Review: Curio by Evangeline Denmark

Curio by Evangeline Denmark.

Blink
Publication Date: January 2016
List Price: $17.99
ISBN-13: 9780310729662

Review: Do you love to read action-filled, edge of your seat fantasy novels? How about books with crazy made-up characters? If you do, you should read the book Curio by Evangeline Denmark.

Grey Haward's village has magician scientists called Chemists who rule her village and help the villagers survive with their magic potions. Although vital to their survival, the Chemists have always been cruel to the people. When Grey escapes a chemist, she finds herself stuck in a fantasy-like world called Curio. Grey must discover her way back to defeat the Chemists and save the village as well as her friends/

Curio is a book primarily intended for a middle school audience, although adults would enjoy it as well. The character Grey is full of determination and stubbornness. She tries to keep her friends safe and won't let anyone stop her. Curio is written in a style that switches off characters' point of view with each chapter. Curio has no pictures and complex vocabulary. Curio has many scenes and situations that are full of excitement and suspense. I believe the moral of this story is to always help friends, even if it puts you in danger. I really enjoyed reading Curio, and I know you will too.

Review written by Jessica (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Blink for providing a copy of Curio for this review.

Have you read Curio? How would you rate it?

Review: The Pointless Book by Alfie Deyes

The Pointless Book by Alfie Deyes.

Running Press
Publication Date: October 2014
List Price: $12.95
ISBN-13: 9780762457519

Review: The Pointless Book brought to you by Alfie Deyes, a Vlogger on you tube, will change reading forever. The Pointless Book is not even reading, it is an activity book with fun games and puzzles. All you need is a sharpened pencil, the book, and your imagination. On the first day I got the book I had to bite a page, and again that same day I had to make an origami swan. This book was gratifying. If your mom tells you that you have to read more just pick up the Pointless Book. Everything in The Pointless Book is in a very weird format it tells you every so often to turn to certain page to make it even more Pointless. Everyone in the class wanted to see the book. You will never know what you might have to do in this book, make a die, bury the book, or make a paper airplane.

I recommend this book to anyone twelve and under looking for a fun book. The Pointless Book really had me hooked, are you? The only way the fun runs out is if you finish the book! If you ever find this book at the store pick it up and buy, this is a wonderful book that anyone can enjoy. I enjoyed this book but the only thing that matters if you enjoy it too. This book I could not put down until I finished this is the book of the future.

Review written by Patrick (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Running Press for providing a copy of The Pointless Book for this review.

Have you read The Pointless Book? How would you rate it?

Review: Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville

Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville. A Magic Shop Book.

Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Publication Date: November 2008
List Price: $6.99
ISBN-13: 9780152062521

Review: Have you read any of the Magic Shop books? Because this one by far is the best. Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville is about a boy with a pet dragon.

Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher begins with Jeremy being chased by bullies. Jeremy runs all over town and turns corner and sees the magic shop. He enters it and sees a weird glowing stone that is actually a dragon egg. he buys it and heads home through the back door. He gets a letter saying how to hatch a dragon in the mail tried it and soon he has his own dragon. Soon Jeremy gets another letter saying that the dragon has to go home. He knows he will have to part with is dragon and may never see her again.

Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher is good for all ages and should strike magic in the hearts of all children. Bruce Coville wrote an amazing series about the magic shop. This book is easy to read and full of magic and filled of imagination. Children will beg for you to read it to them every night. This book is a perfect book to read to yourself or to read to others.

Review written by Max (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy of Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher for this review.

Have you read Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher? How would you rate it?

Review: Ninjas and Samurai by Mary Pope Osborne

Ninjas and Samurai by Mary Pope Osborne. A Magic Tree House Fact Tracker Book.

Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 2014
List Price: $5.99
ISBN-13: 9780385386326

Review: Join Jack and Annie as they take you through the wonderful world of Ninjas and Samurai. The book Fact Tracker: Ninjas And Samurai by Mary Pope Osborne is a companion to the book Night of the Ninjas by Mary Pope Osborne. People knew when a person was a ninja or when a person was a samurai.

In Fact Tracker: Ninjas And Samurai you can learn almost everything there is to know about both Ninjas And Samurai, from what they wear to there lifestyles. There are a few chapters that are about Samurai, and there are a few chapters that are about Ninjas. The first chapter was about how the Ninjas and Samurai came to be. The last chapter is about how the Ninjas and Samurai ended. Did you know that the Samurai lasted longer than the Ninjas?

Fact Tracker: Ninjas and Samurai is a great book for comparing and contrasting because it gives many facts about the ninjas and the samurai. I recommend this book for children ages 8+. Mary Pope Osborne has written many books in this series, which is called Magic Tree House. There is so much to learn from this book and it is a great companion the Night of the Ninjas. I hope to read many more books in the series by this wonderful author.

Review written by Kyra (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of Ninjas and Samurai for this review.

Have you read Ninjas and Samurai? How would you rate it?

Review: Double Digit by Annabel Monaghan

Double Digit by Annabel Monaghan. The Sequel to A Girl Named Digit.

Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Publication Date: January 2014
List Price: $7.99
ISBN-13: 9780544336209

Review: If you're looking for a book that a young teen would enjoy, then the book Double Digit by Annabel Monaghan is the perfect choice. This book has mystery, action and suspense. It is a sequel to A Girl Named Digit.

