Series of unfourtanate Events The Miserable Mill

“The Hook”
“Lunch is over!’ he shouted. ‘Back to work, everyone! Everyone except you, Baudelamps! The boss wants to see you three in his office right away!’The three siblings put down their debarkers and looked at one another. They had been working so hard that they had almost forgotten about meeting their guardian, whatever his name was. What sort of man would force small children to work in a lumbermill? What sort of man would hire a monster like Foreman Flacutuno? What sort of man would pay his employees in coupons, or feed them only gum? (Pages 42&43)
"For above the pale lipstick on Shirley’s face, and below the blond wig on Shirley’s head, was a pair of shiny, shiny, eyes." (Page 114)


Recommendation
Has your life been filled with misery from the start? Well, if you have no idea what I am talking about ask the Baudelaire’s they will understand. Their parents perished in a fire, which lead them to the evil grasp of their relative Count Olaf who will do anything to steal their fortune. From the Bad Beginning, to the Reptile room or Murder, and the Wide Window,the Baudelaire orphans will take you on a journey. You will experience old friends, mysterious guardians, and a whole bunch of gum!

Blog by: Maddy S.

Genre: Suspense

Book by: Lemony Snicket

Liberty Porter First Daughter

“The Hook”
“If your father is about to become president of the United States there are a few things you might want to know.
1. Inauguration Day is the day the new president starts his new job.
2. Riding in the backward seat of the limo to Inauguration Day seems really cool. But actually it can make you kind of sick to your stomach.
3. And if you ask your dad to switch seats because you are feeling kind of sick, don’t forget that you put something on the seat next to you: a congratulations card that you decorated in glitter glue. And maybe the glitter glue hasn’t exactly dried yet. And your dad sits on it.”

(page 1)


Recommendation:

MEET LIBERTY PORTER!!!!

She’s a nine year old girl with a lot going on. First of all, her dad has just started a new job. And she has to move to a house in the city. Oh, and the really big thing? Her dad? His new job is the president of the United States. That’s right. So the house is the White House and the city is Washington D.C. That means Liberty Porter is going to be the First Daughter and she is super- excited. This is the start of an amazing adventure for Liberty, for the Secret Service who follows her everywhere (ha!), and for her dog Franklin, who makes life in the White House more exciting. Especially when he is barking at tourists.
Genre: Fiction
Book By: Julia DeVillers
Blog By: Maddison P.

Arthur and the Forbidden City

The Hook
“’The minute we step through that gate, you will release tons of water on us!’ exclaimed the princess, who had just realized his evil plan.
‘You should think less, Selenia, and run more!’ he answered cruelly.
‘What’s the use of running if there’s only a one in a million chance of surviving?’ the princess added.
‘One chance in a million? I find that somewhat optimistic. I would say, perhaps, one chance in a hundred million,’ the dictator specified with humor. ‘But it’s better than nothing, isn’t it? Go on! Bon Voyage!’ Maltazard lifted his arms again and signaled the henchmen to push the Minymoys into the pipe.
As Betameche began to tremble like a leaf, Arthur finally found the idea he was looking for.” (Page 116)

Recommendation:
Have you ever wondered if your garden holds a little village? Or have you expierenced little friends on a big adventure? If so, this is the book for you! In this book Arthur goes on a voyage with Selenia and Beta to save his grandparents’ house. On his way he gets in trouble when he decides to celebrate his new marriage. During the adventure they flood a city, play fetch, and save a house. This book will take you away to a magical world. It will be a long and exciting adventure for adults and kids. I’d like to recommend this book to people who don’t mind being in their own little world and zoning off.
WARNING: You will have to have someone pry the book away from you!

