Red Sings From Treetops: A Year in Colors

Sidman, Joyce. Red Sings From Treetops: A Year in Colors. illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski. 2009. Houghton Mifflin. ISBN: 9780547014944.

I liked the book because it was poetry about the colors of the different seasons. It showed pictures of nature outside. People who like poetry would like this book. Best for ages 6 and up.

S.G., 7th grader, Eastwood Middle School

Unite or Die: How 13 States Became a Nation

Jules, Jacqueline. Unite or Die: How 13 States Became a Nation. illustrated by Jef Czekaj. 2009. Charlesbridge. ISBN: 978158089189.

Unite or Die is about how the 13 states became a nation. There were a lot of cartoons and it was not funny to me. I did not like the book because I don't like history. People who like history would like this book because it has a lot of history.

J.L., 7th grader, Eastwood Middle School

Hamlet and the Tales of Sniggery Woods

Kneen, Maggie. Hamlet and the Tales of Sniggery Woods. 2009. Henry Holt and Co. ISBN: 9780805077018.

Hamlet and the Tales of Sniggery Woods is about a little pig that likes to cook. He wanted to be in cooking school. Hamlet's Uncle Alf left him a note. He said he's getting old and he can't run the cafe anymore.

R.G., 7th grader, Eastwood Middle School

Amiri & Odette: A Love Story

Myers, Walter Dean. Amiri & Odette: A Love Story. illustrated by Javaka Steptoe. 2009. Scholastic Press. ISBN: 9780590680417.

Amiri likes to play basketball. He plays on an outdoor basketball court. The art is paintings. The paintings are sweet. The colors are mixed and they are good paintings. My opinion is that it is a good book because it shows how this family gets back together. They love each other. Kids ages 12-13 would like this book.

A.R., 7th grader, Eastwood Middle School

Insect Eaters

Kalman, Bobbie. Insect Eaters. 2009. Crabtree Publishing. ISBN: 9780778732785.

Insect Eaters is a very informative book that tells you what type of animals eat insects. This book also tells more about the animal and their methods of obtaining their food. My favorite part was the echidnas page because I love echidnas. If I were doing a report on animals or plants that eat insects, this would be the first book I would go to. This book is great because I am an animal person and I enjoy learning more about them. I learned that echidnas are hatched from eggs. A strength of this book is that it's so informative. A weakness is that it's serious and hardly funny. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy animals, mostly between the ages of 9-13.

A.S., 7th grader, Eastwood Middle School

Big George : How A Shy Boy Became President Washington

Rockwell, Anne. Big George : how a shy boy became President Washington. Illustrated by Matt Phelan. Harcourt: 2009. ISBN: 9780152165833.

Big George by Anne Rockwell was a very descriptive and interesting book. The artwork was very interesting and it went well with the text. The only problem I saw with the pictures was the eyes were to small for the faces. What I thought was interesting was how it described how he was never wounded in battle, and how well the pictures related to the text. I thought this book was very good for its reading level, because it gave lots of information about our first president. I thought one of the many strengths in this book was the "A note from the author" section. I got to learn even more from that section. I though one of its weaknesses was how it was about his childhood, because I thought his childhood was a little boring. I think kids that want to learn about George Washington, read a challenging book, or look at pictures would like this book. I would recommend this book to first and second graders.

B.T. 7th Grade. Eastwood Middle School.

Hansel and Gretel

Isadora, Rachel. Hansel and Gretel. G.P. Putnam's Sons: 2009. ISBN:9780399250286.

Hansel and Gretel by Rachel Isadora is a fiction book. The book is a great book, because it has good pictures. The pictures were detailed because they match the words in the story. First in the story Hansel and Gretel's stepmother hated them and their father and stepmother were fighting. When their parents went to sleep Hansel went outside to get pebbles, and then Hansel got yelled at by the stepmother. I liked the book, because it had awesome picture in it. They were decorated perfectly. I would recommend this book to anyone, because anyone could enjoy it. I would love to have this book on my shelf.

D.G. 7th Grade. Eastwood Middle School.

Mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle

Walker, Kathryn. Mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle. Illustrated by Stefan Chabluk. Crabtree: 2009. ISBN: 9780778741442.


Mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle is a nonfiction book that tells stories about ships and planes going missing. One of the stories I liked is about a group of U.S. Navy Avenger bombers vanishing without a trace. The author uses a lot of photographs to show what some of the stories talk about. There are many stories that have to do with boats that went missing in the Atlantic Ocean. Three islands make up a triangle known as the Bermuda Triangle. I think this book is good because of the stories they put in them give good descriptions and photos. This is good to read if you are between the ages of eight and twelve. I think that someone might like this book because of all the stories in it.





Z.H. 7th grade. Eastwood Middle School.

