Welcome Readers, I am so happy you are looking at this blog site because it means you are interested in participating in the read-a-thon or you are interested in what your student is reading & writing! This website will be your alternative to writing a book report for your accountability in the school wide read-a-thon.The book you read must be in your reading level.Your blog (posting or comment) will be edited by me before it is published publicly.A Few Helpful Hints:Before you begin writing your review, get a piece of paper to jot down ideas to help gather your thoughts. When writing your review pretend you are talking to a friend recommending a book.Make sure it explains how you feel and why not just what it is about.Remember your actual review is not a report. It is just a brief summary and your opinion/recommendation of how much you liked/disliked the book WITHOUT giving away the ending.
Title of the book:Author of the book:Your first and last name:Your grade:
Rating, 1=poor 2=fair 3=good 4=very good 5= excellent:Review 100-200 words (150 is perfect!):Who was your favorite character? Why?If you have questions please post them or come see me in the Library,
Thanks,
Ms.Coullahan
Title: Warriors- New Prophecy- Midnight
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Erin Hunter
Name: Sarah Hedaria
Grade: 6th
Reading Level: 6th
Book Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5
Warrior- New Prophecy- Midnight is a good book because there is romance, battle, and drama. The main characters are Brambleclaw and Leafpaw. Each chapter switches characters. I like it this way because it gets other cats points of veiw. Firestar, leader of Thunderclan has a mate named Sandstorm and they had kits. Their kits are named Squirrlepaw and Leafpaw. Squirrlepaw went on a journey with Brambleclaw because he had a dream and three other cats had the same dream that came from Starclan. The other cats names are Feathertail, Tawnypelt, Crowpaw. The journey they went on was to speak to Midnight. They knew the journey was going to be dangerous and cats would die. So did you think that was intresting? If you did, then read the first book of the whole series. the book name is Into the Wild.
The Girls Get Even
ReplyDeleteBy: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
The girls get even is all about this new family the Malloy’s who move from Ohio to New Jersey across the bridge from the Hartford’s. The Hartford’s were expecting a family of boys not a family of girls. Once the girls are settle in the boys told them that it was war. Ever since those words the Hartford’s and the Malloy’s have been doing cruel stuff to each other. I think this is a good book so I think you should read it. I think you will like it to.
By: Quyncee Horne
Zoey 101
ReplyDeleteBy: Dan Schneider
Zoey 101 is all about this girl named Zoey makes these cool new backpacks and this older girl named Dana took a picture of Zoë’s bags but the next thing you know it Dana is making them. Zoey gets all mad about it because Dana has no right to steel Zoeys ideas. So then Zeoy got back at Dana so then Zoey got money for the design and selling them. After all of those mid terms came so Zoey and her friends had to study. After the midterms were over they get to go to the beach for the end of the quarter party. I have said too much you have to read the book for the rest.
By: Quyncee
Title: Warriors- New Prophecy- Moonrise
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Erin Hunter
Name: Sarah Hedaria
Grade: 6th
Reading Level: 6th
Book Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5
Warriors- New Praphecy- Moonrise is a good book. I enjoyed it because it was a topic I enjoy. That subject is about cats. This book has Romance, blood, and battle. The main characters are Stormfur, Feathertail, and Leafpaw. Stormfur was held prisoner by Tribecat becuse they thought he was the chosen one.
After Freathertail, the real chosen one, killed the beast,she died. Freathertail was Stormfur's sister. They left going on with their journey back home. Leafpaw is suffering from starvation because Twolegs (humans) are using cranes to destroy the forest. So leafpaw, her clanmates, Windclan, and Shadowclan, cannot hunt for rabbits because the Twolegs did something to them and any cat who ate them died. I would recommend this book to cat lovers because if you read about something you like you will like the book.
Title: Among the Brave
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Margaret Peterson Haddix
Name: Alice Duan
Grade: 6
Rating: 5
Genre: Science Fiction
Trey is in distress: His friends have disappeared, Mr. Talbot has been arrested, he doesn't know where Luke has been visiting, and he's in an empty mansion. Population Police officers have swarmed into the property, tearing it apart. He finally finds out that Luke's family lives right next door to the Talbots, and then he learns that the Population Police have captured all of his friends. So now it's up to Mark (Luke's brother) Trey, and a rusty old truck to save them all. They drive to the Grant's mansion, but then find out that it has been transformed into the Population Police Headquarters. Mark gets electrucuted by a wire fence while trying to penetrate the headquarters. He is taken prisoner and the only logical solution to Trey is to get a disguise as a Population Police Officer. He must summon all of his courage and finally play the hero. Will he succeed? Will anyone be saved? Will Shadow Children ever be free? It's up to you to find out!
My favorite character is Trey because he is a smart fellow.
I think you should read the other books in this series before reading this one.
Title: The Miserable Mill
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Lemony Snicket
Name Alice Duan
Grade: 6
Rating: 5
Genre: Fiction
This book is about Sunny, Klaus, and Violet Baudelaire. This is the 4th book in the Series of Unfortunate Events series. Now the children are being shipped off to Paltryville. There, their hard-to-pronounce-his-name-guardian forces to work in an adult lumbermill. They endure back-breaking work, and a mean foreman. They are very disturbed to see an eye shaped builiding. They are expecting Count Olaf to capture them and hurt them at every turn. They only get gum for lunch, and the only people nice to the kids is Charles, their guardian's partner, and Phil, an optimist and worker at the mill. When Klaus gets tripped by the foreman on purpose, he breaks his glasses, consequently getting sent to Dr. Orwell, the woman whose office is the giant eye and whom is the town's eye docter. There, they see.... oh no! It's Count Olaf! He disguised himself as a woman receptionist! Will the kids be able to escape his clutches yet agian? Will there be any fatal "accidents"? What is Count Olaf's evil scheme now? Who'll belive the kids now?
My favorite character is Sunny because she is such a cute little baby.
Read this book if you like misfortune, shrewd characters, and adventure.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars. Fresh ideas.
Written by Dietlof Reiche, and translated into English by John Brownjohn, Ghost Ship is a mixture of legend, magic, and the modern world in this story of a summer friendship. Twelve-year-old Vicki works at her father's restaurant, Ye Olde Seashell Room, where, true to its name, every single wall is covered with seashells. In this room rests the figurehead of the Storm Goddess, a 17th century ship whose mysterious fate leaves it shrouded in a cloud of unknown facts. The day comes, however, when the Storm Goddess has to be taken down for cleaning. Just before she is taken away, however, Vicki manages to steal a peek into the hollow head of the figurehead. She finds a picture of a hanged man! The next day, when the tides recede from the bay and a 17th century schooner is found in the middle of the deserted bay, Vicki knows something is up! Join her, and a new friend in their quest to unlock the Storm Goddess's secret, and put her to peace... forever!
My favorite character has to be Rose Redd, the news journalist, because even though she is a tad bit nosy (give her a break. She's a journalist)she gets Vicki and Peter (Vicki's friend) out of more than a few scrapes.
Title: The Austere Academy
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Lemony Snicket
Name: Alice Duan
Grade: 6
Rating: 5
Genre: Fiction
This is the 5th book in the Series of Unfortunate Events series. The three Baudelaire children have to go to a ghastly boarding school whose motto is "Remember you will die".The Vice Principal is Mr. Nero, a nasty and cruel man, almost as bad as COunt Olaf himself. He forces the Baudelaires to sleep in a tin outhouse thing. There are crabs skittering about, green wallpaper with pink hearts, and a revolting tan fungus dripping fungus juice on the ceiling. They make some very good friends named Duncan and Isadora Quagmire.They are triplets and orphans, their parents also died in a terrible fire, as did their baby brother, Quigley. They have a fairly fun time, but then a sense of horror overtakes them. Count Olaf had returned, but this time he has disguised himself as a gym teacher. No one except the Quagmires will belive the Baudelaires. Then, Count Olaf, or Coach Genghis, makes the children run hundreds and hundreds of laps around a luminous circle, missing Mr. Nero's 6 hour long and terrible violin recital that occurs every night. (If you miss a concert, the rule is that you must buy Mr. Nero a bag of candy and watch him eat it.) They run from dusk to dawn. Then, Klaus and Violet start to fail their classes, and Sunny(who's been very unfairly given the job of a secretary) starts to fail her duties. Their brains tired from lack of sleep and trying to figure out what Count Olaf is planning, they feel defeated. Will they actually win this time, making their lives go back to normal? Will this story ever get any better? Read on with me, and you'll see!
My favorite character is Isadora because she is very nice and a smart and good friend.
Title: The name of this book is SECRET
ReplyDeleteAuthor: "Pseudonmymus Bosch"
By: Olivia Williamson
Rating: *****
Genre: Fantasy
This book is about, well, the author swore me to secrecy about this book because of its contents may change your life forever, but I guess if we keep this between you and me we are ok. This book is about this girl named Cassandra (or Cass) who is a survivalist. She always carries these things in her backpack everyday:
-flashlight
-blanket
-compass
-box of juice (usually grape because you can also use it as ink)
-Bubble gum
-Trail Mix
-Rope
-Topographic maps
-Dust mask
-Matches (technically not allowed at her school)
-Plastic knife (because jackknifes really aren’t allowed)
-Tool kit
-First-aid kit
-Extra pair of socks and shoes
This book is also about a kid who talks a lot who’s name is Max-Ernest (the reason he has two names is because his parents couldn’t agree on a name). He and Cass become friends after a while, and collaborators. They find out that these two people, Dr. L and Mrs. Mauvais, have kidnapped a kid from their school and are trying to suck his brains out. Now they have to figure out how to save Benjamin and not get caught. Read it to find out what happens!
My favorite character is Max-Ernest, because when he tries to be funny he’s not, and when he doesn’t try to be funny he is.
Title: Philippia's Fairy Godmother
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Liz Kessler
By: Olivia Williamson
Rating; ***
Genre: Fantasy
I would read this book if you like books about mixing fantasy and real life, including a girl who finds out she gets a fairy godmother. Her fairy godmother’s name is Daisy, because she started her life as a Daisy. Philippia’s best friend moves away from her to a place when they can’t even call each other or e-mail. She has a daisy from her friend, not knowingly it’s her fairy godmother and throws it out a window, which makes her fairy godmother not like her. But they have to work together so Daisy can grant Philippia’s 3 wishes before she dies (because she has the lifespan of a daisy, which is about 3 weeks) to complete Daisy’s mission. Can they do it and get along? Or will they fight all the time and have Daisy die from her not granting 3 wishes? Read it and you will find out what happens!
My favorite character is Daisy, because she unpredictable.
Title: Warriors- New Prophecy- Dawn
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Erin Hunter
Name: Sarah Hedaria
Grade: 6th
Reading Level: 6th
Book Genre: fantasy
Rating: 5
This book was very good. The main characters of dawn are Leafpaw and Squirrlepaw. They are both apprentices and are the daughters of the Thunderclan leader. They are sisters too. What was happening is all clans where driven out of the forest by twolegs(humans). Now it is up to Brambleclaw, Squirrlepaw, Stormfur, Tawnypelt, and Crowpaw to lead all four clans to a new and safe home. They face a reckless leaf- bare(winter). This book is filled with action, romance, and death. This would be the book for cat lovers. Just like me.
Title: The Ersatz Elevator
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Lemony Snicket
Name: Alice Duan
Grade: 6
Rating: 5
Genre: Fiction
Could it be? Are the kids finally going to get great foster parents? This is the 6th book in the Series of Unfortunate Events series. The kids are transported to a 66 story high apartment on Dark Avenue, which is actually dark, since lights are "out" and candles are "in". They have to walk up an endless and eerily dark, winding stairway, since elevators are "out". They reach the 71 room penthouse, which the Squalors live in. Esme is a little sketchy, but Jerome is really nice. Then the kids have to go out to dinner with Jerome while Esme meets up with her In Auction partner, Gunther. When the kids get a good look at him, they realize with shocking horror that Gunther is really Count Olaf weraing a pretty see-through disguise! He is wearing a monocle with his eyebrows scrunched up so you cannot tell that he has a unibrow, and really high boots. Sadly, Jerome will not believe the kids, and Esme is just really mean about it. She's kind of controlling. When the kids get back from dinner, who's the doorman trying to play? He says that "Gunther" never even left, but Esme says he did. Where could Gunther have gone? Everything is really confusing and unclear. If you want to understand everything, then read this book! There are very surprising twists and surprises!
My favorite character is Sunny, since she is really smart and resourceful. She's a very bright girl, or baby rather.
Title: Double Identity
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Margaret Peterson Haddix
Name: Alice Duan
Grade: 6
Rating: 4
Genre: Fiction
Bethany Cole, Bethany Ronkowski, Bethany Ebern, and Bethany Stanton, all born on the same day, the same time, same parents, all the same person, but born in different places. Bethany Cole and her parents drive across several mistyfied state borders, finally ending up on some old lady's porch in Sanderville, Illinois. Her parents just dump her off at supposedly her Aunt Myrlie's house. Then they take off and all of the family's cell phones are canceled. She has to stay there for an uncertain amount of time. Her dad only calls once a day, and then she finds out about this girl named Elizabeth, who died a long time ago and was her parents' only child. She looks exactly like Bethany, every detail and a lady even mistook her for Elizabeth one day at the Y. Who is this? Her mom is talking wakko on the phone, and nothing makes sense. She finally finds out that she is supposedly Elizabeth's clone. Could it be true? Is that why her parents have been so overprotective over the past few years? Can anyone actually be cloned? What's happening? Why is her mom crying like crazy?
My favorite character is Joss, Myrlie's daughter, because she is kind and smart.
Read this book for suspense and surprises!
Title: Little house in Brookfield
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Martha D. Wilkies
Name: Shreeya Joshee
Grade: 7
Rating: 5
Genre: Fiction
This is a book about a girl named Caroline Quiner. She is living with her siblings and her mother in Brookfield Wisconsin. Her father had drowned last summer. The family is trying to make do with living a very simple life and trying to save up money for food and clothing. After an early frost threatens to wipe out their entire crop, the family shows courage and saves everything they. I think this is a very cute story and this is a great story to read during a rainy afternoon. My favorite character is Caroline because she likes to help out in every way she can.
Title: Lunch Money
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Andrew Clements
Name: Shreeya Joshee
Grade: 7
Rating: 5
Genre: Fiction
Greg has always had a talent with money. He never took money lessons. Greg sees the school as a huge money making opportunity. There has got to be hundreds of dollars in change. Greg is a real competitor when it comes to money but Maura Shaw is no average person. The two of them get in an argument where each of them thinks they steal the other. Near the beginning of school Greg starts selling these Chunky Comics. When he finds out that Maura is doing the same he gets mad because he thinks Maura is trying to steal his idea. Can anyone solve this dispute between two troublesome sixth graders? Well Mr. Z, their math teacher did. After reaching a treaty, the kids start working together to make these comics. Both Greg and Maura find hidden talents inside of them and with each other. Then, Mrs. Davenport, the principal that absolutely hates comics, finds out about these comics and bans them from bringing them to school. Will Maura and Greg ever be able to change her mind? This is an awesome story that gives people a time to have some quality reading.
