Angels and Demons By Dan Brown

CERN's director, Maximilian Kohler, finds that one of CERN's best scientist, Leonardo Vetra, has been killed. Left on Leonardo's chest is the word "Illuminati", formed as an ambigram, using a hot iron. Kohler then calls Harvard symbologist, Robert Langdon, to investigate this case. When Leonardo's daughter, Vittoria Vetra, arrives at CERN, she tells Kohler about the project that her father and her were working on, which is trying to create anti-matter. They soon find out that the anti-matter had been stolen. When the canister the anti-matter is in leaves it's charger for more than 24 hours, the magnetic field inside will drop leaving the anti-matter in contact with matter, which will then cause an enormous explosion to occur. It is then up to Langdon and Vittoria to retrieve the anti-matter before it is too late!

This was a pretty good book, not the best one I have ever read, but it's pretty good. What ruined the book for me was all the scientific and informational stuff in the book. I prefer a book with more action than information. I mean, I could always pick up my science book and read that. The book also had pretty good characters, but not many that I liked. Vittoria seemed too bossy, and she showed off a lot. Kohler thought he was more important than the president. The one I liked best was Langdon because he didn't think he was everything. I also liked the fact that he talked to himself in his head and made jokes about others. This usually happened when others didn't understand what he was saying. Overall this was a pretty good book. It could have been better though and I'm pretty sure that the sequel,The Da Vinici Code, is a much better book.

Written and Published by: Manuel L.

Lilys Ghosts by Cheryl Drake Harris

Lily's Ghosts is a book I read that I found quite amazing. If you like intriguing novels with mystery set basis then you will love to read Lily's Ghosts. The characters are realistic with very emotional backgrounds that are played into the characters dialogue.
Lily is a young girl of 13 years who has to move away from her last home for the eighth time. This destination is now near Cape May. She's dreary at the thought of moving again, and none the less, it's into her creepy great-uncle's vacationing home, but her sadness doesn't stay for long. Homeschooling is not new to her, neither public school, but she decides on homeschooling as a way to escape making new friends...or enemies. Lily doesn't know much of her mothers side of the family, maybe because she didn't want to, or maybe because it had never occurred to her that other people exist beyond her broken home after her father left and never returned. As a way of coping with her loss she began habits of strange origin. She would hide her distress by going to the beach and building sand castles on the shores of Cape May,or go exploring places she should not have.
During the process of exploring her new home she started experiencing coldness, extreme heat, running water that disappeared in an instant, and a Kewpie doll that loved to toy with her mind. In an attempt to flee the house she literally ran into a Greek boy her age. Adventures began after that. Ghosts begin appearing to her, and a mystery in uncovered about her family's past. Maybe it's good, and maybe it's something she doesn't want to hear.
The plot of this great book is something personally I have never read anything like before. Lily thinks and acts just like a 13 year old girl, and it's absolutely amazing to see such precise decisions from an older writer.
So, after Lily meets the charming Vasilios, the Greek boy she ran into, they discover new things about Lily's past that would've taken her years to figure out on her own. Maybe even decades. Things like; What is my mothers side of the family like? Why does Vasilios take such an effort to accompany me everywhere? How did my great-uncle Max die? etc..
Maybe this book is only meant for a younger crowd, but on a scale of 1-10, I'd have to give it an 8-9. The reason is because Lily is such an interesting person from the beginning. Every page I turn, I need to keep turning! Multiple mysteries are racking my brain as to whether or not they're true. How will I know unless I keep reading? Perhaps you will find this book unrealistic, and a corny love story, but any book that can keep me reading until the very end definitely must have some potential.
So, DOES Lily get Vasilios? Does Lily find the mystery to her great-uncles death? Do you find out the connection between a librarian, a Kewpie doll, a psychic , buried treasure , and a jewelry maker?
To find out you'll have to read Lily's Ghosts by Cheryl Drake Harris


written and published by HANNAH

The Cheat

Have you ever been tempted to cheat and get a good grade? Most teens today would do anything to get a good grade in a test or atleast pass. What happens when you cheat ona test? You think everything is going like you planned until you get called into the office. What would you do? if I were in that situation I would try to act normal but you just can't. It's just really hard to hide your nervousness. Four students have a geography midterm. They all have on wish and that is to pass their midterm. It's all about Sarah,Rob,Dan and Katie. They all memorize different thmes rhy or songs to pass the mid term. The question is how did they all ge the answers from the last years exam? This is just the beginning but you'll never imagine the consequences!
This is book has a little bit of everything. It has mystery and a little bit of love. Who do you think is truly the person that sent the answers to Sarah,Rob,Dan? Sarah thinks it is Katie, her best friend and blame her, but did Katie really tell or might it of been Rob, Dan or even Sarah?
The characters in this book are incredible. Not only can you learn from them, but you can also learn what teens would do to pass a test. I learned many things from this book! One thing that I learned is that it's best not to cheat because every bad thing has a consequence to it.
On page (123) we can see how one of the students feels for cheating. He says, "So why couldn't I just forget the whole stupid psychodrama and get on wuth studying for my one midterm?" On page (52) we can see how another student who cheated feels.
He says "wouldn't be all bad if their brakes fail. If one hits me, it would take care of everything, for good. We can see how ashamed this student feels for cheating. Would we feeel the same way, how would you react and what would your actions be? This student doesn't mind if a car ran over him.Would this be your reation?
The only frustrating or annoying part of book is the last part. The reason why I say that is because at the end there's this student that confesses to the principal. What confession do you think he made? At the end the student suffers it's consequences but when he/she returns to school everyone is glad of their return. I highly recommend this book and hope you find it interesting!
written and published by: Nelly

