John Fulton

John Fulton
Crocodile Tears
Anthony Horowitz
Action
Just Right
Just Finished

1) The book Crocodile Tears by Anthony Horowitz ends when the main character Alex Rider rolls out of the helicopter that he took to go capture McCain but he injures his ankle and is about to killed but then he rolls a gasoline barrel towards McCain and the explodes it with the explosive gel pen Smithers gave home. Smithers is the technology expert and creator for the British intelligence agency MI6. He then returns to London to heal from his injuries he suffered.

2) I loved the book this was awesome. The plot was clear and kept my interest and also never left me confused you never knew what was gonna happen because so much spur the moment things happened like Alex hurting his ankle or when Alex is dangling over the crocodile infested river and only hanging on by a thread. The book was tremendous. I would recommend this book to anyone who was looking for a great read.

3) I think the theme of this book was good vs. evil. I chose the them good vs. evil because I thought that this book is about the struggle of a good kid and good organization against against an evil force that being McCain and his organization which portrays the greatest evil in the world which is a cheating murderous group of people.

4) My favorite character in this book was of course Alex Rider. The reason I say this is not just because he is the main character and protagonist it's because the traits has. These traits include his honorablility, his courage, his smarts ,and his resourcefulness. The reason I say these is because he never kills anybody that he doesn't have which shows honor. Then when he is in the face of death like when he falls out of the helicopter he stays calm and uses his resource and his gadgets to defeat McCain showing resousefullness, smart. and courage.

5) My least favorite character in this book was McCain. The reason I chose him as my least favorite character was not because he is the main antagonist it's because of the traits he shows I the book just like why I chose Alex but for totally different traits. The traits shown specifically by Mccain are merderous, dishonest, and mercilous. I chose these because he shoes his merderous and mercilous nature when he killed Rahim. Then he showed his dishonesty when he faked his charity organization.

6) The end of this book really surprised me as a reader. The reason I say this is becausce when the rest of the book had many events spaced out in one big event but this all happened relatively fast. The helicopter landed and then Rahim was shot then Alex rolled out and killled Desmond McCain. This ending was still a very good ending because of the suspense leading up to it and the book overall as I gave already mention was great.

Kate Sinclair

Kate Sinclair

Point Blank

Anthony Horowitz

Action

Holiday

Just Finished 274

 

1) At the end of this book tension was rising and I didn’t know if Alex Rider, a fourteen year old super spy would be able to complete his mission it just got too complicated. At a Swiss boarding school on the top of a mountain and  extremely hard to get to children are dying and or coming back to their families different but looking the same Alex enrolls into the school to investigate . Except getting enrolled into this school is harder than it looks all the children there are from wealthy families that need to get an attitude change. The MI6 found Alex a “family” who were wealthy and would go along with the plan. Next Alex changed his attitude and got a new look, a fake earring and sloppy clothing. When Alex gets accepted and goes to the school he realizes this school is not just a school. The man running the school is a scientist who will clone the boy and then kill the real boy. The clone comes out as an overly polite smart boy but who has an evil side. His mission becomes harder and harder as the boys he trusted get cloned and are a whole new person now. Also that the school is a total trap and Alex has no way out.  Alex figures out that Dr. Grief, the crazy scientists plan is called the Gemini project and soon Alex could go through that process, cloned. Alex must make fast action he finds the real children kept downstairs and tries to help them escape but gets caught and now Dr.  Greif knows Alex Fried is actually Alex Rider. Next Alex is stuck in a cell with no food or water.  Alex uses his ear stud gadget to break out and save the other children. Dr.Grief not suspecting Alex’s escape was behind giving Alex time to get to the other children. He next got help and MI6 shutting Point Blank down.

2. I thought the book was really good and never lacking detail or excitement. I really enjoyed all of Alex Rider’s gadgets that were small and unexpected but made a huge help to Alex. The book was always full of suspense making me think Alex would never make it out and then he would do something crazy and unexpected to just barely survive. Also the book had a really interesting concept that I could not have thought of that made me wanting to read the book more and more.

