Call it what you want
Brigid Kemmerer
2019
ISBN: 9781681198095
Once-popular Rob and overachiever Maegan, both dealing with serious family issues, quickly form a bond that is threatened when Rob confides plans to repair damage his father caused.
Review by Lilly-Rose T. 8th Grade
Rob is a highschooler who is an outcast and doesn't have any friends. The reason for this is because his dad was caught embezzling money from about half the town, including people he knew. Before it happened, he used to be popular and even had a best friend, Connor. Connor is now his bully and ex-best friend. Meg is also a bit of an outcast but has a few friends. She got into trouble for cheating on the SAT’s the previous year, and now is known for it. Meg’s sister also ends up pregnant when she comes back from college and did not want to tell their parents. Out of the blue, Rob and Meg get partnered together for a project in chemistry. They are both uninterested in becoming friends, but slowly get to know each other. When they are getting closer, they find each other at one of Connor’s parties and go upstairs to Connor’s parent’s room to get away from all the people. While they are up there, they get caught by Connor’s dad, and have to leave. Before going, Rob steals a pair of expensive earrings. After having the earrings for a while, Rob knows he did the wrong thing and goes to return the earrings in the night. He tries to be quiet, but Connor and his family wake up from the noise. The police were called, and Rob got arrested. After a couple hours, Rob got bailed out of jail. During the time that they were working together, Rob and Meg developed feelings for one another and start their romantic relationship.
Hatchet
Gary Paulsen
1996
ISBN: 9780689840920
After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the wilderness, learning to survive initially with only the aid of a hatchet given to him by his mother, and learning also to survive his parents' divorce.
Review by Wyatt M. 9th Grade
In Gary Paulsen's "Hatchet," 13-year-old Brian Robeson finds himself stranded in the Canadian wilderness after a plane crash. Armed only with a hatchet, he navigates the challenges of survival, battling harsh conditions, wildlife threats, and his own despair. Through resourcefulness and resilience, Brian learns to hunt, build shelter, and kindle a fire, gradually embracing self-reliance. As days turn into weeks, he confronts inner turmoil, finding strength in solitude while grappling with memories of his parents' strained marriage. Brian's transformative journey becomes a testament to human endurance, illustrating the power of determination, adaptability, and the indomitable human spirit in the face of adversity.
"Hatchet" is like the survival adventure! Brian, gets stuck in the wild after a plane crash with only a hatchet. It's super cool how he figures out ways to survive, hunts for food, and makes a shelter all by himself. It's a book that shows how awesome and tough people can be when they're faced with big challenges!
Hatchet
Gary Paulsen ; illustrated by Drew Willis
2007
ISBN: 9781416925088
After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the Canadian wilderness, learning to survive with only the aid of a hatchet given him by his mother, and learning also to survive his parents' divorce. Includes an introduction and sidebar commentary by the author.
Review by Kyle P. 10th Grade
Hatchet is a thrilling adventure book by Gary Paulsen. It tells the story of a kid named Brian Robinson. A young teen who survives a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness. The only tool he has to survive is a hatchet. Brian must learn to stay warm, hunt, and find water to survive. He overcomes various challenges making you feel more attached to his character. The novel is filled with suspense as Brian battles the harsh elements and encounters dangerous wildlife. It's a great intense read that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish, I recommend this for people who like the outdoors
Diary of a wimpy kid : the long haul
by Jeff Kinney
2014
ISBN: 9781419741951
The Heffley family road trip starts off full of promise, then quickly takes several wrong turns--with everything from a fender bender to crazed seagulls--but even the worst road trip can turn into an adventure, and this is one the Heffleys will not soon forget.
Reviewed by Marcello S. 12th Grade
The Diary Of The Wimpy Kid is a book about a family that goes on a road trip. The main
character is a kid named Gregory. He's also the narrator of the story since this is supposed to be in his diary. This book is part of a series. I would recommend this book if you like pictures well stick figure drawing as u read. My favorite character is Gregory mainly because he’s narrating the whole thing and he seems to be the only one that's more normal then the others in his family. My favorite part of the book is the time when they stopped by a farm fair and ended up winning a baby pig in the process. They didn’t want the pig for two reasons, one they didn’t have the money to take care of it, two they didn’t have room or time to take care of it or the will.
The pig got attached to one of the family members named Many. The book kept me entertained once I was done with one page. I wanted to turn pages quickly so I could keep reading. I would read at night till I fell asleep. The book made me laugh a lot. I wish that they stayed at the water park longer and they would have kept track of everything and looked through everything first before they made another family's trip bad at the end. I recommend this series to people in high school that likes to remember their old times or to younger people if they want to laugh good.
Six of crows
Leigh Bardugo
2015
ISBN: 9781627792127
"Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction--if they don't kill each other first"-- Provided by publisher.
