Millikan Reads

CA Read-a-Thon: Alina

2010-04-16T14:23:00.000-07:00

Being a girl is … TOUGH

Especially when you’re me,
I’m Alina and my life is really tough.
It starts from boyfriends,
Friends, family & a whole lot more
I love my friends, but they piss me off sometimes …
They lie to my other friends, gossiping
And growing up is the worst.

The magazine I read talked about all the things about girls …
I felt really connected.
Because it talked about giving up on yourself,
And other things …
So be proud of who you are
Like I am.
Life is too short to hate it.
- Alina <3

The Curse of King Tut

2010-02-08T21:03:00.001-08:00

This book The Curse of King Tut is, as the title says, about the supposed curse of King Tut. There are many deaths supposedly caused by the curse. All the deaths were of people who had something to do with the tomb. The first death attributed to the curse was that of George Herbert, Lord of Carnarvon. He started studying Egyptology while recovering from a nearly fatal car accident. He wanted to find a great tomb but was a poor archaeologist so he started financing the digs of Howard Carter.

For five years Carter found nothing but a few ancient jars with Tut's name. Carter was convinced that Tut had been buried in the Valley of Kings after the discovery. Lord Carnarvon however was discouraged and told Carter he might stop financing the dig. Carter convinced him to finance it for one more season. Finally, on November 3, 1922 Howard found a tomb near that of Ramses IV.

Layout of King Tut's Tomb http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/king-tut-tomb-1.gif

Two weeks after sent a telegram to Lord Carnarvon in England he arrived. On November 24 Carter's workers cleared the debris from the entrance . Carter eventually saw the name Tutankhamen imprinted on the plastered doorway. The tomb was found nearly intact. They opened the tomb and entered the antechamber and found hundreds of ancient treasures. It took nearly 10 years to get all the treasures out because they needed careful handeling and care.

Lord Carnarvon in Egypt http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Carnarvon.jpg

Right after the opening of the tomb Lord Carnarvon went to Cairo to meet with the head of Egypt's Antiquities Service. On the way there he was bitten by a mosquito. The bite got infected and he fell ill with a high fever. He died on April 15, 1923. Other people who's deaths were attributed to the curse were those of George Jay Gould who took a tour of Tut's tomb. Another strange death was that of the Antiquites Service head, Mohammed Ibraham who died after getting hit by a car. Another notable death was that of Richard Bethell's father. Richard was Lord Carnarvon's secretary. His father committed suicide and while he was being taken to a crematorium his hearse struck and killed an 8 year old boy.

For many years people have been looking for explanations for these deaths. Some suggest Egyptian magic. A notable explanation is that the Egyptians placed poisons in the tomb. The poison could have infected the items inside. That can explain the deaths of people who handled the artifacts but never even went to Egypt. These poisons could have been anything from quicksilver to arsenic. But many still believe it was the Pharaohs' curse.

King Tut's Burial Mask

http://bikyamasr.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/tutankhamun-golden-mask.jpg

Girl In a Cage

2009-09-30T13:27:00.000-07:00

Ms. Bennett
6th Grade English
Room 14

"Girl In a Cage" by Jane Yolen is about the young daughter of Robert
Bruce, heir to the throne of Scotland, during the English reign of
King Edward the "Longshanks". Anyone who has seen the movie
"Braveheart" knows about the trouble between Scotland and England
during the early 1300's. The story picks up after Wallace's death and
is seen through the eyes of Robert's daughter, Marjorie, who is
growing up a princess to a country constantly under the threat of
invasion by the English. Told in flashbacks after she is taken
hostage and locked in a cage by by King Edward as bait for her
powerful father, she reveals to herself and to the people who come to
know her what it truly means to be a princess.

I loved this book not only because the characters were beautifully
written but because the historical reality of Marjorie's situation was
truly chilling. Jane Yolen kept me in suspense, wondering whether she
would be rescued or murdered by her father's greatest enemy.

Treasure Island

2009-09-22T17:10:00.001-07:00

Dominic

English period 2

One of the most interesting books that I have had the pleasure to read is Treasure Island by Robert Louise Stevenson. I was given this book to read by a seventh grade English teacher as an assignment. At first I was not excited that I had to read this book because the English dialect was difficult to understand. But once I started reading it I was lured by the conflict between characters and excitement throughout the story. I selected this book for this book review because it is an interesting and fun read that I would recommend to other students in middle school. The story is very detailed and it described in detail each characters identity.

The two main characters in Treasure Island are Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver. The story goes deep into the relationship between these two characters describing a very complex love-hate relationship. In the story Long John befriends young Jim Hawkins all along plotting to betray his companion to get what he is looking for. In the story Long John Silver is a courageous man with one leg and a parrot on one shoulder, but he is a pirate none the less willing to do or say anything for his own survival, who had previously served on the notorious Captain Flints Ship. On the other hand, Jim Hawkins is a young boy troubled by the recent death of his father. Jim is also courageous and wiling to do whatever it takes for whatever is right in his mind. Long John and Jim are brought together by one thing their desire for treasure but in this search for treasure is a complicated relationship between the two that will draw any reader to the book.

"He was plainly blind, for he tapped before him with a stick, and wore a great green shade over his eyes and nose; and he was hunched, as if with age or weakness, and wore a huge old tattered sea cloak with a hood, that made him appear positively deformed. I never saw in my life a more dreadful-looking figure" (Ch. III, pp. 28-29). This quote is a descriptive of Pew the blind beggar from Jim's perspective. I feel that it is importance because it shows the level of descriptiveness used throughout the book. Also this descriptiveness is what would draw most readers to this book, because it allows the reader to have a deep understanding of each character and scenario as if you knew them or were in the scene yourself.

My rating systems has one apple as being the lowest rated reading material and meaning you should not read the book. Two apples means that it is an okay rated book and you might be interested in reading it. Three apples means that the book is a must read book for everyone.

I chose apples as my rating system because Jim Hawkins is in the apple barrel hiding when he discovers that Long John Silver and his crew of pirates are going to try to take over the ship they are traveling on. Treasure Island is definitely a three apple.

I recommend this book to everyone. It was interesting, fun to read, and it captures the reader and as the reader I wanted to read more. The plot and the conflict between characters captured me. In addition, I feel that this book allows you to understand the physical traits of the character and as much as their emotional traits. I really felt that I was inside each character. I feel that anyone who reads this book can draw these characters on paper because of the high level of detail. Reading this book was like being in the story yourself. It captured my imagination and I think it will capture any reader's imagination.

I recommend this book to all audiences as it is a classic must read for everyone. The only warning I have is that the dialect is different but don't shy away from it because it helps the reader get into character, and it makes the storyline more interesting and fun to read.

Treasure Island

2009-09-21T22:05:00.001-07:00

Dominic

English Period 2

Treasure Island

One of the most interesting books that I have had the pleasure to read is Treasure Island by Robert Louise Stevenson. I was given this book to read by a seventh grade English teacher as an assignment. At first I was not excited that I had to read this book because the English dialect was difficult to understand. But once I started reading it I was lured by the conflict between characters and excitement throughout the story. I selected this book for this book review because it is an interesting and fun read that I would recommend to other students in=2 0middle school. The story is very detailed and it described in detail each characters identity.

The two main characters in Treasure Island are Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver. The story goes deep into the relationship between these two characters describing a very complex love-hate relationship. In the story Long John befriends young Jim Hawkins all along plotting to betray his companion to get wh at he is looking for. In the story Long John Silver is a courageous man with one leg and a parrot on one shoulder, but he is a pirate none the less willing to do or say anything for his own survival, who had previously served on the notorious Captain Flints Ship. On the other hand, Jim Hawkins is a young boy troubled by the recent death of his father. Jim is also courageous and wiling to do whatever it takes for whatever is right in his mind. Long John and Jim are brought together by one thing their desire for treasure but in this search for treasure is a complicated relationship between the two that will draw any reader to the book.

"He was plainly blind, for he tapped before him with a stick, and wore a great green shade over his eyes and nose; and he was hunched, as if with age or weakness, and wore a huge old tattered sea cloak with a hood, that made him appear positively deformed. I never saw in my life a more dreadful-looking figure" (Ch. III, pp. 28-29). This quote is a descriptive of Pew the blind beggar from Jim's perspective. I feel that it is importance because it shows the level of descriptiveness used throughout t he book. Also this descriptiveness is what would draw most readers to this book, because it allows the reader to have a deep understanding of each character and scenario as if you knew them or were in the scene yourself.

20 - Must Read

- Okay to Read

- Do not Read

I recommend this book to everyone. It was interesting, fun to read, and it captures the reader and as the reader I wanted to read more. The plot and the conflict between characters captured me. In addition, I feel that this book allows you to understand the physical traits of the character and as much as their emotional traits. I really felt that I was inside each character. I feel that anyone who reads this book can draw these characters on paper because of the high level of detail. ~~Reading this book was like being in the story yourself. It captured my imagination and I think it will capture any reader's imagination.~~

IT

2009-09-21T21:47:00.001-07:00

Servellon, Alan
English, Period 2
September 13, 2009

"It"

The title of the book that I read a while ago is "It"
by Stephan King. I selected the book, because Stephan King
delivers horror books which I love. The reason I picked this
book from others, because once you read the first eight pages
you can't stop reading. And its about a monster.

The characters of the book are Bill Denbrough, which is
the older brother of George Denbrough. George Denbrough was
six years old, and his brother bill gave him a paper boat to
ride, so, he did. Later, a clown pops out which is named "
Pennywise the Dancing clown." he offers his boatback if he
reaches for, so, he did and something happens you should read.
Bill and his friends start getting weird flashbacks from the
past.

My favorite quote is " GET OUT!!!" Bill stands up to
some bullies with his friends. I fell the reason I picked this
because he was brave. At the beginning he was a wimp,but he was
brave which was awsome. Also the bullies bother them a lot,so I
thought that's why its important.

I would rate this book from 1 to 10. I would give it an
8, because it had those boring moments. Also, the book had a
lot of suspense sometimes. I would recommend it for you if you
don't get scared often. This book is good, but its scary, look
who's writing it Stephan King the horror guy. So, you should be
over 11 to read this if you want.

The reason I recommend this book is, because it has
some suspense. The book is horror which does have blood. Also,
it takes the kids into flashbacks from their past which you
could see what happens. In the story they change characters. I
recommend this book, because its by Stephan King.

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The Capture

2009-09-18T22:27:00.001-07:00

The Capture

I chose to do my book review on The Capture by Kathryn Lasky. It is the first book in one of my most favorite series, The Guardians of Ga'Hoole. I chose this book because I read it in fourth grade and from that moment on, I was hooked. I loved every second of it and am currently reading the 10^th book in the series. I also decided to choose this book because I have many friends who enjoyed reading it as well. Even my little brother asks me to read it to him. It is a very entrancing fantasy book with plenty of action and mystery

The book's setting takes place in the far future after many species have died out, including the humans. Owls are now the most advanced animals on the planet. The story centers around a young Barn Owl named Soren. He lives with his mother, father, older brother, little sister, and nest maid snake in a fir tree hollow. Soren had just hatched three weeks ago and doesn't know much about the world around him. He overhears his parents talking about how owl eggs and hatchlings are going missing more and more often. Then, one night, Soren suddenly falls from his nest onto the dark, damp forest floor below. He is sure that this is the end as he will most likely be eaten by a raccoon, when out of nowhere, a huge Great Horned Owl snatches him up and flies away. They fly far away to a dry rocky desert with huge mazes of canyons. Soren is taken down into these canyons to a place called St. Aegolius Academy for Orphaned Owls (St. Aggie's for short). There are many other kidnapped owlets there and Soren quickly makes friends with a little Elf Owl named Gylfie. She soon tells Soren the horrifying truth that the workers of St. Aggie's are slowly erasing the minds of the owlets. Will these two young owls be able to escape before they become slaves to the evil that is St. Aggie's?

"This was the most horrid despicable, thing he had ever witnessed. A coldness that had began in his gizzard seemed to creep through Soren from his new tail feathers up to his wing tips and down to his talons. He realized that he would rather see this little owl dead than alive in St. Aggie's. They had to get out. He and Gylfie had to get out. They must learn to fly." This quote describes Soren's feelings after he sees a stolen owl egg hatch at St. Aggies. The little defenseless owlet is pulled from its shell and thrown into a pile. Then it is given a number instead of a name. After that it is just another one of the thousands of owlets at St. Aggies. No mother, no father, no love. Just a number in a sea of slaves. I think this quote is important in the story because this moment in particular really opens up Soren's eyes to what St. Aggies really is. He sees that it is a ruthless organization that manipulates and controls innocent owlets. There are no feelings and no mercy. Soren realizes he and Gylfie have to do all they can to escape and warn the rest of the world.

I Give The Capture five out of five owl feathers. It is an amazing book that I truly loved. It had great description and it always kept me focused. I never got bored of it. It wasn't too short or too long. Overall this is, and always will be, one of my most favorite books. I chose to use owl feathers as my rating system because this book is all about owls and flight. One of the main struggles is when Soren and Gylfie are learning to fly. They must wait for all of their flight feathers to grow in.

I would recommend this book for many reasons. One is that this book has a very unique story and setting. So if you are tired of the vampire scene this might be a good refresher. Another reason is that the series has 15 books so there is plenty too read. And finally I would recommend this book because it is just great overall. It has a very magical feel to it and takes you into another world. It has action, adventure, fantasy, and mystery. It is a real page-turner and leaves off with suspenseful cliffhangers. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to explore other worlds. My only warning is that there is some violence. I absolutely loved this book and I hope, if you read it, you will love it too.

The Clique

2009-09-18T18:33:00.001-07:00

Stephanie

English, Per 6

September 16, 2009

The Clique

I read the book The Clique by Lisi Harrison. I chose this book when someone I knew recommended the book. They told a short story about the book and thought it sounded interesting. I went ahead in reading the book.

This book is about a 12- year old girl named Claire Lyons. Her father's friend, William Block, is very rich and lives in a mansion in Westchester, New York with his wife and daughter. They let Claire and her family live in their guesthouse until they bye a house. The daughter of Mr. Block, Massie Block, is the most popular girl in OCD, the all girls' school she attends. She has a popular, alpha clique of 3 other girls: Alicia Rivera, Dylan Marvel, and Kristen Gregory. She is the best and exclusive to the people she hangs out with but is forced to hang out with Claire, a simply nobody with no friends. Claire just wants to fit in but thinks Massie is just being mean so she tries to give Massie a taste of her own medicine.

There is a quote in this book that is important to the theme that I would like to share. "Claire noticed the girls in the pictures… 'I can't wait to meet everybody.' (Claire). Massie lifted her eyes like if she was peeking over a pair of sunglasses. 'Our friends and I have our own thing going and you'll probably feel weird if you try and join in.' (Massie)" I chose this quote because this quote shows that Massie would not accept Claire. These words are the words that show when Massie started being mean and ignoring Claire.

The rating system in this book will be shown with 5 rings:JJJJJ. J= boring, JJ= somewhat interesting, JJJ= interesting, JJJJ= take it some places with me, and JJJJJ= lost in the book. I give the book 5 rings. I chose rings because the girls in The Clique are very fashionable and wear a lot of jewelry.

