BOOK REVIEWS – REALISTIC FICTION

 

Title:  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

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Author:  Twain, Mark

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  10

Critique:  If you want a book that has an adventure in every chapter, you would want to read this book.  It is about a boy who finds a runaway slave.  They travel up the Mississippi River trying to get Jim’s freedom.  Read the book and find out if they gain Jim’s freedom.

Library Location: Borders (also available at SLS library) 

Joseph

Grade 6

 

Title:  All’s Fair in Love, War, and High School

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Author:  Rollison, Janette

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  7

Critique:  I thought it was a good book because I could relate to all the characters and because there was always something different going onl.  However, I didn’t care for the parts of the book that told about Samantha’s romances.  Her friendship troubles were interesting, though.

Library Location: Barnes & Noble 

Chelcie

Grade 7

 

Title:  Amy’s True Prize (The Little Women series)

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Author:  Emerson, charlotte

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  9

Critique:  Amy’s True Prize is a wonderful book, in my opinion.  It talks about a  girl named Amy who enters an art contest.  She wanted to prove to her family that she was good enough to be an artist.  Amy is the youngest in a family of 6.  She was never good in school, but she had one talent to prove that she was a woman.  Her talent is art.

Library Location: Home Library

Catherine

Grade 6

 

Title:  Anne of Green Gables

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Author:  L.M. Montgomery

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  9.5

Critique:  I liked this book because it kept you guessing what will happen next.  Also, it was a book that you will want to finish.  This is a good book for girls ages 11 and 12 because you can sort of relate to it, plus it is 486 pages long.

Library Location: other  (also available at SLS library)

Stephanie

Grade 6

 

Title:  Annie’s Baby

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Author:  Sparks, Beatrice

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  7

Critique:  It was realistic but it was not quite what I had in mind for it.

Library Location: other 

Anna

Grade 7

 

Title:  Antarkteaca

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Author:  Learnigs, Peter

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  7

Critique:

Library Location:  other 

Joseph

Grade 7

 

Title: Because of Winn-Dixie

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Author:  Kate diCamillo

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 10

Critique: I rated this book a ten because it was a fun book to read and hard to put down.  The story is about a girl named India Opal and her father, the preacher.  She finds a dog at the grocery store, and brings it back with her.  The preacher let her keep it.  After she finds the dog, a lot of good things start to happen to her, such as making new friends.  I would recommend this book to anyone who likes funny, adventurous, and not-too-hard-to-read books.

Library Location: St. Leo School Library

Katherine

Grade 8

 

Title:  the Black Stallion

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Author:  Walter Farley

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 9

Critique: This book is about a boy named Alec.  Alec is visiting his Uncle in India.  On his ride back to America, he sees a beautiful Black Stallion.  When the boat capsizes, he and the horse are stranded on an uninhabited island.  He learns to ride and trust the wildest horse he had ever seen.  When they are rescued, he finds he is the only survivor.  His parents let him keep Black, and they put him in a near-by barn.  There, Alec makes some good friends and goes on to an exciting adventure.  I recommend this book to horse-crazy people, or people who like animals.

Library Location: St. Leo School Library

Erin

Grade 8

 

Title:  Before We Were Free

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Author:  Julia Alverez

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 9

Critique:  This book was very good, but it was hard to understand some parts of the story because the author sometimes wrote in Spanish.  I thought this book was good, though, because I learned a little bit about the Dominican Republic that I didn’t know before.

Library Location: Forsyth County Public Library

Stephanie

Grade 7

 

Title:  Blackwater

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Author:  Eve Bunting

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 3

Critique: The book was full of action, but it went on and on about things, like when Brodie gets trapped in the black water trying to save Otis and Pauline.  It was also hard to follow in some parts of the book.  For example, it is hard to understand why Brodie pushed Otis and Pauline off the rock.  I know he was upset, but you don’t push people off rocks because you’re mad.  It was an ok book, but in my perspective I believe it was a little boring.

Library Location: St. Leo School Library

Brad

Grade 8

 

Title:  Blackwater

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Author:  Eve Bunting

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 9

Critique: It was very neat.  A Lot of Action.  Brodie Lynch plays a harmless prank, that goes too far.  One of his friends is missing, and another is drowned.  Brodie does not tell that he made them fall.  His cousin Alex is the only one who saw, but was he the only one?  You will have to read to find out.  You HAVE to read this.

Library Location: St. Leo Main Library

Chris

Grade 6

 

Title:  Blackwater

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Author:  Eve Bunting

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 3

Critique: This book was about a boy whose cousin came to spend the summer with him.  One day, they go swimming in a pond next to a roaring river.  The boy was playing tricks on a girl he liked.  The girl and her boyfriend fell into the “Blackwater”.  This book was very predictable.  It was depressing, too.  There really wasn’t anything good that happened.  It was sad because people were dying and mourning the whole book.  I knew exactly what was going to happen once I got to the second chapter.  I probably wouldn’t read this book again unless I had to.

Library Location: St. Leo Library

Ellie

Grade 8

 

Title:  Bloomability

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Author:  Creech, Sharon

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  10

Critique:  I give it a “10” because it is a great book to read because you don’t know what is going to happen next.  It is a great book for people that like realistic fiction.

Library Location:  other

Alexis

Grade 7

 

Title:  Bloomability

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Author:  Sharon Creech

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 7

Critique: I gave it a 7 because it’s a really good book, but not 10 materialBloomability is a book that follows its genre.  It is exciting at some parts and boring at others.  It also shows the negative and positive sides of the story.  I would recommend this story to anyone who has just moved, as a book report or book review to do, or just feels like reading.

Library Location: St. Leo School Library

Sarah

Grade 7

 

Title:  Blubber

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Author:  Judy Blume

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 8

Critique: I did not like how they treated a girl in the beginning of the book, but in the end, they are really nice to her and become best friends.  I would only suggest this book to 5 – 8th graders, because of some events in the book.  I still enjoyed reading this book.

