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These book reviews were submitted by children who participated in the library's 2002 "Books and Bucks" Summer Book Club. All children who submitted reviews were entered in a drawing for a Border's gift card. The winners selected at random were Jon Hanrahan and Erik Calmeyer.
BOOK TITLE: Last Act
AUTHOR: Christopher Pike SUMMARY: Melissa Martin is persuaded, by one of her friends, to try out for a leading role in the school play. Snatching the role, everyone is waiting for opening night, but bitterness and resentment are in the air, and a sequence in the play that was supposed to be fake, turns out to be violently real. The catch is…Melissa stands accused of murder! THIS BOOK WAS a perfect book for me because I am really into drama and in the book, you never really knew “who done it”. There was a twist around every corner! RATING: Really good, but not for everyone. REVIEWED BY: Abby AGE: 13 BOOK TITLE: Howliday Inn AUTHOR: James Howe SUMMARY: THIS BOOK WAS a good book because it was suspenseful and it is in Harold’s point of view, It keeps you wondering what is going to happen. RATING: Absolutely excellent! REVIEWED BY: Lauren AGE: 13 BOOK TITLE: The Dark is Rising AUTHOR: Susan Cooper SUMMARY: On his eleventh birthday Will Stanton discovers that he is the last of the circle Old Ones, immortal beings dedicated to protecting mankind from the Dark. THIS BOOK WAS interesting, with surprises around every corner. RATING: Really good, but not for everyone REVIEWED BY: David AGE: 12 BOOK TITLE: The Redemption of Althalus AUTHOR: David and Leigh Eddings SUMMARY: This book is about a great thief who meets a goddess. The goddess and Althalus (thief) go on a great adventure to save the world from bad, corrupt, and evil god. Afterwards they live together forever. THIS BOOK WAS good because there was a lot to keep track of and was very interesting in what they did in the book. This book is for people who can read and follow a fast moving story and is not for everyone. Overall the book was an interesting story over three gods and control over the world. RATING: Really good, but not for everyone. REVIEWED BY: Brian AGE: 13 BOOK TITLE: Winterdance AUTHOR: Gary Paulsen SUMMARY: This is the biography of Gary Paulsen, and how he trains his sled dogs to be able to compete in the Iditarod. He tells of the hardships that he and his team went through, but encountering some very comical happenings along the way! THIS BOOK WAS an awesome book, for it mixes humor with the dream and passion for the Iditarod. RATING: Absolutely excellent! REVIEWED BY: Abby AGE: 13 BOOK TITLE: The Lottery Winner AUTHOR: Mary Higgins Clark SUMMARY: This is a bunch of short stories about Willy and Alvirah who won the lottery. Alvirah works for a gossip newspaper and finds lots of trouble involving murder, robberies, and such wherever she goes. THIS BOOK WAS very good and Mary Higgins Clark uses lots of description. The stories are short and easy to understand. The characters are very funny and it feels like you know them personally when you finish the book. RATING: Absolutely excellent! REVIEWD BY: Jodi AGE: 14 BOOK TITLE: The Confessions and Secrets of Howard S. Fingerhut AUTHOR: Esther Hershenhorn SUMMARY: Howard is determined to get the reward for the best salesmen. He starts a business named A Boy For All Seasons. THIS BOOK WAS a good book because it shows how to start a business and it shows responsibility. RATING: Absolutely excellent! REVIEWED BY: Katie AGE: 10 BOOKTITLE: Website of the Cracked Cookies AUTHOR: Erin A. Kimmel SUMMARY: Jess (a girl) loved to play the computer. Jess’s mom hooked them up with the website www.grannysworld.com which leads them to lots of trouble. THIS BOOK WAS a good book because there’s excitement and adventure. Three people don’t stop until they reach their goal. RATING: Absolutely excellent! REVIEWED BY: Katie AGE: 10 BOOK TITLE: The Young Underground Series: AUTHOR: Robert Elmer SUMMARY: Eleven-year-old Peter Anderson and his twin sister
Elise help their friend Henrik across the sea to THIS BOOK WAS pretty good. It’s a good story about how
people helped Danish Jews across the water to safety in RATING: Really good, but not for everyone. REVIEWED BY: Kristen AGE: 14 BOOK TITLE: Habibi AUTHOR: Naomi Shihab Nye SUMMARY: This story is about a girl whose father grew up in
THIS BOOK WAS a good book for someone who likes to really see how much controversy there is between races. RATING: Really good, but nor for everyone. REVIEWED BY: Abby AGE: 13 BOOK TITLE: Little House on the Prairie AUTHOR: Laura Ingalls Wilder SUMMARY: The Ingalls family leaves their home in the big
