Book Nook2008

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Whirlwind Reading

Summer Reading

BOOK REVIEWSBOOKS RECOMMENDED

BYISLAND TREES STUDENTS

Published by the Library DepartmentIsland Trees Public Schools

Spring 2008

Cover By:Louis Caruso

High SchoolMiddle School

Aleesha Ahmed, Grade 5Joseph Badolato, Grade 5Megan Cortez, Grade 5Erica Faggione, Grade 6Paige Fazio, Grade 5Hayley Fazio, Grade 6Liam Furboter, Grade 5Damon Graziano, Grade 6Sarah Kost, Grade 5Sierra Kruel, Grade 5Brooke Liebell, Grade 6Bridget Lively, Grade 5Jaclynn LoGatto, Grade 6Shawn McCoy, Grade 5Matthew McDonald, Grade 5Emily Meyer, Grade 6Alexa Miritello, Grade 5Mayra Pacheco, Grade 5Victoria Palazzo, Grade 6Sara Paul, Grade 5Jacqueline Pontillo, Grade 5Samantha Wolfrath, Grade 6

Justine AbramowskiSamantha BrandJordan DolgosChristine DrossosSam DurdallerJoe DuthieJoseph EspositoAlyssa FabioMichelle FabisKevin GomezMatt HandelDonna IadarolaLisa IndelicatoBrian ManningJessica MartinCourtney McCallAsha MatthewsMarisa MazzolaAidan MeehanChris MuldoonMaiko NemotoIrina O’GaraSusanne RupesCory ScherKate SinclairCassidy WitkowskiNishtha Vora

Librarians

Mrs. DavisStokes School

Mrs. MarshallSparke School

Mrs. FrumbergMiddle School

Mrs. MendelsonHigh School

Our sincere thanks to all those who helped make this publication possible:

Read to Your Heart's Content

@Your School

Library

Mrs. ButtafuocoMrs. DunleavyMrs. Hernandez

Mrs. MeadeMrs. White

Andrew Mott Gina Muhs Adrianna Mulligan Frank Nacovsky Kristie Najdek Melissa Navaro Destiny Ortego Krystal Ray Pascual Vincent Palazzo Jeanne-Pierre Passini Katie Paz Brooke Perks Antonio Petito Jake Petralia Jessica Petry Peter Potamousis Christina Ragusa Alyssa Ramirez Hailey Rangel Jenna Reilly Kevin Reilly Justin W. Rigney Nicolas Rodriguez Richard Rogers Andrew Rohrs Maria Rojas Leanne Rossano Emily Rothenberg Alexa Ruiz Claudia Rutley Tommy Ryan Simran Sahansran Brendan Salvage Brian Scally Tatiana Serrano Gabriell Smith Sophia Strahan Kayla Strong Billie-Paige Tanturri

Alicia Taromina Michael Teneriello Kaitlyn Toscano Alex Vero Lauren Wetzel Joseph White Milissa Williams Jonathan Wilson Michelle Zaslofsky

SCHOOL

ELEMENTARY

CuDDLy DuDLEyAlborough, Jez. 24p.

I read a great book called Cuddly Dudley by Jez Alborough. If you like penguins, you will like this book. A penguin named Dudley loves to be all by himself. His sisters and brothers always want to cuddle, but Dudley just wishes he could be left alone. Read this story to find out if Dudley gets his wish.

AttACK Of thE 50 fOOt CuPID (fRANNy K. StEIN MAD SCIENtISt SERIES)

Benton, Jim. 102p.

Franny K. Stein is a young girl who is also a mad scientist. She does her experiments in her bedroom. Franny has a new lab assistant named Igor the dog. Franny needed to share valentines with her class. Using one of Franny’s inventions, Igor makes a mistake and Cupid becomes huge and real. Franny’s Cupid goes on a rampage and she has to stop him which causes a lot of trouble. Will Franny have a Happy Valentine’s Day? I think you should read this book because it is very funny. The chapters are very short and easy to read.

Robert McCoy, Sparke, Grade 4.

LuNCh WALKS AMONg uS(fRANNy K. StEIN MAD SCIENtISt SERIES)

Benton, Jim. 102p.

I just read a wonderful book! It is about a girl named Franny and she is not getting along with her classmates because she is a mad scientist and they are afraid of her. Throughout the story she transforms herself into a sweet girl, but then a creature grabs her teacher. Read the book to find out if the creature is defeated.

Kayla Strong, Sparke, Grade 4.

fRECKLE JuICEBlume, Judy. 40p.

I just read Freckle Juice by Judy Blume. The story is about a boy named Andrew Marcus. Andrew wanted freckles like his friend Nicky Lane. Sharon, a girl in his class, gave him a recipe to make freckles. Andrew tried it . Read this book and find out if Andrew got the freckles that he always wanted. This is a funny book.

Megan Ilukowicz, Sparke, Grade 4.

Reviews By:

Elementary Schools

Anthony Imperato

Katie AgricolaMarino Nicolas Anderson Alyssa Arvotti Jessica Barenzano Sal Belziti Nicholas Blotta Anthony Bojkovic Rachel Caffrey Louis Camacho Jr. Taylor Carpenter Niha Chaudhry Marie Abigail Chavez Zachary Chuang Jacqueline Clifford Tara Collins Taylor Colwell Nicholas Comerford Byan Cordova Tim Cosgrove Thomas Cox Kevin Cunningham Ryan Daly Ashley D’Antuono Jack Daum Brandon Diaz Jenna Domagala Maggie Dwyer Nicolas Escobar Kevin Faughnan Robert­­ Ferrufino­­ ­Shari Freeda Kasey Friedenreich Luiz Galvez Ashley Garbacki

Steven Giresi Eugene Goh Trent Goodman Andrew Greco Kristin Grieshaber Jack Gundersen Alyssa Hotchkiss Megan Ilukowicz Hannah Jacobs Ashley Jones Kaeley Johnston Kellyann Jorgensen Sarah Kemp Jaclyn Kennedy Leah Koerber Kayla Koliatsis Kristen Kraus Grace Kutzman Colleen Lambertin Michael Leone Matthew Lewis Frank Lisa Alyssa Lopez Jarrett Lubniewski Lindsay Maleska Samantha Manfra Lauren Mannlein Bianca Marinelli Adrienne McAuliffe Robert McCoy Kiara Melendez Michael Angelo Messina Jake Miller Sean Morris Andrew Mott

StANLEy’S ChRIStMAS ADVENtuREBrown, Jeff. 71p.

It is around Christmas time and Santa is refusing to give out presents because kids are getting greedy and asking for too much. Sarah Christmas, Santa’s daughter goes to Flat Stanley’s house to explain why no one will receive presents. Santa likes Stanley because Stanley wrote a really nice letter to him. Stanley and his family go to the North Pole because Santa wants to see Stanley. Santa does not believe that Stanley is flat. If you want to know the rest of the story, go to the library and read this book.

thE ROCKBurgan, Michael. 43p.

The Rock is about a pro wrestler and his life. It explains how he became a pro wrestler. It has good pictures that help tell about his life. This was an amazing book. If you like wrestling this is a perfect book for you.

Gabriella Smith, Sparke, Grade 4.

BABE RuthCanter, Len. 239p.

I read a great book about Babe Ruth. His real name was George Ruth. He was always in trouble when he was a boy. He learned to play baseball at St. Mary’s School for Boys. He also learned to read, write and to respect other kids. He played for the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. He became the greatest baseball player of all time. I would like to recommend this book to anyone who likes baseball like I do.

Andrew Rohrs , Stokes, Grade 4.

fRANKLIN gOES tO thE hOSPItALBourgeois, Paulette. 20p.

In Franklin Goes To The Hospital, Franklin gets hurt when he is hit with a soccer ball and gets a crack in his shell. What will happen to Franklin? Read this book to find out.

Kaitlyn Toscano, Sparke, Grade 3.

uMBRELLABrett, Jan. 32p.

Carlos is a boy who lives in the tropical rain forest of Costa Rica. He goes to the forest to look for animals. He climbs up the tree and leaves his umbrella on the ground. A tree frog, bird, kinkajou, tapir, monkey and jaguar jump into the umbrella and have an adventure. I like this book because I learned about all kinds of new animals.

Destiny Ortega, Stokes, Grade 3.

ARthuR’S COMPutER DISAStERBrown, Marc. 30p.

Arthur and his friend Buster like to play video games on the computer. They really like to play a game called Deep Dark Sea. Read what happens when they use the computer without permission! I think this book is funny. The ending really fools you. It is not what you would expect to happen. Read the book to find out for yourself.

Frank Nacovsky, Sparke, Grade 3.

NOBODy ELSE hAS tO KNOWTomey, Ingrid. 231 p.

Webb Freegy had a great life with everything going his way. He was getting great grades in school, he was the fastest person on the track team, and he was about to get his driver’s license. One day while getting a ride home from his grandfather, everything goes wrong. When Webb wakes up in a hospital bed, his leg is broken, his grandfather is being questioned by the police and there is a little girl in a coma. All Webb can remember is his grandfather’s words, “You’re fifteen years old…You’ll never get a license with this on your record…Just let me take care of everything.” Was Webb’s grandfather willing to go to jail to save his grandson? And who was driving the car that day? This was a very interesting book to anyone who enjoys mystery and suspense.

thE tIME MAChINEWells, H.G. 118 p.

The Time Machine written by H.G. Wells is a book about a scientist who has been doing research into time and space. We never find out what his name is but he is eerily referred to as the Time Traveler. Once his machine is finally completed, he goes through time and finally ends up in the year 802,701 where he meets a group of rather strange people named Eloi. He falls in love with Weena, one of the Eloi. While spending time with her, his machine is stolen and he must get it back from the Morlocks, zombie like creatures who live underground. If you are into Sci-Fi and enjoy books that are different, you will fall in love with this classic tale.

thE tOAD huNtChenery, Janet. 64p.

Two boys go exploring. They find a lot of different animals. They learn to tell the difference between a frog and a toad. Toads have skin that is brown and lumpy and live anywhere near insects. Frogs have smooth skin and live near water. I like this book because I did not know the difference between frogs and toads until I read this book. The story had a nice ending too.

Brendan Salvage, Stokes, Grade 3.

CAtChER WIth A gLASS ARMChristopher, Matt. 138p.

Jody Sinclair is a catcher for the baseball team, the Dolphins. He is called the catcher with a glass arm by the players on his team because he has a hard time throwing a runner out. He is also afraid to hit a pitched ball ever since he was hit in the head by a ball. Jody had to try to overcome his fears. I like this book because I like to read about baseball and play it too. I recommend this book to anyone who believes in a challenge and never giving up.

Michael Leone, Stokes, Grade 4.

MRS. MCtAtS AND hER hOuSEfuL Of CAtS

Capucilli, Alyssa Satin. 26p.

Wow! Mrs. McTats And Her Houseful Of Cats is a wonderful book. When you read this book it will make you smile. See how many cats you can find in this book. Millie is my favorite cat of all because she can skateboard. P.S., look for a black cat.

Colleen Lamberti, Sparke, Grade 3.

PEtER PAN AND CAPtAIN hOOKCarey, Mary. 39p.

“Can you tell us a story with pirates and Indians?” asked Michael. Wendy reads her brothers a story about pirates and Indians and a boy named Peter Pan. Peter is a boy who can fly. Tinker Bell is a fairy who can also fly. One day Peter and Tink are on Skull Rock saving Tiger Lily the Indian Princess from Captain Hook. Tink gets captured by Captain Hook. Oh no, what is going to happen to Tink? I loved this book because it has so many great details and it had my favorite Disney character Tinker Bell.

COuNtERPLAySnyder, Anne and Pelletier, Louis. 166 p.

