February 19, 2010

Natalie the Author

The School Story by Andrew Clements
reviewed by Leila

The School Story by Andrew Clements is a book for young writers. It's about a girl named Natalie who wrote a book, and the process she goes through in order to have it published. Her mom is a publisher and Natalie has to trick her in order to get what she wants.

The best part about The School Story was that it was like children took over. For example, a child writes a book and has a child play as her agent. Another thing that stood out to me was that the agent was more up to the role playing than Natalie, the girl who actually wrote the book. It is also inspirational for children who dream of being writers or authors when they grow up. It was for me.

Andrew Clements has written many books. Some of them are The Landry News, Room One: A Mystery or Two, The Last Holiday, A Week in the Woods, The Report Card, Lunch Money, and many, many more. Clements is a very strange writer and hopefully you will love reading his books.

Posted by at 02:54 PM

Not Actually Pretty

The Pretty Committee Strikes Back, a Clique Novel by Lisa Harrison
reviewed by Genavera

The Clique is back as strong and pretty as ever in their fifth novel, The Pretty Committee Strikes Back. The Octavian Country Day School is heading on their Presidents day class trip and the Clique is psyched, especially because their crushes from Briarwood Academy are going to be sleeping in cabins only yards away from theirs! Now that the boys are going to be staying so close, the clique, minus one ( Kristen couldn't afford the trip) decide to participate in Massies Underground Clinic for Kissing (M.U.C.K.). Things may sound like their going pretty smoothly until Alicia finds out her crush may be crushing on someone else, Dylan finds her mother kissing her history teacher, Yak, and Claire gets a brand new haircut and enemy. The Pretty Committee being perfect? Not so much.

I enjoyed this book a lot because it deals with the insecurities girls really feel and situations they are put in. It also has an ending that makes you want to read the next book in the series. Fans of the other Clique books will devour this book and want to read more.

Posted by at 02:36 PM

Heartless Howl

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
reviewed by Joie

Magic in a world parallel to ours. Full of movement and suspense as a heartless man seeks some one who could make him whole. A lady, wrinkled with age, yet remains the teenage girl inside. The castle forever moving under the influence of a demon. A witch that caused misery every time she was angered or annoyed. This is Howl's Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne Jones.

When Sophie is stuck at home because she is the eldest, while her younger sisters went to seek out their fortunes, a rather nasty witch pays a visit. The Witch of the Waste seeks information and she turns Sophie into an old lady. And her only course for help, in the magical land of Ingary, is to seek out the infamous Howl. When she reaches the moving castle, however, she gets much more than she bargained for, including fire demons, tackling suspicious doors, learning magic, and trying to keep Howl as happy as possible to avoid the green slime he can produce.

This book is an excellent book for any occasion. Both girls and boys would enjoy the details, hilarious parts, and the tension when the climax reaches a breaking point. They might hold their breath when Howl is moving the entrances, or when the prophecy of the Witch of the Waste catches up to them. Unfortunately, it can be a bit slow sometimes, but I think that adds to the charm of such a magical world. This a read for anyone who wants to be known as a fantasy reader!

Posted by at 02:15 PM

'Hate' No Longer Fashionable

Poseur by Rachel Maude
reviewed by Segan

Poseur. I'm not going to say it's good, but I'm not going to say it's bad either. The book is kind of typical but it still has a lot of flavor to it.

Poseur is about four high school girls who love fashion, hate each other, but soon are forced together to create a designer label for their private school. But the worst part about it is they all have different personalities. One is laid-back and cool. Another is shy but is really edgy. Another one has a ghetto-fabulous style and the last one is a chic hippie girl. Charlotte Beverwil, Janie Farrish, Melissa Moon, and Petra Greene have nothing but fashion in common. So will they be able to work together as a team, or break apart and fail in the process?

Girls will mostly like this book, but from ages thirteen and up. Poseur is so typical, but also funny and flows better than you think it will because you never get bored. So I think you should check this book out ASAP!

Posted by at 01:58 PM

Free Information

Amos Fortune Free Man by Elizabeth Yates
Reviewed by Lydia

Amos Fortune Free Man
is a very informational book. It is about a slave who becomes free and starts making his own family. He realizes that if you never lose your dignity then you can never lose yourself. I liked this book because it really shows you what life was really like back then. The best thing about this book is that while being entertained you are also being informed on what slavery was really like.

The worst part about it is that reading this you start feeling for the people who had to live in that time. I would most likely recommend this book to people who are ages 7+ and to people who are really interested in history. Amos Fortune is a very good book so please go read it.

Posted by at 01:32 PM
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