Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol Graphic Novel Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Vera Brosgol felt left out among her classmates who all came from wealthier, two-parent households. All the other kids got to go away to camp in the summer, and Vera is always stuck at home. Then she finds out about a special summer camp for Russian immigrants that her church will subsidize if she attends. She convinces her mom to … Read more
Brave sequel to Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova Graphic Novel Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Jensen is playing his way through each of his days of middle school like it’s a videogame – complete with monsters (other students who bully him) that he has to dodge between classes and after school. He thought he was tight with some kids from the art club, but one of the girls there teases him constantly, and … Read more
On the Road to Find Out by Rachel Toor Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) When Alice Davis discovers that she’s been rejected from Yale – the only college she wanted to attend – she feels lost. She’s never failed at anything before in her life and she’s wallowing in self-pity like a champion. She’s basically inconsolable until she makes a New Year’s resolution to start running (exercise is definitely NOT her thing), … Read more
One by Sarah Crossan Novel in Verse Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Grace and Tippy are teenaged conjoined (from the waist down) twins who are going to attend private school for the first time (they were homeschooled before) and they’re nervous about how people will react to them. Going out in public is usually an ordeal for them as everyone stares. But, they make a couple of friends quickly and school isn’t … Read more
Marika by Andrea Cheng Historical Fiction Review #1 * * * * Stars (Great!) I love how this book informs us of all the struggles and all the horrific things Jews had to go through during the Holocaust. This book tells of a young girl who writes in a journal of all her experiences as a Jew. The book reminds us that the world is a horrible place.
Leyla: The Black Tulip Girls of Many Lands series by Alev Lytle Craitier Historical Fiction Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) I love how it portrays a young girl who tries to do right but instead puts herself in a place of slavery. As she goes through this, though, things start to get better. The suspense in this story was awesome! I love this book. I just wish the author made a … Read more
The Wish by Gail Carson Levine Realistic Fiction Review #1 * * * Stars (Pretty good) I liked this book because it shows what life can be like. It points out that not everyone is liked by others. There are some people who get secluded just because they are different. The world can be a mean place, but sometimes you just have to force yourself to think positive and deal with it. Be the best … Read more
The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelley Pearsall Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars (Great!) Arthur Owens gets in trouble with the law when he throws a brick at a trash-picking, presumably homeless man he sees around his neighborhood. He’s sent to a juvenile delinquent facility for several weeks and at his trial it comes out that the reason he attacked the man was because he saw him wearing his recently-passed-away dad’s hat (his … Read more
The Truth About Stacey Babysitter’s Club #3 by Raina Telgemeier Graphic Novel Realistic Fiction Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) In this book we learn about when Stacey gets her diabetes and how she lived in New York. The Babysitter’s Club also faces some difficulties. The reason I gave it 5 stars was because I read it in one day!
When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon Realistic Fiction Romance * * * * Stars (Great!) Dimple is a career-focused girl who is thrilled when her parents agree to send her to Insomnia Con – a 6-week web-app development program/competition where she’ll have the chance to compete for the chance to pitch her ideas to her inspiration, Jenny Lindt. Unbeknownst to Dimple, her parents are using this opportunity to introduce their daughter to a potential … Read more