Jake's Review of The Mystery of Pony Hollow

The Mystery of Pony Hollow written by Lynn Hall
Reviewed by Jake McCarthy

This book is about Sarah figuring out the mystery of Pony Hollow.  Sarah rides her pony until she finds a stone house in the woods and hears whinnying in the house.

I liked this book because of what happens in the story.  The whinnying is the fun because there is nothing in the house except the bones of a pony.

I recommend this for ages 5 to 9.

Jake's Review of Danny, The Champion of the World

Danny, The Champion of the World written by Roald Dahl
Reviewed by Jake McCarthy

This book is about Danny and his father who live in a caravan.  They go on a poaching trip and Danny devises a new way of poaching pheasants.  They poach in horrible Mr. Victor Hazel's woods.

I liked this book because of the poaching in the story.  For example, I liked the creeping and crawling around in the woods when they were looking for pheasants.

I recommend this book for ages 7 to 10.

Jake's Review of Little House in the Big Woods and Little House on the Prairie

Little House in the Big Woods and Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Reviewed by Jake McCarthy

These two books are in a series of books.  Most of them are about Laura (b. 1867), a girl from Wisconsin.  At first, she lived in the woods and then she moved to the prairie.  The prairie and the woods were hard places to live.

I liked these books because of what people had to do to survive.  For example, when there was a fire on the prairie, they had to plow a furrow and slap the fire with wet sacks.

I recommend this book for ages 7 to 11.

Jake's Review of Freckle Juice

Freckle Juice written by Judy Blume
Reviewed by Jake McCarthy
 
This book is about a kid who really wants freckles.  A girl gives him a recipe for freckle juice and instead of giving him freckles, it makes him sick.
 
I liked this book because the kid wants freckles when he looks better without freckles.  And when he spends fifty cents, which is five weeks of allowance, instead he gets sick.
 
I recommend it for ages 6 to 8.

Jake's Review of George's Marvelous Medicine

George's Marvelous Medicine written by Roald Dahl
Reviewed by Jake McCarthy
 
George is in the house with the worst ugly grunion of a grandma that there could ever be.  George thinks he has the worst grandma so he decides to make a marvelous whopping medicine that will help her to get less grouchy.
 
George makes four different medicines, but he only uses one on his grunion (his grandma).  
 
I liked this book because the results of George's medicines were funny.
 
I recommend it for ages 5 to 10. 

Jake's Review of The Boxcar Children: The Mystery of the Spider's Clue

The Boxcar Children:  The Mystery of the Spider's Clue written by Gertrude Chandler
Reviewed by Jake McCarthy
 
This is a book from the series called The Boxcar Children.  Jesse, Violet, Henry and Benny.  In this story, the four kids figure out a mystery.
 
Sam Snow has a hunch when he gets a message that says he is supposed to figure out a mystery, so he invites the kids to unravel the mystery. 
 
This is a special book because of what the hollow tree is.
 
I recommend it for ages 5 to 10.

Jake's Review of The Famous Five: Five on a Hike Together

The Famous Five:  Five on a Hike Together written by Enid Blyton
Reviewed by Jake McCarthy
 
This book is part of the popular British series The Famous Five.  It has four great characters:  Anne, George, Julian and Dick.  They have a dog, Timmy, who always helps them out of trouble.
 
They go on a hike that turns into a mystery because Dick gets a special map.  When a man, who they think is an escaped prisoner, gives Dick the map, the children go on an adventure to find the treasure on the map.
 
It was so exciting, I couldn't put it down!
 
I recommend it for 7 to 11 year olds.

Jake's Review of Boat Ride with Lillian Two Blossom

Boat Ride with Lillian Two Blossom written by Patricia Polacco
Reviewed by Jake McCarthy
 
The story was mainly about a brother and sister named Will and Sparky going on a trip to the spirits in outer space with their goat Banana Joe and a mysterious woman named Lillian Two Blossom.
 
I liked the magic boat ride that they had.  This was a very magical story.
 
I recommend it for 3 to 7 year olds.

Jake's Review of The Velveteen Rabbit

The Velveteen Rabbit written by Margery Davidson
Reviewed by Jake McCarthy
 
This book is about a boy who got a toy rabbit for Christmas.  The boy loved him so much that he turned real.
 
It is special because of the magic of the boy's love.
 
I really recommend it for ages 4 to 7.

Jake's Review of The Story of Thomas Alva Edison, Inventor

The Story of Thomas Alva Edison, Inventor written by Margaret Davidson
Reviewed by Jake McCarthy
 
This is about the life of Thomas Alva Edison.  Edison was born in the USA.  He invented the light bulb, the phonograph, and the first moving pictures.
 
I liked it because his inventions made our homes better places to live.
 
Recommended for ages 7 to 11.

Jake's Review of The Unwilling Umpire

The Unwilling Umpire written by Ron Roy
Reviewed by Jake McCarthy
 
The book is a fun mystery.  It is from the series called the A to Z Mysteries which is about Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose solving the mystery of the missing baseball.
 
I liked it because they met a new kid in the story called Buddy.  Buddy was the umpire's brother whose advice helped solve the mystery.
 
Recommended for ages 5 to 9.

Jake's Review of The Bears' Famous Invasion of Sicily

The Bears' Famous Invasion of Sicily written by Dino Buzzati
Reviewed by Jake McCarthy
 
This book is about King Leander, a good bear.  The bears come down from the mountains to find food.  The bears fight humans, led by the evil Duke in many conflicts.  Eventually, the bears win after five wars.
 
The bears stay and live with the people and change from good to bad because they adopt bad human ways.
 
I liked it because the author has many funny and strange characters, including one that doesn't even appear!
 
Recommended for Ages 7 to 11.