Previous Books of the Week

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Keeper of the Lost Cities: Unlocked

By: Shannon Messenger

This was an awesome book, though not as great as her others. This book was pretty much like an encyclopedia of all of Keeper worlds. She also input a 200-ish page novella which I have to say was amazing. This book definitely leads you up to book 9 all while explaining some things that weren't as explained before. Anyone that loves Keeper of the Lost Cities, you have to read this!-Annabelle

The Selection

By: Kiera Cass

This series is awesome. I really enjoyed it. I am working on reviews for the other books in this series. This is the first book in the series. I loved this and it left me wanting more. This book never gets boring. This book is about a young girl who lives in Illéa, a place where there is a castes system. Caste 1 is royalty and religious figures, Caste 2 is celebrities, pop stars, athletes, politicians, and military workers. Caste 3 is educated professionals like teachers, scientists, doctors, and writers. Caste 4 is business managers and owners and from there they get farther down socially until caste 8. America Singer was a 5 before entering the selection and becoming a 3. The selection is for the Prince to choose a wife. The selected people from the prince will compete to be future queen and Prince Maxon's wife. 35 girls are chosen, one will win and be the queen of Illéa. Will America win? Will she be the new queen and Maxon's wife? Read the book to find out!-Bella

Every Shiny Thing

By: Cordelia Jensen and Laurie Morrison

"Every Shiny Thing" is a book told by two 12-year-old girls who are both struggling with the loss of a family member. This book is about Lauren, who's brother, Ryan goes to a boarding school for autistic teens, and Sierra, who's mother has to go into rehab for her alcohol addiction. The two girls meet each other and quickly become friends. But, all of that changes when Lauren gets a plan to raise money for more autistic teens like her brother that can't afford therapy. I liked this book because each girl learns a lesson. Lauren learns that she can't help everyone out and Sierra learns that she need to take care of herself before anyone else. I think this book was so sweet and would definitely recommend reading.-Jessie

Lena and Allie's week #25

Wild Bird

By: Wendelin Van Draanen

Wild bird is a short book, but that doesn't mean I enjoyed it any less! Fair warning: this book mentions drug and alcohol use. The main character Wren Clemens has a problem with this and is sent to wilderness camp in the desert. The wilderness camp is like a therapy camp. She's angry and bitter when she gets there, blaming everyone but herself. This book is full of emotion, I could tell what the character was thinking and feeling. You must read this book to know what happens! I really loved this book, it kept me entertained and it was never a dull moment! -Lena

Greenglass House

By: Kate Milford

I read this book and was not impressed. It was a pretty slow, but it ended up being okay. It was fairly interesting, but then too much happened, and it got very confusing. The end escalated quickly and was a touch weird. Overall, I was not impressed, especially with the great things I've heard about his book. -Allie

Bella and Annabelle's Week #24

We Were Liars

By: E. Lockhart

I would like to say that I completely understood this book, but no. I mean most of it, but it really just made me angry and not in a bad way. The book was beautifully written and the characters were great. I was stunned and I mean stunned by the climax. Pretty much they were alive, then they were dead, and apparently they were dead the entire time. The book when it comes to whether or not I cried. Yes, yes I did. It was like sobbing with tears running down my face. That book hit a nerve, and the author is AMAZING when talking about grief. Because in the end the book was about grief, guilt and coming to terms with yourself and that it'd not your fault. I loved this book, but I hated it. I recommend it 100%.-Annabelle

The Bridge Home

By: Padma Venkatraman

I really enjoyed this book. My favorite character was Viji because I thought she was a smart girl. I really felt bad for her mom because of her dad. I recommend this book. This book really was truly inspiring. The quotes were amazing. One of my favorites were "Moving ahead doesn't mean leaving you behind, I finally understand that." -Viji This book is a 2019 Mock Newbery book. READ THIS BOOK!-Bella

Jessie and Mackenzie's Week #23

Every Last Word

By: Tamara Ireland

Every Last Word is a book about a teen girl, named Samantha, and her everyday struggles with OCD. Samantha goes to high school, and tries to be as normal as possible, especially around her popular and toxic friend group. Samantha meets a girl named Caroline, and she introduces Sam to a poetry club in the basement of their school, and Samantha slowly starts to open up to the members and befriend them. I liked that this book had a main character with a mental illness, because I feel like those types of people are easily overlooked, but I feel like the book could have represented the topic better. The book gave off a "romance fixes everything" vibe, which isn't always true. Other than that, it was a good read, with nice character development. I would recommend this book. -Jessie

