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This book is about a girl named Bella who moves to Forks to live with her dad for a while. While she is there, she meets a boy named Edward Cullen. She quickly falls in love with him. One day her friend Mike asks her to come on a beach trip with all their friends. She says yes and on the beach trip, she meets a boy she used to play with when she was little. He tells her to watch out for the Cullens because they are supposedly vampires. When she sees Edward, she asks him if he is a vampire. First he hesitates to answer, and then he says yes. Bella is shocked, but she starts to hang out with Edward more and more. When vampires try to attack her, Edward protects her.
A memorable character is Bella because she is very brave, and I liked her sarcasm towards Edward.
The title is meaningful because twilight is just before sunset.
I would say that this book is for readers in grades 6 through 10.
I give it 5 stars.

-Review by Hannah S., grade 6

In this book, 4 kittens, one in each clan, hear about their ancestors, enemies, friends and clanmates. Each and every cat is described, and secrets are revealed that never before have been. There are even a few beautiful illustrations by artist Wayne Mcloughlin.
The most memorable character described in this book is Firestar, Thunderclan’s leader and hero. He is the most unforgetable character in the book because he is brave, loyal, and strong.
The meaning of the title Cats of the Clans makes sense because the book gives useful information about each cat.
That is also why this is the perfect book for 5th or 6th graders who have just started the Warriors series and want to know more about clan cats. The book was most enjoyable because it’s full of suspense.
I rate this book with 4 out of 5 stars!

-Review by Hailey B., grade 7

William’s grandfather had recently passed away, so his mom let him get a dog to keep him company. William goes to his neighbor’s house to show her his new dog, Riley. The neighbor, Mrs. Peachwood, has a horse and Riley goes after the horse. After Riley attacks the horse again, Mrs. Peachwood calls animal control which comes and takes Riley away. William and his friend try everything to save Riley and make sure he is not put to sleep.
A memorable event in the story is when William and Grace find out the Riley is not going to be put to sleep.
The title is important because it tells the reader that the book is about a boy who tries to save his dog during the summer vacation.
I most liked the ending when they find out that Riley is going to be able to live.
I recommend the book for readers in grades 4 through 7.
I give the book 5 stars.

-Review by Brianna F., grade 6

Laura Sibbie bought a hat at a garage sale that said “Pig City” on it, so she started a club called Pig City. Her friends joined and she had some other people join in too. But before they could jbecome members, they had to give insurance, and they all had different kinds of insurance. If they told anyone about Pig city, then the insurance the person gave would be shown to the class or given to another person.
A memorable character in this book is Gabriel because of all the tricks he did and how he could be really mean or really nice.
The title is important because the book is about secrets that are both interesting and funny.
The ending of the book was the most enjoyable part.
I recommend the book to 5th and 6th graders.
I give the book 3 stars.

-Review by Brianna F., grade 6

A Long Way From Chicago is about a brother and his sister who visit their grandmother every summer. In the summer of 1929, Joey and his sister Mary Alice come to visit for a week and see their first dead body because their grandmother has agreed to have the corpse in her front yard. In the summer of 1932, Grandma agrees to try out for the prize at the fair with her gooseberry pie. When they get there, she sees another gooseberry pie and decides to switch them, and it ends up that hers wins first prize, so she gets second prize. Also, that is the first summer Joey gets to fly in a plane. During the summer of 1942, Joey is on his way to the military because he signed up for the Army Air Corps and the train that he is on passes his grandma’s house and there he sees her waving.
A memorable character is grandma because she was a strong hard-working woman who does not let people push her around, but is very sneaky at the same time.
The meaning of the title is that Joey and Mary Alice are both from Chicago and when the go to Grandma’s it is far away. It also means that the adventures, the people, and the customs are all so far away or different from what Joey and Mary Alice are used to.
It was enjoyable to watch how Mary Alice, Grandma, and Joey changed. I recommend this book to ages 10-12.
I would give this book 5 stars.

