Book Beat Reviews

Alone On the Wall by Alex Honnold

Hi, I am Sarah. I am fourteen years old and an avid reader; it is one of my favorite things to do. Inspired by authors’ creations of magnificent places and surprising havens built by simple letters, I aspire to be an author and, meanwhile, nurture the love to write.

Imagine clinging to a solid granite face, 2,000 feet in the air, the first two digits of your fingers jammed into a crack and your feet smeared on invisible footholds, mere dimples in the rock. The wind rustles across the cliff as you reach for the next hold, unprotected, with nothing connecting you to the rock and preventing a plummet. Nothing but the rock and the climber. Rock climbing at its purest.

Alex Honnold lives this reality most days, all around the world. A rock climber at heart, he has accomplished feats unthinkable in the climbing world. In Alone on the Wall, these are chronicled and laid out in a way easy for even the non-climber to understand and appreciate, intermingled with humorous day-to-day events that give a wholesome view of these gargantuan climbs. The up-close and personal way he describes these feats, coupled with climbing history and explanation, make this biography a truly fascinating read. The action sequences can leave you hanging at the edge of a precipice—literally—but are presented in a way that reminds you that even the famous, remarkably talented among us are human too. In Honnold’s case, it’s doing what he loves and dancing on the rock all around the world.

Find it through Interlibrary Loan here.

The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen

Hi, I am Sophie. I like to mountain bike, water ski, snow ski, and do about every other sport. But, I also love to read. My favorite author is Dusti Bowling.

Imagine that you are a runner, that is your thing. Then, suddenly you learn that you might never run again. That is exactly what 16-year-old Jessica Carlisle had to go through. On her way back from a track meet, a drunk driver crashes into the school bus. The accident takes away the part of her leg below her knee and the life of one of her teammates. 

After getting out of the hospital, it takes Jessica a while to get back to normal. She has a really hard time adjusting to going back to school. When Jessica finally accepts that she will never be able to run again, her coach proposes a plan to save the money to get Jessica a running prosthetic leg. The team tries to accomplish this by doing bake sales, and car washes. Finally, they reach their goal of $20,000 with the help of an anonymous donor. 

When Jessica gets her running leg, it takes a while to get used to and to figure out how to use it. But no matter what, Jessica keeps trying. In this book, Jessica faces many obstacles and struggles. Including, figuring out how to walk, function, and how to get her friend, Rosa Brazzi to cross a finish line. I highly recommend this book to anyone.

Find it in print here.

Framed by James Ponti

Hi, I am Sophie. I like to mountain bike, water ski, snow ski, and do about every other sport. But, I also love to read. My favorite author is Dusti Bowling.

Wouldn’t it be cool if you could work for the FBI with your best friend and solve cases when you’re only 12-years-old? That is exactly what Florian Bates gets to do. In this book, Florian Bates and Margaret Campbell work with the FBI, to solve a case in which 4 paintings are stolen from The National Art Gallery. Florian makes this all possible by using T.O.A.S.T (the Theory Of All Small Things). This is when you concentrate on the small details instead of the big things and they add up to the big picture. In this book, not only do they solve a case, but they also find out some information about Margaret’s birth parents, who she has been looking for since she was born. When they think things can’t get any weirder, the two find a stolen ring, then Florian gets kidnapped. It sounds fun and exciting and a good excuse to get out of school but when the FBI needs their help, Florian’s mom always makes sure that school comes first. Margaret and Florian create a strong bond with each other and with Marcus Rivers, the FBI agent they work with. Florian and Margaret experience many hardships and struggles but they push through them together.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery book.

Find it in print and eaudiobook here.

The Cat Who Went to Heaven by Elizabeth Coatsworth

Hello my name is Amariah and I’m a 7th grade homeschooler. Some of my favorite things to do are paint, sing, play my ukulele, read, write, and play volleyball.

