Latest Kids Book Reviews

This book tells the story of Joe Rantz. It serves as an account of his youth in the middle of the Great Depression, especially when he was rowing at the University of Washington. In the book, we learn about the hardships he endured and the challenges he had to overcome in order to row with his teammates, and, more importantly, trust his teammates, at the Olympics of 1936 in Hitler's Germany. It follows Joe through 3 years of hard collegiate rowing, of being discriminated because of how poor he was, and of him bonding with the members of the crew that would eventually row together at the Olympics. The focus, however, is not really on the Nazis; Joe and his teammates are blissfuly unaware of the persecution of races deemed 'inferior' by the Nazis, although the book does delve into the attempts of Leni Riefanstahl, maker of propaganda films highlighting the Aryan race at the Olympics. The focus is on Joe's story, how he was abandoned as a child and rose through hard work and perseverance to become whole again through rowing. It paints a picture of a time long gone, of men and women who have since passed on: their struggles, their triumphs, their journeys. It tells of the boys rowing. It had a melancholy, reflective epilogue. It had funny descriptions of events that happened, in a tongue in cheek, wry way. It drew me in. Through the 500 or so pages, I was never bored: the descriptions of the various regattas were especially suspenseful. And above all, it gave me a deeper appreciation of hard work and teamwork and trust. I recommend it to fans of narrative nonfiction or sports stories.

I read this book for school, amd, for being written along time ago, was very good. I love Nathaniel Hawthorne as a writer, he is so funny! Here is the reveiw: Hepzibah has recently opened a cent shop in her house because she does not have the money to care for herself. Pheobe Pyncheon comes to visit and helps her cousin Hepzibah run the shop. Hepzibah, Pheobe and others go on wild adventures, with themes such as love, sacrifice, and mystery. Overall, I would defiantly recommend this to both teachers and students. I think it was high school reading level, but for sure worth the struggle to read. (I love little Med Higgins btw)

This book was a whole roller coaster but I loved it SO much. I read it in my class for English readiness and I was IMMEDIATELY obsessed. It was an absolute masterpiece. I loved the mystery, the plot, and especially the HIDDEN message at the end. What an amazing book. Ten out of ten, must read again. That- is a promise. :)

It is the summer holidays and soon Harry Potter will be starting his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry is counting down the days; there are new spells to be learnt, more Quidditch to be played and the Hogwarts castle to continue exploring. But Harry needs to be careful – there are unexpected dangers lurking… I absolutely love the Harry Potter books and out of the seven I'd probably say that The Goblet of Fire is my favourite, and this is mostly down to the creatures and other wizarding students we meet in the novel. As a lover of Hogwarts it's interesting to know what other wizarding schools are like in the world of Harry Potter, and to explore further the seemingly endless list of creatures. I can never find a boring or uninteresting moment in The Goblet of Fire and I never get sick of reading it again and again as it's so easy to lose myself in Harry Potter with the astounding events and distinctive characters. I really like how Hermione Granger strives through in this book as not just a clever girl, but as a girl with passion and determination. I like her complex personality; normally she is typecasted into just being 'intelligent', but Hermione is shown with a more girly and emotive side in this book, giving her more depth than just being Harry's clever friend. She is well-rounded and is more accessible as a regular person (though a witch) with feelings and a personality. In this book we regularly come across Cedric Diggory, a Hufflepuff, who allows us to see the Hufflepuff house in more depth rather than just briefly touching upon it as it has been in other books. I like how we can see the fairness Cedric strives to uphold throughout this book, showing us the value of Hufflepuffs. Anyone who hasn't read up to The Goblet of Fire should definitely re-think that decision as this is the book where it all changes and it's then impossible to not continue reading the rest of the books. The Goblet of Fire definitely deserves a 5/5 in my opinion.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the third instalment in the Harry Potter series, and is by the incomparable JK Rowling. The Harry Potter series are described as 'children books', however, in my opinion, whether you're twelve or twenty two, I highly recommend them!! Now after a long summer (and some aunt abusing antics), Harry is back at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, with his trusty best friends: Ron and Hermione. Yet, secret and mysterious things are happening in the wizarding world, and Harry is not safe from the dark and dangerous people at large. Who is the infamous Sirius Black, who escaped from the notorious wizard prison: Azkaban? And what could the fugitive Black possibly want with Harry? Harry, Ron and Hermione, spend another magical year at Hogwarts, where Harry learns far more about his past then he could have expected. As always with Rowling's books, I loved Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban! JK Rowling's words have a curious habit of coming to life, and her characters are funny, and realistic. One of the greatest things about Harry Potter, is that they improve with each book, and you can clearly glimpse the clever, intricate plot Rowling has wove, with cleverly placed foreshadowing and seemingly innocent hints. This book is undoubtedly darker than the previous ones, as Harry learns more and more about the sinister forces that threaten the wizarding world. The characters begin to get more developed and more complex, and an awful lot more interesting. I must warn you though, that once you begin, you'll find it almost impossible to stop! Once you finish, you'll be skimming through it again, finding seemingly obvious clues, thinking 'How did I miss that?!'. If that wasn't enough to get you interested, the Harry Potter covers have recently been redesigned, and they are even more stunning than ever! The Prisoner of Azkaban cover is by far my favourite: Harry heroically brandishing a wand, from which a silver stag has erupted! To no one's surprise, I give Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 5/5 stars!