Category Archives: Friendship

May
04
2017

Darkmouth: the Legend Begins by Shane Hegarty

Posted by

The book I read was called Darkmouth: The Legend Begins by Shane Hegarty This book is in the series Darkmouth. The main characters are Finn and Emmie. Finn hunts monsters called legends and he is really bad at it. To make it worse his father might move away and he will have to protect his home town, Darkmouth. His best friend Emmie knows everything about his family after Finn tells her.

Finn is smart, brave, and scared. Finn is smart because he figures out that his mother is in trouble and someone is at his house trying to free the leader of the Legends, Gantrua, while he is fighting manticores. A manticore is a beast with the body of a lion a scorpion tail and the head of a lion. Finn is brave because he doesn’t stop for a second while being chased by a minotaur( a minotaur is part bull part human)  and figuring out how to stop it without his desiccator (which is a gun). Finn is scared because he will probably fail keeping Darkmouth safe without his father’s help.

An important part that happened was when a legend called a hogboon helped Finn and Emmie defeat a minotaur. This was important because legends and humans won’t stop fighting and this showed that they don’t need to fight. Another important thing that happened was when Finn’s father Hugo was looking at pictures and talked about how Finn tried and that is when Finn said “Mom admitted it.” “Admitted what?” said Finn’s dad“That I was special.” said Finn This was important because it gave Finn hope that he could protect Darkmouth.

I liked Darkmouth: The Legend Begins because it always keeps you hanging and making you want to read more. Another reason that I liked Darkmouth: The Legend Begins is that it was very intense when Finn was being chased by a minotaur and was running through Darkmouth. The entire book from there was intense.

I recommend Darkmouth: The Legend Begins because it always is pulling you into the story and if you close the book it takes your mind back into reality again. It is like a whole new world. For example when you are finished with chapter 20( which is about 3 quarters through the book) and  you close the book it is like you were just a cloud that had a plane go through it. while this is happening you are watching a portal open with a man next to it holding a desiccator like it is a dog looking at something strange. This book reminded me of Percy Jackson because there was a lot of monster slaying. It reminded me of Ghostbusters because they have these guns that capture monsters. It reminded me of medieval times because at one point they use swords and maces. I would give it a 5 star rating!

May
04
2017

George By Alex Gino

Posted by

I read the book George by Alex Gino. The book takes place in modern times in New York City. George, the main character, struggles to understand who she really is. She feels like a girl, but looks like a boy. George is scared to explain her true feelings to her mom. She feels insecure about herself. At school George tries out for the school play, Charlotte’s Web. George really wants to be Charlotte in the play, but when her best friend, Kelly gets the part instead of George, she gets extremely disappointed. George and Kelly do not speak to each other for a while, but finally they start to talk again and when they do,  they think of a plan to show the world that George is a girl and not a boy. The plan is to reveal George and not Kelly as the girl role of Charlotte during the second performance of the evening. George is so happy to be able to show the world who she really is, a girl.

George is shy, resilient, and forgiving. George is shy because she never has the guts to tell her mom how she really feels inside, especially about wanting to be a girl and not a boy. George is resilient because when she does not get the girl part, she never gives up. George shows the director that her want for a girl part is no joke. She stands up for what she believes in, even if others do not understand. George is forgiving because when Kelly gets the part that George wants, George takes a moment to be upset and then forgives her by moving on without letting the situation escalate into a big deal.

Although this book is serious, I found one part to be funny.  The mean boy in George’s class named Jeff makes fun of the Charlotte role in the play. George does not think this is kind or right, so she sticks a sign on Jeff’s back saying “Jerk!” When Jeff finds out, he turns around and punches George in the stomach which causes George to projectile vomit all over Jeff! This part is fun and I like the revenge George gets on the mean boy. Another part that is interesting is when Kelly offers her girly clothing to George for their trip to the zoo with Kelly’s grandfather. This makes George feel so happy and comfortable in her own skin. When Kelly said for George to wear her clothing… girl clothing, George said, “Are you sure?” I feel glad that George felt so good at the zoo.

