Category Archives: Nature

Jun
09
2017

H20 by Virginia Bergin

Posted by

Image result for h20 virginia bergin

It starts up when Ruby the main character is at a party. They turned on the radio and they heard that the rain is killer if you touch it you die. But it doesn’t affect animals. Then Casper ran out into the rain, after he came in he started throwing up. Zach’s mom took Ruby and Casper to the hospital but she dropped of Ruby first at her house. Her step dad, mom, baby brother were still all ok, but then her mom hugged her and the next day she died with the baby brother. There were people rioting everywhere for supplies. Ruby was in solitary for a while because the step dad didn’t know if she had the rain disease or not so she was in the closet until her mom died.

Ruby is a spoiled 15 year old. She craves her phone while people are getting killed. And you’ll find a quarter of the book about her complaining about her makeup. She is British person and she is not an apocalypse survivor.

They were stuck in the house for a while because there were people that had guns and they would get killed immediately so they didn’t go out for a while. You would think. After time had fixed that Ruby and her step dad went to the supermarket. They couldn’t find anything but plants. Ruby took some flowers for her dead mom and dead baby brother. Then the step dad noticed something he noticed that the plants have water and he thought that they hadn’t been changed in a while so he took the muggy water and drank so much. They were stuck in there for a while. There were still people outside wanting to get in. Finally it all calmed down, they went out and looted some houses but they didn’t find anything. But other than that no one was there.

On the next errand Ruby found some animals that she took home. After that Ruby was stuck in the house for a long time. But then she ran out of water, so she went out and found a nerd from her school in a house. They had some water and a little girl who didn’t talk. The nerd’s name was Darius Spratt and she didn’t really know him but she recognized him. He said that there was people trapped into the school. She went there and found a bunch of men. There was a key and she let them go. She wanted to go to London to find her real dad. She didn’t have a licence yet but she wanted to drive the car to London. The good thing is that it’s only a two hour drive but they get sidetracked a lot so it’s a lot longer than you think, so yeah. Will she get to london and see her dad or will she die from the rain? Find out in the book H20!

I do think i’ll recommend this book because it’s young adult. So I don’t think your parents will let you read this unless your parents are like mine so yeah. I think I would rate this book from 1-5 stars 5 for me but probably not you. But yeah if you’re ready for people dying and alcohol read it!

Jun
09
2017

Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen

Posted by

I read a book called Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen. Hatchet’s main character is named Brian. The story takes place in the Canadian wilderness in a few years before modern day. Brian Robeson and a pilot go through a deadly plane crash and only Brian survives. He only has his Hatchet that his mother gave him as a birthday present, and a tattered windbreaker. He has a family secret. His parents are divorced. Now, Brian has to get help.

 

Brian is resourceful, persistent, and smart. He is smart because he knew when to eat, when not to, and when to go outside. He is persistent because when he saw dead bugs in a lake, he used a small dam to block the bugs, and drink the water. He is resourceful because he made fire, and a small home.

 

Two of the most interesting parts of the book were when the plane was crashing. I liked this part because I didn’t know if Brian and/or the pilot would survive. Also, it was full of action. Another interesting part of the book was when Brian saw a bear, and even though the bear didn’t attack Brian, he still was not intimidated. An important quote from the book is when Brian thinks, “Spearwood, he thought, and it rolled all over him…

There were these things to do.” This quote is important because it tells you about Brian’s experience in the Canadian wilderness.

 

I didn’t really like the book, it was too slow, not enough suspense, etc. I’m not saying it was terrible, but it wasn’t the best. But if you like challenging reads, or survival, this is definitely your choice. This book is related to many books, including Holes, Percy Jackson, Spy School, and more. In Spy School, Ben is trying to survive in The Academy of Espionage, in Percy Jackson, Percy, Grover, and Annabeth are trying to survive alone; on a quest. In Holes, (if you read my last review, you already know.) Stanley and Zero are trying to survive at Camp Green Lake. I would give this book a three-star-rating. It was okay.

Jun
09
2017

Posted by

The book I read is called Stella By Starlight by Sharon M. Draper. The main characters in this book are Stella, Mom, Dad, her little brother, her neighbors (I would say the neighbors names but that would take up too much space) and her teacher. This book is about an African American girl named Stella who lives in a segregated town called Bumblebee in North Carolina. One night her little brother wakes her up and takes her outside. The Ku Klux Klan is burning a cross very close to her house. Throughout the book they must face the KKK and other segregation. Stella also figures out who one of the Klan members is. Stella’s father and neighbors register to vote and in the end are able to vote. This book takes place in the early 1900’s.