There's a Babirusa in My Bathtub.

Schur, Maxine Rose. There's a Babirusa in My Bathtub. Dawn Publications: 2009. ISBN: 9781584691174.

There's a Babirusa in My Bathtub is a nonfiction book about facts about all sorts of animals. On each page there is a different animal. On the page there is a poem about the animal and then next to it there is also two paragraphs describing the animal. Also on the page there is a fabulous fact about the creature. I really enjoyed the fabulous fact because it tells you facts that you may have not known. The artwork was amazing! The pictures looked like the actual animal.I really liked this book. I learned a lot of facts from it. I also learned about animals that I didn't know existed. I enjoyed almost every page, because you can learn from it. I would recommend this to sixth to eight graders, because it is interesting and a little hard to understand some words. Also to people who want to learn about animals.

A.B. 7th grade. Eastwood Middle School.

Solving the Mysteries of the Past

Aksomitis, Gerard. Solving the Mysteries of the Past. Crabtree: 2009. ISBN: 9780778741718.

Solving the Mysteries of the Past by Gerard Aksomitis is about archaeology. In this book there are a lot of facts about mummies.

C.S. 7th grade. Eastwood Middle School.

Keep On!

Hopkinson, Debrah. Keep On!. Peachtree Publishing: 2009. ISBN: 9781561454737.

Keep On! is a nonfiction story about Matthew Henson the co-discoverer of the North Pole. The art and illustrations are very realistic with the small white paint dots as snowflakes. The story talks about Matthew Henson wanting to explore places he never has seen before. Captain Childs was Matthew's teacher for a lot of years. After Captain Child's died Matthew wanted to go to the North Pole. My opinion about this book is that it is amazing. My favorite part was when Matthew was in the icy cold water. I though he wouldn't come out with all the movies I have seen. I would recommend this book to fourth and fifth graders, because it would inform them about the co-discoverer of the North Pole.

J.H., 7th grade, Eastwood Middle School

Wombat Walkabout

Shields, Carol Diggory. Wombat Walkabout. Dutton: 2009. ISBN: 9780525478052.

Wombat Walkabout by Carol Diggory Shields is a fiction book about six little wombats who go on a walk. When they are all walking the last one will stop and a Dingo will pick the wombat up and put them in a sack. He picks up all but two. The art work has laid-back light colors. I thought the pictures were really good and went along with the story. I liked the book, because it explains why you should stay in a group or with a partner. It was overall a good book and It would be good for a child ages six to twelve. I think all kids from ages six to twelve would like this book, because it is fun to read, but is also informational.

J.C. 7th grade. Eastwood Middle School.

What's Inside?

Laroche, Giles. What's Inside?. Houghton Mifflin: 2009. ISBN:9780618862474.

What's Inside? by Giles Laroche is a nonfiction book. It tells about buildings and their contents. This book takes you around the world from King Tut's tomb to an aquarium. At the end of the book it takes you back home into your bedroom. The illustrations are really lifelike. They are made of many layers of paper and many beautiful colors. I thought this book was boring. There was nothing interesting happening. I was bored that it was just facts. The only interesting part of the book was the end when the author showed the kids back in their house. I think this book would be for someone who was doing a research project on buildings. I would recommend this for ages eight to fourteen.

L.T. 7th grade. Eastwood Middle School.

Listen to the Wind

Mortenson, Greg. Listen to the Wind. illustrated by Susan Roth. 2009. Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 9780803730588.

Listen to the Wind is about a man who helps build a school for poor children of the Korphe in a little village in Pakistan. They had to write and do their work.

T.M., 7th grader, Eastwood Middle School

Tsumani!

Kajikawa, Kimiko. Tsunami!. Philomel Books: 2009. ISBN:9780399250064.

Tsunami! by Kimiko Kajikawa is a fiction book about an old man named Ojiisan who is the oldest and wealthiest person in the village. As Ojiison watches the rice ceremony he feels something coming, but he cannot describe it. Then he sees it, the huge wave, Tsunami. Ojiison only has so much time to warn the villagers, and he needs to, fast. The picutres in the book were very bright, but they didn't really show what the text was about.I did like this book, because of the art. I liked this art, because the colors made me feel warm. I would recommend this to eight to thirteen year-olds. I would recommend this to that age group, because of the vibrant language.

L.F.,7th grade, Eastwood Middle School.

What is Trade?

Andrews, Carolyn. What is Trade? Crabtree Publishing: 2009. ISBN: 9780778742586.

This nonfiction book clearly tells what trade is. It tells how trade first started up to present day. It uses photographs and computer generated maps. The book was educational and introduced new vocabulary. I liked the way the photographs went along with the text. I did not like the "fact stops" because I thought they were in the way. I liked the size of the pictures because they were big and bright. I liked the captions because they clearly stated what the photographs were. I think this book is good for anyone who wants to learn about trade, especially 9-14 year olds.