3. I think the theme of the book was good vs. evil. I thought this was the theme of the book because it was the good Alex Rider and all of the non-cloned children against Dr. Grief and his employees and the clones. They all are trying to keep the secret of their cloning and become rich and powerful while the few boys and Alex have to fight for their lives. Alex has to figure out all of  the building and the different tricks and small little problems with the school to figure out the major problem.

4.My favorite character is Alex because he is always taking risks and is never afraid to try something out of the ordinary like make an ironing board ingot a snow board. He is also extremely smart figuring out all about the building and that the floors are identical and that he could find secret passage ways. He also has a good sense of people he could tell that after his friend was cloned he was not the same person and could tell that he got a bad vibe from  Dr. Grief.

5. My least favorite character was Dr. Grief because he was so evil he was so smart but instead of using that for good he used it to do horribe horrible things. He had this huge idea and got too indulged in having power that he started doing really bad things for it . He had no control and  almost went crazy. The way he treated people was not accepteble and he took advantage of people. He took advantage of his emplyes by threating death and also he would bribe them with money that he stole. He took advantage of the children by acting nice teaching them Latin and other subjects and acting as a mentor but really wanted to take advantage of them .

6. The ending was a bit of a suprise to me I thought that he was not going to be able to save the other children but eventually he did. I also thought that MI6 would not be able to find Alex or be able to help him because of the exotic location that is incredible hard to find and to get up to not to mention the horrible weather conditions. I was pleased with the ending however because Dr. Grief had everything figured out I didn't know how it would be able to stop with the Gemini project especially because he had clones of himself but im happy MI6 figured it out and that theres more books so I can figure out what Alex's next adventure will be.

Isobel Morrison

Isobel Morrison
The Carrie Diaries
Candace Bushnell
Realistic Fiction
Just Right
Just Finished

1) In the ending of the book, the protagonist Carrie ends up living her dream and moving to New York for the summer. She has always wanted to be a writer and now she is going to be enrolled in an elite writing program. She resolves the issues she was having with the main boy in her life Sebastian and said goodbye to her friends. The ending leaves the book open for a sequel, when Carrie calls a lady unknown to the reader when she has difficulties her first day in the city. Her bag is stolen, along with her money and all of her belongings. She does not know what to do, so she ends up calling this woman who lives in the city.

2) I loved this book. It was very relatable. With the protagonist being a teenage girl, she endures many of the issues that my friends and I have been going through at the moment and will be in the upcoming years. I loved reading about Carrie's dreams to live in New York and her issues with her boyfriend and then ex, Sebastian.

3) A big theme in this book is trust, and the meaning of trust. Trust is broken many times in this book. Carrie's boyfriend Sebastian ends up ruining their relationship when he breaks the trust by cheating on her with Carrie's best friend. Carrie can no longer trust both Sebastian and her best friend who she would have trusted with her life.

4) My favorite character is the "mouse". It does not state in the book why Carrie's girl friend the "mouse" has that nickname. She is very funny and wise. When Carrie goes through many issues and difficulties, the mouse is one of the only girls that Carrie can truly talk to and trust. She helps Carrie through her situations with grace and optimism.

5) My least favorite character in the book is Sebastian. In the beginning, I really loved Sebastian with his charm and romantic ways. Then, Sebastian breaks Carrie's trust when he cheats on her with Carrie's best friend. This made me hate him very much. I think that cheating in a relationship is one of the worst things that you can do.

6) The ending of the book was very predictable. Knowing that it has always been Carrie's dream to write in New York, it wasn't that crazy to find out that she ended up living there in the end. I also knew that this book had a sequel to it, so I wasn't surprised when the ending was very open for the next books.

Mark McVeigh

Mark McVeigh
The Lightning Thief
Rick Riordan
Action/Adventure
Hard
Just Finished 384

1. In the book he Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, Percy is off on an adventure to recapture Zeus' lightning bolt. Percy is the son of Poseidon and a mortal woman making him a demigod. Being a demigod Percy is sent to a Half-Blood camp to learn how to control and use his powers properly. During this time, Zues' lightning has been stolen and he believes that it is Percy that has stolen it. Percy then sets off on an adventure to the underworld to reclaim Zeus' lightning bolt and restore his families name. After a treacherous travel through the underworld Percy finds the bolt and has to fight Ares to obtain it. He then travels to the Empire State Building to return the bolt to Zeus and clear his name. At the end of the book Luke, Percy's camp counselor, reveals that he stole Zeus' lightning bolt and attempts to kill Percy and fails. Luke did not do this by himself he was overtaking by Kronos and forced into his actions.

