Dexter's 3rd book: Abel's Island

Abel's Island is an amazing book by the great author/illustrator William Steig. This book is an easy read, but it is emotional and beautifully written none the less. It tells the story of a mouse who lives in a world where many small animals live in civilized cities and towns. This mouse, named Abelard Hassam Di Chirico Flint, or Abel for short, get's caught up in a massive storm and find's himself stranded on an island in the middle of a giant river. He desperately attempts to get across the river and back home to his wife, but it proves to be a difficult task. Many things happen on the island including Abel waging war on a terrifying owl hellbent on eating Abel.

This book is similar to, believe it or not, the martian. In both books/movie, it shows how people can deal with isolation. I think both stories portray it in very different, yet similar ways. 

I recommend this book to anyone who likes weird, different worlds, and the inner dialog of a person. It's also great for anyone who likes drawings, as there are some really beautiful illustrations sprinkled around the pages. Really, I just recommend this book to anyone. I love it A LOT. 

Dexter's 2nd book: The Boys who Challenged Hitler: Knud Pedersen and the Churchill Club

The Boys who Challenged Hitler: Knud Pedersen and the Churchill Club is a book written by Phillip Hoose about the true story of Knud Pedersen and his friends. The Churchill Club was a group of Danish teenagers who, angered by their governments surrendering to Hitler and the Nazi's. Inspired by the British leader Winston Churchill and their Norwegian neighbors, they began conducting acts of sabotage against the Nazi soldiers occupying their country, such as destroying vehicles, stealing weapons, and more.

This book reminds me of some current politics, because of how even though there are things that are terrible but powerful, people still find ways to stop those terrible things, or at least do some damage (Trump, Sanders).
I normally don't like non-fiction, but this is such a fascinating story, so I recommend it to really anyone who likes amazing real (or even if you like fake) characters and insane action. It really is such a great story.

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

It’s been three years since Mia Hall woke up to find her family dead and three years since Adam Wilde was pushed out of her life. Mia is going to Juilliard in New York, preparing to go on a national tour, having left Adam broken in Oregon. In three years Adam has become a messed up superstar, trying to fill the void Mia left and is in New York City as well, trying to recuperate before his 67 show tour. They meet at Mia’s concert unprepared to try and apologize and to figure out why Mia left hating Adam and why Adam made her stay, but had to let her go.

Where She Went connects to When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead in very obscure ways. They are totally different stories, but they both sort of tell the story backwards. In

Where She Went, Adam starts by telling the story in the present and then frequently has flashbacks to fill in the three year gap between If I Stay and Where She Went, and to tell a lot of memories that happened before Mia’s accident. In When You Reach Me, Miranda tells the story in the present and the past to weave a confusing narrative that explains time travel. Both stories have interesting perspectives and confusing timelines. If you like confusing, compelling and complicated books you will really like Where She Went. Lovers of realistic love stories that aren’t cheesy will also love this book.

"The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" By John Boyne

Izabella Orozco

                The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is the horrific story of the son of a Nazi soldier, Bruno, a 9 year old boy who is naive to what was going on in Germany at the time, and Shmuel, a captured Jewish boy in Auschwitz concentration camp. 
               The story is in 3rd person, but is told in Bruno's perspective, and can be confusing because of Bruno being so innocent and naive. For example, he confuses Auschwitz with "Out-With" and Führer with "Fury". 
             Set during World War II, after Bruno's father gets promoted by "the Fury" to Commandant, Bruno and his family are forced to move to "Out-With" leaving everything he's ever known in Berlin. While moving into his new room he notices there are other people at "Out-With", but they're on the other side of a fence and they all wear striped pyjamas. One day out of boredom Bruno decides to go adventuring, during his adventure he runs into the fence and on the other side is a boy named Shmuel. They very quickly become friends and see each other everyday. One day 2 years later Bruno finds out he has to go, and Shmuel's papa goes missing. They decide the next day, which would be the last time they see each other, Shmuel would bring a pair of "pyjamas" and he would go on the other side and help Shmuel find his papa, their final adventure. 
                  This book is amazing. I loved the idea of going through the Holocaust through the eyes of a naive young child who is unaware of what was going on. This book was tragic, fantastic, and sorrowful. I would recommend this book for people interested in tragedies.    

