The following is a list of book titles that we have read and reviewed this
year. The titles are listed in alphabetical order, and they include a
preview of the book. Click on the title of the book to go to the review.
A Long Way from Chicago
 | Do most kids want to go their grandma's house for a week in the
summer? Joey and his sister, Mary Alice, visited their grandma every
summer for a week. There wasn't much to do at Grandma's house, but
somehow they managed to keep busy. Grandma made it a summer that they
would never forget. Mary and Joey saw their first dead body, watched
Grandma tell a few lies, use a shotgun on robbers, brew her own beer, and
feed the poor with fish that she caught illegally. [Reviewed by: Talha and Brett] |
Angel of Hope
| When Heather returns from Africa, her happiness begins to fade because she
finds out that a little baby named Alice got sick with a bad disease.
Heather's mother and father both work in the medical field. Heather
begs her mother to go to Africa to help save the baby. They begin to
make a return trip to Africa. What will Heather's mom do to help save
the baby's life? [Reviewed by: Missy] |
Brian's Winter
| It is amazing how a plane crash can change your whole life. Hi,
my name is Brian. I was involved in a plane crash. Now winter is
coming, and I have to make preparations before winter arrives. I have
to find a warm shelter, food, and warmer clothes. Can I survive the
cold winter or will I freeze to death? [Reviewed by: Talha, Shawn, and
Jes]
|
Catherine, Called Birdy
| [Reviewed by: Kathleen] |
Checkmate and the Carpathians
| Hans
Grunwald.
Intimidating name isn’t it?
Well to two 16 year-olds named Con and Hannah it is.
Hans has been wanting to kill Con and Hannah ever since they
identified him as an attempted murderer and as their kidnapper. Now Hans has
escaped from prison and is searching for them. [Reviewed by: Amber] |
Dirt Bike Racer
| Ron was diving in the bay by his house when he saw a dirt bike in the
water. He swam over to see what it was. He yanked and pulled at
the dirt bike until it came loose. Ron brought it home to his garage.
The dirt bike had a lot of water damage, and he had to find a way to pay for
all of the parts. Will Ron ever race his dirt bike?
[Reviewed by: Brett]
|
Ella Enchanted
| When Ella was born, a fairy named
Lucinda bestowed a “gift” of obedience on her. Now that Ella is older, she will do anything to break the
spell and live happily ever after. On
the way to see Lucinda and break the spell, anything and everything gets in
her way. Will Ella be able to
break the spell and live happily ever after? Or will she have to be obedient
for the rest of her life? [Reviewed by: Brad, Amy, Missy, and Rachael]
|
From the
Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
| New York is a very big city, especially for Claudia and James
Kincaid, two adventurous children that ran away from home.
They ended up in the museum of New York. While they are at this
museum they go on many escapades such as taking baths in the fountain and
sleeping in the most expensive bed in the whole, entire museum. James, the
cautious, stubborn one, walks everywhere and never spends money unless it is
an emergency. Claudia is James’ careless, easy-going sister who falls in
love with a statue and becomes obsessed with finding out who made it. [Reviewed by: Ravi and Brad]
|
Harry Potter and the Goblet
of Fire
| Harry
Potter and the Goblet of Fire is
a suspenseful book about a 14-year old boy named Harry Potter who is entered
mysteriously in an ancient tournament that people can die in.
This tournament turns out to be one of Harry’s biggest challenges
yet.
He not only tries to figure out how the Goblet of Fire got his name
for this tournament, but he also tests his knowledge and skills as he faces
different species of monsters.
The final outcome could be death or one of Harry’s biggest wins. [Reviewed by: Mitchal and Marc]
|
Hatchet
| On Brian’s way to his dad’s house in a private jet, the pilot had a
heart attack and died. Now Brian has to land the plane himself. He landed
the plane, but in a pond that was in a forest. All he has to stay alive is a
T-shirt, shorts, and a hatchet that his mom gave him. He is on a survival
mission for warmer clothes, food, and a warm shelter to stay until someone
rescues him. [Reviewed by: Talha and Shawn]
|
Henry Ford: Young Man of Ideas
| Henry Ford
Young Man with Ideas tells how a young man named Henry Ford grows up to be one of the most
successful inventors in the world. He
was a boy with many questions about how different things worked.
