Amelia Rules
The "Hook"
"Pull on your tights ! Give them heck!'-Reggie 'You. Are. A complete idiot! Pull on your tights give them heck? That's not a plan, DOOFUS!'-Britney 'It is too!' 'Is not!' 'Oh yeah? Well batman used it in...' 'Batman? Batman? Fine. You're a doofus! Batman's a doofus! What ever, But let me tell you this... I am sick of this CLUB. I am sick os SUPERHEROES! I am sick of your DOOFUS ways! And I. Am. OUTTA HERE!' 'Good! Go! And take your LEGION of substitute Brittney's WITH YOU! (pages 92-93)
Recommendation
Looking for adventure? Crazy fighting? Well look no further! Amelia has experiences far more than you can imagine. First a divorce, then a move, and then she joins a crazy superhero group. Nothing is worse than having to be friends with a bunch of wakkos' who wear they're underwear over their pants. Will Ameila get to fight "real" crime? Or, will she have to continue to play a dumb game? Read this book to find out!
I also recommend any other books of Amelia Rules. For Example: Amelia Rules The Whole Worlds Crazy.
Blog By: Sheridan M.
Book By: Jimmy Gownley
Genre: Graphic Novel/ Realistic Fiction
Saving Zasha
Hook:
"He turned and whistled softly. Out of the darkness of the forest came the most beautiful German Shepard I had ever seen. Its coat was golden and lustrous, with black hair on its back and black markings on his face. 'Someone tried to steal my dog. Zasha, come.' The dog trotted forward and came to a rest at his side. It was the first time I'd seen a dog in years, and never one this exquisite; I was awestruck."(pages 11-12)
"Move your hand Mikhail.' I was confused but did as she asked me. She bent down and ran her hand gently across Zasha's stomach several times. 'what's wrong? What is it?' 'Nothing's wrong. Zasha is going to have puppies."(page.110)
"Open up!' someone shouted as he pounded. 'Open up! This is official government business.' The front door shivered with each blow from his fist. 'Who are they Mikhail?' My mother asked, fear in her eyes. 'Thieves.' 'They say it is official business.' 'They're liars,' Nikolia said angrily. 'They've been here before.'(page.179)
Recommendation:
Have you ever wanted to keep something but it was to complicated to keep it. Well, Mikhail has this problem. He finds a wounded man in the woods and the man has a German Shepard. Sadly the owner doesn't make it, leaving Zasha in their care. World War II just ended and all the dogs in Russia died in the war. When Mikhail sees Zasha, he knows this means trouble. Zasha is a German dog and people thought if it was a German dog it was like the Germans- the enemy. Mikhail must keep Zasha a secret for her own good while dealing with his own family. Will this young boy be able to keep Zasha a secret? Or will Zasha die? Read this heart warming book and find out!
Book by:Randi Barrow
Blog by:Madison H.
Genre:realistic fiction
Ghost Dog Secrets
Hook:
"When I went toward Ra, the Collie's ghost stood and moved away, but Ra stayed where he was... I gently slid my hands down his sides. When my fingers touched his haunch he whimpered. my hand jerked away. 'I'm sorry' I whispered, 'I didn't mean to hurt you.' but someone else had hurt him."(page 55)
"She contacted the person who had filed the complaint and learned that the dog had died the day before. She remembered the incident clearly because the women who called was so upset. She said it was a beautiful Collie, and she blamed herself for not interfering sooner."(page 105)
"We had two messages. While I bit into a piece of cold pizza, I pushed the play button to listen to the messages. The first was mom's dentist's office, reminding her that she had an appointment next week. The second was Mean Man. 'You have my watchdog,' he said, 'and I want him back.' That was all. No phone number, no name, just, 'You have my watchdog and I want him back."(page 115)
Recommendation:
Did you ever do something you thought was right at the time but it turned out to be wrong? Well, Rusty and his friend Andrew find a thin German Shepard chained to a tree with no food or water. They try getting animal control involved. No such luck. Finally they decide to take matters into their own hands, Which lands them in deep waters. A ghost Collie keeps trying to lead Rusty back to Mean Man Myers house. Are there more secrets to be revealed? Find out in ghost Dog Secrets!
