The Clockwork Three by Matthew J. Kirby

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Scholastic Press (October 1, 2010)
Author's Website:   http://matthewjkirby.com/kirbside/
Buy the book:  Audio, Hardcover

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. 

You can read my review on Reading Teen.

Athena the Wise

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Aladdin; Original edition (April 5, 2011)
Author's Website:
Series:  The Goddess Girls #5
Buy the Book:  Amazon

Follow the ins and outs of divine social life at Mount Olympus Academy, where the most privileged godboys and goddessgirls in the Greek pantheon hone their mythical skills…
Athena isn’ t the only new kid at Mount Olympus Academy. When a mortal named Heracles transfers in, Athena understands what he’ s going through. She started at MOA a few months ago.

Not only does Heracles need help fitting in, he also has to complete twelve “ labors” or he’ ll be kicked out of school! When Athena’ s dad, Principal Zeus, asks her to secretly look after the new boy, she winds up capturing mythical beasts and shoveling poop. It will take all of her famed wisdom to sort out her own problems and help Heracles succeed!

Book Review: A House Called Awful End by Philip Ardagh

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 128 pages
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); First Edition edition (September 1, 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0805068287
ISBN-13: 978-0805068283

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  The first book in a hilarious, action-packed trilogy. Eddie Dickens is sent off to stay with his aunt and uncle and a riotously funny comedy of errors ensues. When both Eddie Dickens's parents catch a disease that makes them turn yellow, go a bit crinkly around the edges, and smell of hot water bottles, it's agreed he should go and stay with relatives at their house, Awful End. Unfortunately for Eddie, those relatives are Mad Uncle Jack and Even-Madder Aunt Maud. . . . This hilarious historical spoof, the first in the Eddie Dickens trilogy, has been called "a scrumptious cross between Dickens and Monty Python."

  
  
  
  

• My Review
  
• I liked the book it was funny but I don't think I would read it again. It was fine but I didn't like it that much! I liked how the author drew the characters and I liked how he drew the parents. I really liked how he drew the mom, she looks kinda' funny! I liked the story line, and how he wrote the book. It was good! I liked their rat thing! It's weird looking! :) But It is an okay book to read! I think it is a pretty good kids book! There is nothing bad in it, No cuss words or anything bad! Not the best book ever, but maybe worth the read because of the illustrations. Its good for Ages 9-12!


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How to Speak Dragonese (How to Train Your Dragon #3) by Cressida Cowell

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (February 1, 2010)
• Buy the book:  Amazon

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?

My review of How to be a Pirate (How to Train Your Dragon #2)

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!

Audiobook Review: The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins (May 25, 2004)
Buy The Book: Paperback, Audio

Armed only with a frying pan and her common sense, Tiffany Aching, a young witch-to-be, is all that stands between the monsters of Fairyland and the warm, green Chalk country that is her home. Forced into Fairyland to seek her kidnaped brother, Tiffany allies herself with the Chalk's local Nac Mac Feegle -- aka the Wee Free Men -- a clan of sheep-stealing, sword-wielding, six-inch-high blue men who are as fierce as they are funny. Together they battle through an eerie and ever-shifting landscape, fighting brutal flying fairies, dream-spinning dromes, and grimhounds -- black dogs with eyes of fire and teeth of razors -- before ultimately confronting the Queen of the Elves, absolute ruler of a world in which reality intertwines with nightmare. And in the final showdown, Tiffany must face her cruel power alone....

In a riveting narrative that is equal parts suspense and humor, Carnegie Medalist Terry Pratchett returns to his internationally popular Discworld with a breathtaking tale certain to leave fans, new and old, enthralled.

So I liked Tiffany and the Wee Free Men the most cause the Wee Free Men are funny and Tiffany is brave and she is never surprised or sad or gives up. I only kind-of liked it cause in some points it is hard to understand what is going on. I liked it cause it was funny and the monsters and things.

'Crivens! Whut aboot us, ye daftie!' 

