Friday, May 10, 2013

Are You an EVER or a NEVER?

E-VS-N-banner_bottom2

Are you an EVER or a NEVER?

Find out where you belong, then read THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL by Soman Chainani!


At the School for Good and Evil, failing your fairy tale is not an option.

Welcome to the School for Good and Evil, where best friends Sophie and Agatha are about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.

With her glass slippers and devotion to good deeds, Sophie knows she'll earn top marks at the School for Good and join the ranks of past students like Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Snow White. Meanwhile, Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks and wicked black cat, seems a natural fit for the villains in the School for Evil.


The two girls soon find their fortunes reversed—Sophie's dumped in the School for Evil to take Uglification, Death Curses, and Henchmen Training, while Agatha finds herself in the School for Good, thrust among handsome princes and fair maidens for classes in Princess Etiquette and Animal Communication.

But what if the mistake is actually the first clue to discovering who Sophie and Agatha really are . . .?  The School for Good and Evil is an epic journey into a dazzling new world, where the only way out of a fairy tale is to live through one.


Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Horrid Henry By Francesca Simon


Print Length: 112 pages
Publisher: SourceBooks Jabberwocky (September 1, 2012)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B007ZI01MC


Horrid Henry was found a new way to scare everyone. His very own Monster Movie! The Undead Demon Monster Who Would Not Die, is going to be a BIG hit! Plus three monstrous tales that will leave you screaming for more!


What I like about the book is it was very well written, and in the book Henry had a goal and some parts were funny and some parts wear spooky. I loved the illustrations, and my favorite parts of the books were the scary parts, they weren't that scary but I still liked them. 

There was nothing bad in the books, it wasn't too scary (For me) but I like scary, creepy stuff. But I don't get scared easily. 

My favorite character I like Henry and his brother. They were both really funny, but they were kinda bad little boys though. 

I liked it, i would like to read more of Horrid Henry books.





~Adrien

Friday, September 7, 2012

The Familiars Book 3: Interview

Can the familiars bring magic back to the queendom?

Vastia is in a state of war. Led by the evil Paksahara, whose command of the Shifting Fortress gives her nearly unstoppable power, an army of undead animals is wreaking havoc on the queendom. With human magic still gone, it's up to the three prophesized familiars—Aldwyn, Skylar, and Gilbert—to capture the fortress and bring Paksahara down.

But it won't be easy. The three familiars must embark on a quest to gather seven descendants of the most ancient and powerful animals in Vastia. And to make matters worse, Aldwyn finds a troubling scroll that causes him to doubt the very truth of the prophecy that guides them.
Mark on Goodreads
Buy the Books: #1, #2, #3
Read Reagan's review of The Familiars

From Adam and Andrew:

With the release of the third book in The Familiars series, The Familiars - Circle of Heroes, we are stopping by some of our favorite blogs discussing all things heroes.

Reagan:  What's the difference between a hero and a super hero?
A&A: Anyone through courage and sacrifice can become a hero. To be a superhero, you need a magic hammer or a radioactive superbite.

Reagan: Who is your favorite super hero?

Adam: My favorite superhero would have to be Dr. Strange. He a spellcasting superhero that was once a doctor but through mystic training has become something even greater. I have a soft spot for anything that has to do magic...so Dr. Strange and the villians he faces have always appealed ever since I was a little kid.
Andrew: Spiderman. I loved that he was a "nerdy" teenage kid (I could relate) and it played into every fantasy I ever had of fighting off criminals in back alleys to impress pretty girls. 
Reagan: If you had a super power, what would it be?
Adam: I would love the superpower of flight. Being able to soar above the treetops while avoiding traffic seems like the ultimate fantasy.
Andrew: Superstrength. I've always been a slender guy, so it would fulfill a life long desire to be able to proudly take my shirt off at the beach. 
Reagan: What's the most heroic story you've ever heard?
Adam: The most heroic stories I've heard aren't in comic books or middle grade fiction, they're of the soldiers go overseas fighting for our country. One of my favorite thing sto do is read about these soldiers and watch the Welcomehomeblog, tearing up when they are reunited with their families.
Reagan: Who is the most heroic character in The Familiars?
A&A: The most heroic character in the Familiars is definitely Aldwyn. He's the underdog (or is it undercat) that with no magic of his own joins a quest to save his loyal that he only just met. Plus, all great heroes learn valuable lessons about themselves along the way.
Reagan: Who is the person that is the biggest hero in your life?
A&A: Our grandparents are the greatest heroes in our life. Adam even dedicated the Circle of Heroes to them because of the amazing positive influence they had on him while growing up.
We want you to send in stories about your own heroes, the real people who have had an impact on your life. Parents, grandparents, teachers, or friends. We'll be featuring them on our blog, our Twitter feeds, and our Facebook page. We want to know who's in your Circle of Heroes. The ones voted the most inspirational will win a signed copy of book #3. Send them in to thefamiliarsbook@gmail.com!

