We recently asked kids to recommend a terrific book by writing a review or drawing a picture. The hundreds of enthusiastic submissions we received cover such wide-ranging topics as religion, baby-sitting and Dad’s disappearing hair. For more reviews, don’t forget to check out the KidNews page in the Tempo section on Tuesday, and again in these pages next Sunday.
Dear Mr. Henshaw
By Beverly Cleary
Where do you find a book made up entirely of letters or diary entries? In “Dear Mr. Henshaw,” a boy named Leigh writes to a famous author named Mr. Henshaw for a class assignment. Even though Mr. Henshaw rarely writes back, he helps Leigh deal with his problems by encouraging him to keep a diary. So many problems occurred at once: Leigh has no friends in his new school, someone is stealing his lunch, and his parents are divorced. The best part was when Leigh made a burglar alarm for his lunch. I wish Leigh’s parents didn’t stay divorced and that he had more friends in school. I loved this book! I would recommend this book to kids whose parents are divorced. I would rate this book nine out of 10 stars because it didn’t have as much action in it as I would have expected.
–Zubair Khan, 11, Chicago, Bateman School
Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid
By Megan McDonald
A boy named Stink Moody is so short he thinks he is shrinking. His sister, Judy Moody, measures him every day but he never gets any taller. Stink tries to look taller by wearing stripes. He uses hair gel to make him look taller and it turns his hair ORANGE! The moral of this story is that it’s OK to be small.
–Amanda Barrie, 8, Lombard, Westmore School
The Grim Grotto
By Lemony Snicket
“The Grim Grotto” is a great adventure book. This book is about Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire and how they try to uncover many mysteries about their parents’ death in a terrible fire, caused by an evil man named Count Olaf, who wants the Baudelaire fortune. In “The Grim Grotto,” the Baudelaire orphans discover a submarine in an ocean that has people in it that can help solve some of their mysteries. The Baudelaires go through many ups and downs as they try to find out the truth, which is covered up with many lies. I would want everyone who has a chance to read this book. It is funny, interesting and never has a dull moment.
–Aminat Ishadimu, 12, Country Club Hills, Prairie Hills Junior High (Grande Prairie Public Library)
Encyclopedia Brown Keeps the Peace
By Donald J. Sobel
This series is about a boy named Leroy Brown who solves cases for adults and kids. He helps his dad, the chief cop, when there is a puzzling case. People say, “Stay away from Idaville because for over a year no man, woman, or child has gotten away with breaking the law.” It’s all because of Leroy. In this inspiring series, Leroy (Encyclopedia) Brown can help the chief member of the cop force, firefighters and even medics. These books are also really fun to read. Leroy is my favorite character in all of the books. In this book Leroy shows how you can outsmart bullies by reading books (including encyclopedias) every day. You also have to not forget what you read.
–Xavier Alston, 10, Chicago, St. Angela School
Where Did Daddy’s Hair Go?
By Joe O’Connor
My mommy read me “Where Did Daddy’s Hair Go?” by Joe O’Connor. It was silly. The boy went looking for his daddy’s hair–even to see if it was under a rock. He never found it. He wondered if it hurt when Daddy’s hair fell out and if Daddy had Band-Aids on his head. It didn’t hurt. My papa doesn’t have much hair.
–Molly Bruns, 4, Hinsdale, Grace Episcopal Preschool
The Star of Kazan
By Eva Ibbotson
This is a story about a thoughtful and hopeful girl named Annika. She hopes to find her birthmother. Ellie and Sigrid take care of her while they work as servants in the professors’ house in Vienna. One day, Annika is taken away to a castle in Germany with a woman who claims to be her mother. In the castle, she befriends a stable boy. But trouble is arising. A chest full of fake jewels arrives at the castle. It is addressed to Annika but she never gets it. Annika is swept up into a wave of confusion and is determined to find the truth.
–Rachel Ryu, 12, Deerfield, Caruso School
Naruto (Volume 7)
By Masashi Kishimoto
“Naruto” caught my attention because it had many lessons about real life, such as to never give up and to be determined, and it gave me survival hints like when you are stuck in a forest. This book used a Japanese tactic of how to survive in the forest. This book is about three kids–Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura–and they are in a special school for ninjas and are on their second exam, which is in the forest of death. The point of this exam is to see how the kids can survive in a forest and to stay alive, but that’s not the only thing they have to do.
— Edward Simionescu, 12, Chicago, Hibbard School
Surf’s Up, Geronimo! (Geronimo Stilton series)
By Geronimo Stilton
This book is great, hilarious and cheesy. It’s all about a mouse named Geronimo Stilton. He runs a newspaper called the Rodent’s Gazette. His newspaper was popular all over Mouse Island (where Geronimo Stilton lives). He has more than 30 people help him. Geronimo is the manager. Geronimo Stilton is a great and fabumouse guy–I mean, mouse–that any person or mouse can read about. He would be a perfect role model to mice and people all over the world. I would recommend this enormousely fabumouse book to anyone who likes two things: 1. hilarity; 2. cheese.
