Book Reviews from Mrs. Moen and Her Awesome Students

	The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Survival/Adventure Author: Brian Selsnick
(533 Pages) Reviewer: Ethan F. (Mar 10, 2008)
Brian Selsnick says that his book"...is not exactly a novel, not quite a picture book, not really a graphic novel, or a flip book or a movie, but a combination of all of these." This 533 page book reads like the wind because it tells the story through illustrations and text of a young boy named Hugo Cabret who lives, works, and hides in the train station in Paris. Hugo does not know that his uncle has died, so Hugo works steathily making sure all of the clocks in the massive train station tell the correct time. There is also a mystery surrounding Hugo, the old man who runs the toy booth, and a mechanical man that Hugo desperately wishes to repair to discover its hidden message. The Invention of Hugo Cabret is a book everyone should read. It may represent the future of what many books will look like.
Thirteen Reasons Why
Realistic Fiction Author: Jay Asher
(288 Pages For Mature Readers) Reviewer: Mrs. Moen (Mar 09, 2008)
High school student Clay Jenson receives a box of casette tapes. On the tapes is the voice--and the story--of Hannah Baker, a girl who had committed suicide two weeks prior. As Clay listens to the tapes throughout the night and roams the city following the map that was mysteriously tucked into his locker, he discovers the thirteen reasons why Hannah could not and would not face life any longer. This wrenching story describes in part how a person's actions both significant or seemingly insignificant can affect the life of someone else. This is a Must Read for readers mature enough to understand and appreciate the author's rich message.
Gym Candy
Realistic Fiction Author: Carl Deuker
(320 Pages) Reviewer: Matt B. (Mar 07, 2008)
Carl Deuker has written some great sports stories including Heart of a Champion and Painting the Black. This sports story is also excellent. The main character, Mick Johnson, is a high school football player. Mick's father didn't have a successful NFL career, so he pushes Mick hard. So hard that Mick uses steriods or "gym candy" to get stronger and to play better. There's a lot of sports action and a good message about the dangers of using steroids.
Unwind
Fantasy/Science Fiction Author: Neal Shusterman
(352 Pages) Reviewer: Drew G. (Mar 07, 2008)
Unwind is an action book that makes you think. The story is set in the future where kids, at the age of thirteen can be taken to a place and go through a process called "unwinding," which really means that the kids'organs are harvested. The main characters are Connor, who is kind of a troublemaker, Risa, a girl who grew up in an orphanage, and Lev, who, for religious reasons, was born and grew up knowing he would be sent for unwinding on his thirteenth birthday. There is a lot of action in the story as the three characters accidentally meet and find an underground movement that helps kids marked for unwinding. The book is also suspenseful because Connor gets caught and enters the chamber for his unwinding. Then....you'll have to read the story to find out what happens.
Wicked Lovely
Fantasy/Science Fiction Author: Melissa Marr
(336 Pages) Reviewer: Caroline W. (Mar 07, 2008)
My teacher recommended this book because I liked Stephenie Meyer's books (Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse.) Wicked Lovely isn't about vampires and mortals, though, but it is about a girl being pursued by two very different guys, just like in Meyer's books. Instead of Bella, there is Aislinn. Instead of Edward, there is Keenan, the Summer King, and instead of Jacob, there is Seth.There is romance and even a mean Winter Queen who tries to stop Keenan, her son, from finding his true love. For me, the book started slow, but then it got a lot better, and I liked it--but not as much as the story of Edward, Bella, and Jacob!
Runner
Survival/Adventure Author: Carl Deuker
(224 Pages) Reviewer: Bryton M. (Mar 05, 2008)
Chance Tayor lives on a small sailboat in the Puget Sound area. His father is an alcoholic, and he and Chance don't have a lot of money. Chance "escapes" his life by going for long runs after school. One day a worker at the marina offers Chance some money to pick up packages while he's out running. At first, Chance thinks it's great to make easy money. Gradually, however, Chance begins to wonder if there is something illegal in the packages. You'll have to read Runner to find out exactly what's hidden in the packages.
Beastly
Fantasy/Science Fiction Author: Alex Flinn
(320 Pages) Reviewer: Aleesha C. (Mar 05, 2008)
Beastly is an interesting variation of Beauty and the Beast. Kyle Kingsbury has money, good looks, and a perfect life. He attends Tuttle, an elite private school in New York City, and his dad is a nightly news anchor. One night at a dance, Kyle makes fun of a girl who turns out to be an actual witch who turns Kyle into a monster with horrible fangs and claws. Kyle's dad tries to get Kyle medical help, but it doesn't work, so his dad makes Kyle live in another home. Kyle has a maid and a tutor who is blind. Kyle must break the curse by finding true love. When he does, not only does he help himself, he helps others as well.
Life on the Refrigerator Door: Notes Between a Mother and Daughter
Realistic Fiction Author: Alice Kuipers
(240 Pages) Reviewer: Miranda W. (Mar 05, 2008)
Although this book has 240 pages, I read it almost completely during my homeroom period. The story is about a single mom and her teenage daughter, Claire. Claire's mother is a very busy doctor, and Claire is a busy person herself. They communicate by writing notes to each other and putting them on the refrigerator door. The story is very realistic because people are busy, and they do write notes to each other. The book was easy to read, but be prepared for a sad ending.
Everlost
Fantasy/Science Fiction Author: Neal Shusterman
(320 Pages) Reviewer: Evan R. (Mar 13, 2007)
Everlost is an unpredictable story that keeps you guessing the entire time. The story is about Nick and Allie who die and end up in Everlost because they don't reach the "light at the end of the tunnel." Nick and Allie meet a lot of other kids who live in Everlost. One such person is Mary Hightower who lives with many other children in the "dead spot" where the twin towers once stood in New York. There's also a monster called McGill. If you want a book you can't put down, this is the book for you.
Band of Brothers
Survival/Adventure Author: Stephen E. Ambrose
(331 Pages) Reviewer: Clay F. (Mar 13, 2007)
Band of Brothers is about the 101st Airborne Screaming Eagles. The men of Easy Company jump onto Utah Beach on D-Day and continue their war campaign all the way to Hitler's Eagle's Nest. The story of these men and the battles they were in grabs hold of you and doesn't let you go until the very end.