Perks of Being a Wallflower

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!

Cirque Du Freak

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.

The Outsiders

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.

Hatchet

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.

Cirque Du Freak: A Living Nightmare

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.

The Lightnng Thief

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

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

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 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.

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.

Daniel X

                                                                          BOOK REVIEW BLOG
                                                                            by Jackson



    The book that I am going to be writing about is called "Daniel X", and the author is James Patterson.  The prominent reason that I selected this book was that I had just finished reading it at the end of summer, so I still have a strong memory of the story and the characters, along with it also being a great book.  The only reason that I came across this book was due to of an advertisement that  my mom saw in the L.A. Times.  She thought it would be a good summer book, and she was right.


    The main theme of this book is pretty basic, but the way the author entices the reader with colorful grammar, which makes it a much faster, more enjoyable read.  The book is about a boy, Daniel, who in the beginning is an ordinary three-year-old, except for the fact that he can read people's minds, rearrange molecules at will, and transform into different things, animals, insects or any other object nameable.  At age three, a life-altering event happens to his family, that will change Daniel's life story tremendously.  His parents are ruthlessly murdered by an over-grown Rastafarian praying mantis, who throughout the whole scene is searching for, and screaming, "give me the list", which when you read the book, you will find the significance of the quote.  It then becomes Daniel's life journey to rid all of the alien outlaws, along with the praying mantis, on earths face, with help from his best friends, and his parents, whom Daniel can manifest at any given time.


    "I was a three-year-old boy again. Transformed.  No longer a tick. I stood and turned back, and stared in disbelief and terror that could find no voice at that awful moment.".  The quote listed above has great significance to the foundation of the story. This is when the Rastafarian praying mantis burns down his house, kills his parents, and takes everything away from Daniel that he has.  This is when he makes the commitment to seek out every alien outlaw on earth and destroy them as revenge, and this is also when he becomes Daniel "X".


    I am going to give this book 5 happy faces out of 5 happy faces, because this book was enticing and a blast to read.       

                                                                                                      
   

    I would recommend this book to someone who LOVES crazy science-fiction books.  Its dense in material, but also a fun and easy/light read, its DEFINITELY a page-turner, and it doesn't have too much questionable material in it, all though there is light violence, and some gore, but thats it and its not too bad.  Other than that, I would definitely recommend it to science-fiction lovers out there.

Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy

The title of the book is Hitchhikers' Guide To The Galaxy, by Douglas Adams. I chose this because the book is very adventurous and so exciting. The book is mostly about a man named Arthur Dent who goes on an adventure and has to go through some obstacles. "The ships about to orbit. there's a planet out side and it's at the exact coordinate you predicted". I like the book because it's a mystery and an adventure book. I would recommend this book to middle schoolers who love to read mystery adventurous books. The book talks about the obstacles they overcame and the courses that it took them to get in space. I would also recommend this book to people who love to learn about science and all the wonderful details of the universe.

Faith C
MS.Bennett
Period 3

Lightening Theif

The lightning theif was a very interesting book about a boy named Percy Jackson who has a dislexic ADHD. From 6 years of going to school hes been kicked ot of every single school in every single grade. Them finally when he h\gets kicked ot of the last school he's went to he gets kicked out. In the summer he goes and visits his mom and goes to stay at his summer cabbin with her.

In the middle of a thunderstorm he hears a hard knock on the door and it turns ot to be his best friend Grover from school. As they are running for Percy'smoms car he sees Grovers cripple legs turn into goat legs and once they finally get to the car he is a full satyr with a gat with a human head. Percy understands that something is going terribly r
wrong.

Once they are in the car Percy doesn't know whrere they are going so he keeps asking questions abot where they are going. In the middle of the storm the car crashes and the Percy gets all his information from his mom and Grover. His mom and grover told him that over the the big tree there is a camp called camp half blood.It's only for dyslexic half bloods wich are half gods. They said he would get all the rest of his information at the camp.

