Young Readers Write!

A little background…

My fifth graders are excellent readers and writers! They meet in their book clubs on a regular basis throughout the week and have highly engaging conversations about what they’re reading. Recently, I asked them to write a review of their most recent book club read and I was impressed by what they shared.

These are the books they reviewed:

   

 Book Recommendations:

Please note: To protect the privacy of my students, names have not been included.

Ghost, by Jason Reynolds

The incredible book, Ghost, by Jason Reynolds, is about a kid named Castle or nicknamed, Ghost, who lives in a neighborhood called Glass Manor. He often gets made fun of for where he lives because that area is known for being where the lower class people would be. One of the main things he wants is to have nicer shoes because the ones he has are old and in bad condition. He eventually decides to steal shoes from the Everything Sports Store. He ends up stealing a nice pair of golden sneakers. After many practices with the shoes, the coach finds out and goes to the store with him. Ghost tells the employee that he is really, really sorry. She forgives him for stealing the shoes and Coach buys them for Ghost. The consequence was that Ghost had to clean Coach’s car. The story ends up with Ghost wearing his nice shoes and about to run his first race. I think that Ghost learned to behave better and to get better grades so he could stay on the team. My favorite part of the book was when Coach found out that Ghost stole the expensive shoes because then he was punished and now he knows to act better. He still ended up getting the shoes which is good because he can run better with them. I recommend this book to people who like a little bit of action and lots of emotions. ~ Michael, 5th Grade Writer

My opinion of the book, Ghost, by Jason Reynolds is that it is a good book. The main character is Ghost. Ghost is a bit of a trouble maker and he is very persistent. At the beginning of the book, Ghost wants to play basketball so he ends up doing track first to keep his endurance up. When Ghost joins track he ends up liking it more than basketball and steals some very expensive track shoes. Coach catches him and gets him in trouble but after that, he learns his lesson and he starts to actually make good choices. My favorite part of the book was when Ghost stole the shoes because you were on the edge of your seat the entire chapter and it was fun to read. This book is sort of like Wonder, by R.J. Palacio because there is some bullying involved in both books. Overall, I think you should read Ghost, by Jason Reynolds. ~Leah, 5th Grade Writer

The book I will be summarizing is Ghost, by Jason Reynolds. My favorite character is Ghost. Ghost is a little bit quiet and also sneaky. Ghost wants fast and cool running shoes and he also wants to be the fastest kid on his team. Ghost wishes/wants more time to spend with his father, but something/someone gets in the way. Lu gets in the way of Ghost being the fastest kid on the team and money gets in the way of buying shoes. Ghost solved those problems by stealing shoes from a store but as a result, Coach made him clean his car so his mom wouldn’t find out. Lu and Ghost are both the fastest on the track team. The story ends when Lu and Ghost are about to start their one-hundred-meter dash. Ghost feels like he is part of a team. My favorite chapter is chapter six because it is intense and has lots of drama. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes sports and drama. ~Lucy, 5th Grade Writer

If you have read the book Schooled or if you like action, a good lesson, or are open to new types of books, I think you would like Ghost. In the book Ghost, by Jason Reynolds, the main character is Ghost. Ghost is in seventh grade and I think he is a good person but he sometimes makes dumb decisions. At the beginning of the book, all Ghost really wants is to be a basketball player but later in the book Ghost realized that all he really wanted was to do track. Ghost’s bad decisions get in the way of what he wants and likes to do. But Ghost helps his coach and becomes an overall better person to try and get back onto his track team. In the end, Ghost can finally do what he finds to be what he wanted the whole time. The book Ghost ends with Ghost about to start what could be a great future of doing what he loves. My favorite part of Ghost is when Ghost goes to the Chinese restaurant and he gets some nice food to eat and he brings it back to his mom to also have. I think it’s good because he does not just think of himself when he’s there, he also thinks of his mom. I also like this part because Ghost is open to everyone about his dad and feels good about it. He is also supportive of his teammates and his coach. This is why I think you would love the book Ghost. I would rate it a 10/10. But, so you know, there is a small cliffhanger but it’s still an extremely good book. You should read it today. Thanks for reading my review! ~London, 5th Grade Writer

