Library: Favorite Books

Grade 5

Grade 6

Grade 7

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

A dog was lying on the ground sideways, as if it were chasing a cat in a dream. This is no dream though; the dog is dead and has a pitchfork thrust through his body. 15-year old Christopher Boone is shocked by this and sets off to figure out who killed his neighbor’s dog. Chris has a form of Autism called Asperger’s Syndrome that makes it very difficult for him to interact normally with people. To solve this mystery he will have to be courageous and determined and have to trek out of his neighborhood into the wide-open world to find the truth about the dog. This adventure also teaches Christopher more about himself and why his mother isn’t with him any more. It is a very good book – the author makes it seem as if Chris is real. He also tries to make life funny from the viewpoint of an autistic person…    Daniel

 
The Rivers of Zadaa by DJ MacHale  (Pendragon Series)

Bobby Pendragon is a “traveler.” He can travel to different worlds to stop disaster. Saint Dane, as usual, is the one causing all the trouble, and this time it’s on Zadaa, a desert-like world. Water is valuable there, and there are two tribes fighting for it: the Batu and the Rokador. Saint Dane is spreading rumors around, and he is trying to start a civil war. Bobby and his traveler friend Loor have to stop him before Zadaa falls apart. However, neither of the tribes trusts them, and they have to do all the work on their own. Bobby’s friends on Earth, Courtney & Mark, are also in trouble. Saint Dane is after them too, and when he pushes Courtney over the edge of a mountain road, things just get worse.  This is the 6^th book in a fantasy series called Pendragon. You should read this, but if you haven’t read the first book, you won’t understand a thing, so pick up The Merchant of Death also.   Kabir

 
The Highest Tide by Jim Lynch

Have you ever heard of people finding things never seen before and only heard of? Well if you are interested in those myths you’ll love this book full of mysteries to bring to the light. One night thirteen-year old Miles slips out of his house to go exploring around a bay. To his great surprise he finds a giant squid and becomes a local celebrity. Miles has many problems in his life, worried about when and if his parents will divorce and fearful that everything, even the bay he loves, is moving away from him. While the sea continues to give him new discoveries from its mysterious depths, Miles still worries more about the matters closer to home. Will Miles be able to solve his problems and save the bay he loves? This book is all about the sea and what it hides beneath its blue blanket. It is a book you surely will want to re-read.     Laura                    

Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson

Maia, an orphan girl, is, in just a couple weeks, moving to the Amazon where some of her relatives live. She looked up information on the Amazon and found that some people find it a green hell but she also read that if you go there with courage and an open mind, you would find yourself in paradise. And a paradise is what she promises herself she will make it once she leaves the orphanage with her new governess. But the family she is going to live with is far beyond what she had expected, and whole new adventures and mysteries await her on the coast of the Amazon River. I enjoyed reading this book because there was humor, and it was a cleverly written, it took you back about a hundred years to Brazil into the very heart of the Amazon, and you could really imagine yourself standing in the middle of the rain forest. It is a book that’s hard to put down.   Therese

 
Spy High Series by A.J. Butcher

In the not too distant future, 2066, a special school is designed to train teenage spies to handle world-threatening situations. Join Ben, Lori, Jake, Cally, Eddie and partly Jennifer (you’ll find out why) when they fight menacing people and escape narrow deaths. However, no job of spies is ever done. First, their team has problems between their members, then after preventing one world-threatening problem, another one just keeps popping up. In total, there are 12 books in the series.    Ivan

 
The Medici Seal by Theresa Breslin

When young Matteo is thrown off a cliff and through a water fall, a man finds him.  The man happens to be Leonardo da Vinci.  Matteo carries an important secret, a secret which the Borgia and the Medici, two very important Italian families, would do anything to know.  They have hired a man, Sandino, to discover the secret.  Sandino pursues Matteo, so Matteo needs to keep moving and hiding with Leonardo da Vinci.  This is a great book to read if you are interested in the Renaissance.  I found myself reading the book all the time because the book is so interesting and exciting.    Emily

