Dec
10
2015

Dead End In Norvelt, by Jack Gantos

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imgresMy book is called Dead End In Norvelt. It is about a kid called Jack and Miss Volker. The time period that this book takes place  in is 1962. Jack is an average kid who always has a bloody nose. Whenever he gets nervous or scared his nose bleeds. It bleeds a lot. Jack will do anything for his friends. He traded a plane ride to play a game of baseball with his friends. Jack is friendly. Miss Volker is an old lady, she is one of the original people who lives in Norvelt. She made a promise to someone that she would be the last original person in Norvelt. Mr Spizz is like an old delivery man who rides around on a tricycle. Mr Spizz wants to marry miss Volker. He asked her and asked her to marry him but she said no every single time (because she didn’t like him) except for once. She said she would marry him once she was the last original person from Norvelt. Then all of sudden all of the original people from Norvelt start to die. All of a sudden Miss Volker has to write a lot of obituaries, (since her job is to write obituaries) and needs some help. She asks Jack to help her out over the summer, and since Jack got grounded he is free to help her.

Jack was playing with his dad’s rifle and didn’t realize the rifle was loaded. He was not allowed to use the rifle. He fired and and a bullet shot out of the gun.  No-one was hurt and nothing got hit but his dad found out he had used his gun and Jack got grounded. Later on Jack mows his mom’s corn-field down because his dad told him to so his dad could build a runway for a plane, and get’s grounded by his mom while he is still grounded from his dad. Jack lives in Norvelt in around the present time and is grounded for the whole entire summer.

Jack’s mom’s corn field was for food for the old ladies of Norvelt. Jack’s dad told Jack to mow down the corn-field because he was going to make a runway for the plane that he won. Jack’s dad told everyone the runway was a bomb shelter because if Jack’s dad told someone that he was building a runway they would shut it down. He could get in big trouble. “Yes. ol’ Spizz was very cooperative with me, and it didn’t take too much work to get him to confess that he did…” You will have to read the book to find out what he did!

I loved this book! I love this book because it is a mystery and those are one of my favorite types of books. Another reason that I enjoy this book is that different problems keep  coming up in the story and once they solve one problem it leads to another. The last reason I enjoyed this book is that history facts are in the story so I can learn history in a book that’s not about history! If you like mysteries I would definitely recommend this book to you because it is a mystery! It is a mystery that keeps you on a ledge waiting to read more. If I rated this book I would rate it five stars out of five stars!

 

Dec
10
2015

The Lightning Thief, By Rick Riordan

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Screen Shot 2015-12-10 at 10.43.07 AMI read a book called Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. The mystery in the story is that Percy Jackson [the main character] is blamed for stealing a weapon called the lightning bolt. The lightning bolt is owned by Zeus,[ god of the skies]. The book takes place in New York City and the Underworld.

The lightning bolt was stolen by Luke. Then Luke told Ares[god of war] about his dreams of Kronos (father of all gods) and that there would be a war between the gods if the lightning bolt was not returned in 10 days. Ares wanted there to be a war considering he’s the god of war. So he took the lightning bolt off Luke’s hands. Ares and Percy started to have the same dreams of Kronos; Ares listened to Kronos but Percy refused.

So then Percy and his friends Annabeth (daughter of Athena) and Grover get sent on a quest to retrieve the lightning bolt. On their way to retrieve the lightning bolt Percy, Annabeth, and Grover face some of the worst monsters possible.

I rate this book five stars!

 

Dec
10
2015

Goddess Girls, by Joan Holub

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imgresMy book is called Goddess Girls. It’s by a woman named Joan Holub. The main character in my book is a girl named Athena. She gets an invitation to go to a school on Mount Olympus in Greece where gods and goddesses go to school because she is a goddess. The problem is that she can’t fit in because she used to think she was a mortal so she still acts like one.

  Athena has three friends who help her fit in. One important thing that happened was when Athena got invited to the god and goddess school. First Athena was REALLY excited, then she was REALLY scared but when she got to the school she felt better.

