Me and Marvin Gardens, Amy Sarig King

Describe a part of the book that made you feel something strongly (i.e. something that made you cry, laugh, get really angry, etc.).

I felt the main conflict in this book strongly because I could relate to it. This summer I visited Patten Maine where my great-grandfather and great-grandmother grew up. It was a small farming and lumber community with only 1,093 people in total. Everything looked open and green and beautiful. I would feel depressed and angry if I returned there and saw a Walmart and a bunch of condos instead of the green, sweeping land my great-grandfather loved so much. My uncle told me that my great-grandfather had to move to Worcester during the Depression to work and feed his kids. But he rode on his scooter from Worcester every weekend for 7 or 8 hours to go back to his farm and log cabin on Shin Pond because he loved it so much. If his hometown was sold and developed into a commercial place, my great-grandfather would have been heart-broken. If this happened, I would feel guilty about not being able to protect my great-grandfather’s land kind of like Obe felt wanting to protect Marvin because there was such a strong love there. I think Patten Maine isn’t the only special place in the world, there are probably 1000s of other amazing places in this world that mean something to people who lived there and to their families. So, I can relate to Obe about losing his family’s land, wanting to safeguard it, and wanting to shield Marvin from danger.

-Gabriel

Boy 21, Matthew Quick

If you were written into this book, what would your role be, and why?

If I were a character in this book, I would be Finley. I can relate to him because supports people in need and is a good friend. For example, Finley helped his friend Erin when she was in the hospital. Finley also helped Russ (Boy21) when he was going through a difficult time after losing his parents. Finely loves playing basketball and I do too. Basketball helps him escape and forget about all the hard things in his neighborhood like drugs and gangs. Finley is a dedicated player, he always practices with Erin after school and takes 100 free throws everyday to improve. I can relate to this because I work hard to be a good athlete too. So, I would be inclined to want to be Finley in this book.

-Gabriel

The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas

Read a book made into a movie or TV show

A part of the book, The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas, that made me feel something strongly was when the main character, Star, used her voice to fight back against the injustice her friend endured when he was shot and killed by a police officer. This was moving because the crowd and people beyond that crowd listen to her message about her friend’s life. The media had been talking all about how he died and the trouble he may have gotten in with drugs and gangs, but Star was able to tell people about how he lived and show people he was more than his mistakes and how he died. This is important because it’s easy to judge people without knowing them and we shouldn’t do that. It was emotional when she was able to stick up for her friend when he couldn’t be there to do it himself and make people see who he really was.

-Gabriel

Hidden: A True Story of the Holocaust, by Fanya Gottesfeld Heller and Joshua M. Greene

Would you recommend this book? If so, who would you recommend it to, and why? If not, why not?

I would recommend Hidden: A True Story of the Holocaust, by Fanya Gottesfeld Heller and Joshua M. Greene because it is important to read stories about how bad the holocaust was. True stories from this part of history are critical to know because we don’t want to make the same mistakes Hitler made. Reading personal stories about the holocaust show in a relatable way what happens when groups of people are dehumanized. The people in this book that protected the Jews put their life on the line to shield innocent people from the Nazis. Those people showed that even when some people do horrible things, there are still others who are brave and do good in the world in the middle of horrible situations. Hidden is an important book to read because it is a true story about the extreme good things and the extreme bad things that people are capable of doing. It was both inspiring and horrifying to read.

-Gabriel

Hidden Figures, by Margot Lee Shetterly

What would you want to see happen to the characters after this book (or the last of the series) ends?


I would like to see the women in this book get both a promotion and a vacation because they worked so hard. Putting a man on the moon was a big step for mankind, so that should earn them significant advancement in their careers. Also, these four women need a vacation because they worked all hours of the day for years to prove their value and contribute to science and space travel. They did this despite the fact that they were living and working in a time when people were both racist and sexist. It was generally thought back then that black women couldn’t handle the complicated work of getting a man on the moon, or doing any type of work outside of housework. But the characters in this book proved those stereotypes wrong. So, in addition to being great at their jobs these women also changed the way people think and they deserve a lot of credit for that.

-Gabriel

Crossover, by Kwame Alexander

If you were written into this book, what would your role be, and why?

