The Clique.

Harrison, Lisi. The Clique. NY: Little Brown, 2004. 220 pages. (Realistic Fiction / Series)


In the book, The Clique, there are five seventh grade girls that live in Westchester New York. The girl’s names are Massie, Alicia, Claire, Kristen, and Dylan. This book takes place at school, Massie’s guest house, and Massie’s house. Massie and Claire’s dad went to school together and are friends. Claire’s dad had decided to move the family to Westchester from Florida, and live with his old friend and Massie’s family until they get enough money to buy one of their own houses. They were moving in to the Block’s guest house in back of their mansion. The first week they spent and Massie’s house, things didn’t go as they planned. Massie and Claire didn’t like each other. Massie and her friends would go and spill food and drinks on Claire. For Claire to get back to Massie, she would sneak in every night into Massie’s bedroom, while she was on a nightly walk with her dad and her dog Bean. Claire would go on Massie’s computer and pretend to be Massie. As Claire pretending she was Massie, she would say that Claire was her new best friend and that they always hang out with each other.

As a character in this book, I think I would be Dylan because she and Kristen kind of stay out of trouble between Massie and Claire. I have recommended this series and book to many people because I love this series and think the books are great. This is the series I always read.

Reviewed by: Line-up

Ranger's Apprentice

Flanagan, Johm. Ranger's Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan. NY: Puffin, 2006. 272 pages. (Fantasy Series)

The book that I read is called the Ranger's Apprentice. It is about a boy named Will and his dream to become a warrior. Will has wanted to be a warrior since he was a young boy. He had never really thought about becoming a warrior until his father died. But sadly enough Will’s dreams of being a warrior are brutally smashed when he finds out that he is too short to go into the academy! As will is finding this out he sees an odd stranger in a mottled green/grey cloak approach the king and give him a letter. Later that night, Will, curious about the letter decides to go into the castle and read it. But there is a problem. The castle keep, where the letter is, is guarded and the gates are closed. So being the great thinker that he is he decides to climb the walls of the castle! Upon getting the letter he finds out that he is to be taken in as a ranger!

His teacher, Halt, knew that the boy would be a great ranger by watching him often. With his new teacher, Will shall go on many adventures. He will even have to fight the dangerous Kalkara, fearsome beasts from the mountains that will kill him if he doesn’t strike first!


Reviewed by: Almost

Pirates!

Rees, Celia. Pirates! The True and Remarkable Adventures of Minerva Sharpe and Nancy Kington, Female Pirates. NY: Thorndike Press, 2004. 469 pages. (Non-Fiction / Poem Review)

In the book, Pirates!
Nancy and Minerva,
Have to run away

They are escaping,
The cruel captain Bartholome,
On a pirate ship

Bartholome had tried,
To take Nancy in marriage,
But the heiress fled

They hid in a fort,
On the Madagascar coast,
Bartholome is there...

Will she be happy?
Or take Bartholome in hand,
Read on in Pirates!

This book was a book that kept you on the edge of your seat. It was unpredictable what could happen next. The book seemed to draw me in because the idea of female pirates is fun to read about. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys drama, fighting, or a book that just makes you want to keep reading it.

Reviewed by: BranTheBuilder

Shark Life

Benchley, Peter. Shark Life. NY: Yearling, 2005. 208 pages. (Non-fiction / Poem Review)


The author of “Jaws.”
Writes:
Sharks are simply
misunderstood.


They are creatures
of the sea
with bad
reputations.

When we hear or see
a shark related thing
Our mind lies to us.

We think of large
man eating monsters.

Of knowledge about sharks
and safety facts.

I recommend this book
to shark lovers and haters.


Reviewed by Bart S.

