The library has compiled a large variety of Book Reviews from staff and through programs such as Read It & Rate It. These reviews are available to you to help you make an educated decision on titles you’d like to read.
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Moongarden Plotting the Stars #1 by Michelle A. Barry Fantasy Science Fiction * * * Stars (Pretty good) In the future, on the Moon, where humans were forced to flee when the Earth’s plants turned against them, Myra Hodger is attending boarding school. Everyone expects her to follow in the footsteps of her Number Whisperer parents, but her talents lie elsewhere. If she doesn’t discover her particular brand of magic soon (she hasn’t shown any … Read more
Well, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutanto Funny Realistic Fiction Romance Rom-Com * * * * Stars (Great!) Sharlot and George find themselves at the center of a teenage rom-com entirely fabricated by their well-meaning parents, after each is discovered in an embarrassing sexual situation. To get some distance from her boyfriend, Sharlot is whisked off to Indonesia where her mother creates an online dating profile for her and starts exchanging messages with “George.” … Read more
Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington Suspense Thriller * * * Stars (Pretty good) Adina Walker had her whole future revoked when she got in a fight with her former best friend. The scandal got out and her acceptances to Yale and all her other college options were recinded. Now, the only option left to her is to somehow get herself into “The Finish,” a competition sponsored by the founders (the Remingtons) of her very … Read more
A Kid’s Guide to the Chinese Zodiac written by Aaron Hwang, illustrated by Qu Lan Nonfiction * * * * Stars (Great!) The Chinese Zodiac is much more complicated than I’d thought. Previously, I’d only ever looked up my “animal” using my birth year, and since I’m born in January, before the Chinese calendar/New Year officially starts, it’s actually a different animal than I’d thought. In addition, predictions and horoscopes can be plotted out depending … Read more
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: No Brainer Wimpy Kid series, #18 By Jeff Kinney Funny Realistic Fiction * * * * Stars Great! Greg Heffley’s middle school is in trouble. There have been a lot of budget cuts and the state is threatening to close the school if they don’t bring up their test scores. Greg relays – in hilarious detail – all of the ways the school administration has attempted to cut expenses as … Read more
Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science By Atul Gawande Nonfiction * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) In 2006 when he published this, Atul Gawande was a general surgeon at the Brigham and Women’s hospital in Boston as well as an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School (in addition to being a writer for The New Yorker). Here, he collects some patient/doctor stories that give insight into the training of doctors (surgeons in … Read more
Watership Down Graphic novel adaptation by Richard Adams, James Sturm, Joe Sutphin Adventure Fiction Fantasy (because, talking rabbits) Graphic Novel * * * * Stars (Great!) This is an excellent graphic novel adaptation of Richard Adams’ book, “Watership Down.” It captures the personalities of the rabbits and the urgency of their perilous quest to find a new, safe home to call their own, when developers destroy their old home. Adams created a wonderful world, mythology, … Read more
Lumara by Melissa Landers Fantasy Supernatural Mystery * * * * Stars (Great!) Talia Morris has been wronged by Mystics before and when she learns that her boyfriend, Nathaniel IS one and hails from Lumara, a famous Mystic island enclave, she’s a lot of things. Shocked, distressed, furious… But she agrees to give his family a chance when he invites her to attend his cousin’s wedding on the island. Things seem to be going well … Read more
Cookies & Milk by Shawn Amos Historical Fiction Review #1 * * * * Stars (Great!) The book “Cookies & Milk” is really a page turner. Page after page, there are always exciting events. It starts off with a boy named Ellis Bailey Johnson. It was the last day of school and, instead of going home, he and his dad went to an abandoned warehouse and Ellis was told by his father that they were … Read more
D&D Dungeon Club: Roll Call by Molly Knox Ostertag and Xanthe Bouma Graphic Novel Realistic Fiction * * * Stars (Pretty good) Jess and Olivia have been best friends for a long time and have been playing D&D together for much of that time. Now that they’re in 8th grade, Olivia has a plan to start a D&D club at school and bring in other folks to join the campaign. Jess is NOT on board … Read more