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Non-fiction Book Reviews
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Title: Across America on an Immigrant Train ********************************************************** Author: Jim Murphy Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 8 Critique: This book gave a lot of history, was interesting, and hard to put down. I really enjoyed it. Library Location: St. Leo School Main Library Olivia Grade 7
Title: Basher-Five-Two ********************************************************** Author: Scott O’Grady Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 10 Critique: It was very enjoyable and suspenseful. It was based on a true story and talks about how he survived in enemy territory. Library Location: home Bobby Grade 8
Title: The Bayeux Tapestry ********************************************************** Author: S. Brenard and G. Legamen Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 10 Critique: This book is extremely interesting. It tells you details about William the Conqueror that you have never heard before. It is also extremely interesting in that the pictures are very realistic, and you can see almost every single stitch of the tapestry. Also it is loaded with information related to the topic. I really enjoyed reading it. Library Location: St. Leo School Library Jude Grade 7
Title: The Beatles ********************************************************** Author: Jeremy Roberts Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 8 Critique: I like the book called The Beatles because I like to hear their music and also I would like to know more about how they became a group. The book tells how they became a group and why they broke up and went in different directions. Library Location: Borders Adam Grade 7
Title: Beyond Basketball ********************************************************** Author: Mike Krzyzewski with Jamie K. Spatola Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 10 Critique: This book was very good at giving you details on every event that Coach “K” and his daughter Jamie talk about. The coach wrote 40 essays, and every essay that he wrote came with an exciting life experience, explanation, or great story that he had gone through. That part of the book really made me want to keep on reading it. Every essay was about one key word that he defines as a very important aspect of life and basketball. For example, one of the words that he used as an essay topic was “integrity.” Coach K defined integrity as “doing what is right” whether you are alone or with a group, doing the right thing no matter what the rewards or the consequences may be. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a terrific, “deep”, emotional and tear-jerking (for me!) book. It is definitely a 10. Library Location: Borders Michael Grade 7
Title: Beyond Basketball: Coach K’s Keywords for Success ********************************************************** Author: Mike Krzyzewski Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 7 Critique: This book is about 40 traits Coach K considers keywords for success. There is a chapter about each one of them. In the chapter it tells the importance of that trait and then gives an example of it in action. It is a very inspiring book. I would suggest anybody read it, Duke fan or not. It contains very important life skills. Library Location: Borders Sarah Grade 7
Title: Blackbeard and Other Pirates of the Atlantic Coast ********************************************************** Author: Nancy Roberts Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 8 Critique: This book was very good, but it did not hold my interest in some parts. The author just listed ships that the pirate had captured. Aside from that, the book told many interesting tales about many pirates such as Captain Edward Teach (Blackbeard), Captain Thomas Tew, Anne Bonney, Captain “Calico Jack” Rackham, Stede Bonnet, and many more. I recommend this book to anyone who loves pirates, like me! Library Location: Reynolda Branch, Forsyth County Public Library Anna Grade 7
Title: The Book of the Twelve Apostles ********************************************************** Author: Josef Quadflieg Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 9 Critique: It gives a lot of details of the lives of the apostles before and after Jesus died. It also explains how much they apostles cared for him. Library Location: St. Leo School Main Library Athene Grade 7
Title: Born to fly ********************************************************** Author: Jane France Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 8 Critique: It is interesting and has a lot of action. It is detailed so you can picture it all the way through the book. Library Location: Borders Hunter Grade 7
Title: The Children’s Step-by-Step Cooking book ********************************************************** Author: Angela Wilkes Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 5 Critique: This book was o.k. This teaches you about all kinds of cooking, from snacks, milkshakes, pasta, cookies to meat. It also tells you how to keep safe while cooking. If you enjoy cooking, or want to know if you would be good at it, this would be a great book for you. I found out that cooking was not my thing. Library Location: St. Leo School Library Tayler Grade 6 Title: Chinese Cinderella ********************************************************** Author: Adeline Yen Mah Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 10 Critique: This book is one of the best non-fiction books I’ve ever read. It just keeps you reading it. It is both an emotional story about an unwanted girl and how she survived the hard times. It is sad, but is also happy at times. So well written, it feels like you are right there with her. It will probably be liked by girls rather than boys. An all-around great book! Library Location: Borders Alyssa Grade 7
