Escape to West Berlin

Escape to West Berlin
Maurine F. Dahlberg

Heidi lives in East Berlin during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. She is told that the restrictions on food, travel, and pay is all to make a perfect society in the future. Then one day, her father, a worker in West Berlin but lives in the east is threatened with evection and shuned. Soon, Heidi's parents are afraid the border will close altogether...

In my Social Studdies class, we have been studying the Cold War and so this book sounded like it would cover the same subject. This book turned out to be covering some of the exat topics that happened in the Cold War. This was a marvelous book and I would recomend it to anyone who likes history and action books.

If you lived in East Berlin, would you try to work in the west?

After nearly drowning, would you swim a long distance, even if it was your only chance to see your family again?

How would you have escaped to West Berlin?

Please give me your comments and answers to this post.

Eragon Book 4 and Book 3 Release Date!!!

ERAGON BOOK 4!!

I found out about five minutes ago that Christopher Paolini has just decided to make a FOURTH Eragon book. He says that the third would have been too long to have in one book, and that now it is the Inheratence Series.

For those of you who just care about when book 3 is coming out, you will find it on the shelves on September 23, 2008, almost a year from now. :(

Please give me your reactions for this astonishing news.

The Titan's Curse

The Titan's Curse

Rick Riordan

Percy, Annabeth, and Thalia are trying to save two demigods from a military school, and the whole thing goes horribly wrong. Percy gets separated from his friends, and is almost captured by a monster with the two demigods. When there looked like no escape, Thalia, Annabeth, Grover, and Artemis and the Huntresses came, but Annabeth fell off of a cliff! Percy and Thalia go back to camp with the Huntresses, and try to get a quest. The Oracle is non-responsive until the Capture the Flag game where Zoe, Artemis' deputy, gets a Prophecy, and Percy, Thalia, Grover, and two of the Huntresses head west to find Artemis and Annabeth and save them from the Titan's Curse...

This was (once again) my favorite book of the series. I have read it twice (like the others) and it continuesto be a suspenceful series and I am very excited for the next book. I like that Annabeth's father came to help fight the monsters in the end. It made you feel good for Annabeth that her father really cares for her.

Would you believe that your best friend had died if he/she had fallen off a cliff like Annabeth?

Who did you think was the General?

Would you vote to kill the Ophiotaurus? Why or why not?

Please give me your comments and answers to this post.

The Sea of Monsters

The Sea of Monsters

Rick Riordan

Percy is having strange dreams about his satyr friend, Grover. He is being chased by a Cyclopes, and was taken to the Cyclope's lair. At camp, Thalia's tree is slowly dying, and Monsters are begining to invade the camp! On his last day of school, Percy is attacked by Laistrygonian Giants, and is saved by Annabeth and a cyclopes named Tyson. After Percy gets to camp, he has another dream of Grover and he tells Percy that he knows where the Golden Flece is, the only thing that will save the camp. When Percy, Annabeth, and Percy's Cyclopes brother ask for a quest, the new activities director, Tantalus, makes Clarice go instead, so Percy has to sneak out of camp and do it himself...

This book was even better than the last. I liked the new characters as well as the old, and was ready for more. The plot was once again was filled with adventure and humor, just the kind of book for me, and many others.

How would you feel if you had a brother/sister that was a monster?

What do you think your fatal flaw is?

What ship/plane would you have chosen to get off of CC's island?

Please give me your comments and answers to this post.

The Lightning Thief

The Lightning Thief
Rick Riordan
Mark Twain Award Nominee 2007/08

Percy Jackson is a demigod. He has a normal, mortal mother, but his dad is Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. He goes to Camp Half-Blood, the only safe place in the world for a Demigod. Soon, Percy finds out that a war between the Gods will happen, and be blamed on him. With the help of his friends Annabeth, daughter of Athena, and the satyr Grover, Percy must journey to the Underworld to find the cause of the war, Zeus' master bolt...

This book was one that I picked up because i just needed something to occupy some time, and I found out I had just picked up one of my favorite books of all time. I love all of the action and humor in the books, and that you get attached to the characters. I have read it twice now, and loved it even more the second time. The book is amazing to those who don't know a thing about Greek Mythology, and especially those who do.

What god would you want to be a child of? Why?

Would you want to be an all year camper or a summer camper? Why?

