Book-Review Winners (August 2014)

August 06, 2014

Congratulations to these enthusiastic young critics who shared their reading recommendations with us in July. Each wins a $25 gift certificate from Crow Bookshop in Burlington. We loved reading about all the entrants' literary adventures and have included some excerpts below.

School of Fear by Gitty Daneshvari

"I loved how all four main characters have something to be afraid of. Maddy is deathly afraid of spiders and other bugs. Theo is petrified of dying. Lulu is scared of confined spaces. And Garrison is terrified of water. Everyone is unique, with their own fears. Thank goodness everybody is different."

— Madison Perham, 11 of Hyde Park

The Backyard Sheep by Sue Weaver

"My favorite part of the book was when the author describes how most people think of sheep as airheads when really they have no way to defend themselves. They can't bite, scratch, kick or buck (except for the occasional ram) so their only response is to run in the opposite direction of the 'scary' object."

— Rebecca Moriarty, 11 of Jericho

The Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahl

"The Enormous Crocodile is a bad crocodile. He wants to eat children! I liked the end when Trunky the Elephant spun the Enormous Crocodile around and around and threw him to the sun."

— Ava Bouchard, 8 of South Burlington

Divergent by Veronica Roth

"My favorite part is when Tris and Four climbed the Ferris wheel. They were really brave. I really like that the lead character was a strong, powerful girl. I couldn't put the book down."

— Dahlia Harrison, 9 of Middlebury

This article was originally published in Seven Days' monthly parenting magazine, Kids VT.