Category Archives: 2014-2015

Jan
05
2015

The Grimm Conclusion by Adam Gidwitz

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I read The Grimm Conclusion by Adam Gidwitz. It is the third book of Grimm. The two main characters are Jorinda and Joringel (you pronounce it as YOUR-INDA and YOUR-INGLE). They are sister and brother. When they were born their dad died of happiness because all he and his wife wished was that they could have children. Their mom did not know how to raise them or cook for them. She was afraid she would not be a good mom so she did not take care of them very much. She went back to her study room and studied. She married (again) to someone who was not very nice but knew how to cook. Their mom was always in her study and never came out so the children were stuck with the mean stepfather. They missed her a lot and got really sick by it. The book takes place in many places but mainly in the Kingdom of Grimm in Germany.

My three favorite parts were first, when Joringel goes to Hell and meets the devil. The devil’s house is made of human body parts. My second favorite part of the book was the war between the children and the grown-ups. The grown ups are much more powerful, but some of the children start to tell a story. Everything that they say happens in the story really happens. My third favorite part was when Jorinda is ruling the whole kingdom of Grimm but she makes a lot of bad rules and is a tyrant because she keeps on thinking about her mom and everything that happened to her that was bad. I would describe Jorinda as brave and smart because she is not scared to do anything, like once Jorinda gets stuck in a big house and giant dangerous animals are all around her. All of them are chained up to the wall. She was sure she was going to die, but she found the one spot in the room where the animals could not touch her. I would also say that she was confused because she rarely knew what she is doing, where she was and why she was there.

I enjoyed this book and would recommend it because the narrator comes in at random parts of the story and makes funny comments about everything, but I would only recommend this book to the people are not grossed out by death and blood, it has a lot of death and blood. I think this book is like the fairy tales Cinderella and Snow White because certain parts of the books are based on Cinderella and Snow White. All of the books of Grimm are based on fairy tales. I LOVED this book

I would give this book five stars.

Jan
05
2015

Nancy Drew secret of the old clock

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I read Nancy Drew the Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene. The main character is a thirteen year old girl named Nancy , who likes to solve mysteries.The book mainly takes place in a small town where Nancy lives, called River Heights. In this story Nancy goes on an adventure to find a missing will. 

Something I found interesting is that Nancy meets so many people. I think that this is interesting because I like getting to know the different personalities of the characters in the book and how they fit into the story. For instance, a character named Abby helps Nancy by giving her a clue about where the will is. This is the first book of the series so you first meet Nancy. You get to know things like where she lives, her interests, and that she likes mysteries. Nancy is smart because she uses the clues that people give her to solve the mystery. She is also brave because she is willing to put herself in danger to solve her mystery. For example, she had to chase robbers to get back stolen furniture. Most importantly, Nancy is kind because she solves this mystery to help people get things that they need.

I really enjoyed this book because it’s exciting and suspenseful. It’s hard to put down once you start because you want to find out what will happen to Nancy next and where each clue will take her. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a mix of mystery and adventure. I look forward to reading the next Nancy Drew book for more exciting adventures. I think the Spiderwick Chronicles are similar to Nancy Drew Mysteries because the main characters are kids who solve mysteries and there is a lot of adventure. I would rate this book four stars.

 

 

Jan
05
2015

Chomp by Carl Hiaasen

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Chomp is a novel written by Carl Hiaasen. The main characters are Wahoo and his father Micky Cray. The story takes place in Florida and in the everglades. The book is about the adventure Wahoo and his father get themselves into when they are asked to help a reality TV show called Expedition Survival.

In the beginning of the book Mickey gets a life-changing concussion from a frozen iguana that falls from a tree and hits him on the head. Now Micky lies on the couch while Wahoo takes care of all the animals in their house, which is more like a zoo than a house. One day they get a phone call from a reality TV show. The Crays owed thousands of dollars to the bank, so they had to take the job. The star of the show was not the brightest man and was not nearly the best survivalist.  Every day he takes a helicopter to the city and sleeps in a luxury hotel and leaves everyone else at a little camp on Tree Island. The main character, Wahoo is brave because everyday he feeds the alligator who bit off his finger. Wahoo is caring because he takes good care of all the wild animals and his dad who got hit by a frozen iguana. He also seems happy with his life and he does not complain if he has to do something he doesn’t want to do, and he seems to enjoy his life.