2. This book was full of action and really interesting to read but really hard to follow. The amount of gods and goddesses and demigods there are in Greek mythology is overwhelming and is even more overwhelming when put into a story. I had a hard time following who was who and their role. Although it was hard to follow, it was extremely entertaining and I would recommend the book to everyone that can follow a complex book.

3. The most predominant theme in The Lightning Thief is identity. To be more specific throughout the book Percy is trying to find his identity and know just who he is. Being a demigod he has the troubles of being human and being a god at the same time. At the beginning of the book Percy had no idea he was the son of Poseidon and thought he was just like any other kid. Then as the book develops he learns more and more about him and his family.

4. My favorite character is Percy. This is because he is brave and willing to do things most others would not. He also tends to keep a good attitude upon things and has a great sense of humor even if it is the worst of situations. Percy also does not let fear get in his way of the things he knows he needs to get done.

5. My least favorite character is Kronos. He is a brutal man even though he never actually appeared in the book as a person. He overtakes Luke and leads him to steal Zues' lightning bolt which sets fire to the whole adventure that Percy goes on. He also does thing such as lure Percy into the underworld. He was cast out by Zeus years ago and I think he wants his revenge badly.

6. The ending of the book was great. The last person I thought to steal the bolt was Luke. Although it was Kronos that made him do it I was not expecting it to be him. The ending also gave a really nice wrap up to the book. It was fast paced just like the rest of the story and it answered questions you had throughout the whole book and left you with even more.

Daniel Yang

Daniel Yang
To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee
Realistic Fiction
Just Right
89

1. It has just passed Christmas time in my book. Scout and Jem both got air rifles for presents. They spent their Christmas with relatives such as Auntie Alexandra and Uncle Jack. Auntie Alexandra feels like Scout swears too much and is tom-boyish. She also thinks that Atticus, Scout and Jem's father, is not raising them very well. For example, she is blaming Atticus for Scout's swearing and boy-like attributes. On the other hand, Uncle Jack seems like the nicer relative in the family. But he is not too lenient. Scout seems to favor him. Besides the relatives, there was also a boy named Francis who is 8 years old. Scout and Francis were just talking then Scout mentions that she is going to marry Dill. Francis asks why and says that he is poor and moves from house to house. Scout disagrees but Francis explains that every so often, Dill changes houses and that's why he's only here for the summer. Francis then starts making Scout angry by calling her dad a nigger-lover. Scout tells him to stop but he doesn't and runs away. He hides in the kitchen and Scout waits there for him to come out. Later, Auntie Alexandra comes over and asks Scout where Francis is. Scout says that he's in the kitchen and Auntie Alexandra says that he knows that he is not allowed in there, then yells his name into the kitchen and asks why he's in there. He replies, saying that Scout is trapping him in there and won't let him out. This,  I think, makes Alexandra even more disappointed in Scout; I can imagine her giving Scout the evil eye.  Anyway, Alexandra orders Scout to let Francis out so she does. He taunts her again and she chases him outside. This time when she caught him, she punched him square in the face after he said it one more time. All the adults came over, comforted Francis, and scolded Scout.

2. I felt that the book had a slow beginning. Right now, the book is a bit more exciting with the house fire but other than that, the book hasn't been very interesting. Although, I feel like some characters have been very well thought out in the author's part. The others aren't very unique. I think Scout has the best characteristics. They are very unusual which is not a bad thing. I like how she is very curious about many things and tom-boyish. She is also very tough for her age, even if she was a boy. But Jem's attributes aren't as 'fun' as hers. He has the attributes of the average older brother. Although I could be just missing out on his characteristics. Atticus has maybe one 'fun' characteristic, he goes with the flow of life and just lets things happen because he knows it will fix itself, if it's bad, in the end.

