California Holiday by Kate Cunn

I would describe this book as a hilarious love story that pretty much everyone would enjoy. Rowan has graduated from high school in London, and she has just transitioned into the treacherous Bielicka household in Seattle where she works as a nanny. Rowan gets along great with Flossy (the kid that she baby-sits), but Flossy's mother drives her into complete insanity. As a result, she spirits away Iggy (pet iguana), meets the boy of her dreams (or so it seems), and moves to California to work at a day care center in an expensive reasort. Once there, she rides a tremendous roller coaster called love, but she manages it well enough.

I liked the fact that this book was light, funny, and easy to read, and yet it was still challenging. It was fast paced and extremely humorous. Rowan is an endearing character. She is very easy to relate to. She's a smart girl, but she still makes a fair amount of mistakes (like everybody else). All of the characters in this book had their own personality, even if it was a bit extreme.

The way the author wrote this book was incredible. Even in the most serious situations there was a funny streak in it. The plot was easy to follow along with, and the story was very believable.

I connected with the characters in this book very well. A bunch of teenagers who don't know what to do with their lives, and yet they still make living worth while. In the back of the book ther is a collection of postcards and letters from Rowan's friends that serve as a neat epilogue to this story. I would difinitely reccomend this story to any eighth grader.

Written and published by Cara

Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea By Jules Verne

When ships from every nation mysteriously are destroyed by the blow of an unknown creature of the sea, the crew of the Abraham Lincoln sails off to discover this creature and take it down. Among the crew is Ned Land, an expert harpooner from Canada, Professor Aronnax, a distinguish scientist, and his faithful servant Conceil who would give his own life to save his master’s. Together, they seek out the monster only to find out it’s not really a monster, but a submarine! The under water machine, the Nautilus, is captained by a man who calls himself Nemo. He greets his uninvited guests, Ned, Conceil, and Aronnax, with great hospitality with the only exception of them never leaving the Nautilus.


It was easy to lose myself in the reading of this novel -once the old English style sunk into my head. Though some parts were confusing, others carried me down to the deepest depths of the ocean and the coldest places known to man. More than once I found my self completely baffled by the extensive research Jules Verne had to do to bring about the astonishing world of the Nautilus and the seas not yet known to man. “…the Nautilus. This pioneer underwater ship had a long way to travel, no less than twenty thousand leagues under the sea, and though it was to make this perilous trip only on paper, Verne meant it to be seaworthy at every point” (7). Verne was well ahead of his time, well over a century. “…whatever the mind can clearly see, the hand of man in time will carry out” (8).


Jules Verne portrayed each character vividly thus I, at times, caught my self acting and becoming the characters. Though this is true for most books I read, this had yet to happen when I am required to read. Captain Nemo, the mysterious man who left the world above to live beneath the seas that are free of tyrants, beckoned me ‘til the point that I started believing that the sea was the one true escape from the world. “…I had done with the world on the day when my Nautilus plunged for the first time beneath the waters” (79). “I have done with society entirely, for reasons which I alone have the right of appreciating” (73). Monsieur Pierre Aronnax, a man of science and adventure, captured every moment and left out little detail when he told of the magnificent Nautilus. “Study is to me a relief, a diversion, a passion that could make me forget everything.” (348). Conceil, loyal servant of Aronnax, shares the same passion for the sea and its inhabitants as his master and drew me in with his calm natured matter. “…being in my master’s service, I followed him” (53). Ned Land, the Canadian harpooner whose attitude and quickness of hand led him to be the best of his dangerous occupation, brought out the every anger one could feel for being contained under water for too long. . “…I will defend myself; I will force them to kill me” (368).


Though I would not recommend this book to novice readers, I would recommend it to those who can loosen their minds from reality and let it sail off into the horizon of a new day. A day aboard the Nautilus and the mysterious Captain Nemo.
Post created and published by Tasha

Vibe History of Hip Hop By:Alan Light

2 PAC

Tupac Shakur or he also was known by 2pac he was a fiery feroucious MC a man so beautiful that made u wanna touch the screen he had lashes like fans like feathers on his fudgy skin. He was a great Rapper/MC he wrote songs mostly on his life and sometimes of his frieds. He used to make concerts on his hood to raise money and help improve school, give food or clothes to the needed. He got sent to jail lots of times for his lyrics and for doing stupid stuff. He was sent to jail for shooting a cop another time that he was sent to jail was for j walking as the cops said Tupac said that he was just walking when the police car stopped were he was and they got out of the car and beat him to the ground they smashed his head like 5 times on the ground till 2 pac started to bleed and they took him to court. He was found inoccent and got like 50 grands from the police department he said that he could of went to court and get more money from them but he didnt want to cause it was too much and he was okay with 50 thousand dollars from the cops. Tupac got shot a couple of times he was shot outside a hotel, he was shot 1 in the head 2 in the chest and some in the legs or by there but he luckily survived and couple of months after he was okay and was able to walk and go out he was partying and he spent a night with a girl who he says that she wanted to F*** him so in the morning when they woke up the girl started screaming for help that she was raped so tupac was sent to jail for a year.

