Mark McVeigh

Mark McVeigh
Brian's Winter
Gary Paulsen
Action/Adventure
Just Right
31

1) Currently in the book Brian's Winter by Gary Paulsen, Brian has just finished killing two rabbits with one arrow. This book is an alternate ending to the first book in the series, Hatchet. Instead of Brian being rescued, he is now alone facing the harsh powers of winter. Before the kill Brian had been attacked by a bear who was after his food. He also lost his .22 rifle due to some malfunctions. Now Brian has a feast of rabbits and has a long hard winter in his near future.

2) Even though I am not very far into the book, it is already very exciting and keeps me turning the page. I feel as if this is going to be a lot better than Paulsen's previous book The River. The survival aspect of the book keeps me extremely interested in the book.

3) One theme that I noticed is man versus nature. So far in the book, Brian has had one extremely dangerous encounter with nature and more are certain to come. While in his shelter,  a bear intrudes and tries to steal Brian's food supply. He then kicks the bear but it retaliates by throwing him across the room. This leaves Brian on the floor with pain all over his body.

4) My favorite character in the book is Brian. He is extremely brave throughout the first two books and so far it is no different in this book. It is a rare thing to find someone with the willpower to survive in the wilderness by themselves with limited resources, and the fact that Brian is a teenager makes it even more impressive.

5) Due to fact that Brian is alone in the wilderness, I have no least favorite character. I also cannot find any flaws in Brian so there is no way I could declare him anywhere near my least favorite character.

6) I predict that Brian will get rescued and return to his family. This will be no easy task for him though. I think that he will get sick and contract hypothermia or pneumonia during the winter. He will have to be very preservative with his food and craft some warmer clothes than his current attire. Even if he does do these things his survival will be a constant and dangerous battle.

John Fulton

John Fulton
Crocodile Tears
Anthony Horowitz
Action/Adventure
Just Right
298


1) Right now in the book Crocodile Tears by Anthony Horowitz Alex Rider had escaped the grasp of Desmond McCain but has to go back for he had to catch him and stop him but Desmond Recaptures Alex and brings Alex down to a river after explaining his idea to start a plague the stop and cure it which would make him 100 millon pounds he then forces Alex to hang from a pole above the river and then leave Alex to be eaten by the jumping crocodiles.

2) I feel that so far this book has keep me on my toes waiting to the turn the page just painstakingly indulging in each word as it comes across my vision. The Characters personalities and roles playing such a big part in the book and they help the structure in the book so much with making the plot so thick and suspenseful and without them by that meaning with different characters. I don't think I would like the book half as much as I do now and the evil doer Desmond McCain as well as the fake first aid charity that is used in very sick way just to get money.
3) I think that the theme of the book was good versus evil. I say that the them of the book was good versus evil because there is your definite good side of the situation which is Alex Rider who tries to fight for the rights of the people and try to defeat evil whenever he was sent on his missions. Then you have another side of the story  being Desmond McCain the evil billionaire who steals from the public charity and cause real disasters and then ending them and then be called a samartin hero when actual he almost killed thousands of people.
4) My favorite character in the book is Alex Rider. The reason I chose Alex Rider as my favorite is because of his loyalty to his organization that being MI6 which has been sending him on missions that would be almost impossible for even the most senior field agents. Another trait that made Alex my favorite character was his courage he has been kidnapped almost murdered and held hostage by adults and he is in his mid teens and is looking them in the face and mocking them yet still understanding his perdicament.
5) My least favorite character in the book is Desmond McCain. Desmond McCain was my least favorite character because primarily of his just pure evil intent. Charities really help people and show how how the human spirit is full of goodness and then to go make a fake charity and take people's money putting so many at risk and just for a paycheck when someone in need could really use that money it's just awful. Also he is a killer he has no regard for life he just wants towson through life defrauding people and then if you try and end that they would become a target for doing the right thing for example Harry Bulman gets some information from Alex and tries to release it he is killed by Desmond.
6) My prediction is that the book is going to end with Alex Rider finally escape from the sight of a Desmond McCain and get back to his headquarters at MI6 and regroup form a new plan pick up some gadgets and then return and capture Desmond and save the world from evil once again.

Isobel Morrison

Isobel Morrison
Out of my Mind
Sharon Draper
Realistic Fiction
Just Right
Just Finished

1)  The ending of this book really surprised me a lot.  Melody has a photographic memory and she is the smartest girl in the whole entire school.  There's a little problem to that because no one knows that.  Most people,  her teachers and doctors included,  don't think she's capable of learning, and up until recently her school days consisted of listening to the same preschool-level alphabet lessons again and again and again. If only she could speak up, if only she could tell people what she thinks and knows . . . but she can't, because Melody can't talk. She can't walk. She can't write.  Melody was born with a physical disability called cerebral palsy and being stuck inside her all day is driving her crazy out of her mind.  She soon discovers something that will help her speak for the first time but not everyone at her school is ready to hear it.  Her school hosts this big knowledge competition each year that everyone gets really excited for and its Melodies dream to compete.  She practices and practices but its really hard to try with a lot of negative feedback from her classmates and peers.  But not expectantly she came out with a win and won the whole competition. 

2)  I really enjoyed this book a lot.  I enjoyed it because the story line you thought was predictable but it turned out that it wasn't at all.  What I mean by this is that one minute you would think that you would know exactly but as you kept reading you realized you were completely wrong and it would be a totally different problem.  I like how all of the characters in some way have the same personality.  Melody is really sweet and will do anything to just have a friend that will respect her for who she is and not what she looks like.  Rosie is the only person who actually talks to Melody and she really appreciates that.  Rosie is really sweet just like Melody.  One of the main reason why this book intrigues me is because I love sad books that dig into the reality of life and this is pretty much what this book is based upon.  This is a new author that I have never read before I would like to read more books by this author.

3)  There are many themes in this book but the one I notice the most is accepting.  I notice the theme mostly in the characters actions and the conflicts that happen in this book.  Melody has to learn how to except herself throughout the whole book.  She has to learn to except her physical restrictions the most.  Being immobile and not able to talk is really hard to cope with during the duration of life's challenges.  People at school have to learn how to accept Melody or not accept her kindly.  I have noticed that this book has also been about the many daily challenges and also in reality.  People to accept other people that may have different disabilities.

4)  My favorite character is Melody.  She is my favorite character because the fact the she believes in herself and has just as much confidence as anyone other regular person.  I think the that problems that she encounters throughout the story definitely made her a stronger person.  She is one of the sweetest characters in the whole entire book.  She looks at every thing in a positive way like a pessimist.  

5)  My least favorite character is Rosie.   Although Rosie is really sweet there is a part in the book where she has to decide between hanging and being with melody or keeping her reputation and hang with all the popular kids.  I think that just because Melody has a disability is why the kids at her school don't give her a chance to be a normal kid.

6)  At the end of the book I though that Melody wasn't going to win her competition at all.  But, through all her practicing she did win and that made her so happy.  Then Rosie finally realized that who cares what other people think of Melody, she is an awesome friend that she should have never given up.  I think something that foreshadowed it a little was how hard Melody was practicing to help her and how mcuh devotion she put into it.

Kate Sinclair

Kate Sinclair

The Fault in Our Stars

John Green

Realistic Fiction

Just Right

115

1. I am currently reading The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. The book is about Hazel Grace and her struggles from cancer. She carries an oxygen tank around with her and often takes visits to the hospital. Hazel however is comfortable with the situation about her oxygen tank even letting young children ask about it and once use it for a bit.  She has just started to go to a support group at a church nearby with other teens who have cancer or have experienced it. She has created a friend named Isaac who had cancer but as an affect is going to have eye surgery and will soon be blind. The next support group meeting while they are all in a circle Hazel notices a boy who never had been there before was looking at her. Before everyone goes up the stairs and in the elevator to the sanctuary he stops her. His name is Augustus Waters and is Isaacs’s friend. Augustus had Osteosarcoma a year ago but was mainly there to support Isaac. After talking they planned for a date the following day.  That one date came to seeing each other every few days.  They both share the hobby of reading and when they get the email address to their favorite author they write to him about why he only wrote one book. When he replies to Augustus it’s a simple answer saying he just wanted to travel and enjoy the world but when he replies to Hazels he invites her to talk about it in Canada. When she asks her mother for the money to visit her favorite author and her mother says no because of the money and that she would need a nurse or herself to come along with her. When she tells Augustus he asks about her one wish. The wish is an organization that gives every child who has cancer or had it one wish when asked. Since Hazel has already used it on a trip to Disney at twelve Augustus offers his wish but will Hazel except?

