Winter Break Book Recommendations

By The Hampton Herald Staff


In celebration of winter break, a few of our staff members wanted to share book recommendations that they have for Hampton students to read over winter break.

Penelope K.

Book 1
Wonder by R. J. Palacio 
Genre - Realistic fiction
You can get Wonder by R. J. Palacio at the library, Amazon, bookstore, or any store you can buy books.
     R. J. Palacio’s Wonder is about a boy named August Pullman who has facial deformities that had stopped him from going to school until now. Aggie becomes the hero in this story as he faces new and different challenges when he begins fifth grade. This story is about accepting others and being kind. “Choose Kind.”     I recommend Wonder to elementary and middle grade students who like realistic fiction because it is an inspiring and relatable story about a boy in fifth grade.

Book 2
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Genre - Fiction
You can get The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate at the library, Amazon, bookstore, or any store you can buy books.

Katherine Applegate’s The One and Only Ivan is about a gorilla named Ivan that lives in a cage in a shopping mall with other animals. Ivan is a chill gorilla that likes painting. This story talks about Ivan’s relationship with Ruby, a baby elephant that is new to the shopping mall.  I recommend Katherine Applegate’s The One and Only Ivan to readers who love animals and who like to read stories about friendship.

A​many A.

Book 3
  The Wizard of Oz                             
 By: L. Frank Baum  Genre: fantasy                                           
 Five friends go on an adventure to visit the wizard of oz to make their wishes come true. In this adventure they have some problems. Read this book to find out more.
                         
 Who would enjoy the book/ Ages :                                            3-10                                                                  
 Where to get the book :           Towson Library, maybe your school library or a library.  

Book 4
Guest​
Author: Mary Downing Hahn​ 
 Genre: fantasy​
 Two children go on an adventure to the Kinde Folke to get there brother back, but on their way there they meet more people and they have somethings they have to get through.​
Ages: 4 or more​
Where to read/ get the book:​ Library, school library, and library


Silas P.

Book 5:
    I would recommend the Percy Jackson series. It’s about a demigod named Perseus Jackson in a world where Greek gods are real, but so are the Greek monsters. It’s violent so second graders and under should wait. It’s author is Rick Riordan.

Book 6:
My second book is Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior. It’s about a villager in Minecraft named Runt who wants to be a warrior, will he be able to complete his dream? This book is good for any elementary student who likes Minecraft. The author’s pin name is Cube Kid (Erik Gunnar Taylor). They are both fiction.

Harper M.

Book 7:

“Blossom The Flower Girl Fairy.” by Daisy Meadows.
It is fiction. It is about these girls Kirsty and Rachel. They team up with fairies to try and stop Jack Frost. This time he steals Blossom’s stuff to have the wedding go smoothly. So Blossom, Kristy, and Rachel team up to try and stop Jack Frost. I would recommend this book to people who love reading about magical things. Also, I would rate this book an 8 out of 10. You can get this book at a library.

Book 8: 

“Allies” by Alan Gratz.
This book is historical fiction. This book is about D-day. It is all about these people who try to survive. There are many adventures in this book. I would recommend this book to people who love adventure. You can get this book on line or the scholastic book fair.

Zoey D.

Book 9

The book series I recommend kids to read is the Wayside School series by Louis Sachar. The genres of the books are humor and fiction. Each book is about the crazy things that happen at a three-story tall elementary school called Wayside School. From the teachers, students, cafeteria ladies, and more who work there, the story is a must-have comedy for kids (I know, I sound like a person in one of those Scholastic Bookfair ads). Any kid that loves whacky stories will love this book. You can find one at a nearby convenience store such as Target or a bookstore such as Barnes & Noble in Towson, MD.

Book 10

Another book that I find interesting and other kids may as well is Jack: The (Fairly) True Tale of Jack and the Beanstalk by Liesl Shurtliff. The genre of the book is Fairy Tale. It is about a boy named Jack, known for trouble and adventure around the farm he lives in following a giant along with his sister Annabella to the giants’ huge world in the clouds. Going from pockets to kitchens, they have more fun than humanly possible to imagine without getting very hurt (Seriously, I advise you to refrain from imagining. Results include serious injuries such as brain damage, constant headaches, ringing ears, and refrigerator [don’t ask]). Though the journey isn’t for giant spoons or swimming in food, but to retrieve something he has ownership of. I believe that the age demographic that would enjoy the book most is 8 - 12 years old. That is because that is the information it says on Barnes & Noble's Website, and let’s just be honest, they know better than me. You can find the book at a Barnes & Noble, Target, or Walmart near you (assuming you’re in Towson, Maryland).