Showing posts with label Middle Grade. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Middle Grade. Show all posts

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Student Saturday: Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner


Genre: Middle Grade, Adventure 

Student Reviewer:  Clayron R.

There is no stopping a little boy who loves his grandfather. Stone Fox is about a 10 year old boy named Willy who is faced with adult challenges on a small potato farm in Wyoming. One day Little Willy woke up to be amazed that grandfather was still asleep. He and his dog named Searchlight went to Doc Smith's house to get some help. Once she had checked Grandfather out she said that he was as healthy as can be, and his grandfather just didn't t want to live anymore. Little Willy started to do everything he could to get Grandfather to feel better including doing the potato harvest, paying the bill at the general store and even getting all of the winter supplies, but Grandfather still wasn't better. To make matters worse,Mr. Clifford Snyder, a state of Wyoming tax collector, came to collect 10 years of back taxes. Little Willy had never heard of taxes and didn't believe the man because he knew Grandfather had always paid everything on time. There was a big problem if the taxes weren't paid. They would lose the farm. To solve the problem, Willy and Searchlight entered a race. The prize was the exact amount of money they needed to save the farm - $500. Searchlight and Willy were up against some of the best. Some things I really liked about this book was that Willy had to deal with real life problems. A connection I had with this book was little Willy and I share the same love for dogs. Did Willy win the race? Did he save his grandfather's farm? Read the book to find out! 

Saturday, March 9, 2024

Student Saturday: The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan

 


Genre:  Middle Grade, Fantasy, Traditional
Student Reviewer: Mykyta K.

Egyptian Mythology and religion is a one of the many mysteries of our time, and one of the most interesting as well. Many fantasize about it, and many others make a career out of it by unraveling those very mysteries.


I am one of those people who enjoy fantasizing about it and imagining how it was back then, which is exactly why I enjoyed the idea of Rick Riordan’s book, “The Serpent’s Shadow”. Rick Riordan is one of my favorite authors, and I particularly enjoyed his Greek Mythology works. “The Serpent’s Shadow” is one of his comics about Egyptian mythology that starred a family called the Kanes. The Kane Family is composed of a brother and a sister, a father whose job consists of judging the dead, and an uncle who works for the gods. However, the mother isn’t talked about much. This family was in charge of doing the work for the gods in the mortal world, using the Egyptian gods' powers. They led a group of magicians who also attempted to live alongside the gods while wielding magic, but had to protect dear things to the gods from their enemies who were against their ideas.

    

This world painted by Rick Riordan takes place in Egypt, along with some cities in modern day America. Personally, I enjoyed the idea of this, but in my opinion, the book overall didn't really appeal to me. I say this because I consider myself to enjoy more advanced books, and occasionally light reads, but “The Serpent's Shadow” was in a way, not very serious and quite “cringey”. I would however, recommend this book to younger audiences in elementary school, as it's a nice way for younger people and minds to begin learning about mythology and history.

Monday, March 4, 2024

Maddie’s Ghost by Carol Saller



Genre: Middle Grade, Mystery
Source: I won a copy from the author through LibraryThing. The opinions expressed here are my own.

When Lainie Stanton receives a call from a TV reporter inviting her to be interviewed as Ohio’s first millennium baby she is flattered. Her Uncs and father are not as thrilled. They see this as possible issue, especially if the reporter’s intentions are not true. Their worst fears come true.  During the  taping of the interview Lainie is faced with pictures of her great-grandmother’s hanging.  Seventy-five years before her great-grandmother was tried and convicted of murder.  Lainie blindsided by this reporter claims she has proof of her grandmother’s innocent. Now she has only a few weeks to make her lie a truth. 

I loved the complexity of this book. The flipping back and forth between historical documents and present time kept me reading. This is definitely a book I will read again in the future. It was just that good.  Definitely need a copy for my classroom shelves.

Saturday, February 24, 2024

Student Saturday: Grenade by Alan Gratz

 


Genre: Middle Grade, Historical Fiction
Student Reviewer: Susan T.

The details in this book truly make it an interesting and informative read. It has a great message and can teach you a lot about what happened during the war between the Japanese and Americans. The portrayal of emotion in the characters makes you feel like you can clearly understand what is going on in their perspectives. 

This book is about two boys from different sides of the war in 1945. Ray, who is a young U.S marine and Hideki, who is drafted into blood and iron corps. Both questioning if they will make it out alive, and if so, what will it take. 

