Student+Book+Reviews

=Wow! Over 40 book reviews were turned in prior to the Spring Book Fair. From those, 12 students' names were drawn to win a $5 gift certificate to use at the Book Fair. Many thanks to all those who submitted book reviews and congratulations to ALL of you for a job well done!= = = = = =Reviews are in ABC (alphabetical) order, first by book title, then by student's first name*. I have included the reviews with some minor edits (changes for spelling and grammar). Unfortunately, I was not able to include all of the wonderful drawings that students submitted with their reviews. I have posted some of these on the bulletin board at the library.= = =

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__The Adventures of Edward Tulane__ by Kate DiCamillo
//"Do you like adventure? If you like adventure then you'll like __The Adventures of Edward Tulane__. It is about a china-doll rabbit named Edward that starts out with Abilene. When Abilene gets on the ship she finds kids around. A little boy grabs Edward, and he throws Edward up. Then Edward falls into the water. Plump, he goes into the water. That's when the adventure begins. Hobos, fisherman, and much more. Read it. I know you'll like it."// Kara, Grade 3

__Artemis Fowl__ by Eoin Colfer
//"Artemis Fowl is a criminal mastermind known fr stoneln weaponry. He is the enemy of the LEP or Lower Element Police and he is the rival of Captain Holly Short. Artemis received a disappointing message which showed the location of Artemis's father. Unfortunately he had to team up with the LEP. Will these unlikely allies find Artemis's father and who is responsible for it? Read and find out."// Corey, Grade 5

//"Artemis Fowl is a 12 year old millionaire who lives with Angeline Fowl (his mother), Juliet Butler, and Domovoi Butler, his bodyguard. In this exciting book, Artemis captures LEP Captain Holly Short. Then, the LEP send in retrieval; only this time, they have a troll and a bio-bomb. Can Artemis, Butler, Juliet, and Angeline survive the operation? Find out in Artemis Fowl."// Jacob, Grade 5

__Because of Winn-Dixie__ by Kate DiCamillo
//"Have you read the book, __Because of Winn-Dixie__//? //Well, if not, it is a great book and you should read it. I'm going to tell you a little bit abut it. There is this girl, Opal. She finds this dog, Winn-Dixie, in a grocery store. So she brings it home and asks her dad, a preacher, if she can kee it. That's all I'm going to say about it. If you want to know the rest, you should read this book."// Jules, Grade 5

//"__Because of Winn-Dixie__ is a great book! It is about a girl named India Opal who finds a dog at a grocery store. She names the dog Winn-Dixie, after the grocery store. India finds that Winn-Dixie is a very talented dog, and helps her make new friends. She stops thinking so much about sad things. I was really able to enjoy Because of Winn-Dixie.//" --Rebekah, Grade 3

__Black Beauty__ by Anna Sewell
//"First of all, it is about a pony. She is Black Beauty's mother. She is living at a boy named Jim's house. The second month the mom has a baby then Black Beauty comes into the story. After a while Jim can't keep her anymore. Then two days later she is moved to a boy named John's house. She gets moved back and forth from owner to owner and, Black Beauty was for sale at the circus. Jim was there. Black Beauty was making as much noise as she could. She wanted to get Jim's attention. Then Jim saw her . He remembered her a little bit, but not much. Then he remembered her. He asked if he could b uy the horse. Back Beauty stayed at one place for 10 whole years. Back Beauty and Jim go for long rides every morning. Black Beauty was a delivery horse too and a very nice horse."// --Alexis

__Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman__ by Dav Pilkey
//"George and Harold used their Hypno-Ring again, but they use it on Mrs. Ribble this time! I like this book because it is an ok book. It has little comics in it by George and Harold. It has a new super villain. Her name is Wicked Wedgie Woman. The book of course has a super hero named CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS! This is an ok book like I said. So read this book and you might like this book too."// -- Aubrey, Grade 5

__Clifford's Puppy Days__ by Norman Bridwell
//"I wanted to tell you about the book I was reading. It's called __Clifford's Puppy Days__. It's about a dog's puppy days. I like it because it's about a puppy. You will like it too. Maybe the same reason like me.//" --Hailey, Grade 3

