The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl

Reviewed by:Bronwen, age 8

the Magic Finger because it was pretty easy to read. It has no chapters at all. It is fantastic! There is so much imagination! 
It is by Roald Dahl, so it is amazing! when I read it changed my life with stories ! 

Genre: Fiction  

Setting: the Country

Introduction:the  Magic Finger is about a girl who has a magic finger and turns her friends into birds! They  make a nest and live in it then three giant ducks come and start living in their house!

 

Themes: Family, Friendship, 

Recommended Age: 7 and up, younger for read alouds

Rating: 5 stars

Other Books: The BFG,  The Twits, The Witches, and    George's Marvelous  Medicine, Matilda, James and The Giant Peach, and Charlie and The Chocolate Factory!

The BFG by Roald Dahl

Reviewed by: Bronwen, age 8 

I think you will love this book. It made me want to read more! It helps me want to be nicer to my siblings and family members.

Genre: Fiction

Setting: Giant Country and London, England

Introduction: A little girl named Sophie meets a friendly giant. He takes her to his home and she finds out that the other giants are much taller than her friendly giant. The other giants are also bullies who like to eat children. Sophie and the BFG try to trap the other giants so that they won't eat any more children.


Themes: Friendship, kindness, bullies, friends can be different

Recommended Age: 7-11

Rating: 5 stars

Other books : The Magic Finger, The Twits, The Witches, and    George's Magical Medicine, Matilda, James and The Giant Peach, and Charlie and The Chocolate Factory.

Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling

Reviewed by: Bronwen, age 8

I love this book because it inspires me to read more. My favorite characters are Hermione and Harry because they are smart and brave. I like Dumbledore because he is funny and wise and intelligent. I hope you love this book.

Genre: fiction

Setting: present-day England

Introduction:

Harry Potter is a eleven year old  boy who lives  with his horrible aunt  and uncle, but one day, his life changes ...

Themes: family, bravery, smart is good, magic

Recommended Age: 8 and up

Full Disclosure: none

Rating: 5 stars

Other Books:  Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Pottery and the Deathly Hallows

Freedom Factor by Gerald R. Lund

Reviewed by: Kimball, age 15

This book was a great read. The speculation of an America with no Constitution was interesting and eye-opening. This book was written in the 80s and it's startling to compare times then to times now, even with the Constitution. It also gave important insight into political corruption and how politicians use each other. The protagonist's controversial political views are also interesting, and I found myself wondering if some people who read this book today would think that the amendment his party proposes in the beginning would be a good one to actually add to the Constitution, and have to read the rest of the book to learn why it would not be.

Genre: fiction

Setting: America

Introduction:

Bryce Sherwood is a dedicated proponent of the 29th amendment bill, proposed to "give government  back to the people." It would allow congress to pass a vote of no-confidence in the president and oust him if he creates an impasse between the legislative and executive branches. Sherwood does not realize how this affects the system of checks and balances, and believes the Constitution should be updated. But then he meets Leslie Adams-- a member of the Save the Constitution group and an outspoken opponent of the bill. Despite their differences, they find themselves falling in love. But Bryce hasn't changed his mind in the least, and so drastic measures are taken. Nathaniel Gorham, a little-known founding father from Massachusetts, comes from the spirit world to show Bryce the error of his ways. Gorham gets into Bryce's personal life-- he appears on Good Morning America in an episode only he can see, he shows up at dinner during an important speech he attends, and ultimately ruins his relationship with Leslie, all the time attempting to teach and lecture him about the bill's effects and the importance of the Constitution. When all else fails, Gorham transports Bryce to an alternate reality. Bryce doesn't know why things are so different: the police are so oppressive, the borders are different (the original colonies are no longer part of the United States) and the Declaration of Independence has a death sentence attached to it. When Bryce finally finds Gorham again, he learns the horrible truth about the universe he has been roughly ejected into: the Constitution of the United States was never ratified.

Themes: know when you're being used, the Constitution is vital to freedom, checks and balances hold the entire Constitution together

Recommended Age: 13

Rating: 5 stars

Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue by Tom Angleberger

Reviewed by: Kimball, age 15

This book was the conclusion of the FunTime story arc in the Origami Yoda series. The ending is brilliant

and the message is stronger than before. This book will change your perception of characters from the previous books. This book also directly links its analogous "FunTime" program (a parody of Common Core) with Common Core itself by stating that FunTime meets the Common Core standards. I think this book does a very good job of forcefully expressing the author's views in a non-partisan way.

