Unhooking the Moon by Gregory Hughes

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The book Unhooking the Moon is a great book. It is written by Gregory Hughes. The genre is adventure.  If you like comedy and or friendship this is a great book for you, too.

It is about a boy and his sister. The story tells how they have to survive in the real world together. Their parents died, so they have to go and find their only living relative, their uncle. His name is Jerome DeBiller, and he is one of the richest businessman ever known.  He is also a drug dealer with many rumors. Bob and Marie Claire aka the rat head on their way by bike from Winnipeg, Canada to New York City, New York.  As they go, meeting many people and making new friends along the way. They met even more people when they got there. Just some of the people that they meet are Joey the Italian, Tommy the hustler, Erwin the homeless guy, Ice the famous pop star, and many more! These people are right there for them when they need them the most. They are like the heros of the story! “Ice had come for us.  Maybe the rat was right.  Maybe he was an angel.  At least he was to us that night and as far as I’m concerned, he will always be.”  You might think it is a book about a boy and his sister, but it turns out to be a book about a lot of people who become friends.   

      I think that this was one of the best books that I have read in a long time! The first reason that I liked the book is because of the characters. I can really relate to them more  than most other books.  I really liked the rat because even when she was feeling down she still keep looking at things on the positive side. She made a lot of jokes and that made the book funny.  Humor, is another reason that I liked this book. The author made jokes about things that are happening now and not in the past. I really like how there are current people  in the book and events. I thought that Unhooking the Moon was written very good, but there are no pictures! There were a lot of quotes and one of my favorite was “... we never stop searching. Why can’t we just be?” I thought that was a good quote to know because people should be happy with what they have and stop trying to get just what they want. This was just a great book and I think that really anyone could relate to the characters and also have fun reading. 

Book Review by Zoey

The Dumbest Idea Ever by Jimmy Gownley

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    The Dumbest Idea Ever by Jimmy Gownley is an awesome book for anyone who likes graphic novels or realistic fiction. The Dumbest Idea Ever is a book about a 15-year-old who wants to write a comic book.
      The main character, Jimmy, is trying to write a comic book about superheroes. The only problem is that none of his pictures look right! His friend recommends to make a book about their lives. Jimmy does not think it will work. He thought it was the dumbest idea ever. But have you ever thought the dumbest idea ever could change your life forever? Read this book to find out how the dumbest idea ever changed Jimmy's life forever.
       Even though I don't read graphic novels, I really liked The Dumbest Idea Ever. The Dumbest Idea Ever is a perfect mix of realistic fiction and a graphic novel. The book was a fast, easy read for anyone who likes graphic novels. The Dumbest Idea Ever by Jimmy Gownley is available in the middle school library. Please check it out!

Review by Amelia

Mr. Terupt Falls Again by Bob Buyea

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     Because of Mr. Terupt  is a wonderful book for people who like realistic fiction or novels. It is about a class of sixth graders who had the same teacher as last year, when a boy named Peter hit Mr. Terupt with an ice-ball and caused him a nervous problem. Now, Mr. Terupt gets to spend time with his students from last year and set things right.

     Rob Buyea has written a very realistic book with many things that could very well happen in real life and that probably have happened at some point in time.

    Jeffrey finds a baby on the side of the road which he has to take to school until the paramedics come. Danielle’s Grandmother has a heart attack on a roller coaster at the end of the year. All sorts of stuff happens.

    I recommend this book to anybody who likes books, However, this is a sequel to Because of Mr. Terupt. You can find it at the MS library.

Review by Xander

Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue: An Origami Yoda Book by Tom Angleberger

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Audio by Marcus

Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald

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Only two people know about the masterpiece hidden in the Tenpenny house- and one of those people is already dead. The other person is Theodora, or Theo, Tenpenny, the main character of Under the Egg by Laura Marx Fitzgerald. A couple days after her grandfather, Jack’s death, she found a painting underneath a painting that has been hanging over the Tenpenny’s fireplace for over 50 years. Within minutes she had come to a few conclusions. It looked old so she thought it was a Renaissance, maybe Italian. It looked real- like something she’d she in a big museum. It looked like was worth something, maybe a lot of something.  However, all of these conclusions made her nervous because her grandfather was a painter but he also worked a day job. He worked as a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of art. This brought her to another conclusion: the painting looked stolen. Throughout this book, Theo and her new friend Bodhi collect data from different places and sources to solve this intriguing mystery. They make amazing discoveries and do a lot of research, which involved reading books, searching on the internet, asking people for help, and going to museums.

