Backwater by Joan Bauer

She peered at me some more. I wasn't used to such scrutiny. "I suppose at this moment you think I'm the craziest woman you've ever met," she said quietly. I looked at her standing there with birds on her arms and head. "Fiona's crazier,' I assured her.

The Breedloves have always been successfull lawyers, and everyone expects the same from Ivy. Ivy, however, has no interest whatsoever in a career in law. She wants to become a historian. When no one seems to understand her at home, except her aunt Tib, Ivy goes in search off her long lost aunt Josephine. However, when she does find her aunt (Did I mention her aunt is a hermit?), disaster strikes, and Ivy has to find a way to save the village of Backwater, and it's most honorable mayor. On the way she gains a friend in the mountain guide- mountain mama, a boyfriend - Jack, and learns some lessons.

"Peace," I said quietly, hoping the game would end. "A state of tranquility or quiet." "Not in this house, Ivy!" boomed my father. "No kidding." "We'll make her a lawyer yet," laughed Uncle Whit. Thirteen pairs of legal eyes stared at me. I looked away. If I'd had guts, I would of said it. Can't you just let me be who I am?

I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick, and easy read, but had depth. I would say that I'd give it... 4 4/5 stars.

you can't pursue history without finding hope.

The Misadventures of Maude March by Audrey Couloumbis

To show you how impossible it was for her to do the things everyone claimed that she did. For this is the true story of how my sister, Maude March, came to be known far and wide as a horse thief, a bank robber, and a cold-blooded killer.

With a single gunshot, Maude, and Sallie March, are orphaned for the second time when their aunt Ruthie dies. Moving into the family of the local preacher, they are worked to exhaustion, and until their tempers are short. When a man who Maude is not interested in proposes to her, and the preacher and his family put pressure on her to accept, it's the last straw for Sallie and Maude. They steal two horses, and ride off.

However, it's not as easy for them to survive as they thought it would be, and they face dangers such as rattlesnakes, Mountain Lions, and lawmen, as they make their way through their journey to find their Uncle.

"Are you going to be a boy or a girl?" Marion asked before I went inside. "I'm still a boy," I said to Marion. "Johnnie is my name." "I thought that was your sister's name." "If she waned it, she wouldn't of left it laying around."

I really enjoyed this book, from the very second I set eyes on the cover. (the copy I got, has this cover.) it was a very funny book, and very exciting. I'd give it about 3 3 /4 stars.

"I hope you don't think that makes it all right," Maude said. "Did I shoot that boy, Sallie, did I?" "No, I did." I said, and seeing he look on her face, quickly added, "By accident, like. I mean to say, it was the gun I was holding that went off." "Don't ever tell anyone that," she said. "Not even if they catch and hang me."

Squashed by Joan Bauer

"I'm hoping to enter," I said, humbly. "Enter? What about winning?" Well, of course I wanted to win. You don't go entering contests you don't hope to win.

Ellie Morgan knows it was pumkin love at first sight. And so for years, she's been growing and entering pumkins in contests. This year, she has entered the adult's pumkin contest, and she hopes that Max, her pumpkin, will win. But her life is much more complicated than just pumkins. She wants to lose weight, her dad doesn't understand how she loves Max, and there's a new boy at school, Wes, who she is crushing on.

I sat on the McKennas' soft pink toilet seat remembering the messages from Dad's motivational tapes on success, inner strength, and self-esteem. He had drilled them into me two years ago hoping I would become a different person. It didn't work.

I really liked this book. It made you want to keep reading, but it wasn't scary, or suspensful. It was a book full of love, and I really liked that. There was romance, but not too much. there was a lot of character developing. I think I'd give it 4 3/4 stars. (out of five.) I highly reccomend this book.

"The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis

Another tale, from the Land of Narnia, originally the first. This time: Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter are living with an old Professor, in somewhere else due to the air raids in England due to WWII. They explore the large house, and during this time, Lucy enters a mysterious wardrobe, and finds another world. Narnia? Their adventures and Narnia, coincidentally involving the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe itself, are to follow... and you'll find out when you read, the book. :P

I really liked this one as well, as anyone could. It's a very descriptive, but likeable series. I also give this one 4 stars, maybe 4 1/2. Yay for Narnia? I also really liked the movie- haha. All the Narnia books I have read so far (not completed it quite yet), are very descriptive and full of adventure and surprises. Although the depth of description is kind of annoying to some, that doesn't matter to me, I like it. I also like the whimsicalness and the slight sarcasm and repition, always reappearing.

(Of course you know, as any sensible person does know, you do not not shut oneself' in a wardrobe.)

hehe. Later bookworms! :)

"The Magician's Nephew" by C.S. Lewis

P.S. The reason I am doing both this and the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, while I normally don't review sequels, is because, this is more of a prequel, practically a different story. Almost. No spoilers.
When a boy goes to live with his crazy Aunt&Uncle, and befriends a girl named Polly, and goes to explore, simply the houses they live in, a sort of secret attic part, what will happen when they accidentally end up somewhere, where they will get caught, just maybe. At which point, they could accidentally end up in a different world. This is a story, about how the land of Narnia, spoke of in this and the rest of the Chronicles of Narnia, came to be, and the story of the evil Queen's presence in Narnia.

To find out more, read the book, and the rest of the Chronicles of Narnia. :):) I used to not be able to get into these books, but now, I can. I really liked it, and appreciated it more then when I first was read it when I was younger. I rate it 4 stars. This is especially good since I normally don't appreciate prequels so much, not all though, I really like some. Read this famed, classic, awesome fantasy, that will be read and read for years to come!

Endymion Spring by Mathew Skelton

Endymion Spring is a book about the adventure that surrounds Blake and his sister, Duck, when he is in Oxford, from America, while she is working at the library. They explore the library, and Blake, finds an odd book. The book is not odd, because it is old, worn, or with an odd title, "Endymion Spring" because, there are plenty of those at the Oxford library. It is odd because as he flips through the pages, it seems to be the case that all the pages, made with beautiful paper, are completely blank. And not blank, like the type for a journal or something, but completely emptily blank. After that, all sorts of odd things happen, and he tries to solve the mystery of the blank book. It is also not catalogued at the library. The book is gone when he comes back, and all sorts of weird things follow.

There is also the side story, taking place in Mainz, explaining who Endymion Spring is and exposing how this book and its extraordinary abilities came to be... and you'll have to read the book to learn more. :P

Okay, Bookworms. READ THE BOOK! I was surprised to find that this is one of the best books I've read in a while. For me, it ranks right up there with Harry Potter and Maximum Ride. And most of my favorite books are series, and this isn't. It's a very intriguing, different, and well written story, and I love it. I rate it 4 1/2 or maybe even 5 stars. Wow, huh? I really only had one major quip with the book and that was the fact that it never stated how old Blake and Duck were, although the stories lead me to believe they were around 13 and 10 or 11. I also didn't like that it never stated where they were from, I don't believe, but it is hinted and all but said that they were from the United States. There are some other lacking details from the story as well, like their physical features. All of this left a lot up to the imagination though and your point of perspective, so it wasn't that bad. Missing details like that though, are one of my pet peeves.

