Book reviews 2014

Tristan Cerasale

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Cover up: Mystery at the Super Bowl John Feinstein Alfred A. Knopf Realistic Fiction/Mystery

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Have you ever thought of being a reporter at the Super Bowl?!?!?! Well that dream comes true for Steve (Stevie) Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson in this awesome story Cover Up: Mystery at the Super Bowl by John Feinstein. At the beginning of the story, Stevie and Susan Carol get hired for a kids sports show on USTV. Not long after, Stevie gets fired! Then after flip flopping around for a while, Stevie finally gets a jobs at CBS. Then when Stevie and Susan Carol meet up for the Super Bowl they find something out... the whole entire Dreams offensive line is using drugs. The even worse news... the whole team knows about it, and does absolutely nothing.

With some help from a few friends, will Stevie and Susan Carol prove that this is true?

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Stevie is a 5” 4’ fourteen year old, and dreams of being a professional reporter. Stevie has a funny attitude, most of the time, and has a TV show with his best friend Susan Carol. He is a protagonist and is one of the main characters. Stevie is from the north and also has a crush on Susan Carol. Susan Carol is also fourteen, but is 5’ 8”, and also wants to be a news reporter. She has a nice attitude and has a TV show with Stevie. Susan Carol is a protagonist and is one of the main characters. Don Meeker is the coach of the Dreams football team. He’s also a dirty liar and lies to almost everyone he talks to. Meeker also really wants to win a super bowl, but that will be hard while trying to hide his secret. Meeker is a dynamic character, an antagonist, and is a primary character. John Feinstein does a very good job of developing and describing all the characters.

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So if you like books about football, or any kind of sport, this is the book to read. The details of the story are amazing. It’s also very realistic, like it could really happen in the real world. The storyline is interesting and it’s about my favorite sport... football. It’s for most people in middle and high school. So if you’re looking for a sports book that will entertain you, you should read this one.

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Jenny Noyes

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Lady Knight Tamora Pierce Random House Historical Fantasy

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Imagine being a knight in medieval times with mages and kings and queens...

This is exactly what Tamora Pierce writes about in Lady Knight. This is also Keladry Of Midelan’s life. It has been ten years since the king made it legal for women to go through Page and Squire training to become a Knight. Kel has already been through the 8 years it took to become a knight (4 years as Page and 4 as a Squire). Now, she is ready to do battle and she is stuck at the palace dreaming about the chamber of ordeal and its mission to find the “Nothing Man” (or so she calls him) and to kill him, for he is the reason for the war. But it is winter and as soon the roads clear, Kel is sent to the border to defend her country. She will just have to put her own mission on hold. But she is sent to run a refugee camp miles away from the border, no action and no battle. It’s like they are trying to protect her! Thankfully Neal and a few other fellow knights are sent with her to help her run the camp. But this peaceful camp is not quite as quiet as she thought. A few weeks after she arrives to run the camp there is a large attack on it.

In this attack there are multiple killing devices. These devices are giant metal robots with swords for fingers. One swipe could decapitate anyone. The worst part of all of is that these devices are fueled by tortured children's souls. One day Kel is sent to another camp to gain supplies and when she returns, her camp is destroyed. Countless are dead and even more are taken captive.

This is why she must find “the Nothing Man “ to save many more children (children she loves along with ones she does not know) and to stop this war in its tracks.

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Kelandry Of Mindelan, also known as Kel, is the dynamic protagonist of the quartet.

She is always ready to fight for what she believes in. Even though Kel is a woman she can hold her own against any man she meets. It probably helps that she is five foot ten and has been trained to fight for the last 8 years. Kel never gives up, even when the odds are slim. The Lady Knight is a leader, and people will follow her. She is the only one who will move when it is the most dangerous of times. With all of this Kel has her mother's height and her father’s delicate nose. Nealon of Queenscove, also known as Neal, is Kel’s best friend from the very beginning.

He has a strong personality and loves to whine and complain, but Neal always comes through when it counts. He respects Kel as a leader even though he is five years older. Neal also loves to play the cruel mean Nobel, but it is all for show. On the other hand, he hates being caught doing a good deed. Neal is very tall, a few inches taller than Kel, but his taunting habits get him in trouble. Especially when he calls the training mater, “The Stump.” He has brown hair that curves into a widow’s peak, he also has the purest emerald eyes, and his healing powers come in handy during battle. Domitan of Masbolle (Dom) is Neal’s cousin and Kel’s constant crush since the first time she met him. He, like Neal, admires Kel, and sees her as a natural leader like himself.

Dom has brown hair and deep blue eyes. He loves to joke and tease Neal, especially calling him

his favorite family nickname... Meathead. Dom, unlike Kel and Neal is not a knight, but he is a sergeant in the King’s Own. (A high position.)

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Tamora Pierce is truly effective in packing Lady Knight with suspense. It is is full of magic and battle. This is a book that would interest readers in grades 4-8, especially girls but I think that all ages would enjoy the super suspense and drama Pierce provides. This book is a real page turner and it is by far my favorite; I was up all night reading it. I would recommend Lady Knight to anyone who likes thrilling battles and amazing fantasy.

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Lauren Melanson !

I’ll Walk Alone Mary Higgins Clark Pocket Books; Reprint edition (March 20, 2012) Fiction, Thriller

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Someone’s after Alexandra “Zan” Moreland, trying to steal her money, her job, maybe even her life. Two years ago, her son Mathew was kidnapped in broad daylight at age three. On his 5th birthday, a photo has been leaked that the person who took Mathew out of his carriage the day of his abduction looked just like Zan. Now, everyone’s blaming her. Confused and devastated, Zan has no idea what to do and what’s going on. Did she abduct her own son without knowing? Is her son still alive? Or is someone impersonating Zan Moreland?

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Zan Moreland, the static protagonist, has long auburn hair and blue eyes. She’s a New York interior designer who has lost her job and is having a hard time getting over her son’s abduction even though it’s been two years. Her ex-husband, Edward Carpenter, also known as, “Ted,” is furious at her. Since the photo got leaked, everyone, including Ted has blamed her for kidnapping their own son. Ted is the antagonist. He doesn’t want anything to do with the situation since the picture. He doesn’t even want anything to do with Zan. Mathew, Ted and Zan’s son, gets his looks from Ted. Ted has brown hair with dark brown eyes, and a high forehead. Zan was trying to get hired by a friend, Kevin Wilson. Kevin is the handsome one who looks very young to be the owner of a company. Kevin has a tall, lanky frame, firm jaw, and blue eyes. Kevin’s tied between hiring Zan or her enemy, Bartley Lounge, who was her former boss.

Zan believes Bartley Lounge has something to do with her son’s abduction due to the sudden hatred or maybe jealousy he directs towards her.

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I’ll Walk Alone by Mary Higgins Clark was full of suspense which kept me on my toes throughout the entire book, waiting to see what the next page contained. This book is a “Who Dunnit” thriller that is bound to keep you wanting more page by page. If you like a book filled with mystery and suspense, then I’ll Walk Alone is the book for you.

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Braeden Selby !

Blacklist: A Thriller Brad Thor Pocket Books

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In the beginning, it starts out at the head quarters of a government agency that was formed in 1868 which was the National Security Administration or the NSA. It was turned into a defense industry before it was doing spy missions on the Confederacy and later they did spy missions on the USSR. During recent times an agent named Tyler goes into headquarters of the NSA, talks to his boss and then they fight. So the boss tells him to go on a vacation (R&R). However, when he gets to his house he knows something is off. All of the sudden someone shoots an automatic weapon and kills his partner. His partner’s name was Casey and she was living with him. Now Tyler knows that he needs to prepare. He starts counting to five minutes and puts butter all over the floor so that they will slip. Then they shoot tear gas. He takes out his glock pistol, puts a silencer on it, and waits around the corner in the living room. The doors break down simultaneously and he hears one slip on the butter. He turns the corner and shoots two bullets right into the back of the mercenary’s head, killing him instantly. He sees the second one and shoots two shots to his spine but, the mercenary draws his pistol and Tyler shoots him again. He then goes around the corner and waits for the other two. He shoots through the wall when he hears one of their foot steps and he hears one groan. To find out what happens next read the book Blacklist: A Thriller by Brad Thor.

There are a number of different interesting characters in this book, all telling the story in the same book at different times. One of the character’s name is Tyler. The reader knows him as the secret agent who took a squad of elite hit men with full tactical gear. A physical trait of Tyler is that he is agile. Secret agents need to be agile when they’re going on missions. He can disarm someone which would be to take his weapon and kill him all in the same motion. Tyler is also very strong when he is on missions. He must be in tip top shape to be able to use hand to hand combat. Two mental traits about him are he is smart and he is also emotionally strong. When his partner died, right in front of his eyes, he was sad but he knew he had to move on or else he would die. A second character of this book is Nicholas. Two physical features of Nicholas were that he is a dwarf and he is small but he definitely does not let that get in the way of him living his life. He is also caring. Two emotional traits of Nicholas are that he is confident and smart.

Nicholas is a computer geek but he doesn’t let people push him around because he’s small and a computer nerd. He may be small but he has some tricks up his sleeve. He has a small knife on his leg and also has a custom made gun fit for him which has a shortened barrel for grip and a scope.

The tactical team that raided Tyler’s house, are definitely tough. They are all well trained and mean. They have upper body strength and a lot of fire power. They don’t talk much but they nearly killed Tyler. They are smart and the whole team was coordinated and attacked with speed.

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The Black List is really well written. It has good characters and description of them and you really feel like you’re there at the scene watching it live. The action is really good. It’s not the same thing every time like guns and punching and explosions. Some of the scenes are super stealth missions where Tyler needs to take out a target before he is noticed. The book has a detailed storyline but you may get lost as the book switches from one character’s perspective to another. For example, one chapter could be Tyler’s point of view and then the next Nicholas.

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Now is the Time for Running Michael Williams Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Realistic fiction,Adventure

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If you like books full of adventure, and that will make you smile,cry and want to keep reading, you should read Now is Time for Running by Michael Williams. The story starts In Zimbabwe,Africa. Deo is playing soccer with his friends. some soldiers drive down the dirt rode and stop by where they are playing, Everyone is quiet. One of the soldiers takes the soccer ball and kicks it with his steel toe boot which causes a gap in it, then he laughs. This is only the beginning of what happened that day. Deo and Innocent will see these soldiers more times and see many other people on their travel though Africa. All of the sudden he notices that his brother is not there and the soldiers are rounding people up.

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The main character is Deo and he is telling the story from first person perspective. He is the protagonist because he is the person who helps his brother to escape from their home village which is not safe because of the soldiers. Deo is a brave and confident character in the story. He is a great soccer player and good at making deals with people so he can travel where he needs.

