Books Recommended by and for
9-12 Students
Daring to Dream, By Suzanne Weyn
Recommended by Danielle
I recently read a very good book called Daring to Dream. Written by Suzanne Weyn, this book is the first book in the Wildwood Stables series. I’ll tell you a little about this thrilling fiction book about a girl, a horse, and a pony.
Eleven year old Taylor Henry has always wanted a black Arabian stallion. When her parents got divorced she was forced to give up horse-riding lessons for financial reasons. But when Clare Harmon’s friend rescues a black quarter-horse gelding and Pixie, a cream-colored Shetland pony, Taylor fell in love with them, but she knows a horse of her own is out of the question. She is running out of time to find a good home for the two animals. Read this book to find out what happens.
This book is made up of 16 well written chapters. It has 163 pages and about 4-7 pages in each chapter. In the book the author very carefully chooses the words she will use in the story. She doesn’t use the same words often.
I really enjoyed this book because it was about horses. The main character Taylor I can relate to because she loves horses almost as much as I do. The setting was always changing but it was very realistic.
This book has adventure, mystery, and animals and it’s fun to read. I recommend it to any 9-12er who likes horses.
-Danielle
Diary of a Wimpy Kid, by Jeff Kinney
Recommended by Jackson
I am recommending the book Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney. This book is a comedy about a lazy middle school aged boy who has to survive in school with kids who shave twice a day. I will talk about the plot, the style of writing Kinney uses, and what I find most appealing about this book.
This book is about a boy named Greg Heffley, a middle school aged boy who leads a very interesting life. His family includes his mom, dad, his brother, Rodrick, who likes to do mean things to him, and his three year old brother, Manny, who is protected by his parents like he is a king. The book is about how Greg survives the adventures of his every day life, for example, trick or treating with Manny and football talking dads, and playing the part of a tree in the school play.
The style of writing Kinney used in this book is very different from most books. The story is written from the perspective of the main character Greg. The story is actually told through entries of Greg’s journal that his mom bought for him. His excuse for writing in it is “I figure later on when I’m rich and famous, I’ll have better things to do than answer people’s stupid questions all day long. So this book is gonna come in handy.” It is very funny hearing his perspective of the situation at hand, considering he is a lazy person with high self-esteem.
The thing that I find most appealing about this book is the ideas he comes up with and what those usually lead to. For example, he thinks that instead of playing sports outside, you can just play sports video games and you won’t get all hot and sweaty. He also says that the only reason he gets out of bed on weekends is because he eventually can’t stand the taste of his breath anymore.
I think that this is a good book because of interesting characters, an unusual style of writing, and hilarious situations that the characters get involved in. I would recommend this book to someone who wants a quick read that will give you a good laugh.
Dragons in our Midst (series), by Bryan Davis
Recommended by Ciara
For my book recommendation, I chose the Dragons in our Midst series by Bryan Davis. The genre of the series is fiction. In the series, the main characters, Bonnie Silver and Billy Bannister, battle an evil dragon slayer who seeks to kill them because of their dragon traits.
The plot is about Billy and Bonnie trying to hide their dragon secrets -- fire breathing and having dragon wings -- while nearly being killed more than once. The books take place in many different places, including other domains.
Davis used a mixture of modern day language and old English. He made the story sound real, although he makes a lot of dangerous things happen to the main characters, like battling a lightning monster, almost dying in a cave because of an earthquake, and falling out of an airlplane. Davis' books are exciting, imaginative, and thrilling.
My favorite character is Bonnie Silver because she's gone through many tough situations. Bonnie has faith in herself and others, and keeps a journal. Yet she can still keep her giant dragon wings hidden in a large black backpack. Bonnie is outgoing and creative.
If you enjoy exciting books, the Dragons in our Midst series by Bryan Davis are the books for you. Join them on their adventure to battle evil slayers, lightning monsters, and survive as half-dragons!
Every Soul a Star, by Wendy Mass
Recommended by Anna
Every Soul a Star follows the diverse lives of three very different teenagers who come together to witness the solar eclipse. Wendy Mass’s fictional writing allows an unexpected friendship to evolve throughout the book and for the characters to reach out and pull you into the story.