What is your favorite Greek Myth?

Please give me your comments and answers to this post.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Brian Selznick

Hugo is alone. His father perished in a fire at the museum, and the uncle he lived with left. Now he is alone at the train station, fixing the clocks and working on an automaton, a machine that looked like a man and made drawings. He steals for food and parts to the man, and one day, he finds a girl with the key that fits the man's lock...

I have seen this book all over in stores and book fairs and ignored it because it was full of pictures. I always thought chapter books without pictures were the only good ones. Then my mom, a librarian, brought it home, and bored, i started to read. I loved the book, although it was kind of confusing, and would recommend it to anyone, especially those who like machines.

What would you do if you had no parents, no relatives, and lived a life in a train station pretending you are someone else?

Would you be interested in the automaton?

Do you think that the pictures in this book make up for the words missing?

Please give me your comments and answers to this post.

Each Little Bird That Sings

Each Little Bird That Sings
Deborah Wiles
National Book Award Finalist
Mark Twain Award Nominee 2007/08

Comfort Snowberger is used to death. She has been to 247 funerals, including her Great Uncle Edisto's. Now, her Great-great Aunt Florintine has passed away, her best friend, Declaration, doesn't play with her, and her loud and obnoxious cousin, Peach Shuggars, is coming when he ruined Uncle Edisto's funeral! On the day of the funeral, she, Peach, Declaration, and Dismay the Funeral Dog are walking to the graveside service, and Declaration frightens Peach into a flooding grove...

This is a book I thought was a "silly girl book" when I saw it, and wasn't excited to listen to it in the car. Once I got into it, I realized it was a great piece of literature. It is just a book about a girl. The book was awesome, the book was possibly the most detailed, and with good descriptions, that I have ever read. It was also one of the saddest. A book for anyone with a lost family member especially, or just someone looking for a good read.

Would you be able to live in a place that has dead people in it all of the time?

Would you get along with Peach well? Why or why not?

If you were Comfort, would you accept that your dog was dead?

Please give me your comments and answers to this post.

The Kingdom Keepers

The Kingdom Keepers
Ridley Pearson
Mark Twain Award Nominee 2007/08

Finn is a DHI (Disney Host Interactive) at Disney's Magic Kingdom. Every night, he is having strange dreams. He is in the Maginc Kingdom after closing. He talks to a man sitting on a bench named Wayne. He tells Finn to get the rest of the DHI's to come together. After getting ahold of the four others with the help of a new girl, Amanda, Finn finds out why they are there. There are some characters that have formed an evil group called the Overtakers. The Overtakers want to take over the park. It started with store robberies nearby, but they are growing in power, and only Finn and the DHI's can stop them...

This is one of my favorite books of all time (The review sounds tacky and bad, so go pick up a copy and read the back cover). I liked the characters and that the Disney characters, which we all know, are alive in some cases. The plot was VERY suspenceful, and full of twists, which made the book just as or more exciting the second time through. I highly reccomend this book to anyone!

Those of you who have read the book heard about VMK. This is a real site and the address is just http://www.vmk.com/. My name is BestAdventure _Dude if you ever get an account.

Would you like to be a DHI? With or without the power to go to the park every night?

Which character are you most like in the book? Why?

How would you find people from different schools that you only knew part of their name and what they looked like?

Please leave me your comments and answers to this post.

Crane

Crane

Jeff Stone

The Five Ancestors, Book 4

When Hok is blamed for helping destroy two monk strongholds, has her identity of a girl found out, and she and her brothers not knowing who to trust, Hok has to push herself to the limit. With Malao and Fu captured, Seh now blind, and Long undercover, Hok is more alone than ever, even with her family...

Well, this was not my favorite of the Five Ancestors, not even because it was about a girl. It was rushed and confusing. You couldn't tell sometimes if poeple were alive, dead, free, or captured. I would say it was my least favorite of the series, but still a good book.

How would you disguise your gender if your life depended on it?

What kind of kung-fu would you like to be?

Who is your favorite character and why? Your least favorite?

Please leave me your comments and answers to this post.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Attention! There will be things mentioned in this post about the ending of the series! Do not read unless you have finished the book!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

J.K. Rowling

Harry needs to get to the Burrow without getting seen. With six decoy Harrys, the order is hoping to distract Death eaters long enough to get Harry to safety. As they take off, death eaters surround them and the race begins. The decoys soar off in different directions and meet at the Burrow with two losses, Mad-Eye Moody, and Hedwig. Now Harry, Ron, and Hermione are on the run from the Ministry and Voldemort, and the wizarding community is in complete disorter.

