Apr
04
2014

The Maze Runner By James Dashner

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This book was truly amazing. I completely loved it. I read it over break and I was flabberghasted on its amazingness.

 

The book Maze Runner by James Dashner is about a boy named Thomas. He is in a shaky box and all he remembers is his name. The box opens and he sees himself surrounded by other boys whose memories are also gone. Alby, the leader of the group, says “Welcome, to the Glade, Greenbean.” The Glade is the center of the maze surrounded by walls that open at day and close at night. There are horrible monsters with spikes called Grievers outside the walls. They call the last person who came out of a “Greenbean”. They have jobs like Runner, Slopper, and Med-Jacks. But two days after Thomas arrived. A girl comes out of the box. The first girl ever. And everything after that completely changed.

 

What changed? Who created the maze? Why are they in the maze? What terrible people would put teenage kids in a maze? How will they get out?

 

You will have to read the book to find out. I would rate this book five out of five stars because I think it is amazing how the author created this complex and creative and big scene.

I would recommend this book for people that can take on sudden suspense and action (I would know, I spent a lot of time reading at night  on break, it sucks you in!) I would also like to recommend this book for people who can love a great book!

Apr
04
2014

The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls by Claire Legrand

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This book is called The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls by Claire Legrand. The main character is a girl named Victoria Wright. Victoria is an A student and always is a good girl until one day when she gets a B in music and gets really upset. The setting of this book is in the Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls which is the scariest Home ever.  It’s scary because crazy magical things happen.It takes placein the present.10893214

 

One day Victoria woke up perfectly normally and walked to her only friend’s house as usual. Her only friend is Lawrence Prewitt and all he does is play the piano really well. She rang the doorbell but nobody answered. After a while his parent came and she shivered (that has been happening a lot) and they looked normal but didn’t seem normal and Victoria couldn’t find what was wrong. Lawrence was apparently “at his grandmother’s house” but Victoria didn’t believe her. She found out that he was at the Cavendish Home. When she met with Mrs. Cavendish for the first time and found out that she was really nice. But on her second meet with her she saw Mr. Alice first. This part was a little creepy because Mr. Alice said at the end of the chapter on her second meeting with Mrs. Cavendish, “She has been waiting for you.” All different creepy things have been happening like she saw feelers coming out when she least expected it. Victoria is trying to get Lawrence out of the Cavendish home.

 

I thought this book was scary mostly because of the things Mrs. Cavendish was doing.  She was trying to avoid Victoria getting Lawrence out of the home.I recommend this book to people who like creepy books. I rate this book 3-4 stars because it wasn’t my favorite book ever and I don’t usually read creepy mystery books.

 

Apr
03
2014

Hazardous Tales By Nathon Hale

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Hazardous Tales by Nathan Hale which is funny because there was a spy named Nathan Hale in The Revolutionary War who is the main character in this book. It is about Nathan Hale ( the spy) who is about to be hanged on something called a gallows and the stories he tells to the hangman and a redcoat (English soldiers named after their red coats). It takes place in an English territory in 1779 during the American Revolution.

Nathan Hales one problem is that he has but one life to give for his country. ( A Nathan hale quote ” My only regret is that I have but one life to give for my country” ). This book is about the entire revolution two main parts are when Nathan becomes the spy and when he gets slammed in The Big Giant Book of American History. It is very interesting because pretty much everything is true.

I would recommend this book to someone who likes humor and wars because it is about a war.If you like to learn while you are reading you should read it. I give it five out of five stars. *****I because of all the positive things I said in this review.

 

Apr
03
2014

Lemony Snicket’s 8th book

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In Lemony Snicket’s 8th book from the series of Unfortunate Events,  the Hostile  Hospital continues the story of Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire. These three orphans who are still up against the evil Count Olaf, who has been trying to get their fortune for a very long time now! Violet likes to invent items. Klaus is the book worm. Sunny is just an infant who has four sharp teeth which she like to bite stuff with which comes in handy a lot.  This story takes place in a hospital in the middle of nowhere.

This is where the siblings have been on the run. And now they sneak into a hospital  where  their arch enemy is. Also in the previous book they were framed for a crime they did not commit. The crime was murdering Count Olaf, which they didn’t do. Here is a quote from  the book. “Quick get the little orphan brats,(said Count Olaf)before its too late!”

I really liked this book because it was an adventure and mystery book. I would recommend this book to 4th graders and up because I think that they would get it the most. I would give this book 5  stars because it is a really good book!! – Ruby

Apr
03
2014

Al Capone Does My Shirts, By Gennifer Choldenko

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Al Capone Does My Shirts, By Gennifer Choldenko

 

This is a great book. I would rate it 4 stars out of 5.

 

The main character is Matthew “Moose” Flanagan. In the book his real first name is only mentioned a few times. It is set in 1934 on Alcatraz. Alcatraz is an old inactive prison. There is an old saying, it is “Break the rules, go to prison. Break the prison rules, you go to Alcatraz. Alcatraz is also a small island off the coast of San Francisco. There has never been a successful escape.  Mouse has his friends on the rock: Annie, Jimmy, Theresa and Scout, who is an old friend from the city and is a great baseball player.