So, when you read this book, help yourself answer the question and imagine what it would be like, to find the first and/or the last book, and have them in your hands. Deep concept! :P :P

Twitter!

Now, you can follow Books4Hearts and get all the updates straight from the 'team' over here, on Twitter! :) just go to http://www.twitter.com/books4hearts and follow us! Lookin forward to it. :o) :D :)

-CatcatCAT! :P :P

The Otherworldlies by Jennifer Anne Kogler

"When something creepy like that happens, it's better to try to make it fit into the normal scheme of things. I think that's why funerals were invented, to make death seem normal, even though it's totally not, you know?"

You know you're a little different when you're allergic to the sun. You know you're quite a bit different when you can hear people talking about you, in three houses down away from yours, in a room with the door locked and the windows closed. And you know you're just plain weird when you've been correctly predicting the weather for two years.

What do you get when you take all of these traits, and put them inside a twelve year old girl? You get Fern.

Fern is different, and it doesn't make her life easy, but she manages to get along, until one day, in school, she dissapears. She wakes up on a beach miles away, and knows nothing is going to be the same again.

Then scary things start happening. Birds dying, more dissapearing, a creepy neighbor, and her one friend, besides her twin brother, Sam, calling her a "Posiden" and a "Blout", and it's up to Fern, Sam, and a cast of other characters to find out what is going on, who Fern is, and, more importantly, what she is.

"You're a Poseidon and you know it. How else did you do that to Mooney?"

"What are you tallking about? Poseidon?"

I thought this was a pretty good book. Even though it had no romance (normally that causes me to drop half a star on my rating), it was action packed, and interesting enough, that I really didn't notice. I'd say that if you enjoy Vampire books, but aren't looking for a mushy romance novel, this is a good book. I think I'd give it about four and 1/2 stars.

Unable to escape the darkness, she began to panic. Groaning, she tried to wiggle her body to find something, anything, real. A shadow had wrapped itself around her like a mesh vice. She no longer felt the rigid wooden desk chair beneath her. No... now she felt something completely different against her body. Though she couldn't open her eyes to confirm it, she would of recognized the texture anywhere-

Fern was now laying on a mound of warm sand.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Jane Eyre is a fantastic literary classic, a romantic era novel, with some gothic era elements, as many books from the 1800's were. It is a book that chronicles much of her life, from a very young age, around 11, too when she's around 30. It portrays her younger, at her Aunt's house, both her parents have been dead for a long time, and her uncle is dead as well. Her Aunt and cousins are cruel to her. She is a spirited, stubborn, and different child. Soon, she gets to go to school. When will she leave, what will happen there, will she ever blend in? What will happen after she leaves school? What will she do for work? Will she fall in love and get married? What drama will as usual- stumble upon her? Will there be a happy ending?

All of these questions and more shall be answered as you go along in this great book. It also has great vocabulary, again making a good learning opportunity. It has the old english elements and such which can make it occasionally a bit hard to get through, but altogether it was a great book and a nice story. :):):) I rate it 4 1/2 stars. It was quite good in my opinion. Kind of reminiscent to me for some odd reason to Harry Potter (especially in the beggining, lots of similiarities like the spiritual journey and the being and orphan and other such things) and Little Women. That comparison I can't really solve, I think it is some of the writing styles. Maybe. :P

so, READ IT BOOKWORMS! :):):) -Cat! :):)

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

The City of Ember is the first book in the Ember series. It depicts the story of a City called Ember, where instead of a sky with the sun they have a sky full of lights. They are entirely closed in from any outside world that may or may not exhist. As far as they know, the 'darkness', the unknown, unlit, area beyond the boundaries is all there is, no more civilization to be seen. The city is fully stocked, with all the food and things they need, and other things can be grown. At least, that's the way it was. Now, Lina, the lead character, and her current time of her world, is starting to suffer the fact that their storerooms aren't endless, among other things, and her whole world could change as she knows it, among the light outages and other such things. They have lots of things, but nowhere near what we do. (such as most plants, animals, technologies, and even the knowledge that we have.) To find out what happens you will just have to read this great book!

I loved it. I would rate it 4 stars! Maybe 4 1/2. It's a very good read! I highly recommend it. :):):) It is also a great discussion type of book. What would you do in the situations that come up with the city? What would you do if you didn't have these things that you do now? It's just interesting to think about.
I think it would be good for anyone like, 10&up to read. :) It doesn't matter too much though. :)

Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse by Kaleb Nation

"Bran Hambric" by Kaleb Nation is a relatively new fantasy book to come to the scene. It is about a boy, named Bran, living in a town called Dunce that has 3 rules: No Mages, No gnomes, and absolutely no Etceteras. Does that sound odd to you? Yes. But if you get past that, haha, it's a very good book! Bran is a boy who is living with the Wilomas's, a family who he only belongs to by accident, and is reffered to as 'the accident'. How? Apparently, in their town, there is a law of finders keepers, even when it comes to children. So, when Sewey Wilomas stumbled across a small boy with nothing but a note that bared his name, "Bran Hambric" he was then to be taken care of by the Wilomas's.
The rules of the town is that there is no magic or gnomes, or anything that could be considered an etcetera after listing those. Is that insignificant? Maybe it seems so, but later on, not.
Anyway, back to Bran. Bran doesn't know who his parents were, or what they were like. He knows that his mother left him for someone else to find. She could be dead. He has no idea. He doesn't know what any of his family was like, and apparently Sewey searched far and wide and found no relations. Read this story of what Bran finds out about that, and the mysteries of the town, the gnomes, the mages, and what the heck the Farfield Curse is.

I thought this book was very good. I think anyone who read and enjoyed Harry Potter will like this book, and it kind of reminded me of it. I think anyone 9&up can read and enjoy it as well! It is a good fantasy, with a nice sense of humor. It is kind of a new twist on books involving magic and stuff as it revolves around the modern world, just with some different rules.
I rate it 4 stars! So... Read it! :)
Bye bookworms! -Cat.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

This is a literary classic, gothic era 19th Century novel. It is classic literature filled with great vocabulary words (great learning opportunity, I had to read it for Vocab./Lit. Class). It has lots of old English. It is a good story, but it can be kind of hard to understand. I think it was good, after finally being finished. Lots of classics can be hard to get through sometimes because of vocabulary used, writing style (don't start out as fast), or old English. As long as you can get past that, which once you get into the book, it can be quite good.