Title: The Chippewa Indians ********************************************************** Author: Sonia Bleeker Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 3 Critique: I would give this book a 3 rating, because I didn’t think the book was interesting or exciting. I thought it would be neat to learn about the Chippewa Indians, but it was just so boring to read. There were a few parts of the book I thought were interesting. The illustrations were great, and I liked learning about where the Chippewa Indians live today. I would not recommend that you read this book, unless you really like reading about Indians. Library Location: St. Leo School Library Natalie Grade 6
Title: Christmas Past ********************************************************** Author: Unknown Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 3 Critique: It was a kind of boring book. But it had a lot of information. I learned a lot of how Christmas started to become a widely celebrated holiday. There were a lot of pictures of different traditions at some points in the book. Library Location: Home Alexa Grade 7
Title: Day of Infamy ********************************************************** Author: Walter Lord Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 10 Critique: In the Day of Infamy, Walter Lord vividly describes every moment of Pearl Harbor as it happened. He talked to 527 people and traveled over 14,000 miles to get every detail of the attack. He interviewed not only the American soldiers and Japanese soldiers, but also the civilians and doctors to create a highly detailed description of Pearl Harbor. Library Location: Home Zach Grade 6
Title: The Deadly Hunt ********************************************************** Author: William Shaweran Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: I liked this book, because it was a well-written war book about the Bismarck, a German battleship that was a great threat to the allies. Library Location: Home Tyler Grade 6
Title: Easy Crafts to Make Together ********************************************************** Author: Better Homes and Gardens Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: This book is about crafts to make together with you family, including pets, school, holidays, outdoors gifts, wearables, party ideas, and travel. I liked it a lot, and it was very exciting. There was a downfall, though. Even though it has 750 ideas, there is not one about knitting. It held my interest, and I would recommend it to people who want to make crafts with their family. Library Location: St. Leo School Library Claire Grade 6
Title: The FDR Story ********************************************************** Author: Catherine Owens Pearce Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: I gave this book an 8 because I enjoy politics and history and government which this book had plenty of. It was very informative and factual. Library Location: St. Leo School Main Library Camp Grade 8
Title: Flags of our Fathers ********************************************************** Author: Michael French Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 7 Critique: It is very interesting if you like World War II books. You also would like it if you like learning about people and their life. I would recommend it because you learn things you wouldn’t otherwise know about the war. I was about Marines fighting in World War II. Library Location: Borders Paige Grade 6
Title: From Baghdad, with love ********************************************************** Author: Jay Kopelman with Melinda Roth Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 9.5 Critique: This book is great ! It is about a Marine who finds a five-week-old puppy in an abandoned house in Fallujah, Iraq. It is against the rules of being a Marine to have a puppy or any other animal. So, Kopelman has to hide the puppy so no one can harm him. In the end, Kopelman is able to send the puppy, whom he named Lava, to the United States. Lava now lives in La Jolla, California with Lieutenant Kopelman. Library Location: Borders Grace Grade 7
Title: Fun Foods (Williams Sonoma) ********************************************************** Author: Stephanie Rosenbaum Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 10 Critique: I learned a lot of new recipes. It showed a number of pictures so it was easy to follow the recipe. It showed in the beginning “Basics”, such as how to use a cheese rater and how to use a colander. I highly recommend it to all who like to cook. Library Location: Barnes & Noble Russell Grade 6 Title: Get on Board: The Story of the Underground Railroad ********************************************************** Author: Jim Haskins Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: It is boring in some parts, but exciting in some parts. This book teaches about the hardship of slaves, and how a lot of them escaped. This book also tells the readers about the “conductors” and the slaves that helped other slaves escape to freedom. Library Location: St. Leo School Library Greg Grade 7