To wrap up, I really enjoyed this book. It has a similar format to other war books I have read but the plot Is unique and entertaining. I would recommend this book to people who find interest in books about historical conflicts or to someone who just wants to learn more about stuff like that. 


Saturday, February 17, 2024

Student Saturday: The Circus of Stolen Dreams by Lorelei Savaryn

 





Genre: Middle Grade, Young Adult, Mystery, Fantasy
Student Reviewer Olivia S.

In the book “The Circus of Stolen Dreams” Andrea is a 12-year-old girl that has suffered many losses, such as her parents divorcing, but she has always had her little brother to stay by her side and to comfort, until he mysteriously disappears one night. Three years later and they still find no trace of him. Andrea has hardened her heart and has shut herself down for three long years struggling with the loss of her shadow, until she smells sweets and popcorn in the air along with a chance of relief. Andrea is given a chance to go into the magical world of Reverie in exchange for a memory, dream, or nightmare, and she knows exactly what she wants to forget. What Andrea does not know is Reverie is not all that it seems and entering the magical world of Reverie means a chance at finding her brother. Willz Andrea find her brother before it’s too late, or will she fall prey to the trap that is Reverie, like so many children before her?

Andrea is a 12-year-old girl from Ohio who during most of the story feels guilty and sad. Throughout the story, Andrea is shown as brave and resilient. She is not afraid to face her fears to find answers. This book reminds me of “Percy Jackson the lightning thief,” since Percy loses his mother and blames himself, while Andrea loses her brother and blames herself. They both lose their loved ones and go through trials to find them. I would recommend this book to nine-year-olds through fourteen-year-olds since this book does not have many plot twists and you can predict what is going to happen before it happens. This book met my expectations, and even though the book was mostly predictable, it was still nice to see Andrea's healing process throughout the story and to see her love for her brother.


Saturday, February 10, 2024

Student Saturday: Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry


Genre: Middle Grade, Young Adult, Science Fiction

Student Reviewer:  Susan T.

I was not sure how I would feel about this book since it has a slow-paced climax, but I ended up enjoying it. The characters have great development that really builds the storyline. The setting and language used really emphasizes the point in time and what the setting is like.

Gathering Blue is about an orphan with a twisted leg who gets sent to what is called “The Council of guardians” and that is where she is fostered, she is a talented threader and is looked up to fix the robe. She later reveals the truth behind her home.

While this book was slow-paced, I did really like the plot twists.  It kept the book interesting while still making sense and connecting with the rest of the story. I would recommend this book to anyone who finds interest in a good storyline and more aged literature.



 

Saturday, February 3, 2024

Student Saturday: Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney

 




Genre: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction
Student Reviewer: Kahlen S.

The book Diary a Wimpy Kid Rodrick Rules is a great read by the author Jeff Kinney. This book is a lot about Greg and Rodrick Heffley also Rowley Jefferson and Holly Hills its surrounded a lot in a pool are and middles school the grade Greg, Rowley, and Holly are in. Greg Heffley has a certain personality that most people would call a follower and wants to be like everyone else. But his friend Rowley Jefferson is not and is his own self does not care what other people think. Then there is Rodrick Heffley which he loves rock music and has his own band called loaded diaper.

Going on there is Holly Hills, which Greg has a huge crush on and can never hangout or ever get her number there is always a blockade. I really liked this book and I think most people do. Its more of a comedy comic book lots of illistration. But its simple but good enough to under stand. This would be a good read for someone that can relate to Greg. Or some of the other characters in the book. 

 I really enjoyed this book. I think I am gonna read farther into the series and can't wait to see whats in the other books. Overall this is a great book by the author Jeff Kinney and can't wait to read more of his content.

Saturday, January 27, 2024

Student Saturday: Escaping the Giant Wave by Peg Kehret

 



Genre:  Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction
Student Reviewer: Jillianna H.

Kyle is a thirteen year old boy that had goals to raise his allowance and stop Daren from bullying him. Kyle had always been pushed around and poked by Daren and didn’t like him at all. But when they got stuck together on a family vacation Kyle planned to finish his goal and stop Daren.

