ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, June 3, 1996 TAG: 9606040008
SECTION: NEWSFUN PAGE: NF-1 EDITION: METRO
It's summer and you're bored. You could go outside, but it's too hot. You could go to the pool, but your mom says no. You could take a nap, but you just got up, or watch TV, but there's nothing interesting on. Face it, there's nothing to do.
How wrong you are! You can travel to India, solve a mystery or learn how to whip up a cheese omelet. You can find out what happened to the Titantic or what Pocahontas was really like.
All you have to do is open a book. Reading not only helps make you smart, but it can keep you entertained as well. If you're not sure what to read, NewsFun can help.
Following are some book reviews sent to us by your fellow readers. We hope they'll come in handy when you visit the library or bookstore this summer.
HENRY AND MUDGE IN PUDDLE TROUBLE
By Cynthia R. Published by Aladdin Books.
Henry and Mudge were bored because it was raining and they could not go outside. After it finished raining, the grass was wet. Henry got his raincoat and his sneakers and went outside without asking his father if he could. When Henry and Mudge got out, the grass was wet. They saw a big puddle. They jumped in and got wet and Henry's father saw them.
If you want to find out what happens, check out this book. I read it in my Title I reading class.
BRANDON CAMDEN
THIRD GRADE
NATURAL BRIDGE ELEMENTARY
GOOSEBUMPS: MONSTER BLOOD.
By R.L. Stein.
In this book, the main characters are Evan Ross, his Great-Aunt Kathryn, Andy, a girl he meets, and Trigger, Evan's dog.
When Evan meets Andy, they visit a funky toy store where Evan buys a can of Monster Blood. As they play catch with the can, some of the monster blood falls out and Trigger eats it. Trigger starts to grow and grow and grow!
In the meantime, Evan meets two boys who are pretty mean to him. He dreams that Trigger grows to the size of a giraffe and eats the two boys. Then he wakes up, and Evan is a giant.
Unfortunately, that was a dream, too. Evan is afraid of the Monster Blood because it keeps growing and makes things it touches grow too. He tries to give it to Andy, but Andy won't take it. Finally, she takes some.
Aunt Kathryn has a weird cat named Sarabeth that plays an important part at the end of the book. I won't tell about that so everyone can enjoy the surprise.
BRYAN LEWIS SULLIVAN
SECOND GRADE
ABINGDON ELEMENTARY
TUCK EVERLASTING.
By Natalie Babbit. Published by Sunburst Books.
Tuck Everlasting leaves an "everlasting" impression.
Tuck Everlasting is a book about a family that drank water from a spring which gave them eternal life.
Winnie Foster is a 10-year-old girl who didn't know about the magic spring and almost drank from it. Jesse Tuck stopped her. Jesse, his mother, Mae, Tuck and his brother, Miles, kidnap Winnie to convince her that having eternal life is more of a curse than a blessing. Mr. Tuck is successful in explaining these reasons to Winnie.
Winnie not only believes her kidnappers but becomes friends with them. She risks her family's trust and reputation by going to jail!
"Tuck Everlasting" was better than I thought it would be. I agree with my two older sisters' recommendations, it's my most favorite book I've read yet.
ALLISON BARRIER
FOURTH GRADE
BACK CREEK ELEMENTARY
ROANOKE COUNTY
SOMETHING FROM NOTHING.
By Phoebe Gilman. Published by Scholastic Books.
The book "Something From Nothing" is about this boy who has a blanket to protect him and his Mom keeps telling him to throw it out. But he doesn't and he keeps on telling Grandpa fix it.
I read this book because somebody told me that it wasn't good. I read it and they were wrong. It was great because his Grandpa made a lot of cloth and helped his grandson so he would not have bad dreams.
ELLIS BARMORE
FOURTH GRADE
BODY CAMP ELEMENTARY, BEDFORD
THE DOUBLE LIFE OF POCAHONTAS.
By Jean Fritz. Published by The Trumpet Club.
Do you know what it is like to have two worlds? Pocahontas found out what it is like. Pocahontas was happy because when the English came to Virginia, John Smith was "adopted" into her tribe, and she became a "sister" to him.
She was allowed to move freely between her world and the English colony. Everything seemed perfect. But then she was taken captive by the English and had to live like a white woman.
I thought the book was very exciting. If you want to learn about Pocahontas and her two worlds, but want excitement too, "The Double Life of Pocahontas" is the perfect book.
GWEN FLACK
FOURTH GRADE
OAK GROVE ELEMENTARY, ROANOKE COUNTY
ANGEL PARK ALL-STARS - MAKING THE TEAM.
By Dean Hughes. Published by Bullseye Books.
This book is about a boys' baseball team and the friendships that come with making the team. The main character is a boy named Kenny. His best friends are Jacob and Harlan.
