The House with Chicken Legs is a very inspiring book, teaching that you have no destiny, and that you can be whoever you want to be. At first I thought this story would never pick up, but as I read on I could NOT PUT IT DOWN. This story includes a kind of magic that people might not be used to reading about. I didn’t really know what to expect from this book, but now that I’ve read it, it will stay in my heart for a long time. I highly recommend this book! — Quinn, age 10
Middle School Misadventures - Meet Newell, a daydreaming, normal boy. No talent. But when an accident happens in the cafeteria, Newell is sentenced to...SUMMER SCHOOL! Luckily, a talent show comes along, but Newell has no talent! Can he succeed, or is it off to summer school? I loved this book because it had some hilarious comedy and drama. It’s a lot like Calvin and Hobbes, except no Hobbes. I seriously recommend this book and you won’t want to put it down, trust me. — Keegan, age 8
Sophie Scholl and the White Rose is a great historical fiction novel written in verse. It tells the story of Sophie Scholl, a college student who is trying to survive in Nazi Germany. She is a great example of an upstander, meaning she stood up for what was right, even if it was not what was commonly believed at the time. Sophie Scholl demonstrates empathy and courage while resisting the Nazis with her brother, Hans Scholl. Together, they formed an organization called the White Rose, which went against everything Hitler believed. While trying not to get caught, Sophie reflects on how much her life has changed from when she was a young girl. This book is good for kids in grades 7+, and it relates to the curriculum in 8th grade. — Gillian, age 13
Killing November is a true thriller. Imagine Harry Potter, but no magic and the main character is clueless for more than half the book. November wakes up one day in a strange boarding school, one where nobody trusts anybody, and instead of normal classes, they learn how to kill each other. When a student is killed, November goes on a mission to find the murderer, learning more about herself and her family’s history in the process. Fans of thrillers and mysteries will enjoy this and will most definitely keep you turning the pages. — Grace, age 12
The Cerulean - I really liked this book because of the good world building and all the unique fantasy aspects. I also enjoyed how the book alternated between four perspectives and how different the personalities of the characters were. — Isabel, age 12
Trace is a really good book that I would recommend to anyone ages 10 and up. Trace is a young boy who struggles with fitting in with his peers. When he gets assigned to a challenging group for a group project, he has to go to the library to research the materials. What he doesn’t know is that the trip to the library will change his life. Trace gets lost in the library while trying to find his group, and he stumbles upon a young boy crying in the corner. He soon realizes the boy is not five like he looks, but he is actually more than 100 years old. He makes it his new project to find out more about the boy’s history, and he discovers that he has more in common with the boy than he originally thought. — Gillian, age 13
The book I read is called The Root of Magic by Kathleen Benner Duble. I think it was a good book. I would recommend it to kids ages 8-11. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a good book about fantasy. It has a little bit of mystery too. Overall it was a good book.
If You’re Out There was impossible to put down, and I found myself reading it whenever I could. Zan, the main character, has to deal with the fact that Priya, her best friend, moved away to California and left her all alone to start a new school year. Buy worst of all, Zan hasn’t heard anything from Priya since she moved away. She is left to think that Priya has moved on from her, and doesn’t care about her anymore. When she meets Logan, everything changes. He listens to her worries about Priya and tries to make her feel better. When Zan sees Priya’s new posts, she realizes that Priya might not be ignoring her, she might be in danger. — Gillian, age 13
Greystone Secrets #1: The Strangers is a very exciting book. I always wanted to keep reading it. It was always so entertaining with all the mysteries and different worlds. I had two favorite characters, Emma and Natalia. Emma was always on top of things and she is the smartest of Chess, Finn, and Natalia. I also liked Natalia, always looking on the bright side. Emma and Natalia were the best characters, always finding out secrets. I would relate this book to many books, like The Flash because there are different worlds. There is always a world in trouble just like this book. Overall it was a great book, very interesting and entertaining, and I hope they make a second. — Harry, age 10
Good Enough is an amazing book that kept me up reading way later than I should have been. It shows how eating disorders are more dangerous than you might think, and they are becoming more popular among teens and tweens, but it also shows how, with the right people, you can get treated. Riley, the main character, struggles with anorexia, and gets sent to a treatment center to try and get better. Along the way, Riley struggles with trying to match her gymnast sister, dealing with parents who don’t understand what she’s going through, and doing the right thing when it comes to revealing secrets. Riley is an amazing character, and I found myself rooting for her the whole book. — Gillian, age 13
This Book Is Not Yet Rated - This book is about a boy named Ethan who is the manager at the Green Street Cinema. But Ethan can barely manage his own life after his dad dies and his best friend Raina moves away. When Raina moves back to town, things aren’t what they used to be between them. When the Green Street Cinema is being evicted, they all come together to try and save it. Read it for yourself to find out how this amazing book ends, but be aware you may be surprised with the ending! The title is very in tune with the book because it has some mild language. If you want to find out how this novel ends, buy the book today! — Tommy, age 11
The book Deadfall by Stephen Wallenfels is, to say the least, gripping. The book starts off with little context about the characters or their lives, but it quickly sucks you into the intertwined oasts of these different characters. Cory and Ty are twins on the run. When they discover a deer on the road next to a wrecked truck they try to help. But what they discover in the trunk of the car is definitely not what they were expecting. The story is told in clips of the past and the present, piecing together this hair-raising tale. Read this if you like a thriller with a hint of mystery. — Grace, age 12