The Clique is a very interesting book to read. It is really interesting because it gives you a look into the lives of 5 interesting girls. This book shows you not only the perspective one girl, but also the perspective of all of the girls. It explains every detail of the story, from their thoughts to the clothes they wear. I recommend this book to girls of 11 years and older. There might be some speech that you might find rude in this book.

30 days of night

2009-09-17T21:54:00.000-07:00

Kooklanfar, Cameron

Period 1, English

September 14, 2009

BOOK REVIEW

The book I chose for this project is called 30 days of night. The book is also based on my favorite movie. The author of the book is Tim Lebbon. I chose this book because of my fascination with vampires and how they create chaos. I decided to get this because of the intriguing cover and I saw the movie before so I wanted too see if the book was even better.

The main characters name is Eben Olsen. The story takes place in a little town called barrow Alaska which is the northernmost town in the USA. Every year in December till January the sun goes away and it leaves the town for 30 days of night. All communication is cut off for hundreds of miles and the closest airport is shut down for that period of time. A group of vampires found this town and have a whole feast on everyone. Almost everyone died. These vampires are different than most. There teeth aren't fangs, but in fact shark like. There eyes are pitch black and they have speed and strength. They also are very vicious and don't give mercy. They kill anyone in there way. So basically for 30 days… the vampires will never stop until the sun comes up.

My favorite quote was by a prisoner in barrows prison. He was half human half vampire. The vampires sent him to spy first. He way lying down in the cell and he said "board the windows, lock the doors, try to hide… their coming…" Eben then said "they?.. Who are they..." and then the lights in the cell switch off.

My rating system is 1 through 10. 1 is super poor and 10 is amazing. I rated this book an 8 and a half out of the system. It had some strange parts such as a polar bear wandering into town and then the vampires kill it. But otherwise than that the book was superb.

I would recommend this book to twelve year olds and up. This book is a little scary and is very intense. It does have many bad words and has some graphic sayings. And graphic pictures. But I say this book is very good and many scary movie lovers would enjoy this very much.

Lauren found her dream laptop. Find the PC that's right for you.

Confessions of a Closet Catholic

2009-09-17T21:53:00.001-07:00

Zdislava 
Period 4, English
September 15, 2009
 
 
 
Confessions of a closet catholic is about a girl who decides she wants to give up on being Jewish and become Catholic. Like her friend Maria or Mac. The title may sound interesting and was what cot my eye. Confession of a Closet Catholic, she is called a closet catholic because she is not allowed to practice another religion so she practices in the closet. But the book is not just about her practicing a new religion, there is more.
One quote in the novel really touched me. "I wish I was something that I just can't be". As I read this quote I thought of all the times I wan'ted to be or wanted to have something that I just couldn't have. I was reading this book non stop but when I heard that I stopped reading and just thought. I think everyone feels the same way. "I wish I was something that I just can't be". At this moment in the book the girl's mother finds out that she is a practicing catholic. The main character starts explaining everything to her mom and she starts sobbing. It was her breaking point.
If I could make a rating system I would make it using stars. No stars being an awful book. One star being a non interesting book such as a math book. Two stars would be an alright book but not recommendable. Four stars would be a good book. And finally five stars would be an amazing book. I definitely will give this book five stars.
                   I definitely recommend this book to anyone who does not feel like they have the right religion. Or people that like books that are heart felt. Fool of meaning and make you feel every emotion. Happiness, Sadness…. There is one warning, you will be surprised.

A Child Called "It"

2009-09-17T21:27:00.001-07:00

Annie

Period 6

9/15/09

The title of the book I read is, A Child Called "It". The author of this book is Dave Pelzer. Dave Pelzer is also the main character in the book. I actually selected this book because I took advice from a friend. I came up to my friend and asked her about a list of books that included children that were troubled while growing up. The first few words that came out of her mouth were the title of this book. I knew that I had to read at least the first chapter of the book to figure if I was interested in what it had to say. After reading the first chapter, I knew that it was the right book for me.

This book was really inspiring and made me realize how lucky I am to have the life I have. The main characters in this book are Dave Pelzer and his mother. This is a brutal story of a young boy who got abused every moment of his young childhood. Dave Pelzer was only a child when his alcoholic mother abused him. She made him do shocking things like forcing him to burn himself on the stove or things like barely feeding him. When she did feed him, she gave him frozen foods. Dave Pelzer spent every waking moment obeying his mother's ridiculous and mind-blowing demands. On top of all that she timed Dave on his chores. One day in particular, the family finished their dinner and Dave's mother called him up from the dirty and filthy basement he lived in so he can clean up after them. Dave's mom told him that he had 20 minutes to clean the entire bathroom. She told him that if he was one second late, she would kill him. After saying that, she got the knife and stabbed Dave with it. He was bleeding and all his mother did was put a towel over it. Dave's mother also stopped calling Dave his son; instead he was known as "the boy". Dave also had to do things like eat his own waste. One time, she made him clean the bathroom tub but she also placed a bucket filled with a mixture of Clorox and ammonia right next to him and locked the door. He used to torture and at times felt like he was about to cough up his intestines. This is why this is called one of the worst child abuse cases in U.S. history.

Dave Pelzer, a child in need in desperate times, always prayed to the lord and tried to make the best out of the worst situations. He mentioned a quote in the book which reads: "I am the king". I think that this is a very empowering statement. He was not treated like a king at all but his positive attitude towards things made him the winner in his mind and in all of our minds as well. I think that having the courage to share his story itself is phenomenal but to have the courage to survive this life was mind-throbbing. I can't feel the exact same pain that he has felt and I don't think that anyone else can either, but I feel so bad that no one was there when he needed someone to talk to or get advice from.

I loved this book. This is a New York Times Bestseller and I think that it deserves many awards of recognition. For my symbol I chose two hands reaching for each other. I think that this symbol represents courage and it also represents one child's courage to survive. I gave this book 4 out of 4 stars because I think it is absolutely brilliant. It shows that people can express their emotions in so many different ways. Even though Dave went through all that, he now share's his story with the world and inspires people everywhere.

I would really recommend this book to a lot of people. I would specifically recommend this book to children ages 11 and up. The reason for this is because the book gives full detail of torture and abuse. I think that it would be inappropriate for young children to hear about them. I would recommend this book because children can see how lucky they are to live their everyday lives and feel thankful for what they have. I also think that this book shows that if people share their stories they can always relate to each other one way or the other. I truly think that people should know that the text or information in this book is really brutal and it's hard to get out of your head. I loved this book and I think you will like it too. This is not only a story of abuse, it is a story of one child's courage to survive.

James and the Giant Peach

2009-09-17T20:52:00.001-07:00

Winston
English, Period 6
September 12, 2009

Last summer I read a book called James and the Giant Peach by Roald
Dahl. I picked this book after reading The BFG also written by Roald
Dahl. I also went on to read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I
happened to like Roald Dahl's stories so much that I began reading all
the famous books that he had written during his career. The one that
happened to stand out to me was obviously James and the Giant Peach.
The main reason why I picked this book was because I enjoyed many
thrills and adventures that young James had encountered throughout the
book. I also enjoyed reading about the controversy that James's
friends, the centipede and the earthworm happened to share such as the
many arguments and the constant bickering. Personally, I really liked
how Roald Dahl expressed his humor and gore throughout this book.

The story of James and the Giant Peach began when an old man gives
poor little James a bag of green crystals and detailed instructions. He
tells James that many fortunes will await him if he performs the magic
spell correctly. At the moment, James was desperate for fortunes after
having to live with his smell, snot nosed aunts for nearly 3 long
years. As he's running back towards the house he accidently spills the
bag of magic crystals as he watches his fortunes sink away into the
soil. Just so happens that in a matter of seconds a peach magical
ly
appears on top of the peach tree that never happened to grow any
peaches. Moments later, the peach magically expands to the size of an
entire house. The following evening while James is outside cleaning the
lawn, he decides to explore the mega – sized peach. He happens to
locate an entrance on the south side of the peach. Once he enters, he
encounters the many creatures that just so happens to be mega – sized
insects. He meets many characters such as Centipede; who is a arrogant
jerk. He also meets Mrs. Spider and Ladybug who are absolutely kind and
loving. There is also Grasshopper who is very courteous and is a famous
musician. Last but not least, there's Earthworm who is stern and
controversial. James is welcomed and is soon is considered part of the
family. The next morning the peach is cut loose and James is off on an
adventure along with his new friends. From there, they encounter many
treacherous obstacles yet run by many amazing adventures. As you read
this book you will enter a story that includes courage, bravery, doubt,
curiosity and enthusiasm. You will also read about the many challenges
that the group face. One of the greatest obstacles that they face is
escaping a massive shark attack while stranded in the middle of the
ocean. It was a moment of risk, cooperation and teamwork. It was the
moment in the story where James and his friends had to remove all their
0Acontroversy to step up to the plate, to work together and to design a
well coordinated plan to save their lives. That was one of the many
challenges that stood out in the book.

There was a point in the book where James mentioned that his life
finally had some purpose and meant something. He stated, '' I have
finally walked out the dark and shallowness in my once forgotten
life.'' This quote was the most important to me because I believed that
it was the turning point in young, adolescent James Henry Trotter's
life. I finally looked at his life in another perspective and in a
bright way. He finally realized that he had started a brand new life
away from his harsh, abusive aunts and now with his loving and free
spirited friends. It was also was a major turning point in the story
because James started being happy and began to think about living with
his friends forever. This idea enlightened him to the very ideas of
surviving the long dangerous journey and how to avoid disaster. I
believe that if James had been down in the gutters at the moment of
disaster he would of panicked and led his friends to the dark path of
demise. His new attitude toward life completely changed the way he
thought, acted and made decisions.

According to my opinion I would rate James and the Giant Peach 5
peaches. I would use 5 peaches as being the best book and 1 peach=2
0for
being the worst. I used the peach rating system simply because the
peach was the main theme for the book. I would give 5 peaches because
it got my adrenaline pumping from the beginning of the book and I
believe it was such an intriguing novel. I absolutely loved it.

I would recommend this book to children 8-13 years old becomes of its
age appropriate reading level. I would also recommend this book because
it provides children with imagination and a hint of unexpected magic.
Last but not least, I thought the book was a thriller and lures
children's curiosity. My only warning is that there was strong dialogue
throughout the book inappropriate for younger children without parental
supervision and guidance.

-----Original Message-----
From: happywinston@aol.com
To: blaircarroll.millikanreads@blogger.com
Sent: Sat, Sep 12, 2009 11:22 pm
Subject: Book Review Blog - By Winston Liang

Dear Mrs. Carroll,

Please find attached my book review blog. Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

Winston Liang

English, Period 6

Mrs. J Huff

When It happens

2009-09-17T20:13:00.001-07:00

Mia

Per. 4 English

September 17, 2009

     The title of my favorite novel is, When it happens. This book is written by Susane Colasanti. I had never even heard of this book before I started to read it. It had just been a regular day at the bookstore when I had been looking for a new book to read. I usually look for books that have interesting covers. When I picked up this book, it had two people on the cover hiding their faces behind a tree. One was a girl and the other was a guy who had a guitar with him. On the back of the book, it talked about two seniors who came to fall in love. Right then and there I knew this was going to be an amazing book.

            The interesting thing is that, When it Happens is written in alternating points of view. It alternates between the two main characters, Sara and Tobey. Sara is very intelligent, organized and completely focused on getting into her first college of choice. In the beginning of the book, Sara starts to date the hottest guy in school. But she learns that the hottest guy in school, isn't always the nicest. Tobey, on the other hand, could really care less about school. His main interests are music and Sara. In the beginning, Tobey tries to get her attention by whatever means possible. He tries to get Sara's attention when he enters the Battle of the bands with his band, MindFlame. As the story goes on, Sara starts to wonder if she can keep her feelings from Tobey for much longer.

            The quote that really touched me and that I remembered the most from the book was, " And it feels like this missing part of me has finally been found." Most girls dream of the day that they believe they have found their true love. And I think that that quote says it all. That Sara, felt like Tobey was her missing piece. She was saying that nothing really mattered except that she was with him at that moment. She was saying that he made her feel complete, safe and relaxed. It is important to the story, because when both Tobey and Sara are thinking this, it changes the whole mood and feel of the story. It changes from just a story about these two friends to the beginning of a sweet, comical, love story.

For the rating system, I chose to use music notes. I felt that through out the story, music really is something that connects everything together. I gave it four because of how funny and unpredictable the writing is. I also liked how Susane Colasanti really put detail into everything and it really seemed like you were reading into two seniors minds. I gave it four of five music notes due to how it was sort of slow in a few parts and it wouldn't interest every type of audience. But overall, I thought this book was phenomenal. I loved that they were small surprises at the most interesting times.

Three reasons why I think someone should read this are that it is smart, funny, and very entertaining. It also isn't like any book I have ever read, and finally because I know a book is good when I never want it to end. I would recommend this for people who are in the mood for a funny, romantic story. A book that will leave you off with a great feeling as you finish it. I would also not recommend this for children 13 and up, due to some sexual content and explicit language

Breaking Dawn

2009-09-17T18:55:00.001-07:00

Lindsay

English Per.6

September 13, 2009

The title of the book I am doing this report on is called Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer. It is the last book in the Twilight series. I read the first book and fell in love. I actually became obsessed. One book after the other. I finished the whole series in about 2 months. That's a record for me. I was so sad when it was over so I decided to read it again. I read it 2 times. This isn't a short book either. It is actually 754 pages long. It is probably one of the best books I have ever read.

The book is a love story between a vampire and a girl, (who is now a vampire). Now that Bella has Renesmee (who is half mortal, half vampire), the entire Volturi clan is coming to destroy the child. She is a threat to their secret. Bella has some extra supernatural powers too along with Edward and Alice. That power could save her daughter and the rest of the vampire clans from the Volturi coven. Her daughter has also got a power. It is a strange way of communicating. Jacob also makes peace with the vampires. Especially, Renesmee.

"When you loved the one who was killing you, it left you with no options. How could you run, how could you fight, when doing so would hurt that beloved one? If your life was all you had to give to your beloved, how could you not give it? If it was someone you truly loved?" That quote is my all time favorite. I chose this quote because it shows the audience what Bella is going through. She basically has to decide whether or not to give her life to her true love. That quote has a lot of power in its words. It also shows her frustration she has to go through to make this decision. That decision is basically the whole book.

I am going to rate this book on a scale of 1-5. 1 being bad and 5 being absolutely amazing.

, , , , . Of course I have to give it 5 fangs. I rating it with fangs because when people see fangs they think of vampires, which this book is about.

I would recommend this book to a mature female teen audience. I am a mature teen and so are my friends and they loved the book. I would not recommend it to you kids because they are some sexual scenes and some violence. Guys didn't seem very into it but girls fell in love with Edward. This series of books captured the minds of so many people that anybody could read it and love it just as much as I did.

Number the Stars

2009-09-17T17:06:00.001-07:00

Amanda

English Period 4

September 16, 2009

For this book review blog, I chose to review the book Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. I selected this book because this is a book that interests me. Another reason why I chose this book was that once I read the back I wanted to keep on reading the book, so that is what caught my attention. I read this book because I have gotten many recommendations from friends and family and because it is a New Berry Award book, so it must be interesting.

