by Bill Wallace; Reviewed by Chelsey Hilliard

If you like books that make you cry, then I suggest you read Beauty by Bill Wallace. It’s a sad book, but it is very creative and interesting. It’s about a young boy whose mom doesn’t have enough money to support their home. They go live in the country with the boy’s grandpa who has a horse named Beauty that the boy falls in love with.

The reason I love the book so much is because it’s very sad. Even though there are no pictures, the author made it so descriptive that I can picture what the horse looks like.

Beauty is a sad book, and it is really good. Go to your local library and check out Beauty by Bill Wallace.

by Gary Paulsen; Reviewed by Hayden Hill

Have you ever heard about the wonderful book by Gary Paulsen, called Dog Song? Well, if you haven’t, you will be sure to like it when you read it.

In the story there is a young boy living in the Iceland with his grandfather. They were running out of food, and there was no game close enough to hunt in one day. So the boy went out on a quest to find enough food to last them throughout the winter. The only question is: Will there be any game in the distances either?

The author of this book, Gary Paulsen, has some very interesting writing techniques. One of them is when he writes long descriptive passages. He also exaggerates, too, which is something I do a lot also.

The reason I like this book is because he goes out hunting to find food. I have always enjoyed a good outdoors book.

It would be one of your new favorites if you took the time to read Dog Song.

by Debbie Dadey; Reviewed by Joshua Jimenez

Have you ever met a genie who could ride a bicycle? Debbie Dadey has written one such book that you are sure to enjoy.

It’s called Genies Don’t Ride Bicycles, and in this book four friends find a very unusual bottle that was stuck in a tree.

When the four children open it, a very bad odor came out. A few days later they met a man named Eugenie who was dressed very strangely and was riding a purple bicycle.

Finally, the children realized that they had their own genie. They started making wishes.

To find out what happens next go and check out Genies Don’t Ride Bicycles by Debbie Dadey in your local library.

Hope you enjoy this adventure book as much as I did.

So go check this book out or you’ll be sorry!

by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor; Reviewed by Kayli Norton

The Nancy Smith Elementary School Library has an adventurous, funny, and sad book titled The Grand Escape written by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.

The Grand Escape is a humorous story about two house cats named Marco and Polo who always try to escape when their owners open the door to the outside world. Can you believe that Marco and Polo have never walked on real grass before? One day they manage to escape through an open door. They see many different things on their long journey through some unusual places.

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor has very good writing techniques and makes this story fun to read. She is a great writer and has written many other books such as Shiloh, Shiloh Season, Reluctantly Alice, Alice in Rapture, The Agony of Alice, and Josie’s Troubles.

This book made me laugh and cry because of Mrs. Naylor’s spectacular writing abilities and the book’s great illustrations.

When you get a chance, come by the Nancy Smith Elementary School Library and check out The Grand Escape. It will be worth the trip for this fantastic book!

by John Erickson; Reviewed by Casey Lofton

Hank the Cowdog and the Case of the Hooking Bull is a great book for people who like a lot action and adventure.

First Hank’s owners, Loper and Sally May, leave to go to a friend’s wedding in another city. Slim, a ranch hand, ahs to take care of Loper’s son, Alfred, and the ranch. A bull from another pasture had been tearing down fences with its mean temper and ferocious hooking horns. So Slim, Alfred, and Hank load up. Finally, they find the bull. Slim saddles his horse and ropes the bull and ties one end of the rope to the saddle horn. The bull was having a bad day so when Slim rode off the bull turned around and jerked the whole horse off its feet and it landed on Slim. With Slim down, not able to move, Hank knew he had to do something. Hank ran right at the bull and bit his nose and held on for dear life. Finally, the bull ran away and Alfred said that he would come back for Hank after he took Slim home. With night coming, Hank became afraid of coyotes. He just climbed into the stock tank and waited for Alfred to come back.

Next time that you go back to the library, I recommend that you check out Hank the Cowdog and the Case of the Hooking Bull by John Erickson.

by John Erickson; Reviewed by Teagan Brown

Dear first-time readers, this is the book, Hank the Cowdog and the Fiddle Playing Fox, by John Erickson.

The book, Hank the Cowdog and the Fiddle Playing Fox is about Sally May who goes to the chicken house and finds cracked eggs in the nest. She tells Loper that Hank needs to find out what’s been eating the eggs and get rid of it. Hank finds a fox eating the chicken eggs but the weird thing is he’s playing a fiddle. Hank ran off with the fox because he ate an egg by accident. They go to play for Buela the Border Collie, Hank’s dreamgirl. That just makes her more in love with Plato the bird dog. So they play at a chicken house nearby, and a skunk is already eating eggs. It sprays Hank, and then Loper finds him.

John R. Erickson tells good stories. When you think he’s going to tell you something important, he ends the chapter.

The reason I liked that book was because when he saw the fox, I didn’t know what was going to happen. Was he going to jump out and catch him? When he ran off with the fox, I didn’t think he was going to go back to the ranch.

That was Hank the Cowdog and the Fiddle Playing Fox. Now readers, I hope you like the book while reading it because once you start you won’t be able to put it down. Readers, please read Hank the Cowdog and the Fiddle Playing Fox because it’s a blast!

by Gary Paulsen; Reviewed by Lydia Davis

The Haymeadow is an adventurous book by the author Gary Paulsen who wrote Hatchet and Dogsong. The Haymeadow’s setting is in a Wisconsin valley, far away from hospitals, towns, and, most importantly, John’s family.

The Haymeadow is about a 15-year-old boy named John Barron that is sent to the haymeadow to care for 6, 000 sheep with 4 dogs, 2 horses, veterinary supplies, and a wagon to live and sleep in because Tink, the man who did it every summer, was diagnosed with cancer. John idolizes his great-grandfather, also named John, because the family legend claims that he came from the East to Wisconsin and claimed millions of acres of land by himself with a horse and a pistol.

