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Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (Gallagher Girls, #2)
Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (Gallagher Girls, #2)
Ally Carter | 2007 | Young Adult (YA)
10
8.4 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
So, My reviews aren't really long because I use the app more than the website and I have so much trouble typing on a phone anyway...

I really, really like this series!

My stepmom wants me to branch out of middle school books hence The Selection, The Twisted Tales, and the Disney Villians series. Browsing Amazon for quarantine reads I remembered the Gallagher Girls a series recommended to me in high school. I owned books three and five (Long story) so I hunted down the rest. I'll be honest, it isn't often that I dislike a book and this trend continues! I'm head-over-heels in love with Gallagher girls!

Told from Cammie's POV her little quips and 'fast-facts about the world drew me in and made me devour the first book and this one. It was amazing, it was intense, a nice roller-coaster ride and I can't wait to see where the next one goes (Already on chapter five)

Yes, I recommend the book!
  
H2O (The Rain, #1)
H2O (The Rain, #1)
Virginia Bergin | 2014 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
6
5.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
H20 is a different type of post apocolyptic read. First off the killer is bacteria in water, not really something you can avoid. Secondly the main character, Ruby, is not a prepper, survival type but a regular self centered teen. She only survives long enough to figure things out becuase of the people around her but that makes her more realistic. How many teens do you know are preppers or care about anything but their cell phones? As a long time middle school teacher I can tell you not many.

It was a steady paced quick read. I plan on reading the next in the series. It is in my "pile".
  
<a href="https://awindowintobooks.wordpress.com">Full Review</a>
Recycled Science by Tammy Enz and Jodi Lyn Wheeler-Toppen is a book about recycling. The book aims to reuse common household items to become useful items such as lava lamps, flashlights and speakers. The book is filled with excellent pictures during the different stages of the experiment.

This book contains some interesting science projects. The book is geared toward upper elementary or middle school students; however, it is important that the projects are completed with adult supervision because of the potentially dangerous items required. These projects should be completed at home or outside as they would not work in a traditional classroom environment.
  
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Terrence McNally recommended Lolita in Books (curated)

 
Lolita
Lolita
Vladimir Nabokov | 2011 | Fiction & Poetry
3.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Favorite

"I read this book in high school when it was first published. It had the reputation of being “dirty.” It did not disappoint: I was all of 14. It was also deliciously funny. It still is. Its status is secure and I doubt there’s a “Best” list it’s not on. It’s wildly romantic, scathingly satiric of middle-class Americans as only a European aristocrat can see us, and ultimately deeply moving. Lolita is the light of everyone’s loins. Humbert Humbert’s despair is anyone’s who has loved and lost in vain. Nabokov “gets” America and Americans. He is one of the great writers in English and it wasn’t even his first language."

Source
  
Merci Suarez Changes Gears
Merci Suarez Changes Gears
Meg Medina | 2018 | Children
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/9a41056d7201c045d3f9e5c161f9569494687ae1"; width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>
#Merci Suarez #Net Galley Candle Wick Publishing Children's fiction Middle Grade
Release date September 11, 2018 368 pages

I was lucky enough to be selected to read this book before it is released. I enjoyed this book greatly. I gave it 4 stars.
This book is about a Latino family who live in Florida. The family consist of a grandma, grandpa, aunt, twin cousins, mom, dad, older brother and the main character Merci. They really aren't poor but nor are they rich. probably low middle class. Both of the older children go to a private school by way of scholarship. The dad owns his own business as a painter and to pay the children's books during the summer they painted the gym. They wear a uniform to this school. Merci isn't as smart as her older brother who loves science. She has lazy eye and has gone the process of wearing a patch and having surgery. Her eye still has some issues at times. The students are required to do community service at this school. Most students only have to do 40 hours but Merci and her brother have to do 60 hours because of their scholarship. She isn't thrilled about her community service which is being a Sunshine Buddy. She ends up being a buddy to a boy which is unusually for a girl to be buddy with a boy. All the other children tease her when she tries to make contact in school. This new boy Michael Clark is a very cute boy and all the girls talk about him.
This book is about Merci and the things she goes through not only at school but also at home. She hates have to help out with her twin cousins because now she isn't able to go to soccer try outs which she really wants to do because she has to her Grandma watch the twins. Her Grandpa whom she adores is sick and she does find out but is the last to know and gets upset with her family for not telling her sooner. She is scared and mad at the same time.
This is a great book for a middle grader to read because it will explain about the disease her grandpa has in a very understanding way. It will give them understanding on how you can work through some hard times.
It is hard to go into detail because I don't want to give anything away about this story. I read most of it in one setting.
The author did a great job.
  