Title: Get on Board: the story of the Underground Railroad ********************************************************** Author: Jim Haskins Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 8 Critique: I gave the book an 8 because it was a very interesting, thrilling book. I couldn’t wait until I started to read it. This book taught me so much about the African Americans’ extremely hard struggle to freedom. Overall, I believe that this book was fantastic, that is why I gave this book an 8. I would recommend this book to basically anyone who is interested in our country’s history and its past. Library Location: St. Leo School Main Library Lea Grade 7
Title: Great Escapes of World War II ********************************************************** Author: Sullivan, George Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 7 Critique: I have two reasons why I rated this book a 7. One is because the book is not descriptive and unresolved. Every chapter is a different escape and every chapter it leaves you hanging. Second, it doesn’t explain why those people escaped and why they were caught. This book was good, yet unsatisfactory for someone who likes good endings and enlightening words and descriptions. Library Location: St. Leo School Main Library Tony Grade 7
Title: Great Escapes of world War II ********************************************************** Author: George Sullivan Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 9 Critique: this was a very good book and very interesting. I like this book because I like learning about history and about WWII. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes history and learning about World War II. Library Location: St. Leo School Main Library Matt Grade 7
Title: The Great Fire ********************************************************** Author: Jim Murphy Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 7 Critique: The book was well-written and had many facts about the Great Fire of Chicago. It had actual quotes from people who experienced the Great Fire that very night! I would recommend this book to anyone! Library Location: St. Leo School Main Library Sarah Grade 8
Title: The Great Fire ********************************************************** Author: Jim Murphy Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 6 Critique: I would recommend this book because I found out about a lot of stuff I did not know, and after reading this book I found out a lot about how people react positively in bad situations. Library Location: St. Leo School Main Library Heather Grade 7
Title: The Great Wall ********************************************************** Author: Elizabeth Mann Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 8 Critique: The book was very well-written, with many pictures and maps to illustrate what was being said. It was not excessively long, either. The book was really very informative, and got you interested, whether you were interested before or not. Library Location: Public Library Becky Grade 8
Title: Gymnastics for Beginners ********************************************************** Author: Barry Johnson Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 10 Critique: I gave this book about gymnastics a 10 because in the book the author explains how to do the skills very well verbally, and the illustrator is very good at drawing the skills. Library Location: St. Leo School Library Delaney Grade 6
Title: H.M.S. Hood vs Bismarck: The Battleship Battle ********************************************************** Author: Theodore Taylor Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 7.5 Critique: The book was difficult to read and had many naval terms. Also, the book was violent at times. The book also switched points of view, so it is sometimes hard to figure out what side the narrator is on. But the book was suspenseful and exciting at times. I would recommend this book to any middle school boy. Library Location: St. Leo School Library Nicholas Grade 7
Title: The Hidden Children ********************************************************** Author: Howard Greenfeld Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 9 Critique: This would be a great book to read for a non-fiction book report. What was really interesting about this book was that there are real interviews with all the people in this book. It was about kids during the Holocaust that went into hiding in convents or with complete strangers. This is more for middle schoolers and is kind of sad. Library Location: St. Leo School Library Jacqueline Grade 6
Title: Hitler and Nazism ********************************************************** Author: Louis L. Snyder Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 8 Critique: My reason for giving this book an 8 is because it was very interesting and it gave a lot of information about him. It told the right facts. Library Location: Home Benedict Grade 8
Title: Homespun Crafts ********************************************************** Author: E. Kenneth Baillie Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 7 Critique: I enjoyed reading this book. It tells you how to make interesting items out of everyday materials. You can make the crafts for yourself, a friend, or for a holiday. Library Location: St. Leo School Main Library Erin Grade 8
Title: I never saw another butterfly… ********************************************************** Author: The Holocaust Memorial Museum Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 9 Critique: This book is a collection of poems, writings, and drawings from the prisoners at the Terezin concentration camp. They are sometimes emotional but they really express what the prisoners must have been feeling at that time. I enjoyed this book because it wasn’t boring like some non-fiction books can be, but it held my interest to the end. Library Location: St. Leo School Library Mackenzie Grade 7
