Book Review of Inkheart
By: Julia
05/10/23
May Contain Spoilers
This is a review of the book Inkheart. Inkheart was written by Cornelia Funke in 2003. Inkheart is an amazing, thrilling book. I guess that if you don’t like reading you probably won’t like this book, seeing as it is 545 pages long, and also based mostly on someone who is a bookbinder and loves reading aloud. Inkheart contains plenty of suspense, fire, evildoers, and excitement. If you enjoy that sort of thing, this is definitely for you. Meggie is a teenage girl who lives with her father until their mysterious guest arrives. They set off on a journey to put a stop to a man that Meggie’s father had read out of a book. There’s a twist in there, too. Meggie has inherited her father’s talent and is forced to read aloud for the treacherous villain, Capricorn. Read Inkheart to find how their journey ends!
Also included in this series are Inkspell and Inkdeath, so if you read Inkheart and want something like it, those might be your go to.
Best Historical Fiction at the Franklin Library
By: Annika
04/05/23
Warning: May contain minor spoilers
Historical Fiction is not a super popular genre due to the fact that it can be pretty slow and feel like reading a textbook at times. This is definitely true of some historical fiction but there is also a ton of exciting, fast paced historical fiction out there. This list is definitely not exhaustive so if you have another book that should be on this please come tell me. Here is a list of some of the best historical fiction here at Franklin.
Rating-9.9/10
I discovered this trilogy earlier this year and fell completely in love with it. The story centers around 15 year old Leah(Lee) Carson. She has a magical ability to sense where gold is which certainly comes in handy during the time of the California gold rush. She finds that this talent is not all good though, as people will do much, even kill, to get to her powers. She disguises herself as a boy and travels with her best friend Jefferson to California. I read all of these books (350 pages + each) in less than a week. The trilogy has everything, a thrilling adventure that will keep you on your toes, a spunky heroine, a romance subplot, a touch of magic, and lots of wonderful character development. It does start off slowly but once you get into it you won’t want to put it down. I would definitely recommend reading this book if you like adventure, romance, historical fiction or fantasy.
Rating 9.4/10
Though set during World War II it is definitely very different from other books set during that time. I read it after finishing The Fountains of Silence, a book recommendation from a friend. Ruta Sepetys is an amazing author who will often write about stories forgotten in the bigger events in history. Salt to the Sea is my favorite of her books. It is written from the perspective of four different teenagers during World War II. Their paths meet and they soon become friends after only a short period of being enemies. They all travel together aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff but soon tragedy strikes.
Rating-9.1/10
World War II books are a very common historical fiction subgenre but books taking place against the backdrop of World War I are less common. This book is the latter. It is a stand-alone book that follows Lady Thomasina(Mina) Treathway. She is stuck at a boring boarding school sorting out what fork to use for dinner as World War I rages across Europe. She longs to do something to help and her opportunity comes in the form of a coded telegram from her father. She travels home and is immediately swept up into a secret mission involving a dashing American spy, secret codes and lots of excitement. Pick up this book if you are looking for more fast paced historical fiction or stories about spies.
Some other historical fiction books at the Franklin Library that I didn’t have time to review but are still great
9.3/10-For Freedom: The Story of a French Spy (World WarII+Opera Singer+Secret Messages)
9.2/10-The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys (Spain has a secret)
9.1/10-Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (Some Characters from Salt to the Sea!)
8.9/10-Someone Named Eva by Joan M. Wolf (World War II)
8.9/10-Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson (Very sad!)
8.7/10-Sweep: the story of a girl and her monster by Jonathan Auxier (Half Fantasy)
8.6/10-Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk (The Great Depression)
8.4/10-The War that Saved my Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradly (World War II)
8/10-Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson (Civil War)
7.8/10-The Light in Hidden Places by Sharon Cameron (Very sad World War II)
7.5/10-Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (this seems like fantasy to me but it is listed under historical fiction on destiny discover)
7.4/10-Almost Autumn by Marianne Kaurin (World War II)
A Book Review of The House in The Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
By: Gloria
03/05/23
Seanan McGuire, New York Times Bestselling Author of Every Heart a Doorway, once said “this book is very close to perfect,” in regards to TJ Klune’s novel, The House in The Cerulean Sea, and I could not agree more. This novel tells the story of six strange and unusual children who are abandoned by everybody except the orphanage master, Arthur Parnassus and the wonderful island sprite, Zoe Chapelwhite. One day, when a caseworker from the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, also known as DICOMY, comes to investigate the secret orphanage, themes of setting aside residing prejudices and found family erupt in brilliant and flowy writing. Now here are five reasons why I think this book deserves five stars in every capacity.
