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May 17th, 2007 at 12:36 pm
ISOLATED COMMUNITY
Grades 6 and up. The Giver. Lowry, Louis. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1993. 179 p.
Louis Lowry’s The Giver is a powerful story with a surprising ending. It is about community and one’s place in society. It focuses on how people are important and remembering things that happen in the past. Young adults will enjoy this book for its science fiction setting. It really is an interesting and exciting book.
This book teaches you that not everything in life is perfect. The Giver gives Jonas memories of the real world (the one we live in), some of them are good, and some of them are bad. Things like war, poverty, death. Lois Lowry has a good image of the world. Reality isn’t perfect.
Imagine being a twelve-year-old and already being told what your job’s going to be. In Jonas’s world, this is completely normal. But when it came time for Jonas to get the only job opportunity of his life, he was skipped over– left out. Then he was assigned the most important job as the Giver. In a utopian world, the Giver has the unique power to pass on life experiences never felt or seen by any other person in the utopian world.
Jonas has light-colored eyes instead of dark-colored eyes like all of the other humans have, which indicates that he has the ability of seeing beyond, he can see colors. Typical utopian children are assigned a number. Jonas was assigned a nine, and most nines are special. At the official job ceremony, the woman who was assigning jobs skipped over Jonas. This caused confusion in the crowd, Jonas thinks that he’ll never be assigned a job, and quite frankly doesn’t know what to do.
Of couse, Jonas was eventually given a job. Not just any job, an important job that that the utopian world depends on for advice of “the outside world” (the one we live in). First off, Jonas has to be the Receiver of Memories (shortened as The Receiver), while the current Giver of Memories (shortened as The Giver) has to give Jonas memories of the outside world. Some are wonderful, of things that Jonas has never seen before, and some are awful, of things that hurt Jonas, such as an elephant having its tusks taken out by humans in order to gain money, the Civil War, having sunburn, or starving. Jonas starts to have doubts about his role as the Giver.
As The Giver, Jonas is given the power to control the experiences society is allowed to have. By controlling what people can do, a utopian world is forced and void of individual choice. They are not allowed to experience all the feelings we have now. We can choose our music, food, religion or clothes. These choices lead to new looks, evolving styles and societies, but can also lead to greed and jealousy. Which world would you rather live in, a controlled world free of conflict, or take a chance on a world of individualism and un unknown future?
Username: kurosaki
May 17th, 2007 at 12:39 pm
The Outsiders
6th-7th Graders.
The Outsiders.
S.E. Hinton.
New York,NewYork
Dell Publishing.
1967.
156 pages
Have you ever wondered if so many bad things can happen in one day? Well, if you have then you need to read the book The Outsiders. This book is about Greasers and Socs that really hate each other. They fight, jump each other, and rob stores. Yall are probably thinking that this is a really bad book to read, but you are wrong this is actually the best book I have ever read! You learn alot of things and some people get more mature. One of the main events that happens in this book is when Darry slaps Ponyboy and he runs out of the house. While Johnny and him are running away they are jumped by the Socs and something really bad happens that no one would ever forget. This book is very sad, but then again it has the most exciting events ever. When I read this book I thought I was watching it in real life. It just reaches out a hand and pulls you into the book. So if you like to cry a little bit and mature up some, then The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is the book for you.
xoalex311
May 17th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
Eragon
Crash dive into an advernture like never before. As a young boy named Eragon descovers a dragon egg in the spine a dense forest of misterious happening. when it haches the evil king how is the last remmaning dragon rider left. Brom and old story teller travells whith him.
Aterezz
May 17th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
A Young Baseball Superstar
“The Youngest Hero”. Jenkins, Jerry. New York, NY: Warner Books, 2002. 376 pages. Grade Level: 5.9
A twelve year old playing baseball with highschoolers? That is exactly what happens in the book “The Youngest Hero” by Jerry Jenkins. It is a fiction sports book about a young, extremly talented, baseball player as he struggles to reach his goal, the Major Leagues.
This book has many good things about it. The setting is in Chicago, which makes the story
more realistic.
crmsrobobuiler
May 17th, 2007 at 12:41 pm
Fantasy
Outcast of Redwall Brian Jaques, 360 Pgs.
If you like books about animals and wars against evil, this the book for you! These animals live in medival like times, living in castles and fighting against evil vermin.
Sunflash the Mace is a badger who, as a young child, was captured and put to slavery. He eventually escapes and remembers the evil ferret as his enemy. the ferret Begins to build a stronger army and sets out to find the slave that escaped him. The badger eventually has a dream that tells him to go to the mountain that almost every badger grows up at to be a warlord. Before Roboman
May 17th, 2007 at 12:42 pm
The Outsiders
This story is about some kids that live in a not so good neighborhood, and have no parents to watch over them. In the town there are only two types of kids, socs which are the rich kids that live on the east side of town, and greaser are the other kind of kids which are poor and only have what the really need and they live on the west side of town. The socs are always coming on the west side of town and picking on the greasers, and bullying them. The greasers just deal with it. The socs jump them, slam them on the ground, they chase them down the street and through the park in their cars. The greasers get tired of this harassment but they have to deal with it because the socs are never going to stop. So the greasers start carrying pocket knifes for protection. One day two of the greasers were walking through the park and the socs came in their cars and caught them. The socs started drowning one of the greasers and the other was watch them drown his brother. So read this excellent book to find out what he does.
Skater1994
May 17th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
Paula Danzger
Snail Mail No More
Scholastic, Inc, NewYork: 2000
307pgs
What would you do if your best friend lived in another state? Well I’ll tell you what Elizabeth and Tara did they write emails to each other. They update each other about there drama, boys, and family. One thing that might suprise you because it sure did suprise me is that they are total oppisites. Tara loves to be loud. And Elizabeth is shy and quite. Tara loves sparkes and loves shopping. And Elizabeth could care less about clothes. Even tough they are so different they make there friendship work.Both girls are going through some hard times. Tara’s mother is just beggining to act grown up and is now married. Her mom is now expecting a baby. And Tara does not know if she is ready for a new sibling. And Elizabeth’s mom and dad are divorce and her dad is no where to be found. But sometimes he calls or even stops by and every time he does he is drunk. Usually it makes her cry and makes her very sad. They never know what to say. Read and and find out how there friendship ends. And see how there life changes within there emails.
Kate1994
May 17th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
J.K Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Scholastics Inc, New York: 2002
321 pgs
6-8
If you like magic, sports and fantsy you’ll love this book. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the sequal to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Harry is starting his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and something is wrong and was told to be careful. Why , you may ask you’ll just have to read to find out! Because of this event Harry is at the verge of madness about it. Harry and his new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Proffeser Lupin have a special connection. What is this connection? If you have ever read a Harry Potter book you will be very suprised about who “saves” Harry. In the ending chapters the climax happens with such excitment it will make your head spin, also what on earth could be with Harry’s favorite teacher? But something is! it is some of J.K Rowlings best work. So go and read this book today! If you want to get this book you should proboly read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and also read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets which are great books too.
rolltide27
May 17th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
Snicket, Lemony. The Miserable Mill 194p. New York: Harper Collisns. 2000
The Miserable Mill is a suspence book. Terrible things happen to the baudelaires.Klaus gets hypnotized and almost kills someone.
The Miserable Mill is the fourth book in the series of unfortune events sequel. It starts out with three children Klaus, Violet, and Sunny Baudelaire.Their life is all great until one day their house burns down and their parents die.They now are stuck to go live with one of their relatives or go to a safe place where thay can’t be harmed.They are trying to stay away from a cruel man named Count Olaf who is trying to steal their parents fortune.