In the book, Ghost, by Jason Reynolds, the main character is Ghost. Ghost wants some new shoes so he steals some. But the coach finds out and makes Ghost clean his messy car. I bet Ghost will never steal again! In the book Ghost, my favorite character was Ghost because after he stole the shoes he realized how grateful he was for everything. My favorite chapter is chapter ten. This is where Ghost has his first race day. I think this book is similar to Wonder, by R.J. Palacio because, in Wonder, August had to overcome challenges just like Ghost did. I would recommend this book to people who liked Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson. ~Genevieve Johnston, 5th Grade Writer

 

Bridge To Terabithia, by Katherine Patterson

I read the book Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Patterson. My opinion on it was good, but if you don’t like sad books then it would probably not be the best book for you. The main characters are Jess and Leslie who are both teenagers who go to the same school and happen to be neighbors. Jess really likes to run and draw and Leslie really likes to use her imagination. So when school starts, Jess is really excited because he thinks he will be the fastest kid in the 5th grade. But it turns out that Leslie is faster than him and she is the fastest kid in the 5th grade. So Jess and Leslie turn out to be really good friends. One day they find a rope that leads to this big, open field with a tree that has a treehouse in it which they name…Terabithia! Then a couple of months later after they had been going to Terabithia to hang out, there was a super unfortunate event that happened…you will have to read the book to see how the story ends. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes stories about friendship, or about people standing up for others, but I would not recommend this to people who do not enjoy sad things. This is a really good book and I hope that you make the right decision by reading Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson. ~Olivia, 5th Grade Writer

Have you ever read Bridge to Terabithia? If not, this writing will be great for you! In Bridge to Terabithia, the main character is an adventurous, speedy boy named Jesse Oliver Aarons, Jr. Jess is a school-aged boy who doesn’t have many friends, but soon makes a few. Jess wants people to think more of him because he feels lonely and his family doesn’t treat him with respect. Jess doesn’t feel accepted into his family. His siblings treat him poorly and his mom doesn’t care much. Jesse tries to solve that problem by distancing himself from his family but it ends up failing. Jess soon makes a loyal and kind friend named Leslie Burke. They hang out often and create a land from their imagination called Terabithia. Before you arrive fully into Terabithia, there is a river that Jess and Leslie almost struggle to get over. If you read this book, you will find out what happens next! My favorite part was when it was Christmas time and Jess got Leslie a dog for a present. Leslie named the dog Prince Terrarian, PT for short. This is my favorite part because I love dogs and Leslie and Jess treat PT so well. Bridge to Terabithia is one of my favorite books and I think it should be yours too! Bridge to Terabithia also has a movie! That is why Bridge to Terabithia is such a great book and movie to read and watch. ~Ally, 5th Grade Writer

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson is an amazing and exciting story. Jesse, “Jess” Aarons is the main character. He is a young artist and is always ready for adventure. He has no friends but he has a plan to become popular. He is going to win a race between many of the boys at his school. Jesse trains all summer, despite having to balance the chores on the family farm. Finally, though, the race day comes but there’s a new girl in town. Leslie Burke decides to join the boys’ race but is jeered at and excluded. Jesse, however, stands up for Leslie and Leslie participates in and wins the race. Despite Jesse having a slight grudge, they eventually become friends and together rule over an imaginary kingdom in the woods called Terabithia. Stay tuned and read the book for more! My favorite part of the book is an event in which there is much sorrow. Jesse is going through a terrible tragedy but although he is crushed, he stays strong. I love this part of the book because there is a moment of self-discovery for Jesse. He gains many good values and realizes why life matters. He learns that the impact people have are huge, and he starts trying to be a better person and make a good difference in somebody’s life. There are many books that are similar to this particular one, One that comes to mind is Wonder by R.J. Palacio. In Wonder, Auggie has a craniofacial disorder. People bully him, but he navigates through a friend’s betrayal and the daunting challenge of middle school, all the while finding joy around every corner. This is similar because both main characters are trying to find friends and learning important life lessons as well. If you like adventure and stories about friendship, this is the book for you. Jesse and Leslie will teach you what it means to be a friend and that no matter who you are, you matter. Bridge to Terabithia teaches important life lessons while being a fun kid adventure. Anyone will absolutely love this book. All in all, Bridge to Terabithia is a beautiful book that delves deep into the character and spirit of a human and teaches many wonderful ideas. ~Lucianna, 5th grade Writer

