Books Reviewed by Roadrunner
Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume (reviewed Jul 3, 2004)
5 Tiger Eyes is a really good book. Davey lives in Atlantic City with her mother, younger brother, amd her father. They own a 7-eleven store. Davey's father is shot and killed during a robbery. The rest of the family moves to New Mexico to live with Davey's aunt and uncle. In a canyon, Davey meets a boy named Wolf who becomes her friend and calls her Tiger. Her mother, who gets headaches and doesn't act like a mother anymore, meets a man named Ned and they start going out. The book is about how Davey deals with everything happening in her life. It was a really interesting book. Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. Everything that was unclear in the beginning became clear in the end.
What Would Joey Do? by Jack Gantos (reviewed May 31, 2004)
4 This is the third book about Joey. His dad suddenly shows up on his motorcycle, trying to get Joey's mom back. All Joey's mom wants is a normal life and for him to go away. Joey's grandmother, who is dying, wants Joey to make a friend. He tries to make friends with his blind homeschool partner but she just gets meaner no matter what he does. With his mom trying to start a new life with her boyfriend, his dad trying to win her back, and his grandmother saying to ignore them both, Joey's life has become crazy. All he wants to do is help everyone. I really liked this book because it was funny but also somewhat serious.
The Mozart Season by Virginia Euwer Wolff (reviewed Apr 18, 2004)
5 This a good book. Allegra has just found out that she is a finalist in a violin competition. She will be playing a Mozart concerto. Her relaxing summer is suddenly filled with new things. In addition to the competition, Allegra is trying to understand her mother's friend who is a very good singer but is very eccentric and overreacts. She is also trying to find a strange man's lost song. This a really good book that is not only about violin playing but also about how hard and confusing life can be. I really recommend it.
A Bone From A Dry Sea by Peter Dickinson (reviewed Apr 17, 2004)
2 This is an okay book. There are two sections: Now and Then. In the Then section, 4 million years ago, a girl named Li is different from her tribe. She thinks about things instead of using just instinct. She is becoming more human. In the Now section, a girl named Vinny is at an archaeological dig with her dad. There is much more going on in both sections and the two sections connect.
Canyons by Gary Paulsen (reviewed Apr 1, 2004)
3 This book is about two boys in two different times. Coyote Runs is an Apache boy. In 1864 he is on his first raid. He was shot by soldiers. In present times a boy named Brennan finds the skull on a camping trip. After he finds the skull he can't stop thinking about it. He has strange dreams. He does research and finds that it was an Indian boy who was shot by soldiers in 1864. He then knows he has to do something with the skull. He has to bring it to an ancient sacred place. This book was interesting but not great.
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (reviewed Mar 25, 2004)
3 Brian's parents are divorced. He is going to see his father when the pilot of the plane he's on has a heart attack. The pilot is dead. Brian has to land the plane himself. Once he's landed he has to survive in the Canadian wilderness with nothing but a hatchet. He has to make a shelter, find food, and survive other dangers. It's really interesting to see how he changed after nearly two months of living in the wilderness.
Bat 6 by Virginia Euwer Wolff (reviewed Mar 25, 2004)
4 Bat 6 is about two softball teams of sixth graders just after World War II. The annual game between the two teams is called the Bat 6. The Bear Creek Ridge team has a Japenese girl named Aki on their team. She is polite and would never hurt anyone. The Barlow team has a girl named Shazam. Shazam's father was killed by the Japenese so Shazam hates all Japenese. At the Bat 6 game, Shazam does something horrible to Aki. The first part of the book is mostly about the personality of the girls. The second part is about the game, what Shazam did, and how the whole town reacts. I really recommend this book. It's really interesting and meaningful.
Silent to the Bone by E. L. Konigsburg (reviewed Dec 28, 2003)
4 This is a really good book. The end wasn't that great but in the middle of it I couldn't put it down. It is about a boy named Branwell who is accused of hurting his baby half-sister Nikki. His best friend Connor is sure Branwell didn't hurt Nikki, but Branwell is sent to a juvenile behavior center and won't talk to anyone. Connor visits Branwell every day but Branwell won't talk and won't say what happened. Connor communicates with Branwell by using flashcards. Branwell sends him talking to a lot of different people such as the babysitter and others who were with Branwell the day Nikki was hurt (if I tell who it will spoil the book.) This is a mystery and a friend and family relationship story put together. It can get boring but in general is interesting and really good. I recommend it.
