Brewster Book Reviews!
Did you read an especially great book this summer? Or, were you disappointed in something that you thought would be great? Submit a book review to Ms. Golick and she will publish it here!
Maggie D., Brewster Fifth Grader, submitted this review on June 14, 2015:
Title of Book: The Isle of the Lost
Author's Name: Melissa de la Cruz
Genre: Fantasy
Maggie says: If you're a fan of fractured fairytales you should definitely read this book. This book is about four notorious villains and their kids. There are lots of twists and turns and definitely some surprises. So make sure you read this book!
Maggie gives this book 4 out of 5 stars! ****
Ms. Golick Says: Maggie, I am so impressed that you have gotten right into your summer reading, and are already submitting a review two days after school is out! It is motivating me to go pick up a book now, too! Also, I am a fan of fractured fairy tales - it is such a fun genre. Thank you for sharing your thoughts about this book - it sounds like a great one!
Title of Book: The Isle of the Lost
Author's Name: Melissa de la Cruz
Genre: Fantasy
Maggie says: If you're a fan of fractured fairytales you should definitely read this book. This book is about four notorious villains and their kids. There are lots of twists and turns and definitely some surprises. So make sure you read this book!
Maggie gives this book 4 out of 5 stars! ****
Ms. Golick Says: Maggie, I am so impressed that you have gotten right into your summer reading, and are already submitting a review two days after school is out! It is motivating me to go pick up a book now, too! Also, I am a fan of fractured fairy tales - it is such a fun genre. Thank you for sharing your thoughts about this book - it sounds like a great one!
Kyra H., Brewster Third Grader, submitted this review on August 25, 2014:
Title of Book: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Author's Name: J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fantasy
Kyra says: Harry Potter is a boy who's parents died and lives with his Aunt and Uncle and his cousin Dudley. He isn't treated very well by them. But then he learns he's a wizard. He goes to a school called Hogwarts to learn about wizardry. He discovers he's famous in the wizard world and the truth about his parents death. He makes two friends, Ron and Hermione, who go on an adventure with him. This is an awesome book that I want everyone to read.
Kyra gives this book 5 out of 5 stars! *****
Ms. Golick Says: Kyra, you wrote a very nice, concise summary of a long and complex book! Great job. I'm so glad you loved this book! I love it, too. I still remember the first time I read it. I wasn't expecting it to be so exciting, and then I got into it and I couldn't put it down!
Title of Book: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Author's Name: J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fantasy
Kyra says: Harry Potter is a boy who's parents died and lives with his Aunt and Uncle and his cousin Dudley. He isn't treated very well by them. But then he learns he's a wizard. He goes to a school called Hogwarts to learn about wizardry. He discovers he's famous in the wizard world and the truth about his parents death. He makes two friends, Ron and Hermione, who go on an adventure with him. This is an awesome book that I want everyone to read.
Kyra gives this book 5 out of 5 stars! *****
Ms. Golick Says: Kyra, you wrote a very nice, concise summary of a long and complex book! Great job. I'm so glad you loved this book! I love it, too. I still remember the first time I read it. I wasn't expecting it to be so exciting, and then I got into it and I couldn't put it down!
Mikey A., Brewster Fourth Grader, submitted this review on August 16, 2014:
Title of Book: Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Cabin Fever
Author's Name: Jeff Kinney
Genre: Other
Mikey says: In this Diary of a Wimpy Kid book the main character was trying to be nice to get on the "nice" list at Christmas. The last Christmas he was on the naughty list and didn't get too many gifts. It was funny all the ways he tried to be nice. In one case he was trying to shovel his neighbors driveway and it kept snowing so he used a bunch of salt and then it get really icy - that part was my favorite.
Mikey gives this book 4 out of 5 stars! ****
Ms. Golick Says: Mikey, this book sounds very funny - which I know is true of all the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books! I haven't read much from this series, but I really do love books where the drawings add important details to the story. It makes for a very fun reading experience! Thank you for submitting a review!