If I where a main character in Crossover, by Kwame Alexander, I would want to be Josh Bell. I’d prefer to be Josh is because he can dunk and he is a bit taller than his brother Jorden. Also, his nickname is Filthy McNasty, which is hilarious, and he has a rhyme about his name that sounds cool. I’d like to be Josh because his life revolves around basketball while Jordan’s life is centered a bit more on girls than ball. Lastly, Josh is calmer than Jordan and he knows how to keep drama out of his life.

-Gabriel

Baseball in April by Gary Soto

If you were written into this book, what would your role be, and why?

If I were a character in Baseball in April, by Gary Soto, I would be a kid trying to join the baseball team because there isn’t much else to do in that neighborhood. I would want to be part of Michael and Jesse’s team because they are good baseball players and they try their hardest. All the other roles in the book have something to do with liking someone, school, or what their life is like at home with their family. So, I would want join the baseball team because playing ball is much more fun than the other topics in the book.

-Gabriel

Restart by Gordon Korman

I would definitely recommend this book. This book is honestly one of my favorite books and I’m so happy I read it. This book is about a boy named Chase, who falls of the roof and looses his memory. Before his accident Case wasn’t a good person, he’s upset many people including Shoshanna Weber who dumps frozen yogurt on his head the first chance she gets. But Chase has no idea who she is and what he did to upset her.

-Niuniu

The Books of Elsewhere: The Strangers by Jacqueline West

Would this book make a good movie? Why or why not? If yes, who should play the lead?

The book (and its series) would make a perfect movie. The book is a fascinating story about a magical house and a girl and her family threatened by its past owners who want the house back for themselves. And I feel like that would be a really engrossing plot for a captivating movie. I firmly believe it would interest every person of every age.

-Kiersten

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by JK Rowling

I really liked this book because it was sort of like a spinoff of the story Harry Potter. But instead, telling the fairy tale stories that the wizards and witches in the wizarding world read as kids. It was very entertaining to read another magical Harry Potter related book. I also enjoyed the commentary on each story, to give us some cool background on them. I believe that this fantasy book is PERFECT for Harry Potter fans of all ages.

-Kiersten

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle

Would you recommend this book? If so, who would you recommend it to, and why? If not, why not?

I would recommend this book to everyone since it's such a classic. But I would mostly recommend it to people who love fantasy and science fiction. It turns a time travel story into also a story about bravery and courage. And that gives it an educational value and shows good role models. This is perfect for kids of all ages. The book was so great and amazing that I give it 5 stars!!

-Kiersten

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is about two boys who live totally different lives and how they become friends and all the challenges they face and get through. But most importantly, it's about how they find themselves through each other. It is set in El Paso, TX in 1987 and covers some really good topics about identity, but still has a humor aspect to it. It is a winner of four awards including the Stonewall Book Award and I highly suggest it for ages 11+.

-Eli

The Martian by Andy Weir

Would you recommend this book? If so, who would you recommend it to, and why? If not, why not?

I would recommend The Martian, by Andy Weir, to people that like science and adventure stories. It was interesting to read about how the main character used science and engineering to figure out how to get out of a deadly situation. I would have to warn readers about the language in that book though because there are a lot of curse words. So, if you are sensitive to that then don’t read it. Overall, this book was suspenseful and compelling to read, so I would recommend it to others.

-Gabriel

Facing The Lion by Joesph Lemasolai Lekuton

Would this book make a good movie? Why or why not? If yes, who should play the lead?

I think Facing The Lion, by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton, would be a good movie because it has many of the qualities that are needed to make an excellent movie. First, the characters in this book were brave and inspiring. Also, the story line was interesting and it made me want to keep reading to find out what would happen next. Last, the cinematography would be beautiful because it is in Kenya and the landscapes there are amazing to see. I would enjoy seeing this book on screen if it were made into a movie.

-Gabriel

The Donut Fix by Jessie Janowitz

One day I was just looking for a book and found the donut fix! Its really interesting! Its about someone who moves away and has to get comfortable in the place and into the place and how he does it is by making donuts. He tells you about his journey and its amazing!

-Edward