A warning is not to go into reading this book expecting an awfully scary spooky story with the great Frankenstein monster ransacking towns, attacking people, and being just an awful unsuperior race that has been created in malice and other such things. It's not what you see in the movies or comic books. It's a story inside a story. It begins with letters, going to sort of story from beginning in the end and proceeding to, well, reflect on the rest of it. It's very complicated. It is a story from Victor Frankenstein, as he tells Robert Walton, a sea captain determined to control the seas and find a new route across the seas. Dr. Victor Frankenstein tries to control nature. His mother dies, and he seems to be inspired to figure out a way to create life out of death. He experiments with dead body parts (gross) and somehow brings an awesome (not as in good, as in shocking) creaure to life. (important note frankenstein isn't the monster, he's the person who created the monster). He goes into shock and falls ill. The monster escapes. andddd I'm not telling you anymoree stuffffff.
Really. That's as dramatic as it gets. It really isn't a scary book. Dramatic maybe. But not scary.

I rate it 3 1/2 stars maybe 4?. It's just hard for me too get into this book. It was a good story still though :).
I would say it's for ages 12 and up in appropriateness, maybe younger. But the age that can actually get through it, understand it, and appreciate it? Varies. Depends on the person. So, read it, it's good :) A nice classic.

November blog carnival

hello! this time I actually got a submission!!

Captain Lyaf Yarr has reviewed the Diary of a wimpy kid. you can find the review here.

thanks.

if you have any submissions, please enter it here.
if you have any questions, you can contact me at my blog.

Austenland by Shannon Hale

Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life: no real man can compare. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane’s fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined.

Decked out in empire-waist gowns, Jane struggles to master Regency etiquette and flirts with gardeners and gentlemen—or maybe even, she suspects, with the actors who are playing them. It’s all a game, Jane knows. And yet the longer she stays, the more her insecurities seem to fall away, and the more she wonders: Is she about to kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?

I enjoyed this book immensely! It has a good plot, romance, humor, everything! I'm not exactly a fan of Jane Austen (I've never read any of her books, but I have seen the movies.. does that count? :) but I really liked this book anyway. I would suggest that you go out and buy it right now! Parents: It's a PG rated book... Slight inappropriate content and language. I would say for ages 12 and up.

Peace out,

Robin

Owl in Love by Patrice Kindl

Owl in Love is a story about a girl who is an Owl by night (or whenever she wants to be) and a 14 year old girl by day. Her features and clothes are old, so is her home, and some of her values. The way she treats people isn't bad, just careful, as she doesn't really know how. She has no friends. She is the weird girl, though no one knows anything near her story. She has her parent's, who are human. She is somehow miracly a wereowl as she calls herself. Owl is her name too, though no one can even begin to realize how, say, ironic that is. Nothing but her oversized eyes and pale sand skin can give it a clue. What will happen with her 'crush' on her science teacher? More of an infatuation, thanks to her owl blood. What will happen when she finally makes a friend? What will she do about Houle, the boy she has seen as an owl, taken a liking too, and tried to figure out, and take care of?

I loved this book! It's way better then it sounds. It's rather underappreciated if you ask me. I rate it 4 stars! It's kind of short at only 212 pages, but no less pleasing. It left me wanting more, just as any good book does, and lead the time to pass quickly. The story begins fairly fast moving, so it isn't hard to get into. It is well written as well, flowing nicely, those words on the pages are a reflection of a deep, odd, and unknown story to the unknowning reader who hardly knew they were picking up a book about a weirdo who turns into an owl. So, read it! :) :)
I recommend this for ages 12&up for some scary elements and mild language. I also have a feeling that mainly only girls will enjoy this, even in the adventurous manner it has.

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall

My new favorite book of all time! I very reluctantly picked up this book after my mom had told me I should read it because it was so good. First of all I'm the kind of person that judges a book by it's cover, and even though this book is only a few years old it looked way older then that, so I wasn't too thrilled to read it. Second, I'm a teen, and if my mom says something is cool I tend to not think it's as awesome as she says, but anyway... So after I got the book my family and I went on a trip, and I read the book in our hotel room, I finished it in one day (It would have been less, but I was busy!) The book is amazing! It's like new with old fashioned elements, but it's still totally awesome! It's a story of four sisters there’s responsible, practical Rosalind; stubborn, feisty Skye; dreamy, artistic Jane; and their shy little sister Batty. The four sisters and their father go to a cottage for summer vacation, and they get into all sorts of trouble, and have fun adventures! They soon meet the owner of the property their staying on, the very tough Mrs. Trifton and her son Jeffrey. Mrs. Trifton isn't too pleased with the Penderwicks because she thinks they are a bad example for her son. This book is filled with humor, adventure, and in my opinion it's everything a kid's book should be, and I highly recommend you read it!

Peace out,

Robin

A 1000 View, Interview!

If you've seen the posts below (if not, look at them!), you know that we have been filling out these interview things about reading and things, each of us writers/readers here at Books4Hearts! We hope it is an interesting look at us in celebration of 1000 views. So... I guess it is my turn now.

What is/are your favorite book? Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Westing Game, Inkheart, the Chronicles of Vladimir Todd (8th Grade bites), The Egypt Game, Eragon, Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment, Operation Stormbreaker (Alex Rider)&moremoremore.
What is/are your favorite series? Harry Potter, Vladimir Todd, Alex Rider, Maximum Ride, Series of Unfortunate Events, The Gatekeepers, The Inheritance Series, Ink, Uglies, Percy Jackson &more.
Who is/are your favorite author? JK Rowling, Anthony Horowitz, James Patterson&more.
What is/are your favorite genre/type of book? I don't have a favorite, I'm Varied. But, I like horror, fantasy, science fiction, historical fictions&&more.
What was your favorite book when you were little? I loved the Junie B. Jones series.
What do you think of it now? I still think they are funny.
What is the weirdest book you've ever read? um.. idk.
What is the longest book you have ever read? HP&OotP, Brisngr, Ink&more.
How long did it take you? First time for OotP a week, now=aday or two, two days...
Do you ever want to write a book? YES!!
Do you listen to audiobooks? Sometimes.
What do you think of them? They are a great way to read a book while multitasking or to revisit your favorite series differently. Like, Harry Potter audiobooks are amazing, read by Jim Dale?
When did you start to love to read? I think right after I learned when I was about 5.

favorites. :D

hi people. :) make sure you take a look at Lollipop's and Sara's answers down below, lol.

What is/are your favorite book? The Ordinary Princess... HP (Harry Potter), Maximum Ride, the Anybodies, the Somebodies, the Nobodies, the Abarat series, umm.... Shadow Spinner, well, there's a lot. don't really have a favorite. oh, and anything Gail Carson Levine. :D
What is/are your favorite series? the Vesper Holly Adventures by Llyod Alexander
Who is/are your favorite author? either Gail Carson Levine, or Shannon Hale
What is/are your favorite genre/type of book? I don't really know. :D
What was your favorite book when you were little? Narnia!!!
What do you think of it now? still love it!
What is the weirdest book you've ever read? either the Drowned Maiden's Hair, or the great good thing.
What is the longest book you have ever read? either a Harry Potter book, or an ink book. :)
How long did it take you? hmm. for the Harry Potter, about an average of 3 days. for the Inkheart/Inkspell, about 2. :D
Do you ever want to write a book? yup! I'm currently writing one. :) it's going to take place in the Salem Witch Trials.
Do you listen to Audiobooks? YES! I love them. you can do all sorts of things while you listen to them. for example, I knit ALL the time, and that way I can sort of, read, I guess, my favorite book, while do something different with my fingers. :)
What do you think of them? Love them!
When did you start to love to read? I don't really remember. I was probably pretty young... I think I was like, 5.