Title of Book: Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Cabin Fever
Author's Name: Jeff Kinney
Genre: Other
Mikey says: In this Diary of a Wimpy Kid book the main character was trying to be nice to get on the "nice" list at Christmas. The last Christmas he was on the naughty list and didn't get too many gifts. It was funny all the ways he tried to be nice. In one case he was trying to shovel his neighbors driveway and it kept snowing so he used a bunch of salt and then it get really icy - that part was my favorite.
Mikey gives this book 4 out of 5 stars! ****
Ms. Golick Says: Mikey, this book sounds very funny - which I know is true of all the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books! I haven't read much from this series, but I really do love books where the drawings add important details to the story. It makes for a very fun reading experience! Thank you for submitting a review!
Holden P., Brewster Third Grader, submitted this review on August 16, 2014:
Title of Book: The Mummy With No Name
Author's Name: Geronimo Stilton
Genre: Mystery
Holden says: There are mice and they eat cheese. The mice run a newspaper business. Geronimo goes to a museum with his nephew, Benjamin. Then Geronimo sees a mummy. Then the mummy pushes him into a golden sarcophagus. Want to find out what happens next? Read the book to find out! I liked the book because it was funny.
Holden gives this book 4 out of 5 stars! ****
Ms. Golick Says: Holden, I have never read this book, but it sounds like a good one! Geronimo Stilton and mummies is sure to be a fun combination! I love the creativity of this series. Thank you for submitting this review!
Title of Book: The Mummy With No Name
Author's Name: Geronimo Stilton
Genre: Mystery
Holden says: There are mice and they eat cheese. The mice run a newspaper business. Geronimo goes to a museum with his nephew, Benjamin. Then Geronimo sees a mummy. Then the mummy pushes him into a golden sarcophagus. Want to find out what happens next? Read the book to find out! I liked the book because it was funny.
Holden gives this book 4 out of 5 stars! ****
Ms. Golick Says: Holden, I have never read this book, but it sounds like a good one! Geronimo Stilton and mummies is sure to be a fun combination! I love the creativity of this series. Thank you for submitting this review!
Maggie D., Brewster Fourth Grader, submitted this review on June 22, 2014:
Title of Book: The Tail of Emily Windsnap
Author's Name: Liz Kessler
Genre: Fantasy
Maggie says: Everybody has a secret, this book is about when Emily Windsnap discovers her own strange secret. She is mermaid!!!!!! This book is also about her adventures as mermaid.
Maggie gives this book 5 out of 5 stars! *****
Ms. Golick Says: I don't know if you know the expression, "Don't judge a book by it's cover," but sometimes, I can't help doing just that. The cover of this book makes me want to read it! It looks so intriguing - and I want to know what kinds of adventures this mermaid has!
Title of Book: The Tail of Emily Windsnap
Author's Name: Liz Kessler
Genre: Fantasy
Maggie says: Everybody has a secret, this book is about when Emily Windsnap discovers her own strange secret. She is mermaid!!!!!! This book is also about her adventures as mermaid.
Maggie gives this book 5 out of 5 stars! *****
Ms. Golick Says: I don't know if you know the expression, "Don't judge a book by it's cover," but sometimes, I can't help doing just that. The cover of this book makes me want to read it! It looks so intriguing - and I want to know what kinds of adventures this mermaid has!
Maggie D., Brewster Fourth Grader, submitted this review on June 22, 2014:
Title of Book: Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth
Author's Name: E.L. Konigsburg
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Maggie says: This book is about when Elizabeth meets Jennifer who claims she is a witch. Elizabeth becomes her apprentice and learns spells. Everything is going well until Hilary Ezra the toad enters their lives.
Maggie gives this book 4 out of 5 stars! ****
Ms. Golick Says: Maggie, I also read this book when I was a kid - and I loved it! In fact, I recently saw it somewhere and the cover brought back a lot of memories. E.L. Konigsburg wrote fun books - and two Brewster students submitted reviews of her books on the same day! I'm glad kids are still reading these classic books even though they were written many years ago.
Title of Book: Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth
Author's Name: E.L. Konigsburg
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Maggie says: This book is about when Elizabeth meets Jennifer who claims she is a witch. Elizabeth becomes her apprentice and learns spells. Everything is going well until Hilary Ezra the toad enters their lives.