Kyle’s dad got awarded the salesman of the year, because of this they got offered a free trip to Oregon. Kyle found out that Daren's parents work for the same company as his and that they would be staying at the same hotel. They had plans to stay at a new hotel in Fisher Beach, but it was unfortunately closed due to construction. So, the family got moved to an older hotel that was closer to the beach. The sign on the beach had a warning that said that the beach is in danger of a tsunami. The family read the direction to go uphill as far as you could once an earthquake happens so you would have a better chance of surviving the tsunami. The next day the parents went on a cruise to celebrate the dad's award and left Kyle and his sister alone at the hotel. An earthquake happens and Kyle makes the decision to go uphill. They ended up at the top of the hill with a couple named Norm and Josie, with their dog pansy.

I thought this was a great book and I was even scared for them while reading. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes suspense and books that will make you feel like you are with the characters.

Saturday, January 20, 2024

Student Saturday: The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman


 


Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy

Student Reviewer:  Olivia S.

Elizabeth Rew is a Highschool student in New York, that just moved to her new school. Due to her mother's death and her father's remarriage, her family goes through a rough financial situation. Elizabeth gets recommended a job as a page at “New-York circulating material repository” to earn some money and to make some friends. She soon gains access to the Grimm collection and learns that the library is magic. When some of the items in the Grimm collection go missing, Elizabeth and some of her new friends must investigate to find out where the stolen objects are. Can Elizabeth find out where the stolen objects are disappearing to and find out who is stealing them before the entire Grimm collection disappears and gets into the wrong hands?

This book is called “The Grimm Legacy” and is centered around a girl named Elizabeth. Elizabeth is sarcastic, easy to talk to, and loves fairytales and anything magical. This book reminds me of another book called “Mr. Lemoncellos library.” Kyle Keely and Elizabeth Rew both go to a library and discover magical things and objects. I would recommend this book to ages 11 to 16, since it is light on any violence and there is some romance. This book met my expectations, and I am looking forward to reading this series.

Saturday, January 13, 2024

Student Saturday: Crocodile Tears by Anthony Horowitz

 


Student Reviewer:  Robert M

Genre:  Middle Grade, Adventure

Alex Rider is back in the eighth installment to the series called Crocodile Tears. He yet again has to save the word, and this time, there is a virus so powerful that it can destroy a country’s resources, and while doing that also making sure he secret doesn’t get out.

The story begins with Alex, Sabina Pleasure, and her dad— Edward Pleasure— going to a party hosted by a millionaire named Desmond McCain in the Highlands of Scotland. Quickly, Alex finds himself in danger as the tire of Edward's car blows on the icy road and they plummet into the deep below-freezing lake. Back in London with his housekeeper and closest friend— Jack— he fights people claiming to be an employer of Major Yu, the main antagonist of the previous story. Long afterward, Alex is taken to Africa and tortured, and a man who he had seen after he had gotten out of the lake saves him. Some of this book reminds me of a movie called “Breakthrough” about a boy who falls into a frozen lake and eventually comes out safe. This is a very good book for people with time on their hands because once you start, you can’t stop reading it.

Sunday, January 7, 2024

The Rise of Balakrik by Melody J. Bremen

 


Genre:  Middle Grade, Adventure, Fantasy
Source: I purchased a copy

This is the sequel to "The Quest for the Luminae".  This was just as action packed as the first one. The tension was definitely tight in this one. The Prince of the Above Ground has decided to do whatever it takes to get control of the country. If that means he must get rid of the people below ground he will. When Milo and Rod return from their quest to find the luminae, they are attacked. They have brought back the potion that will heal their people, but are met at the dock by soldiers who bust up the barrels of the cure. Rod is arrested and Milo gets away.  

He seeks an audience with the King only to realize how crazy the man has become. Lady Mariel sends him with a message to the Prince's castle to give the message and explain to the Prince's granddaughter. She is not what Milo expects. There is a rebel in her that wants to save the people and she is willing to join Milo in whatever mission is necessary to do so.

There is danger all around those involved. Another legend turns out to be true, the legend of the Giant Balakrik who came to the area collecting gold and fell asleep underground.  Lately there have been a lot of earthquakes to add to the tension of the story.  After reading the first one you definitely need to read this one.  

Saturday, January 6, 2024

Student Saturday: Unschooled by Allan Woodrow

 





Student Reviewer: Mako C.
Genre: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction


This book was very enjoyable for me, as it wasn't too wordy and kept me interested. The book has 270 pages, and the two main characters are Lilly and George. Lilly and George are best friends in the book. Lilly is described as a happy, go-lucky, energetic girl. While George, on the other hand, is described as very neat and a germaphobe, he is constantly applying hand sanitizer in the book. The time during the book is never clearly stated, but the setting is clearly described; it takes place at Lilly and George’s school; they are in the 5th grade. It also sometimes takes place at Lilly’s and George’s house, but their school is the main setting. 


