new posts in all blogs
Viewing: Blog Posts Tagged with: pre-teen, Most Recent at Top [Help]
Results 1 - 8 of 8
How to use this Page
You are viewing the most recent posts tagged with the words: pre-teen in the JacketFlap blog reader. What is a tag? Think of a tag as a keyword or category label. Tags can both help you find posts on JacketFlap.com as well as provide an easy way for you to "remember" and classify posts for later recall. Try adding a tag yourself by clicking "Add a tag" below a post's header. Scroll down through the list of Recent Posts in the left column and click on a post title that sounds interesting. You can view all posts from a specific blog by clicking the Blog name in the right column, or you can click a 'More Posts from this Blog' link in any individual post.
On the morning of Barbed Wire Sunday, the people of East Berlin woke up to the sound of sirens. Investigating, they found that the government had found a way to stop them from leaving: the Berlin Wall. It was a great fence separating East Berlin from West Berlin. The two parts of Germany had been on tight terms for a while, and rumors of a third world war were plentiful.
The one hundred yards of smooth dirt leading up to the wall was called the "Death Strip." And the fence slowly evolved over the years into a 11.8 foot cement wall. Guardtowers were set on top, where soldiers would point their guns at anyone trying to escape East Berlin.
For twelve year-old Gerta, the rise of the Berlin Wall takes something more than freedom from her. A couple of days before Barbed Wire Sunday, her father and brother had traveled into West Berlin. The fence had split her family into two parts just like Germany.
Gerta knows she must take her remaining family members in the East to meet her family members in the West. But escaping isn't easy, and getting caught means death.
The German police threaten Gerta's family often, but the violence is minimal up until the end. I recommend it for 11+.
By: Grace,
on 3/15/2016
Blog:
HOMESPUN LIGHT
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
magic,
creativity,
book review,
fantasy,
middle school,
tween,
teen,
dystopian,
Lisa McMann,
pre-teen,
Add a tag
The Unwanteds By Lisa McMann In the world of Quill, creativity is bad. It counts as an infraction, and on the day of the Purge, every thirteen year-old is put into three categories: Wanted, Necessary, or Unwanted. Wanteds are honored, Necessaries become slaves, and Unwanteds are sent to their deaths.When Alex Stowe is sent to the Death Farm after the Purge, he discovers that being Unwanted doesn't bring death... it brings the discovery of a whole new world called Artime.
In Artime, creativity is allowed. Even encouraged. The wild-haired leader, Mr. Today, helps each artistic Unwanted learn that they can hold their title like a badge. Because in Artime, creativity is a magical gift... and a weapon.
It's the first book in the Unwanted Series, and I am so excited for the last one to come out in April! If you like dystopian novels and magic, then you should totally try this book out!
-Grace
Beyond Foo, Book 1: Geth and the Return of the Lithens by Obert Skye
Review by Bubs, Age 9 (who is apparently picking up on Daddy's sales skills.)
Join Geth and Clover on an exciting adventure in the hidden border of Foo.
Geth and Clover, in search of adventure discover a secret passageway to another realm. They soon learn that the realm is controlled by an evil man named Payt. Geth also discovers that his thought-to-be-dead brother is in Payt's dungeons.
As the two set out on a rescue mission for both Geth's brother and the realm, their very lives are in fate's hands.
I liked this book because of the good humor and awesome action. Obert Skye has a great sense of creativity too, creating a wonderful story.
This book is a middle-grade fantasy.
The Girl Who Could Fly
by Victoria Forester
Piper McCloud is learning to fly. She has been able to float since she was a baby, but "flying doesn't come easy, even if you're a natural-born floater. Raw talent only gets you so far in this old world and the rest is a whole lot of practice, persistence, and perspiration."
The townspeople of Lowland County aren't too fond of Piper's new skill. Like Piper's mother, Betty, they believe that "If the good Lord wanted things to keep changing all the time, the the sun wouldn't rise up the same way every blessed morning."
Despite her parents wishes, Piper can't stay on the ground. She loves to fly. She was born to fly.
Government officials, Agent A. Agent and Letitia Hellion, come to take her away. They pretend there is a school for special people like Piper, called I.N.S.A.N.E. Unfortunately, the 'school' isn't all it's cracked up to be. It's all about making people (and other organisms) normal.
During her adventures, Piper learns a thing or two. She makes friends for the first time, learns to appreciate her parents, and chooses to fly no matter who is trying to hold her down. Most importantly, she discovers where she belongs. After all, "A person likes to feel like they belong somewhere."
This was an entertaining read, full of interesting insights and metaphors. I recommend it for teens and pre-teens. Toward the end, the 'dang' word is used twice. Other than that, I believe the book was completely clean.
On the cover, Stephenie Meyer is quoted saying, "It's the oddest/sweetest mix of Little House on the Prairie and X-Men. I was smiling the whole time (except for the part where I cried)....Prepare to have your heart warmed." This quote gave Robby endless amounts of amusement...asking if I was enjoying X-Men on the Prairie...and yes, as a matter of fact, I was.
