Review: Every Day After by Laura Golden

Every Day After by Laura Golden.

Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: June 2013
List Price: $15.99
ISBN-13: 9780385743266

Review: I will sacrifice what ever it takes to keep my Mama away from the mental asylum and ME out of an orphanage, Lizzie explained. Lizzie Hawkins is a 12-year-old girl who lives in Alabama, southern Alabama with a lot of people counting on her, especially her mother. This is the book of the century. The bank is about to take Lizzie's house. She must now figure out how to keep the bank from taking her house. But, how?

Lizzie Hawkins has a very harsh life of her own. Lizzie's dad could not handle all of the stress of debt and the bank threatening to take their home, so he left them. Her mother has gone into a very deep depression, due to this, and can no longer take care of Lizzie. Lizzie is now left with the bank, her mother, and the house resting on her shoulders. The town's psychologist wants to see her mom to make sure she's okay. Lizzie cannot let the doctor see her mother in the condition that she is in right now; therefore she is doing whatever it takes to distract him away from her mother. She is very apprehensive that he will take her to a mental asylum and Lizzie to an orphanage, where she belongs. Can Lizzie keep her house without any help at all? All hope is lost for Lizzie and her mother. Lizzie must now figure out how to pay the bills, take care of her mother, and conquer the most difficult challenge of her life.

Laura Golden's elaborative and engaging novel makes you feel like you are actually in the story feeling all of the character's emotions and struggles throughout the book. Every time you start a new chapter, you learn more and more about each character's complex thoughts, decisions and actions. Now, some readers might struggle and may feel that the vocabulary is impenetrable. Also, Golden shows the solitary struggles that Lizzie Hawkins goes through each and every day. The author develops each and every character very meticulously which made your eyes just keep moving and I couldn't put it down, no matter how hard I tried! Lizzie learns that it's ok to, "É. play the cards your dealt," and it's fine if you need to ask for help every once an awhile. Or in other words, when you are faced with a problem, you should not get frustrated, but figure out ways that you can improve the situation. She teaches us that there are always other things that we can do to improve the hardship that we are faced with. You don't always have to solve the problem in one try. I believe that this book is meant for any one who likes books inspirational characters, vivid, outspoken characters and themes as you go through the book. I think that it would be meant for ages 9 to 14 because of some of the books intricate scenarios. This novel gives you a reason to turn mighty sour lemons into sweet lemonade!

Review written by Anneliese (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of Every Day After for this review.

Have you read Every Day After? How would you rate it?

Review: Lives of the Scientists by Kathleen Krull & Kathryn Hewitt

Lives of the Scientists by Kathleen Krull & Kathryn Hewitt. A Lives of Book.

Harcourt Childrens Books
Publication Date: July 2013
List Price: $20.99
ISBN-13: 9780152059095

Review: In the informational book, The Lives of the Scientists, by Kathleen Krull contains information about famous people like Albert Einstein. The book is a series of biographies. It has been a favorite for twenty years.

According to Marie Curie we should "Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas." Albert Einstein said "Mozart's music is so pure and beautiful that I see it as a reflection of the inner beauty of the universe itself." Edwin Hubble wrote to his former classmates that he was busy "toying with such minor matters as the structure of the universe."

The scientist in this book that I most admire is Albert Einstein. I like him best because he was both a musician and a scientist. Albert Einstein had dropped out of high school but he was very intelligent so he accomplished much including learning how to play the violin. However, he was not always successful such as in his family life. He said, "I have not bestowed the same care to understanding people as to understanding science." At the age of 54, Einstein fled Nazi Germany.

I would recommend this book for anybody who likes science. It tells very interesting things about scientists. Also, people who just want to know facts about scientists would enjoy this book. The book includes biographical information on scientists and especially provides information about the inventions they made while they were alive. If you are not fully interested in science, don't read this book. Otherwise, you can fully enjoy this book. Accelerated readers interested in science and scientists will definitely enjoy this book.

Review written by Todd (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin for providing a copy of Lives of the Scientists for this review.

Have you read Lives of the Scientists? How would you rate it?