    Under the Egg was a fasinating book. I loved it. It was full of suspense and mystery. It was always so exciting when Theo and Bodhi made new discoveries that could change the world of art. One of my favorite elements of the book is how Theo and Bodhi build a very strong friendship while they are working on the mystery together. I also like the fact that you just want to keep reading more and more of this book. Laura Marx Fitzgerald did a great job writing this book and I liked how she described all of the places that Theo and Bodhi went with a lot of detail. That helped me visualize the book a lot better. When you read Under the Egg you learn a lot of things. For example, when you read this book you learn a lot about famous painters, like Raphael. You also learn about a lot of famous paintings by famous painters. That is one other thing I really liked about this book.

    Under the Egg is a good book for a wide variety of readers. If you like books that have action or sports in them this is probably not the best book for you. However, if you enjoy reading mysteries or enjoy reading about history or art this book would be perfect for you. This book is for both boys and girls. Overall, I think Under the Egg is a wonderful book that will have your eyes glued to the pages.

Book Review by Panya 

Twerp by Mark Goldblatt

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Audio by Maggie

Addie On The Inside by James Howe

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    Addie On The Inside by James Howe was a really good book! The author, James Howe is the author of many bestselling books. I enjoyed reading this book because it gave me the courage that if you don't like what other people are doing to you, you should stand up for yourself. This book has very short chapters, so for those who enjoy reading books with short chapters I would recommend this to you. This is one of the best lesson learning books I've read.

   The main character Addie is fighting through name calling and a broken heart in seventh grade. She wants to take a stand for herself and wants to become a girl she wants to be. Until now her best friends Skeezie, Bobby, and Joe have made the bullying easy for her but now she doesn't want to be known for other kids words anymore. Addie is a strong, smart, and sensitive girl fighting through all of her difficulties to become a girl she wants to identified as. I don't really like the book's writing style because the writing format is like a poems writing format, and for me I don't enjoy reading books like that. There aren't any pictures in this book, and the book isn't funny. One quote from the book is, "I pray for release from this purgatory of the middle school years when so many things that never mattered before and will never matter again matter." So from this quote I understand how bad she's been treated in her middle school years.

    I would recommend this book to people who enjoy reading realistic-fiction. I wouldn’t recommend this book to people who are more in sports and non-fiction. This book was fantastic and I definitely think everyone who reads this book will learn an important lesson. Whoever reads this book won’t stop reading it, but some parts were a little boring for me. I think this book is appropriate for both girls and boys. Overall I thought this book was awesome!

Book Review By Rucha

Holdfast By: Blue Balliett

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Holdfast is a book about a family with three kids and in this family they like to use a lot of different word that describe things. A bunch of robbers kidnapped the father Dash. Then when the police came to investigate the kidnapping they found a diamond on the apartment floor from a heist five years ago.  The police thought Dash was related to the crime when they tested the diamond. Lastly, the family had to go live in a shelter, because the robbers took all of their money and books.

Holdfast is a very very suspenseful book that has a lot of action and mystery in it. This book is for people who are from 11 to 13 years old. Holdfast is about a very poor family in search of money. I really like this book because it has a lot of adventure and excitement. And it kept me on the edge of my chair wondering what would happen next. I bpicked this book because it was recomended by others who had read it.

Book Review By: Nate Rausch

Will In Scarlet by Matthew Cody

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Will in Scarlet is a fantastic book by Matthew Cody! I was hooked right away with the epic and worrying beginning. It is a fiction book based in the medieval times. There are a lot of cool words you might have never seen before such as “treason”. It is one of the best fiction books I’ve read.

The main character, Will Shackley, is young Lord and will be in control of Shackley Castle when he comes of age (turns 18) and when his father dies. Until then, his Uncle is in control of the castle while his father is at war. Will has to learn history and how to read (like school) but he isn’t doing that, he’s playing with Milo a kid working at the stables and a maid named Jenny. But, someone has taken over the castle. Also, Will’s family is in trouble and he doesn’t know where to go!

