812 Reviews discussion

Paragraph 1: Summarize the text without giving away the ending. In your summary, make sure to identify the genre, protagonist, antagonist, setting, and the primary conflict. This paragraph should be a MINIMUM of five sentences.

Paragraph 2: Reflection (should be a minimum of six sentences)
Answer at least TWO of the following questions:
1.) Did you like/dislike this book? Why/why not?
2.) Did you make any personal connections to the text? Explain.
3.) To whom would you recommend this text? Why?
4.) What advice would you give to the author? What questions do you have?
5.) How does this book compare to others you have read by the same author?
6.) How does this book compare to others you have read in the same genre?
7.) What was the most aspect of the text? Character development? The setting? The kind of conflict?
8.) Create your own interesting question!

Here's a model of an exemplar review:

Waiting for the Barbarians by J.M. Coetzee is a dystopian novel that tells the story of how a "by-the-book" Magistrate is changed after witnessing the inhumane treatment of innocent barbarians in his town by the powerful Empire. Even though the Magistrate was warned that a group of nomadic barbarians were considering rebelling, he does not believe that his town is under much threat because the Barbarians are usually harmless. However, corrupt government officials decide that they are still going to be held prisoner within the walls of his town. After seeing the mistreatment of the barbarians and developing a relationship with a barbarian woman who has been blinded and disfigured by her own people, he begins to reflect upon his own routines and behaviors and decides to make a change, even if it means incurring the wrath of the Empire.

I recommend this book to, well, everyone. There are many ways that people abuse power, and it is important for people that people do not take passive roles when they see injustice. This can extend from political injustice to every day events such as bullying, domestic violence, troubled friends, littering, etc. If we want to be part of a safe community, then we must be active participants in creating a positive environment. As I write this I am reminded of a famous quote by Gandhi--"“We must become the change we want to see.” It reminds me of Sherman Alexie's novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian because Arnold Spirit stands up against the hopelessness within his own community, even if it means he will be an outcast. Just like the Magistrate, Arnold begins to realize that by not challenging himself, he is simply part of the vicious cycle of poverty and may end up like the sad people around him.

The Great Gilly Hopkins, by Katherine Paterson, is a realistic fiction novel that tells the story of Gilly Hopkins, an eleven-year-old girl from San Francisco, California who was adopted and put into foster care. Her foster family consists of Maime Trotter, her foster mother, and William Ernest, her foster brother. Gilly hates them and cannot stand them. Maime always had an attitude with her. William is mentally ill and is not able to communicate. Gilly was not pleased with her current situation. She was desperate to find her real mother and have a better life. Furthermore, she took matters into her own hands and planned a very risky escape.

As I was reading this novel, I thought to myself, how would I feel if I were in Gilly’s situation? I would feel rejected, upset, and angry if I were placed in foster care, especially if the person looking after me was always being mean. I could never imagine my life that way due to the current life I am living now. I am grateful for what I have and for my family. I have love and happiness, which Gilly wanted in her life. In addition, I would recommend this text to people who are living like Gilly. The novel could help them understand that they are not the only ones who are living in the same conditions as her. It will make them learn to stay positive and realize that things will only get better.

Haunted Island, by Joan Lowery Nixon, is a fantasy novel that tells the story of Chris, and his sister, Amy, who save an island from two ghosts. The ghosts include a man named Joshua Hanover, and his guard dog, Shadow. These ghosts guarded the island for two hundred years. Joshua casted spells and curses on whoever stepped foot on the island. Chris and Amy fought to bring peace back to the island and set the ghosts to rest for good.

In conclusion, the author left me wondering why the ghosts haunted the island. The author never explained why. Did something terrible happen to them? Were they angry about something? I believe that they were taking their anger out on the people on the island. In addition, I liked this book because of the storyline. The plot of the story interested me and it kept me turning the pages. I enjoy reading books about ghosts. These kinds of books take me to a whole new different world and make me feel like I am really there.

The Hunted, by Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson, is a realistic fiction novel that tells the story of the importance of being aware of what is around you. Jack Landon, the main character, is a twelve-year-old boy who learns how to be alert through his experiences at Yellowstone National Park. Throughout his journey, he encounters dangerous situations. For example, Jack saved some grizzly bears after they were tranquillized. He had to be careful and make sure they were still asleep, otherwise they would get up and attack him. Throughout the story, Jack gains more confidence.