__The Cricket in Times Square__ by George Selden
"//__The Cricket in Times Square__ is about a cricket named Chester and how he lives the life in the city. Cheter lived in Connecticut and accidentally fell into a picnic box and got to New York. A boy named Mario found him and kept hiim as a pet. Mario worked at a news stand that his parents owned. There Chester meets a cat and a mouse. he was soon playing music and earning Mario's family money, but Chester wasn't happy. So in the end Chester goes back to connecticut with many memorable moments." Alex

"__The Cricket in Times Square__ is a good book about a cricket from Connecticut that jumps inside a picnic basket to eat the liverwurst inside. Suddenly the picnic basket lifts off the ground and Chester (the cricket) gets smashed by sandwiches. When he gets out of the basket he finds himself in the subway station in Times Square. A boy named Mario hears the sweet chirp of Chester and picks him up and declares him as his pet. A mouse named Tucker and his friend Harry Cat make friends with Chester. Chester and his friends have a party one night and Chester plays very beautiful music by chirping. Will Chester start a music career or will his friends help him get back to Connecticut? I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read. What will happen? Read the book and find out."// --Chad, Grade 4

//"This book is an adventure book. A boy captures a cricket and keeps it in his newsstand. The boy doesn't know what wild adventures the cricket is going through with his friends."// --Kellie, Grade 4

//"This story is about a cricket who got trapped in a picnic basket that got on a train and went to Times Square. Then, Mario Bellini got the cricket named Chester and he thought that this little creature was just ordinary--little did he know this cricket was a singer. When Mario found out that he could sing he wanted to make money off of it. Then Chester finally made some new friends. Their names were Harry & Tucker. Tucker helped with Chester's music. Every day people would come to see Chester and the Bellinis sold tons of Musical America magazines, but after a while, Chester decides to retire and go back to Connecticut, where he came from. The others are devastated, but he promises to come back."// --Savannah, Grade 4

__The Curse of King Tut's Mummy__ by Kathleen Weidneer Zoehfeld
//"This book is about Howard Carter and going to Egypt to do a job. He was going to paint the walls of the pyramid on a piece of paper. Then he quit his job! Will Howard ever find a new job? After he quit his job, he wanted to find a tomb, but not just any tomb--King Tut's tomb. Will he ever find his tomb?"// Haleigh, Grade 5

__The Diary of a Young Girl__ by Anne Frank
"//__The Diary of a Young Girl__ by Anne Frank is an interesting story of how a Jewish girl (Anne Frank) hid away during World War II. In 1942, Ane Frank was only 13 years old when she and her family went into hiding! THey lived in their hiding place for may years. They didn't have sunlight or fresh air. The food they had wasn't very good and there was little of it. As the days passed, people joined Anne and her family of three in their secret hiding place. It soon became crowded and miserable to be hiding. Everyone was constantly bored, hungry,, miserable, grouchy, complaining, and in need of fresh air and sunlight. You can only imagine how horrible it must have been for her! Anne Frank started a diary while she was in hiding. She wrote in her diary almost every day. She wrote to the diary like it was a person that she really trusted. After Anne Frank passed away, her diary was found and made into a book. It was first published in 1950. This is a very interesting book. Reading the diary entries of a girl who was living through a war and going through difficult times makes me feel very thankful for what I have. I highly recommend this book to all readers, even adults. I hope you enjoy reading this book!"// --Mikaela, Grade 5

__Eye of the Oracle__ by Bryan Davis
//"__Eye of the Oracle__ is my favorite book. It is written by Bryan Davis. It is about dragons and humans. It's a fight between good and evil. Will Morgan Le Faye die? Will Sapphira Adi figure out God truly loves her? Will all the dragons be killed by slayers? Read this book and you will find out." Megan, Grade 5//

__Freckles: The Mystery of the Little White Dog in the Desert__ by Paul M. Howey and Judie M. Zabriskey
//"__Freckles__ is a true story. It is about a dog named Freckles and her six puppies that somehow got into the desert. A guy named Dave got called and somebody told him that a white dog with brown spots was in the desert. He went out and got her. Then three women at the jail took care of them. Then they all got sold except the mom dog. Then a wife was reading a paper and bought the mom dog without asking him. Then he liked her. Then she was a therapy dog. But one day she got a boy to talk. She bites the beagle on the neck to get it to be quiet. And keep away danger. And kept the grandfather from falling off the edge. Freckles is a hero!!!"// --Maya, Grade 3

