Horns and Wrinkles

Horns and Wrinkles
By Joseph Helgerson
Reviewed by Claire



This is an interesting book about a 12-year-old girl named Claire and her adventure along the magical Mississippi River in order to save her cousin Duke and her family

The story starts when Claire’s cousin Duke stole her pet turtle and dangle her over a bridge over the Mississippi River. Duke is a bully, no one likes a bully. What happened to Duke was unexpected. An old lady sitting on a boat saved Claire when Duke dropped her over the bridge by sprinkling some powder on her which Claire started to float and landed safely on the old lady’s boat. At the same time, something horrible happened to Duke that his nose turned into a rhino’s horn.

 The old lady tells Claire that the river is actually a spell that bullies will be turned into rhinos. The only way to fix the spell is going through an act of true kindness. Claire tried to fix Duke, but Duke won’t listen to her furthermore. Duke run away from her with three river trolls telling “why are his parents turned to stone?” Claire is determined to save her cousin and her family.

Claire finds out that the only way to change her family back to normal is to find the rock feather that belongs to the river trolls. On the other hand, the river trolls need her help to find the shooting star to trade for the talking crickets to bring backs the missing fathers. Claire took the adventure with Duke and the river trolls to the mines of the rock troll named Bodacious Deepthink in the underground mines. Claire find out not only with the help of the old lady and her brother, she finds 28 rhinos in the fight with the rock trolls. All the rhinos showed their courage and unselfishness to the rock trolls and turned back to kids. Claire has her family back including her lost relatives. Who would have known that Duke was a river troll instead of a kid?

 This book is full of wild imagination and unexpected terms. This is also a book that can teach us life lessons of being truly kind to your friends and family. I really enjoyed reading about all the adventures of naughty kid, river and rock trolls, and fairies.

As Brave As You

As Brave As You
By Jason Reynolds
Reviewed by Anaiya



A boy named Genie and his brother, Ernie, are going to go visit their grandparents for a month in West Virginia. Their parents were taking a trip to Jamaica. Genie thought maybe it was because his mom and dad were having problems. Ernie already knew what to expect but Genie didn’t. He was still a baby when he first met them.

 When they got there, Genie was wondering why his Grandpop was wearing sunglasses inside the house.Grandpa told him that he was blind. Ernie of course, already knew that.Grandma was perfectly ok,she wasn’t ill or anything . But Genie realized that his dad and Grandpa were having issues.Dad had barely talked to Grandpa. His mom said hello and went upstairs and started unpacking the boys clothes.

The next morning his mom and dad were going back to Brooklyn (which is where they live) to get to pack up for Jamacia.Everyone said their goodbyes and they left. Genie then wanted to get to know Grandpa so he started asking questions. The others questions, he wrote down because he wanted to look them up online. Time flew by fast because it was time to go to bed.

 The next day, Grandma woke them up bright and early. Breakfast was already ready because she wakes up with the sun. After they ate, they went outside to help Grandma pick some peas.Around lunch, they went back outside to play with the dog, Samantha. They saw a girl down the hill and went to go talk to her. Her name was Tess and she knew their grandparents. Tess became friends with Genie and Ernie. Genie knew that Ernie liked Tess and Tess liked him.

A few days later, it was Ernie’s birthday.Grandpa said that Ernie was going to become a man (which meant Ernie was about to learn how to shoot). Ernie didn’t want to learn how to shoot. He didn’t think needed to learn how to shoot. He thought he was letting Grandpa down so he decided to lean anyway. Genie was excited for Ernie but Ernie wasn’t excited at all. Grandpa told Ernie the rules and showed him how to shoot it. When Ernie pulled the trigger and the kickback hit him in the mouth. It knocked two of his teeth out and chipped the third one.

Grandma had rushed him right to the hospital. They put the two teeth right in, but the third one had to be fixed by a dentist. Will Ernie and Genie’s parents be happy about this when they come back from their trip? Who do you think will fix Ernie’s fixed tooth? Will Ernie forgive Grandpa for asking him to shoot a gun? You have to read the story.

Drama

Drama
By Raina Telgemeier
Reviewed by Mirainda


                                                         
Drama is a fantastic graphic novel written about a girl named Callie. It is written very nicely and the illustrator is amazing.

The book starts out with Matt, Callie, and Greg. When Greg takes Callie to the park they kiss and it changes everything, because she’s liked him for forever. When they’re at school Greg acts like it never happened, and won’t even really talk to her.

Callie is a part of stage crew at her school and they are producing a show, The Moon Over the Mississippi. While she’s putting up posters she meets Justin and Jesse. Justin wants to be in the show, and Jesse is his twin brother, he does his homework and tries to blend in with the crowd. 

Callie loves hanging out with Jesse, they like all the same things they even go to bookstores together. After all this Callie and Jesse have to watch the tryouts for the show and Callie wants Jesse to audition, so she auditions terribly to let Jesse know it’s okay, and not to be scared.

Then the cast lists came up. Justin got a part, but it wasn’t the lead so he was sad. Then there were rehearsals, dress rehearsals, fittings, learning songs and lines. Then, Finally the shows! Over the past few days Callie realized that she liked Jesse, and she wanted him to ask her to the dance that was being held after the last show.

The shows went very good, but the last one was the most memorable. West and Bonnie are a couple inside and outside of the show, but after act 1 West broke up with Bonnie, therefore she wouldn’t go out on the stage. Jesse knew all the lines of the show because he’s known it since he was small, so he put on that dress and went out as Bonnie and did amazing.

Then, Jesse comes to the after party and asks Callie to go to the dance with him. The dance went well until Jesse went to the bathroom and never came back. Callie eventually caught him outside talking to West. Then Jesse had to explain to Callie that he’s gay.

After all of this Callie bumped into Greg, and he took her to the park, Again. And leans in to try to kiss her. Will she kiss him back? Will she fix things with Jesse? Read the book to find out!

Stephen Curry

Stephen Curry
By Eric Braun
Reviewed by Ethan



Stephen Curry is an All-Time Star basketball player. He struggles a lot during his high-school and youth years. He improved on a lot of his challenges by working hard over the years. Now he is rising above to the top. No one took Stephen serious. He never gave up even when he wanted to.

 Stephen Curry had a lot of challenges. Colleges were not giving Stephen a chance. Colleges were saying he was too skinny and tiny. Stephen couldn’t shoot or dribble. He practiced and practiced and still was getting challenges.

Practicing every day with his dad helped. Stephen gets better at a lot of things. He was still to short. He got accepted to a team eventually. Stephen was the leader of the team and was known for 3-pointers.

Stephen got to the NBA and was very excited. He was the NBA’s most valuable player. He was the second highest basketball player. He couldn’t defeat Lebron James. He’s a very popular and hard-working player. Stephen was known for making his three-pointers for the Warriors.