3. A strong theme in this book is courage. Boo Radley has been treated very badly during his childhood and yet he still has the courage to go out and try to befriend the children. He constantly gives them presents as a sign of friendship. He even had the courage to go out into the streets and put a blanket on Jem and Scout during the fire. He knew he might've been seen but he still did it. If he was caught he could have been punished. 'Boo' had enough courage to try and befriend the children even if they only thought he was a frightening myth. This was done even after his inhumane punishment.

4. My favorite character is Atticus. He may only have one trait that I like but it is a very good trait. I like how he just goes along with what life gives him. He knows that swearing is a period of time that Scout will overcome during her age. He never strikes his children and he is also very to the point with them. When they ask him a question, he'll answer it no matter what. For example, when a child asks their parents about the birds and the bees, they just say something like the pelican dropping a bag with a baby inside it at the parents' room. I would imagine that Atticus would be strait forward with his children and just tell them; he'll tell them even if it might be inappropriate. His reason for being so direct with them is because if he doesn't, they'll just be curious until they figure it out - which is very logical.

5. My least favorite character is Francis. He may be important but he is very mean. Scout was being nice and asking him what he got for Christmas, and somehow he started talking about how Atticus is a nigger-lover right to Scout's face. Scout also describes him as a boring character, and I really don't like being bored. I don't even know why he started a fight with her. They were just talking then he started calling Scout silly for wanting to marry Dill since she didn't know he moved from home to home yet and started to insult her dad. Another reason why I don't like him is because he made Scout so mad that she broke her word about not getting mad at someone for insulting Atticus.

6. I think that Uncle Jack will tell Atticus that Scout only hurt Francis for calling him a nigger-lover after Scout made him promise not to tell him. His explanation for doing it might be because he thinks Atticus is so strait forward to his children and that they should be the same to their parents. I think that Atticus will then confront Scout to tell her that he knew that she would break her word at some point due to her age or an explanation similar to that. He will also tell Scout that she can tell him anything she feels necessary. Scout will then respect Atticus even more and so will Uncle Jack for being such a good parent.

Scott Nichols

Scott Nichols
The Kill Order
James Dashner
Science Fiction
Just Right
Just Finished (327)

