Archer's Quest
by Linda Sue Park

Archer’s Quest is a wonderful adventure book that blends modern day and history seamlessly. It is about a Korean American boy named Kevin that comes across an ancient Korean king that needs to get back to his homeland before the day’s end. If he does not do this he will have to wait another 12 years before he can get back home. It is a hilarious book as Archer (the Korean king) interacts with the modern world’s technology. Kevin changes in character through this encounter, in many ways for the better. At the beginning Kevin and his father are not very close to each other, but Kevin’s adventures with Archer help him cement his relationship with his dad.
Brian

This book is a great quick read in the beginning the mystery, detective work,
suspense, and excitement start on the third page!  Boys and girls ages 8-12 would
like this book.

Characterization

There are only about three main characters in this book.  Archer is developed
very well and Kevin is good too.  The professor is a half developed character; he
seems to guess that there is something strange going on just by Kevin asking him
about Korean History, and decide to follow him.

Point of View

The point of view is first person.

Setting

The author does a good job of describing the setting, especially important
scenes, the zoo, Chinese restaurant, museum, and other important scenes,
especially buildings are vividly described.  A flaw is that there are never any
people other than Archer and Kevin, and sometimes the professor out on the
streets, and considering the fact that it is set in a city I thought that to be a
little strange.  The few people they pass, such as the person at the zoo ticket
desk don’t even think that a guy walking around in a karate uniform is strange,
and in the Chinese restaurant he even has his arrows with him and nobody
questions it.

Style

This book is a mix of fantasy and adventure.  It seems that the author
attempts to add historical fiction but, I don’t believe she does a good job,
since you don’t really gain any knowledge.

In this book, everything that Kevin learns isn’t really used at the end.  Also
the author describes some things that she doesn’t need to; about a page is spent
when Kevin is trying to figure out math problems, in the middle of the action.
Overall this is a good book but I don’t believe it is a Newbery.  It has many
flaws and seems like the author was rushed to publish this book.
David

I thought that this book was very enjoyable but,in a way, I thought it was too deatailed. I belive it is good enough to be on the mock Newbery ballot. I enjoyed the part when Kevin and Archie meet each other. I would reccomend this book because it is a very fun book and very hard to put down. I learned alot about ancient Korea.
Hannah

This book is about a 12 year old boy names Kevin, who meets an ancient Korean prince, because “Archer “ falls off a tiger and somehow travels through time and appears in Kevin’s room. This fantasy adventure story is so suspenseful, I couldn’t put it down! It’s a really fun read for 8 to 12 year olds, as Kevin seems younger than 12. However, it is not as polished or distinguished as it could have been. I think the author may have been rushed by the publisher and should have spent more time on it.
Scott

Because of Winn-Dixie
by Kate Dicmillo

My most Memorable part of the book is the end when Winn-Dixie is lost and it turns out she was just under the bed.The setting of this scene was perfect because in the book they said that Winn-Dixie was afaid of thyunder storms and there was a thunder storm going on while they were looking for Winn-Dixie.
Emily

The Case of the Missing Marquess : an Enola Holmes Mystery
by Nancy Springer

The book The Missing Marquess was a good book. The characters were well developed. The plot was well paced and exiting. You feel for the characters because they do what you would do. Although the book was good,it was not distinguished enough to win the Newbery award because the theme is somewhat common and the book is not the first I have read about this topic.

I would recommend this book to someone who is looking for a good action book.
Anna

Clementine
by Sara Pennypacker

Please describe the most memorable part of your book: This book was good. My favorite part was when Margaret and Clementine became friends. I liked when Margaret's mom made them the friendship cake. It reminded me of my bestfriend. I think this is a good book for friends to read.
Anna

 I enjoyed this book because Clementine is a very funny girl.I also like the
GREAT PIDGEN WAR.I really thought that this was hillarieous.
Hannah

This book is about a week in the life of Clementine, an unconventional third grader. This a fun book to read because of the characterization, point of view and humor. Clementine, who is the narrator, is wacky, really clever and a creative free spirit. She has a great voice and if Clementine wasn’t the narrator this book wouldn’t be as humorous. The descriptive writing and dialogue are so well done you feel like you’re right there with Clementine! For example when Clementine asks the principal if she has any tattoos and when she colors her friend Margaret’s hair, you can picture it all in your mind, while you’re laughing out loud.

