Young Fredle by Cynthia Voight

Young Fredle by Cynthia Voight is a sweet book about a little kitchen mouse.  Poor Fredle (rhymes with metal) eats too much chocolate and gets kicked out of the nest because he's sick.  This is where Fredle's adventures begin.    As the reader you get to discover the world through Fredle's eyes, as he sees grass, and birds, and the stars for the first time.  Much of the world is very dangerous for a fat little kitchen mouse, so Fredle has to learn quickly how to survive without his family to rely on.  My favorite character in the book is Sadie.  She's one of the two dogs that live in Fredle's house.  She is ditsy and funny, and becomes a good friend to Fredle.  I'll bet you love her too!
Cynthia Voight's website
Reviewed by Mrs. Castro

Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin

Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin is one of the 2012 Newbery honor books.  It has illustrations that remind me of the Hugo Cabret book.  For those of you looking for a quick read, this is a good one.  The book takes place in Russia during the time of Stalin.  This was a very dangerous time to live in Russia when many people were locked up and executed by the government.  Sasha, the boy in the story has to face life without a mother, and the imprisonment of his father.  The story is very gripping and moves the reader quickly through Sasha's tough and frightening times.

Reviewed by Mrs. Castro

Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer

The series of Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer is about the life of a billionaire kid.  Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox faces a dilemma; his mom has to go to the hospital because of an internal organ eating disease.   I can’t recall the name of the disease.  (I really don’t get how she gets the sickness or if it is real, but otherwise just go with it).  Before his mom got sick, he went to Ireland where he met a fairy and captured it.  He was with his friends (Holly and Butler, the security guard).  They try to help do whatever they can to find a cure.  This reminds me of the time my mom came down with the flu.  She got better but it did take a while.   I would recommend this book to anyone that likes fiction, or if you like weird and awesome young adult books.

Reviewed by Deathninja

Heroes Don't Run by Harry Mazer

Heroes Don’t Run is a book by Harry Mazer that takes place in 1994. In the story the main character, Adam Pelko is the son of a lieutenant. Follow Adam through boot camp, war, and find out if he goes home hurt or if he fights through till the end.  I would recommend this book to a friend that likes books about war.  A personal connection I made was how my Pepa was in World War 2.  I wonder what it was like to be in a war like them.

Reviewed by :sk8551

Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai

Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai is one of the 2012 Newbery Award Honor books.  (It is a very fast read, for those of you trying to finish your 25 books this year!)  It is written in a poetry format.  It is a fiction book, but the story line follows the author's own life story pretty closely.  In the book, the main character is a young girl growing up in Saigon, during the Vietnam war.  She ends up making it out safely with her mother and brothers, to end up living in Alabama.  The story lets you feel how difficult it would be to move from one country to another, be the new kid in school, and the first Asian the other children had ever seen.  There is a definite bullying theme that runs throughout the book.  Read it to find out how the character survives and adapts to her new home.

Reviewed by Mrs. C.

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos is the 2012 Newbery award winner. Jack Gantos is the author of the Joey Pigza books, so if you like those, you'll probably enjoy this one too.  The main character, named Jack, suffers from gushing nosebleeds every time he gets nervous.  Jack is growing up in a small town in Pennsylvania.  He gets involved in a summer mystery, while helping an elderly neighbor write obituary (death) notices and American history articles for the local newspaper.  This is a humorous story and has a cast of goofy characters that will make you smile.

Reviewed by Mrs. C.

Fish by Gregory Mone

Fish by Gregory Mone is a fun story.  You'll like it, especially if you like pirates.  The main character is nicknamed "Fish" because he loves to swim, at a time when most people didn't even know how to float.  He leaves his father's farm to make money for the family by working with his uncle, who is a city merchant.  Through a series of events, Fish ends up swabbing the decks of a pirate ship, dealing with bullies, and searching for treasure.  This book reminded me of the Pirates movies with Johnny Depp.  Complete with stinky feet and bad breath, this funny adventure will certainly entertain you.

Reviewed by Mrs. C.

