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100% written and illustrated by kids ages 6-13

Book-Reviews


By

Matched

Matched, by Ally Condie; Speak (an imprint of Penguin Books): New York, 2011; $9.99 Part of leading your own, individual life is choosing whom you love and where you work. Imagine how drab and strict life would be if someone controlled that and decided when you died. If there is even one rebellious bone in your body, you probably would have despised a life like that. You cannot call a life your own until you control it, which everyone has the right to do. At least, nowadays. But in this futuristic novel, things are a little bit different, and Cassia Reyes isn’t exactly appreciative of that fact. Along with trying to deal with the order and rigidness of the Society’s harsh rules, Cassia is falling in love with someone she is not supposed to. This is like committing a crime. She knows what she’s doing is wrong, but she has to see the poetic, spiritual boy she fell in love with. This is when her rebellious side kicks in. Cassia finally realizes that the Society can’t make her into someone she’s not. This is where she and I share a trait. I am not just a lump of clay that someone can barge in on and mold me into someone I’m not, and neither is Cassia. I’m my own person, and so is everyone. Even if all your rights are taken away, you still have that. And with being your own person comes the capability to be with anyone your fate chooses. I love how the author uses poetry, passion, and desperation to bring the two characters together. Usually, I’m not into romance, but there’s something deeper and more indescribable than love in this book. Even when they’re apart, they’re still together; they’re inside each other’s hearts and minds. I think everyone and anyone can learn something vital from this. What I learned from this is that you don’t have to be near someone to be close to them. If you truly know them, then they’re on your mind all day and all night, even when you’re sleeping. Surviving without them simply isn’t an option. I learned that a relationship doesn’t just happen. It takes time, and that time should be spent together. It’s not about the appearance of the person nor anything else, except what they have to offer you, and if they’ll accept your offering. The foundation of a relationship is like a building. You construct the base with sturdy bricks, because you need to know if you can trust this person. If you can, the second floor is more lenient, and less broad than the first. Then you keep building up and the connection blossoms. You don’t just know straight away either. Cassia doesn’t realize she loves this boy at first. All he did was teach her to write, a forbidden concept in the Society, guide her through all her troubles, spend time with her, and admire her. But if that’s not love, I don’t know what is. If you want to see a powerful relationship built off of destiny and thrive off of forbidden actions, this is the book for you. Kira Householder, 12Scottsdale, Arizona


By

18 Things

18 Things, by Jamie Ayres; Curiosity Quills Press: Reston, Virginia, 2012; $14.99 Jamie Ayres has written an inspiring story about overcoming grief. In 18 Things, teenager Olga Gay Worontzoff suffers through depression after her best friend since kindergarten is fatally struck by lightning on their sailing trip. Olga feels responsible for his death, and that lie leads her to swallow an entire bottle of pain pills. Her worried parents send her to counseling, where her therapist has her create a bucket list of eighteen quests to complete the year of her eighteenth birthday. Through Olga’s bucket list, she manages not only to grow as a person, but to help heal the grief stricken hearts of those around her. I loved reading this book because it truly shows that even when something bad happens, you can turn it into something amazing. 18 Things also inspired me to write my own bucket list. It showed me that life is a fragile thing, and it can end at any second. That’s why bucket lists are important, so that even if we do die, we’ll be happy with the life we lived. While Olga’s list only consisted of eighteen things, mine ended up being eighty-five things. After reading this novel, I realized there were so many items on the to-do list of my life I wanted to experience. Because of my list, I rode my first roller coaster, went ice skating and roller skating, climbed a rock wall, carved my name into a tree, competed in a mud run, sent a message in a bottle, learned to ride a bike, and so much more. I even took some things off Olga’s list, like watching a meteor shower, spent a day following what a Magic 8 Ball said, and started watching the one hundred greatest movies of all time. I’m still working on completing my bucket list, but the experiences I’ve had so far have been out of this world. My bucket list helped me overcome my fears and accomplish things I never dreamed I was capable of. 18 Things was a wake-up call to me. Before reading this book, I was just living every day going through the motions. Now, I am truly living to the fullest, and I’ve learned to appreciate every minute of life. Not only has 18 Things affected my life, but the life of those around me. I’ve lent this book to nearly all my friends at my school, and they’ve loved the story, too. Every single one of them has rushed to make their bucket list after reading it. The only thing I didn’t like about 18 Things was the ending, and not because the resolution wasn’t good. It just made me cry so hard! I couldn’t believe the author ended the story in such a way, not after everything that happened. Although I had my suspicions about the ending all along, when it struck like lightning, it was like a part of me died. I don’t know if the ending was necessary, but I’m confident the author will find a way to weave the plot twist perfectly into her next installments of the trilogy in more unexpected ways. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Olga, Nate, and all my other favorite characters. 18 Things is my all-time favorite book, and I recommend the novel to readers of all ages who enjoy coming-of-age love stories with paranormal twists. If you do read 18 Things, be ready to laugh, cry, and have your whole world turned upside down. Kaylee Ayres, 13Cape Coral, Florida