Matthew Cody created an amazing plot. All of the surprises were unexpected and had a big and interesting impact on the story. The characters were all different and have great background stories.The author did a great job making the characters seem extremely real. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys pageturners, battle scenes and fiction, but not if violence scares you!

Endangered By Eliot Schrefer

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I would really recommend reading Endangered by Eliot Schrefer. Endangered is about a girl named Sophie, who comes to live with her mom in Congo, Africa. Her mom works at a sanctuary for bonobos, which are a type of monkey. On her way to the sanctuary, she saw a trafficker selling a beat up bonobo. She felt bad for it and bought it. Later in the book, she names the monkey Otto. Later, her mom leaves the sanctuary for a project, leaving Sophie alone. Then someone shoots the president, and war starts. When the United Nations van comes to pick Sophie up, she doesn’t want to leave Otto alone, so she jumps off the truck and runs into the enclosure of the sanctuary with Otto. When soldiers, also known as the kata-kata, attack the sanctuary, almost everyone there is dead. In the enclosure, Sophie lives with the bonobos. At first, she hates living there. But soon, she starts understanding bonobos better, and doesn’t hate it as much. Later in the book Sophie runs away with Otto. She spends months traveling through Africa to find her mother.

I think the genre of the book is realistic fiction or adventure. One thing I like about the book’s writing style is how much it teaches you about bonobos while you are still reading about an adventure. This book is mostly serious, but it is funny at times. Even though this book has no pictures, It really made my visualize pictures in my mind. There is a cliffhanger at the end of almost every chapter. An example is “ This little creature, who needed me so much, could also care for me. I put my head between my knees and let Otto caress me. Until I sensed we weren’t alone.” I would recommend this book to people who would like to learn a lot while reading an amazing story.

By Tara  

The Nethergrim by Matthew Jobin

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Edmund is just a normal kid. But, when he goes up a mountain to bring his brother back home, he realizes that he put himself, his brother, and his good friends Katherine and Tom, in danger. Pretty interesting so far. I know right. This is a very interesting book. It has a unique storyline, and great characters.

Edmund is, like I said before, just a normal kid. He is interested in learning magic to become a wizard, but his parents want him to think more about doing work. Katherine is one of Edmund’s best friends. She is tall, good with a sword, and a tomboy. Her father owns a stable that trains warhorses. Tom is a slave, but he is also great with animals. He knows when something is wrong with an animal, and push them to the limits without straining them. If you are a Sci-Fi Action reader, you will enjoy this book.

I personally enjoyed this book. It had an interesting storyline, and I am also a Sci-Fi reader. I could connect with the characters very easily. Edmund had a bothersome brother, Katherine is a tall tomboy, and Tom is great with animals.

I wouldn’t suggest this book to anyone who likes realistic books. I wouldn’t think Matthew Jobin as one of my absolute favorite author, but he is definitely in my top 5. Matthew Jobin is also coming out with a second book soon and I can’t wait to read it.

Book Review by Chloe

Half a Chance by Cynthia Lord

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Half a Chance by Cynthia Lord is a great book about a girl named Lucy. This book is a realistic fiction book. I really like this book because, Lucy is a photographer, and I’m interested in photography. On the scale of one to ten, I would rate this a nine.

Lucy is a girl that has to move to Maine because of her dad’s job. Lucy meets friends at her new house on the lake, a few houses down is Emily and Nate. They come down every year in the summer, in their grandma’s cabin. Lucy goes on the kayaks every day with them, when they’re out there they look over the loons (type of bird). After that, Lucy decides to enter a photo contest, but her dad runs it. Lucy has to think of a plan, fast, to enter, secretly.

What I liked about the book was how Cynthia Lord described the who story. I would recommend this book to any who likes photography and/or realistic fiction. So are you interesting in reading this book now?

Book Review by Ashley

When Audrey Met Alice by Rebecca Behrens

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When Audrey Met Alice by Rebecca Behrens Is a great book. It is about the struggles of living in the White House and growing up from being a kid.