Michael C
Period 1 English

Eldest:Book Two of the Inheritance Cycle

Fantasy, Dragons, Science Fiction(Sci-Fi) Eldest is a book written by Christopher Paolini and is the sequel to the book Eragon. The book Eldest starts from where an after attack of horrible monsters, called Urgals, had killed the leader of Farthen Dur, Ajihad, which left Eragon to follow Ajihad's last request. His request applies that Eragon should protect the Varden from falling and that Eragon should continue his journey into Du Weldenvarden where he'll have to train with the elves in Ellesmera. After Ajihad's funeral, his daughter, Nasuada had then taken the throne. She has told Eragon of their plan to move over to Surda and lure the empire over there to a war. She then gives Eragon one more quest, then he leaves for Tarnag with Arya, Saphira, and Orik... Meanwhile, back at Carvahall, Eragon's old friend, Roran, gets into trouble as Galbatorix sends in Ra'zac and soldiers there to retrieve more information about Eragon. Roran then hides out in the Spine for safety until the intruders leave. But they never left, so there's a chance that the citizens would just turn Roran in instead of just creating a war. So he and his friends make plans to get rid of them without having to deal with them over and over again! So, Eragon has to travel onto Tarnag, and then move forward to Hedarth, and into Du Weldenvarden so that he could continue his journey onto Ellesmera to train for the battle in Surda. He just has to keep his profile low from the empire and continue his quest without getting into more danger... Maryhel Medina English, Period Six Ms. Bennett

the titans curse

I read the book The Titans Curse from the series Percy Jackson and The Olympians. I chose this book because it looked very interesting and was part of the series I am already reading. This book is mostly about Percy Jackson and his friends going on a quest to save Artemis the hunt goddess. Percy lost her friend Annabeth who has been captured along with Artemis. In addition, they must find out what the doomsday monster is before winter solstice ends because Annabeth and Artemis have been captured by it. "And for your sixteenth birthday you will overthrow Olympus" (The Titans Curse, pg.233). This quote is talking about Thalia the daughter of Zeus. It explains that Thalia is turning sixteen in two days and in the prophecy it says that the son or daughter of the big three who reaches age sixteen first will have the power to destroy Olympus or save Olympus from the titan lord Kronos. The titan lord is trying to trick Thalia into helping him destroy mount Olympus. I like this book in every way because it had many action sequences and was very interesting. I also enjoyed the book because was well written and explained everything very thoroughly. I would recommend this book to readers who like science fiction and Greek mythology. Also, I would recommend this book to people who already know a little about Greek mythology. http://www.rickriordan.com/children.htm http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/04/21/072345.php http://www.rickriordan.com/index.php/books-for-children/the-titans-curse/ http://www.bloggernews.net/113546 http://www.freewebs.com/bluetrident/book3.htm anthony room 14 ms.bennett

Absolutely Normal Chaos

Absolutely Normal Link #1

Absolutely Normal Chaos Link #2

Absolutely Normal Chaos Link #3

Absolutely Normal Chaos Link #4

Absolutely Normal Chaos Link #5

I chose "Absolutely Normal Chaos because it is teen drama. It is mostly about a 13 year old girl who is growing up and realizing the changes in her life. Such as starting to like boys and friends and drama becoming very important in her life. In Middle School is when mostly your life changes and feels different . So i wanted to just learn about how it felt and if the changes will affect you. So, that is why i chose this book.

"Alex pressed his hand against mine, i like you you" he said. The conflict between Mary Lou and Alex is that he likes her and he just told her. Mary Lou hasn't been in a relationship before better yet talked to a boy! She just sat there not knowing what to say. At the end they just walk home together, not knowing if they are a couple. If you want to know what she says you will have to read the book.

I have to say i didn't really like this book. The reason is it didn't get to a very exciting point. It just went on and on telling every little detail of what is going on. i would recommend this book to a person who likes romantic teen drama. Lastly, i want to say i do really appreciate the author of this book, Sharon Creech!

Bailey King

Mrs. Bennett

Period 3

Silent to the Bone/Nicole Lee

Lee, Nicole
English, Period.4
November 16, 2008

Silent to the Bone

In a single, breathless sitting, I journeyed the world of Silent to the Bone by E.L. Konigsburg. Needless to say, this novel has captured my heart as well as my admiration and the experience of reading it was an invaluable one. When I first came across this novel, I honestly believed it to be a bit too juvenile for my liking - judging from the artless cover and first several pages. This is a faultless example of the age-old saying "do not judge a book by its cover", (please do excuse the inevitable pun). My sole reason for grudgingly pursuing this novel in the beginning was that I had not a choice, but a due date. However, as I ventured deeper into the novel, I quickly embraced its realistic and empathetic themes as well as the truly philosophical ideas it brought forth.

