Poached by Stuart Gibbs

Reviewed by Trisha

Kazoo the koala is missing, and all of the evidence is pointing to Teddy Fitzroy! Teddy must investigate himself to find out who has framed him and prove his innocence. Will he find out who has been causing all the mayhem or get sent off to juvenile hall?

In Poached by Stuart Gibbs, twelve year-old Teddy Fitzroy lives at FunJungle with his mom, a field biologist, and his dad, a professional photographer, who both work for FunJungle. When Kazoo the koala, FunJungle’s biggest attraction for a limited time, goes missing, all the evidence proves that Teddy is behind the crime. Teddy has a reputation for pulling pranks at FunJungle, so his parents’ jobs are threatened, unless Teddy stops investigating and getting himself into dangerous situations. Summer McCracken, daughter of J.J. McCracken, the owner of FunJungle, is friends with Teddy and encourages him to solve the crime. If security is not going to do it themselves, Summer and Teddy must investigate to find the real thief before Teddy is sent off to juvie.

This book was so humorous! When Teddy is disguised as an actor dressed in a FunJungle character costume so he can investigate without being interrogated, a security guard approaches him. At first, Teddy is worried that the security guard recognizes him somehow, but it turns out his koala head is on wrong. When the security guard becomes suspicious that Teddy is not responding, Teddy replies, “No hablo inglés,” hoping that the security guard does not recognize his voice. I like that there are a couple funny moments sprinkled throughout the fast paced, suspenseful tone of the book.

This book is also-action packed and filled with suspense. Teddy has many suspects in mind while investigating, so it was very suspenseful and surprising when he suddenly figures out who took part in the koala kidnapping somehow. I also like how Teddy remembers anything unusual that he sees, and he can piece the information together later on, to figure out how the koala crisis happened with everything he saw before. The final revelation of who the koala-napper is was a jaw-dropping part in the book, and I like how Teddy’s school and his parents all work together to overcome the kidnapper and save Kazoo.

I would rate this book a 10/10. This book is for people who like action, adventure, and mystery in one book. This book is part of a series, so you should read Stuart Gibbs' first book, Belly Up, before reading this one, so everything makes sense. Some of the other books in the series are Big Game, Panda-Monium, and Lion Down. You should check this book out at your local library or online and read it now!

Simon & Schuster, 329 pages

 

Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt

Reviewed by Ben

Think about this: It is 7:15 in the morning, on the first day of school, your little sisters are fussing around, the milk has curdled, the Jeep won’t start, it is raining cats and dogs outside, and on top that, a bowler-hatted English butler is at the door. Well, that is what it is like at the Jones household this morning.

Carter, the main character in the book Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt, is a normal teenager, until a butler named Mr. Bowles-Fitzpatrick, shows up. The butler stays, and helps the family for a long while. Along with that, the butler tries to make Carter a gentleman, which Carter is strongly opposed to. The story is mainly about Carter’s experience with the butler, and how the butler changes him.

This novel was very humorous! Almost every page will make you laugh, especially the conversations between the butler and Carter. An example of this occurs when an argument about cereal develops: “‘Just because they don’t have this type of cereal in Buckingham Palace doesn’t mean they’re uncivilized,” Carter says. “Yes, it does,” replies the butler. When I read this passage I burst out laughing, it was so funny.

Another reason I liked this book is because it feels like Carter is talking to you, instead of just saying his feelings. An example comes up when the butler makes Carter wake up early to walk the dog. Carter protests, saying that his sisters could walk the dog. But the butler tells him that girls can’t walk dogs when they have an older brother. Carter says it is illegal to think that anymore, but ends up reluctantly giving in: “That’s what Saturday mornings before cricket practices were like with the butler,” is what he tells you. This aspect of the story really immersed me into it and made me want to keep reading.

I would give this book a rating of a 9.5/10, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a medium-paced, humorous story. It is great for sitting on your couch and relaxing. You can find this book on Amazon for $8 (paperback) or $15 (hardcover). Hope you have fun reading this! 

