Between the Lines Reviews - August 2018

READER REVIEWS

AUGUST 2018 REVIEWS

D-Day - This book is a great match for people who like historical non-fiction books or books about war in particular. As you can tell from the title, the book is about D-Day, which was an important part of World War II. The book grabs your attention. You get hooked and want to keep reading to see what is going to happen next. The story is not really told by the author, but it is told by the people who were actually in World War II. A bonus of this book is that there are lots of pictures that bring the story to life!           — Alexander, age 9

I just read the book The Brilliant Death and the book may not be for me but it could be for others. I think the story has some ups and downs. The story is about a girl, Teodora, who wants to be a boy because she feels boys are treated better than girls. It was an interesting idea and I like the theme of the book -- which is about being yourself. However, the beginning was a little dark for me and the ending did not resolve the full story. I would have loved more detail. Maybe it will be resolve in a next book.                    — Ben, age 11

Watch You Burn is a book that will keep you up late at night because you want to finish it. I found it extremely difficult to put down when I was reading it. It is a mix between realistic fiction and mystery. Jenny is put in a new town to escape troubles from her past, but they keep coming back to haunt her. The constant feeling that she is being watched followers her around wherever she goes. Her new town is full of new friendships, boys that follow her around everywhere, and lots and lots of fires.              — Gillian, age 13

Fairy in Waiting is an entertaining fantasy novel by Sophie Kinsella. It is the magical sequel to Fairy Mom and Me. In the book Ella Brook is a fairy-in-waiting and all she wants is to be a fairy mom like her mom. Unfortunately, when Ella tries to help a few magical accidents occur. Can Ella show her mom that she’s ready to be a fairy? Ella learns that she just has to wait, and that she will be a fairy one day. — Madison, age 9

 

Escape This Book! - I loved this book! It’s a choose your own adventure and an activity book together. The goal is to survive the sinking of the Titanic. You are a crew member, passenger or a stowaway and have to get tips, get to the lifeboat or not get caught to survive. You have to do activities and make choices to get to the end and survive. The activities were fun and not too easy and you can do the book many times. I would recommend this book to kids who like an adventure! — Will, age 8

Operation Frog Effect - I loved this book. It is about a class that lost their teacher and have to get her back. She was fired and they have to convince the school that she didn’t do anything wrong. The kids work together to get her back. I liked that this book was written mostly as journal entries and letters. It kept my attention and I liked the journal entries. — Will, age 8

 

Access Restricted, the sequel to the riveting novel All Rights Reserved, tells the story of Speth Jime’s journey outside “the dome” to save her parents from the restrictive government. In this world, where wifi once controlled the lives of people, her parents are indentured with little hope of freedom. Her discoveries outside the dome are shocking. Gregory Scott Katsoulis does an incredible job telling another amazing story in this novel. If you enjoyed The Maze Runner, City of Ember, or Divergent, you will absolutely love this series. — Theo, age 11

WeirDo is a funny book full of childish humor, which I really liked even though it seemed like it is for people 9-years-old. This book is about a third-grader with the embarrassing name of Weir Do, an embarrassing personality, and the author made sure to include an embarrassing plot. An entertaining kid-oriented story of friendship, love, lice, and most of all, embarrassment.
Sarah, age 12

 

Stealing the Sword: A Branches Book (Time Jumpers #1) by Wendy Mass is a great book. The adventure starts when Chase and his younger sister Ava see a mysterious box. There were some weird things in the box and before they knew it they were in King Arthur’s castle. Chase and Ava wanted to know what to do to get back home before it was too late and they would be stuck in King Arthur’s castle for the rest of their lives.  — Sebastian, age 8

To Nightowl from Dogfish by Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer was a great read! It is about two girls whose dads are dating, and they hope that they might become sisters. I liked this book because it is written all in emails which is really cool, because it’s different. If you want to find out what happens next, you should read the book!      — Tess, age 11

 

Ultraball #1: Lunar Blitz - I really liked this book because it was very action packed and futuristic. In it, Taiko Colony is in danger because other colonies are trying to get permission to excavate it because there is ice underneath it that is worth millions of U-Dollars. It is up to Strike and his other Ultraball players to win the Ultrabowl to save Taiko Colony. If I rated this book, I would give it 4.9 out of 5 stars. — Bruno, age 9

 

Caveboy Dave: Not So Faboo is a great, funny graphic novel. It is about a cave boy named Dave, an inventor who becomes the leader of all cavemen when Shaman Faboo, their current leader, goes missing. It is up to Dave to save Shaman Faboo. Will he be able to find Shaman Faboo? The characters are very funny! For example, he wished he invented a lock for his door when his dad comes in his room. Dave and the others get themselves into crazy situations. The book is an awesome, fast read for people who like comics or graphic novels. I highly recommend this book. It is the best! — Ben, age 8

