Teen Comments on Books Eligible for the 2004 Best Books for Young Adults List page 11
I liked this book because it really related to how a young adult can feel at times, as well as giving a quick history lesson. Sometimes you may be hurt if your best friend starts to hang with people without you. Sometimes you may not be so good in Gym. Sometimes you may want to escape the troubles of life, even if just for awhile to be someone else. But this book teaches that that is not a permanent solution. You have to face your problems, whether it be too much garlic salt on your pizza or being about to go into a fight with a really tough person and only having a really short disk to flip, which turns out to be Ghandi anyway. I was told by my friend Di Herald that committee members must tell which book they would really, absolutely die to have on the list, and I would die several times over for Flip. I must say that I am not exagerating, because Flip was one of the best books I have ever read. --Robbie
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It should be on best books. It tells the reader about how life was for legends in the past. I really enjoyed it. I would like a copy, pleas. It was boring at first. Rating 5 (one of the best books I ever read.) William, 14.
It should be on best books because it tells about real life issues and some teens don't know that there are still orphans and they don't all get adopted. rating 5. Leslie 13 & 11 months.
Hoffman, Nina Kiriki. A Fistful of Sky
I learned something from this. Take someone's advice about not reading the
last pages of a book. I really liked the way the author presented the
information and twists in the story. It would have been a Best Book, if
not for the last 4 pages. They ruined the story. --Kara, 15
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First name or initials: Robbie
Age: 14
Book Title: A Fistful of Sky
Author: Nina Kiriki Hoffman
Should this book be on a list of Best Books for Young Adults:yes undecided
Because: This book was a wonderful book. Up until the last two chapters, which
I found to be confusing, too quickly-paced, and not satisfying. Especially
disturbing was the very last three pages, where the main character, Gypsum, and
her alter-ego kissed each other. Maybe older people will understand those
parts. Aside from that, though, this was a great book, with a little something
for everyone. A really good book, except for the
ending. It should be on the list, but if
anything makes you hesitate, it will probably
be the ending. Still, what other book has ever
had a gian grapefruit that terrorises a kitchen?
Definetaly a best book.
Quality Rating:4 - Pretty good.
Popularity Rating:4 - Lots of people will want to read it.
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This book is about a girl who's family has magical
powers that come through a "transition" at a certain age. All of her
older siblings go through it, as planned, but her time comes and goes with
nothing. But suddenly, at age 20, she finds that she has the power to curse. I
thought this was one of the best books I"ve read in a very long time, with
great description, a wonderful plot, and interesting ideas... until the last
chapter. It ruined the whole book for me. Pleeeeeease, if you read this book,
DON'T BOTHER WITH THE LAST CHAPTER!!!! I'm not sure if I would put this on best
books just because of the last chapter, but that wouldn't be fair to the rest
of the book, so I'll leave it undecided. --Keli, 12
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This was an excellent book and should be considered a best. I loved the plot
and all of the characters. Everything was great except for the ending. It put a
damper on the whole book. But I would still say it's a best. -- Karlie,13
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First name or initials: Trystan
Age: 17
Book Title: A Fistful of Sky
Author: Nina Kiriki Hoffman
Should this book be on a list of Best Books for Young Adults:no
Because: I surprisingly don't have much to say about this book. The best books
I read involve the growth of the character(s) and a reflection of my life. Then
the book has a point, and I'm not wasting my time reading it. With A Fistful of
Sky (a beautiful title by the way), I couldn't see any important growth in the
main character or her family. Instead of her problems being ones founded on an
experience most humans have, hers were too abstract and unimportant for me to
relate to in the slightest.
The ending of the book was just an unsuccessful attempt to try up loose ends
and have the main character develop a profound conclusion, but neither happened
satisfactorily.
I liked the idea, and it was humorous in some spots, but the author didn't
carry her idea out well. I don't think it's a best book.
Quality Rating:3 - OK
Popularity Rating:2 - Only people who are looking for this type will read it
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First name or initials: Sara
Age: 15
Book Title: A Fistful of Sky
Author: Nina Kiriki Hoffman
Should this book be on a list of Best Books for Young Adults:undecided
Because: A Fistful of Sky is about a girl named Gypsum whose family is magical,
except for her dad. As all her siblings go through transistions Gypsum accepts
that she'll be normal like her father. Only on one weekend when she's twenty
she goes through a late transition. Unfortuently her power is the power of
curses. Gypsum must use her power, even though she doesn't want to, or die. I
enjoyed reading this story. Every curse she does is interesting, because she
curses inaminate objects, or does weird curses. I really enjoyed the book all
the way to the end except for the last five page chapter. I HATED the end. If I
could I would delete the last chapter and then the book would be great, but the
end ruined the whole story for me. Although I hated the last chapter some
people may like it, so that's why I'm undecided whether it should be a best
book.
Quality Rating:3 - OK
Popularity Rating:3 - Some will and some will not care to read it.
Morris, Gerald. The Ballad of Sir Dinadan
First name or initials: Sara
Age: 15
Book Title: The Ballad of Sir Dinadan
Author: Gerald Morris
Should this book be on a list of Best Books for Young Adults:yes
Because: The Ballad of Sir Dinadan is the story of a knight who is also a great
musician. Dinadan goes through many twisted adventures, and is subject to the
fools of the world. I really loved this book. It did not have an intense plot,
but the light humor made it a great story. It has some fantacy, but is mostly
about foolish love quests that are forced in Dinadan's way. Anyone who loves
Arthur stories will love this one. It's a great story and definently a best
book.