He built tiny gadgets to steam engines for farm tractors.
See what other creations he makes and how it effects the world.
[Reviewed by: Mitchal] |
Holes
| Stanley
Yelnats has always been under the curse of his no good-dirty-rotten-pig
stealing great, great grandfather. And now the curse has gotten Stanley in
deep trouble. Stanley has been sent to a detention camp in the middle of
nowhere where he has to dig a hole 5 feet deep and 5 feet wide every single
day until he leaves. After a while Stanley finds out that there are more
than holes being dug. [Reviewed by: Marc, Brett, Craig, Ryan,
and Shawn] |
Hostage
| Twelve year old Kaci is desperate for something unique to happen in her
life. She is obsessed with mystery and adventure stories, so of course she
would wish for some “fun!” When Kaci moves to a richer neighborhood, she
and her new, nosy neighbor, Mrs. Banducci, get involved with something that
even Kaci never thought of, they both get kidnapped. Will Kaci and Mrs.
Banducci be held hostage forever? [Reviewed by: Linda] |
Island of the Blue Dolphins
| “Wait!” yelled Ramo as he waved his arms. Karana, his sister,
noticed that Ramo was standing on shore as the ship was preparing to sail.
He had returned to shore to get something from the island that there
tribe was leaving. Karana had no choice but to go back and get him. As she
reached shore, she saw the boat floating farther and farther away. Will
Karana and Ramo survive the island?
[Reviewed by: Tara]
|
Julie of the Wolves
| Julie, an Eskimo girl, is on her way to her pen pal’s house in San
Francisco…well at least that is what she thinks. Just then a blizzard hits
and she gets lost. Now Julie will have to survive the cold winter in Alaska.
[Reviewed by: Aileen and Matt S.] |
Little Women
| [Reviewed by: Tiffany] |
Lord Brocktree
| The
evil Ungatt Trunn and his army, the Blue-Hordes, have captured the mountain
fortress of Salamandastron! The
only ones who can get it back are the Badger Lord, Brocktree, and his young
hare friend, Dotti. But first
they have to find a way to raise an army that can defeat the Blue-Hordes.
Is the mountain destined to be under the control of the evil wildcat
Ungatt Trunn? Or will Lord
Brocktree and Dotti be able to raise a big enough army to destroy him and
his evil Blue-Hordes? [Reviewed by: Amber] |
Maniac Magee
| [Reviewed by: Jason and Alex] |
Marlfox
| The great tapestry of Martin the
Warrior, Redwall Abbey’s hero and founder, has been stolen!
Redwall’s enemy, the Marlfoxes, stole this beautiful tapestry as a
gift for their cruel and heartless queen.
Three young creatures named Dannflor, Songbreeze, and Dippler set out
on a quest to get the sacred tapestry back.
Will they be heroes or will they be lost to their families forever? [Reviewed by: Amber] |
Mattimeo
| Matthias,
the great warrior of Redwall, has a very cruel enemy. His name is Slagar.
Several years ago, when the battle in the northlands was raging, he and his
mother were captured for treason (betraying their side). They killed his
mom, but he hid in a tree trunk, which was shared by a serpent. He didn’t
know that until it bit him, and it destroyed his face. He wants revenge. So,
he captures all the young, hard-working kids and leads them to the city of
Malkariss in the southern lands where everywhere there was evil. Join
Matthias, Basil Stag Hare, and Jess Squirrel on their journey to Malkariss
as they encounter great gorges and forests.
