Earlier this year, we asked youngsters of all ages to review a great book they’ve read by writing a letter to Tribune readers explaining why they think the book is so special, why it’s a must-read.
The Read & Write project has received hundreds of reviews and drawings about a variety of books. We’ve heard from young children, preteens and teens involved in library summer-reading programs, summer school and couch-based reading sessions at home.
Please come to the Books section again next week for more reviews.
Molly Moon Stops the World
By Georgia Byng
Review by Cathy Mardula, 14
Hinsdale
Hinsdale Central High School
If you are a person with an avid imagination, check out “Molly Moon Stops the World,” the sequel to “Molly Moon’s Incredible Book of Hypnotism.” Molly Moon is an orphan who has previously mastered the art of hypnotism. She and her best friend, Rocky, are on an assignment to discover how super-rich Primo Cell is managing to keep hundreds of people under his hypnotic power . . . forever! This book kept me laughing the whole way through. I would recommend this book to kids and adults alike who like a good laugh, and especially to fans of Lemony Snicket’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events.”
Robert and the Chocolate-Covered Worms
By Barbara Seuling
Review by Enrique Sanchez, 8
Chicago
South Loop Elementary
I loved the book “Robert and the Chocolate-Covered Worms.” It is about a boy named Robert who finds himself in trouble at school because he brings a rubber snake to school. Somehow it ends up on the desk of a girl classmate and scares her, making her scream and getting Robert in trouble. For punishment, he has to do extra homework. Then the girl Robert scared brought a box of chocolate-covered worms and everyone ate one. Then the girl told Robert that the one he ate was real and the worms everyone else ate were fake. I love this book and I hope everyone else does too.
Muffy’s Secret Admirer
By Marc Brown
Review by Daniella Pruitt, 8
Chicago
Poe Classical School(Chicago Public Library)
Muffy, Francine and the Brain are characters from “Arthur,” a PBS kids show also in books. This book, Chapter Book 17, teaches readers about being honest because when the truth is not told, things might get worse. “Muffy’s Secret Admirer” was about Francine and the Brain writing fake notes to Muffy. The Brain was mad that Muffy gave French pastries to the science fair judges, thinking she was trying to win the award for the best exhibit. My favorite part was when Muffy found out the notes were fake and she made a plan to uncover her secret admirer. In the end, Francine and the Brain were begging for mercy. I liked this book so well that I would highly recommend other kids my age to read it this summer too!
Guardians of Ga’Hoole: The Capture
By Kathryn Lasky
Review by Michelle Buziak, 12
Chicago
Ward School
I recommend this book because it personifies owls and vampire bats, and their dangerous adventures that make you want to read more. The setting is St. Aegolius Academy for orphaned owls, located in a canyon where owlets are snatched from their hollows and put in pits. The main character is a barn owl chick named Soren, who is snatched up by St. Aggie’s owl patrol and imprisoned in a pit with his best friend, Gylfie. Soren and Gylfie make a desperate escape from St. Aggie’s. They set off for the Great Ga’Hoole Tree, a giant, mythic place where owls fly off nightly to perform noble deeds. I enjoyed this book because of the adventure, danger and excitement of the owls’ experience. It’s No. 4 in a series. A new book is coming in August!
Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy
By Jenny Nimmo
Review by Eric Ashcraft, 12
Naperville
Hill Middle School
I wish to recommend “Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy” to all preteen readers. The book is compelling, and has a gripping story line. You just can’t put it down! It is the third book in an exciting series featuring a wide variety of characters, including the main character, Charlie Bone; the evil Yewbeam aunts; and the children of the red king. The series shifts from mystery to fantasy to action! The third book may be the greatest of the Charlie Bone books . . . so far. In the third part of this series, Charlie finds a boy named Ollie Sparks, made invisible by a mysterious blue boa constrictor. Charlie makes it his goal for Ollie to be visible again, but with trouble from the aunts, a new student and a seriously injured uncle, is it possible? The end is amazing and extremely satisfying, but I’d spoil the book if I told you!
