Booktalks
On this page you will find reviews which were written by Catonsville students that might be useful in helping you to select a book. Scroll down the page to see more reviews. Have you read a good book from CHS's library lately? Want to others about it? See Mr. Doyle for details on how you can get your book review on our website!
A Rumor of War
By: Philip Caputo
A Rumor of War is about a man who is drafted into the army to serve in Vietnam. He felt that Vietnam was morally wrong and that the U.S. should not have been involved, but he also felt a duty to his country. He also wants to honor his family by not running away. He ends up going through a rigorous boot camp that gets him ready for war. He learns how to do everything that one is required to do on the battlefield. His training includes how to disarm a soldier from his weapon through various methods of martial arts. They also learn how to live on little to no food. They learn how to load, fire, and reload all the weapons that will be available to them on the battlefield. Then when he finally graduates from the camp, he goes to Vietnam. He describes the setting in Vietnam as a serene and beautiful place, but has no idea what lies ahead. He goes through and learns all the harsh realities of war. He goes through the boonies and sees death, combat, and amputations! There is a lot of course language that is not suitable for young ones. This is also on a college reading level so I recommend this book for college students or gifted high school students that want to know the harsh realities of the Vietnam War. You can find this at 921CAP
A Season For Go
By: Lurlene McDaniel
It’s not easy having a medical problem. Lacey, Katie, and Chelsea are three close friends who all have medical problems such as diabetes and cancer. They attended a camp last year called Jenny’s Camp which is built around people who are sick and have medical problems. The three girls have returned for their second year but this year they are going to be counselors and help out other little girls. This is not the only task they are faced with by the end of the summer. Lacey, Katie, and Chelsea must all find the answer to their own individual problems. They are faced with a decision that they must make. Will Katie choose a scholarship over her boyfriend? Will Lacey work out her problems in her relationship with Jeff? Will Chelsea overcome her fear of romance? The complications and obstacles that the girls must over come make this one interesting book to read. Will there be another year at Jenny’s Camp? This book is available at Catonsville High’s library in the Fiction section.
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Cat and Mouse By Clive Cussler Cat and Mouse, by Clive Cussler, is a story about an everyday woman and a stalker. Every chapter the book switches from telling about the stalker to the women. The chapters about the woman describe the everyday events in her life. They also show how she handles the pressure of all of the crime she hears on the news. The chapters about the stalker go into detail about the women that he stalks and how he kills them and butchers their bodies. Also thrown into the mix is the police involvement with the case of all of the dead women turning up butchered to death. |
The Crossing
By: Gary Paulsen
This book is for readers who like adventure and action. This story begins with a thirteen-year-old kid named Manny Bustos. Manny Bustos is an orphan and a street kid. Manny lives in Juarez, Mexico. His appearance is really bad. Manny is a red head with long eyelashes. Those people always need to be on the move. Manny wants to cross the border to Texas. Manny has to sleep in a cardboard box and he also has to fight with boys bigger and older them him. He has to because he needs some coins. Across the border, Manny meets Sergeant Robert S. Locke. Robert is a Vietnam vet and army prefect. Robert helps Manny get across the border. On the night that Manny dares to cross the border, they both meet in an encounter that fills the night with endless possibilities. Here are some more books by Gary Paulsen. They are Dogsong, Case of the Dirty Bird, Compkill, The Cookcamp. The Hatchet, Brian’s Winter, The Winter Room, The River, The creature of Black Water Lake, and ect. This book can be located at Catonsville’s High Library.
