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!
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.
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!
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.
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!
Audible Audio Edition Listening Length: 7 hours and 51 minutes Program Type: Audiobook Version: Unabridged Publisher: Harper Audio Audible.com Release Date: September 27, 2011 Ready by: Kirby Heyborne Buy the book:Audible | Hardcover
Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. But that was before he stopped talking to her and disappeared into a forest with a mysterious woman made of ice. Now it's up to Hazel to go in after him. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," Breadcrumbs is a story of the struggle to hold on, and the things we leave behind.
Reading level: Ages 9-12 Paperback: 112 pages Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (December 21, 1999)
Balto has a quiet life as a sled dog—until tragedy strikes. Dozens of children in Nome become sick with diphtheria. Without antitoxin serum, they will perish—and the closest supply is 650 miles away! The only way to get the serum to Nome is by sled, but can the dogs deliver it in time? Heading bravely into a brutal blizzard, Balto leads the race for life.
This book is about a dog named Balto but that's a bit obvious. I forget a LOT of the people's names!!! In this book tons of people get sick in Nome, Alaska with diphtheria and so it spreads really quickly! The only cure is called antitoxin and the only supply is 650 miles away!! So the people who delivered the mail had a idea to get as many musher's that would come forth to go and it the med's and they'd all go in different places to get the med's and bring it back to Nome.
I didn't like this book very much because it didn't have any detail and it was like someone looking down from above what they saw. Balto is my favorite because the book only has like two people. I also liked him because he had REALLY good senses and because in the middle of a storm when no other dog could find the way he could. If you like books about history, or dogs, you might like it.
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 192 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Inc. (July 12, 2011)
Buy the book: Amazon
George and Harold (the co-stars of the enormously popular Captain Underpants series) are in big trouble again! Their mean principal, Mr. Krupp, has had it with their comic books. But the boys aren't giving up, and they decide to create an all-new epic novel about a subject they've never tackled before!
The Story:
Every chapter switches between Billy and his dog, and Dr. Dilbert Dinkle and his cat. The book is about how Dr. Dilbert Dinkle was robbing a bank, and he had a liquidator 2000 that turns anything into water. He accidentally turns himself into water, which he thinks is a good thing, until his cat drinks him....and then does what cat's do......turning Dr. Dinkle into animated pee. (haha, awesome) Then he decides he will destroy every toilet in town. Super diaper baby has to save the town....and the toilets.....from the giant Dr. Dinkle pee monster.
My favorite character:
I really liked Super Diaper baby and the cat, Petey. I liked Super Diaper Baby because he's really funny. I liked Petey because he was a villian, a he got really out of control sometimes and told some hilarious (and gross) jokes.
Did I like the book?
I liked this book a lot. It was a lot of fun. It was "THE BEST BOOK IN THE WORLD" but it was really funny, and I am glad I read it. One thing I really love about the book is something called Flip-o-rama. You hold down one page, hold the corner of the other, and flip the page back and forth and it looks like a live action cartoon. It's awesome!! I haven't read the first Super Diaper Baby book, but this one still made sense. I definitely want to read the first one now.
Reading level: Ages 9-12 Mass Market Paperback: 160 pages Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (October 1, 2009) Goosebumps Official Site:http://www.scholastic.com/goosebumps/ Buy the Book:Amazon
There is something weird happening in Fever Swamp. Something really horrible. It started with the strange howling at night. Then there was the rabbit, torn to shreds. Everyone thinks Grady's new dog is responsible. After all, he looks just like a wolf. And he seems a little on the wild side.
But Grady knows his dog is just a regular old dog. And most dogs don't howl at the moon. Or disappear at midnight. Or change into terrifying creatures when the moon is full.
Or do they?
Goosebumps:
This is my second Goosebumps book and I really liked them both, but I liked this one SO much more than the other.
What's it about?
This one is about how Grady and his family move to Florida because his mom and dad are scientists. His dad caught some swamp deer and so he took them there to experiment and see if they could survive in the swamp. Grady decides to explore the swamp with his sister, Emily, and while they were there, they were looking around and found a bog. As they went farther in, they discovered a small, old hut where a hunched man lived. When he opened his mouth, he had really sharp teeth. They ran away as fast as they could, but ended up getting lost. They told their parents about the Swamp Hermit, but their parents said it was nothing to worry about. When Grady started hearing howls and scratches at night, during the full moon, he began to suspect that the hermit might be a werewolf. But things aren't always what they seem, and Grady (and I) were very surprised by the outcome!