The characters in his life seem incredible like everyone worshiped him because of his lyrics and his need of helping people and his hood. He started saying s*** about Eddie Murphy because they said that he didnt give to the ghetto and one of 2 pacs quotes was "We all know that the cherrity doesnt go the ghetto". Another quotes from the reporters was "Dear Mama," along with Tupac's apperance in court,bandaged and weakfromthe five bullets he took in the lobby of a New York City recording studio,smoothed his rough edges and filled in his story."

When Tupac got better puffy and Biggie Smalls said that they were their to protect him and that they wouldnt even helped him. So Tupac started making songs and saying s*** about them and their bad boy record label. So one night ridin down the hood suge knight, 2pac,and another guy on the back they got shot and the car crashed so 2pac died. All the news saying Tupac is dead in the strets,blood everywhere police clearing the scene thug niggas stand on the periphery,girls cry. Reporters commenting the shooting of "Tupac Shaker" he's dead they say dancing from star to star at night ,diving into hell's seething sewer at dawn. Tupac bathes on Sunday in the tears we cry for him,wades like a slave through that troubled water.

Castaways of the Flying Dutchman by Brian Jaques

An eternal journey of a boy and his dog. Getting stuck on the Flying Dutchman wasn't Neb's idea of fun, he just wanted away from his horrific life. Starting anew wasn't exactly what happened on the sip ether. The Flying Dutchman was captained by a madman and his murderous crew, because of that it was cursed by an angel to spend the rest of eternity sailing cursed waters. On the ship though some good fortune does happen to Neb, he finds a large black lab and soon both are best friends. The angel that cursed the ship sent Neb and Denmark on an adventure to do good everywhere and soon come to a town named Chapelvale to save it from an abolishing fate.

The characters in this book are great. They’re funny, intelligent, and mysterious. Neb is fourteen, but extremely wise for his age with deep blue eyes to prove it (“and a mysterious air about him as if he’d had some sort of sea faring experience (p.80)”. His dog, Denmark isn’t really his, he chooses to stay by Neb. H has a sense of humor that you wouldn’t expect from a dog, he’s a sort of dog that likes to cut to the chafe. He’s a large black lab and a “companionable dog (p.80)” as the book puts it. There are many other villains and friends as well. The characters definitely got me hooked on the book.

The author has a great writing style that glues your eyes to the book. The writing style and plot were great. The writing was descriptive, entrancing and believable. There’s quite a bit of mystery and suspense. The author has a way of putting things in front of your eyes without you seeing it then without warning its there and you’re left saying ohh, duh why didn’t I see that?! The plot is totally fast and you realize the book is over and gone before even starting.
Some passages and areas I loved were when Denmark (the dog) would figure something out and tell Ned (they can communicate) and Ned would tell it to someone else and they’d compliment Ned, not Denmark. Or Denmark would get a compliment and he would reply now there’s a smart person (or something along those lines). I would recommend this book to others because its funny, fast paced and suspenseful with 4.5 stars of 5. I loved it.


Written and published by Megan F.

Flight of the Dragon Kyn

I like books that have a lot of adventure. Especially when the adventure centers around science fiction. This is probably the reason why I was so drawn to read "Flight of the dragon kyn." It, Flight of the dragon kyn, is about a Girl named Kara who is asked, to use her special powers over birds and their relatives, to aid the king in his battle against the last of the dragons. She agrees to the terms the king had mad and begins her journey to the kings castle. On her journey Kara wonders what the king will do if she can not call the dragons down, if they don't listen to her! That is what scares her most of all. But these troublesome thoughts are comforted by a young lad about her age, named Kazan, who tries to look after her and help her on her journey. Eventually though this comfort runs thin and Kara is forced to face her fears about what might happen. She weighs out the odds on running away or staying to continue her mission and decides. Her decision changes her life entirely and sheds new light on her childhood mystery of how she survived vermillion fever, a fever in which no human could live through. It's a decision that ends up killing, what I believe to be her second mother.

The main character, Kara, is a out cast. She came down with vermillion fever and was expected to die but for some reason lived. The only signs she ever had it is the scar on her cheek and her eyes that were once blue but now are green. She is a character who longs to be excepted but knows she never will be. But because of her powers she does meet a man who does except her for who she really is. This man is kind and gentle and seems to have a passion for Kara that no others have had. There personalities are meant to link and combine and are ones that some people wish they had. They are personalities that are unique and special.

The lay out and plot of this book is wonderful. It doesn’t only revolve around an adventure but also around a love story. It gives use full perspective of Kara’s entire life leaving nothing uncovered, it’s as if your right there witnessing and feeling everything. It makes it hard to put down the book because it’s as if you’re living your own life when your reading except your life seems to be more thrilling and exiting.