1: The Characters. All the characters in the book are well written and in depth. All of them have more to them than what they seem. Each character has a past that the reader learns about later. Also, all the characters are so loveable. Of course there are the minor antagonists that you are not supposed to like, but all the main characters that live on the island and in the adjacent village are very sweet and make the book that much more interesting.
2. Linus Baker. Linus Baker is the main character and protagonist of the book. His story is the most stand-outish as it focuses on how he in himself is a wallflower. Linus lived his entire life working an office job in a big city, with only a contrary cat for a friend. There is nothing remarkable or apparent about Linus, and he went about his life content only because he knew nothing else. Linus Baker goes through the most character development, but as the book is from his perspective, the reader doesn’t notice it at first. It’s subtle and it makes the story more realistic.
3. Realism. Obviously, this book is fantasy as it includes magical children and the like, but TJ Klune does a great job of making it seem realistic in most aspects. The characters have real-life problems that need fixing such as being really shy, or learning how to process your feelings. Something as simple as sharing is shown as a lesson in this book. Not to say that it is simplistic; it’s not, but sometimes it has to show the world through the children’s eyes so the reader gets a better grasp at what Klune might have been going for.
4. Emotionally Impactful. This book hits hard to the reader. It may not be as long or dense as some fantasy novels, but the emotions run high. As I mentioned, the characters are beautiful and with the reflective plotline woven in, it makes for a heart wrenching, heartwarming ending. I’m going to try not to spoil it, but the ending is like its own emotional rollercoaster apart from the novel, not to say it’s bad! It’s great, it just makes it really hard not to cry.
5. Plot. The plot of House in the Cerulean Sea is basically nonexistent, which would usually be a bad thing, but as you might have already guessed, this book is a special case for a lot of reasons. The plot is that a representative of DICOMY came to investigate the orphanage, and therefore has to watch the children and the master in what they do in day-to-day life. This kind of gives free space for the plot to be entirely about the characters.
So now that you’ve heard my reasoning on why The House in The Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune deserves five stars, you should go and read it. I’m serious when I say it might just change the way you think. (It’s my favorite book.)
Is Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Worth It?
By: Kefa
11/30/22
Major spoilers
All potterheads (Harry Potter fans) know that the series ended on book 7, The Deathly Hallows. It originally ended with an epilogue of 19 years later, which showed Harry being married to Ginny and their kids being James Sirius, Albus Severus, and Lily Luna Potter. She does not go to Hogwarts and is not seen in the entire play. Eleven-year-old Albus Potter arrives at King’s Cross Station to board his first train to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is seen off by his parents, Harry and Ginny Potter, and Uncle Ron Weasley and Aunt Hermione Granger-Weasley, whose daughter, Rose, is also beginning at Hogwarts. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are famous for having defeated the Dark Wizard Lord Voldemort 19 years before; now, Harry works as the Head of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic, and Ron helps his older brother George run a joke shop, and Hermione serves as the Minister for Magic.
Aboard the Hogwarts Express train, Albus befriends Scorpius Malfoy, the son of Harry’s former nemesis Draco Malfoy; this displeases Rose, as Scorpius is rumored to be the secret son of Voldemort, conceived through time-travel. At Hogwarts, Scorpius and Albus are sorted into Slytherin House; the latter shocks everyone, as Slytherin House has long been associated with Dark Wizards. Over the years, Albus and Scorpius are bullied and shunned by their peers—Albus for how different he is from his famous father and Scorpius because of the rumors. This leads Albus to grow distant from Harry, who cannot understand his son’s struggles. In an attempt to reconcile, on the day before Albus begins his fourth year at Hogwarts, Harry tries to gift Albus an old blanket that belonged to Harry’s mom. Albus rejects the gesture, and the two end up in an explosive fight, during which Harry says hurtful things to Albus; Albus throws the blanket away, which collides with a love potion that spills all over it.