1. I have just finished The Kill Order by James Dashner, and the ending was both sad and confusing. Mark, Alec, Deedee and Trina were on a Berg on their way to Asheville so that they could give Deedee to the PFC in the hopes that she could help make a cure for the Flare because she is immune to it. On their way, a man manged to infiltrate their Berg and steal Mark's Transvice, a weapon capable of making people disappear into thin air. Mark, after a chase across the Berg finds the man, who has been infected with the Flare and is insane. Mark tackles him before the man can shoot, and wrestles the man to the ground. Mark drags him to a window of the Berg which is cracked because of an earlier battle, and attempts to throw him out of it. However, Mark himself nearly falls out and is hanging on the edge of the flying ship by his legs, with the man holding on to his arms and trying to climb up Mark and back into the Berg. Mark decides to take a risk and he jumps down to a rung on the Berg, sending the man flying into the thrusters of the ship. After a short rest, the group arrives in Asheville, where Mark, Trina and Deedee jump into the building they were looking for, which contains a Flat Trans, a machine that can transport them to Alaska, head of the PFC. They let Deedee go through, just before the Infected enter the building. Alec, in one final sacrifice, sends the Berg flying into the building to kill the infected and stop them from going into Alaska and destroying the PFC. However, at the same time Mark and Trina, holding each other in one final embrace die during the collision, along with Alec. The Epilogue depicts the hero of the other three books, Thomas, with his mother before he departs into the Maze.
2. I like this book, but not quite as much as the others. The new characters aren't that well introduced, and three die in the first hundred pages, three disappear soon after that, only to have one of the three die and another get the Flare and forget everybody, including herself. Mark and Alec are the only true characters and both become pretty annoying. However, the plot is incredible and it's great seeing life in the eyes of non-immunes who are just trying to survive, as opposed to the other books.
3. A theme that I have noticed is sacrifice. All of the characters sacrifice themselves to let the others survive or to let Deedee get to the PFC. First, Darnell sacrifices himself by quarantining himself to prevent others from receiving the Flare, and then Alec must make a sacrfice and kill the Toad, one of his friends who went insane with the Flare. Lana throws herself into a fray of infected to let the others survive later on, and Alec must make another sacrifice and kill her to end her suffering. However, the biggest sacrifice is Mark, Trina, and Alec's at the very end of the book. Alec, in order to prevent the PFC from falling and letting Deedee help WICKED find a cure, sends his Berg into a building of Infected, and Mark and Trina, with a Flat Trans inside of it so that Deedee can leave and the Infected can't enter it and ransack Alaska.
4. My favorite character is Alec. He was previously my least favorite character, but after learning his story and the sacrifices he has to make, he becomes a much nicer, relateable and easier to like person. My favorite part of Alec is his determination. He would do anything to get Deedee to the PFC, and in his final moments, he was infected with the Flare, in incredible amounts of pain and was borderline insane, yet still managed to, indirectly, save humanity, by letting Deedee, who would become the Teresa of the other books, live and help Thomas and his friends.
5. My least favorite character is Mark. Mark is the main character, and while his character developed, he became progressively more irritating.While the thing that cause me to dislike him was because he received the Flare, he was still pretty immature and selfish even before that. Mark, twice, killed someone in a more painful way than he needed to because of his anger, and he even killed someone who was cowering and had already been beaten by Alec. Mark also wouldn't accept failure or insubordination, even though Alec was the leader of the group. He would get very angry at someone who wanted to do something that he didn't want to, and the only time he showed any tenderness was with Trina, his girlfriend, and even then, after she got infected, he went on a rampage because she didn't know who he was.
6. The ending of the book wasn't much of a surprise. Once the trio of Mark, Trina, and Alec received the Flare, it was obvious that they would all die in the end, and that Deedee would survive, because she would go on to be Teresa. What did surprise me was that the ending was even sadder than I expected. Mark's final goodbye to Alec was very sad because they had been through so much together, and I really liked Alec. But the final ending of the story, with their deaths seconds away was heartbreaking. Trina, who was infected with the Flare and forgot who Mark was for awhile and didn't love him, remembered who he was with seconds left to live. The two embraced and died together, with the final word of the book being Trina's realization of who he was, when she says "Mark." The Epilogue was also sad, because it showed Thomas leaving his mother to enter the Maze, and the two experience great anguish.

Justin Sullivan

The Outsiders

S. E. Hinton

Realistic Fiction

Just Right

Just Finished

1.)    I just finished the novel The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton a book about rival gangs. Ponyboy 14 years old, a member of a gang, and living with his two other brothers is not the typical teenager. One night when he is walking home with his friend Johnny and they are ambushed by a rival gang and out of fear for his life Johnny stabs an enemy. Everyone scatters and Ponyboy and Johnny hide in an abandoned church a week later they decide to leave right as they are leaving the church catches of fire with kids inside Ponyboy and Johnny run inside and save them. They are suddenly turned from juvenile delinquents to famous heroes.  While saving the kids Johnny suffered a severe burn and died a week later. Then Dally another member of the gang, is shot while robbing a grocery store. Ponyboy had lost so many people that were close to him including his parents.

2.)    I really enjoyed The Outsiders, you read the whole story from behind Ponyboy’s eyes I like it that way. The whole book had a lot of details and each of the characters were very different from each other, Ponyboy describes all the characters and you can relate to each of them in a different way. The plot of this novel was very well thought out and in almost every chapter there was a surprise. The book was never slow and very enjoyable to read. I rated it a 9 out of 10. I highly recommend this book to everyone who likes action and suspense.

3.)    I think the theme of this book is revenge throughout the whole book the gangs are getting back at each other even if the y didn’t do anything the gangs would still beat each other up and stab each other. There were other themes like friendship and trust but the biggest theme was revenge.

4.)    My favorite character was Ponyboy even though you think he is a thug or a hoodlum you soon realize that he grew up without any parents and had to fight for his own. He was also very relatable in some parts of the book he makes good decisions in times of need. Also something I really like about Ponyboy was that he always stood up for his friends and wouldn’t back down from a fight. He was very brave, courageous and always knew what to do.

