Kid's Advisory Board Reviews
This was a really good, hilarious book by the author of Big Nate, so it's sure to find a lot of fans. Actually, the author takes the fictional book that was from the Big Nate series, one that Nate did a book report on, and turns it into a real story. The main character is a troubadour, a traveling entertainer. Max travels to a kingdom where Max's uncle used to live. There used to be a nice, humble king there, but the old king has been replaced by his evil brother. Max decides to stop the evil king from ruling any longer and gets together a band of misfit knights to do that. Fans of the Big Nate and Wimpy Kid books should like this one, along with people who like humorous knightly adventures.
- Review by Michael, age 10
Monstrous Devices is a futuristic, sci-fi adventure story. It’s about a boy whose grandpa is always buying him toy robots. But this one is special. The boy falls asleep while doing homework, then wakes up to find the homework finished and ready. The grandpa immediately realized that the boy must come with him on his mission out of town. They end up having a creepy adventure.
- Review by Nidhi, age 10
With well-developed, realistic characters, a solid plot and good art, this graphic novel will appeal to a wide range of readers. The two main characters, best friends, bioengineer a three-headed cat. One day it gets loose from the lab on the spaceship where they live, and soon mysterious things start happening. The cat is blamed for the problems, but the girls suspect it's something else and begin investigating to clear their cat's name and save it from a possible death sentence. I'd recommend this book for readers age 7 and up, especially science fiction fans. It's particularly good for girls, but anyone should be able to enjoy it.
- Review by Michael, age 10
The second in a series, this was almost as good as Caveboy Dave #1, except it seems a little shorter. It starts with Caveboy Dave having invented a bunch of stuff, including watchtowers for their city. Using these watchtowers, they discover a giant flying bird they call "rippybeak" who caught a "pokeyhorn." They go to tell this news to their shaman, and discover the shaman is missing. It's up to Dave to come up with more new ideas. The story is funny, fast and humorously drawn, kind of in the style of Captain Underpants, except prehistoric. I would recommend it to fans of those kinds of silly illustrated books and graphic novel fans age 6 and up.- Review by Michael, age 10
This book provoked lots of emotion, but it was also full of action as you piece together the story. Instead of providing a black vs. white, good vs. bad view of the world, you go back and forth several times trying to figure out who they "good guys" are. The story starts with the main character Kobi's dad being infected with a virus that had spread across the whole world. Basically, it's the apocalyse. It's called "The Waste" and it started 13 years ago.In this world, people have to stay away from The Waste, which has infected things and caused oddly mutated animals and rapidly growing poisonous plants. To save his dad, he decides to go out into the waste and do scientific research. There, he finds three kids, who tell him of a safe place called "Heal Home" and he finds he's not as alone as he seemed. But there's a lot of other things he finds out along the way. I would recommend this book to fast action fans age 8-12.- Review by Michael, age 10
I loved Ross Welford's Time Traveling with a Hamster and couldn't wait for his next book. What Not to Do If You Turn Invisible was just as good as the previous book. It was really interesting and deep: it made you think. It starts with Ethel waking up invisible, then goes back to explain all of the events that led up to it. Ethel had really bad acne and was teased about it at school, so she bought this weird "Skin So Clear" medicine online and took it every day. It has an unexpected side effect, though - not only does her acne disappear, but so does she! Her clothes remain visible, so if she wants to sneak around, she has to take them off. The effect is only temporary - until one day it's not. Ethel's mom is dead and she has to deal with that, and her dad is somewhere far away, like New Zealand. Meanwhile, Ethel meets this guy Elliot Boyd. He's loud and bumptious and big and he gets teased at school too. His nickname is "Smelliot." He gets involved in the story too, but I probably shouldn't give away too much of the plot. I would recommend this to readers age 9 and up, not just science fiction fans but general fiction fans as well.
- Review by Michael, age 10.