Meanwhile, Harry seizes an illegal Time-Turner from an old Dark Wizard, which Hermione keeps safe in her office for further observation. Simultaneously, Harry begins to have strange dreams that feature Voldemort’s voice, prompting Hermione to alert the wizarding community to potential danger. However, her warnings are dismissed. Rumors of the Time-Turner lead Amos Diggory, an old wizard, to approach Harry with a request to use it and save his son, Cedric, whom Voldemort killed, but Harry refuses. Albus overhears this conversation and is found eavesdropping by Delphini, Amos’s niece and caretaker, who befriends Albus. Angry with Harry, Albus decides to steal the Time-Turner and help Amos himself. He enlists Scorpius’s help, and the boys escape the Hogwarts Express and visit Amos, where Delphi (Delphini's nickname) agrees to accompany them on their mission. The trio disguises themselves, breaks into Hermione’s office, and steals the Time-Turner.
Harry has another dream that helps him divine Albus’s location. Harry, Ginny, Draco, and Hermione rush to Hogwarts, but the boys are already gone. Albus and Scorpius travel back in time to the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. Winning the Tournament alongside Harry was what led to Cedric’s death, and they plan to prevent his victory. In the process, they have a short conversation with a young Hermione, which changes the course of their future. In the new present, Albus has been sorted into Gryffindor House, Ron and Hermione are not together, and Rose does not exist. The boys, though friends, are kept apart on Harry’s orders, who believes Scorpius to be a danger to Albus; however, Delphi helps them reconcile, and they make another attempt to save Cedric’s life, traveling back to the scene of the second task. However, this time, Scorpius emerges in the present alone, where Dolores Umbridge, Headmistress of Hogwarts, informs him that Harry is dead—Voldemort reigns supreme.
Scorpius discovers that his interference led to Cedric joining Voldemort and killing Neville Longbottom, a wizard who was crucial to Harry’s original victory over Voldemort. Now, the Ministry is led by Voldemort, alongside a mysterious figure dubbed the “Augurey”. Scorpius discovers that Severus Snape, who was killed in the original battle, is still alive and working alongside Ron and Hermione, who are in hiding. Scorpius enlists their help to go back in time once more and undo Albus’s interference; he emerges in the unchanged, original timeline, reuniting with Albus as the adults discover them.
Unnerved by the consequences of interfering with Time, Albus and Scorpius decide to destroy the Time-Turner; they are joined by Delphini, whom Albus has informed of the plan. Albus notices a tattoo of the Augurey bird on Delphini’s neck, leading Scorpius to realize that she was the Augurey in the other world. They try to fight Delphini but are subdued and taken captive by her. Delphini travels back to the third and final task, but the boys thwart her attempts at saving Cedric; she then travels back to a different time and destroys the Time-Turner, leaving the boys stranded in an unknown place and time. The boys eventually realize that Delphini has brought them to the eve of Harry’s parents’ murders—Voldemort’s first attempt to kill Harry is what triggered his eventual downfall, and Delphini plans to stop this.
When the boys go missing again, Ron tells Harry that he glimpsed the boys in Delphini’s company; Harry realizes who she is from her description. The group rushes to confront Amos. However, they discover that Delphi had bewitched him into believing she was his niece; no record of her exists in the Ministry. The adults then discover a hidden prophecy written on the walls of Delphi’s room, revealing Voldemort’s writing; this is accompanied by writing that claims Delphini as Voldemort’s daughter. Draco reveals that he possesses another, more powerful Time-Turner; however, the parents have no way yet to rescue the boys, as they don’t know where they are in time.