Brad, a new student at a California high school does not fit in right away even though he is immediately placed on the school football team as the starting quarterback. As time goes by, Brad became quite close with teammate Alex. Brad and Alex become best friends and undefeatable teammates. When the two best friends escape the world to talk about whom would get which girl, Alex is forced to tell Brad the truth that he is gay. Even though Brad thought not too much would change, it did, putting all characters in very difficult situations. I would recommend this book to any high school student. It keeps you on the edge of your chair with heavy anticipation. Find out what a guy does when he is straight and finds out that his best friend is not by reading Anne Synder’s novel. CounterPlay helps students understand how every student should be treated equally and that how a student is treated can determine the rest of that student’s or even another student’s life. I think that reading Anne Snyder’s novel will be helpful to the social life of any student.

Christine Drosos, 9th grade

DO yOu SEE WhAt I SEE?St. George, Judith. 157 p.

Matt Runyon is new to Cape Cod but cannot make new friends because he is infected with mononucleosis. He does not have much to do except walk Mrs. Shreve’s dog across the salt marsh. Throughout the novel, Matt watches the Vosserts at their rental home. He sees many mysterious things going on. He called in three reports to the police which turned out to be false alarms, but Matt knows what he saw even though no one will believe him. He sees Mr. Vossert watching him and knows that he is on to him. What is up with the Vosserts and what will Matt do to prove he is right? The whole book will really keep you thinking until the end. I had some moments where I was sitting on the edge of my seat and even frightened about what would happen next. Anyone from the age of 12 to 16 will find this a great and thrilling mystery book.

thE BOMBTaylor, Theodore. 161 p.

The island of Bikini Atoll is completely isolated from the rest of the world, even while World War II is going on around them. Everyday, Sorry Rimanu uses coconuts, pandanus, and fish to survive on Bikini Atoll. When the US Navy invades in order to test the atomic bomb, the villagers are forced to move. In order to keep the United States from testing the bomb on his homeland, Sorry must make the biggest decision of his life.I thought that the book was well written including the detail, storyline, and style that Theodore Taylor used. The book is an historical fiction book which was quite enjoyable for me to read. Because of these reasons, I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys suspense, excitement and who roots for the underdog.

Brian Manning, 9th grade

CLAMShELL BOy(NAtIVE AMERICAN LEgENDS)

Cohlene, Terri. 48p.

A young Native American girl named Salmonberry and her friends disobeyed the rules of their parents and they got tricked by the evil Basket Woman. She takes them to her house and ties them to the wall. She plans to eat them. Salmonberry’s brother Clamshell Boy tricks the Basket Woman and she dies by falling off a cliff and into the ocean. Does Clamshell Boy rescue Salmonberry and his friends? I recommend this book to people who like surprising adventures.

Nicolas Escobar, Stokes, Grade 3.

hARVEy’S hORRIBLE SNAKE DISAStERClifford, Eth. 128p.

Harvey’s Horrible Snake Disaster is about a 10 year old boy named Harvey. His aunt Mildred and cousin Nora came for a short stay with Harvey and his family. Trouble starts when Dr. Strann a herpetologist comes to visit the class with his snakes. Nora likes the snakes and Harvey is scared of them. This 128 page book is funny with many exciting moments. You will see what kind of trouble Harvey and his cousin Nora get into. I enjoyed this book very much.

Brandon Diaz, Sparke, Grade 4.

RAMONA fOREVERCleary, Beverly. 192p.

Ramona’s life changes when her uncle comes to town to marry her Aunt Bea. Ramona is a flower girl and so is her sister. On the wedding day, Ramona’s brother Howie who is the ring bearer dropped the ring as he was walking down the aisle. The ring rolled on the floor and got lost. Did they find it? You will have to read this book to find out. I liked this book because I really got to use my imagination.

thE LuCKy BASEBALL BAtChristopher, Matt. 58p.

Martin wants to play baseball but he does not have a bat or glove. An older boy Barry gives him his old bat and glove. Coach Cassell asks if Martin wants to be on his team. Martin thinks he is playing really well because he has a lucky baseball bat. Then the bat cracks in half and Martin thinks he cannot play. I liked this book because it was about baseball and I wanted to see if the bat was really lucky.

Andrew Mott, Stokes, Grade 3.

tO JAyKAE, LIfE StINxOkimoto, Jean Davies. 215 p.

Jason’s father gets remarried to a lady he hates and he gets a stepbrother who is perfect.He is sad until he joins a chat room where he starts talking to a girl. Jason feels his life cannot get any better, until she asks for a picture. This problem can be solved easily right? Wrong. Jason makes his life even more complicated and decides to send her a picture of his stepbrother. Will he be able to pull off being his brother or will he get caught as being an impostor? The humor used throughout the book will make you never want to put this book down. The book proved that one should always be true to themselves and there is no reason to change, through an amazing story of friendship, jealousy and family problems. I love how the plot is not a stereotypical love story, and allows the reader to get into Jason’s life. It is a good book for both girls and boys.

Maiko Nemoto, 9th grade

tWIStED SuMMERRoberts, Willo Davis. 189 p.

Cici is fourteen going on fifteen and expecting this summer to be the best one of her life. She would no longer be called a “little kid” at Crystal Lake where she has spent many summers. Cici had been hoping to catch the eye of her crush Jack Shurick. All of her dreams changed when she found out that the previous year, the year that she had not gone to the lake, the murder of Zoe Cyrek had occurred. Brody Shurik, Jack’s brother, had been put in jail for the crime. When Cici begins to snoop because she does not believe that Brody murdered Zoe, she becomes the murderer’s next target. I liked this book because it showed that snooping does not only lead to bad things, it could also lead to good things. I would recommend this book to anybody who likes mysteries. This book would be good for a person between the ages of thirteen and fifteen because they could relate to the main character. Twisted Summer sometimes dragged on but eventually got to the exciting parts. Overall, it was a very good book.

Marisa Mazzola, 9th grade

POOL BOySimmons, Michael. 164 p.

Brett Gearson is a fifteen year old kid living the good life, but all that changes when Brett’s dad is declared a crook. He loses everything, including the girl of his dreams. Now Brett is living with his crazy Aunt Mary. When he goes to see his father, a jail bird, Brett completely disrespects him and p0ledges to never forgive him. Brett’s mother does not appreciate this and tries to do everything to change his mind. And after quitting the worst job in the world at Fast Burger, Brett decides to clean pools with his old pool cleaner. Alfie changes Brett for the better, but everything starts to fall apart again for him. Read more to see the life changing ending for Brett Gearson. This book is good in showing that money is not the only thing that keeps people alive and sometimes a little love can make a big difference. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in books that deal with drastic changes and forgiving. It is appropriate for teenagers between thirteen and sixteen.

Nishtha Vora, 9th grade

thE MAgIC SChOOL BuS: IN thE tIME Of thE DINOSAuRSCole, Joanna. 48p.

Ms. Frizzle’s class gets invited to a dinosaur dig. The magic school bus turns into a time machine and takes the class to the Cretaceous era. Back in prehistoric times, the children look for Maiasaura eggs. My favorite part of the story is when the Allosaurus attacks the Stegosaurus. This is a great book for children who like to read about dinosaurs.

thIRD gRADE PEtCox, Judy. 112p.

Rosie’s class wants to get a rat as a pet. They buy a rat at the pet store and name it Cheese. The students take turns bringing Cheese home. Rosie takes home Cheese when it is not her turn and hides him in her room. Will Rosie get in trouble? I like this book because I like reading about animals.

Tara Collins, Stokes, Grade 4.

DON’t NEED fRIENDSCrimi, Carolyn. 27p.

Rat and Possum were best friends. They lived in the same junkyard and did everything together. One day Possum left and Rat became very sad; he decided that he did not need friends anymore. Other animals tried to be Rat’s friend but Rat said “Don’t need friends. Don’t need ‘em at all.” One day Dog moved into Rat’s junkyard and neither of them wanted to be friends. On a cold day Dog got sick. Will Rat help him? I liked this book because it taught me about friendship.

Richard Rogers, Sparke, Grade 4.

INVISIBLE IN thE thIRD gRADECuyler, Margery. 82p.

Alex went to the Mobil gas station to get a pack of gum, but the gum he bought looked a little strange. Alex ate a piece and became invisible. At school Alex played some tricks. He pretended to be a dog and scared a second grader. Then Alex played a trick on the principal. On Halloween he really had some adventures. I like this book because it is funny.

Ashley D’Antuono, Stokes, Grade 3.

BuLLy tROuBLECole, Joanna. 48p.

Eddie is a bully. Eddie always takes away Arlo and Robby’s things. Robby had an idea to stop Eddie from bullying them again. The book gives you an example about how to stop bullies from bothering you. The book is very helpful and funny. I had lots of fun reading it.

Louis Camacho, Sparke, Grade 3.tuRNABOut ChILDRENMacCracken, Mary 252 p.

Mary MacCracken helps reveal the life and problems of a learning disabled child. She is a learning specialist helping many children with problems such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and poor auditory processing skills. Her “children” are able to grow and succeed using her learning methods, as well as prosper at home where it is typical to have failure. I would definitely recommend this book to any parent with a learning disabled child. I liked this book because it helped me understand how most dyslexic children as well as adults feel. As one of Mary’s students described, “We want to scream that we need help, but we’re too ‘fraid.” This book is a real page turner and is wonderful.

Donna Iadarola, 9th grade

A ROSE fOR MELINDAMcDaniel, Lurlene 202 p.

Melinda Skye had dreams of being a famous ballerina and was in love with Jesse, a boy from her childhood. All of a sudden in dance class, she collapses and is rushed to the hospital. It is extremely scary for a young girl to realize she has leukemia. Along with trying to be a normal girl, she now has fears of death and is worried about her dancing career. Will she be able to fight it and pursue her dreams? Through out the whole novel, Jesse stands by her and tries to help her cope. We learn how love can withstand anything. I loved this novel and would recommend it to all drama lovers.

fREAKy gREEN EyESOates, Joyce Carol 341 p.

Franky Pierson is blinded by her father ’s manipulation. Her father, the famous Reid Pierson, abuses his family psychologically and physically. Franky’s deep inner self “Freaky Green Eyes” tries to break through her fake feelings. When her mother disappears, Franky and her younger sister face many life questions. Franky and her sister believe what their father tells them because of subconscious fear. Joyce Carol Oates wrote this book beautifully. The pace of the story is perfect and the book is enjoyable to read. The story is touching and any teenager could relate to Franky from some part of their experience. I recommend this book to people who think they are experiencing a violent relationship within their family. This book exposes the basic signs of an abusive parent.

g-RExDaniels, Teri. 20p.

I just read a great book! A boy named Gregory did not like being the smallest in his family. One evening during dinner, Gregory turned into a dinosaur called G-Rex and said he would eat his big brother if he did not get more meat to eat. What happens if his family runs out of meat? My favorite part of the story is when the people at Pot Roast Palace start flinging pot roasts at G-Rex. If you want to know what happens next, you should read this book.

thE SLIME WARSDadey, Debbie. 68p.

Justin and his friends want to be on a show called The Slime Wars and win prizes. The problem is they have to make an alliance with the enemy, the girls on Daleside Street. The boys need three girls on their team to be on the show. The fun begins when the boys have to do a lot of crazy things to get the girls on their team. When they finally get to the game show, things do not go as planned. I had a lot of fun reading this book. I recommend this book to people who love to read funny and wacky stories.

MARtIANS DON’t tAKE tEMPERAtuRES(ADVENtuRES Of BAILEy CIty SChOOL KIDS)

Dadey, Debbie. 67p.

Nurse Redding is a little strange. She loves dust and uses strange measurements and words. Liza, Eddie, Howie, and Melody try to find out if Nurse Redding is a martian. I can not tell you the ending because you must read this terrific book to find out for yourself.

