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

My name is Elizabeth. I love reading, and my favorite book is My Sister’s Keeper. I am in the 8th grade and enjoy dance.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe follows the main character Aristotle, nicknamed Ari, through his teenage years. Ari meets Dante at their local pool, and they hit it off instantly. Ari and Dante become friends throughout the summer, and the reader gets to observe their budding relationship. As Ari learns more about Dante’s personal life and family, Ari gets a thirst for knowledge about his own family and his mysterious brother who is in prison. The reader follows Ari on a journey throughout his budding friendship with Dante and gets to read about the complex relationships between friends and family.

I was able to read this book in 24 hours, and it was yet another story I could not put down. The explorations of complex feelings were written amazingly, and this story captured me. This book felt like it was written from the perspective of a teenager, and it was able to capture emotions maturely and completely. The language was not complex, and the pacing was great. Another plus is that the sequel is already out, and I am looking forward to reading the next part of this story. I would recommend this book to any teenagers who are looking for a book that will explore deep feelings and connections.

Find it in print and CD here.

1984 by George Orwell

My name is Elizabeth. I love reading, and my favorite book is My Sister’s Keeper. I am in the 8th grade and enjoy dance.

1984 is a dystopian novel that takes place in 1984, although when it was written in 1949, it depicted the future. The book follows the main character, Winston, through his life under “Big Brother”. The government is a totalitarian style of government, called “Big Brother”. In this society, the citizens are not allowed to say or even think anything bad about the government. If they do they are arrested for “thought crime.” Winston discovers a lady named Julia, and would do anything to be with her. Throughout Winston and Julia’s journey, they commit crimes against “Big Brother”, and are separated. This book takes the reader on a journey throughout the dystopian setting of 1984 and focuses on the main characters and specifics of the insider’s view of the government.

The reader gets to experience a different lifestyle without many of the freedoms we have in our society. This book is super interesting to read, and I understand why it is considered a classic. Although some of the wording was tough, this book told an important story and introduced me to new ideas. I am very glad that I was able to read this book, and that I was able to receive some insight into the idea the book brought about. I think it’s interesting that when this was written this was seen as a plausible future, and many people debated whether or not the 1984 world would happen. I would recommend this book to someone who is looking for a concept-based read and knows about what was happening in the world when this book was written.

Find it in print, ebook and eaudiobook here.

Today, Tonight, Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon

My name is Elizabeth. I love reading, and my favorite book is My Sister’s Keeper. I am in the 8th grade and enjoy dance.

Today, Tonight, Tomorrow takes place in Seattle, Washington. The main character, Rowan, is a high school senior, and it is graduation time. However, at Rowan’s school, the seniors have a tradition of a scavenger hunt plus an assassin-type game throughout the whole city. Rowan has the goal to take down her high school nemesis, Neil, as her final act of high school. Throughout all of high school, Rowan and Neil were top of their class and were always competing with each other. Well, her plans get smudged, and Rowan and Neil end up teaming up to play the game. The night takes many twists and turns, and Rowan begins to realize that Neil isn’t the nightmare she thought he was.

This book was an amazing read. I read it within 24 hours, and I could not put it down. This book was able to get me invested like no other and had an amazing story. The text was not very dense, which made the book easier to read. I enjoyed how the chapters were timestamps because they helped the reader understand the timeline of the few days that this book takes place over, which can be confusing in some books. I enjoyed the insights that the reader got into both Rowan and Neil’s lives, and I think it helped me gain perspective, and get a better understanding of how they both feel. I would recommend this book to someone looking for a good read that is exciting and suspenseful, and who also enjoys reading romantic books.

Request it through InterLibrary Loan here.

Hoot by Carl Hiaasen

My name is Lucy. I am 13 and I love owls, reading, and shopping for clothes.

In Hoot, the main character, Roy Eberhardt is upset about moving from mountainous, beautiful Montana to hot, muggy, and flat Florida. One day, on the school bus, something outside catches his eye; it’s a boy, barefoot and running. He passes the bus stop and never looks back. One day, Roy decides to follow him. They end up in some trees behind a golf course. The running boy throws him out of his hiding place. Meanwhile, a new Mother Paula’s Pancake House is about to break ground on the other side of town. What nobody knows is that underground, on that plot, is a bunch of burrowing owls. Roy finally gets the running boy to open up. His name is Mullet Fingers. Together, with Mullet Finger’s sister, they come up with a clever plan to save the owls.

I really loved this book and thought it was a real hoot! The characters and settings are really lifelike and at some points, it feels like you are in the story. The plot contains a cause close to my heart: saving owls. I could not put this book down, and read it in less than a week. I highly recommend reading and watching the movie after.

Find it in print, ebook, eaudiobook, and DVD here.

Winger

Review by Ella; dreamer, ski racer, writer, and rock climber. Ella lives in SV, Idaho with her mom, dad, cat, dog, gecko, and fish.

Winger is about Ryan Dean’s life at a boarding school in Oregon that is for the troubled kids of wealthy parents. Ryan Dean is 14 but entering his junior year of high school. He is determined to become more confident and mature. His best friend, Annie Altman, is also his crush and he struggles with feeling unworthy of her throughout because of the age gap. This is true for his interactions with the rest of his classmates as well. Ryan Dean is the winger for the school’s rugby team and finds that he has a community. Because of a stunt he pulled the year before, he is bunking in a different dorm than his friends, JP and Seanie, and is under constant supervision. Ryan Dean makes new friends in his new bunk room and starts to grow into himself. He becomes really close with one of the members of his rugby team, Joey. Throughout the story Ryan struggles with his relationship with Annie and the neglect he feels from his parents. I really enjoyed this book because I think it perfectly illustrates how a 14 year old boy thinks. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good laugh and likes to laugh at the main characters.

Find it in print here.

Ella Enchanted

Review by Ella; dreamer, ski racer, writer, and rock climber. Ella lives in SV, Idaho with her mom, dad, cat, dog, gecko, and fish.

Ella Enchanted is about Ella, a girl who is cursed with obedience. When Ella’s mom dies she is distraught but at least she has Mandy, the family cook. She meets Prince Charmont at her mother’s funeral and they become fast friends. Life seems to be looking up for Ella when her dad marries the awful Dame Olga for her money. The problem is she comes with two snotty daughters and Ella is sent off to boarding school with them. The oldest of her step sisters soon finds out about her curse and uses it against her. So, Ella runs away from school to hopefully find her father and the fairy that cursed her. Instead of making it to where her father is she is captured by ogres. But Prince Char comes to the rescue and Ella is back on the road. She has no luck with Lucinda so she goes home with her father. Prince Charmont or Char has to go away to another kingdom but he and Ella keep in touch throughout the time he is gone. They slowly fall in love. But Ella’s father wants her to marry a rich, old duke. Ella’s curse keeps getting in the way of her love and freedom. Will she be able to break the curse before she loses Char or will she forever be bound to obedience? I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend it for middle schoolers or elementary schoolers because it is geared towards a younger audience. That said, I really enjoyed this book; it was whimsical and quite fun.

Find it in print, ebook, eaudiobook and DVD here.