Student Saturday: Guts by Raina Telgemeier

Genre: Middle Grade, Biography, Graphic Novel
Student Reviewer: Zoey L.

The book I read this month was called Guts. This book is about a young girl named Raina. She always did great in school and never had a problem with anything. Until, one night she wakes up with a terrible stomachache. Later, she returns to school with normal school days, drama, and bullying with the other stuff too. Although everything is back to normal, Raina is not. She can't take her mind off her stomach bug. She just keeps thinking about it. Now it is starting to get into the way of everything. Will Raina be able to fix this problem? Overall, I like this book. I have read similar books by this author. They are always fun to read. I relate to this book because I get stomach aches too. I would recommend this book to my little brother because he likes comics. I give this book a 10/10 and I would definitely read it again. 

Student Saturday: Killer Species: Ultimate Attack by Michael P. Spradlin

 

Genre: Middle Grade Adventure

Student Reviewer:  Elizabeth R.  

 

      This book is about two scientists named Emmet Doyle and Calvin Geaux that created this killer species but in that time Dr. Catalyst was making a creature called swamp cat to hunt Emmet. But that is most of it with a little twist and turns but you will have to find out for yourself. If I had to recommend this book to someone it would be people that like watching or reading about exotic creatures because this book has other series about creatures that are not even created but fascinating. Overall, I honestly like it, it is remarkably interesting and cool.

Student Saturday: Restart by Gordon Korman

Genre:  Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction

Student Reviewer:  Olivia S.  

In the book “Restart” Chase Ambrose is a 13-year-old boy whose has forgotten his whole life and the people in it. Chase gets amnesia after falling off his house's roof and wakes up surrounded by total strangers. He doesn’t remember his family, his friends, or even who he is. When Chase gets well enough to go back to school, he is greeted by various reactions. Some of the kids think he is a hero, others are afraid of him, and some clearly hate him. Chase has no idea who the real Chase was and does not know why people clearly dislike him. Will Chase get his memories back and become who he used to be, or will he decide that who he used to be is not who he wants to be anymore? 

Chase Ambrose is a big kid with brown hair and is very athletic. When Chase gets amnesia, he is athletic, intelligent, and funny and he gains a moral compass from his injury. Chase becomes more empathetic to other people and becomes nicer to the people surrounding him. This book reminds me of the book “Masterminds.” Both Chase and the Masterminds go on a journey to discover who they truly are. In both books, the protagonists must solve a mystery. I would recommend this book to ages 10 and up, since it teaches kids good morals. This book teaches people that you decide what choices you make and that you can decide to change your actions.  

Student Saturday: Nightbooks by J.A. White

 

Genre:  Middle Grade Fantasy

Student Reviewer: Elijah S. 

This story is about a boy named Alex who became trapped in a magical apartment by a witch named Natacha. But in the apartment, there was also another person there. Her name was Yasmin and she tried to escape many times but couldn’t escape the witch’s grasp. Every night Alex had to read a book to the witch to survive. If I was in Alex’s place, I would try to deceive the witch into making me leave the magical apartment, but I don't think that would even be possible considering Yasmin tried countless ways to escape. I recommend this book to people who like hair-raising stories. If I had to rate this on a scale from 1 to 10, I would rate it a 6. This book was good, but it did not meet my expectations.

Student Saturday: Odette's Secrets by Maryann Macdonald

Genre: Middle Grade, Historical Fiction

Student Reviewer:  Camilla M.

The book an Odette's Secrets is about a young girl that went through much hardship during the Holocaust. Odette was a yound girl with curly hair. Odette started out as a young girl in Paris. Throughout the story she grew up and moved to the country and eventually back to the city. Madame Marie was her godmother, who played a big part in Odette's life. Madame Marie, her mother, and her father all cared for Odette very much.  Odette was forced to move around to escape the soldiers. She moved to the country where she met great people. Her mother then forced her out of the country to go back to the city. Odette had a hard time finding out who she was and where she belonged. She found that poetry would soothe her mind. I sometimes wonder where I belong. Just like Odette I find things and activites that help me with calming my mind. This book teaches great lessons and exceeds my expectations. I would reccomend this book to someone that likes history and heartfelt books. 

Student Saturday” “One Last Word” by: Nikki Grimes

Genre: Middle Grade, Poetry
Student Reviewer: Susan T. 

This collection of poems is truly meaningful and inspiring. The deep, powerful meanings behind every single one of these poems are thought-provoking and filled with wisdom. These are poems that show people what poetry is about. A few of my favorites are ‘Emergency Measures’, ‘Lessons’, and ‘Through the Eyes of Artists’. The meanings behind these three poems stood out to me the most. I recommend this book to most people. The perspectives in this book are realistic and meaningful, I would read it again.

Student Saturday: Listen, Slowly by Thanhhà Lại

 

Genre: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction 4/6
Student Reviewer: Jason G.

Mai, A Twelve-year-old girl who finished 6th grade, got hit with the news that she would go to Vietnam for six weeks. She did not appeal to this idea and attempted to counter-argue it with her parents but got madder. On the plane, her grandmother, Bà, tried to get Mai to stop resisting by saying, “Mai, try to understand that this trip is for you too. To see where you are from...” Mai, still in resistance, screams into the airplane pillow. As Mai and Mua, her father, discuss the importance of her going, Mua hisses, “Bà thinks Õng might be alive; that’s why.” Õng is Mai’s grandfather, and Bà seeks to uncover during their trip to Vietnam. Mua says, “As soon as she accepts that Õng is truly gone, you both can go home. Mai, I would just like you to be with her until she accepts.”