Taking Flight by Michaela DePrince

 
          Michaela DePrince was born in Sierra Leone during the war, she was an orphan and lived in an orphanage where she was mistreated. She was referred to as "devil child" because she had a skin condition that caused her skin to appear spotted. One day as a young child she found a magazine, on the cover there was a ballerina, in shiny pointe shoes. From that point on DePrince knew she wanted to dance. She was told she would never be adopted and watched as many American families visited and wrote to her friends. Until one day two parents adopting another girl from Sierra Leone, noticed she didn't have parents yet, so they adopted her as well. Once home she was able to take dance.                      
                  Michaela began to take ballet back at home. She was part of a small dance class, half tap and half ballet with ten little girls. It was easy for her, and at home she had even memorized one of the numbers from the Nutcracker ballet. This story is very moving and incredible. It shows how some one starting with a big dream went on to achieve big things. DePrince joined many big ballet companies. She was able to achieve her dreams. And was even part of a documentary, in which she competed for a scholarship to a ballet company. It is a very interesting tail, managing to squeeze in many important moments and it follows an inspirational journey.

Title: Battle of the Labyrinth.

Author: Rick Riordan

Summery: Percy, a half human, half god also known as a Demi god, is extrimly worried about going tho another school after he blew up the last one, and to make matters worst, he has to go in Jun, and it her mom's boyfriend's school, and it's going to be much harder to excuse himself to him.  But when he gets nearly blown up by empousai, he realizes that his luck can get much worst. Now, inside the labyrinth, a mythical Greek maze, he must finally face his enemy born out of ignorance.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Conection
A few days ago, I went into this glass maze in wich we had to find the exit, but it is much harder then it is much harder then it looks. I was inside it for at least an hour.  It reminds me of the labyrinth because of how it fools people by looking like an exit, but it ends up being a dead end and you get smacked in the face and then feeling like your nose is broken.

"Island of the Blue Dolphins" By Scott O' Dell

Izabella Orozco


          
              Island of the Blue Dolphins is a tragic and absolutely amazing story about 12 year old Karna, based on a true story it goes through her journey of loss and loneliness being stranded on her island (somewhat) by herself for 6 years. 
              After the Aleuts came to the Island of the Blue Dolphins, hunting almost all of the sea otters and killing many of the tribesmen, including Karana's father who was the chief of the tribe, Chief Chowig. The people of her tribe feared for their lives, believing they would come again. They all agree to retreat to a land the new chief, Chief Kimki, had once visited as a boy. As they are leaving on the ship Chief Kimki sent, Karana  slowly realizes her brother Ramo isn't on board. Looking back on the island, there she sees her brother running towards the ship, but it's to far to turn back. Though she was attemped to be held back, she jumped into the ocean and swims towards the island to aid her brother, starting her adventure.
              I thought this book was astonishing, I found myself to be eager to find out what happens to Karana and Rontu-Aru after the cliffhanger ending. It was wonderfully written with the perfect blend of mystery, excitement, and tragedy. I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys historical-nonfiction books with tragedy and adventure. 

36 Children by Herbert Kohl

             Published in 1967, 36 children is about about a white Harvard-graduate teacher's experience in a black, impoverished classroom in Harlem, in the year 1962. There was no hero's journey storyline to give a summary to, but more of an overall gist. In September 1962, Kohl started teaching class 6-1. Kohl writes about the problem of public schools, how the teachers there commonly are as uninterested and uneducated as the children. They consider these children unteachable as well, and the effects of this treatment show through their below grade level vocabulary and thinking skills. But Kohl contests that this doesn't have to be true. Throughout the book Kohl learns of how skilled the children really are. Robert, who is an amazing artist, Alvin, always excited, Neomia, transformed from quiet to loud, and more. He lets them educate themselves freely, not told limits of what to write, what is too violent, what shouldn't be told. Kohl has a bond with the children, and helps them get a voice.
              This book is similar to how still in NYC, so much later, there is still segregation. You can find majority whites in a better public school, and black children still being placed in the lower performing ones. You still find so much separation and inequality, it's unbelievable in this time of progression. New York still has one of the most segregated school systems in the US. I recommend this book to anyone who is ready for a challenge, I had to skip many hard to understand parts, and reread it. They must be ready to see hardships in the poverty of NYC, and can be interested by a long non-fiction book. The book is completely worth the read.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

