Book reviews

 

 

Fantasy –
Historical Fiction Books –
Realistic Fiction Books –
Science Fiction Books –
Humorous Books –
Nonfiction Books –

Welcome to our site where you can find reviews written by our class on books for fifth grade readers.  Let us know what you think!

Fantasy

Fantasy – 

 

 

Genre: Fantasy

Reviewer: Kyle

Title: Argos

Author: Ralph Hardy

Rating: You should read this

I thought that Argos was a decent book. Argos, a dog, belongs to Odysseus, who helped sack Troy in the Trojan horse. Argos is in Ithaca while his master is away and tells his master’s story according to the birds that tell him of Odysseus’s misadventures. I thought the author, Ralph Hardy, did a nice job still filling the pages with excitement even though Argos is not involved in the action. He does this by giving Argos his own problems on Ithaca. For instance, stopping the suitors who are looking for his mistress’s hand in marriage from getting too rambunctious, stopping the wolves from attacking the sheep, and other misfortunes. One last thing I would like to tell you is that Argos finds a mate, Aurora, but a tragic ordeal happens that tears her and most of his pups away from him forever. I thought it was well executed and kept you emotionally on edge through most of the read. All in all, those are my feelings about the book.

Even though it was exciting, in some parts it failed to grab my attention, but most of the book was full of humor and emotion. I mainly liked it except for the boring moments and a few of the emotional parts made me put it down because I was so sad or disgusted.

I would recommend this book for fifth grade boys, mainly because in some parts I found it a little graphic and cruel, and I don’t think girls would find it appealing. I think it all depends though, so if you’re a girl and you don’t mind kind of gory descriptions, I think this book would also suit you.

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Genre: Fantasy

Reviewer: Kyle

Title: The Wizards of Once

Author: Cressida Cowell

Rating: Don’t bother

I didn’t think The Wizards of Once was a great book, but let me let you decide. The main character, Xar, is a wizard who doesn’t have his magic and would do almost anything to get it. That includes some pretty terrifying stuff like hunting a witch. Sure, witches are said to have become extinct years and years ago but anything is possible with Xar. He is a very mischievous kid that likes pranking other people. For instance, the time when he poured a love potion into the pigs trough and, as a beautiful result, getting the pigs to fall madly in love with his least favorite teacher. I could go on and on about the things that Xar’s done, but I will be concise. So back to my point earlier, he will catch a witch to get magic. And that’s not some elaborate metaphor to show how badly he wants to have magic, he will actually try to catch a witch. On an adventure to gain magic he will find secrets, gain a friend, and learn the evil of the world.

Now, the way I talked it up, you’re probably thinking, ‘How can a person talk up a book like that and still not like the book?’ Well let me just say this, I haven’t told you the whole story yet. For starters, the author spent one hundred pages of the book hunting a witch, not joking. One hundred pages is a little long but not bad for hunting a witch if it was exciting, but it wasn’t exciting. On the contrary, it was VERY boring. They didn’t even catch the darned thing! I did enjoy some parts like the Big Battle (I would tell you about it, but then I’d spoil the ending), but other than that, the whole book was pretty boring. So take my advice, don’t read it!

If anyone should read it, which I highly advise against, I would recommend it for fourth through sixth grade boys. On some parts of the book, it got very graphic, and I don’t think girls would find it appealing. But, hey, I might be wrong, but that is my recommendation. Clearly you should take my advice about this book.

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Genre: Fantasy

Reviewer: Miranda

Title: A Wrinkle in Time

Author: Madeleine L’Engle

Rating: You have to read this!

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’engle is about a sister, a brother, and a mom. They have a house that is named the Murry. The characters are Meg, Charles, and Mrs. Murry. A long time ago Megs and Charles dad ran away. They tried to fined the dad Mr. Murry with some strangers. Then they went to a land that only the strangers lived on. I think I should tell you the strangers names. There is Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which, and Aunt Beast. Anyway they took Meg and Charles to go find there dad.

I really like this book. Why I like this book is because the book makes it seem like I’m in that setting. My favorite part about this book is I like how it makes me want to act it out. I like how Meg and Charles tried to go find their dad. This whole book is about a sister and a brother finding their dad with some strangers.

I would recommend this book to anyone. It is a book with a sister and a brother how are finding there dad. I would have ten or older read this book because it might have some words that are too hard for younger children. This book was very interesting to read when you read it by yourself.


 

 

Genre: Fantasy

Reviewer: Cameron

Title: Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone

Author: J.K.Rowling

Rating: You have to read this!

In Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone a kid named Harry gets a letter saying that he got accepted in a school of magic. His aunt and uncle won’t let him go because a dark wizard killed his parents and his aunt and uncle don’t really like Harry. But they keep getting more and more letters from this school named Hogwarts. So they get so many of these letters that they move away. But a person named Hagrid comes and gets Harry and brings him to Diagonal Alley which is where Harry gets his wand and other things. So then he goes to Hogwarts by getting on a train and he meets a kid named Ron so they show up and get sorted into different groups which are Hufflepuff , Ravenclaw, Gryfndor and Slytherin. Harry gets sorted into Gryfndor. So then they do their classes but on Halloween night a giant got into hogwarts. Now a girl named Hermione is trapped with this giant and then Harry comes and takes out the giant. And that’s how Harry, Ron and Hermione became friends.

What I liked about this book was when Harry started playing quidich. Quodich is a game where there is a seeker, two people with a bat, and four people who score points. The main object of the game is to catch the snitch which is small and fast. That’s the seeker’s job to do and Harry’s the seeker. There is a ball where you can score extra points. Something I did not like was they were in the woods and then a creepy dude came out and started drinking unicorn blood.

I would recommend this book to boys because the main character was a boy and also there’s a little bit of fighting involved. This book was really good. I’m really happy I chose it. And if you like magic then this series is for you.

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Genre: Fantasy

Reviewer: Maddie

Title: Views From the Tower

Author: Jessica Grey

Rating: You have to read this!

Views from the Tower by Jessica Grey, who is an author and also my mother, is a collection of short stories that are retellings of fairy tales. Some of the stories are very short, some of them are longer. They are set in the past, in the present, and in fantasy worlds. They were made different from the fairy tales, sometimes different things happen.

There were three different Rapunzel stories that were short. The first one the prince promised to rescue Rapunzel but he never did. He just kept her in that tower. I would have kicked that prince and then kicked him out of my tower. The third Rapunzel story was my favorite because she met this man who gave her a choice to stay in the tower or come meet him.

My favorite story out of all the stories was Mountain Rose which is a retelling of Snow White and Rose Red. I liked it because it showed how they met the Bear and it had a happy ending and not a sad one. I loved the magic in this one. I liked the part where the wind and dust swirled the rose petals in the magic and how the author described it.

I also enjoyed the story Down the Rabbit Hole which is about Alice who is a special agent trying to catch a bunny – or is it a man? He is a Charming from a fairy tale and he was jumping worlds so she was trying to catch him.

The story I liked the least was In Her Service which is the Frog Prince. I liked it a little, but it was set in too normal of a setting. I would have enjoyed it more if the witch was more witch-like. Also, some parts were hard to understand because it was a historical setting.

In conclusion, I think this book was very great except for the few minor things I disliked, but other people may like. I would recommend it for people who read fantasies and fairy tales and magical purposes. I liked being able to tell the author how I would have changed the stories, because I know her.

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Genre: Fantasy

Reviewer: Will

Title: Warriors: Power of the Three: The Sight

Author: Erin Hunter

Rating: You have to read this!

This book was about three cats that have unusual powers. For example, Jaypaw can see in other cats’ dreams. When Jaypaw is a kit he thinks that he would be a good warrior. Once Holykit, Lionkit, and Jaykit find out that fox cubs are on the loose they leave the Thunder clan camp to go and take on the foxes. The minute they enter the den the foxes chased them out. Then, Jaykit falls into a hollow and loses his sight. After they became apprentices Jaypaw didn’t like being a warrior because his mentor Brightheart pitted him because he was blind. Later on, Shadow clan crossed the border and the battle began. After the battle, Jaypaw knew that he could never become a warrior with out his sight. When he secretly follows Leafpool to the moonpool Star clan tells him he must become a medicine cat so he becomes a medicine cat. Jaypaw thought life was very boring until something happens to Lionpaw.