My favorites

What is/are your favorite book? I think Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Gray
What is/are your favorite series? I like Harry Potter and Pendragon
Who is/are your favorite author? Zane Gray
What is/are your favorite genre/type of book? I don't have a favorite. The stuff I read is pretty varied
What was your favorite book when you were little? I don't remember.
What do you think of it now? N/A
What is the weirdest book you've ever read? hmm... I haven't read any weird books really.
What is the longest book you have ever read? Harry Potter.
How long did it take you? For the seventh? One day.
Do you ever want to write a book? Yes, I'm working on three.
Do you listen to audiobooks? No.
What do you think of them? Meh.
When did you start to love to read? When I was young... I don't remember when.

1000

So for the celebration of reaching the big 1000, everyone is going to post their answers to these questions.

What is/are your favorite book? Hmm... I don't know. Some of my favorites are: Harry Potter, Oliver Twist, Alex Rider, Emma, Inkheart, and Gregor the Overlander :)
What is/are your favorite series? see above :)
Who is/are your favorite author? I'd have to say Anthony Horowitz because I have yet to read a book by him that I didn't totally fall in lov with
What is/are your favorite genre/type of book? I don't have a favorite. The stuff I read is pretty varied
What was your favorite book when you were little? I don't know. I remember really liking Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs and The Berenstein Bears
What do you think of it now? They're cute books! I read them to the kids I babysit and my little sister.
What is the weirdest book you've ever read? Raven's Gate by Anthony Horowitz is pretty weird. So was Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports... wasn't that the one that was really confusing and really weird?
What is the longest book you have ever read? I don't know. I've read some pretty long books. If you count Lord of the Rings as one book, then that's probably the longest.
How long did it take you? Well, I was eight so it took me about three months to read LOTR
Do you ever want to write a book? Yep. I'm working on two. One of them is a group project.
Do you listen to audiobooks? Not on a regular basis, no. I did listen to a few of the Trixie Belden audiobooks, though. I want to listen to some of the Harry Potter ones. They're supposed to be really good.
What do you think of them? The Trixie ones were pretty good. I had already read the books so it was just like re-reading them.
Why do you love to read? It opens up a new world. You can imagine all sorts of things. I think those reasons are also the reasons I like art/crafts and acting.
When did you start to love to read? I've always loved to read. I couldn't wait when I was little to read. My mom thought for awhile that I was only pretending that I could read because she only did a few of the how to read lessons and beginner reading books with me.

Gilda Joyce series by Jennifer Allison

There are currently four books in the Gilda Joyce series: Gilda Joyce and the Psychic Investigator, Gilda Joyce and the Ladies of the Lake, Gilda Joyce and the Ghost Sonata, and Gilda Joyce and the Dead Drop. I have read all four books and loved them immensely. Gilda Joyce is a thirteen year-old (14 in later books) girl who likes investigating the paranormal and feels she is a "phychic investigator" These books are mysteries and ghost stories at the same time. Although the "Gilda Joyce" series is very funny and clever I would only recommend reading the books if you are 12 or older due to slight PG rated content and language.

Later,

Robin

1000 PAGE VIEWS!

Omg, we finally got 1000 hits. Thanks so much for visiting, whoever does! :) :) :)

In celebration of 1000 each of the bloggers here will be writing a little post thing about why we like reading, why we made this site, what we like to read, and all of that stuff. Better to get to know us and books!
YAY! Peace,Cat

Summer Reading, AND MORE! :) :)

Hey Bookworms! It's Cat! How was your summer? I hope it was great.

Along with summer comes SUMMER READING. So that's what I'm here for, and I have QUESTIONS. What did you read this summer? Did you read anything that you REALLY liked? How many books did you read? More then usual? Did you read anything from this blog? Anything you suggest? What did you think? (Feel free to answer these in the comments.)

That was a lot of questions, I know. But I didn't say you had to answer all of them.

I wanted to tell everyone that I've been reading lately, but I haven't been reviewing books because most of them are sequals and I like to refrain from reviewing books that are part of series if they aren't the beginning, so there are no spoilers or boring reviews. Infact, this summer, between the books we've reviewed and the ones we haven't, I know my friends and I have been reading lots of books. Of course, that is great considering that is what that blog is for.

As for me, I've read approx 43 books this summer (Mid-May, to September. Ones I've finished. Ranging from 200-1000 pages each)...

I'm back to school now and I'm sure most of you are to. When you read a book feel free to send it in via comment, it's great!

As we near 1000 views (counter at bottom of the page), I must say that I thank our readers, whomever they all may be. Thanks! You guys rock. :) :) :) Keep reading guys, and keep coming back, because there might be something special slowly in the works for once we get close to or after a 1000 views!

Anywayz, have a good school year everyone, keep checking out the blog, join Angela's Carnival, and umm well keep being awesome! peace,cat

Carnival again!

hi people!
so, I got one submission, again, so please submit more. :) I'll do a post about this on my blog too. :)

so, this is a website where people (adults, but just wait...) review kids books, and besides that, and the reason I'm including this in the carnival, they have what their kids thought of it. so, the link is here.
please submit your reviews!

Wishing Moon by Michael O. Tunnell

Aminah threw up her arms to shield herself from flying shards of brass, but she felt nothing.

"Say whatso thou wantest!" a deep voice thundered. "Thy slave is between thy hands!"

Aminah is one of the many orphaned beggars who live in the streets of Al Kal'as, which is an Arabian city. When one night Aminah goes to the princess to try to beg for a job, and the princess throws a dusty lamp at her, Aminah curses herself for bad luck. why couldn't she of gotten a jeweled cup instead? but when the lamp turns out to be the famous genie lamp of Aladdin, Aminah's fortunes turn around. Soon she is rich, and is living well, but she can not get the pictures of the other orphans out of her head. soon she is risking everything to help people, a tailor, a baker, all who help others. But the princess is hunting her down, trying to find the lamp, and she won't rest until she does.

"Good enough," said the Jinni. In the blink of an eye, the alley was as still as a tomb. "all I wanted was a please. Was that so difficult? Besides, the noise was for you only. No one else could hear. Impress the master, but do not draw attention-one of the basic rules to which I adhere. Most of the time, at least."