           
              After her brother dies on the train ride to her new foster parents, Liesel Meminger steals her first book of many The Grave Digger's Handbook, left their by the grave digger. With lots of help from her new papa, Liesel learns how to read. Not long after she is stealing books wherever she can find them, sometimes accompanied by her friend Rudy Steiner. But World War II begins and they hide a Jewish man in their basement.
              The Book Thief connects to World War II because it is placed during the time of the war, in Nazi Germany, hiding a Jew in their basement. And it shows what it was like in Germany during World War II.  I would recommend this book to someone who like when the author tells you whats going to happen in the end of the book. Or people who get attached to the characters. And if you like sort of sad books.

Another book that I read is called the Battle of Jericho.
It's about a sixteen year old kid named Jericho who gets invited to be a Warrior of Distinction, along with his cousin/best friend, Josh.  The Warriors of Distinction is an elite club that has been going on for fifty years.  They can go anywhere in school, get the best grades, and have access to rooms where almost no one can go to, like the room in wich the teachers keep the grades.  They throw the best parties, get the best touters, and are the most popular in the whole neighborhood.  But as the pledge activities continue, Jericho starts to notice how humiliating they are and how much they hurt him, inside and outside.

Goodbye Stranger by Rebbeca stead

Goodbye stranger is about a group of seventh grade friends, three of which have been friends since they've been 7 years old. When they where eight Tabitha, Bridge and Emily promised to never fight no matter what. Their other friend Sherm's, grandfather left his grand mother after fifty years of marriage and writes him every day even though he never sends his letters. Tab, Emily and Bridge make it through middle school without fighting and Sherm finally sends his grandfather all of his letters.

Goodbye Stranger reminds me of the book When You Reach Me. It’s about the story of a girl who sticks up for her best friend and then after that he doesn’t speak to her for a couple months. They are similar story’s because they are set in the same place but in two different time periods. The same author writes them writes both too.                                                                                                                                                                         

Ghostopolis by Doug TenNapel

Ghostopolis is about a boy named Garth Hale who has an incurable disease, but when he gets zapped into the world of Ghostopolis by former ghost wrangler Frank Gallows, he finds out that he  has powers in the ghost realm. He uses them to fight the evil ruler Vaugner who is trying to tighten his grip on Ghostopolis. While this is happening Garth meets his grandfather who tries to help him get back to earth.

I would recommend this book to someone who likes Graphic novels because this is a very good one even though it isn't a very funny one. Ghostopolis reminds me of the book cardboard. Its by the same author. They are similar in some ways like how neither one of them takes place in a world where anything normal happens.

Amulet Firelight- Book Seven by Kazu Kibuishi

                 The Amulet series is a– so far – seven book series, and this is the seventh. The Amulet Series, written and illustrated by Kazu Kibuishi, is about a girl named Emily who over the course of seven books has gone from normal girl to a girl who controls a magical amulet (a stone keeper) and attempts to save another world. In this book, Emily and the elf Trellis, and another stonekeeper named Vigo, attempt to search into Trellis's memory. Because only inside Trellis's memory can they discover secrets about his father, the Elf King. The Elf King who has turned mad, controlled by the amulet. This twisting plot is about the hard and excruciating journey towards an abandoned place under the sea, where stolen memories are stored by Gabilan. Another elf, who flashes from the side of the elf king to Emily's. Emily and Trellis enter the memory, and chaos, painful memories, and more lead to hardships. Up to the point where Emily is losing control over her amulet.

Meow

                    This book is similar to other fantasy plots, because of the way the story is set up. The character has a normal life, has a loss, the death of a family member here, and is set on an adventure because of an ability. Which is the amulet in this story. Essentially, it follows a classic Hero's journey storyline. I would recommend this to a graphic novel lover who will easily get wrapped up in a series, and stick with it. You need to be able to understand a very long plot. It has lots of adventure, not much horror, mystery, romance, and has a mediocre amount of fantasy in it.