One of the main characters in the story is Innocent which is Deo’s older brother. He is very attached to Deo and kind of acts younger then he is because he has some brain problems. In the story he thinks he has to leave his village for another reason that Deo tells him which is not the case; they are leaving the village because it is not safe there. Also, Innocent is smart. He is smart because he is very good at math and can memorize long numbers, and he is good with little kids.

Amai and grandfather Long Drop are Deo and Innocent’s mother and grandfather. They stay behind in the village and they are not main characters.

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I would recommend the book Now is Time for Running by Michael Williams because it is inspiring and amazing. It is inspiring and amazing because it described the characters very well and all the characters have their own personality. Also, it described the setting very well because it told what kind of objects were inside or outside and described the weather well. It was good at describing how the characters feel after a change happened. So, if you like books that are full of adventure and that you will want to keep reading then read Now is the Time for Running by Michael Williams.

Avery Wild

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Septimus Heap: Syren Angie Sage Bloomsbury Publishing Fantasy Adventure

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CRASH! Another bolt of lightning strikes down with extreme force onto the dragon’s wing, burning a painful hole through it. Septimus Heap, a tall boy with a nest of straw colored hair atop his head is riding his dragon, Spit Fyre, through the worst storm in his history. Jenna Heap, his sister, and Beetle, his best friend, are also riding with him. Suddenly, Spit Fyre lurches towards the surging waves, and Septimus is trying his best to get him onto the nearest island.

Smashing with a lot of force, Spit Fyre skids onto the smooth sand, and he is safe. . . for now. In this fifth installment of the Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage, Syren will have you hooked from the start. After landing harshly on the island, Septimus, Jenna and Beetle will all have to survive with the clothes on their backs and the various survival materials that they have with them. After what feels like forever spent on the island, they come across a young girl who thinks that she is living in a time five-hundred years before theirs. They come to learn that this girl, Syrah Syara, is possessed by the Syren who inhabits the island. Meanwhile, the crew of the ship Marauder is planning an attack on Milo Banda’s (Jenna’s real father) ship, the Cerys, and holds the crew of the Cerys hostage in an airtight chamber. As the attack endures, the trio will find out that the Cerys has breached on their island and a nasty goat-faced ghost by the name of Tertius Fume has unlocked a secret chest below deck. This chest contains five-thousand lead tubes, each one containing a warrior Jinn that will be sent out to take over the Castle and kill Septimus’ tutor, ExtraOrdinary wizard Marcia Overstrand. But, will they succeed? Read Septimus Heap: Syren

by Angie Sage to find out.

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Septimus Heap is the main dynamic character of the story and the series. He has a heap of frizzy straw colored hair on his head, and has the strong green eyes of a wizard.

Septimus is tall, thin and lanky, and wears a dragon ring on his right index finger that glows when in darkness and gives him some of his magic. He is outgoing, so whenever a favor is needed by someone he is close to, he is happy to help them no matter the cost. Septimus can have an energetic and funny side to him, though. He likes to hang out with his best friend Beetle and drink FizzFroot, a magical fruity soda beverage. O. Beetle Beetle (A.K.A. Beetle), a dynamic character, has Bieber-style black hair that is generally smooth and brushed but frizzy when unattended. Beetle is not as thin and lanky as Septimus is, and he is shorter. He always has his timepiece with him no matter if he’s on a quest or sleeping. He used to work at the Manuscriptorium, but he was fired for a mishap and is temporarily out of a job. Beetle has an outgoing attitude just like Septimus, and likes to joke around a lot. He also has a crush on Septimus’ sister, Jenna Heap, so whenever a favor is asked of him, he acts as brave and noble as possible in order to impress her. Jenna Heap is originally the daughter of Queen Cerys, but the Queen was assassinated along with Marcia Overstrand’s tutor, ExtraOrdinary wizard Alther Mella. Jenna is the Princess of the Castle, and the Heap family inherited it and live there

presently. Jenna has long brown hair and is distinguished by her red robe and the golden circlet that she always wears around her head. She also has a round, bright face and is only a little shorter than Septimus, about the size of Beetle. Jenna, like Septimus and Beetle, also has an outgoing personality, but because she is royalty she can’t always do all the things that Septimus and Beetle get to do. This annoys her because she wants to have as much fun as them. Jenna also has developed a princessy side to her, being pushy and whiny when she needs to get her point across or convince someone to do something. Angie Sage has done a very good job at introducing these characters and developing them over time.

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Syren is a very suspenseful book and leaves you hanging at the end of each chapter wanting to read on, eyes glued to the book. The characters in this book are well developed and not only get older as the series progresses, but their personalities change slightly based on their age and previous personality. Each book in the series (besides the first) picks up right where it left off in the previous book, except for the passing of time. This allows the reader to not get confused when reading and say, “huh?” The language is well done in this book as it is directed for people age eight to fifteen. It is not so difficult that it would be hard to read for eight year olds, but not too easy for fifteen year olds and in between. If you’re interested in amazing adventures, magical experiences and an overall page turner, then this seven book series by Angie Sage is for you!

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Audrey Smith

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Eighth Grade Bites Heather Brewer Speak publishing Realistic Fiction

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Being a teenager is hard enough, but imagine being a vampire teenager. Life really SUCKS!! Vladimir (Vlad) Tod has a hard enough time going through regular teenager stuff like girl troubles, popularity problems, and being bullied by two big jerks, but imagine being a blood sucker too. Vlad thinks he is alone with only one person knowing his blood sucking secret, his best friend Henry. But when Vlad gets a note saying “I know your secret” from the sub filling in for a teacher that went suddenly missing, he has no idea who or what to trust. And just to add on top of that, the evil D’Abalo is trying to murder Vlad and anybody who gets in his way.

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Vlad is a 14 year old vampire who lives with his (human) Aunt Nelly after his parents died in a house fire when he was eight. He has been living off blood bags for years now and isn’t any danger to his human friends. Vlad is the main character in this story and goes through some rough changes. Vlad is a skinny, pale, dark haired boy who has never been very popular, but his best friend Henry is quite the opposite. Henry is a dirty-blonde, tall, muscular, 14 year old and is the most popular kid in school. He also has a large role in this story and goes through some changes as well. Henry is quite the ladies man (unlike Vlad). Henry is willing to stand up against the evil D’Abalo to protect Vlad. The evil D’Abalo is an older antagonist vampire that has a thirst for Vlad’s blood. D’Abalo is a tall, mysterious man that may change...but you would have to read the book to find out.

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Vlad’s never ending struggle starts in this book, the first book in the Chronicles of Vladimir Tod. Who can he trust? What can he do? Heather Brewer did a great job giving this book lots of great voice, and making it unpredictable. I love the way I can relate to the character’s feelings and thoughts throughout the whole book. This book is a definite page turner.

I think this book deserves two thumbs up and a five star rating. Follow Vlad though this story that is full of twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat at all times. And remember Eighth Grade Bites.

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Adam Vazquez

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Cardboard Doug TenNapel GRAPHIX Graphic Novel

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How would you feel if you just got a cardboard box for your birthday? What if you discovered that whatever you made with it came to life? Cardboard is the amazingly written book by Doug TenNapel about a boy named Cam who gets a cardboard box from his Dad for his birthday. Not knowing that there was alien technology fused into it, whatever he makes comes to life, like Joe, the cardboard boxer with a heart, the first creation made by Cam and his dad. But when the goth, rat bullying neighborhood bully Marcus gets a hold of it, Cam’s world is turned upside down.

Let’s talk about the characters. Cam is a static character. He stays good throughout the story by helping his friends and saving their lives. Marcus is a dynamic character. He turns into a good guy mid story by seeing that what he is doing is wrong. By doing that he becomes friends who Joe, a static character. Joe stays good through the whole story by also saving everyone’s lives like in one scene when Marcus made a bad version of him and Joe saved Cam by beating him up.

I found myself not able to put this book down. This book is one of Doug TenNapel’s best.

Go to your nearest library and pick up a copy of this great novel that is packed with action and friendship then find yourself lost inside of a world of imagination. So if you like graphic novels then Cardboard is definitely the book for you. Trust me, after reading this book you’ll want to make stuff with a box too.

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Molly McCluskey

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A Door Near Here Heather Quarles Delacorte Press Realistic Fiction

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Can you imagine being 15 and having to take care of your three younger siblings because your mother is an alcoholic? This is exactly what 15 year old Katherine Graham has to do in the book A Door Near Here by Heather Quarles. After breaking up with her boyfriend and getting fired from her job, Katherine’s mother starts drinking and hasn’t gotten out of bed since, leaving Katherine to care for her 14 year old brother Douglas, her 13 year old sister Tracey, and her 8 year old sister Alisa. It doesn’t make things easier when Alisa starts talking about the magical door to Narnia. The more she talks about it, the more she believes that there is actually a magical door that will lead her to Narnia. She gets into trouble while trying to find it. She even sets out on her own little “adventure” through the snow, on a mission to find the door. Throughout the book the siblings struggle through many more challenges. One of the biggest challenges of all is trying to keep their secret from Mr. Dodgson, Katherine’s teacher who is becoming suspicious about their mother. They also have to find ways to get food and money without being noticed.

Together the four siblings go to extreme measures, including driving a car and hiding Alisa from their teachers, in order to keep their secret, and themselves, safe.

Katherine, the dynamic protagonist of the book, is 15 and is one of the most determined characters in the book. She usually gets all A’s and tries to do the best she can. She refuses to let her family suffer from their mother’s problems, but most of all she doesn’t want her teachers to find out about the way they are forced to live. Her younger brother Douglas is the same way.

Douglas is 14 and is the brainiac of the family. He can fix almost anything. Most of the time he doesn’t joke around and he is pretty serious, unlike his 13 year old sister Tracey. Tracey is a good example of the stereotypical “popular” girl. She is tall, skinny, and tan. At first she doesn’t think much about anything besides what she looks like, but as the story develops she starts to realize that there are more important things to life, including her younger sister Alisa. Alisa is eight years old. She absolutely loves C.S. Lewis’ Narnia series. She is so in love with the Narnia series that she actually thinks that there is a door to Narnia. She desperately wants to find this door because she believes that Aslan, the king of Narnia, will help to solve her mother’s problems.

However, her big imagination gets her into serious trouble, causing a big problem for her three older siblings.

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A Door Near Here grabs your attention from the start. It has many twists in it in unexpected places. Heather Quarles did a very nice job writing it and uses good vocabulary throughout the book. She explains parts well and really paints a picture in your mind. The characters seem very real, pulling you into the story even farther. Overall, the book is very fun to read and at times makes you have to think. I recommend this book for middle school or high

school students. Throughout the book the siblings go through quite a lot of challenges, but there is only one way to find out how they fix their problems and heal their mother. Or do they…?