The book Bridge to Terabithia is written by Katherine Patterson. This book is about a fifth-grade boy named Jess Aarons who had a dream to be the fastest kid in his grade. Every single morning Jesse would get up early to practice running. After practicing, he would ride the bus to school and get ready for the recess race. Once it becomes recess, he would go to the field to line up for the race. He would run as fast as his legs could take him. On one mysterious day, a new kid joined his class. It was a girl. Her name was Leslie and she happened to be Jess’s next-door neighbor. When she came to recess she didn’t know that it was a boys-only race. She lined up for the race, ignored the boys yelling at her, and ran, ran, ran, ran. And then she won, beating every single boy including Jess. Over time, nobody wanted to run in the race anymore because they were sick and tired of Leslie beating them every time. Leslie and Jess also became friends, creating their secret, magical hideout called Terabithia. They had a rope to get to and from Terabithia and all. But one day, tragedy struck the queen of Terabithia, Leslie. After the tragedy happened, a new queen arrived, Maybelle. My favorite part about Bridge to Terabithia is when the book announced that Leslie died. I didn’t like that part because Leslie died. I liked it because it was interesting, made me curious, made me worry, made me wonder, and more. It was a very interesting end of the book with Jess running around the woods, him being mad, crying, thinking thoughts and so much more. It must have been so hard for him. I can’t even imagine what happened to Jesse’s friend happening to my friends. If you’ve ever read the book, Wonder, by R.J. Palacio, and you liked it, I bet you’ll like this book too. They are similar in a few different ways. August gets bullied and so do Jess and Leslie. If you read Bridge to Terabithia, I think you’ll like it because it’s dramatic, interesting, friendly, makes you curious, and tons more. I hope you like it! ~Lydia, 5th Grade Writer

 

Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbitt

Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbitt, is an amazing book full of adventure, magic, and fantasy. The main character is Winifred (Winnie) Foster, a ten-year-old girl who is kind and daring, she also does not like her strict family. She wishes her mother and grandmother were not so overprotective. Then she runs into the Tucks, a magical family who was blessed (or cursed) with immortality. A man is trying to sell the water that made the Tucks immortal! Winne tries to stop the man, but Mae, one of the Tucks, ends up in jail because she killed the man. Winnie, Jesse Tuck, Miles Tuck, and Mr. Tuck rescue Mae from jail. Then Mae, Jesse, Miles, and Mr. Tuck ride off into the rising sun. Winnie learns to love her family. My Book Group’s favorite character was Winnie. We liked her because she is kind, caring, and adventurous. The chapter my group liked was Chapter nineteen because it was the most exciting chapter. Some other books that are like Tuck Everlasting are Wonder by R.J. Palacio, the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling, and Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Patterson. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy, magic, and/or adventure, this book is perfect for them. ~ Delaney, 5th Grade Writer

I think Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt is a great book. The main character, Winnie wants to leave her home. So she runs deep into the forest. She finds these people called the Tucks: Mae, Jesse, Miles, and Tuck, but they aren’t normal. They have water that makes them immortal. They take Winnie to their home to tell her. But as they’re riding home, a man sees them with Winnie. He remembers that girl from somewhere so he tells the constable about what he saw. The man tries to search for the girl and finds her. He tries to take her home by force but she doesn’t want to leave. Mae Tuck gets mad at the man so she grabs her shotgun and just as the constable is walking by, Mae Tuck hits the man on the head. The constable has to bring Mae to jail and Winnie home. Then when Winnie got home Jesse tells her that they have a plan to get Mae out of jail. They head to the jail where Mae is. Miles takes off the barred window from Mae’s cell. After a while, the constable spots Winnie and brings her home. A while later she sees a toad and a dog chasing it. She picks up the toad and looks at the water Jesse gave her a while ago to make her immortal then she looks at the toad… My favorite part about this book is the epilogue. I can’t give it away but the Tucks look at how much Treegap changes. This book is similar to the novel, Eternal Life by Dora Horn. If you have read that book I totally recommend Tuck Everlasting. If you like books about exploration and fantasy you should try this book. ~Carson, 5th Grade Writer

 

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