Keys to the Kingdom Lord Sunday written by Garth Nix: Review by Tim F.

This is the final battle of Arther's army. He has been sent into the incomparable gardens with Superior Saturday in an assault ram of nothing (a thing that is inky black and destroys everything and makes up everything). He was being watched by Lord Sunday who was in the form of a gardener. Arthur was ambushed and his signs of power or keys of power were taken from him. He was taken on a giant dragonfly and was bound to a clock that has a trap door in it that contains puppets that rip your eyes out. Luckily he is not mortal any more so his eyes will grow back. What is he going to do? He had a elephant that was a stuffed animal. He made it into a nithling (a monster that is completely made of nothing). Will he get the key from Sunday or will he die first? Will he get destroyed or will he live? Read the book to find out!

Groosham Grange

Groosham Grange By Anthony Horowitz Review BY Olivia K

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to get expelled from your school, have abusive parents AND to not be loved at all? Well you can ask David Elliot and he will know. David lives in England and goes to a fancy private school that of course he gets kicked out of! His father hearing this goes to stab him, but his mom jumps in front of David and gets stabbed instead . They act like it never happened. The next morning David receives a mysterious letter of acceptance to a boarding school and they only have a 30 minute deadline to reply. The school is in an ancient castle complete with its own graveyard and a thick forest. Did I mention it is on an isolated island that is unheard of even by the locals? When David gets there he has to write his name in his own blood. The teachers and the students all have something to hide. Slowly, even his two friends are falling under the inviting spell of Groosham Grange and remember wrong is right, and right is wrong. Once you are in, there is no turning back.

I loved the book Groosham Grange. It was full of some disturbing images that will never leave my mind, as well as laughs and some surprises. The genre is fantasy and horror. I would recommend it for people that love adventure and horror. All I know is I only wish I was the 7th daughter of the 7th daughter so Icould get accepted into Groosham Grange.. Why would I, you are asking? You will just have to read it to find out.

The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan: Review by Sara K.

As some of you might know, The Titan's Curse is the third book of the series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians. This book is about, Percy's 8 grade year when Grover, the satyr which is half human and half goat, called them for an emergency. The main characters in this book are Percy Jackson,Annebeth,grover,The hunters,and the gods. The main plot about this was that there was an emergency call from grover, because he just recovered 2 half-bloods. Half-bloods are sons and daughters of the gods, so they are half human and half gods. Percy's father is Poseidon. Luke, Percy's worst enemy is against him, he serves the great Titan Kronos. He is the olympians father. And percy and his friends are afraid that he will rise back and destroy olympus. This book is has action,mitholygy,comedy, and a little bit of romance. For readers who have read the Harry Potter series, I think you will enjoy reading this book. I hope you enjoy this book as I enjoyed it. Bye, Sara.

Pendragon the pilgrims of rain by D.J.Machale

The book I read is about a boy named Bobby Pendragon and he had to protect the island he lives on called Ibara. He had to protect it from the rest of the Veloxx, like the fighters and Dados. Dados are mechanical robots from another world that Saint Dane the villain of the book brought. Before that Bobby almost died from the Quigs that attacked him when he came to the island. Also it is said that this world had two turning points. That mean that Saint Dane once ruled it, but some people escaped. Those who did are the people who live on this island or colony built by them. So that is when Bobby joined up with these people who were kids and thieves but weren't bad people. So he and these kids hijack a ship from the tribunal who is the leader of the village. So then they take the ship to a city called Rubic City. There they meet fighters which I mentioned before. They were the ones who Bobby had to protect the Island from. Then he meets up with some travelers who are on his side and with thier help and his friends (the thieves) they are able to take down that fighters. After that they take down Saint Dane, but Saint Dane didn't die because he is immortal. That is part of this book. Read it to find out what Bobby does and what happens at the end.

Reviewed by: Ricky P.

The BFG by Roald Dahl

For my 4th quarter blog post, I read The BFG by Roald Dahl. This book is total classic with lots of magic and wonders. It all starts with Sophie. Sophie, is an orphan. She live an orphanage called, The Clonkers House for girls. One night, Sophie can't sleep. Instead of trying to fall asleep, she goes over an peeks out of her window. Now Sophie doesn't know this, but, she is in a time called the witching hour. The witching hour is a time when all of the dark things crawl out of their caves or holes and have the world to themselves. So, while Sophie is looking out her window, she sees something tall and black. It was very tall, and very black. Suddenly, the giant swivels its huge head towards Sophie. Terrified, Sophie jumps back into her bed and hides under the covers. She doesn't hear anything for a moment. So Sophie peeks over the covers. And she sees a giant hand coming toward her! It swoops her up and carries her off.

If you want to know what happens in the rest of the book, you have to read it to find out. I will tell you a tiny bit. The BFG at 24 feet tall, is the smallest of the nine existent giants. Once again, the BFG is a mystical and magical book full of myteries and marvels. That is what I read for this quarter.

The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan. Review by Tommy H.

This quarter I read Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. This was one of the best books I've ever read, and definitely my favorite. I liked it so much that on some nights I would stay up almost all night just to read it. It is a very adventurous and treacherous story filled with monsters and gods and at least one battle or dangerous predicament in every chapter. I'd recommend it to almost anyone because pretty sure you'll like it just as much as I did, but you have to pay very close attention to every little detail because odds are it will connect with something later in the book.

The story is about a boy in sixth grade named Perseus Jackson, but most people call him Percy. He is a trouble child, and he is dyslexic. One day when he is on a field trip to a museum something happens that changes his life forever. When he is getting into trouble with Nancy Bobofit he gets called aside by his least favorite teacher Ms.Dodds. When he gets there his teacher isn't there. Instead there is a strange bird creature with a beak and talons, and as it attacks his favorite teacher Mr.Brunner (who is in a wheelchair) throws him a pen and tells him to uncap it. He does and it turns into a sword wich he uses to vanquish Ms.Dodds. His teacher is a monster. When he gets outside nobody knows what he is talking about when he mentions Ms.Dodds including his best friend Grover. Grover is a small boy the same age as Percy, but he has a beard on his chin. And he has to walk around with crutches because he is crippled. Or is he? Eventually he finds out he is the son of the sea god Poseidon, and that Grover and Mr.Brunner aren't crippled, they are just magical creatures hiding their real form. Then he is accused of stealing Zeus' lightning bolt. And that sends him on a treacherous mission to find the lightning bolt and prevent the gods from starting world war III. And you'll find that an unexpected thief stole the bolt.

As I said I really liked this book and recomend it to anyone looking for a top notch 5 star book. And right now I'm finishing the second book "The Sea of Monsters" and it's another great book by Rick Riordan that I recomend you read too. Also be sure you see the movie too. Although it's not as good as the book, it's still a really enjoyable and fun movie to see.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling: Review by Chloe M.

In the world of Harry Potter, nothing is really as it seems.

The story of Harry Potter starts out when Harry is ten years old, and living with his uncle Vernon Dursley, his aunt Petunia Dursley, and his cousin Dudley Dursley, who is Harry's age. Harry's room is a cupboard under the stairs, and is no bigger than a closet. The Dursleys try to ignore the fact that Harry even lives with him, and when he is around they make him as miserable as possible. Harry is absolutely miserable, and he wishes that he could be whisked away by someone and never have to live with the Dursleys again.

Over his life, Harry has been through some very strange incidents. There was one time when he was running away from Dudley and his gang (Dudley is Harry's worst enemy and the biggest bully) at school and somehow he ended up on the school roof! There was also another time when he changed his teachers wig blue. And his most recent event was when he was at the zoo with the Dursleys and in a reptile house, the glass wall between a giant snake and the rest of the zoo customers vanished, and the snake escaped! All of his strange doings, however, had resulted in a harsh punishment in his cupboard. Harry doesn't know much about his life, except for the fact that his parents were killed in a car accident and he had survived, with only a scar on his forehead when he was a baby. Harry's aunt Petunia loathes Harry and especially her no good sister who is Harry's dead mother.

One ordinary morning, over the summer holidays, Harry is forced to get the mail. On one letter it says "To Mr. H. Potter, The Cupboard under the Stairs, Four Privet Drive...". Harry couldn't believe his eyes! Someone had actually written a letter to him! He had no friends, relatives, or belonged to and secret clubs, so why should he be getting a letter? He showed the letter to Uncle Vernon, who turned purple, and gasped. Over the next few days, Harry received more and more letters, all of which Uncle Vernon destroyed. Harry desperately wanted to see the letter, but he never got to. Eventually, Uncle Vernon told the family to pack their possessions, hop in the car, and then he took them to a little miserable shack in the sea, and that was where they stayed for a night, and then Harry turned 11. Then a giant busted open the door, and to summarize it quickly, the giant was called Hagrid, who was the gamekeeper at Hogwarts and he told Harry that he was a wizard, gave Dudley a pigs' tail, and said that Harry was accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and also that Harry's parents had not died in a car crash, but they were murdered by the most fearful Wizard in the world, Lord Voldemort (but people call him you-know-who because they are terrified.) Also, Hagrid told Harry that on the night his parents were murdered, Harry, who was only a baby, made Voldemort lose everything.

