Treasure of the World by Tara Sullivan

Have you ever wanted more in your life even though you know it’s impossible? 12-year-old Ana is tired of living her life in her Bolivian village on Mount Cerro Rico, but what can she do? The same thing has been going on for generations. Boys become miners, girls do the chores at home. The boys her age are already dropping out of school to become miners (including her best friend, Victor), and when her sick brother gets forced to mine as well and becomes even more sick, Ana volunteers in his place. But the mine is a dangerous place and girls working there are known to be bad luck, which is proven when a deadly cave-in kills her and Victor’s dad and causes her brother to go missing. Will Ana be able to put her broken family back together and escape to a better life in the city?

I loved how well written this book was and how impossible Ana’s dream seemed, but she still chased after it. I also loved how The Devil, Tio, was portrayed and how her thinking of Tio changed throughout the book. The ending was amazing, showing what happens ten years later, and I have no complaints about this book. Anyone who loves adventure should one hundred percent read this!

-Akshara P. (Gum Spring Library)

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott is for lovers of classic femininity and timeless life lessons. I loved reading this novel and feeling as if I was transported back in time, while still feeling relatability to each of the March sisters.

Little Women follows the Marches, a family rich in happiness but poor financially The story begins during a war where Mr. March is fighting until he becomes very ill. This deeply shakes all 4 March girls; Jo, Beth, Amy, and Meg, because their mother has to leave them for the first time in their short lives to attend to their sickly father. When Mrs. March is away, Beth, the kind-hearted sister, gets scarlet fever and becomes so sick that she can barely talk. Jo, the boyish addition to the family of girls, realizes the direction of her moral compass more during this difficult time and attends to Beth as best she can.

The four sisters encounter many more challenges during Little Women and learn the power of family, and the innocence of their youth. Through sad times, and happy, the girls each find a way to create a life they truly enjoy with their husbands and many kids.

KL (Gum Spring Library)

I Kill the Mockingbird By Paul Acampora

Lucy and her best friends are getting ready for summer. Their teacher hands out the summer reading list, and what do you  know, Lucy’s favorite book, “To Kill A Mockingbird” is one of the novels listed. The three of them are excited to reread it, but the rest of, well, EVERYBODY, doesn’t appreciate the classic tale as much as they do. Not wanting to let the book go underappreciated, they plan to get everyone buzzing about it by making the novel a forbidden fruit. They make everyone think that all the books have been stolen (by misplacing them throughout stores and libraries) and whip up a website named, “I Kill the Mockingbird”. It goes too far when the entire nation takes it the wrong way, and the trio has to figure out how to right their wrongs.

I personally really like the book and would give it a 9 out of 10. It was great, but of course, it wasn’t my all-time favorite.. But… it was delightful, and I would definitely recommend it! It was great to see how much they cared about a classic novel and how much they were willing to do to make everyone appreciate it again. A book to read (if you haven’t already read it) after this one would be “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee. It might make it easier to understand some of the references.

Amal Qazi (Gum Spring Library)

Kinda Like Brothers by Coe Booth

This book revolves around 11 year-old Jarrett. He lives with his mom who is a foster mother who takes care of abandoned smaller children. Then, one day something happens that changes his whole life forever. Caseworkers bring his mother a small child named Treasure. She has a older brother named Kevon. Jarrett’s mother says that Kevon will stay with him for a couple of weeks. It’s bad enough that Jarrett lives with foster babies every day but an older boy living with him is something he cannot take.

This story is very deep. I love how even though the book centers on the main character Jarrett, the book somehow brings Kevon’s sad backstory which makes the book intriguing and interesting. This book talks about how everyone in a tough situation can hold on to hope and be tough in very scary times. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Mohammad Ali(Gum Spring Library)

One For The Murphys: Lynda Mullaly Hunt

“ ‘Just because your mother doesn’t want you, doesn’t mean  you can take mine!’ Daniel glares and I’m surprised at how his words cut me.” This quote leads to an emotional rollercoaster of a book as Carley learns to let her guard down and let others love her.

In the well known book “One For The Murphys”, Carley Connors is living in Connecticut with a temporary  foster family, the Murphy’s.  Carley and her biological mother were physically abused  by Carley’s stepfather, Dennis Gray which lead to a stay at the hospital. While her mother was healing, Carley stayed with the Murphy’s, and after that, life as she knew it was  never the same.

