Book Review - Stand Up, Yumi Chung!

 📖Recommend for Grades 6 and up📖

Stand Up, Yumi Chung!

by Jessica Kim

Yumi Chung is a shy eleven-year-old Korean-American who dreams of being a stand-up comic. Her parent's high expectations, though, don't include jokes. One day after a prep session for a private school scholarship exam, Yumi discovers there is a new comedy club in her neighborhood. Inside, Yumi discovers a kid's comedy camp, and she gets mistaken for missing camper Kay Nakamura. After a fantastic day of camp, Yumi finds herself living a double life. One as Yumi Chung and one where she is pretending to be Kay Nakamura.

This book is a delightful and entertaining story about struggling with what you want and what your parents expect of you. Readers may be able to relate to Yumi's struggle between balancing two cultures, which can be beneficial to their own growth. The cast of characters is diverse and amusing. There is also a lot to laugh about in this story. The humor is not just from the jokes and improv done by Yumi and the other campers.

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E-books - Books to Make You LOL

• My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

• Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry

• Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

• When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

• The Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe

Peer Book Review - Treasure Hunters: Danger Down the Nile

📖Recommend for Grades 6 and up📖

Treasure Hunters: Danger Down the Nile

by James Patterson

Reviewed by THMS 8th Grader Daniel P.

This is the second adventure of the group “kids.” Four orphan kids who are looking for their parents. Many people want their parent’s wealth so they attempt to kill the kids.

I would recommend this book. It has mystery and action in one. It tells the tragic story of a group of orphans.

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Book Review - What Goes Up

📖Recommend for Grades 6 and up📖

What Goes Up

by Kate Kennedy

NASA’s top-secret Interworlds Agency (IA) is looking for recruits; Teen recruits to be exact. Rosa and Eddie are among the group of teens participating in a series of tests to join the program. When aliens from an alternate Earth show up, well, not in peace, Rosa and Eddie must travel to their planet along with two other recruits and their instructor Reg, to help save their own planet.

A fun, humorous, and entertaining science fiction novel. Rosa and Eddie differ from one another but make quite a pair. The other characters in the story are equally enjoyable. The dynamic between them all is done so brilliantly and readers may find themselves wishing to be among them.

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Book Review -Heretics Anonymous

📖Recommend for Grades 9 and up📖

Heretics Anonymous

by Katie Henry

            Michael is a non-believer who isn’t happy about being sent to a Catholic school upon his family’s recent move. He can’t imagine who of his religious peers will want to be friends with an Atheist, but then he meets the members of Heretics Anonymous. While Lucy is a true believer, she is also a feminist. There is also Avi who is both Jewish and gay, Max who is eccentric and likes to wear his cloak and Eden who would rather practice paganism. What starts off as them being a soundboard for each other, leads to acts of rebellion against the school and its rules. While their acts start small, they grow bigger and more complicated landing Michael in some hot water with his new friends.

            A terrific story about teens who come together despite their differences and tackle what they all believe in. Each member of Heretics Anonymous is wonderful and readers will likely have a favorite or two. This is definitely worth a read (or listen as Michael Crouch does a terrific job on the audio narration) no matter what your religious beliefs.

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Book Review - New Kid

📖Recommend for Grades 6 and up📖

New Kid

by Jerry Craft

            Jordan Banks is disappointed that his parents won’t let him attend art school but a prestigious academic school instead. It’s hard enough being a new kid and being a mixed-race kid from Washington Heights, in a predominately white school, doesn’t seem to help matters. As he spends more time in school, Jordan finds himself torn between two worlds and struggles with fitting into both.

            Jordan may be the new kid in school, but anybody who feels or ever felt out of place can find themselves relating to him. The cast of characters in this book is a great mix, and readers are likely to have a favorite. Each chapter title is a fun pun that just adds to the feel of the book. While everyone should give this graphic novel a try, those entering middle school or starting school as the new kid should especially read this.

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