Awards
Speechless is a graphic novel about Mira, who has selective mutism. At home, Mira makes films using stop-motion animation, is frequently annoyed by her younger sister, and has no difficulty speaking. However, when at school, Mira struggles to get even the slightest sound out. Not to mention, her former best friend, Chloe, is always there to make things more difficult. When Chloe's mom has to leave due to a family emergency, Mira's family offers to watch over Chloe. Mira has to deal with living with her worst enemy and getting through middle school while trying to find her voice. With a new friend and a couple of old ones, Mira might be able to improve and finally find her voice.
Reading Speechless is very easy. This graphic novel takes no more than 45 minutes to read, and most likely would take less. There was a lot of humor in this book, with the film-making illustrations and the fights between siblings; Speechless is sure to elicit a laugh. However, the humor was not enough to keep the entertainment throughout the book. Although there were many improvements in Mira's condition, I do not feel like there was enough character development. The book's big events felt shallow and unrealistic. Conversations between Mira and her family felt like they should have been important, but never really gave that impression. I would recommend Speechless for a younger, middle-grade audience.
Reviewer Grade: 8
In dystopian Chicago, Beatrice Prior has made a decision that will make or break her future by changing factions from her family and friends. There are five factions, each having different core values, and members of the factions follow strict rules to remain fully invested in those values. Beatrice finds herself yearning for a more daring lifestyle than the selfless, plain life of Abnegation, so on choosing day she leaves her family, friends, and community for the more dangerous faction of Dauntless. This novel follows her journey through initiation and readers get to figure out alongside the main characters what it truly means to be Divergent, especially when things take an unexpected turn for the worse. Will she ever know if her choice was the right one? Only Beatrice can decide that. This novel is action packed and fast paced, leaving readers up at 2am wanting "just one more chapter" and knowing that they'll be finishing the book.
In dystopian Chicago, Beatrice Prior has made a decision that will make or break her future by changing factions from her family and friends. There are five factions, each having different core values, and members of the factions follow strict rules to remain fully invested in those values. Beatrice finds herself yearning for a more daring lifestyle than the selfless, plain life of Abnegation, so on choosing day she leaves her family, friends, and community for the more dangerous faction of Dauntless. This novel follows her journey through initiation and readers get to figure out alongside the main characters what it truly means to be Divergent, especially when things take an unexpected turn for the worse. Will she ever know if her choice was the right one? Only Beatrice can decide that. This novel is action packed and fast paced, leaving readers up at 2am wanting "just one more chapter" and knowing that they'll be finishing the book.
In dystopian Chicago, Beatrice Prior has made a decision that will make or break her future by changing factions from her family and friends. There are five factions, each having different core values, and members of the factions follow strict rules to remain fully invested in those values. Beatrice finds herself yearning for a more daring lifestyle than the selfless, plain life of Abnegation, so on choosing day she leaves her family, friends, and community for the more dangerous faction of Dauntless. This novel follows her journey through initiation and readers get to figure out alongside the main characters what it truly means to be Divergent, especially when things take an unexpected turn for the worse. Will she ever know if her choice was the right one? Only Beatrice can decide that. This novel is action packed and fast paced, leaving readers up at 2am wanting "just one more chapter" and knowing that they'll be finishing the book.
In dystopian Chicago, Beatrice Prior has made a decision that will make or break her future by changing factions from her family and friends. There are five factions, each having different core values, and members of the factions follow strict rules to remain fully invested in those values. Beatrice finds herself yearning for a more daring lifestyle than the selfless, plain life of Abnegation, so on choosing day she leaves her family, friends, and community for the more dangerous faction of Dauntless. This novel follows her journey through initiation and readers get to figure out alongside the main characters what it truly means to be Divergent, especially when things take an unexpected turn for the worse. Will she ever know if her choice was the right one? Only Beatrice can decide that. This novel is action packed and fast paced, leaving readers up at 2am wanting "just one more chapter" and knowing that they'll be finishing the book.