I can relate to Mai because, like Mai stated, “What’s so important? All her children and grandchildren are in California. Her life is there. My life is there.” I would also be short-tempered if I went on a trip for the sole purpose of learning more about family. This book is well-crafted for its ability to engage with readers who have encountered similar cultural challenges. I recommend this book to people who find the complexities of adolescence in a multicultural world stimulating. This book is well-written and shows a heartfelt and insightful exploration of cultural identity and the complexities of family heritage.

Student Saturday: Pax by Sara Pennypacker

 

Genre: Middle Grade, Adventure

Student Reviewer: Nikita K

Foxes are adorable creatures that are mainly wild, but a lucky few in the world are able to own them as exotic pets. Foxes are exotic because of their natural attachment to the wild, making them hard to grow close to. However, if they become close with their human owners, foxes, with their unique intelligence, will remain loyal and become natural best friends. 

Sara Pennypacker’s “Pax” highlights the rarity of foxes and their loyalty to humans, by displaying a boy named Peter, who lived alone with his father and fox for years, until his father had to leave for the army to take part in an oncoming war in the area he lived in. Since his mother was gone and his grandfather did not want any pets, Peter had to release Pax to the wild, a place where his fox had not been exposed to for years since he was a kit and rescued after losing his own skulk. With them growing up together, they achieved a loyalty and bond to each other that many normal friends and pets don’t typically share. With that being obvious, Peter felt he had an obligation to go out into the wild, with zero experience and a broken leg, to look for his fox and reunite with him.

 

After rereading “Pax” for the third time, this book still manages to hold a spot in my top 5 favorite books of all time. This beautifully written story by Pennypacker does a wonderful job at making the reader feel as if they were right next to Peter and Pax in their journey and help you feel what they feel in the moment. This book comes highly recommended from me to readers from middle school and up who are looking for an adventurous and heartwarming book that is highly realistic and reflects problems in modern day society. 

Student Saturday: Diamond Willow by Helen Frost

 

Genre:  Middle Grade, Adventure, Novel in Verse

Student Reviewer:  Anna H.

 “Diamond Willow” by Helen Frost is a beautiful book with many different perspectives from a variety of characters. Diamond Willow (Willow) is a twelve-year-old girl from Alaska who lives in a cabin with her mother, Father, and Zanna, her little sister. Willow and her dad train dogs to pull them on the sled and teach them the way around the forest. Willow’s father was on a dog sled the day willow was born and found a diamond willow stick which is where she got her name from. Roxy is their best sled dog who leads in most of their rides and knows her way around the entire area. Willow feels as though her parents view her as a little kid and no one sees who she really is, but there is more to Willow than others see. Shes not much of a social butterfly and only has one friend, not including Roxy, named Kaylie. Kaylie is too focused on her crush, Richard, anyway which makes Willow seem like she really is alone. Willow's grandma and grandpa adore her and only live only about twelve miles down one of the sledding trails. Willow had been begging her parents to let her drive the dog sled by herself to her grandparents for forever, but they always thought she was too young. One day both of her parents agree that she may venture alone to her grandparents. Her and her father set up the sled with Roxy as the lead dog and she was on her way. Her ancestors watch over her in the form of animals to ensure that the trip goes smoothly. Sadly, on her way home, Willow and the dogs were going too fast to see a fallen tree and crashed. Willow got stabbed in the leg with a stick and poor Roxy had her gorgeous sparkling eyes jabbed with branches. Willow rushed over to Roxy and stopped the bleeding that gushed from her eyes and began her way home not sure what would happen. Willow told her parents, and they were furious, but they held themselves together well. Turns out that Roxy had been blinded and now their best sled dog could never see again. As willow eavesdropped on her parents, she heard that they were going to put down the dog. She couldn't let this happen so the next day she loaded the sled and took Kaylie with her to her grandparents' house. She put Roxy safely in the sled and left without her parents knowing. They happened to take a wrong turn and got lost in the woods where they decided to camp in a small shelter. They were found by Richard who brought Kaylie home, but Willow proceeded on to her grandparents' house. When she arrived, her entire family had a heart-to-heart conversation about Roxy and events from the past. They told Willow that she had a twin sister whos name was supposed to be Diamond but when she perished four days after being born Willow took both names. Where they had gotten lost on the trail is where Diamond's ashes had been laid. It would be crazy to think that is just a coincidence, wouldn't it?

   “Diamond Willow” is a book of many secrets and plot twists. You never know what will happen next, but in the end, it turns out to be a very heartwarming story. I loved the way Helen Frost incorporated a diamond shape when writing about Willows thoughts and feelings and adding messages that relate to the paragraph. This book reminds me of what it feels like to be getting older while your parents seem to think you are still five. I recommend this novel to anybody between the ages of 10-14 since they will be able to relate to the main character well. 

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! 

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.

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.

Student Saturday: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

Genre: Middle Grade, Mystery

Student Reviewer:  Levi M.

I read a book called the Westing Game, it is a murder mystery. The main character is an old man named Mr. Westing who passed away in his spooky old mansion. Mr. Westing was a wealthy man. In his will he names 16 people, all 16 of the people are split up into teams of 2. The goal for the people is to find Mr. Westings murderer and collect the inheritance. Each team is given one clue to help them figure out who the murderer is. In the beginning the partners on the teams did not like each other and did not want to work with each other. All the people were snowed inside their hotel for a few days. With nothing to do and nowhere to go they decided to work with their partners to try to solve the murder. Do you think the partners worked together to find the murderer and get the inheritance?
I would recommend this book to people who like murder mystery books, it has lots of twists and turns. I really enjoyed the book.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.