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Taylor Sever

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Endangered Eliot Schrefer Scholastic Press Realistic Fiction

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What would you do if you were alone in a sanctuary, isolated? What would you do if you were forced to run out of the sanctuary in order to escape the clutches of those who are trying to corrupt the government? What would you do if you had to take a Bonobo (a type of chimpanzee) with you? This is what Sophie had to endure in the book Endangered by Eliot Schrefer. Sophie, a young girl, visits her mom in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. On the road to her mom’s Bonobo sanctuary she finds a man selling an abused Bonobo. Sophie buys the Bonobo, names it Otto, and starts to nurse it back to health. One night when Sophie is alone at her mom’s sanctuary, it is attacked and Sophie and Otto are forced to flee the Sanctuary. The only problem is her mom is delivering older Bonobos so she can not go back to the sanctuary and Sophie has to go and find her mom. Sophie only has so much food and with Otto’s growing appetite, it will not last them very long. Sophie needs to find her mom but can she do it before loss of food and climate or the enemies getting to her first?

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Sophie is a dynamic, protagonist in the book and is an only child. Her parents are divorced, her mom lives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa, and her dad lives in the U.S. Sophie has black hair and an olive tone skin color. Sophie does not really like being alone at most times. She loves Otto greatly. Otto is another dynamic, protagonist in the book.

Otto is a type of Chimpanzee called a Bonobo. He has black fur and is, in Sophie’s mind, super cute. Otto loves Sophie. He stays at Sophie’s mom’s Bonobo Sanctuary. Sophie’s mom is a dynamic, protagonist. Sophie’s mom owns and runs a Bonobo Sanctuary. At the beginning of the book, Sophie’s mom is not very protective of Sophie but that changes by the end.

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Endangered, by Eliot Schrefer is great if you love adventurous, tear-jerker books. It is an awesome page-turner that kept me up all night reading it. It has a great setting, plot and the ending is amazing. The characters change a lot over the course of the book. It is by far the best book I have ever read.

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Claire Williamson

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The Help Kathryn Stockett Berkley Trade Publishing Co. Historical Fiction

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Imagine being told that you aren’t allowed to use a bathroom just because you look different from somebody else. Imagine raising seventeen children that aren’t yours from birth, always loving them, only to have them grow up and hate you just like their mothers. Imagine the fear of getting killed simply for helping to write a book. Reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett will have you laughing, crying and trembling with fear as you relive the history of racism in the 1960s. Set in Jackson, Mississippi, three heroic women set out on a journey that nobody before had dreamed of. Never before had anyone asked how the colored maids felt when they were treated unfairly. Never before had a white woman put herself on the same level as an AfricanAmerican. It wasn’t even something that had ever been thought about. But times they were achangin’, and the hope was that a better day was right around the corner. With tensions running high and everything at risk, would the three women succeed?

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Aibileen Clark is an African-American maid living in Jackson, Mississippi, in the ‘60s.

Still mourning the loss of her son Treelore, Aibileen gets a job taking care of her seventeenth white child in a white home. She likes to write, and the practice of putting things down instead of blurting them out makes her a very wise and reserved person. Motherly and kind, much of the time Aibileen is quite the opposite of her sass-mouthing friend, Minny Jackson. Both a good cook and a strong personality, Minny works as a maid, like Aibileen, to support her seven children. But it’s nearly impossible for her to keep a job for long when two things are against her: a former white employer spreading rumors around town, and the fact that she herself can’t seem to keep her mouth shut. Both Aibileen and Minny are brought into a life-changing project by the young Skeeter Phelan, a fresh college graduate whose lack of romantic history is the constant fret of her mother. Skeeter doesn’t have the interests common to girls her age, and aims to be a journalist. Told to write about what troubles her most, and upset about the mystery of what happened with her own childhood maid, she chooses to write about the unequal treatment towards the colored help, landing her on a much bigger venture than she first thought. Each character’s story is carefully woven throughout the real history of Jackson, Mississippi, in a way that brings the time period alive for modern society.

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The Help is an amazing book, bringing alive a time of the past while telling a touching story of the daring adventure of three women. Filled with humor, action and suspense, The Help will rope you in from the moment you start to read so that you are on the edge of your seat the whole way. Kathryn Stockett has the ability to make you laugh and then cry, tremble with fear and breathe sighs of relief. The book is successfully informative of the racism of the 1960s. If you want to know what it was like back then while reading a classic book that will have you hooked from the first page, The Help is the right book for you.

Caitlin Tyrrell

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The Romeo and Juliet Code Phoebe Stone Arthur A. Levine Books Historical-Fiction

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Imagine being left by your parents at a place you have never been before, being treated like you cannot be trusted, meeting a strange boy who has polio and is hidden away right in the room next door, always seeing your strange and mysterious uncle hiding away letters that are from your father. This is the life of Felicity Bathburn Budwig. She is the main character in the book The Romeo and Juliet Code by Phoebe Stone. Felicity went to Maine on a boat with her parents when she was only 11. When she arrived, Felicity and her parents stayed on the porch while her aunt and her grandmother (the gram) stayed in the large victorian house looking too mad to even go outside and face Felicity's fabulous parents. Her parents have to go back to England with a secret. Along the way she meets lots of people and even gets a letter from the president! That is when she noticed the letters arriving for Uncle Gideon. Those letters are from her father in a secret code. Why is her father sending letters to her uncle and not her? She must find out why her father is sending the letters to her uncle while still facing the deep secrets stored away, deep in the house.

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In the book the main character is Felicity Bathburn Budwig. She is a spontaneous, curious girl who is from England. She came to Maine because WWII is going on. She and her glamorous parents came together on a boat to Maine, but her parents need to go back and work.

Winnie (Mom of Felicity) is a creative, British speaking, well mannered woman who takes good care of her daughter and would do anything for Felicity or Danny. Danny is Felicity’s Dad and Winnie’s husband. He is outgoing, courageous, and was almost always better than Uncle Gideon.

Uncle Gideon is awkward and always tries to be better than Danny and never wants to go back to the past. He and Aunt Miami always have disputes about the play, Romeo and Juliet. Aunt Miami is a young woman who likes pizzazz. She even changed her name from Florence to Miami because Florence sounded like it should be for an old lady. She is obsessed with the play, Romeo and Juliet. She always likes to read her favorite line. “O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I'll no longer be a Capulet.” The Gram is the boss and is always settling Aunt Miami’s and Uncle Gideon’s disputes. The Gram (grandmother) is a serious but joyful spirit. She always spices things up and is good at keeping secrets. She makes everyone in the house call her “the gram.”

She is always excited to see everyone in the house, especially Derek. Derek is a boy who was adopted by the family for Uncle Gideon. He is Felicity’s friend and crush in the book. He is not as much of a wild child as Felicity though, but he is always there when needed. He is the boy with polio. He is always sitting in his room because he can never join the Army because of his arm. He and Felicity are very good friends and always get into trouble.

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If you like historical fiction based on adventure and surprises, The Romeo and Juliet Code is the book for you. It is a great book that has a lot of surprises along the way. The book is easy to relate to and you won’t want to step away from it. Phoebe Stone did a great job writing this and I bet she had fun doing it. Read the book to find out what happens to Felicity, and her family. ______________________________________________________________________________

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Nicholas Kenneth J Fox The House Of Hades Rick Riordan Disney Hyperion Greek & Roman Myths, Action & Adventure, Children's Fantasy Books

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“Tartarus.” This word is well known and also feared by all who have read or have heard about the Percy Jackson series but it has never really been explored by anyone in the book series except for now when Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson fall straight into Tartarus itself.

Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson have to find a way to “The Doors Of Death” and get out of Tartarus to help their friends Leo, Frank, Nico, Hazel, Piper, and Jackson to defeat the earth goddess from destroying all of life. But the only problem is that Percy and Annabeth can’t get out of Tartarus without getting help themselves.

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Percy Jackson, is one of the primary, dynamic, protagonists in the story. Percy has jet black hair, bright sea green eyes, and is lean. Some people would describe him as a brave, spirited natural leader. He is fit and muscular, and somewhat short tempered at times. Some of his friends are Leo, Frank, Nico, Hazel, Piper, and Jackson. He is dating Annabeth Chase.

Annabeth Chase has curly golden blonde hair. She loves architecture. Her eyes are described as an intense shade of gray. But her fatal flaw is that she thinks she can do things better than everyone else, including the gods. One of her friends is Jackson Grace. Jackson Grace is very serious and has electric blue eyes. He is said to have a strong sense of honor and justice. He has military cropped blond hair and when flying he has been described as “A blonde Superman,” ~Percy Jackson, The Mark of Athena.

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The House of Hades, by Rick Riordan, is a really good page-turner and has great detail.

Also, it will make you keep wanting more and more of the story, you never really get bored of the story, and it keeps up the action. It ties all of the extra books (Ex. Demi-God Diaries.) into the story. Anything and everything could happen at anytime. So if you like stories like this then you should read The House of Hades by Rick Riordan.

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Kell Fremouw

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The Ruins Of Gorlan

By John Flanagan.

Fiction Published by The Penguin Group

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In the Ruins of Gorlan, Will, an orphan, gets chosen to join, as an apprentice, the Ranger Corps, a group of 50 people that solve troubles throughout the kingdom. He gets settled in to life as an apprentice to Halt, but one day is very different. Will and Halt find a boar that has been troubling people. They round up some knights, including Horace, to go on the hunt. The first boar is killed but unexpectedly a second boar charges out. They work together to save each other and going through that together they bond and later come to be best friends. A few days later three bullies beat up Horace and then go along and find Will. Horace comes to the rescue as well as Halt and beats them up one at a time. A few months later, after Will has worked more on perfecting his skills, he and Halt go to the Ranger Gathering with Gilan, Halt’s former apprentice. They find only a few people there. It was canceled because they found out the Kalkara, (Giant monsters that can paralyze with their eyes) were on the move. Once Will, Halt and Gilan find this out, Will asks what they are going to do, dreading the answer. “We,” Halt said, “are going after the Kalkara.”