I liked this book a lot. I read it when I was 8, and I re-read it a couple of nights ago. I liked Aminah, and this book has just the right amount of romance and adventur needed. I also liked the Jinni. My favorite character would have to be Idris. I would give this book about four stars. I just recently (today) found out that there is a sequal, and I will be trying to find that one. :D

Enter Three Witches by Caroline B. Cooney

"Lady Macduff?" she whispered.
"Dead" he said, smiling.
"And the children?"
He smirked.
"You killed the children?" she cried
"I'll kill anything," said the man she had to marry.

This is a re-write of William Shakespeare's Macbeth.
Mary, who is in the charge of Lord and Lady Macbeth has no home. When her father is found to be a traitor to the king and hanged, Mary knows her life might be forfeit. but when she goes deeper into this mystery, she understands that something more horrible might be at stake here.


Pony with a crooked star
Runs a ride that goes to far.
The owl wins against the wren,
the hollow tree a pen for men.


I really did like this book. the beginning was a little tough for me to understand, but as it gets going it was fabulous. It had just the right about of romance, and It wasn't at all scary. Also, I was surprised, but it was rather funny as well. I would say that it would be good for ages 10 and up, and I would give it five stars.

He was just in time to see Lady Mary send some other boy off on her pony. She was yelling about eggs.
Fleance was mystified.

Witch Child by Celia Rees

I am Mary. I am a witch. Or so some would call me.

When Mary's Grandmother is taken and accused of being a witch, Mary's life is changed. They kill her grandmother, and Mary knows it's only a matter of time until they go after herself. So she crosses the ocean with some puritans, heading toward the new world, where she hopes she shall not have to worry about her witchcraft being discovered. But instead of refuge, she finds only worse superstitions. In the small town near Salem, she must either give up the witchcraft, or pay the price.

I have the power; none may doubt it. Whatever I may of hoped, I cannot escape my destiny. What happened today has served to prove that to me.

I liked this book... a little. I really didn't like the beginning, and the middle wasn't so good either. Mary was unlikable, not because of her attitude, but just because the author made her so different. she has to stand out in everyway. I would give this book 2 stars. I would still recommend reading it, but just be warned that it doesn't have a good beginning or middle.

I've seen his past. I have seen his future. I know how death will come to him, and I feel the knowledge like a burden.

Pendragon by D.J. MacHale

I’d been meaning to read the Pendragon series for a very long time, but every time I went to my local library the first book was checked out (I finally came to the conclusion that it was lost) So one day I went to a Barnes and Noble looking for a new book to read, and I saw Pendragon: The Merchant of Death (the first book) I picked it up and looked at the back cover, it looked slightly interesting, and even though I’ve never really had an interest in Science Fiction I bought it (or rather my mom bought it) And let me tell you, It is one of my all time favorite series. There are 10 books in the series (I’m reading the second book currently.) And so far it is awesome. It’s the story of a 14-year-old boy named Bobby Pendragon who is a seemingly ordinary boy until he gets sucked into a war involving everything and place in the universe. As the reader we get to read journals that Bobby Pendragon sends to his friends back on earth. These books are amazing, mostly because a couple of chapters into the book I actually cried, and I’ve never cried because of a book before, but the author makes you really care for the characters. So if you have any free time I would defiantly recommend the Pendragon series.

Later,

Robin

Leven Thumps (series) by Obert Skye

When I first saw the book Leven Thumps at my local Wal-Mart I almost snorted. I mean come on, a book whose main character has the name 'Leven'? And a magical world called Foo? I count myself very lucky to have looked past the weird names and bought this book. So the very next weekend I (reluctantly) opened the book and started the first chapter... five chapters later people were waving their hands in front of my face to make sure I was still alive. Shockingly I loved the book. It had adventure, action, suspense, and it was funny. I found myself smiling more then once. So my advice? Go to your local book store or library and get this book! Like right now! Look past the weird names and the childish book cover, you'll be in for a real treat!

Later,

Robin

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Book 1. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson is a normal boy. Or at least somewhat. He has ADHD and learning problems, and he gets expelled from school every year, though he really is a good boy. He never knew that all of those problems were deeper. And they didn't lead to anything that anyone could guess either. Is Percy really a 'half-blood' of olympian origin? Is he just a weirdo? Can he fit in at camp? How long will his stay be at his new favorite place, camp? and if it leads to it, can he save the world from a war of the gods.

What I thought: I thought it was really good. 4 stars. An interesting and intriguing story. Some of the elements of the story are kind of predictable or old, yet other parts of the story, the result, and everything else is completely unexpected and mysterious. It is very good. I recommend it to anyone that likes books such as Charlie Bone, Harry Potter, Spiderwick, Series of Unfortunate Events and more, as well as anyone who appreciates mythology.

book carnival... is it even still existing?!

cause no one has submitted anything! please people! (other than our blog, of course.) I'll put something on my blog, but people, I really, really, really hate posting these things if no one is gonna submit anything. 'cause it seems like I'm just wasting space using this post.

Daniel X: Watch The Skies by James Patterson & Ned Rust

In this near to brand new, highly anticipated sequel to the original Daniel X book, "Daniel X" by James Patterson &Micheal Ledwidge, another intriguing view of the world from a somewhat superhuman person being the main character, Aliens taking over the world, aliens exhisting, and life as a good alien although appearing human life form is depicted as intriguing (like I said), rather then cheesy or dorky, and the whole alien thing sounds.

Summary/Description: Daniel X is a boy who wants revenge, and he is going to go up and down the "list" to find and hunt every bad alien there is, leading up to the big alien, the prey, number uno, who killed his parents when he was younger. He has plenty of powers to fight them with, whether he is teleporting himself, transforming himself (or others), making things appear (such as the pack of friends that help him), or something as simple and innocent as playing music in his head. Will he succeed in hunting and destroying Number 5 on his way up to the number 1? Will he live to tell the tale? You'll have to read this one to find out.

I thought this book was pretty great, though I think I liked the first better. I rate it 4 stars! As dumb as the descriptions may sound, it's a great story, with many elements of adventure and surprise. Obviously, you should read the first book first, which is also a great book. Have fun reading. :)

Raven's Gate by Anthony Horowitz

I read this book, because I heard about it after I read the Alex Rider series, and the Horrowitz Horror books. It is a great adventurous book, and I give it 4 stars. I recommend it to anyone who liked Alex Rider. :)

Description/Summary: Mathew Freeman 'matt' is a juvenile delinquent. But it didn't start that way. He was just another 8 year old when his parents died, and he went to live with his Aunt. He didn't like it at all, but who would? The only person that seemed to be nice to him was his new friend Kelvin, and they got involved in some crime. Little did they know that their next crime would start such weird things. After breaking into a warehouse and they get caught, Matt will have to go to another home far away as part of the LEAF project. His new guardian seems pretty crazy, but what he thinks is only the half of it...
...and you're going to have to read it to find out more. I need to go get the sequel, like, now. (Evil Star)

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Greetings Bookworms, Cat here to review an awesome book by called Inkheart! :)

Summary/Description: Meggie and her father live a simple, seemingly normal life filled with books. They both thoroughly enjoy them. Little does Meggie know that there is a reason her mother is gone and her father never reads aloud, and that those two are oddly connected. When an old friend of her father's shows up late on a rainy night, she thinks it a bit odd, but what she doesn't know is that simply because of that (and the reminder it brings) her whole world is going to be turned upside-down.

