| Books
that don't fit into other categories |
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Title:
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants This is a once-you-pick-it-up-you-can't-stop-reading
book that I highly recommend. It is the story of four girls
who have a pair of pants that magically look good on each one
of them. It is the story of an amazing friendship. It is a story
of what the true meaning of friendship is. The Sisterhood
of the Traveling Pants is written with zest, imagination,
and thrill. The plot is continuously moving and compelling.
I loved the way the girls exchanged the pants, had certain rules,
and no matter what, they were there for each other. |
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Title:
Romiette and Julio Author: Sharon Draper Reviewer: Grade 9 Romiette and Julio is an original modern adaptation of the Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet. It is a love story about the romance between Romiette, a wealthy African-American girl, and Julio, an athletic Hispanic boy who has just moved to Chicago. They meet in an online chatroom, and soon realize that they go to the same school. Their love blossoms but is frowned down upon by a prominent school gang who discourges an association between an African-American and a Hispanic. Romiette and Julio ignore the not-so-subtle warnings and continue to date. But the gang members soon have their revenge, creating a panic and starting a bond between the families of the victims. Let’s just say that this story does not have the tragic end of Romeo and Juliet! I enjoyed this book very much. Besides having an intriguing plot, Romiette and Julio is full of wit and humor. It is full of intriguing characters, such as Romiette’s superstitious best friend and Julio’s blue-haired friend Ben. Look for some chemistry there as well! The format of the book is also very interesting, switching from Romiette’s journal to Julio’s, throwing in the occasional chatroom transcript as well as Romiette and Julio’s private chats. The book presents the trials and tribulations of a high school relationship in a way that all teens can relate to, although some of the troubles may be a bit more serious than those that the average teen would have to face. I would recommend this book as a quick and exhilarating summer read that leaves you with the happy afterglow of a good teen love story. |
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Title:
Takeoffs and Landings While
the title may suggest a non-fiction book about the plight of
a pilot, Takeoffs and Landings is a touching story
of the relationship between a brother and a sister, and how
one trip can change it forever. Lori is a confident and popular
girl, involved in many clubs in school and with many friends.
However, she resents the absence of her mother, who became
a motivational speaker after her father died in a tragic tractor
accident. Her older brother, Chuck, is overweight and self-conscious,
withdrawn, but is hiding an amazing talent. Lori is embarrassed
of Chuck, and makes no efforts to get along with him, until
they are pitted against each other on a trip across the country
on one of their mother’s speaking tours. The relationships
in Lori’s life change dramatically on that trip, as the
details of her father’s death come out, and the personalities
of her brother and mother are uncovered. |
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Title: The Outsiders The Outsiders is about a young boy growing up in the poorer area of town and how it influences his life. The main character, Ponyboy, is known as a “Greaser” because of his appearance with his greased back hair. Many of the teenagers living on the east side of town are “Greasers”, including Ponyboy’s two brothers, who take the place of his parents. The “Greasers” get into many disputes, especially with the “Westside Socs” who are known as the rich snobs. However, Ponyboy is a different kind of “Greaser” because he has a lot of talent in school and has a lot of motivation for success. During this novel, Ponyboy deals with many tragedies, but with his experiences he comes to many realizations. The Outsiders is easy to read, but has many hidden themes. This book is not only recommended for young adults, but adults also. |
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Title:
California Blue This book is about a boy who wasn’t
that athletic, yet his whole family was. He was fascinated by
animals especially insects. Therefore he didn’t get along
with his father that well. One day by accident he found a pretty
blue butterfly. Later he found out the butterfly belonged to
a new species. He wanted to make a habitat for it. Yet the place
where these butterflies came from was getting made into a factory.
