Tag: Realistic Fiction

Ungifted

Title: Ungifted

Author: Gordon Korman

280 Pages

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Date read: July 2019 (Sixth Grade)

Synopsis: Donovan is in huge trouble. He made a huge mistake when he knocked the head off of an Atlas statue at his school which rolled around damaging the gym. Shortly after he is invited into the gifted program. Donovan doesn’t understand why he’s there, but he knows he shouldn’t be there, he should be in detention or expelled, and it’s the perfect place to hide. Donovan’s experience at the Academy is truly unique!

4 stars

Review: I enjoyed this book a lot. I found the nerdy humor very interesting. I also really liked the friendship problems that Donovan had. It was very intriguing to watch how he changed as a person during his stay at the Academy; and how he changed everyone else! I would recommend this to anyone still in school or anyone who likes humor.

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus

Title: Insignificant Events in the Life of A Cactus

Author: Dusti Bowling

Pages: 272

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Mystery

Date read: November 2018 (Sixth Grade)

Synopsis: Aven was born without arms. Everyone at her school is used to it since they have been together at the same school from such a young age. But when Aven’s father gets a new job causing them to move, no one at her new school is used to someone with no arms. She struggles to find her place in school. As she explores her new home, a mystery unravels. She finds out that her new home is not what it seems.

4 stars

Review: I gave this book a 4 star rating because I really enjoyed the book’s plot. The Realistic Fiction with a mystery element was very intriguing, and I didn’t want to put the book down. Aven’s humor was also a nice touch to the book. The title was very clever, and it was mentioned quite a few times. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a fast read, or a good mystery.

The Escape From Mr. Lemoncello’s Library

Title: The Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library

Author: Chris Grabenstein

288 pages

Genre: Realistic fiction

Date read: March 2017 (Fourth Grade)

Synopsis: Kyle Keeley has loved games his whole life, so, naturally, he’s ecstatic when his favorite game creator, the bazillionaire, Mr. Lemoncello, opens his new library in the town. He also is letting twelve 12 year olds play his latest game. All he has to do is write an essay. If Kyle can get into the game and win it, it’ll change his life!!

5 stars

Review: I really liked this book mostly because of all the book references used. It was really nice when I understood the reference. I also liked the characters. I can find someone in my life who is similar to any character in the book. The book also made me feel really good when I finished. It made me feel like anything was possible. I would recommend this book to anyone who truly enjoys reading and has read a lot of books.

People Like Us

By Dana Mele

384 pages

Genre: Mystery, Realistic Fiction

Date read: November 2018 (Sixth Grade)

Synopsis: Kay Donovan is out at the lake after a late party, and finds a dead body. The body belongs to a girl at her school. When Kay returns to her room, she finds an email from the same girl that she found dead. It seems like she programmed it to send after she died. In the email is a website that leads to an image of a kitchen. The website is the girl’s revenge plan. In the kitchen, is a coded recipe that gives her instructions on how carry out the revenge. If she doesn’t follow through within 24 hours, her deepest secret will be revealed to the whole school.

3.5 stars

Review: I gave this book a 3.5 star rating because it was very enjoyable. I liked the overall plot a lot. The mystery of the whole book was very addictive. The book was a bit confusing sometimes, and it got slow too. The book was definitely worth reading though. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a good mystery.

Finding Audrey

By Sophie Kinsella

304 pages

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Date read: October 2018 (Sixth Grade)

Synopsis: Audrey is making steady progress on her recovery from an anxiety problem. One day, her brother has a friend over. He meets Audrey, and she starts getting comfortable with him. With his help, Audrey starts recovering faster, and faster. Audrey becomes a whole new person.

4.5 stars

Review: I gave this book a 4.5 star rating because the plot was very heartwarming, and I could relate to Audrey a lot. However, there were a few spots that were a bit slow. That aside, Audrey’s journey was incredible, and it was easy to get lost in the book. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an inspiring story!

Forget-me-not

By Ellie Terry

336 pages (in verse)

Genre: Realistic fiction

Date Read: September 2018 (Sixth Grade)

Synopsis: Calliope, who loves astronomy, has moved yet again and is at a new school. Being at a new school is hard enough, but it’s even harder for Calli since she had Tourette’s Syndrome. This means that she has tics that she can’t control, and all her classmates think that she’s weird. She befriends her new next door neighbor, Jinsong. This school might not go as the others have.

4.5 stars

Review: I gave this book a 4.5 star rating because I really liked the general story, and I could relate to it a lot. One thing that could be better is the transitions from Jinsong’s perspective to Calli’s. The first time that they did this, I was super confused because the character was wearing something different than the last section. Another plus about this book, is that it was super fast to read. It took me about an hour since it was in verse. This book is really awesome, and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for something simple, but enjoyable!