Buddha: An Enlightened Life, by Kieron Moore

Buddha: An Enlightened Life, by  Kieron Moore, is a graphic novel from the very beginning of Buddha's life to the end of his life. Buddha first was a prince, but he was different from others. Even before he was born, the prophecies said that he would not accept to become a king, instead, he will choose a path to be a Buddha and reach Nirvana, helping and inviting others to the religion. His father, as a king, tries to keep him away from the society so he wouldn't find out what really is going on, therefore he would never leave the kingdom. Also, Buddha's wife as promised to the king, tries hard to keep him away from exploring the life out of castle. However, when she gives birth to his son, he decides to leave and see what is really out there. As the story goes on, he tries many ways to reach Nirvana by many teachers, but none of them were successful. Until, he decided to find his path himself and be his own teacher. After trying so hard and teaching himself, finally he finds the way to Nirvana, therefore, he goes back to those who have tried teaching him, but failed, he offers them to be their teacher and guide. Some of them refused it and some didn't. By the time passes, he finds many people following his path, but also he finds enemies too.

The graphic novel is really amazing. Beside of the details of what happened in Buddha's life, the art and the illustration of it give readers a feeling of being in the story. I really liked how the book was arranged and how the story was written.This graphic novel is only 147 pages and it's pretty short. It only takes a day to finish it. I believe this graphic novel would be interesting to those who would like to know more about Buddha's personal life from the very beginning in a short period of time. Also, it is suitable for those who are interested in graphic novels and find them interesting. Moreover, it is more suitable for teens and young adults. I believe that this book is interesting and entertaining.

Reviewed by Orkideh, Grade 12
Downtown Central Library

The Story of Michael Jordan's Comeback, by Mitchell Krugel

 The Story of Michael Jordan's Comeback, by  Mitchell Krugel, is about the greatest basketball player named Michael Jordan. He's mother taught him to play basketball. He was born in February 17,1963, he went and play basketball at Universal of North Carolina for 3 years he won NCAA championship in 1982. He struggle back in high school year view games that he played. He then got drafted in 1984 selected by the Chicago bulls. He played 19 years in NBA and retired. He had so many award every single session. He average about 30 point per game, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. He is now the owner of Charlotte Hornets basketball team. The company for Nike made shoes for Michael Jordan which is popular to many people who loves basketball.

I like this book because it talks about unknown person to known as person. I think adolescents would actually like this book, its interesting in my opinion.He is a person who always wanted to succeed in NBA which he did! and I recommending that my friends should read the book.

Reviewed by Maximillian, Grade 9

Montrose Library

The Ghostfaces, by John Flanagan

The six book in the “Brotherband Chronicles” follows the Herons on a journey to a whole new land. Hal, Stig, Thorn, and the rest of the herons get swept far away from Scandia and into the Endless Ocean by a freak storm while on a routine trip. Tossed around the rolling waves, a leak in one of the two water barrels makes a bad situation worse. The brotherband reaches land, but it’s nation or land that they know of. After saving two native children from a fearsome bear, Hal and his crew make friends with the tribe whose children they had protected. They then learn of the Ghostfaces, a fearsome tribe of raiders who haven’t been seen for years, are on the move again, and the Herons’ friends are a target. The clock is ticking, and group prepares to defend their new friends.

I think that The Ghostfaces, by John Flanagan, is a solid read, and a great addition to the series. There are a lot of twists and turns, with danger always around the corner. One aspect of the book is the emotional roller coaster that is Stig’s personal adventure with a young native woman who captures his heart. This is a view that hasn’t really been fleshed out in a Brotherband book, and it brings a lot of depth to the characters. The Ghostfaces is one of my favorite novels in the Brotherband saga to date, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed any of the other of John Flanagan’s books.

Reviewed by Eric L, Grade 8
Montrose Library

Arc of Scythe Series, Fantasy, Newal Shuterman

Scythe, by Neal Shusterman, starts off with two normal teenagers when a scythe comes knocking on their doors. A scythes job is to control the population since dying is a lot less common. So if someone is chosen by a scythe to be killed, he cannot be revived. This scythe that approached both of them took them on as apprentices. But, only one can be chosen to be a scythe, the other would have to be killed by the winner.

This book was gory, had a lot of action, and was overall amazing! The only thing I did not like was a lack of exciting content, most of it was just kind of boring but it peaks up at the end. I did like the storytelling too. It made me feel like I was the main character.  I think this book will best appeal action enthusiasts mostly because of all it's fight scenes and gore. I would give this book a 9\10 and I would definitely recommend it.

Reviewed by Anonymous, Grade 7
Grandview Library

Johannes Gutenberg: Inventor of the Printing, by Fran Rees

He didn’t invent printing. Nor did he invent the typewriter. Yet what he invented changed the lives of the Europeans and eventually the rest of the world. Johannes Gutenberg, one of the most honorable inventors in the history of mankind, invented the printing press which sprouted the telling of tales and bloomed literacy rate like never before. In 1440, Johannes Gutenberg invented the technique of printing with movable letters in the German city Mainz. Gutenberg’s printing press propagated literature to the multitudes for the first time and this became a dominant advantage during the glorious Renaissance age.

Johannes Gutenberg: Inventor of the Printing, by Fran Rees, is an excellent biography about the infamous Johannes Gutenberg. I had a great time reading this biography because not only did I learn about the life of Johannes Gutenberg but I also got a glimpse of the history of a shift in the print media and how it affected the masses. This biography helped me understand a crucial part of European history since the invention of the printing press changed our world and the effect of the renaissance era.

Reviewed by Anonymous, Grade 12

Glendale Central Library

The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction, by Alan Jacobs

The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction is written byAlan Jacobs who is a professor of humanities in Baylor University. Jacobs argue that the number of readers and the strength of reading are not dying in America. He believes that reading is well and alive in America. Jacobs then turns his attention to the ex-readers or the forgotten readers in hopes of pulling them back to the reading world once again. Jacobs boldly and fiercely dismisses books and scholars who discourage the weak readers.

The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction is a great book for the fallen readers who feel that they are not welcomed in the world of reading anymore. Jacobs has reshaped not only how I should read but also where I should read and why I should even pick up a book at all. Jacobs’ caring tone throughout book serves as a friendly guide to the audience and it also helps us trust his advice and his credibility as an expert in the field of literature.

Reviewed by Anonymous, Grade 12

Glendale Central Library

H2O, by Virginia Bergin

H2O starts off with an asteroid hitting Earth. The worlds only chance was to shoot a rocket at it hoping it will explode. An astronaut pulled the job and saved the world. Unfortunately, there was some sort of bacterium in the asteroid. A few weeks later, there was a disaster in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, and it was heading toward the Americas. At this point, the main character Ruby, is at a party at her friend Zak's house, little to know it was seconds away from the crisis. Luckily, Zak's parents knew what was going on and they quickly got everyone in the house. It started to rain, but the reason it was an emergency was that it was fatal, and just one drop will kill you. A few weeks pass and Ruby's friends, family, and neighbors are all dead, and she's stuck with two dogs ( one with a terrible odor), a dork she would never hang out with, and an 8 year old mute on a journey to find her birth father.

I loved everything about H2O, by  Virginia Bergin, its storytelling was amazing. I recommend this book to horror enthusiasts. It was so hard to choose a favorite character because of all the times a main character died. I also loved Ruby who still cared about her appearance in the middle of a crisis. The book made me feel like I was witnessing the true horrors and disasters of the story. I did not want to put the book one bit. It was a great experience reading this book and I really recommend it. I loved everything about this book especially the storytelling.

Reviewed by Anonymous,
Grade 7, Grandview Library