Silent to the Bone is the first person account of 13-year old, Connor Krane's emotional journey to save his dearest friend. The story begins with an unspeakable tragedy when Branwell Zamborska is accused of heavily injuring his infant sister, Nikki. The accusation is first made through a 911 call by the attractive English au pair, Vivian whom Branwell possesses intense romantic feelings for. Thereafter, Branwell is struck mute and sent to a juvenile detention center - waiting to be tried, whilst Nikki lies in the hospital in a coma. Although Branwell leads an unresponsive and apathetic existence after the incident, Connor know that he is entirely innocent. Connor is then faced with a challenge far beyond any adolescent's when he becomes obligated to prove Branwell's innocence and spare him from the fate that awaits him. They develop a system of communication by the means of flashcards. With each visit, Connor is assigned a mission by Branwell to speak with certain people who are related to the atrocious incident. With the kindly assistance of his older sister Margaret, Connor pieces together a story of unrequited love, emotional turmoil, and sexual abuse.

"If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?"
It is fair to proclaim this inspirational quote the heart of the novel. The meaning of this quote has already been discussed in the novel, albeit the significance of it obligates me to address it once more. When Branwell is struck mute due to traumatic reasons, he still possesses realities that he must express despite the fact that he cannot speak. Conner ultimately proves that when a tree falls and no one is present, it still does make a sound.




As a system of rating, I have bestowed upon this novel five John Lennons. John Lennon is an apposite symbol due to the fact that Branwell Zamborska had a great fondness for the Beatles. It is only a splendid coincidence that I, too am a Beatles lover. It is to be agreed that this novel absolutely deserved all five John Lennons.

I highly recommend this novel to any mature and open-minded indivisual. Those who wish to learn about the traumatic effects of abuse, experience the passion of an authentic friendship, and learn the meaning of unconditional love would do only a great service to his or herself by reading this book. I cannot recommend this book solely to certain audience - for emotional maturity comes not from one's age, but from one's mentality. Nevertheless, this book is best suited for middleschoolers; I know so from previous experiences - for it contains some mature themes. It is to be promised that this novel will forever hold a place in your heart,(regardless of how small) as it did in mine.

Maniac Magee -David Chulpaeff

Chulpaeff, David

Period 4

November 17, 2008

Maniac Magee

The book I read was Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli. The reason I chose this book was because I heard it was a great book. Everyone said it would be great to read for me. I easily decided to read this book as my choice.

The book is about a boy named Jeffrey Lionel Magee. He was orphaned at age 3 when his parents died in an accident. He was forced to live with his aunt and uncle. They lived together but had different rooms and don't speak to each other. They use Jeffrey as there go between. Then Jeffrey decides to run away. After a year of running he arrives in Two Mills, a town racially segregated by Hector Street. He becomes familiar with both sides. He becomes friends with resident Amanda Beale. He also became neighborhood legend. He beat mars bars in a foot race. Jeffrey then decides to go away from the town. He meets Grayson, a former minor league pitcher. He began to live with him. Jeffrey then later returned and accepted an offer to live with Amanda and her family.

My favorite quote from the book was "He wasn't born with the name Maniac Magee. He came into this world named Jeffrey Lionel Magee, but when his parents died and his life changed, so did his name. Maniac Magee took to the streets." That quote means a lot. It says that as peoples lives change so do the people.

My rating for the book is 5/5. It is a great book. I am going to use stars as my system. I defiantly give it 5 stars.

Maniac Magee was defiantly an amazing book. I would recommend it to anyone. It's an interesting book and very addicting to read. The great detail of the story was great to. This book is a must read.

