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Whenever I finish a book in class, I have to write a review about it. Here are some I wrote.
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Title: Symptoms of Being Human
Author: Jeff Garvin
Pages: 352
Summary: "Genderfluid is a gender identity which refers to a gender which varies over time. A genderfluid person may at any time identify as male, female, or any non-binary identity, or some combination of identities."
Riley Cavanaugh is a genderfluid teen. But nobody knows that yet, besides her therapist and her massive blog following, and she intends to keep it that way. She started the blog to help deal with her emotions, what it's like living as a non-binary individual with a governor for a dad. Suddenly she begins receiving anonymous threats on her blog, threatening to 'out' her in front of the entire school. Naturally, she becomes paranoid. One threat was set to happen at lunch, so she ditched with her friend Solo to an arcade nearby. One day, her anxiety becomes too much when she walks through the cafeteria, and she meets a new friend, Bec. The threats, insults, and overall abuse to her, even in public, never cease. But what happens when she begins going to a support group with Bec, surrounded with only people like her who listen to her and love her for who she is? Will she come out on her own, or will the anonymous messagers do it for her? What will happen to her dad's campaign? Read the book to find out!
About the Author: Jeff Garvin grew up in Orange County, California, the son of a banker and a magician. He started acting in high school, and enjoyed a fifteen-year career including guest-starring roles in network television series ranging from The Wonder Years to Roseanne to Caroline and the City, as well as several independent features. While studying at Chapman University, Jeff won awards for guitar performance and visual storytelling before graduating with a BFA in Film. As the front man of his rock band, 7k, Garvin released three albums and toured the United States. When the band dissolved in 2011, Jeff, who had always written short stories and lyrics, found his passion in full-length fiction. Jeff lives in Southern California with his music teacher wife, their menagerie, and a respectable collection of books and guitars.
Rating: I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars because it was an absolute emotional rollercoaster. I laughed, cried, and was moved by the book overall.
Title: Symptoms of Being Human
Author: Jeff Garvin
Pages: 352
Summary: "Genderfluid is a gender identity which refers to a gender which varies over time. A genderfluid person may at any time identify as male, female, or any non-binary identity, or some combination of identities."
Riley Cavanaugh is a genderfluid teen. But nobody knows that yet, besides her therapist and her massive blog following, and she intends to keep it that way. She started the blog to help deal with her emotions, what it's like living as a non-binary individual with a governor for a dad. Suddenly she begins receiving anonymous threats on her blog, threatening to 'out' her in front of the entire school. Naturally, she becomes paranoid. One threat was set to happen at lunch, so she ditched with her friend Solo to an arcade nearby. One day, her anxiety becomes too much when she walks through the cafeteria, and she meets a new friend, Bec. The threats, insults, and overall abuse to her, even in public, never cease. But what happens when she begins going to a support group with Bec, surrounded with only people like her who listen to her and love her for who she is? Will she come out on her own, or will the anonymous messagers do it for her? What will happen to her dad's campaign? Read the book to find out!
About the Author: Jeff Garvin grew up in Orange County, California, the son of a banker and a magician. He started acting in high school, and enjoyed a fifteen-year career including guest-starring roles in network television series ranging from The Wonder Years to Roseanne to Caroline and the City, as well as several independent features. While studying at Chapman University, Jeff won awards for guitar performance and visual storytelling before graduating with a BFA in Film. As the front man of his rock band, 7k, Garvin released three albums and toured the United States. When the band dissolved in 2011, Jeff, who had always written short stories and lyrics, found his passion in full-length fiction. Jeff lives in Southern California with his music teacher wife, their menagerie, and a respectable collection of books and guitars.
Rating: I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars because it was an absolute emotional rollercoaster. I laughed, cried, and was moved by the book overall.
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Title: The Scorch Trials (Book 2 in the Maze Runner series)
Author: James Dashner
Pages: 361
Summary: Without time to rest, Thomas is rushed into another test by WCKD. The Gladers are put into a pitch-black hallway that goes on for miles, with seemingly no threat. That’s what they thought until they came to a staircase and heard a scream. Thomas felt around on the floor, and found the body of a Glader. Something was missing, however. He tried to find his head, but he could only find neck. They discovered that the cause of this was a strange ball of metal that could transform into liquid metal. It sliced the head clean off of the body. Once they escape the never-ending tunnel, they open a door and are blinded. The cause was the sun. After hours on end in the dark, they couldn’t open their eyes. Not to mention the sun was more powerful than ever after the solar flares. Once they did open their eyes, they were surrounded by a dry, desert wasteland with no obvious buildings. They decided to start walking towards the city-scape in the horizon. Later in the story, you meet more dangers, such as Cranks, and more characters. What happens when they reach the “city”? How many will survive? Read the book to find out!
