A new student review of The Fire Chronicle (Books of Beginning) by John Stephens

muffin posted a new student review of The Fire Chronicle (Books of Beginning) by John Stephens. See the full review.

This book was really good and I can't wait for the next one to come out! I would go so far as to say it was better than the first book in this series.  I liked how it bounced back and forth between Kate and Michael. It keeps the energy of the book up and the reader interested.  The book is filled with action, humor, and excellent writing! You can definitely see Michael's character growth in this book, from being petty and immature to being grown up and responsible. I have no bad comments for this book and give it an easy 5 stars.  Adventure readers won’t be disappointed and, although it is a chunky book, it will be over before you know it.  

 

A new student review of Chasing Secrets by Gennifer Choldenko

moseso posted a new student review of Chasing Secrets by Gennifer Choldenko. See the full review.

Chasing Secrets is a well written book that captures the reader’s attention from beginning to end. Lizzie Kennedy, who is the main character, is a determined young girl who never gives up. Although not entirely historically accurate, this book is full of suspense and surprises around every corner. The author does a beautiful job of wrapping everything up in the end, and exercises the imagination by leaving the reader dreaming about what might happen next. Chasing Secrets is a book every bookshelf should hold! 10-13 year old girls would best enjoy this adventure.

A new student review of Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson

Boomer123 posted a new student review of Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson. See the full review.

I am a fan of graphic novels and this one was absolutely fantastic.  In particular I liked having the chance to read about roller derby.  I didn't know what roller derby was and now I am thinking I might even want to try it myself.  I could understand Astrid when she and Nicole had problems.  She is upset that Nicole chose Rachel over her.  If you liked "Smile" and "Sisters" you will like this book as well because like those books are graphic novels about a character going through hard times.  Readers should know that there is a bit of bullying. Nicole teases Astrid about her name.  There are a lot of middle school friendship problems.  I really liked this book and would recommend it to realistic fiction readers and graphic novel readers.   

A new student review of Weird Space: The Baba Yaga by Una McCormack Eric Brown

jotaf posted a new student review of Weird Space: The Baba Yaga by Una McCormack Eric Brown. See the full review.

One of my recipes for a good book is a mix of action, mystery, and adventure.  The Baba Yaga had all of those parts.  I liked that the authors, Eric Brown and Una McCormack, described the characters and the setting of the story thoroughly. I was able to picture the size and appearance of everything.  A part in the book that I particularly liked was when Failt, a Vetch child, snuck on Delia’s ship.  It was generous of Delia to keep Failt safe when the pilot wanted to get rid of him.

One thing I didn’t like about this book, though, was how it ended.  I’m not a fan of sad endings, and I wish it would have ended differently.  I would recommend this book to ages 13 and up, or to anyone who likes sci-fi and doesn’t mind some bad language.

A new student review of Stand-off by Andrew Smith

Raphael posted a new student review of Stand-off by Andrew Smith. See the full review.

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A new student review of Delano in Hollyhook by Cameron Glenn

PASTERSY01 posted a new student review of Delano in Hollyhook by Cameron Glenn. See the full review.

This is a very energetic book told from the perspective of the main character, Delano, and how he sees his friends and the different journies they venture on. I personally really loved this book and think it was very well written, but every now and then there were a few punctuation and spelling errors. The author did a nice job of explaining the different parts of the story. He never rambled on, but gave you just enough details. One of my favorite characters other than Delano was Lenore, because even though she wasn't very positive, she still figured out a lot of the problems in the book.

A new student review of Chopstix by A.T. Raydan

Gwendolyn posted a new student review of Chopstix by A.T. Raydan. See the full review.

Chopstix

A new student review of Chopstix by A.T. Raydan

JesusFreak posted a new student review of Chopstix by A.T. Raydan. See the full review.

When I opened this book, one of the first things I noticed was how short it was. However, as I began reading, I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly it grabbed my attention. The main character, Wendy, was extremely likable throughout the book. I felt that she made good, well-thought-out decisions. It was difficult to connect with some of the other characters. 

At times, the action seemed to lag and the dialogue seemed a bit childish for the characters’ ages.

Overall, this book had a great plot and good character development. I would recommend it to anyone ages 12 and above who enjoys action.

A new student review of Knowing Nora by Claire Merchant

Star360 posted a new student review of Knowing Nora by Claire Merchant. See the full review.

An affair between a teacher and a student is one of the most taboo relationships in society. Nevertheless, a news story about such a twisted romance comes up every year. In Knowing Nora, Nora Hadley gives a voice to the young girls who have fallen for the wrong man entirely.

 

The bitter irony of Knowing Nora is that Nora was both the most and least likely to have an affair with Mr. Summers. No one thought that shy, pious Nora would ever have a boyfriend. Even Nora herself thought that she would have to wait until university to find a special someone. On the other hand, readers can observe that Nora is above petty high school drama. Unlike Ainslee, she doesn’t want to get involved with any immature teen. Part of her attraction to William Summers was his maturity and kindness. Those were qualities that she couldn’t get in a boy like Aaron, whose offer she turned down.

 

William was a conundrum. He was an excellent literature teacher, and he made sure that there was no bullying in his classroom. Nevertheless, he shouldn’t have started seeing Nora outside of school. Their encounters began at her little brother’s football games, which he could have easily avoided. William may have only been five years older than Nora, but that makes a big difference when she’s sixteen and he’s twenty-one. Nora went along with the affair out of blind love, but William should have been the voice of reason.

 

The most questionable aspect of the book was the exact nature of Nora and William’s romance. If she had been his age, they might have made a great couple. Since that wasn’t the case, it made the affair all the more disturbing. It’s simple math: Teacher + Student + Romance  = Big Trouble. Girls and boys who get involved in such relationships shouldn’t be given a scarlet letter, but should their actions be applauded as an act of true love? Readers are sure to offer a plethora of diverse answers.

 

A creative part of the book was how each chapter was titled the name of a song. Songs like “Chasing Pavements” and “Losing My Religion” accurately set the tone of each stage in Nora’s life.

 

I would warn readers to skip the prologue. Cover it with sticky notes, squeeze your eyes shut as you turn the page – just don’t read it! Some prologues offer a tantalizing glimpse into the characters’ futures; this one just drops a major spoiler that takes the edge off the novel’s building suspense.

 

Knowing Nora offers a unique perspective on the dangerous relationships that can occur between a student and a teacher.

A new student review of Iron and Blood by Larry Martin Gail Z Martin

Lainebarnes posted a new student review of Iron and Blood by Larry Martin Gail Z Martin. See the full review.

My opinion of this book was that it was well thought out and each chapter made a new impact. The book was very interesting, but it was also scary and gruesome. The murder scenes that were described were vivid giving me a feeling of fear or doom. There were homemade "werkman", also known as zombies, who are dead people following orders from Thwaits to kill anyone trying to solve the murders. They had human features but were actually made of cogs and gears that when they were attacked, would spew out blood and dead flesh. Yuck! Other than the gory stuff, I enjoyed the book very much and I would read it again. It was very adventurous, but also made me feel scared at times. I would not recommend this book to anyone under the age of 14 due to its graphic language and images. The scenes are very bloody and could be disturbing to some readers. They do add to the tale but I would caution readers of this book for fear that it may scare them. But overall it was well thought out and maintained a good flow.