Kid's Advisory Board Reviews
These are reviews written by members of the Kids Advisory Board.
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This graphic novel, the second in a series, was really good. The main character lives in the normal world but alongside it is another world, the Underwhere (joke intentional.) In the last book, there's a disturbance and The Night Gate gets opened, leading the main character and his sister into the world. In this book, they're trying to find the Lost City and to light its defunct beacon before the city gets destroyed by monsters. I would recommend this book for fans of the first graphic novel and everyone who likes comic adventures. It's good for young readers, but older folks can appreciate it too.-Review by Michael, age 11
This is a very heart-warming story. The Perfect Star is a perfect balance between the bonding of students, teachers, adults and senior citizens and the friendship that is shared among students. I loved this book because it really showed that if we stick together and lift each other up when life is rough we can do great things. This book tells that kids can make a difference, even if it is just helping a friend out.
-review by Krin
This graphic novel was really good: funny, interesting and diverse, with good art. It's about a 13-year-old girl, Maude, who's stuck between two worlds. In school one day she gets annoyed at two boys and starts thinking "Shut up." She was clenching her hands at the time and suddenly their mouths mysteriously disappear. The girl rushes home to tell her mom what happened and the mom tells her she might be a witch, revealing that she is one too. "Can I learn magic?" the girl asks, and the mom answers no, they're trying to lead normal lives. Soon, Maude meets the ghost/spirit of a friend of her mom's, who came back in the body of a cat and becomes her companion and co-conspirator as she vows to learn magic anyhow. Maude learns that her mom has left a magical realm where all of the witches now live. The witches retreated to this realm centuries ago because witches were hunted. But Maude wanted to live in the regular world, not just stay in some place that remains the same forever. As Maude explores her magical origins, however, she runs into trouble. The town where Maude and her mom live was founded by witch hunters, and it turns out the descendants of those people are still hunting witches today. Should she escape to the unchanging witch world or stay in this world and try and make it better? I would recommend this to fans of other graphic novels like Witch Boy.
-Review by Michael, age 11
Fans of Real Friends will like this new graphic novel by Shannon Hale. The main character, a girl going into the sixth-grade, has been influenced by music her whole life - the folk music and bluegrass she's heard at the feet of her parents, the oldies tunes her older sisters favor ... Now she's trying to learn all of the popular music her best friends like. Having finally gotten in with the popular crowd, the main character is looking forward to being part of this group as she enters middle school. So she's trying hard to learn all of the popular music and watch all of the popular T.V. shows that the popular kids like. But along the way, she's learning how hard it is to keep these friends and still remain herself. I would recommend this for upper elementary schoolers and middle schoolers who like graphic novels, especially girls.
-Review by Michael, age 11
This is a GREAT book. It has a little bit of drama in it, so if you do not like drama this probably is not your kind of book. If you like a little bit of drama than you NEED to read it! I loved this book so much!! It kept me wanting to come back to read it all the time. Personally, I think they should make a series out of this! Plus this book had a good meaning. You really need to read this book!!
-Review by Sophia age 11
This book had some good parts and bad parts, but more good parts than bad. I didn’t like how Uma was angry with her big sister Usagi at the end. I also didn’t like the treacherous parts with the traitor. This is a lengthy and serious fantasy story, with some funny parts, but is not a lighthearted tale. The parts I enjoyed were that the characters had animal abilities, like the jumping and hearing skills of a rabbit or the climbing skills like a monkey. I also liked how loyal the characters were to each other. I read this book only once, but just because I ran out of time. I wish to read it again. The ending was unpredictable and I like that in a story.
Review By Elli, 11 years old
This graphic novel was an easy read but still entertaining. This little kid, who's a monster, is running a pizza business with his family. It's inexpensive but a lot of heart goes into every pizza they make. Then a big corporation comes into town wanting to close down the small pizza business to eliminate the competition. Wolfie wants to save his business. He teams up with his two older brothers and a new girl in town. They discover a big secret and find they must stop "Lord Mudpant" from taking over the whole town. I'd recommend it to graphic novel fans age 6-9.