Death, bloodshed, power, and wore sense take place in this book giving it more life and excitement. This book is a perfect book it seems. It has the power to lure you in and contain your attention. Once you finish one book it is as if you can’t wait to read the next one. The main down side though is that there is only three Dragon Chronicles. That means I can only read and have one more exiting experience with these characters. And honestly I don’t what that journey to end so I have yet to read the third one, but anyways if you like high speed adventures books and a little love and /or romance to the side then this is the book for you.

Wanted! By Caroline B. Cooney

Wanted!
BY: Caroline B. Cooney

If you think your life is bad you should hear what happened to Alice in Wanted. It seemed like a regular day until her dad called and wanted Alice to get some important business disks and meet him at their favorite place to get ice cream. That seems pretty normal but he told Alice to take his Corvette. His most prized possession, he loved his Corvette and didn’t let Alice touch it. On top of that Alice couldn't drive! As alice was getting ready for to met her dad someone came it the using a key Alice went and hid. Who ever was in the house didn’t stay long and made a lot of noise. When Alice came out of her hiding place every thing looked in order. She got in the car and went to meet her dad. She got to the ice cream shop and waited in the car for her dad. She turned on the radio to here, ”Tragedy and mystery struck the Stratford Condominium complex earlier today. Thirty-nine-year-old Marc Robie was found murdered in his bedroom. Neighbors are shocked. This is the kind if place where you never dreamed such a thing could happen. Police are looking for Alice Robie, Marc’s daughter. She was seen driving away in her father’s car before the police arrived at the murder scene. Police were called by the murder victim’s ex-wife, who received an E-mail from their daughter Alice, Confessing that she had killed her father. Alice Robie is described as five feet five inches, 115 pounds, long brown hair, brown eyes. She is driving a ‘94 red Corvette, license 386 JEF.”

Alice is such an incredible character. If I was ever blamed for murdering I don't see how i could ever stay that calm. She had to deal with so much stuff and the death of her dad. But it was not like she was prefects she had moments when she wanted to sit on the floor and start crying.

This book made me keep reading I never wanted to stop. From the begging to the end this book kept my attention. It is always exciting.

The only thing i didn’t like about this book is that the end didn’t solve all the problems. I would tell anyone who likes mystery to read this book. After i read it i got 3 other books by Caroline B. Cooney she is my favorite author now.

Written and published By Valerie N.

Fat Kid Rules The World By K.L. Going

Ever had one of those moments where you just want to end it all.Then you probably know how Troy feels.He is 17,300 pounds, and friendless.He is 6''1.Standing past the yellow line in the subway station ready to jump.That is until a kid named Curt comes and saves his life.Curt is really skinny and is considerd a professional on the guitar.He's also really famous and a junkie.(drug addict)Troy and curt become the best of friends.Troy then goes on a wild adventure of becoming Curt's drummer.Troy helps Curt try to get off the pills and to start a new life.While Curt teaches Troy to become more confident of himself and to be a killer drummer.

Troy is a very realistic character.Young adults can feel what he's going through.Troy is narrating the book.But it feels like your inside Troy's head.Hearing his thoughts and words as he speaks or thinks him.He has a very cool brother that's ashamed of him and a strict military dad.Curt is a highschool legend.Very respected and known.Yet usually he's homeless and has nobody to take care of him.Troy and Curt start to help eachother in life.Troy all the while believes that Curt is just faking and to cool to be real.As the story progresses their life is reavealed and they put up to life's challenges.Curt on the otherhand is very happy to be with Troy.All the while he's trying to show Troy that he doesn't have to listen what anybody thinks of him.

The plot of the book is not hard to see.Two friends in a rock band trying to make it through life.Many obstacles do come in their way,but they learn how to over come them and fight back.As they learn life's lessons they also learn lessons that will change the forever.I would reccommend this book to people that just like a good book.This book just pulls you in and you want to know what happens next.It combines humor with a little bit of drama.Trust me you will want to keep reading.But the ending will leave you asking for more.But it's a great novel all together.According to Troy''Fat kid rules the world.''

Written And Published By:Solomon Campos

The Body by Stephen King

"The Body" is one of numerous short stories written by Stephen King. It was the inspiration and essentially the plot of the 1989 movie "Stand By Me", directed by Rob Reiner.

This story tells the tale of four early teenage boys looking for the body of a missing teen their age, and how the adventure changes their views on life, how they grow up during the period, and how their friendship keeps them together through it all. It starts off in the small town of Castle Rock in the late 50's. The four boys, Gordie, Teddy, Chris, and Vern, are all typical 50's teens. Sneaking out of their homes, smoking cigarettes in their clubhouse, and cussing eachother out because it's "cool". It takes place in the summer, and they are all lazing around, relaxing and enjoying the summer, when Vern comes with news. He overhears his older brother and his Greaser friends talking about the location of the body of a missing teen named Ray Brower. Although the boys didn't know Ray, they followed the story because he was a boy their age, and there is always reward money involved in these cases. So they set out to find the body, walking many miles to find it, sharing stories along the way, and finding out who they really are.

