Highlands Jr. School Library

HJ Student Book Reviews

Welcome to the HJ Student Book Review site where reviews are written for students, by students.

Love, Sara by Mary Beth Lundgren

Love, Sara is a sensational book about a teenage girl named Sara. Sara gets taken away from her family because they abuse both her and her little brother who is mentally ill. She was put in many foster homes during her childhood. She thinks she finally found her perfect family and doesn't want to mess that up by misbehaving. Everything is fine and she starts going to high school where she meets her best friend, Dulcie. Dulcie is also adopted, but she never had any problems with anything in her life, until now. After going to school a little while, Dulcie meets a football player named Jon. Dulcie starts spending more and more time with Jon and his popular friends. Sara doesn't really like Jon or all his popular friends. Sara has a lot of trouble accepting Jon and his friends because she feels that they are taking Dulcie away from her. Sara finally accepts Jon because Dulcie likes him so much. Time passes by and Dulcie falls in love with Jon. Jon and Dulcie start seeing each other and spending a lot of time together. Dulcie starts acting strange and doesn't really talk to Sara much anymore. When Dulcie finally talks to Sara she tells her that she is pregnant. Jon and Dulcie can't tell their parents and they don't know what to do with the baby. Do you want to know what they do? Well, I would tell you, but that will just spoil the surprise. To find out what happens, read Love, Sara. It's a great book! (Araceli)

Bottled Up by Jaye Murray

I think you should read Bottled Up because it's an awesome book to read. For me, it was an emotional book. I cried because Pip, the main character had a rough life. Pip was always getting high and into trouble. He had to go to the couselor because his principal tells him that if he doesn't go see her, he will call Pip's dad. Pip is afraid of his dad and freaks out, so he goes to see her. Pip has a younger brother and has to take him everywhere. Pip goes to see his new counselor and finds out that he has to take a drug test every week and three strikes and he's out. But for Pip, it is mandatory for him to attend or his principal will call his dad if he misses just one day. At last, his brother AKA Bugs looks up to Pip, so Pip tries being sober and drug free from now on. The summary of the book from me is okay, but it's even better if you read the book. Who knows, maybe you can even relate to the book. This book really touched me emotionally. (Sara)

Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Dairy Queen is a thrilling novel about a sixteen-year-old girl who has no choice but to work on her family's farm due to her father breaking his hip. DJ's failing English, working all day long in the heat, her younger brother doen't even talk to her. She hasn't spoken to her college-football-star brothers for six months, and on top of all that, Brian Nelson has come over from the Hawley football team to train with her. Training is only supposed to last a week but a week soon turns into two months. The two soon began to get close and things are starting to get said. DJ starts to consider trying out for the Red Bend football team, Hawley's arch rivals. Blindsighted, Brian finds out DJ's made the team. They don't speak to one another until the BIG Red-Bend verses Hawley football game. Who wins the game? Does DJ and Brian ever speak to each other? Does Curtis end up talking to DJ? Does DJ end up passing English? Read Dairy Queen to find out all of your answers. If you're into sports and romance, this book was meant for you to read. So far, Dairy Queen has been one of my favoritest books yet! Go Read, Read, Read! (Priya)

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

The Outsiders is about a boy named Ponyboy. He is 14 and in a gang called the Greasers. The Greasers are a rough gang in a small town. Their enemies are the Socs, the west side rich kids. The Socs always get what they want and don't get in trouble for anything, but the Greasers are always getting into trouble. Then the Greasers get into a fight with the Socs, they get blamed for it because of their looks. Ponyboy's parents died when he was a little kid, so his older brothers Darry and Soda take care of him. One day, Darry and Ponyboy got into an argument and Darry hit him, so Ponyboy ran away with his friend Johnny. They finally reached the park where the Greasers hang out and the Socs jump them. Two of the Socs were drowning Ponyboy, so Johnny tried to help him out and stabbed one of the Socs. Read The Outsiders to find out what happens to Ponyboy. (Brandon)

Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar

Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie is a story about Scott Hudson trying to survive his freshman year. When he finds out that his mom is pregnant, his life away from school becomes all the more stressful. A weird girl named Lee transfers to his school and leaves an awestruck cafeteria staring at the pins in her face and her short, green hair. Scott tries his best to ignore her, but he can't help it. His major crush, Julia, gets him into all kinds of situations and he ends up on the newspaper, stage crew and many other things just to get her attention. Scott and his "friends" may drift apart, but will he get it together to survive high school? Will the journal that he's writing high school tips in for his unborn sibling end up helping Scott make it? I would highly recommend this book to anyone needing help with all of those annoying literary terms in language arts! Lubar does an amazing job at using Scott's Honors English class to sneak in little writing tips and helpful hints to those that are struggling. If you watch carefully, he points everything out for you. (Alyssa)

Totally Joe by James Howe

Totally Joe is a book about a teenage boy figuring out who he is and finding out what his personality is. In the process of finding his personality, he gets teased for being who he is. He eventually finds out that he is different. What I mean by different, is well...gay! He and his friends (the group of 5, although there is only 4) learn how to defend and support each other. The purpose of the book is to show that you should be yourself and that if your friends are true, that they will defend you and if you are a true friend, you will defend them. James Howe is overall a good author and has also written a very good book called The Misfits. In other words read James Howe's book. You will get a lot out of them, I know I did! (Mary)

Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac

Code Talker is a great book, not just for people who like war. In the book, there are lots of other issues for example the main character is not respected because of his race. The book Code Talker has action throughout. He is recruited into and experiences life changing events. Once he goes back to the United States he finds out that they still treat him the same way even though he served for the United States. He decides that he will do the best that he can to continue their Navajo culture. Code Talker is a great book with exciting, funny and serious parts. (Kyle)

On an August day, about lunch time, a tornado hit Pete's family farm. As Pete and his family left the cellar, they found a doghouse they had never seen before. Amazingly, the doghouse still had a dog inside. Pete named the new found dog, Tornado. He wasn't just any dog. He could do card tricks. Read Tornado to find out just how special this dog is! (Melanie)

The Other Side of Dark by Joan Lowery Nixon

The Other Side of Dark is a really good book. The book contains excitement and intrigue. This girl named Stacy was in a coma for four years. She was at her house in the backyard when she saw the door swing open and at the door she saw a man holding a gun at her. While she was in the hospital, she kept on asking for her mom, but her mom was killed. While Stacy was in a coma, her oldest sister had got married. Well, Stacy was trying to get used to her new body, and was sent home. Stacy was very curious about that guy who killed her mom and shot them. Stacy was having flashbacks in her mind of what kept on happening. Everyday she would get a better and clearer picture of the man who shot her and her mom. As Stacy gets used to her new self, she gets asked out by this guy and she goes out with him, but the guy is very suspicious to her. Stacy thinks this could be the guy who killed her own mom. (Jessica)