Review: Pieces of Me by Amber Kizer

Pieces of Me by Amber Kizer.

Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: June 2013
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780385741163

Review: NO! I screamed, leaping at my body, trying to force myself back inside. To open my eyes. To talk. To live. Donate my organs? I wasn't meant to serve. I AM HERE. YOU JUST CAN'T TAKE MY PIECES. You can't make me. The nurse was in the corner trying to explain to Jessica's little brother that she's brain dead. Her mother cried and her father tried to comfort her. She's gone now, real gone. This is merely a short passage from Pieces of Me by Amber Kizer.

After the most absolute terrible thing happened to Jessica Chai, she got into a car. Later that same day, she got into a huge car accident and was pronounced brain dead. Her soul watched over her and did everything she could to wake her up. Nothing. After awhile, her parents finally said yes to letting their daughter be an organ donor to those in need. Leif, all his life, thought everything revolved around sports. Turns out it didn't. He then realizes he can't let his parents push him around anymore, and he must stand up for himself, and find whom the REAL Leif is. Vivian, although she has cystic fibrosis that will end her life prematurely, chooses to look at the world as a rainbow and struggles to stay alive to the break of daylight. Misty is living in a horrible home environment and has liver failure. This library refugee might be finding her first love, but it's a whole lot of pain to handle everything or even live until tomorrow. Samuel, a 17-year-old, is so big on faith and focuses on setting aside all the bad things in life; he focuses on the bright and positive side. He can't have a dark secret, can he? Somehow all of these teenagers' lives are intertwined when their cell memories cross over, and they give Jessica the greatest gift of all.

Amazing! This book is hands down one of the most realistic, tragic, happy stories I have ever read. It has an incredibly interesting and heartwarming plot, and it illustrates of how real teenagers live their lives. Although this book sounds and is incredible, I would not recommend it for anyone under age 13. I would recommend it for teenagers, a more mature audience.

Review written by Lucy (6th grade student).

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

Have you read Pieces of Me? How would you rate it?

Review: This or That by Crispin Boyer

This or That by Crispin Boyer.

National Geographic Kids
Publication Date: April 2014
List Price: $12.99
ISBN-13: 9781426315572

Review: Do you like puns, games and facts? If you do, This Or That, The Wacky Choices To Reveal The Hidden You by Crispin Boyer IS THE BOOK FOR YOU!

The point of the book is to pick one or the other, and then in the next page it shows a real life equivalent of it and facts about it. For example, Teleport or Virtual Reality and in the next page I'll talk about atom transportation and oculus rift. On some pages, if you picked this more than that you are adventurous. There are 9 chapters, and the first chapter, Power Up, is about superhuman powers. The second chapter, Good To Go, is about going to places. The 3rd chapter, Help Wanted, is about jobs. The 4th chapter, Gross Anatomy, is about weird body functions. The 5th chapter. Misadventures, is about exploring. The 6th chapter, Friend Zone, is about your social life. The 7th chapter, Mad Science, is about scientific concepts. The 8th chapter, Offbeat Facts, is about doing things that will scare you. The final chapter, Absurd Situations, is about crazy scenarios. In summary, the entire book is filled with fascinating choices.

In my opinion, this book is really interesting, and it made reading a fun experience. This book is for both boys and girls because there are female topics and male topics. Some of the vocabulary is very simple and some is higher level. The book also uses slang, for example, LOL and OMG. If a person doesn't understand slang, then they would not like this book. Anyone who enjoys reading thought-provoking facts will LOVE THIS BOOK!

Review written by Alex (6th grade student).

Have you read This or That? How would you rate it?

Review: Cool Beans: The Further Adventures of Beanboy by Lisa Harkrader

Cool Beans: The Further Adventures of Beanboy by Lisa Harkrader. The Sequel to The Adventures of Beanboy.

Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Publication Date: May 2014
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780544039049

Review: In Cool Beans: The Further Adventures of Beanboy by Lisa Harkrader, Tucker MacBean is bullied by a kid named Wesley. The art club teacher, Mrs. Frazee, Coach Wilder, and Beecher MacBean are the main characters in this fiction book. Tucker is an ordinary kid, and he makes posters, drawings, and comics of H2O, a superhero, and Beanboy, H2O's sidekick. This book is the second part of a series; the first book is called The Adventures of Beanboy.