Surviving Hitler

Surviving Hitler, by Andrea Warren is one of the best books I have ever read. I learned more in that book than I have in any other book. To like this book you need to be interested in World War II. It's the only war I'm actually interested in.

The main character in the book is Jack Mandelbaum. He was an ordinary person living in Gdynia (ga-DIN-ya), Poland when the Nazis took all the jews to Auschwitz. There, Jack helped jews do work for the Nazis. He knew an electrician who got him a paper that had a Nazi stamp on it to show he was a good worker and worked for the Nazis. Later, Nazis came in at five o' clock and took all of the jewish families and lined them up. Jack's mother and brother were taken to a death camp but Jack showed the Nazis his Nazi stamp and went to a working camp. After a few years in the camps the war ended. Jack was free and wanted to reunite with his family. To know the ending you'll have to read it yourself. I already told too much.

I would definately recommend this book. Normally I hate reading and never want to continue when I start a book, but when I started reading this one I didn't want to stop because I was so interested. Because there are so many facts in this book, it is by far the best non-fiction story I've ever read. If you like non-fiction books you have to read this, you will love it guaranteed. It shows how extraordinary things can happen to ordinary people. The description of the life in concentration camps is so detailed. It tells how the food was, how the beds were, how the camps were crawling with lice, the diseases, the people, the exhausting work, and how to survive. I have nothing bad to say about this book.

Written and Published by: Chris M.

Beyond the Deepwoods by Paul Stewart and ChrisRiddel

The Book I read was The edge chronicals Beyond the Deepwoods The authors of the book are Paul Stewart and Chris Riddel.

I thought that the book was great, it had alot of twists and turns. You also don't really know whats going to happen next. There are 2 other sequals to the book. There was also many types of creatures and characters in the book. The plot was good, well ok, it wasn't the best but anyway it was about this boy named Twig and his adventures of the place called The Deepwoods. He encounters many bugs and dangerous creatures, but he also meets friends and people who help him along the way.

The book showed alot about the people he meets along the journey, I also liked how it described the setting, how it would be swampy marsh land and then suddenly change to a dense forest. I would definetly recommend for others to read, I would give it 4.5 stars. I dont really connect to the book that much because it's fiction and most things that happen would not happen in real life. In the book it mentioned him being a "WoodTroll" but he was very different from them. At the end of the book it showed Twig flying off into a sky ship and became a sky pirate like he always wanted to do. Though some of Twigs friends had died along the way, but atleast it had a happy ending, and a little bit of a cliffhanger. The book also had alot of different types of fruits,plants, and trees, I thought that it was neat how the author could think of all of those things.

By Alex R

The House Of The Scorpion by: Nancy Farmer

House of the Scorpion is a book filled with excitment and suspens. It is a thriller. Matteo Alacran is a boy who is a clone of one of the richest men on earth El Patron. Matt is treated like a king by El Patron but he is not very welcomed by everybody else in the Alacran Mansion. This includes El Patron's power hungry family. As Matt strugg;es to understand his existence, he is surpriesd by many things that he discovers. By reading this book you will discover how Matteo Alacran is forced to resist with all the "Eyes" focused on him.

The characters in this book where prety creepy and some were pretty nice and really brought a good feeling to the book. Matt was regular kid but most people didnt think of him that way. I would have to say he, along with El Patron, were one of the best charcters. The author of the book did an awsome job with the details. I would say it almost felt as if you where in the book.

The plot was awsome, again maybe it felt that way beacuse of the author giving so much detail. This story was actionpacked story that you wont want to stop reading. One reason is matt trying to survive with all yhe odds stacked against him. Another is the twisted turns the story takes, especially one in specific. By: Jose

Evean though I have not completed the book I would still recomend it by what I have read so far. Hopefully you will be as excited as I was when you get into the book. Well I got to go because three more chapters await me. Hopefully this book will end how I expect it to end, and I hope the end isn't stupid like in most stories.

