Category Archives: 2013-2014

May
28
2014

The Bell Bandit by Jacqueline Davies

Posted by

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

bell banditThe Bell Bandit is an fantastic book by Jacqueline Davies. Jesse and Evan are the main characters and they are brother and sister.  In the Bell Bandit they have to try and find the missing bell. The story takes place at their grandmother’s house in the countryside in 2013. Jesse and Evan also have other problems along the way as they try to find the bell. For example, their grandmother goes missing. It is very scary for them.

Jesse is very intelligent and she is very good at solving puzzles, but this puzzle stumped her. When Evan was looking for grandma, Jesse was looking for the Bell with her new friend Maxwell. Maxwell has a scene when he is freaked out and runs by evan and say “Ahhhhhhhhhh!”. Maxwell likes the television show called Maxwell Smart, so he does a joke where he always says, “I’m smart!” This get Jesse a little mad because she is the smart one and she doesn’t understand the joke until later on. She tries her very best to solve all the problems, but she doesn’t realize that she needs a little bit of help. Her brother can be very social, so that’s when Jesse needs the help. He is social and she is smart so they are better at working together as a pair.

I like this book because I feel like I can connect to it. Jesse has an older brother, like I do, and sometimes her brother doesn’t give her as much attention as she wants. I also feel the way Jesse acts connects to me. She has a funny way that she likes to solve problems and I have that way too. I would recommend this book to people who like books about stuff that can actually happen in real life, because everything in this book could happen in real life. This book makes me feel like adventures can happen that I can make myself. I would rate this book 4 stars because it was an amazing story; although some parts were quite confusing. I also suggest reading the two books before this book. I have also written a book review on both of those.

This was my 8th book review

May
28
2014

THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM BY GARTH NIX

Posted by

The book that I read over the past week is The Keys To The Kingdom Mr. Monday by Garth Nix. The main character’s name is Arthur. He is very curious. Arthur’s problem is that he was given a key by a
mysterious man and he has no idea what to do with it.  He discovers many mysterious things that have been following him. When he has the key his wounds go away and things come to life. Arthur is trying to get to the bottom of this. This story takes place in the present because they describe phones and all kinds of current technology.

Arthur was given the key by a man named Mr Monday who thought Arthur was going to die as soon as he got it. Mr Monday’s assistant Sneezer betrayed him and somehow the key did the exact opposite. Mr Monday has been trying to get Arthur’s key back with his henchmen who are dog humans. The Fetcher look more like dogs in attack mode and like humans when in defense mode. Arthur also got an atlas with the key. In the atlas it said that the weakness of the dog like Fetchers is salt. When he pours salt on them it lets out a  horrifying fume that puts the school in quarantine. In the atlas it also said that there was a house in his neighborhood that belonged to Mr Monday. Arthur decides to go inside and finds out wonders. I am pretty sure if Arthur was not so curious none of this  would have happened. Like Arthur’s mom said “Curiosity kills”… and in his case literally.

 

I enjoyed the book because it kept me in suspense the whole time. Also it is very interesting so I always think about the book , even when I am not reading it. I also like the way the story changes from Arthur being a normal person to being some kind of wizard. I would recommend this book to somebody who can remember their facts from the beginning all the way to the end. But I mainly recommend this to people who like big surprises because if you don’t, this is not for you. I rate this book five out of five stars.


240215_dd

 

May
28
2014

The Glass Sentence

Posted by

The Glass Sentence

by Tilda Sutter (Well technically S.E. Grove)

 

My book review is on The Glass Sentence by S.E. Grove. The main character’s names are Sophia and Theo. In this book, in 1799, something called The Great Disruption happened. Every country was thrown into different time periods. Sophia lives in New Occident, Boston. At this point in history mapmaking has become a delicate mixture of Science and Magic. Her uncle is a famous mapmaker. Her parents are lost because they went exploring and never came back.. Sophia lives with her uncle. Her uncle is kidnapped by “Sandmen”. Sophia and Theo go to find him.

 

Sophia’s uncle makes memory maps, which is a map that when you touch one area on the map, it  brings you to someone’s memory of something that happened there. When her uncle is kidnapped, she finds a note saying, “Find Veressa and a block of glass.” Veressa is a girl her uncle knew from college. Now Veressa lives in the Badlands. Sophia and Theo also end up on a pirate ship. Sophia is worried about trusting Theo. Theo lies a lot. In this book people have different ideas of how The Great Disruption happened. “It cannot be undone. Every Cartographer, scientist, cosmographer will tell you the same thing: there can only be another disruption.” That means that the Great Disruption will never end or stop, it can only happen again.

 

I would  rate this book  100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars out of 5, but it can’t be over five, so five stars. The book is so good. I recommend this book to anyone who can read, actually if you can’t read, get someone to read it to you! I like this book because it makes you think of a lot of different concepts. It also makes you feel like you are in the book. It also makes you think of how your life would change if you were with Sophia and Theo. I also should mention that this book has not been published but you can get a advanced readers copy from the library. It will be published on June 12th.