Title: The House on the Gulf
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Margaret Peterson Haddix
Name: Alice Duan
Grade: 6
Rating: 4
Genre: Mystery
This book is about Becky, Bran, and Britt Lassiter. They have just very recently moved to Gulfstone, Florida because their mom, Becky, is trying to finish college. They are very poor so they are living in the Sunset Terrece tenements. It's very bad, there are gun shots and fights and drafts all of the time. So you can probably guess why they were so happy that the Marquises (the people whom Bran, the 16 year old boy, has been mowing their lawn for) are paying Bran and his family to house-sit for them in the summer while they live in New York for the summer. Britt thinks Bran is acting really strange, not at all the loving, honest, kind teenager that she used to know. He's all secretive and protective of the Marquises stuff, if that is their actual name. She spots some suspicious evidence, but what does it mean? What clues do it lead to? Is Bran a criminal? Put on your detective cap and figure this brain buster out!
My favorite character is Mrs. Stuldy, the Marquise's next door neighbors. She is really nice and a great cook.
Travel Team
ReplyDeleteBY Mike Lupica
Sarah Higgins
6th grade
*****
Genre:Sports Fiction
12 year old Danny Walker has always been the smallest kid on the court. When he tried out for the 7th grade travel,his head just hung low after the try out. He didn't make it. His parents are divorced.
Later, he figures out his dad was going to start his own travel.His dad, Richie Walker, was an NBA star, until he started drinking. Danny thinks he shouldn't do b-ball this year. Richie has a try out. Kids made it.In the first games they loose. The next 8 games they lost. Finally, playing the best team, they kicked the other team's butt. They go for pizza, but Richie gets in a really bad car accident. Richie has broken 2 ribs. He can't coach. Now it is up to Danny. During Christmas, Danny gets a new lap top, new NIKE LeBrons, and from his dad, an official NBA size b-ball signed by two off his favorite players. While Danny coaches their last game against the vikings (the team he had tried out for) they won because of Danny's last minute shot. This book shows a lot of suspense to b-ball players.
Kidnapped
ReplyDeleteBy Gorden Korman
Sarah Higgins
6th
*****
Genre:Adventure, Mystery
Just as Aiden Falconer was walking his sister Meg home, a SUV pulls up and kidnaps Meg. Aiden tries the best he can to get her back. Soon the FBI are on the case. Meg was seen in Baltimore so the FBI head over there and find a note from the kidnappers. They were asking for Aiden to come alone and put $2,000,000 in a bag to get Meg back. Then the van that kidnapped Meg pulls by. Aiden started to run after it. Will Aiden get Meg Back? Read the 2nd book The Search and find out.
Title: Gilda Joyce and the Ladies of the Lake
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Jennifer Allison
Name: Olivia Williamson
Grade: 6
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 5*
This book is about a girl named Gilda Joyce who gets a scholarship to go to the exclusive high school “Our Lady of Sorrows”. She’s a physic investigator (a person who solves mysteries about ghosts), and a freshman. She finds out about a girl named Dolores Lambert, who drowned in a lake for years ago and died. Some people say her new school is supposedly “haunted” by Dolores’ ghost. Now, Gilda wants to find out why Dolores died, and if it was murder, who did it and why? This is a good book, and I strongly recommend it to readers who like mysteries. I really enjoy them, and if you’re like me, try it!
Reveiwed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars, all the way.
James Kennedy's first novel, The Order of Odd Fish, will have you splitting your sides laughing, chewing your fingernails off with worry, or sobbing your heart out as the author combines betrayal, tragedy, and death in an amazing, and quite humorous novel.
Jo Larouche has no idea who her parents are. She was found in a washing machine, little more than a baby, by a retired Hollywood actress, with a note: "Beware. This is a DANGEROUS baby." But for thirteen years, Jo did little harm, even to flies. Then one fine Christmas day, events pick up the pace. Over the course of a few days, she befriends a general and his butler, recieves a mysterious, stolen black box, attracts the unwanted attention of an evil Chinese billionaire, and manages to escape only to be shot down with the General's plane. That's not all, folks! After she IS shot down, the entire plane gets swallowed by a giant fish, in which she, her aunt, the general, and his butler, find a lodge, an old friend, and a few memories. I'd say Jo has had quite a time of it all! And still, the adventures continue! She becomes a squire, is sent off on a quest, and makes a few new friends, while learning the horrid truth about her own hazy past. Please! I have said too much, yet left so much unsaid. And, although my hurried summary (darn the '150 words or less' rule!) gives no credit to this amazing book, I hope you chance upon it in the library and decide to read it!
My favorite character... that's hard. Everybody's so loveable! Well, here goes. My favorite charater would probably be Ken Kiang, the Chinese billionaire and protagonist-gone-bad. Although he tries to be evil (he even drinks the blood of kittens!), it doesn't really work out for him. You'll see what I mean...
PS: This is quite a hard book to summarize quickly. There is really so much more to it than this!
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars. Fresh ideas are always welcome.
Written by Alison Goodman, Eon: Dragoneye Reborn is the first novel of a series that is sure to be memorable. In a world where females are seldom important, Eona, alias "Eon", is aiming for the clouds. If it was known that 'he' was a she, not only would she not be chosen by one of the twelve dragons as a human link to magi, she'd be killed. So Eon and 'his' master do everything in their power to make sure Eon is chosen, and never found out. But when the Rat Dragon chooses one of Eon's classmates, Eon fears that all is lost. But no! The Mirror Dragon, missing for centuries, has returned and has chosen Eon! But alas! Eon could not complete the ritual needed to obtain the power of the Mirror Dragon, so for now, he is unable to acquire the Mirror Dragon's power, which he most desperately needs. The Emperor is dying; Lord Ido, the Rat Dragon's master, is slowly gaining power. What could a crippled girl without even her dragon's power do against a fully trained and powerful foe? I'm not telling!
My favorite character, in this case, would have to be Lady Dela, who knows all the gossip of the court, yet is such a good friend to a youngster who needs one. Although she is not all she seems, (I'm STILL not telling!), she really has a strong character that makes you love her.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars. Really powerful stuff.
Jay Asher's first teenage novel, Th1rteen R3asons Why, is the story of a teenage boy, whose friend just died. Suicide. Before she died, she recorded seven cassettes with thirteen reasons for suicide; whoever received the tapes was one of her reasons for death. Clay Jensen recieves those tapes, as well as a map. He wanders Crestmont through the night, trying to understand what would drive somebody to take their own life, and trying to see how he fit in. He learns secrets he never would have guessed about prominent people in his school, and at the end of the book, he finally finds the courage to speak.
My favorite character is probably Clay's mother. Although we don't see her too often, she understands that her son wants to be left alone, and she respects his privacy.
Nancy Drew:The Orchid Thief
ReplyDeleteBy Carolyn Keene
Sarah Higgins
6th grade
When Nancy, Bess, and George go to visit their friend Delia, someone is poaching the rare butterfly orchids. Someone they suspect is Chick Russell. He's been selling these orchids at the Key Largo flea market. When Nancy and Delia go to visit Delia's boyfriend, Steve, he had quit his job of being a treasure hunter with some friend. When Delia and Nancy go to to find the truth out of Steve, they figure out that Chick has been eavesdropping on Steve's treasure hunting buddies on trying to get the treasure. When Nancy, Bess, and George and Steve's friends go out on the treasure hunting boat they find Chick on it and Nancy knocks him out. Chick ends up in the Florida Prison.
Title: Identity Theft
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Carolyn Keene
Name: Olivia Williamson
Grade: 6
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 4*
This book is the 2nd book in the Identity trilogy. Nancy figured out who was harassing Shannon, but now she has to figure out who is harassing her! She’s back and this is one of her hardest cases yet, being in the anonymous world of BetterLife, an online game where you create a character and play as them, and in the real-life world. When she thinks her boyfriend Ned Nickerson asks her to go to a picnic spot where they has their last date, someone throws a rock at her head! They race off, and Nancy can’t chase him/her because they made it so her car won’t work. As she goes up to question Agnes Fitzgerald (Shannon’s aunt) about if she had seen someone by her car when Nancy was at Shannon’s house, Agnes pushes Arij (a person who’s staying at Ned’s house) down! Agnes says that there was a red laser pointed at her head, so she thought someone was about to shoot Arij with a rifle! Can Nancy figure out whose behind all this before someone gets seriously injured? Read it to find out!
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars. Good ideas.
Written by Jeanne DuPrau, The Prophet of Yonwood takes place a few a few centuries before The City of Ember and The People of Sparks. The world is at risk of war. Terrorists have been sending ultimatums to the U.S.. This is a time when people believe anything they are told. So when one woman is assailed with a vision that leaves her mentally crippled, the people of Yonwood call her a prophet and attempt to interpret her words. This is the town Nickie Randolph and her aunt inherit a house in, and where they move for a couple of weeks. Nickie is overjoyed. She loves the house, and she might accomplish one of her three goals: to help the world, since the Prophet’s friend and interpreter, Mrs. Brenda Beeson, is asking anybody who sees wrongdoing to report the calamity. Nickie doesn’t stop to think, however, if this new hobby of hers might sacrifice a new friendship. Will the war begin? Is there really a terrorist lurking in the woods? And can Nickie realize her mistakes before it is too late to save a valuable friendship?
My favorite character in this book is probably Otis, Nickie's dog. The circumstances which unite the two pals are quite unusual... He is very adorable, and tries so hard not to make a mess in the house!
Title:Cane River
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Lalita Tademy
Name: Leslie Dandois
Grade: Teacher
Rating: 5
Cane River is an historical novel based on Lalita Tademy's family roots. It is interesting to know that Ms. Tademy was vice-president of Sun Microsystems. She had climbed high on the corporate ladder, but needed to find out about her family. She left her job and started an intense search of her family tree. It is through this journey that led her to write Cane River. In this novel the story is told in three parts through four generations of women. Part one is the story of Suzette, who was born to Elisabeth a slave on the Derbanne plantation in Louisiana. It follows her life as a slave and a mother to two children by a Frenchman. Her daughter is Philomene who marries a slave, who dies. She then has eight children with a white man whom she can never marry. The third part of the book follows the life of Emily, Philomene and Narcisse Fredieu's first born daughter. Her life also involves the man she loves, but cannot marry. They have five children together. This novel is a great story of these brave women and the barriers they faced and tough choices they had to make. It also shows the complex relationships between the races, slaves, black, colored, white, and creole. I learned about the Lousiana region during the civil war, and the influence of the French settlers. I enjoyed this novel very much, it was an interesting, and at times heart-wrenching novel. It also made me think of my family tree and what I would find if I researched my history like Lalita Tademy.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars. There are quite a few great ideas.
The City of Ember is the first book in the Books of Ember series. Written by Jeanne DuPrau, the story takes place in the underground city of Ember... although the residents have no idea they live beneath the earth. An enormous generator and thousands of lightbulbs takes care of the problem of darkness and electrical power, and although enormous storerooms were once stocked with all sorts of goodies, now they are slowly emptying out. Even the lights flicker occasionally, leaving many people wondering: Just how long is the generator going to keep them from total darkness?
Lina Mayfleet, one of the main characters, finds a black box in her closet at home. Unfortunately, her little sister Poppy got to the contents first, which means by the time Lina got to the parchment, it was chewed up, ripped apart, and in a general state of disarray. However, Lina finally managed to figure out just what that old piece of paper might mean: a way out of Ember! Follow the progress of Lina and Doon Harrow as they attempt to lead the Emberites out of a dying city!
My favorite character is probably Clary, Ember's greenhouse manager. She listens to Lina, and even tries to help figure out what the parchment might mean. She just seems like a truly kind person.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars. Another amazing book from a great author.
Written by Gail Carson Levine, Fairest should be read as a lesson to not judge by beauty alone.
Aza fancies she was born singing. In fact, no one knows if she was, because she is a foundling, left at the Featherbed Inn, whose owners took her into the family. In the land of Ayortha, singing is as important as anything, if not more so. Fifteen years later, Aza has a beautiful voice, and can even 'illuse' (throw her voice so it sounds like her voice is coming from somewhere else), but she is quite, *ahem* ugly. Through a series of complications, Aza travels to the castle and becomes the beautiful Queen's lady-in-waiting. She is then blackmailed into illusing for the Queen, as the Queen cannot sing, which is important in a monarch of a singing land. When her 'illusing' is found out, Aza is thrown in the dungeon (most unfair, isn't it?), from where she eventually escapes. With a queen after her, how can Aza find her happy ending? Can she? Read and find out!
My favorite character is probably Oochoo, the Prince's dog. She's so sweet! She recognizes Aza as a kind person even when others scorn her for being unattractive.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars. Just as good as the first book!
Written by Jeanne DuPrau, The People of Sparks takes place only a few months after The City of Ember. Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow have led the Emberites out of their dying city; finally they have reached the light (quite literally). After traveling for a few months across the unpopulated land, they have reached a small town. The people there agree to take the Emberites in for six months as long as they work with the rest of the town. However, tensions increase between the two peoples, and threats scrawled on the Emberites' homes don't help much, either. Things finally come to a head, and its up to the courage of a young girl to see if not all is lost, after all.
My favorite character is probably Maddy, a rover who, although she doesn't say much, is kind when she does.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars! Well-written, humorous...
Written by Kaza Kingsley, Erec Rex: The Dragon's Eye is the first novel of what is promising to be an interesting series (the fourth book just came out). Erec, obviously our main character, is a twelve year old boy who awakens one day with the knowledge that his mother isn't home. His older siblings help him escape the dreadful babysitter; he is off to find his mum! Down the street and up a ways, he meets a girl, Bethany, who helps him go where he feels he must get to. With her aid, the two of them first escape from Bethany's uncle, then enter Alypium, where doors come and go, and people can fly. While there, they hear the three rulers are retiring; contests will begin to determine who will sit next on the throne. Of course, Bethany and Erec enlist. If you wish to find out how Erec finds his mum, how Bethany finally gains the courage to stand up to her uncle, and who the next rulers of this fantastic world are, read this book!
My favorite character is probably Cutie Pie, Bethany's fluffy pink kitten. Since she is a cat, Cutie Pie is snooty; however, I do believe she has reason to be, as she can talk. Come on: who doesn't love fluffy, talking kittens?
Lisa Nyberg read,
ReplyDeleteOne Perfect Day by Lauraine Snelling
This book is terribly sad but it shows the power of healing and of the sacrifice. Both Nora Peterson and Jenna Montgomery want one last perfect christmas before their children leave home, Nora's chilren off the college and Jenna's daughter desperately in need of a heart transplant and dying at a young age. Fate will step in and weave the lives of two families together forever.
Title: Among the Enemy
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Margret Peterson Haddix
Name: Olivia Williamson
Grade: 6
Rating: 5*
Genre: Science Fiction
The book Among the Brave is the 6th book in The Hidden series. Matthias doesn’t know who to trust while he works at the Population Police, trying to keep it secret that he’s an illegal 3rd child. In this series, people are only allowed to have 2 children, to keep people from starving. His friend, Nina (another 3rd child), also works there undercover trying to figure out what the Population Police is going to do next. Matthias had a “friend” named Tiddy who worked at the Population Police, and Tiddy died saving Matthias from dying. Was Tiddy a real friend to Matthias? Or was he just trying to get secrets out of him? All Matthias knows is that he wants to live. Now, he also thinks that Mrs. Talbot (a very nice lady on his side), Percy and Alia (other 3rd children, who all three of them were a three-some working together, hiding from the Population Police), were killed in a fire. Can he live through this pain? Are they really dead? Read the series to find out!