Z.R., 7th Grade, Eastwood Middle School

Bugs that Destroy

Jackson, Carl. Bugs that Destroy. Marshall Cavendish: 2009. ISBN: 9780761413886.

Bugs that Destory is a nonfiction, spectacular, and informative book meant for young scientists between the ages of 8-12. This book tells all about bugs, whether they live alone or are gregarious (a term you will learn in this story). It tells what bugs detroy, how they destroy it, and how to stop them. This book also has photographs magnified to the perfect size, and diagrams and illustrations that help the reader picture the bug while giving extra information.

A.Z., 7th Grade, Eastwood Middle School

Solving the Mysteries of Machu Picchu

Croy, Anita. Solving the Mysteries of Machu Picchu. Marshall Cavendish: 2009. ISBN: 9780761431039.

This nonfiction book was about the abandoned Incan city of Machu Picchu. The pictures in the book were amazing! The information in the book was interesting and attention grabbing! I thought it was very interesting that almost everyone had a different theory or idea that caused the Inca's to leave. I thought this book was very factual. I like action books, so this was a little different. I would recommend this book to people who are interested in Machu Picchu or history, or even someone who just wants to read a book.

N.R., 7th Grade, Eastwood Middle School

In Pericles's Athens with Socrates

Leoni, Christina. In Pericle's Athens with Socrates. Marshall Cavendish: 2009. ISBN: 9780761443261.

This is a nonfiction book about two kids in the present day who follow an owl into ancient Greece, where they meet Socrates. Then, Socrates takes them on a tour of Athens from the Acropolis, to the countryside, and everywhere else too! With pictures on every page, it will certainly give you an idea of where they were. There is also a table of contents, a map of ancient Athens, a biography of Socrates, a chronology of important events, an overview of the age of Pericles, a glossary, and an index with exciting new words in both Greek and English. I liked the book because it was a historical book and I like history, but that isn't the only reason. Another one is the many colorful pictures on the pages and all of the Greek words and meanings. The author really spent a lot of time researching about ancient Greece. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to be a historian or wants to learn about Athens because that is what it is mostly about.

T.B., 7th Grade, Eastwood Middle School

A Picture Book of Harry Houdini

Adler, David A. and Michael S. A Picture Book of Harry Houdini. Holiday House: 2009. ISBN: 9780823420599.

This nonfiction book is pretty much a quick glance at Harry Houdini's life. It starts right into the action; it really catches your attention. It tells when he was born, it gives some of his most famous tricks and then goes to the day he dies. The pictures really help you imagine what has happened in his life. They make you feel like you are actually in the audience watching him perform. This book was good, overall. It had fascinating things about his life, but it didn't have much text and a kid my age could have written it. It is a great read for kids in first through fourth grade who like magicians and trickery. It is a good, short biography about Harry Houdini.

G.G., 7th Grade, Eastwood Middle School

Get Cooking

Stern, Sam. Get Cooking. 2009. Candlewick Press. ISBN: 9780763639266.

Get Cooking is about a teenage boy who is tremendous! All of the recipes are very, very detailed and the pictures are life-like. All of the recipes are very good looking! My opinion on this book is I wish I was the one who could taste the food. I would recommend this book for grades 6 through high school and beyond.

J.H., 7th grader, Eastwood Middle School

Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea

Jenkins, Steve. Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea. 2009. Houghton Mifflin. ISBN: 9780618966363.

Down, Down, Down was about the bottom of the sea. It tells you about fish and their diet. I thought the book's pictures were colorful and big. The book talks about almost every fish in the sea. I thought it was cool. I thought the book was cool but I didn't like reading it because it talked a lot about the sea. I like more of the action books. I recommend this book to people who like fish and water. I think kids ages 6 to 10 would like this book because it's cool and has awesome pictures. This book is educational for this age group.

D.K., 7th grader, Eastwood Middle School

Waste and Recycling

Hewitt, Sally. Waste and Recycling. 2009. Crabtree Publishing. ISBN: 9780778740988.

Waste and Recycling is a very good book. It is very informative. The photographs were very clear and life-like. I think this book is really amazing. I think it would help people who need help with a report on recycling. I learned a lot about waste and recycling. If you read it, you may like it! I recommend this to people who like learning about recycling and for ages 9-14.

S.S., 7th grader, Eastwood Middle School

Sacred Mountain: Everest

Taylor-Butler, Christine. Sacred Mountain: Everest. 2009. Lee and Low Books. ISBN: 9781600602559.

I liked Sacred Mountain: Everest because it told about how indigenous people there lived and what their religion is. It tells about when a child is born. I recommend this book for people who like to climb mountains.

