Warriors: The New Prophecy by Erin Hunter

In the exciting second Warriors story arc, The New Prophecy, the wild cats of the forest have lived in peace and harmony for many moons—but new prophecies from their warrior ancestors speak of a mysterious destiny and grave danger for the clans. Now the time has come for a new generation of heroes to arise, as the quest to save the warrior cats begins…

Title and Author
Warriors: The New Prophecy
Erin Hunter
Buy the set:  Amazon


Plot Summary
Well this book is the second series of the AMAZING story: Warriors. This book is about wild cats who form clan's. They have a Leader a Deputy and a med-cat witch is like the doctor cat that uses herbs of the forest or were ever they can find it instead of med-sin, and queen's witch are cats that have kits or expecting them, The apprentices, Cats that are training to be wariors or Med-cats, and last but not least The Elders, Old cats. They have laws called the Warrior Code. They have 4 clans, Windclan, Riverclan, Thunderclan, and Shadowclan. They catch there own prey, Take care of themselves.

Plot High Point
When they fight are really AWESOME! I mean who reads this everyday!

Main Characters
Brambleclaw- Dark Brown tabby tom with amber eyes 
Squrilflight/paw- Dark ginger she-cat with amber eyes
Leafpool/paw-Light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes 
Crowfeather/paw-Dark smoky gray, almost back, tom with blue eyes 
Tawnypelt- Tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes 
Feathertail-light gray she-cat with blue eyes 
Stormfur-dark gray tom with amber eyes 
Firestar- Ginger tom with a flame colored pelt 
Sandstorm-Pale Ginger she-cat 
Brackenfur- Golden brown tabby tom 
Sorreltail/paw- Tortoiseshell and white she-cat with green eyes 
Brightheart-White she-cat with ginger patches 
Cloudtail- long-haired white tom 
Graystripe- long-haired gray tom 
Cinderpelt-Dark gray she-cat 
Mousefur- Small dusky brown she-cat 
Dustpelt- Dark brown tabby tom 
Thornclaw- Golden brown tabby tom 
Ashfur- Pale gray(With darker flecks)tom, dark blue eyes 
Rainwhisker-Dark gray tom with blue eyes 
Sootfur- Lighter gray tom with amber eyes 
Spiderleg/paw- Long-limbed black tom with brown under belly and amber eyes 
Shrewpaw- Small dark brown tom with amber eyes 
Whitepaw- White she-cat with green eyes 
Goldenflower- Pale ginger coat 
Ferncloud- Pale gray(with darker flecks)she-cat, Green eyes

Setting
There is the forest and mountains Streams and rivers and lakes and other cool places in the wild.

Personal Opinion
I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!BEST BOOKS EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!SO COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The reason why is cause I LOVE animals and this is a awesome cats point of view, so I think that is amazing.  It's really cool because they're kind of like humans because they have laws and stuff, and they fight.  I love all the characters, but my favorite is Brambleclaw.  I love these books so much that me and my friends do role plays with them.  It's so much fun.  Read these books, start with the first series, Warriors.

Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Point (January 1, 2011)
• Source: Bought, then sent a copy from Scholastic
• Author's Website: http://www.elizabetheulberg.com/
• Buy the book:  Amazon

After winter break, the girls at the very prestigious Longbourn Academy become obsessed with the prom. Lizzie Bennet, who attends Longbourn on a scholarship, isn’t interested in designer dresses and expensive shoes, but her best friend, Jane, might be — especially now that Charles Bingley is back from a semester in London.

Lizzie is happy about her friend’s burgeoning romance but less than impressed by Charles’s friend, Will Darcy, who’s snobby and pretentious. Darcy doesn’t seem to like Lizzie either, but she assumes it’s because her family doesn’t have money. Clearly, Will Darcy is a pompous jerk — so why does Lizzie find herself drawn to him anyway?

Will Lizzie’s pride and Will’s prejudice keep them apart? Or are they a prom couple in the making? Whatever the result, Elizabeth Eulberg, author of The Lonely Hearts Club, has concocted a very funny, completely stylish delight for any season — prom or otherwise.

