Book Beat Reviews

The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera

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.

The Last Cuentista is an exhilarating novel that I think anyone who enjoys reading science fiction books will love. The book follows a middle school aged girl named Pedra who lives in the future. In this book, a comet is going to hit Earth and that will be the end of Earth. Pedra’s family gets picked to go on a spaceship and travel to another planet called Sagan. To get to this planet Pedra, her family, and others who got picked to go on this ship will have to travel for around 380 years.

In order for the people on this ship to live that long they have to be put into pods that preserve their bodies and minds. They are supposed to be completely asleep during this, but somehow Pedra doesn’t fall asleep. When she gets taken out of her pod, Pedra realizes that everyone has been brainwashed and no one remembers who they are. The only person who still has their memories is Pedra. Pedra goes through many events and tries to escape the ship. How will she do this and what kind of crazy things will she have to go through? You will need to read the book to find out.

Find it in print, ebook, and eaudiobook here.

Beowulf

My name is Judah. I enjoy playing soccer and baseball. In the winter, I enjoy Nordic and alpine skiing. When it comes to reading,  adventure books are my favorite.

Beowulf is a thrilling fiction novel about tales and legends of the Middle Ages. Beowulf is both a strong, wise, and kingly hero. When Beowulf hear about troubles in England, he sailed over with his best men to rid the town of its monsters. Many a man had tried to kill the beast, but none could prevail. He always made a fair match between his enemies. If the monster did not use a sword, neither would he. Single handedly he saved the land from the two monsters that raided and struck fear into whoever they gazed upon killing wherever they please. The evil ogre Grendel and His wicked mother the sea-hag consistently terrorized Hrothgar’s kingdom by killing countless people each day. Sadly, he couldn’t save the country forever where he met his final match against the hoarding dragon.

This book has gore, love, heroes, and monsters and is a page turner to whoever should read it. Since Beowulf was a wise king, when all the fame was directed to him, he handled it smartly unlike others who would have let it get to their head and ruin them in the long run. I recommend this book for ages 12 and up if he or she loves action, love, and battle.

Find it in print here.

Albert Einstein and the Theory of Relativity by Cwiklik Robert

My name is Judah. I enjoy playing soccer and baseball. In the winter, I enjoy Nordic and alpine skiing. When it comes to reading,  adventure books are my favorite.

This biography begins in Ulm Germany with Albert, his sister Maja, and his mom and dad. Albert’s Dad and Uncle owned a business that made and sold light bulbs.  Albert helped in the process of making the light bulbs, which laid the foundation for him becoming a scientist.

When Albert was young, he often daydreamed and quit school because the lessons were too boring. Once he left school, he got a tutor and really began to excel in academics. When he got older, he went to a high school in Sweden. He liked the school in Sweden because the teachers weren’t strict, and his classmates liked to discuss ideas. In college, he didn’t receive the best grades and almost failed physics because he didn’t attend his classes. He preferred to read instead of attending class and if it weren’t for his friend who took detailed notes in class, he would not have passed.  

Albert hoped to be a science professor but could not find a professor to recommend him. He became an assistant at the college and worked his way up to becoming a professor. Then he got married and moved back to Germany to discuss his ideas with other scientists. When visiting America, his house, books and papers were destroyed by the Nazis because he was a Jew. Being too dangerous to return home, he stayed in America. While in America, he helped make the Atomic Bomb that ended World War II. This book is very well written, and I recommend it highly.

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

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

My Name is Camille and I am in 8th Grade. I like to read mysteries a lot because they keep me on the edge of my seat and make me want to know more. I also love to snowboard and play volleyball.

I read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling. This story continues Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s exciting journey through the wizarding world. After escaping Voldemort for the 6th time, Harry drops out of Hogwarts and goes on a dangerous mission to collect and destroy all of Voldemort’s horcruxes with the help of Ron and Hermione. On this journey to defeat Voldemort once and for all they will encounter curses, traitors and sacrifice that they must push through. I love the Harry Potter series and I think that this was the perfect end to an era. This book had everything: mystery, action, romance and bravery. This book kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. Just when you thought the book was over, in came a brand-new plot twist. It is a perfect read for when you have lots of time to spare and want to get lost in fantasy. I would recommend this book to anyone who has already read the other Harry Potter books and wants more. I would also recommend this book to someone who likes action and adventure. Reading this book was a really great experience and if I could read it again from the beginning I definitely would.

Find it in print , ebook, and eaudiobook.

The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan

My Name is Camille and I am in 8th Grade. I like to read mysteries a lot because they keep me on the edge of my seat and make me want to know more. I also love to snowboard and play volleyball.

I read The Omnivore’s Dilemma, the young readers version, by Micheal Pollan. This book is a real story about a man named Micheal Pollan who wanted to understand the omnivore’s dilemma. But what is the omnivore’s dilemma? Well, it is the fact that us humans have so many options of what food we can eat that we don’t know what is good for us and what could kill us. To find this out, Pollan searches for four different types of farms and meal systems: industrial organic, local sustainable, and hunter-gatherer. He spends multiple days in each area learning about what makes their food so special. He then debriefs it and tells the reader how that type of food system is good or bad for our bodies. I enjoyed reading this book because it helped me get a deeper understanding about the food industry and what I should and shouldn’t be putting into my body. I also really liked this book because I was able to look more deeply into the foods that I eat every day and what I probably shouldn’t be. From the environment to the economic setbacks and benefits, Pollan dissects everything that we need to know about our food. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes non-fiction and who wants to learn more about living a healthier and more sustainable life.

Find it in print and CD here.

The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket

My Name is Camille and I am in 8th Grade. I like to read mysteries a lot because they keep me on the edge of my seat and make me want to know more. I also love to snowboard and play volleyball.

I read the book, The Bad Beginning, part of A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket. This book is about three young kids whose parents died in a house fire. They are then sent to live with a distant relative, Count Olaf. His house is dirty and he seems a little off, but after living with him for a while, the kids realize that his house is the least of his problems. This story contains mystery, lies and lots of schemes. I really enjoyed reading this book because it had a very interesting plot and all the characters were very different, which gave the book life. Violet, the oldest, loves to invent and help out the people she loves. Claus, the middle child, loves to read and learn about anything and everything that he can. And Sunny, the youngest, is playful and is always there to make you smile. I love it when books have a variety of personalities because it helps a lot with the plot line. I also really liked this book because it was easy to follow and the narration was very interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a little bit of a mystery mixed with an evil villain who has no mercy. This is a great book that starts off a wonderful series.

Find it in print, ebook, and eaudiobook here.