The characters in this book are very well written. Each has his own distinctive personality, and can be identified from eachother. Stephen King does an excellent job of making each character unique and giving each one a vibrant personality. The boys fit the setting of this story perfectly. Gordie, the main character and narrarator, is a typical early adolescent boy. He's an amazingly gifted writer and story teller, and he demonstrates this in the book by sharing one of his tales. He is best friends with Chris, the bad kid with a big heart. He is the little brother of a Greaser, and has to be tough to survive. But, he's really a good kid deep down. Then there's Teddy, the glasses-clad geek. His father is mentally unstable and came home drunk one night and put Teddy's ear to a stove. Paramedics arrived and took Teddy to the hospital. And they took Teddy's dad to the hospital too. The mental hospital. But despite all this, Teddy is still very proud of his father and brags about how he stormed the beach at Normandy all the time. Vern is the slightly chubby, goody two-shoes of the group. He isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but still lovable anyway.

The plot in this book is amazing. It's a great story for drama, comedy, and in general, it's just a good story. It's easy to see why the movie based off of this book became such a popular, classic movie. I have no complaints about this book. I never read, usually, but I had a really good time reading this book. I recommend this book to anyone, young or old.

the empty mirror by:James Licoln Collier

The empty mirror

Sometimes you can have a good book, next to a tree, in the shade on a sunny day. It could be a funny book or a fantasy book. What I like the best is a good mystery book like any with a scary mystery. As the book im reading is good a mystery book. When Nick Hodges was hanging out with Gypsy, his neighbor told him that she had seen him in the woods where the pond that they hung out at, where most of the kids hung out at. But he had never gone to that pond that day. He didn’t know what to do except to go there and find out what was going on. When they got to that pond he looked in it, looking through that pond he sees his friends Gypsy’s reflection, but where was his! Where the cloud in the sky was he was suppose to be in front of it. But there was none of him in sight! When he told her she wouldn’t believe him. Now they have a mystery to find out about, and the question? Who is that mysteries person who looks like him?

In this book there are many other little mysteries that happen. This is one reason why I liked this book. That’s because you don’t get bored while you read it. My favorite character in this book would have to be Gypsy because she is one of those people you would not see are meeting very often. She is an exiting girl who just understands. She is also well seems like a nice and person and that I would have allot of fun with her. In this book I liked some parts and disliked other things in the book. One thing I liked about the book was that it had a good plot. It kept you wanting to read more and more about it. There's this part in the book about a 13 year old boy dieing during the days where people were during of sicknesses. It says "jared olters July 18,-october 24,1918 He died amoung strangers" This made me more interested in what else happen to that boy. On the other hand I would say that I disliked the writing style, because it had a some sort of weird accent to it. Which I think was bad to do because there would be a good part that was about to happen and then it gets ruin by a word with an accent. But if you like that I think this might be a good book for you. But that is the only thing that annoyed me. The whole rest of the book I thought it was good.

This book grabbed me into it because you can’t stop reading! There are so many things you want to know as you read. During your reading it seems like this could really happen someday. The events in this book seem so real. I really hope that there will be a second book for The Empty Mirror.

I know that if you read this fun, thrilling, mysterious book that you would hope for another one too.

Written and published by: Thanh

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

There are two guys named George and Lennie. These guys are two that you might not think would match, but together they form a family bond. In the book they make plans to own an acre of land and a shack. But not even George could stop Lennie from a beautiful woman and the trouble that would come.

One of the best things about this book were its character. Lennie was the best of them all. He was the easiest characters to follow because he went through no real changes. mostly in every scene Lennie brings these characteristics, he loves to pet soft things, is really devoted to George and their vision of the farm, and has incredible physical strength.

I like the plot a lot. I like how all the events in the book make it a book that I might take off the shelf more then once. The story isn't like most of the books I read. I really like how two "Joes" who are different are really good friends, practically family.

One thing I really hated about this book was Curley's wife. She flirted with everyone on the farm. She was known was a “tramp,” a “tart,” and a “looloo.” I mean, if you have a husband stick to him instead of making yourself look bad.

The book was great.I think everyone should read it. But one really heart breaking part in the book was at the end when George has to... I don't want to ruin the ending so I'll leave you with is quote"A water snake glided smoothly up the pool, twisting its periscope head from side to side; and it swam the length of the pool and came to the legs of a motionless heron that stood in the shallows. A silent head and beak lanced down and plucked it out by the head, and the beak swallowed the little snake while its tail waved frantically."

Written and published by Mr.Batara

Define "Normal" by Julie Anne Peters

Can a "normal" person trust a psycho freaky whacked-out punker?" Antonia, the main
character of the story (Define "normal"), is a fourteen year old middle schooler. She is a straight "A" student, enrolled in math club and used to do gymnastics. As the kind person Antonia is, she councils the freaky whacked-out punker......... Jazz. But to Antonia's surprise, Jazz may just become her best friend.