I really enjoyed this book. The book taught me that it is ok to be different and the most important lesson is to be true to yourself. Another reason why I loved this book is it teaches the importance of good friendship.  Without good friendship, Kelly and George would not have come together to craft a way for George to play the part too. Kelly put herself in George’s shoes and wanted to make her friend happy. I would absolutely recommend this book. It has a powerful message for everyone to learn. This book is unique to me because I have never read about being transgender and the struggles that come with it. I rate this book with 5 starts which means I loved it and would want to read it again!

May
04
2017

Holes, by Louis Sachar

Posted by

I read a book called Holes, by Louis Sachar. It is about a boy named Stanley Yelnats who goes to an illegal camp called Camp Green Lake for being falsely accused of stealing  Clyde ‘Sweet Feet’ Livingston’s shoes. I won’t spoil who takes the shoes, but, it is someone at camp Green Lake. It is set in Texas in modern times but part of the story is in the recent and not as recent past. The other kids at CGL are Rex, “X-ray”, Hector, “Zero”, Theodore, “Armpit”, Ricky, “Zigzag”Magnet, Squid, and Twitch. The counselors are Mr. Sir, The Warden, Mr. Pendanski, and a whole lot of other unnamed counselors.

 

Stanley is nice, smart, and brave. He is nice because he taught Zero how to read and write. Stanley is smart because he remembered the story of Kissin’ Kate Barlow from many years ago. He is brave because he took the blame for stealing Mr. Sir’s sunflower seeds even though he really didn’t.

 

One interesting part of the book was when Stanley went to The Warden’s office for “stealing” Mr. Sir’s sunflower seeds. This was interesting because it kept me on my heels wondering if he would get severely punished, or just merely punished. Every Kid there got the same stuff. A canteen, a hole, a shower, same punishments.For example, a mere punishment is, no shower. A severe punishment is, extra holes to dig. A second part was when Zero and Stanley get stranded in the middle of the desert. This was interesting because they almost died a bunch of times. One important quote was when Stanley said “The forty-fifth hole is the hardest.” This is important because it tells you how hard it was to dig holes.

 

I really enjoyed the book because it has lots of action and suspense that makes you want to read more. I would recommend this book because it has action, adventure, and suspense. This book reminds me of The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler because there are two friends out alone and they are solving a mystery. I still think Holes is way deeper because Stanley and Zero are fighting for their lives. I would give this book a five star rating.

May
04
2017

Upside-Down Magic, Sticks and Stones, By Sarah Mlynowski

Posted by

The book I read was Upside-Down Magic, Sticks & Stones by Sarah Mlynowski. The book takes place in modern times. The main characters are Bax and Nory. In the book, everybody has a magic power. You can only have one power and there are only a few different powers. Flyers can fly, fuzzies can speak to animals, fluxers can change into different animals and there are a few other magic powers that I forgot. Nory and Bax are fluxers. But there’s something wrong with their magic. Nory can make a mix of two animals and Bax can only flux into a rock (but once a leash but that’s a whole different story). That’s what you would call UDM, upside-down magic. But UDM isn’t just for fluxers. It can be for anybody. So the UDM kids take different classes than the normal kids. One day (going to the book) there were rocks all over the ground in Nory and Bax’s school. Everybody was tripping all over the place. And there’s also a pennies for potions jar to help hospitals get better potions. That day, there were no pennies in the jar even though the day before there were pennies in the jar. Everybody knew the pennies were turned into rocks. There was this one mean girl whose name was Lacey Clench who blamed the UDM kids for doing this so she made a petition to get rid of the UDM kids. Does the petition work out for Lacey Clench or not.

I’m going to describe Bax in three adjectives. He’s quiet. He gets tutored with Nory for fluxing but he says nothing so the tutor only pays attention to Nory. He’s mysterious. When everybody was trying to figure out who turned the pennies to stone, everybody glared at him because of his rock magic. He’s personal. He doesn’t share anything about what’s happening in his life or his feelings. Like when his dad told him that he (the dad) got fired, he (Bax) didn’t tell anybody.