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Will, a dynamic character, is a protagonist and very energetic. Everyone who meets him likes him, and he is very smart. When he goes into the ranger corps, he becomes more threatening and mysterious. Will also bonds greatly with his horse Tug. He is always curious and a very fast and devious thinker. His height is a little shorter than average and he is fast on his feet. Will is amazing at climbing and he isn’t scared of falling. In his younger days he used to do this to escape Horace, his best friend who used to be a bully. Horace used to bully Will but after the boar hunt, they became best friends. Horace is really brave in battle and elsewhere, like when he faced the charge of the bull. He was really modest after he changed and got embarrassed when people commented on his achievements. He is tall and muscular, unlike Halt, Will’s mentor. Halt is shorter than average and very mysterious and frightening. He is really sneaky and smart. Halt, Will thinks, can solve pretty much any problem. He is also grumpy a lot of the time and never smiles. Halt makes Will do all the chores at his cabin and likes not having to do them himself.

The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan is a pretty fast paced book which I like. It is the first in a series of twelve. I really like the setting with many different countries, each ruled by their leader, usually a king. I was drawn to Will who had a hard life being bullied, being an orphan and not getting into battle school but he is a really nice and energetic young boy. I was also drawn into the mystery of the ranger corps that Will joined and I really liked the plot line. If you like a book that is fast paced and packed with action, this is the book for you.

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Finn Furth

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My Side of the Mountain Jean Craighead George Puffin Books Realistic-Fiction

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My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George is about a boy named Sam who lives out the dream of lots of other young boys in the world when he runs away to live in the forest.

There he makes a home by hollowing out a tree, he also catches a falcon named Frightful that he trains to hunt for him. The book is written like a diary in which each day brings a new adventure.

Once Sam settles in he starts to make lots of friends. Even with his lifestyle of solitude, he always has time for his friends Bando, Mr. Jacket, and his reporter friend, Matt. Will he be able to make it through winter?

Sam Gribley is a twelve year old boy that loves to be independent and wants to learn as much as he can about nature. He also loves reading, is very smart, is great at making friends and adapts well to any situation that he faces. Another very important character is Bando which is just his nickname. His real name is not mentioned. He is a college professor that gets lost in the Catskills and is found by Sam who, at first, thought he was a bandit. Then there is Sam’s father who comes to visit him a few times throughout the story from New York City. Matt is the friendly young reporter that dreams of writing for the New York Times. There are also two characters from town, the librarian and Mr. Jacket who comes to visit Sam sometimes.

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Lots of times during the book the only thing that kept me from setting the book down and running away to the Catskills myself was that the book was too good to set down. When I read about sitting in a nice cozy hollowed out tree covered in blankets and writing in a journal it made me warm, even if I was out in the freezing cold. I think some of my favorite parts in the book were when Sam had visitors over. Throughout the book there is a sense of loneliness and when he has visitors all of that loneliness disappears. This book is a great read. I would recommend it to any middle school student that enjoys to reading and wants to learn about nature.

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Nathan Shemwell

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“The Most Dangerous Game” Richard Connell Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents Action, Short Story

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“The world is made up of two classes—the hunters and the huntees. Luckily, you and I are the hunters.” Those were the words of Mr. Rainsford, an accomplished big-game hunter in Richard Connell’s short story “The Most Dangerous Game.” He was traveling to Rio on a moonless Caribbean night before he fell overboard on his yacht into the dark waters. Following the sound of gunshots, he swam to the nearby Ship-Trap island. Ship-Trap island was an island notorious for its name, trapping ships. Led by boot-prints, he made his way to a mysterious mansion, owned by General Zaroff and protected by his body-guard Ivan and his seven hounds.

Then the story takes a savage twist and suddenly Rainsford is at the wrong end of the gun, the hunted. General Zaroff, a good hunter himself, had gotten bored hunting the same game, where it was a “mathematical certainty” to catch his prey. He had to invent a new type of game, one with “courage, cunning, and above all, it (the prey) must be able to reason.” Rainsford had thought that cape buffalo were the most dangerous of all big game, but he was wrong. Rainsford himself was the most dangerous game, and General Zaroff was the hunter.

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As the protagonist, Mr. Rainsford is an accomplished big-game hunter, very observant and good with a gun. He’s a static character, also smart, creative, and quick thinking. Years of hunting have made him capable of surviving in the wild, but not necessarily surviving in the wild with General Zaroff at his back. General Zaroff is a skilled but savage hunter and tracker, a coldblooded and merciless killer who has no feelings for his prey, no matter what species. He is wealthy, owning Ship-trap island, a mansion, fine clothes, and many other fine objects of value.

He has pointy teeth and is a Cossack, like his bodyguard, Ivan. Ivan is a big man, and though he is not smart and cunning like General Zaroff, he is just as savage and merciless when it comes to killing. He is both deaf and dumb, just another useful tool to the General. Richard Connell does a great job describing all his characters, not just these three.

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With a great plot and unforgettable characters, this thrilling short story will draw you in and make you read it from beginning to end. “The Most Dangerous Game” is a page turner, fast paced and action packed. Though it will seem as if you’re running right alongside Mr. Rainsford in his battle for survival, the only thing you have to worry about is if you can ever stop reading.

Lucky for you, it doesn’t take long to read, but for better or worse, it’s hard to forget. Those of you who liked The Hunger Games and other action packed novels, Richard Connell’s short story “The Most Dangerous Game” is for you.

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Alexis Farnham

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Planet Middle School.

Nikki Grimes Bloomsbury USA Children’s (September ‘11’ 2011,) Realistic Fiction

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“Why is this happening to me”? I’m late for my basketball game v.s Jake and Santiago, but I can’t go! Jake will make fun of me. I mean, I can’t see why he wouldn’t.” Planet Middle School is about a young girl named Joylin and how her body starts changing without her permission. She is starting to like boys and she is buying a whole entire new wardrobe to try and make boys notice her. Most of all she lets all of this nonsense that every teenage girl goes through get in the middle of her friendship with Joylin. What would you do to try and save your friendship?

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Joylin is a brave young girl who loves basketball. That is her talent. She is very protective over her younger brother. She is a big Tomboy. You will never catch her wearing a dress, skirt, or even short shorts. She goes to her best friend Keelee for any problems or if she needs help in general. They have been friends since kindergarten. Keelee is a preacher’s daughter so she is a “goody two shoes” and a “girly girl.” She is very smart and isn’t really into boys that much. She just keeps to herself. She has curly dark hair. Keelee doesn’t play any sports. She just goes to church a lot. Keelee doesn’t really like Jake a lot because he uses God’s name in vain a lot when he plays basketball. Jake is a young courageous boy who loves basketball. He doesn’t talk very much but he has a great sense of humor towards Joylin. He dedicates himself to basketball. He is on the court a great amount of the day. He also likes to spend a lot of time with Joylin which they do very often.

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Planet Middle School by Nikki Grimes is a great book. It’s full of real life situations that young teenagers go through about liking other people and how the body starts to change without permission. It keeps the reader going because of all the new conflicts that go on throughout the story. If you enjoy a page turner like realistic fiction with drama then this is the book for you.

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Chana Wingard CHOMP Carl Hiaasen Ember Realistic fiction

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Have you ever wanted to go to the Everglades? Maybe have a beautiful vacation and see the sights? Well, if you were a character in this book, you wouldn’t even want to be near the Everglades! CHOMP by Carl Hiaasen is all about a boy, his father and his friend searching for a crazy, egocentric, fake, stupid, (you-get-the-point) reality t.v star. Wahoo Cray and his father, Mickey Cray, live on a crazy, exotic, animal farm! When Mickey Cray falls ill after a strange accident, he takes a job sent in by Expedition Survival!, a phony reality survivor program. They want to use his animals and pay him a great deal of money. He isn’t happy about it, but it pays the bills. Soon things start taking wild twist and turns. Derek Badger, the star of the show, decides to do things his own way. Mickey and Wahoo meet a girl named Tuna and find out that she has a big problem. After they get to the camera site, they meet a big man who runs the airboats where they want to do some of the filming. After a Mastiff Bat swoops in and bites Derek, he becomes crazed and disappears. Will the trio be able to find him? Will Tuna’s problem resolve? Will the show turn out all right? If you like action, reality, comedy, drama and everything except for mystery, then you would enjoy CHOMP by Carl Hiaasen!

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All the characters in this book were sparingly relatable, but these were the most important.

The protagonist, Wahoo Cray, is the only son of Mickey Cray. Living with a pet alligator who bit off his thumb, a couple monkeys, a snake, a bear, a koala and some rats, it can be sort of challenging to keep friends. This tall, brave, unknowingly heroic boy doesn’t have many friends, but he soon meets Tuna Gordon. Tuna Gordon is also a protagonist. She is one of the people you would call overjoyed. This short, freckled girl has fiery red hair and will stop at nothing to complete her adventures. She has a dark side, though. Being abused by her alcoholic, gun-happy father, she is a little frightened he might find her. Even though times may get her down, she can always cheer herself up by thinking of Wahoo. She and Wahoo are also quite annoyed by all the trouble caused by Derek Badger. Derek Badger is a real phony. Staying the same the whole book, makes him a static character. He is also quite an antagonist. The lumpy, self absorbed, reality survivalist show star practically treats his assistant like dirt. Getting mauled by all of Mickey’s animals and knowing nothing about animals at all, he can get himself in quite a pickle. These characters are all extremely important to the story.

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This book drew me in from the start. Full of adventure, drama and comedy, it has amazing detail and structure all while having the perfect balance of twist and turns. It’s like a big roller coaster of emotions. One point I was at a calm flat spot, then whoooooosh! I was going up and down hills with cliff hangers and suspense. Every page made me want to read more. CHOMP by Carl Hiaasen is a great book for people of all ages. It has the creativity and imagination for children, but the complexity and current events that only a young adult or teen would understand

completely. Why read any other book when you could be reading this one right now? If you love animals, comedy, never-forget-them types of books, then this one is perfect for you! ______________________________________________________________________________ Anna Fergusson

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Twilight Stephenie Meyer Little, Brown and Company Fantasy

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Bella moved from a sunny city in Florida to a rainy small town near Seattle. No one would suspect a dark secret to be hidden in Forks, Washington. The book Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer, describes Bella Swan’s teenage life as she finds herself in deeper secrets than she ever thought possible when falling in love with the mysterious Edward Cullen. What will happen when she learns too much about Edward’s world and has to chose a loved one’s life over her own? Will she become immortal? Who will save Bella?

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Bella prefers the Florida sun a lot more than the dreary town of Forks, but her features suggest otherwise. Bella doesn’t look like a typical girl from Florida. Bella has brownish red hair and is slender but has a body type that shouts “clumsy,” a result clearly shown in her gym classes. She is in love with the mysterious Edward, of whom she learns a dark secret. Edward also happens to fall in love with Bella, but it is very complicated for him because he yearns to drink her blood. Edward has bronze colored hair, skin that is pale, cold, and hard like a statue, and eyes that change from tawny to dark brown. He and his family aren’t the only vampires in the world. Another immortal threatens the life of Bella. James is a vampire that drinks human blood, unlike the Cullens who spare Bella but still desire the blood of humans. He is a professional when it comes to tracking his prey. He is very handsome, like all immortals.

