Welcome to Westwood's Book Review Challenge!

Welcome to Westwood Library's Read it Write Summer/Fall Reading Challenge!

To all 4th, 5th, and 6th graders,

Read and then write a review for 5 (or more) books this summer/Fall than you will be formally invited to a Pizza Party in the New children's department in the NEW Library once it opens.

Email your reviews to wwdbookbits@gmail.com

Get Your Reviews in by October 19th, 2012!

Call for Reviews! Some Helpful Hints


You may be wondering what it exactly means when it says “review”. Here is a brief description of what we are looking for. The reviews have to be longer than just “Its Good.”;) You should describe what the book is about, a bit of the storyline. Next, tell us if you liked it or not and why, it’s always good to give examples from the book. Remember this is a fun way to share books with each other and let everyone know your opinion. It doesn’t have to be a certain length but try to follow the below guide. Thanks for sharing and can’t wait to see you all in the New Library!

  • Paragraph 1: Introduce the book title and its author and why you wanted to read it. Tel l readers what the book is about in two or three sentences. Name the main characters and basic plot, but don’t give away any secrets or the ending.
  • Paragraph 2: Write about what you liked or didn’t like and why. Share some of your favorite parts or quotes from the book. What did you think of the main character?
  • Paragraph 3: Share yo ur opinion of the book. Would you recommend it to your friends? Why or why not? Do you think some peop le would like it but not others? Why? Did this book remind you of any other books you’ve read?

Of course, if you have your own way of writing a review, we’ll take that too!

Friday, September 21, 2012

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
by Grace Lin
In this Newbery Honor book, a fantasy with elements of "The Wizard of Oz" and Chinese folklore, a young girl named Minli embarks on an epic journey to find the mythical Old Man of the Moon. 

I really liked where the mountain meets the moon because it is a lighthearted tale and has many characters. This book was written by Grace Lin. I recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure and fantasy. It has short chapters and many cliff hangers. I liked this book a lot, and I think a lot of people will too.

Review by Haley M. Grade 5

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney


Diary of a wimpy kid: Cabin Fever
Diary of a wimpy kid: cabin fever is about a middle school student named Greg. A snowstorm hits and EVERYTHING  bad seems to be happening to Greg. I really liked this book because of the fuuny characters and problems.

Here are some quotes from the book to give you a sneak peak!

So I've started wearing sweatpants to bed because I really don't need Santa seeing me in my underwear.” 

“I've seen a lot of movies where a kid my age finds out he's got magical powers and then gets invited to go away to some special school. Well, if I've got an invitation coming, now would be the perfect time to get it” 

If you haven't already read this book, you should because it is great!
Review by Haley M. grade 5 

Thursday, September 20, 2012

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead


When You Reach Me 
Rebbecca Stead 

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead is an award winning novel for kids and teenagers. In this story, a girl named Miranda is getting notes from someone. The person remained a secret for a while. There were four notes in total. Miranda found them stuck in a book, a friend's backpack, her pocket, and inside a shoe. There was a homeless man who lived on the corner of Miranda's street; little did she know he would end up saving her life. Could he be the person sending her the notes? This was an amazing book and I recommend it to people who like to tie clues together.

Review by Olvia 

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Confectionately Yours; Save The Cupcake! by Lisa Papademetriou


Save The Cupcake! is about a girl named Hayley who loves to bake cupcakes. Hayley faces some challenges, as her parents are divorced, her mom just lost her job, and the school board is planning to stop the distribution of sweets (mainly cupcakes) in the school. Hayley and her friend, Meghan will attempt to put a stop to it! Will they succeed? You'll have to find out! This book was very good in so many ways. One thing that I liked about the book is that every time Hayley talks about a cupcake, the author will put a recipe at the end of the chapter. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves cupcakes and baking.
Review by Olvia, Grade 5.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

My Life as a Stuntboy by Janet Tashjian

My Life as a Stuntboy by Janet Tashjian

     This book is about a boy named Derek. Derek is just a plain old boy who is spotted by a man named Tony. Tony hires him for a stunt double role in a movie. Lots of things happen on set (like spotting a huge star) and at home (with troubles of his pet monkey).  I liked this book because I can really picture the action. The author really brought out details. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes action, monkeys, and a great book.

Review by Olvia, grade 5

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

The Trouble with Chickens by Doreen Cronin

The Trouble with Chickens by Doreen Cronin

The Trouble with Chickens by Doreen Cronin is a book about a dog named J.J. and a couple of chickens.  I picked this book because the author wrote 3 other books I liked when I was younger: Diary of a Spider, Diary of a Worm, and Diary of a Fly.  In this book, two chicks go missing.  J.J., Sugar, Dirt and, Moosh (Sugar, Dirt, and Moosh are chickens) have to find them.  Will they succeed?
I liked The Trouble with Chickens because it was very surprising. I liked J.J. because he didn’t like the chickens but agreed to help them.
I really liked the book.  I would recommend this book if you like books with a mystery or books that have dogs in them.                                                                                                                                                        
Review by Faye, Grade 5

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Franny K. Stein, Attack of the 50-FT. Cupid by Jim Benton


Franny K. Stein, Attack of the 50-FT. Cupid by Jim Benton, is about a girl named Franny. Franny is a mad scientist. One day she went to school and had to find out how to make valentines. She was given a valentine that had a picture of Cupid on it to look at.  Igor, Franny’s dog, who was always trying to help, was playing with a ball that bounced away, hit a button, and made the Cupid on the valentine become real.  Cupid started shooting arrows at Igor but missed and hit a switch and made himself 50 feet tall.  Franny had to make herself 50 feet tall so she could stop Cupid.  Could she stop him?
One of my favorite parts of the book is when Franny rides a school bus like a skate board.  I like Franny because she has an interesting personality. She doesn’t know about a lot of normal things kids know about, like holidays, but can make a machine that will make her 50 feet tall.
I liked Franny K. Stein.  I would recommend this book if you like funny books.  If you don’t like books about mad scientists, you would not like this book.                                                                                                                             
Review by Faye, Grade 5