BOOK REVIEWS – CLASSIC

 

Title: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

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Author:  Twain, Mark

Genre:  Classic

Rating:  10

Critique:  I gave this book a “10” because it is a very exciting book.  It’s about a boy like me who gets into trouble a lot.  It takes place in the mid-1800’s along the Mississippi River.  It is a very good book and it is fun to read.

Library Location:  classroom library (also available at St. Leo Main Library)

Stephen

Grade 8

 

Title:  Alice in Wonderland

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Author:  Lewis Carroll

Genre:  Classic (Fantasy)

Rating:  7

Critique:  The book was very well-written, but it was hard to understand.  It was written in the 1800s.  It makes references to things common in that time that aren’t common now.  I would recommend this book to readers who don’t mind a challenge.

Library Location:  Public Library (also available at St. Leo School Main Library)

Laura

Grade 7

 

Title:  Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

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Author:  Lewis Carroll

Genre:  Classic (Fantasy)

Rating:  8

Critique:  I gave this book an 8 because it was very interesting and new.  Of course I have seen the movie, and it is a whole lot different!  The full title of the book is Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.  I have only read Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and they leave stuff out like Tweedledee and Tweedledum, and the garden of live flowers – all of these are in Through the looking glass. 

Library Location:  Borders (also available at St. Leo School Main Library)

Jessica

Grade 6

 

 

Title:  The Call of the Wild

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Author:  London, Jack

Genre:  Classic

Rating:  9

Critique:  The reason why I gave this book a “9” was that the book was very understandable and also the book had a lot of action and adventure.

Library Location: other (also available at St. Leo Main Library)

Paul

Grade 8

 

Title:  Charlotte’s Web

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Author:  White, E.B.

Genre:  Classic

Rating:  9

Critique:  This was a great book!   I love animals, and this was a great book for me to read.  I would recommend it to anyone who loves who loves animals or is looking for a good book to read.

Library Location:  St. Leo School Main Library

Erin

Grade 8

 

Title:  A Christmas Carol

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Author:  Dickens, Charles

Genre:  Classic

Rating:  6

Critique:  This book is a great classic that teaches a good lesson in the end.  Our school also did this book as a play for Christmas, so it was interesting to read because I already knew what it would be about.

Library Location:  Public Library

Jennifer

Grade 8

 

Title:  Curtain

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Author:  Agath Christie

Genre:  Classic (Mystery)

Rating:  9

Critique:  I have read many Agatha Christie books and I personally believe that although this is an excellent book, this isn’t Christie’s finest work.  The story line was great though (as always) she deceived me again!  The characters were well-portrayed and it fit in perfect with the particular time period.  This is a great book to read.

Library Location:  St. Leo School Main Library

Carleigh

Grade 7

 

 

Title:  Daddy Long-Legs

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Author:  Jean Webster

Genre:  Classic

Rating:  9

Critique:  I thought this book was wonderful.  It was very different but wonderful.  This book had a lot of surprises, which made it hard to put down.  I would recommend this book to anyone.

Library Location:  Home

Sara

Grade 7

 

Title:  David Copperfield 

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Author:  Dickens, Charles

Genre:  Classic

Rating:  7

Critique:  It was a good book but there were too many characters and it was confusing.

Library Location:  Border’s

Joseph

Grade 8

 

Title:  Five Little Pigs (Murder in Retrospect)

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Author:  Agatha Christie

Genre:  Classic (Mystery)

Rating:  10

Critique:  It was very suspenseful and deceiving.  It had a path that led different ways until the very last chapter.  It was very well written so that all ages and reading levels could understand it.  I would recommend it to anyone who likes misleading mysteries that figure out a past crime.

Library Location:  Home

Ali

Grade 7

 

 

Title:  Frankenstein

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Author:  Mary Shelley

Genre:  Classic (Science Fiction)

Rating:  9

Critique:  I think that this author really put an effort into what she was writing.  I would recommend this book to anyone who likes scary stories.

Library Location:  St. Leo School Main Library

Thomas

Grade 7

 

Title:  The Hobbit

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Author:  J.R.R. Tolkien

Genre:  Classic (Fantasy)

Rating:  9

Critique:  The topic was interesting, but it would get very slow sometimes.  Tolkien writes with vivid descriptions.  That how it gets slow.  It is best to read it before the Lord of the Rings.

