Secret Garden By: Frances Hodgson Burnett

The book I read was The Secret Garden. The main character in the story is a little girl named Mary. She originally lived in India, with her Ayah who pampered, dressed, and fed Mary. There is a terrible disease going around in India. Mary gets sent to live with her uncle in Misselthwaite, which is an academy in a different area of India. When she reaches Misselthwaite she is just skin and bone. Her new Ayah’s name is Martha. Martha teaches Mary many things, like how to dress herself and how to feed herself. When Mary reaches Missalthwaite, she eventually meets two boys who soon become her friends. Their names are Colin and Dicken. Mary, Colin, and Dicken all discover the Secret Garden.
To find out what they do in the Secret Garden you’ll have to read this book. So go to the library and pick up a copy.

Rachel

Killing Mr. Griffin by: Lois Duncan

The book Killing Mr. Griffin is about five teenage students who plan to scare their English teacher for giving them a bad grade. They decide to kidnap him and bring him to the forest. When their plans go wrong they find out that life isn’t a joke, even if they didn’t intend to kill Mr. Griffin. When they try to cover up what they did, many interesting events happened. My favorite part was when the police started to look for the suspected murderers of Mr. Griffin. The police get closer and closer to the suspects. This is a very mysterious and suspense story. Read the book to find out!

Jennifer

THE CITY OF SPARKS BY Jeanne DuPrau

The City of Sparks is an exciting and adventurous book. It tells about how the people of Ember find the city of Sparks and try to fit in. Many of the people of Sparks are angry that the people of Ember came to them and excepted to be fed. Riots broke out and people are hurt. The people of Sparks try to feed them and give them homes but they get irritated and angry. One troublemaker decides to show that the people of Ember should get houses, get jobs, and be treated equally by starting a war. He thinks that they could beat the people of Sparks because they have made weapons out of glass and sticks but, they don’t know the people of Sparks have a weapon from the old days. Will Lisa and Doon be able to help the people of Ember and the people of Sparks live in peace or will they have to live in war for the rest of their lives? This book will make you want to keep reading until you find out what happens.
Natalia

THE IRON RING by Lloyd Alexander

I have read an awesome book called The Iron Ring by Lloyd Alexander. This story was about an Indian prince named Tamar who wagered his kingdom. At first luck was on his side, but when the other player opened the cup, Tamar had lost not only the game but the kingdom. When the king found out, he was not pleased with Tamar’s actions. Feeling ashamed, Tamar told the king that he would go to the other world to prove his honor to the king. Escorted by Darshan, Tamar left his city to get his honor back. When they got to the other world, Tamar was dropped off to start his journey. He met a hunter on the way. After the conversation they had, the day got very strange. He met a talking monkey and he met many kings. When his travel was nearly complete he noticed a sinister king named Jaya. Jaya asked him to play a game. If he wins the game he wins his honor but if he loses he shall die. This is my favorite part. Will Tamar win Jaya’s game? Read it if you want to know the spectacular ending to this book.

Brian

MIDNIGHT MAGIC by: Avi

This book is about a magician and his servant, Fabrizio. Mangus, the magician has been put under house arrest for practicing magic. One night, Fabrizio laid out Tarot cards to predict Mangus’s future. The cards said “The Magician, The Servant, The Castello, The King, The Ghost, The Princess, The Tutor, The Queen, and as he turned over the next card he hoped for riches, but it was, DEATH. On that same night, The Kings companion, Count Scarazoni knocked on the door and said that King Claudio called Mangus to the Castello. Fabrizio gave his master the message. Mangus didn’t know what King Claudio needed him for. King Claudio said he was forced to have Mangus the Magician use magic to free his daughter, Princess Teresina, from a terrifying ghost. Count Scarazoni thought it was a prank to keep him from marrying her, but she believes it is her brother begging for revenge of his killer. After almost every paragraph your mouth will be agape, trust me. There are many unlocked secrets I’m dying to tell you, but you should read Midnight Magic to find out the surprising secrets…
-Jenna P.

POISON IVY by Amy Goldman Koss

Three bullies, two boyfriends, one trial. The book Poison Ivy is about a girl named Ivy who had a court trial with her classmates in their government class.
This book is written with loads of humor and extreme excitement. Poison Ivy also gives the many different points of view of people in the real life. The trial in Ivy’s government class is about these three popular girls that have bullied Poison Ivy for years, Ann, Benita, and Sophie. Ivy wants an apology letter saying that they are sorry about all the bad things they have done and said to her. While this trial takes place, Ann finds an attractive guy named Marco, but will she persuade him to be the love of her dreams? When all this drama occurs, will everyone be happy? Even witnesses are brought out to decide the faith of ‘The Anns’, but will anyone be brave enough to admit the truth in front of the three witches? Will Ivy get her apology or will she remain bullied for the rest of her school years? Read Poison Ivy to find out who gets their ways, The Anns? Or poor Poison Ivy?
Jasmine

THE FIRE TEAR Chris D’Lacey

I really enjoyed this book. It is about a child named, David who discovers a clay dragon created by an artic dragon’s tear called The Fire Tear. The clay dragon allows David one wish. The dragon will only allow him the wish if it is unselfish and beneficial or the wish will turn against him. Can he finally be unselfish or will his wish turn against him? The most exciting part of the first chapter in my opinion is when David sister trys to created an interesting book and title. Her first book was denied so her next book is called The Adventures Spikey the Hedgehog. To find out what happens next ask Miss Rosenberg where you can find the book. I guarantee that you will love this book or my name isn’t Kyle. If I’m wrong try the sequel to this book by Chris D’Lacey and book review by Austin in Miss Mininger’s advisory.
Kyle

REALITY BUG by D. J. McHale

Do you have a favorite series? I do, and the series is called Pendragon. The book I read is the fourth book, The Reality Bug, by D. J. McHale. The Pendragon series is about a boy named Bobby Pendragon. He is a Traveler. Travelers are people from different worlds who must save the universe from the evil Saint Dane. Saint Dane is trying to destroy the universe, so he can rule everything and everyone. He finds a weakness or a turning point, in each world, to turn it to destruction. Bobby follows Saint Dane to each world to try to stop him. In this book, Bobby goes to Veelox. When he gets there he is greeted by the Traveler from Veelox, Aja Killian. There is very advanced technology on Veelox. A special program called Lifelight allows the people of Veelox to go inside their own fantasies. Everyone is addicted to Lifelight. Suddenly, there is a problem with Lifelight. I think the most interesting part in the book is when Aja, Bobby, and Loor, the Traveler from Zadaa, try to fix the problem with Lifelight. Saint Dane thinks that if everyone is in Lifelight, the world will fall apart. They have to go inside the fantasy of Dr. Zetlin, the creator of Lifelight to fix the problem. How are they going to find Dr. Zetlin? Can you guess who is responsible for the problem with Lifelight? Can Bobby get everyone out of Lifelight and beat Saint Dane? Will Veelox be destroyed? The Pendragon series are great and I love them!
Kaitlyn

NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH by Avi

Have you ever read a documentary novel before? If you haven’t, you should read Nothing But The Truth. This documentary novel is about Philip Malloy, a ninth Grader, who was suspended for two days because he was accused of singing while the national anthem tape was playing. Philip’s mother had to come pick him up. When he got home he ran up the stairs went to his room and slammed the door and didn’t come out until his father came home. Suddenly, Philip’s story appeared in the newspaper, but the story’s details were mistaken. My favorite part is at the end of the story, but you will have to read this story to find out what it is.

David

Dogs Don’t Tell Jokes by Louis Sachar

Are you into books that are funny? So funny that your not able take your mind of the book and excited to read the next chapter of the book? Well, you’re going to love the book Dogs Don’t Tell Jokes. This book is about a boy named Gary W. Boone, but every one calls him Goon. He likes to tell jokes at school, but no one laughs at them. They just think he’s weird. There is a talent show at school and first prize is 100 dollars. Gary is planning to sign up. He goes home and tells his parents and his dad offers him another 100 dollars if he doesn’t tell 1 joke into the talent show. My favorite part is when people tell him a joke and he is not supposed to answer it because it is apart of his dad’s deal. Will he win the talent show and get the 100 dollars or will he get the 100 dollars from his dad? Read the book to find out.