M.T., 7th grader, Eastwood Middle School

Easter

Peppas, Lynn. Easter. 2009. Crabtree Publishing. ISBN: 9780778742890.

Easter is about a holiday when people worship God. At Easter you color eggs and tell about the resurrection of Jesus. Easter is a great holiday to get together with your family and tell stories and color eggs with each other. The picture with the two little girls sitting next to each other and reading the Bible is very touching because it shows me they really care about special holidays. I loved the book because it gives a lot of detail about the holiday. It told me a lot I didn't know about the holiday. I thought it was very interesting. I would recommend this book to kids 6-12 years old.

M.D., 7th grader, Eastwood Middle School

Pharaoh's Boat

Weitzman, David. Pharaoh's Boat. 2009. Houghton Mifflin. ISBN: 9780547053417.

Pharaoh's Boat is a good book and has great information about Egyptian boats. The art work is amazing. It was like I was really in Egypt. My opinion is that this book is a good source on Egyptian boats. I recommend this book to people doing projects about a Pharaoh's boat or who want to write a report on one.

N.C., 7th grader, Eastwood Middle School

When it's Six O'Clock in San Francisco: A Trip Through Time Zones

Omololu, Chnthia Jones. When It's Six O'Clock in San Francisco: a Trip Through Time Zones. illustrated by Randy Duburke. 2009. Clarion Books. ISBN: 9780618768271.

This book is about different time zones. It tells when it's six o'clock in San Francisco it's a different time in other places. I like the book because it was cool how they showed all the different time zones. Recommended for kids 12+.

A.M., 7th grader, Eastwood Middle School

Shining Star

Yoo, Paula. Shining Star: the Anna May Wong Story. illustrated by Lin Wang. 2009. Lee & Low Books. ISBN: 9781600602597.

This story is mainly about a Chinese girl who comes to America and becomes a star. Her dad didn't want her to. Then someone was looking for someone to be in a movie and Anna, the girl, told her dad that they would get money if she did it. Then her dad let her. I liked this book because it's about an actress and I want to become an actress when I grow up. It was interesting and fun to read. My favorite page was probably the first page when she's about to get hit by a train. The people who would most enjoy this story is someone who wants to be an actress or actor. There's no age group in my opinion.

S.I., 7th grader, Eastwood Middle School

Amazing Tricks: Expert Level

Barnhart, Norm. Amazing Tricks: Expert Level. Capstone Press: 2009. ISBN: 9781429619455.

This nonfiction book is all about magic tricks, from multiplying coins to pulling a sock out of a hat. It explains ways to warm up the audience and tricks to keep them captivated. Amazing Tricks: Expert Level includes information about the author, internet resources and 10 tricks.
I loved this book! Even though it says "Expert Level" the tricks are simple with amazing results, thanks to the excellent directions and wonderful pictures. With the help of this book anyone could become an extraordinary magician. This book is the perfect book for anyone of any age who is interested in becoming a magician. The directions are easy to follow and the pictures are entertaining and reinforce the words at the same time.

A.D., 7th Grade, Eastwood Middle School

Marching to Appomattox

Stark, Ken. Marching to Appomattox. G.P. Putnam and Sons: 2009. ISBN: 9780399242120.

This nonfiction book was about the race to end the Civil War between Lee and Grant. It tells about the fighting, the soldiers, and the last battles in the war. The book describes how they fought and what the soldiers were going through in the war. Along with the text, there were very nice paintings that show what the text is saying. I really liked this book because I like learning about the Civil War. I liked it because it had good paintings and did a very good job of telling what happened. At the front of the book, it gave a map that helped show where the battles happened and where the soldiers were. It also gives the dates when things happened, which was nice.
I would recommend this book to kids who like history or kids who want to know more about the end of the Civil War.

D.H., 7th Grade, Eastwood Middle School

In Caesar's Rome with Cicero

Leoni, Christina. In Caesar's Rome with Cicero. Marshall Cavendish: 2009. ISBN: 9780761443285.

This fictional book is an interesting story about two siblings, brother and sister, that take a family vacation to Rome. Little did they know that it would be one they would never forget. While sightseeing, the two find a strange man dresssed in white draping clothes. When they take a second look at him, they find themselves in ancient Rome! The man, Cicero, is kind and shows them all of Rome; more than they ever imagined they would see! This book is full of facts and gives the reader a look into history. This fascinating book is a fun and exciting way to learn more about ancient Rome and the way of life back then. The storyline kept me interested in the book instead of just naming fact after fact. I also enjoyed the illustrating very much because they show the reader what life would have looked like back then.

