Breaking Dawn

By Stephenie Meyer

Fiction

ISBN-10: 0-316-06792-X

ISBN-13: 978-0-316-06792-8

$22.99

How does one describe the amazing fourth installment in the Twilight series? Suspense, romance, eternity, they don’t even begin to describe it. During an especially tense part of the book, one character goes so far as to say, “The moment Bella’s heart stops beating, I will be begging for you to kill me,” (Meyer 183.) If you’ve read the other books, you may already have an idea of who this is. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer is the 754 page fourth book in the tale of Edward, Bella, the werewolves, the vampires, Jacob, and all the other characters that are involved and make the story complete. It starts off with the meeting of Bella and Edward in Twilight, and then progresses through New Moon and Eclipse, and now finally, it ends with Breaking Dawn. The author, Stephenie Meyer, lives in Arizona and graduated with a degree in English literature from Brigham Young University.

Throughout the book, the main character, Bella Swan, is extremely determined to get her way and won’t listen to anyone. When she becomes pregnant with Edward’s child and the baby is half human- half vampire, the Cullens are afraid the baby will be a monster and they try to convince Bella to let them remove it. She absolutely refuses and even when the baby cracks one of her ribs, she still insists. Bella also cares a lot about Edward, the Cullens, the werewolves, her parents, and her baby. When Edward accidentally gives her some bruises on her arms, he feels really guilty, but she doesn’t want to see him so unhappy and she tells him to stop feeling horrible since she feels pretty much fine. And when she’s really sick because of the baby and Jacob comes over, she tells him to get some sleep since he hasn’t slept in a while, even though she’s the one who’s deathly ill and can barely sit up.

When Edward insists he and Bella have to be married before he’ll let her become a vampire, Bella grudgingly agrees, although she has no idea what she’s getting herself into when she lets one of the Cullens, Alice, --a fashion obsessed girl vampire who loves planning over the top parties--plan the wedding. Now that Bella has made the choice between Edward and Jacob though, a startling chain of events has started to unfold, some of which could threaten the lives of Bella and everyone that she loves. The story takes unexpected twists and turns, leaving you wanting more at the end of each chapter. It mainly takes place in the present day town of Forks, Washington, at the Cullens’ house and in the surrounding woods.

In Breaking Dawn, Stephenie Meyer splits the story into three sections written in first person. The first is narrated by Bella, the second by Jacob, and the third returns to Bella. This makes the story clearer since you get two points of view instead of just one. The story has great dialogue. Some of my favorite dialogue takes place between Bella and Emmett Cullen. Emmett is always making embarrassing comments to Bella, so when she one day challenges and beats him at arm-wrestling, Emmett is very disgruntled but Bella and Edward are smug. During the Jacob-narrated sections, some of the chapter titles are pretty humorous too. For example, there’s “Too-Much-Information Alert,” and “You Know Things Are Bad When You Feel Guilty for Being Rude to Vampires.” There is also some good descriptive language, such as when Meyer has Bella describe a moonlit beach near the beginning of the story. “Everything was black-and-white, leached colorless by the moon,” (Meyer 83).

The theme of the novel is there’s always hope even if things appear to be really desperate. Even when at one point in the book it seems like everyone is going to die, there’s hope in the fact that one character has disappeared and could be off getting help. This book and pretty much the whole series made me realize that anything is possible. Who would think someone could possibly fall in love with a vampire? Or get married to one? If I had to rate this book, I would probably give it a 4.5 out of 5 because I really enjoyed it, but there were a couple places where there wasn’t enough action. I especially love the wedding scene because Bella is finally getting what she’s wanted all along: eternity with Edward. The book made me feel pleased and kind of downhearted at the same time. I was glad with the way things turn out, but at the same time I couldn’t help remembering that this is the last book in the series. There is no more. This book is a great piece of literature. It almost makes me wish there were vampires like Edward and the Cullens out there in the world, vampires who aren’t the stereotypical human-killing, garlic, mirror and cross fearing, giant-fanged monsters.

By: Amelia Winer 19 Oct. 2008

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

By: Mark Twain

Historical Fiction

Mysteries, adventure, betrayal, are all words that come to mind when reading Mark Twain’s famous Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Mark Twain’s real name is Samuel Langhorne Clemens; however he uses the pen name Mark Twain in his writings. This book is a heartwarming historical fiction novel, with well developed characters, and a fast paced plot.

The main character Huckleberry is a thirteen year old boy known as an unpleasant and uncivilized boy in his home town of St. Petersburg. He’s very mischievous, adventurous, and courageous. Huck’s father is the town drunk and is never around. Huck lives on his own and doesn’t have a home. Huck does whatever he wants and travels up and down the mighty Mississippi as he pleases. Huck is very mischievous, whether it be starting a gang with Tom Sawyer or stealing, Huck is always on an adventure such as digging for buried treasure, or exploring a ship wreck. Huck is always courageous such as when he promises to help Jim, a slave, to escape slavery. There could be severe consequences if he gets caught, and yet Huck helps anyway. The time period of the story is the 1800’s.

When Huck fakes his own death to escape his father forever, he runs into a slave named Jim. Huck knows Jim well; Jim belongs to Miss Watson who Huck knows. When Jim tells Huck he is a runaway, Huck promises to take Jim down the Mississippi to freedom. Huck and Jim face many obstacles during their travels. This unlikely pair must ban together and make ultimate sacrifices to make it down the Mississippi River and gain Jim’s freedom.

The writing style of Mark Twain is old fashioned and southern country slang. For example he says words like yourn, and ya’ll a lot. He is also very detailed in his writing, and uses many vibrant adjectives to make is as though you can see the object that is being described in your mind. He uses many similes such as “his mouth opened like a trunk.” (Twain 387) The theme of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is loyalty, and courage. Huck is loyal to both Tom and Jim. He helps Tom through many conflicts. Huck travels with Jim even though he is a runaway slave. Huck could face severe consequences if he is caught with Jim. But through loyalty and courage Huck stay with Jim.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn taught me many things about the time period, such as there ways of speaking, and ways of cooking. It also taught me about the ways of life for normal kids at the time. This book made me feel as though I had traveled back in time. The story was full of vivid detail. This book also made me think about what it would be like to be a kid during this time period. The kids in the book are much different than kids now. They are more daring and adventurous, they sneak out of their houses at night, travel down rivers, and camp outs.

