Stars: 5
Author: Rob Buyea
Format: 288 pages, no drawings.
Reading level: grades 5 and up





Summary: It has been a wile since we posted a review. We have ready many books this winter, so several will be coming there.

This is simply a fabulous book, what a 1st book for Rob Buyea, Mr. Terupt is a new teacher at Snow Hill school, where he is in charge of one of the grade 5 classes. The book is narrated in an innovative manner, each chapter is alternatingly told by one of about 10 of the students, boys and girls, who each tell their own perspective of events. They are the typical students that many of us will recognize: the good smart and good student, the girl bully, the disruptive one, the shy one, etc., each with his or her own peculiarities. Mr. Terupt uses his own way to improve the kids behavior and better their lives. Most of the students end up adoring him, until an unfortunate event occurs. There will be many pages on this book in which your eyes will tear up. You will laugh and cry - a lot.

Beautiful. Fantastic.

Stars: 5
Author: Michelle Paver
Format: 295 pages, some drawings.
Reading level: grades 5/6 and up





Summary: This is book one of an ancient native story, based 6,000 years ago in North America. Torak, a native boy unwillingly adopts an orphaned wolf-cub as a pet when his father dies. He must then defeat a demon-possessed bear that roams the land. The bear killed his dad; Torak must fulfill a prophecy by delivering three lost artifacts to the Mountain of the World Spirit; must solve a riddle to obtain the artifacts, with the help of a girl who goes from enemy to friend.

My son received this book as a gift and it took him a long time to get started due to its sheer size. The writing is somewhat hard to read as there are lots of figures of speech. The book is narrated by Torak, his friend, and also by the wolf cub. I found the latter really interesting. The wolf, for example, thinks that Torak is also a wolf, but calls him 'tall tailless' and is frustrated by his inability to smell as well as he does, and so on. Somewhat difficult to read, but very good. Smaller readers may need help explaining some of the text.

Amazon link:

Stars: 3
Author: Andrew Clements
Format: 142 pages, some drawings.
Reading level: grades 4 and up

Summary: This is the latest book by our favorite author, Clements, book one of a trilogy. Ben Pratt is in sixth grade at a school in the northeast coast. The city decided to demolish the seaside school to build an amusement park. However, near the end of the school year, the janitor gets very sick and gives Ben a special coin and tells him that the school must be saved at all costs. When the janitor dies on the same day Ben realizes that he was given a very serious mission, for which he enlists the help of his good friend, whom he is starting to like in a special way.

As big Clement's fans, we are a bit disappointed by this book, then again, we put the man on a very high pedestal. I'd say that this book is still better literature than any of the 39 Clues books. However, the ending leaves a lot to be desired as, simply, there is none. The book is the first of  a trilogy, but still books that are trilogies usually end an adventure of story in some form. A chapter is wasted with details of a sailing race which has seemingly nothing to do with the story (at least up to this point). I also disliked the illustrations.

Stars: 3
Author: Edward Eager
Format: 192 pages, some drawings.
Reading level: grades 5 and up


Summary: This is an older book written in 1954 by Eager, in which four children discover a talisman which can makes wishes true, but only half so. As a result, unfortunate events occur. The four children, Jane, Mark, Katharine, and Martha were looking forward to an ordinary summer until they discovered the magic coin. They try to fix the coin's half-powers by using double-wishes, but that does not always do what it's expected.
My son was quite entertained by this book.

The Gate of Days
Stars: 5
Author: Guillaume Prevost
Format: 249 pages, no drawings.
Reading level: grades 4 and up


Summary: This is the 2nd book of the Book of Time trilogy by Prevost. Sam goes looking for the seven magical coins that will allow him to reach his father, who is trapped in the castle of Dradula (Vlad Tepes). Sam travels to such places as ancient Delphi, a Stone Age cave, and 1930s Chicago, and drags his cousin Lily with him. They go through great adventures together, and Sam also gets to reconnect to his beautiful old friend Alicia. Sam has feelings for Alicia and they are somewhat mutual, however, after Sam's mother's death he had abandoned Alicia, causing her a lot of pain. They start to get back together again in this book, their old feelings seem still alive, but things are complicated.

For the lover of fiction, action, history, friendship, and more.

A great read, fabulous book by Prevost.

Amazon link:

Stars: 5
Author: Rick Riordan
Format: 377 pages, no drawings.
Reading level: grades 5 and up


Summary: This is the first of a series by Rick Riordan and has very recently been made into a popular movie. After learning that he is the son of a mortal woman and Poseidon, god of the sea, twelve-year-old Percy is sent to a summer camp for demigods like himself, and joins his new friends on a quest to prevent a war between the gods. My son is in grade 5 and loved the book. This is the longest book he has read. It is not an easy read and touches on a lot of Greek mythology.
He wrote this review himself:

This book is about a boy (Percy Jackson) who finds out he is a son of a Greek god. He is forced to go to camp half blood. But a couple of weeks later Zeus accuses Percy of steeling his 20 foot long lightning bolt. Percy must then find the lightning bolt and give it back to Zeus in Olympia (the city of gods) by summer solstice (in 10 days)!

Here's Amazons's link:

Stars: 4
Author: Gordon Korman
Format: 182 pages, no drawings.
Reading level: grades 5 and up



Summary: Teenager Rudy Miller goes to a summer camp in an island north of Toronto, Canada. Nobody hates camp more than Rudy does. He compares camp Algonkian to "Alcatraz Island". Rudy will do anything to show his displeasure and escape. However, he happens to be really good at sports and makes a good friend at camp, driving his counselors absolutely crazy. 

Kids who go to summer camps, and specially boarding camps, will really enjoy this great book. A very funny book by Korman.