In Double Digit there is a girl named Digit. Digit is called that because of her love of math. Digit tries to be a normal college girl. She goes to a lot of parties. Then her boyfriend came to visit her in college. He works for the FBI. Then one night Digit and her friend Tiki were walking home and to get to her dorm she has to go down a dark hallway. Then she feels an arm around her neck and the end of a blade touching her skin. She bites his arm and calls for help. The security comes and the criminal jumps out a window. Digit gets taken to the hospital cause he slit her throat. She calls her ex boyfriend. When her ex boyfriend arrives they get a call. When they answer the call they say that Digit is going to jail because of her hacking into the district of defense (DOD). Then they drive to a cabin and figure out that Digits ex-boyfriend's friend Spencer who was a girl was evil and working for the criminal. Suddenly, they got taken to the bad guys lair the lair was all solar powered and all natural. The bad guy was apparently looking through her laptop and seeing everything she has been doing and found out what she had been hacking. They told her to hack into the DOD program again and if she doesn't they will kill her. They already took her ex and said they were going to kill him. She stated hacking and kept taking breaks she would go down to the sleeping area to see that Danny and her ex's dad is there. They called her back up to work.

Double Digit is intended for ages 12 and up due to language. I like that in this book the main character is a girl. I like the suspense, also that its about how a girl does everything on her own and figures them out by herself. Young teens would like this because of the suspense and all of the mystery. A girl would more be likely to read this book cause it is based off of a young love story gone wrong. So if you like mystery, suspense, and a bunch of actions then Double Digit is the perfect book for you.

Review written by Kirsten (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy of Double Digit for this review.

Have you read Double Digit? How would you rate it?

Review: Both of Me by Jonathan Friesen

Both of Me by Jonathan Friesen.

Harper Collins Publishing
Publication Date: December 2014
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780310731887

Review: Imagine: You are trying to forget about your past so you jump on a plane and you meet someone and you think it's true love. But then, when you get off your true love mistakes your bag for his bag and your bag has the most important thing in the world to you in the bag. What are you going to do?

In the story Both of Me a girl named Clara gets on a plane and tries to forget her past. She brings one bag very similar to the guy sitting next to her. When she gets out of the plane she realizes that something so important to her was in her bag. But the bag she picked up wasn't hers. On trying to get her bag back she meets someone who knows more about her past then she does herself.

Both of Me is good for people 12 and up because they will understand it better than kids. There are no pictures in the book, which makes you able to create a picture in your head. This is also why I think it should be for teens than for little kids. I think a boy and a girl could read this because it has a boy and a girl in the story. This is a great love story too.

Review written by Izzy (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Harper Collins for providing a copy of Both of Me for this review.

Have you read Both of Me? How would you rate it?

Review: Anastasia Again! by Lois Lowry

Anastasia Again! by Lois Lowry. An Anistasia Krupnik Book.

Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Publication Date: October 1981
List Price: $6.99
ISBN-13: 9780544336674

Review: Have you ever wondered how moving to the suburbs would be? Have you ever been nervous to be in a new place? Well, Anastasia did. In Anastasia Again by Lois Lowry, Anastasia doesn't want to move to the suburbs. She tries so hard to convince her parents not to move, but it doesn't work.

12-year-old Anastasia Krupnik thinks that moving to the suburbs is going to be horrendous. She tries to convince her parents with assumptions of the suburbs that sound terrible. Anastasia also gets her little brother mad. To make Anastasia cheer up a little about the suburbs, they let her pick what should be in the house. She knows, if she gave answers that are unbelievable they would never move. So she asks for a tower in her room. She thinks that will never happen. Will Anastasia be able to convince her parents to stay where they are? You'll have to read to find out.

Anastasia Again teaches a lesson. You should never make assumptions about something you don't know. Anastasia makes assumptions about the suburbs, but finds out her assumptions aren't always correct. She is also nervous of moving in a new place because she is used to living in the city. Although Anastasia Again is about a girl, this book is actually focusing on how she is having a hard time about moving. Anastasia Again is for ages 10-13 because Anastasia is that age, and anyone could relate to her if you have ever moved before. I recommend this book because if you are like Anastasia and you have to move, you would know what to do. Also Anastasia Again teaches a good life lesson about making a judgment. I recommend you read this book because it is very helpful. She faces the same problems you might face today. You should read Anastasia Again by Lois Lowry today!

Review written by Devanshi (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy of Anastasia Again! for this review.

Have you read Anastasia Again!? How would you rate it?

Review: Kuma-Kuma Chan by Kazue Takahashi

Kuma-Kuma Chan by Kazue Takahashi. A Kuma-Kuma Book.

Museyon Inc
Publication Date: December 2014
List Price: $12.99
ISBN-13: 9781940842011

Review: Do you sometimes just want to lay down and read a short easy book? Well then Kuma-Kuma Chan, The Little Bear is the book for you. Kuma-Kuma Chan, The Little Bear is written by Kazue Takahashi.

In Kuma-Kuma Chan, The Little Bear there is an inside look at Kuma-Kuma Chang's life deep in the mountains where he lives and does everyday activities like drawing in his coffee by pouring milk in it and he sweeps the rooms of his house. It also shows what activities he does in different seasons.

This picture book is meant for ages 5-6 because it is a quick easy book. Even though it is meant for younger ages I still found it interesting. It also has very good drawings that will keep young children interested. Overall I recommend this book especially if you know or have a young child.

Review written by Alex (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Museyon Inc for providing a copy of Kuma-Kuma Chan for this review.

Have you read Kuma-Kuma Chan? How would you rate it?