Maggie gives this book 4 out of 5 stars! ****
Ms. Golick Says: Maggie, I also read this book when I was a kid - and I loved it! In fact, I recently saw it somewhere and the cover brought back a lot of memories. E.L. Konigsburg wrote fun books - and two Brewster students submitted reviews of her books on the same day! I'm glad kids are still reading these classic books even though they were written many years ago.
Holden P., Brewster Third Grader, submitted this review on June 22, 2014:
Title of Book: From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Author's Name: E.L. Konigsburg
Genre: Mystery
Holden says: This is a book about a boy and a girl who ran away to a museum. They wanted to know about a statue called Angel. I liked it because it was fun learning about Angel. It was very cool they lived in a museum and slept in an old bed from the 1700's.
Holden gives this book 4 out of 5 stars! ****
Ms. Golick Says: Holden, I still remember reading this book for the first time when I was about your age! I have re-read it a few times - that's how much I like it! I love the adventure the kids have, and I sometimes think about it when I'm at a museum. Keep up the great summer reading!
Title of Book: From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
Author's Name: E.L. Konigsburg
Genre: Mystery
Holden says: This is a book about a boy and a girl who ran away to a museum. They wanted to know about a statue called Angel. I liked it because it was fun learning about Angel. It was very cool they lived in a museum and slept in an old bed from the 1700's.
Holden gives this book 4 out of 5 stars! ****
Ms. Golick Says: Holden, I still remember reading this book for the first time when I was about your age! I have re-read it a few times - that's how much I like it! I love the adventure the kids have, and I sometimes think about it when I'm at a museum. Keep up the great summer reading!
Maggie D., Brewster Fourth Grader, submitted this review on June 18, 2014:
Title of Book: Wednesdays at the Tower
Author's Name: Jessica Day George
Genre: Fantasy
Maggie says: This book was about when princess Celie finds an unusual tower with an egg inside. Celie is very adventurous and brave. I think this was an awesome book.
Maggie gives this book 5 out of 5 stars! *****
Ms. Golick says: Thanks for the review, Maggie! I looked at Jessica Day George's website and found out that she has written a lot of books that sound interesting. She also has a list of her favorite books, which has some other great ideas!
Title of Book: Wednesdays at the Tower
Author's Name: Jessica Day George
Genre: Fantasy
Maggie says: This book was about when princess Celie finds an unusual tower with an egg inside. Celie is very adventurous and brave. I think this was an awesome book.
Maggie gives this book 5 out of 5 stars! *****
Ms. Golick says: Thanks for the review, Maggie! I looked at Jessica Day George's website and found out that she has written a lot of books that sound interesting. She also has a list of her favorite books, which has some other great ideas!
Maggie D., Brewster Fourth Grader, submitted this review on June 18, 2014:
Title of Book: Cave of Wonders
Author's Name: Matthew J. Kirby
Genre: Fantasy
Maggie says: This book was very interesting it was about these kids on a mission to fix the world's time stream. In this book the kids travel to Baghdad in the year 1258 to save the world's greatest library and the books in it.
Maggie gives this book 5 out of 5 stars! *****
Ms. Golick says: As a person who loves books and libraries, I think this book sounds awesome! It also sounds so interesting to learn about Baghdad in 1258. This is a great example of a book transporting us to another world!
Title of Book: Cave of Wonders
Author's Name: Matthew J. Kirby
Genre: Fantasy
Maggie says: This book was very interesting it was about these kids on a mission to fix the world's time stream. In this book the kids travel to Baghdad in the year 1258 to save the world's greatest library and the books in it.
Maggie gives this book 5 out of 5 stars! *****
Ms. Golick says: As a person who loves books and libraries, I think this book sounds awesome! It also sounds so interesting to learn about Baghdad in 1258. This is a great example of a book transporting us to another world!
