A review by Jesse and Jake

I liked this book because it has positive thoughts about people of color, and also gave encouragement to keep fighting for equality. Walter Myers did an excellent job illustrating this in the Frederick Douglass: The Lion Who Wrote History. One of his best statements was, ”His voice, born in the soft tunes of the slave population truly became a lion's roar.” 

The main character, Frederick Douglass, is a strong willed black slave, who was separated from family at the age of 9 and was forced to work as a slave until age 18. At that age, he ran away.

If you like books about people with disadvantages rising up to be amazing leaders, or if you just love history, this book is perfect for you. We give it 5 stars!

I think “Harriet and the Promised Land” was a great book. It is great for anyone that is interested in history, but don’t have time to read a long book. The main character in this book is Harriet Tubman. Harriet Tubman was born a slave in 1820, and  is a strong and brave black women that stood up against slavery and helped black slaves become free. This book is about how Harriet Tubman helped black people escape to the the promised land. I believe that the main theme of this book is that anyone can do anything, as it states in the book, “Harriet, Harriet, Born to be free, Led her people to liberty.”This demonstrates that even though Harriet was in slavery and everyone thought that it was impossible she helped other black slaves travel across the country to the promised land. I think that this is a great book because it gives history about how bad slavery was, and it shows that people can do amazing things. “Harriet and the Promised Land” was a great book and I strongly recommend it.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Reviewed by Abe and Haris

Thunder Rose is great book about a strange strong girl in the west. She is super strong and she has a special bond with thunder and lightning. Thunder Rose is resourceful and creative. Her personality is strong and I really fell in love with her. She has a bond with animals and she loves her bull that she tamed with a special skill. She performed amazing feats of strength, Jerdine Nolen wrote, “Rose did a commendable job of stacking the fence without a bit of help.” I used this quote to demonstrate how strong she really is. I loved the book and characters and would really recommend it.

I think this is a perspective changing story. It is about a darker skin family that includes one daughter, one loving mom and a hard working dad, that travel from Chicago to Alabama to see their grandmother. I think you should read this story because it tells you a couple of life lessons, and one is that darker skin people should be treated the some as lighter skin people are treated. I would recommend this book to ages 10 and up, that would like to learn a little more about different a culture. 

The author states “The man said that we could not have the restroom key cause it was for whites only.”  Ruth feels furious. She does not understand why all different people can't all be treated kindly. This quote is an example of what it was like to be darker skin in the 30’s. It was the time of Jim Crow were there was lots of laws against darker and lighter skin people mixing in anyway. It was a hard time for the family-.We chose this quote to experience segregation, and how this family  feels. 

This is a five star book and a very inspirational story for kids 10 and up!

     

                             

This book is about a book about a girl named Sonia Sotomayor. Sonia has a lot of grit and doesn't care what people think of her. Her dream is to become a judge. Her mother works hard for her children to have a education. She wants them to be successful in life. This book is a good book for you if you like reading about people who chase their dreams. We would recommend this book for ages 7 and up because it is a little more challenging to read. The author writes: But Sonia was like a flowery  vine that would not stop growing. We used this quote because it shows that Sonia won’t stop believing in completing her dream. The main themes of the book are that hard work pays off at the end, a mother's love, and and overcoming obstacles takes hard work and belief in yourself. And sonia may complete her dream of becoming a judge. We give this book 4 1/2stars. 

                                                     

                                                 

Son of Neptune, a book written by Rick Riordan (the author of Percy Jackson and the Olympians is an amazing story about a teenager (Percy Jackson) who lost his memory and was taken from his home to live with his enemies. It is a great story for people who love adventure and mythology, which is only explained better by this quote: “To the north, beyond the gods, lies the legion’s crown. Falling from ice, the son of Neptune shall drown”. This quote is the main prophecy of this book and unlike all of the other books in the series it doesn't shape the end of the story.

In this book the second of the seven demigods has been chosen for the final quest in the last book of the series, by going on a quest to save his enemies camp from invasion by monsters, by freeing the god of death from his chains in Alaska.

After reading this book and writing this reveiw I can’t wait to read it again and I would give it⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐.

