November 11th 2009
Review by Scott
Who would like this book? People who would like this book would be the kind that enjoy short stories and good literature.
Why? In the beginning, there is a poor old man who has not caught any fish for many days. In the middle, he sets out to sea for a few days. He has lots of adventures!
The details: 140 p. 1952 Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1953 Submitted by Scott
Coming soon to the Cal Young Library; it’s on the to-be-ordered list. ~ Sam
November 5th 2009
Review by Michael
Who would like this book?
Why? The Graveyard Book is about a boy whose family is killed by a man named Jack. The baby got away because he crawled out of his crib and out the front door. The baby (unkown name) crawls to a graveyard and is taken in by the ghosts. The ghosts name the boy Nobody Owens, Bod for short, and he is given freedom of the graveyard. A man named Silas is appointed to be his guardian. Silas is very mysterious and he is not dead and not alive. Bod’s biggest problem is Jack, but for a long time while he is growing up Bod does not even know he has an enemy. Bod enjoys growing up in the graveyard and being able to walk through walls, fade, and dreamwalk. Read this book and you will be amazed at how good it is.
The details: 301 p. 2008 Submitted by Michael
October 29th 2009
Review by Spencer
Who would like this book? People who enjoy a sad story about a little girl growing up in China with unloving parents.
Why? A little girl named Adeline Yen is the child of a women who died a few weeks after Adeline’s birth. She lived with her Grandma, Grandpa, her loving Aunt Baba, her father and all of her siblings. Her father remarries to a 17 year old women who only loves her birth children. Adeline is separated from her aunt and joins many boarding schools. In each school she is one of the smartest children. She is inspired by her grandfather to write a play and submit it to a contest. After a few months of waiting to see if she won, her grandfather died.. and a few months later she won the contest. Her (normally not caring) father is so proud and he allows Adeline to go to medical school (unlike Adeline’s older sister). She grows up to be a doctor and a writer.
The details:205 p. 1999 Submitted by Spencer
October 29th 2009
Review by Madison
Who would like this book? People who like to learn about the past.
Why? I am actually still reading this book. I really like this book. I like this book because it is really interesting. This book is about a 12-year-old boy who takes his great-great-great-grandpa’s watch for money to go see his father. He soon gets trapped in the past when there were slaves. He then has to work as a slave. I really have enjoyed reading this book and haven’t been able to put it down. It’s exiting and fun, but a little bit sad. It’s also a Battle of the Books book, so anyone who is doing Battle of the Books, I definitely recomend this book to you.
The details: 184 p. 1999 Submitted by Madison
October 29th 2009
Review by Madison
Who would like this book? Maybe people who like Graphic Novels.
Why? I did not like this book . I am not a graphic novel fan, so that might be why. This book was very odd, and I didn’t think it was very well organized at all. I got very bored with this book. It was often confusing for me and a little mixed up. I only reccomend this book to graphic novel fans. This book is about a girl who moves from a busy city to a safer city. She joins a group called P.L.A.I.N. They draw art in neighborhoods and the town is kind of debating on whether they like it or not. The school teachers don’t like it. Nobody knows who this group is and who the people are in this group. That is why I didn’t like this book, and I prefer books that are not graphic novels.
The details: 2007 Submitted by Madison
October 29th 2009
Review by Madison
Who would like this book? People who don’t exactly like fun books. In other words, boring books.
Why?I did not like this book because it was very boring, in my opinion. Although most of it was boring, there was one chapter that was not too bad. It was about the cat he lost and how it was special to him and how someone found it and he got his cat back. This book is basically about how a town comes together to help everyone in all different types of situations. This book really has nothing too exiting. It is almost like you were reading a whole bunch of little stories in one book. There was an ending in each chapter. This book probably would have been more exiting if it had a better plot. I think what the plot was and what the moral of this story was just like what the books name is. I think the moral of this book is “do good things and help each other no matter how small it is”. I think that’s what the author was trying to tell readers. The thing that most annoyed me about this story was that so many of the words were in SPANISH, but when I took it back to the library, Sam told me there was a GLOSSARY IN THE BACK OF THE BOOK!!!!!!! I did not realize that, so people who choose to read this book, don’t forget to look in the back of the book for the glossary.
The details: 128 p. 2001 Submitted by Madison
October 26th 2009
Who would like this book? Middle School age kids who want a new perspective on life from Death himself.
Why? In The Book Thief, a girl named Liesel is going to live with foster parents because she is poor. She lives in Nazi Germany. On the train ride to her foster parents her brother dies, so when she gets to the home she is very sad and will not take a bath. Then the father, Hans Hubermann, comes in and shows her how to roll cigarettes. Liesel likes her new father better than his wife, Rosa Hubermann, Rosa is very loud mouthed and likes to say bad words. If you read this book, you need to make sure you are not queasy. This is a very good story narrated by Death. I would recommend this book to everyone.
The details: 552 p. 2005 Submitted by Michael R.
October 26th 2009
Who would like this book? People who like futuristic fantasies that seem like they could be the actual future.
Why? This book is very good because it has references like “we ran out of gas” or “we melted the icecaps because of global warming.” These things make it seem like the events in the book could actually be the real future for us if we don’t change our ways. People in the future had to make Sky Cities because the ice caps melted and the water rose. Read this book if you want to know what the world might be like if we don’t take care of it.
The details: 345 p. 2002 Submitted by Michael R.
October 23rd 2009
Review by Madisyn
Who would like this book? People who like to learn about other country’s religion and how hard it is for women and girls in Afghanistan.
Why? I liked this book because I thought it was fun, and I learned a lot about Afghanistan. This book is about a family who lives in Afghanistan and how the Talib had changed their lives dramatically. This book has a surprising ending. This book is about how hard it is for women and girls to live in Afghanistan. Women and girls can’t go outside without a man or a boy with them. I thought this book was a really interesting book to read.
The details: 170 p. 2001 Submitted by Madisyn
A 2009-2010 Battle of the Book selection
October 15th 2009
Review by Dylan C.
Who would like this book? Anyone who likes adventure and suspense.
Why? I think people who like adventure should read this book because it has a ton of adventure. When Liz is in Elsewhere, she is always doing crazy and strange things. This book is exciting and only sometimes predictable. This book is funny, sad, and exciting!
The details: 272 p. 2005 Submitted by Dylan C.