 Stephen is a very unflagging person that never gave up when he wanted to. He loves what he does and now he is something big. He got mad when he didn’t get accepted but he kept striving for the big spot. He came a very long way from youth to adulthood. What I liked about this book is that it encourages people not to give up in life. Even when you are going through hard times giving up isn’t going to get you anywhere but failure. That’s the unique thing about the story. That’s what life’s all about it sets us up for mistakes so we can learn and improve on those things. That’s what I got out of this story about Stephen Curry.

Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase

Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase
By Carolyn Keene
Reviewed by Brooke




Nancy is a teenaged sleuth, that has been recently investigating the house of Twin Elms, which belongs to a friend of Nancy, Helen. The house had recent reports of missing items, like food, jewelry, and silverware. Meanwhile, Nancy’s father has recently gone missing, and Nancy is too busy to do both at once, so she notifies the police. Will Nancy every find out the mystery of Twin Elms? Will her father ever be found? Read the book to find out.

This book was a good book because it was filled with suspense(well, enough suspense). It also seemed very realistic. It wasn’t like,”And then the magical sparkle pony, came down from the sky, and ate all of the cherry donuts.” It was very lifelike, and it was almost like the book was a not-very-boring biography.

Things I didn’t really like about the book: One, this book is older, and it didn’t have as much suspense as stuff nowadays would. Two, It was kind of predictable. It was kind of obvious some stuff was going to happen. And Three: The setting. It doesn’t make clear when it takes place, and where it takes place (city wise).

Other than that stuff, I agree that this was a pretty good book. I’ve played the video-game version on my DS, so I was pretty familiar with the plot. Some stuff was changed though. But, anyway, I hope you enjoy the book if you read it.

Awkward

Awkward
By Svetlana Chmakova
Reviewed by Alice



Awkward is one of those books that tells the story of a regular middle school life. So, Penelope is a new student who immediately embarrasses herself by falling over and making a fool of herself. The person who fell with her by the trip tries to help pick up her stuff, but as embarrassed she tells him to go away because of how she made a fool of herself. Couple weeks went by and she wants to apologize to him but is busy with her club trying to get a table for the Annual School Fair Club. The reason for this is that their seat is taken by the rival club the science club.

Soon, a later the clubs have a competition of which class deserves the table for The Club Fair, but what a surprise the boy who she pushed ( named Jaime) is in the science club. She is caught in the middle on who side to take, she knows both sides are not as bad as they may seem. Will she ever apologize, will she help the art club or even the science club, find out in Awkward.

What I liked

I liked how it shows how Peppi ( Penelope has a nick which is Peppi ) has trouble trying to confront Jaime because, of how it portrays Peppi as a social awkward girl. Also, my favorite character had to be Peppi’s friend Maribella because I can’t tell you cause that will reach spoiler territory. May favorite part was when a couple of bullies stole something from her she told them to stop reading and when they continued she screamed very loud.

What I didn’t like

Ok, I like this book a lot but, there's one thing that I wish they add more of. Some of the characters weren’t that important, for example a nerd in the art club does something, but not a whole lot. I wanted to have a little more characters but some of the characters that were basically important have their own sequel to Awkward.

The Advocate

The Advocate
By Bill Mesce Jr and Steven G. Szilagyi
Reviewed by Leila



Harry Voss, an American Major and lawyer working overseas in England is appointed by the Judge advocate's office to handle a case, which was an American plane having been shot down by one of its mates. As the crippled plane fell, the pilot who is shooting attacks the cottage of an old man and his wife, who are known as the Greshams. Harry is told to keep the case a secret, and as he gathers information from people who knew the suspect and victim, he cannot tell them why he is asking. Unfortunately, some people find out more than they should, while others are strictly sworn to silence. Harry is faced with the fact that everything seems so complicated while the case seems to be open and shut at the exact same time.

 The author has written a fiction book taking place in World War Two, and is also a mystery, involving what the speaker has learned from the main character Harry Voss. The story has a lot of details concerning Harry’s surroundings, the personalities of the people he interacts with and the thoughts he has concerning the case of O'Connell’s death. The authors thoroughly explain the background of the suspect, along with the backgrounds of the ones who died, to give some idea as to what led them to enlist in the army.

The authors have made some parts of the novel in first person, with the speaker talking about how he acquired the information, from Harry Voss, but for most of the story, the speaker's name is not said. In addition, there is a man who is often referred to as The Master or Himself, and his name is not spoken for most of the story. I would have liked for these characters to have been identified a bit sooner, but leaving them unknown for most of the time can engage readers to keep reading in order to find out who these men are.

As a result, I would rate this book 4.5 stars, because it is detailed, suspenseful, and engaging. The Advocate is a great combination of WWII and a murder mystery

Dork Diaries

Dork Diaries
By Rachel Renee Russell
Reviewed by Jade

The book I read was a fiction book called Dork Diaries. The book was about how the main character Nicki and how she would survive her new school year. She started a new school which had her with mixed feelings because a new school meant new friends and new teachers. Starting a new school is not always easy for a kid, especially when you’re trying to fit in.

Her first day of school didn’t turn out that great, in fact as she became known in the school she was bullied by another student who was popular, her name was Mackenzie. Being bullied made Nicki feel angry at times, but she was able to make new friends. Their names were Zoey and Chloe. They made her feel comfortable at school. Nicki also fell in love with a guy at school named Brandon. It was a secret because nobody in the school knew except for herself and her two best friends Chloe and Zoey.

This book has many strengths because many kids can relate to going to a new school. I like the author’s ideas of talking about the many different adversities new students face when going to a new school. I think the older you are the harder it is to adjust to a new school.  I wouldn’t say that there were any weaknesses because I liked pretty much everything in the book. I liked the characters and their personalities, the setting and the funny things in the book.

This book was a good choice for me to read because it reminded me of my first day of school when I first came to SCPA in second grade. I would recommend this book if you like books that include lots of drama, but also for many kids that have gone through what Nicki experienced going to a new school

One Came Home

One Came Home
by Amy Timberlake
Reviewed by Leila

Georgina Burkhart lives in Placid Wisconsin in the year of 1871, the time of pigeoners. Her sister Agatha has run off with the pigeoners, ones who hunt the passenger pigeons. After a some time, Sheriff McCabe returns to Placid, with a body that is wearing Agatha’s dress. Her mother identifies the body saying that it was her daughter. Everyone else agrees that Agatha Burkhart is dead, except Georgie. Refusing to accept what is laid before her Georgie sets out to find the truth about her sister, facing unimaginable adversities on her journey.

The author has written a historical fiction about the time of the pigeoners on the western frontier. Her narrative is rich in details and all loose ends are tied in her writing. Her story keeps your wanting to read more. Many middle school novels are not on the subject of the time of the passenger pigeons nesting in 1871, but Timberlake uses her words to make the uncommon subject a source of interest.