Just Under the Clouds by Melissa Sarno is about a young teenage Cora who is homeless. Life has been hard for Cora ever since her father’s death. This is an emotional book with both happy and sad parts. I definitely recommend this book for girls ages 9 and up. This book kept me reading because it had so much detail it made me feel as though I was part of the story. When you are reading this book, make sure you have a box of tissues by your side. — Emily, age 10

 

Today I read a book called The Vampire Knife in the series called The Witching Hours. I really enjoyed reading this book since it has an adventure and a legend in it, Another thing I enjoyed about this book are the character. I liked Max since he was very funny, I liked Isabel since she was brave, and I liked Anna since she was funny and brave. I can understand why Anna didn’t like the soup at the beginning. What could taste worse than garlic soup? In the story I was quite surprised to discover a bear was sleeping in the bed instead of Max, and later the bear helped them get to the inn. I think this is a great book and I highly recommend it. I can’t wait to read the second book! — Simrik, age 10

Once A King is a really great book about magic, a king, and a brave and creative girl. The king is trying to rebuild his kingdom and overcome the prejudice common among his people. The girl is trying to figure out what secretive thing her dad is doing. If you have read and enjoyed the magic and adventure of Harry Potter or Children of Blood and Bone then I highly recommend this book. — Simon, age 10

 

Trapped - Florian and Margaret have a problem. Marcus, their friend, is in trouble. People think he committed a crime because they found evidence in his basement that made him look guilty. Florian and Margaret need to find evidence to help clear his name. But there’s a Russian spy case going on and Florian and Margaret need to clear his name before Marcus resigns. I liked this book because I like mystery and espionage and this story has that. I recommend this book cause you’re alway waiting for the next part. I really want to read the others in the series. — Nicolas, age 8

Toaff's Way - Toaff is a small grey squirrel with lots of questions about the world around him. The books covers a year and starts in the winter with a bad storm which makes his family move away but he decides to stay alone. Toaff takes you on a journey through the seasons and has many adventures and friendships along the way. It is a sweet book which looks at the world from a different viewpoint. It makes you think about how difficult animal lives are, their friendships with each other and our interaction with nature.              — Meshkeen, age 9

How I Became a Spy: A Mystery of WWII London is an excellent novel where a boy and his trusty dog have to find a missing woman with clues she left behind. Along the way he meets new friends and breaks some codes. Here are three things I liked about the novel. First, I like how at the beginning of each part (there are four parts), you learn a type of code. The author gives you knowledge and a way to keep secrets at the same time. My favorite is the Caesar cipher. Second, I like how key roles are played by different characters throughout the book. For example, the main character, Bertie, doesn't do all the work himself. In most books I have read, the book is focused on just the main character. Finally, like other detective books, I like how you have to follow every single clue in the book and each has a key part to play in the story. All in all, this book has everything I would look for: mystery, plot twists, and an awesome climax full of greatness. This is definitely up in my top ten of favorite books. That is my review of How I Became a Spy. — Ben, age 11

West Meadows Detectives: The Case of the Snack Snatcher - This is the story of Myron at a new school who is a detective. It is set mostly in the school. Myron is trying to solve a burglary mystery with some help from his teacher and friends. This book is very interesting because there’s always something new going on in the mystery. I recommend this book to anyone who likes action. — Rory, age 8

 

This Splintered Silence follows Lindley’s struggle to keep a space station running despite the loss of its crew, the waning food supply, and a mysterious virus that is now seems to be attacking those thought to be immune. Lindley, despite being the stubborn, private leader characteristic of dystopian novels (think Katniss, Tris…) is well developed. The text immediately encapsulates you in the action and pressure of trying to fix everything when it all goes wrong. — Isabel, age 15

 

Lady Smoke, the second book in the Ash Princess series, was one of the most amazing books I have ever read. It is full of adventure and thrilling chapters. Every time I picked up the book, I found myself wrapped in the world of Princess Theodosia. As she sailed the seas, made new friendships and allies, and followed her path as queen of Astrea, I found myself in her shoes, experiencing her remarkable journey. Laura Sebastian's writing is one that I will never forget. It is thrilling, exciting, and full of suspense that wills me to never stop reading Lady Smoke. If you enjoyed Percy Jackson, or other books with thrilling fantasy plots, you will soon become wrapped in this story as much as I have.                                — Sarah, age 11

 Nowhere Boy is a stunning book. I normally wouldn't enjoy this book genre, it being historical-fiction, but Katherine Marsh got me hooked. I’m recommending this book to everyone that can read. The strong characters like Ahmed and Max pull you deeper and deeper into the book, making me stay up all night to finish the book. Books similar to Wonder and The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind will be similar to Nowhere Boy as well.         — Sadie, age 11