We hope you enjoy
our book reviews!
From the Fifth Grade Class
at
Nichols Middle School
in Buffalo, New York
Coaty
Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo is
a fantasy book about a boy named Charlie.
He gets shipped off to boarding school where
he learns he has a special talent.
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) When I read this book I fell into another world
with the story and characters.
2) The book is very suspenseful so you will never
get bored reading it.
3) The author, Jenny Nimmo, uses great words and
makes the story easy to understand.
Dylan
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick is
a realistic fiction book about an orphan named
Hugo. When Hugo’s dad dies during the
construction of an automaton, Hugo realizes that
it was built for him by his father, or was it?
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) The characters in this book will seem like old
friends when you finish reading it.
2) Hugo Cabret has a lot of action making this an
exciting book.
3) Readers will also learn information they didn’t
know before.
John
The Guardians of Ga’hoole: The Capture by
Kathryn Lasky is an adventure fiction book
about a young barn owl named Soren. In
his adventure to escape an evil orphanage,
Soren meets many friends as well as
enemies.
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) This story is very detailed allowing the reader to
imagine they are in the book’s setting.
2) The author uses creative writing making this an
enjoyable story to read.
3) The reader escapes into another world!
Rockwell
Power of Three Warriors: Dark River by Erin
Hunter is a great fiction adventure book about
three cats. The cats have magical powers which
they discover as they are used to help their clan,
Thunder Clan.
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) The author, Erin Hunter, includes interesting verbs,
adjectives, and similes making his writing enjoyable.
2) The setting is intriguing because cats jump through
a forest, swim in a lake, and run over snowy
mountains.
3) There are unexpected events throughout the book
like a sudden battle or a character thinking of a
solution.
Caleb
I read an awesome book called The Ranger’s
Apprentice by John Flanagan which is about a boy
who wants to be a knight. When young Will’s
dream of becoming a knight does not come true,
he is drafted into the Ranger Corps and finally
realizes where he is supposed to be.
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) I love this book because it is very suspenseful
and leaves you wondering what will happen
next.
2) The genre, fiction fantasy, is great because it
makes you escape into another world.
3) The author, John Flanagan, always uses good
writing such as similes, but doesn’t use clichés.
Meira
Gates of Gold by Mary Casanova is a historical
fiction experience about a French girl named
Cecile. When she gets a chance to serve at court,
she tries her best to keep her job, but nothing she
does seems to have the outcome she expected.
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) Being set in Versailles, France during the 18th
century, I learned what life back then was like.
2) I really used my imagination while reading this
book as the descriptive writing made me feel as if I
was right there in the story.
3) Since this is set in France, I learned a lot of new
things such as sil vous plait (seel-voo-play) means
“please” in French.
Bradley
Doing Time Online by Jan Siebold is a realistic
fiction book about a boy in the police station
online. As the boy makes new friends and
disregards others, he learns about life.
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) This book is stupendous because the characters
are very easy to relate to.
2) This story seems like it could really happen to
the reader.
3) The book’s ending is creative and
heartwarming.
Tori
Revenge of the Wannabes by Lisa Harrison is a
realistic fiction book about a clique of girls who
get mad at one member and let another girl in.
All sorts of disagreements and fights happen,
but you have to read the first two books before
reading this one.
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) This book is very realistic and allows the
reader to connect to the story.
2) It is easy to follow and understand.
3) The conflicts are interesting and you will not
want to put the book down.
Quinn
Harry Potter and the Goblet
of Fire by J.K. Rowling is a fantasy book about a
wizard named Harry Potter. Harry Potter goes
to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
where a huge event is going to happen.
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) This book is #4 in the Harry Potter series by
J.K. Rowling, an excellent writer.
2) This book has very good writing because there are
interesting words found throughout the story.
2) The setting is very cool and exciting because
Harry’s school is a big castle.
Gaby
Holes by Louis Sachar is a fictional story about a
teenage boy named Stanley Yelnanats. Stanley
finds himself in trouble and chooses going to
summer camp over going to jail for his
punishment.
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) This story shows many examples of the true
meaning of life such as friendship and honesty.
2) There are some really interesting facts about
Stanley’s past that can destroy his family’s
future.