Using many sources, her book alone is a good source of information about the passenger pigeon nesting, and she has a note about her sources in the back of the book. However, the author was not able to get information about what the reactions of the people were in specification to the nesting in 1871. This book also shows the main character having a flashback of events leading up to the present, and the author could have made these flashbacks shorter, but Timberlake is quite descriptive in her writing, which doesn't take too much away from the book itself.

Overall, One Came Home is a strong piece of writing: it has a unique motif, uses strong descriptive writing, and makes sure the reader does not want to put it down. An excellent read for anyone looking for something a bit different.

The Baby-sitters Club

The Baby-sitters Club
By Ann M. Martin and Raina Telgemeier
Reviewed by Trinity



The book I decided to read for my November reading was, The Baby-Sitters Club by Raina Telgemeier based on the novel by Anna M. Martin. This is a story about 4 girls. Kristy Thomas, the president of the babysitting club. Claudia Kishi and she is the Vice President of the club. Mary Anne Spier and she is the secretary. Stacy McGill, who is the treasurer of the group. The story takes place in a town called Stoney Brooke and the setting is present day. The club was formed when Kristy and Mary Anne had to babysit. Kristy’s mom asked her to watch her boyfriend’s kids because none of her siblings would agree to babysit. This is when a light bulb went off for Kristy. So, Kristy called a meeting with Mary Anne and Claudie’s about forming a club. During their meeting, they decided they need another member and that is when they decided to ask Stacy to join the group.

Stacy moved from New York but readers learn that Stacy is not telling the truth about why she moved to Stoney Brooke from New York. In fact, the readers learn that none of the girls are telling the truth!

I rate the Baby-Sitter Club 10 stars out of 10. The reason I give the book such a high rating because the story has a lot of twist and turns. The storyline leaves the readers on the edge of their seats.

The book also showed me that you do not have to be a certain age, to form a club or start your own business. You can achieve this goal at any age

One of the lessons I learned from reading the book, do not automatically make a judgment about the person and their personality. You should never just automatically dislike someone, you should at least give them a chance.

 After reading this graphic novel, I would place this book on the recommendation list for 7th graders. The book shows that age should not limit your ability to start your own business or club, you can do this at any age. The Baby-Sitter Club is the first novel out of a series.

Dawn and the Impossible Three

Dawn and the Impossible Three
By Ann M. Martin and Gale Galligan
Reviewed by Madeline



Dawn and the Impossible Three is a new book in a series of graphic novels called The Baby-Sitters Club. Gale Galligan has created an amazing new style of art for the Baby-Sitters Club (the BSC) and brand new book.

The three kids Dawn Shafer (the newest member of the BSC) regularly sits for are always messy. Their mom never has time to talk to Dawn and the kids are quite a handful. Dawn is also having issues accepting that there is a slightly irresponsible soon-to-be member of the Club.

 When Dawn meets the kids for the first time she has to find a way to clean the house and get control over the kids and somehow take care of other needs for the household, all at the same time. She is a kind person and is tough enough to make it through the challenges she’s going to face while working with them. The kids she sits for (Suzi, Marnie, and Buddy) share a bond with Dawn.

Like Raina Telgemeier (the creator of the other Baby-Sitters Club graphic novels) says, “Gale is a brilliant cartoonist and fans are in for a treat.” I bet everyone else who reads this book will really enjoy that too.

 The BSC itself is at the center of the story, and each member has a role to play: Dawn is the alternate officer and the newest and kindest of the Club, Kristy is the president, Claudia is the vice president, Mary Anne is the secretary, and Stacey is the treasurer. Also, the kids that Dawn sits for are Suzi, a kind little girl, Buddy her older brother, and little baby Marnie (she is very sweet and is allergic to chocolate). And last but definitely not at all least is the upcoming newest member of the BSC, Mallory Pike, a sitter who is still a little bit of a diamond in the rough.

Gale has created a brilliant story, with a good plot and amazing characters. In the end, in addition to the the excellent characters, the amazing cartoon work and interesting plot make it one of the best graphic novels I have ever read, and it will be for a while. You really should read this book, but if you can, you should definitely check out the other four BSC books first: Kristy’s Great Idea, The Truth About Stacey, Mary Anne Saves the Day, and Claudia and Mean Janine. There is a lot of plot that occurs before this book’s story begins.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down
By Jeff Kinney
Reviewed by Jamie



The book I read was Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down by Jeff Kinney. The main character/narrator is Greg Heffley. He has a mom, a dad, and two brothers named Manny and Rodrick. He also has a friend named Rowley who he does a lot of crazy things with.

This book is about how Halloween is in a couple of weeks and the Heffleys decorated the house for Halloween. A lot of geese were in the town being very aggressive towards people and the geese destroyed the Heffleys’ jack o’lanterns. At Greg’s school, there’s a Balloon Brigade where people lift balloons in the air and when they land somewhere, whoever finds the balloon has to send it back and say how far it traveled. The person whose balloon goes the farthest gets a prize, which is a whole jar of candy corn. The person who found the balloon came to Greg’s house to return it and they sort of hung out but it was pretty awkward. On Halloween Mariana Mendoza had a party, and her parties are legendary, and all the students in the band were invited so Greg joined the band. If you want to know more about the book, read it to find out what happens.

The strengths of this book are that a lot of people have heard of the Diary of a Wimpy
Kid series and like to read it, this book appeals to many people, and it is pretty funny. A
weakness of this book is that it’s kind of short but not too short.

In conclusion, it’s a pretty great book. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to read a book that is comedic. I would rate this book a five out of five stars because it’s very humorous and it is a well-known series of books.

When Things Come Back

When Things Come Back
by John Corey Whaley
Reviewed by Ani



The novel Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley is about a boy named Cullen Witter. This wonderful story’s setting was about twenty years ago (around 2000) in Lily, Arkansas. While Cullen is living his “normal” life, a professor comes to Lily and makes a big fuss about “rediscovering” an extinct bird, the Lazarus Woodpecker, which hadn’t been seen since around 1940. A couple of weeks after the Lazarus bird is found, Cullen’s brother named Gabriel suddenly disappears. Meanwhile, a very religious man who is going to college enters the story. He is roommates with another student named Cabot Searcy. This mysterious man is told by his father that he is doing things wrong religiously, and has trouble dealing with his conflict with his father. He decided to kill himself on Christmas Day by jumping off of a bell tower. Meanwhile, Cullen and his family are doing everything they can do to find Gabriel.

 As the story progresses, scenes alternate between Cullen’s family’s search for Gabriel and Cabot Searcy’s life. The reader discovers more about Cullen’s character, including the fact that he doubts the existence of the Lazarus woodpecker. As Cullen thinks more about his brother, his loses the ability to recall Gabriel’s face. But still, when Cullen is alone, Gabriel is all he can think about. Meanwhile, Cabot marries Cullen’s ex-girlfriend, who then leaves Cabot to return home, which happens to be Lilly, Arkansas. Cabot follows her, leaving campus to resolve the problems in their relationship. The story unfolds with a few twists and turns that keep the reader turning pages.