Then Hagrid took Harry away to a Wizard store, where he got all his supplies, such as a wand, school books, etc. After about a month Harry goes to Hogwarts, where he meet his two best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. There are four Hogwarts houses, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin and Hufflepuff. After the first year students (the students who's first year it is at Hogwarts) arrive at school, they put a hat on their head and it tells them which house they will live in for the rest of their seven years at Hogwarts. Harry is placed in Gryffindor, along with Ron and Hermione. Harry quickly gets used to Hogwarts and excels at his classes, all except for potions, in which there is a teacher named Professor Snape who seems to hate Harry the moment he lays his eye on him.

Harry goes through many adventures throughout his year at Hogwarts, and you'll have to read the book to find out what happens next. There is so much in this book that I can't possibly explain it all, and it is now my favorite book. I would recommend this book to anyone, and it is a really great book that I think everyone should read.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

In this book, a ordinary kid fights monsters and goes on a amazing journey just to find out the adventure just started. What is not to like?

Percy Jackson is a ordinary kid as normal as a kid who drops out of every school he went to. He is also a son of the Greek God Poseidon. Poseidon is the God of water. He and the rest of the Gods are very real. Percy is droped off at camp right after his Mom is dies (or so he thinks) and his friend Grover tells him he is half goat. Percy has a rough time at camp between being new and being Poseidon`s son. Percy makes friends like Annabeth and enemies like Clarisse. Percy soon finds out that he and his friends (Grover and Anabeth) have to get Zeus most powerful weapon in ten days. During this journey he will face a scorpion, a too perfect hotel, old math teachers, sinister carnival rides, and even a God. This was one of the best books I have ever read. I gave this book five stars. The only warning is have the other books in the series on hand .

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart: Review by Jane D.

The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Prisoner's Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart is a wonderful book. It is the third book in the Mysterious Benedict Society series. This story is filled with challenging riddles, huge problems and unexpected solutions!

Four children named Reynie, Kate, Sticky, and Constance have been living together with Mr. Benedict and their families since their last adventure, The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey. But that's another story. Mr. Benedict has an evil twin brother named Mr. Curtain. The twins were separated at birth. Mr. Curtain designed a brain sweeping machine that is called The Whisperer. During their last journey the kids, with help from Mr. Benedict and Milligan(Kate's Dad), stole The Whisperer from Mr. Curtain. Mr. Curtain wants his machine back and he'll do anything do get it. So, he shuts down all of the city's power and sneaks into the house to take The Whisperer.

During all this madness Constance runs away. They have to find her before Mr. Curtain's spies do. Milligan calls the spies Ten Men because they have ten ways to hurt you. They are always disguised as business men. In their briefcases they keep all their weapons. Who knew laser pointers and pencils could be so deadly?

Will Reynie, Kate, and Sticky find Constance before the Ten Men do? Will The Benedict Society ever get The Whisperer back? Will they defeat Mr. Curtain once and for all? Read this action-packed, and exciting book to find out.

The Vampire Diaries:Shadow Souls Review by: Sarah C

In this book, Elena is looking for Stefan... but she will need the help of an unexpected friend- Damon, Stefan's older brother and the one who betrayed him. When a kitsune, a fox spirit named Shinichi told Damon he could lock away Stefan in the Shi no Shi, the death of death, he tells Damon he would be able to have Elena. Damon tells Stefan that if he goes, he will be able to become human and be with Elena as a human,he falls for it and is locked away. Although Damon Promises to help Elena get his brother back, it takes a long time to figure out where the gate to the underworld is and once they get there, Elena finds herself falling for Damon. They work together to get to Blodewoulds mansion where they will find the key to get to the cell. But they also need the help of Elenas' friends Bonnie, a witch, Matt, Elenas' ex-boyfriend, and Meridith a great friend. However, an old friend of Elenas named Caroline is going to give birth to werewolf babies and Shinichi is hunting them down guarding Stefan's cell. Elena is determined to get Stefan back and even though Damon always said he hated him, he too, needs his brother again. How will he get his brother back... and what will happen to Damon? Read Vampire Diaries: Shadow souls to find out!

Lawn Boy-Chris S.

The story I read was Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen. This story is about a 12 year old boy who has little money. All he wants is a new inner tube for his 10 speed. Then one day his grandma comes with his grandfather's old riding lawn mower. First, he starts mowing his lawn. Then his neighbor asks him to mow his lawn. Then before he realized he was booked with jobs. Thats when it all started. He is a very hard working 12 year old that started from a old riding mower to a company. He shows a lot of pride in his mowing and to his clients. Overall I thought this book was great. I liked it because it had action and lawn mowing. Also I liked this book because you never know what going to happen next. He was a very lucky kid to start being a lawn mower person to a half of a millionare. I wish I could be a millionare. I thought this was an excellent book. If it was not for that stock guy he would of been no where with his lawn mowing career. Over all it was a nice book to read. I do not read books that often and this was a good book out of all the books I read.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling: review by Sam A

For my fourth quarter book, I read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling. I only read about 250 pages of it so far but I believe it is one of the best Harry Potter books I have read. In this book, Harry Potter, the only person to live through Lord Voldemort's wrath, is back for his fourth year at Hogwarts, the school for witch and wizardry. But this year he will go on an adventure like none before, for Hogwarts is hosting the Triwizard Tournament where one young wizard from different magical schools compete for glory, riches, and for the Triwizard cup. Harry and the rest of Hogwarts  are ecstatic about it but when Dumbledore, Hogwarts' headmaster, states that their is an age restriction of below 17 it puts a reign on most of the happiness of the school. And one person who's happiness was drained a bit was Harry Potter, for he is 14. But after the Goblet of Fire (a magical goblet that picks one person from each competing school to compete for their school in the Triwizard Tournament) had already chosen one person from the three competing schools which were Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang, another name flew out of the goblet.

I would rate what I have read so far as a nine out of ten. This book is full of suspense, mystery, wonder, humor, and by far mostly magic. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes science fiction including magic, and anyone else who would like a good read.

"The Chronicals of Vladimir Tod, Eighth Grade Bites" By Heather Brewer, reviewed by: Jennifer K

"Eighth Grade Bites", is a book by Heather Brewer. It is the first book from the series called, "The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod". The main character of this book is a 13 year old boy named Vladimir Tod, also known as Vlad. You would think that he is just a regular human boy, but he's something more, he is actually a Vampire, a distinguished ancient being. Except there's a catch, he is probably the most special vampire of them all, if you consider being the first vampire to be born both vampire and human. Even though he is a vampire he lives a very human like life, minus the garlic of course. He has to deal with bullies all day and a principle that hates him, pretty normal stuff for middle school, right? Well wrong, on top of that all he has to deal with another vampire that has taken the lives of his parents, a good friend, and now he is after Vlad. But Vlad gets through it all with the help from his best friend Henry, and his Aunt Nelly. Also surprisingly the one who he thought was a murderer is not a murderer at all, but is actually his ******** and ends up saving his life! Talk about an unexpected turn in events. If you like books that are suspenseful, adventures, fictious, and funny than you will love this book, however, I wouldn't recomend this book for readers younger than middle school, some parts can be a little bit gory.

The Blind Side Reviewed by Caroline S.

The Blind Side by Michael Lewis is an unforgettable book. Before I read this book, I thought it would almost fully be about football. But I was wrong. This book is about the story of Michael Oher and really how comforting a family can be to someone who they don't even know. Michael's mother is a drug addict, he has an uncountable number of siblings and has been to many foster homes. Michael has never been educated. He was a sophomore and he had the learning ability of a third grader. His life story is very sad. But this was about to turn around.

It was a snowy day and Leigh Anne Touhy was driving and saw Michael... with no shelter. She picked him up and his life completely turned around. The Touhy family did almost everything for Michael. He got a tutor, got fed, and just became a part of their family. They experienced some troubles though. Because of Michael's size, he couldn't even fit in a regular bed! They found a way to comfort him.

Michael had an incredible talent in football. Dozens of colleges wanted him to go to their school and play on their team. But the only thing that was in the way of Michael's chances of going to college was his grades. Would he improve enough to make it to college? When people came to the Briacrest (which was the school that Michael went to) football practice, they were all amazed with the talent that Michael has. They had their cell phones out calling the head coach or other coaches to come see Michael and see what talent he has. This book is a book that I'll never forget and I recommend it to everyone!