I would give this book five stars out of a possible five stars. This book is a moving story of friendship and adventure. The characters are so well developed. You feel as though you know that character as an old friend. Next, that plot is fast paced and exciting. Lastly, the detail in this book is stunning, I felt like I had traveled back in time when I read this book. The scenes are so well described. As Ernest Hemingway said “all modern literature stems from this one book.” If you are looking for an inspiring story of courage, loyalty, and friendship, then strap on your seatbelt and get ready for a wild ride when you read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

You Don’t Know Me

By David Klass

Realistic Fiction

ISBN 0-374-3870-60

$10.95

Can you imagine being terrified of your father? For the main character John in the novel You Don’t Know Me by David Klass this is how he feels every day. Most kids would be happy to see their father but John is not like most kids. John is a fourteen year old boy who is in a difficult living situation. He lives with his mom and soon to be stepfather. John’s stepfather frequently hits him without his mother knowledge. He doesn’t tell his mother because he knows if he does, things will just get worst.

John is an average kid. He is very loyal and has two close friends who he supports even when they make mistakes like shoplifting. John struggles in school and often finds himself daydreaming in class, but his actions and decisions prove that he is very smart. It is also very clear that he is brave; he tells no one about his stepfather hitting him and attempts to deal with it by himself. On the surface John has a typical life, but underneath it’s anything but typical.

The author David Klass has over twenty years of experience in young adult novels and has written twenty-one so far. He has also written forty screenplays for Hollywood which mainly consisted of adult thrillers. Klass has a distinctive writing style and makes the story as interesting as possible by adding cliff hangers and many interesting details about the characters. This makes the stories fast-paced and impossible to put down.

The theme of You Don’t Know Me is overcoming difficult problems by seeking help from parents and loved ones. John learns that he can go to his mother for help with his problem with his abusive stepfather. The author is suggesting that when John says “You Don’t Know Me” he is saying that you have to look beyond the surface to really understand and know a person. No one was aware of what John was going through including his own mother.

Many kids in this country have to deal with abusive parents and luckily I am not one of them. This book made me realize the problems some kids go through everyday. It did teach me though that we all should seek help when we are having trouble in any situation whether big or small.

I highly recommend You Don’t Know Me and give it a perfect five out of five rating. This book is ideal for me because it was fast-paced, not too long and impossible to put down from day one. The main character of John on the surface is easy to relate to and the conclusion has an interesting twist. It has won the American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults award and the IRA Best Book for Young Adults award. So the reader may not know You Don’t Know Me now but after reading the first chapter you are going to want to.

Matthew Key 21 October 2008

Grade 8

Fallen Angels

By Walter Dean Myers

Historical Fiction

ISBN-13: 9780590409438

$4.95

“America must not ignore the threat gathering against us. Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for the final proof, the smoking gun that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud” (President George W. Bush). This quote relates to the story because George W. Bush was talking about war, and Fallen Angels is a war story. The book, by Walter Dean Myers, is a historical fiction novel on the Vietnam War. The story takes place in the jungles of Vietnam. The book is exciting and sometimes depressing. One example is when the narrator states, “There were Vietnamese, mostly women and old men, running for their lives. Few of them made it more than a few feet as the chopper guns swept everything in their path,” (Myers 127). Anyone who likes history, the army, or just a well-rounded book will enjoy this book.

Walter Dean Myers, 2000 Newbery award winning author of Somewhere in the Darkness, makes you feel like you are in the war yourself. His form of writing includes cliffhangers with exquisite detail which hooks you on the book. I wanted to read the book because the drama and tension on the way to Vietnam was incredible. This book teaches you to stick with each other, even through tough times, and to believe in yourself. There are many facts about the Vietnam War in this book like its geography, why the war happens, and the people.

The military drafts the main character, Richie, to serve in Vietnam. As he is on the long and nerve-racking plane journey, he meets a new friend, Pewee. Pewee is very funny, but he thinks he is the best at everything. Richie is an upbeat guy with a great sense of humor, a quick thinker, and he is extremely brave. They are both obviously nervous on going to Vietnam. These two people both have the character traits to become great soldiers.

When they land in Vietnam, for the first few days they stay where they are, because no one has given them orders on where to relocate their position. Finally, they relocate to a city in southern Vietnam. In a battle, Pewee, Richie, and a few others are separated from their battalion. Now they share only one goal, to get out alive. The theme of Fallen Angels is to stick with your brothers through tough times. One example is when Peewee gets shot, Richie stays behind to give him first aid and to make him feel like he is going to be okay.

Overall, this is one of the better books I have read. It is very suspenseful, and you can’t put the book down. I would give it four out of five stars for its intense, fast moving plot, and it constantly keeps you on edge. For example, one of the chapters begins with Richie and Pewee playing checkers, and when you turn to the next page they are getting shot at. This book makes me feel truly honored to be in a free country where I have many freedoms. For that I can thank the U.S. “fallen angels.”

Aaron Morrissette, November 2008 – Grade 8

War Horse

Michael Morpurgo

ISBN: 0 – 545 – 05798 - 1

Nonfiction

$4.99

Do you want to know what it is like to be in the midst of a bloody war? Do you want to know what it would be like being an innocent horse in the midst of these wars? In the story, War Horse, by Michael Morpurgo, the answers to these questions will be found. This outstanding author’s writing is so good that it has returned, as a play, to the National Theatre. Morpurgo has also written over 100 children’s books. This book is 165 pages long. This book is a holiday one should read to take a break from a long book or series.

In the story, War Horse, a horse named Joey, is practically sold into slavery. Joey is just like any typical farm horse. The farmer’s son, Albert, loves him so much that he wants to keep him forever. Albert expresses his love for Joey when he states, “So you’ve done it, my beauty, and I’m so proud of you I could kiss you, you old silly,” (Morpurgo 15). Albert’s father is always drunk and treats the horse like he doesn’t even exist. His father sells Joey to the soldiers without Albert knowing. Once Albert finds out what his father has done, he misses Joey dearly and wonders if he will ever get to see him again. Joey’s feelings are very similar and he wonders if he will ever get love like that ever again. Joey is eventually sent to Europe where he fights in a Civil War. There are many harsh situations that Joey faces there.

