Student Book Review: Addy Walker

The following is a book review written by OIS student, Taylor A. Taylor is a big fan of American Girl books. She recently wrote a review on one of her favorite books, Addy Walker. Thank you, Taylor, for spreading the love of reading!! If you're looking for something new to read and you've never read an American Girl book, this might be the series for you!! Check out Taylor's review below:

The past couple of weeks I've been reading American Girl books. My favorite series is about a girl named Addy Walker. Addy had a rough life. She was colored so her whole family was sold as slaves. They worked hard and dreamed of freedom. Her dad and brother were sold and her mother and Esther stayed. Her mother decided she and Addy were going to get to freedom. Esther was too young to go so they left her. To find out the rest of the story, check out "American Girl: Addy Walker" in the library.

Thanks so much, Taylor! Great job!!

Book Review: The Ghost, The White House and Me

I recently finished reading the book, The Ghost, The White House, And Me. I'm a huge fan of mystery and suspense books and this one was great! Written by Judith St. George, this book is approximately a reading level of 4.7 with an interest level ideal for 9-12 year olds. It IS an AR book, but more importantly, it's a GOOD READ!

Here's a little summary:
KayKay Granger and her sister, Annie, have just moved into the White House after their mom's inauguration, and soon find out that it's not exactly as fun as it sounds. But things get a lot more interesting when the sisters find out that the White House may be haunted. Could Abraham Lincoln's spirit really be lingering in the Lincoln bedroom? KayKay and Annie want to get to the bottom of this mystery-but are they ready for what they might uncover?
*Taken from amazon.com*

I LOVED this book! It had a great air of suspense, complete with a few facts about past presidents and an inside look at what it might be like to live in the White House. It definitely held my interest as these excited yet reluctant girls set out on their mission to unveil a ghost in the White House! Did they do it?? You'll have to read it and find out!!

Book Review: Nim at Sea

Have you seen the movie, Nim's Island? If you have, I'd love to know what you think about it! If you haven't seen it yet, you can go to the link above to learn more about it - then run out and rent it!! You can also do some cool things like build your own island and explore Nim's Island. I'll admit, I haven't seen the movie yet, but I DID just finish reading Nim at Sea - and it was great! Nim at Sea is the companion or sequel to Nim's Island. If you enjoyed the movie, you should definitely check out this book from your local library this summer. It's perfect reading material for the summer months - fun, friends and lots of island sun! So, I'm doing things a bit backwards by reading this book first, but now...I have to go rent the movie!! I would love to know your favorite character in the movie - did you like it? Give me some advice!

My personal opinion of Nim at Sea? Well, it has LOTS of action, cute monkeys (well, in my head I pictured them as being cute!) and let's just say - it starts off with a great theme from the beginning. In chapter one, Alex and Nim are separated. Soon after, Nim experiences city life for the first time...where she definitely feels a bit out of place to say the least!! So...you will DEFINITELY want to read it to see what happens. Let me know what you think!

Check out the following interviews from participants in the movie. Fun stuff! :)

Abigail Breslin

Katie Brock

Dircetors Mark Levin & Jennifer Flackett

Gerald Butler

Jodie Foster