Squish #5: Game On!

Squish #5: Game On!
By: Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm

Random House Books for Young Readers (May 28, 2013)

Like all the other Squish books, I couldn’t put it down.

I recommend this Book for ages 8 through 11.

Summary:

Squish gets really obsessed with this video game (like really obsessed, like how I’m obsessed with One Direction), and pays attention to nothing else. When Squish fails a Moby Dick project, he starts getting concerned about his life, and decides

to stop playing the game for a while.  --N.

Hilda and the Bird Parade

Hilda and the Bird Parade
by Luke Pearson
Flying Eye Books (April 2, 2013)

review copy from the public library

Summary: Young, blue-haired Hilda had moved to the city, and her mother will no longer allow her to venture out. Her friends come to fetch her, though. They show her the ‘best places.' After they hurt a bird, Hilda forgets about them and becomes friends with the bird instead. Hilda soon realizes she is lost, and the bird realizes he has lost his memory (he can talk). In the end, Hilda finds her mother, and the bird remembers who he is. Someone important.

What I liked best: Wow. First off, I'd like to thank the librarian who helped me get this book. When she said the publishers did a good job, I didn’t know it was going to be this amazing! The plot wasn’t very big, but it was still a great read. I loved how the text changed, and how the images overlapped. All in all, it was simply amazing.  --SA

The Popularity Papers: The Awesomely Awful Melodies of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang

The Popularity Papers: The Awesomely Awful Melodies of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang

by Amy Ignatow

Amulet Books (March 5, 2013)

review copy from the public library

Summary: Lydia and Julie are back from their road trip, and ready to start the seventh grade!! Lydia decides she wants to start a rock band and become a pop star. Julie agrees, but only after Lydia promises this is not another disaster to make them popular. Add in Roland and Jane, and you’ve got the Macramé Owls! None of them really know how to play their instruments, though. But you can still rock on anyways!!

What I Liked Best About This Book: Honestly, I didn’t read the last book in the Popularity Papers, so I was a little behind and completely confused on why Lydia’s hair was now all blue. AND MELODY WAS BEING NICE, YOU GUYS!! That is a big deal. I am not even joking. Anywho, it was a great read and I enjoyed it. Looking forward to more Popularity Paper books!  --SA




Here we go again. Lydia and Julie are back from their road trip, and about to turn 13. Seventh grade is going to be different, because Julie and Lydia have started a band. With Jane as another singer, and Roland playing a weird-thingy-like-a-violin, the band is the talk of the whole school. But--there is one problem. None of them know how to play, and even with lessons The Macrame Owls sound… horrible. Will this just be another popular failed plan? Or will The Macrame Owls find a way to rock?

Review: I just love the Popularity Papers for many, many reasons! First of all, you don’t know what the book is exactly. It’s not a comic, or chapter book. It’s just a mix of everything combined together. Second, it never gets boring. The books always have something going on. This book has to be one of my favorites because everyone has changed and things are getting very interesting. I can’t wait for the next book to come out. I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars, because it’s a fun book to read.  --SS

Bean Dog and Nugget: The Ball

Bean Dog and Nugget: The Ball
by Charise Mericle Harper
Knopf Books for Young Readers (May 14, 2013)
Review copy from the public library

This book is pretty weird… but that’s what makes the book AWE-SOME! I recommend this book to early readers because it doesn’t have much words. This book is a simple read, but it’s very enjoyable!

This book is about Beandog (an oval figure) and Nugget (a circular figure) trying to get a ball back.

Beandog got a new smooth and shiny ball, he went to show it to Nugget. Beandog wanted to play catch but threw it at Nugget when she wasn’t ready. The ball got “stolen” by a big, green and scary bush. They tried, and tried to get the ball back but nothing was working. In the end, Beandog and Nugget got the ball back by dressing up as a hero, and a ninja, and by hitting the bush with a rake and a broom. --NA

The Smurfs Anthology

The Smurfs Anthology
by Peyo
Papercutz (June 25, 2013)

review copy from the public library

The Smurfs Anthology is 6 stories about the Smurfs and it a graphic novel. I think it cool how the problems or situations get fixed. If you like the Smurfs, you should read it.

P.S. It isn’t like the movie that much. --Fu

Gum Girl: Chews Your Destiny

Gum Girl: Chews Your Destiny

by Rhode Montijo

Disney-Hyperion (on shelves July 9, 2013)

review ARC provided by Cover To Cover Bookstore

I recommend this book for third to forth graders. It was a good short read, very enjoyable

This book is about Gabby Gomez and her addiction to gum. Her mom restricted her from chewing gum because her habit. Even though Gabby is restricted from gum, Gabby has on small piece of mighty-mega ultra-stretchy super-duper extenda- bubble bubble gum, and blows a bubble and turns into Gum Girl! She saves crime and fights for justice! --N.

Poseidon: Earth Shaker

Poseidon: Earth Shaker
by George O'Connor
First Second, on shelves March 13, 2013
review copy provided by the publisher

Poseidon: Earth Shaker is about stories about Poseidon. We thought it was really a good book. One story was about Odysseus, his cleverness ended the Trojan War. It also tells about his son Theseus, who killed the Minotaur. The book has Greek mythology and it is kind of confusing so we would rate it a 4 star book. All the Greek mythology tries to prove the world's features. --K and --U

Babymouse Extreme

Extreme Babymouse
by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm
Random House, 2013
review copy from classroom library

Extreme Babymouse was a really good book! I reccomend this book for all ages really. In one part of the book Babymouse mentions Lunch lady! In parts of the book Babymouse imagined herself as “Humty-Mouse”, “Babyladdin”, and also “Babylocks”! --N