Stephenie Meyers does an amazing job at describing the different characters and their characteristics.

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The characters relate to teenage drama. It is a surprising page turner that always left me wanting for more. I think this book is good for any young adult that likes drama and fantasy.

Twilight sets the mood for the series of the century. Stephenie Meyers has a great way of making her books seem as realistic as fantasy can be and hooks her readers so they can’t stop reading her mysterious series.

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Cameron Tower

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First Descent Pam Withers Tundra Books Drama

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What would you do if you were in a hostile environment that every day you face life or death from the soldiers or the animals. Well this is what Rex Scruggs in First Descent by Pam Withers has to deal with. Rex is going to Colombia to kayak the El Furiso with his two guides and local Indigent girl, Myriam Clambas. Later in the trip, Rex’s two guides leave him with Myriam. Once Rex got comfortable with the locals he helped them unplug the trout tanks that the Indigent people had and stocked them with trout until a plane dropped pesticide on the mountains of Colombia to kill the coca plants (Coccaine) and they also got the fish tanks which killed all of the trout. Rex was kayaking the El Furioso and then took a break to look over a water fall but suddenly he felt a hand grab him. It was the local Guerrilla force who kidnapped him and would most likely kill him or put him up for ransom.

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Rex Scruggs is a very interesting character. He is one of those characters that never gives up no matter the odds. Rex’s physical characteristics are broad shoulders with a muscular upper body. He is tall with black hair and is friends with Myriam and Papa. Myriam is a local Indigent girl who is one of Rex’s guides and is the only Indigent that speaks English. When she gets older she wants to go to college to be a reporter and inform people of what is going on in the jungle but her grandmother, Abuela, doesn’t want her to. she believes Indigent women don’t get very much education. Myriam is best friends with Rex and her father Papa. Papa is the chief of this Indigent village but is struggling to keep in control because of the mayhem by the guerrillas and paramilitary. Papa has black hair and brown eyes, he is very masculine in his upper body and has a deep voice.

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I think you will love First Descent by Pam Withers because of the twists and turns. It is like a roller coaster of emotions. Everyone who loves drama and adventure will love this book. I guarantee it. I highly recommend this and if you don’t chose this, it’s your loss. This book is a heart warming book but with lots of changes.

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Colby Tuffley

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Percy Jackson: The Sea of Monsters Rick Riordan Disney-Hyperion Fantasy

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Hey, you there, have you ever wanted to read a book with action, fantasy creatures, GODS, and much more? Well then the book The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan is the book for you. Tyson (Percy’s friend) is a cyclops who is claimed by Poseidon (Percy’s dad) when Tyson goes to the demigod camp. Annabeth saves Percy’s life in the beginning of the book when Percy is attacked by some giants. Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson are attacked by giant bronze bulls and crazy robotic birds with red eyes when they are at the camp. If you want to find out more then read the book Percy Jackson and the Olympians The Sea of Monsters.

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Percy is the dynamic protagonist of the series Percy Jackson of the Olympians. He is the only child of Poseidon (God of the Sea). Percy is courageous, adventurous, and heroic. Percy has blue eyes. Percy is best friends with Annabeth and Tyson. Tyson is a cyclops. He was orphaned and then the school Percy was in at the time accepted Tyson as a student. When Tyson was in a cab and he was hurt he thought that Annabeth looked beautiful. Annabeth is smart and brave. She has blond hair and stormy gray eyes. She is Percy’s friend from the book The Lightning Theif. She is a demigod and the daughter of Athena (Goddess of Wisdom, Battle Strategy, Courage, Etc...).

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So will you find out if Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson succeed in their missions? I think that this a great book for readers who like action, adventure, mystery, and much more. Find out when you read the book Percy Jackson and the Olympians The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan. ______________________________________________________________________________

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Ada Hepler !

CHOMP Carl Hiaasen Alfred A. Knopf Realistic Fiction

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Funny. Suspenseful. Action packed. Does this sound like a book you’d read? If it does you should read CHOMP by Carl Hiaasen. Wahoo’s mom leaves him to take care of his father who is still recovering from a nasty hit to the head with a frozen iguana. When the producer of a T.V. hit series, Expedition Survival, calls and asks the Clays if they can come get some footage of the Clay’s exotic animals, they have no choice but to accept. After Derek takes his show to the next level and an unexpected visitor is picked up, the real fun begins. It’s going just fine until disaster strikes. Will all the characters survive the survival show?

Wahoo Clay is tall and thin which doesn’t really fit his name because he is named after a wrestler. He also has a missing thumb, he learned his lesson with that one! Wahoo is shy and not very talkative, but he is definitely responsible. He never forgets to take care of his dad’s exotic animals. Wahoo, like his dad Mickey, is not a big people-person. Mickey Clay is a muscular looking person, he is about average height, and absolutely covered in scars and scratches from head to toe. Mickey is a bit loopy. He does completely insane things; it doesn’t help that he still has some issues from his nasty hit to the head with a frozen iguana. The one thing Mickey despises is people mistreating animals, which is why T.V series Expedition Survival star, Derek Badger, is definitely not one of Mickey’s favorite people. Derek Badger, who you could also call Fluffy Marshmallow, is a bit overweight and is of about average height. Derek acts like a child whining and arguing throughout the whole book. Sure, Derek is the star of Expedition Survival but that just makes him more like a spoiled pooch. Derek always gets his way or he will whine and cry. What an interesting mix of characters Carl Hiaasen developed for CHOMP.

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This book was a very good book and hard to put down with lots of cliffhangers. I would give it a four star rating out of five stars and I would recommend this book for people grades 5+. The book is fast paced, it doesn’t drag on and on, and it also has an unusual plot in which twists and funny things happen. The book has lots of little problems which make it very interesting and the characters are always somewhere, doing something. The characters are described well and I could really get to know them. If you like adventure and the outdoors you should read CHOMP by Carl Hiaasen. ______________________________________________________________________________

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Noam Osher !

The House of Hades Rick Riordan Hyperion Books Fantasy

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How long does it take to fall to the bottom of a “bottomless pit?” Just ask Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase from Rick Riordan’s book The House of Hades. Percy and Annabeth just fell into a pit called Tartarus, and assuming that they survive the fall, their friends have to make it to the House of Hades and open the Doors of Death to save them. At first their friends are stalled when trying to cross a mountain range, but their friend Hazel meets the goddess Hecate at the crossroads and is told about a mountain pass. The mountains weren’t their only problem though.

The goddess Gaea rises on August 1st, and if they don’t make it to the doors in time, their journey will just become more difficult. And that’s not all. Soon they’ll get robbed, turned into plants, and even have to wash a man’s feet, but will they make it to the House of Hades in time to save Percy and Annabeth?

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Percy Jackson is the son of Poseidon, the God of the Sea, so he has the power to control water. He has black hair and sea green eyes. He is determined, and is optimistic enough to smile

in Tartarus, a place designed for pure misery. He also enjoys spending time with his girlfriend, Annabeth Chase. Annabeth also has a godly parent named Athena. She is the Goddess of Wisdom and Battle Strategy. Like her mother, Annabeth is smart and brave, and has the blond hair and stormy gray eyes of Athena as well. Unlike Percy and Annabeth, Hazel Levesque’s godly parent is Roman, the God of Precious Metals and the Underworld. Her ability to summon precious metals from the earth comes from her godly dad, Pluto. She is described by her friends to have curly cinnamon colored hair, and she is loyal, as she once gave up her life for her mother.

Rick Riordan describes the characters well and really helps the reader understand who they are.

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This is a great book for any reader who likes to read about the modern world with a mythical twist. I personally liked how many perspectives there are because there are many narrators. The House of Hades is even more enjoyable for readers who know about Greek and Roman mythology. It is exciting and full of adventure, and Rick Riordan always finds a way to pull you in and keep you reading. ______________________________________________________________________________

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Joey Sinclair !

Percy Jackson and the Olympians The Lightning Theif Rick Riordan Publisher - Scholastic Genre - Adventure / Mystery

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Do you like adventure, fiction, and mystery? Well then do I have a book for you!!! Try reading Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. This book is about a boy who loses his mother and sets off with two friends to try and get her back. A lot of things that he has to overcome will be in his way. He will need to deal with all of them in order to get his mother back. One of them, is Hades. Want to know who takes Percy’s mother? Who the two friends are? Who Percy really is? And where, if anywhere, is a safe place for Percy?

Read on to find out!

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Percy Jackson is a dynamic, protagonist. This means that he is a changing character that happens to be one of the heroes. He was just a normal kid in a private school. At least, that’s what he thought. He has both dyslexia and ADHD. His friend, Grover, has been looking after him. Grover is a static, protagonist. He is also part goat. He has sworn to protect Percy with his life after he was first attacked by his so called ‘substitute teacher.’ Grover then told Percy about the only place where he would be safe. When they got there, Percy made a new friend. Her name was Annabeth, daughter of Athena, Goddess of Wisdom. Annabeth is a static protagonist who goes with Percy to help him get his mother back. Percy is also in love with her. Another character, who seemed good at first, is named Luke. Luke is a dynamic antagonist, who wanted to put an end to the gods and give the part of the power from the gods to the demigods. The development of the characters is something that I feel Rick Riordan does really well in this book, and if he continues to make them this way, then I know that I will always want to read his books.

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Overall, this book is really something that I would recommend to anyone who likes adventure. Will Percy get his mother back? Will he survive all that lays ahead of him? Read the book to find out! After reading the book, I recommend watching the movie! Now, go and find out what happens to Percy Jackson in Percy Jackson and The Olympians The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan! By the way, this book is only the first book in Rick Riordan’s awesome series, Percy Jackson and The Olympians.

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Ciara Norton !

Confessions Of An Angry Girl….

By Louise Rozett Published by: Harlequin Teen Realistic Fiction

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Rose is a teenager and this book is about HER teenage years….. It all starts out with her dad. Her dad was her favorite parent. She never really liked her mom very much, but her dad past away not that long ago and Rose was really taking it hard and so was everyone else in the family. Her brother moved away (abandoned them) and her mom never talks so really she’s left alone a lot. She has this friend that is her best friend in the world to her. Towards the end, things happen at the beginning they're best friends. Rose just wanted to fit in. Rose never really wanted to hear her friend talk about who she wanted to date because in Rose’s opinion he was a creeper and a loser. And he wouldn't even take the time of day to look at her friend…

Rose was one of those people you would call odd or strange, but she never let that hurt her. She felt cool in her own way but she did want to fit in. Rose had dark brown hair and her skin was fair and she was thin. Although she did want to be herself, she thought that a lot more people would like her if she had done what they did or did favors for them, for an example, one of the mean girls asked if Rose could get some beer for the party and if she did she would be able to stay well……. Rose took up the offer but she felt a little off she had lied to her mom and said she was going to a sleepover and when she had brought the beer the mean girl said thanks then shut the door in her face so Rose went home very early. Rose’s friend has blond hair and has fairly fair skin and is thin. Then there’s Jammy he has dark brown hair and he is thin too.

