FOR THIS LAND By: Kate McMullan

This book is about a young girl named Meg, living in the 1850s in Kansas who went to go live with her
relatives on the prairies. It was a big mistake because there was a struggle against slavery, and Ruffians
were terrorizing the state! Not only that but, a devastating fire threatens their home.

The main character was in conflict with society  because a war against slavery was going on.

The struggle for Meg is doing what her family needs her to do in the new state, but wishing she was back home and gets worried that her father and uncle are in war to fight for a free state. Also, now that she lives far away from her home, she has to make new friends at  school.

Meg changed during the course of the book by being more mature and getting used to her new home (learning all of the chores she has) She cooks meals for everyone in the house, sews quilts for winter,
and cleans the house with her mother and aunt. Also, she helps looking for her uncle when he goes to
war but doesn't come back.

I can relate to Meg because we both dislike slavery and war, and we like school.

Rating*****

Maddy

MEET FELICITY AN AMERICAN GIRL by Valerie Tripp

Felicity has always liked horses, but when she meets Penny she likes them even more. After Felicity how bad Jiggy-penny's owner- she starts visiting her every night.  But when Jiggy catches Felicity trespassing to give Penny an apple, he forbids her to come back. He also keeps an  eye on her in case she comes back.

But Felicity is determined to help Penny, so she still comes back every night. Still not getting caught. Will Jiggy ever be nice to Penny? Or will Penny suffer though the rest of her life?!?!

Felicity is in conflict with another character. The conflict is that Jiggy won't treat Penny fairly.

Felicity changes by being nicer to Jiggy at the end of the book.

I could relate to this book because my sister's friend used to be very mean to her and now she is much nicer.

RATING ****

Audrey L

   

MY NAME IS AMERICA: THE JOURNAL OF RUFUS ROWE, A WITNESS TO THE BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG by Sid Hite

Its about Rufus a boy who runs off to Fredericksburg, Virginia with only ten dollars and then he gets two jobs but in about a month a whole army of union troops come. Luckily they don't attack at first that gives time for the confederate army to come. After along time waiting the confederates come but the union have a bridge all the citizens go out of town except the army, a couple blacks, and the brave Rufus Rowe stay. Houses shatter, people die the unions try to get to the other side. Will the succeed to beat the confederates or will they fail and charge through the lake?

Rufus Rowe (the main character) is in conflict with war (society).

The conflict for the main character was that he was close to some of the people that died and he feels that if you lose you lose and if you win you lose.

Rufus changed during the course of the book being happy to get away from his mean father but near the end he was not happy because so many people died (upwards of 6,800).

I feel the same way as he did (Example : Before I fight with my brother I feel happy but after I fight I feel unhappy.

Rating : *****


Yan

AN ELEPHANT IN THE GARDEN by Michel Morpurgo

The main idea in the story is war. It's war because many things happened in war like fire, bombing and others. In the fire and bombing people were being killed and badly hurt it was torture, but they were the last people to be hit for the bombing. It was a disastrous for what had happened to the poor town. Lizzie was the character that had struggled (real name is Elizabeth) and she was against society. Lizzie was in a big war, her dad was fighting in the war and he hadn't come back and they hadn't had a letter saying he was dead or killed.

They started to bomb her town and they were trying to find their elephant but they couldn't find her and mutti was upset. But then they decided to move on away from the death zone.

Lizzie changed because the elephant meant a lot to her mum. Lizzie also had to change because if she said she was from her country they would kill her if said or found out. Elizabeth is a old lady in care not a child anymore. My character relates to me because my grandad's parents or grandma and grandpa were fighting or in the house when war was going on.

RATING: *****

Olivia

THE PRINTER'S APPRENTICE by Stephen Kringsly

The main character Gus is a printer's apprentice for Master Bradford. Together they print a newspaper called the Gazette. The Gazette has a challenger, The Weekly Journal. One day Zenger -the maker of The Weekly Journal- got arrested for putting something in the newspaper that offended the governor. Gus's friend Zach doesn't think that Zenger should have been arrested. A few weeks later, Zenger's layers didn't want to defend him. Zach writes a letter to a layer in Philadelphia and gives it to Gus to give it to the layer in Philadelphia when he goes. Gus gives the letter to the layer and when Zenger is in court he is found NOT GUILTY!

Gus is in conflict with Zenger.

Gus and Master Bradford were struggling to like Zenger, and put his arrest in the Gazzett, and help Zenger in court to prove him NOT GUILTY!

One time halfway in the book Gus helped Zach pull a little kid out of an old ice fishing hole. This showed that Gus  had more courage to do more stuff.

This book reminded me of myself because Gus was always confident to do things but scared at the same time.