A different important thing that happened was when Athena met her roommate, Pandora. Athena didn’t really like Pandora but once Athena really got to know her  and had to save Pandora’s life, Athena liked Pandora better.

Athena was excited because she won the object fair because she invented the olive. First she drew the olive, it was round and it was a pale green color then she actually invented the olive with her magical powers (she has magical powers because she is a goddess)

This book is very enjoyable because the author really explains what is going on and how it is happening. An example of this is when she [the author] tells us when Zeus (the king of the gods) eats the olive, The author really explains how the olive tastes. In this part of the book Zeus says “So sweet but also sower.” Another example is when the author says how a statue seemed to breath because it looked so life like.

This book would be fun for kids who like fantasy because it has a lot of fantasy and mythological references in it and the title really pulls the reader in (if he or she likes fantasy). The title also gives the reader a taste of what the book is about. I think this book is rated five stars meaning the best. 

This book would be fun for kids who like fantasy because it has a lot of fantasy and mythological references in it and the title really pulls the reader in (if he or she likes fantasy). The title also gives the reader a taste of what the book is about. I think this book is rated five stars meaning the best.

Dec
10
2015

Cold as Ice, By Sarah Mlynowski

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20628555 

 Abby and Jonah moved to Smithville and find out they have a magic mirror in their basement that takes them to Fairy Tales!

A few books later…

Abby and Jonah travel to the Snow Queen fairy tale! How exactly did they get there you ask? Well Prince, Abby, and Jonah’s dog got out of Jonah’s room and went downstairs to the basement. He heard Mary Rose (the fairy who lives in the mirror) speaking to Abby and Jonah to come into the Fairy Tail. He scratched on the mirror 3 times (that’s how to get into the fairy tale). The mirror started swirling and put a purple light over the room and then it started like a vacuum and pulled Prince in. Abby and Jonah were too late to get there so they knocked on it 3 times again. (Oh and by the way, they can only go in at midnight). The mirror started swirling and put a purple light over the room and they got sucked in after their dog.

They were in a snowy field and since it was really cold in their house and they had no heater they were wearing socks, hats, long sleeve shirts and sweaters when they were in bed. They were glad that  their house was not heated when they went into this fairytale. They got to the ice castle  because they heard Prince barking and that navigated them. They saw The Snow Queen and when she saw the dog she froze him rock solid!

Abby and Jonah ran away as fast as they could and they ran toward a cliff. (Of course they didn’t know it was a cliff until they got there). The cliff was made of ice. Jonah said, “Let’s slide down it!” They slid down it and landed on an icy cold pond that was frozen. Jonah stood up and the ice started to crack.

 After they got pulled out they both got hot chocolate and warm disguises. After Abby saw the disguises in the sled and all the other stuff, she thought there was a band of robbers in the story. These are the band of robbers!

I don’t want to spoil it so I’m going to stop now.

I personally think this series is really good. I don’t think it’s scary or weird.I would rate this book Five out of Five stars.

 

Dec
10
2015

Nicholas And The Gang, By Rene Goscinny

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512g0WMD1nL._SX337_BO1,204,203,200_If you love to laugh read the book Nicholas and The Gang by Rene Goscinny! The main character in my book is a boy named Nicholas. Nicholas is a boy who lives in Paris France and the problem is that Nicholas  always gets into some kind of trouble.

Nicholas and his friends always end up getting into a fight one way or another and end up in the principal’s office. One of his friends even ended up getting expelled. During these times Nicholas decides that he wants to run away multiple times but he always stops himself. Usually because he wants dinner and ends up running back home.

One time he got suspended and then he decided that he would try to do his best every time he could. ( That does not mean he did though). “ You got detention again didn’t you Nicholas,” said Nicholas’ mom. This is what made Nicholas want to do better.

I liked this book because it is so funny. I laughed so hard when Nicholas was saying bad words in front of someone who did not know any English and started repeating those words . I also laughed when Nicholas tried doing handstands and fell flat on his face. I also liked when Nicholas said his favorite meal is the sandwich he sneaks out to the recess yard. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to laugh because the book is so funny. Students who have a hard time with school would love this book because they might be in the same position. I would give this book 4 1/2  stars because this book is so funny and humorous.