The three bauldelaire children go live at a lumber mill.They are stuck in the lumber mill and they hate it.They get treated unfairly and have to work.Will it get better? You’ll have to read it to find out.
elmo
May 17th, 2007 at 1:58 pm
RODGERS, Mary. Freaky Friday. 145p. Harper & Row. New York.1972.
Gr.-6th Are you ready to read a hilarious book? The fiction book Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers is about a mother and a daughter who switch bodies. The daughter, Annabell, tries to act like her mother for a whole day! Will Annabell ever be back in her own body again?
Freaky Friday takes place in New York. It is about when Annabell, the main character, gets in a little argument with her mom about when Annabell gets older, how much life would be easier because no one would tell her what to do. The next morning when Annabell woke up, she was suprisingly in her moms body. She pretends to be her mom, so she helps the kids get ready for school and makes breakfast. So far, everything was running smoothly. She checked her mom’s planner for events on that day, She barley had anything planned. Annabell’s dad (or her mom’s husband) tells her that some of his buisness friends are coming over for supper. Annabell’s dad knows that her mom can cook, but Annabell could burn water. She goes out to run some errands and sees that she forgot to pick up her little brother from the bus stop. So Annabell already sees she has alot of responsiblities on her hands. Later in the story, Annabell comes to find out that her mom was in Annabells body, and her mom decided to skip school that day. Since Annabell was a really messy child, her mom, in Annabell’s body, went to get Annabell a complete make-over when she was really supposed to be at school. While Annabell, on the other hand was stressed out from that day. Annabell was in the bedroom wishing for her mom to change them back into their own bodies. Annabell counted to 10, and she was back in her body before she realized it.
Annabell learned a valuable lesson that being an adult isn’t easier than being a teenager.
kneeboard284
May 17th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
Mary Rodgers
Freaky Friday
Harper, New York:1972
145 pages grades 5-8
I think Freaky Friday is a good book, because it’s filled with surprises, and you never know what will happen next. It is also funny, and I can relate to the main character. This book includes a thirteen year old girl that gets trapped into her mothers body but cannot find a way out. It’s written by Mary Rodgers and it is a fantastic fiction book.
Anabell and her mother can’t seem to agree on anything! Anabell has to deal with school, teachers, friends, homework, and her little brother. While her mother has to deal with cleaning, cooking, and other responsiblities. But when Anabell wakes up ine morning she has no idea what she’s in for and why she’s not in her own body. She has to face many obsticles, like doing the laundry (Whick turns into a disaster) taking care of her brother, and going to teacher confrences and doing the daily responsibilities. her mom also takes a walk in Anabell’s shoes. And she finds out that it’s not that easy being Anabell either. Her mother finds out that teachers and homework can also be very stressful. Anabell also finds out that the maid doesn’t like her very much, and neither does the boy she likes that lives upstairs in her apartment. But after Anabell and her mother fing out what it’s like to be each other and they come together and work things out. Later they come to relaize that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Freaky Friday is a great book. i souldn’t put it down! I think that anyone who reads it will love it!
bamagirl02
May 17th, 2007 at 2:02 pm
And Then There Were None
Agatha Christie
204 pgs
Grades 7 and up
Berkley Books
What would you do if you recieved a letter in the mail for a pre-paid vacation to an island you’ve never heard of before? Well thats what happens in the book And Then There Were None. Ten very different people recieved a letter in the mail for a free trip to an island they’ve never heard of. Could it be fun, or a very hard survival?
This book is a mysterious-mind bending book. On this island, somehow everyone has a very weird way of dying. In the kitchen on the middle of the table stands ten little indian statues, along with a poem called “Ten Little Indian Boys.” But what happens when a poem becomes reality? If a person dies one of the ten indian statues goes missing. What will happen when there is only one satue left?
Could there be a killer, if so who? With everyone snooping around the house watching their back. Never do they notice that somebody is watching them. No one knows who to hate, and who to trust.
While wild guesses are being made, the three people left dont know if its one of them, or if a person could be faking their death.
Some of the most important people who could help solve this mystery, are already dead. So now its up to three people who need to start thinking more than killing. Read and find out who the mysterious killer could be.
Piglet142
May 17th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
Number The Stars, Lois LoweryNew York, Dell, 1990, 137 Pgs.
Grades 4 and up- The place that main character Annemarie lives is the only place not yet hit hard by the Nazi’s. When Annemarie and her best friend Ellen are walking home from school one day with Annemarie’s little sister, that changes, but not for the whole country…
just for them. After the “incident” happens, everything starts spiriling downhill. The “incident” that I am talking about happened like this… while Annemarie, Ellen, and Annemarie’s little sister are walking home, Ellen and Annemarie decide to race, well soon after they start running hte German soldiers who are at the corner of every street yell at them to “HALTE”. Well since Ellen is a Jew not only does she stop without hesitation, she is scared to death. (Even though they weren’t doing anything to the Jews at that point in time.) When Annemarie’s little sister finally catches up, the soldiers are talking to Ellen and Annemarie. When Annemarie’s little sister gets there ( she’s six years old) one of the soldiers says that she reminds hem of his little girl, then Annemarie’s little sister starts getting mad because the soldier is touvhing her hair. After that, the soldiers let them go then the parents thll them they need to take the long way so the soldiers won’t know their faces. After that big problem, everything started getting worse the soldiers started taking the Jews so Annemarie’s brother took Ellen’s parents to a “safe place”. And Ellen stayed with Annemarie’s family, then they went ’somewhere safe” also which happened to be Ellen’s Uncle’s house. Then a few days afer the got there Peter, Annemarie’s brother, took all the Jews that met at his uncle’s house to and even “safer place” (that was the bottom of a ship on the way to another Island.) To find out the rest of the details and even more exciting things you’ll have to read Number The Stars, By: Lois Lowery.
BUBBLESGOPOP94
May 17th, 2007 at 2:10 pm
Oliver Twist
The book I’m gonna tell you about is called Oliver Twist. I liked this book alot and if you choose to read it I think you will like it too.
At the beginning of the book his mom gives birth to him and dies in the process. Since he was born in an orphanage they leave him there and name him Oliver Twist. Then when he was eight he was moved to a different and bigger orphanage to stay in. One day all the children wanted to see if they were aloud to have more than one helping. So since oliver was one of the oldest he was chosen for the job. When he asked he was yelled at and didn’t recieve any meals for two straight days.
A couple of days later the inspector came and since Oliver was one of the oldest children he was moved to a different orphanage. When he got there he was treated very bad. After a couple of years of being there at age ten he was sold to the undertaker fo five pounds. He worked him the whole day and made him sleep with the cascets. When his asisstant Parker came he didn’t let Oliver rest. So one day Oliver got really mad at Parker and beat him up then got caught for it and he ran away.
During that time he tried to pick pocket a woman and was caught by the police. During the trial a man took him in by the name of Mr. Brownlow. When he was with him he became very ill with a high fever. After he was better Mrs. Rose became a spy to get back the man that got Oliver to pick pocket that woman. There was also a wierd man by the name of Monk. After a little while they figured out that Monk is Olivers older brother.
In the end Monk admits the family fotune. Plus alot more about Monk and Olivers mother and father. In the end the Brownlows adopt Oliver, Monk goes his own way, and Oliver gets the family fortune and buys a new house fo himself. I reccomend this book for grades four through seven.
Scoobydoo
May 17th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
Carolyn Keene
The Treasure in the Royal Tower
Pocket Books, New York:1995
150 pgs. 5th - 6th grade
Nancy Drew is going on vacation. Join Nancy, Bess and George ona fun filled ski trip. Read The Treasure in the Royal tower a mystery by Carolyn Keene.