2. I think this book is really good but also extremely sad at some parts. I have never really read a book about cancer before and it’s really hard to read. The struggles she go through are in such detail that it is upsetting and makes me just hope there is a happy ending. That also makes me not wanting to put it down because I want to make sure the ending is happy. Also Hazels personality is so sweet it keeps me routing for her the whole time and hoping that she will be able to meet the author and also for her to be able to stay alive . I enjoy that this book is very real and does not try to cover up reality.

3.  I think the theme of this book is Sacrifice. I think this theme is shown mainly with the teens at the support group like Isaac having to go blind to stay alive and same with Hazel with her oxygen tank. Many of the people in this book have to give up things to survive. Also Hazel has to sacrifice her education to stay healthy and alive so she is far behind.

 4. My favorite character is Augustus because he is so kind and he is great friend to Isaac. Even though he no longer has cancer he still does so much to help raise money for organizations to being around cancer patients.  He is so kind to Hazel telling her that she is beautiful every day and to not be ashamed of her oxygen tank and telling her how great she is. He is extremely confident and can start a conversation with anyone I like how social he is and how he respects others so much.

5. My least favorite character is Monica, Isaacs’s girlfriend or currently ex girlfriend. Monica broke up with Isaac right before Isaacs’s surgery. She had always told him it does not matter if your blind or not and that she loved him. I thought that it was so horrible for her to do right before the surgery. Now he thinks that nobody will ever love him after he’s blind. She is not honest and decided this the day before instead of letting him no she could not handle being with him if he was blind a long time ago. They were the couple who would always say “always” like they would love each other for ever. I could not believe she could turn on him so fast that is just so horrible.

6. I predict that Augustus will give his “wish” to Hazel and that eventually she will accept. I also think her mom will eventually let her go because she loves her and wants to make her happy. I also think that Monica and Isaac will get back together even though I think what Monica did was rude I can tell that they love eachother and I think blind or not she loves Isaac .

Justin Sullivan

Justin Sullivan
Pool Boy
Michael Simmons
Realistic Fiction
Holiday
98

1)         Right now in Pool Boy, by Michael Simmons Brett Gerson just quit his job at a fast food restaurant because he dislikes the boss. He was forced into getting a summer job after his father was arrested and fined $10 million dollars by the government. Then Brett’s old pool cleaner Alfie offers him a job at Alfie’s Pool cleaning service he eagerly accepts the job. Soon he realizes that life is not all about money and starts to see more in life.

2)         I think that the book is very good I like how it is in 1^st person. It is from Brett Gerson’s view some parts are relatable while some parts are not. The book is very exciting and action packed, some examples are when he his dad gets arrested and when he quits his job. These are the reasons I love this book.

3)         I think a big theme in this book is maturing because throughout the whole novel Brett is maturing.  After Alfie tells Brett about his daughter and never getting to see her Brett drives to his dad’s jail and tells him he’s sorry for treating him badly and Brett’s father apologizes too.  He also matures on his birthday he knows he won’t be getting a new car but he does not complain.

4)         Alfie is my favorite character he is old but very active he is always running around and crazily driving his van. He teaches Brett a lot of important lessons about life and Brett really mature around him. He is very kind and gave Brett a leather jacket for his birthday. Alfie is never selfish and always lets Brett drive his van.

5)         My least favorite character is Frank, Brett’s best friend, he is selfish and immature.   When Brett gets the pool cleaning van and Frank knows that’s the best he can get he complains about driving in it. Also when Brett wants to throw a party at Franks house Frank objects and turns it into a birthday party for Brett knowing that Brett hates birthday parties.

6)         I think that Brett’s dad will get out of prison and apologize to Brett. Then he will get a decent job and support the family and rent a house until they can afford a new one. They will work their way up to a economically stable family.

Scott Nichols

Scott Nichols
The Kill Order
James Dashner
Science Fiction
Just Right
155

1. Right now in The Kill Order, the group of Mark, Trina, Alec, Lana and Deedee is moving towards the presumed headquarters of the people who shot the virus at their village. While traveling in the forest, they hear chanting not far off. Mark and Alec go to investigate, leaving Trina, Lana and Deedee behind. Once Mark and Alec see who is chanting, the people singing and dancing capture them from out of nowhere. They put nooses on Mark and alec and drag them towards their fire, when their leader, Jedidiah, stops them. After ranting about how the Demons destroyed the world by scorching it and giving everybody the disease, Mark decides Jedidiah has the virus as well and is insane. Suddenly, a second group of insane people come out and attack, killing Jedidiah, and starting a massive battle between the two groups. During the confusion, Mark and Alec take off their nooses and escape, but a group of the insane people caught on fire and started a forest fire. They ran in all different directions to escape the flames, and once they did, they found their camp abandoned. After searching for awhile, Alec noticed a trail of blood, and three groups of footsteps that looked like they belonged to Trina, Lana and Deedee. Eventually, Deedee's tiny footsteps dissapeared, leaving them to wonder what happened to her. The trail led to a canyon where the footsteps ended, and after searching it for a little while, Mark and Alec get ambushed.

2.  I think this book is good, but not great and certainly not as good as the other books in the series. The new characters are pretty bland and haven't been properly introduced, even though their bond is incredibly important. Another problem is that I already know the answer to the whole mystery behind who shot the virus and what it is because this is the prequel. It is also poorly written and at times painful to read because of how it is assumed you know exactly what is happening and because the grammar can be terrible at times. However, there are cliffhangers at the end of every chapter, adding a lot of suspense, the action is great, and it's fun learning about what happened right after the sun flares.

3. I think that a theme in this book is survival. This theme is in both the plot and the characters.The whole book is a group of people trying to survive after a horrible disaster that nearly destroyed the human race. Then, to add on to their troubles, a man-made virus that had terrible, unexpected side-effects is eating away at those who remain after the flares. The people of Earth are now doing everything they can to survive, and that is all that they are focused on, including the group that are the main characters. Now with the threat of Cranks and the contagious disease that plagues them, the theme of survial is heightened even more.

4. My favorite character is Trina. She is probably the nicest person in the group and keeps them together and not at each other's throats. While she is also the kind one in the party, she can also be serious and is probably the most driven of all of them. She witnessed first-hand the events of the sun flares and the distribution of the virus, alongside Mark, and wants to get revenge on the people who released the virus that killed three of her friends. She knows that they need to survive, and can be a valuable asset, along with being the friendliest person in the group.

5. My least favorite character is Alec. He is always taking command of the group, maybe for good reason considerin he is a retired soldier, and tends to make poor decisions. This is because of how reckless he is, always going on instinct and never thinking things through, and he is very temperamental, itching for a fight the second he snaps and gets mad. He also scolds Mark for the smallest things, almost exploding on him because Mark snapped a twig when they were trying ot be stealthy. Alec takes command because he was a former soldier and thinks that his age and experience make him better than the younger Mark and Trina, and only shows a tiny bit of respaect for Lana. He also has a cruel sense of humor and finds delight in the misfortunes of others.

6. I predict that the older characters will go on to become the next generation of WICKED, after the Purge that was mentioned in the previous books. I think Deedee will go on to be Teresa after the name change all Gladers go through, because she is immune, and given she is three, and the book happens thirteen years before the Maze Runner, it is the perfect age for her to be 16 during th eMaze Runner, and Alec may become the Rat Man, because they seem to have similar qualities. I think that they will go on to be the founders of WICKED, because at least four of them are immune, and the prequel probably wouldn't be about a random group of people.