 

WARNING – SPOILER ALERT THESE PARAGRAPHS GIVE AWAY IMPORTANT INFORMATION IN THE BOOK

 

Stella is brave, quick to act, and smart. She is brave because she has to deal with all kinds of awful stuff but she gets through it. She is quick to act because when her mom is bitten by a venomous snake Stella acts fast and makes her a bandage. She is smart because she recited a long important quote easily and she is a good writer even though she thinks she is not. Every night she practices writing.

 

At one point in the book Stella gets a typewriter. She uses it to write newsletters to herself about stuff that has happened. One time her friend who really likes track gets beat up by these really mean and racist people. Then Stella writes a newsletter about that. She also writes a newsletter about when her neighbors, the Spencers get their house burned down by the KKK. A really important part of the book is when the KKK is burning a cross near Stella’s house because that starts the story off with a bang and Stella sees one of their horses and recognizes it. Another important event is when Stella’s mom is bitten by a rattlesnake and the white doctor will not help. That is important because it proves the guy is super cruel and cannot be changed. I think the last really important part is when Stella saves the white doctor/ KKK members daughter from drowning. Then Stella finds out that the girl’s father really is part of the KKK and Stella finds out that he is abusive. A quote that describes Stella is “The roosters don’t go far from the pen. I wonder if they ever think about flying. I do.”  This describes Stella because she is wondering about stuff bigger than Bumblebee and if there was no segregation.

 

I really like this book. I like it because it is a mystery when Stella is trying to figure out who is in the KKK. It is really suspenseful because you never know when the KKK is going to strike next.

I would recommend this book because it is a good length. Also it is educational and teaches about segregation and that kind of stuff. It is a good book and it makes you want to keep reading. This book reminds me of Turning Fifteen On the Road to Freedom. It reminds me of that because they are both about segregation and take place in the South. I would rate this book four stars.

May
04
2017

Warriors Into The Wild, by Erin Hunter

Posted by


 This book was written by Erin Hunter.  This book is mainly about wild cats that are in different clans fighting over territory because they do not want food stolen from them and they want their hunting ground. There are four clans, WindClan, RiverClan, ShadowClan, and the one the book is focusing on, ThunderClan. The main characters in the book are Firepaw, Graypaw, and Ravenpaw. They are all in the ThunderClan. The book takes place in a forest. It does not say the time period.

Firepaw was brave when he drove the ShadowClan leader, Brokenstar out of the Shadowclan territory. An example of Firepaw being smart is when he had to figure out an idea to get Ravenpaw to safety. Firepaw was caring when he took down a ShadowClan warrior but when the ShadowClan warrior was hurt he gave her a rabbit to eat to replenish.

An interesting part of the story was when ThunderClan recruits Firepaw from his two-leg home which is what they call humans. This was interesting because Firepaw is really surprised and honored to be recruited. A very exciting part in the book is when no one can figure out who killed Redtail. In a conversation with Ravenpaw, Firepaw says, “If Redtail killed Oakheart, who killed Redtail?” This is an important part in the story because it is one of the main mysteries. In this quote Ravenpaw told Firepaw the real story and the person who killed Redtail found out that the cats knew about his crime.

I would recommend this book because it keeps you reading. I was literally attached to the book! There is nothing really similar to this book. I think that because it is a book which is so good no one could write as good of a story. I would rate this book 5 stars.I chose this rating because it is a book with all the elements, action, drama and adventure. Overall, I think THIS BOOK IS GREAT!

 

Apr
19
2017

Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome

Posted by

Review by Margot Story

 

Is Captain Flint an ally, or an enemy? Over Spring Break I read the book Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome. The Swallows and Amazons series consists of twelve books. Swallows and Amazons was written in 1930, and the rest of the books were written in a pattern: 1931, 1932, 1933 etc. It is also a British book, which changes some of the language. The main characters are the four Walker siblings and the two Blackett sisters. The Walker siblings are: John Walker (the eldest), Susan Walker, Titty Walker, and Roger (the youngest). They also have a baby sister Vicky, who is mentioned throughout the book. The two Blackett (usually mentioned as “Amazon”) sisters are: Ruth Blackett (though her pirate name is Nancy, and that is her name throughout the book – She changed her name after her Uncle Jim said that pirates were “ruthless”.), and Peggy Blackett. It is set in the Lake District in England, though some of the later books are set in other places. The four Walker siblings convince their mother to let them go on an adventure while on summer vacation. They consider themselves explorers, while the Amazon sisters consider themselves pirates.  They meet the Amazon sisters and they form an alliance. Then they get into a whole series of events which included the Amazons and the Amazon’s Uncle Jim, who they refer to as Captain Flint.

