Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai

Há lived in South Vietnam during the war. Then, disaster struck and now she has to move to a foreign country in refuge. Her and her family have to live in poverty and learn a completely new language. They are not welcomed into this country and have to face racism and overcome the hardships.

I like this book very much because it is written in a different, interesting way. It is descriptive and filled with similes and metaphors.  

I would rate this book 4.5 stars and recommend it to people that like historical fiction and sad things.

A Nest for Celeste by Henry Cole

This book is about a mouse called Celeste, who is very good at making baskets with dried grass. Then one day, two rats command her to bring food. When she goes near the dining table, she encounters a cat and runs away. Then she meets a boy called Joseph, who is a apprentice of an artist named Audubon. Later, she helps animals to pose, so that the Audubon will draw pictures of them without killing them. Will Celeste save the animals?

I like this book because it has interesting solutions to problems that Celeste face, which made me not get bored while reading.

I give 4 out of 5 stars for this book and I recommend it to animal lovers because this book is about a mouse trying to save animals from being killed for an artwork.

My brother Sam is dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

This book is about the family who lived in the timeline of chaotic situation, when the American revolutionary war happened. The father is the loyalist (British side) and brother, (narrator’s brother) Sam is patriot. Sam decided to fight against the British army, but massive British army is closing by to the Patriots. Can Sam’s family be safe? I hope so!

I liked this book, mostly, but I think this book can be boring for normal kids because, you cannot fully understand this book unless you have a background knowledge about history. But, I think historians and American patriot will like it.

I’ll give ⅘ stars because, some part of this book is boring and sometimes, story isn't smooth

I recommend this book to the historians and American patriots,

but I won’t recommend this book to the British kids because, in this book, the author described British army as a marauders, different from the real history.

(British army had a strict rules.)

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

This story is about the Mexican girl named Esperanza who is living a wealthy life. She has her loving parents, a big house and a garden. But Mexican revolution broke out and her father is killed by the riots. Suddenly, her uncle take away her family’s wealth and money and her house was burned by the mysterious fire. So, Esperanza and her mother moved to California. Can Esperanza go back to her home country?

I think this book is pretty good because, it’s a book of mystery and history. If it was just a book about history, it must have been very boring, but by adding the mysterious cases and clues, the author Pam Munoz Ryan made a great historic novel.

I think I can give 4 out of 5 stars because even though it was a good book, but some parts were boring because of appearance of various characters and many turning points and event. I recommend this book to the historians in our grade or the mystery readers because, this book is a historical fiction, based on real history but, formed with a mystery trail.

The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a book I interviewed with Woonji on Podcast. This book is about a 9 year old Bruno, and his family. They are currently in Berlin, and is going to move to a place called "Out-With." "Out-With," when they move there, there's no one to play with, no one to be with, nothing to do, just plain nothing. He is so bored, angry (because he didn't want to come to this place in the first place), and annoyed. He was like, "Why did we have to come here anyways?" and he really wanted to go back to Berlin, and play with his 3 best friends; Karl, Martin, and Daniel. 
Then one day, just one thing changed his mine of leaving "Out-with." Just one thing that caught his attention while exploring some parts of "Out-with." He was just exploring behind the house, trying to find something while he was there. He walked by the fence that was dividing his family, and some unknown people who got to wore stiped pyjamas all day long as Bruno would say. He was right about to leave when he spotted something interesting. The dot that became a speck that became a blob that became a figure that became a... BOY! Bruno got to know him as they had just met. Fatefully, they had the same birthday, and was the same age that time. His name was Shmuel, he wore the same striped pyjamas as the rest of the people on the other fence. They would talk all day long, even eith the fence dividing them both. Bruno would bring some food for Shmuel to eat, and he would always just gobble it down, like a mad person..? Just hungry as usual, from lack of food, and grey skin, thin like a skeleton. Too short to be 9. Friend ship grows without action in this book. They would meet all day and talk, talk, talk. Ignoring the fence infront of them. 

Rating!!
5/5!!! AWESOME BOOK!!!

