The Seventh Most Important Thing (by: Shelley Pearsall)

This book is about a boy named Arthur. One day he took a brick and threw it at an old mans head. This resulted in him going to court, the agreement that was made is that he has to work a certain amount of hours for the old man. This man is known as “the junk man” in their community because he is always seen lurking near garbage cans and collecting things from off the streets. The Junk Man makes Arthur haul around a shopping cart collecting the things he desires. It is on a list titles ” The Seventh Most Important Thing.) It has a list of seven items that need to be collected for a “project” that the Junk Man is working on. This book ends in a really heart felt way and Arthur and the Junk Man really start to develop a connection. This book is really interesting, it has aspects of mystery, and it is a really close to heart type of book filled with meaning. I would rate this book a 5/5.

Neha Venna (Gum Spring Library)

The Fourth Stall (by: Chris Rylander)

The Fourth Stall is a book about a bit names Mac and his business partner Vince. They both use an empty bathroom stall in a bathroom at their school, to be precise the fourth bathroom stall. He helps all sorts of people in his school with problems and he has a mini business going on. He collects money, favors, etc. from his customers. But, one fine Monday a third grader comes to Mac to seek protection. This is the hardest challenge that Mac had ever faced. The boy needed protection from Staples, who is the well known criminal-bad guy that used to go to their high school. How will Mac and Vince be able to protect the boy and still continue their business. This book I would give a rating of 4/5 because it is a really good book but, sometimes the storyline can be difficult for readers to follow and understand.

Neha Venna (Gum Spring Library)

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (by: Jenny Han)

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is a book about Lara Jean Covey, she is an intellectual girl who never openly admits her crushes. Instead she writes “letters” about them but never mailed them out. There were 5 letters in total that she’s had hidden in her moms old teal box. One day, all of the letters get mailed including to her next door neighbor Josh who is also her sisters boyfriend. This entire situation gets extremely complicated. At the end of the book Lara Jean may discover that these letters being mailed might have resulted in something wonderful. I would give this book a 5/5 rating because it is very modern and has a lot of good humor into it. Also I think it is most appropriate for teens since Lara Jean is a high school student. This book is the first of three books and it really sets the story nicely for the following books.

Neha Venna (Gum Spring Library)

Pet Sematary- Stephen King

A doctor, his family of four, and their cat move into a large house next to a huge highway where speeding work trucks aren’t uncommon. Upon moving in, they meet their friendly, elderly neighbors who they soon become very close friends with. The elderly man, with intent to familiarize the family with the area, brings them to the Pet Sematary, a loving place where generations of townspeople carefully buried their childhood pets. When the family cat gets hit by a speeding truck, the old man and the doctor secretly bury the cat in the mysterious grounds behind the pet sematary, only to have it magically reappear the next day. 

Have fun putting this book down. Once again, King writes a captivating and chilling story, one that will keep you guessing until the very end. Contains some explicit content and is not for the easily spooked. Recommended for older readers, also one of my personal favorites. 

Taylor Lech – Gum Spring

The Perks of Being a Wallflower- Stephen Chbosky

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is the definition of a coming of age novel. Charlie, the introverted main character navigates through high school with a very unique style of thinking and conquers the challenges of family, friends, and growing up. I very much enjoyed this book because of the diverse set of characters and it’s fresh take on high school issues. It is particularly interesting because it includes the normal “coming of age book” high school problems on top of traumatic experiences like the suicide of a friend. I enjoy this because I think it is a more accurate depiction of high school than most books. 

This book is for a mature audience. It very openly and frankly addresses issues like drugs, sexuality, rape, and mental health. Although it contains sensitive subjects, it provides a perspective that I think everyone should read at some point, but definitely not at a young age. 

Taylor Lech – Gum Spring

P.S. I Still Love You- Jenny Han

Lara Jean and Peter are enjoying their lives as a newly formed couple, but remember when Lara Jean’s letters got sent out? Well, one got lost in the mail and has recently been responded to by John Ambrose McClaren. Between volunteering at a retirement home and a time capsule opening party, Lara Jean has to learn how to navigate her past colliding with her present. Jenny Han does not disappoint with this sequel to To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. 

This book is definitely for a teenage female audience. It has the same romantic theme as To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, but does include some sexual content. Again, this book was a satisfying addition to the series and the newly released movie, although good, did not do this book any justice. A must read if you enjoyed the first. 

Taylor Lech – Gum Spring

 

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before- Jenny Han

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to confess your love to all of your previous crushes? In To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, the main character Lara Jean does just that. Emphasis on ALL the Boys, Lara Jean’s sister Kitty accidentally sends a letter to popular jock Peter Kavinsky and even her older sister’s boyfriend Josh. How will quirky Lara Jean handle five boys’ reactions to her romantic letters?

I would recommend this book for a female teenage audience. It has a romantic/girly theme and is perfect for a high schooler who is going through problems similar to that of Lara Jean. Warning, the movie is out, but it truly doesn’t do the book any justice. Personally, I enjoyed this book very much, so much so that I read the entire series. 

Taylor Lech – Gum Spring

 

Lois Lowry: The Giver

The Giver is a utopian/dystopian fiction novel written by Lois Lowry. This story is about a boy named Jonas who lives in a society in which everything seems a little too perfect. Children slowly progress upwards until they are assigned a job in which they are demanded to fulfill for the rest of their lives. However, Jonas is assigned as the “Memory Keeper” to help protect the society. As the memory keeper, he retains all bad and good memories, refraining it from society. Throughout the story, Jonas slowly transitions from a child to adulthood, being exposed to various experiences that help him grow.

The Giver is a well-written book that provides an interesting aspect of utopian life. It displays the importance of courage, along with the characteristics of a developing society. I strongly recommend this book to children and teens of all ages, as this book was heartening and an overall easy read.

-Nicole Shou

Gum spring library

 

Making Bombs for Hitler by:Marsha Skrypuch

This book is realistic fiction book about a girl who is captured by the Nazis in World War II it is a very sad and moving story based on true facts like how th Nazis would capture children and force them to work in terrible conditions and for long hours. In this book the main character Lida who is seperated from her sister has to survive the horrible concentration camps to find her sister she also makes friends in the camp

I liked this book because it was very moving story and also a little sad. It was very well written and the storyline was very good with exiting things happening every page. I would recomend this book to anyone who ikes historical or realistic fiction, or just a good story.       (Ashburn Library Jotik Shehu)

Wonder by: R.J Palacio

This book was extremely refreshing to read. All the events are more up to date since it is a fairly new book. I loved how the author made the main character, Auggie, have such a complex personality. Auggie is a kid who doesn’t look like the rest, he’s been through many surgeries throughout his life. To add to that he has also been homeschooled his entire life until his parents decide to transfer him to a real school in the 6th grade. This is when the story really starts to take place. The author did something really cleaver and something that I enjoyed a lot, she made the book in different perspectives which many authors don’t do. So we get to understand how every main character feels throughout the book. This book gives off a strong moral of expecting people for who they are and to always respect people no matter how they look.

– Neha Venna (Gum Spring Library)