The Pokemon Essential Handbook, a review by Clifford

I read The Pokemon Essential Handbook. It is a really good book. It gives you cool facts about every Pokemon in the world alphabetically. It gives the height, weight, region, and type of over 640 Pokemon. My first favorite Pokemon is Gible. It is called the “Land Shark” Pokemon. It will nest in holes that it makes in caves. Gible will attack any Pokemon or human that goes by its hole. My new favorite is called Aron. It is called the “Iron Armor” Pokemon. Aron will be tempted to eat railroad tracks if it gets too hungry. This book will tell you all the moves that a Pokemon will learn and also it points out their next evolution. This book is for someone who really likes Pokemon. It is really helpful for someone who plays the video game.

I would give this book 4.5 out of 5 chocolate bars.

This book is appropriate for all ages (I read this book to my little brothers all the time). 

The cover is very shiny and shows some of the Pokemon that are in the book.

Book Title : Catching Fire

Format: Hardcover

Author: Suzan Collins

Length/number of pages: 289

Price : 13.99

Short Summary: Katniss Everdeen has to go back into the hunger games for the Quarter Quell. But it’s different scenery. And this game works like a clock. There are twice as many tributes because two victors from each district has to go in. This happens every twenty-five years. Some new characters are in this, too. Also their beloved district won’t be there anymore When Katniss returns to what she thinks is home. Some people believe that there is a thirteenth district; they are headed there because their districts are getting attacked because of some recent uprisings that have occurred in a few of the districts.

Peeta has to go back into the games to protect Katniss but she is really trying to protect him because last time Haymitch and Peeta were set on protecting her. Also they have to convince everyone one that they are in love because some districts think it’s just an act and some people aren’t very happy with them.

 Strengths/Weaknesses/Favorite Parts: My favorite part was when Katniss blew up the forcefield and they took them out of the games. And Peeta disappeared but a few people think he’s dead because they don’t know where he went.

Rating (out of five chocolate bars) 5

Appropriateness: Anyone

Cover Thoughts: I thought it represented the book very well because the mocking jay was what Katniss wore in the hunger games and it represented her district. And it still does throughout the entire series

Fangs on my Neck, original fiction by Lillian G.

Title: Fangs on my Neck
Author: Lillian.G        
Warning : This has swear words and  extremely creepy scenes in it.

Page1, Chapter1: The Capture

As I walked to my favorite  thinking spot in the woods.I got this funny feeling that I was being followed. Every time I looked back I saw nothing, and once I thought I saw a cat. But when I looked  again it was gone.Then I started running as fast as I could. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. It was pounding so hard I thought it would explode! Then I thought I could drown out the creepiness by listening to music.I didn't know how wrong I was. Then I started running again then I heard a twig snap and I looked behind me and I took out one of my headphones and started singing to my favorite song even though it was a parody of The Wanted by  a group called The War Zone  even though it was about Halo it was still entertaining to listen and watch.Then I turned around and my best friend Lily was right behind me.She is shorter then me with long brownish blond and she is  my best friend,  and she is a fiery spirit and she is also very kind and mischievous like an elf. Then we chatted for a bit and we walked into my thinking place. It was a tree house and a hot spring near a clearing where I can star gaze and since it was summer time me and Lily  spent most of our time there it was really easy to reach and it was very beautiful and peaceful. Sometimes me  and  some people from my RPG  club would  stage wars and me and Lily would be their prize. I would be her royal guard and Lily would be the princess. Sometimes guys dressed as elves would join my team and  we would defeat the opposing teams. Anyway we were walking and I began to get a very weird feeling  and so I challenged  Lily to a race then I heard breathing so I spun around to face  our  stalkers but then a pair of cold, delicate hands gripped my neck and a cold emotionless voice purred, "Don't move or we hurt your little friend here." My head was turned toward Lily and her cruel/beautiful captor. The guy that was  in a featureless white mask with only two holes for his emerald gem eyes that  seemed  to  express more emotion than  an entire face could. To me his eyes spoke of immense sadness and regret. Then he saw me staring and it's like a wall went up behind his eyes and he  looked down and  he peeled off  the bottom  part of his mask and lowered  his mouth near Lily's neck and I saw his fangs and my mind screamed, "Predator!!!"  but  I knew he was a vampire and I lifted up my foot and calculated how tall he was and Smash! My foot stuck home and his hands lifted for a second and that was all I needed and I punched his partner and put Lily over my shoulder and run as fast as I could.  I could hear them swearing and  running  and I dumped Lily into a cave and kept running  then two seconds later the  same hands were gripping my neck and I couldn't breath and as I fell into unconsciousness I said, "Beep you." and he replied smugly,"Too late!"  

