Book Reviews

Book Reviews:

Fantasy Fiction Novels:

1) The Cats of Tanglewood Forest and Seven Wild Sisters by Charles de Lint and Charles Vess. This is a series of two books about magical forest creatures, cats, and a girl. These are exiting and amazing books. Good for ages 9+.

Violence/scariness *****

Romance *****

By Rhiannon, 11


2) Where The Mountain Meets The Moon is an amazing novel by Grace Lin about a girl named Minli who goes on a search for “The Man Of The Moon”; a man who has a book that says everything about everything that has ever happened or is going to happen to anyone. It has a lot of Chinese myths and beliefs in it and it is one of my favorite novels. It also has really nice drawings. I recommend it for anyone who is capable of reading a novel.

Violence/scariness *****

Romance *****

By Rhiannon, 11


3) The Secret World of OG by Pierre Berton. This is a book about a family of five kids who find a secret world of green people called OGs under their playhouse. This is a hilarious book. Good for all ages as long as you have a good imagination and a sense of humor.

Violence/scariness *****

Romance *****

By Rhiannon, 11


4) Ottoline series by Chris Riddell. These are books about a girl named Ottoline, her friend Mr. Monroe, and many other friends too. It is a series of three books. Funny and lovely. Ages 5+.

Violence/scariness *****

Romance *****

By Rhiannon, 11


6) The Summer of Permanent Wants by Jamieson Findlay. This is a book about a girl named Emmeline who can't think properly so she usually just doesn't talk. In the book Emmeline joins her grandmother living on a boat and making a floating bookstore. They travel to many real and imaginary places and find many very interesting artifacts on the way. This is a beautiful book. Probably good for ages 9+.

Violence/scariness *****

Romance *****

By Rhiannon, 11


7)Deep Secret by Diana Wynne Jones is a great fantasy book with realistic seeming magic and a great plot. It is about a Magid (Wizard, basically) who has to find a new junior Magid for Earth, as well as stop an empire collapsing.
This book is great for teenagers, but not younger people as the plot is extremely complex and it is very violent. I recommend it for ages 12+.

Violence/Scariness *****
Romance *****

By Taliesin, 14


8)The Merlin Conspiracy by Diana Wynne Jones is a good fantasy book for older kids and teens. Nick from Earth has to travel between worlds to help Roddy, who has uncovered a plot to take over her world and all it's magic.
I recommend that you read Deep Secret (Also by Dianna Wynne Jones) before starting The Merlin Conspiracy, because they are a pair.
This book is good for older children and teenagers, because some parts are quite graphic.

Violence/Scariness *****
Romance *****

By Taliesin, 14

Non­-Fantasy Fiction Novels:

1. The Penderwicks series by Jeanne Birdsall. There are four books in the series The Penderwicks, The Penderwicks on Gardam Street, The Penderwicks at Point Mouette, and The Penderwicks in spring. They are all amazing. There is a bunch of romance in it but the main focus of the books is basically on the loving and wonderful Penderwick family. These are wonderful books and appropriate for many ages because the age range of the main characters in all the books goes from 2­ about 16. I would suggest these books for ages 9+.

Violence/scariness *****

Romance *****

By Rhiannon, 11


2. Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery. A lovely story about a girl, probably about ten or eleven, who's father and mother have died and she is left to live with her relatives at new moon farm. This is a beautiful book. Probably good for ages 9+.

Violence/scariness *****

Romance *****

By Rhiannon, 11


3. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly. This is a book set in the summer of 1899 about a girl who wants to protest for woman’s rights and live a happy and free life. She does not want kids, she wants to be able to do what she wants and to have a job. This is an amazing book and is probably good for people ages 7+.

Violence/scariness *****

Romance *****

By Rhiannon, 11


4. Dragonfly Pool by Eva Ibbotson. This is a beautiful book. It is set just before a war. The book is about a girl named Tally who goes to a self led education boarding school, and while she's there she encourages her school to go to a folk dance festival in Berginia. While she is at the festival the king of Berginia dies and it is her school's job to save the prince, Karil, from the same fate as his father, kingmanship. This is a stupendously wonderful book. Ages 9+.

