There are no words. It is that good.

I enjoyed this "ghost" story. At times I found myself skimming through the paragraphs with minor details, looking for the more adventurous parts. Holly Black does a great job of capturing the feelings of kids growing up in their teen years - leaving playing behind and trying to be "cool".

This is one of my favorite books to share with my students. They always think that autobiographies are boring, but then they read this. They are amazed by what happened to people during World War II and Ruth Sender does a great job describing her ordeal - both before, during, and after the war. The information about the Holocaust that is provided with this book is invaluable to our students.

Seeing life from the perspective of someone who has amazing insight to who people really are is amazing! I really enjoyed this book. Melody's story is one that truly needed telling. I think I felt every emotion as I was reading, happy, sad/tearful, angry, frustrated, even embarrassed. One I'm considering to share with my students in the fall - just not sure how (read aloud, audiobook, or individually).

There are no right words for this book. It's a story that you know what will probably happen, but you take the journey anyways. It's a journey that you will never forget.

This book is one that makes you think, laugh, and cry, and that's all a good thing. Nick is a typical 15 yr old boy in a small town. Life is same old same old, until you keep reading his story. Gae does a wonderful job pulling the reader in, keeping them reading, and wanting more. The shorter chapter length makes you feel like you are flying through the book. Before you know it, you are at the end of the story and wishing there was more.

This book is a great quick read. Similar to Diary of a Wimpy Kid - the graphics/cartoon drawings in it are a big attraction to my 5th grade boys. This book has already seen many hands in my classroom and they requested I buy book 2! That's always a positive in my room.

This seems to be the final telling of Ruth's story, although I know her life goes much further than this book. The Holocaust Lady takes the reader through Sender's experiences once she is in America, how her life and family develop and survive.

This comes across as a very personal story about best friends. Sometimes friendships are good for you while others seem to be toxic. The story of Laine and Leah is one that I am sure many teens can relate to and hopefully learn from.

If you want a mystery for kids, this is it! Perfect for grades 4 and up, both boys and girls. Kittscher does a wonderful job twisting and turning the mystery and suspense through the entire story. It's a fun and lively book and one that I will be sharing with my students. Grace and Sophie are best friends, and spies. Their normal quiet neighborhood is turned into a den for suspects as they go out searching for criminals. Their "normal" nightly routine of spying on their neighbors turns scarily interesting when they spy Sophie's guidance counselor, Dr. A, raising a cleaver, yelling into a phone about ripping someone's throat out, and covered in red liquid. Scared, they call they cops and the story goes from there. Don't want to reveal too much, but perception and inferring are running rampant in this great middle grade read! Don't miss out!

This story starts off with a lot of set-up and for me that was a tad frustrating (which is why I only give it 4 stars). I knew that the story would take off once the action started happening, and it did. I love the characters, Clara, Lizzie Rose, and Parsefall. Each one has their own story and they are told beautifully throughout the main story of the kidnapping. It's a great story about being true to yourself and not getting stuck on your worries from the past. Very good book for both boys and girls - I would say from grades 5 and up.

This book is a great modern way of telling Tuck Everlasting. It is filled with adventure, mystery, and flashbacks to 1908 and 1909. Children who want to be explorers, find what they are good at, and solve problems. Each major character finds out something important about themselves. It's a great book to teach themes, traits, and even explorers. Definitely worth reading over and over again.

I had avoiding reading this book, so I made sure to choose it for my children’s lit class. I have heard wonderful things about The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, but for whatever reason, the story line had not appealed to me. I am not one who typically enjoys books told through animal points of view, but I have to say that this one is wonderfully done. A mix of truth and fiction, with a full dose of emotion, Ivan’s story is one that is easily shared with any student and adult. I would say this would make a great read aloud for grades 2 & 3 and one for anyone to read on their own from grades 4 and up. Ivan’s story, along with Stella, Ruby and Bob’s, are all told in short simply written, yet still complex phrases. It draws you in because who truly doesn’t love animals. It draws you in because who hasn’t felt trapped at some point, looking for a way out, to be with those who you feel are just like you. I can easily see how this one won the Newbery. Beautifully done Ms. Applegate!

A great book to be part of the Middle School series. I bought the first book in the series for my classroom and it became a big hit. I know that this one will join it and be a very checked out book. Boys will definitely like it, even though this one is told from Rafe's sisters point of view. It even has a twist at the end that was unexpected but a good addition to the story.

For a graphic novel, comic book, version of this story it is well done. I think I prefer the actual novel version but that's just me. For those that want to get a quicker version of a great story, this would be the way to go.

Such a fun story!

Hard time keeping my attention on this book.

Illustrations were a big part to this book. Hidden meanings with the images. Hughes was a wonderful poet. This will be one I will be sharing with my students.

After seeing some less than positive reviews on here, I was doubtful about this book. I'm glad I read it anyways! WOW! I am putting book 2 on my list of to read. Riggs does a great job of mixing reality with magical. The mystery, adventure, creepiness, magical elements all rolled up into one amazing story. Jacob has always heard stories from his grandpa about some magical island that he used to live on during WWII, but as Jacob got older, he dismissed his grandpa's stories as just that - stories. Well, after some major events, Jacob goes on an adventure he will not soon forget. An absolute must read! Great for grades 4 and up!

Cute and funny. Love the lesser known facts about each of our 43 presidents. Each poem is based on truth and that is shared at the bottom of the president's page. You also get their nickname, their quote, and a famous first....This will be shared with my students.

A fun way (and a bit kid gory at times) to read about fairy tales - well, Grimm fairy tales. I love the narrator jumping in the story to have a quick conversation with the reader every so often. Made me chuckle.

It made me think of my own classroom, my own students, my own goals. That is the kind of book teachers need to read. One that will make them think, adjust, grow. This book does just that.

Spies, bombs, war, racing to be the first. Told in a narrative style that makes you want to keep reading.

I enjoy learning more and more about Lincoln and all that went into his life and death. This book was well written, easy to follow, and is a huge hit with my 5th graders every year. I had to buy more copies for my room because it was always checked out!

This book continues Ruth's life after she is liberated from the concentration camp. Again, Sender does a wonderful describing what she goes through and you truly feel that you are experiencing it all with her and cheering her on.

Definitely not my favorite style of reading, but my students read it so I wanted to see what the hype was all about. Again, not my cup of tea, but if it gets them to start reading - you've got to start them somewhere.

Great fun. The star spangled banner is stolen and three unlikely friends try to figure out the thief. A book ghat makes you want to keep reading with shorter chapters and lots of suspense. Great for read aloud. Grades 4 and up.

I know that everyone really enjoyed this book. It's not that I didn't, I just wasn't completely pulled in right away. Maybe I just didn't relax into the book, or maybe I was looking for something special to happen just like Ruby was throughout the book. Sometimes the "something special" or the wish you have, comes true without you even realizing it. Sometimes it is just simply there. I could relate a lot with Ruby, wanting everything to be perfect, doing what you're told, saying what you should say, etc. - but wishing you could "fix" certain moments and hope that everything lines up the exact right way for it all to work and the wish to come true. This is definitely a book that will stick with me and will turn over and over in my mind. I guess that's what makes it great.

Such a sad book but one I think people need to read. It's upsetting to know that people sell their children to the sex trade in India in order to have money to survive. Not sure if I would share this book at the elementary level but definitely middle and high school. Adults needs to read this too.

I liked this book and it's insight into a child's stuttering issues. It was very real and made me understand what some of my past students must have felt like. The reason I only rated it 3 stars was that I just couldn't get very into the story. It just seemed a bit slow for me. It is a good book though and one I want a copy of for my classroom.