About the Author: James Dashner was born on November 26, 1976. He was raised in Austell, Georgia and is a self-described southerner. Since he grew up in such a warm climate, that’s how he got the inspiration for the sun flares in the series of Maze Runner. He moved to Provo, Utah to go to Brigham Young University. He earned a master’s degree in accounting.Then he moved into writing, not missing working with numbers at all. In 1998, he started writing stories more frequently. That same year, he wrote his first published book, “A Door in the Woods.” The book was released on June 1, 2003. In 2004, he released the Jimmy Fincher Saga (Which starts with “A Door in the Woods”). He thinks he is lucky, because he has a passion for what he does now, and believes he has the greatest job in the world.
Rating: I rate this book 4/5 stars because sometimes it was hard to follow. On the other side, sometimes it was a drag. I still suggest this series because it is a great (although stereotypical YA dystopian) story.
Title: The Scorch Trials (Book 2 in the Maze Runner series)
Author: James Dashner
Pages: 361
Summary: Without time to rest, Thomas is rushed into another test by WCKD. The Gladers are put into a pitch-black hallway that goes on for miles, with seemingly no threat. That’s what they thought until they came to a staircase and heard a scream. Thomas felt around on the floor, and found the body of a Glader. Something was missing, however. He tried to find his head, but he could only find neck. They discovered that the cause of this was a strange ball of metal that could transform into liquid metal. It sliced the head clean off of the body. Once they escape the never-ending tunnel, they open a door and are blinded. The cause was the sun. After hours on end in the dark, they couldn’t open their eyes. Not to mention the sun was more powerful than ever after the solar flares. Once they did open their eyes, they were surrounded by a dry, desert wasteland with no obvious buildings. They decided to start walking towards the city-scape in the horizon. Later in the story, you meet more dangers, such as Cranks, and more characters. What happens when they reach the “city”? How many will survive? Read the book to find out!
About the Author: James Dashner was born on November 26, 1976. He was raised in Austell, Georgia and is a self-described southerner. Since he grew up in such a warm climate, that’s how he got the inspiration for the sun flares in the series of Maze Runner. He moved to Provo, Utah to go to Brigham Young University. He earned a master’s degree in accounting.Then he moved into writing, not missing working with numbers at all. In 1998, he started writing stories more frequently. That same year, he wrote his first published book, “A Door in the Woods.” The book was released on June 1, 2003. In 2004, he released the Jimmy Fincher Saga (Which starts with “A Door in the Woods”). He thinks he is lucky, because he has a passion for what he does now, and believes he has the greatest job in the world.
Rating: I rate this book 4/5 stars because sometimes it was hard to follow. On the other side, sometimes it was a drag. I still suggest this series because it is a great (although stereotypical YA dystopian) story.
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Title: 2 A.M. at the Cat’s Pajamas
Author: Marie-Helene Bertino
Pages: 272
Summary: 9-year-old Madeline Altimari’s life is rotten. Her mother died a while ago, and her dad won’t get over it to pay attention to his daughter. Madeline learned how to tend to herself due to her dad’s lack of attention. Her mother inspired Madeline’s love of jazz. As a toddler, given the option between Kermit the Frog’s kids’ album and Peggy Lee, the answer was obviously Peggy Lee. She is a singer, but whenever given the opportunity to perform, stupid, perfect, Clare Kelly steals the spotlight.
Sarina is Madeline’s 5th grade teacher. She was never the forerunner of her high school friend group, she wouldn’t even call her friends ‘friends’. She runs into one of her high school “friends” while at a café and is invited to a holiday dinner party. She mentions that her high school boyfriend, Ben, will be there.
Jack Lorca owns The Cat’s Pajamas, a local well-known jazz club. The club’s lack of rules and business ethics result in a foreclosure warning from a lawyer. He has to pay a fine that is way out of budget range in order to save it, and can’t find a way to pay it in time.
