Historical Fiction Books

Picture Books

Milly and the Macy’s Parade by Shana Corey (Historical Fiction)

Summary: It's 1924 and the holidays are approaching. Milly lives in NYC with her Polish family and frolics daily in holiday displays at the Macy's store under the watchful eye of Mr. Macy. But Milly's family misses their homeland and traditions. In an effort to cheer people up, Milly convinces Mr. Macy to combine old country traditions with new American heritage in a celebration for all to enjoy. Everyone agrees that the resulting parade will become a wonderful new tradition. This heartwarming story beautifully captures the creation of a uniquely American event.  Concerned that the immigrant employees of New York City's Macy's department store are homesick at Christmas, a young girl inspires the store's head to hold the first Macy's Parade. Theme of this book is the Macy’s Parade. I liked this book because it was based on a true story. 

When Jessie Came Across The Sea by Amy Hest (Historical Fiction)

Summary: It is a story of a 13-year old girl Jessie who is an orphan and lives with her grandmother in a village in Europe. She always keeps her mother's marriage band close to her. She has a lovely relationship with her grandmother. Jessie teaches her grandmother to read and write while her grandmother teaches her to sew. They are happy in their own little world. But this soon changes with a big jolt when the Rabbi of the village selects Jessie to go to America on his ticket as he has to be in the village to perform his regular duties. Jessie and her grandmother are devastated even at the thought of being away from each other but then they both reconcile to this big change in their lives.  The day soon arrives when Jessie has to finally board the ship to New York. Jessie is unsure, afraid, alone and very sad but soon forgets her woes and gets herself busy in sewing laces for the women passengers on the ship. While on the ship, a young boy Lou becomes her friend. On arriving New York, Jessie is received by Rabbi's brother's widow who owns a dress shop. Jessie starts working there sewing beautiful laces and soon people begin to throng the dress shop for her special laces. Also, she starts school again and regularly writes letters to her grandmother narrating her experiences in the new city.  Three years fly away like this and one day she happens to meet her old friend Lou in the garden. They develop liking for each other and Lou proposes but Jessie wants some more time. By this time she had already saved enough money that she could buy a ticket for her grandmother to come to New York. Grandmother reaches America and blesses the young couple with the perfect gift which she had been entrusted with when Jessie came to America.  Illustrations are very mature and can be appreciated across all ages. The water color pictures are really life like and bring the inner feelings of the protagonist beautifully to the paper. The picture which is also on the cover, captures the moment when the ship of the immigrants reach the shores of America and Statue of Liberty is in the backdrop. It beautifully depicts the medley of emotions that the protagonist must be experiencing at that time - excitement of landing in an alien land, hopes to fulfill the dreams of a better future, apprehensions of the unknown and melancholy feeling of leaving the loved ones far behind. These are some of the feelings which are not alien to me and I am sure, not to many people who move from their place of birth to a new country, new surroundings and amidst new people leaving the comforts of known surroundings. Theme is to never give up. I liked this book because it shows that even if you are away from someone you love, you can always make other friends. 

Coming On Home Soon by Jacqueline Woodson (Historical Fiction) 

Summary: Ada Ruth tries her best to be brave when her mother decides to go to Chicago to work on the railroads during World War II. Times are hard and Ada Ruth must remain at home with her grandmother. Ada Ruth knows her mother loves her more than rain and more than snow, but she still misses her more and more. She constantly waits for the arrival of a letter from her mother. When a stray kitten appears on the doorstep, she puts down a saucer of milk. As Grandmother softens towards the kitten, Ada Ruth sees how much her grandmother misses her mother as well. The three of them keep each other company as they await news from Chicago. Finally, a letter with some much- needed money from her mother arrives. The letter also includes the promise that her mother will be coming on home soon.  Woodson’s text is simple and spare, conveying pure emotion. The dialogue is written in italics, helping to keep the text clean of even punctuation. She repeats the phrase, “coming on home soon,” to reassure not only the characters but also the readers that mother will indeed reappear.  E. B. Lewis has filled the pages with watercolors full of light. Sometimes the light shines through the window or streams in an open door. It is always there to give the illustrations warmth despite the expressions of longing and hope on the faces of Ada Ruth and Grandmother. In one two-page spread, Lewis shows Ada Ruth curled up with the kitten on a rug in front of the fireplace; the fire glows red and orange casting a shadow on Ada Ruth’s face that deepens the look of loneliness. Theme is to have hope. I liked this book because it shows that having hope is helpful. 

The Memory Coat by Elvira Woodruff (Historical Fiction) 

Summary: When the Tsar's soldiers invade their Jewish community, Rachel and her family flee from Russia to America. But what they fear most is facing the inspection station at Ellis Island. For any wrong move there could cause one or all of them to be turned away. Hoping to make a good impression, the family pleads with cousin Grisha to let them replace his tattered old coat with a new one. But Grisha refuses. His mother had made the coat for him just before she died, and it still holds the powerful memory of her love. A harrowing experience upon their arrival threatens to separate the family. But it's Rachel's cleverness and Grisha's cherished coat that ultimately keep them together.  Theme is memories, tradition and family. I liked this book because it was about keeping memories and loved ones close to you.

Chapter Book

My America: Our Strange New Land by Patricia Hermes (Historical Fiction)

Summary: Elizabeth Barker is only nine years old when she and her parents leave Plymouth, England. They set sail with nine shiploads of other people, headed for a small colony in America --- Jamestown, Virginia. They have high hopes for a wonderful life in this brand new country, where they can own their own land and build their own house. Elizabeth misses her twin brother Caleb, who had to stay in England because of his weak lungs, so she keeps a journal for him, to tell him what their first months are like in this strange, beautiful country. The journey itself is very difficult. They lose five of their nine ships at sea in a terrible hurricane. They don't know whether the ships got blown off course, or if they sank in the storm. One of the ships carried their food. But when they arrive in Jamestown, Elizabeth is excited. She and Jessie, another girl her same age, become good friends. They explore the forest, splash in the river, and go fishing for clams and crabs. They see a raccoon and think it's a monkey! They sleep under the stars in a lean-to while their fathers build their houses. Elizabeth's father lets her help him; she gets to climb up on the roof and thatch it. And she and Jessie meet an Indian girl named Pocahontas, who becomes their friend. Elizabeth even gets to go with Captain John Smith to the Indians' camp. But amid the excitement of a new land, the colonists endure many hardships. Jamestown was built in a wet, humid marsh. The heat is terrible. Mosquitoes spread the "summer sickness," and many people die, including Jessie's mother. It reaches a point where at least two people die every day. They bury them at night so the Indians won't know how their numbers are dwindling. Rats that disembarked from the ships destroy the food in their storehouse. Eventually two of the ships thought lost in the storm make it to land. Elizabeth meets three new friends from these ships, but they also become very ill. Elizabeth's mother is going to have a baby, and Elizabeth is afraid that she might die in childbirth like some of the other women and their newborn babies. Along with the problems they encounter in their new country, the colonists bring some problems with them from England. Some of the men think that they are gentlemen --- and therefore too good to work. They kidnap and enslave the Indians to do their work for them. They also steal food from the Indians. The Indians, who were at first friendly and helpful, begin to fight back and kill the colonists.  Finally, in the autumn, Captain John Smith is seriously injured, and he must return to England. He takes some of the colonists back with him. The rest will stay in Jamestown for the winter. In May 1607, 3 ships sailed up the James River in Virginia. In the riverbank marshes, they made land and hung the flag--England's flag--establishing the first permanent English colony in Jamestown, Virginia. In 1609, the first ship carrying women and children arrived.  After 71 days at sea, nine-year-old Elizabeth Barker is thrilled to be on dry land. Lizzie keeps a journal for Caleb, her twin brother who stayed in England because of his weak lungs. In her buoyant entries,Lizzie tells of the abundant forests, trading with and learning from the Indians, and adventures with her new friends. Theme is history and travel. I did not like this book because am not a fan of history and social studies in general. 