Review: 

Prom and Prejudice is a really cute modernized version of the classic Jane Austen novel.  In this telling, Elizabeth Bennet (Lizzie) is a scholarship student at the prestigious Longbourn Academy, where those without money are not just looked down upon, but bullied and ridiculed at every chance.  Lizzie's only friends are her sweet roommate, Jane, and another scholarship student, Charlotte.  In this version, Lydia is Jane's younger sister, and is quite obnoxious and socially unaware, embarrassing Jane at every opportunity.  Jane worries that this will hurt her chances with the fabulously rich and every-so-charming Charles Bingley, (who attends Pemberly Academy)  but he seems completely oblivious to any faults that Jane has.  Charles' best friend, Will Darcy is another story.  He seems to see the fault in everyone....especially, scholarship students.  

I thought this book was a really cute, simple read.  I think it will really be enjoyed by younger readers, or people that haven't read the original version of Pride and Prejudice the most.  As an older reader, who knows the story well, I found the book a little slow at times, knowing, basically, what the characters were going to do next.  But I really enjoyed the parts where the story deviated from the original.  Especially toward the end of the book, which I thoroughly enjoyed!  I just found the entire thing to be sweet and charming, and returning to this story was fun and refreshing!

I can't wait to see what Elizabeth brings us next!

• Sexual Content:  Minor
• Profanity:  One minor word
• Violence:  Mild
• Other Notables:  Two of the minor characters drink alcohol/get drunk

For more details about content, check out Prom and Prejudice on Parental Book Reviews!

Rick Riordan and James Patterson Live!

Oh to live in New York City!!

Book Review and GIVEAWAY: Kevin's Point of View by Del Shannon

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Flatiron View Books (October 26, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0615401236 ISBN-13: 978-0615401232
Buy the book:Amazon
Visit the site: http://kevinspointofview.com/

Kevin Tobin is a relatively ordinary 12-year-old dealing with the aftermath of his father's death in a mountain biking accident near their home in Boulder, Colorado. To escape from his emotional turmoil, Kevin has developed his imagination into a dangerous foil and a powerful ally. While he antagonizes his sister through his superhero antics on an average Wednesday morning, his ability to escape inside a character's head become critical to his survival after his life is once-again turned upside down a year after his father's death. A mysterious package arrives in the mail, Kevin and his best friend are hunted down by a ruthless villain set upon world domination, and after enlisting Kevin's teenage sister and her pizza-delivery boyfriend in a battle for control over time itself, the secret of Kevin's whole existence is revealed to him by a source we never expected. Del Shannon's imaginative story, appreciation for the powers of family and the desire of young boys to both escape reality and prove themselves within it, and fast-paced, adventure-filled storytelling style make this a book with wide appeal for readers of all ages.

CHECKOUT MY GIVEAWAY OF THIS BOOK! TWO AWESOME COPIES DEL SHANNON SENT US! SIGN UP HERE! 

 

My Review

I would like to start with a big thank you to Mr. Del Shannon for sending me Kevin's Point of View and for writing such an awesome book.

This was actually sent to my little brother, Andrew, for a review but after reading the synopsis I was immediately interested. Knowing I had to act fast before he found out I had stolen it, I started reading it immediately. Luckily, Andrew isn't very observing so I wasn't so hard keeping the fact from him. Anyway, after starting the book I quickly found it to be a hugely enjoyable read. Filled with humor, action, and boyish tomfoolery, I was naturally entertained. I flew through the pages and, before I knew it, was three hundred pages in. Mr. Shannon really has a talent for catching a young boy's attention. Now, I'm probably a little above the age group for this book, but it was still an entertaining book for me.

The leading character, Kevin Toben, is a pretty average twelve-year-old boy. His primary concerns in life are cartoons, school, and his best friend, Tony. Well, Kevin has this mental thing where he thinks he's someone else. Okay, that might be a little bit short of an explanation. A year before the events taking place in the book, Kevin's father dies in a bike accident. Ever since, Kevin has used his imagination to, I guess you could say, get away from all of the bad stuff he's going through. He'll imagine himself as a super hero, athlete, etc. and pretend he's somewhere else doing other, awesomer things. Now, from my standpoint, this isn't such a bad idea. Kevin's imagination often got him into trouble, but he was a happier person when he is imagining himself as Captain Disaster, or some other guy who really knows what to do in just about any situation. Throughout the book, Kevin will change in his own mind, and suddenly know exactly how to get the job done. And it's pretty cool to read about.