Luke Martiros

Luke Martiros

Divine Madness

Robert Muchamore

Action

Just Right

42

1. Right now in my book, Bruce and Kyle are in the subway in Hong Kong. They split up in different directions trying to look for a man that might be involved with trying to plant a bomb. Bruce and Kyle are friends with the kid who could be the one who might plant the actual bomb. Kyle and Bruce suspect Clyde Xu is going to plant the bomb. Clyde is a friend of Bruce's, and Clyde is suspected to be a member of Help Earth. Help Earth is an organization that wants to make the earth a better place. That sounds good, but they only care about the environment, and not people. They have already been suspected of killing over 200 people and will continue to kill people if they are suspected of hurting the environment.

2. So far, I can't really tell how the book has been, because I am at the beginning of the book. But, if I had to rate it about the book so far, I would say that it is good. I think the author has portrayed what the mission that is trying to be accomplished. I think that it is really easy to understand whom they are trying to stop and what they have to do to stop them. I think that it is interesting that the author has not included James who is the main character in the other books in the series. I was expecting it to be James who would be the main character, but so far it has been spread around. I really enjoy reading books by Robert Muchamore, and I think I will enjoy this book too.

3. A theme in this book so far is self-awareness. I think that self-awareness is a theme because the characters have to be very careful about what choices they make and what things they say. If anybody on the mission, says anything suspicious, or does anything suspicious, the whole mission could be blown. Also, the characters have to be very aware. Anybody that they interact with on the mission could be enemies even their own teammates. If somebody comes up from behind the characters have to react fast enough to not be captured or hurt. But, it is easier for CHERUB campers because they go through intense training at their camp. If the characters lose their self-awareness, they will have no chance of a successful mission.

4. My favorite character so far is Kerry. Kerry is my favorite character because she has been on several missions before, and she knows what she is doing. She is a confident person, and is a leader on the mission. Kerry instructs Bruce and Kyle and gives them help when they need it. Also, Kerry is a very confident character and can protect herself and her peers. When a dangerous situation is at hand, she is always looked to for help. Kerry is willing to make her own decisions, and is confident with decisions she makes. I think that Kerry will lead this squad to a victory, and stop the bomb that will try to be put in place.

5. My least favorite character is Clyde. Clyde is my least favorite character because he turned on his family, is involved in a scheme to plant a bomb, and is involved in an organization that has killed over 200 people. Clyde hid the bomb in his sock drawer in his room, without his family even realizing. Clyde has betrayed his family in many ways, because he has been involved with the plan to plant a bomb and Help Earth. Clyde has probably lied to his family, which is a really bad thing. This lying now, will probably lead to future lying. He has bad habits now, and will probably have more bad habits in the future. I don't think that Clyde has any good side to him, and has made the future of his life a bad one.

6. I think that Kerry will lead this team to a victory on this mission, and stop the bomb from being planted. The team is made up of a bunch of smart and experienced campers and mission controllers. They will foil the plan of Clyde and Help Earth, and maybe find out more information about the elderly members of Help Earth that have been linked to many other things. I think that when the bomb plan is foiled, Clyde will feel very regretful and embarrassed. He will want to have lived a normal life, and will probably have a hard time talking to his family. They will feel bad for him because he will have to serve some time in jail. Clyde will have learned his lesson, and will grow up to be a successful person.

Ryan Sliwinski

Ryan Sliwinski
The Dealer
Robert Muchamore
Action/Adventure
Just Right
Just Finished pgs.300
1. At the end of the book our main character James Adams has gone into Meryl Spencer's office to have a meeting with her to decide what to do with all the stuff he has either stolen of cheated off someone. The items include clothes, trainers, CDs, an envelope with 500 pounds cash, and 5 PlayStation games. Meryl has asked him which charity he would like to donate these items to. James decided to a hostel near Luton that helps young people with drug problems, gets them off drugs, finds them jobs, and gets them into places like colleges and universities. He has also been told that he won't be sent out on any other missions this year because he's already been through two and has missed a lot of school.
2. This book was a great read for everyone. It was full of action suspense and adventure which in my opinion are very good to have in a book if you want to make it interesting. The book is never slow, or boring in any sort of way and it keeps you reading, really wanting to find out what happens next. Like when James was trapped and couldn't find a way out and was going to lose his cool but in the end calmed down and escaped the situation.
3. There are many themes in this book like good v evil, greed and downfall but one that I saw throughout the book was competition. I could see this when the agents were on missions together and tried to do the best like collecting the info the fastest and then taking down the bad guys so they could get promoted to a higher ranking t-shirt level. I also noticed it on the gang side of things when the different dealers were trying to sell the most drugs or kill the most people to try and impress there bosses and to look tougher than the other men in order to intimidate there enemy's.
4. My favorite character is James. This is because he is strong, athletic, smart, wont back down from a fight and courageous. He also relates to me in many ways like how we are both strong, athletic, and wont back down from a fight. He also he still kind of new on campus. He's been here for a year while lots of the others have been her for many years and I think that takes a lot of courage to stay the course and not quit or give up.
5.My least favorite character is Junior. Junior is James friend and the son of Keith Moore. I don't like him because he is a lazy brat who thinks because his dad is millionaire he is the best kid ever. I think he also has bad character and won't get anywhere in life except when his dad bails him out because he doesn't try hard to accomplish anything and skips classes and sometimes school which in the end wont benefit him even if his dad helps him.
6. I thought the ending would be exactly how it was. This was because I thought that in the end James would overcome any fear or anxiety he had and defeat the gang and slow down the selling of drugs in England.