Bratfest at Tiffany's By Lisi Harrison: Review by Stefanie S.

The Briarwood boys have invaded OCD and are taking over everything.Worse of all the soccer boys are so popular that the Pretty Committee's alpha status is in serious jeopardy.Their brother school Briarwood Academy has collapsed because of burst pipes, so they are forced to share OCD with the briarwood boys. Their popularity has been threatened because the OCD girls are now obsessed with the boys. Alicia loses her spot in the NPC when the girls find out she ditched them to be with her crush. Since there are so many students in the school they are using overflow trailers which the Pretty Committee are picked to stay they and decide to make-over it. They make them look so good that everyone wants to be in their instead of Main Building. Meanwhile, they are on a Boyfast where they cannot interact with the BOCD boys. The NPC gives the trailers and the "Nerds" inside of it a makeover. Alicia can't help but notice how amazing the trailers and the people look, but she has already sacrificed her friendship with Massie. The NPC tries to turn the situation around and end up being the most popular girl in school.What will Alicia do to get back into the New Pretty Commitee?Then OCD holds a raffle to see which students get to have classes in them. Massie uses it as payback and puts all of the NPC's boyish, manly ex-boyfriends in.


I really liked this book.It probally took me the longest to read ;out of all her clique books.This is because at every chapter would hang with suspence.Also it had very rich language,and so many good details it took extra time to understasnd it and enjoy it.I wouldn't say it was my favorite clique book,but its up in the top five.I also liked it because it really explained everything that you could be confused about in the last book.Some books kind of forget about the last book and move on , but this one went back and reminded you of the other ones.My last reason I like this book and all her other books is the is a little summary of what is going to happen to the main character.

Accidentally Famous by Lisa Papdemetriou: Review by Jackie L.

In the book Accidentally Famous there is a girl named Amy and she has a lot of problems. The book is by Lisa Papdemetriou. Next, she has two good friends that don’t really like each other because of a past experience that you’ll have to read the book to find out. There is also this group called the league and Amy is good friends with one of them named Jenelle. There is also Fiona and she and Amy aren’t good friends since she locked her in a box at her birthday party. So, there are some fashion shows that Jenelle’s mom holds and now Amy is in it, but she is also on the Academic team with her good friend Mitchie. All the fashion shows leave her no time to study, so will she blow off the challenge or not? Also, in one fashion show she saw Fiona messing with her outfits and they were all mixed up and crazy. Jenelle said it was ok, but never really looked at the outfits and Amy went on stage with them. It was a huge mess up, but does it turn out to be good or bad? I thought this was an okay book, but it is packed full of stuff.

Nightlight: Review by Carolyn P.

Nightlight By The Harvard Lampoon

Nightlight, by The Harvard Lampoon, is a parody (to make fun of) of Twilight. It is an amazingly funny fantasy set in the modern day. The story starts when a weird, brainless girl named Belle Goose leaves her mom in Arizona. She moves to Switchblade, a small rainy town. Belle has always been super superstitious. When she moves to Switchblade she thinks she is so popular. She always has been a flirt. She thinks all the men love her. When she gets mail from the mailman she thinks that he is sending her things.

The other character in the book is Edwart Mullen. He is a nerd who has no friends and is kind of smart. Belle thinks that Edwart is the most beautiful thing on earth. Belle believes Edwart is so beautiful that he must be super human. Edwart is actually ugly.

My opinion of this book is ***** (five star) -- it was hilarious. I was amazed at the quality of the humor. It was so awesome, I would absolutely recommend it. Also, if you are a big Twilight fan like I was, you may be a little offended. In conclusion, if I had to pick ONE of my favorite comedy books, Nightlight would be the one I would choose.

The Island on Bird Streeet reviewed by Leto K

I read the book "The Island on Bird Streeet." I highly recommend it if you like books about young heroes. World War II is happening. The time are very hard in Poland, especially for Jews. A boy named Alex is one of them. His father works in a rope factory owned by Polish men. While his father works, Alex is forced to hide. His mother disappeared and his father has just benn "selected" by the German army to go to an unknown destination. Alone, Alex must find food and water and try to stay alive. He awaits the promised return of his father.

In the apartment on 78 Bird Street, the windows and door of the building are boarded shut and the whole building is structurally unstable. Each day Alex lowers a rope that he has made himself to go out looking for food. While searching in the streets, he must always be aware of the enemy. At night he sleeps in a dark cabinet. He is desolated, yet hopeful that his life will be as before the German occupation. Then one day Alex hears the voices of intruders who have force their way into No.78. His is filled with terror and dread. If they are Germans, they will kill him, and if they are robbers, they will harm him.

Courage and bravery are not unusual in times of war, but Alex is only eleven. He must find the will to overcome his fear and face cruelty and justice.

Grace's Book Review

Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer, epic book that I am almost done this quarter. In the beginning, Bella Swan was not able to talk to Jacob Black, so they passed notes around to each other. Also, what happens, is that Bella, and Edward plan where they will live when they are married, and next, Rosalie Hale (Edward's sister) tells Bella a true story of her life to Bella when she was human, and how she became un-human, and why she wasn't fond of the humans so much. In the middle, Jacob tells the story of the Quillets, and also Jasper tells the story of "New borns". The end is a surprise. Bella Swan, the daughter of Chief Swan, the police of Forks, fiance of an un-human, named Edward Cullen. She has brown hair, and brown eyes, her mother divorced, and re-married with a guy named Phil, and living with her father, Charlie. The setting is in Forks, Washington, and then, in the middle of the book.....Jacob kisses Bella. I really liked it, because there is a lot of excitement, and each page has so many descriptive words, and so un-put-down-able, and astonishing....so many things going on, and, one thing after another. Even though, there are a few swares, I recommend this book to you, and this is better than New moon! And, is Breaking Dawn going to be even better? Find out, and read.

Super Freakonomics review by Jonathan S.

Super Freakonomics

by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

Review by Jonathan S.

Super Freakonomics was a book about interesting statistics and economics. For instance, did you know that it’s more dangerous to walk a mile drunk than to drive a mile drunk? That is the type of thing you’d find in Super Freakonomics, but some things are much stranger than that! There are five chapters in the book, although there isn’t a solid topic in any of the chapters; the topic jumps around like a kangaroo with its feet on fire. There isn’t an actual plot to the book either. This is because this book just talks about bizarre things in economics. Despite not having a plot, this is one of the most riveting books I’ve ever read.

The authors of Super Freakonomics are almost as interesting as the book itself. Mr. Levitt is an Economist, and Mr. Dubner helped him write a book about bizarre things only an economist would know. They wrote a book (it’s called Freakonomics) and due to the book’s success, a sequel was created. I read the sequel, but not the original. It really doesn’t matter what order you read the books, or if you read both of them or just one, because, besides a few references to the first book in the sequel, the two books don’t correspond much at all. This book covers a wide range of topics, from why car seats are a waste to a relatively cheap solution to global warming. It’s amazing how well the chapters go from one topic to the next. It isn’t choppy either and it’s as smooth as whipped cream.

This book has some inappropriate parts, but I tried to avoid those. There weren’t many inappropriate parts though, and I was able to read most of the book, and I loved the whole thing. This book uses some advanced language, so if you’re not the best at reading, I wouldn’t recommend this book. Also, the authors use a dry, sarcastic approach to most of the topics, so if you don’t like that type of humor, you probably won’t enjoy this book. Despite these few things, Super Freakonomics was a great book, and I’d recommend it to anyone who likes strange yet interesting statistics.

North or be Eaten By Andrew Peterson (Review by James M.)

We find our heros from On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness in their uncle Artham's (a.k.a. Pete the sock man) house in a tree. Tink, Janner, and Leeli recently found out they were the children of the high queen and king of the shining isle, Anneria. Tink was the high king, Janner the throne warden (Tink's protecter), and Lelli was the song maiden. Their town was about to be invaded by the horrible lizard-like Fangs of Dang. Their only chance to escape was to flee to the Kimmera in the ice prairies where Fangs couldn't fight or run. If they could make it they would be free and possibly be able to return to Anneria to start rebuilding it. They set off and right off the bat have some trouble as they get attacked by an army of 10,000 Fangs, 500 trolls, and 100 giants. Will they make it past this? If so will the make it to the Kimmera? Or even Anneria? Read to find out.

This is an amazing story of battle, close escapes, and treachery. I loved this book, but definitely read the prequel (On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness also by Andrew Peterson) before reading this book. It has a great surprise-after-surprise ending.