I recommend this book to people that like humor and adventure. It is also not too long but it’s not too short either. I think this book is similar to a TV show called Man VS Wild which is about a survivalist that goes into remote places and tries to get back to civilization. I give this book four out of five stars because I loved the book, but I don’t want to read it again.

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Jan
05
2015

Cartboy and the Time Capsule by L.A. Campbell

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The book that I read was Cartboy and the Time Capsule by L.A. Campbell.  The main characters are Hal (Cartboy) and his best friend Arnie.  The book is mainly about Hal writing about the time when15793167 he is living for a time capsule .  The setting is mostly in Stowfield Middle School, Hal’s school.

One interesting part is Hal wants 3 big things. First, he wants his own room because he has two baby sisters and his bed is between their cribs.  Second, Hal wants a Ziptuk e300s because he wants to look cool in school. His mom and dad don’t like to spend money and the Ziptuk is a scooter with a motor so it costs a lot. Third, he wants more time to play on a video game.  He only gets 9 minutes to play a game called RavenCave because he gets 15 minutes in all; 6 to set the video game up and 9 minutes to play the actual thing. Hal is so funny, because after he makes a joke he makes me laugh.  Hal is clever because when his family was going to his grandparent’s house he stayed home and lied by saying he was studying but he wanted his own room so badly that he tried to sell his house!  One time he said something about his classmate named Cindy Shano (and she eats a lot of candy), and Hal said, “I wonder if Cindy has as many teeth as George Washington” because everyone thought that George Washington had one tooth.

I enjoyed the book because you get to read funny and surprising things. Hal farted in the cafeteria and everyone with a phone texted their friends about the farting incident. Hal’s uncle Lou was a monkey, after the middle school dance, Hal said that he looked like uncle Lou because he had a bent back. I would recommend this book if you want to read a book with illustrations that’s funny. Hal’s sense of humor kept me from putting the book down. I don’t think that there are any movies or TV shows really related to this book. I would give this book 4 stars I really liked it.

 

Jan
05
2015

A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’engle

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wrinklecover9The book that I read is called A Wrinkle In Time. It is written by Madeleine L’engle. The series is called The Wrinkle In time Quintet. The main characters are Meg, Calvin, Charles,  Mr.Murry and Miss Who, Miss Whatsit and Miss Which. The book is about the main characters trying to defeat the Dark thing. There are lots of settings in this book but one of them is called Comotz.

Something that is really interesting is that the author really describes what the characters are feeling and why they are feeling what they are feeling. I found that this book is really complicated so you really have to read slowly. Adding on to what I just said is that sometimes you might have to read the page all over again and then you will get what they’re talking about. Sometimes the author gives you riddles you have to figure out. Meg is very, nice, outgoing and loving. She is nice because when she meets Calvin she helps him and she cares for him. She is outgoing because when she meets Miss Who, Miss Whatsit and Miss Which she does not get all shy, she goes for it and makes friends with them. She is loving because when her brother is in danger she helps him because she loves him.

I thought this book was ok, it was not great but it was not terrible. I like books that have more suspense. And I like books that have a tiny bit of violence in them. I would recommend this book to people who like riddles and to people who like mixed emotions in their books. I wouldn’t recommend this book to people who like violence or to people who don’t like a little love in their books. There is really nothing that I have read that is similar to this book, this book is unique in its own way. I would rate this book a three. I thought it was ok. It was not the best book and I would not read it again.

 

Jan
05
2015

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

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The book I read is called Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. This is the first book in the two book series. The second book is called Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator.  The main characters are Charlie, Willy Wonka, grandpa Joe, Augustus Gloop, Violet Beauregard, Mike TV, Veruca salt and the oompaloompas. The book is mainly about a poor little boy named charlie who wins a golden ticket and gets to go to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory and is one out of the five people in the world who get to go there. The setting takes place in Charlie’s house and the Chocolate Factory back in the late 1900s.

