Category Archives: Fiction

Dec
12
2014

My Life as a Stuntboy by Janet Tashjian

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imgresMy Life as a Stuntboy is by Janet Tashjian. The series is My Life series. The main character’s name is Derek Fallon, who gets to be a skateboard stunt-boy in a movie about a kid that runs away from danger.  The book takes place in California.

An important thing in my book is Derek got a part in a movie but his friend didn’t. So his friend got mad. Derek also has a hard time reading. But he does not know that one time when he had a tutor come to his house he was filmed by his best friend Matt. Matt put the film on youtube because he was mad at Derek. Another important thing in the book was before Derek got the part in the movie he got a monkey! He was really brave when his monkey got stolen by a kid in school. The kid in school put him in the top of his garage on the fifth shelf and Derek got him! Derek is not that smart. He left his monkey in his room with his toys, and his monkey ate them. Derek is normal. Like most kids he is excited to be in a movie because he does not get to be in a movie every day.

I did like this book because of the monkey. Especially when Derek’s family found out they could keep his monkey. I also like when the author drew pictures of new vocabulary words that some people might not know. I would recommend this book to people that like easy ways to figure out hard words. This book reminds me of Diary of a Wimpy Kid because it’s the same author. I give this book five stars.

 

Dec
12
2014

Famous For Thirty Seconds by P.G. KAIN

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The series I am reading is called Commercial Breaks and the name of the book is called Famous For Thirty Seconds by P.G. Kain. The main character’s name in the book is Britney Rush. The book is mainly about a girl who moves to Hong Kong for a year and when she gets back she does not have such great luck getting in for bookings go-sees and auditions will she realize  that there is more to life than being Famous For Thirty Seconds.The main setting of the book is casting places her house.

Something that I found the most interesting is that Britney has a twin and she expects that her and her sister are supposed to be exactly the same. Because just because you look like someone does not mean you are exactly the same. Another thing that surprised me was that the book talks a lot about the city and Washington Square Park and NYU because the author works at NYU  and my mom works at NYU so thats how I got this book.

 Finally that the person who wrote the book used to be an actor himself. That’s why he knows so much about acting. If I had to use three adjectives to describe Brittany the first one would be competitive I think that because any time her ‘’friend’’ Phoebe gets a booking she says that Phoebe did that purpose just to make her feel bad. The second adjective would be insecure I say that because she is always thinking about what other people think about her not what she thinks about herself. Third would be very friendly I say that because anytime time she sees people who she has seen before she says hi even though they keep walking.

I enjoyed this book so much because I can relate to this book soooo much because I go to auditions like Britney and when I go to them I  see people and one day later  I see those kids on TV. Also because she is always trying to get an audition and if she doesn’t then she gets very mad she almost quit acting. I recommend this book because  even if you do not go  on  auditions she still has a regular life just like us.She can also relate to people because sometimes people like of love things and they do not focus on anything only that and she does not realize she is in reality. I don’t think this book is related to any movies or TV shows or other books because i have ever heard of any and also because this is just such a great book so it will be hard to top. If I had to give a rating about the book out  of a possible 1 meaning I did not like that much. 2 I didn’t like it. 3 it was pretty good. 4 I really liked it.  and 5 I loved it. I want to read it again. I choose a five I really like this book.

 

Dec
12
2014

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

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The book I read is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K Rowling, this book is number five of the series Harry Potter. This series is about Harry’s life through the ages 11- 17 at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This particular book is when Harry is 15, and is in his fifth year at Hogwarts. During the year he is trying to learn how to fight Voldemort the Dark Lord, prepare his fellow friends with secret meetings, learn how to keep calm with Professor Umbridge, and learn to cope with Professor Snape while learning occlumency. The main characters of this book are Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, and Hermione Granger. This book is set in the present time in England, London.

A part I found important was when Grawp (a giant), Hagrid’s  step brother (Hagrid is a half giant) saves Harry and Hermione from rampaging centaurs. It was important because Grawp had a lot of courage and bravery , and showed true friendship. Another  part that I found interesting was when Harry invaded Snape’s privacy. It was interesting because when Snape found out, he did not want to teach Harry anymore. Hermione is loyal because she stuck with Harry and Ron when times were tough for example when they were escaping Death Eaters when she could of saved only herself. She is a forward thinker because when the group was in a circular room and all the doors looked the same but she put a X on the doors she already tried. She is also generous because over the year she was knitting hats for the house elves to set them free even though they didn’t want to be free.

