Let the 75th hunger games Begin

  As Katniss starts to think of rebellion, the 75th hunger games is starting. It is the 3rd Quarter Quell. In a Quarter Quell there is double the people, Usually. But in this one 2 victors from each district fight, and district 12's is Katniss and Peeta. But they have made an alliance with Finnick, a good fighter. Will they survive?
  It is a very very good book. I love it. Everybody READ IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! JUST READ IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The His Dark Materials Series by Pillip Pullman

The Trilogy of His Dark Materials consists of the three books: The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass. This amazing series is an epic account of Lyra and Will, two ordinary kids on a huge adventure.

The first book is in Lyra's world, a world exactly like Earth, except everyone has a dæmon, a separate part of them in the form of an animal. Lyra starts out as a girl of battle, often in battle with other groups of children. This all changes when she saves her uncle, Lord Asriel from poison, and mysterious "Gobblers"  are stealing children. 

The second book begins with Will, in our world, who takes care of his mother, as she seems slightly insane and Will's father is missing. When Will discovers a window to another world,  he meets Lyra.

The third book is jumping between multiple worlds as an inter-dimensional war breaks out between Lord Asriel and The Authority.  Lyra is captured and Will meets two angels who help him get Lyra back. Polar bears, witches, and troops of rebel angels all participate in this epic story of great truths and discoveries.

Any fan of the Hunger Games will love this classic fantasy series. This trilogy tells an engaging story while going over themes of human essence and nature.

The Wolf Princess

The Wolf Princess by Catherine Constable is a story about a young orphan named Sophie. Sophie has never been considered anyone special in her London boarding school .However. on a school trip to St. Petersburg. Sophie meets Princess Anna Feodorovna Volkonskaya in the Volkonsky Winter Palace. Exploring within the palace Sophie realizes she is more special than she ever could have imained. I would recomend this book to anyone who enjoys an exiting story about personal discovery.                                   

The fourth stall

The Fourth Stall may sound interesting with offices in bathrooms at a middle school but it was so boring that I couldn't even finish the book. I didn't feel connected to the characters. It didn't describe why they even wanted to run a business to help friends.It didn't talk about the school they go to. The book was recommended by a Scholastic book store worker but I don't recommend it.

42 Jackie robinson (Ronan)

42 is about the first African American baseball player. It talks about how Jackie Robinson started in an all African American baseball league and goes all the way to the Brooklyn Dodgers. It also shows what Robinson had to deal with from the media and his teammates. The book also describes how he had to overcome  challenges such as getting kicked off a plane so someone of another race could sit there. I would recommend this book if you are a baseball fan and enjoy a deep book. 

Ronan, Vanishing Acts

In the book Vanishing Acts, the main character Madison has too figure out 2 mysteries. The first one her best friend Ann is missing and is nowhere  to be found at school. Ann even didn't show up at soccer practice. The second mystery is trying to solve a murder trial that her dad is trying to solve. How do you think she can do all that work and focus on soccer? I would recommend this  book because it's about overcoming challenges and that just because you're a kid doesn't mean you can't do big things.

the cabinet of wonders

          The cabinet of wonders, by Marie Rutkoski, is a fascinating magical adventure about a young girl named Petra who's father has a magical talent. He can move metal with his eyes! This enables him to make amazing mechanical devices. Because of his talent, a prince orders Petra's father to construct a clock that can control the weather. But when Petra's father is almost done, the prince steals his eyes. Petra goes to the castle in hopes of getting back her fathers eyes and destroying the clock before the prince did anybody any harm with it.
          I loved this book and I think anyone who appreciates a good book will as well. I recommend it to  anyone who likes to read adventure stories with a twist of magic.

Molly Moon, Micky Minus and the Mind Machine

This time Molly is traveling into the future to retrieve her brother, who was kidnapped and taken to the future the day he was born. In the future Molly's time travel crystals are stolen, and she is stuck in the future were she must gain her brothers trust befriend some "mutants," and devise many a plan, to survive. I would recommend this to anyone who loves action and twists. I can't just say good things about the book, it is very predictable if you've read the other books, but still has some surprises. I hope you read it.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

This is a great book about a group of farm animals who take control of the farm after scaring the mean farmer away. The farms form of government goes quickly from democracy to oligarchy to tyranny. The pigs being the smartest run the farm and use their persuasiveness to trick the animals. In the end... I'm not going to tell you. A great read.

The False Prince

In this book a boy named Sage is taken from his orphanage along with three other boys one of them is quickly killed. The man who took them from the orphanages is part of the royal council and recently found out that all three of the royal family have been killed. Their are enemies on the borders and they need a king. The man wants to train the three remaining boys to act like the long lost son of the King and Queen (Jaron)who's body was never found. Sage must keep a big secret as he battles it out with the other boys to be the one chosen. This is a great read full of twists, it's so good this is my second time reading it. I highly recommend it.

The Red Pony

This book is a serious of stories about a boy that go in chronological order, each story about a different thing. In one of  the stories the boy gets a pony and is overjoyed to have it. One day it's left out in the rain and gets sick. The stories are touching but can also be gruesome. In my opinion it's not that great a book, but I recommend giving it a try.

White Fang by Jack London

In this book Jack London goes into the mind of a wolf cub who learns about the world, his father dies when he's a baby and all the other cubs in his litter die. When he's young him and his mother are discovered by Native Americans who take them to their camp and name the cub White Fang. In their camp White Fang is bullied by the other dogs. The cub has to deal with starvation and other problems as his life progresses and learn how to fix problems. I have said it once and I will say it again it is amazing how Jack London goes into the mind of wolf cub it's a great book and an amazing read. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes great books.

Shadow on the Mountain

This book is about a boy living during the Holocaust, he starts delivering secret packages and letters, eventually they discover his identity, and he has to stay hidden, he also starts doing bigger jobs like sneaking into bases. It's a well written heartwarming story that I definitely reccomend.

Fire Star by: Chris D' Lacey (Miah)

This book is about David Rain. He took a research trip to the Arctic. But as soon as he finds himself in the icy mountains. He starts o write stories on bears, dragons, and the mysterious fire star. He later on realizes that his stories are a reflection on real life discoveries. I old recommend his book to any one who likes adventure like David 

My Beloved World (Boo!)

My Beloved World

Sonia Sotomayor

The autobiography of the first Hispanic and third female Supreme Court Justice. This inspiring story of a child who would go on to achieve great things, coming from a childhood, troubled with poverty, discrimination, gang activity, drugs, juvenile diabetes, and the death of her father at age nine. This wonderful story of a determined little girl in the Bronx and how she became to be a justice for the Supreme Court.

I would recommend this book to everyone in need of an idol or inspiration.

The Undrowned Child (Boo!)

The Undrowned Child
Michelle Lovric

There is something rotten in the city of Venice. It all begins with, a book, a legend and the disappearance of the remains an Italian hero from a church. Teodora witnessed it all, and now she has become a ghost, seemingly without dying.

I would recommend this book to a friend who enjoys a fantastical mystery.

The Martian Chronicles (boo!)

The Martian Chronicles
Ray Bradbury

This book of short stories, all about mars, filled with infinite possibilities and out comes of humans landing on mars, and martian life, as well as the future technology on Earth it a must read.