__The Golem's Eye__ by Jonathan Stroud
//"Do you like magic, action, and revenge? Well you should read __The Golem's Eye__ by Jonathan Stroud. It has demons, imps, djinnis, and magicians and it's about a 14-year-old kid who fights the Resistance. The Resistance are people who hate magicians. Will Nathaniel defeat the resistance? Read the book to find out." Billy, Grade 5//

__Gregor the Overlander__ by Suzanne Collins
//"__Gregor the Overlander__ is about a boy named Gregor and his little brother named Boots. They hunt mysterious creatures and I have only read on of the books, so I don't know much about it. I think they found a creature named Sly and she helps them . She is really important to the group. They couldn't do it without her. She leads the boy and helps fight the creatures."// Trenton, Grade 5

__Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire__ by J.K. Rowling
//"I liked __**Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire**__ because of all the suspense and action. There's a wizarding tournament held at Hogwarts, but only 7 years can participate. One person can come from each school. Three names come out of the Goblet of Fire. Then Harry Potter's name comes out of the Goblet. The things you have to do are deadly. What will happen during the tournament? What are the challenges? Read to find out."// --Mason, Grade 4

__Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone__ by J.K. Rowling
//"This story is about how Harry Potter finally gets to leave his cruel Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon and of course, his cousin, Dudley! WHen Hagrid (Hogwarts' gamekeeper) comes to their door on Harry's birthday, which is his aunt's, Uncle's and cousin's least favorite day of the year, he tells him all aout Professor Dumbledore, Hogwarts, magic, and ow his parents really died!!! When Harry gets to Diagon Alley, he gets an owl from Hagrid, finds out 'he-who-must-not-be-named' is his deadly enemy, and gets a new enemy in school (Draco Malfoy)! He gets to also fight 'He-who-must-not-be-named.' He meets two great friends who will be with him forever!!! I really hope you get an opportunity to read this book. I really do have to highly recommend this book to everyone, but hold on, if you want to find out more, read the next seven wonderful books (all by J.K. Rowling)! Maybe after you finish one book, you could even watch it."// --Emorie, Grade 5

__Hatchet__ by Gary Paulsen
//"Do you like survival books? Well I do. It's called __Hatchet__. It's a bout a boy whose parents are divorced. He is going to see his dad so he takes a plane to hid dad's. While he is flying, the pilot has a heart attack and the plane crashed. Brian was the only survivor. he crashed in the Canadian wilderness. All he has is himself. Do you think he'll make it out alive?"// Alec, Grade 5

//"Have you read __Hatchet__? If you haven't, you should because Brian, the main character, is on a plane. Then the pilot has a heart attack. Then "boom" the plane crashes. Will Brian survive? Read the book and see."// Blake, Grade 5

//"In the book, __Hatchet,__ there is a boy and his name is Brian Robinson. It is about Brian going to see his dad and it is pretty far away, so he has to fly in a small airplane with a pilot to get to him. On the way, the pilot has a heart attack and Brian doesn't know what to do, so the plane crashes. Read this book to see if he survives or not."// Maura, Grade 5

//"Have you heard of the book __Hatchet__? Well, I'm here to tell you about it! It starts when Brian, th main character, is on a private plane with a co-pilot goig to his dad's. The plane, all of a sudden, starts to fly out of control! The worst thing you could think that would happen--the pilot has a heart attack! Brian doesn't know what to do. "Boom!" The plane crashes! But Briane survived it. He hops out of the plane with a hatchet he found from inside the plane. He finds himself stranded in the middle of the forest. Will Brian ever make it out of the forest? Will he starve to death? Will he ever see his father again? You have to read the book to find out. You really should get this book!"// Sarah, Grade 5

//"This boy named Brian was heading to his dad's in an airplane, but the plot had a heart attack and brian had to drive the plane. He crashed and was stuck in the Canadian wilderness alone. Read the book to see what happens next."// Stevie, Grade 5

__I Left My Sneakers in Dimension X__ by Bruce Coville
//"Have you ever picked up a book and read the first paragraph then instantly you know it will be your all time favorite book? That's what happened to me when I picked up __I Left My Sneakers in Dimension X__. It is about a boy in sixth grade and he and his cousin get kidnapped to a different dimension. Do they escape the dimension or become prey for Smorkus Flinders."// --DiArra

__Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key__ by Jack Gantos
//"The author of __Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key__ is Jack Gantos. This fiction book is about a boy named Joey Pigza who has ADHD. In the book, it talks about some stuff he does like sharpening his finger in a pencil sharpener. It tells what is going on in his mind and what an ADHD kid thinks and feels. I think this is a good gook and would recommend it to a friend or book club.//" -- Ally, Grade 4