What I though: I rate this book 5 stars! I really loved it. It was a long book, a good looking one that I'd been meaning to read for a long time, and finally decided I would. It was well worth it. I'm going to check out Inkspell (the sequel) as soon as possible from the library. I also know that it has been recently turned into a movie, which I'd like to see. So, the moral of this story is, Read Inkheart! Great summer reading too.

Darkwood by M. E. Breen

The sun sets so quickly in Howland that the people who live there have no word for evening. One minute the sky is blue or cloud gray, the next minute it is black, as though someone has thrown a heavy blanket over the earth.

The people of Howland have no moon. It is said that an evil witch cast a spell to hide it 7 centuries ago. So when darkness falls, there is no light anywhere. Thats when the Kinderstalk come out.

Kinderstalk are supposed to be evil creatures that eat children. Of course no one knows if that is true, but whatever children wander out after dark never come back. Annie is just like any other girl in Howland. She fears kinderstalk, and would never venture into the forest, until she hears her uncle Jock and aunt Prim talking about selling her to a man who will take her to the Drop. Then she knows she must go, and at night as well, which would be violating two of the unspoken rules of her village. When she leaves, she has no idea what she is getting herself into. Not expecting to survive the night in the forest, she is thrown into a whirlwind of prophesies, Kinderstalk, and the mystery of the dissapeared children.

"The Scion of darnkness will bear the white mark, Human form, animal heart. Black water, radiant night, Torn from love, wounded life. Changeful child, shelter the pack. Brave in batte, devour the witch."

I liked this book. It was very confusing at times, but other times it was wonderful. And I love, love, LOVE the cover. I think that is a big part of why I chose to read it in the first place. I mean, look at it! can you see it and not want to read it? I couldn't. I think I would give this book 3 1/2 stars.

The Farwalker's Quest by Joni Sensel

They drag me ever on and on,

I'm all unwilling,

Tied to a ragged crow

Too far from home.

Too far from anything,

My feet are burning

Walking so endlessly

Lost from my home.

Ariel thinks she is destined to become a Healtouch, in other words, a doctor. That is, after all, what her mother is. As much as Ariel thinks she is to be a Healtouch, Zeke thinks he is destined to become a Treesinger, those powerful people who can talk with trees. But all this changes when Ariel finds the Telling Dart. A Telling Dart is old, they stopped using them long before she was even born. Little does she know that this one holds a message for her.

After she is kidnapped and Zeke rescues her, they know there is no going back. They were thrown into the adventure, and they have to get to the end, before its too late.

Walking ever on and on,

Blood always spilling.

Finders are awful men.

Walk to the sun.

Walk to the sun and back,

My feet are burning.

Zeke's here to help me now,

Walk with the wind.

I really liked this book. I think it was fairly hard to read, and it was kinda confusing sometimes, but it was really nice not to have something which I could finish in two days. I really liked Ariel, even though she is the main character, and the most important, because she is the only one of her trade, the Farwalkers, left, she never acts stuck up. I would give this book about four stars.

Walk where the nightmare leads,

Looking for Cloudspear.

Follow the water's path.

Don't walk, but run.

Rain water running now,

Dripping from Cloudspear.

Look for the mountain's mouth

Far from the sun.

Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor

"But don't think it's possible..." - I twisted up my face- "... that every person is a hero to someone else?" I said.

Addie is waiting for normal. She lives in a trailer on 'the corner', where she is the only kid. Her mother is what Addie calls "All or nothing." there is either a feast, or no food. She will be really nice, or she will ignore Addie. She is always home, or she leaves the house for days at a time. there is no in the middle, in other words, normal. When Addie learns what normal is really, it only makes waiting for it worse. if you add to this the fact that her mother hates her grandpa, the flute she plays on is stolen, and Soula doesn't seem to be getting better, it only gets less normal.

Me, I'm good at getting used to things- been doing it all my life.

I liked this book. It was well written, and I liked how she struggled with her family problems. I would give this book three stars.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

Maybe everybody had the same allotted measure of happiness within each day. Maybe it didn't matter if you were a world-famous heartthrob or a painful geek. Maybe it didn't matter if you friend was possibly dying. Maybe you just got through it. Maybe that was all you could ask for.

Carmen found the pants at a thrift store. They were common looking, plain blue jeans with fading around the knees. They were nothing special, or were they? Carmen, Lena, Bridget, and Tibby are friends. When they are together, they form a one whole. This summer will be their first summer apart. The day before they split, Carmen is about to throw away the jeans, until Tibby asks if she could have them. Well, if Tibby wanted her old jeans she was going to throw away anyway, good for her, Carmen thought. When Tibby tryed them on, they looked amazing. Then Lena trys them on, and even though they are different builds, they look wonderful on her too. Then Bridget trys them, and they also look good. Then, when they think it can't get any weirder, they fit Carmen too. They have a pair of magical pants. When the girls go their seperate ways for the summer, they take turns with the pants. (earning them the name "the traveling pants") in them the girls cry, make mistakes, ruin their lives, and then laugh, and fix them again.

"Mrs. Graffman, I know what happened. you don't have to say." Tibby put her hand to her eyes. The Funeral was two days later, on a Monday.

I loved this book. It is definately something I would read again. I would have to say my favorite charactor was either Bridget or Bailey. I was litterally crying by the end of this, because the part before the end is really sad. I would give this book five stars.

She lay down. She curled up. And then she changed her mind. She was alive, and they were dead. She had to try to make her life big. As big as she could. She promised Bailey she would keep playing.

Flora Segunda by Ysabeau S. Wilce

"No, Valefor. I know that the Dainty Pirate thought I was fading, discorporeal, and he said that a galvanic egregore was sucking away all my Will, and I think he meant you, Valefor, and he said soon it would be too late. But perhaps you can explain it to me better, Valefor! Please do!"

Shortcuts are dangerous. Flora knows this. When your house has 11,000 rooms, you never know where you will end up. It didn't used to be like this, it used to be that the toilet would be exactly where you needed it to be, and if you needed to get to the kitchen, just walk through a door, and there it is. However, after Flora's mother banished the butler, everything changed. Now most of the rooms are uninhabitable, and the butler hasn't been seen for many, many years. When Flora takes a forbidden shortcut though, and stumbles upon the maybe butler, she and her best friend throw themselves into trying to discover how to bring him back.

This was a good book. I would not read it again, but it was decently written. One of the things I didn't like, was that the best friend, who is mentioned in the summary, doesn't come into the book till like, the middle. Also, I didn't like Flora, but that always depends on the person who is reading it. I would give this book three stars.