Life at the White House is full of trouble, adventure and boredom. Audrey, the main character’s mom just get’s elected as president and Audrey has to move away from her friends in Wisconsin. Most people would be excited to live in the White House, but Audrey is annoyed with all of it. Audrey doesn’t get to see her parents anymore because they are always working. Also, what is the point of a bowling alley if you bowl alone. Audrey is sick of all the secret security. She just wants to be a normal teenage girl. Then one day, Audrey finds Alice Roosevelt’s journal from when she was a first daughter at the White House. Audrey becomes inspired, but you have to read the book to see what risky choices she and Alice make. You have to read the book to find out how Audrey escapes her boredom, has some fun and grows up from being a kid.

This book is a great book and I recommend When Audrey Met Alice by Rebecca Behrens to realistic fiction lovers. Even if you don’t like realistic fiction, you will most likely like this book. Girls would like this book because it is written in a girl’s perspective, but boys could give it a try! My favorite part of the book is when Audrey crashes the golf cart into… you have to read the book to find out! Audrey is a very adventurous, risky, girl and I think that some people could relate to her. When Audrey Met Alice by rebecca Behrens is located in the Middle School Library, so you should check it out!

Book review by Sarah

The Lightning Dreamer By: Margarita Engle

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In The Lightning Dreamer by Margarita Engle it is very poetic and dreamy it has a bit of  everything, it has adventure, poetry, excitement, and a little bit of fantasy.  It is about a girl who is trying to find love in a person who believes in the same rights as her, for freedom. It starts off with Tula, Tula is the main character. Tula has lots of imagination and is very brave and bold. She is in love with poetry.

Everyday she goes to the church to read with the nuns. Her cook, Caridad stayed after being released by her father but runs off after all the freedom poetry that Tula has read. Tula is glad that she is free but her mother not so much.

Tula’s father died but believed She does secret plays with the orphans based on her books but when her 14th Birthday is coming up her mother is getting ready for her marriage and picks a greedy slave catcher. When Tula doesn't want to marry him her mother sends Tula to her father's plantation. Oops I can’t tell you any more but read the book for your self. Enjoy the book I know I did!

Book Review By: Marin Henry

Jinx by Sage Blackwood

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I have to say Jinx by Sage Blackwood is one of the best fantasy books I’ve ever read.

I tend to read and like fiction/fantasy but it really hooks you. I normally take two weeks to read a book but I was read this in four days because it was nearly impossible to drag me off of it.

The main character Jinx had many childhood problems. First off, he was poor, his  Leading him to Simon Magnus/ Simon the wizard where he started to learn magic. When he started learning magic, Simon performed magic on him that took away Jinx’s ability to see people’s emotions. Jinx ran away and met a couple friends who’s names were Elfwyn and Reven where they started adventuring throughout the Urwald (the place where they live that lurks with trolls, werewolves, and many other treacherous creatures). After that, they go on an adventure beyond reality in which they learn much about each other.

Blackwood wrote this story with much fantasy but has connections to real life. Blackwood writes with adventure, imagination, while all at the same time with a tad of realism, forming a story about magic and some real causes and effects, although they blend into the story. The book has a quick start but so much important information happens in the start that you can’t just skim the book. Almost every single sentence contains of new information about one of the characters. Although the beginning of the book is shorter in pages than the climax and the ending, it still is far greater in days. This is a book that I recommend to anyone who enjoys fantasy and takes details because, as I said, almost every single sentence includes important information.

Book review by Jake P.

The Genius Files: From Texas With Love By: Dan Gutman

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    The fourth book in the Genius Files series, From Texas With Love is a really good read to pass the time. Dan Gutman pieces together this book with clear understanding of how kids figure things out and think. Also, he knows how to piece a little excitement to a realist fiction book. There’s just the right amount of drama, adventure and humor to make this book a memorable book.   

   The two main characters are twins named Pepsi and Coke. They are on a road trip sightseeing for their mom’s website. The evil villain, Dr. Warsaw, has more sinister plans and schemes coming their way while the twins old teacher chases after them to with the bowler hat guys. Coke has a photographic memory and Pepsi can solve puzzles and anagrams. Together they solve riddles from Dr, Warsaws clone.  Dr. Warsaw is a little messed up and is planning the twins lives coming to an end.