When Kenny and his friends were trying out for the Angel Park Dodgers, Kenny stepped up to bat and hit the farthest ball. Then they all made the team. But they never knew there was an older bully already on the team who liked to pick on the new kids.
If you want to find out what happened to Kenny and his friends, then you should read this book.
I chose this book because I love to read sports stories since I like baseball so much. If you like sports, then you should read this book too.
ERIC O'BRIEN
FIFTH GRADE
GREEN VALLEY ELEMENTARY, ROANOKE COUNTY
THE VENGEANCE OF THE WITCHFINDER.
By John Bellairs. Published by Dial Books for Young Readers.
"The Vengeance of the Witchfinder" is about a boy named Lewis. Lewis acts like Sherlock Holmes because he likes to figure out mysteries.
Lewis and Uncle Jonathon went to London to see Bertie, a good friend of Lewis. Bertie is a lot different from Lewis and his uncle, but Bertie also likes to help figure out mysteries.
When Lewis gets to London, he gets tied up in a mystery. It all started when Bertie showed Lewis around. Bertie takes Lewis to a maze. When Bertie is showing Lewis around, he tells him that people say that Mr. Barnavelt is a witch, but Bertie doesn't believe them. He asked for a book about Mr. Barnavelt. After he read a few pages he saw a picture of the maze.
I read this book because it was for a class project. When we were picking out the books, one of my friends said that it was a great book. I also picked it out because I like to read.
If you like a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat and is mysterious, then you need to read "The Vengeance of the Witchfinder."
KATRINA HEDGE
SIXTH GRADE
DUBLIN MIDDLE
EIGHT COUSINS.
By Louisa May Alcott.
This book is about a girl named Rose. Her father died, and she went to stay with her guardian, Uncle Alec. There she meets her seven cousins: Archie, Charlie, Mac, Steve, Geordie, Will and Jamie. It tells about all her adventures.
This book was great. I enjoyed it very much. I recommend this book to anyone.
ALLISON HORAN
FIFTH GRADE
SOUTH SALEM, ELEMENTARY
THE TITANIC LOST AND FOUND.
By Judy Donnelly.
I enjoyed reading "The Titanic Lost and Found." It was easy to read and understand. It gave information about the size of the Titanic and the wealth that was on the huge ship. It was exciting and scary to think about the people that were on this sinking ship.
It took many years and much searching before the Titanic was found in the deep, icy waters.
This book is for anyone that likes to read about real events in history. It is also for anyone who has ever dreamed of finding lost treasure.
ALEX HELEMS
THIRD GRADE
MCCLEARY ELEMENTARY NEW CASTLE
THE BARN.
By Avi.
This story was set in 1855 in a one-room house with three children and a father. Ben and his older brother and sister, Harrison and Nettie, were destined to make a barn for their sick father who lay in bed.
The three children never got any help. They cut the trees, made a frame, covered the walls and roof all by themselves. This barn was a gift to their father; they knew that's what he really wanted.
What an excellent book! It's so full of expressions and emotions. It's inspiring to see three kids pull together and fulfil their father's one and only dream. I definitely recommend it for all readers.
KIM LEWIS
SEVENTH GRADE
WILLIAM BYRD MIDDLE
WELCOME TO ALIEN INN.
By Betsy Haynes. Published by Harper Collins.
Matt and his family love to go skiing. They go there almost every weekend. This time they get caught in a huge blizzard and stop at a place called Snowed Inn.
But the innkeeper is always watching Matt, and the other guests keep asking him and his family really weird questions. Matt snoops around until he finds out who they really are. They are not from this planet. They are on a mission from another planet so far back in the universe no space ship could make it back there.
They're here to study humans and what makes them tick, you know, how they live. They've picked Matt and his family.
This book is really scary. That's why I like it. I recommend it highly to everyone who can read. I got mine at the book fair. Go check it out now!
JESSICA SCOTT
MOUNT PLEASANT ELEMENTARY
FIFTH GRADE
ROANOKE COUNTY
NATE THE GREAT AND THE SNOWY TRAIL
By Marjorie Weinman Sharmat.
Rosamund lost Nate the Great's birthday present. She asked Nate the Great to find it. Nate the Great looks for the present. Rosamund did not tell anyone what the present was. Nate the Great found his birthday present.
If you want to find out what Nate the Great's present is, you have to read this book. I found this book in the Title I classroom.
KRISTIN LEIGH HARRIS
THIRD GRADE
NATURAL BRIDGE ELEMENTARY
LENGTH: Long : 219 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ROGER HART/Staff. (headshots) 1.-9. Brandon. color.by CNBBryan, Allison, Ellis, Gwen, Eric, Allison, Alex, Kim, Jessica. 10.
Margaret Jones, librarian at Fishburn Park Elementary School in
Roanoke, offers some summer reading suggestions to (from left) Sarah
Bennett, Corey Garland and William Mohr. Jones is retiring after 24
years as a librarian in Roanoke City schools. color.