Stars: 4
Author: Guillaume Prevost
Format: 213 pages, no drawings.
Reading level: grades 5 and up


Summary: This is the first book of a trilogy by Prevost. Sam Faulkner's dad, the owner of a used book store,  disappears  once in a while, but this time he is gone for longer. Sam ends up discovering why as he finds a way to travel through time. During this travels he ends up being in very dangerous places, saving people, and further discovering what he needs to do to save his dad. He also finds a history book, with a picture of a castle in the middle ages. In one of the walls there is a message "Help me Sam".

A great adventure. We cannot wait to read book 2.

Stars: 4
Author: Eric Walters
Format: 110 pages, no drawings.
Reading level: grades 4 and up


Summary: Keegan and Alex are slightly older teenagers who live in a small tomato producing town. Although their parents are the mayor and the police chief, they are not exactly exemplary role models and do a lot of mischief. During the annual tomato festival, they decide to add some excitement to the town's tomato festival. What happens is hilarious. Read it and you will laugh hard. Highly entertaining.

Stars: 4
Author: Andrew Clements
Format: 132 pages, some drawings.
Reading level: grades 5 and up


Summary: being fans of Clements, we requested this book via an inter-library loan since our local library did not have it. The book tells the story of Cara Landry, a new shy student in a big city school that happens to be placed in a class where its teacher does not actually teach. Being very good at writing, Cara decides to write a newspaper and puts in her views of the teacher. The teacher sees this, and then things change. The principal of the school also dislikes the teacher and wants nothing more than kick out of school. The book has very emotional ending and it is very hard to keep your eyes dry.


An excellent read. Some content may be for older students, hence the grade 5 and up classification, but it should be enjoyable by all ages.

Stars: 5
Author: Gordon Korman
Format: 160 pages, no drawings.
Reading level: grades 5/6 and up


Summary: Capricorn Anderson lives with his grandmother in a hippie commune, isolated from the world. When his grandma falls ill, he is forced to join a real school and live temporarely as a foster kid. For a boy that has never even watched TV, school is a shock, and so are the school kids and the world outside. To makes matters worse, he is chosen as Grade 8 President, which was supposed to be a prank as the foolest kid is chosen every year. The book relates the troubles Cap goes through in adjusting to his new reality.

The book is hilarious as Cap goes through maddening situations. When the mean kids place a dead bird in his locker, Cap proceeds to do a burial in the school yard. He does his tai-chi every morning, and het gets to drive his school bus, saving a life. The other kids start seeing what he is really like inside. His life turns around in a very good way.

It is a great read, you will laugh out loud. The book is a little challening at the beginning for smaller kids, but once you get going it's impossible to stop.

Amazon link:

Stars: 5
Author: Andrew Clements
Format: 183 pages, some drawings.
Reading level: grades 5 and up


Summary: Abby is a 6th grader girl who really enjoys the outdoors and physical activitity but does not focus to much on academic work at school. As a result, she is about to repeat a year. Her teachers decide to give her one more chance as long as she works hard, really improves her grades, and does an extra project. She ends up with a pen pal about her age, in Afghanistan. Before she realizes it, she becomes virtual friends with this boy and they begin to exchange letters back and forth. These letters need to be hidden. The readers become engaged in the exchange and we wish it could continue and that the story would not end as it is really captivating. Clements is really good at this. We learn lot in this book, unfortunately, we also learn how difficult life is in Afghanistan, much to our sadness.

This is a another book that we wish would never end, or that had a different happier ending. It is a truly beautiful story. Just great.

Please note that I have no association with the author or his publisher!

Amazon link:

Stars: 5
Author: Andrew Clements
Format: 162 pages, some drawings.
Reading level: grades 4 and up


Summary: This is another fabulous book by Clements. We read two books by him this week, both delightful reads. In one of the books a characters wishes that what he is reading would never end. That is exactly how we felt with this book. It tells the story of Ted, a 6th grader in a very small town in Nebraska, who during his paper route discovers a girl of his age (April), and her family, hiding in an abandoned house. The family is in trouble and Ted acts as detective to find out who they are and what happened. In the process, he befriends the girl. The story continues with Ted helping the family and becoming further friends with April. However, things are complicated and very sensitive. You really wish the story could continue to see how the friendship would develop further, and that it could have a different ending (for us readers!), but it is not exactly a Hollywood ending. A real jewel and joy to read.

My son says this is the best book by Clements, better than Frindle, and he could not stop reading it, he read the whole thing in a matter of hours.

Amazon link:

Stars: 4
Author: Craig Carson & Chris Ninhmey
Format: 156 pages, no drawings.
Reading level: grades 4 and up


Summary: Tommy travels back in time to ancient Egypt, where he has he escape the bad guys with the help of two new good friends. A very entertaining book, my son could not put it down. A sequel to Medieval Times.

Stars: 2
Author: Gordon Korman
Format: 160 pages, no drawings.
Reading level: grades 4 and up

Stars: 4
Author: Crescida Cowell
Format: 200+ pages, a few drawings.
Reading level: grades 4 and up

Summary: Hiccup Haddock Horrendous The Third is the son of a Viking chief. This series of books tells his various adventures, with his friend Fishlegs and Kamizaki (the daughter of another Viking tribe's chief), his pet dragon Toothless, and his enemy and competitor Snotlout, and various other entertaining characters. Very entertaining and quite funny.

Books in the series:

How to train your dragon
How to be a pirate
How to speak Dragonese
How to cheat a dragon's curse
A hero's guide to deadly dragons
How to twist a dragon's tale
How to ride a dragon's storm

Stars: 4

Amazon link: