Emma Dilemma, the Nanny, and the Best Horse Ever by Patricia Hermes

Emma Dilemma, the Nanny, and the Best Horse Ever by Patricia Hermes

I recently finished reading Emma Dilemma, the Nanny, and the Best Horse Ever, written by Patricia Hermes. Emma has a really big family- 1 sister, McClain, the best brother in the world, Tim, the twins, Ira and Lizzie, their nanny, Annie, and their parents. Emma has 2 ferrets- Marmaduke and Marshmallow.  McClain has a fluffy cat and the family has a poodle- Woof.
    Emma has a dilemma. The horse she loves so much, Rooney, is about to get sold! Marcus, who runs the barn, doesn't want him anymore because he is so old. But Emma loves  Rooney so much, she will have to find a way to stop Marcus from selling Rooney. She has to come up with a plan- and fast!
    She thinks of buying Rooney with her allowance money. She keeps it a secret. There is a kid named Oliver coming with his parents to check out Rooney. Another problem Emma has is that her best-best friend, Luisa is moving away. They are moving because her dad had lost his job, so they didn't have enough money to keep the house.
    This book teaches you that you don't always get what you want. But sometimes you do. I like Emma because she is caring. At soccer camp she helped Luisa and her partner, Katie, get the soccer ball that some boys took away from them. Emma is also generous. She gave Marshmallow to Luisa to keep forever, because, Luisa loves Marshmallow so much.                                                                                  
    I really love this book and I would recommend it to people who really love animals.


Review by Mayuri V. (grade 4)

Beezus and Ramona By Beverly Cleary

Beezus and Ramona By Beverly Cleary

 

I recently finished reading the book Beezus and Ramona By Beverly Cleary. 

The book is about Beatrice, a girl who's nickname is Beezus, as she struggles to control her little sister's annoying, but comical, behavior. Ramona is her little sister. Ramona, in one part of the book, loves a book about the littlest steam shovel, whose name is Scoopy. Tired of reading this book so much, Beezus takes Ramona to the library to choose a new book. But Ramona's choice is another book with a steam shovel! After putting up with the book for two weeks, it's finally time to return it. But when Ramona writes scribbles on every page of the book, that complicates things. If they return the book, without telling about the scribbles, Beezus will loose her library card. If Mrs. Quimby, their mother, pays for the book, Ramona will learn that when she breaks the rules she gets what she wants!! There seems to be no solution! How can they get themselves out of this mess!?!

I really like this book. If this were a news paper report, I'd give it 4 and one half stars. It would be five stars, but for some reason they don't connect the stories enough. They shouldn't call the different stories 'chapters'. They are more like separate stories, not one long story. They only even speak about previous chapters a few times, and they are hard to see unless you pay close attention.  You should read the book, and while you are, don't look for spots where they talk about other chapters. It would take up most of your time while reading. 

Review by R.J.M, Grade 5

The Sisters Grimm: Tales from the Hood by Michael Buckley

The Sister`s Grimm: Tales from the Hood  By Michael Buckly           

          

 The Sister`s Grimm 6 was a mixed genre book. It included Mystery, Fantasy and Adventure. This book was about 2 sisters who solve fairytale mysteries together. In this book their family friend the big bad wolf is on trial for killing Little Red Riding Hood`s Grandma. Red Riding Hood is hard to get information from because after the Big Bad Wolf attacked her Grandma she went crazy. But in the end, they find out what really happened. Overall, I thought it was an amazing piece of writing and I hope you enjoy it too.

Review by Alexa M. Grade 5

Stir It Up by Ramin Ganeshram

Stir It Up by Ramin Ganeshram

 

I recently finished reading a book called Stir It Up, by Ramin Ganeshram. I wanted to read this book because it is about a girl who has a passion for cooking, and I love to cook.  This story is about a 13 year-old Trinidadian-Indian girl named Anjali Krishnan who lives in Manhattan, New York. Trinidad is an island-country off the coast of Venezuela in the Atlantic Ocean. She helps her dad and grandmother in their roti shop, Island Spice. Rotis are Indian flat bread made with whole wheat flour. Anjali's dream is to be a chef and have her own cooking show.  She finds out about a cooking contest called Super Chef Kids. Her cooking class teacher, Chef Nyla, encourages Anjali to do it. If she goes for the tryouts and wins, she gets her own cooking show!  The main characters in this novel are Anjali, her dad, grandmother, mom, cooking class teacher Chef Nyla and her friend Linc.
    Anjali finds out that the contest tryouts are on the same day as the Stuyvesant test, an important exam that her parents want her to take.  How do you think Anjali will manage if her parents say no to the contest? She might have a plan!  Anjali Krishnan is very serious about cooking. She really wants that show!
    This book is really interesting because it reminded me of the cooking show Chopped on Food Network.  I would recommend it for people who really love cooking. The book has some really cool Trinidadian-Indian recipes!!


Review by Mayuri V., Grade 4

Vanished By Sheela Chari

Vanished By Sheela Chari           

                Vanished was a mystery book about a girl named Neela. Neela plays an instrument from India called a Veena. One day her grandmother mysteriously sends Neela one of her Veenas. This particular one is very special because of its history. Neela is trying to get to the bottom of who keeps taking her Veena. She uncovers a lot more than that though. It was a very wonderful book that kept excitement flowing throughout. I hope you like it too.                

Review by Alexa M. Grade 5

The Sisters Grimm: The Everafter War by Michael Buckley

The Sisters Grimm: The Everafter War 

by Michael Buckley

               The Sister`s Grimm 7 was an extraordinary book. This one was about two sisters trying to help the good Everafters (fairytale people), fight the bad Everafters (The Scarlet Hand). The hideout where the girls and the good Everafters are staying has someone hiding amongst them who is a traitor. The girls also have to work hard to reveal the identity of the master of The Scarlet Hand. Toward the end of the story they come to a shocking conclusion. This story was a great one but, there is one thing I would change. That one thing is Biar Rose dying. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did.

Review By Alexa M. Grade 5

Ivy and Bean: No News is Good News by Annie Barrows

 Ivy and Bean: No News is Good News by Annie Barrows

             

Ivy and Bean 8 was a realistic fiction book about 2 girls wanting wax from a cheese ball just like every other kid in their school. They need money because their parents won’t buy the cheese for them. Ivy and Bean decide to sell a newspaper about the street they live on, Pancake Court. Ivy and Bean couldn’t find any stories so they looked into people’s windows for help. When they delivered the newspaper to everyone who bought it, not everyone was happy. Overall, I thought Ivy and Bean 8 had a great beginning and middle, but not a solid end. The ending made it seem like Annie Barrows had a limit on pages. But that is just my opinion, so you might like it more.

 Review by Alexa M. Grade 5

Trouble-Maker by Andrew Clements

Troublemaker By Andrew Clements      

                                             

Troublemaker was an action packed, realistic fiction book filled with mischief and mayhem! This story tells you about how a boy named Clay (who loves trouble) changes when his brother comes back from jail. Once Clay’s brother sees he is just like him, he makes Clay promise not to get into more trouble. Mitch, Clay’s brother, tells him that jail is a terrible place and that he doesn’t want Clay to end up like him. It was very hard for Clay to do that though. One mistake got him in deep water. Overall, I thought Troublemaker was a phenomenal book full of adventure, trouble and tricks. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!:)

Review by Alexa M. Grade 5

13 Gifts by Wendy Mass

13 Gifts by Wendy Mass

I recently finished reading 13 Gifts by Wendy Mass. 13 Gifts is the third book in the wonderful Birthday series by Wendy Mass--which includes 11 Birthdays and Finally--and is a great story. It starts off with soon-to-be 13 year-old Tara Brennan helping Shelby Malone and her "DF"s (devoted followers) steal the principal's beloved goat the Friday night before the last two weeks of school. You're probably thinking, "That's ridiculous! Why would anybody want to steal a goat?" so I'll tell you why. Shelby promises Tara that if she steals the goat Tara will be able to sit with them for the last two weeks of school. So Tara agrees, and, after all, what could go wrong? The only person in the school is the night janitor who spends most of his time in the cafeteria, listening to music, and just mops the same spot on the floor over and over. But when Tara gets to the principal's office and grabs the goat and before she can run out, the words- "Unhand that goat!" drift in from the doorway. Before she can even think about it, Tara finds herself spraying pepper spray all over her principal. She gets suspended for the last two weeks of school, and her mother decides that instead of going with her mother and father to Madagascar she'll be staying with her Aunt Bethany, Uncle Roger, and her cousin Emily in their sleepy town of Willow Falls and that she's going in two days. If you've read the other two books in this series, you'd know that Willow Falls is where Angelina D'Angelo lives. Angelina is all about teaching life lessons and she has a thing with birthdays. Now, Tara's thirteenth birthday in on July 13, which just happens to be a Friday, and she just happens to be in Willow Falls on her birthday. And when Tara loses her mom's iPod and the $200 her parents gave her for the summer, Angelina sends her on quest to find some items by July thirteenth. Will Tara be able to find all of them in time?