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Confessions Of An Angry Girl… by Louise Rozet is basically a story that leads you in many directions. It takes you through different paths that you might not understand at first but then you’ll start to get it. Rose has many frustrations in her life but she sort of teaches you how to leap over them or dodge them as if you were playing a game of dodge ball. I believe this book is good for readers above 12 as it has inappropriate parts in it that aren't really meant for young people.

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Trent Lick

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The Lost Hero Rick Riordan Disney-Hyperion Fantasy

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Imagine waking up on a bus full of people with no idea who they are. Imagine not being able to remember anything about yourself and sitting next to a girl that you’ve never met. You are then sent to the Grand Canyon to work on a report in which a storm brews, you realize there are storm spirits, and you only have the power to defeat them. That’s just what happens to a guy named Jason in Rick Riordan’s fantasy novel The Lost Hero. Jason finds this out on a bus ride where he has no idea what is going and that the girl sitting next to him is actually his girlfriend named Piper McLean, and the boy in front of him is his best friend Leo Valdez. At the Grand Canyon when Jason is defending himself from the spirits, he realizes that he has the ability to flip a coin and transform it into a sword which he uses to defeat them and that he also has the ability to fly. They are then sent to Camp Half Blood to keep themselves safe once reinforcements show up to protect them. As they arrive at camp he finds that he is going to lead his two friends on a very dangerous quest to save a god named Hera from an evil giant awakening and that there is only one thing Jason can remember about his life at first, a person named Thalia. Will Jason be able to survive the dangerous quest to save Hera or survive monsters and powerful Gods with lots of Roman and Greek challenges along the way? Or, will he end up being killed by a humongous giant that wants to take over the earth?

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Jason, the dynamic protagonist, is the son of Zeus who has the ability to summon lighting and is a strong leader amongst the three on the quest. Jason has dirty blonde hair and keeps a coin in his pocket at all times when he needs to summon a sword or a sphere. He has no memory whats-so-ever of anything of his past at first but starts remembering things along the way. Jason is very protective of his friends and even though he might be feeling scared on the inside, he doesn’t show it. Jason would be nowhere in life if weren't for his girlfriend, Piper Mclean. Piper McLean is a troublemaker and when it comes to people, she always gets what she wants. This is why she ended up at a delinquent school, because she talked a car dealer into letting her take a BMW home. She then finds out her gift is called charm speaking and she can easily convince people to get what she wants. Piper is the son of Aphrodite, the God of Beauty. Even though she shows up wearing ragged clothes with people laughing at her, she doesn’t care what people think of her. Her best friends at Camp Half Blood are Jason and Leo. Leo Valdez, who has dark curly hair, is the son of Hephaestus who has the ability to summon fire. People say it’s bad news when a son of Hephaestus has the ability to summon this element, but Leo must show them wrong.

Whenever he gets nervous he likes to fiddle with things in his pocket to create something new.

Rick Riordan developss these characters with great detail.

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The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan is an action packed novel with each and every page that goes on with the story. This book is a definite recommendation for those who love a long

book where the author has a great sense of humor, and uses adventure with heroes, gods, demigods, and monsters. It’s a nonstop page turner each time you read it. It provides great transitions between characters as each chapter goes by with a new person telling the story. This book refers to a lot of Greek and Roman mythology so if you're interested in a book with all of these amazing things, this is the book for you.

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Elijah McGill !

Ender’s Game Orson Scott Card Tor Science Fiction Science Fiction

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“The enemy's gate is down.” This is one of the most recognizable quotes from Ender’s Game, an amazing book by Orson Scott Card set two hundred years into our future where an alien race, the buggers, has attacked multiple times and children are trained from the age of six to be the next great military leaders. In this world, where large scale spaceflight and instantaneous communication are possible, earth’s nations join together and create a fleet, known as the International Fleet (IF). This world is also a world where third children are illegal. Andrew Wiggin, otherwise known as Ender, is a government authorized third. He was authorized because his siblings had shown great potential for leadership. At the young age of six, Ender had his government monitor removed. The monitor had been put in place earlier so government workers could monitor him and see if he was capable of being the next great military genius. When the monitor was removed some boys bullied him because the government wasn’t watching him anymore and they thought he was vulnerable. Ender then got into a fight with the ringleader of the boys. He won by slightly unorthodox means. Ender not only beat the boy, but kept kicking him once he was down to prevent future fights. Ender then found out that the government actually hadn’t given up on him when they removed the monitor. It was just another part of the testing the government was putting him through. That day he was taken away to battle school, a giant space station circling earth where they train kids to become military geniuses. From the start, the heads of the school tried to separate Ender from the rest of the kids. However, he tried to resist. During battle school he faced bullying, discrimination because of his age, and odds stacked against him by the government. Was he be able to make it to command school and eventually to fleet command before the buggers invaded again?

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Ender, a dynamic character, is the main character of Ender’s Game. He is of average height and looks like your stereotypical child. He is kind, but is capable of cruelty. His best friends are Petra and Bean. His sister is Valentine. Valentine has red hair and is relatively small for a teenager. Valentine is a highly compassionate person. She is also quiet and soft spoken. She provides Ender with emotional support. Petra, one of Ender’s friends, also helps him a lot.

However, she helps him learn the ropes of battle school. Petra is a relatively tall girl. She has

black hair and a dark tan complexion. She is athletic and the best shot in battle school (not to mention that she’s the only girl). Other than Ender and Bean, she is probably the smartest. Bean, Ender’s other friend, has a tiny stature. He also has dark tan skin and black hair. Although he’s tiny, he’s, other than Ender, the smartest kid at battle school. He’s also, other than Ender and Petra, the best at the battle simulations they practice in the battle room. Aside from Ender, all the characters in Ender’s Game are relatively static characters and are supporting characters. In Ender’s Game the focus is almost completely on Ender.

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Ender’s Game is, in my opinion, the best book I’ve ever read, beating out Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. I love how Orson Scott Card takes a deep look into the psychology of a child and how he exposes that not all that governments do is right. I also love the detail with which he writes and his realistic development of Ender, a young boy, not to mention his creation of futuristic technology. If you like sci-fi, realistic depictions of futuristic worlds, and interesting characters, than Ender’s Game is the book for you.

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Rosie Cobo-Lewis

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The Lost Hero Rick Riordan Hyperon books Fantasy

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Imagine waking up in a bus to find some weird tattoo on your arm. Imagine you’re holding hands with a beautiful girl while some silly kid sitting in front of you tells you he’s your best friend, and that you’re all on a field trip with a school for “bad kids”. The worst part about it all, you don’t know anything about this. Nothing. Not even your age. Scary? This is what happened to Jason Grace in Rick Riordan’s first book of The Heroes of Olympus series, The Lost Hero, just before Jason and the other two kids, Piper McLean and Leo Valdez, are whisked off to a camp for children of Greek gods and humans, Camp Half-Blood. Jason knows all about these gods but he knows them by their Roman names, not Greek. All of the kids at this camp can speak and understand Greek, Jason knows Latin. Soon after getting to camp Jason, Piper, and Leo learn about a missing camper, Percy Jackson, and meet his lonely, upset, frustrated, and going-slightlymad girl friend, Annabeth Chase. Annabeth sends Jason, Piper, and Leo off on a quest to find one of the missing gods from Mt. Olympus and wonders, will the three demigods find Percy on the way?

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Jason Grace, is a dynamic character who is described many times as a “blonde Superman” throughout the first, third, and fourth book in The Heroes of Olympus series. Jason also has a SPQR tattoo on his arm with the symbol of his father but Jason has no idea how it got there.

Jason is a natural born leader, being son of Jupiter, Zeus for all of you Greeks out there, King of the Gods. Jason states multiple times in the third book in The Heroes of Olympus, The Mark of Athena, that he feels like he’s doing something wrong if he’s not in charge, running the army, or the leader of the pack. Jason is best friends with Leo. Leo Valdez is a short, scrawny son of Hephaestus. Leo, like all of his half siblings, loves to work with tools. Very soon after Leo got to Camp Half-Blood, Leo found a secret bunker that was used many years ago by his brothers and sisters. In the bunker Leo found a magic tool belt in the bunker that he can pull any tool out of whenever he wants. Leo says many times throughout the series that he feels more comfortable with tools than people. Leo also says he feels like a third wheel around Jason and Piper. Piper McLean one of the many daughters of Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love and Beauty. Piper hates the smell of perfume, hates shopping, and hates makeup. Not what you’d expect from a child of the beauty goddess? Piper tries to cut her hair herself just to make it look bad but it doesn’t work, as you find out from Jason in the first chapter, and is restated over and over and over again. Piper is the only tomboy to ever be a child of Aphrodite. Piper’s father is the famous movie star, Tristan McLean, and Piper hates the attention she gets from him. Jason, Piper, and Leo are amazing characters that Riordan brings to life in an amazing way.

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Rick Riordan uses humor, adventure, the Greek and Roman myths, and plot twists to make amazing young adult books. When I read the book I never wanted to put it down. My only

complaint about the book is that it kept me up so late at night it might’ve affected my work in class. Besides this, The Lost Hero is an amazing book and an amazing attachment to the Percy Jackson world Riordan created in the prequel series Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Once you read Riordan’s work, you might start thinking, am I a demigod too? And if so, am I Roman, or am I Greek? Go read the books to find out. ______________________________________________________________________________ Kacey Moulton

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A Series of Unfortunate Events: A Bad Beginning Author: Lemony Snicket Publisher: HarperCollins Genre: Realistic Fiction/Mystery

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Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be an orphan? Well most of the time it’s not fun. A Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket is a great book. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny, the Baudelaire orphans, have experienced many hardships. First their home was burned to the ground by someone and their parents perished in the fire. Next they have to live with friends of family and have to share rooms with the family’s smelly children. The third horrifying event was having to live with the closest relative in the city whose name is Count Olaf, and is the most insane person ever. How did their parents die? How did their mansion burn down? Read the book to find out.

