book reviews

Books in Review

Below are reviews of adolescent literature written by 7th and 8th grade students. They are arranged by title. Watch for new reviews to be added each month.

Reviews: A - O

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul
by Jack Canfield, Mark V. Hanson, & Kimberly Kirberger
Most of the time when you think of the word short story you think of some story that you have to read in your text book for class. When I hear the word short story I think of this book. This book helps guide teens through one of the most difficult periods in life. Most of the things that happen in this book teenagers face almost every day in their lives. This book can change the way you feel about other people and yourself. This book contains lessons on the nature of friendship and love, the importance of belief in the future, the value of respect for yourself and others, and more. I hope that you get a chance to read Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul.
Krissy Lunde, 7th grade
Don't Die My Love
by Lurlene McDaniel

Julie Ellis and Luke Muldenhower are two people you will really like when reading this book. The story of these two love-struck teens and their tragedy is intriguing and may bring tears to your eyes. In the midst of a tragedy in this well written story Julie and Luke know they can turn to each other. When reading this book I felt like I was in the story and I knew everyone well. You learn to appreciate life and the many wonderful things in it more from this book. All together I thought it was a really good book and rating it I would give it a nine out of ten.
Heather Enzian, 8th grade

The Emperor's Plague
by Kevin J. Anderson & Rebecca Moesta

Are you into action and adventure? If you are, then The Emperor's Plague, written by New York Times best selling authors, is a great book for you to read. I think it is one of the best books in the science fiction genre I have ever read. Go through many adventures with the twins of Han Solo and Princess Leia and their friends Lowbacca, Tenel Ka, Zekk, and M-TeeDee as they try to save the galaxy from the evil Nolaa Tarkona as she tries to destroy the human race with plagues the Emperor had created before his death. The Emperor had created plagues that could kill every species that ever existed! Together they must stop Nolaa Tarkona before she lets out the Emperor's evil plagues. Can they do it?
Jenni Hill, 8th grade The Hobbit
by J.R.R. Toilkein

A Hobbit, what is it? A Hobbit is a fat, happy creature who mostly likes to eat and sleep. If a Hobbit goes on an "adventure," or did anything unexpected, they were not well respected by their fellow Hobbits. In this book Bilbo, a very respected Hobbit, finds himself being asked by 12 dwarves and a wizard to go and help get back the dwarves' treasure and win back their land which was taken over by Smaug, an evil dragon. This is a very good book for people who liked The Chronicles of Narnia. In this book when one adventure would end, another would begin. Toilkein does a very good job of describing the characters in this book. The beginning of this book is pretty boring and could be shorter. This is a very good book, and if you get a chance to read it, don't hesitate.
Kirk Williams, 7th grade

Hoop Dreams
by Paul Robert Walker

Hoop Dreams is a very good book that talks about two fourteen year olds that have the same dream of making it to the NBA. The story takes place in Chicago, and the two main characters are William Gates and Arthur Agees. I would recommend this book to all my friends who like basketball because this book was very good and much better than the movie. On a scale from one to ten I would give the book a nine because it was really written and is very interesting. I think Hoop Dreams is one of the best books I've read.
Chance Combs, 7th grade How Few Remain
by Harry Turtledove

I love reading history and science fiction books. When I came across this I had to buy it. It's an alternate history book that is both sci-fi and historical fiction. It's about a fictional second Civil War. In it they say that the Confederate States won the first war and now the U.S. has declared war again. This is a great book for everyone. It contains political talk, accounts of battle, and home-front action. This book also contains very good information on real-life characters such as Colonel George Custer, Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and Samuel Clemens. Also, this story has been written very well in an easy-to-read way. I think anyone, even someone who doesn't like to read, would like this book.
Ben Carlson, 8th grade

Lies
by Nancy J. Hopper

This book is a tragic love story to me. A girl named Allison Witner falls in love with Jerry Hamilton. She really wants him to notice her as more than a buddy. So she starts telling lies. She lies about her life and parents. She says her mother won the Miss Tennessee Contest and her father works for the CIA. Then one day Scott has a dentist appointment with her father and Scott figures it all out. He gets really mad at her and asks why she lied. I really liked this book because it taught me a lesson on how lies and love do not go together at all, but wisdom and honesty do.
Lacey Montgomery, 7th grade Out of Time
by Caroline B. Cooney

The setting in Out of Time makes this book exciting. The way Annie falls through time to 1897 is really cool. I like the way the author describes the differences of 1897 and 1997. This book shows the way women had a tough time in the 1800's. One of the reasons this book is so good is the way the plot, setting, and characters change throughout the story. Anyone who likes both historical fiction and science fiction should read this book. I give this book a 10 out of 10.
Jennifer Carlson, 8th grade

