The Midnight Hour by Benjamin Read & Laura Trinder

In the book The Midnight Hour, there is a girl named Emily, and after a weird midnight mail delivery, her parents go missing. She has to take care of her mom's hedgehog. Emily with her stowaway hog wants to find her parents while she is looking for them she has to overcome a lot of obstacles. To even have a chance to get them back.

I would rate this book 4 1/2 stars because it was a really enjoyable book. But there were some parts that I did not like.

I would recommend this book to 4th - 9th graders because if a little younger they might think some parts of the book are scary and they might not get the point of the book. If you like magic and a little tiny bit of scary this is the book for you.

--Review by Katherine B.

The Roar by Emma Clayton

I loved this book because it is an action-packed interesting sci-fi (and I am NOT a typical fan of sci-fi) with each turn, something will happen, resulting in me sitting on the edge of my seat. This book has well-developed characters that are painfully relatable, each sharing a flaw every human can identify with; fear, anger, pain, misunderstanding, and-- greed. The author uses sharp vocabulary in the book, thus the book is full of wit and twists in the plot. The Roar is truly a timeless book, it can emphasize issues we are facing these days, and will always face, such as pollution, scams, and growing hunger for power. This book is about seeing the real world-- not the things you think you see. Witty, gripping, and heart wrenching, it is a true masterpiece. Mika Smith is a misfit living in a broken world with special abilities; when he was young, he had his twin sister, Ellie taken away from him, everybody thought she was dead, and only Mika thought she was alive. Resulting in Mika on the search to find his long lost sister. A dangerous path, a war, and a big secret; Mika will discover many secrets, and find his sister, only to a big race against power-hungry leaders---- and time. A truly wondrous book; those looking for adventure, look now, or those who seek thrill and excitement, your quest for thrills has been complete, The Roar is everything you’ve always thought a good book could be. I fully suggest this book to those that appreciate a nice lengthy novel with a cliffhanger at where you least expect it. Darn it, why’d the cliffhanger have to be THERE?! If I could, I would rate this book 5/5 stars, excellently written; unique, thrilling, and a pure joy to read.--Review by Mingyue X.

The Witch's Boy by Kelly Barnhill

This book is called The Witch’s Boy, and it is by Kelly Barnhill. In the beginning,  Ned's brother Tam falls off a raft and is not able to survive in the raging waters. Ned, the boy who lived, is known as the wrong boy. His mother is a witch with extreme healing powers. We also meet a girl named Aine, who loses her mother at the beginning of the story. She will always remember her mother's last words to her, "The wrong boy will save your life, and you will save his."

I didn't enjoy this book. I have never really enjoyed books with magic, so this wasn't the book for me. I give it 1.5 stars out of 5. If you do like books with magic, you will enjoy this book, though. 

If you liked the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling, you will surely enjoy this!--Review by Noah K.

I Survived The Great Molasses Flood, 1919 by Lauren Tarshis

Carmen the main character lives with her dad in Boston as Italian immigrants.  She basically has a normal life, goes to school, has a friend she hangs out with. So everything is fine until of course the molasses tank breaks and it floods Boston.  I enjoyed this book but did not love it, there was a bit of nonsense in the beginning. The book was in general kind of sad. Her life seemed to suck. 

I would recommend this book to third graders who want to see what the world was like when they weren’t alive. I would give this book 3 stars. It was cool to read, I just wouldn't sit and read these all day. To be honest if you liked this book you would probably like the other ones but then again I have only read this one. --Review by William C.

The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney

Tom Ward is the seventh son of a seventh

son which means that he would be the spook's apprentice, and deal with the dead, witches, and boggarts. One day, the spook leaves

his house and Tom is forced by a girl to feed

a witch who the spook keeps locked up in a

pit. The witch escapes, so Tom is forced to

kill her. The witch's family is mad at Tom,

they try to kill him but the spook kills them.