"The Terrorist" By Caroline B. Cooney

This book has a very intresting plot! Throught the entire book you feel many mixed emotions, sadness, pitty, frustration, anger and anxious! It is about a girl named Laura Williams, who is determined to find the terrorist who blew-up her little brother Billy. Along the way she finds out that she can trust no one, but looses a few friends on the way! This book takes place in a very rich part of London. Laura attends a school called London International Acadamy(L.I.A. for short). At L.I.A. there are students from all around the world and she wants to only find the bad in everyone. She WANTS to find the terrorist in everyone!
This book really relates with the world today because of all the things that have been happening over-seas with terrorists! Because this book relates alot with the world today, I found that the plot seemed to be more realistic. If I had to chose one thing that I didn't like about this book, it would be that I don't like the main characters atitude in the beging, but there is a dramatic change in the end.
The book switches points of veiw all the time, and I really liked that! It enabled me to know what was going on in the other characters heads. You also got to learn more about their personality and life style! All of the characters at first were suspisious, but then twards the end, her real friends shine!
I love the style that was used to write this book! it not only switches charecters, but also describes things wonderfuly! I could imagine all of the settings and details and characters! Also, the way the book really hooks you in the begining is a huge factor of what made me love this book so much!
I would defidently recomend this outsanding book to others! It makes you experience lots of diferent emotions and hooks you in ffrom the start!!



Written By: Ashley B.

The Looking-Glass Wars

There's a place where the garden can take you
Through the looking glass
Find a way with the plants - they can take you
To your path
Chase away all the funny pain
Down the rabbit hole
And another world awaits behind the little door

Fantasy just declared war on reality. Alyss, better know as Alice in Lewis Carolls 'Alice In Wonderland' and 'Through the Looking Glass' is ashamed of what was put into the book. Honestly, that wasn't the truth. The queen of hearts never would tell her heir, Alyss, "off with her head!" what mother would?

You can go ask Alice
Just why the hatter is mad

A girl, in love, but taken away when her aunt Redd decides to take over the palace of wondtropolis, also know as wonderland. Alyss, after watching the slaughter of her mother, the queen of hearts, she takes a dive into the pool of tears. Only to whined up in London. Her birthday dress was the only clothes on her back.

All are welcome in wonderland
'Till the queen screams off with your head
And life will always get twisted
When you're living it through the looking glass

Then you have Hatter Madigan, a top hat wearing, wrist blade wielding, someone you wouldn't want to get on the bad side of. His top hat, most discussed topic of him in the book, contains, when thrown the right way, and S-shaped blade. He served the queen of hearts before her murder.

There's a that cat smiles like
The crescent moon
And the caterpillar that needs a light
On top of his mushroom

Attempting to fulfill his majesty orders, Hatter Madigan takes a dive through the pool of tears as well. Ending up in France. Now, I won’t say if he finds her that would be a waste of a blog and giving the book away. His dreams to find her, well, you decide.

You can go ask Alice
Just why the hatter is mad

Bitwit Harte, Alyss's tutor. He taught her how to be a queen, to use imagination for the good of the people, also know as white magic. He forms a group of wonderlanders that don't like 'Queen' Redd on the throne. This group is called the 'Alyssians'. They formed in hopes that Alyss will, in fact, do the unthinkable to return back to Wondtropolis to save them from black magic.

Next time you see the white rabbit run free
You might not want to follow
Lose your youth, cause beauty is truth
It's just harder to swallow

I wont give away any of the book, and I wouldn't recommend it to novice readers. This is a book for readers who can free their mind of the normal. People who have imagination, who can get into a book. There is a sequel to the book called, Seeing Redd. I'd tell you why it's called that, but it would make me have to tell you the ending of the book. I loved this book and almost couldn't put it down.

So go and ask Alice
Why the hatter is mad
She'll turn when you see her
And laugh

Song: Looking Glass - Hypnogaja
~Pixie Rayn
(Sierra)

Life In Prison

Life In Prison, which was written by Stanley Tookie Williams, was a very intriguing book for me to read. I am very glad that I chose to read this book for my project in literacy this trimester. I hope that maybe after you read my review on this book you might want to take some time to read this book also. I think you could learn a thing or two from reading what Tookie has to teach the young people in our world today. I know I certainly learned a lot. Throughout the chapter in Life In Prison, Tookie Williams describes various aspects of daily prison life as he has seen it thus far.

This book is not the only one of its kind that has been written by Tookie. Tookie, with help from a few others, has put together a whole series of books for children. The books are about how he wishes that the kids today make good choices in life and avoid the mistakes that he has been unfortunate enough to make in his lifetime. Tookie took the time to really put his heart and soul into these books. Because of t his, he was also nominated for a Nobel peace prize. Tookie Williams was the co-founder of the Notorious crips gang that originated in California over twenty years ago. He was sent to death row in San Quentin in 1981. He was convicted because he pleaded guilty to being part of an armed robbery where some people were murdered. Although these facts may painjavascript:void(0)t a gruesome and nearly unforgivable picture and overall image of Tookie, there's much more to who he was as a person than that. I think that these books really showcase that.