Overall, the novel, The Hunted, is full of suspense. There were moments in the story that made me scared and terrified. There was a moment where a huge grizzly bear was running straight towards Jack. It made him frightened and horrified. Was the grizzly bear going to attack Jack? If that were me in the situation, my heart would pound fast and I would be all nervous. The most aspect of the text was character development. In the beginning, Jack was nervous about facing a grizzly bear. As the story progressed, Jack started to have confidence in himself and stood up against a grizzly bear. For instance, he once honked the horn of his jeep to scare the bear away. All through the story, Jack’s confidence increases.

The Haunted School, by R.L. Stine, is a horror fiction novel that tells the story of Tommy Frazer, a twelve-year-old boy who attends Bell Valley Middle School. Tommy recently moved to Bell Valley after his father was married, and worried about going to his new school. His biggest fear of going to this school was that it is so big. He worried that he might get lost. He heard strange voices cry for help as he walked through the hallways one day. The voices appeared to come from behind the classroom walls.

Overall, the novel, The Haunted School, is filled with horror. It made me scared and kept me turning the pages. There was one moment in the story where Tommy and his friend, Ben, were stuck in an elevator. Before, the elevator would not move, but when it did, it moved sideways. It made Tommy, Ben, and I nervous and terrified. Where was the elevator taking them? The most aspect of the text is the setting. In the beginning of the story, the setting was at the school. As the story moves on, the setting was a completely different world, where the only colors were black and gray. The world is called Grayworld. Tommy and Ben were stuck there and were fighting for their lives to get back to the world of color. From beginning to end, the setting changes from Bell Valley Middle School to Grayworld.

Farewell, My Lunchbag, by Bruce Hale, is a fiction novel that tells the story of Chet Gecko, the protagonist, who attends Emerson Hicky Elementary School. At the school, there was something mysterious going on in the cafeteria. Someone has been sneaking in the cafeteria and stealing food. Chet, along with his partner, Natatlie, go out on an investigation and figure out who has been stealing the food. Chet decided to set up a trap to catch the food thief. He accidently triggered the trap, and word spread around the school that Chet is the food thief.

Overall, the novel, Farewell, My Lunchbag, has an interesting storyline. The plot of the story fascinated me and engaged me more into the story. I like to read books about mysteries. These kinds of books make me feel like a detective and take me to another world. The most aspect of the text is the type of conflict. In the beginning, Chet and Natalie try to figure who the food thief was, but in the middle of the story, Chet triggers a trap by accident and the whole school accuses him of being the food thief. Throughout the story, Chet tries to prove to the school that he is innocent and that he never stole any of the food. All through the story, the conflict changes from finding the food thief, to Chet being the food thief.

In the realistic fiction novel "Code Talker'' by Joseph Bruchac the protagonist Kii Yazhi is a hardworking Native American boy. World War 2 is on the verge of getting started and Kii Yazhi is getting drafted. Before he can go he has to learn English so he moves to an American school far away from his home. And later in the story he becomes a code talker to help America with its artillery. Also Kii makes friends that are from different tribes but overall have similarities with each other. But later one dies and Kii becomes depressed. He was the best code talker but now someone else will have to take his place.

I really liked this book because there was depression in the beginning. This really allows the reader to think about the position that Kii Yazhi is in. Another reason why I like this book is because there is so much action throughout the whole book. Also there was no living happy ever after there was realism. So this puts you in the eyes of a code talker. And lastly he came back to his mom like he promised and he was educated too.

This is far better than other books I have read in the same genre. For example this has action all around. In the other books I have read there is always a love story and no action. Another example is this is not a fake story this has to do with Iwo Jima and how we almost lost it. In other books there is not much description and is very general. And lastly this book is very upsetting in how the best code talker dies and the author brings it up throughout the story, unlike when a character dies and the protagonist moves on.

In the realistic fiction novel "Jim Thorpe" by Joseph Bruchac the protagonist Jim is the best Native American athlete in his school. He does not know it though because all the white kids tell him he is not. This happens because he is Native American and because they are racist where he goes to school. Also his father motivates him to try out for track and the coach does not let him. So his town has a riot and later will not work.

I really disliked this book because there was no suspense. Also there was no deaths which would really help the books tempo. This would also help with how the protagonist develops. There was also no story about the other characters that live with Jim. Also the story was only about sports, there was no parts in the book when Jim has any other interests. Lastly there was not any realism with the story.

I could connect to the text because one time I wanted to try out for a team and the coach said I could not. This happened because I was a little overweight compared to the other kids. Like in the book Jim wanted to try out for the track team. But because he was Native American he was not allowed to tryout. So basically we were both had our limitations that gave us less of a chance to make a team. Lastly we both were different than any other kids which made the coach think we were not as good as the other kids.