Blog by: Alexis T.
Book by: Luc Besson
Genre: Fantasy

Percy Jackson and the Olympians The Lightning Thief

The Hook

“My mother sprang out of bed in her nightgown and threw open the lock. Grover stood framed against the backdrop of pouring rain. But he wasn't… He wasn't exactly Grover. ‘Searching all night’ he gasped. ‘What were you thinking? My mother looked at me in terror – Not scared of Grover but why he’d come. ‘Percy,’ she said, shouting to be heard over the rain. ‘What happened at school?’ ‘What didn’t you tell me?” (page 42)

“You’re wounded,’ Annabeth told me. ‘Quick, Percy.’ ‘Get in the water.’ ‘I’m okay.’ ‘No you’re not.’ She said. ‘Chiron watch this.’ I was too tired to argue. I stepped back into the creek, the whole camp gathering around me. Instantly, I felt better… ‘It is determined,’ Chiron announced. All around me campers started kneeling, even the Ares cabin, though they didn’t look happy about it. ‘My father? I asked completely bewildered. ‘ Poseidon’ said Chiron. ‘Earth shaker, storm bringer , father of horses. ’Hail, Perseus Jackson , son of the Sea God.”(pages 125 and 126)

“A horrible feeling struck me. The weight in my back pack, like a bowling ball. It couldn’t be… I slung it off my shoulder and unzipped it. Inside was a two- foot-long metal cylinder, spiked on both ends, humming with energy."(page 314)

Recommendation

Do you like Greek Mythology, adventure, and a little humor? If so, pick up this book and start reading! Young Percy is convicted of a crime that he may not have committed. Percy started as a normal boy, but when he lands in Camp Half Blood, he's faced with a dangerous quest. He must return the "master bolt" to Zeus before the summer solstice. The Sea God's son must complete the quest, or die trying. Will this normal boy be able to return the bolt and save the world?
WARNING: This book contains a lot of graphic violence!

Book by: Rick Riordan
Blog by: Madison H.
Genre: Fantasy

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

Sword Quest

HOOK
“The archeopteryx raised his sword with his claws cleaved down mightily. Wind-voice ducked with a nimble spin to the left. As torch lights turned into streaks in his vision, he felt a warm, certain glow in his heart. Something solid materialized in his claws. He gripped it instinctively and brought it up in under claw as he snapped out of his spin, the torch lights all jumped higher …. He closed his eyes. Then all of a sudden a great burst of energy swelled his heart. He let it run down his leg, to his foot, to the rod he was holding. Maldeor’s sword crashed down on it…. The ivory sheath of the true hero’s sword shattered into a thousand pieces….There had never been two hero’s swords. There was only one. Maldeor felt a great pile of sand slipping through his claws as his sword crumbled and dissolved into dust. The ceiling above them shivered and cracked, letting in the early sunlight. Chunks of stone rained down!”
(pg .237-239)

RECOMMENDATION
Have you ever dreamed of birds who are able to fight with swords in a mythical land? If you have, then you will love this book. Wind-voice has to fight off the evil villan, Maldeor until the hero comes. Then Wind-voice finds out that he's actualy the hero. Read this book to experience his miraculous journey with loss of friends and the discovery of gems. Will he get to the hero sword in time?

Blog by: Chris N.
Author: Nancy Yi Fan (12 years old)
Genre: Fiction/Suspense

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

Series of Unfortunate Events: The Erstaz Elevator

"The Hook”
“At the end of the dark hallway, the Baudelaire children found an assortment, so that the expression ‘cul-de-sac’ here means at the end of the dark hallway the Baudelaire children found an assortment of mysterious circumstances. If the Baudelaire’s had been able to choose a French expression that would be waiting for them at the of the hallway, they might have chosen one that meant by the time the three children rounded the last dark corner of the corridor, the police had captured Gunther and Quagmire’s triplets, or at least the Baudelaire’s were delighted to see that the hallway led straight to the Veblen Hall, where the In Auction was taking place” (page 204)

Recommendation
If you have just picked up this book, it is too late to put it down. In the Series of Unfortunate Events “The Erstaz Elevator” Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire encounter a darkened staircase, a red herring, some friends in a scary situation, three mysterious initials, a liar with an evil scheme, a secret passageway, and parsley soda. If you have read the previous books of the Baudelaire children and you’re seeking to find out their next adventure open up this book right now, but be careful don’t fall into your own world of Unfortunate Events!!!!!
Book By: Lemony Snicket
Blog By: Maddison P. and Eliza B.
Genre: Mystery/Suspense

