Genre: Fantasy

461 Pages

Copyright 2009

Fire - Kristin Cashore

Fire is considered a monster in the country she lives in, but with enemies at every turn and the kingdom begging for her help to assist them against unknown enemies, Fire has got to trust herself not to become the monster that everyone thinks she is.
Review by Brooke (Grade 7 * B-3)

Genre: Humour

214 Pages

Copyright 2009

Dog Days - Jeff Kinney

This is a really funny book! The name of the book is Dog Days because during the summer Greg's dad gets a dog. At first, Greg really wants a dog, but after the family gets one, he doesn't really like it. Another big part of the book involves the fight between Grey and Rowley. Greg thinks that Rowley will come crawling back to him, but that never happens. And then there's Greg's brother, Roderick. Roderick is always getting Greg to do stuff for him, and if Greg says no, Roderick will start counting backwards from 10, and that always gets Greg running! Read the whole series for some great laughs.
Review by Shawn (Grade 7 * B-3)

Maggie Bean Stays Afloat - Tricia Rayburn

This book is the sequel to another book called The Melting of Maggie Bean. Maggie Bean Stays Afloat is about a girl named Maggie who gets a job at a summer camp as a junior swim instructor. Along the way she meets some new friends but she tries to hide her past, because she used to be really overweight. On top of that, her family is trying to buy a house, but they have a very limited budged, so it's really hard to find one. Check the book out today, if you want to know what happens.
Review by Lul (Grade 7 * B-3)

Genre: Fantasy

340 Pages

Copyright 2007

The Fire Within - Chris D'Lacey

This book begins with a young man named David Rain. When he moves in with Elizabeth Pennykettle and her 11 year-old daughter, Lucy, his life is turned around, especially when Lucy brings up the squirrels she has named and tried to chase because one of them has been hurt. For his help, David is given a clay dragon by Elizabeth that comes to life and reveals a mystery. You'll need to find out for yourself if he succeeds in The Fire Within!
Review by Matthew (Grade 7 * B-2)

Genre: Mystery

250 Pages

Copyright 1966

Mystery of the Flying Express - Franklin W. Dixon

The owner of the Flying Express is worried that his boat will be stolen or sabotaged. He fears this because some small boat companies are holding protests at the pier where his boat is. Fearing for his boat, Spencer comes to the house of Fenton Hardy, an internationally famous private detective, and pleads Frank and Joe, the sons of Fenton Hardy, to protect his boat from thiees and saboteurs. Frank and Joe accept the assignment. So, when the hydrofoil takes its maiden run, Frank, Joe and their best friend, Chet Morton, ride on the boat to prevent any mischief. In case you didnt guess, this is a Hardy Boys Mystery. These are my all-time favourite books!
Review by Corey (Grade 7 * B-3)

Genre: Adventure

115 Pages

Copyright: 1973

How to Eat Fried Worms - Thomas Rockwell

This great book is about two friends who make a bet about eating fifteen worms for fifteen days straight. The bet is for $50.00. Things begin to get quite intense when there's a bit of cheating and all that kind of stuff. Billy, Joe, Allan and Tom are the four main characters in the novel. Most of the action takes place in Billy's house. Billy is the kid who has to eat fifteen worms in fifteen days. If not, he will have to give Allan the money. I hope you like this book as much as I did!
Review by Mike (Grade 7 * B-2)

Genre: Humour

128 Pages

Copyright: 2004

Dear Dumb Diary, My Pants Are Haunted - Jim Benton

Did you know that a pair of pants can change your middle school life? If not, read this book. You will find something about the popular girl, Angelina, too. One of the nerds, Margaret, gets a makeover, but will she keep it or return to her old self the next day? Jamie, the main character, gets to sit beside her crush, but will it last? Did you know that beagles, like Stinker, will chew a big hole in your pants if you don't give him your table scraps? All this excitement can be found in this one book of the popular Dear Dumb Diary series.
Review by Olivia (Grade 7 * B-1)

