NORTH SMITHFIELD PUBLIC LIBRARY - Recommendation Blog

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collines

5/3/2021

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is the prequel to the Hunger Games series, and is a must read for anyone who enjoyed the series. This focuses more on the life of Coriolanus Snow, the president in the Hunger Games, and how his life was like when he was 18 years old. This allows the readers to get into the perspective of the Peacekeepers, the Capitol citizens, and the mentoring of the Hunger Games. This also goes further into life in District 12 and what it is like for the citizens there. This story takes place just after the tenth Hunger Games, and the Capitol is looking for new things to try. This is amazing for anyone that couldn't get enough from the series itself, and I highly recommend this book to read.
Recommended by Ethan L.
Grade 8

Librarian Note:
If you are interested in this book, you can find more about it in the library catalog by clicking here.
Genre: dystopian fiction, science fiction, action/adventure, survival

Gone by Michael Grant

5/3/2021

Gone is a book about a town in California. When it seems like a normal day, the town suddenly changes, and everyone 15 and over just disappears from existence. The kids 14 and under are all confused, and don’t know what to do. Then, the fires and accidents happen, saying no one was there to turn off stoves and faucets. As if that wasn’t weird enough, some of the kids start to gain strange powers from this place. This story is a work of art, and it focuses on about ten different points of view. This story will leave you on the edge of your seat, and will surprise you when you least expect it.
Recommended by Ethan L.
Grade 8

Librarian Note:
If you are interested in this book, you can find more about it in the library catalog by clicking here.
Genre: Paranormal fiction, survival, science fiction

Gone: Hunger by Michael Grant

5/3/2021

Hunger is the second book in the Gone series, and is even better than the first book. The kids in the FAYZ(Fallout Alley Youth Zone) are still developing strange powers. The kids start to understand how to use these powers, and the kids without powers start to get tired of it. Food is at an extreme shortage now, and the kids are starting to fight over all of the food they can get. All forms of sweets and chips and snack food are gone. All that is left is canned food, and fresh food from the fields. This will always make you surprised about what has happened, and the suspense is huge.
Recommended by Ethan L.
Grade 8

Librarian Note:
If you are interested in this book, you can find more about it in the library catalog by clicking here.
Genre: Paranormal fiction, survival, science fiction

The Land of Stories: a Grimm Warning by Chris Colfer

5/3/2021

I really enjoyed this book because this book has suspense, action. It ties real world places and areas into the story's plot. In this story the main characters are faced with many challenges both physically and emotionally like their grandma is not feeling well and a huge army is invading the Land of Stories at the same time. This story keeps the readers on their toes and leaves some details out to fill in the next book, and that is what makes this a very good book. Overall, I really liked this book and would recommend anyone to read it!
Recommended by Aayan K.
Grade 7

Librarian Note:
If you are interested in this book, you can find more about it in the library catalog by clicking here.
Genre: Fairy Tales, Magic, Fantasy, Adventure

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer

4/19/2021

I really liked this book, and that is because in this story it basically shows the aftermath of all the classic fairy tales (like Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, ect.) and adds more depth to them. This story also introduces new characters as well as building off the personalities of other characters from other stories. I also liked how with some characters, their personality is very different from their original story (like Little Red Riding Hood). Overall, this book is very good and I would definitely recommend people to read it.
Recommended by Aayan K.
Grade 7

Librarian Note:
If you are interested in this book, you can find more about it in the library catalog by clicking here.
Genre: Fairy Tales, Magic, Fantasy, Adventure

Wings of Fire: Darkness of Dragons by Tui Sutherland

3/18/2021

I really liked this book because it has a lot of suspense, action, and even challenging the main character Qibli both physically and emotionally. It explains many things and answers a lot of questions such as "Will Jade Mountain fall?" It also added a lot more depth to the protagonist (Qibli) and even some depth to the antagonist (Darkstalker) by explaining what they truly care about and showing their mutual interests and showing us how they execute them differently. Overall, this book was amazing and I would defiantly recommend people to read it.
Recommended by Aayan K.
Grade 7

Librarian Note:
If you are interested in this book, you can find more about it in the library catalog by clicking here.
Genre: Fantasy, Action and Adventure

Wings of Fire: The Lost Heir by Tui Sutherland

2/25/2021

I really enjoyed this book because in this book it answered a lot of questions such as: What happened to the dragonets after book 1? Also, in this book it gave us some more insight to another of the three sisters (mainly showing how sinister two of them are). In this book it had some unexpected twists such as the person really behind the attack on Tsunami. I liked how it left out some details in the story only to fill those details in the next book, and I liked how the book gave some more development to Tsunami. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone!
Recommended by Aayan K.
grade 7

Librarian Note:
If you are interested in this book, you can find more about it in the library catalog by clicking here.
Genre: Fantasy, Action and Adventure

Story Thieves by James Riley

2/25/2021

I enjoyed this book because the story is mind reeling. Also, the story demands you stop expecting many things to make sense which makes it fun to read. I also liked how in this book it gives the fictional characters a different personality then they had in their own stories. An example would be when a supposed "good" wizard is actually the main antagonist in the story. Overall, this book is very interesting and I would recommend people to read it!
Recommended by Aayan K.
grade 7

Librarian Note:
If you are interested in this book, you can find more about it in the library catalog by clicking here.
Genre: Fantasy, Action and Adventure