Perfect Chemistry By Simone Elkeles

Simone Elkeles’ book, Perfect Chemistry, is a work of fiction. The book introduces us to two different types of society, the high class and the low class and this society prohibits the people to interact. This book tells about how this society affected two people’s lives, a girl named Brittany and a guy named Alex. They go to the same school and they are about to graduate. They hate each other mostly for their different social status because Brittany is rich and Alex is poor and this caused them to have a bad experience accepting each other when they first met. The incident that happened when they met was bad because Brittany was going to run over Alex’s motorcycle with him on it and his ex-girlfriend too. Their problems started when they had the same chemistry class and the teacher sat them next to each other and assigned them a project together. Because of the incident they had they did not have a good relationship and Brittany could not accept being friends with a guy like Alex. In spite of their differences, however, they made a really interesting relationship even though they had too many problems. In the end they proved their love was strong enough to overcome their differences and they put their future together and their lives together and lived happily.

Mayra G.

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles is a book I recommend other people read because it is a romantic story about two senior high school students who fall in love. This story is amazing because it shows an example of how two people who are so different and who hate each other can fall in love. Brittany and Alex are the main characters of this book. Brittany is a rich girl who is the leader of the cheerleading team. Alex is a poor gang member. The story starts when their chemistry teacher assigns them as chemistry partners for all year and ends when they became a couple and they start college. I also recommend this book because when I read it, it made me connect to the story. Every time I finished a chapter I wanted to start reading the other chapter right away because it is so interesting you are going to want to read the whole book in one day. I also liked this book because it is different from other books I have read because the author of the book divides the book into two. For example, one chapter is about Brittany and the other is about Alex. I am sure if you read this book you would like it.

Buenaventura A.

Enrique's Journey Sonia Nazario

Many of us have relatives who also live far away from us and sometimes we go years without seeing them. Enrique’s Journey is about a teenage boy who is left behind in Honduras located in South America. His mother, Lourdes, is an illegal immigrant who makes it through to the U.S. and starts taking any cleaning services position. Years pass and Enrique grows older without his mother. He lives with his grandmother and his aunt and uncle. Each time Enrique receives a phone call from his mother he gets upset because he doesn’t get a firm answer from her. He wants her to come back home or to take him where she is because he misses her. Years pass and Enrique is not 13 anymore; he is 17 and he is getting worried his mother might not care about him anymore. So he makes a decision and leaves Honduras and heads up North. I feel he made the right decision because back in Honduras as he was getting older he began stealing from people and doing drugs. His journey wasn’t easy because he got robbed, hit and caught by the Mexican patrol a lot of times. When he finally made it to the U.S. he changed a lot. At one point he did not feel the love from his mother anymore so he was a rebel. I think he acted this way because his mother was gone for almost four years. He just went through a lot of things without her. At the beginning of the book his father was an alcoholic and he abandoned Enrique and Becky for another family. His mother leaves but not to make him suffer because she really wants the best for her kids. Yet many people out there still live this way and for many kids a mother’s love can’t be compared to anything.

Maria P.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Suzanne Collins' book, Mockingjay, is a great action adventure book. If you have read the two books before it that are part of the Hunger Games series which include The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, you will definitely love this one. The passionate love story of Katniss and Peeta trails on into the third and final book of the series. It has the reader on the edge of their seats on whether Katniss will be with Peeta or Gale or if they all will even survive through the war that started amongst the Districts and Capitol. Katniss is enraged when she finds out they rescued her and not Peeta, because once she and Peeta were picked to be tributes again for the annual Hunger Games, she was determined to keep him alive because that is all that mattered to her at that point. With Peeta gone, District 12 destroyed and in pain from all her injuries, Katniss was lost and didn’t know what to do anymore. She wanted to protect everyone she loved, which included her mom, sister, Gale and Peeta, but she couldn't do everything on her own. While Haymitch and all the other authorities in District 13 were planning ways to destroy the Capitol and revolt, they told Katniss she was the Mockingjay, the secret weapon to winning the war and ending the Capitol’s horrid ways. At first she questioned that authority but then realized she had to do all she could to stop President Snow since he already ruined so much in her life. With that she knew being the Mockingjay was just the kind of title she needed to have her leadership role stand out and inspire everyone else to follow her in this revolt. This is a great book to read if you like action and adventure especially because you don’t really expect what will happen next since there are so many outcomes that can happen from the situation. While reading this book, you’ll realize how important it is to appreciate the ones who love and care about you because you never know what can happen. Unfortunately, in the blink of an eye, the one you treasure most can be gone and lost forever without having the chance to say “Goodbye”.€