Library Location: Other

Alex

Grade 6

 

Title:  Brian’s Hunt

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Author:  Paulson, Gary

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  9

Critique:  I would give this book a 9 because I love wilderness survival and Gary Paulson’s books.  I also kike this book because I like realistic fiction, and I also thought Gary Paulson was very descriptive about Brian’s surroundings, such as the bear (which he described as a thick brown coat of fur with huge muscles and bone=breaking claws.)  This book is very good because Gary Paulson makes it so like you are Brian out in the wild.  The way he informed the reader about what was going on in the story (for example, why the plane crashed) was excellent.  I would recommend this book to anyone who likes realistic fiction and Gary Paulsen.

Library Location: St. Leo School library 

Jacob

Grade 7

 

Title: Brian’s Winter

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Author:  Gary Paulsen

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 8

Critique:  Brian’s Winter was an alternate ending to The Hatchet.  In The Hatchet, Brian gets the radio to work and sends a message that eventually leads to his survival.  Inn Brian’s winter, Brian has to endure the harsh winter.  I feel that it is better if you read The Hatchet before reading Brian’s Winter, because Brian’s Winter just starts where it left off, except for the fact that Brian wasn’t rescued.  I gave this book a 5 rating because I thought that there were many dull points and that it took too long to get the plot across.

Library Location: St. Leo School Library

Jennifer

Grade 8

 

Title:  Brian’s Winter

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Author:  Paulsen, Gary

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  10

Critique:  My reason for giving Brian’s Winter a “10” was that the book was very descriptive so that you almost felt as if you were in that situation.

Library Location:  St. Leo School Main Library

Max

Grade 7

 

Title:  Brian’s Winter

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Author:  Gary Paulsen

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 8.5

Critique: My reason is that it was a great book.  It was really realistic because Gary Paulsen did a good job making it look like it was really a 13-year-old boy in the woods in the cold winter.  He made Brian’s reactions like a 13-year-old would react in a situation like that.  Why I took off 1.5 was because some chapters were kind of dull.  But it was a good book. I recommend it to people who like adventures and nature stories.

Library Location:  St. Leo School Library

Joseph

Grade 7

 

Title:  Brian’s Winter

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Author:  Gary Paulsen

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 7

Critique: Told how we can survive in the wild;  a good sequel to Hatchet.

Library Location: St. Leo School Library

Chas

Grade 6

 

Title:  Cages

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Author:  Peg Kehret

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 8

Critique: I gave this book an eight because I thought it was great and a fun adventurous book, while it also had her telling the story and complaining about having lots of troubles.

Library Location: Other

Arielle

Grade 6

 

Title:  The Cay

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Author:  Taylor, Theodaor

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  9

Critique:  I gave it a 0 because I really enjoyed this book so much.  It is a good adventure, and the book keeps you hooked.  I liked the author’s writing style, and the certain points of view.  When Phillip becomes blind it gives you a perspective of what it would be like to be blind.  I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good adventure book with lots of obstacles and twists and turns.

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

Arielle

Grade 7

 

Title:  Call It Courage

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Author:  Perry, Armstrong

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  10

Critique: The reason I gave this book a “10” is because it was really exciting.   It always kept me reading it.  You never knew what was going to happen to Mafatu.

Library Location:  St. Leo School Main Library

David

Grade 7

 

Title:  The Christmas Doll

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Author:  Woodruff, Elvira

Genre:   Realistic Fiction

Rating:  10

Critique:  The author makes you feel like you’re in the story.  It is very realistic.  Otherwise, the story itself is great and I was drawn to it on the first page!

Library Location: other

Jessica

Grade 6

 

Title:  The Clique

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Author:  Harrison, Lisi

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  9

Critique:  I thought the book was very easy to relate to, and was easy to read.  Both the polot and the theme were about things in every day life.  It is about a girl named Claire that is trying to fit in but nothing works.  Everyone made fun of her and played tricks on her.  It was a very good book that I would recommend to anyone who likes realistic fiction.

Library Location: Home Library

Nicole

Grade 7

 

Title:  Comeback Challenge

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Author:  Matt Christopher

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 9

Critique: this book is about Mark, whose parents are fighting over him. Meanwhile, the captan of his team is ignoring him.  Read this book to see if he works the problems out.

Library Location: Other

Matt

Grade 6

 

Title:  The Cookcamp

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Author:  Gary Paulsen

Genre:  Realistic fiction

Rating: 8

Critique: It seemed extremely real ecause the little boy in the book shows real emotion towards his mother and grandmother.  The book is during 1944, which is also the time of World War II.   That also made it seem real because his father is at war.  It is hard to write emotions on paper, but Gary Paulsen does a wonderful job doing it.

Library Location:  St. Leo School Library

Daniel

Grade 7

 

Title:  The Crossing

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Author:  Paulsen, Gary

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  9

Critique:  I like this because it talked about the hardships of Mexico.  This topic is a current event.  The book also discusses the controversy of the United States-Mexico border.

Library Location:  St. Leo School Main Library

Bruce

Grade 7

 

Title:  Dicey’s Song

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Author:  Voight, Cynthia

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  6

Critique:  The book was about Dicey, and her siblings.  It talked about their rough times.  I didn’t really like this book, because I thought it was boring at parts in the story.  I think I would recommend this book to people who really like realistic fiction.  Also I would recommend this book to people who are going through tough times, to, and will be able to relate to Dicey.

Library Location: Barnes & Noble (also available at SLS library) 

Jennifer

Grade 6

 

Title:  Dogsong

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Author:  Gary Paulsen

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 7

Critique: I gave this book a 7 because it is adventurous and it talks about polar bears and dogs.

Library Location: St. Leo Main Library

Jonathan

Grade 6

 

Title:  Down the Yukon

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Author:  Will Hobbes

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 9

Critique: It is thrilling and adventurous.   It is about two kids and a dog trying to race down the Yukon River to win $20,000.

Library Location: Other

Michael

Grade 6

 

Title:  Dust of the Earth

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Author:  Vera and Bill Cleaver

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 6 or 7

Critique: Overall, this book was pretty good but I felt that this book was boring at some times.  There would be a few exciting parts, but then it would just be kind of blah.  I gave this book higher than a 5 because I did like the exciting parts and it made me want to read more.

Library Location: Other

Hana

Grade 7

 

Title:  Early Sunday Morning

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Author:  Denenberg, Barry

Genre:  Realistic / Historical Fiction

Rating:  8

Critique:  This book was really good.  It showed how a child would have reacted to the attack on Pearl Harbor.  It showed a young girl’s point of view.