__Junie B., First Grade Toothless Wonder__ by Barbara Park
//"__Junie B., First Grader Toothless Wonder__ is about Junie B.'s first loose tooth! It's a top tooth, but Junie B. ha a problem. She can't figure out what the tooth fairy does with teeth. Meanie Jim said that there's a tooth witch that steals teeth and eats them like apples! Junie B. doesn't want the fairy to take her tooth, but Grandpa Miller accidentally pulled it out! What now? I think you should read this book if you want to find out!"// -- Mackenzie, Grade 4

__The Lightning Thief__ by Rick Riordan
//"Have you ever read a book and loved it? Well, that is what you would do if you read The Lightning Thief. It is about a boy that always gets in trouble in school and weird stuff happens to him. Then his mom took him to a camp and he finds out he is a halfbood and his dad is the god Poseidon. Then the god Seus's lightning bolt is sotlen. Now, Percy must go on a quest to find it."// Kai, Grade 5

__Little Women__ by Louisa May Alcott
//"__Little Women__ is a magnificently detailed novel that catches the reader's attention. This book is about a family of four girls and their mother living in a small New England town. The girls' father is fighting in the Civil War and hasn't seen his daughters in a very long time. They are a very poor family and all work hard to earn a living. As the story goes on it tells of all the exciting things happening in the family's life. There are lessons the little women learn, and one of the most important lessons is that even if you are impoverished, it doesn't mean you can't be rich with friendship. Friends are one thing they're good at making, and when they've made friends they keep those friends. The rest of the story I will leave for you to discover when you read, __Little Women__, the touching tale of the March family."// Melita, Grade 5

__Matilda__ by Roald Dahl
//"Matilda is a great book about a small girl who loves to read. She is very intelligent. Unfortunately, Matilda has a horrid principal or headmistress at her school. She finds she can move things with her eye, because of her intelligence. Will Matilda be able to make her teacher leave her school with her eye power?"// Hannah, Grade 5

__One-Eyed Cat__ by Paula Fox
//"Do you have a cat or do you want one? Well, I know I do, but even if you don't, you should read __One-Eyed Cat__. It's an amazing novel by Paula Fox. Well, first it starts with a boy that is about ten, and his birthday was three days away. For his birthday one of his presents was a gun. Well he had shot something the next day, but the thought it was just a bird, but this young boy discovers a cat with one eye. It looked like he had gotten shot there, but he doesn't know. Do you? So you should read __One-Eyed Cat__ to see more exciting things that will happen!"// Taylor, Grade 5

__One Whole Day: Wild Ponies__ by Jim Arnosky
//"I'm going to tell you about one of my favorite books, __One Whole Day: Wild Ponies.__ I like it because it rhymes and also because it talks about horses and ponies. It talks about what they do on Assateague Island. It was written and illustrated by Jim Arnosky. So one person illustrated it and wrote it! WOW! He sure did a great job for just himself. I think it is a really good book. Maybe you can read it. So that's all I have to say about the book."// --Baylee, Grade 3

__The Reptile Room__ by Lemony Snicket
//"This book has excitement for children in 4th-5th grade. It's also sad, about the orphans, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny. First they had an awful guardian. Now they will live with their Uncle Monty. Bu tthe awful guardian, Count Olaf, comes back. What will they do? So read it and find out what happens."// Miranda, Grade 5

__The Rise and Fall of the Kate Empire__ by Nina G. Bargiel
//"Lizzie always tries to stay out of Kate Sanders's way. She became a cheerleader and likes to hunt Lizzies. When Kate hurts her shoulder during practice she is kicked off the squad. Suddenly, she isn't so popular now. Can Lizzie get Kate to admit she needs her help?"// --T.K.