Rating:****

Astrid

THE RAIDERS by: Jorn Reil and Helen Cann

Rane and his army are invading Leiv, Naura, and  Apuluk's new home.  The three kids are trying to defend their new home. Can they help defend their new home from the raiders?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           The main character was in conflict with another character                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 The raiders were raiding the three teenagers new home                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Apuluk and Naura were rescued by a northern family teaching them that not all Northernmen were bad.  they all found their strength against the raiders and defeated them.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     The three friends stuck together and protected each other when ever danger rose.                                                                                                                                                                                                              RATING****                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

THE WRECKERS by Ian Lawrence

    There was once a village bred from evil,These men, women and children prayed for ships to crash on their rocky shores, They  clothed themselves with and treasured their gather of the items in the shipwrecks.

Then John Spencer, his Father, and a ship crew ride the ship Isle of Skye after loading barrels in Spain, On their way to London, they see beacons after a devastating storm when they try heading towards it they end up crashing on the rocky tombstones. John Spencer survives the wreck and sees that his crew is murdered.Soon enough John Spencer finds his father is alive, he learn that the beacons they saw were false and what thought to be wine then thought to be gold, was sawdust all along. John discovers the real corpse lights and what lie underneath a cursed tomb, battles a legless man named stumps, sees the the man with no tongue named Eli, and meets many friends such as Simon Right-of-Wreck and Mary a nice trusted young maid who lives with Simon. 

John Spencer struggles with nature, society of the village, and of course himself.
The conflict is that John does not like the false beacons and other evil society of the village, and struggles in secrets he keeps and the secrets many people are not telling to that he need to find out, also he struggles at looking at the ship wreck souvenirs that people kept, he struggles looking at the tombstones. The most important thing he struggles in trusting other people close to him such as Simon and Mary.John made a big choice.
John changed a lot from the scared shy boy who had to be commanded by his father to a brave boy who would dare open the tomb said to have a curse, or to run away in the dead of night to rescue his father, To battle Stumps a evil legless man,to light a white phosphorous match with a smart strategy to defeat an enemy,to find out and defeat mysterious leader who made himself undercover by acting nice. 
John Spencer is brave and daring things like me,John Spencer has rode a horse which I have done many times too.

                                                                                -RATING-
                                                                                   *****
Aidan

THE JOURNAL OF PATRICK SEAMUS FLAHERTY by Ellen Emerson White

Patrick Seamus Flaherty is fighting for his life in the war of Vietnam. He makes some friends and some got eliminated! Will Patrick survive or be dead?

Patrick struggles against society.

When the NVA start shooting mortar rounds at the U.S. soldiers and most get eliminated! They get a lot of cuts and really bad injuries. They think of an idea that saves some of there lives!

At first Patrick was a little bit scared to go to war. After awhile the mortars and ambushes start and he gets scared and wants to go back home safely but he cant go home yet!

I know what its like to be really scared and worried. It can really be annoying and its like you can't forget about it.

Rating: ****

Nick

VOYAGE ON THE GREAT TITANIC-THE DIARY OF MARGARET ANN BRADY by Ellen Emerson White

In this story, a young orphan-Margaret Ann Brady embarks on a journey across the ocean to New York.Although she is working on this trip Margaret can still explore and have some alone time. She also gets time to bond with her new "friend"/ crew member named Robert. One day when the air was cold, Robert came in with bad news. "Miss Brady-"Wait...  Margaret thought. He calls me Margaret. "Please proceed to the boat deck, immediately." This must be serious.

Margaret was in conflict with nature.

The conflict for Margaret was an iceburg because it sunk the ship and it took Roberts life.

RATING???

Allie

SCRAPS OF TIME 1960 by Patricia C. McKissack

This book is about Abby, she protested against segregation. Also her dad died of a rail road accident.       Her mom and almost every one she knew stood beside her to protest.

Abby was in conflict with segregation.

Society split up whites and blacks, and all blacks couldn't go some places.

 Abby matured little bit because they were doing a sit in she thought it would be easy but it wasn't so she stopped goofing around and started acting like a grown up.

She reminded me of my mom because she's always serious.

RATING: *****
Stefon

NUMBER THE STARS By Lois Lowry

The plot of the book is to help Annemarie's best friend Ellen. Ellen is Jewish and is likely to get killed by the Nazis. Annemarie's Uncle Hendrik sends her on a dangerous mission. She carries a basket of food in front of enemies through the deep dark woods.

The main character is Annemarie who is in conflict with society. The struggle was to save Ellen without getting caught.

Annemarie seemed to be happy and social in the beginning of the book, but in the middle of the book she was a bit more independent in order to save Ellen. Annemarie was pretty curious until Uncle Hendrik and her parents told her everything.

The middle of the book reminded me of when I was trying to keep my Halloween candy a secret from my mom. She found out eventually just like the Nazis.

Rating:***

~ Ellie

MEET KAYA by Janet Shaw

Kaya (main character) is a Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) native american, Kaya has a wonderful Appaloosa mare, Steps High.  Since he is so wonderful Kaya tends to brag. Then she gets into a bit of trouble.

Kaya is the character who is mostly in conflict with herself. Kaya bragged about her horse then she finds she has a race while she is supposed to babysit her brothers .