Kim

BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THORNS By: Patrick Carman

Beyond the Valley of Thorns was an interesting book by Patrick Carman. I like this book because it was about adventures in the wild. I wanted to read this book because it looks like it has a lot of mystery and adventure. My favorite part of this book was when Alexa and tree friends were looking for the city “Valley of Thorns”. One of her friends named Yipes found a letter with a map on the back of a piece of paper. The letter was from a really close friend of Alexa named Warvold. He was trying to find the city “Valley of Thorns”, but he died so he left the map with a letter to Alexa. This map leads to the city “Valley of Thorns” and the favorite part was when Alexa got into trouble in a really dark forest and it was kind of like interesting for me. If you want to read this book I really recommend it if you are a person that likes adventures and the wilderness. So if you want to find out how it ends you’ll have to read the book!!

Fredy

THE CHALK BOX KID by Clyde Robert

Gregory loved to draw pictures. One day Gregory woke up and his mother and father were getting ready for work. The mother works at a restaurant and the father works at a bank. Mother asked Gregory, “Do you want your uncle to go with you to the new school?” Gregory said NO and ran out the door.

Then Gregory went to school and went in the office and asked the lady that was standing at the desk where to go. “I am a new student at this school,” he said. He was told to go to room 33.
After school he went home and then he saw his Uncle Max watching T.V. Gregory went into the room and looked around and when he was looking he saw pictures. There were none of Gregory pictures; there were only his Uncle Max’s pictures. The next day Gregory went school and his friend Ivy said he was a good artist.

Ivy and Gregory found a little shed that was not being used. They also found some chalk in the shed. What do you think they did with the chalk? Read the book to find out what happened next.
Joseph

AMERICAN REVOLUTION by Mary Pope Osborne

Did you ever wonder what Paul Revere would have done if he had forgotten his spurs the night of his famous ride? Do you want to know how Molly Pitcher got her name? Then read American Revolution by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce. It is part of the Magic Tree House research series.

American Revolution tells you facts about America during the Colonial and Revolutionary times. You could learn about weapons or famous people. It tells you how people lived and worked in the colonies. It also follows the events of the American Revolution.

My favorite part was the section on weapons. It has lots of cool facts about them. Did you know that a cannon could hit a target 100 yards away? Or that a bayonet is a sword that fits on a musket?

If you like reading about history then American Revolution is the book for you.
Rolland

I Was a Teenage Fairy by: Francesca Lia Block

“After a while crocodile” is what Mab would say to Barbie. Barbie has been a model since childhood. This is what her mother forced her to do because she was one in her childhood. That is why she named Barbie after the plastic doll. Mab is the one who gives her advice and comments of what she does. Mab is a small, magenta-haired, straight-talking fairy who may or may not be real. The only way Barbie can get through her life is with Mab. I would have to say that my favorite part was the part when Mab was taking Griffin on a ride in the night sky while he thought he was having a dream. As Barbie goes on with her life you can examine it with her. Read the story to find how the story ends and know the new people from the story. Take this book and have a great laugh after!!

~ Anne

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

The title of the book that I read is called Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The reason why I chose this book is because someone recommended it to me, and as I started it I couldn’t stop. This book is basically about a kid writing about his life. His life isn’t really that great. His name is Greg. He also has a friend named Rowley. Both of them are very nerdy. Whenever they go to school, they always get made fun of. For example: they went trick-or-treating, and they’re costumes were so terrible that no one even wanted to give them candy. One day Greg went to school and two big bullies shoved him and his books onto the floor, and his friends had to come and try to stand up to the bullies. This book was very interesting, and I enjoyed it, and I recommend it to anyone who likes books based on peoples’ life.

Crystal

FALLEN ANGELS by Walter Dean Myers

During the Vietnam era, many parents did not know where their children were. Were they safe and sound in bunks? Were they fighting against a foreign person halfway across the world? Or were they being shipped over to the states in a coffin? These probably were the thoughts of parents in the book I read, Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers. He catches the excitement, thrills and of course the sadness n this touching novel.

My favorite part was when Richard Perry, the main character planted a claymore mine (a mine that when triggered hurtles hundreds of steel fragments) the wrong way. Then, the leader saw an enemy turn it around as it was being set off. Everyone ducked. After the firefight, the leader asked to talk to Perry. Since the leader saw the enemy turn the claymore around, he was wondering which direction the claymore had been first. I thought that this showed even people in the army are not perfect (although in this situation it is more deadly).

So, to conclude, this is a gripping, suspenseful novel that I am sure you will love.

Jack

Spirits and Spells by Bruce Coville

The book I read was Spirits and Spells it was about a group of kids that make up a game. A boy in the group named Travis wanted to try their new game he had them play in an old deserted mansion believed to be haunted. When they go in Travis waits in the library while the rest of the group goes to find the items required to play the game. The game says they all have new names and magical powers. Travis played tricks on the rest of the group with scary items. Then the joke became real and now everything is going wrong there is a ghost in the house that was once a tape recorder. There is a giant octopus once a toy one. Read more to find out the magical mysteries behind the book Spirits and Spells.

Lukas

ROLL CALL by Malcolm Rose

If you like a murder mystery then Roll Call by Malcolm Rose is the book is the book for you. The book is about sixteen year old forensic investigator Luke Harding trying to find a serial killer with his partner Malc in the country of England. One thing in common with the killings they all have the same name, Emily Wonder. The hard thing about this mystery is the killer is leaving no traces behind to find DNA, from the weapons. Three out of forty four Emily Wonders in the country are dead, and one is missing. While Luke has to travel all over England trying to find the killer he has to find the missing Emily Wonder as well. While trying to find the missing Emily Wonder a tsunami is racing towards the England. Will Luke find Emily in time, and get to safe grounds or will he fail his mission to save Emily Wonder.

Brian

The Penderwicks by: Jeanne Birdsall

This magnificent book tells you about the interesting life of the 4 Penderwick sisters, and a very exciting boy. Jane, Skye, Batty, and Rosalind spend their summer at Arundel, their vacation house in Cape Cod. During their stay they run into Jeffrey. Jeffrey’s mother wants him to attend Pencey Military Academy. Jeffrey would hate to go there but would his mother agree? They also know the gardener who owns 2 rabbits that the sisters always visit. Will small Batty let the rabbits escape or keep them safe? Will the sisters have to leave without saying good bye to their friends? Read this wonderful book to find out.

By: Sanju

Timothy of the Cay by Theodore Taylor

Timothy of the Cay is about a blind boy named Phillip and a man named Timothy. The first part talks about how Phillip was rescued from the Cay. He finally hears his parent’s voice for the first time ever since the Hato (the ship that he was on when a German U-boat torpedoed it). When he goes home he trips over every thing since he is blind. He receives word that there is a doctor that can get his sight back that is in New York. The second part of the book is about Timothy before and on the Hato. He lives in the small town of Back o’ All. He finds a cabin boy that broke his leg falling off a ladder. Is this finally his chance to go out to sea or will someone else take his place? And will Phillip get his sight back or will he die trying to? Read Timothy of the Cay to find out.

Eric

ICE FIRE

I really enjoyed this book. It is about a child named, David who discovers a clay dragon created by an artic dragon’s tear called “The Fire Tear”. The clay dragon allows David one wish. The dragon will only allow him the wish if it is unselfish and beneficial or the wish will turn against him. Can he finally be unselfish or will his wish turn against him? The most exciting part of the first chapter in my opinion is when David sister trys to created an interesting book and title. Her first book was denied so her next book is called “The Adventures Spikey the Hedgehog”. To find out what happens next ask Miss Rosenberg where you can find the book. I guarantee that you will love this book or my name isn’t Kyle. If I’m wrong try the sequel to this book by Chris D’Lacey and book review by Austin in Miss Mininger’s advisory.