 

I am going to describe Titty because I feel that she is the most interesting. Titty is independent, brave, and curious. She is independent and brave because she stole the Amazon during one of the events that happened in the book. She also volunteered to stay alone on the big island at night, with absolutely no contact with her sister and brothers. She is curious because when she was alone she thought that some pirates were burying treasure on the island, and to have proof when her sister doubted her, she actually went to the spot and dug around. She also was very curious about Captain Flint at first, and decided to try and find out things she was curious about throughout the entire book. She has a big imagination because she thinks that Captain Flint is a retired pirate, and also she loves role-play. Whenever she role-plays she is Robinson Crusoe, and she pretends that her mother is Man Friday, two explorers from a very famous old book a little similar to Swallows and Amazons.

 

One of the most interesting (to me) parts of the book is when the Swallows see Captain Flint waving his fist at them. It is a minor point in the book, but I find it interesting because they have absolutely no idea what he is waving his fist about, yet later in the book when John goes to visit Captain Flint it is made known that Captain Flint believed that the Swallows lit his houseboat on fire. While the visit seems more interesting, I think that the fist waving is more important. It starts the relationship between the Swallows and Captain Flint, which is needed to start the series of events in the books that makes Swallows and Amazons one of the most interesting and pleasurable to read.

 

As you can probably tell already, I really love this book. I do think, though, it is a VERY difficult book to read, as the vocabulary is very advanced, using phrases like “make fast”, and using the word “native” as an offensive term. These are some outdated old British sayings which makes it hard to read, but if you use the context and read it over and over you can probably figure out what the words mean (with the help of Google), and then you can really enjoy the book.. I wouldn’t recommend this book for younger children, because of the vocabulary issue, and because it is such a long book I think they may find it draining to read. I think that if you want to try to read this book, go for it! It may be tricky at first but it’s a very enjoyable book to read. I am actually on my sixth time reading it, so get reading, you fo’c’sle crew!
My rating for this book is: Five stars! It was so fun to read. And I just loved the storyline!                   

Apr
19
2017

Who was Daniel Boone

Posted by

¨Who was Daniel Boone¨

by Sydelle Kramer

Daniel Boone killed a bear when he was sixteen. I learned this in the book “Who was Daniel Boone.” This book is written by Sydelle Kramer and takes place from 1734 to 1820. The setting is mostly in the woods and nature. Boone likes company and not being alone. Boone had a very sad life. Almost all of his kids died. When he, his son, his wife and many more relatives were trying to get to Kansas, his son and other relatives went to get supplies. They did not return. The skeletons of all of the relatives who went with his son were found later.

Boone is determined, strong and pays attention to things that other people may not see. For example, when his daughter was captured by the Shawnee and the Cherokee, she made a trail for people to see but nobody saw it except for Boone. He was determined because when he first went to Kansas to hunt game,  (game is the same thing as animals) all of his things were taken and he was told to go back to his town and stay there – but he did not since there was better game in Kansas. He was strong and had skill because when he was 16 he killed his first bear; which requires the skill to find and aim for the heart and the strength not to panic and miss.

 

I think a couple of key things were important to Boone’s development. Being alone made Boone become a different person. People usually take companionship and family around them for granted but when all of Boone’s family either left him or died, he realised how much it meant to have family around. Killing his first bear was also important because it triggered his “hidden potential.” After he killed his first bear he was going on long hunts and killing a lot of game (although he could not use everything because it was to heavy).

 

In conclusion, I think the book was great and had lots of action and adventure. I like this genre so this was a great read for me. I thought it was interesting when the Indians had to test if Boone was fit to be one of them. The test was very dangerous but a little silly if you ask me. A group of Indians hit the one who is trying to get to the checkpoint with sticks. That person was Boone. He passed the test on his first try. My rating is 4 and a half stars. I would recommend it if you like action and adventure. There are other “who was” books so you can check them out too!

Mar
17
2017

THE WILD ROBOT by Peter Brown

Posted by

This book is about a robot named Roz. In the beginning of the book, she is being shipped somewhere on a boat. The boat gets wiped out in a storm and Roz is stranded on an island inhabited by wild animals. Roz has to learn how to get along with the animals. Roz has a few problems she has to face on the island. One problem is that other dangerous robots come searching for Roz. The main characters are Roz, Brightbill, Roz’s adopted son who is a goose, and the island animals. This book is set in the wilderness in the future, in a time when tons of robots are trained to do jobs like fight, build, and play with their human creators / owners.

