May
01
2017

The Kneebone Boy

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The KneeBone Boy by Ellen potter 

The  Kneebone boy is spooky and mysterious and that’s why I liked it soooooooooooooooooo much. Many things don’t go the way you expect it to. That is why it is spooky and mysterious.

The three main characters Otto (13), Lucia(11/12), and Max(10) Hardscrabble live in Little Tunks, England. Otto hasn’t spoke a word since he was 8, Max has a fact for everything and Lucia is  bossy (in a good way), protective and curious.

Everyone in Little Tunks either avoids them or asks them too many questions. Ever since Otto was 8 he has never taken his scarf off and never spoken. Ever since Otto was 8 is also ever since there mom disappeared.

When there father leaves for a business trip they find themselves alone in london, meeting a helpful taxidermist, living in a castle folly, meeting a new relative, and possibly find out the truth about their mom.   

               

 

May
01
2017

Howl’s Moving Castle

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Howls Moving Castle By Diana Wynne Jones

“Sophie, Martha, and Lettie, I’m very sorry but since Mr. Hatter died (a.k.a dad) we need to step it up and all of you have to skip school.” said Fanny in a very calm voice. Fanny is the mom of Sophie who is the oldest sister and the middle sister is Lettie. Fanny is actually Sophie and Lettie’s  stepmom, their real mom died when they were very young. So Martha is actually Fanny’s daughter and she is Sophie and Lettie’s stepsister but Fanny still treats all the girls the same.

In the land of Ingary where magic exists and the Hatters live. 50 years ago the witch of the west was around, she scared everyone and now there is a castle on a hill and everyone thinks that is the witch but it’s not it’s Howl. So all the doors are locked and the windows are closed. Girls aren’t allowed outside alone and no one, I mean no one, wants to. In Ingary people believe the oldest child is the one who is most likely to fail in most thing and be unsuccessful and the middle one is not going to be very successful either, but the youngest one is going to be beautiful and successful.

Sophie is an amazing sewer she made one of her sisters a dress and the other sister said that it looked like it was made for a queen. I totally love this book and recommend it. If I would give this book a rating from one star to five I would give it a five because there is so much action and it’s dramatic. My book is called Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones I picked this book because it was one of my favorite movies, so I thought it would be a good book to read. Sophie is very calm and nice because she is patient and won’t get mad at her sisters if they are being rude or annoying.

May
01
2017

Spaced Out by Stuart Gibbs

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            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  

May
01
2017

Ahsoka by E.K. Johnston

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Ahsoka by E.K. Johnston is a Star Wars book that takes place a long time ago in a galaxy far far away. This book takes place in space, but mainly on two planets. This book tells the story of Ahsoka after The Clone Wars, before Rebels (both television shows). Ahsoka goes all over the galaxy and saves many lives and kills many people (Stormtroopers). Kaden is Ahsoka’s only friend and Ahsoka rescues Kaden.

 

I would describe the main character, Ahsoka, as angry and conflicted. Ahsoka is angry because of Barriss Offee and the clones’ betrayal. When Ahsoka thinks back on Barriss’ betrayal she seems angry. You can tell she is conflicted because whenever anybody calls her a Jedi Ahsoka replies, “I am not a Jedi anymore.” There seems to be a struggle inside of her trying to decide if she is a Jedi or not. Kaden is lucky, stubborn and kind. Kaden was lucky because she was rescued after being captured THREE times! She was stubborn when she disobeyed. Kaden was kind when she tried to sacrifice herself to save her friends.

 

One of the most interesting and important parts of the book is when Ahsoka builds her famous white light sabers. This is interesting because the way she does it is very, very intriguing. She uses them as weapons of protection. They are important because she uses them to save her life and the lives of others.

 

This book was amazing! It was nice to know what happened between Star Wars Rebels and Clone Wars. Ahsoka is one of my favorite characters in the Clone Wars series and it was really interesting to get a book from her perspective. If you enjoy this book, you might also enjoy some other books I know that are about the Clone Wars but from her perspective. This book is not as good if you don’t know a lot about Star Wars, so I would recommend watching The Clone Wars first. On a 1-5 star rating five stars.

 

May
01
2017

The Story Of Edward Tulane By Kate Dicamillo

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One bad accident and it all changed. This book is an interesting and breathtaking book. All the sad cliff hangers and happy endings make you feel like you are part of the book. It takes place in many places with many different characters. There are sad parts and happy parts of this book. If you like suspense and sadness I would recommend it to you.