The book wasn't exactly like a regular story though. There were characters that were briefly mentioned throughout the story, but the main characters remained, in my perspective, Tookie and his reader. That was one of my favorite things about the book. At the beginning of each chapter, Tookie described a sort of 'at home experiment' for people to try that could help them imagine what he was talking about in a clearer and more realistic manner. He described his living space like being locked in your bathroom all of the time...or worse. This helped me imagine how oppressive life in prison must really be.

What amazed me even more as I read the story, was how Tookie proceeded to make it through all of this and really find himself when it would have been so easy for him to get completely lost in the whole mess. I think that Tookie's story is one that represents the true redemption that we are all capable of, even in the worst circumstances. Unfortunately, Tookie is no longer with us. He was executed after he had a number of books published. There was also a movie made about his story (which I highly reccomend seeing) called Redemption. All in all, I learned a lot through reading about Tookie and his life both in and out of Prison. Like I mentioned before, his story has helped me regain faith in the process of healing and redemption that each of us are capable of. Rest In Peace Stanley Tookie Wiliams.

Vampire plagues by Sebastian Rook

I though this book was a good book. It was about three friends that need to stop an evil vampire befor he turns everyone into vampires. I like these tyeps because I like to watch scary movies like this. I also liked that they did dire to tell what their trip was about. The book takes place mostly in the town of londom but some is in Mexico. It does seem believable because it is about what the mians beleved. There is a second book too, this one is called paris and I think I'm going to read that one because you really want to find out what happends after the first one. I do recommend this to others if you find being attacked by vampires interesting like me. The book also takes place in 1850. SO it is not our time. They use wagons to travel around and sail boats. When only the three kids know about the vampires it is hard for them to explain to others that the vampires are real. They also need somthing to kill the vampires, and only one withing will work. But somthing I didn't like about the book is that the vampires are really stroung and they can turn into a bat form, but the vampires can't kill them when they are alot weeker. The vampires seem kind of dum because they can't catch the kids but everyone elce they can. So if you think you might want to get this book the full name of it is Vampire Plagues London 1850. I reccomend this book to all ages.

by Kevin c.

Starman

Starman, by Sara Douglass is a great book to read and I would recommend it to anyone my age and older, but it does have some unbelievable things in it.The main characters, Axis (Starman) and Azhure (Enchantress), are a great addition to the story and make the book a great read. There is a really good plot in the book and it is very interesting.


I really like the main characters, Axis and Azhure, because they made the book what it is. Axis, the great hero, rides to defeat his evil brother, while Azhure discovers mysteries about herself. They make the book exciting, interesting, and bloody. They both are involved in the prophecy of the Destroyer, which the book is focused around. These are some ways that Axis and Azhure helped the story.


One thing that I thought was not very believable was the star dance. I think the name was sort of stupid and the way it was used in the story wasn't very believable. The words used to describe the star dance were sort of phony when you read them from the text. Some of these words are flood,crackle, and shatter. I just didn't like the whole idea of the star dance.Other than the star dance, there are no other parts about the book.


The plot is very good and is on several different levels, Axis battling his brother is one, Azhure discovering herself is the second, Faraday planting trees is the third, and the sentinels traveling to make the rainbow scepter is the fourth. The book switches between these four constantly and they are all very interesting to read. They all eventually come together to reach the climax of the story.


I really like the writing style and it is probable because of that that I have read the book multiple times. Sara Douglass' writing style has a good way of communicating ideas and feelings throughout the book. It is really fun to read this book and once I start i can't stop.


I don't really connect to the story, but there are some things about it that I can connect to other books I have read. This book is very violent and many of the other books I have read are similar in this factor. One of these books is Eragon by Christopher Paolini. Over all this was a great book and I would recommend it to people my age and (14) up.

BY: Nolan Hollis

The Book without Words By: AVI

I really thought this was an awesome book. This story "The Book Without Words" was an exciting and, at some points, scary book. The book is rather slow at first but then starts getting more exciting and thrilling towards the end.


It is set in the middle ages when sorcery and alchemy was illegal. This comes to be a problem for the main characters, Sybil, Odo and Master Thorston. Not only does Thorston get himself in trouble, he also gets in trouble with the city reeve or authority.


This story gets a little odd at some points. For example, Odo is a crow. Oh, I forgot to mention that he is a talking crow that can't fly. Later you find out he was transformed from a goat to a crow. Another example is when Master Thorston "dies" and then comes back to life overnight and acts as if nothing happened. This happens several more times in the book.


The characters in this book are what really make it interesting to read. They all have very diverse personalities. Thorston is a grouchy old sack of skin and bones. Sybil is a caring servant whose only wish is to not live in the streets and be poor. And then there is Odo. His goal in life is to find out Master Thorstons gold making secret. He is unkind but then grows loyal to Sybil later on.


