The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordon

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordon

Genre (check all that apply): Science Fiction, Adventure, Part of a
series

How would you rate this book?: 5 — AWESOME

What did you like about this book?:
This book is action- packed and leaves you on the edge of your seats.
There is a lot of Egyptian mythology and history involved and you
learn a lot through a compelling plot. The characters are well
developed and each has his own qualities. Also the emotions were
explained in detail along with vivid and strong word choice throughout
the book.

What didn’t you like about this book?:
There was not much I did not like about this book. The only thing is
that some fighting parts and other similar areas were very long and
sometimes confusing to read and process.

Would you recommend this book to your friends?: Yes

Would you recommend this book to someone YOUNGER than you?: Yes

Would you recommend this book to someone OLDER than you?: Yes

Your Name: Tiffany

What grade are you in?: 9th

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Genre (check all that apply): Science Fiction, Adventure, Part of a
series

How would you rate this book?: 5 — AWESOME

What did you like about this book?:
The Hunger Games is currently a very popular book about a futuristic
society where every four years children are sacrificed to go into the
hunger games and fight for their lives until only one person remains.
This book is full of suspense and action and the entire plot is very
creative and unlike any book I have ever read. The story is compelling
and I wanted to keep reading, even when the book ended. It has many
different aspects to it, there is romance, adventure, science, and
depth to it making it a well rounded and enjoyable read.

What didn’t you like about this book?:
There was not a lot I did not like about the book. I felt like the
beginning was slightly too long and the ending was a slightly too
rushed. Also the book was split into very long chapters and may have
benefited from slightly shorter chapters.

Would you recommend this book to your friends?: Yes

Would you recommend this book to someone YOUNGER than you?: Yes

Would you recommend this book to someone OLDER than you?: Yes

Your Name: Tiffany

What grade are you in?: 9th

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

Genre (check all that apply): Realistic

How would you rate this book?: 3 — Just ok

What did you like about this book?:
This was a play about a black family living in the 1950s. Throughout
the play, the readers discovers the conflicts within the different
members of the family and how the family member will try to resolve
the problem. The play is not extremely long and is not full of action
or suspense. The conflicts are real life conflicts and the story is
very realistic. The characters were developed nicely and the plot was
smoothly transitioned from each act into another. Finally this book
teaches readers many very important messages pertaining to family and
sacrifice.

What didn’t you like about this book?:
The book was not full of action or suspense and I did not find it very
interesting or wanted to read on. However, it was a very meaningful
play.

Would you recommend this book to your friends?: No

Would you recommend this book to someone YOUNGER than you?: No

Would you recommend this book to someone OLDER than you?: No

Your Name: Tiffany

What grade are you in?: 9th

Night by Elie Wiesel

Night by Elie Wiesel

Genre (check all that apply): Realistic

How would you rate this book?: 5 — AWESOME

What did you like about this book?:
This book talked about Elie Weisel’s experience in the Nazi
concentration camps and his thoughts on how he has changed through
throughout his time there. The book was extremely touching and very
sad and truly showed what life was like. Everything that happened to
him seemed almost unrealistic but they revealed the horrible nature of
humans when put in extreme circumstances. The things that Elie and the
other characters when through is incredible and how Elie managed to
survive not only the physical hardships and also mental hardships is
extraordinary.

What didn’t you like about this book?:
There was nothing I did not like about this book. It was a very short
read and I would have enjoyed something longer.

Would you recommend this book to your friends?: Maybe

Would you recommend this book to someone YOUNGER than you?: No

Would you recommend this book to someone OLDER than you?: Yes

Your Name: Tiffany

What grade are you in?: 9th

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, 2003

Genre (check all that apply): Historical

How would you rate this book?: 5 — AWESOME

What did you like about this book?: 
I loved the message of this story and how the author was able to
capture my emotions with the emotions of the main character.

What didn’t you like about this book?: 
There was a lot of description of the politics, which was not too
boring, but sometimes I just wanted to go on with the story

Would you recommend this book to your friends?: Yes

Would you recommend this book to someone YOUNGER than you?: Maybe

Would you recommend this book to someone OLDER than you?: Yes

Your Name: Kripa

What grade are you in?: 10th

Email address: kr1annj0se@gmail.com

Maisy’s Fairground, by Lucy Cousins

Maisy’s Fairground, by Lucy Cousins, Walker Books Ltd, London 2013

Format: Picture

Rating: 3

Genre:  Fantasy

What did you like about the book? This is a typical Maisy book and for Maisy fans, it meets all the expectations of a colorful, interactive, entertaining book. Maisy goes to a fair and enjoys the rides and carnival games. There is a pop-up feature on each page which further engages the child. The colors are bright and the illustrations are clear.

What didn’t you like about the book? The pop-up features were flimsy and were difficult for little hands to maneuver. They also seemed to be stretching the story in order to incorporate the pop-ups.

To whom would you recommend this book?  Very young children.

Who should buy this book? All libraries

Where would you shelve it and why? Picture books

Should we (librarians) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? Not really

Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City: Sandra Pacheco, Gardner Public Schools

Date of review: June 7, 2013

20 Big Trucks in the Middle of the Street, by Mark Lee, illustrated by Kurt Cyrus, Candlewick Press, 2013

Format: Picture

Rating: 3

Genre:  Fantasy

What did you like about the book? 20 books get stuck on a city street behind an ice cream truck. This book is written in rhyme, so it makes a fun read-aloud for very young children. The children can also count as the trucks arrive and then get stuck. Luckily, a little boy saves the day when he comes up with an idea to free the trucks.

What didn’t you like about the book? Some of the trucks are obscure – such as a truck pulling a kettle of tar. Seems the author chose trucks to fit into his rhymes, thus the obscurity.

To whom would you recommend this book?  Very young children would love this book. The rhyming feature makes for an enjoyable read-aloud. There is also repetition of numbers when counting the trucks.

Who should buy this book? All libraries

Where would you shelve it and why? Picture books

Should we (librarians) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? Maybe, not as good as I had hoped when I first picked it up.

Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City: Sandra Pacheco, Gardner Public Schools

Date of review: June 7, 2013