Mini Book Reviews

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I don't know if I was too nostalgic after having graduated or for just having returned home, but this book surprised me and exceeded my expectations...and so I loved every minute of it. This book follows a completely storyline than Schmidt's "The Wednesday Wars" but does involve one of Wednesday War's small side characters (e.g., one of Holling's friends). If you are a fan of young adult fiction, I would highly recommend this book.

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Can you tell I'm reading all of Juliann's books from her children's literature class? I read this because I feel like everyone read this book years ago. I liked it, but I didn't love it. There wasn't enough resolution for me. There were some quality descriptions included throughout the narrative, but I feel like Spinelli spent enough time in the denouement portion and too much in the introductory portion.... Still, I'm glad I read it.

Where She Went by Gayle Forman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Forman's first novel "If I Stay" had me from the very beginning, and her second was much the same. Forman writing style is engaging and her storyline intriguing (albeit a bit salacious). I didn't love how Forman forced the ending to tie into the first book's storyline, but I did enjoy how she wrote the main characters' interactions and how she included their passions in their movements, their dialogue, their thoughts. Though it can't live up to "If I Stay", this book is worth reading.

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I don't know how it has taken me this long to read this book, but I'm glad I finally did. This really is a great book for boys, whether they are younger and reading with a parents or a little bit older and struggling readers.

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Again, I'm lost in the middle of Jewels' books and of course, had to read this book. I first read it in fifth grade and haven't picked it up since then. Hard to believe that was almost twenty years ago now, but I am so impressed by how well this book communicates profound ideas through simple, accessible language. Paterson crafted a beautiful story all those years ago, and I am not surprised at all that it is still one of the greatest books in children's literature.