One Day at Wood Green Animal Shelter
By Patricia Casey
Review by Tyrone Carlisle Jr., 7
Country Club Hills
Sykuta School (Grande Prairie Public Library)
This book is about the things that happen one day when Patricia (the author) visits the animal shelter and takes pictures of the animals. I really enjoyed the book and I like the way that there are real pictures of animals in the book. In this book I read about animals that I’ve never heard of before. When I grow up I would like to be a vet so that I could help animals the way the doctors did in the book.
Ender’s Game
By Orson Scott Card
Review by Sidarth Dasari, 14
Dyer, Ind.
Forest Ridge Academy
I love this book for its complex story line and its way of making you think that what’s happening can actually happen someday. While you read the book you can almost see the battles taking place and feel the emotions Ender is feeling. As the book follows Ender’s life at Battle School, you can watch how he changes from being a 6-year-old boy to a commander of a fleet. The detail is incredible; the author describes everything perfectly so you can get a picture of how everything looks. I recommend this book to anybody who likes sci-fi and enjoys lots of action. It never gets boring with all of the new problems Ender must face and it definitely is one of those books that makes you want to finish reading as soon as you start.
Troy
By Adele Geras
Review by Katie Elder, 11
Chicago
Franklin Middle School (Valparaiso, Ind.)
“Troy” is a story that retells the legend but also adds on another plot. “Troy” is a story of love and war and is quite scary and sad at moments.
The battle of Troy is still going on after nine years, but two sisters in Troy are having a battle of their own over a boy named Alastar. Xanthe and Marpessa, the two young, beautiful teenagers, are having harsh difficulties because they are in love with the same man. “Troy” is an engaging story, both intense and disturbing. I recommend this book to more mature readers–especially girls, who will enjoy the story of the two sisters.
The High Seas Trilogy
By Iain Lawrence
Review by Alex Filipowicz, 11
Chicago
Ogden School
The reason why these books are outstanding is that they illustrate life as a sailor. There are amazing battles and interesting plot twists and characters. You should read these books if you enjoy books with pirates, like a gory battle every now and then and want to know more about sailing. The story in all three books is about 16-year-old John, who goes sailing with his father. In the first book, their ship sinks and only they survive a collision with jagged rocks called the Tombstones. In the second book, John and his father buy a new ship. Unluckily, the captain is a smuggler who plans to overthrow the crew. In the third book, John sets sail to the West Indies, only to meet a mysterious sailor, pirates who will tear people limb from limb to protect their treasure, a drunken parrot and cannibals. This is a real swashbuckling series.
Crispin: The Cross of Lead
By Avi
Review by Sam Hine, 10
Wilmette
Highcrest Middle School
Crispin is an extremely poor boy. He has been falsely accused of theft and murder, and has been declared a wolf-head, which means Crispin can be killed on sight. He must flee his hometown, with only a cross of lead, which his mother gave him. He runs into a mysteriously large juggler named Bear, and they set off on a journey full of suspense, thrills, twists, turns, lies, secrets, evil and fun. I thought “Crispin” was a great book and deserves its Newbery Medal.
Esperanza Rising
By Pam Munoz Ryan
Review by Alicia Jinshil Lee, 10
Glenview
Glen Grove School
Sweep, sweep, sweep. Working or hardly working?
Well, in this book Esperanza was a rich, fancy girl that lived in Mexico, but suddenly one day her father died. Because her father died Tio Luis wanted to marry Esperanza’s mother. Her mother refused, so in the night Tio Luis and his partner made a fire in Esperanza’s house. They escaped but her grandma was seriously injured. They were in debt and her mother wasn’t going to change her mind about the marriage so they went to California and worked as slaves there. Esperanza got confused. Why did she have to work as a slave? Why did she have to do this work? I recommend this book because it shows what other girls in this world are having troubles with, like someone in their family dying, or moving away from their friends. This is why I think “Esperanza Rising” is a wonderful book.