This book has many different settings. The first place is at Joey’s barn. This is where Albert raises Joey. The story also takes place in Europe. This is where Joey fights in World War One. The setting was described when Joey states, “Desolation and destruction were everywhere. Not a building was left intact. Not a blade of grass grew in the torn and ravaged soil,” (Morpurgo 57).

There are many traits that describe Joey, the innocent old horse who is sold into the war. Joey is loveable, dependable, and brave. One example of how his first owner loved him is when the story states, “ One hot summer evening, long after a long and dusty day in the fields, I was deep down into my mash with oats, with Albert rubbing me down with straw and talking,” (Morpurgo 16) Next, Joey is dependable. While Joey is at war, many of the horses on his team become weak and cannot be depended on to get the work done. Although, Joey becomes very tired throughout the many days and nights of fighting, but he never gives up. The author shows Joey’s trait of being dependable when he states, “The shells whined and roared overhead, and every explosion seemed like an earthquake to us. But the squadron galloped on inexorably through it all toward the wire at the top of the hill, and I went with them,” (Morpurgo 59).

The author, Michael Morpurgo’s true style of writing is shown in the story, War Horse. One thing he uses is foreshadowing. The author also uses great details of war. One example of his great war descriptions is shown when Joey states, “From both sides of me I heard a gradual crescendo of excitement and laughter rippling along the trenches,” (Morpurgo 113). Finally, the author also uses dialogue throughout the story when the soldiers talk.

Just like any other story, the War Horse has a theme to it. The theme in this story is, no matter how hard things get in life, you should never give up and keep trying your best. I have also been able to take many other things out of this story. I have finally learned what it is like to be fighting in a war. Before I read this book, I didn’t really notice how much pain and agony there is today over in the Middle East. This book made me feel proud to know that I live in America and that I have people fighting, and losing their lives so that I can have freedom in this country.

Out of five stars I would give it a four. First off, this book was made into a play. The author shows his great descriptions of the war times when he states, “We were led away by two nervous soldiers down farm tracks, through orchards, and across a bridge before being tied up beside a hospital tent some miles from where we had been captured,” (Morpurgo 63). Finally, this book is only 165 so it is not a long read. Do you still want to know what it is like to be in the midst of a war as a horse or a person? Well, start reading the War Horse and you can find that out.

Hannah Eldridge October, 2008

Grade 8

The Fall of Reach

By Eric Nylund

Science Fiction

Isbn 0-345-45132-5

$7.99

“The hill exploded-plumes of pulverized sandstone and fire and smoke hurtled skyward,” (Nylund 4). In the riveting science fiction novel, The Fall of Reach, by Eric Nylund there are many events like this which will leave you speechless. Eric Nylund, an author who grew up in California and has already written six novels, keeps this story edgy and exciting from cover to cover. This book is the prelude to the top selling video game, “HALO.” This read will give you the inside story and prepare you for the action. Whether or not someone is interested in playing the game, they will still enjoy this author’s descriptive words and awesome plot.

The book, The Fall of Reach, is told from many different people’s perspectives which makes it unique from other stories. For the most part, though, it is told by John, an elite warrior for the UNSC codenamed SPARTANS. SPARTANS are an elite force of warriors wearing high tech battle armor. Abducted from his family at a young age, John is training from about the age of six. He is taken to the military planet of Reach where he learns many military tactics and meets two of his best friends; Kelly and Sam. They form a friendship that lasts to the end.

There are many qualities to describe John. He is intelligent, a good leader, and has nerves of steel. John is always able to think of a plan as he goes along. He is able to think on the run. John can rally his troops which make a difference in the battle’s outcome. Even when he is face to face with an elite alien, John isn’t scared, which leads him to defeat it which shows that he has nerves of steel.

The setting of this story is from the year 2517 to the year 2552. It is on a variety of different planets such as Reach, Sigma Octanius four, and sometimes just in general space. This story is all about John, a boy and later a man, who is selected, at a young age, to serve the UNSC. The UNSC colonies have been besieged by a mix of alien races known as the Covenant. With their advanced plasma technology, the Covenant is an extremely difficult foe for the humans. As the Covenant war machine presses toward the UNSC’s military base on Reach, John has been sent out on a number of covert missions.

The author’s writing style is very different from other authors that I’ve read. This is because it isn’t just from John’s point of view. There is more than one point of view depicted.. There is also a lot of suspense at the end of each section. The book is broken up into seven different sections. Eric Nylund uses a colorful mix of descriptive words that play with all five senses. His vocabulary isn’t difficult. However, he doesn’t lack detail in the descriptions of the marines, vehicles, aliens, ships, and weaponry. Eric Nylund does a good job of leading the story into the sequel, called, The Flood, which, unfortunately, is by a different author.

Throughout this story, I have learned many things. Brains can prevail over brawn is something I learned. John, the main character, has to face aliens that are twice his size, but since he uses his intelligence, he is able to take the beast down. Another example of what I learned is that no matter how good technology is today, there will always be something new tomorrow even better to replace it. An example from the story is the technology used by the covenant compared to the humans. The humans think that their technology is good, but when they meet the covenant, they realize the covenant is more advanced. I’ve learned is to always keep your head up. There are many times where John could have just given up. Instead, he keeps his head up and the good things follow such as holding the covenant off at Sigma Octanius four.

The theme of, The Fall of Reach, is perseverance. This means that even when the odds are against someone, they still keep fighting for what they believe in. I got a lot out of the theme; it shows me that I should always try to achieve my goals. If it means trying and trying and trying until I gain success, then I need to be ready to go the distance.

All in all, I think that this is a great book that I encourage many others to read. Although the story can be hard to follow at times one will realize that all of the sections and people telling the story become linked. On a scale from one to five, I would give this book a four. The plot made me want to read more as I went deeper and deeper in the story. This is amazing because I don’t like to read. Another reason why this book is given a four is because of the vivid descriptions. It makes me feel like I am really in the story. One final reason for its rating is the author’s style of writing. I think it is a good idea to tell the story from different people’s perspectives then, gradually, connect them all. In conclusion, I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good adventure story. “Red team reports mission objective complete, chief,” Blue- two said, “They send their compliments,” (Nylund 6), and I sent my compliments to Eric Nylund and his outstanding novel.