Like Vanessa
Like Vanessa
Tami Charles | 2018 | Children, Contemporary, Young Adult (YA)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
EVERYTHING! (0 more)
Not enough Tanisha! (0 more)
From Goodreads: 13-year-old girl from the '80s sees the first black woman win Miss America, which inspires her middle school to throw a pageant to boost moral. What could possibly go wrong?

Normally, I would say everything.

This book, nothing went wrong. In fact, Tami Charles did everything right.

You get an interesting main character. You have her going through real problems. You have this story take a look at a real problem with young black girls when it comes to what level of black skin is beautiful. You have major plot twists at every turn (And I don't take that sentence lightly.) And I actually don't hate the parental character this time (Because seriously, a lot of them try to make these characters awful for no reason at all). And you have the main character drop their walls to tell their vulnerable story to the audience.

In short, I love this book. One of the best middle grade and young adult novels I have ever read.
  
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Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated Cell in Books

Jan 12, 2018  
Cell
Cell
Stephen King | 2006 | Horror, Science Fiction/Fantasy
6
8.0 (29 Ratings)
Book Rating
Have you every found yourself refering to people who have their face buried in their cell phones as zombies? Stephen King took it a step further and made the cell phones turn them into killing monsters at a single pulse through the phone. As a middle school teacher this though terrifies me, I would never get out alive.

It is an interesting twist on the zombie/apocalyptic theme that seems to make a social commentary as well. The characters are typical Stephen King so they are developed but not complex. There is a certain amout of familiar predictability. I was quite disappointed by the ending though. Still it is a good beach read.
  
TB
The Bookworm Crush
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
<b><i>The author/publisher provided a free copy of the book for review purposes - thank you! Receiving a review copy does not guarantee a positive review and therefore do not affect the opinion or content of the review.</i></b>

I don't know how <em>The Bookworm Crush</em> got crushed out of my radar, but apparently it did until last month and aren't we glad this landed into my radar?

<strong>Because in this house, we stan books that are purely bookish, with references that will bring nostalgia</strong> on a nice and shiny platter. (My favorites from middle school! The OGs of YA I --!!!)

We also stan books with:
  
CY
Canada Year by Year
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
<a href="https://awindowintobooks.wordpress.com">Full Review</a>
Canada Year by Year by Elizabeth MacLeod is a wonderful non=fictional book about Canada. The book gives facts from the start of when Canada became a country in 1867 to 2017 when Canada turns 150 years old. The author has picked one event per year to highlight, which includes Nobel prize winners, Olympic champions, government firsts, women’s rights as well as inventions.

Readers will learn about Canadian history through pictures and text. It is perfect for learning about Canadian history whether for being more knowledgable about the country, or doing research for a school project. The book is written in a middle school level but any age from 9 and up will enjoy this informative book about Canada. The illustrations are wonderful and add to the text. In the back of the book there is a biography section about famous Canadians. I would love to have this book part of my classroom library.

I received a copy of this book from Kids Can Press through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
  
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Karla Dee (6 KP) rated Her Good Side in Books

May 27, 2023  
Her Good Side
Her Good Side
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Love this cover and I am so happy to have won a copy from bookish first to review. I used to play basketball in middle school and I enjoy any YA books that take me back to the time of playing sports in High school. I also love a good rom com and this book has that too but of course I am going to bring up that they are a diverse couple and she is plus size. I love a book that has representation and this one is so cute down to her jordan's on the cover and his van's.

Friends turned into more than friends story and it is a coming of age tale for both of the characters. Bethany and Jacob are bad at dating and decide to pretend date and usually this kind of story ends up getting dramatic messy and full of teen angst that is hard for me to get through but this book was totally not that vibe. They are both strong characters that don't succumb to peer pressure which is awesome <3<3<3