Twisted Alice--Fan Art by YamiHeart

Hi, YamiHeart here again with more fan art.  This time I did the classic story Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol with my own personal twist.

I know there's a lot going on, so here's a quick overview:  the Mad Hatter is pouring mercury into the tea (he thinks it's creamer), the Tweedle brothers are in straight jackets, the Red Queen has gone psycho killer, the White Queen has lost her head, the Caterpillar is smoking (as usual), the March Hare has rabies, The White Rabbit's tied up in chains, the Cheshire Cat is...being the Cheshire Cat, and Alice WAS supposed to be annoyed, but now I think she's dead.  Hope you enjoyed. ^^

The Looking Glass Wars, by Frank Beddor

A review by Hidden shadow

I just finished reading The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor. This is an awesome new trilogy with exciting adventure and very interesting characters. One of the most important characters is Alyss, or the Alice you know from Alice in Wonderland. In this version though, Alyss is the heir to the the Kingdom of Hearts. But then Alyss's evil aunt Redd kills Alyss's parents and takes over the kingdom. Luckly for Alyss, her bodyguard, Hatter Madigan, grabs her and jumps through the pool of tears and comes... to our world!!!

Here are some important characters in The Looking Glass Wars!!!

Alyss: she is a very imaginative girl, who loves and cares deeply for others. The details on her emotions remind me of the Alice we all know, and she shows a very royal attitude for a princess!!! She will always be the most creative person ever!

Hatter Madigan: he is a very tough bodyguard for Alyss and the Queen (Alyss's mom). After Alyss's mom dies, Hatter protects Alyss until they get separated in the pool of tears.

What I liked about this book was the part where Alyss was separated and lived in our world.  I liked that part because it had a sense of adventure, and it really showed how much Alyss changed.  I also liked  the part where she went back to her world because she met her friends again.  The pacing lagged a little during the scenes when she was in our world, but I still liked it because I liked the fact that she was going to get married to a prince.

Overall, this book was really interesting and had a lot of adventure.  I would rate it 4 out of 5 chocolate bars.  For appropriateness, I would rate it a vampire for the violence.  It's not too disturbing, but it does have death in it.

TOP MOVIES THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN BOOKS FIRST

Post by Up North Girl

I know, I know. Long title. The point is, I was watching a movie, and the thought struck me; Hey, this would have made a really good book. I don’t mean the novelizations that are written after the movie is out; those never do it justice. I mean, the real thing. Good books that were written before the movie was a movie. So here is a list of the movies I think would have made good books. Each one will contain a short synopsis of the plot from netflix.com, and why I thought it would make a good movie.


5. Wicked Little Things

When a grieving widow moves her two daughters to a rustic house in the Pennsylvania mountains, she hopes the solitude will help them work through feelings of abandonment. But they hardly have time to reflect, as they discover unexpected neighbors. As it turns out, the ghosts of children who were killed in a tragic accident more than 90 years before are still "playing" in the mine shaft nearby, and would love to have the neighborhood kids join them.

This movie was, well, just plain creepy. But I like those kinds of movies. I prefer them as books, though, because then there aren’t things jumping out and scaring the crap out of you. I made the unfortunate mistake of watching this at midnight… yeah. I think it would have been a very good book. If you like scary movies, definitely check this one out.


4. Despicable Me
Villainous Gru (Steve Carell) lives up to his reputation as a despicable, deplorable and downright unlikable guy when he hatches a plan to steal the moon from the sky. But he has a tough time staying on task after three orphans land in his care.
OK, this one is just for funzies. I loved this movie. Yes, I am in eighth grade, and yes, I did love this little kid movie. I am not ashamed to say it. I think it would have made a pretty amazing book, too. Since most of the movies on this list are horrors, I decided to lighten it up by throwing this one in.




3. Sherlock Holmes (2010)

London sleuth Sherlock Holmes, joined by Dr. Watson, face off against the villainous Blackwood.
Yeah, I know what you’re going to say. “But Sherlock Holmes is already a book!” I know. I’ve read them. But this movie was a really phenomenal story line, and I think it would have been a really great book. I always loved when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle threw possible paranormal phenomena into his Sherlock Holmes stories, and this one was especially good.




