Book Beat Reviews

Skyward by Brandon Sanderson

My name is Kyle, and I’m an 8th grader. I love to read fiction books specifically Sci-Fi. I also love to ski and play football in my free time.

Brandon Sanderson is an author who makes it so you never want to put a book down. As you read, the book just keeps getting better and better. Skyward is a Sci-fi book, and Brandon Sanderson makes this story come alive with his lively and entertaining writing that keeps you glued to your seat. It is a story about bravery, integrity, and above all perseverance.

This story is set on the barren planet of Detritus which is where all of its inhabitants crashed some 75 years ago after being chased by aliens. The inhabitants were humans on a ship called the Defiant. Since landing they have been prisoners in this open-air prison. To survive, the shipwrecked humans live in the vast caverns of this planet. Spensa, who is the main protagonist in this book, has always had a dream to become a fighter, but because of her dad’s actions she has to persevere over the admiral who makes it so she couldn’t pursue her dream of flying.

This book is written in a first-person perspective which really allows the reader to connect and understand what the main character goes through during this rollercoaster of a book. Reading this book opened my eyes up to the masterpieces that Brandon Sanderson makes and specifically to this book which is one of the best books I have ever read. Its plot progresses relatively fast which kept me attached throughout the entire read. I recommend this book to people who love Sci-fi.

Find it in print and ebook here.

Someone Else’s Shoes by Jojo Moyes

I’m Emerson. I love reading, math and volleyball.

Someone Else’s Shoes is a great book that follows two different characters before they meet near the end of the book. Nisha is the wife of an extremely rich man, while Sam is a middle-aged woman whose husband is depressed and has been going through a terrible time at work. They meet for a near second at a gym where Sam’s daughter got her a gift card, and it alters their lives forever.

I thought that this book was really good because the characters have completely different lives and experiences, yet they are going through similar struggles in their lives. The author, Jojo Moyes, does an incredible job of making the characters seem like people you have met and (depending on the character) either love and wish the best or hate with the entirety of your heart. In addition, the book is fun to read and, although it doesn’t have much of an underlying meaning or life lesson, it leaves you thinking about it even when you aren’t reading it.

I thought that the writing style of this book was really fun, because I don’t usually like stories that follow two different people. However, this one was so good because they were always about to meet, and it kept me on the edge of my seat. I also really enjoyed the plot twist at the end of the book, since it made everything click into place.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes realistic fiction – it will leave you on the edge of your seat!

Find it in print, ebook, and eaudiobook here.

The Terrible Two, Go Wild by Mac Barnett and Jory John

Hi, my name is Zane. I am in sixth grade. I enjoy playing soccer, video games, and exercising.

The third book in the The Terrible Two series was a good book about Miles and Niles, two pranksters who live in the town of Yawnee Valley. These two kids are known as the terrible Two and are known for pranking. After the last book, Miles and Niles decided to target principal Barry Barkin’s son, Josh Barkin. Josh is one of the head people at a camp and he loves the power that he possesses. Things take a turn when the flag that Josh made is stolen by two boys (you know who they are). With this, Josh does not let the prank slide and immediately wants revenge but that does not exactly go according to plan for him.

In my opinion, this book was better than the second Terrible Two but not as good as the first. One part that I liked about this story is that the background makes sense. For example, if you do not read the first two books, none of this book would make sense. Something that I didn’t like so much was that there was a lot about less important stuff and not a lot about the main characters. As you can see, the third book of this series was a great book in my opinion but still had some downsides.

Find it in print and ebook here.

War Stories II: Heroism in the Pacific by Oliver North

Hi my name is Parker and I’m a 6th grader and love reading non-fiction historical books. I also enjoy playing soccer and hanging out with friends.

Have you ever found a book you just couldn’t put down? Well, that’s how I felt about this story. I enjoy non-fiction historical books and Oliver North makes history come alive in all of his books and this book The book War Stories II: Heroism in the Pacific is no exception. It is a compelling story of the courage and patriotism of the brave soldiers, sailors, and airmen during the Second World War. It tells the complete story of the Pacific theater while giving first-hand accounts of soldiers fighting in the battles.

Beginning with the attack of Pearl Harbor, the book follows the battles of the US military making their way to Japan to stop the war. The book describes the harrowing battles and what the soldiers had to go through in stunning detail. Not only did it describe the battles on land, but also the ships battling at sea and the planes fighting for supremacy in the air. It shows the US tactic of island hopping and the successes and failures found along the way. Some key islands were Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, Iwa Jima, and Okinawa. The first-hand accounts blended perfectly with the incredible storytelling, making the battles come alive rather than just listing facts. The end of the book culminates with the Japanese surrender and the US victory that would forever change the world. It gave me a new appreciation for the brave soldiers who fought, bled, and died to keep this country free. If you’re looking for a book that will hold your attention while teaching you about a critical period in history then this book is for you.

Find it through Interlibrary loan here.

Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar

Hi my name is Kire. I am in 6th grade and I love to read. Other than reading I like to do gymnastics and play viola.

Lucky Broken Girl is an amazing story that touched my heart as I was reading.

The book is about a girl named Ruthie who recently moved from Castros, Cuba to New York City. She is just beginning to feel welcome in this new place when Ruthie and her family all go on a car ride and get in a horrible car accident. Ruthie ends up in a full body cast for a year and cannot do anything but stay in bed. As the book progresses Ruthie begins to learn different things that she can do to keep herself entertained. Although she learns to do different things to keep her occupied, she still has some points where she is just simply sad. There are many struggles that Ruthie has on the long road to recovery, but once she does you get to see the real Ruthie and this really touched my heart and I think it will touch yours too if you read this amazing story.

This is one of the best books that I have ever read and I would recommend this to pretty much everyone. It is not super long and yet it has so much detail and amazing things that happen that I think anyone who reads it will love Lucky Broken Girl.

Find it in print here.

The Terrible Two Get Worse by Mac Barnett and Jory John

Hi, my name is Zane. I am in sixth grade. I enjoy playing soccer, video games, and exercising.

The Terrible Two, Get Worse was a great sequel and should definitely be read by more people. This text is about Miles and Niles, two pranksters in the town of Yawnee Valley. Unlike a normal prankster who usually gets caught, these two have disguised themselves as school helpers. Because of this, the principal of the school, Principal Barkin, trusts them and therefore they are above suspicion. Although things take a turn when a new principal takes his place who does not tolerate any more pranking. With this Miles and Niles go through half of the school year trying to come up with something that will end the new principal’s pranking streak, until they come up with an idea.

This book was a sequel to the first one (The Terrible Two) and although I thought that the first book was a little bit better, the second was still very good. One thing that made this book so good was that it was different from the first book in its own ways which made it a good sequel instead of being a repetitive series. One other aspect that made this the book good is that at the end of the book there was a huge change in events. As you can see, The Terrible Two Get Worse was not as good as the first book in the series but was still a very good book, in my opinion.

Find it in print and ebook here.