In this book, there are two main characters. They are two girls around the age of ten who are best friends. Their names are Ellen and Annemarie. Their families have known each other for a long period of time. In the book the Holocaust was going on so it was dangerous everywhere. Annemarie was Christian, so her and her family were safe, but Ellen was Jewish, so her and her family were not safe. Ellen's parents left her to go to a safer location, so Ellen had to stay with Annemarie. (So she was safe.) Then Nazis found out she was there, so Ellen, Annemarie and her family left to a safer location. They all sneak away, but guess who finds out that they sneak away… Many more things happen in the book but to find out what happens you must read the book.

There are many quotes in this book but this specific quote very much stands out to me, "When the war ends." Mrs. Johansen said. This whole book is about war so when someone says when the war ends has a huge impact on the read like me. During a war when someone says that it means that they have, hope that the war will end soon but in reality the war might not end for a while or rarely it will end soon. That quote is very inspiring to me and probably to many other people who read this book. This quote is also important to the story because the book ends with a little bit of happy in it so that quote probably inspired the ending.

The rating system for this book will be from one star to five stars. Getting five stars means that it was an amazing book and that you should read it. If the book gets a one star that means that it wasn't the best book and it was not interesting. This book is going to be rated with stars from the title of the book, Number the Stars. I would say that this book receives five stars. The book was interesting, it had suspension, and once I started to read the book I could not put it down. &nbs p;

Number the Stars is a book to read when ever you get a chance. It is a book that you will never put down and you will love the book so much that you would want to read it a second time. I am recommending this book because it is suspenseful, it teaches you how life went with wars like this one, and the book has mystery in it. Therefore, if you are the type of person who likes to read about wars, like the Holocaust, and like reading mystery novels then this book is the book for you. WARNING: If you do not like reading about wars and sadness then you should not read this book!

Twilight

2009-09-17T16:51:00.001-07:00

Sabrina

Period 4 English

September 12, 2009

Twilight

I read the book Twilight by Stephanie Meyers. Twilight is a saga of four books. I selected this book because other people had read it and they liked it so I wanted to give it a shot. People made it seem very interesting. First my mom bought the second book for my sister or me to read so I wanted to read it, but since it was the second one it didn't make sense to so then my mom went out to buy the first one instead and it then made so much more sense to me. It was interesting.

In Twilight the main characters are Bella Swan, Charlie Swan, Edward Cullen, Alice Cullen, Rosalie Hale, Carlisle Cullen, Emmett Cullen, Esme Cullen, Jasper Hale, and Jacob Black. Bella Swan moves to a small town named Forks to live with her dad Charlie. Everything is new for her, a new school, new friends, and a new guy. Bella makes a friend named Jacob Black who's the son of Charlie's friend Billy. Later on the first day of school Bella meets a very mysterious guy named Edward Cullen and his whole family. She sees they are very pale and beautiful and something's different about them then other people. In class Edward acted really weird a round her. One day at the beach she starts talking to Jacob about the Cullen's and Jacob tells Bella that Edward is a vampire. Later on Bella was walking inside to school and a car got out of control because it slid a was about to crush Bella, and out of no where Edward pushed the car off and away from her. So now that they both know he is a vampire Edward and Bella hangout some more till other vampires try and kill Bella what will they do?

In the book Bella said," it's not the end it's the beginning. I chose this as one of my favorite quotes because Edward was referring to how it can be dangerous dating a vampire and how it can be the end. But Bella refers to that as long as she's with Edward she will always feel safe. To me this was a very romantic sweet quote, and I don't give up easily and this quote shows that. It is very empowering.

I would rate this out of five and based on that I give it 4 out of 5. I gave it that because of its amazing details, the storyline of the book because when I read it I kept on wanting to read it, and for the point of view it was written in. This book was truly amazing. For those of you that seen the movie it is nothing like the movie. The movie just seems dumb, but the book is great.

I recommend you do read this book. I recommend you read this because it's a great story and mystery drama. Another reason is because it's such a reality but fantasy at the same time so it's really cool. Also it has great stories about each character. Warning may include some language but not much also very specific of kissing type of things. Read this book you WILL love it.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

2009-09-17T16:46:00.001-07:00

This book I read is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which is written by J.K. Rowling. The reason why I selected this book is because I am a fan of Harry Potter books and that since this like a fantasy type of book I would imagine what goes on while reading. Plus this is like an action/adventure type book and that I like those types of books. But that is just one reason why I chose this book. I chose this book because since I read the two other books before this I just got to know what is going to happen in this one. As I started to read this book I just wanted to complete the book and not to stop right in the middle of it and start a new book, it is a very good book to read and I didn't put this book down until I completed it.. I selected this book because of all the adventures, the action as I read it, the mystery, and the fantasy it has, which is the type of book I like.

In this book there are three main characters. Harry Potter, he is known for the scar on his forehead and when it is summer time he lives with Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and there son Dudley. They are his only living relatives and are very mean to him. His real parents are dead both of them were magical, so his parents was a witch and a wizard, but the family Harry is living with right now are muggles, humans with no magic powers. Hermione Granger, she is like the brains of the group. She is the one that knows more difficult spells. Ron Wesley is a clumsy boy who already broke his wand into two and has a really nice family. While at Hogwarts, where Harry goes to school, Harry is being hunted down by dementors, ghostly creatures that are the guardians of the prison of Azkaban. As I go through the story I read about a man named Sirius Black. He is responsible for killing 13 people with one curse. He is also Harry's godfather, but that that isn't the end yet. So if you want to find out more read the book.

"What do when the worst is coming…"(Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, pg. 68). I chose this comment because Harry, Hermione, and Ron are getting into really bad troubles in the book as I read, especially Harry. This can actually relate to Harry because I've wondered what he will do when he is in a really bad situation, will he run or fight on. This quote is basically used throughout the story since Harry, Ron, and Hermione are getting into trouble like at the time of going to Hogwarts, as he was on the Hogwarts Express train a dementor showed up and I wondered what will he do the things get worse.. Another time that got worse was when he had to fight Sirius Black.

If was to rate this I would give it a 4 out 5 score . These are scars, which is the same scar on Harry's forehead from Voldermort, a very evil wizard responsible for the deaths of Harry's parents. How he got the scar is that when Harry was still a baby he wanted to kill him but survived.. So I used this kind of rating system based on the scar on Harry's forehead. The ratings were 1-5 and I chose 4 so it is a very good book to read all of it was excellent so I hope other will enjoy this to read. So when you people out there need a good book to read this that book.

So this book has a rating of 4 out of 5 scars and that is very good and for the people who like mystery, action, and adventure books this is the one. One reason why others will want to read this is because this is like from 7 years of age to like above. This may have some violent content, but not to much. Good for Harry Potter fans just like me. There might be so comedy in this so if you need a laugh this is for you and again there is very little violence. Plus if you like magic this is the one. So enjoy this book and I am sure you will like it to. HAPPY READING !!!!

Rating:

Marcus

English, Period 4

September 15, 2009

Perks of Being a Wallflower

2009-09-17T15:45:00.001-07:00

Maya
Mrs. Huff
Per.5
The novel The Perks of being a Wallflower is written by Stephen Chbosky in letter form. Back in 7th grade my sister would always tell me how fantastic this book was. I was never a big fan of reading but I decided to give the book a shot. Once I opened this book I could not put it down. When you read this book you really jump in and in many ways relate to the story. This book is happy yet very sad but, is overall an amazing story. Charlie is a teenage boy at high school who sends letter about his life to a person he has never met. Charlie discusses his hardship to this person which includes his two best friend's death; his Aunt and his only friend Michael. He is a lot different than everyone around him. His brother is super athletic and his sister has a big mouth. Charlie is embarrassingly shy about everything and finds it difficult to make friends. One day Charlie goes to the homecoming game where he would meet people who would forever change his the way he lived. Charlie meets a boy named Patrick who is loud; Patrick introduces Charlie to his step-sister Sam. Charlie gets introduced to drugs and finds out people like him for him. He mostly connects with his friends threw mix-tapes with his favorite songs on them. He then meets a girl named Mary Elizabeth who loves him but, he doesn't feel the same w ay. When Mary Elizabeth is told Charlie doesn't have the same feelings it brings conflict between him and all his friends. Charlie befriends one of his teachers who shares similar interests with him. Charlie one day over-doses on drugs and wakes up in the snow only to realize what he has become. Charlie realizes what he has done but tries to continue living his life. The ending will definitely bring tears to your eyes but warmness to your heart. One quote that stood out to me in this story was when he wrote in his letter, "It's kind of like when you look at yourself in the mirror and you say your name. And it gets to a point where none of it seems real. Well, sometimes, I can do that, but I don't need an hour in front of a mirror. It just happens very fast, and things start to slip away. And I just open my eyes, and I see nothing. And then I start to breathe really hard trying to see something, but I can't. It doesn't happen all the time, but when it does, it scares me." This quote was very powerful because it defined how he really felt. This quote is very deep and it made me think very long and hard until I understood which is why I love it. Overall I give this book give this book a complete five out of five cassettes ( ) because it was a very easy read. I didn't feel like I was forced to read this novel I actually wanted to take in every sentence of it. I would strongly recommend this book to people who enjoy reading realistic- drama books. This book is something everyone can relate to in a different way. It is the perfect amount of happiness and sadness. And the best part about this is that it doesn't sugar coat anything it is like reality. If you are going to read this brace yourself for tears!

The Giver

2009-09-17T07:12:00.001-07:00

Anthony

English, Period 2

September 15, 2009

The book that I chose to write a review on was The Giver. The Giver is written by Lois Lowry, also the author of Gossamer. I read this book because it was a mandatory book to read in Ms. Bedrossian's class (my seventh grade English teacher). I didn't choose to read this book, but after I read it, I loved it. I loved it so much that I read most of Lowry's books.
The Giver is about a young boy named Jonas who lives in a futuristic community where everything is very well organized and planned. There's a curfew that everyone needs to follow. If you have a "special dream", the elders give you a pill so that you're normal like everyone else. The parents are arranged together and their children come from donors at the hospital. When kids arrive at a certain age, they go through a ceremony to receive what jobs they will be perform for the rest of your life. If adults get to old, the elders tell everyone that they will be leaving the community (because it is surrounded by a gate) but in reality, the doctors are injecting them with a poison to rid of them. So Jonas gets the job as a receiver, a person who goes to the Giver (an old, wise man that was a receiver, but now gives memories) to receive memories from the past ages. As Jonas receives more and more memories, he decides to leave the community because of some disturbing memories that show what truly happens in the community. He leaves with his little brother, Gabriel.

"6. Except for illness or injury unrelated to your training, do not apply for any medication. (9.32)". This was a rule in the community. I chose this quote because it shows how strict the rules were. Even the most organized and safest community had its downfalls. The whole community and no feelings towards each other. You could be an elder and still get injected with poison to be "released". So if you were dying of some disease, no medication would be given to you because it doesn't have to do with your training as the job you're getting.

If I was to rate this book I would give it . I chose these icons (happy face mask covering a sad face, if you can't see the image) because in the book, everyone needed to act a certain way. If they didn't "go with the flow", pills were given to them to straighten their attitude. I thought that the citizens were secretly crestfallen at the fact that they needed to be treated for their own behavior. That's why I chose icons of a glad mask that was covering up the real identity of the people, depressed.

In my opinion, this book was the most mind-blowing book I have ever read. I saw the world in a new perspective and I started to enjoy reading. If you read this book, I guarantee that you will be hooked on it and want to read more books in this genre. You should read The Giver because it's a book that will open your eyes to the joy of reading. Secondly, this book is very unique because it doesn't happen in the present, but in a possible future for us. Finally, this book is very interesting and detailed that you could get a picture in your mind about the scene that you're reading. I would recommend this book for seventh grade and up, but for the ones who want a challenge. This book makes you think. Lower grades won't comprehend the concepts being told and how to look at the point of views.

From: Tony Arenas <tonyarenas@rocketmail.com>
To: blaircarroll.millikanreads@blogger.com
Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2009 11:21:43 PM
Subject: Ms. Huff Blog Assignment

this is my blog project for ms. huff's class

The People of Sparks

2009-09-16T22:08:00.000-07:00

The book I read is called The People of Sparks by Jeanne Durau. The reason I choose to readThe People of Sparks was because of the cover. It is really pretty and symbolic. I then found out it was the second book in a series of four. I then bought the first book to read, so I could start from the beginning of the series.

My book is about two characters, Lina and Doon, who have just lead their people out of a closed off, underground city, and into the world. Upon entering the world, they nothing about, society has gone backwards to a more primitive time because of a war. Lina and Doon comes upon a village that agrees to help them but, soon after, conflict arises. Now Doon and Lina have to stop the threat of a war, between the people of Ember and the people of Sparks, lead by the influences of a boy named Tick.

"Fine" said Maddy......"If you ask me, making friends is a better defense then making enemies."I felt that this saying is significant because it's telling you that what is the point of making enemies when it's just going to hurt you in the end. The reason Maddy said this was because a man named Caspar stated that he believed in approaching a stranger like a enemy to protect himself. Maddy felt that making more enemies then friends, was a stupid way to carry out life.

Out of 17 seeds I give this book a rating of 15 seeds. The reason I give it a rating of 15 seeds is because I loved the story line, and thought the characters were realistic. Even so, I felt a little disappointed with one resolution dealing with treasure. I felt it could have been better and didn't live up to it's full potential. The reason I used seeds as my rating system is because on the cover, it is a picture of a sprout. I felt that the seed and sprout represented the starting of a civilization, which is exactly what this book is representing.

Out of :

' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' 17 seeds

this book deserved:

' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' 15 seeds

I recommend this book for anti-war people. It deals with war (not the war specifically) but the effects

afterwards. I believe this book is recommend for people of all ages. Though, I believe that the older you

the more you'll get out of it. It is also people who like adventure for it has its owe share of it. Lastly I feel

that this is a book about civilizations and tolerance of other people. It shows you just how foolish a fight

over an egg might be, and how it all starts with a push and ends with a mess.

By,

Hopi

Dairy Queen

2009-09-16T21:39:00.001-07:00

Emily

English Period 4

September 16, 2009

Dairy Queen

I chose to write a blog about Dairy Queen a book by Catherine Gilbert Murdock. The reason I chose this book is because when I first began reading it I wasn't into it at all but as I started to read more I was hooked. I was given this book by mom, who picked it out for me as a Hanukkah present. She always seems to pick out the books with interesting covers and titles and so far that has worked out. In this situation the book didn't sound appealing at first but you have to trust a mothers instinct.

The main characters in this book are fifteen-year-old D.J. Schwenk of Red Bend, Wisconsin, Brian Nelson Quarterback for Hawley High School and rivals of Red Bend, Amber who is best friends with D.J. and her little brother Curtis Schwenk. The Schwenk family owns a dairy farm in Red Bend that D.J. does most of the work. One day the Hawley High School coach Jimmy Ott, long time friend of the Schwenks, asks if he could have his star quarterback Brian Nelson help out on the farm. Well, right away D.J and Brian get off to a bad start but as they find more in common such as football they find it easier to be around each other. As well as working on the farm D.J. helps Brian train for football season but discovers some things about Brian and herself along the way. Maybe there is a reason why her little brother Curtis never talks and her older brothers never come home to visit, or why her only friend is Amber and why Brian Nelson might not seem so bad.