By: Homespun Emily,
on 11/4/2010
Blog:
HOMESPUN LIGHT
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
romance,
homeschool,
coming of age,
teen,
pre-teen,
book review,
classic,
review by Emily,
TJED,
Add a tag
Isn't Anne of Green Gables a perfect classic? We just finished listening to it.
Poor Anne has had a difficult life, moving from one house to another, always taking care of children, and then ending up in an orphanage. Although she doesn't pity herself, she longs for a home (with a large scope for imagination, of course).
Finally, someone wants to adopt her, and her little heart can hardly dare to hope it will work out. She almost falls apart when she discovers that Mathew and Marilla of Green Gables meant to adopt a boy and intend to send her back.
But who can resist Anne with her wild imaginings and endearing ways? She is a great character: well-drawn, imperfect but trying to be good, and quite entertaining.
Don't miss this book!
And now for a different kind of review...
We listened to
Anne of Green Gables on
LibriVox.org. This website has been a great addition to our homeschooling. Books that are in the public domain (in other words, classics published before 1923) have been recorded by volunteers. You can listen to them for free from your computer or download the mp3 and use it however you'd like!
We are now listening to
A Christmas Carol while we do handcrafts together.
The only negative that I have found with LibriVox, is that sometimes you won't like the voice of the reader and sometimes different chapters of the same book are read by different readers. But...what do you expect? It's free! The most popular classics have been recorded multiple times, so if you don't like one reader, you can always try another.
Oh! I just finished the best book. You know how I love romantic Young Adult fairy tales? Well, this one fit the bill perfectly.
Secondhand Charm
by Julie Berry
Evie has always dreamed of following in her parents' footsteps and becoming a doctor. Unfortunately, in her small town, there aren't many opportunities for a girl.
When someone comes and reports that the young, handsome bachelor King is coming to their small town, everyone goes into an uproar, trying to make everything suitable.
The King, impressed by Evie, awards her entrance into the University. But that doesn't mean life will be easy. Bandits, stolen kisses, and theater performers make for a wild adventure. Oh, and one more thing, Evie finds out that she is a serpentina, who is bonded to a sea creature for life.
Like I said, I really enjoyed this fun story. I couldn't put it down. It's a quick, easy read, with unique twists and turns that kept me guessing.
Did you ever read Julie Berry's other book, The Amaranth Enchantment? I gushed over that one too, but I think this one is even better. See my interview with Julie Berry about The Amaranth Enchantment and the writing process here.
Enjoy!
PS. Mrs. Julie Berry--if you read this, I'd love to know if you intend to write a sequel.
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
A Little Princess has always been a favorite book of mine. Though bittersweet, it leaves you wanting to live a more grateful, imaginative life.
Sarah Crewe has lived a privileged life, to say the least. She has always been given everything her heart desired, and been waited on hand and foot. You might think that a girl like this would be spoiled and selfish, but Sarah has a generous heart. She entertains the girls in her boarding school with wild stories of India, befriending even those less popular.
When Sarah's lot in life changes drastically, she becomes a penniless servant, hungry and cold. She pretends to be a princess, and reminds herself to be gracious and share the little she has.
I highly recommend this story for listeners of all ages. Like I said, it was a favorite of mine as a child, and now I realize that it still holds a place in my heart.
By: Homespun Emily,
on 8/27/2010
Blog:
HOMESPUN LIGHT
(
Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:
book review,
newbery,
clean reads,
classic,
elementary school,
review by Emily,
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH,
pre-tween,
Read-Alouds,
pre-teen,
Add a tag
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh
by Robert C. O'Brien
I picked this book up at a yard sale a while back, and it was promptly shelved. Hesitant to read it to my kids, there it sat. The hesitance stemmed from my memories of
the rather creepy movie version I used to watch as a kid.
I was wrong to wait. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH is a delightful story, full of mystery, adventure, science, and compassion. In short, we loved this Newbery Award winning classic.
Mrs. Frisby may be just a little mouse, but she is full of heart and courage. Her family needs to move before the farm plow comes through, but her son, Timothy, is too ill. She gathers her courage and goes to seek the counsel of a wise owl. While there, the owl advises her to ask for help from the rats, but everyone knows the rats keep to themselves.
Will they help her in time to save her little family?
Such a sweet, fun story, it almost made me like mice. Almost. But no.
Highly recommended for any young readers or listeners.
Sounds fantastic. I am getting it from the library next week! Thanks for passing along good, clean reads!
Oh, looks good! Is it weird that I'm just as happy to read the pre-teen novels as anything else? They're cleaner, anyway! You and your hubby both know you only picked it because of Stephenie Meyer's comment though :)
I just finished The Maze Runner by James Dashner - if you haven't read it I think you'd like it.