A.S., 7th Grade, Eastwood Middle School

Comic Books and Manga

Robson, Eddie. Comic Books and Manga. Crabtree Publishing Company: 2009. ISBN: 9780778738138.

Eddie Robson tells about comic books and how they got started in this non-fiction book. He included pictures of comics, comic and manga characters, people with a lot of comics and people with their favorite comics. He told about sketches and how comics are created. It also told why manga is backwards. I don't read comics very often and Manga comics are hard for me to understand because they are backwards. Thanks to Mr. Robson, now I understand Manga a little better and I know why it is backwards. I really enjoyed this book because it showed pictures of people enjoying comics and old time comics. It also showed comics closer to the present day. I recommend this book to comic book readers, lovers and fans of all ages.

H.L., 7th Grade, Eastwood Middle School

The Daring Miss Quimby

Whitaker, Suzanne. The Daring Miss Quimby. illustrated by Catherine Stock. 2009. Holiday House. ISBN: 9780823419968.

The Daring Miss Quimby is extremely daring and exciting. She learns how to fly even though everyone says it's too dangerous. I think that it's a fantastic book. It has larger words for ages 7 and up and it would be for someone who likes history and adventure.

K.M., 7th grader, Eastwood Middle School

Chinese New Year

Gleason, Carrie. Chinese New Year. 2009. Crabtree Publishing. ISBN: 9780778742807.

Chinese New Year is about the New Year holiday in China. They hang up pictures for gods. One of their gods is god of the kitchen.

A.W., 7th grader, Eastwood Middle School

Skunks

Otfinoski, Steven. Skunks. 2009. Marshall Cavendish. ISBN: 9780761429296.

Skunks is about skunks and how they live and get food. It has information about how they survive. The pictures were amazing in their quality. I liked this book because I really learned a lot about skunks and how they live. I recommend this book to ages 5-10.

S. H., 7th grader, Eastwood Middle School

Darwin

McGinty, Alice. Darwin. illustrated by Mary Azarian. 2009. New York: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN: 9780618995318.

Darwin was about the scientist named Charles Darwin. The author talked all about Darwin's life and what and how he discovered what he discovered. The pictures in the book were cartoon-like and the colors all just blended with each other. The pictures also went along with the words. My opinion of the book is that it was very educational.

J.W., 7th grader, Eastwood Middle School

Bugs That Live On Us

Perritano, John. Bugs That Live On Us. 2009. Marshall Cavendish. ISBN: 9780761431879

Bugs That Live On Us is about many unusual bugs such as the mighty mite, fleas, itch mites, head lice, threadworms, tapeworms, bed bugs, and dust mites. I really liked this book because it helps people realize that those unexplained bites when they wake up are from bed bugs. It is also a very interesting book because I learned about so many new bugs. Another reason it is a great book is because of the descriptions of how you get the bugs on you. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in bugs or anyone who wants to learn about some new bugs.


J.M., 7th grader, Eastwood Middle School

The Day-Glo Brothers

Barton, Chris. The Day-Glo Brothers. illustrated by Tony Persiani. 2009. Charlesbridge. ISBN: 9781570916731.

The Day-Glo Brothers is a really cool book and talks about paint and science. This book is about two boys trying to get new colors that glow in day and dark back when they didn't have fluorescent colors. Then the boys finally get a color started but not an eye-popping cool color. They wanted to take the color and make it in a window but they found out that the sun faded the color. My opinion about this book is that it is boring. This story gave me a headache from all of the black and white. If there were more colors that would be fine. I recommend this book to kids ages 7 and up.

T.G., 7th grader, Eastwood Middle School

Stanza

Esbaum, Jill. Stanza. illustrated by Jack Davis. 2009. Harcourt Children's Books. ISBN: 9780152059989.


Stanza is a book about a dog and his 2 brothers. During the day, they are the worst people on the streets. But Stanza has a secret. I did not like the book because it was too young for me to read. But it had fabulous pictures and teaches you a life lesson. It would be a fantastic book for 6-10 year old kids. I would recommend it for that age of kids.

J.G., 7th grader, Eastwood Middle School

Ellis Island: Coming to the Land of Liberty

Bial, Raymond. Ellis Island: Coming to the Land of Liberty. 2009. Houghton Mifflin. ISBN: 9780618999439

This book is about Ellis Island during the early and mid-20th century when immigrants came from all over Europe, Asia, and Africa, and of course, it's a non-fiction book. I think kids ages 10-13 should read this book.