In dystopian Chicago, Beatrice Prior has made a decision that will make or break her future by changing factions from her family and friends. There are five factions, each having different core values, and members of the factions follow strict rules to remain fully invested in those values. Beatrice finds herself yearning for a more daring lifestyle than the selfless, plain life of Abnegation, so on choosing day she leaves her family, friends, and community for the more dangerous faction of Dauntless. This novel follows her journey through initiation and readers get to figure out alongside the main characters what it truly means to be Divergent, especially when things take an unexpected turn for the worse. Will she ever know if her choice was the right one? Only Beatrice can decide that. This novel is action packed and fast paced, leaving readers up at 2am wanting "just one more chapter" and knowing that they'll be finishing the book.
All mortal Feyre Archeron knows is how to fight for survival. With her family starving and located dangerously close to the wall separating the human realm from the mysterious faerie lands of Prythian, Feyre takes a risk in killing a strange looking wolf. Feyre then realizes this mistake when a beastly fae male comes to retrieve her as penance from murdering a member of his court. Only he isn’t a beast all the time, and as Feyre grows closer to this mysterious High Fae, the more she learns about the dangerous awakening unleashing a chain of events all throughout Prythian.
This book was really good! Obviously this is one of the most popular series, but everyone told me that this first book in particular was the most boring and hard to get through. I found it the opposite however, I was intrigued the entire time, which only makes me more excited to see how much better the series the will get!
All mortal Feyre Archeron knows is how to fight for survival. With her family starving and located dangerously close to the wall separating the human realm from the mysterious faerie lands of Prythian, Feyre takes a risk in killing a strange looking wolf. Feyre then realizes this mistake when a beastly fae male comes to retrieve her as penance from murdering a member of his court. Only he isn’t a beast all the time, and as Feyre grows closer to this mysterious High Fae, the more she learns about the dangerous awakening unleashing a chain of events all throughout Prythian.
This book was really good! Obviously this is one of the most popular series, but everyone told me that this first book in particular was the most boring and hard to get through. I found it the opposite however, I was intrigued the entire time, which only makes me more excited to see how much better the series the will get!
All mortal Feyre Archeron knows is how to fight for survival. With her family starving and located dangerously close to the wall separating the human realm from the mysterious faerie lands of Prythian, Feyre takes a risk in killing a strange looking wolf. Feyre then realizes this mistake when a beastly fae male comes to retrieve her as penance from murdering a member of his court. Only he isn’t a beast all the time, and as Feyre grows closer to this mysterious High Fae, the more she learns about the dangerous awakening unleashing a chain of events all throughout Prythian.
This book was really good! Obviously this is one of the most popular series, but everyone told me that this first book in particular was the most boring and hard to get through. I found it the opposite however, I was intrigued the entire time, which only makes me more excited to see how much better the series the will get!
Sunnybrook High School doesn't have a cheerleading team. This is because, five years ago, the cheerleaders in Sunnybrook began to die. Two were killed in a tragic car accident. Two were brutally murdered. And one, Monica's sister, committed suicide. After moving into a new house, Monica just wants to forget the painful memories that come with remembering her sister and her sister's friends. But that isn't so easy when she finds hidden letters in her stepfather's desk which insist that the cheerleaders' deaths are somehow connected. As Monica begins to stumble across more clues about what really happened five years ago, she begins to wonder who she can really trust...
"The Cheerleaders" is your typical YA mystery-thriller, but it was able to cover a lot of heavy topics that are traditionally left out of YA books very well. I especially enjoyed the original premise of Monica connecting the three different incidents to find out what really happened. So, I was a little disappointed when each incident was treated as one separate event and that the premise of "connecting the dots" didn't actually hold true. Along with that, the characterization was spotty and relied on predictable stereotypes and tropes, and for a thriller, this story lacked thrilling aspects and had a random and anticlimactic ending. Despite this, if you are a murder mystery lover, I would definitely recommend trying this book out for an easy and interesting read.