 

Dec
10
2015

“Eleven” Book Review, By Lauren Myracle

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357936The book Eleven is about an 11 year old girl named Winnie who lives in Atlanta and loves cats. Winnie is just starting middle school and is thinking it’s going to be great, but there are bumps in the road and problems she has throughout the year. For example, Amanda, Winnie’s BFF is ditching her for Gail, a new girl who is incredibly rude. Another example of how the year is not going her way is that her sister Sandra is being so grumpy that Winnie can never do her homework, which leads to bad grades, and Winnie’s mother cannot stand bad grades. Winnie hopes she can fix the mess she’s made including the fights with both her mom and Amanda. 

Valentine’s Day is coming up in school and everyone is talking about it.  Everyone has a valentine in Winnie’s grade except her. Winnie really wants one, so one night she asks Ty her little brother if he will call Deren and find out if he likes her. The only problem she comes across is that Ty is not a good person to do the mission she asked for. He hung up five times and made Deren’s brother really angry. Winnie is the only one sitting alone on Valentine’s day.

I really enjoyed this book because it has a lot of unexpected things that will pop out at you. For example, Winnie is having a great time at the beach with her family when Sandra breaks her ankle unexpectedly.

The book has very descriptive words so it’s fun to read and listen to how the author ties it all together.  I would give this book 4 stars, because some of the parts or characters really didn’t have a meaning. For example, when it was winter time, Winnie’s mom got stuck on the road and Winnie almost had to stay overnight. I didn’t understand why the author put this in, because it was totally off from what I was reading in the sentence before. I still really recommend this book if you like drama, unexpected plot twists, and silliness.

Dec
10
2015

The Witches, By Roald Dahl

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imgresWe are here today to meet the person who’s been on an adventure that will change his life. He is a little boy, a little boy and his grandma. He likes solving mysteries. The little boy is trying to change the bad in the world that bad is the witches. This important little boy and his grandma lives in Norway. They’re witches all over the world there’s witches in Norway to. Him and his grandma live alone in Norway they love it there.

His grandmother is telling the truth and he believes her he loves his grandmother dearly. She shows her grandson how to recognize a witch so he can be safe. they want to stop the witches. They moved to England, and for vacation they wanted to go to Norway but grandmama’s cold. So instead they went to a place in England and stayed at a fancy hotel. They’re only staying for a vacation. The little boy gets some pet mice so he went into a room to have some privacy to train them because the hotel manager does not allow him to let the mice out of the cage. He might find something new. “wow this is a nice room.”said the little boy. He might change in the book he might interfere with a witch.

This book teaches you valuable lessons and it is a very adventurous story with a lot of action. I recommend this book because it is thoughtful. It really brings you into the story. you feel like you’re a character in the book having that adventure. I give this book five stars!

Dec
10
2015

Zombies Don’t Play Soccer, by Masha Thorten

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9780545212847_xlgThe book that I am reading is Zombies Don’t Play Soccer by Marsha Thornton. The story takes place at soccer practice during the day. The main problem in this book is the Bailey Boomers, a soccer team, has a new coach named Grave, who turns into a zombie. She is making the soccer team practice till they drop. I think That is a sign that the coach is mean. When the Boomers first met their coach, they said her shoulders were bigger than a football player with their shoulder pads on.

The main  character in the book is the new coach, Grave. I think that Grave is trying to change her personality. At the beginning of the book, Grave was mean. She keeps telling the Boomers to hurry up and go and move it and make a goal and run faster. She is never happy with them, and the Boomers thought she didn’t look very nice.  She makes a big decision towards the end of the book, and that decision is to be nicer to the Boomers. This happens when the Boomers were playing one of the best teams and coach Grave snaps out of being a zombie (even though it never really says that she turned into a zombie).   