Moon Shadow Campground is where 12-year-old Alpha (Ally) has spent her entire life. She is home schooled with her brother Kenny at their family’s remote campground. She spends her days frolicking through the labyrinths, stargazing and comet-hunting. But during the days leading up to the solar eclipse, all Ally and her family can think about is the work that has to be done before everyone arrives.
13-year-old Bree, on the other hand, is self-confident, beautiful and fully prepared to become a model over the summer. Her plans of tanning on the beach and hanging out with friends are ruined when her astrophysicist parents drag her and her enthusiastic sister Melanie to Moon Shadow Campground for the eclipse. It only gets worse, for when they arrive Bree realizes just how isolated the campground really is.
Jack is an overweight and awkward 13-year-old who is used to spending time alone in his treehouse. After failing his science class, his teacher Mr. Silver offers him the chance to be his assistant on the eclipse-viewing trip to Moon Shadow Campground. Jack is confused why he was chosen, as his strength is art not astronomy, but joins Mr. Silver anyway in order to miss summer school. The story is told in turns by Ally, Bree, and Jack, and each character’s voice rings true and is equally compelling.
Wendy Mass has a way of drawing you into the book and allowing you to become a fly on the wall as events take place. Each scene is very descriptive but not to the point that it is over-detailed. The book being partly about astronomy, Wendy Mass is able to weave in interesting details about the sky, along with the story.
The setting of Every Soul a Star was described very well. It begins at Moon Shadow Campground where Ally describes her love for the quiet, set apart feeling you get from her home at the campground. Wendy Mass paints the picture of peaceful open country where Ally has lived all her life, but the reader still can create their own unique image in their head.
Bree lives in a very cosmopolitan area, and when she finds out she is headed to campground for the summer, she can’t envision life without the mall, her friends, or TV (which many of us can relate to!). Jack spends most of his time in his treehouse, which he built with his first father. Jack finds himself feeling lost and unsure of his future. And after more than three stepdads, he also feels as though he will never make a true connection with his stepfather.
Every Soul a Star is the beautiful story of an unexpected friendships and the lesson that is to never give up. Wendy Mass showcases the happiness, sadness, doubt and regret that are a part of life; she also explores the feeling of excitement when you succeed. It is a wonderful book for children ages 10 through 15. And I would recommend it to anyone interested in astronomy or looking for a good read!
Harris and Me, by Gary Paulsen
Recommended by Olin Green
The book I chose to review is Harris and Me by Gary Paulsen. The main characters name isn’t revealed in the book so I will call him MC(Main Character) in my report. This is a young adult fiction book and the four main points are: when MC gets dropped at his relatives’ farm, when he meets Harris Larson his cousin, his adventures during the summer and when MC leaves and has to go home.
This book is about a 11 year old boy who has a dysfunctional family. He has been shuffled to many different places to live. The best thing that happened to MC was when he was shuffled to his relatives’ dairy farm for the summer. It is here where he bonds with his cousin Harris and has the time of his life from fighting commie-jap pigs, to jumping out of a hayloft, to being a part of a family.
When summer draws to an end MC dreads the thought of having to go home to his alcoholic parents. In the end he has to leave and we don’t know what happens when he gets home, but I think his experience at the farm changed him forever.
Harris and Me is easy to read and is written in 1st person. It’s funny and descriptive. For example, when Harris and MC are on a horse and Harris fires a 12 gauge shotgun; the way that it was described made me feel like I was there. The only thing I don’t like is that MCs real name is never revealed.
To me the most appealing thing about this book to me is that it takes place on a farm like the one I live on. Because of that I could understand and relate to what they were doing and why they were doing it. I find that Harris is very engaging because he always comes up with cool things to do. For example, they were going to play a game and Harris came up with this idea that the pigs were soldiers and that he and MC were protecting their base.
In conclusion, Harris and Me is a great young adult fiction book that is easy to read, funny and descriptive. It also has a serious side. I would recommend this book to both young and old. Somewhere in the book you will find something that you can relate to and you won’t want to put the book down until you are finished.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, by James Luceno
Recommended by Olin
The book that I chose to review is Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull by James Luceno. This book is very adventurous and full of action. It has awesome settings, a great plot, and good characters.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull takes place in America, Mexico, and Central America. In this book, Indiana Jones has to stop Irina Spalko from returning a crystal skull to Akator. But, Indy isn’t in this alone; he has help from Mutt, Mac and Marian.
