Kids Books - Classics
Romeo and Juliet
By William Shakespeare
Two star-crossed lovers, divided by last name, united in love. There's no clear bad or good, right or wrong side in this play, just a couple trying their hardest to make it work. And, of course in cruel irony, they become the poster children for premature death. And, in between it all is a deep web of sociopolitics, timing, and motives. No wonder most high schoolers have read this in school, because it definitely teaches many lessons. This play is a bit hard to understand, due to it being written in the 1590's, so I would recommend it for an older age group. It also lightly touches on slightly mature themes. However, once you can understand the words of Shakespeare, it truly is a time-withstanding love story.
Mary Poppins Comes Back
By P L Travers
Another day, another adventure now begins again as Mary Poppins returns to care the Banks children. Michael, who is still a mischievous boy but growing up. Jane, a quiet but also little bit complaint girl, who's also growing up, maturing. The twins, who are rarely get mentioned, also starting to get little bit older but still in their infancy. Bert, a chimney cleaner now didn't get mentioned as lot as the first book but it's noticeable that Mary kind of have the thing for Bert but don't know for sure yet. Mary, the nanny, who's still little bit cranky and strict but the kids still respect her, even if they are afraid of her which means good thing....mostly! But overalls, I really enjoyed this book so far too! - Happy Reading!
Heidi
By Johanna Spyri
Warning! This review contains spoilers (not that it matters because there's absolutely no suspense in this book whatsoever). There's this little girl named Heidi, and both of her parents died when she was a baby. So went to go live with her aunt and her grandmother (on her mom's side). But then her grandmother dies. So, her aunt sends her to live with her grandfather (on her dad's side). Her grandfather lives in the mountains, and everyone who lives near him says he's really mean. But Heidi's aunt doesn't care and sends her to live with him anyway. Heidi then makes friends with a boy named Peter and his grandmother. After Heidi has lived with her grandfather for a few years, her aunt comes back. Then she basically takes her to live with some random rich people, so there daughter will have a companion. What I thought of it: This book was extremely boring. Heidi was an extremely irritating character. She basically prances around bringing joy and sunshine to everyone she comes in contact with for no apparent reason. It's like everyone loves her and no one knows why. Then, eventually, in addition to going around bringing joy to everyone, she starts going around and preaching to everyone. She's probably no more than 10 years old, and suddenly (after one talk with a girl's grandmamma) she knows everything about God. It's absolutely ridiculous. Also, she just magically learns how to read in two seconds. One minute she's completely illiterate, and the next, she's the world's best reader. What up with that? Not to mention the fact that she's a total jerk. Once some of her new friends come to visit her, she starts completely (and pretty much without a reason), ignoring her friend Peter. This causes Peter to become VERY angry. I mean some of his reactions were a bit extreme, but he definitely had a right to be mad. And Heidi just continues to prance around as if nothing has happened. I mean she never even addresses the fact that he's angry. Ever. But there was one thing that REALLY bothered me about this situation. When Heidi wanted Peter to do something, and he refused, she had the nerve to threaten him! And he listened! I really couldn't believe it. But for now, I'm going to take break from talking about Heidi, and talk about the other characters. Heidi's grandfather was completely inconsistent character. He was said to have been really mean, but he's never portrayed doing anything mean. As soon as Heidi shows up he pretty much welcomes her with open arms. Then when she leaves, he says he never wants to see her again. But then she comes back again, he's perfectly happy to see her. People are always saying how terrible he is, but we never see him do anything terrible. I mean the writer meant to write him as one of those "Don't judge a book by it's cover" character, but did a really bad job. I also didn't like the fact that Heidi's friend Klara just came to the mountains and magically got better. I mean the girl couldn't walk her entire life, and then she comes to the mountains and has the ability to walk by the end of the summer. Yet another unrealistic thing that happened in this book to add to the list. I could go on forever picking out the flaws in this book, but I think I'm going to go ahead and wrap this review up. I can't help but feel that this entire book was just completely dedicated to making Heidi seem like she was a perfect little angel, when in reality, she was a total brat. I mean they never addressed any of her flaws. But instead, they tried (and failed) to completely cover them all up. The morals of the story seemed to be: Trust in God and he will fix all your problems (which isn't a bad thing, but they could have portrayed that in a way that wasn't completely preachy. I mean they pretty much had the same conversation over and over with different people.), The mountains are a magical place and if you go there all your health issues will magically disappear, and Heidi is the best thing since sliced bread. You should love her with all her heart even though she doesn't really have any really good character traits. Overall, it was a very boring and preachy book, and I have no idea why this is a classic. On second thought, it being boring and preachy is probably the very reason it's a classic.
