Morse Pond Review: Listen, Slowly

Listen, Slowly

Thanhha Lai

HarperCollins

$16.99

Available January 2015

Listen, Slowly by award winning author Thanhha Lai is the story of a 12 year old Mia who is growing up in Laguna, California and looking forward to her summer at the beach with her friends. However, her parents inform her that she will be traveling with her grandmother to Vietnam to learn more about her family’s culture and find out what happened to her grandfather who went missing during the Vietnam War. Mia is very upset about this arrangement. Yet, during the course of the novel, Mia (Mai in Vietnam) learns a great deal about the Vietnamese culture as well as about her family, herself and life in general. I could not put this book down! The author’s voice made the characters both believable and intriguing. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a wonderful story, especially if you liked Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai. Her books are enthralling. This is one of my new favorite books!

Mrs. Abbott, Library Media Teacher

Morse Pond Review: The Story Thieves

The Story Thieves

James Riley

Simon & Schuster

$16.99

Available January 2015

I really liked this book. I would recommend this book to both boy and girls. The Story Thieves is about this boy named Owen who has always wanted to star in his own books. Owen hates the real world’s chores and homework. When he sees his classmate Bethany climbing out of a book in the library, he discovered that Bethany is half fictional and is looking for her fictional father who is lost in a book. Owen makes a deal. He will not say a word if Bethany takes him into his favorite series, the Kiel Gnomefoot series. It might help Bethany find her father or ruin the series. The Story Thieves is a fantasy book and a very good one. I could not put it down after the first page. I hope that you like this book. Happy reading!

~ Sophia, age 10

Morse Pond Review: Double Reverse

Double Reverse

Fred Bowen

Peachtree Publishers

$5.95

Available now

I love sports! That’s my #1 thing to do. I used to hate to read until I read this book. Now reading is my #2 thing to do. After dinner I read this book. I especially liked when you drew out the plays. I ran some of the playes in the front yard with my grandpa. I finished reading your book 1 week after I got it. THANKS FOR MAKING ME LOVE TO READ!!!

~ Michael, age 11

Morse Pond Review: Boys of Blur

Boys of Blur

N. D. Wilson

Random House for Young Readers

$16.99

Available now

Boys of Blur is an amazingly fast pace book. I loved this book because it had to do with sports and a kid whose dad was in prison. He was having a tough time adjusting to his new life without his dad and learning to live with his stepfather. The boy’s name is Charlie Reynolds. If you like fast-paced books with a lot of exciting moments you’re bound to love this book. By the author of 100 Cupboards.

~ Cameron, age 10

Morse Pond Review: Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere

Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere 

Julie T. Lamana

Chronicle Books

$16.99

Available now

Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere by Julie T. Lamana is such a bittersweet and phenomenal book. It takes place in New Orleans where everything Armani Curtis knows and loves gets taken away from her by Hurricane Katrina. Armani thinks that her tenth birthday means that everything would change, she would be older, more responsible, even wiser. She would be that, although it wouldn’t be the way she’d like it. Armani has to be brave and courageous and sacrifice a lot to save her family. While she has to do all this, Armani watches what she has loved and known all be washed away including her family, her house, and her life. I highly recommend this amazing book!

~Samantha, age 11

Morse Pond Review: Mark of the Dragonfly

Mark of the Dragonfly

Jaleigh Johnson

Delacourt Books for Young Readers

$16.99

Available now

Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson is a great book for older kids and fantasy lovers. This book is full of adventure and has a hint of mystery. You could never find a more mismatched group of heros. A scrapper from Scrap Town Number Sixteen, a chamelin from the 401, and a girl with a secret she doesn’t even know. Overall if you like magic and adventure this is the book for you!

Madison, age 11

Morse Pond Review: The Swap

The Swap

Megan Shull

Katherine Tegan Books

$16.99

Available now

The Swap is now one of my new favorite books! I recommend this book because the characters are very realistic and the story itself is very entertaining. This book is very funny also!

I love the double perspective of Jack and Ellie. Jack and Ellie switch bodies and switch lives! This book is good for both boys and girls because boys and girls can relate to what Jack and Ellie are saying and feeling. This book is for more older kids because there are a few swear words. But overall this book is amazing and I highly recommend it.

Liz, age 11

Morse Pond Review: Charmed Life

Charmed Life #1: Caitlin’s Lucky Charm

Lisa Schroder

Scholastic

$5.99

Available now

Caitlin’s Lucky Charm was a very good. I would definitely recommend it to a girl. I don’t think boys would enjoy it as much as a girl would because all the main characters are girls.

In this book, there is a magic bracelet. I think the author making the bracelet magic definitely made the bracelet more interesting. The characters are very realistic. I also love the fact that the girls decided to share the bracelet and write letters back and forth formally and not using electronics. I think girls would be able to relate to this book more than a boy would.

I would give this book 5 out of 5 stars. It was an amazing book!

Sarah, age 11

Morse Pond Review: Terror of the Southlands

The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates: The Terror of the Southlands

Caroline Carlson, Dave Philips

HarperCollins

$16.99

Available now

Hilary Westfield is the Terror of the Southlands. She’s had some great adventures! However, the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates doesn’t think she’s been acting very piratical. To keep her status of Terror of the Southlands, she has to go on a very fearsome quest. Everything goes wrong when the enchantress gets kidnapped. Should Hilary  go on her fearsome quest to keep her title of the Terror or should she attempt to save the enchantress? This thrilling sequel is full of action, adventures, and suspense. All in all, it is a great read.

~ Ryan, age 11

Morse Pond Review: House of Secrets

House of Secrets: Battle of the Beasts

Chris Columbus, Ned Vizzini, Greg Call

Balzer & Bray

$17.99

Available now

House of Secrets: Battle of the Beasts by Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini is an amazing book. It is about a family called the Walkers and the children Eleanor, Cordelia, and Brendan have to try to defeat the storm king and his daughter the wind witch to get back home. I absolutely loved it. If you like fantasy/fiction this book is for you. I give it 5 stars, and think it should be the N.B.T*. As soon as I finished the first chapter I could barely put it down!

~ Eamon, age 11

 

* The Next Big Thing