Book Beat Reviews

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.

Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan

Hi, I am Advik. I love to read, write, bike, swim, and watch TV.

Throne of Fire, the second book in the Kane Chronicles, is a compelling blend of Egyptian mythology and modern-day action. This book follows Sadie and Carter Kane in their continued fights against the forces of Chaos.

Sadie and Carter are forced to prevent the end of the world in a very timely manner after being tormented by reoccurring dreams and messages that hint at Apophis’ approaching return. The sun god Ra’s power is the only thing that can stop Apophis, the Lord of Chaos, from rising from his eons-long confinement. The two siblings, who set out on a dangerous adventure, must find the three missing pieces of the Book of Ra, which hold the secret to waking him. They travel the world on this mission, facing challenging opponents and formidable allies. Sadie and Carter discover more about their magical skills and family history as they travel down this difficult path.

Throne of Fire is just as exciting and high energy as the last book. Riordan has an exceptional talent for blending humor, mythology, suspense, and action into one fantastic series. The characters are relatable and very well thought out. I especially loved the way Riordan combines the modern-day world into this story. Overall, this book is impressive; you can tell Riordan thought about the world and characters quite a lot. Readers who like other Rick Riordan stories, such as Percy Jackson or The Heroes of Olympus, will especially love this book.

Find it in print, ebook and eaudiobook here.

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

Hi, I am Advik. I love to read, write, bike, swim, and watch TV.

The Red Pyramid, the first book in ‘The Kane Chronicles,’ follows a pair of siblings, Sadie and Carter Kane. Carter travels the world with his father, a brilliant Egyptologist and author. Sadie lives with her grandparents, getting a chance at ‘a normal life.’ On Christmas Eve, Sadie and Carter are reunited when their father brings them to the British Museum, promising to “make things right.” But things don’t go as planned: Carter and Sadie watch as Julius summons a mystery figure who immediately entombs their father in an Egyptian sarcophagus and creates a fiery explosion.

After being saved from their Uncle Amos, who turns out to be a real magician, Carter and Sadie quickly find that the gods of Ancient Egypt are very much real, and the worst of them, Set, the god of chaos and evil, has a terrifying plan. To save their father, they must embark on a dangerous trip that will lead them closer to the truth about their family and its connections to the House of Life, a hidden society of magicians that have existed since the time of the pharaohs.

I love this book and it used to be one of my favorites when I was younger. I think this book is super easy to follow and it is very well-written, especially during the battle scenes. Riordan writes from the perspectives of both African-American Carter and British-American Sadie, two teen kids who are brilliantly witty, smart yet have very unique voices.

Find it in print, ebook and eaudiobook here.

The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lyn Barnes

Hi my name is Kire and I love to read. Other than reading I like to do gymnastics and play viola.

The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lyn Barnes is the sequel to The Inheritance Games. In the first book a 17-year-old girl named Avery Kylie Grambs finds out that she inherited billions from Tobias Hawthorne. The only catch is that Avery had no idea who he was. She and her love interest Jameson Hawthorne begin trying to solve clues to find out why Tobias picked her. In this sequel, all of the action, mystery, and love gets more and more interesting throughout the book. Avery and Jameson continue the mystery and find out some crazy things that you would have never thought would happen. This book kept me questioning everything throughout the entire thing. It kept me on the edge of my seat, and I was never quite ready to put it down.

The Hawthorne Legacy is one of the most interesting books that I have ever read! I would recommend it to anyone and everyone.

Find it in print and ebook here.

A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman

I am Sarah. I am sixteen years old and an avid reader; it is one of my favorite things to do. Inspired by all the amazing stories built by simple letters, I aspire to be an author and, meanwhile, nurture the love to write.

As a dancer, I know the feeling of the steady drum of music that nudges my feet to move, my body to sway, my soul to dance. And after reading the book, you can know it too.

Veda is a classical dancer in India, and she lives and breathes her movement. It is the thing that makes sense to her, her purpose in life. So what happens when, after winning a Bharatanatyam competition and knowing her career has only just begun, a car accident steals her lower leg, and, apparently, her dreams?

Padma Venkatraman knows that dance is more than the body you were born in; that if it lights your soul on fire, nothing will stop you. If that means starting over in beginner classes, enduring stares and endless questions, falling on your face from a prosthetic that will never truly replace your leg, so be it. The fire will pick you back up, every time. A Time to Dance is the beautiful story of a girl rediscovering her passion, her spirituality, her love, and her grief through the one thing that feels more vital than air. This novel in verse is, in a matter of adjectives, wonderful, heartbreaking, poignant, and passionate. In simpler terms: you should really read this book.

Find it through ILL here.