Whaley creates a well-developed (and a little confusing) book. The story alternates between present day and points in the past at times, and that takes a little getting used to. It is a well-written book, although it was probably written for a slightly older audience. It did, however, keep me on the edge of my seat. I would definitely recommend this book (probably for teens 14 and older). I was able to work through the confusing moments, though, and interested slightly younger readers can probably follow the story. I give the book 4 out of 5 stars for its quality storyline. However, I wish the author had made the alternating time periods more obvious.

The Hate U Give

The Hate U Give
By Angie Thomas
Reviewed by Claire



I read the book, “The Hate You Give,” by Angie Thomas. It was one of the best books I have ever read. It was very well written. The book had lots of emotions and feelings. It is a long book, but it is so worth reading. I would recommend this book to anyone who is over the age of 12.

The book is about a black girl, Star who goes through lots of emotional states. She saw one of her best friends get shot, by a white police officer. She was the only one who saw it happen. The police officer claims many things about that night and they were not true. She doesn’t go to school in her neighborhood so that she would get a better education. She also is one of the two black kids in her grade, which of course makes everything hard. Her boyfriend is white, Chris, which makes her dad very mad. It also makes Star question if she should be with him. Star goes through many ups and downs and hard times in her life. Read the book to find out everything that happens to her.

The book is excellent and I would even read it again. Sadly the book is inappropriate and shouldn’t be read by anyone under twelve, but it is an amazing book and everyone should read it. It hits you in the heart and makes you really think about what these characters are going through. It is a sad, heartfelt, emotional book, full of twists and turns.

I would give this book a 5 out of 5 stars. It is very recommended from me. I think even non-readers could read this book and love it. It is sad, happy, and plain out amazing! If you haven’t read it go now and get it fast.

Speak

Speak
by Laurie Halse Anderson
Reviewed by Jayla



Melinda Sordino is a very quiet 9th-grade freshman at Merryweather High School in Central New York. She was once a popular girl with lots of friends, but now she is an outcast. At an end of the summer party, she calls the cops and they bust the place after she is attacked by IT, now no one talks to her, or even is willing to listen to her side of the story. This year IT is back and continues to taunt her, which makes her afraid and her will to speak lessens. Her only friend was the talkative new girl from Ohio, you would think that with her having a chatty friend it would encourage her to speak up more often, but as time goes by Melinda becomes more and more quiet, practically to the point of silence.

One reason I like this book is because of how effortlessly funny it is. Even though it doesn't directly tell a joke, it’s still humous because of the situations that occur. For instance, in one part of the book, it says that she was invited by Heather (the new girl from Ohio), to go to her house. Melinda, who doesn't have many friends and doesn't want to lose this one agrees to come over. While she is their Heather is going on and on about the new club she had joined (the Martha’s) and Melinda was sitting there picking lint balls off her shirt. Melinda says that when she is talking to heather all she has to do is say “that's not fair”, “I totally can relate” even when she can't and occasionally nod her head. It’s funny to me that the friend, in this case, is totally oblivious to the fact that Melinda is not listening to her and could care less about her situation.

Another thing I like about the book is that it teaches people to always speak up for yourself, especially when something as traumatizing as what happened to Melinda is going on. In the book and even the movie, I think it's a great example of how things are when she didn't talk about her problem. In the book and movie, they show Melinda as a very quiet girl who basically is excluded from the joy that should be experienced in someone's freshman year. I also would like to say that I think the movie is a good representation of the book, and that Kristen Stewart did a great job portraying Melinda’s part.

This book is written in a way that is suspenseful in a sense. In the book, you don't know what Melinda called the cops for until the end and then you understand why she was so scared of IT. In my opinion, it's like a mystery. The way that it has layers and explains why Melinda is so distant, and not your ordinary teen. The way it's layered is backward, what I mean by this is that it firsts talks about how things are after the summer, instead of talking about what caused her to change so abruptly. Then, towards the end, it tells more about the party and what occurred that led up to her calling the cop.

In conclusion, I think that Speak is an amazing book. I think that it gives you a good look into someone else’s life, and their experience. Though the book's topic is a very sensitive one, Speak explains it in a way that helps the victim to overcome. In the end, everything turns out alright, she learned to accept what happened. “IT happened. There is no avoiding it, no forgetting. No running away, or flying, or burying, or hiding” 

The Selection

The Selection
By Kiera Cass
Reviewed by Amiya



16-year-old America lived in Illea where life was great. She and her family lived as artist and musicians ranked as 5. America secretly dated Aspen who was ranked a 6 even though her mother stressed her to marry a man of higher rank like her sister. At the end of every week, Aspen would meet America in her tree house in her backyard and talk about their week, when one day America surprised Aspen with a dinner she made using money she had saved up. Aspen got upset once he realized that he wouldn’t be able to care for and treat America the way she deserved so he broke up with her and encouraged her to enter The Selection which is a group of women 16-20 years old competing for Prince Maxon of Illea and the role of the princess.

 Even though mostly all the women in Illea enter to compete only 35 women will be drafted. As a surprise to America and her family, she is drafted. After a week of preparation for the palace went by America gathered at the town hall so that her town could wish her luck while there America spots Aspen holding another girl. Infuriated, America stormed off and got into the limo taking her to the palace when Aspen tried to stop her but he was too late. On the way to the palace, America meets friends like Marlee and Alice and automatic enemies like Celeste.

Once they arrived the competition began all the selected were getting makeovers manicures and pedicures and dyeing their hair and getting fitted for their dresses. When America's turn came she refused to let them cut or dye her natural red hair, put on any nail polish on and only agreed to lite mascara. Later that night America had a panic attack and ran to the royal garden when two guards stopped her until Prince Maxon demanded that the guards let her out from that moment on Maxon and America had a friendship. After hearing America's story Maxon agreed to let her stay until the last possible moment before he had to pick a princess so that her family will continue to get paid compensation. Maxon often picked America up from her room and took her on dates to discuss the other girls and their story to see if they are unfit and should be sent home or just to get to know her better.

 Over time Maxon began to gain feelings for America and one night while hanging out in America’s room he kissed her making her feel special until hearing gossip that he had kissed other girls as well, which made their friendship rocky. Once America finally feels like she has everything under control she finds out that Aspen her ex-boyfriend is a guard at the palace. Afraid to tell Maxon because of the threat he made to punish whoever hurt America she keeps his identity a secret. Not knowing the history between the two Maxon assigns Aspen to guard America’s door at night. A day later Aspen woke America up in the middle of the night and kissed her. Torn between Maxon and Aspen America must decide on who to chose and if she should leave the competition and be with her first love or stay and be with her new love to find out who America chooses read the book.