Alex Martiros

Alex Martiros
The Dealer
Robert Muchamore
Action/Adventure
Just Right
142

1. Right now in The Dealer by Robert Muchamore, the main character, James Adams, a spy for the British Intelligence called CHERUB, is on a mission to arrest the biggest drug dealing company ever, KMG. James and his sister Lauren have just received a call from their friend and partner Kerry Chang and she tells them to go to the store Thunderfoods in the middle of the night. She doesn't explain why, she just tells James and Lauren over a phone call that she might have found something important. Kerry has already been in jeopardy of leaving the mission because she messed up so she asks James to not tell Zara and Ewart, their mission leaders. James is asked to bring his lock gun, which, surprisingly, unlocks locks, and can re lock them as well. And he is asked to bring beer. James questions this but Kerry begs him and says to hurry. James and Lauren do as she says and rush over. Kerry explains once Lauren and James are there that she suspects that tons of cocaine is brought into this factory and then packaged to bring to customers. James asks about the beer and Kerry says that they needed a cover up story if they were caught, and they were going to pretend to be drunk. They pour the drinks all over their clothes and James unlocks the door. They sneak around but don't find anything on the bottom level. Then, James sees a hatch that lead up to a secret loft in the warehouse. Kerry and James climb up, and Lauren keeps guard. Kerry makes a face that they found something, and indeed she did. They found machines that make the cocaine, and package it. There is much to discover still because they haven't found any cocaine yet but I bet they do in time. 
2. So far, I think it is one of the best books I have ever read. The book is never slow, or boring in any sort of way and it keeps you reading, really wanting to find out what happens next. I love the characters and how the author portrays them to the reader. What I mean is that the author makes you feel what the character is feeling and makes you feel connected to the readers. I also love the plot of the book. I love action and adventure novels, and this is one of the greatest Ive ever read. The author is pulling me into the book because he is making each part of the novel more suspenseful and more interesting to read. As the book goes on, the author makes you want to continue reading and find out what happens in the end. The book is also full of surprises so whenever one pops up, it makes the reader want to keep reading to find out what will happen next. 
3. A theme in the book that I have noticed so far is competition. Competition is a theme in this book because for one thing, the drug dealers are all trying to be the best business and sell the most drugs. Also even in CHERUB, the members of the mission are trying to discover the most information the fastest and be promoted to higher level colored t-shirts. The drug dealers are very competitive because they are trying either to impress their boss, Keith Moore, and sell the most drugs without being caught. Or certain companies in the drug dealing business are trying to beat KMG out of the running and be the top drug dealer company. There is lots of competition for who gets the top rank and most of the people in it are not afraid to do whatever it takes to be number one. The CHERUB members are competitive even though they are working together because they all want to be the one that gets the lead information. The one that breaks the case, the one that catches the crook. Usually members of CHERUB aren't mean to each other, but sometimes they can get on each others nerves, if one is bragging to another about something they did, or someone they found, and fights break out. But it is an unusual thing and settles down quickly. Basically the book is based on competition, for who is the best of the best, whether its dealing drugs, or catching the guys dealing drugs. 
4. My favorite character is Kerry. I think Kerry is very smart and very athletic. I also think she tries extremely hard to prove she isn't weak, because of her knee. A few years ago, someone smashed her knee cap and she had to put metal pins in her knee. She has never been able to move quite as quickly as she used to and it has bothered her ever since. I think it takes a tremendous amount of effort to have to try twice as hard as everyone else, ans still be one of the top in the group. Kerry is also very experienced and more than once has that experience benefited other characters in the mission. I can relate to her because I think she is the glue of the group, and a tomboy. I am less now, but when I was littler, I would fight to not put on a dress and never wear anything with frills. I also feel like I keep my friends from fighting at school, and I think she is the same way. Kerry is tough and doesn't show pain. I think she is one of the bravest people on the mission, even with her knee. Kerry has faith in herself, and that's what really makes her my favorite. 
5. My least favorite character is Junior Keith Moore. Junior is Keith Moore's son, and Junior is James friend. I don't like Junior because I just think he is lazy. I think Junior doesn't put enough time into life to actually make it matter and he is a spoiled brat. I also think that Junior doesn't care about girls at all, he just uses them. Juniors dad is a millionaire and he thinks he is the best. Junior also skips classes and leaves school to go to the movies or something else instead. That kind of character really turns me off. Junior isn't going to get anywhere in life. What I mean is that Junior slacks off at school, or doesn't go to school. I think Junior is a lowly, only caring about himself kind of guy, and its really a turn off of a character.
6. I predict that James and Kerry are the ones that catch KMG gang. I also think that Lauren helps catch them in some way. I also think that Kerry and James get together and become a couple. Another thing is that I bet Nicole gets kicked out of CHERUB for trying drugs. I am basing all of my predictions on that for one thing, you are not allowed to use drugs at all and if you do, you are kicked out of CHERUB. Nicole tries drugs, so I am assuming that she is getting kicked off. I also think that they cannot just put Lauren in the novel, take her out and not bring her back in. Also, James and Kerry keep getting told by their friends that they "fancy" each other. I know James likes Kerry but probably would never admit it to even himself. But if he knew that Kerry liked him, he would ask her out. So I am betting that is what happens. I also think that they catch the drug gang, KMG. I think this because CHERUB has do finally do something in the end, and I doubt they would let a mission go unfinished, especially if it was serous like this one is. 

Samantha Clancy

Samantha Clancy
The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins
Sci-Fi
Just right
Just finished
374

1) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is all about adventure. In the end there are only three people left  in the hunger games, Katniss, Peeta, and Cato. Katniss and Peeta are working together after they here the announcment that they can work together with someone who is from the same district. Cato despises them both and wants to win despretley.  He wants to hunt them down and win the games so that he will be rich and famous in his district, District 2. The odds are against Katniss and Petea because Cato has been training for the hunger games fir his entire life and Katniss and Peeta just got unlucky and had their name picked. When the Gamemakers send out the dogs to kill off one of the competetors Cato, Katniss, and Peeta all run to the cornacopia with the dogs right behind them. They all climb up to the top not knowing that the dogs will be able to climb it. As more dogs are aproaching Cato gets thrown off the cornacopiaand onto the ground with the dogs. Katniss and Peeta wait for the cannon to fire hoping that hey have just won the hunger games.

2) I loved the book The Hunger Games it is so intriguing and exciting. I read this book in two days because i never wanted to put it down. I like how all the characters have their own personalitys that really come to play in the book. The polt of this book is so well written its impossible to stop reading. By the end of the book you feel like you really know the characters. This author pulled me in because everything is so unpredictable.

3) I think that the theme of this book is sacrafice. This is shown many times throughtout the book. Katniss sacrifes herself for Prim. She sacrafices for Prim when her name is called at the reaping.  She also sacrafices herself Peeta, when she goes to get the medicine for him and could have died.

4) My favoriye character is Katniss. This is because she is so adventurous and strong. She might not always be fearless but she always overcomes her fears somehow. Katniss is so unique and coregeous throught this book.

5) My least favorite character is Effie. She is the hostess for the tribute of district 12. She is from and has so much money doesn't care at all that all of district 12 is starving and poor. She is so selfish an only cares about herself.

6) The ending was not what I was expecting. I wasn't expecting Katniss and Peeta to win, obviously I wanted them to win but I thought that Cato's strength would overpower them in the end. I also thought That no one was going to win because I thought both Katniss and Peeta woud die. I am glad that my predictions were not the case and that Katniss and Peeta won.

Paige Gallagher

Paige Gallagher
Waiting for You
Susane Colasanti
Realistic Fiction
Just Right
Just Finished (322)


1) I just finished my book and the ending was very good. In the middle of the book Sterling started getting interested in dating guys online. She told Marisa about this guy she's been IMing, the guy is much older than her and lives in New York. Marisa keeps trying to warn Sterling that not everyone is who they seem online, and tries to stop her. Sterling is convinced she's in love with him. When the two were talking she said that she would go after him in New York. He disagreed and said he would come to her, both decide to meet in a park. Marisa is worried about Sterling and follows her there just in case she needs help. Sterling sits on the bench and a boy from their school sits next to her. As Marisa is watching them she realizes that the guy sitting next to her is a boy from her school and was pretending to be an older guy from New York. Sterling gets angry when she figures it out and later tells Marisa about her day in the park. In Marisa's love life, she decides to break up with Derek because she realizes that he was cheating on her with his ex girlfriend Sierra. Nash is there for her after the breakup, and when she is with him she realizes Nash is the guy for her. Afterwards the two start to go out. In the very end of the book Marisa sneaks over to Nash's house in the middle of the night suspecting that Nash is the podcast DJ. When she walks in on him broadcasting she realizes it is him. After Marisa finding out Nash decides to stop his DJ'ing.

2) I really enjoyed reading this book. One reason I enjoyed it was because the characters were so life like. I loved how Marisa had an anxiety disorder. These are the kinds of issues teenagers go through and struggle with. I also liked that she explained how she recovered but then in the middle of the book she went through another time of anxiety and depression. The author did a very good job on touching the subject and explaining it but at the same time not making the book sad or too heavy. It made her seem real. Her character wasn't the perfect girl who all the guys like, she also wasn't the character that goes with the flow. Another thing I liked about the book was that Marisa plays in her school band. Which can sometimes be a stereotype for someone who is unpopular. In this case it wasn't a correct stereotype. Marisa wasn't the most popular but she had good friends that she surrounded herself with, which is the most important.

3) One theme I noticed was Faith vs. Doubt. One major place I see this theme is between Derek and Marisa. After class one day Marisa was walking in the hallway and she saw her boyfriend Derek talking to his ex girlfriend Sierra. She wasn't bothered by it at first, but as she got closer she realized they were laughing and Sierra was touching his shoulder, which isn't something you do to your ex boyfriend. Marisa struggled with this because she has faith in Derek, he asked her out and she said yes. But she doesn't feel right about letting it slide. When she tries to talk to him he says that they were just talking and that it was nothing. He sweet talks her and says things any girl would want to hear, so she believes him. the problem is, she doesn't feel right about it. Things keep popping up more and more between them. One example would be when one of her classmates mentions that she say Derek and Sierra come to and leave a party together. In the end doubt overcomes faith and she finds out it the rumors were true and that he would rather be with Sierra. Marisa decides to break up with Derek.