I thought that this was one of the best books I’ve ever read in my entire life. I’m not too much of a cat fan but this was an amazing book. My favorite part was when Jaypaw had the dreams about Star clan. My other favorite part was when Thunder clan has the battle with Shadow clan.

In conclusion I would suggest this book for people who like cat or animals. I would also suggest this book for fourth graders through sixth graders.


 

 

Genre: Fantasy

Reviewer: Grace

Title: The Time Bike

Author: Jane Langton

Rating: You should read this

The Time Bike is a very good book. It was about a kid named Eddy who lost his brand new bike. One of his relatives sent him a new bike but it wasn’t as cool as the other bike. Soon he finds out the new bike was a time bike. He learns that some things can go wrong with time travel and regrets a few things.

I really enjoyed this book. I like this book because the main character travels through time. I like how he can visit things in the past and see things in the future. I also like all the detail in the book. For example, when he got the time bike he didn’t like it, then he took a closer look and explained all the cool gadgets on the bike. I also like all the characters and there personalities, like Eleanor’s personality is very moody, and Uncle Freddy’s personality is a little confused. That is why I really enjoyed the book.

I would recommend this book to fifth grade boys. I would recommend this book to fifth grade boys because the main character is a boy, even though I am a girl. I just feel like boys are more interested in science and time travel.

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Genre: Fantasy

Reviewer: Elija

Title: How I Learned to Fly

Author: R.L.Stine

Rating: You have to read this!

If you are a person who likes spooky books, you should try this book. Goosebumps books are personally my favorite. You may wonder why I suggest this book. It has excitement and scary twists like Jack actually flying. Jack is the main character In the story. There are three characters in the story. The second character is a girl named Miy, as you all may probably know, Jack likes Miy. The last character is a boy named Wilson. Wilson also likes Miy and he is the type who has everything. If you want to know more, read the book.

+++++++++++++++

 

Genre: Fantasy

Reviewer: Vaughn

Title: Bearwalker

Author: Joseph Bruchac

Rating:         You have to read this!

When Brian arrived at camp he saw a guy wearing a bear claw necklace. Then he remembered the Native American legend of the blood thirsty Manbear that was able to change between man and bear. He never thought he would come face to face with the legend of the Manbear however this would not be the case.

What I liked about the book was that anytime I read it there was always a cliffhanger. I also liked the main idea of the story which took place in the woods at camp. The mystery of the story held my attention till the end.

I would recommend this to readers that like mysteries and that are also at a 5.2 reading level.

++++++++++++++++

 

Genre: Fantasy

Reviewer: Sophia

Title: One and Only Ivan

Author: Katherine Applegate

Rating: You have to read this!

The One and Only Ivan is about an ape that is alone in his little dome and he does not take after his dad, his dad was a mean ape. Ivan does not have many friends. He has a dog and an elephant friend, but that’s it. People thought he was mean and people liked him for that. Ivan’s elephant friend made Ivan no longer alone. Ivan and the elephant became best friends.

What I did not like about the book is that Ivan looks all mean on the book he is decried as mean and I thought it kind of ruined the book at some parts. What I liked about the book is that Ivan was a very nice ape instead of mean and Ivan finally got a friend.

I would rate this book a ten out of ten because It was really sweet and it touched my heart. I recommend this book for 3rd grade to 5th grade. Why is because it has some sad parts but it also is a hard reading level for 3rd and under.

+++++++++++++++

 

 

Genre: Fantasy Fiction

Reviewer: Maddie

Title: The Secret Mermaid: Enchanted Shell

Author: Sue Mongredien

Rating: You should read this

The Secret Mermaid: Enchanted Shell is about a girl named Molly who moves with her family to Horseshoe Bay near the sea to live with her Gran. Her Gran gives her a special shell necklace that she doesn’t allow anyone to touch. When Molly goes to sleep the first night she lives there, she is magically teleported to the Undersea Kingdom where she meets the Merqueen and princess and other mermaids. And Molly has a tail! She is a “secret mermaid.”

I liked how Molly wasn’t sure if it was a dream or real but she had seaweed in her hair when she woke up. I liked meeting all the different mermaids who are related to Molly. I found the storyline about the shell very interesting and how Molly’s ancestor mermaid fell in love with a fisherman and lost her tail and got legs but passed her conch shell down through her family.

I disliked how this ends on a cliffhanger. I didn’t realize it was a series so it was disappointing to not get the end of the story. However, I am very excited to read the next book in the series.

I would recommend this to most people. If you like adventure or magic or mermaid stories, this is your next read.

++++++++++

 

 

Genre: Fantasy

Reviewer: Grace

Title: The Land of Stories: A Wishing Spell

Author: Chris Colfer

Rating: You should read this

The book A Wishing Spell is a great book. A Wishing Spell is mostly about twins that go on adventures to find important objects in important fairy tales. They face some problems on the way to find the objects in the fairy tales, but always find a way to get out of the problems. Before they faced the fairy tale problems, they faced some school problems as well.

I like the book A Wishing Spell because there are a lot of adventures. I like the adventures because in every fairy tale there is a different adventure. I also like that the twins are so different, but they are so similar at the same time. They are different because one is very daring and the other is not at all. They are similar because they both love fairy tales and meeting the characters in the fairy tales.

I would recommend this book to fifth grade girls. I would recommend this book to fifth grade girls because most of the characters in the fairy tales are girls. Also, I really enjoy this book and I am a girl, so I feel like other girls will enjoy the book too.

++++++++++

 

Genre: Fantasy

Reviewer: Will

Title: Wings of Fire: The Lost Continent

Author: Tui T. Sutherland

Rating: You have to read this!

The Lost Continent is about this SilkWing dragon named Blue. It all starts with his sister’s metamorphosis day. It’s a normal metamorphosis day until they get to the metamorphosis chamber. His sister Luna turns out to be a Flamesilk. Then, the HiveWing guards took her away. Then, the HiveWing guards start to chase Blue. When the guards all most caught him he found this HiveWing dragon named Cricket and they hid in the school. Then, Blue and Cricket went to look for Swordtail to help them find Luna. Next, Swordtail took a stone tablet and flung it in to the side of the Hive and smashed the wall to bits. After that, they hid in a sinkhole in the savanna. Then, Blue, Swordtail, and Cricket fly all the way to the Wasp Hive and hid in Queen Wasp’s own greenhouse. As they go deeper into the greenhouse and dragons tied them to trees, but the there was some thing strange about the dragons they had only two wings and the wing were shaped like leaves they were LeafWings. LeafWings were extinct, but now they wanted Bule, Cricket, and Swordtail to break into the Temple of Clearsight and steal the Book of Clearsight.

I thought that this was a really good book, but I didn’t like that the main character, Blue was still a dragonet and didn’t have wings. If you read the other Wings of Fire books all the dragons have wings. My favorite part was when they found the LeafWings.

Last, I would suggest this book to people who like dragons.

++++++++

 

Genre: Fantasy

Reviewer: Isaac

Title: Arthur Grey, The Minotaur Riddle

Author: V.K Finnish

Rating:  You should read this book

Arthur Grey, The Minotaur Riddle is about this kid named Arthur Grey who comes back to the spy glass squad. They go back to Historia, the place they used to go, until Arthur happened to find pieces of real legends and his most exciting adventures, the Historia’s olympic sport. But then a man comes up trying to save Historia, is it fake or is it real? Historia was being targeted the whole time of the events and Arthur Grey has to stop it.

The book was good but I wished it had more sensory details about what the characters are doing. Overall the book was enjoyable and good. Also I like the characters and the mysteries that occurred in the book. But my second problem of the book is that there were not many witty characters in the story.

Overall I would recommend this book.

++++++++++

 

Genre: Fantasy

Reviewer: Cameron

Title: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Author: J.K Rowling

Rating: You have to read this!

This book was about a kid named Harry Potter whose parents died and he has to live with his aunt and uncle. They are super mean to him and super nice to their child named Dudley. His aunt and his uncle put bars on his room so he could not go back to his school Hogwarts which is a school of magic. So his friend Ron comes in a flying car and takes him to his house. After about a month Harry goes to Hogwarts. To get to Hogwarts you need to get through an invisible wall before 11:00, but Harry and Ron missed the wall so they had to take a flying car to the school. Once he gets to the school he is doing normal school then he hears about a thing called the Chamber of Secrets so they are trying to figure out how to get to it.  Read the book to find out what happens!