D.J Schwenk says the quote that I find most interesting, " When you don't talk there's a lot of stuff that ends up not getting said." D.J. doesn't like to talk about her feelings and that is the way her family is as well. She always says how the Schenks deal with things is by not saying anything and hoping it will blow over in a few days or weeks but sometimes it could take months. I feel this quote demonstrates how D.J. feels about her family and the life she lives where she has a lot to say but no one to say it to.

The rating system I developed is: One milk bottle represents that the book was okay but I wouldn't recommend it. Two milk bottles represents the book was good but I wouldn't read it again. Three milk bottles represents that the book overall was good but there were parts that were really boring. Four milk bottles represents that the book was good at the beginning but towards the end I couldn't put it down and I would recommend it. Five milk bottles represents that the book was amazing and I could never put it down and I would read it over again. I give my book four out of five milk bottles because I wasn't into the book at the beginning but as the book progressed I found it more interesting and I couldn't put it down. For my rating system I am using milk bottles because the Scwenk family owns a dairy farm, so I thought it would be a good idea to use this image.

Three reasons I would recommend this book are, it is very realistic and has a mix of athleticism and romance, the characters and the plot of the story are very interesting, and the book shows what it is like to balance so many things such as school, sports, boys, and work. I would recommend this book to girls between the ages of eleven and fifteen. Warning there is some adult content and language. I would recommend this book to readers who like books about people's lives and their struggles and thoughts. There is no mystery, no action or adventure but there is a great story if you look behind the pages.

--
Emily

Sudden Death

2009-09-16T21:36:00.001-07:00

Parker

The book I read was Sudden Death by David Rosenfelt. I selected this book because it is a murder mystery and because it has to do with football and the NY Giants who are my favorite football team. I knew that this was a good book to read because the story sounded good and it had some things in it that interested me. I have read books by this author before and have liked them. I also heard that it was a good book and I like to read mysteries.
This book was about a defense attorney named Andy Carpenter who is hired by Kenny Schilling, the star running back for the NY Giants, after he barricaded himself inside his house with the dead body of Troy Preston, a Jets football player. Kenny says he was set up and believes Andy Carpenter can help him dig himself out of the big hole he's in. Kenny has lost his job and image and the only person he has to help him is Andy who has some personal problems of his own but tries his best to figure out the case which is not easy. There were some suprising twist and turns but the end was a shocker. It was funny at times, suspenseful, interesting and sad. There was a lot of detail included about each event that happened in the book. It lives up to it's good reputation..
"If my mother were alive she would say 'whatever happens, it's all for the best.' I never believed it when she used to say it, and I don't believe it now." I chose this because I agree with him and things don't always happen for the best. It depends on the choices you make and the situation your in. If you make a bad choice than it wasn't for the best and your future is not going to be the best. It is important in the story because he's always proving his mother wrong and the case he is investigating didn't happen for the best. In the end when the investigation is over, this saying comes in to hand as the best did not happen for Kenny and Andy, in fact the worse that could of happened happens.
    Since this book has to do with football, I made my rating icon a football. My rating scale is out 5 footballs, 1 being the worst and 5 being the best. I would give this book 4 out of 5 footballs. It was a good book, one of the best I've read but not the greatest ever.

I would recommend this book to a friend.. This book was a good read and had a very interesting detailed story. It was easy to relate to and very funny. It was realistic and suspenseful. There were a bunch of stories going on at once not just one, which made the book more interesting and not boring. I would recommend this to most guys the age of 12 to 30 because I think most guys would like this book and would be able to relate to it in some way. Warning: There is some bad language, sexual thoughts and a descriptions of a dead body. All in all, this book was really good and a must read.

Homeless Bird

2009-09-16T21:22:00.002-07:00

Arman

September 16, 2009

Arman

September 14, 2009

Period 4

Homeless Bird

Hello, my name is Arman Hairapetyan and I'm here to tell you about a book I've read called "Homeless Bird", written by Gloria Whelam. You probably want to know why I chose to talk about this book, and the reason why is because Mrs. Mischkot, my 6^th grade english and history teacher, wanted the class to read a book for a project that we would soon have to do. I wanted something intrasting and I judged the books that I was viewing in the classroom shelves by its cover. I saw the book "Homeless Bird" on the shelf and it caught my intrest because of its covar of a lonely girl in a corner quilting a shawl . I read a few pages of the book to see if I made the right choice for me, and I did. I love to learn about the cultures of the world and this book had a great promise , but thats not the only reason I read it and if I tell you what its really about , it will ruin the story for you. The main theme of the story actually starts in the beginning of the story .

The main character of the story is named Koly, a fourteen Hindu girl from a small village in India. Koly from my point of view, would be the only main character in the story. Through out the story, Koly has been living with many different people such as her parents, in-laws, and in a home somewhat similar to an orphanage. So you see, Koly has been switching homes for many reasons weither it was her being abandoned or givin away to through out the story, she is mainly involved with those who she lives with, rarely those who she does not. I wont try to give away to much details about the story , but here's a brief summery about the story. Koly is a fourteen year old hindu girl who is forced to an enranged marriage with a boy who was much younger than her. It was soon revealed through out the story that Kolys in-laws actually used Koly to receive her dowry money for their son who is actually very ill. They wanted to use the money so they can go to the Ghengis river in a different city in order to hopefully have him healed once he is placed in the rivers water. Soon enough, Koly's husband, who was the boy died and her mother in-law has abandoned her in the city with barley any money. The book tries to send a message to its readers that you are never alone, people care about you and that you can live life if you fight for it. Koly went through tough situations that she solved on her own, which soon lead her to something that she didn't expect, and if she can do it so can you.

There is a quote in the story that says" even a homeless bird can find a home". What the quote is trying to say is that you are not always alone and never give up on finding a family, or a place where you can relax and call your home. The reason why I chose this quote is because at one point, Koly did become a homeless as a child and she gave up hope and thought that she would always be alone, but she was wrong. She proved herself wrong when her dreams became reality. The importance of the quote in the story is that it became reality and brought joy, hope, and love to a girl who once had a broken heart.

I rate the book 5 stars because it was well written, the story was very detailed and even taught a bit of the Indian language. The story described the characters and setting in detail to a way where you can imagine what it looks like. The story also brings in emotions towards Koly once you discover her suffering through out the book. As you can see above on the first page, there is an image of a dove. I chose a dove as an icon for the story. The reason why is because a dove resembles freedom, love, hope, and joy, as well as to nurture . All this that the dove resembles comes true for Koly as we discovers these facts one by one though her rough journey as the homeless bird comes to anend

Three reasons why I recommend this book. One, because it teaches a large portion of the Indian culture and life. Two, the book send a message to children that they are never alone and can accomplice hardship. Three, its very detailed and starts your mind to think what could possibly happen next and also see a glimpse of what many hardship people young and old face today. I recommend this book to an audience who love to learn about other cultures ,and to those who love to follow a journey that of a child and how he or she accomplish their hardships and end their journey with a happy ending. There are no warnings that need to be notified.

Twilight

2009-09-16T21:22:00.001-07:00

Nancy

English, Period 6

September 12, 2009

Mrs. Huff

I read the novel Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. I came across this book when al my friends had finished the series. They told me the book was fantastic and that I should read it. I will never regret reading this book. I love this book so much. As soon as I started to read it, I couldn't it down. I was so addicted. I finished Twilight the night I got it and kept rereading it until I got the sequel which is New Moon. So when I was told to do a book review for my assignment, I knew this was the book to choose.

The main character is Bella Swan who moves to Forks, Washington from Phoenix, Arizona to live with her father Charlie, who is the chief of police. She hates forks and starts Forks High School, where she meets Edward Cullen, who is a vampire. They fell in love… a forbidden love. He doesn't eat or sleep, just like his family who consists of: Carlisle and Esme (his parents) and his siblings, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett. Edward can read minds, Jasper can control emotions, and Alice can see into the future. Edward can read everybody's but, but he can't read Bella's, which seems to be the reason she always surprises Edward. One day, after Bella is introduced to Edward's family, they all go out to play baseball. While they are there, the come along a group of vampires. Their names are James (the leader), Laurent, and Victoria. They smelled Bella and were drawn to her scent. And the chase begins! James tried to attack Bella and the Cullen so Edward and Bella split up to try to confuse James. Bella is taken by Alice and Jasper to a hotel in Arizona. Everything is aright until Bella gets a call from James saying that he's got her mother and the only way to get her back unharmed is to meet him at the old ballet studio Bella went to years ago. She sneaks their but then realizes that's it was all a trick. James bites her but Edward gets there right after he bites her and tries to kill James. The Cullens come right in time to help kill James and Edward sucks the venom out of Bella. Once they get back to Forks and everything is as normal as it could be, Edward takes Bella to prom. Bella keeps trying to persuade Edward to turn her into a vampire but he remains firm on the idea of her staying human.

My favorite quote that I chose was, "" So what your saying is that I'm your brand of heroin?" I teased, trying to lighten the mood. He smiled swiftly, seeming to appreciate my effort, "Yes, you are exactly my brand of heroin."" That quote is so romantic. I just love that line. Their love is forbidden and it's a real love. Not just another love story that'll last for a couple days. It's real. This quote is like saying, I love you and I know that you are the only one for me. That is a big part of the story. It's a true love. They both of them can't be apart. It's as if they are addicted to each other, hence the quote.

My rating for Twilight would be 5 apples out of 5. I chose apples because this fruit symbolizes forbidden love and that's what Twilight is about. There is no way I can tell you how great this book is. It's magnificent, incredible, amazing and much, much more. I would never be able to say something about this book. I just love it.

There are so many reasons you should read Twilight. If you like romance, this book is definitely your calling. It's full of romance and it's a great love story. It's also full of imagination, so you could imagine all of it in your head. It would be so cool. I know a lot of you are saying it's a girls' book, right? Well it's not. Not only does it have romance, buts it's full of suspense and action. This book probably isn't good for anybody over 12. This book has kissing, minor gore, and violence.

The Whale Rider

2009-09-16T21:20:00.001-07:00

Ethan

English, Period 4

September 16, 2009

Mrs. Huff

Over the summer, in my camp class, we read several books and compared them to the movies. We read three books, and the one that stood out to me was The Whale Rider, by Witi Ihimaera. I chose this book because it was the most realistic of the three books that we read. I have always enjoyed non-fiction book, so I was surprised that I enjoyed this book so much. It turned out to be the best choice for me.

The story is narrated by the character, Uncle Rawiri, and starts with the birth of his niece Kahu. She is the granddaughter of the Maori tribal leader. Her grandfather, Koro Apirana, does not favor her because she is a girl. He really wanted a grandson. Shortly after she is born, Kahu's mother dies. She is eventually sent to live with her father's family. When Kahu is a young girl her father leaves to find work. Once gone, there is no male to pass on the role of leader to. The grandfather is worried about what will happen when he dies; he is afraid that the tribe will end because there will be no male that possess' the magical power of speaking to the whales, like their great and powerful ancestors could. Kahu wants to be counted among the possible leaders, but her grandfather ignores her. She tries many times to get his attention by doing things that the boys do and performing well in school, but her grandfather often pretends that she doesn't exist. Kahu's grandmother, Nanny Flowers, and her Uncle Rawiri are her biggest supporters; they know that she is special, even if the grandfather doesn't see it. At the end of the story, Kahu proves her grandfather wrong and shows that she can be the leader of the tribe. There are many themes in this story, but the ones that stood out the most, were keeping the tribe's identity together during both good and gloomy times and how someone could be a good leader even though they are young.

The quote that had the most significance for me, was when Uncle Rawiri had seen Kahu and told Nanny Flowers, "I found Kahu way up on the bluff, calling out to the sea. She was making that mewling sound and then cocking her head to listen for a reply." It was an important quote because it was the first time that her family heard her call out to the whales that were dying on the sand below her. It was at that moment, I believe, that her family (except for her grandfather) began to realize that she had the special gift of communicating with the whales. This special gift, however, carried a big burden for this young girl and it made her family sad to see their precious relative in so much pain. This would prove to be a major turning point for Kahu, her family, and the entire tribe.

To rate this book, I have chosen a system using pictures of whales. I am rating this book using a 1-5 rating scale with one being a book that no one would enjoy and that I would not recommend, and a five being a book that is a must read for all.

I recommend this book to children twelve and over because it shows that if someone works really hard and believes in him or herself, they can become a leader – even at a young age. I also recommend it for children who have had a hard life and who may have been told that they don't matter. Stay strong and continue to prove yourself; one day, someone will notice it. Furthermore, I recommend this book to anyone who likes animals and nature. Although many people will like this book, there are some warnings for those with weak stomachs who are sensitive to animals being harmed by humans.

Pendragon

2009-09-16T21:15:00.001-07:00

Rizwan

Per.6, English

September 16, 2009

The book I chose was Pendragon: The Merchant of Death by D.J. Machale. I selected this book in the sixth grade for a book report. I chose it because I was told that it was a good book. This is why I had chosen it.

The book is about a character named Bobby Pendragon and him saving different worlds called territories. Him and his uncle go to a territory called Denduron to save it from the evil Saint Dane. They have to stop him from destroying peace or the territory disappears. The main theme about this book is fiction. This would be a great book to read if you enjoy reading.

When Bobby said, "They were going to kill her" it changed the story. The reason this quote is important was because they had to make sure Osa's death wasn't in vain. Thanks to this they had to make sure they save the territory from Saint Dane. Also because of what had happened they made a plan. This is why it had been important.

I had chosen a door as my rating system because in Pendragon they go through doors to reach a territory. My rating system is out of five. In my rating system five is the best and one being the worst. This is how my rating system is.

The reason you have to read this book is because it won't be a waste of time. A reason I would recommend this book is because you won't regret reading this piece of literature. People who are really into reading fiction will be glued to this book. After you have read it you will be glad that you decided to read this. I would recommend this to readers who are 11 and up. The reason why is because there are a few violent parts in the book.

Cirque Du Freak

2009-09-16T21:14:00.001-07:00

Jordan

English Period 4

September 15, 2009

Last year I read a book called Cirque Du Freak by Darren Shan. I picked this book to read because I had nothing else to read and because my brother read the whole series and really like it. I knew this was the book to read because it seemed very interesting. I remember I wanted to read a book that we had at home and my mom told me to try this book out.

This book is about a boy named Darren Shan who goes to a freak show with his friend Steve and finds a vampire there who turns Darren into his vampire assistant. They go on many adventures throughout the book and the whole series.

At the end of the first book Mr. Crepsley, the vampire, said "No, Darren Shan, I do not want Steve Leopard to be my assistant." He pointed at me with his long bony finger again, and I knew what he was going to say seconds before he said it. "You want me!" I think this is a significant quote because it started up the whole series and showed how Darren became a vampire.

If I had to rate this book I would rate it from 1-5 V's. V stands for Vampire. I would probably give the book 4 V's.

V V V V

I would definitely recommend this book to a friend. I would recommend it if they liked action and drama, if they liked to read about vampires, and if they want to read a good series. The only warning I need to give is that there is violence and some blood and gore in it.

