Book Review: The Fourth Stall Part Two by Chris Rylander

Title: The Fourth Stall Part Two
Author: Chris Rylander
Publisher: Walden Pond Press
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Pages:281
Rating: 9/10

This is the second book in the series out of two so far.

In this book, Mac, the school detective, just started a case that would test his bravery, trustworthiness, and friendship. It all started with a girl named TrixieVon Parkway, who had just arrived in Mac’s school. Her problems started when she dated this guy in her old school. Trixie didn’t like the boy at all. She though he was such a loser, so she dumped him. Her ex-boyfriend’s dad, Mr. Kjelson, worked at Trixie’s old school. He did not like Trixie dumping his son, so he started giving Trixie detentions. She thought this was really unfair. Finally Trixie moved, and she thought she escaped  her ex-boyfriend’s dad.

After she moved, Mr. Kjelson moved with her and took a job at Trixie’s current school.  Now Trixie wants Mac and Vince to get Mr. Kjelson off her back. The problem is that Mr. Kjelson is a nice person and Mac doesn’t know who he should trust. Along with Trixie’s problem, a person from Mac’s district, Dr. George, has come to discipline the school. He has made a new end of the year exam that is supposed to be harder than the previous exams. It is called the SMART. Everybody is really nervous about these tests. They want Mac to get the answers for the SMART. Can Mac and his friends solve Trixie’s problem along with helping his schoolmates get the answers for the SMART?

My favorite character in this book is Mac‘s friend, who helps Mac solve Trixie‘s problem. His name is Tyrell. Tyrell is so sneaky and cool it makes me laugh a lot. The role that Tyrell plays in this book  makes me understand the story more. I like him because he can gain a lot of information for Mac by lurking in the shadows. For example, Tyrell spies on Dr. George so he could get information about the SMARTs. Also, I like the gadgets that Tyrell has in this book. It makes him seem more mysterious and cool. Another reason why I like Tyrell is because he helps Mac a lot. When Mac asks for help he never says no. Also he is never afraid to take up a challenge. For example, he isn’t afraid to break into the school with cameras watching his every step.

I liked this book a lot because of the illustrations on the front cover. I think it really looks cool. Along with illustrations I like the font decoration for each chapter. I also like the descriptions in this book. It made me feel like I was in the book. For example, when Mac and his friends are in the lunchroom, I feel like I am right next to them eating my lunch.  Another reason why I liked this book was because of the plot of the story. It was very well thought out.  I also thought that the characters were creative. Mac and his friends use whatever they can to benefit them. They turn junk into treasure by thinking out of the box. In the book some questions remained unanswered. I think Chris Rylander should have answered these questions because some parts were hard to understand. It would have helped me comprehend the book better. Over all it was a fantastic book. I would recommend this book to people who are interested in mysteries.

Book Review: The Fourth Stall

Title: The Fourth Stall
Author: Chris Rylander
Publisher: Walden Pond Press
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Pages: 314
Rating: 9.5/10

This book is the first book out of two.

In this book, a boy named Mac has his own business that he runs with his friend Vince. The business solves problems that other kids in his school have. Then one day, a boy named Fred comes to Mac and Vince’s office with a problem. He says that a boy named Staples is running a business in which people bet on things like who would win a basketball game. Fred was working for the business at the time, but decided that he did not want to be a criminal anymore, so he ran away. Fred said that Staples was going to come after him, and that he needed protection. Mac did not believe what Fred said, at first, because Staples was supposed to be a legend in school. He was thought to be smarter than the teachers. Mac didn’t want to help but he knew he had to do what his client said.  Mac needed staples out of his school. Can Mac defeat the mighty Staples?

My favorite character in this book was Mac.  Mac was my favorite because he kept on persevering. He stayed on his case even though he didn’t think he would be able to do it. Also I liked Mac, because he was really brave, like during the book Mac took on Staples even though Mac knew Staples was strong and had many people working for him. Also, he is brave because he and a couple of little kids  fought Staples head on. Also, another reason why I like Mac is because his personality is alike to mine. He likes sports and I like sports. I felt a strong connection to Mac. I think Mac was a very well thought out character. He had a deep personality which gave the story some life. He created the whole picture in this book.

I love this book for many reasons. First of all, Chris Rylander describes the story well. He gives it a lot of color and made sure that the reader didn’t get confused at all. I understood the book right away.  Another reason why I liked this book was because of the characters. The characters were very well described. There personality was really good. I think Chris Rylander filled them with life. The best character was Mac followed by Vince and then Fred. I also liked the suspense in the book. My teacher read this book as a read aloud in school. When he would finish a chapter we would beg him to read more and more because we really wanted to know what would happen after. All in all I liked this book very much. I would recommend this book to people who like detective books.