Title: In the Line of Fire ********************************************************** Author: Judith St. George Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 8 Critique: This book was about the assassination of the presidents. I gave this book an 8 because the topic did not interest me very much. Library Location: St. Leo School Main Library Alex Grade 7
Title: James Herriot’s Favorite Dog Stories ********************************************************** Author: James Herriot Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 10 Critique: This book is a wonderful account of some of Dr. Herriot’s favorite dog stories. Hel tells about the spoiled dog Tricki Woo, Gyp the dog who only barked once, and Brandy the trashcan dog. I really enjoyed the detailed descriptions and illustrations. They helped keep my interest. This book is very heart-warming and well-written. Library Location: St. Leo School Library Hannah Grade 7
Title: John Madden’s Heroes of Football ********************************************************** Author: John Madden Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 8.5 Critique: It shows how football has progressed through time and how they players have gotten to play the game. It shows how technology has improved through the years. Some parts of the book even had stats. But most of all it is a good story about football’s years. Library Location: St. Leo School Library Matthew Grade 6
Title: Left for Dead ********************************************************** Author: Pete Nelson Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: I gave this book an 8 because it isn’t as informative as I would like, but it is still a great book. It has a great plot and a great story behind an even greater moral. This book also gives graphic descriptions with the truth mixed in, so over all it is a great book. Library Location: Personal library Tony Grade 7
Title: Mark Twain ********************************************************** Author: Clinton Cox Genre: Non-fiction/Biography Rating: 8 Critique: This book was very well-written and really taught you many things about Mark Twain, but I didn’t find it interesting because I wouldn’t like the type of lifestyle Mark had. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys biographies and reading about writers. Library Location: St. Leo School Main Library Scott Grade 7
Title: Mark Twain, Young Writer ********************************************************** Author: Miriam Mason Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 6 Critique: It wasn’t very exhilarating, or a cliff-hanger. I got to know a little bit more about Mark Twain, but it wasn’t filled with information. Also I had no clue that there was a town clled Florida, Missouri. Library Location: Personal Library Marissa Grade 7
Title: NBA Basics of Basketball ********************************************************** Author: Mark Vancill Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 10 Critique: This book was great! It was really interesting, and also improved my basketball shot. I rathed it a 10 because it had helpful hints in basketball. If you like basketball you will love this book. Library Location: Public LibrarySt. Leo School Main Library Tom Grade 7
Title: The New Junior Cookbook ********************************************************** Author: Jennifer Dorland Darling Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: This cookbook gave very good recipes in it. It has very interesting recipes, some of theme look pretty weird, but some look really good. The one I tried was a Cookie Pizza, which was a very good recipe. The ingredients and directions are easy to follow. They tell you how to do everything, and it is not hard to read. It tells you what you need. It was a very fun food to make. Library Location: St. Leo School Library Laura Grade 6
Title: The North Carolina Colony ********************************************************** Author: Dennis Fradin Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 7 Critique: This was a very interesting and informative non-fiction book. Even though some people dread having to read non-fiction books because they think they are boring, this book is an exception. The reason I did not give the book a higher rating was because it sometimes got confusing about the colonial government and leaders. But overall, this book was worth reading, because now I know much more about my state’s history. I would recommend this book to someone who is curious about North Carolina’s past. Library Location: St. Leo School Library Katie Grade 7
Title: Of Beetles and Angels ********************************************************** Author: Selemawi Asgedam Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 9 Critique: This book is about a refugee from Sudan. I like it because I thought it was very informative and inspiring. This book kept my interest. It was so good I read it in very little time. Library Location: Barnes and Noble Tyler Grade 8
Title: A Night to Remember ********************************************************** Author: Walter Lord Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 7 Critique: It was interesting to learn about all the exact happenings on the Titanic. However, the book was boring at parts. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes the story of the Titanic, and who doesn’t mind a longer read. Library Location: St. Leo School Main Library Gina Grade 8