Evermore

2009-09-16T21:11:00.001-07:00

Mikael

English, Period 6

September 14, 2009

Evermore

The book I read was Evermore by Alyson Noel. I selected this book when looking for a book to read while waiting for the next House of Night book to come out. It was recommended to me by one of the employees of Barnes and Noble. The cover was unusual and the synopsis on the back of the book really pulled me in, so I decided to buy it.

The main character is named Ever. Her family died in a car accident and somehow she lived. The repercussion of this travesty was that she could see auras, read minds, and with the simple touch she can read the persons entire history. When she goes to school one day she meets a boy. His name is Damen. The reason she realized him is because of his perfect beauty and the fact that he had no aura. Whenever she touches him, her body tingles and he is the only one she can focus on, everything else just stops and goes away. This book refers to common themes in a teenagers' life, as in crushes and first love. Whether you realize it or not, this book entices you and changes your entire idea about how you felt or will feel when that day comes where you meet someone special.

The quote I chose from Evermore is, "'I don't want to talk about it,' I say, blinking at the water globes that are now red and forming into a tulip.
'What do you want to talk about?' he whispers, gazing at me with those eyes, two infinite pools luring me in.

'I don't want to talk,' I whisper, holding my breath as his lips met mine." This quote says a lot about the book. The reason I chose this quote was because of their love in the story. Ever and Damen are truly in love. The second reason is because of the tulip they mentioned. Damen periodically gives Ever red tulips. They appear out of thin air, on paper, and now an image of glowing light bulbs floating in water. Later in the book Ever finds out that red tulips symbolize ever-dieing love or affection. It is interesting how Damen shows his love for her in so many ways. It is truly sweet.

I would rate this book in red tulips to show how much I love this book and also to symbolize the love in the book. I would give this book 4 out of 5 red tulips. It was an amazing book. It was well written and painted an interesting picture. The meaning was clear and the ending, enticing. I loved this book.

I would recommend this book to all teenagers. It shows how we see love at this age, specifically our first crushes. It goes through emotional rollercoaster during the duration of the book that any teen would find interesting. It also shows others that when something bad happens, you can always push through. I would not recommend this to children younger than 11. This book has references to underage drinking. It truly is an amazing book.

Sleep-away Girls

2009-09-16T20:54:00.000-07:00

Maxine

Period 2 English

9/15/09

Sleep-away Girls

Over the summer I went to the book store and noticed an eye catching book cover. The book was called Sleep-away Girls and was written by Jen Calonita. The title was both appropriate and intriguing. So, I decided to purchase the book after reading the back cover. I am very glad that I bought this book.

This book follows the story of Sam Montgomery and what happens when she goes to Whispering Pines sleep-away camp. Sam decided to go to Pines because her best friend got her first boyfriend and they became inseparable. Poor Sam makes her first enemy within the first 30 minutes of arriving at camp.

What is even worse is that her enemy is the Queen of Pines and the camp director's daughter, Ashley. Not to mention, Sam is crushing on flirtatious Hunter which just might ruin her summer, if Ashley doesn't first.

"What's up with you guys this summer? Ever since she got here you've been acting weird and annoying." ~Ashley. I thought that this quote summarized the whole war between Sam and Ashley.

I thought this because you can tell that Ashley is insecure because Sam became very popular fast. You can also tell that Sam never meant to make Ashley feel insecure. If Ashley knew that Sam wasn't trying to make her feel bad I think they could have been nicer to each other.

If I had to rate this book on a scale from 1-10, I would give it a 9 . I gave it this score because at times it was a bit predictable, but in a good way. Even though it was predictable in a good way, some readers may not like knowing what is coming up. Other than that, any girl between the ages 10-17 will fall in love with this book. It is a must-read!

If you enjoyed reading this review, you will enjoy reading the actual book ten times more. It has a hilarious comedy side, a sweet romantic side and an innocent naive side. Plus it is current and has a lot of mischief. This book has everything a female teenager or pre-teen would want in a book. Enjoy reading!!!

Twilight

2009-09-16T20:43:00.001-07:00

Anna

Mrs. Huff, Period 2

September 13, 2009

I really enjoyed reading the book Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. I didn't even know about this book until the movie came out. My friends dragged me to see the movie and I really liked it. So my friends and I decided to read all of the books in the Twilight Saga and this was the first one.

Twilight is about a 17 year old girl named Bella Swan who goes to live with her dad Charlie in a small town called Forks. On her first day in her new high school, she is seated next to a boy named Edward Cullen he doesn't say one word to her and tries to sit as far away as he can. Over the next few days he begins talking and they become friends, but one day Bella is almost hit by a car and it Edward appeared out of nowhere and saved her. Bella begins questioning Edward to find out how he got to her so fast but he kept refusing. She convinced her friend Jacob Black to tell her some tribal myths, and she realizes that Edward and his family are vampires, but they only drink animal blood. When she confronts Edward he confesses. Eventually, Bella and Edward fall in love and he introduces her to his family. One day at a family baseball game a different group of vampires come and one of them, James a tracker, smells Bella and tries to attack. Edward held him off, but not for long and the race to save Bella is on.

My favorite quote from the book was when Edward said"and so the lion fell in love with the lamb." I think the quote really relates to the book because it shows that two things that are supposed to be enemies have fallen in love. Lions eat lambs, just like how vampires survive off human blood. Instead of them fearing each other they fell in love.

The rating system I created for this book is 5 broken hearts 1 being the worst and 5 being the best. I chose the symbol broken hearts because Edward and Bella know that they should not be in love and yet they are. I am giving this book 4 broken hearts because I think Bella found out that Edward was a vampire way too fast. I wish Stephanie Meyer had made it more mysterious.

I think girls will really enjoy this book. It shows that guys can be masculine yet sweet and romantic. It allows girls to read about the guy they fantasize about, and lets them dream about one day being swept off their feet. I wouldn't recommend this book to any guys because its very sweet and romantic and guys may not find it interesting.

Battle of the Labyrinth

2009-09-16T20:39:00.001-07:00

Amir

I Chose the book the Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan for my blog. I chose this book because it is the final book of my favorite series, Percy Jackson & the Olympians. I wanted to chose another book in the series but this one was the best in my opinion so I chose this one.

The main character is Percy Jackson who in book 1 finds out he is a demi-God, that means either his mother of father is a god. His father is Posidon. In the third book he finds out that when he becomes 16 he will either choose to destroy or save Olympia. In this book he becomes 16 and there's a huge war between the Titans, their God, Kronos, and the Gods of Olympia. There is an amazing amount of realistic information about Greek mythology so it is a must read for anyone studying mythology.

"You are right as long as the Labyrinth is here, your enemies can use it, which is why the Labyrinth cannot continue" This is a very important quote because the enemies would use the Labyrinth to their advantage so it would have to be destroyed. The only problem is thatDaedalus's life is bound to the Labyrinth. He accepted his fate and allowed the Lord of the Undead to take his soul therefore destroying the Labyrinth.

In my rating system I used Roman short swords. I chose this because Percy uses a golden short sword, riptide. This book in my opinion got a 5/5 rating

This book is great for anyone who loves mythology, is taking Roman history, or anyone who loves a thrilling book you cant put down. This book is for 12 and up due to the violence content. All and all it is an amazing book.

2009-09-16T20:36:00.001-07:00

Jeserine
Period 2/English
September 16, 2009

    Go Ask Alice by Anonymous is a great book and became one of my favorite books. I chose this book because is filled with many twists. It's not like other books because it isn't in chapters. The entire book is written in a diary form. I've read many books before, but I decided this a good book to read since it's based on a true story. My older sister showed me this book. She told me what it was mainly about and it caught my attention. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it back down. If you like shocking stories, I encourage you to read this book.
    This book is an actual diary written by an anonymous 15 year-old girl. She felt as if her life was going wrong. She has issues with her crush Roger , her parents, and she worries about her weight. Then her father got a job offer as a college professor at a new school. The teen get's excited and decides to clean up her life. Once the family moves, everyone seems to enjoy their new home while she feels like she doesn't fit in. After meeting her Jewish neighbor, Beth, things became easier for her. Then summer came, she went off to her grandparents' home. While she was with her grandparents, she met up with her old friend Jill. Jill invited her to a party where the troubled teen is introduced to drugs. There, she lost her virginity to a guy at the party she barely knew. After that, she promises she wouldn't do drugs again. She goes back home and meets a hippie girl named Chris at a thrift store. She tries drugs again, and she even begins to start selling them for her new boyfriend, Richie. Richie turns out to be gay, having an affair with Chris's boyfriend, Ted. After that, her and Chris run away to San Francisco where her and Chris get raped. They both return home and she goes to a psychiatrist. Instead of staying away from drugs, she continues to use them and runs away to Denver. There, she met a girl on the streets named Alice, who was going through a situation similar to hers. After living a drugged life, she realizes she should go back home. The teen began improving her self-esteem and lost contact of drugs. Her dad introduced her to a guy names Joel. He makes a great impact in her life, and changed her thoughts in life. There's more, but the ending will have to be a surprise.
    "I'm partly somebody else trying to fit in and say the right things and do the right thing and be in the right place and wear what everybody else is wearing. Sometimes I think we're all trying to be shadows of each other..." This quote shows how she is lost in the world and is struggling to fit in with the crowd. She doesn't know how to be herself yet. This quote is significant because in the whole book, she has trouble filling in her own shoes. As she tries harder and harder to fit in, she doesn't realize that she is living below the influence. I chose this quote since it explains how and why she began doing drugs.
    I give the book five 'under the influence' symbols because this is an outstanding book. The symbols represent how she constantly follows the crowd and doesn't do the right thing. She get's addicted to drugs, has sexual orientation, and even runs away from home. I chose that symbol also because it shows that she has done something inappropriate and unnecessary. It's rated with five 'under the influence' symbols also because even though she does drugs, it is still has a touching story.
    I recommend this book if you enjoy reading daring and mysterious books, this is the right one to chose. This book can inspire many people. They can relate to the story and learn a good lesson just by reading it. Go Ask Alice can also help teens stay away from drugs and not give into negative peer pressure. Even though this is an amazing book, it involves lots of drugs and sexual content. It may also be too inappropriate for younger children. Go Ask Alice is a perfect book for teens going through trouble, and even parents with teenage kids!

The Outsiders

2009-09-16T19:54:00.000-07:00

Siegel
Per.2 9\16\09
Mrs. Huff

The book I prefer is called THE OUTSIDERS written by S.E. HINTON. I selected this book because my teacher gave it to me as an assignment. I wasn't to exited about it but when I was bored one day I read a couple pages I was amazed at after 20 pages I couldn't put it down. I not much of a book reader and I can for sure tell you that you could hate books and be obsessed with this one.

This book is about two gangs called the socs and greasers and their conflicts day after day. The socs are a group of rich kids that drink, pick on greasers, and drive around in their fancy mustangs. The greasers are small groups of tough hoods that smoke, steal and get in fights with socs. Neither side sound so great but if you read the book you'll understand who the good guys are. A greaser stabs a soc protecting his friend and the socs dies. The two greasers run away and where they are a whole bunch of drama happens. This book makes you think rather than anything else. There is a little bit of everything in this book.

The quote I can remember the most that is most significant is "When I first left the darkness of the theater I could only think about two think Paul Newman and a ride home". Once you have read threw the whole book you will understand what this sentence means.

The only rate this book deserves is 5 spades: ªªªªª

I recommend this book to anyone who is anyone: 12 and above. One reason is that it's a book with just about everything a reader could need except fantasy; drama, action, mystery, thriller and a little bit of romance. Another is that on top of the action and drama there is a moral that fits this book very well. Third is that the book won the Pulitzer Prize.

Bliss

2009-09-16T19:47:00.001-07:00

The title of the book I am doing this report on is Bliss by Lauren Myracle. I selected this book because when I read it, I couldn’t put it down, and when I finished this book I was sad, because I didn’t want it to be over. I don’t get that feeling with too many books, so that is why I am writing about it. I found out about this book from my friend Julia Wunsch. She recommended this book to me after she read it because she thought I would like it, and I sure did.

In this book Bliss is a teenage girl that is just moving in with her grandma. When she had her first few days of school she got to be friends with three girls: Thelma, DeeDee, and Jolene. There was also another girl named Sarah Lynn who was the most popular girl in the school. Bliss see’s some stairs so she walks up and she finds a door she tries to open it but it’s locked. Whenever she goes in that hallway she always hears voices in her head, telling her what to do. She gets scared so she runs, and then Thelma tells her a scary story: A long time ago there was this one girl, Liliana, and she always made trouble and she was always talking about strange things like sacrificing one’s blood. She was then locked up, in a hallway with a room only the teacher that locked her up could get into , and one night, Liliana got out and wanted the teacher to kill herself, but when she said no, Liliana killed herself by running through the glass window in that hallway. Bliss then knew that the voice that was speaking to her was Liliana. Bliss then sit’s with a girl named Sandy that everyone was mean to. They r then best friends, until Sandy starts talking weird like Liliana, and Bliss wants nothing to do with her until the winter dance comes and something crazy happens…

“ Liliana was P.O.’ed When she realized the teacher had failed her, when the teacher came yet again with her whip…that was the night Liliana flung herself from the window.” . I picked this quote from the book Bliss because it wraps the main point up and explains whose voice is inside Bliss’s head and why it is there. It also tells the real story of Liliana and why she had jumped out of the window.

My rating system for the book Bliss is based on five different drops of blood. I chose this icon because on the cover of Bliss there are little drops of blood all over, and you will get to know why at the end of the book. The first drop of blood is for I will never read this book, ever. The second drop of blood is for doesn’t seem worthwhile to read. The third drop of blood is for worth reading but not great. The fourth drop of blood is for I really liked it but I have read better, and the fifth drop of blood is for amazing! I want to go read this book right now!

I recommend this book to everyone who likes to read scary and interesting stories. I personally don’t like scary books, but this book I just loved. One reason I recommend this book is because it isn’t ever boring. It is always entertaining, and you will never want to put it down. I also recommend this book because it has a crazy twisted ending. I don’t like books with really boring endings, and that is one of the many reasons I love this book. Its ending is crazy and twisted and I love it. I recommend this book to teen girls that like to read scary stories.

Shelly

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

2009-09-16T18:59:00.001-07:00

This book I read is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, which is written by J.K. Rowling. The reason why I selected this book is because I am a fan of Harry Potter books and that since this like a fantasy type of book I would imagine what goes on while reading. Plus this is like an action/adventure type book and that I like those types of books. But that is just one reason why I chose this book. I chose this book because since I read the two other books before this I just got to know what is going to happen in this one. As I started to read this book I just wanted to complete the book and not to stop right in the middle of it and start a new book, it is a very good book to read and I didn't put this book down until I completed it. I selected this book because of all the adventures, the action as I read it, the mystery, and the fantasy it has, which is the type of book I like.

"What do when the worst is coming…"(Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, pg. 68). I chose this comment because Harry, Hermione, and Ron are getting into really bad troubles in the book as I read, especially Harry. This can actually relate to Harry because I've wondered what he will do when he is in a really bad situation, will he run or fight on. This quote is basically used throughout the story since Harry, Ron, and Hermione are getting into trouble like at the time of going to Hogwarts, as he was on the Hogwarts Express train a dementor showed up and I wondered what will he do the things get worse. Another time that got worse was when he had to fight Sirius Black.