Willy Wonka isn’t just a chocolate factory it’s also a place to get other candies too. For example they have a everlasting gum that never loses flavor and other awesome stuff.Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory is opening for the first time in years after being spied on by other candy factories because the other factories were losing business, so they needed some of Willy Wonka’s ingredients to keep their business’s up. And so Willy Wonka is opening his factory and putting five golden tickets out into five candy bars out of the millions of candy bars out there in the world.One very interesting part in the book to me was the time when it was Charlie’s birthday and he got a chocolate bar as his only present and you would think that he would get a golden ticket but instead he just ended up with an incredible Willy Wonka chocolate bar. Another very interesting part was when Charlie found a bill on the ground which he picked right up and went right to a candy stand and asked for one Willy Wonka bar and in that bar was a golden ticket! An adjective I would use to describe Charlie is that he is very thoughtful. He is thoughtful because When he got the chocolate bar for his birthday instead of eating it all by his self like other kids would probably do he gave some to all his grandparents and parents. He’s also very skinny because he never gets enough to eat. The third adjective mature because he is always trying to do the right thing and he acts as if he’s much older than he really is like how he takes care of his family even at a very young age. The fourth adjective I would use to describe Charlie is that he is always positive.He is always positive because he is always thinking about the good in life and not the bad.

      I love this book! I love it so much that I have even read it four times and would be delighted to read it again. This is probably the first book I have ever really enjoyed and it was so good that it also made me love reading. I definitely recommend this book. Whether you’re a sporty kid, a “I hate reading kid” or an “I hate Roald Dahl kid, you would still love this book. This is definitely one of my favorite books I totally recommend it. I compare this book to James and the Giant Peach another Roald Dahl book because the two boys have crazy things happen to them like flying in giant peach and walking with a giant peach Augustus Gloop. On a one to five star rating I would definitely give it a five.

Jan
05
2015

Before We Were free By Julia Alvarez

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The book I read is called Before We Were Free by Julia Alvarez. The book is about a girl named Anita. What happens to her is she is in the Dominican Republic and she has a photo of their “president” who she soon finds out is her country’s dictator. Later she finds out about all the horrible things that he has done and also about the crimes that her father has committed. To top it all off she has to deal with being a teenage girl. Its very difficult because she has to deal with her classmates being mean and telling her that her only friends are her cousins. The main setting of the book is the Dominican Republic, Anita’s house and other peoples homes.

Something that surprised me was the story is about a real event that happened in the Dominican Republic. It is known as the Trujillo Times. They call it his because it was such a bad time in the Dominican Republic. Another thing that surprised me was that my great grandmother lived in the Dominican Republic and she had to try to escape because it was so dangerous but she made it out alive without being harmed or stopped. The last thing that surprised me was that my mother’s uncle used to be best friends with Trujillo Jr. who is Trujillo’s son who used to go to school with him when they were  kids. I would describe Anita as adventurous. I say that because she tries to discover what is going on in her life and why its happening. The second adjective would be very quiet because in school she does not have any friends only her cousins and she barely talks to them. She does not like to have much social interaction with friends. The last adjective would be indescribable  because you will never know what she is going to do next.

I can relate to this book very much because a lot of my family is from the Dominican Republic. I’ve heard stories about this time period in the Dominican Republic so I already knew a lot of things about the Trujillo Times. Even if you are not from the Dominican Republic the book is basically an immigration story. I loved this book. I give it five stars.

 