Strengths of this book are you never get tired of reading it because there's new drama luring you in. And it plays with your emotions making you hate certain characters but fall in love with other ones. I didn’t really feel like there was a weakness to this book but one may be the fact that there a lot of pages in the book and it’s the first book in a three book series and all the books have lots of pages.

In conclusion I think The Selection is a really good book and if you like romantic books or not you should read this book.

Ghost

Ghost
By Jason Reynolds
Reviewed by Shadow

Ghost is a new book by Jason Reynolds. I couldn’t stop reading it I was entranced within its pages, that’s how good it was. All kids that have been bullied, or made fun of, or just like to read. Jason Reynolds has wrote so many good books and they keep getting better. I hope you read this book.

This book is awesome it tells a story that is about a boy named Ghost that lives in a low class neighborhood with his mom trying to stay on the track team and no more altercations so no more trouble happens at school. Just going to school is a rough time for Ghost must be hard. Running for a track team competing with other runners and getting good grades at school, and staying out of trouble is work within itself. There is a character at the end that will leave you waiting for more. This is such a great book.

 Here are some the book’s strengths and weaknesses let me show you. The strengths are that the author paints a picture of what’s happening in the book. You can feel the emotions that Ghost is feeling with every page and the plot is so easy to find with a clear climax. The weaknesses of Ghost are that it has a cliffhanger at the end. The other weakness is that the book is not detailed enough.

So do you want to read this book I loved it I hope you do to. Ghost is cool and you will
love it. The author is keen when he writes a book it is awesome read it I promise it won’t let you
down you nose will be stuck in this book flip goes the pages. So are you going to read this book,
start reading now.

One Came Home

One Came Home
By Amy Timberlake
Reviewed by Simone

One Came Home by Amy Timberlake is about a girl named George Burkhardt’s older sister Agatha who goes missing after running off with a pack of “pigeoneres". A few weeks later a sheriff comes to town with an unidentifiable body who had on the exact same clothes as Agatha. So as everyone would they assumed that Agatha was dead or had been murdered, but not Georgie. She believes that her sister is still out there and is lost. She knows that this is a whole coincidence and that whoever is in that outfit isn't her sister. So Georgie goes on a search for her sister and to bring her back home. She may not be ready for the challenges she is going to face during this journey.

I don't really think that there are any pros and cons about this book except that I think Amy Timberlake should have made the story longer it would have been more exciting. And that there should have been more plot twists to make it even more amazing. One Came Home is an amazing book with a murder mystery type vibe. I advise everyone to read this book. I had a lot of fun reading it and finding out what happens at the end! I promise when you finish reading this book you'll overthink everything that you thought in the first place, but You'll have to read the book to find out!

 I really like this book and I would love to read more by Amy Timberlake she seems like an amazing author seeing how awesome this book was. In conclusion Like I said this book was great and everyone should read it. I don't know if there is a movie about this book, but if there isn't they should make one it would be great! Anyways that's all I have to say about this book and I can't wait to read more by Amy Timberlake!

Oh Yeah, Audrey!

Oh Yeah, Audrey!
By Tucker Shaw
Reviewed by Salaya

The book “Oh Yeah Audrey” is about a girl, Gemma Beasley, who is attempting to portray the part of Audrey Hepburn at the opening scene of Breakfast at Tiffany's. It’s 5:00 am and she is standing in front of Tiffany and Co. in New York. Gemma is wearing a long, silky, black gown, white gloves, three strands of pearls around her neck, and has a pastry and coffee in her hands. She traveled to New York with fellow bloggers from their blog “Oh Yeah, Audrey” to have a full day of being Audrey Hepburn. She soon meets a boy that wants to show her New York like how she’s seen it in the movies - all action packed and fun. Will Gemma go with the boy and experience New York or will she continue to be Audrey Hepburn?

The characters in this book are Gemma Beasley, Mrs.Beasley, Mr.Beasley, Trina, Bryan, Telly, and Dusty. Gemma Beasley is a 16-year-old girl whose desire is to become Audrey Hepburn. Mrs. Beasley is Gemma’s mom. She passed away because of cancer when Gemma was just 13 years old. Mr. Beasley is Gemma’s dad. Ever since his wife died, he has become the loneliest man alive. He reads a lot and stays in his house a lot. Trina is one of Gemma’s friends from their blog. She is a very outgoing person and loves clothes. Bryan is another one of Gemma’s friends Oh Yeah, Audrey By Tucker Shaw from the blog. Telly is another one of Gemma’s friends from the blog. She is also very outgoing as well as a party animal. Dusty is the mysterious boy that wants Gemma to explore New York with him.

I would rate this book an 8/10. I would rate this book an 8/10 because it’s a really fun book, but it has some parts in it that were kinda sad.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
by Alvin Schwartz
Reviewed by Rashad

The book I read is called “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” by Alvin Schwartz. This book is about all different types of scary stories that you can share with your family and friends all in one.

 One of my favorite scary stories this book tells is called the “The Walk.” “The Walk” is about a kids uncle walking with a creepy old man, the uncle looked at the man and the man looked at the uncle. The man was scared of the uncle and the uncle was scared of the man. They both continued to walk and stare at each in fright, the uncle and the man both walked into the woods and the uncle was terrified of... If you really want to know what happened in the rest of this story read it to find out.

Another scary story I enjoyed reading is called “The Girl who stood on a Grave.” “The Girl who stood on a grave” is about a group of girls and boys at a party, and there was a graveyard down the street and one of the boys from the group said you should never stand on a grave after dark. The girl from the group didn’t believe the boy so she challenged the boy to a bet for a dollar if she stands on top of the grave. The boy handed the girl a knife and told her to stick it in the grave, the girl stood on the grave and stuck the knife into the grave and she tried to leave but something was holding her back she tried to stick the grave again, again, and again and she still couldn’t move. She was filled with terror until she… Read the rest of the story to find out what happened next.

In conclusion, I feel like this story had no weaknesses only strengths. What really got me interested in this book was that there were so many hooked scary stories that I couldn’t keep my eyes off of I had to know what happened next. On a scale of 1-10, I would give this book a ten because I got so caught up in reading it like I was in the story. I would recommend this book to people who like to read about scary stories.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
By Ransom Riggs
Reviewed by Shyla

This book I read is about a teenager named Jake, When his beloved grandfather leaves Jake clues to a mystery that spans different worlds and times, he finds a magical place known as Miss Peregrine's School for Peculiar Children. But the mystery and danger deepen as he gets to know the residents and learns about their special powers - and their terrifying enemies. Ultimately, Jake discovers that only his own special peculiarity can save his new friends.

The book has very strange pictures on the cover and in the book. I liked how they describe the pictures before I even look at the images. The certain parts of the book made me very upset for many reasons, plus it was relatable to me in each chapter. There are so many things I love about this book. My favorite character from the first book is Jake, mostly because he is smart, serious, caring, and brave.

The weaknesses in the book were mostly when I knew something bad would happen in some parts, but it slowly describes every single detail making me impatient for what would happen next.