Knots in My Yo-Yo String: The Autobiography of a Kid by Jerry Spinelli (reviewed Dec 25, 2003)
3 This is an okay book by Jerry Spinelli. It is his autobiography about when he was a young child to his late teens. He wasn't a writer then. He dreamed of being a baseball player or something like that. He was fast and a good short stop. There's also a chapter or two on kisses and his girlfriends (kind of weird). In all it's pretty good, but can get boring. Also, I don't like the chapters about his girlfriends. It's boring and who needs to know who his girlfriend was in sixth grade.
Walking to the Bus-Rider Blues by Harriette Gillem Robinet (reviewed Dec 25, 2003)
3 This is an interesting book. It is about a black family in Alabama during the Alabama bus boycott struggling to pay rent. The problem is that someone is stealing their rent money. They are also being accused of stealing. Alfa (the boy in the family) has to figure out who stole their money and who stole the money they were accused of stealing, or they won't be able to pay the rent. This book is interesting at first but isn't great. It is worth reading though and is good if you like historical fiction.
All Alone in the Universe by Lynne Rae Perkins (reviewed Jun 14, 2003)
3 This book is pretty good. It was about a girl named Debbie. She and her best friend Maureen do everything together. Then, a girl named Glenna starts taking Maureen away from Debbie. First, they're still friends, just not best friends. Debbie is mad because Glenna is always with Maureen. She can never be alone with Maureen because Glenna's always there. Then when Maureen promises to call Debbie but never does, they become separated. Debbie feels like she's alone. This is a good realistic fiction book. I recommend it to most girls.
Pleasing the Ghost by Sharon Creech (reviewed Jun 10, 2003)
3 This book was okay. It was strange. It's about a boy who meets ghosts at night. One night, his dead uncle comes into his room as a ghost. His uncle had been sick and talked in a way only the boy and his aunt could understand(only sort of). The uncle wants him to do "three pleases." But it's hard to please a ghost when he says things like "pin Heartfoot a sweel." This book wasn't as good as some other Sharon Creech books, but it's definitely worth reading.
Soccer Duel by Matt Christopher (reviewed Jun 9, 2003)
3 This is a quick but good read. I liked it because I like soccer. It's about a boy named Renny. His parents are divorced. He is a really good soccer player. He played center for his old team but has to spend his time on the bench on his new team. When the team's center striker is injured, Renny is put in. Everyone can see that he is good. Bryce is on a different team and is the team's star player. Bryce's parents are also divorced. He and Renny become friends. Bryce's team is obviously in the play offs. When Renny takes his team to the play offs the two friends have to go vs. each other in the most important game. This book was interesting but easy. I recommend it to anyone who likes soccer.
The View From Saturday by E. L. Konigsburg (reviewed May 30, 2003)
3 This book is strange. It's also quite interesting. It is about four sixth graders who are on an academic team. They make it to the championship (or whatever you call it). There is a story about each kid at the beginning of the book. Three of the kids know each other because of something (like family dentists). One is different but somehow fits in. Mrs. Olinsky, the teacher who chose the team, doesn't know why she chose who she did. This book is how she figures out what the kids have in common and why she chose them. This book is entertaining but only good for when you have nothing else. It's really hard to explain. I'm sorry if my review makes no sense. I tried.
Matilda by Roald Dahl (reviewed May 28, 2003)
5 This book was really good. It's about a girl whose parents don't pay any attention to her except to punish her. They're basically crooks, too. Matilda wants to go to school. She gets sent to a school where the headmaster, The Trunchbull, hates children and locks them up in a tight closet with spikes on the walls for punishment. She even threw a girl over the fence. Matilda is a genius. She has to get rid of the Trunchbull. This book is good and also very strange. I like Roald Dahl's writing style a lot.
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli (reviewed May 28, 2003)
3 I thought this book was strange but good. It's about a girl who's different. She cheers for the other team and sings Happy Birthday to everyone. Everyone is amazed. She becomes the most popular girl in school. But not for long. Kids begin to avoid her because she's different. Leo, who's in love with her, tries to get her to become normal. Normal is something she isn't. I liked this book because something was almost always happening.
The BFG by Roald Dahl (reviewed May 23, 2003)
5 This book is really strange. It's about a big friendy giant who kidnaps a girl named Sophie from her bed. He's different from the other giants. He doesn't eat humans. He gives children good dreams. He only only kidnaps Sophie because she saw him and he has to be kept a secret. The other giants go around eating people at night. Sophie and the BFG have to stop them. This book, like other Roald Dahl books, is weird but entertaining.