Nancy a detective from River Heights, promised not to get into a mystery on vacation. That promise doesn’t last long. Nancy falls head over heals into the mystery of the royal tower. the girl must find out who has been terrorizing Wickford Castle. Help Nancy find out who is making the thudding sounds and where are they coming from.
Nancy has a hunch it’s coming from the queen’s royal tower. Is she right? If you want to find out then read this book.
Nancy thinks that it is someone from France or someone who speaks French because someone vandilized the library with only French books. Is it Jauques who is the ski coach at the lodge that formally lived in France . Is it Professor Hotchkiss who studies French, or is it someone else who doesn’t want anyone to know about their French past.
This book is really a good mystery book, try it you will love it. Find out who is snooping around in Wickford Castle and solve the mystery.
Rose1995
May 17th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
Tangerine by Bloor, Edward, Sand Diego, California: Harcourt Brace 1997 pages 294
Tangerines anyone?
At first I thought this book wouldn’t look good but it turned out to be a good book
Tangerine is about a kid that is half-blind who’s life changes when he moves to Tangerine. His life will become a wreck
Paul is a red-headed boy who likes to play soccer. When he moves he thinks his life is ruined. His brother Erick is the so called football star. Erick and his football team mate do something really bad. They also try to do it to Paul Erick’s brother. The main idea in this story is to try to find out problems. Paul goes out for the soccer team at Tangerine Middle School. He makes it but he is new so he is a benchwarmer. Paul later finds out what happened to his eyes. Tangerine turns out to be the best book you’ll ever read because its full of suspense and it makes you want to guess what’s going to happen next. To me this book was amazing and it got glued to my hands every time I went to read it. I think this book will make you want to keep reading any books like this one. I hope you will enjoy the book or even think about reading it because you will have a great time through this adventure called Tangerine.
BamaFan1994
May 17th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
Dog Friday
One day a boy gets bitten bye a dog. And now he is scarred for life. Every day now he has to go around listening to people say what happened. He lives by the beach and one day a dog washes up on shore and he has to take it with him but he is so afraid of it. Then two twins moved in next door. And his mom thinks that is great, cause he now he can make friends. He and his mom own a bed and breakfast and he really doesn’t get a lot of chances to make very many friends. But the only thing that is wrong with the twins moving in is that they have a dog. And the twins and the boy have to go deal with a bully. And the only reason the bully is mad is because he use to be big shot and he knows that the twins have done some amazing things to. And now the battle is on. Will the boy find is courage to love the dog? Will the twins teach the bully a lesson? This book is a good book for the whole family to read. And it teaches a lesson to. And this is why I like this book.
Mimi95
May 17th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
The Rainbow
Rodda, Emily,116pg. New York: Harper Collins, c2006
Grade 6 up.
It you are wanting an adventure book to read, then read The Rainbow Wand. Its about this girl name Jessie, she likes to save people. She goes on an adventure to find Tasha.
Along the way she meets fairies, and they like rhymes. Also along the way she meets Avron. He was stubborn and didn’t want to help Jessie, but then he comes through.
He puts Tasha’s bow on the rainbow wand to find her. The rainbow wand is very colorful
to help find her.it the rainbow wand gets to out of the realm then it want work. Also if the rainbow wand gets to bright then it will not work either. The book is really a great book
I think this is one of the best adventure books I have read. It has a lot of adventurous things in this book. It is full of many adventurous chapters.
May 17th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
Off the Wall, Laura Dower, New York, Hyperion, 2004, 170 pages
5-7grades - Teenage Madison Finn gets into tons of trouble when she checks out this new website called the Wall. Madison has this enemy named Ivy Daly who is making all of her friends mad at her. Ivy is going on the Wall and writing bad stuff about Madison’s friends. Ivy is using Madison’s initials and password and lucky number to make everybody think Madison is writing all the bad things. Then Madison gets so mad at Ivy she writes this really bad post about her. She tries to delete it but the computer won’t let her, then she accidentally hit send. Oh no what has she done?
And at the same time Madison’s computer technology teacher disappears. What happened? She adopted a baby girl. When Mrs. Wing came to visit all of her students, everybody was happy to meet the new baby girl. Mrs. Wing told Madison that she missed her favorite computer student and helper.
Gizmo95
May 17th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
Dicamillo, Kate. Cambridge, Massachusetts
Candle wick press. 2001 p.116
The day Rob Horton walked through the misty Florida woods is a day he’ll never forget. Well one day he was walking through the woods and discovered a large and real tiger in a cage. On that same extraordinary day he meets a girl named Sistine Baily, and he begins to understand that some things- like memories, and heartache’s, and tigers can’t be locked up forever.
Sinstine is a girl of braveness and heart. In the book Sistine takes up for Rob because two bullies were picking on him. Rob is like a suitcase locked tight with his feelings inside.
This book mainly takes place in Florida at the Kentucky Star Hotel. Well a couple of days later in book, Rob took Sistine to the woods to see the tiger. The tiger was locked up in a steel cage. Sistine felt sorry for the tiger so she and Rob thought of a plan to get the tiger out of the steel cage. To find out if they get the tiger out of the cage, pick up the book Tiger Rising. Bmoney23
May 17th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
Driver’s Ed Cooney, Caroline. B New York: Delacorte, 1994 184 pages
5-9grades -This girl named Remy wants to be the first girl to drive. She wants Morgan C to love her and not any other girl. Why? Because he is the most popular guy at their school. The whole school year she has and will be waiting to go out with him and she won’t stop she has confidence. They may just like each other she likes him for sure but she doesn’t know that he might like her. They might just go out.
What I really liked about the book was the “romance between him and her it was magical.
One other thing was the driving part I’m pretty sure if you are not driving already you just can’t wait. Me on the other hand I can’t wait either. That was one of my favorite parts of the book. As well as the music teacher he likes to call people not by their names that their parents gave them but the names he haves. He didn’t want to call them by their names what their parents named them because they were too weird for him. As you should know but now this book is called
Drivers Ed and it’s a really good book but it’s also a life or death situation but I won’t tell you how cause you have to read it.
Moses1234
May 17th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
Haddix, Margaret Peterson , Among the Hidden New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Your young Readers, 1998
Among the Hidden
(Good for middle school kids) There is a boy in Illinois named Luke. He is a third child, and there is a law about third child kids. It is called the “Population Law.” The law is that there can only suppose to be have a family of four. Luke would always play out side until his mom said “you need to come in the house now” he says “why” his mom said “because they are going to tear down the woods.” Now Luke is upset now because he can never go back out side until the population law is over.
One day Luke goes and looks through a vent in his room because he can’t look out of any windows. Well when he looks out the vent into another house he sees a figure in the window, then he looks away and the figure was gone. One day he went to he house next-door and something happened…………
Peanutbutta
May 18th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
4th grade and up, Just Ella. Margaret Peterson Haddix. New York: Adallin Paperbacks, 1999. 218 pgs.
Have you ever read Cinderella? There is a better book, which is Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix. If you like fantasy, this book is definitely for you. It is about a girl named Ella, who is looking for her true prince. Ella, the main character, thought she had found her true prince. Ella is in a beautiful castle learning all the princess’s rules while her prince is trying to run a country. While she is trying to decide if she loves the prince, a war started with another country. Her doctor got sick and died, so of course she had to get another doctor. The doctor showed up one morning and instantly Ella knew the true meaning of love. Ella was supposed to get married in one week, but she knew she did not love the prince at all.