Library Location: other

Ryan

Grade 7

 

Title:  Ella Minnoco Pea

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Author:  Dunn, Mark

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  10

Critique:  This book was really good.  I gave it a 10 because of the way it was sritten.  It was written so that every time a litter in the book dropped, it was erased from the book.  If you like (and are good at) word games, you would love this book.

Library Location: Home Library

Ally

Grade 7

 

Title:  Escaping the Giant Wave

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Author:  Peg Kehret

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 9

Critique: Escaping the Giant Wave is an interesting book!  A boy goes on a vacation with his family.  While he is babysitting his little sister, a huge disaster occurs.  The boy has to think of a plan to save them.  This book is so exciting.  I couldn’t put it down.  It was as if one disaster occurred after another.  I would recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure, but doesn’t like to read much.  This book is exciting and easy to read.  I read it in about 3 hours.  I enjoyed this book very much!

Library Location: St. Leo School Library

Rachel

Grade 8

 

Title:  Esperanza Rising

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Author:  Pam Munoz Ryan

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 8.5

Critique: This book is a very exciting book.  In this book, a girl and her family are very wealthy, and live in a huge house.  After Esperanza’s 13th birthday, everything goes wrong.  Her father gets shot, her house burns down, and she and her family must make their way to America to fid work.  Esperanza has a hard time because she is used to being waited on hand and foot.  After a while, her grandmother gets enough money to move them back to Mexico, and try to live the life they once did.

Library Location: St. Leo School Library

Anna

Grade 8

 

Title:  The Face on the Milk Carton

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Author:  Caroline B. Cooney

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 8

Critique: I thought that this book was pretty good because it was intriguing.  It had a lot of twists.  The thing I didn’t really like was that it had some love scenes.  I think teenagers might like this book, because Janie, the main character, related a lot to a typical teenager, in that she was more into boys than her school work.  For example, one day Janie had her friend, Sarah-Charlotte, over for a sleep-over, and Janie was continuously bragging about her new boyfriend, Reeve.  I think it would really fit a teenager.

Library Location: St. Leo School Library

Jennifer

Grade 7

 

Title:  The Face on the Milk Carton

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Author:  Caroline Cooney

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 8

Critique: I thought this book was very interesting because it had a bit of detail in it.  For example, relationships.  The parts of the book that were not interesting were how she said that she was kidnapped, and her parents couldn’t do such a thing;  it got so annoying.  But I would recommend this book.

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

Meghan

Grade 7

 

Title:  The Face on the Milk Carton

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Author:  Caroline Cooney

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 9

Critique: This book is about a girl named Janie Johnson, who is one day reading a milk carton, and sees a picture of herself on it.  As the book continues, it just tells about how she goes through her life with that secret until she eventually tells her parents, and finally calls the Springs, her natural parents.  I think that this book deserves a nine because it is a very suspenseful, entertaining. Book.  This book is very good for readers who have not had the best experience in finding books they enjoy for book reports, or who do not enjoy reading at all.  What makes this book even better is that there are three books written following it that are about Janie going with the Springs, and how her life does go on even though she finds that difficult to believe.  Basically, this is just an all around good book.

Library Location: St. Leo School Library

Allie

Grade 8

 

Title:  Fallen Angels

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Author:  Myers, Walter Dean

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  8

Critique:  I gave this book an 8 because it was a good war book.  It described the fighting in detail.  I would recommend this book to people who like war books.

Library Location: Borders  

Dylan

Grade 7

 

Title:  For Better, For Worse, Forever

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Author:  Lurlene McDaniel

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 8

Critique: This is the sequel to Till Death Do Us Part, which was about a girl named April Landcaster, who had a brain tumor and fell in love with a guy with cystic fibrosis.  He died tragically at the end.  In this sequel, April’s parents take her to a Caribbean island to help her forget about Mark and her own illness.  Here she meets a boy named Brandon, but is reluctant to get into another relationship.  Her illness is then found to be incurable.  She dies in the end, and Brandon, who thought he was no competition for a dead guy, convinces himself to let April go, and give her to Mark forever.  I gave this book an 8 because it is a good story with a good storyline.  It is also very sad.  However, this is a good book that I think any girl would read.

Library Location: home

Elise

Grade 8

 

Title:  Frindle

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Author:  Andrew Clements

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 8

Critique: This book was about a boy, Nicholas, who had a lot of ideas, like the time he turned his third grade classroom into a tropical island.  He is in the 5th grade now, and has Mrs. Granger as a language arts teacher, and she is a fanatic about the dictionary.  So Nicholas gets the idea from an assignment about the dictionary.  On the way back from school, he finds  a gold pen and calls it a frindle, and the word grows and grows into a big deal, putting the word on t-shirts, pens, and finally the dictionary.  I gave this book an 8 out of 10, because this book wasn’t the best book I’ve read.  I love books that have a surprise ending.  This book was very fun to read and I enjoyed every part of it.  I couldn’t put it down.  I wish the book could have been longer to read.  There was just something about this book that made it fun.  I loved the characters in Frndle, like Mrs. Granger, and Nicholas Allen.  This book was funny, adventurous, and well-written, but it could have been longer and more detailed about some of the characters.  I enjoyed this book overall and plan to read his next one.

Library Location: St. Leo School Library

Michael

Grade 8

 

 

Title:  A Gathering of Days

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Author:  Joan W. Blos

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 9

Critique: I gave this book a 9 because I really enjoyed it.  I never had read a book like it, and it was different than other books I have read.  The book explained the real feelings of a girl my age whose mother and best friend passed away.  I loved how the story had a happy ending.  It was also very exciting at points.  The book was hard to put down.

Library Location: St. Leo School Library

Paige

Grade 8

 

Title:  Ginger Pye

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Author:  Estes, Eleanor

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  9

Critique:  I really like this book because the main character, Giner Pye, is like my personality.  Ginger Pye is a smart, funny, curious puppy who Jerry Pye bought for a hard-earned dollar.  I did not give this book a ten because in the middle of this book, it  went about a page too long in describing one event.  Overall, this book is a 9.9 because it was a lot of fun to read.  I would recommend this book to readers of all ages.