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos (reviewed May 16, 2003)
5 This book comes before "Joey Pigza Loses Control," but I read them in the wrong order and I still understood and liked them both. Joey is hyper. He can't control himself. His meds don't work on him. He even swallows his house key and cuts off the tip of a girl's nose!! Joey is sent to a school for special kids. This book is good, funny, and weird. It's a good book for anybody.
Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary (reviewed May 16, 2003)
2 This book is easy and pretty boring. It's about a boy who writes to an author and then starts a diary. He has problems like his parents being divorced and people stealing his lunch. I didn't like this book because it had no feeling. What I mean by no feeling is that I couldn't feel anything he was feeling. Since I couldn't feel what he was feeling, I couldn't get into the book. That's why I say this book is boring.
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell (reviewed May 16, 2003)
2 This book is weird and pretty pointless. It's about some boys who make a bet that a boy can't eat 15 worms in 15 days. He is scared to eat worms but he does. The boys who dared him try to stop him so they won't have to give him money. This book is easy and pretty boring. You should read it if you're really bored and want something really easy to read. Younger kids would probably like it, too.
Joey Pigza Loses Control by Jack Gantos (reviewed May 12, 2003)
4 This book is strange and pretty easy, but it's good. Joey goes to live with his Dad and Grandmother for a summer. In my opinion his dad and grandmother are really weird. At first Joey has fun. He gets to play baseball on his dad's team and do other fun things. But then his dad starts letting him break all of his mom's rules including not having use his medicine patches that controls his hyperness. This book is weird and sort of funny. Anyone might like it.
Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt (reviewed May 8, 2003)
4 This is an interesting story of a girl's life. Julie's mother dies when she is young. She moves in with her aunt. The book has from when her mother dies to when she's in college. This book has all her different feelings. There are many sad things that happen as well as things that are very exciting and happy. The story always keeps on moving so it almost never gets boring. I recommend this to people who like somewhat realistic fiction.
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse (reviewed May 6, 2003)
3 This book is interesting. It is about a girl who lives in a place where there isn't much rain. There's lots of dust. Her father leaves a pot of kerosene in the kitchen. It catches fire. Her mother runs out. She didn't know her mom was coming back in and she throws the kerosene out the door. Her mother catches fire and later dies. Billie Jo's life is now miserable. Her father acts different and she can't play piano (which she loves to do) because of her injured hands. This book is written in poetry (or something like it.) It is sad but doesn't make me feel sad when I read it like I think a good sad book should. People who like serious books should read Out of the Dust.
Perloo the Bold by Avi (reviewed Apr 30, 2003)
5 THIS BOOK IS REALLY GOOD!! It is about a Montmer (something like a rabbit) named Perloo. He was friends with the Granter (leader). Granter Jolaine had one cub who she felt was not worthy of being the next granter. When Jolaine dies, Perloo receives shocking news: He is to be the next granter. Jolaine's cub, Berwig, is as shocked as Perloo. He wanted to be granter and lied to become it. Perloo has many adventures stopping Berwig and getting Montmer Freedom. He faces challenges and makes decisions(two things he never liked to do). This book is full of adventure and suspense. Once you pick it up you can't put it down. Anyone and everyone should read this really good book.
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen (reviewed Apr 25, 2003)
3 This book is strange. Roy is new in town. He sees a boy running. The boy, he later finds out, is a girl from school's stepbrother. He can't live at home. The boy is pulling pranks on a place where a pancake place is going to go up. He has a reason though. There are owls on that property. Roy tries to help the boy save the owls. This book is different but worth reading.
The Elevator Family by Douglas Evans (reviewed Apr 23, 2003)
1 EASY!!!!!!! This is a REALLY EASY book about a family that lives in an elevator. It is REALLY BORING! The family comes to a hotel and moves into the elevator. They call it Otis. They meet lots of weird people. This book is pathetic, stupid, and pointless. Six-year-olds might like it (but it might be easy even for them). I recommend this to people who are age six or under.
Mr. Revere and I by Robert Lawson (reviewed Apr 23, 2003)
4 This is a book about Paul Revere from his horse's point of view. It took a while to get into. Paul Revere's horse was once in the British army. She then belonged to Paul Revere. They rode a lot together including the very important ride that helped the Sons of Liberty defeat the British. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the Revolutionary War.