She decided to run away. With this decision, her true love, the doctor, had to go and help the wounded and sick at a war camp. When the prince and guards found out that Ella was going to run away they decided to throw her into the dungeon. They were trying to force her to marry the prince. When they threw her into the dungeon, her guard, which was a giant guarded her twenty-four seven. She was in the dungeon for a long time and all she had to eat was leftovers from the kitchen. Ella was getting pretty tried of that. So Ella found a stick and started to dig through her bathroom hole. She did that so she could escape under the castle wall. She was digging for a very long time and one night she escaped. She did not have the necessities to take with her on the journey when escaping from the prince. Ella walked for days and days, she finally got to the war camp and found her true prince. The story is almost exactly like Cinderella, but a lot better. Haddix is a wonderful storywriter and you will remember her book, Just Ella.
-bamagirl776
May 18th, 2007 at 12:11 pm
Lost at Sea
The title of my book is Lost at Sea. This book is wonderful. You should read it because it is catchy. It is one of those books where you think you’ll never stop reading it till the end. The family in this book is a close family. The characters in Los t at Sea are Orrie, her big brother Jack, their little brother, their mom, and their mom’s boyfriend who is the owner of the boat that they get lost at sea in. When they start to sea that night there was a big storm and their mom’s boyfriend fell overboard and they never found him or his body. This book is basically what I just described. The boat gets cot in a storm , their mom the n goes crazy, and Orrie and her big brother Jack are the only ones who can drive the boat. On their way home they find two boats, one is just a little fairy boat who they don’t talk to much because they don’t want the people on the boat to know that they are lost even though they are. The other boat was a big tanker and they did talk to him a lot, and while they were talking they started to talk about boats and fond out there was a huge storm on the way and they needed to get to shore. But Orrie and Jack didn’t really know where they were so they didn’t get to shore in time and got cot right in the middle of the storm. I’m not going to tell you any more about the book because I don’t won’t to give the ending away. So I recommend this book to you because I really enjoyed the way the arthur wrote this book easy to follow. Now go get it and read it.
-cool2bme124
May 18th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
Stepping on the Cracks
Grades 4-7 Stepping on the Cracks Mary Downing Hahn. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1991. 216 pages.
I think that this book is very informative on what life was like during World War II. The book is also filled with adventure and heroism from the beginning to the end. Do you know what it is like to have your brother oversea fighting in a war? If you don’t, then you should read Stepping on the Cracks by Mary Downing Hahn to find out more!
Margaret wants her chance to get even with Gordy, the school bully. So one day Margaret and her friend, Elizabeth decide to go to Gordy’s clubhouse in the woods after he stole some planks from their tree house. While spying on Gordy they see more then they expected. They see Gordy’s brother, Steve! He’s a deserter! Will they take this chance to tell police and get even? Read Stepping on the Cracks by Mary Downing Hahn. This is a historical fiction book that I enjoyed very much. I had to share it with everyone!
Three important characters are Gordy, Elizabeth, and Margaret. Gordy is sour and hateful toward everyone. I felt bad for him after reading about his abusive father who has been arrested more than once for fighting and using drugs. The book described the painful looking scratches and bruises he received from his father.
Elizabeth is daring and brave, but Margaret is the opposite. She is Elizabeth’s shadow, always following her around. In the book, Elizabeth could talk Margaret into anything that she didn’t want to do.
The story takes place in a small neighborhood called College Hill during the 1940s. There is a map of the neighborhood in the front of the book.
The plot of the story is helping Stuart survive, although he lives in poor conditions and is very sick. They work together and do all they can to keep him alive and hidden away.
I think the characters in this book are determined and willing to fight for what is right.
The author, Mary Downing Hahn, was a former children’s librarian and wrote over 20 novels for children. She lives in Columbia, Maryland and was born on December 9.
I recommend this book to all who like heroic and adventurous books on World War II. It has an ending that you couldn’t anticipate. The author makes a point of showing, that sometimes your worst enemy could become your best friend.
-Luvzdogz
May 18th, 2007 at 12:14 pm
Bernall, Misty. She Said Yes. 163p. New York $5.99 ISBN 0-7434-0052-6 LC Number unavailable
She Said Yes is a true story about a girl who has the hard life of a teenager. But when she meets a new friend, she wants to do things to her body that God doesn’t like. But when her mom finds notes about vampires and other gothic things that her and her new friends wrote, she gets worried. So her parents decide to transfer her to a new private Christian school. She didn’t want to go at first, but with a little help from her new friend, she finds Christ in her life and has a new path. But when there is a shoot out at the school, she is asked a question, “Do you believe in God?” She Said Yes is written by Misty Bernall. If you have a problem with God or vulgar language this might not be the book for you. All the kids that were evacuated, the kids who were shot were looked for, but never found alive.
ilovealexg
May 18th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
That Was Then, This is Now
That was then, this is now by S.E. Hinton is a very suspenseful book. It is very similar to most of S.E Hinton’s books and if you’re a fan of her books, you will be a fan of this one. It is full of violence, drama, and suspense. This book is mostly about two brothers Bryon and Mark that get into a lot of trouble and get into a lot of fights. Their best friends M&M and Charlie eventually risk saving their own lives just to save Bryon and Mark’s lives. The main points in the book are when Charlie and Bryon get into a fight that almost gets Bryon into jail. Bryon goes to a bar and meets a new friend that tells him he got jumped and is badly hurt. Bryon finds out that is old girlfriend works at the bar and they get back together. M&M goes missing and they eventually find him in a bad situation which I will not give away. Angela gets drunk and Bryon shaves her head then leaves her on her yard. Charlie jumps in front of a bullet for the sake of Bryon and Mark. You will have to figure out what happens next at the shocking conclusion of this amazing story. I think this book has very well achieved its goal. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes drama, violence, or any thing in between.
Brady1
May 18th, 2007 at 12:23 pm
Fantasy
Outcast of Redwall, Brian Jacques, 360 Pg.
If you like books about animals and wars against evil, this is the book for you! These animals live in medieval-like times, living in castles and being involved in wars against evil vermin. Sunflash the Mace is a badger who, as a young child, was captured and put to slave work. He eventually escapes and remembers the evil ferret as a lifelong enemy. The ferret begins to build up a stronger army and sets out to find the slave who escaped him. The badger eventually has a dream that tells him to go to the mountain where almost every badger grew up to be a warlord. Before the great battle, many dark secrets are revealed about the evil ferret’s son that was thought to be dead as a baby. The book is set in an imaginary land in an imaginary world where humans do not exist. I have enjoyed this book thoroughly. If you like books about animals that are like humans battling against evil, then Outcast of Redwall is a good book for you. There are also 14 other books in this series of great books.
roboman
May 18th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
Freak the Mighty
Freak the Mighty. Rodman Philbrick. New York. Scholastic Signature. 1993. 169pgs.
Have you ever read Freak the Mighty? If you haven’t you need to! It’s about a little boy with a great imagination; he goes on quests, slays dragons, and wanders around. Rodman Philbrick is the wonderful author if this book.
At the beginning of the book, Freak moves in and meets Max, they later become known as Freak the Mighty. Freak the Mighty are always together, Freak rides on Max’s shoulders because he can not walk. One quest that they go in, they meet a lady that lost her purse. Later in the book you find out much more about her. Max’s dad is not the best person in the world, he’s in jail and known as “Killer Kane”. He gets out and then comes to find Max. Freak told Max that he was getting a new body, a robot body, which he needs to live because his insides are growing and not his outside. Freak has a seizure that makes him go to the hospital. When Max goes to visit Freak, Freak gives him a book to write all of their adventures in, right after Freak gives him the book something happened that makes Max so mad he goes crazy!