4) My favorite character is Sterling. She is my favorite character because she is a good friend. When Marisa was at her lowest point Sterling was right there ready to cheer her up and help her feel better. Another example would be when Sterling was aggravated that Marisa already had plans with Derek, but Sterling let it slide. If I were in her position I wouldn't have been as accepting. This is because Marisa blew Sterling off for Derek. Another reason I like her is because she is still happy even when neither of her parents care or are at home. When Sterling was little her Dad left and her mom is never home because her mom doesn't car enough. Even though she had gone through all of this she kept her faith and she kept herself grounded with good friends.


5) My least favorite character is Marisa's mom. This is because her mom cheated on her Dad. Her mom went behind her dads back and cheated on someone. One of the worst parts about this, is that the man she was cheating with she brought over for dinner one night, with her husband present. She never told her husband until he figured it out. At first Marisa didn't know about it. Once when Marisa was looking for something in her mom and dads closet, she noticed it looked empty on her Dads side. She dismissed the thought and kept going. Later on when her mom told her she got very upset. Marisa's mother explained that they had been disagreeing for a while and needed to separate for a little bit. Marisa suspected that this wasn't the full story, so she asked her mom if there was someone else involved and her mother said yes. When her Dad came back to visit she shunned him. Marisa was angry so she ignored him. But the truth was, that it wasn't her dad who was cheating it was her mom. Marisa felt terrible that she was so mean to her dad, she was even more angry that her mother would let her believe that it was her dads fault. I disliked her mother the most in this book.

6) The ending of this book was what I had expected. I predicted that Nash was going to be the podcast DJ. In the end of the book Marisa walks in on him in his DJ session, and he admits it was him the whole time. One clue that led me to believe this, was the fact that every time Marisa would listen she would say how much the DJ seemed to be saying everything she was feeling or how the DJ was relating things to her life. Over the past year Marisa had grown very close to Nash and told him all about her problems. Another clue that led me to believe the DJ was Nash was because in the beginning of the book it told us that he worked it the front office for credits. Every night the DJ was on he would reveal personal information about people that no one knew how the DJ could have gotten all this information. The ways Nash go the information was by listening to the secretaries gossip about the school in front of him while he would work in the office.

Mark McVeigh

Mark McVeigh
Divine Madness
Robert Muchamore
Action/Adventure
Just Right
Just Finished 386

1) I have just finished Divine Madness by Robert Muchamore, and after four intense missions, James and his little sister Lauren are on yet another mission as CHERUB agents. They are ordered to infiltrate a cult named The Survivors and determine weather or not they are affiliated with the group Help Earth. Help Earth is a terrorist organization that was introduced in the first book The Recruit. After being accepted and treated with respect in the cult Dana Smith, another Cherub agent that was sent on the mission, was put on a panel in which she had to help blow up an oil tanker. She then stopped the attack herself and told mission control about it. Using this information, they send in a group of soldiers to seize The Ark, the main meeting grounds for The Survivors. Due to their preparation and readiness for this kind of situation, The Survivors manage to shoot down a helicopter and kill allot of soldiers. A while after the attack the CHERUB agents and Rat, the son of the cult founder who desperately wants to leave, plan and execute an escape without success. They are captured and jailed in a room filled with young children. They then manage to escape after overtaking the person who had captured them and using a sewer system that they were informed of by Rat. When they eventually get back to campus, Rat is recruited as an agent and Lauren receives her black shirt.

2) I really enjoyed reading Divine Madness but it was not Muchamore's best work. The first three books The Recruit, The Dealer, and Maximum Security were much more interesting and fun to read. This was still a great book though. It was full of action packed scenes and it kept you turning the page. The fact that Help Earth and The Survivors were environmentalists kept me really interested as it is a very different approach to terrorism. Also I enjoyed the fact that the first time the soldiers attacked, they didn't win. I thought it was interesting that Muchamore made it so the good guys didn't always win.

3) The theme I noticed in this book was will to survive. In the end after the shooting James, Lauren, and Dana knew that they had to escape and get out of The Survivor's camp. After being captured and locked up, they knew that it was most likely the end of the road for them. They needed a way out and they did not give up until they found one. If they gave up they would have met futures that none of them ever saw coming.

4) My favorite character is James. I felt as though throughout the book he was a great leader and never showed weakness. He was always leading the group and knew what they had to do and when they had to do it. Also, when presented with the worst of situations, he always found the most ingenious way out of it.

5) My least favorite character was Joel Regan. She was the leader of The Survivors and was pure evil. She and her group brainwashed kids into believing in everything she says. She also leads them in attacks such as the oil tanker that Dana had to stop. I think that she is one of, if not the worst person that I have read about throughout the CHERUB series.

6) The ending of the book was great. I thought it was interesting how in the final attack against The Survivors, the agents were not there. This was a very different ending than I am used too but it just made me so much more interested. I also thought the general ending of it was very well written. I enjoyed how it took the agents two tries in order to escape successfully. The ending tied the book up really well and was a near perfect ending.

Daniel Yang

Daniel Yang
The Mark of Athena
Rick Riordan
Fantasy
Just Right
Just Finished 574

1. The ending of this book was probably one of the best endings of a book I have ever read. No wonder this series is my favorite and the author, Rick Riordan, is my favorite. I don't know any other author better suited for writing to kids my age. Many parts of the book were filled with great amounts of humor, even in tough situations. The characters were all well thought out, like in every single one of Riordan's books. The actions that built up to the endings were all amazing. The 7 children of the prophecy; Jason Grace, Percy Jackson, Piper McLean, Annabeth Chase, Leo Valdez, Hazel Levesque, and Frank Zhang were all spread out into three groups. One group consisted of Percy Jackson, Jason Grace, and Piper McLean. The next group consisted of Frank Zhang, Hazel Levesque, and Leo Valdez. The last group was Annabeth by herself, since she had her own separate quest, although her separate quest led to effecting the children's main quest greatly. Her quest had to do with the mark of Athena. After the book told about Annabeth getting into a dire situation with Arachne (a monster who used to be a mortal back in the Greek days who said her weaving was greater than Athena's herself, so she had a weaving contest with Athena and lost. She was punished for boasting that her work was greater than the gods by being turned into a half spider. This is because spiders 'weave'), the book switched stories to Leo, Hazel, and Frank's story. When they got trapped in a room where they were going to face death, the book changed to Percy, Jason, and Piper's story. After they were trapped in poisonous water that which even Percy, the son of the sea god, could not breathe in, the book suddenly explained how all the stories connected to each other starting with Percy's story, then to Leo's story, then to Annabeth's story. It gave me an 'epic' feeling while I read the book and could not put the book down!

2. This book is my favorite book after finishing it and I would give it a 10/10 no question. The characters were all funny, wise, and lucky. Annabeth, for example, tricked Arachne into building her own trap so she could escape. While doing so, she made Arachne make a fool out of herself in such a funny way that I could not help laughing while I was reading it. Another good example is Leo. He always makes jokes, even in dangerous/serious situations, maybe even by accident. He defends himself with jokes when he feels like people are bullying him. Despite the fact that he makes a lot of jokes, he is very good at working with machinery and smart when thinking about how to get out of tough situations. The characters work together to conquer the toughest ordeals in the book and just amazes me every time they do so. This author is definitely my favorite without any doubt after reading this book. Another reason why this author is my favorite is because I feel this way after reading everyone of his books. The plot just comes to life and surprises me all the time.

