Category: Reviews

Crossover by
Kwame Alexander
Is b r e a t h t a k i n g.
With trouble
Lurking in
Shadowy corners.
And deep sadness
Hidden beneath
Humor.

Joshua Bell
(The main character)
Has you hating him
Loving him
Wishing on stars for him and
Tearing out your hair for him.

His brother, JB,
Doesn’t have his priorities straight.
In fact, they’re so crooked
You want to toss the book
Out the window.

For me, the novel started out s l o w
But once I kept reading,
It started to flow.

I was as hooked as a fish.
But then, that horrible
Kwame Alexander
Ripped out my heart
And stomped on it.

This piece
Was astonishing,
Amazing,
And flat out
Beautiful.
I was

H

A

N

G

I

N

G

On until the last
Word.

Thank you,
Kwame Alexander
For making me never
Want to read again
Because nothing
Will ever be this
Good.

Disney’s new movie Into the Woods is an eerie, playful twist on the stories you know and love. Although the previews for this movie appear intriguing, I would not recommend it. It has characters that aren’t relatable, and an overall unclear message.

Though Into the Woods is a comedic musical, which I usually enjoy, I found it weirdly disjointed. The scenes felt like they were thrown together. The storyline made no sense to me, as the characters repeatedly bump into each other in the enormous forest. How would they find each other over and over again, if they were wandering through the huge amounts of woods?

Another odd thing about the film was the characters themselves. It was hard to relate to any of the main characters because the story kept jumping around. Some of the relationships were absurd, such as Rapunzel, her prince, and her mother. Rapunzel barely knew her so-called “true love”, and her mother had no reason to lock her up. In fact, the witch had no reason to take the child at all! They just wanted to throw another princess in.

My favorite character was probably Red Riding Hood, portrayed by Lila Crawford. She was a sparky, comedic character who I felt took the role of Red Riding Hood to the next level. My least favorite was Cinderella’s prince. I found Chris Pine fell short, and came across as a self-centered idiot, not a kind, charming prince.

Into the Woods was funny and spooky. However, Disney crossed the line between funny and weird. Overall, though it is a nice change of pace, this movie was a major letdown.

The Meaning of Maggie by Megan Jean Sovern is an exceptional book about a gifted young girl, and how she handles being a sixth grader. In this heartfelt, hilarious story, the Mayfield family has to “pull up their bootstraps” and work together to get through life. As Maggie’s story continues, she discovers more about her dad, her family, and herself. The Meaning of Maggie is perfect for gifted children, and girls from fifth grade to eighth.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is an exceptional book about the hardships of love and disease. This book is about a girl with lungs that suck at being lungs, and a boy with one leg. Together they go through ups and downs and find love along the way. This is one of the best books I have ever read, and I recommend it for middle schoolers and high schoolers.

One For The Murphys is a heartfelt and tragic story about a girl who just wants to be normal. Carley Conners didn’t know what she was missing. Then in one night her life turns around completely, and she ends up in a foster home with a perfectly normal family where she doesn’t belong. Or does she? This beautiful story of a girl going through hard times is perfect for anyone who loves a book with a couple miracles in it.

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer is a thrilling story of romance and revenge. In this unbelievable fairytale twist, cyborg mechanic Cinder returns, and she is joined by Captain Carswell Thorne as they battle for their lives against evil Queen Levanna.

Also introducing Scarlet, a small town girl from France who’s grandmother has been kidnapped. She goes on a quest with street fighter Wolf where secrets are revealed.

I highly recommend this amazing book for anyone looking for a good read.

The Genius Files is a fun and exciting series that has you on the edge of your seat from the word go. These incredible books by Dan Gutman are full of action and humor. When twins Pepsi and Coke McDonald find out they are part of a secret organization made up of child geniuses, they’re shocked. But not as shocked as they are when they find out an evil villain is trying to kill them! Coke and Pep go on amazing adventures throughout this series. They also fight villains, decipher codes, and more! Be sure to read these thrilling tales by Dan Gutman.

Journey in to the magical world created by Chris Colfer. In this book, twin brother and sister, Alex and Conner, find themselves in a land full of fairy tales. The two of them must find a way to return home, and they meet a few friends along the way. Join Alex and Conner as they discover the secrets of the fairy tale world…. and as they discover themselves. So go to your nearby library or bookstore and start reading The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell.

Jake and Lily is the exciting tale of two siblings. It is about a boy and girl who are twins; Jake and Lily. The two of them share a special power. They are connected, and so they are never lost. But when Jake starts hanging out with some of the neighborhood boys, Lily feel left out. She tries making new friends, but feels that she won’t be able to be without Jake. It is up to the two of them to clean up the messes they make, fix things they have broken, and most importantly, find out who they are. 

An important event in Roald Dahl’s Matilda, is when Matilda attends Crunchem Hall Primary School. This event is important to the story because it is where Matilda meets her teacher, Miss Honey. Miss Honey is astonished by Matilda’s exceptional abilities, and I can infer she will be a very important character later in the book.  Another effect of Matilda going to school is that Miss Honey decides she wants to help strengthen Matilda’s education. Considering Matilda is at a high school level in a kindergarten class, that is very good.

I believe one of the causes of Matilda attending Crunchem is plain out that it is the law. Children must go to school. I can also infer Matilda’s parents wanted to get rid of her.

Matilda by Roald Dahl is an interesting book about an amazing young girl. I am excited to read more about Matilda, Miss Honey, Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood, and all the other funny characters in this lovely book.