-Review by Michael, age 11.
This graphic novel was really interesting and original. My mom wasn't really sure I'd like something with zombies in it, and I wasn't sure I'd like something with baseball in it. But I really did. The main characters, Stacy and her sister Gina, are on different Little League teams. Gina is better. They're also the youngest in a long line of witches. Stacy thinks Gina put a curse on her team so it never wins. Then they discover a much bigger secret and they have to help each other to put everything right again. I would recommend this for baseball fans, fantasy fans and graphic novel fans ages 8-12.
-Review by Michael, age 11
This book was AMAZING!!! I strongly enjoy reading fantasy and adventure books and this was a mixture of both genres. I also liked how she was helping others while mixing in Self Discovery. All in all this book is truly wonderful.
-Reivew By Elli, 11 years old
I enjoyed this book and I like how it was very funny. Bill was a funny cat. I like how the first thing he mentioned when he could speak English was food. Trot helped discover who the King of the Serpents is. I enjoyed how detailed the pictures were. A funny quick read.
-Review By Elli, 11 years old
This book was swift, compelling and really good. The main character, Mary, has a brother who can talk to her in mind-speech. He calls her "Pearl." Then a red mist comes to their world and brings with it bad thoughts. If you breathe it in, it causes you to forget everything good in your life and think only of the bad. Mary had to work with Agent Saunters, a smooth FBI-type guy, and a bunch of SMHR units (data-collecting robots) to try to solve the problem. The robots are extremely perceptive but it's hilarious when they try to pass as human and it doesn't really translate. The whole story is bound together by a really good plot. It stands on its own but I hope there's a sequel because I want to read it.
- Review by Michael, age 11
This was a really good, compelling graphic novel. This girl finally receives a video game she and a friend have been awaiting for a long time. When she tests it out, she's sucked into the game, and a robot in the game tells her she's the "Chosen One" who's going to save their virtual world. There's a glitch in the game and a too-powerful villain is poised to take over. Allegedly, only someone from the outside can save the world. The girl hides this information from her friend because of what she might think. Meanwhile, she's in the game all night and gets no sleep, leaving her to fall asleep in school. The story is at once an adventure and a cautionary tale as the girl ignores her real friend to help her new, virtual one.
-Review by Michael, age 11.
I liked this book because there was a dog in it. The dog helped Persephone. The game came to life. I think everyone would like this book too.
-Reivew by Mady, age 6 1/2
THIS BOOK WAS GLORIOUS!!! I love how Mina was so shy at the beginning and then how going to school with so many loud people changed her. Pixit was a hilarious little sweetheart. I also liked how Mina was able to stand up to her family and others after spending so much time with Jyx and PIxet.
Review By Elli, age 11
This story is very funny and full of twist and turns! It is about a boy named Oddonis and he is pretty weird. Oddonis is the son of Zeus and Freya; one is Greek and one is Norse. Oddonis is headed to middle school and he does not know what to expect. Oddonis has decided to run for class president, but so has his twin brother, the handsome and popular Adonis. They must compete until the very end in this funny, and touching novel. I would recommend this book for 3rd -5th grade.
-River, Age 11
I really liked how they used actual Greek Mythology but turned it into Fiction. It teaches people about Greek Mythology while still having a great hook. I sat down and read this book for hours at a time and then read it over again 3 times.
-Review By Elli, 11 years old
This story was fast-paced, fun and well thought-out. The main character is training to be a magician and he's pretty bad. The first time he tries a trick on his friends, none of the cards he picks is one of their cards. Opportunity comes when a rich guy, Max, has a birthday party and Oliver is the only one not invited from the entire third-grade. Oliver's friends decide to help him get the magician gig so he can perform at the party. Oliver goes to a local magic shop for lessons, and there he finds a talking rabbit, who doesn't want to be exposed because it's on the run from the law! At the party, one of Max's presents is stolen and Oliver has to find it before the end of the party. I'd recommend the book to upper elementary readers who like mystery books and books about magic.- Review by Michael, age 11
I liked how it was a story about a 1st grade girl at school, but kind of a fantasy story too, and I liked that the authors used more difficult words in the book than I expected. Polly learned lessons she could use in her writing – what you write and what you mean are not always the same thing. Her magic book named Spell produced in real life what she wrote in it, totally cool. The artwork helped the story by helping me see what the author is imagining. The book ended well – everything was back to normal.
