Category Archives: Reviewer’s Library Type

Examining Shipwrecks

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Examining Shipwrecks by Hayden Wedge is an interesting and entertaining yet  fact filled book.The nonfiction book maintains the theme of shipwreck exploration  while traveling through time in order to tell the reader how and why shipwrecks happens. The book’s text features and fun facts gave the book a nice kid friendly touch while being relevant to the main purpose of the book. The book’s set up makes it hard to become lost and includes an index, glossary, table of contents, and further information page. I personally like ship rides but I don’t care too much to know how they work, yet Examining Shipwrecks maintained my attention the whole time throughout the book and I enjoyed it.This book is perfect for fourth through eighth grade. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. If you like ships or are curious about shipwrecks, I highly recommend you give this book a try. This book was an interesting yet informative read that left me feeling satisfied.

-N.D.

Examining Pandemics

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The book Examining Pandemics catches attention because of the bright colors on the front and outside of the book, also the variety of pictures throughout the book when looking through. The book talks about the top 10 deadliest diseases and more. The book goes into detail of where they start, and what scientists or doctors are doing to help prevent them.  I liked how the book stayed on the topic, went by smoothly, and was easy to understand most parts. It had a few spots in the context and graphs that were harder to understand for those who do not already know about the subject. I recommend that anyone who is curious about illnesses or wants to become a doctor or scientist reads this. All in all, this book was very informative about the illnesses it included.

-K.B.

Examining Volcanic Eruptions

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This book is about destructive eruptions from active volcanoes. It states some of a few big eruptions around the northwestern area that were devastating to the locals. The book is overall great in describing why and how volcanoes erupt and what affect it can have on the environment. Although it is good in facts, it lacks an introduction to what the book is mainly about. I also feel like the author could have studied a few more eruptions around america, which can give the reader a better idea of how powerful an eruption can be over additional devastating stories. This book can be a great read for people learning about volcanoes or what makes one erupt. It can also be used for science projects. I give it a 3 star rating. It was an informative read.

-E.M.

Examining Bridge Collapses

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Right off the bat I am intrigued by this book and it’s theme of engineering. This book is all about exploring why bridges collapse and how different types of bridges are better than others in certain situations. I personally like this book, the way they explain things make engineering sound fun and exciting. I would definitely suggest this book to a civil engineer needing a quick refresh on bridge terms and vocabulary. Also if you are in middle school wanting to try engineering this would be perfect to get you started. This book is an informational book and I would have to give it 4 out of 5 stars.

-Z.L.

Examining Airplane Crashes

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Examining Airplane Crashes, By: Andrew Hatch, tells the reader how plane crashes occur, and how they can be prevented. The author also includes many of the biggest plane crashes in history. The book really thoroughly explained how plane crashes occur and also how the pilots can prevent the crashes. I really thought the book was great, it was really informative. The author seemed to explain everything that could cause a plane crash. If you are afraid of going on airplanes because you think there is a high chance they will crash, this book will help you get over that fear. More than 8.7 million flights took off in 2013, and only one of them crashed in the United States.

-Z.S.

McDonald’s: The Business behind the Golden Arches

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The book McDonald’s the Business behind the Golden Arches by Cath Senker goes behind the scenes of the McDonald’s food franchise and company. The book talks about the industry of McDonald’s. It goes on about how McDonald’s runs and works with their customers, employees, and products. I do say the book goes over the topic well. I would have liked it if they went over McDonald’s nutrition chart and how it should be more public. I would recommend this book to people who are fascinated in fast food industries. The book was very informative to read, and I rate this book with three and a half stars.

-E.J.

The IT Girl

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Anna Huntley wakes up one day to find her entire world changed because her dad is dating the super famous actress, Helena Montaine. Anna is thrust into the celebrity world as an IT girl.  Unfortunately for Anna, she is not a typical IT girl. She lacks the refinement, grace, and fashion sense of her to-be 17-year-old step sister, Marianne. In this humorous first installment, Anna must learn to be an IT girl. She learns that the image doesn’t make the person and she discovers the true meaning of friendship. This quirky character will bring a smile to your face. Readers who enjoy The IT Girl will easily slip into the humorous world of Louise Rennison’s Confessions of Georgia Nicolson Series.

Team Awkward

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Anna Huntley, Britain’s newest IT Girl, continues her zany adventure in this second installment of The IT Girl series. Anna continues to amuse and delight with her dog, DOG, her soon to be blended family, and her BFFs, Jess and Danny. The story picks up after spring break with Anna trying to prove that she is a girl of substance to her love interest, her classmates, and the world. Anna has an unexpected and unfortunate experience that lands her in a plant pot which happens to go viral on social media. Jess and Danny convince Anna that leading the school Puffin team to victory in track and field is just what she needs to restore her reputation and win Connor’s affection. Readers will laugh with Anna as she attempts to become a “sporty” person and sympathize with her when Connor starts spending time with the new girl, Stephanie.

Things Too Huge to Fix by Saying Sorry

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“Things Too Huge to Fix by Saying Sorry” written by Susan Vaught is a novel based historical and realistic events.The main hero of this book is Deni Beans, 12 years old girl, whose mother is white and father is African American. They take care of their grandmother, because she is very sick from Alzheimer’s disease. Deni’s mysteries and adventure started, when her grandma told her granddaughter to find a secret key and an envelope that she hid a long time ago. During this investigation, Deni and her best friends (Indri and Mac) try to find out what happen with the friendship between their grandmas who were two best friends from different races (Mrs Beans and  Mrs. Avadelle Richardson). This conflict led to the children’s secret investigation about their family’s past. Also, during this adventure the young investigators discover the real history of the Meredith Riot which was over the desegregation of the University of Mississippi in the 1960s.

The book has very sad and unexpected ending with many twists,and turns along the way. This book can be hard to read, because of how it is written. Most chapter begin with an excerpt from one character’s book. Some chapters include passages from another character’s diary.  Both excerpts and diary passages are from different perspectives on the historical context and occurrences that led up to the Meredith Riots. Meanwhile, the story also takes place in modern times with the grandchildren who are investigating a family feud from the past. The characters’ stories interlace to create a complex novel for historical perspective on racial tension and desegregation in the south.

I recommend this book for middle school students who enjoy learning about civil rights and African American history.

Midnight Without A Moon

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This gritty story of thirteen-year-old, Rose Lee Carter, living in Mississippi in 1955 touches the heart and soul of life for colored people in the south at the dawn of the civil rights movement. Rose Lee lives with her grandparents who are sharecroppers on a cotton plantation. Rose Lee is stuck in the south at a time when friends and family, including her mama, are fleeing to the north to escape the racial tension of the south. With the murder of Emmett Till as the catalyst for change, Rose Lee must decide whether her future will be in the north or in the south. Jackson’s skillfully provides the historical backdrop of racial tension in the south and tells a story of hope, courage and change. Jackson’s writing is lyrical and descriptive and captivates the reader with imagery. This historical fiction work is a must have for middle school collections.