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key is about a young boy named Joey Pigza. It's basically is about his life. Joey has two problems, one he has ADHD and he doesn’t often take his pills. Two when he was in kindergarten his dad ran off and his mother went out to try and find him but now after many years she has returned and wants to take charge of his life. On the other hand his Grandmother doesn’t like that because she has been his guardian for so long and doesn’t think that her taking charge would be good for him. Finally she loses her cool and leaves to be with Joey's dad. When Joey finds out that she left his mom told him that she melted and went down a sewage drain. Now Joeys life is flipped upside down he has his mom back, no more grandma, and his mom’s different rules. He also has new rules at school. The new rules at school he enjoys. Would you like to know why? It is because if he acts up even once then he is sent down to the Special Ed room. The thing he likes about the Special Ed room is that there are some parents there and not all teachers. Joey Pigza lives a normal life after all that. I would recommend this book to people who like documentaries/comedies.

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

Reviewed by  Andrew S.

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan is a fiction book based on Egyptian mythology. It is the first book of the Kane Chronicles. The author also wrote the Percy Jackson series. It is about two siblings named Carter and Sadie Kane. When they were in England with their dad they went to a museum and their dad accidentally blew up the Rosetta Stone; killing himself and releasing five gods all taking over someone. Their dad was possessed by Osiris, Carter was possessed by Horus, and Sadie was possessed by Isis. There are two others who got released Set, an evil god who is building a red pyramid to gain power, and Nypthys, a goddess that knows the key to defeating Set. After Carter and Sadie's house gets attacked, they must wander through the country to try to defeat Set and avoid getting caught and killed by the House of Life because they are hosting gods. With the help of a minor god named Bast (aka Sadie's cat, Muffin), they try to save the world.

One of the characters is Carter Kane. He is Sadie's older brother and before this adventure lived and traveled with his dad. He was possessed by Horus and really good at battle magic. I definitely liked the book. I did because I like the mytholigical fiction books. I would recommend the book to anyone who likes the Percy Jackson series or Egyptian mythology. In conclusion, The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan is a great book.

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing by M.T. Anderson: Review by Natalie K.

In the book The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Octavian leads a pleasant life as a black child before the Revolutionary War. It is a little strange, though. In this book by M.T Anderson, Octavian soon discovers that he is really an experiment. He is being educated in Latin, Greek, mathematics and science as an experiment to find out whether Africans really are inferior. Octavian is shocked, but he doesn't really mind, because his teachers are kind and he has a comfortable life. Then, everything changes. The place where he was raised and educated is running out of money! A man named Mr. Sharpe is their only hope. He is a revolutionary, but he thinks Africans should be slaves. Octavian's mother dies, and he runs away from all the sudden cruelty. He joins the revolution, and takes part in the fighting. Around this part, the book is entirely written in letters from other characters. I liked this part of the book because it offers a new perspective.

I liked this book because it's exciting, but also has a lot of the characters' thoughts and views. The characters are interesting, and we can tell what they are thinking. I'd recommend this book to people who like historical fiction and stories about the Revolutionary War. This is a great book, so you should read it!

The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner: Reviewed by Carl G.

Before you read this review, you should know that this is volume three of the series, so read the first two books first before you read my review. As you know, if you've read the first two books, Eugenides is now surprisingly the King of Attolia. And that's what this book revolves around. When becoming King, many people thought that Eugenides stole the the throne, and they were not loyal to him. This means that Eugenides has to be on the lookout for assassins and even pranks. And with the Mede Empire approaching, Eugenides and his Queen know that they must fix and unite their country in order for them to have a chance of defending themselves. Unlike the other two books, the story doesn't only focus on Eugenides. One of his guards also steps into the spotlight. This book is also written not from the first person perspective, like the first book, but from the third person perspective like the second book. I did enjoy this book. I think that one of the reasons is because there are many twists in the story, that you really don't expect. These twists are what kept me reading. Another reason why I enjoy this book is because of the suspense. As I've said earlier, Eugenides has to watch out for assassins. While you are reading, every moment you're waiting for an assassin, or some type of danger. It's like the Jaws music is playing the whole book. This is a very interesting and suspenseful book in which I highly recommend.

Skeleton Key by Anthony Horowitz: Reviewed by Elias C.

The Skeleton Key is a really thrilling and suspensful book. This is the third book of the Alex Rider series, which I think is amazing so far. The genre of this book I think is adventure and mystery. This story is about Alex Rider and he is a spy working for the MI6, a british military intellegance company. He becomes a ball boy at Wimbledon, and he finds out a Chinese traid gang called "Big Circle" is drugging players so that they will loose. Once he catches them drugging the players the "Big Circle" are after him and he has to hide until the MI6 can fix it. The MI6 want Alex to team up with 2 CIA agents and spy on a man named General Alexei Sarov. The island he lives on his called Skeleton Key in english. Alex figures out that General Alexei Sarov bought uranium which he made into a nucular bomb. The CIA agents go scuba diving to get into the Generals mansion and they do not return. Alex goes into the gave they went to and he encounters a shark and it dies by some booby traps left there. He returns to the surface and he is then captured by Conrad, one of General Sarov's men.



General Sarov thinks of Alex as his son because they look a lot alike and he reminds him of him. So General tells him about his plan to blow up Mosscow to try to get Russia back in power again and to make them the most powerful nation. Will Alex save the day? Read the book to find out! The two other books before this one are the first book Stormbreaker and the second book Point Blank. I would really suggest to read this if you like adventure books with a lot of suspense in it. So go to the library and get this book!

Theodosia and the Serpent of Chaos by R. L. LaFevers: Review by Hailee L.

Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos

Poor Theodosia is all alone in that dusty, old Museum of Legends, until her mother comes home from Egypt with the legendary Heart of Egypt that she found in Amenemhab’s tomb. Theo has a special ability unlike any other…she can sense and see curses and black magic, good and bad. When her mother returns with the Heart of Egypt it holds a curse so vile that it threatens to German goons and someone who Theo thought was a good man, only to find out he was framing another man. Von Braggenschnott, one of the German goons, then found out who had the Heart of Egypt from a traitor and then quested to get it from their grasp.


Of course it wouldn’t work because Theo had the wits to figure it out. She had the Brotherhood of the Chosen Keepers, Henry-her brother, and Sticky Will the street urchin on her side to try and find the Heart of Egypt. Only she found out that the only way to stop the curse that Thutmose had bestowed upon it would get worse until whoever took it returned it to its rightful resting place. That soon led to a race to get to Egypt so their city wouldn’t crumble into pieces. Can she save the British Empire from total destruction?! You will have to read the book if you like mystery and learning about Egypt!

The Tapestry: The Second Seige by Henry N. Neff Review by Jackson

This quarter I read The Tapestry Book Two: The Second Siege by Henery N. Neff. This is about a boy named Max McDaniels who goes to a magical like school called Rowan. After living 100's of years in peace, Rowan has to face the once imprisoned Astorath who was freed by a Rowan trader. He is a terrible demon that could destroy the world with his power. Max and his roomate David Menlo are the only ones who could save the day. The two of them, and one of the top agents in the world Cooper adventure all over Europe to find The Book of Throth. This book has all the real secrets to the world, and the power to destroy anything. Max is called "The Hound of Rowan", and is one of the best agents ever. David is one of the smartest kids and mystics ever. They encounter feirce witches, evil goblins, and many injuries along the way. Will the two 12 year olds save the day? Who will win the Book? Which group will win the war? Read The Tapestry: The Second Seige to find out.

I thought that this was a very good book. The author does s great job of describing each scene, and you feel like you are inside of it watching. The book is very action packed, and you never know what is going to come next. Make sure that you read the first and then third in this series. If you liked the Harry Potter series, or any other action packed series, you would like this book. I hope you have fun reading it.
Jackson C

This Can't Be Happening At MacDonald Hall by Gordon Korman: Review by Charlie R.

I read the book: This Can’t Be Happening at MacDonald Hall by Gordon Korman. This book is about two boys named Bruno and Boots. These two boys are best friends and roommates. Bruno and Boots are both on the school’s hockey team as well as the biggest trouble makers in the school. On the day of the biggest hockey game, Bruno and Boots steal the other team’s mascot which is a cat and hide it in their room. When Boots is putting the cat that they took on the bed it scratches him across the face, leaving him with a mark. When the other team finds out their mascot is missing, they begin to panic. Since the mascot is missing, the opposing team starts to lose. In the second period, the score is 5-3 and Boots is skating up for the face off and….the opposing player attacks him seeing the scratch on his face. A while after The (Fish) aka the dorm principal finds out that they stole the cat and that is when everything begins. After hearing about this, The Fish puts the two boys in separate rooms. After living in separate rooms, they finally decide that they have to do something to get back in the same room so they both decide to try to impress The Fish by getting their SAT grades up higher. When they achieve this goal nothing happens so one night they went outside to discuss what to do to get their grades up and all of a sudden, the boys hear a yell for help. They run to a nearby tree and find a boy stuck up the tree. This boy turns out to be Francisco Diaz, who is the Ambassador’s son. Bruno and Boots are rewarded by the police and The Fish. The Fish rewarded them by letting them become roommates again. I thought this was an excellent book if you like adventures. It really had me hooked into it.