The Familiars - Circle of Heroes will be on-line and in bookstores everywhere September 4th.
Adam and Andrew

Friday, August 31, 2012

SURVIVORS first 60 pages! (by Erin Hunter)



The New Series from WARRIORS Author Erin Hunter is Here!

If you're like us, you've been waiting for this new series for a LONG time, and now you can finally BUY IT!  Not sure if you want to?  Check out the first 60 pages and see if it's for you!

Monday, May 28, 2012

Knightly Academy By Violet Haberdasher

Reading level: Ages 8 and up
Hardcover: 480 pages
Publisher: Aladdin; 1 edition (March 9, 2010)
Buy The Book: Amazon
Henry Grim is a servant boy at the Midsummer School—until he passesthe elite Knightley Academy exam and suddenly finds himself one of the first commoners at the Academy, studying alongside the cleverest and bravest—and most arrogant—young aristocrats in the country. But someone is out to sabotage him from becoming a full-fledged Knight of the Realm, and soon Henry uncovers a conspiracy that violates the Hundred Years’ Peace treaty—and could lead to war!
This book was amazing! I mean they are training to be some kind of knight! That's awesome! I want to be  a knight...... But those days are over :'(. Sadly I did  not listen to the audio of this book just yet. But a plan to soon :D. I'll tell you how it was as soon as I can in the chat box! I think the best part was when the boys found Frankie, the headmaster's daughter, fencing. At first they thought it was a boy so they where all like 'He's the best fencer I've ever seen!' and all that until she took off her mask, and then they thought she was the worst fencer.  So when the fencing master left, Valmont, Henry's tormenter from Midsummer, mocked Frankie and she told him exactly what she embroidered on a pillow that got her expelled at her last boarding school. It does not say what was on the pillow but I have my own suspicions.

My favorite character is Frankie, she is the ultimate tomboy. I mean she hates all kinds of schools with fancy stuff, she hates the piano (inside joke), and she likes to hang out with Henry and his friends. Plus the boys are scared of her (another inside joke). This book is also HILARIOUS! I'd start laughing randomly and Bransen (my brother) would be like, 'What's so funny!?' and I'd say, 'Nothing.' Because I'd already moved on. At first this was slow and a bit boring but after I got into it I was glued to the pages. I think if you like knight books, boarding school books you'd like this book. Thanks BYE!



Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Ghost Knight By Cornelia Funke: Book & Audiobook Review


Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Reissue edition (May 1, 2012)
Buy The Book: Amazon

AUDIOBOOK
Ghost Knight
UNABRIDGED
By Cornelia Funke
Narrated by Elliot Hill
Publisher: Listening Library
Length:4 hrs and 53 mins
Buy the Audio: Audible
Jon didn't expect to be confronted by a pack of vengeful ghosts at his new boarding school. Now he and his friend Ella must uncover a centuries-old murder, all while haunted by terrifying spirits. When Jon summons the ghost of Knight Longspee, only one question remains-can Longspee be trusted?
 The Audio:

The guy AKA Elliot Hill was good but you can't tell people by there voice unless one is high pitched and the other really low. There was one voice that I knew well though and I was always happy to hear it. LONGSPEE!!!! The voice was pretty good and the Elliot played him well. In good audio book readers I can see the actions happening just behind the words. Cornelia describes stuff in detail and Elliot brings the words on the pages to life. Be sure to catch a  clip of the reading on the Audible link above! My second favorite voice was Ella's.  He had a pretty good voice but none compares to the voice of William Longspee. I know Longspee is a awkward name but you'll grow to jump for joy when you hear his name in the book. I finished this in one day seeing as it's like 5 hours long. Even so small it is VERY in detail and great.



The Book:

I loved it. Though readers should not be 8 and up to read this in my opinion. They cussed a few times and  who wants there 8 year old listening to cuss book. Maybe 11 and up? I don't really know. Anyways I thought that the detail was perfect and what the characters did I think real people would do, if the saw a ghost that is. When i saw the cover I knew it would be a good book. I mean ghost's are cool! Knights are so awesome! I don't know right now who is on the cover maybe Longspee?? *shrugs*.  My favorite character you probably already guessed..........Drumroll please..........Longspee!! he was a brave knight and he is filling his promise he could not fill when he was alive. I loved him even though in some parts Jon did not think Longspee could be trusted. My second favorite you guessed correct ELLA! I liked her because she's brave and can stand up for her self and fight ghosts her grandmother is a ghost house guide for tourists. This book is in past tense Jon his telling his story years later. That didn't bother me though. Well I think thats it for this review thanks for your time! BUT WAIT THERES MORE! If you like spooky books, Ghost books, Sad but Happy books then you'd love it just like me. Bye!