The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod by Heather Brewer

Hey, Remember how I reviewed that awesome vampiric book a while ago that was for the second book in the series because of... well, reasons (go there to see), I finally read the first one and I am back with the review.

4 stars! It's a good series. Although, actually, maybe the second one was a bit better (you know it's good, when the sequels improve instead of getting worse.)
Vladimir Tod is a teenage vampire, who has to hide it from the public (obviously), so that he isn't killed or something. He doesn't know of there are any like him left, or if there ever was. His parents died in a mysterious fire just a few years before. Now, witness the (expected) and not adventures of this high school vampire's life.

I like this series. It is well written, and the characters are cool, and well developed. There are lots of surprises, one of those books where you definitely expect things, and then it's totally wrong. I think anyone can like it really. I recommend it for those who are interested in vampires, or twilight (although I think this is better), or maybe just good books in general!

The Postcard by Tony Abbott

So... he lived? A sound came from the stairway. I swear my heart died right then and there. I froze where I sat, trying not to make a sound. Someone was coming for me, walking down the hall right now. I crawled silently into the bathroom and squeezed the door shut. Someone entered the room. I could hear the crunch of plaster dust on the floor as the steps made their way one by one to the window. They turned. Another crunch. I was shaking, sweating, shaking, soaking wet. Please, no, no.

It was the phone call which started everything. When Jason's father calls to tell Jason and his mom that Jason's grandma died, Jason is sent down to Florida to help pack up her house. While he is there, he recieves a creepy phone call, and finds a mysterious postcard. With the help of a girl named Dia, his bestfriend, and many other people, he discovers the secret of his grandmother, and her life.

This was an ok book. It was kinda creepy for the first three quarters, and then it had a very surprising ending. I would give it about three stars. I didn't like the ending, and near the end I had no clue what was going on. Dia is pretty cool, but she and Jason don't really act like normal people.

Ten Things I Hate About Me by Randa Abdel-Fattah

I was born and raised in Oz but people still assume I was born under a camel in a cave in a desert in the Middle East to parents who belong to a tribe with Osama bin Laden's genealogy.

Jamie has a secret. A secret she hopes will never come to light. When Jamie goes home, the blonde Jamie, turns into Arabic Jamilah. for a while this lie works. but when Jamie's secret threatens to be revealed, she will have to decide whether to be Jamie, or Jamilah.

This was a very good book. It was also a LOL book. I was in the car and I was reading this, and I was cracking up, and my mom is like, "what?!" lol, so funny. I would give this about four and a half stars. I liked Jamilah/Jamie, though I don't really like her decision to keep Jamilah a secret. lol, good book though. this author wrote another book, Does my head look big in this?, and I think I will read and review that.

carnival

hi peoples!! its time for the next addition of the carnival. again, I only got one submission, so next time if you peoples could please submit something, do. kay?
the sad thing is, I don't even think this is a kid. so, students, kids, please, PLEASE, PLEASE Submit something next time.

switch 2 life has an interesting review on The Magicians Nephew.
http://switch2life.blogspot.com/2009/06/magicians-nephew.html

Lily's Ghosts by Laura Ruby

I liked this book, lots! :) It was good, I give it 4 stars! I liked that it was perfectally descriptive enough, with some comedy, romance, horror, drama, and mystery. The wide cast of characters were great. I think it was written very well and the reading goes very smoothly. Every time you try to put the book down you want more. Anyway, Summary time!

Lily is a preteen girl who has moved around a lot, to finally end up living in her mom's families' summer house, (though no one has gone to spend time there for a while). Everytime she leaves a place she misses the last, and loses all her friends. She moves here and is going to be homeschooled until the start of next year, because she doesn't plan on starting all over again just yet. The house has some unusual goings on, that she doesn't know how to explain. She meets a nice boy from town, Vaz, to be her first new friend. They research the house's (and family's) history searching for the answer to the weird things that keep happening, from moving homework to creepy baby dolls and sudden temperature changes.

To find out more you will just have to read it. Have fun

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by JK Rowling

Ok, so I read this immediately after I got it months ago but re-read it to review, just for you!

If you are a Harry Potter fan, you obviously looked forward to this coming out! The stories that go along with the Deathly Hallows, explanations, or just an extra sensation of there being another HP book, even though it really isn't. I knew it was going to be short, so I wasn't dissapointed, and these stories are great! I give it 4 and 1/2 stars. If you aren't already an HP fan and you haven't read the series, I don't recommend it, sorry. Did anyone get the Collectors edition? It's amaziinggggg. Anyway, back to the point, Summary time!

This is a collection of stories/fairy tales that are told to magical children, all facing values and issues, and bunches of other stuff. Read the book, thats all I can really say. I recommend it for any Harry Potter fan, and that's really all. :)

I say 11&up actually, because one of the stories, "A Warlocks' Hairy Heart", is extremely violent actually. :P

Philippa Fisher's Fairy Godsister by Liz Kessler

Fairy come, fairy go,

Fairy, oh I need you so.

If I count from nought to nine,

At midnight, fairy, please be mine.

Philippa gave up on fairies a long time ago. In fact, she had never really believed in them. But all that is about to change.

When Philippa's best friend, Charlotte, moves away, and Philippa is left alone, withough a single friend, she doesn't think she will ever be happy. Until Daisy. Daisy, the new girl at school, has a secret. She is a fairy. In fact, she is Philippa's fairy Godsister. Unfortunatly for Philippa, though, Daisy is not the type of fairy to like humans. She just wants to grant the three wishes, and get out of there, but Philippa's wishes do the opposite. Instead of making her life better, all they do is make it worse. Will Philippa and Daisy be able to put everything back, before its to late?

When I cout from nought to nine...

thats daisy had been the ninth one I needed for the chain!

That was when I knew it was true-even if it sounded crazy, I absolutely knew it.

At midnight, fairy, please be mine.

The daisy was going to turn into a fairy at midnight.

I liked this book, though not as much as I thought I might. I would give it about three stars.

Doctor illuminatus

Hey bookworms, Cat here to review an awesome book called Doctor Illuminatus by Martin Booth.
I picked this book up, curiously. It was on my bookshelf, and I think I bought it a long time ago, but I must've misplaced it and never had the chance to read it. I read it, starting yesterday, and being a fastreader/bookworm, I finished this morning. It's really great. I've never really heard much about it, and I guess there is a sequel, which I must find because I really liked this one. I give it 4 stars! It has action and fantasy and lots of different elements.
Summary:
Tim&Pip move to a really old house with their parents. It's big, and the property is amazing. They find it adventurous, and the real adventures that would come with the house, they never could have expected. They hear knocking in the walls and suddenly, a boy, come out of the wall. Mystery about how it happened it explained and all and with the boy they embark on a journey with Alchemy to defeat the evil. It sounds lame with that description, sorry, but it's really REALLY good. So go and read it. Like, now. :)
I will say probably 11or12 and up, as there's some intense action and the odd subjects of how the evil is trying to get to them and stuff...

