childhood friendships

The moment I read the first chapter of Star Wars Lost Stars I knew it was going to be one of my favorite books. When you read the first chapter, not only do you get to know the two main character’s backstories but also how they came into their passion for flying ships. Ciena and Thane are two different people. One from the rich folk and another from the valleys. They were best friends for many years and even went to the same Imperial academy together. Throughout the book you start to see the characters change in either massive or short ways. Thane has different opinions about the Empire and

The first book in Rachel Renée Russell’s Dork Diaries series, Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life, captures what it’s like to be a tween/young teen girl. Nikki Maxwell must try to fit in at a new, preppy school that she attends on a scholarship. Nikki will have to navigate friends, crushes, and popular enemies, recounting it all in her diary.

While I am definitely older than this book’s target audience, I still found it endearing and entertaining. At first, I thought some aspects of the book and its characters were too dramatic; however, after some reconsideration, I think that the attitudes

Ms. Bixby’s Last Day, by John David Anderson, is about a mission of three boys to find their teacher. Ms. Bixby was an amazing teacher as Steve, Brand, and Topher have said multiple times in the book. The whole class loved Ms. Bixby, but Ms. Bixby got other plans. Ms. Bixby told the class that she had cancer, Adenocarcinoma, which means she will not be able to teach for the rest of the year. All the students were devastated when Ms. Bixby left, but not Steve, Brand, and Topher, or the three musketeers. They started figuring out a plan to meet Ms. Bixby before she leaves for Boston for her

Ali and her cousin, Emma, visit their mothers’ childhood home. On their vacation, Emma decides to make friends with people. Both the girls go looking around Maine for a child around Emma’s age. One day, they meet a girl named Sissy. She spoils Emma and scares her by telling her about a murder. Even though the girls are frightened, they ask their aunt more about the story. As the story goes on, Ali and Emma realize that Sissy is not who she says she is.

I think this book was a job well done. Mary Downing Hahn has really interested me more in her books. Though this story is really good, it

We all know about Auggie in the book Wonder, but R.J. Palacio made another book about other people’s point of view from Auggie’s time. Auggie and Me features Charlotte, Julian and Auggie’s friend Christopher’s view during Auggie’s time and a little after as well. This book is a good book if you want to see the bullying of Auggie from Julian’s point of view. This book is wonderful, but you should read it after reading Wonder.

I loved this book; I read it multiple times. I really like seeing all the points of view and not just those points of view but in Wonder we see a lot of point of views

Written by John Knowles, ​A Separate Peace​ is a realistic fiction story about a boy named Gene who attends boarding school in New England and is set during the years of World War II. The plot mainly follows Gene and his best friend Phineas. Gene is quiet, inverted and an intellectual. Phineas is everyone’s favorite person; he is athletic, charming, and a daredevil. The two are complete opposites but could be described as “inseparable.” Although, they struggle with their friendship as certain events unfold through the story.

Overall it was a simple story with a strong message. This is very

Anne of Green Gables​ by L.M. Montgomery is a beautifully told coming of age story. Anne Shirley is an orphan mistakenly brought home by the Cuthberts living in Avonlea on Prince Edward Island. This story narrates Anne’s life as she grows up and learns to navigate her feelings, relationships, and life. Anne is a nearly perfect character because of her imperfections; she’s always making mistakes or getting into trouble, which makes her relatable to the reader.

For generations, Anne has delighted readers with her big personality and even bigger imagination, and as this was my second read of

My Dog Skip is a rollicking jaunt through Willie Morris’ memories of his adventures with Skip, his boyhood dog and constant companion.  Skip is no ordinary dog, nor is the bond that Skip and Willie share.  In this playful and beautifully written memoir Willie writes about the years he spent with Skip, each page bursting with hilarious shenanigans, canine loyalty and ferocious exuberance.

Skip and Willie’s adventures are numerous and often outlandish.  Skip is a privileged dog who “drives” the family’s green DeSoto, roams the town with Willie, eats as much bologna and raisin bran as he likes

Leonora (Nora/Lee/Leo) Shaw's past has come back to visit her. With a mysterious invitation to a hen-do (British bachelorette party) in the English countryside for a friend she hasn't seen or spoken to in years, she is forced to get out of her apartment and shed her closed-off personality for a weekend. She doesn't, however, quite know why she is invited and when she begins to ask around, no one else seems to know why they have been invited either. The hostess, Flo, is crazy about the bride, Clare, and puts all of the guests ill-at-ease. The Glass House where they stay is freaky as well with

 Erica Falck returns to her hometown of Fjallbacka, Sweden after the funeral of her parents, and instead of finding the peace and quiet she craves, she finds a community full of secrets.  The secret lives are as hidden as the omnipresent ice hides reality from the  casual observer. Her best friend from childhood, Alex, has returned to the home she grew up in, but her return is not a happy one.  Erica becomes  somewhat obsessed with Alex’s fate, and teams up with a local detective, Patrik Hedstrom who is also investigating the case. The Swedish winter plays as much of a character in this