How can all of these Philadelphia small-towners meet in the middle? Read the book to find out!
About the Author: Marie-Helene Bertino’s debut novel 2 A.M. at the Cat’s Pajamas, a Barnes & Noble Fall ’14 Discover Great New Writers pick, is available now in the US and UK (Picador), and France (under the title 2 Heures du Matin a Richmond Street), forthcoming in Turkey, Brazil, and Sweden. It is an NPR Best Book of 2014, and a Best Book of the Year at Flavorwire, Buzzfeed, Popsugar, The Kansas City Star, and others. Her work has been translated into six languages. She has worked as a biographer for people living with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). She has driven across America four times. On a grade school softball team, her nickname was “Peanut.” She thinks you can tell a lot about people from print interviews and also by knowing them. Once while playing volleyball she went chasing after the ball, fell down a hill, and crashed into a beehive. She was stung multiple times but finished the game. Her team won and for her perseverance she was awarded Camper of The Year. This was at leadership camp, where they teach you to get ten people from one end of a field to another without touching the ground using only a chair and a 2×4. She thinks you look great today.
Rating: I rate this book 5/5 stars because it was a very interesting storyline. I loved how each chapter doesn’t have a number, but instead has a time of the day so that you can get an idea of how long each event lasted for. The characters are unique and provide depth to the story.
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Another series I’m re-reading!
Title: Matched
Author: Ally Condie
Pages: 366
Summary: Cassia Reyes is used to everything being chosen for her. Even her spouse is chosen for her based on their common hobbies. Cassia is used to having decisions made for her. When she is Matched with her childhood friend Xander Carrow, it is no surprise to her. She receives a chip card that she can plug into her monitor at home to learn about her spouse. Cassia decides to look at it, although unnecessary due to her prior knowledge about Xander. As she reads it, the screen starts glitching and the photo of Xander is replaced by a familiar face, then quickly reset. The glimpse of the other person’s face wasn’t enough for her to completely recognize him, but later she realizes it was ***SPOILER ALERT***Ky Markham, another childhood friend. She begins finding him in everyday situations more and more. When she signs up for a summertime hiking program, Cassia is partnered with Ky. She falls more and more in love with Ky and less with Xander, and is guilty to disagree with her Match. What will happen to Ky? Why does Cassia’s life suddenly collapse around her? What will Xander’s reaction be? Read the book to find out!
About the Author: Ally Condie is the author of the Matched Trilogy, a #1 New York Times and international bestseller. Matched was chosen as one of YALSA’s 2011 Teens’ Top Ten and named as one of Publisher’s Weekly’s Best Children’s Books of 2010. The sequels, Crossed and Reached, were also critically acclaimed and received starred reviews, and all three books are available in 30+ languages.Ally lives with her husband and four children outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. She loves reading, writing, running, and listening to her husband play guitar.
Rating: I rate this book 5/5 stars, because normally I don’t enjoy (correction: hate) romance novels, but this one was enticing from the start to the end and made me root for Cassia and Ky.
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Re-reading the series!
Title: The Maze Runner
Author: James Dashner
Pages: 375
Summary: Thomas. That is all he remembers, his name. He wakes up in a metal elevator slowly lifting up to his ‘impending doom’. He is terrified, and it certainly doesn’t help that when he arrives on solid ground, all of the boys of the Glade are staring him down. Thomas certainly doesn’t feel welcomed. The leaders shows him around the Glade and give him a try at each job. The Med-jacks, who make sure everyone’s health is in ship-shape. Builders, who live up to their name and build things. Bricknicks, who repair buildings instead of building them. Sloppers, who are the dirty workers of the Glade, also known as the people who can’t do anything else. Baggers, who deal with dead bodies and the Graveyard. Cooks, who prepare meals for every person in the Glade. Track-hoes, who handle the farming and growing of food. Slicers, who work in the Bloodhouse to slaughter and take care of livestock. Runners, who run through the Maze every day in order to keep track of the wall movements in the Map Room. Of all of these jobs, Thomas wanted to be a Runner. Of course, the most dangerous job to choose, but his decision was instinctive. He didn’t just want to be a Runner, he had to. But he didn’t know why. *SPOILERS* One day, the Runners didn’t come back from the Maze. Within the very last second before the Maze doors closed for the night, he could see them struggling to make it through in time. They wouldn’t make it in time. Thomas felt the urge to run in to help them, being the stupid person he is, and he did. And the doors closed behind him. After this moment, everything that should have been normal wasn’t. Read the series to find out what happens in the Maze, and the insane things after it!