In the beginning, Tucker and Beecher go to the sports store. Even though they don't play sports, they went there to cash in the gift cards from their dad. Then Beech saw a baseball helmet that looked like Iron Man's. He grabbed it and he put in on his head. Then Wesley came in, stole the helmet off of Beech's head, and cashed it for himself. Sadly, it was the last one. Tucker went to go chase after him but saw Emma, the shiniest girl in school, and got distracted. So he didn't get the helmet back. Then he went home to do his New Year's Resolution, but instead he started to draw. Tucker continued to draw more Beanboy pages, and then when he returned to school his comic was everywhere. It kept happening and a boy named Owen Skeet was interested, but when he got to art club, he saw the scariest thing, Dillon. He was a big and scary kid that always got detention. The principal announced to the school that they were having an annual carnival, and they would have a dodge ball tournament. Tucker wanted to join with his art club members because the helmet Wesley bought was the prize.

I really liked Cool Beans: The Further Adventures of Beanboy because it was funny, surprising, and very interesting. At first, I thought it was just good, but then when I got into the book more, it became more exciting and I thought, "What is going to happen next? " For example, are Emma and Tucker going to do anything together or what is Wesley going to do with Tucker? What will happen when he entered the dodge ball tournament? It also makes you wonder who is posting Tucker's comics.

It is very funny because Beech says his C's like T's, and since he is a little kid he does funny little kid things. Students in middle school will like this book because it is just right reading level, and most of it takes place in a middle school. Girls and boys will enjoy this book because it involves both girls and boys in it so both genders can relate to it. The only thing I didn't like about this book was the beginning because it doesn't hook you as much as the middle and the end do. Overall, the book is hard to put down because the reader can't predict what will happen.

Review written by Aiden (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy of Cool Beans: The Further Adventures of Beanboy for this review.

Have you read Cool Beans: The Further Adventures of Beanboy? How would you rate it?

Review: Frostborn by Lou Anders

Frostborn by Lou Anders. Book 1 in the Thrones and Bones Series.

Crown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: August 2014
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780385387781

Review: Have you ever felt like a misfit? In Thrones and Bones Frostborn by Lou Anders, Karn and Thianna are misfits in a Viking-type setting where there are fantasy characters such as giants, trolls, and dragons. In this book, Karn and Thianna experience a great adventure!

In Thrones and Bones Frostborn, the two protagonists, Karn and Thianna, feel like they don't belong. Karn is the oldest in his human family, so that means that he has the responsibility of one day running the family farm. All he really wants to do, though, is play a board game called Thrones and Bones. He despises the thought that one day he will have the responsibility of running the family farm. Thianna lives in a village of giants, but the only problem is that she is half human and half giant. She is only 7 feet tall. That is huge for a human to be 7 feet tall, but not for a giant. She is about half the size of most giants in her village. In this book, Karn wakes the undead, people come after Thianna and her magical horn, and they meet an enormous fire- breathing dragon named Orm. They find themselves together, struggling to stay alive while protecting a magical horn Thianna's mother stole from someone many years ago.

I adored this exciting, suspenseful book. The author's writing style reminds me of Holes by Louis Sachar. I could not stop reading Thrones and Bones Frostborn. The author used great description in this book such as this passage that appeared on page 11, ÒThe giant glowered down at her over a large bulbous nose and bushy blond beard.Ó There is also phenomenal vocabulary such as, "glowered...bulbousÉ" from page 11. The reader could probably draw a picture to go along with every page. In my opinion, this book is suitable for both girls and boys. The author included dragons for boys and snow spirits for girls. I loved every part of this book, but people who do not enjoy reading about magical creatures might not like this book very much. I believe this book is for ages 12 and older because the writing style would be a little too hard to understand for a lower level reader. Also, I would recommend it for ages 12+ because of the complex vocabulary. In conclusion, Thrones and Bones Frostborn is a perfect combination of suspense and action.

Review written by Calden (6th grade student).

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

Have you read Frostborn? How would you rate it?

Review: National Geographic Kids Myths Busted! 2: Just When You Thought You Knew What You Knew by Emily Krieger

National Geographic Kids Myths Busted! 2: Just When You Thought You Knew What You Knew by Emily Krieger.

National Geographic Kids
Publication Date: May 2014
List Price: $7.99
ISBN-13: 9781426314780

Review: Funny facts, surprising facts, facts proven to be wrong! Learn new and surprising things at the same time. Well, Myths Busted! 2 by National Geographic: Kids is a great book to read. This book includes facts that are believed to be true.