__The Spider Sapphire Mystery__ by Carolyn Keene
//"The story is part of the Nancy Drew Mystery series. The Spider Sapphire is missing from the museum in River Heights. Nancy, together with friends, goes to Africa to look for the Spider Sapphire. When she gets there, she finds herself in lots of trouble. Finally, she finds the spider sapphire in a secret dungeon. This is a thrilling story, full of twists and turns. You would not want to miss out on this exciting book."// Sophia, Grade 5

The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black
//"The Spiderwick Chronicles are very good books. They're about Jared, Simon, and Mallory Grace. They discover the world of fairies. Then you find ogres and goblins. The worst is Mulgarath. He is an ogre. If you want to find out more, read them yourself."// Piper, Grade 3

//"Have you ever been attached to a book? Well, get unattached to the book you are reading now because I have a book that will blow you away and when you are being blown away, the only thing you'll grab is this book, __The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Seeing Stone__. This book is the best book in the world. It's about this family that lives in this creepy house and at that house there are creatures. But I'm not going to tell you more because it's time for you to discover the rest. Come on. Try it. See if you like it. P.S. Read Book 1. It's good too."// Tawny, Grade 5

__Tabby in the Tub__ from the Animal Ark Series by Ben M. Baglio
//"You'll want to read this great book. The Animal Ark Series is about a girl named Mandy Hope whose dad and mom are veterinarians. In this book, Mandy and her best friend, James, save a tabby cat who's about to have kittens. One day, on the way to school, Mandy and James find a tabby cat in someone's yard. They noticed she was fat and at first thought she had been fed well. Then, the owner of the house, Mr. Ward, told them she was about to have kittens. So, they laid out food for her and waited for her to come. Mr. Ward's cat, Delilah, was about to have kittens too, so they had to keep an eye on both of the cats. They eventually named the tabby cat 'Blossom.' A few weeks later Delilah had her kittens. A few days after that, Blossom had her kittens. Blossom's kittens were named William, Cherry, and Peaches. After something horrible happens to Delilah, Blossom acts as a foster mother for her kittens. I'm sure you'll want to read this book, because it's really good and has a great beginning and ending."// --Abi, Grade 3

__Tacky the Penguin__ by Helen Lester
//"Tacky the Penguin is one of the best stories of all time. It's cool, great, awesome, and most importantly, FUNNY! You'll laugh out loud. Besides, nobody counts like this anymore 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 2 - 3 - 6 - 0, 2 1/2. Oh Yes, Tacky is an odd bird. And don't forget to check it out of the library!"// -- Macey

__The Teacher's Funeral__ by Richard Peck
//"Have you ever read The Teacher's Funeral: A Comedy in Three Parts? The author's name is Richard Peck. Russell Culver wonders if haning his teacher underground and buried will help his dreams come true to joio a team of harvesters. Well, does his dream come true? I recommend you read the book find out."// Kati, Grade 5

__Unicorns of Balinor__ by Mary Stanton
//"This story is about a princess who had been sent through 'The Gap.' All she can remember is that she had a horse who had the same hair color. In the next book, she discovers that she is a princess and her 'horse' is a unicorn. There is a struggle to get the horn back. Have you ever had to find a 'lost' thing? In the third book, they have to get the scepter from the Valley of Fear. They can't wear shoes, and they have to wear disguises! This book is great if you like adventures!"// -- Lori, Grade 5 //Note from Ms. Foust--this review refers to a book that contains the first three books in the Unicorns of Balinor series.//

__Warriors: Into the Wild__ by Erin Hunter
//"An ordinary house cat named Rusty gets a big surprise when he goes outside and meets a wild cat named Graypaw. Soon he leaves his kitty pet life to live in the wild. This is a great sotry and the author writes it to make it seem like you're there. I would really recommend this book if you're lookin for an action-packed tale."// Lauren, Grade 5

__Wolf at the Window__ by Ben M. Baglio
//"In this book, Mandy Hope and her mom, dad and friend James go to a little town in Scotland. They finally settled down at the cabin when Mandy swore she saw a wolf. They didn't believe her. At the end of this book, they have a party, but someone crashed it saying there was a wolf. Mandy heard them say they were out trying to kill the baby wolves. Mandy and James ran into the woods to find them. When they heard a "Boom." Will they save the wolves in time?"// Allie, Grade 5

__A Wrinkle in Time__ by Madeleine L'Engle
//__"A Wrinkle in Time__ was written by Madeleine L'Engle. It is about three kids, Calvin, Meg, and Charles Wallace. These three children go off to find Meg and Charles Wallace's father, who has been missing for about two years. The children get help from Mrs. Witch, Mrs. Whatsit, and Mrs. Who along the way. They will have to travel through time and space and try to avoid 'It' along the way. Will they find their father in time or will 'It' capture them for eternity? I like this book because it is very exciting. You just want to keep turning the pages and find out what is next! I recommend that more people should read this book!"// --Jordan, Grade 4