Now even the greatest of books has a least a few bad things amongst the good. Even epics like Lord of the Rings is not perfect. You can't tell me it wouldn't be a better book without Tom Bombadil. But, I digress. Kevin's Point of View only had a few things that I didn't like. Character development for one thing. This book mainly revolves around one day, and it's hard to get to know and love characters in such little time. Don't get me wrong, the good guys were good, the bad guys, bad, but I just feel like there could have been a little more explaining or dialog to get to know the characters. I'm not saying it was bad, just not the best.

This book is definitely a boy's book. I doubt many girls would enjoy it, but in a way, that makes it all the better for boys who are interested. Kevin is twelve and I would say very relatable to most boys around his age. It's a very good book for said boys and I think many would really enjoy it. I know I did.



Hey to all you people who read for fun.

YOU ARE COOL.

A note to the parents -

This was a pretty clean book, with the only profanity being "Oh God", Oh my God", etc.

For full details of the book, read on Parental Book Reviews.com

Short Story Of Troll's-Eye View Wizard's Apprentice By Delia Sherman

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Firebird (August 5, 2010)

Buy The Book: Amazon.com

Everyone thinks they know the real story behind the villains in fairy tales--evil, no two ways about it. But the villains themselves beg to differ. In Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling's new anthology for younger readers, you'll hear from the Giant's wife ("Jack and the Beanstalk"), Rumplestiltskin, the oldest of the Twelve Dancing Princesses, and many more. A stellar lineup of authors, including Garth Nix, Holly Black, Neil Gaiman and Nancy Farmer, makes sure that these old stories do new tricks!

What I am going to do is do small reviews on all of the story's of: The Troll's Eye View. 1st story is: The Wizards Apprentice! here is my review:
In the 1st story there is Nick and he was treated very poorly at is uncle's house. He barley got any food. He  really only got like 2 hours of sleep! Sometimes he did not eat at all or sleep at all! So he ran away and his uncle caught him. But one night he ran away and did not get caught and he went to the evil Wizards Book Shop and stayed there. Will his uncle find him or will he stay at the Wizards  Shop?

My favorite person is Nick cause he is brave! i am not a big fan of the story but it was ok.

New Rick Riordan Book Coming Soon!! And a Sneak Peek!

 

Most of you probably already know this, but we just had to post about it because Rick Riordan is one of our absolute favorite authors, and we love The Cane Chronicles!   On May 3, the second book in the series, The Throne of Fire will be released, and right now you can get a Sneak Peek of chapter one on your kindle!  We're so excited!!

Here's the description:

Ever since the gods of Ancient Egypt were unleashed in the modern world, Carter Kane and his sister Sadie have been in trouble. As descendants of the House of Life, the Kanes have some powers at their command, but the devious gods haven't given them much time to master their skills at Brooklyn House, which has become a training ground for young magicians.

And now their most threatening enemy yet - the chaos snake Apophis - is rising. If they don't prevent him from breaking free in a few days' time, the world will come to an end. In other words, it's a typical week for the Kane family.

To have any chance of battling the Forces of Chaos, the Kanes must revive the sun god Ra. But that would be a feat more powerful than any magician has ever accomplished.

First they have to search the world for the three sections of the Book of Ra, then they have to learn how to chant its spells. Oh, and did we mention that no one knows where Ra is exactly?

Narrated in two different wisecracking voices, featuring a large cast of new and unforgettable characters, and with adventures spanning the globe, this second installment in the Kane Chronicles is nothing short of a thrill ride.

Are you excited?? 

Buy the book

Get the sneak peek

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.


But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.
So much for normal.

My Review:

I've started quite a few books lately that have been very disappointing, and I thought maybe I was just getting picky after reading so many amazing books. I think my mom got sick of listening to me complain about the ones I was reading and she said, "Just go read Paranormalcy right now!" Needless to say, I finished it in less than one day.  Paranormalcy has officially been added to my favorites list (which includes Sea, Hunger  Games, Catching Fire, and Harry Potter :) I ADORED THIS BOOK! It is hilarious,  quirky, and completely unique!  I don't care about your stupid "TBR Pile."  Read Paranormalcy instead. Period. End of story. It is absolutely, utterly, entirely amazing.