This book is an early chapter book, similar to the Ramona series, but with even a better character, because Clementine is so funny.
Scott

The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen
by M.T. Anderson

The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen is the hilarious sequel to the
equally funny book Whales on Stilts. It is a mystery book written in a colorful
style and has a very surprising ending. The best part of this book is that it is
so funny that when I finished I had a severe pain in my stomach. I even learned
what Lederhosen are. The book was unlike anything I’ve ever read, including
Whales on Stilts!
Brian

Drift House
by Dale Peck
This beginning of this book is set in New York City.  It begins right after 9/11.  The children in the family go to visit their uncle in Canada, until the City calms down.  They discover many strange things about his house, finally to discover it is actually a ship, a time traveling ship.  This book is for kids 8-13 and could be considered both a middle reader and older reader book. It is a combination of adventure and fantasy with many magical creatures, plot
twists and an unusual quest.  The author intends to write a series about the children.  This was a great book, but can’t be considered for a Newbery because it was published in 2005.  Read it anyway!
David




Escape! : the Story of the Great Houdini
by Sid Fleischman.

This is a book about the famous magician Houdini. It is a very good biography and seems like a fiction book describing the story of his life. This is good because it encourages you to read the book. It begins when he was a boy and ends when he dies. It includes many interesting facts. I would recommend this book for ages 8 and up.
David



Freedom Walkers
by Russell Freedman

Mr. Freedman is a Newbery medalist and winner of many other awards for his nonfiction. This book tells the real, complete story of the Montgomery bus boycott, with chapters about individual freedom walkers, some famous, and some whose names are not well known. For example, E.D. Nixon was the head of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) chapter, where Rosa Parks worked, and an influential black leader. He helped Rosa Parks fight the charges against her and started the movement to stop segregated buses.

Everyone from 4th grade to grown-ups should read this book (caution: there are violent crimes such lynching, bombing, beating and murder!). I was glad I was not black and living in Alabama in the 50’s and 60’s.

Mr. Freedman’s writing pulls you into the time frame and you can see the horrors and violence in your head. This book made me realize the Civil Rights movement was world wide news and how significant it was to history. Along with his writing, the black and white photos help you to understand the story and to feel compassion for the black people’s struggle for freedom, and the unfair way they were treated.

This is definitely an award winning book. It is also a book teachers should have and use in the classroom.
Scott

Gossamer
by Lois Lowry

The author explores dreams and nightmares in a most original and creative story, involving two strangers, an old, lonely woman and an eight year old, hurt and angry boy, whose lives are joined for a brief time.

This well written book has a very interesting and different plot. The emotions (what this book is mainly about) of all the characters are believable and well portrayed. The reader can feel and emphasize with them. The main dreamgiver, Littlest One, is most engaging. We were sad to leave her. The wonderfully written dialogue between the various characters is one of the real strengths and makes this an excellent book to read out loud.

This book is surprisingly sophisticated and although the boy is only eight, it is for an older reader 11 and up or “a read out loud” The topics, emotions and experiences of the characters benefit from parents evolvement, particularly for younger readers. We all liked this book but want to hear what others think, especially on age appropriateness and appeal of topic to young readers.
David

I thought that this book was really well written . My faveorite part about it
was that Littleist One (a dream giver) had a Gossmer touch. That means that she
has a really delicate touch.
Hannah



Gotcha
By  Jamie Gilson
Please describe the most memorable part of your book:  The most memorable parts of this book are when Patrick hid a snake in his pocket but it was so stinky that it smelled up the whole classroom, and when Patrick fell in the water while he was swinging from the vine.  This book kept me very interested in the story and made me want to read more. I liked it so much that I went to the library to take more books out by this author.
Justin