Series Of Unfortunate Events The Bad Beginning

Hook
“Mr. Poe took off his top hat, which had made his head look large and square in the fog, and stood for a moment, coughing loudly into a white handkerchief. Violet and Klaus moved forward to shake his hand and say how do you do…..’Yes, it is a nice day,’ Mr. Poe said absently, staring out at the empty beach. ‘I’m afraid I have some very bad news for you children’…..The children didn’t say anything….. “Have perished in a terrible fire.”(Pages 6, 7, and 8)

“Hello hello hello,’ Count Olaf said in a wheezy whisper. He was very tall and very thin, dressed in a gray suit that had many dark stains on it. His face was unshaven, and rather than two eyebrows, like most human beings have, he just had one long one. His eyes were very, very shiny, which made him look both hungry and angry. (Page 22)

“Count Olaf was standing in the doorway, watching Violet and Klaus as they searched the room. His eyes were shining brighter than ever had, and he was still smiling like he’d just uttered a joke…. ‘Yes’, Count Olaf continued, ‘it certainly is strange to find a child missing. And one so small, and helpless.’ (Pages 102 & 103)

Recommendation
I’m sorry to say this book you are about to read is extremely unpleasant! The three Baudelaire’s misfortune will never reach its end.You will experience deaths, to in loco parentis, and finding a way out of the evil eye. The three Baudelaire’s experience misfortune throughout the entire book. You will be on the edge of your seat waiting to find out if the orphans survive their deadly journey!

Blog by: Julia & Maddy S.
Book by: Lemony Snicket
Genre: Mystery / Suspense

Kingdom Hearts 2 vol.2

Hook
“You were never suppose to exist” (Page 6)
“That just proved you were trying to remember” (Page 23)
“Are you gonna turn against the organization?!” (Page 43)

Recommendation
Like Kingdom Hearts? What about action? The video game, Kingdom Hearts, is now available, in manga form! Adapted by Shiro Amano, Sora awakens from his memories, facing even more danger than before! While looking for King Mickey and Riku, Sora fights a new enemy, Organization XIII. Will he find them? Or will he fall into the world of darkness just like Riku?

Book By: Shiro Amano
Blog By: Jocelyn C.
Genre:Fantasy / Graphic Novel

Larry the King of Rock and Roll

Hook:
“I must have been out of my mind tired last night! This bridge really stinks big time! I could feel my face getting hot the way it does when I’m angry. Now when I look back I probably should have counted to ten or whatever people do to stop themselves from blurting out there hurt feelings but I didn’t. Instead I rushed into that room looked at Tom and screamed, ‘On your best day you couldn’t write something that good! I wrote it!’ Oops! I knew as soon as I saw both Tom’s and Cathy’s faces that they were completely weirded out to know I was the one who finished the song, even worse, they were stunned that I was mouthing off like the hothead I am. Larry You talked! I guess they were so astonished because what I haven’t mentioned before is I’m their dog.” (page 6)
“It’s an invitation to for me and Larry to perform in two weeks at a state dinner for the president and the first Lady… ‘You can’t go to the white house because of a scheduling conflict? ‘What else could be happening on March 3rd! It’s Cathy’s birthday and her party.”(page. 97)
“ Ha the truth is all dogs can talk and have plenty of opinions and ideas but are so much smarter than men and women that they refuse to talk so they can continue to be pampered by stupid humans like you!”(Page 147)

Recommendation:
Have you ever had a dog who can sing let alone talk! Well Larry can! But when it comes to a war between dogs and humans and coming back to the family he loves will he stop thinking about himself? Find out yourself in Larry the king of Rock and Roll!