Go get this great book that makes your imagination go wild! Read all about Freak the Mighty on their quests. If you want to find out more about what happens to Freak go get a book and read it!
- marie2303
May 18th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
7th grade RumbleFish S.E. Hinton New York, Dell 1989 pg.122
RumbleFish
The bleeding from the side was not a good sign. In RumbleFish by S.E. Hinton, Rusty-James a tough as nails teenager, gets into some trouble. He gets into fights. So, if you like rumbles and action this book is for you. It’s great at comparing the streets to real life. Motorcycle Boy is brother to Rusty-James. Motorcycle Boy is the coolest cat there ever was. So that makes Rusty pretty cool too, right? Well, not exactly, because Rusty-James just has too many things on his mind. Getting expelled, being beat up, girlfriend breaking up with him are just a few things on his mind. Oh, and his best friend Steve won’t go with him on a trip. Steve’s mother is in the hospital but Rusty-James doesn’t feel for him because his left. They go through adventures and battles throughout the whole book. There is a surprising twist at the end. RumbleFish got the title from this ending. But I won’t tell you, you’ll just have to read it yourself.
September26
May 21st, 2007 at 12:38 pm
Secrets in the Shadows
Anne Schraff
New Jersey: Townsend press, 2002
Pgs. 126
Secret in the shadows is a very good book for pre-teens and teens. It’s a book that will keep you guessing what will happen next. In this book Roylin Bailey is under a lot of pressure. Everything in his life seems to be going wrong. Roylin just met this new girl named Korie and to him it’s like love at first sight. He has completely gone head-over-heels for this girl he just met. The weeks have past and Korie and Roylin have been hanging out .One day at the mall Korie shows Roylin this necklace she wants for her birthday. Roylin being so sprung fibbed and said he had lot of money and would be able to get her the necklace that she is deeply in love with. Korie refused but Roylin insisted. Now Roylin has to come up with $300 dollars to go buy this girl he just met a necklace.
Roylin is now struggling to come up with $300 dollars to go buy the necklace.
After his family and friends turn him down Roylin has one very special person left, Mr. Miller. Mr. Miller had a lot of money. He figured since they were old friends it wouldn’t be a problem for Mr. Miller to give him the money. So Roylin goes a few apartments down to the home of Mr. Miller. He finds him asleep with his wallet lying beside him. Roylin creeps in and takes some money out the wallet and runs to the mall to buy the necklace ant then he goes to give Korie her birthday present.
When returning from the shocking look a Korie’s face when she saw her necklace, Roylin ran into Toto who is their nosy janitor. He tells Roylin he saw what he did in Mr. Miler apartment. Roylin face was covered in guilt. Toto decides to have a little fun with the situation. So he tells Roylin that Mr. Miller was so in shock of the missing money he died of a heart attack. Roylin feels so upset with himself he doesn’t know what to do. But Toto wasn’t finished, he planned to blackmail Roylin into doing all of his work, if he doesn’t do it he will Turn Rollin in for attempted murder.
Weeks have passed and propylene is going through so much He feels Korie only wanted him for that necklace; she’s been hanging out with a guy named Steve. But what really threw Roylin over the edge was seeing them walk out of a Chinese restaurant. Roylin flipped out and got beat up. Korie played him so badly. How could she do that? That’s when Roylin had enough and called his friend Cooper to meet him at the restaurant. When coop arrived Roylin told him everything. Cooper got caught on Mr. Miller. He started asking questions that Roylin should have asked himself. That’s when Cooper came to the idea that Mr. Miller was not dead. So the two of them went to the apartment basement were Toto was suppose to be burying Mr. Miller. They dug it up and that Mr. Miller was not there. So the e two of them went to Toto and choked him until he confessed. Toot put Mr. Miller in a home. He was relieved. He felt as if a great big weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
Now Roylin put everything behind him. He left Korie alone and started living his life right. Roylin promised himself to never get back off track.
Tay tay
May 21st, 2007 at 4:06 pm
Hinton, S.E.
TEX
Grade 6: Tex is an easy-going 14 year old who doesn’t have a care in the world. Until his brother Mason sells his horse to pay the bills. Tex’s dad is never home because of rodeos. Tex’s dad rides in rodeos for months then comes home for a little while. Tex is a trouble-maker. He is always pulling a prank on someone. His best friend Johnny is always with him in everything he does. Until one day Tex and Johnny go home drunk. Johnny’s dad blamed Tex and forbid Johnny to hang-out with him. Tex has got a crush on Johnny’s little sister Jamie, who is two years younger than Tex. One day Johnny is at a dirt bike place when Tex shows up. Johnny decides to jump the pond. Something nobody has done. Right before he hits the ramp he hits the brakes and slides to a halt. The bike landed on his leg. Tex decides he wants to try. He actually makes it across the pond. Johnny decides that they should be friends. Mason, who is Tex’s brother, has a friend named Lem who is selling drugs. Mason tells him that he is an idiot and they can’t be friends anymore. On their way home from the city Tex and Mason pick up a hitchhiker. The hitch hiker turns out to be an escaped murderer trying to get out of the state. A long story short, the convict gets shot by the cops. One day, Tex saw Lem in his car and decided to help him on a job, selling drugs. Tex says ok and off they go. When they get there the guy buying the drugs goes crazy and shoots Tex. While Tex is in the hospital Mason beats the tar out of Lem. A few days later Tex and Mason go fishing.
Bama3
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:03 pm
Gr. 5-8, Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret. Blume, Judy, New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group Inc, 1970. 149 pages.
When 12 year old Margaret Simon, in Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret, suddenly moves to Farbrook, New Jersey, she experiences teenage changes. She deals with self-consciousness, boys, and teenage problems. Margaret becomes best friends with Gretchen, Nancy, and Janie. Together they are called the “Pre-teen Sensations.” While in this group Margaret becomes self-conscious about how slowly she is maturing. Margaret then begins to talk her feelings out with God. While dealing with maturity Margaret also experiences family problems. Her mom’s parents want her to be a Christian but her father’s mother wants her to be Jewish. Margaret starts going to different churches to figure out her religion. As if Margaret doesn’t have enough to worry about, she starts becoming shy around boys, especially Nancy’s brother’s friend, Moose. When she gets invited to Norman Fishbein’s party she becomes jittery when they play, “Spin the Bottle” and she has to kiss Phillip Leroy, the cutest boy in her class. When Margaret finds out a major secret about Nancy, and reveals something to herself Margaret’s life turns upside down. Judy Blume achieved her goal in this book by letting pre-teen girls know that they are not alone. This book is an easy and interesting read for all girls. I would definitely recommend this book.
pinkdiamond25
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:11 pm
The Cay. TAYLOR, Theodore. New York: Avon, 1969. 144 p.
Gr 4 & up-During World War II, Phillip, a little boy, is stuck on the cay with no one he knows and nothing. All he has is an old guy named Timothy and a cat named Stew Cat. Phillip and his mother were on a ship when it was torpedoed around 3:00 in the morning. They were separated. He became unconscious and finally awoke. He saw a man sitting beside him. His mother was on a raft just like his but somewhere else. Around 10:00 in the day is when Phillip discovered that he was blind. After that, Timothy and Phillip found a cay that had no people on it. Timothy built a hut for them to stay dry and protected. Phillip was prejudiced against Timothy. While Phillip is growing up, he realizes that Timothy is more than on old man. He realized that he was the reason that he was alive. They both encounter problems such as racism, sharks, and a huge hurricane. Will they survive and then get rescued by someone? Just anyone?
Cheerchik4life369
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:13 pm
Grade- 6th-8th. One Fat Summer. Lipsyte, Robert. New York: HarperKeyPoint,c1977. 232pgs.
