Books For Older Readers

Accidents May Happen:

Fifty Inventions Discovered by Mistake

Written by Charlotte Jones

Reviewed by Terell B.

Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell

This non-fiction book tells about how people invented coffee, bread, cracker jacks and telephones. It tells people a little about the past of different inventions that were created by accident. It also gives people ways to make inventions like cracker jacks, ice cream sundaes, and ice cream sodas. Fifty inventions were made when people weren’t thinking about what they were doing. Some of these people were poor, then they became very rich from the inventions they made.

My favorite part of the book is when a slave was making bread. The passage says this," One evening a slave was making bread for his master. He fell asleep and the fire went out before the cakes finished baking. By the time the slave awoke, the dough was twice the size it had been the night before."

My opinion is that it’s a great book because it tells about the past and it’s history of how inventions were made. The type of readers that would enjoy this book are people that like history and non-fiction books. They would learn that people make mistakes, then suddenly... it’s a commonly-used object! Also, you can learn how to create things you never knew how to make before!

Deep Doo Doo

Written by M. C. Delaney

Reviewed by: Margaret I.

Deep Doo Doo is an incredible book. I could not put it down. It is about a boy named Bennett who is a genius in building electronics. He and his best friend, Pete, make a transmitter out of old radio parts. The election of the Governor is in progress at this time, so Bennett and Pete use their transmitter against the Governor and. . . This book is definitely a "have to read" type of book and I recommend it highly!

Falling Up

Written by: Shel Silversten

Reviewed by: Soneeka J.

Hey! If you think you’ll ever close this book you’re crazy. This book is filled with funny poems that you’ll enjoy reading. My favorite poem was "Imagining", about a girl who imagines that there’s a mouse on her head and mice everywhere but there is an elephant on her head not a mouse. The reason I liked this poem is that I also like to imagine things, like the world is made of spinach and people are made of cream cheese. If you like poetry as much as I do, you will love this book. If you don’t, this might be the book that can change your mind. Enjoy reading!!!

Fig Pudding

Written By Ralph Fletcher Reviewed By Jesse H.

Hee hee ha ha ha! Fig Pudding is so hilarious that it will make your cheeks explode. Short stories and comedy collide! This book is realistic fiction because it sounds real, but it’s not a true story. My favorite part is in the very beginning where Clifford (friends call him Cliff) says that he’s Mr. Responsibility, Mr. Set-A-Good-Example. He’s says this because Cliff is the oldest out of six kids in his family. Cliff sort of sounds like me because I have a baby brother, and all my mom says is set a good example for Sam, my baby brother.

Holes

Written by Louis Sachar

Reviewed by Ryan P.

There is no escaping Camp Green Lake! Yellow spotted lizards will kill you with only one bite! A boy named Stanley is sent to Camp Green Lake because he is accused of stealing some shoes worth $15,000. Stanley did not steal the shoes; he discovered them on the sidewalk. Camp Green Lake is no ordinary camp. In this camp, Stanley has to dig five foot by five foot holes every day for eighteen months. I think the kind of people who would like this book are people who are quite adventurous, are willing to get dirty, and are not scared of bugs.

Leaving Emma

Written by Nancy Steele Brokow

Reviewed by Jordan G.

Splat! Splat! is the sound of Emma's tears hitting the ground after she is informed that her be friend, Tem, is moving 75 miles away. This realistic fiction book has a lot of amazing detail. My favorite sentence is this book was said after Emma's dad went to Turkey for five months and Emma found out about Tem moving: "I lie down looking at dad's pocket watch hoping that time would speed up so I could see dad again, also hoping that time would slow down so Tem could be my best friend longer." You might learn from this book that life is full of adjustments that one must learn to adjust to. The story ends with Emma working 24 hours a day to figure out how she and Tem could stay best friends, because she knew that she saw the SOLD sign on Tem's front yard.

Mischief Mad Mary and Me

Written by Dawn Knight

Reviewed by Natalie O.

95 pages

An underground house - WOW! This fiction book is about a girl named Brittany and her family who live in an underground house because they didn’t have enough money to own a real house. They live next door to an elderly lady named Mad Mary who is very grumpy and won’t let anyone come across her lawn. Brittany and her friend Oly are always spying to try and figure out what she does. My favorite part in the book is when they’re in a walk-in closet and tell stories about Mad Mary like when they were talking about watermelons. My opinion of this book is that it was good except for when they were inside having dinner, lunch, or breakfast. It doesn’t help you understand the book. I think this book would be good for 3rd – 5th grade students. What you would learn from this book is NOT to listen to rumors that people tell you, because they might not always be true. To find out more on this book you can borrow it in our school library.