Reviewed by Avery D. 10th Grade
Six of Crows, written by Leigh Bardugo, is an amazing book. The book is about a gang of scrappy teens in the slums of a large city who get together to raid an impenetrable fortress holding a high security prisoner. Some do it for the greater good, some for money, and some because they have no choice. Each chapter is told from a different character’s perspective. This writing style helps you get to know the characters individually. The depth in which it goes to develop each character makes you feel like you know them in real life. The world building is also incredible. The places they go are described in such detail it feels as if you are walking alongside the characters as the story progresses. Overall my favorite thing about the book is the surprises. As you read, you feel you have a handle on what will happen, but it gets pulled away from you as the Main character, Kaz, unveils some insane things that flips the whole story. None of the other characters know what is going on, so it’s not just you who is surprised. The book is incredible and I highly recommend the read.
Tangerine
Edward Bloor
2007
ISBN: 9780152012465
Twelve-year-old Paul, who lives in the shadow of his football hero brother Erik, fights for the right to play soccer despite his near blindness and slowly begins to remember the incident that damaged his eyesight.
Reviewed by Hannah K. 7th Grade
"Tangerine" is a novel written by Edward Bloor where the story begins when a boy and his family move to Tangerine, a county in Florida. This novel follows Paul, a 12-year-old boy who is legally blind. Paul is a thoughtful and curious character who considers soccer essential to his life. However, he soon discovers shocking secrets from his family and people he knows well. I would give this book four out of five stars because it was sad during many characters’ deaths and astonishing at moments you’d never expected. If you are curious about what happens in the book, read to find out! I recommend this book to anyone who likes suspenseful stories and courageous characters!
Your inner fish : a journey into the 3.5-billion-year history of the human body
Neil Shubin
2008
ISBN: 9780375424472
Neil Shubin, a leading paleontologist and professor of anatomy who discovered Tiktaalik--the "missing link" that made headlines around the world in April 2006--tells the story of evolution by tracing the organs of the human body back millions of years, long before the first creatures walked the earth. By examining fossils and DNA, Shubin shows us that our hands actually resemble fish fins, our head is organized like that of a long-extinct jawless fish, and major parts of our genome look and function like those of worms and bacteria.--From publisher description.
Reviewed by Nathaniel F. 12th Grade
Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin is an excellent insight into the many connections our bodies have to the natural world. The book features a myriad of biological concepts, from why we can grow an extra eye on flies using the genes from a mouse to how the gill complex of fish changed into ear bones during the transition to mammals. Some may find the book's structure chaotic, but despite the cluttered range of topics, every chapter of Your Inner Fish remains tethered to the idea that all organisms from sponges, sharks, and Tiktaalik, one of the first vertebrates to walk on land, have indispensable features present in modern humans, especially on a scale hidden from the untrained eye. Overall, a great read for anyone wanting to learn something about genetics, anatomy, or paleontology that they (probably) didn’t already know.
Every summer after
Carley Fortune
2022
ISBN: 9780593438534
"Five summers to fall in love. One moment to fall apart. A weekend to get it right. A magazine writer has to make a choice when she returns to the lake she grew up on, and to the man she thought she'd never have to live without, in this achingly nostalgic debut. They say you can never go home again, and for Persephone Fraser that has felt too true for the last decade, ever since she made the biggest mistake of her life. Instead of glittering summers on the lakeshore of her childhood, she spends them in a stylish apartment in the city, going out with friends, and keeping everyone a safe distance from her heart. Until the day she gets a call that sends her racing back to Barry's Bay and into the orbit of Sam Florek. For five summers, through hazy afternoons on the water and warm summer nights working in his family restaurant and curling up together with books-medical textbooks for him and work-in-progress horror short stories for her-Percy and Sam had been inseparable. And slowly that friendship turned into something breathtakingly more, before it fell spectacularly apart. When Percy returns to the lake to attend Sam's mother's funeral, their connection is as undeniable as it had always been. Percy must confront the decisions she's made and the years she's spent punishing herself for them, in order to determine, once and for all, whether their love might be bigger than the biggest mistakes of their past. Told over the course of five years and one weekend, Every Summer After is a big, sweeping look at love and the people and choices that mark us forever"-- Provided by publisher.
Reviewed by Ally A. 12th Grade
“Every summer after” by Carley Fortune is a classic teen romance novel. It all starts with a girl named Persephone, who goes by Percy. She has gone to the lake house every summer and lived next to her best friend Sam. They were so close until Percy made a big mistake and they never spoke. Six years later, Percy gets a call that she needs to go back because of a death in Sam’s family. The two reconnect and rekindle the love they once had for each other but they are both scared to get hurt again. This is their second chance. This book is amazing and really gives you a good perspective of what's happening. I loved this book and it was one of my favorite reads.