Review by DC Brown -- Will of The Hill by Marshall Cobb
-
DC Brown
- Book of the Month Participant
- Posts: 325
- Joined: 26 Jul 2018, 08:42
- Currently Reading: Sold on a Monday
- Bookshelf Size: 204
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-dc-brown.html
- Latest Review: The Byrds of Victory by James Robert Campbell
Review by DC Brown -- Will of The Hill by Marshall Cobb
[Following is a volunteer review of "Will of The Hill" by Marshall Cobb.]
4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
A whimsical book for middle school kids, Will of The Hill by Marshall Cobb portrays fifth-grader Will in a world similar to our own yet different. His school is on top of The Hill, which is actually a mountain. The only way kids and teachers can get there is on a rocket-powered bus! No one knows why the school is on the top of the hill just that an anonymous donor pays for the school and the bus.
On either side of The Hill is a town. On Will's side, the primary industry is a lunch bag factory. The rival city on the other side of The Hill makes paper bags. More about that later.
Will is a pretty typical kid; he loves comic books, taking a shower without soap or shampoo, and has a best friend, Dillon. They have typical kid problems and attitudes which readers will undoubtedly recognize. The feelings and processes Will and his friends go through will hit home with the target audience.
The author hits a bullseye with this book! It is excellent for 'tweens!' The characters are crafted as people we can recognize in our own lives. The difficulties between parents and kids, and between kids and kids, are situations we see every day. The lighthearted yet insightful manner in which these dilemmas are handled is delightful.
This book is well edited. There is no foul language, explicit scenes, or violence. I did have a problem with a couple of points; there seems to be a disconnect in the town's primary industry. In the first chapter and again in the third chapter, we are told that the town's primary industry is a lunch box plant. Then in chapter four that changes to a lunch bag plant. Defective bags are made into something they use as baseballs. In chapter six, the lunch bags seem to be disposable as the employees take misprints home for school lunch bags. At this point, I had to wonder if both towns are making paper bags! Another point is that, in many cases, one paragraph contains two different speakers. This could be confusing as some readers may not pick up on the fact that the quotes open and close twice in one paragraph.
I liked this book, and I felt it is very appropriate for the middle school child. Older readers that like a little whimsy will love this book. For other readers, this book is a starting point for imagining a multitude of other scenarios in this town that's like our world, but not quite. I give this book 4 out of 4 stars. I want to read more about Will and The Hill!
******
Will of The Hill
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
A whimsical book for middle school kids, Will of The Hill by Marshall Cobb portrays fifth-grader Will in a world similar to our own yet different. His school is on top of The Hill, which is actually a mountain. The only way kids and teachers can get there is on a rocket-powered bus! No one knows why the school is on the top of the hill just that an anonymous donor pays for the school and the bus.
On either side of The Hill is a town. On Will's side, the primary industry is a lunch bag factory. The rival city on the other side of The Hill makes paper bags. More about that later.
Will is a pretty typical kid; he loves comic books, taking a shower without soap or shampoo, and has a best friend, Dillon. They have typical kid problems and attitudes which readers will undoubtedly recognize. The feelings and processes Will and his friends go through will hit home with the target audience.
The author hits a bullseye with this book! It is excellent for 'tweens!' The characters are crafted as people we can recognize in our own lives. The difficulties between parents and kids, and between kids and kids, are situations we see every day. The lighthearted yet insightful manner in which these dilemmas are handled is delightful.
This book is well edited. There is no foul language, explicit scenes, or violence. I did have a problem with a couple of points; there seems to be a disconnect in the town's primary industry. In the first chapter and again in the third chapter, we are told that the town's primary industry is a lunch box plant. Then in chapter four that changes to a lunch bag plant. Defective bags are made into something they use as baseballs. In chapter six, the lunch bags seem to be disposable as the employees take misprints home for school lunch bags. At this point, I had to wonder if both towns are making paper bags! Another point is that, in many cases, one paragraph contains two different speakers. This could be confusing as some readers may not pick up on the fact that the quotes open and close twice in one paragraph.
I liked this book, and I felt it is very appropriate for the middle school child. Older readers that like a little whimsy will love this book. For other readers, this book is a starting point for imagining a multitude of other scenarios in this town that's like our world, but not quite. I give this book 4 out of 4 stars. I want to read more about Will and The Hill!
******
Will of The Hill
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Byrds of Victory by James Robert Campbell
