The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson

The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson, is a book about  a little girl that got sent from home to home over and over again. Finally Gilly goes to a foster home and the foster mom’s name is Mrs. Trotter. She has another foster boy there. His name is William Ernest. Gilley hates the foster mom. She said that she is a fat hippo.

I feel bad that this can happen in real life and that kids have to go through being sent from foster home to foster home, over and over again. I would never want to have to walk in Gilly’s shoes in my life. One of my best friends from the day I was born was going though a lot. When she was one, her parents got divorced and she stayed with her mom and went with her dad on the weekends. It is now 2017 and she's eleven. Her mom had another baby with a different guy. Her mom  now sees her on the weekends. My friend that's 11 is now with her dad. I don't get to see her as much any more.

Review by Fan of gronk85brady12

The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis

If you like gutsy girl characters, The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis might be the book for you.  Set in the time of the Great Depression, you can revisit Deza Malone, who Curtis introduced in his Newbery Medal winning book Bud, Not Buddy.  The book revolves around Deza, a plucky, smart, African American girl.  Her family is beset with problems, but it seems that nothing makes Deza stop fighting back, not bullies, not moving away, not illness, not poverty.  Read along and watch her triumph over the issues of her time.

Reviewed by Mrs. Castro

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

I know that some of my fourth graders are currently learning about immigration.  Well, here's a book that will bring you from the beautiful countryside of Mexico, to the hard reality of the migrant worker's life here in the United States.  Esperanza is forced to leave the land she loves and has to learn to be brave and strong through all the hard times ahead.  Follow along with her in her travels, you won't regret it!

I've included a link to the author's website, if you want to check out more books by Ms. Ryan.  Just click on the title of the book above.