-Cody McAlice, October, 2008 Grade 8

Eclipse

By Stephanie Meyer

Fantasy

$11.99

"There's something... strange about the way you two are together... The way he watches you—it's so... protective. Like he's about to throw himself in front of a bullet to save you or something." This is a quote from the remarkable novel, Eclipse, by Stephanie Meyer. It is said by the main character Bella’s mother about Edward Cullen. Bella is a pale and clumsy teenage girl. She even finds ways to hurt herself with very simple things. For example, she cuts her finger on wrapping paper, and in five minutes she stumbles backwards, knocking over glass and tearing open her arm. Bella is head over heels in love with Edward Cullen. The only problem is Edward is a vampire. Despite the fact that the animals satisfy the burning of his thirst, it only holds his control for so long, but even when he hasn’t hunted for a while he can still stay away from hurting Bella. Eclipse is the third book of the Twilight Series. Meyer, basing the series on a dream she had, wrote the first four hundred-ninety eight page book, Twilight, in a shocking three months!

Eclipse is based in the dreary town of Forks, Washington. At first, Bella absolutely despises Forks. If it’s not raining, it’s cloudy. But meeting Edward completely wipes the hate away. It no longer matters where she is as long as she’s with him. Soon, it seems that some newborn vampires have picked up her scent, and are after her. Newborn vampires have absolutely no control over themselves at all, and they will kill any humans near them. They are also extremely strong, as vampires are most strong as newborns. It is soon discovered by the Cullen’s that the newborns have been created by Victoria, another vampire. The history of Victoria and Bella happened in the previous books, Twilight and New Moon. What it comes down to is Victoria has a strong hate for Bella, and is on the path to kill her.

Edward Cullen has two brothers, Emmett and Jasper, two sisters, Alice and Rosalie, and two guardians, Carlisle and Esme. The whole family consists of vampires, so they are of course, extremely strong, but not stronger than newborn vampires. They are not worried at all that they can protect Bella from the newborns, but Bella herself is not so sure, even when werewolves join in on the fight. Werewolves can kill vampires easily.

Bella will do anything to protect her new family, vampires or not. Does this include killing herself to keep them safe? Would she be so willing to distract the newborns to the point of her own death? The story keeps people on their toes. The shocking ending leads them right on to the next book. It is very clear that the theme of this book is about choices, and the consequences of your actions. This book makes me wonder if there could be any surprising secrets of different creatures hidden from the knowledge of humans.

In conclusion, I highly recommend this book and series to anyone in need of a new book. I give it, without hesitation, five stars out of five. The books make people want more, until they are done with the whole series and waiting for the next to come out. There is action, romance, comedy, and even some scary parts. Stephanie Meyer does a phenomenal job on the Twilight series. Eclipse is an amazing, intriguing novel with a surprising ending. Rosalie Cullen, Edwards sister, quotes in the book, “Would you like to hear my story? It doesn’t have a happy ending—but which of ours does? If we had happy endings, we’d all be under gravestones now,” (Meyer 154).

Megan Stambaugh

Ida B

Katherine Hannigan

Realistic Fiction

ISBN 043983712X

$5.99

Curious, determined, clever. The character Ida B is full of these traits. Ida B by Katherine Hannigan is a two hundred forty-six page, easy read. The book is about a ten year-old girl that loves the smaller things in life. Ida B seems to have a great life, but then her family receives some bad news that changes her whole world. Katherine Hannigan, the author, was raised in western New York State and earned degrees in education, mathematics, and art. She lives in northeast Iowa. Ida B is a great book for almost all readers.

Who is Ida B? That is a hard question to answer; Ida B is an interesting girl with many things going on in her head. She is very intelligent and sees life from a different point of view. “There’s more than one way to tell each other things, and there’s more than one way to listen, too. And if you’ve never heard a tree telling you something, then I’d say you don’t really know how to listen just yet. But I’d be happy to give you a few pointers sometime,” (Hannigan 9). She is an only child who doesn’t have many friends; her best friends are her parents, the trees in her family’s apple orchard, and her dog and cat. Ida B loves to send messages down the creek and wait for answers; she talks to the trees like they are alive and ready to hear her thoughts.

Ida B takes place on an isolated apple orchard located in Northern Wisconsin. Ida B Applewood has a good life and she is homeschooled by her mom and dad. She has a vivid imagination and is very smart. Everything is fine until one day when she finds out her mom has cancer; it turns her whole life around. Also, Ida B is sent back to public school, seeing as her parents can no longer teach her themselves. Ida B doesn’t like public school at first, but then gradually starts to like it more as she becomes friends with a fellow student named Claire. The readers have to find out the ending themselves.

Katherine Hannigan has a very good writing style. She uses many details, vivid verbs, and similes like “The cancer was like bugs in a tree: one day you don’t see them at all and the next it seems like they’re everywhere, eating the leaves and the fruit,” (Hannigan 66). In addition, she uses many expressive onomatopoeias and descriptive adjectives like “That tree’s bare and white, and people think it’s dead but its not; it’s just older than old,” (Hannigan 13). They make the story feel like you are there.

The theme of Ida B is a great message to all people. The main theme is that if something bad happens or you are mad, you shouldn’t take your anger out on others around you. I think that this is a very important lesson in life. The book changed me in many ways. It made me think about if I ever do take my anger out on people, which I should try not to do.

I give this book a rating of four stars. The book has very realistic characters; it feels like it could actually be a true story. Also it is fast-paced and easy to read. Ida B has received many awards for its greatness like Publishers Weekly Best Book, Quill Award Nominee, Book Sense Honor Book, and ALA Booklist Editors’ Choice. I recommend this book fro ages ten- thirteen. Ida B is a great book because it is detailed and catches the reader’s eye.