Title: Nancy Drew #29- Intruder
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Carolyn Keene
Name: Olivia Williamson
Grade: 6
Rating: 5*
Genre: Mystery
This is a Nancy Drew book, about a theft at Cardinal Corners, an almost open B&B (bed and breakfast). There is going to be a Jane Austen tea party held there, and it will open right after the party. All was well, until someone broke into the house and broke teapots and jars. Why did they do this? And what were they looking for? The maid who works at Cardinal Corners, Emily Spradling, thinks it is a ghost, but Nancy is sure it wasn’t. Someone tampered with the fuse box, and it couldn’t have been the work of a ghost. Who was it then? It could have been anybody in River Heights (where Nancy lives) besides Nancy and her friends! How will she ever solve this case before the tea party?? Read to find out!
My favorite character is Thelma, because she is very chatty and funny while she talks with her sister at Fern Terrance, a retirement home.
Title: Warriors-New Prophecy- Starlight
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Erin Hunter
Name Sarah Hedaria
Grade: 6th
Reading Level: 6th
Gook Genre: fantasy
Rating: 5
This book was so good I almost screamed while I was reading. The main characters are Brambalclaw and Leafpaw. They finaly make it to their new home and the new friends the cats made must seperate because they all belong to different clans. Squirelpaw was made a warrior and now her name is Squirelflight. Brambleclaw faces some road blocks for his love Squirleflight. Hawkfrost, Brambaleclaws half- brother is the road block because Squirleflight thinks Hawkfrost is bad. Leafpaw, her sister found the new moonstone now known as the moonpool. Leafpaw was made a warrior because she found the moonpool and now is called Leafpool. Leafpool is also a medicine cat. This book contains romance, blood, battle, and death. I recommend this book to cat lovers everywhere!
Title: Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Ally Carter
Name: Sarah Hedaria
Grade: 6th
Reading Level: 6th
Book Genre: Fiction
Rating: 5
The book "Cross My Heart and Hope To Spy" is a very dramatic book. The main character is Cammie Morgan, but she is not your typical girl. She really is a spy. Her mom is the headmistress of her school. Cammie finally thought she could have normal life in spy school. Until her mom says that boys from Blackthorne Acadamy are attending her school for women. Before the boys show up the teacher takes them on a mission. While on that mission a boy follows her and he is a spy too but she does not know that. Then the next day that same boy is going to her school with 14 other boys. Romance, humility, and fear happen in this book. I would recommend this book to girls who don't like to be seen and get in trouble once in a while.
Lisa Nyberg read:
ReplyDeleteThe Road From Chapel Hill by Joanna Catherine Scott
2006
This is a book of fiction that takes place during the Civil War. The characters are vivid, the setting rich and frought with unsettling images of war, pain, and inhumanity. Eugenia Spotswood was once a wealthy and young Southern socialite but when her father losses countless jobs they are forced to move to North Carolina with hardly any possessions nor slaves until Tom is hired. A deep friendship forms between Eugenial and Tom but she sets him free when the fear of her father selling him to another master seems probable. Each go separate ways only to discover how the heart can find peace in helping others even in a world torn by war and hatred. Will their lives connect again once the war is over? Read and see!
Title: Sammy Keyes and the Art of Deception
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Wendelin Van Draanen
Name: Alice Duan
Grade: 6
Rating: 5
Genre: Fiction
Sammy Keyes is a magnet for trouble. Who tackles someone at a peaceful art gallery? Sammy, of course. She is trying to learn more about art because her wacko art teacher assigned them a dumb project. She meets this splotter lady, who is charging $8,000 for a giant canvas with a......big orange splot in the middle. And a canvas with scribbles on it. Sammy thinks it's dumb and when the lady refuses to explain to her what her art is about, she gets mad and calls her names. After looking at some creepy indian pictures, they come acroos a very nice and pretty lady. Her paintings really reach out to Sammy and get her mesmerized. Hudson also gets mesmerized, but not by the paintings, by the artist, Diane. That leads to a lot of problems, especially between the relationship that was starting to form between Hudson and Sammy's grandmother. Sammy starts to get a little bit suspicious of Diane after her brain clicks- Diane doesn't look anything like her art teacher, who's like permanently covered in paint. After she had an interview with Diane for her art assignment, she realizes that Diane's art studio doesn't smell anthing like oils and paints. Is Diane really a cheat, liar, and as shady as her grandmother is making her out to be? Or is Grams just a little jealous of Diane and making a mountain out of a molehill? A suspense-filled adventure packed book just waiting for you!
My favorite character is Grams, Sammy's grandmother because she is an awesome grandma. She's so cool and doesn't really walk around and act like a normal 60 year old lady. She's so strong and independant.
Title: The Vile Village
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Lemony Snicket
Name: Alice Duan
Grade: 6
Rating: 5
Genre: Fiction
This book is as full of misery as the past 6 books in the Series of Unfortunate Events series. The kids are bus-dropped-off at a superly ridiculously flat area. The town that is supposed to be the gaurdian of Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire is just a mirage-like haze in the distance. After walking for hours, the Baudelaires enter the crow-covered town sunburnt, dusty, and windswept. All of the fluttering crows had made the town look like a mirage. The town has a group of Elders, which is a group of elderly people with fake crows on their heads as hats. They have over 2,000 ridiculous rules, and the Baudelaires have to do all of the town's chores, because the townsfolk think that children are only alive to do all of the chores. Hector is the one who is to take care of them, and he's really nice to the kids but skittish around the Elders. The kids bring up the subject of the Quagmires, who are the kids' good friends. Hector gives them a couplet he found under the Nevermore Tree in his backyard. It's definetly one of Isadora Quagmire's couplets. So they're in the town.....but where? Each day another couplet arrives, each as puzzling as the last. Then, they hear news that they thought they'd never hear: Count Olaf has been captured. They are so happy! But then they realize with shear horror that the man is not Count Olaf. It's just an innocent man. The kids try to save him from being burned at the stake (as all rule breakers must be in V.F.D.) but they're too late. He's as white as my third favorite icing (vanilla) and as still as my jelly bean jar. Someone murdered him, and a detective is coming forth to solve the mystery, except this man is no detective. He's Count Olaf! Oh my Afrodites! What could he possibly be up to now? Just when the kids thought they could be free of him for ever! How will they be able to save the Quagmires and themselves now? Take the Misery Express into these childrens' unfortunate lives.
My favorite character is Violet because she's smart and quick-witted.
Title: The Hostile Hospital
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Lemony Snicket
Name: Alice Duan
Grade: 6
Rating: 5
Genre: Fiction
Truly breath taking with unbelievable scams, the 8th book in the Series of Unfortunate Events series. It starts off with the kids running from the clutches of jail, sort of. The are forced to act like they are new recruits for the Volunteers Fighting Disease. They ride a cheery van full of people singing, bound for a half wood, cardboard, and plastic, half marbly hospital. They take on jobs as people who work in the filing section of the hospital, along with a man who has very poor eyesight. They try to find out who Jacques Snicket is, the man who was murdered in the last book. There are so many files and it's hard to try and break into the files when they're locked and Hal (the man with poor eyesight) is always around. They con him into thinking that Violet's hair ribbon along with paperclips is his ring of keys. They break into the filing room at night, and find some very startling, shocking news. Then, Esme is back! She broke into the filing room by knocking down the door, and is trying to kill the children again! (Did I mention that Count Olaf is back too?) She starts knocking down all of the cabinets, her heart set on killing them all. Will Violet, Klaus, and Sunny escape again? Will this be the end of them? All seems lost, but it's a good thing the kids are really smart.
My favorite character is Violet because even in a very tight and life threatening jam, she can still create life saving inventions.
Title: Sammy Keyes and the Wild Things
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Wendelin Van Draanen
Name: Alice Duan
Grade: 6
Rating: 5
Genre: Fiction
"I'M SO BORED!" That's what main character Sammy Keyes is like at the beginning of the summer.All her friends are on vacation, and she keeps on running into Casey Acosta, who's going to go camping. She starts to feel strange, always cruising over to the mall, hoping that he'll be there. Then she runs into a girl who likes to be called Cricket. Sammy thought that Cricket was a quiet girl, but man! She can't stop talking once she suggests that Sammy goes camping with her and her "girl scout troup". She accidently agrees to go, then finds out that her girl scout troup consists of 3 other girls and Robin, the leader. They drive most of the way up to the Lookout, but then have to hike 5 miles up to the top. Sammy is dying on the way up! She gets huge blisters and is sooooo thirsty. They finally make it up, and find out that it's been trashed! Who did this? They set up camp, Gabby and Bella get into a fight, then they all crash. When they get up, Gabby is gone! First Bella and her mom Robin go looking for her, then Sammy and Cricket get worried too, and leave. They run into creepy camo dudes, then a giant tree with sudden death disease. Wierd. They eventually run into Casey and Billy Prat, school clown. Billy killed a rattlesnake, and is going to eat it. They finally find Gabby, and Marvin, a giant, hideous, condor. He's been shot and they need to get him to safety, and fast. Will they make it? Will Marvin make it? Who would shoot a condor, which is on the verge of extinction, but making a great comeback? Help!
My Favorite character is Casey because he is really nice to Sammy and still likes her even though he sees her sunburnt, lip cracked, and blistery. He's smart, too.
Title: The Carnivorous Carnival
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Lemony Snicket
Name: Alice Duan
Grade: 6
Rating: 5
Genre: Fiction
"Where's Madam Lulu?" one of Count Olaf's assistants asked. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire are huddling together, terrified. They had just ridden in Count Olaf's long black car as stowaways. They have arrived in the hinterlands. Count Olaf and his troupe has stopped by this really run-down-looking carnival, which thy are meeting a fortune teller at. Apparently, she is the reason Count Olaf keeps on finding the kids. They manage to pick-lock their way out of the trunk of the automobile and decide to disguise themselves rather than hideout. They get the idea to become freaks with birth defects from Madam Lulu, who said that there weren't enough freaks to keep her freak show and in the big picture her carnival running. So, Klaus and Violet become a two headed weirdo, and Sunny transforms into a half wolf half human creep, with the help of Count Olaf's ill-purposed costumes. They get hired as Madam Lulu's freaks, and meet the three other freaks in the carnival. One is a contortionist, one's ambidextrious, and one's a hunchback. They really don't liike their temporary lives as freaks that are laughed at at the freak show tent. Just when they think things couldn't get much worse, Count Olaf brings home some ferocious lions, along with it the idea that a freak should be fed to it! Frightened and not quite sure what to do, the kids sneak into Madam Lulu's fortune telling tent. They discover shocking secrets and scams, and just when they almost find out some more stuff, they are interupted by Lulu's crystal shattering, with her entering the tent at the same time. UH-OH! What will happen to the kids now?
My favorite character in this book is Sunny, because she is so cute and yet strange as a half wolf half baby.
Million Dollar Throw
ReplyDeleteBy Mike Lupica
Sarah Higgins
6th grade
Genre Realistic fiction
********************************************
This book is the best book I have read all year.
This book relates to this time of year such as people losing jobs.
Nate Brodie is the hugest Tom Brady fan in all of Boston. He has even saved up to buy a Brady autographed ball. Nate has been given the biggest chance of a life time. He has the chance to throw a ball through a target at the patriots game. If he makes it, he will win a million dollars. He thinks what he can do with that money. His friend Abby is going blind.
Nate is also pressured under two things. His dad has just lost his job. He has been a star quarterback until he has been benched.
If he makes this single throw, he will have it all. What will happen? Read this book to find out.
Title: The Slippery Slope
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Lemoney Snicket
Name: Alice Duan
Grade: 6
Rating: 5
Genre: Fiction
AHH!!!! Violet and Klaus Baudelaire are being seperated from their little sister Sunny by force, meanwhile hurtling downhill Mountmain Mountain. (Or something of the like) The caravn seems unstoppable, but unlike most people who would have fainted or run around screaming their heads off, Violet thinks up an invention that gets the ride to stop, mere feet away from the edge of a cliff, which the caravn rolled off of moments after the two stepped off with a few coats and stuff in their arms. They become overwhelmed by a horde of snow gnats that force them to find refuge in a cave, which hosts the Snow Scouts. A boy in a sweater mysteriously leads them through a tunnel in the ceiling, while Sunny is forced to cook a hot meal on a frozen summit with frozen food. Talk about crazy and cruel Count Olaf and his troupe. The eldest Baudelaires reach the V.F.D. headquarters, and discover that the sweater boy is Quigley Quagmire, the missing triplet of the Quagmires, which are the Baudelaires' friends. The V.F.D. had been burned down by two people with an aura of menance about them, but what else do they have planned? Will Sunny be reunited with her siblings? Will Quigley be reunited with his?
My favorite character is Sunny because she is a great cook, even if she is forced to cook for revolting people.
Title: The Grim Grotto
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Lemony Snicket
Name: Alice Duan
Grade: 6
Rating: 5
Genre: Fiction
This is the 11th book in the Series of Unfortunate Events, which continues where the last book left off. The Baudelaires Violet, Klaus and Sunny had been floating downstream on a tobbogan. They had been seperated from their new friend Quigley Quagmire. They found a submarine that belonged to friends of the right side of V.F.D. On board is Captain Widdershins, his stepdaughter named Fiona, and their old friend Phil. Violet fixes a telegram machine, Klaus reads difficult tidal charts, and Sunny is the submarine's co-chef as the kids' responsibility on the sub. Klaus figures out where the sugar bowl is or should be, and they set their course for a grotto. All of the kids step out of the sub and drift down the cone-shaped grotto. They eventually get trapped in a beach-like room, obviously used as some sort of secret V.F.D. lab, by a deadly and dangerous fungus. When the fungi wane, they run away quickly, swim back to the sub, discover the 2 remaining crew members have abandoned the sub, and discover the deadly fungus has stowed away inside Sunny's helmet. They cannot get Sunny out because the mushroom's poison needs to be quarintined, and then get sucked into an octopus shaped sub. It's manned by Count Olaf and his comrades and prisoners. Fiona's loyalty is tested, when they discover some shocking news. Will Fion turn to the dark side of V.F.D.?
My favorite character is Sunny because she is a brave girl with a strong will to live.
Title: Gregor the Overlander
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Suzanne Collins
Name: Sarah Hedaria
Grade: 6th
Reading Level: 6th
Book Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5
This book is so good. It is about a boy named Gregor and his sister named Boots, who fall into a grate in their laundry room. They fall into another world called the Underland. That is where Gregor and Boots meet Luxa, Vicus, Solovet, and Henry. The Underlanders would not let Gregor and his sister go home to their worried mother. Once Vicus told Gregor that his father was alive, but taken prisoner by the rats. They are huge rats by the way! I don't want to spoil the ending for you so if you want to find out the ending then you will just have to read the book. I would recommend this book to people who fantasize all the time and think war and battle is cool.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars. Another great adventure.
From Brian Jacques' 'Redwall' series, Doomwyte is a book that is just as breath-taking as its predecessors.
For many years, strange, twinkling lights have led unwary travelers to their unpleasant deaths at the bottom of the swamp in Mossflower country. However, no one knew what these lights, or 'Doomwytes', were. Snake? Raven? Rat? One mouse only knew the secret. Gonff, the Prince of Mousethieves, had found their lair, and long ago had stolen the gemstone-eyes of their idol! Now, even as the seasons pass, the Doomwytes are eager to reclaim their treasure. When they hear it is found in the large, red abbey just down the road, of course they won't leave it at that. Will the inhabitants be able to hold off the inevitable invasion? Meet new friends in the Abbey dwellers, as well as in the tribe of Gousim shrews and the Gonfelin mice! But remember... beware of enemies!