Andye's review of Paranormalcy

Book Review: The Hot List by Hillary Homzie

Reading level: Ages 10-13

Paperback: 256 pages

Publisher: Aladdin; Original edition (March 8, 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1442406577

ISBN-13: 978-1442406575

Buy the book: Amazon

It all starts as a goof between Sophie Fanuchi and her BFF Maddie Chen--a "Hot List" the two girls create and anonymously post in the girls' locker room listing the cutest boys at Travis Middle School. Soon enough the list has taken on a life of its own. Maddie's thrilled to be caught up in all the excitement and finally hanging out with the "pops," Travis Middle School's self-proclaimed It Girls. Sophie, however, misses just having secrets between herself and Maddie. Even worse, Maddie's suddenly super tight with Brenna Tate, leader of the pops and the daughter of Sophie's father's new girlfriend. As Sophie and Maddie's friendship unravels, Sophie latches onto an impulsive bet with Brenna to get the universe right again--Sophie declares she'll prove the list is meaningless by making over their wacky classmate Squid so that he can land on the Hot List. But will any bet or list matter more than Sophie's friendships . . .?

`My Review

The first thing I would like to say is that, all the kids in the book were really shallow. I didn't like that about the book.

They said the word "Hot" a million times (it got very old). They said "Sexy" A couple of times and "Shut up" too. In the book, the author spelled some things wrong, like she spelled please... pleas.

My favorite character was Sophie Fanuchi, she was the main character. She was the most non-shallow person, she helped ugly people get on the Hot List. At the end of the book, everyone ended up realizing that The Hot List was a mean thing to do. That was a good thing, because a lot of people got their feelings hurt :(

 I didn't like the book that much and I would not read it again. But if you like really girly, shallow books that talk about a lot of hot guys and girls, than you should read this book!

Meet The Author, watch videos, and get extras at: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Hot-List/Hillary-Homzie/9781442406575 

Happy Reading :)

GIVEAWAY of Athena The Wise by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams

If you would like to enter for a chance to win Athena the Wise, just comment to win! Must be a follower! US only for this one.  Giveaway open until 4/21/11.  Good luck!

The Goddess Girls by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams put a modern spin on classic Greek myths!

Check out Reagan's review HERE!

Read an awesome interview with the authors over on Reading Teen!


Thanks so much to Joan and Suzanne for this giveaway!!  The Reading Tween girls can't wait to read the next books in the series!

Book Review: The Magician by Michael Scott

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 496 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (June 24, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9780385733588
ISBN-13: 978-0385733588

After fleeing Ojai, Nicholas, Sophie, Josh, and Scatty emerge in Paris, the City of Lights. Home for Nicholas Flamel. Only this homecoming is anything but sweet. Perenell is still locked up back in Alcatraz and Paris is teeming with enemies. Nicollo Machiavelli, immortal author and celebrated art collector, is working for Dee. He’s after them, and time is running out for Nicholas and Perenell. For every day spent without the Book of Abraham the Mage, they age one year—their magic becoming weaker and their bodies more frail. For Flamel, the Prophesy is becoming more and more clear.

It’s time for Sophie to learn the second elemental magic: Fire Magic. And there’s only one man who can teach it to her: Flamel’s old student, the Comte de Saint-Germain—alchemist, magician, and rock star. Josh and Sophie Newman are the world’s only hope—if they don’t turn on each other first.

My Review

I read the first of The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, The Alchemyst and it was great. You can look at my review for it here. So, I had both The Alchemyst and The Magician on my bookshelf for the longest time and never picked them up. I see now that this was a huge mistake. These books are awesome! I really enjoy them for many reasons.