 

Moose has a dad, a mom, and a sister. But there is something wrong with one of them. Is it Cameron “Cam,” his dad, Helen, his mom, or Natalie “Nat.” It’s Nat. Every year, When it is Nat’s birthday, she turns 10. Over, and over, and over again. Now, There is a new school for 4-12 year olds that have disabilities. It’s called Esther P. Marinoff. Nat is actually 16. This helps power a decision that the school has had in mind for years.

 

Al Capone hears about this, some how and helps Moose with something… Something that could change the Flanagan’s life forever

 

The reason they moved onto Alcatraz is because they needed money, and Moose’s dad became an electrician on Alcatraz. They live in building 64, the main housing building.

 

There is a warden, he has a daughter named Piper Williams. They have money and live in a giant mansion. She seems nice and attractive at first, but is stuck up, sensitive and rude. She persuasively lores Moose into a laundry scheme. Since there is no school on Alcatraz, they attend school in San Francisco. Piper tells all of the kids that Al does their laundry. It’s true. She collects money from the kids to let them have their clothes washed by Capone. But when Moose’s laundry comes back, (he doesn’t need to  pay, because he lives on the island) There is a note from Al Capone… In Mooses laundry. I would recommend this to people who like mystery and history books.

This is the first book out of 3 books.

 

Apr
02
2014

Lawnboy, by Gary Paulsen

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UnknownLawnboy, is a really good book by Gary Paulsen. Gary Paulsen has some other good books too. The main character is Lawner (It never says his name, I’m just going to call him Lawner because he mows lawns.) Lawner is very poor, and nice. He doesn’t have enough money for a inner tube for his bike, and can’t even buy one. That’s how poor he is. The setting of the book is Summer, and around modern time, in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. It is a middle-class town.

 

Like I said, Lawner doesn’t have enough money for a inner tube for his bike. On his 12th birthday, he got an old riding mower (A lawn mower that you sit on, and it’s just like a tractor). Read the book to see what he gets into with the mower. On pg. 4 it says, “A mower?” Lawner seemed surprised by his present, but that’s why it made it a good part. Also, Lawners’ life is different with the mower, so if you compare that to the end of the book after you’re done reading it, it’s pretty cool.

 

I really enjoyed the book because it is very funny (if you look on pg 3). For example, Lawner’s Grandma is very strange. If you asked her, “You know, I think the Yankees will win the World Series again.” She might reply, “Yes, but it’s still nice to put carrots in the stew for flavor.” But, everybody knows, that the Mets are gonna win the World Series with David Wright and Matt Harvey. The book also teaches you about the stock market (which is VERY complicated), and investing. I would recommend the book to people who are 8-15 year olds because if you are under 8, you would not understand, and if you are older, you wouldn’t be interested. I would rate the book 4-out-of 5 stars.

 

 

Apr
02
2014

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Cabin Fever, By Jeff Kinney

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I really enjoyed Diary Of A Wimpy Kid, Cabin Fever, by Jeff Kinney. The main characters name is Greg Heffly. He lives in the present in a decent sized town with a lot of towns next to it. One thing that happens to Greg in the book is he sometimes accidentally/on purpose gets in trouble. But he talks his best friend Rowley Jefferson into it with him. A part in the book that explains that is when Greg and Rowley want to make a holiday bazaar and they put posters in front of the school when the principle already told them not to. They put up their posters and it starts to rain. Someone sees them but they do not know who. The next day the story is in the papers. After they call a bunch of people get called to the principal’s office Rowley confesses. Greg gets in trouble and is very unlucky.

 

While Greg stil thinks he is being looked for by the police “The search” for Greg gets delayed by a big snowstorm. Gregs dad is staying a resort while Greg is being touter by hunger and brothers. Then Greg’s little brother breaks his moms glasses and Greg has to look after Manny because the mom can not see. Two important events are when he finds out you can get frozen Drummies (his favorite chicken he gets at the Holiday Bazaar). That is an important part because without the frozen Drummies he never would have started his Holiday Bazaar which got him in trouble which is the big problem of the story. Another important part of the story is when Manny breaks mom’s glasses. That is important part because if Manny never broke mom’s glasses Greg would not need to take care of him for around a ¼ of the book. Greg is very sensitive self involved and loves privacy he loves to say “So I’ve started wearing sweatpants to bed because I really don’t need Santa seeing me in my underwear.” The book takes place around christmas and he wants lots of privacy from santa.

 

I enjoyed this book because even if you read it four or five times there is always suspense like: Will Greg go to jail? Did Principle Roy find out he did it?  Will Greg get in trouble for what he did? So much suspense! I would rate the book 1000000 out of 5 stars. It has everything a good book need’s like comedy and it never gets boring With no typos! Much much more! It’s GREAT! I REALLY recommend the book!  Unknown

Apr
02
2014

Emily Windsnap and the Land of the Midnight Sun By Liz Kessler

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Emily Windsnap and the Land of the Midnight Sun is the fifth book in a series by Liz Kessler. The main character is Emily Windsnap, of course, and she’s half human half mermaid. She used to live on an all-mermaid island, but she moves back to Brightport where she used to live before she discovered she was a mermaid. The reason why is in the 4th book, which you’ll have to read.