The strengths of the book were how well described the chapters were, and the creepy features they showed while reading. The characters were well made and perfect for the plot. The last thing is that the book is way better than the movie in my opinion.

I mostly recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy/drama. There are two more books after the first, so you can buy the whole collection just to see the whole story! If you like these books, I recommend you read Ransom Riggs other books. That’s all I really have to say about this wonderful book, I hope you enjoyed it!

Love and Gelato

Love and Gelato
by Jenna Evans Welch
Review by Elena

Jenna Evans Welch draws young teens into a reading fantasy in “Love and Gelato”. The author spent high school in Florence, Italy, so the details really come to life.

Sixteen year-old athlete, Lina, is spending a summer in Italy with her father, whom she’s never met. Her mother just died recently, so the last thing Lina wants to do is spend three months in a sunny, tourist-crowded place. While she is staying at her father’s residence in a cemetery, Sonia, the assistant superintendent of the cemetery, gives Lina her mother’s journal.

Lina reads it over the course of the time, while she meets Ren, short for Lorenzo, and becomes good friends with him. He shows her around Florence and she meets all of his friends. She also meets Thomas, a tall boy with a British accent who she has a huge crush on at first. When Lina and Ren discover a secret in her mother’s notebook, they rush to find out who Lina’s real father is. Turns out he was not what she thought he was, so they go home confused. Lina and Ren feel awkward because they both can’t figure each other on romance and relationship feelings.

Lina’s life is full of romance, relationship, and choice struggles. Lina thought Italy was just full of love and gelato, but she got much more than she bargained for. “Love and Gelato” is a great pick for ages 12 and up, and has a great plot. Read the book to discover the secret of the mysterious life of Lina’s mother and how it affected Lina’s life!

What to Say Next

What To Say Next 
by Julie Buxbaum
Review by Ruby

David Drucker. The socially awkward kid who wears big black headphones every day at school. David has no friends but one day, he finds himself sitting across the table from Kit Lowell. David had heard about Kit. Kit was the most popular girl in school. Her dad had died in a car crash recently. He looked at her, her staring at her indian food, and he thought that he should say something to her. Naturally, he just blurted out, “So your dad died.” David had this notebook where he wrote about every single person in her school. He wrote their names, looks, and every encounter he had with them. Under Kit’s name, only a few encounters stood. Kit and David were on complete opposite ends of the social pyramid. Kit and David started talking and eventually, they developed feelings for each other.

David and Kit came up with this project called the “accident project,” where they investigated Kit’s father’s death so that Kit could gain closure. As they sat at a restaurant, Kit and David were talking. Eventually, David found out something about Kit and the accident that she hoped no one would ever find out. David was so proud of himself for finding out that he sounded excited about this awful thing. Kit was mortified because everyone in the restaurant heard what David found out. He messed up. What to Say Next is a coming of age story and learning that not everyone is perfect. Everyone messes up. What to Say Next will leave you in tears and on edge after every chapter. This story is a great book for young adults who are looking for a good read.

A Perfect Book Review of the Book Perfect

Perfect 
By Sara Shepard
Review by Gloria

Emily is a focused swimmer who is hiding her true sexuality from the world, but mainly from her parents. Aria is trying not to involve her mother in Byron, Arias father's, affair. Hanna wants to be skinny again, and she’s ruining friendships because of it. Oh, and spencer, she stole her sister's essay, boyfriend, and fame. And her sister wants payback. All of these girls have nothing in common, but the remains of the friendship they used to have. 3 years ago, Alison Dilaurentis had a tight nit group of friends, except everyone in this tight nit group was lying, and keeping secrets. One night at the beginning of 7th grade Alison starts acting sketchy, and disappears the next day. Leaving Aria, Emily, Spencer, and Hanna in fear for there friends life, and scared for what might happen to theirs.

As these girls attempt to bury their secrets, someone by the name of A (yes that's all he/she goes by) threatens to uncover them. Throughout this book the four ex-best friends have to endure endless text messages, emails, and stunningly vindictive letters. All because, well you have to read the book to find out why, and the other 17 other books along with it.

Sara Shepard brought a whole new world to life with her version of a mysterious (and murderous) small town. Giving the reader a taste of what it's like to lose a friend, be cyber bullied, and go through high school all in one. Perfect, is the third book in in the Pretty Little Liars series. Shepard perfectly captures a young woman's emotions, even though being thirty at the time the book was written. Perfect has 37 chapters, with the narration changing between the four girls. The chapters names seem to sum up its contents adequately, with chapters names ranging from The Rose Bushes Have Eyes (narrated by Emily), to It Was Necessary (narrated by Aria). Compare Aria, Emily, Spencer, and Hanna’s need for drama to a 6 year old girls need for Barbie dolls, it's only fit that the girls make more drama, and get more dolls. Speaking of dolls, A has a few of them, and there names are Aria, Emily, Spencer, and Hanna, if you read this thrilling novel you will know just what A can make the girls do. All in all Perfect will be the perfect book for you (I’m just assuming, if you're reading this you probably have shown some interest in it), and for anyone else who likes teen drama.

Everything, Everything

Everything, Everything
By Nicola Yoon
Reviewed by Sydney

In Everything, Everything, Madeline has a rare medical condition called SCID. SCID stands for Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disease. She can’t leave her house, and if she does she could die. Her condition is as if she is allergic to the world outside her air locked house. Madeline Whittier has never left her house in 17 years.

Madeline’s life changes after she sees her new neighbor move in, Olly. First they started communicating by writing on their windows with a marker. Then they started instant messaging and emailing each other. He asked why she couldn’t come outside, but she didn’t want to tell him that she is sick, because she didn’t want Olly to treat her like she was different. When Madeline told Olly that she was sick, Olly didn’t treat her differently, but he was more careful about her.

Olly and Madeline fell in love, and I fell in love with them. Olly and Madeline opened up to each other. Madeline’s nurse, Carla, allowed Olly to come over to meet her in person. When they started talking to each other in person, they fell more in love. I think they both knew, once they met, that they were meant to be.

Everything, Everything, was really exciting to read, and the book was really inspiring. The book made me feel what the character felt; when someone was mad, sad, happy, or scared I felt the same way. The details painted a clear picture of what was going on in the story. The characters’ personality were so well explained I almost felt like I knew them. Reading the book, with such clear details, I almost felt like I was watching the movie

Honestly, there was nothing I didn’t like about the book. The book made me feel uplifted and happy. This book made me change the way I feel about the world. The way Madeline explains what she feels, sees, hears, and smells when she went outside made me notice the things around me. This book was heartwarming and I didn’t want it to end.

Julie of the Wolves

Julie of the Wolves
by Jean Craighead George
Reviewed by Annika

Julie of The Wolves is a beautiful novel by Jean Craighead George. The main character, Miyax, or Julie (her english name), is an eskimo who found the situation she was in to be unacceptable. The book is funny, yet serious, simple, yet complex. If you enjoy books about survival or animals, this may be the right book for you!