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

Do you like fantasy, mythology books?  Do you like Greek gods?  If so The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan is the book for you.  Percy Jackson is on a journey.  There is a battle against the Titans.  Percy and a group of young Demigods have to stop the Titans, led by Kronos, from taking over New York City and Mount Olympus. The setting of this story is Camp Half- Blood, a camp for young Demigods.  Then it goes into New York City.  Kronos wants to take over New York City and Percy tries to stop him.  Read to find out who wins the battle. There are 4 other Percy Jackson books in the series.  I would recommend this book for kids in 5th and 6^th grade.

Reviewed by Killer Wolves1

More Bones: Scary stories from around the world by Arielle North Olson & Howard Schwartz

More Bones: Scary stories from around the world by Arielle North Olson & Howard Schwartz has a short story about a small Kingdom placed in Hawaii. The main characters in this story are the Rainbow Maiden, the King, and a boy named Mahana.  There are scarier, exiting stories to creep you out and to keep your heart pounding in this exiting book.  If you like scary, horror, short stories this is the book for you.  And if you like this book, also try Ask the Bones, but remember you don’t always get what you wish for.  Read this book to find out more.

 

This book is reviewed by katmat20                                                               

The Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech

The main characters in The Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech are Zola and Eugenia.  They meet and Eugenia finds out she is an angel.  This story takes place in 1919 and some people can’t afford to take care of their kids so they put them in an orphanage or up for adoption.  Zola is on the way to the tower called Montagnola and sees an orphan and she really wants to help.   When Zola and Eugenia find the orphan she is homeless and on the side of the road.  The theme of this book is that you should be a good person and help people in need.  This book is interesting and exciting.  I saw a movie on Disney Channel and in it there was a girl who was sent to an orphanage.  The mother of the house wouldn’t let them have any toys and she hated Christmas.  The little girl had a figurine that her mother gave her and the house mother threw it in the fire.  I would recommend this book but it was not for me, because I kind of thought it was boring.  

By ILOVEYA99<3

Warriors by Erin Hunter

The series Warriors, by Erin Hunter, is recommended for children 4^th through 6^th.  The story of The New Prophecy takes place in a forest. The forest is divided into four Clans; water, wind, thunder, and darkness.  All has been peaceful between the Clan cats for many moons, but the peace will soon be a memory.  Four cats, one from each Clan, receive a message from Star Clan telling them the forest will soon crumble, along with the Clans, unless they reach the sun-drown place.  They set out on a journey. Will the cats be able to save their Clans, or will all be lost? This series contains six books, along with three other series, each containing six books.  I enjoy this series because it gives you a perspective a cat would have.  This series is not found in your school library.

Reviewed by WinterRose13

Robot by Roger Bridgman

Have you ever wondered about the amazing world of Robots?  I know I have.  Robots can do amazing human-like hobbies such as chess, art, and even music!  Roger Bridgman’s popular book Robot walks you through this world to find your robot buddy.  Robots take lots of scientific knowledge to create on one’s own.  And no, Robots probably will not destroy their creators!  Even though your buddy might be hard to create, the gift that comes along holds an outstanding future!  For many Scientists, robots that are genetically generated to fit human skills are known as “True Robots”.  Can you name some Non True Robot Machines?  Wish I could give you a hint, but you’ll need to read to find out what’s the difference between True Robots and non true, where the word “robot” came from, how to build a robot, when robots were first discovered, and MUCH MORE.  I recommend this book to people of every age who love Skill, Knowledge, and Classic Science.  Read Robot by Roger Bridgman!

SkittlePants10

Guinea Pigs by Mark Evans

Guinea Pigs is a book by Mark Evans which tells how to care for a guinea pig.  Guinea Pigs like their cages to be clean and they also LOVE to have fresh hay, pellets, and WATER.  There are a couple of different guinea pig breeds; some are Abyssinian, American, Agouti, Texel, Wavy Rexes, Shaggy Shelties, Silky Satins, Peruvians, and Crowning Crests.  Like all rodents guinea pigs’ teeth never stop growing, so you need to make sure your guinea pigs’ teeth aren’t too long or else your guinea pig will be unable to eat.   So make sure your guinea pig has hay, wood, apple or willow branches, or chewable tunnels.   This will make your guinea pig happy and healthy.  Also, I have 2 guinea pigs they are both baby guinea pigs and are both 1 year-old.  One is an Abyssinian named B, and the other one is an American Guinea Pig named DJ.   Hope You Enjoyed!  Question, do you like guinea pigs?
Reviewed by xxGuineapigloverxx