The Haunting of Freddy, Book 4 in the Golden Hamster Saga
by Dietlof Reiche

This book is the fourth of a series originally published in Germany in 2001, however it definitely stands alone. It has an unusual point of view because the narrator is Freddy a very intelligent hamster who can read and write, actually he is an author. It takes place in England and tells of the adventure that unfolds after a character in Freddy’s book comes alive while he is typing. The most distinguished aspects of the book are the unique animal characters (Freddy is awesome!) and the very creative and original plot. I recommend this book for kids 9 to 11 who like animal fantasies.
Scott

This book has funny charchaters and is funny in genral. It is also kind of scary. I am not sure
if girm Harry is real or not, but I still like the powers he has.The main character is a golden hamster named Freddy who wrights storis that are published! He is looking through a book that has crimes and things from differnt centries when he gets the idea. When he begins, adventeure starts!I would recommend this book for mystery readers.
Marissa

Heat
by Mike Lupica

This book is about a 12 year boy named Michael, who is an orphan living with his older brother Carlos in the South Bronx. They came from Cuba with their father, for a better life, but their father died four mouths before the story begins. Michael is a really good pitcher and his baseball team wants to win the little league baseball series. No one believes he is twelve, because he is so good and so tall. He has no birth certificate, because it was left behind in Cuba. Read and find out if Michael gets to play in the series and if he he’s taken away from his brother or not….

Plot, characterization and theme or message are the elements which make Heat a

Plot- This book is suspenseful, especially at the middle when Michael is trying to get his birth certificate and Carlos is trying to find a job. It is well developed and there are many sub plots such as friendship, family, community and what it means be a real winner.

Characterization- Michael, Manny, his best friend and Carlos are the main characters. They are all very realistic and likable. The relationship between the brothers and Manny and Michael are very special. I felt they were my friends too. I really liked these characters, because of their friendship and how they help each other. The secondary characters were also very well done. I really liked Ellie Garcia and her Dad, El Grande, an all star Yankee pitcher, who is very important to the plot.

Theme- The theme or message is very important to this story. It is never give up on your hopes and goals and helping, caring and working together can make the seeming impossible happen.

This book is one of my favorites so far. It was fun to read because it was a sports story with great characters and but the message was also really valuable.
Scott

Isaac Newton
by Kathleen Krull
This biography made Isaac Newton into a real person in my mind. I knew he was brilliant but didn’t know about his personality and every thing he contributed to science and how he did it. I would recommend this book for 10 and up. It is very interesting and never boring.
Scott

This is a very informative and detailed biography of Isaac Newton. The author really makes Newton and 17th century England come alive. Krull’s style has a casual, contempory aspect, excellent for the younger reader, as it immediately invites one into Newton’s life. This book is as enjoyable and as quick to read as fiction, a great way to teach children about history. I would highly recommend this one!
Ellen

Jazz
by Walter Dean Myers
textarea: This book uses poetry to tell the story of how jazz developed in America. It starts with a two page introduction to jazz. At the end, there is a time line and also a glossary of what some words mean in the book. For example: Pentatonic scale is the five tone scale found in many parts of the world, which was brought to America from Africa.

I like this book because it is about the history of jazz, which is an uncommon subject and I have never learned about it before, even though I play jazz on the piano. Although this is a picture book, it could be considered for the Newbery, because the poems stand alone. The illustrations are very good and add to the musical reading experience however.  When we read it, I heard the instruments in my head. It was a good book to read out loud because you could sing or read it with an expressive musical beat. This is definitely an award winning book to be enjoyed by all ages 2 to 100+!
Scott

This is a collection of musical poems, which educate the reader on the history of jazz, in a most enjoyable way. They are written by an award winning poet and author (five Coretta Scott King awards along with others) and illustrated by Mr. Dean’s son, an award winning illustrator. They are most distinguished and deserving of recognition.