3. The strongest theme in this book is teamwork. There are countless examples of teamwork in this book. One is when Percy, Jason, and Piper are trapped in an exit-less room that is being filled with poisonous water. They work together to think of happy thoughts so that the cornucopia that they were all pouring their energy and happy thoughts into would shoot out huge amounts of clean and fresh water. This is suppost to cleanse the corrupted nymphs that put them there so they will live a happy life and let the Percy, Jason, and Piper go. A second example is when Percy and Jason are in an arena fighting with two giants, instead of separating from each other and fighting them 1 on 1, they stay together and keep one of the giants on the ground so they can work together to defeat the other one. Not to mention, they cannot actually kill the giants without working together with a god. Bacchus, the Roman god of wine and the Roman version of Dionysus (Greek), helped them out by finishing off the giants since gods or demigods cannot defeat a giant without the other one's help. I have not yet said all of the times that teamwork was shown, since there are just so many. The whole book is based on team work since the 7 demigods were put in a team so they can conquer the quest using teamwork.

4. My favorite character has to be Annabeth. Annabeth hilariously tricked Arachne into building her own trap so that she could take something that belonged to her mom, Athena, and get away. The Mark of Athena is a quest line that no child of Athena has ever, EVER conquered in history. It involves something that was taken from Athena a long time ago. Annabeth is the first child to defeat this quest. She cleverly passed all the trials in order to retrieving what Athena has lost. The first one was to find her way out of a room filled with ghosts that were summoning their leading to kill her with either fire or daggers. She cleverly pretending to be the "mother" of all who knows all. She was very lucky when she cleverly used the engravings in the room to guess their secrets to make herself look like she knows all of their secrets. Once the ghosts were terrified that she knew all their secrets, she caused the room to collapse and then she jumped out of the room, down a hole, and broke her ankle. She used what she could find to construct a makeshift cast for her ankle. Then she had to weave a bridge using some string she found to get over a large opening in the floor before billions of little spiders got her (all of Athena's children are petrified of spiders), and she did it very calmly. After all that, she still tricked Arachne and escaped with a broken ankle and distressed mind. Annabeth is the most clever character I have ever read about in any book.

5. My least favorite character is Hercules. He was suppost to be the great and heroic older brother of Jason since he is also a son of Jupiter, but he had selfish and rude attributes and didn't show any respect to Jason and Piper. He was known as the greatest, most powerful demigod in history but was a big wall in the main quest line since he found out that Hera gave them this quest. Hercules did not like Hera so before letting them pass into the Mediterranean Sea, he gave them a very hard quest. He told Jason and Piper to find Achelous, a river god who had one of his horns cut off by Hercules which became the first cornucopia. This happened since they challenged each other to a fight after wanting to marry the same woman. After Achelous lost, he has been depressed ever since. Jason and Piper were suppost to cut off Achelous's other horn and return it to Hercules. After they completed the quest, Achelous was even more depressed but they promised not to give the horn to Hercules, which they thankfully didn't since it was needed in their main quest line later. I wish Hercules had never been so uncooperative and a bad role model. When the book read that they were about to confront Hercules, I was very excited to see the might of Hercules and his greatness but he just disappointed me.

6. The ending was extremely unexpected. I would have never guessed that what had happened at the end would happen. I was appalled when I read it. Originally, I thought that Annabeth's quest would not be talked about until the next book. I was too focused on reading what was happening at the moment so I didn't make big predictions much, but I made small predictions on what would happen next. Not ones that would be farther into the story, like ones predicting the end. I am very satisfied with how the book ended because the people who were going to open the Doors of Death in Tartarus were finally depicted even though I thought it was going to be decided in the next book, The House of Hades (comes out next fall). But when they fell into Tartarus, it never said how they survived the fall (it didn't say IF they survived the fall or not, either, but that would be the absolute worst way for two of the main characters to die. I know that Riordan wouldn't write something as bad as that). I'm still curious as to how they survived. I'm glad that Nico, a son of hades that was saved by the seven demigods, talked to the other demigods about how he knows that Percy and Annabeth will make it because it made me very excited to read the next book and gave me hope that Percy and Annabeth will survive to open the Doors of Death in Tartarus.

George Chaudoin

George Chaudoin The Fear Charlie Higson Just Right Just Finished 1. I just finished The Fear by Charlie Higson. This bok is the third in the series and is very good. The series is about kids versus zombies but the catch is the zombies are there own parents and many others. They are bigger faster and stronger and there not playing nice. In the end Dognut and his crew just left the Natural History Museum were they are planning to find a cure fo the disease. Dognut found Brooke there and decided to go with them. Cournty, Who likes Dognut is mad because Dgnut has a crush on Brooke who is Courtney best friend. It makes her so mad since Brooke is so pretty and she is not. When they leave they want to go all the way back to the tower of london. In the middle of there journey they get trapped by about 20 sickos(zombies) and there is no way out. The wierd thing was that one of the mothers was using a knife and wearing sunglasses. That scared the kids because they werent supposed to be able to use tools. They made a valiant effort and when Dognut is saving Courtney the Sunglass mother stabbed Dognut in the side then courtney went down with him. Brooke took Dognuts sword and whipped it around in circles only killing a few but then a big group came and they were very good fighters came and got Brooke who had a big knife cut on her head from the mother. 2. I really like this book but even though it is a little gruesome and very violent it is still a very good book with all sorts of differrent things that a normal book would have. In this book it shows how kids really would act if they were in this situation not just saying they ran up and punched them in the gut. The also show how the kids try and start a form of government which is something I would see the kids today doing. Those are some main reasons I like the book. I would say that the characters also make me like it because I can relate to them. I also think that I can relate some of the characters in the book to people I know today. 3. I think the theme of this book is Survival. I say that because every day the kids are fighting for there lives and every day they dont know if they will make it to tommorow. I cannot really think of another theme because the book is just do focused on Survival which I think is a good thing because I do not like a book with many themes that I dont know the main one or if I even realize its a theme because the whole book is filled with them. Thats why I like a book with only one or two themes because I feel I have more of a connection with the book. 4. My favorite character in the book is Dognut. I say this because he is always think to himself about how he could of done that better and often feels guilty for what he did. He also always accepts the fact that he screwed up and never lets himself forget about it even though others have. He also is so very determined and never lets anything get in his way. I can see myself doing that but I also can see myself scampering away and hiding. So I like how I can relate but I also feel he is a different person. 5. My least favorite character in the book would be David. David is the "king" of buckingham palace and he is trying to litrally rule the new world and rid all of Europe of sickos and someday the whole world. He is very mean and always very bossy and whenever someone comes into the palace he never lets them leave and traps them there. He sits at the top of the castle and has srvent get him alchohol even though he hates it. These are the reasons David is my very least favorite character. 6. I liked the ending a lot but I also hated it in a good way some how. I love the great battle at the end but I dont like how everyone but Brooke dies. The thing is, is that I sort of saw that coming and I almost wanted it to happen for some reason. I do not know wht I wanted it but I almost felt it was neccisary for the big group to die because all the event in the first to book are supposed to lead up to this one and in the very first one The kids from Waitrose find a group of kids dieing and only one girl left, this girl was Brooke and that is how I sort of wantedit to happen just so the book would stay in line but just at you started to feel for these characters they die. That was the downside to this but I guess it needed to happen.

Samantha Clancy

Samantha Clancy
In Her Shoes
Jennifer Wiener
Just Right
120

1.Rignt now I'm reading In Her Shoes by Jennifer Wiener. This book is about Maggie Feller and her sister Rose. Maggie is a drop out of  high school with no job, no education, and no house. Rose is an intelligent partner at her firm. She loves her job, her boyfriend, everything... except sleeping on her couch, stealing her shoes, money, food, and anything in between Maggie has no determination or want for a job and skips every job interview thrown at her. When maggie starts taking Rose's money for going out to clubs and dinner with friends Rose is furious. When Maggie comes back home she apologizes and Rose forgives her once again.

2. So far I really like this book! All the characters have such big personalities that really make them unique. I love that with each chapter you just get pulled into the story and can't stop reading. This book really makes you think about how you can relate to each of the characters and how their lives are similar. The author really makes you think while reading this book and you have to read closely to make sure you understand every part correctly. I lust love how the author pulls you in more and more with each page, always making it more interesting. This is a new author for me but i will definitely read more of her books soon.