Bone out from Boneville by Jeff Smith

The first book from the series Bone is about three cousins Fone bone Phoney bone and Smiley bone. The three Bone cousins got chased out of their home by the other residents of Boneville because Phoney bone ran for mayor. He had done so many horrible things to the town they obviously couldn't have him as a candidate for mayor.once the got run out of boneville the three bone cousins got split up in the desert only to all end up in different places of the valley. Once they set foot there, weird things start happening to Fone bone. He see's rat creatures and dragons and meets a bug named ted who tells him to go to a person named thorn. Fone perceived thorn to be a guy but Thorn is actually a girl. After he starts to live with her and he finds his cousins stranger things happentoall of them.

 This book reminds me of the amulet series. It is a very similar series but in amulet the characters get transferd to a totally different world and in bone the characters get lost in a valley seeking there way home. I would recommend Bone to somebody who likes action, adventure, and magic themed books.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Me and Earl and the dying girl is a book about a boy named Gregory Gaines, his best friend Earl Jackson and they're new friend Rachel Kushner who has leukemia. In the first couple chapters of the book Greg explained how horrible his life was when he was in middle school, how the social hierarchy at his high school is totally messed up, how he can't get a girl friend and he explain's his relationship with Rachel and his friend Earl and their films.  Throughout the rest of the book Greg talks about the beginnings of his senior year at his high school like how once Greg starts to hang out with Rachel his social status changes for the worse and ruins his reputation sort of with the goth group, and Rachel's status of getting sicker and sicker till she finally gives up and stops chemo. Once she gives up it causes her to get pneumonia and die.

this book reminds me of the fault in our stars except it is not a love story and they both characters don't connect on a deep level or go to the same school. I would recommend this book to someone who likes humorous realistic fiction. This book is kind of serious and sweet at the same time while also being witty and stupid.

Sisters- Raina Telgmeier

The graphic novel Sisters by Raina Telgmeier is a compelling graphic novel set before Raina's freshman year in high school the book covers many topics from their parent's relationship, unemployment and learning what family means and how to work together as one.  When Raina's family decides to take a road trip across the country to California, little did they know that it would be filled with high tempers and fights, especially between Raina and her sister Amara. The book shows the high emotions and sacrifices each family member makes for each other. Often showing flashbacks to younger Raina, the book shows how much her family has changed and shows how much can change in in just the matter of a few years. Raina struggles to fit into her extended family and to find her place and to define the meaning of family. This connects this to real life because many people have relationships that hang on the lines and you have to dig deeper to find the meaning of it. It also deals with the topic of divorce and being good enough for the family, and many people go through that.  I suggest this book to anyone who enjoys family drama and an amazing graphic novel.

"Like No Other" By Una LaMarche

Izabella Orozco

                "Like No Other" is a compelling book by Una LaMarche. It's a story about 
two lovers from completely different worlds. The main characters Devorah, a 16 year old who is part of a strict Jewish-Hasidic family, and Jaxon, a 16 year old African-American. By chance, Devorah and Jaxon get trapped in an elevator during the middle of a hurricane. After a couple of minutes of talking, though it took some time for the conversation to start, they almost immediately feel emotions for each other, learning they have many similarities and that they're neighbors. In Devorah's culture, by even being alone with Jaxon is disobeying laws.
              They start meeting in secret, but soon one of Devorah's relatives was becoming suspicious of her disappearances, leading to questioning and "stalking". They soon got caught, resulting in Jaxon getting beat up and Devorah being sent to Hasidic rehab. 
              Though I did find most of the book interesting and tragic, in my personal opinion I found it very predictable. I was able to predict what was gonna happen in the next chapter very easily, a typical "forbidden love" type of story. That's not to say the book was terrible, it was very well written with great characters and plot. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy romance and predictable books, which personally is not my favorite but I'm guessing some people would enjoy.

                     

Relish - My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley

       
       Relish, is Lucy Knisley's autobiography mainly of her childhood but of some of her young adult years as well. What sets this book apart is the ways she remembers things, taste. Knisley was raised by a chef mother working deeply with food for a long time. Her father also knew a lot about food, almost a critique. As a child she was introduced to many different foods from different places. She recalls her parents feeding her different things from a very young age. Taste for Knisley not only stimulates certain times in her life, but places also. She remembers a certain trip, being a kid, living on a farm. She was exposed to many things at a young age.
       Another excellent aspect of her book is honesty. In our current society, there is shame around food. However Knisley openly speaks about appreciating all different types of food, and with out shame talks about her love for food that might not be so healthy. She also faces some hardship, her parents were divorced at a young age and she moved far from her first home. She is open about her emotions on what has happened to her as well. Her book is so intriguing because it ties in so many different aspects, and is shameless, honest and generally open.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