My favorite character has to be the Laird Bosie McScutta of Bowlaynee, who is a perilous fighter and a hilarious hare. I love his accent (he comes from the Northlands), and his enormous appetite and impeccable table manners make him a terrifying dinner guest! ;-)
Title: I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have to Kill You
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Ally Carter
Name: Sarah Hedaria
Grade: 6th
Reading Level: 6th
Book Genre: Fiction
Rating: 5
This book was so dramatic. I almost fell out of my chair, screamed for excitement, and cried. This book is the first of it's series. Cammie Morgan goes to a private school named the Gallagher Academy for "Exceptional Young Women". Every person in Roseville, Virgina thinks that her private school is full of stuck up rich kids who don't care about anything but themselves. Au contrere, that private school is a private school for spys. Cammie is on a covop's assignment when she meets a boy. After that... I don't think I should say anymore. To find out who the boy is and what happens after they meet, read the book! I would recommend this book to very very dramatic people like me.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars. Amazingly written... :-)
Gail Carson Levine has taken a common fairy tale, Cinderella, and created a whole new story out of it, as only amazing authors can, with the original skeleton hidden in the book's meaning.
Ella Enchanted is the story of a young girl, Ella of Frell, who was blessed by a fairy at birth. Hah. Some blessing. She was given the gift of obedience, meaning that whatever somebody orders her to do, she must. This makes her dangerous to herself, and to everyone around her. So far, only her mother and their cook (as she is from a wealthy family) know about her 'blessing'. After her mother dies and her traveling, quite unlikable father comes home, Ella is sent to boarding school with her two soon-to-be stepsisters, Hattie and Olive. Hattie, the more intelligent of the two (which isn't saying much!), figures out the curse immediately. Escape in the dead of night, revenge, fairy tale creatures, sorrow, and failure help make this an amazing novel. In the end, though, it boils down to one question: Can Ella work against her curse to protect her one true love?
My favorite character would have to be Mandy, Ella's cook, and better yet, her good friend. Mandy is a no-nonsense type of woman, who attempts numerous times to help Ella break the curse; she comforts Ella after the death of her mother, and she gives Ella a magic book that lets her see pictures of friends and family.
Title: Sammy Keyes and the Search for Snake Eyes
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Wendelin Van Draanen
Name: Alice Duan
Grade:6
Rating: 5
Genre: Fiction
"Here! Take it! Oh God, he's gonna kill me! He's gonna kill me!" What the??? Your reaction? Yeah, Sammy Keyes's too. A woman hands her a Sears bag while in the arcade with her friend Marissa. They later find out it contains a real live BABY! A creepy man with a snake tattoo on his forearm is who the lady, whom Sammy later finds out is Lena, is scared to death of. At school, her school's baseball team, of which she is on, is going to play in the biggest event of the year. But, their shortstop girl injured herself and cannot play. Sammy's nightmare comes to life as the coach says Heather Acosta will be filling in. She is forced to take the baby home for one night, and the new neighbor in the Senior Highrise is blackmailing her and her Grams. She makes a couple of stops at the police station in these few days. She is accused of vandalism, kicked off the baseball team along with Marissa and Dot temporarily, and followed by and pursued by snake eyes. Sammy is freaked out, and needs some real moral support.(Just kidding. Sammy's tough.) Will Sammy be able to save Lena, and herself and Marissa?
My favorite character is Marissa because she is a true friend to Sammy.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars. Absolutely!!!!
Another amazing book from a simply brilliant author, Cornelia Funke's Thief Lord is only slightly magical: no fairies here. Still, it is... amazing.
12 year-old Prosper and 5 year-old Bo have run away from an aunt who wishes to keep the younger brother... but not the older. As neither boy wishes for that to happen, the pair escape to Venice, where they join up with Scipio, 'The Thief Lord', and his gang of kids living in an old theater. However, the aunt is intent on snagging Bo, so she enlists the help of the disguise-loving Victor Getz, a detective who has lived in Venice for around 15 years. Scipio, who supports the rest of his 'family' by selling what he can steal from rich houses, gets a job from the man they sell their items to: a Conte is looking for an object, which is rightfully his. Scipio accepts the job. However, on the big night, he is caught by the owner, who agrees to give him the item if she gets to help deliver it. Well-formed secrets, lovable characters, and moments of fingernail-chewoffish danger only help to make this book more brilliant than my bumbling review gives it credit for. So... who is the Conte? Just who PRECISELY is Scipio? Will Victor Getz find the boys? And just how can this end well for everybody? I suggest you read and find out: you won't be sorry!
Hmmm... this is hard. My favorite character would probably have to be Victor Getz, because he really is a sweetheart: you'll find out that he even lies for the brothers' sake. With his mustache collection and two tortoises, he is a pretty eccentric detective!
Title:Coraline
ReplyDeleteAuthor:Neil Gaiman
Name:Sidney Inouye
Grade:6
Rating:5
Genre:Fiction
In her new house, Coraline discovers a big brown door. But when her mother opened it, it lead to a brick wall. Her life was changed from dull to exciting when she opened it and went into another dimension. Her "other" parents made her life amazing.Better food and games and neighbors. Then the cat from the first dimension came to the "other" world and told Coraline a warning. But of course, Coraline didn't listen. Then her "other" parents gave Coraline a surprise. Two black buttons and a needle. Her response: I don't think so. But of course, her "other" parents wanted her to sow the buttons in. Coraline ran back into the real world to find that both parents weren't home.Coraline was woken up that night to find this message written by her real mom and dad in the mirror: SU PLEH. Mirrored means HELP US. The only way to save her parents was go into the other world. She went through the door, she found the "other" father, and told about the parents.The "other" father spilled lots of stuff, then he put his hand on his mouth. The "other" mother was found. Coraline told about the parents. The "other" mother took it offensive and threw Coraline into a cell where past children were. Coraline knew that the only way to save her parents and the children was to play a game, and the winner would get the people (Coraline) or get Coraline's eyes ("other" mother.) The game was to find the eyes of the children and the parents. Will she win? Or will she end up in the cell with the children?
My favorite character in this book is Coraline, because she learns not to feel miserable, but to be happy.
Lisa Nyberg read:
ReplyDeleteThe Christmas Blessing by Donna Van Liere
I love sweet and heartfelt stories at holiday time and this one was both. It is the sequel to The Christmas Shoes which has been made into a holiday movie. The sequel's main character, Nathan, is grow and deciding whether to pursue a medical residency. Fate, love, and hope will help him decide.
Title: Among the Free
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Margret Peterson Haddix
Name: Olivia Williamson
Grade: 6
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5 stars
This is a great ending the Shadow Children series. In the book, Luke believes that the Population Police (a government governing for the past 13 years after a food drought to make sure people on have two children so people don’t starve, yet people who have three children have to make the third hide from the Population Police) are out of power, for good. But are they? When Luke overhears Oscar and Aldous Krakeneur (the former Population Police leader) talking in secrecy at the Population Police headquarters (the former Grant home until Oscar killed Mr. and Mrs. Grant) without them knowing that Luke was there. They are talking about that if Oscar doesn’t get information on the food that the Population Police have stored (for themselves! Talk about selfish!) over the years, Oscar will kill him. Will Aldous do what Oscar says? Or will Oscar kill him once he gets the information? If Oscar gains power over the country, will he want to kill all the third children?? Read the amazing ending to the Shadow Children series, Among the Free, to find out!!
Title: Because of Winn-Dixie
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Kate DiCamillio
Name: Olivia Williamson
Grade: 6
Genre: Non-Fiction
Rating: 5*
This is a good book about a girl who goes to the grocery store for her dad (the preacher). She sees a dog there running around the store, knocking things over, and she swears she saw him smile. So she takes him home in hope that her father will allow her to own the dog and he says yes. So she goes to "Gertrude's Pets", the buy her new dog (Winn-Dixie) a red collar and matching leash. But when she doesn't have enough money for them, she agrees to work at "Gertrude's Pets" if she gets the collar and leash right away. She is ney to Naomi, FL, so she doesn't have many friends.
When she goes to the library she keeps WInn-Dixie out side, and the librarian thinks he is a bear. Once Opal tells the librarian it's her dog, the librarian lets Winn-Dixie come inside. Opal has a new friend! After a while, Winn-Dixie gets her many new friends. But when there's a thunderstorm (Winn-Dixie has a pateological fear of them) and she and Winn-Dixie are at a party, he runs away in panic. Will she find him before he's gone forever? Read "Because of Winn-Dixie" to find out.
My favorite character is Winn-DIxie because he is very funny.
Title: 13 Little Blue Evvelopes
ReplyDeleteName: Gloria Choi
This book is about a girl trying to find her aunt and has to follow the 13 letters she left her. She goes all around the world following each of the directions and finds herself going on an adventure and finding out secrets she never knew.
Title: Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Suzanne Collins
Name: Sarah Hedaria
Grade: 6th
Reading Level: 6th
Book Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5
This book was so good. After Gregor's previous quest, Gregor's mother forbids him to go to the laundry room. Gregor takes his little sister sledding and was taken by giant cockroach named Temp. Gregor was being chased by 2 three-foot tall rats trying to save his sister, Boots. Ares, Gregor's bat bond in the underland, saves him and take him to the palace in Ragelia. Gregor quickly finds out that he has to kill this 10 feet rat called the Bane. Did I mention he has to kill the Bane by himself. They encounter many things like green squid, serpents, and man eating mites. Gregor finds he is a rager and how to hope. I would recommend this book to people who like Fantasy's.
Title: The Penultimate Peril
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Lemony Snicket
Name: Alice Duan
Grade: 6
Rating: 4
Genre: Fiction
The 12th and penultimate book in the Series of Unfortunate Events starts off with the Baudelaires, Violet, Klaus and Sunny, riding in the back of a taxi with a woman they scarcely know. They have a picnic with Kit Snicket (the "taxi driver"), then enter the Hotel Denouement where they would be disguised as concierges. There are two siblings who own the hotel, and they're twins. One is treacherous, one's a noble man. They go about the hotel, Violet to the sunroof where she discovers that Esme and Carmelita are staying at the hotel with Count Olaf, the evil man who is trying to kill and steal the Baudelaire fortune. The Hotel Denouemnt is serving as a meeting place for all members of V.F.D., good and evil. They (seperately) also encounter Sir, Charles, Nero, and two teachers from Prufrock Prep. They are very confused about the tasks they are asked to perform, who is the good twin and who is the evil one, where the sugar bowl is, and which associates are good and which are bad. There is a fatal accident at the hotel, involving Olaf, the Baudelaires, and a one of the hotel managers, who turn out to triplets. The people at the hotel then make the kids have a trial, but something is wrong at the trial, but what? Find out!
My favorite character is Sunny because she is a smart and cute baby.
Title: The End
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Lemony Snicket
Name: Alice Duan
Grade: 6
Rating: 4
Genre: Fiction
The Baudelaires are stranded in the middle of the sea with Count Olaf. This is the last book in the Series of Unfortunate Events. They get caught in a terrible storm, and end up as castaways on an island. A girl named Friday welcomes the Baudelaires but banishes Count Olaf for seeming mean. They meet the islands decision maker, the rest of the castaways, and taste the islands bland food, but super strong drinks. They stay a few days, and for the first time people actually see through Olaf's disguise, people other than the Baudelaires. Kit Snicket washes up unconscious on the shore, and things change. What happens?
My favorite character is Kit for she puts others' lives before her own.
Title: Runaway
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Wendelin Van Draanen
Name: Alice Duan
Grade: 6
Rating: 5
Genre: Fiction
"You're a stupid meanie!" Holly is an orphan who hates her life. She is stuck with Mr. and Mrs. Bender, sickos, by the social services. They lock her in the laundry room, which serves as her bedroom, and Mr. Bender is a feely-octopus-sicko. She gets hooked on writing in a diary by her teacher, then decides to run away. She goes through with her plan, and can't bring herself up to say she is homeless. She stowsaway on buses, cars, and more. She is constantly rumaging through trash cans, dodging police and civilized people. She makes it to Los Angeles, then walks to Bevery Hills. She steals what she must to survive. Will Holly finally accept that she is a homeless person? Will Holly survive?
My favorite character is Holly because she is so strong mentally and really believes in herself.
Title: Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Suzanne Collins
Name: Sarah Hedaria
Grade:6th
Reading Level: 6th
Book Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5*
Gregor and the curse of the warmbloods was sad. Gregor's mom forbids him to go to the laundry room. Gregor soon finds out he is needed in the Underland to fufill the Prophecy of Blood. His mom would not let him go down there without her. While down in the underland Gregor's mom was infected with the plague and has to stay down there until she is better. Gregor and a couple of people go into a jungle with a guide to find the cure for the plague so he can save his friends and family. Gregor faces many blocks to get to the cure. People are found from being missing for months and years. Death is upon their trip to find the cure. I would recommend this book to people who like the time of war and fantasizes a lot of the time.
Title: Red River
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Lalita Tademy
Name: Leslie Dandois
Grade: teacher
Rating: 4
Genre: Fiction
Red River is the second book by Lalita Tademy. It is based on her father's family tree. It starts after the civil war in Colfax, Louisiana during reconstruction, when blacks were promised their right to vote and have the rights of white citizens. Many of the black men, including Sam Tademy and Israel Smith, from the area take over the courthouse of Colfax, because the white southern men are determined to undermine the federal government. It turns into a terrible massacre of the black men. The story then follow the lives of the Tademy and Smith men and their families. It tells the story of the huge obstacles the families must face. I like the fact that the main characters are supporters of education and how they go to great lengths to create a school to help better their children's lives. Lalita's first book, Cane River, based on her mother's family tree was much better. The main characters in the book had much more depth then the ones in Red River. It is still an interesting book, in which you will learn about the Colfax massacre.
Title: Sammy Keyes and the Skeleton Man
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Wendelin Van Draanen
Name: Alice Duan
Grade: 6
Rating: 5
Genre: Fiction
"Outta my way! OUTTA MY WAY!" A skeleton man nearly runs Sammy, Marissa, and Dot over as he makes his escape.Sammy Keyes and her friends are going trick-or-treating when they decide to go knock on the Bush Man's door. It's really eerie, but the sight inside is creepier. Sammy has to put out a fire, save the Bush Man, and call the police. The "Bush Man" regains consciousness, reveals to the girls the fact that he had a tracheotomy, and tells everyone that his name is Chauncy LeBard. He got robbed by some crazy imbecile on Halloween night. They took his wallet, some candles, and a giant sack. What for? Sammy is asked to stay out of it, but that's not in her DNA. Also, Heather Acosta, Sammy's archenemy, is making harrassing calls to a kid at school named Jared, saying she loves him and stuff, and blaming it on Sammy. Well, that drives Jared's girlfriend bonkers, and no one believes Heather is the harrasserer... :) Can Sammy fix both messes and return things to normal? Will Heather be busted, and the Skeleton Man brought to justice? I don't know, I only read the book.
My favorite character is Hudson because he's so wise and understanding.