Blubber by Judy Blume (reviewed Apr 20, 2003)
3 This book is something like what really happens at school. Everyone makes fun of a girl named Linda. Jill does too. I agree with her best friend Tracy, that she does it because she's scared of a girl named Wendy who everyone always listens to. Jill thinks she could never be made fun of. Then one day it backfires in her face. This book is very realistic and good.
The Staircase by Ann Rinaldi (reviewed Apr 15, 2003)
5 This book is GOOD!!! It is about a girl named Lizzy who comes to New Mexico. Her father leaves her at a Catholic school and chapel. Lizzy is Methodist. The new chapel doesn't have a staircase to the choir loft. Lizzy finds a beggar man (who is also a carpenter) and takes him back to ask if he could build the staircase. The other girls are praying for Saint Joseph to come and make a miracle. When the beggar builds a spiral staircase in a short time, they wonder if he was Saint Joseph. This story is based on the true story of a mysterious man who builds a staircase and disappeared and is believed to have been Saint Joseph. There so many good things and so much happens that I couldn't put in the review. You have to read the book to get the full meaning of it. YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK.
Woodsong by Gary Paulsen (reviewed Mar 30, 2003)
5 This book is GOOD!! It is an autobiography of Gary Paulsen and dog sledding including when he ran the Iditarod. A lot of these things were hard to believe that they really happened. His dogs and some of the things they know and do are amazing. So are some of the things Gary Paulsen survived. He always lucks out when he does stupid things(trust me, he does many stupid things). Some stupid things he did were throwing a stick at a bear and tying his arm to the sled. It definitely shows that smart people do a few(or many) dumb things. I really recommend this book.
Freckle Juice by Judy Blume (reviewed Mar 30, 2003)
3 This book is really easy but good. Andrew wants freckles. Know-it-all Sharon says she will give him her recipe for freckle juice for 50 cents. He pays but when he drinks the freckle juice, all he gets is a stomach ache. He then uses a magic marker to draw on freckles but he can't find a brown marker. Instead he uses blue. This book is entertaining enough but I reccomend it more for second or third graders.
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (reviewed Mar 30, 2003)
3 This book is pretty good. Jess wants to be the fastest runner at school. Then a new new girl comes and beats all the boys. The girl has courage and can do anything a boy can do. Kids at school make fun of her. Jess and her become friends. They create a world called Terabithia where the girl, Leslie, is queen and Jess is king. Then something horrible happens. Something that changes Jess a lot. I thought this book was very good, but often described boring things that made me want to stop reading.
5 This book is really good. A girl and her mother are moving from China to America. The girl changes her Chinese name to Shirley. In America, she can't pronounce things and doesn't understand things. All her mistakes and misunderstandings make the book really funny. Her version of The Pledge of Alegiance is, "I pledge a lesson to the frog of the United States of America. And to the wee puppet for witches hands one Asian in the vestibule with little tea and just rice for all." Read this book if you want something really, really funny, but with a meaning (I happen to hate books that are just funny and have no meaning at all.)
Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great by Judy Blume (reviewed Mar 18, 2003)
4 This is by the author of Superfudge and other Fudge books and has the same characters.Sheila is going to spend the summer in Tarrytown.She is looking foward to it.In Tarrytown,her new best friend can do everything and is scared of almost nothing.Sheila says she can do all of the things her friend can do even though she can't and says that she isn't scared of anything even though many things scare her.This book isn't funny like the other books with the same characters but is just as good.
Superfudge by Judy Blume (reviewed Mar 18, 2003)
4 This book is really funny. Peter isn't happy with his parents' ideas of a surprise. First a baby sister and then moving to Princeton for a year. In Princeton Peter won't know anyone and will be in the same school as Fudge. He wants to run away. In Princeton he begins to get used to his new life. This book is funny and everyone should read it.
Fudge-a-mania by Judy Blume (reviewed Mar 18, 2003)
4 This book is a lot like the other Fudge books. It's good for a laugh. Peter and his family are going to Maine for three weeks. The worst part for Peter is that they're sharing a house with Shiela Tubman and her family. He thinks it will be a disaster and is he ever right. With Fudge, Sheila, Mitsy (Fudge's new friend) and everyone else, it's chaos. This book is sort of easy but it's really funny. I recommend it to anyone.