Taking care of, and supporting your whole family is enough. Along with counseling,, Antonia barely has time for herself. Although she is only in the eighth grade, she's the one in charge at home. Antonia's mother, has a strong case of depression, which doesn't allow her to have much personality, or strength. I can't even imagine being the one to do all the cleaning, and feed my whole family every day of my life.

Jazz and Antonia continued with their counseling.. The meetings, weren't getting much better. Each... Each time, more information about eachother leaked out. Some didn't always want to be This adventually lead to a closer relationship between Jazz and Antonia. Antonia didn't know it but; Jazz was helping her with her struggles more than she was helping Jazz.

One day, all evil broke loose. Antonia's mother was just about finished. Meaning. . At. . . the worst she had ever been. Antonia had to do something. And who did she call? Jazz. Before Antonia could blink an eye, Jazz and her mother were there to save the day.

Later on; it was no longer in the hands of Antonia. Her and her brothers spent the weekend at Jazz's house. But soon, Antonia was surprised with a knock at the door from the child services. They were there to take care of Antonia and her two brothers, and inform them about their mother, who was very ill at the time. From here on out, I guess I would say things get better . . But I guess you'll never know, unless you read the book.

Overall, definitely recommend this book to others; preferably girls, just because it's about two teenage girls. I also would say that the beginning of the book is a little slow, but once you get to know the characters, it becomes more interesting.. I really thought it was fun relating myself to Jazz and Antonia, because they are such opposites, as well am I. I think that if I was friends with one of them; it would probably be neither. They are so different that I would most likely be right in between. I think that if you're looking for a humorous, exciting, book that you can relate to, this is the book for you.

By Ravyn Newsom

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

Neverland. The land of pirates, Indians, mermaids, fairies, magic, and home to boys without mothers. Peter Pan being one of those boys. When Peter calls Wendy away to Neverland, to be their mother, she couldn't help but go. No one loved Wendy's stories more than Peter did. Adventure of all sorts await them there. Immediately Wendy and her brothers love Neverland but start to forget about their own home. Most importantly they start to forget about their own mother. So they have to decide whether to go home or to leave Peter Pan, the lost boys, and Neverland forever.

I really liked the book Peter Pan. It was different than the movie. The book gives so much more detail and description. The way it was written was kind of weird though. One minute it would be in one point of view and then the next minute it would be in a different point of view. I had to go back to see if I had missed something. So this is probably not a very good book for those who don't read every word. I liked the way how it was written like someone was actually telling this story aloud. The words were a little bit confusing, but I think that's because the author was from England.

All the characters had different personalities. Peter Pan was arrogant and cocky. The author did a good job of portraying a boy who never wanted to grow up. While Wendy was nurturing, motherly, and cared for everyone. Captain Hook was the perfect and expected villain, along with his sidekick Smee. Smee was actually not that bad at heart, but somehow got hooked into the pirating business. The lost boys were all young and innocent. They all needed a mother and luckily Wendy was there. I liked this book a lot because of how the author brought the story alive. The magic of Neverland was captured perfectly. I recommend this book to others who like books about fantasy and magic.


By Angela

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

"Would I really have to take each of my hopes and put them away where no one would ever see them again, where not even I would ever see them?" (296) When you are a geisha, you cannot fulfill your own dreams and goals in life. You must follow the rules that are set out for you when you begin your training. Work hard. No boyfriends. Don't leave the okiya without permission. Learn to cope with pain. Chiyo-san, geisha name Sayuri, broke many of these rules and lost all hope of ever becoming a geisha. Then, one day, everything changed while running an errand in town. She came across the Chairman on a bridge. He showed her great kindness by giving her a few coins, enough to let her leave Gion forever. Instead of doing that, Sayuri ran to the Gion Shrine. She then threw the coins into the offertory box and prayed. She prayed that someday she would become a geisha. Also, she prayed that she could attract the notice of the Chairman once again.

Memoirs of a Geisha, by Arthur Golden, was a great book. I really enjoyed many aspects of the book, including the characters, plot line, and the moral of the story. I thought that the characters in this book were outstanding. They were all very different and complex; you never knew what to expect from each character. My favorite character in Memoirs of a Geisha would have to be Mameha, Sayuri's "older sister." I thought she was a great character because she was very mysterious, independent, and clever. Throughout the book she came up with many schemes and tricks to help Sayuri climb the ladder to become a geisha. Another character that I found interesting was one of the main adversaries, Hastumomo. Without the many controversies that Hatsumomo created, the book wouldn't have been as interesting.

The plot in Memoirs of a Geisha made the book very suspenseful. So many problems arose on Sayuri's quest to become a geisha that the road ahead of her looked very doubtful. I enjoyed how the author set up so many twists and turns to keep the reader's interest throughout the book. Another great thing about the book was that not only did it educate readers about the geisha lifestyle, but it also revealed a story of determination and love.