Library Location:  other

Hana

Grade 6

 

 

Title:  Gold Dust

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Author:  Lynch, Chris

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  6

Critique:  The reasons that I give Gold Dust a six are that Gold Dust was very boring and hard to understand.  At points I wanted to stop reading this book.  The ending was boring but it did teach a lesson.  I couldn’t believe what some characters did and it was not something I would want to read again.  Also, some of the dialog was hard to understand.  While the subject, baseball, is an interesting topic, it didn’t keep my interest in this book.

Library Location: other

Molly

Grade 6

 

Title:  Goodnight, Mr. Tom

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Author:  Magorian, Michelle               

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  10

Critique:  Great Book!  Good character descriptions and human emotions.  The book seemed so real, it was almost as if you were laughing and crying along with the characters.  Emotions and actions of the characters were incredibly strong.  However, there was one small thing in the story that was more for older kids.  So I will recommend this book to all in grades 5-8.

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

Craig

Grade 7

 

Title:  Good Nigt, Mr. Tom

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Author:  Michelle Magorian

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 6

Critique: My reasons for giving this book the rating above is because I thought the book got confusing at times.  It got a little boring at times, because it did not grab my interest.  I could not pay attention, but I could have if maybe the author would have made it a little bit shorter.

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

Ellie

Grade 7

 

Title:  Hard Drive to Short

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Author:  Christopher, Matt        

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  8

Critique:  It was a good book.  It had a lot of action, but not a lot of pages.  I also like baseball, so I liked it.  It’s a great book report book.

Library Location: SLS library

Robert

Grade 6

 

Title:  Hatchet

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Author:  Gary Paulsen

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 7

Critique: Hatchet is a very exciting book.  It is about a boy, Brian, who crashes in a plane in the Canadian woods.  He must learn to survive in the harsh conditions.  It has very realistic details, and is suspenseful.  It is a little hard to follow, though.

Library Location: St. Leo School Library

Will

Grade 8

 

Title:  Hatchet

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Author:  Gary Paulse

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 10

Critique: I thought it was pretty believable.  It was fun to read about how he survived using sheer resourcefulness.   I also enjoy nature, so this book was perfect for me.  And it was packed with action.

Library Location: St. Leo School Library

Jordy

Grade 7

 

Title:  Hatchet

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Author:  Paulsen, Gary

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  9

Critique:  The author wrote the book very well.  He used good words and descriptions.  I can relate to the character very well.  I also liked the plot.  It was a great book overall, and I would recommend it to any guys and girls who like action and adventure.

Library Location: St. Leo School Main Library

Jack

Grade 7

 

Title:  Hatchet

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Author:  Gary Paulsen

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 10

Critique: This book is about a boy named Brian Robeson who is in the wilderness for 54 days after a plane crash, and all he has is a hatchet.  It’s a thrilling, life-surviving story and very exciting to see how he survives.  He makes a shelter, a fire, finds raspberries and turtle eggs to eat, and he hunts down fish and birds to eat.  The way he learns to survive is very smart and fun to read.  In the end, he is rescued.

Library Location: St. Leo Main Library

Scott

Grade 6

 

Title:  Hatchet

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Author:  Gary Paulsen

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 8

Critique: Hatchet was very interesting and I thought it was exciting. It made me really think about how I would survive, alone in a forest.  I never wanted to stop reading because it was so exciting.  It’s a great book if you like reading adventurous and exciting books.

Library Location: Other

Alyssa

Grade 6

 

Title:  Hatchet

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Author:  Gary Paulsen

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 9

Critique:  This book is about a 13-year-old boy named Brian.  Brian was given a short flying lesson by a pilot of a  plane.  Suddenly the pilot has a heart attack, and Brian is forced to take the controls.  The plane crashes in the Canadian woods and Brian is stranded for 54 days.  He has to learn to survive until he is rescued.  I would rate this a nine because it was a very good and adventurous book.

Library Location: friend’s library (also available at St. Leo School Library)

Ashly

Grade 8

Title:  Heartland:  From this day on

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Author:  Lauren Brooke

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 6

Critique: This book was a fun book to read.  It was about two sisters who run a farm for injured or unwanted horses.  Lou is the older sister.  She is getting married and her little sister doesn’t want to cause her any trouble.  When Amy looks up her SAT scores, she scored really high and she doesn’t tell any one.  She doesn’t want to leave the farm but in the end she decides to leave and go to college.  I would recommend this book to people who like horses and people who are thinking of college but don’t want to leave home.

Library Location: Borders

Anna

Grade 7

 

Title:  Holes

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Author:  Sachar, Louis

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  7

Critique:  I gave this book a 7 because I thought it was very interesting.  It moved back and forth between two different times, which end up to be very important.  It is also very realistic, and it is interesting how the author portrays the characters.

Library Location: St. Leo School library

Rose

Grade 7

 

Title: Holes

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Author:  Louis Sachar

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 9.5

Critique: Why I gave my book the grade I did was because the book was very well written.  It had many characters that I could relate to many people.  I would recommend this book to anyone who loves adventure and funny books.  I really liked this book!

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

Gabby

Grade 7

 

Title:  Hoot

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Author:  Hiassan, Carl

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  8

Critique:  My reasons for giving Hoot an 8 are that it was a fabo=ulous, exciting story that put you on the edge of your seat.  It was a fairly short book (to me, at least), and was hilarious.  I would have given it a 10 if it had not had such long suspending chapters, and if it had not switched scenes so often.  I do not recommend this book to anyone younger than 6th grade because of some bad language, and older-age humor.

Library Location:  St. Leo School library 

Erica

Grade 7

 

Title:  Hope Was Here

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Author:  Baur, Joan

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  10

Critique:  It was a very fun and interesting book.  I didn’t get bored reading it.  It was awesome!

Library Location:  St. Leo School Main Library

Sara

Grade 7

 

Title:  How My Private, Personal Journal became a Bestseller

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Author: Julia DeVillers

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 9

Critique: This book is about a high school girl who one day accidentally turned in her diary instead of her English project.  Then one day her English teacher told her that it was getting published.  I gave this book a 9 because it was a little too long and too girly for me.