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The first main character is Violet Baudelaire, an open minded and inventive teenager who can invent something within a small timeframe. She is tall, slim, and wears a ribbon when she is thinking of a gadget to build. Violet is also the sister of Klaus Baudelaire. Klaus is the kind of kid that can read an entire library in a couple days. Klaus is a young teenager who is like a detective. He can solve a mystery by finding the right book. Klaus is short and wears round glasses, like Harry Potter. There is one more orphan in the family, Sunny. Sunny is a toddler who loves to bite things. She is small and her teeth are very sharp. The orphan’s parents perished in a fire, and that is when they met Count Olaf. If you think that Count Olaf is the kind of relative that picks you up every day from school, and then takes you to the corner shop to buy an ice cream, well you’re wrong. He is the kind of relative that makes you walk home in the rain without a jacket or umbrella, and gives you stale bread as a snack. Count Olaf is very tall, slim, has crazy hair, and is obsessed with a symbol of an eye. Lemony Snicket describes his characters very well.

This book has an amazing plot, and has wonderfully described characters. I recommend A Bad Beginning for children of the age of 8-13. There are other books in the series as well but if you don’t read this one you will have no idea what is going on. This book is meant for people who like a twisted plot and a “to be continued” ending. Lemony Snicket did an amazing job on this book. A Bad Beginning is full of sad parts, happy parts, and some humor.

This book will make you sit on the edge of your chair, and you will read it non-stop. Who burned down the house? What is going to happen? You will find this out if you read this book.

Brooklynne White

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The kind of Friends we Used to be Frances O’roak Dowell Atheneum Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (April 27, 2010) Realistic fiction

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Do you like books that have a lot drama in them? Not only that but a whole book about what happens when people change over years and what happens to their friends and their own friendships? If you do, then the book The Kind of Friends we Used to be by Frances O’Roak Dowell would be a great match for you. If you read this book, you could learn so much about what happens when people change over just a couple of years but also how much of their old self they still have inside of them that will always stay. In this book, two young girls named Kate and Marylin used to be the closest of friends, all until they started middle school. Everyone knows that people start to get more mature and start to change as they get older, but they shouldn’t change in the way that they did. If you read this book, you will find out what happens to both Marylin and Kate for changing their style but also who they are.

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Kate, a dynamic character in this book, had just started middle school. Over summer vacation, Kate realized that she was ready to start dressing and acting like herself and trying to stand out in a way that she could be recognized and make new friends. For that to happen, Kate had to go shopping to get her new style of clothing, so when she did, she bought new clothes that might get her to stand out, but not in the way that she wanted to. She knew that no matter how much she changed though, she would always have her best friend, Marylin to talk to and get help from if anything happened. Marylin, one of the protagonists in the book, also just started middle school with Kate. Kate didn’t find this out until she saw her at school, but Marylin also changes, and not in the way that Kate was hoping her to. Now that Marylin has changed as well, she is in the group of all those popular girly-girl cheerleaders that everyone at school should want to be friends with, all except for Mazie. Mazie is definitely not the nicest girl ever, but just like in all of those other stereotypical stories, there is always the queen of the school who judges people for being different. In this book, there is a little twist with Marylin and Mazie because Marylin isn’t the type of girl who would ever judge someone for being different even though she “changed”, Mazie starts to bully her into changing that way.

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I really enjoyed reading this book, mostly because of how Frances O’Roak Dowell created all the characters by making them come from complete different worlds. This book has a lot of drama in it, but in some places, the author added a little bit of humor so that the story didn’t seem so sad, boring, and serious, which are all things that would for sure lose the reader immediately. The author adding that type of stuff to the book is very important but also getting such a great and interesting moral to this book makes it even better, so to find out what happens, you have to read the book.

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Zivi Osher

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Artemis Fowl the Eternity Code Written By: Eoin Colfer Published by: Disney Hyperion Genre: Science fiction

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Artemis has invented the cube. The “C Cube,” he likes to call it. Now, this isn’t your average cube, this cube can do almost anything. It can talk, it can be used as a cell phone, it can hack into systems wirelessly within seconds, and I’m not talking about across the room wireless, I’m talking about across the world wireless! It’s that amazing! But there’s one special ability that nobody can know about. It can pick up signals from the fairy technology, and if humans find out that the fairies exist, it could be the end of all life on Earth. So this C Cube can do all that, and a rich guy from Chicago named Jon Spyro just stole it. Now the world as they know it is in jeopardy. Artemis pulls together a team of fairies and humans to make a plan. Soon afterward Artemis gets captured by Spyro’s thugs and is taken to a cell in a building called, “The Needle,” Spiro’s Headquarters. Artemis and his friends have to break into one of the most secure buildings in Chicago to try to steal the cube back. Eoin Colfer combines a dangerous device with troublemaking people and makes an awesome adventure. Can they break in and steal the cube before it’s too late? You can find out by reading Artemis Fowl the Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer.

Butler is a towering man of bulk with muscles from head to toe. His amazing strength and skills make him the third best fighter in the world, next to Madam Ko (his teacher) and a guy in southern China who spends his time meditating and attacking trees. Butler’s real name is Domovoi Butler, but he’s not supposed to tell Artemis that because he is Artemis’s bodyguard.

He is a very good bodyguard. Butler would risk anything, even his life, to save Artemis. Artemis Fowl is a twelve-year old genius. He has the highest IQ in Ireland, and is one of the smartest people in the world. Sadly, he tends to use his genius for evil purposes. Although he is very smart, he isn’t very athletic, unlike his good friend Mulch Diggums. Mulch Diggums is a dwarf.

Well, sort of. Yes, he is a dwarf, but he often changes his name and pretends to be a human. He likes to take a break from the fairy world underground and get some fresh air. Also, he’s not your normal fairytale dwarf, he has some special dwarf abilities. He can unhinge his jaw and use it to eat dirt, his beard hair can sense things and shape into keyholes, he has super humongous and smelly farts, and he has parts of his body that trigger things, for instance, one of his toes triggers his farts. His profession is stealing stuff which he is very good at. He uses this skill many times in the book.

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I love that in this book, Eoin Colfer combines childhood fairytale characters with new technology. I also like how Colfer cleverly puts together their adventure into a true Artemis worthy scheme. It’s awesome how Colfer adds so many different characters with such a range of personalities. Colfer is overflowing with creativity that he spilled into this book. Overall, I think this book is amazing and I rate it all five stars. I highly suggest this book and the rest of the series.

Camille Kohtala

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Savvy Ingrid Law Puffin Books Fiction

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Everyone looks forward to his/her thirteenth birthday, the day he/she can call himself/ herself a rightful teenager. But for Mississippi ‘Mibs’ Beaumont and the rest of her family, there is something much more to come than just becoming a teenager. In Savvy by Ingrid Law, when Beaumonts turn thirteen they discover that they have a certain magical know-how, or a ‘savvy’.

It’s different for each person, and there is always a family celebration. But when Mib’s father is caught in a pileup on the highway, it seems as though everyone has forgotten about her special day. However, when a local church lady, Mrs. Rosemary, plans a party for her at the church, the situation is worse than before. No one knows about savvies outside their family, and they don’t intend to let the secret slip. Terrible things are known to happen on their special birthdays, and no one else besides Beaumonts should be around. At the party, however, she notices that a delivery bus that just delivered Bibles to the church has come from Salina, the city where her father is laying in a hospital bed, unconscious. Mibs makes the quick decision to hop aboard the bus in hopes of ending up with her father. Her two brothers decide to come along as well as Mrs. Rosemary’s son, Will, and his sister, Bobbi. As the bus heads down the highway, Mibs realizes it’s taking them away from Salina and away from her papa. They are in for an adventure.

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Mibs, a dynamic protagonist, seems very shy to the people around her, but as readers know, she has very critical thoughts about other people. She is described as pretty by others, and through the story she wears a yellow dress purchased specially for her thirteenth birthday, until another character purchases her some new clothing. She has a small crush on a boy named Will who quite evidently has a huge crush on her. Will, another dynamic protagonist, is the preacher’s son and has a serious look about him. His curly hair is always just so and he seems very bland, but when he hops aboard the delivery bus, his more daring side comes out. He has a huge crush on Mibs and quite apparently, her brother Fish doesn’t like it. Fish, yet another dynamic protagonist, is very protective of his younger sister which is why he doesn’t like it when Will makes moves towards Mibs. He is easily angered and when he is, his savvy kicks in and makes a mess of things. He has tousled hair that he never bothers to fix. He is tall, but not as tall as Will. But overall he is still very nice and a good person. The characters all have very different personalities.

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I love the book Savvy for many reasons. The characters seem at first like a completely different species with their savvies, but their thoughts and emotions are actually quite relatable.

Some of the issues Mibs has with Will and having a crush on him are issues many tweens and teens can relate to. There are cliffhangers at the end of all the chapters that make the boring things seem interesting. At many points in the book, there are random enticing details that made me want to read on... and on.... The anxiety Mibs experiences throughout the book because of

her father made me nervous for him as well. The book is laced with unexpected twists; there are many surprises in store for Mibs and the rest of her crew. The slightly magical theme of the book also grabbed my attention. You should definitely read this book to find out more! ______________________________________________________________________________

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Kohle Parker !

Hatchet Gary Paulsen Published by: Powell’s books Realistic Fiction

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Have you ever thought of being alone in the Canadian woods for 54 days with nothing but a hatchet? Brian Robeson is a thirteen year old boy who gets stranded by crashing a plane into a pond in the woods of Canada. He has to live off the land in order to survive the dreadful, damp, cold nights and hot days. Brian had the tool that would help fight through these tough times and that tool was his hatchet his mother gave him. He discovered fire by throwing his hatchet at a rock. He used it to make shelter, also to make other tools, and the most important thing of all - self defense. Brian uses tactics he leaned on TV to survive in the wilderness which helped him a lot with the trouble that he encountered. So if you think you have what it takes to survive like Brian, you should get a load of Hatchet written by Gary Paulsen.

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Brian Robeson is a very intelligent young man. Brian is a thirteen year old and his parents are divorced which may be a little tough on him, especially at that age. He is a bright, athletic teenager. There’s one thing that no other teenager can do with only the hatchet that his mother had given him before the incident. Mrs. Robeson is very important to Brian. Brian’s mother even paid for him to go to flight school; he even knew a pilot that let him fly the plane.

The pilot that Brian had was modest and a great instructor. The pilot taught Brian lots of things about planes that he had never learned before. The pilot was the man who tried to take Brian to see his father. Mr. Robeson is Brian’s father and a very quiet man. His father was always supportive of his child and in addition, Brian was thankful for the great father that he had.