The book Harry Potter and the Cursed child by J.K Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany is the 8th Harry Potter book filled with magic, romance and time travel. The book takes place 19 years after Harry Potter defeats Voldemort and now has 3 kids with Ginny Wesley, Albus, Lily and James. The story starts when Albus gets sorted into Slytherin, and feels like he is not living up to his dad. He feels like he is not upholding the Potter name. He feels like he is doing nothing. While Albus is going through a teenage crisis, Cedric Diggoriy's father Amos is searching for the last time turner so he can turn back the time and make sure his son Cedric was never killed. Albus overhears that Amos is looking for the time turner, and feels like this is his shot at feeling wanted and needed in the wizarding world. Albus, Scorpius and Delphi ( supposedly the niece of Amos) embark on an adventure to get Cedric back. But when going back in time for the first time changed many things in the future, Albus and Scorpius realize the mistake they made and have to work to fix it. Then suddenly out of nowhere Delphi turns out to be the daughter of Voldemort, steals Albus' and Scorpius' time turner and plots to kill Harry Potter once and for all so Voldemort can rule the whole wizarding world. Leaving them the night Harry Potter's parents were killed, Harry, Ginny, Hermonie, Draco, Ron, Albus, Scorpios, team up to stop Delphi from killing Harry. 

Harry Potter and Cursed Child connects to many problems in the real world of not fitting in. Harry gets sorted into Slytherin and doesn't feel like he fits in, but also doesn't fit into to the other houses. He is different than his father and mother and other siblings. He can't really talk to anyone. This connects to many people in our world, country, city, and school. People in our world struggle with gender identity. There are more than 2 genders and there are many non-binary and gender fluid people in our world who struggle everyday whether to go to the boys side or girls in gym or to go to the women's bathroom or mens. 

I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a magical book filled with twists and turns and magic. I suggest it to people who have finished all 7 books before it. This book is amazing and I recommend it everyone and the Harry Potter series in general.     

I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak

           
Grace Kurtz
            I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak, is about Ed Kennedy, a nineteen year old cab driver, he plays cards with his friends Marv, Ritchie, and Audrey and is pretty bad at it and has a horrible smelling dog named The Doorman. Even his mother says that he has no life. Until he stops a bank robbery. Now he is the messenger and must help or hurt the people in the town for the unknown man behind the deliveries. I think it kind of is like any mystery book with a hero. I guess I would recommend this book to someone who read the Book Thief also by Markus Zusak, or if you like sort of mystery books, and a sort of cheesy lines towards the end of the book. Its a good book.

Grace, Gold, and Glory: My Leap of Faith; Gabby Douglas by Michelle Burford

               The Gabby Douglas book is an autobiography about Gabby Douglas's life story and how gymnastics made an impact on her life. She also tells her story about faith, determination, and demonstrating to reach your dreams if you let yourself soar.
           Gabby was born in Virginia Beach,VA and was the first African-American woman in Olympic history to become the individual all-around champion. Her parents were poor and used a trailer to move to Oklahoma with Gabby, her 2 sisters Arielle and Joyelle, and her brother John to start fresh on their lives. They tried looking for apartments for them to live but since there was a miscommunication between her parents and the owner and they still had to keep looking for apartments but none was in their budget and they all ended up living in their van. Instead they lived with their grandparents. A few years later, her older sister Arielle convinced their mom to put Gabby in gymnastics since she loved doing skills at home, her mom said yes to the idea and started at the age of 6 and began training.
        In 2010, Gabby left her hometown to be coached by elite trainer Liang Chow and moved to Iowa and lived with a host family since her family couldn't really come along with her until the Olympics. After a lot of training, she didn't want to do gymnastics anymore because she missed her family too much, she had told her mom. Their dad had walked-out on them and it was hard for their mom to keep up with her life. Her mom was very upset to hear that Gabby wanted to quit and that she used the money that she can afford for Gabby. Eventually Gabby thought about this for a long time, that she wanted to go back and trained a lot harder for the upcoming Olypics and she proved to her family that she was capable of doing it again and became a 2-time World-All Around Champion.
     I can connect this book to follow our dreams if you put your whole heart into it and "let yourself soar."