The grammar and speech that the book used really led me to believe that I was in the middle ages. Just that little bit of speech helps the story out alot, in my opinion.


This book was totally unbelievable. Between Odo the talking crow and the "dead" Master Thorston coming to life it is outrageously unbelievable. Every once in a while books like this are fun to get into. It adds a little fun to reading.


I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good story plot and a book that has awesome word choices and writing style. I would give this book a rating of 6 out of 10.


Writen and published by:Cameron

My sisters keeper written by: Jodi Picoult student: Jazmin

The book my sisters keeper is a very interesting book that makes you not want to stop it is about a family that struggles allot because one daughter is dying of a cancer that kills her white cells. The mom of the little girl named Kate tries to save her by getting pregnet of another girl that would have everything the same as her daughter dying because the little girl's brother can't help her because they don't have the same size of organs and blood to cure Kate. Jesse is Kate's brother and Brain is her dad. The dad doesn't agree with her wive to just make another baby to help kate stay alive, although a doctor examines the mom and matches up Kate's genes to the baby that is to be born. Then Kate's little sister is born and was named Anna she had to donate blood when she was born and I think that was cruel.
I told you about the book now I will tell you what I thought about the book. I thought the book my sisters keeper is a very suspencing book that makes you wonder if these novel could really be real that just makes you want to read the book more and more. What I liked about these book was that if you didn't know a word like kidneys they would explain it to you and that way you would be comfortable reading it. If you feel your comfortable with the book then you will read it and it will seem very interesting because you will get in the book. I also liked that the book had different points of view that let you understand the characters more. Everything I liked just for a few little things I got really confused when I started the book.
There was another thing I forgot to say that was good about these book was that the Arthur made the story so interesting I could not stop reading the book. In the book I disagreed with some things that I didn't like was that the mom was really selfish because she wanted her younger daughter to give up her life for her older sister and that is just selfish. Another thing I didn't like was that the mom never ask anna if she wanted to help her sister the mom just did what she wanted with Anna's body. I thought every Character had a side on was Anna's to stop her mother from using her body and the other was to make Anna understand that she is supposed to view her life for Kate. Campbell Anna's lawyer is on Anna's side and her dad and brother was also on Anna's side. On the mom's side was her sister and her as far as I am in the book only those people are on their side.
All the characters have something in common and that is that you can really get to know them and learn from them and that is one of the best things a good book does. Believable was these book because we all know no one is perfect and can make errors and that makes you realize that a book that wouldn't be believable would have the characters have a perfect life and everyone be perfect and we all know that no one can be perfect. Another reason why these book is believable is because the author used real world facts and problems the author did these by making the disease of kate be a real one and that really makes you wonder if the story is real and I almost fell for that, but I know that today there is no doctor that can make a baby exactly the same genes as another.
I made lots of connections with these book and one of many was that moms are not perfect and trying to show you are right is very hard, but you need to keep to try. I think that the example to change someone's point of view is similar to Martin Luther King trying to stop raises for blacks. In conclusion I would really recommend these book so far as I have read it's a really good book.

ZACH'S LIE By:Roland Smith

If you take the "v" out of Lives what do you get?
Zach's Lie is book that's full of exciment, mysteries, and confusions that pretty much anyone will enjoy. As soon as the Osborne know that they are in trouble they emidiatly have to move, change their names, change the way they look, an never talk to the people that they knew,and start from scratch. When they arrive to their new house they dont like it at first but at the end they start to like it. The only thing that sucks about their new life is that they have to lie about their lifes and they can't talk about their past. In other words their lives are complete lies!
The characters in this book are incredible because they are all unique but you can still find some similar stuff that will connect them. The characters in the book really do go with the theme,plot, and setting of the book. All the characters in the book really care for one another and they try to help each other in anyway they can even if it means getting yourself KILLED!
One of the reasons why I really liked the book was because the book was very believable and intresting. Alot of the things that happened in the book can be related to real life situations because things that happened to the people in the book can happen to anyone at anytime. One of the things that I liked about the book is that after reading a chapter I wanted to keep on reading. The more I read the more I wanted to read and finish the book to find out what would happened to the Grangers and the other characters.
I really do recommend this book to everyone because you will like the book when your finished and while your reading it, even people you dont like to read will enjoy reading it! The book is easy to read and understand what its about.
One of the most frustrating things about the book is the end because something that you weren't expecting to happen actually does. After you know what happens to the Grangers, first known as the Osborne, and now know as the Greene you will wish that there could be a second part, believe me you will!

Camp X by: Eric Walters

Camp X was a great book it was about two boys that just moved to Whitiby, Ontario. One day George and Jack were playing with fake guns out in the woods pretending to fight the war, they stumbled upon three guards with real guns taking them away then making them vacate the premmisis. which starts there curiosity of what is going on there that makes the book have twist and turns.