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Title: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Author: J.K. Rowling
Publisher: Scholastic
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction
Pages: 734
Rating:9.5/10

This is the fourth book of the Harry Potter series. There are seven books in the series: This book has also been converted into a movie.

In this book, there is an event that has not taken place for hundreds of years. It is called the Tri-Wizard Tournament. It is where three wizard schools come together. From each school there is a Tri-wizard champion chosen. The champions are selected by the Goblet of Fire through magic. The three Tri-wizard champions compete in three dangerous challenges. When Harry goes to Hogwarts, the Ministry has said that only kids seventeen and up can be chosen as the champions. When all three champions are chosen, the Goblet of Fire chooses Harry as the next champion, even though he is under seventeen. That means somebody else has put Harry’s name in. The rules are set. Can Harry survive the dangerous tasks that will be given ?

My favorite character in this book is Dumbledore, who is Hogwarts best head master. I like him in this book because, he has attempted to help Harry, even though sometimes he fails. Also I like Dumbledore because, he is very brave. For example, he has the courage to stand up to members of the Ministry. My last reason why I like Dumbledore is that he is loving, caring, kind, and has many other good character traits.

I thought that this book was superb. As I read the book, I could tell that J.K. Rowling really thought about the book. I gave it a 9.5/10 because J.K. Rowling wrote a lot of details that made me understand the book better. Secondly, I liked the book because, J.K. Rowling used good word choice. I had to use my context clues to find out what the word was. Context clues is where you try to understand the word by reading before and after the word. I thought in this book there were not many funny parts. I think J.K. Rowling should have added more humor. That is why I reduced the rating to a 9.5. All in all I really liked this book very much and I can’t wait to read the next one.

I would recommend this book to people who love twists. Also I would recommend this book to people who love dragons and other unknown creatures.

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Title: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Author: J.K. Rowling
Publisher: Scholastic
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction
Pages: 435
Rating: 9/10

“They died in a car crash, you nasty little liar, and left you to be a burden on their decent, hardworking relatives!” screamed Aunt Marge, swelling with fury. “You are an insolent, ungrateful little-”
But Aunt Marge suddenly stopped speaking.
… She seemed to be swelling with inexpressible anger- but the swelling didn’t stop.

Aunt Marge is Uncle Vernon’s sister. She is very arrogant, just like aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. In the excerpt above, Aunt Marge is insulting Harry and his parents, while she doesn’t realize she is swelling up like a balloon, because of magic.

This is the third book of the Harry Potter series, and this book has also been converted into a movie. In Harry’s thrilling year of Hogwarts, a prisoner named Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban, a wizard jail. Sirius Black has worked for the Dark Lord, and he is after Harry Potter ; the boy who survived Voldemort’s killing curse. Sirius is hunting Harry down. Harry is not safe, even when he is in school with his friends.

Remus Lupin is Harry’s third Defense against the Dark arts teacher, in Hogwarts. I think Remus Lupin is an interesting character for many reasons. My first reason is because he is a werewolf and he is in the Gryffindor house. He also helped Harry produce the Patronus charm and he (Lupin) was a good student in Hogwarts School Witch Craft and Wizardry, he is brave because he is not afraid to duel Death Eaters or go against Dementors and if he sees a problem he is not afraid to say it.

I thought this book was excellent. I liked it because I thought the humor was very good and that it pulled the story together. I thought Ron was the funniest in this book. There were other funny things in this book like when Aunt Marge blew up like a balloon and started floating up in the air. My favorite part in this book is Quiditch. I like the twist J.K. Rowling adds for Quidditch. I think J.K. Rowling added good details. I could really visualize the whole book in my head. It was like my very own movie of the Prisoner of Azkaban. I also like that in the beginning of each chapter there is a picture that tells a little bit of what is going to happen in the book. I think that is a very different technique, since the book has no illustrations except for the front cover and the back of the book. I don’t see this technique in any other book.

I think this book is better than the Sorcerer’s Stone and it is almost as good as the Chamber of Secrets. I think this book is worth reading over and over again, so people should definitely buy it. I can’t wait to read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire! I would recommend to people who have read the previous books or to people who like fantasy.

