The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Selznick, Brian. The Invention of Hugo Cabret. New York: Scholastic, 2007. 511 pages. (Graphic Novel / Steampunk)

What do you get when you merge a boy, train station clocks, and an opulent amount of crazy awesome pictures? Hugo Caberet is an orphan who lives with his uncle, the clock winder of a London train station. When he was young, his father found an automaton in the attic of the museum he was working at. He worked at it for a long time trying to get it to work, but one day the museum burned down and his father was nowhere to be seen. All that was left was a pile of broken concrete and the automaton. Hugo took the automaton with him when he went to live with his uncle. Just recently, his uncle went missing and now Hugo, along with his daily routine of finding parts to use in the automaton, had to wind all of the stations’ clocks so the station master won’t find out his uncle is gone. One day when he is trying to steal windup toys from a booth in the station, he gets caught by the owner who questions the pictures of the automaton is Hugo’s notebook. Who is this man? What’s the secret behind the automaton? Where are Hugo’s relatives? Pick up a copy and find out yourself.

Aside from the amazing plot and characters, this book was made up of over two hundred pictures. These pictures allow you to make up your own story in between the lines. It’s like you’re the author! I absolutely loved Hugo’s character; he was intelligent and could always think on his feet. So what do you get when you merge all those things? A truly great story, that’s what.

Review by: the helpful purple butterfly

My Sister’s Keeper

Picoult, Jodi. My Sister’s Keeper. New York: Washington Square Press, 2004. 418 pages. (Realistic Fiction / Poem Review)

In anger, Anna
Sues her parents for the rights
To her own body.

A lawyer with a
Service dog will save the day
For fraught Anna.

Meanwhile, Kate is
In need of a kidney that
Just Anna can give.

Her mom pressures her
To drop the suit before Kate
Dies, but Anna stays.

Brother; Jesse starts fires,
Father; Brain fights them; none
Can stop family fires.

With tension rising
At every turn, builds for an
Unexpected end.

This book was awesome. I absolutely loved it. But the ending was so sad. I cried after reading it. Then I cried when I told my mom about it. It was one of the most unforeseen endings I’ve probably ever read. What I liked about the book was that it alternated between the perspectives of almost all the characters; Anna, her mom, her dad, her brother, her lawyer, and her guardian ad litem. The book was only over about a week’s time, yet it was really thick because every day all the characters had their part, sometimes more than once. I totally recommend this book and I also recommend a box of Kleenex to go with it.

Reviewed by: FunkyZebras

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw

Kinney, Jeff. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw. NY: Amulet Books, 2009. 224 pages. (Graphic Novel / Humor / Poem Review)



Father with his sons,
Sons with all the friends they have,
Everyone has fun.

Family feuds stink,
Sacrifices will be made,
But love each other.

A boy who hates sports,
A father who pushes hard,
And make conditions.

In need of a trip,
It doesn’t go very well,
And thankful when done.

Hard to get women,
Trying to get attention,
Always turns out bad.

Waiting ‘tills it’s done,
Trying to get through school fast,
And onto summer!

Meet Greg Heffley in Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Last Straw. This so far the last book of the series and my overall favorite one yet. In it Greg faces middle school drama, crushes, and his two brothers Rodrick and Manny. He also has to play soccer but slides his way out of that one. Instead, he joins boy scouts. But when he tries to show off his skills, the camping trip they plan gets ruined. And when that’s not good enough for Greg’s dad, he thinks that military school will straighten him out. To find out what happens with Greg’s social life and if he has to spend his summer doing push-ups and sit-ups you will have to read this book.

Reviewed by: Ariel

Wizard at Work.

Velde, Vivian Vande. Wizard at Work. Orlando: Magic Carpet Books Harcourt Inc., 2003. 134 pages. (Fantasy / Poem Review)


Wizard at work
This wizard’s work is never done
He works night and day

But his troubles stay
From princesses to hauntings
His troubles always stay

One day then another
The wizard saves a princess
From a magic bone

Days into nights
The wizards
Too kind

In a book where
Princesses walk hand in hand with trouble
A wizard is hero

This was one of my favorite books by Vivian Vande Velde. I’d give it two thumbs up but I don’t want to put it down! I recommend you pick up this book TODAY!!!!!!!

Reviewed by: Easy Being Green

The Witch of Blackbird Pond

Speare, Elizabeth. The Witch of Blackbird Pond. New York: Dell Publishing, 1958. 221 pages. (Historic Fiction)

Kit Tyler has lived a dreamy life of green palm trees, turquoise waters, and the royal pleasures of the English settlement in Barbados. Being the granddaughter of Sir Francis Tyler had its advantages, and Kit never had to lift a finger with a plantation full of hundreds of slaves. But soon she is thrust out of her luxurious life when her grandfather dies, and she is forced to live with her mother’s sister and her family in Wethersfield, Connecticut. Things are bad from the start, and Kit doesn’t seem to fit in with her hardworking relatives and neighbors. She always seems to say the wrong things, act the wrong way, and insult the strict Puritans unintentionally one way or another. Then one day, Kit finally had enough. She ran to a nearby meadow that seemed to be calling to her since she arrived in Wethersfield. While in the meadow, Kit meets an old widow names Hannah Tupper, and they immediately become friends. Hannah isn’t a Puritan though, and she has been previously accused of witchcraft. The town turns berserk when they find out that the two are friends, and Kit herself is accused of witchcraft. Worst of all, because Kit has grown up on a tropical island, she can swim, which is unusual for the northern settlement. Kit has to find a way out of all of this mess, which may include betraying her only family left.