Sean Morris, Sparke, Grade 4.

fOR yOu ARE A KENyAN ChILDCunnane, Kelly. 18p.

This book is about a boy growing up in a Kenyan village. The boy has to take his grandfather’s cows out to the pasture. He takes them there but he leaves them. The boy gets distracted by many things and keeps forgetting about his grandfather’s cows because he is having so much fun. I liked this book because it teaches us a lesson about responsibility. You will have to read the book to see what happens next.

SOLDIER BOySHughes, Dean. 230 p.

Soldier Boys is about two boys who lived during World War II and who were both very patriotic to their countries. Both of them wanted to fight in the World War. Spence was an American and Dieter was a German. Spence was fifteen when his older brother Robert went to war. That is when he first became interested in the war. His biggest fear at the time was not making it into the war in time, but when he got there, he had bigger fears than that. The scariest thing of all was death. The sight of all the blood and seeing his comrades die was bad. Dieter was Hitler obsessed. He would do anything for him. At the young age of fifteen, he went to fight for Germany, but it was nothing like he had expected. Corporal Schaefer looked after him, but Schaefer did not like Germany that much. He knew after a tragic incident what Hitler was really doing to the Jewish people and did not want to fight for Germany but he had to. The constant death around Dieter was a terrible sight. If you like an action-packed book, this is the book for you. Remember it is a war book, so if you cannot handle blood, the thought of death and other kinds of graphic details, do not read this book. If you do not mind those things, then this will be a terrific book for you to read.

Joseph Esposito, 9th grade

RuNNINg MANKing, Stephen. 219 p.

Running Man is set in the future around the 2020s’ in America. Ben Richards needs money to help treat his one and a half year old son’s bronchitis. To make this money, Ben enters a game show called The Running Man. On this game show, contestants must dodge hunters and other obstacles for thirty days without dying. No one has ever won before because of unfair and dirty tactics by the show’s host. To make sure contestants like Ben do not win this game, the creators of the show would add unfair obstacles such as polluting the air and controlling the police department. Ben experiences many tough obstacles throughout this book and many life threatening situations. He meets many people along his journey that help him hide and protect him throughout the thirty days. Will Ben survive the test and win the money to save his child? You must read this exciting and compelling story to find out. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good adventure story and to anyone who likes constant action and suspense. This book will surely keep you on the edge of your seat throughout its entirety.

VERy fAR AWAy fROM ANyWhERE ELSELeGuin, Ursula K. 87 p.

If you like books that are happy and everything goes the way the character wants then this book is not the book for you. Very Far Away From Anywhere Else is about two unique people who struggle with the problems of being seventeen. They mostly struggle with fitting in with other people, that is what attracts them to each other. This book is very inspiring to someone who is an “outsider.” It shows you can be yourself and you do not have to follow the “in crowd” to be happy. This book is well written with detail, and has a great moral.

Justine Abramowski, 9th grade

thE WRIght BROthERS: hEROES Of fLIghtFord, Carin T. 32p.

I read a book about two brothers named Orville and Wilbur. Orville and Wilbur were both interested in flying when they were little. Orville and Wilbur learned how to make a plane and fly it in the air with strings but now they had to succeed with an engine. I really liked this book and I recommend it to people who like planes.

Trent Goodman, Stokes, Grade 3.

thE SINKINg Of thE tItANICDoeden, Matt. 32p.

On April 10th, 1912, a ship called the Titanic got ready for its first voyage. The captain of the Titanic was Edward J. Smith. The Titanic was the biggest ship back then. Many people who boarded the Titanic were rich passengers who stayed in first class cabins. Everybody was having a great time. One night, shortly before midnight, on April 14th, 1912 the Titanic hit an iceberg. I like this graphic novel because I like to read about history. The pictures were really cool. I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about this subject.

Taylor Carpenter, Stokes, Grade 4.

MORNINg gIRLDorris, Michael. 74p.

This is an amazing adventure story about Morning Girl, a twelve year old girl who loves the day and her brother Star Boy who loves the night. They live on a Bahamian island in 1492. Star Boy runs away from home because he broke his father’s canoe by accident and is afraid of getting into trouble. Star Boy is caught in a storm but is saved by a mysterious spirit. This is an exciting book with many interesting adventures to read.

Billie-Paige Tanturri, Stokes, Grade 4.

AMBER BROWN IS NOt A CRAyONDanziger, Paula. 80p.

This story is about two best friends named Amber Brown and Justin Daniels. One day when Amber and Justin were walking home from school they saw a sign that said Justin’s house was sold. He was moving to Alabama. Amber was so upset that her friend was leaving but Justin acted like nothing was wrong. He would not even talk to her about the move. Read this excellent book to see what happens! I loved this book because it was very interesting and funny.

Kellyann Jorgensen, Sparke, Grade 3.

thE BOy WhO DRANK tOO MuChGreene, Shep. 157 p.

The Boy Who Drank Too Much is a very interesting story. It tells about a kid of fifteen named Buff who is from Canada and joins the school hockey team. He lives with his father in an apartment; his mother died when he was only six. That is when all the problems started. Buff’s dad is an alcoholic. Buff feels like he needs to stay with his father even though he beats him. A member of the hockey team befriends Buff and finds out. His friend tries to help but Buff refuses it. One day his father goes to far and Buff decides he should leave. Finding out that Buff also has a drinking problem, his friends help him even though he does not want it. If you like a story about real life problems and want to find out what happens to Buff and his father, you should read this book.

Kevin Gomez, 9th grade

hOOtHiaasen, Carl. 292 p.

Hoot was not only an exciting mystery but also a way to show kids that doing the right thing can sometimes be hard to do. In this book, the new kid Roy becomes friends with Mullet Fingers and Beatrice, the two people nobody would ever expect he would be friends with. Beatrice is the toughest girl in school and Mullet Fingers is a vandalizer, but all of his vandalizing is what is keeping Mother Paula’s Pancake House from being built in a deserted construction site. However, it is not really deserted, there are little owls that live in that area and Roy, Beatrice and Mullet Fingers are the only ones who know. By trying to keep the owls alive, they are put into some tough situations and have to go to the extreme. If you want to know if the three friends save the owls or not, then you should read Hoot.

Michelle Fabis, 9th grade

tENDERHobbs, Valerie. 245 p.

Liv loves both her grandmother and the city of New York dearly. Liv’s mother died at her birth and her father left shortly after. The horrible event that took place in the beginning of the book forced Liv to move to California with her father. Her father’s girlfriend Sam, Liv and Liv’s father try to make the difficult adjustment of living together. Mark, Liv’s father, dives for a living. He does not talk very often, but Liv soon discovers that he is admired among his fellow divers. Liv feels that her father has saved his kindness for everyone other than her. When Brian, her father’s tender (a person who is responsible for a diver’s lifeline when the diver is underwater) breaks his arm, Mark asks Liv to take over the job. Working with her father, Liv discovers that love can sometimes be silent. I personally enjoyed reading this book, due to the details that made me feel like I was one of the main characters. There were many exciting parts in the book. Tender is a brilliantly written book that can capture someone’s mind within seconds. Teenagers can relate very well to Liv’s feelings and rebelliousness and therefore, is recommended for teens of all ages.

Asha Matthews,9th grade

MS. LAgRANgE IS StRANgEGutman, Dan. 112p.

This book is about a lunch lady, who gets fired and is replaced by a French woman named Ms. LaGrange. She cooks food differently than the children are used to eating. She treated the lunch room like a fancy restaurant. She was much nicer than the first lunch lady. She wrote a secret message, Y-A-W-Y-E, in her mashed potatoes. Read this book to find out what she meant. I recommend this book to people who enjoy reading funny stories.

thE hOMEWORK MAChINEGutman, Dan. 146p.

A fifth grader creates a homework machine. Kids get together every day at his house so that the homework machine would do their homework. After awhile their teacher and parents get suspicious. They try to find out what is going on because two of the kids who used to get poor grades are getting A’s all of the time. Will the fifth graders get caught? Read this book to find out. I recommend this book to people who do not like homework.

thE BEASt IN MS. ROONEy’S ROOM

(KIDS Of POLK StREEt SChOOL)Giff, Patricia Reilly, 76p.

Richard “Beast” Best got left back. He always got into trouble and did not want to go to reading because he was not a good reader and his friends always teased him. They called him beast because he had pointed teeth. He wanted to win a banner for his class, but his class had to be good for a week. Richard kept getting into trouble, so do you think that they got the banner? I liked this book because I want kids to be good in school so they do not get left back like Richard.

Robert Ferrufino, Stokes, Grade 3.

WILDERNESS SEARCh DOgSGreenberg, Dan. 32p.

I read an excellent book about wilderness search dogs. This book has a bunch of stories about dogs that search for people in trouble. My favorite rescue was about saving a boy lost in the forest. Another exciting rescue was about a St. Bernard dog, who saved 42 people trapped on a mountain in Europe. On a scale of one to ten, I would rate this book a ten.

PLuM ISLAND Demille, Nelson. 574 p.

Detective John Corey decides that it is best to lay low for awhile after being wounded in the line of duty. The perfect spot for him happens to be his uncle’s home in Suffolk County. Soon after his relocation, Corey befriends doctors Tom and Judy Gordon, who happen to be employees at the research site on Plum Island. At the end of the summer when Tom and Judy are found dead, their secretive government jobs spark everyones interest. As Detective Corey works on the case, he discovers that everyone they knew is a suspect. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery with a lot of twists and turns. This book was amazing, and showed Demille’s creativity and ability to the full extent.

Jessica Martin, 9th grade

PERfECtFriend, Natasha. 172 p.

Isabelle Lee is an eighth grader whose life took a turn for the worse. Her father had recently died and no one in her family, especially her mother, will speak of him. Isabelle thought nothing could be worse until her so-called charming sister had told their mother that she had an eating disorder. With this, Isabelle Lee’s mother sends her to an “Eating Disorder and Body Image Therapy Group.” Trapped in a room with strangers, Isabelle is amazed to see the most popular girl in school walk in. This book is very good and informative for young teens. Although the world today revolves a lot about appearance, that does not mean taking harmful roads to fit in with everyone else. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a fun, yet helpful girly book.

Samantha Brand, 9th grade

thE CANNIBALSGramt. Cynthia D.184p.

Tiffany Sprat was popular, a cheerleading captain and had the “perfect” life, until one day it all goes down hill. Inside her head things are different and as she puts it, “unlike me, life isn’t always pretty.” Tiffany wants to star in the motion picture being shot at her school; however, things go wrong. She becomes miss reject and will not even go to school. When Campbell, Tiffany’s “boyfriend” reveals some shocking news, Tiffany looks at life from a different perspective. I personally loved this book and recommend it to anyone who loves comedies. It is a story about teenagers growing up that will have you laughing the whole way through.

Courtney McCall, 9th grade

MRS. yONKERS IS BONKERS!Gutman, Dan. 101p.

Mrs. Yonkers is AJ’s computer teacher. She is a crazy lady who wears a cheese hat on her head and a “Nerds-R-Cool” Shirt. The students are sad when Mrs. Cooney, the school nurse, holds up a poster that says “Say Good Bye To Sugar”. Mrs. Yonkers feels bad for the students who cannot live without sugar. She invents a machine students can put their healthy snacks in and they come out as candy. Read this book to find out what crazy things happen next!

MISfORtuNE COOKIEGreenburg, Don. 58p.

Zack went to many Chinese restaurants and thought they all looked alike: bright and noisy. He went to a new one and thought it was very different. It was dark with little jack-o-lanterns on every table. Zack ordered the Moo Shoo Chicken. Even though it sounded like something from a cow’s foot, he liked it. The waiter told Zack that he would have an interesting week. How could the waiter know that? Could it have been the fortune cookie? Read this book and find out!