 Jessica S.

The Chocolate War By Robert Cormier

This book, The Chocolate War, might make you ask why it has that title. I know it sounds funny but when you read this book you will know why it is titled that. Well, I do recommend this book to all levels of readers because it talks about three boys and how their lives changed as they get older and older. I think this book was called by this title because they talk about these three boys wanting to sell 1,000 boxes of chocolate. If you are interested in reading a book about bullying this might be the perfect book to read because it talks about Jerry who is one of the boys. He got bullied when he was trying out for the football team. Every player made fun of him and his personality. If you read this book you will like it more and more so I recommend if you want to read this book you should do so. One more thing, it takes place during the years of 1972 and 1973 and I know that is quite a long time ago but it is a really good book.

Rabely B.

Secrets in the Shadows by Anne Schraff

This book is very intense. This is a book that goes from being from a normal life to just being a failure and being accused of a murder he committed or maybe he didn’t. Also, it is a book that has a very good ending and everyone likes a good ending so I recommend this book to everyone who is trying to read a good short story.

Julio H.

The Buried Life By: Ben Nemtin, Dave Lingwood, Ducan Penn, and Jonnie Penn

I read the book called The Buried Life and they have a TV show for it as well. This book is about four friends who make a list of 100 things they want to do before they die and then they go across the country doing the things they have on their list. It sounds easy to do, right? But it’s not that easy for some of the things they want to accomplish.  For anything they get to cross off their list they help out a stranger do whatever they want to accomplish. Jonnie, Duncan, Dave and Ben are best friends on a mission to complete 100 things they want to do before they die and to help and encourage other people to do the same. It does make you stop and look around and actually think about life and think about the things you want to accomplish during your life time. I believe it is an inspiring story because it might give someone the courage to try something they might have been afraid to try for a very long time. One episode I saw  I thought was good was when the four friends helped a stranger find her actual father she had never met and I thought that was very touching. I think other students would like this book because it might give them the courage to try something new or to try to change the world around them. So that leaves the question, if nothing in the world was impossible, what would you do?

David M.

Why I Fight by J. Adams Oaks

This exciting novel is about a boy named Wyatt Reaves who starts out life not so good since he is weak and scared. Wyatt grows up in a poor family. His parents don’t really care for him or about him. He is adopted by his uncle, Spade. Spade has a problem with gambling and when he finds out about Wyatt’s great ability to fight, he gets money hungry. He begins to bet on Wyatt as he fights on and off the street. Wyatt Reeves is a rather sad character. He got dumped off by his parents to be taken care of by his uncle. After that tragic day he needed to be smart and stay out of trouble without any contact with his real parents. This book made me feel as if I was actually in the book. When Wyatt was in the fight I felt his pain with every punch given to him. I would recommend this book to sports readers who like a bittersweet ending and to those who are into risky things.

Jonathan O.