I would recommend this book to a friend who enjoys books filled with mystery and adventure, as well as books about the future. There are some rough spots that you have to just read through, but all in in all it is a wonderful eye opening edition.

coraline

        Coraline, by Neil Gaiman is an enthralling story about a young girl who wishes to have a different sort of  life.  After moving into an old house, she discovers a door in a rarely used room. She is excited about what she will find behind the door until her mother opens it and there are only Bricks. However, later that night she sneaks down to the door one last time and finds it open, leading to a tunnel. When she gets to the other end of the tunnel she finds a magical world where everything is more exciting. There are other people in the other world claiming to be her other mother and other father. However she soon realizes that this world is not what it seems and she must fight her so called "other parents" to get back to her normal life.I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a somewhat creepy fantasy story.

Tula

Emily Windsnap and the Castle in the Mist by: Liz Kessler (Miah)

This book is about Emily. She has just found out that she is part mermaid. Her father is a merman and he lives in the city of Atlantis. He wants her to choose who she wants to live with. Either her mom or dad. She is afraid of loosing the good relationship that she has with both her mom and dad.I would  recommend this book to any one who has these challenges like Emily 

Time Warp Trio Me Oh Maya

Joe,Sam and Fred were sucked up in their magical book again. And this time in Mexico. In the year 1000 A.D! They are in a village in Chichen Itza and they taught the villagers about basketball and everyone liked them. Except the jealous king, Kakapupahed. Since the trio has all the popularity, Kaka was so mad, he wanted the boys to get eaten by the jaguars. But if by morning the jaguars didn't eat them, they would have their heads cut off. This book is by Jon Scieszka. Recommend to people who like Time Warp Trio,comedy,and drama. 

Guardians of Ga'hoole by: Kathryn Lasky (Miah)

This book is about Soren and his family. He and his brother gets captured by evil owls. Which takes them to a dark and forbidding canyon. To escape Soren had to do something that he is terrible at. He has to fly. Along his journey he meets Twilight and Digger that helps him find the Guardians of Ga'hoole. I would recommend this book to anyone who is up for an adventure or faces similar 

situations like Soren.

Rebelion

  In the beginning of the book (Catching Fire) Katniss has one the games. The capitol starts to make treats. She is doing well with the capitol. So she starts to think to run away. But Gale change's her mind. Now she wants to go with the rebellion. Will she?
  I Love the book. It is the amazing. I think any one who is reading this, READ IT (if you haven't already).

Review : Adrian Mole, The Wilderness Years

Carlyle Smart                                                                                                          9/2/2013



                                                  Adrian Mole, The Wilderness Years


             I would not recommend this book to a friend (especially younger ones because of the maturity level). I personally do not like this book because it was supposed a hilarious comedy, but in my opinion the book was not funny at all. Once again I could tell the whole story, but this time from page 16. So the rest of the book was very boring and more sad then funny. This isn't a book that is suspenseful and keeps you hooked. I stopped reading at halfway because one: there are to many books like this and two: it is an unfunny comedy.

Review: A Wind in The Door : Review

Carlyle Smart                                                                                              The 23 of August 2013




                                                  A Wind in The Door


             I would not say Charles's Dragon is the best book in the world. Charles's Dragon didn't feel as exciting as A Wrinkle in Time. For an example I didn't feel like I would want to keep reading and reading the book and if I read another book for a short period of time when I read Charles's Dragon I wasn't automatically hooked like I was when I was reading A Wrinkle in Time. Unlike A Wrinkle in Time I didn't feel much suspense in the book and for a fiction book with no suspense, I feel like it isn't a good fiction book. I also didn't like the fact that I could figure out the main theme and ending so early in the book. In the end I would not recommend this book.

The Garden of Eve by K.L. Going

This book is about a girl named Evie. She used to believe in magic because of the books read by her mom when she was little. Now she doesn't. Her mom died and her father bought a Withered apple orchard that is said to be cursed. They live in a cabin near the orchard. Evie walks in the orchard and finds a boy around her age that says he was already dead. His name was Alex. Evie decides to believe in him and adventure together. Then, Maggie, a friend of her Father's gave her seeds and Evie planted them in the garden with Alex and they sprouted and it brought them to a magical place. They went there another time and searched for her mom.
I liked this book because I was interested in Adventures and the blog seemed to be interesting and I actually liked this in the end. I would recommend this to people who like Adventure and Fantasy.

Playing with Fire by: Sally Prue (Miah)

This book is about a boy named Stevie. There was a group of cool kids in his school. They invite him to be apart of their group. But Stevie has to light the waste bin in the library on fire. But he is afraid that if doesn't do it, they will think of him as a wimp. I would recommend this book to anyone because if they have problems like Stevie, he can help you out.

Starters by Lissa Price

Starters is about a sixteen year old girl named Callie, she lives on the streets with her sick little brother Tyler and her friend Micheal. Her mom and dad died from the Spore Wars which wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. Callie needs to make money for Tyler and Michael, her only hope is Prime Destinations, a secret place in Beverly Hills. Prime Destinations hires teens to rent their body to Enders - seniors who want to be young again. Callie decides to become donor to make money for the only people she has left. Something happens to the neurochip that they place in Callie's head and she wake up in the life of her renter. Callie finds out that her renter didn't rent her body to have fun and that  Prime Destinations is more evil then she could imagine. 

I really liked Starters and can't wait to read the sequel called Enders. I really liked it because it made me think a lot and once i started reading couldn't put the book down, and brought up some emotion. I recommend this book to people who like syfi, action, and a little bit of romance. 

Mickey & Me by Dan Gutman

If you've read my entry about Babe & Me you already know about Joe and his ability to travel through
time using baseball cards.


But in this book Joe's dad has been in a car wreck, and he wants Joe to travel back to 1951 using his Mickey Mantle card, to stop Mickey from tripping on the drain in Yankee Stadium ( which ruined his
career).


But Joe also has to babysit his little cousin, Samantha. And while talking... Sam brings up the 1940's
when most of the men were in the war, and woman had their own ball league, Joe refuses to believe
her. But when Sam swaps Joe's Mantle card with a Mickey Maguire card Joe winds up in 1944 instead of 1951 where he meets the starting of the 1944 Milwaukee Chicks and gets the job as the new mascot
(there were no mascots in 1944 but the author couldn't have Joe just sit there) He also has to pinch run
for Dolores Klosowski. But his time in 1944 wasn't all bad, when he took a train home (all he really needed to get home was a card from the present, but the Chicks didn't know that ) he met a nice boy about his age who was also a baseball fan, when they swaped autographs for fun this is what Joe got

he then ran to Mickey to warn him about the drain (he didn't hear) after that he went home.

I would recommend the book to sports fans, specificly female ones, and sexists. 

The Undrowned Child

The Undrowned Child by Michelle Lovric  (tula)


      However much 12 year old Teodora, pleads to go to Venice her foster parents always refuse. But when her foster parents, two scientists, are called to Venice to discuss the future of the drowning city, Teodora finally gets to visit the famed city of Venice.
      Soon Teodora is submerged in the secret city of Venice. after meeting with a few mysterious creatures Teodora realizes that that Venice is in terrible danger from an evil ghost come back to take revenge on the city,and she, The Undrowned Child, is the only one who can defeat him. I would recomend this book to anyone who enjoys an exciting book.