By

Counting by 7s

Counting by 7s, by Holly Goldberg Sloan; Dial Books for Young Readers: New York, 2013; $16.99 Twelve-year-old Willow Chance, who is fascinated by and knowledgeable about plants and medical conditions, has enough to deal with starting a new middle school with no friends and being accused of cheating on an important test before her parents die in a car crash. She soon finds that not only her world is changed after her parents’ sudden, tragic death, but her personality as well. Willow no longer finds herself indulging in her old habits—counting by sevens (her lucky number), charting home-grown sunflowers’ percentage of germination, or even checking the time of day. The summary on the back cover of the book states that “the triumph of this book is that it is not a tragedy.” After reading the first twenty or so chapters of the book, I couldn’t say I agreed with this. Willow was completely devastated after losing the only family she ever knew—who wouldn’t be? But as I proceeded to read the rest of the book, I found that the statement was true. Willow’s story is not a tragedy. Instead, the plot focuses on how she puts herself back together, piece by piece, until she finally returns to her old self. I have come across several books in which the protagonist has been orphaned, but none that feature this unusual way of bringing realism to the narrative. When I finished this book, I wasn’t left with the same sense of emptiness I’ve experienced with other books. I left Willow with compassionate, understanding people who care for her. I do miss the characters, but I don’t feel the need to read more and more about what happens, as the ending is positive and satisfying. However, what I enjoyed most of all about this book was how well written it was. In the first page, the balance between rich description and the flow of action really pulled me in. The opening scene, which includes speaking in Vietnamese and eating ice cream with the school counselor at the Foster’s Freeze, left me wondering and motivated to read more. The chapters flip between first-person narration from Willow’s perspective and third-person narration, giving the reader a viewpoint of what’s going on in Willow’s opinion and what’s happening in the rest of the world. The author is so insightful about seeing the world through Willow’s eyes that I can easily relate to her in many ways as a twelve-year-old myself. Willow’s story possesses another unique quality that many books lack—there is no “bad guy,” bully, or even unkind person in her story. Instead, Willow’s villain is her own misery. This makes the book even more realistic. Willow does not need to humiliate, stand up to, or get revenge on anyone to be able to fix her life—she has to overcome her enemy by achieving happiness and returning to her old personality, or, as she puts it, “the Old Me.” As new characters are introduced throughout the book, the author includes Willow’s first impressions and, over time, subtly points out their strengths, weaknesses, and traits. Through many interactions, the reader learns to like the characters, each in their own way. The characters who are important enough for Willow to get to know are compassionate people, at least on the inside. I think Counting by 7s is a worthwhile read because the uniqueness and realism of the plot and characters is well-matched with the compelling narrative. Isabel Folger, 12Santa Cruz, California