This is a beautiful and emotional book filled with hope.  You’re sure to cry and laugh along with Carley as she learns to love,  and let others love her. It’s a story you will remember. But, it’s also a story you can easily  predict.  If you want an easy read and a sweet,  emotional story, this book is perfect for you. If you want a mysterious novel with lots of twists and turns, this is NOT for you. By looking at the back of the book, you basically know what’s going to happen. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lovely story, and I would very much recommend it for a book club book or for a quick read. However, if you want a unique story with more of a cliff-hanger, this won’t be a good fit. To me, the foster kid who hates life, then falls in love with the family that takes care  of her and “saves” her, just to have to go back  to  her neglectful mother seems like a bit of a cliche to me. I like the book, but for me I’d prefer  an unpredictable book with more  than one major conflict. Overall, I think this is a great book for book clubs or elementary level readers. I enjoyed it, but the words were a bit too easy and the story was dry because of the repetitive loving and then hating again.

By: Angelina Rabena Eagle Ridge Middle School (Ashburn Public Library)

 

One For The Murphys By Lynda Mullaly Hunt

 

“I’m gonna shut you up for good, little girl.” My mother cried out for me, and I moved toward her. Something clamped around my ankle. I looked down and it was my mother’s hand holding me. She needed help. “Mom! What’s wrong? Is it your leg?” But she didn’t answer. Instead she spoke to Dennis. “Honey, I got her!  I got her by the foot!

In One For The Murphy’s by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Carley Conners wants to be with her mom and doesn’t want to be put in a foster home, but her mom is unconscious and is unable to take care of her. So the state puts Carley in a foster home with a family named the Murphys. Carley is rude and doesn’t want to open up to Mrs.Murphy or anyone in the family at first, but as she stays there longer, she starts to feel like she’s part of the family and she really loves them. When Carley’s mom gets better, she has a hard time going back to her, especially when Carley remembered her mom helped Dennis hurt her.

The book was funny and drama filled. I really enjoyed the book, but it was kind of too predictable for me. For example, a girl going into a foster family hating the situation at first, but then growing attached to the family. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? Now I’m not saying the author copied from another book, I’m just saying this type of storyline is used a lot. The book wasn’t boring, despite the cliche storyline, but there was more to the book then just that. There was drama, funny moments, and one plot twist that changed the whole story. This was the only part that wasn’t predictable. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in reading it.

    –Gina Sriboon Eagle Ridge Middle School (Ashburn Library)

One for the Murphys By: Lynda Mullaly Hunt

“The number “1” book

Carley and her mom had been living in Las Vegas, Nevada, until her mom met Dennis Gray, her step dad, who abused both Carley and her mom.  ” Carley was suddenly launched down the stairs and onto the cold, hard ground below her.” Before Carley knew it, the ambulance was at her house and she was wheeled away to the hospital. Soon, her mom was in the hospital along side her. Shortly after, she was living in a foster home in Connecticut with the Murphy’s, because her mom could not take care of Carley.

In the book, One to the Murphy’s by: Lynda Mullaly Hunt, there is a girl named Carley. Carley and her mom were living in Las Vegas, Nevada. One day Carley’s mom married Dennis Gray, an Elvis impersonator. After Dennis and her mom got married, Dennis started to abuse Carley. He was punching and kicking Carley, as her mom was just watching and laughing as if she was watching a comedy show of some man abusing her daughter. Carley and her mom were in the ambulance on the way to the hospital after Dennis  abused Carley’s mom. Time flew and Carley was in the tree filled state of Connecticut, in a foster home with the Murphys, a family with three crazy little boys, an overly excited mom, and a hard working fire fighting dad who was almost never around. How is Carley going to cope with these questions? Does her mom even love her? How will she adjust to a new family? How will she like the state of Connecticut?

The book One for the Murphy’s by: Lynda Mullaly Hunt  is a great book. This book prompts lots of emotion, such as sadness. For example, “ I never cry but in this moment I want to ball my eyes out,” says Carley when she first arrived at the Murphy’s. So if you like lots of emotion, then you will like this book. This book is a quick read causing you to really get into the story. One for the Murphy’s is a great book and I definitely recommend this book for anyone. I give One for the Murphy’s                                                                                                          

Reviewed by:Olivia Vincent                  Eagle Ridge Middle School                                              

   

One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

‘“I’m gonna shut you up for good, little girl.” My mother cried out for me, and I moved toward her. Something clamped around my ankle. I looked down and it was my mother’s hand holding me. She needed  my help. “Mom! What’s wrong? Is it your leg?” But she didn’t answer. Instead she spoke to Dennis.