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Title: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Author: J.K. Rowling
Publisher: Scholastic
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction
Pages: 341
Rating: 9/10

“…Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts.”
There was a silence broken only by the chink of knives and forks from downstairs and the distant rumble of Uncle Vernon’s voice.
“W-what?” Harry stammered…’
‘“There is a plot, Harry Potter. A plot to make most terrible things happen at Hogwarts School of Witch Craft and Wizardry this year,” whispered Dobby, suddenly trembling all over.


The day of Uncle Vernon’s big dinner party comes and Harry Potter has to spend the night in his bedroom, and he gets an unexpected visit. This is an excerpt from when Dobby, the house elf, comes to tell Harry about the terrible things that will happen at Hogwarts School Witch Craft and Wizardry.

Harry Potter is in a series of seven books: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. There is also a movie on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part two, has just come out in theatres.

Ever since Harry Potter had come back to the Dursleys, he wanted to go straight back to Hogwarts. When Harry starts to pack for Hogwarts, he gets a strange visit from a house elf. The house elf says that if Harry returns to Hogwarts terrible things will happen. In Harry’s second thrilling year of Hogwarts, things are changing. Teachers say that time is repeating itself and that something is turning Hogwarts students to Stone. The Chamber of Secrets has opened. The Chamber of Secrets was made thousands of years ago by Salazar Slytherin, who was one of the four founders of Hogwarts. Inside the chamber there is a lot of dark magic and monsters. The Chamber lies in Hogwarts and nobody has found it yet, for years. Who could have opened the Chamber? When somebody is taken inside the Chamber, Harry goes inside and tries to find the person. Will Harry be able to stop the thing that is turning people to stone ?

I thought this book was awesome. First of all this book contained a very good story. I don’t think anybody could think of a story containing a wizard, who goes to a wizard school, and goes in the chamber of secrets, to find his darkest fear. Secondly, I like the fact that at the beginning of each chapter there is a picture that helps the reader understand the chapter more. Thirdly, I like the description that J. K. Rowling puts in the book. The description is so good that every word I read in this book makes a movie in my head. Fourthly, in the book there is a part where Harry is in the Chamber with the Phoenix, Fox. On the front cover you see the illustration that matches the description. I hope J.K. Rowling writes a new book!

I would recommend this book to people who have read the first Harry Potter book and people who love magic.

Book Review: Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy

Title: Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy
Author: Jenny Nimmo
Publishers: Orchard Books (Scholastic)
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction
Pages: 408
Rating: 6/10


Charlie Bone’s life takes a turn for the worse. Why? That is because Charlie’s uncle leaves on a secret mission and disappears. Before Charlie’s uncle leaves, he leaves a note why he left. When Charlie goes to Bloor’s Academy, he discovers an invisible boy in the attics. The invisible boy is named Ollie Spark’s and only has a toe that is visible. After Charlie finds out that Ollie has a relative, Charlie has to get Ollie out of the attic and to Ollie’s relative. Will Ollie Sparks be reunited with his only relative? Will Charlie find out where his uncle went?

The Brown’s bathroom over looked Filbert Street, and while Benjamin was brushing his teeth he saw a tall man in a long black coat walk down the steps of number nine. Benjamin stopped brushing and stared. What on earth was going on in Charlie’s house?
The tall man was Paton Yewbeam, Charlie’s great uncle. He was wearing dark glasses and he carried a white stick. Benjamin assumed the dark glasses had something to do with Paton’s unfortunate talent for exploding lights. Paton never appeared in daylight, if he could help it, but this was an extraordinary time to go out, even for him. He walked up to a midnight blue car, opened the trunk, and carefully placed the wand (for that’s what it is) right at the back. Before Benjamin had even rinsed his toothbrush, Charlie’s uncle had driven off. He went in the opposite direction from his sisters, Benjamin noted. This wasn’t surprising, since Paton and his sisters were sworn enemies.

Paton Yewbeam is a man who is unique, he has a strange talent of exploding lights when he looks at a light bulb. He is often going places without telling any one. In the excerpt above Paton is probably going to some mysterious place that nobody knows about.

This book is in a series of eight. The author has written other books in the series: Midnight for Charlie Bone, Charlie Bone and the Time Twister, Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors, Charlie Bone and the Hidden King, Charlie Bone and the Beast, Charlie Bone and the Shadow, and Charlie Bone and the Red knight. Jenny Nimmo is thinking about a series called the Red King Trilogy.

I thought this book was superb compared to the books before. The rating I would give is 8/10, because I liked the characters and how they had different things about them that stood out from characters in other books - like Ollie Sparks, he is completely invisible except for his toe. I also liked the story, a boy named Charlie sees an invisible boy, and tries to make him escape! Who could think of that!? Jenny Nimmo did not add a lot of humor. In my opinion the humor pulls the story together, and this book could’ve used some more . I also thought that Jenny Nimmo should have added more details. On some parts I got very confused. But, all in all this book was good.