The start of a new series of adventurous graphic novels, this story starts with the main character as a young boy on the last day he saw his dad. The boy was afraid of the dark and the dad gave him his flashlight, saying it would protect him from the monsters. Four years later, Edison's sister calls for him to help find her hamster because he's really good at finding things. Then they get sent to spend time with their uncle, who works in pest control. They discover the pests he controls are not, like, bugs, but strange creatures who are mostly supposed to stay locked behind a magical gate. The gate is supposed to stay shut, but now it's open. The hamster escapes again, and in chasing it, they leave the safe van and venture through the gate into a different realm filled with spooky things. I would recommend this to fans of adventure and magic and graphic novels like "Amulet" or "Cleopatra in Space." I immediately want to read the second book in the series!Review by Michael, age 10
This book was very interesting. It’s about a girl named Marinka who is destined to follow in her Grandma’s footsteps and become a “Yaga” and guide the dead up to the stars. However, she doesn’t want to guide the dead, and dreams of living an average teenage life. Her “house with chicken legs” interacts with her; she meets new people and plays with her bird, Jack. Her house also has the ability to get up and run to a new location, making it almost impossible for Marinka to have any friends whatsoever. Read about Marinka and her troubles, adventures, and attempts to escape her destiny--being a yaga. Recommended for ages 9-14.
-Review by Kendall age 11
This book was really well-written, right in line with all of the other books by Carl Hiaasen that I have read. The plot was enjoyable, and even if the story did get a bit far-fetched, the characters were totally realistic and believable. The main character, Billy, lives with his mom. His dad left his family when he was young. One day, he finds his dad's address on a check with a return address in Montana. He decides to go there and figure out the whole deal. In Montana, he successfully finds the address, and discovers his dad has a whole new family, including a new "stepmom" and "stepsister" who are actually really nice. But his dad turns out to have gone missing. As he investigates, Billy and his stepsister finds out about the dangerous, mysterious work that his dad does and starts to get wrapped up in it himself as he tries to figure out what the right thing is to do. This is a great book for fans of Hoot, Scat, Chomp, and Flush and for readers who love nature and slightly crazy humor, ages 10 and up.
- Review by Michael, age 10
This book was funny and exciting at the same time, with all kinds of facts about history. It made it fun to read about history. It's written from the perspective of a future time traveler voyaging to Ancient Greece, as if he had accidentally dropped his guide book during a side trip to 2018. There's lots of cool stuff included, like what famous people to have lunch with, and some of the top tourist spots. It's also full of general history and amazing facts about the people, customs and life back then. It was hilarious. I particularly liked the section on the Spartans and what it was like to grow up in that culture.I would recommend this book for readers age 11 and up who enjoy history and humor.
Review by Michael, age 10.
Felix Knutsson has a secret: he and his mom, Astrid, live in a van. And they have been for 6 months. Astrid promises it’s only temporary, and pleads Felix not to tell anyone. Felix feels the urge to tell his best friends, Winnie and Dylan, but doesn’t out of loyalty. Suddenly, there is an opportunity for Felix to be on a junior version of his favorite show, Who, What, Where, When, and a plan sparks for Felix to help himself and Astrid have a normal life. Nielsin ties together a lot of feelings throughout the book, making you laugh and cry along with Felix. Happy moments, sad moments, and surprising moments are all mixed in to the most important part of Felix’s life. I loved this book!
- Review by Nidhi, age 10
Lopside, the main character, is a Barkonaut aboard his spaceship, the Laika. He helps his fellow keepers and friends by sniffing around for no-good smells. One day, he and the other 4 Barkonauts aboard the Laika wake up from hibernation and realize the lifepod from the ship is missing, and the human astronauts with it! Lopside’s and his friend’s quick thinking might be able to save the lifepod and their beloved keepers. This was an amazing story! It had the perfect mix of humor, intensity, and calmness. I read this book in one sitting. I was intrigued! I would definitely give this book 5 stars!