An interesting part of the book is that people talk about other people even though they don’t know that that person is listening. Another interesting part is that the book gives all of the mystery away but you still can’t figure out what’s happening. Lacey Clench said, “If I get fifty signatures, the UDM kids get kicked out.” That means Lacey Clench is mean because if you’re a student, it doesn’t mean you can kick other students out of school.

I liked Upside-down magic. I liked it because it was mystery and I love mystery. The book is filled with mystery. Page by page, something mysterious has happened. There’s also a bunch of magic. That’s why the book is called Upside-Down Magic  It’s a mystery book because something bad happened and people need to find out who did the bad thing. The book for me is really unique, but if you read it, you’ll be able to make a connection with another book or with a movie. I rate this book four 1/2 out of five stars.

May
04
2017

My Life In Pink And Green, By Lisa Greenwald

Posted by


The book I read is called My Life In Pink And Green by Lisa Greenwald. This book is about twelve year old Lucy, who lives with her mom and her grandma. Her family owns the local pharmacy in her hometown, Old Mill. The Pharmacy has been struggling in the last few years. That is until high school prom queen Courtney Adner, goes to the pharmacy to ask for help with her tremendous bad hair day. When Lucy fixes Courtney’s hair, she gets the idea to start an eco-spa at the pharmacy.

WARNING: DO NOT READ THESE NEXT FEW PARAGRAPHS IF YOU DO NOT WANT THE BOOK  TO BE SPOILED!

Lucy is determined, caring, and independent. She is determined because she wants to save the pharmacy and she won’t let anyone stop her. For example, when her grandma tells her she is too young to save the pharmacy, Lucy doesn’t give up and keeps going. Secondly, Lucy says “Still I don’t give up faith, after all, that is what grandma always advised.” This quote shows me how determined and dedicated Lucy is to save the pharmacy. She is caring because when her best friend Sunny is forced by her mom to join the Earth Club, she does it with her. Lucy is independent because she did all the work to save the pharmacy without her parents help.

One of the most important parts of the book is when Lucy joins the Earth Club. Though Earth Club may seem boring, it is where Lucy learns a lot about having eco-friendly pharmacy. Another important part of the book is when Lucy transforms the pharmacy’s boring waiting room into a comfortable relaxation room. Instead of just having fold up chairs, the relaxation room has a couch, magazines, and pretty lights.

I really enjoyed this book a lot. I liked how the book talks a lot about how kids can make a difference and not just adults. Also, I like how the book focuses on things families and businesses can do to help the environment. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy reading fiction and friendship books. Secondly, read this book if you think kids can make a change and they can do more than just go to school. This book doesn’t remind me of any books I have read, or any movies or television shows I have seen. It’s unique because I have not read many books about climate change and kids whose family is financially struggling. I would rate this book four and a half stars.

 

May
04
2017

The Mysterious Benedict Society By Trenton Lee Stewart

Posted by

This book is the first in a series called The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart. This book is about four really smart orphans named Sticky, Kate, Reynie and Constance who are gathered by Mr. Benedict, the founder of the society, to go on a secret mission. Of all the orphans who take tests to see who will be part of the society, these four are the only ones who pass. They must stop someone named Ledroptha Curtain from broadcasting brainwashing messages on TV. They must pretend to be students at his school, The Institute, and find out his secrets to stop him from boosting the messages to full power and brainwashing people to think Mr. Curtain is their ruler. They use morse code to send messages to Mr. Benedict. This book takes place in modern times but not with phones and iPads and things like that. The story mostly takes place in Mr. Benedict’s house and The Institute.

Reynie, the main character because the book follows him most is brave, smart, and sneaky. He is brave because he goes on the mission even though it is dangerous. He is smart because he passed all the hard tests. Also he comes up with a lot of good plans and ideas for the mission. He is sneaky because he keeps his mission a secret from Mr. Curtain.