 
Horrible Histories: Angry Aztecs by Terry Deary

Did you know that Aztecs smoked tabacco just to cure snake bite? Weird huh!  Angry Aztecs is filled with thrillingly amusing facts just like this one and many others. This book tells you all about their history from the ancient numerals to the sacrifices for the gods. The author introduces you to the Aztec world through laughter and amusement. I cannot recommend this book more, it is a book really worth reading.    Raphael

 
Northern Lights by Philip Pullman

11-year-old Lyra stops someone from murdering her uncle. She discovers dark secrets that she is not supposed to know, while hiding. After that a strange woman, who says she is an explorer, comes to her and takes her away to live with her. Lyra first thinks she is wonderful but then discovers that there is more to that. The woman is actually a child kidnapper! Maybe she has something to do with the strange, dark things that are happening in the North. Lyra runs away but now that she is in the adventure she does not want to stop. She wants to discover what is happening in the North and what is happening to all the children who have just mysteriously disappeared. I liked this book because it was a mixture of adventure and fantasy.    Emma

 
Measle and the Wrathmonk by Ian Ogilvy

Measle’s parents died killed by a snake and now he has to live with his guardian called Basil Tramplebone. Measle is really unlucky because his horrible guardian seems to be getting all the goods and the money. Sometimes Measle is fed by just a piece of rotten bread, but things are going to change…  This book is full of mystery and suspense – it is a natural page-turner, a book you cannot put down.    Francesco

 
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Ever read a book that was impossible to put down, even when there was your favorite show on TV? Well, that’s what happens as soon as you read the first page, and the feeling increases as you move on through the rest of the book. Packed with suspense, action, and brilliant imagination, Inkheart tells the story of a girl called Meggie who lives with her father, a bookbinder, after her mother disappeared when she was too young to remember. Surprisingly enough, one night Meggie finds herself pulled into a “new world” full of further complications for her and her father. Full of curiosity, Meggie investigates and finds out that all the confusion was derived from a book, Inkheart, that somehow is connected to her mother’s disappearance. But how? The story becomes more and more personal and emotional for our young adventurer Meggie. Is she ever going to see her mother again?    Kay

 
The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

Princess Ani is next in line for the throne and has a lot to learn. She barely sees her mother, but is instead cared for by her aunt, who teaches her the most amazing things. But nothing unordinary is permitted in the royal palace, so Ani’s aunt is sent away, and Ani is left alone. Then her father the king dies, and Ani’s destiny is revealed. Instead of becoming the next queen, her mother has planned out a different future for her. She is to be sent away to marry a prince in another kingdom, quite a distance away.  But on the journey there, something dreadful happens, and everything changes for Ani. Now only the magical knowledge her aunt gave her can save her. This book is a fairy tale, but unlike any other fairy tale I have ever read. It’s a lot better. It is well written, descriptive, and full of excitement, making you wish you were her in the story.     Hellin

When you are on the beach and everything seems to be peaceful, you feel like nothing could go wrong. Nothing seems to worry the two siblings Paul and Julia, until Julia finds an ugly rag doll at the top of one of the dunes inside an unexplainably huge crow’s nest. Thinking it was just an old doll, Julia took it home. But Paul noticed there was something wrong with the doll – since his parents couldn’t even see it! But that isn’t the end of it, for the doll starts talking to Julia and taking over her body until Julia transforms into the Ragwitch and her consciousness is buried in the witch’s mind!  Paul is thrust into another world, searching for his lost sister. A horrific fight between good and evil, and a thrilling book for anyone who dares read it… Francesca

This book is about a boy called Skiff, solving his problems. First his mother died, then his dad became a boozer and doesn’t fish anymore now. Skiff tries to fix his dad’s big fishing boat called the Mary Rose that has sunken into the water. With the help of his neighbor, Mr. Woodwell, Skiff raises the boat, but then he finds out that the engine is completely broken. To fix it, he tries to get some money by catching lobsters in his lobster traps, but his enemy Tyler spoils his plan.  Skiff wants to just give up, but he hears from Mr. Nagahachi that big tuna fish are worth a lot of money, so Skiff goes to the Atlantic Ocean with his little boat. What will happen to Skiff? Could he catch a big tuna, fix the Mary Rose, and pull his dad out of his stupid sickness? Find out in the book!     Jisoo