I enjoyed this book and would give it four out

of five stars. I gave it that rating because it is

filled with action, horror, and suspense. I

would recommend this book to a person

who enjoys action, horror, and suspense books. I think that if you like

the book "Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien,  you would enjoy reading "The Seventh son" series by Joseph Delaney.--Review by Samuel B.

Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident by Eoin Colfer

Artemis gets a call from Butler saying that

his father may be alive and Captain Short

thinks that Artemis was trading with the

goblin clan, B’wa Kell. Captain Short

captures Artemis and Butler, but it turns

out they weren’t trading with B’wa Kell.

Artemis and Captain Short team up together

to take down B’wa Kell.

I enjoyed this book because before I thought that Artemis Fowl was just some boring book, but when I read it I loved it and had to read the second book. I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars because the books are leading up to one another and the second book helped me understand part of the first book.

I would recommend this book to 5th graders and 6th graders because I think that they would be the most interested in this book. If you liked Artemis Fowl book 1 then you might like this book too--Review by Catherine H.

Legend by Marie Lu

On the streets of Lake, there is a boy with an alias of Day, who is the country’s most wanted criminal. In an elite and wealthy sector, lives June, military prodigy. In this riveting and fast-paced tale of romance, action, and suspense, June and Day, two fifteen-year-old teenagers from opposite ends of the social spectrum, learn the truth about the Republic of America and to which lengths their country will go to to keep its secrets. 

This bestselling book is an absolute gem, and it’s definitely one of my favorite series of all time. An absolutely stunning debut book, Marie Lu does a phenomenal job of bringing the book to life, with action-packed scenes and heart-breaking moments, unexpected plot twists, as well as comedy relief that will have you rolling on the floor laughing, then on the edge of your seat in anticipation, smiling to yourself in delight, and the next moment bawling your eyes out. I rate this book 5 stars. I would recommend this to people who enjoy sci-fi and dystopian books, and would like a fast-paced, action-packed adventure romance series to read. 

If you liked the book Legend, you might enjoy… Prodigy, Champion, Rebel (the rest of the series by Marie Lu). Artemis Fowl, by Eoin Colfer, and Heroes of Olympus and the Percy Jackson series (by Rick Riordan). --Review by Ashley H.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Perculiar Children by

Ever since Jacob, a normal boy, was a little kid, his grandfather had been telling him stories and pictures of his blissful life as a boy; of a levitating girl, a mistress who can turn into a bird. But when a terrible family tragedy sets Jacob to go to a mysterious island where his grandfather’s stories took place, he slowly finds secrets he never knew existed.

I really recommend this book to all readers who are into mystery and action, because this novel is constantly in motion and there are many events. Ransom Riggs is an amazing author, and I would rate this book very highly. This is a story you can’t put down, and the photos are fascinating to look at (though they can be a bit creepy).

 This book has twists that you will never expect, and if you liked The Night Gardener or The Mysterious Benedict Society, then you might like this book too!--Review by Kelly B.

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

This book I am reviewing is called Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien. Mrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse with four small children, is faced with a terrible dilemma. Either they move away to their summer quarters or risk her family’s lives . Her youngest son, Timothy, falls ill with pneumonia and must not be transported. Thankfully, she encounters the Rats of NIMH. They’re an extraordinary breed with a brilliant solution to her dilemma, and Mrs. Frisby in turn renders them a great service.On a scale of 1 to 5, I rate this book 3½. This book was the winner

of the 1972 Newbery Medal. In addition, the movie, The Secret of

NIMH(1982), was based on this story. There are certain things

I enjoyed  about this  book were that they narrated the story in

first person and it described the character’s emotions clearly. I also l

iked how the author introduced characters; a well written summary

about each of them which gave me the knowledge to infer about

what happens next. This book could have been improved by making

the plot more direct by using less vague vocabulary.  If you enjoyed

reading this book, you should also consider reading, From the

Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg,

Island of the Blue Dolphins  by Scott O’Dell, The Phantom Tollbooth

 by Norton Juster, and Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo.