Maria Rojas, Sparke , Grade 4.

thE CAtChER WhO ShOCKED thE WORLDGutman, Dan. 96p.

Rod gets struck by lightning while playing baseball. He now has the special power to move metal with his thoughts. He uses this ability to take his team from last place to first place. He was able to move people’s bats up and down so the batter would miss the pitch or foul out. In the championship game things change when another boy invents a machine to take Rod’s powers away. Read this book to find out which team wins.

Frank Lisa, Stokes, Grade 4.

ChRySANthEMuMHenkes, Kevin. 30p.

Hey! I just read this great book called Chrysanthemum. It is about a girl named Chrysanthemum who loves her name and thinks it is perfect. Chrysanthemum goes to school and everybody laughs at her name and says it is too long. She gets really upset. If you want to find out the rest of the story, you will have to read the book. I think you will enjoy it.

Matthew Lewis, Sparke, Grade 3.

hEROESCormier, Robert. 135 p.

Heroes is a historical novel set in Frenchtown, Massachusetts after World War II. The protagonist Francis has just returned from the war. He lost his face in combat and was awarded a Silver Star for his bravery. He entered the war after contemplating suicide when his girlfriend Nicole was raped. Francis was determined to kill Larry LaSalle, the man who raped Nicole. Much of the book is Francis looking for Larry throughout the town. The story also has many periods of Francis reminiscing about past events. Heroes is targeted at people who enjoy history as some of Francis’ flashbacks are set in wartime. I personally found Heroes interesting because of the many flashbacks that Cormier included. He also did not release many details about Larry which caused much thought about him. Overall, Heroes is a novel that is recommended to those who enjoy suspense and especially those who have an interest in the military.

DESERt BLOODCree, Ronald. 309 p.

Gus Gonzales is a kid whose parents died when he was young. He was adopted by one of television’s most popular actors, Nick Hernandez. During an open cast call at the TV studio, a boy is brutally attacked and another goes missing. Lieutenant Stephen Johnson is a detective who is called to investigate this mystery. He acknowledges Gus’ amateur detective skills and is impressed by them. He enlists Gus’ help in solving the case even after Nick objects to it. The vocabulary was on my level and I would recommend this book to anybody from ages 12 to 15. I liked the book because it was a mystery. I enjoy reading suspenseful books and I had to resist putting the book down. Desert Blood 10PM/9C would be great for a reader who is interested in mystery books.

Joe Duthie, 9th grade

PRISONER Of tIMECooney, Caroline. 200 p.

Sixteen-year old Devonny Stratton is being forced by her father to marry an English lord. She lives in a time when all wives and children had to obey their husbands and fathers. Devonny feels she is too young to get married and she does not love or respect Lord Winden. Devonny wants to be a self-made woman. In Prisoner of Time she only has one hope, someone must rescue her from the year 1898. Devonny is trapped in her century like a prisoner by her father. She calls out to the twentieth century on her wedding day; it is Tod Lockwood who brings Devonny into the twentieth century. The book is very entertaining and enjoyable to read about how life is so different between the two centuries. Devonny will have to learn to be a different person if she decides to stay in the twentieth century. What century will she choose to live in? Caroline Cooney’s book is recommended to all teenage girls who want a life full of romance, travel and adventure. This book would be fascinating and suitable for readers between the ages of 13 to 17 years old. When you read this book, you will travel through time in the eyes of Devonny.

WhO WAS AMELIA EARhARt?Jerome, Kate Boehm. 32p.

Once there was a brave pilot named Amelia Earhart. When she was young, she wanted to set lots of records. She wanted to go around the world in an airplane. The airplane had just been invented. Read this amazing book to find out if she ever followed her dreams.

Katie Agricola Marino, Sparke, Grade 4.

CRAfty ChAMELEONHadithi, Mwenye. 32p.

I just read an amazing book. It is about a chameleon that gets very frustrated with Leopard and Crocodile who are bad. One day Chameleon plays a trick on both of them. Read this outstanding book to find out what happens.

Steven Giresi, Sparke, Grade 3.

hELEN KELLER:COuRAgE IN thE DARKHurwitz, Johanna. 47p.

Courage In The Dark is a biography on the life of Helen Keller. Helen was born in Alabama in 1880. When she was two years old, she lost her sight, hearing and speech. The book is about how her teacher Annie Sullivan helped Helen learn how to communicate. Helen was very smart and went to college. She learned how to use many different languages and she became very successful in her life. I thought the book was good and I liked it because Helen’s life was very interesting. I admire Helen because she tried her best even though she had a hard life. I think anyone else would enjoy this book too.

Jenna Reilly, Stokes, Grade 3.

thE DAy JAKE VACuuMEDJames, Simon. 32p.

One day Jake’s mother asked him to vacuum. He thought it was difficult and hated that job. First he vacuumed up the cat, and then he sucked up his mother while she was doing the dishes. After that he vacuumed up his sister and his dad. He vacuumed up the whole house. After two hours of complete freedom Jake got bored. Then the vacuum cleaner started to shake and rattle. It sounded like it might explode. Read this funny book to find out what happens to Jake’s family.

Jake Miller, Stokes, Grade 3.

fAhRENhEIt 451Bradbury, Ray. 179 p.

Guy Montag was a fireman who burned books for a living. People were not to read or even speak of books, for in the past it caused them to be afraid. Montag met a seventeen year old girl who opened his eyes to a past world where people were not threatened by books. He also met Farber, a professor who opened his eyes to a future of knowledge. Throughout Fahrenheit 451 the reader takes a suspenseful journey as Montag and Professor Farber try to show the world what the future could be like with the importance of literature. I would recommend this book to people no younger than 14. I personally

thought that this book was gripping and really makes us think of the values of life. Alyssa Fazio, 9th grade

thEy CAgE thE ANIMALS At NIghtBurch, Jennings Michael. 293 p.

They Cage the Animals at Night is based on the true story of Jennings Michael Burch. Throughout Jennings’ childhood, he moved from orphanage to orphanage due to the troubles and the sickness of his mother. When Jennings went to orphanages, they punished kids very harshly. This meant that Jennings had many injuries. There was no one for him to talk to until the day he got a stuffed animal from one of the nicer nuns from one of the orphanages. He talked to “Doggie” whenever he needed him the most. He also had another friend from the orphanages named Mark. They were like brothers. But there was an unspoken “rule” and it was to “never make friends” because if you become friends with another, you never know, they just might go away and your heart will be broken. Jennings and Mark did not care about that rule and they were friends anyway. Does Jennings ever get to stay home for good and does his childhood go back to normal? If you want to find out the answers, read this book. This book was excellent and one of my favorites. If you want to read a book that will make you realize the importance of friends and family, I know this book is for you. Aidan Meehan, 9th grade

thE NEW ADVENtuRES Of MARy-KAtE & AShLEy

thE CASE Of thE hAuNtED MAzEKaye, Marilyn. 81p.

This was an amazing book! Mary-Kate and Ashley went to visit their friend Mitch at his new house. There was a haunted maze behind his house. Mary-Kate and Ashley wanted to find out who was haunting it. They gathered a lot of clues to find out who it was. I was surprised to find out who it was and how they did it. I like this book because it was exciting to find who was haunting the maze.

Hannah Jacobs, Stokes, Grade 3.

A LEttER tO AMyKeats, Ezra Jack.. 36p.

I read the most amazing, terrific, wonderful book ever! The book was called A Letter To Amy. Peter was having a birthday party and was inviting a lot of boys and only one girl named Amy. He wanted to make it special so he wrote an invitation to her. The problem started on his way to the mailbox when a thunderstorm blew Peter’s invitation right out of his hands. The worst part was that Amy was coming and about to see the letter. Luckily Peter snatched the letter away before Amy could see it. One day Peter accidentally bumped into Amy and she ran home crying. Peter felt bad and was afraid that Amy was not going to come to his party. Finally, Peter…wait I can not tell you any more, I guess you will just have to get the book out of the library and find out for yourself.

Grace Kutzma, Sparke, Grade 4.

hELP! A StORy Of fRIENDShIPKeller, Holly. 29p.

I just read this awesome book called Help! A Story Of Friendship. You should read it too. It is about a mouse and his friends Hedgehog, Rabbit, Squirrel and Snake. It is also about trust. One day Mouse falls into a hole. You will have to read the book to find out what happens between these friends. Can they save Mouse?

Leah Koerber, Sparke, Grade 3.

SCHOOL

HIGH

BuRgER WuSSAnderson, M.T.192 p.

What do you do when your girlfriend cheats on you? You get revenge! Anthony was in love with Diana, but Diana becomes unfaithful with tough guy Turner. Diana breaks it off with Anthony and then, Turner becomes a problem in Anthony’s life. Anthony conjures up a plan that will make Turner’s life a living hell. Little does he know they are both in for a rude awakening. Burger Wuss was a suspenseful book filled with tons of love, jealousy, and revenge. I personally loved this book because it kept me turning the pages until I finished it. I would highly recommend Burger Wuss to teenagers who love to read about real life situations and eye-opening ending.

Cassidy Witkowski, 9th grade

hANgINg ON tO MAxBechard, Margaret. 204 p.

Sam Pettigrew’s life has changed dramatically ever since the arrival of his son, Max. Sam is only in his last year of high school and can barely take care of himself, let alone a son. He attends an alternative high school with teenage parents like himself. In this school, he can still learn and have his son Max be babysat along with other student’s babies. When Sam got his girlfriend Brittany pregnant, he did not know what to do. Everyone agreed to put the baby up for adoption and at the last minute Sam wanted to keep the baby. Despite the predicament Sam put himself in, he is determined to make it work and prove to everyone that he can do it. As time goes by, Sam is having more trouble taking care of Max. What will Sam do with his life and how will he raise his son? I liked this book because it deals with real life issues. It also reflects many morals and themes. I recommend this book to anyone who likes reading about teens and real life situations

AND SO thEy BuILDKitchen, Bert. 32p.

And So They Build is a fascinating book about how animals, birds, and other things living in the wild build their homes. This book also describes where they live in the world. I found this book very interesting because some of these animals have a lot of work to do to build their houses and care for their families. When I travel with my family to some of the places in the book, I can now be on the lookout for some of these homes and critters of the wild.

Hailey Rangel, Stokes, Grade 4.

fuNNy fRANKKing-Smith, Dick. 108p.

Frank is a baby chick who wants to be a duck. Frank tries to be like the other ducklings, but he just cannot fit in. Frank wanted to swim like a duck. The farmer’s daughter made him a wet suit and webbed feet. As Frank gets older, he realizes that you are not supposed to be something you are not. Find out what happens to Frank by reading this book.

Lauren Wetzel, Stokes, Grade 3.

PIRAtES Of thE CARIBBEAN: thE PIRAtE ChASE

Kidd, Rob. 119p.

Captain Jack Sparrow and his small crew are looking for Left Foot Lewis. Left Foot Lewis is a dangerous pirate who they think has the Sword of Cortez. They are looking for him so they can have the god-like powers of the Sword of Cortez. I liked this book because I like to read about pirates. I like learning about pirate adventures.

Tim Cosgrove, Stokes, Grade 4.

SABRINA DOWN uNDER(SABRINA thE tEENAgE WItCh)

Titlebaum, Ellen. 143p.

Sabrina and Gwen, two teenage witches have to save a whole mermaid colony while they are trying to enjoy a vacation in Australia. In this book, Sabrina and her friend, Gwen, are on vacation. They find a merman that has a disease and needs their help. The next thing they know is that they have to find a cure for a whole colony full of merpeople. They need to cure the merpeople and make sure a suspicious doctor does not find out what they need the medicine for. When the doctor finds out, Sabrina and Gwen have to get the merpeople and run away with them, so that no one will ever see them. So, you think you know the whole story? You do not even know the half of it. You will have to read it to find out what happens to the merpeople. I liked the book because it was a light topic, it kept my attention and it was fun to read.