Non-Fiction or Biography and Poetry Books

Picture Books

What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page (Non-fiction)

Summary: The artist/writer zooms in for equally lifelike close-ups of ears, eyes, noses, mouths, feet, and tails. Five examples of each organ thrusting in from beyond the pages’ edges for each “What do you do” question precede spreads in which the point of view pulls back to show the whole animal, with a short accompanying caption. Visual surprises abound: a field cricket’s ears are actually on its legs; a horned lizard can (and does, here) squirt blood from its eyes as a defense mechanism; in an ingenious use of page design, a five-lined skink’s breakable tail enters and leaves the center gutter at different points. Capped by a systematic appendix furnishing more, and often arresting, details—“A humpback whale can be 50 feet long and weigh a ton per foot”—this array of wide eyes and open mouths will definitely have viewers responding with wide eyes and open mouths of their own. Theme is to learn about the many differences in the world and how they might be helpful. I liked this book because it shows the different uses for the different parts on animals and humans. 

Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine (Non-Fiction/Biography/Graphic Novel) 

Summary: Henry was a slave and didn’t know how old he was because he wasn’t allowed to know his birthday. Henry and his mother had a really nice master, but they knew that could change. One day the master asked them to his room and he told Henry that he will be given to the master’s son and he doesn’t like lies. He said goodbye to his family and left to work for his new master in a factory. He was good at his job but if he made a mistake, the boss would beat him. Henry was lonely and found a girl named Nancy. Years later, Henry and Nancy’s masters agreed for them to get married and they had many children. Nancy was afraid that her master was going to sell her children because they lost a lot of money. At the factory, Henry’s friend James came up to him and told him that his children were just sold at the slave market. At the slave market, Henry found his children as well as Nancy being taken away. Henry was so sad, he couldn’t sing or hum and all he could think about with his family being taken away. Dr. Smith was a white man that though slavery was wrong and helped Henry escape. He helped Henry be put in a box and mailed to Philadelphia where Dr. Smith had friends who didn’t participate in slavery. They purposely hurt Henry’s hand to he would have to stay home for an easier escape. On the steamboat to Washington D.C. the people were wondering what was in the box, thinking it was mail. Finally Henry’s box was opened and he finally had a birthday, March 30th 1842, his first one. He also was given a middle name: Henry Box Brown. Theme is survival and history of the slaves. I liked this book because it was a true story of a brave man in history. 

We the Kids: The Preamble... by David Catrow (Non-fiction/Biography/Graphic Novel)

Summary: Catrow, who doubles as a political cartoonist, writes in his amiable introduction, "When I paint my paintings and draw my cartoons, I can do them any way I want. Being able to do that makes me very happy and very free. And I think that's exactly what all those old guys with their big words and big ideas wanted," he says, referring to the authors of the Constitution and the liberty he enjoys as a result of their efforts. Following a casual glossary ("insure domestic tranquility" means "To make sure that we can all have a nice life and get along with one another"), he takes fresh liberties. He uses the Preamble as text for crazy cartoons about three eccentric-looking kids and a spirited pooch on a backyard camping caper. The characters review a poster outlining rules for the evening ("establish Justice"); wearing a helmet and looking bored, the dog stands guard as the kids frolic in the tent ("provide for the common defense"). And everyone snuggles under a blanket ("and secure the Blessings of Liberty") while two parents survey the placid scene from a window ("to ourselves and our Posterity"). With his customary satiric flair, Catrow inserts plentiful tongue-in-cheek visuals: a saucepan bouncing off one child's head while she sits entangled in another child's rope hardly suggests "domestic Tranquility." This zany, patriotic paean offers kids lighthearted but meaningful incentive to reflect further on the relevance of those "big words" and "big ideas." Theme is learning about the Preamble and history of it with a spin. I liked this book because I think it is great for all ages and an easy way to learn the Preamble. 

Killer Whales by Seymour Simon (Non-Fiction/Biography/Graphic Novel)

Summary: The nonfiction narrative, Killer Whales, is an irresistible invitation to beginning readers to question, explore, and discover new information about the exciting world of these beautiful creatures.  The narrative contains dozens of interesting facts and photographs of Killer whales, from their graceful leaps to their cunning hunting skills.  The clear text and delightful photographs prove yet another classic for Seymour Simon. Theme is killer whales and how they live. I liked this book because it taught me about Killer Whales in an interesting and fun way. 

My Great Aunt Arizona by Gloria Houston (Non-Fiction/Biography/Graphic Novel) 

Summary: Little girl narrates about her great-aunt Arizona. Her great-aunt was born in a log cabin in the meadow on Henson Creek in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The day she was born her brother sent a letter saying she should be named Arizona because she will be beautiful like the land. Arizona was very tall and loved to grow flowers, read sing, and square dance. She played with her little brother, Jim, on the farm in the summer and the climbed the mountains in the fall. In the winter they made snow cream from Mama’s cows. In the spring they helped Papa tap the maple trees and catch the sap to make maple syrup. At school they played games at recess and read lessons. One day Arizona crossed the mountains to visit another school in a village called Wing to read all of their books. She loved to read and always wanted to visit faraway places. Arizona went to school to be a teacher and helped her Aunt Suzie, who made her work very hard. Finally, Arizona returned to Henson Creek and became a teacher. She taught in her old one-room classroom and told the children about all the faraway places she wanted to go to.  She married a carpenter who helped build the new Riverside School. She then because Mrs. Arizona Hughes, but the fourth-graders called her “Miz Shoes”.  When her first daughter was born, she brought the baby to school. Every year Arizona had a Christmas tree growing in a pot and then the school kids helped her decorate it and plant it at school. After teaching for 57 years, she died on her 93rd birthday. She never got to go the faraway places, but she goes with them in their minds. Theme is about the grandmother and how teaching was for her. I did not enjoy this book very much because some parts were pointless and boring with a bad and depressing ending. 

Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave by Laban Carrick Hill (Historical Non Fiction)

Summary: Starts off with talking about dirt and pots that store flowers, meat and memories. Clay was used to form things for nearly 200 years. starts as dust, spun in mills, then mixed with water to be wet and stiff and heavy.  Dave threw the clay so it was stick and worked it to make things. He pulled out a shape of a jar and as the wheel spun, the jar rose until it almost fell. Then he rolled clay and put them on the top of the jar, changing the shape. He made glaze from sand and wood-ash. Before the jar harden, he wrote in the jar with a stick. He wrote the date and a quote about his family. Dave’s poems and art became famous. August 16, 1857. The theme is poetry and slavery. I love this book because even as a slave he became famous with his art and poetry. 

Graphic Novel

Around the World by Matt Phelan

Summary: In this graphic novel, Phelan tells the story of three adventurers at the end of the 19th century who attempt to travel around the world.  There is Thomas Stevens in 1884 who had been working in the mines but then started bicycling.  He first bicycled across the United States, and then attempted to cycle around the world on the difficult-to-ride old-fashioned bicycle with one larger wheel.  The next adventurer is Nellie Bly in 1889, who set herself the task of beating Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days.  The men running the New York World newspaper did not like her idea, but eventually came around to having her attempt it.  Her race became a national obsession and sold many newspapers for them.  Finally, there is the story of Joshua Slocum in 1895.  He restored an old sailing vessel in a time when sailing was becoming outdated.  Then all on his own, he set off to sail around the world, becoming the first person to sail around the world alone.  These three adventurers all have their own reasons for circumnavigating the globe, but they are united in their attempts.  These are all stories of determination, courage and bold ideas.  United under the umbrella of Jules Verne’s novel, these three stories are beautifully connected and yet stand entirely on their own merits as well.  The three intrepid souls are also equally connected and yet uniquely themselves.  Their journeys are made for different reasons and received differently by the public, but they are all powerful stories of independence and resourcefulness.  All three stories show the power of taking charge of one’s life and following your dreams.  Phelan’s art suits each of the stories individually and also has a cohesive whole.  There are subtle changes from one story to the next, the colors shift from blues and greens to oranges and creams and then to deeper blues and grays.  The art style stays much the same but beyond the colors there are changes in mood that are amazingly deep yet subtly done.  Stevens’ story of bicycling has a merry joei de vive to it.  Bly’s adventure is filled with energy and zip.  Then there is the lonely sailing tale that has a deep grief embedded in it that almost aches.

Thomas Stevens - Wheelman

Nellie Bly - Girl Reporter

Joshua Slocum - Mariner

Theme is traveling. I did not like this book that much because it was boring and did not interest me because I am more into the fantasy and funny books. 

Realistic Fiction Books

Picture Books

The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown (Realistic Fiction)

Summary: Mommy bunny with a counter-argument to the baby bunny’s urge to run away from home. She will become anything to get her baby back. Theme is that your mom will always be there for you, no matter what. I love this book because it brings back memories.

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats (Realistic Fiction)

Summary: One morning, Peter woke up and looked out the window to see the snow that fell during the night. After breakfast he put on his snow-suit and went outside. He moved his feet in and out and to make tracks in the snow. He also made tracks with a stick, hit a tree with the stick, decided not to play in a snow ball fight because he was too young and instead made a snowman, pretended he was a mountain climber and slide all the way down. Picked up some snow and put it in his pocket and told his mom all about the day. After the tub, he looked in his pocket for the snow and it wasn’t there and he was sad. He had a dream that the sun made all the snow melt, but when he woke up it was snowing again and he called his friend and played more. Theme is having a good snow day. I like this story because it brings back memories and is fun to read. 

The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds (Realistic Fiction)

Summary: Art class in school was over and Vashti sat in her chair next to her empty paper. The teacher told her to draw a small thing and see where it takes you. So Vashti grabbed a marker and stabbed the paper. The teacher made her sign it and then was surprised to see it hanging above the teacher’s desk the next morning. She then said that she could make a better dot than that one and took out her watercolors to make a red, purple, yellow and blue dot also. She mixed blue and yellow to make green.  She made little dots and big dots and dots by painting around to make a white dot. A little boy loved her art and wanted to paint but wish he could, she told him that he could but he said he can’t even draw a straight line. He showed her that he can only make a squiggle and she told him to sign it. Theme is that everything is art. I love this story because I think it is the cutest thing when a teacher can communicate through a student for the student to then use the skills themselves to teach others as well. 

Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems (Realistic Fiction)

Summary: Trixie went on an errand with her daddy. They went down the block, through the park, past the school and until the Laundromat. She helped her daddy put the laundry and money into the machine, then left. A block later, Trixie realized something and tried to tell her dad something but her dad didn’t understand her and she cried and went boneless. She tried everything to show how unhappy she was, making her daddy unhappy too. Once that got home the mommy asked where the bunny was and they ran back to the Laundromat. Trixie’s daddy looked for the bunny, and finally found him and Trixie’s first words were “KNUFFLE BUNNY!” and they walk home. Theme is to never lose a Knuffle Bunny. I really loved this story because it was adorable and the pictures were actual picture of real places with the cartoon people drawn over them, which is really neat. 

When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant (Realistic Fiction)

Summary: When I was young in the mountain, grandfather came home in the evening and kissed her head, grandmother made cornbread,beans and walked with me to the Johnny house in the dark night, took the cows to the lake and swam. On the way home we visited Mrs. Crawford’s house for butter.  We pumped pails of water and stood in-front of the stove with hot coco. We went to church and listened to frogs, watched snakes, and took pictures with them. We sat on the porch swings and talked and loved it because they loved the mountains. Theme was about the history of the mountains and family traditions. This story was sweet because it repeated the title on almost every page and in the end they loved living in the mountains. 

I Can Be Anything by Jerry Spinelli (Realistic Fiction) 

Summary: Starts off with a little boy in the grass asking a rabbit what he should be when he grows up. Which job with will be best for him? Pumpkin grower, dandelion blower, paper-plane folder, puppy-dog holder, puddle stomper, apple chomper, mixing-bowl licker, tin-can kicker, barefooted hooper, bubble gum popper, snowball smoother, baby-sis soother, girt unwrapper, jump and clapper, cheek-to-cheek grinner, dizzy dance spinner, cross-legged sitter, make-believe critter, deep hole digger, lemonade swigger, honeysuckle smeller, silly-joke teller, best-part saver, or goodbye waver? He chooses every one of the jobs in the end. Theme is you can be anything you want. I like this book because it was really cute and creative. 

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen (Realistic Fiction)

Summary: Pa and Son went out to the woods late one night, passed his bed-time, to go owling. Threw the snow and the motionless trees, the Pa and Son quietly walked.  While looking up at the moon Pa called “Whoo-whoo-who” like the sound of a Great Horned Owl. They kept walking threw the woods to find an owl, while quietly trying to be as brave as they could. In another clearing of trees, Pa and Son tried to call for an owl again and this time they had an answer back.  They stood right under the owl’s nest and watched it as it flew on a branch, stared at them and flew off. To go owling you do not need words, warmth, or anything but hope. Theme is owling and family traditions. I liked this book because it was really cute and enjoyable for many ages. 