The Zucchini Warriors by Gordon Korman: Review by Erin P.

I just read the book, Zucchini Warriors, by Gordon Korman. I absolutely loved it! This is a fiction book about Bruno and Boots. Bruno and Boots are best friends, and when they are together they get into all types of trouble. The boys made a deal with the new football coach. The deal was if they could gather a 'good' football team, that the school will make a Rec. hall. Once there were tryouts, the team started up. The coach would always give them zucchini sticks! Ewww. That’s what the whole team thought. Bruno and Boots had to think up of ways to dispose of the zucchini. They came up with loads of ideas. But, obviously- they all went wrong. Bruno and Boots themselves- the 'Zucchini Disposal Squad!'






Bruno and Boots are to exciting guys. There is also the Fish- head principal. Bruno and Boots do NOT have a good reputation with him. Not at all! There is also Elmer, the school's smartest kid in school. Do not forget about the klutz- Sidney. And, the blabbermouth and the executor too!





This book made me laugh out loud! I normally can not finish any book. I flew right through this book. I liked the length of this book- not to long and not to short. Will Bruno and Boots make a good football team? Will they get the Rec. Hall? Read the Zucchini Warriors to find out.

Rick Riordan's The Red Pyramid by Eric R

Did you like the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series? Then you’ll love The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan! This is book one of the Kane Chronicles. Rick Riordan is a good author who creates good stories around gods. The Red Pyramid is a 514-page novel that highlights Egyptian gods, instead of Greek gods. In the book, the main characters, Carter and Sadie Kane, who are 14 and 12 years old, tell the story as if its been taped and typed up. This is funny because they say comments about one another.

The story begins with their father blowing up the priceless Rosetta Stone and being captured in a gold tomb and melting into the floor. He was captured by a fiery creature we later learn is the Red Lord. The Red Lord wants to take over the world and Carter and Sadie have five Demon days to stop him. Carter and Sadie have help. They have gods/goddesses sharing their bodies that give them powers. But, the gods are also trying to take control over their bodies.

One of my favorite parts of the story is how Carter and Sadie travel. For example, in one part, they travel from an Egyptian obelisk to the Parisian obelisk through a portal. Sadie does the portals, but it makes her weak afterward. Carter protects his sister and fights all the monsters.

I recommend this book because it has descriptive language that makes you feel like you’re there. I loved how the story progressed, it was fast-paced, but it was logical, not jumpy.

rough draft of Erak's Ransom

This book is the prequel of the 5 and the 6 book. this is when the main character gets his golden leaf. The golden leaf is the symbol of going from apprentice to master. This books starts out in skandia- like past Scandinavia being rough and harsh- with the oberjarl Erak(there leader). He goes on a mission to pillage a village. He gets captured because they were expecting him to come because he was tipped of by a past traitor.

When news of Erak being captured and is being held for ransom, Will's country goes into action. They send a delegate from there country to negotiate a amount. Will and his teacher along with his friend who is a warrior go with her to keep her safe.wile they negotiating a tribe who lives in the desert near the city and takes him and holds him not for ransom but to trap to kill them.

While they try to get to Erak Will's horse gets lost in the sandstorm. Because of the tight bond between Will and his horse he searches for it. During this time Will's companions get caught and are sentenced to death. So Will tries to come up with a plan to save them, He meets some nomads and they accompany him and help him rescue his companions.

Bystander by James Preller: Review by Jacob I.

I read the book Bystander by James Preller. This is a story about a thirteen year old boy named Eric, who is a new kid in school. Eric starts to fit in with the “ cool kids,” but they are all bullies. During the summer Eric is on the court playing basketball, when he sees David Hollenbeck “THE TARGET” running across the field with blood on his shirt. Eric then sees Griffin and his gang chasing David. The gang consists of four people with Mary (who isn’t a bully), Hakeem, Warrick, Cody and Griffin.

Griffin is a mean, rude bully who gets away with everything with his “Hollywood smile.” Mary is sweet and caring and starts to fall for Eric. Eric is the new kid in school, and he picks the wrong kids to hang out with. Hakeem and Warrick are like Griffin’s pets throughout the book, but then they do what they want to do. Cody is a tough kid who starts to find his way to living his own life after a huge mistake.

I loved this book and it was full of action. It’s like it sucked me into the story. This book makes you want to keep flipping pages. I think anyone one who reads this book will love as much as I did. If you want to read a book filled with action and drama, and a book that makes you think you're in their shoes. Then read this book.

Mister Monday by Garth Nix; Review by Kevin S.

Review by Kevin S.Mister Monday,and the rest of the series(The Keys to the Kingdom series), is one of my all-time favorites. It is about an asthmatic boy named Arthur Penhaligon.The trouble starts in the first chapter. Arthur was at his first day in a new school, and he had to run cross-country track with the rest of the school. He has an asthma attack, and is about to die, when a strange man comes out of nowhere and gives him a clock hand, thinking Arthur would die and and then he would be able to claim the "key" honestly, but the key saves Arthur's life. After that he is chased into a strange, invisible( except to him) house with seven realms, one for each day of the week. When he is chased, he meets a talking frog that is the first part of the Will, which hold the rules of the House, which each holder (Trustees) of the seven keys(one for each realm) don't listen to, which is why Arthur must claim. During his strange adventure, full of Nithlings of all kinds and unexpected turns, he gains a strange ally, Suzy Turquoise Blue, who is a Piper's child, one of the many children that the Piper (the Pied Piper) had brought into the House and worked throughout the House. Eventually, Arthur gets the full First Key and goes home to cure his town of a disease brought on by Nithlings visiting.Arthur is an average looking kid with brown hair. He was adopted by a member of an old-time band (Ratz) and a legendary doctor. He has five (I think) foster brothers and sisters. One is a Major in the Army, Erazmuz, and two live at home, Eric, a basketball star, and Michaeli. Strange family, right? Not to Arthur. He's been with them for most of his life. Suzy is an adventurous, risk-taking, non-syllable pronouncing girl who is always diving into the situation, good or bad, and always looking at the bright side.I really loved this book and the series, even though it was a bit confusing at times, and I recommend not only the book, but the whole series. If you want another Australian series to read, or you loved this one, you should try the Ranger's Apprentice series.

Summer School! What Genius Thought That Up? Review by Nick N.

Summer School! What Genius Thought That Up? by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver is one of the funniest books I've ever read. The main character in this book is Hank Zipzer. He lives in New York city. Hank has a couple of problems with school. One is Hank is consistent at getting in trouble, partially because he's a class clown. Another problem is Hank has dyslexia, so he doesn't get the greatest grades in school. In result Hank is now stuck in summer school. He hears his to best friends, Ashley Wong and Franky Townsend, are doing a magic trick at a luau party. Hank's father says he can go to the luau, but there's only one problem. He has to get a plain old A, not an A-minus on his Albert Einstein project in summer school.

In this book Hank changes completely on his current state of mind on school. He decides to take school seriously so he can go to the luau. The first problem Hank runs into is he has no idea who this "Albert Einstein dude" really is. So Hank talks to his Grandfather he calls "Papa Pete". Papa Pete takes Hank to the New York public library. The first thing they do is get Hank a library card. Then they go to get some books on Albert Einstein. Hank reads up on Albert Einstein, and he practices his magic trick with Frankie and Ashley. Soon enough the big day came that would decide if Hank would be at the luau or not. Will Hank be at the luau? Read this book to find out!

This book to me was a really funny one. This book is right for you if you enjoy laughing, and action. I think anyone who reads this book will enjoy it. Also, this book is the eighth book in the series. I hope everyone who reads this review will read this fantastic book.

The Clique by Lisi Harrison Reviewed by Simran P.

The extremely rich, high fashioned, [to others] snobby BFF's walk through the large hallways of Octavian Country Day Middle School like models walking down the runway. Lisi Harrison's The Clique is the first of her New York Times Bestseller series. With a length of 22o pages, the novel is about the seventh grade alpha (leader) Massie Block, who is living the perfect life until her father's old friend, Jay Lyons and his family move from Orlando, Florida to Westchester, New York. They're living at the Blocks' guesthouse until they can get settled on their own, and Massie is totally bummed. Instead of hitting a major Labor Day shopping spree with her three bestfriends Alicia, Dylan and Kristen, Massie is forced to be a "welcoming guest" to the new family. When Massie and Claire come face to face for the first time, Claire's jaw drops at the sight of Massie's stunning $600 wardrobe, let alone her gigantic mansion-sized house. Massie's first impression of Claire isn't so great, though. Claire's tacky oversized outfits to her are a big "Fashion No-no". Massie does not believe she is "clique" material, but Claire still attempts to be kind and generous to Massie and her diva friends. Will they accept her for the sweet, friendly girl she is, or turn on her like the other lame wannabe losers that walk the halls of OCD?