The Final Four by Paul Volponi

The book, The Final Four, was a really good book. I enjoyed reading it and suggest it to people who like to play basketball or who are just looking to read an exciting book. The story starts out with a small Division One college basketball team called the Troy Trojans. This year they are in the annual NCAA college basketball tournament. It’s very interesting because the Troy Trojans are never the ones competing in this competition because they are such a low ranked team. In addition, some of the team’s characters like Malcolm, who is a very competitive basketball player, really want to be one of the players who gets picked first in the NBA draft. Malcolm wants to get into the NBA as soon as possible because he doesn’t want to waste any time before playing for the big crowds. Another character who plays for the Troy Trojans and was introduced in the book is Roko who is from Croatia. He wants to make Croatia proud and represent them as a good basketball player. Another player is Crispin and he is a decent basketball player but he tends to focus more on his love life. Also, another character is M.J. who just wants to get an opportunity to play more for the team because he thinks he can prove people wrong about his abilities. Their whole team is trying to compete and prove people wrong. They just want to prove they can be contenders for the championship.

Oscar E.

Hole In My Life by Jack Gantos

Jack Gantos’ book, Hole In My Life, is one of the first biographies he wrote. If you like to read action and suspense this would be a good book to read.Jack moved a lot during his last year of school so it was hard for him to finish that final year. After he graduated, his family was going to move back to his home town which was Puerto Rico. He did not like this idea. He wanted to go to college in Florida because in Puerto Rico it’s not as good as Florida. Months later he decided to come back on his own and rent a place

with a family friend and make some money so he could start school and do what he always wanted. Things started to get difficult and he just couldn't make enough money so he decided to get involved with some wrong activities. This would take about a month sailing a boat with one other person but once this job was done he would have enough money for college plus some extra money to waste. Everything worked out well and he was about to get paid his money but that’s when he ran into some cops who had been looking for him. Everything ended up going to waste and he got nothing.

Edwin S..

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

I liked the book, Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins because not only was it the sequel to the Hunger Games but also because of how great the book was itself. I really like how the author is continuing the story. She adds greater twists and turns to this story making the games more challenging and crazy. She adds new characters; they seem interesting but you don't get to find out much about them but that was alright. The previous characters from the first book seem changed also but some changed for the better while others had a different side to them you would never have imagined. I really like this book because I was interested in the Hunger Games series when I first read it a couple of years ago. Finally, reading the second book just makes me want to dive into the third right away. I think other students who like adventure and twists would really enjoy this series. I really like the series and how the characters live in a different world than we. Everything they do is futuristic but there are also a lot of survival techniques from the past. This story has a great plot and great twists to keep it interesting. I would recommend anybody read these books.

Jenny N.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Douglas Adams' book, Hitchhike’s Guide to the Galaxy, is an interesting book to say the least. You must be fully dedicated to pay very close attention if you have intentions of reading this book. It starts off in a small town in London with an “average Joe” named Arthur Dent. He is then hurdled into space after his own planet is destroyed with his best friend who just happens to be from another planet! Along the way they meet lots of interesting characters including Zaphod Beeblebrox, Marvin the Paranoid Android and Trillian. The names of the characters themselves can attest that this book is a different one. I enjoyed dissecting this book and trying to figure out everything that was going on. This is not a book for the faint hearted. It may take a while but this book is worth trying to understand. If you have a very good attention span and love Si-Fi then this is the book for you.

Maegan D.

House Rules By: Rachel Sontag

House Rules is a very popular book for students who like Psychology. One of the things you learn about in Psychology is abuse and all the affects it has on the people who get abused and also the people who are around all the abuse. This book is a very good example of how emotional and mental abuse can affect people and their behaviors. Rachel, her sister Jenny and her mom were all victims of mental and emotional abuse. Their father was the one who attacked them mentally and physically. You never find out in the story what causes it but if you know the general reasons for being abusive, like he is, you can pick up on some of his past that has caused him to be the way he is. I would have to say this is a very good book for people who want to learn and see real examples of abuse. I do think anyone can read this book. You can read it even though you might not know anything about mental or emotional abuse. I think you would get different reactions to the book because of the content described and this book will open your eyes to realize people actually go through this kind of stuff. For example, some people might think the father is just very strict and some people might say he is crazy. I think this book would also be popular for any mature audience because this book does get a bit graphic in the middle of the story when Rachel is in the foster home. The audience needs to be able to handle the hardships Rachel faces when she leaves home, goes to college, then drops out of college and tries to start a new life without her family, except for her sister Jenny. I would say any reader has to be prepared to not be able to put down this book. Once you start reading, it sucks you in and you want to keep finding out more and more about what is going on at that moment.