The Princess and the Hound

The Princess and the Hound   by Mette Ivie Harrison    (Tula)

The Princess and the Hound is a thrilling fairytale with a twist. Told through the eyes of Prince George, the heir to the kingdom of Kendal, and possessor of the forbidden animal magic. Once George is old enough to to marry, his father arranges a marriage with the princess of a rival Kingdom called Sarrey. But his betrothed, Princess Beatrice, is not what he expects and he must use his animal magic to save her at all costs.... read this suspensful book and find out the rest of the adventure. I would recommend this book to animal lovers of all kinds. 

The Ersatz Elevator (Boo!)

The Ersatz Elevator
Lemony Snicket aka David Handler

        This is an extremely suspenseful edition to the Series of Unfortunate Events, when the triplets try to save their two friends, the Quagmire triplets, they encounter Count Olaf yet again, this time in a new disguise, as he hides, and yells - will they succeed???
        I would recommend this to any fan of the Series of Unfortunate Events, and any one who loves to read on the edge of their seats.

I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I want to be your Class President (Boo!)

I am a Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I want to be your Class President
Josh Leib

       Don't be frightened by that huge title, this book is a hilarious take on children geniuses. Written from the perspective of a genius, Oliver Watson, and what happens on his campaign to impress his dad by being elected as class president.
       This book is perfect as a short-ish but great story for a joke lover. Keep your eyes peeled for Josh Leib's genius!

Divergent (Boo!)

Divergent
Veronica Roth

         This is a Hunger Games, Giver mix, that tells the story of a future filled with danger, and destruction. Set in Chicago, a young woman turns 16 and must make a choice, a choice that decides what she believes, her loyalties, and her friends, forever. A mystery behind the curtain, and a action packed novel not to be missed.
        I would recommend this book to a friend who enjoyed the HUnger Games, and enjoys mystery, adventure, and action. This is an amazing book and not to be missed!

The games end

  Soon Katniss teams up with the girl contestant from district 11, Rue. But soon Rue dies. Afterwards Katniss finds Peeta in a river covered in mud. The team up and both win the hunger games. But Katniss did some acts of rebellion and the capital get angry. Can she survive the capital?
  This book is really good!!!!!!! I can not wait for the next book!!!!!!!

The Thing about Georgie by Kaniyah

Georgie has a thing. The thing about Georgie is that he is a dwarf. He is 45 inches. He may be the shortest 5th grader on earth. Well he at least has a best friend, Andy, an italian boy. Well that is until, Georgie and Andy got into a fight about a boy named Russ that Andy met. Georgie got jealous and they weren't friends anymore. To make it worse, Jeanie the Meanie is making Georgies life miserable. And even more worse, Georgies parents are having a baby. This time a regular, not-short baby. Can his life get even more worse? Yes! He cant even talk to his crush right and prove her that he is somewhat cool. This book is by Lisa Graff. Recommend to anyone.  

The Ersatz Elevator (Boo!)

The Ersatz Elevator - Daniel Handler aka Lemony Snicket

This is a fast-paced and mysterious edition to the Series of Unfortunate Events. A short but wonderful novel, in which the Baudelaire children find themselves trying to save the Quagmire triplets, and themselves.
I would recommend this to a friend who enjoys adventure, as much as mystery.

Darth Paper Strikes Back by Kaniyah

Darth Paper strikes back is about a middleschooler at McQuarrie Middle School named Tommy. His and almost anyone else's weird friend Dwight, is about to go away because he had trouble at school. Everyone's sad because he had this Yoda finger puppet which helped with peoples problems. And Tommy is making a file case to send to the school board so Dwight can stay. This book is by Tom Angleberger. Recommend to people who like star wars and comedy.

" A Wrinkle in Time" recommendation by: Carlyle

Carlyle Smart                                                                                                    8/20/13


                                                  " A Wrinkle in Time" recommendation

       I would recommend this book to a friend because of the suspense and creativity.  "A Wrinkle in Time" is a great fiction book. At the beginning I thought it was going to be a more serious book because Meg was with her poor family having problems that occur in real life. But then we are wrinkling/tessering which is going through the fifth dimension. As you can see the picture to the right of us this is what tessering does (in a basic form) it gets us to place's faster. You see it would be a long trip for that ant to cross the line, so we take a short cut get there faster, that is basically how you would travel  in the fifth dimension. The Murry's and their friend Calvin run into some trouble... He is called the thing. The thing is basically evil under his disguise in space, he is a huge repulsive brain. He has a planet called Camaztoz he basically takes innocent people hypnotize them to follow strict order, for an example everyone goes out side to play and the same time the boys throw the ball and catch it synchronized. Same with the girls except they jump rope and at the same time all the mothers call the children and pat them on the back at the same time, this cycle repeats every day. If there is an interruption for an example someone is sick the thing kills the person. Tough luck, huh. But the Murry's fight back in an epic battle. "Do you want to know what happens?" read the book!

Bryant- Babe & Me by Dan Gutman

I was playing a video game called MLB PowerPros 2008. I was editing players on the Yankees, so they looked like Hall of Famers, like Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio.When I finished Ruth, it made me curious to find out more about him. So I took a swing at a book called Babe & Me


Here's the mystery: In Game 3 of the 1932 World Series at Wrigley Field in Chicago against the Cubs... Babe Ruth pointed to the centerfield wall right before he hit a homer to the exact same place. Some say he called his shot, some say he was just yelling at the pitcher, some say the story was made up by the press.  No one knows, and there's only one person who can solve the 80 year old mystery.


Joe Stoshack a boy about 12 years  old, his parents are divorced (he lives with his mother), and he plays little league baseball like me (except the divorce).When his father was laid off, he needed Joe's Babe Ruth card to sell, and here's something I forgot to mention Joe can travel through time using baseball cards. He's watched Honus Wagner win the 09' World Series, and he's lived with Jackie Robinson in 1947 (to learn more about Jackie, read my movie review of 42) . So instead of selling the card... Joe could use the card to take him and his dad back in time and buy a bunch of antique baseball cards, and at the same time they could solve the mystery of the 32' World Series.


 But instead of ending up in 1932 Chicago where Babe supposedly called his shot, they ended up in 1932 New York the day before Game 3. New York had been hit hard by the depression they passed a riot in Union Square Park which was broken up by Babe Ruth just happening to drive by. Joe and his father were invited to Babe's apartment, and to dinner where Babe ate dinner, but lost his dinner later on. They got on the train to Chicago, met Lou Gehrig and arrived in the Windy City in the morning. There they found out Babe is an AWFUL driver. Joe's dad was arrested attempted to warn presidential candidate, Franklin Delano Roosevelt (known today as FDR)  about the Holocaust (to save his grandparents, who lived in Poland at the time.). Did Babe call his shot ? Will they ever find out ?

I would recommend this book to all baseball- loving kids, and Sci- Fi nerds, who believe time travel is real, because they've watched too many movies.

The games beigin

  Soon the games begin, with the other boy contestant from her district (Peeta), taking on the role of the boy who loves Katniss. As soon as the games beigin, Peeta joins a team of other contestants. Katniss soon runs into some problems. Why is Peeta with the other team? Will Katniss survive?
  This is a really good book! Most people already read it. But I still recommend it.

Rangers Aprentice Book Nine, Halt's Peril

This is one of the best books in the series, as it begins to bring everything together, from the very first book to the nearing end.
The book begins with Will, Horace, and Halt's hunt for the last of the Outsiders, a cult devoted to tricking people into giving up valuables. Unfortunately, Halt is shot by a poison arrow, Will rides to the one healer that could help Halt: Malcom of Grimsdel Wood.
This book is an amazing part to a must read fantasy series.