Kane Chronicles: The Throne Of Fire #2

By: Rick Riordan

Throne Of Fire Is Book 2 out of 3 in the series, Kane Chronicles. In this book, Carter, Sadie, Jaz, & Walt are trying to "borrow"a priceless statue because it is said to have the answers to stop the end of the world but on the same day they came for the statue, a party is going on so they must be very sneaky to try and take it. Not only is there a big party going on, but there is also a griffin guarding the statue. They will face many problems in order to stop the end of the world. If you want to read it, Google books lets you read it 100% free. If you like Percy Jackson and Egyptian mythology, you will probably like Throne Of Fire.-Mackenzie

Lena and Allie's Week #22

Poet X

By: Elizabeth Acevedo

I really enjoyed this book! It's about a girl named Xiomara that keeps her mind off of family tension by writing poetry about it. For the girls, you can relate to this book in more ways than one, Xiomara expresses her experience of unwanted attention, sexism, and learns to see her value. Not only that, but this book shows a good representation of women of color. This will take you on an emotional roller coaster because of how passionate and deep her words are. I've heard it also sounds really good in audio book form and that you'll just eat it up. Also, this book I think should be read by mature middle school and high school because there are some things that are inappropriate for a younger audience. I'd never think I would be interested in reading poetry until this book!-Lena

Sold on a Monday: A Novel

By: Kristina McMorris

I first started reading this book, I wasn't sure if it would be worth it. I was also afraid that it would be very confusing/hard to follow. As I continued reading, though, I realized that my fears were completely false. Kristina McMorris easily showcases the struggles and sacrifices many families went through during the great depression. Sold on a Monday is one of the best historical fiction books I've read. My favorite part of this book was the ending, which doesn't happen often. The ending surprised me, and took an entirely different direction than I thought that it would. I would totally recommend reading this book!-Allie
*MILD LANGUAGE WARNING*

Jessie and Mackenzie's Week #21

My Sister Rosa

By: Justine Larbalestier

"My Sister Rosa" is about a teen boy, Che and his trouble-making little sister, Rosa. After moving to New York, Che tries to adjust to the new life style, and tries to control Rosa from playing mind games with people for her own enjoyment. Rosa looks and sounds normal on the outside, but on the inside she is a mentally ill girl, and only Che knows about it. This book was a pretty typical teenager story, with a unique twist. The book does get a bit dark at times, but it was still good. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a unique psychological storyline.-Jessie

The Red Pyramid

By: Rick Riordan

Carter and Sadie Kane are brother and sister who are determined to find their dad after he disappears in a museum when they are taking notes on the Rosetta Stone. Soon after he disappears, Carter and Sadie set off to find him but they run into a strange man who isn't, who they expect. If you like other Rick Riordan books you will probably love this book. -Mackenzie

Allie and Lena's Week #20

Flying Over Water

By: Shannon Hitchcock and N.H. Senzai

I really enjoyed this book. It was a very easy and quick read, so if you're looking for something like that then this is the book for you! This book broadened my mind when it came to religion, immigration, and refugees. It clearly explains those topics in a way kids can easily understand. It talks about the war in Syria and about a Syrian family seeking asylum away from all the bloodshed. Flying Over Water tackles a bit about anxiety and panic attacks too, so it's just full of new things to learn and gain perspective from. There are times in this book that'll make you smack your forehead a few times (I know I did) about how stupid some people are and their hatred. But, it also leave you feeling warmhearted inside when it talks about the unity of people at darkest times. Overall, I recommend this book for people who want a book they can easily get through while also enjoying a story.-Lena

The Captain's Dog

By: Roland Smith

The Captain's Dog follows the Lewis and Clark expedition. It's told from the perspective of the captain's dog, Seaman. Seaman tells everything about their journey, the hardships and many triumphs of the group. It's an okay book, but the end isn't good. I would recommend this book because its an interesting read.-Allie

