Wow, wow, wow, wow. This book is absolutely incredible! Bob Goff takes you through many of his life stories. And wow...he has had such an incredible life! From saving kids from human traffickers to hiking Half Dome in a snowstorm, to flipping his Jeep, his stories are revealing of his zeal and compassion for people and Jesus.
He encaptures what it truly means to live and how to navigate life while praising the Lord. I highly recommend this book because it is one of the most powerful and rewarding books I have ever read!
This book will always have a special place in my heart because it is SO GOOD! This is my second time reading it, and the plot, characters, and theme are rich with strong vocabulary, enticing twists, and lovely friendships.
love how it illustrates the power of a positive mindset and attitude. The story follows a young girl named Pollyanna who recently lost both of her parents. She must live with her aunt, who has a very hard heart.
Throughout the book, we get to follow Pollyanna through her adventures, ups, and downs while navigating life and family. I highly recommend this book as it has everything for a coming-of-age story!
At the start of the book, we are introduced to the character Harry Potter. Harry Potter was an orphan who was adopted by an abusive family. We soon discover that Harry Potter is a wizard and is invited to a school for wizards like himself called Hogwarts. During Harry's time at Hogwarts, he learned more about magic and befriended some of the students attending the school. Throughout Harry's time at Hogwarts, he finds out more about how his biological parents died. I picked this book because it is extremely popular, and I've heard a lot of good things about the book. I enjoyed the world-building the most from this book. This book was fairly predictable for me because I've already seen the movies. This is definitely one of the best books I've read this year.
“The Man Who Went to the Far Side of the Moon” is one of the most interesting books ever written! Bea Uusma Schyffert’s unique scrapbook style presents the story of Michael Collins, the Apollo 11 astronaut who faithfully piloted the spacecraft as his two teammates became the first men on the moon. Perfectly capturing every thought and detail through pictures, infographics, and prose, “The Man Who Went to the Far Side of the Moon” pulls the reader into the story and lets them see it through Collins’ eyes. It even includes notes written by Collins himself. This is by far the best account of the forgotten hero in the history of astronomy.
The book is about a man who lives in a house that keeps his porch and lawn tidy. The man's children used to play in the woods next to the house. When the man's children grow up, he abandons the house. The trees and nature that the man had been battling years ago have taken over the property. The trees eventually lift the house off the ground, keeping the house held up by trees. This book also dives deep into the theme man vs nature very well.
Where The Red Fern Grows is a book about a kid named Billy hunting raccoons with his two hounds. At the start of the book, Billy does a lot of work to save up for the money to buy two coonhounds. When he finally saves up enough money, he goes into the city to buy the two hounds which he names Little Ann and Old Dan. When Billy gets back to his home, he trains the dogs. During training, Billy realizes Dan is brave while Ann is smart. The book features several great adventures and a heartbreaking ending.
Liz Kessler takes an experience her father tells her about when she was a child and writes a powerful and heartbreaking book When the World Was Ours. The book is set in the late 1930s. The book captivates the reader as Kessler starts the story in Vienna with Elsa, Leo, and Max who are the best of friends. Elsa and Leo are Jews. Max is not a Jew. Leo believes that nothing could ever come between the joyful trio. Of course, something does! The Nazis come! The friends will be separated by the decisions their parents make. The reader will empathize with the humiliating and inhuman experiences the children endure. My favorite quote from the book is: “We’re just Jewish…you won't catch it!” I could not put this book down as I was so engaged in the characters and where their lives took them. Did the friends ever find each other again? Did they even want to?
This book is about a wimpy kid whose name is Greg Heffly.
He told Christmas was near and if you made a mistake in first 11 months its not a big deal but if you make a mistake in holiday month you will pay for it.
So Greg needs to be good so Santa can be good to him in return.
He and Rowley decide to be good boys till Christmas Eve. However, all does not go well as planned.
They are accused of vandalizing school property and before any action can be taken, there is a blizzard in the season and the ground is covered in three feet of snow.
This only means that Greg is locked with his family in his house and cannot step out.
Ground Zero is a book about the events of 9/11 in 2001 and war in Afghanistan in present day. Brandon, a nine year old boy, got into trouble at school and had to stay home, but his dad couldn’t let that happen and decided to take him to work at the World Trade Center in New York City. The date was September 11, 2001, while in the buildings two planes came crashing into them and Brandon and his dad were stuck inside the fire burning building. While in present day Afghanistan Reshmina and her family are surrounded by war. Reshmina has big dreams about peace and opportunities for her and her country. Reshmina’s village gets attacked and she finds a wounded American soldier that she decides to help. The soldier named Taz needs her help but she knows if she gets caught she could be in big trouble.