--Review by Rudradip R.

The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands

Christopher Rowe is an apprentice

apothecary to his kind master, Benedict

Blackthorn, who teaches him how to

make remedies, care for master Blackthorn’s

shop, and solve codes and puzzles. On Oak

Apple Day, Christopher’s birthday, he

starts to make an enemy out of another

apothecary, Nathaniel Stubb. When a cult

starts murdering apothecaries, including Christopher’s master Blackthorn, Christopher

teams up with his dear friend Tom to find

what master Blackthorn had been working

on secretly. But, it isn’t that easy. Many puzzles and codes stop the two

friends from reaching what mattered most to master Blackthorn, what

he died for. Characters backstab others, double meanings are everywhere,

and it was just enough of confusing to keep me interested but still understandable. I really enjoyed this book! 

I rate this four out of five stars because it was really creatively written,

with many great details. However, it was a little gory and menacing

regarding the Cult’s murders, considering it was already a murder

mystery. Though overall, it was a really great book!

I would recommend this book to people who like mystery regarding
secret potions and codes. It was a very mysterious and mystical book
with a lot of twists and turns for people who love an exciting and intense
read! If you liked mystery books such as The Westing Game, Caraval,
and Chasing Vermeer you are going to love this book! After reading
this book, I wanted to reread all of my mystery books! Such a
great read!--Review byAlexandra H.

Red by Liesl Shurtliff

Red’s convinced her granny is dying and is

worried. She searches for a magic cure

but she realises that the magic has a bad

side. That is where the story really gets

exciting. Red travels feeling hope and worry.

You can tell when Red tries to go find wolf

even though she has a swollen ankle that she

understands what wolf is going through. She used

to feel the same. They fought to protect each other

and felt what the other one felt. If the wolf felt

sad, Red felt sad. In this book there was sadness,

anger, worry, stress, frustration, empathy, hope,

relief, and joy. I can’t say when or why there

were all these emotions but you will see if you read this book.

I think this book is great for younger readers in elementary school. I think

this book deserves 4 stars. If you like the original red riding hood, land of stories,

or any other books by Liesl Shurtliff then you might like this book too.

--Review by Elsa W.

Mark of the Thief by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Mark of the Thief is the first book in a 3 part series!

When Nic, a slave that works in the mines, is forced to go

into a dark cavern with great Julius Caesar's treasures, he

finds gemstones and most important, he found, an ancient

bulla once worn by Julius Caesar. This bulla, in the story,

is a magical amulet once worn by Caesar. This magic

comes from the Roman gods and goddesses. Nic plans

to use his power to escape slavery but instead, he finds

himself in a situation where he needs to bring down the

Roman emperor. Nic has to work fast to harness this magic

from the bulla before traitors steal the bulla from Nic for

their own dark purposes.

I would rate this book a 5 of 5 stars. I enjoyed this book

a lot. This book is a good book to read because each

chapter is so suspenseful and you want to read one

more chapter each night. Even though this book has

magic in it, the magic isn’t too fictional. It has just the

right amount of fiction or fantasy to make a story a

really good one.

I would recommend this book to students around 4th

to 6th graders because the vocabulary isn’t too hard

and the book is a mix of adventure and mystery. If you

did like Mark of the Thief, you might like Rise of the

Wolf and Wrath of the Storm.--Review by Daniel X.

The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl

A girl with a magic finger that works when

she gets cross, wanted to have the Gregg family

not to hunt innocent animals. So she decides

to teach the Gregg family a lesson. She wants

to switch roles to see how they like it. They

are not welcome back in their house and left

in the cold to eat bugs. Soon they realize they

need to take cover because there is someone

trying to get them.

  I enjoyed this book. I would rate this book a 3 ½ stars.
I rated it this because it was fairly funny and had a good lesson,
but I don't really enjoy fantasy books. I would recommend this
book to ages 7-10, because it is a fairly short book and big text
but any age would enjoy this book. If you like other Roald Dahl
you will really enjoy this book.--Review by Sara T.

