Legends of Lotus Island: The Guardian Test by Christina Soontornvat

Legends of Lotus Island: The Guardian Test by Christina Soontornvat is a Rhode Island Children's Book Nominee. It is the start of a series of stories about Lotus Island, where magical children learn to access their powers. The story begins with Plum talking to the plants and animals in her grandparents vegetable garden. Even the worms seem to listen to her. When she is invited to Lotus Island to train as a Guardian, she reluctantly leaves her grandparents. Plum struggles to find her inner animal and wonders if she really is destined to be a protector of the wild animals of the world.

I enjoyed this book, but definitely wish it would have continued. It is a taste of this magical world, that you don't want to end. I guess I will have to buy the next book in the series!

Reviewed by Mrs. Castro
 

The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Perez

The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Perez is the 2018 Kids Read Across Rhode Island book. The book is about a girl named Maria Luisa, but she likes to be called Malu. Malu calls her mom SuperMexican, because she feels that her mother pushes her to speak Spanish and wants her to learn about her Mexican background. When Malu has to move away from her dad and live with her mother in Chicago for two years, she is not happy. Some of the kids at her new school are not nice and they call her a "coconut", brown on the outside, white on the inside. They make fun of her because her Spanish isn't fluent and she dresses like a punk rocker. Malu struggles to fit in at her new school and still follow the first rule of punk, "Be yourself."

Sprinkled throughout the book are references to Punk music, which Malu loves, and copies of her zines. Malu's zines are small books she creates with text, drawings, and pictures cut from magazines. Malu uses the zines to explain how she is feeling. I thought this book was very interesting. I think you will enjoy how tough and resilient Malu is as she fights to find her place in the world. It would make a great beginning of the year Read Aloud for teachers. I am sure many students will want to create their own zines about their family cultures as an extension activity.

Review by Mrs. Castro

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill is 2017's Newbery Award Book. This book is the story of a town drowning in sorrow. Every year they believe they must take the youngest child born to a clearing in the woods and leave her there as an offering to the witch who lives in the woods. The townspeople are told it is the only way to stay safe from the witch. The story is about one little baby girl, Luna who is left in the clearing and the witch who comes to collect her.

If you like well told stories of magic, with witches, warlocks, dragons and bog monsters, you'll love this book. I couldn't put it down! In my opinion a well deserved Newbery winner.

Reviewed by Mrs. Castro

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

Almost Home by Joan Bauer

Almost Home By Joan Bauer is a book about a dog that is unwanted and homeless. A girl, Sugar, is wandering around with her mother, Reba. Sugar gets handed a puppy from a man running across town. He said that he did not want the dog so he gave it to Sugar. Sugar's father, Mr. Leeland, left her and her mother to be homeless. Mr. Leeland was a money gambler and left Reba to pay off his debts. Soon after, they are kicked out of their home. Sugar and her puppy, Shush, go into a foster home while Reba is out looking for something better for them. 

My connections to this book are that I also have a puppy. When I was very little, I also had a dad that left me. If you read this book you might get sad in the beginning, although it gets way happier. Read this, you won’t regret it!

     Reviewed by: Amaya 

“Home isn`t always a place you picture in your mind, home is a place in your heart.”  That’s what Sugar Mae Cole said after all she had been through, from her father leaving to her being homeless. In the story Almost Home by Joan Bauer, Mr.Leeland, Sugar`s father had been a money gambler and left Sugar and her mother, Reba alone to pay his debts. Soon enough they are kicked out of their home and become newly homeless. Sugar and her puppy Shush, go to a foster home while Reba attempts to make the situation better. Will Sugar and Reba find their home or has it been here all along? This story may be sad, but I really enjoyed the book. Not only does it tell a story, but it also encourages people to help the homeless. Think about it, then run, do not walk to your nearest library and take out this book today. You won`t regret it!

Reviewed by MICHYMEOWMEOW101

Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn

Deep And Dark And Dangerous is written by Mary Downing Hahn. This book is not for people who don’t like mystery. This book is about an eleven year old girl named Ali. She finds a pictures in her attic which has her mother and aunt.But someone else in the picture and no one knows who. And Ali  wants to  find who is in the picture.She goes to a cabin where her mother used to live with her cousin and aunt and meets a suspicious girl. Is she friendly? Does she know about the photo? Who is she really? Check out the book to find out all of the books secrets.

       This book gave me the chills, but in an exciting way wanting to know what's next. I fell in love with the book in 2015 when I read it for the first time. I read it in my spare time during class and at home when I was bored in my room. I thought this book would be boring but you can’t  judge a book by its cover. If you don’t read the beginning or the end you will not get what is happening. When I read it the second time I accidently skipped a couple pages. I didn't get what was happening and that was my second time. I laughed out loud when I realized what I did. But, I truly love this amazing mystery book.

AwesomeA1

The book Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn, is a horror book and also suspenseful. I enjoyed this book because something was always happening and you want to read on, but unfortunately I only had a certain amount of time to read it each day in class so I took it home and read a lot of it. One of my favorite characters is Sissy because she is mean and funny about everything.  That is a good thing, but also bad because you can get in trouble for being mean. Ali is the main character.  She has a little cousin named Emma, who is scared and has bad dreams about someone scary who her mom and aunt hung out with when they were little. This girl had a tragic accident and died. Read this book to find out what happened to the girl and what they do to prevent being haunted.

Reviewed by monster123

Do you like ghost stories? Well, if so, you would love Deep and Dark and Dangerous. Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn is eerie and suspenseful.  A girl named Ali finds a torn photo of her aunt and mom at Gull Cottage. Who is the other girl? Her aunt Dulcie shows up to ask Ali if she wanted to go to Gull Cottage. Once she’s there things start getting strange. She finds out who the girl was in the torn photo, a dark secret about her aunt and mom, and more. I highly recommend this book for people who like ghost stories. Never mess with a ghost!

Reviewed by Bob 2

Deep And Dark And Dangerous is a thrilling and emotional story. A 13 year old girl named Ali goes to Gull Cottage Lake house with her aunt Dulcie and her 7 year old cousin Emma. After a couple of weeks staying at the lake house, Emma, her little cousin meets a 10 year old girl named Sissy, who Ali strongly dislikes until some secrets are uncovered…

Reviewed by Pinkxox003

Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Dawning Hahn is awesome. Deep and Dark and Dangerous will leave you at the edge of your seat.  Ali is 13 years old named and Ali’s cousin Emma go to Gull Cottage. There is a girl named Sissy and she is a bad influence.  Something goes wrong, but you will have to read to find out what it is.  Deep and Dark and Dangerous reminds me of a time my Aunt went to this lake house and there was something strange about that house.  Enjoy Deep and Dark and Dangerous.

Reviewed by Rocco06 J J