In the realistic fiction novel "Rescue" by Josh McGuire the protagonist Josh deals with his dad being drunk everyday. His father is very abusive and does not think about what he does to his pets, and other people. So Josh comes up with a plan to take his dog and older brother in the mountains, until the police arrest his father. But the dad over hears them and knows the full plan. So when Josh is asleep the dad takes a knife and stabs his brother in the arm, so he does not kill him but hurts him enough so he cannot fight back. But at one second Josh wakes up, and takes his dog up the mountain. Later he prays that his father will come to terms and be nice with him.

I really liked this book becacuse the anticipation of the journey. Their was a part in the book were Josh thought about killing himself because he thought he would never survive a day in the woods. This makes the reader energetic and on their toes. Also there was not a part in the book when nothing happend and there was no action. Also if you read a good part of the book you want to keep reading which is hard for me because I do not have the best reading stamina.

Why does this book make you want to read more. One reason why it makes you want to read more is in the text there are times where Josh asks questions that you can connect to which makes you want to read more. To me if I read a book that has no connections to me its like I space out, and I don't get the amount of pages I need to read every night. Also there is suspense at every corner, so at one moment Josh would be thinking, and one moment later a wolf appears, and Josh has to fight it. Sometimes in the text Josh would have flashbacks of his brother, and how they use to play with each other until he ran away which makes me wonder about if he is going back home or if he is going to stay. So the author wants to put you in the eyes of Josh so you can feel his emotions. Lastly the author puts a symbol in the book which tells you Josh needs either food or water which makes you think if he will starve or die of thirst.

In the realistic fiction novel "Touching Spirit Bear" by Ben Mikaelson the protagonist Jeff is a killer and theif. He was sentenced to death but he ran away. He has no parents because they were both killed in a turf war. So he does not have any influence at all. Later he will encounter a spirit which will decide his fate.

I really liked this book because of the detail. For example it says he was being chased by a cop and he could hear his breath like it was a foot away from him. Also because of how the author gives clues and visons of what the character is going to do. This will foreshadow you further in the book. Sometimes the main character would make fun of the cops and their weight which sort of helps him take his mind off him being chased. Lastly the author gives ideas of what the protagonist should do to get himself out of bad situations.

The most aspect of the text is character development. For exmaple in the beginning the protagonist is all about doing bad deeds. Later he starts to change but is not sure if he can stay in a good form. Towards the end the character realizes that he can start a new life. In the end the protagonist goes back to his home town and apologizes to his neighbors and police office. Lastly he realizes he deserves to die because of what he did so he apologized to the public on radio, and later killed himself because he knew what he did was always wrong.

The fiction story,The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery,is about a man called The Pilot.The primary conflict of the story is that The Pilot is stranded on a unknown planet.The Pilot crash lands on the desert and is awoken by a small creature which turns out to be a little man. The little man's name was The Little Prince.As the story progresses The Little Prince tells the pilot about his journey and about his planet.

I liked this book for many reasons.For example the author kept me interested and I thought it was kinda funny.There's are some people I would recommend this book to.I would recommend it to people who like adventure and who like funny things.Some advice for the author is to be clear on who is talking.I say that because at some point in the book I couldn't tell who was talking.

The non fiction novel,Diary of a wimpy kid The long haul by Jeff Kinney is about a boy named Greg Heffley. Him and his family are going on a road trip but as the story go's on the trip gets worse and worse. For example when Greg's brother Rodrick spits his gum out the sunroof it got stuck in side it and made the sunroof unable to close so they had to put a bag over it and now whenever they drive they hear the annoying sound of the wind getting in.That's just one of the many things that go's wrong.
I really liked this book because it was funny and it talked about real life situations. One thing that actually happened to me once is,that my family and I went to a hotel and we were trying to sleep but kids kept running up and down the haul and I kept getting up.My advice to the author is to keep making these books because a lot of people like to read them. Your books keep the reader wanting more.

In the fictional novel "The Kill Order" by James Dashner the protagonist Alec is waiting for the cure to the apocalypse. James is friends with a girl named Trina and she did not see him in a while. So these sun flares are hitting earth and no one is there to be seen. Then James goes back New York City and realizes that nobody can be saved. So to save earth from these flares he will have to find his friend or else their doomed.

I really disliked this book because it was very predictable. Also I really wished that James Dashner sort of let Alec meet Thomas from the Maze Runner. There was no drop in the story which makes you scared. Some advice I would give to james is you should not lower expectations in a prequel. People always expect more and you should know that. Lastly give a little cliffhanger at the end about Thomas and how they are related with each other.