Although the fluidity, drama and strength of the illustrations suit the poetry perfectly, the poems stand alone, so this book could be considered for a Newbery. It is best read out loud or sung if the reader is so inspired. There is a very detailed two page introduction, as well as a glossary and timeline at the end of the book, all of which help the reader to better understand the genre of jazz and to appreciate the poems. Additionally, the book is dedicated to the children of New Orleans.

 I highly recommend this book to all ages. It would be a wonderful addition to the classroom or young music lover’s library. Play your favorite jazz as you read it out loud. We are planning on reading more of Mr. Myers work starting with Blues Journey.
Ellen

This book uses poems to tell the story of how jazz developed through poems. It starts with an introduction, which gives you a good overview of jazz. In the end of the book, there is a glossary with many terms I didn’t know, even though I play jazz on the piano. There is also a timeline, with important events in the history of jazz spanning from the 1800s to today. The poems are excellent! They describe the way the music sounds, so you can hear it in your head. They are inspirational and make you want to play jazz too (right after we finished the book I started playing). Although the pictures add to the experience of reading this book, you can read the poems without them. This is a book for anyone interested in jazz and should be considered for a Newbery and/or other book awards.
David



The Legend of Bass Reeves
by Gary Paulsen
The concept of this story is the life of a very brave African American. It is a story about an African American that has done many great things in his life, that African American is Bass Reeves. This descriptive, elaborate book is one of Paulsen's greatest along sie the Hatchet series. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves great stories about
historical figures that are very descriptive.
Brendan



Leonardo's Shadow Or, My Astonishing Life as Leonardo da Vinci's Servant
by Christopher Grey

Leonardo's Shadow is a wonderful combination of Historical Fiction and Fantasy. Giacomo, a fictitious servant to Leonardo da Vinci, is searching for his true past, having lost his memory after he fell off of a cathedral roof. The story follows Giacomo's search for his true identity as da Vinci struggles to complete his masterpiece The Last Supper, among other intriguing and secret projects.
My favorite aspect of this book was the narrative style. It felt to me as if I was actually having the story told to me, face-to-face. Giacomo exaggerates his actions, as if trying to impress. The beginnings of chapters feel like the speech is directed straight at the reader, but then shift to undirected narrative, as if he is becoming so involved in his story that he forgets anyone is listening. Many parts of the book are written as they would be spoken, in run-on sentences, or omitting things like punctuation and pronouns. It gives the impression that Giacomo loves the story he is telling and is totally obsessed with it, creating an even stronger bond between narrator and reader.
In addition to all of this, the author subtly sneaks in historical facts without losing the flow of the story. For example, in one section the progression of time is shown through changing relations between the Milanese and the French rather than simply stating that it had passed. The reader learns without even realizing it. There are countless more examples, but mentioning them would spoil elements of the plot. This is a great read for fans of any genre.
Darla

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
by Kate Dicamillo

Edward Tulane, a 3 foot china rabbit, is owned and loved by ten-year-old Abilene.  But Edward is a vain rabbit and cares for no one. Grandmother Pelligrina finally tells Edward you disappoint me and Edward begins a harrowing journey that ultimately ends, as all fairy tales do, happily ever after. This book will not be published until February, but you may join the 2007 Newbery Club and check out the Advance Reading Copy.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane is an interesting book about a rabbit doll named Edward Tulane.This rabbit starts out in a rich household and is loved and cared for by a yong girl, although he does not love her. After this, a turn of events takes place that teaches him values of life, like love and caring, through many different owners. This story leads you on a twisting path of emotions ,somtimes you want to burst out laughing and sometimes you want to break out in tears. The concepts the story is telling are very complex, but it is told in a way so that children can understand it. The most memorable part of the book to me was the end. Edward has just been on this remarkable journey and it finally comes to an end, but another one is just about to begin. On a scale of 1 to10 (10 being the best)I would give it a 10.
Brian

