Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath (Reading grade level 5.7 Interest level grades 4-7) I loved this book because it was so full of life's struggles, love, intrigue and a happy ending. The main character, Primrose Squarp, is being raised by her eccentric uncle because her parents were lost at sea. She believes that her parents will return, but other people in the small town think she's a bit nutty as time passes and still no return. One of Primroses' favorite places to go is the restaurant where everything is served on a waffle including lasagna. The owner is her surrogate mother who spreads lots of love, wisdom and waffles. Read to find out if Primrose can continue to live with her uncle, if Primrose really is crazy or do her parents return from sea. I recommend this book to 4, 5 or 6 grade girls who like realistic fiction with a little bit a humor and a bit o the malarky.
Magyk by Angie Sage (Reading level 6, Interest level 5-8) On a very weird day, Silas Heap was on a walk through the forest, when his wizard senses tingled through his body. Someone was behind him. It was a baby girl. So he picked her up and claimed her as his own. When he arrived home, the Matron Midwife ran out the door with his precious newborn son Septimus Heap screaming "dead!" This book takes us from a dreadful beginning to a series of mysterious events. Including when Marcia the Extra Ordinary Wizard finds Boy 412 of the young army in a giant snowball. I loved this book because it kept me in suspense the whole time. It is action packed and heartwarming. It also has a cool group of characters that help suck you into the world of Magyk. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves magic and/or action and likes a good mix of genres including fantasy, mystery, action and adventure. By Taryn
Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn (Reading level 4, Interest level 5-8) Ali found a picture of three girls. She knows who two of the girls are, but the thrid girl was ripped out of the picture. On the back of the picture she saw Claire, Dulice and "T." Who was T? A mounth later Ali, her cousin, Emma and her aunt Dulice got to Secomore Lake for the summer, where the photograph was taken. Ali is determend to find out who T was. Ali and Emma meet a girl named Sissy. She's a mean and spiteful girl. Sissy is always asking questions about Ali's aunt. Read this exciting mystery to find out who T was and what Sissy has to do with T. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a great mystery. This is a good book for 4th, 5th and 6th graders. I loved this book because Hahn sucks you into the book like you are really at the lake with Ali and Emma. This book always keeps you interested in the story the whole time. By Abby
The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan (Reading level 4.3, Interest level 5-8) Have you ever heard of the Greek Gods? Well here's your chance. In the book, The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan, 17 year-old demigod (a person that's a child of a god) Percy Jackson, son of the Greek God Posiedon, finally has to go to war with the evil Titan army. Earlier in the series, Luke, son of Hermes, went over to the Titans, and gave his body to Kronos, the Titan of time, and the leader of the Titan army. During this war, not only does Percy have to worry about Luke (Kronos) getting to Mount Olympus, but there's a giant flying pig, the Minotaur, a drakon, and the fact there's a spy, giving inside information to Luke. I loved this book because I love fantasy. Greek mythology was also very interesting to me. I loved the characters in this book. It was also pretty cool that it came from Percy's point of view. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mythology. If you like really weird chapter names, you would also like this book. There's one called My Parents Go Commando. If you like a little humor here and there you just have another reason to read this book. By James
The Babysitter by R. L. Stine (Reading level 4.5, Interest level 5-8) Have you ever had a feeling that someone is watching you? Well, Jenny has had that feeling ever since she took the job of babysitting the Hagen's little boy, Donny. She's sorry she ever accepted the job. It all started when Jenny was babysitting Donny on a Saturday. She received a call, in which there was just heavy breathing on the other end of the line. It scared her half to death. She thought Donny was on the phone so she went upstairs to check on Donny. What do you know, Donny was on the phone, but he's not the one doing the heavy breathing. It's someone else, but Jenny doesn't know that. She thinks it's Donny! You can find out what happens to Jenny and if the caller will reveal himself by reading The Babysitter by R. L. Stine. I really liked this book because of all the suspense, the amount of adventure, and the friendship between certain characters. I also loved how R. L. Stine left the end of the chapters with cliffhangers. My favorite part was when Jenny was scared to death by her own friend, Chuck. It was hilarious. I would recommend this book to kids who love suspence, adventure, and a lot of breath taking chapters, scenes, and language. Have fun reading! by: Deanna
The Tale of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler (Reading level 3.8, Interest level 4-6) The Tale of Emily Windsnap is about a girl named Emily who finaly convinces her mom to let her take swimming lessons. But when she gets in the water something weird happens. Terrified, Emily jumps from the water and stays out the whole lesson. Later that night Emily decides she want's to find out what's going on with her body. During the process Emily is terrified again but also hears a sound like singing. She decides to find out more soon but has to get home before she gets caught. Read this exciting book to find out what's the sound and what's going with Emily. I like this book because of the mystery and friendship. I recommend this to kids who like fantasy, adventure, and some breathtaking chapters. Enjoy reading! By: Lauren
