We recently invited schoolkids to share their thoughts on favorite books by taking part in our annual Read & Write series. Readers as young as 5 and as old as 15 responded with drawings and reviews reflecting on the books’ lessons, storylines and characters. We received enough wonderful submissions to fill an entire newspaper, and continue to highlight many of them here and online, every Saturday this month.
Visit chicagotribune.com/read&write to see the reviews and our librarians’ list of 100 fun summertime books for kids.
The First Part Last
By Angela Johnson
Review by Jabri Whirl, 12, Chicago
Morgan Park Academy
This book was great. It explains how a 16-year-old boy named Bobby has to take care of his newborn baby girl. The author’s style of writing is so real that you can feel Bobby’s pain and sorrow. The author described the situation well. I think every pre-teen should read this book at least once. The story starts out with Bobby holding his newborn baby and then flashes back and tells how he got into this situation. I really like the style of the writing because it helped me understand the details better.
The Homer Book
By Matt Groening
Review by Max Paradise, 11, Downers Grove
Belle Aire School
This book tells just about everything about Homer Simpson, such as the secrets of Homer and the many modes of Homer. Then it shows you the characters that are usually with Homer, such as Moe Syslak and Marge Simpson. There is also a timeline of Homer’s life that even shows you his first food . . . pizza! So if you are a fan of “The Simpsons” and your favorite character is Homer, you must read this hilarious book.
Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie
By Jordan Sonnenblick
Review by Anna Chudzinski, 12, Park Ridge
Emerson Middle School
Would your world be turned upside down if you found out your little brother has leukemia? Steven Alper’s certainly was. With his busy life practicing drums, doing schoolwork and having girl trouble, how could his younger brother Jeffrey now have a life-threatening disease that needs his parents’ constant and immediate attention? To make matters worse, the family is going through financial problems, because Jeffrey’s treatments are very expensive. How will everyone deal with this life-altering situation and survive these tough times? The author mixes humor with reality in this truly moving page-turner. It will help you to understand that in life, instead of agonizing about the things you can’t change, try working on the things you can.
Keeping the Moon
By Sarah Dessen
Review by Tanya Green, 13, Tinley Park
Summit Hill School
This book teaches you to like people for who they really are, not for what some girl says they are. In this book, Colie finally finds people who accept her when she goes to stay with her Aunt Mira for the summer. Here she also finds Norman. He’s an artist and collects sunglasses and all kinds of other stuff. He’s really sweet to Colie the whole time she’s there. But, she can’t decide if he’s right for her.
The Palace of Laughter
By Jon Berkeley
Review by Peter Bazianos, 11, Northbrook
Meadowbrook Elementary
This is the best book ever! It may be long, but it’s good. It is about a young orphan named Miles Wednesday who lives in a barrel. A circus comes to town and he goes on an adventure to find his stuffed bear. He finds out many things about himself, and they all have to do with the circus. As it turns out, his dad was a ringmaster in a circus. He disappeared one night and never came back. This book is full of action and problem solving. It took me a while to piece everything together, but I did. This book may get a little confusing, but you’ll get through it at a good pace.
Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls: Moving Day
By Meg Cabot
Review by Jillian Ward, 10, Chicago
Thorp Scholastic Academy
This book will give you lots of laughs. Allie has very “interesting” rules for girls. For example: Don’t be a braggart; always wear a helmet when you’re skateboarding because if a car hits you, your brain will splat open and kids like me will spend their time waiting for cars to go by so they can cross the street looking for bits of your brain the ambulance might have left behind in the bushes; and don’t get a pet that poops in your hand.
24 Girls in 7 Days
By Alex Bradley
Review by Liliane Fujiu, 13, Hoffman Estates
Sandburg Junior High
It is prom, you are in high school, that rich cheerleader you’ve been crushing on turned you down and you are just a downright nerd. This nightmare happened to a simple boy named Jack. But, his friends changed everything when they put an online ad saying Jack was looking for a prom date (as a joke!). Replies come in as the two pranking friends choose a list of 24 girls. They expect Jack to go out with these girls in only seven days as the clock counts down to prom. So, can you guess? Whom will Jack choose? Laura, Sarah, Natalie . . .?
November Blues
By Sharon M. Draper
Review by Diana Arellano, 14, Chicago
St. Mary of the Lake School
This is a story about a smart senior girl with a great future who, unfortunately, becomes pregnant. Although she was accepted to her dream college, she had to give it up because of her baby. Despite the fact that she was still very young, she had to face tough decisions regarding whether or not she should keep her baby and become a single mother. Moreover, her boyfriend died in a terrible accident. This novel has inspired me greatly and made me think about my actions and the consequences each brings.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
By Jonathan Safran Foer
Review by Hadley Hauser, 14, Longview
University Laboratory High School
Oskar Schell, a 9-year-old New Yorker, is this book’s focus character. He’s an edgy kid under normal circumstances, but we soon discover the sadness he is experiencing. He lost his dad with the attack of the World Trade Center and is still coping after a year. Alongside this story runs another dealing with coping. Oskar’s grandparents survived the Dresden firebombing, and it’s obvious that Oskar’s whole family has confronted loss. This fast-paced read is loaded with gimmicks. Photographs and random colors that are just as quirky as the book’s characters are scattered throughout. The most striking is when Oskar gets a hold of some still frames of a person that fell out of one of the towers. He realizes that it could be his dad. He arranges the images so it looks like the person is leaping back into the building. Imitating Oskar’s candid energy, this flip book ends the novel.
