Middle School Reviews

Looking for one more good summer read before the school year starts?  Look no further!  Here are some recommended books by Middle Schoolers who took part in the 10 in 10 summer reading challenge.

After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick
Reviewed by A.C., a rising 6th grader

This book is about a boy named Jeffrey who had cancer.  His older brother Steven went to Africa.  On Jeffrey's first day of high school met a boy named Tad who also had cancer.  He was Jeffrey's best friend.  Then Jeffrey met Lindsay and they fell in love.  I recommend this book to older kids.




Wooden Bones by Scott William Carter
Reviewed by E.S., a rising 7th grader

It's about what happens after Pinocchio becomes a boy.  He has magical powers, but when he uses them, he slowly turns back into a puppet.  I'd recommend this to people who like fantasy and fiction.





The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
Reviewed by J.K., a rising 8th grader

I'm still in suspense about the other people of Ember and if they found their way out!

Middle School Reviews

The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen
Reviewed by T.N., a rising 6th grader

Very good book. It had good connections between the action, instead of just action all the time or being boring in between. I liked the characters and it had good character development but with the characters still likable at the beginning. Also I liked how things that that you thought were a fake turned out to be real.

Guys Read: Funny Business edited by Jon Scieszka
Reviewed by O.M., a rising 7th grader

These stories are so fun to read. I read this for summer reading, and I loved it. I don't know how the authors came up with all these funny ideas. I look forward to reading the other books in the series.

True Legend by Mike Lupica
Reviewed by J.C., a rising 8th grader

Mike Lupica is one of my favorite authors; I love all of his books. True Legend is definitely up there as one of my favorite novels by him. First, I liked it because it is a story about basketball, which I play, and is my favorite sport. Secondly, I liked it because I got really into it, thinking about Drew, the main character, and how he was changing for the worst. I also liked it because it celebrated unsung heroes, and all the pro athletes who never get credit for their talent. This truly is one of my favorite books I've read this summer.

Middle School Book Reviews: spotlight on Series

Check out these reviews of books that are the first in a series!





The Name of this Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch
Reviewed by E.W., a rising 6th grader

When survivalist Cass, and logical Max-Ernest find out about the symphony of smells, they get caught up in a mystery about a dead magician, and two creepily pretty adults trying to figure out the secret to living forever.


 
 


I.Q Book 1: Independence Hall by Roland Smith
Reviewed by L.C., a rising 7th grader 

I loved this book!  It was the perfect blend of suspense and action.  I also like how it has lots of cliff hangers.






Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Reviewed by S.S., a rising 8th grader
This book is the first book of the Uglies Series. In a perfect society of beautiful people called pretties, one that is too fat or skinny or too tall or short is considered an ugly. But great luck to uglies like Tally Youngblood, turning sixteen will bring an operation for prettiness, and you'll be sent down the river to New Pretty Town, a place where all pretties live. But when Tally befriends Shay, an ugly that runs away from being pretty, Tally will need to find Shay to turn her in, in order to become pretty. Or else, she'll be an ugly for a lifetime... I liked this book because of the internal and external conflicts of Tally are perfectly set. And how Tally takes risks are refuses to take "no" for an answer.

Middle School Book Reviews

More reviews by Middle Schoolers!



Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
Reviewed by V.I., a rising 6th grader

I loved the book because the author made me not want to put the book down once.






The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
Reviewed by B.Z., a rising 7th grader

This is a very good book. It was a real page-turner. I couldn't put the book down. Salim seems to disappear into thin air but it's a mystery that happens to actually be realistic. The ending was very satisfying.

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Leer
Reviewed by C.Y., a rising 8th grader

I thought it was fascinating both that Jodi Picoult's daughter worked with her on this book and that there might be a dimension in a book when readers don't read it. This book was creative and thought-provoking... though I'm not sure if this qualifies as sci-fi or fantasy. Oliver is such a happy character, and Delilah is a perfect match for him. Edgar is so selfless in the end, and I thought the twist ending was both satisfying and hilarious. Overall, a great book, and one that I won't forget very easily.

Middle School Book Reviews - Spotlight on Graphic Novels!

Each week we will be posting reviews from a rising 6th, 7th, and 8th grader who are participating in our 10 in 10 challenge (read 10 books in 10 weeks) this summer.  Check back regularly to get recommendations from kids like you!

This week's focus is graphic novels:

Robot Dreams by Sara Varon
Reviewed by A.C., a rising 6th grader

This book is about a dog and a robot who are best friends.  They go to the beach together and dog wants robot to go in the water with him.  That's when the trouble starts.  This book has no words so you get to make them up.  Happy reading!


Drama by Raina Telgemeier
Reviewed by K.W., a rising 7th grader

Callie loves theater but can't sing so she decides to join stage crew.  The actors having drama on and off stage makes it crazy! When she meets two brothers, her year takes a turn.  I love this book.  The story was great.  The characters seemed real.  The artwork was fabulous. 5 out of 5.