Sunnybrook High School doesn't have a cheerleading team. This is because, five years ago, the cheerleaders in Sunnybrook began to die. Two were killed in a tragic car accident. Two were brutally murdered. And one, Monica's sister, committed suicide. After moving into a new house, Monica just wants to forget the painful memories that come with remembering her sister and her sister's friends. But that isn't so easy when she finds hidden letters in her stepfather's desk which insist that the cheerleaders' deaths are somehow connected. As Monica begins to stumble across more clues about what really happened five years ago, she begins to wonder who she can really trust...
"The Cheerleaders" is your typical YA mystery-thriller, but it was able to cover a lot of heavy topics that are traditionally left out of YA books very well. I especially enjoyed the original premise of Monica connecting the three different incidents to find out what really happened. So, I was a little disappointed when each incident was treated as one separate event and that the premise of "connecting the dots" didn't actually hold true. Along with that, the characterization was spotty and relied on predictable stereotypes and tropes, and for a thriller, this story lacked thrilling aspects and had a random and anticlimactic ending. Despite this, if you are a murder mystery lover, I would definitely recommend trying this book out for an easy and interesting read.
Sunnybrook High School doesn't have a cheerleading team. This is because, five years ago, the cheerleaders in Sunnybrook began to die. Two were killed in a tragic car accident. Two were brutally murdered. And one, Monica's sister, committed suicide. After moving into a new house, Monica just wants to forget the painful memories that come with remembering her sister and her sister's friends. But that isn't so easy when she finds hidden letters in her stepfather's desk which insist that the cheerleaders' deaths are somehow connected. As Monica begins to stumble across more clues about what really happened five years ago, she begins to wonder who she can really trust...
"The Cheerleaders" is your typical YA mystery-thriller, but it was able to cover a lot of heavy topics that are traditionally left out of YA books very well. I especially enjoyed the original premise of Monica connecting the three different incidents to find out what really happened. So, I was a little disappointed when each incident was treated as one separate event and that the premise of "connecting the dots" didn't actually hold true. Along with that, the characterization was spotty and relied on predictable stereotypes and tropes, and for a thriller, this story lacked thrilling aspects and had a random and anticlimactic ending. Despite this, if you are a murder mystery lover, I would definitely recommend trying this book out for an easy and interesting read.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a realistic fiction comedy about a boy named Greg who is in middle school, the most complicated part of your life. As Greg struggles to get used to all the changes, he's most worried about the cheese touch. The cheese touch was a piece of cheese on the basketball court that got everybody nervous. It was said whoever touched it would get the cheese touch, and that you can pass it on to others. I loved Diary of a wimpy kid and it was so relatable to me as I was starting middle school. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is struggling in middle school. Trust me you're not alone.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a realistic fiction comedy about a boy named Greg who is in middle school, the most complicated part of your life. As Greg struggles to get used to all the changes, he's most worried about the cheese touch. The cheese touch was a piece of cheese on the basketball court that got everybody nervous. It was said whoever touched it would get the cheese touch, and that you can pass it on to others. I loved Diary of a wimpy kid and it was so relatable to me as I was starting middle school. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is struggling in middle school. Trust me you're not alone.
Dog man is a graphic novel, filled with action and humor. Dog Man is about a Man who became half dog after an accident. He must be a superhero, but he won't be alone, since he has friends that will always be there in the time of need. I love every dog man book in the series and I've loved seeing the story progress throughout the years. I highly recommend you read these books.
I really enjoyed reading this book. In the book Avery Grambs is just a normal teenage girl living with her half sister after the devastating loss of her mother. Until one day she is summoned to the reading of Tobias Hawthorne’s will. Tobias Hawthorne was a billionaire, and Avery wonders what a man she never knew would leave her. Apparently almost his entire fortune. Her whole life is turned upside down as she finds herself forced to live in the Hawthorne mansion. The entire house is filled with secret passages and riddles, but perhaps the biggest riddle of all is Tobias Hawthorne’s four grandsons who had all grown up expecting to be rich one day. Does the brothers’ past have anything to do with Avery’s inheritance? This book is a great mystery read. It was filled with lot’s of secrets and twists. However I was able to guess quite a few of the outcomes, but there were still plenty of things I never could have seen coming. The main reason it wasn’t a five star book for me was because I was expecting a little more action and danger. Still I would say it is definitely a worthy read.