Mean Margaret

Written By: Tor Seilder

Reviewed By: Maggie T.

Pictures By: Jon Agee

STOMP, CRASH, BANG, SPLAT!" This is what a married woodchuck couple, Fred and Phoebe, heard one morning. They had no idea what these new noises were. Then they discovered later that these noises were coming from a toddler who was left in the woods. As the new parents of the chubby child, Sally Hubble, (they named her Margaret), Fred and Phoebe must move out of their home for space reasons and live with strangers. They are treated like slaves by this bossy child! A screamer, Margaret is a most annoying child! Phoebe loves her dearly, but she just about ruins Fred’s life.

I liked this book a lot because it had SO much humor in it. Read this hilarious book if you want to find out more about Mean Margaret!

My Louisiana Sky

Written by Kimberly Willis Holt

Reviewed by Kimberly W.

Would you like to live with me in Baton Rouge?" All of Tiger’s problems could be solved if she accepts her aunt’s offer, to leave Saitter and move to Baton Rouge. How could she just drop everything and leave? Her family, and friends, and all the other important things in her life are in Saitter. But, Tiger soon finds a solution she can live with. My Louisiana Sky is a realistic fiction that shows a young girl’s feelings while growing up.

My favorite part of the book was Tiger’s reaction to her first kiss. "This wasn’t Marlon Brando kissing me. This is my best buddy. My head spun, and I felt dizzy." Tiger was in shock. I mean, how would you feel if your best friend had just kissed you?

This book is hard to put down. It uses a lot of detail, discussing a young girl’s hardships. To be truly honest, a boy would probably hate this book since it is about a girl’s hardships. Young Tiger goes through many difficulties while growing up in Louisiana. You could definitely say this book is for fourth to sixth grade reading. You may only enjoy the book if you’re a person who likes realistic fiction, listening to other girl’s problems, and finding out new things about other people. If I were to rate this book I would give it *****.

Mummy Mysteries

Written by Brenda Guiberson

Reviewed by Robert H.

Imagine this. . . you see a mummy in your backyard. Scary isn’t it? Mummy Mysteries is a mystery and non-fiction book. The book is about good people and bad people that turn into mummies and also animals like Blue Babe that get mummified. My favorite part of the book was when the author talked about Blue Babe. First, they wondered how a big animal like a bison got attacked and killed. The scientists think it was two lions, but they are still finding out what killed Blue Babe. The disgusting thing was that these scientists ate Blue Babe. My opinion is that this was the best non-fiction and mystery book I have ever read. It showed cool pictures and gave many specific details. People who will like this book are people who like disgusting or scary stuff.

A Rats Tale

Written By: Tor Seidler

Reviewed by: Doug C.

If you thought other books were good you haven’t read anything yet! This fantastic fiction book is excellent for any age from 3rd grade readers and up. The author, Tor Seidler, writes from a rat’s perspective. Montouge Mad-Rat, one of the main rats, discovered a world he knew never existed, a world that has been hidden in secrecy for many years… until one night when it was revealed to him. Montouge Mad-Rat tries to fit into this new way of life, but he just gets picked on. Soon Montouge finds no matter how cool he is, his family name has been disgraced. Now Montouge figures a way to gain respect, but all he has to do is accomplish his plan. I didn’t have a favorite part because the whole book was just outstanding. A lesson you would learn in this book is, " Don’t try to act like someone else to prove you are cool." I loved this book for many reasons. It was outrageously descriptive, and it was more interesting to read because it was written from a rat’s perspective. The last the topic fascinated me. I think any reader would enjoy this book for the ages I mentioned above. So, make sure you pick up a copy of A Rats Tale, by Tor Seidler your local bookstore or library. Trust me on this one, you will love this book, because I would give it *****!!

The Secret of Platform 13

Written by Eva Ibbotson

Reviewed by:

This exciting fantast will fill you with suspense till the very last page! It is about an island filled with witches, wizards, and hags. When the King and Queen lose their only son in the city of London, they must try to find him. But... they were not expecting to see what they saw! My favorite part of this book is when Raymond Trottle's ice cream toppled all over him. The hag on the other side of the restaurant didn't like him. She contained herself, sort of, and she did not cast an ill wish upon him. Instead, she place an ill wish upon the ice cream. I recommend this book for third through sixth graders, so check it out at the Wolcott library!

Third Grade Pet

Written by: Judy Cox