Emily is very adventurous. That’s why she accepts to go on a dangerous mission assigned by Neptune, king of mermaids. But she also is very loyal to her friends. Like when Neptune made made her promise not to tell anyone about her mission, and gives her a shell phone to communicate with her, Emily gives the phone to her best friend, Shona as a token of friendship. This book takes place mostly in the place Emily is going for her mission, but other places, too.

Neptune has been having very strange dreams lately, so he asks, or orders Emily and her friend Aaron to find out why he’s having these dreams. She’s having a lot of trouble with her mission because she doesn’t understand what Neptune asks of her and Aaron.

But during that, she’s having friendship problems with Aaron, and on top of that, missing Shona. Most of the book revolves around about that. But some of the book is also about getting past that, and doing her mission. Like once, she was trying to just do her mission instead of getting mad, so she said, “I swallowed down a furious response and tried to gather as much dignity as possible.”

I would give this book 4 stars because I loved this book and I love adventure and friendship books. I love this whole series. Also, I like how you find out more about the characters in this book than the fourth, third, second, and first. But it wasn’t the best book in the world.

 I would recommend this book to people who like adventure and friendship, and who have the other books.

Apr
02
2014

11 Birthdays, by Wendy Mass

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11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass

This book is about a girl named Amanda. When she was born her parents made a promise to a lady named Angelina. The promise was that she would always have her birthday with her best friend Leo. Until she was 9 she kept that promise. You will read more about that later. Her parents never intended to keep the promise but they always had it happen that way. The book takes place in a place called Willow Falls.

On their 10th birthday Amanda got into a fight with Leo so they decided to not have their 11th birthday together. When she has her birthday separately she is miserable. She misses Leo but is still mad at him. The next day she wakes up to find that it is just her birthday all over again. She and Leo have to make up and then team up to get their birthday to happen just once a year. “‘ I get it.’ I announce happily.  ‘This is all just a game.’” Amanda first thinks when she wakes up on her birthday. Again.

 

I really liked this book because it is realistic fiction and a bit or a mystery. You can read this and get 2 in 1! It is told from her perspective which I really like and it gives a bunch of details. I would recommend this to someone who enjoyed other Wendy Mass books and who likes a some mystery. I really liked all the other books she written. I would give this 5 stars.

   Unknown

Apr
02
2014

Emily Windsnap and the Sirens Secret, by Liz Kessler

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Over spring break I read the third book in the Emily windsnap series, The Sirens Secret by Liz Kessler. The main character in the Emily  windsnap  series is of of course Emily. Aaron and Shona are Emily’s best friends and are with Emily throughout the story. Emily has a crush on Aaron which makes things really awkward between them.  Emily is a loyal friend, determined, funny and shy towards new people. The setting of the book is mostly in the water because well the main character is a mermaid. Emily’s mom is a human so the story of course takes place on land too.  If you have not read any of the books on this series I would suggest reading the book reviews on the first and seconded books.

UnknownOne day Emily and Shona are really bored so Shona advises that Emily and herself go to see the lost sirens. A siren is a mermaid that attacks fishing boats that come into certain parts of the sea, they lore the fishermen into the sea bringing them to instant deaths by their siren songs. Anyway shins went looking for the lost sirens and decided to split up.  Emily was swimming along when she felt a strange current pulling her into what looked like an old well. Emily made the decision to jump into the well which led her to the lost sirens. At first when Emily met the sirens they seemed so nice and gentle. But after a while their soft tone turned into an impatient sharp tone that was when Emily had a feeling that the sirens were slowly but forcing her to do something, but Emily wasn’t sure

what that thing was…at least not yet. SING! Emily was not told why she had to sing but some feeling inside her told her to do what the sirens said or else… After a few hours Emily remembered about Shona, she had to find her. As Emily was remembering Shona guess who shot herself down that well, no one but Shona. They tried to go up the well but soon realized they were trapped they had to get out some how…

One important part is Emily’s big problem problem but that is in the paragraph above so another important part which so happens to be my favorite part too. When Mr. Beaston discovers the truth about his past. With the help of Emily, Shona, and Aaron a secret of a lie is on covered. This is an very emot

ional scene when all the most of the characters help one another that’s one of the good things about the Emily windsnap series. The books are all about love, friendship, and how important helping others is.

I really enjoyed this book because of its messages and the little problems that come up here and there. People who like sad books, books about friendship, love and and a little bit of mystery this book is for you. One of my favorite quotes in this book is “So what are we supposed to do now?” I like that quote because when something goes wrong Emily assumes that someone else is always supposed to have a backup plan. I would give this book ***** out of ***** stars.