Genre: fiction

Setting: McQuarrie Middle School

Introduction:

Someone has stolen Tommy's latest case file and given it to Rabbski in an attempt to prove the Origami Rebel Alliance are the good guys. The mysterious person's notes to the principal are pasted throughout the book-- but if Rabbski doesn't listen to them, the students are in huge trouble.
The students have won a major victory against the FunTime Menace-- but it doesn't feel major anymore. Nothing's really changed, because they're still watching FunTime and haven't gotten their electives back. Rebels are losing resolve and support for the Origami Rebellion is dropping. And to make matters worse, Origami Yoda's advice starts taking a turn for the dubious. He wants them to show the case file to their evil principal! But they can't follow or ignore the usually wise puppet's advice, because someone steals it anyway, and the one question in Tommy's mind is-- who?

Themes: don't judge people until you really know them, standardized curriculum is not a good thing, stand by your friends

Recommended Age: 12 and up

Full Disclosure:

There is a controversial chapter in the book in which the word "gay" is used. Two bullies pick on Murky for wearing a pink shirt. They prank him so that he doesn't end up getting into the school picture. Tater Tot, who knows these bullies, tells Sara about it, and the students Photoshop Murky into the school picture and give the bullies pink shirts. The reason the author included this chapter was because of an incident from his own childhood in which a friend was bullied in the same way, and the story didn't have the happy ending as shown in the book. The chapter's message is that people should be tolerant of others, not whether homosexuality is right or wrong.

Rating: 4 stars

Other Books:  The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, Darth Paper Strikes Back, The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee, The Surprise Attack of Jabba the Puppett, Emperor Pickletine Rides the Bus

Empire by Orson Scott Card

Reviewed by: Kimball, age 15

This book was an exciting political novel about America's second civil war, fought in the present day. It

opens the eyes to the political biases of present-day America and the premise is very likely given how divided the two major political parties in America are on almost all subjects. 

Genre: Political fiction

Setting: Near future

Introduction:

Reuben Malich is a soldier in the army who is willing to do anything for his country. When he is called to devise a plan to assassinate the president, he reluctantly complies. But instead of being analyzed and prevented, as was the plan, terrorists intercept the plans and carry it out before it can be countered, killing the president and a long chain of officials who would have stepped in to serve the rest of his term in office. With the news defaming Rube and his new protoge, Bartholomew "Cole" Coleman, the terrorists begin their attack on America's government, and reveal that they are in fact not foreign terrorists but disgruntled American radicals who want to "restore" America to its proper state, and make it their mission to overthrow the President and eliminate as many non-civilians as they can. Can two soldiers and their small band of veterans protect America from this new movement? Or will America's history forcefully change course?

Themes: reject extremes of both sides rather than only your own, know the difference between a revolution and a civil war

Recommended Age: 15 and up

Full Disclosure: There is language in this book. It is also very violent and political. There are heroes and villains from both the right and left wing; however, I feel this book is more likely to offend liberals as ultimately the villain mastermind is a radical Democrat.

Rating: 4 stars

The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee by Tom Angleberger

Reviewed by: Kimball, age 15

This is the third book in the Origami Yoda series. This book foreshadows the evil Common Core-type program that will be implemented in the next book as a primary antagonist. 

Genre: fiction

Setting: McQuarrie Middle School

Introduction:

Dwight Tharp has changed schools, and that means his friends won't have the guidance of Dwight's paper Yoda to help them get through the school year. And it is a time when they need Jedi wisdom the most. Mysterious things are happening. Teachers are packing up their classrooms more than seems necessary for Christmas vacation. Something about "FUN-damentals" is somehow involved, but none of the kids know what it's about. But the students aren't just worried about that-- they're worried about the mistakes they'll make without Origami Yoda and how bored they are without Dwight's weirdness.
But in a way, they still have Dwight with them. Dwight's neighbor Sara brings a new puppet to school one day, folded by Dwight: A paper Chewbacca. The Fortune Wookiee gives great advice just like Yoda-- but Harvey smells a rat. And from what they hear of Dwight, he's becoming less like Dwight every day. He's almost... normal. Can the kids at McQuarrie save their friend from becoming boring, and find out why everything's changing-- and how the Fortune Wookiee is as wise as Yoda?

Themes: stay weird because being weird is better than being normal, education should not be limited to the fundamentals

Recommended Age: 9 and up

Rating: 4 stars

Other books: The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, Darth Paper Strikes Back, The Surprise Attack of Jabba the Puppett, Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue, Emperor Pickletine Rides the Bus

Of Mice and Men by Jon Steinbeck

Reviewed by: Kimball, age 15

I read this book in ninth grade. It was a good read. The characters are thought-provoking and original.