3) This book has many cliff hangers to make you
want to read more and more.
Lena
The Limit by Kristen Landon
is an extraordinary science fiction
novel with lots of excitement. This book is
about a 14 year-old boy named Matt whose
parents spent more than their credit card
limit.
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) The plot pulls you in immediately when the first
chapter begins.
2) Every sentence is more interesting than the last.
3) It takes place in 2098 with creative, new
technology.
Michael B.
I love Benjamin Franklinstein by Matthew
McElligot, a fantasy fiction book. This book
describes Benjamin Franklin as he learns new
skills and creates exciting inventions.
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) The author, Matthew McElligot, makes
readers laugh by providing humor
throughout the book.
2) A twist is put on the inventions made making
this book exciting and fun to read.
3) Benjamin Franklinstein includes many
adventures in Pittsburg filled with suspense.
Josh
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney is a realistic
comedy about a boy named Greg. In this book he
describes his horribly funny life with words and
also pictures.
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) If you like comedy, Diary of a Wimpy Kid will
make you laugh.
1) It is in a series of 6 books where the author
Jeff Kinney always uses good word choices.
1) It is very detailed so you can imagine almost
everything as you read.
Abhi
The 39 Clues: Into the Gauntlet by Margaret
Peterson Haddix is a realistic fiction adventure
about a boy named Dan and a girl named Amy.
They must race their backstabbing relatives around
the world on a hunt for ultimate power and battle
a hidden enemy who has tried to sabotage their
family for the past five hundred years.
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) This book is very action packed!
1) I like this book because it teaches you about
places you may not be familiar with.
1) The 39 Clues: Into the Gauntlet is very
suspenseful, you will ask what might happen
next.
Dorian
Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors by Jenny
Nimmo is a fantasy adventure about a gifted
boy named Charlie Bone. In this book, Charlie
and his friends try to rescue their buddy from
evil.
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) This book is interesting because there are
many settings.
2) This book has unexpected twists throughout
it.
3) The characters’ struggles keep the reader
intrigued.
Eric
The Secret Zoo by Brain Chick is a fiction
fantasy book about Action Scouts. As Megan
goes missing, her brother looks for her in the
zoo.
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) The main idea is very different in that a zoo has
many secrets to it.
2) The author came up with many crazy ideas such as a
penguin that could fly and animals that had human
intelligence.
3) The idea for the book started my curiosity, but the
author’s use of detail developed the story for me.
Jack
Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen is a realistic fiction
adventure book about a lawn mowing boy named
Brian. As Brain makes more money, he buys stock
becoming richer and then hires workers to do the
job for him.
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) I like this book is because the author, Gary
Paulsen, uses good writing throughout this
book.
2) Lawn Boy is part of an interesting series.
3) A third reason I like this book is because it is a
good length making the story easy to follow.
Mike W.
The 39 Clues and The Sword Thief by Peter
Lerangis is a historical fiction book about two
kids, Dan and Amy. As they go around the world
searching for clues to find their prize, they face
their evil relatives who try to kill them.
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) One reason I love this story is because it is part of
a series and each book connects to the next.
2) This book is laugh out loud funny making it
enjoyable to read.
3) This book is very suspenseful because you always
wonder what will happen next.
James
Stink and the Great Guinea
Pig Express by Megan
McDonald is a realistic fiction story about a boy
named Stink who helps people everyday. He tries
to save 81 guinea pigs with his friends in this book.
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) I really liked Stink because the
main character has a huge imagination.
2) The author, Megan McDonald, has great
humor throughout the story.
3) This book is really easy to follow and
understand.
Maren
The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick RiorDan is a
fantasy adventure about a demigod named Percy.
As Percy, his friends, and his brother are fighting
terrible monsters, they learn there is a huge
invasion coming from a rock, which turns out to be
an entrance to an enormous maze under the
whole country!
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) This book has amazing writing because the author
uses metaphors, great word choices, and transforms
the reader into the book.
2) The book’s title is interesting and really makes sense
as to what is going on in the story.
3) The plot sweeps you off your feet and puts you right
into the adventure.