-Review by Nidhi, age 10
This is advertised as a "comic book you can play," and I have to say it pretty much lived up to its name. It's a really cool idea, especially for kids who don't really pick up books on their own. It reads like a choose-your-own adventure, except with some added game elements. The situation is that there are these three kids who are bored with gardening and living with their parents. They're going to try to go to knight school, so they have to venture through the lands in search of bravery bracelets. Whoever gets the most wins. You play "yourself" in the book, so there's not as much of a story as with traditional books or graphic novels. It was still fun though, even though it could be a little confusing as you switched back and forth between pages. Some places are really easy to get lost in, too, like the maze and the swamp, and I kept getting stuck in these. I would recommend this for readers in third-grade and up, especially fans of Hocus and Pocus.- Review by Michael, age 10
This graphic novel was written like a "choose-your-own adventure" book. It's great for younger readers and people who want to choose what happens in a story. I personally like to check out all of the storylines and see what would have happened if I'd chosen differently. The plot starts like this: two kids attend a school that teaches kids how to understand animals with special abilities. The boy and girl are told they have to help unravel a kidnapping in a dark forest. The various storylines include lots of fairy tale elements. I found this a little simple, but reluctant readers and beginning readers would probably like this a lot. I think it's ideal for kids in the second- and third-grade.
-Review by Michael, age 10
This book is related to the author's previous graphic novel, Cosmic Commandos, because it has the same ring that grants powers - but you don't have to have read the first book to enjoy this one. The main character is a girl named Zoe who loves building robots and watching movies about robots and monsters. She's shy and has bad experiences with "friends" who hurt her feelings so she turned away. Now she tries to act like she doesn't need friends. One day, she finds a ring lying in the grass. A burst of light explodes from it when she tries it on. That night, she finds herself face-to-face with a monster like those from the movies she watches - and the monster wants to be her friend. But it turns out there's not just one monster. There's a lot of them, and they're not all friendly. I'd recommend this book for fans of Cosmic Commandos and other graphic novel adventures. It's for kids who like science fiction and action, probably ages 8-12.- Review by Michael, age 10
This was a really great book, more complicated than I expected. It's like an old-fashioned choose-your-own adventure, with added clues, puzzles and riddles to figure out as you try to solve the mystery. It's fun to go through all of the different paths and see what happened in all the different scenarios. The plot starts out with the main character, Carlos, living in kind of bad conditions with his mom, who runs a failing detective agency. They're not getting any cases and not getting any money coming in. They finally get a case, but his mom is sick and her partner is out on a different case, so Carlos takes over. The reader gets to choose the path that you take. Sometimes it leads to a dead end, so it's smart to mark your place so you can go back to where you were and figure it out from there. I would recommend this to mystery fans age 9 and up and people who like choose-your-own adventures.- Review by Michael, age 10
This was a really great graphic novel with a fast-paced story and great art. It's about two changelings. The human was stolen by the fay and taken to live in their underground realm. The fay changeling is growing up in the regular human world. Both wind up wrapped up in an adventure in the fay world, along with their human sister, who learns the truth about her family and is willing to accept both of them as her brothers. It's a really good story and I would recommend it to people who like adventure graphic novels and books like The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black.- Review by Michael, age 10.
As an animal lover it was a wonderful adventure story from the squirrels’ point of view. Very interesting descriptions. I also thought that it was cool how the different groups of squirrels had different beliefs in what protected them.
By Elli, 10 years old
COURAGE by Barbara Binns is an inspiring book. It teaches you that most people, even those with a criminal record, deserve a second chance in life. This sounds quite easy, but for T’Shawn Rodgers this might just be the hardest thing he has ever done. T’Shawn must forgive Lamont Rodgers, his long-lost brother who had quite a rough past. He was sucked into the “Gang Life”, and you'll understand that this is not a very good way to live life. COURAGE is a very emotional and heartwarming book, I would recommend it to anyone!!!
-Review by Charlotte
Courage is a realistic fiction novel by Barbara Binns. T’Shawn, the main character, is shocked when his mother decides that his older brother, Lamont, who has been in jail for the past 3 years, should come home again. After his father’s death, Lamont ran away from the homeless shelter that he and his family lived in. T’Shawn was heartbroken, but knew it wasn’t right. Now, he’s a part of a worshipped diving team where everyone is scared of his brother. Now, he’s wondering whether or not he should trust the boy who he once looked up to. Readers of The Crossover and Wonder will love this spectacular story of love and family. Courage is a MUST READ!
