Hook's Revenge

Author: Heidi Schulz

Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Humor

What this book is about:  Jocelyn Hook is the daughter of the dreadful Captain Hook - but how are you sure you're someone's daughter, if you haven't met him or gotten letters? After not having a mom growing up, she waits for an adventure so she can be like her dad, but her grandfather doesn't agree. He wants her to become a proper lady, so he sends her to Miss Eliza Crumb-Biddlecomb's Finishing School for Young Ladies. She can't follow in  her dad's footsteps if she's surrounded with white gloves, pink, and ballroom dancing, so when she gets a letter from Captain Hook, she bolts off to Never land to get revenge on the crocodile that ate her father. But, when she gets there, the task gets harder. If defeating the croc is not difficult enough, she has the worst crew of pirates ever, but with one key characteristic from each of them. She also has to try to get her best friend out of the pack of the Lost Boys and ignore Peter Pan, who keeps coming uninvited. Will she defeat Neverland's crocodile or will her doubts defeat her first?  

Your opinion:  I personally loved this book because the author showed throughout the book that being unique or different doesn't make you weird or unpleasant in any way. I also liked how it showed how Jocelyn Hook lost that girliness to her because of growing up without a mom, but shows that she still has little of that sparkle inside. I also liked how it brought in parts of the Peter Pan story. 

Rating:  5 out of 5 stars

Who would like this book: I think readers that like books with characters that have girls being treated the same way as men would enjoy this book. It will also fit readers who like books that pull in parts of stories from other books. I also liked how it reminded me of the Neverland tale.

Reviewed by: OB    

Absolutely Almost

Author: Lisa Graff 


Genre: Realistic Fiction

What this book is about: Albie has never been good at things: tetherball, drawing, and especially making his parents proud. After getting kicked out of his last private school, he moved to a public school with teachers that try to help him succeed. Along with the public school change, he doesn't get to have his best friend at school and gets a new babysitter, Calista, to help him out with school. He gains friends and gets bullied. While trying to make it through school and his social level at school, he is mainly trying to keep the friendship he has with his apartment neighbor and best friend. Even though Albie is absolutely almost with mostly everything, Calista helps him figure out the things he is good at and helps him take pride in them. 

Your opinion:   I liked the book a lot, especially how friendship and bullying was key to the book. It shows some things that you might encounter being a 5th grader in school like being cool and fitting in. I loved also how Lisa Graff shows that you might not be good at most things, but the things you are good at, take pride in them.

Rating:  4.5 out of 5 stars

Who would like this book: I think readers that like realistic fiction and friendship books would like this book. I would say that this book would be for 2nd graders and up. For the 2nd graders it might be a little hard, but it's great book.

Reviewed by: OB    

The Witch's Boy

Author: Kelly Barnhill


Genre: Adventure, Magic, Fantasy

What this book is about: When Ned and his identical twin brother fall off their raft into the pulling waters of a river, only Ned survives. The villagers say that the wrong boy lived, but there is still part of his brother inside of him because Ned's mother, a witch, placed his brother's soul inside Ned's heart. After the incident in the river, Ned grows up slowly and weak while not having any voice interaction with anyone even his family. On the other side of the forest is a girl named Aine, who is the daughter of the Bandit King. Aine's mother was a strong woman, but after she passed, her last words haunt Aine, " the wrong boy will save your life, and you will save his." When their paths intersect, they have to trust each other to stop the war that is about to erupt. Will they be able to work together and trust each other or will they fall short?

Your opinion: I loved how this book showed how Ned made it through the hard times and kept continuing on his mission. I also loved how Aine acted so maturely, while her Bandit King father was focusing more and more on thievery, crime, and the magic that tangled his heart while he is losing focus on his daughter. The one thing I didn't like was how the author gave many details about each thing Ned, Aine, or the other characters did, because I felt as if it was getting more annoying than helping the story.

Rating:  5 out of 5 stars

Who would like this book: I think readers that like reading about adventure, friendship, and family bonding would like this book as well as readers who like magic. I will rate this book for 4th graders and up because of the words that they use in the book and some violence.

Reviewed by: OB   

Curiosity

Author: Gary Blackwood


Genre: Adventure, Historical Fiction 

What this book is about: A boy named Rufus loses his father to debtor's prison and is secretly living in their home without paying rent while playing chess. Even at an early age Rufus was amazed by chess. He reads books about famous chess players and seems to effortlessly checkmate his opponents. Someone does see Rufus' talent. He gets hired to work as a chess playing automaton called the Turk. He has to keep his job a secret because the automaton is supposed to be all machine, but it's actually part human-operated. While he's making the Turk beat the townfolk - good and bad - in chess, he gets an average shelter with also average food. He shares his "bedroom" with a French worker named Jacques who has a peg leg for a foot. While Rufus is doing his thing, Jacques refines the other automatons of their traveling show. Rufus is lonely because he is not allowed to go out without an adult, and the only adults there are Jacques, who is always busy, the head boss, who is mean and strict, and lastly, there is Maelzel, who pops in and out. He does find a friend, but she may only be trying to pry the secrets of the Turk out of him. While stunning crowds, he finds bloodstains and an earring in the Turk which makes him wonder about the previous operators of the Turk, and the true meaning of what he is doing. Blackwood writes a suspenseful thriller of a 12-year old chess prodigy's adventures.

Your opinion: I thought that he book was the perfect amount of suspense and adventure at the same time. I personally love suspense books and this one is one of my favorites, but I did not like how the story ended. One thing I also liked about Blackwood's story was that it mixed in famous people from history, like Edgar Allen Poe.

Rating:  3.5 out of 5 stars

Who would like this book: I think suspense, adventure, and historical fiction readers would love this book. I think 3rd grade and up should read this book, maybe 2nd graders if they can understand the words and not get scared by the plot.

Reviewed by: OB