ALAN v28n1 - Book Bubbles: Wood Oaks Junior High Students' Review of The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

The ALAN Review proudly presents

BOOK BUBBLES

From Carol Hillsberg and Jean Steinberger's sixth grade students on
Team 6B at Wood Oaks Junior High School in Northbrook, IL.
Reviews of the novel The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi

I highly recommend the book The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle . This book takes place in 1832. Charlotte, a proper 13 year old, goes on a sea voyage that changes her whole life around. It has friendship, danger, and lots of shocking news. I give this book four stars.

-Amy Hadesman

The book The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi is an outstanding book about a proper young lady crossing over into the small world where being proper is improper. The book is full of trust, honesty, friends, and cliffhangers, which will make you continue to read this wonderful book.

-Cynthia Wong

I really enjoyed this book. I thought the way Avi made up the characters was truly magnificent. For example, there is Charlotte Doyle, a thirteen-year-old girl who believes in justice. She is also outgoing and does what she has to and what is right. There is also Captain Jaggery, the captain of the ship, The Seahawk . He is stubborn and two-faced. He seems like a nice and kind gentleman, but inside he is just cruel and mean to those in the lower class, especially his crew. What will happen when the two meet?

-Miry Kim

The most exciting scene in the book The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle is when Charlotte is climbing the main mast. I thought that was a thrilling suspense! Wood Oaks's book critics give Avi's novel two thumbs up!

-Maura Levit

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle is a very specific book that has good---no, great---supporting details for each topic given. For example, in many chapters when a point is made, there are usually four or five supporting details that are tied in with a chapter. For instance, in Chapter three it said, "I awoke the next morning in my narrow bed." It explains what the bed was like.

-Matt Shamis

Little things in the beginning will smack you in the face later in the book called The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle . Friends turn to foes with suspicious conversations, looks, and actions.

-Harrison Leibow

Avi, author of the book The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle , is an awesome writer because in this book he puts his heart into his writing by putting lots of foreshadowing and cliffhangers into every chapter.

-Josh Clark

Avi's The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle is a great mystery book that keeps you hanging the whole way through. Avi included many intriguing details, and I recommend it to anyone who likes a surprising ending. Charlotte taught me that even if you are a girl you can do what any man can. In this book Charlotte proves this in every way.

-Megan Yagoda

I highly recommend the book The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi because it explains a realistic image of what may really happen if you were stuck on a ship as Charlotte was. Charlotte started out as a passenger and ended up as the captain. The book tells about the different stages Charlotte goes through, which are curiosity, loneliness, fear, dread, and finally bravery.

-Erica Rapoport

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi has very good cliffhangers. From reading the beginning of the story, you would never guess how it would end. I would really like to know how Avi found out so much about ships in the 1800's.

-Marly Schuman

I thought this book was exquisitely written and shows how rapidly people can change their minds. It also shows that you can overcome your troubles if you try hard enough to make things right.

-Kelly Liebrack

The book The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle has more in it than a New York hotdog. It has action, thrill, drama, suspense, and more. Avi did a fantastic job leading you in all sorts of directions until you find out the conclusion of the final chapter.

-Michael Jacobson

This is a wonderful book because it shows that people ages ago did not think girls were equal. In The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle , Charlotte is very strong and proves everyone wrong about her.

-Kristina Sakas

I thought this book was great because it had action. It also has cliffhangers all over the place. This book also shows how people can be unjust and slanderous. The ending was totally unpredictable and exciting. I truly recommend this book.

-Michael Jaffe

This book is filled with exciting and outrageous events. It makes you wonder if you can change yourself like Charlotte did. I believe this is a terrific book about courage and bravery.

-Jessica Gross

This book should show people of all ages that any type of person can be a friend with any type of person, and their race and how destitute they are does not matter. It is what you are inside that counts.

-Alex Prosperi

Avi made me feel like I was in Charlotte's place by how well he wrote the book. I thought that the book was very good because it was interesting to see how it would be to work on a ship.

-Jessi Dreymann

This book tells us how in the 1800's it was not proper for different classes to work together. This showed how a young proper lady disobeys her elders and becomes a decrepit sailor who is obsessed with the sea.

-Kathy Khazonov

I thought this book taught you many things, but only one sticks out in my head. That one thing is how Avi describes that sometimes you do not know how strong you really are until you do something to find out. I think Avi describes that very well in the book.

-Lisa Adams

This book has adventure, murder, and mystery. It really inspired me to be who I want to be and not who I am "supposed" to be. The characters are loveable, and yet, they are also hateable. It all depends on what you do and do not like. I loved this book. I hope you do, too.

-Britta Calhoun

The book The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi showed me how somebody can change just by witnessing a friend being hurt. I liked this book because Charlotte changed from a snob to a hard worker.

-Michelle Doty

In the book The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle , Avi does a great job in keeping you at the edge of your seat and teaches you many lessons for life, such as do as your heat desires, not what everyone tells you to do.

-Eric Dritz

The book The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi has interesting themes and interesting events. You know what is going to happen, but when it happens, the author writes it in a surprising way, like when Charlotte has her testimony.

-Melissa Hsu

Reference Citation: -----. (2000) "The ALAN Review proudly presents Book Bubbles." The ALAN Review , Volume 28, Number 1, p. 26-27.

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