- Review by Nidhi, age 10
This was a very interesting book. The main character keeps getting bad grades and his mom is threatening to pull him out of baseball. If he gets a good grade on his science project, though, he can stay in baseball. So he tries very hard, but it isn't going well. Then he visits the school's "lucky wishing well." It's known if you give it your most prized possession, you'll get a wish. The main character gives up something - not his most prized possession but something special nonetheless - his aunt's present to him: Heroes of History action figures. He wishes for better grades, and everything goes haywire. He ends up with "Pocket Geniuses" instead. It was an easy, fast read. I'd recommend it to readers 7-10.Review by Michael, age 10
This book had a lot of informational on an interesting topic: the spacecraft that's going to travel to Pluto and on out of our solar system. There are lots of people who want to know about outer space, so this should be interesting to many readers. The book includes information on the spacecraft itself, the people who made it and how it was made, and then it also includes information on Pluto itself. I thought it was pretty cool.I would recommend it to fans of space, future astronauts and people who want to know the latest news about space exploration, ages 9 and up.Review by Michael, age 10.
This was a really good, really fast read with a great plot. It's about a kid, Jamie, whose dad is an astronaut and is working on a project to launch tiny spaceships across the galaxy to see if there is life on other planets. He's a minor celebrity and the whole school is talking about it. But Jamie gets kind of lonely - video chats are no substitute for really having his dad around. Then Jamie starts exploring around an old observatory, bypassing the "no trespassing" signs. He finds an astronomer there looking for alien life. As she checks her equipment, Jamie accidentally downloads information from the Hubble telescope onto his phone and weird stuff starts happening....I'd recommend this to anyone interested in science fiction or who liked Edge's other book, The Many Worlds of Albie Bright.
-Review by Michael, age 10
Fred was having a normal day until she had to leave school early. She had to go to some place where she was going to be told something that happened involving her mom. Turns out, her mom’s in jail, which means that Fred has to stay with a strong-looking woman named Margery. While staying with Margery, Fred notices a dog that is tied to a pole with no food or water. Toby only has half of one of his ears, and his howls of sadness speak to Fred. Suddenly, there’s an accident involving the man who owns Toby, and Fred’s life changes dramatically. I enjoyed this book thoroughly, and I recommend it to anyone who wants a story of family and friendship. Everyone will be able to relate to Fred’s story. I give this book 5 stars!
- Review by Nidhi, age 10
I read this whole graphic novel in one sitting. It was funny and fast-paced. It's about the first day of school in a normal fourth-grade classroom - except that all of the students and the teacher are animals. Also, they're not very well-behaved. They're a lot less responsible than the kids in my school. Otherwise, it's pretty realistic, with lots of real-life humor. Technically, the main character is Mr. Wolf, but everybody has their part to play. I liked the art and the story and am glad to find out there's goiing to be another book. I'd recommend this for general interest readers age 7-10.- Review by Michael, age 10
Juliet’s world has been turned upside down. Her parents have divorced, forcing Juliet, her mom, and her older sister to leave Bakersfield, the place they’ve always called home, along with their friends. On the first day of living in Mission Beach, Juliet meets Emma, and a friendship blooms over glass bottles. Emma and Juliet write messages in bottles, hoping that someone will see them and reply. What happens next involves a wish, a sleepover, and a sand sea turtle. Schroeder’s words made me want to read the book over and over again. This story of family and friendship will make you smile at times and cry at times. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to smile along with the characters. I loved See You on a Starry Night!
- Review by Nidhi, age 10
Grisha is a dragon with determination. After being taken by unicorn hunters, he gets turned into a teapot, then is released back into dragon form. He is given a job and a place to stay, but many other dragons are not as lucky. While working, he meets a human girl child named Maggie. They are an unlikely duo, and are now going on an unlikely quest. The Language of Spells warmed my heart, and brought out a series of different emotions. There were times where I was very sad, but also times where I smiled and laughed. I recommend it to any reader that wants a story of adventure and friendship. This is an amazing story!