Level Up by Gene Luen Yang
Reviewed by K.W., a rising 8th grader

I really enjoyed this book.  It was fun and interesting to read from beginning to end! It was funny and had a good lesson in the end.  I would definitely recommend this book to someone!

Middle School Book Reviews

Each week we will be posting reviews from a rising 6th, 7th, and 8th grader who are participating in our 10 in 10 challenge (read 10 books in 10 weeks) this summer.  Check back regularly to get recommendations from kids like you!

Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney
Reviewed by N.G., a rising 6th grader

I thought that this book was interesting to read. I liked they way that the other described the characters and the illustrations. I will probably like the other books in the series of Diary of a Wimpy Kid.





The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
Reviewed by E.M., a rising 7th grader

I really enjoyed The Adoration of Jenna Fox. As I read, I felt like I was a part of the book. The author made it seem as if the reader was in the accident, so they forgot everything and had to go through the same learning process as Jenna. This writing style was interesting and I never wanted to put down the book. Jenna's lack of friends, knowledge, and an understanding for her family add to the book's intensity and interest level. Throughout the book, there were cliffhangers and curveballs. I liked this because I was always engaged and kept avidly reading. I never wanted to miss a part. I definitely want to read the other books in the series and I would recommend this book to friends.



Hattie Ever After by Kirby Lawson
Reviewed by J.H., a rising 8th grader

A pretty good book, took me a while to finish, but overall I liked it and was sad when it ended. I like the way in the book that Hattie stood up for herself and decided what she wanted to do and then achieved that goal. She didn't care about what other people thought, she just went out and did it.
 

Middle School Book Reviews

Each week we will be posting reviews from a rising 6th, 7th, and 8th grader who are participating in our 10 in 10 challenge (read 10 books in 10 weeks) this summer.  Check back regularly to get recommendations from kids like you!

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
reviewed by V.I., a rising 6th grader:

I really liked this book because I felt as if I were Tom Sawyer myself.  I think Tom is really brave and daring.  I would call this book a two thumbs up and five star book.

Ungifted by Gordon Korman
reviewed by O.M., a rising 7th grader

It was a great book with a great plot.  The characters fit their roles perfectly.  It was full of humor.




Chew on This by Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson
reviewed by M.B., a rising 8th grader

This book was really interesting.  You can learn a lot about healthy and unhealthy foods from it. It was cool to hear about how some fast-food chains got their start.  Although it was sometimes disturbing, learning how they make their food is interesting too!

Middle School Book Reviews

Each week we will be posting reviews from a rising 6th, 7th, and 8th grader who are participating in our 10 in 10 challenge (read 10 books in 10 weeks) this summer.  Check back regularly to get recommendations from kids like you!


Out of my Mind by Sharon Draper
reviewed by K.K., a rising 6th grader:

This book is about a girl named Melody who has a disability- she can't talk, walk, or eat. Melody goes to a school with a class for disabled kids. Even though Melody is disabled she has lots of things in her head. I thought this book was very detailed on how Melody felt and how hard she tried to be normal.





The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum
reviewed by S.M., a rising 7th grader

The Wizard of Oz is a classic book. It is about four friends that go on a journey with lots of challenges to try to accomplish a goal for each of them. I think it's a good book about how people can work together. I liked it.





Monster by Walter Dean Myers
reviewed by M.B., a rising 8th grader

I thought it was really cool how this book was written as a play. There were also a few journal entries of the main character which were interesting, and helped you understand his perspective. The story itself was really cool too.

10 in 10 Summer Reading Program for Middle Schoolers starts today!

10 in 10: The Summer Reading Program for rising Middle Schoolers

at the Wellesley Free Library starts today, June 24th!

On your first visit to the Wellesley Free Library this summer, please pick up some book entry forms.  What you read is up to you!  Required reading for school counts!  So do graphic novels, ebooks, audio books, and non-fiction!  Check out the collections in the Quigley Youth Room and our booklists for more ideas. 
For every book you read, fill out an entry form (available in the Children’s and Youth Rooms) and put it in the can on the Children’s Department Desk.  Away most of the summer? You can also submit forms online on the Teens Page at http://www.wellesleyfreelibrary.org/teens_welcome.html or email the information to welmail5@minlib.net. 

If you read TEN books by the end of the summer, you will be eligible for our grand prize drawing for an ipad mini on August 26th! The name will be pulled from those participants who read at least TEN books.  We will also have drawings for smaller prizes every other week, so read early and often! You don’t have to be present to win.

Youth Events at the library this summer:

June 26, July 10 and 23 and August 7
7:00-8:30 pm: Films from Disney’s Vault in the Wakelin Room

Tuesdays July 16, 23, 30 and August 7 and 14
3:30-4:30 pm: Kids Jam Band (registration required)


Friday July 19 
2:00-5:00 pm: Comics Workshop (registration required)

Saturday July 20 and August 17
2:00-4:00 pm: Magic the Gathering Club

Friday August 9 
3:00-4:30 pm: Jeans and T-shirt Crafts

Monday August 26
7:00-8:00 pm: End of the Summer Bash and prize-drawing