A new student review of Molly McDougal Montgomery McGrath and Other Stories by George Cooper

moseso posted a new student review of Molly McDougal Montgomery McGrath and Other Stories by George Cooper. See the full review.

This book is well written and seems to be geared toward 5-8 year olds. However, even as a 12-year-old reader, it still made me laugh. There are four stories total, and each one rhymes impeccably. With the exception of the first story, the main characters are hard to distinguish; I felt the author could have said their names or stated their genders. Beautiful artwork helps the reader vividly imagine every detail of the book. Molly McDougal Montgomery McGrath and Other Stories to Make You Laugh certainly lives up to its title. If you’re looking for a funny, quick and easy read, this book is the one for you!   

A new student review of The Nightsiders: The Orphan Army

nictaf posted a new student review of The Nightsiders: The Orphan Army . See the full review.

The Nightsiders: The Orphan Army was an extremely well-described book, filled with action and adventure.  An example is when “Milo adjusted his grip on the next one and pitched it with a split-fingered fastball. The rock burned past the flailing pincer and hit the Stinger in the mouth.”  Jonathan Maberry wrote a wonderful book and I can’t wait for book two.  I would recommend this book to ages 10 and up.

A new student review of Forever Ruby by Claire Merchant

Lucy posted a new student review of Forever Ruby by Claire Merchant. See the full review.

This is a truly magnificent book. The beginning was boring as it started describing Ruby's life, and it didn’t seem really interesting until she meets a new character, Cole Frost, who’s mysterious in every way. The story includes death and romance and the supernatural. Many death scenes occur and the story also involves some characters drinking alcohol, but it’s nothing extreme. The story also has vampires and some other supernatural beings. I love this book, I love the characters and how many of them seem so mysterious, and I really like the relationship between Cole and Ruby; I found them loving and magnificent. 

A new student review of The Switch Sisters by Gwen Li

sharon posted a new student review of The Switch Sisters by Gwen Li. See the full review.

I applaud Gwen Li for bring minorities into the light of young adult fiction. The fact that the Switches struggle to fit in, due to their unique backgrounds, raises many important questions about the way we treat others, especially those who have different backgrounds, within society. Too often, the differences that exist among people create unnecessary fear and prejudice—an issue that the book clearly addresses. In addition, through its characters, the book also brings up the concept of identity, and how identity fluctuates depending on the surrounding environment. Each of the Switch sisters, as well as the mother, bring a distinct personality to the table that contribute to the progression of the story. Furthermore, Li does a great job of portraying the sticky nature of mother-daughter relationships—the way a mother’s good intentions may get in the way of her daughters’ potentials.

I found the end of the book satisfying. However, I found that many of the secondary characters that seem to have lacked originality, or weren’t given enough time to develop within the book. Nevertheless, I was entertained by the numerous plot twists that consistently appeared throughout the book. More importantly, I enjoyed that through her storytelling of a fictional family and town, Li subtly presents real-world issues that we all need to think about more often.

A new student review of Bridge Through Time by Scott Spotson

Sweetfable posted a new student review of Bridge Through Time by Scott Spotson. See the full review.

This book was quite good in my opinion. I had not read the first novel in the series, nor did I have any knowledge of the storyline going into this book. So when things quickly switched to Kyle’s point of view, I had little idea what was going on. It took me a little while to get the characters and situations straight, but when I did it was quite rewarding. Although this was the second novel, much of the information that was in the first novel was explained in this one, making it easier for me to comprehend things like Dr. Time and the Time Weaver. It was confusing for me as a reader when the abrupt switch to Kyle's point of view from Max’s perspective occurred. I was just beginning to comprehend how Kyle grew up, when all of a sudden he became the main character and his father faded into the background. Occasionally other perspectives were thrown in to showcase other characters' inner thoughts, but at times this made for jarring transitions.

I liked how there was an optimistic view of the future, especially in Life I. Even in Life II, where things were much more advanced because of the Darsian’s influence, the new inventions that were explained in detail were very interesting. I connected with many of the characters, especially Kyle and his girlfriend Eva. I liked how the dates were shown at the beginning of every chapter, making it much easier for me to follow exactly when and where events were happening. Kyle and his brother were essentially my age because of the years they were born in, which helped me to make another connection. 

