Land of Stories: the Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer

In Land of Stories: the Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer, the two main characters, Alex and Conner, are having a bad year. Alex wishes for a way to get out of reality. One day the twins grandma gives them a book called, The Land of Stories. After a day it starts to glow and hum.  The twins find out that the book is a portal. They jump in and an adventure begins!

I can relate to this book from when I was at my old school and I was feeling stressed out and I wanted to leave that school. Now I'm at a better school! I wish that the twins had a better way back from the portal. You’ll have to read the book to find out how the portal works.

Huskyguru 1

Jake and Lily by Jerry Spinelli

Jake and Lily by Jerry Spinelli is about two twins that have a special connection. For example, whenever they would play hide and seek they always knew where the other one was. Also every time it was their birthday they woke up at the train station with the smell of pickles. I can explain why later, but when their birthday was coming up Lily hoped they would wake up in the train station again because she feels they have been drifting apart. Since Jake has lots of friends now, Lily thinks they're going to lose their special connection. Jake is friends with a boy that lives in their neighborhood, the one that Lily hates. When their papa moves into a house near them, he helps Lily try to find a ‘’life’’.        

         

     I really liked this book a lot. Once I started reading it, I have to say I could not stop. Its very interesting and amusing to read. My favorite part was the ending because it makes everything better about the whole book. This book is all about family and friends and I would recommend this book to almost anyone that likes books that are about family and friends!

Reviewed by Mickey Mouse's clubhouse.

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander is about twins whose whole lives revolve around basketball. The older twin, Filthy MCnasty, and JB, his younger brother are both basketball stars. Their dad went to the world championships when he was younger and when he was doing a slam dunk, he hurt his knee. He could have had surgery for the injury but he decided not to. That was the end of his career and he never competed again. Skip foward years now and he is teaching his twins to be basketball prodigies.

One day in school JB finds a new girl walking in the cafeteria, and she is a basketball player too. Filthy MCnasty doesn’t approve of “Miss Sweet Tea”, the new girl, aka JB’s girlfriend. He starts spending all his time with her and he starts skipping practices and games. Meanwhile, the twins dad starts getting sick and he won't do anything about it. Will the twins make up and go to the championships? Is their dad going to be ok? What will happen to Miss Sweet Tea?

This book is both intense and caring. I give this book four and a half stars because the detail is AMAZING and you can feel the tense times the character goes through. You feel and live what is written on these pages. I like this book because it reminds me of the hard times but you will make it on the other side eventually, because life gets better.

-amazinga142

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander is the well deserved winner of the 2015 Newbery Award.   Wow, what a great book!  Told in poetry that is bold and powerful, this book sings!  The author tells the story of twin brothers who are basketball stars on their school team.  Lots of fast action on the court will thrill basketball fans.  The book goes deeper than basketball, because what is happening on the court reflects the complications of life off court.  Drive toward the hoop with this heart hammering winner of a book.  I finished it in a single reading.  Could not put it down!

Reviewed by Mrs. Castro

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann is a terrific book.   The main character in the story is Alex, an Unwanted, who has a twin brother, Aaron, a Wanted.  Unwanteds are creative kids who are eliminated from a futuristic world where they live, named Quill.  Yes, eliminated, sent to die in a lake of boiling oil.  Alex is separated from his brother and sent away to meet his end.  Except that he and his friends don't die.  They are taken in by a wise magician who teaches them how to use their creativity and their magic to fight back against the Wanteds (the strong and intelligent people who are controlled by Quill's leaders).  Together the Unwanteds live in a secret, magical place called Artime.  Can Artime and its group of Unwanteds win against the stronger Quillens?  Can Alex recruit his twin brother, or will he have to fight against him?  Read and find out for yourself. I couldn't put this book down.  If you enjoyed reading The Hunger Games, you will be reminded of that series.  I'm hoping this will not be the last book about the Unwanteds.

Reviewed by Mrs. Castro

The Unwanteds was written by Lisa McMann. This book is now in my definite top five favorites. The Unwanteds is an amazing fantasy book that starts in the bland world of Quill under the reign of the evil High Priest Justine.  Every year there is a purge where kids with infractions are sent to their doom to be thrown in the lake of boiling oil. Alex has several infractions and is being sent to the death farm but he finds it's actually the magical world of Artime. This is an amazing book and I DEFINITLY recommend this book.  If you are reading or have already read this book, please tell me if you enjoyed it in the comment section below. 

This review was written by MidgetMayhem

The Genius Files: Mission Unstoppable by Dan Gutman

What better time to read then during a blizzard?  So, for the Blizzard of 2013, I cracked open Dan Gutman's, The Genius Files: Mission Unstoppable.  It's about a pair of twins, brother (Coke) and sister (Pepsi).  I know, funny names, right?  They are two really smart kids who are targeted by a dangerous group of adults who are trying to kill them.  Their parents are oblivious to the danger they are in, and set out on a cross country road trip.  Thinking they'll be safe once they leave their hometown, the kids have no idea that trouble will follow.  I personally enjoyed following the kids' road trip on the map, as they dodged danger in real places from West to East across the U.S.  Lots of adventure involved in this book and there is an ending that will make you want to read the next Genius Files book, because this is the first in a series.  We have a ton of Gutman books in the library, so if you like his style of writing, you'll enjoy this too.

Reviewed by Mrs. Castro

Lost and Found by Andrew Clements

The book ¨Lost and Found¨ by Andrew Clements is about twin boys, Ray and Jay. Jay is sick on the first day of middle school and Ray realizes that one of the files that had all their personal or school information was lost. Once he sees his file he realizes that they put both of the files together. He tells his brother. They play with it and switch staying home every day for a long time. They hide it from friends, their parents and teachers.  Read the book to find out what happens to Ray and Jay.

This book reminds me of the book ¨Trading Faces¨. Trading faces is very similar to this book, ¨Lost and Found¨. In the book ¨Trading Faces¨ two girls switch places to avoid being humiliated.  In ¨Lost and Found¨ they do trade places too.  If you liked one of these books, then you probably will like the other one.

-Kitty4523


In Lost and Found by Andrew Clements, Ray and Jay are new to the town and are starting a new school.  Ray is sick so Jay has to start the first day without his twin.  Back in his old school, everyone had always mistaken Ray as Jay, or Jay as Ray.  Jay was thrilled that Ray wasn’t there, not to be mean, but he knows the first day would be a drag.  Jay quickly discovers a major mistake: no one seems to know that Jay has a twin brother named Ray.  Ray doesn’t have a locker, is not on the attendance list, and doesn’t have a student folder.  Jay wanted to tell them they made a big mistake, but then thinks of a way the mistake would be fun and the lost information would be very useful.  Read the book to know what happens next.  Will Jay and Ray get in trouble, or will nobody notice?  If you love books that are sneaky and mysterious, this book is the right one for you.

 ~Reviewed by Star

Lost and Found by Andrew Clements is a book about twin boys named Jay and Ray. They moved, and now they have to go to a new school. Ray is sick so Jay has to go to the new school alone. When Jay goes to school and arrives. They do attendance and he doesn’t hear Ray’s name. He doesn't hear Ray’s name in any of his other classes either. Later in the story, he finds a note in his lunch bag… it says “Tell the principal that you have a twin brother and he is sick.” He doesn't tell the principal. What’s going to happen next? Read the book to find out.

           I really enjoyed this book. I think everyone should read this. But don’t ever not tell your principal if you have a twin at home who is sick! If you lie, or not tell anyone something important, there are always consequences. This book makes you learn about not lying and telling the truth. The theme if the story is to tell the truth, and to do the right thing.

Reviewed by Dancer022