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 217 pages

Tyrannosaurus Wrecks by Stuart Gibbs

Reviewed by Vihaan

“Someone stole my tyrannosaur,” Sage says to Teddy, his eyes red with tears. “Can you find it?” Teddy, the protagonist, agrees to take up the challenge. However, will he be able to defy all odds and find his friend’s dinosaur before it is too late?

Tyrannosaurus Wrecks by Stuart Gibbs is a mystery book based in southern Texas. The main character of the story is Teddy Fitzroy, a young boy who is an incredible detective. He lives in FunJungle, the biggest amusement park in America. One day, his friend Sage reveals that he had discovered a tyrannosaurus on his family ranch. However, it has been stolen, and he asked for Teddy’s help. Now Teddy has solved many mysteries before, but this one will put his skills to the test. Will he find the bandit? 

One of the reasons I liked this book is because it is written in a cheerful, easy to understand way. Even in the scenes with thieves, it isn’t scary. And it is also easy to read, without many hard words or confusing language. In this book, there is a scene where Teddy is running away from robbers and finds clues on the way. Instead of making it sound scary, the author added some jokes, like funny insults between the characters. In doing all of this, the author made the book fun to read.

I also liked the plot twists. Often what seems true, or at least obvious, at the beginning of the book ends up completely wrong. What makes it even more interesting is that the clues often lead back to characters we knew in the first place. My favorite part of the novel is when Teddy proves the police wrong. The police were convinced they were right and didn't investigate, but Teddy shows their conjecture was far from the truth.

I would rank this book a 9/10. It is one of my favorite books, but I would still like it if the mystery were a bit more complicated. I think this is best for 4th-7th graders who like comedies and mysteries. This book is the sixth book in the FunJungle series. I hope you enjoyed my book review, and remember to check out Tyrannosaurus Wrecks from your library!

Simon and Schuster Books, 368 pages

The Name of this Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch

Reviewed by Bahar

A magician has died from a mysterious fire, but the only person at the scene of the crime was the magician’s gardener. He says he smelled something funny—huevos podridos, rotten eggs. To find out who killed the magician and why, Cass and Max-Ernest have some clues: a strange notebook, a mysterious couple that seems to know a lot about the magician, several hundred kids who have a disease, synesthesia, and a humorous spa with a secret. All these clues connect in some way—but how?

The Name of this Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch was really fun to read. One reason is that the author has a great sense of humor. For example, in the middle of the book, Bosch writes: “I’ve come to my senses. Rather that continuing the adventures of our protagonists, I’m going to end this book here where we all assume that the heroes of this book are safe, but since you bribed me with a piece of chocolate, I have no choice but to continue.” That really cracked me up because usually in fiction books the author does not say anything from their own perspective. His humor made this novel the special one it is.

            I also loved the characters in the novel. They describe the details of their everyday lives and missions in such a lively, funny, and unique way that it felt like I was in the book with them. This is how Cassandra describes the situation at Max-Ernest’s house: “Max-Ernest’s parents have been divorced since he was a baby. But instead of moving to different houses, his parents drew a physical line down the middle of the house and neither parent is allowed to walk over the line or talk to the other. Only Max-Ernest can cross the line.” That is quite clever because I’ve never seen any family do that! It was smart of the author to make up such an entertaining description.

            I would give this story a 10/10 any day, because the unique style it has is unlike any book I’ve read before. Usually in a story there is one climax, but in this surprising novel there are at least 12 climaxes, and all of them have amazing outcomes. I would recommend The Name of this Book is Secret to kids who enjoy humor, mystery, and foreshadowing. Even if you don’t really like mystery, I would even recommend this hilarious tale to you because it is amazingly clever and funny!

Little Brown Books for Young Readers, 384 pages.