The Story of Edward Tulane is about a stuffed animal rabbit. Edward is selfish, brave, loving and annoying. He has mixed emotions. That is one of the most important parts of the book. He has so many character traits it could sometimes get confusing. He is selfish and annoying in the beginning. But throughout the book he is brave and he found a way to love.

Edward is telling his story and journey. He is telling the story in the Edward’s point of view. In the beginning he used to be spoiled and he was treated like a human being. While he is going on his journey Edward found a way to love.

If you want to know how the journey started, I am going to tell you. It all started when Edward fell off a ship. He sunk to the bottom of the ocean, then was picked up by two fisherman. The fisherman gave him to one of their wives. Somehow a stranger named Bull, picked him up and took him to his junkyard. Then a farmer found him at a junkyard and brought him home with her. The next day Edward was hanging on a poll and scaring the crows. A young boy who worked at the farm, took him home. By the time he got to the boys home, he was in the arms of his little sick sister.

 

Could the loop circle back again? The Miraculous Journey Of Edward Tulane.

 

May
01
2017

Miss Peregrine home for Peculiar Children, By Ransom Rigs

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Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is a breathtaking book for adventure lovers, it is set in Wales. It is by Ransom Riggs. This book is set in 2016 and the 1900’s. It is about a boy named Jake who has peculiar powers but doesn’t know it. He goes on a mission to save his headmistress.

When he gets to Wales, the peculiar children were there. Jake goes on an amazing adventure which included killing monsters. Jake is curious, brave and scared. For example, when he goes into the children’s home; it is burned down, but he still goes into it. He is also brave because he kills monsters. In one seen Jake is scared. For example, when he first meets the children, he faints.

 

 Jake thought he was normal. But one night when his grandpa died his life changed. Jake’s grandpa always told Jake stories about when he was a kid. He told him about monsters and going to a special home in Wales. This home had children that had peculiar powers. This is important because, his grandpa was preparing him for when he was older. After his grandpa died, Jake started seeing monsters so he started to see a therapist. His therapist said he should go to Wales where his grandpa always talked about. This is important because his therapist was just trying to kill him.

 

I like this book because it is action packed and really breathtaking. Jake is such a brave character. I also liked the book because it had so many details such as descriptions of the children trying to get their headmistress back. I would recommend this book because it is interesting and I like that they include real pictures. I have not read anything like this because it is so unique. I would rate this book 5 stars.   

 

Apr
19
2017

Chasing Secrets by Gennifer Choldenko

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Is the plague really here?

By Jade Young

A girl was seen trying to get into Chinatown while it was being quarantined. She was trying to find Jing a really important person in her life and the book. The girl’s name was Elizabeth but everyone called her Lizzie, except when older people in her family got mad at her. Except Billy her older brother. This book takes place in Chinatown, San Francisco in 1904 to 05. The name of this book is Chasing Secrets: A deadly surprise in a city of lies. The author of this book is Gennifer Choldenko.

The characters in this book are very different but sometimes they are the same or have the same thoughts. The majority of the characters in this book are related somehow. Not always family but they know each other friend or foe sometimes. Here are some of the characters: Lizzie, she doesn’t much like her life when her dad goes away for work and she can’t go. She wants to be like her dad. A doctor. She helps her dad sometimes when he gets called away. Lizzie goes to a school called Miss Barstows and she doesn’t like it until she meets a girl named Gemma and a boy named Gus who are brother and sister. Lizzie had no friends before, so she was thankful. Lizzie also cares so much about everybody, even Maggie the maid.

Noah is Jing’s son. He is Chinese like Jing. He calls Jing “Baba.” Only Lizzie knows about Noah and is good about keeping him a secret. Noah’s Chinese name is Choy.

Papa, as Lizzie calls him, is the dad to Billy and Elizabeth. He is a doctor who goes to patients to treat them for very little money or even none sometimes.

Uncle Karl: Uncle Karl is married to Aunt Hortense and their last name is Sweeting. Uncle Karl knows more than he is telling Lizzie about the plague and what she wants to know.