-Review by Nidhi, age 10
Lucia Mercedes Evangeline Rossi(Lucy) is anxiously waiting for the day her dad comes home from the war in Vietnam. When he does come home, nothing is as she expected. When Lucy sees his missing arm, she thinks it would be best if she helped him do everything. She soon realizes that it is best if she just leaves him alone. Then she meets Milo, a nice boy whose dad is still fighting in Vietnam. They quickly become friends and find a treasure in Lucy’s garden. I read the first nine chapters of this book and it did not appeal to me. The topic sounded interesting but the writing was too plain and it didn’t hook me in. I thought the book was going to be more about Lucy’s struggles to dealing with her dad’s missing arm but it seemed to be about Lucy and Milo’s adventure. I wanted to hear more about the actual war and the father-daughter relationship. I would recommend this book to 8-10 year olds.
-Reveiw by Elliot
This was a very interesting true story about the invention and the first trial run of the bathysphere, which allowed humans to go deep into the ocean and see all of the life down there. Otis and Will were working on the idea separately, and one of them figured out the original design, a long tube, wouldn't work because the water pressure was so high down there. He came up with the idea of a spherical chamber. Eventually they wound up working together. I had no idea about the problems they faced, like leaks, sparks and tangled cords - or even the difficulty they had squeezing two six-foot guys into a tiny sphere. This picture book is written for young kids, but I think people of all ages could learn something from it. And the illustrations are magnificent.- Review by Michael, age 10.
This book was wonderful because it was just the type of story that I love. Both adventurous and dramatic. I enjoyed all of the animals in the story. I would recommend it for 3rd through 6th grade.
Review By Elli, 10 years old
Heartseeker is a fantasy story written by Melinda Beatty. Only Fallow has always lived in a small rural area with her Non, Mama, Papa, and her brothers Jon and Ether. She knows that she has a special talent, a ‘cunning.’ Only can see lies, beautiful as a kaleidoscope. But telling lies is harmful to her, almost deadly. When the King finds out about her talent, Only is whisked away from her home in the small quiet orchard to go work for him in the bustling village of Bellskeep. Her favorite brother, Jon, has run away with an army that is attacking Bellskeep. Now, Only has to either risk her own life to stop Jon and get him home, or she has to let the King destroy the army, and along with it, Jon. This book gave me the chills at times, but also made me smile. Heartseeker is a great book for any reader wanting a story of love, family, and friendship, since there are both strong male and strong female characters. I love this book, and I think you will too!
-Review by Nidhi, age 10
Milla worked hard and kept her wits about her. The author did a good job writing this story as they described how she was feeling with great detail. I would rate this book for 3rd-5th grade readers.
By Elli, 10 years old
Ellie has never talked to or even met her mom, Wilma ‘Korkie’ Korkenderfer. Ellie never knew anything about her mom, since her dad refused to talk about Wilma whenever the subject was brought up. Now, Ellie finds out that her mother is dead, and she is determined to find out more about her mother, and she needs help from her friends. Along with that, she ended up throwing her expensive glockenspiel at her band teacher, ending up with an online video and a new band teacher. This is a story that was full of love and of course, confusion, but Ellie always made you laugh at her attitude about all the different scenarios she goes through. Whether it’s about knocking over a statue in a graveyard, or finding that her old band teacher wasn’t who she thought he was, this book will make you smile.
-Review by Nidhi, age 10
This book was fantastic, even better than the first book in the series. Elara, the main character, heads back to school for her second year and expects to return to the beautiful planet where she went to school before, but instead her old school is closed for some unknown reason and she's sent to a huge spaceship.Then weird things keep happening, like plants growing in her room when she wakes up. None of her friends believes her, and everything is controlled by a mysterious watchman who never takes his mask off. Elara has to figure out how all these things fit together.The series is very creative, different than anything else I've ever read, and it also has some great humor. I'd recommend it to science fiction fans age 9 and up, especially people who liked the first book.- Review by Michael, age 10.
