Marvin Redpost: Kidnapped at Birth?

Sometimes rainy days drive you insane. You can't decide which of the over read books on the shelf to read. I chose Marvin Redpost: Kidnapped at Birth? by Lois Sachar. I very much regret this decision. The title pretty much sums up the book. You may know Sachar as the author of the beloved novel Holes. Holes is a much deeper and infinitely more humorous story than Marvin Redpost. Marvin Redpost is meant to appeal to a younger audience than Holes, however, the language is horrid and the plot is immature. In my opinion Louis just wanted to finish this story therefore within the last few pages there lies a nasty surprise.

Summer of the Monkeys

A couple of weeks ago, I partook in a bookclub that had an affinity for outdoorsy books- the club had just completed My Side of the Mountain, by Jean Craighead George, which was awful. But I never had dreamed that they would select the horrendous book they did next.

I knew that I would hate Summer of the Monkeys purely from the cover. Firstly, the title is dreary and boring. Second, the picture shows a boy with a conceited face peering over a grassy hill to a tree hollow where a bunch of monkeys are frolicking. A bluetick hound is pawing the dirt by the pinch-faced boy.

I think this cover basically tells what this whole books is about: this boy, Jay Berry, trying to catch some monkeys. The monkeys escaped from a circus, and there is a reward of two dollars per monkey and one hundred dollars for the big chimpanzee, Jimbo.  Jimbo is uncommonly smart, and makes Jay Berry look like an idiot a good percentage of the time by attacking him, stealing his britches, getting him drunk, and a bunch of ridiculous stuff like that.

Also, if Jay Berry even catches the monkeys, he has to decide if he wants to heal his disabled sister, Daisy, who has a twisted leg, or if he wants to get a pony and .22 rifle. There is an obvious choice, which he predictably takes.

There is also a lot of rubbish added about a fairy circle.

This book is horrendous, boring, and blandly written. Do not read it.

Scumble by Ingrid Law

      Imagine dreading your thirteenth birthday. For most families turning thirteen is a big deal, and a very exciting day but not for the Beaumont family. When a child in the Bueamont family turns thirteen they develop a "savvy." Ledge Beaumont's part of the family is expected to travel west to their family ranch just five days after Ledge's thirteenth birthday. When Ledge's birthday comes with great anticipation and then leaves again without anything exploding or a short power outage, the family, still nervous, starts the long drive west. It isn't far into their journey when events start to happen that change their drive.
      I would definitely recommend Scumble by Ingrid Law. I would call it a book that includes the whole package, meaning that  it has a very developed plot and characters whose feelings and emotions are well described.   

          ~Leaf

The Chicken Soup Series

               I’m not much of a nonfiction reader but the Chicken Soup Series is one of my favorites. It’s about kids who get diagnosed with diseases or disabilities. It talks about their journey of accepting the fact that they have a problem and how they struggle to fix it. Some of the books are more subtle than others. In one of the books it talks about fundraisers for people who have leukemia and similar stories. In another it has a story about a twelve year old child raising three young children on the streets on his own and at the same time dealing with an illegal addiction. In the end, they usually have a happy ending but sometimes not. It’s really interesting to read about their daily lives. I would recommend this to any advanced reader because in some of the books they go into details about their experiences a lot more and it can be highly disturbing and overwhelming, so much that you might find yourself tearing up.




-sunnysideup

Dragon Slippers

Dragon Slippers, by Jessica Day George, is a charming story about a poor farm girl named Creel. Creel's aunt sends her to a dragon cave that is believed to be abandoned for millions of years. They are hoping a rich, charming prince will save Creel and Creel's family will inherit tons of money, although that's not quite how it goes. Creel bargains with the dragon, who is alive and spry as ever. They soon become friends, and she gets a pair of slippers from his hoard. ( Yes, he is a dragon that collects shoes!) The curious blue slippers lead her into the bustling city, the King's Seat. She makes friends, enemies, and meets the prince on countless occasions. This book is full of great characters, amazing writing, and a creative story line as Creel struggles to save the whole dragon and human race. But in the end it comes down to who she trusts and who she doesn't... This is a must read. I could barely put it down!!
- Writer Geek

Cotton in my Sack

Cotton in my Sack written by Lois Lenski is not a very good book. The characters are not very well developed and when you're half way through the book, you can't really tell what it's about. It's pretty much put together with little events that don't really matter. But I guess it's about how everybody owes debt to everybody. Not very interesting. I would describe it as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without any peanut butter or jelly. Just the bread and that doesn't taste as good. I wouldn't recommend this book because if you pick it up you will probably find yourself abandoning it.
            -Fishy

Schooled by Gordon Korman

      Capricorn Anderson has a far from normal life. He lives on a plantation with only his hippie grandmother, "Rain." He is convinced once you step off the land you will be sucked into the money-centered world, where you can never return to your normal life. Once Rain falls off a tree branch and breaks her hip, the story starts to unravel, and pick up the pace.