Jacob
Page by Tamora Pierce is a historical fiction
book about a girl who is training to become a
knight. She faces many challenges, including
having her maid kidnapped on the day of her
big examinations.
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) This book is action packed!
2) This book is very creative and is extremely
detailed.
3) Page made me want to read more books in
the series.
Charles
39 Clues into the Gauntlet by Margaret Peterson
Haddix is a realistic fiction book about a brother
and sister. They try to find all 39 clues to restore
family peace.
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) This book is exciting because there is a lot of
chasing going on throughout the story.
1) It is suspenseful because certain famous relatives
left traps guarding their clue.
1) This book is creative because it is a great
connection between history and what is
happening now.
Cate
Seekers: The Quest Begins
by Erin Hunter is a fantasy adventure about four
bears. They meet up from a treacherous past and
are on an adventure to soar to the unknown.
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) I liked this story because it is
in a series so I can continue
reading the next book.
2) There are very relatable characters in this book.
3) This series has really good word choices making
the reader feel like they are in the book’s setting.
Nina
Nothing’s Fair in Fifth Grade by Barth
DeClements is a realistic fiction book about a girl
named Jenny. She’s trying to survive that
sometimes scary place called 5th grade.
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) It’s a funny, interesting, and exciting book.
2) Each time I finished a chapter, I waited for more,
new, interesting characters to come into play.
3) Suspenseful parts are seen throughout this book.
Kristy
Wild Magic written by Tamora
Pierce is a fantasy fiction book
about a girl named Diane.
She goes through many exciting adventures
throughout this story.
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) The author’s realistic writing
makes the reader feel like they are in the story.
2) There is a series of these books so you can
read the next one after it.
3) The main character faces many difficult
challenges and people throughout the book.
Mimi
The Ersatz Elevator by Lemony Snicket is a modern
fiction book about three orphaned children. In
each book of the series they have to go to a new
home, but an evil man wants to kill them for their
large fortune.
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) It is an amazing, wonderful series of sad
books.
2) This book always says exactly how the three
children feel and what their surroundings
look like, which makes the story feel very
realistic.
3) It keeps me wondering what will happen next,
and never loses my interest.
Talia
Eggs by Jerry Spinelli is a
realistic fiction book about David
and Primroses’ adventures. Both of them live
tough lives and this story shows the many
similarities between them.
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) I liked this book’s setting of modern day in a
small town where kids had to be really creative
and make their own fun.
1) The characters are well developed which helps
the reader connect with them.
1) You feel like you’re are on the train tracks with
the characters making it a realistic story.
Ava
Luv Ya Bunches by Lauren Myracle is a realistic
fiction book about four girls. The girls all
become friends and try to fight off two mean
girls, Modessa and Quin.
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) This book is realistic fiction, so if you like this
genre, try Luv Ya Bunches!
2) Hints of humor are found throughout this
story.
3) It is very detailed, giving the reader a mental
picture of what is happening.
Andee
Deep and Dark and Dangerous
by Mary Downing Hahn is a
fantasy mystery about a girl
named Ali. Ali is at her cottage in Maine, but
while she is there, secrets are just waiting to be
found out.
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) I like the author, Mary Downing
Hahn, and this was my second book of
hers I have read.
2) The main character is a girl and usually the main
character is a boy.
3) This book is very suspenseful and keeps you
guessing.
Saloni
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan is a fantasy
adventure about a demi god named Percy.
While Percy finds out about what he can do, a
dangerous quest is thrust on to him, causing
him to have the worst time of his life.
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) The book is incredible because I really liked how
the author includes history and fantasy fiction
mixed together.
2) Also, the book is suspenseful when the reader
guesses about the culprit throughout the story.
3) The final reason I like the book is that it is
packed with good writing.
Sophie
I read an awesome realistic fiction book called
The Amazing Days of Abby Hayes: Too Close for
Comfort by Anne Mazer about a girl named
Abby and her new friend Hannah. They have
many wondrous adventures while camping.
Three reasons to
read this book:
1) Anne Mazer is one of my favorite authors and I
love her series of The Amazing Days of Abby
Hayes.
2) I like that the setting of this book is in the
woods.
3) Anne Mazer is so creative with the titles of her
books.