Library Location: Home

Gabby

Grade 8

 

Title:  How My Private Journal Became a Bestseller

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Author:  DeVillers, Julia

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  8

Critique:  It’s a very interesting book that I think most girls could relate to.  It was very hard to put the book down, because I kept wanting to know what would happen next.  The aughor really makes you feel like you are part of the book.  It’s about a teenage girl whose journal gets turned in instead of her English paper.  It gets published and becomes a best-seller.

Library Location: Borders

Ashly

Grade 6

 

Title:  If It Doesn’t Kill You

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Author:  Bechard, Margirette

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  6 - 8

Critique:  It is not fictional, like fantasy.  It is true.  It could really happen.

Library Location:  Public Library

Matt

Grade 7

 

Title:  I’m Not Who You Think I Am

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Author:  Peg Kehret

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 8

Critique: This book was very exciting and kept me on the edge of my seat.  The way that the two main events going on in the story come together in the end is very clever.

Library Location: Other

Liz

Grade 7

 

 

Title:  Is Anybody There?

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Author:  Bunting, Eve

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  6

Critique:  The reason I gave this book a ‘6’ is because it was exciting and suspenseful in some parts.  This book was like normal life, and it was not too long nor too short.

Library Location:  other

Suzanne

Grade 7

 

Title:  The Island

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Author:  Paulsen, Garry

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  8.5

Critique:  It is a very well written book.  It will keep you reading and reading.  Also, I could relate to what he did and put it in a real life situation.  The book was very interesting and about a kid who really likes to ride a bike and go to this strange island.  This story has many, many good points.

Library Location:  St. Leo School Main Library

Tom

Grade 7

 

Title:  The Island

*********************************************************

Author:  Gary Paulsen

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 8

Critique: My reasons for giving The Island an 8 is because the book was a very different kind of book from what I usually read.  There were situations that I would understand, and some I wouldn’t.  I thought that I didn’t relate to any of the main characters.  The main character, Will, is moving for the first time, and he is very upset.  I have never moved, so I didn’t know exactly how it feels.  Overall, I thought the book was interesting and unusual.  It also taught me more about nature, and the world around you.

Library Location: St. Leo School Library

Paige

Grade 7

 

Title:  The Island of Dangerous Dreams

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Author:  Nixon, Joan Lowery

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  8.5

Critique:  The book was spectacular, its plot delightfully unpredictable and the story full of twists.  If you want to read a suspenseful book, it is certainly satisfying and commendable.  However, a select few events were on the coincidental side.

Library Location: Home Library

Caroline

Grade 7

 

Title:  Jacob Have I Loved

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Author:  Paterson, Katherine

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  10

Critique:  It is very realistic and it is a terrific story of an elder twin’s lost birthright.

Library Location:  St. Leo School Main Library

Laura

Grade 7

 

Title:  The Janitor’s Boy

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Author:  Clements, Andrew

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  8

Critique:  I think this book was good enough to read again.  The boy in this book is Jack.  He is eleven years old and he is very adventurous.  His dad is the janitor at his school and Jack is very embarrassed by him.  Jack soon solves his problems and is proud of his dad.

Library Location: other

Bonnie

Grade 6

 

Title:  Julie of the Wolves

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Author:  George, Jean Craighead

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  10

Critique:  I love animals, especially wolves.  I would advise people who love adventures and animals to read this book.  I really enjoyed this book.

Library Location:  St. Leo School Main Library

Heather

Grade 6

 

Title:  Julie of the Wolves

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Author:  Jean Craighead George

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 8

Critique: There was some stuff that I didn’t think should have been in the book.  It was very interesting.

Library Location: Other

Hunter

Grade 6

 

Title:  Just as Long as We’re Together

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Author:  Blume, Judy

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  5

Critique:  I rated this book 5 because it was interesting but some parts of the story were very boring and over-exaggerated and long.  This book was like the real life of teenage girls, although some things they did mad them seem younger than their age.  I recommend it to anyone who likes to read about realistic life.

Library Location:  St. Leo School Library

Mandy

Grade 7

 

Title:  Katrina

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Author:  Winter, Kathryn

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  8

Critique:  The book was boring at times, and confusing, but overall it was good.

Library Location:  Public Library

Julia

Grade 7

 

Title:  Last Hope       

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Author: Daniels, Lucy        

Genre:  Realistic Fiction     

Rating:  7.5

Critique:  It was good but it had too many details, it didn’t really get to the main point that fast, and it was a little too easy for a 6th grader.  I liked it though because it was about a pony, and I love anything with horses or ponies, easy or hard.

Library Location:   Other

Marissa

Grade 6

 

Title:  Last Hope

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Author:  Daniels, Lucy

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  7.5

Critique:  It was good but it had too many details.  It didn’t really get to the main point that fast and it was a little too easy to read for a sixth grader.  I liked it though because it was about a pony, and I love anything with horses or ponies, easy or hard.

Library Location: other

Arielle

Grade 6

 

Title:  Lizzie Goes Wild

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Author:  Larsen, Kirsten

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  10

Critique:  I gave this book a ten because it teaches you about life’s friendships.  It was a good book, and I would recommend it to anyone.  But if you don’t like Lizzie McGuire, don’t read it.

Library Location: Borders (other “Lizzie McGuire books are available at SLS library) 

Veronica

Grade 6

 

Title:  The Long Trail Home

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Author:  Durfey, Josh

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  4

Critique:  I enjoyed reading about the wild ways of wolves and I like reading about collies.  Although, I did not like the time period the story was taking place in.  I also thought at times that the book was boring, and there was nothing exciting happening.  I did not like the ending of the book either.  I did not feel that the book was so good that I could not put it down.  In conclusion, I liked this book a little, but I would not read it again.

Library Location: St. Leo School Library

Melanie

Grade 7

 

Title:  Maggie Adams, Dancer

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Author:  Karen Strickler Dean

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 10

Critique: Maggie Adams was a great exciting book.  The story was great.  The author gave a great description.

Library Location: Other

Julia

Grade 6

 

 

Title:  Maniac Magee

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Author:  Spinelli, Jerry

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  9

Critique:  I give this book a “9” because this book is about a boy and he always helps people wherever he goes.  Also, this is an adventure book and I like adventure.

