Silk Umbrellas by Leanne Marsden

Silk Umbrellas by Leanne Marsden

Imagine if you had to work in a radio factory with tiny parts... day in and day out! It's not hard for Noi to imagine... and dread!

Genre: Realistic fiction, international (Thailand)

Summary: Noi’s sister has to work in the radio factory and Noi does not want the same fate.  Will her art save her?

Review: This is a sweet book and shows an insight into life in rural Thailand.  I really liked the main character and thought she was very "real" in her worries and struggles.  I could feel her emotions - but wasn't dragged into it with a lot of detail. It read pretty quickly, but don't expect action and adventure!

Rating: 4 out of 5 because I like the story line and it moves quickly.

This book reminds me of Clay Marble.

Purge by Sarah Darer Littman

Purge by Sarah Darer Littman

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Summary: Janie hates throwing up, but she still binges and then throws up several times a day.  She ends up in a recovery program and must discover the underlying reasons for her bulemia.  But in the middle of all this, she has to survive the conflicts between the Barfers and the Starvers and the new friendships...

Review: This was a really good book! I love how you can identify with Janie and you can't believe the actions she takes - and you can't believe what the others girls do! I give this a four out of five! (I'm a tough critic!)

I'm having a hard time coming up with books like this one.  It gets pretty deep into issues and the topic is pretty intense!

First Boy by Gary Schmidt

First Boy by Gary Schmidt

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Summary: Cooper lives by himself on a dairy farm after his grandpa dies.  Imagine trying to milk cows everyday before school and every evening before bed! Then, he is dragged into a political scandal whent hings start happening to his farm.  cooper has to stand up for himself and make clear whose first boy he really is.

Review: This book is pretty good and has a little bit of action.  I'm really amazed at the ending and how the pieces seem to come together.  I also wonder if I would make the same decisions that Cooper does. 

I gave this book a 3 out of 5 because it took a little bit of effort to really get into it.  There is some action and unbelievable tricks.

This book reminds me of... Adam Canfield of the Slash.

Perfect by Natasha Friend

Perfect by Natasha Friend

Genre: Realistic fiction, friendship, and chick-lit

Summary: Isabelle Lee is in an eating disorder group therapy and becomes friends with the most popular girl in school.  But Isabelle must figure out if this new popularity is worth it and how to deal with her family's issues.

Review:  Natasha Friend does a great job of putting you in the characters' shoes.  You can easily feel the struggles of Isabelle.  I also like how she identifies how impossible it is to be perfect in this crazy world! This is a great book if you like to get inside a character's head and really feel what she feels.

I give this book a five out of five! (But I think it's definitely "chick lit")

If you like this book... You will also like Natasha Friends' other books Bounce and Lush.  You will also like Purge by Sarah Litman

Steel Trap ~ The Challenge by Ridley Pearson

Steel Trapp by Ridley Pearson

Before I even begin, let me just say... I'm finally reviewing a five out of five book!

Genre: Adventure, suspense, and great for guys

Summary: Two kids end up in the middle of an international plot of kidnapping and bribery that might have links to terrorism. 

Review: Action, action, action.  Suspsense, suspense, suspense.  You will not be able to put this book down. You won't believe what Steel and his friend do... and it all revolves around a simple science fair project!

I definitely give this book a five out of five!

If you liked I,Q. by Roland Smith, you will like this book!  Another good adventure book, but not the spy thriller is Jack's Run and Zach's Lie by Roland Smith

Scat by Carl Hiaasen

Scat by Carl Hiaasen

Genre: Realistic fiction, adventure, and environmental

Summary: Two friends try to figure out who started a fire int he Black Vine Swamp and what happened to their "unliked" teacher.

Review: I thought this book was pretty good.  I love the characters and how you realize the truth about characters.  This story seems to have two separate plots that come together in the end.  The story has action and adventure, but not really "on the edge of your seat" action.  This book takes place in Collier County, so it's cool to read a "Florida" book!

I give this book a four out of five.  I think it has to be a "can't put this down" kind of book to get 5 stars.

This book reminds me of... Holes by Luis Sachar because of the two plots coming together and action.

Ten Things I Hate About Me by Randa Abdel-Fattah

Ten Things I Hate About Me by Randa Abdel-Fattah

Genre: Realistic Fiction and Friendship ("Chick-Lit")

Summary: Jamie/Jamilah has to figure out if she wants to keep her Lebanese-Muslim background hidden or if she wants to keep working at being invisible.

Review:  I really like this book because I can totally relate to Jamie.  She struggles at home with her overprotective dad and she struggles at school to not be teased.  Her "balancing act" seems so common to middle schoolers! There never is a ton of action, but the book moves pretty quickly.  I give it a four out of five stars for being pretty good!

This book reminds me of... Same Difference by Siobhan Vivian

Zen and the Art of Faking It by Jordan Sonnenblick

Zen and the Art of Faking It by Jordan Sonnenblick

Genre: Realisitic Fiction and Friendship

Summary: San moves to a new school for the umpteenth time, he is looking for a way to stand out when his knowledge of Zen Buddhism provides the answer! He quickly needs to become a convincing Zen master... 

Review:  I thought this book was pretty good - who can't relate to trying to reinvent themselves! I liked the lessons that San learned and how he avoided "problems".  Overall, I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.  There wasn't a lot of "on the edge of your seat action" and it was easy to put it down for the day, so while I thought it was pretty good - I didn't think it was EXCELLENT!

This book reminds me of... Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass and Schooled by Gordon Korman

Same Difference by Siobhan Vivian

Same Difference by Siobhan Vivian

Genre: Realistic Fiction and Friendship

Summary: Emily goes to summer camp for high school students who are interested in art.  Emily has to deal with making new friends, figuring out who she wants to be, and how her old life fits into her current life.

Review: This is a great book about growing up and following your own interests.  The characters are realistic and fit the story line.  I give it four out of five stars because it took a little while to get into the book. 

If you like this book, you might also enjoy Ten Things I Hate About Me by Randa Abel-Fattah

The Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings

The Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings

Genre: Realistic Fiction amd a good book for guys

Summary: Brady loves life on the Chesapeake Bay with his friends J.T. and Digger. But developers and rich families are moving into the area, and while Brady befriends some of them, like the DiAngelos, his parents and friends are bitter about the changes.  Tragedy strikes when the DiAngelos' kayak overturns in the bay, and Brady wonders if it was more than an accident. Soon, Brady discovers the terrible truth behind the kayak's sinking, and must decide what to do with this information.

Review: I loved this book once I got into it.  The action picks up and I really wondered what Brady was going to do with the secret he is keeping.  The ending is a surprise and the there is a good moral message! 

On a scale from 1 to 5, I give it a 4 because it took a little while to get into it.  This book is worth reading for the ending!

If you like this book, you might also like: Adam Canfield of the Slash by Michael Winerip, The Young Boy and the Sea by W. Philbrick and No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman

The Purpose

The purpose of this blog is to share our opinions of books that we are reading.  Check back every two or three days to see what book we are discussing!