                   

Walter Moers' Zamonian stories

Walter Moers’ Zamonian stories (as far as I know the books don’t have an order, they are ALL worth reading and are awesome!)

The Thirteen and A Half Lives Captain Blue Bear: This book is my favorite of the series because of its many MANY characters, abundance of settings and completely new and brilliant ideas and characters. It is really exciting and brilliant story filled with twists and unexpected experiences. DEFINITELY worth reading!!!

5 chocolate bars! I had no problem with the vocab. (though it is a longish book) The story starts with a baby blue bear floating in a walnut shell towards a giant vortex in the ocean. Luckily before he is killed by the giant whirlpool, a group of mini pirates comes to his rescue and raise him as their own. They teach him everything a mini pirate has to offer and when he grows too large for their tiny ship, sadly leave him on an island with some supplies, with that catapulting him into his second "life" (it just keeps getting better and better after that).

The Alchemasters’ Apprentice:  A crat (a rare creature that’s like a cat but way cooler, you’ll see ;) ) is starving on the streets of Malaisea is given an opportunity the city’s Alchemaster. He can starve to death in three days or he can live in luxury for two weeks before he’s used for alchemic experiments He needs to make allies and escape from the Alchemasters’ clutches before it's too late.

4 chocolate bars. Read it!

The City of Dreaming Books:  A young Lindworm is searching for the author to a mysterious manuscript he received from his god father (its PERFECT) he starts his search where his god father told the author to go, Bookholm (a city that’s just ALL about BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS!) when he accidently finds himself caught in a HUGE (it gets crazy) conspiracy fighting for his life in the HUMONGOUS catacombs of Bookholm. You’ll find out the rest on your own! ;) .

4 chocolate bars. Read it after you’re done with the Alchemaster's Apprentice!

Rumo and His Miraculous Adventures: Rumo (a young Wolperting, the best fighters in Zamonia) is living a pampered farm life when a group of Demonicles abducts him and his family starting his EPIC adventure. All Wolpertings have a silver thread they see in the sky it leads them to their one and only true love/to the city of Wolperting. (Wolpertings are abandoned as babies)  His silver thread is named Rala. He needs to save her and all of Zamonia from an unseen disaster.

4 ½ chocolate bars, save this book for last! Or do whatever, I’m not stopping you. My summaries might sound boring but PLEASE try them out!!!

Walter Moers (AKA the author of these amazing stories!)           

 

Painter, Walter Moers was born in Hamburg Germany 1957 and is a writer, cartoonist, and sculptor.  Careful with reading other books he’s written besides those mentioned (they may get political!).

The Vampire Angel Original [Part 2] Fiction By: Wolf Angel

The Vampire Angel [Part 2]

Ty smiles, "What classes do you have today?"

"I have LA then Math, after Math I have History. Of course after History is lunch then I have Spanish, and my last class is Art," Jenny says, just then the rest of the class comes in.

Ty sighs and goes to his seat. Jenny turns to look at the teacher, Mr. V (Mr. Vikings that's what he wants to be called but his last name is really Lee) walks into the classroom. He goes up to the front, and speaks, "Class, we are having home-base all day."

The class groans. "I'm kidding we have homebase until lunch. And we have a new student! Come up here, Tyler." Ty blushes and stands up. He walks up to the front by Mr. V. "Class, this is Tyler. Tyler, why don't you tell us a little about yourself?"

Ty starts talking. "Well, I'm Tyler, but please call me Ty. I came here from California when my mom and dad died in a car crash. I am now living with my Grandma and Grandpa." He finishes talking, then walks back to his seat that was behind Jenny.

Tori runs into the class room and says, "Jenny, we will find you and get you, you can't hide from us anymore. Meet us at the park 2:00 pm today or else." She falls down then wakes up, startled. The whole class looks at Jenny, scared. Tori gets up and starts walking away; she was fine and didn't remember anything. Jenny sighs and looks around then gets up. She runs out of the door then out of the school. Ty sees her leaving and goes after her.

Mr. V calls, "Jenny! Ty, come back!!" Ty keeps running after her, Jenny was running to the park.