A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead (Realistic Fiction)

Summary: Amos McGee was an early riser, who changed right into his uniform when he woke up. He ate his oatmeal and had some tea and started to walk to the bus. He was right on time for the 6am bus to the City Zoo. Amos had a lot to do at the Zoo, including seeing all of his friends. He played chess with the elephants, raced the tortoise, sat with the shy penguin, lent a handkerchief to the rhino, and read stories to the owl. One day Amos woke up with a cold and didn’t think he could make it to work. At the Zoo all the animals waited for him, wondering where he was. Later that day all the animals went on the train and arrived at Amos’s house. The elephant and him played chess but he was too tired to run races to they played hide-and-seek instead. The penguin sat near Amos’s feet while he took a nap and the rhino had a handkerchief ready when Amos had to sneeze. When he started to feel a lot better, they all shared a pot of tea. After tea he said goodbye to everyone and set his alarm clock for the morning bus as the owl read him a story because Amos was also afraid of the dark. The last picture of the book was Amos sleeping with all of the other sleeping animals. Theme is that the people you love will be there for you. I liked this book because it was really cute and I love the pictures and story line. 

Chapter Books

Joey Pigza Loses Control by Jack Gantos (Realistic Fiction)

Summary: Joey Pigza Loses Control is an account of Joey's six weeks spent over summer vacation with his usually absent dad. Joey has ADD and has finally found a good dose of medicine, in the form of a patch on his arm. The new meds help Joey "settle down and think. And not just think about all the bad things that had already happened. I started thinking about the good things I wanted to happen." Meds have helped Joey start out new. But upon arriving at his dad's, Joey realizes his Dad is just like a grown up version of himself, but without the medicine. Carter Pigza is excited to get have this chance to bond with his son, and wants to make his son a winner. And winner's don't need medicine. So the first order of business is to flush all of Joey's medicine down the toilet and get Joey's world-class pitching arm on his baseball team. Both of which he does.  The rest of the story is about Joey slowing losing what little control he had over his behavior without the patch. Things go south quickly, and Dad is of no help to Joey. Joey’s burning desire to please his dad is the chief conflict here, because even Joey can sense his dad is making dangerous decisions. The real strength in this novel is the honest and heartbreaking voice of Joey and the voice, in turn, it gives ADD. I think this book is a wonderfully written novel that will make your reader think, and give him a birds eye, empathic view of children without stable family units and children struggling with ADD. Theme of this book is always do what is best for you no matter what anyone else says. I liked this book because it was showed me how a student with ADD would react and what they need to help them. 

Ramona Quimby Age 8 by Beverly Cleary (Realistic Fiction)

Summary: The novel opens with Ramona starting third grade and being excited about riding the school bus all by herself. At the same time, her older sister Beezus is enthusiastic about starting junior high, while their father begins taking college classes with a view to becoming a teacher.  Once Ramona arrives at school, she instantly clicks with her teacher, Mrs. Whaley ("a whale with a 'y' for a tail"), and starts signing her name, "Ramona Quimby, Age 8". But of course, as is normal for Ramona, things don't always go as planned. One day, she takes a hard-boiled egg to school for lunch. When she whacks it against her head to remove the shell as per a third-grade trend, she realizes it wasn't hard boiled and gets raw egg in her hair. She later overhears Mrs. Whaley talking about the incident in the staff room, commenting "What a nuisance". Ramona is shocked and upset that her teacher thinks of her like this. In another chapter, Ramona and Beezus claim not to like tongue because of "those yucky little bumps". As punishment for their comments, Mr and Mrs Quimby state that their two daughters should prepare the evening meal. The next day, Beezus and Ramona behave themselves in the hope that their parents will forget about their punishment. Unfortunately, Mr and Mrs Quimby remember and instruct the sisters to cook dinner. They prepare chicken thighs, rice and cornbread. However, they use some other ingredients because they ran out of the right ones. They use Cream of Wheat in the cornbread with the cornmeal, and banana yogurt and chili powder. They also make a mess of the kitchen. In another chapter, Ramona comes down with stomach flu and she does the "most terrible, horrible, dreadful, awful thing"; she throws up in front of everybody.  After Ramona recovers, she has hangups about a book report she is assigned to do, and comes up with a clever way to present it. Mrs. Whaley congratulates her warmly. Ramona confronts her teacher about the way she called her a nuisance. Mrs. Whaley replies that she meant it was a nuisance for the school secretary to have to wash the egg out of Ramona's hair. In the final chapter, the Quimbys are in a generally bad mood on a rainy Sunday, hardly a novelty in Oregon, complete with Beezus being upset over not being able to spend the night at her friend Mary Jane's house and Ramona being forced to clean up her room. So, to cheer everyone up, their father decides they should go out to dinner for the first time in months to Whopperburger, where the whole family realizes that a man, who had strangely asked Ramona if she's been nice to her mother, has paid for their meal, and they go home happy. Theme is family and school. I did not like this book much because it was boring and the plot line was not interesting enough for me. 

Junie B. First Grader (at Last!) by Barbara Park (Realistic Fiction)

Summary: Junie B. Jones just started First Grade and it is very different from Kindergarten. She doesn’t like first grade at first because her best friend Lucille from last year doesn’t want to be her best friend anymore and instead hangs with two twins, Camille and Chenille.  Plus her bus buddy, Grace from last year has a new buddy, so she sits with a boy named Herb, that she thinks she will like. During journal time, Mr. Scary, her teacher, took her down to the nurse’s office to test her eyesight and she ends up needing glasses. Junie was scared that everyone would react to her new glasses so she tried to whisper the news to Herb, but May the goodie girl started to yell at her to be quiet and Junie yelled her secret as she screamed at May. The next day Junie showed her glasses for Show and Tell. May laughed at her, but her friends Herb, Jose and Lennie all high-fived her. At the end she was happy to be in first grade. Theme is little children and school. I do not like this book because Junie B. never seems to be very polite and she’s always annoying. 

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney (Realistic Fiction) 