What I liked about this book was a sport called quiditch where they are on broomsticks trying to get a ball in the ring and there is also a thing called the snitch. If you catch you win the game, but while you’re doing that there are two balls trying to hit you. Another thing I liked was when the people cast the spells like to disarm your opponents or to make something float. What I did not like was it took awhile to actually get to the magic stuff. Besides that the rest of the book was good.

I would recommend this to fifth grade boys. First the main character is a boy and the reading level is fifth grade. All in all, the book was awesome. I would totally recommend you read this.

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Genre: Fantasy

Reviewer: Vaughn

Title: The House With the a Clock in Its Walls

Author: Lewis Barnavelt

Rating: You have to read this!

This book is about a ten year old boy named Lewis. He went and lived in a house with his uncle. In the house there was ticking nose inside the walls. Then he learned that his uncle is a wizard.

I really liked this book because it is about magic. Also, it had a lot of cliffhangers. It was also interesting to read. I was able to read this book in under two weeks.

I would recommend this to people who like magic, secret pathways, and trapped doors. Boys and girls would both like this book. It will keep you reading until the very end.

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Historical Fiction

 

Genre: Historical fiction

Reviewer: Hann

Title: Charley Skedaddle

Author: John and Patricia Betty

Rating: Don’t bother

Charley is a twelve year old boy who is mad about his brother’s death in the Gettysburg war and wants to get revenge. But there is one problem, he is twelve. Charley then runs off to be a drummer boy in the army. Marching into battle he saw a fallen soldier. He decides to pick up the fallen man’s gun and shot someone. Charley is horrified of his actions and tries to run off as a man called him Charley Skedaddle. He gets taken prisoner from the other side and is lucky and let go. He ran off to the Blue Ridge mountain and finds a little cabin. The woman who lives in there took him in and fed him. As he left the mountains he saw his team walking off in victory and with a boost of confidence he thought to himself that he will return in the future.

What I liked about the book is that he’s just twelve and had the guts to join the army even though he was a drummer boy he shot someone. What I didn’t like about the book was it seemed as the writer made the dialogue very bland and fake. His emotions where just so bland and fake. Another thing that I didn’t like is how he is in a street fighting gang and he has insecurities and doesn’t have much self confidence. I haven’t been in a fighting gang but usually from movies the people who are in one are very cocky.

All in all I thought this book was ok and I would recommend it to fourth grade boys with anxiety, insecuritys, and minimal self confidence.


 

 

Genre: Historical fiction

Reviewer: Isaac

Title: Lincoln’s Grave Robbers

Author: Steve Sheinkin

Rating: You have to read this!

Lincoln’s Grave Robbers is a historical fiction book about a group of people trying to steal Lincoln’s grave and his possessions which are valuable items. It’s a mystery who is trying to steal these valuable items. The main characters are Patrick Tyrrel, Lewis C. Swegles, and Jack Hughes. Tyrrel and Hughes plan to stop the robbers but hadn’t caught them yet.

I really enjoyed this book because it keeps you in suspense to find who the robbers are. Also one thing about the book I dislike is that it doesn’t tell about the characters that much. The best part is that when you read it you can imagine clearly what’s happening.

I would rate this book a solid 9/10 just because of the descriptive language and usage of words. Why I gave it a 9 is that they need to tell more about the characters.

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Realistic Fiction

 

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Reviewer: Kyle

Title: All Four Stars

Author: Tara Dairman

Rating: You have to read this!

To begin, let me just say that All Four Stars is a very enticing book. First, I’d like to start you off with some background on the main character, Gladys Gatsby. Gladys lives in East Dumpsford and absolutely loves to cook. In fact, she’s such a good cook, she’s better than her parents. Well, that’s not saying much because her parents eat fast food almost every night. And when they do decide to make an attempt at cooking they really mess it up. For instance, the time when her mother somehow liquified the broccoli and tried to pass it off as green sauce for the potatoes. Nasty. I mean honestly, how do you liquify broccoli? Well the answer there is they nuke everything in the microwave. Everything. And not only that, but they don’t even nuke it for the right amount of time. So imagine eating liquified broccoli or Burger King every night of your life. Well luckily, Gladys doesn’t have to. She cooks for herself. She’s cooked about 140 different recipes secretly when her parents are at work. Notice anything strange there? Secretly. For some reason her parents don’t like it when Gladys cooks (personally my parents would love to have me cook, even if it wasn’t good). They think kids shouldn’t be doing stuff that adults normally do that kids don’t. Her secret would’ve been kept from her parents longer if it wasn’t for the unfortunate crème brûlèe incident. Long story short, she set fire to the kitchen curtains. So, as you can imagine, that went down really nice with her parents, especially since they decided to come home early from work and surprise her with a take-out pizza. Her parents took away her cooking privileges. Gladys seems doomed until she gets back to school and finds out about an essay contest that could change her life! Can she win the essay contest, pay off the new curtains, and maybe make some friends along the way? Find out her whopping secret when you read the book! The excitement is endless!

I really enjoyed the book because it just kept getting more enticing, a perfect balance of suspense and enjoyment that will keep you on the edge of your seat for the whole read. Also, I really enjoyed the similes and descriptive language the author used.

I would recommend this book for girls, because of all of the cooking and because the main character is also a girl. But, hey I’m one to talk, I’m a boy and I really enjoyed the book so I think it really just depends.

Obviously, I think you can see that this was a very enticing book.

-Kyle


 

Genre: Realistic fiction

Reviewer: Chloe

Title: My Life on T.V.

Author: Kelly Green

Rating: You should read this

In the book My Life on T.V. a pop star’s sister’s life is shown. She talks about how her sister got famous, and she also talks about her house. All of a sudden, her sister starts to feel like she needs to quit being on a reality show and being a pop star.

Her sister has to do a concert for people in wheelchairs, and in the middle of the concert, her microphone falls over. She leans over to pick it up, but she’s not singing. It was background music and she wasn’t actually singing. They leave the concert. They’re all embarrassed. Read the book to find out what happens.

I liked the book. It makes you feel as if it is a real true story. It caught my attention because of the descriptive language that the book uses. My favorite part of the book was when her sister drops the microphone. Its my favorite part because it’s memorable and connects to the idea of her sister quitting. This book is nothing like any book I’ve read because of the setting, words, and descriptive words.

I would recommend this book for mostly girls. It wouldn’t really be a boys book because the lack of boys in the book. It mostly revolves around an every day life of a girl. You should read this book on your free time!

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Genre: Realistic fiction

Reviewer: Miranda

Title: Junie B. Jones Has a Peep in her Pocket

Author: Barbara Park

Rating: You have to read this!

Junie B. Jones Has a Peep in her Pocket by Barbara Park is about kindergartener named Junie B. Jones who is getting into first grade. The characters are Junie B. Jones, Mrs. William, Lucille, and Grace. They are all students and teachers. The teachers name is Mrs. The students names are William, Lucille and Grace. The children where sad they had to go to first grade. They said that the first graders where bullies. They wanted to be in the same grade as their own age. Then the teacher explained to the children that every grade moves up so you won’t be in the same grade as the first graders as the first graders that are in first grade right now. They are moving up to second grade.

I really like this book. Why I like this book is because I like how it really shows how some would like field trips and how some don’t. My favorite part of this book was when all the students thought that they were going to first grade with the other first graders. I like how Junie B. got mixed up with if she was going to first grade with the other first graders. This whole book is about how Junie B. and how she got into kindergarten and how she thought she was staying with the bullies.

I would recommend this book to anyone. It is a book with a kindergartener named Junie B. Jones and how she is going into first grade. I would have six or older read this book because it might have some words that first graders can’t read in till they’re older. This book is very interesting when you get into the book. Characters in the book are very interesting when you get into the book more.


 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Reviewer: Maddie

Title: Love That Dog

Author: Sharon Creech

Rating: You should read this

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech is about a boy and his dog. It is written differently than a regular novel. We are reading poems written by the main character Jack for his teacher and his favorite author Walter Dean Myers. At first, Jack is not sure about poetry or that what he is writing is poetry. But then he finds his favorite poem and everything changes in his life.

I liked how Jack kept getting more confident in his poetry writing. I liked how he talked to the teacher and got a bit more confident every single time and how he learned about what poetry is. I enjoyed how the back of the book had the poems that Jack read in class. My favorite was “The Tiger” by William Blake. Jack’s favorite was “Love That Boy” by Walter Dean Myers and it was cool how Jack wrote a letter to the author. I love how Jack’s poetry was about his pet dog. It showed how much he loved that dog.