–Eric Dilworth, 10, Chicago, Finkl Academy
The Summer of Riley
By Eve Bunting
“The Summer of Riley” is a MUST-READ to children who are about to lose something that is important to them. The book is about a boy named William who gets a dog named Riley who attacks and chases his neighbor’s horse. After this kind of rough action comes from Riley several times, the owner of the horse calls authorized people who give William 21 days to prove that Riley didn’t mean any harm. William marks his calendar and tries all kinds of possible actions to save Riley despite the fact that his enemy, Ellis Porter, is trying to kill him. I think this book teaches children how to overcome challenges or problems where you have to sacrifice something.
–David Jung, 9, Morton Grove, Parkview School
Among the Hidden
By Margaret Peterson Haddix
“Among the Hidden” is a remarkable book about a place where you can’t have three children. Luke, a third child, doesn’t have any friends and can’t go to school. He must stay in hiding or be killed by the population police. One day he sees a girl’s face in a window where two children already live. When he goes to investigate, he discovers a new friend. She knows a way to help save the shadow children, but should Luke join in on her plan and possibly get killed, or stay in hiding for the rest of his life? “Among the Hidden” is an exceptional book. The author writes in such great detail that I felt like I was actually there experiencing everything that Luke was.
–Jessica Ann Simkins, 11, Morton Grove, Parkview School
The Trumpet of the Swan
By E.B. White
“The Trumpet of the Swan” is about a swan named Louis who is born without the gift of speech. Louis knows a boy named Sam and Sam takes Louis to school. At school Louis learns to read and write. When Louis comes home he starts to love a female swan named Serena. Since he cannot talk, his father steals a trumpet so he can attract Serena. Louis gets lots of jobs to pay back his father’s debt. His jobs are: camp bugler, swan boat musician, and night club player. When he was a night club player he lived at the zoo. One night Serena is blown there by a storm. She falls in love with Louis. But the head of birds wants to clip Serena’s wing so she can’t fly away. Read the book and find out about Louis’ adventures and discover if Serena gets her wing clipped.
–Lindsey Zelvin, 9, Glenview, Glen Grove School
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
By Mark Twain
Huck Finn is an outcast, a boy that does not like to live by the rules and likes to take risks. On his adventure down the Mississippi River, a runaway slave named Jim joins him. From having to dig an underground tunnel to save Jim, to stealing a stash of money and running with it, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” has more adventure than a book can hold. This book kept me on the edge of my seat [with its] great action and conflict. There were parts where I just couldn’t put the book down. I was knocked off my feet by the humorous and insightful remarks of Mark Twain’s writing. This book is definitely the best book I’ve ever read and I recommend it to anyone in search of a funny adventure.
–Colton Swiderek, 13, Naperville, Madison Junior High
Claudia and the Genius of Elm Street
By Ann M. Martin
If you like baby-sitting, this book is for you! One day at a baby-sitting club meeting, the phone rang. It was a new client. Claudia was happy to baby-sit 7-year-old Rosie Wilder. Rosie could do everything: tap, ballet, violin, piano, voice, math and science. But then a small accident makes Claudia find out that Rosie was really miserable. Claudia tries to find out why. She keeps trying to convince the parents that Rosie is unhappy, but soon she realizes that Rosie must speak up for herself.
–Madeleine Mynatt, 10, Wheeling, Tarkington Elementary
Raven’s Gate
By Anthony Horowitz
Talk of witchcraft and magic is known to be make-believe. In “Raven’s Gate,” Anthony Horowitz tells a story that brings magic to life. Matt is a young boy with special powers. He is one of five children that are the only ones who are able to defeat the most evil power in the world–the Old Ones. After getting into trouble with the law, Matt is sent to a parent that is supposed to set him straight. It turns out that her family tree winds up to the Old Ones and she is planning to reopen Raven’s Gate. Raven’s Gate is a gate leading to a different world under the surface of the earth that contains the most evil creatures of all time. Matt needs to stay alive and stop the evil gate from opening. It’s a fantastic, action-packed book.
–Jay Enders, 13, Park Ridge, Emerson Middle School
Becoming Naomi Leon
By Pam Munoz Ryan
Do you like books about orphans, action and adventure? Then you are perfect for “Becoming Naomi Leon.” It is about a girl named Naomi Leon and how she survives life with her great-grandma and baby brother. Their mother did not want them so she gave them to their great-grandma. One day Naomi’s mom came back but she was drunk. She left two minutes later. She came back again on Thanksgiving but this time she brought her boyfriend. They started to talk about how they wanted to take Naomi back to California. She hated her mother and her boyfriend but if she did not go they said something bad would happen to her family. What should Naomi do? After reading this book I felt lucky and grateful to have parents who care about and love me.
–Riley Kirby, 10, Long Grove, Kildeer Countryside School
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