Title: Remembering Mrs. Rossi
ReplyDeleteAuthor:Amy Hest
name:Taylor Forte
genre:realistic fiction
Rating:2 1/2
When Annie Rossi's mother got sick noone expected her to die-least of all 8 year old Annie. Now its just Aniie and her father,toughing it out without her mother. Then they go to a school assembly.Since Annies mother was a 6th grade teacher, she has a glass. They all wrote a book for her called Remebering Mrs.Rossi. Annie goes through lots of things without her mother and sometimes find hapiness and saddness.Her life goes on. She thinks its harder and harder without her mother but life goes on.While life is going on the book is always with her to remeber her mother.One time as her day is bad, she runs away with a 10 year old named helen to town,where shes no aloud to go without a grownup. Threw a lightning storm her father seaches for her. This book is about lots of things and how Annie has to get over her mother dying but still holding on to her.This book shows lots of changes that happens with Annie and her fathers life. its an enchanting book about how Annie and her father guides themselves through a year full of changes.myfavorite charecter is Annie becuase even though her mother is gone she still trys to remain strong and think about her everyday.She knows that her mother is there in her heart. And that the book is always by her side reminding her.
Kissed By an Angel
ReplyDeleteWritten by: Elizabeth Chandler
Fantasy-Realistic Fiction
Five stars fo sho!!!
Name: Devon Harvey
This is a wonderful book filled with Romance, Mystery, and Suspence. Every thing you want in a book.Ivy and Tristan fall in love and she cant imagine being with anyone else. One day Ivy and Tristan are driving to go to a nice place to eat when a deer blocked the road. Tristan swerved out of the way and tried to stop... Tristan wakes up in a hospital and finds out he is dead. He walks around the hospital and comes to this old ladys room. He couldn't believe that she could see him well his light. He then finds out he is an angel. Ivy gave up on believing in angels and Tristan needed her to believe so he can tell her that he loves her and about the acident. That maybe the accident wasnt an accident.
Title: Scat
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Carl Hiassen
Name: Olivia Williamson
Grade: 6
Rating: 4*
Genre: Realistic Fiction
This book is about two kids who go to a private school called Truman. Their names are Nick and Marta, and they hate biology because of their wacko teacher. Then one time, when a kid named Smoke (his real name is Duane, but everybody calls him Smoke) doesn’t do his homework. Their biology teacher, Mrs. Starch (widowed, no one knows if her husband did suicide or not), points a pencil at him because she’s mad. To Smoke, it doesn’t bother him because all he does is bite the pencil in half. This makes Mrs. Starch very mad, and Smoke ditches their field trip to the Black Vine Swamp, where Mrs. Starch goes back in to the swamp during a fire to get a girl’s asthma inhaler. Now, no one can find Mrs. Starch or Smoke. Did Smoke kidnap her? Read this awesome book to find out!
Island:Shipwreck
ReplyDeleteBy Gordan Korman
Sarah Higgins
6th Grade
*****
Genre:Realistic Fiction
Island is a really exciting book. Luke Will, JJ, Lyssa, Charala, and Ian have been chosen by their parent to go on a boat to sail to Hawaii because they've had very hoorible behavior. When the captian dies, the mate leaves the boat. now the kids are on their own. When the boat sinks in an explosion. They find a piece of the cabin to float in but it can only hold 3 people. One problem though. JJ and lyssa are missing. 1 person at a time takes the spot of being shark bait. they need find a island and have to survive. Ian, the youngest thankfully grabs a rain hat so rain can fall in the hat. They finnally find a island and need to figure out how to survive.
Title: Sammy Keyes and the Sisters of Mercy
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Wendelin Van Draanen
Name: Alice Duan
Grade: 6
Rating: 5
Genre: Fiction
Sammy Keyes must work off 20 hours of detention. Her grandmother arranges for her to volunteer at the St. Mary's Church. She is accused of stealing the pastor's cross that's not very valuable, but has sentimental value. The Sisters of Mercy had arrived just before that. She is evicted from helping out inside the church for "lying" so she has to work in the "soup" kitchen. She sees this girl that's got to be around her age, so she tries to talk to her when she realizes that she's not with any adults. She follows her after she gets her food one day with her friends and ends up finding her crawling into and not back out again of a refrigerator box. She tries to help her out, and something fishy is going on with the church, the Sisters of Mercy, and the church members themselves. Sammy Keyes just has to get to the bottom of all of this!
My favorite character is Holly because she is so cool.
Title: Holes
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Louis Sachar
Name:Alice Duan
Grade: 6
Rating: 5
Genre: Kid's Troubles
Stanley Yelnats is sentenced to Camp Green Lake for "stealing" a pair of famous sneakers. He is innocent, but noone believes him. He must dig 5 feet wide and deep holes for 18 months. He doesn't like it much there, and he blames all of his misfortune on his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather. There is supposedly a curse upon all of the Yelnats because of his great-great-grandfather. He meets people there, and a kid named Zero offers to dig Stanley's hole a little bit if he teaches him to read. The counselors find out, and the Warden, who previously forced the kids after X-ray "found this golden tube in his hole" (Stanley found it in his) to dig a giant hole where X-ray "found" it and proved Stanley right when he thought they were actually looking for something instead of just building character,gets mad at Zero, makes him look stupid, and makes Zero run away after hitting Mr. Pendanski upside the head with a shovel. He most likely will die out there in the hot, dry desert of the "lake". Stanley tries to go rescue him, but he realizes that they'll both die out there because there isn't any water for a hundred miles. What will they do? Will Stanley find Zero?
My favorite character is Zero because he's persistant.
Title: Warriors,The New Prophecy, Twilight
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Erin Hunter
Name: Sarah Hedaria
Grade: 6th
Reading Level: 6th
Book Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5
This book was intense. The main characters were Squirrelflight and Leafpool. Both of them are sisters and share the same father, Firestar, leader of Thunderclan. Squirrelflight has been quarreling with Brambelclaw for maybe over two moons! Leafpool is the medicine cat apprentice of Thunderclan. Medicine cats are not allowed to have kits or fall in love. Leafpool is starting to fall in love with a Windclan warrior named Crowfeather. He is in the same situation as leafpool except he is from a different clan. Squirrelflight thinks Brambelclaw is a bloodthirsty murderer just like his dead father Tigerclaw. New friendships are gained and love has come between family and friends. Friends are lost and desperate cries for help are made. This book has romance, battle, blood, and friendships. I would recommend this book for cat lovers. Don't forget there are other books before this book and after this book so read them before or after this book. It is a great series!
Tilte: Gregor and the Marks of Secret
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Suzanne Collins
Name: Sarah Hedaria
Grade: 6th
Reading Level: 6th
Book Genre: Fantasy
Rating:5
Gregor is such a cool book. Gregor's mom got infected by the plague and has to stay down in the Underland to fully recover. Gregor and his sister, Boots go down there to visit her and so Gregor could have his ecolocation lessons with Ripred. Things didn't work out so well when he went down there. Instead of staying just a day they stayed maybe a few weeks there. Gregor, Luxa, Ares, Aurora, Nike, Howard, Hazard, Boots, Temp, and Ripred went on a "picnic". They really went to save the mice from whatever danger they were in so they could live. Gregor finds feelings he never thought he would have before and people are revealed for what they really are. Romance, Death, and friendship happens in this book. I would like to recommend this book to kids that like fantasies and romance. This book is #4 in the series.
Title: A blue and Gray Christmas
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Joan Medlicott
Name: Leslie Dandois
Grade: teacher
Rating: 4
Genre: Fiction
An old tin box is discovered at the Covington Homestead where three older women live. The box contains letters from two Civil war soldiers, one union and one confederate. The book tells the story of the three house mates, Amelia, Grace, and Hannah, along with story of the soldiers. The letters explain how the soldiers come to live with an old woman after she saved their lives, and why they chose to stay a start a new life. Amelia, Hannah, and Grace get very interested in the letters, and decide to trace Tom and John's descendants and invite them for a Christmas reunion. The ladies have much researching and contacting people to do in a short amount of time. The book also shows the trials and every day life of the ladies, their friends and family. This is a cute book, a nice story in the Christmas spirit.
Title: Warriors-The New Prophecy-Sunset
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Erin Hunter
Name: Sarah Hedaria
Grade: 6th
Reading Level: 6th
Book Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5
This book was good. The Main Characters are Leafpool and Brambaleclaw. Leafpool is having a hard time coping because her mentor, Cinderpelt died from a badger attack. Now Leafpool is the medicine cat of Thunderclan. Brambaleclaw has stopped fighting with SquirrelFlight, Leafpool's sister. Brambleclaw and his Half brother, Hawkfrost in Riverclan have been visiting his dead Father in a dark forest in dreams to give his sons tips on becoming clan leader. Dangers have made it difficult to be safe once again. Bramleclaw finds out a horrible truth and makes the right decision he should have made from the begining. Romance, battle, blood is what this book is about. I would recommend this book to cat lovers. This series seems to never end.
Title: The Hunger Games
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Suzanne Collins
Name: Sarah Hedaria
Grade: 6th
Reading Level: 6th
Book Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5
This book was the best! I have never read anything thing like this book. Katniss Everden's sister was chosen to compete in a contest of 24 players to the death. One boy and one girl from all 12 districts. Katniss would not allow her to go so she took her place. A boy from her district named Peta Mallark was chosen too. Katniss and Peta live in District 12. The most poor of all 12. The fight to the death is called the Hunger Game. The way this game works is you are put in this arena that you must be able to kill if you wish to have a long life. Peta and Katniss didn't even really know each other 'til now. They begin to have a friendship 'til Katniss finds out she or someone else will kill Peta and it won't be pretty. I thought this book is very hard to give an opinion. If you think death is cool then you would like this book because ii has that. I would recommend this book to everyone. I think anyone would like this book, no matter what kind of book you like.
Title: Gregor and the Code of Claw
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Suzanne Collins
Name: Sarah Hedaria
Grade; 6th
Reading Level: 6th
Book Genre: Fantasy
Rating:5
Gregor finally reads the Prophecy of Time that everyone has been keeping from him. Now he knows why, because it calls for his death. Gregor and his bond, Ares fly to the Firelands to find their friends. Instead of finding his friends he finds a full on war going on in a tiny cave. There was one friend he really wanted to find who was Luxa. Gregor Finds Luxa and brings her home so she can heal and be treated. Gregor was thrown in the dungen by Solovet and the only way he could get out was by saying how he truly felt for Luxa. Gregor told her and she felt the same way. Then war began and Gregor thought he would never see her again. So Gregor wrote an encripted message to her saying "Sorry but only one of us could live. I love you." Things happen that could be unreal. People special to Gregor die because he fell through a grate in his laundry room. I would recommend this book to anyone. This book made me cry, it could make you cry too. So read this if you want to feel a real emotional side of you.
Title: My Life in Pink and Green
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Lisa Greenwald
Name: Sarah Hedaria
Grade: 6th
Reading Level: 6th
Book Genre: Fiction
Rating: 5
My Life in Pink and Green is such a good book. The main character is Lucy. She is in 7th grade. Lucy's mom and grandmother own a pharmacy in Old Mill Town. The pharmacy is going to shut down because of how slow the business is. Lucy tries to help but no one will listen to her because she is a kid. She helped a junior in high school because she was having a total bad hair day and it was homecoming that night. The girl's name was Courtney and she told all her friends and they told their friends. So she got really popular, but her family would still not listen. While she was at earth club she found a grant for a green business. Lucy and her sister work on the grant to save the pharmacy. Lucy gets feelings for her best friend's big brother and things get really weird. I recommend this book to girls cause it is sort of a girl book.
Title: Catching Fire
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Suzanne Collins
Name: Sarah Hedaria
Grade: 6th
Reading Level: 6th
Book Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5
Catching Fire was breath-taking. The main character is Katniss. She has fallen in love with two guys named Gale and Peeta. They won the Hunger games last year. Since the end of the hunger games, Katniss and Peeta have never been the same. Katniss has to choose Peeta because if she doesn't everyone they love will be killed. Once you win the hunger games you are not to go back in the games. Peeta and Katniss fall in love more deeply now then ever. The most worst things happen because Katniss tricked the gamemakers. While I read this book I could hardly breathe because it was so good. I would recommend this book to everyone. I think no matter what kind of books you like you would like this book. Don't forget this is the 2nd book of the Hunger Game series.
Title: Boys are Dogs
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Leslie Margolis
Name: Sarah Hedaria
Grade: 6th
Reading Level: 6th
Bookn Genre: Fiction
Rating: 5
Boys are Dogs is such a good book. The character is Annabelle. She has just moved into a new neighborhood and is going to a new school. All the sixth-grade boys are calling her names like Samabelle, Spazabelle, and Spaz. Annabelle gets a new dog named Pepper who comes with a training manual. Before the school year starts she makes a new friend named Rachel who lives across the street from Annabelle. Annabelle soon learns all the things you teach your dog you can teach a boy. The only boy she cannot train is named Jackson and is the big brother of her new friend Rachel. I would recommend this book to girls only. I think girls could learn a lot about boys by reading this book. The second book of this series is called Girls Acting Catty. This the first book of the series.
Title:Miley Cyrus:Miles to go
ReplyDeleteAuthor:Miley Cyrus
Name:Taylor Forte
Grade"6
Geenre:biography
Rating:5!!!!!!!!!!
This book is about Miley Cyrus. it tells you alo about her life.Mostly it tell about her experiences in life. HOw she grew up from a southern girl who got made fun of and bullied to the 17 year old world wide famous girl. This book tells about Miley's life as a little girl and what she did to get into disney. it also tells all about her childhood and how she absolutley hated her life in sixth grade.Also how she had to change her life style becuase her father(billy Ray Cyrus) was on a t.v. show. Miley and her famil couldnt stand to be away from billy ray when he was filming his hit show(DOc). Miley loved everything about acting and singing. She got to do a little bit of acting onher dads show and when her dad was preforming on the stage miley was allways on the stange with him. She loved the spotlight. it also explains all of Miley's audtioning for disney right down to her grandfather who has passed away. Miley even tells about her relationships and her strong commitment with GoD. She gets down to the nitty gritty saying how she was depressed for a long time after her friend dies after having cancer. Miley trys her best to go to the hospitals and charity evenets.This book is just her life story but it seems as like shes your best friend telling her story to you. People can really connect. If anyone wants a heart-felt story please read this book. Its a great book for everybody! my Favorite charecter of course is Miley becuase she has a bubbly personality and stays true to herself.
Title:If a tree Falls at lunch period
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Gennifer Choldenko
Name:Taylor Forte
Grade:6
Genre:Realistic Fiction
Rating 3 1/2
This book is about two children named Kristen and Walk. in the book it has two different stories when Walks telling it and when Kristens telling it. They both are in sixth grade.Kristen has troubles with her friends in the beginning and Walk just went to the private school they are both in from the city. The two are very much different. kristen is caucasion and Walk is african American. They never thought they would be any close to the same. After Kristen ditiches the mean group for the group with Walk in it she becomes happier.Walk and Kristen become really good friends. kristen takes walk to her house to do her homework with him to for her parents to meet him. Kristens mother suddenly feels sick. Not becuase anything is wrong with Walk, its just something else she knows.Walk lives with his single parent mom who tells him his father has movd on. kristens parents are together,but barley. Tnhey are fighting non stop bout something,but Kristen doesnt have a clue to what it is. Kristen is in the garage one night. its verys late and shes sneaking chips. She hears her father and her mother fightingin there. She hides to hear what they are fighting about. Her mother is upset about a kid, and its Walk! Thats her fathers child!When the parents were daing they had fights and had a on and of relationship. When it was off kristens dad was dating Walks mom! This was Kristens dads child to! But Walk didnt know that Kristens dad was Walks dad too! Kristen tells her little sister Kippy who tells Walk. Walk is furious with his mother!What will happen next?My favorite charcter is Kristen becuase she keeps her cool and sees the best in every situation. She is very interesting.