Kyle

THE ZOMBIE ZONE by Ron Roy

The Zombie Zone was one of my favorite books. I know you will enjoy it because it is action packed. One of my favorite parts was when Dink’ Josh and Ruth Rose were checking out the cemetery looking for zombies. They found a man climbing out of a hole in the ground. They had to decide if he was a real zombie of just a regular guy. They were scared and did not know what to do. As I read this book I was even scared too.
Gabriel

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by: Gregory Maguire

Have you ever read a twisted fairy tale? Do you want to? Then Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister is the book to read. This book is about a teenage girl named Iris along with her strict widow mother Margarethe and her brainless older sister Ruth. They look for work and a painter named Master Schoonmaker who was looking for help accepts them. When the van den Meer family looks for maids they step in. Then tragedy strikes and the van den Meer head woman dies. Margarethe instantly marries Cornelius van den Meer and becomes the new wife. So now Iris has a new stepdad and new stepsister named Clara whose beauty is overwhelming. An invitation arrives for the Queens ball. Clara refuses to go but they persuade her to. Clara gets to the ball in her dazzling gold gown and steals the spotlight of the prince’s heart.
* * * * * * * * * *
My favorite part was part 5 The Ball. Clara arrived at the ball in her gold dress and everyone’s eyes were set on her. Clara was supposed to be unseen. The prince spends the most time with her and everyone is jealous. The Queen rushes out yelling. No one can understand what she’s saying. Then she takes a deep breath and blurts out ……. Chaos erupts and everyone panics. Read the book to find out what happens next.

Adline

Summer of Fear by Lois Duncan

Would you be jealous if your beautiful cousin would take over your bedroom, family, best friend, and even daring to take you boyfriend? If you like to read a terrible, tradigty and mystery book Summer of Fear by Lois Duncan is a grand book for you! It’s about when a girl named Rachel lives happily with her family. Until her aunt and uncle were in a terrible car crash a sadly past away. Rachel’s cousin is still too young to move by herself. Rachel makes her house like home to her cousin Julia. Further in the book Rachel finds out this shocking news about Julia’s personalities. My favorite part of this freaky book was when Rachel called Mary who is Julia’s best friend that lives in Pine Crest at 4:00 A.M. Mary starts talking to Rachel, but Rachel starts to ask too much questions that Mary thinks Rachel is stalking Julia. Mary doesn’t know about the real Julia. Rachel needs more information .And she will get more information.

Lisa

The Horror at the Haunted House by Peg Kehret.

Do you like horror books? Do you like spine tingling words that give you a chill? Then you should read The Horror at the Haunted House. The story begins about a house turned into a museum. They need to raise money for it so they decided to have a haunted house. They needed volunteers to work on the house so Ella and Cory decided they would help. Ella played the part of Joan of Arc in a school play and Cory played Prince Rufus. When Ella came to the museum she went into the collection room. The Wedgewood collection was worth $200,000. She couldn’t take her eyes off the fairy bowl. As she was looking at the bowl she sensed something very cold. It was the ghost Lydia. She was trying to tell her something. Every night the ghost would come to Ellen. The ghost wanted Ellen to go back to the museum to see the bowl. Read this story if you want to find out what happens next.
Michael

The Sword In The Stone by T.H. White

If you like magic and fantasy you should read The Sword in the Stone by T.H. White. A boy named Wart travels into a forest and finds a wizard named Merlyn. Merlyn becomes Wart’s tutor and turns him into many different animals. This is how Merlyn teaches Wart. My favorite part is when Wart gets turned into a snake. When Wart gets turned into a snake he learns about history from a snake who tells him how the dinosaurs became extinct and how snakes got their poison. Merlyn has to leave Wart because Wart’s half brother Kay is becoming a knight. Kay goes to a joust and forgets his sword so Wart has to go and find him one. Wart sees a stone with a sword in it. There is a saying about this sword that Wart doesn’t know. It is that whoever pulls out the sword will become king. Will Wart be able to pull out the sword?

Maxwell

NEVER MIND by Avi and Rachel Vail

“Never Mind” by Avi and Rachel Vail is about two twins named Meg and Edward. They are in the seventh grade, but go to different middle schools. My favorite part was when each of them described each other in the beginning of the book. Both Meg and Edward said that they were nothing alike. It made me laugh because they said things about each other that made them sound horrible! It was my favorite part because it sounded like they weren’t even related to each other. Everything they said made me laugh. It was funny that they talked about each other that way, and they were brother and sister! I also liked how the authors made it easy to figure out who was talking because they used different fonts for the characters. Also it was interesting to find out where the title of the book came from.
If you like to read books that are interesting, funny and exciting, then “Never Mind” is the book for you. It makes you want to keep reading chapter after chapter. When the characters find themselves in a certain situation, are they really as different as they say, or are they more alike then they think? To find out what happens to Meg and Edward, you have to read the book. I personally give it two thumbs up!
Melissa

Escape From Egypt: A Novel by Sonia Levitin

Do you enjoy adventure books, action, a bit of history, and even with some romance? If you like any of these types of books you should read this book. This book is about how boy named Jesse (Israelite) and a girl named Jannet (half Egyptian and half Syrian which means she is treated better by the Egyptians). Now Israelites are planning to escape from Egypt and an old Israelite man named Moses thinks he can lead them to the land of Canaan the land their god Adonai promised their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. While working Jesse gets hit on the head with a piece of metal, Jennat now being promised to In-hop-tep (her master) has more power so she gets the master physician for Jesse. Moses asks the pharaoh if they can leave Egypt; the pharaoh says no so Adonai gets mad and four plagues occur: the Nile River turns to blood, lice invade, and locust eats all the crops, and finally makes all the first born children will die unless they put a symbol made out of goat blood. After all these plagues the pharaoh actually forces the Israelites to leave but before they leave Adonai tells them to go to everyone’s and ask for their jewels Jesse goes to Jennat’s house and tries to convince her to go to Canaan she declines but tells him to take Shepset her closest friend because she got hurt and fired as the priests’ dancer, Jennat wants him to take care of her as a favor; Jesse accepts for he thinks of Jennat as a friend. They finally left and Jesse’s mom Devorah immediately treating Shepset (not suspecting she was not an Israelite). After figuring out Shepset is not an Israelite Devorah says she must go with the other clans. Jesse finds Jannet in the clan he is filled with joy he goes to see why she came she told him that her mistress tried to kill her (Jesse thinks he loves Jannet but he is promised to Talia his cousin who he does not love). Moses goes up onto a mountain and talks to Adonai he takes to long and the people make a golden calf the god gets very angry and kills many people. My favorite part was when Jesse’s Cousin Avi has left with Jennat and Shepset after a fight with his dad, Uncle Rimon because his dad was trying to protect him but he still didn’t understand. Uncle Rimon is dead now and his Mother Devorah died too because of a plague. Jesse then learns that Nathan is not his father and how he traded other babies for Jesse life so Devorah agreed to marry him Jesse then leaves after learning all of this information about his past; he takes some sheep and goats and leaves. Meanwhile Avi got Shepset pregnant and after hearing the news about how the clan that they are with is trying to kill all of the Israelite for they now that last time the Israelites almost got killed by their god Adonai for worshipping another god. Avi and Jannet leave and run into Jesse right before he was about to die they told him what happened and they rushed to warn the Israelites. Will they make it on time to save the Israelites, will they make it to Canaan and will Jesse end up with Jannet? If you want to know the answers to these questions you need to read this terrific book.

