November 30th, 2010 by fjacksonem
Tish Cohen tells the tale of Sara Black who is living a messed up life in the book,
LITTLE BLACK LIES. Sara’s parents are divorcing. She is the new girl in a public school that wears uniforms and has geniuses such as an eleven year old named Griff Hogan. Her mother flew off to France and her dad’s OCD(Obessive-Compulsive Disorder) is getting worse. Especially now that he’s the new school janitor who the students think is a freak. She misses her best friend Mandy more than ever especially with her ”so called new friends,” Carling Burnack and her tag-alongs. Carling is a girl who can get anything she wants anytime she wants. She does things that make Sara question if her friendship is really worth it. But Carling has a little secret of her own as well. Sara realizes that she is turning into a thief and the biggest liar she can possibly meet especially when she breaks her dad’s heart by saying that he is not her father. But then things start to change. All because of a little mistake that wouldn’t have started if it wasn’t for Sara’s lies turn into a big problem. Read the book to find out more in this heartbreaking, romance, and suspenseful shocking book.
I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK FOR ANYONE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL OR OLDER.
Riya Shah
Grade 7
W. Tresper Clarke Middle School
October 5th, 2010 by fjacksonem
The Second Summer of the Sisterhood, by Ann Brashares is an exhilarating realistic fiction novel. Its about four girls who have been best friends ever since birth because their moms were all in the same yoga class for pregnant women. During the first summer that these friends were apart they created “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants”. They each would get a week with these “magic” pants and they send it to each other in a cycle. This is the second summer there are separated from each other so they use “The Pants” again.
Bridget sets of for Alabama to meet her grandma, Greta. She pretends to be Gilda and works in her grandmother’s house. While there she meets one of her old friends she used play with when she was little, but Bridget soon finds out her real self in Alabama.
Carmen hates her mother’s new boyfriend, David and is sure that her mother is making a fool of herself especially when she wears the pants. She ends up hurting her mother but what she really wants is her mother to be happy.
Tibby goes to make a new movie at a college. She makes new friends but an old one remains in her heart that could see beyond appearances. She realizes that there is more to friends than looks.
Lena breaks up with her boyfriend, Kostos who lives in Greece but still has feelings for him. When Kostos comes to meet her, Lena’s whole life becomes 100% better but when she goes to Greece she finds out the truth about Kostos.
I loved this book, and to me it was a true masterpiece. I would personally recommend this to a any girl 12 and older and some boys would like it too. Happy reading!!
Annet Kuruvilla
Grade 8
Woodland Middle School
September 24th, 2010 by fjacksonem
Have you ever imagined being an ugly, fat blimp whose social status is practically dead? Well, that’s exactly how Marcy Lewis in
THE CAT ATE MY JUMPSUIT by Paula Danziger feels like. She has no friends , unless you consider Nancy who is forced to talk to her a friend. Living in her house is torture if you’ve got a father who is downright mean, and won’t stop yelling. And Marcy most definitely hates school, that is until Ms. Finney, the new
English teacher comes along. She makes going to school have a purpose with her extremely fun teaching methods. So when the kids hear Ms. Finney is getting suspended, Marcy helps organize a protest and finds that she too is also suspended. Read this Humor- filled, heartwarming book to find out more.
I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS LOOKING
FOR A GOOD READ.
Riya Shah
Grade 7
W.T Clarke middle school
September 23rd, 2010 by fjacksonem
LOVE ME TENDER by Audrey Couloumbis is about families, and how they can come together in good times and bad. This book is about two girls with a pregnant mother and an Elvis impersonator daddy. When the Dad leaves and the mother gets a call from her sister that her mother is dying, The two daughters, Elvira and Kerri and their mother set out for Memphis to see their dying mother/grandmother. This book is all about families and how they are nothing like the familes on televions. They are actually better
.
I RECOMMEND THIS TITLE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WHO APRECIATE THEIR FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY SIXTH AND SEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS.
Lauren Moerler
W. Tresper Clarke Middle School
Grade 6
August 26th, 2010 by fjacksonem
Have you ever pictured living a life as a high school dropout whose only job is working in a grocery store? Well, in the novel
THE CONTENDER by Robert Lipsyte, this is the life of a 17 year old African American named Alfred Brooks. Alfred has no parents and is living with his sweet old Aunt Pearl and her three daughters Charlene, Sandra, and Paula. His best friend James Mosley is sinking further and further into drug addiction. One day when Alfred is beat up by a gang, he decides to go up to Donatelli’s Gym and become a champion boxer. Brooks goes through a lot of training in order to become a hardcore boxer. He wakes up every morning and goes for a long run. Then after his job, he goes and works out at the gym. After a while of training, Alfred quits but then he joins the gym again and this time he got to be a real boxer. While training in the gym, Alfred makes a lot of new friends, Mr. Vito Donatelli, Henry Johnson, Bill Witherspoon (Spoon), Dr.Corey, Horace Marshall Davenport, Jr. (Jelly Belly), Angel, Jose, and Bud Martin. Brooks also has some inspiration from his boss, Lou Epstein, who once was a fighter called “Lightning Lou Epp”.
