Josephine by Patricia Hruby Powell

This is a WAW nominee.

Reviewed by:Bookworm77                                                          

Have you ever heard of anyone daring enough to dance however they felt like? Have you ever heard of anyone who rode on a train in a costume trunk? Or maybe even someone so fancy she had a pet cheetah named Chaquita? Josephine has done all of this!

Josephine was an African American who LOVED to dance! She also told stories, one time she told a story about how she stepped on a nail and when the doctor saw it he yelled AMPUTATE!!!!! Josephine screamed until she fainted! After all, she couldn’t dance with one leg! When she woke up her leg was still there………this never happened though! America didn’t like her at first so she traveled to France! Now let me tell you, she raked in the crowd there! She was in the French military at one point, and spied on France’s enemies! France loved Josephine, and Josephine loved France! But that didn’t mean she didn’t travel all over the world! One reason Josephine didn’t hit it big in America at first was because she was black, she wanted to prove that blacks and whites could get together. So Josephine adopted 12 children! All were from different countries, they all had different religions (Josephine practiced all their religions with them), and all had different colored skin! She called them her “rainbow tribe”. In the end, Josephine kind of lived her dream: she wanted to die dancing! After her last dance she went to sleep and never woke up.

I feel that Josephine was not afraid to be herself, and never stopped trying. I think that is what a good role model should do! In fact, Josephine is a good role model!

If you love to dance and you might want to try a few things Josephine did, you could read this book! You might also read this book if like learning about new people, or if you are looking for a great role model!

I give this book five out of five stars! It was very inspirational! You learn that to succeed in life you have to try harder and challenge yourself!

The Elite by Kiera Cass

 

Reviewed by: Elanor B.

The Elite, the fight for the crown.  Who will win?!?!

I think this book was one of the most intriguing books I had ever read. It is in the same series as the selection which was about 35 women that went to the castle to see who would become the next princess. In the Elite, second book in the series, there are only 6 women left who are still fighting for prince maxon’s heart.

My favorite part in this book is when America Singer, the main character has to decide between her 2 love interests Maxon the prince, and Aspen her first love.  I personally like that she had 2 options that will decide her future. I relate to that because I have had options that might not decide my whole future, but they definitely decide how the rest of the school year will go.

I would recommend this book to people who like romance, and adventure novels. This has rebels that kill, and scene’s that kill you.

I would give this book a 5***** out of  5*****.  I like reading things that will keep me in suspense. It is a little slow in the beginning of the first book but after that it evokes  a lot of different emotions.

The Selection By Kiera Cass

Reviewed by: Rylee Shepherd

“35 girls. 1 crown. The competition of a lifetime.” – Kiera Cass

There are 35 girls going to compete in The Selection, but only one will be crowned as the princess of Illéa. Girls get dismissed if they do something bad. Like if they get in a physical fight with one another. They also get dismissed for other reasons like family reasons. The girls all come from different classes. The rich families are rated from 1’s to 3’s. The middle class families are rated from 4 to 6. The poor families are rated  from 7 to 10. Who will be crowned?

My favorite part in the book is when America and Prince Maxon go to the outside garden and tell their feelings to each other. I also, like how America signs up for the selection even though she does not want too. I like those parts because I always try and I like to be open.

I recommend this book to girls who like romance and drama. I also recommend this book to people who try things even if they do not want to.

I would give this book 5***** out of 5***** stars. It has a lot of emotional parts and a lot of details.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney

Reviewed by: Trayten Grabast

When Greg goes to a new class about “life.” He also goes to a lock-in at his school where there is some what “fun” activities. #Boring

As an assignment Greg’s new class he has to take care of an egg, the teacher says it is 25% of his grade but Greg doesn’t know what to do with his egg. A few days later all the middle schoolers get a note to go to the school lock-in. Greg wants to go, thinking it will be fun, but no the games were boring and for little kids. Then they had to go to bed but kids started making farting sounds but the loudest fart of all was….. I guess you’ll have to read the book to find out.

My favorite part was in one of the games. A team had to take a picture of someone’s body part and the other teams had to figure out who elbow creased. But after they put their picture up, a teacher walked by and thought it was a butt, even though it was the crease of Tyson’s elbow.

I recommend this book for people that like comedy and books about family life or someone’s personal life.

I give this book 4 ½ ****stars out of 5 ***** because it has a few slow spots. I like the book a lot because it’s really funny and the pictures are creative.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Reviewed by: Miss.Mae Mobley

Mistreatment, separation, racism could you live like that?

The Help is written from the point of view of two black maids, who work in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960s, Minny and Aibileen. There is also Skeeter, a white, up and coming journalist, that is trying to get a job in a New York Publishing office. The Chief Editor said that she may reconsider hiring her if  she writes something that she believes in. Skeeter has always believed that were all the same inside so, she decides she going to write a book about it.

My favorite part of the the book was from Aibileen’s point of view.

Mae Mobley, is the four year old child Aibileen cares for. She had just came home from school, and she told Aibi about her picture she drew. Her teacher asked them to draw what they wanted to be when they grew up. Mae Mobley Colored the picture black because she wanted to be like Aibileen. Aibileen has taught her not to judge people by the way they look. Her teacher had told her that this was bad and she should be ashamed of it. This shows how much separation there was and how sad it was.

I would recommend this book to those who like books on civil rights or enjoy reading about equality.