Library Location:  home (also available at St. Leo School Main Library)

Joseph

Grade 7

 

 

Title: Huckleberry Finn

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Author:  Twain, Mark

Genre:  Classic

Rating:  7

Critique:  It was a good book, but it was the illustrated version and wasn’t as exciting to read as the real version would probably be.

Library Location:  Public Library

Bobby

Grade 8

 

Title:  The Illiad

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Author:  Homer, retold by Nick McCarty

Genre:  Non-Fiction

Rating:  8

Critique:  It was a good greek book.  I recommend this book to every one that likes reading about greek things.  The book was very exciting, with gods, goddesses, heroes and kings.  It started with the prince of Troy, Paris, stealing Helen, the queen of Sparta.  The king of Sparta asked his brother, the king of Greece, to help him get her back.  It tells how Achilles, the hero, died in the war from an arrow shot through his heel, his only weak spot.

Library Location:  St. Leo School Library

Tommy

Grade 6

Title:  The Invisible Man

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Author:  H.G. Wells

Genre:  Classic (Science Fiction)

Rating:  10

Critique:  It always had me wanting to keep reading on and on because it was so interesting.  I did not want to put it down it was so good.  It also had me thinking what was going to happen next in the book.  It was great!

Library Location:  Public Library (also available at St. Leo School Main Library)

Matt

Grade 7

Title:  The Invisible Man

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Author:  H.G. Wells

Genre:  Classic (Science Fiction)

Rating:  9

Critique:  I rate this book a 9 because it is a good science fiction novel and is exciting and you are always wondering about the character.  I would recommend this book to anyone who loves science fiction.

Library Location:  St. Leo School Main Library

Michael

Grade  7

 

Title:  Journey to the Center of the Earth

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Author:  Jules Verne

Genre:  Classic (Science Fiction)

Rating:  9.5

Critique:  I gave this book that rating because it was so exciting and adventurous.  The characters use their heads, and it really kept me on the edge of my chair.

Library Location:  Home (also available at St. Leo School Main Library)

Chris

Grade  6

 

 

Title:  The Last of the Mohicans

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Author:  James Fennimore Cooper

Genre:  Classic (Historical Fiction)

Rating:  9

Critique:  I personally think that this book is well written, but there is one specific reason why I gave it a nine.  It is because it focused mainly on one detail.  When I opened the book and started reading, it sounded like it would be much different than how it was.  The book was still very good and I enjoyed it very much.

Library Location:  home (also available at St. Leo School Main Library)

Scott

Grade 6

 

 

Title:  The Last of the Mohicans

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Author:  Cooper, James Fenimore

Genre:  Classic

Rating:  5

Critique:  The reason I gave this book a “5” is because it wasn’t very good or exciting and I would recommend it to younger children.

Library Location:  Public Library

Benedict

Grade 8

 

Title:  Mary Poppins

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Author:  P.L. Travers

Genre:  Classic (Fantasy)

Rating:  10

Critique:  This book was excellent.  It was well-written and a great read.  It was about a poised young lady who has a magic power.  She uses it to charm and perplex her charges and peers.  She takes friends into pictures, up fireplaces, around the world, and to her uncle’s house.  Her uncle is odd because he floats straight up whenever he laughs!  This book is great for 6th and 7th graders with tons of imagination.  And after you read this book don’t forget to recommend it to your friends.

Library Location:  Borders (also available at St. Leo School Main Library)

Katie

Grade 7

 

 

Title: Of Mice and Men

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Author:  Steinbeck, John

Genre:  Classic

Rating:  9

Critique: I would give this book a “9” because of its intriguing plot and vivid characters.  I really liked how this story went and the great characters in it.  I would recommend this to all.

Library Location:  other

Tyler

Grade 8

 

Title:  Murder on the Orient Express

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Author:  Agatha Christie

Genre:  Classic (Mystery)

Rating:  10

Critique:  This book was very, very suspenseful and I couldn’t put it down.  It was also very vivid and had a surprising ending.  It was very entertaining.