The moral in Memoirs of a Geisha was one that really stuck with me. Throughout the book, Sayuri showed that she was determined and would never let anyone crush her dreams of becoming a geisha. I thought this was a great moral because when you truly believe that you can do something and work hard enough to get it, it can happen. I also think that there was another moral hidden in the book. The second moral dealt with karma, destiny, and fate. Many things that you do in your life can help shape your destiny. For instance, if someone treats others badly, their behavior could potentially come full circle, and could even change their destiny.

I strongly recommend the book Memoirs of a Geisha. Not only was it interesting, it grabbed my attention and never let go.

Written and published by Hannah Martin

Jungle Dogs by:Graham Salsibury(Hector Garcia)

Have you ever had someone call you a name because you don't have what it takes to do something. Well Boy Regis is a boy that has a paper route every morning. But he is terrified about the dogs which lurk along the paper route. Boy has a brother that is part of a gang and he isn't afraid of anything, He is always calling Boy a sissy. He tells him weird phrases and that's when Boy has to talk back. He tells him, ''You don't always have to fight to win a battle.'' Will Boy be able to face his fear on the Jungle Dogs? Read the book and find out if Boy is tough enough to face his fear.

I think that the characters in this book sound cool. One of the main characters is Damon, he is Boy's big brother. He is s gangsta. He helps Boy in alot of things. One of the times is when he tried to protect him from a big tough guy. Boy doesn't want Damon to help him all the time because he doesn't want to be called a sissy. I think that damon feels that e has to protect his little brother because if his little brother was him and he was his little brother, he would do the same.

Boy is a kid that is brave. He fears the dogs that lurk around his paper route. He is brave because even though he is scared of the dogs, he knows that with all the things that his brother tells him, he can do it. Have you ever been called a sissy?I know and believe that Damon hurts Boy's feelings when he calls them that.

Boys dad sounds like a nice dad and a mean dad at the same time. He screams alot,but Boy thinks that he is very cool,his dad encourages his sons alot. He told both that there was no reason to be scared of dogs. His dad is very cool and I wish that I can have a friend like him.

I don't recomend this book because it is kind of boring. But if you wish to find out what ever happens to Boy, then read the book.

The River Between Us

The year is 1861, and Tilly Pruitt's life is about to change. Civil war is imminent and her brother, Noah is eager to go and fight on the side of the North. With her father long gone, Tilly, her sister, and her mother struggle to make ends meet and hold the dwindling Pruitt family together.

Then one night a mysterious girl arrives on a steamboat bound from St. Louis. Delphine is elegant and beautiful and outspoken and unlike anyone the small river town of Grand Tower has ever seen.
Mrs. Pruitt agrees to take Delphine and her dark, silent traveling companion in as boarders. No one in town knows how to make of the two strangers.

Characters in the story are really weird because the people in the village is always talking about rumors about the mysterious woman that visited their town and they thinks that the Pruitt family are spies for bringing Ms. Delphine and the mysterious lady in their house.

The title really relates to the story because the Mississipi river is a big part of the story, the main charater is always talking how her town depends on the river. The river also seperates her brother and the mysterious woman because they like each other.The theme revolves around surviving and the war in the book. One time in your life you are so happy and next you could be living in a barn.

This is one of the best books I have read in awhile. I recommend this to anyone who is looking for a good book to read. The last few chapters is awesome.

Written and published by: Jonathan De Leon

City of Ember, by Jeanne DuPrau

I read the book called The City of Ember. It was about an underground city that was isolated from the rest of the world for hundreds of years. The people who lived there thought they were the only ones in (what they thought was) a world of darkness. The city started to get very low on its supplies and their lights were dying. Since they had no sun, they relied on lights. Their lights were like street lights, and they had lights on their ceilings, that was the only way they got their light. A girl named Lina and her friend Doon find what they think are the instructions to another city (our world, but they don't know that). The only problem is that when Lina found the instructions, it was after her little sister had chewed it up and they could barely read it. Lina and Doon tried decoding the instructions and they decoded some, but there were still spots that were blank and unreadable. So, then they set off to find the way out of their city and into a new world.

I thought "The City of Ember" is a good book. I think the main reason that it got in the Readers Choice nominees list is because it keeps you hooked and it's a great, imaginative story. It's really suspenceful. When you get to about the middle of the book, the ending seems a little obvious, I still really wanted to know how in the world they were going to find out how they get out of their isolated city! There were all these twists and many sub-plots that kept me wondering how Lina and Doon were going to find the way out.

The reading level is easy. The reason why is the sentences are plain and they mostly don't have big words that not as many people will know. There's nothing you have to think about to understand, the plot and everything, overall, is easy to understand.

I think the story and plot are very creative and imaginative. It makes a lot of since. Even though it's fiction. It seems like it could have happened. If you read to book, all the way to the end, you'll understand. But to you, it probably doesn't sound like it could have really happened just from my short summary.

I think this book was great. I really enjoyed reading it. You should read it so you can enjoy it too. But I'll warn you, the ending leaves you hanging, but luckily the author is working on a sequel.