It has a strong plot and you get excited from the first word.
Anna

The book The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane was a fable that showed that love can be rough, but it is worth it in the end. The story is about a self-centered porcelain rabbit named Edward Tulane who finds him self on a miraculous journey to many diiferent places and eventually back to his original owner, Abelene. This story has an interesting plot and a nice set of characters. The book had one flaw that made me frustrated, the author did not develop the looks of the characters. For example I have no clue what Abelene looks like because all the author tells you is that in the beginning she is of school age.(Abelene is one of Edwards many owners). I noticed that at the end you don't know if Edward is still self-centered or if he has changed. If I were to rate this book 1 being the worst 10 being the best I would give it a 9 because of the lack of visualization. I would recommend this book to kids ages 9-12 and kids who love books that can make you cry and laugh. the same chapter.
Anna

Oh, Rats!
by Albert Marrin

“Oh, Rats!” was a fun, quick read, with some interesting (and some quite disturbing) facts about rats’ habits and history. While the book was informative, I feel that the overall structure of the book could be improved. The chapters seemed to ramble at points, going off on tangents then returning to the original subject matter without transition. This could have been improved by using sub-titles within chapters; for example, in the chapter "Rats and their Ratty Ways", make a sub-section about eating patterns and title it as such. One of the results of this unstructured format was that facts were often repeated, which can be confusing to the reader. The book also felt unfinished as there was no concluding section; the last chapter simply ended. Also, there was also a lack of transition between chapters that made them feel somewhat choppy.

I find the book's largest fault to be its lack of an index. Coupled with the lack of sub-titles in chapters, the reader will find it very difficult to locate specific information, say for a research paper. For example, if I wanted to find information on what rats like to eat, I would have to read through the "Rats and their Ratty Ways" chapter until I found it, rather than simply look up the page number. An index would also allow some of the shorter chapters to be combined (for example, merge "Yummy Rats" into "Rats and People" since they both deal with people interacting with rats). Overall the book was fun to read, but I think the author could have gone into a little more depth with some of the things he touched on, like rats in the food industry and how devastating the plague really was (he uses big, impressive statistics, but doesn't describe how drastically the plague changed the way everyone lived as well as the entire history of the world- quite an feat for such a small animal!). This book is great for someone looking for something entertaining and quick, but I do not recommend using it as a research source.
Darla

Peter and the Shadow Thieves
by Dave Barry and Riley Pearson

This is an amazing sequal to "Peter and the Star Catchers". These 2 books are about what happened to Peter Pan before the movie like why he can fly and why he never grows older.

"Peter and the Shadow Thieves" is about how Peter flies to England to find his old friend, Molly, to warn her and her father about a dark shadow and the OTHERS (bad guys) that want to steal their valuable star stuff before the RETURN. Star stuff is the glowing yellow stuff tinker bell and mermaids are made of, and the stuff that makes Peter Pan fly. But it is very valuable and can be used to kill, so Peter has to help RETURN it to the skies. It is one of the best books I ever read, but you have to read the first book to really understand it.
Brittany



Pieces of Georgia
by Jennifer Bryant

The book Pieces of Georgia is very interesting. What makes it so
interesting is that it is the story of a normal girl living a fairly normal life
and honestly I haven't read that many books like that. The characters are not
that well developed, for example you really never know what the late mother looks like. it is also made for a reading level that I would say can be hard to reach because it does have some things about smoking and even taking drugs. I would recommend this book to kids ages 11-15.
Anna

Room One
by Andrew Clements

The most memorable part of Room One is when Ted makes his town a foster town for families who lost their husbands in a war.Ted had found a family in an abandoned house and saved them of starvation.Thats how Ted's town became a foster town.
Shaw

The Sea of Monsters
by Rick Riordan

The book The Sea of Monsters was better than The Lightning Thief. I was not a supporter of The Lightning Thief but the sequel added a new twist to the story. If I were to rate this 1 being the worst 10 being the best I would give it an 8.
Anna



Plot
The plot is very suspenseful. I read the book through in one day. Boys and girls agers 8-13 would like this book. You can read this book without reading The Lightening Theif but, it would leave a little something to be desired.

