One Mixed-up Night by Catherine Newman

this book is about 2 friends, Walter and Frankie, (Frankie narrates) who run away to IKEA, inspired by the book From The Mixed-Up Files Of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler where 2 kids run away to the Metropolitan museum of art in NYC. at IKEA, Walter and Frankie get in lots of trouble. ex. almost burn down the building, drive a forklift, flood the place while trying to empty a bathtub, etc.

- Lila, 7th grade, Amigos School

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

i have read this book before but i forgot most of it so i read it again. the 3rd one in the Hunger Games series, its really good, kind of sad, but mostly just awesome. they are trying to overthrow the Capitol. since its the hunger games series, lots of people die :( but altogether its really good.

- Lila, 7th grade, Amigos School

Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh

Describe a part of the book that made you feel something strongly (i.e. something that made you cry, laugh, get really angry, etc.).

the part of this book where she is talking about the cake she wanted to eat when she was 4 was really funny because she ended up getting sent outside by her mom and climbing through a window to eat the cake. it is extra funny because the book is part comics so you see the cake and everything too

- Lila, 7th grade, Amigos School

Goodbye Days By Jeff Zentner

This was a really depressing (but good and sometimes funny!) book about a boy- Carver-who lost his three best friends in a car crash triggered by a text message. And everyone thinks Carver is to blame. 
So does he. He sent the text message that probably triggered the event that killed them. So then a bunch of people want to ruin his life, some don't care, and then some just shake their heads. Starting school with no friends and a court case that could put him behind bars, Carver is lost, always remembering, trying to forget, and regretting what has been done.

- Emilia, 7th grade, Vassal Lane Upper School

Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here By Anna Breslaw

Scarlett Epstein is devastated when her favorite show (and source of fanfic inspiration), has ended. Without the fan fiction, she is alone and lost. She hates school, old friends, and a lot more. Fanfic was the only thing keeping her and her online buddies together, as well as her sanity. So when friends and foes from real life create some more misery, she devotes herself to writing again. Except the people bothering her in real life turn into people in her writing... which she posts online... for the world to see.

- Emilia, 7th grade, Vassal Lane Upper School

American Street By Ibi Zoboi

Fabiola and her mom travel from Haiti to the USA, but midway to their destination of Detroit, her mom gets detained. Fabiola makes the rest of her journey alone, and meets her cousins and aunt. Starting school, she feels 100% unsure of what will happen to her mom. But school made one thing clear- her three cousins are The schools's Three Bees, the Beauty, the Brains, and the Brawl. No one messes with them. And everyone expects Fabiola (now called "Fabulous"), to be the Fourth Bee. Eventually Fabiola gets a chance to help her mom, yet the price is uncertain. 

I would highly recommend this book!

- Emilia, 7th grade, Vassal Lane Upper School

Holding Up the Universe By Jennifer Niven

This book pulled me in from the start and kept me flipping the pages. The thing I liked most about Holding Up The Universe is how the characters compliment each other so much. Libby can't control that people stare at her, and Jack chooses to have people stare at him even when he can't read their face. That way that they're kinda opposites but also need each other is a part of the book I love.

- Emilia, 7th grade, Vassal Lane Upper School

Children of blood and bone by Tomi Adeyemi

this book is about magic and its super awesome but kind of sad, in that lots of people die, but it is very exciting, there are battles and a kind of romance and its really cool. WARNING: the end is a cliffhangar. the sequel comes out next year.

- Lila, 7th grade, Amigos School

Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Describe a part of the book that made you feel something strongly (i.e. something that made you cry, laugh, get really angry, etc.).

When Alley gave her teacher a sympathy card without even knowing it, it made me feel really feel bad for her because she doesn’t want anyone to know her “secret”, but not everything stays secret for forever... (BTW, I’m not gonna spoil the book )

--Amy, 7th grade, Vassal Lane Upper School

Echo's Sister by Paul Mosier

El's sister, Echo, has a rare form of cancer, only 5 out of million kids has it. The doctors noticed it when it was the first day of school, so before El knew what was happened to Echo, she was like, OK, let’s do this! But when her dad told her her days were dark and sad. I’m not going to spoil this book for anyone, but this is a really good book and I recommend it.

- Amy, 7th grade, Vassal Lane Upper School

Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley

Describe a part of the book that made you feel something strongly (i.e. something that made you cry, laugh, get really angry, etc.).