Annabelle and Bella's Week #19

The Prettiest

By: Brigit Young

he Prettiest is is a beautiful book and a must-read for all young feminists. These three girls were brought together because of what others said, and they will show you that they are more than a number. This book is all about fighting and standing up against sexism and objectification. Personally, I say all of you take out your "Want to Read List," and write this in immediately. The Prettiest took my breath away. So, go out there and get this book!-Annabelle

Sisters

By: Raina Telgemeier

This book is great! It is kind of related to two books you all may know called Smile, Drama, and Guts (Go look at the reviews.) If you want to read this book, you don't have to read smile or drama or guts first. Raina Telgemeier is a great author that is pretty well known. Some of you may also have read one of her books from The Babysitters club series. Most of her books that I have read are Graphic Novels. This book is about Raina and her sister, Amara. They get into many fights about everything and get mad at each other a lot. This book is great and well done. This book was really simple and a quick read. I definitely recommend even if you didn't read any of the other books about Raina. -Bella

Jessie and Mackenzie's Week #18

The Promise of Change

By: Jo Ann Allen Boyce and Debbie Levy

This book is about a girl in 1956, named Jo Ann Allen and her struggles with racism and fight for school equality. I like this book because it is written very different from any other book I have ever read before. It is made up of poems, titles of articles, and newspapers. Also, this book really lays out how bad dark-skinned people were treated back then, and didn’t sugar-coat anything, which I really like. Overall, I found this book very interesting and nice to read, I would definitely recommend this book.-Jessie

Geronimo Stilton: The Search for Sunken Treasure

If I had to chose my top 3 favorite book (series) as a child, Geronimo Stilton would definitely be my first choice with Chicka Chicka Boom Boom at second place. Geronimo is a writer / publisher at the Rodent's Gazette. But in this book, he is more than a writer, he is a treasure hunter. When Geronimo's Aunt Sweetfur comes to the Rodent's Gazette to talk about her lost husband / Captain (Geronimo's Uncle Grayfur), and the treasure he left on his ship after it sank. She wants Geronimo, Geronimo's sister Thea, Geronimo's cousin Trap, and Geronimo's favorite nephew Benjamin, to help her find items to help remind her of her lost husband. Is Geronimo and his family up for the challenge? Will they find out what happened to their Uncle Grayfur? Find out by reading, Geronimo Stilton's: The Search For Sunken Treasure.
This is my favorite Geronimo Stilton book of all time, and even though I only read about 1/10 of all the Geronimo Stilton Books made by the original author, I have a lot of knowledge about the books. I give this book a rating of 10 out of 10.-Mackenzie

Delaney and Bella's Week #17

Bubbles

By: Abby Cooper

This book was so good! It described how a parent can be depressed and how you can feel like you don't fit in the world. It also made me think deeper about how it's it is hard knowing what everyone thinks. I realized that even though seeing people's thoughts might sound good, it can hurt you and others. So, I highly recommend this book.-Delaney

White Bird

By: R.J. Palacio

This book was incredible! If you read Wonder or saw the movie, this book is the sequel. It tells about Julian's Grandmère and Julien. It is truly a heartfelt book and really touched me. I can tell that the author really put thought into this book! READ IT!!!!-Bella

Allie and Lena's Week #18

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise

By: Dan Gemeinhart

I loved reading this book, it was a compelling story of a young girl traveling across the country to find a memory box. The characters in the book were interesting and were enjoyable to watch unfold in the story. There was realistic aspects and a lot of crazy events that you wouldn’t think people considered to think about. But, the reason I really loved this book was because it was someone’s life I got to learn about and that it wasn’t a normal life like most.-Lena

Caterpillar Summer

By:Gillian McDunn

In this relatable book, Cat, Chicken, her brother with special needs, and their mom are looking forward to their trip to Georgia. Fishing, hanging out with Rishi, and good eating ahead. When the unexpected hits, Rishi is headed across the world and Cat and Chicken have to go to Gingerbread Island to be with their Grandparents they've never met. With the warm Lily and the cold Macon, will Cat and Chicken live through the next three weeks? This was a great book!DEFINITELY read it!-Allie