Albus and Scorpius find Harry’s baby blanket on which they write an invisible message to Harry in the present, which becomes visible owing to the blanket’s contact with the love potion. Realizing where in time the boys are, Harry, Draco, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny arrive there using the Time-Turner. Harry disguises himself as Voldemort and distracts Delphini, allowing the group to eventually subdue her. They then remain out of sight and watch as Voldemort arrives and murders Harry’s parents before returning to the present. Albus and Scorpius go back to Hogwarts, where Harry comes to visit Albus. The father and son visit Cedric’s grave together, where they pay their respects and begin to repair their relationship.
Is it worth it?
I don't know, it's up to you. I think it's unoriginal, but it's a good book/play.
Give and Take by Elly Swatz Review
By: Jahnavi
11/29/30
May Contain Spoilers!
Give and Take by Elly Swatz is a book about a Twelve-year-old girl named Maddie, who is a trapshooter and experiences a surprise--her family fosters a baby girl and she immediately becomes attached. Maddie is attached to many things, and has many boxes full of stuff in her room. When her mom finds out, she forces her to get rid of one thing everyday, which is very hard for her. Maddie begins to see a therapist, and they rank her items from 1-10. Least important to most important, and starts getting rid of the ones and works her way up to the tens. When they find an adopter for the baby, who Maddie is now calling Izzie, she gets very upset. They name the baby Delilah, and she claims that is too big of a name for a baby. I really enjoy this book and have read it multiple times. Other books by Elly Swartz are Dear Student, Smart Cookie, and Finding Perfect. I have read them all and they are very good if you like realistic fiction.
Review of The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone
By: Julia
09/06/22
May Contain Spoilers!
I’m not going to write out the entire title again because it’s too long, so I’m just going to call it the story, ok? The author of this story is Jaclyn Moriarty. The genre, in my opinion, is fantasy fiction. If you read this book and like it, some other books by Jaclyn Moriarty are The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst, Feeling Sorry for Cecilia, The Slightly Alarming Tale of the Whispering Wars, and The Astonishing Chronicles of Oscar from Elsewhere. (I have never read any of those books before.)
I love the story of Bronte Mettlestone, because it is written so well that the story pulls you right into the pages, although some of the names of the aunts are kind of weird, and I don’t really like Aunt Claire or Aunt Nancy very much.
I’ll give you a summary of some of the story. Bronte is a ten year-old girl. She and her aunt get the word that her parents have been killed by pirates. Bronte doesn’t mind much because her parents ran off to go on adventures without her when she was a baby. But her parents had other plans for her. When their lawyers get Bronte’s parents’ will to Bronte and her Aunt Isabelle, they find that her parents laced it with faery cross stitch, so that Bronte must follow the exact instructions of the will or else her hometown will be decimated. She follows the instructions of the will, which says that she must give a gift to each of her ten aunts, because her Aunt Isabelle had gotten her favorite type of tea when Bronte had been left on her doorstep. So Bronte is forced to visit her aunts Sue, Emma, Claire, Sophy, Nancy, Maya, Lisbeth, Alys, Carrie, and Franny.
If this sounds interesting to you, maybe you should read it! (I don’t think I spoiled too much of it, at least.) I found it in the school library right here at Franklin Middle School. If you haven't read it, I strongly recommend it!
Best Fiction Book Series Teachers Vs. Students
By: Mina
10/05/22
Are you wondering what you should read? Here are some suggestions.
First we’ll start with the students' opinions of the best fiction book series:
Harry Potter
Keeper of The Lost Cities
Hunger Games
Because of Mr.Terupt
Land of Stories
Al Capone Does My Shirts
The Twins
The Pretties and The Uglies
Divergent
Lord of The Rings
Blended
The Track Series
Amulet
Red Queen
MasterMinds
Percy Jackson
Now let’s move on to what the teachers said:
Mr. Rovik- Masterminds, Miss. Peregrine’s School for Peculiar Children
Mrs. Keiser- Harry Potter, Divergent
Mrs. Hughes- Chronicles of Narnia, Mark of The Lion
Miss Jimenez- Percy Jackson, Trixie Belden
Miss Glavanovits- Series of Unfortunate Events, The Summer I Turned Pretty
Mr. Nielsen- Fablehaven, Ranger’s Apprentice
Mrs. Pehta- Jackaby, The One Crazy Summer
If you’re looking for something to read, those are some suggestions. Have fun reading!