Note to Parents
There are a few cuss words:
Ba****- 4
Da**- 5
A**- 1

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter: Book Review



I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You
by Ally Carter
Reading level: Ages 10 and up
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (March 20, 2007)
Buy the book: Amazon
Cammie Morgan is a student at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, a fairly typical all-girls school—that is, if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE and the latest in chemical warfare in science, and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes in computer class. The Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses but it’s really a school for spies.
Even though Cammie is fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways, she has no idea what to do when she meets an ordinary boy who thinks she’s an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, or track him through town with the skill of a real “pavement artist”—but can she maneuver a relationship with someone who can never know the truth about her?

Cammie Morgan may be an elite spy-in-training, but in her sophomore year, she’s on her most dangerous mission—falling in love.
Cammie attends the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, though this is no ordinary school.  It's a school for girls in training to become spies.  Cammie's nickname is the Chameleon, not a name given lightly.  That is why it bothered her so much that an ordinary boy could notice her, when pro spies could not. His name is Josh. She started becoming friends and more with Josh finding she liked it.

This action-packed book is great for those who like spies, action, romance and lies.  Ally Carter's I'd Tell You I Love You, but Then I'd Have to Kill You is now a favorite of mine and I recommend it to everyone!

My all time favorite character is Bex. She's a really good spy and she the second best spy in the book. Also she is my kind of person. Not perfect and awesome. Cammie is my second favorite because she is the chameleon! Third favorite is Josh! He is cool and smooth. He is also awesome. She did screw a lot of thing up but she's cool. I gave myself the nickname the shadow because I am only seen when I want to be. Or people know I'm there.... My sister Kit is hawk-eye because she's got the eyes of a hawk! Kit can see everything and anyone!! I LOVED this book!!!

Andye, and Kit left me behind when they went to see Ally Carter. I must say I have never met an author in my life (except myself and Faith who has finished a book but it's not published....And I think she forgot all about it...). I REALLY wanted to go because I had started this book already and I wanted to meet the author. Ally Carter said that if she could re-write the books she would kill Josh :,( because everyone is always asking about him. I know why. Because the first book was all about Cammie and Josh!! He just disappears at the end of the book!! And he never really came back. So that makes everyone wonder were he went. Plus he's awesome.

My top 12 favorites are:
1. Harry Potter
2. Goliath
3. Leviathan, Behemoth
4. The False Prince
5. I'd Tell You I Love You But  Then I'd Have To Kill You
6. Percy Jackson
7. The Heroes Of Olympus
8. Howl's Moving Castle
9. Goddess Girls
10.  Time (This is my book and it's still in the making. I'm posting chapters on my blog)
11. Warriors
12. Vampirates 


Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Secret Agent Jack Stalwart: The Escape of the Deadly Dinosaur

Jack Stalwart: The Escape of the Deadly Dinosaur
by Elizabeth Singer Hunt
Series: Jack Stalwart book #1
Reading level: Ages 6 and up
Paperback: 110 pages
Publisher: Weinstein Books; First Edition edition (September 4, 2007)
In this action-packed new series, nine-year old secret agent Jack Stalwart travels the globe in search of his missing older brother Max while solving international crimes for the Global Protection Force.

In The Escape of the Deadly Dinosaur, Jack zooms to the city that never sleeps to try to solve the mystery of the missing Allosaurus toe. Starting at the Natural History Museum, Jack's detection takes him to a competitive grade-schooler determined to win the science fair with his experiment crossing his own dog with the DNA from the bone of a dangerous, carnivorous dinosaur. Soon the gargantuan creature is terrorizing New Yorkers and Jack must stop him before he devours the animals in the Central Park zoo!
This book is about a kid named Jack Stalwart.  In this book Jack has to go to New York to the American Museum of Natural History where the hallux of an allosaurus is missing.  Jack finds out that a kid named Thomas stole the hallux and got DNA out of it and turned his dog into an allosaurus.  Jake's job is to bring the hallux back to the museum.

I liked this book because it is easy to read, and it is exciting.  It is a cool book and you don't know what will happen next.  I also like secret agents.  I recommend this book to people who like action!


Friday, April 13, 2012

Ghost Buddy: Zero to Hero by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver



Ghost Buddy: Zero to Hero
by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver
Series: Ghost Buddy #1
Reading level: Ages 8 and up
Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (January 1, 2012)
Buy the book: Amazon
Billy Broccoli is new to the neighborhood, and wants cool friends and a spot on the baseball team more than anything. But the one thing he never wanted is his own personal ghost. So imagine his surprise when he ends up sharing a room with Hoover Porterhouse, a funny ghost with a whole lot of attitude.