Jan
05
2015

The Fourteenth Goldfish Believe In The Possible By Jennifer L. Holm

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      The title of the book is The Fourteenth Goldfish Believe In The Possible. The Author of the book is Jennifer L. Holm. The main character in this book is a girl named Ellie. The book is about Ellie an eleven year old girl who thinks her goldfish, Goldie has lived since she got the fish.  Her mom kept buying goldfish so Ellie thinks Goldie is still alive. Also the book is about an old boy. That mysterious boy in her house is a boy who Ellie doesn’t know. So Ellie isn’t sure about him. So then Ellie’s mom, tells her who that boy is and it is apparently her  grandfather. The book takes place in several places, One is school because Ellie goes to school throughout the book with her grandfather. Another place is a little bit of the lab, the lab is one of the places because Ellie’s grandfather has a lab but he doesn’t work in it. So they try to steal something out of the lab but it is hard too. They have many attempts trying to steal the mystery object. There are two parts of the book that I liked. One of them is when there was a man that Ellie didn’t know but when it was her grandfather, I thought that was an interesting part of the book because you should know what your grandfather looks like and who he is. Another interesting  part of the book is when they try to sneak into the lab to steal an object. Because,it isn’t good to steal and why do they need it? Three adjectives I would use describe Ellie would be sneaky because she snuck  into a lab without anyone noticing. Another one would be abundance because Ellie really, really misses 5th Grade and her best friend. The last adjective I would call Ellie would be kind because Ellie didn’t know the boy in her house so she was kind and nice even though she didn’t know him. I enjoyed this book because It has science In It and I do like science.I know that this book has science because they try to sneak into a lab with science test tubes. I also enjoyed this book because I liked how the characters were being acted out in the book. I liked how the characters were being acted out because they were nice they had kind personalities. I would recommend this book because it has two main parts in this book and they are sneaking into a lab with science related objects. Also that it tells you something’s about science in some parts of the book. The second is you learn what not to do, the thing not to do would be not sneaking into a lab to try to steal objects. There is one more thing it  would be spending time with your family. In the book Ellie’s grandfather always has lunch with Ellie at school. Also talking and making a conversation being together   that is spending time with family members.“There aren’t any movies that i’ve seen that are like my book review.”A rating for my book would be Five *. (* that means stars)

 

Jan
05
2015

Counting By Sevens by Holly Goldberg Sloan

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51P+NH7nQyL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_My book is called Counting By Sevens by Holly Goldberg Sloan and there are three books in the series .  The main character’s name is Willow Chance, who is really smart . One day Willow’s parents die in a car accident and Willow gets really sad and starts loosing parts of her old self and a lot of her old habits. Some of those are counting by sevens every day before going to bed and planting a big giant garden filled with exotic  plants and foods, and saying at least five giant words  that grown – ups might not even know in every sentence. Just letting you know she’s a genius.It’s mainly about how Willow bit by bit gets parts of her old self back. The setting is in a town called Bakersfield in California.

Two parts that were interesting was when a person named Jairo won twenty – thousand dollars just for buying two books and being the 1,000,000th customer!!!! It’s funny because when he bought the books he won like a million bucks. Another interesting part is when they describe a person named Dell Duke’s A.P.T house. They say it has wet leaves in it and orange fur lying around (Dell had a cat until he lost it) and empty beer bottles lying around. This was interesting because his apartment sounds really messy . I would describe Willow as shy, very smart, and easygoing. She is shy because in one chapter she said, “I don’t speak unless someone asks me a question”. She is very smart she always gets her tests right. She is Easygoing because when it was Willow’s special day, somebody  was kind of making her special day a person ignored it and did what he wanted to do but she didn’t care.

I liked the book because the book did not just focus on only the main character it focuses on all of the characters, I also liked it because it could have been a real life story and I don’t really like a lot of fantasy stories. I recommend this book to people that can take sad story’s. I never really seen a movie or read another book like this. I rate this book four stars.

 

 

Jan
05
2015

Fenway Foul-Up by David A. Kelly

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searchIn The Fenway Foul-up  By David A. Kelly, Big D the best hitter on the Red Sox had his bat stolen at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts.  Mike and Kate, the main characters, try to figure out who stole Big D’s baseball bat.  This is especially important because Big D only plays great with his lucky bat.

Mike suspects that the old man stole Big D’s bat.  He suspects this because he got the a bat that looked the same for his grandson. The old man was eating sunflower seeds when the bat went missing. Mike and Kate think this may be a clue to solve the mystery. However, the photographer was also eating sunflower seeds, so Mike and Kate are stumped.  After Kate looked closer she also found that  the old man’s bat looked newer with less scratches than Big D’s. My favorite character was Kate. She was my favorite character because she is smart, athletic, and funny. Smart because she speaks more than 3 languages. athletic because she plays a lot of sports. Last but not least funny because she makes a lot of funny jokes.

I liked the book and I didn’t like the book. I thought this book was really interesting because it was about baseball and I love baseball  One thing is I love baseball . The thing I did not like is that I do not like the Red Sox, but I thought the story was good. I would recommend this book to kids that love baseball. It was also a good mystery.  This book’s author reminds me of Matt Christopher because he does baseball books too and writes the story the same way. I give this book 3 stars out of 5.