WARNING: This book is for people who like mystery and are huge animal lovers like ME!!!!!!!!!!
Book by:Peg Kehret
Blog by:Madison H.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
The Cats Of Roxville Station
Hook:
"A lady in a fur coat threw a fighting,hissing cat off a bridge, got back into her car,and sped into the night. Rachet the cat splashed into the river. She felt the wetness, and hating it,reached out to claw this enemy... The bruise on her ribs where the lady had kicked her yesterday had been soothed by the cold water and was no longer throbbing."(pg.3)
"She trusts you' said the Bent Lady. 'Gee, I would like to have her,' Mike said softly. Rachet felt loving hands stroke her fur. for a moment she knew what it meant to be a house cat-a strange combination of usefulnessand comfort that did not include ownership. For cats cannot be owned like dogs. Then she remembered that people kicked and people like this boy were rough."(pg.37)
"I called the exterminator' she said. 'There are cats in my basement.' She arose stiffly but with authority and asked Mike if the front walk was cleared. she didn't wait for an answer but said, 'The exterminator will be here soon. ' He can't get to the front door with all that snow.' 'Rachet.' mike breathed.(pg.110)
Recommendation:
Have you ever liked and disliked something at the same time? Well Rachet has. Unloved,uncared for and unwanted. Rachet spent her kitten hood being harrassed by humans and that lands her in Roxville Station. From high ranking cat Queenella to low ranking cat Elizabeth, she is second in ranking. A boy named Mike comes along and wants to have her. Still,Rachet can't trust humans... After what they've done. Can Mike turn out to be different and prove to Rachet that he wont hurt her? Or will she always be a stray cat of Roxville Station?
Book by: Jean Craighead George
Blog by: Madison H.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
The Homework Machine
By Dan Gutman
Hook:
"Police Chief Rebecca Fish, Grand Canyon, Arizona
Seen a lot of strange stuff go down in ten years working here. Probably has something to do with being so close to the canyon. Having a mile-deep hole in your backyard brings out the wierdness in folks." (p.1)
Snickwad's Ten Commandments of Homework
1. We live in a democracy, where we have freedom, right? We're entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. So how can I pursue happiness if have to spend every night doing homework? Homework is cruel, totalitarian punishment created by grown-ups to take aways the freedoms of poor, defenseless children.
2. Nobody ever saved a life, won a war, stopped a crime, or cured a disease while they were doing homework. Think of all the good things we could be accomplishing if we didn't have to spend so much time doing homework...
4. Thomas Edison went to school for four months. He never did any homework, and look how he turned out...
8. I keep hearing that American kids are way too fat, and that's because we don't get enough exercise. For every minute kids are doing homework, we are getting fatter. Kids should be outside running around and getting exercise, not inside doing worksheets..." (p. 19-20)
"Then Snik let out this really loud burp and we all laughed. After we finished saying what a disgusting pig Snik was, Brenton suggested we nickname the homework machine Belch." (p.58)
"So school ends and we figure that's that. We got away with it. When we went into the principal's office for that meeting, we all played dumb. Homework machine? What homework machine? We pretended we didn't know what he was talking about. There was no evidence. Nobody could prove anything." (p.133)
Recommendation:
Have you ever found yourself making an unlikely friend? Or maybe you have been guilty of trying to take the easy way out of doing your work by copying off of a friend? If you can answer yes to either of these questions, you will probably find yourself making these and many other connections to the characters in The Homework Machine by Dan Gutman. In this story, four very different 5th graders become friends when Brenton, the class genius, invents a homework machine to complete his work each night. Of course, you can't expect that such a wonderful thing could last; after all, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! This story is written as a collection of testimonies and confessions for the Grand Canyon Police Department. Can cheating on your homework get you thrown in jail? Guess you will have to read The Homework Machine to find out!