Title: Profiles in Courage ********************************************************** Author: John F. Kennedy Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 5 Critique: The book is about eight senators and their courageous deeds. I thought it was boring, though. Library Location: St. Leo School Main Library Michael Grade 6
Title: Parachute Infantry ********************************************************** Author: David Kenyon Webster Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 10 Critique: This is a book full of action and details. The author was a paratrooper in World War II, and he writes about his experiences. Library Location: Home Patrick Grade 7
Title: Parallel Journeys ********************************************************** Author: Eleanor Ayer Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 9.5 Critique: Parallel Journeys is a great book. I gave it a 9.5 because I liked the way the author told the story of the Holocaust from two different views. It was told by Helen Waterford and Alfons Heck. Helen told the horrors she had to live through just to stay alive in the concentration camp. Alfons told the horrors he performed in the name of Hitler, while a member of the Hitler youth. The points of view were very different and emotional. Even though all the terrible events in the book were true facts, it was interesting to read. I couldn’t imagine what it would have been like to live during the Holocaust. I really liked this book, but it was sad because of all the deaths and learning about how they killed all the people. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about the Holocaust, because this is a truly great book. Library Location: St. Leo School Library Caitlin Grade 7
Title: Peyton ********************************************************** Author: Mark Sufrin Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 11 Critique: This book was about Walter Peyton, the great NFL running back. Not many people haven’t heard of him. In this book, Sufrin stated many facts about Peyton, and about his childhood. Another thing is that he was an author that wasn’t extremely biased toward Peyton like most authors; he told the bad about Peyton as well as the good. Library Location: Public Library Chris Grade 7
Title: Pompeii ********************************************************** Author: Melanie Rice Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 9 Critique: I gave this book a good rating because it was a very interesting book. It is about a city in Italy, located right next to a volcano named Vesuvius. One day this giant volcano erupted and left all of Pompeii under volcanic ash. The city was invisible. Today architects have found many remains of Pompeii. Library Location: St. Leo School Library Cole Grade 6
Title: Profiles in Sports Courage ********************************************************** Author: Ken Rappoport Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 10 Critique: This book was great ! I read the beginning and I was hooked! It was a great non-fiction book, and I learned a lot about each athlete in the book. Library Location: St. Leo School Library Mario Grade 7
Title: Rebels Against Slavery ********************************************************** Author: Patricia and Frederick McKissick Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: The book is about slavery and how the slaves get out of slavery. Some are famous slaves like Harriet Tubman, who tells her story. There are other rebels and slaves that are famous for what they did. I would recommend it to someone who is against slavery and is interested in famous people. Library Location: St. Leo School Library Brittany Grade 6 Title: Rebels against Slavery ********************************************************** Author: Patricia C. McKissack and Frederick L. McKissack Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 7 Critique: This was an excellent book. It was very well written and described slavery suberbly. The reason I gave it a 7 is because it didn’t hold my interest. I would recommend it to anyone with an interest for history. Library Location: St. Leo School Main Library Jessica Grade 7
Title: The Russian Ballet: Three of its Masterpieces ********************************************************** Author: Dorothy and Joseph Samachson Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 7 Critique: This book was very interesting, but sometimes hard to understand. The book tells about many choreographers, composers, and dancers. The Names of these people were hard to remember and pronounce. If you are interested in dance, however, the book will teach you a lot about the history of the ballet. It also tells the stories of Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker through words and photos. Overall, I would rate it a 7 out of 10. Enjoy reading this book! Library Location: St. Leo School Library Caroline Grade 7
Title: Seabiscuit ********************************************************** Author: Laura Hillenbrand Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 9.5 Critique: The book is incredible. There is so much information and fabulous vocabulary that make it very fun to read. I would recommend this to everyone, especially those who want to brush up on their horse racing history. Library Location: Personal library Craig Grade 7
