Being Danny's Dog

 The "Hook"

     

     "It took almost fifteen minutes to get out of O'Hare, not to mention the drive back, and all the way home Grandma Flora kept taking things out of her carry-on bag to show what she'd brought-mostly stuff she'd had in her refrigerator and hadn't wanted to leave behind."(Page 52)

Recommendation
   Have you ever had to move to a new development/home? Well, T.R. and Danny have- lots of times. This time, they move to Rosemary Acres, run by Miss Quinn, the meanest and  strictest person ever. Also, according to her, everything in the development has to be her way, which is perfect. Blue shutters, white siding, green front doors. They can't even play by the lake-ever! And when Danny and his friend Paul get tired of it, they plan to do something that  may get them kicked out of Rosemary Acres. Will Danny, T.R., Paul and their other 3 friends get kicked out? Or worse? Find out in Being Danny's Dog!

WARNING: PARENT PERMISSION IS REQUIRED TO READ DUE TO INAPPROPRIATE LANGUAGE/ OTHER MATERIAL

Blog by:Jack B.
Book by: Phillys Reynolds Naylor
Genre: Realistic Fiction

The Last Holiday Concert

"The Hook"

" WHO?' he boomed 'WHO DID THIS?' Eyes flashing, he snatched up the rubber bands. Pinching them between his thumb and his forefinger, he shook them out in front of his face.
'Who? Tell me right now!'
A man who gets hopping mad, who gets so angry that he sputters and spits and stomps around, all red in the face with his eyes bugging out and his teeth showing-in a comedy movie or a TV show, that can be very funny. In real life, it's not.
Realizing that the shots must have come right, Mr. Meinert spun to face the boys. 'NOW' he bellowed. 'Tell me now! Who did this?' Mr. Meinert looked quickly from face to face, and when he locked eyes with Hart, he knew."
( Page 22)

" On Friday Mr. Meinert called the chorus to order as usual. He took attendance as usual. Then he said, 'Hart, it's all yours.'
Right away Tim Miller chirped, 'Yippee-free period!'
Before a lot more cheering could break out, Hart stood up and said, 'Hold it, everybody. Listen a minute...listen.'
It got completely quiet. The sudden silence surprised Hart almost as much as it surprised Mr. Meinert.
 Hart froze for a second or two and his face started to get red. But he gulped and said,'I...I know that me... you know, me getting elected and everything? I know it was sort of a joke-and it's pretty funny.'
Tim Miller wagged his head and went, 'Har, har, har! Haw, haw,haw!' exaggerating a big laugh. The rest of the kids laughed too, but when Hart raised his hand,  everyone got quiet. (page 71)

Recommendation

Have you ever been in charge of a chorus concert? Well,12 year old Hart knows how stressful it really is. First it's getting in trouble. Second it's controlling over 100 people for a chorus concert. Third, well  you're going to have to find that out. He's getting a little bossy. His friends want to do what they think is a Chorus concert, but their way is a little off key. He is in jeopardy of losing all of his friends and his popularity. Will Hart survive the seventh grade having known that everyone hates him? Or will he let the Middle School control the concert. Will Mr. Meinert lose his job because of budget cuts? Or will the holiday concert save it?

Book By: Andrew Clements
Blog By: Sheridan M. and Joey P.
Genre: Realistic Fiction

The Landry News

The "Hook"

      "Cara Louise, I am talking to you!' Cara Landry didn't answer her mom. She was busy.

She sat at the gray folding table in the kitchenette, a heap of torn paper scraps in front of her."( Page 1)

      "Mom, I'm not writing the news anymore because I'm angry. Honest."( Page 30)

      "Cara had to plan each edition. She had to read every story and every feature, plus she would help kids with their revising and editing. And on Thursdays, when Joey was assembling everything on the computer screen, Cara often had to cut articles or features that took up too much space."( Page 90)

     "When The Landry News chose the motto 'Truth and Mercy',  we did it to remind ourselves that a good newspaper must have both. A newspaper that is only filled with cold, hard facts is like an iceberg... A newspaper that only looks on the soft  and gentle side of things is like a jellyfish, floppy and spineless. From the start, The Landry News has tried to be a balanced, good-hearted newspaper."(Page 130)

Recommendation

    Have you ever written a newspaper? Been "the new kid" at school? Or gone through a tough divorce? If you said yes to any of these 3 choices, you can relate to Cara Landry. When Cara's parents divorced, she moves to a new school- and starts a newspaper to express her anger. Being in 4th grade with a bunch of weirdos doesnt help control it  either.  But, when she moves into 5th grade with Mr. Karl Larson, things change.  Mr. Larson says he is responsible for anything that is published in the newspaper. Cara isn't angry anymore, but when she publishes a story about divorce, it sets the principal off. Will The Landry News crash?  Will Mr.Larson keep his job?  Find out by reading the book The Landry News!