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The Damnation Game By: Clive Barker
Marty Straus is in jail but if he agrees to bodyguard a rich Mr. Whitehead he can get on parole sooner. Marty agrees and is taken to Mr. Whitehead’s mansion. Marty soon finds that things are not normal at this house when he meets Mr. Whitehead’s daughter, who is a heroin addict. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. As Mr. Whitehead opens up more you find that he is scared of a man who calls himself ‘The Last European’. Marty must decide if he will protect Mr. Whitehead or try and save himself. What will he do? This book is in the Horror genre and can be found at any library in the FICTION section. |
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Do-Over By: Rachel Vail
This book was fun to read. It was about a boy named Whitman Levy. Whitman is a normal, average teen boy and this book tells about his life. Whitman’s love interest is a girl named Shelia. When Whitman finds out that she is trying out for the school play, he decides to try out too. Shelia and Whitman eventually end up going out, but later she dumps him and he has to move on. Whitman also gets hit with the surprise that his parents have decided to separate. These are all some of the problems that Whitman faces in this book. I would recommend this book to any teenager, because it is funny and easy to read. How will Whitman do in the play? Will he get a girlfriend? What happens to his parents? Read this book to find out. It can be found in the Catonsville High School library. |
Ella Enchanted by Gale Carson Levine
Have you ever read or seen Cinderella? Did you like I? Then this is the book for you. The story Ella Enchanted is about a girl name Ella who was cursed by a foolish fairy named Lucinda. Lucinda believed that her curses were gifts and bestowed the gift of obedience on Ella when she was a baby. Ella hates her curse because if some one commanded her to do something then she would have to do it. As Ella grew older, she learned how to delay her curse for a couple of minutes. One day at Ella’s mother’s funeral she met a Prince named Charmont. Charmont and Ella became very close friends and they grew to love each other. Soon after the death of Ella’s mother ‘s death her father remarried to a woman name Dame Olga who had two children named Hattie and Olive. Ella was soon sent to a finishing school with her two new sisters. Ella did not really like her sisters much, and then fled school to find Lucinda so she could take the curse off of her but she would not do it. Then Charmont rights a letter to her expressing his love, but Ella writes a letter back saying that she was already married to protect Charmont from her curse. Charmont’s father decides to have three balls so he could a wife. So Ella decides to go in disguise to meet her destiny. Will Ella break her curse? Read and find out.
Extra Innings by Robert Peck
The book Extra Innings was an interesting book. The book was about a boy who has a dream to become a major league baseball player some day. His aunt, Vidalia, brought upon this dream. As a child his aunt described what the major leagues was like when he was a child. Tate’s, the main character, dreams were quickly destroyed when his family’s private Cessna plane crashed and was engulfed in flames. Young Tate lost his leg in the crash, but more importantly he lost his family. He now lives with his aunt that taught him everything he knows about baseball. She is the only person that can comfort him and his lost dream because she is the person that brought upon his dream. What is Tate going to do with his life now that he has lost his leg? I guess you will have to read the book. This book would be most enjoyed by a person that enjoys sports and some exciting adventure in the middle. This book can be found in Catonsville High School’s Library.
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Fifteen by Beverly Cleary Jane, a fifteen-year-old girl has a day job babysitting with her best friend Julie. Jane has always wanted a loving, respectful boyfriend. She explains her perfect match. While she’s babysitting a seventeen-year-old boy, Stan, walks into the kitchen and surprises Jane. Stan works for the Doggy Diner, a business that delivers horsemeat to families who own dogs in the town. Jane thinks Stan is cute but doesn’t get his name as he’s leaving. Apparently Stan also liked Jane because he somehow finds put her name and her number and calls her. He asks Jane to go out on a date with him. She agrees but is afraid to ask her parents. They wind up saying yes, and Jane has a nice time with Stan, they go to the movies and out for coffee afterwards. Stan and Jane wind up really liking each other and every time they want to go out on a date Jane has to ask her parents and each time they give her a hard time because they think that Jane is to young for a boyfriend and to be riding around in cars with a boy she just met. Will Stan and Jane be allowed to date? Will they want to date? What will happen? I would recommend this book for a 9th grade girl or someone who is looking for and easy reading book. You can find this book at a Public Library or the Catonsville High School Library, call number CLE in the Fiction paperback section. |
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Forged by Fire by Sharon Draper Forged by Fire is a story about a boy growing up in Harlem, New York. He lives a tough, and for the most part, and unhappy life. His name is Gerald and he lives with his mother Monique, his mother’s boyfriend, who is Angel’s father, Jordan, and his little sister Angel. The only member of this family Gerald gets along with is his little sister. His mother is always angry and busy attempting to please her boyfriend, and rarely shows any affection towards her children. Jordan beats everyone in their small apartment. That Gerald can handle, but then when Angel told him that Jordan feels her, he cant let that go, and he tells the police. There is a court case and Jordan is sent to jail for 6 years. While he is gone, the 3 of them grow together and become more of a family. Gerald learns to play basketball really well, and Angel finds a wonderful dancing talent that she pursues by taking lessons and joining into plays. When Gerald is 17 and angel is 12, Jordan’s sentence is served and he returns to the family. That’s when the trouble starts.