The book focuses on Bobby Marks, a boy who is unlike many other kids because he thinks summer is horrible and boring. The first week of summer Bobby goes out to find a job because he does not want to lay around and eat all summer. Bobby is a very heavy weight kid. He has a best friend names Joanie, but she’s gone to New York for a very important reason, but she will not tell him. So he’s trying to figure out why Joanie would want to go to New York.
When he finds an ad in the newspaper about doing lawn work for Dr. Kahn, a rich, stuck-up, and mean man, he decides to ask about it, but then he finds out that one of his worst enemies Willie also wants the job.
So one day when Bobby is walking home from work, Willie and his friends sneak up on Bobby and jump him then stick him in a humongous bag so that he can not see. They then put him in there car, and take him to an island on Rumson Lake. They strip him and then they leave him deserted on it, all beat up and n very bad pain.
I recommend this book for preteens with low self esteem because the main character starts out with no self esteem at all but by the end of the book he has a ton of it.
So does Bobby Marks live or does he not make it, and what is Joanie’s big secret? Find out by reading One Fat Summer.
Soccerchick
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:17 pm
The Spiderwick Chronicles
Book Review
Diterlizzi, Tony; Black, Holly. 107p. CIP S & S.
2003. Tr $9.95. ISBN 0-689-85936-8
LC number unavailable.
Gr. 5+ - This book is a great book filled with adventure. When Jared, Simon, and Mallory Grace move to a new home because of their mother’s divorce, they don’t know what to expect. They move to a nasty shack looking mansion that seems if you peel one piece of paint off the door you will peel the whole door off.
While staying in this gross house they find a dumb waiter that leads to a old, dusty library that used to belong to a man named Arthur Spiderwick. Jared is the one that actually finds the library. What is odd is that he finds a poem with instructions to a field guide. This book is the key to all mythical creatures that fascinate the world. This book is just one book in its series of great books. You should find out more about this book and the many others of this series and read them, find out for yourself. It is your decision.
Animekid
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:20 pm
MARTIN, Ann. A Dogs Life. 182pgs. Scholastic Press. 2005. Tr $ 4.99 ISBN 0-439-90107-3
Gr: 5-8 This book is the most touching and heart warming story that I have ever read. It is about two stray, little dogs that are all alone in this big, big world. At first life was easy for them as they were growing up. Bone & Squirrel (the two puppies) lived with their mom in the shed of a wealthy family’s yard in Lindenfield. They never got out until the one sad day their mother left them all alone and never came back. For a while they lived in the shed by themselves but then decided to head out to find a new home with loving and caring people. In the beginning they stayed together like peas in a pod, but then bone was picked up off the side of the road and squirrel was left all alone. So Squirrel ventured out on her own… but not for long. She met another dog named Moon. Moon was a fox hound. She was free spirited and pranced were she pleased. But another mishap. She was hit by a car, and Squirrel was alone again. During the cold, cold winter Squirrel was a lone ranger. She went and visited many families. Then she met Addie. Addie was a sweet gentle old lady. Will she stay with Addie or will she just be an outcast again. This book is a book that most of you animal lovers out there will enjoy.
- Kat134
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:22 pm
LOWRY, Lois. The Giver. 180p. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1993. Tr $6.99. ISBN 0395645662.
Gr 5-8 Jonas lives in a community were everything is decided for him. Every single day Jonas comes home to a warm family who loves him without even knowing what love means. It’s not until the day the apple turns to something he’s never seen before that his life changes. When the ceremony of 12 comes Jonas gets the job of The Receiver. The Receiver gets transferred memories from the Giver. The memories are from the past of the community. Jonas one day decides that he does not want to live in a community that does not have what the memories hold. So Jonas leaves taking Gabe a baby that was going to be released the next day. Released means that they are going to be killed. Jonas is caught in cold and horrible conditions. His only warmth is from his memories. Finally, Jonas finds Elsewhere the place he’s been searching for all along.
Glitter bug
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:26 pm
S.E. Hinton THE OUTSIDERS, Publisher New York: Viking, c1967. ISBN/ISSN 0670532576
S.E. Hinton, wrote “The Outsiders.” Have you ever read The Outsiders? It’s an every good book. We’ll in the book there’s this boy called Ponyboy and he in a gang. Ponyboy is a really smart kid. His brothers Darry and Sodapop are in the same gang. There gang is called The Greasers. The rivalry gangs against the Greasers are the Socs. The Socs are the east-side rich kids. Ponyboy and his brothers are alone, they don’t have any parents. The boy’s parents died in a car crash and the daddy now is Darry. He works two jobs and his brother Soda dropped out of school and works at a gas station. There gang are you can say want to be hard except a few of them. Ponyboy lies to himself a lot because when he has a dream he will lie to his brothers and himself. What will happen to them next. To find out you’ll have to read the book.
Penguin525
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:27 pm
TAYLOR,THEODORE. The Cay, Publisher: New York :Avon, 1970, c1969.ISBN/ISSN 038000142X LCCN 69015161 Phys Desc 144p. ;20 cm.
Have you ever read the book the cay? It is about this boy name Timothy and Phillip and they get stuck on an island because the boat they were on sank and timothy and his mom got split up and it was timothy and Phillip on a life raft together and a cat. Timothy and Phillip are at sea many days and because the sun is so bright timothy goes blind. They find a reef they can catch lobster and other fish in and that is what they eat. They are on the island a while and then one day they wake up to a dark sky and they know that it is going to storm so they get ready for the storm. During the storm Timothy and Phillip place bowls out to get water and it works. But Timothy dies during the hurricane because he was protecting Phillip. Phillip is very sad. Does Phillip die? Read the book to find out it is a very good book and I strongly suggest it!!
KDPcr85
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:28 pm
You Be the Jury
By: Marvin Miller
Miller, Marvin, You be the Jury, 91pg, Scholastic, Copyright 1991, ISBN 0590457233
New York, NY
Gr. 3-6 “Court Adjourned!” Mr. Bob is guilty. This book is amazingly inserting. This is the book where you decide who’s guilty and who’s not. These five amazing stories of false statements and lies will petrify the reader. Some people who just want money while others want the truth, and the whole truth. My favorite case is the one about the golf ball that hit a man in the head he sues the golf course owner. Will he get the conviction? This book is a great book for all ages. This book is successful because it has an element of suspense. I suggest this book 100%.
Tike5
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:30 pm
Lund, Gerald N. Work and the Glory: Pillar of Light 437p. Bookcraft, Inc., Salt Lake City, 1990, Tr $8.99,ISBN 0-88494-770-X, LC 90-83215
Grade 6-9: Ever read a book about history, besides your history text book? I thought not. In this book, it relates to a regular family with irregular events occurring with their family. The Steed family has moved from Vermont to New York upon hearing about good land in that area. Ben Steed, a well-known farmer, moves the family to a nice piece of land. Realizing that just he and his sons won’t be able to clear the land in time to plant crops, he hires help. The help he hires happens to be Joseph and Hyrum Smith. But after Ben hears rumors about Joseph finding gold plates and seeing angels, he fires them. Nathan and Joshua, Ben’s sons, hear about the rumors, and ask him if it’s true. Joseph replies, “Do you really think angels fly around showing people buried treasure?” The boys of course say no. “Good, neither do I.” Nathan later confronts Joseph, asking him about all the rumors. Nathan gets his answers, and is confused still. Later on, Josh, still having questions unanswered, comes with a mob to attack Joseph before he gets the gold plates, a record kept by prophets of old. Will Joe get away? Or will the mob get the plates and have the record be lost forever? Will Nathan believe Joe about what he said? Find out in The Work and the Glory: Pillar of Light.