This book is breathtaking and opens your eyes to real world problems, yet is still a fun read. Mia Tang is the main character and her personality is beautifully crafted. Her and her parents are immigrants from China and have lots of great memories. They need to find jobs and a place to stay. They came across the Calivista Motel, that Mr. Yao owns, and she starts a job in exchange for free rent. However, Mia and her parents soon discover that Mr. Yao is greedy and makes their jobs ten times harder. She also discovers a writing contest, that she could win her family their own motel! Mia is put to the challenge working at the front desk, dealing with the kids in school, and attempting to win a writing contest! This book is sure to keep you intrigued and so far, it’s been one of my favorite books to review!
-Review by Kendall, age 11
Annie’s Life in Lists is about a girl named Annie who moves to a tiny town called Clover Gap. She makes some friends, but she misses life in Brooklyn. The whole book really is just lists Annie makes about her life. That makes it fun to read because it is different than most books. It took me two nights to read about all of Annie’s funny and insightful lists. I would recommend this book to 8-10 year olds who like quirky characters and a peek at someone’s life how they live it.
-Review by Elliot
In this book there are kids with RISK factors. That means they can do really weird stuff. (Reoccurring Incidents of the Strange Kind) I think it is important that Emerson floats because it leads to the chain of events that happen. I enjoyed this book because of a lot of cool adventures and strange things that they do.
-Review by Elli, 10 years old
This was an amazing book and a quick read for me - most things aren't. It has a great plot and lots of interesting character development. The plot involves video-game-loving Emerson being sent off to summer camp. He expects to have a terrible time. He meets up with a guy named Hank, who says it'll be great. Emerson doubts it. They meet all sorts of crazy kids with weird abilities, like spontaneous combustion and x-ray vision. Emerson, it turns out, can float. There's also this mysterious kid called Murphy who can time-travel but can't really control it. They explore their abilities while exploring the camp and try to sneak out to the outside world. I'd recommend this book for general readers age 9 and up.Review by Michael, age 10
I enjoyed the funny parts and how it was from the dogs perspective. I especially liked the parts when Waldo and Sassy got completely distracted by squirrels. The author used a lot of detail and it was hilarious.
Review By Elli, 10 years old
This is the 5th book in The Penderwicks series. In book one, the young Penderwicks travel to an extraordinary place called Arundel. They make a new friend, and also a new enemy. Now, the Penderwicks are grown up and have 2 more siblings. They are back at Arundel, but this time, it’s for a wedding! This story is seen from the youngest Penderwick’s eyes, Lydia. Read this book and go on fun adventures with Lydia and her new friend Alice! This book is an exciting novel with a message. You will be thrilled to learn who’s wedding they are going for, and learn more about the Penderwick family that we love.
-Review by Nidhi, age 10
This book was very scientific, but very interesting. It included lots of stories about people in history who created inventions that are used today. It also included 25 experiments for kids to do. It's a nice mix, I'd say. I liked the experiments the best.Out of the stories, I liked Temple Grandin's own story the best. It was really cool. I would recommend this book for kids who really like science and want to know how inventions work.-Review by Michael, age 10
Al Capone Throws Me a Curve is about a boy named Moose who lives on Alcatraz Island in 1936. Moose is a (somewhat) happy kid who lives with his mom, dad, and his sister Natalie. Natalie has classic autism. Things are hard for Moose’s family, especially for Moose. He has been assigned a task to take care of the warden’s daughter; she is untrustworthy and is going to ruin his summer. Moose only has a few days of school left before summer break. He takes the ferry across San Francisco Bay to High School, where he is a freshman. He really wants to play on the school Baseball team, but the captain won’t let him. Unless.. Moose can get a picture of himself with Al Capone.-Review by River, Age 10
The Last Endling is a fantasy novel written by Katherine Applegate. Byx, the smallest Dairne in her troop, is wandering alone in the woods when she sees a small Wobbyk being harmed. She runs to save the Wobbyk, whom she learns, goes by the name Tobble. She and Tobble are now lost together, but Byx finds her family just in time to see a terrible tragedy. Byx meets Khara, a woman disguised as a man, who helps Byx and Tobble in any way possible. This book was charming and I can see many readers enjoying it.