The even bigger problem was the boy’s dad worked for the
company building the factory, so it put the boy against his
father. Then his father became very sick. |
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Title:
Stoner and Spaz Stoner and Spaz is the touching,
intriguing story of the unlikely friendship that develops between
Ben, an outcast because he has cerebral palsy, and Colleen,
the girl who sells weed and is always high. They meet at the
movies, where Ben spends most of his free time while not at
home with his grandma. Colleen asks to borrow money, and after
the movie while still high, she asks Ben to write an essay on
The Great Gatsby for her in exchange for showing him
her body. When they talk the next day, Colleen doesn’t
remember a word of it. Thus develops a shy friendship, though
neither party will admit it. They go out places together, from
documentary showings to dance clubs. The leering shadow of Colleen’s
druggie boyfriend, Ed, hangs over the two like a cloud. Colleen
continues to smoke, and one day in a drugged confrontation,
Colleen breaks the friendship off. A surprising chain of events
start out, leading to a new life for both Colleen and Ben. |
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Title:
The View from Saturday The View from Saturday is an exciting book that teaches many lessons. It’s about how several students from the same school are in an educational competition. Not only are they learning more knowledge wise, but are learning more about each other. However, all of the students are somehow related. Each Saturday they have a tea party and quiz each other and their teacher also helps them prepare by having practices. The book is taken from a different perspective because with each chapter the narrator changes. That way, you can see each person’s feelings and emotions. The View from Saturday is a short novel, but reveals many hidden themes throughout the book. If you’re looking for a short, but thorough book The View from Saturday may be what you’re looking for. |
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Title:
Love and Other Four Letter Words Love and Other Four Letter Words
is the story of a 16-year-old girl who is uprooted from her
suburban upstate New York life to move to New York City with
her mother after her parents separate. Sammie Davis is frustrated,
no matter where she is. She doesn’t feel like she fits
in at Ithaca or certainly not in the Big Apple. Her “perfect”
best friend Kitty is slowly drifting away to the snob group
of “beautiful people”, and Sammie is lacking experience
in the romance department. To Sammie, her life goes from bad
to worse with the separation, and their family trip to California
becomes her father’s getaway trip. Once in the city, Sammie
plans to spend a lonely summer by herself while her mother spends
her time at job interviews or reading a self help book. However,
things change quickly when Sammie’s mom Davis’s
reunites with an old city friend and her two children and Sammie
finds friendship at a nearby dog park. Although all seems well,
Sammie has anger towards her parents and eventually it all spills
out. However, in the end it seems to turn out okay. |
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Title: Stargirl Madness hits Arizona when Stargirl makes her appearance at Mica High. At first, people are taken back by her strange behavior and appearance, but she somehow manages to become one of the most popular students in the school. Everyone wants to be like her. Later, people are annoyed by her outrageous and spirited behavior and the ignoring begins. However, she soon wins the heart of Leo Borlock. Eventually Leo panics and urges Stargirl to become normal when his friends stop talking to him. Stargirl is a book that teaches the morals of popularity and love. You’ll be left standing in Stargirl’s stardust. |
More Reviews in alphabetical order by author. |
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| Title:
The Circle of Gold The book The Circle of Gold is a book that everyone can enjoy. This book demonstrates the struggle of a single mother with twins and the ability for a family to stick together. In the book, the father of the twins just died so the mother was left to care for her son and daughter by herself. Fortunately, she has very responsible kids. When Maggie and her brother come home from school, they clean the house, complete homework, and they prepare a meal before their mother gets home from work. Mother's Day is coming and as a token of love and appreciation, Maggie decides she wants to purchase a gold pin that she saw. Unfortunately, she does not have the money to purchase the pin. Read this book to find out the measures that Maggie takes to buy this piece of jewelry. |
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| Title:
What Hearts The book What Hearts is about a boy named Asa who lives a miserable life. His life is miserable because he often moves from house to house. He moves because his mother divorces and doesn't settle with the right man, till she finally meets the one. I liked the way Asa faced all the little problems that he had. I didn't like the way he never tried to contact his old friends. |
