A new student review of Toks & the Phoenix Project by A.S Lawal

JesusFreak posted a new student review of Toks & the Phoenix Project by A.S Lawal. See the full review.

When I began reading this book, I found myself bored with it. I felt the main character, Toks, was whiny and unlikable.  She made bad decisions throughout the book. However, as I came to the ending I began to like her character. Additionally, I did not care for the author’s writing style. I thought that most of the dialogue in the book made it seem as though the author was telling the story to a child. It was not a writing style that appealed to me.

I felt the book started out slowly in the beginning, though about halfway through it started to pick up. The last two chapters were especially exciting.

The book was promising, and it had great ideas. It just didn't turn out the way I was hoping it would.

A new student review of All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

JesusFreak posted a new student review of All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. See the full review.

When I opened this book and began to read, I realized that I was immediately intrigued by Finch. Though troubled, I found him to be a very likable character.  The author did a good job describing her characters without overwhelming her readers with an overabundance of information. I felt as if I was in the book with Finch and Violet every step of the way.

I enjoyed the fact that Finch and Violet's relationship was believable.  It is hard for me to find a good romance that convinces me of the character's love, but the relationship in "All the Bright Places" was done very well.

Another thing to comment on is the pace of the book.  The beginning sentence grabbed me and wouldn't let me go.  As the book went on, I was never bored.  The last few chapters were especially beautifully written; they left me awestricken.

Overall, this book was an amazing read that I’m sure I’ll read many times again.

A new student review of Draw-A-Saurus

sisto8 posted a new student review of Draw-A-Saurus . See the full review.

I picked this book because my little sisters love to draw.  We drew most of the dinosaurs in the book and they still wanted to draw more.  At first I thought Draw-A-Saurus would be an average drawing book, but after we started, I found it to be one of the best drawing books I've ever used!  It explains about dinosaur bones, how to draw dinosaurs, and what kinds of animals look like dinosaurs.  The bright colors are attractive to little kids.  My sisters were inspired by all the different examples of how they could color their pictures.  I will definitely keep an eye out for more books from this author!  I recommend this book for dinosaur lovers 5+.

A new student review of Coral & Bone by Tiffany Daune

sisto8 posted a new student review of Coral & Bone by Tiffany Daune. See the full review.

This book was definitely a page turner. Once I began reading, I didn’t want to stop. The plot was very exciting; it was full of adventure and unpredictable events. The story itself had lots of twists and turns. The author kept the story thrilling and fast-paced, but in an uncomplicated, structured manner.  The characters were consistent, believable, and sweet, each in their own ways. I truly did care about each of them. The author of this book did a wonderful job with the character development! I recommend this book for everyone ages 12 and above.

A new student review of Amy's Choice by Marcia Strykowski

Anjel posted a new student review of Amy's Choice by Marcia Strykowski. See the full review.

I really liked this book. I usually read fantasy so this was a new experience for me, but I learned that fantasy isn’t the only genre I like. One of my favorite parts is when Pup comes back to say hi because It sounds like my dog when she runs away but then (minutes or hours later) we find her standing on the front porch ready to come in. I also liked that Finn was an artist because I am one as well. However, I disliked that some of the kids smoked but I also feel as if it was necessary to keep the story going. All in all I would recommend this to middle school students, summer book lists, people who like historical fiction and people who like Beholding Bee by Kimberly Newton Fusco and Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundel.

A new student review of Intangible by C A Gray

amanklep10599 posted a new student review of Intangible by C A Gray. See the full review.

"Intangible" was an extremely exciting story that kept me reading on the edge of my seat.  It had it all: humor, science, fantasy, fiction and fairytale.  The characters were all believable and likeable.  However, the main character, Peter, was too scientific, hard to relate to and understand, and wasn't very kind or friendly.  Overall, I loved "Intangible," because it was fascinating, scientific, and it talked about fairytales!

A new student review of Devin Rhodes Is Dead by Jennifer Wolf Kam

dancechicka posted a new student review of Devin Rhodes Is Dead by Jennifer Wolf Kam. See the full review.

I thought that this book was a good read, albeit a short one.  I found the plot pretty airtight, and the tone was just the right amount of creepiness and intrigue. The regular chapter switches from the times before and after Devin’s death kept me interested and in-focus.  Kam was skilled with her language, keeping the vocabulary easy enough to read yet eloquent enough to fit the overall eerie tone of the book.  One thing I did have a hard time doing was connecting with Cass.  I found her to be a little too woe-is-me and petulant for my tastes, but hey, I really can’t judge someone whose best friend just died.   All in all, a good, quick read for someone looking for a little pop to add to their winter reading list.

                “I can’t think; I can only run.  I can only run from Devin.”

I would recommend this book for ages ten and up.  There are, of course, themes of violence and death, and although a very small amount of profanity is used, I feel it would be best for younger children to wait to read this book for its central themes.

Plagued by broken memories and driven by guilt, Cass struggles to find the answer to the biggest question of them all—who killed Devin?  Read Jennifer Wolf Kam’s new novel Devin Rhodes is Dead to find out!

A new student review of The Illuminated Forest by Edwin Fontánez

jotaf posted a new student review of The Illuminated Forest by Edwin Fontánez. See the full review.

I thought The Illuminated Forest was a great book about coping with death and growing up.  I liked that the author, Edwin Fontánez made the characters fairly easy to connect with.  Another part I both liked and disliked was that part of the book was written from the perspective of the stray cat; it  put part of the book in a new and interesting perspective, but it was also sometimes difficult to understand because of the awkward use of language (in its head) by the cat.  A part in the book that I thought was really funny was when the owner of the small theatre in Palo Verde played The Graduate, but the owner did not read the description of the movie.  Being ignorant of the inappropriateness of the movie, she advertised it as, "An inspiration for kids to graduate!"  Her advertisement got lots of families with kids to come see the movie.  The next day all of the parents of the families that saw the movie were pounding on her door for what she accidentally did.  

One thing I did not like about the book, though, was that at the beginning it jumped quite a bit, starting with Mateo being fifteen, then Mateo being twelve, and then it jumped to a six year old girl, and after that, to an Indian tribe that used to live in Palo Verde.  Finally, though, it settled on twelve year old Mateo.  The other thing I disliked about this book was that it got a little dull at parts of the book and it took a little while for the book to get going again.  I think this book would be most enjoyed by anyone ages twelve through sixteen.  

A new student review of The Bullies of Wall Street

sisto8 posted a new student review of The Bullies of Wall Street . See the full review.

I think this book was very nice.  It shows how somebody’s greed can and does affect a nation. The stories from different kids’ points of view were enjoyable.  I liked them because it’s easier to relate to something that someone your age has gone through.  The information that I read in this book has helped me understand many different topics that I haven’t even thought about before.  I like the bright color on the cover.  It seemed to be made to attract attention.  It certainly attracted mine!  I think this book is great for teens that have heard about the 2008 economy crash and want to learn more as well as those who haven’t.  I recommend this book for people 12+.

A new student review of The Silver Cord by Kelly Kevin

pavannah posted a new student review of The Silver Cord by Kelly Kevin. See the full review.

From the second I got this book I was thrilled!  Normally I do not go for the graphic novels, but I thought I would give it a try, and it is safe to say I will be picking more up.  This book’s pictures were absolutely gorgeous, and the story brought me on a thrill ride, where i could not stop reading, even when I knew I had to go to bed.  This book is the book that MUST be read in one sitting, otherwise you might go crazy not knowing what happens next.  The time it took to create this book was astounding, 10 years, that is dedication.  But as evident the end result was worth it.  I highly recommend this book for people looking for a something new to brighten and liven up the day!