Alex

WHITE FANG by Jack London

In the cold cruel Northland our character, White Fang, a wolf, faces death at every corner. Shortly after he is born, his father is killed by a lynx. The litter begins to starve, and White Fang would be the only one to survive. He soon discoveries that in the wild only the strong survive, and the weak become pray to them.
My favorite part is when White Fang is forced into a dog fight by his owner against a giant bull-dog. White Fang has never fought a dog like this, so he isn’t sure what it does or how it fights. White Fang is fast and strong, and quickly dives in and out, biting and ripping at the bull-dog. The bull-dog is oblivious to the blows, simply allowing White Fang to slash him, but always following him, waiting for him to make a mistake. The bull-dog constantly keeps his jaw low to protect his throat and he is to sturdy for White Fang to knock him over. Finally, White Fang tries again to knock him over but he hits the other dog with his own shoulder and is knocked to the ground. White Fang is quickly on his feet again but by then the bull-dog had gotten a grip on his throat. The bite was in a bad spot, being to low from the soft spot on the throat but the dog hung on. White Fang twists and turns, trying to shake the massive dog, but it hangs on, slowing inching closer to the lethal spot on White Fangs throat. Finally, after several minutes of struggling, White Fang is finally exhausted and drops down.
I liked the book but it definitely wasn't my favorite. There were a few interesting parts that were different and exciting but besides from those it seemed that the story was very repetitive, often stating the same thing over and over again.
Peter

The Angels Command Tales of the Flying Dutchman by: Brian Jacques

This book is about a boy named Ben and a dog named Ned. They managed to escape the same tragedy that happened to the Flying Dutchman. Instead they gain the power to speak in any language, allowing Ben and Ned to communicate with one another. They go on a voyage and meet Dominic and Karayna. My favorite part is when Ben and Ned First saw the Flying Dutchman because it was really scary. They have to save their nephew Adamo who is cursed. They try to break the spell and….. Do you want to know if they break the spell? Well read the book to find out more.
Angel

The Kid Who Ran For President by Dan Gutman

The Kid Who Ran For President is about a boy named Judson Moon. He thinks he can run for the president of the United States. Then his friend named Lane Bernard, who knows a lot about politics, decides to be his campaign manager. After that, Judson goes to his neighbor Mrs. Syers. He asks Mrs Syers to be his vice president and she says yes. Lane and Judson finally realize that Judson needs a first lady. He asks the prettiest girl in his school named Chelsea and she also says yes. When they have finished all of the planning for the campaign, Lane called a reporter. The reporter came out the next day to interview Judson. That was the beginning of Judson’s fame, he was on almost every news channel. Judson got so popular that a lot of people liked him and were going to vote for him. Will Judson Moon win the election? Read the book to find out!

Jeffrey

THE NINTH NUGGET by Ron Roy

A boy won a free trip to a dude ranch. As a gift he gave a free trip to his friends. The dude ranch is in Bozeman, Montana. They arrived by a small airplane. There are many things to do on the ranch, like horse riding, roping and panning for gold. One day, Dink, Josh and Ruth Rose went panning for gold. Dink, Josh and Ruth Rose went to a lake and started searching around for rocks. Then Josh found a rock in the pond. It was a gold nugget. Josh was excited about finding the gold nugget and seeing how much it was worth. When they went back they weighed it to see how much it was worth. They locked it up in a small metal box like a safe. Then they went for a horse ride. When they returned the nugget was stolen.

My favorite part is when Josh , Dink and Ruth Rose try to find the thief. They searched for clues and suspects. Josh thought it was Thumbs, the ranch hand. Dink did not think it was Thumbs. They were at dinner and they came up with an idea. They decide to search the cabins. They thought it was someone staying at their ranch. Josh, Dink and Ruth Rose said they had schoolwork to do. They went out side and it was dark. They decided to split up and search the cabins. Josh searched Thumbs cabin. Dink searched Ed’s cabin. Ruth Rose searched Fiona’s cabin. They did not find the gold in anyone’s cabin. Dink, Josh and Ruth Rose sat outside of the cabins and watched as someone came back to the cabin. They looked through the window and watched and watched the person packing. You will be surprised to see what happened next.
Chris

THE SCHOOL SKELETON by Ron Roy

The School Skeleton is about three kids tring to find mysteries of who stole the school skeleton. You see, the three kids names were Dink, Josh, Ruth Rose. All three of them were finding the mysterious person that stole the skeleton. Dink was in his class room passing paper to his classmates but Dink got a paper cut while he was passing out papers so he went to the nurse for a band aid. The nurse asked him, “ Do you want a batman band aid and he kindly said, “Yes please.” Then he looked across the room but he didn’t see the school skeleton. He asked the nurse where the school skeleton was. She never noticed that the school skeleton was missing. That’s when he and his friends Josh and Ruth Rose go out to search who stole the school skeleton. Do they find the skeleton? What happens next?
Romane

Tigers at Twilight by Mary Pope Osborne

In Tigers at Twilight, Jack and Annie have to find the third gift to break the spell that Teddy the little dog is under. They travel to a forest in India using the Magic Tree House. They meet two monkeys name Kah & Ko who help them travel through the forest. They mostly travel through the forest on the back of Saba the elephant who saves them from a tiger and a python.

My favorite part of the story is when Jack & Annie save the tiger from a steel poachers trap. When the tiger is free, he growls at them and walks toward them like maybe he’ll attack them. But, Teddy the dog barks and growls at the tiger and he leaves them alone. For saving the tiger, a blind hermit man gives them a white lotus flower. This is the third gift from a forest far away. They have one more gift to find to break the spell on Teddy the little dog.

Will

The Last of the Really Great Wangdoodles

Wow!!I didn’t know there was such a thing as a Wangdoodle. So didn’t Ben, Tom Lindy Potter. They first went to the zoo to find an animal. Strangely a professor came and told about the Wangdoodles. Then the potters came to the professor’s house. They started to go into the land of wangdoodles . Prock, an evil Wangdoodle, sends sidewinders, slindercats, and more beasts to stop their adventure. There are also a lot of helpful things in the land of Wangdoodles, for example the Whiffle Bird, gum trees, and the king of Wangdoodleland. Are Ben, Tom, Lindy, and the professor going to make it through Wangdoodleland?
Alexa

NELL DUNE by Kathleen Duey

The book Nell Dune is about this girl who is arriving at Ellis Island after not seeing her father for two years. Nell is worried about the Americans inspectors sending the infirm back to Ireland. She worried if Granny Rose is sent back to Ireland she will have to go to to take care of her.

My favorite part is when the ferry’s ramp was crowded, with an unending stream of people spilling through the gate the uniform man had opened.
debbie

WAR COMES TO WILLY FREEMAN by James and Christopher Collier

Willy Freeman's life changes forever when she witnesses her father's death during the American Revolution. Her father is killed by British soldiers. When she returns home, she finds out that the Redcoats have taken her mother as a prisoner to New York City. Willy dresses in an outfit that makes her look like a boy. She starts on a journey towards New York City to try to find her mother. During the trip, she meets Horace who works with Sam Fraunces, owner of the famous Fraunces Tavern. He gives her a ride to New York and a safe place to stay at the tavern. She finds her mother, but her efforts to save her do not work as her mother dies. This story focuses on the desperation of a teenage girl and free black during the Revolutionary War traveling to reunite with her family.

