A new student review of All American Boys by Jason Reynolds Brendan Kiely

Lyle44 posted a new student review of All American Boys by Jason Reynolds Brendan Kiely. See the full review.

The book All American Boys struck me as inspirational, moving, and just plain enjoyable. The characters were unique and unexpected. The story line was amazing, though sometimes it got hard to follow, and ended in a way I never even thought to see coming. I did, however have a problem with a few small spelling errors, but all in all the book was incredible even though it was nowhere near my usual genre. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good story and a bit of inspiration 

A new student review of Tomboy: A Graphic Memoir by Liz Prince

Gwendolyn posted a new student review of Tomboy: A Graphic Memoir by Liz Prince. See the full review.

This graphic memoir comments on our gender-constricting world and shares the author's personal journey of acceptance towards herself as she learns to shed the weight of the societal stereotypes she grew up believing.

 

Prince challenges a standard way of thinking, as she speaks out on subjects through a raw and intimate narrative, that translates well to the straightforward comic style she utilizes.

 

The relaxed writing and simplistic outlines in the book read quickly and easily while discussing thought-provoking messages and heavy topics.

 

An educational book in it's own unique way, "Tomboy" is an intriguing read that can be empathetic to some and beneficial to others.

A new student review of Love or Something Like It (Mostly Miserable Life of April Sinclair) by Laurie B. Friedman

heavenly_faith15 posted a new student review of Love or Something Like It (Mostly Miserable Life of April Sinclair) by Laurie B. Friedman. See the full review.

I liked this book. At times it was exciting and a page turner but at other times, like when she was trying to choose what to do over summer, it was slow-paced. I would recommend this book to someone who likes light romance but not for anyone who likes a fast-paced book. The plot was occasionally vague. My favorite character was Matt. He was hard to understand and I like that in a character. My favorite part was in the beginning when Matt first started to like April because it was romantic.

A new student review of Sammy Keyes and the Kiss Goodbye by Wendelin Van Draanen

ThisBeast posted a new student review of Sammy Keyes and the Kiss Goodbye by Wendelin Van Draanen. See the full review.

         My opinion about this narrative is that it is exciting at moments and urges you to continue reading it, therefore I believe Ms. Draanen is a good author. But at some points during the novel it would get over-descriptive and cause boredom. For example, chapter 11- Teddy Bears. It is over descriptive when Ms. Draanen emphasizes the teddy bears and the one stowaway unicorn, given to Sammy from a friend. Sammy Keyes was not conscious in most of the novel, and it made it more challenging for her friends to find out who chased her up the fire escape and pushed her. My favorite character was Billy Pratt due to his braveness and his traits of humor. Whoever enjoys adventure, comedy, romance, and most important of all mystery, I recommend this narrative for you! 

A new student review of Finding the Worm by Mark Goldblatt

Molly B. posted a new student review of Finding the Worm by Mark Goldblatt. See the full review.

Finding the Worm is a very good book and I would definitely recommend it.  Finding the Worm is more of a slow paced book, so if you like a lot of action, I think you would struggle to really get into the book.  A reason I liked this this book was because it is both very humous and poignantly sad at moments.  The  transition between the two is very smooth. Over all, I think Finding the Worm is a great book and it is definitely worth reading!

A new student review of The Ghost of Sephera by J. D. Tew

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

The Ghost of Sephera was an amazing sci-fi title filled with adventure. It held my attention until the last page. J. D. Tew outdid himself with the second installment. This book had epic fights and close encounters that kept me on the edge of my seat! This series is the best I've read in a long time.

The characters and their backstories were written so well they felt true to life. Theodore could very well be a real person, because he was the best described of all the characters. Not only were the characters well written, but the author was able to fully capture the setting as well. I could easily picture what he was trying to convey.

I would recommend this book to kids ages 13 and up, because there is death and big words. If you like Ender's Game, then you will love this series!

A new student review of Fairy Godmothers of The Four Directions by Jennifer Morse

Anjel posted a new student review of Fairy Godmothers of The Four Directions by Jennifer Morse. See the full review.

When I began reading this book, I had difficulty becoming engaged with it because it didn't hold my attention. However, I became more invested in the story once I read about a quarter of the way through.

I really liked this book because of the independence and stubbornness of Cinderella; she reminded me of myself at times. My favorite character was Blackie the dog; he seemed very loyal and friendly. I would recommend this book to children 8-12, fans of Cinderella, and to young girls who love princesses!

A new student review of Meet Me At The River by Nina de Gramont

tlang posted a new student review of Meet Me At The River by Nina de Gramont. See the full review.

I easily became emotionally attached to this book. I love Tressa and Luke's relationship and I love Luke's past life story. His past life story consists of what his dad went through over and over whenever Tressa's mother broke his heart and ran away with Tressa. Luke also talks about his best childhood memories, his worst, and the memories he had with Tressa.

Tressa loved Luke because he was her very first friend; she moved around so much with her mother that she'd never stayed in one place to really make friends. However, Luke remained her friend no matter how many years they were apart. He made her laugh, taught her how to snowboard, and chose her instead of his popular friends at school. Luke is the kind of guy who would never let you down, who would give you the chance of friendship even if no one else did; he is a strong-willed man who shows how much he cares about people with his actions.

Tressa is a lonely teenage girl who doesn't have a friend except her beloved dog and Luke. After Luke's death, Tressa falls into a depression that made me want to cry along with her. The author did an amazing job with each description. I couldn't stop thinking how I would act after my best friend died. I was so attached to this book and definitely recommend it to anyone.

A new student review of The Secret Cookie Club by Martha Freeman

PurpleGoose! posted a new student review of The Secret Cookie Club by Martha Freeman. See the full review.

This book had very good details in describing the characters and was a very simple but sweet book. My favorite character in the book would have to be Grace. Grace is very smart, strong and she is a really good friend. I would suggest this book to anyone who likes stories about friendships, cookies, or light romance. I would give this book a 4.5 star rating, instead of a perfect 5 just because it did not tell us their nicknames until farther ahead in the book. 

A new student review of After Isaac by Avra Wing

piercelg posted a new student review of After Isaac by Avra Wing. See the full review.

I can say that I LOVED this book! I found the narrator easy to connect with and relate to, maybe because I have experienced the death of a very close family member. My heart ached for Aaron, as I felt I was experiencing his grief and struggles with him. The author’s descriptions were spot on with what I went through- it was clear she did her research (or has experienced it herself). When my father passed away, I remember thinking that it is true what they say...everyone handles their grief differently. But what they do not say is that you have to live with others as they handle their grief differently than you do. The author nailed that.  I cannot say enough about this book, except maybe that I could not put it down. I read it in four sittings- all in the same day. I could not go to bed without finishing it. Overall this was a very good book.