I really enjoyed reading this book. In the book Avery Grambs is just a normal teenage girl living with her half sister after the devastating loss of her mother. Until one day she is summoned to the reading of Tobias Hawthorne’s will. Tobias Hawthorne was a billionaire, and Avery wonders what a man she never knew would leave her. Apparently almost his entire fortune. Her whole life is turned upside down as she finds herself forced to live in the Hawthorne mansion. The entire house is filled with secret passages and riddles, but perhaps the biggest riddle of all is Tobias Hawthorne’s four grandsons who had all grown up expecting to be rich one day. Does the brothers’ past have anything to do with Avery’s inheritance? This book is a great mystery read. It was filled with lot’s of secrets and twists. However I was able to guess quite a few of the outcomes, but there were still plenty of things I never could have seen coming. The main reason it wasn’t a five star book for me was because I was expecting a little more action and danger. Still I would say it is definitely a worthy read.
Ground Zero was a really good book. It is told from two different perspectives. Brandon is a young boy who finds himself in one of the twin towers on September 11, 2001. Separated from his father he finds companions and tries to find his way out of the tower before it’s too late. Exactly 18 years in the future, Reshmina lives in a village in Afghanistan. Her village is in constant danger due to the fighting between the Americans and Taliban. However, when she finds a wounded American soldier named Taz she decides to help, putting her village in danger and possibly ruining her relationship with her twin brother.
While not being one of the best books I’ve read, it was still an amazing book. I chose to read this book because I like a lot of Alan Gratz’s books and needed a quick read. I really liked the constant action and suspense in both stories which made it easy to enjoy. Due to the important history, action, and two perspectives I would say that this book is worth reading.
Reviewer grade: 8
Ground Zero was a really good book. It is told from two different perspectives. Brandon is a young boy who finds himself in one of the twin towers on September 11, 2001. Separated from his father he finds companions and tries to find his way out of the tower before it’s too late. Exactly 18 years in the future, Reshmina lives in a village in Afghanistan. Her village is in constant danger due to the fighting between the Americans and Taliban. However, when she finds a wounded American soldier named Taz she decides to help, putting her village in danger and possibly ruining her relationship with her twin brother.
While not being one of the best books I’ve read, it was still an amazing book. I chose to read this book because I like a lot of Alan Gratz’s books and needed a quick read. I really liked the constant action and suspense in both stories which made it easy to enjoy. Due to the important history, action, and two perspectives I would say that this book is worth reading.
Reviewer grade: 8
Ground Zero was a really good book. It is told from two different perspectives. Brandon is a young boy who finds himself in one of the twin towers on September 11, 2001. Separated from his father he finds companions and tries to find his way out of the tower before it’s too late. Exactly 18 years in the future, Reshmina lives in a village in Afghanistan. Her village is in constant danger due to the fighting between the Americans and Taliban. However, when she finds a wounded American soldier named Taz she decides to help, putting her village in danger and possibly ruining her relationship with her twin brother.
While not being one of the best books I’ve read, it was still an amazing book. I chose to read this book because I like a lot of Alan Gratz’s books and needed a quick read. I really liked the constant action and suspense in both stories which made it easy to enjoy. Due to the important history, action, and two perspectives I would say that this book is worth reading.
