This is a GREAT book about a cursed girl who escapes her scheduled death! I really liked the original plot of this book and the incredible character development. This is a very fast book to read because IT’S SO GOOD! If you like the Harry Potter series, you will love this book. This book is full of magical characters and events that make it really fun to read. 20th Century Fox purchased the screen rights to this book, so I think it’ll be made into a movie or a television series in a few years, but the book is ALWAYS better than the movie! I highly recommend this book!

Morrigan Crow is cursed. Having been born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any child to be born, she's blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks--and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on her eleventh birthday.

But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor.

It's then that Morrigan discovers Jupiter has chosen her to contend for a place in the city's most prestigious organization: the Wundrous Society. In order to join, she must compete in four difficult and dangerous trials against hundreds of other children, each boasting an extraordinary talent that sets them apart - an extraordinary talent that Morrigan insists she does not have. To stay in the safety of Nevermoor for good, Morrigan will need to find a way to pass the tests - or she'll have to leave the city to confront her deadly fate.—-Good Reads

This book is AWESOME! It’s a really fast moving thriller that was hard for me to put down. I read this book over a single weekend! The characters are all very different but totally relatable. The chapters are written in the point of view of each character, alternating between them. At the beginning of the book, the main characters did not all get along with each other or have much in common, but by the end they learn that they must come together and work as a team to save their lives. I really liked the unexpected turns that this book takes and the plot is really creative. I will definitely read the other books in this series.

Eli Frieden lives in the most perfect town in the world: Serenity, New Mexico, where honesty and integrity are valued above all else.

Eli has never left Serenity . . . until one day, he bikes to the edge of the city limits and something so crazy and unexpected happens, it changes everything. Eli convinces his friends to help him investigate further, and soon it becomes clear that nothing is as it seems in Serenity. The clues mount to reveal a shocking discovery, connecting their ideal crime-free community to some of the greatest criminal masterminds ever known. The kids realize they can trust no one - least of all their own parents.—-Good Reads

If you like Lemony Snicket, you will love this book! This book is about four orphans who are very different but they have to come together and work as a team to save the world. The book is about overcoming fears, trust, friendship, family, and the truth. The plot is really creative and unique and the ending has several surprises. I liked this book so much that I bought the entire series, which I’m sure I’ll read and write about later on this website!

Reynard "Reynie" Muldoon is an orphaned boy who lives in the Stonetown Orphanage. One morning at breakfast, his tutor "Miss Perumal" notices an advertisement in the newspaper targeted towards gifted children, Reynie follows up and finds himself presented with a series of complex puzzles and odd tests. He passes all of the tests and qualifies to help Mr. Nicholas Benedict. He meets three other gifted children: George "Sticky" Washington, Kate Wetherall, and Constance Contraire. Mr. Benedict, the organizer of the tests, is assisted by his subordinates Number Two, Rhonda Kazembe, and Milligan, the secret agent turned security guard for Benedict.

They explain that a mysterious threat plagues the world in the form of secret messages transmitted into people's minds via television and radio signals. These messages have created the illusion of international panic known as "The Emergency". Mr. Benedict invited the children to form a team to stop the Sender from sending them. The messages originate at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened "L.I.V.E." The children join the Institute as students (and spies), and discover astonishing facts that help their mission.—-Good Reads

This book is TERRIFIC! I really liked the way the author introduced so many different but great characters in this book. My favorite characters were Luke and Peter. The book is about a class of students and their really nice and caring teacher, Mr. Terupt. The chapters are written by rotating the character perspectives. A tragic event happens in the plot and I found it interesting to see how all of the characters changed and became stronger and more thoughtful and kind when dealing with a shared tragedy. This book is a quick book to read and it’s really, really good!

It’s the start of fifth grade for seven kids at Snow Hill School. There’s . . . Jessica, the new girl, smart and perceptive, who’s having a hard time fitting in; Alexia, a bully, your friend one second, your enemy the next; Peter, class prankster and troublemaker; Luke, the brain; Danielle, who never stands up for herself; shy Anna, whose home situation makes her an outcast; and Jeffrey, who hates school.

Only Mr. Terupt, their new and energetic teacher, seems to know how to deal with them all. He makes the classroom a fun place, even if he doesn’t let them get away with much . . . until the snowy winter day when an accident changes everything—and everyone.—Jacket Description

I read this book during a weekend trip to the mountains. It’s a fun fantasy book about a boy (Gregor) and his baby sister who travel to the “Underland” where magical humans live with spiders, roaches, and rats. Gregor learns that he arrived in the Underland for a purpose and must stay strong and be a leader for the entire group of Underlanders so that he can reunite his family and go back home to the Overland. This book is a great book with a creative and interesting plot. I will absolutely read the other books in this series!

This irresistible first novel tells the story of a quiet boy who embarks on a dangerous quest in order to fulfill his destiny—and find his father—in a strange world beneath New York City.