Four Perfect Pebbles: A Holocaust Story by Lila Perl (reviewed Mar 18, 2003)
4 This book is serious and sad. I would recommend it to pretty advanced readers. Marion lives with her family during the Holocaust. She is a Jew. She tries to find four pebbles that are exactly alike. She thinks that if she does her family will remain whole. This book tells about Marion's whole lifetime and also has photographs. I recommend this book, but not if you're in the mood for a funny or easy read.
Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath (reviewed Mar 15, 2003)
4 This book is really, really, really strange but good. Primrose's parents are lost at sea and many say they are dead. Primrose lives with her Uncle Jack. Many weird and funny things happen as well as a few sad things. One of the strangest things is when Primrose sets a guinea pig on fire. Some of the characters are funny too. Also, there are a lot of recipes in the book. This book is weird and hard to explain. If you want to know what it's really about, you should read it.
Magic Tree House - Series by Mary Pope Osborne (reviewed Mar 15, 2003)
3 These books were really easy. I liked them when I was in first grade. Jack and Annie find a treehouse in the woods. It's filled with books. When you point to a picture in a book you go to that place and that time. They go all over the world and in the past and the future helping Morgan, the magical person who owns the treehouse. They do things like free her from spells. Sometimes, I read these books for fun. Now, I can read them in less than ten minutes, but back in first or second grade they were interesting and a good read. I recommend these books to first, second, and maybe third graders.
Double Fudge by Judy Blume (reviewed Mar 15, 2003)
4 Fudge is obsessed with money. When the Hatchers are in Washington D.C, they meet their long-lost cousins. Then Peter's worst nightmare happens. Cousin Howie, Eudora, Farley (Mini,for Mini Fudge), and Flora and Fauna (the Heavenly Hatchers) come to stay in New York with his family. This book is really good if you want to laugh. If you liked any other books by Judy Blume then you would like this one.
Crossing Jordan by Adrian Fogelin (reviewed Mar 11, 2003)
5 This book is a pretty good read.A new family moves next door to Cass and her family.They are black.When Cass's father finds out they're black,he built a fence around the yard.The new family has a girl who,like Cass,loves to run.They challenge each other to a race and become friends.But their families don't want them to be together.When Mrs.Lewis(the black girl's mom)saves Cass's sister from heat prostration,the relationships between the families change.Or do they?I like this book because it talks about real life:how people are mean to each other because of differences that don't matter.This book almost never got boring.
Chasing Redbird by Sharon Creech (reviewed Mar 11, 2003)
4 Zinny finds and begins uncovering a trail behind her house. It was her chance to be noticed and to have her own place. Her Aunt Jessie has recently died. Uncle Nate had called her Redbird. When she died he began running around and swatting things. He was chasing his Redbird. Zinny thinks she killed her aunt. She is trying to uncover the trail so maybe she can uncover secrets of Aunt Jessie and Rose (Aunt Jessie and Uncle Nate's daughter who died.) The book is sort of hard to explain. I like it because it never gets boring. If you want to understand the story you should read it.
The Empress of Elsewhere by Theresa Nelson (reviewed Mar 6, 2003)
5 GOOD!!! Mary Al and Jim Jr. have a job taking care of J.D's monkey. J.D is mean. J.D lives in a mansion. On an island at the mansion, they all fix up a treehouse. J.D. seems nicer now. But there is something that Jim Jr. and Mary Al don't know. Something that explains why J.D. was so mean. This book is really, really funny. I recommend it to everyone.
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket (reviewed Mar 6, 2003)
2 Weird and in general boring. A lot of people like these but I don't. Mostly it's just one bad thing after another. Their parents die. Count Olaf tries to steal their fortune. They escape. Then one bad thing after another happens and they always just barely escape. I used to think these books were okay, but now I find them really predictable. And boring. But that's just my opinion. Many other reviewers say they're great. Read on a rainy day or when you want a nap. They'll definitely give you a nap.
Captain Underpants - Series by Dav Pilkey (reviewed Mar 5, 2003)
1 I don't see how people like these. They are pathetic, easy, and highly stupid. I liked them in second grade. George and Harold play pranks and get in trouble with their principal. They get a hypno-ring and hypnotize him. He now believes he's Captain Underpants. Then they pour water on his head. Now whenever he hears snapping he turns into Captain Underpants. He always saves the day and fights criminals with things like wedgie power. Pathetic. It's basically a series a comic book stories. I used to sort of like them. Now I think I was stupid to ever have liked them. I reccommend them to first, and second, graders.