Norah and Annabelle's Week #17

Friday Barnes Series

By: R. A. Spratt

I loved this 8 book series, it is about a girl that is a mega genius but has literally no social intelligents. She solves mysteries with humor that will have you cracking up for hours. Books 5; 6; 7; 8 you need to specially order from Australia but it is worth it.-Norah

Becoming Michelle Obama

By: Michelle Obama

I loved this book! You might look at this book and think that looks boring, not reading that, but personally I feel it is the completely the opposite. I loved the way that Michelle Obama talked about herself growing up and how her values changed as she got older. This was a great autobiography and definitely recommend it to anyone! -Annabelle

Jessie and Mackenzie's Week #16

Beverly, Right Here

By: Kate DiCamillo

This book is about a girl named Beverly, running away from home and trying to make things work on her own, but the people living near her are making it hard. I really liked the characters in this book and how they developed. In the beginning of the book the book, Beverly was dull, trying to avoid as much human-interaction as possible. But as the book went on, she slowly turned into a more friendly and social person. I also liked how the author turned a story that felt a little boring at first, into something very interesting just from Beverly's thoughts and interactions. I would definitely recommend this book to readers who like a more calm and heartfelt story.-Jessie

Guts

By: Raina Telgemeier

Raina is a 5th grade girl who just like us, is afraid of things. I mean everyone's afraid of something. I'm afraid of death and my classmate Ethan is afraid of grasshoppers and ladybugs. But Raina's greatest fear is uncommon. She is afraid of vomit. It makes her body do weird things just if someone says the word. She is also someone who again, just like us, cares about what others think about her. So when her classmate Michelle keeps making fun of her, She starts to feel less confident about herself. Wanna find out what her parents do to help? Read Guts and find out.- Mackenzie

Bella and Delaney's Week #15

A Thing About Jellyfish

By: Ali Benjamin

I love this book sooo much! I cried (a lot.) The Thing about Jellyfish is about a girl named Suzy. Her best friend sadly passed away by drowning and she thinks it may be because of a deadly jellyfish. The way the author wrote this book was amazing. You really felt bad about Suzy and her best friend. I love this book and I definitely recommend it.-Bella

Shouting at the Rain

By: Lynda Mullaly Hunt

This book is so good! I totally recommend it, but if you do read it, WARNING: You will not be able to put it down. This book is packed full of life lessons and great quotes you will/do live by. Shouting at the Rain teaches you that even though people change for the wrong reasons, you don't have to. If you want a good book, READ THIS!-Delaney

Lena and Allie's Week #14

The List

By: Patricia Forde

I enjoyed this book because I hadn't read anything like this before. It was really unique because of this dystopian world that the book took place in. I could also tell that the author wanted to send a message to the reader about how she feels about mankind and climate change because it was all about how mankind was destroying the world with words. Noa Ark wanted to change that with coming up with List, a language that consisted of only 500 words. He was passionate about saving the world, but just in a wrong way. I'd recommend this book if you think it's interesting because this book definitely is.-Lena

A Hive for the Honeybee

By: Soinbhe Lally

This book was an interesting take on our society as humans. In the beehive this takes place in, the bees are performing one task at a time all day every day. The likeable bees Thorna, Alfred, Mo, and the only slightly less likeable Belle, overcome the challenges of this structured life - and learning what it means to dream. In the end, we all learn that life is like a sip of honey; sweet, but gone all too soon. Amazing book!-Allie

Norah and Annabelle's Week #13

The Mark of the Thief

By: Jennifer A. Nielsen

This was a great book and I enjoyed it alot. It was a great book if you like Roman mythology and action. It start out pretty fast-paced an continues that way. This is a trilogy by Jennifer Nielsen, I almost all of her books so this one is a real page turner. The other two books are Rise of the Wolf (book 2) and Wrath of the Storm (book 3). Go get these books and read them!-Annabelle

A Really Short History of Nearly Everything

By: Bill Bryson

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was full of information that was written in a funny way. It had info on genes and geography, prehistoric people to present day. If you like almanacs or fact books this is the perfect book for you.-Norah

Bella and Delaney's Week #12

Genesis Begins Again

By: Alicia D. Williams

In this AMAZING book, Genesis, a African-American girl worries about the color of her skin. She wants to be like her mama. This book is a Mock Newbery book. I don't want say too much or I will spoil the book. READ IT NOW!! -Bella