The Outsiders- Jesse Ehrlich

Ehrlich, Jesse English Period 4 November 15, 2008 The Outsiders- Jesse Ehrlich The book that I read was The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. I selected this book because my older brother read it when he was younger, so I decided to read it. I was looking on my bookshelf and I saw the book, and my brother said he had read it, so I read it. This book is told in the 1st person by Ponyboy Curtis. He has light-brown, almost red hair, and greenish-gray eyes. He has two older brothers, Soda and Darry. Soda is 16 going on 17 and a high school dropout. Unlike Ponyboy, he never reads or likes movies like Ponyboy does. His oldest brother, Darry, is 20 and he works too hard and too long to even care about that stuff. He is also really firm on Ponyboy and treats him like he's a little kid and not 14. When their parents died, Darry, being only 20, became like their dad. Ponyboy loves Soda because he is happy-go-lucky and always cheerful, while Darry is really strict on him. Anyway, one day Ponyboy was walking home from the movies, when a Corvair pulled up to him and five Socs, the rival gang to the greasers (which is what gang Ponyboy and his brothers are in), got out and pulled out a knife on him. He was really scared when Darry came and broke it up. Darry is 6 foot 2 and has a pretty big build so a lot of people are scared him. Later Dally, Johnny, and him (Dally and Johnny are other members of the gang) went to the movies when Dally really pissed off two girls that went to school with Ponyboy. The girls name is Sherri "Cherry" Valance. They started talking when Two-Bit came over and sat with them. At the end of the movie Two-Bit talked them into having him drive them home. While they were walking home, a blue Mustang came up behind them and it was Randy and Bob, Cherry's and Marcia's boyfriends, but they passed by without noticing them. When Ponyboy got home, Darry went of on him because he didn't know where he was and stuff. Darry didn't really get along with Pony, like he does with Soda. Then Darry did what he regretted, hit Ponyboy. When that happened, Pony ran out and found Johnny and told him that they were running away. They decided to walk to the park and back when they met up with Randy, Bob, and other Socs. They started talking trash to each other when Bob told someone to give Pony a bath (he stuck his head in the fountain) and that was when Johnny had taken too much of it and stabbed Bob. The other Socs ran for it, and both Johnny and Pony were in shock. Johnny and Ponyboy went to Dally for some help, and he gave them some money and a jacket for Pony, who was soaking wet. They both jumped onto a train and ended up staying inside a church. They had stayed there for a few days, smoking and reading "Call of the Wild," when Dally came. He took them to a Dairy Queen to eat, and when they got back to the church it was on fire. And what made it worse was that there were kids inside, and on top of that, one of their cigarettes probably started the fire. Johnny and Ponyboy went into the church to save the kids, while Dally told them to come back because he didn't want them to get hurt, and he ended up pulling them out of it. All three of them went to the hospital and Johnny was critically injured. When Pony was able to leave, he was at the DX station, where Soda worked, and sure enough Randy was there. He didn't want to fight, but to talk to him. He told him that he didn't want to keep fighting and that it was all bad. Then he left and thanked Ponyboy for helping him. Then all of the greasers got ready for the rumble (a big fight) with the Socs. Dally had ditched the hospital and got there right before it started. It was a quick fight and they greasers had won, but Pony's head was bleeding really bad. He and Dally went to the hospital to see Johnny and well, I guess you're going to have to read the book to fight out what happens next, and not just to Johnny, Ponyboy, and Dally, but to the rest of the gang and what they see next. "We gotta win that fight tonight. We gotta get even with those Socs! Let's do it for Johnny, man. We'll do it for Johnny!" This was said by Dally during the rumble. I chose this quote because it has a great significance to what happens in the end of the book. I'm not going to tell you what happens in the end that makes this so significant for the end, but trust me, it does. This is hair wax. I decided to use a picture of hair wax because the greasers would put hair wax in their hair. It was like "their thing." I would recommend this book to people who like to read about other people and how their life is. One reason is because it makes you think how your life is different compared to people like Ponyboy, and how messed up theirs is. Another reason is because it makes you appreciate your life and that how lucky you are not to be in a gang and get in fights and smoke a lot. A third reason I would recommend it is because it is a good book and it can paint a picture in your head so you can feel like you're their in the action. Warning: this book has violence, drug use, and mild language.