About the Author: James Smith Dashner (born November 26, 1972) is an American writer of speculative fiction, primarily series for children or young adults, such as the Maze Runner series and the young adult fantasy series the 13th Reality He was born and raised in Georgia but now lives and writes in the Rocky Mountains. He is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series: The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials, The Death Cure, and The Kill Order. His newest series is The Mortality Doctrine: The Eye of Minds, The Rule of Thoughts, and The Game of Lives. Rating: I rate this book 4/5 stars because sometimes, there was so much action that it was hard to tell what was happening. This continues throughout the series.
Title: 2 A.M. at the Cat’s Pajamas
Author: Marie-Helene Bertino
Pages: 272
Summary: 9-year-old Madeline Altimari’s life is rotten. Her mother died a while ago, and her dad won’t get over it to pay attention to his daughter. Madeline learned how to tend to herself due to her dad’s lack of attention. Her mother inspired Madeline’s love of jazz. As a toddler, given the option between Kermit the Frog’s kids’ album and Peggy Lee, the answer was obviously Peggy Lee. She is a singer, but whenever given the opportunity to perform, stupid, perfect, Clare Kelly steals the spotlight.
Sarina is Madeline’s 5th grade teacher. She was never the forerunner of her high school friend group, she wouldn’t even call her friends ‘friends’. She runs into one of her high school “friends” while at a café and is invited to a holiday dinner party. She mentions that her high school boyfriend, Ben, will be there.
Jack Lorca owns The Cat’s Pajamas, a local well-known jazz club. The club’s lack of rules and business ethics result in a foreclosure warning from a lawyer. He has to pay a fine that is way out of budget range in order to save it, and can’t find a way to pay it in time.
How can all of these Philadelphia small-towners meet in the middle? Read the book to find out!
About the Author: Marie-Helene Bertino’s debut novel 2 A.M. at the Cat’s Pajamas, a Barnes & Noble Fall ’14 Discover Great New Writers pick, is available now in the US and UK (Picador), and France (under the title 2 Heures du Matin a Richmond Street), forthcoming in Turkey, Brazil, and Sweden. It is an NPR Best Book of 2014, and a Best Book of the Year at Flavorwire, Buzzfeed, Popsugar, The Kansas City Star, and others. Her work has been translated into six languages. She has worked as a biographer for people living with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). She has driven across America four times. On a grade school softball team, her nickname was “Peanut.” She thinks you can tell a lot about people from print interviews and also by knowing them. Once while playing volleyball she went chasing after the ball, fell down a hill, and crashed into a beehive. She was stung multiple times but finished the game. Her team won and for her perseverance she was awarded Camper of The Year. This was at leadership camp, where they teach you to get ten people from one end of a field to another without touching the ground using only a chair and a 2×4. She thinks you look great today.
Rating: I rate this book 5/5 stars because it was a very interesting storyline. I loved how each chapter doesn’t have a number, but instead has a time of the day so that you can get an idea of how long each event lasted for. The characters are unique and provide depth to the story.
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Another series I’m re-reading!
Title: Matched
Author: Ally Condie
Pages: 366
Summary: Cassia Reyes is used to everything being chosen for her. Even her spouse is chosen for her based on their common hobbies. Cassia is used to having decisions made for her. When she is Matched with her childhood friend Xander Carrow, it is no surprise to her. She receives a chip card that she can plug into her monitor at home to learn about her spouse. Cassia decides to look at it, although unnecessary due to her prior knowledge about Xander. As she reads it, the screen starts glitching and the photo of Xander is replaced by a familiar face, then quickly reset. The glimpse of the other person’s face wasn’t enough for her to completely recognize him, but later she realizes it was ***SPOILER ALERT***Ky Markham, another childhood friend. She begins finding him in everyday situations more and more. When she signs up for a summertime hiking program, Cassia is partnered with Ky. She falls more and more in love with Ky and less with Xander, and is guilty to disagree with her Match. What will happen to Ky? Why does Cassia’s life suddenly collapse around her? What will Xander’s reaction be? Read the book to find out!
