Pink: Pop Singer & Songwriter

Pink:  Pop Singer & Songwriter

Rebecca Rowell

Minneapolis:  ABDO, 2014, Ages 10-16

This story is about a troubled teen named Alecia Moore and how she matured and became the pop star Pink. Pink was not always the pop star that she is known as today, but this book gives her fans some insights into the sort of person Pink really is. This book tells of the defining and life changing moments in Alecia Moore /Pinks career. There are a lot of things that could have changed Pinks career for the good or bad, but since Pink always stayed true to who she was and gave it her all she has always made it out on top and has been successful. 

The writing style is very easy to read and pulls the readers in with nice details. It reads similar to a captivating magazine article.

There were no illustrations in this book but there were many pictures that were excellent quality that helped tell Pink’s story. 

I really enjoyed this book it was very informational and had great pictures. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that has interests in music or likes learning about people. This book is a great read and it could capture the attention of non-readers too with its great graphics, interesting facts, and great writing style. I feel that this book is best for ages 10 and up, it would not be appropriate for anyone younger than the age 9 because it does talk about pinks troubled past. 

Reviewed by Rebecca Rowell

Eight Dolphins of Katrina: A True Tale of Survival

Eight Dolphins of Katrina:  A True Tale of Survival 
By Janet Wyman Coleman, illustrated by Yan Nascimbene
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013, Ages 11-15

This story is about eight dolphins who survived the disasters of Hurricane Katrina. These eight dolphins lived and were raised at the Marine Life Oceanarium in Mississippi. Before the storm hit the trainers moved some of the dolphins to safer locations but the last eight dolphins had no other place to go and had to be left. When Katrina hit it destroyed the Oceanarium and those eight dolphins were washed back into the Gulf. The trainers were worried they would not be able to survive on their own but insisted on searching the Gulf for them. Miraculously, all eight of them turned up and were healthy and unharmed because they stayed together.

This is a nonfiction book and written as an expository. This means that the book was written to share an event that happened and it was not written in first person but has a lot of details. Coleman did not experience this situation first-hand but she interviewed the doctor and trainers and got the information first-hand. Along with gathering a lot of first-hand information, the author does a great job at capturing emotion and keeping the readers interest. It is an easy read but because of the knowledge the reader must have about what Hurricane Katrina was, I think it was meant for a 4th or 5th grade student. 

While the book had a great story line, I think what I liked best was the pictures. The book's cover shows a real picture of two dolphins in the water smiling up at you. This picture is what pulled my attention to the book in the first place before I even read the title. The book starts off as illustrated drawings and they are perfectly portraying what is happening in the story. They are vibrant, detailed, and really grab the reader’s attention. The pictures even do a good job at capturing the emotion that the trainers and readers must be feeling about these missing dolphins. At the end it also includes real pictures of the dolphins, trainers, rescue helicopter and the Oceanarium to give the readers an exact picture.

In my opinion, this book deserves 5 stars. I think that it shares a lot of content about what really did happen during Hurricane Katrina, gives a good story line and provides a lot of detailed pictures. The book for me was easy to read and kept my interest the entire time, which is why I think it would appeal to lower middle level students. The only reason that the book may not appeal to some readers is if they did not know what Hurricane Katrina was, how big of an impact it had, and how incredible it was that the dolphins were actually rescued.

Reviewed by Amanda Monschein

 

Jackpot

 Jackpot 
Gordon Korman
New York: Scholastic Books, 2014, Ages 9-13

The action-filled novel titled Jackpot, by Gordon Kormon is the 6th novel in the mystery series Swindle. A young and ambitious Griffin Bing, also formerly known as the “man with a plan” competes over a lottery ticket. His competitor, the new “man with a plan” Victor Pheonix, is the latest addition to the city, Cedarville. There is an unclaimed lottery ticket worth $30 million dollars that is lost and soon to be expired. Friends have to overcome emotional obstacles in this novel, all the time hoping to find the lottery ticket that is lost somewhere in Cedarville. Jackpot captures middle school friendship drama realistically.

This fictional novel reflects Korman’s style very well. It is mainly a narrative tale, as it is largely trying to tell a short story. Korman is also a very descriptive writer, especially when developing his characters throughout the novel. There is much dialogue, showing conversation among characters, to further their development. 

There are not many pictures throughout Jackpot. However, the book cover is something that can catch the younger student’s attention. Pointing his head through the dollar bill is a picture of Savannah’s dog, Luthor. Throughout the novel the protagonist, Griffin, feels a companionship with Luthor. Both of these characters have been sent away from their friends by Victor. The cover of the novel clearly suggests that it is a narrative that will have to do with currency.

I thought this was a great book by Gordon Korman! It definitely kept me on the edge of my seat, with all of the action going on. I would say it was a page-turner, always getting me to want to know what happens next! I thought the novel was very action-packed, and I just wanted to know who had the lottery ticket! The book made me feel like I was in it because the characters were thoroughly developed. The shifting point of view and the foreshadowing captured my attention very well. There was much description and anticipation built up. I feel that Jackpot is meant for the younger middle school students, although I thoroughly enjoyed it as a college student. 

Reviewed by Olivia Webb 

Revenge of the Flower Girls

Revenge of the Flower Girls
 Jennifer Ziegler 
New York: Scholastic Books, 2014, Ages 9-15

Triplet sisters take turns telling the story of their older sister's wedding. Or rather, how they try to stop the wedding, and why. They love social studies as much as they love their sister's ex-boyfriend, and get up to all sorts of antics as they work together to try to get the two back together and stop the wedding.

The author manages to make the three girls' perspectives different from each other, in keeping with each girl's personality and temperament as described by the other two. Ms. Ziegler used highly effective descriptors to get inside the heads of her characters. One of my favorites was the following; to express a moment of the disillusionment that accompanies change, particularly for preteens: "As if someone grabbed the world and shook it like a snowglobe, stirring everything up."

There is one picture on the front cover depicting the wedding. The bride and groom have their backs turned. In front of them stand the three girls in pink dresses matched with high-top tennis shoes. One looks like she's plotting something, one looks miffed, and the other looks amused. Since all three wore all of these expressions throughout the book, it's hard to tell which is which. Maybe that's the author's intent!

I enjoyed this book thoroughly! The three narrators evoke the reader's empathy. The ways they talk about their struggles- dealing with the aftermath of their parents' divorce, the change of their sister getting married, and just being eleven- ring very true, even if they adore U.S. history and government more than any sixth-graders I've ever met. I recommend for all ages, but especially for grades 5-8.

Reviewed by Abigail Kruse