Witch Catcher by Mary Downing Hahn

Yet just a few feet away stood an odd, raggedy girl. Nothing about her was ordinary. Not the tattered clothes she wore, not the odd words she used. With a shock, I realized she looksed like the girl in Uncle Thaddeus's painting - half wild, not quite human.

When Jen's father inherits a large, castle like house from Jen's great uncle Thaddeus, Jen knows that there will be adventure, but she has no idea how much adventure. In the stranged old tower in the backyard, Jen finds a small glass ball which has an opening with a stopper in it. She takes it to her room, thinking it is just a pretty ornament. When the sinister Moura, her father's new girlfriend, visits Jen's new house, she seems to be looking for a mysterious "Witch Catcher" an ornament which looks just like Jen's glass ball. When the ball breaks, and the fairy trapped inside is realised, Jen finds herself trapped between two great powers, and eventually she will have to choose her side.

"Oh Jen,"she whispered, "we was in a strange place, not our world, but yers. All dark and sad, with no magic - and no mam."

I liked this book. It does have a rather sad ending though. I would give this book about four stars.

A Crooked Kind Of Perfect by Linda Urban

I was supposed to play the piano.

The piano is a beautiful instrument.

Elegant.

dignified.

.....

I play the organ.

A wood-grained, vinyl-seated, wheeze-bag organ.

The perfectone D-60

Zoe's dream is to be a prodigy in piano. To go to Carnegie Hall. She wants a piano. She tells her

dad, and he agrees. He goes to the store, to pick out the perfect one, and comes back with the Perfectone D-60. Zoe is crushed. How is she supposed to play beautifully on the D-60?

If, to that problem, you add the problem that her mom is always at work, her dad is afraid to leave the house, and she doesn't know whether she likes her friends anymore, she get a pretty bad life. Or so she thinks. With the help of a boy named Wheeler, her dad, her mom, and unknowingly her used-to-be bestfriend, she finds out that maybe her life is just a crooked kind of perfect.

This was a good book. The main character, Zoe, was nice, and so was Wheeler, the weird boy who follows her home everyday, and then later becomes her friend. I hated Emma, her used-to-be-bestfriend. I think you should hate her. she doesn't deserve to have a best friend!! Ok, ok, I will finally get to the rating. I would give this book three and a half stars.

Arthur And The Minioys and Arthur And The Forbidden City

Arthur And The Minimoys

"His parents began to sing together - "Happy birthday to you!" Arthur hang up, almost without emotion. It occurred to him that there was more life at the end of his bamboo pole than at the end of this telelphone line.

He looked at his dog, sitting expectantly in front of him, awaiting the news.

"It wasn't the president of the water company" said Arthur.

At the time this book takes place, Arthur is spending his summer at Grandma's. However, times are rough, and the greedy man, Davido, is threatening to evict Grandma if she can't find some money to pay him with. Before her husband, Archibald, dissapered, he supposedly hid the rubies which an african tribe had give him. Desperate to find them, Arthur looks in his Grandpa's study, only to find a riddle hidden behind a banner. He follows the instructions, and soon he finds himself in the land of the Minimoys, a tiny tribe of people who live unnoticed beneath the ground. He meets many characters, the king, the prince, and Princess Selenia to name a few. Now, I don't want to spoil anything, so I think I'll stop there. (by the way, this book ends right as it get exciting, so you might want to have the other book ready.)

Arthur And The Forbidden City

Arthur peered into the hole once more.

suddenly an object glistened. The first ruby at the top of the pyramid had just found the light.

Little by little, the saucer rose, carried by the water, and the pyramid became increasingly illuminated.

This book takes place where the other one leaves off. In this book Arthur and Selenia, oh, lets not forget the prince, they battle M. The cursed, and win. (you probably guessed that.) But how they do it, I will leave that a mystery. as you can see from the quote, the story ends happily ever after, almost. While he is down under earth, Selenia kisses Arthur, which in the world of Minimoys, means they're married, and, some of Selenia's powers transfer to Arthur.

What I thought

OMIGOSH. People, these books litterally earn the award ROFL!!! (I have now made thatan award to give out on this blog.) but OMG. Read these books!!! I think they were some of the funniest books ever written. I would give them each five stars.

What I Call Life

Now, your average eleven-year-old would probably have been scared out of her wits, not knowing where she was headed, where the ride was taking her, not knowing what waited ahead.

But not me. Not Cal Lavendar. I wasn't scared at all. My knees were aligned, my thighs pressing together and perfectly matched. My hands were folded on my lap. Why should I have been scared? After all, this wasn't my story. This was just a short, temporary detour from what I call life.

When Cal Lavendar's mother has one of her unfortunate episodes, and Cal is brought to "The Pumpkin House" she knows this isn't her story, not her life. The Pumpkin house is a home for girls whose mothers and fathers can't, or wouldn't take care of them anymore. Here Cal meets Monica, Fern, Whitney, Amber, and the strange old lady everyone calls "The Knitting Lady". She doesn't think she will be here for long, so why bother pretend this is her life? Soon, though, despite all her resolutions, Cal feels herself being accepted, and even liked. Will she accept this change as just another chapter of "What I call life"? (again, you should know by now that we don't spoil books.)

I thought this was an o.k. book. It had a bittersweet ending, and I didn't really like Cal all that much, but I think that this book teaches an important lesson on life. I would give this book 2 3/4 stars.

East by Edith Pattou

Later, as we made our way to our beds, Rose whispered, "Why does the white bear want me, Neddy?" I shook my head. I could not guess, except that somehow I felt sure it had something to do with the sadness in the animal's eyes. Some great need.

Ebba Rose's mother is very superstitious. When she was still unmarried she went to a skjebne-soke, in other words, a shaman. The Skjebne-soke prophesied that if she was to give birth while facing north, which means she would be giving birth to a "North born", that child would die under a mountain of snow, buried so deep that it couldn't, with out help, get out. So, when she gives birth to a girl, while she faced north, she claims that it is an East born, and calls the girl Ebba Rose, instead of Nyamh.(The first letters of all of her children's first names start with the letter of the direction she was facing when she gave birth.) When Rose is fifteen, her sister Sara gets deathly ill, and her family falls upon hard times, So when a mysterious white bear comes, and tells Rose that if she will go with him, he will make all her family's fortunes turn around, of course she accepts.
Aside from the morelogical reasons for going with the white bear, I had another reason. And that was simply that I wanted to go. It was madness, I knew, to consider going off into unknown lands with a wild beast that owuld most likely devour me at journey's end. I did not want to die. And yet, I wanted to go.


I liked this book. It is a retelling of East of the sun, West of the moon, which is a fairy tale. It also seems to have a bit of Snow White and Rose Red mixed into it. I would recommend this book to anyone who liked The Goose Girl. I would give this three stars.