           “Honey, I got her! I got her by the foot!”’  from the book One for the Murphys.

In the book One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, a girl named Carley Connors was living in Las Vegas and her life was going great. Then all of a sudden everything turned upside down for her. Her mom married an Elvis impersonator named Dennis. Then they all moved to Connecticut. One night Carley’s mom got hurt and became unconscious, and had to be taken to the hospital. Since Carley’s mom was hurt, Carley had to go into the foster care system because there was no one to take care of her. She was placed in the Murphy household. Carley had a tough time adjusting to Connecticut and to her new “family.” She could never stop thinking about her mom and what her life used to be like before everything turned sour.

I really liked this book because there was drama and some sad moments that made me want to keep reading. For example, when Carley first met the Murphys she was nervous about adjusting to a new family. I do recommend this book more for girls than boys, though, because it was written from a girl’s perspective and it is more of an emotional book. One for the Murphys has a sad mood, because Carley wonders if her mom will want her back when she wakes up. Sometimes Carley will have flashbacks of things she and her mom would do together. This book was pretty fast for me, because I was  hooked into reading it. Will Carley’s mom ever wake up? If she does, will she want Carley back? Will Carley adjust to her life with the Murphys? Find out in the book One for the Murphys.

                              I rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars                                                  

  By: Nicole Acton  Eagle Ridge Middle School (Ashburn Library)                        

One for the Murphys

     Something clamped around my ankle. I looked down and it was my mother’s hand holding me. She needed my help

“Mom! What’s Wrong? Is it your leg?”

But she didn’t answer. Instead she spoke to Dennis, “Honey, I got her! I got her by the foot!”

That’s how it all star
ted. Here she goes again.. Another foster family that she has to go to because her mom helped her abusive stepfather hurt  her. Carly Connors expects to go to another foster family that will make her do all the work and treat her miserably. She’s used to that. But this family is different. Carly comes to meet one of the happiest family’s she’s ever seen. (They look so happy, they must be faking it). A bright lady who wears colorful clothing with a smile, two little boys who fantasize that they are superheros saving the world, and an older boy who likes basketball, just like Carly.

She stays with the Murphys while her mom recovers in the hospital.  She has some trouble finding her place because she feels like she doesn’t belong in a family that seems so perfect. Though, after she goes through some ups and downs with the Murphys, she learns that there are more flaws to this family than she thinks. She goes on an emotional journey with the Murphy’s, and finds herself to feel at home with them and love each and every one of them very deeply.

One for the Murphys was written by Lynda Mullaly Hunt and it  was such an amazing book and I would rate it a 5 out of 5 stars. I recommend this book to anyone who likes heart touching, realistic fictions. The  main  character, (Carly Connors) is amazing. The bond she makes with Mrs. Murphy is unbreakable. With Mrs. Murphy, Carly realizes  what it’s like to have a real mother. Someone to buy her good clothes, let her have friends over, and let her do things normal kids do that she couldn’t do with her own mom for various reasons. Though she has to remember that the Murphys are only her foster family, not her real one. Though, the Murphys think of her as a full family member and love her like their own child and the boys love her like a sister. Will Carly get to stay with the Murphys forever where she feels at home? Or will  she have to leave them forever and return to her own mother? Read One for the Murphys to find out!

Brooke Burruss – Eagle Ridge Middle School (Ashburn Library)

Surrounded by Sharks by Michael Northrop

This book is about a boy that uses up all of his energy to survive alone on the ocean.  

Davey is on vacation with his family at the beach.  It is early in the morning and Davey doesn’t know what to do.  He decides to play at the beach, but as he goes deeper in the water, the currents push him out of shore and he doesn’t know what to do.  He uses garbage around him to survive for many hours to survive.

This book tells the reader to never give up and try your hardest in life. The author tell you that if you never give up, you will be rewarded

This was an incredible book.  Out of 5 stars, I would give it 4.5 out of 5 because it had a slow beginning.  This book is for those that like the ocean and survival books.

Ahmed Saeed (Gum Spring Library)