There are five main characters in this awesome book. One of them is Massie Block, the 7th grade alpha and the clique's official Queen B. Her high -priced wardrobes and inside scoops on the latest gossip aren't the only things that make the school's LBR's (Losers Beyond Repair) worship her. Then there's Alicia Rivera, the unbelievably beautiful Spanish "beta" with major status. Dylan Marvil is the cute, funny chic with an overly obsessed attitude towards her weight. Kristen Gregory is the girl with brains, beauty, athletic talent and very strict parents. Last but not least, there's Claire. She's smart and pretty in a way, but what she really wants is to be accepted. Does she realize that the only thing harder than getting "in", is staying in?

I really enjoyed this book. It does overly exaggerate the life of a typical popular seventh grade girl, but that's what makes the book so real. There is awesome style, humor, a little suspense, and great comebacks that force you to read all night long. Be sure to read it.

This novel is highly reccomended for girls, not for boys. It really deserves a 5/5 star rating. For more fun with The Clique, be sure to read Best Friends for Never, Revenge of the Wannabes, Invasion of the Boy Snatchers, The Pretty Committee Strikes Back, Dial L for Loser, It's Not Easy Being Mean, Sealed with a Diss and more. I know, there's a lot to read! Get started and you'll be glued to the series.

Waggit's Tale by Peter Howe

Reviewed by Claire W.

As the white dog bounced through the horribly familiar foliage, he thought about his choice. Should he stay, or go? Be called Waggit, or Parker? When he reached the abandoned tunnel, he stopped in his tracks. Time was in a complete standstill. All of the memories he shared with the pile of mangy dogs a few feet away came crashing down. They were sweet memories of playing, sleeping, and loving. But then, the human world he had come from, and had recently found again, was dependable and loving too. Would his friends be mad if he chose the enemy over the pack? Lowdown and Tazar, he thought, would not. Or would the woman be mad if he was gone when she came home? His experience told him yes. But his gut told him no. He just couldn't take the burning truth: This choice was not easy.

Maybe the wrong was right. No, it was wrong. Right. Wrong. With the battle inside his head raging, he pushed on through the vines and sticks; and Waggit’s tail gave a feeble wag.

“Hold up there, friend,” a voice said. “Who are you, and what do you want?”


In the book Waggit’s Tale, the author follows Waggit as he goes on the adventure of life. In the beginning, Waggit is lost in what humans would call New York’s Central Park, and then Tazar, a pack leader, introduces Waggit to his team of stray dogs living in the park. Waggit joins the group. They have many hardships, from hunger to rivalries with other teams. Believe it or not, this is a true story. You will never forget this tragic tale of the white puppy that found the best home in his worst nightmare.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Roirdan, Review by Hunter L.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

By Rick Roirdan

Percy Jackson is a 12 year old boy with ADHD. He goes to Yancy Academy for other kids with the same problem. He only has one friend named Grover, that he constantly needs to protect from bullys. While the school is on a field trip to learn about the Greek Gods, very strange things happen. Once, Ms. Dodds pulled him out of the room into an exibit. She was next to Percy, but suddenly she appeared on a 30 ft high stand. Suddenly, she swooped down and turned into something; something he knew he had seen before. Then, Mr. Brunner rolled in in his weelchair, and handed Percy a ballpoint pen.

"Take the cap off," Mr. Brunner states.

Percy takes it off, and finds out that he is no longer holding a pen, but a sword. He slashes Ms. Dodds, and she turns to dust. Later, he is outside having lunch with Grover, and Nancy starts to bully Grover, so he steps in. Suddenly, water sprays out from the water fountain, and Nancy is magically lifted by the water into the fountain. Back at shcool, everybody seems to forget who Ms. Dodds is, as if she never existed, but he knows what happened. After school, Percy starts to walk down to Mr. Brunner's office, when he hears Mr. Brunner and Grover talking.

Later on the subway home, he asks Grover about Ms. Dodds. Grover hesitates. Then, he explains about how the gods are real, and that there are mortals, gods, monsters, and half bloods. He also explains that he is a satyr (a human from half up, and a two goat legs on front, including hooves) Mr. Brunner is a centaur, Ms. Dodds is a furry (a servant of Hades), and that he thinks that Percy is a half blood. He gives Percy his card, and says if he needs any help call me. That night when Percy gets home, he sees his step father "Gabe," aka "Smelly Gabe," gambling with his friends, and then his mom comes home from work. Later, they drive to the beach and unpack their stuff in a cabin, for a camping trip. Then, Grover comes sprinting down the beach. He opens the door, and yells that they are comming, and Ms. Jackson knows what he means. They get into the car, and drive to a house in the middle of knowhere. Then a Minotaur appears, they jump out of the car and start to battle, but then the Minotaur snatches Ms. Jackson, and trys to choke her, when she turns into gold light and dissapears.

Once they kill the Minotaur, they get to the house, but it is no longer just a little house, it is four storries high, and there are ten cabins, one for each of the gods and goddesses of Olympus.

There is one for Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Apollo, Ares, Aphrodite, Athena, Demeter, Artemis, Hephaestus, Dionysus and Hermes. He walks over to Mr. Brunner and finds out that he is a centaur named Chiron. He also finds out that the man next to him is Dionysus. He is placed in the Hermes cabin not besause they believe that he is a child of Hermes, but that's where all kids go when they don't know their parrents. The counselor of the cabin is Luke, a son of Hermes. When the Ares cabin start to bully him, especially Clarisse, he runs to the bathroom, and she folluws. Suddenly, the pipes explode and gets Clarisse and her cabin mates all wet, the water is about a foot high, but he is not wet. Later, they play capture the flag, and Annabeth (a girl from the Athena cabin) Told Percy to stay by the river, and stop the Ares cabin from crossing. Then, the Ares cabbin come, led by clarisse, who is holding a spear. When they cross, they attack Percy. Then he falls into the water, and then a trident appears over his head. Annabeth appears from behind him, and stares. Once everybody comes, they gasp and stare. He is the son of Poseidon. Now he gets to live in a cabin all to himself, and he gets his own table.

After dinner he goes up the the attic of the big house to listen to the prophecy. Once he hears the riddle, he goes downstairs tho tell Chiron, Annabeth, and Grover. The next day Annabeth, Grover, and himself go out to solve the mystery of who stole Zeus' master lightning bolt. On this adventure, he meets many gods, battles many monsters, including Medusa, and uncovers many secrets.........you'll have to read the book to find out.

If you enjoyed the Harry Potter series, you'll love these.

Operation Storm City author Joshua Mowll by Dan Hagan

This term I read a adventures book called Operation Storm City by Joshua Mowll. This book is the third of a three book series. If you have not read the other books do not read this one you will be clueless. There is alot of background knowledge you should know. Here it is brother and sister Doug and Becca are back with old friends like Liberty and Xu and Xi. Crozier is also back. This book picks up right were the second ended chasing Crozier to Ur-can. I liked this book the best out of all of the three books. This book is not have any boat scenes in it. I like it because the book skips the boat voyage and goes straight to the action scenes. Some of these scenes are dangling from a hot air balloon or a hijacking train. The adventure never stops in this book and the series. This book dose not have humor and is more a action book. This book also has a lot of mystery answers. In the book you find out what is Ur-Can and what Ur-can dose to the world. The biggest answer is for the question where are Becca and Doug`s parents. I would recommend this entire series to someone in need of a book.

Beasley By Alex Flinn review by Olivia K

Imagine a perfect world you are popular every one loves you. You get what you want it when you want it AND you have the perfect girl/guy Well you thought you did......

Meet Kyle Kingsbury the ONE somebody in a world of nobodies. Meet Kendra the freak with GREEN hair. The fat goth that everybody hates. Lindy is the quiet girl who is running on a scholarship. Her dad is a drug addict. She is plain, normal but there is something about her... Two petals fell off the rose. Two petals ,two years to find love or stay a beast forever.

Beastly is about Kyle Kingsbury AKA Adrian. He is transformed into a horrible beast. His inner ugliness is shown on the outside. A true kiss is all it will take. He will be back but finding his girl friend Sloan and getting her to kiss him without seeing his face . EASY or so he thought!

Beastly is an excellent modern day retell of Beauty and the Beast its genre is Fantasy and I would recommend it for girls who have a big heart but a strong stomach. And boys who have an inner kindness and who love adventurer and some violence. Beastly is also about to become a movie ON June 30 2010 some stars are in it that you will recognize.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1152398/ this is the link to it on IMDB.