When an obnoxious school bully sets out to demolish Billy, the Hoove comes up with a plan for revenge. It’s all in the Hoove’s Rule Number Forty-Two: Stay cool. And like it or not, Billy and the Hoove have to stick together if Billy ever wants to get in style, get even, and conquer the school.
I really liked this book.  It is funny and interesting and it made me keep reading for a long time.  I like the whole story and how it has a part about Hoover (the ghost) and a part about Billy.  It was easy to read so I could read it myself.

It ended it a big cliffhanger, so I can't wait to read the next book!

I recommend this to people who like funny books, or ghost stories, or books about someone's life.


Thursday, April 12, 2012

Justin Case: Shells, Smells, and the Horrible Flip-Flops of Doom by Rachel Vail



Justin Case: Shells, Smells, and the Horrible Flip-Flops of Doom
by Rachel Vail
Series: Justin Case #2
Reading level: Ages 7 and up
Hardcover: 192 pages
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (May 8, 2012)
Buy the book: Amazon
Justin is going to start fourth grade—but first, he has to survive the summer. He “gets” to go to camp every day on a bus. He “gets” to experience all sorts of new things: Bugs. Mess hall food. Flip-flops (they hurt the space between his toes and they’re hard to walk in). And (gulp!) swimming.

Justin’s little sister, Elizabeth, seems to deal with camp just fine. So do his friends. Justin is trying very hard not to be a worried kid anymore, especially when it comes to making friends at camp, including a new kid who is kind of . . . rough. After all, Justin is going to be in fourth grade. It’s time to be brave. Right?
This book is about a kid named Justin Case and his life in the summer.  Justin is a weird kid.   He usually goes to a science camp, but he wants to go to a camp called Camp Goldenbrook, which is all about sports.  When he gets there, he finds out he is no good at sports, but he keeps trying. 

I really liked this book a lot.  It is a funny book and I liked how he keeps trying.  It's really easy for me to read, too, which is awesome.  This is one of my favorite books to read on my own.  I recommend this book to people who like reading about normal life, but really funny ones!

You don't have to have read the first Justin Case book to read this one, but you want to!!  Trust me!  Here's my review of Justin Case: School, Drool, and Other Daily Disasters



Tuesday, April 10, 2012

The Son Of Neptune by Rick Riordan

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan
Reading level: Ages 10 and up
Hardcover: 544 pages
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH; First Edition edition (October 4, 2011)
Buy The Book: Amazon
Percy is confused. When he awoke after his long sleep, he didn’t know much more than his name. His brain-fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa told him he is a demigod and trained him to fight. Somehow Percy managed to make it to the camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he had to continually kill monsters that, annoyingly, would not stay dead. But the camp doesn't ring any bells with him.

Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she didn’t do a very good job of it. When the Voice took over her mother and commanded Hazel to use her “gift” for an evil purpose, Hazel couldn’t say no. Now, because of her mistake, the future of the world is at risk.
This book is about Percy Jackson. He lost his memory because Juno, aka Hera, has taken it and sent him to a Roman camp called Camp Jupiter. Juno sent him to try to bring the Greek camp, Camp Half-Blood, and the Roman camp, Camp Jupiter, together. Rome and Greece have a rivalry. There are giants that are the sons of Gia the Goddess of the earth and they are trying to beat the gods.

 I really liked this book and I hope the next one comes out soon. I recommend this book to people who like the gods and action. You should read Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The reader on the audiobook is good after you get used to him.




Monday, April 9, 2012

The Invisible Tower by Nils Johnson-Shelton

Reading level: Ages 10 and up
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins (January 3, 2012)
Buy The Book: Amazon
Listening Length: 7 hours and 43 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Version: Unabridged
Publisher: Harper Audio
Buy The Audio: Audible

In Artie Kingfisher's world, wizards named Merlin, fire-breathing dragons, and swords called Excalibur exist only in legends and lore - until the day his video game Otherworld springs to life.
You are special, Arthur, Says the mysterious message in his game. In one week's time you will come to me at the it.
Cryptic clues lead Artie to a strange place called the Invisible Tower, where he discovers that nothing in his life is as it seems. Artie is none other than King Arthur, brought to life in the twenty-first century. Artie has won the battle in the virtual Otherworld - now the key to saving the real Otherworld lies in his hands as well.
Green dragons, hungry wolves, powerful sorcerers - suddenly Artie must battle them all as he wields Excalibur and embarks on a quest worthy of the Knights of the Round Table. With his sister, Kay, by his side, Artie steps into the Otherworld - straight toward his destiny.
I really liked this book.   It is funny and has action, adventure, and fantasy.  I like how the book is like The Sword and the Stone.  My favorite character is Arty.  He is funy and brave.

I listened to it on audio and like the reader.  I would suggest it to people who like The Sword and the Stone and fantasy!

Here's my sister, Reagan's review!