Review By Elli, 11 years old
Finding Orion an awesome and funny book. I really liked it because it was about finding yourself even if it means going through a lot to figure it out. I loved the way that it was set up. Sometimes you are laughing your heart out and others you are very focused. I also liked the way that it was entertaining. There were always things leading up to one another, making it really hard to stop reading.
-review by Krin
This middle-reader book is really interesting, with well-created, rounded characters, an original storyline and lots of humor. It straddles the line between science fiction, fantasy and humor. The story basically asks: What if stage magic were real magic? No of course Gandalf wasn't real. He's a creation of author J.R.R. Tolkien. But Merlin was real, this book asserts. And in the modern world, Houdini was not just doing slight-of-hand, but real magic. In this story, Redondo the Magnificent was the latest to use "stage magic" to hide real magic that keeps wonder in the world, unbeknownst to the general population. But now he's old and dying. Joey Kopecky, an utterly average kid who just happens to be able to ace standardized tests by "spotting the tricks" hidden in the exams, is headed for a special, year-round school for geniuses. He wants nothing to do with it. But when his alternative test sends him instead to a hidden realm, he finds reason to live up to his potential in an entirely unexpected way.
-Review by Michael, age 11
I think it was funny because he thought the apple could talk. The apple didn't talk when Dragon got home! (The snack was playing a trick on him.) I also thought it was good because they became friends. He met other animals too.
-Review by Mady age 6 1/2
I think this book is good because they become friends . I also like it because it's funny. I think people would like this book too. (I think they would really really like it.) It is very good.
-Review by Mady age 6 1/2
Spy School, The British Invasion is an action filled novel. It is about a group of spies from Spy School that are good friends. I liked this book because it was always keeping me on my toes. There was action no matter where I was. It was easy to get drawn in and not be able to put the book down.
-review by Krin
This was a great book. Imagine eight worlds, all linked, except one of the worlds doesn't know it's linked to others by means of a magical door or gate. The main character, a girl, works as a gatekeeper's deputy at the end of the world, where that world connects to other worlds. The gate has to be guarded at all times to make sure no one's getting in who shouldn't be. Then one day the gatekeeper goes missing and the deputy is totally unprepared to take over. When she opens the door, someone comes tumbling through and breaks the door - a big problem. They travel to the other side of the world to find another gatekeeper who can help. There's a lot of unexpected twists and turns along the way. I would recommend this book to readers who like adventures and science fiction/fantasy.
-Review by Michael, age 10
So magical and full of adventures. And the culprit is definitely not who it seems. I also enjoy how it’s a mystery and a highly suspenseful adventure at the same time. In other words, this book ROCKS!
Review By Elli, 11 years old
This was a really great book and a fast read. The story switches back and forth between "now" and a few days before "now". As the book opens, the main character, Maisie, wakes up on her 10th birthday, in the present as she experiences it. The doorbell rings and she goes to open it and all she sees is a consuming blackness. No one is out there. Yet when she closes the door, she can still see light streaming in the windows. An academically gifted kid with an enthusiasm for obscure scientific facts and concepts, she's confused, scared and creeped out. The book follows her as she tries to escape the blackness. Meanwhile, weird things are turning up in the house, like a black hole in the bathroom and an infinite stair, like in art by M.C. Escher. The book is full of interesting scientific concepts. The plot is action-packed and it's full of emotion. Some moments are very moving. However, it's complicated and could be confusing for young readers. I would recommend it to readers 10-13 who enjoy books like The Jamie Drake Equation, Time Traveling with the Hamster, and The Care and Feeding of a Pet Black Hole.