Dragon Run by Patrick Matthews

On testing day Al will be tested and given
his rank. If it is high enough he will have
everything. If it is too low he will be hunted
by people known as cullers. After testing
day Al runs away trying to cross the thumb
as he is trying to get to Brighton and he
meets some friends along the way as they
together try to escape. Al’s dad had already
known what Al’s rank would be so after testing
day he packed a bag full of little anything,
food, money, and a metal scabbard. I enjoyed this book because
I love adventure books and this book is full of adventure.
Some parts of this book move a little faster than I am comfortable
with, which is why I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. I recommend
this book to people who like Fantasy books, adventures, and
strange characters that aren’t in every book--Review by Lucas A.

Dragon Slayer's Academy by Kate McMullan

Wiglaff wanted his family to appreciate him but

whatever he did, they wouldn’t care. But  one day

he saw a dragon slayer’s academy poster, he begged

his parents to go, and after a while, they decided to

let him go. And that's when the real journey began.

I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars because it has a good story.
It’s a really quick and easy read. I recommend this book to
kids closer to 3rd grade. If you like this book you could
read more Dragon Slayer’s Academy series books.
--Review by Landon W.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Ever since her father died, 16-year old Katniss

Everdeen has had to hunt and trade every day

in order to be able to put food on the table for

her mother and her younger sister Prim but will

her hunting skills be enough when she chooses
to take her sister’s spot in the 74th annual hunger

games, a fight to the death. It’s a “death sentence “

where it is kill or be killed!

If you like science fiction/action novels

with a little bit of romance then you will like
The Hunger Games. It’s an action-packed thriller that’s impossible to
put down. I really enjoyed reading this book. Also if you are like me and
you are a slow reader and you are thinking I will never finish this book
then you're all good because it is such an amazing book that by the time
you stop reading you will already be done with it. Without a doubt,
I would definitely rate this book 5 stars. 

Also if you liked the Divergent series or the Match trilogy, then I think
you may like this book. After you read the Hunger Games, if you like it,
you can read the rest of the trilogy, which includes Catching Fire and
Mockingjay. --Review by Mariam I.

Hoot by Carl Hiaasen

Hoot is a great book about the setbacks of

urbanization. Roy Eberhardt, the new kid in

school, was just trying to fit in when some odd

friends came into his life. Soon he realizes that

he is a small part in the bigger battle between

man and nature.

I loved this book because of the ever twisting

plot and underlying message of persistence,

determination, and perseverance. I rate the book

3 ½ stars because of the mild language in some

spots and opinions about the police force. I would recommend this book t

o any middle schooler who doesn’t mind a little ‘flavor’ in wording. If you

like any realistic fiction book you’ll probably like this book too.

--Review by Noah P.

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Allegiant is the third and final book in the Divergent trilogy.

This book starts with a huge turmoil, because a rebel breaks

the fraction brazers and three people die. Then Tris and Four

who are the two main characters and are dating, leave the

city because the new leader of their city is a tyrant, and has

demolished their way of life and they need to find a home.

Allegiant Is both a very upsetting book because a lot of

people die but at the same time it is riveting because a lot

of weird but cool twists happen. If you like books with twist

endings and lots of action, and are not deterred by a lot of

death, then you should like this book. 

I rate this book 3 stars out of 5. It had a lot of character growth including Tris
going from a pretty weak-willed and scared girl who barely talked to a strong girl,
who was not afraid to do life threatening things to save her family and friends even
if she was yelled at by them for doing those things. Somewhat to the contrary, Four
goes from a really strong nice guy to a very sensitive and overprotective boyfriend
who is very secretive and mean. The ending seems rushed and too much of a twist
so suddenly. If you like Divergent and Insurgent (which are the first and second
book of the series) then you will like this book.--Review by Samuel F.