Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (reviewed by R.W.)

Warning: Do NOT read if you have not read The Hunger Games

Catching Fire is an intense science fiction book by Suzanne Collins. If you have read the Hunger Games (the first book in this series), Catching Fire is similar, as it is a narrative about teenagers fighting to help the District in which they live. This story takes place in the nation of Panem. Every 25 years there is a Quarter Quell, which is the same as the Hunger Games, a competition where teenagers fight to their death. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes war and killing. She gives clear evidence and doesn’t skip through major parts. She gives good enough evidence that it paints a clear picture in my mind. I really liked this book; it was so interesting, that I wanted to keep reading it and didn’t want to put it down. You don’t want to put it down because when you get to where the games are about to start the book goes by a lot quicker.
This book is about the 75th Hunger Games, so therefore it is a Quarter Quell. When last year’s games were over, the victors (Katniss and Peeta) went on a victory tour to celebrate their accomplishment. Katniss (one of the main characters) thinks since she and Peeta had won the last games that someone else will have to compete this year. Then, the Capitol changes the rule, and Katniss and Peeta find themselves heading back to the arena.
We meet the old victors when the book talks about them training before the games. Once the games began, alliances were formed and characters had to be really smart to figure out the arena. You will have to read this book to find out what else Gale has to tell Katniss.

Reviewed by R.W.

Inside the Game by Johnny Zucker (reviewed by D.K.)

The book I am doing a blog entry on is Inside the Game by Jonny Zucker. This book is really good because it’s about this boy name Rex, who got this new phone that has two mysterious buttons. One button says, “Explore” and the other button says “Return”. Using the buttons on the phone, Rex goes inside a new video game with his two friends, but the game has a little surprise.

The genre of this book is very much science fiction because it is talking about a phone can take you to different dimensions and places. This book series would be a good choice for kids who like computers and technological stuff. The text structure of this book is a narrative. It tells a story in chapters and it is not all facts.

I think the book is a little mysterious because of the mystery driver that shows up in the video game. It is an action filled book that will keep your interest and you will want to keep reading it. I would recommend looking for this book series in the library.

Reviewed by D.K.

The Lightning Thief (reviewed by L.E.)

My book, The Lightning Thief, is a book about a boy Percy and his friends Annabeth and Grover. Percy and Annabeth are half-bloods (children of a god) and Grover is a Satyr (Half goat and half human).The main conflict of this book is that Zeus’s master lightning bolt (The most powerful weapon in the world) gets stolen and Percy gets blamed for it. Now Percy’s quest is to go to the underworld and find the master bolt. But along the way they run into different gods, monsters, and clues to who took the master bolt and where it is.

The genre of this book is fantasy. One of my favorite things about this book is that the story is told by Percy. My favorite part was when Percy saw the three old ladies sitting down in rocking chairs knitting while staring at Percy! Scary right? I loved this book and recommend it to people who like to read wild adventurous books while learning about the Greek gods. This book is awesome!

Reviewed by L.E.

Eleventh Grade Burns (reviewed by J.P.)

Eleventh Grade Burns is a fantasy book by Heather Brewer. It is about a teenage boy named Vlad. Vlad is part vampire and part human because his dad was a vampire but his mom was human. Only three people know about Vlad being a vampire, and they are Nelly, Henry and Joss.
As Vlad is living an almost perfect life his archenemy Dablo, who is also a vampire, has other plans for Vlad. As Vlad fights to know the truth about Dablo, he learns that Dablo is after his father’s journal. Vlad is not about to give up the only thing that he has to remember his family by since he thinks they died after the fire in their house when Vlad was little.
Also Vad’s uncle Otis is in danger because he was hiding Vlad from Dablo. Vlad is only hiding because Vlad’s father fell in love with a human which is agents the law for vampires and Vlad is going to take the punishment since they think his father is dead. But as Vlad tries to save his uncle from a death sentence for hiding him, Vlad may have to reveal that he is a vampire.
He is also running from Joss because Joss is a vampire slayer. They were best friends until Joss found out that Vlad was a vampire.
My opinion is that this is a great book for anyone who likes vampires and adventure and a bit of comedy. I also like that it has to do with the trust of your friends because in Eleventh Grade Burns, Vlad’s friend Henry really sticks up for Vlad and helps him get through with Joss coming back to stay.
This is a series so, In order for it to make sense, you need to read the first book. The first book is called Eight Grade Bits and the other books can be found on the back side of the cover.
By JP

Eleven (reviewed by L.E.)