-Review by Michael, age 10
This was a really good book! It was realistic and compelling, combining science fiction with mystery. The Greystone kids, who are siblings, come home from school to find their mom acting a bit weird. She has discovered three kids (the Gustanos famaly) who look just like them. They have the same first and middle names and their birthdates even match. When their mom heads away on a bus trip, the kids make some weird discoveries. A week later, they receive an automatic text from their mom, written before but set to send at that time, saying she's never coming back. The kids realize she's in danger and with the help of the daughter of the family they're staying with, they set out to figure things out. I'd recommend this to readers age 10 and up, especially fans of books like Ross Welford's Time Traveling with a Hamster and What Not to Do When You Turn Invisible.
- Review by Michael, age 10
Katt vs Dogg was a great book! It was really funny, and I recommend reading it! It has humour, danger, love and all that stuff. It is really a great book and I really loved it! If you love dogs or cats I really recommend reading it! My dogs liked the book too!
-Review by Sophia, age 11
I really liked this book and I think a lot of elementary schoolers would like it too. It mixes a lot of photos with information about almost every major topic you could think of, all put together in a format that would help kids who don't really like reading. I especially liked the tidbits about the history of communication and the timeline of random discoveries. The book also includes such wide-ranging topics as how loud various animals are by decibel level; lots of cool stuff about our Earth and the rest of the Solar System, volcanism, tornadoes, how our brain works, etc.
I would recommend this for readers age 8 and up who like non-fiction. It's a little bit like Ripley's Believe it or Not, Weird but True and the Guinness Book of World Records, except it doesn't just cover the extreme stuff. It's just random facts.
-Review by Michael, age 10
This was a really good book with a compelling story and well-thought-out characters. I particularly liked the dragon who hoards books! The main character, Rafi, lives in a little village, Dragonfell. He's always up among the peaks. One day, a man comes to town seeking Rafi and he has to escape. Apparently, there's something special about Rafi, but is it good or bad? Rafi's dad was burned by a dragon when he was younger, but somehow, Rafi seems to be able to touch fire without being burned. Once a dragon lived above his village, but it is gone now. Rafi goes on a quest to find more dragons and save them. Meanwhile, Dragonfell and other villages are threatened by a new industry that could change everyone's way of life. I'd recommend this to fans of dragons, readers of Prineas's "Magic Thief" series, and people who liked "Rise of the Dragons" by Angie Sage.
- Review by Michael, age 11,
This thrilling novel is about a bunch of kids that go to a taco restaurant and almost get themselves killed. Turns out, there were taco monsters that wanted to eat them. They barely escape the beasts. This unravels into a mystery and an action-packed adventure. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes tacos, 10 and up.
-Review by River, age 11
I really liked this book - it was very interactive and fun. It's set up like you are a master escapologist apprentice and you're training by escaping from the Titanic in three different ways. In one scenario you are a stowaway. That brings many dangers but it's interesting to see things from that viewpoint. In the second scenario you are a crewmember, running errands for a rich family. And in the third you're a passenger, wandering freely - but you have to be careful where you go. To use this book, have a pencil ready. Along with the reading, you'll do small challenges, solve puzzles, create stuff, draw and play games as you work toward escape. I recommend this book to fans of Choose-Your-Own Adventures, people who liked the "Time Traveler's Guides" to history and anyone interested in learning about history in a fun way.
- Review by Michael, age 10
This was a good story for kids a little younger than me, but I still enjoyed it. In the story, a space camera which is sent to the edge of the universe and it discovers a planet inhabited completely by robots. The story shows the life of two kid robots who like to joke around. I'd recommend it for young elementary schoolers, especially boys, people who like things like Super Rabbit Boy: Press Start.