Violence/scariness *****

Romance *****

By Rhiannon, 11


5. Watership Down by Richard Adams. This is a lovely book about rabbits who escape their warren because they sense danger coming. They set out to find a place to make a new warren. It is a slightly thick book so it will take a while to read. There are many rabbit fights in the book so this book may not be appropriate for very young readers. Even though it has violent parts this is a beautiful and well written book. I highly recommend it for ages 9+.

Violence/scariness *****

Romance *****

By Rhiannon, 11


6. The School Story by Andrew Clements. This is a wonderful story about a sixth grade girl who writes a novel. Then she tries to get it published by pretending to be an adult with the help of one friend. It doesn't help that her mother is the editor and keeps talking about the story to the girl without knowing that she wrote it. I loved this book but I don't know if everyone would because I love writing books and story's and I don't know if many people do. I would recommend this book for any writing enthusiast ages 7+

Violence/Scariness *****

Romance *****

By Rhiannon, 11


7. One Dog And His Boy is a spectacular book by Eva Ibbotson about a boy who loves dogs. In the story the boy thinks he's getting a dog for his birthday, but his parents fool him and rent a dog for the weekend, making him think the dog was to keep. When he arrived home from school and the dog was gone, he set out on a journey to find it. This is an amazing book and I recommend it for ages 8+.

Violence/scariness *****

Romance *****

By Rhiannon, 11


8. Touchblue is a book by Cynthia Lord about a family who takes in a teen-aged foster child named Aaron a 13 year old boy who is very glum and doesn't get along with them very well. The main character is named Tess. The family who takes in Aaron are lobster hunters and live on a very small island. This is a really great book and the story is amazing. I would suggest this book for ages 9+.

Violence/Scariness *****
Romance *****

By Rhiannon, 11

9.A Day of Signs and Wonders is a book by Kit Pearson about Emily Carr and Kathleen O'rielly when they were kids. It is a beautiful book and it all takes place in one day. In the book Emily is 9 years old and Kathleen is 13 years old.I would rate this ages 8+.

Violence/Scariness *****
Romance ***** 

By Rhiannon, 12

 

10.Awake and Dreaming by Kit Pearson is probably my favorite book I have ever read. It is realistic and just beautiful. It is about a nine year old girl named Theo who lives in Vancouver with her very young mother. She meets the family of her dreams and wishes to belong to them, and she wakes up in their house. She stays with them for almost a year, then she wakes up back with her mother. Had it all been a dream, or was it magic? This is an enchanting book that is impossible to put down once you start. I would suggest it for ages 11+. 

Violence/Scariness ***** 
Romance *****

By Rhiannon, 12
  

11. A Boy Named Queen by Sara Cassidy.  This book is about a 10-year old girl named Evelyn who meets a new boy named Queen on the first day of grade five.  Queen is unique: his name is unusual for a boy, his look is different than everyone else, and he believes in only goodness that comes to him and does not allow badness to enter his mind.  It’s a good story about how a girl’s thinking changes when she tries his approach and it works for her too.  In the end, Queen and Evelyn become good friends but he is more like her teacher than just a 10-year old boy.

Violence/Scariness *****
Romance ***** 

By Isabella, 11

Smile by Raina Telgemeier. It is a fun and easy graphic novel to read about an 11 year old girl named Raina who just wants to have a normal life in Grade 6 but her adventures with her teeth cause her a lot of other problems and stress.

Violence/scariness: *****

Romance: *****

  
By Isabella, 11 

 

Humor Novels:

1. The Rover Adventures by Roddy Doyle. This is an exceedingly funny book. If is about an amazing dog named Rover and the family who owns him. Humor, humor, and more humor! Good for all ages.

Violence/scariness *****

Romance *****

By Rhiannon, 11



2. Clementine series by Sara Pennypacker. This is a series of I think six books about a girl named Clementine. These books are funny, yet realistic. A wonderful series good for ages 6+.

Violence/scariness *****

Romance *****

By Rhiannon, 11

Science Fiction

1. The Martian by Andy Weir. This is an amazing, scary and suspenseful read. It's about Mars, and all the science is real. Be warned, it has some mature topics and a LOT of coarse language. 12+

Violence/scariness *****

Romance *****

By Taliesin, 14