The book is a little random with a rushed sort of plot. The events turn from one to another quickly. I would recommend highly reading the first few books first. The whole plot is geared towards younger kids even though the characters are older. There is no moral and in some parts the plot goes a little awary. If you’re looking for a way to pass the time, this is your book. I recommend it for younger age people or people who have read the first few books and are looking to finish a series. 

Book review by Nicole                                         

Bird by Crystal Chan

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All Jewel Campbell wanted was a normal birthday and the attention that she deserved. But that would never, ever happen.

In Bird by Crystal Chan, the very day Jewel Campbell was born, her older brother, then five, jumped off a cliff. It was said her Grandpa had nicknamed him Bird, since he liked jumping off things. Grandpa had a curse on his mouth for doing that. But instead, the name had persuaded the young boy to fly. After the dreadful night, the family's house was drenched in silence. Filled with secrets. One night, after another terrible birthday, Jewel might make a friend that could bring the family closer together. Jewel and the boy make good friends and Jewel tells him all her secrets. How she wanted to be a geologist, but her family forbid her. How every birthday she would go to the cliff where her brother died, though her family forbid her. Will her friend understand? Will the secrets be spilled? Will the past ever be in the past? Questions are everything that crowds Jewels head. And curiosity has consequences.

bird book review

This is my absolute favorite book in the world! I enjoy realistic fiction, with just a touch of fantasy.  I personally think Crystal Chan has related to this book a lot and is a great author.

The main character, Jewel Campbell, has lived in her brother John’s shadow for 12 years. Since she was born on the day her little brother jumped off a cliff, thinking he was a bird. Ever since she had awful birthdays, just the everyday cake and little gift. Jewel disobeys her mother by wanting to be a geologist, she disobeys her father by going to the cliff where he claims duppies (Jamaican ghosts) are crawling in every corner. At night, on her birthdays, she goes and climbs her neighbors tree. But one night, she wasn’t alone in that tree. A boy, named John, had proved to be a great friend and help Jewel’s family heal from the past. Every chapter is filled with suspense, secrets, and spirits.  This is a completely likable book.

Crystal Chan, for a beginning author, is the best one I have EVER read about. I recommend this to people who love to read realistic fiction, with a little bit of fantasy.

Book review by Vera

Curiosity By Gary Blackwood

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The book Curiosity is a wonderful book, if you call making some tall tales okay. The Book Curiosity is wrote by Gary Blackwood. Since I tend to not like books about historical items, and  nonfiction, or particle nonfiction this book changed that. Also this is a book for all ages. This book teaches different lessons depending on the different ages, for little kids do not work for jerks, and get what you deserve. For the older people, if something does not go your way there is usually a bright reaction to that.

The summary for the book in my opinion is. First, there is a little kid named Rufus who has a deformed back and is home schooled, and loves to read also, he can beat anyone in chess. Latter his dad goes to jail his mother is dead he goes to a juvenile school, and gets out. Then, he gets a job, for a guy named Maelzel who can be a jerk. Rufus then  starts operating the Turk (which is a chess automaton). Jacques says to rufus when he stops working since he is not getting paid “You should let him have his way, Bebe. He will see you starve to death before he gives in.After about half a year of operating the Turk he is fired, and goes back to the juvenile school. You will have to read the book to find out the rest.

The genre of this book is fiction, nonfiction, mystery, and action. I personally like the writing style. Also, it does have some sad parts to the book, and it can be funny sort of there are no pictures though, and the book is about 300 pages with medium size text so you could finish it in a week end. The way I felt about the book is it was a good book for me because I know some things about the Turk, but you do not need to know anything about the Turk, also I though it had a right lesson that could be learned about it. The reason why is because i have read some really good books, with great lessons for all ages, and some really bad lessons for all ages, and some terrible books with terrible lessons for all ages, and great lessons for all ages. Well Thank for reading my book review.

Book Review By Skyler

The Absolute Value of Mike by: Kathryn Erskine

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This was a good book! The Absolute Value of Mike by Kathryn Erskine is a mix of realistic fiction, and adventure. It was good to break up the chapters into little stories. This book has a slow start but gets better and better throughout the book.