PICK Of thE LIttERWallace, Bill. 172p.

Tom’s grandfather had open-heart surgery and Tom is taking care of the dogs. They are making him crazy! When Tom comes back from vacation, he finds out that one of the dogs is having puppies. Tom becomes fond of a puppy he names Tad. He then finds out that the puppies are being sold! Do you think someone is going to buy Tad or do you think Tom is going to get him? I really liked this book because the dogs always had fun with Tom and his grandfather. I recommend this book to people who like dogs.

hOW tO hIDE A hORSE(fuLL hOuSE SIStERS)

Winfrey, Elizabeth. 138p.

Michelle and Stephanie need to convince their father to let them have a horse for a pet. They are spending their summer days at Sunset Farm. Michelle is taking riding lessons with her friends Mandy and Cassie. Michelle knows more about Sunset Farm than any other experienced worker there. Michelle gets upset that Mr. Montgomery might sell her favorite horse Chestnut. Stephanie is longing to go to the dance with Jack who works on the farm. Stephanie is very excited that her sister Michelle is on the farm where Jack is so she can spend more time there with her and Jack. Read this book if you want to find out if they sell Chestnut or if they get her for a pet. Also, read this book to find out if Stephanie gets to go to the dance with Jack. I liked this book because I love horses and the book is so great, you want to keep reading.

yIKES BIKES(READy fREDDy SERIES)Klein, Abbey. 96p.

Freddy bets a bully named Max that he will win the Bike-A-Thon by beating him in a bicycle race. They bet each other their snacks for a month. There is only one problem, Freddy cannot ride a two wheeler yet. Freddy’s friends have two weeks to teach him how to ride his bike. The story is very good because it shows what friends are all about. I recommend this book because it is funny and is easy to read.

hELP! A VAMPIRE’S COMINg!(READy, fREDDy)

Klein, Abby. 96p.

Freddy, a young boy had nightmares. He could not sleep at night because he was afraid that vampires would get him. His friend told him to get some garlic to sprinkle all over the floor to make the vampires go away, but he still had nightmares. He even tried to nail his window shut, but that did not help. Read the book to find out if Freddy got rid of his nightmares. I love this book because it can help children who experience nightmares.

Vincent Palazzo, Stokes, Grade 3.hORRIBLE hARRy AND thE ANt INVASION

Kline, Suzy. 56p.

Harry is the schools Ant Monitor. OH NO! Some of the ants escaped. Now Harry needs a plan. Will Harry be able to find them? Read this story to find out what happens to Harry.

Anthony Bojkovic, Sparke, Grade 3.

BACKyARD tENtKira, Daniel. 48p.

Dan is excited about his sleepover with his friend Jake. They will sleep in a tent in his backyard. Dan sets up the tent and Jake comes over. Dan thinks that Jake is perfect, but is he? Dan learns many things about Jake when they talk at night. This was a good book because it talks about camping and how much fun sleepovers are with your friends.

Kevin Faughnan, Stokes, Grade 3.

REPORt tO thE PRINCIPAL’S OffICESpinelli, Jerry. 134p.

Sunny lives across the street from Hillary. This is the first year they are not going to the same school. Sunny wants to go to the same school as Hillary. She tries to get kicked out of her school so that she can go to Hillary’s school. Sunny does not wash her hair or change her shirt. She writes all the wrong answers on her math test and squeezes the whole multiplication table into a very small space on the paper. She writes a really bad writing assignment. If you want to find out if Sunny gets expelled, read this book. I liked it because it was funny and gross.

DON’t gEt CAught WEARINg thE LuNCh LADy’S hAIRNEtStrasser, Todd. 110p.

Kyle, Wilson and Dusty do not like the lunch ladies. They do not like them because they do not let them talk or eat dessert before lunch and they have assigned seats. One day Wilson ate his dessert before his lunch. The lunch monitor told him to spit it out and he refused. Kyle and Dusty came to the rescue. The lunch monitors told them to sit down, so they sat on the floor. Before you knew it, they all were in the office. They got out of it by telling the principal that eating dessert first and sitting on the floor were not in the rulebook and they did not know they were breaking any rules. As you could see, all three of them get into trouble a lot. I liked this book because it had great detail and it was very funny. It was a good book and I think you would like it too.

Liam Furboter, Grade 5.

SIxth gRADE SECREtSSachar, Louis. 201p.

Laura went to a garage sale and bought a hat that had “Pig City” on it. She decides to start a secret club called “Pig City”! She chooses people to join but they have to have “insurance”. Insurance is a secret that someone does not want anyone else to know. If someone in the club tells anyone who is not in the club about the club, Laura will tell the whole school the secret. Now a boy who she does not like threatens to tell the whole school about her secret club! I liked this book because it had a lot of excitement and it made me want to read more!

hORRIBLE hARRy AND thE DROP Of DOOM

Kline, Suzy. 58p.

I recently read an awesome book! It was called Horrible Harry And The Drop Of Doom.It was the last day of second grade and Song Lee invited Miss Mackle’s class to an End-Of-The-Year party at Mountainside Park. Harry’s classmate and worst enemy, Sidney, dares him to go on the newest ride called The Drop Of Doom. Harry promises to go on the ride until he finds out that it is an elevator that drops thirteen stories. He has a big fear of elevators because of an incident that happened when he was a toddler. Will Harry go on the ride or will he just let Sidney get on his case? Check out this book from your library and you will see what happens when they enter the ride!

Michelle Zaslofsky, Sparke, Grade 4.

hORRIBLE hARRy AND thE ChRIStMAS SuRPRISE

Klein, Suzy. 54p.

Horrible Harry And The Christmas Surprise is a great book! A few days before Christmas break, Harry’s teacher Miss Mackle, was reading “Twas The Night Before Christmas” when her old rocking chair broke and left Miss Mackle sitting on the floor. Oh no! There is a Christmas skit coming up. Will Miss Mackle be O.K.? Read this book to find out.

Adrienne McAuliffe, Sparke, Grade 4.

hERBIE JONES AND thE CLASS gIftKline, Suzy. 94p.

I just read a great book called Herbie Jones and the Class Gift. Oh no! Herbie and his friend Raymond have to pick up the class gift for their teacher Miss Pinkham. They think that it will be a piece of cake once they figure out what Miss Pinkham likes. Herbie and Raymond get the present but is it the right present? Read this wonderful book to find out!! I loved this book because the personalities of each character were so funny.

Alyssa Lopez, Sparke, Grade 4.

fRIENDS EVERyWhERE(ANgELWINgS #1)

Napoli, Donna Jo. 74p.

Patricia is deaf and she thinks that she will never make friends. She cannot speak because she cannot hear herself talking. Patricia moved from her farm to an apartment. She left her friends and some of her family. Patricia wants to speak. She wants to be normal. “The Little Angel of Friendship” is trying to help Patricia by blowing on people’s cheeks or hands so they can feel how she is lonely and sad. No one can see the angels in the story. Then the “Little Angel of Friendship” thought, “How could she make friends if she can’t speak?” The Archangel besides the “Little Angel” told him that “Actions speak louder than words.” Read this book to find out if she finds friends and/or who her friends will be. I like this book because it is very exciting. It is also a little emotional in some parts. Lots of things go on in this story. You should read this book if you like books with lots of surprises.

Aleesha Ahmed, Grade 5.

My SECREt WAR : thE WORLD WAR II DIARy Of MADELINE BECK,

LONg ISLAND, NEW yORK, 1941(DEAR AMERICA)

Osborne, Mary Pope. 186p.

Maddie has a father who is in the military during World War II. She and her friend Johnny start a club called the “W3F” club. This club tries to help the U.S. war effort in many ways, such as collecting scrap metal and watching the beaches of Long Island, New York for any enemy warships. Maddie and her mom live in a motel called “Mrs. Hawkins’s Mansion-by-the-Sea” where she meets people who tell her stories involving the war and who make her worry about her dad and the many others who face the horrors of war on a daily basis. Pick up this book to find out what the war was like in the young people’s eyes. I liked this book because it kept me on my toes. I never knew what was coming up next in this book. It inspires me to believe that young people’s efforts can really make a difference.

EgyPtKrensky, Stephen. 48p.

I just read a great book on Egypt. Did you know the Great Pyramid is the largest of the triangular pyramids? It is 478 feet tall. Egyptians were the first to create a calendar based on the sun. The Nile River is the largest river in the world and is extremely important to the Egyptian people. It provides them with a great source of food, water and rich soil for their crops. Egypt is full of ancient history and would be a very educational place I would like to visit. This book is filled with great facts about a very ancient and historical land. I hope you like it.

DOggONE It!(KAtIE KAzOO, SWItChEROO)

Krulik, Nancy. 76p.

This story is about a girl whose life was perfect until her teacher moves next door. Katie has a dog named Pepper. Her teacher does not like dogs, but her husband tries to prove to her that dogs are not so bad. A magic wind comes and turns Katie into her dog Pepper. Does Katie ever turn back to normal? Will Katie make her teacher like dogs? You will have to read this book to find out. I like this book because I love adventure and I love dogs!

MARy MARONy AND thE SNAKEKline, Suzy. 64p.

Mary Marony moved into a new neighborhood and is nervous about going to her new school. She meets a mean kid named Marvin who teases her because she has trouble pronouncing words with the letter “M” in it. When Marvin’s snake goes missing, none of the other children can find it. Now it is Mary’s turn to show Marvin that she can do something special. I like this book because I like to read mysteries.

Krystle Ray Pascual, Stokes, Grade 4.

ARthuR AND thE gOALIE ghOSt

(ARthuR gOOD SPORtS)Krensky, Stephen. 54p.

Buster is going to be the goalie for his hockey team. Buster gets nervous and misses every goal he tries to make. The ghost of the famous hockey player, Jacques Nettoyes appears and starts to give Buster advice. Do you think Jacques’ advice will help Buster?

Kaeley Johnston, Stokes, Grade 3.

thE JOuRNAL Of JEDEDIAh BARStOW : AN EMIgRANt ON thE OREgON tRAIL, OVERLAND, 1845(My NAME IS AMERICA) Levine, Ellen. 172p.

Jedediah Barstow was traveling on the Kaw River to Oregon with his family. As they were crossing, it started to thunder and rain heavily. The river tore through their wagon and Ma, Pa and his sister Sally drowned. He now had to live his life as an orphan. Jedediah stayed on the Henshaw’s wagon after the accident, but he had to earn his way by gathering food, cleaning, packing and unpacking the wagons. He was taught to repair the wagons when they broke down and learned how to carve up the animals for meals. A few nights he stood watch over the camp to make sure their camp was safe. He was able to help catch an Indian who wanted to steal from the camp. He also helped the men turn the buffalo stampede before they got trampled and also fought off a bear by swinging at it with his Pa’s rifle. He became a hero when he saved a boy’s life who was bitten by a rattlesnake. Does Jedediah make it safely through the Oregon Trail like his family planned or does he stay an orphan forever? I enjoyed this book because it showed that someone can overcome their fears when they need to and it made me curious to see what would happen at the end of the story.

Victoria Palazzo, Grade 6.

AttABOy, SAM!Lowry, Lois. 116p.

Sam Krupnik tries to make the best home-made perfume for his Mom’s birthday gift but has difficulty making it perfect. Mrs. Krupnik’s birthday is right around the corner and Sam wants to give his Mom a home-made present, but what? He decides to make perfume. He collects all of his Mom’s favorite scents, but all of them put together make the most horrible smell! He works on the present in his room. His room smells so bad he will not let anyone inside. It is too late to start a new gift. He just hopes his perfume will eventually turn out okay. On the other hand, his sister and Dad’s presents are not working out so well either. Will his family ever give Sam’s Mom a good present? Will Sam’s perfume turn out okay or will he end up not having a present for his Mom? Read Attaboy, Sam! to find out. I really enjoyed this book because you never knew what was going to happen next and whatever did happen surprised me!