Paulsen, unlike some authors, gets an idea for a new novel, decides if he wants to do it, and goes to the setting and lives the life the main character would live in the book. Gary couldn’t keep all of his experiences to himself, though. In one of his lastest, Guts, he shares with the whole world what he went through to get the wonderful, adventurous novels that he has written very descriptively. The uniqueness of Paulsen’s technique is he always has very gory, plain NASTY parts all throughout the book, and he uses very emotional feelings with touching words also scattered through the book.

In The Haymeadow, Paulsen uses the great talent he has and made the long experience of six weeks in a hay meadow alone into a wonderful, enchanting adventure. Perhaps, this description of Gary Paulsen and The Haymeadow has persuaded you to go to the library and check it out. Please read it; you’ll regret it if you don’t!

by Robert McCloskey; Reviewed by Kirstin Noble

Do you ever get tired of those dumb, nasty cartoons on T.V.? Do you wish you could see or read something cute and old-fashioned? Here is one that you are sure to enjoy. It’s Homer Price, a heartwarming, funny book by Robert McCloskey.

Robert’s writing technique is definitely enjoyable. He has a good sense of humor that makes people feel good inside.

Homer is a good kid who lives in the small town of Centerburg. His family owns a tourist camp where Homer’s father takes care of the filling station. His mother cooks and cleans for the visitors, and Homer just helps his mom or dad with whatever they’re doing at the time. Homer’s uncle, Ulysses, owns a donut shop in downtown Centerburg. Uncle Ulysses is always buying new gadgets that save time.

Even though Centerburg is a small town, many unusual things happen. Homer Price is always stuck trying to fix them.

One such time is when Homer finds a pet skunk that helps him catch the robbers of a bank. Another time is when a rich lady comes into Uncle Ulysses' shop and asks to help make the donuts. Ulysses agrees, and as the lady leaves, she realizes she lost her diamond ring. She puts out a reward, and kids begin to buy tons of donuts to find the ring. Sure enough, they find the ring inside one of the donuts. One of the most interesting stories is when Homer helps his grandpa get the woman he’s always wanted to marry. The sheriff also loves her. To see who will win her, the sheriff gives them the idea that they should have a contest to see who has the longest ball of string—seeing as how both of them have been collecting string for many, many years. Eventually, Homer’s grandpa wins and doesn’t have to be a widower. You’ll have to read and see what happens next and also enjoy the other hilarious stories.

I enjoyed Homer Price because it is a good story that made me feel good inside. His hometown stories made me think about my life and how blessed I am to live in a small town with friendly people. I also liked the book because it was funny. After a while of reading sad books, I was glad to read a book with no waterworks required.

I’m sure you’ll love and enjoy Homer Price. It’s one of the best books in Nancy Smith Elementary Library. So, if you’re tired of hearing of those cartoons that aren’t even funny, come by the library nearest you and check out Homer Price.

by Carolyn Keene; Reviewed by Maggie Shirley

When Nancy is invited to join a ghost hunt by her cousin Helen, she suddenly gets a mysterious phone call telling her to forget the ghost hunt! She and her friends ignore the warning and go to five different places that are supposed to be haunted. The first stop is at a camp where Nancy and her close friend, Ned Nickerson, try to take over a self-paddling canoe. Another stop is at a guesthouse where they see a ghost rider running after his dead horse. The other events that happen to Nancy and her friends are as bone chilling as all the other ones. When Nancy cleverly captures her enemy in a scary mansion, she finds out that one person she thought was innocent and kidnapped was guilty. This marvelous story written by Carolyn Keene will keep people of all ages on the edge of their seat the whole time!!

by June Rae Wood; Reviewed by Fidel Medrano

Have you ever read The Man Who Loves Clowns? It’s a story written by June Rae Wood that you’ll appreciate.

The book is about a man that acts like a young boy and a girl who likes carving.

I think The Man Who Loves Clowns is the best book I’ve read.

I hope that you check out this marvelous book from your library.

by Elinor J. Pinczes; Review by Jessica Boatright

In One Hundred Hungry Ants, a pack of ants smell a picnic and march there. On their way, the smallest ant stops the whole pack to change the order they are in. Finally, the ants get into ten by ten rows and march their way. When they get to the picnic, all the food is gone, and they blame it on the smallest ant.

The author, Elinor J. Pinczes, has written many books, but I like One Hundred Hungry Ants because it has rhyming in it. The illustrator is Bome Mackain who uses light colors but many. That’s why I like the pictures.

I hope you love One Hundred Hungry Ants. They are on their way to a picnic, but are stopped every five seconds by a little ant who makes them miss all the food.

by Mary Downing Hahn; Reviewed by Christi Hargrave

Do you like stories that have a mystery in them? If you do, you should read Time for Andrew by Mary Downing Hahn.

In Time for Andrew, Andrew has to spend the summer with his aunt while his mother and father go on a business trip. One night, Andrew hears strange noises in the attic. When he goes to investigate, he interacts with his ghostly great-cousin. His name is also Andrew, and he is very sick. He asks Andrew if he could hide on the stairs so he could be treated with modern medicine, but he tricks Andrew. When Andrew gets on the stairs, he let’s the sick Andrew get in his bed and he warps into the time of his cousin’s early life.

Mary Downing Hahn is, in my opinion, a fabulous author. She writes interesting ghost stories that are exciting mysteries.

Time for Andrew is “sooooo” mysterious. I loved reading it because I love ghost stories.

Come to a library near you and check out Time for Andrew.