Title: Girls Acting Catty
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Leslie Margolis
Name: Sarh Hedaria
Grade: 6th
Reading Level: 6th
Book Genre: Fiction
Rating: 5
Girls acting catty was the best. The main character is Annabelle. She has just started going to a new school and living in a new house. Annabelle has made a bunch of new friends named Rachel, Yumi, Clarie, and Emma. They went to Halloween as tropical fish, but encountered Rachel's big brother Jackson and his friends. They were loaded with rotten eggs that were going to be chucked at them. After meeting up with Jackson they met up with Taylor and the three terrors who think they are so cool. Annabelle, her mom, and her mom's fiance went to a thanksgiving party at Taylor's house without even knowing. She had fun, when Rachel found out she was so angry. Annabelle had no idea why, she also thought Taylor wasn't that bad. Annabelle also found out she has a crush on her soon to be stepbrother. I laughed almost all through the book. I recommend this book to girls only. This is the second book of this series. The first book is called Boys Are Dogs.
Title: Warriors-Power of Three-The Sight
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Erin Hunter
Name: Sarah Headria
Grade: 6th
Reading Level: 6th
Book Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5
Warriors is the best series I have ever read in my life. The main characters are Jaypaw, Hollypaw, and Lionpaw. All Kits of Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw. Jaypaw is the most vulnerable of his littermates, he was born blind and the youngest. Hollypaw becomes medicine cat apprentice, but changes her mind. All three go hunting as kits for the three fox cubs that are lose in the Thunderclan territory. They think the cubs are too small to attack the three of them, but were so wrong. Everyone treats Jaypaw like he is new born kit, which he is not. They all face difficulties and have to stick together. As soon as they all become apprentices all three have to fight all of Shadowclan. I loved this book. It has action and romance. It also has blood and battle. I would recommend this book to cat lovers and people who like blood baths. This is the the first book of the third series of all Warriors. The next book is Warriors-Power of three-Dark River.
Title:Wild Girl
ReplyDeleteAuthor: patricia Reilly Giff
Name: Taylor Forte
Grade:6
Genre:realistic fiction
Rating: 5
This book is about a girl named Lidie. Lidie lives in Jales, Brazil. She lives with her uncle Tio Paulo. Lidie's mother died when she was young and her father and brother had moved to Queens,New York.When Lidie was 7, they moved there. her father said that they would send for he one day. And when they did send for her, to bring a beautiful lemon from a tree.Now at 12 Lidie is heading to America. in the beginning of the bok Lidie is getting ready to go to the airport and her uncle is yelling to hurry up so she doesnt miss her flight. But before she leaves she has to ride the next door neighbors horse. She loves riding! And she loves horses!When her long flight has finally reached her destaination in New York,Lidie is so happy to see Her father and brother,Rafel.After taking her to her future home,Lidie sees the house track and the barn. she likes that. her father works with the racing horses. When she shows her father the lemon she has brought for him, he doesnt even remember it. She feels sad and alone. When its off to go to school its no difference. She doesnt speak alot of English. when asking o go to the bathroom, the teacher does not understand her. She runs out of school and gets lost. Finally the police come and so does Rafel. She NEVER wants to go back to that place again! Then Her father and Rafel take her to get her own horse they wanted. Its called Wild Girl. Automaticlly she loves her.Everything seems to be setting in and making her happy. Even seeing her brother,hoping to be a jokey, win a race! After the father and Rafel pushing her to go to school again, she does. Everything goes smoothy and the teacher has specil teaching where they do some of Lidie's laungue.Lidie feels content in her new home. My favorite charecter is Lidie becuase she oer comes her fear and loves horses as do I. This book is very good for girls and horse lovers!
Title:Sweetsmoke
ReplyDeleteAuthor: David Fuller
Name: Leslie Dandois
Grade: Teacher
Rating: 5
Sweetsmoke is a wonderful novel about the Civil War. It tells the story of Cassuis, a slave on a Virgina tobacco plantation. A free black women, Emoline, is murdered and Cassuis trys to find the killer and avenge her death. Emoline nursed Cassuis back to life when he was very ill and taught him to read, so he feels great emotion when he discovers how she died. The novel follows Cassius and his adventures on the plantation, in town, and his travels to the battle fields of the civil war. It deals with the many relationships of the time, slave/master, north/south, women/men. Through-out all of this the focus is on Cassius and his cunning determination, humanity, and intelligence. The killer is a suprise, that is not revealed until the end. This novel is a moving description of Cassius' life, and I would recomend it to anybody interested in the Civil War.
Title: Warriors-Power of Three - OutCast
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Erin Hunter
Name: Sarah Headria
Grade: 6th
Reading Level: 6th
Book Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5
Warriors is the best series I have ever read. The main characters are Hollypaw, Jaypaw, and Lionpaw - all brother and sister. Jaypaw faces the most difficult situations of all his litter mates. He is blind, so he cannot become an apprentice. Instead he became a medicine cat apprentice. Jaypaw has special powers too. Tribe cats from the mountains come to Thunderclan camp to ask help from them and to take back Brook and Stormfur so they can help. Brambleclaw, Squirrleflight, Lionpaw, Hollypaw, and Jaypaw think it would be best to ask all the cats who made the journey to the Sun Drown Place to go and help the tribe. Tawneypelt, from Shadowclan, Crowfeather, from Windclan, Stormfur, from Riverclan, and Brambleclaw and Squirrleflight with their kits went to help the tribe. They soon find out that the tribe is in a much more deadly situation then they thought they were in. Jaypaw find out that him and his brother and sister would be more powerful then they could ever imagine. Blood is shed. New secrets come out. I fell in love with this book. I would recommend this book to cat lovers. This is the third book of the third Series of all the Warriors Series. The next book is called Eclipse #4 in the Power of three series.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars, completely, totally, and utterly!!!
Written by Tamora Pierce, The Will of the Empress follows the start of the end of the four unforgettable mages' experiences. Sandrilene fa Toren, known to friends and family as Sandry, is expecting her foster-brother and -sisters home to Emelan from traveling abroad for years. It is just as well that they are returning, for Sandry's duty to her people in the country of Namorn will soon call her away, and she needs their friendship and protection to navigate in the snake-pit called 'court'. Sandry is incredibly wealthy, and her cousin, the empress, would like that wealth to stay in her own country. The only problem is that all four of the mages are at odds: they have yet to open their magical connection, and none of them have explained to each other what they have seen and learned on their travels. The empress knows this, and is sure to use it to her advantage to keep Sandry, and the other politically and magically powerful three, bound to her will. Will she succeed? Only time will tell just how strong the will of the empress really is!
My favorite character is probably Jakuban fer Pennun, one of the few chosen by the empress to court and try to win over Sandry. He really has a good heart, and is a very honorable young man.
Title: Peter and the Sword of Mercy
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Name: Rachel Rezaei
Grade: 6th
Book Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
Rating: 5
About the book:
This book is about a boy named Peter Pan,a Fairy(she likes to be called birdwomen)named Tinkerbell, and a 11 year old girl named Wendy(Wendy's mom's name is Molly she was the girl in all the other books about Peter now she's a mom of 3 childern.) Its been 30 Years since the last starstuff fall( starstuff is a magic that falls from space and when exposed to it you could either die depending on how much it is or gain some type of magical power like flying) so the starcatchers had let there guard down ( starcatchers are the good guys in the book they find the starstuff before the others can get to it and return it to space when ir is time.) One day one of the lost boys on the island, now all grown up, James, comes to visit Molly they haven't seen each other in years. This visit was most unpleasnt because James is telling her that Ombra ( a very unpleasnt shadow creature created by starstuff ) is alive Molly doesn't what to believe it but she does anyway. Then James asks her to come help get Peter and leave for a couple days.
Meanwhile the whole time Wendy is listening at the stairs. James says he'll give her a day to think about it then he leaves. Molly waits for him to return but he never did on day 4 of James not returning She goes out to find him but first tells Wendy everything about the Starcatchers and about starstuff then heads out and doesn't come back either. So Wendy goes out to find the only one that help her Peter Pan. So Peter and Wendy discover that the others are after the Sword of Mercy and that sword is used to open a very big amount of starstuff so Peter and Wendy set out to get before the others do but fail but when they do get it opens and the train there on trying to get a way from the others with strats to fly with the others in the next car so Wendy falls out the train door is saved by Peter who couldn't see at the moment and had Tinker Bell leading the way so realy Tinker Bell saved the day. They broke the Sword of Mercy again and returned the starstuff to a new hidding place Peter then went back to the island to discover the islands starstuff trying to be stoolen but Tinker Bell saved the day again. She also saved Peter from Capian Hook. This is the 4th book in the series. I would recomend this book to everybody because its just so intresting that you never want to put it down. My favorite charactor is Tinker Bell because she smart, funny, helpful, and always saves the day.
THE END
Title:Wormwood
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Susan Wittig Albert
Name: Leslie Dandois
Grade: Teacher
Rating: 4
Wormwood is the latest book in the China Bayles mysteries. China, an ex-lawyer, owns a herb/tea shop in Pecan Springs Texas, and is always doing a little sleuthing on the side. This book is a little different because it takes place in Kentucky. China and her friend Martha are in Mt. Zion Kentucky at a historic Shaker village for some workshops on herbs. Of course there is a lot of drama going on in the restored modern version of the Shaker village, including a murder. China and Martha end up solving the murder. This book is interesting because the author tells the story of the orignial Shakers of Mt. Zion, by the journals they kept. In the authors note, she states that the community of Mt. Zion is fictitious, but she based the incidents and journals/letters on actual Shakers and villages. I enjoyed the narrative form the author took, and I learned a lot about the Shakers.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars. The man is completely MAD, but JEEZ can he write!!!
Ray Bradbury's 'The Martian Chronicles' take us 20 to 47 years into the future while managing to maintain an interestingly "contemporary" aura. This book is made up of individual stories which come together to form one clear and eye-opening whole. We start out in the home of a Martian couple, a man and woman with the traditional light brownish skin, and the yellow coin eyes of real Martians. A vision of a blue-eyed, black-haired, tall young man (unheard of!) assails the woman, finally driving the man over the edge. Our "camera" pans out across the whole of the planet, showing the same scenario happening to hundreds of thousands of couples as rhymes that may sound familiar to the reader beset the now-frantic people of the fourth planet. As we read on, we witness the first of the human rockets landing on the dust-covered Mars. We observe as merely onlookers as Mr. Bradbury weaves a tale of death, mystery, magic, and fascination as the invaders known as humankind attempt to triumph over a planet that will not let itself be beaten, commercialized, and marketed into submission. The unequalable writing style of Ray Bradbury will pull you into barren beauty of Mars as quickly as the thrill of silent cities of a mysterious civilization would attract those loving a good "unsolvable mystery". I most definitely recommend this book!
Since Mr. Bradbury sheds characters like other people do underwear, we don't really get to know any one character. Although I am sorry for being unable to choose, I honestly cannot say who would be my favorite character.
Title: Penny From Heaven
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Jennifer Holm
Name: Sarah Hedaria
Grade: 6th
Reading Level: 6th
Book Genre: Fiction
Rating: 5
Penny from Heaven was such a good book. The main character was Penny, but my favorite character was Frankie her cousin. He was always getting into trouble and was a good liar. Penny has always wanted a father. Her father died when she was very little. Penny is half Italian and half American. Her mother really dislikes her dads part of the family(her dad was Italian). Penny and Frankie work at their Uncle Ralfie's bucher shop. She loves baseball. Her favorite team is the Dodgers. Her favorite uncle is Uncle Dominc. Penny finds out that her mother is dating the milkman!!!!!!!! Penny is always getting presents from her uncles because they feel bad for her because her father died and had to grow up with out a father. For her birthday she gets tickets to a Dodger's game in New York. Some bad things happen to Penny because she lost her lucky bean. I Liked this because it is about a girl's life. I recommend this book to girls only.
Title: Lush
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Natasha Friend
Name: Sarah Hedaria
Grade: 6th
Reading Level: 6th
Book Genre: Fiction
Rating: 5
Lush was a really good book. The main character is Samantha. She really needs help. Her father has this drinking problem and her mother believes the anwser to every thing is breathing. Her 4 year old brother has no idea what is happening to his father. Sam thinks the solution is to write a note to some random person and maybe this person will give her some advice and an anwser to her problems. Sam wanted the note to go to a girl named Juliet but insted it went to a person who is called A.J.K. This person thinks that she can not change her parents so just relax. I liked this book because it is about a girl's life. I recommend this book to only girls. It was such a good book. It is funny too.
Title: The Secret School
ReplyDeleteAuthor: AVI
Name; Sarah Hedaria
Grade:6th
Reading Level: 6th
Book Genre: Fiction
Rating: 5
The Secret Xchool was a good book. The main character is Ida. My favorite character is Ida's little brother named Felix. He is funny and can push the petals of a car while Ida steers the car. Ida is in 8th grade and wants to go to high school to become a teacher. It just so happens that her teacher has to leave to help her ill mother. The school would be shut down for a whole year and she and everyone else would have to repeat the grade over again. Tom, Ida's best friend thinks she should be the teacher so they could learn and go to the next grade. Things happen and people find out about the secret school. I feel bad for Ida because she has like the whole world on her shoulders. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to become something and is discouraged.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars!!!!!!
The first in a wonderful series by Tamora Pierce, Alanna: The First Adventure starts us on the path of an aspiring warrioress. Alanna always had a feel for the fighting arts. However, as she is a girl, she has no hope of being sent to the palace to train to be a knight. Yet, in a daring scheme which involves switching places with her identical twin brother, Alanna is off to the palace, without the knowledge of her father or her instructors. This first book sums up her first four years as a page, which is the first level to gaining knighthood. Here, we learn of her friendship with the Prince, watch on as she "wins" her sword, and nibble off our fingernails as she comes face to face with an enemy older than the gods!
My favorite character would have to be Gary, or Gareth the Younger of Naxen, because he is just such a happy character. He's always in the middle of any prank!
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars yet again!
The second book in a series of four, In the Hands of the Goddess picks up where Alanna: THe First Adventure left off. Written by Tamora Pierce, In the Hands of the Goddess takes us to a thick forest where it is starting to drizzle. Our heroine, Alanna (now a squire), has just taken shelter under a tree when a small voice meows at her. A tiny, black kitten trudges out of the bushes. Meet Faithful, Alanna's companion for this and the next two books. If you read on, you will hear of plots of betrayal, well-formed suspicions, vanquished fears, and a make it or break it test that will leave readers feeling as though their insides were wrung out! (In a good way, of course...)
My favorite character would have to be Thor, an immensely tall soldier who takes Alanna under his wing at the Drell Valley war camp. He teaches her use of the spear and other weapons that nobles don't generally learn to use.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars, most definitely!!!!
Written by Tamora Pierce, The Woman Who Rides Like a Man is the third book following the steps of Alanna the Lioness, now a Knight in the realm of Tortall! For eight long years she has disguised her gender; now she is traveling abroad, away from a scandalized court. However, a knight's vacation is not all rest, fun and games. When the shaman of a tribe of desert men bring her to a duel, Alanna must use the power she has been afraid of her whole life. Her magic. This book sees Alanna through her first year as a knight... an her first year as a shaman, too. Read on as she learns to control the side of her that she herself has always feared.
My favorite character is probably the sorceress of Alois, who tells Alanna how to mend her broken sword. I think she has a really pure heart, and she is kind to Alanna.
