This historical novel is based on the story of Phillis Wheatley, the first American negro poet. Rinaldi twists and bends the story every which way, which makes exciting turns for the reader. I found that the way the story progresses, made me curious to see what would happen next. Before Rinaldi explains the present actions, she tells what has lead up to the situation happening at the moment.
I was a bit disappointed with the ending, but that was part of her life, so instead I felt sorry for Phillis Wheatley.
I would rate this book a definite 10. It is a wonderful read for people who like either Ann Rinaldi, or historical fiction. In my opinion, this book is Ann Rinaldi's work at her best.

The Secret of Sarah Revere is a moving tale about the hardships that befall Sarah Revere (Paul Revere's daughter). When her father goes away, her stepmother stays with the family. Even though Sarah adores her, troubles and suspicions begin to rise between family and friends.
This book showed in detail the great amount of respect that Sarah has for her step-mother, and the variety of emotions one can have. I was intrigued with the book, and could not pull myself away from its pages.
I recommend this book to people who enjoy reading historical fiction. My reaction to the book was mostly positive except for the fact that I have read other books written by Ann Rinaldi and they have been better than this one. I recommend otherAnn Rinaldi books that I have read such as, Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons, and A Break with Charity.

This book is about underwater explorers who find a U.O (Unidentified Object) on the bottom of the ocean that holds a great secret. The action begins when they start getting messages from an entity, which is really a manifestation from somebody's mind. The entity starts to attack the explorers. Find out how they live through many of these underwater attacks in Sphere by Michael Crichton.
I give this action filled sci-fi book a big ten. Sphere is a book for those who like Science Fiction and can bear a little Scientific explaining with it. You will also like this if you like to think about the future, for it has a few parts that are pretty future relevant.

This book takes place in the Revolutionary War and it is about a boy named Tim and his brother. The brother, Sam, is a headstrong young man, who takes his father's Brown Bess (which is a musket) and goes off to war. One part of the book is when Tim and his father go into town to get some supplies and get jumped by Cowboys. The Cowboys knock out Tim's dad, but he is all right. So on their way back to the farm Tim's dad would ride up ahead and check to see if any bandits were coming. On one of these times he doesn't come back and when Tim gets home he finds out that the British captured his father, put him on a prison ship and he died of cholera.
I couldn't stop reading the book because I liked it so much and I recommend it to most readers.

reviewed by Jeff (gr 5)

My Brother Sam is Dead is a book about the Revolutionary War and Sam, who goes to join the American side. And then there is Tim, Sam's younger brother. Tim is confused through the whole story because his brother joins the American army and pressures him to join, too. The father is loyal to the British and Tim is torn between siding with his brother and obeying his father. I think that this story had a sad ending, because in the end Tim loses both his father and his brother.
I can tell you that this book is good - so good that it might even make you cry. It has a lot of twists and turns. I rate this book a 10.

Redwall is the first book that Brian Jaques wrote in his highly popular Redwall series.This book is about animals living within a society consisting mostly of mice who live in a fort like city with a wall around it. These mice and other animals try to defend the city from a gang of rats in the wilderness.

This book is good if you like to let your imagination run free through a fantasy world of talking animals. This book would get a definite 10 because of all of the adventurous journeys and action filled battles between the good and the bad.

In my Father's House is one of those great books you wish you would forget so you can read it all over again. However, this book is extremely hard to forget. It is about love, acceptance, compromise, death, and overcoming grief. The protagonist, Oscie Mason, is a lively, level-headed, hot-tempered young girl, sure to enchant just about anyone. Oscie's mother was widowed just before the American Civil War began. Oscie is overwhelmed with grief at the loss of her beloved father, but when her mother begins courting Will Mc Lean, an old family friend, Oscie's grief turns to rage. Will she ever learn to accept the man who has rudely intruded on their family and attempted to take the place of her father?
I think Ann Rinaldi did an excellent job of layering the plot, creating life-like characters with real emotions, and including lots of information about the Civil War. Out of all the books I have read by Rinaldi this was certainly my favorite. I recommend other books written by Rinaldi with enthusiasm to anyone who can appreciate a good story.

I love this book because it gives a neat perspective of what the future may be like. According to this book in the future there is no crime, no poverty, no sickness and no unemployment. I would not have chosen this way of living because in this society there are no feelings and there is no color. A boy named Jonas is chosen to be receiver of memories for the town and he is the only one who is allowed to feel pain, happiness, love and every other feeling that we have. This is a book about pain and suffering. This is a book about discovery and sorrow. But mostly this is a book about fullfillment and individuality.

This Lois Lowry book didn't have the most interesting cover but in this case looks are deceiving. In this Newberry Award winner Jonas, 12, lives in a "perfect" black and white Utopia with no crime, guilt, love or jealousy. Jonas hates this way of living but escape is impossible unless you are chosen to be the Giver who is the holder of all memories: pain, failure, life, colors, etc.
I rate this book a 10 for Lowry's passionate words and recommend it to people who are perfectionists, because it might change their way of thinking. They might realize, that "perfect" might not be so perfect.

This book is about a boy named Sam who finds a swan's nest near a bog. He can't wait to tell someone but who? When the swans hatch, one of them, named Louis, has a defect and Sam wants to help, but the only way to help fix it costs money, which he can't afford. Sam does find a way with a little help. It ends up they have to pay money and the swan Louis gets a job and becomes a big hero.
I chose this book because it was recommended by a lot of people and also I really like E.B. White as an author. I like the way E.B. White writes. You will never want to stop reading or to put the book down. He also really knows what he is doing by making you feel like you are watching the whole thing or you are one of the characters.
I would recommend this book to people who like animal stories and to people who love reading well written literature. I would rate this book a 10 on a 1 to 10 scale because I love the feeling you are being a the hero in the story or just being a part of the story.

Honestly and poetically written, Across Five Aprils is a rare and timeless literary treasure.. Though I will allow that the beginning is at times almost painfully slow, those who struggle past these first 40 pages are richly rewarded.
The book follows the life of Jethro Creighton, a farm boy in rural Illinois, as he matures from a pampered, protected nine-year-old to a wise, responsible young adult during the turmoil of the American Civil War.
Through informative conversations at home on the Creighton farm and haunting letters form Jethro's brothers on the battlefield, Hunt presents us with an intimate and authentic perspective of the life of civilians and soldiers during this tumultuous period in American history.
I whole-heartedly recommend this book to all historical fiction lovers. This book has become a contemporary classic for good reason.