Ty calls to Jenny, "Jenny, stop!!" [to be continued]

The Ministers Daughter: A Review By ArwenPond

Title: The Minister's Daughter

Author: Julie Hearn

Format: Hard Cover

Length: 272 pages
Price: $7.99

"Powers of the air, be here now. So mote it be." Nell is a wild child. Conceived on May Morning, she is claimed by the piskies and faeries as a merrybegot, one of their own. She is the village cunning woman's granddaughter: herb gatherer and healer, spell-weaver and midwife...and, some say, a witch. Grace is a Puritan minister's daughter: beautiful and refined, innocent and sweet-natured...to those who think they know her. But she is hiding a secret -- a secret that will bring everlasting shame to her family should it ever come to light. A merrybegot and minister's daughter -- two girls who could not have less in common. Yet their fates collide when Grace and her younger sister, Patience, are suddenly spitting pins, struck with fits, and speaking in fevered tongues. The minister is convinced his daughters are the victims of witchcraft. And all signs point to Nell as the source of the trouble....

--Summary from Google Books

The story is told in a really interesting way; every other chapter is told in third person and the others are told as a witch trial confession of Patience Madden, the younger of the two minister's daughters. You always know what's really happening with this book and you never really get confused, which is nice. If you weren't quite sure what was real and what wasn't, then the story wouldn't be as good. My favorite part was the end, not because it was the end, but because it ties it back to Salem (the story takes place somewhere in England, I think). It shows the beliefs of people back then and the traditions they carried out, which is really cool.

I give this book 5 out of 5, because it's amazing.

There's nothing inappropriate in it at all.

The cover shows Grace, the older of the Minister's daughters.

ArwenPond

Wednesday Wondering: What do you Hate Edition?

Wednesday Wondering; this is the edition of “WHAT DO YOU HATE IN A BOOK?” by: Nialllover12.

I collected some answers from my English class and here they are:

Golden marshmallow218 said …….. If you watch the movie and read the book the author is not as detailed in the movie…… 

Glossygrammergirl514 said…………. I don’t like when there are a lot of people dying and at the beginning of the book everybody is so happy.

Then Elvis Presley said…….. The book The Hunger Games made me never want to read it again! I didn’t like the part were Rue died…….

supercat123 said.......When they come out with the fist book, and they leave it open-ended before the second book comes out, and it takes a long time to come out.

poutiepidgy said........I hate when they don't make sequels, and it's a good book. I want to see how the story goes.

silverdragon said....I hate it when they do a cliffhanger at the end of a book, or when one of the really awesome characters that you've grown attached to dies.

TheMuse said........I hate it when authors give a really bad, sappy ending. Sometimes when a guy defeats the main evil guy, he has a whole other problem to deal with, but they just leave him with, "Well, he kissed a girl!" It leaves me thinking, "What the heck? There's still another bad guy out there!"

flickagirl said......I hate when authors stop and describe something during a really suspenseful part in the book.

arwenpond said......I don't like it when they tell you a fact or something and then they either don't explain it or the fact is so random and it doesn't add to the story at all.

Nialllover12 said.......when they only bring out one movie, but they have all the books out, so it kind of ruins it.

happyunicorns said......I don't like when they put random things in the middle of the book that has nothing to do with anything, and then on the next page it goes back to the regular story.

phoenix said....CLIFFHANGERS! They're evil. Especially when there isn't a sequel.

What was your thought? What makes you hate a book?

Knowing Death: original fiction by Maja



picture from http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/death-is-beautiful

 Knowing Death part one: long ride

So today is my last day here in my small-town home in North Dakota to go to an engineering college in New York City. I’m excited to go, but I’m going to miss my friends, and I don’t really want to be alone after what happened last night.

My friends and I were supposed to go stargazing at Black Lake like in the old days, but we got distracted by a meteor that crashed about a mile from the car. We went to look for it, but I guess we were imagining things, because we, at least I, saw something very different.

It was like an escape pod from one of those Science fiction shows that Mom used to watch. I saw someone running from it and we ran after him, but he/she was too fast and when we got back to the space junk it had magically turned into an abandoned rusty car. So I’m questioning my sanity, even as my Mom is crying on my shoulder. She’s always been the super emotional type and the fact that she’s hugging me so tight is also normal.

“Mom,” I said, “You’re crushing me.”

When she finally let go she started talking again, “It’s just I love you so much and I don’t want you to leave, but I’m so happy that you’re going to college!” most of it was like a sobbing gibberish but this is nothing compared to my first boyfriend.