If was to rate this I would give it a 4 out 5 score . These are scars, which is the same scar on Harry's forehead from Voldermort, a very evil wizard responsible for the deaths of Harry's parents. How he got the scar is that when Harry was still a baby he wanted to kill him but survived. So I used this kind of rating system based on the scar on Harry's forehead. The ratings were 1-5 and I chose 4 so it is a very good book to read all of it was excellent so I hope other will enjoy this to read. So when you people out there need a good book to read this that book.

Rating:

Marcus

English, Period 4

September 15, 2009

Burned

2009-09-16T18:41:00.001-07:00

Sarah

Period 4 English

September 15, 2009

Burned by Ellen Hopkins

The title of the book I am doing my report on is called Burned by Ellen Hopkins. I selected this book because it had a really good plot. I also think that I can somewhat relate to this book too. I also started reading the beginning of this book when I was in the hospital in late May but I didn't get a chance to read it often.

This book is about a 17-year- old teenage girl, Pattyn Von Stratten. Pattyn lives in a Mormon household, her father is an alcoholic who beats his wife and believes that women are just servants. On the other side, her mother believes that a woman's duty is to have as many children as she can, particularly a boy so he can carry on their family's name. Pattyn is tired of her lifestyle and the way her parents act towards her, so she rebels against the rules she has at home and at church. Eventually, she gets into a fight and her family has gotten too tired of her attitude so they send her to live with her Aunt who lives completely in the middle of nowhere for the summer so she can stay out of trouble.

A quote I felt that was important in this book was, ""Forever has no meaning when you're living in the moment. I wasn't ready for that moment to end."' The reason why I chose this quote is because Pattyn goes through many things in the story that she wants to stay like they are forever. But sadly, some events in the book don't pan out the way she wanted them to.

To rate this book review, click one of the flames. The first flame is the lowest rating and the last is the highest.

In conclusion, this book is recommended for those who want to read a story that's written with a different style of writing. It's also recommended for those who enjoy reading about tragedy and romance. One thing you should consider before reading is that this book is a bit mature and the situations are very realistic,sometimes they can even occur in someone's life.

Tuck Everlasting

2009-09-16T18:09:00.001-07:00

Shiva

Period 2, English

September 17, 2009

Book Review Blog: Tuck Everlasting

The title of the book I have read is called Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt. I ended up reading this book in class in the 6^th grade. My English teacher made us read it as a class assignment. Once we started reading it, I ended up liking the book a lot, so I was glad that my English teacher told us to read it. That's how I ended up reading the book, Tuck Everlasting.

This story is about a wealthy 15 year old girl named Winnie Foster that isn't happy with her life and wished she had more freedom. When running away from home she ended up in a forest where she met a 17 year old boy named Jesse Tuck. Quickly she falls in love with him, but the Tucks had a big secret. They were immortal so they never aged and never died. They became immortal when drinking water out of a special tree's wood. While Winnie was trapped staying with the Tucks, her family was on a hunt to find her. Even though she was in love with Jesse, his family didn't want to let her go because of their secret. While staying with the Tucks, Winnie learned a different part of life and how this is what it should be. Jesse asked Winnie to drink the water and become immortal and spend her life with him. Eventually the Tucks allowed Winnie to go home trusting her with their secret, but what will Winnie choose, to live forever staying 15 with Jesse or not to be afraid of death?

The quote I chose from this story is "If there's one thing I've learned about people, it's that many will do anything, anything not to die." The reason I chose this quote because I thought it was very important based throughout the story and because I felt that this quote was absolutely true. Many people are afraid of dying and that their life is over, but it's not. Death is a part of nature, a part of life. I believe that when you die you will still be living in the afterlife. And the importance this quote had to the story was that the Tucks never chose to live forever. To them it was a horrible accident and that is why they are saying don't be afraid of death, because they know what it feels like to live on and on and they would give anything to die.

In my opinion Tuck Everlasting was a very good book. If I would rate it 1-5 stars I would give it 5 stars. I really enjoyed this book and it took me out of reality, so that's why I would give it 5 stars. The icon I would choose is a water drop because with the taste of a drop of the Tuck's special water, would give them the ability to become immortal and never age. I feel like a lot of this story is based on the magical water and that's why I chose it as my related symbol.

I felt like this book was an amazing book to read. I was very into the book and couldn't stop reading. 3 reasons that someone should read this book are that it makes you addicted to the book, it's a story that's very heartwarming and could make you tear up, and overall a story about true love. I would recommend this book to an audience that enjoys romance, drama, and adventure. If you like those kinds of books, this is the book for you. It is good for anyone to read. I feel that this is a great book but yet still appropriate for anyone to read..

Vampire Plagues: London, 1850

2009-09-16T17:53:00.001-07:00

Austin

English, Period 6

September 15, 2009

Vampire Plagues: London, 1850

I read the book Vampire Plagues: London, 1850 by Sebastian Rook. This book was my selection because vampires have been popular over the past year, (Twilight, etc). I was deciding between this book or one of the Twilight series, but then I realized, too many kids already read Twilight so I chose this book.

Vampire Plagues is about a boy named Benedict Cole who went on a trip to the Yucatan Peninsula with his dad and 2 other professors. Benedict's dad is a professor who studies ancient civilization, on this particular trip; he's studying the Mayans. The other professors: Edwin Sherwood and Sir Donald study animals and archaeology. Deep in a forest, they find a cave blocked with thorns and infested with vampire bats. All is well until the cave collapses and Sir Donald is trapped, luckily they rescue him, but he seems…different. What's wrong with him and is he dangerous to all of mankind? Read Vampire Plagues to find out.

The quote I chose from my book is ("Hell!" he whispered). This quote is important because it describes what Benedict witnessed in the Yucatan Peninsula. After he says that quote, the truth unfolds of what happened on that trip.

My rating system is 5 black bats= Amazing, 1 black bat= Terrible. I chose bats as my rating icons because this is a vampire book and the bats are the servants of the vampire master. In the book they can shape-shift into regular human beings to hide their identity. So my rating for this book is 5 black bats= Amazing! Vampire Plagues definitely deserves a 5 out of 5, it's fun, historical, and gruesome.

This is a vampire book. People who love vampires will like this book; unfortunately, there's no romance like Twilight. And there are some gross parts in the book, so if you're a vampire romance type, you won't really like this book. Vampire Plagues is for people who like action, adventure, history, and some gross parts.

The Da Vinci Code

2009-09-16T17:50:00.001-07:00

Kira

9/12/09

Period 2, English

Ms.Huff

BOOK REVIEW BLOG:

THE DA VINCI CODE

Currently, my favorite book in the whole wide world (sorry for the childish words, but it explains it) is The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. The reason I decided to read this book was because early in the summer I saw the movie based on the prequel of The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons. It was a really fantastic movie, and afterwards my parents suggested since I liked it so much, I should read The Da Vinci Code. They had read it a few years ago and still had the book, so they lent it to me. When they gave it to me, I was shocked about how thick the book was. It was four hundred and fifty-four pages. I got through the book in about two weeks, though. It was so good, I could barely put it down. I brought it everywhere. I even read it waiting for my dad to order his Chinese food at Panda Express! I'm glad my parents suggested The Da Vinci Code to me, because it was a really great read.

The Da Vinci Code has a very large, interesting, and complex plotline to it, but I'll try to summarize it as best as I can. It follows the story of Robert Langdon, a Harvard symbologist in his fourties, made a bit famous by his books on religious symbols. Langdon was contacted by the Judicial Police with some very important information that required his help. A curator of the Louvre museum by the name of Jacques Sauniere, someone who was scheduled to meet Robert that night, had been murdered. Robert was then invited to meet the head of the Judicial Police, Captain Bezu Fache. Fache showed him to the crime scene where he saw, there, in front of him, probably one of the more disturbing things he had seen in his life. Jacques Sauniere's body was not only lying there dead, but his body was naked, spread out like the Vitruvian Man, with a pentacle painted on his stomach in blood. Next to him, also written in blood, was a jumble of numbers and the phrase, "O, Draconian Devil! O, Lame Saint!" Langdon is later accompanied by expert cryptologist Sophie Neveu, who turns out to be the granddaughter of Jacques Sauniere. Neveu confronts Langdon later and tells him that the only reason why he was there was that Captain Fache suspected Langdon of committing the murder. Sophie decided to help Langdon prove his innocence and also find out who Sauniere's murderer was by strange clues hidden on various Da Vinci pieces, along with various cryptexes and boxes. Then something else was revealed: Jacques Sauniere was part of a secret religious organization named the Priory of Sion, which kept a timeless secret that could destroy the idea of Christianity itself.

One of my favorite quotes in the book is "So dark the con of man." It is the first clue that Langdon and Sophie find, written across the Mona Lisa's face in the museum. I think that it's something that kind of explains the book quite a bit. In the book there are so many twisted lies and people who appear to be good, but in the end are the enemies. There are also people who turn against each other. For example, Captain Fache, who says that he needs Langdon's help, but really wants to prove that he's a suspect. There are others, but I don't want to give them away.

I'm going to rate The Da Vinci Code in Fleur De Li's, the symbol for the Priory of Sion, which was the organization that Jacques Sauniere was a member of. A few of the clues in the book were related to this symbol.

I gave The Da Vinci Code twenty Fleur De Li's. In my opinion, it really is the best book ever.

I highly recommend The Da Vinci Code to anyone who enjoys a good book. Here are three reasons why you would want to read this book:

1.It's really suspenseful! A real page-turner and always leaves you thinking about what's going to happen next.

2.It has every great book element in it: thrill, mystery, a bit of humor, and even some romance!

3.Lastly, it's just really interesting and full of surprises.

Even though The Da Vinci Code is a phenomenal book that everyone should read, I guess there's a few warnings I'd need to include. I don't think there's anything that bad, but there's violence, blood, and a tiny bit of sexual content, but it's just a flashback and it doesn't go into detail or anything. This is probably a book for probably ages 13+. Well, hopefully you'll read it and like it! The Da Vinci Code is a great book!

The Freedom Writers Diary

2009-09-16T17:32:00.000-07:00

Jake
Per 4 Mrs. Huff
September 15, 2009

The book I choose to write about is the book called "The Freedom
Writers Diary". I choose this book because its one of my favorite
stories. The book is about a lot of different teenagers life's in High
School and what they go through and all their journal entries put
together. Its 150 teenagers and their teacher name Erin Gruwell.

The characters in this story are Erin Gruwell's student in her room at
the high school she works at. There are 150 different journal entries
from all different student or Erin's. Some of the problems with these
kids is that it is a very bad learning environment. In the story it
said 27 percent of the kids will graduate and about 5 percent of that
will go to collage of a really big school. Also there is a lot of
violence and gang and territory wars. Also its very racial how some
people will act so you can only hang out with your own race.

"I feel as though chaos is stalking me, sliding its slimy tentacles
into every crevice of my life." Anonymous Freedom Writer, Chapter 6,
Page 188. This quote was chosen by me because I think it has a lot to
do with this story because some of these kids go through so much. If
they can quit drugs or they are in a gang and just in it for protection
because their school is so dangerous. And so kids are=2
0very unlucky,
like not having loving parents and maybe have even ran away.

I choose to pick 5 pens as my rating system for this book. These 5 pens
are same thing as 5 stars but the pens are related because it shows you
can express all your problems by writing on paper. You have all the
freedom you want when you write. To me that's why they call it the
Freedom Writers. It brings pressure off you if you want to say
something just write it out.

One reason I recommend you read this book is if you like hearing other
people's experiences with life and hear great inspiring stories, READ
IT. It inspires you in many ways and is dramatic also makes you want to
read it. It also sometime surprises you and some of the stories are so
intense it makes you sad. But the ending is great and makes you happy.

Kurt Cobain Journals

2009-09-16T16:57:00.001-07:00

Samuel

Room 24

Period 1

September 15, 2009

One of my favorite books is Kurt Cobain Journals by: Kurt Cobain. The reason I chose this book was because I really like the band Nirvana and he's the lead singer of the band and I thought it would be an interesting book. I went to the book store looking for a biography of the band but instead found this. It was between this book and a $50 book so I chose this one and I'm happy I did.

This book features Kurt Cobain his wife Courtney love and their daughter Frances Bean Cobain along with band members Dave Grohl, and Krist Novestelic. Their really is no main conflict except Kurt trying to get his band gigs and letters to the editor. But that does not mean the book isn't good because that's one of the best things about it. The whole book isn't problems it's a big mixture of feelings and troubles stuff that we go through to.

In the book Kurt talks about T.V. draining us of our imagination and creativity. I find that to be very true some T.V. is good but to much isn't. I've stopped watching so much television and I'm actually writing songs and stories now. This doesn't mean television is bad because there are some pretty creative shows on now but too much T .V. isn't very good.

My rating system is devised of numbers 20 being the highest 1 being the lowest. I give this book a 19 because it's a very good book but some parts can be a little dry because their journals he didn't make this up this is true.

I recommend this book to people who love the band nirvana. Age group should be around 13-15. Warning this book has language not suitable for children. It discuses adult situations and drugs. Parents I would not recommend you buying this for children under the age of at least 10.

What Is The What

2009-09-16T16:40:00.001-07:00

Zoe
per.1, English

Over the summer, I read a book, which monumentally changed the way I thought about life. What Is The What by Dave Eggers. The story of me selecting this book isn't that exciting. I did what I always did, walked into Barns and Nobel and asked them what they recommend. When they showed me the book, I wasn't that excited about it, but as soon as I read the preface it was IMPOSIBLE to put down.

This book starts out in the present and slowly fades into the past. Valentino is at home, a 20-30 year old man, when there is a knock at the door. Having no reason not to answer it, he does. There is a woman asking to use the phone, he watches her until she goes into his room, and locks the door. When he turns to close the door he is being assaulted at gunpoint, robbed, and beaten until all he can see goes black.
    Slowly as the story proceeds he begins to tell the tragic stories of crossing Sudan, and the murder of his family, his best friend, and the one he loved. When he was but a boy he lived in Mariel Bai, a small village in southern Sudan. Everything was all right until the Murahaleen arrived and attacked. They killed everyone, burned down the village, raped the women, and poisoned the wells; leaving them with nothing. Their only chance to survive was to escape.
    As the story slowly unravels he tells the story of how he had to walk day and night to get to their "promise land", Ethiopia. Thousands of boys, walked, with little to eat or drink. Some boys were weak and were left behind, some died of terrible disease, some bombed, and lost in the dead of night.
The stories of the travels of the Lost Boys are epic, and unlike anything you've ever read. Not only does it tell in detail the feelings and imagery of the walking, but of the thousands of boys left abandoned, hungry, thirsty, and dead. They were all wishing for Ethiopia, their promise land that they would never set their eyes upon.

"He drops the book. It is the first time in my life that I have seen something coming toward me and have been unable to properly react. I try to turn my head but still the book lands squarely on my face. The pain is compounded by my existing headache and the ricochet my chin makes against the floor. The phone book slides off, toward my forehead and rests there, against my temple. Thinking he has accomplished his goal, he returns to the kitchen and the volume goes up again. This boy thinks I am not of his species, that I am some other kind of creature, one that can be crushed under the weight of a phone book.
The pain is not great, but the symbolism disagreeable."
    I believe that this quote has the most importance in the entire book, not only does it show the discrimination against the character, but it symbolizes how people can be so cruel to someone that's not of their skin color, or race, or size, just for the way they look. I believe the author put it perfectly when he says; "…The pain is not great, but the symbolism disagreeable."