The Apothecary

          The apothecary, by Maile Meloy, is about a 14 year old girl named Jane living in California. Her parents are being watched by the government under suspicion of being communists, though they are not. Because of this, Jane and her parents move to London, and there Jane finds a boy her age who she becomes friends with. His name is Benjamin Burrows. But the two teenagers realize that Benjamin's father is in grave danger and set out to find him with the help of his magical book, which is wanted by many. They enroll the services of a young pickpocket named Pip, and have soon embarked on a journey that captures the imagination of any reader. This is a book I will not soon forget.

One Crazy Summer by Kaniyah

One Crazy Summer is about 3 sisters that go to Oakland, California to visit their mother that abandoned them. Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern found out their mother was totally cray cray. If the three girls were hungry, Cecile wouldn't cook for them. Instead they had to pay her so they can get takeout from a nearby Chinese Food place. And she wants no one in her kitchen. When Fern was thirsty, Cecile did not want to get her water from the kitchen. And she wanted the children out of the house as long as possible. This book is by Rita Williams-Garcia. Recommend to people who like historical fiction, short books, and crazy suspension.

English Roses: Goodbye Grace, by Madonna (Miah)

This book is about 5 BFF's, who spent every minute of the day with each other. They always did everything together no matter what. But they over heard a conversation with Grace's mom and dad about them moving. But what they were really talking about was moving around the furniture. I would recommend this book to anyone who has these kinds of problems like Grace

The games

 In the hunger games, Katniss (the main character) is volunteers (Instead of her little sister paying) to play in the hunger games. As the person who feeds the family, this is bad. As she gets ready for the hunger games she gets more worried.
  It is starting out on a rocky start, but it is getting better and better. I am not far enough to recommend it or not.

The end of it all

 At the end Eragon flies away to a land beyond Alagaësia (Alagaësia is where the story is set, it is one land mass and there is another) to raise the Dragon Riders. A few elves come. The end.
  I loved this book. It is amazing. It is a lot like the lord of the rings. I give it 5 out of 5 stars. I loved it as much as lord of the rings. So, READ IT!!!

Arielle, Wait Till Helen Comes

Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn is about a girl named Molly and her brother Michael, their mom got remarried with a man named David who has a seven year old daughter named Heather. They move to Holwell, Maryland, in an old church. Heather is a selfish girl who's mother died in a fire when she was three. She wants her dad all to herself, Molly and Michael try's to be nice to Heather but she makes up excuses so Michael and Molly get in trouble. Molly, Heather, and Micheal find out that the church has a grave yard, when Molly and Heather go on a walk they find a grave stone with the initials H.E.H. Heather likes to play by that grave and the pond behind it. Heather finds Helen, a ghost and they become friends. Heather hates Molly, Michael, and her step-mother so Helen ruins all of their things. Helen wants Heather to go in deep cold water and...... Read the book to find out what happens.
I recommend this book because it was a thriller and it was scary, it kept me interested through out the whole book. The book made me dislike some of the characters and made me feel how the characters felt.

Percy Jackson, Sea of monsters by: Rick Riordan (Miah)

This book is about Percy Jackson's camp. It is in about to be overrun by a mysterious enemy. So he and his friends go on a quest. To find the most powerful thing that can save the camp from being overrun. He faces challenges a long the way that requires using his powers. Percy Jackson is the son of Poseidon. So he can use the water when endangered. I would recommend this book to anyone who looks for an adventure. 

The Cupcake Club:by Sheryl Berk (Miah)

This book is about Sadie and her friends. They have a group that makes cupcakes and each week they would learn how make a new kind of flavor. They had perfect lives to live. They only had one thing that was wrong, they didn't get to spend enough time to spend with their parents. They had school and cooking shows to do. I would recommend this book to anyone young or old.

Extra Credit by Kaniyah

Abby is not doing good in school. She only likes to climb mountains and have adventures. She was never involved with her school work. So it was almost the end of the year and she never finishes her homework, so the principal says she will have to repeat sixth-grade again. But her begging works and instead she has to do a project. She had to write a letter to someone in another country and ask to be their pen pal if she wanted to go to seventh-grade next year. So in Kabul,Afghanistan, a girl named Amira Byat, was chosen to write to her even though she dint really know how to write english. But in that country, a boy writing to an american girl was wrong. So her older brother, Sadeed, wrote what Amira wanted to say in english to Abby. And adding a few things of his own. This book is by Andrew Clements. Recommend to people who like drama and suspense.  

The Westing Game (Boo!)

The Westing Game
Ellen Raskin

This is an extremely clever mystery that you will not be able to put down, its addictive humor and suspense weaves the mystery of a murder that may or may not have happened yet, as Mr. Westing plays his last game on the cost of the residents of his apartment complex. This book is an amazing mystery you should not miss.

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (Boo!)

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
Douglas Adams

This book travels to the ends of the universe, following a growing group of beings, most of them not humanoid. This book is a must read.

I really don't know what to say about this book, it is so cleverly woven and entwined with humor and adventure. There really isn't a fixed plot, its about the universe and its inhabitants, it focuses on a small-ish group of aliens an various other beings. The point and meaning of the book changes so many times that you almost can't keep up with it, there are so many twists and turns, but in the end everything makes sense and you can see the threads connecting every single event and mystery, united in a huge crescendo that can't be topped by any other book. An amazingly smart, funny and loud book. Adams puts so many strong opinions to voice in this fast paced adventure on witch you will discover many new inventions, perspectives, planets, species. Additionally you will learn more about Earth and the many types of aliens involved with Earth. This book is a amazing read and not to be missed.

Start something by Tiger Woods (Miah)

The book start something is about us kids trying to start something or finish anything. Also the book teaches us that we are never too young or old to have confidence. And to always get your education. To always cheer others up when down and help others. It also teaches us valuable life lessons that can help us out later in life. The book also uses some of the core values like at school. For example work hard and all of the work will payoff, help each other at all times, and work together. With combining your ideas it will help a lot. I would recommend this book to anyone who needs inspiration or needs to be inspired from ages 9-50.

The diary of a wimpy kid:The Third Wheel, by Jeff Kinney (Miah)

The book, The Third Wheel by Jeff Kinney is about Greg not having a date to the dance. He tried everything to make girls find him irresistible. But the dance was in 2 days. So he needed to speed things up. He faces challenges a long the way. He is worried he'll be left out in the cold on the big night. This book is really funny and teaches you lessons. I recommend this book to anyone who likes comedy.

Moxy Maxwell does not love practicing the piano (but she does love being in recitals) by Kaniyah

Moxy Maxwell is a ten year old girl who thinks she is a queen. She has a piano recital and she hates practicing. But, when ever her song is done, she keeps going and going and going. She says her song is to short and she loves stage time. Will she stop when it is time to? Or will she embarrass herself? This book is by Peggy Gifford. Recommend to people who like funny books and short chapters. (me)

It's not the end of the world by Kaniyah

Karen Newman decides never to get married. Her parents just fight all the time. Sometimes the fights make no sense (like all the time!). And now their talking about divorce. Karen is desperate to make anything happen so they can get together again. But the problem is the most important thing so they can be together again. But, they just cant be in the same room. Will Karen's plan work? Or will it backfire? This book is by Judy Blume. Recommend to people who like Judy Blume books and people who likes drama.