During the course of this book Kaya changes and is more careful about what she says about Steps High.
This book reminds me about a cousin.  He is an only child, he can brag a little.

RATING: :****

Audrey

MEET JULIE by Megan McDonald

Julie and her family moves a few miles away from their old home. At Julie's new school, she makes a friend named T.J. T.J. says that he will try out for the basketball team, and Julie wants to go with him. but the team is for boys only! Can Julie fight for a spot on the team?

Julie is in conflict with Coach Manley, the basketball coach.

Julie wanted to be on the basketball team really bad, but coach Manley says there is no girls basketball team, and girls can't be in the boys basketball team. Julie fights to get the spot, but coach Manley won't hear any of it.

In the beginning, Julie didn't want to move. She would have to leave her pet bunny and her best friend behind. but when she hears there is a basketball team at her new school, she doesn't mind moving. And first, when Julie makes a petition, she makes one and gets signatures right away. But when Ivy leaves her and isn't her best friend anymore, Julie rips up the petition.

Julie reminded me of myself, when I had to go to swim team tryouts to get a spot on the swim team. (I didn't get one).

Rating:*****


Angela

MY SECRET WAR by Mary Pope Osborne

The plot of the book is a military girl living with her mom when her dad is in the military. And changing schools all the time. Madeleine and her mother are always worried about her dad.

The main character of the book is Madeleine beck she struggled by all ways having to go in to new schools and make friends.

The conflict is she was worrying if something happened to her dad and if he was ever coming back  and if he got hurt during the war.

At the beginning of the book she had no friends and wasn't able to make friends but then at the end of the book she makes so many friends. At first she had no job and was only caring for her self but then she was working for the red cross.

My moms dad was a Lieutenant Colonel and my mom would be away from her a lot so she would just live with her mom and siblings. When she went to new schools it was hard for her to fit in.

RATING: ***

Jillian

THE DIARY OF CLOTEE, A SLAVE GIRL by Patricia McKissack

Here are 3 or 4 main idea's

-She learns about writing & spelling plus learns her ABC's.

-Caroline couldn't tell anyone though about her learning...

-She wanted to tell m.z  Lilly,but she couldn't trust her she would tell everyone!

Her are the important Characters.  Caroline, m.z Lilly & her Dad.

The struggle in this conflict was when Caroline was learning  her ABC's and trying so hard to keep it a secret & if she told someone the whole Family would end up knowing.

The main Character changed by the end because she ended up telling the whole family and then felt good.

I related to this book by when i was 9 yrs I had a secret that I couldn't tell anyone but later on I ended up telling my mom and I felt very happy.

RATING: *****      

Lily 

THE SHIPWRECK By Jorn Riel

    Leiv finds out that his father was killed. Than Leiv go's on board another ship and that ship sinks. Than Leiv drifts to a beach in Greenland and Narua and Apuluk find him.

 Leiv is angry at the person who killed his father.

Leiv changes by surviving in the wild and understanding Apuluks language

Leiv tarted to understand and talk the natives language. He also didn't miss Iceland anymore.He also makes peace with the person who killed his father.

RATING:  *****

Elischa

TIME TRAVELER #4: THE AMAZING BEN FRANKLIN by Peter Lerangis

Basically more than 200 years ago Ben Franklin tried to prove  that lighting is electricity with a key and a kite.

Ben struggled to prove that lighting is electricity nature.

Ben Franklin tried to prove that lighting is electricity and did it with a kite and a key.

At first the people said that lighting was not electricity but then Ben proves them wrong he gets creative and then uses a kite and a key and proved that lightning is electricity.

In baseball I tried to prove that I could hit a home run after some practice and hard work I hit a home run!

RATING: ***


   Will

ELLA FITZGERALD - YAN

Ella

Ella was very helpful, brave

Ella was the daughter of William and Temple

Ella best loved singing, dancing and baseball!

Ella felt

Ella feared jail when she started to run errands for an illegal gambling operation, and death when she started undertaking many surgeries

Ella needed Help!

Ella gave Hope! that everyone needed music

Ella, from Virginia

Ella was an extraordinary singer!

Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald - Aidan

 Ella Fitzgerald,
She had a nice early life,
She had moved to New York city though she was born in Newport News, Virginia.
When her mother died  she ran away from school.
Ella, she had a family,
She was a child of William and Temple,
Ella married two people,
She adopted a child too!
Ella lived her teenage years cruel and  happy,  
Ella she ran errands for gamblers,
Ella, she sung on the street. 
She joined Chick Web Orchestra.
Ella won awards, 
She made Bebop,  
She was famous for Scat... 
The good JAZZ!

Ella Jane Fitzgerald - Stefon

Ella was  born in Newport News, Virginia.

She loved to perform and sing.

She was the daughter of Temple and William.

Ella was afraid of diabetes.

She liked to dance.

She lived on the street.

Best known for singing.

She studied music.

Challenged by a heart attack.

She was always a performer.

Ella was nice, determent, hard worker, a hope finder