At
the Redwall Abbey, things aren’t so peaceful either. A flock of birds led
by General Ironbeak was trying to take over the old abbey, but the people at
Redwall can hold them off only so long. Find out all the exciting tricks the
Redwallers use to scare the birds away. [Reviewed by: Ravi]
|
Moon of Two Dark Horses
| [Reviewed by: Mrs. Alspaugh's class] |
Mossflower
| Martin,
a traveling mouse warrior, struggled to fight against the weasels as they
overpowered him. He was finally captured and taken to the queen, a cat who
lived in a redstone castle called Kotir. She was trying to take over the
woods of Mossflower. Corim, center of resistance in Mossflower, is going to
take action. A badger named Bella tells the Corim about her father, Boar the
fighter, because he is the strongest person they know. Martin, Gonff the
mouse thief, and the mole Young Dinny head towards Salamandastron, a fire
fountain, where Boar lives. This is a long and hard journey so be prepared
for the unexpected. [Reviewed by: Ravi] |
My Side of the Mountain
| [Reviewed by: Matt E.] |
Our Only May Amelia
| May Amelia Jakson thinks being a lady is just too boring. So
instead of sewing or doing what is expected of a proper young lady, she is
learning to shoot guns, fish, hunt, and other tomboy things. May's ma
is always on her case to act the way girls should, but she never listens.
May just goes behind her mother's back and does everything she is not
supposed to do. Will May be able to live her life the way she wants
to, or will she be forced to be a proper young lady, never being able to get
a decent job, vote, or even stand up for her rights? [Reviewed by: Claire and Brittany]
|
Pearls of Lutra
| Six
rose-colored pearls that inspire greed in all who see them are lost at
Redwall. Ublaz Mad Eyes, the
evil emperor of the island beyond where the sun sets, is determined to get
the pearls. At Redwall a young
hedgehog maid, Tansy, is determined to find the pearls first, with the help
of her friends. The pearls are
hidden separately, along with a riddle to help find the next one.
Tansy must succeed, as the life of one she holds dear is in danger.
[Reviewed by: Robert]
|
Poor Tom's Ghost
| The
Nicholas family just moved into what at first seemed a normal house, but
that would soon change. The family began to be frightened when they trace
spooky sounds like whispers, screams, and crying into empty rooms. Who or
what could be making the noises? [Reviewed by: Aileen] |
Prince Caspian
| [Reviewed by: Tim and Brandon]
|
Princess Sonora and the Long
Sleep
| When Princess Sonora was born, a fairy made her ten times smarter than an
ordinary person. Then an evil fairy came and cast a spell on her so
she would die when she gets poked by a needle. When Princess Sonora
heard about the spell, she didn't really care. But why? [Reviewed by: Ami] |
Rasco and the
Rats of Nihm
| [Reviewed by: Tommy] |
Red Dog
| [Reviewed by: Stephanie C.] |
Running Out of Time
| [Reviewed by: Stephanie D.] |
Sixth Grade Sleepover
| Janey has a "secret" problem, and it's keeping her from going to
a sleepover. Her problem may not seem big to her friends, but to her
it's HUGE! Janey and her best friend come up with a plan.
Unfortunately, sometimes plans fail! [Reviewed by:
Kaity] |
Skellig
| The boy crept into the old creaky garage and with each step it
quivered and shook. Then he heard a noise in the corner behind lots of
junk. It was the sound of breathing. The boy cautiously stepped
nearer to the noise. To his surprise a man who looked as though he was
made of stone slouched in a chair, sleeping. Together, the boy and his
friend discover the mystery of this magical creature. [Reviewed by: Brittany]
|
Soccer Shock
| CRACK!!!
A flash of light comes barreling down at Adam.
A lightning bolt hit right in front of him.
He felt sort of light-headed, but not for long.
There were two voices talking about how if he died, they would too.
Later he hears them again.
He wants to find out who they are?