      Schooled by Gordon Korman is a very interesting and quick book. Each chapter is told from a different character's point of view, which makes it hard to understand. I would definitely recommend this book to readers who enjoy a book out of the ordinary, different from your normal day-to-day book.

                  

Leaf                                                                                                                      

Keeper by Mal Peet

     I sincerely suggest Keeper, to anyone who likes to read.  It is an amazing book about the world famous goalie, El Gato (the cat).  The book is based upon an interview with Paul Faustino interviewing and El Gato being interviewed.  El Gato talks about  his long untold past, his ghostly but very real mentor, The Keeper, and the tiny logging town in the middle of the South American jungle of his childhood.  Hour after hour his unbelievable tale unfolds.  Paul Faustino is almost sure he his lying but El Gato appears, and is truthful.  Set during the late 1900s after the defeat of the German team in the World Cup, El Gato brings the reader back in time to meet The Lost Ones and the young superstar.
  Keeper is a stupendous book, and a must read!

-Math Knight 8

Summer of the Monkeys

Somewhere within the first 80 pages of Summer of the Monkeys I fell in love. I adore the youthful language that Wilson Rawls used to create this tale. Summer of the Moneys is about a boy trying to catch 30 monkeys and reap a handsome reward. Rawls, author of Where the Red Fern Grows, plunges you head first into the action. Just when you realize that Jay Berry would be just the kind of boy who does find a group of primates, he does! Though this book can be a little slow to read the rustic language and intriguing plot keep you going. Overall, Summer of the Monkeys is an audacious story, for slightly more experienced readers, as the language can be fiddly. Could you catch a clan of witty apes? Follow Jay Berry and his faithful hound, Old Rowdy, and you will soon find out.

~Dr. Seuss

The Thief Lord

       A couple of weeks ago, I decided to shelf the menacing stack of books on my bedside table. Strewn between the regular, well-thumbed Harry Potters were a few forgotten paperbacks. Amongst these rejects was a book called The Thief Lord, by Cornelia Funke. I figured I should give it a second chance.

      An easy read, this book is about two brothers, Prosper and Bo, who flee their hated aunt and escape to Venice, where a gang of child thieves takes them in. For a while, the boys are in heaven, in love with the city, and in no visible harm. But when their aunt sends a detective to search for them, the brothers notice things starting to change in their new home.

    They will soon realize secrets about themselves and each other that will change everything forever. 

     Full of plot twists, three dimensional characters, lyrical writing, and funny dialogue, I recommend this book to anyone seeking an easy weekend read.  

White Fang

In this book a wolf cub named White Fang was separated from his mother soon after birth when they attacked a Native Alaskan tribe. He then lived with the natives until they traded him at a market in Fort Yukon. The book is really about how he gets along with dogs and people. I think it's kind of strange how all of the dogs think humans are gods. I recommend this book to people whoo like a lot of adventure, animals, and realistic fiction.

Romeo and Juliet

By Shakespeare

Romeo and Juliet is the classic tale of love and loss. Romeo, the prince of the Montague clan, and Juliet, princess of the Capulet clan, fall in love, but their love is forbidden, for their families are mortal enemies.

Luckily, I read a translated copy, in the No-Fear Shakespeare series, because otherwise, it’s close to impossible for the average person to understand the untranslated dialogue, due to Shakepeare's Old English.

Romeo and Juliet is a good book for anyone who enjoys romance, provided you have a copy you can understand. I, however, did not enjoy it. I found the dialogue stiff, but to be fair, it is simply the script for the play.

Julio

The Angel Experiment

Maximum is not a normal 14-year old girl.  She is a human-avian hybrid and has wings under her arms.  A few years before this story takes place, Max and the flock (five other human-avian hybrids named Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel) have escaped a mad scientists' lab called The School with their friend Jeb.  A year later, Jeb disappears. 

The flock have lived on their own for a while and are very surprised when they get attacked by Erasers (human-wolf hybrids) sent from The School.  They take Angel and Max has to send a rescue mission.  But after they rescue Angel, what will they do?  Where will they go?  Find out in James Patterson's great book, The Angel Experiment.