Chomp by Carl Hiaasen

Reviewed by Jacqueline

Have you ever watched a reality TV show and wondered if it was real or not?  In Chomp by Carl Hiaasen, Wahoo and his dad, Mickey Cray, an animal wrangler, are asked to help with handling the animals in Expedition Survival!, one of the most popular nature shows.  The only catch is that the star of the show, Derek Badger, only seems like a “tough, sun-tanned guy” on the screen!  He is actually an inexperienced, carefree actor who eats T-bone steaks and donuts at every meal!  Ever since Derek Badger started his show business, he has worked in artificial models of forests, lakes, and mountains, but this time, Mickey Cray’s perfect replica of the Everglades doesn’t work for him.  So, Derek Badger wants to take the “real” back into “reality” shows and film in the actual Everglades. 

The first reason why I loved this book is that the author created great characters.  My favorite one is Derek Badger, because all of his foolhardy actions make the story packed with humor. I enjoyed reading about him trying to open a snapping turtle’s mouth by poking it with a sharp stick, wrestling with a boa constrictor, and hugging an eight-foot-long alligator.  I laughed out loud when I read these scenes.

Another reason why I enjoyed reading Chomp was because of the suspense.  Derek Badger wants to film a show in the real Everglades, even though everyone except him knows he doesn’t stand a chance of surviving in the wild.  The possibility of him making a fatal mistake in the wilderness made me not want to put the book down.

I would rate this hilarious book a 10 out of 10 and would recommend it to people of all ages who like comedy and enjoy reading about nature.  This book is super amazing, and I really hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I did!

Ember, 290 Pages

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Babies, Burglars, and Other Bumps in the Night by Lenore Look

Reviewed by Chiling

Alvin Ho is a 7-year-old boy who is afraid of many things-- like moldy food, hairy ice cream, hairy ears, and full moons. He never speaks up in school, and he cries a lot. But right now, his worst problem is that HIS MOM IS GOING TO HAVE A BABY, and babies are just trouble to Alvin. This is because Scooter, one of his classmates, brings pictures of his baby brother during show-and-tell and complains how he cries all the time, wears a diaper, and smells bad. Now, Alvin Ho has to overcome his fear of babies and find a way to accept his new sibling.

One of the reasons I found Alvin Ho: Allergic to Babies, Burglars, and Other Bumps in the Night very enjoyable to read is that the personality traits of the characters in the book are very interesting. My favorite character in the book is Calvin, Alvin Ho’s older brother. When Calvin works on his “Rube Goldberg” machines, he remains in a calm, non-violent mood. Yet, when Calvin practices karate, it puts him in a mood to start kicking Alvin’s butt. So, I thought it was interesting that someone could have an easily changing mood. Lenore Look was very successful in bringing her characters to life.

Another reason why I fell in love with Alvin Ho: Allergic to Babies, Burglars, and Other Bumps in the Night is because it’s comical. An example when humor was present in the book was when Alvin thought that an ultrasound of the baby inside of his mom’s stomach were UFO landings. Also, Alvin says that if he concentrated really hard, all he would have seen would be an alien or two. The book’s humorous events make the readers want to keep on reading and experience the plot in the book.

I would rate it a 9/10 because the ending was really joyful and sweet. Even though it had some unanswered questions in the end, I would recommend this book to people who like humor and enjoy reading diaries of students. Also, you have to be okay with reading a lot of crying and whining if you read this book. Give this comical book a try!

Schwartz and Wade Books, 183 pgs.

Demon Dentist by David Walliams

Reviewed by Bella

Funny, intriguing, and shocking, Demon Dentist, by David Walliams has all of those characteristics in one fat book. It tells the story of a young boy named Alfie with a dad confined to a wheelchair who has not gone to the dentist for 6 years. Alfie is terribly afraid to go. Then, one day a new dentist (who makes all of the children call her "Mummy") comes to Alfie’s school and gives out non-sweetened candy and skin-burning toothpaste. Children all around town also have found disgusting things under their pillows instead of money once they lose their teeth. It is up to Alfie to reveal Mummy’s real identity to save the town.

The first reason I liked the book is because it was funny. For example, this is how Walliams describes the social worker in the story: ”Alfie looked out the window at the social worker, looking like a giant tropical fish.” The book even has a picture of her as a tropical fish! The way Walliams uses words and made-up words is why I enjoyed this book so much.