woods of THIS BOOK WAS really good because it has excitement, it has sadness, a whole bunch of happiness, and all great things. If you like the West, you’ll like this book. The book is so thrilling, this is the second time I’m reading it. This book is the greatest. I didn’t know how some people don’t like it. Laura Ingalls Wilder is great! RATING: Absolutely excellent! REVIEWED BY: Emily AGE: 9 BOOK TITLE: Dogs, Dog Breeds & Dog Care AUTHOR: Dr. Peterlarkin and Mike Stockman SUMMARY: This book tells about all the different dog breeds. It also tells about ho to groom and feed and how there temper is. THIS BOOK WAS good because if you are looking for a dog this is the right book to use. Also it tells a lot about the dog. RATING: Really good, but not for everyone. REVIEWED BY: Ashley AGE: 10 BOOK TITLE: Raptor Red AUTHOR: Robert T. Bakker SUMMARY: The book was about a red-snout Utahraptor who’s name was Raptor Red. It tells how her life goes on hunting and trying to find a new mate. And in the end her niece finds a mate and then they and Raptor Red and her concort have chicks. THIS BOOK WAS good because the author gave details about their surroundings. He made it seem like he was there in the Cretoceous period watching Raptor Red as their family went on. RATING: Absolutely excellent! REVIEWED BY: Ashley AGE: 12 BOOK TITLE: Someone Like You AUTHOR: Sarah Dessen SUMMARY: In this book, a teenage girl struggles to overcome her frieght of giving birth to her expected child. To make matters worse the father of her baby dies and her mother doesn’t approve her idea to keep the baby. THIS BOOK WAS good, but I didn’t like the main character’s attitude and behovior as compared to her pregnant friend. Scarlett, the pregnant teenager, was a nice, sweet girl I’m sure many of us compare to. It really gives you a new way of seeing teenage pregnancy. RATING: Really good, but not for everyone. REVIEWED BY: Fleur AGE: 12 BOOK TITLE: The Eyes of the Dragon AUTHOR: Stephen King SUMMARY: This is a fantasy based book about an evil magician who trys to destroy Delain. In the end, good wins over evil. THIS BOOK WAS a combination of action and fantasy which made this a great book. RATING: Absolutely excellent! REVIEWED BY: Erik AGE: 13 BOOK TITLE: Julie of the Wolves AUTHOR: Jean Craighead George SUMMARY: Julie lives with her aunt until she’s 13-years-old, then she’s sent off to Barrow to marry Daniel. But she is unhappy with him so she runs away. On her way to Point Hope she gets lost on the tundra. THIS BOOK WAS a very good book because it shows how something maybe more important to the key of survival on the tundra. And even more important the story tell how some animals may be able to help you if you study their talk with each other. RATING: Absolutely excellent! REVIEWED BY: Ashley AGE: 12 BOOK TITLE: The Babysitters Club: Logan Likes Mary Ann AUTHOR: Ann M. Martin SUMMARY: The book was about Mary Ann and Logan. I think some parts were funny. I like her story. THIS BOOK WAS a good book to read! I especially like the part when Mary Ann’s shoe flew off! It was a good story. I like Babysitter Club books! I like to read too! I think reading is fun! RATING: Absolutely excellent! REVIEWED BY: Claire AGE: 7 BOOK TLTE: Look Who’s Playing First Base AUTHOR: Matt Christopher SUMMARY: The book is about a boy named Yuri. First, he is the worts player on the team. At the end he is the best. THIS BOOK WAS great. I love baseball! RATING: Absolutely excellent! REVIEWED BY: Jon AGE: 8 BOOK TITLE: Raising Rover AUTHOR: Judith Halliburton SUMMARY: Raising Rover is a non-fiction book about raising your dog. It includes training, feeding, and playtime with your dog. If you love dogs, you’ll love it! THIS BOOK WAS a super book! I loved it! It was good because the author made everything, from feeding to training sound easy! This book is highly reccomended by me. RATING: Absolutely excellent! REVIEWED BY: Nell AGE: 9
BOOK TITLE: This Place Has No Atmosphere AUTHOR: Paula Danziger SUMMARY: This book is set in 2057 with all the futuristic trends and technology. Oh yeah! Aurora, the main character, and her family have to make a big move…to the moon! THIS BOOK WAS neat because of all the little gadgets that are used in the future give a really nice touch to this book. Like the mood clothes or the wristwatch/TV or the new way to get fast food (extra fast because of all the technology). It’s like a guide to adjust to wherever you move, even if it is the moon and how to turn it from being a miserable experience to a exciting time. RATING: Really good, but not for everyone. REVIEWED BY: Kristin AGE: 13 BOOK TITLE: Quidditch Through the Ages AUTHOR: Kennilworthy Whisp SUMMARY: It’s a good book that explains the history of quidditch. It also tells about othr quidditch realated games. (Quidditch goes way back in history, even before the 1200, way before!) THIS BOOK WAS good because they explain everything very clearly, so you can understand what they’re talking about in the book. It’s not like where in some books they don’t explain it enough, so you don’t know what they’re talking about. RATING: Absolutely excellent, but not for everyone. REVIEWED BY: Emily AGE: 9 BOOK TITLE: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone AUTHOR: J. K. Rowling SUMMARY: Harry’s parents are killed by an evil sorcerer named Lord Voldimort. He is sent to live with his aunt and uncle the Dursles. At eleven years old Harry gets a letter to go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. THIS BOOK WAS a good book because it tells young readers there just might be an unknown world filled with witches and wizards! RATING: Absolutely excellent! REVIEWED BY: Ashley AGE: 12 BOOK TITLE: Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Women AUTHOR: Dav Pilkey SUMMARY: The wicked wedgie women tries to destroy the world. Captain Underpants stops her. THIS BOOK WAS a good book because it has comedy. It has super-heroes and super-villains. It even has comic books. George and Harold are trouble makes but if you ask their parents they’ll say, “They’re little angels.” Don’t snap your fingers by Mister Krupp their principal or he will turn into Captain Underpants. That’s why I would tell people about this book RATING: Absolutely excellent! REVIEWED BY: Clinton AGE: 9 |