I would recommend this book to anyone because it fits almost every personality. But, the book also has action, romance, morals, and that feeling you get when you’re finished reading a good book. Elizabeth does a good job of explaining the colonial issues through multiple points of view portrayed by the different characters. This book is definitely a good read.
Reviewed by: Sccrsteph33

Coraline

Gaiman, Neil (Adapted & Illustrated by P. Craig Russell). Coraline. NY: Harper Collins, 2008. 186 pages. (Fantasy / Thriller / Graphic Novel)

Imagine opening a door to another dimension. Well, Coraline Jones knows how is feels. When Coraline and her parents moved to a new home she discovered a locked door while exploring on a rainy day. When her mother opened the door, it revealed a brick wall, leaving Coraline disappointed. Coraline's mother went to the store to get some groceries and she went exploring the door again. But, when she opened it, the bricks were gone. She walked down a dark hallway and entered another door. A woman turned to see her. Except for the buttons for eyes and long, white fingers, she looked just like Coraline's mother. The woman called herself Coraline's 'other mother' along with her 'other father'.

When Coraline went outside to explore, she ran into the cat that she met in the old world. He talked and didn't have a name. Every time the two of them tried to explore in the fog, they'd somehow get turned around and end up back at the apartment. When her other parents suggested sewing buttons on Coraline's eyes she went back to her old home, but here parents still weren't back. She ate lunch, ate dinner, and went to bed. When she realized her parents were missing and where they were, she went back through the door and confronted the other parents. The other mother locked Coraline in the new world. She made a deal with the other mother later in the novel and if she won she would let Coraline and her real parents go, if she didn't she would live there forever.

Although this was mostly a graphic novel, it was full of imagination. Every page had great detail and the pictures were amazing. I couldn't stop reading. It's like a comic book, but not as short. I look forward to reading the actual book. This is a must-read for anybody that like graphic novels. It really gets your imagination going throughout the book.

GothicVampire13

Maximum Ride: The Angel Expeirement

Patterson, James. Maximum Ride: The Angel Expeirement. NY: Time Warner Book Group, 2005. 422 pages. (Sci-Fi / Thriller Series)


Max is a normal teenager except for the fact that she can fly. She grew up in a lab and everyday was tortured by evil scientist. Max was not alone. There were five others: Fang, Iggy, Gasman, Nudge, and Angel. The six of them were a family, even though only Angel and the Gasman were blood related. They were set free by a man named Jeb Batchelder who took them to a secret place in the mountains. He taught them how to fly and fight and stayed with the flock for a long time until one day when he just vanished. He was the only father figure she had ever known and now she had to be strong for her flock. She was the oldest and they all adored her so it came naturally for her to take over as the leader. Angel always loved Max just a little more than the others and Max had the same feelings for Angel. The flock lived in peace but were taught to always watch their back. Human-wolf creatures called Erasers were wicked things created to hunt and kill the flock. And that’s just what they tried to do. When the Erasers capture Angel, the flock is devastated. They have to rescue their smallest and yet most talented member. Angel can read minds and the flock knows they have to get her back before something horrible happens.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone that needs an eye opening experience. I read this 422 page book in 6 days and couldn’t wait to read the second one. I would want someone to read this because it truly opens your eyes to how far a family would go to rescue one of their own. To me the author is a genius. He combined an action thriller, a horror novel, and a romance book and made it into a compelling, page turning adventure. Each character is amazingly different and we can all relate to at least one of them. I truly loved this book and am continuing reading the series.

Reviewed by: Anni3512

Dead is the New Black

Perez, Marlene. Dead is the New Black. NYC: Graphia, 2008. 208 pages (Vampire / Fantasy / Poem Review)

One family, one girl.
One drama filled story.
Family’s physic, she’s not.

Daisy, poor Daisy,
You don't have the gift.
You’re just an old norm.

Best friends before,
Samantha D.
Pale, black, Pom-poms.

Dead body.
Who killed me?
No reading.

Samantha D.
Did you kill me?
Please, please help me.

Daisy, oh Daisy
Maybe you can help.
Please, please find your gift.

A vamp is on the loose,
What about the werewolves?
Hurry, hurry be quick.

Reviewed by: MarketGrl

The Host

Meyer, Stephenie. The Host. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2008. 619 pages. (Sci-Fi)
The Host is about a young woman named Melanie Stryder who will not allow herself to be taken over by the soul that has been placed inside her. In The Host, human is an endangered species and almost fully taken out by the souls. The souls are tiny silver creatures that are put in a host that take over the host bodies mind while their remains intact.