3. The theme of this book is sibling love. Maggie and Rose sometimes fight but it is obvious that deep down they really love each other and want to be here for each other. Rose showed her love for Maggie by letting her stay in her house even if she is not entirely happy about it she loves Maggie enough to give her a place to stay while she struggles. Maggie may steal and borrow from Rose but she always ends up sorry and willing to pay Rose back somehow.

4. My favorite character is Rose. Rose is my favorite character because she is so smart and always knows what to do.  I like how she always deals with Maggie no matter how hard the situation is. When Maggie told Rose that she had a job interview Rose drove Maggie all the way to New York. When Rose finds out that Maggie was actually there for a MTV audition she is angry at Maggie but hopes that she will do well. When Maggie gets a call back and goes in for her second audition she realizes it reading off of a script. Maggie does not know what to do because she has dyslexia and cant read well under pressure. When Maggie miserably fails the second audition Rose is there to comfort her while she is sad.

5. My least favorite character is Maggie. Maggie is my least favorite character because she is always stealing things from Rose. She is so dependent and cant keep a job and loses all her money in one night. Rose has to take care of her and doesn't mind because Maggie is her little sister and wants her to be alright. I feel that maggie just takes it to far sometimes when she not only steals money from Rose, but also from Rose's boyfriend Jim.  Luckily, they are able to get paid back but Maggie still be punished for stealing it in the first place.

6. I predict that Maggie will become a much better person and learn to stop stealing from Rose. I feel this way because Maggie has stolen from Rose much less and really appreciates that help that she is getting from her sister. I also predict that Maggie will by a house of her own or an apartment of her own so that she can show Rose what she is capable of. Overall i think that Maggie will turn into a hardworking person and follow in Rose's foot steps after staying with her for so long.

Kate Sinclair

Kate Sinclair

Star in the Storm

Historical Fiction

Holiday

101

1.  In Bonnie Bay in the British Colony of Newfoundland all non-sheepherding dogs have been outlawed.  Maggie is shocked and there is no way she will let the Rands shoot her dog.  To protect her dog Maggie thinks of a plan to hide her Newfoundland, Sirius.  Before Maggie leaves she feeds Sirius and makes sure nobody will be able to see her and Sirius. Maggie was clever not hiding Sirius in Beachy cove were others have. She knew the boats might be able to see the dogs and it was a long walk. Instead she takes Sirius out of sight of the houses towards quidnunc. Once she got to quidnunc she could look down on all of the houses including he own where three people were walking up to. When she got a better look she realized it was the Rands with a gun. After that she got even more determined to keep her dog safe. Finally she got to the cave were Sirius rolled around in. When it’s time for Maggie to leave Sirius keeps following her. Maggie doesn’t know if Sirius will be able to stay there without being found or if Sirius will disappear forever.

2. I am really enjoying this book even though it’s an easy read it’s always fun to read books that are simple. I can really connect to this story because I also have a Newfoundland just like the main character Maggie. I also share some of the same personality traits as Maggie like how caring she is and her determination. Also I this takes place in a small town like Sherborn which I can also relate to .I liked that there is not too much detail and there is always something going on so the book is never boring.

3. I think the theme of the book is isolation because most of the dogs have to be hidden alone. This is also shown with the owners of the dogs. This is a book were the quote “a dog is a man’s best friend’ comes in. The owners who spent a lot of their day with their dog have to now not see them for more than ten minutes. This is shown mainly with the children who spent a lot of their time with their dog playing with them after school to taking the dog to church with them. The town has become almost sad and down because of the isolation occurring and the cold weather which they could cuddle next to their dog to keep warm.

4. My favorite character is Maggie. Maggie is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in. She also is caring towards her dog and protects Sirius and goes against the law to save her dog.  Maggie is a good friend to Sirius always traveling to feed and take care of him. She also is funny always making her cousin Vera laughs. She is smart with her words always able to convince people and also overall a smart person being able to figure out a the best place to hid the dog talking about all of the nature and which routes are best to take. She is a not very wealthy and never complains just learns to deal with it which I admire her for doing.

5. My least favorite character in this book was Tamar Rand. Tamar’s family is the richest family in Bonnie Bay. There family gets what they want and almost rules the town. That’s how the whole law about all non-sheepherding dogs is not allowed. Their family does not like dogs at all and because of it they got to eliminate about half of the dogs of Bonnie bay. Tamar is always rude to Maggie such as making faces at her or adding rude comments about her dog and how she’s rich. In church she acts like she’s all that walking around in a fancy dress. Her overall personality is negative and a bit annoying leading her to be my least favorite character.

6. I think in the end of the book the non-sheepherding dogs will be able to stay on Bonnie Bay. I hope that the Rand family give in and turn out to be a nice family in the end and maybe even getting a dog. I hope that Sirius saves someone in the water, because Newfoundland’s are known to be water dogs. Maybe Sirius will leave the cave but to save someone and then also that way the non-sheepherding dogs will be able to stay on Bonnie Bay. I hope this book has a happy ending but not all books have happy endings.

Isobel Morrison

Isobel Morrison
Just Listen
Sarah Dessen
Realistic Fiction
Just Right
Just Finished


1.   At the end of the book, Annabel’s life still isn't perfect, but it’s pretty close.  Annabelle Greene was accused of having an affair with her best friends boyfriend by her best friend, Sophie.  When actually Annabelle was raped by Will Cash, Sophie's boyfriend.  Her life was already really complicated.  Her family was falling apart because Annabelle's sister, Whitney, is trying to overcome and eating disorder while her older sister is off making her way in this world and her former best friend, Sophie, hates her and isolates Annabel from everyone else at school. Except she meets this other kid name Owen Armstrong that also isolates himself from the rest of the school.  Owen is the complete opposite of Annabelle.  She is timid and afraid to offend anyone, even if it means lying to them or not sticking up for herself. Owen on the other hand is in anger management for his hot temper and is always honest to people, no matter what.  After bonding with Owen for a while,  Owen finally gets her to speak up about the incident that happened with Will Cash and they go to court.  

2.  I really like this book because I think the story line is very different from other books I have read.  The plot always had something exciting coming next in the book.  I felt that at some parts the text got very confusing and I would have to re-read it a couple of times.  The characters in this book all had really different personalities from each other.  For example Sophie is popular, mean, outgoing, and she doesn't keep things to herself.  Unlike Annabelle who is shy, nice, and keeps things to herself.  The author is pulling me into this book by adding many dramatic twists.  Like when Annabelle went over to Owen's house to help his little sister with a photo shoot...they kissed.  I was very surprised I didn't expect that to happen at all.  This is an author I have read before so I am very familiar with her material.  

3.  I think one of the many themes in this book is isolation.  I think this appears most in the characters actions and personalities.  Annabelle doesn't really chose to isolate herself from everyone else but Sophie made that impossible for her to reach out make friends.  Sophie isolates Annabelle from making friends and socializing with people.  Owen also chooses to isolate himself from everyone at school. That is how he met Annabelle because they were both outcasts and no one would talk to them.  Also Sophie isolates herself from Annabelle.  The former best friends now want nothing to do with each other.  Isolation occurs many times in this book.

4.  My favorite character is Annabelle.  She is the narrator of the whole so I got to know her the best out of all the characters.  although she has a very shy personalty she has a lot of things to say but keeps them to herself.  She seems very timid but I thinks she is really tough.  Annabelle has been through a lot but she still puts on a happy face.  

5.  My least favorite character is Sophie because she is a very mean person.  She hasn't let Annabelle even explain what happened or given her a chance to make it up to her.  Sophie goes and deliberately makes Annabelle's life way worse than it needs to be.  Sophie has kind of a rough edge to he but my biggest guess is that she is just insecure on the inside and doesn't know how to express that to Annabelle or anyone.  I think that it makes Sophie feel better when she puts other people down so that's why she does it all the time to Annabelle.

6.  I didn't expect Annabelle to go to court and actually have the guts to even to tell her parents.  I did expect her to date Owen in the end and that happened.  I feel like the author was foreshawdowing that they were going to go out at the end of the book.  