M.B., 7th grader, Eastwood Middle School

You Are Weird: Your Body's Peculiar Parts and Funny Functions

Swanson, Diane. You Are Weird: Your Body's Peculiar Parts and Funny Functions. Illustrated by Kathy Bloake. 2009. Kids Can Press. ISBN: 9781554532827


You are Weird is about our body and is chock full of weird information about it. The author combined science with humor! The artwork is exaggerated cartoon drawings. The people the illustrator drew had big eyes and some had twisted heads. There were also a bunch of happy colors like blues, reds, and yellows. I loved this book because it was full of crazy things about our body that I never knew. I love things like that. I would recommend this book for people in grades 6-8 and for people who love or like science.

M.P. 7th grader, Eastwood Middles School

Cool Biological Clues: What Hair, Bones, and Bugs Tell Us

Beck, Esther. Cool Biological Clues: What Hair, Bones, and Bugs Tell Us. 2009. ABDO Publishing. ISBN: 9781604534832.

Cool Biological Clues is non-fiction. It's about investigations kids can do. The photographs are real life and they show bugs, bones, and hair either with a magnifying glass or without one . The part about the fruit flies and the banana was rather awesome because it was amazing how many fruit flies can be attracted to the rotting fruit. That is why I thought this book was fantastic. I recommend this book for younger kids who like scientific experiments because it's what this book is basically about. I liked this book because I like science and biology. Although it was exciting in many parts of this book, it was also boring in some parts.

H.D., 7th grader, Eastwood Middle School

Punctuation Celebration

Bruno, Elsa Knight. Punctuation Celebration. Illustrated by Jenny Whitehead. Henry Holt: 2009. ISBN: 9780805079739.

Punctuation Celebration by Elsa Knight Bruno is a fiction book about how to find the right punctuation. The artwork is hilarious, cute , and great. The pictures are bright, colorful, and go with the writing. In the writing there are rhymes that are great to enjoy while learning about punctuation. This book made learning punctuation fun. I liked Punctuation Celebration because even though I already knew about punctuation I enjoyed the pictures and imagining punctuation coming to life. I loved the scene with the colon and the kid was emptying out his jeans and all different things come out because we all do that and find things we don't expect. I think Punctuation Celebration is a great book for younger children. It is great for them to learn punctuation in a fun and silly way.

P.H., 7th grade, Eastwood Middle School.

Even an Ostrich Needs a Nest

Kelly, Irene. Even an Ostrich Needs a Nest. Holiday House: 2009. ISBN: 97800823421022.

Even an Ostrich Needs a Nest, by Irene Kelly, is a nonfiction book about different types of birds and their nests. The book gives information on how many different types of birds make their nests and what they make it out of. The artwork is made up of water colors, acrylic paint, and pen drawings. The pictures are neat and pretty realistic. And the bright colors really pop out when you open the book. I like the book because of the descriptions and the neatness of the artwork. I liked the page with all the seabirds on it, because if fills the page and the birds were really interesting. I would recommend this to anyone who wants an easy read or a younger kid learning to read that likes eggs.

J.T., 7th grade, Eastwood Middle School.

Louie

Hillenbrand, Will. Louie. Illustrated by the author. Philomel: 2009. ISBN: 9780399247077

The book Louie is about a little pig who loves to draw pictures that make him happy like the Eiffel Tower or some pigs. He also draws pictures for his mom's stories. Louie loves sunny days and sticky mud, but he loves drawing pictures the most. Louie hates school and does not like to do anything but draw. Louie gets kicked out of school and ends up moving in with his aunt and uncle in a hotel. Where he works for them and draws a lot of pictures that he draws anywhere in the hotel. On his birthday his aunt and uncle got him a colorful crayon set and sketching pencils with a journal that he drew in and filled all of the pages up. I like this book because it is about a little pig and I really like animals and the really colorful pictures. I really liked the marriage page when they both get married in Paris. I also thought it was funny when they where going on their honeymoon and he ended up getting hurt. I really love this book and its pictures. I would recommend this book for first through sixth grade because it is somewhat easy to read and it is really fun to look at the pictures. It expresses the pigs point view well with its wording and pictures.

J.E., 7th grade, Eastwood Middle School.

T-Bird

Bradley, Michael. T-Bird. Marshall Cavendish: 2009. ISBN:9780761429838.



T-Bird by Michael Bradley was about T-Birds and the Ford Motor Company. The artwork was amazing and the cars were really cool. It showed T-Birds from the early 1950's to the present day in the 2000's. Many times they stopped making the T-Bird because of poor sales then when they started making it again and when they came out with a new model they made a lot of sales. I liked and disliked some parts of this book. I disliked it because it was almost saying the same thing over and over. I liked all the picture in the entire book. I learned many things about the T-Bird. One thing I learned was that they started in the early 1950's. I would recommend this book to anybody who likes cars or older cars.

J.H., 7th grade, Eastwood Middle School.

A Whiff of Pine, a Hint of Skunk

Ruddell, Deborah. A Whiff of Pine, a Hint of Skunk. McElderry Books: 2009. ISBN: 9781416942115.