 
Kat Got Your Tongue by Lee Weatherly

Kathy woke up in the darkness unable to remember anything.  She doesn’t recognize her mother, she can’t remember her father, and she doesn’t even know her own name.  Her friends hate her, her old-life disgusts her, and she doesn’t know why.  Therefore, the Kathy who likes loud music, dark colors and hates her stepfather became Kat, someone who loves bright colors, classical music, and her stepfather’s magic tricks.  However, Kathy seems to be hiding something from Kat, what could it be?     Joyce

 
Call Waiting by R.L Stine

There is someone who wants to talk to Karen as soon as possible. Someone who wants to tell her something special. The person that wants to reach her has made some plans for Karen. Karen is all alone. And if the girl can’t discover who is calling, she is going to die. I think that to the people that like horror books Call Waiting is a wonderful book. If you start reading the book, it’s going to be hard to stop.  Giulio G.

 
The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson

It is a magical island, a place where mermaids, ogres and mistmakers live happily with humans, where our story takes place. It is under Platform 13 in one of London’s busiest train stations, where an old doorway covered with posters lays forgotten and unseen – the entrance to the island that opens only every nine years for nine days. One day the Prince of this magical island is brought to our world through this door, and he is kidnapped by Mrs. Trottles. Nine years later, the Queen and King of the island send rescuers to find their long lost son. Once the strange rescuers find the Prince, they discover that he has become rude and spoiled and also has no intention of learning about the island and its magic. Together with the help of Ben, (the Prince’s servant), the rescuers will try to persuade the Prince, now called Raymond Trottles, to come back to the island. Will they make it in time before the old door closes? And does Raymond Trottles have the qualities to be a prince?    Nilasha

The Savage Stone Age is another Horrible History masterpiece. Terry Deary makes history interesting to learn. The Savage Stone Age is full of amazing facts about what happened during that age, such as people carving on stone walls, normally in caves, scenes in which they kill their prey. There are also questions to see if you understood everything. Terry Deary also puts many comic strips with jokes between the pages to help you understand things better. An example of a joke is: “What is the definition of an archeologist? Someone whose career is in ruins.” Even by looking at the cover you can tell it is entertaining and it will make you laugh and learn. I recommend this book to everyone who likes learning and having fun at the same time.  Archimede

One day on the bus Emma bumped into her old best friend, Abby. Abby and Emma hadn’t seen each other after Emma moved. They talked a bit but Emma noticed that Abby had changed and Abby noticed the same thing about Emma. A few days after, Emma heard that Abby had gone missing and that she was the last person to see Abby. Now she is being interrogated by everyone and has to think of where Abby might have said she was going. Nothing comes to Emma’s mind and she tries not to think of it. But then, when she starts finding clues with the help of Abby’s friends on her where abouts, Emma is led to the truth on what happened to Abby.   Chiara

 
The Worry Website by Jacqueline Wilson

Everyone has problems and worries, especially the kids in Mr. Speed’s class. He tries Circle Time, when students share and express their bothers, but it turns out not to work that well because they were getting a bit embarrassed. Mr. Speed then tries out a new way; he invents the Worry Website: a website where everyone can go and type their worry, leaving it anonymous so that the person writing won’t get embarrassed and the other children can read it too and write out some comments or advice to solve it.  It was cool reading the different types of worries children have, and lets the reader know that everyone has problems, even kids. Margherita

BEC (The Demonata series) by Darren Shan

In this story a young girl named Bec has been raised by a tribe of warriors and fighters. The tribe has been fighting dark demons and their leaders, the Demon Masters, who are fearsome to face in battle. The tribe has been fighting this terrible race with the help of Bec who now is a priestess with untrained magical powers. One day, the priestess and a small group of courageous warriors embark into the land of demons to stop the force that has been harming humanity for centuries. On the way they meet druid Drust and his young companion Bran to assist their dangerous quest. Will they accomplish their mission or become a meal for the fiends and let humanity fall? I really liked this book (and its series) because it is a book that has its own style, and it describes the difference between the human universe and the demon universe. I would really recommend this book to a person who ONLY likes to read intense books. (If you have already begun this book, don’t you ever say I didn’t warn you)    Giorgio