The Wee Free Men were always saying the funniest things, and they had crazy names like Rob Anybody and No'-As-Big-As-Medium-Jock-But-Bigger-Than-Wee-Jock-Jock.  They were brave and would fight anyone at any time, but they were scared to DEATH of lawyers!!!  They are also know as the Nac Mac Feegle and they are little blue pixies.  NO, NOT PIXIES.....PICTSIES!  Don't get that wrong.  They were thrown out of fairyland for being drunk and disorderly, and now they cause trouble by fighting, and stealing sheep.  But when the Queen of the Fairies kidnaps Tiffany's pesky little brother, the Wee Free Men do whatever they can to help her get him back (even if their ways do end up causing a whole lot of trouble).

I listened to this one on audiobook, and the reader was AWESOME!!  He did voices, but it was more the way he read the book that made him so good.  Especially when he had to do the Wee Free Men, because they used strange words and had a funny accent.  I'm glad I listened to it, because I don't think I would have been able to pronounce half of what they said if I read it.  I would definitely recommend this on audio!

P.S.  My brother and my mom really liked it too.  And sometimes my mom would laugh at things, and I'm not sure why......

Book Review Vlog: Matilda by Roald Dahl

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Puffin (June 1, 1998)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0141301066
ISBN-13: 978-0141301068
Buy the book: Amazon

For hundreds of kids, The Trunchbull is pure terror. For Matilda, she's a sitting duck. Roald Dahl is one of the most beloved storytellers of all time, and his books have been children's favorites for generations. Puffin is proud to offer a strong new look for nine of our classic Roald Dahl titles. The distinctive cover treatment, with new art by Quentin Blake, will make these books easily recognizable. In addition, Quentin Blake's funny, quirky illustrations now appear in all of the books. So turn the page and you'll be sure to have a Dahl-ectable summer!

Book Review: Mallory on the Move by Laurie Friedman

Reading level: Ages 8-10
Paperback: 158 pages
Publisher: First Avenue Editions (November 2004)Language: English
ISBN-10: 1575058316ISBN-13: 978-1575058313

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  When you move, everything changes: your house your neighborhood, your town, and, worst of all, your friends. I know. I'm Mallory McDonald, age 8 1/2 plus 1 month, and that's exactly what happened to me. She's leaving everything behind, including her best friend. And to make matters worse, she's going to be living next door to a boy. Why cant life be like it was before her parents ruined it? How will she make new friends? what will happen when she gets stuck in the middle of an old friend and make a new friend? Mallory knows just one thing for certain, she's going to find out!   

  
  

  My Review
  
• I loved this book! Yeah, I think I would read it again, and yes.... I loved the book! the character that I really liked had to be Mallory and her best friend, they would always have to have the same nail-polish on and everything! I liked them. I didn't really like her brother, he would make fun of Mallory and her friend, he would call her Bird-Brain! HAHA! But I kinda' thought it was funny! HEHE! :) I really liked the book and I liked the story line! there was nothing bad in it, only that Mallory's brother had a bad attitude! 
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Priscilla the Great by Sybil Nelson

Paperback: 276 pages
Publisher: WorldMaker Media 12-1410)
Language: English
Author's Website: http://priscillathegreat.com/
Buy the book: Amazon
If you think your middle school years are awkward and traumatic, try going through them with fire shooting out of your fingers!

Hey, I’m Priscilla and all I want is to be a normal seventh grader. That’s hard enough with an older brother annoyingly obsessed with Christina Aguilera, mischievous baby twin brothers who could scare the sin off of Satan, and parents more puzzling than a Rubik’s cube in the Bermuda triangle.

But when psycho, genetically enhanced assassins start trying to kill me and my family, being normal is downright impossible.

When I first heard about the book I thought it sounded pretty good. When I saw it, and there was fire coming out of a person's finger, I just had to see what that was all about! I just adore people who can shoot fire out of their fingers. Like Zuko from Avatar. [<3] So when I read the first few pages, and the girl was trapped in a room with a strange man saying she has to die, I was in!

I started reading about before that happened, like they do in movies when somebody's captured and then their voice in the background says, "that's me. I'm trapped, but let me tell you how I got there..." So I read about her, Priscilla Maxine Sumner, and her family and friends, and of course, her crush. You find out that her mother, Quindolyn, is never around because of work, and Priss resents her for that. Her father, Gregory, is paranoid and overprotective, he always has to know exactly what his children are doing, when they are doing it, why they are doing it, and how long it will take. Her parents are like that for a reason, discovered toward the middle of the book. It is a surprise so I won't tell you. Priss' best friend is a genius named Taiana. She is literally a genius, and is always competing against all these other smart people around the world. And then there's Josh, her 16 year old brother. He is obsessed with Christina Aguilera, and is always listening to her songs or singing them himself! Priss has a lot of other friends and family but it would take too long to explain them all.