Summary: Greg Heffley just started middle school and has to suffer through the bullying, girls, his dorky friend Rowley and the dreaded Cheese Touch. Not only school is tough, but home as well because of his older brother Rodrick playing tricks on him and his younger brother Manny who gets away with everything. Greg loves video games and tried to run for class treasurer but his campaign signs were too mean.  Greg’s favorite holiday is Halloween so him and Rowley tried to make a haunted house in Rowley’s basement. It didn’t work out too well when a little boy was too scared to get out from under the bed and Rowley’s dad came down stairs and made Greg leave. On Halloween the boys dressed up as a knight with a lot of reflective tape and a pirate.  After hanging around their parents and little siblings the boys went off on their own but ran into a couple of high school bullies in their big truck who made fun of them and sprayed them with a fire extinguisher then chased them to Greg’s Gramma’s house. They safely got back home to be drenched from Greg’s dad and his trash can filled of water for the teenagers that come to his house. In November Greg and Rowley tried out for wrestling but Greg was put in the low weight class with Fregley, the weird kid.  He didn’t want to be defeated by him again so he asked his dad for a weight machine to get bulked up and gain pounds in muscle. His mom didn’t want to spend the time and money on the exercise machines so Greg made his own weights which didn’t work out too well. When that was over, Greg’s mom made him sign up to act in the Wizard of Oz play at school.  Greg was on of the trees in the forest seen with a singing part, but after seeing his older brother tape him from the crowd, he didn’t want to sing anymore and ruined the play by throwing an apple at the annoying girl playing lead, Patty Farrell. For Christmas Greg didn’t get anything he wanted because his video game was accidentally sent to the Giving Tree poor person instead. While Rowley road on the new big wheel from Christmas, Greg threw a football at him as a game, but Rowley fell off and broke his arm. At school, Rowley got all the fame and girls because of his injury and Greg was upset because he got nothing. Rowley and Greg then decided to work together on a comic strip for the school’s newspaper, but Rowley and Greg had different ideas.  Greg’s ended up winning, but the teacher edited the strip so much it made him look like a teacher’s pet and was then bullied for it.  The boys decided to join the Safety Patrol to miss some of their Math class, but Greg got in trouble when he had to take care of Kindergarteners when walking home.  It was raining so he borrowed Rowley’s jacket while he was taking a quiz, but Greg was caught terrorizing the children by Mrs. Irvine who thought it was Rowley.  This got Rowley in trouble with the principle and got him kicked off the Patrol for a week. Greg was caught and Rowley got a promotion for taking the blame. Rowley starts to hang out with Greg’s back up friend Collin and start to make matching T-shirts together with their faces on them.  Greg needs a new friend and the only one he can think of is Fregley.  She he decides to sleep over Fregley’s house, but he eats all of Greg’s candy and get a sugar high. Greg runs away in the bathroom to then get an apology note from Fregley with a booger on it which makes him run back home at 2am.  To get more friends, Greg tries to get a class favorite, but his new sub teacher is his mom and all of his plans fail.  Rowley’s comics end up being in the newspaper, unchanged, and this gets Greg mad.  Their peers than think they are going to fight, but it was interrupted by the teen boys from Halloween who make Rowley eat the Cheese. Greg takes the blame for touching it and Rowley gets Class Clown, but Greg has blackmail on him with eating the Cheese just incase he get a big head. Theme is surviving relationships with friends and family as well as school survival. I love this book because it is one of the only books that actually make me laugh out loud while I read it.

Superfudge by Judy Blume (Realistic Fiction)

Summary: Peter is a sixth grader who lives in New York City.  He has a little brother, named Fudge.  Peter’s mom tells him that she is going to be having another baby.  Peter worries the new baby will create the same problems that Fudge caused him, so he plans to run away.  Next his parents decide to move the family from the big city, to suburbs in Princeton, New Jersey.  First, Peter is worried that the new baby will turn out to be a pain like Fudge, but to his surprise his new baby sister Tootsie is actually charming.  The first new friend Peter makes is Alex, the boys start a business by collecting worms for their neighbor.  Peter is actually enjoying his new school, but is mad that Fudge is at the same school with him.  The story ends with the family making a big decision about what to do next; Move back to New York City or stay in Princeton, New Jersey.

Fantasy Books

Picture Books

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes (Fantasy) 

Summary: A mother and father mouse name their new daughter Chrysanthemum because she is the perfect baby with the perfect name.  She grows up to love how her name is said and drawn, until she goes to school.  Everyone makes fun of her name for being too long or sounding like a flower. Her parents try to calm her down after school and that night she has a wonderful dream that her name was Jane.  The next day at school, the girl mouse Victoria made fun of her for looking like a flower and wouldn’t let it go. After school she said to her parents that school wasn’t for her, but they think they are just all jealous of her perfect name.  They comforted her with more of her favorite foods, hugs, kisses and Parcheesi. That night she had a bad dream that she was a flower and Victoria was picking her petals. Even carrying all of her good-luck charms, Chrysanthemum was put as a daisy in the school play and made fun of again. Mrs. Twinkle then told the class that her first name was also long and a flower’s name, Delphinium.  Chrysanthemum then blushed, beamed and bloomed. Then all the girls that made fun of her name changed theirs to a flower and Chrysanthemum knew her name was perfect. The play went well from her but not Victoria who forgot her lines, and Mrs. Twinkle named her new baby Chrysanthemum. Theme is to expect other’s differences. I liked this book because it had a point that bullying is wrong and there is always karma.

The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper (Fantasy)

Summary: The little train was happy while running over the tracks because she had a lot of things to carry for boys and girls. This included; toy animals, giraffes, teddy bears, and even a baby elephant. Then there were dolls with blue eyes and yellow curls, brown eyes and hair, toy clown, cars, airplanes, tops, jack-knives, books, and puzzles. But that was not all, there was also food for the boys and girls to eat and drink. This included; oranges, apples, milk, spinach, peppermint drops, and lollipops. The train was carrying all of the wonderful things to the boys and girls on the other side of the mountain. All of the sudden the train stopped and she tried, but she couldn’t go another inch. The clown then saw a nice new engine and cried out for help, but the shiny new engine was not as nice and was not going to help. Next, a big strong engine came towards the little one and they asked him for help, but he was a Fright engine who pulls heavy trains, not little ones. The next train was old and rusty and he didn’t want to help because he was too tired and needed to rest. Everyone was ready to cry, but the clown found another train. A little engine showed up and they asked for help but she was not really big and has never been over the mountain before. Then the little blue engine said ‘ i think i can i think i can’ and tried her best to go over the mountain. They were up  up up and faster and faster until they reached the top. They all cheered as the little blue engine went down the mountain repeating “i thought i could’. Theme is to always keep trying. I loved this book because it was simple and teaches a good kindness lesson. 

Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein (Fantasy) 

Summary: It was bed time for the chicken, but he wanted a bed time story. Papa was going to read Hansel and Gretel but didn’t want the chicken to interrupt. Hansel and Gretel were going to go into the house, but the chicken interrupted and told them that she was a witch and they didn’t go in, so that was the end. Papa told the chicken to stop and he said he will for the next story. The next story was Little Red Riding Hood and he interrupted by telling Little Red to not talk to strangers, so she didn’t talk to the wolf and the story was over. Papa was mad that the chicken interrupted another story and wasn’t getting tired, so he made him go back to bed and try one more story. The next story was Chicken Little but the little red chicken told chicken little that the sky wasn’t falling; it was only an acorn, and the story was over. He said he was going to be good and fall asleep for the next story but they didn’t have anymore. Papa had the idea for the chicken to tell him a story. The chicken’s story was about trying to put Papa to bed, but nothing was working. During the chicken’s story, there was snoring and it was Papa interrupting this time. The chicken said goodnight and they last ‘the end’ picture was the two of the asleep. Theme is to not interrupt stories if you want to have them read to you. This story was really cute and funny, plus the pictures were well done; I liked it. 

The Magic Hat by Mem Fox (Fantasy)

Summary: Appeared a magic hat from out of town. The magic hat spun through the air and sat on the head of a toad, baboon, bear, kangaroo, and a giraffe. Then a wizard appeared with a sign that said STOP. He took a wand from his beard and turned all the animals back into people who were dazed and confused. Then when no one was looking, he walked out of town wearing the magic hat that made all the magic where ever it went. Theme is to believe in magic. This book was short and a little strange but funny, with good pictures. 