The only part I did not enjoy about the book was that Jack’s dog, Sky, died and how Jack described this made me sad. If you read this book and have pets that you have loved pass away, this may make you sad too. The best thing though is that Jack truly loved that dog, so you have both sad and happy feelings reading this.

In conclusion, Love That Dog by Sharon Creech is one of my favorite books. I read it because it sounded sweet. and sour. I am happy that I read it. I would recommend it to the class and my teacher.

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Genre: Realistic fiction

Reviewer: Hannah

Title: Esperanza Rising

Author: Muñoz Ryan

Rating: You have to read this!

Esperanza Rising is about Esperanza who thinks that her life is going to be wonderful forever. She lives on a ranch in Mexico. One of the reasons she loves her wonderful life is because she lives in a wonderful well decorated home with a lot of servants. Esperanza always wears a fancy dress. Her papa Abuelita is always by her side. But one day a sudden tragedy shatters her beautiful world that her and her papa loved.

I really liked this book. Why I think it is a good book is because I liked how is was very interesting and you would always get your hopes up for specific parts. What I also like is how you can really act in your head how people talk and how they are saying it. One more thing that I liked was all the action in this book, like when the sudden tragedy happens it is very interesting to read and you can’t get your head out of the book.

I would recommend this book for people who like lots of action and lots of excitement. I would also recommend this book to fifth grade girls because if I liked it then I am pretty sure that the rest of fifth grade girls would like it too.

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Genre: Realistic fiction

Reviewer: Grace

Title: Wish

Author: Barbara O’Connor

Rating: You have to read this!

To begin, Wish is a really good book and you should read it. Wish is about a girl named Charlie who went to live with her aunt and uncle because her family was falling apart. At first she struggled to get along with them but at the end she relies on them and loves them. Any chance she could get, she would make a wish. She always saw a stray dog around her house so she decided she was going to catch that dog and she did. She made a friend named Howard who always sticks up for Charlie and she always sticks up for him. That is why Wish is a good book and you should read it.

I really liked this book because she is struggling in a way and she finds out how to get back up and keep going. I also like the book Wish because I like Howard’s character. I like how Charlie describes his walk like an up down walk. Charlie isn’t afraid to say what she is feeling and she isn’t afraid to stand up for herself and her friends. I also like how Charlie is so attached to her dog Wishbone. Wishbone is always there if Charlie needs him and when she needs someone to hug or talk to he is always there.

I would recommend Wish to fifth grade girls. I feel like they would enjoy this book just as much as I did. That is why I would recommend the book to fifth grade girls.

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Genre: Realistic fiction

Reviewer: Sophia

Title: Rain Reign

Author: Ann M. Martin

Rating: You have to read this!

This book is about a dog and a girl named Rose and her dog is Rain. Rose is a strange girl, Rose is a girl that loves homonyms, she is always making them. Rose has a very nice dog Rain. Rain was a lost dog in the cold rain and she got picked up by the father of Rose and ever since then they have been best friends. Rose has a very hard life, her father drinks way to much and he is very stressed about his life and his daughter Rose. His wife left because she never wanted to help so he is always scared that someone will take Rose. Rose has never lost Rain until her father let her out.

What I did not like about this book is that Rose’s dad is a very unhappy person and he does not treat Rose well. And the dad had a very bad temper and he puts it off on the dog Rain. Also Rose got abandoned by her mom and dad. What I liked about the book is that Rose is a very strong girl and will never give up. Also I loved the bond between Rose and her dog. The last thing I liked was Rose had an uncle that understood her.

I would rate it a nine out of ten because I really enjoyed it but there were a lot of upsetting parts but also scary parts. Also I wished the book was longer than 250 pages. It made me understand how people go through autism. The last thing I loved about it was I learned what homonyms are.


 

 

Genre: Realistic fiction

Reviewer: Evie

Title: White Fang

Author: Kathleen Olmstead

Rating: You should read this

This book is about a half wolf dog called White Fang. White Fang’s mother is known in the story as the red dog. The red dog grew up in a village and ran away during a famine. The red dog then, moved into a wolf pack and fell in love with the leader, One Eye. One Eye and the red dog had puppies, there were three girls, who looked like their mother, and one boy, who looked like his father. Later, there was another famine and all three girls died, leaving only White Fang, his father, and his mother. White Fang had spent all of his life in a cave so far, and finally discovered the open world after his father died. His mother and him, while hunting, ran into people from the village and the people took the dogs/wolves back to the village with them. Their new leader, Gray Beaver, sold White Fangs’s mother and then he is all alone. Read this book to find out the transitions that White Fang goes through in his adventures life.

I liked White Fang because it makes you wonder, “What transition is he going to go through next”, and “why are people so cruel?” I also disliked this book because the beginning didn’t really capture my attention.

I recommend this book to kids nine and older because there are some pretty nasty things that White Fang does, I’ll let you figure it out when you read the book. If you like books that have a lot of transitions, then this is the book for you.

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Genre: Realistic fiction

Reviewer: Alyson

Title: Schooled

Author: Gordon Korman

Rating: You should read this

Schooled is all about a boy named Capricorn. His grandma fell out of a tree and has to go to the hospital. Capricorn now has to go to school and he does not like it. When his grandma was taking care of him he was home schooled and his parents were no longer around.

I liked this book because it has different chapters about different people. What I disliked about this book is that it was sad in some parts.

I would recommend this book to older boys and girls because it has a lot of parts that little kids would not understand. I think you should read this book because if you like sad books then you should read Schooled.


 

Genre: Realistic fiction

Reviewer: Hann

Title: Hatchet

Author: Gary Paulsen

Rating: You have to read this!

Brian Robinson is a thirteen year old boy who is in the passenger seat on a plane to oil fields in Canada to spend the summer with his dad until one thing gets in his way. The pilot suddenly gets a heart attack and dies leaving Brian as the only person to drive it with very little knowledge on how to fly a plane. Somehow Brian lands a crash landing in a lake with only a couple of bruises. Brian realizes that he has to hunt for food but the only thing he has is his hatchet his mother gave him before boarding the plane. Brian at this point is counting on S.O.S. to rescue him.

What I liked about the book is that it is very suspenseful and exciting to the reader. Brian is mainly a city boy and he survives for that long: mind blown! One I think that I don’t think made sense is that he didn’t search the plane first, although it adds to the story. Another thing that I liked about the book was that it is very detailed in a good way. I could almost make a movie in my mind that made since. Also, when I read this I was so sucked into it that my parents would have to tell me to stop reading it, I thought I would never hear that.

I would recommend this to absolutely everyone who could read. Also, it is a must read book. All boys and girls would love it hands down.


 

 

Genre: Fiction

Reviewer: Laila

Title: Not So Normal Norbert

Author: James Patterson

Rating: You have to read this!

In the book Not So Normal Norbert. Norbert lost his mom and dad, so then he lived with his aunt and uncle. Norbert Riddle was at school and the town was very strict. They could not be positive and they could only wear gray jump suits and military boots and if they did not they would go to jail. So one day Norbert Riddle had to go to jail because he did an impression of Mrs. Herllbutt. So he went to jail and then some of his friends had to go to jail. Then Norbert got sent to Astronaut camp and he was trying so hard to get the Truth Quarter which is a computer with all there records on it, so he could find his parents. Read the book to find out what happens.

I think you should read it because it is funny and interesting and you will get a good laugh. Then it was sad but it will get happy I promise . So I hope you will read theirs because it is good. It is a very cool book to read but, reading the book has some hard words and it says that it is easy. I would recommend this book for boys and girls.

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Genre: Realistic fiction

Reviewer: Xavier

Title: The Box-Car Children

Author: Gertrude Chandler Warner

Rating: You have to read this!

The Box-Car Children is about four siblings named Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny. They are orphans. First, they find themselves at a bakery. The children did not stay with the baker and his wife because they only wanted to care for some of the siblings. The children collected bread from the bakery before they left. Next, they made their home in a haystack near a farmhouse. They needed to hide from the baker and his wife so they went into the woods and made a place to sleep there. Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny found an old boxcar in the woods! Soon after the children settled in the boxcar, Henry got a job working for Dr. Moore. Life became better moving forward!