These happy golden years

          These happy golden years, by Laura ingalls wilder, is about the famous pioneer girl, Laura ingalls wilder, who wrote about her years living on the prairie. This book is about Laura as a young woman. In it, she works as a schoolteacher and, in the end, marries Almanzo, her sweetheart. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves agood , old-fashioned book that they will never be able to put down.

Bryant- Middle School: My Brother is a BIG FAT LIAR!

When i did an entry about Middle School: How I survived bullies, broccoli, and Snake Hill  I might have mentioned Rafe's little sister Georgia and, Big Fat Liar a couple times. I've decided to read Big Fat  
Liar again, and let me tell you i've come to love it even more. You see, the great thing about it is all the other books are about Rafe, who views Georgia as a tattletale, a brat, and a pudding thief. But if you read Georgia's story, you'll find that is completely untrue, (except for the pudding thing... that's accurate) Georgia is a smart kid, surrounded by a bunch of morons, and Rafe is the naughty one. In the first book Rafe literally attempted to break every rule in the rulebook, and that ended up with him being expelled. Now it's Georgia's turn to go to 6th Grade, and guess what... everyone thinks she's just like Rafe! The Vice Principal, all the teacher's, even most of the kids! Georgia runs into Missy Trillin and the Princess Patrol (straight A snobs, who basically rule the school), and the little bro of Miller the Killer (who bullied Rafe in the first book). But she has a few people to rely on... like her bandmates, The Awesomes (Rafe calls them We Stink, because... well THEY STINK!), Rhonda (a super hyper-active, talkative, overweight girl), Sam Marks (a boy who Georgia developes a crush on), Jeanne Galleta (Rafe's impossible crush) Georgia's Mom, and Grandma Dotty ( Georgia's grandmother who they call Dotty because of her short-term memory). Overall, the book is an adventure of Georgia discovering her true origins, proving she's not a troublemaker like Rafe, and most of all ROCKING OUT WITH WE STINK!!!!



I would recommend this book to an audience of 9-15 yrs. and kid's who enjoy cartoons.

The Baby Project by Kaniyah

Jessica is about to have a sister. When her parents first told her, she just couldn't wait. Her best friend Margaret, decided to do a project on babies for school homework. And finally, when Lucie comes, Jessica immediately loved her. She knows how to calm the baby. And her 'headphone' brother Simon also read her a book. (Simon wears headphones to the table(or practically everywhere)) Until, until, until, until, Lucie dies. Everything is horrible now. Can Jessica forgive and forget? Or will everyone sob everyday for the rest of their life? This book is by Sarah Ellis. Recommend to anyone 10 and up. 

How Lamars Bad Prank won a Bubba-Sized Trophy by Kaniyah

Lamar's a 13 year old boy who loves to bowl. His brother Xavier, some people call him, Xavier the Basketball Savior. Well Lamar hates basketball, football, baseball....all those things! People call him the King of Strikers. Everything with Lamar and X were doing fine, until their mother died. Their mother was the angel keeping the two from fighting. Now that dads in charge, nothings the same. And the second problem is......Lamar wants a girlfriend. Why is this a problem? you might ask. Well before, Lamar was a jokester. He pulled pranks on all the girls. Well now.....he's desperate. This book is by Crystal Allen. Recommend to anyone.

Velvet by: Mary Hooper

Velvet is a book about a girl named Velvet who works at a laundry shop in an early 20th century setting. She dreams of better work and  when she is upgraded to the position of a gown laundress she soon receives an invitation to work as an assistant to the famous Madame Savoya, a psychic who claims she can speak to the dead. But soon she becomes suspicious that Savoya's work is not what it seems.In her quest to find the truth about madame Savoya's work, Velvet falls into terrible danger. She must prove the lies Savoya has been teling but risk het life in the process. I really liked this book because it has a lot of surprises and the story changes direction several times. It also has a lot of cliffhangers and leaves you wondering what will happen next. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story and a ferocious plot.

The evil king falls

  The good Varden are on the break of overthrowing the evil king Galbatorix. They attack. They first are doing good, until the magic go's out of control. They soon start loosing badly. They have an inhumanly strong strangth in battle. But then the power fade away from the general and they can use magic again. This is happening because the main character (Eragon) and helpers confront Galbatorix and win. But why is there still about 100 more pages in the book?
  This is a very good and compelling book. I just love it.
 

The end of the under

  Prue, Curtis and Sepmtimis (Curtis's rat) take the Fortress of Fanggg back. They soon find out Alexi's (the heir) maker help the moles remake the City of Moles and the Fortress of Fanggg. He put electricity in. He got out following the electricity line. They go out and soon find him ... in a curcis and he is a bear. He first does not talk. Then Curtis and Sepmtimis leave. After Prue is attacked by Darla, but the bear saves her and talks.
  Rachel and Elsie soon find a road, and the old man understands that they are of woods magic (they don't need man-made stuff to go to the wood). They help them get out of the wood and destroy the orphnariam. They plan to make a new home.
  Mr. Unthank does not succeed. He are about to make a agreement with the man when the orphans come to destroy them.
  At the end it talks about the end in a poetic way. But it still feels unfinished. That is the only bad thing. It is good in all.

Dualed by Elsie Chapman

In this book there is a girl named West. West lives in an era where no one can give birth to children so they have to go to labs to have children made. When they make the kids there are 2 copies. Later in the your life before you become 20 you have to battle your copy so that only the best one lives. In the book West is activated and she and her copy have 1 month to kill each other. This book is sort of violent, less than you might think. Despite how violent it is I think its good.

One for the Murphys by Lydia Mullaly Hunt

This book is about a girl named Carley. Carley's step-father was very abusive so when the police arrest him and question Carley ,she can't clearly remember what happened. Meanwhile her mother is in the hospital and can't take care of Carley. So Carley is put in foster care with a family. At first she isn't fond of the family but she soon starts to love them. But when her mother learns to walk again she has to leave them. In conclusion, this story is heartfelt and sad, and sometimes hard to understand, but that makes it a really good story

Okay For Now

Okay For Now is about a kid named Doug who's family moves to a place called Marysville. It's not easy for him to live there, with his dad always away and when he isn't he's grumpy and mad, having to make friends, and having his brother be accused of crimes. One of his only joys is painting. Then his brother gets back from a war were he has lost both his arms and may have become permanently blind. His best friend also has cancer. But in Marysville he has some good experiences, from learning to drink a very cold coke to getting an invitation to perform on Broadway. In the end things get better for Doug and his family is finally happy. I recommend this book because it goes into Doug's life and feelings very deeply and is just interesting and funny to read.

Clemente Damascus

The book I read was called Clemente by Willie Perdomo. I would recommend this book to a friend because it an amazing story and very inspiring. In the book it says,"because he knew that with con respeto, con argullo, with faith, with hope, belief in yourself, standing up for whats right, fighting against whats wrong, with love, and strength anything in this world is possible. I even learned that Clemente sacrificed his life for the people of nicaragua. I know this because the book even says,"And we definitely cant forget about Clementes last sac fly New Years Eve 1972, Roberto Clemente gets on an airplane. He's going to Nicaragua to help people who lost their lives in an earthquake. The plane never got across the ocean. It was to heavy. It had too many boxes of food and clothes medicine and toys. The plane crashed into the water, and Roberto disappears." In conclusion, the story of Roberto Clemente is very inspiring. I learned about this life on and off the field.

