Ruby on the Outside by Nora Raleigh Baskin

Ruby on the Outside by Nora Raleigh Baskin is about a young girl named Ruby who lives with her aunt because her mother is in prison. She visits her mother in prison and it is a frightening experience that she has had to get used to. Ruby has to live without being able to call her mother on the phone, without having her mother to tuck her in at night, or to talk to when she is worried. She has also learned to live with the secret that her mother is in prison. Living with a secret like that, keeping it on the inside is very difficult. Ruby's worlds collide when she meets Margalit who is new in her apartment complex. Ruby thinks she has finally found a best friend, but will her secret and her mother's past make that impossible?

One of the reasons I think reading is so important is because it helps us to understand people who have different life experiences than we have had. We get a chance to be inside their head and know what it might feel like to have the problems they have. This insight allows us to be sympathetic to other peoples' problems. Ruby on the Outside does just this, beautifully.

Mrs. Castro

The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart

Ever since Mark was a little boy, he had planned to climb Mount Rainier with his grandfather. But one thing stood in the way. Mark was a very sick boy but was tired of being just the sick kid. He was determined to make his grandfather proud. Mark could do it with his dog, Beau, by his side. Climbing up is one thing, but climbing down is another. His whole life, Mark has overcome many things. Will this add to the list of accomplishments, or be the last thing he ever does? Read The Honest Truth to join Mark up the mountain and find out what his fate will be.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I appreciated the cliff-hangers and could never put it down. The Honest Truth  made me happy, sad and nervous all at the same time. The author paints a great picture in the reader's mind which makes you really get to know Mark, Beau, and the rest of the crew. I strongly recommend reading The Honest Truth. It’s a great book!

Reading this book reminded me of when I saw a story on the news about a 14 year old girl who trained for years to climb Mount Everest. Even though Mark didn’t train for years, both of them had a passion for adventure. The girl had Mount Everest on her bucket list for a long time and when she accomplished it, she felt that she made her dad proud.  When Mark was climbing Mount Rainier, he wanted to make his grandfather proud. The 14 year old girl and Mark have a lot in common in my opinion.

Reviewed By-Soccergirl16

The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart was not an easy book to read. I cried pretty much through the whole thing. Mark is a young boy who runs away from home. He takes his dog Beau with him. Beau is a loyal, smart dog and Mark is lucky he is at his side. Mark heads toward his goal Mount Rainier. He and Beau will travel by bus, train, and foot. He is often in danger and is terribly sick and hungry. There is a winter storm coming and his family and best friend Jessie are worried. You will be too. I certainly was.

Mrs. Castro

A Handful of Stars by Cynthia Lord

A Handful of Stars by Cynthia Lord is a book about friendship. Lily is a young girl in a small town in Maine, living with her grandparents and her blind dog Lucky. Salma is a migrant worker, in Maine with her family to pick blueberries for the season. The two girls don't seem to have much in common, but they both have things to learn from each other about standing up to prejudice and about the loyalty of a good friend.

Cynthia Lord is the author of Rules, which is one of my favorite books. I really liked this one too. I think the author is excellent at understanding friendships and sometimes the difficulties that come with them. I especially liked the character of Lucky the dog. He is so sweet and Lily and Salma bond over their love for him and their worries about his loss of sight. Good dog, good book.

Mrs. Castro

Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper

Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper is historical fiction. Stella is a young African American who lives in North Carolina during a time when whites and blacks lived separately. Along with dealing with segregation, Stella witnesses shadowy attempts to frighten her family and the families of her neighbors to keep the men in the neighborhood from exercising their right to vote.

Although this story takes place in America's past, it is a time we should not forget. Much of this story about voter suppression and the Ku Klux Klan is very scary. But Stella is a very courageous character and although I was afraid for her as I read, I was also encouraged and hopeful because of her strength. This is a great lesson about standing up to the bullies of the world, both in the past and in the present day.