Bloomability by Sharon Creech (reviewed Mar 5, 2003)
4 Aunt Sandy and Uncle Max "kidnap" Dinnie and bring her back to Switzerland. She goes to a school where Uncle Max is the headmaster. The kids are all very different. They come from different types of families and from very different places. Dinnie's life in Switzerland is different from what her life was in the USA. I think the book is about change and opportunities and difference. I thought it was interesting. I didn't like it at first but it got good. I reccomend it to almost everyone.
Mick Harte was Here by Barbara Park (reviewed Mar 5, 2003)
5 MUST READ THIS BOOK!!!!! This is my favorite book ever. In some parts I was laughing and in some I cried. Pheobe's brother Mick dies in a bike accident and her life has changed. It's mostly about how she deals with it. One of the reasons I really like the book is probably that I can relate to it. I know how Pheobe feels because I've felt what she's feeling in the book. I've even said and done a lot of the same things. Mick Harte was Here has many good messages. I don't think everyone will like this book, and I don't think anyone will like it as much as I do, but I think if you don't try it, you're missing out on something really, really, really great. You HAVE to read this book. It is way too good to not read. READ IT NOW!!!!!!!!
The Word Eater by Mary Amato (reviewed Mar 5, 2003)
4 Pretty good. Sometimes it got boring but mostly good. Lerner finds a worm that eats words. Whatever word it eats, the thing in the real world disappears. She names it Fip. But when she feeds Fip words, she ends up getting herself and other people in trouble. I thought this book had a good plot but got boring in a lot of parts.
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt (reviewed Mar 5, 2003)
3 This book was okay but sometimes lost my attention. The Tuck family will live forever because they drank from a special spring. Winnie finds out their secret and they take her home with them to explain. They say it's not good to live forever. This book had a good plot but some parts were really boring.
The Moorchild by Eloise McGraw (reviewed Mar 5, 2003)
1 DO NOT READ!!! This book is so bad and boring. One of my friends really, really, really liked it. I would have abandoned it but I had to read it for a book group. It really stinks that I can't rate it -1,000,000. It's so bad I don't want to tell about it. So I won't.
The Ghost of Lizard Light by Elvira Woodruff (reviewed Feb 27, 2003)
3 Jack's family has just moved to Maine. It is very different from Jack's old home. His father expects him to be perfect. Jack is trying to get used to his new life. Then he meets ten-year-old Nathaniel Witherspoon. Nathaniel is a ghost. He says Jack is just the kind of boy he needs. Together they solve the mystery of Nathaniel's father and the night Nathaniel died. This book is an okay mystery. If it's around then read it but don't go looking for it.
Time for Andrew by Mary Downing Hahn (reviewed Feb 15, 2003)
4 Drew is staying at Aunt Blythe's house. In the middle of the night, he wakes up to see a boy who looks just like him, except that he is from another time and looks like he's come from the grave. His name is Andrew and he has diphtheria. They switch places and times. Will they ever switch back? I like this book because it's mysterious. Anyone who likes mysteries will like it. I wish I could rate it 4.5 but I can't. Even though I didn't rate it a 5, I still really like it.
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech (reviewed Feb 12, 2003)
4 Sal's mother has left her and her father. They move away from their farm. Sal is on a road trip with her grandparents. Along the way she tells the story of her friend Pheobe whose mother leaves but only for a little while. She is doing something. In the story and on the trip, many secrets are uncovered. This book is interesting and a little sad. It has a lot of good things in it. I liked it a lot.
The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis (reviewed Feb 12, 2003)
5 GOOD BOOK! Kenny and his family live when Blacks are treated very unfairly. They are Black. Kenny's brother Byron is being bad. Those parts are really funny. Then, their parents decide to go to Alabamba, where Momma is from, and leave him with Grandma Sands for a while. In Alabama something happens that is really sad when you think about it. This book is funny, interesting, and meaningful. READ IT!
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis (reviewed Feb 6, 2003)
4 This was a really interesting book. Bud lives in an orphanage where he's been to two foster homes before he runs away from the third. His momma never told him who his father was, but he has a hint: Flyers for Herman E. Calloway and his band. He goes off in search of his father. I thought this book got boring sometimes but in general was good.
Skylark by Patricia MacLachlan (reviewed Feb 6, 2003)
4 I read this because it was the sequel to Sarah Plain and Tall. It was about as good as Sarah Plain and Tall. Sarah came from Maine to marry Anna and Caleb's papa. That summer there is a drought so Sarah takes Anna and Caleb to Maine. Papa wouldn't leave his land. Anna and Caleb like Maine but miss home. Anna begins to wonder if she and Caleb and Sarah and Papa will ever be a family again. This book is an easy, but good, book to read.