• Greatly written
• The mythology
• Awesome characters
• The mythology
• One of the most fast paced series I've ever read
• Did I mention the mythology

Okay, I'll break it down for you folks. Michael Scott (Not from The Office) really knows how to write a book. I'm pretty sure he could get just about anybody hooked to his books. Each book (all fairly long) only goes over the time of a few days, so you're getting a lot of details. The heroes of the story are never safe, constantly on the move. Even though I've only read four days of their adventure, the character development is great. You really get to know the characters really well and when it seems like someone is about to die (Not a spoiler, it seems like they're always about to die) the book gets really stressful.

Okay in the paragraph above, you might have noticed that I didn't mention the mythology. I seriously think Michael Scott is an Extractor, (Nerdy Inception reference) got into my mind, and pulled out all the stuff I like. He puts in sorcery. Monsters. No, not just the average boogie man. No, he puts in stuff from Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Chinese, and more. He grabs some historical figures throws 'em in there. And then, just for kicks, grabs gods from Greek/Roman (Pretty much the same thing, right?) mythology. Yep, they are characters. Not only that, Scott continues and gets gods from many other myths. Bastet, Ares, Cronus, all make appearances, as do many others. And it's awesome.

Yeah, so this is an extremely cool book. Honestly, Mr. Scott pretty much put something for everyone in this story. It might seem like he's trying to hard, packing these books with so much stuff, but he really pulls it off. Michael Scott created a great world, filled it with interesting things, wrote a captivating story, and put it on these pages. And for these reasons, this is a great read for any teen who likes any fantasy books.



*A note to the parents, this book is very clean, only containing mild violence.

Book Review: The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (June 24, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385736002
ISBN-13: 978-0385736008
Buy the book: Amazon
Visit the site: http://www.dillonscott.com/

He holds the secret that can end the world.

The truth: Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on September 28, 1330. Nearly 700 years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life.

The records show that he died in 1418.

But his tomb is empty.

The legend: Nicholas Flamel lives. But only because he has been making the elixir of life for centuries. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects—the Book of Abraham the Mage. It's the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. That's exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won't know what's happening until it's too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it.

Sometimes legends are true.

My Review

So, the first thought that came to mind upon picking up this book was, "Michael Scott isn't smart enough to write a good book!" My second thought was, "This dude stole Nicholas Flamel from Harry Potter!" Later discoveries proved both of these statements false. It just so happens that Nicholas Flamel was a real dude, born in the 1300s, renowned for his skills in "Alchemy". Also, Michael Scott (Not the Steve Carell character, as I had thought) is not only smart enough to write a book, he can also do it greatly.

This book has been sitting on my bookshelf for over a year now, and somehow, I've never given it much thought. Something that I really don't like is when a book sits on a shelf, gathering dust. What's the point of a book if it isn't gonna be read? I can proudly and honestly say that I have almost read all of the two hundred books in my bedroom. The Alchemyst, along with it's sequel, The Magician, are some of the very few books in my bedroom that I have not picked up for quite a while. Until now, that is. The primary reason that I started reading this book is because there are so many people who said it was so good, and it is a pretty well-known book. It was pretty much a last resort for me reading it, I didn't really have anything else to read. So, before I started the book, I was like

But, by the end of The Alchemyst, I was like

I know, those guys look a lot like me. The resemblance is scary. So, yep, I was one happy camper. Or, I would be, if I read this book in a tent. Sadly, I didn't. So... yeah....

The Alchemyst is a book that can pretty much be liked by any teen. The main characters are twins, brother and sister. The book starts in a normal day, a fifteen-year-old girl working in a coffee shop, her twin brother working across the street in a book shop. I do not exaggerate when I say that the action in the book starts literally a few pages in. And the action ends on page 400. In case you didn't read the product description at the top, this is a 400 page book. This was a very high paced book that not only kept me entertained, but made me pick up the sequel to the book, The Magician, the second I finished it. I was very impressed while reading this book because it kinda seemed like Mr. Scott knew exactly the things I liked in a book. Not only did he write the book nearly perfectly, he also put in stuff like Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and a whole ship-load of other stuff (I am not intending any profanity when saying that; the amount of awesome stuff in this book could honestly fill an entire ship.)

Like I said before, this book is really one that a whole variety of peoples could love. Right now, I'm reading The Magician, and I must say that this series is going on my favorites list. I know, it seems like I've loved every book I've read lately, but this one is awesome. 'Nuff said.