The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

I thought this was a wonderful book that would appeal to many of my female readers.  It's about a young girl who lived in the Southern part of the United States at a time when women were treated differently then men.  Calpurnia is expected to learn how to sew, and cook, and knit.  But what she really wants to learn about is the natural world around her.  She loves science!  Luckily her grandfather sees her for who she is, and helps her to explore their similar interests.

Scat by Carl Hiaasen

One of Holden's 6th grade students requested that we review the book Scat by Carl Hiaasen. I've read this book and really liked it. The author does a good job with his characters and creates suspenseful plot settings. When Nick and Marta end up doing some detective work by breaking into their teacher's home, I was on the edge of my seat.  

Here's what School Library Journal said about the book, "When their unpopular biology teacher goes missing in a suspicious fire during a field trip to the Black Vine Swamp, Nick and Marta don't buy the headmaster's excuse for her absence and decide to do some investigating of their own. Eco-avengers; an endangered, hunted panther; illegal pipelines in the Everglades; and an underachieving student with the nickname "Smoke" all play a part in this gripping novel. From the first sentence, readers willbe hooked." 

So, what do you think?  Have you read it?  Did you like it?  Should the 6th grade boy who inquired about this book, take the time to read it too?  Let him know.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Maybe by now you've all seen the movie,  but have you read the book?  How do you think the book and the movie compared?  And the best question is, how would you feel if you found out you were a descendant of the gods of Olympus?  Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed this book about a young boy on a quest across the United States.  I loved the mixture of fantasy and adventure, as Percy fought off fantastical creatures and learned about himself in the process.  The movie had a hard time competing with the images I created in my own mind as I read, but I still liked it too. Now I want to hear what you think!

Reviewed by Mrs. Castro

Percy Jackson The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan is a great book if you like action packed books. It's all about a group of kids that have one parent that is a god, and they fight all sorts of monsters.  But the problem in the story is that one of Percy's friends turns on him. So Percy and his friends have to try and defeat him and his army in battle.

 

I thought that this was a good book because when Percy Jackson goes to camp with his friends, it reminded me of when I go camping with my friends. We also get in trouble like Percy and his friends. I think this is a great book, and I recommend this book for grades 3-6.

Reviewed by Crazy Man

Rules by Cynthia Lord

"Sometimes people laugh when they like you. But sometimes they laugh to hurt you". This is a quote from a list of rules that Catherine has written for her little brother David. David has a disability called Autism. Because of David's disability, Catherine feels she has to help him learn about how to act, so that he will appear normal and not embarrass her.

When I was reading this book it reminded me of when I was in high school. I had a friend who was a little different from most of the other students. He was funny and smart and I liked him. But because he was different, people used to tease me for being friends with him. It was very hard to put up with the teasing, and keep him as a friend. So hard, that I eventually started to avoid him when I saw him in school. I could totally understand how Catherine felt about her friend Jason, who is in a wheel chair, and her brother David. I still feel bad that I avoided a good friend just because I wasn't strong enough to deal with the teasing.

Although this sounds like it's a very serious book, it is filled with scenes that will make you laugh. The author has a great sense of humor and David's character does a lot of funny things. You'll love the chapter called, "No toys in the fish tank." Go ahead read it; I dare you not to laugh!