Book reviews for the young and the old. This site reviews children, teen, and adult books with a few interesting things thrown into the mix. Check out the labels on the right hand side for specific genres or topics.
Monday, March 25, 2024
Skimmer & Finn: There Are No Pancakes on This Planet by Christopher Francis
Monday, September 4, 2023
Sunshine by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Genre: Middle Grade, Graphic Novel, Realistic Fiction
Source: I purchased a copy. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I am not a real big reader of graphic novels. However, as part of my classroom challenge with my students I had to read a graphic novel. I chose this one because I had read his former book, "Hey Kiddo". I enjoyed this book even more and can't wait for my students to read it. This is the author's true story of a year in high school when he worked at a summer camp for students who had cancer. The way he was able to inspire those he worked with was amazing. What was more amazing was the way these kids inspired and changed his life. It is not an easy book to read due to the topic. I found myself moved to tears throughout the book. The author doesn't sugar coat things, not even his own tough life. He was raised by his grandparents. The reasons can be found by reading this book. I highly recommend it
Saturday, April 29, 2023
Student Saturday: Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm
Saturday, April 22, 2023
Student Saturday: Crush by Svetlana Chmakova
Saturday, January 21, 2023
Student Saturday: Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova
The main character in the book, Penelope, has a lot of relatable personality traits to me and most likely other teenagers. I'm similar to this character because she is very, very awkward. She has terrible communication skills, something I should work on too. She is shy and has one friend group she's really close with. She gets really nervous and is really dramatic, sometimes like me. I want to be more like this character because she might be in art, messy, and not that smart, but she's also very compatible to work with, friendly, and just a good person. I want to be more like her.
Penelope has a creative mind and personality. She is so kind that she would do almost anything to help a friend or make someone proud. She's an amazing person as well as an open, helpful, and unique person. I love that about her, and I would like to be more like her.
Alicia's Review
In the book Dork Diaries, Tales from a Not-So-Smart Miss Know-It-All, there is a socially awkward teen with a crush on a boy and she has a diary that she writes every day. She also has a younger sister, Brianna, and her parents. Her best friends Zoey and Chloe, like any other friendship, help her with her confidence and are there for her all the time. Nikki has a unique sense of fashion.
In this book, Nikki and her friends decide to do something rebellious, and they get caught. Mackenzie thinks someone else did it and Nikki, Zoey, and Chloe are relieved. Nikki goes to school the next day and suggests her crush to join the newspaper crew. Once they go to the interview, they sign up for the position they want to be in. Nikki gets excited until something unexpected happens. Nikki did not get the position she signed up for and lost hope. Her best friends encourage her to tell the newspaper teacher and she gets a different position. She gets to be the schools “Miss knows it all” and she gives advice to people. She joined the newspaper crew because she did not want anyone to know something, and Mackenzie would obviously tell everyone by writing it in the newspaper, so Nikki had to pay attention to her.
This book reminds me of the book I recently read, I Know Your Secret, because it holds a subject about secrets. I recommend this book to my best friend Sophia because it reminds me of her a lot. They have similar personalities. They both have bubbly-like personalities, they’re both awkward at times, they’re not too social, and they both seem to be very likeable people. I like this book because it takes me back to 4th
Grade when I read one of the first Dork Diaries. I like it because it has fictional Drama, and I can relate to the main character. This book met my expectations because it entertains me when I finish my work early and in my free time.
Monday, January 24, 2022
Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova
Genre: Middle Grade, Graphic
Source: From my classroom shelves
Usually this book is passed from
student to student and checked out. However, the last student put it into my
book bin to be checked back in and I snagged it. I will tell you from the beginning I am not a
big graphics fan. Every student who has read this has told me I need to read
it. I agree with them, it was great.
This could have been taken right
out of my classroom. I am always hearing students talking about what course is
best. We have those students who will
argue until they are blue, that art is the best subject. Then we have those
students who love the sciences, or math, or English.
The characters face the very
things students new to our school or new to middle school face. They worry
about bullying, making friends, family problems, will their teachers like them
or will they like their teachers. This is what made this book ring true. The
author took a lot of time to flesh out her characters. These are some of the
most diverse characters I have seen in a book.
I loved this book and understand why all the students kept recommending
it to me.
Thursday, June 18, 2020
New Kid by Jerry Craft
Source: Purchased
I purchased books for my classroom from Scholastic with my birthday money. This was the first book I picked out to read. New Kid is the story of Jordan Banks. He is a middle school student who loves to draw graphic cartoons. He wants to go to arts school. However, his mom wants something more for him. She has managed to get him into one of the most prestigious schools in the area. Jordan realizes that there are very few kids of color in this school. There are very few kids who are not rich. This is just one more reason for him not to feel like he fits in. To me this book was very appropriate for what we have been seeing in our country the last few weeks. However, this isn’t just about color, it is about being accepted for who you are regardless of social status, color or anything else. It is about standing up for what is right. This was a very quick read for me and one I can say I really enjoyed. This says a lot because my students would be the first to tell you that graphic novels are not my favorite genre. One thing I really enjoyed about the book is that we get to see Jordan’s drawings, a peek at his sketchbook within this book. I would definitely read more by this author. This is a book a can’t wait to put on my shelves and recommend to my students.
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Sunny Side Up by Jennifer and Matthew Holm
Genre: Middle Grade, Graphic Novel
Source: I purchased it
For years I refused to read graphic novels. I'm not sure why. I grew up reading comic books and loved them. I love picture books. Maybe it is because the very first graphic novel I read was completely wordless. I didn't get it, or like it. I decided right then and there I didn't like graphic novels. Once again it took a kid to challenge me to step out of my comfort zone. Because of that student I have a shelf full of graphic novels. It will continue to grow. That brings me to this book.
I have been a fan of Jennifer Holm's books for quite some time. When I saw the preview of this book I knew it was one I had to have on my classroom shelves. I bought it with the intention of reading it immediately. However, I was so sick I was unable to read at all. I took it to school when I returned and before I could open it a student asked how long I was going to hold on to it before I put it on my shelf. I felt guilty and immediately checked it out to them and then three other students. All of them said I had to read it. So I took it off my shelves yesterday and read it before I went to bed. It has been one of the best books I've read in a while. I understand why my students love it.
Most kids, especially today, see family problems either in their own houses or in their friend's houses. They are able to identify with the main character in the story. Sunny is a ten year old girl, the same age as my students. She adores her older brother. However, her older brother has some problems. To make them worse he keeps putting her in the middle by asking her to lie for him. These secrets are destroying her and her family. When she is sent to visit her grandfather in Florida she meets a friend who loves comic books. Between the comic books, her grandfather and her new friend, she finds the strength and courage to begin the healing process. It is a quick read and such a wonderful book with such a powerful message.
I was able to identify with this character. I have a sister that had an addiction problem. I helped hide it from my mother for so long that it almost destroyed our family. It is tough to heal from this situation no matter what the age. I have to say that this book made me, an adult look at our situation to see how we could take the healing process to the next step.
Thank you Jennifer and Matt Holm for such a wonderful book.