This book is written in straight-forward English and is very easy to read. The author’s style isn’t complex at all, and everything is well written. The way people talk in the book is simple like when Indy said to Spalko, ”I don’t know what you’re talking about…I’ve never been here in my life.” It’s a simple statement, nothing complex like how Boone talked in the book The Indian in the Cupboard.
One of the main reasons that I found this book appealing is all of the adventures. Once you pick up the book, you can’t put it back down until you are done reading it! Another reason is how well the author describes the scenes. I could really picture it all. The part that I could picture the most is when Spalko returns the skull to Akator and the walls start to collapse. It was like I had a movie in my head!
In conclusion, I think that Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is great! It is one of my favorite books because of the great characters, awesome settings and good plot. If you like adventure and action, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is the book for you! I rate this book a nine for great characters, awesome settings, and a good plot.
Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, By Wendy Mass
Recommended by Nadia
The name of this book is Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, by Wendy Mass. This book is a fictional book and has lots of good characters and imagery. This book has a great setting, an imaginative plot, and wonderful characters.
This book is about a boy named Jeremy Fink. He is almost a teenager and lives in New York City. He is trying to find a set of four completely different keys to open a strange box that could just possibly contain the meaning of life.
The language in this book is really good. Some of the words used in the book are challenging, so I would recommend this book to a slightly older age group.
I found this book very appealing because the author did a great job of describing New York City. I t seemed real to me because she used a lot of key words to describe the setting.
In conclusion, this is a great book because it has an imaginative plot, a descriptive setting, and wonderful characters. I would recommend this book to teenagers and anyone older than them because some of the words in this book are challenging.
The Last Olympian, by Rick Riordan
Recommended by Adam
The Last Olympian, by Rick Riordan, was one of the best books I have ever read. The book is filled with adventure and action. One critical event is when Percy is in a 1 on 1 battle with the Titan lord Kronos. Another exciting part in the story was when the camp found out Selina Buegenguard was a spy for Titan lord Kronos (Luke Castellan). The climax of the book was when Percy, AnnaBeth and Luke defeated the Titan lord Kronos.
The plot is about Percy Jackson and all the campers at Camp Half-Blood getting into a battle with Titan lord Kronos when he tries to take down Olympus brick by brick. This Great War broke out when Kronos rose from the pits of Tarturus with the help of many enemy half-bloods. This was an ancient feud between the Gods and the Titans. The conflict between these two groups and the goal of saving Olympus is what the whole book is about. The story takes place in Manhattan.
I think almost the entire book is well written. In some parts it is a little choppy, sometimes it read like “I went down to the river” or “I went into the hotel”. I think the book is great in every way possible. I think the author used very good word choices and was consistent in keeping the style of language in the right time frame.
One thing I find very good about this book is how the characters are formed and how the battle plays out. My favorite character is Percy Jackson; he is a strong and dynamic character. The setting is not very familiar to me but I have read about it in many different books. What I enjoyed most about the book is the battles. In every book of this series there is always a huge battle.
So I really like this book I think it has dynamic characters, an amazing plot and exciting battles. So I think you should give this series a try and see how you like it. I hope you like it as much as I do.
-Adam Tangari
The Lost Hero, by Rick Riordan
Recommended by Adam
I chose to do my book review on THE LOST HERO by Rick Riordan. The book is all adventure. The main characters are Jason, the son of Zeus, Piper, the daughter of Aphrodite, and Leo, the son of Hephaestus. The main points of the book are when Jason finds his long lost sister he never knew he had, when Piper rescues her dad from a giant, and when Festus the happy dragon wasn’t so happy because he got blown up.
The plot is about Jason, Piper and Leo getting a quest to try to get the god queen Hera back. Along the way they discover some challenges like running into the ice goddess and almost getting frozen to death and Leo overheating his body and melting the ice bridge they were standing on. Oh, and by the way the book takes place in Chicago.
I like the author’s style of writing. He mixes fiction and real life together and says everything perfectly. I really like the part when he wrote about Leo overheating, melting the bridge and them almost falling to their deaths. I like the way he wrote that because it kept me engaged
One thing I find appealing about the book is the characters. I think they are very well thought out. The author had a good idea of what the book and the characters were. I don’t think Chicago is very familiar to me but I have read all the Percy Jackson book and they go to Chicago a lot so I’m kind of familiar with it.