Library Location:  other

Thomas

Grade 7

 

Title:  Molly Moon’s Incredible Book of Hypnotism

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Author:  Bung, Georia

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  9.5

Critique:  Molly Moon is not an ordinary orphan.  When she finds a hypnotism book at the library, she learns to hypnotize people, and made her way to New York.  There she becomes a famous actress, but she doesn’t know that an evil man “Nockman” is stalking her.  Soon, he takes her dog Petula and blackmails her into robbing a bank.  They rob the bank, but she finds a way to get the jewels and money back.  Finally, she returns to the orphanage and lives a better life.  I gave this took a 9.5 because it is a little confusing at imes, but overall, it is great.

Library Location: Barnes & Noble 

Erin

Grade 6

 

Title:  My Side of the Mountain

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Author:  George, Jean Craighead

Genre:  General Fiction

Rating:  10

Critique:  I like this book because it’s about a boy trying to survive in the wild when no one believes he can do it.

Library Location: Public Library

Arielle

Grade 6

 

Title:  My Side of the Mountain

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Author:  George, Jean Craighead

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  6

Critique:  The reasons for giving this book the above rating are because since the boy was my age, I would know what he was going through and what he felt like in that situation.  The story taught you many things you need to know about how to survive in the wilderness.  It taught you things about how to use the mountain resources to fish, make shelter, and gather food.

Library Location: Reynolda Public Library (also available at SLS library) 

Jared

Grade 7

 

Title:  Night Hoops

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Author:  Deuker, Carl

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  9.5

Critique:  It had some bad parts, so I gave it a 9.5.  But I really liked it because it was about basketball but it has real problems that could happen in real life like how a character’s dad favors the oldest brother.  This book would be for middle school only.

Library Location: Borders  

Gabby

Grade 6

 

Title:  Night Hoops

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Author:  Carl Deuker

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 9

Critique: The author really grabs your attention.  I like this book because it is about basketball, and it was very interesting.  Although the book had some bad parts I gave it a 9.  I would recommend this book to older students who enjoy sports or just a very interesting and suspenseful book.

Library Location: Borders

Ashley

Grade 7

 

Title:  No promises in the Wind

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Author:  Irene Hunt

Genre:  Realistic Fiction/Historical Fiction

Rating: 7

Critique: It was good because you could tell there was a lot of work put into the story. Also, it was from a different time period and all of the story was about kids running away during the depression.

Library Location: Classroom Library

Brian

Grade 6

 

Title:  The Old Man and the Sea

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Author:  Ernest Hemingway

Genre:  Realistic Fiction/Classic

Rating: 8

Critique: My reasons for giving “The Old Man and the Sea” the above rating is it was a wonderful book full of excitement and was very suspenseful about if he would catch the marlin or not.  Ther were some parts in the book that were not as great as the rest of the book.  Overall, this book was very good.

Library Location: Other

Lea

Grade 6

 

Title:  Old Yeller

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Author:  Fred Gipson

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 10

Critique: It was fun and interesting.  I like it because it was about a boy and a dog, and also his family.  He had to work very hard, and had a lot of responsibility.  The dog’s name was Old Yeller.  He was a great dog to play with. Old Yeller saved his family’s life, and saved himself, and then Travis had to kill him.                     

Library Location: Other

Adam

Grade 6

 

Title: Old Yeller

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Author:  Fred Gipson

Genre:  Realistic Fiction     

Rating:  8

Critique:  I gave this book this rating because there were a few parts in it that on my part weren’t strongly written.  But there were also a lot of parts in the story that are well-described and very strongly written.  Overall, this book is wonderful.

Library Location:   Other

Lea

Grade 6

 

Title:  Only the Lonely

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Author:  Dower, Laura

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  9.5

Critique:  It was a great book!  It is about a girl who is going through the same thins as me.  She has a cool on-line diary that relates to the book.  I really liked it because she makes new friends and has to decide whether to keep her old friends or dump them.  Read the book and you’ll find out what she decides.  This is a great book for any girl who needs an awesome realistic fiction book.

Library Location: St. Leo School Library

Ellie

Grade 6

 

Title:  The Outsider
*********************************************************

Author:  S. E. Hinton

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  10

Critique:  I gave this book a “10” because it was very good and very realistic.  It portrays a good image of real life.

Library Location:  other

Alison

Grade 7

 

Title:  Phoenix Rising

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Author:  Hesse, Karen

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  10

Critique:  The book was very, very good.  The author wrote it in such detail and it was very eventful.  The characters were dramatic and very emotional.  It was a fabulous book that anyone can enjoy.

Library Location: St. Leo School library 

Sean

Grade 7

 

Title:  The President’s Daughter

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Author:  Ellen Emerson White

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 8

Critique: I liked this book because in it, Katharine Powers becomes the first ever female President.  It is fun to read about the chaotic life of Meg Powers, the President’s daughter.  The conflicts Meg and her family are very interesting.  I gave the book an 8 because in some parts, the sentences and paragraphs go on forever without people talking.  I like a lot of conversation.

Library Location: home

Elise

Grade 7

 

Title:  The Road to Memphis

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Author:  Taylor, Mildred D.

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  10

Critique:  If you are looking for an awesome realistic fiction book, this is the book for you!  I believe if you have read Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry (which most of you will read in 6th grade), you will enjoy this book.  The Road to Memphis continues on with the Logan family saga, and turns out to be a fascinating, although sad, chapter in their lives.  When Cassie, Stacy, Moe, Clarence, and Little Willie make a “quick” stop in Strawberry, things go terribly wrong.  Moe did something horrible and all of a sudden Cassie has to give up her studies and her family and flee to Memphis.  Read The Road to Memphis to figure out what happens to Cassie and her family.

Library Location: St. Leo School library 

Lucy

Grade 7

 

Title:  Robinson Crusoe

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Author:  Daniel Defoe

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 10

Critique: I would give this a 10 because it is my favorite type of book, adventure.  It is also a somewhat suspenseful book.  It is about a man who gets shipwrecked on an island.  He has to find ways to make food, calendars, and find a way to get off the island.  While he is there he encounters cannibals and Indians.  I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys suspenseful adventure.

