Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff

Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff is a very moving book. The main character, Albie is a boy in fifth grade who is going through a tough time in his life. He has to start at a new school and he feels like he is just not good enough at anything. He has a lot of pressure on him to try and do better, but no matter how hard he tries it is always just almost good enough. My heart went out to the character of Albie. The author does a great job at making him a real person to the reader. When Albie is sad or frustrated, you are sad for him. When he is being bullied by the kids in his class, you are angry on his behalf. Fortunately, he has some true friends and people in his life that help him. This book would make a great teacher read aloud. Destined to generate discussions and to develop empathy in your students. One of the RICBA nominees for 2016.

Reviewed by Mrs. Castro.

The Swift Boys and Me by Kody Keplinger

The Swift Boys and Me by Kody Keplinger is a RICBA nominee for 2016.  It is a very touching story of a young girl named Nola and her three neighbors Brian, Canaan, and Kevin Swift. Right at the beginning of the summer, Nola witnesses Mr. Swift, the boys' father driving away from the duplex where they live. Nola soon finds out something is very wrong next door. Nola expects the summer to be filled with fun with her three best friends, just like every summer she can remember. But this summer is a turning point in all of their lives, one where the children get caught up in problems they can't control.

I fell in love with the tragic story of Nola and Canaan. It is the story of a childhood romance, with raw emotions and true feelings, a real tearjerker. Keplinger does a terrific job giving her characters voice. When you finish the book you will feel like all the kids in the neighborhood are people you know and care about.

Reviewed by Mrs. Castro

The Swift Boys and Me by Kody Keplinger is a great story of a girl named Nola and her neighbors Brian, Canaan, and Kevin Swift and what they go through one summer. One night, Nola sees Mr. Swift ( the boy’s father)  drive away from their house. Everyone wasn't quite sure if he was ever coming back. But Nola discovers something that everyone else doesn't know. While her neighbors deal with their own problem, Nola has to deal with all sorts of new things happening in her life. Read this story to find out more!

I thought this book was awesome and I enjoyed reading this story very much! I recommend this book for grades 4-6. I love the author’s type of writing style too! The characters in this book remind me very much of other characters I have read about before, such as the main characters in Drama. If you haven’t read this book, you will enjoy it as much as I did!

Reviewed By: bubblegum-yum

The Swift Boys and Me by Kody Keplinger is a very heartwarming and emotional story about a girl named Nola who lives in a duplex with three boys named Kevin, Brian, and Cannan. One morning she witnesses their father drive away and never come back. Turns out the wave he gave her was a bigger goodbye than the boys ever got.

     I loved this story. There were ups, downs, sad and funny, but most of all touching moments. This book is great for any 6th or 7th grader. My favorite part was when Nola, Kevin, and Cannan snuck into their neighbor's yard and jumped on his trampoline without asking and used Kevin as a lookout! This book reminds me of when me and my friend got in a big fight and didn’t talk for a while but we are best friends now. Go check out this book for an amazing experience you'll never forget!

Reviewed by Cupcake _22

The Swift Boys & Me by Kody Keplinger is about a girl named Nola and the boys that live next door.  Nola tries to solve a problem to get her and the boys to be friends again and also to try to fix everything with their dad. There was some trouble with the boys. One of them is  sleeping at his friend’s house. One of the other brothers is being friends with the boys that bully Nola. Will he realize that he’s wrong and stand up for her against the bullies? Will he apologise for being mean to Nola and will she still be mad at him? Follow Nola on the amazing journey to get her friend’s dad back and face many crazy challenges!

It is a great book with a bunch of topics; drama, bullying, sadness, happiness. But it kind of is like real life because bullies, drama, feelings, sadness, and happiness are all a part of a regular life. This reminds me of a time me and a friend got into a fight. I think this is a good book for 4-6th graders because some people deal with this stuff every day.

Reviewed by dance star 13

The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier

The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier is a book that may just come back to haunt you. It is one of the 2016 RICBA nominees. The author also wrote Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes. The Night Gardener is the story of Molly and Kip, two Irish children adrift in England. Molly, as the older sibling feels the responsibility of taking care of her disabled younger brother. She has found work for them at the home of the Windsors, Molly will work as a maid and Kip as the gardener. What they find when they get to the Windsor home is not what they expected. The Windsor family members are pale and gaunt. There seems to be something wrong with them. A giant tree grows next to the house and it's roots are everywhere, even in the very walls of the house. Is the tree magic? Is it good or evil? Late at night, when you're trying to sleep and you hear the rustle of leaves on the wind you'll think of this book. Don't say I didn't warn you!

Reviewed by Mrs. Castro