This book is packed with adventure and excitement. It makes the reader want to turn to the next page to see what happens next. The author makes the characters real and believable by putting a story of fiction in a non-fiction setting. It makes you want to route for Willy to succeed in her journey to find her mother and makes you sad when her father and mother die.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes history and adventure. It teaches you about history in a very interesting way, but telling you a story around historical events. Although everything that happens in the book is not real, it is based on real life events that give you a sense of what really may have been experienced by somebody during this period.
Luke

NOTES FROM A LIAR AND HER DOG by Genifer Choldenko

This story is about a girl named Antonia and her two best friends Pistachio and Harrison. Antonia is a vivid liar she lies for practically anything to stay out of trouble and this time she is lying about being adopted! Her dog Pistachio is sick and her best friend is Harrison is mad at her for joining a math competition, her teacher is becoming her friend and not letting her go to zoo teens (a place where you help animals at the zoo) if she doesn’t stop lying, her sisters are better than her and her parents might not ever believe her anymore what is she supposed to do. She is supposed to tell the truth, Antonia has promised her teacher (just carol) that she wouldn’t lie but will she keep that promise, will she get her parents to trust her, will Pistachio ever get better, will Harrison stop being mad at her and most of all will her sisters stop being better than her and stop making fun of her read Notes From a Liar and Her Dog to find out.
Wendy

FIRE AND ICE by Erin Hunter

Fire and Ice by Erin Hunter is the second book in the Warriors series. The story is about a cat clan called Thunderclan. These cats live in the forest with 3 other clans. The main character is a cat named Fireheart.
My favorite part is when Fireheart and his friend Greystripe had to get another clan called Windclan back to their home. First they both located Windclan by scent. Windclan was hiding in a tunnel from another clan, Shadowclan. Fireheart and Greystripe brought them home. But while they were going to their home, they were attacked by Riverclan. Greystripe accidentally knocked a Riverclan cat into the river so he drowned. The Riverclan cats were mad but one cat understood. Her name was Silverstream. Greystripe later fell in love with her. But will Greystripe’s love for Silverstream ruin his loyalty for his clan? Or will the clan ignore Greystripe?

Jonathan

BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE by Annette Curtis Klause

Blood and Chocolate is about a girl named Vivian. She is in college, but is no ordinary school girl. She is actually a werewolf. Her father died in a fire a year ago, so now all she has is her unforgiving Mother. Then, she falls in love with a human, “meat-boy”, as her pack call humans. My favorite part is the Ordeal. During the Ordeal, all males turn into werewolves and fight to see who gets to be pack leader. Then, the women fight to see who gets to marry the male. When they fight, whoever sheds blood is out. Sadly, someone got ripped up to bits and died. Another got his neck broken. Who is going to win? Will Vivian win and have to marry the male? Or is she going to marry the man of her dreams?
Kristofor

GREGOR AND THE CURSE OF THE WARMBLOODS by Suzanne Collins

Do you like to read books with action and fantasy? Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods by Suzanne Collins is just for you. A boy named Gregor and his two year old sister Boots went to a place called the Underland to find a cure for a plague called the Curse of the Warmbloods. This plague infects only warmblooded creatures and is deadly to them. So Gregor, Boots and some of their friends go on a quest into a jungle where poison arrow frogs, giant ants, and plants that can eat a six foot rat whole, live. Gregor, Boots, and their friends must find the cure the people and animals in the Underland need, but especially his friend Ares, who is a bat, who was infected the worst. Then Gregor finds out the cure wasn’t in the jungle, but it was in the city of Regalia, the kingdom of the Underland.
My favorite part about the book was when Gregor was in the jungle to find the cure to save every warmblooded creature in the Underland because Gregor and his friends fought ants and plants and fled from poison arrow frogs. Gregor is something called a rager, which is someone who gets out of control at random times and starts thrashing about, but that saved him from the ants. Does he find the cure? Read the book to find out.
Larry

THE FACE ON THE MILK CARTON by Caroline Cooney

Janie Johnson lived a perfect life. She’s smart, pretty, funny, friendly, popular, and has the best boyfriend she could wish for. That all went away at her lunch period one day. She saw a picture on a milk carton. It showed a girl named Jennie Spring. Above the picture was the word “missing” in big, bold letters Janie had never seen a picture of herself from when she was little, but she recognizes herself. The missing child’s information says she was kidnapped from New Jersey more than a decade ago. Like anyone would, Janie wanted to know more about this. She starts to explore her house for clues about this mystery. In the back of her attic she finds an old trunk. There are school worksheets that have the name “Hannah” on it. She also finds a toddler’s polka dot dress. It is the same dress that Jennie Spring was wearing in her picture on the milk carton. Janie believes that this is her, and she wants to find out the truth no matter how hard it will be to find it. Did she have two families? Did she live in a house with lying criminals? This is easily my favorite part because of the suspense and mystery it sets into the book.
Amisha

CAST TWO SHADOWS by Ann Rinaldi

The American Revolution has come to Camden, South Carolina. The story is about Caroline Whitaker’s father who has been dragged to prison. He was taken to prison because he refused to pledge allegiance to the king, and her brother Johnny is away fighting for the Loyalists. So she, her mother, and her sister are confined to an upstairs chamber while British Colonel Lord Francis Rawdon occupies their spacious plantation house. Caroline is still heartbroken that her friend Kit was hanged to death. She also has to plead to Lord Rawdon to take her father out of jail. A girl named Jade is unable to cook Rawdon a meal so they have to go searching for someone who can cook a she-crab soup. Have you ever wondered what it would be like in the time of America’s Revolution? Well this book will take you back in time so you can find out how it felt to be in the revolution. You can find out that the revolution was a hard time for some families, like the time when the British policemen took away Caroline’s father away because he was a rebel. If you like to read historical fiction books then this book is for you.

- Jael

HEAT by Mike Lupica

Heat is about a boy Michael and his brother Carlos who are living illegally in the Bronx, New York. They live alone even though Carlos is still only 17. That’s why it’s illegal and they’re trying to keep their dead father a secret until Carlos turns 18 by saying that their dad is visiting a sick uncle in Florida and Carlos is just babysitting. My favorite part in the book is in the very beginning which is a little misleading at first. It is when a thief Ramon steals a woman’s purse and it seems like the entire rest of the story would be either about the woman or the crook. But as it turns out I was wrong on both accounts. You see the thief decided to run through a baseball field where we first meet Michael who throws a baseball from home plate to dead center field and nails the thief right on the head! After this all happens Michael is confronted by a police officer. Although warned by Carlos not to talk to official people without him, Michael couldn’t exactly run from a cop! So, will Michael and Carlos manage to keep there father’s death a secret until Carlos turns 18, or will the secret get out and they get sent to a orphanage instead? Read Heat by Mike Lupica to find out!
Jacob

THE SEA OF MONSTERS by Rick Riordan

Do you know a place where demigods, children of the Greek gods, roam, where a famous tree stands for protecting, and monsters are trying to get in? It is called Camp Half-Blood. Three demigods will risk their lives to save a friend and retrieve something called the Golden Fleece. Thalia's Tree is dying and the Golden Fleece is its only hope! Thalia's Tree is the only thing protecting Camp Half-Blood from monsters. Since the tree is dying, the monsters are slowly making it in. Once they get in, they will have a big feast of demigods! Will the other three demigods save camp before time is up? Find out in the second book of the series Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters! The ending was my favorite part because it was suspensful, happy, and sad, altogether!

Sherene

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO JANIE?