 

WARNING- this paragraph has major spoilers do not read if you don’t want the book to be spoiled

 

Reynie and Sticky have to become messengers to find out Mr. Curtains secrets because messengers are the ones who broadcast the messages on TV. Once they are chosen to become messengers, they find out that he uses a machine called the whisperer to send the messages. The whisperer is a weird machine that manipulates your thoughts and makes whoever is sitting in it think the messages. The whisperer then sends that thought out to the world and makes everyone think it as well. Reynie and Sticky sit in the whisperer and it uses their thoughts for the messages. They also find out that Mr. Curtain used the whisperer to take away people’s memories and make them think they are his servants. I thought the part when they found out Mr. Curtain was taking away people’s memories was important because the kids were sad that Mr. Curtain was doing that to people and were more motivated to stop him and save the people. I also thought the part when Reynie and Sticky became messengers was important because that had been their goal and they finally completed it. Reynie said “I just can’t believe he did that to those innocent people.” It was important because  it made everyone try harder to stop Mr.Curtain. In the end Reynie and Sticky destroy the whisperer by teaching themselves to resist the thoughts so strongly that it no longer works. I think this teaches people that our minds are very strong. For example the orphans learned how much strength they had. Constance who seemed liked the weakest, in the end was the one who resisted longer than anyone and really broke the whisperer.
I enjoyed this book a lot because it was a mystery and it was suspenseful. Also it had a lot of action and taught me a lot because the kids are really smart and they said a lot of things they knew in the book. I would recommend this book because the reader always wants to find out what will happen next because it is so suspenseful. Also there are are a lot of cliffhangers and people will want to keep reading because of that. This book reminds me of Evil Spy School because in that book the main character has to sneak into a school and be a secret agent and find out information just like in the Mysterious Benedict Society. I would rate this book 5 stars.

May
01
2017

Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’engle

Posted by

What were the three W’s going to do? Mrs. Who, Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Which. They are the wise women who have been living for millions of years. They also guided Calvin Meg and Charles Wallace (brother + sister except Calvin, just a friend) on possibly the greatest adventure through time and space ever.Image result for wrinkle in time

 

Meg and Charles Wallace’s dad was an amazing scientist but a year or so ago he was sent on a mission by the government. Meg Calvin and Charles Find the siblings father on a dangerous planet controlled by IT. IT is a giant pulsing brain having everyone under its pattern.

 

Believe it or not IT is not the  main problem or “villain”. It is a black thing that  is pure evil and has been terrorizing many galaxies for longer than the W’s have been alive.

 

They go through many adventures together and after a while they realize that they love each other. That is like their power.

 

If you want a spoiler read this if not, DON’T:

 

THEY FIND THEIR DAD!!!!!

I love this book because I love adventure. The book is basically just adventure. They toggle withe time, play with space. In fact they stretch through time with the 5th dimension.

 

I would give this book a 5/5 stars.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐.

May
01
2017

Spaced Out by Stuart Gibbs

Posted by

            After the incident of the book Space Case, Dashiell Gibson, has another case to crack. In the year 2041 (doesn’t say the day) Nina Rodriguez has gone missing. Dashiell Gibson has gotten in trouble for running away from a bully. He made the bully destroy the eggs which are very valuable because you don’t get fresh food everyday. Nina Rodriguez the base commander called Dashiell Gibson in her office. After their talk Dash walked away listening to her call an anonymous person.

              Dash is a very determined person because he first he found out who was the killer in the first book which is amazing by the way. He doesn’t lose hope because if he did they’ll be dead by now.

              Later that day they found out that Nina has gone missing, Chang, the 2nd in command, asked Dash some questions, “You were the last person seeing her did you see anything that will give us any info on where she went?” Chang said, “No she was calling this person who I did not know so I have no clue.” Dash said. Then they started searching the whole Moonbase Beta. It’s a fairly small place so they didn’t have to search that much.

They couldn’t find her at all, so the last place she would be was outside the base. But the thing is her suit wasn’t gone which was very suspicious. What they didn’t think of, but Dash did, is that she could have took another person’s suit is Lily. Some of the people of the moon base. Dash’s mom. Chang and some other people. But Dash was left behind with Kira. They talked to Lily and she said she cracked one of the space helmets while playing foot ball. He immediately contacted his mom and some other people that his mom’s helmet is cracked. So then they took a buggy and went there as fast as they could. But then a meteor shower came and giant balls of rock plummeted down from space. The buggy was destroyed so they had to walk there when they got there all the resources were destroyed. So they couldn’t patch them up so then all of them had to run back to the Moon-Base luckily they made it. Find out what happens next in the book spaced out!