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

Andrew

Grade 7

 

Title:  Shadow Tree

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Author:  Jodi Lynn

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 8

Critique: It was a very sad book, but it was very interesting.  Glory is the main character, and she experiences the death of a very close friend.  The village she lives in sent her out because she was the cause of her friend’s death.  Glor is sad and distressed and is soon sent to live with foster parents.  Soon Glory has friends and is living like any other teenager in America.

Library Location: Borders

Catherine

Grade 7

 

Title:  Shadow Tree

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Author:  Jodi Lynne

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 9

Critique: I liked this book because it was about a girl who is challenged with problems, but the one reason why I didn’t like the book is it was way too sad.  I almost cried, because she doesn’t have a home or family any more.

Library Location: home

Elizabeth

Grade 7

 

Title:  Sharing Susan

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Author:  Bunting, Eve

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating 7

Critique:  I give this book a seven because it was really good and exciting.  It usually kept me at the edge of my seat and it always went to, like, will the biological parents get her or will her parents she has known her whole life get her.  Read the book and find out, but I also rate it a seven because I don’t think that I would put it in the genre of realistic fiction.

Library Location:  St. Leo School Library

Marissa

Grade 7

 

Title:  Sharing Susan

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Author:  Eve Bunting

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 9

Critique: This book was wonderful.  I liked it because the author would explain things to you.  This book did not move slow – every time you turned the page something happens.  I would recommend this book to people who want to learn about other people who were switched at birth and have to live through this.  Just to know that this actually happens in real life worries me.  I am aware now of what happens in the world.

Library Location: St. Leo School Library

Rachel

Grade 7

 

Title:  Sharing Susan

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Author:  Bunting, Eve

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  6

Critique:  I liked this book, but I don’t think it’s a “must read.”  I say this because there wasn’t that much conflict, which made it dull at points.  I would recommend this to people who like emotional, dramatic, and somewhat short books.

Library Location: St. Leo School library) 

Eileen

Grade 7

 

Title:  Simply Alice

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Author:  Nyler, Phyllis Reynolds

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  1

Critique: It was not very exciting.  This book was not well written.

Library Location:  other

Steffie

Grade 7

 

Title:  Simply Alice

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Author:  Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  9.5

Critique:  This was very realistic and it seemed real-life.

Library Location:  other

Casey

Grade 7

 

Title:  Shiloh

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Author:  Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 9

Critique: I gave this book a 9 because I love animals, and the book is adventurous and outgoing.  People who like animals should read this book.

Library Location: St. Leo Main Library

Heather

Grade 6

 

Title:  Skye’s the Limit

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Author:  Shull, Megan

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  10

Critique:  I really liked this book because I could relate to a lot of it.  There have been times people have been mean to me and sometimes I find out they are having problems in their lives.  I would recommend this book.

Library Location: Home 

Meghan    

Grade 6

 

Title:  Slam!

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Author:  Myers, Walter Dean

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  9

Critique:  It’s a very interesting book and you can get into it extremely easily because it’s so fun to read.  This book is very delightful but it’s still not my favorite because it talks about drugs.  This is why I gave this book a rating of “9”.

Library Location:  St. Leo School Main Library

Lindsay

Grade 7

 

Title:  Soccer Duel

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Author:  Thomas J. Dygard

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 4

Critique: I thought it was pretty boring because it was too realistic.

Library Location: Other

David

Grade 6

 

 

Title:  Soccer Halfback

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Author:  Christopher, Matt

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  7

Critique:  It talks about soccer, football, and he gets to play football for Notre Dame.

Library Location: other

Jonathan

Grade 6

 

 

Title:  Soccer Halfback

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Author:  Christopher, Matt

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  7

Critique:  I like it because I like soccer a lot.  I like to read about sports.

Library Location: St. Leo School Main Library

David

Grade 6

 

Title:  A Sudden Silence

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Author:  Bunting, Eve

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  0

Critique:  If My reasons for giving this book the above rating where that I thought the plot of the book was very sad, and that the author didn’t give a really good idea of who killed Brye.  The main character (Jesse) was always aimlessly yelling and moaning through the whole book.  I thought that the author put scenes and characters into the book just to make it longer, but these scenes and characters had nothing to do with the storyline of this book

Library Location: St. Leo School library) 

Zachary

Grade 7

 

Title:  Summer of my German Soldier

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Author:  Bette Greene

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 7

Critique: This book is about a teenage girl who falls in love with a Nazi prisoner who is encamped in America.  The reason I gave this book a 7 is because it is compelling and adventurous.  But it did not get a 10 because I personally don’t like love stories.  But anyone who enjoys love stories would definitely like this book.  Besides the love story genre, I would recommend this book to anyone.

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

Daniel

Grade 8

Title:  Strawberry Girl

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Author: 

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  5

Critique:  I found this book rather dull but still very well written.

Library Location: other

Katie

Grade 7

 

Title:  A Sudden Silence

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Author:  Eve Bunting

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  7

Critique:  the book was full of action, romance, and depression all at the same time.  Jesse’s brother dies by a drunk driver driving in the middle of June.  Jesse falls in love while trying to find his brother’s murderer.  See how Jesse copes with his brother’s death, and how he handles his social life and love life with all the other people in his life.  I’ll give you a clue:  the end is not what you expect at all.  Read it and you will find out all the twists and turns Jesse has to go through, not even to mention his family and friends.

Library Location: St. Leo School Library

Ryan

Grade 8

 

Title:  Sun and Spoon

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Author:  Kevin Henkes

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 9

Critique:This book was a heart-warming novel and sad.  I enjoyed reading about bad situations like what happened to Spoon with his grandmother dying.

Library Location: St. Leo School Library

Joseph

Grade 8

 

Title:  Swiss Family Robinson

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Author:  Johann Wyss       

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  7

Critique:  I thought the Swiss Family Robinson was a great book.   The story tells about a family being shipwrecked on an island.  The family has many adventures and has to learn to use the islands resources to survive.  They have to make shelter, find food, and protect themselves from wild animals.  After 10 years pass, a ship comes to the island!  I was very surprised that three of the family members stayed!  The only thing I didn’t like about the book was that the author skipped around a little too much for me during some parts.  But overall, I thought it was a really good story and would recommend it for reading.

