A new student review of Willow

biddlet7346 posted a new student review of Willow . See the full review.

 

 

My opinion about the book is it was boring at first but soon got better. I recommend it be read by older kids or advanced readers. The book is very good and I recommend it to anyone who likes action.  This book should be read  because it is based on facts and shows how people lived long ago.

A new student review of Jawbreaker: Unlock the (U)niverse by Jolene Stockman

VBat posted a new student review of Jawbreaker: Unlock the (U)niverse by Jolene Stockman. See the full review.

Jawbreaker: A Guide to the (U)niverse was a fun, confidence-boosting pep talk.  Extended metaphors, anecdotes and the use of 2nd person made the book easy to read and understand. I enjoyed trying out the "muscle testing," and the bold, confidence-boosting language definitely brightened my mood.

My favorite part about the book is it's light, entertaining tone. The book throws around words like "razamatazically" and "niggles," and includes anecdotes about fish, stealing, and bad job experiences. These elements, along with the confidence-boosting language, make the book perfectly suited for pre-teen and teen girls looking for inspiration in their quest for happiness and self-assurance. 

Despite this light and happy tone, I found some statements in the book to be very off-putting. These bold claims are meant to be empowering, but felt awkward and misplaced.  At one point, the author claims that "You are the center of everything. The world revolves around you." The book continues with the idea that the reader is the most important thing in the world, and even suggests that individuals can "decide exactly what [they] want, order it, and completely relax until it arrives." While I can certainly see the confidence-building potential of these statements, I feel as though they are not particularly relevant in today's society. This line of thinking could easily encourage self-centeredness, and blind trust in "the universe" to deliver our dreams on a silver platter is ridiculous in this economy. 

All in all, I would have preferred to see more practical ways for the reader to achieve their goals included in the book. However, I would definitely recommend this book to pre-teen and teen girls who need a confidence boost, feel stuck in their situation, or want to take some time to get to know themselves.

A new student review of Lunch Lady adn the Schoolwide Scuffle

cowboys1 posted a new student review of Lunch Lady adn the Schoolwide Scuffle . See the full review.

I really enjoy graphic novels, especially funny ones.  This book has a unique storyline.  I like that it made the leaders of the school evil because sometimes I feel my real teacher and principal are mean!  It would be nice to have a super hero like Lunch Lady to come in and rescue me!

A new student review of Brian, His Granddad and the Cup of Ages by P.J. Taylor

sschu5 posted a new student review of Brian, His Granddad and the Cup of Ages by P.J. Taylor. See the full review.

This book was a great book for young readers like me. It had a lot of suspense,I kept wanting to read it even when I knew I couldn't. It was exciting but slightly easy. The hardest part of reading it was that it had funky words. I really think you'll like it.

A new student review of Get Psyched by Janet McLaughlin

katherine posted a new student review of Get Psyched by Janet McLaughlin. See the full review.

I think this book was an overall winner. I enjoyed this book a lot because you could fall right off your chair from laughing so hard. This book is filled with suspense about the main character and her best friend. I think it is good for teenagers, and they will love the things inside.  

A new student review of Storm

underwood_bcl posted a new student review of Storm . See the full review.

Exciting, scary, and wonderful all describe this book.  It is one of those books that once you pick it up you don't ever want to put it down. Once Sebah was on board there was not as much action but I knew if she was discovered things would not go well for her.  This kept me reading to find out what happened. My favorite part is when Sebah is living in a tree because you could not imagine how she could stay alive and when her next meal would come.  I think the author did a great job of making this story seem as if it was really happening.  I know all of these things did not happen to Noah and his family but it did make me think I was living on the Ark with them.

A new student review of The Deepest Blue by Kim Williams Justesen

dancechicka posted a new student review of The Deepest Blue by Kim Williams Justesen. See the full review.