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Recommendation by Mrs. Plantz
Because of Anya
Hook
“The doctor had a very soothing voice. It flowed like honey, slow and sweet. But Mom seemed immune to his charm.' ‘How can we make sure this doesn’t happen to Anya?’ Mom was asking, horrified. ‘You can’t, the doctor said." (Page 27)
"How did Stef do it? How did she get other people to do what she wanted them to?
Keely had a plan now, but it depended on convincing her friends to do something they probably wouldn’t like. In her head everything made sense, but the plan started going shaky the minute she opened her mouth and started explaining to someone else. To mom." (Page 96)
Recommendation
Have you ever known someone who was going through a really hard time? Well, if you haven't experienced this talk to Keely, trust me she has. Keely and Anya have been in the same class ever since they were in kindergarten and now they're in fourth grade. Even though Keely isn’t exactly friends with Anya, she knows she must do something when Anya is diagnosed with a life altering disease called alopecia areata. But what should Keely do when she is bossed around by her over controlling friend Stef? Will she find a way to help Anya AND make Stef realize what a true friend is? Find out in Because of Anya!!!
Blog By: Maddy S.
Book By: Margaret Peterson Haddix
Genre: Serious Realistic Fiction
Go Long
Hook
“Another round of whoops and hollering Coach Spangler waited again looking down at the floor, as if he were weighed down by something heavy and dark.’ Now you’re going to work even harder than last year to do it- because unfortunately I won’t be able to be here with you.’ A gasp went up from the stunned players. Tiki felt like he’d been suddenly punched in the gut.” (Page 22)
Tabby in the Tub
“The hook”
“Mandy looked at Delilah and her four healthy kittens. She sighed happily… She slipped out the back door. It was cool outside and almost dark… She gently opened the door and peered into the shadows. It was difficult to see… Yes, there was Blossom, lying in the old tin bath… Her foot clanged against a metal bucket and she stumbled over a bag of fertilizer, but the tabby cat hardly even looked up.”(Pages 42 and 43)
Recommendation
Have you ever had to take care of a stray? Mandy and James have,many times. This time, the two see a tabby cat. They leave out food in hopes of rescuing the cat. When the kids do, they name it Blossom.Then, the two realize she is pregnant. So now,the two have a stray cat that is also pregnant. Read this book, and you’ll be pulled into kittens, vets and more. Will the kittens find homes? Also, will Blossom ever find a home? Find out!
Book by: Ben M. Baglio
Blog By: Jack B.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Recommendation
Have you ever loved a coach and the next year he’s gone? Unfortunately Tiki and Ronde Barber have. Now that their coach has left, they don’t know what to do. Especially when their new coach is Tiki’s old science teacher. Coach Wheeler has them watch videos to help them win games. Tiki knows how much they help, but the rest of the team can’t take him seriously. They would rather go outside and practice. Read this book to find out if they can make it to the championships without the coach they love.
WARNING: This is a football book so if you don’t know what football is, I’d advise you not to read this book.
ENJOY!
Blog by: Joey P.
Book by: Paul Mantell
Genre: Realistic Fiction
A Week in the Woods
“The Hook”
“Walking across the parking lot, Bill Maxwell knew what he was going to do. First, he was going to apologize. He was going to tell Mark he was proud of him. He was going to tell Mark that loyalty is just about the finest quality a person can have. He was going to tell Mark how badly he misjudged him about a lot of things probably. And he was going to ask the boy to forgive him. Mr. Maxwell rounded the back of his truck a big smile on his face and he took three quick strides and grabbed the handle of the passenger side door. But then froze. He didn’t open the door and stopped smiling Mark wasn’t in the truck.” (Page 135)
Recommendation:
Have you ever been stuck in the woods with only one way out? Well Mr. Maxwell and Mark Chemsley have. Mark has moved all over the place because of his parents’ job. He’s tired of it. He misses his old school and acts like he doesn’t want to be in Mr. Maxwell’s class. Mr. Maxwell is sick of him not listening in his class. But when he gets in trouble for something he didn’t do, it forces him to run away. Now he’s stuck in the woods and there’s only one way out. Will Mark survive? You’ll have to read to this book to find out.
Blog By: Joey P.
Book By: Andrew Clements
Genre: Realistic Fiction