Cirque Du Freak (Craig)

In my book, Darren Shan, a half Vampire, takes a journey to a weird island to find out the past that he never knew about. But the journey wasn't easy. He fought monsters, Dragons, even huge panthers! Then he meets a crazy man who drinks all night and sleeps all day. His name was Spits. He was a pirate that got lost at sea with his "Gang". Unfortunately, all his friends died. He then ended up on his island waiting for someone to come save him. When Darren meets him they try to work together to get off the island but there are some wierd activity going on there. They both find out that Darrens past is really rotten!   

Where the mountain meets the moon

        Where the mountain meets the moon, by Grace Lin, is about a young girl named Minli living in a poor town of rice farmers who goes out to seek her fortune. She starts out by buying a goldfish, and soon finds herself on a magical journey with a loyal dragon to find the place were the mountain meets the moon. They are helped by many along the way, and they also help many. But in the end, this story is brilliant and heartwarming, and altogether a great read. I can only hope that anyone else who picks up this book loves it as much as I did.

The Mark of Athena by:Rick Riordan

This week I have been reading "Mark of Athena." This is the best it packed action, monsters, and memorable characters.The book is about Greek mythology.I highly recommened this book.It starts out with Annabeth and the rest of the Greek camp half blood crew are aboard the Argo 2,headed to camp Jupiter where Romans are.Romans and Greeks have been at war for a long time. Now they must team up to fight the evil godess Gaea from rising terrible giants and destroying the world.If you want to know the rest just buy this book.

The Call of the Wild

This book is about a dog named Buck who is taken from his easy, lazy days, and made into a slay dog for men on the search for gold in the Klondike. He must learn how to be cunning, smart and quick to survive. He becomes the lead slay dog of his group. But after his owners are arrested he is sold, to two brothers, who are very inexperienced, they run out of food quickly and continue on while the ice melts. Buck gets in trouble and is beaten relentlessly by his masters, but right when his light of life is burning out a man inter veins and takes Buck. Buck finds a new thing inside of him, love. He turns out to be a great slay dog and wins a bet giving his owner lots of money. They then go looking for a lost mine, which they never find but they do find lots of gold and become extremely rich. While the gold is being mined Buck has lots of time on his paws (Ha Ha See what I did there)  and is drawn towards the wild which he resists because of his loyalty. In the end buck learns that he is the ultimate predator and gives in to the call of the wild.    

I recommend this book to any one who likes an adventure that's realistic and amazing. I also recommend this to anybody because it's amazing and cool how Jack London talks about how the dogs are thinking and it feels like he interviewed them. This book was the best or one of the best books I have ever read. Please read it.

Sabriel... (Boo!)

Sabriel
By Garth Nix


This is a story that takes place in a different world where magic exists and powerful beings of the dead threaten society. One necromancer - the Abhorsen - joins with the Charter - the source of pure magic that restricts activities that may harm the people of the charter (Charter Mages) - to try and defeat the evil necromancer - Kerrigor a corrupt and dead member of the royal family - before he can raise an army of the dead to take over the Old Kingdom, and then the world. Sabriel must take her fathers place as the Abhorsen and with the help of Touchstone - a recently released human trapped as a figurehead on a boat  in the Old Kingdom for 200 years - and destroy Kerrigor.

This book is an amazing read and is not to be missed, albeit the second book - Lirael - is not as good, taking place 14 years later and engaging with the Clayr and Sameth, Sabriel's son, and his problems.

Mrs. Peregrine’s home for Peculiar Children by: Ransom Riggs

Mrs. Peregrine’s home for Peculiar Children:

Jacob listens to stories his grandfather tells about his horrible childhood. But he doesn't realize that there true until his grandfather's violent and mysterious death. During his trauma after the terrorizing event, Jacob travels to a small island off the coast of Wales to unravel the mystery of his grandfather's stories. This is a really terrorizing book that might give you nightmares. I liked the characters and the way that the book is illustrated, which is using found photos. The photos give the story a sense of mystery and they are all very interested photos that were found by the author. I would recommend this book to anyone who doesn't have nightmares and who enjoys a very scary book.

Warning: If you're prone to get nightmares, please spare yourself the terrorizing nights and do not read this book.

Note: This book contains quite a few curses.

DDD-Nobody's perfect. I'm as close as it gets. by Kaniyah

This Dear Dumb Diary book is about a middle school girl named Jamie who is trying to find out the biggest questions ever in her school. What is in the meatloaf they give on Thursdays for lunch, and why do they serve it since, truly everyone hates it? And she also finds out about PERMENENT RECORDS and finds out it's always permanent and never changes. It only adds up. So Isabella her best friend, forces her to join clubs so she can had a perfecter permanent record. Maybe the perfectest! Ps. These made up words are in the book. The author is Jim Benton. Recommend to people who wants to know about the mystery meat loaf if they read the sequels. And anyone new. You might think its a stupid girly book, but the authors a BOY. Anyway it is cool and funny. Not saying you should read it. Cuz seeing a boy at school reading books like that makes me feel weird. No offense.

Momo

           Momo, by Michael Ende, is the enthralling tale of a young girl and a small town. One day Momo turns  up and begins to live in the ruined amphitheater near town. Nobody really knows where she came from, aside from that she ran away from a children's home, but Momo soon becomes an invaluable friend to the townspeople. This is because she was such a good listener. She did not  say the right thing at the right time, or always interrupt when she felt the need to speak. She simply listened the right way to everyone. This eventually made her indispensable to the townspeople, especially the children.

          Years later, when momo is known and loved by everyone, people start to become more interested in timesaving than the pursuit of happiness. At the same time, men in dark suits start to go around all over the town, yet no one seems to notice.  Momo and her still remaining friends see the connections, but not until it is almost to late. Momo is soon left on her own to save the town and its inhabitants. This is a story I would recommend for anyone looking for a good adventure!

Luminous (Boo!)

Luminous
Dawn Metcalf

        This is a beautifully crafted and amazingly deep story about a girl named Consuela, one fateful day she has an accident in a clothing store, she soon finds out that she now has the ability to shuck her skin, and create and don another out of the elements around her, (water, fire, air, butterflies...) She then learns that she has been connected with the Flow, a shifting world that overlaps with our own. She and other teens similarly trapped in this un-real reality soon find that they indeed are dead, or dying in some distant hospital. Removed from their own lives they must save the lives of others, their assignments, all people who when saved will make a greater impact for the good of mankind. The teens constantly delve into the meaning of life and death, trying to figure out why they are in the Flow, and why they were chosen. 
      Suddenly, one by one people in the Flow are being killed, and no one knows who is doing it. To save the lives of her remaining friends Consuela must make many decisions and try to save themselves before it is too late.

This book is a wonderful read and sheds light on a different world, a dangerous and terrifying world that the reader learns more about chapter by chapter. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend as a fantastical mystery you wont be able to put down.

Boo! - Unnatural Creatures

Unnatural Creatures
Stories Selected by Neil Gaiman
   
       This is a collection of 16 short stories about many unnatural beings and happenings. This book delves into the lives of werewolves, of ordinary people encountering dangerous and other worldly things, and stories about people studying and working with mystical beings such as werewolves, sunbirds and many more.
      I would recommend this book to a friend who enjoys fantasy and thrillers, because this book really captures many different perspectives on strange and unique creatures and events.