I enjoyed the book because the breath taking adventures and funny love stories. A funny love story was when Harry kissed Cho under mistletoe and the breath taking adventures are when they battled Voldemort. I would recommend this book to readers the age of 9-10000000000. I would recommend at that ages because there is some violence and weird things . But anything else is totally acceptable for younger ages. The book is really great and descriptive (it is 870 pages) and it is enjoyable for many readers. I think the Percy Jackson series is very similar. I know that because they do not know about their kind for a long time, they have to fight, and they make great friends. I would rate this book 4 stars ****.

 

Dec
12
2014

Hiding Out at the Pancake Palace by Nan Marino

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I read Hiding Out at the Pancake Palace by Nan Marino. The main character’s name is Elvis Ruby and the story takes place in Wares Grove, New Jersey (although Elvis starts the book living in New York City). Elvis is a famous singer who goes on a reality show called “Tween Star” but forgets his part. It’s so embarrassing. How would you feel if people laughed at you on national TV!? The plot is about how he then needs to hide from the paparazzi who are chasing him in a small town where he can be just a normal kid.

 

Elvis changes his name to Aaron and gets his haircut to disguise himself in his new town. He lives with distant relatives who own a pancake “palace” which apparently is the only restaurant in Wares Grove. The Pancake Palace is very popular and a lot of people go there so it’s hard for Elvis to hide. The next-door neighbor, Cecilia, figures out who he is and cannot keep a secret. Then Cecilia tells her friend R.J. about Elvis/Aaron. R.J. tells his mom and when he’s telling her, his sister Elizabeth overhears and learns the truth about the new kid. Turns out, Elizabeth is obsessed with Elvis (who she saw on TV) and she starts to flirt with Elvis. Elvis is shy because he doesn’t want anyone to know he is famous and he is really being very careful about it. He is nervous about being in a new town with new people but ends up learning who he can trust and makes new friends. Elvis is helpful — he offers to help his relatives in the restaurant and make pancakes and he helps Cecilia with an important task. (I don’t want to ruin it for you.)

 

I liked this book because it was action packed and surprising. The scenes where the paparazzi try and find Elvis are hilarious because the photographers get confused and lost. At first it doesn’t seem like Elvis is going to help Cecilia but in the end he comes through. I think this book is similar to a television reality show if a famous person moved to a small town and tried to hide his identity. (Pretend if Tom Brady or Taylor Swift did this.) I would recommend this book to people who like action because it’s filled with it! It’s laugh out loud funny when all the characters come together. I would give this book 5 stars on a scale of 5 stars because it’s a funny, hilarious and one of the best books I’ve read.

 

                                                                 *****

Dec
12
2014

The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter

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The book I am writing about is called The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter. The main characters are three siblings,one girl named Lucia who wished something interesting would happen, Max the youngest who always knew better, and the oldest brother Otto and he had something unique about him and that was sign language. The book is about three siblings going to their aunts house in London and when they arrive they find out that their aunt isn’t in her house. Then a young girl comes out and says that your aunt isn’t here she left for a trip. Next Max remembers that Haddie Piggott their mothers mom sent them a letter long time ago. And Max found it and remembers that it said “Snoring By The Sea.  Max asks someone, “do you know what “snoring by the sea is?” People said it is part of London. Then they traveled to snoring by the sea and went there and then as they traveled they came across a fake castle and they go in it and they see their moms mother Hattie Piggott there and they have some exciting scary adventures thats all I’m telling you. It takes place in a fake castle in London in a place in London called Snoring By The Sea.

Their father goes on a lot of trips and doesn’t see his kids and  leaves Otto Lucia and Max alone at the house. I think that is interesting because there all alone with no care and he never sees them and I think that might be hard on the kids. Three adjectives that I can call Lucia is stubborn because in a part in the book Lucia wanted Otto to run but he didn’t listen so (Otto was wearing a scarf but gave it to Lucia to hold and it is very special) Lucia said I will throw your scarf in the ocean if you don’t run! Then otto ran. Lucia is nice because otto was feeling sad and lonely so Lucia came over and said some nice words to otto and he felt better. Another way I can explain Lucia is brave because in a part of the book Lucia went on a bike that was on a cord and went very high up and she could have died any second  and she was brave and she was perfectly fine after she did it.