2. Frozen

Three friends hit the slopes for a weekend of skiing and snowboarding. But when they convince the chairlift operator to let them take one last run before closing, Parker, Joe, and Dan find themselves stranded in midair, alone and freezing. It'll be days before anyone returns to the slopes, and their chances of survival are looking slimmer by the minute.

Wow. That is really all I have to say about this movie. It gave me shivers (No pun intended) and I was on the edge of my seat for the whole movie. I won’t be surprised if you haven’t heard of it; it’s an Indie film. I love books that keep you biting your nails throughout the whole thing, and I think this movie would do just that, had it been a book. Out of all the movies on this list, this is one of the ones I would most want to see as a book.


1. Season of the Witch

In 14th-century Europe, a courageous knight leads a group of weary warriors across impossibly treacherous terrain in order to transport a suspected witch believed to be responsible for spreading the devastating Black Plague.
This. Movie. Was. Amazing. I loved this movie! Can I say anymore? The whole movie I was thinking THIS NEEDS TO BE A BOOK! It was so suspenseful and perfectly balanced action with plot. Some movies have too much action and no plot, but that is not the case with this. It had an amazing plot, and amazing action. It’s definitely not for the squeamish, though.

So there you have it. My top five movies that should have been books first. I recommend you check out these movies if you haven’t, especially Frozen. But Frozen, Wicked Little Things, and Season of the Witch are definitely not for the faint of heart. Until next time, happy reading!

Silver Phoenix, by Cindy Pon

I read the book Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon.  I really liked reading this book, and I liked it every step of the way!  With its thrilling fights and powers from the beyond, this book is great to read any time. 

It's about a girl, Ai Ling, who goes on a life-threatening journey to find her father.  On the way, she meets Chen Yong and his brother Li Rong.  They help Ai Ling with her journey, meeting many obstacles along the way.

These are a few things I liked and disliked about Silver Phoenix.  One thing I liked was the descriptions.  The descriptions in the book are great.  When Cindy Pon's explaining a dish of food, for example, you can actually smell and taste the food!  And when she describes a fight scene, it gets really intense.  The things I disliked are...nothing!  I can't really think of anything I didn't like.

And now, an argument that can change everything...the cover!  Dun Dun DUN.  Yes, the cover.  Some people didn't like the original cover because they were concerned it wouldn't attract the target audience because it has an Asian girl on it.  I know, that's really weird.  So they changed it, so there's still the same basic idea of the original, but it doesn't show as much of the person on it.  My opinion is...why?  I liked the cover the way it was.  Thank you for reading this review.  I will be interviewing Cindy Pon in the near future, so check back to see what she has to say, and check out the new paperback version of Silver Phoenix, which just released last Tuesday! 

The sequel, Fury of the Phoenix, is coming out March 29, so you'll have to wait a little while...UNLESS!  You could go enter this awesome contest for a chance to win an ARC (advanced reader copy) of Fury, a paperback of Silver Phoenix, or gift certificates of up to $50 for Barnes and Noble or Amazon!  All you have to do to enter is write a haiku that has the word fury or phoenix in it!


Review by LocoCoco

If You Could Meet an Author...

If I could meet any one author, I would be torn between meeting Brandon Sanderson and Scott Westerfeld.

This is what some of my friends and teachers said:

Ms. Nordskog, our crazed, chocolate-loving science teacher, said that she would like to meet Isaac Newton (despite the fact that he's dead) because he wrote one of the most important scientific papers of all time.

Ms. Filippini, our awesome, crazy band teacher said she would like to meet either Dean Koontz or Stephen King, the latter because she thinks he would be an interesting guy to meet.

My good, crazy, weird buddy Flann thought meeting Jay Asher, the author if Th1rteen R3asons Why, would be cool for reasons unknown to the rest of us.

A pair of 8th graders (also known as Sara and Skylar) would like to meet Kazuki Takahashi, their favorite manga author.

My dog-loving, awesome, crazy friend Abby would like to meet Pseudonymous Bosch, the author of The Name of this Book is Secret.

The eighth-grade Kaila would like to meet Anne Rice, who is the author of the books The Vampire Chronicles.

The cello-playing, awesome Kyra would like to meet Kathy Reichs, the author of many books, one of which is is 206 Bones.

