Book Reviews by Kids - November 2003

Matilda Bone

by Karen Cushman

Matilda is a young girl in the middle ages. She has lived her whole life with the priest, Father Leufredus, and learned much about religion. Then she is sent to be an apprentice to Red Peg, the bone setter, in Blood and Bore Alley. Matilda is shocked at the people in the city. Their thinking is so different than Father Leufredus. But as she spends more time with them she realizes maybe it's okay to think differently and be yourself

This book is great. It shows really well how Matilda journeys from her old ways, to having her own opinion and being her own person. There are many interesting, developed characters, and the setting is fun.

Reviewed by Princess Toenails - age 13

The Alliance

by Gerald N. Lund

It is sixteen years after civilization as we know it. The war of termination is over and there are only a few small cities remaining. But one day in a  peaceful valley a young man named Eric and his village are visited by men from the Alliance of four cities. They're taken to the main city and all except Eric are implanted with little chips acting as a self-discipline device. At first it seems like a good idea, but soon Eric realizes that he almost can't make his own decisions because if he even thinks bad thoughts the chip sends pain through the entire body. Eric knows he must stop the implantations and remove other people's implantations even though it's nearly impossible to do so. 

This is a great book with an exciting combination of mystery and science fiction and is extremely hard to put down while keeping you on the edge of your seat.

Reviewed by Dude Man - Age 11

The Fairy's Return

by Gail Carson Levine

This guy named Robin, he wanted to marry this girl named Lark. She wants to marry him too. It's funny in this one part when these goose feathers make everybody stick together. I also like when the fairy makes Robin's brothers chop down trees. They're the best choppers in the family. It's a really funny book. If you like fairy tales you should read this book

Reviewed by Peach - Age 8

There's a Zoo in Room 22

by Judy Sierra and illustrated by Barney Saltzberg

One day the class says, "Can we have a zoo?" The teacher said you for. For the letter A it is a snake called anaconda. It's an ABC zoo. For every letter there was an animal. When they used the monkey as a pillow it made me laugh. I also liked it when they used Beetle Bill as a pencil sharpener.

Reviewed by Sports Guy - Age 6