-Mattalex

Stormbreaker

In the book Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz, Alex Rider lives at home with his uncle, Ian, and his housekeeper, Jack.  All is well until Ian dies in a car crash.   But did he?  Alex investigates, and before long he is recruited by the British spies and is sent off to spy at a supercomputer plant.  Is it really as innocent as it seems?  Read this adventurous suspenseful story in Stormbreaker.  In my opinion, it is written very well and if you like to read adventurous and unpredictable stories, this book is for you. 

                                - Mattalex

My Side Of The Mountain

           If you are looking for a really good book that you can’t put down and you have to just keep reading without a thought of anything that goes on in the world around you then do not read My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George. I only read this book because I had to, otherwise I would not have gotten past the first chapter.

            My Side of the Mountain is about a boy named Sam who wants to escape the busy city of New York and just go look for his great-grandfather Gribley’s  farm and live there. This book might appeal to you if you are planning to leave your life and go live in a tree (literally). It could work as a guide, but as entertainment? This book does not fall under that category. Unless you really love nature and the wilderness, I would not recommend opening this book.

~Anonymous

Dark Force Rising

In this thrilling new addition to Timothy Zahn's Star Wars books Leia, Han, and Luke are searching for a lost fleet of 50 Dreadnaught Class star ships that got lost during The Clone Wars. The Sith and The Empire are also in the race to find the missing fleet. Who will get there first? Find out by reading this book. I recommend this book to people who like a lot of adventure and sci-fi.


Apple

The Penderwicks

Jeanne Birdsall is an amazing author. One of the best books she's written is The Penderwicks. It's a summer tale of four sisters, two rabbits, and a very interesting boy. The characters are so well developed it's like you've known them their whole lives. The plot is also very interesting. It's about a family who goes to a cottage behind a mansion for the summer. The four daughters meet the son of the lady who owns the mansion and they try to stay out of trouble. That doesn't mean they do. I would definitely recommend this funny book. -Fishy

Skellig by: David Almond

            When Michael thought matters couldn’t get any worse or more complicated, his life took another interesting turn.
           Michael decides to explore, and visits an old shack placed in the front lawn of his new eerie home. After his father specifically told him not to step foot in the close to collapsing shack, that’s exactly what Michael does. With cobwebs tangling into his hair and dust collecting in his throat, Michael creeps deeper into the small old building. When he’s about to turn back he finds a man leaning against the wall. Startled, Michael runs out realizing what he saw on the man’s back was a pair of wings as dusty as the shack. Michael’s life has forever been changed, because the man in the shack wasn’t a man at all, but a fantasy-like creature living in his front lawn. This is the start of Michael's new life.

             With his parents distracted and preoccupied with his close-to-dying baby sister, Michael develops an interesting relationship with this creature and his quirky new friend Mina. What makes this book interesting? Its plot is very fun to read and the writer always leaves you wanting more which pushes you to read further.

I would encourage everyone to read this because its definitely like nothing you’ve ever read about before.


-sunnysideup

Chinese Cinderella

Chinese Cinderella is written by Adeline Yen Mah is probably the most touching story in the world. It is a true story of an unwanted daughter. When Adeline Yen Mah was born her mother died two weeks afterwards. All her siblings blamed her. After that her father remarried to a terrible woman, whose kids always got so much more. This amazingly written book might even make you cry. The characters are very well-developed and are easy to connect to.

                         -Fishy

My Side of the Mountain

My Side of the Mountain is an excellent book written by Jean Craighead George. George has woven a thrilling tale of adventure, survival, and independence. This book would appeal to any nature lovers or city dwellers who longs to escape their  hectic lives and dive into the forest. The beginning and ending of this book are not quite as spectacular but once you get into the rhythm of the story you won't want to stop reading. Throughout this story the author keeps you interested by introducing new characters, however she always makes sure Sam is the main focus. Ink illustrations and detailed descriptions let you brush up on your survival skills while you read. Live with Sam in his tree hut and learn how he lives on "his side" of the mountain.

~Dr. Seuss

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

Tuesdays With Morrie is an incredible story of an old man, a young man, and life's greatest lesson-how to live. It tells a story about the author's college sociology professor, Morrie Schwartz. Mitch, the author, loses contact with Morrie, who learns that he has been diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, a ruthless disease with no known cure. Mitch finds Morrie when Morrie is starred in an episode of 'Nightline,' and he flies across the country to visit Morrie every Tuesday, to discuss the meaning of life.

I learned a lot about life from this book, and it will forever be my all-time favorite memoir. The writing is simple but beautiful, and you will be blown away by the outstanding heartbreak and love in this book. This book is a wonderful contribution to literature for all ages.

