A new student review of Uncertain Glory by Lea Wait

moseso posted a new student review of Uncertain Glory by Lea Wait. See the full review.

This book is well written and is perfect for anyone who enjoys the history of the U.S. Civil War. The story is set in Maine, far away from the beginnings of the war, but the citizens are still uptight and nervous about the imminent threat.

The author did a wonderful job of developing the main character, Joe Wood. Every character goes through a change of some sort in the book, and I feel the author did an excellent job making this change noticeable.

A few confusing parts did result in dysfunction. The author adds in someone who claims to be a ‘spiritualist’: someone who can talk to the dead. It is confusing, because you never know if the character is faking it or isn’t. Other than that minor confusion, Uncertain Glory is definitely a book you’ll want to read!

A new student review of Lizard Radio by Pat Schmatz

MezokaCapturer65 posted a new student review of Lizard Radio by Pat Schmatz. See the full review.

One important aspect of Lizard Radio is the ambiguity of nearly everything in some way.  All elements of this book, including the main character, plot, environment, side characters, and antagonist contain some amount of ambiguity, whether in their intentions, their pasts, or their purpose.  This makes the book somewhat difficult to understand in places from the somewhat vague descriptions and lack of background information about the world in which this story takes place.  The ambiguity element makes the book hard to read in places, and I would recommend this book to teens 14 or older.  I found this book very engaging, and the simple language made it seem familiar and relatable, making me care about the characters. I legitimately wanted to find out more about what was happening in Kivali’s life, and I was upset when the book ended somewhat abruptly.  I will say, though, that sometimes Kivali’s reactions are underplayed in certain environments.  I felt her grief and her passion very strongly in some scenes, but in others I felt that she wasn’t expressing enough of a reaction to be relatable.  However, the context of the book in these spots helps to make this forgivable.  This book’s tone is relatively constant, giving the reader a sense of foreboding throughout the entire experience but also keeping an air of happiness or sadness in scenes where it is appropriate.  Overall, Kivali’s word choice felt genuine to me and also assisted in engaging me in the story.  I feel that this book was impactful, even if the ambiguity aspect of it makes it difficult to identify some other aspects.    I would definitely recommend this book to more mature readers who want to be sucked into another world during their reading. This book also applies to modern society in the question of the significance of the main character’s gender. While this is a touchy subject for some, I feel that this book’s context and language helps to portray it in a believable and effective way.

A new student review of The Sugar Mountain Snow Ball by Elizabeth Atkinson

Cranberry posted a new student review of The Sugar Mountain Snow Ball by Elizabeth Atkinson. See the full review.

I would recommend this book to a younger audience of readers, around eight to ten years old.  The characters were younger in age so the younger audience would be able to relate to them better. The story line was a little too simple- it seemed to take a while for the book to pick up pace and get interesting, so I felt the book slightly dragged on throughout the story until about the last few chapters. The characters were relatable and I could imagine that they were real but they weren't very interesting. A younger audience may find them more interesting because they are around the same age and may be going through the same things.  Also the language was in line with the difficulty and vocabulary of a younger reader.

I thought the best part of the story was the surprise plot twist at the end of the book. It was well placed in the storyline and was unexpected. All together I thought this book was pretty good and would recommend it.

A new student review of Cheesie Mack Is Not Exactly Famous by Steve Cotler

ethanlax posted a new student review of Cheesie Mack Is Not Exactly Famous by Steve Cotler. See the full review.

Cheesie Mack is Not Exactly Famous is a great book that was fun to read. I liked many things about this book. The first is how the author made the characters funny and described the character’s feelings realistically. The second is how the author held the suspense of the story very well.

 

There are two things that I didn’t quite like about this book. One was how it became boring at many parts and the story got dull. Another was that there were too many conflicts going on at once, which made the main plot of the story weak.

 

In conclusion, this book is full of action, adventure, and entertainment. I would recommend this book for readers ages 8 and up. Happy reading

 

A new student review of Harper Madigan: Junior High Private Eye by Chelsea M. Campbell

sschu5 posted a new student review of Harper Madigan: Junior High Private Eye by Chelsea M. Campbell. See the full review.