I would recommend this book to people who love to explore new places, because in this book Charlie and his friends go searching for a lot of things.

Book Review: Charlie Bone and the Time Twister

Title: Charlie Bone and the Time Twister
Author: Jenny Nimmo
Publishers: Orchard books (Scholastic)
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction
Pages: 402
Rating: 8/10


This book is a series of eight books. Jenny Nimmo has written other books like Midnight for Charlie Bone, Charlie bone and the Invisible boy, Charlie Bone and the Castle of mirrors, Charlie Bone and the Hidden King, Charlie Bone and the Beast, Charlie Bone and the Shadow, and Charlie Bone and the Red Knight. Jenny Nimmo is thinking of writing a trilogy, called the Red King Trilogy.

In this book Charlie Bone is having a crazy day. Charlie’s cousin from the past, Henry, has accidentally gone into the future or Charlie’s present time, by using the time twister. The time twister is a big marble that can make you go in the future only. Since you cannot go into the past using the time twister, Henry is stuck in the future. Now Charlie Bone is going to have to have to think of a way to get Henry back to his time. Henry’s life is very unlucky, because now Henry’s cousin Zeke has found him and will not hold back to kill him. He has sent guards to kill Henry. How can Charlie and his friends hide Henry? At the same time how can Charlie figure out a way to get Henry to the past? The big question is, will Charlie send Henry back into his time?

Here is an interesting excerpt from the book, describing the time when Henry and Charlie meet :

"Are you…?" he began. "I mean have you…well, the thing is, I've seen you in a photo. Are you Henry Yewbeam?"

"That's me," said Henry, beaming. "I think I've seen you, too. Somewhere. Who are you?"
"I'm your…erm…sort of cousin, Charlie Bone."

"No! This is very good news. A cousin, well, well." Henry marched over and shook Charlie's hand. "Very good to meet you, Charlie Bone."

"The news isn't that good," said Charlie. "What was the date when you…just now?"

"January 12, 1916," said Henry. "I always know the date."

"I'm afraid it isn't that now."…

"You're almost ninety years ahead of where you were," said Charlie…

Charlie saw a large glass marble rolling across the hall. "Wow!" he exclaimed, but before he could pick it up, Henry shouted, Careful, Charlie. Don't look at it."

"Why?"

"It's what brought me here."

In the excerpt above, Henry touched and looked at the time twister, so he went in the future. The time twister is a marble which can bring you only to the future. So Henry is stuck in the future, with Charlie Bone and his friends.

I thought Jenny Nimmo put a lot of thinking into this book. I also liked that she put a lot of detail and explained everything nicely. I loved the fact that Jenny Nimmo included two great new characters, Henry and Jamie. I thought the characters were great because Henry was brave and Jamie was a nice brother, who cared a lot about Henry. I liked the story because it had scary moments, funny moments, exciting moments. etc. Compared to other books I would say it was better then the first book because now Charlie is using his powers more often so it is a lot more exciting.

I would recommend this to kids who like fantasy, thick books, adventure, a little action, and super powers.

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Title: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Author: J.K. Rowling
Publisher: Scholastic
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction
Pages: 312
Rating: 9.9/10

Get the mail,Dudley,” said Uncle Vernon from behind his paper.
“Make Harry get it.”
“Get the mail, Harry.”
“Make Dudley get it.”
“Poke him with your smelting stick, Dudley.”

Harry dodged the smelting stick and went to get the mail. Three things lay on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Vernon’s sister Marge, who was vacationing on the Isle of Wight, a brown envelope that looked like a bill, and -- a letter for Harry. Harry picked it up and stared at it, his heart twanging like a giant elastic band. No one, ever, in his whole life, had written to him. Who would? He had no friends, no other relatives -- he didn’t belong to the library, so he never even got rude notes asking for books back. Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly that there could be no mistake.

Mr. H. Potter
The Cupboard under the Stairs
4 Privet Drive
Little Whinging
Surrey

Harry Potter is living with his weird aunt, uncle, and their son, Dudley. Harry, is constantly being pushed around by his aunt and uncle. In the excerpt above, Harry has gone to get the mail, and he finds a letter for himself. The letter is from some one unknown. He is very surprised because he never gets letters from anybody!