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

King, Stephen. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. NY: SCRIBNER, 1999. 219 pages. (Horror/Thriller)


The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is about Trisha McFarland who is a nine-year-old girl, who goes on a six-mile hike along the Appalachian Trail with her older brother, Pete, and her recently divorced mother. When she finally got sick of he mother and her brother fighting,she wondered off the trail and then when she tryed catching back up wiht them by taking short cut, she got lost in the woods and was left with danger and was terrifyed. As the darkness approached, her only defense was her imagination, and the courage and conviction to overcome her fears. When she turns her Walkman radio on she tunes to a Boston Red Sox baseball game for some comfort, and acts just liek her idol, the pitcher pitcher Tom Gordon. As Trishas radio signal starts to weaken, she pretends that Tom Gordon is with her protecting her against the wilderness and the creatur stalking her who has left behind destroyed trees and butchered animals in the woods. Because Trisha had such a strong soul she over came her fears and survived in the woods for sevral days. After a while she was able o confront the creatur stocking her through the woods.

I think this book was not very good compared to all of King's other books he has written because it was supposed to be a horror/thriller, and it wasnt much of a thriller or a horror and it had a horrible ending.Out of a rating on a one to five, I would probably give this book a 3 because like I said it has a horrible ending and it was suppose to be a horror/thriller, and it was neither of those.

Reviewed By: Flyracer113

The Fellowship of the Ring

Tolkien, JRR. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. NY: Random House, 1955. 479 pages. (Fantasy Series / Poem Review)

Sauron is searching
The One Ring’s power is needed
With his eye, he sees.
Now Frodo must seek
With his many companions
He will destroy it.

Black Riders hunt them
Sense the Ring’s power, they do
Nothingness is they.
They face much evil
They conquer vast enemies
Though lose their wise guide.

The Fellowship breaks
And Frodo must find a way
To the great Mount Doom.

This is a book that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a lot of detail (and maybe a bit of an attention span) because the book kind of drags on about the geography and history of Middle Earth. If you enjoyed The Fellowship of the Ring then it’d be fun to read the Two Towers and The Return of the King. But that’s not all! The history of Middle Earth is revealed in the Silmarillion if you care that much!

Reviewed by: Cake1313

The Lost Years of Merlin

Barron, T. A. The Lost Years of Merlin. NY: Philomel Books, 1996. 326 pages. (Fantasy Series)


In this book The Lost Years of Merlin the very main character is Emrys, or eventually Merlin. Some of the other main characters are Branwen or Elen, Emrys’ s mother, Shim, a little giant, and Rhia , a friend of Emrys. This story takes place in many places, but the main places are the Druma Wood, the Dark Hills, and many more. In this story The Lost years of Merlin the main problem Emrys faces is that he wants to find his past because he lost his memory, and his mother will not tell him because his past is bad! This problem leads him to many more problems like the death of the Druma Wood and the kidnapping of his new friend. To solve this problem Emrys follows the kidnapers to the bad kings castle and destroys the castle and saves his friend, and by destroying the castle the Druma Wood and all the lands are saved. One other interesting event in this story is when Emrys finds out that the trees in the Druma Wood can talk!

In this book The Lost Years of Merlin, the one character I despise the most is the king of the Shrouded Castle, Stagmar. I despise Stagmar the most because in this book he ruins everything. Some of the things Stagmar has ruined are the Druma Wood and a singing village. The Druma Wood is ruined because he has sent his armies to infect them, and the Singing village is ruined because Stagmar has made them mute. One last thing is that Stagmar is Emrys’s Father!

Revewed By: Pablo

Pretties

Westerfeld, Scott. Pretties. NY: Simon Pulse, 2005, 370 pages. (Sci-Fi Series) 

Nonstop parties, being with friends surrounded by surreal fun and advanced technology, Tally Youngblood is finally pretty. It’s all fun and games being pretty until one of her past memories comes back to haunt her. Croy, from the Smoke, makes all the fun stop dead. He brings for Tally a message from the past that she can barely remember. Special Circumstances finds out that Tally and Zane have information about the pretty operation. They do not intend on letting on anyone who holds the information Tally and Zane have survive. Will Tally ever remember what the past was or will she forever hold the lesions that prevent her from knowing what she was supposed to do?

The book started out a little slow but picked up pace quickly and was fun to read. Some of the dialog is confusing but you’ll be able to keep track of what’s going on!

Reviewed by: BlueBerryBuddy