Characterization
The realtionship between Percy and Tyson is extremely well done. the connection with their traits and their parents powers is also well done. This author has a very imaginative mind, considering how well he describes the greek myth's characters and, his own creations.

Point of View
The first person point of view is perfect for this book.

Setting
The setting in this book is as important as the characterization. It helps make the book whole. Without the setting the adventure in this story wouldn't seem as real. It is vividly described and maybe the best feature in this story.

Style
This story is an interesting mix of greek myths, fantasy, and real life.
David




Team Moon
by Catherine Thimmesh

This is a book about how Apollo 11 landed on the moon. It includes the stories of the 400,000 people that helped, not just the astronauts. It’s a great book that goes through the process of landing on the moon step by step. I would recommend this for anyone interested in astronomy.
David



Ugly
By  Donna Jo Napoli

Ugly is a book about an ugly duckling (that’s actually a swan) that
is forced to leave his adoptive family and live on his own, because he is being
attacked by the local duck population. In his adventure he meets a variety of
characters including a sleepy wombat and a spunky possum. The author, Donna Jo Napoli, works many interesting tid-bits of real info about real animals into the storyline, as well as funny descriptions of character’s thoughts. Despite this, I believe it is just a chapter version of the ugly duckling in a different setting,
although it is a very cute story.
Brian

This animal fantasy, for 8 to 10 year olds, is inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling, but this creative version takes place in Tasmania! This is my favorite book so far (9/06) and I would highly recommend it. The most distinguished qualities are the humanization of the animal characters, the setting(I felt I was in Tasmania) and the plot. The description of the adventures and lessons Ugly learned are very well written. The author uses the middle of the book as a turning point for Ugly and when you least expect it something else happens. Scott

Please describe the most memorable part of your book:I liked Ugly a lot.When you read the book, you feel like you are Ugly and you feel the same emotions.I also liked this book because it gives you enough info for you to keep up and still wonder what will happen.Ugly is a book I surgesst you read.
Marissa

I think the most memorable part of the book was when Ugly's friends Grunter and Honker were shot and killed by hunters. It was disturbing but it also made you think who would Ugly's next friend be. I highly recommend the book because although it is a modern version of the Ugly Duckling story, it is full of suspence and action.
Myles

This is a book about a duckling named Ugly and it takes place in Tasmania.  The book is inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling. It is a great book for kids ages 7-10. Animal fantasy isn’t my favorite genre and at 11¾ I’m at the high end of the reader range, however I still found this book enjoyable, because it is so well written.  The human characteristics of the animals, the vividly detailed descriptions, and the wonderful message, friendship comes in different shapes and sizes, all combine to make Ugly a notable book!
David



United no more! Stories of the Civil War
by Doreen Rappaport

This book, a series of stories about the Civil War, is a good way for kids to learn about history and try to understand what the war was really like. Because it is a series of stories, it is an easy way to learn history. I have read several books already about the Civil War but still learned from this book. For example, I didn’t know about the riots or the food shortages in the south. I wish there had been more stories however. This would be a great classroom book.
Scott



Weedflower
by Cynthia Kadohata
I think this book is very important to history beacuse of the topic. I liked how the author explained what was happening at the time. It had mixed emotions and that is great in a book. I definetley recommend this to everyone.
Lilah

This book is about a 12 year Japanese American girl named Sumiko. It takes place during World War II. She lives in California on a flower farm, but
she and her family and all other Japanese Americans are incarcerated in an internment camp, in the desert of Arizona, on a Mohave Indian reservation. Theme, characterization and setting are the elements which make Weedflower a distinguished book
.
Theme- The theme is very important to this story. Mrs. Kadahata wants to educate children about the experiences of tens of thousands of Japanese and Japanese Americans, one of whom was her father. Additionally, she wants the reader to think about prejudice against the Native Americans, when Sumiko meets and becomes friends with Frank, a 12 year old Mohave Indian.