This amazing novel was a definite inspiration and this book will be loved by all you realistic fiction lovers out there. I would personally rate this book as a nine on a scale of one to ten. I think this will be most suitable for boys ages 10-18 and I am sure a couple girls like me will enjoy this book too.
Annet Kuruvilla
Grade 8
Woodland Middle School
August 10th, 2010 by fjacksonem
Have you ever read a book and felt like th characters came right off the page? Well, in the book
INKHEART by Cornelia Funke, they really do. In INKHEART, Meggies’ father has an extraordinary talent. He has the ability to make the characters in books come to life. However, there are consequences for this ability. If you like a fantasy story with a twist, this is the book for you.
I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS.
Lauren Moerler
Clarke Middle School
Grade 6
July 21st, 2010 by fjacksonem
Have you ever pictured living a life up in the sky? In the novel
SKYBREAKER by Kenneth Oppel, we are introduced to a young man by the name of Matt Cruse. Matt is just your everyday hero and pirate-slayer, or at least that’s what he’s known as these days, studying to one day become the captain of his own ship at the Airship Academy. During training aboard the Flotsam, Matt is given the opportunity to go from rags to riches when he spots a ship long forgotten by history. The Hyperion left its dock over 40 years ago, but never reached its destination. The vast treasures of the esteemed inventor, Theodore Grunel, were never seen again. Matt, alongside his friend Kate de Vries, a gypsy, and a sky captain set out in search of this ghost ship and its frozen crew. 20,000 feet in the air, farther than any have ever gone before, Matt and his friends set out to make a name for themselves and maybe even rewrite history.
I would personally recommend this book to anyone who likes a good adventure novel. This book is packed full of action but there are also aspects of romance and friendship in it.
ANYONE WHO LIKES SCIENCE FICTION WOULD DEFINITELY LOVE THIS BOOK TOO.
Alan Alex
Grade 10
W.T Clarke High School
July 19th, 2010 by fjacksonem
The book
BEST FOOT FORWARD is by and amazing author. Joan Bauer really showed me to never make your first impression your last, just like Jenna, the teenage heroine of the book.
Jenna met Tanner at the shoe store where she worked and got the wrong first impression when he was stealing a pair of shoes. He comes back and offers to work in the store to make up for what he did. That was a good start on making her impression better.
I wish I could tell you more but that would ruin the book for you, if you choose to read this amazing book and let it leave a foot print on your heart like it did to me! I hope you choose to read
BEST FOOT FORWARD.
I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK FOR GIRLS IN GRADES 6 AND 7.
Lauren Moerler
Clarke Middle School
Grade 6
July 17th, 2010 by fjacksonem
The book
BAD BOY by Walter Dean Myers is one of the greatest autobiographies that i have ever read. Usually autobiographies aren’t as fun as regular books but this one was just amazing. Walter Dean Myers is known as one of the greatest authors ever and has had many top selling books including Monster. This book is about Walter who had a very struggling childhood with no birth parents. Walter was adopted because his birth parent didn’t want him since his birth mother had died. Walter had a very devious childhood and he got a lot of love from his mother who had adopted him. He went to Stuyvesant high school since he was smart, but didn’t get a high school diploma because he cut class. Walter often went to books to seek refuge when he was sad or mad. I like this book because it shows that even though Walter didn’t get a high school diploma he still became very successful. This shows shows that if you have a dream and you want it and you strive for it, it will come true.
I recommend this book for people who want to be inspired.
Yash Shah
W Tresper Clarke HIgh School
Grade 9
July 14th, 2010 by fjacksonem
Ever moved to a new neighborhood, if you haven’t try
THE SQUEAKY WHEEL by Robert Kimmel Smith.
Mark Baker is losing too many things all because of his parents. He lost his house and has to live in a new apartment in a new neighborhood. He misses his old school and his friends. The new school is tiny, and they eat their lunch in a basement. Mark’s
parents are getting divorced and they say they still love him but not enough to get back together. The thing that worries Mark is that he only gets to see his father on a lousy old Sunday every week. Untill a new friend tells him that ” the squeaky wheel gets the grease”, Mark realizes he will have to fight to get what he wants or life will just get worse. There’s only one problem. Mark has never fought with his parents before. Will he get the courage to say what he wants and get on with his life, or will he just let things get worse than they already are? Read this entertaining and heartwarming story to find
out more!
I recommend this book for people in middle school who is looking for a great book to read!
Riya Shah
Clarke Middle School
Grade 7