Review: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein.

Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: June 2013
List Price: $15.99
ISBN-13: 9780375870897

Review: You will be given the chance to play a brand-new game, Mr. Lemoncello said. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library is a fun-filled book written by Chris Grabenstein. Kyle Keeley, Mr. Lemoncello, and Kyle's friend, Akimi, are all the main characters in the story. This book is a puzzler for everyone.

You may think that Kyle is just spending his weekend in a library with his friends, playing a brand-new game. Well, you're wrong. When Mr. Lemoncello tells the kids that they will be competing against each other to be on all of his toy commercials, the whole weekend gets turned around. Kyle and his friends must find clues in the library to help them escape, but, of course, there has to be someone in the way of Kyle winning the prize. Charles Chilington gets in Kyle's way during the whole competition. Kyle fights for the chance to be in Mr. Lemoncello's commercials. Will Charles Chilington beat Kyle and his teammates before noon?

Chris Grabenstein's book is a fun puzzler for any gender because in the story, it never is too boyish even though the main character is a boy. The book doesn't talk about any girly things in particular. Girls might want to read this book too, since there is no violence either. Grabenstein's clues in the story always leave a cliffhanger for you and the characters. You never know what will end up happening. The author made Kyle to be a character that will never give up. Based on how the story goes, it makes you hunger to know what happens next. I think this story would be a good choice for kids from fourth to sixth grade because it has some difficult vocabulary that younger kids might not understand. For instance, it says in the story, "Éparticular periodical." Those words may be hard for kids under the age of nine or ten. Grabenstein leaves you with so many cliffhangers in the story; it's hard to put the book down. This book always forced me to keep going, so I can find out what happens next. Also, Grabenstein describes Kyle's challenges and frustrations so well, the reader could empathize and feel how Kyle feels. On the other hand, some readers might get bored at certain points in the story, perhaps when there is a lull in the action. The theme of the story is illustrated by Kyle and his friends who show that it's not about winning, it's about having fun. All in all, I think Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library deserves an A+ for its descriptive writing.

Review written by Jessica (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library for this review.

Have you read Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library? How would you rate it?

Review: The Dragon at the North Pole by Kate Klimo

The Dragon at the North Pole by Kate Klimo. A Dragon Keeper Book.

Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 2013
List Price: $15.99
ISBN-13: 9780375870668

Review: Do you believe in fairy tales? Kate Klimo hands us this wonderful new book, extending the Dragon Keeper series further in The Dragon at the North Pole, as part 6 of the adventures, following Jesse, Daisy, and Emmy across their journeys.

In Goldmine city, Emerald the Dragon is convinced, that if it snows, Santa Claus will come. However, Dragon Keepers Daisy and Jesse said that in Denver, it never snows. When they wake up, the see Emmy left a note, saying that she has gone to help Santa Claus. To the Dragon Keepers' surprise, they see a giant swath of snow everywhere. Daisy and Jesse ask the Professor (Remove the part in parenthesis: The name is unknown) online about the North Pole. Of course, to the Professor's dramatic power, the only information the two youngsters get is that the North Pole gets many distasteful and dangerous creatures; this won't stop Jesse and Daisy from protecting Emmy. When they arrive at the North Pole, Santa is there along with Emmy. However, Jesse eavesdropped on Santa talking to Emerald, and hears something about the Dragon Egg interceptor. Is there something more behind this then they might think there be?

The Dragon at the North Pole is a fantastic book, capable of confining readers to its pages. It has no stereotypes, absolutely original, suspenseful, including sub-plots tied together with well-developed ideas. The characters were multidimensional, changing and growing, seemingly empty of stereotyped characters. Daydreamers and fantasy fanatics would like these, and this one is included. I thought The Dragon at the North Pole had most of the things I hunt around for in a good book. The characters were believable, original, and well rounded. However, some characters appear to be static and remain unchanged. The plot went along smoothly, using a good pace from scene to scene, showing simple text, and was very easy to understand. It appears to be perfect for the kids who finished the Magic Tree House stories but aren't quite ready for Harry Potter. The well-developed ideas made the book great, and absolutely wonderful. The writing style Kate uses is perfect for children of all ages, holding a title of originality, is lively, full of action, and has a good plot.