The MIllion Dollar Shot by Dan Gutman An 11 year old Eddie Ball had a chance of a lifetime. His mom and himself are a poor family who live in a trailor. They're a fine family that has just enough food and water until Eddie's mom gets fired. She was fired from a company called Finkle Foods. Eddie was enraged. They couldn't do anything. The next day Eddie got a newspaper from outside and opened it. A contest was happening! Finkle Foods opened a contest that whoever had the best poem gets to shoot a free-throw in the NBA Finals. The best part is if you make it, you get $1 million dollars! It took Eddie a couple of days to come up with a poem: How could the pilgrims e'er been connected when savory Finkles hadn't been invented? Eddie sent in the poem and waited. Will Eddie win the contest? Will his mom get her job back? Find out if you read this amazing book. By: Trey Ribsy by Beaverly Cleary. Meet a boy named Henry a meadum sized boy with a crazy dog named Ribsy. One day at the shopping center, Ribsy was in the car by himself. Ribsy wanted to explore the new car. So he looked around and through the window Ribsy saw a dog barking at him. Soon the dog went away, but he still wanted to find the dog. So he rolled down the window and followed the distant barking. He could not find the dog so he went back to the car, but now he could not find the car either. Ribsy, like all dogs, was colored blind and did not know which van was which. Thinking he had finally found the right car, Ribsy hoped in to take a nap. Later when he woke up there were girls standing all around him. Grab the book and see where the story will go from here. This book is cute and funny. I would recommend this any time. By Claire
The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
The City of Ember takes place underground. The whole town is totally dependent on an old rundown generator being held together by wire for energy. There are constant black outs in the city during which citizens are left in total darkness. Plus they are running out of light bulbs and food. Lina and Doon discover that the mayor and other city officials are hording some of the most essential items for themselves. The two young heroes also happen upon what they think is a way out of the city. Will Lina and Doon be able to find a way of escape before it's too late? Will they be able to convince everyone else to follow them? Read to find out. I liked this book because it was exciting and had a cliff hanger at the end of each chapter. If you like adventure and mystery than you will love this book. By Blythe
Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen Twelve year old, Duane, makes lots of cash one summer mowing lawns. He learns the greatness of capitalism from Arnold, his neighbors who is a stockbroker. Arnold manages to make some good investments. Read this funny caper to find out if Duane becomes richer beyond his wildest dreams. I recommend this book if you like humor and a light read.
The Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech
When Zola, a determined American girl who wears three skirts all at once, and the angel collide; figs start flying, dogs start barking and the whole village begins to wake up. This is an adorable, quick, poetic book. Readers learn more about the angel as Zola continues to probe and prod into the duties of an angel. Read to find out if Zola is able to encourage the angel to rise above her current capabilities and embrace the challenge presented. Perfect for ages 8-12.
Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Jonathan Bean
If you like bizarre, you'll like this book. It starts out with a talking rat and proceeds into a slightly morbid plot which thickens as the story unfolds. There are poisonings by the evil nanny, estranged, delusional parents and shrinking, biting and enormous rats. Read to find out if Emmy gets her parents back and foibles the plans of the dreaded nanny. Appropriate for grades 5 and 6.
Magyk by Angie Sage (Reading level 6, Interest level 5-8) On a very weird day, Silas Heap was on a walk through the forest, when his wizard senses tingled through his body. Someone was behind him. It was a baby girl. So he picked her up and claimed her as his own. When he arrived home, the Matron Midwife ran out the door with his precious newborn son Septimus Heap screaming "dead!" This book takes us from a dreadful beginning to a series of mysterious events. Including when Marcia the Extra Ordinary Wizard finds Boy 412 of the young army in a giant snowball. I loved this book because it kept me in suspense the whole time. It is action packed and heartwarming. It also has a cool group of characters that help suck you into the world of Magyk. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves magic and/or action and likes a good mix of genres including fantasy, mystery, action and adventure. By Taryn
Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn (Reading level 4, Interest level 5-8) Ali found a picture of three girls. She knows who two of the girls are, but the thrid girl was ripped out of the picture. On the back of the picture she saw Claire, Dulice and "T." Who was T? A mounth later Ali, her cousin, Emma and her aunt Dulice got to Secomore Lake for the summer, where the photograph was taken. Ali is determend to find out who T was. Ali and Emma meet a girl named Sissy. She's a mean and spiteful girl. Sissy is always asking questions about Ali's aunt. Read this exciting mystery to find out who T was and what Sissy has to do with T. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a great mystery. This is a good book for 4th, 5th and 6th graders. I loved this book because Hahn sucks you into the book like you are really at the lake with Ali and Emma. This book always keeps you interested in the story the whole time. By Abby
The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan (Reading level 4.3, Interest level 5-8) Have you ever heard of the Greek Gods? Well here's your chance. In the book, The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan, 17 year-old demigod (a person that's a child of a god) Percy Jackson, son of the Greek God Posiedon, finally has to go to war with the evil Titan army. Earlier in the series, Luke, son of Hermes, went over to the Titans, and gave his body to Kronos, the Titan of time, and the leader of the Titan army. During this war, not only does Percy have to worry about Luke (Kronos) getting to Mount Olympus, but there's a giant flying pig, the Minotaur, a drakon, and the fact there's a spy, giving inside information to Luke. I loved this book because I love fantasy. Greek mythology was also very interesting to me. I loved the characters in this book. It was also pretty cool that it came from Percy's point of view. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mythology. If you like really weird chapter names, you would also like this book. There's one called My Parents Go Commando. If you like a little humor here and there you just have another reason to read this book. By James