This book is about a boy named Mike. Mike is an almost normal boy. His mother died when he was young and his dad is pretty much dead. Mike’s dad is at least a couple hundred pounds overweight. His breakfast, lunch, and dinner usually consists of about five snickers bars. Despite his extreme weight, Mike’s dad is an ultra genius. He has to go to Romania for a big project, so Mike has to go to his grandparent’s house. This is anything but music to his ears. This means six weeks with total morons.

He knows it is going to be rough when he gets off the plane and his grandma doesn’t even recognize him. Moo names all of her belongings, for example, Tyrone(her car) and Doug the clock. Mike was also assigned a project for when he got there. Mike and Poppy were supposed to be working on a project called the artisan screw. However, Poppy still wasn’t moving at all. The deadline was coming up fast and still nothing had happened so Mike decided to take matters into his own hands. Mike went into Poppy’s workshop and tried to work but nothing worked. Then, Mike met Past. Past is probably the nicest character in the book. Ever since his wife(Natalie) died he has not been living in his house. He decides to live on a park bench. However, he has a lot of food because of all the citizen’s generosity. Mike’s life is going from place to place because of the project and the adoption. The town is trying to save up $40,000 to adopt a boy named Misha from Romania. The reason it costs so much: Romania is shutting down it’s adoption borders meaning that the town only has three weeks. Throughout the book Mike and the people of Do Over are leading a lot of projects to raise money. However, I cannot share the ending.

I recommend this book to people who like realistic fiction, adventure, cliffhangers, and a little bit of math. I can’t wait to hear other people’s thoughts from reading this book. This was a great book and I hope other people will like it to!

Book review by Graham

Tangle of Knots by Lisa Graff

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A Tangle Of Knots by Lisa Graff is a wonderful story.Graff described the way siblings act which reminded me of my sibling and I. I normally love mystery but this realistic fiction book was fantastic.It is a sweet story for people of all ages.

   

    The story is mainly about people who all live in a world of talent.Cady the main character who lives at Miss Mallory’s Home For Lost Girls,starts out the story with her true talent.In every persons point of view  it tells their story in which all brings them together. The characters all have different personalities.With Cady’s cakes and everyone else's unique charm it  bring everyone together to realize  the true meaning of friendship and family.

The main character Cadence (Cady) and the other characters have their own stories that came together in one cake contest. I loved how Graff makes Miss Mallory who owns Miss Mallory’s Home For Girls so nice and sweet.Cady is a unique character who doesn’t take advantage of her talent.This story comes from the sides of different characters Mrs.Ash,Cady,Zane, Will,Marigold,Toby and the shop owner.

Book Review By: Anjali

"When Did You See Her Last" by Lemony Snicket

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Wow, “Where Did You See Her Last” was a great book by Lemony Snicket. I even think it is the best book in the entire series. I like realistic fiction and mystery so this book was enjoyable.

When Cleo Knight goes missing, many questions were asked,”Did anyone see her”, “Is she with the circus” and “What question should we be asking” were all questions asked. Many people notice her car at the store where she buys the cereal. Also, her car has a flat tire on the side, and rumors come up that she used a taxi to get to the circus. When Snicket asks there parents they are not that worried. Finally, someone is found acting as Cleo Knight but does not know where she is.

Snicket writes this book in a unusual way by using himself as a main character.  He  incorporates every twist and turn to his story. I love he he makes the story interesting by using weird names like Hangfire. The book is a chapter book but it does have pictures. I recommend this book to anyone who like mystery books.  

Book review by Drew   

Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage

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I read the book Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage for my library book assignment. I enjoyed the book because there was action, adventure, suspense, and comedy. It was by far one of the best mystery book I’ve ever read!

The main character Moses (Mo) is a kid from Tupelo Landing, who has a nice life until Detective Joe Starr comes to town and Mr.Jesse gets murdered. Her best friend Dale is the prime suspect because he had “stolen” Mr.Jesse’s boat before the murder. But he still returned it, right before the murder. Joe had all his colleagues trying to track down the murderer while Mo and Dale become the most watched people in the town! Soon enough something goes horribly wrong, and Dale and Mo take the mystery into their own hands.