The Extraordinary Education of Nicolas Benedict by Trenton Lee Stewart

The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict by Trenton Lee Stewart is about an orphaned boy who moves to an orphanage called  Child's End. When he hears about a treasure hidden in the orphanage he sets out to find it with some newly made friends --before the terrible Mr. Colum does. 0ne thing I liked about the book was how funny it was. I also liked the way the author includes a character from his more famous books, the Mysterious Benedict Society. The book also has good characters that are funny and enjoyable to read about because they have really good adventures and they seem real. I would recommend this book to anyone who has read the Mysterious Benedict Society or enjoys a good fiction story.

The Rangers Aprentice Series Book Eight, The Kings of Clonmel

This book, like all the other books in its series, faces a hardship in life. In this book, a mysterious religious group is trying to protect the country Hibernia from ferocious bandits. Fearing the future safety of Araulen, Will, Halt, and Horace head to the only uninvaded state of Hibernia, Clonmel. The large theme in this book is life in a time of crisis.
I recommend this book, as you can read this book without reading the books previous. I also recommend  this book because of its amazing storyline and depth.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (Lauren)

Hello readers!

I'm on vacation with my family, so I brought three great YA novels with me: the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, and the Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I've finished TFIOS and the Lightning Thief, and I'm almost done with Catching Fire, so I'm going to the library tomorrow to get more!

This week I'm going to write about the Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I used a paragraph from the first chapter of this book in a mini-lesson this year. John Green is one of my favorite YA authors. His stories are challenging, both mentally and emotionally, and his characters are deeply complex. He's written other books that I love including An Abundance of Katherines and Looking for Alaska.

In this novel, the main character - Hazel - is a young girl with terminal cancer. Her mom makes her go to a support group for kids with cancer, and there she meets Augustus. Despite the fact that Hazel is definitely going to die, and probably soon, he two kids fall in love. During their time together, they explore some of the biggest questions about life, love, and purpose.

This book is perfect for kids who like to think about life's big questions, and who think that good books don't always need happy endings.

Keep reading, friends! Email me if you have any questions (ldonnelly@communityroots.org)

P.S. Here's my reading notebook page about Hazel -- I did a character web and a quick write about her.

Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick (Miah)

Purple Heart is about a guy named Matt. He was in the army force in Iraq. He got blown up by a nuclear reactor.and he witnessed a boy get shot. And Matt shielded the boy with his body. Matt got shot in the spine and neck. So he had to re learn how to walk. I would recommend this book to any who would like role model.

Bryant- Presidential Pets

When I was in Maryland for the 4th of July, we drove down to D.C many times. On one occasion we went to the Lincoln Memorial, where they had a giant statue of Abraham Lincoln (which you've probably seen in the photos), The Emancipation Proclamation engraved on the walls, and on the exterior the names of the 48 continental states on the walls, with the year they became states. But in the gift shop... I saw a book that interested me... Presidential Pets by Julia Moberg.



The book had all 44 Presidents, the pet(s) they owned, and a cool rhyme to go with them. The pets include but are not limited to: George Washington's french hounds, Thomas Jefferson's grizzly bear cubs, John Quincy Adams's pet alligator (???!!!), Andrew Jackson's parrot (who cursed at Jackson's own funeral), Martin Van Buren's tiger cubs ( sent as a gift from the Sultan of Oman, eventually sent to a zoo), the turkey Abraham Lincoln pardoned on thanksgiving, First Lady Hayes's siamese cat, Teddy Roosevelt's dog, Pete (who once bit the ambassador of France), Cal Coolidge's badger (?), FDR's dog Fala (who was falsely rumored to have been left on the alaskan islands), LBJ's dogs Her and her brother Him (who liked to  have his ears tugged) Bill Clinton's dog Buddy, and the first daughter's cat, Socks (bad combination), and last but not least... Barack Obama's dog Bobama. I would recommend this book to both history and animal loving kids.

Sweet Thang by Kaniyah

Sweet Thang is about an African American teenager named Charmaine Upshaw, in the mid 1970's. Her auntie just died and her family has to take care of her aunties son. When Tracy John, the son, grows up into first grade, he is a total nightmare to Charmaine. Not only that but Dinah, Charmaine's enemy is making it rough for her in 9th grade. And her crush Demetrius, is forcing her to do his own homework. Anyway, she would do anything for him. This book is by Allison Whittenberg. I recommend to people who has an annoying little brother and everyone.

Meet the Kreeps by Kaniyah

Meet the Kreeps is about a girl named Polly whose mom died when she was young and her dad is a perky weirdo. Her sister is too much into cheerleading, and her brother is too much into spelling. Her family is just plain weird! So that is why Polly is doing Plan: New Mom. She finds nice women she knows, but when they meet her dad they are just as weird. Polly wants a mom. Now. Until one day, in Polly's neighborhood, there were new neighbors. These aren't just any regular neighbors though... This book is by Kiki Thorpe. Recommend to people who likes surprises at the end of books. 

Fire    
By: Kristen Cashore

Fire is a wonderful book, that like Katsa incorpeates lots of action. THis book takes place in the time of noble knights and fair princesses. This book is ver amazing.

Fire is a young girl who's father was a human monster blessed with mind control and exceptional beauty , these gifts were then given to Fire. Fire is a kind girl that try's not to use her powers on other, and every day try's not to be killed. Her life is very hard because every man she see's begins to fall in love, and she is not in love with her, people call her terrible things such as B****, and try ton rape her. BUt she is in love with one man, prince Brigan of the bells. He is a symbol of power for the Dells, he was forced into Power by one of the Dells drugged leaders, these men were almost always high, and wanted everything that was "beautiful". When Brigan stepped into power, the Dells military became very strong, and changed their future. With this new army, Brigan, KIng Nash, and Fire must fight back against rising forces. 

Katsa 
By: Kristen Cashore

Katsa is a very interesting book that I have very much enjoyed. Though this is the second time I have read this book, it still pulls me in. In Katsa, many of the characters have"Graces", or magical powers. For example, Katsa has been graced with killing, and could kill a man with her bare hands. Katsa is a mix of Fantasy and sci-fi. This book incorporates much magic and adventure, and the majority of these scenes are full of action. I hope you enjoy this book.     

Maximum ride by James Patterson

I would recommend this book because its a mix of a lot of different genres. Its an interesting book with a main character that is supposed to save the world. I think that it's interesting because it has a group of multiple kids together so you get multiple perspectives. I also recommend it to people who read long books.

Zander  Whyte    

TITLE OF THE BOOK:  Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief

Date Started: 7/3/13

Date Ended: 7/13/13

Date Writing:7/15/13

This is a Science Fiction (Sci-Fi), teen and children's book. It is for ages 8+.

What I like most about this story is how it starts off with an adventure and how his (Percy) life turns out once he found out who he really was. What I didn't like about this story was when he had to struggle with his grades at school and having autism. He changed 6 schools in one year. That is a big adjustment.

The characters reminded me of the ups/downs and challenges of life.

I would recommend this book to others even kids my age (12+). Those who love reading will especially enjoy this story because your imagination will come to life chapter by chapter.

 

Soulkeepers by: G.P. Ching

This week I have been reading a book called “Soulkeepers”.  It has become very interesting; I highly recommend this book to readers. It is a cool series that has 3 awesome books. This book is about a fifteen-year-old boy named Jacob Lau. There was a terrible incident. Jacob was driving in the car with his mother and crashed. Now with Jacob's mother missing, and his dad dying six years ago fighting in a war. Jacob's new guardian is his dad’s brother that he has never seen before. Now Jacob is has to live in Paris, Frances. Discovering and learning new things about his father’s side of the family. Jacob discovers who he really is a soulkeeper. Again I highly recommended this book to all you readers.