I like the book because the story shows how the four children help each other through hard times. They would share food. They would swim together. The children found safe adults to share their life with. I like that Dr. Moore gave Henry a job and he cared about Henry as a person. Dr. Moore invited Henry to a race. At the race, Henry met someone special. This person helped Henry and his siblings later on after the first book in the series. I want to read more of these books because the same characters will be in the next book.

I would recommend this book for boys and girls because the characters are boys and girls. This book is interesting to boys and girls because it shows how they make the best of their hard life.

——————————————-

 

 

Genre: Realistic fiction

Reviewer: Savannah

Title: Wish

Author: Barbara O’ Connor

Rating: You have to read this!

When she was sent to live with her family she knew that her wish would not come true. Until she meet Wishbone on a sunny day who was a stray dog who filled her heart and made her happy. She was in middle school and she was a sweet girl. All she wanted was to have a dog, someone to make her happy and to play. She was an only child and she just wanted someone to play with and be happy and act like it was her sister or brother. Then all of those hopes and dreams finally came true. a stray came walking by and it was meant for her.

What I liked about the book is it feels like it is a true story but I will have to see if it is real. Also, what I like about Wish is I love the bond between the dog and the girl. It is really good to know how you can be friends with a dog it really touched my heart.

I would recommend this book to girls that live with a dog. why i do not think it is good for boys is because it is about a girl so that is why I think it is for good for mostly girls.

——————————————-

 

 

Genre: Mystery

Reviewer: Vaughn

Title: Story Thieves: The Stolen Chapters

Author: James Riley

Rating: You should read this

This book is about three kids, Bethany, Owen, and Kiel. Bethany can travel into books and she can take her friends with her. Owen is accused of burning down his mom’s library. Owen needs to get out of the police station so he can save Bethany who is trapped in a book. If Owen and Kiel don’t save Bethany, she will drown.

I really like this book because it is a mystery. My favorite part about this book is the countdown to when Bethany will drown. The countdown kept me reading so I could find out what happened next.

I would recommend this book to people that like mysteries and fantasies. It is a fast paced book that kept me wanting to read. I would recommend this book to fifth graders because of the reading level on this book is 5.1.


 

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Reviewer: Kyle

Title: The Big Field

Author: Mike Lupica

Rating: You have to read this!

To begin, let me say that The Big Field is a very excellent book. The main character is “Hutch” Hutchinson (his real name is Keith but Hutch is his nickname) and he loves baseball more than almost anything else. Hutch plays fourteen-seventeen year old American Legion Ball. He plays second base for the Boynton Beach Post 226 Cardinals and is elected team captain at the beginning of the book. Hutch has played baseball for a long time and wishes that his dad, a retired minor-leaguer, would practice and train with him. Not once since he was seven did his dad practice with Hutch, when he showed him how to handle a ground ball. His dad went inside and told him if he wanted to keep practicing, he could use his pitch-back that his mom had gotten him. Sometimes when Hutch was in the yard practicing, he’d see his dad watching him through the window of his house, and hope that he would come out to practice with him. Every time he looked back over he saw his dad was gone. Hutch’s dad had loved baseball when he was young, like Hutch, and people had said he was the best player to come out of the area, but when he got to the minor leagues, he realized he wasn’t good enough to make it to the major leagues right before he had an injury to his arm and took early retirement because of it. When he realized he wasn’t good enough, it broke his dad’s heart and he didn’t want the same to happen to Hutch. This is why when Hutch saw his dad practicing on a field with Darryl, another star (but a bit annoying) player, he lost his temper and got in a fight with Darryl. Hutch finds out secrets, gets suspended, and much, much more in this exciting Mike Lupica book!

I really liked this book because I thought the author, Mike Lupica, did a really nice job mixing emotions and action to give the reader a really good understanding of what’s happening even if the reader is completely clueless about baseball. Also, I liked it because I play baseball and know what it feels like to be in these situations.

I would recommend this book for boys third grade and above because the book is pretty light-hearted and doesn’t have anything gory or scary in it. Also, I think it’s better for someone who knows a lot about baseball and likes baseball so that they can enjoy it more than someone who doesn’t know the rules and doesn’t like baseball as much as somebody who does.

————————————–

 

Genre: Realistic fiction

Reviewer: Hannah

Title: Restart

Author: Gordon Korman

Rating: You have to read this!

Restart is about a boy named Case and he was playing on the roof. Then things start to get bad. Chase woke up in the hospital and he does not remember one thing. He doesn’t even remember what his own name is or who his parents are. Now he has to start his whole life over again.

When he goes back to school he sees totally different kids that he doesn’t know. Some of the kids were scared of him and some of the kids were very normal.

I really liked this book. I liked how it explains what happened to Chase and how he had to start all over again. I also liked how you would always get super excited for parts that are exciting. One more thing I liked about is how it tells you that he doesn’t remember anything but then he eventually finds a new life.

I would recommend this book for fifth grade class. Why I think that is because this book has a lot of exciting parts and I know our class would like this book.

All in all I really, really like this book and I would read this book many other times.


 

 

Genre: Realistic fiction

Reviewer: Xavier

Title: Surprise Island

Author: Gertrude Chandler Warner

Rating: You have to read this!

The Boxcar Children, Surprise Island is about four siblings named Henry, Jesse, Violet, and Benny. They no longer live on their own, they live in the boxcar in their Grandpa’s garden behind his house. Their school is out for summer break.

Their Grandpa gave them a ride to his island that his dad purchased when he was young. When they get to the island they settle into a barn. They meet a friend named Joe on the island. They learn how to find clams and open them. They learn about new kinds of flowers and birds. One day they go exploring and find native American tools that are old and made out of bones and stones. They go to a museum and figure out that Joe works there. One night it rains on the island, this brings trouble to the barn the children are staying in. They do many things on the island! You’ll need to read this book to find out what all of their adventures are!

I like the book because the story shows how their life has changed for the better in one year. The children get to discover more of what they are good at: a few of their talents are cooking, building, music and making new friends. I like it when they learn by exploring the island and having fun together. I like how they make the best out of the worst when a storm hits.

I would recommend this for boys and girls because the characters adventured on the island, outside, all summer long. I learned that they didn’t fight with each other while they were having fun together, outside. I saw that learning can be fun!

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Genre: Realistic fiction

Reviewer: Evie

Title: Raising Faith

Author:Carlson, Melody

Rating: You have to read this!

The book I’m reading is called Raising Faith. This book is about five different girls going on a ski trip, and their struggle making enough money to go. Carlie, Amy, Morgan, Emily, and Chelsea all have faith that God will provide the funds. Unfortunately, things didn’t go exactly as planned. Morgan and Emily, who are best friends, were going to make things for the bazaar together, but things change when Chelsea’s mom decides to pay for Emily’s trip. Morgan now has to work for the money that she needs all by herself. Things get even worse when Morgan’s grandmother has a life threatening heart attack. Then, Emily’s mother’s abusive ex-husband finds them after being in hiding and tries to take Emily and her brother away, causing Emily and her family to leave Boscoe Bay on the run. The girls all fear for their friends as Emily and Morgan go through life changing events.

I loved this book! It’s a must read! I liked it because of how many times it makes you think, ”Is she going to be ok?” Or “I can’t stop here!” Or “The suspense is killing me!” This was an amazing book!

I recommend this book to girls who love wondering ”what’s going to happen next?” Probably read this if you are a girl in third through seventh grade. You have to read this!

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Genre: Realistic fiction

Reviewer: Alyson

Title: Because of Winn-Dixie

Author: Kate DiCamillo

Rating: You have to read this!

Because of Winn-Dixie is all about a girl named India Opal and her dog. She just moved to Naomi, Florida and it is hard for her to make friends. Her dog is named Winn-Dixie. Opal then meets Miss Franny Block, Sweetie Pie, Amanda, Gloria Dump, and a lot of other people. Opal’s mom left when she was little.

I liked this book because it was really heartwarming and it was talking about friendship and love. I disliked this book because it had a lot of sorrow and a little bit of sadness.

I would recommend this book to eight year old girls and up because it is from a girl’s perspective and a boy might not understand it.


 

 

Genre: Realistic

Reviewer: Sophia

Title: Ann at Green Gables

Author: L.M Montgomery

Rating: You have to read this!