JAButI thE tORtOISEMcDermott, Gerald. 32p.

Do you like trickster tales? Then this is the book for you! It is about a tortoise that plays very sweet music. His name is Jabuti. He is very talented at playing the flute. Then there is the Vulture. Vulture is very evil because he wants to eat Jabuti. He is jealous of his music. What do you think happens? This is an Amazon trickster tale. Read Jabuti The Tortoise, it is great.

Sal Belziti, Sparke, Grade 3.

zOMO thE RABBItMcDermott, Gerald. 32p.

Have you ever wanted something so badly that you would do anything to get it? Well then Zomo The Rabbit is the right book for you! It is about a rabbit named Zomo who wants wisdom but he has to do three impossible tasks to get it. If you want to read this book you should go to the library and get it.

Bianca Marinelli, Sparke, Grade 3.

SECOND gRADE BAByMartin, Ann M. 82p.

Natalie did not have many friends and she was always being teased at school. She was the only student brave enough to let her favorite stuffed animal be sent on an adventure around the world. When he came back she did something even more amazing. You will love Natalie’s idea and so does the class.

Peter Potamousis, Stokes, Grade 3.

thE LIttLESt WItChMassey, Jeanne. 34p.

A little witch has only been on the job for three weeks. All the other witches are taking part in a race to the moon where they hope to win a beautiful cobweb veil. The littlest witch does not get to the moon because she is always doing good deeds. Does the littlest witch win the veil or does she get a big surprise instead? You can find out if you read this funny book. I enjoyed this book because I like to read Halloween stories.

Milissa Williams, Stokes, Grade 4.

NO MORE DEAD DOgSKorman, Gordon. 180p.

Wallace Wallace’s main problem is to try to find out who has been vandalizing his school’s play. Wallace is a kid who never tells a lie, no matter what. When the time comes that he has to write his book report on “Old Shep, My Pal”, he tells the truth. He says it is the worst book ever. This is his teacher’s favorite book so Wallace gets detention. To get out of it, Wallace has to write a good book review. However, Wallace will not lie so he does not do it. Now Mr. Fogelman is furious and keeps giving Wallace detention. Since Wallace is a football player and he missed many practices, he is kicked off of the team. As part of his punishment, Wallace becomes involved in the play. When Wallace is given the chance to go back to his football team, he chooses to stay with the play. Now Wallace is trying to figure out who has been vandalizing the play’s rehearsals because whoever has been doing this has framed it all on Wallace. Wallace then realizes the person might attack the biggest target…the play! To figure out if Wallace catches the person who has been attacking the play, and/or if the play comes out great, read No More Dead Dogs. This book kept me on the edge of my seat because it was funny, made me feel like a character, and made me want to read more.

PIER PRESSuRE(LuNA BAy, #1)

Lantz, Francess. 165p.

In Luna Bay; Pier Pressure Luna is trying to follow in her mother’s footsteps and win the western championship. Luna and her parents run a surf camp every year. This year Luna and her friends are going to be the camp counselors. A newcomer from the East Coast comes to the surf camp to learn about surfing. His name is David. David is very moody, but soon he and Luna become friends. He is very stubborn but Luna learns she has to break through the stubborn streak to help him with his surfing. Luna also needs to practice for the big competition. How will Luna ever be ready in time for the contest? What about spending time with David and living up to her mom? Read this book if you like stories that stay with you. You should also read this book if you like good friends and awesome wipeouts! I liked this book because I could really relate to what happens to Luna, like all the pressure she is put under.

Paige Fazio, Grade 5.

BOO! ghOStS IN thE SChOOL!(ABRACADABRA #2)

Lerangis, Peter. 89p.

When they start hearing ghost noises in the school, the “Abracadabra Club” kids decide to investigate the clues to find out who is behind this trick. They hear ghost noises in the janitor’s closet, in the auditorium, and in the hallways. The ghost keeps saying “I’ll get them on Friday.” On Friday Jessica and Noah’s Mom and Dad are going to a play. It turns out to be a line from the play, but the question is - who is behind this? Jessica and Noah decide to go to the play with their parents. If you like reading mysteries, you will love this book. The kids solve the mystery, and if you want to find out who the ghost is, you should read this book.

Sarah Kost, Grade 5.

JuDy MOODy & StINK thE hOLLy JOLIDAyMcDonald, Megan. 84p.

The only thing Stink wants for Christmas is snow. Judy thinks he should ask for something else because it has been over 100 years since it last snowed in Virginia. The mailman Jack Frost, who looks like Santa keeps Stink believing it may snow. Will Stink get his wish? I enjoyed this book because it is funny and joyful.

Ashley Garbacki, Sparke, Grade 3.

StINK AND thE INCREDIBLE SuPER-gALACtIC JAWBREAKERMcDonald, Megan. 144p.

Stink, Judy Moody’s younger brother, bought a jawbreaker that was supposed to last forever. Stink sucked on the jawbreaker for one whole week, but when it melted, he was mad. He wrote to the company complaining that it did not last more than one week. The company sent him ten pounds of jawbreakers. Judy saw how many jawbreakers he got and became jealous. Judy told her parents and got him in trouble. Will he get to keep the jawbreakers? I recommend this book to kids who like funny books. StINK: thE INCREDIBLE ShRINKINg KID

McDonald, Megan. 128p.

Stink has a problem. He is too small. His sister Judy makes fun of him and measures him every night, but one night she tells him he shrunk. Stink does not think that is possible. His parents keep telling him that growing takes time but Stink wants to grow now. Read this book to find out if he gets taller. I recommend this book to people who like Judy Moody because Stink is her little brother. I also recommend this book to people who like fun reading. I loved this book!

Jack Gundersen, Stokes, Grade 4.

thE CELERy StALKS At MIDNIghtHowe, James. 111p.

In the story, The Celery Stalks at Midnight, Chester the cat, Howie and Harold, the two dogs, are trying to find Bunnicula, the bunny. This bunny is not normal. It sucks the juice out of regular vegetables. When you look at the teeth marks, it looks like a bite from a vampire! The three pets tried to warn their owners, but that did not work. They had to take matters into their own hands. Do they find this bunny at night and stop him? Will something happen to the bitten vegetables? You will have to read the book to find out. I liked this book because it was twisted and humorous. These are the kinds of books I really enjoy reading.

Joseph Badolato, Grade 5.

thE SIgN Of thE fALCON(NANCy DREW #130)

Keene, Carolyn. 147p.

Nancy Drew has to find out what happened to her father Carson Drew who went to New York City and has not been seen or heard from since. When she gets there, there are no clues. Even things which seem suspicious turn out to be nothing. But one thing keeps popping up… a grey-haired man. When Nancy first sees him and runs after him, he runs away into the crowd. If you want to find out what has happened to Carson Drew, or who the grey-haired man is, read this book. I enjoyed it because it made me anxious to find out what each character has to do in the mystery.

thE WAtER hORSEKing-Smith, Dick. 118p.

In the novel The Water Horse, Kirstie, Angus and Grumble find a strange creature, a water horse. They want to keep it and take care of it, but do not know where to keep it since the water horse keeps growing. Kirstie, Angus and Grumble try to hide the water horse. They take care of the creature as if it were their own pet. They go to the beach where they found the creature and catch fish to feed it. They try to find a loch big enough to keep the creature in, but it will not stop growing so they have to keep moving it to any loch they can find. Will they find a home for the creature that is large enough? I liked the book because it was an amazing story to read and to experience. Even though there might not be a water horse, the words that the author used made it realistic.

Mayra Pacheco, Grade 5.

thE SIStERS CLuBMcDonald, Megan. 206p.

The Sisters Club is about three sisters who make up the sisters club. They have rules in the sisters club, like where to meet, what to do, how you do it and loads of other stuff. I thought this book was great because I wanted to know what a sisters club was all about and to know what sisters were like. I wanted to know this because I do not have sisters.

CORVEttEMcKenna, A.T. 32p.

I chose this book because I like Corvettes and fast cars. The first Corvette was invented in 1955. That was the first of five generations of Corvettes made. In order to make a Corvette, it takes hundreds of people and many hours. My favorite Corvette is the Mako Shark Corvette built from 1968-1982. Chevrolet built over 500,000 Mako Shark Corvettes. There is a Corvette museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky. I suggest this book to anyone who likes the great American sports car, the Corvette.

hEAthER thE VIOLEt fAIRy(RAINBOW MAgIC SERIES)Meadows, Daisy. 71p.

Do you like books about fairies? Then Heather The Violet Fairy is the book for you. It is about two girls named Rachel and Kirsty. They have a secret! They are best friends with fairies. Rachel and Kirsty are at a summer fair when they meet Heather The Violet Fairy. When Rachel and Kirsty bring Heather back to the pot at the end of the rainbow. Jack Frost appears. Will Rachel, Kirsty and Heather defeat Jack Frost? Read the book to find out!

Shari Freeda, Sparke, Grade 3.

ABIgAIL, thE BREEzE fAIRyMeadows, Daisy. 80p.

Fairyland is a magical place where the weather is controlled by special feathers. Abigail and her fairy friends need to find Jack Frost who stole seven feathers. The fairies need to get the feathers back. They distract some goblins that help Jack Frost. Read the book to find out if the fairies get the feathers back. I like the book because it is fun to read and very funny too.

Alyssa Hotchkiss, Stokes, Grade 3.

SIxth gRADE CAN REALLy KILL yOuDeClements, Barthe. 146p.

Sixth Grade Can Really Kill You is a fantastic book. It is about a girl named Helen who loves to create mischief. She has a nickname, “Bad Helen”, because of it. As if she does not get in enough trouble from that, she also does poorly in school, especially in reading. Her teacher “Lobb the Blob” is not helping one bit. Her report card is F’s and D’s. Her mom thinks changing teachers will help, but does it? Does “Bad Helen” retire her name? Will she get left back? Read the book to find out. I liked this book because it is about a girl who has trouble in school and creates mischief to overshadow it.

Brooke Liebell, Grade 6.

ONCE uPON A MARIgOLDFerris, Jean. 275p.

While Ed, a troll, was walking in the forest, he found a six year old boy named Christian, who ran away from home because there were too many rules. Ed decided to raise Chris himself. Eleven years later, Chris is watching Princess Marigold of Beaurivage, sitting outside of the castle’s terrace wall, through his telescope. One day he decides to p-mail (pigeon mail) her across the river, and surprisingly she writes back. After a while, she tells him that she has a curse. If you touch her, she can read your mind. After a year of p-mail, they become best friends and Chris moves out of the crystal cave where he lived and worked at the castle as a servant. He soon finds out that Queen Olympia is trying to get Marigold and King Swithbert “out of the way” so she can become the top ruler of the kingdom. Sir Magnus is going to marry Princess Marigold even though she does not want him to! Will Christian be able to stop Queen Olympia’s evil plans and the wedding? If you want to know their shocking fate, check out this book. I loved reading this book because each chapter was so exciting and thrilling. It made me want to read more.

fLyINg SOLOFletcher, Ralph. 138p.

When the substitute teacher did not show up, Karen tried to run her 6th grade class and keep them controlled. At first the kids went along with Karen and did their work. John said that they should do a rock ritual for Bastian who was moving to Hawaii. This was something their teacher did when someone left the class. The person leaving picked a rock and everyone held it and said a memory of the departing person. During the ritual when it was Rachel’s turn to say a memory, she wrote it on a card because she did not talk. She wrote that she remembered that Bastian teased a boy in their class before he died exactly six months ago. That is why Rachel was silent. Will Rachel ever talk? Will other people find out that they were unsupervised? I liked this book because it showed how kids really feel.