Reviewer grade: 8
The Bad Beginning is a period adventure drama about the three Baudelaire siblings, who, after their parents die in a fire, are sent to live with their mysterious relative, Count Olaf. I enjoyed this book because it was a unique yet classic exciting read. I think the author did a great job designing genuinely repulsive and detestable villains. The only flaw is that the dictionary definitions of big words were placed right after the word and distracted from the flow of the book. Overall, this is an easy and fun to read book that I enjoyed. Reviewer grade: 8
The Bad Beginning is a period adventure drama about the three Baudelaire siblings, who, after their parents die in a fire, are sent to live with their mysterious relative, Count Olaf. I enjoyed this book because it was a unique yet classic exciting read. I think the author did a great job designing genuinely repulsive and detestable villains. The only flaw is that the dictionary definitions of big words were placed right after the word and distracted from the flow of the book. Overall, this is an easy and fun to read book that I enjoyed. Reviewer grade: 8
"Louder Than Hunger" by John Schu is a story told entirely through verses as it follows Jake Stacey and his journey living with and treating his anorexia. Throughout the book, Jake struggles through his everyday life, trying to ignore The Voice in his head that tells him not to eat, insisting that he's not worthy of love or affection. When Jake is finally admitted into a hospital to help him overcome his eating disorder, he resists, refusing to talk or interact with the other patients. The voice is louder than ever... but Jake doesn't know whether or not to listen to it anymore. Based on a true story, this book takes you on an emotional rollercoaster ride as you are completely pulled into Jake's story.
"Louder Than Hunger" is an extremely powerful and impactful story. While reading it, I was struck with how real all the characters felt, and I was moved to tears multiple times during this read. Schu does a great job with making you connect to the characters and situations, while still creating a page-turning tale that puts you in Jake's shoes. This story is unlike any I have ever read, as I had never read a story like this written in verses before, which made the story all the more impactful.
"Louder Than Hunger" by John Schu is a story told entirely through verses as it follows Jake Stacey and his journey living with and treating his anorexia. Throughout the book, Jake struggles through his everyday life, trying to ignore The Voice in his head that tells him not to eat, insisting that he's not worthy of love or affection. When Jake is finally admitted into a hospital to help him overcome his eating disorder, he resists, refusing to talk or interact with the other patients. The voice is louder than ever... but Jake doesn't know whether or not to listen to it anymore. Based on a true story, this book takes you on an emotional rollercoaster ride as you are completely pulled into Jake's story.
"Louder Than Hunger" is an extremely powerful and impactful story. While reading it, I was struck with how real all the characters felt, and I was moved to tears multiple times during this read. Schu does a great job with making you connect to the characters and situations, while still creating a page-turning tale that puts you in Jake's shoes. This story is unlike any I have ever read, as I had never read a story like this written in verses before, which made the story all the more impactful.
This book is Anne Frank's real diary from when she and her family were hiding during World War II. She writes about her life in the secret annex, her hopes for the future and freedom with the fear around her and her family. The book gives a powerful look into her thoughts without actually telling what eventually happens. I like this book because Anne's voice feels real. Some parts are emotional, but that was what makes it so unforgettable. I defiantly recommended to everyone who wants a meaningful true story.
Refugee is a powerful stories that follows three young refugees from different time periods- Josef a Jewish boy in Nazi Germany, Isabel a Cuban girl trying to escape violence in here hometown in the 1990s, and Mahmoud in 2015 Syria attempting to escape the horrors of Civil War. The way Gratz connects the stories across the eras through short intense chapters, emotional ties to the characters, and constant tension keeping you on your toes makes it difficult story to stop reading. What makes the book so powerful is how the author revels similar patterns of fear, loss, prejudice, and resilience the characters experience across times. I have never been a big reader, but Refugee completely changed my opinion on reading. The stories perfect balance of heartbreaking lows and glimmers of hope make it an unforgettable book I would recommend to everyone.
Refugee is a powerful stories that follows three young refugees from different time periods- Josef a Jewish boy in Nazi Germany, Isabel a Cuban girl trying to escape violence in here hometown in the 1990s, and Mahmoud in 2015 Syria attempting to escape the horrors of Civil War. The way Gratz connects the stories across the eras through short intense chapters, emotional ties to the characters, and constant tension keeping you on your toes makes it difficult story to stop reading. What makes the book so powerful is how the author revels similar patterns of fear, loss, prejudice, and resilience the characters experience across times. I have never been a big reader, but Refugee completely changed my opinion on reading. The stories perfect balance of heartbreaking lows and glimmers of hope make it an unforgettable book I would recommend to everyone.