Then I saw dad come out with my last bag, “Hey, my little sport’s going to college!” he said, Dad has called me that ever since I beat the cousins at football when I was seven. My mom wishes I’ll become an artist or a writer or something other than an engineer, all of my teachers say I’m a genius but nothing like that really interests me as much as building my own stuff does.  So that’s why I’m going, plus I want to prove all of those football jerks that say I’m too girly to do anything worthwhile. 
           
I met my friends at the airport where they were arguing over a bright pink sign that had glitter covering the edges and said “Goodbye Jamie!!!” in big bold letters. Jeff would not stop talking about how lucky I am to be going to the music capital and managed to make me promise to email him pictures of every stage I go to. It’s probably the single weirdest promise I have ever made, but the chances of that actually happening is zero. Then Amy shoved him aside and started her nonstop talk about how lucky I am to be going to the fashion capital of America, and now I have to go shopping. Which I’ll tolerate when I’m with Jeff or Amy because they practically pick all of the outfits, so I just have to try them on, but now I think they’re going to kill what’s left of my Christmas spirit this holiday season. I guess I’ll just buy the worst sweater I can find so I can see their faces! Anyway, we say our last in person goodbyes before the endless calls and texting that will start as soon as the plane lands. Then I go through the intense security and finally get on the plane. It already feels like a long trip, makes me wonder how I’ll feel after a few hours squished between a random snoring person and the window.            

Now that the plane has landed in New York a few hours later I don’t feel as bad, still a little dizzy but at least I don’t have air-sickness anymore. I walk around for a while looking for the exit when I look outside and see the city, the absolute, most amazing place I’ve ever seen. My train of thought came to an abrupt halt when someone tapped me on the shoulder; I turned and saw a tan girl with braided hair and a super smiley expression. “Hi, are you Jamie?” she asked in a no nonsense voice.

“Yeah?” I said to the stranger.

“I’m Becky, your roommate from the tech school.” she said.

“Oh! Nice to meet you, I didn’t know this place had dorms at least they weren’t on the brochure.” I said holding out my hand.

“They don’t but I thought you would need a place, am I right?” Becky grabbed my forearm instead and said, “It’s only temporary if you don’t want to stay, but either way you need to know that handshake for your own survival.” That was the last thing she said before we went out and got a taxi. Leaving me wondering what's in store for me...

Wednesday Wondering: Book or Movie First Edition!

Wednesday Wondering: Book or Movie First? A post by Supercat123.
                                                                                                                                      
Hey! Supercat123 here, I asked my 6th grade language arts class, "Would you rather read the book first or see the movie first?" Here are some results from my 6th grade class.  

Zumie said, "I would want to watch Harry Potter first, it is had to understand if you have not seen the movie."

Cheese curd luver said, "Breaking Dawn I would want to see the movie first, also. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, I would read the book first. It also depends on the book or movie."

Pretty Color Girl said, "I would rather read the book first so I could see the differences in the movie!!!"

Bob Lincon said, "Watch the movie first!!!! If you watch the movie first the book will make more sense, like Harry Potter."

Directioner4life said, "I would rather see the movie first. Like when I watched the Lorax first then I read the book." 

Lollipop575 said, "I would rather read the book first, such as the Hunger Games or Harry Potter." 

So, what do you think, read the book or watch the movie first?? Personally, I think read the book first, so then when I watch the movie I can match  the characters in my head , with the ones in the movie.   

My Sister the Vampire: Lucky Break, a review by Shutterbug

 

Title: My Sister the Vampire: Lucky Break

Author: Sienna Mercer

Format: Softcover

Price: $4.99

 

In the series called My Sister the Vampire, Lucky Break is the sixth book in the collection. One of the twin sisters Olivia gets a part in a play which she auditioned for so she could get her first kiss with her boyfriend. But her boyfriend doesn't get the part and now she had to kiss a guy she definitely doesn't like. Luckily the director says that she will cut out all the kisses till the end. Also at that time of the school year, the twins get to meet their aunt, and Olivia gets to ride a horse, but Ivy, Olivia's twin sister, can't because horses don't really like her. She thinks it's because she's a vampire. Ivy feels left out but turns out to be braver than she thought, so everyone gets happy, but just wait till next year.

 

I enjoyed all the action and all the times they were about to get in trouble but they got out of it. There's a lot of drama in the series, and I like that the sisters always stay together. My favorite part of this book was during the play when the boyfriend went to help Olivia so she doesn't have to kiss the boy she doesn't like!

 

Rating: I would give this book 5 out of 5 chocolate bars.

Appropriateness: It's appropriate for almost any age. There's no bad language at all.

Cover Thoughts: It's fitting to the book.