This book is in a series of seven books, known as the Harry Potter series. The other books in the series are : Harry Potter and the Chamber of secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half- Blood Price, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. This series has also been turned into movies. Just recently the seventh part two, Harry Potter movie has come out. J.K. Rowling has not written other books besides Harry Potter.

Harry Potter has a horrible life, his parents were killed, and he has to live with his mean aunt, and uncle, and their son, Dudley. He is constantly being threatened by his aunt and uncle, about mysterious things he has not been able to explain. Finally, when Harry turns 11 he figures out the truth about him-self. He is a wizard, a very famous wizard, because he is the only wizard who survived the killing curse, which is a curse that kills anything, and the only wizard who almost killed Voldemort, a dark wizard. Also he figures out that Voldemort who killed his parents is gaining more power than before. Once Harry figures out he is a wizard, he goes to Hogwarts School of Witch Craft and Wizardry, where he learns about the Sorcerer’s Stone. The Sorcerer’s Stone can bring someone back to power or life. Will Harry be able to stop Voldemort from getting the sorcerer’s stone?

I thought this book was excellent for many reasons. First of all, in the beginning of each chapter, J.K. Rowling put a picture that told us a little of what was going to happen. I thought it was very unique. Secondly, I thought the character, Harry Potter, was a good character with a lot of courage and bravery. Thirdly, I thought that the story was fantastic. I wonder how J.K. Rowling thought of a story that is so unique. Fourthly I liked the conclusion, the conclusion was very touching and it had a little suspense. It was touching because I hated to see Harry, Ron, and Hermione go back home to their parents or guardian, after all that they had been through. There was also suspense because when Harry, Ron, and Hermione left each other, you start to wonder what amazing adventure will they have next year. Fifthly, I thought the description of certain parts in this book were superb. Again, I thought this book was fantastic, and I can’t wait to read the next one!!!

I would recommend this book to people who love fantasy and adventure.

Review:Choke

Title: Choke
Author: Obert Skye
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Genre: Fantasy Fiction
Pages: 327
Rating: 8/10



I looked back at the stone. It sank slowly into the soil a couple of inches, and the plant beside it was still. I gazed directly at the small plant and did what knew I had to do.
   “Grow,” I commanded it.
   Almost instantly the plant began to shiver. Its leaves shook, and a small black shoot shot out of the middle like a serpents tongue. It twisted up then arched itself back down into the dirt. Two seconds later it popped up next to the stone and quickly wrapped itself around it.

This is an excerpt from when Beck planted a stone, which was soon going to turn into a humongous dragon.

This book is in a series of two books, and the books in the series are Pillage and Choke. The author Obert Skye has written plenty other books like, the well known series of Leven Thumps: Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo. Leven Thumps and the Whispered secret, Leven Thumps and the Eyes of the Want, Leven Thumps and the Wrath of Ezra, and Leven Thumps and the Ruins of Alder. Obert Skye has also started a new series called Geth and the Return of the Lithens.

Beck Pillage is a trouble magnet. Since he last killed the dragons, Beck has lived with his dad in the mansion. When a mysterious named Whitey appears, he tells Beck that there is one more dragon left. It is the Queen dragon. He says, that Beck has to kill the dragon when it is young, otherwise the town of Kingsplot will get destroyed. With the help of his friends, Beck plants the dragon but doesn’t kill it because he thinks it is adorable. Will the town of Kingsplot fall into the hands of the Queen dragon and will Beck kill the Queen dragon?

I thought this book was very good. First of all, the description of the queen dragon matches the covers drawing. It was the same thing in Pillage. Secondly, at the end of each chapter Obert Skye includes a picture of a dragon that explains more about the book. My favorite part of this book was when they killed the queen dragon, named Lizzy. Obert Skye put so much detail in the book that it was like a movie going in my head. I gave it an eight out of ten because in some parts I got very confused, since Obert Skye did not describe some parts well. One of the parts I got confused was when Beck was talking to his dad and accusing him of being Whitey and for tricking Beck to plant the stone. I wondered how Beck knew that, and why Beck’s Father would want to trick Beck into planting the stone, because he was the one who wanted to put an end to dragons. Otherwise I loved this book, and I hope Obert Skye writes a new one.

I would recommend this book to people who love fantasy and people who like dragons.

Video : Rick Riordan book information

This is a video about Rick Riordan, which I thought was very cool. I thought this video was cool because Rick Riordan talked about the Percy Jackson series. Also Rick Riordan mentions how he got the idea of Greek Mythology and the Percy Jackson series, and talks about future books he is going to write.