 

I really like the book because it’s a murder mystery but it’s appropriate  

Mar
17
2017

The City of Ember, by Jeanne DuPrau

Posted by

 This book is in the City of Ember series. It is about a boy named Doon Harrow, and a girl named Lina Mayfleet. They go on all sorts of adventures. They live in the City of Ember. It is always dark and there is a shortage of light. There is a system of pipes called the pipeworks that leads to the generator. They are very complicated. The generator is what powers the lightbulbs in Ember. Lina thinks that there is a City of Light somewhere and she sets out an adventure with Doon.

SPOILER ALERT

Lina Mayfleet is brave, determined, and smart. She is brave because she went on the adventure to find the City of Light. In the book, it says: “As far as anyone knew, the darkness did go on forever. Still, Lina wanted the other city to exist.” She is determined because she did not give up on the adventure. In the book, when Lina and Doon receive a secret message and they can’t entirely understand it, Lina keeps on trying to decipher the code. She is smart because she found her way through the pipeworks without

getting lost.  

Two interesting parts of the story were when Lina got the job of pipeworks helper and Doon really wanted that job. Then, Doon got the job of messenger and Lina wanted that job. Then they traded jobs. Also, it was interesting when Lina finds the secret message and she tries to decipher the code. This is interesting because it kept me on my heels and I was kind of nervous.

I really enjoyed this book because it is really mysterious and full of adventure. I really like suspense. I would recommend this book because if you like suspense, action, and challenging reads, this is going to be the book to read. This book has its own movie, and it (and the book) are very unique because there are not many books or movies that I know like this book.

I would give this book a four star rating because I’ve already read this book before I wrote this review, and nothing gets in their way for more than a few pages.

Mar
17
2017

Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Posted by

I read Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes. It is the story of ten-year-old Deja Barnes, who lives in the Avalon Family Shelter in Brooklyn with her parents and two siblings. Deja is just starting 5th grade at a new school where she meets her new friends, Ben and Sabeen. At Brooklyn Collective Elementary, the students learn about  9/11 as it is the 15th anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks. As Deja discovers more about New York’s history and what it means to be part of a community, secrets about her father are revealed. The setting is Brooklyn, New York at the Avalon Family Shelter and Brooklyn Collective Elementary School in 2016.

SPOILER ALERT; DO NOT READ IF YOU DO NOT WANT THE BOOK TO BE SPOILED!

Deja Barnes is mature, proud, and inquisitive. She is mature because she often has to take care of her brother and sister. Deja’s father can’t work, and spends most of his time lying in bed with a headache. Deja is in charge of her siblings when her mother is working to earn money for their family. Deja is proud because she willingly tells her friends and teachers at her new school that she lives in a homeless shelter, without being ashamed. She is inquisitive because she is eager to learn as much as she can about the Towers, even though her father has forbidden her. He and Ben skip school to visit the Tower Memorial.

One of the most interesting parts of the book is when Deja’s father tells her the story about 9/11, when he was working as a security guard in the North Tower. He was able to rescue one older women in the building, but the building collapsed after he took her to the ambulance. Deja’s father has felt guilty since then because he was not able to save his two closest friends from work. Deja starts to respect her dad and begins to see him as a hero. Another interesting part of the book is when Ben shows Deja the video of the twin towers collapsing. I found this part interesting because I realized what it is like to grow up in poverty, without access to the internet or a television.

I enjoyed this book because it teaches about 9/11 in a way that is honest but not scary. I also liked the book because Deja’s friends, especially Ben and Sabeen, as kind and accepting towards Deja. Many books show kids being cruel to each other, but when Deja starts her new school, she is welcomed immediately. I would recommend this book because it teaches about what it is like to be a homeless child in New York City. It is hard to imagine what it is like to not have enough money for a backpack or even school supplies. I also learned about 9/11 and the heros in New York City that day. This book is similar to Nine, Ten because they are both novels about the Twin Towers falling. I would give this book 4 and a half stars.