About the Author: Ally Condie is the author of the Matched Trilogy, a #1 New York Times and international bestseller. Matched was chosen as one of YALSA’s 2011 Teens’ Top Ten and named as one of Publisher’s Weekly’s Best Children’s Books of 2010. The sequels, Crossed and Reached, were also critically acclaimed and received starred reviews, and all three books are available in 30+ languages.Ally lives with her husband and four children outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. She loves reading, writing, running, and listening to her husband play guitar.
Rating: I rate this book 5/5 stars, because normally I don’t enjoy (correction: hate) romance novels, but this one was enticing from the start to the end and made me root for Cassia and Ky.
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Re-reading the series!
Title: The Maze Runner
Author: James Dashner
Pages: 375
Summary: Thomas. That is all he remembers, his name. He wakes up in a metal elevator slowly lifting up to his ‘impending doom’. He is terrified, and it certainly doesn’t help that when he arrives on solid ground, all of the boys of the Glade are staring him down. Thomas certainly doesn’t feel welcomed. The leaders shows him around the Glade and give him a try at each job. The Med-jacks, who make sure everyone’s health is in ship-shape. Builders, who live up to their name and build things. Bricknicks, who repair buildings instead of building them. Sloppers, who are the dirty workers of the Glade, also known as the people who can’t do anything else. Baggers, who deal with dead bodies and the Graveyard. Cooks, who prepare meals for every person in the Glade. Track-hoes, who handle the farming and growing of food. Slicers, who work in the Bloodhouse to slaughter and take care of livestock. Runners, who run through the Maze every day in order to keep track of the wall movements in the Map Room. Of all of these jobs, Thomas wanted to be a Runner. Of course, the most dangerous job to choose, but his decision was instinctive. He didn’t just want to be a Runner, he had to. But he didn’t know why. *SPOILERS* One day, the Runners didn’t come back from the Maze. Within the very last second before the Maze doors closed for the night, he could see them struggling to make it through in time. They wouldn’t make it in time. Thomas felt the urge to run in to help them, being the stupid person he is, and he did. And the doors closed behind him. After this moment, everything that should have been normal wasn’t. Read the series to find out what happens in the Maze, and the insane things after it!
About the Author: James Smith Dashner (born November 26, 1972) is an American writer of speculative fiction, primarily series for children or young adults, such as the Maze Runner series and the young adult fantasy series the 13th Reality He was born and raised in Georgia but now lives and writes in the Rocky Mountains. He is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series: The Maze Runner, The Scorch Trials, The Death Cure, and The Kill Order. His newest series is The Mortality Doctrine: The Eye of Minds, The Rule of Thoughts, and The Game of Lives. Rating: I rate this book 4/5 stars because sometimes, there was so much action that it was hard to tell what was happening. This continues throughout the series.
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Book: The Crossover
Author: Kwame Alexander
Pages: 237
Summary: Josh "Filthy McNasty" Bell is the son of basketball prodigy, Chuck "Da Man" Bell. Josh has a twin brother, Jordan, who has an unhealthy habit of betting on everything as well as an obsession with Michael Jordan. They are in 7th grade, and Josh is the only kid his age who can dunk. They are the stars of their team, the Wildcats, and always have plays in mind to win the game. The twins overhear their mom and dad talking about the real reason why "Da Man" quit from his basketball team. *SPOILER ALERT* He had a knee injury when he was playing on the major league team. He has a fear of doctors, due to the fact that his dad died due to one. His doctor gives him a choice of getting a surgery that would allow him to play basketball again, or not and never play basketball again. Due to his fear of doctors, he denies the choice, which means that he could never play basketball again. Obviously, he didn't follow that rule. *BIGGER SPOILER ALERT* He ended up passing out multiple times in the book, all eventually leading to a myocardial infarction (heart attack).This means that he has to stay in the hospital, and can't come to their games to cheer them on. Jordan's girlfriend, Miss Sweet Tea as Josh called her, is seperating Jordan and Josh's friendship. Josh wants to stay friends with him, but whenever Josh wants to hang out with Jordan, Jordan can't because he's going somewhere with Miss Sweet Tea. This made Josh angry at Miss Sweet Tea for weakening their brotherly friendship. What will happen to their dad? Will Jordan break up with Miss Sweet Tea or will the brothers work it out on their own? Read the book to find out!
