Stay Sweet by: Siobhan Vivian

Amelia Van Hagen is ready for the best summer of her life. She is the new Head Girl at Meade Creamery. Meade Creamery is an ice cream shop in her small town that is going to close if Amelia doesn’t do something about it. The reason it might close is because the founder Molly Meade passes away. Once she passes away, Molly’s great- grandson comes to town and tries to take the stand away from Amelia. This summer’s is going to be a wild one.

I really liked this book because I could relate to the main character in many ways. I also liked the book because it had a good plot. I would recommend this book to someone who likes teen romances and stories with a strong female lead.

Sanya Kapil (Gum Spring)

Blended: By Sharon Draper

I absolutely loved the book Blended by Sharon Draper. The book talked about a girl who was blended (her mom is white and her dad is African American). It showed the differences in how she was treated when she was with her mom and her dad. In the book, Isabella’s parents get divorced and she has to live with going back and forth each of their houses and being treated custody of.

I really enjoyed the book Blended by Sharon Draper because it was a very well thought out book and had a great moral. My absolute favorite part of the book was when Isabella and her “brother” (from her dad’s new wife’s side) went to get ice cream and have fun towards the end. My least favorite part of the book was when one of Isabella’s best friends (who was African American) saw a weapon that people used back in the day to hurt people of color in her P.E. locker. After that happened Isabella’s friend became traumatized for a while.

All in all, I really liked the book Blended: by Sharon Draper. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes Realistic Fiction books. This book can also be considered as a mystery book because it has a problem to solve in it. I loved how the author worded this book. If you liked this book then you could get another book that the author wrote called, “Out of my mind.” In the end, I really liked the book and I would recommend this book to anyone who likes realistic fiction books.

Kritee Satyal,

Gum Spring Library.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

In The Giver, Jonas is a young boy that is about to turn twelve. Jonas is worried about the Ceremony of Twelve, where he will receive the Assignment that determines his job for the rest of his life. One night, Jonas and his family discuss their emotions, his parents comfort him about his worries. They tell him that his life will change after the Ceremony, but they remind him that the Committee of Elders has been watching him closely and will give him an assignment that’s right for him. At the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas has been selected as the new Receiver of Memory for the community, an important role that requires intelligence, bravery, and the Capacity to See Beyond. Jonas feels nervous at his selection, and his instructions are strange in that they allow him to be rude and lie. The old Receiver, who calls himself The Giver, informs Jonas that he is now the Receiver and will have to receive the memories which The Giver transmits by touch and remembrance. After Jonas is the Receiver he notices changes around him. Jonas’s father brings home a new child who needs extra care, and they call him Gabriel. Jonas feels he and Gabriel have a special connection. How will Jonas play his role of being the new Receiver? How will he change the community?

This is a wonderful novel that keeps the reader interested in the book. Lois Lowry has done a great job writing this book because he gives the reader many clues about what will happen next in the book. There are many symbols that represent something in the book that the reader has to think about and analyze. I would recommend this book for all kids ages 13 and up and kids who enjoy science-fiction. This book can get confusing at times and younger readers would not be able to keep up with the book and fully understand whats going on.

-Kashvi Patel (Gum Spring)

Girl Stolen by April Henry

Girl Stolen is a novel by April Henry. Cheyenne Wilder is sixteen years old and she is blind. Her stepmother drives her to the pharmacist, leaving Cheyenne in the car to rest while she goes inside to buy medicine. Cheyenne decides to lay down in the back seat to rest. Griffin, a young man who is about Cheyenne’s age, sees the vehicle and steals it, not knowing there is someone inside. He intends to take the car to his father, Roy, a career criminal who runs a chop shop and deals in stolen vehicles. When Cheyenne wakes up, she realizes that it isn’t her stepmother driving the car. Will Cheyenne return home?

This is a great novel because when you start reading you cannot stop. The novel has many unexpected twists which keep the readers interested. The genre of this book is a mystery. I would recommend this novel for all kids ages 12 and up. The novel has some vocabulary words that younger readers would not understand. Also, readers need to be mature to enjoy this book. Overall, I would rate this book a five out of five stars.

Kashvi Patel (Gum Spring Library)

History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera

“People are complicated puzzles, always trying to piece together a complete picture, but sometimes we get it wrong and sometimes we’re left unfinished. Sometimes that’s for the best.”

History is All You Left Me is a story that takes an unflinching look at grief, mental illness, and love. In this book, main character Griffin must deal with the death of his best friend and first love, Theo, while also confronting issues with friends and mental illness in his own life. Griffin is torn between his love for Theo and his dislike for Jackson, Theo’s new boyfriend, who seems to be the only person he can open up to. Adam Silvera spins a complex story about friendship, loss, and the dangers of holding onto the past.