More Reviews: P - Z

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(created April 18, 1998)

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul by Jack Canfield, Mark V. Hanson, & Kimberly Kirberger Most of the time when you think of the word short story you think of some story that you have to read in your text book for class. When I hear the word short story I think of this book. This book helps guide teens through one of the most difficult periods in life. Most of the things that happen in this book teenagers face almost every day in their lives. This book can change the way you feel about other people and yourself. This book contains lessons on the nature of friendship and love, the importance of belief in the future, the value of respect for yourself and others, and more. I hope that you get a chance to read Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul. Krissy Lunde, 7th grade	Don't Die My Love by Lurlene McDaniel Julie Ellis and Luke Muldenhower are two people you will really like when reading this book. The story of these two love-struck teens and their tragedy is intriguing and may bring tears to your eyes. In the midst of a tragedy in this well written story Julie and Luke know they can turn to each other. When reading this book I felt like I was in the story and I knew everyone well. You learn to appreciate life and the many wonderful things in it more from this book. All together I thought it was a really good book and rating it I would give it a nine out of ten. Heather Enzian, 8th grade
The Emperor's Plague by Kevin J. Anderson & Rebecca Moesta Are you into action and adventure? If you are, then The Emperor's Plague, written by New York Times best selling authors, is a great book for you to read. I think it is one of the best books in the science fiction genre I have ever read. Go through many adventures with the twins of Han Solo and Princess Leia and their friends Lowbacca, Tenel Ka, Zekk, and M-TeeDee as they try to save the galaxy from the evil Nolaa Tarkona as she tries to destroy the human race with plagues the Emperor had created before his death. The Emperor had created plagues that could kill every species that ever existed! Together they must stop Nolaa Tarkona before she lets out the Emperor's evil plagues. Can they do it? Jenni Hill, 8th grade	The Hobbit by J.R.R. Toilkein A Hobbit, what is it? A Hobbit is a fat, happy creature who mostly likes to eat and sleep. If a Hobbit goes on an "adventure," or did anything unexpected, they were not well respected by their fellow Hobbits. In this book Bilbo, a very respected Hobbit, finds himself being asked by 12 dwarves and a wizard to go and help get back the dwarves' treasure and win back their land which was taken over by Smaug, an evil dragon. This is a very good book for people who liked The Chronicles of Narnia. In this book when one adventure would end, another would begin. Toilkein does a very good job of describing the characters in this book. The beginning of this book is pretty boring and could be shorter. This is a very good book, and if you get a chance to read it, don't hesitate. Kirk Williams, 7th grade
Hoop Dreams by Paul Robert Walker Hoop Dreams is a very good book that talks about two fourteen year olds that have the same dream of making it to the NBA. The story takes place in Chicago, and the two main characters are William Gates and Arthur Agees. I would recommend this book to all my friends who like basketball because this book was very good and much better than the movie. On a scale from one to ten I would give the book a nine because it was really written and is very interesting. I think Hoop Dreams is one of the best books I've read. Chance Combs, 7th grade	How Few Remain by Harry Turtledove I love reading history and science fiction books. When I came across this I had to buy it. It's an alternate history book that is both sci-fi and historical fiction. It's about a fictional second Civil War. In it they say that the Confederate States won the first war and now the U.S. has declared war again. This is a great book for everyone. It contains political talk, accounts of battle, and home-front action. This book also contains very good information on real-life characters such as Colonel George Custer, Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and Samuel Clemens. Also, this story has been written very well in an easy-to-read way. I think anyone, even someone who doesn't like to read, would like this book. Ben Carlson, 8th grade
Lies by Nancy J. Hopper This book is a tragic love story to me. A girl named Allison Witner falls in love with Jerry Hamilton. She really wants him to notice her as more than a buddy. So she starts telling lies. She lies about her life and parents. She says her mother won the Miss Tennessee Contest and her father works for the CIA. Then one day Scott has a dentist appointment with her father and Scott figures it all out. He gets really mad at her and asks why she lied. I really liked this book because it taught me a lesson on how lies and love do not go together at all, but wisdom and honesty do. Lacey Montgomery, 7th grade	Out of Time by Caroline B. Cooney The setting in Out of Time makes this book exciting. The way Annie falls through time to 1897 is really cool. I like the way the author describes the differences of 1897 and 1997. This book shows the way women had a tough time in the 1800's. One of the reasons this book is so good is the way the plot, setting, and characters change throughout the story. Anyone who likes both historical fiction and science fiction should read this book. I give this book a 10 out of 10. Jennifer Carlson, 8th grade