So, after writing all this I think you should at least give the Percy Jackson series a try and I recommend this book to you.
The Lost Years of Merlin, by T. A. Barron
Recommended by Luke
The title of the book I recommend is The Lost Years of Merlin by T.A. Barron. It is a fantasy. I recommend this book because it has lots of fantastical creatures, beautiful imagery and it is a series that explains the legend of Merlin. It is the first book in the series.
The story is about Merlin, who is a young man of 11 or 12 and is just starting to discover his magical powers. It takes place in Europe and then on the island of Fincayra. The major problem is that Rhita Gawr, a god in the shape of a boar, is trying to take over Fincayra and the Fincayrans are rebelling with Merlin’s help.
The writing in the book is very descriptive and the dialogue is realistic. The author uses images that you can picture like the River Unceasing “cascading” over Rhia, Shim and Merlin as they run away from warrior goblins. Also, when Merlin talked to his mother, near the beginning of the book, he sounded realistic like a kid because he was afraid of his powers. The writer made it suspenseful at times like when Merlin was sitting alone on a cedar raft in the middle of the ocean during a storm, drifting to an unknown place.
I really liked this book and its sequel because it had a lot of fantastical creatures and helped to explain the legend of Merlin from when he was a kid. The canyon eagle was one of the interesting creatures because it was the only living creature that could signal the beginning of the Fincayran Council. Without the screech of the canyon eagle, the Council could not start. Another creature I liked was the Grand Ellusa, a giant spider who has the appetite to eat five giants in two days! In addition to these cool creatures, I also liked imagining what Merlin was like as a boy.
This book was a good book especially if you like fantasy and books in series. It was cool because it had interesting creatures, it was well written and it explains the legend of Merlin. I rate this book 10 stars.
Project Mulberry, by Linda Sue Park
Recommended by Emily
The book that I am going to review is called Project Mulberry by Linda Sue Park. This book falls under the category of realistic fiction, and would be suitable for children I think nine and up. What I really liked about the book was the writing, the characters, and the plot. I liked the writing because it was smooth and easy to follow. It was also written in a modern way, which I really liked. I liked the characters because they were strong, and the main character, Julia, was dynamic, because of how she grew to accept the plot.
The plot was rather simple. Julia is Korean, but she feels this interferes with her American life. However when she meets Patrick, she starts to feel more stable and secure. That is, until she and Patrick are asked to do an agricultural project together. After humming and hawing over various ideas, they finally settle on raising silk worms. Julia is against this idea, because she feels that it is again, too Korean, and in return she does everything in her power to make sure they don't do the project. But when it comes down to ordering the eggs, or handing in no project, she is forced to do it. She is surprised to find herself falling in love with the worms, but is even more surprised about what the worms will have to face if they want silk.
Like I said before I thought that the writing was very smooth and descriptive, but not in a boring way. I also thought that it way very educational. I walked away knowing what a maelstrom was, and why they boil cocoons for silk.
Overall I really loved the story, but what really caught my attention was that in between chapters, Julia and the author would have conversations. Some might think that this would be boring, but I loved it. I thought that it made Julia seem more real, and it helped me understand why the author did certain things in the book.
In conclusion, I liked this book because of the plot, characters, and writing. I would recommend this book to anyone that is interested in sustainable living, and in overall a really good story.
Recommended by Nadia
This is a fiction book called Scat, by Carl Hiaasen. I thought that this was a good book. I think that the plot, language, and setting are really good.
I think that this book had a great plot for a mystery. This book is about a boy named Nick and his friend Marta. When Nick and Marta’s biology teacher goes missing on a school field trip to Black Swamp, Nick and Marta go on an adventure they’ll never forget.
I think that this book is very well written. I like the language this author uses. I think that the language is very age appropriate and time period appropriate. I didn’t really like the author’s style all that well because I think that it is too explanatory. I think that the author often over-explains his details.
I really like the way this book was written because it used a lot of different points of view and always left you on a cliff-hanger.
In conclusion, I think that Scat is a good book because the language is used well, it has a great plot, and it is really easy to get into. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves mystery books.
Recommended by Emma
Todd Strasser’s The Wave is a realistic fiction novel that any kid ages 10-, well, any age can enjoy. The plot is exciting, the characters real and the writing is good. The twisting and turning plot has ups and downs that are just like those of a typical kids’ life, but adding the The Wave. Characters come alive to show this to you. However, none of this could be done without the silver tongue of Todd Strassser.