Review by Sarah B. Grade 4

My Forever Friends by Julie Bowe

My Forever Friends by Julie Bowe

I wanted to read this book because my friend had recommended it to me and because  this book was about kids around my age. It is about two girls named Ida May and Stacey Merriweather. At the playground their two kind-of best friends, Jenna Drews and Brooke Morgan, are fighting. They will have to pick sides. Stacey picks Brooke. Will Ida pick Jenna or Brooke?
    What I liked about the book was that it taught you how to treat a friend and how to behave with friends. What I didn't like about the book is the way Jenna and Brooke were fighting. They were teasing each other and saying mean things that you should never say to a friend. Also, they were doing things that would hurt a friend's feelings. I liked when Brooke and Ida tried to think of things to make for Jenna even though they were fighting. That showed real friendship inside. The main character Ida May is caring and helpful.
    I very much liked this book and  would recommend it if you are in fourth or fifth grade because this book is about kids that age. PLEASE READ THIS BOOK!! IT IS AWESOME!!


Review by Mayuri V.,  Grade 4

Spy School by Stuart Gibbs

I recently finished reading the book Spy School by: Stuart Gibbs. The story is about a 12 year old 7th grader named Ben Ridley, who gets drawn into the world of the CIA when a student at their top secret school gets killed, and he takes his place. Ben always wanted to be a spy, and thought it was amazing that the CIA wanted him to join. But soon he found out that he was just bait to catch a mole in the school, and that his life is in terrible danger! On top of that, if the mole is caught, he'll probably get sent back home! His only chance to stay a junior spy is to uncover and stop the mole's despicable plans.

I really hope this isn't the last book in the series. I won't tell you if he defeats the mole, but I will tell you that the mole is the only villain that they name in the book. But there are higher ups. The book leaves a lot of suspense at the end, so I hope the author makes another book. If you read about this book, then you probably think that spy school will be like Hogwarts or something like that. If you think that, you are wrong. Spy school is more of a military training base. Everything is cement. I'm not sure that was the right move to make. I think it would have been more interesting if they took the crazy high-tech route. It sounds like it's going to be a little funny, but it's not. It is actually a dark book. There are a few moments where you couldn't stop laughing, and a few characters that you can't get out of your mind, and a few that never cracked a joke and go straight to the trash can of your brain. While reading this book, prepare to be engrossed and slightly disappointed.

By: R.J. M., 5th grade

39 Clues: The Medusa Plot by Gordon Korman

I recently finished reading the book The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers: Book One: The Medusa Plot By:Gordon Korman. It was about the winners of the hunt for the 39 clues, Amy and Dan Cahill. They have been living in their grandmother’s mansion ever since they reunited all 5 branches together, or at least the children. Now, two years later, their lives become interesting again when the Cahills arch enemies, a group called 'Vespers', once again attack the Cahills. 7 members of the family are taken hostage (including both of Amy and Dan's legal guardians), and unless Amy and Dan complete an impossible ransom, one hostage will pay the ultimate price! The battle is heating up, and only one family can come out on top. The end of a 500 year old rivalry starts right now!

This book doesn't have an ending. The story goes on into the next book. If you're a big fan of Harry Potter or Percy Jackson that will probably feel strange. But, because the 39 clues books come out really close to one another, I started reading the next book in the series that day. It also reminds me of the end of the Vile Village, where the main characters are on the run from the police. If you like endings like that, then you should read this book. All 39 clue books leave you in suspense, like they were just the end of a section in a larger book. I would recommend this book to anyone, because the story line is so good. I do not like the ending of the story, but I'm not a big endings person. Story’s great, just make sure you have the second book on hand when you finish this one, or else you'll be wondering what happens next until you get book 2.

Review By R.J. M. Grade 5

On the Line by Jake Maddox

I read the book On The Line by Jake Maddox. I wanted to read the book because I read another book by Jake Maddox called Back up Goalie that was one of my favorite books. The book is about a boy who tries out for his school's football team. The main characters are Robby and Andy.  Andy is not one Robby's good friends.  They both make the team and play together.  Robby is the center and Andy is a running back.  At the beginning, Andy steps on Robby's hand and the coach blames Robby for having a bad snap.  One time Robby didn't snap the ball fast enough, so the quarterback pulled his hands away too fast and the ball fumbled.  The coach thought that Robby was the problem and he was moved to the defensive line. Robby became center tackle for most of the season, but in the last game, things changed and Robby got a second chance to help his team win. 

I really liked the whole entire book because I love football. I think the main character, Robby, is really cool because he has lots of perseverance.  

"A defensive player's hand shot out and caught a piece of Andy's sleeve, and another player slammed into him.  "Ahh!" Andy shouted.  Then Robby saw it.  The ball was falling to the ground.  Without thinking, Robby dove for it.  Players piled on, but Robby got there first.  He felt the ball against his chest.  "I got it!" he yelled.  "It's still ours!"

I would recommend this book to a friend because it is an exciting story about a boy who keeps trying and helps the team succeed.  I think a person who likes football would like this book.  

Andrew K. Grade 4