My opinion on the book is that it was great but was a little corny because jack is basicly this big mean tough kid and the worst thing he might say is crap. I just got kinda lost if im reading a book for 8 year olds or a book for a teen. I thought the book also needed a little more push in it although it was a really exciting and supriseing book it needed one more thing but i cant quite put my finger on it.

Another thing I liked about the book was all the people who seemed to not have a huge part in the book were minched through out the book like Mr.Krum to me he didnt seem like he knew alot and as the story progressed I figured out that he played a pretty serious role.

In conclussion I really liked the book although i would change a couple things i cant so I would recomened this book to a big crowd of student although i said it really didnt seem like a teen book all in all its a great book and its one i would like to read again because the charcters really caught me attenition of some of there hard ships they went through I can realate.

Dakota P

Small Steps By Louis Sachar

After coming back from Camp Green Lake, Armpit returns home to Austin, Texas to have another chance to change his life. This book, Small Steps, the sequel to HOLES, is a very interesting and good book. I really liked this book because it shows a great meaning in life and how it is important to make the right decisions. It was very exciting and funny to read.


The characters in the story are incredible and very realistic. Armpit, the main character, is just a dogmatic teenager who's trying to accomplish many things. One is to graduate from high school. Two is to attend two years of Austin Community College. Three is to do well enough to transfer to the University of Texas. Four is don't do anything stupid. And five is to lose the name Armpit. He would need to take small steps for him to reach his goals. Another main character in the book is X-Ray, a buddy of Armpit's at Camp Green Lake. They happen to me each other again. X-Ray runs his mouth every time and gets himself in trouble. He's the person you can't fully trust. My favorite character throughout this book would probably be Kaira De Leon. She is so realistic and fun. Not only she is a famous pop star, but also a lovable and funny person. Another favorite would be Ginny, Armpit's neighbor who has a disability. She is a very strong person and always persevere. Even if they have an age difference and color, Ginny always have Armpit's trust.

The plot of the book was interesting. It was very exciting and believable. Not only it tells how Armpit and X-Ray risks their lives again, but also tells a love story between Armpit and Kaira De Leon and the drama.

I recommend this book to others because it is a really good book but not as good as HOLES. Not only it gets you excited but teaches you a lot in life and the decisions you'll make. I would give this book five stars.


Written and published by Mark

Dreamland by Sarah Dessen

When I first was introduced to this project I knew I wanted a book with love, excitment, and something to keep me guessing. At first I was not sure if "Dreamland" would be that book with all thoses characteristics. I soon found out I was compleatly wrong about "Dreamland". I guess now it makes sense when people say "don't judge a book by its cover."

In my opinion this book is the best book I have ever read, I can also say that "Dreamland" is the first book to make me feel all my emotions at one time. There were points in my reading when I wanted to cry, yell, or jump for joy, to me that is one spectacular book, I strongly encourage anyone who reads this review to read "Dreamland" and expericance what I have felt.

I have to admit that when I was reding this nook I couldn't put it down. There were so many nights when I would push my homework aside to read it, it was so irrisitable with its mystery, hurt, nad painful love adventures. I expecially liked how the author, Sarah Dessen, really got into each character, each their own person with their own stories to tell. I felt like I knew each person and what they looked like with all thier different emotions. One persons angry emotion really caught me off gaurd, though. That person is Rogerson.

Rogerson Biscoe, at first, was your most perfect guy. He was sweet, intellagent, mysterious, powerful, dangers, and yet gental and loving. He came from a wealthy family, with a realitor mother adn a abusive father. Needless to say, Rogerson picked up some traits from his father that led Caitlin to Evergreen Hospital. But the thing I liked most about Rogerson, was that you could never tell what he was thinking or what he was going to do next.

There is so much to say about "Dreamland," if I said what I want to say you wouldn't have to read the book, I would tell you everything. Between Cass' runing away and Caitlin and her family. I will just say that I feel this book should get an award, becaue it has all the great qualities a great book should have. I think anyone will absolutly love this book and will deffenently encourage their friends to read like I am doing in this review. So what are you waiting for, get reading!!

The Lost Years Of Merlin, by T. A. Barron

Washed upon the shores of ancient Wales with no parents, no name, no memory of his past, a five year old boy must find his way. He lives with a woman who, although she insists she is, cannot possibly be his mother. She is too lovely, too powerful in magic, and above all, too secretive to be a mother. No parent would keep secrets from their child as she does, for she will not even tell the boy she has named Emrys who his father is, where he is from, or anything about his past.

But Emrys is determined. After discovering his own magical powers and losing his eyesight almost simultaneously, Emrys sets off to find his home, a journey that will ultimately uncover far more than what he hoped to find.

