STUDENT REVIEW - Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl

Boy: Tales of Childhood

By Roald Dahl

Published by Penguin Group, Inc., 2009

176 pages (paperback)

Where did Roald Dahl get all of his wonderful ideas for stories? From his own life, of course!

As full of excitement and the unexpected as his world-famous, best-selling books, Roald Dahl's tales of his own childhood are completely fascinating and fiendishly funny. Did you know that Roald Dahl nearly lost his nose in a car accident? Or that he was once a chocolate candy tester for Cadbury's? Have you heard about his involvement in the Great Mouse Plot of 1924? If not, you don’t yet know all there is to know about Roald Dahl. Sure to captivate and delight you, the boyhood antics of this master storyteller are not to be missed! (from barnesandnoble.com)

It was cool learning about how a boy during that time period lived. If it was longer it would be better. Yes! [Middle schoolers should read this because] it is super interesting and that time period is rather surprising.

--Isabella S.

This book has very funny moments that would make you crackup in the middle of nothing and could freak you out so much that you could faint. This is cool because you can realize some cool moments in your life. This book had some diary entries and pictures and letters that could have been more clear but were not. Yes, [I would recommend this book to middle schoolers] because it is very funny. This will keep you happy.

--Heba S.

STUDENT REVIEW - A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck

A Long Way from Chicago

By Richard Peck

Published by Penguin Group, 2000

150 pages (paperback)

What happens when Joey and his sister, Mary Alice -- two city slickers from Chicago -- make their annual summer visits to Grandma Dowdel's seemingly sleepy Illinois town?

August 1929: They see their first corpse, and he isn't resting easy. August 1930: The Cowgill boys terrorize the town, and Grandma fights back. August 1931: Joey and Mary Alice help Grandma trespass, poach, catch the sheriff in his underwear, and feed the hungry -- all in one day. And there's more, as Joey and Mary Alice make seven summer trips to Grandma's -- each one funnier than the year before -- in self-contained chapters that readers can enjoy as short stories or take together for a rollicking good novel. In the tradition of American humorists from Mark Twain to Flannery O'Connor, popular author Richard Peck has created a memorable world filled with characters who, like Grandma herself, are larger than life and twice as entertaining. (from barnesandnoble.com)

It was pretty funny and there was lots of action. I think it was good how it was. Yes, [I would recommend this book to middle schoolers because] it’s really funny and action-packed.

-Lillian H.

It was funny and it made me laugh. It was really good. Yes, [I would recommend this book] because it is a quick read.

--Nathan C.

TOP TEN TUESDAY: Top Ten Books Featuring Travel

Top 10 Tuesday is hosted at The Broke and the Bookish. Today’s topic is the Top Ten Books Featuring Travel.

It is time for summer trips so what better way to kick that off then to read some books about taking a little journey. So here are my favorite books about road trips, epic journeys, and fun vacations...

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Redwall by Brian Jacques

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Crossing the Wire by Will Hobbs

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Wanderlove by Kristen Hubbard

TOP TEN TUESDAY: The Top Ten Books with One-Word Titles

HAPPY LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!

See you all in August!

Top 10 Tuesday is hosted at The Broke and the Bookish. Today’s (freebie) topic is the Top Ten Books with One-Word Titles.

True Story… I had a student who coincidentally kept checking out books with one-word titles (not counting a, an & the). It became a joke, though he really didn’t do intentionally. So here are my top ten books (plus some sequels) with single word titles.

Matilda by Roald Dahl

Tempest by Julie Cross

Chains and Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Cinder and Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

Marked by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

So, have any one-word titles caught your eye lately?

STUDENT REVIEW - The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine

The Lions of Little Rock

By Kristin Levine

Published by Penguin Young Readers Group, 2013

320 pages (paperback)

Two girls separated by race form an unbreakable bond during the tumultuous integration of Little Rock schools in 1958.

Twelve-year-old Marlee doesn't have many friends until she meets Liz, the new girl at school. Liz is bold and brave, and always knows the right thing to say, especially to Sally, the resident mean girl. Liz even helps Marlee overcome her greatest fear - speaking, which Marlee never does outside her family.