Set in the future where humanity has conquered death, Scythe delivers a gripping and philosophical take in an original and interesting format. A class of sanctioned killers (Scythes) keep the population in check (called gleaning) in an elegantly built world with seriously deep tension, following Citra and Rowan, two teenage apprentice Scythes under Scythe Faraday. Neither one wants the job, which makes them perfect for the role where the Thunderhead, a governance AI, refuses to touch. Faraday dies midway through their training, splitting the two up under Scythes Curie and Goddard- two Scythes with opposing worldviews. Curie practices a cleaner and more humane method of gleaning while Goddard revels in the killings. Citra works beside Curie and begins to investigate Faraday's strange death while Rowan grows increasingly uncomfortable with Goddard's excesses. Both become increasingly aware of the Scythedom's split in ideology as the old guard- made up of Scythes like Curie and Faraday- is pushed aside by Goddard's brutal radical faction. Eventually, the two reunite for a final test in which the winner must glean the loser. What follows is the high stakes culmination of everything the two has learnt involving morality, loyalty, and the future of the Scythedom
Scythe is one of the best modern YA dystopian novels that is both original and very well executed. It poses an interesting philosophical question of morality and power, exploring how power can corrupt- and if humans should even have the power to control life and death. Written in a captivating style, Neal Shusterman balances deep philosophical moral questioning with fast paced action, wrapped up in an elegant world.
Set in the future where humanity has conquered death, Scythe delivers a gripping and philosophical take in an original and interesting format. A class of sanctioned killers (Scythes) keep the population in check (called gleaning) in an elegantly built world with seriously deep tension, following Citra and Rowan, two teenage apprentice Scythes under Scythe Faraday. Neither one wants the job, which makes them perfect for the role where the Thunderhead, a governance AI, refuses to touch. Faraday dies midway through their training, splitting the two up under Scythes Curie and Goddard- two Scythes with opposing worldviews. Curie practices a cleaner and more humane method of gleaning while Goddard revels in the killings. Citra works beside Curie and begins to investigate Faraday's strange death while Rowan grows increasingly uncomfortable with Goddard's excesses. Both become increasingly aware of the Scythedom's split in ideology as the old guard- made up of Scythes like Curie and Faraday- is pushed aside by Goddard's brutal radical faction. Eventually, the two reunite for a final test in which the winner must glean the loser. What follows is the high stakes culmination of everything the two has learnt involving morality, loyalty, and the future of the Scythedom
Scythe is one of the best modern YA dystopian novels that is both original and very well executed. It poses an interesting philosophical question of morality and power, exploring how power can corrupt- and if humans should even have the power to control life and death. Written in a captivating style, Neal Shusterman balances deep philosophical moral questioning with fast paced action, wrapped up in an elegant world.
Set in the future where humanity has conquered death, Scythe delivers a gripping and philosophical take in an original and interesting format. A class of sanctioned killers (Scythes) keep the population in check (called gleaning) in an elegantly built world with seriously deep tension, following Citra and Rowan, two teenage apprentice Scythes under Scythe Faraday. Neither one wants the job, which makes them perfect for the role where the Thunderhead, a governance AI, refuses to touch. Faraday dies midway through their training, splitting the two up under Scythes Curie and Goddard- two Scythes with opposing worldviews. Curie practices a cleaner and more humane method of gleaning while Goddard revels in the killings. Citra works beside Curie and begins to investigate Faraday's strange death while Rowan grows increasingly uncomfortable with Goddard's excesses. Both become increasingly aware of the Scythedom's split in ideology as the old guard- made up of Scythes like Curie and Faraday- is pushed aside by Goddard's brutal radical faction. Eventually, the two reunite for a final test in which the winner must glean the loser. What follows is the high stakes culmination of everything the two has learnt involving morality, loyalty, and the future of the Scythedom
Scythe is one of the best modern YA dystopian novels that is both original and very well executed. It poses an interesting philosophical question of morality and power, exploring how power can corrupt- and if humans should even have the power to control life and death. Written in a captivating style, Neal Shusterman balances deep philosophical moral questioning with fast paced action, wrapped up in an elegant world.