After reading this novel, I had to take a few days to recover from the raw emotion I had been exposed to. This book demonstrates the struggles of losing someone you love, and the deep sadness that comes with inevitably moving on. The way that Silvera seemed to lay down each character’s heart onto the pages gave me chills. This definitely isn’t a lighthearted love story, nor a book to just read casually. This book is perfect for anybody who is tired of reading LGBT books that center only around homophobia, and for those who are looking for a book with teenage characters with realistic and meaningful voices.

Thanisha Chowdhury (Gum Spring Library)

Hatchet – Gary Paulsen

“Hatchet” by Gary Paulsen, tells the story of 13- year old Brian Robeson who is stuck all alone in the wilderness. His parents are divorced, so he was flying to his dad’s house. On the way, the pilot got a heart attack and the plane went crashing into the wilderness. With only a hatchet, Brian tries to survive. Using skills that Brian has learned he sets himself up for success. How long will Brian survive? Will he run out of food?

In my opinion, I found the book very interesting. Brian encountered many problems while he was living in the wild. You never knew what would be there when Brian turned the corner. I give this book 5 starts out of 5 because it showed me how, if I was in that situation, I could survive. This book was educational as well as thrilling. If you read this book, next you should read the sequel “The River”.

I Survived the Bombing of Pearl Harbor – Lauren Tarshis

Pearl Harbor was a bomb attack by the Japanese on the coast of Hawaii. In this story, a boy named Danny Crane was a kid in New York hanging around with gangsters. His mom was working two jobs because his dad wasn’t there for him. Danny’s friend, Finn, met with an accident on the streets. New York was no longer safe for their family. Danny and his mother flew to Hawaii and settled there. Suddenly, a bomb goes off. Can Danny and his family survive the horrors of the attack on pearl harbor?

In my opinion, the book was very predictable and I sort of new how the book would turn out. I would give this book 2/5 starts because due to the fact that I knew some things before they happened. I recommend this book to people into history as well as someone looking for a nerve wrecking story. This is one book in a series called “I Survived”. If you enjoyed this book, I recommend reading the other books in the “I Survived Series”.

Reviewed By: Ronith Bokkisam

Matched – Ally Condie

“Matched”, a dystopian novel by Ally Condie, where officials choose your spouse, your job, an exact age to die, can only mean trouble. A girl named Cassia was matched to her best friend, Xander Carrow, but loves someone else. She lost many important people in her life because of the Officials. Cassia Reyes must make a decision: should she follow the law or her heart? This book shows the damage of a totalitarian government, brainwashing people to follow their rules. Cassia will try to alter the beliefs of society, while falling in love with a man who has seen much worse than anyone could imagine. How will Cassia prevail?

In my opinion, this book was a little too predictable and I was not very into the book. For someone who is interested in romance novels and wants to put a little spin on it, this is the right book for you. I would rate this book 3/5 starts because I felt like the book was a little cliche, but gave a strong meaning at the end of the book.

Reviewed By: Ronith Bokkisam

The Time Machine – H.G. Wells

“The Time Machine” is a science fiction novel composed by H.G. Wells. The story begins when The Time Traveler worked on and completed a fully functional time machine. He was a very curious man and sent himself to 802,701 A.D. When exploring the new terrain, he finds the human race depleted and instead. little dwarf-like creatures called Eloi roaming the grounds. As he studied these majestic creatures, he found a dark side to this fairy tale land. Shadowy creatures roamed in the sewers and tunnels, feeding on the Eloi. Upon landing, he was quick to realize his time machine was missing! How will he escape this treacherous land?

In my opinion, this book was very unpredictable. For someone who wants a new read and is willing to explore the murky depths of the future, this is the book for you. I would rate this book four stars out of five because I felt the emotions in the book while I was reading. This book is similar to “The Time Ships” by Stephen Baxter because they both talk about what they foresee in the future.

Reviewer Name: Ronith Bokkisam

The Night Circus – Erin Morgenstern

This novel by Erin Morgenstern made its way into my heart and has firmly remained lodged there like a metaphorical knife.  I believe one of my favorite parts was the mysterious and magical atmosphere that was retained throughout the whole book; it left me guessing and inferring a lot more than I usually would, which was a good change of dynamics.  In addition, there was an amazing vignette at the end which made me want to read the whole story again, but, for the sake of spoilers, I won’t reveal any more. I would recommend this book to fantasy lovers who also love plot twists and mysteries that require reading between the lines because this book is full of intrigue and mystery, and may leave you questioning even at the end.  A similar book to this one would be Caraval by Stephanie Garber, it keeps with the “magical circus” theme.

Monet Shum, Gum Spring