The non fiction novel Bottled Up ,By Jaye Murry is about a teenage boy named Phillip but prefers to be called Pip.In this novel Pip is a high school student who likes to lie to his principal.But one day he does something so horrible.He made his little brother walk home from his friends house because Pip went to go hang out and smoke with his friends insted of picking him up from his friends house.He was horrified to think of what his dad was going to do to him because his dad abuses him and his mom.
This book is for people who like to read about teenage problems. This would be a good book for them because in the book there are similar situations that can happen to teenagers in life.This is similar to other books I have read that are in the same genre because there is one thing that happens in books like this,that thing is abusive people.For example another book with an abusive person is called The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian.I wonder want made Jaye Murry write this book?What would the story be like if Pip was a good kid?What would happen if the principal didn't care about Pips eduction.

In the realistic fiction book Rescue Josh McGuire by Ben Mikaelsen it is about a kid named Josh he is 13 years old and went hunting with his father and that he is going through though times for example his brother has died and now his dad is a alcoholic. What also happens in the book is that one day when him and his dad was going hunting his dad has killed a mother bear so know the cub was a orphan. When that happens Josh ask his dad if he could keep it but him and his dad get in a fight and runs away with the cub. But later through the story he meets a lot of obstacles for example he has to thinks how to survive in the forest and how to provide the cub with food.
In my opinion this is a nice book because it both the main characters have something in common for example Josh brother has died and that the cubs mother had died both have experience lost. Also because Josh has to do many things and many obstacles to face and how he has to take care of a animal all buy himself with no knowledge of what special treatment a cub needs in order for it to survive.

In the realistic fiction novel "Holes" by Louis Sachar Stanley Yelnats has done nothing bad in his life. He has parents that are a good influence on him. He always go to a park and there is a homeless kid named Hector who will soon have make Stanley get arrested. He will steal these shoes signed by a famous baseball player. He will be chased and throw them over a bridge. Then they will end up on Stanleys hands.

I really loved this book because of how funny and coincidental the nicknames are. For example Stanleys last name is just his first name backwards. Also there is a kid who is in the juvenile detention center for stealing, and his name is armpit because he smells. Lastly the book is very entertaining which keeps me reading. This book is very different than the others I have read in the realistic fiction area. For example in Code Talkers by Joseph Bruchac there was so much deaths and suspense. In this book it was just a kid who needed to adapt to a detention center, with many laughs and jokes. This book was very exciting to read unlike others I have read.

In Elie Niesel's memoir,Night it tells the story of how he survived the holocost. Elie was born in a town called Sight. In1944 when he was just a teenager Elie and his family were taken from their homes and put in a concentration camp.At the start of the book it tells you about how they were treated.Him and his family were treated like animals, when the Hungarian police would transport them it would be eighty people per car and if and if "someone managed to escape, that person would be shot."
I didn't like the book and I didn't dislike it.I liked it because I got to learn about somebody's life.I disliked the book because it was kinda sad to read about what they went through.I would recommend this book to people who like history.If they like to learn about history this will inform them about life during the holocost. What if the holocost never happened?

The fiction book,The Seventh Tower by Garth Nix is a story about a boy named Tal and a girl named Milla and they are on a mission to get to the castle.Tal needs to go because that is his home since he is a chosen one.But when they get to the castle they find something the answers Tal's question.He had always thought that his farther had disappeared on a secret mission but he found out what really happened.He found his dads name in the worst place in the castle and that can only mean one thing.
I liked this book for two reasons.I liked it because it kept me interested and it kept me wanting more.I would recommend this book to kids that like reading fantasy fiction.It would be good for them because this book has to do with a lot of magic and castles.If Tal never made it to the castle would he ever find out anything about his farther.My advice to Garth Nix is to add more mystery to the book.He should because it would increase the level of suspense.

The non fiction book Bystander by James Preller is about a boy named Eric and he is the new kid in town.So since he is the new kid people take advantage of him.A boy named Griffin pretends to be his friend and ends up stealing from him.Eric later finds out that Griffin is a bully.To the adults he is a good boy but he gets his friends to do his dirty work.So to get back at Griffin Eric sneaks in to Griffins house and takes his stuff back.
I thought this was a really good book.This is a good book because he stands up for whats right.I would recommend this book to people who are getting bullied.This will help them because this will inspire them to stand up for themselves.What would happen if Eric didn't stand up for himself?What if Griffin was not a bully.

The non fiction novel Schooled by Gordon Korman,is about a boy named Cap that lives with his grandma named Rain in a hippie community. One day Rain unfortunately passed away and Cap was sent to live with another family outside of his community. Because he was raised differently than other kids, Cap didn't fully understand the ways and behaviors of the people in the town. Cap was raised to trust everyone and always take what anyone said seriously. Because of this he had no idea what a joke was.
I really liked this book because it shows peoples first impressions on people who are not from the place they are.What would happen to the story if Griffin wasn't a bad kid?What would happen to the story if Cap never stood up for himself?My advice to the author is to add more action.I say this because it would make the book more exciting.Why didn't Griffin stop being a bully?