Another reason why I liked Demon Dentist is because I could feel every single emotion that each character felt. At the beginning of the story, the book absorbed me into a completely different world where all the characters live and thrive. For example, I laughed when Alfie was laughing or felt angry when he was angry.

 I would rate the book a 10 out of 10! If you like a funny, intriguing, and shocking book, I would highly recommend Demon Dentist by David Walliams. Now one last thing, head to the library and check out this book now!

Harper Collins Publishers, 430 pgs

Hoot by Carl Hiaason

Reviewed by Adam P

14-year-old Roy Eberhardt is new to Coconut Cove, and he is already getting bullied. As his face is smushed up against the school bus window, he sees a barefoot boy sprint past the bus stop. He has so many questions, but the running boy is already gone.

Hoot is a truly great read about a boy who saves burrowing owls’ homes from getting paved over for a new Pancake House, Mother Paula’s. At the future site of the Pancake House, the construction stakes are constantly being yanked up by someone. Does the running boy have anything to do with it?

The first reason why I liked this amazing work of realistic fiction is that the book gets you to think about the environment. In all of Hiaasen’s books, the antagonist is in some way harming the environment, and the protagonist tries to stop the antagonist from destroying the amazing features of our Earth.

Another reason why I loved this interesting book is that I really like animals, and the fact that the main character would do so much just for little owls is really cool. He investigates further and goes to the city hall. He searches and searches, but he cannot find the file showing paving over owls’ burrows is illegal. He later leads a protest to show Florida what the Pancake House is doing.

I would recommend this book and Hiaasen’s other books like Chomp, Scat, and Flush to anyone who loves mystery and adventure. I would rate this awesome novel a 10/10. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

Alfred A. Knopf Publishing, 292 pages

Pandamonium by Stuart Gibbs

Reviewed by Abby

Pandamonium by Stuart Gibbs is an marvelous book about a boy named Teddy, whose parents work at an animal park called FunJungle. J.J McCracken, the owner, decides to get a rare giant panda so that Funjungle would become more popular. Unfortunately, the panda and her doctor get stolen on the way to the park. Teddy is given the important job of solving the crime, but that all changes when the FBI shows up. They don't even let him into the crime scene and they refuse to listen to anything he says. Against the FBI’s rules, Teddy and his best friend Summer investigate the panda-napping crime.

One reason I enjoyed this book is because it was suspenseful. The author would solve one mystery but leave the others unsolved. For example, Teddy finds out who steals the panda but then still doesn’t figure out who secretly interacted with the dolphins, another species who live at FunJungle.

This book is also extremely humorous. At one time in the book, Teddy gets "pantsed" by Snickers, one of the dolphins in Funjungle. Snickers swims away with Teddy’s swim suit and does not give it back. Luckily for him, there are only two people watching him at the time. Unfortunately, one of them is his friend and the other is an dolphin instructor who he knows very well.

On a scale of 1 to 10 I would rate Pandamonium a 10 out of 10. I recommend this book to anyone who likes suspenseful mystery books. I would also recommend this to both girls and boys, because both genders would enjoy this amazing book. It was an awesome page turner that kept me on the edge of my seat!

Simon and Schuster Books, 336 pages

Ungifted by Gordon Korman

Reviewed by Arissa

        Donovan Curtis has been in huge trouble before, but never in all his years like this. Especially when it comes down to the superintendent's office. A small interruption may have the caused the whole gym to be wrecked with a big giant copper sphere, rolling downhill.

But when the superintendent makes a huge mistake, Donovan is sent off to Academy for Scholastic Distinction or the Gifted Program. It’s obvious that he is definitely not gifted, and along with that he has to deal with the all of weird family. But the kids at the school find he does have a gift, in another way that could the them experience an actual life.

Ungifted by Gordon Korman has an omniscient narrator which I really loved. I could see everyone’s view of Donovan getting into the gifted program. For instance, Chloe has a crush on him and he is normal, so therefore she has a softer feeling for him to be in the program. Whereas, Noah likes him because he has introduced him to YouTube.