I loved this book so much. The book is historical fiction and it has a very adventurous part too. I recommend this book to people who like reading a nice mix of sad, delightful, and mystery. A lot of parts make you wonder what’s going to happen next and think, “I hope no one dies.” That’s the mystery. Delightful because of turns of events, and sad because of the plague and the quarantine. I give this book a five star rating. It has a lot of sudden turn of events. It’s a really amazing book! I really recommend this book.

Apr
19
2017

The Good Fight: The Feuds of the Founding Fathers (And How They Shaped the Nation)

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It’s easy to be fooled by the Founding Fathers, what with all the greatness and everything. But did you ever wonder what they were doing before they founded anything? You’re in luck, because this book holds all the answers! It’s called (and I know, the long name’s annoying, I just call it The Good Fight) The Good Fight: The Feuds of the Founding Fathers (And How They Shaped The Nation) by Anne Quirk. This book is about what the Founding Fathers did before America was in full swing! (Those of you who have seen Hamilton― it’s about some of the things described in the play.)

 

It has four chapters:

 

  • George Washington vs. King George III: The War of the Georges
  • Benjamin Franklin vs. William Franklin: The Radical Father and the Conservative Son
  • Alexander Hamilton vs. History: The Outsider
  • John Adams vs. Thomas Jefferson: The Founding Frenemies

 

All the chapters focus on the two people in the story (with exception for chapter three). The main characters in this book are all of the Founding Fathers. If you don’t know who those are, they are: John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington. Only problem, John Jay and James Madison aren’t mentioned that much. The time and place is around 1776 and almost the entire book takes place in America, but there are some scenes in England and Paris.

 

For adjectives about a character, I want to focus on Alexander Hamilton. He was eager, he was combative (which means ready or eager to fight), and he was persistent. Eager, because on p. 59 it says: “‘I wish there was a war,’ Hamilton wrote to his friend Edward Stevens in 1769. ‘I mean to prepare the way for futurity.’ He was combative because, also on p. 59 it says: ‘Apology,’ he wrote, trying to explain himself, ‘is out of the question.’ Alexander Hamilton could never resist a fight. Persistent, because on page 72, it says that Washington asked Hamilton if he wanted to be the first ever Secretary of Treasury. This was a really hard job, and if he failed, the United States could fail too. Of course, Hamilton said yes.”

 

The plot of the entire book in general is that the American Revolution is going on and all the chapters (especially “The War of the Georges”), are about different details and facts about the Revolution and what other people were doing during that time. One of those facts are that George Washington and King George III both were VERY eager to win the war. I like this because it makes the book a lot more interesting. It’s cool reading about the war that shaped our nation. It’s also cool reading about all the politics that were happening in the background.

 

I did like the book. Like I said before, it’s exciting reading about the war that shaped our nation, and all the politics behind it. I would definitely  recommend this book because it is very educational and it is also really funny. There are also lots of funny pictures. This definitely relates to Hamilton: The Musical because it focuses around a lot of the things that the musical focuses around.

I think my rating of this book is ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐= I loved it! I want to read it again!

Apr
19
2017

Space Case By Stuart Gibbs

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Space Case

By Stuart Gibbs

 

Who would would commit murder on the moon? Space Case is a book about a base on the moon called Moonbase Alpha. The main character is a 12 year old boy named Dash. Being one of the first people to live on the moon all the moonies (people who live on the moon) become famous on earth. After a couple of months living in space something bad happens. Dr Holtz an adult moonie went out of moonbase alpha onto the surface of the moon with his space suit put on the wrong way. Then after two minutes he was dead.

 

Dash is a very curious kid because he looks into the death and thinks it’s a murder he does it even though the person in charge of the base named Nina tells him not to. Dash is also kind of brave because he knows there will be punishments for investigating the murder and he might be threatened or killed himself. He is also desperate because he’s willing to do dangerous things to prove it was a murder,like getting on people’s bad sides.

 

During his investigation he runs into problems. like getting in trouble with Nina for still investigating. After thinking everybody liked Dr Holtz he finds out more people did not. He finds more about people finding secrets about them and their connections with Dr Hotz. A good part of the book is when a rocket with more food and people come to the moon base.

 

I really enjoyed this book if you like murder mysteries I suggest reading this book or if you’re  looking for a book to read. I would definitely recommend this book to anybody. There are a lot of murder mystery books but I don’t know that many that take place on the moon. If I had to rate this book from 1 to 5 i’d give it a 5.     

 

Apr
19
2017

Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome

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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!