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Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul This is a very touching book. It seems the stories share a common boundary with the things that have happened in our lives. Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul is a collection of stories by teenagers around America and by celebrities when they were teenagers. The chapters are divided into sections like Family, Relationships, Friendships, and various other categories. Like the real chicken soup it is a home remedy for the common cold. However, the book Chicken Soup is a remedy for teenage problems. The reader gets pulled into the story like we are actually experiencing what is happening. It will make you laugh and cry. |
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| Title:
Breakfast at Tiffany's Possibly one of THE best books written. Paul (his name in the movie but his name in the book never comes up), a starving writer, meets Holly Golightly, society playgirl. She visits Sally Tomato at Sing Sing once a week, is unknowingly caught up in a drug ring, gets $50 for a trip to the powder room, and ran away from home at fourteen from her more or less 40 year old husband, her brother, and her children (not HER children technically). Her future is a total blank. She steals her best friend's boyfriend. She doesn't belong to anybody, not even to her one-eyed ragbag of a cat. Her favorite place in the world is Tiffany's, and spends most of her life searching for a place that makes her feel the way Tiffany's makes her feel. Until then, she's travelling. |
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| First
place winner, Belmont Teen Read Week Book Review Contest 2000
Everyone has a secret, some keep it locked and others tell others. We are all real people who deal with real life situations; unfortunately there are times in our lives when we deal with some devastating situations. The main character of My Father's Scar is gay. How can he tell his parents that he is someone that they disapprove of? He knows that his father will not accept him, but he also knows that he has to tell his parents. After telling his parents that he is gay, how can he tell them that he is also in a relationship? This book really makes a person feel the emotion. When a friend of his is beaten up for coming out of the closet, it is as if you can feel the blows. It is really depressing when once his secret is told how he is shut off from the world. To find out how he handles the situation, get it from your local library. |
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| Title:
The House on Mango Street The House on Mango Street is a great book for a young mind. It shows the struggles, courage, and ideas of a little girl. Despite the fact that she has to overcome problems over her neighborhood, friends, and her nationality, she is a good role model. She puts the importance of life in front of her troubles, and always looks for a better brighter future. |
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| Title:
Absolutely Normal Chaos What do you need a journal for? Mary Lou Finney groans when her English teacher gives them a vacation assignment about what they did over the summer. Little does Mary Lou know that she is in for the summer of her life. Her best friend ends up getting angry at her, her extremely odd and boring cousin Carl Ray comes to visit and the pink-tinged Alex Cheevey starts hanging around. What could this all mean? Mary Lou learns a lot and also manages to complete her journal without any problem. Sharon Creech is an absolute genius when whipping up books. As Mary Lou gets whirled around in this fantastic tale about a thirteen-year-old girl she realizes just how hectic life can become. Absolutely Normal Chaos is wonderfully spun and recommended to everyone. |
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| Second
place winner, Belmont Teen Read Week Book Review Contest 2001
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides is the poignant, gripping story of teenage conflicts. The Lisbon girls, enigmas to their small 1970's suburb, become the centers of their neighbors' interest when the youngest sister kills herself and the others are ultimately forbidden to leave the house. The dramatic yet expected end of the novel has the four other girls committing suicide jointly. While no one can deny that suicide is a dark, haunting subject for a work of fiction, Eugenides avoids making death an overarching theme and instead keeps it in the back of the reader's mind throughout. He focuses on the personalities of the girls, the town, and the boys who are enamored with them, so that the reader can really feel a part of the story. Eugenides is a skilled storyteller, and even those who have seen the movie will find the book unique and moving, despite it's disturbing theme. |
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Charms for the Easy Life This book tells the story of a grandmother, her daughter and her granddaughter, who all end up living in the same house. They are strong, wealthy women living around the time of World War II. Each one has a talent. The grandmother works in the medical profession, her daughter is good at finding men, and her granddaughter is very smart. This is a great book. As you keep reading you become very involved and anxious to read more about each woman's life in the book. It is both happy and sad at points. It is also well written too. I advise anyone to check out this book. |
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| Title:
Chocolat In the face of temptation,
Francis Reynaud is a weak man, much weaker than his hardened,
stoic exterior intimates. When presented with stores of chocolate
reserved for his town's chocolate festival, he is vulnerable.
