Book review by: Rachel

The Hunger Games is an exciting, speedy, and action packed novel by Suzanne Collins, an amazing novelist for kids and young adults. This is by far my favorite book. It’s perfectly paced, brilliantly plotted, the characters seem real with full personalities, and the idea intrigues me, just like the characters. I also didn’t get the feeling that Suzanne was trying to fill up empty pages, which I feel in so many other books. The rest of the series is just as good. I think that anyone ages 9587979766865 and up would love the Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay.

 Book review by  - Jack

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Island of The Blue Dolphins

I thought that Island of The Island of Blue Dolphins was a very good book. If you read hatchet and liked it you will probably like Island of The Blue Dolphins. It is about a Native American  girl that lives on an island. One day people come and take her people away but the ship leaves her behind. It is a story of survival and a Native American girl. Along the way she has to fight wild dogs, make a shelter, and find food and water. The book is by Scott O’Dell.

 Book review by Alicia

The Wind on the Moon is a wonderful, enchanting book about two sisters that turn into kangaroos (using a magic potion) and get taken to a zoo. They escape, turn into humans again, and release the golden puma and the silver falcon into the wild again. Their father

went to war, and got thrown in prison, so along with Mr. Corvo, their dance teacher, the puma and the falcon, they set off to save their father, facing danger, kidnapping, and more.

Book review by Frannie

  

 

My Side Of The Mountain    

An enchanting adventure by Jean Craighead George. When Sam Gribley hears his grandfather once lived in the mountain before going to sea, he runs away to catskill mountains, and finds himself a perfect house. A tree. Really. he hollows it out with fire, and makes himself at home. He soon finds himself a friend in a neighboring weasel. Later known as the baron weasel. Being a well known run away, hunting, and caring for yourself is NOT easy. And Sam is no exception.

Book review by Quinn

Holes

By: Louis Sachar

I really thought that this book would not be good, based on the title, that seems pretty boring. But I started, and I had to finish. Louis Sachar wrote a story full of surprises about a boy who has a curse, passed on from his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather: he is very unlucky.

He was accused of stealing shoes from a famous baseball player, and sent to a camp in the dryest part of Texas, where every boy is assigned to dig a hole 5ft long, 5ft wide, and 5ft deep. And it gets over 100 degrees there year round. I would definitely read it again.

Laura was born in Pepin, WI

My favorite books growing up were the "Little House" books by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  The original black and white drawings by Garth Williams perfectly compliment the light hearted stories that Laura so lovingly describes in her books. On a recent family vacation to the Ozark Mountains I visited her Rocky Ridge Farm home near Mansfield, Missouri.  I was delighted to learn the history of her life on the farm and how she started writing her books.  It reminded me of my own family history and how we all have a story to tell.

Rocky Ridge Farm

Play Ball!  As the baseball diamonds dry out after a long winter the young and old alike think about the first  pitch of the baseball season. To get in the mood for baseball pick up a baseball novel by one of your favorite children's book authors like Dan Gutman, Matt Christopher, or Mike Lupka.  I read Keeping Score by Linda Sue Parks.  She takes us on a journey back to the era of the early 1950's when legends like Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, and Joe DiMaggio were at the plate.  The art of scorekeeping is carefully described by the main character Maggie while she experiences the  All-American pastime.  Get your glove ready for the game and pick up a baseball book today!

We all want to feel like we fit in within our group of peers. It is especially important among a group of friends that we protect those relationships when threatened. Would you make a personal sacrifice to protect your best friend?  That is exactly what Hazel does for her best friend Jack in the novel Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu.  In a fantasy that reminds me of the Chronicles of Narnia an imaginary world where Hazel must risk her life to get back Jack from the Snow Queen.  A must read for the fantasy lover!

Series, series, series...books that is.  Some of the most popular books in the library are in a series.  Students love to follow characters through stories that extend through time.  One of my favorite series in the Guardians of Ga'Hoole books by Kathryn Lasky.  I've recently completed her series called Wolves of the Beyond.  This series follows Faolan's story as he grows from a vulnerable pup to a confident leader.

If you like animal books you will like Secrets at Sea. It's another great book by Richard Peck.  It reminds me a little of Poppy by Avi but with a more aristocratic air. The mice board a ship to England with their human companions.  They secretly explore the ship and find adventures at sea.  Narrowly avoiding being caught by unsuspecting humans or the ships cat. As always a happy ending that will make you smile.