Quality Rating:5 - One of the best books I ever read
Popularity Rating:4 - Lots of people will want to read it.
Armstrong, Jennifer and . The Kiln
This book is the last part in the fire-us series.
Actually, after the second one was so disappointing, I was a little aprehensive
to read it, but after I did, I was pretty happy with it. It answered most of
the questions that I was wondering about,and I enjoyed the ending. I would put
this on best books. --Kelli, 12
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This was the final book of the Fire-Us series and deserves to be a best book. The characters in this book kind of take you over and make you feel their pains and joys. It was pretty intense and kept me glued to the seat. If you don't read these books in order it would be really confusing. - -Karlie,13
Nimmo, Jenny. Midnight For Charlie Bone
This is a book about a boy who suddenly realizes
one day that he can see what people are thinking in photographs, and then he
gets shipped off to some boarding school by his rich aunts. I didn't really
like this book in the least. I thought it was a pitiful copy of Harry Potter,
and it wouldn't be nearly as long if the author used normal print, instead of
sticking 6 or 7 words on a page. I'll only read the 2nd one to see if somebody
dies. --Keli, 12
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This book reminded me a lot of the Harry Potter series. A boy is sent away to a school for the "gifted" because he realized he had a special talent of looking at pictures and hearing what the people in the picture are saying and thinking. It was lacking in the detail area and it skipped to different character views without warning. I say that it is a best book. --Karlie,13
Nimmo, Jenny. Charlie Bone and the Time Twister
It should not be on the list because it tried to be like Harry Potter, but it was too hard to get into. --Justin, 14, rated a 2
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This book was so much like Harry Potter that it got really old really fast.
A boy named Henry is sent to the future where Charlie Bone is living. He
needs to find a way to get out of the grasps of his cousin who is now like a
prune- old and grumpy. -- Karlie,13
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Title: Charlie Bone and the Time Twister
Author: Jenny Nimmo
BBYA: Yes
Rate: 9
Review: Charlie Bone and the Time Twister, was an awesome read, I loved the
twists and turns and flip flops in the plot. This far exceeds Midnight
for Charlie Bone, but don't read the second one first or you will be extremly
confused.
It's Charlie Bone's second term at Bloor's Academy and more crazy things happen
to him. First he meets Henry Yewbeam who touched a time twister thinking it was
a marble and finds himself not in the year of 1912 but about 90 years
later. And Charlie finds himself helping to save Henry's life from the
Yewbeam's and the Bloor's who are trying to get him. But everything ends up
getting a lot stranger...
I rated this book a nine because it was good but didn't quite deserve a ten. If
you like short and easy books to read that have suspense around every corner,
read Charlie Bone and the Time Twister.
Goodman, Alison. Singing the Dogstar Blues
I liked it though, it should be nominated. I really do think this
book is funny to. I liked the part of the story when Mavkel the alien read
Joss's mind, that was awsome.Over all it was a great book. --Amy, 13
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I thought that this book was defiantly best book material. It was fiction and took place in a time of time jumpers and aliens called Chorians. This book really gets you hooked. - -Karlie,13
Snyder, Midori. Hannah's Garden
Should be on the list. It's related to me because
Cassie goes to bars and drinks and so do I. But I don't go to bars. --Seaira, 12, 4
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This book wasn't what I was expecting, although it was very good and majorly a best book. It started off really slow and didn't get interesting until around the 100th page. It's really hard to summarize this book because so much happens in it. - -Karlie,13
A really good book. I think I agree with Heather, that it would better relate to older adults. I love a romance novel. It was a little slow towards the middle, but the ending was well done. I was never bore, the story and how it was set up was perfect. It keep me wanting to read it. I think this could be a best book. --Annie, 16
Miklowitz, Gloria D. The Enemy Has a Face
Title: The Enemy has a Face
Author: Gloria D. Milowitz
BBYA: Undecided
Rate: 7
Review: This book was exciting and fast but also boring and slow (not a good
combination).
Israeli, Netta Hofman fears the worst when she finds her brother is missing one
morning...was he taken by a Palestinian terrorist group??? The story takes
place in Los Angeles where Netta finds herself searching and desperately trying
to find out what happened to him. She even finds herself hiding her true
identity just to get information. But could there be another answer, could
something else have happened to him...
I rated this book a seven because I don't really like this style and it didn't
really have enough that made me want to keep turning the pages. But I didn't
give it a lower rate because it had a good ending. If you liked Caroline B.
Cooney's, The Terrorist, than this book is for you, if you didn't
(I didn't like it) than I don't recommend this book. --Christa, 13
This book was really unique. I love it when I read it book and the ending is totally unexpected. You would think that Adam was killed by Palestinian terrorists, but I love it how Mikelowitz twisted it up for an ending. I love the suspense. Well-done book, I would recommend this to be a best book. --Annie, 16
I thought Alchemy was an okay read. I didn't really want to see every part of the book throught the authors perspective and nothing made sense if you didn't see it the way the author intended. It just wasn't for me. --Kara, 14
Cheaney, J. B. The True Prince
I did like The True Prince. I thought reading about the apprentice players who played the female parts was different in a good way. I also liked it because it had a mystery woven into it. The only thng I wish I had known is that she had written another book before hand. But luckily I got that one from the Library. -Kara, 14