Caleb's Story by Patricia MacLachlan (reviewed Jan 30, 2003)
4 I thought this book was pretty good. Anna asks her younger brother to write a journal while she is away finishing school. He says there is nothing to write about. Then, his little sister Cassie sees a man behind the barn. He says he wants to see Caleb's father. The question is who is he. That isn't the only question though. There are many more things needing to be answered. This book is good and has a lot of good messages and lessons.
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan (reviewed Jan 30, 2003)
4 This book was easy, but had a very good story. Anna and Caleb's mother is dead. Caleb doesn't even remember her. Their father puts out an advertisement for a wife. Sarah comes to stay with them, but misses the sea. Throughout the whole story I'm asking the same question as Anna and Caleb: will Sarah stay? This is a short but touching book that I really enjoyed.
The Landry News by Andrew Clements (reviewed Jan 29, 2003)
4 This was a pretty good book. At her old school, Cara Landry writes a newspaper and puts in mean things about other people. At her new school, her English teacher, Mr.Larson, doesn't teach. She puts that in her newspaper and gets in trouble. She tells her mom that she was just telling the truth. Cara's mom says the truth is good but you also need some mercy. Then Cara writes her newspaper with other kids and Mr.Larson started teaching. Both Cara and Mr. Larson changed and learned a lot. I thought this book was very interesting and had some good messages.
The School Story by Andrew Clements (reviewed Jan 29, 2003)
4 This was a book about a girl named Natalie who writes a book. Her best friend, Zoe, thinks it's so good it should be published. This book is about Zoe's plan to get it published. I thought this book was very well written. Whenever the book talks about Natalie and her father who died, I feel both happy and sad at the same time. This was a really great book.
Frindle by Andrew Clements (reviewed Jan 28, 2003)
4 I thought this book was really good. It is about a boy named Nick who likes to brighten things up. When he makes up the word "frindle," meaning pen, he really stirs things up. Soon there are newspaper reporters interviewing him. His english teacher, Mrs.Granger, doesn't like the new word. She makes everyone who says it stay after school and write 'I am writing this sentence with a pen' 100 times. Everyone who said it is a lot of people. I recommend this book to everyone.
The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare (reviewed Jan 28, 2003)
2 My class read it in groups. I guess it was interesting in some parts, but in most it was just boring. I think I would've liked it a little more if I could've read it alone instead of in groups. It is about a boy named Matt who is living alone in the woods while his father is getting the rest of the family. Matt is lonely until he meets Attean, an Indian boy, who Matt teaches to read. At first, they don't like each other. Then Attean teaches Matt the Indian way and they become friends. I think this book is good enough to read on a rainy day but I wouldn't choose it if there were other options.
My Life in Dog Years by Gary Paulsen (reviewed Jan 28, 2003)
4 This a book of true stories about Gary Paulson's dogs. These dogs were all very special. For example Cookie saved his life and Josh was his best friend. Gary Paulson sometimes would put a baseball cap and sunglasses on Josh and say, 'You're cool dude.' I think almost every dog-lover will really like this book.
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo (reviewed Jan 28, 2003)
4 This was a great book about a girl and her dog. Opal is new in Naomi, Florida. She doesn't have any friends. Opal finds a dog at the supermarket and names him Winn-Dixie. Now she has one friend. Winn-Dixie isn't your ordinary dog. Winn-Dixie hates to be alone, has a pathological fear of thunderstorms, and is an expert at making friends. That summer Opal makes many friends and finds out a lot of things because of Winn-Dixie. I recommend this book to everyone.
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume (reviewed Jan 27, 2003)
5 This book is really funny. It is about a boy with a really annoying brother named Fudge. Fudge isn't just regular like bothering Peter while he's doing his homework. Fudge is ruining Peter's life. There are many funny stories in the book such as the one where Fudge has a birthday party. As you can probably guess it turned out to be a big disaster. Fudge also ruined the project Peter, his best friend Jimmy Fargo, and his enemy Sheila Tubman had been working on for school. Compared to Fudge, your siblings are nothing.