Andrea S.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

The book  I recently read is Coraline by Neil Gaiman. This book is about a girl who recently moved into a new home and is an only child. Her parents are journalists and work at home writing catalogs about gardens. Coraline notices a small door in a room where there is basically nothing and one night she opens it and sees there is  a little passageway. When Coraline goes into the passageway she finds herself back in the same place she started. Yeah, kind of weird but the thing is she’s not in the same place. When she walks down the hallway she finds her mom, only it is not her real mom; it’s her other mother. The world into which she walked was the same in which she lived. The only difference is her parents, neighbors and everyone in this world have buttons for eyes and are controlled by the other mother. The other mother pretends to love Coraline and spoil her with presents and fun and games. Coraline eventually loves to be in this world much more than with her real parents and she becomes attached to the other mother. Little does she know  the other mother has played this game with other children and is planning to trap her and eat her soul just like she did to the others. When the other mother requests to sew buttons into Coralline’s eyes, Coraline refuses and this infuriates the other mother. Coraline starts to get uncomfortable and when she wants to leave, the other mother traps her and  her parents  and has the ghost children’s souls trapped as well. It’s up to Coraline to save all of them and trick the evil other mother before it’s too late and Coraline loses the game. This book is thrilling and exciting; it is funny and creepy all at the same time! If you’re a person who loves Narnia and loves to be nervous and not know what’s going to happen next, you’ll love this great fantasy! If you want to find out if Coraline can be a hero herself and save everyone before she’s trapped in that other world, go read Coraline by Neil Gaiman!

Dyana C.

I Will Save You by Matt de la Pena

I Will Save You by Matt de la Pena is about a teenage boy named Kidd who was left to be a foster child in a place called Horizons where he got daily counseling. Kidd was mentally scarred because his father was abusive and his mom died. After a few years he felt it wasn’t necessary to stay there anymore and he took it upon himself to run away. He lived on a beach campsite for the summer with an old friend named Red who watched over him at Horizons. Throughout the summer Kidd started to grow more confident and learned to be accepting of who he was and he started to come out of his shell. He learned not to let himself get brought down so easily by others like Devon, his old friend, who ended up coming to the campsite. He gained confidence to talk to a girl and hangout with her throughout the summer. Toward the end of summer though, things took a wrong turn and the truth came out. Devon wasn’t the person we really thought he was but Kidd wasn’t either. I really liked this book because not only is the author unique but the plot and story line are as well. It does include a love story but it’s not your typical teenage love story. There’s action and situations which keep you on the edge of your seat wanting to read more to find out what happens next. This is a novel  you want to finish because it’s extremely surprising and has an unexpected ending. I would recommend this book to everyone because it is so unique in the way it is written. It is not your typical chapter by chapter book. Instead each section tells its own unique part of the story and the suspense and drama that happen throughout the book are really interesting.

Becky C.

World War Z by Max Brooks

I read World War Z front to back and more than once. I think this book is a masterpiece. It’s pretty tense if you really get into it. This book takes place in a post-apocalyptic world and I do mean world. This book doesn’t just focus on one; it focuses on more than one. This book includes survivor stories from China to Russia, Europe and most importantly, where we live, the United States of America. If you’re into zombies and other creatures of death this is the book for you. There are realistic tales of the infected raging across the world. There are exhilarating tales told by the survivors of the apocalypse from their family being lost to how life was for them before the apocalypse. Now their lives are changed and nothing will ever be the same even if they win the fight which doesn’t seem realistic at this point. The armed forces can’t hold them down because of loss of soldiers to shortages of weapons and ammunition. The end seems near. Read this book. I repeat, read this book. It’s a very well put together book and it will definitely keep you entertained the whole time. And this is coming from a person who hates reading books that are not good. Read this book; it won’t disappoint.