Lachelle, another of my peers in this blogging elective, would also like to meet Jay Asher because he wrote her favorite book.

If you could meet any one author, who would it be? Why? What if you have two authors you couldn't decide between? Reply in the comments, please!  :)

--Ellie

Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice

By Jane Austen

My step mom got me into the Jane Austen movies when I was 11, and this year I thought that it would be fun to read the books. I read Pride and Prejudice. This book is set in the time period around the 19oo's. In this book the Bennett sisters have to find a husband so that they can have some of their father's land. Jane, being the oldest and most mature one, meets one Mr.Bingley and they struggle to stay together because of Mr.Bingley's sister. The second oldest, Elizabeth, falls in love with the stubborn Mr. Darcy, who isn't here for love but to help his friend. Mr.Darcy's stubbornness blinds him, and he doesn't see Miss.Bennett (Elizabeth) until she starts to show herself more around him.

Some more drama in this book is that one of the Bennetts' cousins, Mr. Collins, steps in between Mr.Darcy and Elizabeth and asks Elizabeth for her hand in marrage. But since she is waiting for Mr.Darcy, she refuses and Mr.Collins ends up marrying Elizabeth's best friend. But after all the running away and eloping, it all turns out fine in the end.

I liked this book because I could relate to the characters--all of them, in bits and pieces.  Jane Austen did a nice job creating a "mind movie" in the book because I could see what was happening.  I think the book was a lot better than the movies.  I always (or mostly always) think that about books and movies because in the book they give more detail than the movies, and I like most of their plots better. 

I think I'll read another Austen book. My step-mom just bought me Emma and another book by Jane Austen, too.  I got these things for my birthday, which had a Jane Austen theme this year.
I would rate this book 5/5 chocolate bars!

~twistar24~

Review of Shadow Thieves by Anne Ursu

Review of Shadow Thieves, by Anne Ursu

Something extraordinary is about to happen to Charlotte Mielswetzski.
It's not the very cute kitten that appears out of nowhere. It's not the arrival of her cousin Zee, who believes he's the cause of a mysterious sickness that has struck his friends back in England. And it's not the white-faced, yellow-eyed men in tuxedos who follow Charlotte everywhere. What's so extraordinary is not any one of these things. It's all of them.

When Charlotte's friends start to get sick, Charlotte and Zee set out to find a cure. Their quest leads them to a not-so-mythical Underworld, where they face Harpies that love to rhyme, gods with personnel problems, and ghosts with a thirst for blood.

Charlotte and Zee learn that in a world overrun by Nightmares, Pain, and Death, the really dangerous character is a guy named Phil. And then they discover that the fate of every person -- living and dead -- is in their hands. (Summary from Amazon.com)

I really liked this book. Not only does it have Greek gods, it is funny and well written. One thing I didn't like is how the story seemed to switch from one point to another. It didn't transition very smoothly from one event to event. Also, it reminded me too strongly of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, what with the whole Greek gods concept and venturing into the Underworld... I'm sorry to say it, but the Shadow Thieves just can't fill Percy Jackson's shoes.

On the other hand, it was a very interesting plot. Greek myths kept popping up, and it helped inform the readers about what was happening. A little extra information is always good.

I really liked how the Greek gods all had their own personalities. They were like people! They had such nifty senses of humor!

I rate this book 3 out of 5 chocolate bars!

Happy Reading!! ~Stev

P.S. This might be my last post... I know you will miss me tons! (just kidding)

:)

Brilliant, by Rachel Vail

A review by Very, Very Fluffy Pants...

I read the book Brilliant, by Rachel Vail, for my first quarter book report.  It was so amazingly good that I had to let the world know about it! 

Brilliant is about a 16-year-old girl named Quinn Avery.  She's everything you ask for and then some.  She's the best mentor you could ever want to her two younger sisters, 15-year-old Allison and 14-year-old Phoebe.  Out of the three girls, Quinn would be the one to win an award, unless the award was for throwing the best temper tantrum, in which case, it would go to Allison.  Phoebe could be described as sweet, and Allison could be described as stunning, and Quinn could be described as brilliant.

Quinn is one of those girls who gets straight A's, the one who studies constantly, listens to classical music, dresses like a housewife, doesn't cuss or swear, and has no life.  This is apparently called being brilliant.