5.)    My least favorite character was Johnny’s mom even though you rarely heard about her in the book I did not like her for one bit. Johnny always told the rest of the gang that his mom yelled at him and hit him. He always thought that his mom hated him and he was scared of her the only time she came to see Johnny was in the hospital. Even when Johnny was dying he did not want to see his mom when he heard that she was coming he passed out.

6.)    I did not expect the ending to be how it was when Johnny died I was surprised but when Dally was shot I was astonished by the ending. I thought that Johnny was going to survive and they would stop being in the gang. I had no idea that Dally would be shot and die that caught me off guard. The ending really summed up the book and I don’t think it could be any better.

Ryan Sliwinski

Ryan Sliwinski
The Hunger Games
Suzanne Collins
Action/Adventure
Just Right
pg. 138
1. Right now in the book Katniss and Peeta are on there last night in the capital before they head to the arena. The arena is a place outside the city with some specific kind of terrain. They and 22 other contestants will have to fight each other in order to survive. On there last night they have a big dinner in order to try and fatten up for the arena incase there is little food. When they go to bed Katniss has a hard time falling asleep so she goes to the roof to get some fresh air to clear her head. When she gets to the roof of the building there staying at she finds Peeta already up there watching the crowds parting down on the streets for the start of the games. After about and hour of talking about there feelings, strategies, and goodbyes they both go back downstairs and fall asleep.
2. So far in the book I think its very good. The author has provided a lot of detail to keep me up to speed and informed. She has also given lots of detail about the characters so I know what there feeling and what the backgrounds were like and how they come back to haunt or help them. The author has also been leading up with a lot of suspense right to this moment so I cant wait to see what happens next.
3. One theme that I noticed was overcoming fear. I noticed this many times in the book like when Katniss overcame her fear of the games and volunteered herself to take her sisters place in the games to keep her safe. I also noticed it when she faced her fear of the capital and took a stand by almost eating the berries that would kill her and then getting them to save both her and Peeta.
4. Gale is probably my favorite character because he is strong, athletic, and smart. He is also a good friend of Katniss and when she goes to the games he takes her spot and helps to provide for her family after her father died.
5. My least favorite character is President Snow. I don't like him because he is the president of the Capital and Panem. I also don't like how he treats his subjects because so many people especially in Katniss district die because of disease and lack of food and he wont step in and help. Also he enforces The Hunger Games which also kills more innocent kids just for the entertainment.
6. My prediction for the rest of the book is that both Katniss and Peeta survive the game sand come home heroes. I also think they will become lovers while in the games. So far the author hasn't given me any clues to this so this is just a guess I came up with.

Alex Martiros

Alex Martiros
The Fall 
Robert Muchamore
Action/Adventure
Just Right
Just Finished 339