About the Author: Kwame Alexander is a poet, educator, and New York Times Bestselling author of 21 books, including THE CROSSOVER, which received the 2015 John Newbery Medal for the Most Distinguished Contribution to American literature for Children, the Coretta Scott King Author Award Honor, The NCTE Charlotte Huck Honor, the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, and the Passaic Poetry Prize. A regular speaker and workshop presenter at conferences in the U.S., he also travels the world planting seeds of literary love (Brazil, Italy, France, and Turkey). Recently, Alexander led a delegation of 20 writers and activists to Ghana, where they delivered books, built a library, and provided literacy professional development to 300 teachers, as a part of LEAP for Ghana, an International literacy program he co-founded.
Rating: I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars because it was a truly beautiful book. It doesn't sound like it, does it? It was because it was completely written in verse, and often had an enticing word flow. After all, Josh loved to rap. The book had an unexpected ending and had me intrigued throughout.
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Book: Messenger (Book 3 in the Giver quartet)
Author: Lois Lowry
Pages: 169
Matty lives with Seer, an old, blind man who, like most of Village, was an outcast removed from their old society, typically in critical condition when they arrived. Matty is said to have "special vision" that is valued to citizens of Village. He is crushing on a girl named Jean, who gave him the puppy of her dog, later named Frolic. Everyone in Village has a gift. Kira's is predicting the future by embroidering a picture of the future event in tapestry. Matty discovers his gift when he visits Jean's puppies. They are all sick and dying, and Jean feels bad that she can't give Matty one of them. Matty plays with one of them, soon named Frolic, and he instantly seems healthier and peppier. He takes that puppy and it becomes his new friend. This told Matty that his gift is healing. During Trade Mart, Matty goes for the first time and he notices something is different. Everyone there was acting different: those who are usually nice were acting mean, and people were trading for nothing. Matty talked to Leader and both of them agreed that something was up. Matty visits Kira, an old friend from when he arrived in Village. She predicts that they will journey into Forest. To see what happens to Matty and Kira as Forest crumbles them piece by piece, you'll have to read the book to find out!
About the Author
Born Lois Ann Hammersberg on March 20, 1937, in Honolulu, Hawaii, Lois Lowry is one of America's most popular and versatile children's book authors. She has written in a variety of fictional forms, from the WWII tale Number the Stars to the lighthearted adventures of Anastasia Krupnik to the fantastical The Giver. A shy and introverted child, Lowry loved to read. She was around 8 or 9 years old when she decided she wanted to be a writer. Her father was a dentist and Army officer, which led to her to live in several different places growing up. Lowry spent some of her school years in Japan, but she ended up graduating from a New York City high school. She then spent two years at Brown University before dropping out to get married. She won 2 Newbery Medals, a Fisher Children's Book Award, a Regina Medal, a Golden Kite Award, a Jewish Book Award, and the Anne V. Zarrow Award for Young Readers' Literature.
Rating
I rate this book 5/5 stars. It was a little slow at the start, but it picked up immensely towards the end. The personification of Forest attacking them was very well written, and I loved how this book wrapped up where Jonas, Matty and Kira ended up. I would recommend this series to anyone who likes dystopian fiction and fantasy.
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Book: The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak
Pages: 552
SPOILERS! (obviously)
This book follows the story of Liesel Meminger, beginning at her brother's funeral. She begins her childhood occupation during that event, where she steals her first book, The Gravedigger's Handbook, dropped by one of the funerary grave diggers. She moves to a small town called Molching, not too far from Munich, where she first lived. Her foster parents live on the ironically named Himmel (Heaven) Street. She grows to love her parents for what they are. Her father, Hans Hubermann, a smoking accordionist/house painter, and her mother, Rosa Hubermann, a cursing laundrywoman. She forms a love-hate relationship with Rudy Steiner, her soon to be best friend. She moves during the brink of World War II, and Hitler is ruthless as ever. Over the span of the book, Liesel steals 9 books and rereads them countless times in her life. Towards the end of the story, Hans is punished for giving a dying Jew bread in the street by being whipped. Hoping that that was the end of his punishments, soon after he was forced to serve for the Nazis and clean up the dead bodies after air strikes. Many things happen in this book, I do not want to give away all of them!