Can Harry find all of the Horcruxes, and possibly find out about the mysterious Deathly Hallows before caught?

This book was awesome, but could have been better. The epilogue was satisfying with Ginny and Harry together and Ron and Hermione together, but too many people died in the book. Hedwig's death was completely unnecesary, and so was Collins. One of Teddy's parents should have lived at least, and Snape didn't even need to die, though it made since. I did like that Kreacher is good and Dobby at least died protecting Harry and Harry became a godfather, but still! it was too depressing. Otherwise, a great finish to the series.

I am very sad it is over. :(

What character in the book (or books) do you think you are similar to?

Would you try to continue the DA if you were Ginny, Luna, or Neville?

What characers did you think would live/die?

Please give me your comments and answers to this post.

The Mysterious Benidict Society

The Mysterious Benidict Society
Trenton Lee Stewart

Reynie is is a smart kid stuck in an orphanage. When an add in the paper says, "Are you a Gifted Child looking fo Special Opportunities?" Reynie goes downtown immediately. He soon has been through bizzare tests, puzzles, and mazes, and is part of the Mysterious Benidict Society. He, along with three other kids, mus solve a mystery at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened. They must stop messages being brodcasted secretly on TV, radio, and other signals before it is too late...


I bought this book recently, and to be honest, I had very low expectations. I was immediately surprised! The characters are very lifelike and the plot is humorus and suspenceful. There are twists and turns completely unexpected, and this is now one of my favorite books of all time. I would reccomend it for any child in search for an adventure that will blow your mind!


If you were a child without parents and were extremely gifted, would you go take the test?

What character are you most like?

What character would you like to be similar too?

Please give me your comments and answers to this post.

Endymion Spring

Endymion Spring
Matthew Skelton

When Blake finds a blank book in the library at Oxford university, he knows it is something special. As he flips through the pages, he finds a riddle that tells of the destruction of the book. Can he and his sister, Duck, figure out the riddle before the evil and mysterious Shadow catches them?

This was one of the most interestiong books I have ever read. I like that a few chapters in the book are Endymion so you can know what happened to him. I made the desctiption soud like it was a little kids book, but the book was amazing!!!!!! Great job Mr. Skelton.

If you found a blank book in a library, what would you do with it?

Would you prefer to have the life of Blake or Endymion? Why?

How would you navigate through the Stacks?

Please give me your comments and answers to this post.

The Amulet of Samerkand

The Amulet of Samerkand
Bartimaeus Trillogy : Book One
Jonathan Stroud

Young apprentice magician, Nathaniel (or John Mandrake), has a normal life until a harsh and embarassing encounter Simon Lovelace, a ruthless and ambitious magician. In order for revenge, Nathaniel studies books he isn't at the age for and conjures up Bartimaeus, a djinni. Nathaniel commands Bartimaeus to steal an amulet from Lovelace, which he later finds out Simon illegaly has...

Every time I looked at this book, it looked absolutely stupid. (There was a different cover on my copy, and it scared me a little, too.) Once again, I learned the lesson not to judge a book by its cover. I was going to read a very funny book called, A Dog Called Grk next, but I can't wait to get my hands on the next in the trillogy. I like the foot notes in the story when Bartimaeus is thinking, although it is hard to get used to. I also like that the chapters switch off between Bartimaeus and Nathaniel. I would reccomend this book to anyone looking for some suspenceful action.

What kind of Demon would you want to be? Why?

How would you go about revenge on your enemy if you were a magician?

Would you like Bartimaeus as a companion?

Please give me your comments and answers to this post.

Bridge to Terabithia

Bridge to Terabithia
Katherine Paterson
Newberry Award Winner

Jess wants to be the fastest runner. Not next to fastest, not almost fastest, the fastest. When he is running in the summer, he meets a new girl named Leslie. The next day at school, Leslie races with the boys and wins. Jess and Leslie become friends and create their own secret country, Terabithia, across the stream. Lately, the stream bordering Terabithia has been getting higher and higher, faster and faster, so much that Jess doesn't like to cross it. When he goes away for the day, Leslie crosses the stream by herself...