Title: Crazy Jack
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Donna Jo Napoli
Name: ALice Duan
Grade:6
Genre: Traditional Literature (I think)
Rating: 4
He's Jack. This book is like a twist on Jack and the Beanstalk from when I was really little. Jack is a farmer, who is an only child living with his dad and mother. They live next to Flora's family and Flora and Jack have pledged to marry each other. Jack's father makes many wagers. One day at the August fair while Jack was busy having fun with Flora, he is late to meet his father at noon. He thinks nothing of it at the time. But then when his father finally staggers home, Jack and his mom find out that Father lost their two fields in a wager for some sheep. Father thought that the sheep would be better for them than the fields because there was a very very long drought happening. Jack's mom is furious. They get paid a chicken and a rooster and after they hen is carried off by a fox, Jack's dad runs out accross the fields and climbs up a cliff. Jack chases after him but it's no use. He walks off into the mist. Seven years later Jack seems crazy and every September he goes mad. Flora thinks he's crazy and is going to marry some other guy. He sells their last cow for seven beans. What will happen? Did Jack make a good decision? His mother and Flora are really upset. A cow for seven rainbow colored beans. Is Jack Really Crazy? Will Flora marry Will?
My favorite character is Flora because her heart is in the right place, even if she is blinded by the past.
Title: The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Avi
Name: Alice Duan
Grade: 6
GEnre: Realistic Fiction
Rating: 5
Most girls are never accused of murder, found guilty, and sentenced for a hanging. But, Charlotte Doyle is not like most girls. You could maybe even say that she is unusual, like someone named Captain Jaggery. Charlotte is going back to America after studying in Britan for so long. She boards the Seahawk and is the sole passenger. Zacharia tries to befriend her first thing. But, her womanly training prevails and she takes a liking to the Captain, rather a mistake, and dismisses all help Zacharia gives. The voyage is rather hard and, in desperation to gain the crew's trust, she shimmys herself up the royal yard successfully and becomes part of the crew. She begins her life as a sailor, taking shifts and repairing the sails when needed. She has learned that the Captain is not a good person and joined Zacharia and the men. They eventually go through a hurricane and everything is confusing. Is she seeing hallucinations? Someone is found dead, but who murdered him? It surely wasn't Charlotte, who is accused of it anyway by the Captain, so who was it? Are you lost now? If you are or you're confused, then you've got to read the book to piece it together and make sense of everything!!!
My favorite character is Zacharia because he is very kind and warm-hearted.
Title: crank
ReplyDeleteAuthor: ellen hopkins
Name: katie Nemitz
Grade: 7th
Genre: realistic fiction
Rating: 5
the book I'm read about is about a teen girl who was introduced to drugs at an early age. The sad part is she was introduced to drugs by her father and a person she thought she loved. she looses just about every thing she is close to; her friends, parents, and sister. one interesting thing about the book is the book is written is poems. another is she goes by to names one is bree and she goes by bree to every one she met after she tried drugs. her other name is her birth name, kistina, the name everyone calls her who met her after she tried drugs.
Title: The Fear Place
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Name: ALice Duan
Grade: 6
Rating:4
Genre: Realistic Fiction
The Grillos are on their way to Denver to go on their yearly camping trip. Doug, the main character, and his brother are already fighting. Gordon always has to make Doug mad, it seems. Once they get there they go through the usual and tedious routine for getting ready. Grocery shopping, research permit pick up, etc. It seems that as soon as they get there, Doug's parents have to leave to Boston for Doug's Uncle Lloyd's funeral. The boys are left all by themselves while the parents try to book a flight to Boston. Right off the bat Gordan and Doug have a huge fight, big enough for Gordan to go steaming off with all of his stuff and all of the good food. Oh well, thinks Doug. I don't need him. Well, as he makes his way away from a clearing, he feels like he's being watched and followed. At first he thinks that it's Gordan. But then---a tail. Gordan didn't have a tail the last time he checked. His heart seems to stop beating. A cougar. That's what it is. Oh my god. No way this is happenning. He is momentarily paralyzed. He makes it back to camp okay and unscathed though, which is totally the opposite of what Doug thought was going to happen. The next few days he spends with the cougar, which he names Charlie. After a while, the parents don't make it home on time and Gordan has not come back. Something must be wrong. He leaves a note for his parents telling him where he went. He makes it up the mountain and comes to face it. The Fear Place. Will he make it past it this time? Will he succeed? Will he find Gordan okay or- no. Can't think about it.
What will happen?
My favorite character is Charlie the Cougar because she (and yes, it's a she) is really cool and I love animals.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars! Exhilarating!
Alanna has survived her first year as a knight. Now, she longs for adventure, and finds it in the snow-covered mountains of the Roof of the World. But even as she goes off on a wild-goose chase to find the one object that has the power to save her war-torn country, her archenemy, whom she defeated on the eve of gaining her knighthood, returns from the dead, causing even more havoc to a country torn with sorrow. Can Alanna brave her fear of the cold to regain the Dominion Jewel? And can she uncover a plot that should have died before it even began? I suggest you read Lioness Rampant, by Tamora Pierce, and find out!
My favorite character most likely is Thayet, the fleeing princess of Sarain (another country). Although she is very beautiful, she doesn't appear to care, and is a very sensible and self-sacrificing person.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars! Brilliantly written!
In Dealing With Dragons, written by Patricia C. Wrede, Cimorene is not your average princess. The youngest of all of her blonde, blue-eyed and petite sisters, she has dark hair, is very tall, and is intelligent. For a princess, that's quite unusual! When her parents try to force her into a marraige she really doesn't want, (sure, he may be nice, but Prince Therandil is incredibly dull!) she runs away to become a dragon's princess. Read on as she conjugates Latin verbs, keeps away well-meaning knights, has trouble with wizards, and solves a mystery!
My favorite character is probably Morwen, a no-nonsense type of witch who has at least eight cats (and none of them are black. She is a very clear-sighted individual.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars, yet again!
Written by Patricia C. Wrede, Calling on Dragons is the second book of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, which star the princess Cimorene. In this case, however, we start off in the Enchanted Forest, not in King Kazul's lair. Mendenbar, the King of the Forest, is taking a stroll when he notice that part of the Enchanted Forest is entirely dead! Upon finding four dragon scales, he realizes he ought to visit the King of Dragon's to find out who the culprit may have been. However, upon arrival, he meets Kazul's princess, Cimorene, who informs him that Kazul is not there, and should have arrived back home a couple days ago! Read on as the two borrow a magic carpet, break a magic mirror, meet a friend, and rescue a dragon!
My favorite character is probably Telemain, a magician (not a wizard!) who can only speak in long, technical terms. (unless he really tries!) He really is a good soul.
Title: The Mzungu Boy
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Meja Mwangi
Name: Alice Duan
Grade: 6
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 1
This book is about two boys named Nigel and Kariuki. Kariuki lives with his older brother Hari and his parents on Bwana Ruin's (Nigel's grandfather's) farm. Bwana Ruin is from England and his grandson Nigel is at the farm visiting. He meets Kariuki at a stream while Kariuki is fetching water and Nigel is fishing. Kariuki is just as clueless about English customs as Nigel is about Kariuki's village's customs. Kariuki and Nigel start to hang out, and that's when all the trouble begins. Kariuki's dad almost loses his job, and so Kariuki is forbidden to see Nigel. That doesn't stop him though. They go hunting all the time and when they go hunting with Bwana Ruin's dogs, trouble is really in the air. They travel deep into the forest, and Nigel gets lost. Night falls. What will happen to Nigel? All of the white soldiers come in and interrogate everyone. Will Kariuki be ablke to find him? Will all be lost, just as Kariuki fears it is?
My favorite character is Nigel because he is full of adventure and spunk.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars! Another great adventure!
Written by Patricia C. Wrede, Calling On Dragons continues the story of Cimorene and Mendenbar, although it is told from the perspective of Morwen, who was a minor character in the first two books.
The wizards are up to mischief again! The sword of the Enchanted Forest, one of the objects keeping all of the magic of the Enchanted Forest inside the Enchanted Forest, has been stolen! Cimorene, Kazul, Morwen, and Telemain aim to get it back. They travel through muddy marshes, meet disgruntled fire-witches, 'battle' invisible dusk-blooming chokevines, and retrieve the sword of the Enchanted Forest, only to realize: there's trouble at home!
My favorite character would probably be Trouble, one of Morwen's cats. As his name implies, he is a little mischief maker; however, his heart is in the right place.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars, yet again!
Talking to Dragons is the last book of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede. This book is told from the perspective of Daystar, Cimorene's son.
For sixteen years, Cimorene has taught her son all the skills (etiquette, fencing, magic an otherwise) to make sure that he would be able to survive in the Enchanted Forest alone. However, Daystar only realizes this after his mother gives him a sword, wishes him good luck, and pushes him out the door. He meets Shiara, a young fire-witch whose magic doesn't always work, and many other characters, some kind, some evil, as he attempts to 'follow the sword' to the castle of the Enchanted Forest. Why is Shiara's magic so spotty? How can he break the shield on the castle? And just where is the King of the Enchanted Forest? I suggest you read and find out: you won't be disappointed!
My favorite characte(s) would have to be the bushes who kept Daystar and Shiara safe through Daystar's first night in the Enchanted Forest. They only open up when asked politely, and they seem 'good-hearted'.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars. Much less cliche than the second book!
Written by Brandon Mull, Fablehaven is the first book in a series of the same name. Kendra and Seth don't think their summer vacation will be very interesting, since their parents are dropping them off at their grandparents house, whom the two children don't don't know very well. And honestly, until Kendra solves the puzzle of the three little keys her grandfather gives her, it really is just a mild vacation. However, the directions on the solved puzzle really open her (and her brother's eyes) to a whole new world of mischief, beauty... and danger. And when their grandfather is taken, they know: this isn't a game anymore.
My favorite character is probably Lena, the housekeeper, because she is such a gentle and kind person. She does all she can to keep the children entertained and away from boredom.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars, refreshingly new ideas.
Written by Richelle Mead, Vampire Academy adds a bizarre twist to the world of the supernatural that we all thought we knew so well. Lissa and Rose have been on the run for two years; now, the trackers from St. Vladimir's Academy have come to pull them from their illicit freedom, back to their rightful places: Rose as a Dhampir (half human, half-Moroi) student, and Lissa as Princess and head of the social circle. However, not all is sunshine and happiness. Dead animals have started appearing in Lissa's room, and Lissa is back to cutting her wrist's as a way to deal with her troubles. Rose can't help much; the Dhampirs and Moroi (good vampires, in plain-speak) are kept apart, never mind the royalty. But when Lissa is kidnapped, it's up to Rose to break off a forbidden romance, and get there in time to save Lissa... and her sanity.
My favorite character would probably be Mason, one of the Dhampir students. He really is a sweetheart, and helps Rose out on several occasions.
Title: The Name of This Book is Secert
ReplyDeleteAuther: Pseudonymous Bosch
Name: Rachel Rezaei
Grade: 6th
Rating:5
Genre: Fiction
This book is about a girl named Cass and a boy named Max-Ernest. Cass is a survivalist that always carries her backpack full of survival stuff. Max-Ernest was a logical thinker that was great at decoding things but tends to talk in whole paragraphs at once ( it can get really annyoning even to the reader ) but anyways one day Cass Grandfathers get a package from a realstate agent named Gloria. inside the box was a littler box and on the front it said the symphony of smells. It was filled with a bunch of differnet vivals that contaned different smell. Max-Ernest and Cass discovered that there was a secert message that spelled excuse me smelled H-E-L-P. Cass and Max-Ernest decied to go over to the persons house that the box came from thats where they found a secert room in the house that was by the way underground and found a notebook with another code inside. What will the code say? What will become of them? What unexpceted( and I do mean unexpected) things will happen find out all this and more when you read the book The name of this book is secert.
My favorite charater was Cass because she was always caught in the biggest amount of trouble? :)
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars. Interesting ideas, well-presented.
Written by Patrick Carmen, Into the Mist features the adventures of two brothers. We start off in a boat in the middle of the Lonely Sea, eagerly awaiting an answer to the destination of our small boat. We look on as Alexa, our main character in the previous books in The Land Elyon series, greet Roland, captain and teller of the story that will be the main part of the book. As Roland begins to speak, we are whisked away to a grimy basement of an orphanage, where we meet our main characters: the ten year old Roland, and his eleven year old brother, Thomas. Here, at the House on the Hill, all the orphans ever do is dig through the pile of trash that the house was built on in the hopes of finding something valuable. And this day, Thomas and Roland hit treasure. Not the kind that could be sold; the kind that brings with it a new hope. Follow the boys as they make their escape, conquer what no one else has been able to, and face some things that others call merely fantasy.
My favorite character is probably Thorn, the mountain lion that helped Thomas and Roland escape from Fenwick Forest. She has a sort of maternal instinct, and this makes her a very good friend for those in need.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars! Humorously written.
Written by Julia DeVillers, How my Private, Personal Journal Became a Bestseller is written from the viewpoint of fourteen-year-old Jamie Bartlett, and is about exactly what the title suggests. Quite simple, really. The characters are anything but.This is a story with humor, character flaws, and yes, that little bit of romance that makes everything so much nicer. We look on as Jamie, bullied by popular Sawyer Sullivan, takes out all of her rage on her journals. We chew off our fingernails in desperation as her English teacher reads aloud what she believes is Jamie's essay. Instead, she has read aloud Jamie's journal, about a girl fighting off the evil clique of populars! The English teacher likes it so much, she sends it to an agent, so that Jamie can make revisions and eventually get published. A story of empowerment, this book gives us excellent examples of when to hold our tongue, and when to give a helping hand. Definitely recommended to everybody who wants to read a nice story of an everyday girl!
My favorite character would have to be Harmony, Jamie's best friend, because she's always there for Jamie, even if Jamie might not know it.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars! The story is a well-known concept, however, the plot is entirely new.
Written by E. D. Baker, The Dragon Princess features Millie, the daughter of a witch-princess, which causes her unfortunate curse. Because her mother spent so much of her time in dragon shape, that is precisely what Millie turns into whenever she gets mad, which happens quite frequently. So far, her parents have been able to keep the news of her curse in check; however, when Millie visits her non-magical grandparents and things don't quite turn out fine and dandy, Millie doesn't expect her secret to stay one much longer. So she decides to visit the only person who might be able to help her: the Blue Witch. Trouble is, she lives WAY in the North, so it's going to be quite a journey! Her two friends, Francis and Zoe, are also traveling with her, and both will be valuable assets to the trip. However, some complications (that include flightless dragons, and large, walking snowmen-type beasts) make it all the harder for the trio to reach their destination! A good piece for a bit of light reading.
My favorite character would have to be You-too, Millie's mother's annoying parrot. I think I like him because he's not afraid to show his true feelings, which makes him incredibly bothersome and funny at the same time.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars! New ideas, wonderfully presented.
Written by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, Hawksong speaks of an ancient conflict, with two sides at war, fighting because that was the way it had been for thousands of years. The avians (shape-shifters, whose second forms are birds) and the serpiente (shape-shifters, whose second forms are snakes) each remember a different conflict as the start of the war, naturally blaming each other. However, when the serpiente's king's brother is killed, and the king hears of how the serpiente queen sang the boy to sleep, the king sends his sister to the avians in a plea to make peace. Although the different cultures differ a lot, the two monarchs agree to marry as a way to ensure peace; this, however, is a new idea to the serpiente, and one that has never been done before. This book concentrates on racism, prejudice, and war. A good story for all!