I have finished the book called Eleven by Lauren Myracle. This book is a realistic book written about a girl Winnie who over time realizes her problems and feelings she has about turning eleven, such as her friend Amanda’s sudden interest in boys and how she doesn’t feel the same way.

Some of the main characters are Winnie, (the main character) Amanda, (Winnie’s best friend) Gail, (the new girl and bully) Chantelle, (another friend of Winnie’s) Most of the setting takes place at their school, Winnie’s house, and sometimes the mall. Some conflicts Winnie has are being bullied at school, trying to fit in with the “cool” group of girls, and keeping up with school so she doesn’t fall behind.

I highly recommend Eleven to girls wanting to read about another girls everyday life, just like I did. I found that I liked every part of this book, especially when Winnie discovers her new best friend and how much they can connect to each other, just like my friends and I!

By: L. E.

Chasing the Falconers (Reviewed by S.L.)

Chasing the Falconers by Gordon Korman is about two kids named Aidan and Meg Falconer. Aidan and Meg’s parents were recruited to work for the CIA by their friend Frank Lindanaur, who also worked for the CIA. Then, they are accused of being spies and passing classified information to terrorists.
After their parents are sentenced to a lifetime in prison, Aidan and Meg are placed at Sunnydale, a juvenile correction farm in Nebraska. After they escape Sunnydale, they try to prove their parents’ innocent while on the run from the FBI.
This book is a mystery narrative, aimed at kids who like mysteries. I loved Chasing the Falconers because it is an interesting book that makes me think. it is interesting because of all the clever ways the Falconers manage to stay hidden, like when Aidan has to get Meg out of the custody of the police, he dresses up like a policeman so people will not recognize him. However once you read it, you will have to read the other books in the series. I definitely recommend Chasing the Falconers.

Reviewed by S.L.

Scorpions (Reviewed by C.G.)

Scorpions By: Walter Dean Myers

Scorpions is a realistic fiction book about a kid named Jamal.
Jamal Hicks lives New York, with his mom, and his little sister Sassy. Jamal has to take the part as man of the family because, his dad divorced his mom and his older brother Randy is in jail.
Randy’s friend Mack wants Jamal to take over the Scorpions (a neighborhood gang) because he thinks that Jamal has the heart to do it. Jamal and his friend Tito are not sure what to on being in the Scorpions.
After a short period of time, Mack gives Jamal a gun.
Jamal and Tito get into some tough situations with the gun. Jamal takes the gun to school, and sticks the gun in a student’s face and threatens to shoot him.
It all leads up to one huge mistake with the gun, but you’ll have to read the book to find out what happens.
I would say that the target audience would be early teens to adults. Scorpions is a great book, and I would recommend it to anyone that loves action packed books.
Student of ALS, C. G.

Titanic by Bob Temple (Review by J.P.)

Titanic is an Informational History book by Bob Temple. In the beginning, everyone thinks the Titanic is unsinkable. Because it has, all water tight walls and fifteen water tight doors. The Titanic also has a grand staircase and three dinning rooms.

The setting takes place in the Atlantic Ocean. They are going from England to America. In the ship, they have a first class, second class and a third class. The voyage goes well the first few days in until the night of Sunday April 14.

That night people hear a crash but do not think anything of it. They decide to go back to what they were doing. Then the caption orders them to go up on the deck. Most people start to complain until they find out what happened. That night the ship hits an iceberg.

The people who would like this most would be people who like history and adventure. I thought it was a good book because I really like history, adventure, and drama. I also liked that it gave different paths for you to go through. The path I liked best was the passengers’ view because you really get to understand what it was like to ride the Titanic and really know how the passengers felt when they hit the Iceberg. The thing I thought they should have made clearer was when the paths ended. I thought that you just went on to the end and then I got confused and had to go back to the beginning.

Reviewed by J.P.

Review for Paintball Blast by RW

Paintball Blast by Jake Maddox is an interesting narrative about Max [the main character] and his teammate Tyler. They had been playing paintball together for a long time. They usually win most of their games. Well, that is until he faced Ryan’s team.
Max noticed something strange about Ryan’s team one day. When Ryan took one shot he hit the opponent with one and two hit the wall. Max thought to himself, how can that be? He also noticed that Ryan’s team always had yellow paintballs.
Max and his team worked hard to get ready for the challenge cup. They won their first two games and then are in the finals against Ryan’s team. You will have read this book to see if Max and Tyler can figure out if Ryan’s team is cheating.
Paintball Blast is a great mystery that would be enjoyed by boys or anyone who likes paintball. I enjoyed the book because it kept me in suspense. I was eager to read more because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. Like Max, I too like to play hard while following the rules. I expect others to also.