Swimmy by Leo Lionni (Fantasy)

Summary: In the corner of the sea all of the school of little fish were red expect one black one who swam faster was named Swimmy. One day a tuna fish swam through the school and ate all the red fish but Swimmy was fast enough to escape. He swam by myself, scared and lonely, until he found a rainbow jellyfish, a lobster, some strange fish, seaweed, an eel, and some sea anemones. Then he found a school of fish just like his old one, but they were too scared to move. Swimmy then came with the idea to all swim together like the biggest fish in the sea to scare the big ones away. They all swam close together and Swimmy was the eye of the fish. They swam in the cool morning water and the midday sun and chased all the bigger fish away.  Theme is to accept how you are, no matter what color. I liked this book because the pictures are amazing and the story is really cute. 

Chapter Books

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White (Fantasy) 

Summary: Fern Arable woke up in the middle of the night from a thunderstorm to walk outside to the barn to see her dad with 11 new baby pigs.  The one was a runt and wasn’t strong enough to feed so her dad was going to kill it, but Fern rescued it.  The two of them were inseparable. Fern named him Wilbur, feed him through a bottle and sang to him. The pig was getting too big to be a house pet, so they sent him to the Zuckerman’s farm. Wilbur didn’t want to be there because the other animals made him feel invisible. On the farm there was a horse named Ike, two cows named Bitsy and Betsy, leader of the flock of sheep named Samuel, and two geese Golly and Gussy who all ignored Wilbur. Wilbur wanted someone to play with so he asked the rat named Templeton. He didn’t want to play because all he did was be rude, gnaw, spy, eat and hide. That night while he said Goodnight to everyone, one voice finally answered him and told him they will meet tomorrow morning when the sunrises. When he woke up he meet the big gray spider named Charlotte. No one in the barn liked her as well, calling her names and being scared of her, but Wilbur didn’t seem to mind.  Wilbur and Charlotte could talk for hours. One day in the summer, Fern’s brother, Avery came into the barn and tried to capture Charlotte in a jar but Wilbur stopped him by tripping him. This made Avery step on Templeton’s rotten egg and stink up the barn, but Charlotte wasn’t complaining. Templeton told Wilbur some bad news after he saved Charlotte’s life.  Charlotte explained to Wilbur that Spring pigs are usually killed before Christmas to make ham and bacon but she promised him that she will save his life. Over night Charlotte thought of a perfect plan. She spun her web to make the words “Some Pig”, people came from all over the world to see it but soon forgot about it.  To live pass Christmas, Charlotte had to make another web with the word “Terrific” to save Wilbur’s life. The second word wasn’t enough and people came and gone, but the smokehouse was still getting prepared for the Christmas feast. To think of a better third word, Templeton looked through his stash of newspaper and found the perfect word, Radiant. Mr. Zuckerman announced to the third crowd that he was putting Wilbur into the County Fair.  Everyone thought he was saved from being a part of a meal.  Charlotte was getting weaker and weaker as the days went on, but he still made it to the fair to help Wilbur through the whole thing. Templeton also came for the food but he was tricked into helping for more words. At the fair, Fern was off with another boy and Wilbur was sad that she was growing up and the pig, Uncle, sat next to him was even bigger and stronger than himself. The next morning, Wilbur woke up to the word Humble. He didn’t think he deserved all of these words. He realized that Charlotte was sitting on something round and white. This was called a Magnum Opus and it held her eggs. Such great news was ignored when Wilbur realized the 1st place ribbon on Uncle’s pen. The judge’s decided the winner before seeing Charlotte’s web, losing them the competition. Right before they all went home, the judges saw the web and awarded the Zuckerman family with 100$, a handsome medal for Wilbur. While getting ready to go home, Charlotte was too weak to get into the car and this made Wilbur upset, but Charlotte was calm about her death and gave him her eggs to take care of. Back at the barn, Wilbur saw his first snow fall and waited for Charlotte’s 514 children to be born. One spring day, all the spider hatched and went on their way. This made Wilbur feel like he was losing his friend all over again. But after all the Goodbyes fading he heard three small voices say “Salutations!”. He told the three small spiders about their mom and told them that they will be best friends. Theme is friendship and kindness. I loved this book because it shows through animals, that anyone can be friends, no matter what size, shape or color. 