I loved The Kneebone boy because it had different cities in it like London and I love London and it was scary kind of and it was fun because when Lucia went on the bike on the cord I didn’t know if she was going to die and I didn’t want her to. And it was fun because I had  a little bit of scary fun adventurous parts and I love those things in a book. I would definitely recommend this book because you get to learn different parts of London and if you like a little scary and fun also adventurous then you’re in for a treat because the Kneebone Boy has all of those things. I don’t really know a movie or a television show that is like The Kneebone Boy but there is probably a show or movie that is like it. I would give this book five stars if I could I would give it 10 stars because I love London and scary and fun and adventurous books also I’ve been reading a book like the Kneebone boy before.

Dec
12
2014

The One And Only Ivan by Katherine Applgate

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                The book I read was The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. The main character’s name is Ivan, he is a gorilla that is personified and he’s a really smart when it comes to logic and noticing all the little details in his life like the fingerprints of children on the glass of his terrain.He’s also good at seeing things a different way like how the sun reminds him of a ripe nectarine and how some humans are like chimps. The book is about Ivan doing the same things in his cage  or  terrain  then his life takes a big turn and it’s time for him to to step up and protect someone he said he would protect and be the mighty Silverback he’s supposed to be with the help of his friends and artistic vision. He lives in a mall called the Big Top Mall where he has many nicknames and a few neighbors none of which are gorillas. For 9855 days he was alone.

  Some things I liked in this book was the author’s use of language and how she was always making similes and really thinking about  how a gorilla might feel about his life and the things around him. Another thing I liked was how people in the story gave him many different names with different  meanings like The One And Only Ivan or Ivan, Mighty Silverback . The two last things  I really liked about this book were, one – I love the big feelings Ivan has in this book and the strong opinions he has and two – Ivan is a really great friend with a big heart that he’s always sharing with the animals and people around him. Three adjectives I would use to describe Ivan are; interesting, because he always has very strong opinions that I find interesting like the idea people talk to much and I really wanted to read on to see what he thought about the matter. I would also consider Ivan a little bit gross because of the stuff he likes to eat like banana peels and yogurt raisins . The last word I would use to describe Ivan is Patient, because he doesn’t always freak out when people our being mean to him by spitting, throwing rocks, and some other mean stuff but he always keeps his cool.

 I really enjoyed this book because it was full of big feelings like how he felt about being in a cage. It was cool to see how other people thought about what was going on inside a gorillas head. I think it would have been cool if I could hear it from someone else’s point of view maybe Ivans mom or dad or someone else he was close to . My teacher Jen recommended it to me so if you like it talk to her about more books. I have never read a book like this it was phenomenal  and a delight to read. I loved it I want to read it again so i give it 5 stars!

Leah

 

Dec
12
2014

Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling

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The book that I read for this review was The Prisoner of Azkaban, the third book in the Harry Potter series.The main characters are Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. The book is mainly about Harry’s godfather Sirius Black escaping from prison and trying to come and get him. The book is mainly set in Harry’s school, Hogwarts.

One interesting part is when Harry leaves the Dursleys house and he gets on the knight bus. It’s interesting how a bus can go anywhere for wizards and witches. Another interesting part is when Sirius Black comes and breaks Ron Weasley’s leg because he becomes a dog and drags Ron into the Whomping Willow that is a tree that can move its branches but not its trunk. Harry Potter is athletic because he plays a sport named Quidditch and he is a position called seeker. He is brave because he stands up to a mean person named Draco Malfoy.He is also smart because he saved two lives in one hour.

I liked the book because I liked to read all the fun, shocking, surprising, exciting things that happened.It is fun to imagine the things in your brain. I would recommend this book if you want to read a book full of surprises and that makes you want to read more. The reader gets to understand and feel Harry’s experiences as he grows up. The movie to this book is related because it is about the same thing but some things are cut and added on. I rate this book four stars I really liked it.

Dec
12
2014

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

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My book is called The Lost Hero it is written by Rick Riordan. The series is called The Heroes Of Olympus and it is kind of like the Percy Jackson series. The main characters are Jason, Piper, Leo and Coach Hedge. The book is about Jason, Piper and Leo trying to defeat the evil mother earth and her son Porhryion the giant and to save Hera the Queen of Greek gods. There are many settings in the book but one of them is called Camp Half Blood.