Stand Tall-Thomas Dean

Stand Tall Thomas Dean English, Period 6 Mrs. Huff November 16, 2008 Book review of Stand Tall Hello. I am Thomas Dean from Mrs. Huff's class. I read Stand Tall by Joan Bauer. I picked this book because I read the back of the book and I discovered that this book is about a person who doesn't fit in. I think this book goes well with me because Tree, the main character, feels left out and has almost no friends. I feel the same way sometimes when no one wants to be in my group or no one talks to me. I think the best way to pick a book is to read the back or the first chapter to a get a little taste of the book. Stand Tall by Joan Bauer is a very interesting and exciting book. Tree is a boy who's left out and only friendships are half ear squirrel named Nuts, an eighth grade misfit named Sophie and Tree's amazing old dog Bradley. Tree's Grandpa, a Vietnam Veteran, recently had half of his leg amputated and is preparing for a prosthetic leg. Tree has an unusually tender and close relationship with his Grandpa. Tree's parents are divorced and his brothers are far away at distant universities. Tree is a member of the Pit Bulls, the basketball team. His coach is tough and they were especially unlucky when they lost by a land slide. Everyone expects Tree to be a good basketball player because of his tremendous height, but he is the worst player on the team, that just contributes to his feeling different and not fitting in. Soon Tree will realize how important he is to the society and how he will never be forgotten. If I were to pick a quote from this book and describe what it means, I would pick this one on page 118, "No. She's telling the truth about what you did. Now everybody knows. I want to know why you did it." This quote by Tree signifies a very important event in the story. Tree defends one of his only friends and risks punishments at a large rate. Tree stands up for Sophie who was the only one nice to him after the popular girls trashed Sophie's locker. I think this crucial event and the one following sets the book's mood and allows Tree to be Sophie's hero and shows him that he is not alone in his loneliness. The ending would have been disturbing if this had been left out. I rate Stand Tall two out of five trees. I used White Oak trees as a rating system because Tree believes he has a special attachment to that kind of tree especially the one in the park. I rated Stand Tall 2/5 because I did not enjoy it as much as some other novels. Stand Tall was too boring at the beginning and lacked any excitement. Even though I liked this book, and the characters were vivid and full of truth and reality I still prefer action and adventure. This is for the reader who enjoys a story about the underdog and how he stands tall to the world and conquers all of his inner demons as well as those that are surrounding him. I just need maybe some real demon chasing to keep me engaged. This book is for any reader that feels left out in the world and wants to see if he/she is alone in the world or just looking to see all perspectives of middle school life. If you are uncomfortable with intense situations that seem more like reality than fiction I do not recommend this book to you. Before and after you read these book remember to read the prologue and the epilogue. Thank you for reading my book review on Stand Tall. I hope you read the book! Other books by this author are Hope was Here, Sticks, Rules of the Road, Backwater and Thwonk.

Rumble Fish-Wenk, Thomas

Wenk, Thomas
Period 4 English
November 16, 2008

Rumble Fish

The title of the book I read is called Rumble Fish. It was written by S. E. Hilton. I chose this book because I read it in 6th grade and remembered how much I liked it so I went out and bought it. When I bought this book, I didn't know that I was going to use it as my book report book. When Mrs. Huff announced that we had a book report, I just decided to use the book I was already reading.

Rusty-James is a greaser who gets in a lot of fights in and out of school. When Rusty-James gets in a big situation or fight his brother, the Motorcycle Boy, helps him out. Rusty-James is a bad kid. He has a police record and has been suspended for possession of a knife at school. There are two conflicts in this story, man vs. man and man vs. society.

"If you want to go somewhere in life you just have to work till you make it.." I chose this quote because it's one of the themes of the story and it matters in life. This applies to life in the sense that you have to work to get what you want. This quote is important in the story because Rusty-James lives in a bad, poor, crummy neighborhood and he was to work to get everything.

For my rating system I am using cigarettes because Rusty James is addicted. Every time Rusty-James would ponder, he would smoke. His friend, Steve, would urge him to quit or at least not smoke n front of him. I give this book 5 out of 5 cigarettes for being really addictive and very mysterious.

This is a great book, I strongly advise you to read it. This book shows what it's like to grow up in a bad neighborhood and live for violence. This book is meant for young adults but anyone can read it. If you like sitting on the edge of your chair, this is the book for you. (Warning, this book contains strong language, profanity, strong drug use and some alcohol use)