               

My Sister The Vampire; Switched by Sienna Mercer

                      Switched is kind of based on the ABC show Switched At Birth. But the first main character in the book, Olivia Abbott, moves to town, now is excited to go to Franklin Grove Middle School, and is excited to join the cheer team. Then she meets Ivy Vega. At first Ivy is more goth and Olivia is more of like the opposite of her, dresses more perky, so they're not exactly the same. When the two sisters meet at school, they decide to get know each other, then they discover they're identical twins and separated at birth! But were adopted by different parents. Olivia couldn't decide the fact that she had a sister or a twin sister.
                    Olivia and Ivy both brim with plans to switch places with each other so that Ivy would be Olivia and Olivia would be Ivy to trick people in there school. But Ivy never believed it would work until they have fallen for it. Sooner or later Ivy had to tell Olivia...that she was a vampire. At first, Olivia didn't believe until she found out that Ivy was allergic to garlic and hated sunlight. But Ivy wasn't the only one that was a vampire at Franklin Grove, ivy's best friend Sophia was a vampire also and the other goths that Ivy hangs out with. Olivia had believed all of that and couldn't tell anyone. But she had no choice but tell Sophia that Ivy told her that most of them were vampires, Ivy found out, so Ivy and Olivia made a twin pact that they would never keep secrets from each other and pledge to stick together as SISTERS.

I read a book called Watch Wolf.

It's about a wolf called faolan, and he and a she-wolf called edme have been chosen to be part of the wolves of the watch.  But but their happiness is short-lived, since a bear cub is suddenly snatched from it's place by a pack of wolves and hidden away. Now the bears have declared war with the wolves, and if it is not stopped, it would mean the end of the wolves in the Beyond.  Entrusted with the task of binging back the cub and stop the war, faolan and edme set out to find the cub, bring him back, and restore peace to the beyond.

Boy 21 Book Review by Malcolm Chorao

 

Boy 21 was a compelling story about a kid called Finley who goes through some hardships as any kid who lives in Bellmont.  Bellmont is a town that has been ruled by the Irish mob drug dealers and many more crime filled people of that sorts. Finley is an only child who lives with his dad who has to work non-stop and his grandpa who lives in the past by drinking and consuming a ton of alcohol. The only way Finley can escape from his drug ridden town is by playing basketball and hanging out and sometimes talking with his best friend/girlfriend. 

Finley is a silent kid whose whole life revolves around his girlfriend, Erin and playing basketball. Let me may add that besides Erin, Finley has no friends. Senior year is about to start for Finley and his future is starting to look great because he’s the starting point guard for his high school basketball team.  At this point he has a very unexpected visit from his coach. His coach takes him out to dinner and tells Finley there is this boy that goes by the name of Boy 21 and his parents just died. He wants Finley to help him recover because Russ, that goes by the name Boy 21 is a star basketball player that they need on their team. As the book goes on, Boy 21 and Finley become true friends. Although you might think the book is about basketball, it’s really about friendships and what friendships can do for you in the end. 

Both Finley and Boy 21 go through struggles throughout their last year of high-school. The ending of this book really means something. It’s a very sad and depressing ending, but at the same time it sparks a new future for all the main characters in the book. Just like frosting on a cake, the ending to this book really ties it all together. Without the ending the book wouldn’t be powerful. Thankfully this book went out in a slow and sad but pretty great bam.

Boy 21 meant a ton to me as a reader. I am not the biggest reader and I don’t think I ever will be, but this book really made me enjoy reading again. It is a struggle for me to really find a book I’m interested in. This book is filled with emotions and the author, Matthew Quick does a tremendous job of making you understand what the characters feel and what they want to do by writing in a slow but progressive way. Mathew Quick also wrote novels like “The Silver Linings Playbook.” Now this book is recommended for high- school students but don't let that take you off guard. The only reason it is recommend for 9th graders is because it makes you think a ton about each and every character. I would recommend this book to anybody. Honestly what is so truly amazing about this book is that I think Boy 21 will affect each and every person differently.