Rating (out of 5):

I choose the sun to represent how Valentino had to walk through the blistering hot sun to get to Ethiopia.

I would DEFINATLY recommend this book to anyone. Why? Well here are 3 reasons:
1.    It has such an intense and beautiful insight into life.
2.    It especially concentrates on the issue of discrimination in a way no one has herd before.
3.    It tells about an unheard of war and the seize of Mariel Bai, all through a Childs eye.
Cautions:
Cussing, some sexual references, Descriptive gory scenes.

City Of Bones

2009-09-16T16:15:00.001-07:00

Violette

Period 2

September 14, 2009

The City of Bones was made by Cassandra Clare. I read the book because my friend sent it to me. She described it to me and it sounded amazing. I liked how the cover looked. I read the back and I was immediately sucked into it. The first chapter pulls you right in as a good book should.

Clary was an average girl before that day in Pandemonium. She saw people who others couldn't. She saw things she shouldn't. Like demons. That day was the day she became a shadowhunter. She met Jace, Isabelle, and Alec that day. That day her mother was attacked and her house ransacked. Clary ran home and was attacked by a ravenor demon. She was poisoned but Jace saved her. She was unconscious for three days, when she woke up, she learned all about shadowhunters. Everyone learned that Valentine was still alive. They also learned he is after the mortal instruments to summon the Angel Razziel. Why? That remains a question. Will Clary, Jace, Alec, Isabelle and Simon be enough to stop him? Or will they have to ally themselves with others? Will they even have a chance?

The quote I chose that had a significant meaning was:

Jace: Don't touch my swords!

Clary: Well, there goes my plan for selling them on eBay.
Jace: Selling them on what?
Clary: A mythical place of great magical power.

I chose this because it shows how little they really know of were each other came from. Jace knows a bit but not things like the fashions, or celebrities, or games, or computer stuff. Clary doesn't know about how dark and sirius magic is.

The symbol I chose to have for my rating system is a Sword. I chose that because the shadowhunters are a very fighting kind of people. They are very dutiful and they are very strong. The sword is a strong symbol so I think that was a very good choice. Shadowhunters are Protectors.

This book is a good read because the characters are built strongly. You really feel for the characters when you go through a hardship. The Plot is good because its entertaining and keeps you waning more. It also has some funny lines. The characters are sarcastic and funny and there are words in there that are new to me. There is romance and fighting and action and suspense and comedy all in one well written book. There are two others in the saga too which are just as good, maybe better. Fans of Twilight are sure to enjoy.

Warning:

There are some jokes that use Jesus' name

There is romantic content

Moments of intense battle sequences

Gossamer

2009-09-16T11:56:00.000-07:00

Makenna
English, Per.4
September 15, 2009

One of my favorite books that I’ve ever read is Gossamer by Lois Lowry. I selected this book because it is a fantasy and because the moral of the story is to never give up. I also like this book because the main character learns how to conquer her fears. I am not a fan of reading and I don’t read very many books, but when I read this book it became my favorite. I really like the author and all the books he/she wrote, but between the three books that I read of hers Gossamer was my favorite, so that’s why I choose it.

The main character in this book is Littlest One. Littlest One is a very brave and curious girl. She seems to have a lot of certainty that she is doing everything right. One of the problems that Littlest One has to face is was the horde. When the Horde came into the lady’s house Littlest One had to use her bravery and strength to hide. Another problem that she had to face was the sinisteeds would come every once in a couple nights to give nightmares to a little boy named John. Littlest One and Thin Elderly both had to strengthen John with dreams so that the nightmares wouldn’t get to him. Littlest One and Thin Elderly made a good team.

One of my favorite quotes in the book is “You are becoming somewhat solid. You’re filling in” because in middle school and high school is when we become more and more like adults. We are filing in our childhood immaturity to become an adult. In the story, as a little fairy, Littlest One was completely see through, but as she grew older she began to get some color and became solid. I feel that this quote really shows teenagers that they are becoming adults.

Gossamer is an amazing book, therefore if I were to rate it I would give it five butterflies. I would rate this book with butterflies because in the book it describes the dream givers as looking like butterflies. I gave this book five butterflies because it is a great book if you like adventures with mythical creatures. I really like these kinds of books.

I would recommend this book to anyone because it makes you use your imagination, which some people think that they are too old to do and it can also teach you that you should do good thing no matter if you are rewarded or not. Another reason you should read this book is because it is a very fun and exciting book and it always keeps you on your toes. Once again I would recommend this book to people who like stories about mythical creatures and there adventures. I really enjoyed this book and I hope you do to.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

2009-09-16T10:06:00.001-07:00

Hiram
Period 2
September 15, 2009

I read the book of Harry potter and the chamber of secrets by J.K Rowlings. I chose that book because I saw the movie and thought it was good, I like science fiction so I thought that it was going to be a good chance to read and learn. It's good to imagine things and dream about a different world. This book is very exciting and it has a lot of action. I really enjoyed this book and thought it was a good choice.

Harry Potter was the main character; he and his two best friends Ron and Hermione have many adventures in their school of wizards called Hogwarts. When Harry is about to go to his second year he gets a warning from a strange creature who tells him that he shouldn't go to the school because he will be in danger. Harry still goes and during the year very strange things happen, people are being turned into stones there are sudden attacks and a legend comes to life.

Everyone in the school suspects that Harry is the one doing all of the attacks but he is trying to figure out who really did it. He thinks that it could be Draco Malfoy his enemy or maybe hagrid his friend. Whoever it is he has to stop him fast or the whole school will get attacked. I chose the quote "the chamber of secrets has been opened" because the story is about the mystery of the chamber of secrets.
My rating of the book is 17 wands because the book was good and exiting it had a lot of mysteries the only defect is that some words are complicated and hard to understand but overall the book was very good. I think that kids from elementary to middle school will like it. I don't think there is anything inappropriate so everyone can enjoy it.

I recommend this book because I thought it was very good and even though I don't read a lot this book really made me stay a lot of time reading. I hope that if you haven't read this book you read it because it's very interesting and cool. If you like to imagine about fascinating world this is a good book. This is a book that you won't regret to read.

Hatchet

2009-09-15T23:46:00.001-07:00

Dillan

English Period 2

September 15, 2009

Hatchet

I read a book called Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. I selected this book because I liked the other book that I read by Garry Paulsen which was Brian's Hunt. I read hatchet because one of my teachers suggested it to me. I like books with lots of detail and description.

There aren't very many characters in Hatchet. Brian Robeson is the main character in the book. He is a thirteen-year-old boy who had a hard time coping with the fact that his parents are going through a divorce. Brian's mother wants a divorce because she is having an affair with another man. Brian's father doesn't want the divorce and doesn't know about the affair. Jim or Jake is the pilot of the airplane that is taking Brian to see his father. During the flight the pilot has a heart attack and Brian is forced to fly the plane until it runs out of gas and then crashes in Canada. The main conflict in the book is survival because Brian has to survive by himself. He has to find food, water, and shelter and all he has is a hatchet.

I chose the quote "I'm tough where it counts—tough in the head." because you have to keep a positive attitude, keep trying to be rescued. You have to be strong so you don't go crazy when you are all alone in the wilderness with nobody to talk to. If you stay calm and focused then you can find solutions to everything.

I rate the book four and a half stars. Five stars would be a book that you can't put down so you read it really fast. Four stars would be a book that is awesome and really fun. Three stars would be average. Two stars would be not the best book. Finally one star would be boring and not a good book. I really liked the detailed descriptions. It was really interesting.

I would recommend this book to someone who likes the great outdoors. It teaches people how to survive alone in the Canadian wilderness with only a hatchet and light clothing. I do not recommend this book to people who are very easily grossed out.

Life as We Knew It

2009-09-15T23:15:00.001-07:00

Roxanne

English Period 6

September 16, 2009

Life as We Knew It

The book I read is called Life as We Knew It. This book was written by Susan Pfeffer. I decided this was going to be the book I was going to write about, because this is one of the books I've enjoyed reading most. There are many other very nice books that I've read, but I chose this one because it's special. It's a great story, very captivating and will have the reader want to read more every time they stop.

This is the story about life when an asteroid hits the moon and knocks it out of its orbit, bringing it closer to the Earth. Miranda, the main character tells the story from her point of view. She talks about at first, when the moon looked closer and a lot bigger, so many people panicked. They didn't know what was going on, and they thought they were going to die. They didn't know what was to come. Since the moon controls the tidal waves, there were floods and tsunamis happening all after each other. It was all a huge disaster. There were so many tragedies of people dying one by one, day by day.. There was chaos on the streets and food supplies were running very low. People didn't have much to eat as rainstorms and blizzards got worse. Everyone suffered and it was all about surviving this massive disaster.

There were many important parts in the story and I personally think that this quote had some importance to the story. "Will things EVER get back to normal?" was what Miranda had stated in her diary. I believe that this was important because it shows how much things changed and how desperate she is to get out of that dangerous mess only to get back to her normal life. Things had drastically changed that she thought it would never go back to being a normal world. Apart from all the danger she was in, she just wanted life to be the way it had been before all the bad things happened.

The rating system I will use to rate this book will be based on moons. I chose the icon to be moons because the book is about all the danger that the moon caused to the world after the asteroid hit it. The most amount of moons you could give is five being excellent, and 1 the least, being rated as poor/very boring. I myself, would give this book 4 moons . I thought the book was great and it kept me interested until the end.

Life as we Knew It, was really a very nice book. I would recommend it to teens in my age group, such as from 12-16 years old. I do believe that other kids who read this book will like it as much as I did. It's a book that will make you want to keep reading until the end. For anyone who decides to read this book, it's a great choice and be ready to read a great novel.

Dead is the New Black

2009-09-15T22:52:00.001-07:00

Drew

period 4, english

September 14,2009

I chose the book "Dead is the New Black" by Marlene Perez. I chose this book because the cover design screamed Drew ....... the cover is pink! Then I read the back summary and without a delay I bought it. It is now one of my favorite books. It has a lot of action, mystery, twists, romance, and drama. It is the type of book that you can't put down.

This book is about Daisy, a teenager. Everyone in Daisy's family is psychic, well that is except her. Daisy's mother works for the local police as a medium. When Daisy's mother asks her sister Poppy to help her solve a crime , Daisy feels left out and useless. So Daisy decides to do her own investigation. She learns that several teenage girls have been attacked all over town, including Nightshade High, where Daisy goes to school. Daisy soon has a suspect, and the suspect could possibly be a vampire. Daisy will not rest until the case is solved.

I chose the quote "It's you. And I knew your name." I feel that this quote is very significant to Daisy, because when Daisy goes undercover, posing as a cheerleader she gets caught up in being popular and looses track of who she is and what she believes in. When this is said to her by Ryan, it reels her back to reality and to who she really is. We all know what it's like hanging out with people and wondering if they are true friends. This is a crucial point in the story.

I rate this book 9 skulls out of 10 for its thrilling story and fast pace, I cared about the charecters and was terrified that something might happen to her. The action in the story is exciting.

The three reasons you should read this book is

1.It sucks you in on the first page

2. Its a great book and a fun ride

3. Its incredibly well written

I recommend this book to girls who like mysteries with an element of romance and darkness.

Eclipse

2009-09-15T21:43:00.001-07:00

Jeremy
Period 2, English
September 13, 2009

The title of the book I am reading is Eclipse, by Stephenie Meyer. It is one of my favorite novels of all time! My friend recommended the book, Twilight (which is the first book out of the whole series), and I got really into it! It had everything that I really liked.

Adventure, romance, and just a little bit of comedy. Eclipse is my favorite out of the whole series. This book's had a lot of those moments where you just couldn't put it down!

The story of Eclipse is basically about how Bella would have to pick between Edward, the vampire, or Jacob, the werewolf. It is also about Victoria getting her revenge on The Cullens and Bella. Victoria was James' mate. The Cullens have killed him, just to save Bella. Victoria now builds an army of newborn vampires, which is one way of exposing vampires. They're not allowed to do that, or they will be burned by the Volturis. The Cullens decide that they need the werewolves to help fight the army, and they approved. So now, who do you think will win?

"He's like a drug for you, Bella. I see that you can't live without him now. It's too late. But I would have been healthier for you. Not a drug; I would have been the air, the sun." That quote had been said by Jacob Black. The quote is basically about how Bella had made the wrong decision by picking Edward. He's saying that Edward is bad, and dangerous. Jacob is also explaining how he would've the better pick. He would've been nice and caring to her. Now she can't be separated from Edward.

My rating for Eclipse is definitely going to be a five! For my rating system, I used the icon of a red ribbon that is about to rip. The ribbon is on the cover of the book. The red ribbon represents Bella choosing either Edward, or Jacob. Edward is her love, who is a vampire. Jacob is her best friend, who she also is in love with.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes romance. Also, to whoever likes some action and suspense. The book is full of that! I would also recommend this book to people who have read Twilight, and New Moon, but stopped. I've recently stopped reading Breaking Dawn, because I've lost interest in it. I'm pretty sure that the rest is good. I really don't think that guys would like to read this book, since most are all into guts, and gore. Luckily, they have those in these series!

Black Beauty

2009-09-15T21:37:00.001-07:00

Sevana

Period 2 English

September 15, 2009

Black Beauty

I had read Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, and singled out this book because when I was in elementary school I used to love horses, so I was walking through a library and right by the window was the book with a beautiful black stallion on the cover. I picked it up, turned to the back for the summary and thought that I would die with out this book. My mom later bought the book; I took it home and read all night and day till I could finish that book. It was so thrilling and magical at the same time! You wouldn't even see me put that book down.

Black Beauty was just a regular, young colt who as a baby experienced a lot of tragedies, from the pleasant meadow to as an adult horse. Such as when he was two, he witnessed the violence of a hunt for a hare and the disaster of one of the riders being killed in a fall from his horse. At age four, Black Beauty was broken in to the use of the saddle, bridle, and carriage harness. The biggest problem for him was all the fairs and auctions of being sold to strangers, meeting new friends and watching them all be sold and die! I think that the biggest theme was not all the deaths but mistreated animals. O ne day he had even seen Ginger (on old stable horse), who had become one of the leased cab horses and very mistreated. Another example of being mistreated is by Nicholas Skinner, who owns several worn out cabs and a group of overworked drivers who take out their frustration over their hardships by abusing the horses.

"Kind treatment make good horses", as quoted by the book itself. I believe that line in significant because it is one of the main things that every owner in the book did not know. They all either left the horse to sell in its time of need or abused the horse for their own frustrations. Black Beauty even says that close the end right before the greatest part in the book. Be kind to anything and it will act nice back.

My rating system is arranged in horse shoes. For every horse shoe that you click on, that is a bad to good. It starts at one which is bad, all the way to a five which is extraordinary. Personally I would rate this book at a five. I rate at this because as I said I couldn't put the book down for three days.