Mrs. Castro

Riley Mack by Chris Grabenstein

Have you ever got in trouble for helping people? Riley Mack by Chris Grabenstein, is about a fifth grader who helps those who are in need of help. A kid named Jamal gets bullied a lot in school by a sixth grader named Gavin Brown, but Gavin Brown’s father is the sheriff of the town. So when his dad is in the army in Afghanistan, he has to be a man and help others who are in need, alone with his friends, and no adults.

             I like this book because I can relate to it. Grownups do not listen to me at times, they never believe me. I try to help people, but normally succeed.

Reviewed By  _PotLag_

Masters of Disaster by Gary Paulsen

In the book Masters of Disaster, by Gary Paulsen, Henry Mosley and his pals Riley and Reed decided they need to go on some earth-shaking adventures, which leads them to a haunted house. When they get there they go to the top floor. Henry rides his bicycle down the roof!

I felt like kids can relate to this book in many ways. The kids in the book are always getting in trouble. The book was funny, and it made me laugh.

Pizzaguy135

Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland

In the story, Wings of Fire, by Tui T. Sutherland, Clay, Starflight, Glory, Sunny, and Tsunami are the dragonets that will stop the war of the dragons. Clay is the main character of the story and he will do anything for his friends. Their temporary home is under a mountain and they have been in it their whole lives. Each of the dragons are itching to get out of the mountain. Clay runs into a fierce queen and and has problems with her. Read this book to see how Clay gets his friends out of the mountain and solves all of his other problems!

I like this book because I like dragons and this book is adventurous. It has problems that the characters have to solve. Clay will do anything for his friends. I like his personality. He is a loyal friend to others. If you read this book, tell me what your favorite dragon is.

-PoponVicular

39 story treehouse book by Andy Griffiths

The 39 story treehouse book by Andy Griffiths, is a book about two boys named Terry and Andy that made a huge 39 story treehouse filled with inventions and everything you can imagine.  Terry  was finishing up building the last story of the house.  Mr. Big Nose wanted a book about Andy and Terry in two days but they didn't have that much time to make a funny and entertaining book. Terry showed Andy the invention he made which was a story machine.  The story machine made stories any kind of way.  The machine was making the book and Andy and Terry left the house to go see their friend. Once they got back home the machine locked Terry and Andy out and they couldn't get in. There was this man called the Un-inventor and he was on the moon because he almost un-invented the whole world!  They didn't care because they really needed him to un-invent the machine.

I liked this book because it was really funny and it was very entertaining.  I also thought it was cool because the un-inventor un-invented the whole world! It was awesome and all the characters were funny and entertaining. It was ALSO cool because they build a 39 story treehouse with everything you can imagine like a pool filled with sharks and a chocolate pool and EVERYTHING. I really liked this book and I hope you do too.

@chickenstrips

Silverwing by Kenneth Oppel

In Silverwing by Kenneth Oppel, there is a problem.  Shade, the main character looked at the sun, which you're not supposed to do.  There was a big war because the bats looked at the sun long ago.  Because Shade looked at the sun, the owls burned the silverwing roost down.  When they started to migrate, Shade got lost in a storm and met a brightwing named Marina.  They went to find the silverwings but met two huge bats named Goth and Throbb.  Goth and Throbb then turned on Shade and Marina.  Will Shade and Marina win or will Goth and Throbb have a good snack?

I think that Silverwing was a good book and my teacher read it to my class.  It had very sad parts and parts that kept you on the edge of your seat.  If you like adventure books or bats, then this is the book for you.  The book has many cliffhangers and it is very exciting.  It kind or reminds me of when I was a kid and I read Magic Tree House books. They have really good cliffhangers as well.  If you read this book then you will want to read every single book in the series.

Edited by Skullmaster

In Silverwing by Kenneth Oppel, the problem is Shade went to see the sun and you're not supposed to because the bats did not fight in the battle of the birds and the beasts and the owls caught him.  He tried to get away and his mom came and rescued him.  He made the owls come and they burned down his roost.  

I like this book because it is about bats and I love bats.  We are reading this book right now in our classroom and everyone likes it.  It is a really good book. I recommend this book. Also there is a sequel called Firewing.

xXscorpionXx