The Words in deep blue book by Cath Crowley is about a family who works in a book store called Howling books. The main characters' names are Rachel, Henry, Martin and George. So about the book, Rachel moves away with her mom and little brother Cal. They move out of the city to a house closer to the ocean. Rachel was best friends with Henry before she moved and liked him. The night before she moved she left a note in the letter library that is in the shop telling him that she liked him. Henry keeps contact with Rachel but she never responds. Several summers later Rachel visits the town for a distraction after her brother had drowned months before. She gets a job to work side by side with the boy she recently loved. The shop gets another new employee whose name is Martin, which George, Henry's sister isn't too thrilled about. The story continues in a dramatic way but you will have to read the book to find out all the details. 
There are several parts of the book where there are deep and bonding moments. These moments helped the characters interact with each other in a better and more kind way. There are two moments I will be sharing and describing about. Family dinners at the house of dumplings and an incident by the dock.
First the Jones family dinners are at the dumpling house every Friday night in their town. Henry's family talks about books they have recently read. This is like a bonding time for the family because typically they are all working and don't have time to have deep conversations, but sitting here each Friday gives them each that chance.
The second bonding experience is with the four friends Rachel, George, Henry and Martin. A bully tied Henry and Martin to polls by the docks. It all worked out though because Henry had time to send Rachel their destination. Rachel and George came to the rescue. After this they drove back to the book shop. This is a bonding moment because it showed that they really cared about Henry and Martin. That they still have the chance to be good friends to start over. This incident made them closer together more friendly to each other. After this they talked more and cared more for each other. These bonding times made family and friends closer together. They started to understand each other more and became better friends as a whole. 
If you like romance, drama and action packed adventure then this book is most definitely for you!!

- Nova, 7th grade, Vassal Lane Upper School

Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephard

Would you recommend this book? If so, who would you recommend it to, and why? If not, why not?

I would definitely recommend this book!!!!!!! I haven't read many books like this one. It is more heartfelt and real than other books, even though Lily and Dunkin are fictional characters. The experiences that the kids go through are real and important. Both Lily and Dunkin struggle, although they are struggling with different things. I really related to them and I think other kids would, too.

--Lillian, 7th grade, Cambridge Street Upper School

Claudette Colvin by Philip M. Hoose

This is book is about a 15-year-old girl who changes history. This book is also a 1st and 3rd person point of view. I recommend this book to people who are trying to reach their summer goals and I recommend this book to people who are interested in history. I would tell you more but I would just ruin the book for you guys. So if you want to know more the only way to find out is by reading the book!

--Maimouna, 7th grade, Rindge Ave Upper School

One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

This book is about this girl, Carley Connors, who has to stay with the Murphy (foster care) for a while. She thinks crying is weak, she hates how Julie Murphy, the mom, is really neat and kind to her, after a while she learns to love herself, the family and stuff. I don’t want to give away spoilers, but it’s a wicked good book!

--Amy, 7th grade, Vassal Lane Upper School

Granted by John David Anderson

Which minor character in this book would you like to know more about? If there were a whole book about them, what would it be called?

I really really want to know more about Sam. Why did his owner throw him out on the first place? Was his owner abusive, so he is afraid of getting kicked? I feel like if I know Sam's story, I’ll understand him better.

-Amy, 7th Grade, VLUS

Happily Ever After by Kiera Cass

This book is an add on to The Selection series. It has many mini stories from the perspectives of the other important characters in the Selection books, and was very fun to read. Its quick, and for people who like that kind of thing, its a page turner. I would recommend this book along with the rest of The Selection series

-Isabella, 7th Grade, Amigos

Stay Sweet

Describe a part of the book that made you feel something strongly (i.e. something that made you cry, laugh, get really angry, etc.).

In Stay Sweet, one part of the book that made me upset was when the main character, Amelia, blows her friends off for a guy. The girls were going to have a fun night by the lake with fireworks for fourth of July, and she didn't go at the last minute because she thought the boy, Grady, would need her more. To me, this was the beginning of the real unraveling of her friendship with her best friend Cate. This made me mad because its not the choice I'd make, and it was obvious that it would hurt all the girls' feelings

-Isabella, 7th Grade, Amigos

When I was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago

The book When I was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago is a memoir about Esmeralda Santiago's childhood. It is touching, and very real. I enjoyed this book very much, and it talked about many different struggles of growing up. I am not a big fan of memoir, but this book was very good

-Isabella, 7th Grade, Amigos

What Else is New?

Back in Cambridge for the rest of the summer!

-Isabella, 7th Grade, Amigos

The Elite by Kiera Cass

The Elite by Kiera Cass is the second book in The Selection series. There are five books in the series, and each is worth reading. This is my second time reading The Elite, and I again enjoyed it very much. Its about a girl named America Singer who faces obstacles and challenges throughout a competition called the Selection. She is unsure of what she wants, and this book does an amazing job of putting her feeling, trials and triumphs into words that are very easy to vizualize. This book should be read by any girl from fifth grade to eighth grade who loves strong characters, distopian fiction, romance and friendship.

-Isabella, 7th Grade, Amigos