Library Location:  Home (also available at St. Leo School Main Library)

Max

Grade 7

 

 

Title: The Old Man and the Sea

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Author:  Hemingway, Ernest

Genre:  Classic

Rating:  4

Critique:  Although the book was not very hard to read, it was somewhat boring and non-climactic.

Library Location:  other

Chance

Grade 8

 

Title: The Pearl

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Author:  Steinbeck, John

Genre:  Classic

Rating:  7

Critique:  The book had a very good plot with a lot of detail.  The characters were also very good.  They fit their roles perfectly.  The whole book was very realistic and very surprising!

Library Location:  St. Leo School Main Library

Sarah

Grade 8

 

Title:  The Pearl

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Author:  John Steinbeck

Genre:  Classic (Realistic Fiction)

Rating:  10

Critique:  This book is about Kino who finds the pearl of the world.  He’s going to do many things with the money when he turns in the pearl, but he finds out people envy him because he has this pearl, and Kino must go away after he kills the people who tried to take his pear.  Read the book to find out what happens to Kino and the pearl.  I recommend this book to everyone!

Library Location:  Home (also available at St. Leo School Main Library)

Joanna

Grade 7

 

 

Title:  The Pearl 

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Author:  Steinbeck, John

Genre:  Classic

Rating:  6

Critique:  I liked the book and how the family decided how to deal with their problem.  What I didn’t like was all the detail.  The book seemed to drag on just to cover a short period of time.  I think you would enjoy it if you were a careful reader, but not one who cares too much.

Library Location:  St. Leo School 8th Grade Library

Annie

Grade 8

 

Title:  The Pearl

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Author:  John Steinbeck

Genre:  Classic

Rating:  5

Critique:  I gave this book a 5 because it’s so boring and it didn’t hold my interest or keep me wanting to read it.  Also, after a while I could predict what was going to happen at the end.

Library Location:  St. Leo School Main Library

Lindsay

Grade 7

 

Title:  Peril at End House

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Author:  Agatha Christie

Genre:  Classic (Mystery)

Rating:  10

Critique:  This book was very well-written and kept my interest.  It also had a very good plot at the start but later there were some good plot twists also.

Library Location:  St. Leo School Main Library

Jordan

Grade 7

 

 

Title:  The Picture of Dorian Gray

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Author:  Wilde, Oscar

Genre:  Classic

Rating:  6

Critique:  The book was interesting, and it had a good plot.  Also, there was a time when the book had suspense and it kept you reading.  I read this novel quickly because I want to see what happened in the end.

Library Location: Public Library

Katherine

Grade 8

 

Title:  Robinson Crusoe

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Author:  Daniel Defoe

Genre:  Classic (Realistic Fiction)

Rating:  9

Critique:  This book has a lot of adventure and is exciting, but it is a bit hard to read.

Library Location:  St. Leo School Main Library

Patrick

Grade 7

 

Title:  Robinson Crusoe

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Author:  Daniel Defoe

Genre:  Classic (Realistic Fiction)

Rating:  10

Critique:  I gave this book a ten because I feel that it was very good.  This book was about a man named Robinson Crusoe, who has to survive on a desert island.  He learns how to grow crops, make his clothes, and make boats.  I think this is the best book I have ever read.  With every turn of the page, you are excited to know what happens next.

Library Location:  Home Library (also available at St. Leo School Main Library)

Andrew

Grade 6

 

Title:  Romeo and Juliet

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Author:  William Shakespeare

Genre:  Classic (drama)

Rating:  8

Critique:  This book was very interesting.  I only gave it an 8 basicly because it was hard to read.  The story was great and I especially liked the sword fights.  I loved this book!

Library Location:  home (also available at the St. Leo Main Library)

Tom

Grade 7

 

 

Title:  The Secret Garden

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Author:  Burnett, Frances

Genre:  Classic

Rating:  8

Critique:  I thought this book was very interesting.  It is the sort of book you would become engrossed in.  It is also a very moving book about how people can change.  It was also well written.  It is a sweet book filled with interesting adventures.