The pace of the novel flowed quite well at most points, and held my attention. I enjoyed the inclusion of some real life physics in the book. For example, the Casimir effect is mentioned, which I just learned about a couple of weeks prior to reading! I enjoyed this read for how realistic it remained even though it is science fiction. I would read more books by this author in the future.

A new student review of Crown of Three

jotaf posted a new student review of Crown of Three . See the full review.

I thought Crown of Three was an enjoyable book filled with action, suspense, and adventure.  The author, J. D. Blackthorn, did a good job making the characters come alive.  He made the world in which the book takes place very interesting, also.  I really liked when each of the triplets discovered their powers.  My favorite character was Tarlan, because he is resourceful and can think his way out of a tough situation.  I can't think of anything I didn't like about this book.  This is a great book for anyone who loves fantasy mixed with adventure.  I would recommend this book to ages eleven and up.

A new student review of The Accidental Siren by Jake Vander Ark

swalia posted a new student review of The Accidental Siren by Jake Vander Ark. See the full review.

The Accidental Siren was not my type of book. The story line dragged on, the characters were unbelievable, and the plot line was unrealistic. The book was hard to finish and lacked many components that I enjoy in a good story, like a clear conflict and likeable characters. Although I did not like this book, I thought the setting was well-described, and I could picture what the woods and the house would look like. I also liked the little twist at the end concerning Whit. The author did a good job of depicting the racism of the time period, but some events concerning Livy were unrealistic, confusing, and hard to believe or picture. I felt that James and Whit seemed younger than twelve years old, and that the story would have been better if they were ten years old. I disliked Mara’s character the most because it was the most unrealistic, and she lacked a personality that could have set her apart from every other story about a seemingly perfect girl. Overall, I did not enjoy reading this book and found it extremely unrealistic and slow. I would not recommend this book to others because it was very hard to finish.

A new student review of Dinosaur Eggs and Blue Ribbons: Science Fairs Inside and Out by Barnas Monteith

nictaf posted a new student review of Dinosaur Eggs and Blue Ribbons: Science Fairs Inside and Out by Barnas Monteith. See the full review.

This was not the book I thought it would be.  I was hoping it would be suggestions for different science fair projects and tips for how to make boards and themes ‘pop‘ for judges.  Instead, it was a monologue about Barney’s experiences.  I did not find it interesting, especially when it was difficult to know which age he was during each description; it did not seem to go chronologically.  The farther into the book I got, the more confusing it was to try to figure out if he was in high school, college, or working as an adult.  It sounded more like a brag book than a science fair book.  If I were to give him any tips to make this better, I would suggest that it be written more chronologically, more kid-friendly (talking to a twelve-year-old, not a high-schooler), and make it more interesting, not just about his one project over and over.
 

A new student review of Wheels of Change by Darlene Beck Jacobson

Sweetfable posted a new student review of Wheels of Change by Darlene Beck Jacobson. See the full review.

I really enjoyed this book, from start to finish. I found myself swept up by the plethora of compelling characters, the interesting yet believable setting, and a story line I couldn’t resist. I especially loved how relatable the main character, Emily, is. She is passionate about fighting for justice, but doesn't alienate others in the process.

The historical morsels layered into the story make it all the more interesting. One of my favorite parts is the introduction of corn flakes to Emily’s life. It is interesting to see how this new food is a relief for Emily’s mother as this cereal has an advantage of not needing to be heated up to be enjoyable.

Both girls and boys will relate to this coming-of-age story set in the final days of Theodore Roosevelt's presidency. Along the way, children will learn many things about the way life used to be, and they will have a great time doing so.

A new student review of We Are All Made of Molecules

sakurafrost posted a new student review of We Are All Made of Molecules . See the full review.

I think this book handled controversial topics very well. The story is narrated by both Stewart and Ashley, so the reader gets to see their different perspectives on the events that take place. For example, Ashley is opposed to same-sex couples, Stewart is more open minded. For this reason, I did not find the book offensive or biased in any way. 

We Are All Made of Molecules adresses many topics that are very relevant in today's world, such as bullying, same-sex relationships, abusive boyfriends/girlfriends, divorce and popularity