Ida B

By Katherine Hannigan

Realistic Fiction

ISBN: 0060730242

$5.99

Just as the title suggests, Ida B, by Katherine Hannigan, centers in the life, character, and personality of Ida B Applewood, a rambunctious nine year old from Northern Wisconsin. Many circumstances affecting Ida’s life are similar to those of the author while she was a child. Ida B lives with her family on a secluded apple orchard, surrounded by woods, hills, and fields. Her best friends and closest companions are her dog, Rufus, and her cat named Lulu. Once her mother develops cancer, Ida B is faced with many personality changes dramatically. She expresses her fears and sadness over her mother’s illness by lashing back at the people around her. She makes up her mind to hate school, act nasty towards her parents, and drive her new neighbors away, even if it means knowing that her actions will hurt those that care about her the most.

Although only nine years old, Ida B Applewood tries to live life to the fullest. Whether this includes playing in the brook, climbing trees, planning her days and nights, inventing time-saving devices, or walking her floppy-eared dog Rufus, she is constantly on-the-go and strives to create her own pleasure. “And staring right into his eyeballs I told him, ‘There is never enough time for fun," stated Ida to her dad. (Hannigan, 2). Ida B thinks of herself as a master planner, who can outsmart anyone or anything that comes between the safety and wonder of the world.

Ida B takes place on a prosperous, tucked away apple orchard in Northern Wisconsin, in a setting that allows Ida B to indulge her creative side. She creates small rafts to which she attaches notes with questions. Having acres of apple trees, which she refers to as her friends, Ida enjoys having long conversations and asking them different questions; she is always looking for fun. "Yes, ma'am,’ I said back, but I said it like this, ‘Yes, may-uhm!’ because I couldn't wait to get on with my business. I could already hear the brook calling to me through the back door screen. ‘C'mon out and play, Ida B. Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up.’ I had three places I wanted to visit, six things I wanted to make, and two conversations I hoped to have before dinnertime,” said Ida B. (Hannigan, 2). However, when her mother is stricken with cancer, her parents end up selling part of their orchard and sending Ida back to public school.

Katherine Hannigan is a superb writer. Her writing style focuses on using great detail to vividly establish the story’s setting, describe the characters and their conflicts, and develop the plot. In addition, she provides cliffhangers at the end of some chapters, to build excitement and momentum, making it hard to put down the book. These factors certainly have a positive impact form the reader’s point of view. Ida B is without a doubt a fantastic book written by a creative author.

The theme of Ida B is that even when life is at its worst, stay strong. Instead of blaming others for difficult challenges occurring in life, learn to deal with them and related frustrations more serenely. While reading this book I felt many different emotions, because of the many different conflicts that arise. Some of these emotions include feelings of cheerfulness, grief, and sorrow, and through reading Ida B’s experiences, I can’t help but think of what it would be like to have a parent suddenly stricken with a life-threatening disease.

Overall, I would give Ida B a very high rating of four stars. It is a superb novel with many interesting conflicts, descriptive and detailed language, as well as a fast paced and exciting plot. I’m certainly not alone in my opinion. The author has gained the praise of many top critics and earned many prestigious awards including, Publishers Weekly Best Book, New York Public Library's "One Hundred Titles for Reading and Sharing," IRA/CBC Teachers' Choice, Quill Award Nominee, Book Sense Honor Book, Borders Original Voices, ALA Booklist Editors’ Choice, and School Library Journal Best Book. Joan Kindig from Children’s Literature gives it two thumbs up saying,” Beautifully told, this first novel is filled with remarkable characters and the story is one of growth and adaptation. Seeing how Ida B deals with all of this is worth the price of admission.” Regardless of how tight the budget, Ida B is a great read that should not be passed up.

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

By Stephen King

Realistic Fiction

ISBN-13: 9780671042851

$7.99

Stephen King’s unpleasant style of writing may come from his childhood experiences, including witnessing a friend get struck by a train. When King was two years old, his father deserted his family, while buying a pack of cigarettes. King was left with his single mother, who was almost always having financial problems. Stephen King shows how he may have been affected by his childhood, in the book The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon.

The main character in the book, Trisha, is a lonely, hapless girl in a family of three. Her mom and brother are constantly fighting and she seems to be the odd one out. Trisha is a girl that loves to daydream. When her mom fights with her brother, she daydreams about Tom Gordon, a baseball player for the Red Sox. She is also a smart, resourceful person. She uses what is around her to do what she needs.

The book takes place in the woods, where Trisha has wandered off from her mom and brother. She gets lost and cannot see them or any trails. Trisha has to survive for weeks with a walkman, a half-full bottle of water, and a twinkie. She uses everything around her such as berries, roots, streams, and rocks. Trisha entertained herself by listening to Red Sox games on her walkman, and dreaming of Tom Gordon, the Red Sox pitcher.

In this book, Stephen King uses a lot of dialogue and details. He describes the woods around her, and states everything she is thinking about. Also, I can picture in my head what she is doing. He describes in detail the Red Sox games that she listens to on her walkman, and how the pitcher, Tom Gordon, is doing. It is a book with great adjectives, adverbs, and lots of vivid verbs.

The theme of this book is never give up on your hopes. There were times when Trisha wanted to just give her life away, and had thoughts that she would never see a human again, but she kept strong throughout her journey. This book made me feel scared, because it is very easy to get lost and away from your family. It made me think about what I would do if I were lost, if I’d use my time and supplies wisely, or waste them carelessly. The book changed me because now I am more cautious and try to use what I have around me.

My recommendation for this book is four out of five stars. It is an interesting book, written by a gifted author. It is “Frightening… a feverish terror” (New York Times). It showed me how to be cautious, and resourceful. It is also a New York Times Best Seller. Once again, King shows he is the King of horror.

Sam Flaherty October 2008

Grade 8

Eldest

By: Christopher Paolini

ISBN: 978-0-375-85704-1

$19.99 (two-in-one)

When a reader first picks up a book, what does he/she expect, a nice calm beginning with action towards the middle, or a hair raising start like those of Edgar Allan Poe? With Eldest the reader will be surprised. On page five of the single book (page 522 of the two-in-one) a fight breaks out. “A group of ten men climbed out onto the ground, then turned and helped up as many dwarves.” (Paolini 522 Double 5 Single). By the next page, the body count is already at least twenty. “Before Saphira could reach the fight, the knot of Urgals streamed back to the tunnel and scrambled underground, leaving only prone forms behind” (Paolini 523 Double 6 Single). We’re talking about the first five and six pages of the book here. After those couple of pages, one can’t help but continuing, even though it is 667 pages. Most authors you hear about are older people who need a wheelchair and an oxygen tank before they truly become famous. Christopher Paolini’s first book, Eragon, was published when he was nineteen, plus it became a New York Times bestseller. One heck of a feet if you ask me, wish I could do that good. Something I forgot to mention earlier is BEWARE: the reader will NOT be able to put this book down once you start reading; you will want to, literally, read 24/7.