Even better, WHAT are they? [Reviewed by: Craig] |
The BFG
| [Reviewed by: Robbie]
|
The Dead Man in Indian Creek
| Parker
and Matt went camping near a creek.
When they went to the creek they stumbled upon a dead body.
Across from them they see a man walk quickly away but not before
Parker recognizes him as George Evans, a local antique storeowner.
Parker is worried because his mom is dating George.
Does George have something to do with the murder?
Parker will do anything to prove that George is guilty. [Reviewed by: Mike, Ian, Craig, and Amy] |
The Defenders
| [Reviewed by: Jon]
|
The Dollhouse Murders
| Amy
thought it was her Aunt’s old yet beautiful dollhouse, until the dolls
come to life and start to reveal a deadly family secret. Amy’s
great-grandparents were shot one night in 1952 in an unsolved mystery. Will
Amy find out what exactly happened the night of the murders? Or will it be
kept a secret forever? [Reviewed by: Amy and Ami] |
The Face on the Milk Carton
| Janie
Johnson thought she was living the perfect life, until she saw the picture
of the missing girl on the milk carton.
Was it really her?
She has a loving mother and father.
They would never kidnap anybody.
Would they?
Suddenly her whole life was turned upside down.
Is she imagining things, or is it true?
Janie won’t rest until she finds out!
[Reviewed by: Mike, Rachael, and Kaity]
|
The Fairy's Mistake
|
Rosella gave an old
lady (who was really a fairy) a drink.
When the fairy was done she said, “Your kindness merits a
reward.”
Suddenly Rosella
felt something hard under her tongue and in her cheek.
She spat into her hand. She
was holding a diamond and two opals! Rosella
was surprised! She thought,
“How did this little, old lady make diamonds come out of my mouth?”
Rosella would soon learn that a
gift can sometimes turn out to be a punishment. [Reviewed by: Tara, Missy, Emily, and Ami]
|
The Haunting of Cabin 13
| Laurie
and her family decided to go on vacation to Backbone State Park.
They got to the park, signed in, and were led to Cabin 13.
As they settled in, Laurie found a note on her bed.
It was signed, "Eleanor".
Laurie decided not to tell any of her family about the mysterious
note.
She wanted to dig around and find out more about it.
Who was Eleanor?
Why did she leave this note?
Are there other notes? [Reviewed by: Tara] |
The
Hitting Streak
| Robbie Belmont plays college baseball. At the start of the season he is doing
horrible. But as the season progresses he gets a hitting streak. As soon as this
happens scouts from pro teams. Will he break the college and pro records? [Reviewed by: Ian] |
The Horse and His Boy
| Shasta,
a 13-year-old boy, hopped on the horse named Bree, a talking horse from the
land of Narnia, not having ridden one before. They were running away from
their home because of their thoughts of being free. They wanted to live in
the enchanted land of Narnia. On their trip they encountered many obstacles
including meeting a 13-year-old princess named Aravis and her talking horse,
Hwin. Aravis was going to have to marry, but she thought she was too young
so she ran away also. They continued their journey together. One stormy
morning they figured they would have to go through the largest city in the
country, Tashbaan, to get into Narnia. When they walked through the tall
gates, Shasta was mistaken for a prince, and Aravis was discovered running
away from home by her elder princess friend. The horses and their riders got
split up! Travel with Shasta, Bree, Aravis, and Hwin on their journey to
freedom. [Reviewed by: Julie and Claudia] |
The Legend of Luke
| A
maiden hedgehog sings a song of the mysterious history of Luke. Martin, the
warrior of Redwall Abbey and Luke’s son, decides to search for information
about his past. Along the way he meets friends and enemies of old and new.
When he reaches his birthplace he visits a half ship called the "Arfship."
The ship has a volume about his father, which tells how he sailed off with
his crew to take revenge on the pirate stoat, Vilu Daskar, for killing his
wife and many of his tribe members. [Reviewed by: Robert]
|
The Lion, the Witch, and
the Wardrobe
| As
four children push through some old musty fur coats, they step into
something cold that crunches under their feet. They find themselves standing
outside in a snowy land.