 

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson is a fictional fantasy book about a boy named Jess that lives in a small quite town. He wishes to have some excitement in his bland and boring life, as he also wishes for things to get better in his life. He's tired of being bullied, and he's tired of having his parents fighting all the time. But things start to change for he him the day a new girl named Leslie comes to his school. She makes an instant mark on Jess after she beats him in a race. He doesn't like her very much at first but with her house being down the street from his they do spend more time together and eventually become friends. One day Leslie and Jess race down a path near both of their homes to discover a wide woods that they explore and decide to call there own. They start to image that they are the king and queen of the woods and they name it Terabithia. For days they go t the woods after school and image them fighting off monsters to protect their citizens of  Terabithia. One day Jess finds out that Leslie de tying to get into the woods when he wasn't there. He falls into a depression feeling as if it was his fault that his friend had passed away. But with help from his sister he comes to accept that there was nothing he could to, to have stop Leslie from passing. I think that this book is great about teaching kids about acceptance , and coming to terms with things that they cant control.

Dexter's 1st book: Bartimaeus: The Amulet of Samarkand

The Amulet of Samarkand is the first in the Bartimaes series, by Jonathan Stroud, a series about demons, magicians, and a corrupt London government. The book follow's two characters, Nathaniel, a talented young magician with his eyes set on vengeance, and Bartimaes, a witty demon who is forced to help Nathaniel. Nathaniel was publicly humiliated by a man called Simon Lovelace years ago, and summons Bartimaes to steal one of Lovelace's most prized possession, The Amulet of Samarkand. In doing so, both the protagonists get swept up in a storm of betrayal and corruption.

This book is actually similar to the real world, mainly because of how it portrays different governments. Like in the real world, it's government isn't always as great and lawful as some think it is. I highly recommend this book (and entire series, although I'm not done) to anyone who likes magic, governments, and/or a witty main character that cracks a few jokes now and then. This book is really great, and the 2 different characters makes you see multiple sides of things, so I recommend you go and read it!

To all boys I've loved before

"To all the boys I've loved before" by Jenny Han is about an Asian- American girl named Laura-Jean she lives in a small town with her two sisters, one older and on younger and her father after their mother dies. Things have been fine in Laura-jean's  life up until her older sister is going off to college, that's when everything starts to fall apart. You see Laura-Jean has had a few boys that she has ever loved during her whole life and when she feels like she needs to move on she writes letters to them pouring her heart out just so that she's sure she's over that boy. She kept them in a hat box that her mother gave her, and after she writes a letter about her latest love Josh he older sisters boyfriend, all the letters get sent out to the boys that she wrote them too. And Laura-Jean doesn't want to make things awkward with her older sister's ex boyfriend so she lies and says that the most popular boy in the school is her boyfriend. And after he hears about this he has an idea to have the two of them fake date so that she can make Josh jealous and so that he can make is ex girlfriend jealous. The majority of the book is them acting like a couple while actually starting to develop feelings for each other. As the story starts to end their school goes on a skiing trip and someone starts a rumor that the fake couple had sex in a hot tub, which kills their relationship, or does it? Have to find out in the second book!

"Dorothy must die" by Danielle Paige is a fictional series about a dystopian version of OZ ruled by a psychotic Dorothy after she uses magic to mentally cripple the true ruler of OZ, Ozma. Dorothy becomes overly obsessed with OZ's magic and begins to start sucking it straight from the ground which turns OZ upside down, the creatures and citizens of OZ need the magic to survive but no one can go against Dorothy's rule. But the three witches of OZ witches of  the north, east, and south form a group called the wicked to stop Dorothy's tyranny. But they need help. And this is where we meet Amy Gum a 16 or 17  year old girl from Kentucky, she lives a miserable life with her negligent mother in a trailer. When the witches realized that they needed help they created a tornado to whisk Amy from reality to the dark world of OZ. And before Amy can fully comprehend how she got to OZ and why she was there, she was being trained by the three witches. They taught her magic, and to hand combat. The wicked had constructed a plan to disguise Amy and have her go to Dorothy's next ball and assassinate her. But as they continue with the plan it back fires as Dorothy finds out what's going on and everything goes into chaos. I feel as if this book is a great start to the series, it compels me into wanting to read the rest of the series. It;s also a great  darker take on the book that most people know and love.