Stargirl  by Jerry Spinelli

What is "normal"? You dress the same as others. You eat the same food as your family.  You have similar hobbies and favorites as your friends.  It's just being the same as others; almost identical.  But Stargirl isn't.  From the top of her head to the tip of her toes, she's different, and at first the students at Mica Area High School think she's cool.  The something happens, and people begin to move away from her.  Except Leo, a 10th grade boy, who gets attracted to her and follows her around.  As time goes on, he finds himself attracted to Stargirl.  If you want a sweet, memorable book, here it is: a love story between Leo Borlock and Stargirl.     Christine
 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K Rowling

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the 7^th and last book in the series. It’s about a 17-year old wizard who leaves his school (Hogwarts) to hunt down and destroy the evil Lord Voldemort. Joining with his friends Ron and Hermione, they will go through hardship to destroy the seven horcruxes, which will put an end to Voldemort once and for all. I loved this book because it is full of horror, fantasy and comedy. All the books build up to this one. You start to find out about things that you probably have been wondering about in previous books. They are long books, but to fully understand this one you need to read the previous ones (in order).    Michael

 
Koyosan by Darren Shan

Koyosan is terribly afraid of the graveyard. She stays on the safe side, on the other side of the river isolated from all her friends, who hang out there.  There are spirits, which haunt the graveyard in the night, which terrifies Koyosan. That’s why one sunny afternoon Koyosan decides to bring her sister to a waterfall, far away from the graveyard. Her sister is eager to go into the graveyard, though, so on the way back while passing the graveyard, she runs into it because she heard laughter coming from inside. Koyosan’s sister doesn’t know that she has walked into a death trap. It is up to Koyosan to face her fears, and save her sister.    Vincent

 
Public Enemy Number Two by Anthony Horowitz

This book is the second book of the Diamond Brothers series. It is about a teenage boy named Nick who lives in London with his brother, Tim.  Nick is framed for a jewel robbery and gets put in a maximum-security prison. He finds himself sharing a cell with Johnny Powers, Public Enemy Number One. With his brother, who is the worst private detective ever, Nick is working with the police to find the most dangerous criminal ever, the Fence. The only way he can get him is through Johnny, but Johnny hates the police. I recommend this book because it’s full of excitement, jokes and riddles.     William

Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan

This book will release your inner vampire as you read it.  The main character is a boy named Darren Shan.  It all starts when Allan, one of Darren’s friends, finds a flyer about this circus called Cirque du Freak.  Steve, Darren’s best friend, buys two tickets for the show, and Steve decides to bring Darren with him.  After the show Steve asks the vampire who was part of the show, to bite him so he could be a vampire too, and Darren steals a gigantic, deadly spider from the vampire.  Every time you pick up this book you can’t stop reading it, and after you read it, you will immediately want to read the rest of the series, the Saga of Darren Shan.    Rocco

Hostile Terrain by Jim Eldrige

Hostile Terrain takes place in south Georgia in the USA.  It talks about these SAS (special forces) soldiers who are dropped near an enemy headquarters.  They need to set free some other SAS agents who were imprisoned by a hostile force.  The SAS soldiers almost die trying to find and rescue the prisoners.  They almost get killed by professional snipers and almost explode because of mines… but they risk their lives because of friends.  This was an exciting book, and I recommend it for anyone who likes war.    Giulio R.

 
Double Fudge by Judy Blume

Is your family really weird? Do you have a brother and sister who are totally crazy? Well, in this family that’s exactly what happens. Peter has a two-year sister who repeats everything anyone says, and he finds that really annoying. But Peter’s five-year old brother, Fudge, is even worse! Fudge is obsessed with money. Fudge’s obsession started with a simple question: “Hey, Pete, how much would it cost to buy New York?” If you want to pick out a funny book chose Double Fudge!    Marzia

 
The Hitchhiker by R.L. Stine

Two friends, Terri and Christina, are returning from Florida when suddenly they see a hitchhiker. They stop and after some indecision they pick him up.  This might be fatal for Terri and Christina. This guy is called James, and Terri and Christina are flabbergasted by his muscles and handsome shape. This is a book for passionate readers of horrors. It’s a scary but at the same time interesting and catchy book.    Massimo

 
Snakehead by Anthony Horwitz

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Last updated:  17 June 2008: jgw