The Giver by Lois Lowry

GUEST BOOK REVIEW

51frar1pval-_sx300_bo1204203200_The Giver by Lois Lowry is unlike any piece I’ve read before. Jonas is a boy living in a unique community. It appears to be utopia until he learns its secrets. When children in the community turn twelve, they enter adulthood. Then, they receive an assignment that they will upkeep until they enter the “House of the Old”. Jonas is given the rarest assignment of all. With this assignment, he then learns about the pain of the outside world, and some of the things that are happening in the community that no one knows about. When he discovers that Gabriel, an infant who has been living with his family, is doomed because he doesn’t fit into the utopian community, Jonas decides to leave the community and take Gabriel with him. This is a very good, classic book that everyone should read at least once in their lifetime.

~ Asha M., age 14

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My Life with the Liars by Caela Carter

download (7)A book unlike any other I’ve read before, My Life with the Liars was an enthralling read focused on Zylynn, a twelve-year-old girl whose entire life consisted of “living in the light” until she is forced outside. Zylynn knows little about “the outside”, other than it’s crawling with liars and darkness. Brainwashed and homesick, Zylynn soon discovers “the outside” is nothing like she was told while she lived in her (supposedly) safe, white compound walls. Instead, it has scrumptious foods, bright colors, and a store called Target. She now must decide, to return to her home and previous beliefs, or stay outside. My Life with the Liars is incomparably unique, an absolute must-read.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The_Book_Thief_by_Markus_Zusak_book_coverHi there, BookBirdz readers! I’m happy to share with you a gripping book review, written by active reader Hannah C-D., age fourteen. Enjoy!

Set in the middle of the second world war in Nazi Germany, this complex and thought-provoking story is told from the view of a young girl, Liesel Meminger. She had faced many challenges and hardships in her early childhood, but upon moving in with her foster parents she begins to have a desire for knowledge that not even stealing literature from a Nazi book burning can satisfy. However, the country is at war , and when Liesel’s family decides to shelter a Jew in their basement, her life is turned upside-down. Recommended for those who enjoy historical fiction and books that really make you think.

The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen

IMG_0491 A Schneider Family Book Award winner, The Running Dream is a beautifully woven book, which tells the story and struggles of right leg amputee, Jessica Carlisle. She was a runner, a champion, until an accident strikes that changes her running dreams forever, or so she believes. As Jessica attempts to rebuild her life with a prosthetic limb, she is slowly fading into a fog of self-pity. Stairs are the new enemy, and taking a shower has now become more challenging than running a marathon. And then, suddenly, Jessica is reflecting on her behavior when she meets Rosa, a girl with cerebral palsy who still excels academically, and doesn’t let her condition weaken her. Inspired by her new friend and math tutor, Jessica’s dream to run again seems much closer than before, especially with the help of modern prosthetic limb technology, and deep determination.

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul

51gRT1pt+gLAloha, BookBirdz followers! I hope you’re all cherishing the summer sun and reading a lot. Here I have the fourth official guest book review, written by 12-year-old Brooke Kauo on Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul, by various authors… This book is amazing, filled with real-life stories that teenagers can relate to and learn from. I personally thought that this book was my level and I could understand every single story. Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul is a book that I could relate too, the friendship chapter in the book was the part I could most relate too. I like how girls and boys in my age range, write anecdotes that have happened in their life. Many of the stories that I have read are very inspiring. I hope that I will be able to read more series of the Chicken Soup books.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

life-of-pi-book-coverSuspense is an eight letter word. It’s definition is a feeling of excited or anxious uncertainty about what may happen. Throughout this book, suspense danced along each word, creating a dramatic and beautiful story. Pi is a sixteen-year-old boy whose father owns an exotic zoo in India, home to a certain Royal Bengal tiger titled (somewhat fittingly), Richard Parker. Alas, it is all about to change for Pi and Richard Parker. On their move to America across the great blue Pacific, their cargo ship carrying hundreds of animals, a crew, and Pi’s family, capsizes traumatically. Clinging for life on a 26 foot lifeboat, Pi manages to survive the tragic sinking of the boat, but loses his family in less than 20 minutes. Heart-thumping and simultaneously antagonizing, endeavor to survive with Pi as he drifts across sea in hope of rescue, in company with a giant carnivorous tiger. Yann Martel is viciously descriptive, his imagery will feed and energize the readers as they travel with Pi.

I SURVIVED: The Attacks of September 11, 2001 by Lauren Tarshis

159142492Presenting a thoughtful, honest review by my younger 8-year-old brother. He was very excited to have his review debuted on BookBirdz- love ya bro! … I Survived books are really intense. The one that I am reviewing is called The Attacks Of September 11, 2001. It is about a boy named Lucas who loves to play football. He witnesses the twin towers being crashed into by terrorists. He felt very surprised and scared. I would feel terrified if I was Lucas. This book is good for kids age 8 and up. It was not my favorite book because it was too dramatic for me, but I would suggest you read it for the shocking/thrilling things that happen. Thanks! – Javin 

Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul

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Most people experience instances in life, when fate doesn’t seem to go in the right direction. When times are blurred by salty tears, or deep internal pain, Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul may sooth one’s melancholia, with profound, mostly true anecdotes from a kid’s personal past. Some will cause an eruption of laughter to explode from you; others might prompt crying. Either way, the stories may change a persons view on life, as many go though the same struggles, and, including much worse. This book is organized beautifully by four primary authors; Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hanson, Patty Hanson, and Irene Dunlap. Cherish each word, learn from other’s mistakes, and be stupefied at countless kid’s incredible heroism.