Reviewed by RW

Review of Nancy Drew by P.B.

I want to tell you about a book I like. It is called Nancy Drew by Stefan Petrucha Vaughn Ross. It is a graphic novel, which is one of my favorite genres.

The setting is on a sailing boat. Nancy and her friends are sailing. Then all of a sudden the water starts to spin around like a tornado, and everybody on the beach gets sucked in. Then everybody is asking Nancy what happened. The book is mainly about treasure and how Nancy and her friends find it. They are trying to give it to the be owner, but Nancy thinks the owner is dead.

Nancy Drew loves being a girl detective. If you love mysteries and graphic novels, you will love this book. It is a good book, but at the very beginning, you might wonder what it is because it is doesn’t seem like a mystery. In about the middle, its starts talking about what happened to the be owner of the treasure, and it gets more exciting than the beginning.

Reviewed by P.B.

Twelve by Lauren Myracle (reviewed by E.Z.)

I read a book called “Twelve” by Lauren Myrcle. It is a realistic fiction book and it is from the “Eleven” series. The main idea of the book is about all the changes that happened to Winnie (the main character) when she was twelve. One of the changes that happened is that Winnie went to middle school. Another big change is Winnie lost her best friend.
The main characters of the book include Winnie (the main girl character), Dinah (Winnies best friend) and Cinnamon (Winnies other friend). They are all going through lots of changes in their life. Sandra is Winnie’s big sister who is a total girly girl teenager. She helps Winnie with all the changes because Sandra was once twelve. I would recommend this book to eleven or twelve year old girls. It is a funny book and makes you want to keep reading.
Mostly, the setting is at middle school. The setting is also at Winnie’s house a lot. I defiantly know that most things in this book are realistic, because it’s about all the things that can happen to Twelve year old girls. If you read this book I would also recommend the book “Thirteen” because it’s from the same series. I like this book a lot because its funny, and it can relate to me because I’m about to turn twelve. I also like it because the author always ends the chapter with the reader wanting to know what happens. I would defiantly recommend it to other girls!

Reviewed by E.Z.

Zach's Lie

I choose this title as the second book in my 40 book challenge because I noticed that it is by Roland Smith. I read Peak by Roland Smith last year because it was on the Battle of the Books list. It was such a great read and I was thrilled to see that Smith has written other books!

Zach's Lie is a story about a middle school student, Jack Osborne who is forced to become Zach Granger after his father found himself in the middle of an illegal drug operation that forced his family to enter the witness protection program. Readers follow Jack (a.k.a Zach) as he struggles to re-invent himself while holding tightly to how things have always been. Full of suspense, I recommend this book to boys and girls who enjoy realistic fiction or books with a bit of danger.

I just found out that there is a sequel to Zach's Lie called Jack's Run. I can't wait to read it and find out how this story continues!

Mockingjay

WHAT A FANTASTIC WAY TO END THE HUNGER GAMES TRILOGY! The third and final book of this trilogy is the best one yet! Suzanne Collins provides the answer to the question that so many readers have been asking since finishing Catching Fire, "Does Katniss choose Peeta or Gale?" Mockingjay departs slightly from the theme and tone of the other books in the trilogy and can easily be described as a war story. More information is discovered about District 13 and its inhabitants and you see Katniss in a new light as she struggles to define herself as the face of the rebellion while trying to recover from the scars (both physical and emotional) that remain from being a two time victor of the Hunger Games.

I was unable to put this book down and found myself wondering if Collins would really be able to walk away from this story line after just three books...if I'm lucky, maybe there will be a prequel or spin off series :)

The Boy Book by E. Lockhart (reviewed by VD)

Welcome to the Tate Universe (Tate is a small private school where everyone has known each other since kindergarten) world of Ruby Oliver lead character in The Boy Book. Living in Seattle on a house boat, seeing a shrink, being a junior at Tate, being an outcast (or as Ruby calls it a leper) this is the life of Ruby (aka Roo). Which you can read about in The Boyfriend List, The Boy Book, and The Treasure Map to Boys.


The story could best be summed up in a list( something Roo makes lots of) of who she is speaking to as this is about her life and relationships are a huge part of life. So without further ado who Ruby is and isn't speaking to:


Kim-former best friend-not speaking to, not even when she's back from Tokyo.


Cricket-former best friend-not speaking to.


Nora-former best friend- speaking to, sort of. They have talked but aren't calling each other or anything.


Noel-friend fellow member in the HRS-speaking, NOT dating.


Meghan- friend- speaking, but she has no one else.


Dr.Z-Shrink-speaking.


Angelo-friend-no longer speaking.


