The Queen of Katwe
The Queen of Katwe, by Tim Crothers; Simon & Schuster: New York, 2016; $16.00 The Queen of Katwe is a true story about an amazing Ugandan girl named Phiona Mutesi. Phiona grew up in the...
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Book, movie, and media reviews by young critics
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The Queen of Katwe, by Tim Crothers;
Simon & Schuster: New York, 2016; $16.00
The Queen of Katwe is a true story about an amazing Ugandan girl named Phiona Mutesi. Phiona grew up in the slums of Katwe. Life in Katwe is tough—little or no education, poor sanitation, crimes, violence, and extreme poverty.
Anne of Green Gables, by L. M. Montgomery;
Simon & Schuster: New York, 2014; $7.99
Few books copy the whimsy of childhood. Picasso said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” L. M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables is a remedy to that lack of adolescent joy.
George, by Alex Gino; Scholastic
Press: New York, 2015; $16.99
George could not have come out at a better time. LGBT rights is an important issue, yet for kids unfamiliar with the acronym or those interested in the subject, like me, seeing this in a kids’ novel had never happened, until George. The main character of the book, George, is transgender.
Seeing Lessons by Spring Hermann; Henry
Holt and Company: New York, 1998; $15.95
This book takes place in Andover and Boston, Massachusetts during the 1830s. Blind at birth, a ten-year-old girl, Abbie, and her sister Sophia, who is six, go to the first school in America for the blind. Dr.
Clara Schumann: Piano Virtuoso by Susanna
Reich; Clarion Books: New York, 1999; $18
As her tender, pale fingers grasped the ivory keys of the grand piano, she could feel herself shaking with nervousness. If you are a musician, or have another talent which requires you to perform in public, then you have probably experienced the anxiety that Clara Schumann goes through.
Unbroken by Jessie Haas; Greenwillow
Books: New York, 1999; $15
In Unbroken, Harriet Gibson becomes an orphan in 1910 when her mother dies in a horse-and-buggy accident. Now thirteen-year-old Harriet must leave her old life in a small Vermont town to live in the country with her Aunt Sarah. Having recently moved, I can understand how Harriet felt as she left her house, school, and friends.
When the Soldiers Were Gone by Vera W. Propp;
G. P. Putnam's Sons: New York, 1999; $14.99
When I first saw the book When the Soldiers Were Gone by Vera W. Propp, it sounded boring. Then as I started reading it, it was sad and fun to read and soon I couldn't stop. Henk (the main character) is friendly, kind, and also very brave.
Leaving Emma by Nancy Steele Brokaw;
Clarion Books: New York, 1999; $15
Having a best friend can make a kid feel like she's on top of the world. I know, because I have had the same best friend since I was less than two years old. But if something should happen with that best friend, and especially if she were your only friend, it could be terrifying.
Summer Hawk by Deborah Savage; Houghton
Mifflin Company: Boston, 1999; $16
Have you ever been in a situation you hate? This is exactly what happens to the main character, Melissa.
Melissa is unhappy, living in the small rural community of Hunter's Gap, Pennsylvania.
Out of the Wilderness, by Deb Vanasse;
Clarion Books: New York, 1999; $15
When I dimmed the lights and sat down, I expected a good book. That is not what I got. I got a great book. In Out of the Wilderness, Deb Vanasse's extremely descriptive writing complements the vast complexities of the Alaskan wilderness.