Bush Must Go
By Bill Press
Review by Fermi Ma, 10
Chicago
Edison Regional Gifted Center
“Bush Must Go” interested me because I like politics and it helped me learn more about our president. It presented actions that George W. Bush took that impacted our country. In particular, Bush has damaged the environment, lost millions of jobs and lied us into war. I enjoyed this book because it agrees with my views about Bush. It also discusses many bizarre things Bush has done. For example, his solution to creating healthy forests is to cut down more trees! I recommend this book for your summer reading because of the upcoming presidential election. It will help you understand important election issues. If I could vote this year, I’d vote for another person. This book will convince you to get more involved in the presidential race.
It’s Not the End of the World
By Judy Blume
Review by Caitlin O’Connor, 13
Palos Heights
Palos South Middle School
This book is about a girl named Karen Newman. She has one older brother named Jeff and one younger sister named Amy. The Newman family’s parents are always fighting about something. Mr. Newman works and Mrs. Newman takes care of the kids. The parents finally decide that they don’t want to fight anymore, so they thought that a divorce would settle their huge problems. The story tells how the family gets through the divorce. This would be a good book to read because you can learn a message from the story. There are lessons in almost every book, but this one is important because there are lots of families in the world that are divorced.
Frindle
By Andrew Clements
Review by Joshua Silverman, 8
Skokie
Schechter Day School
The book “Frindle” is great! The whole point of the book is the power of words. This is the story of a boy named Nick Allen, who changes the word “pen” into “frindle.” But Nick is also a troublemaker, and do you know where he likes to make trouble? At school! This new word of Nick’s drives his teacher, Mrs. Granger, up the wall. Mrs. Granger is a dictionary freak and will not allow “frindle” to appear in her school dictionary. She rules that if anyone in the school uses the word, they will get a detention. One day, 500 students get detention! People outside of school like using frindles instead of pens, and then Nick is even interviewed. Mrs. Granger is really mad!
Heaven
By Angela Johnson
Review by Angela Pool, 12
Chicago
Ogden School
The book is exciting, fun, extraordinary and different from other books. You should read this book if you believe in heaven. If you have lost a loved one you will understand what I mean. The story is about a 14-year-old girl named Marley. Marley’s life seems perfect in the small town of Heaven until it is disrupted: She discovers that the people that have loved and cared for her are not really her parents. When the truth comes out, it turns her mom and dad into liars. It seems she cannot trust anyone anymore. You never know what’s going to come down in Heaven. Marley doesn’t know who she is anymore; truth often brings change. Most changes are for good; some for the bad. But what Marley knows may change her and her life.
The Alex Rider Adventure Series
By Anthony Horowitz
Review by Mark Ressl, 13
Mt. Prospect
Lincoln Junior High School
If you enjoy a novel that is overflowing with suspense and action, then the Alex Rider Adventure Series is for you. I, Mark Ressl, have read three stories, “Stormbreaker,” “Point Blank” and “Skeleton Key.” These thrillers didn’t leave my hands until they were finished. The books are filled with mounting suspense that can bring your heart beating full-tilt. The books are not today’s tales of raving killers, but novels with perfectly thought-out plots. Alex Rider is a teenager who is forced to leave his ordinary life behind. With his parents dead, he has to learn to cope, but that is not easy in his case.
In March, the fourth Alex Rider adventure, “Eagle Strike,” was released and I hope that I will like it as much as the other Anthony Horowitz novels.
The Tale of Despereaux
By Kate DiCamillo
Review by David Smith, 10
Glenview
Glen Grove School
How would you survive if your family threw you out? In the book, “The Tale of Despereaux,” a young mouse named Despereaux must do just that. Unlike other mice, he likes to read and he likes music. Because of his love of music, Despereaux breaks the law by talking to humans, the king and his pretty daughter, Pea.
When Despereaux’s father hears of this crime, he turns Despereaux in to the Mouse Council. The Council holds a trial and banishes Despereaux to the lower floors of the castle, the dungeons. The rats live in the dungeons and eat mice. One of the rats is Roscuro, who wants to live in the light upstairs like the mice. Then there is Miggery Sow, a servant girl in the castle who wants to be a princess. She also plays a part in Despereaux’s life. These three stories come together in an exciting adventure.