English roses: THE NEW GIRL by Madonna (Miah)

In my book this week, there was a new girl coming from New York that Nicole knew. And the girl was moving into town next door from Nicole. The girl's name was Leslie. Nicole thinks that Leslie will make the perfect 6th English Rose. But the others think that she will start problems with everybody. Now they have to wait till she comes to find out what she is really like. I recommend this book to anyone who faces similar problems like them.

The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi

The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi is a classic adventure about a living puppet. The puppet is a mischievous imp with a good heart who wants to become a real boy. I would recommend this book because its a good book that will intrigue the reader. I like this book because it's a fantasy that talks about goodness in people. I also like the characters and the way that they are portrayed because they are funny and very foolish. My favorite part of the book was when Pinocchio travels inside the shark because I like the author's description of the inside of the shark and the description of Pinocchio finally meeting his father. One thing I like about how the writer writes the book is that he sympathizes with the characters. I would recommend this book to readers who like fantasy and classic stories.

Going under (first read Under the wood)

  In Under Wildwood Darla Thennis (as the jet black fox) attacks Prue, but curtis and the bandit king saves her. They bring her back to camp. Meanwhile the elder mystic (the leader of the mystics) is killed by Darla and 2 other shape sifting foxes. Prue feels her death (she can hear plants and they were yelling). She soon has a pull pulling her towards North wood with curtis. Once she gets there she hears about how the elder mystic died. Then a boy mystic says "the true heir must be remediated". They go back to the camp to do the quest, but they find out Darla and 3 other jet black foxes destroyed the camp. Some bandits died, others lived and fled. They get attacked by the foxes and fall down the long gap (a ravine, that the bandit camp is on the walls of). They soon wonder into the caves at the bottom of the ravine. They soon find civilization of moles that need help getting back their fortress of fanggg (spelled with 3 gs) from an usurper mole. Can they do it?
  Elsie and Rachel makes friends with a girl named martha. Soon they get suspicious with whats happening with the unadoptables. So they go into office of the person who runs the place (Mr. Unthank). They find boxes that have the initials of all the unadoptables. They steal one, but after stealing are caught and made unadoptable. Mr. Unthank uses his experiments (that are for going into wildwood) on them and sends them into the wood. If they come back it is freedom for them. In the wood they find all the other unadoptables in a house making a family with a old man. Meanwhile Mr. Unthank is asked by a man, to make a complicated machine in 5 days, that lets people go into the wood.
  This book is compelling and mysterious. A part of the book with walking could just turn into the most important part of the book. I recommend this book.

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis (Lauren)

Greetings, readers!

I'm so enjoying reading everyone's posts. I can see all of the hard work we're putting into our reading and writing lives this summer.

Feel free to use the "comment" feature on the blog to share out more thoughts, make connections, and build on the work that's happening in our virtual classroom.

I read the book, Bud, not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, last week for the reading workshop I was attending. It started off a little confusing and I was worried that I wasn't going to enjoy the book. It really, really picked up after the first chapter, though, and I found myself wishing that I had a few more stops to go on the train -- so I wouldn't have to put the book down!

The novel is about a boy named Bud who starts the book in an orphanage and who sets out to find his real family, based on hints his mother has left behind in a suitcase. It takes place during the Great Depression and so I learned a lot about what was going on in the mid-western United States during this time period. The author explores themes like family, injustice, racism, and poverty in complex ways -- refusing to let his characters become flat or stereotypical.

This is a great book for kids who are interested in books about kids overcoming obstacles, historical fiction about the Great Depression, or better understanding the complex history of race and class in our country.

Keep up the posts, my friends! See you next week with my write up of John Green's The Fault in Our Stars.

Ghosts of the Titanic by Kaniyah

Ghosts of the Titanic is about a boy named Kevin who doesn't get along with his dad and is a goof off at school. He was like that until the trip to Halifax. A man named Angus Seaton gave the house to Kevin's dad. So for the summer, Kevin and his family go live there for the summer. And once Kevin discovers an empty box in the basement, a ghost keeps haunting him asking, Where is Micheal? Where is Micheal? How will he know me? This book is by Julie Lawson. I recommend to anyone and everyone.  

Molly Moons Hypnotic Time Travel Adventure

In this book Molly Moon is kidnapped and brought back in time to India to meet the man who has caused all her earlier problems. He wants to annihilate her from the past so she won't stop his plans. Instead of destroying her quickly he wanted to learn of her powers. To show off to Molly he goes back in time and gets Molly's from different times in her life. Molly, with the help from her dog Petula escape and find themselves on the streets of India were they befriend a young boy, and with his help follow the past Molly's as they are brought around India. In the book many friendships grow and many people learn to trust each other. It's full of action, escapes, and clever plans I highly recommend it.

From The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

I would recommend fron The Mixed Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler to anyone who enjoys the Met or an entrancing and intricately woven story. It also won the Newbury Award for children's literature. I enjoyed this book because it takes place in my favorite museum, the Met. I also like this book because it is a good story about kids who run away from home and live for a week in the Met Museum. The kids run away from home and end up sleeping in the Met, just as a famous artist's supposed work is purchased by the museum. The kids join in the investigation on whether or not the artist really did the work. I enjoyed the book because of how the characters were represented and their traits. This is a realistic fiction book, so if you like to read that genre then you will definitely enjoy this book.

Damasus Middle School, We are the ship the story of African American Baseball

The We are the ship the story of Negro League Baseball is about gifted athletes and baseball players who had to go through a lot of struggles just to play the game they loved. The majority of the story is about a lot of the unsung heros who aren't as popular as other players ex. Jackie Robinson. Who overcame segregation, hated, poor living conditions, and low play just to play baseball. One cool feature a bout this book is it feels like it is a story being told by by a Negro League Player. I would recommend this book to any baseball fan.

Bryant, Middle School: How I survived Bullies, Broccoli, and Snake Hill by James Patterson

For those who are not familiar with James Patterson's Middle School series. Rafe is an 8th grader with a lot of imagination, sometimes his imagination gets him into trouble ( He was kicked out of his 6th grade for vandalizing, in Middle School: Worst years of my life). He also had a reputation in all his previous middle schools for being a troublemaker ( Rafe's little sister Georgia had to put up with guilt by association when she went to 6th grade in Middle School: My Brother is a big fat liar) But in this installment... Rafe is going to summer school. When he arrives at Camp Wannamorra he is put in the Muskrat group, where everyone has a nickname. Some of the other Muskrats are: Booger Eater (Norman), Dweebs (Jake), Cav (Cavanaugh), Bombardier (Justin), Smurf (Jose), Two Tunz (Noah),
and Legend (???). The Muskrats later come into conflict with the Bobcats, a rival group led by Doolin (Thomas). After learning he does in fact NOT eat boogers, Rafe befriends Norman, who is constantly teased by Doolin for his nickname. But Rafe has a plan to stop them will he succeed, or end up expelled?



I would recommend this for all middle school kids. I can also relate to Rafe, because I too am being held captive to the physically draining prison that is middle school.



Other James Patterson books: Middle School: Worst years of my life, Middle School: Get me out of here, I Funny, and Middle School: My Brother is a big fat liar.