Honestly, this book was disappointing. The character development was certainly not up to par.  The few supporting characters were distressingly weak, and MIKE--Mike is the typical teenage stereotype.  I mean, I know he lost his dad, but that gives the author no reason to totally demolish the character and his personality in a quick succession of fits of anger and moodiness.  It seemed so rushed.  Half the book seemed to be a quick sprint toward the subject that the author REALLY wanted to write about--a courtroom melodrama that everyone saw coming.  And the ending—tied up in sloppy bows, tons of plot lines left unresolved, and a predictable “The End”. Sure, it was a solid book technically speaking--good vocab, descriptive writing, sound structure—but it just didn’t work that way I felt it should have.  Potential abounds—but I felt that Justesen could have done better for herself and the characters she wrote about in this book.

                “I watch the white car pull away from the mortuary, signal, and merge onto the main road….....Maggie softly cries.  I am completely numb.”

                I would recommend this book for ages ten and up, as it only has mild expletives and one sexual situation.  Everything else stays in check pretty well.

                Alone and afraid, will Mike to be able to fight for his right to stay where he believes he belongs—or will his mother finally get her way and rip him from everything he’s ever known?  The Deepest Blue by Kim Williams Justeten is the only way to find out!

A new student review of Girls Like Us

hg2008 posted a new student review of Girls Like Us . See the full review.

When I saw the summary for this book I was very excited to read this because there are very few books written that have Special Education students as the main characters, but sadly I was very disappointed and actually a little disgusted with this book!

I admit this review may be a little bias because I have had many friends labeled as Special Ed and I have been labeled Special Ed as well, so I guess you can say that I took this book a little to heart.

The characters I felt were not that developed and the author's writting I found to be awful.  Yes I understand she was trying to write like she thinks her characters would talk; in real life, however, I don't see the characters talking this way.  It's just not beleivable to me but also I felt like the author was crossing a line with writting like this because some people will assume that all special ed kids write, talk, and act this way as is protrayed in the book. I know this assumption is not true of everyone but its just frustrating because I know there are people out there who will read it that way.

I don't understand why the author wrote this way, why see wanted to make her characters sound stupid because Special Ed kids aren't stupid! I also was frustrated because her characters had no redeeming qualities.

I think the author should have dealt with a little more care and concern. I not saying she should be pc and sugercoat the truth but she should have made the characters somewhat more intelligible.  I know not all Special Ed kids are the same and some have greater difficulty in certain areas than others, but instead of dwelling on those difficulties she should also have found and shown their talents.  I don't believe that the author did this; her writing was very awkard and unintelligible at times.  By doing this she left us a glaring reminder of these characters' difficulties.

Overall I would have to sadly not recommend it. It is not an acqurate or nice portrayal of how great Special Ed students can be!

A new student review of White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout

hollywoodundeaed707 posted a new student review of White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout. See the full review.

I really LOVED the book. I am hoping I can read the second book. From the description of the characters I can imagine everything happening, and they seemed realistic. The wording is very vivid. This is one of the best books I have ever read.

A new student review of Kaleidoscope Me by Hillary K. Grigonis

alphatauri posted a new student review of Kaleidoscope Me by Hillary K. Grigonis. See the full review.

The main story of Kaleidoscope Me takes place over an hour and 33 minutes, but in a burst of narratorial brilliance, Jadyn takes us on a journey through her entire life, flashing back to different points in time, creating a nonlinear narrative. She doesn’t shy away from the emotional events either, and I loved her growth and determination throughout the book. Jadyn is a character that readers can love as well as learn from. Meanwhile, Great-Aunt Nadine is a fantastic foil to Jadyn, and possesses her own strange kind of charm. Her chemistry with Jadyn (or lack thereof!) takes up much of the book, and I relished every moment of it. Strangely, the character I sympathized most with was Jadyn’s father, and I appreciated what felt like his constant presence throughout the novel, creating a feeling of realisticness. Grigonis does a great job of keeping the plot moving and story exciting while developing the characters fully. Kaleidoscope Me is a well-written read that simultaneously explores the courageous theme of growing up and offers inspiration in the form of Jadyn. I highly recommend it to readers looking for a heartwarming and charming book!