PEARL thE CLOuD fAIRy(thE WEAthER fAIRIES SERIES)

Meadows, Daisy. 69p.

Wow! I just read a great book! Pearl The Cloud Fairy is about two friends named Kristy and Rachel who help a fairy named Pearl. A goblin stole her cloud feather. Now clouds hang over everyone’s head. My favorite part is when Rachel gets stuck in a cloud of cotton candy. To find out more, read this great book.

Kayla Koliatsis, Sparke, Grade 3.

SKy thE BLuE fAIRy(RAINBOW MAgIC SERIES)Meadows, Daisy. 63p.

Are you a person who likes mystical adventures? Well if you do, then this is the book for you. In this story a fairy named Sky gets trapped in a bubble. Rachel and Kristy share a very special secret and help the Rainbow Fairies of Fairyland when Jack Frost does something bad to them. They help find many fairies including Ruby, Amber, Sunny and Fern but they still have two more fairies to locate. Read this adventurous book to find out if they find Sky.

Simran Sahansra, Sparke, Grade 3.

SKy thE BLuE fAIRy(RAINBOW MAgIC SERIES)Meadows, Daisy. 63p.

Rachel and Kirsty discover a magical secret while on vacation on Rainspell Island. Jack Frost has cast an evil spell and banished seven Rainbow Fairies from Fairyland. The two girls promise to find all of the fairies and return them to the black pot in the woods. If all seven are not found, Fairyland will be dark and gray forever. Will Fairyland be saved to its natural beauty of rainbows, pixie dust and everything magical? Find out by going to the library and taking out this book. I enjoyed the magical adventures of Rachel and Kirsty as they search Rainspell Island and meet rainbow fairies, talking crabs, frogs and evil goblins.

Jessica Barenzano, Sparke, Grade 3.

thE WRIght BROthERSO’Hern, Keri. 31p.

This graphic novel is about two brothers named Orville and Wilbur Wright. They made the first plane to get off the ground and fly. It took a very long time because they had to keep trying until they got it just right. People could not believe their eyes when they saw the first flight happen on December 17, 1903. This was a great book

Nicholas Rodriguez, Sparke, Grade 4.

SCHOOL

MIDDLE

thE fAMILIAR(ANIMORPhS #41)

Applegate, K.A. 143p.

The book,Animorphs: The Familiar, takes you on a wild adventure. This action packed book is about a boy named Jake. Jake is a fourteen year-old boy with special powers. Jake has the ability to change into any animal he touches. One night he gets into a fight with his archenemies. When he wakes up, everything is different. Jake is no longer a fourteen year-old boy; he is twenty-one and the leader of a group called the Hork-Bajir. He has no idea how this has happened and wants answers. When his enemies find out he is one of the few that are not controlled by the Hork-Bajir, they try to destroy him and the rest of the people who are not controlled by them. If you want to find out if Jake survives, read this action packed book. I liked this book because it is exciting and makes my heart pound.

A COAL MINER’S BRIDE: thE DIARy Of ANEtKA KAMINSKA,

LAttIMER PENNSyLVANIA 1896(DEAR AMERICA)

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. 219p.

In Dear America: A Coal Miner’s Bride, Anetka’s father is in America and has arranged a marriage for her, but she is afraid that she is already in love with another man. Anetka travels all the way from Poland to America, “to marry a man she does not know or love”. One day she got some bad news. Stanley, her husband, died in a coal mining accident. Now she is a widow and has to take care of his three little girls from his previous marriage. Anetka finds out that Stanley has a huge debt to pay and now Anetka is in charge of paying it. Leon, the man she loved, is in town. He and Anetka meet up after a long separation. Will Anetka marry Leon? How will she be able to pay off Stanley’s debt? Read this book to find out. I like this book so much because it is about an unbelievable girl who faces so many problems but still has the time to write in her diary everyday to tell us what happens.

BLIzzARD Of thE BLuE MOON(MAgIC tREE hOuSE)

Osborne, Mary Pope 110p.

Jack and Annie use the magic tree house to go back in time to the New York blizzard of 1938. They need to find the last unicorn. They get lost in Central Park and find a huge castle with a king. He gives them directions to the Bronx Zoo. Will they find the unicorn? I like this book because I like mystery stories.

Jean-Pierre Passini, Stokes, Grade 3.

EARthquAKE IN thE EARLy MORNINg(MAgIC tREE hOuSE)

Osborne, Mary Pope. 72p.

In the morning Jack and Annie went inside the magic tree house where they were magically sent to San Francisco, California. They had not realized that they would arrive during a huge earthquake. I liked this book because Jack and Annie became heroes because they helped a lot of people, and I would do the same.

Justin W. Rigney, Stokes, Grade 3.

hIgh tIDE IN hAWAII(MAgIC tREE hOuSE)

Osborne, Mary Pope. 76p.

Jack and Annie arrive at the magic tree house that appears only once in awhile. In the tree house, there was a piece of paper that told them about their next journey. The tree brought them to the beautiful island of Hawaii. In Hawaii they meet Boka and Kama who show them life on the island of Hawaii. They learn the different customs and traits of the Hawaiian people. Boka and Kama also teach Jack and Annie how to surf and wait for that perfect wave. The two of them enjoyed their adventure very much. I enjoyed reading this book because my grandparents travel to Hawaii every year. I hope one day that I will get to see the place that I hear so much about.

Brooke Perks, Stokes, Grade 4.

ghOSt tOWN At SuNDOWN(MAgIC tREE hOuSE SERIES)

Osbourne, Mary Pope. 71p.

Jack and Annie go on a Wild West adventure in their magic tree house. In the Wild West, they see many things. They see a piano playing itself, a cowboy named Slim with a gun and horse thieves. Jack and Annie need to answer a riddle to get home. Will they make it home?

Jake Petralia, Sparke, Grade 3.EARRINgS

Viorst, Judith. 30p.

Wow! I just read this great book called Earrings. The story opens with a young girl asking her parents to let her get earrings for pierced ears. Her parents say that she is too young. The girl begs her parents telling them that everybody else has them. She tells her parents all the chores that she would do in order to get earrings. Will her parents finally give in? I think that the lesson her parents are trying to teach her is that anything worth having is worth waiting for.

Emily Rothenberg, Sparke, Grade 4.

uRANuSVogt, Gregory L.

There are many cool facts and pictures in this book about Uranus. Did you know that lava on Uranus is really ice? It is four times the size of the Earth and strange because it is tipped on its side. It also has fifteen moons and is a blue-green color. I would recommend this book to people who like planets or science. I would like to read more books like this. It is really interesting.

Ashley Jones, Stokes, Grade 3.

ONLy EMMAWarner, Sally. 144p.

Emma, an only child, lives with her mother. One day her mother agrees to babysit for Anthony while his parents are away. Emma does not know how to treat this new boy who is always bothering her. When Emma is invited to a sleepover at Cynthia’s house, she does not know what to do. Her mother does not want her to leave Anthony alone. My eyes were glued to the page because I wanted to find out if Emma would go to the sleepover.

Navleen Singh, Stokes, Grade 3.

ChARLOttE’S WEBWhite, E.B. 184p.

This book is about a girl named Fern who falls in love with a runt pig named Wilbur. Fern’s father was going to kill Wilbur because he was so small, but Fern saved his life. After Wilbur grew bigger, Fern’s father was going to kill him for Christmas dinner. This story is about Wilbur’s farm animal friends, especially a spider named Charlotte, who try to save him from Fern’s father. I really loved this book because I thought it was cute and I love pigs.

Sarah Kemp, Stokes, Grade 3.

hENRy AND MuDgE tAKE thE BIg tESt(thE hENRy AND MuDgE BOOKS)

Rylant, Cynthia. 40p.

This book is about Henry and his dog Mudge. Henry is practicing with Mudge for his doggy test at school. Mudge had to go to Papp’s Dog School because he had to learn how to behave and stop getting into trouble. Mudge did not want to go to school but once he got to Papp’s Dog School, he liked it very much and was having lots of fun. I like this book because it was funny and Mudge is big and cute.

Christina Ragusa, Stokes, Grader 3.

JuNIE B. fIRSt gRADER- ChEAtER PANtSPark, Barbara. 86p.

This book is about a girl named Junie B. who was caught copying a classmate’s homework. Mr. Scary, who is Junie B’s teacher, asks the kids to write what they did over the weekend. The class had to read their homework out loud and that is when Mr. Scary realized that Junie copied from her classmate May. Mr. Scary sent a note home to Junie’s parents. She had a discussion with her parents about cheating and her parents signed Mr. Scary’s note. Friday was the day of the big spelling test, will Junie cheat again or has she learned her lesson? Read this book to find out. This was a fun book to read and I recommend it to all my classmates.

Kevin Reilly, Sparke, Grade 4.

MIDNIght ON thE MOON(MAgIC tREE hOuSE SERIES)

Osborne, Mary Pope. 70p.

This book is about Jack and Annie and their trip to the moon. Jack and Annie travel to the moon in a magic tree house to find an item that begins with the letter “M”. While they are on the moon, they have many exciting adventures. To find out more about these adventures and to see if they find the “M” thing, read this book.. I think this book was interesting, exciting and fun to read.

Jarrett Lubniewski, Sparke, Grade 4.

PIRAtES PASt NOON(MAgIC tREE hOuSE SERIES)

Osborne, Mary Pope. 116p.

This book is about Jack and Annie, who go on adventures by reading magical books in their tree house. Jack loves books and Annie believes in magic. They are transported magically to a deserted island with nasty pirates looking for a treasure chest. I enjoyed this book very much because it made me feel happy and I like reading about pirates and magical adventures.

Zachary Chuang, Sparke, Grade 4.

CALLINg DOCtOR AMELIA BEDELIAParish, Herman. 64p.

Oh boy! I just read the most wonderful book ever. It was about a young lady named Amelia Bedel ia . Amelia volunteered to become a doctor for the day because Dr. Horton had to visit the hospital. She tried to be the doctor but misunderstood everything. One of my favorite parts is when Mrs. Bender, a patient, called in and said she had the hives. Amelia replied, “That’s great, I bet you have honey.” If you want to know what happens next, read the book called Calling Doctor Amelia Bedelia.

ICE DRIftTaylor, Theodore. 224p.

Alika and Sulu are Inuit brothers who live in a small village in the Arctic Circle. During a seal hunt, the boys and their lead sled dog Jamka become stranded on ice. The ice drifts down the Greenland Strait for six months. The boys must learn how to survive without food or shelter. I recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure stories.

Andrew Greco, Stokes, Grade 4.

gIANt PANDATheodorou, Rod. 32p.

This was an interesting nonfiction book about the endangered pandas. People are hunting them and destroying their homes. Pandas play a huge part in the Chinese culture and are really cute too. I recommend this book to people who love reading about animals.

Kristen Kraus, Stokes, Grade 4.

ELOISE: thE ABSOLutELy ESSENtIAL EDItIONThompson, Kay. 65p.

Eloise is a six year old child. She lives at the Plaza Hotel with her nanny and pets. She spends an awful long time in the lobby. Everyday Eloise goes down to the lobby to bother the desk clerk. She has many funny adventures in the hotel. This is a great book. I like this book because Eloise gets to do things that most kids do not get to do.

Alexa Ruiz, Stokes, Grade 3.

CLOSE CALLStrasser, Todd. 118p.

Ian and his friends want to play baseball, but their teammate Jenny always gives them problems by leaving early to go home to help her mom. If Jenny keeps giving them a hard time, Ian and his friends will never be able to play baseball because the teams would be uneven. Will Ian and his friends be able to work out this problem? I like this book because I like to read about baseball.