Roz is smart, brave and strong. Roz is smart because her robot computer brain can tell her almost anything. She uses it sometimes to find out stuff, for example she searched up how do birds fly to help Brightbill learn to fly. She is brave because when the robots come for her, and endanger her friends, Roz leaves her friends even though she is sad to leave them, to make sure that will not happen again. Roz is strong because her robot body is made of metal and she can knock down trees for building houses. She uses that skill to build her own house.

At one point, Roz gets attacked by two bears named Nettle and Thorn, and then she falls down a mudslide in a thunderstorm with lightning, wind, rain and thunder. She starts thinking about how to survive. Since she does not know what her purpose is, she tries to be like an animal. She learns animal language. She learns about playing dead, camouflage, and other survival strategies. The other animals teach her that and she observes them. The animals are mean to her and call her a monster because they had never seen a robot before. Once they get to know her they stop. She is climbing rocks one day but the rock couldn’t take the weight of a heavy metal robot. It causes an avalanche and ends up killing a family of geese below the rocks. The only survivor is an egg. Roz adopts it and names the baby that hatches from it Brightbill.

My three favorite parts were: When the Rico robots came looking for her because it had a lot of action and fighting. When a fish tries to eat Brightbill because there is suspense and it makes the reader think Brightbill will die but he doesn’t. Also, when the storm with the mudslide happens because it has a lot of detail and it makes a movie in the reader’s mind.
I enjoyed The Wild Robot   because it had a lot of action, humor and sadness. The part when the Ricos came looking for Roz and the animals fought the Ricos and won had a lot of action. A sad part was when Roz had to leave because she could not enda
nger her friends. It had humor because it is kind of funny to see a robot become an animal and try to learn camouflage. I would recommend this book to people who like animals, science fiction and action because it has robot battles. I think this book is unique because there are animal books and robot books but no animal and robot books. I would rate this book five stars.

Mar
17
2017

Castle In The Mist by Amy Ephron

Posted by

 

 

 This book is about a girl named Tess and her brother Max. Tess goes on a big adventure and finds a skeleton key that opens the gate to the castle. In the castle she finds a boy named William and he is very nice and helps them. He lives in the castle. They play lots of games, and have fun while they do it. William’s father is very protective, and that is why there is the invisible gate blocking people from seeing in unless they have the key. Also Tess and Max realize that this castle is very magical and awesome. This book takes place in England in 2017.

Tess is caring, adventurous and, smart. Tess is caring because she will always think about others. This is true because when Max went into the Hawthorn trees she went straight after him. Tess is adventurous because she would always chose something adventurous over anything else. Like when was going to the castle she didn’t know what was going to something bad was going to happen or something good was going to happen.Tess is smart because whenever she does something she comes with a plan or knows exactly what to do. Also when she was on her horse and completely lost she knew how to get back to her aunt’s house.

I think the most interesting part of the book is when Tess goes to the fake or real place after riding the magical merry-go-round where she rides her horse all the way back to the merry-go-round because I like how mystical and mysterious that part of the book was and how interesting it was. The second most interesting part of the book is when Tess was going to the castle because she didn’t know what was going to happen or who was there or if it was cursed even worse!!! The third most interesting part of the book is when Tess, Max and William played the golf game where they had to hit the ball to the bell because so it would make the bell sound to get a point and they had to hit it in a direct hit on the bell which Max really mad. I found really surprising by how safety/security William’s dad is because he has an invisible gate that does not allow people to see in or let them.I am surprised by how exciting this book is because at almost all the parts in this book something new or interesting is happening.

I enjoyed this book. One reason I enjoyed this book is because I like the magic and mystery. The second reason I like this book is that has lots of twists in it that make it more interesting and exciting. I would recommend this book it is fun to read and every chapter has something new. I think this book relates to nothing because it is such a unique book because nothing is like the same type as book as Castle In The Mist. This book is unique because most books don’t have the same backstory as the Castle in the mist.  I would rate this book five stars which means I love it and I want to read it again.

Mar
17
2017

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

Posted by

This book is called Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan. This book is part of the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series. The book is about a kid named Magnus Chase who finds out that the Asgardian gods are real and that he is a son of Freya the Goddess of Fire. This book tells the story of him “dying” and saving the world. The setting is in the U.S.A. and other dimensions. It takes place in 2016.   

Magnus is strong, warm and brave. He is strong because he survived a river that was going about 100 miles per hour. He survived by luck. He is warm because he is a son of Freya the Goddess of Fire and he is welcoming to other people. An example was when he welcomed a evil dwarf. He is brave because he fought and killed (temporarily) an “unkillable” wolf. This was brave because no one had ever killed this wolf and Freya is not a fighter.

In Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Sword of Summer a part that I found interesting was when I found out how Thor actually looks versus how he looks in the comics with gold hair. He actually has a red beard and red hair. Another thing that was interesting was when Magnus was Magnus was on ship made out of toenails, on the ship was Magnus had a chat with Loki and Loki, “Oh we aren’t actually here i’m still on a rock with snake poison dripping in my eye and you’re still in the river probably dying. our souls are able to be here because these toenails contain our ancestors DNA which allows us to be here.” This was interesting to me because you never would expect someone to be on a ship made of toenails and that it’s cool and strange.

I enjoyed Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: the Sword of Summer because I like the way Rick Riordan. I really like the dialogue in the book because it makes me feel like I’m in the story.  For example: “Your father’s name was Billy, right?” said Fenris in a scratchy voice (I cannot tell you who Fenris is or else it will ruin the story. He’s a big part of it) This was descriptive because it felt like I was hearing the voice. Another reason I enjoyed this book is because it was funny. For example: one chapter name was called “Oh so that’s who Fenris smelled in chapter sixty three.” Another thing that was funny was when you meet someone named Thomas Jefferson Jr. ,TJ for short. This is funny because it’s like this the son of Thomas Jefferson is alive but Thomas Jefferson died in the 1700s well this take place in 2017! I recommend this book because it explains everything and always leaves you hanging no matter where you are. Another reason I recommend this book because it always is positive no matter where you are. This meant that Magnus was always finding the silver outline. This book reminds me of the Avengers because in Avengers there is Asgard, Thor, Loki and Balder the Brave. In Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: the Sword of Summer there is Asgard, Thor, Loki and Balder the Brave. (You never meet Balder the Brave.) I would give this book a three and a half star rating because there was way too much talking and not a lot of action.  

Feb
16
2017

PAX By Sara Pennypacker and Jon Klassen

Posted by

The book I read was Pax by Sara Pennypacker and it is illustrated by Jon Klassen. It is realistic fiction and there are some nice illustrations. This book is about a boy named Peter who has a pet fox named Pax. They are inseparable, but when Peter’s father goes off to war, he forces Peter to abandon Pax in in the forest. The story starts as Peter drives to the forest and leaves Pax. Then Peter has to live with his grandfather while his father is fighting in the war. Peter realizes it was wrong to leave Pax and decides to go on a journey to find him. The main characters are Peter, Pax, some foxes that Pax meets, and a later, a character that Peter meets: Vola. Pax is set in modern times. It is set in a very big forest, Vola’s farm, and the road to the forest where Pax is while Peter is trying to find him.

In this book Peter is the main character. Peter is brave, determined, and strong. He is brave because he went on the journey alone. The journey is dangerous and he does not think he will have help. He is determined because he knows he will find Pax no matter what. He even wants to keep looking for him when he breaks his leg. He is strong because he gets hurt a lot, for example, breaking his leg and he never cries.

After Peter breaks his leg Vola finds him and takes Peter to her farm to help him. Peter is there for a lot of the book. Breaking his leg causes him to live at the farm for a while and that is why it is an important event. Another interesting part of this book is when Pax first meets the other foxes. It makes the reader want to learn more about the foxes, but the reader can’t learn more about the foxes right at that time because the chapter is over. This is because in this book each chapter switches from Pax’s perspective to Peter’s perspective. For example, in the chapter Pax meets the foxes the reader will be reading about Pax and the foxes but the next chapter will be about Peter.

I enjoyed the book because it was suspenseful. I also liked this book because it was hard to know what was going to happen next. For example, I never knew Peter would break his leg and someone would find him and take him to live at a farm. I would recommend this book because it is an adventure, but it does have some violence. Sometimes the violence can be a little intense. Also the pictures are really pretty. Pax has 276 pages so it probably won’t take too long to finish. Pax reminds me of The Good Dinosaur, because in that movie, Arlo, the main character, is far from home on a journey to to get back home. Arlo has a pet Spot, who he loves. Spot reminds me of Pax because he is the main character’s best friend. Arlo the dinosaur reminds me of Peter because they are both main characters on a long journey. Then Arlo meets some T-rex’s who help Arlo get home and they let Arlo and Spot stay with them. The T-rex’s remind me of  Vola because Vola helps Peter and they help Arlo. The T-rex’s help Arlo get home and they let Arlo and Spot stay with them. The T-rex’s remind me of Vola because Vola helps Peter and the T-rex’s help Arlo. I would rate this book 4 stars.