I really loved this book. It was a great read, and just at my level. The plot was smooth and flawless, the voice loud and clear, never fumbling. This is definitely the work of an experienced writer. I couldn't put it down, this book was so enchanting. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The ending tied off nicely, but left it open enough for a sequel. I think this would be a great read for eighth or ninth grade students who are looking for a good series to pick up. It's also great for people who want some imagination in what they read. This book is full of magic and wonder, and even though it's fantasy through and through, there are no plot holes, or questions left unanswered.

Emrys is smart and brave, and I really liked him as a main character. I usually hate the main character of any book or movie, but he was believable, sensible, and far less annoying than some heroes I've read about. His companion, Rhia, was vivacious and lovely. She was an excellent heroine, even though she made only a few appearances throughout the book. Full of life and laughter, she reminded me of my sister. Shim - a tiny giant who also follows Emrys throughout the book - was also one of the best sidekicks I've ever seen. He was charming, and the perfect balance of annoying and loyal. He longs to be the size of his ancestors, who can pass as mountains - for he is but a few feet tall. However, he ends up accomplishing the greatest feat of all, and finally reaches his dream - so to speak.

The setting was incredibly beautiful. There were no illustrations in the book except for a small, not very detailed map to help outline the size and outlay of Fincayra, but the language used to describe the scenery was imaginative and colorful enough to completely display the flowing landscape of Fincayra. It was incredible.

In all, I recommend this book to people with a starving imagination. Great for 7th to 12th graders. I think people who want a good series and a bit of fantasy should really look into this. Happy reading!

Written by Emma Buonocore

Zach's Lie, by Roland smith

This book has a lot of mysteries and surprises. Zach's life is all wrong. He doesn't know why his dads in jail. He has to change schools,town and his appearance. He hates everything that is happening to him. But then something happens, he meets Catalin and sam,the custodian. If you would like more information read the book yourself and find out what happens next. This book will keep you wanting to know more. I liked this book a lot because it is easy to understand. There wasn't one part that I didn't like about the book.I thought that the characters were really good. I like the way they put the journal that Zach was writing in each chapter. This book was believable because this situation could happen to anyone. I would totally recommend this book to other kids that like mysteries.


"My room is more like an enclosed hallway than a bedroom. I can stand in the middle of it with my arms spread and touch two of the walls with my fingertips"(pg.61).I like this passage because you can tell that he didn't have enough room were he was living."We are kept like prisoners in our new hotel"."They have taken the phones away"(pg.45). Almost all their life they have to hid and tell lies all the time. They can't easily go out to where ever they want because they are in danger. I would feel really bad if my dad was in jail and I didn't know why or if he was a drug dealer.


Zach disagrees with what his family says. He never wanted to move from were he lived and didn't believe that his fathers was a bad guy. This book is scary,fun and sad at the same time. I think that this is a good book for kids all ages because it is kind of easy to read. This book will keep you reading that's how you know that it is a good book.A connection that i made with the book was that I had a uncle in jail. Take my advice and read the book. If you really like the book then you are probably goging to like Roland smith's books like Thunder cave,Jaguar, Sasquatch and The Last Lobo.


written and published by Tania

Green Jasper

Green Jasper, by K.M.Grant. Author of Blood Red Horse, this book is number two of the Granville Trilogy. This well written book is about 249 pages in length. You may say that is a big one, but not really. This book takes place in the past. It is a good book, i would not say it is my favorite, but it is a good one to read.

Okay, well at first the book for me it seemed kind of confusing. It had a very insipid feeling to it. I thought "Maybe i could get another book;" i didn't though, i remembered that allot of books don't start as good as they seem, and that is what this book was. In the middle of the story its where it starts getting a little better, of course in my opinion. If you are looking for a good book, i would recommend it. I'm just left inquisitive because this book includes good description and i want to read her other book, just to see how the description can make a three dimensional image in your head.

The part of this book that got part of my attention was the cover. States pretty much a was against two kings that are brothers. One of the things i found intriguing was the descriptive writing, as i stated before. It really got me imagining in one of my favorite parts of the book. Which was when one of them was stuck under water. That's all I'm going to say, it's a good part and i don't like being a spoiler.

Over all, out of 5. I would give it a 4/5. Because it can get kind of hard and confusing at some points, but i still loved it. so i hope you get a copy or just check it out at your local library some time :)

By: Benito,G,G.

City of Masks by Mary Hoffman

Ever find yourself in another timeline on another world? Lucien did! Lucien is on chemo therapy, is always exhausted and can't do anything. Lucien's dad brings haome a mysterious diary; just sleeping with it transports Lucien to an alternate dimension of Venice. He makes new friends: the duchessa, a magician, and even maybe the love of his life. Now he must travel back between worlds trying to save the city of Bellezza and to recover from cancer.

These facinating characters feel so real. Lucien is a guy who justs happens to be in the wrong place at the right time. He really wants to learn how to use his powers, but he is also scared of them. He really cares about his family, so he is torn between comforting his worried parents and protecting the city of Bellezza. Ariana is a girl who always wanted to be a mandolier, the person who steers the duchessa's boat. She is really stubborn and wants to start a life off her boring island home. She learns secrets about her past that change her life forever! Mary Hoffman does an excellent job creating characters you feel you could talk to, people with ordinary lives in extraordinary circumstances.