Alex Morgan

By: Dan Wetzel

Alex Morgan dreamed of being on the women's national team, but she never imagined that dream would come true. This is a great biography that helps young readers get more into reading. It is a great, good sized story about Alex Morgan that shows her triumphs and downfalls of her career. This book is amazing and I loved how it made me feel like I could do anything if I really tried hard to get there.-Delaney

Jessie and Mackenzie's Week #11

Every Shiny Thing

By: Cordelia Jensen and Laurie Morrison

The New Kid

By: Jerry Craft

Jordan is a tween who is about to start his years of middle school at a very elite (over the top) private school. At this new school, Jordan is reminded that he is a colored child and sometimes gets bullied about it by his fake friend. There are rarely any kids like Jordan at this school. So Jordan decides to hang out with his friends more like him. But still, middle school is still hard even with his peers so in his free time, he draws pictures to keep his mind clear of of the discrimination and rude comments about him and his real friends. Will drawing help Jordan keep his cool? Find out by reading The New Kid. "I had many text to self connections with this book. Being a African American in a pretty much 99% all Caucasian school is pretty hard. But my friends who know how I feel help me through it everyday one step at a time."-Mackenzie

Norah and Annabelle's Week #10

Dragon Slippers: Series

By: Jessica Day George

This is by the same author as Tuesday 's at the Castle it is about a girl that befriends the king of dragons and her attempts at bring peace to the humans about dragons. It is super good the one thing I will say is that how old the main character is caused me some confusion.-Norah

Girl in Blue

By: Ann Rinaldi

This was a great story about a girl that runs away from her home to be a soldier because of an arranged marriage. She later on becomes part of a detective service. This was a great book and is definitely a must read for historical fiction lovers.-Annabelle

Bella and Delaney's Week #9

The Keeper of the Lost Cities: Exile #2

By: Shannon Messenger

This book was a disappointment. It was boring and dull compared to the other books in the series. It was boring and dull because there was not enough twists and turns in the plot. I love the rest of the series but this book could have been better. This book did a great job with showing the bonds between characters and it is a great book but once you read all of the other books it isn't good compared to the rest. You have to read this book or you won't know anything in the next book.-Bella

The Keeper of the Lost Cities: Exile #2

By: Shannon Messenger

This book was not the best in the series, but moved the story along. It developed a relationship between two characters and followed the intensity of what happened in the last book. If you decide the pick up the series please know every book is just as important as the last.-Delaney

Allie and Lena's Week #8

Anne of Green Gables

By: L.M. Montgomery

This charming tale is about a little orphan called Anne, spelled with an 'E'. It's so much more refined that way. Anyway, she arrives and surprises Matthew, because she was supposed to be a boy. The owners of Green Gables now are faced with a problem; whether to keep Anne or send her back. Read this classic tale to find out the end!-Allie

A Night Divided

By: Jennifer A. Nielsen

Gerta wants to be with her brother and dad, but a wall in berlin separating the east and the west divided them. Gerta could have gone with them, but her mother insists they stay at home. The berlin wall ruined Gerta's life by bringing down friendships and separating families. This was a good book, it had many secrets and can make you anxious. I learned more about the berlin wall than I did before I read this. It's a great learning experience and I wish you would read it.-Lena

Norah and Annabelle's Week #7

The Promise of Change: One Girl's Story in the Fight for Equality

By: Jo Ann, Allen Boyce and Debbie Levy

This book blew my mind. Like full on explosion. The amount heart and effort they put into this book was amazing. It gives you an insight view on segregation, integration and how hard it was to change the way everyone went to school. I would 100% recommend this book.- Annabelle

George

By: Alex Gino

George is a unique must read story about a 3rd grade boy that desperately wants to be a girl. It was written by a transqueer person so it truly tells what it is like to want to be who you are. It was an intense, eye opening story. I would definitely recommend it to people who are curious about recent topics.-Norah

Bella and Delaney's Week #6

Keeper of the Lost Cities: Flashback

By: Shannon Messenger

This book was THE BEST BOOK EVER!! You have to read the rest of the series before reading this book or it will be very confusing. It has a bit of romance near the end that will make you squeal if you are team Sophie-Fitz but not much. I highly recommend this book and the series as well.-Bella

Bubbles

By: Abby Cooper

This book was so good! It described how a parent can be depressed and how you can feel like you don't fit in the world. It also made me think deeper about how it's it is hard knowing what everyone think. I realized that even though seeing people's thoughts might sound good it can hurt you and others. So, I highly recommend this book.-Delaney

Founder's Week #5

Mummies Exposed!