Dave at Night by Gail Carson Levine (reviewed Jan 25, 2003)
5 Dave at Night is about a boy named Dave. His mother died from having him. He lives with his father and step-mother. Then his father dies. Dave's step-mother wants to give away Dave and his brother Gideon. His uncle takes Gideon but won't take Dave, so Dave ends up in the Hebrew Home for Boys. At the HHB, the only thing Dave has of his father's is taken away. Dave and his buddies need to get it back. Dave is an orphan in the day but at night he escapes the orphanage and anything can happen. As the book says he's Daredevil Dave. This book is one of my favorites because sometimes it can be really sad, but at others it's almost funny.
Gracie's Girl by Ellen Wittlinger (reviewed Jan 25, 2003)
4 I think this is a very good book. It is about a girl named Bess. She wants to be popular. Her parents work at a homeless shelter. She thinks the place is creepy until she meets the homeless woman, Gracie Jarvis Battle. Then, she and her friend Ethan start helping with the homeless shelter. They even shelter Gracie until the women's shelter opens. This book has the message of true friendship and of helping others.
Love That Dog by Sharon Creech (reviewed Jan 17, 2003)
4 I really liked this book. It's all in poetry. He doesn't understand poetry. Then he writes a poem inspired by Walter Dean Myers about his dog. I won't tell what happens in the poem. It's better to read that part straight from the book. I recommend this book to almost everyone. As my friends and I say, "Love that book."
Almost Starring Skinnybones by Barbara Park (reviewed Jan 17, 2003)
5 Hooray! Skinnybones is back! This time stardom is the trouble. Who thought doing a T.V commercial could make you never want to go to school again. Well Alex has to play the part of a little kid. Everyone at school laughs at him. There are more funny stories in the book such as the school play. I recommend this book to any and every kid.
Skinnybones by Barbara Park (reviewed Jan 17, 2003)
5 Skinnybones is a hilarious book about a boy named Alex. He gets into a lot of hard to get out of things because he's small but has a big mouth. All the kids at school call him Skinnybones. He always has something to say back to them. I like his smart-aleck way of handling things even if it doesn't always work. I find that a lot of the bad things that happen to Alex are just like the things that happen to kids at school in real life. I recomend this book to any kid and I think any kid who reads it will like it.
Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery (reviewed Dec 21, 2002)
4 It's a new life for Anne when she comes to live with Marilla and Matthew but Marilla and Matthew wanted a boy. Will they keep Anne who has a large imagination, loves to talk, and gets into trouble easily. I like the book because of the description in the writing and because I like to read about the adventures Anne gets into.This book is both sad and funny.
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (reviewed Dec 14, 2002)
5 I loved this book. It was about a girl who was best friends with a Jewish girl during World War 2. Annemarie (the girl who isn't Jewish) and her family do a lot to help Ellen (the Jewish girl) and her family during this hard time for everyone especially Jews. I like that people of different religions are very close and help each other. This book shows what true friendship and bravery really mean.
Autumn Street by Lois Lowry (reviewed Dec 13, 2002)
5 Autumn Street is one of my favorite books. It is about a six-year-old girl named Elizabeth living with her sister, Jess, her baby brother, Gordan, her mom, and her grandparents during World War Two. Her father is fighting in the war. You would think a book on this topic would be serious or sad but it's really not.Well,it is sort of sad but it's also kind of funny. This is because it is from Elizabeth's point of view. She doesn't understand the war and with all the trouble she gets into with her friend Charles it makes the book quite funny.But as young as Elizabeth is,the war is sad for her, even if she doesn't quite understand it.The beginning is sort of slow because it's her painting a picture and who and what she would put in it,but it's also a good part.Sort of like she's placing everyone where they belong.I think you should definetly read this book.
The Wanderer by Sharon Creech (reviewed Dec 12, 2002)
5 I thought The Wanderer was very interesting. It started out just to be about life on a ship. Then there were secrets to uncover. What happened to Sophie's real parents? I wanted to know so badly that I read almost the whole day. It waits so long to uncover the secret. I couldn't take the suspense. It also had action like in the storm with the giant waves. I won't write anymore because if I do I'll give the whole story away and I don't want that because if I do you won't read it yourself.
The Graduation of Jake Moon by Barbara Park (reviewed Dec 10, 2002)
4 This book is both sad and funny at the same time. Jake's grandfather, Skelly, has Alzheimer's. He doesn't recognize Jake. Jake is embarrassed by Skelly and hates his own grandfather. In the end, he accepts the disease and likes his grandfather again. This book has very good messages and is an interesting book.