Book review by Julio

the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

 

                     The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is  a series of adventures. This book follows the first book, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, who happens to be Huck's best bud. It is mostly about Jim, an escaped slave, and Huck, the runaway boy, and their adventures together. Sometimes they run into unexpected trouble or company along the way (running into scallywags, old friends, kings and dukes!). It is a bit of a struggle to read, and it uses rude words that were okay to say when it was written, in 1850, but not today, to describe people's races. It is also hard to understand the slaves because they have heavy accents and are uneducated. I think it's worth reading, though, since it's a classic. Even if you don't like it, you are exposed to how things were in the 1850's.

~ Writer Geek

The Orange Houses by Paul Griffin

               The Orange Houses by Paul Griffin is an exciting book. It jumps from three people's perspectives- Tamika's, Fatima's, and Jimmi's. Tamika is the main character, and is a girl who blocks the world from getting to her, but with her hearing aids. Fatima is a girl who's from a different country, who moved trying to get a better life, and soon meets Tamika. Jimmi is a boy who's a street-poet, former drug addict and alcohalic who currently lives on the streets.

This book is an interesting book that is meant for an older audience (so, I recommend it to an older audience because of inappropriate language), but was still a read worth reading.

                   -Looneytunes                      
              

The Wild Girls by Pat Murphy

      A couple of months ago I was skimming through my book shelves at home, looking for a book I had not read before. My eyes met The Wild Girls by Pat Murphy.
     When Joan's family moves from Connecticut to San Francisco she finds herself at a new school and exploring the woods near her neighborhood with her best friend, Fox. Throughout the seventh grade life at home slowly goes downhill. Joan's mother and father are fighting all the time and her brother keeps on disappearing with his gangster friends. Can Joan lift her family's spirit?
     I would definitely recommend The Wild Girls to readers who enjoy sitting with a fantastic book and reading a long but quick read about two young girls who love to write.

~ Leaf

Ghost Town

Ghost Town is a really good book written by Annie Bryant. Ghost Town is in the series the Beacon Steet Girls. The plot is cool. It's about five friends who are going to a resort in Montana. At the airport they see two singers who are famous and two of the friends get to go in a limo with them. The other three girls go in a run-down car and end up in a ghost town. The story goes on from there. I would recommend this book and other books in the series. The writing is great and puts a picture in your head. The characters are well developed so you know just what they're like. There also really easy to connect to. You don't wont to put it down.             

                               -Fishy

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea


Jules Verne has written some of the best classical masterpieces the world has ever seen, including Journey to the Center of the Earth and Around the World in Eighty Days. Another one of his famous classics is 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, which is a classic, but not one of the better ones. The plot of the story is quite intriguing, and the characters are developed very quickly, but the book’s writing is the main deterrent from reading it. It is not written in modern language, and there are phrases and words that no one has said for a long while. The lifestyle was different then and some people were treated differently, which makes it hard to understand. Back in the day it probably would have been enjoyed and revered, but now it can’t be enjoyed as much as it should be.

by King Kong

Time Stops For No Mouse

Time  Stops For No Mouse
by Michael Hoye

        Hermux Tantamoq is a watch maker who runs a watch shop and has a pet ladybug. He's a pretty normal mouse until one day a mouse called Ms. Perflinger arrives. She is an adventuress and flies all around the world. Ms. Perflinger's watch is in very bad shape and when, after a week, she hasn't came to pick it up Hermux starts to get suspicious. Then a rat comes into his store one day requesting Ms. Perflliger's watch but he says that he can't give him the watch without the pickup slip. After the rat leaves his shop Hermux follows him to Ms. Perflinger's house finding himself in a mystery so complicated he may never figure it out.  This is a good book that I would recommend to a younger audience. This book is good because it has a good mystery and the author does a good job of keeping the plot moving.

by: Mountain Bike      

Number the Stars

             Number the Stars by Lois Lowry is an interesting and factual book set during World War II.  Annemarie Johansen, her little sister Kirsti, and their parents hide Annemarie's friend, Ellen Rosen, from the Nazi soldiers.
             They take Ellen to their uncle Henrik's house, where the adventure really begins. The soldiers come to their house, there's a "funeral" and Annemarie runs into soldiers and guard dogs.
             I recommend Number the Stars to all readers because this is a well-written, amazing book that I would read again and again.
                     - Looneytunes
                                               

The Know-It-All

In the case of the massive, regally embossed, thirty-two volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica, reading them is out of the question. The books explore every person, plant, and ping-pong ball that ever existed on Bible-thin pages and close-set, tiny rows of pearl-like print. However, A.J. Jacobs offers a smaller, less complete version with a lighter touch in The Know-It-All. He skillfully intertwines funny stories and memories from his own life with interesting facts from the Britannica. The whole book is an endless bundle of connections that create bridges between information and his own quest of reading the Encyclopedias.