Painting the Black
By Carl Deuker
Review by Jerome Evans, 14
Highland Park
Highland Park High School (Highland Park Public Library)
“Painting the Black” is about 18-year-old Ryan, who is a baseball boy. He one day meets a jock, Josh Daniels, and they become friends, causing Ryan to no longer have the distinctive title of loner, changing himself and his relationships with Josh. The novel has a gutsy sense of action with its depiction of baseball scenes, done well by Carl Deuker, and the sense of dealing with teen issues. Clearly, Deuker deserves thunderous applause.
Bud, Not Buddy
By Christopher Paul Curtis
Review by Jamicka Price, 10
Chicago
Randolph School (Chicago Public Library)
Today, I’m going to tell you why you should read “Bud, Not Buddy,” by Christopher Paul Curtis. First, it is a really good book. For example, it makes you wonder what’s going to happen next. Next, it is like a mystery because Bud is finding clues that Herman E. Calloway is his father. Then, it takes place in so many places. For example, it takes place in Grand Rapids, Flint and in a club called the Log Cabin. Finally, it is very sad, for example, because Bud’s mother died. These are four reasons why I think that you should read “Bud, Not Buddy.”
Because of Winn-Dixie
By Kate DiCamillo
Review by Allie Sakowicz, 10
Park Ridge
Washington School (Park Ridge Public Library)
What do you think happens to a dog that gets into a market? Find out by reading “Because of Winn-Dixie.” There’s a new girl in town named Opal who finds a dog knocking over displays in the Winn-Dixie grocery store. Opal decided to name him Winn-Dixie and call him her own. Winn-Dixie is clever and lovable. He knows how to smile, by pulling his lips back and showing his teeth. But the problem was that whenever he tried to smile he would always sneeze. “Because of Winn-Dixie” is a heartwarming story. Opal made many friends in her new hometown of Naomi, Fla., thanks to her dog. I liked this book because the author made me become engrossed in the story due to its colorful characters and expressive writing. I recommend it to everyone, especially all animal lovers.
The Bad Beginning
(A Series of Unfortunate Events series)
By Lemony Snicket
Review by Jessica Ochoa, 11
Chicago
Ogden School
The reasons why this book is outstanding are because it is scary, sometimes funny, and all the amazing events make you want to read the book in one day. You should read this book if you want to read about miserable orphans. The story is about these orphans who have an owner, Count Olaf, who tries to marry one of the orphans to get his hands on the money.
Postcards From No Man’s Land
By Aidan Chambers
Review by Isabel Salovaara, 14
Chicago
Whitney Young High School (Chicago Public Library)
“Postcards From No Man’s Land,” one of the best historical fiction/young adult books I’ve read, is not only enjoyable but also teaches valuable lessons about relationships: between members of the same and opposite sexes, between family, between friends. The book alternates between the stories of two young people whose lives, though led during drastically different times, are certainly interconnected. Jacob Todd learns more than he bargained for, visiting Amsterdam on a trip of discovery. Geertrui, a girl living in Holland during World War II, cares for a wounded soldier–Jacob’s grandfather. When Jacob meets Geertrui, now an old woman, he learns her story, which reveals family ties forged by illicit love in the midst of war. “Postcards” combines history, sex and the emotional growth of honest characters in a patchwork of literature, which can, like postcard quotes Jacob receives from his grand-mother, teach us all something about life.
White Flower Day
By Steven Weissman
Review by Seamus Mangan, 8
Arlington Heights
Our Lady of the Wayside School
“White Flower Day” is a funny story told like a comic book with cool illustrations even though they are in black and white, with color only in the background. The main characters are interesting and include a human experiment named Pullapart Boy and his best friends, Li’l Bloody and Dead Boy. Everyone should read this book.
I Took the Moon for a Walk
By Carolyn Curtis
Review by Danielle Wilson, 7
Harvey
St. John’s School (Grande Prairie Public Library)
It is about a moon and a boy. The moon and the boy are friends. The boy always took the moon for a walk. The little boy said the moon is like a still kite, and he is.
