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You’ll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus

My name is Bria, I am a ski racer, swimmer, and dancer. I love reading in my free time

You’ll be the Death Me is a compelling murder mystery. It is about three friends from middle school who reunite in their senior year of high school. That day Ivy (one of three friends) was in the senior class presidential race and lost against somebody who entered as a joke. The next day, the news class president had to give a speech and Ivy did not want to go. Mateo, another main character, had been working double shifts and three jobs ever since her mom’s bowling alley got shut down and he needed some rest. Cal, the final friend, had no reason not to go to school and no reason to go to school. They all randomly met up in the middle of the high school parking lot and decided to skip school together and have a fun day like they did in sixth grade, but the day didn’t end up like that at all. That day one person is murdered, Cal and Ivy almost get killed, and drug dealers are exposed.

I read this book in less than a week it was so engaging. I enjoyed all the plot twists it made the book so much more engaging. I also enjoyed the perspective; it was first-person switching between people. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes murder mysteries and anyone who likes an engaging story that throws you off. I could not stop reading this book. I thought it was amazing and exhilarating.

Find it in print, eaudiobook, and ebook here.

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

My name is Bria, I am a ski racer, swimmer, and dancer. I love reading in my free time

I just finished reading “Side Effects May Vary” by Julie Murphy, and I really enjoyed it. It’s about a high school girl who finds out she has leukemia when she’s sixteen. She goes through chemo, loses her hair, and deals with all kinds of stuff. The story is all about her feelings during this tough time. Her friend Harvey is there for her through everything.

The plot was interesting and had enough problems to keep it from getting boring. However, one thing that I did not enjoy was the perspective I enjoyed that it was first person switching between different main characters, but I did not like that it switched between past and future I thought it was confusing. Even though I found that part a little hard to follow, I thought the characters’ emotions were real and the author did a great job dealing with a tough topic.

Overall, “Side Effects May Vary” is a touching and thought-provoking book. I’d recommend it to anyone who likes stories about friendship and resilience. It helps you understand a little bit of what it’s like. Although I am sure I won’t ever understand what it’s like to be in that situation. It’s the kind of book that sticks with you even after you’ve finished reading it and you can’t stop reading until you’re finished.

Find it in print here.

Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan

My name is Judah, I am 14 years old and I like to play soccer, alpine ski and x- country ski. Some of my favorite books are the Golden Goblet and A Night Divided .

Pilgrim’s Progress is a thrilling fiction book written by John Bunyan. This novel full of adventure, friendship and shows a Christians life till death. Although there are a lot of characters introduced, the main ones are Christian, Faithfull, Hopeful and Evangelist. This book begins when Christian reads in the Bible that his city will be destroyed by fire from heaven and wishes to be saved. Then a guy by the name of Evangelist, tell Christian that there is a way to be saved from this judgment by taking a long journey to the Celestial City. Christian also mentions a burden that weighs him down and wishes to be rid of it. Christian meets his first companion, Faithful, when he is walking in the valley of the shadow of death. Christian and Faithful encounter many dangers through their joinery together but always keeping their eyes on the Celestial City. Unfortunately, in Vanity-Fair, Faithfull meets his end, and Christian meets his new companion, Hopeful. Hopeful and Christian form a new friendship between each other which lasts until the very end.

I think Pilgrims Progress should be read by ages ten – fifteen as it is an engaging book for any reader who might pick it up.

Find it through Interlibrary loan here.

Flyboys by James Bradley

Hi my name is Parker and I’m a 7th grader and love reading non-fiction historical books. I also enjoy playing soccer and hanging out with friends.

Because I love learning about World War II, I was excited to read the book Flyboys. Flyboys is a true story about US pilots fighting on the Pacific front during World War II. This is a book for an older audience since the horrors of war are described. Although it is a tough subject matter, I enjoyed it for its historical accuracy. The gripping storytelling by author, James Bradley was exceptional. The young boys who signed up for war had no idea what they were in for before being shipped off for training. This book follows the life of real-world characters flying over the dangerous skies of Chichi Jima (close to Iwo Jima).

All of the main characters introduced flew TBF Avenger Torpedo Bombers and their mission was to destroy vital radio stations and supplies on Chichi Jima. While flying over this island, these brave flyboys were shot down by deadly Japanese antiaircraft guns. Afterwards, they were taken prisoner, and the book vividly describes the events that took place and the horrors of war. Unfortunately for these pilots, their mission was not accomplished as the radio station was made of thick concrete so far underground that it couldn’t be destroyed. It was only after the war did the Americans realize this. This book was 338 pages so it’s hard to capture all of the details in this summary. Overall, I thought this was a great book for World War II history buff.

Find it in print here.

The Adventures of Tintin: Tintin in Tibet by Hergé

Hi my name is Parker and I’m a 7th grader and love reading non-fiction historical books. I also enjoy playing soccer and hanging out with friends.

The Adventures of Tintin stories are some of my favorite fiction books. They are graphic novels that are based on the main character, Tintin, and his loyal dog Snowy. Tintin is a journalist and detective who always has a new adventure waiting around the corner.

In this story, Tintin in Tibet, Tintin’s friend Chang is on a plane over the mountains of Tibet and the plane crashes in the snowcapped mountains. Even though experienced sherpas have surveyed the scene for any possible survivors, they have found no one. Despite this, Tintin is convinced that his friend is still alive. After flying out to Tibet with his reliable friend Captain Haddock, who is a retired sailor, they hike up the treacherous terrain to search for Chang. Along the way, there are signs of an abominable snowman stealing food and leaving tracks which scares their guides. Every guide but one leaves the scene in fright and when they finally arrive at the crash site they find a cave where the name Chang is written on the rock letting them know that Chang survived the crash.

The rest of the book takes the reader on a journey to find out if they will ever find Chang and if Tintin and his friends will ever live to tell the tale. The humor the author Herge uses keeps the reader laughing throughout the book. I highly recommend this book; it is a great read.

Find it in print here.

The Adventures of Tintin: Flight 714 to Sydney by Hergé

Hi my name is Parker and I’m a 7th grader and love reading non-fiction historical books. I also enjoy playing soccer and hanging out with friends.

The Adventures of Tintin stories are some of my favorite fiction books. They are graphic novels that are based on the main character, Tintin, and his loyal dog Snowy. Tintin is a journalist and detective who always has a new adventure waiting around the corner. In the book Flight 714 Tintin is on his way to Australia with his friends Captain Haddock and Cuthbert Calculus. Haddock is a retired sailor, and Calculus is a brilliant man who is also deaf. While in the airport waiting for their flight, they meet one of their old friends, Skut, who happens to be the pilot for the millionaire. Carreidas, the millionaire, invites them to fly with him on his private jet. One of the funny parts of the book is that because Calculus can’t hear, he’s constantly misunderstanding words and conversations which leads to funny moments. The plot thickens when the crew hijacks the plane and changes course to an unknown location.

There are many adventures in this book and the end has a very unexpected turn of events that takes the reader by surprise. The author does such a good job of engaging the audience and even though I’ve read these books several times, they are always exciting. Each time I read them I find something new that I hadn’t noticed before. The great news is there are so many books in the series, so you never run out.

Find it through Interlibrary loan here.