My favorite character would probably be Eleanor, Danica's seamstress, because even though she collaborates with the serpiente, she only wants peace, and is a true friend to Danica.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars, yet again!
Snakecharm, the second book in the series by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, continues the story that began in Hawksong; however, this is from Zane's (the king's) point of view, not Danica's, who is now carrying her first child.
Although the avians and the serpiente have negotiated a peace (of sorts) by the marriage of their ruling monarchs, the ties that bind the two cultures are still shaky. Even more so when an ancient falcon arrives, claiming that a falcon is living among the avians and serpiente. The falcons are more powerful than the avians and serpiente combined, and no one would be able to stop Syfka if she were just here to stir up controversy about a mixed-blooded child taking the throne, which she appears to be doing. If you read on, you will hear of plots of betrayal, vows of loyalty, surprises you can believe and some you cannot... on the whole, a very satisfying novel!
My favorite character would probably be Erica Silvermead, because she is loyal to her queen even when complications would give her opportunities to betray...
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars! Humorous, well-written.
Written by Angie Sage, Magyk combines the elements of fantasy, mystery, and family into a novel that is simply fingernail chew-offish at times; we scream in terror as we follow Jenna through garbage chutes, hidden passageways, and fog so thick, even a lantern won't do much to dispel the thick, soup-like concoction. Although the story (princess raised in an ordinary family, finds out true heritage, followed by assassins, wicked wizards, etc.) may be a familiar one, the way it is presented (in the world of Magyk, Flyte, dragons, and rituals) is utterly unique. Ambitions will be blown off, lost family members will be found: this is an utterly satisfying book!
My favorite character would probably be Aunt Zelda, who, although she can't cook worth stewed cabbages, is a very kindly and sharp woman, who holds a lot of responsibility.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars, all the way!!!
Another great start to a fantastic series by Tamora Pierce, First Test sets us down the path of an ambitious young girl: she has decided to be the first lady knight. That means fighting hundreds of years' worth of prejudices, and proving herself to be better than, not equal to, the boys she is training. Meet Keladry of Mindelan, who will have to prove herself over and over again to her training master, the other pages, and, of course, to herself. Will Lord Wyldon (the training master) let her stay? I certainly hope so; the series wouldn't go on much longer if he didn't!
My favorite character would have to be Peachblossom, Kel's bad-tempered warhorse. He's not afraid to show what he thinks (spitting, stepping on feet, etc) and he is a very good judge of character.
Title: Sammy Keyes and the Hollywood Mummy
ReplyDeleteAuthro: Wendelin Van Draanen
Name: Alice Duan
Grade: 6
Rating:5
Genre: Fiction
She just had to go. Sammy Keyes and her best friend are "visiting" Sammy's mom down in Hollywood, who dumped Sammy with her Grandma to become a movie star. They ride the bus to Hollywood right after school and to her Grandma, unknowingly. They realize that Hollywood is not all beautiful and everything. There are drug dealers and bad seeds everywhere. They manage to finally find Sammy's mom, and she is furious. She knew about them coming from Grams, and she looks completely different.She has gotten a different identity, and look, and attitude. That night, someone is murdered. She looks just like Lana (Sammy's mom) because of her hair and face, and they were auditioning for the same role. Who did it? Everyone seems likely, even Sammy's own mom. Sammy feels so sick and confused, and she goes to interrogate a pawn shop owner. A girl she's looking for is found not guilty by Sammy, and so Sammy's reached another dead end. She had to let out a secret to Hali, since she figured out one of Hali's. Nothing makes sense to Sammy. Everywhere she turns, dead-end. Could it really have been her mom who was so desperate to get the role they were competing for? Sammy is sick to her stomach because of the idea, but she's going to have the shock of her life later. Read to find out what exactly THAT is!
My favorite character is Sammy because she figures thing out just in the nick of time.
Title:The Assailant
ReplyDeleteAuthor: James Patrick Hunt
Name: Leslie Dandois
Grade: Teacher
Rating: 4
This book is an adult thriller, that is not suited for middle school students. The Assailant is about a killer who is strangling young women in St. Louis. Police Lieutenant George Hastings is the officer leading the hunt for the murderer. What is interesting about this book, is that it is told from the point of view of Lieutenant Hastings and also the murderer himself. We get a glimpse of George Hastings, typical cop, divorced and very busy with work. One thing that I didn't like about this book, is that the author never really gives us enough information about the killer. I never discoverd what made him into this evil person. The book did keep me interested, and it was a quick read.
Title: Ring of Fire- Century Quartet- Book 1
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Pierdomenico Baccalario
Name: Sarah Hedaria
Grade; 6th
Reading Level: 6th
Book Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5
Ring of Fire is so good. This book does not have a main character, but my favorite character is named Harvey. He is very arrogant and is such a sour puss. He also has good taste in girls. Elettra lives in Rome with her father and 2 aunts named Irene and Linda. When Elettra's father goes to pick up two women from the airport he notices he is over booked. He has three Americans, two pairs of women, and two Chinese men booked for the same room. Elettra has to share her room with a girl from Paris named Mistral, the American boy named Harvey, and a Chinese boy named Sheng. They soon find out that they where all born in the same year and on the same day and month. When ever Elettra gets close to finding something out she gets all hot inside and what ever she touches gets hot and explodes or melts. All three kids get mixed in some kind of dangerous situation and risk their lives because Elettra took a briefcase from this stranger who was running for his life. I liked this book because it was detailed and was my type of book. I recommend this book to kids who love adventures. I couldn't put it down.
Title: Sammy Keyes and the Runaway Elf
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Wendelin Van Draanen
Name: Alice Duan
Grade: 6
Rating: 5
Genre: Fiction
Sammy Keyes didn't plan on getting threatened by a crazy photographer with a gun, be blackmailed into searching for this rude and cruel woman's dog, or meeting an "elf", but it all happened to her because, well, she's Sammy Keyes. She was kind of forced to watch over a dog on a Christmas parade float. When the dog is lured away by someone calling her name, Sammy chases after her, but it's no use. There were also some people wearing hoods who were carrying some cats that totally caused the dogs to go berserk. Sammy is challenged and keeps running into dead-ends. She has to find the dog before Friday or she and her grandma will be evicted from their apartment where Sammy is illegally living. The whole thing with Elyssa (Sammy's new friend), Mrs. Graybill, and Heather Acosta is just making things really stresses out and busy for Sammy. Will everything turn out ok? Will Sammy and her grandma end up homeless?
My favorite character is Elyssa because she is really funny and a cute little girl.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars. Great story, strong characters!
The second book in the series by Tamora Pierce, Page continues the story that began in First Test. Keladry of Mindelan, known to all as 'Kel', has been allowed to continue her knight training! In this novel, she gains a new friend and continues her long-lasting feud with Joren, now a squire, who believes that women shouldn't be warriors. We read on as Kel encounters new problems (some feminine, some adolescent), laugh aloud at the more humorous passages, roll our eyes in exasperation at some of the denser characters, and gasp in horror at the shenanigans of the less likable characters. Bandits, magic, and hints at romance make this a thoroughly enjoyable novel!
My favorite character would have to be Crown, 'leader' of Kel's flock of sparrows. She's feisty, knows her own mind, and is very helpful in many ways. She definitely has her own personality!
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars!!!
The third book in a quartet featuring a young girl fighting against discrimination, Squire starts from the perspective of fourteen year old Keladry, who was the first female brave enough (and stubborn enough) to take the king up on his new law; that women can choose to train as knights as well. However, things aren't doing so hot. No knight has taken her to be their squire, and she's afraid that in the end, she will have to remain a palace squire, fit for nothing but running errands and writing papers. Follow Kel as she gains new hope, a good friend, much valuable experience, and many stories fit to be told around the campfire!
My favorite character would have to be Jump, Keladry's dog (who we meet in the second book), who is a rather ugly dog. However, he has his own sense of humor and is very loyal. He's as good as any soldier in a battle, and he's an attentive companion.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars! A brilliant finish for an awesome quartet.
The last of the Protector of the Small quartet, Lady Knight features the last adventure of Keladry of Mindelan, known to most people as simply 'Kel'. She has finally passed into knighthood; now, as there is a war being fought, she naturally wants to be in the thick of the fighting, doing what she does so well: bashing enemy heads. However, there is a refugee camp in need of a capable knight to command it. Although Kel at first believes she is being kept 'safe', she soon realizes that honestly, she's the only one up to the job. However, when the enemy attacks and the refugees are either taken or killed, Kel knows that she has to get them back, even at the price of being disloyal to her country. Just how far will Kel go to see the people she has watched over safely returned home? Well, read and find out!
My favorite character would have to be Tobi, another one of Kel's strays. A servant boy, beaten black and blue by his previous master, he is one of those people who is very frank and honest with you. He's a good person, and it shows.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars! Politics, war, happiness, sorrow...
Alianne of Pirate's Swoop, looking to find some peace from her nagging mother, has taken her small raft for a quick trip down the coast. Or, so she thought. Being captured by pirates, then sold as a slave doesn't exactly make any trip 'quick'. This is precisely what has happened to Aly, who now has the eye of a god on her: Kyprioth, Trickster god of the Copper Isles. Her mission? Keep her owners alive until the end of summer. Aly's going to need all of her cunning, brains, and magic to be able to survive as Trickster's Choice! (written by Tamora Pierce)
My favorite character would have to be Nawat Crow, one of the crows who are teaching Aly to speak their language. He's very adventurous, and curious, and while he appears on he outside to be a handsome young man, it is obvious from his (sometimes strange) behavior that he is no man.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars! Understandable characters!
Another great novel by Tamora Pierce, Melting Stones features Evumeimei, a young stone mage, as she learns that not all humans are incapable of friendship.
On her unhappy way toward a new island with plant trouble, Evvy's job is to simply keep quiet and stay out of trouble while her mentor, Rosethorn, attempts to help out the beleaguered citizens. However, being Evvy, she not only does she get into deep trouble, but she uncovers an enormous clue as to why the plants are dying and why the water is turning acidic. My friends, Evvy has just landed at the top of a volcano that is about to blow! Read on as the frantic scramble to escape intermingles with the thickness of peoples' skulls. Will everybody make it in time? Who knows?
My favorite character would have to be Rosethorn, who is as prickly as her name and twice as sharp. A very intelligent woman, she would rather be around plants than people, although she is a good friend to those in need.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars! Brilliantly new plotline!
In a world where everybody is perfect, anybody normal is considered 'ugly'. That is, until they turn sixteen, get their operations done, and become beautiful themselves. Tally, a young girl living in a city where you never want for anything, has been waiting for as long as she can remember for her operation, so she can leave her frizzy hair and squinty eyes behind. However, when a new friendship begins, and when a new secret is revealed, Tally is informed that she will not be allowed to have her operation... unless she tattles on her friend. A wonderful story of morals, priorities, brainwashing, and exhilerating adventure, Uglies by Scott Westerfeld has it all!
I think my favorite character would have to be Shay, Tally's best friend, because although she is a bit rambunctious, she's as enthusiastic as a puppy, and truly loves Tally for herself.
Reviewed by Lidia Mezei, Eighth Grade
ReplyDeleteFive stars! A brilliant finish to a politically amazing series and novel!
What started in Trickster's Choice now ends (or just begins) in Trickster's Queen. Written by Tamora Pierce, this novel tells of a young half-blood girl, the struggles of her family and those around them, and the sacrifices of those who made sure that one who both in royal blood and royal demeanor would treat the people of both the islands and the foreign lands with respect, honesty, and righteousness would take the throne. This novel, continuing a story of death and tragedy, brings with it the hopes and dreams of a people vanquished thousands of years ago, who, sold as slaves and treated more poorly than dirt,have finally found a new queen to rally around. Join Aly as she helps set right an ancient wrong, and reunites a deserving queen with her long-overdue throne! Truly, it is not the conclusion which is so exhilarating; it is the journey there, through the minds of the weak and foolish, the brave, cunning, and strong. An ancient prophecy; a deep-ground hatred. Where will this journey take us? Need I prompt you twice? Recommended for older minds...
My favorite character would have to be Nuritin Balitang, the head of the main character's owner's family ( a bit complicated...). She was once described as a 'dragon'; with her fiery temper and no-nonsense attitude, she most certainly could be!
Title: Phantom Stallion- The Wild One
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Terri Farley
Name: Sarah Hedaria
Grade: 6th
Reading Level: 6th
Book Genre: Fiction
Rating: 5
I loved this book. The main character in the Wild One is named Sam. Sam loves horseback riding. She has just come back from San Francisco to Nevada after 2 years. Sam left because her horse, Blackie almost killed her. When Sam comes back she has a new horse named Ace. Blackie ran away after that day when he almost killed Sam. Everyone blames Jake because he helped her train him and wasn't watching her. Jake even blames himself too. When Sam and her dad are driving home Sam sees a herd trying to escape a helicopter trying to capture them. Out of no where a silver and gray stallion takes lead of the herd and takes them into a hiden passage way. Sam really feels like an outsider cause she has to prove herself to everyone to show them she is a real cowgirl. I loved this book because it is about a girl and her horse. I recommend this book to horse lovers and girls of course. The next book in the series is called Mustang Moon.
Title: Sammy Keyes and the Cold Hard Cash
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Wendelin Van Draanen
Name: ALice Duan
Grade: 6
Rating: 5
Genre: Fiction
Sammy Keyes now knows what it means to be scared to death. She actually scared a man to death. On the fire escape. Of the Senior Highrise. Well that is definetely weird. The old man tells her to throw away over $3,000 that he just so happens to be carrying around in his pocket. Who lives in the Senior Highrise when they have that much money?? Well, if that isn't enough, she has to go get a part-time job at the Heavenly Hotel across the street because she lied to her best friend Marissa. She's there two different times and she's already met two officers, snuck into a room and emptied it, spied on and talked to the daughters of the guy who's room she emptied, and earned fourty bucks. Wow. Well, Marissa is cut-off from cash, her credit card, and her cell phone. Never had her parents cut her off, but now they're going through some financial crisis. After they play some baseball with pretty much everyone, they go and spy on Heather. They catch her and Danny kissing, and Marissa has a meltdown. She loves Danny. She can't seem to get over it, and as Brandon's pool party comes around, everything seems weird. But whatever. All Sammy is focused on is having fun. But then, she accidently saves Heather Acosta's (her worst enemy's) life. She gets curious of whether the money she kept from the old man she accidently killed is legit, and the truth stuns Sammy. It can't be. No!
My favorite character is Casey because he's so cool about the craziest things.
Title: The Face On The Milk Carton
ReplyDeleteAuthor: Caroline B. Cooney
Name: Sarah Hedaria
Grade: 6th
Reading Level: 6th
Book Genre: Fiction
Rating: 5
I loved this book. This book was about a regular girl who has a normal life until she looks at the back of a milk carton and finds out she is not who she was told to be. The main characters name is Janie. When Janie looks on the back of a milk carton she sees her self under the head lines KIDNAPPED. But the picture was when she was three. Janie go's insane trying to find out how her sweet parents could have done such a thing. Janie tells a person she has known for so long. She told Reeve. Janie thinks he is really cute and hopes he will ask her out. Janie finds all this information about who she is. Her real name is Jennie Spring. She finds out that her parents are her "Grandparents". I loved this book, I had a hard time putting it down. I recommend this book to only girls because of all the crying. Boys really don't like it when a girl cries in a book or outside a book.