"Eagle Strike" by Anthony Horowitz

by Justin C.

I thought this book is great for people who like action and suspense. Before reading this book I recommend reading the books Stormbreaker, Point Blank, and Skeleton Key. Personally these are one of my favorite books. If you are interested in picking up one of these books I recommend you get them at any library.

In the beginning of the story the main character Alex Rider begins to feel sad because he feels M16 is just using him to defeat crime. After it reveals to him that Damian Cray is planning to do something called Eagle Strike. He tells M16 but they won't believe him. So he goes to Damian Cray's mansion and finds Damian Cray with Yassen, the man who killed his uncle. After being found at the mansion he put at a number of test to kill him. During the test he pretends to be dead and escapes. After he escapes, he steals a flash drive and gets taken back by Damian and shows him what he is going to do. After
that he does some stuff that saves the day from Damian Cray and saves the day (I am not going to give away the ending).

The Iliad by Homer: Review by Natalie K.

The Iliad is an epic poem by an ancient Greek writer called Homer, about the war between Greece and Troy. It's set in and around the city of Troy. There are hundreds of characters, but the major characters are Achilles, Menelaus, Agamemnon, Helen, Paris, Hector, and the gods. Achilles is a Greek hero, Menelaus and Agamemnon are kings, Helen is the Greek king's kidnapped wife, Paris is the kidnapper, Hector is prince of Troy, and the gods are, of course, the gods. It started when Paris stole Menelaus' beautiful wife Helen. The king got mad and decided to attack the Trojans, so he sent a fleet after them. But when they got there, their best fighter, Achilles, got all whiny and decided not to participate. This poem is super long- don't read it if you have ADHD. I'm not even to the part with the horse yet and I've been reading for 3 months! In spite of that, there are still many exciting parts while the Trojans and Greeks fight. Once the Greeks were losing and they woke up in the middle of the night. Some of them decided that they had to do something, so they went out in chariots to the Trojans' sleeping front lines. On the way they met a cowardly soldier who told them where some Trojan allies were camped. Then the Greeks went and stole some horses and slaughtered the sleeping allies, causing chaos among the Trojans. I thought a weird thing about this poem was how Homer didn't try to sugar-coat how jealous and greedy the Greeks were. A little argument about loot causes a whole army to sit out most of the battle. You would think Homer would try to give the Greeks a good reputation, but he just lets them be jerks and doesn't modify the story in their favor. That was weird for me because I'm used to most book characters being "Mary Sues", meaning that they are completely perfect and beautiful and smart and kind and everyone loves them. It was the complete opposite in The Iliad, though.

I'd recommend this to someone who loves to read and wants a big challenge that'll look good on your college application. I wouldn't recommend this to people who don't like violence and blood and gore. Also, there is a tiny bit of adult themes, but those are mostly references. If you're thinking of reading this, read a little first to see if you hate it, love it, or don't care either way. Personally, I liked it, but some people might not. So if you're brave, willing, and crazy enough to read it, you should definitely read The Iliad!

Confessions of a Bitter Secret Santa: Review by Jackie L.

For my book review this quarter I did the book called Confessions of a Bitter Secret Santa by Lara Bergen. The book is realistic fiction. It was about a girl name Noel. Her homeroom is having a Secret Santa drawing, but Noel gets a new girl name Mia she doesn’t know, and she does not talk to anyone either. Next, her best friend gets her crush and they get caught when they try to trade, and now she thinks summer can’t get any worse. All her friends get to take fun vacations too, but Noel has to stay home with her parents, little sister and another sibling on the way. So she tries to deal with it, but her Secret Santa is the worst and didn’t even decorate her locker like all the others and all she got was a couple of small presents she doesn’t even like. She thinks she knows exactly who it is, Mia! Is she right thought even she says she is positive? You will just have to read the book to find out what happens to Noel. I would recommend this book to girls looking for a good book to read and enjoy.

Tommy H. The Halloween Tree

This quarter I read The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury. Over all I thought it was a great book for people who like adventure. This story is about a group of kids who love Halloween, but not the way other kids do. They only bother going to houses really in the spirit. However, on this Halloween their friend Pipkin is sick, but still promises to meet up with them later. Then he gives his friends the location of a very spooky house on the edge of town that was scarier than any house they had ever seen before. The trick-or-treaters find the house, but it was a lot scarier than they imagined. They knock on the door of the house and a man wearing all black clothing and had a pale face making himself look like a floating head answers.. "Er-trick or treat?" was the greeting from Tom the skeleton, "No treats, only-trick!" is the reply given from the the strange man. And now they see the tree, and it is a strange tree. It is taller than the house and has many branches with an assortment of colored leaves all over it. But the strangest part is there are pumpkins all over it."A pumpkin tree," says someone. Finally Tom says, "A Halloween tree." Each pumpkin in the tree has a face carved in it, and there is a lot of pumpkins. But strangest of all one by one the pumpkins started lighting on fire showing their fierce features. Now a few voices chant a mysterious song. Then the boys chant," Halloween...Tree." And out of nowhere a white skull rises before them. The skull chases them laughing, but then he reveiled himself he was the man in the dark clothes. This is what he means by trick.

The man introduces himself as Moundshroud. He asks the boys if they know the real reason they wear their costumes. This question baffles the boys, and they start asking them selves,"Why do I wear this costume." So Moundshroud said he can show them. They said they need to wait for Pipkin, and then Pipkin came running to them, but he falls, and the candle in his pumpkin goes out. Then something took Pipkin and was gone just as quick.

Then they go on a wild adventure through different times and places to find their friend. In every place they see him, but before they can get him he vanishes again. By they time they get to him in the last stop he is dead. To get him back they need to make an ultimate sacrifice. Will they make the sacrifice, or will they let Pipkin rest-in-peace?

Frozen Fire by James Houston: Review by Tommy W.

Frozen Fire by James Houston

This is a fiction story. This book is about two boys. One of the boys father goes on a journey in Alaska looking for copper because he studies those types of things. Little do they know that right after they leave a huge storm hits. His son figures they will be home soon, but after a couple of days they did not return. The boy and a friend set out on a perilous journey to rescue his father. They face challenges that even an eighth grader will find unbearable. They also must go through tough weather, wolves, broken ice, cliffs, and many more.

Mathew is the son of the geologist who goes on the journey with his Eskimo friend Kayak. They are both eighth graders. Mathew is smart, determined, and open-minded. Kayak is very smart, strong, and knows a lot of information on the wild from his dad. Mathew's dad is anxious, curious, and he is also kind.

I like this book because it is packed with adventure, excitement, and action. Every page will keep you wandering about what the next page will be. This is one of my favorite books, and if you read it it will be one of your favorites too. It is so realistic, and you can picture every scene.

I would recommend this book for people who read. This book can be read by anyone, and if you read it I promise you won't be disappointed.

The Sixth Grade Name Game by Gordon Korman: Review by Patrick D.

For this quarter I read the book "The Sixth Grade Nickname Game" by Gordan Korman. This book was about two best friends who have lived next to each other for as long as they can remember. These two friends are entering the sixth grade this year. But they have a problem, they are the ones that gives everyone a nickname and so a new girl comes to the school this year but there stuck, they can't think of a nickname for her. As the story unravels there are very funny situations they run into and during all the mix up they start to fight about who she is going to pick to the girls choice dance.

I would recomend this book to other people because it always had funny moments that just cheered up my day. This was a good book for many reasons. One reason is because I loved the brotherly hood that these two best friends had. Another reason is because I also thought that in every second of the book they were kind of bickering but thats what made it a good book. If you like books with a little bit of friendly fighting and some suspence mixed in I would recomend this book to you.

The Lemonade War

I read the book The Lemonade War by Jaqueline Davies. This book is about a boy named Evan and his little sister Jessie. When Evan finds out that Jessie will be in his fourth grade class with him because the school is shareing classrooms Evan goes crazy. He goes crazy because Evan isn't the best in school. He struggles with reading and isn't so good in school, and while on the other han Evans sister Jessie is very good in school and Evan doesn't want her to see him get a wrong answer in school and have his friends think she is smarter than him. After fighting with his sister Evan calls his friend Scott Spencer and decides to have a lemonade stand with him to earn some money. When Jessie comes out side and sees Scott there she finds this unusual because Evan doesn't really hang out with Scott that much. So Jessie then asks Evan if he would like any help because she could help him earn some money, but when Evan says no the war is on. After reciveing the word no from Evan Jessie says,"Fine i'll make my own lemonade stand." So Jessie goes on to do that and then calls up one of evans friends because none of her friends are around. When Jessie's friend comes along the start of the war begins. I thought this was a very great book and it really kept me reading and that everyone should read it once. By Charlie R.

