A Song for Harlem: Scraps of Time 3 by Patricia C. McKissack

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Lilly Belle is in New York City staying with her aunt Odessa because she won a place in a young writer's workshop with her poems. It is 1928 and the change from rural Tennessee to busy New York City is hard to adjust to. This story follows Lilly Belle as she learns and grows through this experience. It gives a look at the culture of the times and the life of an African American in Harlem. It was a good example of historical fiction.


View all my reviews.

Molly Moon, Micky Minus, & the Mind Machine by Georgia Byng

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
Molly Moon is able to time travel and use hypnosis to control people. She has discovered that she was born a twin and that her brother was taken from the hospital where they were born and all evidence of his existence had been erased, except from the minds of her parents. She makes up her mind to find her twin brother and try to bring him back to their parents. This adventure involves time-travel, time-freezing, hypnosis, and much courage on Molly's part, especially when she travels to the future and finds what seems to be an evil young girl who wants to rule the world. Read this story to find out if Molly is able to find her brother and return with him to their parents or if she becomes trapped in time.


View all my reviews.

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
When Moose, whose real name is Michael, and his family go to live on Alcatraz, Moose thinks he will never have friends or play ball again. Then he meets Piper, Theresa, Annie, Jimmie, and Scout and discovers that all of the laundry on the island is done by the convicts. This means that Moose can truthfully say that "Al Capone does my shirts." The biggest problem is Moose's sister, Nat, who is "special" and then Moose's mother takes a job teaching piano, which means that Moose must watch his sister. Read this story to find how Moose deals with this problem and if he makes any true friends.


View all my reviews.

Diary of a Would-be Princess by Jessica Green

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Jillian James is a student in Fifth year (fifth grade) in Australia and is having trouble fitting in. She loves reading and writing, but does poorly in maths (mathematics). The story is told in the form of her daily school journal in which Jillian talks about the problems she is having. Her teacher, Mrs. Bright, reads the students' journals every week and adds comments and encouragement. It was interesting to see how Jillian changed as the school year went along. I really enjoyed this book, even though there were a few Australian terms that I didn't quite understand. It was a lovely surprise at the end of the book to find a glossary which defined these "Australianisms". I will definitely add this to my order list for my school's library.


View all my reviews.