-Review by Victoria R., grade 6

This book begins back in the time when the clans of ancient cats rule the forest and ancient clans Thunderclan, Shadowclan, Windclan and Riverclan kick out Skyclan, the fifth clan. Then, the story moves to recent clan times, when Firestar, Thunderclan’s hero, starts having strange dreams about the lost clan. In these dreams, Firestar is told by the ancient clan leader, Cloudstar, that the remains of Skyclan have been lost but that he must rebuild Skyclan. So, Firestar sets off on his amazing journey to rebuild the lost clan.
The memorable character in this book is Firestar because he is very brave and never stops looking for Skyclan’s home, even when times get hard.
The book is called Firestar’s Quest because of Firestar’s amazing journey to find Skyclan.
This book was very enjoyable. In fact, it was the most exciting book in the Warriors series so far.
I would recommend it to grades 6 through 8 and I give it 5 out of 5 stars!

-Review by Hailey B., grade 7

Margaux is a really pretty, very popular teenager who catches the eye of every guy she meets. When she meets Danny, he just wants to be friends. He is not rude like the other boys. Danny and Margaux each have issues related to their families. Danny has to take care of his aunt who has multiple sclerosis; Margaux lives with parents who are too preoccupied with themselves to care for her. With Danny’s encouragement, Margaux stands up to her parents and becomes her own person.
Danny’s Aunt Evie is like a mother to Margaux. Although her MS limits her mobility, Evie tries her best to be a mother to Margaux. They have mother/daughter conversations over dinner, something Margaux does not get with her birth mother.
An X is like a cross. Her unique name, Margaux with an X, tells about a beautiful girl who is perfect on the outside and full of crosses on the inside.
I give this book 4 1/2 stars, because of its slow start. Once Margaux meets Danny, the book has better dialogue and is more enjoyable to read. I recommend this book to girls in grades 8 and above, due to some mature themes.

-Review by Maggie P., grade 7

Liz is a sixteen year-old girl who got hit by a taxi, died, and is now in Elsewhere, the place where everyone goes when they die. Once you get there, the age process reverses, and you get younger with each year. The book details Liz’s journey through Elsewhere, as she ages backwards.
Besides Liz, I enjoyed the character of Curtis Jest. Curtis was Liz’s best friend throughout the book. He was a musician on Earth. He is a fisherman in Elsewhere. Curtis is wise and knows just what to say to make Liz feel better.
The title of the book means that Liz is any place but Earth. At first Liz desperately wants to return to Earth, but as she spends time in Elsewhere, Liz comes to accept that Elsewhere is not a bad place.
I give this book 4 stars, and recommend it for middle school students. The fact that Liz was dead was a little weird, but it was never gory. Although it is fantasy, readers can relate to Liz and her dilemmas in the book, especially about wanting to be somewhere you are not.

-Review by Maggie P., grade 7

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul is a book that I love love love love love! This easy but spirit-lifting read should be part of school curriculum. It’s really that great! What’s the hype about? Well, this book is really a collection of 101 stories of “life, love, and learning,” covering such topics as friendship, family, love, kindness, courage, and success. The authors are everyday teens who share their stories about problems and rewards of average teen life; a few celebrities contributed, including Jennifer Love Hewitt and Elisa Donovan.  Although not every story has a happy ending, the stories are uplifting. Some are about life lessons or bad situations–like a girl who slowly lost her father to alcohol, but used the loss to create a program that educates kids about staying away from drugs.
The title fits-every story is warm comfort for the soul.
This book receives five stars from me. Just when you think nobody cares for anyone and the world is out to get you, you pick this up and it puts your mind back in place! Anyone old enough to comprehend English should read this book.

-Review by Ashley L., grade 7

Unlike the Abhorsen series, which attracted my attention and kept me reading until the very last pages, Across the Wall is a collection of Garth Nix’s individual short stories, along with a longer story set in the world of the Abhorsen trilogy. Each short story has a message and meaning of its own. Whatever its defects, Across the Wall contains some interesting ideas and moving thoughts that make it worthwhile. This particular book manages to spell out just how versatile this author really is. He can conquer myth, romantic tales, fables, and science fiction alike, and for that, he is, in my opinion, an admirable and accomplished writer.
The title merely refers the most thrilling story, “Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case,” and the wish of one character in this story, named Nick. Nick is caught in between his political duties to his family and his own wish to cross the wall separating him from contentment. Meanwhile, he awakens a magic creature of malice who could just as easily kill him as anybody else.
Due to the fact that this book contains some mature subject matter, I would recommend it to those 10 and above. I would give this a 3 or 4 stars because it was not as engaging as I would have hoped, but I should have expected a collection of unrelated short stories to be less thrilling than one of Nix’s complete books.

-Review by Ashley L., grade 7