Along with the other teachers in our Newbery Book Club, I am focusing on books preparing for the club. These two are on our list.
Genre: Science Fiction
AR level: 6.0
Grade appropriate: 5th and up
Clever and witty! But probably a bit too mature for most elementary kids.
RATING BREAKDOWN:
Overall: 5/5-- I thouroughly enjoyed this book. But I am going to require the kids in our book club to have parent permission to read it. It's going to take a mature elementary school student to be able to handle it. It's a perfect middle school book.
Creativity: 5/5-- inventions left behind by Nikola Tesla that cause the near apocalypse? Creative.
Characters: 5/5-- loved the characters. Quirky, funny, & real
Engrossing: 5/5-- It’s magnetic! I could not put it down.
Writing: 5/5-- Most of the time if the writing and phrasing is not noticeable, I call it a win. If the author can tell a wonderful story and not get caught up in the language that’s a plus. But this book had such wittiness! It reminded me of a well-done adult book. “After a change in barometric pressure that fogged all the windows of her house, the sky let forth with the kind of psychotic determination that made people build arks.”
Appeal to kids: 5/5-- middle school
Appropriate length to tell the story: 5/5
CONTENT:
Language: mild-- “Hell breaks loose in a variety of ways.” “God!” "Hellish reality" without tv.
Sexuality: mild--kissing, talking about wanting to make-out, boxers that say "This package is explosive!"
Some innuendo that most elementary students will not catch, almost like a kids movie with adult content hidden in.
Violence: none-- The Accelerati (bad guys) kill someone (off scene) for talking to the kids and the kids “reanimate” him to learn what information he had.
Drugs/Alcohol: none
AR level: 6.0
Grade appropriate: 5th and up
Clever and witty! But probably a bit too mature for most elementary kids.
RATING BREAKDOWN:
Overall: 5/5-- I thouroughly enjoyed this book. But I am going to require the kids in our book club to have parent permission to read it. It's going to take a mature elementary school student to be able to handle it. It's a perfect middle school book.
Creativity: 5/5-- inventions left behind by Nikola Tesla that cause the near apocalypse? Creative.
Characters: 5/5-- loved the characters. Quirky, funny, & real
Engrossing: 5/5-- It’s magnetic! I could not put it down.
Writing: 5/5-- Most of the time if the writing and phrasing is not noticeable, I call it a win. If the author can tell a wonderful story and not get caught up in the language that’s a plus. But this book had such wittiness! It reminded me of a well-done adult book. “After a change in barometric pressure that fogged all the windows of her house, the sky let forth with the kind of psychotic determination that made people build arks.”
Appeal to kids: 5/5-- middle school
Appropriate length to tell the story: 5/5
CONTENT:
Language: mild-- “Hell breaks loose in a variety of ways.” “God!” "Hellish reality" without tv.
Sexuality: mild--kissing, talking about wanting to make-out, boxers that say "This package is explosive!"
Some innuendo that most elementary students will not catch, almost like a kids movie with adult content hidden in.
Violence: none-- The Accelerati (bad guys) kill someone (off scene) for talking to the kids and the kids “reanimate” him to learn what information he had.
Drugs/Alcohol: none
~~~
Genre: realistic
AR level: 5.3Grade appropriate: 4th & up
RATING BREAKDOWN:
Overall: 4/5-- sweet book that deals with real life problems that kids face all the time.
Creativity:3/5-- a lot like other middle grade novels about kids from low income families
Characters: 5/5-- likeable, realistic characters
Engrossing:3/5-- this book didn't suck me in like I hoped it would
Writing:4/5
Appeal to kids:4/5-- I just don't know yet...
Appropriate length to tell the story: 5/5-- easy read
CONTENT:
Language: none
Sexuality:mild-- a character draws bras on magazine covers, Star's teenage sister gets pregnant
Violence:mild-- Star gets into a food fight, one of her friend punches people (he has issues)
Drugs/Alcohol: none-- but girls at school tell Star that only drug addicts live in the trailer park
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