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien

Summary: Family of mice lived underground of a vegetable garden owned by a man named Mr. Fibbs Gibben. Mice move here when the living is hard and there aren’t enough food in the woods. Their house was a hollow cinderblock that was roomy and nice. Mrs. Frisby was single but was great a taking care of her children. Mrs. Frisby’s son Timothy became sick on a day in February. She wanted more and different food, but the grass area was a place for cats, but instead she searched around her house for anything. At the edge of the woods there was a stomp with a whole. There was something that looked like a leaf. She waited to see if there was anyone was there and saw it was corn, but she didn’t know why it was there because it was no where near the cornfield. Mrs. Frisby thought it was an animal that was shot, but she wanted the food and thought the animal wouldn’t miss it. She brought some corn home for breakfast, going back later for more with her children’s help. Theresa(the oldest) came first, then Martin (goodlooking one), then Cynthia(the dancer). Mrs. Frisby asked where Timothy was and asked Martin to get him, but he came back and said that he didn’t want the surprise food and didn’t feel good at all; plus, his forehead was warm. All of the children started to talk about moving day, but felt sad because they might not move if Timothy felt bad still. Timothy was always the first one of the season to catch a sickness and was not good at getting better. They offered him food, but he didn’t want any and fell asleep. The morning after they went to get more food, but on their way back, Theresa was sitting there with Timothy and crying. He could barely breathe and couldn’t talk. He was getting a lot worse. At the end of Chapter one they realize that Timothy must have medicine. Mr. Ages was a white mouse that lived across the farm behind a bricked walled house. Mrs. Frisby had to go into the winter and risk the trip to help her son, because he needed help. She was a fast as she could be and tried not to step on dried leaves and tried to find hiding spots just incase. From the seeds and leaves around Mr. Ages house, he made powders the saved the dying. He saved Timothy from a spider bite some time ago when Mr. Frisby was alive. There was no answer at Mr. Ages house so she waited for a half and hour and when he showed they talked about Timothy. She described Timothy’s symptoms and Mr. Ages said that he has pneumonia and needs to be kept warm. He took three packets of medicine and gave them to Mrs. Frisby. She asked if he will get better. He said that he will get better, but he might get it back if he gets cold again. In the beginning of Chapter three, Mrs. Frisby had to try and pick a safe and fast way to get home. The cat was called Dragon, he grew into his name as he turned to a scary monster that froze his victims where they stood. She thought about Timothy instead and how he was so nice to his youngest sister who was all over the place. As she was thinking this, she saw a crow that was trying to fly, but he had a string caught on his foot and couldn’t get out. He picked up the string because it was shiny and didn’t think he was going to get caught. As Mrs. Frisby was tried to get the string off the crow’s feet, he crow started to yell because the cat was coming closer. The string was cut loose and there was no where to hid so the crow told Mrs. Frisby to climb on top of his back to fly away to safety. The crow dropped off the mouse to her house. The crow named Jeremy told her that if she needed any help that he would be there. Chapter 4: When she got back she mixed the packets of medicine and woke up Timothy. The next couple of days he slept a lot still but he was a lot better. As Mrs. Frisby went back to the stomp where they found the food but could only think about moving day because if the groundhog sees his shadow and spring is coming, they have to move or the people will find them in the garden. Moving day also scared her because Timothy wasn’t allowed to move much and can’t be in the cold. On the way through the woods, she saw a shrew that she was friendly with. They talked about the owner of the garden and how he plows the winter ground before it was spring. As she was thinking about getting the key for the solution, she heard a horrible loud sound that shook her whole body. Chapter 5+6: She watched as Mr. FibbsGibbin and his sons Paul and Billy were setting up the trackers, but he turned them off and talked about ordering a new one and starting in 5 days. This worried Mrs. Frisby because Timothy needed 3 weeks to recover before moving and being in the cold. She saw the cat, but he was not giving her any attention and instead laid there and fell asleep. Behind the cat she saw a bunch of rats marching in a line and were carrying a long electric cable to the rose bushes, where their hole was. The rats were close to Dragon, but no one moved. Mrs. Frisby discovers that the farmer plans to start plowing in five days (earlier than she expected), and she doesn't know what to do. Jeremy tells Mrs. Frisby that she should ask the wise old owl what to do, and he would fly her there to see him. Chapter 7+8: At first the owl is reluctant to help Mrs. Frisby until he finds out that she is the widow of Johnathan Frisby. The owl suggests she seek help from the rats that live under the rose bush. Chapters 9+10: Terrified but brave, Mrs. Frisby goes to the rosebush to ask the rats for help. She meets a large rat named Brutus who doesn't want to let Mrs. Frisby see Nicodemus, but eventually he does when Mr. Ages tells him that she is the wife of Johnathan Frisby. Chapter 11-13: Once inside, Mrs. Frisby learns that the rats have electricity, lights, and an elevator underground. She meets Nicodemus, the rat leader, and then is taken to the library to wait for him. She also starts learning about the Plan of the Rats of NIMH. While in the library, she meets a girl rat named Isabella, who starts to tell her some things about life in the rat colony. Isabella also tells her about Jenner, who deserted the colony because he didn't agree with the Plan. Mrs. Frisby doesn't get to ask Isabella any more questions because Nicodemus comes in with Mr. Ages. They talk to Mrs. Frisby about moving her house and about the dangers of the cat, Dragon. She agrees to put powder in Dragon's food.  Chapters 14-17: Mrs. Frisby learns that her husband died putting powder in Dragon's food. Nicodemus also tells her about NIMH. He explains how the rats were caught and taken to a laboratory and given injections to speed up the training process. He tells the story of how Justin, a young rat, tried to escape one day.  Chapter 18-20: Nicodemus continues telling his story to Mrs. Frisby and includes how the rats learned to read, how reading signs helped the rats escape from NIMH, and how they escaped with Johnathan and Mr. Ages. He explains how they found a place to live, the Boniface Estate.  Chapter 21-23: Mrs. Frisby returns to the children and tells them the rats will help. She goes back to the rats the next day, and they show her the Main Hall and reveal their Plan. They want to become self-sufficient and live without stealing food. Nicodemus continues his story about Boniface Estate and a toy truck full of useful stuff they found, which was the catalyst for the Plan. He also explains how and why Jenner did not agree with the Plan.  Chapters 24-26: Mrs. Frisby goes to put the powder in Dragon's food bowl. While she is in the house, Billy, the farmer's son, catches Mrs. Frisby, using a colander as a net. He decides to keep Mrs. Frisby as a pet. While she is being held captive, she overhears a conversation about the Public Health Service coming to the farm to get the rats of NIMH. Justin comes and rescues Mrs. Frisby. When they get to the moving site, a shrew is standing in the way of allowing the rats to move Mrs. Frisby's house. After all the confusion is straightened out, the rats successfully move the mice's house.  Chapters 27-Epiloque: Mrs. Frisby goes to a meeting with the rats to discuss the men that may be coming for them. They devise a plan to fool the men if they are from NIMH and decide the time has come to move. A doctor came to get the rats, but they outsmarted him and escaped. Mrs. Frisby watches the scene unfold. It is thought that Justin died when the doctor tried to capture the rats. In the epilogue, Mrs. Frisby finally tells her children the truth about the rats of NIMH. Theme is telling the truth and survival. I liked this book more in the beginning than the end, but overall it is a really good book for children because it’s entertaining and interesting. 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (Fantasy)

Summary: The story begins with a description of the Dursleys, an utterly normal family in England, who are left with baby Harry Potter on their doorsteps. Aunt Petunia's sister Lily married James Potter and became a powerful couple in the wizard's world. They were killed by the evil Voldemort, leaving Harry with a large scar on his forehead and legacy as the only wizard to escape Voldemort alive. Head wizard Albus Dumbledore decides to have Harry grow up with the Dursleys until he is ready to attend Hogwarts, the premiere magic school in England. At age 11, Harry is whisked away to Hogwarts by the giant gamekeeper, Hagrid, to find himself lost amongst a new world of magic and power.  Hagrid takes Harry to Diagon Alley, where he retrieves some of his inheritance from Gringotts, the wizard bank, and purchases his books, wand, and robes from the Leaky Cauldron and Ollivanders. On the train to Hogwarts at platform Nine and Three Quarters, Harry meets his new friend Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Everyone is amazed to meet the famous Harry Potter. On the train Harry also meets Draco Malfoy, a boy with whom he develops a distrust and hatred. At Hogwarts, the children meet Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, and Quirrell, all professors and wizards. At the opening banquet, the Sorting Hat decides in which house the children live, sorting Hermione, Neville, Ron, and Harry into Gryffindor, and Draco Malfoy into Slytherin, the house run by Snape and known to have schooled Voldemort in years past.  Hermione busies herself with studies, Ron with chess, and Harry with learning about his family and powers. He becomes an expert at flying and is allowed to play Quidditch for Gryffindor's team. Draco Malfoy continually tries to get the Gryffindor kids in trouble, by setting them up and dragging them away from their beds at the wrong time. One day, Ron and Harry come across a large troll and rescue Hermione from death. From then on, the threesome spies on Snape and Quirrell and seek to discover the secrets at Hogwarts. They realize that the Sorceror's Stone is hidden by a three-headed dog at Hogwarts and is the secret to eternal life created by Nicholas Flamel. They believe Snape is the culprit behind the evil and try to stop him from destroying Harry and Hogwarts.  Meanwhile, Hagrid keeps an eye on Harry and looks out for him. They visit Hagrid and meet his new pet dragon, Norbert. Norbert causes problems for everyone, as dragons are illegal animals. The three send the dragon away to Romania under Harry's Invisibility Cloak and are discovered out of bed doing so. They are branded and punished with detention and stricken of fifty points each. As detention the kids must help clean up the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid. They find a unicorn slaughtered, with its blood scattered across the ground, and are frightened by an evil spirit. The good centaur Firenze flies Harry away from danger in the forest as soon as he discovers who Harry is.  Harry, Ron, and Hermione discover that Voldemort tricked Hagrid into revealing the method by which to get past the three-headed dog and to the Sorcerer's Stone. They rush past the dog, and through the chambers to stop Voldemort from killing Harry. Ron gets everyone past the life sized Wizard's Chess board, while Hermione breaks the riddle that allows Harry to proceed to the ultimate chamber under ground. He sees the Mirror of Erised, the same mirror that shows the hopes and dreams of the person who looks inside. He finds Quirrell in the chamber without his stutter. He admits to hosting Voldemort and trying to destroy Harry in the forest. When his turban is removed, Harry sees a double face on top of Quirrell's head - it is Voldemort, and he wants to use Harry to get the Stone and then kill him. Harry discovers the Stone in his pocket and tries to kill Voldemort/Quirrel until he blacks out.  Harry awakens in the infirmary to Dumbledore congratulating him. He saved the Stone, Hogwarts, and his own life. Because of his bravery and that of Hermione, Ron, and Neville, Gryffindor wins the House Cup for the year. Harry must go back to the Dursleys for the summer, but looks forward to all the magic he will practice and learn in the future. Theme of this book is survival and wizardry. I do not like this book because I thought it was boring and too long. 

Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel (Fantasy)

Summary: “Spring”: Frog went to Toad’s house and tried to get him up and out of bed to see the April sun shining on the melting winter snow, but Toad only wanted to sleep. Toad didn’t want to wake up until May, so Frog ripped off the all the pages of the calendar to have May showing and woke up Toad again to go have some fun. “The Story”: One day in summer Frog wasn’t feeling well, so Toad was going to tell him a story while he was resting. Toad couldn’t think of a story so he walk outside to come up with one, when that didn’t work he tried to stand on his head to find a story. He was on his head for a while, but that didn’t work. Toad tried to think of a story by pouring water on his head and banging his head on the wall, but Frog was already starting to feel better and gave the bed to Toad and wanted to tell him a story instead. The Frog told the story of everything the Toad tried to do to get a story and by the end the Toad was fast asleep. “A Lost Button”: One day Frog and Toad went for a long walk. During the walk Toad’s feet started to hurt and he realized he lost a button on his jacket. They retraced their steps to find the button. Frog cried out to Toad that he found it but it was black not white and put it in his pocket. Then a sparrow flew down and asked if he was missing a button he found but it had two holes not four. In the dark path they found another button, but it was too small. Next a raccoon came up to Frog and Toad with a button but it was square, not round but he took that one and put it in his pocket with all the rest. They found another one in the mud but it was too thin. Toad started to get mad that there were so many buttons but none of them were his and ran home. There, on the floor, was his button. Toad took all of the buttons he found that day and sewed them on his jacket and give it to Frog the next day. Frog was so happy about his new beautiful jacket that he jumped for joy, and none of the buttons fell off because Toad sewed them on really well. “A Swim”: Frog and Toad went to the river for a swim. Frog didn’t wear a bathing suit, but Toad did and didn’t want Frog to see him wearing it, so he made Frog close his eyes until he was in the water. The played in the water all afternoon until a turtle came along the riverbank.  Toad told Frog to tell the turtle to go away because Toad thought is looked funny in his bathing suit. Everyone including some lizards, a snake, two dragonflies and a field mouse wanted to see Toad in his funny bathing suit. Toad didn’t want to get out of the water but he started to get a cold. When he got out of the water everyone, even Frog laughed at him. Toad asked Frog what he was laughing about and he said that he did look funny. Toad said of course I do and picked up his stuff and walked home. “The Letter”: Frog went over to Toad’s house to find him sadly staring at his mailbox. Toad was sad that he never gets mail, so Frog said bye and rushed home. At home, Frog started to write a letter to Toad.  He gave it to Snail to take it to Toad’s house and put it in his mailbox right away. Frog ran back to Toad’s house and told him to look and wait for the mail, but Toad didn’t want to and the Snail hasn’t come yet. Toad asked Frog why he was looking at the window and Frog told him that he was waiting for the mail because he sent some. After four days of waiting, the Snail finally made it to Toad’s house and gave him the letter. This made Toad very pleased to have it. Theme of this book is friendship. I loved this book because it was one of my favorites when I was little. It has great picture and simple but perfect stories for little children. 

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Fantasy)

Summary: Main character Katniss lives in the world where they are the ‘Hunger Games’ at the Capitol.  Where two people from each of the 12 Districts fight to the death for the winner to become famous.  Katniss’s sister Prim was picked during the reaping but she took her place as tribute`. Katniss and the boy from her district Peeta start to fall in love and fight for the new rules that two people from the same District can win together.  They end up winning after killing their peers and surviving explosions and deadly animals (trackerjackers).  Gale Hawthorne is Katniss’s friend from home. Effie Trinket is the district escort, Haymitch Abernathy is the mentor for the district, Cinna is the stylist, Rue is one of the children from District 4 that Katniss draws a liking to. Caesar Flickerman is the interviewer. At the end of the book, Haymitch tries to make Peeta and Katniss look more like a couple by telling her what to do during the many interviews.  On their way back home, Peeta gives her flowers and this makes her think about Gale.  Peeta and Katniss start to argue about what Haymitch was doing and how Peeta now thinks their whole relationship was a fake, but Katniss is just confused more and more when she gets closer to home.  At the end of the book, Peeta grabs her hand and says “One last time for the audience”.  She doesn’t want to lose him already but is still confused about Gale. Theme of this book is survival, love and friendship. I loved this book, but at the end I started to lose interested because it was very predicable and started to bore me. 

The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey (Fantasy)

Summary: Characters George Beard and Harold Hutchins are responsible best friends that live next to each other and are in the same fourth grade class at Jerome Horwitz Elementary School who love to draw comics. These comics included the all-time greatest hero; The Amazing Captain Underpants. In the comics, the Captain was the super hero who saved the school from the Inedible Hunk. Mr. Krupp the meanest school principal in history did not like children in general, but especially Harold and George and their comics. The BIG prank that got the boys in trouble was putting pepper in the cheerleaders pompoms, bubbles in the bands instruments, filled the football with helium, replaced the football players lotion with itching cream, glued the bathroom door shut and put Sea-Monkey in the lemonade all at one football game. Mr. Krupp blackmailed the children by taping them doing every prank and made the boys do anything he wanted them to. After weeks of following his rules, the boys bought a 3D hypno-ring that made the principal think he was Captain Underpants and ran away to fight crime.  While chasing the Captain, they fought off some robbers, robots and the evil Dr. Diaper that was trying to take over the world with his Laser-Matic 3000 and Diaper-Matic 2000. The boys changed Mr. Krupp back into himself and took the blackmail, but whenever he hears snaps, he turns back into Captain Underpants. Theme is imagination vs. reality. I love this book because it is really entertaining and fun to read.