Written and Published by Rochelle

The Fellowship of the Ring by Admiral Sean Callahan

I read The Lord of The Rings, The Fellowship of The Ring. It was surprisingly a lot beter than the movie. I had no idea how many parts they left out. For those of you who don't know the Fellowship of the Ring is the first of trilodgy by J.R.R. Tolkien. It is set in midevil times with mthical creatures like orcs and elves. It was really the book that created the orcs and elves in many fantasy stories found today. Also a some of the main characters were small people or Hobbits, they run into many enemies in their quest to destroy an evil ring.

I think that this was a very good book written by an amazing author. When you read the book and have seen the movies you find out how devoted to the series Tolkein was. He created an entire language and many side storis that don't have that much to do with the overall story but makes it so much more interesting. I think even though the movie was good it did not do this book justice.

My favorite part of The Fellowship of The Ring is the part where the fellowship is in the mines of Moria. The whole part is just so cool ecspecailly the part when Gandlf faces the Balrog. The whole book is very exiting but this part was the most exciting to me. I love how there is more than one story going on at once. I really like stories that keep you in suspence and give you breaks from the lame parts. I also really appreciate the effort it must have taken just to come up with the ideas for this series.

I think that this is a very good book and I reccomend it to any person seeking a challenging thriller. I hope you will read it and I know you will like it!

Jaguar By Henry !!!!C.T.T.D.W.H.C.!!!!

I read the book Jaguar and no not the car the animal. This book was very interesting because the author always kept me reading and never let me put the book down. Another reason why I liked it was because of the climax and the way the book felt. The way it felt means the way the author gave so much expressed and life to the characters in the book. The characters in the book were never stuberend or strong willed because in the first book "Thunder Cave" Jake the main character flew half way around the world to find his father who didn't even knew that he was coming, but in this story Jake father brings him out to Africa to find jaguar. The plot in this book was very good because the rain forest the perfect place for a story and to find strange but mysteries people. This book when you read this book it will fell like you are in the rain forest because it gives such a good describes of where ever he is or what people look like, how he feels, or how others feel. I can make connections just not a lot of them like in the book Jake looks through the binoculars and the bad guy was looking right back at him same thing happen to me. Also when Jake goes to Africa I am going to Africa over the summer and I can't wait. I would recommend this book to anyone that wants a good adventure book and a book that you can and will not want to put down I am telling you right now read this book. This book has passages that you will not believe like " I focused the lenes the hillside, looking likely opening in the thick growth, when I saw the man watching us through binoculars! As soon as he saw me, he took the binoculars away from his face and I saw the scar. I could have sworn it was the same man who had broken into Silver's cabin." Once again I tell go out to your local library and read this book right away!

Fat Kid Rules the World by K. L. Going

Fat Kid Rules the World by K. L. Going
One hot summer day in the New York subways Troy Billings, about to commit suicide, is saved by, lower east side's own semi-homeless guitar genius, Curt MacCrae. Instantly Troy's life is changed forever. He soon becomes a drummer for Curt and is hanging' out with many people that he normally wouldn't. Throughout the book you read about his life before Curt. Troy dreams of being a great drummer but when he gets his chance he doesn't know what to do and throws up on it. Literally.

The characters in this book are wonderful and respond to situations in ways you would expect them to do but not so easy to guess that I knew that they were going to do all the time. The theme revolves around drug addiction throughout the book. One moment in life you could be at the top of your game and the next you be throwing up right on top of all of your achievements that is an important message I got from this book.

The plot of this book starts out and you think "Oh you poor fat kid" or "Stupid fatty." As the plot thickens you learn the lessons of punk rock such as "We're all just stuffing our faces, no matter what we look like, and people need to figure that out." (148) So by this I thought wow how true.

Soon Troy "Big T" and Troy’s father are making decisions for Curt and their band Rage/Tectonic. This may start out as a sappy story about some suicidal, 300 lbs. fat kid but it soon turns into a novel about life, punk rock, food and drugs.

This book is so awesome that I read it three times in the time I was writing this report.
Written and Published By Nico

Soldier Boys by Dean Hughes

During the Civil War, General William Sherman once said, "War is Hell, war is ugly," Dean Hughes captured that statement in a blood pumping, frightening, and exciting historical fiction, "Soldier Boys". This is the rivoting tale of two boys, both on different sides of the world, yearning to fight in the same war. One, an American, the other, a German and a Nazi. It seems that these two boys couldn't be any more different, but as time passes, they are more like each other than they know.

Soon after the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, young Spencer can't wait to get into the war. After dropping out of high school, he goes into the most grueling training of his life with all hopes of becoming a paratrooper in the prestigious 42nd Airborne division.

On the other side of the world, 15 year old Dieter wanted to prove he was strong. Since a young age, Dieter had been willing to do anything to look brave, even if it meant jumping into a freezing cold lake. His need for bravery sent him head first into the Hitler Youth program. Caught in the same war on different sides, with different ideas about living, these two boys discovered the true pain and suffering of war.