Friendship played a big part in this book. For me, that was really important because it showed the bond between Donovan and the gifted kids, and how he really connected with them. It kind of made me think of different types of friendships, and how you could be yourself, no matter what. This book taught me what friendship really is.

I would rank this book a 10 out of 10, and I think this book is appropriate no matter what age, no matter what gender. Ungifted really shows that the kids who are reading the book are not the only people going through hard times in their life while still making them laugh out loud.

Scholastic Inc., 280

Twerp by Mark Goldblatt

Reviewed by Rigo

Julian Twerski, the fastest kid in P.S. 28, definitely does not want Danley Dimmel to get hurt. He also definitely is not a bad person. However, he still gets in trouble. A lot. He will, though, do anything to get out of writing about Shakespeare. So, after a weeklong suspension, his English teacher, Mr. Selkirk, has him write about all the bad deeds he has done, instead of writing about Shakespeare, who Julian dislikes. With this, Julian writes in a notebook about everything he has done.

Twerp by Mark Goldblatt is just a great book about wrong decisions, and one of many reasons why I like this book is that it is flat-out hilarious. I always knew something funny was going to happen soon, so I could never put this book down. Occasionally, I would fall off my exercise ball because I cracked up so hard. It was like there was a string of hysterical events that lead up to what happened to Danley Dimmel, the “big boom.”

To make it even more hilarious, Mark Goldblatt made this book seem like a movie with his crisp details. I could imagine everything he wrote and really soak up the plot. It was almost like I was in the moment, whether it was like a thousand pigeons flying around rocks, firecrackers, falling on poles, or hopping walls from town to town, I could see it all. Goldblatt really made this book enjoyable.

Twerp is just a great read, now one of my all-time favorite books, and I would definitely rate this a 10 out of 10. I would recommend Twerp for anyone who wants to read something for lots of laughs, an absorbing story, and overall a fantastic book. Also, there is a sequel in the Twerp series called Finding the Worm, another book that will crack anyone up and make them roll on the floor, crying with laughter. If you need a read to have some fun, read Twerp, by Mark Goldblatt!

Random House, Inc., 274 pages.

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

Reviewed by Aline

What do you think it would feel like to be stranded on an island, all alone, knowing nothing of the world around you?   

When Roz the robot, in The Wild Robot by Peter Brown, opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is stranded on a remote island, all alone. She is welcomed by a vicious bear attack, and has to learn about the nature around her and how to survive. After all of this, she still tries to befriend all the unwelcoming animals on the island. Right as everything seems perfect and the island is starting to feel like home to Roz, cruel robots hunt her down and try to forcefully take her off the island. Will they succeed? Will Roz be relocated? Read the book to find out!

One reason why I really enjoyed this book is because it is heartwarming. Roz is so kind that she goes out of her way to help and befriend the inhabitants of the island. For example, when Roz accidentally creates a mini-rockslide on a family of geese, she immediately climbs down to help them, finding them all dead. Under some rubble, she finds one surviving egg, just about ready to hatch. Without hesitating, she picks up the fragile egg and carries it away from the scene, trying to find a safe place to raise it. This scene shows how kind Roz is, because she could have left the orphan gosling there or given it to another goose, but instead decides to raise it herself.

I also really enjoyed The Wild Robot because the Peter Brown describes everything so well that you feel like you are the protagonist, Roz. As I read The Wild Robot I felt all the emotions that Roz felt. When she accidentally kills the geese, I was filled with dread; while when she raises the orphan goose, I felt uncertain of how it would turn out, but also confident that if anyone was to raise this gosling (besides other geese), the best person for the job would be Roz.

When I read this book I was sucked into it, finding myself in its setting and in the mind of Roz the robot. I really enjoyed this book and would rate it a 10 out of 10. Since this book does not contain high vocabulary and is not challenging in any way, it can appeal to readers of all ages. Though it is not challenging, it is thrilling and heartwarming. If you ever find yourself with nothing to read, unsure of what to do, check out this book and give it a try! I am sure you will not be able to put it down.

Little Brown Books for Young Readers, 279 pages