By talking to animals and odd creatures that could speak like them,
they soon find out that they are in a magical land, Narnia, which is part of
another world, unknown to man. Some of the creatures are kind, but others
are cruel and vicious and will do anything to gain power. These children go
through many troubles to solve he mystery of Narnia. [Reviewed by: Julie, Ryan, Brittany, and
Melissa L.]
|
The Long Patrol
| The cruel Rapscallion army is on the move. After a humiliating defeat by
Lady Cregga Rose Eyes, the badger lady of Salamandastron, the Rapscallions
are heading inland for an even greater prize: the peaceful abbey, Redwall.
The Long Patrol, a fighting unit of dangerous hares, is called out to stop
them. A young hare, Tammo, who has always dreamed of being a long patroller
gets his chance and takes up a lead role in one of the most unbelievable
battles Redwall has ever faced. [Reviewed by: Robert] |
The Magician's Nephew
| As Digory and Polly enter the magical world of Narnia, they are taken into
an adventure in which they must help the great Aslan put an end to the evil
witch, Jadis. They try to find a special healing apple for Digory's
dying mother back at home. This same apple will help save Narnia from
Jadis' power. They will not rest or leave Narnia until they find it.
[Reviewed by: Rachael] |
The Minstrel's Tale
| Thirteen year old Judith of Nesscliff is a talented musician. If she
had it her way, she would be composing and playing. Unfortunately in
14th century England, girls can't be musicians. Girls are expected to
be timid, obedient, and gentle, which was the exact opposite of
Judith. Her stepfather is a cruel man, and he plans Judith's marriage
to a revolting old man. Judith's desire to become a King's Minstrel
grows even stronger. She disguises herself as a boy and runs
away to become a minstrel, but she faces even greater danger than she
imagined. Will Judith make the 200 mile journey to become a King's
Minstrel or will she be returned to her stepfather's home? [Reviewed by: Linda] |
The Mystery of the Cross-Eyed
Man
| Daniel and Manou are trying to get to a reunion. But when something goes
wrong with getting there and they have no money. How are they going to get
to their destination? [Reviewed by: Ian] |
The Power of Un
| Gib and his family are perfectly normal people until Gib gets the Power of
Un. Everything depends on him, but he has no clue why or what he has
to do. He meets a mysterious old man and an eerie fortuneteller, and
he finds out how much his sister really means to him as he travels along the
adventurous path finding out what the Power of Un really is. [Reviewed
by: Mr. Payne's Class] |
The Princess Test
| As Lorelei enters a mysterious castle, the prince insists she take the
princess test. This test will decide who Prince Christopher will
marry. Can Lorelei pass the test and become the Princess of Biddle
Kingdom? [Reviewed by: Aileen] |
The Secret Garden
| Mary
Lennox has just become an orphan. She is sick and spoiled and is forced to
go to her Uncle’s mansion. Soon she finds a secret garden that has been
locked up since her aunt’s death ten years ago. She also finds another
secret—her cousin, Colin. He is also very sick and spoiled. Will Colin and
Mary finally be normal children once they have found the magic of the
garden? Or will they always be spoiled and never love anybody for the rest
of their lives?
[Reviewed by: Claire and Becca]
|
The Secret of Platform 13
| Platform
13 is different than any other platform, it is not in use. The left luggage
office is locked, and inside is a moldy umbrella. Below the station is a
gump, a grassy bump in the earth with a hidden door that opens every 9 years
for 9 days. Behind the door lies another world. In that world is an island
ruled by a royal family. The royal family is not greedy, rich, or mean. The
Queen assigns three twin sisters to look over her baby son—Rose, Lily, and
Violet. When the gump reopened, the girls asked the queen if they could take
the baby to the other world.
The queen agreed. When they got to the upper world, the smell of fish
and chips overwhelmed them.