About the Author
Born in Sydney, Australia, Markus Zusak began his career writing young adult fiction. The Underdog, Zusak's first novel, was published in 1999 and followed by two sequels, Fighting Ruben Wolfe (2001) and When Dogs Cry (2002). Zusak's 2002 novel The Messenger was well received internationally, winning several awards including a Michael L. Printz Honor selection, a citation given for literary excellence in young adult literature.
In 2006, Zusak's fifth novel The Book Thief was published in his native Australia as the author's first work of "adult" fiction, yet marketed by its American publisher Knopf as another work of young adult fiction. Successful upon publication, over one million copies of The Book Thief have been sold internationally, and the novel received a Printz Honor. Zusak was born to an Austrian father and a German mother, both of whom experienced World War II firsthand in their native countries. Zusak has stated that The Book Thief was unlike anything he had written before and largely inspired by stories his parents told him as a child about wartime Munich and Vienna. Zusak has specifically singled out two stories his mother told him, one of the bombing of Munich, and one of Jews being marched through Zusak's mother's town on their way to the Dachau concentration camp.
Rating
aI rate this book ***** out of ***** stars because it is wonderfully written. It is happy, sad, and funny, however mostly sad. This book taught me a lot about World War II, and I loved the unique characters.
Book: The Crossover
Author: Kwame Alexander
Pages: 237
Summary: Josh "Filthy McNasty" Bell is the son of basketball prodigy, Chuck "Da Man" Bell. Josh has a twin brother, Jordan, who has an unhealthy habit of betting on everything as well as an obsession with Michael Jordan. They are in 7th grade, and Josh is the only kid his age who can dunk. They are the stars of their team, the Wildcats, and always have plays in mind to win the game. The twins overhear their mom and dad talking about the real reason why "Da Man" quit from his basketball team. *SPOILER ALERT* He had a knee injury when he was playing on the major league team. He has a fear of doctors, due to the fact that his dad died due to one. His doctor gives him a choice of getting a surgery that would allow him to play basketball again, or not and never play basketball again. Due to his fear of doctors, he denies the choice, which means that he could never play basketball again. Obviously, he didn't follow that rule. *BIGGER SPOILER ALERT* He ended up passing out multiple times in the book, all eventually leading to a myocardial infarction (heart attack).This means that he has to stay in the hospital, and can't come to their games to cheer them on. Jordan's girlfriend, Miss Sweet Tea as Josh called her, is seperating Jordan and Josh's friendship. Josh wants to stay friends with him, but whenever Josh wants to hang out with Jordan, Jordan can't because he's going somewhere with Miss Sweet Tea. This made Josh angry at Miss Sweet Tea for weakening their brotherly friendship. What will happen to their dad? Will Jordan break up with Miss Sweet Tea or will the brothers work it out on their own? Read the book to find out!
About the Author: Kwame Alexander is a poet, educator, and New York Times Bestselling author of 21 books, including THE CROSSOVER, which received the 2015 John Newbery Medal for the Most Distinguished Contribution to American literature for Children, the Coretta Scott King Author Award Honor, The NCTE Charlotte Huck Honor, the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, and the Passaic Poetry Prize. A regular speaker and workshop presenter at conferences in the U.S., he also travels the world planting seeds of literary love (Brazil, Italy, France, and Turkey). Recently, Alexander led a delegation of 20 writers and activists to Ghana, where they delivered books, built a library, and provided literacy professional development to 300 teachers, as a part of LEAP for Ghana, an International literacy program he co-founded.
Rating: I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars because it was a truly beautiful book. It doesn't sound like it, does it? It was because it was completely written in verse, and often had an enticing word flow. After all, Josh loved to rap. The book had an unexpected ending and had me intrigued throughout.