I personally love Three Times Lucky! It just my kind of book. There is action, adventure and comedy. Sheila Turnage portrays the mind of a girl perfectly. And I recommend this book to girls that love fiction.

Book Review by Olivia

My Life with the Lincoln's BY Gayle Brandles

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    I just finished reading a really good book. The book’s title is My Life with the Lincolns written by Gable Brandles. I read a lot of really good books, but this book was filled with energy and I would find myself reading more than I intended to.

    This book is about a young girl named Wilhelmina Edelman who believes that her family are the Lincolns reincarnated. Wilhelmina has to protect her father from being assassinated, her mother from going crazy, and herself from dying at age 12.  Then with enough things to worry about, her dad starts taking her to Martin Luther king jr speeches and tries to bring freedom to everyone.

    Gabe Brandles does a great job of showing the characters emotions through his long summer in 1996. She understands how children feel and what they think about. I think this is a good book for all ages, and would highly recommend it for anyone.

Book Review by:Emily 

The Real Boy by Anne Ursu

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    The Real Boy by Anne Ursu is an amazing fantasy book. In my opinion it is one of the best fantasy books I have ever read. I would recommend it to anybody who likes fictional books with a lot of suspense and excitement. It is most likely the  best fantasy book I have read since the Harry Potter series.

    The main character Oscar is an orphan who works for Master Caleb, the only magician in the Barrow. All the problems start when Wolf, Master Caleb’s apprentice got killed. Nobody really knew what it was that killed Wolf. People were getting very scared by it. Caleb just thought it was Wolf trying magic outside of his level of magic. Also Many children in the City were getting sick, and children in the city hardly ever became sick. Also nobody really knew what the cure was. Because of that they were not getting better. Oscar was trying to figure out wha† it was that was causing the sickness. Therefore he could not find a cure. Also he had to track down, and kill an enormous dirt monster.

    I can personally connect to Oscar from The Real Boy. He had to make a lot of transitions through the book. Some were small, some were large but he always had to make changes. For example, at the beginning of the book Oscar had trouble talking to anybody he did not know.I can relate to that. I used to be very shy, and could not talk to anybody I did not know. But also like Oscar I overcame it. The difference between how we overcame it was he was almost trained. Whereas I learned on my own. We both did show similarities and difference.

Book Review by Ashi

Million Dollar Shot By: Dan Gutman

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Finkle Foods, a snack company, is holding a contest, with the grand prize being a trip to New York City to take a could shot at the first National Basketball Association final game that, if made, would give the winner a million dollars.

  No one needed or deserved this money as much as Eddie Ball, a boy who lives in a trailer park in Louisiana with his widowed mother, Rebecca Ball. Rebecca was recently laid off from Finkle Foods, and Eddie was determined to run George Finkle, the founder, out of business. He entered the contest by writing a rap poem, which was turned down by his friend Annie "Oakley" Stokely. Annie wrote another poem, which went good and Eddie won and then shot but then George Finkle makes him an offer he will give his mom a job and he will give Eddie a free scholarship to any college. Will he take the deal or not?

Book Review by Grant

Paperboy by Vince Vawter

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Paperboy Review

Do you like books that are realistic fiction? How about books with a little bit of action and sports? If you said yes, then you should read Paperboy by Vince Vawter. Paperboy takes place in Memphis in 1959, where an eleven year old boy throws the best fastball in town, but has a problem with speaking since he stutters. When he hits his friend with one of his fastballs, he repays his friend by taking over his friend’s paper route for the summer, which he knows will be impossible since he will have to talk to customers, like Mr. Spiro and Mrs. Worthington. Also, there’s Ara T. He steals the paperboy’s knife and unfolds a conflict in this story with the segregated backdrop.

I have to admit, the story is really boring and slow in the beginning. I almost quit reading the book, but I was glad I didn’t, since the pace picks up in the middle and finishes with a suspenseful and unforgettable climax. With Vince Vawter’s creative thinking to interpret the story, once you read the book, you’ll be glad you did!

Book Review by Pat

Lockwood and Co The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

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Jonathan Stroud’s book, Lockwood and Co, The Screaming Staircase, is a great mystery and adventure book. It has as mystery going on in the back while they are  trying to find  the source of a haunting. This book is action-packed but still requires some thinking.