I read the second book in the series, The Face on the Milk Carton. The first book is about a girl named Janie who sees her face on a milk carton at lunch that says a 3 year old year was kidnapped at a mall in New Jersey. My favorite part is when Janie lives with the New Jersey family. The New Jersey family to Janie feels like strangers but when she decides to move back with the family she lived with most of her life. She starts missing the New Jersey family but she is happy that she is back with the family that she lived with for most of her life. This book starts with Janie trying to look for her New Jersey family with her boyfriend, Reeve. Once she gets to New Jersey, Janie sees a red bearded father, a red headed mother, boy, girl, and twins. Are they Janie’s real family? If you want to find out, read, Whatever Happened to Janie or read the first book, The Face on the Milk Carton to see how this whole dramatic problem started!
By: Marcela

THE WANDERER by Sharon Creech

Thirteen year old girl Sophie who goes sailing with her cousins and uncles to England to visit her grandpa, but her Uncle Dock also plans to visit someone else…his true love. In The Wanderer, my favorite part was when Sophie was telling stories about Bompie (Sophie’s grandpa). It was my favorite part because each story she told, was very different except the endings. The endings would be that his father gave him whippings for doing something crazy, and his mother would give him pie for being safe. When she told her stories, her uncles did not know about the stories of their dad as much as Sophie knew about her grandpa. So they think that she would have made up the stories that no one knew. They also wondered where she had gotten these stories from. My favorite story is when Bompie visits his dad for three weeks in the hospital because he is ill. The first week Bompie’s too angry to speak to him, the second week Bompie tells him how many times he whipped him, and on third week Bompie looks at his weak father and on the next day he brings him apple pie and they both start crying. Also, Sophie’s other two cousins figure out she’s adopted and ask her uncles why and how. They visit many places and friends, they get hit by a huge and terrible tide and Uncle Dock doesn’t know if he’s going to find his true love. Worst of all, they hear that Bompie (Sophie’s grandpa) is very ill. Is this trip worth it at all? Are Sophie’s stories true? Will Bompie be alive when they visit England? To figure all this out read The Wanderer by Sharon Creech.
Dipthi

The Outcast of Redwall by Brian Jacques

The Outcast of Redwall by Brian Jacques is about the son of an evil ferret named Swart Sixclaw. The unnamed baby was abandoned at birth during a battle between otters and squirrels on one side and Swart Sixclaw on the other. The kind mouse Byrony took the baby ferret in and the abbess of the abbey Redwall named him Veil. As Veil grew up he began to steal from Redwallers. His father’s bad blood was showing through. His behavior got worse as he grew older. One day he was banished for a horrible crime. Byrony soon began looking for Veil. Veil soon meets his father. Will Veil side with the only creature that ever loved him, or should he turn his back on his father? The horrible crime that caused this situation is one of my favorite parts.

My favorite part was when Veil climbs the wall of Redwall. He did this because he had tried to poison the cook. Veil held a grudge against the cook because he would always get caught when he tried to steal from the kitchens. The nurse found out what kind of poison Veil used. She tricked him into thinking his hands were stained red from the poison. When the nurse made the announcement about the poisoning, everyone began looking for red hands. The nurse had dyed her hands red to show everyone what the criminal’s hands would look like, She also said she had a wash in her study to clean the red away. Knowing it was the only way to get out of punishment, Veil climbed to the nurse’s study to wash his hands. Guards were watching from outside the room. They came in while Veil was washing his hands, and the guards arrested him. Then he was banished for his horrible crime.
The story continues with the adventures of Veil, his father, and Byrony. To find out how it ends, you’ll have to read the book.
Gabe

Jack Adrift Fourth Grade without a Clue by Jack Santos

In this story, Jack Henry, a fourth grade boy moves to Cape Hatteras with his family. When he gets to his fourth grade class on the first day of school he starts a new life. My favorite part is when Jack starts to have a crush on his teacher Miss Noelle. He is confused and distracted by having a crush on his teacher. As soon as Jack walks into class, he believes he is in love. As a result, he begins an imaginary life in his classes with his teacher. He dreams about what it would be like for her to have a crush on him. In his imagination Jack also dreams about giving Miss Noelle gifts and holding her hand. In this part Jack’s feelings become more visible and as a reader you feel connected with Jack. If you are curious to find out what happens between Jack and his teacher you will enjoy reading this book.
By: Hannah

REVENGE OF THE WANNABES by Lisi Harrison

Revenge of the Wannabes is about these five girls: Massie Block, Claire Lyons, Kristen Gregory, Dylan Marvil and Alicia Rivera whose friendships fall apart. In this book Massie and Alicia did not get along very well. Massie finds out Alicia is starting her own clique and she is shocked. Will each of them make it on their own? On the other hand, Claire is adored by Cam, a Briarwood boy. Will she be able to stay in Massie’s clique? Kristen is caught between two cliques. Who will she choose: Alicia’s clique or Massie’s clique? Dylan is convinced that Massie is no good. She might join Alicia’s clique. Will Massie replace her with someone else? Last but not least, Alicia is one spoiled girl. Is she nice enough to start a clique of her own? In this book there is a lot of gossip. Read Revenge of the Wannabes by Lisi Harrison to find out about more gossip and the cliques.
Amanda

NUMBER THE STARS by Lois Lowry

What kind of books do you read? Do you like mysteries or sad stories? Well even if you hate sad stories this one is so good that you will like it even if you don’t like to read. This book is filled with excitement, mystery and sadness and guess what the sad parts are the best!
Number The Stars is about two best friends, Anna Marie and Ellen. One friend is Jewish and the soldiers are taking over their city. German soldiers are going to hunt down every Jewish family and take them away because for some reason they don’t want them to be there. When they find out that they are going to be tracked by soldiers because they are Jewish, they decide to hide. Anna Marie’s family will find this out and try to help them meanwhile the soldiers are trying to find out where they are. What do you think? Will they find the Rosen’s family and punish them for running away or will they escape and live happily with their family? My favorite part is when the Rosens are trying to help their friends by letting their daughter stay with them. While their friend’s daughter is staying there she pretends that she is their daughter Lisa who soldiers had killed. One night in middle of the night there is a big bang on the door. The two girls wake up and eavesdrop on the parents who were talking to the soldiers. The girls sat up and the soldiers were wondering who the girl with the black hair was because the rest of the family had blonde hair. Will the soldiers take the Ellen away from the Rosens?
Mariana

Best Friends for Never by Lisa Harrison

If you’re into suspense and comedy filled books, then this just might be the book for you. It’s about a girl named Massie and her clique. Massie always wants to be the center of attention in her school, and if she isn’t, her reputation at OCD School will be crushed. OCD is hosting a contest to see if they can use the children’s outfits for the new and improved OCD uniforms. They need to design their own outfits and will be judged to see who will win and their uniforms will be used. Massie’s best friends Alicia and Olivia are competing against each other. My favorite part in the book is when they have the Halloween Party that Massie and Claire threw, but Massie was taking all the credit for the party and people didn’t even know Claire was hosting as well. Will Massie fight for the top spot, or will Alicia steal her attention? Find out by reading Best Friends for Never by Lisa Harrison!
Ayesha

Trouble Don’t Last By Shelly Pearlson

How would you feel if you were a runaway slave? Samuel is a young slave working on the Hackler plantation. He is taken care of an old man named Harrison because his mother was sold off when he was a baby. One night, Harrison comes into his room to tell him there going to run away. On their way to Canada, they are taken in by many different people. Their last stop is a shipyard on the shores of Lake Eire. He, Harrison, and another slave they met along the way, try to sneak aboard a ship going to Canada. They are stopped by a worker. When the worker asks them for their “free papers”, they have to figure out a way to get on the ship. This was my favorite part of the book because it was the most suspenseful. Read Trouble Don’t Last to find out if Samuel and Harrison make it safely to Canada.
By Tim

THE REALITY BUG by D.J. McHale

Do you have a favorite series? I do, and the series is called Pendragon. The book I read is the fourth book, The Reality Bug, by D. J. McHale. The Pendragon series is about a boy named Bobby Pendragon. He is a Traveler. Travelers are people from different worlds who must save the universe from the evil Saint Dane. Saint Dane is trying to destroy the universe, so he can rule everything and everyone. He finds a weakness or a turning point, in each world, to turn it to destruction. Bobby follows Saint Dane to each world to try to stop him. In this book, Bobby goes to Veelox. When he gets there he is greeted by the Traveler from Veelox, Aja Killian. There is very advanced technology on Veelox. A special program called Lifelight allows the people of Veelox to go inside their own fantasies. Everyone is addicted to Lifelight. Suddenly, there is a problem with Lifelight. I think the most interesting part in the book is when Aja, Bobby, and Loor, the Traveler from Zadaa, try to fix the problem with Lifelight. Saint Dane thinks that if everyone is in Lifelight, the world will fall apart. They have to go inside the fantasy of Dr. Zetlin, the creator of Lifelight to fix the problem. How are they going to find Dr. Zetlin? Can you guess who is responsible for the problem with Lifelight? Can Bobby get everyone out of Lifelight and beat Saint Dane? Will Veelox be destroyed? The Pendragon series is great and I love them!
Kaitlyn