Ella B., Brewster Fifth Grader, submitted this review on June 17, 2014:
Title of Book: Listening for Lions
Author's Name: Gloria Whelan
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Ella says: In Listening for Lions, Rachel Sheridan is sent from Africa to England after her life changes drastically, and gets tangled up in lies. This book takes place in 1919, when there was an influenza epidemic. You might like to read this book if you like adventures or stories about the past. (This book was hard to review without giving anything away) I thought it was very interesting.
Ella gives this book 4 out of 5 stars! ****
Ms. Golick says: Ella, thank you for submitting this review! I have read other Gloria Whelan books, and I think she's a great writer - now I think I will have to check this one out, too! I like historical fiction, and your description of Rachel getting "tangled up in lies" makes me very curious!
Title of Book: Listening for Lions
Author's Name: Gloria Whelan
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Ella says: In Listening for Lions, Rachel Sheridan is sent from Africa to England after her life changes drastically, and gets tangled up in lies. This book takes place in 1919, when there was an influenza epidemic. You might like to read this book if you like adventures or stories about the past. (This book was hard to review without giving anything away) I thought it was very interesting.
Ella gives this book 4 out of 5 stars! ****
Ms. Golick says: Ella, thank you for submitting this review! I have read other Gloria Whelan books, and I think she's a great writer - now I think I will have to check this one out, too! I like historical fiction, and your description of Rachel getting "tangled up in lies" makes me very curious!
Sydney G., Brewster Fourth Grader, submitted this review on June 23, 2013:
Title of Book: Dork Diaries
Author's Name: Rachel Renee Russell
Sydney says: I loved this book because it talks about bullying and how to handle a new school.
Ms. Golick says: Thanks, Sydney! I wasn't familiar with this series. I checked out the Dork Diaries website, and there is a lot of information about Rachel Renee Russell's books there! Check it out!
Title of Book: Dork Diaries
Author's Name: Rachel Renee Russell
Sydney says: I loved this book because it talks about bullying and how to handle a new school.
Ms. Golick says: Thanks, Sydney! I wasn't familiar with this series. I checked out the Dork Diaries website, and there is a lot of information about Rachel Renee Russell's books there! Check it out!
Jackson R., Brewster Fourth Grader, submitted this review on June 26, 2013:
Title of Book: If You're Reading This, It's Too Late
Author's Name: Pseudonymous Bosch
Jackson says: This book is the 2nd book in the Secret Series. It has action and mystery. I definitely recommend it. :] :0 :)
Ms. Golick says: Thanks for sharing this, Jackson! This sounds like a very fun series.
Title of Book: If You're Reading This, It's Too Late
Author's Name: Pseudonymous Bosch
Jackson says: This book is the 2nd book in the Secret Series. It has action and mystery. I definitely recommend it. :] :0 :)
Ms. Golick says: Thanks for sharing this, Jackson! This sounds like a very fun series.
Maggie delaFuente, Brewster Third Grader, submitted this review on August 13, 2013:
Title of Book: Meet Caroline
Author's Name: Kathleen Ernst
Maggie says: This is a very good book . Caroline is a nine year old girl who lived in New York on the edge of lake Ontario in 1812 .One day her Father takes her and her cousins Lydia and Oliver on a boat ride. Suddenly a British boat approaches the Captain explains that they have declared war with the U.S.A and takes Oliver and her Father as prisoners.
Ms. Golick says: Thanks for sharing, Maggie! This sounds like a really great adventure story. I am dying to know what happens to Caroline's father and cousin! It also seems like a great way to learn about a real historical event - the War of 1812! Happy Reading!
Title of Book: Meet Caroline
Author's Name: Kathleen Ernst
Maggie says: This is a very good book . Caroline is a nine year old girl who lived in New York on the edge of lake Ontario in 1812 .One day her Father takes her and her cousins Lydia and Oliver on a boat ride. Suddenly a British boat approaches the Captain explains that they have declared war with the U.S.A and takes Oliver and her Father as prisoners.
Ms. Golick says: Thanks for sharing, Maggie! This sounds like a really great adventure story. I am dying to know what happens to Caroline's father and cousin! It also seems like a great way to learn about a real historical event - the War of 1812! Happy Reading!