I really like this book because it's the story of a boring, nerdy girl morphing into a rebel over the course of a summer.  It's fun, witty, and very well-written.  My favorite part was when Quinn got outrageously drunk. :)

Until next time, I'm Very, Very Fluffy Pants saying, "Spend the weekend with fluffy pants and a book.  They will never fail you."

Halo, by Alexandra Adornetto

REVIEW OF HALO BY ALEXANDRA ADORNETTO

Three angels are sent down to bring good to the world: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. But she is the most human, and when she is romantically drawn to a mortal boy, the angels fear she will not be strong enough to save anyone—especially herself—from the Dark Forces.

Is love a great enough power against evil? (Summary from Amazon.com)

Halo is about this angel that comes with her sister and brother from heaven to save the world. Her sister is a healer, and her brother is an ark angel. No one can find out they're angels, but that may become a bit complicated when she gets feelings for a boy. Her friends are what we would call the "popular crowd "--they're sometimes a good influence and sometimes a bad influence. It's kind of interesting when they're bad influences. Bethany is learning what humans are like even though she's been studying them for all of her life.

Angels are more interesting the most people think: they can never run out of energy, they excel in everything, and they don't have any belly buttons. Alexandra Adornetto is a great author. The book is full of suspense and romance, with a bit of comedy wrapped in. She has a great writing style and is very creative. When she is describing a suspenseful moment she doesn't forget to describe the surroundings. I loved the book and I couldn't put it down.

I thought Halo was wonderful because there was hardly a moment when Bethany wasn't either trying to figure something out or in danger. I had so much fun trying to guess what was going to happen next.

Some bad things were that I had a easy time guessing what was going to happen. This book is also kind of big, and sometimes a big book intimidates people who don't have too much free time.

Other than those little things, I love this book.

I rate this book 4 out of 5 chocolate bars.

This book is for 13 or older.

HarryPotterLover7698 :) :) :)

Interview with Bethany Griffin, author of Handcuffs

Bethany Griffin, YA Author Extraordinaire!

This is an interview by Kaylin with YA author Bethany Griffin, whose debut Handcuffs is an amazing story "of an Ice Princess, the boy who wants to thaw her, and everything that happens after they get caught with a pair of handcuffs."  --from Bethany's website

I was in love with Handcuffs.  Are you planning on writing a sequel?  Why or why not, and do you ever think you'd revisit Parker's world or family again? 

No. I think that Parker's story is finished. Now, I did write a few pages of a sequel right after I finished drafting it because I wasn't ready to write about anyone else. But...it didn't say much that was new about Parker or her ex-boyfriend, so I knew I didn't really need to finish it. 

I also absolutely loved the character of Parker.  She's fun, witty, and all kinds of awesome and amazing.  Was she modeled after anyone that you might know?  If not, how do you go about creating a character that is so vivid and has so much depth? 

Well, a bit of her is based on me. 

Speaking of Parker, my friend and I noticed that her boyfriend is always referred to as "him" or "he", but never given a name.  Is there a reason for that?  If so, why? 

Nothing particularly deep. I didn't have a name for him when I started, but the first few scenes that he's in, it's always obvious who he is without a name. I wanted to see if I could keep that up throughout the book, and so, I did! Also, using someone's name shows a certain comfort with that person...and the fact that Parker never says his name shows that she's always a little off balance with him. 

When Parker and her boyfriend are, shall we say, caught in the act, why are they only as far as they are, and not farther?  Would that just have been too awkward to write about, or were you worried about the audience reading, or what? 

I like developing sexual tension. With those two characters, I didn't feel like they needed to be further along than they were for there to be sparks between them. 

Are you working on any books right now?  If so, what are they about? 

Well, right now I'm working on a crazy dystopian steam-punk retelling of an Edgar Allan Poe story. With quite a bit of romance in it. Totally different from Handcuffs. :) 

And last, but not least, what is your favorite color, and what is your favorite way to enjoy chocolate?

Green?  and dark chocolate with raspberry filling. 

Thanks, Bethany, for allowing us to interview you--it's been a great honor.  I'm excited about the Poe retelling, and I think everyone should read Handcuffs!

:) Kaylin