For readers who equate “corn maze” with dread, this is your book. This perfect Halloween season story is narrated by Claire, a teenager who is about to testify in her sister’s murder trial. She’s a horror movie fanatic, but a total scaredy-cat of anything that moves in real life. The plot twists in cryptic ways and I certainly couldn’t have predicted the conclusion. It’s a real nail-biter and readers will have a hard time putting it down …to go to sleep (!?).
A Cinderella retelling. In this book author is able to spin a tale threaded with fancy balls and sweet romance at every corner.
Even though Cendrillon’s father dies in an untimely manner, and her new stepmother is anything but motherly, Cendrillon is able to find her way through French society and steal the heart of the prince himself… and his younger brother. Leaving the horrors of living with her stepmother to be married to the prince would be a welcome escape for Cendrillon, but she doesn’t feel as much of a connection to the prince as she does with his younger brother, but she must make a decision.
Cinder and Glass stays with the main theme of the original Cinderella, but is able to tie in more current ideas and slip in historical elements.
I liked that the characters were diverse in their personalities and interests. I disliked that the beginning was a little bit slow, but once I got into it, I really enjoyed it.
For readers who equate “corn maze” with dread, this is your book. This perfect Halloween season story is narrated by Claire, a teenager who is about to testify in her sister’s murder trial. She’s a horror movie fanatic, but a total scaredy-cat of anything that moves in real life. The plot twists in cryptic ways and I certainly couldn’t have predicted the conclusion. It’s a real nail-biter and readers will have a hard time putting it down …to go to sleep.
In For for the Road, K.J. Reilly takes you on an unforgettable car trip with a mysterious cast of characters that you’ll root for all the way to the end.
When a car crash caused by a drunk driver tragically kills his mother, the only thing Asher sees in front of him is revenge. But during an epic car ride with newfound friends, he learns that there are other paths to chose from. Combining humor to make you smile, mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat, and interesting character dynamics, K. J. Reilly pulls you into a powerful read.
I loved the characters. All of the characters grieve differently, which shows that everyone is different. For example, Henry, a very old man who Asher made friends with. Henry’s wife died, and he hasn’t quite gotten over it. Henry carries his wife’s ashes in an urn that he takes everywhere. At restaurants, he’ll order for his wife even though she cannot eat it. Using characterization, readers can infer that he misses his wife very much.
Rees’s book is very well written and quickly immerses you into its world. There’s a plague that all young teens try to escape by seeking refuge in a run down castle; however, quickly realize that the plague is directly connected to demons. Most of the story is driven by the characters trying to stop the demons. Danger looms all around in this quick paced novel; characters are constantly questioning whether or not to risk the dangers in trying to survive, or to give up.
If you like creepy books full of unknowns and adventure; this book is for you.
The story of the ones who came before Zeus and his siblings, this origin story graphic novel begins with the goddess Gaia, the creator of Earth, according to the ancient Greeks. It shows the development of conflict between her desire for peace on Earth and her husband, children and grandchildren’s desire for chaos and dominance over the Earth. The book begins with introducing the reader to Gaia and her offspring. While this was helpful, I kept wanting to see a family tree to show some of the more convoluted family connections. Much of the book is about the various conflicts in each generation for leadership, all while Gaia looks on sadly as peace is constantly challenged by her descendants. You see battles with the Titans, Zeus overthrowing his father, Giants trying to wrestle control from Zeus… so much conflict! The artwork is bold, dark, autumny colors & stylized characters. Facial expressions say a lot about how the characters are feeling. The book includes a glossary and a brief bibliography. Fans of Greek mythology will enjoy this prequel to so many of the more familiar myths and legends that came after these earlier struggles.
I think this is a very good book for people who love books that have humor in them and a book that is semi-realistic but still has crazy ideas. and it’s one of the books that is in first-person. Jason Sloan is not one of the people you will notice in the halls of a school, he is according to his sister, a “Dorkfus” and he decides to join a also not very known or noticed club. and it was named…H.A.I.R club!… [trails off] yeah he knows. Super weird name. Their job in this club is looking at cameras and security (NOT HAIR), and when they look at the cameras, they find something out. The pictures in the cameras show scenes of the future possibility. This club leads them to adventures. I think she did well at making this book funny. Also most of the time, people make things which was interesting. I also liked the book cover. I like the humor in the book. One example In the book was a teacher named Ms. Grossman. Near the end of chapter 58, a kid named Steve typed into his computer, “WHAT PRODUCT AM I PUTTING ON MY HAIR THAT IS MAKING IT LOOK LIKE THIS????”(244) After reading that, I laughed for 1 whole minute! I also kinda found it funny how much idiotic stuff they did. I did wonder though, “What’s with all the weird abbreviations?” TWERP? No idea what that stood for. Overall, I give the book a 4 out of 5. [This review written by Komachin 6th grader, Victoria L. ]
Astrid, a lover of all things outer space, is excited to start the new year with a new after school club at school, The Shooting Stars. Being in the group is step one to her goal of becoming the first astronaut that uses hearing aids. She is a determined young lady with a great deal of grit although because of her focus on becoming an astronaut she ignores her best friends desire to be an artist assuming she wants to go to space camp as well. This short book is a wonderful starter into reading chapter books. It not only discusses goal setting, working as a team and being kind, but also being a good listener and friend. I would recommend this book for emerging readers.
Wednesday Wilson’s morning is not off to a good start. Her mom made egg pizza for breakfast again, she spilled her brother’s orange juice all over his family tree project, her favorite marble hit the principal in the head and her brother locked himself in the bathroom at school. To get her brother to come out of the bathroom, Wednesday’s classmate, Emmett, says he needs a worry stone. And this leads Wednesday to her next business adventure: selling her marble collection to students to solve their problems. This short chapter book is book two in the Wednesday Wilson series, but you can read it without feeling like you are missing too much from the first book.
Written by Monica Silvie Illustrated by Elina Ellis
What a fun book about a bird who feels he is a rebel compared to the rest of his nest mates. His mom and dad teach all of them to never leave the forest and don’t go near the houses. All summer and fall our little “rapscallion” is staying safe in the forest but when winter comes along he is cold and heads to the houses to become the “thief” that he is. This is a humorous book that discusses how we can help birds that do not migrate in the winter by leaving food out for them in our yards and neighborhoods. There is a three pager at the end of the book discussing facts about the Black-Capped Chickadee. There are also online resources and book recommendations.