Title: Seabiscuit ********************************************************** Author: Laura Hillenbrand Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 10 Critique: This was an awesome book! The book went into so much detail that I was always sitting on the edge of my seat! It was a real page turner! I loved this heart-warming story! Library Location: Personal Library Hana Grade 7
Title: Season of Life ********************************************************** Author: Jeffrey Marx Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: This story was inspiring to many people. The story was not terrible sad, but it got very interesting in some parts. The football coach in the story was not a mean, “want to win” coach, but taught the boys to be honest, proud, and mature. Library Location: Home Avery Grade 7
Title: She Said Yes ********************************************************** Author: Misty Bernall Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 7 Critique: This book could really catch a certain kind of person’s attention, but not mine. I gave this story a 7 because the beginning and end were very sad, but interesting, but the middle was boring. The best part was the fact that the main character drifted away from God, and came back to knowing and loving Him. The book was repetitive, with dialog of family and friends of Cassie after her death, which also got boring. I would recommend this book to people or groups who have lost someone very dear to them. This book shows that other people suffer too. Library Location: A friend’s house Kelly Grade 7
Title: The Story of Basketball ********************************************************** Author: Dave Anderson Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 9 Critique: This book gave a lot of information. I gave it a 9 because I got bored with the players’ interviews. But the tips, history articles, and the present-day information was very interesting. Library Location: Kernersville Public Library Katy Grade 7
Title: The Sock Doll Workshop ********************************************************** Author: Cindy Crandell-Frazier Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 7 Critique: The book told how to make the dolls really well. It also had nice pictures of the dolls. The reason I took 3 points away was that the book wasn’t really great. It didn’t tell you how to do some things. Library Location: St. Leo School Library Monica Grade 6 Title: The Story of D-Day, June 6, 1944 ********************************************************** Author: Bruce Bliven Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 9 Critique: Well, I have learned about D-Day before, and so I saw a D-Day and chose to read it. It gave terrific information. I would love to read this book more often, because it tells the true story of D-Day. Library Location: St. Leo School Main Library Jonathan Grade 7
Title: The Story of the Trapp Family Singers ********************************************************** Author: Maria Augusta Trapp Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 8.5 Critique: This book is about a nun, Maria, who tells how her life changed and how she married George Trapp. I enjoyed this book a lot. I learned not to give up and to stay strong during hard times. This book is wonderful! (The Sound of Music came after Maria wrote the book!) Library Location: Personal Library Bonnie Grade 7
Title: The Story of World War II ********************************************************** Author: Robert Leckie Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 9 Critique: This is a story about World War II and how Hitler and Japan tried to dominate the world. European and American Troops tried hard to defeat the Nazis. In this book, you will learn many of the important leaders and battles of lWorld War II. This is a good book. It is very descriptive, and keeps your interest. It is the perfect middle school non-fiction book. It is a great summary of the different events of World War II. I recommend this book to people who are interested in World War II history. Library Location: St. Leo School Library Daniela Grade 7
Title: Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps ********************************************************** Author: Andrea Warren Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 8 Critique: Jack Mandlebaum lives in Poland. He isn’t even aware he is Jewish when Hitler came to power. His family is torn apart, and brought to a concentration camp. Jack is forced to work for the Nazis. Each day, Jack struggles to stay alive while life in the camps is brutal. I give this book an 8 because it was good, and it kept me reading. Library Location: St. Leo School Library Ellie Grade 7
Title: Tales for the Tarheel Locker Room ********************************************************** Author: Ken Rappoport Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: I love this book so much because it was about my favorite team, the Carolina Tarheels. This book covers every game that has been important to the history of the Tarheels basketball history. Library Location: Borders Chris Grade 7
Title: The Teammates ********************************************************** Author: David Halberston Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 10 Critique: This book was interesting from start to finish. There are many fascinating conversations between the members of the Boston Redsox baseball team. If you read this book, you will learn more about how it is to be a professional baseball player. Library Location: Borders Cameron Grade 7