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What I like about this book is that the author (Gary Paulsen) gave a real picture in the mind about the characters and how they all spoke. It was just amazing because I could easily feel the expression the author used to make this book more than perfect. The plot had a lot of action with a little bit of suspense because all the things that happen to Brian are pretty much all action, but the things that happen to him left me suspenseful. My attention was held by the author’s descriptions and I knew from the start of the book this would be one of the best. I really couldn’t connect with the main character (Brian) except for his semi conical age. This book was definitely a page turner because at the end of a page or a chapter I just felt an urge to read on, that is just how good of an author Paulsen is at making the reader intrigued in the book. The pace of the book was the perfect speed for building suspense. The book Hatchet is part of a series with the

second book called The River. I have enjoyed this book and hopefully others will too. So, if you want action, adventure and excitement then read Hatchet - it has all that and more! ______________________________________________________________________________

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Nathan Manaker !

Bad Girls Don’t Die Katie Alender Disney-Hyperion Fantasy/Horror

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Imagine being an outcast at school, with only the company of a pessimistic group dubbed the “Doom Squad.” In addition, imagine that your parents’ marriage is slowly crumbling apart. On top of all that, your little sister is starting to act very strangely and paranormal things are beginning to happen to you! This is exactly what teenage misfit Alexis Warren endures in the chilling novel, Bad Girls Don’t Die, by Katie Alender. It all starts when Alexis notices that her younger sister, Kasey, has been acting very strangely, not to mention that she has become rather obsessed with one of her creepy antique dolls. Not much later, Alexis is shocked to discover that her father’s car crashed and landed him in the hospital. However, she is even more appalled to find out that it was none other than Kasey who had cut the car’s brake wires! It only gets more peculiar from there, with Kasey’s original personality drifting further and further away from her new, unusual self. Also, in the midst of it all, Alexis is going through a bit of “boy drama;” her secret crush and new friend, Carter Blume, has asked her to the dance and has begun to spend more time with her than she ever expected. Throughout the book, the suspense only grows, leaving the reader with more than one question - Will Alexis ever get Kasey back to her old self?

Will she live long enough to go to the dance with Carter? There’s only one way to find out!

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Kasey Warren is Alexis’ eighth-grade sister who is not very good at managing her time but is imaginative and childish. She often asks for things that Alexis considers ridiculous, ranging from help with homework to bedtime stories. Kasey doesn’t fit in very well at school, for many reasons - the most prominent one being her obsession with dolls that seems to frighten Alexis, her older sister. Alexis Warren, the dynamic protagonist of the story, is a typical outcast at school - rebellious, sarcastic, and all. Her most prominent physical feature by far is her pink hair, which definitely makes her stand out in a crowd. However, Alexis has a side of her that not everyone sees at first: The side that just wants to fit in, the side that has a passion for oldfashioned photography, the side that wants to be with Carter. Carter Blume is the kind, smart, student body president who has captivated Alexis, whether she likes it or not. However, little does she know that he may have feelings for her too. Carter is mainly just an all-around nice guy who seems to always want to help. Although he, much like Alexis, may have a side that nobody else sees… The book’s author, Katie Alender, does a great job building enticing backstories and personalities for every character involved, major or minor.

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Bad Girls Don’t Die by Katie Alender isn’t one of those typical scary stories with blood and gore - instead, she has spun a chilling and unique tale that features paranormal events but is somehow relatable. One of the factors that really makes this book good, however, is that it not only has the horror aspect to it, but also mixes in a bit of a love story with just the right amount of humor. As a result of this, the novel is a page-turner that is impossible to put down.

But don’t worry - the thrilling escapade doesn’t stop after this adventure. The book is part of a trilogy, for those who don’t want the excitement to stop. Believe me when I say that Bad Girls Don’t Die truly is a fantastic book, and really does have something for everyone. It, by far, is one of my favorite reading choices. ______________________________________________________________________________

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Maddie Culina !

Walk Two Moons Sharon Creech HarperCollins Publishers Realistic Fiction

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Imagine being plucked right out of your home in Bybanks, Kentucky, and moved to Euclid, Ohio, but leaving behind the chestnut tree, the willow, the maple, the hayloft, and the swimming hole which all belonged to you. This is how Sal feels in Sharon Creech's book Walk Two Moons. Sal is a 13 year old girl whose mother left her and her father. She and her dad then move to Euclid, Ohio, and it is there where Sal meets her best friend Phoebe Winterbottom who has a story of her own. Sal tells stories of her and Phoebe’s adventures while on a cross country trip with her grandparents trying to follow where her mom went after she left them. Sal wants to get to where her mom is before her mom’s birthday but as they travel, they will find many bumps in the road. Will Sal get to her mom for her birthday?

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Sal, a dynamic protagonist, has long dark hair and tanned skin. She is told that she is brave but she doesn’t want to believe it. She is constantly struggling with her emotions after her mom leaves her and she feels like a part of her is missing. Sal is best friends with Phoebe Winterbottom. Phoebe Winterbottom is a dynamic protagonist who is short with short curly blonde hair and a round face. She has an extremely active imagination and takes everything to the extreme. It is Phoebe’s story that Sal tells to her grandma on their trip. Sal’s gram is old and also has tanned skin but is described as “full up to the top of her head with goodness and sweetness, and mixed in with all of that goodness and sweetness is a large dash of peculiarity.”

Gram is a lover-of-life and loves everything (including her chickabiddy, Sal, Gramps, and her son - Sal’s dad). She is very daring. Sal’s father doesn’t trust Gram and Gramps to behave themselves throughout the trip that’s why Sal goes with them. Sharon Creech provides complicated descriptions of all of these characters.

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Walk Two Moons is an amazing novel that is packed with unexpected twists, humor, surprising conclusions, and the characters might even surprise you. Creech draws the readers in

from the start and plays with every emotion. If you want a page-turner book that will make you laugh one second and cry the next, Walk Two Moons is definitely a great book for you! ______________________________________________________________________________

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Jonathan Steelman !

The Secret of the Lost Tunnel Franklin W. Dixon Grosset & Dunlap Mystery/Realistic Fiction

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What would you do if you were asked by an army General to help him find missing gold? You’ll figure it out in the 29th book of the Hardy Boys series, The Secret of the Lost Tunnel written by Franklin W. Dixon, who also wrote the Ted Scott Flying Stories. The book is all about Frank, Joe, Chet, and General Smith racing to find lost gold against a gang of thieves lead by Professor Randolf/ Dr. Bush. The crew encounters many dangerous adventures, like being shot at while flying a plane, and even an electrical charged weapon! The thieves will go to extreme measures to get rid of the Hardys and keep the fortune for themselves! Join the Hardys in this amazing mystery!

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Frank Hardy, a very capable investigator, is dark-haired, 18, and dresses quite nicely.

He is not afraid to get his hands dirty, and will do anything to catch a crook. He is very aware of his surroundings, and is partners with his brother, Joe. Joe Hardy is also capable of being a great investigator. He has blonde hair, is 17, and dresses like his brother. He is not as cautious as his brother, but still aware, unlike their good chum, Chet. Chet Morton is a food fanatic, and often joins the Hardys on their amazing adventures. He dresses in collared shirts. He is becoming better at being a very great investigator. He has a hobby of photography in this book, and it changes every book. He even helped the Hardys out by snapping a picture of the bad guy, aka Professor Randolf/Dr. Bush. Professor Randolf/Dr. Bush is a very clever man. He called the Hardys and told them to stay away from General Smith. He is a very slim man with dark clothes, long legs, and long black hair. He has two identities, the real one being Professor Randolf.

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The Secret of the Lost Tunnel is a great book, featuring what every 10-14 year old kid loves. It is an AR book, and is available at your nearest library. The book contains many cliffhangers, even the Hardys getting kidnapped! Will the Hardys survive this mystery? Or will they go down in the hunt for gold? Find it all out in The Secret of the Lost Tunnel by Franklin W. Dixon!

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Jonah Edgar

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The Lost Hero Rick Riordan Hyperion Books Fantasy, Adventure

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Imagine this, you wake up on a school bus with no memory of who you are or anyone else, you’re holding hands with a pretty girl who has a worried look on her face, and there’s a wild eyed boy that looked like he was over caffeinated sitting in front of you. There’s a school coach that acts like a military officer that is suspicious around you. When you arrive at the Grand Canyon (where the bus was going) you get attacked by a wind spirit. This is what happened to Jason Grace from The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan. Jason, Piper (the girl), and Leo (the over caffeinated boy) are brought to Camp Half-Blood by Annabeth, a character from the previous Percy Jackson series. Camp Half-Blood is thought to be the only sanctuary for people who are half human, and half god. Soon after Jason, Piper, and Leo arrive they are chosen to go on a quest to save the god of family and marriage, Hera. All three of them have amazing powers they are yet to discover. On the way they encounter many hardships such as the venti (wind spirits) they fought before, Cyclops, an evil department store lady, and the goddess of snow, Khione. Will they be able to save Hera before the mysterious evil earth lady awakens the giant king Porphyrion?

Jason Grace, a dynamic character, is an amnesic blonde with a scar on his upper lip. He has Roman tattoos on his arm with the symbol of Zeus on it. Everyone at camp Half-Blood believes that he is a son of Zeus when he pulls out his magical coin that can turn into a sword or a lance, and blasts the campfire with a lightning bolt (the trademark of Zeus). Jason still needs to learn to control his powers, just like his best friend Leo. Leo Valdez, also a dynamic character, is a small boy roughly the same age as Jason. His hair, his eyes, and even his fingers are wild. Leo is a son of Hephaestus, the God of fire, crafts, and blacksmiths. So Leo likes to make things with his hands, and even when he is doing something else, one can always find him fidgeting with something in his hands. Rarely Hephaestus gives the blessing of commanding fire to one of his children, because many of the fire demigods have caused major wildfires. Leo is one of those blessed (so far he has only made a house catch on fire). Leo is starting to feel left out of the group because of Jason and Piper beginning to have feelings for each other. Piper McLean, another dynamic character, is the daughter of the movie star Tristan Mclean, and the Goddess of love, Aphrodite. Piper thought that Jason had been on the bus the whole time, and before. She thought that Jason and her were dating, but it was just an illusion. Everyone else on the bus had fake memories of Jason too. Piper is part Cherokee, and she despises that, because kids are constantly making fun of her. All three characters rotate the spotlight constantly so you can tell what happens when the other characters might not be there, or are unconscious. These three demigods gladly elevate Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series into a whole new level of excitement and drama.

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The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan is an entrancing book that is very descriptive, but allows kids to have their own point of view about the background and what the characters look like. The many challenges that Jason, Leo, and Piper have to overcome, just make the book even more interesting. The Lost Hero is definitely a great read for people of all ages. It has everything from metal dragons to gods and goddesses to giants with reptilian legs. This book is filled with a variety of adventure, drama, and action! I definitely recommend this book with a 5 out of 5 stars!