Stella by Starlight is a fantastic introduction for young readers to segregation in the American South. The main character, Stella Mills, is a brave, inquisitive girl who observes the harsh events going on with an age-appropriate sense of justice. Her occasional flaws in school and uncertainties make her accessible to readers. Stella’s close-knit African-American community is portrayed with vivid detail, from the descriptions of the kids running barefoot to the many classic foods (fried chicken, anyone?). Real events, like the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt, are smoothly twined into the plot to keep younger readers engaged. Charming chapters that are just Stella’s “reporting” and homework assignments use different fonts that feels realistic. As for the novel as a whole, it tackles the issues of racism with suitable tact, but it delves into violence in order for readers to understand how awful life could get for groups being discriminated against. To get entertained with a smart, fast-moving plot and learn some history to boot, read Stella by Starlight.
Friday, January 09, 2015
A new student review of Stella by Starlight
A new student review of Fish in the Sky by Fridrik Erlings
Fish in the Sky is composed of beautiful sentences. Descriptions of expansive countryside, dialogue, and introspection create variety in the prose. Although Fish in the Sky is elegantly written, I felt it sometimes rambled for a bit too long and focused heavily on Josh’s maturity, which seemed forced for a thirteen-year old. I enjoyed Fish in the Sky, and would recommend it to anyone interested in an unusual appreciation of a teenage boy’s mind.
A new student review of CAMP UTOPIA & THE FORGIVENESS DIET by Jenny Ruden
This book is kind of offensive, it has fat jokes in it. However, it also shows how Beth overcomes her obstacles. Sometime she loses trust in herself, but regains it again. I gave this book a 3 star rating because it might be offensive to some people and it isn't the best thing i've read in my life.
Thursday, January 08, 2015
A new student review of Palace of Lies
Put simply, I was not disappointed by Palace of Lies! Haddix’s latest novel builds the story of Princess Desmia, a supporting character in Palace of Mirrors. I enjoyed watching how she grew from being constantly skeptical to learning to accept friendship. There is a lively cast of characters that expands gradually to encompass nearly all social classes of the royal kingdoms. Major characters from the series, like Ella, Jed, and Cecilia, make appearances. Of course, so do the villains – evil Lord Throckmorton and crafty Madame Bissel can’t seem to stop grabbing for power. However, a brief recap at the beginning of the book ensures that readers don’t have to start the series in sequential order to understand the plot. The story flows well from those books, but each read is an exciting new adventure with a different princess in the spotlight. The imagery used for the multiple settings and the varied clothing described really helps the reader sink into this royal tale. Many pages of verbal battling plus a dash of phyical fighting adds drama. Palace of Lies is a wonderful read for girls ten and up who love princesses, palace intrigue, and adventure!
Tuesday, January 06, 2015
A new student review of Eden West
When I requested this book for review, I was both intrigued and a bit wary. Good cult-based books are hard to find, especially when they’re from the cult’s perspective. I thought that Pete Hautman did an excellent job at portraying a cult. Throughout the entire book, I was intrigued to learn about the cult and what they thought was the truth. The main character, Jacob, was an interesting main character. He wasn’t the average hero like most main characters are in books. It was a nice breath of fresh air.
Another thing I loved about this book was the simple yet captivating cover art. The red on the bottom is a great contrast to the white on the top.
The only complaint I have about this book is that in places it was a bit slow. Shortening of description might have helped speed up things a bit more.
All in all, Eden West is a beautifully written book that tells the way of life when living in a cult.
Monday, January 05, 2015
A new student review of The Counterfeit Father by PV Lundqvist
This book was a blast to read! From the first sentence, I was hooked. It was one of the funniest action-packed mysteries I've ever read! I hope this book becomes a series, because I'd love to know all the other adventures Tony experiences. Thanks PV Lundqvist for an awesome read and to LitPick for allowing me the opportunity to review the story!!
This story was so very close to a 5 star rating, but I felt compelled to give it only 4 stars because, in my opinion, it needed more information about the trust. Knowing exactly what the trust was and why or how it could affect him so drastically would have made this story easier to follow, comprehend, and much more intense. With that info included, this would have easily been one of the top 5 books on my "Best Ever Read" list !! Still a great book nonetheless.
A new student review of The Incredible Space Raiders From Space
This book was EPIC! This is one of the best books I’ve ever read. It has adventure, comedy, and not much romance. My favorite part is when Jonah and another Space Raider encounter the Shrieker for the first time. I would recommend this book to boys age 6-10.
Sunday, January 04, 2015
A new student review of Ally Ally Oxen Free by M Allman
I really like this book because of how it leads up to the ending. But, also I think this book is good because of the character Tom. He stands up for Nancy when she is teased and almost doesn’t care that the other kids think his summer will be bad. What’s better than a good character is some suspense. I really like a book with suspense, and this book has it. So overall this is a really good book. I would recommend it to anybody.
Friday, January 02, 2015
A new student review of Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid
This book has a really interesting storyline. I really enjoyed how it wasn't told in Liela's perspective but instead switched to be in the perspective of the people that she meets on her trip. Some of the things that happen in this book are pretty ridculous and unrealistic and although this is a story it was hard to ignore some of the far fetchedness in this book. This book has a good ending which is good because while reading this book I was worried how they would conclude the story. Overall i didn't love this book but it was a cute read that was easy to read and had a unique story line.
A new student review of The Tightrope Walkers
I had so many emotions while reading the book. I loved Dom and hated Dom and was mad at Vincent and in awe of Holly all at the same time. I related to Dominic on a personal level, because he was written to love words. He loved to write and read and it made me connect with him as a character. I saw Holly as a dreamy girl who loved to draw and paint even the most dangerous of things, like the shipyards or Vincent. Her friendship with Dominic had its ups and downs and was a completely believable example of a friendship turned romance. At one point in the novel, just after Dominic went to Vincent because he thought Holly was only friends with him out of pity, I wanted to believe that Vincent had grown up, had stopped being the bully he was in the beginning, but even though the premise of the novel was about change, Vincent was the same. I did find that it was more believable than having all characters change, though, by having the bully of the story attack the two main characters out of envy. When I picked this book I was expecting Vincent to change and the three of them to become friends, and I was pleasantly surprised when that did not happen.