 Miyax is an Eskimo, and her life was pretty good. That is, until her father disappears and her new protector decides she’s ready to marry. Miyax is excited, until she sees her new husband. Eventually, she decides enough is enough, and runs away to live with her pen pal in San Francisco. Great idea, until she finds herself lost on the North slope of Alaska. Alone and running out of food, Miyax must find a way to survive, and that way happens to be living with a pack of wolves. Eventually, the wolves come to love her as she does them, but Miyax has a decision to make. Will she stay as Miyax with the wolves? Or will she choose to continue on her way, (Somehow!) to San Francisco as Julie?

George’s storytelling is on point, somehow making her story Intriguing and amusing, without having any more main characters than one human and a few wolves. Oh, and eventually an adorable baby bird! Out of 10, I would rate this book a 7.5-8. It is heartbreaking, but heartmending, and is very deep. In some ways, it is a bit confusing, but I would recommend it, as maybe a 7-8th grade reading level.

All in all, I like this story, and I believe it is educational, and that all middle school- Jr. high schoolers should read it. Happy reading!

Sisters

Sisters
By Raina Telgemeier
Reviewed by Serenity

Step into Raina’s world of her and her siblings on a wild road trip and see their child hood growing up. “Sisters” is a fascinating comic book about a girl named Raina, who as a only child really wanted a sister to play with. When Raina finally got that special wish she then wished she could take it back. Having a baby sister was boring because Amara (the baby)didn’t play the same things she did. Having a toddler sister was annoying because growing up Amara always threw fits and temper tantrums.Eventually Will, their new baby brother ,came along.By the time Amara was going into pre-teen Raina was already a teen so she didn’t even want to spend time with anyone.

The book focuses on when their family went on their family week long road trip to Colorado. Two months before the road trip Amara’s pet snake ,Mango, got loose in the car on their way to the pet store and crawled into the middle of the seat and the seat cushion. Raina was afraid of snakes so she didn’t want to sit in the front seat. Raina and her siblings really wanted their dad to drive with them but them but he had work and him and their mom weren’t getting along to much. Then after a long and wild car ride they arrived to Colorado and spent two days with their cousins, which Raina and Amara didn’t really like hanging out with their cousins but they made it through those two days and were back on the road.

On their way back home their car battery died and something worse so Raina and Amara stayed in the car while their mom and Will find a ride to town to find a towing company. While Raina and Amara waited for them to come back Mango comes out of the chair ,but they both don't want to pick him up so they put him in a grocery bag. Raina and Amara get worried for Will and their mom and they are hungry because they have been gone for four hours. When Will and their mom get back they get really excited and relieved and tell their mom everything over some Burger King. To find out more details about their trip and how their cousin's house was, check out “ Sisters” By Raina Telgemeier.

That is how Raina survived the week long road trip,stuck in the car with her 2 siblings and her mom. This book is a true story told by Raina herself about growing up with a brother and sister. It shares childhood memories and all of the Telgemeier’s pets. I recommend this to any kid 9-13 it's a really good book that is fun to read.

The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book
By Neil Gaiman
Reviewed by Lily

Neil Gaiman is best known as an author of comic books, graphic novels, and fiction. One such novel, The Graveyard Book, published in 2008, was the first book to win both the Newbery and Carnegie awards. I had enjoyed one of his books in the past, so I was quite excited to begin reading a book of his once again. This book is full of twists and turns as it follows our protagonist, Nobody Owens, known as Bod.

The book begins with two year old Bod escaping his home at night, after a mysterious character simply known as The Man Jack murders his mom, dad, and sister. Bod escapes to a nearby graveyard, and it adopted and raised by the local ghosts. A mysterious resident of the graveyard named Silas, who is neither dead nor alive, appoints himself Bod’s guardian. He is given freedom of the graveyard, which assists him with many abilities that ghosts naturally have. Each chapter finds Bod two years older, resulting in you, the reader, watching him mature. This is a wonderful way to tell a story with a satisfying conclusion, closing one chapter of a person’s life, but still leaving room for the next. It doesn’t leave you begging for a sequel, rather leaving room for one.

Among the book's strengths are character development and scene layout. Bod’s character strengthens as well as weakens as he learns valuable lessons among his usual high jinks. The ghost characters are interesting, but not developed within the book as Bod is. On another note, we have the scene layout. The book sets the atmosphere for every scene so well, you imagine it as you read without having to even think about it. For example, the first scene in the book of Bod’s home is set up in a way that you follow Bod through the dark and empty house, as if you are seeing everything he sees.

Neil Gaiman is wonderful at writing in many genres, he has succeeded at comedy and slice of life in the past, but is also skilled at writing in the style of mystery. This book can be both scary and heartwarming at once, building up a great atmosphere. I felt deeply moved by the ending of the story, and I can guarantee you will feel the same when you choose to read The Graveyard Book.

The New Girl

The New Girl
By Anastasia Suen and Jane Dippold
Review by Aaliyah

The experience of the book “ The New Girl” by Anastasia Suen and Jane Dippold, has been wonderful. Having twists, turns, and unbelievably exciting. You won't believe what happens yeah I know you think that this an ordinary book but every time you turn a page you find something new. This book takes you inside an adventurous place you’ve never been before. The journey from the page number 1 to page number 123 is an amazing experience.This Realistic Fiction book has something special with things that we all been through or haven’t but can relate. This book engages with kids that like books that aren’t too serious but this book isn’t to goofy. This book has a lot of jaw droppers and chuckles here and there.

The book is about girl who attends a new school and is having trouble fitting in and doesn’t really understand why. This book explains what kids that are new in school are being bullied. And this helps kids who have done things to new kids or just kids in general. And it can help the kids who have been bullied. I like this book because at the end it lets you choose what happens at the end.This helps elementary and middle school students engage in reading with this book because it is kind of impossible to be boring or students can relate.

The author added good enough detail that made me understand. The details aren’t too confusing nor too much detail that bores you. This also explains how i would recommend this for kids or preteens. This book leaves a positive ending. This book is nothing too sad. This book would probably be a little kiddish it depends who is reading some like serious some don’t.And thats why you should read the fabulous book The New Girl.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Diary of a Wimpy Kid
By Jeff Kinney
Reviewed by Kiree

The book Diary of A Wimpy Kid was great! What was so interesting about it you may ask? If you’re teenager, even if you're older,you will enjoy this book. This book will make you feel like , a normal person. If you think you're the only person with really crazy flaws in the world, think again and take time to read this book. I am certain this book will make you feel happy while reading.