The book I’m reading is about a young girl named Ann and she was in a foster home. Ann is not very happy in her foster home, she wishes to get out. Lucky her she got taken to a home by mistake. The people wanted a boy to help with the farm, but they got Ann. She was not scared at all she was happy. She was very bad. She never prayed to God and she ran off. Ann has a very bad temper.

I would rate this book a ten out of ten because Ann gets to be in a very good home and she gets to be a nice person. She gets friends and family. Also it taught me think before I do something.

I recommend this to fourth grade and up because it has hinting and different things like religion.

+++++++++++++++

 

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Reviewer: Kyle

Title: Spy School Goes South

Author: Stuart Gibb

Rating:         You have to read this!

In Spy School Goes South, I thought the author, Stuart Gibbs, did an excellent job of combining excitement and humor to make a satisfying and riveting book. The main character, Ben Ripley, is a spy in training at the Academy of Espionage. He does not have the best fighting skills, but he is extremely good at doing advanced math calculations quickly in his head, and this helps him judge a situation and make a plan to deal with it quickly. Murray Hill is an operative for SPYDER, an evil organization that is determined to cause havoc and mayhem and make a profit on their devious schemes. Murray is a prisoner at the Academy in the beginning of the book, and he agreed to take only Ben and Erica Hale (Who is Ben’s massive crush) on a reconnaissance mission to find out information about SPYDER. Erica tells Ben that this will be an easy recon mission, and could even be fun. She couldn’t have been more wrong.

At the beginning of the flight to SPYDER headquarters, Ben and Erica hear sounds in the luggage compartment, and they turn out to be their friends Zoe and Mike. Zoe and Mike were denied permission to come on the mission, so decided to stow away on board. Next, their pilots, who turned out to be double-cross SPYDER agents, abandoned the plane with their parachutes and left Ben, Erica, Zoe, Murray, and Mike left for dead in an aircraft with no pilots. On top of all that, SPYDER fired a missile at the plane, only narrowly avoided with Ben’s math skills, Erica’s flying abilities, and Zoe’s grenade launching tactics. Last, Erica crashed the plane and they almost became crocodile chow. When they are stranded in the middle of the jungle, it appeared their situation was hopeless, but that might not be the case. Will they be able to escape the heat of the jungle, defeat SPYDER, and live to tell the tale?

I thought Spy School Goes South was an excellent book. The author did a very good job keeping the book exciting through the whole read. Also, the author was able to add in some very funny jokes, even when the characters were in a tough situation, which made the book go from a serious read to a light and happy one that was easy to think about.

I would recommend this book to boys and girls third grade and up. The jokes made this a fun book even though it had some very serious subjects. All in all, the book was an excellent read that I think everyone should try.

+++++++++++++++++++++

 

Genre: Realistic fiction

Reviewer: Laila

Title: The Secret School

Author: AVI

Rating: You should read this

The book The Secret School is about a boy named Felix and his older sister. In the beginning of the book Felix was on the ground because he was pressing the gas and the brake and his older sister was steering and all of that so they could get to school. That was there morning way to get to school. When they went to school they went outside and played and then they had to go to do work. There teachers name was Mrs. Herbert she was a nice teacher she helped all the kids when they needed it. At the end you will find out what happens, hope you enjoy.

Why I think you should read this book is because it is funny and it is enjoyable. It is a little low on the reading level, but it is good.

I think girls and boys can read it but boys may not like it but I think anyone can read it. Girls may enjoy it more than boys. I like the book so I think it is good for both.

+++++++++++++++++++

 

Genre: Realistic fiction

Reviewer: Laila

Title: 25 Roses

Author: Stephanie Faris

Rating: You should read this

In the book 25 Roses there is a girl named Kellie and she was the oldest. So she was the oldest and she was trying to play Cupid and she thought it was so easy, but it not. All her friends were trying to tell her, but she did not listen. So it was Valentine’s Day and they had to bring stuff in to give to the class and she brought 25 roses and all her friends were happy. I hope you enjoy the book read all of the story.

I think this book is a little easy, but it is a good book. It is an enjoyable book and it is a good book on how to be nice. So I hope you enjoy.

I think that girls should read it, boys may not like all the girls stuff in it. I think boys would think it is wrong and not good.

++++++++++++++++++++

 

Genre: Realistic fiction

Reviewer: Hann

Title: Far North

Author: Will Hobbs

Rating: You have to read this!

Gabe is a teenager from Texas who has moved to Canada’s Northwest Territories to go to a boarding school and to be closer to his father. His roommate Raymond is a native to Canada. Raymond does not like the new boarding school so he quit and flies home. Gabe was on that plane for a scenic tour, also another guy named Johnny Raven is on the plane who is coming back from a hospital stay. They try to land on water but the engine fails to start again. The pilot named Clint was not able to make it out, let’s just say he’s with the fish. To find out if the boys make it, read the book!

I enjoyed this book a lot. I liked how action packed and suspenseful it is. However, some parts in the book disappointed me as if they missed an opportunity to make something fun or exciting. A lot of the book was talking and usually talking can get boring but I couldn’t put the book down to save my life.

I would recommend this book to people who like the outdoors, and to mountaineers, and to boys and girls.

++++++++++++++++

 

 

Genre: Realistic fiction

Reviewer: Hannah

Title: Slacker

Author: Gordon Korman

Rating: You should read this

Slacker is about a boy named Cameron and he was very happy. All he did was enjoy his good times eating junk food and playing video games and worst of all avoiding his homework and other important stuff. But for him it was not too hard to get away with it. But then at one point he got so caught up in playing games he let his house burn down around him. So Cameron and his friends invited a fake school group so that way it would make it seem like they were doing good deeds instead of slacking off. But some other kids though that the school group was real so Cameron was stuck being president.

In my opinion, I really liked this book. What I like about this book is you always get excited parts. For example, when they get the fake friend group and also when he got caught.

I would recommend this book for all fifth grade class. Why is because I think our class would like it. And it is also very interesting and entertaining.

++++++++++++

 

Genre: Realistic fiction

Reviewer: Xavier

Title: The Yellow House Mystery

Author: Gertrude Chandler Warner

Rating: You should read this

At the start of the book Benny was done with school and heard the phone ring he picked it up and heard his cousin say they were going to blow up the cave on the island. Joe’s cousin had got married with someone named Alice. After the wedding the kids found a house on the island. Joe said that the house was the house of Bill. He was gone one night and there was a storm. That is when they looked for clues to see where he was. They went back the next day to look, they found a letter in a brick wall. After they found the letter they decided to look for more clues at a campground. They were rowing on the water trying to get to camp when Joe said they were going to have company. When they got there they saw that they were on a small island. After a while there company was there, his name was Mr. Hill. He helped them make food and build a house. That night a bear stole one bacon but when he saw they were watching him he dropped it and ran.

What I liked is that the siblings are never fighting. They also always help each other. I also like that they go on mysteries. Last, I liked it because the author gave us clues to find out the mystery.

I would recommend this for boys and girls because it is about a mystery with kids. Also I would recommend this for kids because there are boys and girls in the book.

++++++++++++++++

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Reviewer: Hannah

Title: Wolf Hollow

Author: Luran Wolk

Rating: You should read this

Wolf Hollow is about a girl named Annabelle and she lives in a small Pennsylvania town and growing up in Pennsylvania. There has been two world wars. Annabelle has a very quite and steady life until the day that Betty Glenarry comes into her classroom. But Betty likes to bully a lot so of course Annabelle gets bullied and she lives a long year.

I really liked this book. It was a very good and cool book. Why I liked it is because it really gets you excited in parts and I like those kind as books. What I also like about it is that there are lots of feelings.

I would recommend this book for fifth grade girls. Why is because I know other girls in this class like those kind of books.

+++++++++++++++++

 

Genre: Realistic fiction

Reviewer: Alyson

Title: Wonder

Author: R.J. Panacio

Rating: You have to read this!

Wonder is all about a boy named August Pullman. He had never went to school or had even seen a school. When he was little he had to have surgery. He was in school and other people were bullying him.

I liked this book because it was a good example of friendship and love. I also liked this book because it was heartwarming. I disliked this book because some parts in parts of the book there was bullying.

I recommend this book to older kid because it was really sad at some parts and younger kids might not understand some situations the main character was in. All in all, this book is so good, you need to read it.

+++++++++++++++

 

 

Genre: Realistic fiction

Reviewer: Isaac

Title: The Westing Game

Author: Ellen Raskin

Rating: You have to read this!

