Do you like books about friendships between girls? Then this is the perfect book for you! The book the Secret Language of Girls by Frances O’Roark Dowell  is a book about two girls named Kate Faber and Marylin McIntosh. These two girls have been best friends and neighbor for about their entire lives. They both agree on people who are good friends and what outfits look good to wear, but lately, Marylin has thought that Kate is acting babyish. Also, Kate thinks Marylin is acting like a snob. These thoughts between the two girls caused their friendship to become broken apart. Now the girls Marylin hang out with say mean things about Kate and the girls Kate hang out with say mean things about Marylin. Truthfully, the girls both wish everything was back to normal. If I were to rate this book on a scale from one to ten with ten being the best, I would give it a ten because there is comedy, sports, and romance. I would also recomend this book to girls. To find out what happens read The Secret Language of Girls.

-Alexandra C.

San Lee, an adopted child from China living a nightmare as his life. His dad went to jail, and his mom is stressing about it. So when he moves to a new town, new state, and a new school. He has no idea who he is or who he wants to be. On his first day at school he meets a beautiful girl named Emily A.K.A Woody. Woody has a “rocker chick” look and plays music at lunch. San thought that everyone at the school would make fun of her but surprisingly everyone loves it. In their history class, San’s teacher starts a unit about Zen and Buddhism. San has already learned about this but decides that he should become a “Zen Master.” San spends endless hours at the library trying to learn everything about becoming a Zen Master. San is successful and Woody starts to fall for San. Is San doing the right thing? Does Woody really belive that San is a Zen Master.

Read Zen and the Art of Faking it to find out.

Blogged by: Maranda W.

What if… your father died a few years ago, and have three, four, or five younger siblings, and you mom is trying to get a good job to keep the family going. Amy is 11, lives in San Francisco, and the same thing is going on with her. Her mom is trying to get a good job to keep Amy in her ballet classes. When Amy’s mom gets a new job as an amah (a highly respected nanny in china), Amy has to miss some ballet classes to watch her younger siblings. Amy’s mom is an amah to a wealthy 11, Stephanie, whose mother died. When Amy’s mom tells her children about how nice Stephanie is, Amy gets jealous.

I think this is a good book. It has some of the same characters as the ones in the Ribbons series. I would give this book 4/5 stars.

Blogged by, Anna Marie N.

Don’t let titles deceive you, this book is not about tangerines at all. Paul is a 7th grade soccer goalie, the best in his league, who is moving with his mom to Florida to join up with his dad and brother.  When he joins the soccer team at Lake Windsor Middle school, he gets kicked off because of his problem. Paul actually can’t see without special goggles. So when Paul gets a chance to go to a different school, who don’t know of his blindness, he doesn’t hesitate to switch to Tangerine Middle school. He joins the team, but he is remembering certain things about why he went blind that are involving his brother. Will he remember what happend to his eyesight? and how did it happen? Read Tangerine by Dward Bloor.

“The humped eyelids with their glittery purple were like tiny twin eggs, bird’s eggs.”

When David and Primrose first meet, David is sure that she is dead. David, a young boy, and Primrose, a mouthy teenager, could not be more different. Primrose would do anything to get away from her crazy fortune- telling mother, even if it means spending her life in a car, which she uses as her room. David longs to watch the sunset with his mother. His dead mother. He would do anything to get her back. David and Primrose sneek out every night after dark. They could be going to The Refrigerator’s house, or maybe dumpster dive for the flee market on Thursdays, whch Primrose hardly has any luck at. David is sure he will never break another rule (other than his Grandmother’s), and hopes that one day being good enough will bring his mother back. But until then, he plans to never ever watch the sun rise without her by his side. When Primrose and David go on their big adventure to the city, the two definitely demonstate their bond together. Will David’s mother come back? Will Primrose ever learn to love her mother? Read Eggs to find out.

I personally really liked the book “Eggs.” It was really sad, and very touching, or sometimes funny at parts. I think that Jerry Spinelli really wrote this book as well as he could. My favorite character was Primrose, because of her spunky, carefree attitude. Of all the parts of the book, I liked the night of their big advenure best. It made me cry and laugh, but it was definitely touching. It took me a whole day to read “Eggs”, because I couldn’t stop reading it.

I would definitely reccomend “Eggs” to girls and boys in possibly fifth grade and up. 10/10.

natasha m.

Callie For President, by Robin Wasserman is about a girl named Callie running for class president against a girl who Callie thinks is stuck up, Brianna Blake.  Brianna has ran for president for the past couple of years and no one has run against her, so every single year she won the election because no one had anyone to vote for!  Well one day when Callie and her friends Max and Fish were in their social studies class, Max changes the whole election…”I nominate Callie!”shouts Max.  Fish agreed with Max, so Callie was running for class president against Brianna Blake.  