Jason Fisch

Jason Fisch
Th1rteen R3asons Why
Jay Asher
Realistic Fiction
Just Right
Page #232

1. In my book the main character, Clay is listening to the tapes of a girl who committed suicide named Hannah Baker. These tapes are given to the 13 people that she believes are responsible for her death.Just now Clay has gotten into his tape which Hannah says that Clay does not deserve to be on the tapes but she needs to tell a story about him in order to have everything after his story makes sense. Clay's story is about what happens at a party that they both go to. This also happens to be one of the only parties that Clay has ever been too because clay is a kid that doesn't go to any parties. At the party Clay and Hannah had their first real conversation. But then Hannah starts crying and tells Clay to leave. Clay leaves and Hannah is very sad after that. So clay feels responsible for her death, even though it is not his fault.
2. I thought this book was a great book. This is because it gave so much detail and it made it feel like it could have been a real story. One example is that Clay's mom is worried about him, and if he's OK. And I can relate to that as of this was happening to me my mom would probably be the same. Another thing that made it a great book was the amount of detail that was in the writing. For example, when they are talking about the tapes I can almost visualize what is going on, as if it were movie. 
3. I think the theme of this book would be facing reality. This is because Clay and everyone else on the tapes have to face the reality that they have something to do with Hannah death. If this was easy for them it would just be the theme reality, but since it is hard for Clay and the others to face this fact it has to be facing reality. 
4. My favorite character is Clay this is because seems like he would be a nice guy and he wants to know how he's connected and he has not tried to throw out the tapes. He is also the main character and my favorite character is usually the main character.
5. My least favorite character would be Marcus. This is because he doesn't seem to care at all that he is connected to the story. One way that he does not care is when Clay is going to Tyler's house, because he is a person on the tapes. Marcus says that they should throw rocks at his window. Also he leaves Hannah when she really needs a friend. 
6. What I think will happen next is that Clay will find out who else is on the tapes and who has the last tape. The last tape is a big deal because they are the one who has done the worst and they are the one who has to keep the tapes forever. 

Ryan Sliwinski

Ryan Sliwinski
Brigands M.C.
Robert Muchamore
Action
Just Right
Just Finished 431pgs
1. At the end of the book James, Lauren, and Dante had returned to the Cherub campus right when many of the other agents were leaving for a summer hostel. Lauren has gone into Rat's room to see if he wants to get back together which he does. As that was happening James went to talk to his girlfriend Kerry. Dante then went to help his sister set up her room on campus.
2. Overall I really like the book. It was full of action and suspense which is the only thing that I look for in a book that makes it good. Like when they are out trying to crack the case that they have been working on for months and they get into fights with the people they are after and then later on you don't know if they are going to succeed. But in the end when they do defeat them.
3. One them that I have noticed is Overcoming weakness. Like when all of them have to overcome there fears when they are on the job so that they dont screw up and blow the mission and possibaly put them in danger of detection and hurt.
4. My favorite chararcter is James. This is because he is strong and confident and a good leader. I also like him because he relates to me because he is stong and is confident person like when hes on missions and has to be strong and confident in order to finish the mission.
5. I dont have a least favorite person but I really dont like the Brigands M.C. motorcycle gang. I dont like them because they are terrible people who attack inocent people like dantes family and kill them for no reason other than personal gaines and for fun.
6. I think the ending is what I expected. I thought this because early on I thought that they would bring down the gang and in the end they did just that. One thing that lead me to believe this is that in most cases the good guys win so that lead me to believe that the good guys otherwise cherub would beat the bad guys a.k.a. the gang. Also when I learned Dante's parents had been killed I knew Dante would want revenge and he would get it.

Paige Gallagher

Paige Gallagher
Waiting For You
Susane Colasanti
Realistic Fiction
Just Right
54

1) Right in now in my book Marisa is starting sophomore year. She loves the beginning of the school year because its a chance to reinvent herself and start fresh. What she wants most this year is her first real boyfriend. She gets a assigned a project with her neighbor Nash. When the two were in elementary school they were best friends and were always around each other. Once middle school hit they stopped talking. Now that they are assigned a project together she can work at his house with him. Surprising they get along well. One day when they are working Nash asks Marisa about his love life. He asks her what to do if he likes a girl and doesn't want to tell her. Marisa suggests a note, when suddenly it hits her. Does Nash like her? She wonders if this is his geeky way of saying he likes her. Another thing shes wondering is if Nash is the podcast guy. Most nights at eleven someones voice comes on for a podcast show and he seems to know a lot of inside information about a lot of people in the school. The DJ's voice is electronically changed so Marisa doesn't know who he is, but she thinks she has a clue.

2) I am really enjoying this book. It has a lot of aspects to it, it has multiple things to think about. Unlike other books this story has more than one problem and more than one story line. I love how real the characters are. Marisa the main character isn't perfect. She's never had a boyfriend, she isn't the girl every one's jealous of. Also she has an anxiety disorder. She isn't your typical main character who is perfect and has everything she wants and ends up coming over her problem. The author is pulling me in as reader by adding an aspect of mystery. We don't know who the mysterious DJ is. She is also pulling me in by adding real life conflicts. One example is when she and her friend go shopping. Marisa tries 3 pairs of jeans and none of them fit her. Even though that isn't a terrible conflict, it still makes the characters come to life, and show how they run into the same problems a normal teenage girl would.

3) I think the theme of this book is Youth and Beauty. One reason I think that is because Marisa is very self conscious. She thinks her friend Sterling is prettier than her. Marisa thinks Sterling is easy to talk to and that everyone likes her. She can have a hard time excepting herself. Marisa also has an anxiety disorder which can make her worry about little things. Once she knows she can't and won't change herself, she learns to accept herself and realize her inner beauty. One reason I think the youth part comes into play, is because Marisa is still young. Finding out who she wants to be and where she wants to go in life. Her biggest problem is not having a boyfriend. Which may make her feel upset but it shows she still has her whole life ahead of her and has many more things to worry about.

4) My favorite character is Sterling. She is my favorite character because she is a really good friend. Sterling is there for Marisa when she has anxiety problems. I also like Sterling because she has the possibility to be popular and get everything she wants. Instead she sticks by Marisa knowing that even though she could be popular its not worth it because she has such a good friend. Another reason I like Sterling is because she is not cocky. Sterling is the kind of person that may not always be treated well or get everything she wants, but she is such a kind person she deserves it. One last reason I like Sterling is because she pushes Marisa, in a good way. Not peer pressure, but Sterling gets Marisa to talk to new people and take more chances. I think without Sterling, Marissa would have a harder time, which is why their friendship works.

5) My least favorite character is Sandra, Marisa's younger sister. She is my least favorite because she is very over dramatic. One example is when their family is having a guest over named Jack. When Sandra starts debating with Jack about nuclear energy, it starts to get heated. They are arguing whether it would be a good environmental choice for America. Once the arguments goes over the edge and they start raising their voices, Marisa's dad asks Sandra to go to her room. Sandra tries to talk back and refuse but he excuses her and sends her up. Under her breath Sandra mutters this isn't fair, as she stops away. As she reaches her room she slams the door behind her. I think it was very over dramatic, and rude of her in the first place to argue with a guest.

6) In the end I think Marissa will go out with Nash. One reason I think that is because it is unexpected. I think the author is leading me to this because in a lot of her books she finds a place for the reader to learn something. In this case I think she is trying to show not to let others judge you on your choices and to go with what you want. Not to let others influence your decision because it isn't 'cool'. One other prediction I have is that I think Nash will be the podcast DJ. I think that it will be him because it is so unexpected. Nash is described as a geek, and very shy. It will be a good plot twist to figure out it may be Nash. Another reason I think it might be Nash is because he might be shy but he can probably get a lot of information by hacking into phones and information for these secret broadcasts. Also he would be smart enough to know how to computerize his voice to make sure nobody recognized it.