Middle School Is Worse Than Meatloaf by Jennifer Holm

 

4 stars

Ginny describes her seventh grade year – her first boyfriend, her best friend’s betrayal, her brother’s arrest, and her mom’s remarriage, all through her “stuff.”  What kind of stuff?  Guidance counselor reports, notes she’s written, report cards, etc.  This book is a bit like reality TV.  It’s almost a guilty pleasure because you feel as if you are peeking or watching a person’s life unfold.  I loved this book b/c it was a quick read, kept my interest, and gave a realistic view of what it’s like to be a 7th grade girl whose life is not perfect!

Recommend

Oh, Rats! by Albert Marrin

The Story of rats and people

3  stars

 

I admit it.  I didn’t want to read this book.  The beady red eyes…the huge furry rat on the cover…was so…ewwwwwwww….. 

Why I liked this book:

1.  Text and pictures made it very easy to read – 30 minutes.

2.  Side notes on the pages were interesting – such as “rat” dishes enjoyed in restaurants around the world.

3.  The book really exposes you to a whole other side of rats – such as how sanitary they actually are, how they have saved so many lives throughout history, their great strength and resiliency, and promising studies that indicate how valuable rats can be to our society.

 No – I will not be adopting any pet rats in the near future.  I am glad, however, that I can think of this book if I ever am surprised by an unexpected visit from one of these creatures!

 Read Oh, Rats!  You may find yourself becoming a rat fan as well.

Click the arrow below to hear live rats!

Lush by Natasha Friend

 

 4 stars

Sam’s life is hanging by a thread. Her best friend since elementary school has turned into a typical dorky, pervy middle school moron. Although Sam has four BFFs that she spends every weekend with, they don’t have a clue about her father’s alcoholism. Sam’s mother is always zoned out on yoga, and she never wants to hold Sam’s father accountable for his drinking binges. Desperate for advice, Sam turns to an anonymous source – by leaving a letter describing her problems in a library book. Soon Sam begins corresponding back and forth with a person she’s never even met. With this support things begin to get better, though. Sam finds herself the object of a hot high school guy’s crush. She is suddenly Miss Popularity at her own school. Her father promises to make some changes. Yep – life is good. That is…until the violence starts.

Lush is an important book for anyone in middle school dealing with struggles and stress in his home life. The author does not paint a pretty picture or a happy ending in this novel. This does, however, offer hope to anyone dealing with alcoholism – and will offer the reader hope in the end.

Black Duck

5 stars

 

Black Duck  is a book inspired by actual events in our history.  When alcohol was banned during Prohibition, a rum-running cargo called Black Duck became legendary for its seemingly heroic feats.  The crew was always managed harrowing escapes from the Coast Guard, and the boat itself seemed to vanish into thin air when being pursued.  Though the exploits of the boat and crew are interesting to read about, it’s the cast of characters in the novel that will capture the reader’s interest.

The story begins when David Peterson locates an elderly man named Ruben Hart who is rumored to have been a crew member of the Black Duck during his younger days.  Through informal interviews, David learns the story of Ruben, Ruben’s best friend Jeddy, and the tragic downfall of the Black Duck.

The story will leave the reader spellbound – starting with Ruben’s first recollections. Ruben asks David, “Have you ever seen a dead body?”  Then Ruben begins his story.. So Jeddy McKenzie and I came on this body… page 8

This novel hooks you from the start – all the way to the tragic, yet satisfying conclusion.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

A novel in cartoons

4 stars

“Like I said, I’ll be famous one day, but for now I’m stuck in middle school with a bunch of morons.”

Greg is tired of being picked on, sick of being considered a loser, and more than ready to impress all the hot girls at his middle school. Told through Greg’s diary and hilarious cartoon drawings, you’ll get hooked on reading this new series which first began as an online cartoon at funbrain.com. I loved this book! The drawings really added to the story, and Greg will make you laugh out loud.

Games by Carol Gordman

 

 

 A tale of two bullies

A tale of two bullies

 4 stars- love how they have more in  common than anyone would have had ever expected

 

Eigth graders Mick and Boot hate each other. They have been enemies from the moment they laid eyes on one another.  It’s the first week of school and Mick and Boot have already been in two fights.  When Boot makes fun of Mick’s alcoholic father, Mick has had enough.  He is three times the size of Boot and normally held back when punching him, but not this time!

When the new principal finds out, he comes up with an unusual punishment.  Every day the boys must come to his office to play games during lunch – board games, card games, etc.  Instead of this punishment of bringing them closer, Mick and Boot just come up with their own games.  The fights become more dangerous dares.  They even begin fighting for the affections of Tabitha – the hottest girl in middle school.  Will these two ever get along?  Or will they destroy one another in the end?

Hard Hit by Ann Turner

 

 

3 1/2 stars – An especially good read for anyone dealing with the loss of a loved one

Hard Hit can be read in one day – the compelling story that’s told in verse flows easily on paper – but is hard-hitting emotionally.  Mark Warren is a sophomore in high school.  His life is all perfect:  new beautiful girlfriend, star of the baseball team, and a great family.  Everything crumbles around him, though, when he learns his dad has cancer.  Suddenly Mark finds himself dealing with fear, hatred, anger and grief.  Can his faith and God, the love of his family, and his faithful girlfriend pull him through?

Peak by Roland Smith

 

 

Peak by Roland Smith

 

4 stars

 

Peak never thought about how much trouble he could get into when he began climbing skyscrapers and spray painting murals of mountains on the sides of buildings.  To him, they were works of art.  He also loved the thrill of the risky climb.  When Peak is caught and arrested, a copycat climber decides to mimic Peak’s stunts– only to fall to his death.  In order to avoid a long stint in a juvenile detention center, 14 year-old Peak agrees to live with his father – a man he barely knows.  Peak is led to believe that his father, Josh, wants a chance to establish a relationship with him.  He later finds out his father, the owner of a climbing expedition group that scales Mount Everest, has an agenda of his own.  Josh wants Peak to be the youngest climber ever to reach the summit of Everest.Will Peak risk his life in order to please his father?  Will he climb Mount Everest to prove his determination and skills to his family and to himself?  I am normally not a fan of outdoor “survival stories” but Peak had me hooked.  The thrill of the climb, the threat of death that lingers around every peak and valley, the friendship and competition between Peak and Sun-jo (another young climber) all make this an interesting read.  The ending is also a great surprise.  Recommended.