Ground Zero is an amazing book that everyone should read. There were many twists and turns which picked at my emotions. This book was very emotional for me but extremely good. I loved the way it was written with two stories being told with a clever twist that touches the reader.
Reviewer Grade: 8
I like this book a lot because of how cute and funny it is. The way this book is written makes it very exciting to read. Link is shown how he can positively interact with any type of living creature. His cute companion Peeko that's been with him since a chick is adorable and such a fun character to have in the book. The way the art is drawn makes the whole thing cuter and more adorable than to how it could have been if it wasn’t drawn in this style.
The second part of the Ocarina of Time is a well drawn and written book. It was interesting seeing all the changes that happened in seven years after Ganon won and got the triforce. There are funny moments in it when Link with a child's mentality and an adult's body confuses people with how he does things. It’s cute when Link meets people and animals he made friends with seven years ago where he remembers it so well. The bonus story with the entirely new character Rouro was an interesting way to see Link help animals/people when it doesn’t involve fighting a monster.
In the world of Aerwiar most of the mapped world had been taken over by Gnag the Nameless; a feared tyrant who was unknown to the land of Skree until he approached it with a massive army of the Fangs of Dang, who then cruised the streets and kept citizens in check. Tink, Janner, and Leeli lived in relative comfort with their mother and grandfather until they uncovered a mystery that would change their lives forever and send them on a dangerous journey across the world of Aerwiar.
I had read this book once before when I was younger but after I saw it sitting around the house I decided to reread it. I know some elements of the book might sound a little odd but that’s partly why I love it so much. It isn’t some overused plot line but a new story with its own creatures and excellent world-building. This is possibly one of my favorite book series but the first book is a little slow as it mostly sets up the story but it is still really enjoyable. Just keep in mind that the series only gets better as it goes along.
This book is amazing! it has twists and turns, and the author is amazing! The science is explained well enough that anyone can understand it. Also, whenever you think the book is done, it just goes, 'Here's another problem, Main character! good luck!" Also, the book is in the format of a 'White Room" story, meaning that the character has no memory, and has to figure everything all out, along with you! Would recommend to any sci fi fan over the age of 12.
Bone is one of those comics I’ve always been aware of but haven’t gotten around to reading until now. It’s interesting how the visual style of the titular characters evokes an older style of comics, while the other characters in the world feel more modern. The storytelling runs at a pretty fast pace that kept me turning the pages to see what happens next. There’s some pretty good humor here, as well as tense situations to keep it from becoming too silly. I can definitely see the appeal and why it’s been a notable comic since its origins in the early 1990s.
My only qualm with this book has to do with the main characters. The three “Bones” feel out of place in the fantasy realm, let alone our world. It also took me a while to distinguish visually between Fone Bone and Phoney Bone, which was only aided because this book mostly follows Fone. These characters are quite expressive for their simple design, which helps. I understand their simple white design would make producing the (originally black and white) comic easier, but they’re so jarring when everything else is so detailed.
It's funny how the Japanese isekai genre has picked up in recent years, only to have been solidly pre-dated by Bone. The concept of a group of people being transported/lost in an unfamiliar fantasy world is a huge genre today. The fantasy world-building Jeff Smith does in this first volume definitely holds to a lot of fantasy tropes while also taking humorous turns that make the world unique. I’m glad I picked up the colorized version of this first volume and I’ll definitely be reading the next volume when I get the chance.
A bold take on the isekai genre in an American style, I give Bone, Vol. 1 4.0 stars out of 5.
I suggest the book to people, who want to enjoy an intriguing, fast paced novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's stone is the perfect book for those people.
This novel is the first of the seven famous Harry Potter books by J. K. Rowling. This book is about 11 year old Harry Potter, who receives a letter from Hogwarts, which is a school of witchcraft and wizardry.
This book is full of imagination like at one point, Harry Potter is asked to catch the golden ball, while he is flying on the broomstick. Then he stands up on the broomstick and tries to catch the golden ball unexpectedly he falls off from the broomstick and throws up the golden ball to winning the game for his team.
This book keeps you involved throughout the book.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is a good book to spark joy and imagination for anyone, regardless of age.
It's a rare treat to find a graphic novel with well-rounded characters, an interesting story, and an art style that has range. Even if it started as a webcomic, Nimona shows a surprising amount of depth for the medium. Sure, some of the early parts were clearly encapsulated in a serial format, but they were a quick way to introduce the characters and setting. When the story has some room to grow, it gets even better. It's definitely a page-turner, and I devoured it as fast as I could.