I think this book is very good for kids to read for many reasons. First of all, the story has so many twist and turns it will keep you guessing until the very end. Second, the plot flows so smoothly, but mysteriously it will seem like that is what was supposed to happen and that you should have seen it coming- but you won’t. Third, it is an exciting tale of adventures and past mistakes that come together to make the emotions real. And last but not least, the author describes it so clearly you can imagine it right in front of your eyes. It was one of the best books I have ever read.

A new student review of Liberty Frye and the Witches of Hessen (series) by J.L. McCreedy

jotaf posted a new student review of Liberty Frye and the Witches of Hessen (series) by J.L. McCreedy. See the full review.

I thought that Liberty Frye and the Witches of Hessen was a good book filled with action, adventure, and mystery. I liked the plotline that the author, J.L. McCreedy, created; it pulled me in from the first page. Also, everything was well described: from Germany to the characters, it left a beautifully painted picture. 

A part in the book that I enjoyed was when Libby tried to escape from the castle in which she was being held. Did she succeed or not? You’ll have to read to find out for yourself.  

I loved this book from start to finish. I would recommend it to students ages 11 and up, though it has characteristics that would be appealing to readers of all ages. It would also be enjoyed by people who liked The Series of Unfortunate Events, as this book is similar in some ways.

A new student review of The Acolytes of Crane by J. D. Tew

nictaf posted a new student review of The Acolytes of Crane by J. D. Tew. See the full review.

J. D. Tew wrote an excellent book that was jam-packed with adventure and action! The author has a way with words that made the story very interesting. I loved the genre of this book, which is a mix of sci-fi and fantasy.

The characters were very well written. I especially liked the character Theodore Crane, because he is a hero, and that is what I like the main character to be. I would recommend this book for ages 12 and up.

A new student review of The Brewster Boys and the Red Revenge by Stephen Dittmer

Anjel posted a new student review of The Brewster Boys and the Red Revenge by Stephen Dittmer. See the full review.

This was not one of my favorite books. I feel like there weren't enough details to imagine the scene, like there was bubble glass blocking my view. I also felt the story moved too fast. It quickly jumped from one action scene to the next. Although the characters felt real at times, they also seemed see through.

My favorite part had to be when Olaf and Yuri ditched Vallentina; it was hilarious! I thought it was really cool that I live close to this author, and that the story started in this area. This is the second book in a series, so I would recommend reading the first book because the beginning of this one was a little confusing. I would recommend this book to middle schoolers, action lovers and sci-fi lovers.

A new student review of Manicpixiedreamgirl by Tom Leveen

derbyc posted a new student review of Manicpixiedreamgirl by Tom Leveen. See the full review.

I like how Tyler has to figure out who he wants to be with, and how the story flashes to certain stories about Tyler.  My favorite thing about the book is when all of Tyler and his friends meet and get to know each other freshman year, and how they continue to be friends through good and bad times.

I was sometimes confused when the story goes back to Tyler's past.  It made me feel lost in what's going on in the present time of the book. What I disliked most of all is how the book ends. It left me hanging, wanting to know what would happen next.

I gave the book 4/5 stars.  I would not recommend this book for kids under 13 because of the content that deals with drugs and alcohol.

A new student review of The Blind Guide to Stinkville by Beth Vrabel

aliviathesmartee posted a new student review of The Blind Guide to Stinkville by Beth Vrabel. See the full review.

A Blind Guide to Stinkville is a spectacular book that shows how a small community with many differences can come together in an adventure of harmony and love. Some things that I really liked about the book was that all of the characters were very different from each other, and that the point of view was in first person, but still clearly explained the plot of the story.

 

There are a few things that I disliked about this book. One was that the author did not let the suspense of the story last very long. Another was that the vocabulary in the story was not very broad, and could be much more exciting.

 

Overall, this book is very well-written and full of humor and adventure. I would definitely recommend it to any readers looking for a fun and entertaining book. Enjoy reading!