The main plot of the story is a 5th grade spirit week, where each day is something new and the final day is a field day with games. The 5th grade is split into two teams: the red team and the blue team. Each day the students compete to win that specific day, and the team with the most points at the end of spirit week is awarded a special prize. That prize, however, isn't revealed to the students until the end of the book, which arouses many wacky and weird ideas of what the prizes could possibly be.

This book reminds me of when I was in 5th grade, and we had a spirit week and field days. There weren't any prizes or teams, however. Each day was something new, and Friday was a field day; one of the days was a pajama day, and I wore a monkey onesie. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a lighthearted, good read. This book is very interesting and has a good plot. It is also really funny at times. I didn’t really have any expectations for this book, because I’ve never read any other book by this author, but if I did have an expectation for this book, it definitely would have exceeded my expectations

Friday, January 5, 2024

The Quest for the Luminae by Melody J. Bremen


Genre: Middle Grade, Adventure, Fantasy
Source: I purchased a copy

I just discovered this author's books. Milo is the apprentice to a Bounty Hunter. He helps capture criminals. His bounty hunter master, Rod found him beside his dead parents and took him to his sister's house to be raised. One day Rod and Milo are summoned by the Prince of the Above ground kingdom. They are also summoned by the King of the underground kingdom where they live. A sickness his wiping out the people who live underground. Both want them to go in search of something called the Luminae. This is a legendary creature that has the ability to heal the sick. Rod doesn't believe in them, but he will do anything when his sister get the illness. So the two of them set out in search of the legendary lunimae.  But, not everything is as it seems. Someone doesn't want them to succeed?

I read this in one sitting. I stay up into the night to finish it because it was that good. The world building is awesome and  the different lands are so well described you feel like you are there. The adventure is so tension filled you find yourself leaning forward and sitting don't he edge of your seat to find out what is next. Here is another book I will recommend to my local and my school library.


 

Tuesday, January 2, 2024

The Race to Krakatoa by J.D. Peabody

 

Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy

Source: I won a copy from LibraryThing Early Reviewers. The opinions expressed here are my own.

To say I have found a new author that I absolutely love would be an understatement. J.D. Peabody has created a series that not only kids will love, but educators and book lovers everywhere will love. In the second book in his series we find several things have happened. First, Mrs. Crimp is back, but loveable and protective of the children. She learned some valuable things while she was Inkased.  Everett has found a strength he didn't know he possessed. Bea has learned how much of caring person she is. She feels she is inadequate, but she is not. We have most of the same characters from the first book, including the villains with a few extras thrown in. One in particular is nasty. He was an Inking but used the ink for illegal purposes. He was shunned by the other inklings. He creates his own ink, a mixture of the ink from the first book with his own additives and gets it funded by the very people who hate the Inklings. But we all know that evil has a way of backfiring. The only thing I can say I hated is the ending of the book. I love that it ended in a cliff hanger.  That was brilliant writing. What I hated is that I will have to wait at least a year probably to read a continuation of the story. I could see people forming lines like they did for the Harry Potter books to purchase the next one.  They are that good. I want to jump into the story the way Everett is able to Leapread. I want to become a part of that world. THAT is how good these books are.  The author's nod to other authors and their works, which you can find out more about on his website, have made me want to check out some of the books I was unfamiliar with. It gave me a warm feeling to have him sprinkle in books I grew up with. That is why I say this is a book for young and old alike.  You have got to check these books out.

Monday, January 1, 2024

First Review of the New Year: The Ink of Elspet by J.D. Peabody



Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy

Source: I own a copy

Kids today need more books with creativity woven through the plots. My middle grade students are always telling me they don’t have any imagination. Maybe if there were more books out there like this, they wouldn’t say that as much. Marcus is a preacher and the creator of a comic book. He has left them at home to go on a secret trip. After the train he is on crashes and he is whisked away, Everett and Bea are on a journey to try to find and save their dad. They have his pen and magical ink. They slowly learn about their father and the magic ink and “inklings” who must find and protect it. The characters are easy to like and believable. The world building is phenomenal. We travel on mysterious, magical mysteries along with the characters. The explanation of how the evil characters came to be was awesome. Everett reminded me so much of some of my students who think they have no talent and doubt everything they do, often sabotaging themselves. There are lessons to be learned that don’t hit the reader head on.  I definitely recommend this book and will make sure my grandkids get a copy.  I am looking forward to reading the second book in this series.