Everyone in his family is skeptical about him reading the books, and their snide comments are sprinkled throughout The Know-It-All in a hilarious way. I would certainly recommend this book because not only is it laugh-out-loud funny, but is packed with knowledge. A fast and silly read, it is a crowd pleaser.

The Indigo Notebook

The Indigo Notebook, by Laura Resaue, is half love story, half dramatic action. It is starring a girl named Zeeta.  Zeeta and her hippie mother move a lot. Now they are in Guatamala, and Zee is trying to adjust to her totally new surroundings. She runs into a boy from America, named Wendell, who is on a quest to find his birth parents. Zee takes pity on the boy, and they set out on an adventure that changes their lives forever. The truth is being hidden from them by the villagers, and they finally find evidence of Wendell’s father. This book is amazing in every way, from the beautiful writing to the interesting  plot.

Through the crack in Annemarie’s bedroom door she could see the shiny spotless boots walk into her family’s apartment.   Quickly Annemarie Johansen and her Jewish  best friend, Ellen Rosen, hurry back to Annemarie’s bed. Together they shiver in fright. Number the Stars by  Lois Lowry is a short but very intriguing book. It is a great read because of the tense writing and very developed characters. When the Germans start to relocate all of the Jews to concentration  camps from Denmark, Annemarie realizes her best friend and her family are in grave danger. Lowry writes so the reader feels like they are really in Denmark. Follow this historical-fiction book and Annemarie through the hard-times.

~ Leaf

Private Captain

                Private Captain  is a very informative historic fiction book, which is set during the Civil War. It is about two children who go on a mission to find a soldier, in the midst of the battle of Gettysburg, and bring him back home.  The language can sometimes be hard to understand, therefore I would recommend this book to a slightly older audience. Although the plot is fast paced I find that the story takes a long time to physically read. Marty Crisp did a wonderful job of creating an approachable story. Even though the book is set nearly 150 years ago you will still find the characters relatable in some way. So, if you enjoy adventure with a large dose of history pick up Private Captain and follow one determined boy, one pesky cousin a loyal hound and a dependable cow on their journey.  

~Dr Seuss

Private Captain by Marty Crisp

     Private Captain is a great book about the Civil War.  It has very interesting and convincing characters with very realistic and strong emotions.  The book is very fast in the beginning but slows down towards the end.  It is a great read but it is extremely gory at the end on the battlefield.
     Private Captain is a compelling story about a boy, Ben, trying to find his brother Reuben Reynolds, in the 106th Pennsylvania company "A."  His path leads him to Gettysburg on the fatefull day, July 2nd, 1863.  On his journey he learns the "Rebs" and the "Yanks" are both human. He also learns the true meaning of war.  He, his pesky cousin, a cow, and a dog join him on an amazing, life changing adventure into the minds of innocent civilians, deserters, and enemy soldiers.  I suggest this book to anyone interested in the Civil War or anyone who likes historical fiction and is a little bit familiar with old time language such as anyroad, (anyway) dadblamed, and bootlicker.

                                                              -Math Knight 8

Eragon

Life in the farm town of Carvahall is normal, until Eragon finds a stone that turns out to be a dragon egg.  Eragon is then forced to flee Carvahall with the storyteller, Brom.  Doing that isn't easy while learning the rules of magic, traveling towards a rebellion, being pursued by slavers, creatures of darkness, and the whole of the king's army with only the help of Brom, Eragon's dragon, and some mysterious warriors they meet on their way.  If you like adventure, fantasy, and mystery, I would highly recommend this book.  Read about this adventurous tale in Eragon, by Christopher Paolini.

-Mattalex

Extra Credit

  Extra Credit by Andrew Clements, is about a girl named Abby, who is doing so poorly in school that she is threatened to be held back. Her only solution is to get A's on all of her tests and extra credit. Abby's extra credit is to write letters back and forth with a pen pal from somewhere around the world. Because of her love of climbing rock walls, Abby chooses the mountainous area of Kabul, Afghanistan. She also has to make a bulletin board with all of her letters, Abby is perfectly fine with showing her letters to the public; she doesn't need to keep her letters private. The project starts with a few friendly letters back and forth but when Abby receives one letter, she rethinks her whole privacy policy.
     I would recommend this book to anyone who likes realistic fiction and anyone who has an open mind. I liked this book; it was the kind of book I didn't want to put down.



By: Anonymous