Library Location: other

Becky

Grade 8

 

Title:  The Seven Dials Mystery

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Author:  Agatha Christie

Genre:  Classic (Mystery)

Rating:  6

Critique:  It was a good book, but I just couldn’t get into it.  I thought it was good, but it just kept going from one place to another, so it was confusing.

Library Location:  St. Leo School Main Library

Greg

Grade 7

 

Title:  Swiss Family Robinson

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Author:  Johann Wyss

Genre:  Classic (Realistic Fiction)

Rating:  9

Critique:  I gave this book a nine because it was filled with action and excitement.  It even taught me that without our modern technology, there are other natural resources that work almost as good.

Library Location:  St. Leo School Main Library

Matt

Grade 6

 

 

Title:  The Swiss Family Robinson

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Author:  Johann Wyss

Genre:  Classic (Realistic Fiction)

Rating:  7

Critique:  My book was about the Robinsons who were shipwrecked on an island.  And they used all the supplies they had to make a settlement.  There were four kids.  And you have to read the book to fnd out if they got help or not.

Library Location:  A friend (also available at St. Leo School Main Library)

Alexis

Grade 7

 

 

Title:  Stuart Little

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Author:  E. B. White

Genre:  Classic (Fantasy)

Rating:  7

Critique:  It was interesting and a different style of writing.

Library Location:  St. Leo School Main Library

Molly

Grade  7

 

 

Title:  Ten Little Indians (And Then There Were None)

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Author:  Agatha Christie

Genre:  Classic (Mystery)

Rating:  8

Critique:  It kept you interested through the whole book, but is a little hard to understand.   It is well-writen, and has a very intense plot.  It is very different than most mysteries.

Library Location:  Border’s (also available at St. Leo School Main Library)

Casey

Grade 7

 

Title:  Ten Little Indians (And Then There Were None)

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Author:  Agatha Christie

Genre:  Classic (Mystery)

Rating:  10

Critique:  I would rate this book a 10 because it was very good and held my interest throughout the entire book.  There was never a boring part.  I hope to read more books such as this one.

Library Location:  St. Leo School Main Library

David

Grade  7

 

Title:  Time Machine 

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Author:  Wells, H.G.

Genre:  Classic

Rating:  8

Critique:  The reason I gave this book an “8” is because of the elaborate characters and plot.  The plot was very thought out and detailed.  Everything was influenced by an earlier decision in the book.  Also, the characters were very well described, physically.  I thought it was a good book.

Library Location:  St. Leo School Main Library

Camp

Grade 8

 

Title:  Treasure Island

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Author:  Stevenson, Robert Louis

Genre:  Classic

Rating:  6

Critique:  It was exciting, but in parts of the book, it was not very interesting.  I also gave it this rating because I wouldn’t say that I am interested in the plot of Treasure Island.  Even though I feel that way, the book was still good, and was well written.

Library Location:  other

Nicole

Grade 8

 

Title:  The Two Towers

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Author:  J.R.R. Tolkien

Genre:  Classic (Fantasy)

Rating:  8

Critique:  I thought the book was creative but a bit confusing.

Library Location:  Home (also available at St. Leo School Main Library)

Bruce

Grade 7

 

 

Title:  War of the Worlds

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Author:  Wells, H.G.

Genre:  Classic

Rating:  8

Critique:  It was not an easy read, but it was very exciting.  You could tell it took a lot of research to write because it included so many scientific terms.

Library Location:  St. Leo School Main Library

Gina

Grade 8

 

Title:  War of the Worlds

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Author:  H.G. Wells

Genre:  Classic (Science Fiction)

Rating:  3

Critique:  I didn’t really like this book.  The author made it look like he was trying to make the story longer – he used 5 big words you could sum up in one.

Library Location:  Public Library (also available at St. Leo School Main Library)

Ryan

Grade 7

 

 

Title:  Winnie the Pooh

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Author:  A.A. Milne

Genre:  Classic (Fantasy)

Rating:  8

Critique:  Most classics are boring, but this book was really good because it was full of friendship and adventure.  But it was a little hard to read because it was written in old English.

Library Location:  a friend (also available at St. Leo School Main Library)

Anna

Grade 8