read. You will enjoy ever action-packed second of it!

Dimitri S.

Reviewer said...

I recently read a book called a Mango-Shaped Space, by Wendy Mass; and I’ll tell you, it was amazing. It is about a girl named Mia, and she can do something that you don’t see every day. She sees colors in every word and name she hears or reads. The only thing is she is keeping it a secret, so no one knows about it. But then, something happens that changes her life around, and her colors disappear. Does she enjoy not seeing so many colors, or does she think it is rather boring? Will she get her colors back? How?

This book really changed the way I see the world, and I think anyone would feel the same way. I would recommend this book for boys or girls, from fifth graders to seventh graders. If you enjoy this book, Wendy Mass has written many other books, such as Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life. Keep reading!

Emily F.

Reviewer said...

Al Capone Does My Shirts, which takes place in the early 1930’s, is about a boy named Moose Flanagan and his family who just moved to Alcatraz Island (which is a federal jail on an island in San Francisco Bay) because the father needed a job. It is extremely hard for Moose to make friends especially since the other children make fun of his sister Natalie who has a mental disorder. With the little money the family has, they are struggling to get Natalie into a school that will help her with her problems. Read this wonderfully written novel to find out if Natalie gets into the special school and if Moose makes friends and adjusts to his new surroundings.

I liked this book because it always caught my interest when a new conflict sprang up between characters. For example, Moose gets in trouble with the warden because he is caught with a classmate doing sneaky things. Also, the author is so descriptive that you sometimes feel as if you are actually in the story. The book helps you understand the mysteries behind Alcatraz Island.

I would recommend this book to students in the fifth, sixth, and seventh grades because you can relate to the children in the book who are around the ages of 12 to 15 years old. It is a little more than two hundred pages long, and it is an Accelerated Reader Book.

Gavin W.

Reviewer said...

Search and Destroy is by Dean Hughes. I liked this book because of all the action and exciting war scenes. I like reading about different wars that have occurred in history and this was an excellent book about the Vietnam War. It is a story about a boy named Rick who was having a tough life in school and with friends. He thinks that joining the army will solve all of his problems.
He joins the army and gets sent to Vietnam. He thought that the army would be cool, getting to shoot guns and blowing things up. It turned out to be the exact opposite of cool. It was terrifying! Every day he would see one of his friends or comrades being killed. He saw lots of gory and unpleasant sights. As time went on, he got over his fears and became used to seeing death all around him. He eventually became a hero and was asked to join the Special Forces, Green Beret. He stayed in the military until the end of the Vietnam War.

I would recommend this book for any boys in grades 6 through 8 that are interested in a career in the military and war. They might change their mind after reading this book!

George T.

Reviewer said...

J.R.R.. Tolkien wrote The Hobbit. The story is about a hobbit that has a great wizard come to his house with 12 dwarves. That is where the great adventure begins. He (the hobbit) sets out on journey with the dwarves. You may find dwarves interesting. The young hobbit has many adventures with monsters, which he defeats, but MOST important is an object he got (which means stole) from Gollum. Our main character does not return without money. He actually returns with lots of money.

The book tells of a wild adventure, in my opinion this is one of the best books for grades 5-8. You may find Tolkien as a great writer, even one of the best in the world Read the book and tell others to read The Hobbit too!

Jeremy S.

Reviewer said...

I choose to review a book called Eragon by Christopher Paolini. In the book the main character, Eragon, finds a strange rock in the Spine. The Spine is a large mountain range in Alagaesia. Later that morning he hears the rock shaking and cracking he realizes that it is an egg! The egg bursts open and out comes a brilliant blue dragon.

An evil king is trying take over all of Alagaesia and Eragon is the only person in Alagaesia besides the king that has a dragon and he needs to conquer him before he takes over the whole land. Eragon learns magic from Brom who was a Dragon Rider. Brom dies when an evil creature called the Razac kills him. If Eragon survives and kills the evil king you will have to read the book yourself. I would recommend this book for 4th - 6th graders.

Luke B.

Reviewer said...

I read an amazing book with an ancient alchemist, magic, and a thrilling adventure. The book I am telling you about is called The Alchemist. It is by Michael Scott and is a great read.

An ordinary girl named Sophie, and her twin brother, Josh are working in San Francisco over the summer while their parents, (who are archeologists) are working on an excavation in Utah. But suddenly, an unbelievable event changes their ordinary, everyday lives. Josh works in a small little bookshop for a man named Nick Fleming. That afternoon, while Josh was in the basement looking for a set of books, he heard strange coming from upstairs. When he emerged he found himself in midst of a magic battle between two immortal enemies… Nick Fleming, (Nicholas Flamel), and Dr. Dee. Hearing the strange noises, Pernelle Flamel, who was over in the coffee shop with Josh’s sister Sophie. And before they even know they embark on a magical journey to rescue the Codex, a book that can save the world… or destroy it.

I would recommend this book to all people who like adventure, magic, and almost mystery. It is very good and a must for all libraries. I would recommend it to middle school grades.

Libby N.

Reviewer said...