Genre: fiction

Setting: Soledad California area, pre-Civil War

Introduction:

George and Lennie are two men looking for work. George is a thin, cynical man and Lennie is a mentally handicapped, childlike oaf. Both dream of having their own farm (with soft rabbits that Lennie can pet.) Due to a blunder of Lennie's in which he attempted to feel a woman's dress (because of his love of soft things) the two are thrown out of town for attempted rape. The two bindlestiffs head out to Soledad to find new jobs on a ranch. Though they find the job they are looking for, the boss's son Curly is antagonistic to the newcomers because of his lack of height, posing a threat to Lennie, who could easily hurt Curly by accident if Curly starts to bully him. In addition, Curly's flirtatious wife is very pretty and has soft hair, and Lennie soon incurs Curly's jealousy. George and the two other ranch hands, Slim and Candy, must do all they can to stop Lennie from accidentally hurting anyone so that they can achieve their goals.

Themes: No man is an island, know your own strength, be compassionate

Recommended Age: 14 and up

Full Disclosure: There is lots of profanity in this book, and there is also racism. However, the racism is not glorified. There is also mention of sexual activity but none actually described or taking place in scenes in the book.

Rating: 4 stars

Darth Paper Strikes Back by Tom Angleberger

Reviewed by: Kimball, age 15

These books get better as they go on, and even though it's targeted at a young audience the message is a powerful one. This book is the one where the series begins to examine our education system and the corruption in school boards. This book will make you want to be more involved in your school's affairs. Kids should have a say in their own education.

Genre: fiction

Setting: McQuarrie Middle School

Introduction:

It's the dawn of a new era as seventh grade begins. But not the one anyone was expecting. Origami Yoda should be able to help people get through the school year and everything will be awesome. But then a new puppet appears-- wielded by Origami Yoda's nemesis, Harvey Cunningham. When Origami Yoda says something that gets Dwight signed up for long-term suspension and reassignment to a correctional/remedial facility, Darth Paper makes sure that everything Tommy says to defend Dwight and prove his innocence is torn down by Harvey's cynical, coldly logical dark side rebuttals. If Tommy can't convince the school board that Origami Yoda didn't mean what he said the way they take it to, then Darth Paper will rule the school.

Themes: take a stand, beware the dark side, everything happens for a reason

Recommended Age: 8 and up

Full Disclosure:

I would not advise dating before sixteen, but this book portrays it favorably.

Rating: 4 stars

Other Books:  The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee, The Surprise Attack of Jabba the Puppett, Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue, Emperor Pickletine Rides the Bus

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

Reviewed by: Kimball, age 15

I read this book a while ago and it got me interested in origami. The Origami Yoda series is a great series and towards the end of the series it has some very poignant things to say about our education system.

Genre: Fiction

Setting: McQuarrie Middle School

Introduction:

Dwight is a loser. It's not an insult, it's just a fact. He's weird and has no friends and doesn't seem to know or care either way. But Dwight's really good at origami; it's a talent the other students don't notice until he folds an origami Yoda puppet. Being the embarrassing loser kid he is, he insists that people talk to it. But the strange thing that suddenly makes Dwight one of the most popular kids in the school is that Origami Yoda, like the real Yoda, can predict the future.

Dwight's friend Tommy has an important decision to make and he's trusted Origami Yoda with it. But he needs to know for sure if Origami Yoda can really use the Force if he's going to go through with it. And with his other friend Harvey making a good case against Origami Yoda's legitimacy, it's not easy to decide whether to trust Dwight's green paper puppet.

Themes: know who your friends are, have faith in the things you believe in, stay weird because being weird is better than being normal

Recommended Age: 8 and up

Full Disclosure: I would not encourage dating before 16, and this book does.

Rating: 4 stars

Other Books:  Darth Paper Strikes Back, The Secret of the Fortune Wookie, The Surprise Attack of Jabba the Puppet, Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue, Emperor Pickletine Rides the Bus.

Nora's Picks of the Week

Two year old Nora can (almost) always be convinced to cooperate if we offer to read a book. Here are her favorites this week:

This one is a library book and new to us. It's a cute story from an illustrator we love.

We have had Moo Moo, Brown Cow for years and it continues to be a favorite of my littles.

Looking for new shoes to wear to a party, the girls try on every pair in the store before deciding that they'll just glam up the shoes they already have. Fun rhythm and rhyme and lots of shoes to look at. 

Christian themed author Max Lucado's books are uber-popular. This one teaches that our value comes because we are God's children and creations, not based on what others think of us. I may not be popular for saying so, but I feel like his books are a bit heavy-handed for my taste in terms of driving their point home. However, they are points that I want my kids to internalize and perhaps heavy-handed isn't a bad thing in these situations. So when Nora picks this one, I sigh a little because I am very tired of it, but I read it anyway because I want her to know her individual worth and divine nature.