When Gregor falls through a grate in the laundry room of his apartment building, he hurtles into the dark Underland, where spiders, rats, cockroaches coexist uneasily with humans. This world is on the brink of war, and Gregor's arrival is no accident. A prophecy foretells that Gregor has a role to play in the Underland's uncertain future. Gregor wants no part of it -- until he realizes it's the only way to solve the mystery of his father's disappearance. Reluctantly, Gregor embarks on a dangerous adventure that will change both him and the Underland forever.—-Good Reads

This book is really funny and it has an interesting plot about a girl (Ellie) and her grandfather (Melvin) who is a crazy scientist. Melvin creates a special serum from a jellyfish that changes his body from a 70 year old man to a 13 year old boy, but his brain and personality remain a 70 year old man. Reading about a 13 year old acting like a 70 year old is part of what makes the book so funny! I also really liked this book because it included a lot of scientific theories or ideas and I really like to learn about science. This is an easy and fun book to read!

Eleven-year-old Ellie has never liked change. She misses fifth grade. She misses her old best friend. She even misses her dearly departed goldfish. Then one day a strange boy shows up. He’s bossy. He’s cranky. And weirdly enough . . . he looks a lot like Ellie’s grandfather, a scientist who’s always been slightly obsessed with immortality. Could this pimply boy really be Grandpa Melvin? Has he finally found the secret to eternal youth?—Good Reads

The subject matter of this book is heavy, but it’s well written and it was easy for me to read. I liked how the author of this book organized and portrayed the different moods and thoughts of the main characters and wrote in a way that I could hear their voices, especially the voice of Jerome. This book presents a topic that is relevant to what’s going on in our society today but in a way that is appropriate for pre-teen readers. The author organized the chapters by characters to give different perspectives. The author also includes Emmett Till as one of the Ghost Boys in the book to tell his horrible story of racism, prejudice, and hate. The author connects the tragedy of Emmett Till’s death to events that are happening today. The book explains how prejudice, police brutality, and racism are wrong and how important and necessary kindness, understanding, and friendship are in order to make our world a better place for all.

Twelve-year-old Jerome is shot by a police officer who mistakes his toy gun for a real threat. As a ghost, he observes the devastation that’s been unleashed on his family and community in the wake of what they see as an unjust and brutal killing.

Soon Jerome meets another ghost: Emmett Till, a boy from a very different time but similar circumstances. Emmett helps Jerome process what has happened, on a journey towards recognizing how historical racism may have led to the events that ended his life. Jerome also meets Sarah, the daughter of the police officer, who grapples with her father’s actions.—- Good Reads

This book is really inspiring. It teaches many valuable life lessons about important topics such as friendship, kindness, acceptance, and not judging people by the way they look. The book is about a boy named August who was born with a genetically caused facial abnormality. August is a super likable central character. I really liked his great sense of humor. His story is told from the view points of 6 different characters which makes the book very interesting. This is an awesome book that will remind readers of the importance of being kind to others!

August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. Wonder, begins from Auggie’s point of view, but soon switches to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others.—Good Reads

This book is a Newbery Medal winner and it’s written in poetic verse! The book is short but it’s really good! I initially picked up this book to read because I love basketball and I saw that this book received some honors. The book is about twin brothers who are in middle school. They are basketball stars, but they feel like they are drifting apart. Their love of basketball and their love for each other keeps the brothers connected. I think one of my favorite parts of this book was reading the Basketball Rules that the dad gave to his boys. His rules explain how the game of basketball is like life. This book is really awesome for anyone who likes sports, especially boys like me who love basketball!

"With a bolt of lightning on my kicks . . .The court is SIZZLING. My sweat is DRIZZLING. Stop all that quivering. Cuz tonight I'm delivering," announces dread-locked, 12-year old Josh Bell. He and his twin brother Jordan are awesome on the court. But Josh has more than basketball in his blood, he's got mad beats, too, that tell his family's story in verse, in this fast and furious middle grade novel of family and brotherhood.

Josh and Jordan must come to grips with growing up on and off the court to realize breaking the rules comes at a terrible price, as their story's heart-stopping climax proves a game-changer for the entire family.—Good Reads

This book is really exciting! The main character (Brian) is the only survivor of a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness. The book is written a bit like a diary and each chapter documents Brian’s daily struggles and victories as he tries to survive and be rescued in the middle of nowhere. In order to survive, Brian has to be very brave, smart, strong, and innovative. I really liked reading about the different ways that Brian dealt with the challenges that he was faced with. I’m going to take a wilderness survival class this summer and I’m sure this class will make me think of Brian and try to be like him. This is a great book!

Brian is on his way to Canada to visit his estranged father when the pilot of his small prop plane suffers a heart attack. Brian is forced to crash-land the plane in a lake--and finds himself stranded in the remote Canadian wilderness with only his clothing and the hatchet his mother gave him as a present before his departure.

Brian had been distraught over his parents' impending divorce and the secret he carries about his mother, but now he is truly desolate and alone. Exhausted, terrified, and hungry, Brian struggles to find food and make a shelter for himself. He has no special knowledge of the woods, and he must find a new kind of awareness and patience as he meets each day's challenges. Is the water safe to drink? Are the berries he finds poisonous?