CHARLOTTE'S WEB by E.B. White

It started with a very special piglet being born. He was the runt of the batch. There was a little girl named Fern. Her father, Mr. Arable wanted to kill him. Fern begged her father to let her raise it on her own, so she did. Fern named the piglet Wilber. She thought that it was a wonderful name. Fern spent all her time with Wilber. He was very lucky to have Fern as an owner. Wilber was then old enough to be sold. Fern’s father sold it to her uncle, Mr. L. Zuckerman. Fern visited Wilber every day she could. She listened to everything that Wilber and his friends talked about. Wilber made a very special and kind friend, Charlotte she was a spider. Wilber one day over hearing people talking about how they were going to kill Wilber. He then asked Charlotte to help him save his life. Does Charlotte save Wilber’s life? To find out read the book Charlotte's Web By: E.B. White.
Courtney

DOUBLE FUDGE by Judy Blume

The Hatchers are like any other family living in New York. They have an 11-year-old son named Peter, a baby girl named Tootsie, and a money crazed 6-year-old son named Fudge. The day Fudge found out about money he loved it, so his family (without Tootsie) went to the U.S. Mint. When the Hatchers get to the end of their tour of the Mint they meet their long lost cousins. These two families have almost nothing in common but are going to live in the Hatcher’s small apartment in New York together. Will these two families be able to stand each other? Read this book to find out.
Steven

THE HOUSE OF THE SCORPION By:Nancy Farmer

The House of the Scorpion is full of suspense, adventure, and humor. The main character is Matt, who was cut out from a cow. He is also an ‘eejit’ which is someone or something that has a computer chip put into its brain when it is born. Matt is also a clone that was cloned from El Patron, a powerful drug lord. Celia is the caregiver who Matt has to live with for six years. My favorite part was when Matt has to escape from the doctors and bodyguards that want to kill him. They want to kill him because El Parton died, which leaves Matt with no power. Matt meets Maria who is Senator Mendoza’s daughter. Senator Mendoza doesn’t want Maria playing with Matt because he is an eejit. Everyone hates Matt except for El Patron, Celia, and Matt’s bodyguard Tam Lin. Matt wants to go to Aztlan and leave the Alacran Estate. Read The House of the Scorpion to find out what happens to Matt next.
By:Sam

THE ADVENTURES OF ULYSSES

Have you read any good books lately? The book I read was The Adventures of Ulysses by: Bernard Evslin. This book is about a man named Ulysses and his army who fought during the Trojan War, but when they leave Troy the gods get angry at Ulysses because he did not listen to them. Now the gods will not let them go back to their home in Ithaca. So they now sail across the Mediterranean Sea to find their beloved home. On their trip they face monsters, Cyclopes, Scylla, Charybdis and a beautiful sorceress. Now Ulysses is afraid that he might never see his wife Penelope and son, Telemachus. My favorite part of the book is when Ulysses battles the Cyclopes because it is when Ulysses is the bravest. Ulysses and his men keep their course determined to reach Ithaca. But it is there they will have to fight the fiercest battle of all. Will Ulysses ever survive with his crew? You will have to read The Adventures of Ulysses to find out.
By:Giulio

SAMMY KEYES AND THE CURSE OF MUSTACHE MARY By Wendelin Van Draanen

If you like mysteries, then Sammy Keyes and the Curse of Mustache Mary is the book for you! This book is about two families who are against each other in every way possible. You will learn about Lucinda Huntley’s cabin and the big story behind it. One day the cabin gets burned down and Lucinda is devastated and angry. She thinks her arch enemies, the Murdock’s, did it. Did they? My favorite part was when Sammy, a twelve year old girl, goes to a block party and meets a boy named Casey. It turns out he knows who helped burn down the cabin. To find out more, read this book. If you don’t, believe me, you’re missing out on a great adventurous book that is full of mystery!
By Nikki

THE TITAN'S CURSE By: Rick Riordan

The Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan is about a boy named Percy Jackson, the son of Poseidon the Sea God in Greek Mythology. He, unlike most children, is half-human and half god. His friend Grover, who is a satyr, has just discovered two new half bloods at an old military school. When trying to bring them to Camp Half-Blood, the only safe haven for half bloods, they are attacked by a manticore. Artemis, the Goddess of the Hunt, saves the day, but Percy’s friend, Annabeth, is taken away. Percy must find and save Annabeth before it is too late. When Artemis disappears while hunting an animal that will change the fate of Olympus too, Percy must save her, also. Can he achieve this while trying to stop the evil Titan lord from taking over the world? Will the Olympians fall, and Kronos’ evil army take over? The only way to find out is by reading this excellent fantasy book by Rick Riordan.
Joseph

THE PEOPLE OF SPARKS by Jeanne DuPrau

The People of Sparks is the second Book of Ember. The main characters, Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow, led their people up from the ground and discovered a new land. At first they didn’t know that light comes from the sky, what seasons were, or that the sky is blue. To them our world is strange. Soon the people of Ember came across a small village that has no electricity, called Sparks. The village is on the edge of prosperity when they agree to take in the Emberites for six months and teach the people of Ember everything they need to learn in order to survive. People from both villages don’t like the agreement so they try to force the villagers to change their minds with many different attempts (they don’t work together). My favorite part is when people start thinking about a war breaking out, and threats being sent from village to village. Will anyone see through these people who don’t like the agreement? Read to find out the whole story!

By: Janina

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX By: J.K. Rowling

Drama, suspense, and action! If these are the qualities you like in a book, then Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the book for you. Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, is now coming back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for his fifth year. Once again Harry will have no ordinary year. In fact, now that the Ministry of Magic is making sure that no one believes Lord Voldemort has returned, Harry has no hope to slay the Dark Lord. However, the Order of the Phoenix, a secret organization that fights Voldemort and his army, does believe Harry. Together with his best friends, Ron and Hermione, Harry must try and convince as many people as possible that Lord Voldemort has returned if they hope to vanquish him. Once again Harry’s future and life is at stake, but if Harry gives up, the entire world is doomed. Nail biting to the end, the most gripping part, however, is when Albus Dumbledore, Hogwarts’s Head Master, and Lord Voldemort have a formidable duel. "Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort uses this death spell on Harry. Dumbledore saves him by blocking it. Brandishing wands, the two greatest wizards in the world blast each other with fantastic spells. Each a master of wizardry, neither can defeat the other. As Voldemort shoots a jet of green light, Fawkes, the phoenix, protects Dumbledore by swallowing it whole. In the middle of this battle, Voldemort fuses himself to Harry. He hisses through Harry’s mouth, “Kill me now, Dumbledore…” Is this the end? Or is it just the beginning? Read the book and find out more.

By: Alexander

RANSOM By Lois Duncan

Ransom is about 5 kids on a school bus. When they got on the bus their original bus driver was not there. They had a strange substitute driver for the bus that did not know where the bus stops were. The substitute driver was a kidnapper!! Then the kidnapper forced the kids into a car and took them to a far away place in a cabin with two people to watch them. It was horrible. When the kids were bad they would lock them up in the freezer! My favorite part of the book was when the parents where reading the newspaper and found out that the original bus driver was found dead in a bush by two kids. Do you think the parents will get enough money to save their kids? Do you think they can survive until their parents get the money? Do you think they can get away? Read the book Ransom to find the answers.
Frank

THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY by Susan Patron

The Higher Power of Lucky is about a girl named Lucky whose mom is dead and her dad is in France. Her step mom, Bridgette, is taking care of her to this day. Bridgette is from the country of France. Lucky and Bridgette live in Hard Pan, California which is in the middle of the desert. They live in a three part trailer which is very small. Lucky’s neighbor, Sammy Desoto has these Alcoholics Anonymous meetings at his house and Lucky always eavesdrops on them. What they talk about at the meetings is the Higher Power.
My favorite part in the book was when Lucky was going to run away. Bridgette is not home so Lucky goes in her room and gets Bridgette’s fancy red dress. She puts it on and packs all of her belongings in her backpack. Then Miles (the little kid in the neighborhood) comes by but Lucky shoes him away and he runs crying. Lucky leaves but in the middle of nowhere a dust storm comes up and she is stranded. She finds these little caves and hides in there. Then she hears crying and she figures out it is Miles. She gets him and they spend the night in the caves. If you want to know what happens next you should really read this book.