 

Wonder is an awesome book about difference, friendship and understanding. It is a good read for many reasons. The author is very creative and instantly gets you hooked. The main character, August Poleman is very different from other kids in how he looks, but one kid Jack becomes his friend and both are bullied by a popular kid named Julian. This book is filled with twists and turns in friendship, kindness and loyalty. I Would recommend this book to kids eight and up that want to read about people who look different and their story in school. A quote from this book that really makes this book stand out is, “Kinder than is necessary. Because it's not enough to be kind. One should be kinder than needed...” I believe this quote is amazing because it is all about kindness. This is a great book to read if you are looking for a chapter book that is medium size. 

reviewed by Rylan

Do you like books were the character shows courage? George is a great book where the character shows courage. I loved it.This book’s theme is, be what you want to be not what other people want you to be. It is about a transgender girl. 

 George shows grit when her class needs to perform the play Charlotte’s Web. She has been practicing for the audition of the play. George really wants to be Charlotte, like all the girls. But because she has a boy’s body, her teacher refuses to give her the part. Even her best friend thinks she deserves the part and says,” You make a better Charlotte than I do.” What is she going to do? George has to find a way to show the world who she really is. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Book 2: The Invaders

 by John Flanagan

Review by Remy

This book, the second in its series, was extremely good. It was so good in fact I couldn't set it down. It continues the story of Hal and his crew, he and his attempt to regain what they'd lost, the abdominal, a precious gem with a dragon claw perfectly preserved inside. However when a town gets invaded one more member on their crew gets added.I would recommend this book to 8+ because of violence and language.

Br John Flanagan

              A Review by Jake

If you like graphic novels about cats, then you should read this book, On the other hand, if you like dogs… Still read it. Well, if you’re 5+, anyway. This book is about a cat and her sister on an adventure through the house. Pusheen, the bigger one of the duo, is like the master of the house. Or so she thinks…

Stormy is the very fluffy one of the sistership. She thinks looking in a purse is an adventure, because she is a cat. But it’s really not. Anyway, I loved this book, and I’m sure you will too. 1,000,000 stars!!!!!  

One for the Murphy's

One for the Murphey’s is about an orphan named Carley. Even though Carley is not really an orphan, she has to live with a foster family for a little while, because of an accident. This experience is new to Carley because Mrs. Murphy gives her attention and real love which her other mother did not do. Soon after Carley joined the Murphey’s, she truly believed she could be one of them. The main themes in this book are believe in yourself, and never give up. You should read this book because it really explains what the character is feeling, and how to deal with it. It’s great for people who like to read about emotional things. A theme in this book is what terrible things are going on in the world, and it shows an unbreakable bond with an elder and the struggles of bonding with them. An example is when Carley and Mrs. Murphey are fighting. A quote from the book which signifies the theme is, “Carley didn’t mean to hurt Mrs. Murphey, but she did.” This explains that Carley loves Mrs. murphey but at that moment because she is scared about a new family. So she takes it all out on Mrs Murphy. I recommend this book for ages 8 and up because everything in this book is something only older kids will understand reading about. This is a wonderful and inspiring book!   

The Other Boy is about a girl named Shane but she has a boy’s mind. I think the book is terrific and inspirational because he shows grit and he keeps going even when people teased him.I would recommend this book to 3rd grade and up. I really liked it because it is inspirational and it shows what grit rewards you with power. I think this book is good for anyone but especially for people going through something hard. It will teach them to stick with it.  I think this book is really sad but uplifting. This book also shows that you can get past anything, and shane really proves that. Anyone who likes drama would probably like this book. That is my book report for The Other Boy. I give this book five stars.

Review by: Remy

Rangers apprentice is a very good series. In the first book, the main character, Will, is very excited for the coming day, choosing day, the day when his destiny is chosen. Unlike most boys Will’s life is not chosen by his parents, for he is an orphan, and a very small one at that for all of the other orphans seem to tower over him even though he is not any younger. Will never thought the rangers were anything more than people to stay away from but when chosing day comes he gets more involved with rangers than he thought he ever would. 

The rest of this book I am not going to spoil for it is even better than Rowling's books, in my opinion anyway. I think you’d like this book if you play D&D, any RPG that takes place in the middle ages, or just flat out like the middle ages or anything about them. I recommend this book to 9+ because of vilonce, language and crude humor. I would give this book 1,000,000,000/5 stars.