This book primarily focuses on a young farm boy, Eragon, from a small village, Carvahall, and his dragon, Saphira. Eragon is seventeen years old, and he has a LOT to learn. He has managed quite a few amazing feats even at this age. He has slain a Shade, which is a person who is controlled by demonic spirits, so now everyone calls him Eragon Shadeslayer. He cares a lot about his friends and, especially Saphira. She is a sapphire colored dragon who is, even though sixteen years younger than Eragon (she’s one year old), is about, ahh, who knows how much more intelligent. I don’t think anyone can count how high her IQ is. Not surprising that a young dragon is millions of times more intelligent than a teenager. Hopefully, he will get more intelligent, or he might as well dig a grave and throw himself in it. Eragon would already have a grave, but luckily for him, Saphira keeps watch over him and makes sure he is all right.

This book takes place in a land called Alagaesia. It is ninety-nine years after the fall of the Riders. There is a war between freedom fighters (The Varden) and The Empire. A young boy and his dragon will decide which side will win or lose.

One thing I’ve noticed about Paolini is that he likes to jump from character to character. For example, one chapter is following Eragon and then the next is following his cousin Roran. Another thing I noticed is that when Paolini starts describing things, he doesn’t tend to stop until the next page. Paolini gets most of Alagaesia’s land ideas from his home in Montana. Montana must be extremely beautiful; it has to be to look like Alagaesia. Paolini shows that fantasy can take anyone anywhere.

The theme is that one person can truly make a difference. I thought that it would take me weeks to finish due to this book’s size. However, I was so glued to it that in about three days, I was on about page four hundred. Not to mention that I also bought the rest of the series that Saturday and it was Wednesday when I borrowed the book.

I would give this book five stars! It is full of magic, friendships, betrayals, battles, dragons, and suspense. (From defending a small town, to sailing through a giant whirlpool, and even to dragons battling in midair.) The ONLY thing this book doesn’t have is a kitchen sink, and an M16 assault rifle, but let’s not get greedy. Plus Time magazine says, “Eldest significantly expands and enriches Paolini’s fictional palette.” Eldest is one of the best books, IS the best book, I have ever read. From the youngest reader to the “Eldest” reader, this book will remain one of the greatest.

Austin Gatcomb

Grade 8

October 2008

Twilight

By Stephenie Meyer

Fantasy

$10.99

“‘You heard what Laurent said.’ My voice was just a whisper, but I was sure they could hear me. ‘He said James was lethal. What if something goes wrong, and they get separated? If something happens to any of them, Carlisle, Emmett… Edward…’ I gulped.” That is an extract from Stephenie Meyer’s book Twilight. On June 2, 2003 Stephenie had woken up from a dream that she had the night before. She had to write it down and so she started up the computer and started writing down the scene that she had dreamt up.

The main characters are Bella Swan and Edward Cullen. Bella Swan is an ivory skinned, Arizona city girl who goes to Forks, Washington to visit her father. Bella isn’t one to talk about her feelings and when she does it doesn’t feel natural to her. She thanks her father when he gets her a truck and they both seem uncomfortable. She loves her mother, Renee, a lot. When she was younger she had to keep her mother from forgetting things. She says when she goes to Forks, “How could I leave my loving, erratic harebrained mother behind?” (Meyer 4). Bella also says that her mother is her best friend. She then meets Edward who is a little more than your average seventeen year old. He’s a vampire. He lives with his adopted family that consists of Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, and Alice. His adopted parents are Carlisle and Esme. They all live in the same world that we do trying to seem as though they are human.

The story takes place in Forks, Washington where it is almost always raining. Everything is green from the rain so Bella says “It was too green- an alien planet” (Meyer 8). Bella and Edward start going out. She is invited to go to his family baseball game. They meet a tracker named James and he starts to “hunt” Bella. He thinks that it is a great challenge because there are six vampires ready to fight for her. She runs away to her hometown Phoenix, Arizona. Will James find her? Or will he search for the rest of eternity?

This author uses a lot of foreshadowing. When Bella talks about how she and her mother were never really on the same page she says “Maybe there was a glitch in my brain” (Meyer 11). She also uses just enough detail so you can “see” everything. She describes the looks of Edward. She describes him to a point where I thought that I saw him out of the corner of my eye as I was reading the book. Bella says “The last was lanky, less bulky, with untidy, bronze colored hair. He was more boyish than the others, who looked like they could be in college, or even teachers here rather than students” (Meyer 18).

The theme of this novel is nothing is what it seems. Bella thinks she is living in a world with no mythological creatures. She finds out she is living in a world with vampires and werewolves. This book made me think, “Is this world really without these mythological beings? Or am I lying to myself to protect me from the truth?” This book definitely changes my perspective on life because Twilight really made me want to answer the questions I had even though I know I can’t.

This book is absolutely amazing. Out of five I believe it deserves a five. I give it a five because the book uses great foreshadowing. The detail isn’t too much but it is enough so you get the whole point. The dialogue is exquisite because of the way it bounces around and makes sense. The characters use sarcasm, humor, and seriousness. Stephenie Meyer’s book Twilight is said to be one of the “most promising new authors of 2005” (Publishers Weekly). Twilight is an amazing book filled with tons of suspense, cliffhangers, and action. Twilight is creeping up fast so read this book before then.

Maddi Woodhams October 2008 Grade 8

Stormbreaker

By: Anthony Horowitz

Realistic Fiction

$7.99

“Stand up. Keep your hands by your sides. If you make any sudden move, I’ll shoot you in the head,” (Horowitz.) This is a familiar line in the fast paced action thriller Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz. Horowitz is a New York Times best-selling author and has published the thrilling Alex Rider series as well as many others such as the Gate Keepers.