Melanie and her soul, Wanderer went out looking for these few remaining humans, because Melanie’s brother, Jamie and boyfriend, Jared are still out there. And sadly Wanderer is in love with them to, well not really them but Melanie’s memories of them. Will they find Jamie and Jared? Will they get caught? If you want to know then read the book, because I’m not going to tell you!
The Host is such a miraculous book because it is written by my favorite author, Stephenie Meyer. She is such an amazing author because she finishes her books with great endings, not the kind that makes you feel like the book didn’t really end. I would recommend this book anyone: it will make you cry and keep you reading until 12:00 at night. This book should come with a warning label because it will pull you in and not let go!

doodles33

The Diary of a Young Girl

Frank, Anne. The Diary of a Young Girl. New York, NY: Anchor books, 1991. 340 pages. (Non-fiction)

In this book there is one main character with many supporting characters. The main character is a 12 year old girl named Anne Frank. She has a family of one sister named Margot, a father named Otto, and a mother named Edith. The story takes place from 1942-1944 in Amsterdam during the Nazi occupation during the time of the Holocaust. Anne’s family is hiding in a warehouse owned by the business Anne’s father worked for. For two years the Franks lived in hiding with the VanDaan’s in the warehouse. Anne and her family and the other members in hiding faced the daily struggle of living in a small area with eight people. There was also the constant fear that they would be found and captured by the Nazi’s. They had to stay quiet for fear of being heard by those that worked downstairs in the warehouse.


Anne Frank’s diary was passed on and preserved by Otto Frank. He continued to spread the message from Anne’s diary until his death in 1980.

I selected this book because I have previously read books about the Holocaust that peaked my interest. My mom suggested this book to me because she felt it was a mandatory read for all students. Most of the books I had read in the past about the Holocaust were fiction. The Diary of a Young Girl was the first book I read about the Holocaust that was non-fiction. On a scale of 1-10, I would give this book a 9 because while I enjoyed the book, I would’ve enjoyed it more had the main character been a young boy. I would have been able to understand his point of view better than Anne’s.

Reviewed by: SanFran

War Horse

Morpurgo, Michael. War Horse. NYC: Scholastic Press, 2010. 165 pages. (Historic Fiction)

War Horse is a very interesting book put in the eyes of a horse in a war that could no longer be used to fight in the war and were replaced by tanks. This book is truly heart warming but sad at the same time. The war was very violent, cold, and bloody in Germany for those few years. This is a light read that you can not put down. I can not recall how many times I got in trouble for reading so long. That book casts a spell that had me shut every one out and read. This is a powerful story of the truest friendships in the worst war.


Reviewed by: NaturegrlJoey is a war horse but was not always. One time long ago he was a farm horse and a gentle boy named Albert was his owner. Then World War I came along and changed everything. Albert's father sells Joey to the army where a beautiful horse is trained to charge the enemy, drag heavy artillery, and carry wounded soldiers not much older than Albert off the battlefields. Among the clamoring of guns, and plodding through the cold mud Joey wonders if the war will ever end. And if it dose will he ever find his way home and find his beloved Albert again?

The Search

Johansen, Iris, The Search. New York: Bantam Books, 2000, 298 pages. (Suspense/Thriller)

The Search is one of many books about a search and rescue team whose names are Monty, a golden retriever, and Sarah, Monty’s owner. In this book Logan, a billionaire, owns a research company that has been attacked, and one of the employees has been taken hostage. It is up to Sarah and Monty to find this hostage, but along the way Monty finds his “true love,” and while Monty is gawking over his new girlfriend, Sarah and Logan are trying to save their lives along with all of the people around them. Sarah sees many sides of Logan but will he ever gain her trust? Will they come out alive and whom does Sarah dare go with? Read this book and you’ll be captivated by all of the emotions and drama, as Sarah is lead on a wild goose chase that may cost her life.

I LOVED this book I give it a 10 out of 10. It breaks your heart to listen about all of the search and rescue trips sarah and Monty go to and what they find, but this book is GREAT!!!

Reviewed by: English Girl 4000

Boston Jane

Jennifer L., Holm. Boston Jane. NY: Yearling, 2010. 275 pages. (Historic Fiction)

Boston Jane is a true adventure about a "lady" taking on a major transformation that you will find yourself bound to. Jane makes some silly actions that today we would say she was crazy. Although when you really think about it is a drastic change to go from a lady to someone strong enough to endure the frontier, she becomes stronger, wiser, and more adventurous for the frontier. It is an unusual book but after it cast its spell you are hooked.

Sixteen year old Jane Peck has ventured to the unknown wilds of the Northwest to wed her childhood idol, William Baldt. Her training at Ms. Hepplewhite's Young Ladies Academy in Philadelphia is hardly preparation for the colorful characters and crude life that await her in Washington Territory. Jane must determine weather she is the proper Ms. Jane Peck of Philadelphia or Boston Jane, as the Chinook call her, Boston Jane, fearless and loyal woman of the frontier.

Reviewed by: Naturegrl