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For the Love of Money by Omar Tyree The name of the book I read was “ For The Love Of Money” by Omar Tyree. This book was about an African American actress who goes through problems and comes across trials and tribulations that make her stronger and wiser as a woman. The main idea of the story is how Tracy (the main character) handles the stereotypes set by our society for an African American woman. Also. It tells how she deals with the prejudices situations from her colleagues. I liked the book because it was real. It was a reality check and it was something I could relate to. I liked how Tracy handled a white man trying to take advantage of her. I also liked the part in the book how she held her ground when she was offered millions of dollars to act in a nude scene in a movie. But my most favorite part of the book is how she reunited with her family from the past after the pain she’s caused them. I think African American young people will enjoy this type of book because it’s something they can relate to. This is a reality book and will have you thinking days after you have finished it. |
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Goodbye Doesn't Mean Forever Larlene McDaniel by This is a great book to read! This book is about a girl named Jory, and her friend Melissa. Melissa has Leukemia, and it is hard for her to enjoy her life, by going back, and forth to the doctor’s. Jory is a party girl; she doesn’t understand why her friend must go through all these problems. The next time Melissa goes to the clinic she finds out that she has a bone marrow. The only way for Melissa to overcome it is if her brother Mike goes under surgery with her, and gives her a bone for the one that is broken. Meanwhile, while this situation is being handled Melissa dream comes true. She gets a scholar ship to college. She begins preparing herself for the surgery, as well as college. Jory is worried. She doesn’t know how she is going to live, without her best friend by her side. Jory begins to rethink, and sees that while she was chasing after guys and parting, she should have been more focused on school, than anything else. She realizes that her mother was right after all. Now her friend is going away, and she’s left home with no best friend. If you like stories about friendship, and the pro’s and con’s of it, than this is the book for you. If you can relate to the problems in the book, and how the solve them, then this is the book for you! IT REALLY IS A GOOD BOOK TO READ! ENJOY THE BOOK! This book is located in the Catonsville High School Library. |
Outrageously Alice
I decided to read this book initially because it had and interesting cover. I enjoyed this book because it dealt with issues teenage girls deal with everyday. The book also keeps you very interested. Therefore, I read the book in three days. The book was also comforting because she has to go through teenage girl problems and she doesn’t have a mother. However, she has a father, a big brother, and an aunt she talks to over the phone a lot. Another reason I enjoyed this book is because it was very funny and amusing. Alice has a great character so that is one of the reasons it is amusing. Her two best friends are also interesting character in the book. Their names are Pamela and Elizabeth. Some of the other characters are Patrick, Alice’s boyfriend; Mrs. Summers (Sylvia), her old teacher and her dad’s girlfriend; and Mr. Everett, her teacher now. All in all I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it because it is an easy and interesting read.
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Hoop Dreams by Ben Joravsky If you have ever dreamed of being a college basketball player. If you ever wanted to be known as the best, than this is the book for you. This is a book that will open your mind to the world that many people haven’t experienced first hand. This is a book based on the life William Gates. William was a black kid from the south side of Chicago known for it’s rough streets and gang infested neighborhood. William found his way out of the ghetto with his basketball skills. A man named Big Earl recruited William. Big Earl showed him a way to get into St. Joe, a predominately white school, on the outskirts of Chicago. There will be many changes for William’s environment, attitude, and goals. |
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The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore by Joan Lowery Dixon Seventeen-year-old Christina Lattimore is a normal teenager who goes to Madame DeJon’s school for girls. She has a best friend named Lorena and knows many people in her neighborhood and trusts them all. Christina was never afraid to go out by herself ever since the night she got kidnapped by someone she knew and trusted. A couple days later when the police found Christina, she was found holding a gun at her kidnappers. The police did not no what to suspect and did not believe her story. Well Christina told them her side and said there was a third kidnapper but she did not know whom. The police were not determined to find the third person and Christina wanted to know who it was. Her mission from now on was to find the third person. This book can be found at NIX, copyright date 1979 published by Dell Laurel-Leaf, fiction. |
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Night Shift By Steven King This suspenseful novel is composed of several different short stories. Even though you can’t get used to a certain main character or a specific setting, there are diverse stories. You don’t need to put the book down because there will be a different story after the one you disliked. For example, the story “Trucks” is a short story with the same plot as the movie, Maximum Overdrive, where trucks have “a mind of their own”, killing humans because the Earth is caught in the tail of a comet. This book can be found at the Catonsville Public Library. |