Student Saturday: The Lost by Natasha Preston

 

Genre: Young Adult, Thriller/Mystery

Student Reviewer: Benjamin T.   

This book is about Piper and Hazel, two teenagers with Hazel having curly hair and usually being a strong person, and with Piper, the main character and which the point of view is from. Piper has dark hair and learns to become hard-minded and is the most rational out of them. Teens in their neighborhood have been going missing and everyone says that they are just runaway teens, as their area is small and there is a bigger city a bit far from there. One day, Piper and Hazel get kidnapped, and they are led to a big old building that was renovated and has a lot of doors and confusing pathways. It has 6 rooms for different physical and mental challenges. As well as other rooms for the group to stay in, with a bathroom and sleeping area. Room 0 puts two people up against each other and there is water, sound, temperature, sleep deprivation room etc. There are some other people there, Theo, Lucia, and Priya, who Theo has been in there the longest, tall, and calm while Lucia has just been put in for a few days and is short and blonde. She also has a temper. Priya is the one who comforts everyone and has been in there for a few weeks. The main antagonists are three people, Matt, Caleb, and Owen who love twisted games and seeing people suffer. They lure in people by trying to be their friends or showing interest. The story follows as Piper goes through the rooms and they plan to break out. Will they escape? What will happen in room 0? Will the three masterminds get caught? If i were in their situation, I would immediately try to create a plan to escape, instead of waiting a bit, but their plan was very thought out and is what I would’ve done in that situation.

Overall, I was not expecting anything from this book, but as I read it more, it became increasingly interesting to me. In all, I liked this book, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes Mystery or psychological thrillers. The ending was surprising, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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: “Captured by Alvin Townley

 

Genre:  Young Adult, Biography

Student Reviewer:  Camden P.  

The book, “Captured”, by Alvin Townley, is a true story about the main character named Jeremiah Denton, who tells about his experience during the Vietnam War. The story takes place in a prison in North Vietnam. I can connect this book to other true stories I have heard from my friends and family members about peoples’ experiences during the war. I would recommend this book to my dad, or anyone who likes learning about wars and history, since he watches movies based on true stories from soldiers in the war. I enjoyed reading this book and it exceeded my expectations greatly.

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. 

Eddie's War by carol Fisher Saller

 

Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction
Source: I won a copy from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Lately it seems I am reading a lot of books about World War II.  Maybe it is because I teach literature that deals with it.  The first thing I like was that this book was written in verse. This story covers ten years. Eddie is a young boy who befriends Jozef Mirga, a Polish Gypsy. He reads the newspaper at the local library looking for information about the Nazis and Poland. This is where Jozef’s wife and son are. When Eddie’s brother goes off to war he is very proud of him. The story is full of life lessons Eddie learns as he grows up.  I highly recommend this book. It has quickly become one of my favorites of the year.

The Magic Sea Turtle by Kathleen Welton

Genre: Children's Picture Book

Source:  I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Myrtle is a young girl who dreams of being a queen one day. Then she falls from the sky to the ocean below. She meets Max the sea turtle and other animals from the sea. After spending a day with them she has one more wish to make. What will it be? A cute book for the youngest child. Every child has dreams of being more than they are. As they get older those dreams change. But, dreams must start somewhere and the best place is in the heart and mind of the youngest child.

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.

ABC Bible Book for Toddlers and Kids by LambLibrary Press

 

Genre: Children's Workbook

Source: I received a copy to facilitate my Review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This is great for any parent of a small child, or for the parent who homeschools. This is an alphabet tracing book. Each letter stands for something from the Bible.  Children learn their upper and lowercase letters, how to write them and something from the Bible it stands for.   Great reasource.