A Whiff of Pine, a Hint of Skunk is just a book of poems. This book has pictures of some of the forest animals. Like a biography of a beaver is telling about the skunk. A wild turkey who comments on his portrait is my favorite poem because it tells what he doesn't like about a kid's portrait. I thought the book was funny because of what some of the poems say. Like the turkey who comments on this portrait is mad because the kid made it look completely wrong because he forgot colors. I recommend this book for anyone who likes poetry. Someone who writes poetry would like this book because it is a book with poems.

J.T., 7th grade, Eastwood Middle School.

Tornadoes

Gibbons, Gail. Tornadoes. Holiday House: 2009. ISBN: 9780823422166.

This is an informational book about tornadoes and how they are formed. It is a very descriptive book for a children's book. It explains where Tornado Alley is, which cloud is capable of producing tornadoes, how the F scale works, how the wind currents come together to form a tornado, and other fun facts about tornadoes. This book is very colorful and creative. It shows a lot of illustrations of tornadoes in action. I think this book is very colorful and creative. It is a pretty good book, but I wish there were photos instead of illustrations cause it looks cooler that way. My recommendation is for children grades first through fifth and children who like weather and tornadoes.

A.K., 7th grade, Eastwood Middle School.

Bigfoot and Other Mysterious Creatures

Townsend, John. Bigfoot and Other Mysterious Creatures. Crabtree Publishing: 2009. ISBN:9780778737681

The title Bigfoot and Other Mysterious Creatures pretty much explains itself. It is about mysterious creatures such as the Loch Ness Monster, yetis, big foots, and other mysterious creatures. The main art work was good except how unrealistic some of the pictures look. They did an excellent job with added pictures to help understand what some people believe the creatures look like. There were many memorable pictures though such as the picture of the Bigfoot movie clip where Bigfoot is staring at the guy. One picture that comes to mind often is where the anaconda is laying on what looks to be a trailer with a man on its stomach. I liked this book because I love watching shows about unknown creatures and this book is like a documentary with all the pictures and information. One strength is its detail and pictures , but that is also its weakness. This is because they take up so much room that there is not enough detail of the pictures so it it good and bad to have so many pictures. I would recommend this book to people who like creatures that may or may not exist.

B.H., 7th grade, Eastwood Middle School

Chester Racoon and the Acorn Full of Memories

Renn, Audrey. Chester Raccoon and the Acorn Full of Memories. Tanglewood. ISBN: 9781933718293.

Chester Raccoon and the Acorn Full of Memories by Audre Renn is a fictional book. It is about when Chester Raccoon's friend was in an accident and he won't be back to play and how they make memories. Chester comes home and tells his mom that Skiddil Squirrel would not be coming back. Chester is still very sad and misses his friend a lot. Chester's mom got an idea to find something that Skiddil liked to make a memory. The art work was very detailed paintings and they were very beautiful. This book takes place in the forest. This book was a great book. My favorite part was when they came up with a memory when Skiddil made his friends stop to see a butterfly come out of its chrysalis and he made them all late for school. Another good part is where Chester and his friends went to the butterfly pond. I would recommend this book for little kids ages five through ten years-old. They would like the part when Skiddil was at the butterfly pond and a gazillion butterflies landed on him all at once and he thought he could fly so he jumped over the pond and splashed into the water. All the butterflies flew away and Skiddil was soaking wet.

A.R., 7th grade, Eastwood Middle School.

The King Who Barked

Jones, Charlotte Foltz. The King Who Barked. Holiday House: 2009. ISBN: 9780823419258.

The King Who Barked is about real animals who ruled. Just imagine a monkey, cat, or even a donkey being the president. That would be so weird, but that is what happened back then. The artwork was created in acrylics on canvas. It is very cartoony and colorful and went well with the text. I thought this book was interesting. It was cool, because I learned that animals could really rule. My favorite page was Monkey Business, because it is funny. It has a whole bunch of banana's in the picture and a monkey was running for mayor. I recommend this book to a young audience. I think they will enjoy this book and they might get a little giggle out of it.

H.M. 7th grade. Eastwood Middle School.

Going, Going, Gone

Katz, Allen. Going,Going, Gone. Illustrated by David Catrow. Simon and Schuster: 2009. ISBN: 9781416906964.

Going, Going, Gone by Allen Katz is a collection of songs with a twist in the lyrics. The lyrics are changed to relate the song to sports. The artwork was created using watercolors, colored pencils, and ink. There are songs for all kinds of sports including: football, baseball, archery, basketball, tennis, bowling, soccer, and more. One of the things that I enjoyed most was the artwork in "Tennis is a Complicated Sport" and I love how the boy is about five times bigger than Jimmy in "Going, Going, Gone." One of my favorite stories was "All Fall Down." I also liked "Ode to Umps and Refs" and "I Gotta Make This Shot." I enjoyed the rest, but these were the best. I would recommend this book to kids between the ages of seven and ten.