Characterization- Sumiko is the main character. She is very realistic and likable. The secondary characters are so well developed, the reader can feel what the family feels when they are separated, when Uncle and the grandfather go to a prison camp and also how imprisonment impacted each character life  Tak-Tak Sumiko’s six year old brother feels lost and unwanted. Her two older cousins feel useless and unable to take proper care of their family. Mr. Moto their neighbor at the camp tries to make the children n feel better and tries to rebuild his life by creating a garden. Through Sumiko's friendship with Frank, the reader can
see how the Native Americans’ living conditions were even worse than the
imprisoned Japanese. All the secondary characters are incredibly well developed
and with out them this would not be a distinguished book. They are needed to tell
the story.

Setting-The author describes the setting in great, vivid detail which is important because it allows the reader to visualize how Sumiko and her family moved from their flower farm to a barrack in the desert and how horrible it was when the American government relocated the Japanese. It also educates the reader about living conditions on the Indian reservation and that they were not even as good as the conditions in the camps.

It was important for me to read this book, so I could learn about how the Japanese Americans were treated during the 2nd World War. It reinforced my belief all people should be treated equally and this is in the US Constitution. Without Newbery Club I probably would not have read this book. Thank you Mrs. Gebel!
Scott

This is a book about a 12 year old Japanese-American girl named
Sumiko.  It takes place during World War II in California and Arizona.  Her
family owned a flower farm, but all the Japanese were relocated to internment
camps on Indian reservations after Pearl Harbor was bombed.  Weedflower is for
kids 11-14.

Plot
This book started slowly but gets much better as you go along.  Keep reading!
The plot’s order is also very excellent and flows smoothly.

Characterization

The way the characters feel and act is one of the most important aspects of
this book.  Sumiko, the main character, and Frank the Mohave boy are just normal
12 year olds.  The author develops the secondary characters more completely than
other authors normally do, because she needs them to tell the story.
Setting

The setting is described vividly.  The description of the torturous hot and
dusty environment in the camp helps the reader to experience how difficult the
conditions were.  I also never realized that conditions on Indian reservations
were so horrible.

Theme

The author is able to convey the humiliation and injustice of Japanese life
during WWII through Sumiko and her family and friends in a way that is not
judgmental and leaves the reader to decide his or her opinion.

This is a significant book that everyone should read.  It covers a part of
American history that is not taught in school.  BOYS:  This is not only a girl
book.  I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did but, it is a great book!
David

Wright 3
by Blue Baillett

This is a sequel to Chasing Vermeer. It is about 3 kids trying to save Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece, the Robie house. It is a great read but doesn’t realty stand alone. The reader would be confused initially if he/she had not read the first book. Read the first book and then this one!
David



Year of the Dog
By  Grace Lin

I liked the part when Grace(also known as Pacy) meets Melody. I liked this part
because they become fast and tight friends. I would recommend this book because it's very detailed and exiting. I would put this on the mock Newbery ballot.
Hannah

The book The Year of the Dog was an interesting story about a girl(the author)named Grace also known as Pacy. She is starting to get confused about herself and on her lucky year, the year of the dog, she sets out on a mental journey to find herself. This book is very distinguished but i don't think it is good enough to win a Newbery award.The characters are well developed except her friend that you meet first who is quite a confusing character. Over all I think that this was a good book, but not good enough to win the Newbery award.
Anna

The book, The Year Of The Dog, was an interesting crazy tale about the Chinese year of the dog. The year of the dog happens to be the lucky year for the author Grace (by her Chinese name Pacy). Her Mother tells her that this would be a good year to ,figuratively, find herself. So she sets off to find her talent. She tries science, acting, and a few other things;but when she wins $400 for her book The Ugly Vegetables, she knows that her talent is writing and illustrating books. The book THE YEAR OF THE DOG was a good but not good enough to win the Newbery Award;because the plotneede pictures to explain the story. Although it is not a picture book but the book has a lot of pictures in it. I think that I would recommend this book to someone who wants a  book that will make them laugh. Overall, I think that this is a very good book, but being very good does not winn the Newbery Award.
Anna