Review written by Vincent (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of The Dragon at the North Pole for this review.

Have you read The Dragon at the North Pole? How would you rate it?

Review: Barry by Kate Klimo

Barry by Kate Klimo. Book 3 in the Dog Diaries Series.

Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: August 2013
List Price: $6.99
ISBN-13: 9780449812808

Review: If you would like to read an emotional book about loosing a friend, or knowing what it's like to live through a dog's eyes. Then, Dog Diaries: Barry by Kate Klimo is the perfect book for you to read!

In Dog Diaries, readers will feel the emotion just like Barry (the main dog) feels it. Barry and his best friend Michel go on adventures such as saving people that are buried deep under snow caused by an avalanche, and saving people about to get hypothermia. He also lives with his mom and brothers. One day when he was young, he went into the deep snow but he sank because he didn't know how to walk in it. All Barry had to do was make his paws wider.

This book, Dog Diaries: Barry, would be for audiences approximately 9 and up. Overall, this would be one of the best books to read at your public library.

Review written by Tommy (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of Barry for this review.

Have you read Barry? How would you rate it?

Review: Too Cool for This School by Kristen Tracy

Too Cool for This School by Kristen Tracy.

Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: August 2013
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780385740708

Review: So, do you like realistic fiction books? If so, Too Cool for this School by Kristen Tracy is a good one. There are lots of good books, but this one is awesome. You'll pick it up and finish it pretty quick if you love middle school drama.

Lane is in 6th grade at Rio Chama Middle School. When her spunky comes to visit she thinks her life is over. She needs to use her skills to get through the time she has with her cousin. Lane and her cousin Angelina "Mint" Travel have to learn to get along. Angelina A.K.A. Mint lives in Alaska. She definitely has her own personality. Lane and her friend Ava think that Mint is weird but her parents think she is just spunky. Her father wants Lane to look out for her but when she starts bugging Lane it is very hard for Lane to do it. Will she look out for her cousin? Read the book to see.

In the book the author ends each chapter at the right spot to make you want to come back and finish the book. The characters in the book and the plot were well developed through out the book. At the beginning the book is slow and it is hard to come back and finish it. But, once you get to where Mint comes in the book starts to get really good. The story is great and all of the characters are very well personalized. You'll probably like this book if you're in middle school. Read the book to find out what happens next.

Review written by Sydney (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of Too Cool for This School for this review.

Have you read Too Cool for This School? How would you rate it?

Review: Operation Robot Storm by Alex Milway

Operation Robot Storm by Alex Milway. A Mythical 9th Division Novel.

Kane Miller
Publication Date: January 2013
List Price: $5.99
ISBN-13: 9781610670746

Review: Albrecht, Saar, and Timeon embark on a stormy adventure in Operation Robot Storm by Alex Milway. The fury British giants take on many mythical monsters and bad people. These yetis go on many adventuress in The Mythical 9th Division so make sure you read all of them.

Three yetis travel to Wales to investigate some missing soldiers lost in snow. They were lost in Wales but in this time of the year it doesn't snow there. On their mission they will have to find the soldiers but is there something else behind this storm. Does the crazy snowy weather have anything to do with it and did anyone mean to make the weird weather. What parts do the robots play in the story? Is there something that nobody knows, you'll just have to find out yourself when you read Operation Robot Storm.

If you are in the age group of from 4th grade to 7th grade this is the right book for you. If you like a challenge this book has some high level vocabulary but if it's to hard you might not like it. Also its plot has some twists and turns that might be confusing for some people but if you read on it will make sense. The Mythical 9th Division series has all the adventures of Albrecht, Timeon, and Saar. Operation Robot Storm is the first book in the hairy series. So don't miss out on Operation Robot Storm.

Review written by Sean (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Kane Miller for providing a copy of Operation Robot Storm for this review.

Have you read Operation Robot Storm? How would you rate it?