This book is set in the midst of the Vietnam War, in a small California town high school, with the graduating class of 1969. It’s History, and when showing a video about the Nazis as part the World War II unit, Mr. Ben Ross is asked a question that has no simple answer. Why did the Germans follow Hitler and his army of Nazis in the first place? Deciding to experiment to find the true cause, Mr. Ross starts the Wave, welcoming the students in his class by writing the words “Strength Through Discipline” on his board, teaching his class the new standards. The class catches on, and the next day, “Strength Though Community” follows the old motto and the symbol for The Wave. “Strength Through Action” comes soon after. Soon the whole school is in on it. All but Laurie Sanders, who sees what it really is. She and her small team have to stop the tide from coming in. But can they take on The Wave and its guards? Even with the leader on their side?
Using words in new way, Todd Strasser really pushes the limit, though in some places the language seems to be a little forced, it all comes together with a BANG! Using words like militaristic, and antagonistic to describe the plot, but also balances it with typical slang. He also is able to use his gift with language to teach you history with out even knowing you’re learning! Every sentence shows that he not only knows his way around the dictionary, but he also remembers what it’s like to be a teen.
One thing that makes this book pop to me is the way he interweaves the different sides of the story into one novel, balancing the teens and the adults so there is no one main character, but many different ones! Either you’re hearing to the inside voice of the teacher Mr. Ben Ross as he is struggling to harness The Wave, straight A student and Editor-in-Chief activist Laurie Sanders, her boyfriend, the idealistic David Collins, who takes a little longer to lose faith in The Wave, or her team of reporters striving to freeze The Wave, it’s your choice for your favorite. He gives you the perspective of each member of the triangle of Wave-Fighters –- Mr. Ross, David, and Laurie- so you know what’s going through their minds.
A historical lesson, an interesting plot, a vocab lesson, and learning the dangers of going with the flow and taking it an extra mile? Might as well stay at home and read this novel instead of being stuck at school with everyone else in another boring math lesson! This book is a great read. It isn’t too long, so you can read it pretty fast. It’s a good book for your whole family to read together. A quick warning to parents: though not a YA novel, you still might want to flip through this if you’re sensitive about what your kids read if they’re under 11. The only thing that I would really be worried about is language Even if you’re NOT worried, I’d still read it for yourselvesJ.
Stolen Children, by Peg Kehret
Recommended by Quinn
The book I am recommending is Stolen Children, by Peg Kehret. My book is about a babysitter named Amy. She babysits a little girl named Kendra, and two kidnappers named Hugh and Smokey took Kendra and Amy and went to a very remote cabin.
I think the book is really good. I liked the action, characters, and plot, but especially the characters. My favorite was Amy because she was good at dealing with an intense situation even though she was just a babysitter. I think anyone who likes action should read this book.
Stolen Children, by Peg Kehret
Recommended by Ryaan
Stolen Children is fiction about a 14-15 year old babysitter named Amy and how she got kidnapped with the 3-4 year old girl name Kendra. The kidnappers wanted Kendra’s Mom’s diamonds so they kidnapped them for a trade – the diamonds for the children.
I think this book was well written for its good mystery and suspense. I love how the author explained the beginning because of how she got right started with the book instead of telling boring details about the characters. I think this book has interesting characters because of the way the characters talk and communicate with each other. I love d this book’s plot because of how the puzzle comes together. I recommend this book to mystery lovers.
Over My Dead Body, by Kate Klise
Recommended by Ali
This is the second book, or the sequel, to Kate Klise’s Nutmeg nominee Dying to Meet You. The book is about the main characters Ignatius B. Grumply, Olive C. Spence, Seymour Hope, and Dick Tater. Mr. Grumply is a famous ghost story author, but ever since he met Olive, his style has changed. Olive happens to be a ghost. She was a mystery author in her real life, and none of her stories got published. She vowed never to really die until one of her stories got published – and she and Mr. Grumply started writing a successful story together! Of course, Seymour Hope illustrates it. Seymour’s parents, Les and Diane Hope, who are professors of the supernatural, abandoned him in the middle of the night to tour Europe, just because he believed in Olive! So Seymour is happily living with Olive and Mr. Grumply, when Mr. Dick Tater plows in, saying that it’s not a legal living arrangement. Mr. Tater hauls Seymour off to the orphanage and Mr. Grumply to the loony bin. Olive is left behind because Mr. Tater doesn’t believe in ghosts. As he says, “Give up the ghost, Ghastly.” Of course, Mr. Tater eventually gets hauled behind bars, but do Seymour and Mr. Grumply escape?