The book that I read and recommend is The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. This book is full of adventure and has Greek mythology woven throughout the story line. It’s hard to put down once you start reading as the main protagonist is a 12 year old boy named Percy Jackson who happens to be a Demigod, son of Poseidon, god of the sea and a mortal mother. Percy and his friends have only 10 days to set out on a quest to find and return Zeus’s stolen property and save Mount Olympus from destruction. They encounter, and fight all kinds of mythological monsters. He even fights the gods in order to save himself as he is suspected of stealing Zeus’s lightning bolt. I liked the parts where he makes news friends or enemies, and still is just a normal boy someone you can relate to. This book is packed full of action. It’s a quick read, as you will want to find out how it ends, and continue to follow the characters in the next book in the series.

I would recommend this book for readers in 4-7 grades. I especially recommend it to anyone who likes to read adventure/fantasy books that have kids as the main characters. Also if you have an interest in learning more about Greek mythology yet still be entertained then this is the book for you.

William M.

Reviewer said...

I am recommending the book “Chicken Soup for the Girls Soul”. Instead of being one long book with only one story, the Chicken Soup series are books with a lot of ‘mini’ books in one. This book explains the hardships and joyous moments of being a pre-teen girl. The ‘Tough Stuff’ section is probably the most emotional. The good or interesting part about this book is that all the stories and poems are real events that happened to real pre-teen girls.

I liked this book because it taught me a lot about life itself and it paved different paths that I could follow when handling difficult situations. Just recently, my grandma was diagnosed with lung cancer. In ‘Chicken Soup for the Girls Soul’, there are a few stories about girls who were in similar situations like me and reading those stories is helping me get through and understanding the fact that my grandma (Nonna) has lung cancer. I would recommend this book for girls (of course) ages 11- adulthood. I think that the most interested group of girls would be 6th, 7th, and 8th graders because it talks about ‘boys’ and going through ‘life changes’ the most.

Daniela A.

Reviewer said...

One of my all time favorite books is Shakespeare's Secret by Elise Broach. This book is about a girl named Hero (she does not like her name). Hero has moved to Maryland because her father transferred jobs. Little did Hero know her house has history and mystery! The house has a diamond hidden in it. Hero meets Danny who is the most popular guy in school and they become best friends. Danny helps her find the diamond and she learns the importance of her name. This book has suspense and mystery. You don't want to put the book down. Teenagers would love this book.

Enissa R.

Reviewer said...

One of the most interesting books I have read is Red Scarf Girl, by Ji-Li Jiang (Ji-Li means lucky). This is a true story and a memoir of the author's personal experiences as a 12 year old, living in Shanghai, China. Ji-Li is a smart student and her father holds her back from doing many things that will help her in school. She is made fun of by her classmates and is torn between her family and her future. She was involved in China's cultural revolution and she and her family were persecuted and humiliated. She never broke under pressure and always followed her heart. She had great faith in herself and I feel as a 12 year old it shows kids my age that if you follow what you feel is right, you will never go wrong. I would highly recommend this book.

Enissa R.

Anonymous said...

Over the summer, I read a book called The Fire Within by: Chris D’lacey. It’s about a boy who moves into the Pennykettle’s household, where the clay dragons that they make become alive. What I really like about this book is that it involves a lot around animals and adventure. I would recommend this book to people who love animals, or have a pet of their own. I think that people would really like this book as much as I did.
Hanna F.

Araceli G. said...

the title of my favorite book is SMILE, by Riana Telgemeier. Its a really good book about a girl who falls and hearts her self and gets her teeth all bad so she gets braces and she hates it that she has alot of teeth problems and everyone makes fun of her!
I recommend this book to people who like comics and a good story and for middle schoolers!! So I hope you get to read this book its really good!!

Matteo said...

The Fire Thief is a book about how a Greek god, Prometheus gave fire to the humans. He will regret this and see what the humans have done with his gift. This is a great book filled with action and adventure. I highly recommend this to grades 5 and 6. This is the best book I've read in a long time.

Matteo W.

Anonymous said...

On the Bright Side I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God by Louise Rennison is a good book. I like when Georgina wrote in her diary each day and put the date and time details. It is very funny sometimes. I recommend this book to those who like to read any book. To me at first it was very boring but in the end I was really stung. I would say this is a book of fourth through sixth grade.
I liked it very much and hope you can borrow it. You’ll enjoy it very much.

Sofia N.

Anonymous said...

The title of the book I just read was The Red Pyramid! It was soooooooooooooo good!

Marielle said...

I recommend the book Coraline.Coraline is about when Coraline opens a door to find a house similar to her own (but better). Things are great until there's another mother and another father who have buttons for eyes! They want Coraline to stay and be their child.They also never let her go.Coraline will have to fight with all of her courage and wit if she will save her normal parents, herself,and to return to her normal life. I give the book 5 star rating and I highly recommend this book.

Unknown said...

I would recommend The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan. It is about a boy named Percy Jackson who discovers he's a son of Poseidon and Zeus is threatening war if Percy doesn't return Zeus' master lightning bolt. The problem is Percy doesn't have it. So he sets out on a journey to find his mother along with the lightning bolt. The question is........ who stole it?

Cali B.