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