Podcast (Listen to the Moon)

This book is a great WW1 Novel which is interesting in every way this book is about a girl named Lucy who doesn't know anything about her past and she can't talk Alfie and his father find her on a lonley island and maybe one day she will be able to talk again."I can't remember anything I'm stuck in my own head why is everything this way why?

I want to tell Alfie but everytime I try...I..Just can't."

(Lucy thought's)

By-Amalija

My Favorite Book 2014-2015

My favorite book so far is Listen to the Moon by Michael Morpurgo.

Aleutian Sparrow by Karen Hesse

I read a book called Aleutian Sparrow by Karen Hesse. This book is set in 1942 Kashega. Kashega is close to Alaska. This book is a story about a girl named Vera.  This story is when the Japanese forces attacked the Aleutian Islands.  To protect and help the people living on those islands the US army moved them to southwest Alaska. They lived in a camp there. How is Vera related to all this? Vera had gone to visit her mother and her best friend Pari. Vera, her mother, Pari and her family, Alfred ( Vera's other friend ) and his family were moved to a camp. They lived there for 3 years. Life was very hard for them there. They had to go to a place called Ketchikan to get jobs and earn money for their family. Many people suffered  and died because of less food and water. 

" Alfred's grandmother is at my side. " Two hundred years ago" she says, "our people lived outside the concern of white men; Aleuts were fishermen,seal hunters,sea riders. Then Russians came.Then Americans.Now Japanese, and bombs drop through openings in the fog, Japanese take control of our islands, and without any say we are herded under this bulging tent of war."

All Vera and her family and friends wanted to do was go back home. Go home and be FREE. What will happen to Vera,her friends and family? Will they survive? Will the Japanese ever let them go back to their home?

If you are the kind of person who likes to read Historical Fiction then you might like this book.Read the book  to find out what happens to all these people!

I would give this book 4.5 stars:

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes

I read a book named Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes  By Eleanor Coerr. It is about a girl named Sadako who was making thousand paper cranes but dies because of radiation from the bomb that has radiation. When the girl died, it was sad. It is also just a book like a diary until she dies. I think it would be hard for her to make 1000 paper cranes and maybe she persevered. I would rate this book stars because it has some strange effects that makes it interesting. I would like to recommend  this book to everyone who wants to feel this strange effect that would make it interesting. 

Time Cat by Lloyd Alexander

 Time Cat by Lloyd Alexander

           This story takes place in nine different place in  different time with main characters Jason and his cat, Gareth. Jason is a normal boy and he has younger brother. Gareth is a black cat with orange eyes. White sign of ankh was on his chest- and that was special! Gareth would looked like an owl when he hunched his shoulders and put down his ears. He looked like a pair of black silk pajamas when he stretched and when he sat on a window ledge, his eyes half-shut and his tail curled around him, he looked like a secret. It has not surprised Jason when Gareth spoke a word to him, but he was disappointed that cats actually didn't have nine lives. Gareth had secret power other than having lives, able to visit nine different lives. Anywhere, any time, any country, and any century. So Gareth decides to go travel with Jason.... Jason nor Gareth will not get protected, change mind in the middle, and both of them cannot be separated. Would they come back to their house peacefully without getting distracted..?

        I'm enjoying this book because it has amazing details and creative ideas. they would travel into many different places such as ancient Rome, Egypt, Japan, Italy, and so on. I could picture it in my mind when Gareth communicate with people and how they solve problems. They would teach mini lessons to the king Neter-Khet that even Pharaoh cannot give orders to a cat and believe that every animals would follow him when he shouts at them. If I had such a cat like Gareth, I would want to visit the life in far ahead future and meet crazy scientists and see what do city looks like. What would you do if you meet a cat like Gareth?

           I would give this book 4 stars(****). If anybody who are interested in reading fantasy and enjoy learning about history, you would definitely enjoy this book!  It really explains about life in ancient city and how people were there. The sentences are very descriptive, and make readers visualize easily by including visual details(five senses). You can enjoy different views of the settings in the book by entering a gate of different places...! This book never let reader put down their book!