The Outsiders (M Books)
By S.E. Hinton
"Stay gold..." I read this when I was younger, but I never really understood it... due to the fact I read this book when I was in third grade, and I was too young to realize what it actually meant... I read this book earlier again during the summer... and wow... this book is really heartwarming... the book's setting is around the late 1960's and it starts off with the Socs short for Socials and the Greasers who are usually proud of their long mane while they grease it back... Meet Ponyboy Curtis, the protagonist of the story, yes... his name is actually Ponyboy and yes, you can check his birth certificate... and his two brothers' names are Darry who's twenty years old who support the gang and was a quarterback in his high school and his second oldest brother Sodapop, who is loved by the girls, is in a relationship with Sandy, and is a high school drop out, but works in an auto shop... (Don't you love how Ponyboy and Sodapop are very original names??? :D) Ponyboy's parents passed away in an auto accident, and they lived together with the gang ever since... Two-Bit is the oldest who is sarcastic, funny, but wise... then there's Steve who Ponyboys thinks that Steve does not like him and is Sodapop's best friend, also there's Dally who is the wildest, reckless of them all and has a soft spot for Johnny, and Johnny (the pet's gang)... he came from a rough background, getting bit by his father while his mother did not care... and Ponyboy and his brothers all make up this gang... or group... They are like brothers and they got each others back yo... I think some of their slang... kind of make me talk in slang...lol...but WARNING: There is slang in the book...it's not really that bad... to be honest... you can either tell what they are trying to say... because it's obvious or CONTEXT CLUES....Now back to the story there is another set of group called the Socs and they wear madras (kind of like plaid clothing) and ride Mustangs... they're more... I guess upper class than the Greasers... but the reason why they have this huge feud, because the Greasers thing the Socs are "living the life" while the Socs think the Greasers are having the dream life... which causes their resent towards each other... So one day Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dally end up going to a drive-in movie theater... and guess who's next to them???? I hoped you guess right... but two girls... who were Socs were next to them... Of course Dally being Dally... he was a jerk to them... and end up leaving the theater earlier... Cherry(because of her hair color...it's red) and Marcia (the Socs) end up talking to Ponyboy and Johnny.... Later on Two-Bit comes along and charms the girls.... but Ponyboy and Cherry had this huge discussion...they realize that the Greasers have emotions while Socs just fake their emotions... to the point they don't feel anything... but even though they "live in different worlds" they still watch the same sunset... which is the beginning of their friendship... One day... Bob (Cherry's boyfriend) and his friends jump on Ponyboy and Johnny (Johnny has this huge fear from the Socs because they once jumped on him... to the point Johnny could've been dead), where they try to drown Ponyboy, and the quiet, shy Johnny strikes back and stabs Bob, which causes the other Socs to run away and Ponyboy saved...but Johnny's action causes Ponyboy and Johnny to run away with the help of Dally, while the police is looking out for the murderer... So now what's going on(if you read it, you'll know the ending)???? Through this adventure you'll laugh, cry, smile, and feel different emotions.... because all of these events that happened are something we can all relate to.... This is what I really enjoyed from the author; you could feel the pure and raw emotions from this short story.... and that's what makes the whole story to be a memorable story we cannot forget. It's surprising even though this story was writhed around the 1960's, this author lived it, and we still have problems like this in this world... no lie... So I hope you read this sentimental, suspenseful adventure.... READ!!!!!
Very Hungry Caterpillar (The Very Hungry Caterpillar)
By Eric Carle
The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a classic children’s picture book by Eric Carle that tracks the life cycle of a caterpillar. It tells the story of a tiny caterpillar that hatches from an egg, eats his way through an increasing amount of food each day, and ultimately transforms into a beautiful butterfly.
Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire (Book 4)
By J.K. Rowling
It is the summer holidays and soon Harry Potter will be starting his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry is counting down the days; there are new spells to be learnt, more Quidditch to be played and the Hogwarts castle to continue exploring. But Harry needs to be careful – there are unexpected dangers lurking… I absolutely love the Harry Potter books and out of the seven I'd probably say that The Goblet of Fire is my favourite, and this is mostly down to the creatures and other wizarding students we meet in the novel. As a lover of Hogwarts it's interesting to know what other wizarding schools are like in the world of Harry Potter, and to explore further the seemingly endless list of creatures. I can never find a boring or uninteresting moment in The Goblet of Fire and I never get sick of reading it again and again as it's so easy to lose myself in Harry Potter with the astounding events and distinctive characters. I really like how Hermione Granger strives through in this book as not just a clever girl, but as a girl with passion and determination. I like her complex personality; normally she is typecasted into just being 'intelligent', but Hermione is shown with a more girly and emotive side in this book, giving her more depth than just being Harry's clever friend. She is well-rounded and is more accessible as a regular person (though a witch) with feelings and a personality. In this book we regularly come across Cedric Diggory, a Hufflepuff, who allows us to see the Hufflepuff house in more depth rather than just briefly touching upon it as it has been in other books. I like how we can see the fairness Cedric strives to uphold throughout this book, showing us the value of Hufflepuffs. Anyone who hasn't read up to The Goblet of Fire should definitely re-think that decision as this is the book where it all changes and it's then impossible to not continue reading the rest of the books. The Goblet of Fire definitely deserves a 5/5 in my opinion.
The Westing Game: The Deluxe Anniversary Edition
By Ellen Raskin
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin is a highly acclaimed, 1978 Newbery Medal-winning mystery for young readers, celebrated for its complex, fast-paced plot involving 16 heirs solving a puzzle to win a million-dollar fortune. It is widely praised for its clever wordplay, witty humor, and large, distinct cast of characters. The intricate, detail-heavy plot is often considered better suited for older middle-grade readers.
That Was Then, This is Now (M-Books)
By S.E. Hinton
Ironside
This book is one of teh worst books I have ever read, and I dont know why it was writen in the first place the dialog is dull and the reading level is far bellow what I would call middle school. The only reason a high school student would read this is the subject matter being to much for younger children.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Classics of Modern Literature) (The Classics of Modern Literature)
By Ken Kesey
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a famous Oscar-winning movie, but the book on which it was based is a very different work. The story is centered around the lasting power of one person’s actions on people around him, after his arrival at a psychiatric ward. This new patient is Radle McMurphy, a redheaded troublemaker who starts fights to get away from the work farm. He is markedly different from everyone else who has walked through the double doors. Chief Bromden is half-Indian and exceedingly large and strong. Rather than inspiring fear and respect, he is pretty much ignored by everyone around him because of the assumption that he is deaf and dumb—making him the perfect narrator. His narration (not dumb but articulate) is unique because the symbolism doesn’t stay confined to some incorporeal place that is hidden by the author; it makes its way into the real world as concrete hallucinations. This means his reasoning is sometimes twisted, also that the comparisons he makes are remarkably apt. This is the genius of the book, the main thing Kesey was angry at the filmmakers for changing. Bromden tells the story of how, over the course of several months, McMurphy tries to overturn the stifling order created by Nurse Ratched—a microcosm of the Combine, which in Bromden’s mind, is the oppressive force that has infected society and taken away individuality and even humanity. Both his actions and her reactions escalate as the book progresses. It is a battle of wills, but also between order and disorder. As for the actual reading experience, the development of themes and symbols is surprisingly straightforward once you get past the first part. The pacing is close to perfect after Part One. This book lacks traditional chapters; instead it is divided into parts, an approach that honestly makes a lot of sense. This is also not a straightforward hero story, as the costs of rebellion are clearly shown. I think knowing this information adds to the suspense of the book, so I won’t count this as a spoiler.
The BFG
By NA
Ho Hum.... What do we have here? The BFG by Roald Dahl is a classic for a reason. So, let's start shall we? I really loved this book. The characters are full of love and are just AMAZING. But.... there is still something going on here. Even though the story was amazing and such, I felt a tad-bit of randomness. Because of that it knocked off one star. Still four stars, nothing to worry about. Now, now , now.... let's talk about the main characters- The BFG and Sophie. Their friendship is adorable. I felt that this was a message to love someone in the inside not the outside. I know what you're thinking, just spill it out...... awwwwww❤️ Anyway, to wrap this whole thing up, The BFG by Roald Dahl is just plain AWESOME! And hey, 4 stars is not that bad.