The Westing Game is a mystery book that contains lots of good mysteries. The main characters are Grace, Jack, Angela, Crow, and Turtle. The group of people move into the new Westing estate one night someone sets off some bombs in the estate which causes Westing to die. So now the people living in the estate will have to solve who set of those bombs for a prize of millions and millions of money but it will be a challenge and maybe even some people will die in this mystery book or some people cold be the suspects. It’s a huge mystery to solve, but who committed the crime?

I really liked the book because of the suspense and mysteries you have to solve for instance when you have to figure out who did it. I thought I wouldn’t like the book, but I was wrong, the book had great characters and show not tell strategies. In the book you can really feel like you’re in a situation that your character is facing.

I would really recommend you read the Westing Game you will not regret it.

+++++++++++++++++++++

 

Genre: Realistic fiction

Reviewer: Savannah

Title: Wish

Author: Barbara O’Connor

Rating:         You have to read this!

There is this girl and she made a big wish for a dog and it might of come true. The rest of wishes made me cry a little and it was a change from the beginning. The beginning was happy and I was learning the characters but it changed in the end. It was also a drastic change for everyone especially.

What I did like is the drastic change in the story. The thing I did not like is that they it was a little hard to follow. I would recommend this to a fifth or six grader because it is a little hard to follow and so it will be harder for them to process the whole story.

++++++++++++

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Reviewer: Vaughn

Title: Island of the Blue Dolphins

Author: Scott O’Dell

Rating: You have to read this!

The book Island of the Blue Dolphins is about a tribe of people. The main character is a girl that was named Karana. A group of Russian hunters came to the island to hunt otters. Then the hunters killed many of the tribe’s warriors including the chief. The chief was Karana’s dad. The rest of the tribe left the island, but Karana and her brother were left behind. Karana’s brother was killed and Karana was left on the island to survive by herself.

I really liked this book because it was interesting. I enjoyed reading a book based on true events. There were multiple cliffhangers in the book and they kept me turning the pages. My favorite part of the book was when Karana made friends with the wild dogs. It showed you can make friends with something you don’t think you could make friends with.

I would recommend this book to people that like true stories. I would recommend this book to people that are at a 5.4 reading level.

++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Reviewer: Kyle

Title: The Stars of Summer

Author: Tara Dairman

Rating: You have to read this!

The Stars of Summer is an extremely great book. It was summertime in East Dumpsford, and Gladys Gatsby, age 11, planned to spend her time cooking and reviewing restaurants for her secret job at The New York Standard. That is, until she gets an unwanted gift from her friend. Her friend’s parents own a summer camp called Camp Bentley, and Charissa Bentley gives her a free summer there. Gladys spent some of her time working for the camp cook, until that drove her crazy, and with a little slyness, was able to convince everyone to make gourmet food for the counselors. The rest of her time she spends in the pool, archery range, and with a big-shot full-of-himself kid author, who happens to like her. On top of all of her unwanted camp duties, she receives a bogus reviewing assignment from The New York Standard! One of her competing reviewers signed into her editor’s E-mail and sent her on a mission to find New York’s greatest hot dog! Can she survive all of her seemingly impossible tasks?

I think The Stars of Summer was a really great book because the author did a nice job keeping things exciting, and did a fine job of giving the main character lots of problems to go through. Also, I think it was a good book because it was a unique book; there aren’t many books out there about kids who like to cook.

I would recommend this book for girls, because of all of the cooking and because the main character is also a girl. But hey, I’m a boy and I really enjoyed the book so I think it really just depends.

+++++++++++++++++

 

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Reviewer: Kyle

Title: Slacker

Author: Gordon Korman

Rating:         You have to read this!

Cameron Boxer is a slacker. He’s spent all of his life slacking, and he’s happy to keep it that way, especially with Rule the World coming up. Rule the World is a gaming competition that Cam has spent hours upon hours upon hours practicing for. In fact, I think he gets a little too into his gaming. Cameron was so focused on one of his games, he let his house burn down around him. Literally.

His mom left the house, and she wanted him to take the ziti out of the oven after ten minutes, but Cam was so absorbed in his game that he didn’t hear a word she said. Long story short, the neighbors saw a bunch of smoke coming from their house, and they called the fire dept. When the firemen got there, they axed the front door asking if there was anyone inside. Finally, Cam was able to come back to Earth when he heard the firemen. Fortunately, it was just a lot of smoke and a small fire, so everyone was fine except the front door. When his parents got home, they had to set up all the fans to try blow away the smoke. After the incident, they told Cameron that he would have to enroll in some extracurricular activity before he could relapse into his slacker lifestyle.

Hearing about this, Pavel, one of Cam’s friends, hacked into the school site, creating a cheesy page for Cameron’s new “club”. He made Cam the president of the Positive Action Group, and all Cameron had to do was show the website to his parents. He thought there was no way anyone was going to sign up for a time consuming club like the Positive Action Group. Only problem? Some students thought it was real, and soon Cam found himself the leader of a group that was out of his control. Will he be able to return to his slacking lifestyle?

I liked this book because it was suspenseful and kept me turning the pages. Also, I felt that I could connect with the character a lot because we are both boys and we both like video games.

I would recommend this book for boys fourth grade and up. I think this would be good for girls too, but I think the male audience would enjoy it more.

++++++++++++++++

 

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Reviewer: Maddie

Title: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Author: Barbara Robinson

Rating: You have to read this!

This book is about the meaning of Christmas. It focuses on an obnoxious and chaotic family called the Herdmans. There are six of them and they are the worst kids in the history of the world.

This story was told from a kid’s perspective. The narrator was a girl in elementary school. Her mom got stuck doing the church Christmas pageant and the Herdmans – who had never gone to church before – volunteered to be in all the main roles. This causes chaos in the church.

The Christmas pageant was in the last chapter and it had a lot of good parts like how the Herdmans came in late. Another part I liked is when Imogene cried when everything rushed into her – the whole meaning of Christmas. Also, when she burped the baby Jesus because it made it seem more real. I also thought it was funny how Gladys shouted, “Hey, unto you a child is born!”

One thing I did not like was that the Herdmans smoked cigars, although it was funny when the fire department got called during the dress rehearsal. I think there was another way to show they were bad kids without them smoking. I would have also liked to know the narrator’s name. She never tells us her name, but she was very funny.

In conclusion, I think this was a great book. It’s pretty short but full of emotions. It is a good Christmas read that I think my class would enjoy.

++++++++++++++

 

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Reviewer: Kyle

Title: Fenway Fever

Author: John H. Ritter

Rating: You have to read this!

Due to a heart defect, tween Alfredo “Stats” Pagano has never been able to do what he truly desires, play baseball. As a result, he’s subjected himself to mental gymnastics – learning everything he can about baseball, especially the Boston Red Sox.

It was the hundred year anniversary of Fenway Park. Established in 1912, Fenway is definitely one of the oldest major league ball parks. And certainly the one with the most magic. Stats was about to find out that magic isn’t always good.

The Sox started out on a roll, as they were leading their division early in the season. However, you know good things don’t always last for long. And this sure didn’t. Billee Orbit, the Sox ace pitcher, had a little bad luck to start off the season. When he went seven innings, letting up only two runs, and he still lost the game, that confirmed it. It wasn’t just The Sophomore Jinx at work, it was pure rotten luck. The Sophomore Jinx is a term baseball fans use to describe a player that had a really good season one year, and a bad or mediocre season the next year.

Billee knew something was up, and he asked Stats to look up how many Bad Luck Runs (or BLRs) every team in the league had. Not surprisingly, The Red Sox had the most of any team, and that was just a little while into the season. Stats and Billee thought there was a new curse afoot, and they thought it came straight from Babe Ruth himself. Other people started thinking the same thing, too, and Stats and Billee put themselves up to the task of stopping it. The curse wasn’t the only bad news coming in.

Stats had a terrible asthma attack in the middle of the night, and it was hard for him to breathe. Looking closely, the doctors saw it was connected with his heart, and they thought he might have to get a pacemaker. The operation would be risky, and the pacemaker could come loose. Another problem was the Pagano family was in some really deep debt. Can Stats beat the curse, cure his heart, and live to tell the tale?

I really like this book because I am a huge Red Sox fan, and I could really imagine myself sitting next to Stats and cheering the Sox on through heart breaking loss after heart breaking loss. Also, I could connect with Stats because I have had some bad asthma attacks and I know how it is in his shoes. Last, I thought the author did a great job painting every picture with his words, and it kept me focused through the whole read.