Review by Michael, age 10
This was a really great book, suspenseful, action-packed and very touching. It's set in a dystopian England in the near future. The main character, Jake, is sent to a Home Academy after his parents die. That's supposed to be a boarding school for kids the state takes care of. Except it's really more of a workhouse, making them into indentured servants, or essentially, slaves of the state. He manages to escape the Academy and heads to the home of some neighbors who were supposed to be taking care of his dog, Jet. Except his dog is locked up and the neighbors try to turn him in. So Jake takes the dog and runs. While being hunted by the "Hub Police," eventually he meets up with a gang of escaped children, or "Outwalkers," who are trying to make their way to Scotland, as England has been walled off from all other countries. The book is full of action, danger and emotion as the main character learns some disturbing things about his society and even his past. It's like Unwind for kids who aren't yet teens, and other fans of action and dystopian fiction.
- Review by Michael, age 10.
This was a really compelling book. The main character, Elodee, is moving because her family had some bad experiences where they used to live. They are headed to Eventown, where everything is perfect - to an absurd degree. Like, ice cream doesn't melt, and it never rains. When they get there, it seems amazing, but the weird thing is that they have to go to a "welcoming committee" to tell stories of how their lives were. Naomi, Elodee's sister, forgets her old life right after this, but Elodee gets interrupted halfway through by someone having an argument, and after that, she doesn't fit in. With the help of Veena, her new friend, Elodee tries to figure out what's going on. Meanwhile, the rosebush on their house, which had been like all the other houses, starts growing like crazy. There are weeds in their yard, and nowhere else. It starts to rain. It's a race against time until she forgets everything and it all goes back to "Eventown standard." I would recommend this to readers age 10 and up, especially girls.
- Review by Michael, age 10.
I read this book 3 times in a row it was so good. The characters are all animals, which I really loved, and there are no humans around. I would like to put this book in my own personal collection right next to the first book in the series. I learned a lesson about revenge- that is stinks.
review by Elli, age 10
This graphic novel was really good and really funny, with lots of true-to-life insights. It places in the ranks of the "Wimpy Kid" books in terms of relate-ability. The main character, Jordan, lives in the inner city in New York and he transfers to a private school in a really rich area. The school is predominantly white, with maybe three black kids, and he runs into all kinds of subtle racism, even from one of the teachers.Like for example, one teacher keeps calling him by the name of another black kid from the previous year who was a "real problem." At the same time, he's trying to adapt to a new school, new classes and deal with all of the normal adjustments of teenage years. The book is really great and I think there's something in it that everyone could appreciate, from readers in the upper elementary grades on up.
- Review by Colleen, age 13
This book was so incredibly good that I picked it up and read it, put it down and then picked it back up again. I prefer a traditional happy ending but still wished it would never end. I loved the space and time, the gadgets and the fantasy.
Review by Elli, age 10
This book is great! It is about a girl who lost her Mom and two sisters in a car crash and lives with her Dad, Rodeo in an old school bus. Her Dad calls her Coyote (even though that is not her real name). Coyote and her Dad travel all around the country in that school bus, but Coyote wants to go back to her hometown that they left when her mom and sisters died. She heard that the park that they went to before they died was going to be torn down, and they buried a little chest full of pictures and memories there. She and her dad took a long journey back to something that was hard to go back to. I never wanted to set this book down! It made me want to cry at times but I loved it so much. I think this is probably my favorite book now.
-Review by Sophia, age 11
This story is very compelling and, to me, made World War ll much more personal. This book would be a great companion to Anne Frank’s original diary, as it explains more of what was going on in that time period. I would recommend this book to middle school students.
Review by River, age 11
I really liked this graphic novel even though it is a little girly. I definitely want to read the second book as soon as it comes out. The main character is a girl who seems to get along with everyone. Then a talent show comes up and she finds that everyone has picked their groups and she is left on her own. A lot of things come in to play to help her find her place in the world. She gets help from her aunt, for example, and learns that she has learn to think about herself. I would recommend the story for fourth- and fifth-grade girls, and open-minded boys who don't mind girls as the main characters.
- Review by Michael, age 10
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