Genre: Adventure

84 Pages

Copyright: 1975

Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang - Mordecai Richler

Jacob Two-Two is two + two + two years old and he always says things twice. He is a respectful boy but he doesn't like it when you tell him he's too little to do something. One particular day, Jacob Two-Two insults an adult and the real adventure begins. He soon finds himself waging a battle with an ex-wrestler named the Hooded Fang. Join Jacob and his friends Oscar and Pete as they end up in a children's prison, begging for food and freedom and almost being eaten by crocodiles.
Review by Harman (Grade 7 * B-2)

Genre: Humour

134 Pages

Copyright: 2005

Dear Dumb Diary, Never Do Anything Ever - Jim Benton

Jamie Kelly's life motto is "never do anything ever." That is what this book is all about. Find out how Angeline continues to ruin her life and get a headline out of it too. Oops, maybe I've said too much. Anyways, Isabella coloured her contacts and it's not looking so good. Look at that big pudding stain. What's that all about? Her mom's having a garage sale. I wonder if that has anything to do with it? . Do you think you should ever do anything? Now, with the power invested in me, I say everything in this diary is true, or at least as true as it needs to be. If you're up for a different kind of story, then this just may be the book for you!
Review by Danielle (Grade 7 * B-2)

Genre: Advenure Fantasy

400 Pages

Copyright: 2005

Uglies - Scott Westerfeld

This book is about a girl named Tally who lives in Uglyville. When everyone in Uglyville turns 16, they have surgery which makes them stunningly beautiful, and the surgery is not by choice! Tally soon meets a girl named Shay. As they become close friends, Shay tells Tally about a place called the Smoke. This is a place where people go when they don't want to get turned 'pretty'. Shay does not want the surgery, so she decides to run away to the Smoke. Soon, those who perform the surgery urge Tally to go to the Smoke and bring back Shay and any others so they can have the surgery. If you want to know more, you'll have to check it out
Review by Tori (Grade 8 * A-5)

Genre: Adventure/Fantasy

325 Pages

Copyright: 2003

Airborn - Kenneth Oppel

In my opinion, Airborn is a fantastic book. It's about young Matt Cruise, a cabin boy extraordinaire. He is on the Aurora, a passenger airship destined for Sydney, Australia. One day, while completing his shift in the crow's nest, the Aurora is boarded by sky pirates. The pirates leave the ship after pillaging it, and Matt and another officer, Kate de Vries, follow them. After a terrible storm, they land on a deserted island, where Matt and Kate uncover a grand creature. Eventually, Matt must make some difficult decisions between saving Kate and his ship. If you like this book, you'll definitely want to read the sequel, Skybreaker, which is also in our library.
Review by Sara (Grade 7 * B-5)

Genre: Advenure

103 Pages

Copyright: 2006

Daredevil Club - Pam Withers

This book was a great read! It was easy to read and I really enjoyed it. Basically, it's about a guy named Kip who makes a list of stunts you have to do before a certain time elapses. There's another group that does stunts too. Both teams don't really like each other until the end. Kip hurts his leg and can't do all the stunts, but he thinks he can. I highly recommend this book to almost everyone. There is a little drama and a lot of adventure. It really makes your heart beat fast!
Review by Parris (Grade 7 * B-5)

Genre: Fiction

629 Pages

Copyright: 1939

Finnegans Wake - James Joyce

In this incredibly weird novel, Joyce creates a world where characters and places from all sorts of other stories come in and out of it randomly. At the centre of it all is the Mullinger house, where all sorts of weird things happen, such as the wallpaper moving or the house itself shaking. Every event in the book takes place in the early hours of March 21st, 1938, which makes this book seem rather unsubstantial. All the male characters in the book are an extension of HCE (I'm not sure what this stands for). If you are a fan of books in general, then you should definitely read this one!

Review by Adam (Grade 8 * A-3)