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