I would recommend this book for baseball fans, because a lot of the terms used would only be familiar to baseball fans.

+++++++++++++

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Reviewer: Kyle

Title: Flush

Author: Carl Hiaasen

Rating: You have to read this!

Noah Underwood, a teen, lives in the Florida Keys. He loves being able to step out of his back door and swim, and he loves his parents. When he found out Dusty Muleman had been dumping sewage into the water, everything was about to change…

Noah’s dad is officially crazy. He has a kind heart, but he’s still crazy. This was confirmed when Noah’s dad (Paine Underwood) sunk the Coral Queen, a gambling boat. He claims that, after everyone left, the owner (Dusty Muleman) dumped the sewage into the water. Instead of dealing with that like a normal person, Paine swam onto the Coral Queen and sank it. He hopped off the boat, swam to shore, and sat in a folding chair to watch it sink. He never tried to get away. The cops found him sleeping with a can of root beer sitting next to him.

Paine had done some things that landed him in jail before, but never anything as extravagant as sinking the Coral Queen. Once, he saw some rich people camping, and one of their dogs had disobeyed them, so they were whipping the dogs! When he saw this, he put the dogs on his boat and went fishing with them. Later, he gave them to some relatives, and that was it, he saw something wrong, and did something about it. It was heroic, but a little whacko, too.

After he sunk the Coral Queen, he was locked up, but that didn’t stop him from ranting to the press. Finally, Dusty agreed to drop the charges, only if Noah’s dad stopped talking bad about him and his boat.

As for the original accusation, nothing was done about dumping the sewer tank into the water. Dusty had all of the officials either fooled or blackmailed into keeping quiet. However, with the help of one decent little sister, a nice bartender, and a man who would do anything for the right price, Noah may be able to catch Dusty Muleman in the act. Will they succeed?

I really liked the book because the humor and word usage was really good and funny. Also, I think I could connect with Noah, since we are both boys and we are about the same age.

I would recommend this book to fourth grade and up because there was some mild language. Other then some of the words, this book is completely fine and hilarious!

++++++++++

 

Genre: Realistic fiction

Reviewer: Evie

Title: Anne of Green Gables

Author: Montgomery, LM

Rating: You have to read this!

I really enjoyed reading Anne of Green Gables. Anne of Green Gables is about a freckle faced, spunky eleven year orphan girl with an extraordinary imagination. When Anne wins Marilla and Mathew Cuthbert’s love, her dreary life turns around. Green Gables is better than anywhere she had ever lived and as Anne says, “there is so much scope for imagination!” Read along as Anne grows up and realizes that there is more important things in life than just imagining things that aren’t there. Anne also learns that sometimes you have to put aside your differences and the things that have happened in the past.

Anne of Green Gables is a great book in my opinion. I enjoyed all the detail and description the author used. You should read this book and if you like it, show it to other people and share the fun you will have if you read it.

I recommend this book to girls like me, who love reading and also have a creative imagination. I think about nine would be the youngest age for anyone that would be interested in a book like this. Again, I really liked this book and I think you will too!

++++++++++

 

Genre: Realistic fiction

Reviewer: Alyson

Title: Saving Winslow

Author: Sharon Creech

Rating: You have to read this!

Saving Winslow is all about a boy named Louie and is pet named Winslow. Louie tries to save his pet donkey. Winslow is very weak. Louie’s parents are sure that the donkey won’t survive. They go through a tough time together.

I liked this book because it was very emotional and about friendship. I dislike this book because it was kind of hard to understand in parts.

I recommend this book to 7 year old boys and girls and older because I think boys and girls will understand it. I also recommend this book to families. All in all, this book was very excellent.

+++++++++++++

 

Genre: Realistic fiction

Reviewer: Xavier

Title: Clayton Byrd Goes Underground

Author: Rita Eillimas- Garcia

Rating: You should read this

The main character is Clayton Bryd. He is around the age of eleven years old. He plays blues music using a harmonica. He plays his harmonica with his grandfather and his blues band. He could of lived with his grandpa’s neighbor Omar or his dad. He sees his dad one time per month, they do baseball stuff together. Clayton spends most of his time with his grandfather, Cool Papa Byrd.

Why I liked it is because it was about a boy around my age. I also liked it because he had the same skin color as me. I liked how he liked to play music.

I would recommend this to boys. I would recommend it to boys because it was about his life. Why I would also recommend this to boys because he might be around there age.

++++++++

 

Genre: Realistic fiction

Reviewer: Chloe

Title: Butterflies

Author: Susanne Gervay

Rating:       You have to read this!

Butterflies is based on a fictional girl that has life problems. She has burns and doesn’t like it. She thinks her burns are really, really, bad. She goes through many plastic surgeries, yet still doesn’t think she looks normal. Her name is Katherine. Katherine has many friends, and knows many people. When she experiences her first kiss, deciding what her future job is, and deals with life, she feels confident.

Katherine told her story about her friends and how they treated her. Her friends are nice, help Katherine, and even talk about their own life problems. She had her first ever date. She was happy about it. She had many fights with her mom, but every time after they fight they apologize. Katherine chooses between medical school and surfing, which one will she choose?

I loved this book because it was really true to life, and it was amazing. It caught my eye because it stayed on topic and had “expensive” words. My favorite part of the book is when Katherine chooses her way. It’s my favorite part because she chooses her own way and it’s surprising what she chooses. Every sentence I read I wanted to read the next. It was really fun to read.

I would definitely read this book if you are interested in realistic fiction. It would mainly relate to girls and themselves. It is based on mostly girls to not judge themselves and be happy with what they have. You should read this book at least once!

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rdrule

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Science Fiction –

Genre: Science Fiction

Reviewer: Isaac

Title: Infinity Ring: Divide and Conquer

Author: Carrie Ryan

Rating: You have to read this!

Infinity Ring: Divide and Conquer is a group of friends named Dak, Riq, and Sera who go back in time to fix the war that was between Vikings and Parisians. While Sera and Riq are stuck with the Parisians while Dak is stuck with the blood thirsty Vikings, as the Parisians battle the Vikings Dak tries to escape to his friends but does he make it? Read the book to find out!

I really enjoyed the book because it really shows, not tells what is going on and what the actions are. At the beginning I doubted the book but, it turned out to be a great book.

I would definitely recommend this book to you just because of the fact that it would make you read it over and over again.

+++++++++++++++

 

Genre: Science fiction

Reviewer: Hann

Title: The Giver

Author: Lois Lowery

Rating: You have to read this!

Young eleven year old Jonas is living in a futuristic society that has left behind fear, war, and all bad. When people get “released” they die. When people who don’t fit into society they get released. The next up coming ceremony of twelve is coming up and Jonas does not have a specific job that he likes. At the ceremony Jonas is assigned the receiver of memory. His job is to erase all bad memories. He starts receiving from this wise old man who tells him to call him The Giver. As he is receiving his thoughts Jonas figures out how bland his society is and he gets a big appreciation for his life. Since they never suffered, they were never thankful. Jonas grew more angry at his society and The Giver was encouraging him. Jonas starts helping a boy named Gabriel sleeping through the night by sending him soothing thoughts. Jonas starts to create a relationship with him. When Gabriel is on the verge of being released, The Giver tells Jonas that when people get released they die. Jonas tells The Giver that they have to think of a plan to change things in the community forever. The Giver and Jonas made a plan to escape the community and disperse the memories causing the community to come to terms with the two. Although, Jonas was forced to leave earlier than expected because he heard that Gabriel was going to be released the next day. Jonas didn’t like that so he stole his dad’s bike and some food and set off elsewhere. Avoiding search plains, Jonas and Gabriel travel for a long time to find themselves stuck in heavy snow which makes bike travel impossible. Will Jonas and Gabriel make it?

All in all, this book was amazing. It was very scary and morbid at some points which made me set the book down and just think about what I just witnessed. It brought out a lot of emotion from me, and I’m not going to lie, some parts made me cry.

I would recommend this book to people over the age of twelve with a harsh sense of humor and to young adults. Definitely not young children, I learned that the hard way.

NOTE: You will need parent permission to read this book.

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rdrule

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Humorous –

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rdrule

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Nonfiction –

 

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One response to “Book reviews

  1. Lairden

    Is anyone going to beat my record? It’s 15

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