When Brianna asks Fish to help her make posters for the election, Max and Callie get very offended because Callie was nearly SURE Fish would say no.  But, nope, Fish said yes.  HELPING BRIANNA BLAKE make posters for the election when CALLIE, his best friend was running against her, not very nice!!!  At Callie and Max’s first president meeting, they decide to have a bake sale at the school parking lot.  That exact time and day when Callie and Max were holding the baking sale, Brianna Blake comes in with a hit rock star and tries to persuade all the students to vote for her, not Callie.  

Who will win the election?  Will Callie ever get Fish back on her side?  Will Brianna and Callie EVER be at least friends?  To find out what happens, read the book, Callie For President, by Robin Wasserman.  I highly recommend it to mostly girls ages 8-12.  I would rate this book a 7 out of 10, ten being the best.  It was a good book, but it could be better.  

Blogged by Jodie C. 

Hey guys I just read a great book by Roland Smith called I.Q. This book is about a boy named Quest (nicknamed Q) who is about to have a new sister and dad. His step dad and mom are in a band and he and Angela, his new sister, go with them. Along the way they meet a very mysterious person named Boone. Later they find out that he works for a secret agent like company. (like the CIA or the Secret Service) When Q and Angela find out that Angela’s supposedly dead mother is alive and that someone is trying to kill them they have to beat all odds to figure out the mystery. How will Q and Angela escape their pursuers? and will they find out if Angela’s mother is alive or not? Read this book to find out.

–Blogged by Garrett T.

The book, Star-Crossed by Mimi McCoy, is about a girl named Abby signing up for a mobile horoscope by, Miz Astrid.  Abby didn’t really want to sign up for the mobile horoscope, but Abby’s BFF Chelsea signs her up for it. 

Abby has a perfect life.  She is the star on her track team and gets good grades.  But when Chelsea signs Abby up for the horoscope, everything goes from way, way up, to way, way down.  One example of the good times was when Abby first looked at her horoscope, it said, “Unexpected riches may come your way,” then after her track practice, Abby found a 20 dollar bill lying on the ground!  Another example of the bad days was when Abby’s horoscope read, “Beware distractions and double check everything…”  That same day, Abby was at a track meet, running her hardest.  Their school was going to win this race!!!  But right before the finish line, Abby tripped and landed SMACK on the gravel track and lost.  Later, Abby found out she tripped because she forgot to tie her right shoe lace! 

Will Abby’s luck turn?  Will she ever get a good horoscope by, Miz Astrid?  To find out what happens to Abby in the end of the book, read Star-Crossed, by Mimi McCoy.  I would rate this book a 9 out of 10, ten being the best.  It was a great book, and I enjoyed it very much.  I highly recommend it to girls ages 8-12 or 13.  Thank you for reading my blog and I hope you read the book!

Realistic Fiction

Blogged by Jodie C

Eleven-year-old, Penny has always been given so many gifts because her father died when she was just a baby.  Everyone loved her dad so they want to help cheer her up.  She also has so many uncles she can hardly count.  They always are the ones who give her things.  All her uncles are great, but who she really likes is Uncle Dominic.  Uncle Dominic lives in a car.  He says it’s more comfortable and he can wear his pajamas and slippers all day.  He also gets to listen to the Brooklyn Dodgers games and usually invites Penny to come along with him to listen.  But her summer isn’t coming out the way she planned.  She and her cousin, Frankie, have to get jobs at Falucci’s Market.  Also she can’t go swimming because her mom is afraid that she will catch polio at the pool.  Her Nonny, who only speaks Italian, cries every time she hears Penny’s dad’s name.  People really did enjoy his presence.  But worst of all, Penny’s mom is dating the milkman.  He comes every day to sell milk to them and she always sees her mom trying to flirt with him.  Also Frankie thinks that one of the uncles has money hidden somewhere in their house.  Will Penny’s summer ever turn out as planned?  Will Frankie and Penny find the money that was hidden?  Will Penny’s two families ever be friends again?  Read this book to find out.

I loved this book!  It taught me that your family doesn’t have to be perfect to maintain a good life.  It also taught me that even though the times may be rough doesn’t mean that it can’t get better.  You can get through the roughest times even if they seem impossible to get through, you just need to be happy.  It taught me that miracles aren’t just in fairy-tales, they can happen in real life too.  Believe in yourself and you can accomplish anything.

Ryan K.