Diary of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules: Review by C. J. D.

Diary of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney is about a boy named Greg Heffley who has an aggravating brother named Rodrick. Rodrick has been annoying Greg ever since he was born. When Greg would be playing with his stuff, Rodrick would just go up to him and kick him and his toys. Well, now Greg was excited to have a baby brother. Although, only to see what it feels like to boss other people around. The only thing is that Greg's parents are so protective of his brother. His other brother's name is Manny. Ever since Manny was born, Greg has been tattled on and been in so much trouble. He even told on him before he could even talk. Greg is a ladiesman and he always tries to get someone to go out with him. He thinks he is so cool and he is on top of the most popular kid in school list. Now everyone doesn't think that. He doesn't have many friends beside this kid named Rowley. Rowley is Greg's best friend and maybe his only. He sits with Rowley at lunch. He sometimes sits with him in class. Rowley is obsessed with Greg!!!!!

Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien: Review by Alex M.

Lord of the rings: Return of the king by J.R.R Tolkien

This is the 3rd book of the series and also the last book. Some of you probably have seen the movie, of coarse like in all movies that were made after great books they leave out a lot of things. For example it leaves a big part out at the end of the story called The Scouring of the Shire. This is when the they come back from Minas Tirith which as some of you might now it is the great fortress of Gondor. They come back and Urak-hi or orks and men had taken over the Shire and there leader is a wizard revered to as Sharku. Now Merry, Pippin, Sam, and Frodo have to make a rebellion and take down the mighty Sharku. The thing that are special about these book is there is a pre-prequel and prequel and it was in one of the books that was soppuse to be a sequal to The Hobbit. The prequel is as most of you know is The Hobbit and that book is for 6-8 year old, and the pre-prequel is the Simarillion. This book is the story of the creating of Middle Earth (the setting of the books) and the events that took place to make the ring.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolken

For my blog post, I read The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolken. It is about a small type of human called a Hobbit. This particular Hobbit is named Bilbo Baggins. He lives in a small town called The Shire. One day while Bilbo is eating breakfast, he hears a knock at the door. When he opens the door, he meets someone he does not expect. He meets Gandalf the Grey. Bilbo has heard about Gandalf, but he has never met him before. But instead of just Gandalf, 13 dwarfs come in after him. They have come to Bilbo because they need a thief. They need a thief to steal gold and jewels from a dragon named Smaug. Gandalf and the dwarfs want to steal from Smaug because he killed the head dwarf's, Thorin Oakshield, father and grandfather. He also stole all of the dwarf city's treasure. Now, let's go forward. On their journey, Bilbo, Gandalf, and the dwarfs get captured by goblins. But Gandalf is nowhere to be found. He abandoned them. But, for his own reasons, he rescued them. But as they were running away, Bilbo falls down a hole. In that hole, he meets Golem. Who is a demented Hobbit whose mind is twisted by the one ring. A ring that can make a man invisible. Except in sunlight. Bilbo finds a way out by using the ring to conceal him. After he escapes and finds the crew, they travel on to Smaug's lair. Bilbo explores in the cave and finds the gold. But Smaug sees Bilbo while he is in there. Outraged, he flies out of the cave and terrorizes a floating town called Lake Town. A man there named Bard sees Smaug coming and shoots his luck black arrow. While Bolbo is exploring in the cave, he finds a weak-point in Smaug. Bard strikes the weak-point and Smaug falls into the river, dead. That is the summary to The Hobbit.

The Report Card By Andrew Clements: Review by Carolyn P.

In the book The Report Card the main character is a girl named Nora who wants more than anything to fit in. Though it is hard because Nora is like a second Albert Einstien and that would be difficult to hide. She learned to read encyclopedias at the age of two and knows more things than any one of her family members. The plot takes place in Connecticuts Philbrook Elementry school where Nora is starting her fifth grade year. It starts when Nora comes home with a report card with all D's except for in spelling where she got a C. Although you may think this was the worst thing Nora would have experienced in her life so far; your dead wrong. It was all for her best friend Stephen; to make him feel good. This was all part of the plan. Unfortunate for her this plan partly fails. The teachers and parents where all over her at once trying to figure out what went wrong. In the process though they find the hidden genius. So she and her best friend make up another plan that she would get zeros on her tests and have all the people in the school get zeros. This plan worked but with coincidence. They get into deep trouble and by there reasoning find a way out of it.

I would give this book a three out of five. It wasn't my favorite book but it it wasn't horribly bad. It just wasn't well written. Some of the books Andrew Clemets has wrote where good but this on was not really. This book was for a person who is at a lower level of reading then I.

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live with felons? Have them wash your clothes, and cook your food? Moose Flanagan has never in his wildest imagination thought he would live on Alcatraz. But when money is tight, and Natalie is finally going to get a chance to be normal, Moose must start to see Alcatraz as his home.

When Moose arrives at Alcatraz, he meets the other children who live on the island. Like Moose's dad, their dads work as prison guards. Moose soon becomes friend with Theresa, a crazy know it all little girl, Annie a quiet girl who is surprisingly good at baseball, and of course Piper the warden's trouble making daughter. Piper always has a plan, Moose unfortunately learns this by stumbling upon one of her worst. One day, Piper decides that she wants to make some money, so she devises the plan that she will have kids at school pay to have their clothes washed by the prisoners. Moose wants to fit right in, and makes a deal with Piper that he'll help her as long as she stops asking about Natalie. Natalie is Moose's older sister, but since she had Autism (which no one knew existed at the time) Mrs. Flanagan decides that every time Natalie has a birthday she will turn ten all over again. She does this so that people won't think that she is a weird freak who doesn't talk at all. Will the warden find out about Piper's plan? Will Natalie get into the school that copes with children who are like her? Read Al Capone Does My Shirts to find out.

Al Capone Does My Shirts is a wonderful story about family troubles, and how to get through them. It helps you understand that families go through hard times, but in the end it will be okay.


reviewed by: Jane D.

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

          The Last Song is a story about a girl named Ronnie. Her mom and dad are divorced. She has to visit her dad for the summer; she lives in New York but her dad lives in the south. She has to leave her life of stealing to become the girl her mom always wanted her to be. One night at a fair in town Ronnie bumped into a guy she never thought she would fall for named Will, but in the south anything could happen. When Will and Ronnie fall in love a party loving guy named Marcus tries to get in the way of their love by taunting Will with Will's best friend's dark past. When Will tells Ronnie the truth of his best friend Scott, how will she react? Will Ronnie and Will last or is it just a summer romance going nowhere? Will has to go to college in Nashville while Ronnie has to go back home. Will their long distance relationship last?


         While they are making the best of their summer one of Ronnie's only friends does the worst thing she could. Now Ronnie has to go to court and Will's mom already disapproves of her, what will happen when she finds out? Ronnie feels like her world is falling apart when she finds out a heart-wrenching secret is taking her father away from her. Will he see the end of the summer? Will and Ronnie start to drift apart as the summer is coming to an end. Will goes off to Nashville to go to college and Ronnie's little brother and mom go back to New York while she cares for her father. Ronnie had played the piano all her life and vows she will never play again. Will she break that promise to herself to show her dad that she still cares about the musical past they shared. After going back to New York Ronnie realized that she wants to play the piano, so she attends Julliard.  While playing the piano in the school's audition room she is numb and lifeless. And then a surprise happens that makes her able to feel again. Read this book to answer all your questions!!


PS: the movie came March 31

The Last Song Movie Trailor

The Phantom Tollbooth (Review by James M.)

Meet Milo, a young boy who is bored with everything. When he is in school he wants to be out, when he is out he wants to be in. All he does is wait for the next moment to come so he can use that moment to think of the next.

On one particularly rainy day Milo walked home from school, when he arrived home and wanted to be at school again, when a large box caught his eye. There was a note attached that read, "ONE GENUINE TURNPIKE TOLLBOOTH, EASILY ASSEMBLED AT HOME, AND FOR USE BY THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER TRAVELED IN LANDS BEYOND. THIS PACKAGE CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ITEMS: . . . RESULTS ARE NOT GUARANTEED, BUT IF NOT PERFECTLY SATISFIED, YOUR TIME WILL BE REFUNDED." An odd note Milo thought as he assembled the tollbooth. When he was done, he rode a small car through the tollbooth and as he did his surroundings changed from his boring room to a jungly forest. As he drives along he sees a man and he stops.

"I'm the whether man!" He proclaims.

"Well then is it going to rain?" Milo questioned.

"I don't know, I am the W-H-E-T-H-E-R man. Like whether or not you should wear a coat. "

"Oh well thank you any way." Milo replied.

If you want to hear more funny puns and join Milo on a hilarious adventure to save two lost princesses then you should read The Phantom Tollbooth By Norton Juster.