This is the BEST book I have ever read, and I have read hundreds of books in eleven years. When I saw it, I thought it would be really bad, but it was AWESOME!!!!! It was also the saddest book I have ever read. It is the only book that had ever made me cry. My sumerization is no where near the book, and I would reccomend it to anyone.

If there was a girl racing where the boys were, how would you act? What would you do if she beat you?

What would you get someone for Christmas if you had no money?

If your only friend died, how would you react?

Please give me your comments and answers to this post.

Urchin of the Riding Stars

The Mistmantle Chronicles
Urchin of the Riding Stars
M. I. McAllister

A young squirrel falls out of the sky on a nightt of riding stars. The next night of riding stars, Prince Tunble is murdered. Urchin is now the page of Captain Crispen. Crispen is banished from the island because the King thinks it was him. Urchin, now Captain Prada's page, works hard to find evidense against the evil Captain Husk and Lady Aspen. Will he succede?

I actually read this book because it looked a lot like a Redwall book. It turned out to be AWESOME! The review isn't great, but it is hard to get anything near the book. This book was awesome.

If you were Crispen's page, would you try to convince everyone that it wasn't him, believe in the Lots, or not know what to think?

Would you turn Prada in for rescuing the babes to be culled?

If you thougt you would be murdered like Urchin, would you leave, maybe never to return?

Please give me your comments and answers to this post.

Book vs. Movie

ERAGON
BOOK VS. MOVIE

The first thing I want to say is I have wanted to do this for a month. The second thing, I am one person who has his own opinion and does not speak for the world. If you disagree with me, I don't care. My best friend disagrees with me. I am sorry if this hurts some feelings.

THE MOVIE WAS HORRIBLE!!!!! This will take a while.

1. Sloan seemed nice to Eragon in the movie and he didn't in the book.
2. Eragon is wearing a modern leather vest on a modern white shirt! He wears a tunic!
3. Garrow and the farm were supposed to be burned down, but everything was just broken. Brom burned it!
4.Soldiers never came to the village in the book but were there in te movie.
5. The Ra'zac looked like mummies that were alive and had maggots crawling on them. They are supposed to be disformed creatures with black robes with a hood so you can't see their faces except for a black beak.
6. Arya didn't come to the part of the wood where Eragon was and tell him where she was. He saw her in her cell.
7. Angela was stupid and was rich and in the wrong town. Where was Solembum?
8. Teirm, Yauzak (or Daret, I can't remember), Dras Leona, and Theriensford were forgotten in the movie.
9. The Ra'zac killed Brom long before Gil'ead.
10. Murtagh joined Eragon long before Gil'ead.
11. Gil'ead isn't a fortress, it is a settlement.
12. The dwarves aren't mentioned in the movie.
13. Arya had black hair in the book.
14. The Twins are not in the movie.
15. Saphira couldn't breathe fire until the end of the book.
16. The urgals had horns in the book.
17 Arya didn't leave at the end of Eragon.
18. No offence to the actors, it isn't their fault, the casting was bad and the script was bad.
19. Galbatorix isn't in the book.
20. Saphira's voice was wimpy.
21. Durza didn't ride anything.

I think that is it.

Please tell me what you think of the movie.

Eragon Book Three Predictions is another post by me.

The Legend of Luke

The Legend of Luke
Brian Jaques

Part One and Three - When a young hedgehog maid comes to Redwall and sings a song about Luke, the father of Martin the Warrior, Martin becomes troubled by his past. Soon, he and his adventuresome friends are off to learn what happened to Luke.

Part Two - Luke's wife, Sanya, was murdered by Vilu Daskar, a tretcherour villian who takes slaves. After conquering a ship, Luke and his tribe hunts down Vilu to kill him. Will he make it?

This book, though it took a long time to read, was awesome! I liked that the middle section was about Luke, not just Vurg telling a story. My favorite character is Chugger, the way he talks and behaves is hallarious! This was one of my Favorite of the twelve Redwall books I have read! Great Book!

If you forgot what your father was like, and would have to travel far to know about him, would you go through the same journey as Martin?

If you could be any of the animals in the book, what would you be?

If you were Luke, would you hold Vilu down if it meant you would die, just to make sure he did?

Please give me your comments and answers to these posts.