Crewel

Author: Gennifer Albin

Publisher: Farrar Strauss Giroux Books for Young Readers

After being taken away from her family to be a Spinster, a glamorous and yet difficult job, Adelice meets an array of new people who guide her. Some are kind, and some are cruel and deceiving. As Adelice learns how to weave, the special way to control her world, she gets to know these people and finds friendship, enemies, and maybe even a little romance.

Crewel would definitely get boring for younger readers. It mixes fantasy and a futuristic world together into a surprisingly believable and relatable story, so readers who enjoy either of these genres would enjoy this novel.

I did like Crewel. But I didn’t enjoy it as much as I could have. In a lot of the book, the plot was very slow and there was nothing that really pushed me to read ahead. There were also just a lot of long explanations that made it less action-filled, which I think this book could easily be with a bit of tweaking. Overall, however, it was a good read. 

The Edge of Nowhere

Author: Elizabeth George

Publisher:Viking

You can hear whispers–or bits and pieces of people’s thoughts, and this special ability forces you to move away from your old home and completely leave you old identity behind. Becca King, previously Hannah Armstrong, moved to Whidbey Island to escape what her cruel stepfather had done. She has to leave her mother as well, and when things don’t go as expected, Becca finds herself learning more about Whidbey Island than she thought she would...including helping to solve a crime.

The Edge of Nowhere is definitely a book for eight graders or high school students because younger readers might easily become bored. Even though the book is centered around a girl, I think that some boys would like this read. Any reader who has ever moved to a completely new place will be able to relate to Becca and her struggles to fit in as the new girl. 

I really enjoyed The Edge of Nowhere. The plot seemed like a very original idea, which made this book even better. The thing I liked best about this book is how it was very truthful and seemed like it could be happening right now. The characters are all very believable and I could relate to them easily even though I’ve never been through anything they are going through in The Edge of Nowhere. 

That Time I Joined the Circus

Author: J. J. Howard

Publisher: Point

What would you do if your mother ran away and your father died? Well, if you were Lexi Ryan, you would try to find your mother–and end up working for a traveling circus. Callie, Lexi’s mom, ran away when she was younger, and Gavin, Lexi’s dad, just recently died. Since he died right after she betrayed a friend, she has no one to turn to and runs away, attempting to find Callie. Little does she know that she will soon be making friends and working in the circus...and finding answers to some of her hardest questions.

That Time I Joined the Circus is definitely a middle school girl’s book. Boys probably would not like it because of the romance that is weaved throughout this funny and touching book. Anyone who has ever felt lost will be able to relate to Lexi in her struggles to find herself.

I loved That Time I Joined the Circus. The author did an amazing job of making running away and joining the circus seem amazing and fun. I also really enjoyed how the author developed the main character Lexi, because even though my parents aren’t dead or gone and I haven’t betrayed a friend, I could easily relate to her woes. Everything in this book was described very well, making it seem better, and almost magical. 

Magisterium

Author: Jeff Hirsch

Publisher: Scholastic Press

What would you do if you realized everything you thought you knew was a lie? Glenn Morgan lives right next to the Rift, a boundary that keeps her people inside. Beyond it is said to be desolate, lifeless land for miles and miles. But when Glenn’s father finishes work on the Project, a project he’s poured long hours into, life will never be the same for Glenn. Will she survive the shocking realizations and devastation? Or will she give up?

Magisterium would be best for middle school boys and girls. Readers who enjoy reading about fantasy would like this. Anyone who likes books about possible future societies would also like this.

I can’t say that Magisterium is bad, because it isn’t. However, I couldn’t get into the book at all. The writing wasn’t very interesting to me. I did like the main ideas that the author wrote about, though. Another thing that made it hard to like was that I could predict almost everything that was going to happen. It didn’t make me as excited to read on when I already had guessed what was going to happen. 

The Peculiar

Author: Stefan Bachmann

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Lately, changelings like yorself have been showing up dead in the river–which gives you an even bigger reason to stay hidden in your house. Bartholomew is a changeling–part human, part fairy–and so is his sister, Hettie. When a mysterious woman takes one of your friends, you decide to investigate and find yourself thrown into a world of traitors, likes, and also, true friends.

Even though the main character in The Peculiar is a boy, girls will enjoy this read as well. Readers who like historical fiction and fantasy will enjoy this read where the author wraps it all together.

I really enjoyed The Peculiar, for several reasons. The plot and story were childish in their ideas, yet somehow grown-up seeming and easy to read. The author also described things in a way that made everything seem more colorful and real. Another thing I loved was that the characters were incredibly realistic and added a bit of depth to the story. 

Note: On page 163, 'Mr. Jelliby' is spelled 'Mr. Jellinby'.

          On page 318, the sentence 'The glass with completely dark...' should be 'The glass was...'

          

Almost Home

Author: Joan Bauer

Publisher: Penguin Group

Sugar Mae Cole has never had the most stable life. Her father, a gambling and drinking man, leaves and returns randomly. Her grandfather recently died. And now her mother can’t pay for their house and they are forced to leave their home. But Sugar’s mother is taking Sugar to a family member’s house who emailed her about a great job she holds. But when they get there and Sugar’s mother breaks down under the stress she’s been under, Sugar suddenly has to grow up a lot. Will Sugar and her new puppy, Shush, be able to take the stress, or will she break down like her mother?

Almost Home is definitely a book that girl’s would like that boys wouldn’t like. Anyone who likes dogs, puppies, or any animal or owns one will love Shush and understand Sugar’s strong love of Shush. Anyone from fifth grade to eighth grade would enjoy this read.

I really enjoyed Almost Home. The way that the author describes things and Sugar make the story incredibly realistic. Each character was very unique and that made the story very good. Another thing I liked was the main storyline. It was interesting and was clear throughout the story, unlike some books where the plot gets lost. Almost Home is an all-around magnificent book. 

Prisoner B-3087

Author: Alan Gratz

Publisher: Scholastic Press

What would you do if you were taken away from your family to a series of horrible concentration camps-–the only reason being you were Jewish? Shortly after Yanek Gruener’s parents and several other family members are taken by Nazis, Yanek himself is taken away. After that, he is taken to the Plaszów Concentration Camp, and after that another camp. Yanek soon realizes that he is used to death now–and finds himself wondering if it would be better to survive or not. 

Prisoner B-3087 is historical fiction, (almost non-fiction, since it is based on a true story by Jack Gruener) so readers that enjoy historical fiction will like this. Another thing about this book is that it is very honest. Younger readers wouldn’t like this book because of some of the violence and cruelty that are present in this novel.

One of the things that I kept remembering throughout Prisoner B-3087 was that it is based on a true story. The level of honesty that the author used was astonishing. One thing that I liked about this read is that it isn’t a detailed look at one concentration camp, but instead a broad look at the series of camps Yanek is sent to, all the way throughout the story. As Yanek progressed through several years of practically torture, I found tears coming to my eyes at how hard it would’ve been to be Yanek during those times.