I really liked this book. The characters were strong, and I was impressed with the complexities Klise conveyed through letters. The plot was clear, with a few surprises. The only thing that could have been better was if the book was longer! This book would be good for strong readers, mystery and ghost lovers, and Kate Klise fans!
Out of My Mind, by Sharon Draper
Recommended by Anna
I am reviewing a book called Out of My Mind, by Sharon Draper. It is about an 11-year old girl named Melody who can’t speak and can’t move but tons of words are stuck in her head and she is extremely smart. It is just amazing how she gets around and deals with life, even though she has an electric wheelchair and a device she can talk with.
It is the best book I have ever read. I really love the subject and the choice of words the author chose. There is one part in the book that is very disappointing. She is going to Washington, DC because she and her class win a quiz show (they are part of a quiz team) and she misses the plane and doesn’t get to go. I think someone who likes funny and heartwarming stories would like this.
Because of Winn-Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo
Recommended by Lia
One of my favorite things about the book is that it’s emotional in some parts and very happy and joyful in some parts. The book itself is very good. These are some parts of the book: At first Opal found Winn-Dixie. She did not know Winn-Dixie’s name so she called out “Winn-Dixie, here boy” and he came, and that’s what Opal named him. The main characters are India-Opal and her father the preacher, and what a preacher is, if you don’t know, is a person who works at a church.
My personal thought about the book was that I would not change anything about it. Some of the things I liked about it were all the details in the book. I also liked how the dog and Opal had a great relationship.
Because of Winn-Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo
Recommended by Shea
I am recommending Because of Winn-Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo. It was about a girl who goes to a store called Winn-Dixie. While she was in there a dog came running in, knocked over all the vegetables. The store owners got mad, so the girl said that he was her dog. The store owners asked “what’s its name?” She said “Winn-Dixie.” Then she goes and meets the librarian of the public library. The librarian tells her a bunch of stoies from her past. Then the girl went to a house (because Winn-Dixie ran in the yard) that belongs to a lady named Gloria Dump.
I thought it was good. I liked how she read War and Peace to Gloria Dump. I think many people would like this book, but mostly dog-lovers.
Shredderman: Secret Identity, By Wendelin Van Draanen
Recommended by Maizey
This book is about a 5th grade boy named Nolan who feels like the school bully, Alvin (Bubba) Bixby keeps putting him and the other kids in his class down. The rest of the story is basically about how Nolan tries to stop it. He ends up building a website called Shredderman.com which is supposed to help kids learn how to stick up for themselves with bullies like Bubba. Nolan also disguises himself as Shredderman so no one will know who he is. He makes himself a secret backpack with a camera in it to catch Bubba “in action.” Nolan soon finds out that the reason Bubba is so mean is because his dad is mean to him! This book also has some comedy in it which I like. In the end of the book Nolan teams up with his class teacher, Mr. Green and they teach the kids in school to stick up for themselves when Bubba bullies them.
This is what I thought of the book:
One thing I really liked about this book was the pictures. I can tell that Brian Biggs (the illustrator) took a lot of time sketching the pictures before drawing them. I like the illustrations that look real but not too real because I think that when you illustrate for a comedy book, the pictures should look kind of rough.
One thing that I did not like about the book was that I didn’t feel a connection with the main character, Nolan. In some books I start reading and immediately I have a connection with the main character or someone important to the story.
On a scale from one to ten (ten being the best) for how much I enjoyed the book I would have to rate it an 8 out of 10 because I liked reading it, but I think that it needed a little more emotion and struggles for the character in order for it to be a 9 or 10 for me.
I would recommend this book to people that like fiction comedy books. I would also recommend this book to anyone that can’t find a book to read and they are willing to try any type of story.
The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien
Recommended by Skyler
This book is called The Fellowship of the Ring. The author’s name is J.R.R. Tolkien. The bookis about trying to destroy a magical ring that will give power to a dark wizard named Sauron who killed lots of people. Frodo, the main character, has to destroy the ring with the help of a few companions, who are an elf, 2 men, a dwarf, and 4 hobbits.