Blog by: Jack B.
Book by: Andrew Clements
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Among the Hidden

 

 "HOOK"

                             

"There was a law against Luke. not him personally- everyone like him, kids who were born after their parents had already had two babies. Actually Luke didn't know if there was anybody else like him. He wasn't supposed to exist. Maybe he was the only one."(pg.6)

"Luke found out his what mother meant a few days later when he came down for breakfast. As usual, he opened the door from the back stairs to the kitchen only a crack. He could remember barely a handful of times in his entire life when someone had dropped by before breakfast."(pg.20)

"A face. A child's face. In a house where two boys already lived."(pg.41)

Recommendation
 Have you ever had to hide all your life? Have you ever had a law against you? Well I have. My name is Luke. Now I will tell you a story about my life. I have never had a normal life. I've had to hide ever since I was born. I basically live in the attic, which is my bedroom. My family owns a farm and we're losing a lot money. People are making houses behind ours, and now I can't even go outside. I know what your thinking... we used to have some woods in our backyard. But now they took the woods down, and the houses are built, and the Barons are moved in, I can't even be in the same room as an open window! Your lucky you know.You can watch TV and play on the computer. I can't. It's monitored by the Population Police.  Here's my check list.

1. Hide

2. Stay inside

3. Stay away from windows

4. Live in the attic

5. Eat on stairs

6. Run if you go outside

7. Don't make noise if someone is there

8. STAY ALIVE

WARNING: Might be violent near end!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Book By: Margaret Peterson Haddix

Blog By: Luke and Jonny

Genre: Mystery / Suspense

The Kingdom Keepers

Hook 

"I feel you...' It was a woman's horse whisper, raspy and dry, as if she had sand in her throat. Goose flesh rippled up in Finn's arms and down his spine. He was freezing now. 'You don't belong here. Go away'...came that awful voice again 'You can't hide from me'...Finn had heard that voice before. But how is that possible?... A green hand. The hand emerged from the end of a long black sleeve... It was Maleficent."(pg 124 - 125)

Recommendation

Ever wondered about the truth about Disney? Ever wanted to see what would happen at night? In "The Kingdom Keepers" Finn Maybeck, Willa, Charlene, and Pilby are DHI's which stands for Disney Host Interactive. But, it also stands for Daylight Hologram Imaging. But when everyone is sleeping, all six of them are transported to Disney! But, of all things, they are are turn into their DHI's! Enemies, such as Maleficent, are trying to turn the beloved Disney into a dark world. Will the six accept the challenge? Or will they turn it down? Read this book to find out!


WARNING!: If you dislike Disney, do not read this.
P.S. don't forget the next three! Disney at Dawn, Disney in Shadows, and Power Play
Book by:Ridley Pearson
Blog by: Jocelyn Chan 
Genre: Fantasy

Holes

Hook:

"There is no lake at Camp Green Lake. There was a very large lake here, the largest lake in Texas. That was over a hundred years ago. Now it is just dry, flat wasteland. There used to be a town of Green Lake as well. The town shriveled and dried up along with the lake, and the people who lived there." (page 3)

"He climbed out of his hole and sifted his fingers through the pile. He felt something hard and metallic. He pulled it out. It was a gold tube, about as long and as wide as the second finger on his right hand. The tube was open at one end and closed at the other. He used a few drops of his precious water to clean it. There seemed to be some kind of design on the flat, closed end. He poured a few more drops of water on it and rubbed it on the inside of his pants pocket. He looked again at the design engraved into the flat bottom of the tube. He could see an outline of a heart, with the letters K B etched inside it." (pages 60 and 61)

"The lizard landed on Kate's bare ankle. It's sharp black teeth bit into her leg. Its white tongue lapped up the droplets of blood that leaked out of the wound. Kate smiled. There was nothing they could do to her anymore. 'Start digging,' she said. 'Where is it?' Linda screeched. 'where'd you bury it?' Trout demanded. Kate Barlow died laughing." (page 123)

Recommendation:
Have you ever done something really really bad? I bet not as bad as Stanley. I can't tell you exactly what he did but it probably had to do with his dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-grandfather. Stanley Yelants is a kid who just wants to fit in, but he can't when his family is so desperate for money his father is trying to find a way to recycle old sneakers. When Sneakers fall from the sky! It seems to good to be true and it is. It lands Stanley in the wasteland Camp Green Lake. There's not even a lake! So he's out there digging holes in the blazing heat, while the Warden sits in her air conditioned cabin all cozy. UGGGGG! Stanley encounters the strangest group of juvenile delinquents in the world possibly! The kids there have all done bad things so they are digging holes to "build character"! Stanley thinks the warden wants something else, something more important than helping criminals. What is it though? I'm not telling you! I can tell you this though, to uncover these mysteries... Start digging!