Smileyfacesboyfriend
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:32 pm
Princess Academy. Shannon Hale. Scholastic Inc. 2005.pages 314.
Gr6 Up- this is a great book taking place in the mountains, where many girls aged 11 to 18 is selected to attend a prince academy. At the academy the girls will learn to speak, walk, dance, and behave like proper princesses. The reason for the academy is so that the lowlander prince can choose a princess. This is a wonderful book about girls persevering to fulfill their dreams to become the princess. Miri is a 14 year old mountain girl who is one of the many selected girls to attend the one year academy. Miri and many of her friends travel down the mountain to the lowland. At the academy she meets many new people and makes many new friends. Attending the academy the girls await many new things. Such as learning to read, write, and use proper language. Miri is careful no to get into any trouble or there will be a great punishment. The girls get a break from learning and get to go back to the mountains to see their family for the holiday. At the holiday celebration Miri takes her new friend Brita and meets up with her old friend Peter. After the holiday the girls go back to the academy for the remainder of the year. After not learning well all of the girls have to attend the academy for a whole other year. The girls will attend the ball and meet the prince. When it was Miri’s turn to talk with the prince, he told her he liked her best so far. Since the prince was not so sure yet who he was going to choose he said he would return later. Miri told Brita all about the ball since she was ill and not able to attend. After the girls learned more the prince returned to choose his princess. It was not that hard for the prince to choose the girl he wanted as his princess. Everyone was so happy for her even though as you can imagine every girl wanted to be the princess.
smileyface
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:35 pm
Stine, R.L. The Secret Bedroom. ISBN 0671724835
Gr 4-6 - Lea Carson moves into a new home on Fear Street. While they are on the tour of the house they come upon the attic, within the attic there is a door that has been locked and boarded up sense one-hundred years ago. Nobody knows what is behind that door and some believe it is evil. At her first day of school, everything goes wrong. When she gets home she wonders what is behind that door in the attic and Lea sees blood dripping from the door that is boarded up. A day later she goes up the ladder to the attic, while asleep, and she sees something horrible! There is a girl ghost floating on a bed, her dress was too big for her and skin was torn off her arms and face. Lea lets the ghost posses her after Catharine, the ghost, persuaded her to let her, and they go for a walk to Lea’s worse enemy that she just met, Marci. They were just going over to scare her when all of a sudden a Marci run up stairs and falls off the banister and, well passes on. After a couple of days the ghost posses Lea, not to scare Lea’s crush or to talk, to kill him! The plan didn’t work, but Lea got another one. In the mourning of the next day, Lea went into the attic and pulled off the boards, opened the door and…
Cwdg95
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:38 pm
Hiassen, Carl. Flush. Alfred A Knonf. New York, New York 2005 ISBN 0375821821. LC number unavailable
Grades 5-8 Flush is about a family who wants to catch a pollutionist that is polluting the Basin in Florida. The man who is polluting is Dusty Muleman and he is a very sneaky guy who hooks up with the coast guard when it is time to check their boat. The main characters are Noah and his sister Abbey and they are trying to catch Dusty in the act. The pollution scam is how he dumps human waste into the basin without permission and that is breaking the law anyway. After Noah’s dad goes to jail, Noah gets mad and is desperately trying to catch Dusty in the act but Dusty was persistent. Miraculously Noah’s dad escapes jail and is put on house arrest. When Abbey goes missing, Noah’s Dad takes the ankle bracelet off and the police are after him again but this time Noah’s Dad has a good reason but still goes to jail. In the end Dusty gets caught with the help of Shelly and The fuchsia food coloring. The reason the book is named Flush is because Noah and Abbey have to flush the food coloring into the basin to show the coast guard what really happened. This book has been successful because it hooks every reader in the first paragraph and is always making you read the next chapter with suspense and bravery. Some possibilities in the book are that you should always tell someone about a crime that they are doing and if they still do it then call the police. They will definitely get caught.
NRS07
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:40 pm
SPINELLI, Jerry. Wringer. 228p. Listening Library, 1997 ISBN 1788747428
Gr-6 Up-Everybody wanted to be a wringer, but not Palmer. Palmer never really liked it at all. Palmer would be scared if he did not join when you he was supposed to that everyone would make fun of him. Palmer has mixed emotions. The people that he hangs out with are wringers and make fun of girls, but he likes girls and does not want to be a wringer. Palmer has to make a decision to stick with his friends or not stick with his friends and break the tradition for his dad. Palmer also has a problem when a bird follows him and everywhere he goes it goes with him. The bird flies away then comes back. Palmer will never tell his Dad cause he went through the same thing, but his Dad has a trophy for wringing so many birds. The trophy is a bird and he has to see it every day. So if you want to see if the bird lives or Palmer makes his final decision you need to get the book and read it. I liked the book a lot and if I could give it a rating it would be a 9 out of 10.
CMF12095
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:42 pm
The Cay, 1350 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10019, Doubleday, a division of Bantam, Doubleday Dell, 1969,144 pages
The Cay is a fantastic book about Phillip and Timothy and their fantastic journey on a deserted island. This book tells about how they survive, learn life lessons, and become better people. The Cay was written by Theodore Taylor and is an excellent adventure book. I recommend it for grades four and up. In my opinion this would appeal to people who like adventure, excitement, and the movie Castaway. If you like those things than The Cay is the book for you! The Cay keeps you wanting to read more and more! The main Characters are Philip and Timothy. Philip is about 12 year old and Timothy is around 80! Philip is from Virginia and Timothy is from Jamaica. After their ship they were traveling on (to get back to Virginia) was torpedoed by a German sub they ended up on a raft in the middle of nowhere separated from the others and began to drift towards a deserted and uncharted island. The only other survivor that they knew of was Stew, the cook’s cat. Once on the island they began to set up a makeshift camp by building their own hut, mats, and a trough to catch rain water. They had to find their own food, water, and fuel for fire. They mostly ate fruit and fish.
Some of the adventures that they faced were shark attacks, electric eels, huge storms, and a disease called malaria. The only bad thing about the book was that it ended a bit quickly.
The reader wonders if Philip and Timothy will survive until rescue, if they do get rescued. The only way to find out is to read it yourself.
-yomamma
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:44 pm
RODDA, Emily. Deltora Quest: The Forest of Silence. 131p. New York: Scholastic 2001. ISBN 0439253233.
Gr. 6-9 – This book doesn’t just start off a series of catchy and mysterious books, it also starts an adventure of your very own. As the king of Del suddenly dies of an unknown cause, Jared’s best friend inherits the kingdom as well as the mighty Belt of Deltora, the source of magic for the prosperous land that keeps away the evil Shadow Lord. Several years later, the belt is stolen and the Shadow Lord invades! He sends all of the magical stones in the belt all over Deltora. He kills thousands of people and doesn’t let anyone escape. The king and queen manage to escape the Shadow Lord’s grasp and leave to the west to the Forest of Silence, a deadly forest that is forbidden to all but the Shadow Lord’s grey guards. Sixteen years later, Jared’s son Lief is sent on a mission to find the stones for the Belt of Deltora to defeat the Shadow Lord and free the people. The first stone is in the Forest of Silence. He is teamed up with an old castle guard disguised as a beggar. As they venture into the forest they are captured by a wild girl and are about to be fed to a vicious beast. They finally convince the girl to free them and manage to escape the beast. They soon reach a bigger problem. They find a strong warrior who is guarding the mystical Lilies of Life that can make you live forever. He also has the topaz, one of the stone to the Belt of Deltora. He thinks they are trying to get the Lilies of Life and he tries to destroy them. Will Lief be able to get the stone, or will he die in despair? The Forest of Silence is the first of a large series of Deltora books. The writer, Emily Rodda, has also written another series of fairy books. Rodda is a wonderful author who can catch you with the slightest phrase.