The book is about the dangerous adventures of the fourteen year old boy Alex Rider. Alex is risky and will go to enormous heights to satisfy his unending curiosity. This is demonstrated when fifteen stories high he climbs out of a ledge window leaping to the other side using an American flag as his only support from the perilous fifteen flight fall. Alex may be risky, but he is also strong and smart; therefore, he makes it across the ledge to discover the mysteries of his uncle’s work. Once Alex learns these secrets he is forced into a life that he never wanted, the life of a spy. Sent on the mission of which his uncle had failed, he becomes brave and bold. Never does he cower in front of his enemy; never does he flee from the gun fire, but instead stays and fights for revenge of his uncle’s death.

The plot is fast paced and will keep readers reading. The mission Alex is sent on is to spy on Herod Sayle, a generous donor who gives every school and child in London a new Stormbreaker computer. What could be so bad about that Alex wonders and he soon finds his answer which unfortunately wasn’t the one he was hoping for. Investigating the corporation soon becomes a life risking task; however, he is driven by the death of his uncle and following in his footsteps Alex is determined to make it to the bottom of it, that is if he isn’t killed first.

Anthony Horowitz makes the book very interesting with lots of unexpected twists and turns. This book is full of mysteries and has many cliffhangers to add to the suspense. The dialogue is easy to follow and is perfect for anyone from grades 6-8. The book starts of fast paced and stays that way throughout the whole story so you can never put it down. So if you like a book that hops right into the action and never stops then Stormbreaker is a perfect read for you.

The book really makes you feel like you’re in Alex’s place and gives you that bold and brave sense. It makes the readers wonder to what extent people will go for revenge. The book doesn’t really have a moral to the story but a good message would be “Revenge is sweet.” This is because revenge is the motive behind everyone in the book.

My overall rating for this book is an outstanding 4 out of 5 stars. It is very fast paced and never gets boring, it makes the readers think about what is happening instead of solving it all out for them, and there are lots of unexpected twists and turn throughout the book that makes it even more interesting. “Stand up. Keep your hands by your sides. If you make any sudden move, I’ll shoot you in the head,” (Horowitz). So listen and surrender yourself to the action packed novel, Stormbreaker!

Mike Schlabach

Grade 8

Rewind

By William Sleator

Fiction

Price: $3.99

After the first time Peter died, he tried again to save his own life; “But this time, Mrs. Hazleton wouldn’t be driving her car right past our house the moment I ran into the street. She wasn’t. The taxi that had been behind Mrs. Hazleton’s car was going faster now. It hit me harder than she did. I died for the second time.” Who could come up with such a thrilling storyline about a boy who dies three whole times and is brought back to life? Who could come up with a novel as intricate as this? Who could write their first book at the age of six? None, but the brilliant author, William Sleator.

The main character, a boy named Peter, is a boy who does before he thinks. In the book, he becomes more logical and sophisticated. He also becomes imaginative, helpful, and somewhat forgetful. One could also say he is fearless, at some points in the book. An example of him being more logical is the fact that he used about five hours to decide when he wanted to go back in time to decide how he’s going to save his own life.

In the book, Rewind, by William Sleator, the setting is a small town in May, where a boy named Peter is hit by a car. At his funeral, Peter can see everything that goes on, like his soul is out of the coffin where his dead body lies. He then hears a voice that tells him he can return to any point in time to try to fix his death. The voice tells him when he runs out his front door; he cannot change what will happen. He will die, and he will be completely aware of what is going to happen. He tells the voice when he wants to be returned, and he fails. He is killed again. He is then granted another chance, which he fails again. On his final chance, he return back in time long enough to give him four weeks to think of a plan. He has already lived through these four weeks, so he knows exactly what will happen. However, when people get suspicious of him and his knowledge of what is going to happen, he is in for some trouble.

The author, William Sleator, has an amazing writing style. He uses a lot of foreshadowing as to what Peter is going to do next or what is going on in his head. He uses a lot of descriptive words to give an acute sense of what is going on in the book. One of the characters named Eloise is a mysterious character and she’s is described very little.

When reading the book, Rewind one would be thinking what the main character is thinking. The author gives detail that the main character is thinking, however he doesn’t specify what Peter is thinking about. Reading the book, I found myself wondering what was going through Peter’s head and also what was going to happen next. The theme of the book I think is; when you have time to think about something that is major, use your time wisely. It may be simpler than that. It may just be to use your time wisely.

I would rate this book a four out of five, because I think it could have been a little better or maybe longer, but other than that it was an amazing book. I find it hard to believe that this book has won no awards. I’m amazed it’s still unrecognized for its unique storyline and plot. Don’t get wound up in this thrilling adventure about a boy who dies three times!

Cameron Krasner OCT 30, 2008

EXTRAS

By: Scott Westerfeld

Fantasy

ISBN: 978-1-4169-5117-9

$16.99

Do you ever wish you could see what things would be like in the future? In the book, EXTRAS by Scott Westerfeld, Aya lives in the future and gets herself in a sticky situation. As Aya is riding an underground train that runs through the main part of her city, the wind blowing in her hair, she is thinking deeply about what she is sacrificing. She wants to tell the whole city about a secret clique of girls. The reason she is riding the train rights now is because of these girls, the sly girls. They tell her if she wants to be a sly girl, she has to take a risk, and ride the train with them. Experience what it is like to ride on top of a train while it goes under a tunnel. She thinks this is scary, but she has seen nothing yet.

Aya is an extra. She isn’t smart, or beautiful, or rich. Unlike her brother, she doesn’t know what it is like to be famous. She isn’t smart enough to be a tech-head, so she blogs about what is going on in the city. A tech-head is a person who lives in a mansion in the city. They are really smart when it comes to technology. Aya tries to blog about things that are interesting, but hits a snag when she has to decide weather to tell about her discoveries about the sly girls or put the city in danger. Her brother, Hiro, is a rich and famous tech-head that all the girls are crazy over! He is very good looking and rich with merits. Merits are a form of money in their city. Hiro’s room mate makes a video camera for Aya. This camera follows her everywhere and gets proof for the stories she tells about. The camera is so smart; it is almost like it has a brain of its own. The characters make the story interesting because of the way they feel and think throughout the book. They create a problem, and then fix it using teamwork.