By: Kerrie Logan Hollihan

This book was really good. The author gave us one of her advance copies before the book came out which was very kind of her. We really enjoyed this book because every single mummy was different, for example why they were mummified, how they were mummified and, how they were discovered all varied from chapter to chapter. Also, the pictures were so cool. Finally, two more things we should mention is it is that it did creep some of us out and it was on the short side.

-Norah, Lena, Allie, Annabelle

Allie and Lena's Week #4

Hour of the Bees

By: Lindsay Eagar

Hour of the bees was a good detailed book, some downsides to the book was that it was confusing about what genre it was in. It's present day New Mexico, and then some stories told are from a time where there was magic, so it's more like a multigenre. But, other than that the book added things that would be realistic when it came to a family member having dementia. What was nice about it was that it always had something interesting happen, and about family heritage. Though there weren't many twists and turns, I would still recommend people to read this good book.-Lena

Twilight

By: Stephanie Meyer

Twilight is the classic love story between human and vampire, but with a twist. Bella, the human, is a normal high school student. She has just moved from Phoenix, Arizona to Forks, Washington. Her life is nothing but rain, rain, and more rain in between. Bella is an okay student, never the best in anything academic or otherwise. She is intrigued by a boy in the lab. He seems to avoid her, though they sit next to each other. Read the book to find out the rest!Amazing...-Allie
WARNING: This book is a little inappropriate at times. Watch out, and ask for permission from your parents or guardians. ;)

Annabelle and Norah's Week #3

Notorious RBG

By: Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik

Notorious RBG is a great book to read if you like politics, women's rights, or even are just fascinated by RBG's life in general. RBG preserved through her life as a teacher and a lawyer all the way up to the Supreme Court. This book tells you that it doesn't matter if you are a girl or a boy either one can go to the top or the Supreme Court.-Annabelle

Percy Jackson

By: Riorden Gorden

I loved the Percy Jackson series as well as the sequel Heroes of Olympus series. It was a unique, and modern take on classic greek stories. Rick Riordan blends humor and thriller flawlessly.-Norah

Allie and Lena's Week #2

The Wonder Of Charlie Anne

By: Kimberly Newton Fusco

In this wonderful book set in the time of the depression, a girl called Charlie Anne faces her problems head on. Her struggles with her strict cousin Mirabel seem like they'll never end. When Charlie Anne makes friends with a colored girl named Phoebe, more trouble arises. In the end, will their friendship make it through the town's discrimination? Read the book to find out! This is one of the best books I've ever read.-Allie

The Land of Stories

By: Chris Colfer

The land of stories is a good book series for people who love fairy tales and fantasy. I don't usually like fairy-tale based books, but this series was a good enough exception.It was more of telling us what happened in some events rather than showing us, it seemed rushed overall as well. The problems that pop up are solved too easily. I would say this book wasn't bad. The elements of the book made me more excited than reading it.-Lena

Annabelle and Norah's Week #1

Friday Barnes: Never Fear

Friday Barnes is the eighth book of the series. It is one of my favorites in the series. It is about a girl detective who solves mysteries for rewards. The eighth book is where the original headmaster does not come back but a new and very efficient one turns up. There is also a rumor of gold that is hidden under the school. If you like a good mystery with drama, suspense and just the right mix of humor this is the book for you.-Annabelle

Keeper of the Lost

By: Shannon Messenger

I loved Keeper of the Lost Cities. It was an intricate blend of humor, suspense, and middle school drama. If you are looking for the next Harry Potter here it is. It is about a girl genius that can read minds named Sophie that finds out she is an elf. I loved this series after reading the first book I had to read all of them. Annabelle, Lena, and even my Mom loved it.-Norah