My favorite character was probably Priss, closely followed by her five year old twin brothers. I liked Priss because I can kinda relate to her, being in seventh grade and all. She isn't into all the girly stuff and she can hang out with boys without crushing on them and all that. I liked the twins, Charlie and Chester, because they are really weird, and really cool, and they can, this will sound REALLY gross, but they can shoot snot ten feet straight out of their noses! Or was it twenty feet...? Anyway, this book was REALLY funny. I think it turned out to be one of my favorite books. But it did kinda have an ending that leaves you expecting more. So I really, really, REALLY hope the author writes another book about Priss.

[[ I think it's sort of more of a girl book, but if boys really wanted to they could get past the crushing, dating and other girl stuff so they can read about the fighting and video games and stuff that boys like.]]

Zac Efron and Taylor Swift in The Lorax by Dr. Seuss Movie!

Exciting News!  The Lorax by Dr. Seuss is going to be a 3D CGI animated movie!!  

Zac Efron will be the voice of Ted, the boy who searched for the Lorax, and Taylor Swift will be the voice of Audrey, his dream girl!  Also providing voices are Danny DeVito, who is the Lorax,  Ed Helms, the Once'ler, Rob Riggle, playing King O'Hare, and Betty White who will be Ted's Grammy Norma!  The Illumination Entertainment 3D CGI animated film is based on the Dr. Seuss tale.

 When Dr. Seuss gets serious, you know it must be important. Published in 1971, and perhaps inspired by the "save our planet" mindset of the 1960s, The Lorax is an ecological warning that still rings true today amidst the dangers of clear-cutting, pollution, and disregard for the earth's environment. In The Lorax, we find what we've come to expect from the illustrious doctor: brilliantly whimsical rhymes, delightfully original creatures, and weirdly undulating illustrations. But here there is also something more--a powerful message that Seuss implores both adults and children to heed. The now remorseful Once-ler--our faceless, bodiless narrator--tells the story himself. Long ago this enterprising villain chances upon a place filled with wondrous Truffula Trees, Swomee-Swans, Brown Bar-ba- loots, and Humming-Fishes. Bewitched by the beauty of the Truffula Tree tufts, he greedily chops them down to produce and mass-market Thneeds. ("It's a shirt. It's a sock. It's a glove. It's a hat.") As the trees swiftly disappear and the denizens leave for greener pastures, the fuzzy yellow Lorax (who speaks for the trees "for the trees have no tongues") repeatedly warns the Once-ler, but his words of wisdom are for naught. Finally the Lorax extricates himself from the scorched earth (by the seat of his own furry pants), leaving only a rock engraved "UNLESS." Thus, with his own colorful version of a compelling morality play, Dr. Seuss teaches readers not to fool with Mother Nature. But as you might expect from Seuss, all hope is not lost--the Once-ler has saved a single Truffula Tree seed! Our fate now rests in the hands of a caring child, who becomes our last chance for a clean, green future.

 Sounds like fun!  

Vlog Review: City of Fire by Laurence Yep

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Starscape; First Edition edition (August 3, 2010)
• Buy the book:  Amazon

Reagan's Review:

Vlog Review: How to Be a Pirate (How to Train your Dragon #2) by Cressida Cowell

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (February 1, 2010)
• Author's Website:
• Buy the book:  Paperback, Hardcover

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.

Is Artemis Fowl the Richest Fictional Character?

So, Forbes Magazine has this cool thing where they highlight the richest Fictional characters!  And guess who was on the list in 2010?  That's right, the one and only Artemis Fowl.  At only twelve years old, Artemis Fowl is a genius criminal mastermind and is worth approximately $1.9 billion dollars.  Unfortunately, he was beat out by ten others, with Dr. Carlisle Cullen, worth a whopping $34.1 billion, taking the lead.

So, who will win out this year?  That may be up to you!!  Forbes magazine wants to know who YOU think is the richest fictional character.  If you go to this post and leave a comment, you have a chance to have your suggestion featured in Forbes magazine!

Go check it out!  And leave a comment telling us who you think is the richest fictional character!

~READING TWEEN