Naruto
By Masashi Kishimoto
Review by Dennis Small, 10, Matteson
Woodgate School
In the Ninja world, Naruto doesn’t quite fit in. All the villagers despise Naruto because he has a demon spirit inside him called the Kyubbi. Read all the volumes of Naruto and his team, as they go on missions as Ninjas. These books will keep you wrapped up in the action and story line.
One Fat Summer
By Robert Lipsyte
Review by Nancy Ibarra, 13, Palatine
Winston Campus
Summer can be a blast, but once you had done everything you wanted, the day begins to start very slow, like watching two snails race. My suggestion is to visit the library and check out this realistic fiction book. Suppose I tell you a secret of this ingenious book that will turn your life around and that is experiencing how one chubby boy named Bobby Marks makes a huge difference that will change his life forever. During the summer, Bobby stays at Rumson Lake where everyone vilifies him because of his massive weight. This book reminded me of how in my school students criticize others for being poor, how they dress and where they came from. I learned everyone is different and that is what makes them special.
The Hardy Boyz Exist 2 Inspire
By Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy
Review by Zhane Vanderbilt Croft, 13, Chicago
St. Angela School
This book is extremely inspiring. It is about two young boys whose growing up was hard at times. When they grow up the hard times pay off. Matt and Jeff are the characters who want to grow up to be wrestlers. They made their own ring to wrestle in. Later, when they became teenagers they began to go to country fairs and got on some WWE skits. Once they got older, they got into WWE and became one of the most popular WWE wrestlers of all time.
Looking Glass Wars
By Frank Beddor
Review by Benjamin Cortez, 10, Woodridge
Meadowview School
This is a very good book about a girl named Alyss Heart who is princess of Wonderland. She has to flee from her evil Aunt Redd. To do this, she goes to Earth and spends 13 years there. When she comes back to Wonderland, she finds out there is a group that calls themselves Alyssians and are rebelling against her Aunt Redd. There are lots of battles between good and evil, and sometimes evil triumphs, and sometimes good triumphs, but you’ll have to read the book to find out who wins the war!
Listening for Lions
By Gloria Whelan
Review by Natalie Piechowska, 13, Mt. Prospect
Friendship Junior High
Rachel Sheridan was born and raised in Africa, but is English. When a deadly influenza virus spreads, Rachel’s parents desperately try to help all the people in Tumaini from dying and spreading the virus, but Rachel’s parents easily catch the disease and die. Her British neighbors come up with a plan — Rachel could impersonate their daughter, Valerie, and Rachel can go to London and visit their rich grandfather in order to keep him alive. Rachel agrees and leaves Africa for England in order to avoid being put in an orphanage. Her only fear is getting caught. This book was sad, adventurous and filled with lots of suspense.
The Young Landlords
By Walter Dean Myers
Review by Dominiq Foster, 13, Chicago
St. Angela School
I would recommend this book to anyone. It’s about a group of African-American kids who own their own apartment! There are problems in the neighborhood, and the kids have to keep their new apartment under control. I would recommend this book to any youth because our groups can relate to this type of story. It has action, thrill, excitement, fights and romance.
True Tales of Animal Heroes
By Allan Zullo
Review by Vaida Naris, 11, Downers Grove
Belle Aire School
You could learn what people can’t do, but animals can do. Maybe you will be surprised. I recommend this book to animal lovers. So you know, this genre is non-fiction. Read it, savor it too!
Jack and the Beanstalk
By Steven Kellogg
Review by Jordan Anthony, 8, Chicago
St. Angela School
This story is about a boy named Jack who planted some magic seeds. They grew into a beanstalk which he started to climb. He saw a big giant who had lots of golden things. You should read this book because it has lots of gold. It has lots of adventures, too.
The Mother-Daughter Book Club
By Heather Vogel Frederick
Review by Emma Alcock, 13, Wheaton
Franklin Middle School
This is a must-read realistic fiction book that takes place in modern-day U.S. It tells the story of four girls who grudgingly take part in a book club their mothers planned, and these girls couldn’t be more different. Emma is a shy girl who lives on a farm; Jess’ mom left her and her dad to go act on a popular soap opera, and is Emma’s friend. Then there’s Cassidy, a new, sporty girl whose mom has supermodel looks and she just doesn’t fit in and lastly there’s Meg who is in the popular crowd, thinks the whole club is a joke, and used to be friends with Emma. These girls hate the book club and each other at first, but begin to set aside their feelings and become less hostile.
