Safe at Home by Mike Lupica

Reviewed by Lucas Najera
Grade 5

Will Nick ever be adopted? Will he ever get the family he wished for? Will he ever get a Dad that loves baseball as much as he does? Read along to find the answers to these questions in Safe at Home, a Come Back Kids Novel by Mike Lupica.

This book was a sports book. It was about a kid named Nick who is an orphan. He visits many families that are looking to adopt a child. He only spends one day with each family. Each time he would get his hopes up, but the family would choose another child to adopt. One of the potential families took him to a baseball game. From that day on Nick loved baseball and could not stop thinking about it. This was the family that he really wanted to be his family. But sadly, they did not adopt him. Nick thought it was a perfect match because the dad loved baseball. But Nick’s love for baseball didn’t cease. He loved the crack of the bat, the food vendors and seeing the players run around the diamond.

The main character in the book, Nick, seemed very distracted. He spent all of his time playing baseball. When he returned home from baseball practice, he would read comic books instead of doing his homework. While in school he would not pay attention but instead think of baseball. He fell behind in school, and did not catch back up. His teachers talked to him about doing better in school. He said that he would do better, although he did not. I thought he was just lazy.

I am not really a big sports fan, but I would still recommend reading this book. If you do happen to be a sports fan then I would highly recommend this book. The author did an outstanding job in writing this book. He really knows sports and even included a little mystery along the way. It seems very realistic. The only thing to consider in determining whether you would want to read this book is that it is very sad. So, if you do not like sad stories you should pass on this book. If not, it is a great book to read.

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

Reviewed by Lucas Najera
Grade 5

“I Samuel W. Westing did not die of natural causes.” This mystery begins with the reading of the will of Samuel W. Westing. Ellen Raskin is the author of The Westing Game, a suspenseful, mysterious book that attracts the reader. Which one of the heirs will win the Westing Game?

Only sixteen lucky people were given an invitation to live in a luxurious apartment building. Why? We find out they were picked by Samuel W. Westing to play a game. The game was a clue hunt. Each team received some clues. But all the clues were needed to figure out the puzzle. Who will be able to survive and win the fortune?

The author did an outstanding job on the plot all the way until the very end. At the very end it started to get confusing. It was difficult to understand because the author introduced many characters at the end of the story. Given that none of the characters previously existed, it was perplexing to understand the story.

I would recommend this book to someone who likes mysteries. The author of the book makes you guess what each character will do next. I could not stop reading this book because it was so good. Also, I like that it is realistic fiction. This is why I would recommend this Newbery Award winning book.

Indigo's Star by Hilary McKay

Reviewed by Stacia M.
Grade 6

Indigo Casson missed a whole term of school due to him having mononucleosis. When he finally recovers, he's forced to face his fears and go back to school. Only his younger sister, Rose, knows why he's dreading going back so much.

On his first Monday back, things were as if he'd never left. The school gang was still out to get him. When a boy named Tom came from America to just get away from things going on at home, he ends up getting caught up with Indigo in the fight against the gang leader.

My favorite character in this book is Rose. I like that she's very resolute and has a lot of perseverance. I know this because she was very determined to have her father come home and to get the black guitar that Tom wanted so badly.

I would recommend Indigo's Star based on the theme. A boy has to stand up to what he's afraid of and go through challenges that he conquers. Also, I think that the gang, Tom and Indigo have an interesting connection. I also enjoyed the relationship between Rose and Tom.

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

Reviewed by Sue Y.
Grade 8

"Give me a problem, throw the most obscure passwords, and the most complex analytical question that challenges me. I abominate a day without a interesting case." Holmes says in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

In every case, clients come to Holmes. First, he always observes these clients and always amazes them. He thought they were just quite interesting casesm, then it turns out they were full of complexity. Also he figured out that someone was actually using these criminals for himself, whoever he is. And Holmes always knew if the Scotland Yard take cases and find a criminal, this clever leader always vanishes. He knows how to use people and tell them plans. Holmes almost ends up dying because of him. Holmes said if he is gone, then the half of mysterious cases will not be in London. But the thing is.... who is he?

This adventurous book is all about logic, knowledge, and observation. All things happen in London. Sherlock Holmes is no ordinary person. With one single glimpse, he knows every single detail about a person. So when the client comes to him, he can tell what is going on in the client's life and why did that person came to him. Holmes can solve most mysterious cases that even Scotland Yard couldn't solve by using his observation and logic. He never accepts a case if the case will be a piece of cake to him. Dr. Watson is the one who tells us about cases. He is a doctor, Holmes best friend and an assistant.

