A new student review of Savage Cinderella by Paula Sharon

joythean posted a new student review of Savage Cinderella by Paula Sharon. See the full review.

I think the love between Brinn and Justin was really sweet, innocent, and genuine in the way it developed throughout the novel. The action scenes were on point and had me jumping on the edge of my chair in excitement. However, the beginning of the novel had me confused and dispirited, for the author just threw me right into some major scenes without enough prior knowledge. I believe the author should've developed the setting and characters more at the start so that the reader could get a better feel and understanding of the whole story.

A new student review of Lies in the Dust by Jakob Crane

alison_S posted a new student review of Lies in the Dust by Jakob Crane. See the full review.

By presenting Ann’s story as a graphic novel, Crane and Decker reinvent the familiar topic of the Salem Witch Trials. Though this creative format imbues a dreary subject with much-needed accessibility, a conventional novel may have better conveyed Ann’s psychological anguish; because graphic novels rely almost entirely on illustrations and speech bubbles, Ann’s internal struggle— the book’s supposed focus— never emerged as the central plot point. While Lies in the Dust does capture Ann’s experience of the trials with impressive richness and depth, the book lacks a well-defined plot arc. Decker’s artwork, however, brilliantly echo's the book’s themes: the character’s pupiless eyes reflect Salem’s blindness to the trials’ dubious morality, while the homogenous nature of the town's residents symbolizes the mass hysteria and mob mentality that blinded so many to the witch trials’ horrors. Though Lies in the Dust lacks a centralized story arc, the book’s eloquent dialogue and stark illustrations immerse readers in the Salem Witch Trials, and this graphic novel invigorates an infamous topic with an intriguing new perspective.

A new student review of The Fog of Forgetting by Genevieve Morgan

lexyroberts posted a new student review of The Fog of Forgetting by Genevieve Morgan. See the full review.

This book was an adventure book. I like how the author put a lot of detail into it, but some parts were a bit boring. The book was confusing and hard to understand at times. There were a lot of things going on at once in the story, which made it confusing. One thing the author could have done differently is have each conflict happen in one period of time instead of having them happen all at once. Although the book was confusing, I liked the plot of the story.  

A new student review of Thomas Jefferson: President and Philosopher by Jon Meacham

Star360 posted a new student review of Thomas Jefferson: President and Philosopher by Jon Meacham. See the full review.

 

Thomas Jefferson: President and Philosopher is a wonderful stepping-stone book for young readers ages 10 and up who have a base in American history. It is told in the classic cradle-to-grave fashion, so there is a lot of material to cover, but there is large print and reasonably sized chapters. The reader is seamlessly guided from Jefferson’s privileged childhood to his dramatic years in politics. Jefferson’s many interests, like his passion for books and archeology, along with his love for the United States, form the backbone of the 320-page book. Kids will enjoy finding such fun facts throughout the book. However, Meacham does not shy away from Jefferson’s problems with married women or the appalling Sally Hemings affair. Readers of all ages will be intrigued by the many photographs, charts, maps, and extra facts about the times that dot the chapters. One of the best parts about the book is that it includes many special features at the end. Among them are excerpts from Jefferson’s notebook, a family tree, a timeline, and a list of places in the U.S. and France that honor him. All of those factors combine to make Thomas Jefferson: President and Philosopher a winning book for curious kids!

A new student review of Lies in the Dust by Jakob Crane

MezokaCapturer65 posted a new student review of Lies in the Dust by Jakob Crane. See the full review.

This is a very serious and atmospheric book. When I first saw it I thought I would have a hard time discerning the characters because of the art style, but it was actually easy because the dialogue was clear and there weren’t many characters to keep track of. Ann was a very good character, and in this short graphic novel I found myself loving her. She is exactly the kind of character I like, loyal but knows where her loyalties belong. The way that the images in the book are set up reminded me of an intense historical movie, and it was very engaging. There was never anything excessive here, everything seemed important and was in its appropriate place. The back and forth in the time periods during which the book takes place helped to further develop Ann as a character, showing us the details of what happened in her past and how people in her current time period react to it. 

Another great aspect to this story was the relatability given to a historical event. Even though nobody reading the book has been through what Ann has been through, the writer still does a fantastic job making the audience feel for her plight and remember times in their own lives that were similar but far less dramatic and disastrous, such as submitting to peer pressure. All in all, what was accomplished in this short graphic novel was more memorable and well thought out than most people would expect, and I loved every page. Because of the intensity and serious tone, I would recommend this book to those in 7^th grade or above, and to those who love historical fiction. Even if one does not like graphic novels, this is definitely one of the best I’ve ever read.

A new student review of Out of the Tunnel by Patrick Jones

carverreader posted a new student review of Out of the Tunnel by Patrick Jones. See the full review.

I feel that this is a well writen book with great morals and a strong concept. I think it will appeal to boys because it's about football and also appeal to teens because it is told through a teen's viewpoint.

A new student review of The Never Girls by Kiki Thorpe

Boomer123 posted a new student review of The Never Girls by Kiki Thorpe. See the full review.

I love how the author added baking treats into this book.  People like to bake delicious treats and sometimes people like to read stories with baking in them.  I also love how four girls travel to a fairy world, through Gabby’s closet.    

I was looking forward to the big block party for the Davidson’s family.  They had so many games and activities to do.  My favorite station that they described at the block party was the game station.  I knew some of the games they wrote about.  My second favorite station was the pet care.  It was fun to read about the big party and it made me feel like I should plan a party too.  If you like fairies and baking you should read this book.     

A new student review of Kate the Great by Suzy Becker

nictaf posted a new student review of Kate the Great by Suzy Becker. See the full review.

Kate the Great is an excellent book and I cannot wait until book two is out.  Suzy Becker outdid herself on this great story.  All the story was very well-described, like when Kate described the students' zombie trance that happens in school.  It's like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, in that it includes cartoon-like pictures and funny comments on the side.  This book is so funny it made me laugh, and it will make you laugh, too.  I would recommend this book for ages eight and up.

A new student review of Spartanica by Powers Molinar

jotaf posted a new student review of Spartanica by Powers Molinar. See the full review.

Spartanica is an awesome book that is chock-full of suspense and action.  I never wanted to put it down.  It was very creative in a way that was lifelike in parts.  The author, Powers Molinar, made the characters very likable. A part in the book that I really enjoyed was when Ty was dreaming his Aunt Andi was making chocolate crepes and bacon for breakfast when he was actually asleep in the woods.  A part I didn't like about the book was that each chapter switched between the perspectives of three people, which made it confusing.   But it wasn't so confusing that I couldn't understand it; it made me pay more attention to each chapter.  This book was so great it left me eagerly anticipating book two.  I would recommend this book to ages eleven through eighteen. 

A new student review of The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa

Lucy posted a new student review of The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa. See the full review.

I really liked the book although I was missing some of the information because I had began with the 3^rd book, not knowing that it was a series. Even if you do start with the 3^rd book, I was still able to know what’s going on after reading more into it. It’s a really great book with an amazing ending that was also bittersweet. It had a lot of emotions and sad scenes, and I cried reading the ending. It’s a really touching book for me.