The heart of Nimona is its characters. Flipping the hero's journey on its head and focusing on the villain's perspective was a fun touch. Nimona's chaotic nature was a fun contrast to Lord Ballister Blackheart, who just wanted to do his villainous revenge alone. Perhaps the biggest surprise was how naturally the book handles LGBTQ+ themes. None of it felt forced or odd, even in a science fantasy setting. It was just there, with no winking nods or awkward attention brought to it. Then again, it was also a fantastic adaptation of the "enemies to lovers" trope—or would it be "lovers to enemies"?
As someone who likes to write science fantasy stories, I absolutely loved the science fantasy setting. It has all the trappings of a medieval time, just with video chats, laser guns, and dragons co-existing in a way that makes perfect sense. This is the kind of thing I can completely get behind. If anything, I hope this book inspires more writers to jump into this genre, as I desperately want to read more books like this. It's like the best parts of sci-fi and fantasy brought together in an awesome (but also deeply moving) story.
A science fantasy graphic novel with excellent characters, story, and art, I give Nimona 5.0 stars out of 5.
For people who want to enjoy an intriguing, fast-paced novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is the perfect book to read. It keeps you involved throughout the book as most chapters have cliffhangers at the end. This novel is the first of the seven famous Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling.
The book is about 11-year-old Harry Potter, who receives a letter saying that he is invited to attend Hogwarts, a school of witchcraft and wizardry. He then learns that a powerful wizard and his minions are after the sorcerer’s stone that will make this evil wizard immortal and undefeatable. Harry decides to go after the sorcerer’s stone before the wizard reaches it, but his loyal friends, Hermione and Ron don’t let Harry face this danger alone.
This book is full of fantasies and imagination like at one point, Harry Potter is asked to catch a flying golden ball while flying on his broomstick. Eventually Harry Potter stands on his broomstick and tries to reach for the ball, but he falls off the broomstick in a very tense moment. He unexpectedly throws up the golden ball winning the game for his team.
Harry Potter and a Sorcerer Stone is a good book to spark joy and imagination for anyone, regardless of age. But I would say it is most enjoyable for elementary school students, who can very well relate to the fantasy world. So I would say that it is a must-read for younger audiences, but it’s a good read in general.
With the success of comic book movies in the last decade, it's sometimes hard to forget that these films don't explore all of what the pulpy medium offered. The rise in popularity of comics in a few different "eras" inevitably led to saturation in the medium. When something becomes saturated, creators don't care as much about what they're putting out, since everything sells. This is how a book like The Legion of Regrettable Supervillains can collect quite a few foes that were better left forgotten.
If there's anything this book does well, it's showing how simple and bland the early years of comics were. Perhaps I'm just used to the modern era that's had decades to figure out which superheroes and supervillains work best. Many of the early comic villains are forgettable, indicating a lack of imagination on the part of their creators. Unfortunately, since this book collects a lot of these villains in one place, it is boring to get through. After a few pages of supervillain puns, I got the "joke" this book was trying to make. And it just kept going.
While I understand organizing this book chronologically showed how these regrettable supervillains evolved over the years, I think it might have had more variety if it just stuck to being exclusively alphabetical. After all, it would have kept my attention a little better if I learned about a villain like Lepus before being reminded that M.O.D.O.K. exists. Perhaps my surface-level interest in comic books (especially the classics) is why it took me a while to get through this book. Still, if you want to be a super-fan of this medium, you might already know about Doctor Voodoo, which might make this humorous commentary on him a moot point.
A slightly amusing gimmick that highlights the lack of early comic book creativity, I give The Legion of Regrettable Supervillains 3.0 stars out of 5.
This book is awesome! I love how it is set in Ancient Greece and how Marcus is a quick thinker. I also enjoyed that Tata does not believe in monsters and magic. If you want action and a quick read, this is a great book. They should make this into a movie!
I read this book during middle school and recently reread the series. The book is about a boy named 'Gregor' Gregor falls into a laundry shoot with his sister and finds himself in a new world with a quest. He searches for his dad. He's learns to survive in this new environment picking up new skills and learning this new worlds rules.
I loved the idea of the 'Underland' a world with completely different creatures and how they interact with each other. I loved the story filled with giant animals like bats, rats, and cockroaches. How it goes into detail how Gregor and the people of the Underland get around in the dark. And how the lack of light affects their appearance. The book is very detailed and the well thought through.
The book is definitely worth a read. This book is a part of a 5 book series. Each book provides a new challenge for Gregor. And the last book just leaves you wanting more
Reviewer grade: 11