I would give this book 5***** out of 5***** stars because it is very intriguing and keeps you on the edge of your seat, with all the plot twist that you never see coming.

The Girl and the Seven Thieves by Olivia Snowe

 

Reviewed By:  Dance Drama Girl

Do you like Snow White? Well then if you do come on an adventure with Eira and she’ll tell you her amazing  story.

Eira gets dropped off in a place she’s never been before. When she gets there she meets seven thieves. Stogie, Sprite, Bashful, Snick, Bright Eyes, Stupid, Grumper, and Sneeze. Eira is in love with one of the thieves, Snick, but one day Eira gets put under a sleeping spell. Can their love survive without one another?

 I had a connection with the book because Eira did and said a lot of things that sound like me, well, in my point of view. My favorite scene was when Eira was put in a sleeping spell. It was my favorite  part because it was so intriguing and you have no clue if she  is ever going to wake up.

  I recommend this book to people in 5th and 6th grade who like adventures, drama, and a little bit of romance.

I give this book 5***** out of 5*****.  This book is so much fun and exciting with all the drama that awaits.

*Note: this book is not currently at the Eureka Public Library. If you are interested in reading it please inquire about Interlibrary Loan.

Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot vs the Unpleasant Penguins from Pluto by Dav Pilkey

Reviewed by: Callum Reust

Will penguins from outer space beat Ricky Ricotta and his mighty robot. Well you will have to find out when you read  the book.

I chose this book because it is funny and interesting all at the same time. It has a mystery and love for one another.

My favorite part is when Ricky Ricotta’s robot got stuck in ice and can’t fight and it is up to Ricky and his cousin to beat the penguins.

I give this book 5 *****out of 5 ***** stars i gave it this many stars because it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time, but this time I didn’t know who would win.

*Note: this book is not currently at the Eureka Public Library. If you are interested in reading it please inquire about Interlibrary Loan.

Tough to Tackle by Matt Christopher

Reviewed By: Ethan Boles

When Boots is not what he wants to be in football he has to make the most of his football season.

Boots is a boy who desperately wants to be a quarterback but finds out he is to heavy. So Coach put him at tackle. Discouraged and missing his older brother, who is in the military, Boots would write letters about football and how much he missed him. Through his brother’s letters, Boots learned not to be a quitter.

My favorite part was when Boots, Bud, and Duck were talking about all the great quarterbacks such as Steve Young, Brett Favre, and John Elway. Since I am a football player, I love that they put that in the book.

If you like football, and sports books you will enjoy reading this book.

I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars. Now you might be thinking why, the reason is because it has emotional and fun parts in it and those are the types of books I enjoy.

*Note: this title is not currently at the Eureka Public Library but we could Interlibrary Loan it.

Paper Towns by John Green

 

Reviewed by:Taylor Palmer

“She loved mysteries so much that she became one.” -John Green

A boy, Quentin Jacobsen, goes on a search for his ultimate crush, a girl, Margo Roth Spiegelman. Margo disappears after she and Quentin have a night of revenge on Margo’s ex-boyfriend and some of her friends.

While Quentin is looking for Margo, he’s uncovering tons of clues and those clues lead him on a trip to find her with some of his friends and one of hers. While he’s uncovering those clues, the less he sees the girl he thought he knew.

My favorite part in the book is when Margo jumps through Quentin’s window in the middle of the night. Margo tells Quentin that she needs to borrow his car. She then says that he needs to drive her places but she doesn’t tell him where. So, when they get in the car she tells him that they are going on a night of revenge. I like this part because it’s very funny and shows that Margo is kinda a mystery girl and she is very mischievous.

If you are the kind of person who likes mystery and mischief then this book is definitely for you.

I give this book a 5 ***** out of 5 ***** stars because I love mysterious books and this was very mysterious. I also like how the author does a great job of making you feel anxious through the whole book and keeps you wondering what’s going to happen next.

 

    

 

Kalahari by Jessica Khoury

Reviewed by: Mingee Crouch

Kalahari takes place in a hot semi-desert that has little water. The main characters are Sarah Carmichael, who grew up in the wild. Joey Xiong, a carefree and risk-taking person. Avani Sharma, who loves to study and has a good life. Miranda Kirk is a teenage girl who lost everything. Kase Rider, who loves to take photos with his extremely expensive camera. Finally, we have Sam Quartermain, who has been in and out of foster homes and lost his brother to a war.

When 5 teenagers are stranded out in the Kalahari Desert without a guide, Sarah Carmichael, who grew up learning how to stay alive is their best bet. When the 5 teenagers are attacked by a silver lion that almost looks like it is made of mercury, they soon find out what makes the lion silver. When they encounter humans working for the company that created this virus they are then hunted by these new infected animals and the company’s people. What they do not know, is that this new virus can be the end of life as they know it.

I feel that the lesson this book is trying to say is that you can’t give up because they weren’t allowed to give up. You can’t give up on friends in hard times, because friendship is one of the most important things.

I would give this book 5***** out of 5***** stars. Because, in my opinion this is one of the best books that I have ever read. I think this because it shows that you can get through the struggle if you have people on your side. One of my favorite scenes in the book is when they all come together when the lion attacks. I feel this because that is when they act like a true team.

*Note: The Eureka Public Library does not currently own a copy of this title. If you are interested in reading it please contact us about interlibrary loaning it for you.