-Review by Nidhi, age 10
The book Bob is wonderful! It’s about a girl named Livy, who comes back to her Grandma’s house and to her surprise, she finds a green creature in the closet! She told him (Bob) to stay there when she was five, which was the last time she visited her Grandma. Livy doesn’t recall much from that time, but Bob has a great memory and tells Livy all about when she was a little girl. They reconnect, learn new things, and try to figure out what Bob really is and where he came from. This is a spectacular story and I recommend it for ages 9-12.
-Review by Kendall, age 11
Ever since she was struck by lightning, Lightning Girl, a.k.a. Lucy, has college level math skills at age 12. She has been home schooled ever since then but now Lucy's grandmother insists that she has to go to middle school for 1 year and make 1 friend. This book made me cry happy tears and sad tears. Once you read this book you will realize that her life was definitely not a piece of pi.
-Review by Avry, age 11
Positively Izzy is a realistic fiction book by Terri Libenson. It is about two girls named Izzy and Bri. Bri is known as “The Brain.” Izzy is “The Dreamer.” When Bri’s mom makes her do a scene of a play for the talent show, she feels like it’s the end of the world. Izzy, on the other hand, is meant for the stage. But when Izzy’s grades become worse than ever, she has to make some choices that she does not like. Positively Izzy keeps you on the edge of your seat. You always want to know what happens next, and the story is immensely creative. I would recommend this book to girls ages 8-12 who are fans of Dork Diaries and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I rate this book a 4.5 star!
-Review by Nidhi, age 10
The book Ghost Boys was really good. I personally liked it because the author really brought out my emotions in certain parts. The story’s about an African American boy named Jerome who is wrongly shot by a police officer, and becomes a ghost. From there, he’s able to see the world react around his death. I also liked how the story was laid out. It skips around in time from before and after he was killed, offering more details surrounding his death. In one chapter, he’s alive and the next he’s dead. It kind of goes like this until it gets to the part where he’s dead in the present, and in the past. I would recommend this novel to people who want to learn more about racism and how it’s affecting the way we view things and treat people.
-Review by Jacoby, age 11
This is a superhero graphic novel, but with a twist: these brothers got their super powers by buying items at a yard sale that turned out to be magical. Meanwhile, this supervillain, Trench, came out of the explosion that wrecked the house where all the magical stuff came from. They thought he had gone away, but instead, Trench has been slowly trying to pit the whole town against the brothers to make it seem like they were the bad ones.In this third book in the series, the brothers put together a team of people who all bought things from the yard sale. These secondhand superheroes work together to defeat Trench. It's very exciting and packed with action and plot. I would recommend this book to people who like superheroes, reluctant heroes and graphic novels. There is a strong girl character too so I think it's good for both girls and boys.- Review by Michael, age 10
This book was absolutely positively amazing! Although some parts were a little bit gruesome. I enjoyed how the author switched character perspective throughout the story. I would recommend this book to 3rd through 5th graders.
Review By Elli, 10 years old
Maggie has waited all summer for Abby to come back from Sleepaway Camp, but now that she is back, she wants to talk about is camp, camp and camp! But when they find out Maggie’s pillow fort is actuallya portal to other forts that have items from her house, they go on many adventures. I can see other readers enjoying this tale of magic.
-Review by Nidhi, age 10
I'd give this book a high thumbs up. It described a lot of really interesting elements and included some crazy stories about science that most people would find quite amazing. It also had a lot of history on different elements, like how different countries battled it out to be the first to discover a certain element. I enjoyed reading about how these atoms work and the things that happen due to the physics of the elements. The book spectacularly relayed a lot of interesting stories about science. It's complicated but fascinating. I would recommend this book for people who are into learning the details behind science - it's perfect for motivated readers age 9 and up.- Review by Michael, age 10.