Myths Busted! 2 has many facts to present to the reader. There are many common beliefs that are inaccurate or just plain wrong. For example, is cheese a mouse's favorite meal? Are they always craving cheese? Incorrect! Mice eat what they can get their tiny paws on. If that was interesting, the book offers more! Myths busted! For centuries people have believed facts that are wrong. This book explores facts that people have believed. Moss grows only on the north side of trees? The truth is in this book. This book contains many facts about things you may believe to be scientifically proven. In addition to the silly facts, there are scientific facts, animal facts, space facts, food facts, and more.

I thought this book was interesting in so many ways most of the facts surprised me. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to learn. Everyone can grow to like this this book, and with this handy little book, you can outsmart almost anyone! Give a test to someone you know. I enjoyed this book; you will too. Test your knowledge with this book. This book is good to read in a car, vacation, or wherever you want. Share the book with a friend, a parent, or anyone you know.

Review written by Kyle (6th grade student).

We would like to thank National Geographic Kids for providing a copy of National Geographic Kids Myths Busted! 2: Just When You Thought You Knew What You Knew for this review.

Have you read National Geographic Kids Myths Busted! 2: Just When You Thought You Knew What You Knew? How would you rate it?

Review: A Pinch of Magic by Kiki Thorpe

A Pinch of Magic by Kiki Thorpe. The 7th Book in The Never Girls Series.

Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: January 2014
List Price: $5.99
ISBN-13: 9780736430975

Review: Do you believe in fairies? If so, then A Pinch of Magic written by Kiki Thorpe might be just the right book for you! A Pinch of Magic is an exciting story about four best friends: Mia, Kate, Lainey and Gabby, who has a portal Pixie Hollow.

In the story, Mia, Kate, Lainey and Gabby are volunteering for a block party. Mia signs up for the bake fair. Mia's only problem is that she can't bake. Then, when she makes a bet with the Taylor twins, she knows she needs help! There is only one person who can help Mia goes to Pixie Hollow for help. Dulcie (a baking fairy) agrees to help them. Will Mia win the bet? Or will the Taylor twins win?

A Pinch of Magic is a great book! I love how the author put Pixie Hollow and the real world together to make the book more unique. This book would be good for girls' ages 8 to 10, since it has a lot of very easy words. A Pinch of Magic has a lot of fantasy elements. The Never Girls is a series; so if you like A Pinch of Magic, then check out the other books in the series; In a Blink, The Space Between, A Dandelion Wish, From the Mist, Wedding Wings And the Woods Beyond. To conclude, this book was a good book.

Review written by Sarah (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of A Pinch of Magic for this review.

Have you read A Pinch of Magic? How would you rate it?

Review: Where I Belong by Mary Downing Hahn

Where I Belong by Mary Downing Hahn.

Clarion Books
Publication Date: September 2014
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780544230200

Review: If you like outdoors, woods, adventure and action, you would enjoy the book Where I Belong by Mary Downing Hahn. The book is full of action and is also perfect for anyone who loves the woods.

In this fiction book, Brendan's mom left him at the hospital when he was just born. Brendan was sent to a new family, but it didn't work out. Brendan finally met Mrs. Clancy, his foster mom, who takes good care of him. Brendan doesn't love Mrs. Clancy, but she treats him well. Brendan is an artist, but he learns that school is no place for drawing. Brendan disliked school. Consequently, he flunked sixth grade, and was enrolled into summer school. In summer school, Brendan meets his new best friend, Shea. When Brendan and Shea are not in school, they spend their time in the woods building their tree house. They also enjoy time spent with their friend, the Green Man, a homeless old man. Brendan and Shea's lives are progressing very steadily until something happens that changes them forever.

I really enjoyed Where I Belong. I love how the author included so many details. I could really picture in my mind what was going on. The book was super interesting, and I didn't want to stop reading because I was excited to find out what happens next! The story seemed so real. All of the characters are very unique in their own ways. Shea is a tomboy, Brendan is an artist, and the Green Man is a homeless old man. Both boys and girls would enjoy the book. There are elements that boys would like, such as the woods. Also, there are things girls would like, for example, Shea and her personality. I think this book would be best for middle school and up because anyone younger wouldn't understand the plot. To conclude, Where I Belong is a great book, and I would highly recommend it.

Review written by Ali (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy of Where I Belong for this review.

Have you read Where I Belong? How would you rate it?