The Cat Who Went to Heaven is a story that takes place in ancient Japan. It all starts when a poor artist sends his maid to the market to buy food with the little money he has. He’s furious when his maid comes back with a cat instead! But he soon discovers that this is no ordinary cat.

This cat has good manners, is obedient, kind, but most of all, gentle. Because of this cat’s good qualities the artist decides to keep the cat and names it Good Fortune. Not long after, a Buddhist priest comes to the artist’s house and asks him to paint a picture of Buddha and all the animals for the church. The priest also promises a large amount of money for the painting.

But there is one problem. The cat is not allowed in the painting because according to Buddhist culture the cat is a proud, self-satisfied animal who refused the teachings of Buddha. Good Fortune is broken-hearted by this and meows with grief. The artist sees Good Fortune’s sadness and decides to paint her anyway, even though he knows he won’t get paid for doing so. The Buddhist priest is horrified when he sees the painting that includes the cat. To make things worse, something tragic happens to Good Fortune.

The story ends with a surprising miracle that will leave the reader feeling both sad and happy.

Find it in print here.

Strong is the New Pretty by Kate T. Parker

I am Sarah. I am thirteen years old and an avid reader; it is one of my favorite things to do. Inspired by the multitude of author’s creation of magnificent places and surprising havens built by simple letters, I aspire to be an author and, meanwhile, nurture the love to write.

Maya’s confidence. Ruby’s determination. Tatiana’s smile. Ava’s kindness. Tayla’s fearlessness. Daija’s trust. Ella’s independence. Mia’s creativity. Faith’s joy. All of these qualities are what make these girls strong, and their strength is what makes them beautiful.

Kate T. Parker’s catalog of gorgeous photos illustrates how being strong is much more than just surface beauty, how being a girl goes much deeper than just a pretty face. Through her photographs paired with the quotes from girls all over, from witty and humorous to simply insightful, Strong is the New Pretty clearly shows that real beauty isn’t about what you wear, or what you look like. It’s about being authentic to your true self and owning it. It’s about letting your hair down, about dancing in the fire hydrant, your face smeared with dirt. It’s about slapping war paint and smiles onto helmeted faces, about wrapping pointe shoes around blistered and calloused feet. It’s about never giving up, about doing what makes you happy no matter what. It’s about letting your strength and spirit out and being one hundred percent you. That’s what being a girl is.

As Jordan, 15, says, “Strength is putting all your heart, mind, and effort into what you believe in. Your beauty will shine from this.” And strength, and beauty, do shine through this celebration of girls everywhere.

Find it through Interlibrary loan here.

Once Upon a Toad by Heather Vogel Frederick

I am Sarah. I am thirteen years old and an avid reader; it is one of my favorite things to do. Inspired by the multitude of author’s creation of magnificent places and surprising havens built by simple letters, I aspire to be an author and, meanwhile, nurture the love to write.

Everyone knows about those evil stepsisters—so horrible to the heroes of our fairytales they make milk curdle, only to receive their retribution in the end? Well, with her mom as far as way as the moon—literally, since she’s an astronaut—Cat Starr has to deal with a real-life stepsister of her own, Olivia. But that sweet revenge that she’s wishing for takes a bit of an unexpected turn since Cat’s “occupationally challenged” fairy godmother might need some practice. Now, whenever Olivia speaks she showers her audience with flowers and diamonds, while Cat’s stuck with toads popping out at every word.

But diamonds are valuable, and soon it brings down a whole bunch of trouble for Cat and Olivia’s family when their shared little brother is kidnapped. On the run from jewel thieves and the government, Olivia and Cat must settle their differences, find their brother, and for goodness sakes get rid of all these toads!

Heather Vogel Frederick spins a humorous account of a real-life fairy-tale: the story of sisters, friendship, and carrying true with the message that perfect isn’t everything, and sometimes life needs to get tossed up to forge the bonds that last the longest. Fast-paced and well-written, this is a perfectly imperfect, lighthearted tale for anyone looking for a quick, funny read.

Find it through Interlibrary loan here.