In the realistic fiction novel "The Boy In The Striped Pajamas" by John Boyne Bruno the protagonist has to live through World War 2. His dad is stationed at a concentration camp. A lieutenant named Kotler visits their household and the mom likes his company. Since Bruno had to move to Poland he lost his old friends. So now his only friend is blocked by a fence guarded by Germans. The kid who is in the concentration camp is named Shmuel who has lost his father. Bruno will become friends with this kid and will have to be in the eyes of a jew.

I really liked this book because it told a story of a kid who wanted a good friend. It was very entertaining when Bruno had to hide in the camp to be with his friend. Lastly the story was very suspenseful and it had drops at every corner. I would recommend this book to well anyone because of the ending. It is so important that you read carefully because there are some lines that will not make sense but will make you upset. Lastly because this book has so much detail anybody will have fun with this book and it will be great.

In the realistic fiction novel "The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie Arnold my protagonist has to deal with his parents being drunk. He has a good friend named Rowdy who really cares about him. He is very smart and cannot deal with the lack of education on his reservation. He wants better for himself and does not want to be like every other indian on the reservation. So he leaves and goes to a all white school to get a better education. He meets a lot of new kids who will become good friends with him.

I really loved this book because how Sherman Alexie hints at certain things. For example Arnold has had lived through many deaths, but when in text it says I would miss Rowdy just as much as I would miss my sister and my grandmother. This makes the reader think that Arnolds first friend died or moved away. I would recommend this book to anyone because it teaches you lessons. For example if you don't like something you can change and you should not be afraid to. Also never give up on life even if you are in the worst possible condition.

In the historical fiction novel "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers Richie the protagonist left to Vietnam because his father left and his mom is alcoholic. On his way he meets a really funny guy nicknamed pee wee. He helps him live through the Vietnam war with his jokes. Soon he will meet Brunner and many others that will have a positive or negative effect on him. Richie hopes to go to college but he knows his country needs help so he is taking time off education and replacing it with fighting.


This book does not compare to others in its genre because others are about World War 2 which is totally different than the Vietnam. Also those books have many love stories and happy ever afters. This is straightforward and realistic. The warfare is different and so is the enemy. I really liked this book because of the unfortunate events, and how they changed the whole view of the story. Also most war stories are about how someone was drafted and their life. This story is different because this one is about how a kid left his home because of the horrible influences he has there. And lastly I liked this book because it taught me to make my own decisions and to stick with them.

The Mystery in New York City, by Carole Marsh, is a historical non-fiction novel that tells the story of how there is more to the world than meets the eye. The Yother family realized that they learn more about the world if they explore deeper. The Yother family includes Heather, John, Christina, and Grant. They visit New York City from Georgia for the summer. During their visit, they stumble upon a strange puzzle. As they visit famous landmarks, they gather clues to help them solve the puzzle. The purpose for figuring out this mystery is to find the missing part of history.

Overall, the novel has an interesting plot. The storyline captivated me and pulled me into the story. It gave me more information on what I already know about New York City. There was also information about landmarks that I have not even heard of. This book made me feel like I was having an actual tour of New York City. As I was reading the book, I was able to make a personal connection. Just like the Yother family, I could learn more about the world if I look more into it. For example, when I go to museums, I only look at the models and not the descriptions. I do not realize that there is more information about what is occurring in the model.

Loser, by Jerry Spinelli, is a realistic fiction novel that tells the story of how being different can change the way that people view you. Donald Zinkoff, whose nickname is Zinkoff, goes on a journey of accepting himself for who he really is from first grade to sixth grade. Zinkoff is an enthusiastic person and never worries about anything. He focuses on enjoying himself. Throughout the story, the kids at his school tease him. They constantly call him a loser. This has been happening since his years in elementary school, which causes Zinkoff to realize that he is unlike other boys and girls.

Overall, the book, Loser, tells an important life lesson. The book teaches readers to be themselves and not to be someone else. If you stay true to yourself, people will recognize and accept you for who you are. Being yourself can help someone win plenty of hearts. The most aspect of the text is character development. In the beginning, Zinkoff concentrates on being happy and does not worry about the negative things in life. As the story progressed, Zinkoff started to learn more about himself and recognized who he was as a person. All through the story, Zinkoff learns that his differences can make any name become “hero”.