Book Review: Princess Academy

Title: Princess Academy
Author: Shannon Hale
Genre: fiction,romance
Pages: 314
Publisher: Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children’s Books
Rating: 9/10

‘ “Sir,” said the older soldier courteously, “we are here to escort the girls safely to the academy. These are the kings orders. We mean no harm, but I do have instructions to take any resisters directly to the capital.” ’

This excerpt is said by one of the soldiers who takes Miri to the academy. Miri is a girl who lives on Mount Eskel in the kingdom, Danland, with the rest of her village. A day before the soldiers come, the chief delegate of Danland announces that a girl who lives in the village on Mount Eskel, will be the future king’s bride. When they get to the academy, the girls of Mount Eskel will spend a year of princess training in hopes of becoming the princess. The girls are taken to be taught how to be a princess. But as danger appears, Miri, named after the tiny mountain flower, will stand up and defend herself and her classmates.

My favorite character is Miri. She is fourteen years old, and is quite small for her age. Her father will not let Miri work in the quarry, (where they mine linder, a plentiful, beautiful rock that is found on Mount Eskel) since her mother died from an injury she had gotten mining before Miri was born. As Miri works in the academy, she strives to become the best, the academy princess. And as she works, she puzzles over many things, quarry speech being one of them, and her family the other. She wants to marry the prince so her family will not have to worry about money or food, but her feelings of love toward her childhood friend, Peder, conflict and leave Miri unsure of what she should do.

One reason I like the book, ‘Princess Academy’ is because, one message it shouts out is: it doesn’t matter about your size, or your looks. What matters is your strength, and Miri proves just that, as she saves her classmates from danger.

Another reason I like this book, is that Ms. Hale, writes so that you feel you are Miri. No matter what type of personality you have, you can always relate to Miri, and can picture yourself with Miri. You can feel the tension, the happiness and the fright, one after the other.

Read the book, ‘Princess Academy’, and join Miri as she courageously does one brave act after the other, learns how to act like a princess, and adjusts to her new life, that has been changed by love and knowledge. I recommend this book to anybody who has read any books from Shannon Hale, or who likes a little bit of romance, and a lot of adventure.

Review : Diary of a Wimpy kid - Do It Yourself

Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It Yourself
Author: Jeff Kinney
Publishers: Amulet Books
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Pages: 213
Rating: 9/10



This book is in a series of seven books. The series includes Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Rodrick Rules, The Last Straw, Dog Days, The Ugly Truth, and The Movie Diary. You all have probably seen the first Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It Yourself, but have you seen the new and improved one? This new and improved book includes 16 new comics and 60 new fun pages.

Jeff Kinney writes this book as a question and answer book. For instance, it asks you about what you have done in your life that was bad. Also what was the best prank that you pulled off. And there are many more questions like these. When I read these questions I really laughed out loud. It was so funny! Also in the Do-It Yourself book different people write about different things. Like Rodrick, he writes about what he usually does. This book also includes different types of puzzles. Most of the puzzles are in a page called Rodrick’s things to do. This tells you what Rodrick usually likes to do. For example there are word scrambles and mazes. You can also make comics. You can finish comics that Greg and Rowley have started. There is more! In the middle of the book Jeff Kinney includes 32 colored comics which are written either by Greg’s friends or enemies. There are also multiple black and white comics. Jeff Kinney guides you in an adventure of humor. Now this is fun!

When I showed this to the people at my school, they loved the fact that there was a part where you could write your own Diary or journal. My friends pounced on me, because they wanted to read the book. It is fun to write a journal or a diary because you feel like it is really being published. Also that it feels like that you have accomplished something very good in your life.

Even though this book is very different from the other Diary of a Wimpy kid books, it is still very good. As I said this book asks you many questions, and once you have answered them, the answers are used to write your own story at the end of the book. This book asks you questions in a way that is funny, which makes it good. Also what I found out is that the book plans out your story by asking and answering questions. Once you have done that, you can write your story very easily.

I would recommend this book for people who love to write and read comics. This book is filled with comics and writing activities. Also I would recommend this book for comic readers because there are many comics in this book like Joshie or The Fart Police.

A new Diary of a Wimpy Kid is coming out soon, and it is going to get published in November 2011. I do not know what it is called yet. I bet it includes new pages of comics and laughter.

Guest Post -- Review : Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Ugly Truth

Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid The Ugly Truth
Author: Jeff Kinney
Publishers: Amulet Books
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Pages: 217
Rating:9/10

It’s been almost two and a half weeks since me and my ex-best friend, Rowley Jefferson, had our big fight. To be honest with you, I thought he would’ve come crawling back to me by now, but for some reason that hasn’t happened.