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Book: Messenger (Book 3 in the Giver quartet)
Author: Lois Lowry
Pages: 169
Matty lives with Seer, an old, blind man who, like most of Village, was an outcast removed from their old society, typically in critical condition when they arrived. Matty is said to have "special vision" that is valued to citizens of Village. He is crushing on a girl named Jean, who gave him the puppy of her dog, later named Frolic. Everyone in Village has a gift. Kira's is predicting the future by embroidering a picture of the future event in tapestry. Matty discovers his gift when he visits Jean's puppies. They are all sick and dying, and Jean feels bad that she can't give Matty one of them. Matty plays with one of them, soon named Frolic, and he instantly seems healthier and peppier. He takes that puppy and it becomes his new friend. This told Matty that his gift is healing. During Trade Mart, Matty goes for the first time and he notices something is different. Everyone there was acting different: those who are usually nice were acting mean, and people were trading for nothing. Matty talked to Leader and both of them agreed that something was up. Matty visits Kira, an old friend from when he arrived in Village. She predicts that they will journey into Forest. To see what happens to Matty and Kira as Forest crumbles them piece by piece, you'll have to read the book to find out!
About the Author
Born Lois Ann Hammersberg on March 20, 1937, in Honolulu, Hawaii, Lois Lowry is one of America's most popular and versatile children's book authors. She has written in a variety of fictional forms, from the WWII tale Number the Stars to the lighthearted adventures of Anastasia Krupnik to the fantastical The Giver. A shy and introverted child, Lowry loved to read. She was around 8 or 9 years old when she decided she wanted to be a writer. Her father was a dentist and Army officer, which led to her to live in several different places growing up. Lowry spent some of her school years in Japan, but she ended up graduating from a New York City high school. She then spent two years at Brown University before dropping out to get married. She won 2 Newbery Medals, a Fisher Children's Book Award, a Regina Medal, a Golden Kite Award, a Jewish Book Award, and the Anne V. Zarrow Award for Young Readers' Literature.
Rating
I rate this book 5/5 stars. It was a little slow at the start, but it picked up immensely towards the end. The personification of Forest attacking them was very well written, and I loved how this book wrapped up where Jonas, Matty and Kira ended up. I would recommend this series to anyone who likes dystopian fiction and fantasy.
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Book: The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak
Pages: 552
SPOILERS! (obviously)
This book follows the story of Liesel Meminger, beginning at her brother's funeral. She begins her childhood occupation during that event, where she steals her first book, The Gravedigger's Handbook, dropped by one of the funerary grave diggers. She moves to a small town called Molching, not too far from Munich, where she first lived. Her foster parents live on the ironically named Himmel (Heaven) Street. She grows to love her parents for what they are. Her father, Hans Hubermann, a smoking accordionist/house painter, and her mother, Rosa Hubermann, a cursing laundrywoman. She forms a love-hate relationship with Rudy Steiner, her soon to be best friend. She moves during the brink of World War II, and Hitler is ruthless as ever. Over the span of the book, Liesel steals 9 books and rereads them countless times in her life. Towards the end of the story, Hans is punished for giving a dying Jew bread in the street by being whipped. Hoping that that was the end of his punishments, soon after he was forced to serve for the Nazis and clean up the dead bodies after air strikes. Many things happen in this book, I do not want to give away all of them!
About the Author
Born in Sydney, Australia, Markus Zusak began his career writing young adult fiction. The Underdog, Zusak's first novel, was published in 1999 and followed by two sequels, Fighting Ruben Wolfe (2001) and When Dogs Cry (2002). Zusak's 2002 novel The Messenger was well received internationally, winning several awards including a Michael L. Printz Honor selection, a citation given for literary excellence in young adult literature.
In 2006, Zusak's fifth novel The Book Thief was published in his native Australia as the author's first work of "adult" fiction, yet marketed by its American publisher Knopf as another work of young adult fiction. Successful upon publication, over one million copies of The Book Thief have been sold internationally, and the novel received a Printz Honor. Zusak was born to an Austrian father and a German mother, both of whom experienced World War II firsthand in their native countries. Zusak has stated that The Book Thief was unlike anything he had written before and largely inspired by stories his parents told him as a child about wartime Munich and Vienna. Zusak has specifically singled out two stories his mother told him, one of the bombing of Munich, and one of Jews being marched through Zusak's mother's town on their way to the Dachau concentration camp.
Rating
aI rate this book ***** out of ***** stars because it is wonderfully written. It is happy, sad, and funny, however mostly sad. This book taught me a lot about World War II, and I loved the unique characters.