Something interesting is that you would think Aphrodite is all about being pretty but really it’s about who you are on the inside and not on the outside. Something that I also like is that you get to learn about the main characters thoughts and feelings descriptively and nicely worded.  Every two chapters each character takes a turn to speak about what their perspective is of what is happening. Something that is really important is that you really understand what the characters are like, and how they think.

I think Piper is really daring, caring and she believes in herself. She is very caring because when Jason is very hurt by a blinding light she really tries to help him. She is daring because even though her dad is hurt she still leaves him with someone she knows will help him. She believes in herself because when she meets a evil princess named Medea she believes that she  can defeat  the evil princess.

I enjoyed this book because the book usually leaves cliffhangers after every chapter. When you really want to know more it just stops and then you get all sad. But then you get into another character and then you go to another characters part. I would recommend this book to people who like gods and for people who like problems you need to solve. Also for people who like a little bit of violence in their book. A similar book is the Kane Chronicles they are written from the same author and they’re also about gods but Egyptian gods. I would rate this book a four out of five, because I wouldn’t read it again but it was a really good book.

Dec
12
2014

Harry Potter and Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

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The  amazing book I read is called Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling. The main character is a boy named Harry Potter. Harry goes to a school in a place called Hogwarts and meets these two nice kids named Hermione and Ron. They go to the same house called Gryffindor instead of Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and the house where a lot of dark wizards went, Slytherin.

One important thing in the book was when Harry was two years old and the darkest wizard known as Voldemort (which means flight of death in French) came to Harry’s house and killed his parents. Somehow, he couldn’t kill Harry and instead of killing Harry, Voldemort lost a lot of power. Another very important part was when Harry heard Snape, the head of Slytherin, talk about a sorcerer’s stone. This made Harry feel like Snape was going to steal whatever the sorcerer’s stone was.

Harry is a very brave child, for example later in the book Harry fights someone who was being controlled by Voldemort and instead of running away Harry fights the guy under the control of Voldemort and puts up a good fight. Another thing is that he is very sneaky, for example his father had an invisibility cloak that Harry always used to sneak around the school to look for any sign of a dark wizard. The third thing is that Harry is very unselfish, he is very unselfish because he is always doing things for others and not himself. For example Harry wasn’t friends at first with Hermione but he still saved her life from a troll in the girls bathroom which began their friendship.

This is the greatest book of all time!!! It is funny, creative, emotional, and it feels as though you are in the book. I definitely recommend this book because it puts you in a good mood when you read it and when you read it, you don’t want to stop reading it. I do not compare any book or television show to this book because you could guess what happens in other books or shows and a lot of books and shows have the same plot, but in this book you have no idea what will happen. On a rating from one to five I would give it a one hundred.

Dec
12
2014

The End by Lemony Snicket

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This book is part of a series called The Series of Unfortunate Events. The main characters are Violet, Klaus, and Sunny. This book is mainly about the siblings life on an island they washed up upon. The setting is a “safe and protected” island where eventually everything washes up on. The island has no fresh water and lots of wild sheep.

 

One part of the book that was really interesting was when the siblings found the secret location of Ishmael. This was interesting because it was amazing to find that Ishmael has secrets. Another thing that was important was when Kit had her baby! This was important because her baby added another chapter to the Baudelaires lives.  If I had to choose one of Violet, Klaus, and Sunny to write three adjectives about, I would choose Violet. Three adjectives to describe her would be inventive, creative, and persistent. Violet is inventive because there was the example when she once when invented the sling for Kit’s baby. Creative because she stretched her mind to build a raft out of books! Persistent because when she kept trying to help the islanders when they got sick even when they refused.

 

I enjoyed this book because it is a mystery book; like when you are trying to figure out if Count Olaf the villain if he is actually good or bad. I also enjoyed it because the author leaves you with so many questions roaming around in your head that you can figure out yourself like the question, “Are the parents still alive?” And so many more questions that you are itching to find out. I would recommend this book. I would because it is an interesting and descriptive book. And I think many readers like adventure and descriptive books. And I personally think it is easier to understand when books are descriptive. I think this book is like a series called An Accidental Adventure by C Alexander London because they are descriptive and they both have big adventures that take up many books. Also they are both written by awesome authors! I love this book so much…. I would give this book FIVE STARS!!!