By John Flanagan

Review by Remy and Samuel

 

This book is, the second in its series Ranger's Apprentice, is,  just like all of Jon Flanagan’s books, it’s one of the best I’ve ever read.( If you have not read the first book in the series read no further) It continues the story of Will and Halt as Will’s training progresses. But when open war begins Will is thrown into a very tricky and treacherous situation. 

This book is an exciting and  eventful story. I would recommend this book to all kid of 9+ who are interested in the middle ages or archery\knight stuff . I give this book ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars. 

The Baby-Sitters Club

Kristy’s Great Idea Book One

by Asha 

This graphic novel is about about friendship, respect and loyalty. I liked this book because it shared a good lesson for close friends; which was to never judge someone by what might be happening in their life. The main character in this book is a girl named Kristy. Kristy is the founder and president of The Baby-Sitters Club.The Baby -Sitters Club is a group of three other girls, two are Kristy's friends and one is the newby. They get calls and whoever is open on the day and time can take the job.The Baby-Sitters Club has brought many people together.

I think that this book could be read by girls and boys 10 years or tweens. This book is about girls but could easily be erased by boys too.People that like realistic fiction and graphic novels would really enjoy this book. This book also has a small mystery.  One reason I thought this was a really good book is because it is not just about baby sitting it also is funny and can kind of be dramatic. I also think this was a very fun book to read because it is a graphic novel, but still has a lot of detail. here also are not a lot of confusing words.I never really questioned what was going on in the book. The ending is very exciting because you get to find out all of the mysteries in the story and it was very exciting to finally figure it out.  

Review by: Remy and Samuel

This book, like the rest of the series, is an awesome novel. It continues the story of Will and Evanlyn in their epic attempt to get back to their homeland, meanwhile, Halt and horace continue their attempt to find the younglings. But when powerful foreigners invade skandia they have no choice but to stay and fight.

 I recommend this book to all kids 10-11+ because of violence and language. I loved this book and would give it 5/5 stars.

        The Siege of Macindaw is another of John Flanagan's great novels. If you haven’t read the previous novels read them now before you read further. With Will’s training now complete he is tasked with protecting a small outer territory.  After a small time of ease, Will is tasked with many dangers and decisions. This book is amazing and I would give it a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ star review. I would recommend it too people who have enjoyed John Flanagan’s other books or are interested in knights and castles, sieges and battles and maybe a slight twinge of magic. There is also a small bit of gore so beware!

 

 By: John flanagan

Review by: Remy and Samuel

In this fabulous novel, the tail from The Burning Bridge is continued. Will and Evanlyn began there solum and seemingly everlasting trip across the storm white sea to Skandia, where a life of slavery awaits them. Meanwhile Halt and Horace journey through many parles to find and help their friends.

I would recommend this book to all who have read the first and second books on this series. If you have not read those I would recommend you read those first. I would give this book 4 ½ /5 stars.

   

The Tale of Despereaux is a book about about a mouse who has huge ears and small body and was a “disappointment” to his family. The family lives in a castle. However, there are also rats who live in the dungeon and are feared by the large family of mice. The mice think they are safe because the door to the dungeon is unbreakable and the dungeon is like a maze. But, there is a rat named Roscuro in the dungeon who has come so close to fire that a light burns inside him. He makes his way out of the dungeon and falls into the queen’s soup. This starts a somersaulting adventure into the unknown of the castle. This story blends a lovely tale of adventure, friendship and love. The author delightfully shows everyone's perspective by switching from character to character and showing the view from all shoes. It has definitely earned itself 5/5 stars. I would recommend this book to all kids and adults who enjoy short novels of adventure and friendship.

Reviewed by Sasha and Clara 

The Land of Stories The Wishing Spell is about a pair of twins named Alex and Conner Bailey.Suddenly, Alex inherits a magical fairy tale book. Alex goes into the fairy tale world and soon Conner joins her. Alex is a brave and smart character. Conner is more bold and funny. In order to get back home, Alex and Conner have to collect the 8 items for the wishing spell. But what will happen when others are after the items? When Alex finds out other people are after the wishing spell, Alex says “We can’t give up.” This demonstrates Alex has grit. If you like fiction and adventure you will like this book and it’s series.We recommend this book to 9 and up because they are big books with challenging vocabulary  and younger children might not be able to read them. This is a great book and series ! We give it 5 stars.