I would highly recommend this book if you love mystery novels. And you will definitely love this book if you like to guess things and solve some interesting cases. Also if you want to know how was the life in 1860s, London, I would recommend this novel.

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

Reviewed by Danielle D.
Grade 5

Have you ever wondered if you could make your on clothes, hunt, and fend for yourself on a deserted island when you're not even a teenager? In Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell, 12-year-old Karana finds herself doing just that.

One spring day, Karana is picking roots, and looks out to see that a red ship is sailing toward her island. Her six-year-old brother Ramo is also looking out to sea and sees the ship too. "It's a canoe! A big canoe!" he cried, and with that he ran off. Once she had finished picking roots, she went to spy on them. The chief of the village, her dad, lets the strangers stay there because they want to kill the otters for the fur. A few months later the strangers start to leave, but they haven't given Karana's people the goods yet. When they refuse to give the rest of the goods, the chief puts his foot down, but the white men kill him. The white men finally go and the tribe elects a new chief who says he remembers an island the strangers will not know. He says he must go alone, but later sends them a ship to take them to the island. The captain tells them that they should get packed. Karana is walking to the ship with Ramo, and he remembers that he forgot his spear. He runs back to get it, but Karana doesn't know that. She thinks he's on the ship. They start to sail away, and running up the path is Ramo. She begs the captain to turn the boat around, but he won't, so she dives into the water. She swims to Ramo and hugs him and he asks, "Will it come back?" I don't know.

I really liked Karana because shes smart and caring. And I think she's caring because when an otter was injured she helped it back to health. And I think she's smart because she built a house and made a whale-bone fence that only humans could get through. That came in handy when the wild dogs came.


I would recommend this book to my friends because I like the lesson it gives you: have faith, have hope, never give up even when it looks impossible don't ever ever give up.

Anne's House of Dreams by L. M. Montgomery

Reviewed by Patricia A.
Grade 7

Join Anne and Gilbert Blythe as they discover their little “house ‘o dreams”, soon full of the laughter and love of past and present generations, the shared joys of new camaraderie, the bitterness of tragedy and the mystery which life at the mystic, seafaring town of Four Winds offers so abundantly. Read Anne’s House of Dreams for this continued story of red-haired, fanciful Anne, who brings her gift of winning friendships, however improbable, to the new life, full of surprises, that she embarks upon with her husband, Gilbert. Meet Captain Jim, Cornelia Bryant, Leslie Moore, and Owen Ford, friends of the Blythes’, whose unique life stories are woven together in this captivating novel. Altogether, Lucy Maud Montgomery’s tale teaches us an important lesson, and is flavored with remarkable descriptions complimented by the complexity of the characters.

Shortly after arriving at Four Winds, Anne and Gilbert befriend Captain Jim, a lovable old sailor with a past full of perilous adventures and a knack for storytelling, and Cornelia Bryant, a kind, yet strong willed woman with a tongue for gossip. Next, Anne tries to reach out to poor, gorgeous Leslie Moore, whose tragic past and nearly forced marriage keeps her soul imprisoned. Sometimes at gatherings in the “house ‘o dreams”, Leslie would appear her clever, merry self, only to disappear behind bars of cold, contemptness again. Anne knew that Leslie was torn between love for Anne and hatred for her happiness, and it was only when Anne’s beloved baby, Joyce, dies that Leslie is reconciled. Soon afterward, Owen Ford, a novelist boarding at Leslie’s house, and grandson of Captain Jim’s friend, was welcomed into the group often gathered at the “house ‘o dreams”, and promptly agreed to write Captain Jim’s life book. Owen Ford later confided miserably in Anne that he loved Leslie, and Leslie told Anne confidentially that she loved Owen, but felt ashamed if he suspected as she, married to Dick Moore, was not free to do so. Meanwhile, Gilbert wanted to inform Leslie that if her husband was taken to an expensive hospital and given medical treatment, his mental illness might be cured, but Anne argued that he shouldn’t, for Leslie was happier with her husband mentally challenged than drunk and violent. Leslie was informed, for Gilbert believed that “the truth would set Leslie free”, and Leslie, poor as she was, consented to the treatment. The results of the treatment explained that Dick Moore had died on a voyage and that Captain Jim had accidentally brought back George Moore instead because the brothers were almost identical. So everyone was delighted to know that Leslie was free at last, but you’ll have to read Anne’s House of Dreams for the concluding events of Anne’s story and to discover what Leslie’s unexpected new life brings.