Z.L. 7th Grade. Eastwood Middle School.

The Anne Frank Case

Rubin, G. Susan. The Anne Frank Case. 2009. New York : Holiday House. ISBN: 9780823421091.

The Anne Frank Case was a non-ficiton story about determination. This book begins out in present day and discusses how Simon Wiesenthal fights for Jews and their rights. Then this book talks about Simon's life during the Holocaust and in the concentration camps. After the Holocaust ended, Simon Wiesenthal devoted his life to finding criminals of the war. I did not think the title had much to with the plot of the story because Anne Frank was only mentioned a couple of times. I did really enjoy the illustrations though because they were detailed and realistic.

J. N., 7th grade, Eastwood Middle School

Bugs That Kill

Raham, Gary. Bugs That Kill. 2009. New York : Marshall Cavendish Benchmark. ISBN: 9780761431855.



Bugs That Kill is a non-fiction book about different types of bugs that kill prey for food to eat. In this book, there are stag beetles, crab spiders, jumping spiders, centipedes, black widows, brown recluses, scorpions, wolf spiders, tarantulas, hawk wasps, driver ants, tiger beeteles, praying mantises, dragon flies and robber flies. The pictures were very helpful in telling the story. I enjoyed, Bugs That Kill because it has fascinating informtaion and the pictures were awesome. I would recommend this book to people who want information on bugs.



T.A., 7th grade, Eastwood Middle School.

Rain Forest Extremes

Green, Jen. Rain Forest Extremes. Crabtree Publishing: 2009. ISBN: 9780778745044.

This is a nonfiction book. It mentioned just about everything in the rainforest: from the lush plant life to the ancient ruins and the people. It has pictures that relate to the writing that make you imagine all the things that live there. There are many pictures of strange animals with big eyes that you could hardly imagine if it wasn't right there in front of you. There are also more familiar figure like tree frogs and leopards. The section about the 11 inch spider still lurks in my mind and I hope I never meet one! I thoroughly enjoyed the book and how it just gave scraps of information about things because it's easier to remember when you don't give the reader an information overload. I also appreciate when the text has pictures that correlate to what is being said. It makes it easier to imagine you are there and learning about it. I would recommend this book to people between the ages of 10 to 15 who enjoy nature and animals. Also, if you like interesting, mind-blowing facts that you wouldn't think possible, this book is for you!

K.O. 7th Grade, Eastwood Middle School

Superhero School

Reynolds, Aaron. Superhero School. Bloomsbury: 2009. ISBN: 978159991664

My book Superhero School is a fiction book about a boy named Leonard, who is enrolled in a school for superheros because he has powers such as heat vision, super strength, and flight. However, in his new superhero school he thinks he will learn how to stop run away trains when instead his teacher teaches math, just like regular teachers. When Leonard's teacher and the rest of the staff are kidnapped, Leonard and his classmates must band together and try to get their teachers back from the ice zombies. Can their knowledge of math and super powers be enough to rescue their teachers? I enjoyed this book because it was interesting how the authur showed that even superheros need to know math. Also, the author described how irritated children can get when they are learning something that they truly don't want to learn, and they want to learn something else. This is just like Leonard wanting to learn how to stop trains instead of learning how to add, subtract, multiply, divide, and use fractions. So all in all, it was a good book. This book would most likely be recommended to a younger audience. A benefit would be to show if you work hard, you get rewarded. However, it is an enjoyable, short book to read.


T.M. Eastwood Middle School

Halloween

Aloian, Molly. Halloween. 2009. New York: Crabtree Publishing Company. ISBN: 978-0-7787-42920.

This is a nonfiction book about how people celebrate Halloween. Halloween is an ancient holiday. This book tells how people dress up for Halloween with many different photographs of them. I love this book and Halloween, too. I love learning more about what is cool about it. I recommend this book for young children and others.

R. D., 7th grade, Eastwood Middle School

China: Land, Life and Culture: Wildlife

Tidey, John and Jackie. Wildlife. 2009. New York : Marshall Cavendish Benchmark. ISBN 978-0-7614-3461-9.

Wildlife was about China's wildlife. It's a nonfiction book and has information about giant pandas, takins, snow leopards, and elephants. It has very interesting photographs. Unlike other bears, pandas do not hibernate. Golden monkeys are also called snub-nosed monkeys because of their upturned noses.I felt this book could have been more interesting, but it had nice detailed photgraphs. People who love learning about wildlife would enjoy this book.

S. R., 7th grade, Eastwood Middle School