What I thought:
I LOVED THIS BOOK!! My favorite character was Grady. He's the main character and I learned the most about him. I liked how this book was a mystery, and it was really dangerous for Grady. I love how everything was connected and how it all came together in the end. The book was scary for the characters, but it didn't scare me. My sister's friend thinks these books are too gross and scary, but I really like them! So, maybe these books aren't good for girls!! These books are pretty easy to read, and I like that because I got through it really quickly. I'll be reading more of these books!
Parents: This book has no bad language, but it can be a little scary and gross.
Some of the Goosebumps books have been made into short movies. Here's the preview for this one:
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Square Fish (May 24, 2011)
Buy the book: Paperback
It’s the start of the school year, and nothing feels right to Justin. He didn’t get the teacher he wanted, he’s not in the same class as his best friend, and his little sister, Elizabeth, is starting kindergarten at his school. Elizabeth doesn’t seem nervous at all. Justin is very nervous about third grade. And to top it off, he’s lost his favorite stuffed animal, but he can’t tell anyone, because technically he’s too old to still have stuffed animals. Right?
Title and Author
Justin Case Rachel Vail
Plot Summary
It's about a boy named Justin and his life in elementary/3rd grade. Nothing feels right to him. He hates it because he is moved from the classroom that his 2nd best friend Noah is in!
Plot High Point
My favorite part was when he woke up and realized he had no worries at all anymore. He is not afraid of bad guys or jiggly food or getting beat up by runny-aroundy kids or loud noises or death or dogs that growl. He has become the bravest kid on earth. April Fools.
Main Characters
Justin, Xavier, Gianni, Montana C., Daisy and Noah
Setting
It took place at his house and his school. It is the present.
Personal Opinion
I love this book!!!!!! I liked reading about his life and what it's like to be at school (because I'm home schooled). I liked Justin a lot. He's just like a normal kid. But he freaks out a lot about tons of different things. He's really funny because he exaggerates a lot. Like he thought that if he didn't climb this rope that was really high that he wouldn't pass third grade and he'd have to do it all over again. This book was pretty easy for me to read (I'm almost 9). I really loved it a lot!
Three ordinary children are brought together by extraordinary events. . .
Giuseppe is an orphaned street musician from Italy, who was sold by his uncle to work as a slave for an evil padrone in the U.S. But when a mysterious green violin enters his life he begins to imagine a life of freedom.
Hannah is a soft-hearted, strong-willed girl from the tenements, who supports her family as a hotel maid when tragedy strikes and her father can no longer work.
She learns about a hidden treasure, which she knows will save her family -- if she can find it.
And Frederick, the talented and intense clockmaker's apprentice, seeks to learn the truth about his mother while trying to forget the nightmares of the orphanage where she left him. He is determined to build an automaton and enter the clockmakers guild -- if only he can create a working head.
Together, the three discover they have phenomenal power when they team up as friends, and that they can overcome even the darkest of fears.
This is one of the BEST book trailers I've ever seen!
This book was sitting on our shelves for months and months. Our copy is an uncorrected advanced reader copy and the cover only shows the clockwork man, without the kids, and it just didn't look that interesting. It was eventually this interview that made us decide to read the book.
We ended up requesting that our library order the audio cd so that we could listen to it together. Luckily our library is AWESOME, and they bought it.
Bransen's Thoughts:
I really loved this book. I thought it had a LOT of adventure and activity. My favorite character was Giuseppe. I liked how the author sort of got this book off of real history. I liked how Giuseppe ran away from his padrone, Stephano, and that he didn't care how badly he got punished, he just kept going. I liked how he had good friends that would help him.
I loved how Frederick was so determined to build a clockwork. Even though he made some bad decisions. It was hard for him to trust Master Branch because he was brought up in an orphanage and was mistreated by the people in charge. Hannah was so determined to help her father. She made some bad decisions too, but she would do anything to help her father.
One of the things I really loved was how all the characters meet up in different parts of the book. The book was told from all three of them in different chapters, and they would all see or meet each other a different times. I really liked that.
I thought the audiobook reader was pretty good. Jim Dale is still the best reader. The voices he did were pretty good. There was one part, where the Clockwork speaks that they made this cool sounding voice. I loved that.
This is one of my top three favorite books. Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, then this book. I loved it and I hope there will be a sequel!! I would suggest this book for anyone!
