The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba is an inspiring book narrated by William Kamkwamba himself. I was questioning whether to read this book or not because it sounded a bit boring. I was delighted to find, though, that it was far from dull. This book is about Kamkwamba creating a way to generate electricity, but that part in the book is way less than half of it. I learned about a new culture and enjoyed the African folk tales. Kamkwamba also focused on his life in famine. I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to my peers.

What I loved most about The Fault in Our Stars is the subject of unconditional love, friendship and the joy of living which is quite something given that the heroes are teenagers who have terminal cancer. The Fault in Our Stars is a beautiful and uplifting book, yet very sad because it touches on the realities of pain and death. With that, it also brought a bit of humor in some scenes. This book is so well written and really takes you on a journey with the characters where you feel an actual connection with them. I loved all the characters and how John Green portrayed them. There were sensitive scenes in The Fault in Our Stars that could be triggering to some readers. Overall, I loved this book and will definitely be recommending it to older readers.

I gave Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys five out of five stars. It was a sad book with a very important story. We are just getting into Stalin's reign in history, so I'm not sure what we will learn. We usually don't learn the "personal" stories of people during the time of an event. I'm glad I read this book because I now know what it was actually like from a first person view. This book is fiction but it still depicts the true terror of what happened to two million innocent people . Between Shades of Gray was a very educational book as well. I would definitely recommend this book to my peers.

I gave Facing Frederick four stars out of five. This historic biography about Frederick Douglass' life was very interesting because it was so detailed. I didn't give this book all five stars because it sometimes focused on events that weren't as important others and got kind of boring. This book also gave so many facts but they weren't in chronological order. I'm still kind of confused on the order of events. I had an idea of the impact Frederick Douglass made on American history but this book truly explains it all. Not only does it focus on the jobs Douglass had but focuses on his personal life as well. I would definitely recommend this book to someone who's researching Frederick Douglass or the abolition of slavery. Overall, I'm glad I read this book.

I gave The War I Finally Won all five stars. The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley is a sequel to The War that Saved My Life. I loved both books. The War I finally won focused a little more on Ada's life rather than the historical event at the time, World War I. This kept the book different than other books because Ada's life is so different from others. The War I Finally Won was very detailed. From smells, to scenery, it all felt real. I would definitely recommend this book to my peers.

I thought Schooled was an entertaining read that's why I gave it three and a half stars. I didn't give it all five stars because it had a predictable plot. It was also very stereotypical and similar to other books I have read. I liked how Gordon Korman showed how being different can be a good thing, and can be a bad thing. Schooled could be funny at parts and other parts I almost felt bad for Cap because he was being picked on. I don't think I would recommend this book to my peers.

I’m giving Summerlost by Ally Condie four and a half stars out of five. I think the author did a good job of describing and giving a personality to each character. I could connect some of the characters in the book to some of my classmates at school. I didn’t give the full five stars because I thought the plot was really random. I didn’t realize how random the book was until I actually had to go through it in my head to write this review. Overall, this book was well-written, unique, and straightforward.

Becoming by Michelle Obama is a empowering autobiography that details how she became who she is today. I gave this book all five stars because she really told her story. Some parts were relatable, other parts that I couldn't relate to I understood because of the way they were described. I learned so much about Michelle Robinson Obama. I could imagine what her life was like when she was ten living in a crowded apartment, to when she was First Lady of the United States living in the White House.

Witches! is a very educational book. I find that a lot of books about true history are boring. Witches! was definitely not boring. The exact opposite of boring. I learned new facts about the Salem Witch Trials. I was also able to understand some of the 'witch stories' from my previous knowledge. This book by Rosalyn Schanzer went into the details of a few Witch Trial events. I would recommend this nonfiction book to higher elementary and middle school students.

I gave Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott, five stars because it was a captivating book. Five Feet apart was a great book, funny at parts, but heartbreaking at others. The words the author used to describe some events made it seem very real. I think this is why the book was very sad. It almost felt like I could be in that situation. I would recommend this book to more mature readers. If a younger reader were to read this I don't think they could understand different events and how severe they really are as well as a middle or high school student would understand. Five Feet Apart is worth the read and all five stars.