May
13
2014

The City of Ember, by Jeanne Du Prau

Posted by

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau is an amazing book. The main characters are Lina and Doon, and they’re good friends. Lina is a kind-hearted, curious, nice, surprising, and adventurous, 12 year old girl. Meanwhile, Doon is different in some ways than Lina. Doon is smart, adventurous, and has a temper. He’s good at figuring things out (read the book to see what I’m saying). When Lina and Doon were young, Lina challenged Doon and her friends to climb to the top of the lamp pole.  “Lina could do it all even when the dares got wilder.”   Lina fell and came laughing down to the ground. This shows Lina’s surprising and adventurous nature. In Ember, there was something called Assignment Day where the 12 year old kids of Ember are assigned jobs.  When Doon picked his job, he lost his temper and threw down the paper that told him his job in front of the mayor. This is one example of Doon losing his temper.

 

The book takes place in the underground city of Ember. It’s a dystopian book.  It is different and better than other dystopian books because this one is suspenseful, but in a good way.  Ember is running out of food, supplies, etc., but mostly light bulbs. Everybody’s afraid that the lights are just going to turn out permanently one day, because they flicker a lot.  If the lights go out, the city will be in complete darkness.  Lina and Doon have other problems. Lina was looking for something she thinks might help the city.  She finds something in a mysterious special box.  She thinks it might be what she is looking for, but it is a big mystery that needs to be solved. Lina and Doon work together to solve the mystery and save the city.  Have they figured it out yet?         I really liked this book because it is funny and weird in some moments. The people of Ember didn’t know what some things were, like ‘boats’ and ‘candles’ for example. One part I really liked was when Lina and Doon found a room full of boats, that were labeled “b”ntstill din’t know what r. I ple who are 8+ nger.I oul also recommend this book to peop le who like cliffhangers, because it ens in a cliffhanger, and the second book is the exact same , but the part 2.

May
06
2014

Are you their god its me, Margaret by Judy Blume

Posted by

Are you there god, it’s me Margaret

by Judy Blume

 

My book’s main character is Margaret. She is 11 and she moved to a new school. At first she is very worried until…   Margaret joined a club with her friend Nancy, Gretchen and Jen. At school Margaret gets the assignment to write about something important to her, and she choses religion. But she does not practice a religion yet.

During the book she tries to find her religion and gets to experience both religions, Judaism and Catholicism. She choses these two religions because one of her grandma’s is Jewish, the other is Christian.This book is an amazing book, but I mostly recommend this book for the people who like a calm book, by that I mean that you just want to read more and get sucked back inside the book so it does not feel like your reading a book. Even though this is an amazing book I don’t think that boys would like it because it is about religion and women problems.. Anyway, go ahead if you feel like you want to read this book . This book is a fun book to read to your family, and I rate it 5***** becuase the fact that you can read it with your parents is fun because you can share why you like this book.imgres

May
06
2014

How To Rock Braces And Glasses!

Posted by

How to rock braces and glasses

 

Gorgeous, Kacey Simon is the most popular girl in middle School. However, an eye infection and a visit to the dentist leave her with  Harry Potter glasses, a mouth full of metal! After being dissed and dismissed by her popular friends, Kacey is forced to hang out with a boy who wears skinny jeans and jams in his own band. But as she adjusts to the “real world” not “ popular girl world” she’s surprised to find that Skinny Jeans is kind of her style and his band is actually pretty cool. Suddenly, hitting rock bottom feels oddly uplifting. Could rocking braces and glasses be the best thing ever to happen to her?

 

I love this book so much! It is funny and interesting and leaves you with so many,” Oh. Didn’t see that one coming” I would rate this book 5***** I would recommend this book to anyone who likes drama and school stories. Why not read it. Try it out. Trust me once  you start reading you will never want to stop.

 

May
05
2014

Flush by Carl Hiaasen

Posted by

flush-carl-hiaasenI am currently reviewing the book Flush, by Carl Hiaasen. The main character is Noah, the son of a local environmentalist. Noah lives with his mother and sister Abbey, while his dad waits it out in jail. Noah’s dad is trying to stop the Dusty Muleman. Noah is honest and loyal. Even though his dad is a risk taker, he supports him and helps him prove the truth. Noah’s sister Abbey is more doubtful of their father, because she doesn’t want him to stay in jail. Meanwhile, Noah’s mom loves Noah’s dad very much; she knows he is doing the right thing but is upset that his decisions are affecting the family. The book takes place in Key West, Florida.