I liked the book and enjoyed the part where they were in Lothien because that place was described so well I could really see it. There was nothing that I didn’t like. I think that someone who likes historical fiction would like this book.
The Lord of the Rings, by J. R. R. Tolkien
Recommended by Michael Paul
This book (actually a trilogy – 3 books) is called The Lord of the Rings. The author is J. R. R. Tolkien. The books are about 9 men, dwarves, elves, and hobbits on a quest to destroy the One Ring. The One Ring can make you turn invisible, but also a bit evil. They fought orcs, uruk-hai, half-orcs, and many more evil things. But the ring, and its lord were eventually destroyed.
I think Tolkien did an amazing job writing The Lord of the Rings. I really like the way he describes the battles. I don’t not like anything. People who like action, violence, and surbprizes should read The Lord of the Rings.
Herbert’s Wormhole, by Peter Nelson
Recommended by Alex
The book that I am writing about is Herbert’s Worm-Hole, by Peter Nelson, illustrated by Rohitash Rao. This book is about two kids who go to the future of their home town. One kid loves video games and the other loves inventing stuff. It also has aliens and things that you would dream would be in the future and weird new words.
I think this book is cool, imaginative, very interesting, creative, and exciting. I liked this book because it had all my favorite things in it such as aliens, time travel, video games, and cool future things. To be honest, there was really nothing that I didn’t like about this book. I think that maybe kids that are 8, 10, 12 years old and like the stuff that I said about the book in the beginning will like this book just like I did.
The Red Pyramid, by Rick Riordan
Recommended by Jason
The book I chose to write about is The Red Pyramid, by Rick Riordan. It was about two siblings, Sadie and Carter, who discover that the ancient Egyptian gods are real. Throughout the cours of the story Carter and Sadie learn more about the gods, themselves, and the powerful Egyptian magicians.
I really liked The Red Pyramid because it helped me learn who and what Egyptian culture and gods are. I liked when Carter found out about Horus. I would recommend this book to Harry Potter fans.
The Black Stallion, by Walter Farley
Recommended by Jocelyn
The book The Black Stallion, by Walter Farley is about a boy named Alec. Alec gets washed up on an island with a big black stallion who comes home with him to New York when people find him. Alec turns the stallion into a champion race horse. The stallion’s name was Black.
I liked the Black Stallion a lot and love all the detail in the book. I think the Black Stallion was one of the best horse books I have ever read. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a thrill and horses!
Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life, by James Patterson
Recommended by Eamon
I read a book called Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life, by James Patterson. The book is about a regular old kid who thinks his life is too boring, so he decides he is going to try to break every rule in the book. He calls it operation R.A.F.E. (Rules Aren’t For Everyone).
I thought the book was really good and I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to laugh a lot. But I didn’t really like how at the end you find out that Rafe’s brother died. I though that it was sad.
Recommended by Nicholas
Savvy is a very adventurous book that gives you a lot of thoughts about what could happen next in the book. First off this is a special family. Each one of the siblings is given a power, a savvy when they turn 13. It all starts when the main character’s father was in a ten-car pile up. After that it is all about Mibs (the main character) and her friends’ journey to find her father. As she and her companions Samson, Fish (Sampson and Fish are Mibs’s brothers), Will Jr. and Bobby travel, you also meet Lester and Lill. They all help Mibs, Fish and Samson find their father.
I thought that this fast paced and funny novel (soon to be Nutmeg winner, I hope) was a good example of fine writing and a good Nutmeg book. I would recommend this book to a mythical loving, free-formed person. Also I think that they should write a sequel that is a whole lot like Savvy.
I would like to tell about the characters. I find that the characters always play a very important part in the book, like Lester. He is always finding a new way to slip up or be a person who will not stop being weird until the fabulous Lill comes in. She is an angel that is sent to help Lester. She also helps the kids have some fun along the way. Over all I think that this book is a very good one.
Recommended by Brennan
This book is called The 39 Clues, by Rick Riordan. It’s about 2 kids who go on a chase to the prize of the 39 clues. But other teams are after the mystery prize, too.
I like the book because it makes you do the mystery, too. It was a lot better than I expected. I would recommend this to anyone who likes mystery, action, and adventure.
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