Reynaud cannot resist, and he devours the scrumptious confections
with indiscriminate taste and a ferocious intensity. |
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| Title:
We Have Always Lived in the Castle It's about a girl named Merricat Blackwood who lives on her family estate with her older sister Constance and her uncle Julian. They live very sheltered lives in their estate. Only Marricat will go to the village for food but besides that no one ever leaves their property. Uncle Julian and especially Constance don't go out in public because of an incident not long ago. There were 4 Blackwoods that died of a fatal dose of arsenic found in the sugar bowl. Acquitted of the murders, Constance has returned home, where Merricat protects her from the curiosity and hospitality of the villagers. So the rest of the book is about them spending their days in isolation until their cousin Charles appears. I thought the book kind of dragged on and on at the beginning . It got better towards the middle, but it took time to get into it. I didn't really like the ending, because it wasn't really practical, but I guess that's how it has to end. |
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A Ring of Endless Light My all time favorite book is A Ring of Endless Light, by Madeline L'Engle. It's a moving diary about a young teenage girl finding herself, and connecting with her soul. As she overcomes the triumph of growing up and becoming a young adult, she faces many emotional challenges along the way. She has found her true soulmate, but at the same time has to care for her grandmother. She is very close to her family, and has a passionate love for her family. As she grows up, she emotionally connects with a very special friend, a dolphin. This intriguing creature helps ease the pain, and sets her mind free from the world. While reading this book I connected with her emotions and identified with the character's feelings. It's a story with everything going on in it, love, heartbreak, and self discovery, which I think all teenagers can relate to. I was indescribably moved by the emotions and feelings expressed, and touched by every word. |
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| First
place winner, Belmont Teen Read Week Book Review Contest 2001
"Fact and fiction are different
truths" is a quote tacked over Minna's mother's typewriter,
and it drives Minna crazy with confusion. She just can't figure
out what it means. |
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| Title:
California Diaries - Sunny California Diaries- Sunny is the diary of a teenage girl named Sunny who has a mother with cancer and hates her life. I enjoyed this book because you can get inside Sunny's head and find out all her thoughts and feelings. I didn't like the book because you couldn't find out what Sunny's friends feel about her actions. |
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Babyface This book is about two best friends. They deal with change and growing up. But their friendship gets ripped apart by parent actions. Their lives get turned upside down. The book was so life like. It dealt with normal problems and normal consequences. The book has wonderful intense writing. I ended up crying. |
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A Step From Heaven Young Ju narrates this amazing semi-autobiographical story about a lower-class Korean family living in America. She deals with all the ordinary pains and hardships of all ordinary American kids, like school, siblings, and friends, and some maybe not-so-ordinary things, like an abusive father. She's constantly reminded that she's different, not like the rest, maybe not as good as everyone else, especially having a rich white girl as a best friend. But young Ju has a remarkable strength in her that enables her to survive everything. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll get confused by the half-Korean half-English language, but it'll all be worth it, because you won't be able to put it down |
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Alice Alone Alice experiences what high school is like when she starts high school in this book. She learns that things can't always be how she wants. She and her boyfriend had been together for a long time, but she doesn't know what to do when her boyfriend starts to get along with a new girl in town. |
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Title: Once a Runner This book is the best running novel that I ever read. The book is about a collegiate runner called Quentin Cassidy whose dream is to break the four-minute mile. To do this, he will have to practice hard and work with an Olympic champion named Bruce Denton. This book is the best because it is so realistic. When you read it you can feel the pain or the joy that the character has, and you know that when you are running you have those same feelings. Also I liked it because Quentin realizes his dream. That means everyone who tries to make a goal come true, can make it with practice, practice and dedication. You should read this book. You will learn a lot about what a runner feels when he is racing. |
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West Side Story Based on the Bard's play, "Romeo and Juliet". The Jets and the Sharks are two gangs in a gang-war thing with each other. Maria, sister of the gang leader dude, falls in love with Tony, the other gang leader's best friend, which obviously causes some problems among the gang people and stuff. So if you've read Romeo and Juliet, you basically know what to expect since, well, West Side Story was based on it. |
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Title: Joy Luck Club Amy Tan has written one of the best Asian-American literature in the novel Joy Luck Club. This book is so moving because it is so real, so human, and Tan's voices reach out to your spirits. Amy Tan's Joy Luck Club is a collection of vignettes from two generations of Chinese-American women. The mothers who have dealt with struggles during World War II in China and their daughters who dealt with lingering ghosts from their childhood and their marriage problems of today. Open-mindedly showing the differences between a generation gap and strengthening the bond between mother and daughter. With wit and sensitivity, Amy Tan examines the sometimes painful, often tender, and always deep connections between mothers and daughters. Joy Luck Club is a magical book, it casts a spell and enchants you until the very last word. The book has made a tremendous impact on my life, especially the relationship between my mother and I. |
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