I especially loved the diversity, uniqueness, and admirable traits of the characters. For example, beautiful, but distant and miserable Leslie Moore makes quite a contrast with homely–looking yet joyous and friendly Captain Jim. In addition, each character has used their different life experiences to accomplish various things, in Leslie’s case, to isolate herself from the world, but in Captain’s Jim’s case to build and improve his character. Some exemplary traits from the characters include Gilbert’s hospitality, shown as he welcomed many into his home, as well as his honesty, demonstrated when choosing to inform Leslie of the possible cure to her husband’s illness. Anne shows empathy and cleverness as she, from the first, determinedly sees beyond Leslie’s hostility, and never ceases struggling to befriend and understand her. Captain Jim proves his generosity when giving genially of both his financial resources to Leslie and his words to all of his friends, compliments bestowed so fondly and received as riches. Leslie reveals hidden vivaciousness when joining and adding laughter and clever remarks into the lively discussions at the little “house ‘o dreams.” Lastly, it was wonderful to “meet” all of the awesome characters throughout this book.

I would recommend Anne’s House of Dreams to anyone who loves books with inspiring morals and would appreciate and enjoy the author’s style of creating meaning with breathtaking descriptions. Montgomery quoted poetry, used many similes and metaphors, and drew from her expansive knowledge of vocabulary and that of the actual setting of the story to further emphasize and produce wonder at the beauty of Anne’s surroundings and to bring other aspects of the story to more vivid focus, so that you become part of the story. For instance, Montgomery describes the view from Anne’s window with the beautiful, somewhat mysterious words, “A magic casement opening on the foam of the perilous seas in fairy lands forlorn.” Furthermore, the lesson that I learned from Anne’s House of Dreams is that everyone has a different life story, and to understand someone you must first understand the situations in their life that have probably shaped their personality. If Anne had not known Leslie’s tragic childhood and current predicament, she might have always thought of Leslie as overly conceited and miserable, but since she understood Leslie’s past, she was able to eventually become her first true friend. In conclusion, this book is extremely well written, with amazing descriptions and a wonderful moral behind it all; I really would like to encourage more people to read it, and be rewarded.

Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott

reviewed by Eve B.
Grade 8


"But I don't! I'm afraid of horses, and boats make me ill, and I hate boys!" Orphaned, teen-aged Rose meets another challenge in her life, seven male cousins. Eight Cousins, written by Louisa May Alcott, is a classic story set in nineteenth- century Boston.

This story describes the life of Rose, an orphaned thirteen year old girl. Rose, who is weak and in poor health, lives a quiet life with her two aunts until seven mischievous cousins come to stay. Uncle Alec comes to her rescue, agreeing to care for her. He puts her on a good diet, makes sure she gets exercise and gives her her own room. Uncle Alec takes her on a trip and makes a library in the home to encourage her to read. Some people say she is being spoiled. Uncle Alec and Rose develop a deep relationship. He really loves her. But, the time comes when the girl has a decision to make. Will she continue to live with her uncle?

This book is well-written and keeps the reader's attention. The relationship between the uncle and Rose is heart-warming and the actions of the seven cousins are entertaining. Louisa May Alcott develops the characters well using descriptive words, giving them personality and allowing the reader to feel like he or she knows the characters. For example, the author describes the seven cousins when they come to the the aunt's home. "Seven boys stood in a row all ages, all sizes, all yellow-haired and blue-eyed, all in full Scotch costume, and all smiling, nodding, and saying as with one voice, 'How are you, cousin?' " The author's choice of words grabs the reader's attention and helps bring the characters and setting to life.

I would highly recommend reading this book. It is full of action and the plot moves quickly. As the plot unravels, Rose changes from a weak orphan to a strong young lady with determination.

The Prophet of Yonwood by Jeanne Duprau

reviewed by Kathryn A.

Blinding flashes of light shown, billows of fire rose, and hot wind whipped around a lady who was flung into the sky. She looked down on the earth which was engulfed in flames and smoke which were accompanied by a terrible noise, crashing, crackling of fire and a howling of the wind. Then ... silence, even more horrible than the previous sight. Could this possibly be a vision of war from God? Could this lady have seen into the future?

