Book Reviews

Germinal

By Émile Zola (English translation)

  Émile Zola's Germinal is a disheartening account of many people who work in the mines of the town of Montsou in France. In the beginning of this account, a young man called Étienne comes in to Village 240 in Montsou looking for a job that he finds in the Le Voreux coal mine. Here he meets the Maheu family. But during this work of fiction, Étienne becomes an instigator of a strike of the mining workers. This all due to the sneaky wage cut made the Grégoires mining company. The company has changed around the payment to make it look like the workers are getting the same amount of money, but the workers realize that it is a wage cut and end up striking. Almost all of the workers in the mine are already in terrible poverty and it only gets worse.

In the first part of the novel, Zola explains in great detail the condition and appearance of the mines. Also, we hear about the experiences' of the characters in the story, such as Grandpa Bonnemort always coughing up black saliva. Additionally, we meet Levaque, Pierrones, and Mouque who are fellow miners. In Part Two, we are introduced to the wealthy Grégoire family in great descriptiveness as well as other top executives in the mining company. During Part Three, we meet Souvarine, a Russian who is a violent anarchist who wants to destroy many things. In the part, the mine caves in and severely injures Jeanlin, one of the sons of Maheu. This begins the line of tragedy for the Maheus.

    The story begins and ends in the spring; beginning in March and ending in April. These parts all show the germination of the characters in the story. In the beginning, many people were surviving with what they had. Even though the company decreased the wages, it would still be more money than the people made striking. During the 1880s in France, times were hard and things didn't change very quickly. The strike didn't make things any better for the workers; it just made things worse.

Reviewed by Michael

Zel

By Donna Jo Napoli

What would you do if your mother locked you in a tower in the middle of nowhere for two years of your life, and then proceeds to tell you someone wants you dead when you've never harmed anyone?  You would probably be really scared.  When Zel was about to turn thirteen her mother got wind of Zel's receiving a gift from a young man of fifteen she decided that she must do something to prevent Zel from being interested in members of the opposite sex.

          She immediately came up with a plan to look Zel in a tower so only she can see her on a daily basis.  Her hope was to keep her pretty daughter to herself and away from anything that would take her away.  She was too late.  Zel was already thinking of this young man every day and he was looking for her.  After two years of looking he gave up.

          One day in the tower, Zel heard a horse, but she thought she was imagining things.  She had found the young man, or he found her.  One problem still remained, how was she going to get down?

Reviewed by Zelle

Letters to Julia

By Barbara Ware Holmes

Liz Beech wants to be a writer.  She sends a chapter of a book she wrote to an editor named Julia Steward Jones.  Julia likes the story and asks for more of it.  Their friendship begins.  Liz writes to her about all the problems she is having with her parents and friends, and Julia gives her advice.  This book is a collection of the letters written back and froth between Liz and Julia.

Reviewed by Kathryn

The Baby-Sitters' Club:  Kristy's Big Day

By Ann M. Martin

Kristy's mom (Elizabeth) and Watson Brewer are getting married and Kristy is a bridesmaid!!  Only there is one big problem.  There are fourteen kids coming to the wedding and they all need babysitters.  Can the five girls from the Babysitters' Club handle it?  Read this book to find out.  I really liked this book and I think you will too.  You just need to read this book.

Reviewed by Katie 

Snot Stew

By Bill Wallace

          This book is about the kittens whose mother left them.  Their names are Toby and Kiki.  When people found them, they took care of the kittens.  Toby and Kiki could live in the people's house and the people that took care of them were Mom, Dad, Sarah and Ben (who are the two children).  Kiki and Toby loved stew, and when the mom called them for stew they went running.  Some times Sarah and Ben got into fights and sometimes they would say "Is too!"  "Is not!" over and over until it sounded like "Stew!"  Toby and Kiki would run to the kitchen, but there would be no stew. Every time the kids fought this kept on happening.  In time Toby and Kiki thought it was a game they were playing.  Whenever Toby and Kiki were let out side, Toby teased the big dog on the other side of the fence.  He would jump over the fence and make the dog chase him and then he would run through the little hole in the fence.  When Toby got fat, he could not fit through the hole and you will have to find out what happens next by reading this book on your own.

          I like this book because it is a cute story and some parts are funny.  If you are interested you can check it out at the library.

Reviewed by Amanda

The Wild Kid

By Harry Mazer

This book is about a kid named Sammy who has Down's syndrome and who gets lost in the forest.  He fell out of a tree on to a little house.  A different boy named Kevin lived there all by himself.  At first Kevin holds Sammy hostage.  Then they become friends.  Kevin does not want to let Sammy go because he's afraid if people know about him he will have to go to a foster home or even jail.  Kevin has had a bad past.  So if you want to know what happens to Sammy and Kevin, you should read this book.

I thought this was a great happy and sad book, but I hate the ending.  It is very, very sad.

Reviewed by Danielle