Library Location:  St. Leo School Library

Jacob

Grade 6

 

Title:  Telling Christina Goodbye

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Author:  Lurlene McDaniel

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 9

Critique: This book is very realistic but also very sad.  It tells the story of four friends that end up in a car crash.  The author, Lurlene McDaniel, makes you feel like you are right there during the crash and after the crash, while everone is recovering.  The narrator, Trisha, really tells you her feelings after her best friend dies, and her boy friend is totally a different person.

Library Location: Other

Molly

Grade 6

 

Title:  Telling Christina Goodbye

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Author:  Lurlene McDaniel

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 9

Critique: I would give this book a 9 because it was really good, but after a certain spot in the book, they stayed with one specific character in the book.  If they hadn’t done that, I would have rated it a 10.  The author gave very good descriptions of the characters, the scenes, and a lot more.  This is why I rated this book a 9.

Library Location: Other

Jessica

Grade 6

 

Title:  To Kill a Mockingbird

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Author:  Harper Lee

Genre:  Realistic Fiction/Historical Fiction

Rating: 10

Critique: I gave this book a 10 because it was great writing and I could picture every thing the author wrote. When I was supposed to stop reading I couldn’t put the book down, and it kept me reading.

Library Location: Other

Cameron

Grade 6

 

Title:  The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

*********************************************************

Author:  AVI

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 10

Critique: I enjoyed this book very much.  Charlotte Doyle, the main character, has to cross the Atlantic Ocean on the ship “Seahawk”.  She struggles with the captain, and discovers he is a very evil man.  In her attempt to try to escape from him, she accidentally causes him to fall into the thrashing waves of the sea and drown.  She is rewarded for her bravery by the crew.  She successfully makes it to her destination.  I love sailing, and this book included a great amount of facts about sailing.  If you enjoy sailing and also enjoy suspense, this book is for you.

Library Location:

Catherine

Grade 8

 

Title: The Trumpet of the Swan

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Author: White   

Genre: Realistic Fiction      

Rating:  8

Critique:  It was a unique book about a swan.

Library Location:   Other

Hunter

Grade 6

 

Title:  Unbroken

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Author:  Haas, Jessie

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  7

Critique:  Unbroken was a great read.  I could relate to the main character and what she was going through.  I love horses and in this book, horses played a big role.  I would recommend this book to girls who like horses and can relate to what another girl is going through, whether it be good or bad.

Library Location: Forsyth County Public Library 

Lauren

Grade 8

 

Title:  The Usborne Sandy Lane Stables Omnibus

*********************************************************

Author:  Bates, Michelle, and Susannah Leigh

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  8

Critique:  It is aabout horses.  And it is an interesting story.  It tells a lot about a boy being at the barn and how he loves horses and is very good at working with them.  It tells about how he feels about one horse, Horton Chanacellor, and how he learnds to get along with him.

Library Location: American Saddlebred Horse Museum

Allie

Grade 6

 

Title:  The View from Saturday

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Author:  Konigsburg, E.L.

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  10

Critique:  I gave this book a 10 because it was really funny, it was really esy to read, it was very realistic, and it had a good moral to the story.  If you like funny books, you should check this book out.

Library Location: St. Leo School library 

Jennie

Grade 7

 

Title:  The Voyage of the Frog

*********************************************************

Author:  Gary Paulsen

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 10

Critique: The Voyage of the Frog is suspenseful, exciting, and enchanting.  In this realistic story, Gary Paulson takes you on a thrilling adventure at sea.  At his Uncle Owns’ last wish, fourteen-year old David Alspeth sails out into the Pacific Ocean in the Frog until he can’t see any land and scatters his uncle’s ashes.  But when a terrible storm hits this peaceful boat ride turns into a nightmare.  Completely alone and not knowing where he is, David has to survive, battling hunger, thirst, exhaustion, ocean animals, and worst of all, fear.

Library Location: St. Leo School Library

Sarah

Grade 8

 

Title:  The Voyage of the Frog

*********************************************************

Author:  Gary Paulsen

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 9

Critique: This book is very good.  It is about a fourteen-year-old whose name is David Alspeth.  One day he goes out on his boat (The Frog) with his uncle and gets caught in a storm.  David gets stranded with low food and supplies.  He faces many challenges to stay alive.  I recommend this book because it is exciting and you will never want to put the book down.

Library Location: Other

Bonnie

Grade 6

 

Title:  A Walk to Remember

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Author:  Nicholas Sparks

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 10

Critique: A walk to Remember is about a boy named Landon who is in the popular crowd.  He is convinced by a girl named Jamie to join the play.  Later, he asked her if she could help him with his lines.  She said yes but on one condition:  “You have to promise me that you won’t fall in love with me.”  But indeed he did.  Later, he found out that she had cancer.  He helped her just by praying for her.  The reason I gave it a 10 is because it was a beautiful and also a real book.  I couldn’t put it down.  This is a true love story.

Library Location: St. Leo Library

Gabby

Grade 8

 

Title:  The Watson’s Go to Birmingham – 1963

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Author:  Curtis, Christopher

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  10

Critique:  It was interesting.  This book was fun to read and it kept me reading.

Library Location:  St. Leo School Main  Library

Molly

Grade 7

 

Title:  What Every Girl (Except Me) Knows

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Author:  Baskin, Nora R.

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  9

Critique:  I think this book deserves a ‘9’ because it was well written and girls my age can easily understand it.

Library Location: other

Jordon

Grade 7

 

 

Title:  Winterdance

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Author:  Paulsen, Gary

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating:  11

Critique:  This book is written fantastically.  It’s incredibly absorbing.  It tells about the bonds between man and dog, and the beauty of the Alaskan landscape.  This is a great, fantastic, wild, incredible, amazing, absorbing book!

Library Location:  other

Carleigh

Grade 7

 

Title:  What Every Girl (Except Me) Knows

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Author:  Nora Raleigh Baskin

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Rating: 8

Critique: This book was fairly well-written, but it didn’t capture my interest as much as I would have liked.  This book is about a girl named Gabby Weiss, who only has her brother (Ian) and her dad.  Throughout the book, Gabby finds out what really happened to her mom.  I would recommend this book to girls in Middle School.

Library Location: Forsyth County Public Library

Stephanie

Grade 8

 

 

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