Lucia

THE FACE IN THE MIRROR by Stephanie S. Tolan

A boy named Jared, who has a great passion towards Shakespeare’s plays, gets an opportunity to join the Shakespeare Company. He is going to act in the play called Richard III. Tad is Jared’s half brother. One day light bulbs in the dressing room go out, and then a crew that includes Jared and Tad goes to change the light bulbs. A moment later Tad screams. Tad says that he saw a face in a mirror. When Jared tries to find out about the face, he becomes friends with the ghost whose face he saw.
It was cool when Tad and Jared got into a fight. They both fought because Jared brought one picture of his father to help him remember who he is, but Tad burned it. During their fight Jared was trying to hit Tad’s eye. Their step dad schedules a fencing match between them. Tad is a better fencer than Jared so Jared practices fencing. Tad and Jared start the match. Just as Jared does a powerful move something removes Tad’s plastic tip guard. Who is doing this? Read The Face in the Mirror to find out.
Siddesh

THE TIME BIKE by Jane Langton

The Time Bike

Lucky Eddy, after losing his brand new red bicycle, received a surprise gift from his uncle friend who is in India. At first glance he thought it was an old fashioned bicycle. Soon he discovered that it was not a simple old bicycle, but a Time Bike, with a time clock on the handlebars that goes forward and backward. I could not put book down until I knew what Eddy did with the bike. He loses it once and it gets taken by his friend Winslow who breaks it. When Eddy tries to fix it, he also gets lost in time. Do you want to now how he comes back or will he ever come back? If so, read this book.
by
Sirish

PRINCESS IN LOVE by Meg Cabot

A young princess named Mia lives in New York City and has a boyfriend named Kenny. However, she loves a boy named Michael, her friend’s brother. My favorite part is when Mia is getting ready for the dance which is coming up. Mia has three problems. She thinks that Michael has a girlfriend. Her boyfriend says he loves her and, she is shocked. Lastly, there’s a dance in school and she is afraid if she dumps Kenny she will have nobody to dance with and she thinks she will look dumb. Will Mia be brave and dump Kenny to be with Michael? Or will she stay with Kenny who she doesn’t love? You will find out when you read Princess in Love.

Haley

SOUL SURFER by Bethany Hamilton

It was an ordinary Halloween morning when it happened. It came out of nowhere. Bethany felt a slight pain and saw the water around her turn bright red with blood. “It” was a 15 foot tiger shark and it had bitten off Bethany’s entire left arm! The loss of her arm doesn’t keep this girl away from surfing, however. Soul Surfer is a true story about the life of an amazing girl named Bethany Hamilton who, with the help of her friends, family and God, will let nothing stand in her way of surfing.

-Janine

SAMMY KEYES AND THE SKELETON MAN by Wendelin Van Draanen

Sammy Keyes is a typical teenage girl except for the fact that she is illegally living in a senior high rise with her grandma because her mom is in Hollywood trying to become famous. Sammy has no idea who her father is and is always getting in trouble. In her neighborhood, there is a house that everyone thinks is haunted called the Bush House because the hedges have grown very high. On Halloween, Sammy decides to go and knock on the door of the Bush House. As she steps into the tunnel of bushes, a man in a skeleton costume that looks way over twenty practically runs over her. She goes and knocks on the door, and it swings open. She can’t see anything, except a fire that would soon burn the house down. Once again, Sammy Keyes is in the middle of a mystery that she is very determined to solve.

Amisha

NO MORE DEAD DOGS by Gordon Korman

No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman is about a boy named Wallace Wallace who will not tell a lie even if it came to saving his own mother from man eating sharks. When Wallace refuses to write a proper review on the book he read, Old Shep, My Pal, his English teacher not only suspends him from the football team, but also makes him attend school play rehearsals which he’s directing of Old Shep, My Pal. Surprisingly, Wallace starts enjoying the play. To pass the time, he starts changing the play and everyone loves the changes- well almost everyone. Someone keeps sabotaging the play. Will Wallace figure out who’s destroying the play in time for the big show? Will he save the big show? It was really amazing when I found out who the culprit was.

-Janine

WHEN HITLER STOLE PINK RABBIT by Judith Kerr

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr is a great book even though it’s a little sad. It is about a girl named Anna who lives with her big brother, Max and her mother and papa who live in Germany. Before Hitler was elected, Anna’s family moved to Switzerland because they were Jews. Anna’s papa is a writer who writes bad things about Nazis. Hitler was mad at him and put a bounty on him so Papa can’t sell any articles in the newspaper. They move to France. My favorite part of the book is when Anna tries to learn to speak French. Will Anna’s family have a good life in France? Will Papa be caught? Find out in When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit.
Skyler

JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH by Jules Verne

How would you react if you and your uncle, Professor Linburk, were to go on a journey to the center of the earth? I would be so scared I would run away. Too bad Axel can’t do that. When his uncle finds a book with strange writing, he will do anything to find the password to the code. His uncle hides the key to the door and food until Axel finally tells him the password. The book shows a passage to the center of the earth but there are dangers there like monsters and dehydration.

My favorite part was when the monsters battle. Hans (the guide), Axel, and Professor Linburk are on a raft. They are sailing across an ocean under the earth’s crust. Two towering prehistoric monsters were battling about 50 feet away from the raft. I won’t say who won, or if the raft sunk, but it leads to danger. This part is detailed and interesting. That is not the only danger on this journey. Will Axel make it back to the surface, or will he face a terrible death? Find out in Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne.
Michael

I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER by Lois Duncan

I Know What You Did Last Summer is a great book. I enjoyed it very much and I think you will too. It’s about four teenagers, Barry, Helen, Ray, and Julie who got into an accident last summer. They were drinking that night and were on their way home on a windy road. Out of nowhere a boy on his bike was right in front of them. The driver Barry, tried to break so he didn’t hit the boy, but it was too late. Instead of going back to help the boy like Julie wanted to, they kept going until they reached a telephone booth to call the police. The police never found out who hit the boy because the next day the friends hammered out the dent in the car and sold it to someone out of state. Now exactly one year later Julie got a note that said, “I know what you did last summer.” Will Barry, Helen, Ray, AND Julie ever find out who knows what they did? Will they get caught? Read the book, I know What You Did Last Summer, to find out.
Elleni

THE CITY OF EMBER by Jeanne DuPrau

THE CITY OF EMBER by Jeanne DuPrau

Do you have a favorite book that makes you just want to read it again and again because it was so good, or have wanted to find a book that makes you feel that way? The City Of Ember is a book that makes you just want to read all day and night. The City of Ember is a book about a girl named Lina and a boy named Doon who live in the city of Ember. Every citizen in the city of Ember must be assigned a job at twelve years of age. For Doon and Lina it was time to be assigned a job. They are excited and already know what they want to be but don’t quite know what to expect. Lina wants to be a messenger but instead gets the job down in the pipe works. Doon wants to work underground in the pipe works but instead receives the job of a messenger, so both decide to trade. Doon wants to work in the pipe works because he has many ideas on how to fix the generator. Lina wants to be a messenger because she loves running around and exploring new and hidden spots of Ember. In their new jobs they will embark on many adventures. What will happen once Doon and Lina discover the hidden truth of Ember and the troubles that await them? Read The City Of Ember to find out what happens next.
Alexandra