This book is AMAZIN G, but I would still have to recommend this book to people who enjoy books of horses only with maybe a low rank in vocabulary. I think for this type of audience that reason number one for reading this book is because it is about a horse. Reason number two, because the wondering and curiosity of Black Beauty being sold and you wondering what is going to happen next. Reason number three, the adventure of a story being told through the eyes of a horse. Overall, no warning need to be given because it is completely good for readers of these listeners.

Cirque Du Freak: A Living Nightmare

2009-09-15T21:13:00.001-07:00

Morris

Period 6

September 13, 2009

Cirque Du Freak: A Living Nightmare

The title of the book I read is called Cirque Du Freak: A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan. The reason I read this book is because my mom was recommended this book at borders so she bought it for me to read. It was apart of a 12 book series, which interested me, so I decided to read it (this was one of the best decisions of my life).

The book is about this vampire that turns this boy named Darren Shan into a half vampire. One night Darren and his friend, Steve, get tickets to the Cirque Du Freak, which is a freak show that features frightening half humans all in a show for people's entertainment. From there the tables turn and it changes Darren's life forever and threatens the life of his friend Steve's life. This book is very fast paced, so is for the readers that don't like the slow paced beginnings of books.

The quote I choose to name is where Darren says "Then, side by side, the vampire and his assistant, we began walking…into the night…" This quote is very significant to this book because in that one sentence it grasped me and helped me realize that Darren was really a half vampire. It gave a very chill, mysterious vibe, which I appreciated. I feel that the author's decision of words well suited this specific quote in the book.

I give this book because I like its fast paced story was suiting for me. I also like books like this that have to do with vampires after reading the Twilight series.

In conclusion, I would recommend this book to a friend because the series is full of mysterious adventures and true tragedies. Another reason why I would recommend this book to a friend is because the author often foreshadows the next scene, you yearn for more after each chapter. Though, this is not for the audience that are scared of vampires and mysterious creatures, the people that do appreciate it will enjoy it's intense, fast paced, well described storyline.

Note to Mrs. Huff's Students!!!

2009-09-15T21:06:00.000-07:00

Over half of you did not follow instructions! You may not send attachments. Your assignment must be posted into the email. It will then appear as a draft post I can approve. If you send an attachment I just see a BLANK PAGE. If your blog is not posted by 9:30 then you did not send it correctly and must resend it. FURTHERMORE, many of you did not include your names in the post. Your name is not attached unless it is part of your assignment that you PASTE INTO THE EMAIL.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows

2009-09-15T20:48:00.001-07:00

Harry Potter and

The Deathly Hollows

This book is called Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows by J.K Rowling. I selected this book because I personally liked not just the series of books but the movies as well. I mainly selected this book because it has magic, wizards, a bad guy, adventure, excitement, a little bit of romance and action. I decided this was a book that I must be reading because I really like long interesting books. This book mainly caught my eye because, if you read the other series of books and you thought they were interesting then you should read the last part of the Harry Potter series.

The main character in the book would be Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and the evil Lord Voldemort. Lord Voldemort is the bad wizard who is trying to kill Harry Potter so he can rule the wizard world and the human world. The theme of the story would be magic because they include wizard who do magic. The big idea of the story is for Harry Potter to kill Lord Voldemort so there are no more evil wizards, to try to rule the world. The other big idea of the book is to get the elder wand/ the best wand from Lord Voldemort.

There was a very good quote written in the story. The quote is yes, we have been given power and yes, that power gives us the right to rule, but it also gives us responsibilities over the ruled. This quote is said by a very good wizard. I think this means that the bad wizards have to rule the land but to treat people right. I also think it is important in the story because Lord Voldemort wants to rule the land to hurt or kill or just to rule over people and wizards.

I created a rating system for this book. My rating system is from 1 to 10, 1 being the worst and 10 for being the best book I have ever read in my lifetime. My rating system is with wands because Harry Potter and The Deathly Hollows deals with magic and wands. Here is my rating system for this great book.

In conclusion I recommend this book to kids from 8 and above because it does have one bad word. I recommend this book to people who like magic and the Harry Potter series of books. I really don't recommend this book to people who don't like magic or wizards in general. There is romance in this book so if you don't like romance don't read this book. I thought this book was the best in the world. It is the best!!!!

New Moon

2009-09-15T20:10:00.001-07:00

Sharon

English, Period 6

September 15, 2009

New Moon

I enjoyed reading New Moon by Stephanie Meyer. New Moon is the second book in the Twilight Saga. I decided to read this book because Twilight left me wanting more hence, I read the second book. Personally, I enjoy fiction romance books so it seemed like a really good book for me to read. I also have male friends whom also enjoyed reading New Moon.

New Moon is a romance novel that includes action. To me, the main characters seem to be Bella, Edward, and Jacob; others may disagree or agree. Bella and Edward are lovers. But like in most books, that isn't all there is to it. Edward is a vampire and Bella is human which concerns Edward for the sake of Bella's safety. You'll have to read so that you know where Jacob comes in and why I consider him a main character. Everyone knows Bella and Edward but once you read New Moon, you'll notice Jacob.

"It will be as if I'd never existed." This quote is what turns the story around. It was a promised by Edward to Bella near the beginning of the book (don't worry about this being a spoiler). Try to imagine how you would feel if the one person you love very deeply promised you that very promise. If you really imagined it, I hope you get interested to read this book.

The moons are a rating system. I gave New Moon four moons out of five. It was a book that I was able to get absorbed to real quickly. And it held my interest to reading for a while. The reason it didn't receive five moons is that the reason that New Moon seems like a great book is because you get so absorbed in reading it. It is a great read but it's just not the BEST book when you think about it after it's been read.

I especially recommend this book (and the whole saga) to readers who have a difficult time finishing a book once started. I got very, very absorbed into reading this book. This book was very enjoyable for me to read and I really liked it because it's really easy to picture the characters in your own way. There are also a lot of different opinions when it comes to this book which also makes it a good book to read since you can discuss with fellow readers and just listen to opinions that may be completely different from yours. The first warning is that you should read Twilight before you read New Moon because New Moon is the second book to a series. The second warning is that it's written for a teenage audience. It is, in fact, a romance novel. This book is where the whole Edward versus Jacob starts.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

2009-09-15T20:01:00.001-07:00

Kate
English, Period 4
September 13, 2009

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

I selected The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, by Kate Di Camillo, because I read and enjoyed The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate Di Camillo, and wanted to read another one of her books.

Edward Tulane is a porcelain rabbit who was very happy because he was owned by a little girl Abilene. Abilene loved him to pieces, and treated him as though he was a real rabbit. They were both as happy as can be until one day Edward was lost. Edward goes on an amazing journey to many different places—from deep in the ocean to hobo campsite, and even to an ailing girl's bedside. It teaches you that no matter what happens in your life, there will always be at least one person who loves you. It also makes you think about every day situations in a different way then you are used to thinking about them.

One of the lessons Edward learns, and the author imparts to the reader, is to keep your heart open. "Someone will come. Someone will come for you, but first you must open your heart." These words play over and over in Edward's head. They are the moral of the story.

I rate this book ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ based on the following rating system:
♥ Boring
♥ ♥ Not the Best
♥ ♥ ♥ Interesting
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ Fun to Read
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ Can't put it Down

I recommend this book to everyone ten years and older. It is interesting, exciting, makes you think. There are some emotionally depressing parts in the book, however, and anyone who may be bothered by that should not read the book.

The Lightnng Thief

2009-09-15T19:50:00.001-07:00

The Lightning Thief

In my opinion, Rick Riordan wrote the best novel I have read, The Lightning Thief. I selected this book because half of my Science Academy class was reading it and telling me how good the book and the whole series is. I later heard that it included Greek mythology and that's when I decided to go to Barnes and Noble and buy myself a copy of that book.

Percy Jackson is a dyslexic boy diagnosed with ADHD. He later learns that he is a demigod, half- human, and half – god (His father being Poseidon, god of the sea and earthquakes.) The reason he has ADHD is so he can be alert during a battle and not wear out quickly and the reason he is dyslexic is because his brain is hardwired to read Ancient Greek. He learns that his best friend is a satyr who puts sneakers on his feet to cover up his hooves. He then begins attending Camp Half Blood, where he makes friends with Annabeth, daughter of Athena. The 3 friends go on a quest to find Zeus's master lightning bolt, which has been stolen. Percy needs to do this quest because Zeus thinks that he stole it and if he doesn't find the bolt then their will be a huge war between the gods.

I believe there were many important quotes in this book but I think the one on page 229 had the most significance. Annabeth cited this quote after the 3 friends have an encounter with the god of war, Ares. She quoted "Ares has strength. That's all he has. Even strength has to bow down to wisdom sometimes." I chose this quote because it first of all, I think it explains what kind of character Ares is in the book. And after this line is quoted, it really gets you thinking. Also this quote is related to an important scene that occurs toward the end of the book.

I decided to make a rating from 1- 20, one being a very bad book, to twenty being the best book that I ever read. The icons that I will use to show my evaluation for this book I will choose Greek-style columns. The reason why I chose this icon is because this book has to do a lot with Greek mythology, which is part of the culture of Greece. So are Greek –style columns. And now that I've explained my rating system and its icons, I will rate my book. I give this book 2222222222222222222. The reason why I gave this book 20 columns is because it is probably of the most interesting and favorite books I have ever read. It has a very rich language and it is very humorous and has a lot of cultural references, yet it still stays loyal to Greek mythology.

People who love humor in a novel should definitely read this book. I would also recommend this book to someone who would enjoy learning about the interesting subject of Greek mythology and to readers who enjoy a book with a rich language. I believe this book is mostly targeted at pre-teens and teenagers. Even though I do enjoy reading this book very much, I must give a couple of warnings. First of all, this book contains many battle scenes. These scenes are sometimes describe with a lot of violence and depicts in scene many wounded people and sometimes blood is involved. Secondly, this is one of those books that you keep on reading and you have to force yourself to put down. So beware or you just might end up reading this book for 2 hours straight (I would know!). And that pretty much wraps up everything. Enjoy!

---Ellie

English, Period 6

September 16,2009

Maximum Ride: Saving the World and other Extreme Sports

2009-09-15T17:13:00.001-07:00

I read book called Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson. I selected this book because I read the other books in the series and I really enjoyed them. I like books that are well-written, and make you want to keep reading. This is one of those books. It is a very good book, and that's really how I selected this book.
The main characters are a group of six mutant bird-winged children on the run from a corrupted company called Itex who wants to kill them. There is Max, the group leader, Fang, the one who Max trusts the most, Iggy, who is blind, but a good addition to their "flock", the Gasman, who got his name from his digestive system problems, Nudge, the chatty 11-year-old girl, and Angel, the psycic 6 year old girl. There is also Total, the talking dog. They are on the run from a company who is trying to "expire" them, and proceed to kill off half of the world's humans, to make a "better" Earth. They fly all over the world to try to escape this company, and they meet many obsticals along the way. This book focuses mainly on survival, and some romance.
"Max, you just passed another test.". This quote is very signifigant to me, because it shows that no matter what these kids do in life, they are always being tested by somebody. No matter who they meet, that person is somehow connected to their testing. This is also signifigant because it shows that they never get a break. They can't just live as normal kids, their lives are always either in danger or in testing. It really makes you feel bad for these kids.
I think I will rate this book 3 out of 5 Q's. Q's will be the rating system for this book, because Q's are awesome. So, this book would get 3 Q's. QQQ
In conclusion, I will make a recommendation. I think this book is appropriate for all ages, actually. There is no swearing, not too much violent content, and nothing very bad. I recommend this book to anybody because, it is well written, it has a good story, and it is just a fun read. I would have to make sure they read the previous two books, though.

The Battle of the Labryinth

2009-09-15T16:13:00.001-07:00

"You are right as long as the Labyrinth is here, your enemies can use it, which is why the Labyrinth cannot continue" This is a very important quote because the enemies would use the Labyrinth to their advantage so it would have to be destroyed. The only problem is that Daedalus's life is bound to the Labyrinth. He accepted his fate and allowed the Lord of the Undead to take his soul therefore destroying the Labyrinth.

In my rating system I used Roman short swords. I chose this because Percy uses a golden short sword, riptide. This book in my opinion got a 5/5 rating.

Bug Park

2009-09-15T15:37:00.000-07:00

I read the book Bug Park by James P. Hogan. I chose this book because I
am a little bit interested in bugs. When I saw the book cover I thought
it looked like it would be a good book because I like things about
robots and such. When I read the book's description on the back cover it
was saying that his idea would make him millions, so I wanted to read it
to see what the idea was.

This book was about fifteen-year-old Kevin Heber and his friend Taki and
their creation, Bug Park. Bug Park shrinks you down to around the size
of a mosquito and lets you explore this new "gigantic," usually unseen
world. In the book the two kids talk about their creation. There is also
an affair that could lead to the end of Bug Park, but these teens can't
let that happen.

Michelle Lang who was also a scientist was one of the people who got to
try out Bug Park and said "I think they could all be onto something big.
Really big." I think this quote is important because in the story they
all believe that is true, but the affair could ruin their dreams. It is
a great idea. It's a virtual world that shrinks you down to a bug so it
is like you are a bug. I would pay to do that so I believe this quote is
significant to the story.

I would rate this book 4 of 5 stars. I would because I did think it was
a great book but I believe it was a little hard to follow for me. They
used scientific words and I did not understand them some of the time.

I would recommend this book for my friends. Most likely for middle
school kids and maybe high school kids if they are at a semi-low reading
level. You should read this book if you like dramas or maybe mysteries
because this book is kind of like that I would say. If you are smart or
into science read this book because they use some high intellect words.
There are no warnings for this book. Everything in it, I would say is
kid friendly so they could read it. Must read.

-Isabelle
Period 2, Mrs. Huff

A Child Called It

2009-09-15T15:31:00.001-07:00

John Period:4 English

September 15, 2009

A Child Called "It"

By: Dave Pelzer

The Title of this story is A Child Called "It" is written by Dave Pelzer. So after listening it from my friend talking about the book I got really intrested in the book and decided to get it and read it for myself.

There is this boy named Dave, him and his family were a very happy and loving family.His dad was a firefighter and his mom was a stay at home parent taking care of Dave and his brothers.But after his dad dedicated more of his time to his job everything changed.His mom became and alcoholic,but not only did she become alcoholic she became abusive but not only brutally beating him but mentally to.Dave would go days without eating,bathing and his mom would make him not only do house choirs but sleep in the basement with nothing to cover himself but newspaper.Whenever Dave would be hungry he would get food from the trash.But his mom would always find out for some reason and make him throw it up.

The most interesting thing Dave's mom did was called her own son "It".I think that was really disrespectful to Dave only if she would understand.The whole idea of his mom calling him it means so much in this story because it shows how Dave's life is and how he suffers to live and not stay hungry and die.

If I can rate this book from 1-5 five being the highest, I would probably rate it at a 5 its really a captivating and emotional book since its based on a true story.

MY RATING:

I would recommend this book to everyone who like sad stories or even stories based on real life events.I believe this story will leave you speechless.It will make you appreciate life itself but better yet your family.I don't want to ruin the ending but you have to get this book and read it.

Bug Park

2009-09-15T14:05:00.001-07:00