Anthony Lockwood, Lucy Carlyle, and George Cubbins are kids who hunt ghosts for money. They are Lockwood and Co. They got a bad reputation when they burned down a house searching for the source of the haunting. But they found a locket that might explain why the person died in the first place.They needed to pay back the money to the owners of the house, but they didn’t have enough. Then, John William Fairfax offers them a deal. If they find and destroy they source of the worst haunting in London, he would pay their debt. They took the deal, but they were wondering about some things. Why did Fairfax come to them? There were many more popular companies and they were just kids. What about the timing? They had just burned down a house. Why was he so desperate? He was willing to pay 60,000 euros and more, which is a lot. This story is about how Lockwood, Lucy, and George figure out a mystery and try to tackle the most haunted house in London.

Jonathan Stroud has written a very interesting book that you simply can’t put down. He has made up a problem ( ghost hauntings) that doesn’t exist, but has made it seem very realistic and like it is really happening today. He uses a balance of humor, adventure, suspense, and mystery in his writing that makes Lockwood and Co., The Screaming Staircase an amazing book that you just can’t forget.

Book review by Divya

Hideout by: Gordan Korman

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Hideout by: Gordon Korman

Hideout, written by Gordon Korman, is one of the best mystery books I have ever read. I really enjoyed how in the beginning you had a chance to see what all the characters have to offer, what their characteristics are like, and what they like to do in their spare time. I also liked how it looks like the mystery will happen farther in the book and then before you know it the mystery is already happening, in other words, it is a mystery when the mystery will take place!

Luthor used to be an aggressive guard dog for the Slimy S. The Slimy S., otherwise known as Swindle, gave Luthor to the pound. Savannah adopted him and trained him to be a tame and friendly dog, but when Swindle is around Luthor, it seems that the guard dog Luthor is still inside of him lurking just below the surface. “Luthor was only the beginning. This went far beyond money or a show dog, it was Swindle’s revenge.”

I would suggest this book to people who enjoy animals, a good mystery, and adventure. Hideout has some scary moments. Something goes missing, who or what will it be? You will have to go to the middle school library and check out Hideout to find out what happens to the missing person or animal…

By: Addy

The Foundling by Lloyd Alexander

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Lloyd Alexander writes a thrilling book about Prydain. He puts in the perfect comedy and action in The Foundling.The Foundling is a book with short stories about Prydain, a medieval kingdom.

Dallaben a man who will give anything to be an enchanter. He tells the thrilling stories about Prydian. A mideval kingdom in the early 1600’s. My opinion of Dallaben is that he is good at keeping secrects, and he is desperate. Desperate to be an enchanter. Like In the final story he meets one of the greatest enchanters ever. Also the all the stories in the beggining lead up to one final story about that enchanter, and Dallaben.

My favorite part in this book is the story the Rascal Crow. That story is about when birds were alive before humans and they ruled the earth. It has funny dialogue and also a lot of leadership. I also think that if pick up the The Foundling and by the look of its cover you do not like it, never judge a book by its cover. Even though the cover is a little bad, the book still rocks. Kids that like Fantasy of Humorous Fictional would like this book, and of course, you can find this book in the MS Library.

Book Review by Campbell

The Wig in the Window by Kristen Kittscher

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The Wig in The Window

By: Kristen Kittscher

Hello! I just wanted to borrow a moment of your time to tell you about this incredible book I just read. The Wig in the Window, by Kristen Kittscher, is an amazing book! I love mystery books! This is probably the best mystery I have ever read!

The main characters, Sophie Young, and her best friend, Grace Yang, like to spy on people in their neighborhood. One day, they see Sophie’s teacher wacky teacher, Dr. Agford, doing something suspicious and they decide to spy on her. They then suspect that she is responsible for a murder!

This story is about how they find clues to try and figure out who Dr. Agford really is. I recommend this book to people who like mysteries and action. I think that this book would be good for 5th - 8th graders. I think a lot of kids would like this book, but I don’t particularly recommend it to kids who prefer science fiction of non-fiction. This is Kristen Kittscher’s first book and it’s a big hit so keep a look out for more books by her. Thank you for your time and I hope that you will consider reading this awesome book!

-Tsega Seleshi, 5th grade