Title: They lead the way ********************************************************** Author: Johanna Johnston Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 8 Critique: I gave this book an eight because I liked it a lot and it was a good source of information. However, it had no graphs, charts, etc. This book also was a very easy read. I liked the author’s descriptive words and she had many sources from which she got her information. I liked this book also because I learned a lot about the little rights women had back then, and how they changed the way we live today. Library Location: Public Library Arielle Grade 7
Title: Titanic ********************************************************** Author: Frank Sloan Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 8 Critique: I liked the book because it didn’t only tell the story about the Titanic’s sinking, but it told about what happened after it sunk. It toldabout the finding of the ship, and exploring it and ideas that the scientists who were interested in the disaster had. I really liked this book and would recommend it to anybody as a source and for reading. Library Location: Public Library Jennifer Grade 8
Title: To Be a Slave ********************************************************** Author: Lester Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 8 Critique: I rated this book an eight because it was interesting to read, and very well-written. I really like how the book has accounts of slave owners and slaves – most books about slavery only talk about the slaves. I really liked it but it wasn’t good enough for a ten, because some parts of it got boring. Library Location: Clemmons Public Library (Also available at St. Leo School Library) John Grade 7
Title: To Be a Slave ********************************************************** Author: Julius Lester Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 7 Critique: The book was pretty good on getting the slaves’ point of view on slavery. But it wasn’t the kind of book that I would want to read again. Library Location: classroom library (also available at St. Leo School Main Library) Annie Grade 8
Title: Tuesdays with Morrie ********************************************************** Author: Mitch Album Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 10 Critique: This book teaches lifelong lessons. It tells us what is really important in life. The book tells the readers not to take certain things like family and friends for granted. It tells us what is right based on real experiences you will have. Library Location: Home Conor Grade 7
Title: The Upstairs Room ********************************************************** Author: Johanna Reiss Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 8 Critique: My book was very interesting, but in some parts of the book it could become very boring. The book was hard to understand. It also is not a good book for younger children because of the cruel details given. I like this book because the Holocaust fascinates me. This book gets inside the head of Jews that were there. I would recommend this book to people who are interested in the Holocaust. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. Library Location: St. Leo School Library Serena Grade 7
Title: The Wild Blue ********************************************************** Author: Stephen Ambrose Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 8 Critique: A well-written, detailed book with a lot of information. It was quite interesting and exciting, also. Library Location: home Chance Grade 8
Title: The Witch Hunt ********************************************************** Author: Marc Aronson Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 6 Critique: This book was Mr. Aronson’s view of the Salem Witch trials. It was interesting during the prologue and introduction, but after that, this book became a list of facts! I would only recommend this book to people doing a research paper. Library Location: Borders Jane Ashley Grade 7
Title: Within Reach: My Everest Story ********************************************************** Author: Mark Pfetzer and Jack Galvin Genre: Non-fiction Rating: 9 Critique: This was a book that brought an amazing story of failure leading to success right where-ever I was reading it. Mark, the main character, is fourteen, which is close to my age, so I feel I can relate to this book. Also, Mark has many dreams and ambitions, like me. Within Reach has some nice special features. For instance, a glossary of climbing terms, lists of characters introduced per chapter, color pictures of different expeditions, and finally a “time line” of Mark’s achievements. What a great book! Library Location: St. Leo School Main Library Molly Grade 7
Title: Witness to War ********************************************************** Author: Michael Leapman Genre: Non-Fiction Rating: 7 Critique: I really enjoyed the book. It was pretty depressing. It was about eight children who lived during the war. It talks about Jewish people who went to concentration camps, and their harsh conditions and some Polish people being “Germanized.” That is why I rated this book a 7. Library Location: St. Leo School Library Anthony Grade 6 Title: Zlata’s diary ********************************************************** Author: Zlata Filipovic Genre: Autobiography Rating: 8 Critique: the book was well-written and interesting. It was really sad to think about all of the awful things that Zlata went through. The only drawback was that there were so many characters it was hard to keep up. Library Location: St. Leo School Main Library Liz Grade 7
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