Jackson- former boyfriend-NOT SPEAKING.


So, yeah Ruby's world is weird.But after the horror of last year (read the Boyfriend List for more) this is a lot of people to be talking to.


This is a great book that will make any teen/tween girl laugh. You should definitely read this book if you want something light and funny. It's no action adventure but its a page turner.

V.D.

Pump by Sharon Jennings

Patrick is your typical, skateboard-loving seventh grader. Although he can be a bit mischievous (like skipping school), he's a good kid (even cooks dinner for his mom).

Unfortunately, his neighbor, Mrs. Harris, doesn't think so. Anytime Pat and his friends are in the street skateboarding, she complains and even calls the cops. This only gets worse when the boys find some old materials to make a launch ramp.

Pat and his friends must stick up for their right to skateboard, even if it means speaking up at a town hall meeting.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves skateboarding! Maybe you could tell me what some of the terms mean - goofyfoot? ollie? acid-drop?

Big Nate: In a class by himself by Lincoln Peirce

This book was definitely written for fans of The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Nate is a mess! He can't get up in the morning, doesn't really pay attention in class, has zero organization skills, and always seems to say the wrong things at the wrong time.

Big Nate: In a class by himself follows one day in the life of Nate - a regular sixth grade kid (complete with annoying big sister and mean teachers). The book includes comic strips and sketches to help the reader really understand who Nate and the other characters are.

If you need a laugh, this is a great book for you! I love Nate's carefree attitude and sense of humor, but it sure does get him into trouble.

Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen

Woods Runner is a historical fiction book set during the Revolutionary War. Samuel is 13 years old and lives in the woods of the colony of Pennsylvania. One day, Samuel's village receives word that war has broken out - the colonists are trying to break from England and start their own country! The next day, as he is hunting in the woods, Samuel sees smoke coming from the direction of his village. He hurries back but is too late; the village has been destroyed, many people have been viciously killed, and his parents have been kidnapped. Samuel then sets out to rescue his family.

The format of this book is awesome! Every few pages, Paulsen gives just a bit of background information to help you understand the events in the next chapter. This information proved extremely useful and interesting as I read.

If you like fast-paced books with great characters, this one is for you. If you've never tried a historical fiction book but are interested in reading about a boy fighting for the lives of his himself and his family, check it out!

Confetti Girl by Diana Lopez

Lina is just a regular middle school girl - she likes to hang out with her best friend, thinks her dad is a little "off" sometimes (especially when he has his nose in a book at all times), and is looking forward to her first kiss. She is having a hard time though; her mom died suddenly last year, and Lina doesn't know how to cope with losing someone so important to her.

Things start to go downhill quickly for Lina. She doesn't feel like her best friend, Vanessa, is really listening to her, she stops paying in English class, and finds herself in embarrassing situations.

Lina is a great character! Anyone who has ever lost someone important to them, felt like your best friend just didn't get you anymore, or wished that boys were simpler will be able to connect to Lina.

If you're in the mood for realistic fiction, head over to the New Bookshelf in the Media Center to checkout Confetti Girl!

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, by Wendy Mass

Jeremy Fink is one month from his 13th birthday when he receives a strange box in the mail. This box is a gift from Jeremy's father, who died five years before. With the help of his best friend, Lizzie, Jeremy steps outside of his comfort zone and explores the world around him while trying to solve the mystery of his birthday box. Along the way, he has a brush with the law, meets some very unique characters, and discovers the meaning of life.

This book is perfect for boys and girls alike and is a great example of the power of friendship and determination. A great read, one that I would recommend to any rising 6th grader to start off their year of reading.

See Mr. Tovell or Mrs. Myers for a copy!

Happy Reading :)

The Sisters Grimm: Fairytale Detectives by Michael Buckley

The Sisters Grimm follows the lives of Sabrina and Daphne Grimm, two sisters whose parents' disappearance has led them into one bad foster care situation after another. Out of nowhere, a woman claiming to be their grandmother (who they thought was dead) appears and takes over caring for them. Everything about this woman seems a little different (especially to Sabrina) - she lives in a house whose door requires that you announce that you're home, cooks the strangest foods, and has a locked room with strange noises coming from it.

The girls end up in situations beyond belief as they learn the true history of their family. Before they know it, they're off solving mysteries and trying to save the family they never knew they had.

Calling all Bulldog readers!!!

Welcome to 6th grade! We can't tell you how excited we are about sharing our reading this year. We're hoping to use this space as a place to share books we love. As you grow as a reader, you'll be able to share your favorites as well.

Here's to a great year!
~Mrs. Myers, Ms. Johnson, & Ms. Henchey