"When Did You See Her Last?" by Lemony Snicket

Reviewed by: Henry, age 13

Lemony Snicket has done it again with his witty jokes, strange mysteries, and even more odd characters, like two underage taxi drivers, two police officers who can't help bickering about everything, and a lady who is good with a knife. I loved it.

Genre: Fiction

Setting: A small not-seaside-anymore town called Stain'd-by-the-Sea

Introduction:

Another mystery has come up in Stain'd-by-the-Sea. A young scientist has gone missing. Lemony Snicket and his impossible chaperone, Theodora, are on the case. But Something else is brewing. Could this be connected to the Hangfire case?

Themes: Family, friends, cleverness solves the problem

Recommended Age: 10 and up, younger if read aloud.

Full Disclosure: Nothing I can think of

Rating: 5 stars

Other Books:  "Who Could that be at This Hour?", "Shouldn't you be in School?", "Why is this Night Different from All Other Nights?"

The Great Brain series by John D. Fitzerald

Reviewed by Ian, age 10

I thought it was an entertaining book full of crazy deals that only Tom could pull off.

Genre: Memoir/autobiography

Setting: rural Southern Utah, early 1900s

Introduction: J.D.'s brother, Tom, can swindle a man of anything. when a new teacher beats Tom for no reason, everyone knows he will regret it... Stories here from John D. Fitzgerald's childhood with a large family. Tom charges all the kids in town to come see their new flushing toilet and finds other ways to live up to his nickname, The Great Brain.

Themes: Kid power, family, smart is good, country life

Recommended Age: 9-13

Full Disclosure: Nothing objectionable

Rating: 5 stars

Other Books: More Adventures of the Great Brain, Me and My Little Brain, The Great Brain at the Academy, The Great Brain Reforms, The Return of the Great Brain, The Great Brain Does It Again, The Great Brain is Back.          

Shadow Puppets by Orson Scott Card

Reviewed by: Kimball, age 15

This is the third book in the Shadow saga by Orson Scott Card. It was a bit mushy at times but like a book with geniuses in it, it has puzzles for the reader to scratch their heads over as they watch the protagonists figure them out. My favorite one is the double email where the second half is entirely composed of scriptures. Orson Scott Card is a very clever author.

Genre: Sci-fi

Setting: Present-day Earth, Space

Introduction:

Peter Wiggin is now Hegemon of Earth-- and now he's rescued Achilles, the most dangerous, psychotic ex-street urchin from a Chinese prison camp. Peter thinks he can use him to his own purposes and keep him from killing anyone, but Bean knows better. Achilles is a monster who kills anyone who sees him helpless; to have him rescued from a prison (earning his "gratitude") is to have a death sentence. As Achilles corrupts the Hegemony from under Peter's stubborn, arrogant nose, Bean and Petra resign from the Hegemony and go into hiding from Achilles. Bean has a rare condition called Anton's Key-- he is the most brilliant person on Earth, but now he is also one of the tallest, when he used to be the smallest. His brilliance costs him years of his life; he'll just keep growing and growing until he dies around twenty. He doesn't want to have children and leave Anton's Key in their DNA-- but Petra has other plans and knows that everyone must leave a legacy in their children. And Achilles knows that if any of Bean's children have Anton's Key, they will be the most powerful humans on Earth, and he can't let an opportunity like that get away from him.

Themes: Family is the meaning of life, know thine enemy, 

Recommended Age: 14 and up

Full Disclosure:

There is swearing in this book. There are also sex references, but no actual sex (Bean is trying to have kids by testing the embryos in a lab and implanting the ones without Anton's key in his wife to be born, so that he doesn't pass on his curse.)

Rating: 4 stars

Other Books:  Ender's Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon, Shadow of the Giant, Ender in Exile, Shadows in Flight

Margaret's Corner

Margaret is our sunshiny nearly 6 year old. She just finished kindergarten and loves books. We try to find books that are well-written but still at her reading level. Here are a couple she has been reading this week:

We love Poppleton for his silly but relatable ways. There are several Poppleton books out there that we have and enjoy reading. 

We recently discovered Iris and Walter and are having fun discovering what they like.

Margaret's pick this week for a read aloud? Anything from Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle!

I loved them as a little girl, and I love them as a mom, too, as it gives me a chance to talk to my kids about the bad manners and bad habits that children often pick up and need to break. This week, we've read The Slow-Eater-Tiny-Bite-Taker Cure, the Crybaby Cure, and the Bad Table Manners Cure.