I’m actually starting to get a little concerned, because school starts back up in a few days, and if we’re gonna get this friendship back on track, something needs to happen quick. If me and Rowley really ARE through, that would stink, because the two of us had a really good thing going.

This is an excerpt from the beginning of the book when Greg loses his best friend, Rowley.

This book is a series from the author Jeff Kinney, and this is book five from the series not including The Do-It your-self, and The Movie Diary. Jeff Kinney has written other books like “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid Rodrick Rules", "Diary of a Wimpy Kid The Last Straw", Diary of a Wimpy Kid Dog Days.

In the other books Greg gets pushed around because everyone thinks he has a wimpy life. Also because he lets it happen and does nothing about it. For example, a bully picks on some random little kid (who happens to be Greg) for no reason. Then the kid is too scared to tell the teacher otherwise he might get pounded to pulp. The story is continuous from the first book to the last book, so it is better to read the books in order. This book is Realistic Fiction because all the stuff Greg goes through can really happen. Some of it has to be happen to everyone. For example, puberty can. Losing your best friend can also happen to anyone.

In this book Greg has to face many things, like puberty and the responsibility of being an adult. All without his best friend Rowley? That’s right! Greg and Rowley have had an interesting history. But this time will their friendship be over ? And will Greg ever grow up? There were many more characters like his Mom and Dad, who embarrassed Greg. There is also Rodrick, who just wants to annoy Greg so much, that Greg might as well go to pieces because of him. Then there is Manny the huge tattle tale, who just got more annoying. So mostly, Greg doesn’t like his family.

My opinion of this book is that it was great, fantastic. I rated it nine out of ten because three was for the humor and that is pretty good for a novel. I remember the time when Greg was trying to find a place to hide his egg from Manny because it was for school. So because Greg was clever he hid it in the easiest place possible, so that Manny would never guess. But it ends up that Greg’s Mom turns his egg into scrambled eggs on accident. There was also the time when they went to Jordan Jury’s party and ended up being the servants. But Greg was lucky that he had to go to a wedding, and didn‘t have to be a servant anymore.

Two out of ten, was for the pictures in the book. The pictures I liked the most were when Greg was shuddering because he had a new mean, ugly looking dentist. There were a lot of pictures! The book had lots of pages, probably the most pages in all of the books in the series, so I would give it a four out of ten, to equal nine. All in all it was a good book with everything added to it in proportion, like a good recipe. This is probably the best “DIARY OF A WIMPY KID” EVER! I would recommend this to everybody who likes the rest of the series, the humor, the twists and turns, and the comics that Greg makes.

Guest Post -- Review : The Carnival of lost souls

Title: The Carnival of Lost Souls (A Handcuff Kid novel)
Author: Laura Quimby
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction
Publishers: Amulet books
Pages: 339
Rating: 8/10

The professor curled his finger and motioned for Jack to move forward. “This Tattoo is the mark of the amazing Mussini, the magician.” It is my passage into the underworld. It guides my steps out of the now and into the dark abyss of the dead.

This excerpt is from when Jack, a boy who loves magic, and his foster parent Professor Hawthorne are talking about the Professors story.

This is Laura Quimby’s first book. It is about a boy, Jack Carr, who is an orphan and from the book I think his age is about twelve to fourteen. His hobbies are magic, especially escaping hand cuffs. Jack is adopted by Professor Hawthorne but the Professor sells Jack to evil magician Mussini. Jack has to travel with Mussini to the land of the dead. Jack is not the only one who is captured by Mussini, there are other children too. Jack thinks that he will be performing magic tricks in front of living people; instead he has to perform in front of the dead, in the Forest of the Dead.

Mussini steals people’s souls away, to make the dead come to his show all the time. Jack wants to get away from Mussini because he doesn’t want his soul taken away. Will he be able to run away from the amazing Mussini?

The main characters in this book are Jack, the Professor and Mussini. There are also others like Jabber, T-Ray, Boxer, Runt, Violet and Mildred. My favorite character of the book is Jack because he is very curious and is really cool. My least favorite character is Mussini because he is really mean to Violet, a girl whom Jack likes.

My opinion of the book was that it was excellent. The book was mostly serious, but had some humorous parts like when Jack tries to act all cool in front of Violet. It was very interesting to read about how Jack did amazing things like wrestling a pig and escaping from handcuffs. But I would say that the book could have been longer and could have had a little more humor. I hope the author makes it a series just like the first book.

I would recommend this book to anybody who likes adventure and mystery.