The story takes place a million years from now. In a city that people have surgeries for a new nook. In a city that keeps people as captives. In a city full of pretties, tech-heads, and extras. This is New Pretty Town. Mansions spot the city like the spots on a Dalmatian, and parties are scheduled to happen every day of the week. Hover boards are used in place of vehicles, and there is a steel grid throughout the whole city, because the hover boards are magnetic. Even though the Extras live in the same city as the others, a wide river separates them. New Pretty town has been this way for a long time, but it is about to change.

Scott Westerfeld is an amazing writer. He ends chapters when something big is about to happen, to build suspense.It keeps the reader thinking; What will happen next? Will Aya become famous? Will Aya ever see Hiro again? It keeps the reader reading. He makes the reader feel like they are the main character. He illustrates the feelings the characters have towards each other very well. The readers can relate to the characters through their actions and feelings that are described in the book.

The theme of the book is that friendship can see through appearances and into feelings. The relationship between David and Tally (two characters in love) showed me this. Tally is a supernatural, gorgeous special, and he was an average looking ugly, but they love each other more than anything else in the world. This opened my eyes to a whole new way of looking at other people.

EXTRAS is an outstanding book! It is a NEW YORK TIMES best selling book. I would recommend it to preteen and teenage girls. It contained some pretty intense sense that kept me reading. On a scale from one to ten, I would give this book a nine because it left some questions unanswered, which I hate! The Book EXRTAS is extra special in my book!

-Alex Tullock

Sunrise Over Fallujah By: Walter Dean Myers

Realistic Fiction

ISBN: 0-439-91624-0

$12.23

Did you know that in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 there were 30,000 United States Troops in Iraq on the initial invasion? In the 282 page book that is the sequel to Fallen Angels, Sunrise over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers is a novel about the struggles and achievements of the troops in the Iraqi war. The main character Robin “Birdy” Perry is in Civil Affairs. Robin is a nervous and terrified army recruit from Harlem, New York. The setting of this book is the six major cities on the Euphrates River in Iraq. Also smaller villages and towns around the Euphrates River in Iraqi.

The plot of this book is Birdy and his squad trying to make it through their tour of duty. During the novel the squad goes on several missions to towns trying to get the townspeople on their side. Also they go on a mission with Special Forces and Marines. Birdy and his squad get into several firefights with Iraqi insurgents on their missions with the Marines and Special Forces.

Walter Dean Myers writes with a lot of detail and dialogue. He who was born and raised in Harlem, New York. The writer uses a lot of detail and dialogue between the characters. On page sixty-four he uses detail to tell what he was hearing. The noise from the fighting was unbelievable. If you listened you could tell what was firing. AK-47s, M-16s, mortars, tanks, grenades. All find of ways to die in a hurry” (Myers 64). He

also uses a lot of cliffhangers. For example on page 270 the author uses a cliffhanger when one of the squad members gets left behind in the desert in a gun fight. The genre of the novel Sunrise over Fallujah is a cross between action and adventure. The theme of the story is that war changes people.

This book Sunrise over Fallujah made me wonder about what kind of stress and pressure the troops are under. It also made me think about what they feel like after the war when they return to the states. It changed my perspective on war too by showing me the good side of war. The good side of war is helping people.

This book was a great book and I would probably give it a four out of five stars. One was the detail that the author went into. On page seventy uses detail when he describes the bathroom “ The portable toilet facilities stink and the small cabin was filled with tiny flies that bit my butt.” The second reason was that the action scenes are great and suspenseful. The third and finial reason is that I could really visualize what was going on in the story. This book has not won any awards yet, but is a new release and I think soon will. In conclusion this was in the top ten books I have ever read.

-John Morton, October 2008-Grade 8

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things

By Carolyn Mackler

Realistic Fiction

$8.99

Have you ever thought you were switched at birth? Virginia the 15-year-old main character has. “I have this theory that I was switched at birth.” Virginia comments. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler is a realistic-fiction two hundred forty four-page book.

The main character in this story is Virginia Shreves. Many people that have an eating disorder tend to not eat, but Virginia does the total opposite. She can’t stop eating. She is trying to go on a diet but finds that it is hard, especially when problems like Virginias eating disorder and her brothers incident, are arising. With more problems Virginia starts to make awful choices and does things that she never thought she would ever do. One example of these awful choices is when she goes to visit her best friend, Shannon, in Walla Walla without her parents’ permission. When Virginia starts to get angered she usually finds ways to hurt herself. She soon takes up kickboxing. By starting kickboxing Virginia meets new people and finds a new way to get out all of her stress and anger, without damaging her body.

This story takes place in Manhattan, which is the town Virginia lives in. The school she goes to is Brewster, a private high school. Throughout the book a main problem develops. Her brother Bryon, who is one of Virginia's role models, is away at college when the family gets a phone call. This short call ends up being the biggest problem of all. With all of the drama in Virginia's life, she becomes crazier. This causes her to start thinking that life is meant to be fun and that she can control it. It is after she realizes this that she goes to visit Shannon without her parent’s approval. This is one of the first out of many adventures Virginia goes on.

I think that this book deserves a four out of five rating for three reasons. One reason is that the book is very catchy and never lost my interest. Also it is easy to understand how Virginia feels during the problems she faces throughout the book. Lastly Virginia is a very high-spirited girl that is easy to become found of. She believes in her feelings and follows her heart knowing that she will then be happy.

The author, Carolyn Mackler, is an award-winning writer. She won a Michael L. Printz Honor Book, which means it is a great example of literary excellence in young adult literature. She also wrote many other books and has articles in magazines such as Seventeen and Glamour. Carolyn Mackler uses many details and dialogue in her writing. She uses many details when explaining how Virginia feels throughout the book. Also there is a lot of dialogue between Virginia and Shannon.

The theme of this story is that no matter what, everyone is perfect the way they are. Also instead of always wondering what people are thinking, have fun. That is one of the main ideas I learned while reading The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things. I also learned that there are many ways that people can release their emotions. In conclusion this book is one that I will always enjoy no matter how many times I read it.

Sydney Holmes