I could not set this book down. I would have to keep reading and reading with the thought of "Just one last page," but when I would finally stop it would be ten o'clock. It has adventure, romance, and heart stopping action, like when Lucien first goes the Bellezza. I would recomend this book to all readers. When I chose this book I thought "Oh,look a book about masks." When I checked it out, it took me only two nights to read it because I was so facinated by the story.It may seem like it has a lousy title, but as you read the book you understand why she chose the title.

There is some romance in it, but it is mostly action. I really liked the action in the book, because it feels like you could be in the action. The book may seem short, but you will feel like you are in the same place as Lucien.
Written and published by Spencer

Escaping the Giant Wave

Escaping the Giant Wave
by Peg Kehret
It was a reasonably quick read, only topping about 150 pages. The text was medium sized, so no glasses. That also meant that the pages went by rather quickly. I liked this because of the deadline we had to read the book was only three weeks, and it took me a week of reading to finish it. That's 5 days of 15 minute reads, and a half hour read at home to finish. That's 105 minutes, or 1 hour and 45 minutes for you math impaired. : )

The detail for the book was unique. It had the feel of a children's book, but the detail of a young adult novel. I liked this style because it gave you the rough outline, with supporting details that were important to the story, instead of going on and on about things that have no meaning to them whatsoever! I'll give you an example, if I were describing a piece of paper I was writing on, I would describe maybe the red or blue lines on. I might tell you about the wet spot in the corner, but would I tell you about a small dent that the naked eye couldn't see, no because it's not important!

A rough summary of the book is about a family that takes a vacation, and it goes terribly wrong. I'm not talking, slasher flick wrong, but an Earthquake hits followed by deadly tsunamis. The main character Kyle, and his little math genius BeeBee must go by their own instinct and escape these giant waves before they get killed, and did I mention they're hungry because their pizza and milkshake were lost in the earthquake?

Overall, the book is a good read. The style is what I like in a book, but unless you truly like these kind of books, then I wouldn't recommend it. It's not much of a hooker, because I felt myself only wanting to finish the sentence. The story itself is quite predictable, with only minor things that are surprises.

I'll give this book a 3/5.

-Nick G.

The floating island by Elizabeth Haydon

This is a book about a nain kid (A ancient race) who's name is Ven. He gets thrown in jail to decide if he will live for his "Big mistake".

I really liked this book, it was and adventure of him and his friends and how he will live the rest of his life, in part of this tale there is a small mystery involving a ghost that kills and a man who lets his dogs kill people. I liked how the author of this book (Elizabeth Haydon) writes, in this book she has it so that there are some pictures of this adventure, and some notes from the journals of Ven. I would have to say that the character i like the most would be Char, hes the cooks mate, because he is always the one that doesn't want to be involved but somehow becomes involved. The place this story takes its tole is on two islands and a mysterious floating one... There are some interesting passages in this book from the beginning to the end, its full of adventure and mystery.

If i would have to choose a book from this blog at blogger.com i would choose one of these and many others, the reason is that this book is a really good book that i have read,and i have read many,this book is also really easy to read. I really think that this book is a really good book for a young read, or a ready of any age in matter of fact, the main character is unusual for his race, most nain prefer to work with ground, but Ven really likes the water and he is one of the only nain that can swim. This is about all i have to say for this book and i hope you will like it. Thanks for reading! :)

~Alejandro [ Alex ] E. Benberg

Paul Mcartney by Kates Boyes

I read the book Paul McCartney and it's a very good book. I think that you really have to like the beatles or at least Paul McCartney to enjoy the book. I do and the book was very good. It exlplains his very good with the events throughout his life. I don't think that it leaves anything out of his life cause it seems complete the way it is. I would have liked it more if it was a little longer cause they don't really say that much about each event. I sumarizes mostly everything they say. The best part about this book is that most of the stuff was pretty accurate. The worste part about this book is that it doesn't go to the end of his life cause he's not dead. Thats not the writters fault though.

He has a pretty different life than most people you know because he became the most succesful musician. Hardly anyone has that happen to them. It also seemes like he is amazing at everything he tries. He was a succesful painter, musician in two bands, and he was also good at classical music. At one point his classical album was the most wanted in the U.S. That is good because he was a British band. The other people in the beatles were also successful like John Lennon. After the life with the beatles he made another album just by himself. Same with George Harrison. I'm not sure how successful they were though.

I would recommend this book to other people cause I enjoyed it. Like I said before, you probably have to like the beatles before you can like the book. They are not my favorite band either and I still liked it, so they don't have to be you favorite band of all time. Even though they were close to that according to other people, not including me.

by nathan s.