 

 

"The Skin I'm In" by Sharon G. Flake is a book about 13 year old Maleeka and her struggles maintaining school problems and home problems. After her father died her mother found a way to cope with the stress by sewing, her mother would sew clothes for Maleeka and since her family had very little income,  the homemade clothes where the only ones Maleeka had to wear. Maleeka was always being teased at school, for either wearing homemade clothes, or for being to dark, or just because she was very smart. And Maleeka didn't stand up for herself she always felt as if it wasn't worth it. But a new teacher  Ms. Saunders starts working at the school and things get worse for Maleeka. This teacher actually cares about the students she teaches and tries to get them into learning. And with Maleeka being very smart her grades went flying and the kids who's grades didn't, didn't really appreciate it. And Maleeka's "friends" only want to see her drown with them. But as the story progresses Maleeka learns that she needs to be happy with herself an not let people bring her down. This is a great book about self discovery and learning about self worth

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Persepolis is an autobiographical graphic novel from the perspective of ten year old Marjane, the great granddaughter of the last emperor of Iran and the only child of well to do and modern Iranian parents. Marjane narrates the tragedy in Iran as she understood it when she was ten, how she must now wear the horrid veil, how her friends leave or die and how her family, heart, government and teachers are all telling her different “truths.” Marjane illustrates the extraordinary in the life of a ten year old, the ordinary extraordinary and the extraordinary extraordinary, with a simple beautiful hand.

Persepolis connects to the stereotype of middle eastern people being “terrorists” and breaks it. Marjane Satrapi teaches that every culture, country and religion has some bad people, but those bad shouldn’t speak for so many good or misunderstood people. In the introduction Satrapi says, “an entire nation should not be judged by the wrongdoings of a few extremists. I also don't want those Iranians who lost their lives in prisons defending freedom, who died in the war against Iraq, who suffered under various repressive regimes, or who were forced to leave their families and flee their homeland to be forgotten.” If you enjoy non-fiction, history and funny ten year olds with peculiar perspectives you will love Persepolis. Readers who appreciate well done comics and love exciting stories will love Persepolis.

The Outsiders S.E. Hinton

The Outsiders, centers on two social classes represented by gangs. The Socs (pronounced soshes) are the rich mean kids of town, while the Greasers are the poor kids, outsiders to the community, who seem dirty, but just try to survive. Ponyboy Curtis narrates this novel, he is a sweet smart and thoughtful Greaser who watches sunsets and sees the soft side of the “criminal” Greasers. The story starts when Bob, a Soc tries to kill Ponyboy and is in turn killed by Johnny, a gentle Greaser traumatized by Socs. They flee to the suburbs with the help of Dallas, a hardened Greaser, where Johnny is severely injured trying to rescue kids from a burning church. With one Soc dead and a Greaser almost, can the two rival gangs heal each other, themselves and prove their stereotypes wrong?

The Outsiders connects to the continuous Black Lives Matter movement. The Greasers are stereotyped as uneducated hoods who can never change, like the African-American men who are stereotyped as criminals and killed by police. It took many deaths to force these two gangs to realize that despite stereotyped social classes we are all humans who face problems and see sunsets. This seems like a sad, but good ending for a book and a bittersweet ending for mankind. Readers who love a good adventure full of action and drama will rush through this book. This book is still always reserved for the hearts of thoughtful readers who connect on an emotional level with characters so real they can’t be called realistic. The Outsiders, is for anyone big and small, of any color, any class, but especially those who watches sunsets.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

If I Stay, is a book about life, but focuses on one girl, Mia, and her reflection on her past and possible future. Mia and her family get into a car crash, while both her parents and younger brother die, Mia is left in critical condition and a coma. Mia’s consciousness leaves her injured body to watch the people that she wants to live for and to contemplate her impossible decision. Mia must choose: should she stay with her boyfriend and a chance to play cello at Juilliard, or die and not have to brave her enormous loss?

This book connects to me because I had to make a very important decision, like Mia. Mia feels so real, it’s as if you are living through her trauma, looking through her eyes and she’s confiding in you her deepest secrets and memories that shape her. While I was reading If I Stay, my life and Mia’s felt parallel, like we were working through this hard process of choosing one thing over another together. I would recommend this book to everyone, but specifically to the deep thinkers of the reading world. If you connect to books and characters as if you are them or are in them, you should certainly read this book. If you love realistic characters you will adore Mia and If I Stay.