Thechosen1
May 22nd, 2007 at 12:45 pm
Ann M. Martin, and The Babysitters Club MYSTERY #21. 144p. Scholastic, Inc. 1995.
ISBN 0-590-48310-2. LC number unavailable
I have really enjoyed this book it is very interesting and very intense about who is going to win the baking contest. This book kind of reminds me of how middle school is it’s always a competition! The book is about a club of girls mainly in the 7th grade and two are in the 6th grade. They have a babysitting business, and in this episode some of the girls are entering into a baking contest while the rest work there babysitting the contestants children. The girls that entered are going against these girls that they like hate the one named Cookie is the main one and she is trying to scare the BSC. She keeps telling them she got a secret weapon and that they are going to loose. But the babysitter girls are not scared and really think that they are going to win. Now they are trying to find the most perfect recipe and are trying to also make it look beautiful and still taste good, and something that they can make fast. After they finally find there recipe, Claudia’s cake falls and then the first thing she has in her mind is that someone tampered with the recipe! Boy is she determined to find out who is the blame, but she better hurry the competition is getting more dangerous everyday!! The BSC are very into this baking contest and they want to win, but win they find out who is tampering with everybody’s recipe things will get back to normal and they can finish the contest far and square!
Blondechick1404
May 22nd, 2007 at 2:33 pm
McDaniel, Lurlene Too Young to Die . Zondervan Bible 1989.166p. ISBN 0-553-28008-2
GR 5-8- Too Young to Die is a book that was very eye opening to me because it tells me why people live and die. This book was one of the best I have ever read. Now I am not going to lie I am not a big reader, but this book makes me want to read a lot more often than I do. It taught me a lesson that I should be grateful for my good health. This book is so inspiring to me. I have never read a better book than this one. I hope you will consider reading this book so it can open your eyes and teach you the same lesson as well.
A girl that is about sixteen years old is diagnosed with a very serious illness but doesn’t want to accept what the doctor tells her. She is very sad after she realizes that she actually has it. After she realizes that she doesn’t have a very long time to live, she starts trying to have the best life she can, but she finds out that is not easy to do when she starts having a lot of pain and stress in her life. Her grades in school are dropping and she doesn’t focus on her school work as much as she used to. With the life changing news she has to deal with she starts to try to get as close to her friends and family and tries to find her inner strength and courage to find out the mysterious ways of living and dying before she dies. The girl I am talking about in this book is Melissa Austin and she really doesn’t want to die. What do you think will happen next? Do you think she will live or die?
Girl10
May 22nd, 2007 at 2:34 pm
Pelzer, Dave. A Child Called It. 184p. Health Communications, Inc.1995.Tr $15.95 ISBN 1-5587-366-9
GR 6-8- A CHILD CALLED IT is an unforgettable story of one of the most severe child abuse cases in California. This is a story of a young boy who is brutally beaten and starved to death. His emotional alcoholic mother has played these games for quite a while and he has to learn the rules of this game to survive. His mother no longer thinks of him as a son but as a slave, a no one. If you ask me this would be a great book to read it teaches you of other people’s lives. I’m late I’ve got to finish the dishes on time, otherwise no breakfast; and since I didn’t have dinner last night, I have to make sure I get something to eat. I can hear mother stomping down the stairs, I dip my hands back in the scalding rinse water. It’s too late she catches me with my hands out of the water. SMACK. As you can see this young boy has to work for new clothes and food, when he is just 5 years of age. This book is a true story of Dave Pelzer who was brutally beaten as a young boy. This is a story of strong emotional courage to survive. It, (the young boy) has to steel lunches from people just to get food. This has been going on for weeks now, and the teachers have talked to him and his mother about it but he is too scared to tell the truth. His father has tried reasoning with his so called mother but all she does is yells so the father leaves his son to fend for him self. What could happen to the young child? Will he survive these hateful games?
Lilcross123
May 23rd, 2007 at 12:32 pm
Colfer, Eoin. Artemis Fowl. 277p. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. 2006. ISBN 0786808012. LCCN 2001016632.
Gr 5-8 Eoin Colfer’s book, Artemis Fowl, is the beginning of an exciting series that is addictive to all magic-lovers. Artemis, an Irish boy genius, develops a cunning plan to steal the People’s gold. Captain Holly Short gets in on the excitement when she is taken hostage. The LEP have to get Holly back at all costs! This book is brilliant, thrilling and leads to other unpredictable adventures with the clever mastermind, Artemis Fowl.
ThomasEdison
May 23rd, 2007 at 4:07 pm
A Young Baseball Superstar
Grade Level: 5.9 The Youngest Hero. Jenkins, Jerry. New York, NY: Warner Books, 2002. 376 Pages.
Can you imagine a twelve year old playing baseball with other kids who are in high school? That is exactly what happens in the book The Youngest Hero by Jerry Jenkins. It is a story about a young, extremely talented baseball player as he struggles to cope with his parents being divorced and how his mom does all she can to get enough money to support the two of them. His greatest struggle is to reach his ultimate goal, the Major Leagues. I think that this is a really good book, especially for people who like baseball.
The setting takes place in Chicago, where a young boy, Elgin, and his mother move to after his parents’ divorce. Elgin wants to follow in his Fathers footsteps as a baseball player. Elgin struggles between past memories of bad things his dad did and the love and admiration he has for his father. When Elgin receives his father’s old pitching machine, he sets up his own batting cage in the basement of the apartment complex that he lives in. Elgin’s practice in his private cage makes him excel in baseball. The main question of the whole book is: will Elgin ever make it to the Major Leagues?
There are many good aspects of this book. The first one is that he lives in Chicago, which makes the story more realistic. Second, the book shows the story as Elgin sees it and as Elgin’s mother sees it. This makes the book really interesting because it shows two different perspectives. Another thing that is good about this book is that when Elgin got his dad’s pitching machine, the book describes the machine in great detail. The book gave me a vivid picture of what the machine looked like.
There are a few bad things about this book that I wish were changed. First, since the book switches between two different perspectives the story is long and tends to repeat the same scene, just in a different view. One other bad thing about this book is that I didn’t understand why when Elgin talks about his dad with his mother it is such a touchy subject and why Elgin’s parents were divorced until the middle of the book
I highly recommend this book to anyone. It is a book with an exciting and an action packed story line. If you’re looking for a good book about a boy who wants to make his dreams come true, this is a great book for you.
crmsrobobuilder
May 23rd, 2007 at 4:14 pm
Funke, Cornelia. Inkheart. 534p. The Chicken House. ISBN 0439531640.
Grade 5 and up. What should you do when you see a strange little man staring at you through your bedroom window at midnight? When this happens to Meggie, she runs to tell her father. Surprisingly, Meggie’s father, Mo, believes her. He rushes outside to meet the strange man. Suddenly Meggie’s life changes. This new man, Dustfinger, as he’s called, has a major message about Mo and Mo’s special skill. Mo’s special skill is reading. He reads so vividly that stuff actually comes out of the book. He brought the gold out of Treasure Island; it clinked to the floor in front of him.he is forced to use his power for evil Capricorn, someone that Mo has read out of a book. Dustfinger brings Meggie and her father to Capricorn, and Dustfinger betrays them to Capricorn, who then doesn’t keep his promise to Dustfinger. Now it’s up to Meggie to save them all by looking deep inside her self to find her father’s talent, and pray that her plan works.
curiousme