The Babysitter by R. L. Stine (Reading level 4.5, Interest level 5-8) Have you ever had a feeling that someone is watching you? Well, Jenny has had that feeling ever since she took the job of babysitting the Hagen's little boy, Donny. She's sorry she ever accepted the job. It all started when Jenny was babysitting Donny on a Saturday. She received a call, in which there was just heavy breathing on the other end of the line. It scared her half to death. She thought Donny was on the phone so she went upstairs to check on Donny. What do you know, Donny was on the phone, but he's not the one doing the heavy breathing. It's someone else, but Jenny doesn't know that. She thinks it's Donny! You can find out what happens to Jenny and if the caller will reveal himself by reading The Babysitter by R. L. Stine. I really liked this book because of all the suspense, the amount of adventure, and the friendship between certain characters. I also loved how R. L. Stine left the end of the chapters with cliffhangers. My favorite part was when Jenny was scared to death by her own friend, Chuck. It was hilarious. I would recommend this book to kids who love suspence, adventure, and a lot of breath taking chapters, scenes, and language. Have fun reading! by: Deanna
The Tale of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler (Reading level 3.8, Interest level 4-6) The Tale of Emily Windsnap is about a girl named Emily who finaly convinces her mom to let her take swimming lessons. But when she gets in the water something weird happens. Terrified, Emily jumps from the water and stays out the whole lesson. Later that night Emily decides she want's to find out what's going on with her body. During the process Emily is terrified again but also hears a sound like singing. She decides to find out more soon but has to get home before she gets caught. Read this exciting book to find out what's the sound and what's going with Emily. I like this book because of the mystery and friendship. I recommend this to kids who like fantasy, adventure, and some breathtaking chapters. Enjoy reading! By: Lauren
The MIllion Dollar Shot by Dan Gutman An 11 year old Eddie Ball had a chance of a lifetime. His mom and himself are a poor family who live in a trailor. They're a fine family that has just enough food and water until Eddie's mom gets fired. She was fired from a company called Finkle Foods. Eddie was enraged. They couldn't do anything. The next day Eddie got a newspaper from outside and opened it. A contest was happening! Finkle Foods opened a contest that whoever had the best poem gets to shoot a free-throw in the NBA Finals. The best part is if you make it, you get $1 million dollars! It took Eddie a couple of days to come up with a poem: How could the pilgrims e'er been connected when savory Finkles hadn't been invented? Eddie sent in the poem and waited. Will Eddie win the contest? Will his mom get her job back? Find out if you read this amazing book. By: Trey Ribsy by Beaverly Cleary. Meet a boy named Henry a meadum sized boy with a crazy dog named Ribsy. One day at the shopping center, Ribsy was in the car by himself. Ribsy wanted to explore the new car. So he looked around and through the window Ribsy saw a dog barking at him. Soon the dog went away, but he still wanted to find the dog. So he rolled down the window and followed the distant barking. He could not find the dog so he went back to the car, but now he could not find the car either. Ribsy, like all dogs, was colored blind and did not know which van was which. Thinking he had finally found the right car, Ribsy hoped in to take a nap. Later when he woke up there were girls standing all around him. Grab the book and see where the story will go from here. This book is cute and funny. I would recommend this any time. By Claire
The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
The City of Ember takes place underground. The whole town is totally dependent on an old rundown generator being held together by wire for energy. There are constant black outs in the city during which citizens are left in total darkness. Plus they are running out of light bulbs and food. Lina and Doon discover that the mayor and other city officials are hording some of the most essential items for themselves. The two young heroes also happen upon what they think is a way out of the city. Will Lina and Doon be able to find a way of escape before it's too late? Will they be able to convince everyone else to follow them? Read to find out. I liked this book because it was exciting and had a cliff hanger at the end of each chapter. If you like adventure and mystery than you will love this book. By Blythe
Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen Twelve year old, Duane, makes lots of cash one summer mowing lawns. He learns the greatness of capitalism from Arnold, his neighbors who is a stockbroker. Arnold manages to make some good investments. Read this funny caper to find out if Duane becomes richer beyond his wildest dreams. I recommend this book if you like humor and a light read.
The Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech
When Zola, a determined American girl who wears three skirts all at once, and the angel collide; figs start flying, dogs start barking and the whole village begins to wake up. This is an adorable, quick, poetic book. Readers learn more about the angel as Zola continues to probe and prod into the duties of an angel. Read to find out if Zola is able to encourage the angel to rise above her current capabilities and embrace the challenge presented. Perfect for ages 8-12.
Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Jonathan Bean
If you like bizarre, you'll like this book. It starts out with a talking rat and proceeds into a slightly morbid plot which thickens as the story unfolds. There are poisonings by the evil nanny, estranged, delusional parents and shrinking, biting and enormous rats. Read to find out if Emmy gets her parents back and foibles the plans of the dreaded nanny. Appropriate for grades 5 and 6.