Book by: Lois Sachar
Blog by: Madison H.
Genre: Fiction

Savvy

Hook:

"It's poppa,' Momma said in a choked voice, as her perfect features stretched and pinched. A gust of wind burst from fish's side of the table, blowing everyone's hair and sending our paper napkins flying pell-mell onto the floor... She told us how Poppa's car had gotten crushed up bad, like a pop can under a cowboy boot, and how he'd gone and forgotten to get out before it happened, landing himself in a room and a bed at Salina hope Hospital, where now he lay broken and asleep, not able to wake up." (pages 9 and 10)

"Poppa didn't wake up. Not yet at least. The doctors say-well, they say we'll have to wait and see.' At that moment, I knew exactly what I had to do-I just hadn't yet figured out how to do it." (page 42)

"That was when I saw the colorful ink of Bobbie's tattoo. The preacher's daughter had a small design on her lower back that only showed itself when she bent over in those fancy jeans. The tattoo was a picture of a little angel with a golden halo and outstretched wings, only this angel had a devilish grin and a pointed red tail to match...That was when that little angel turned its head, twirled its tail, and said, 'She's really lonely, you know...' And that was when I fainted." (pages 52 and 53)

"The bus had stopped. The engine had been turned off. The rattling and bouncing halted. The deliveryman was standing in the aisle, fists on hips, arms akimbo, staring at us all, his lost-dog look replaced now by something a bit more nettled-something a lot more cross. 'She knows she's in trouble now,' said Bobbi's angel in my ears. She's not the only one, I said to myself. (page 82)

Recommendation:
Does your family have magical powers? A savvy. I didn't think so. Mibs's family is normal, that's what they want you to think.  Mibs, short for Mississippi is a girl with a secret. Her family has savvies. For those of you who don't know what a savvy is, it's a special power. Her brother Fish, can control weather her brother Rocket, can make electricity, her grandfather can move mountains, and her mother is perfect. She can even fail perfectly! Now it's Mibs turn. Tomorrow, Mibs has her thirteenth birthday and that means it's savvy time! The night before Mibs has her birthday things take an unexpected turn. Her father got into a car accident and was taken to the hospital in a coma. That sticks her, Fish and their sneaky 7 year old brother Samson, with the preachers wife, her angel, Will Jr. and her snotty devil Bobbi. The preachers wife just has to stick her nose in other peoples business and organize a birthday party at the church. All Mibs is focused on is getting to her father in the hospital. A leap in the back of the bible truck means Mibs is home free, until Fish, Samson,Will Jr, and Bobbi must come along. Read this book, and it will take you on a journey of friendship, family, some tattoos, and a savvy never to forget.

Book by: Ingrid Law
Blog by: Madison H.
Genre: Fantasy

                                                                                                                                                                 

Million-Dollar Throw

The "Hook"

       "I'm not going to lie to you, son,' his dad said. 'That's a possibility. Has been for a while. The way it is with a lot of other people right now. It's why I have to go back into the want ads tomorrow and see if I can find a job as soon as possible.' He smiled, almost like he was making fun of himself, before he said, 'Another dream job. 'But what if you don't, dad? What happens to us if you don't find something right away?'

  'Nates dad gave him a long look, then his eyes shifted back to Nate's mom. Then back to Nate. His dad shrugged. 'Then we will lose this house,' he said. He slammed his hands on the table, stood up, said, 'We'll lose everything,' and walked out of the room." (pages 166-167)

    "Doug Compton led them back toward the tunnel. Malcolm started to talk about all things he'd buy for himself with a million dollars if he only had to spend it on himself: flat screens, an iPhone, every cool video game known to man, season tickets to the Patriots' games, and a fancy sports car that he would hold on to until he was old enough to drive it to Gillette Stadium. 'What about you?' he said to Nate. 'You must've thought about it.' 'Yeah dude,' Nate said. 'I have."(page 226)

Recommendation
What would you do with a million dollars, if you were thirteen?
     Most people would say: I'm going to spend it on candy, flat screens, and everything I want.  But not Nate Brodie, or "Brady" which is what Abby calls him.
    So many things are happening in Nate's life: His best friend Abby McCall is going blind, his parents are losing thier jobs and almost everything, and he's so nervous about the throw on Thanksgiving night! Will "Brady" win a million dollars? What will he do with it? Are his parents going to get thier jobs back?
Find out in Million-Dollar Throw!

Book by: Mike Lupica
Blog by: Sheridan M.
Genre: Realistic Fiction.