While Rose and Violet went to get some food, Lily watched the baby.
Lily suddenly blacked out, and the baby was stolen. Who stole the baby and
why? Will they find the baby prince? [Reviewed by: Emily] |
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
| They
set off toward the end of the earth looking for the land of Aslan. No sea
monster or tidal wave would get in their way. Edmund knew there would be no
way home unless his sister, Lucy, their evil cousin, Eustace, and he made
their journey to where Aslan stood waiting for them. Edmund’s old friend,
Caspian, the new king of the enchanted land of Narnia, went along with them
to find his elders who had been sent on the same journey seven
years before but had never returned. The adventurers found new lands, golden
water, and sea monsters while living on ship through great storms and
droughts. Nothing could get in their way on their journey home. [Reviewed by: Julie and Ryan] |
To Kill a Mockingbird
| This book is an outstanding story about two curious children and their
life with their father, Atticus, a lawyer in a small southern town in the
1930s.
Scout and her older brother, Jem, become involved in one of their
father's cases when a black man, Tom Robinson, is falsely accused of raping
a white girl, Mae Ella Ewell. The whole town becomes involved in this
case because of the racial tension in the south during this time. The
innocence, honesty, and curiosity of Jem, Scout, and their friend, Dill,
helped the people of Maycomb County realize their prejudiced outlook on
life. Atticus gains respect from everyone for his honesty, pride, and
knowledge in defending Tom Robinson. The truth about Mae Ell's attack
comes out when one night in the woods near their home, Scout and Jem are
attacked, too. Also, the mystery of Boo Radley comes out as
well. Was he as gentle as a mockingbird or as vicious as a wolf?
[Reviewed by: Brad]
|
Tomorrow, When the War Began
| It all begins when seven
teenagers go to camp out at the bush.
They notice several jets flying towards town.
They get suspicious and decide to go back home.
When they get there, no one is home and all pets are dead.
They see soldiers had invaded their town.
[Reviewed by:
Mitchal] |
Treasure Island
| [Reviewed by Matt E.] |
Wait Till Helen Comes
| "A
graveyard!” said Heather who thinks it is interesting.
Michael likes the new house because of all the bugs in the forest.
Molly on the other hand, is scared out of her pants because of the
graveyard, the bugs Michael brings home, and everything else.
But when Mom and Dave trust Michael and Molly to keep an eye on their
younger sister and make sure she doesn’t go in the graveyard, do they keep
their promise? Of course not!
Michael wanders off into the woods and leaves Molly all by herself to
watch Heather. So when Heather
goes off out of Molly’s sight she finds a grave under an old oak tree with
her initials on it, H.E.H. So
what will Heather do to the initials? Will
she take the gravestone in the house and keep it?
Or will she try to find out who is under the grave and how they died?
[Reviewed by: Mike] |
Wanted...Mud Blossom
| [Reviewed by: Melissa G.] |
Whatever Happened to Janie?
| Janie
Johnson, now Jennie Spring, never thought anything like this would ever
happen.
She was kidnapped, and now she is going back to live with her real
parents.
Janie’s “new” family are strangers to her.
To make it even worse, she is not allowed to talk to her “other”
parents.
How can she make it through all this pressure? [Reviewed by:
Kaity]
|
Wren's Quest
| When orphaned Wren and royal Prince Conner set off on a dangerous
journey to find Wren’s birthparents, disaster strikes!
Wren’s best friend back at home, Princess Teresse, is in grave
danger of being kidnapped! All this havoc is centered on one suspect, the
evil wizard Andreus, who is determined to take over the Cantimoor Kingdom.
But is it really true it’s him? No one is certain until Wren and Conner
find out who it might be! The evil person is determined to keep Wren and
Conner from finding out who he really is, even if it means a magic death!
Will Wren and Conner save the kingdom and Princess Teresse in time? [Reviewed by: Linda]
|
|