Book by: Iris Rainer Dart and Joyce Brotman
Blog By: Madison H.
Genre: Fantasy

The Big Adventures of Majoko

“The Hook”
(Hint Majoko is a witch)
“Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma-joko!? ‘Yep! Did I scare you? I look pretty good don’t I? I was watching this vampire movie on TV and thought I’d transform into one. I can change you into one to if you want? ‘No, uh … I’m ok.’ ‘Hey let’s go to the vampire mansion in the world of magic.’ ‘The what? ‘ I want to meet a handsome vampire. ‘No way! I’m not going!!! ‘Don’t worry as long as we pretend to be vampires none of them will try to suck your blood”. (page 9)

Recommendation
Do you want a new fun book to read? Well if you do this book is right for you. BUT only if you can handle it! In the first book Nana stepped on her diary and fell in! In this book you can visit the good grade apple tree orchard. The grade that is on the apple you eat, that is the grade you will get on you next test. Choose wisely!
Blog by: Eliza B.
Author: Tomomi Mizuna
Genre: fantasy / Graphic Novel

The Green Glass Sea

“The Hook”
“Dewey Kerrigan sits on the concrete steps of Mrs.Kovack’s house in St.Louis waiting for her father. He is in Chicago-war work- and she has not seen him since the fourth of July. It’s almost thanksgiving now. She looks toward the corner every few seconds.”(Page 1)

Recommendation
Have you ever wanted to be involved in secret war activities? Well, Dewey and Suze didn’t. They had normal lives before the war. When their families were called by the government, their lives changed forever. In New Mexico, a place called “the hill” is where they are. It’s so secret, they can’t even tell names! Suddenly, Dewey’s father has to go to Washington. Now, “Screwy” Dewey has to live with Suze. They even have to share a bedroom! To find out if things get better, read the book.
By: Jack B.
Author: Ellen Klages
Genre: Historical Fiction

Deep and Dark and Dangerous

The “Hook”
“My paintings, Dulcie wailed. ‘ Someone broke into the studio and wrecked everything. All my work, my paintings, my brushes’. Emma clung to her mother ‘Mommy, Mommy’! She sobbed ‘Don’t cry! I can’t believe it’ I whispered. ‘Who would do something like that’? ‘Come and look’ Dulcie ran back down the stairs to the studio. Emma and I hurried after her. The rain pelted us, and we held tightly to the railing, afraid of slipping on the wet steps. From the studio’s doorway, Dulcie gestured to the wreckage. It looked as if someone thrown buckets full of sand and lake water on the floor. Paint tubes were scattered tops off, colors oozing out. Brushes stiff with dried paint littered the work table. Splattered with ugly shades of reds, and yellows. In black paint and large clumsy letters, someone had scraled;
I’M WATCHING YOU TELL THE TRUTH!
Emma clutched her mother’s hand and pointed at the painting. ‘Bones’ she whispered.(Page 80)

Recommendation
A lie that changed her life. Ali finds a picture with her mom, Aunt Dulcie but who is the third? Ali takes a trip to her Aunt’s cottage for the summer where a tragedy strikes. Ali and her young cousin Emma meet Sissy. Sissy is another girl who lives near her cottage. Sissy also has a secret. Could it have something to do with the old photograph? Ali is dying to find out! Though if she’s not careful, that’s exactly what might happen to her… die, that is!!!!!!!!!!
Genre: Mystery/ Suspense
Blog By: Maddie P. and Julia C.
Author: Mary Downing Hahn

Waiting for Anya

Hook
“Gone,’ said Widow Horcada. ‘He saw the soldiers down another road. He went last night with Leah. He wouldn’t wait. He thought they’d come searching the houses. I told him not to go, but he wouldn’t listen. He wouldn’t wait.’ She looked up towards the mountains. ‘Something’s wrong, I know it is. He should be back by now. He should be back by now he should be back. (pg.53)


Recommendation
History, adventure, and passion are the three elements in this book. Waiting for Anya is a powerful story about a young boy going on an exciting adventure through the mountains of Lescun, France escaping the evil Germans lurking every corner. On his way he meets new people, explores new places, and finds out how deadly the world really is around him. Read this book and find out how Jo’s story ends in the book Waiting for Anya.

Book by: Michael Morpurgo
Blog By: Maddy S.