Jeanne Duprau’s third Book of Ember, The Prophet of Yonwood, begins when Althea Tower sees a sort of vision and then falls into shock, only being able to mumble a few barely coherent words. The city of Yonwood became full of tension, the talk of conflicts, terrorists and the end of the world were always on people’s lips. But amidst all this, a girl of eleven, Nickie Randolph, was determined to move into her deceased great-grandfather’s house which was located in Yonwood. Her aunt and mother had a very different view of the matter. As soon as it was cleaned up enough, they thought it should be sold straight away and taken off of their hands! When Nickie finally convinced her aunt to take her to the ancient mansion she set herself three goals:
1. To keep Greenhaven, her great grandfather’s house from being sold.
2. To fall in love.
3. To do something helpful for the world.
Little did she know all of these goals would be fulfilled, but not exactly in the ways she had imagined. Much worry, pain and hardship would present itself as she faced the secrecy and fright the house and city would so willingly provide!

The setting is very well developed and detailed. Even before you reach the heart of the story, events such as the mysterious smashing of a window with only a bloodstained cloth as a clue to the unwelcome intruder arrive. This really paints the picture of the type of city Yonwood had become due to the prophecy. The characters, too, are well thought out and quite complex. Constantly, the author is giving hints to what type of person each character is, and even before their true colors come out, the reader is able to guess the intentions of that person.

I would most definitely recommend this awesome book to anyone who enjoys books with unexpected occurrences and vivid detail intertwined to make a super plot! The main character, Nickie, is swayed between loyalty to her new friend and the urge to report him because she believed that he was doing wrong. Reporting him would cause him much anguish and grief, but, as she had goal three to fulfill, she believed it was her duty to report him. I feel that if I was in her place, I too would be torn between the two alternatives, but unlike her, in the end I feel that my decision would be to stay loyal to my friend, under the circumstances. To me a lesson was taught: go by what you think is right and don’t be influenced by other people’s opinions!

Dealing With Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

reviewed by Grace C.

Cimorene is not a normal princess, not even CLOSE. No princesses take magic, fencing, Latin, cooking, and economics. Except Princess Cimorene, that is. She gives a whole new meaning to "improper."

Dealing With Dragons starts with Cimorene getting in trouble for taking lessons improper to being a princess. It keeps going from there with her running away from marrying Prince Therandil. She ends up finding some dragons and becomes one's princess. She sends princes and knights away, fights wizards and cooks and cleans for the dragons. It all goes well until the wizards think up a scam involving Tokoz, King of the Dragons.

I enjoyed the wonderful characters such as Morwen the witch, Kazul the dragon, and of course, Cimorene. The book has a funny twist of the wizards being the bad guys. I laughed out loud at the way they portrayed princesses.

The overall plot of this book was great. I would recommend this book based on humor and being improper. It has moral as well, discouraging peer pressure and teaching you to be yourself, not what others think you should be.

The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan

reviewed by Kathryn A.

Many lives lay in a fifteen year-old orphan's hands, and guided by a skilled mentor, he must live up to the challenges that a Ranger's Apprentice's life would throw at him. In John Flanagan's first book in the Ranger's Apprentice series, The Ruins of Gorlan, questions are continuously going through both the young apprentice's mind and that of the reader. Why did the Ranger, Halt, choose Will to become his apprentice? Was this choice made out of pity? Is the young boy really suited for the job?

It all started on the day of the choosing, which was a day greatly anticipated by the castle wards, who were the orphans raised by the generosity of Baron Arald. On this day, craft masters would come to the castle and possibly select a fifteen year-old to become their apprentice. Once you were chosen, your fate was sealed; this day was feared more than any other. So, after much discussion and testing, a mysterious man, a Ranger, took Will as his apprentice. And during the numerous long months of training to shoot a bow and arrow, blend in with his surroundings, and become acquainted with his unusual horse, Tug, Will learned many lessons, not only on how to become a Ranger, but also a good friend to his childhood rival and a few others. His courage and devotion were tested as he risked his life to save his friends, track and hunt a huge boar and strive to kill the most feared beasts, the Kalkara.

The plot of this story took many unexpected twists and turns. One moment Will felt that he was doomed to the boring life of a farmhand, and then the next, a vibrant spark of hope was kindled and he realized that he would play a huge role in the safekeeping of his kingdom and those surrounding it. The Ruins of Gorlan is lightning-paced with never a dull moment interfering with the spectacular story line!

I would highly recommend this awesome book, because the author's style of writing is intricate yet quite easy to follow. The character's thoughts are clearly presented with great detail supporting their main ideas. Will is endlessly trying to prove himself to his master and companions, and I know that I can certainly relate to that! I found that I would be thinking identically to Will in most of the situations, and that made the humorous, likable character even more easy to relate to as well. All in all, The Ruins of Gorlan and the rest of the series are some of my favorite books that I have read this summer!