Rise of the Dragons is a book about a boy named Joss who finds the magic dragon egg that can take the dragon riders to the human world. There are also parts of the book about a human child who dreams of meeting a dragon. In Rise of the Dragons, the back cover text doesn’t really match the book. This book is a thriller for anyone who likes adventure and fantasy books, like me. There are also dragon cards that come with the book which I think is cool. Unfortunately, because my copy is unpublished, they had not added the cards when I got the book! — Tommy, age 11
Mia Mayhem Is a Superhero! is a book about a girl that causes a lot of mayhem. One day, she gets a letter in the mail that told her she was a superhero. She went to go tell her friends and family and she figured out her family has super powers too. Then, she has her first class at superhero school, but she is clumsy and people have to save her. In the end, she keeps practicing and trying her best at her superpowers. I would recommend this book because it kept me interested and it was funny. The book might be better if more pictures were added to the book. But I liked the book a lot. — Eli, age 7
If this book had a recipe, you would bake it every day. The Remarkable Inventions of Walter Mortinson had just the right amount of sarcastic jokes, sadness, and will make you want to get up and make something. At one point I actually felt that I had to read this book and use hot glue at the same time...NOT a good idea. It is very gripping and won’t let you go until you finish it. The only part I did not enjoy was the ending, because A.) it ended and B.) there is a slightly depressing twist. Nevertheless, I would recommend this to anyone who likes adventure, plot twists, creativity, and a bit of romance. I just want to say that this was an amazing experience. — Ivana, age 10
New Kid - Chapter 1. Jordan’s mom wants him to go to a school that he’s never been to! Chapter 2. Jordan goes to the school and he likes it a lot! Chapter 3. Jordan goes to lunch and finds out there’s a seating arrangement. Chapter 5. Jordan goes to play soccer and loses. He has a lot more adventures and misadventures. This book would be good for Dav Pilkey fans. — David, age 8
Danielle Rollin’s Stolen Time traces the adventures of Dorothy, Ash, Zora, Chandra, and Willis. Breathtaking, suspenseful, and mystery-filled, this book contained a series of cliffhangers and misleading evidence, that made me want to read every last word. The storyline was original and well-balanced. It didn’t overwhelm me with details about time travel, history, or a scientific hypothesis on the future. Instead, I became caught up in the characters’ mission, waiting to see what would happen next. Stolen Time was very enjoyable for me to read, my hopes high on whether the main characters would succeed on their mission, and keeping me suspended, waiting for what would happen next. It was so engaging, it took me less than one week to read the book. Stolen Time has extended my imagination, making it stretch all the way to consider what life will be like in the year 2077… — Bronte, age 12
Fear of Missing Out is full of devastating decisions, and accepting the fact that even though you might miss out on some things, the things that you did do and see are enough. For a sixteen year old girl named Astrid, the threat of cancer doesn’t seem real. Kate McGovern gives us the inside scoop of Astrid’s thoughts, and lets you see life through a new lense as Astrid and her friends travel across the country. This amazing story full of love, family, and accepting your fate will bring adults to tears. I would recommend this book to anyone who can read, specifically young adult fiction fans. — Mia, age 13
The Waking Forest by Alyssa Wees is a extraordinary book with a young girl who has visions a little too real and a witch in the woods who grants wishes. While the little girl is facing creepy disappearances that nobody else seems to see in her world, the witch is being intruded on by a mysterious boy who seems to know something about her.This book is a wonder that I would recommend to every family member and friend I know. — Simon age 10
Stand on the Sky is a great book about love, family, and being who you are. Erin Bow captures all the joy and sorrow that life and family bring. The all of the sting character make you want to be able to be strong too. The dad stands up for Ailsulu, the main character, which makes you want to stand up for what you think is right. This kind-hearted book is great for all reader. — Sadie, age 11
Nikki on the Line - I loved this book and would recommend it to a friend because the themes are that true friends are always there for you and hard work leads to success. It’s about a girl named Nikki who wants to be the star point guard on an elite-level club basketball team. When she is chosen to be on a team, she isn’t a point guard at all, though. She will have to learn to play a new position and in the process will learn the true meaning of friendship. In conclusion, I adore this book. — Michelle, age 10
Magic on the Map #1: Let's Mooove! - I really liked this book. Magic on the Map is about two kids (twins) that go around the United States because they heard a weird sound and discover that their RV talks. The RV takes them to Colorado. The book is about traveling to new places, and I like traveling. The twins also try new things like horse riding. I want to read the next book in the series. — Adro, age 7
Kazu Jones and the Denver Dognappers is a great book. It is jam packed with action, excitement and mystery. Kazu Jones is a cleaver girl in middle school who gets put in detention with her enemy, Madeline Brown. In addition to trouble at school, there are dognappers in her neighborhood. After Kazu loses her neighbors dog, Bartley to the dognappers, she is committed to discovering who is the Denver Dognapper. I would recommend this book. — Meshkeen, age 10
I really liked The Simple Art of Flying. It was about Aggie and Alastair who are African grey parrots. Aggie and Alastair lived in a pet shop owned by Pete and after a while they were bought by people. Alastair was bought by Bertie and Aggie was bought by Fritz. After a while Alastair sneaked into Fritz's bike basket because he missed his sister Aggie. Fritz rode his bike to his house when Alastair was in it and climbed up a trellis and went into Fritz's room where Aggie lived. Aggie set up a little home under Fritz's bed and for a few days Alastair lived under the bed and then after a while Fritz found Alastair and went to the park to give Bertie Alastair back. And at the park it was raining cherries all over the place! — Kyle, age 8