Saturday, December 30, 2023

Student Saturday: Tales From a Not-So-Smart Miss- Know-It-All by Rachel Renee Russell

 


Student Reviewer:  Sabrina S.
Genre:  Middle Grade Realistic Fiction

This is a great series and overall a good bookThe author Rachel Renee Russell does an amazing job of making you feel like you're involved with the drama.

The main character, Nikki J. Maxwell, is a teenage girl who has two best friends, Chloe and Zoey, and her biggest enemy Mackenzie, who is a snobby rich girl that thinks she's better than everyone. Her crush, Brandon, is popular and nice but Mackenzie likes him too! Nikki and Makenzie have a big rivalry against each other. They are always trying to outdo one another. In this book, Nikki wants to join a newspaper club for her school, mostly to get closer to Brandon but also for fun. All goes well until her position in the news crew has no action and no one writing messages to it, so she makes it better and gets very well-known across the school. Then comes Brandon's birthday party and Nikki has waited forever to get him his gift but a few problems happen while trying to afford his present. This book is good for anyone who likes high school drama and plot twists. Rachel Renee has written a very good series. 




Saturday, December 16, 2023

Student Saturday: Surviving Sharks and Other Dangerous Creatures by Allan Zullo

 


Genre:  Middle Grade, Nonfiction
Student Reviewer: Elijah S.

This book talks about ten stories about different animals attacking humans and how those humans survived those terrifying encounters. All ten chapters had different stories and different animals. These animals consisted of sharks, elephants, bears, snakes, wolves, alligators, bulls, monkeys, moose, and cougars. In the situation for the bears, the person had to punch the bear several times to get it off of him. In this situation I would’ve tried to poke the bear’s eyes because I think it would have ran away sooner. I would recommend this book to adventurous people who like to go out to woods and oceans so that they know what to do if they were in situations with these dangerous animals. In my opinion, I love this book because it's very interesting and I love animals books so if I had rate this book a one out of ten it would definitely be a ten out of ten.


Sunday, November 26, 2023

A Wolf Called Wander by Roseanne Parry

 


Genre: Middle Grade, Animal, Adventure
Source: I received a copy from BookBub to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This book is based on an actual wolf somehow separated from his pack. Anyone who loves stories that tug at your emotions will love this book. Swift wants only to be the head of a pack. His life is not an easy one. He faces many challenges in his life. His will to survive is strong. What I loved most about this book is that both kids and adults will enjoy this book. There is information in the back that will reach out to that person who loves reading nonfiction information. The story carries you along to a satisfying end. As a teacher I enjoy reading books that I can recommend to my students. This is one that I know they will really enjoy.

Saturday, November 25, 2023

Student Saturday: Wishtree by Katherine Applegate

 


Genre:  Middle Grade, Fantasy
Student Reviewer: Sophie E.

Wishtree by Katherine Applegate is a passionate fantasy book with a wonderful theme about friendship. The Wishtree, also referred to as Red, lives in harmony with its best friend Bongo the crow. Red is known around town as The Wishtree because on the first day of May every year, people traditionally tie its branches with paper or cloth with their wishes written on them. None of these wishes have been known to come true. 

However, recently a young girl, Samar, who had just moved to town started showing up at Red's roots each night. When the day of wishing begun, the quiet girl decided to share a wish with Red. After being bullied and shamed for her religion and looks, will Red be able to grant her one single wish with the help of its forest friends? Will Samar be able to fit in like everyone else?

Saturday, November 18, 2023

Student Saturday: Allies by Alan Gratz

 


Genre:  Middle Grade, Historical Fiction
Student Reviewer:  Delaney B.

"Allies" by Alan Gratz is a story that follows multiple characters/narrators during the events of World War 2. The main narrator is Dee, a sixteen year old American soldier in the invasion of Normandy,France, code-named Operation Overlord.

Dee and many of the other narrators get confronted throughout their war efforts but work around it successfully with the help of their new allies and friends. All of the narrators contributed to the Allied success of WWII and most end up meeting each other throughout the book, which I thought was a cool feature. 

I'm not sure I would have survived in any of the narrators' shoes, because all of their situations seemed to have lots of pressure and intimidation along with it. I would recommend this book to people interested in WWII because it gives a lot of perspective of what it was like being involved in the war. Overall, I really liked the book and it exceeded my expectations because the details and characterization were so well thought out and was overall a nice read.