I like The One And Only Ivan because it is from an animal's perspective. Ivan is a gorilla who is in captivity (not a zoo.) Ivan wants to be free, Ivan wants to live in a nice zoo. Ivan is not able to tell people that he is unhappy. Will Ivan ever be free? I really like this book, and hope you will too.

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Grades 3-6
Tags: animals, realistic, fast-paced, friendship, tear-jerker
Reviewed by Adelaide W.

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell is about two kids who fall into a book. The book takes them to another dimension: the fairy-tale-world. Alex and Conner (the kids) must get back to their family, but when their plans of returning fail they have to find another way home.

The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer
Grades 3-6
Tags: adventure, animals, fairy tales, fantasy, friendship, humor
Reviewed by Adelaide W.

The Miscalculations Of Lightning Girl is about a girl who got struck by lightning when she was little. During school she has to do a group project for community service. Her group decides to volunteer at the animal shelter. While volunteering there she falls in love with a dog, but she can't adopt it because the apartment she lives in doesn't allow dogs. Will she and Pi (the dog's name) ever be able to be together? I love this book and hope you love it too.

The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy Mcanulty
Grades 4-6
Tags: animals, realistic fiction, friendship, tear-jerker
Reviewed by Adelaide W.

I really like this book because it is full of adventure, horses and friends. if you like to read about horses then this is definitely the book for you!
P.S. it also has drama in it too.

Canterwood Crest series by Jessica Burkhart
Grades 4 & 5
Tags: adventure, animals, friendship, romance
Reviewed by Kate

I really like this book because it is based on a girl and her parents who immigrated to American from China. They end up running a motel owned by a man named Mr. Yao. The girl then goes to school and meets a friend named Lupe. Lupe's dad fixes the TV and internet at the motel. Mia (the girl) goes on many adventures throughout the book and there is never a dull moment with Mia and her friends. I love this book and I hope you love it too.

Front Desk by Kelly Yang
Grades 4th - 6th
Tags: realistic fiction, friendship
​Reviewed by Kate B.

Aven has a great personality that will make you laugh. Dusti Bowling does a great job of show how it is to be a middle schooler. Don't forget Aven is disabled, so that puts a lot on her shoulders. 

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling
Grades: 5th & 6th
Tags: adventure, contemporary/realistic, friendship, mystery
Reviewed by: Kate B.

Jonah is a seventeen year old boy who has lived in Verona Cove his whole life. His whole family fell apart when he tragically lost his beloved father to a heart attack. Now, his mother barely gets out of bed, and he is left to take care of his younger siblings. Vivi just pranced into Verona Cove and is immediately in love. It seems like a perfect, beautiful, summer escape from a harsh past. Each character tries to hide away from old wounds, and falling in love seems like a perfect way to do it. When these two teenagers find each other, their summer takes a whole new route.
Emory Lord artfully touches upon the sensitive subjects of mental illness while gracefully weaving in teenage romance, and you will be transported into Vivi and Jonah's world. This powerful book will move you to tears and laughter, and leave you with a compelling message. 

When We Collided  by Emery Lord
Grades: 7th, 8th
Tags: Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Friendship, Romance
Reviewed by: Skye S.

Mercy Wong is a teenage girl living in Chinatown in the year 1906. Her education in Chinatown was not enough for her smarts, so she sets off to get an education at the prestigious school for wealthy white girls, Saint Clare's. Being Chinese in San Francisco at that time was hard enough, but being Chinese in a school of girls unlike her is even harder. Teased, mocked, and bullied by room mates for being Chinese, Mercy struggles to find her place in this strange school. Disaster strikes when the infamous 1906 Earthquake hits, and Mercy has to work together with her classmates to help others and stay alive.
This action packed story from the past will move you while keeping you on "the edge of your seat." It educates you about the shocking event from the historical point of view, but more importantly, the human point of view. Stacy Lee poignantly describes the lives of people affected by the earthquake. It is a story about how love, courage, bravery, and hope triumph.

Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee
​Grades 6th, 7th, 8th
Tags:​ Friendship, Historical Fiction
Review by Skye S.