The book Diary of a Wimpy Kid is about kid named Greg Heffley. Greg wants to be like all of the other normal kids at the school but things do not seem to be working out very well for him. His best friend Rowley is also going through the same situation. They are both having a difficult time just being the average kid. Greg's mom wants him to stop playing video games so much and actually go play outside, like she used to do when she was younger. Greg's father wants him to do the same except, He wants him to do more like play football or, get a job, while Greg Just wants to play video games and be a normal kid like the other kids at his school. People from all over his town seem to be making it harder and harder for him to do so.

If I had to rate this book i would definitely rate it as 5 stars. I would rate this a 5 star nook because, in my opinion, it was very amusing and and it was an easy book to read. Once I started reading it, it was very difficult to stop. I would recommend this book to someone who likes a lot of pictures in their books. I would also recommend it as a guides on how be a normal teenager. I would not recommend this book if you enjoy reading serious stories. This book would not be recommended for anyone who wants to read a mature or higher age rated book.

This was a fun book to read and made me love reading even more than I already do. I believe once others take time to read it, they will agree. Diary of a Wimpy Kid is an excellent read for young and old.

The Westing Game

The Westing Game
By Ellen Raskin
Reviewed by Katherine

I read the book The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin. This was an amazing book that my brother recommended that I should read. I recommend this book to anyone who likes murder mysteries and suspenseful stories. I love reading those kinds of books, so, naturally, I liked this book even before I started it.

Sam Westing, the founder of Westingtown (in Wisconsin) and owner of Westing Paper Products Corporation, left his mansion to his sixteen heirs in his will, which was read after he was murdered. The heirs were Madame Hoo, Jake Wexler, Turtle Wexler, Flora Baumbach, Chris Theodorakis, Denton Deere, Sandy McSouthers, J.J. Ford, Grace Wexler, James Hoo, Crow, Otis Amber, Theo Theodorakis, Doug Hoo, Angela Wexler, and Sydelle Pulaski. All were chosen to play “The Westing Game”. The sixteen heirs were split into teams of two and given a set of clues and $10,000. The clues supposedly led to Sam Westing’s murderer. The clues were not clear; they seemed like random words just drawn out of a hat. The clues weren’t the only mysterious thing going on: four explosions occurred, Theo was playing a game of chess with an unknown opponent. The object of the Westing Game was to find the murderer without getting killed yourself. Who was setting off the bombs? Who was the mysterious chess opponent? And, most importantly, who killed Sam Westing?

This was one of the best books I have ever read because it was full of depth with plot twists that made me rethink everything that I thought I knew, like who set off the bombs and who everyone really was. This book really keeps you on the edge of your seat. It also was very funny, and a really hard book to put down.

Star Crossed

Star Crossed
by Barbara Dee
Reviewed by Abigail

Crushes are never easy. Whether it being afraid, unsure, or just completely flustered all the time, there are never just a simple thing. Especially in 8th grade, where everyone is watching couples every move.

Star Crossed is a book about every typical 8th grade crush. Maddie’s story follows her, her friends Tessa and Lucy, and her crush the beautiful and kind Gemma. As Maddie struggles with her feelings for Gemma, opening night for the 8th grade play Romeo and Juliet comes ever closer. Maddie is cast as Romeo after another student drops out, leaving her next to her Juliet; Gemma. With all the stress of the play, her friends are starting to catch onto Maddie’s crush and are pressing her more and more about it each day.

The author Barbara Dee translates Shakespeare's beautiful story of Romeo and Juliet into a modern day love story. She used clever clues and brilliant writing to make a story that leaves you wanting more. My rating for this book is high, at least 9/10. My only criticism is that the story moves along a bit slow in the beginning, but overall really amazing. I highly recommend this book, especially if you’re looking for a casual queer story.

The books a little below 7th grade reading level, but it’s still an interesting story. I’m glad that there are more books like this where characters can have a same sex relationship without it being the main topic of the story. And the author's subtle hints and storytelling that leads the reader into a moment of realization whenever you see things meetup. In conclusion, I feel like this book is a great story of literature and cleverness, and recommend it to everyon

The Name of This Book Is Secret

The Name of This Book Is Secret 
By Pseudonymous Bosch
Reviewed by Brandon

In this book the author does not tell you his name, which I mean is awesome.. After some pages you find that it is filled with hashtags. It’s background information, and he can’t tell us that/ The story follow Cass, if that even is her real name. Cass is a survivalist, and is always prepared She makes friends in school with a boy called Max-Ernst, who is not your typical Max. His parents are divorced but live in one house. His father and mother divided the house down the middle - one side's for the father, the other's for the mother.The mystery begins when the pair investigate a dead magicians house and finds his diary. There's a 400-year-old witch who's the main villain, named Mrs. Mauvais or The Golden Lady. The story has many turns. Much is up to the reader to take it as they wish. It has many thrilling adventures, like going to a spa where you bathe in gold to follow a kidnapped artist. Or the story about the Bergamo Brother’s (One is the magician) and how they have synesthesia. All to figure out the burning secret!

In my opinion this is a magnificent book. Very well crafted, and full of thrills. From the beginning it sucks you in and you keep reading. You want to figure the secret out, and so it keeps you on your toes. Twists and turns litter this story. A good book for thrill seekers and risk takers. I have read this book many times, and each time it’s still amazing. I am so happy that the secret doesn’t end in just one book. It;’s a 5 part series. A 4 more excellently crafted books to fill our readers desires.

The Perfect Score

The Perfect Score
By Rob Buyea
Reviewed by Piper



If you like humor, and books with multiple views, you would like Rob Buyea’s new book; The Perfect Score. I really enjoyed this book, once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. This book is good for most ages and teaches us the real meaning in life is to help as much as possible without breaking any rules. Much like Because of Mr.Terupt, also by Rob Buyea, The Perfect Score has multiple views of different students that are all in Mrs.Woods sixth grade class.

 In the bunch there is Randi whose mother is pressuring her to be the top gymnast and be on the A honor roll. Gavin, who loves football, has always had bad grades at school and feels as dumb as his father who dropped out of high school to be a plumber. Trevor tries to act tough and mean and doesn’t listen to anyone, but really he is just getting hurt by his older brother and his goons. Scott has a big heart and wants to help out everyone especially his grandfather, but his plans don’t go that well. Natalie is by far the most engaged person in the class, therefore the smartest. She wishes to become a lawyer and follows all the rules until the SAT’s that she feels she must break a few of them.

At first, most of the students didn’t like Mrs.Woods. She was a no-nonsense old lady that was strict but inside, very sweet. When she read all the kids were memorized and hated when reading time was over. When all the kids were getting used to Mrs.Woods and her spectacular reading, it was time to prepare the SAT’s.

Three months before the tests, the school feels that they need to prepare more. They took away the kids recess and reading time. All the students have something to lose if they don’t ace them, so they make up a plan. Will their plan succeed?

I really enjoyed The Perfect Score. This is the perfect size to read in about a month. I love the multiple views, it helps create the perfect story but not to complicated that you can’t understand it. I hope you get this book at the bookstore and library and enjoy it as much as I did.