 

Throughout the book, the main characters, Noah, Abbey, their mom and dad are surrounded by trouble related the Coral Queen. The Queen is a gambling boat, owned by Dusty Muleman. Noah’s dad knows that Dusty is dumping waste into the beautiful, clear water. The only problem is, he can’t catch him! Noah seeks out the help of Lice Peeking, an only friend of his fathers…and an ex-employee of Dusty Muleman. Together, they figure out a way to catch Dusty Muleman in the act and free Noah’s dad from jail. “What’s wrong with him? Is he dense or what?” “Abbey don’t talk like that way about your father,” Mom said, “and the word is ‘deluded,’ not ‘dense.’ “ I think Abbey is upset about this.

I enjoy this book because it is a big journey if you are trying to do something good but get in trouble. I think Noah’s dad is very brave to do this. I recommend this book to people who like books like spying stories, action, and adventure stories because i think those are the kinds of words that would describe  this book. I rate this book 3 stars because I liked it but I am not into spying kinds of books.

 

May
05
2014

Standing In The Light by Mary Pope Osborne (from the dear America series)

Posted by

 

Carry is a young girl living in 1763 in Pennsylvania. She loves to wright in her diary. And she has three younger siblings named Thomas and Eliza and baby Will. She goes to school every day. And she is very kind and she likes to see the good in people. Because it seems to help her in the story. She and her family are religious.


imgres-2

One day when Carry was  walking to school two native men come and take her and her little brother. They take them to their clan area but it is not right there. They have to take a long journey to their  clan area. When they get there Carry and Thomas get separated. And Carry worries that she will never see him again!

I really liked this book because it is an adventure and historical story (I LOVE HISTORY!) I would recommend this book to 3rd and 4th graders because I think that they would understand it the most and I think that is that level. I would give this book 5***** stars because it is so good because it takes history and add fiction!    (There are other books in this series if you are interested!) -Ruby

 

May
02
2014

Dead End In Norvelt By Jack Gantos

Posted by

Dead End In Norvelt By Jack Gantos is a gothic-humor-historical-fiction-part -autobiography. If  you read the book then you will understand by what I mean by this.

 

Dead End In Norvelt is set in WWII in Norvelt. Norvelt is a place in Pennsylvania. It is called Norvelt because it was founded by eleaNOR rooseVELT and the last few letters became Norvelt.

 

The main characters are Jack, Bunny, Mrs. Gantos/Mom, Mr. Gantos/Dad, and Ms. Volken. Jack is funny and mischievous. Jack always can cheer-up and put-down anyone he wants to. Bunny, is Jack’s best friend. She doesn’t like that Jack got grounded and that she doesn’t get to play baseball with him. Mrs. Gantos is Jack’s mom. She is strict and loving, but not both at once. His dad, Mr. Gantos, has an old airplane that he rides a lot. Jack’s mom will not let Jack ride in it, even though he really wants to. His dad is always doing something with Jack behind his spouses back.

 

Ms. Volken is the hand-frying obitist. An obitist is a person who writes obituaries. Since she literally fried her hands. Now her fingers do not look and work the same way they used to. So Jack’s mom forces him to be Ms. Volken’s scribe. She is sometimes dead on serious and sometimes extremely hilarious. But sometimes people get mixed up between the two.

 

The plot is about Jack’s worst summer of his whole entire life. He got grounded by a dangerous stunt and his dad is forcing him to make a bomb shelter to protect from the russians. Even though they were in the middle of Pennsylvania and so on.

 

I enjoyed this book fairly well. It is not bad but it is not good. I say this because I wish that there was more action but the humor made up for it. I would recommend this book to

funny people. There is never a chapter in this book where there is not some stupid pun or a strange joke. I would rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.imgres

May
01
2014

Bartimaeus the Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud

Posted by

Bartimaeus the Amulet of Samarkand is by Jonathan Stroud. The main characters are Bartimaeus, the big mouthed powerful fourth-level djinni, and Nathaniel, the full-of-potential nobel magician. Nathaniel will always admit something that will get him into some trouble.This amazing book takes place in London in 1985ish.

 

The power crazy Simon Lovelace wants to kill all the magicians of the ministry and start over with “more powerful” magicians; “Will you join us?” Maurice Schyler said “We can start over and form a powerful government.” “You are a Naive fool! I will never join you!” I said with great power. With a scowl Maurice Schyler said, “Very well then, ordinarily I would enjoy killing you slowly, but today I can’t spare the time.”  To do this, Simon Lovelace steals the Amulet of Samarkand to gain power.  Also, there is a shady group tied into it called “The Resistance” who are a group of commoners (non magicians) who don’t think that the magicians should rule, and they cause some trouble also.

 

I loved this book! The writing is really good, for example, “Jabor’s laugh was cut short by the roof caving in below him.” I like that kind of writing because it is a kind of “Show not Tell” that I enjoy reading. I would recommend this book to people who like a lot of Dystopian Fantasy kind of things. I would also recommend it to people who like a lot of violence. So if your parents won’t let you read Divergent, this is a book for you. I would rate this book five out of five stars! It was incredible!  The writer has a really good way of having a lot of loose ends and at the last second, everything comes together and the whole book makes sense!

imgres