Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

“Why fit in when you are born to stand out?”  From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of color and sound, hallways hum “Stargirl.” She captures Leo Borlock’s heart with one smile and sparks a school-spirit revolution with one cheer. The students of Mica High are enchanted, until they are not. Then Leo urges her to become the very thing that can destroy her - normal. 

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli is a wonderful tale of what it means to be a unique individual in this  world of conformity.  Stargirl is embraced by many as a positive, energetic force in the community.  However, there are some people who don’t know how to handle her uniqueness and eventually become frustrated by her and her actions.  Stargirl’s adventures and experiences are a rollercoaster that keeps us captivated till the end.                                                                                                         

I recommend this book to boys and girls alike, ages 10 and up.  It is funny, honest and most importantly, real.  This realistic fiction story helps the reader, and some of the characters, realize how important kindness and acceptance are.  What I enjoyed most about this story is that everyone can relate to it and its characters in some way and by the end, you want to be a better person. 

If you are a fan of Jerry Spinelli, you’ll enjoy this story.  If you haven’t read his work, now is the time to start.  Stargirl will captivate you with her quirky behavior.  You will end up wanting to be like her or wishing you had her as a friend.  We all need a Stargirl in our lives!

Joanna B.

Neil Armstrong Young Flyer

      I don’t know about you, but I think biographies are a great way to learn about famous people. Neil Armstrong Young Flyer is a good book that tells us about Neil’s life. Of course, it includes the historic event of the first man landing on the moon, Neil Armstrong.
    
     I chose this book because I love biographies. I thought it would be good to learn about the first man landing on the moon because he is important from history. So when you are looking for a biography and you are having trouble with finding one, read this book by Montrew Dunham. It will make you wonder and I think you will be surprised at some of the facts you’ll come across.

The 39 Clues: Vespers Rising

Rick Riordan, Peter Lerangis, Gordan Korman, Jude Watson

The 39 Clues is a very interesting series that keeps you at the brim of exploding with laughter or excitement sometimes, and other times it makes you think you’re going to cry. This is the 11th book in the series, before the new series The 39 Clues: Cahill’s Versus Vespers.

Personally, since I’ve read the 10 other books that come before it, I think that this book’s information should come in other parts of the series, but I’m not one of the four authors who wrote this book. The 39 Clues: Vespers Rising is the first book I’ve ever read that has four authors.

I think this book is for anyone who likes The 39 Clues and thinks that they’re willing to read the series from The 39 Clues: Maze of Bones, to the end of the new series that’s still in progress.



-Wolf

Lacrosse Face-off

By: Matt Christopher

Garry and Todd Wallis are two brothers who have different interests.  Todd is a sit-at-home kind of kid and his only form of exercise is lacrosse, while Garry plays lacrosse for the local lacrosse team, the “Rockets.”   Todd had to play lacrosse only because his doctor said he’d become overweight and had to lose a few pounds by exercising. Unfortunately, Todd doesn’t know anything about lacrosse which Garry finds embarrassing.  Garry, Todd and the Rockets have the best player in the lacrosse league, Michael Donofrio, who taunts Todd’s lack of skill and extra weight while Garry struggles with a difficult decision to help Michael or help his brother Todd.  At the end of this book you’ll realize that Todd never gave up and strived to do better.

I recommend this book to everyone because it’s a book that teaches you to stand up for someone that someone doesn’t like and to be like Todd and never give up. This is an easy, short book to read.  I think this book really taught me to never give up and always work hard to become better.  If you finished Lacrosse Face-off and you liked it there is a sequel called Lacrosse Firestorm.

Taggerung

by Brian Jacques

Another installment in the Redwall series, Taggerung can be read with the rest of the series, but is also a completely stand-alone book. Once again, Brian Jacques crafts a masterful tale in which a young otter, named Taggerung, brought up by an evil band of vermin, tries to find his home. This is a fun, exciting, suspenseful story, with plenty of quirky characters, as always. Jacques describes the natural world so well that any reader can get a vivid mental picture. I recommend this book, and all Redwall books for those young readers who enjoy fantasy, humor and adventure. Taggerung has many twists and turns and will keep readers’ eyes glued to the pages. A great read, but definitely not short, so prepare to be reading for plenty of time!





-Eulalia!

The Battle For Skandia

Ranger’s Apprentice Book 4: The Battle for Skandia


I just finished reading The Battle for Skandia. It is the fourth book in the Rangers Apprentice series. I liked it because of how the main character is exactly what I want to be when I am a teenager. His name is Will and in the beginning of his training he gets a cloak that blends in with the woods, making it almost impossible to see him. He considers a shot that is ten centimeters above where he was aiming when he is 100 meters away from his target a failure! When I try to shoot my bow at home I consider it a good shot when I hit within a foot of where I was aiming from 20 feet from my target! He can also throw throwing knives with deadly accuracy, and can block a sword with his “saxe” knife (a knife which is as durable as a battle ax, can be used as a short sword- it’s like a foot and a half long- and can be used with as much ease as a normal knife.). The first four books in the series are about how he trains to be a Ranger, the rest are about all the missions he does when he is a Ranger. Halt, the guy who is Will’s master can shoot a bow with deadly accuracy and speed without even seeing his target! He can also throw knives with his eyes shut and his target wherever he chooses! That is the other part about the books that I love, both the main characters are ninjas. Can you win a war when the opponent has over 5,000 troops and you only have 1,500? It’s all part of Will's training to become a Ranger- from throwing knives to escaping slavery to being a tactician. These books have a way of keeping you reading forever!

I would recommend these books to anyone from 4th grade to young adult who are looking for action!

By: Gman

The Ear The Eye And The Arm

     The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm is a science fiction book that takes place in Zimbabwe in 2194. I would suggest The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm anyone who likes fantasy or science fiction books because it has good description and has a lot of deep concepts about spiritual African traditions. It also has a lot of great characters, but the ending is a little bit choppy and seems rushed.

        It is about the children of the head of the police department, General Matsika. The children have not been allowed outside their yard for as long as they can remember, so they set off on a forbidden adventure in the city. They go missing, and General Matsika calls on the three detectives: Ear, Eye, and Arm. Their search takes them back in time and all over the city, but can they find the children in time?

     To find out read The Ear the Eye and the Arm.

- The Silver Crusade