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Gretchen Anderson is 12 years old and in the 6th grade.
Here are some of her favorite books!
Hoot
By
Carl Hiaasen
Now a
major motion picture!
Hoot?
Who wants to read a book called Hoot? You should. It all started when Roy
saw a running boy while bully Dana Matherson was smashing his face against
the school bus window. Since the boy had no backpack or shoes, he couldn’t
be going to school. Join Roy Eberhardt and new friends on a wacky adventure
to save a few tiny owls from Mother Paula’s Pancake House soon to come to
their little, harmless town in Florida. This is not a normal adventure! Roy
(Tex, or Cowgirl) and his new friends, both animal and human,
plan to get rid of these lawbreakers once and for all. (reviewed by
Gretchen)
Wringer
By
Jerry Spinelli
Palmer
had always dreaded the day he would become a wringer. With new friends named
Beans, Mutto, and Henry this dread doesn’t change, it increases. Wringers
are 10 year old boys who wring the necks of pigeons if they aren’t shot by
the sharpshooters at the annual Pigeon Day festival. It is a great honor to
be a wringer and all boys do it, but not Palmer. No one knows this and
Palmer struggles to keep it secret from his new “friends”. When a lost
pigeon ends up on his windowsill the matter is worse. Feel Palmer’s pain and
read this book! (reviewed by Gretchen)
The Invisible Detective (series)
By
Justin Richards
Art,
Meg, Jonny, and Flinch are all a team called the Cannoniers, who solve
mysteries a lot. Put together, they are Brandon Lake otherwise known as the
Invisible Detective. In the future, Arthur Drake discovers the casebook of
the Invisible Detective and realizes it is in his own handwriting! With each
book portraying two mysteries at once, you can’t put it down! (reviewed by
Gretchen)
Boys vs. Girls series
By
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Starting with The Boys Start the War, this series gets a ton of
laughs. Hear the opinions of the Hatford boys and the Malloy girls as this
never ending (or will it?) war going on between these cool (and not-so-cool)
kids. Pranks come from both sides, starting with a wee bit of spying. These
kids also fake drown, lock people in sheds and garages, throw chocolate
chiffon cakes in rivers, and catch a cougar!
Whole
series: The Boys Start the War, The Girls Get Even, Boys Against Girls,
The Girl’s Revenge, A Traitor Among the Boys, A Spy Among the Girls,
The Boys Return, The Girls Take Over, Boys In Control, Girls Rule!, and
Boys Rock!. (reviewed by Gretchen)
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
By Avi
“Not every thirteen-year-old girl is accused of murder, brought to trial,
and found guilty.”
Charlotte Doyle is traveling to America on a ship called the Seahawk
with a captain named Jaggery. Miss Doyle, a girl of age 13, was going to
live with her family in the free America. Miss Doyle was warned not to board
the ship, but she couldn’t disobey her father’s orders. Through days and
months, Charlotte witnesses murder, abuse of authority, and other horrible
things. (reviewed by Gretchen)
A Wrinkle in Time
By Madeline
L’ Engle
What is
a tesseract? That is what Meg Murry and her brother Charles Wallace want to
find out. For some reason, it is associated with their lost father, Mr.
Murry. On a fascinating journey with new friends like Calvin O’ Keefe
and Mrs.Whatsit they set off, tesseracting through the galaxies to find Mr.
Murry and defeat the Black Thing.
If you
like this book, remind yourself to read L’ Engle’s companions
to it, A Wind in the Door and A Swiftly Tilting Planet. Also read
Many Waters (above).(reviewed
by Gretchen)
Hatchet
By Gary
Paulsen
After
his parents’ divorce, Brian’s dad moved to Canada. During the trip there in a
personal plane to visit him the pilot had a heart attack. Brian survived
the plane crash with minor injuries, but, being a city boy, now has to
survive in the unfamiliar wilderness on his own.
If you
think this book is interesting, read Paulsen’s sequel, The River, and
a what-if story called Brian’s Winter. (reviewed by Gretchen)
Ella Enchanted
By Gail
Carson Levine
Newberry Honor
A spin on the classic Cinderella, this story is full of fun twists and
turns. Have you ever wondered why Cinderella does everything her
stepmother tells her to do? Ella Enchanted reveals she was given a
fairy gift at birth--to be obedient. It is actually a curse, and can
be used for her harm. Find out how Ella breaks the curse and lives
happily ever after.
This story provokes interesting thoughts on the nature of obedience.
Ella obeys, but not willingly, and works very hard to work around the
commands she's given. At one point in the story, she is commanded to
be happy in her obedience! This puts a whole new spin on the curse,
for now she obeys willingly, but thoughtlessly. (Don't judge this book
by the movie!)
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