But then Liz is gone, replaced by the rumor that she was a Negro girl passing as white. But Marlee decides that doesn't matter. Liz is her best friend. And to stay friends, Marlee and Liz are willing to take on integration and the dangers their friendship could bring to both their families. (from barnesandnoble.com)

I think it was a good book because it was heart-warming. It made me want to keep reading! Just a dash of romance and it would have been perfect ;-) (not really!). I would recommend this book to a middle schooler because it touches on the fact that racism happened merely 50 years ago.

--Sequoia R.

STUDENT REVIEW - Fairy Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley

Fairy Tale Detectives (Sisters Grimm Book #1)

By Michael Buckley

Published by Abrams, Harry N., Inc, 2007

312 pages (paperback)

In paperback for the first time, the Sisters Grimm take readers to a world where fairy tales are fact and not everyone is who they seem!

In book one of this bestselling series, sisters Sabrina and Daphne are sent to live with their mysterious grandmother, Relda Grimm. The sisters learn they are descendants of the Brothers Grimm, whose famous book of fairy tales is actually a collection of case files. The girls are the latest in a long line of fairy-tale detectives, and their new hometown is filled with Everafters (as magical folks like to be called)-some good and some very, very bad. When a mysterious Everafter sets a giant loose on the town, it's up to the Sisters Grimm to save the day. (from barnesandnoble.com)

The book never calmed down; there was always one adventure after another and always full of suspense. This book could elaborate a little more on the personalities of the characters. Yes, [middle schoolers should read this book] because the vocabulary isn’t difficult and the book is not too long and always kept you full of suspense!

--Heba S.

TOP TEN TUESDAY: The Top Ten Books on Tough Subjects

Top 10 Tuesday is hosted at The Broke and the Bookish. Today’s topic is the Top Ten Books on Tough Subjects.

 

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (Tough Topics: Rape, Rumors, Abuse)
I wish every 8^th grader would read this before heading off to high school.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (Tough Topics: Suicide, Rape, Bullying)
This is the other book I wish all teens would read. I was speechless while reading this book… I couldn’t put it down, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read more because it was all too plausible.

Looking for Alaska by John Green (Tough Topics: Suicide, Death of Family Member)
I think this was the first book I read by John Green. He does a great job of mixing humor and despair to create a relatable and interesting novel.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (Tough Topics: Cancer, Death)
Ditto what I said about Looking for Alaska.

A Child Called “It”: One Child’s Courage to Survive by David Pelzer (Tough Topics: Abuse, Foster Families, Poverty)
One of the most heart-wrenching books I have read. The sad thing is that it is true and this type of thing still happens all over America even now.

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher (Tough Topics: Rape, Abuse, Bullying)Disturbingly sad, but it will make you think about the things people around you are going through.

Anything by Lurlene McDaniel (Tough Topics: Cancer, Death, Family Issues, etc.)
She is the queen of books on tough subjects that make you want to cry.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (Tough Topics: Bullying, Suicide, Death, Underage Drinking)Such an interesting concept for a book. What might you do differently if you knew how much your actions affected others?

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (Tough Topics: Abuse, Poverty, Dysfunctional Families, Rape)
I read this for a class and was appalled by how horrible the parents were and what the children had to deal with. Again, this was tough to read because it is a true story and many kids face these challenges daily.

The Lottery Rose by Irene Hunt (Tough Topics: Abuse. Foster Families, Poverty)
This is a book I read in my 7^th grade ELA class. I don’t remember a lot of the books I read in class as a kid, but this one stuck with me. I was always encouraged by the perseverance the boy showed and the kindness of strangers to help him succeed.

Bonus Book! The Pregnancy Project by Gaby Rodriguez (Tough Topics: Teen Pregnancy, Rumors, Prejudice)I read about this book in a magazine and immediately had to get it. Gaby created her own tough topic and made others face up to their reactions of it. She is an amazing and courageous young lady.