In this book, a wealthy, little girl named Sara Crewe is sent to Miss Minchin’s Boarding School. At the school, she meets many friends, and acts like a princess. Then one day, her father dies, and leaves her in the school in poverty. As Sara is left like an orphan, she is a servant at the school, and sleeps in the dreary attic. I recommend this book to girls, at least 9 years and older.

blogged by,
Anna Marie N.

Dragonwings is about a Chinese boy named Moonshadow who travels to California to live with his father Windrider after the 1869 Transcontinental Railroad was built. Moonshadow stayed in San Francisco and made friends with a group of Chinese called the Company. After many street fights and arguments, Moonshadow and Windrider leave the Company to live with another friend named Miss Whitlaw and her niece named Robin. During their stay, the 1906 earthquake struck. Will Moonshadow, Windrider, and their friends, survive? Where will they stay? To find out, read Dragonwings I would recommend this book to those who like historical fiction.

Bloged by,
Enoch T.

This book is about a Japanese boy named Taro who is captured by Lord Takeda Shingen. Takeda brings Taro to his castle to work as a servant. During his stay, Taro befriends the cook Togan. During one of the walks they did with each other, a merciless samurai kills Togan when they try to go through. When Taro was fifteen, he became a messenger. He befriended a samurai named Yoshitoki. Later, Taro became a samurai and was renamed Murakami Harutomo. Will Taro go into battle? If he does, will he survive? If you want to find out, read The Samurai’s Tale. I would recommend this book for boys and girls and those who like Japanese history.

Blogged by:
Enoch T.

This book is for fans of Ella Enchanted. It has about the same plot, but is very different. Wolf Tower is about a girl named Claidissa Star. She lives in the House. That is an orphanage. Claidi doesn’t know anything about her mom, or what her first name is. Claidi sees the love of her life, at least now the love of her life, Nemian. He asks her to go to his town. It is called the City. Why? I won’t say. She soon learns her mother’s name was Twilight. In the middle of their journey to the City, they run into a group called the bandits. Their leader, Argul, is attractive to Claidi. Will she choose to stay with Nemian, or go with Argul? Read Wolf Tower to find out. Girls and boys would very much enjoy this book because you never know what will happen next. The next book is called Wolf Star.

Blogged by:
Stephanie D.

This book is about a girl named Jill Winters who has to go live with her grandma in were she finds out some interesting hints about the war. The first friend she meets is Wendy and the second is a boy named Quarry. Together they do a lot of stuff in. The first thing that Jill finds is a carrier pigeon which has a note on it that is in German, but the pigeon is injured so Jill holds onto it until it heals. Once the pigeon healed the Jill and her friends let it go to see were it would go. The bird went to a house with a guy who owns a whole bunch of carrier pigeons. One night Jill hears the Bird Man talking to some one so she decides to follow the man. After she had followed the man for a while she sees something. If you want to know what Jill finds out you will have to read this book. I think this book is good for boys and girls who like mystery books.

Blogged by,
Myles C.

This book is about a girl named Esperanza Ortega who lives on a ranch in Mexico. She lives with her father and mother, and is very happy. She is rich, and has servants who do everything for her, and make sure she never has to lift a finger. But one unfortunate day, while her dad is away, he is ambushed by bandits and is killed. After he is buried, his two stepbrothers come and the eldest offers his hand in marriage to Esperanza’s mother. She says no, but when their ranch burns down and Abuelita (the grandmother) gets very sick from the smoke, she agrees, but the night before they are supposed to be married, she and Esperanza get in a wagon with the servants and begin to ride to California.

While they are riding, Esperanza’s mother tells them that they must put on dirty cloths that the poor wear. Esperanza does not understand why she must put on dirty cloths when they are rich.

I would recommend this book to girls mostly because it has a girl in it.

Blogged by Carina D.

Esperanza Rising is about a girl, Esperanza Ortega, living in Mexico in a huge house on their rancho, in the 20th century, with her Mama, her Papa, her Abuelita, and the servants. Then one day, her Papa gets killed by bandits. Then after that, their house gets on fire, and her uncle, (who she dislikes) offers to marry Senora Ortega, and says that he would rebuild the house, while sending Esperanza to a boarding school. Senora Ortega says “yes” while asking for a wagon, and a horse. Then they left with their trusting servants to California, to become farm workers at a Mexican camp. Esperanza is so used to being rich that she did not understand why they should act like the poor. I would recommend this book to anybody, but mostly girls, because it is about a girl. My mom read this book and she enjoyed it as much as I did.

Blogged by,
Anna Marie N.

At first, he was just a boy with no identity in Nazi occupied Warsaw, Poland, and the first thing that he remembers is being a thief. Then Uri and other boys find him, give him the name Misha Pilsudski, and give him a place to live. But they have to live in hiding, because the Nazis can’t find out that they are Jewish. You can see the sadness of the things that happen through Misha’s eyes, a young boy’s eyes, as the story follows Misha and the orphans as they are forced to live behind the brick wall of the ghetto in Warsaw. There, Misha finds a family, changes his identity again, and struggles to find food for the boys, the orphans, and his family. But when the trains come to empty out the Jewish from the ghetto, he loses the person that he loved the most. Another fantastic book by Jerry Spinelli, Milkweed is so beautifully written and a definitely a favorite. Even though I love this book, I did have a bad dream about it once. I recommend it for both boys and girls.

Emily N.

Binh lives in a small house in Vietnam with her older brother, mom, father and her grandmother. She has always wanted to go to school and visit the beach. Binh’s best friend is her older cousin Cuc. Binh and Cuc always go to see a movie on the weekends about teenagers who live in America. So, when she hears that her aunt from America is coming Binh thinks that she will be rich and dress in beautiful clothing. She hopes that her aunt will take her back to America but when her aunt arrives she is in for a big surprise.

I thought this book was very touching and I enjoyed it a lot.

Maranda W

Nancy Kingston was a young heiress who fell in love with a young boy named William. William has to leave for the Navy but promises to come back for her someday. But with her now very close friend Minerva Sharpe, a runaway plantation slave, Nancy flees from an arranged marriage to the very scary and rich man Bartholome. She and Minerva become very close, like sisters, and they become pirates on the ship Deliverance, pretending to be boys. Many things happen as they live their difficult lives as a pirate, but Nancy always has dreams and fears that Bartholome, actually a deadly pirate, will come back after her. Will the two young women escape the cruel Captain Bartholome, who could be following them over the seven seas? And will Nancy’s beloved, William, still love the pirate she has become? This story takes place in the eighteenth century times. I recommend it for both boys and girls who love to read exciting books.

Caution: This book is not for the squeamish. It’s filled with some gore, a lot of action, and a lot of excitement.

Emily N.