Martin E.

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult is a fiction novel. Like many of Picoult's other novels, this one covers a possible real life situation. Many of her books are about controversial topics which is why I believe she is such a brilliant writer. Nineteen Minutes is about a school shooting. A student named Peter goes into his high school with a gun shooting everyone who has bullied him. As the book jumps between the past and the present we learn what Peter's childhood was like and his relationship with friends at school. After reading about all  the hard times Peter endured you can understand why he thought it would be a good idea to murder his peers. A situation like this could have been avoided if teenagers weren't so cruel. If you want your attention to be locked on an amazing book that has just the right amount of suspense, read Nineteen Minutes.

Sarah P.

Cat's Cradle By Kurt Vonnegut

Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut is a science fiction novel that tells the
story of a biographer named Jonah who is writing a book for Dr. Franklin
Hoenikker after his death. Dr. Hoenikker was a physicist who helped
create the atomic bomb. Jonah is led on a strange journey by Dr.
Hoenikker’s family which then helps him find Bokonism. Bokonism is a
religion created in the island San Lorenzo and has many odd
practices. The Hoenikker’s also have many secrets they have been hiding
that could potentially cause the end of the world. Vonnegut is great in
bringing forth humor in his novels. Many of the themes in this novel are
still relevant in today’s society. The themes of existentialism and post
modernism are seen, like in most of Vonnegut’s books, throughout Cat’s
Cradle. I recommend this book to anyone who would enjoy a different
approach to science fiction.

Jose C.

A Child Called By: Dave Pelzer

Dave Pelzer’s book, A Child Called It, is a work of non- fiction. This book is a great book to read if you’re one of those persons who likes to read about people’s lives. You will enjoy reading A Child Called It because it tells a story about child abuse in California caused by his own mother. He had to clean or wash dishes or whatever his mother told him to do to get something to eat. If he didn’t do whatever she told him to do he would get punished for not doing it. He was treated so badly and experienced terrible abuse when he was just a little child. While talking with his mother when doing dishes to acquire something to eat he was rewarded with the left overs of his brother’s cereal. In fact, after that he got help from his school and was removed from his home. Since then his life changed completely. There was no more abuse for him which was great because he had a better life, more safety, was healthier and was treated better. This book is a great book to read. I really recommend it to people to read because although it is a sad story involving violence and sad moments, you will love to read it. It is an emotional story that makes you think many things and react in many ways. It is a powerful book to read and I think you will enjoy it. I totally recommend this book.

Bianca E.

Heat by Mike Lupica

Mike Lupica’s book, Heat, is in the genre of fiction. If you have a love for baseball or even passion for any sport, you would enjoy reading Heat.


Heat tells the story of a young teen who survives his struggles with not only family but society. Michael’s family, who only recently came to the United States, is just barely making ends meet when they suffer the horrific tragedy of their father’s death. While their father was on his death bed, he had a few last words to leave with the family and those were to have them keep his passing a secret so they could stay a family. 

Michael and his older brother, who is soon to be eighteen, have to get by while dodging major obstacles, such as the law. Michael’s brother is not yet an adult so therefore he cannot be legally accountable for him. While all of this is going on in the life of this  unlucky twelve year old, Michael looks to baseball, his friends and his brother to get through this rough time. Michael has to overcome challenges a normal kid could not even dream of and the pressure put on him to do so is immense.

If you are interested in a great story of someone who overcomes great trials then Heat is the book for you. It will help you to really put in perspective how important some things are in life and how their value is priceless.

A.J. S.