Slowly, Brian learns to turn adversity to his advantage--an invading porcupine unexpectedly shows him how to make fire, a devastating tornado shows him how to retrieve supplies from the submerged airplane. Most of all, Brian leaves behind the self-pity he has felt about his predicament as he summons the courage to stay alive.

A story of survival and of transformation, this riveting book has sparked many a reader's interest in venturing into the wild.—Good Reads

It’s impossible to read this book and not root for the main character, Willow Chance. She’s a child genius who has to deal with the tragedy of losing both of her adoptive parents on the same day. Willow’s story is very sad but the way that her friends and acquaintances come together to help and care for Willow is AMAZING! Willow is resilient and strong and the people who help her are great examples of thoughtful, generous, and kind people. I really liked how the author told this story and by the end of the book, I actually felt really proud of and happy for all the characters!

Willow Chance is a twelve-year-old genius, obsessed with nature and diagnosing medical conditions, who finds it comforting to count by 7s. It has never been easy for her to connect with anyone other than her adoptive parents, but that hasn’t kept her from leading a quietly happy life...until now.

Suddenly Willow’s world is tragically changed when her parents both die in a car crash, leaving her alone in a baffling world. The triumph of this book is that it is not a tragedy. This extraordinarily odd, but extraordinarily endearing, girl manages to push through her grief. Her journey to find a fascinatingly diverse and fully believable surrogate family is a joy and a revelation to read.—-Good Reads

For any guy who likes basketball and history, this book is AMAZING! I learned so much about the history of basketball and many of the events regarding WWII from this book. A very cool quote that I think summarizes this book is, “Olympic basketball was born in Nazi Germany. Nazi Germany died on a basketball court.”

On a scorching hot day in July 1936, thousands of people cheered as the U.S. Olympic teams boarded the S.S. Manhattan, bound for Berlin. Among the athletes were the 14 players representing the first-ever U.S. Olympic basketball team. As thousands of supporters waved American flags on the docks, it was easy to miss the one courageous man holding a BOYCOTT NAZI GERMANY sign. But it was too late for a boycott now; the ship had already left the harbor.

1936 was a turbulent time in world history. Adolf Hitler had gained power in Germany three years earlier. Jewish people and political opponents of the Nazis were the targets of vicious mistreatment, yet were unaware of the horrors that awaited them in the coming years. But the Olympians on board the S.S. Manhattan and other international visitors wouldn't see any signs of trouble in Berlin. Streets were swept, storefronts were painted, and every German citizen greeted them with a smile. Like a movie set, it was all just a facade, meant to distract from the terrible things happening behind the scenes.

This is the true story of basketball, from its invention by James Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1891, to the sport's Olympic debut in Berlin and the eclectic mix of people, events and propaganda on both sides of the Atlantic that made it all possible. Includes photos throughout, a Who's-Who of the 1936 Olympics, bibliography, and index.

This book is really pretty funny. If you’ve ever felt unfairly passed over, you’ll be able to relate to the relationship of the brothers in this book. The characters are really funny and the author describes them really well. This book is a good VS. evil book and it’s a funny and fast read!

Luke is a comic-mad eleven-year-old who shares a treehouse with his geeky older brother, Zach. Luke’s only mistake is to need a wee right at the wrong moment. While he’s gone, an alien gives his undeserving, never-read-a-comic-in-his-life brother superpowers, then tells him to save the universe. Luke is massively annoyed about this, but when Zach is kidnapped by his arch-nemesis, Luke and his friends only have five days to find him and save the world…

Super-exciting, laugh-out-loud funny, and with enough heart to fill an entire galaxy, this is perfect for fans of Frank Cottrell Boyce. David Solomons is a meteoric new voice in children’s fiction. —-Good Reads

Until I read this awesome book, I had no idea what an incredible, hardworking, creative, and committed genius Elon Musk really is. Before reading this book, I only knew that Elon Musk created Teslas, electric cars. This book gave a great history of Elon Musk growing up in South Africa and moving to Canada and the United States and describes Elon’s most incredible inventions including: Pay Pal, SolarCity, Tesla and SpaceX. I really like this book because the author did a great job explaining how committed Elon was with each of his projects and how determined he was in bringing them all to life. This book was really fun for me to read because it taught me a lot about being a visionary and an entrepreneur, the obstacles that get in the way sometimes, and the perseverence and determination that a person needs to accomplish their dreams and goals.

There are few people in history who could match Elon Musk’s relentless drive and vision. A modern combination of famous inventors and industrialists like Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Steve Jobs, Elon is the man behind companies such as SpaceX, Tesla Motors, SolarCity, and PayPal that are transforming the way we live.

Written with exclusive access to Elon, his family, and his friends, this book traces Elon’s journey from a kid in South Africa to a young man in the United States, his dramatic technical inventions, and his world-changing companies. Elon has sparked new levels of innovation in the world, and this book gives young readers a detailed but fast-paced look at his story.—— Good Reads