Jazmin's Notebook
by Nikki Grimes
Jazmin's daddy loved jazz music, which is how she got her name. Jazmin loves music, but more than that, she loves writing: poetry, stories, journals, she simply can't get enough! Even though she has been in a series of foster homes and is now living with her older sister, Jazmin has a bright outlook on life and a strong desire to get out of the projects and really make something of herself one day.
This is a wonderful, quick read about a character with a lot of spunk in some pretty awful situations. Jazmin is realistic, the kind of character you may wish you knew in real life. A powerful story.
-Ms. McConnel
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The blog features book reviews written by the students and staff of WFRMS.
Check out these great summer reads!
Budhos, Marina. Ask Me No Questions
Nadira and her family are living the secret lives of illegal imigrants in New York, but they cannot stay hidden forever.
Cofer, Judith Ortiz. An Island Like You: Stories of the Barrio
This short story collection addresses many realistic and difficult situations young Hispanic immigrants face in the USA.
Hidier, Tanuja Desai. Born Confused.
Born in India but raised in the USA, Dimple feels like she doesn't fit in with either culture: in fact, she is convinced she doesn't fit in anywhere.
Johnson, Angela. Heaven
14-year-old Marley's life spins out of control when she learns that her family has been lying to her about everything, including her identity.
Kadohata, Cynthia. Cracker!: The Best Dog in Vietnam
A young soldier in Vietnam bonds with his bomb-sniffing dog.
Korman, Gordon. Schooled
Cap lives in isolation with his grandmother, a former hippie; but when she falls from a tree and breaks a hip, Cap is sent to a foster home where he has his first experience in a public school.
Landy, Derek. Skulduggery Pleasant (series)
Skulduggery Pleasant a dead, wise-cracking, detective, powerful magician, master of dirty tricks for the greater good, and darkly talented twelve-year old, Stephanie Edgely, work
together to save the world from the likes of the horrible Grotesquery - an unkillable monster assembled from the most fearsome beasts of legend.
Lupica, Mike. Travel Team
After he is cut from his travel basketball team--the very same team that his father once led to prominence--twelve-year-old Danny Walker forms his own team of cast-offs that might have a shot at victory.
Patterson, James. Maximum Ride (series)
Six unique kids are on the run, and their leader, Max, is supposed to save the world.
Sacher, Louis. Small Steps
In this companion book to the well-loved Holes, Armpit is finally released from Camp Greenlake and trying to stay out of trouble, until X-Ray comes back into his life.
Shan, Darren. Cirque du Freak (series)
Two boys who are best friends visit an illegal freak show, where an encounter with a vampire and a deadly spider forces them to make life-changing choices. (Start with book one.)
Yee, Lisa. Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time
After flunking sixth-grade English, basketball prodigy Stanford Wong must struggle to pass his summer school class, keep his failure from his friends, and satisfy his academically demanding father.
Nadira and her family are living the secret lives of illegal imigrants in New York, but they cannot stay hidden forever.
Cofer, Judith Ortiz. An Island Like You: Stories of the Barrio
This short story collection addresses many realistic and difficult situations young Hispanic immigrants face in the USA.
Hidier, Tanuja Desai. Born Confused.
Born in India but raised in the USA, Dimple feels like she doesn't fit in with either culture: in fact, she is convinced she doesn't fit in anywhere.
Johnson, Angela. Heaven
14-year-old Marley's life spins out of control when she learns that her family has been lying to her about everything, including her identity.
Kadohata, Cynthia. Cracker!: The Best Dog in Vietnam
A young soldier in Vietnam bonds with his bomb-sniffing dog.
Korman, Gordon. Schooled
Cap lives in isolation with his grandmother, a former hippie; but when she falls from a tree and breaks a hip, Cap is sent to a foster home where he has his first experience in a public school.
Landy, Derek. Skulduggery Pleasant (series)
Skulduggery Pleasant a dead, wise-cracking, detective, powerful magician, master of dirty tricks for the greater good, and darkly talented twelve-year old, Stephanie Edgely, work
together to save the world from the likes of the horrible Grotesquery - an unkillable monster assembled from the most fearsome beasts of legend.
Lupica, Mike. Travel Team
After he is cut from his travel basketball team--the very same team that his father once led to prominence--twelve-year-old Danny Walker forms his own team of cast-offs that might have a shot at victory.
Patterson, James. Maximum Ride (series)
Six unique kids are on the run, and their leader, Max, is supposed to save the world.
Sacher, Louis. Small Steps
In this companion book to the well-loved Holes, Armpit is finally released from Camp Greenlake and trying to stay out of trouble, until X-Ray comes back into his life.
Shan, Darren. Cirque du Freak (series)
Two boys who are best friends visit an illegal freak show, where an encounter with a vampire and a deadly spider forces them to make life-changing choices. (Start with book one.)
Yee, Lisa. Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time
After flunking sixth-grade English, basketball prodigy Stanford Wong must struggle to pass his summer school class, keep his failure from his friends, and satisfy his academically demanding father.
LINKS
Important dates
- June 10th: Last day of school
- July 4th: Independence Day
Labels
- "Among the Hidden" series (2)
- Action (4)
- adventure (17)
- Afghanistan (1)
- Alex Rider series (1)
- ancienct Japan (1)
- animals (1)
- Animorphs series (2)
- autobiography (1)
- battle of the books (14)
- biography (1)
- Bluford High series (2)
- book to blockbuster (11)
- cats (2)
- comedy (4)
- coming of age (1)
- Coretta Scott King Award (3)
- Coretta Scott King honor (1)
- dogs (1)
- dragons (2)
- eating disorders (1)
- Eragon series (1)
- fairy tale (2)
- fantasy (37)
- free verse (1)
- friendship (1)
- ghosts (3)
- Goosebumps series (3)
- Great Depression (1)
- Harry Potter series (1)
- historical (1)
- historical fiction (17)
- horror (10)
- humor (2)
- imagination (1)
- India (1)
- inspiration (1)
- Ireland (1)
- Italy (1)
- King Arthur (1)
- KungFu (1)
- Lightning Thief series (4)
- Mexico (1)
- military (1)
- mystery (16)
- mythology (4)
- Newberry (12)
- nonfiction (2)
- pets (1)
- prep school (1)
- realistic fiction (45)
- reality (1)
- romance (5)
- Salem witch trials (1)
- scary stories (1)
- science fiction (17)
- series (3)
- Series of Unfortunate Events (1)
- short stories (1)
- South Africa (1)
- Spain (1)
- spies (2)
- sports (1)
- survival (2)
- suspense (1)
- Sweet Valley High series (1)
- teens (1)
- time travel (1)
- travel (1)
- Tupac Shakur (1)
- twilight series (4)
- vampires (3)
- Vietnam War (2)
- warriors series (3)
- World War II (1)
This blog is maintained by Ms. McConnel, one of the media specialists at WFRMS. The goal of this blog is to provide WFRMS students and parents with a digital resource to guide student book selection. Students and staff may submit book reviews, as well. Most of the titles mentioned here are available at the WFRMS media center, so if you see something that interests you, come in and check it out!