Eugene Goh, Stokes, Grade 4.

PARROtSSwitzer, Merebeth. 48p.

I read a great book about parrots. Parrots live in the giant trees of the rainforest. They have been imported from Africa and the Far East and have become very popular. You can recognize parrots by their chunky, hooked beak and their contour feathers. Parrots have some of the most beautiful feathers in the world. The facts in this book are very interesting and the photographs are awesome.

thE CASE Of thE fOOD fIght(JIgSAW JONES MyStERy)

Preller, James. 75p.

Jigsaw Jones and Mila are best friends who like to solve mysteries together. There was a big food fight in the cafeteria. The lunch aide accused Joey Pignattano of starting the fight, but he denied it. Jigsaw and Mila believe Joey, but now they will have to prove it. I like this book because it is fun to solve mysteries.

Brian Scally, Stokes, Grade 3.

StuARt gOES tO SChOOLPennypacker, Sara. 64p.

Stuart is the new kid in town. He has a bad feeling about his first day of school. He worries about getting locked in the boys’ bathroom, not having anything to share for show and tell, or not being able to make new friends. He is especially upset that his mother made him wear an ugly cowboy shirt to school. I liked this book because I love reading funny stories.

Marie Abigail Chavez, Stokes, Grade 4.

CAPtAIN uNDERPANtS AND thE AttACK Of thE tALKINg tOILEtS

(CAPtAIN uNDERPANtS SERIES)Pilkey, Dave. 135p.

Harold and George take control of their principal with a 3-D Hypno-Ring. They change him into Captain Underpants. Captain Underpants gets into a fight with the Turbo Toilet 2000 from space. Can Captain Underpants defeat the Turbo Toilet? I think the book was wonderful because it was funny and awesome.

Bryan Cordova, Sparke, Grade 4.

PENguIN PEtEPfister, Marcus. 24p.

Pete is the smallest penguin in his colony. All he wants most in the world is to be able to swim and dive like all the bigger penguins. When Pete meets a new friend named Steve, they have lots of fun trying to teach Pete how to fly like a bird. All of a sudden Steve has to leave and Pete becomes very sad. Pete’s mom has to figure out a way to cheer him up. This is a wonderful book about a mother’s love and a special friendship. It is filled with beautiful and colorful pictures of penguin life in the Antarctic. I mostly enjoyed all the exciting adventures as Pete tried to fly like a bird and swim and dive like all the other penguins.

Kristin Grieshaber, Sparke, Grade 3.

gERONIMO StILtON AND thE SEARCh fOR SuNKEN tREASuRE

(gERONIMO StILtON SERIES)Stilton, Geronimo. 111p.

Geronimo, Thea, Trap and Aunt Sweetfur go on a trip to discover a missing treasure that sank in 1713 on a ship named the Golden Rind. It was carrying 13 precious diamonds that were intended for King Charles Chedderarama IV. Aunt Sweetfur finds her husband’s journal which tells about the treasure and the ship. All three cousins agree to help their aunt search for the missing treasure. Read this book to find out who successfully discovers the valuable treasure. You will enjoy the exciting adventures that these characters faced while trying to outwit each other and become rich.

thE CuRSE Of thE MuMMy WIth NO NAME

Stilton,Geronimo. 94p.

Have you ever heard of Geronimo Stilton? He is a mouse and the top news reporter in New Mice City. He is in his office when he gets a phone call from his friend the professor who runs a museum in Egypt. The professor tells him that he has a mystery for Geronimo’s newspaper. There is a spooky mummy roaming around the museum and scaring away all the visitors. Geronimo, Benjamin and his friend Bugey are now headed off to Egypt to solve the mystery of The Curse Of The Mummy With No Name! I hope you read this wonderful book.

thE tEMPLE Of thE RuBy fIREStilton, Geronimo. 111p.

Wow! I just read an amazing book. It was about a mouse named Geronimo Stilton who goes on an adventure to Crocodilia with his sister Thea Stilton, his cousin Trap and his nephew Benjamin. They have to help professor Von Volt find the Temple Of The Ruby Fire. Three evil rodents are trying to stop them. Read the book to find out whether they succeed.

Niha Chaudry, Sparke, Grade 4.

A fABuMOuSE VACAtION fOR gERONIMOStilton, Geronimo. 112p.

Wow! I just read this amazing story called A Fabumouse Vacation For Geronimo. It was about a mouse named Geronimo Stilton who is trying to go on a vacation. Every time he books a flight, he misses the plane because he gets distracted. Will Geronimo ever get his vacation? Read this story to find out.

Alicia Taromina, Sparke, Grade 4.

thE tALKINg t. RExRoy, Ron. 85p.

This book was so exciting to read. Dink, Josh and Ruth Rose cannot wait for their old friend Jud to come visit. He is bringing a surprise with him, a full-sized mechanical T-Rex. They are raising money for their dinosaur museum. When the money they collect disappears, the three friends and the police help find who took it. This book is filled with fun and excitement. The reader has to be on the lookout for clues to solve the mystery. This book was excellent to read and lots of fun. I would read it again.

Antonio Petito, Sparke, Grade 4.

thE hAuNtED hOtEL(A tO z MyStERIES)

Roy, Ron. 86p.

Dink, Josh and Ruth Rose try to figure out what is going on at the Shangri-la Hotel in their town. It is almost Halloween and the children are trying to find out if there is a ghost in the hotel. The guests are seeing and hearing strange things. Dink, Josh and Ruth Rose are brave as they try to solve the mystery. I liked this book because it is a mystery and I like trying to guess what will happen next. If you like a good mystery then this book is for you.

thE ChARM BRACELEt(fAIRy REALM SERIES)

Rodda, Emily. 113p.

Wow! I just read an excellent book! It is about a girl named Jessie and a magical adventure. Jessie’s grandma lost her bracelet and Jessie went to search for it. She went to her secret garden and found a door in the hedge. When she went through the door, she was in a magical place called The Fairy Realm! She met a horse named Maybelle, an elf named Giff and a witch named Patrice. Earlier, Maybelle, Giff and Patrice cast a spell and hoped that Jessie’s grandma would come through the door, but Jessie came through instead. To save The Fairy Realm, Jessie has to get the bracelet from Valda and return it to her grandma before the magic runs out! If you are looking for a mysterious, exciting story you will love this book!

Adrianna Mulligan, Sparke, Grade 4.

hOW MuCh IS thAt guINEA PIg IN thE WINDOW?

Rocklin, Joanne. 40p.

This book is outstanding. It is about a classroom full of children who want a class pet. They need to earn money in order to buy it. They go to a pet store to see what type of animal they would like. The children decide to take a vote. Read this book to find out what happens next.

Jessica Petry, Sparke, Grade 3.

PuPPIESSjonger, Rebecca & Kalman, Bobbie. 32p.

This book is made for kids who love puppies. It tells you how to take care of your puppy. It also gives you information on different types of dogs. This book has many pictures of puppies so you can choose your favorite. There are many tips on training your puppy. I liked this book and I would tell anyone who likes puppies to read it.

Gina Muhs, Stokes, Grade 3.

ChEStER thE Out-Of-WORK DOgSinger, Marilyn. 32p.

Wow! You should read the book called Chester The Out-Of-Work Dog. It is about a dog named Chester, who worked on a farm herding sheep. When his family moves to town everything changes. Do you know what happens next? Read it to find out.

thE ChOCOLAtE tOuChSmith, Rober Kimmell. 226p.

John Midas loves chocolate more than anything else. John takes a walk to his friend’s house and finds a coin with his initials on it. He sees a candy shop that he has never been in before and decides to go inside. John buys a big box of chocolates but there is only one piece left inside. After he eats it, everything starts tasting like chocolate to him. You will have to read this story to find out what happened next.

Lauren Mannlein, Sparke, Grade 4.

ChOCOLAtE fEVERSmith, Robert Kimmell. 93p.

This book is about a boy named Henry Green who gets chocolate fever from eating too much chocolate. He starts getting brown spots all over his body. Read this funny book to see what happens next! I really enjoyed this book because it was a great story about chocolate.

Michael Teneriello, Sparke, Grade 3.

SAMANthA’S SuRPRISE(thE AMERICAN gIRLS COLLECtION)

Schur, Maxine Rose. 66p.

It is Christmas time and Samantha wants a doll she saw in the store window. She does not think she will get it because she gave her new doll away to her best friend Nelly. Samantha’s Uncle Garth is bringing his friend Cornelia for Christmas. Everyone is getting ready for Cornelia and no one is paying attention to Samantha. Will Samantha get the doll she wanted? I thought this book was very good. The ending was a surprise.

Jacqueline Clifford, Stokes, Grade 4.

thE VAMPIRE’S VACAtION(A tO z MyStERy)Roy, Ron. 96p.

Three kids see a stranger on the street who is dressed in black and has a very pale complexion. The kids think that he is a vampire and follow him even though they are afraid of what they might find out. At the end of the book, the children are surprised at what they discover. I liked this book because I wanted to find out if the man was really a vampire.

Alyssa Arvotti, Stokes, Grade 4.

zOMBIE zONERoy, Ron. 85p.

Zombie Zone is a story about three friends named Dink, Josh and Ruth Rose. They find what they think are foot prints of zombies. The villagers of Louisiana told stories of a giant zombie with silver hair who has been digging up graves in the cemetery. Do you think they will find the zombie or is it a lie? I think this book was interesting because it was full of mysteries and clues.

Jonathan Wilson, Sparke, Grade 3.

hENRy AND MuDgE tAKE thE BIg tESt(thE hENRy AND MuDgE BOOKS)

Rylant, Cynthia. 40p.

This book is about Henry and his dog Mudge. Henry is practicing with Mudge for his doggy test at school. Mudge had to go to Papp’s Dog School because he had to learn how to behave and stop getting into trouble. Mudge did not want to go to school but once he got to Papp’s Dog School, he liked it very much and was having lots of fun. I like this book because it was funny and Mudge is big and cute.

Christina Ragusa, Stokes, Grader 3.

OLIVIA ShARP(OLIVIA ShARP, NAtE thE gREAt’S COuSIN)

Sharmat, Marjorie Weinman and Mitchell. 72p.

Olivia Sharp is an agent for secrets. She went to help her best friend Taffy get into a secret club. All of Taffy’s new friends have initials on their shirts and ride bicycles. Olivia buys a new bicycle for Taffy. Olivia and Taffy want to start their own club, The Green Toenails Gang. This was a really cool book. You will have to read the book to find out what happens in the end.

Kristie Najdek, Stokes, Grade 3.

thE gIVINg tREESilverstein, Shel. 52p.

The Giving Tree was a good book. It is about a tree that loves a boy. As the boy grows older, he continues to visit the tree which makes the tree very happy. The problem is that he only visits when he wants things. Will the tree be able to give the boy everything he needs? Read this beautiful story to find out what happens.

Lauren Mannlein, Sparke, Grade4

WALt DISNEySimon, Charnan. 45p.

I just finished a great book about an amazing, animated movie producer named Walt Disney. This book is full of interesting facts, like how he created Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Pluto. He made the first full length color animated movie and this book tells you all about it. He also created his own amusement park which we all love to visit. I would recommend this book to all Disney lovers.

Rachel Caffrey, Stokes, Grade 3.

CLEVER tOM AND thE LEPREChAuNShute, Linda. 19p.

Boy! I just read a really good book. It was about a clever boy who wanted to be rich with gold. One day he heard a click clicking sound and saw a leprechaun who was fixing a shoe. When Tom catches the leprechaun, he tells him to show him where his gold is buried. The leprechaun tells him but is he telling the truth? Read this story to find out!

Tatiana Serrano, Sparke, Grade 3.