Reagan's Thoughts:
I thought this book was pretty awesome because I'm an adventure person and this book was totally adventure. My favorite character was Giueseppe because he is Italian and he's really tough and awesome.
My second favorite character is Hannah. She is daring and she's a good "detective" and is willing to risk anything for her family.
I loved how this book was written. I liked how sometimes Giueseppe and Pietro speak Italian. There were so many characters I liked. I also loved the setting. McCaulley park was my favorite.
The reader was cool, except for Fredricks voice. It seemed really snotty. I liked the other voices for everyone else. He did a really good job.
I would recommend this book to people who like Historical Fiction, Clockworks, and Adventure!
Mom's note:
This book is fantastic, but it does contain some pretty rough treatment of the boys by the Padrone. There are quite a few times that Giuseppe is beaten, or put in very upsetting situations. There are also slight paranormal elements.
THE STORY CONTINUES in the third volume of Hiccup's How to Train Your Dragon memoirs ...Haddock III was an awesome sword-fighter, a dragon-whisperer and the greatest Viking Hero who ever lived. But it wasn't always like that. Hiccup's memoirs look back to when Hiccup was just an ordinary boy, and finding it very hard to be a Hero. Climbing on to a Roman Dragon Rustling ship by mistake in your first 'Boarding an Enemy Ship' lesson is bad enough. But to then discover that Alvin the Treacherous is also on board proves to Hiccup he couldn't have been more wrong, especially when he steals his copy of How to Speak Dragonese. Can Hiccup save the dragons and the day?
Mom's note: I just wanted to say that I have never seen my son so excited to read a book before. He's very fast to listen to books on audio, but to actually sit down and read.....on his own?? It just doesn't happen. But every time I turned around, he was sitting down reading this book. He loves this series. If you have a reluctant reader, I would definitely recommend this series!
Follows the further adventures and misadventures of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III as his Viking training continues and his father leads a stranger and the Hairy Hooligans to the Isle of Skullions in search of a pirate's treasure.
Plot Summary Artemis Fowl is a criminal mastermind. Even though he is only twelve years old, he is a genius! He was trying to get money by capturing a fairy and making the other fairies pay him a ransom to get her back. The fairy that he captures is name Captain Holly Short. She is a feisty girl who isn't going to lay down and take being captured by a little boy.
Plot High Point The most exciting part of the book is when Butler, (Artemis Fowl's butler) gets into a fight with a giant troll. I liked how Butler went all
Main Characters Artemis Fowl- He is a twelve-year-old, genius criminal mastermind. He trying to get his fortune back, and will do anything to make that happen. Captain Holly Short- she is feisty and active and strong, she never gives up hope. She has trouble always obeying orders. Butler-He's a big guy who always protects Artemis so he never gets hurt. The Butler family has always served the Fowl family. Butler has all these weapons and really cool ninja moves! And he's really strong. Juliet- Butler's sister and loyal friend to Artemis. And she has her own cool ninja moves too!
Setting Present time, Artemis Fowl mansion.
Personal Opinion
Reagan: I liked that there were fairies in this book. I was in my fairy phase, so this was perfect! My favorite character was Holly Short, because she's totally awesome! She was all magical and constantly disobeyed orders. I loved the whole book and wouldn't change a thing. We listened to this book on audio cd and I really liked the reader! The reader is Nathaniel Parker, and I thought he did a really a good job.
Bransen: I liked the book a lot because it has all this cool magic. There were awesome trolls and all these cool creatures. I think Artemis is really cool because he knows all this stuff and he's only twelve. There was this really hilarious part with a dwarf that ate clay and pooped it out. He blasted people with his farts! I liked the reader, too. He sounded really good with all the voices that he did. He had different accents for everyone.
Mom: There were parts of this book that I liked and parts I didn't care for. I really liked all the parts that were told from Artemis's viewpoint. I loved his character! All the chapters that were told from his point-of-view were really fun and exciting. I didn't really care for the chapters that were told from the fairies point of view. There was a lot of "potty humor" which I just think is annoying, but at least my kids got a kick out it. But the thing that really bugged me, was that the fairy world was pretty much exactly the same as the human world. I feel like if I'm going to read about fairies, that they should be different, and magical, and fantastical. These fairies were like military officials, who used satellites and coms and weapons. There was very little magic used. So it ended up just being like a military rescue mission. I did really think the audiobook reader did a great job! He had a ton of different accents, and I thought they were all really good.
Reagan and Bransen are listening to the second audiobook in the series, Arctic Incident.
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