Rebound is the prequel to the book The Crossover. Charlie is upset. One day, his father suddenly passed away, leaving him and his mother alone. Charlie starts becoming angry, and his mother decides that she should send him to Washington D.C., where he can stay with his grandparents for the summer. So next thing he knows, he is forced to leave his friends and go to a place where he hasn’t visited for a long time. There, he meets an annoying cousin, runs into his best friend, and makes a mistake that lands him in jail. Rebound kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Even if you have never read The Crossover or Booked, this story will captivate you. I would definitely recommend this book to any fans of The Crossover or Booked, but also to any readers looking for a suspenseful story of family, friendship, and basketball.
- Review by Nidhi, age 10
Lights, Camera, Disaster is a realistic fiction novel by Erin M. Dionne. In this book, Hester Green, a middle school student with an Executive Function Disorder, is failing Language Arts. She gets one last chance to save her grades, but she could lose her friends and her beloved camera in the process. With parts written in script form and with Pause/Rewind/Play moments, this hilarious story will make the reader go through a series of different emotions. I give this book a 5-star!
-Review by Nidhi, age 10
Ice Wolves is about Anders, an orphan who live with his sister Rayna. Everyone in the city where Anders and Rayna live shape-shifts into either an Ice Wolf or a Scorch Dragon, but families turn into the same thing. When Rayna turns into a Dragon and Anders to a Wolf, Rayna flies away. Anders enrolls at this boarding school called Ulfar Academy, hoping he will learn what he needs to find Rayna and save her. But Anders gets captured by the Dragons and starts a whole new war between the Wolves and the Dragons. I liked Ice Wolves so much I read it 3 times. I loved the words and the way they were used and how I really got to know the characters. I think that this book is so amazing because Anders has to be brave and figure out who he really is, and not just who he thinks he is. I would not change anything about this book because it was so beautifully written.
-Review by Elliot
I just finished Vol. #1 and I want to read Vol. #2 RIGHT AWAY! This graphic novel contains a lot of different comics ranging from action/adventure to silly and funny, with all different styles of drawing. My favorite was "Trailblazers," which has lots of action. The characters live in an empire in space, on Nova 2, a heavily populated planet in deep space. They get into a lot of dangerous situations and have lots of high-tech weapons. This also has my favorite art. My second favorite was "Bunny vs. Monkey," which was silly but had more of a story to it. The book also had "Evil Emperor Penguin," octopuses and lots more. I'd recommend it for readers age 8-12 who live graphic novels. It has something for everyone.- Review by Michael, age 10.
LOVE this book! The adventure that Danny has is very emotional. It goes from happy to sad and back again. Then it gets to scary. Overall though this is a wonderful book. I recommend it to 3rd grade through 5th grade.
Review By Elli, 10 years old
This was a really cool book featuring a lot of good authors, illustrators and comic artists. It's like those books that give you story prompts you can use to build on. Except, this time, it's famous authors who wrote the prompts, then another one had to finish the story. It includes lots of famous names like Sherman Alexie, Kate diCamillo, Chris Grabenstein, Dav Pilkey, Dan Santat and Lemony Snicket. The result is a whole bunch of really different stories, comics and pictures. My favorite (spoiler alert!) is probably one where a man hears a dead person's voice telling him to go to the graveyard. He packs everything he needs, even chapstick - which he winds up giving to the dead person. Then when he comes back his house has burned down - the ghost has essentially saved him. I would recommend this book to middle readers, creative people and people who are interested in writing themselves. Writers will like the story prompts they can work on at the end.- Review by Colleen, age 13.
I REALLY loved this book because of the characters personality and how the author pieced together the story. I also love this book because of the time setting it was in. It is a must read for book worms like me!
Review by Elli, 10 years old
The Science of Breakable Things is a realistic novel by Tae Keller. The main character, Natalie, is having a rough life. Her mom was recently diagnosed with depression, and Natalie misses the happy, chirpy mother that she used to be. When Natalie’s teacher suggests that she enters an egg drop contest, Natalie and her best friend, Twig, are determined to win the 200 dollar prize, and maybe help Natalie’s mom see the beauty of the world she lives in again. Fans of Wonder and Out of My Mind will love Natalie’s story. There are some moments where you feel like you want to cry forever, and others where you grin and laugh. I rate this book 5 stars!
-Review by Nidhi, age 10
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