Review: A Wrinkle In Time

Title: A Wrinkle In Time
Author: Madeleine L’Engle
Genre: Mystery, Adventure, Fiction
Pages: 203
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Rating: 8.5
Have you ever felt like you were the one that was being punished when you didn’t do anything bad in the first place? It’s a punishment that everyone has to get but you get the worst one? That’s how Meg felt when her father went missing. She missed her father. She missed him everyday. And everyone at school thought that she was stupid. Her younger twin brothers seemed smarter than her and were more popular, and being sent to the principal’s office frequently didn’t help. But then she heard about how her father went missing, and went to rescue him from the thing, IT, that was keeping him trapped. With her little brother Charles Wallace and a friend named Calvin, they set out on the adventure against the evil, mastermind, IT.

My favorite character in this book is Meg. Even though everyone thinks she is useless she’s smarter than most people think. She just misses her dad and together with her friends she may be able to end IT. Fighting IT is hard, but evading IT is harder. With Mrs.Who, Mrs.Whatsit, and Mrs. Which’s help they may be able to find a way to destroy IT and bring Meg’s father back.

Another one of my favorite characters is Charles Wallace. He puts himself in danger to try and save his father, but may be stuck in that world if Meg and Calvin can’t save him.

I like “A Wrinkle In Time“ because it is a book that shows that not all people are the same, and that some are exactly alike, in different worlds. Also it shows that little kids can be smart. And others can be smart in their own way and that can make the biggest change in the world. People think that Meg isn’t smart. But she is. She’s smarter than most people in her own unique way.

Another reason I like A Wrinkle In Time is because this book has a lot of suspense that hangs in the air. It makes the reader seem like they can’t put the book down. On this mission Meg has many weaknesses, but with help from people that live in the world Meg’s father is stuck in, she can fight IT again.

I like how the author Madeleine L’Engle writes “A Wrinkle In Time“. Her writing explains everything as if I was there in the story. It seems like the characters come into real life. Also in A Wrinkle In Time she makes it seem like the characters in the story are actually there and they come into real life.

With the help of her friends, and father she can destroy IT. But will something go wrong? Will she lose Charles Wallace forever? Will her father be stuck in the world he’s in and never come back? Or will she be a servant of IT the evil mastermind of the world she’s stuck in?

Read the book “A Wrinkle In Time” and catch Meg, Calvin and Charles Wallace on an adventure to save Meg and Charles Wallace’s father from IT. I recommend this book to everyone who loves a good mystery.

Guest Post -- Review : The Battle of the Labyrinth

Title: Percy Jackson and the Olympians the Battle of Labyrinth
Author: Rick Riordan
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction
Publisher: Disney, Hyperion books
Pages: 361
Main Characters: Percy, Annabeth, Grover.
Rating: 9/10

The last thing I wanted to do on my summer break, was to blow up another school.

This is an excerpt from the fourth book of the “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series. This is Percy saying that he doesn’t want to blow up a school.. He is saying this, because if he blows up another school, then he would get in serious trouble, and he already has blown up one.

This series is based upon Greek Mythology and Greek gods. It has a main character, Percy Jackson, who is a demi-god. A demi god is a person who is a son or daughter of any Greek god and a mortal. In this book Percy is helped by two of his friends, Annabeth, who is a demi-god and daughter of Athena, and Grover who is a satyr.

The problem in this book is that Luke, a Demi-god, has joined the Titan army. They are planning an invasion, on Camp Half-blood through the Labyrinth which is a maze. So Camp Half-blood is sending some people in the Labyrinth, to convince the creator of the Labyrinth to not let the Titan army pass through. Also there is a string that will lead them to Camp Half-blood. This string is the only thing in the Labyrinth, that can help you through the maze, besides the creator.

Now Percy has to go in the maze and find the creator of the Labyrinth and convince him to give him the string and not to help the Titan army. Percy also has to be back on time, for the invasion at Camp half-blood, so he can defend Camp half-blood. Will Camp half blood win or will it be defeated?

There are a some gods mentioned in this book, like Pan. He is the god of plants. He is important because he has been lost for centuries. Luke is a demi-god who is really Kronos . Percy, Annabeth, Grover, Chiron are good characters, like inn the other books.

I thought this book was better than superb, because it had a lot of surprising parts. It also is my most favorite book in the Percy Jackson series. I hope Rick Riordan will be writing more of these types of books. This book is better than most of J.K. Rowling books, except “The Deathly Hallows“. I feel like I could read this book a bunch of times and never get sick of it or bored. This book is one the best books I have ever read.