This is one of those books that creates a very clear picture in your mind about the characters, the plot, and the scenarios. This book made me really believe that I was fighting right along Spencer and Dieter in World War 2. I have only read a few novels that showed as much detail as Dean Hughes put into writing "Soldier Boys". He made sure that you would suffer as these boys suffered, you train as they trained, and fight in the same war as they fought in. This book gives new meaning to "War is Hell, War is Ugly," and it will probably entertain readers for many years to come. I would recommend this war novel to anyone who likes realistic fiction novels and books that are about World War 2.

Fallen angels by Walter Dean Myers

Fallen Angels is a book about the war in Vietnam. It stars Perry, a private in the U.S army. Along the way, he makes a lot of friends, and goes into a lot of battles.
The book tells a lot about how things were back in the war from the eyes of a soldier. A lot of things are really realistic, like they really were. It uses a lot of death in the battle field, so it's not like nobody dies, because a lot do.
The book is also very gory, there is a lot of descriptions of death, how people died, and what they looked like after they were shot.
characters in the book are likable. They're just grunts in the army, so they like to cuss a lot. You can tell that they are authentic because in the real war, soldiers would not of liked being volunteered to go into a fire fight and get killed. It's the same way in this book. It almost makes you mad in the book how the sergeant volunteers his squad to go into battle so he can get a promotion.
The plot, I think was also very good. It's realistic, and usually action packed. There are only a few points that are a little boring, but the battle scenes are great. The boring parts are just slower than the rest of the book, but there are only a few, so it doesn't ruin the book at all.
The end is a little weird. The rest of the book was great, but the end was just weird. If you read this book, you probably won't like the end, but the rest of it is good. So, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone, but especially if you like books about Vietnam, or war in general.

Written and Published by Billy

Eyes Of The Emperor by Graham Salisbury

Eyes of the Emperor by Graham Salisbury is an awesome book about what the U.S Japanese American soldiers had to go through during and after Pear Harbor. After that day of Pearl Harbor everyone treated them differently because of it. This though targets a special group of Japanese soldiers. The ones that were shipped off to Cat Island to help train dogs with their "Japanese Scent," or a more common term for them was bait...

This special K-9 program was filled with donated dogs from homes. Tons of dogs were in this program and trained for different things Attack Dogs, Sentry Dogs, and Suicide Dogs. President Roosevelt believed from Russian Trainers that they could teach the dogs how to track the peculiar Japanese Scent. Of course though after hearing this the Japanese soldiers of Cat Island were furious, but to honorable to do anything about it. Eddy Okobo was one the few who went their including his friends. While there Eddy had to go through horrible things to train those dogs such as beating them, which still brings tears to his eyes now. After gruesome times at Cat Island the government came to see how things were going, and since now Eddy was so great at hiding by then he showed that the Japanese were no different than the Americans, because he was one.

The characters in this book are based on the real people who were there, and Graham Salisbury does a great job of portraying who they were, and what they went through. You can also relate to these characters because you should always fight for what you believe in, and I would think no one wants to beat a dog. If you do, I despise you. In the book the president thought that the Japanese had a peculiar and different scent than anyone else, which I find is racist, and to add on to that he put at least 20 Japanese AMERICAN Soldiers at Cat Island to help train dogs because of this scent.

The plot of this story was very interesting and exciting. This story was adventurous, exciting, it had lots of guns and disgust, and it gives a whole new outlook on what Japanese American Soldiers went through. Also this builds on that everyone should be treated equal by race, and to stay true to what you believe. I absolutely have no doubts about reading this book. It sucks you back to Pearl Harbor, and you just can stop reading it (I finished reading in 4 days *_*). I definitely recommend this book, and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do.

Written and Published by: Eric C.

FAHRENHEIT 451 BY: ~~BrAnDoN~~ !!!!C.T.T.D.W.H.C.!!!!

Fahrenheit 451 is a book about how a man, a fire man, who finds out how a simple book can change someone's life. Guy montag is a fireman, but unlike fire men in reality he sets fires instead of putting them out. They are a group of firemen that start fires to peoples houses that are holding books inside their houses with ought anyone knowing. They are in a time where books are illegal to own or have.

This book was a book that was hard to put down but I though that it would be better to wait to read what happens next. There's a part in the book where Montag questions if the firemen ever put out fires instead of setting fire to peoples houses. This is where i think montag is starting to believe that what they are doing is wrong and that they should change what they are doing. Montag relates to people in history that have stood up for what they believe is right. The people in this story that are in america and everywhere else are people who think that we don't need books to live are daily lives. I think that they are insane because everyone needs something to depend on. There is a part in the book where they are talking about how there are no more Bibles left in america and that there are no more things to read. But the people who think that they can make a difference have kept books over the years and that is where Montag and the other firemen come into play. They are sent to burn the houses and the books that the people own so that no one can read them. I think that books are part of are natural life and without them are way of life would change forever.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a story that has a twisted story to tell to its readers. If this is your kind of book then this is the book for you!!!