An interesting part in the book was when after practice  some of kids from  the Boomers hid behind a bush and spied on their coach because there was a strange woman who was yelling at the new coach. The strange woman said, “Come with me,” but the coach shook her head. Then the lady said that she would sleep in this town forever. I thought that meant she would have to stay here forever and become a zombie or something dead! The lady who was yelling at the coach turned out to be coach Grave’s grandmother. Then the next day when some of the Boomers were at practice the coach acted like no one was there. The coach was staring into space and thought  that there was no one there, just like a zombie! Here’s a fun fact from the book: If you try and look a zombie in the eye, it will move its head so it can’t look at you in the eye. That’s how you can tell if someone is really a zombie.

I enjoyed the book because of three reasons. The first reason was because the author used a lot of beautiful language. The second reason is that I thought the characters were really funny.  My favorite was Eddie because he wasn’t afraid of anything and he would make fun of their zombie coach. The third reason I liked this book was because the author didn’t really say whether Grave was a zombie or not. I would recommend this book to 4th graders and 3th graders because of the characters and how funny it is, and how the author keeps a lot of stuff secret and you have to find it out yourself. I would give this book 5 stars because of its great vocabulary and jokes.

 

Dec
10
2015

Lunch Money, by Andrew Clements

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453392I am going to talk about a book I read called Lunch Money by Andrew Clements.  Who also writes other series and books. It is about a boy named Greg and a girl named Mura who are trying to find a way to be allowed to sell comic books that they made by hand at school. This story takes place in a school a suburban city and a little town in 2001.

While they are trying to figure out how to sell their comics the two kids are constantly fighting until greg decides to let Mura join the business.  Also they make a big decision to let the math teacher join Mr. Z he is nice and funny and likes there comics  and the principal does not allow them to sell their comics at school because she thinks they’re inappropriate . So they bring it up to the school committee because they figured if the book clubs could sell their books why couldn’t they.

I enjoyed this book because it was interesting the choices they made and why they made them. I also enjoy that they talk about money and how to handle it. Finally because he made a friend and he never stopped trying till he got what he wanted. I would recommend this book to you if you are interested in money how to spend it how to use it or if you like business decisions. I give this book four out of five stars.

Dec
10
2015

The School for Good and Evil, By Soman Chainani

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 16248113  The book I read was called The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani. Agatha and Sophie the main characters, are from a town called Gavaldon. One day they are taken away at night by the school master. The school master runs the “School for Good and Evil.” Everyone at Gavaldon thought Sophie would go to Good and Agatha would go to Evil.  There was one “mistake” though, Agatha ended up going to the school for Good being clueless of what to say and do, “She did the first thing she thought of and delivered a swift, loud fart.” And Sophie ended up at the school for Evil looking like a pretty princess.  

Agatha wants to get home but Sophie wants to stay thinking that the girls will switch schools. Sophie always tried to be good. She would use Agatha as one of her deeds for being good. She used Agatha by tricking her that she was her friend. She did that by going to Agatha’s house everyday and give Agatha her favorite cookies. She used Agatha because Agatha’s father left when she was young and she lived in a graveyard with her mother who was a doctor that had no patients.  Agatha was shy and had no friends except for maybe Sophie. She had a cat named Reaper that kept her company, but she had a very weary life. She never left the graveyard because people made fun of her and called her Evil when she walked by.

Sophie had lost her mother when she was young and had a very selfish father who was never proud of Sophie because she was a girl. Sophie’s father always wanted a boy so he could be worshiped and have more similarities with him. Sophie dreamt often about going to the School for Good and getting a handsome prince. She wanted to have her own fairy tale. Sophie is also obsessed with beauty. Every day she would put makeup and lipstick on. Boys didn’t care that she was selfish and rude they just thought she was pretty.

I really enjoyed this book, it was funny, exciting and sad. I would definitely recommend this book to someone who likes fairy tales, chapter books, and illustrations.

 

I rate this book five stars!

 

If you would like to take the test to see if you’re an Ever(Ever After) or a Never(Never After) go on to www.schoolforgoodandevil.com. Also if you really like the book you can read the other books in the series. And you should also check the date to see when the movie comes out on the website.