Quackery, by Lydia Kang

This book is a very informative yet hilarious way of listing different quackeries, or fake cures designed to make money off of people. The substances span from Mercury to a simple King's touch. You will enjoy every moment of reading this book.

~ Posted by a Homestead sophomore

Far From The Tree, by Robin Benway

This novel is told from three perpecutives, Grace, Maya and Joaquin. Grace, at sixteen years old, gets pregnant with her boyfriend Max, and has to deal with Max breaking up with her, getting disowned by his parents and learns what it means to be a mom in high school. She is an only child and learns what it's like to have siblings Maya tries her best to fit into her adopted family and becomes a middle child with her siblings. Joaquin has never had a permanent family until he discoveres Linda and Mark. He has no interest in finding his biological mother, knowing she only dumped him for good.

I saw the cover of this book and instantly wanted to read it. I read the summary as well hoping the book was as good as the cover. As I was reading, I found myself learning lots about adopted family and what it looks like not to fit in. It gave me a new look on life and showed me that not everyone has a family as I do. I learned I often take for granted my family and lucky to have my sibling.

~ Reviewed by a Homestead sophomore

The Fallen, by Thomas E. Sniegoski

The book is about a young man discovering powers exactly when turned 18. At first he thought he was just crazy, but unfortunately, it was much more serious than that. He is part of an ancient prophecy.
Read more to find out what that means!

~ Posted by a Homestead sophomore

Eragon series, by Christopher Paolini

Eragon is the first installment of a four-book series by Christopher Paolini. It takes place in a mythical world called Alagaesia, and follows the journey of a young man named Eragon, who finds a mysterious blue stone while hunting, and discovers that it is a dragon egg. His discovery results in the overturning of his once peaceful life and thrusts the fate of Alagaesia in his hands. He and his dragon, Saphira, may be the only hope of overthrowing King Galbatorix, an evil and corrupt king. An old man, and a former dragon rider himself, named Brom helps him along the way, to find one of the last groups resisting the king's reign. The book was a fantastic read, as the author does a really good job building the plot and making you really invested in the lives of the characters. The rest of the books are about Eragons's fate, as he struggles to bear the weight of Alagaesia on his shoulders, and tries to be the symbol of hope that the people need in such dire times. There are plenty of twists and turns within the story and the books only get better, so I highly recommend reading all four of the books. 

~ Reviewed by Matthew Y., Homestead 9th grader

Review of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkein

If you consider yourself a fan of fictional literature, The Lord of the Rings is an incredible classic read that completely transported me to a different world. I have read many books, and these books by J.R.R. Tolkien are truly special. Tolkien's ability to create a legendary world, with memorable characters is utterly infallible, and still inspires me today. The trilogy conveys the story of how the destiny of a world called Middle Earth falls upon the shoulders of a simple hobbit, named Frodo Baggins of the shire. Hobbits are not known to be adventurous in any way, yet their inner strength can be quite unpredictable. A golden ring that is passed down to him turns out to be a object of incredible strength and evil, sought by Sauron, the epitome of darkness and malice. Sauron created the ring, but he was parted from it in the last war. It is concluded that the only logical way to prevent the ring from ending up in Sauron's hands is to destroy it in the fires whence it was forged, in the land of Mordor, where Sauron himself dwells. The books follow the events of this epic quest to free Middle Earth from Sauron and restore a new age of peace to the lands. The Hobbit shares the adventure of how the ring got so far from Sauron in the first place, and ultimately ended up in the shire.
~ Posted by Matthew Y., Homestead 9th grader

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Review of The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

Narrated by Death, The Book Thief is focused on Liesel Meminger, a young girl living in Munich, Germany. With the help of her foster father, Liesel learns to read and form deep connections with others. Her insatiable thirst for books forces her to steal from Nazi book-burnings and from the mayor’s wife’s library. Furthermore, she defies society’s supreme law by secretly reading to the Jewish man, Max Vandenburg, who is hidden in her basement. In return, Max writes her a story, “The Word Shaker”, which helps her discover the power of language. Liesel realizes the ability for words to cause damage, such as Nazi propaganda. At the same time, they were a gift of comfort and a place for refuge. Eventually, her understanding shapes her character and results in a tremendous transformation from the beginning of the novel to the end.
As an avid reader of historical fiction, I most certainly enjoyed Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief and would recommend this book to others. Moreover, I personally believe that the message Zusak delivers is extremely crucial. This book also shows that amidst hardships and adversity, there is still love, which is the light at the end of the tunnel. For example, Liesel herself loved books. Hans and Rosa Hubermann, Liesel’s foster parents, loved Liesel the most. There are many ways the characters are bonded through love; Liesel’s father shows his love frankly, while her mother’s form of love is somewhat oblique. Also, Liesel and her family were very courageous. They put their lives at risk to do what is morally right: they helped a starving Jewish man, Max. Although the rest of society blindly follows Hitler’s rules, the Hubermanns and Liesel have a mind of their own: they stand out to do what is right, even if no one is watching.
Another recurring message throughout the entire novel is that words have power. Rather than use weapons to fight, why don’t we use words, a form of non-violence fighting? Words are extremely powerful, perhaps even stronger than guns, money, and brute force. When Max writes Liesel “The Word Shaker”, he reveals how much words can do. Hitler never used guns or money to change people and manipulate them. He used words; he was an excellent orator. This can be applied to our daily lives as well. One should take the time to appreciate this gift of language. Without words, there would be no communication, no train of thought, no books; the list goes on and on. Words may seem like something so little that it has nearly no value. In other words, one should appreciate the small things in his or her life.

~ Reviewed by Emma

A Cup of Friendship, by Deborah Rodriguez

A Cup of Friendship, by Deborah Rodriguez

This book is amazing. It is staged in the capital of Afghanistan, Kabul. It's about the life of many different people with different beliefs and cultures and how they come together to combat social norms. I highly recommend it because it taught me how privileged we are and how much we take for granted. It also showed me how the culture is like in a different country.

~ Posted by a Homestead freshman