1. At the very end of the book, James and Dana save Ewart, a mission controller's life. It is accidentally, though. James suspected that Ewart was keeping secrets from James about James being suspended from going on missions and James and Dana go and try to find out why. They end up in a parking lot with a gun pressed to Ewart's head, who they were following. James and Dana, because they are CHERUBS and black belted in karate, came in and handled the situation, keeping Ewart from dying at the hands of criminals. James and Dana get black shirts, the highest ranks for CHERUBS.  James really likes working with Dana. In the end of their mission, which wasn't actually authorized, Zara, Ewart's wife, takes them off suspension from missions, and Dana and James are so happy that they kiss. The problem with that is James has a girlfriend, and James sister, Lauren sees them. Lauren, who is good friends with Kerry, James girlfriend, rushes off and tells her. Now, because Cherubs are trained as black belts in karate, James knows that he will get a beating or hits from Kerry and is terrified. He hides in his room until breakfast, and then has to go down because he is absolutely starving. James sees his sister Lauren and rushes over. He asks how Kerry is reacting and Lauren says not very well. Kerry hates James guts and is coming to break his neck. When Kerry walks in, Dana walks in after her. Both girls start yelling at each other and James gets hit with Kerry's soup. The girls start throwing food around, and sooner than later, a massive food fight has started. The book ends with James coming to the realisations that one, two girls are fighting over HIM, and second, this food fight is going to make him a legend. 
2. I thought that the book, detail wise was really fantastic. The author added tons of details, some kind of gory, some made you grin, all of them made you able to picture what the author was talking about in your head. I think the theme in this book is very original, but doesn't have as much action as the other books in Robert Muchamore's series. That kind of made me not enjoy the book too much because I was expecting more action and more suspense than there actually was. But, other than that , the book was really good. The action that was in the book was very well written and every chapter ending made me want to keep reading on. The author was pulling me in and pulling me out, but mostly pulling me in. This is because most of the time, there was something going on that was interesting, but sometimes it seemed like the author was writing things just to fill the pages up. But other than that, the book was superb.
3. A theme in the book that I noticed was the ability to be tough. I have noticed this theme through a variety of characters. One person who I have noticed has the the characteristic toughness is James, the main character. First, James is stuck in Russia alone and his team members are dead. He is our age and has to get out of Russia, even though more than half of the city is looking for him, and not to offer him their well being. They think James has killed one of the most respected people in Russia, and most of the city is out to get James. There is a reward for his capture, and traitors to Russia usually are beaten or end up dead. Another reason why toughness is a theme in this book is because Bruce and James have to help this little cherub named Kevin get over his fear of height's and the only way to make him conquer his fear is to be super mean and force him to do something with heights. James and Bruce end up having to push Kevin off the edge of a small building, and make him do the obstacle course with the height. That is the only way for Kevin to get through basic training but James feels like a huge bully because Kevin is so afraid that he is crying and begging them to stop. Eventually Kevin realises that the only way for them to stop being mean to him is of he conquers his fear. Kevin jumps off the building voluntarily and makes it all the way through the obstacle course, even though that is his biggest fear. Kevin was tough for conquering it and Bruce and James were tough, although not by choice, to Kevin so he could make it through basic training. Those are only a few examples, but like all the cherubs are taught to say, "This is tough, but CHERUBS are tougher! " 
4. My favorite character is Dana. Dana is my favorite character because I think she is a LOT like me. Dana doesn't care what other people think about her. If her hair is super messy, she doesn't care. If her clothes aren't in style, she doesn't care. She is super independent and brave and loyal to her friends. Dana is independent because she doesn't need fifty girlfriends standing around gossiping, or clinging to each other. She is perfectly fine being alone, and doing her own thing. She is also an independent thinker, so even if someone tells her to do something, she thinks it over and makes sure there isn't a better option. Dana is brave because she has been on a lot of missions for CHERUB and she and James are black shirts, which is the highest CHERUB ranking. Dana has a lot of the same characteristics as me so I can really relate to her.
5. My least favorite character is... well in this book, I liked almost all the characters. The only character who I didn't enjoy was Ewart. I didn't enjoy Ewart because he lied to James and almost got himself killed in the process. Ewart lied to James about James not being able to go on missions because Ewart had enough evidence that he could have protected James, but he didn't. Until I found the reason why Ewart lied, I thought it was dirty, underhanded, and unnecessary. Even though I liked Ewart as a character before I knew that he lied, I was extremely surprised to find myself agreeing exactly with the book. Once James did not like him, I did not like him and I was shocked that I treated the main character as someone in real life that I would listen to, and try to follow. 
6. The ending was not at all what I was expecting, but my view of how it might end changed throughout the novel. At first I thought for sure the ending would be still based in Russia and in James escaping. But then once I read the middle, I thought for sure it was going to be all about Lauren and here mission helping the orphan and the mission about human trafficking. And then when the ending did come, it almost let me down a little bit. The ending was so anti climatic compared to the rest of the novel and the character's journeys that it was a disappointing ending. The one clue that I think the author gave was that James and Kerry had been fighting a lot and it was time they broke up, so I am not surprised that they did. 

Paige Gallagher

Paige Gallagher
The last little blue envelope
Maureen Johnson
Fiction
Holiday
79

1) In my book Ginny is starting to leave for Paris. In the last book Ginny received 13 letters from her aunt with money and a plane ticket to England enclosed. In the following letters were tasks that her Aunt wanted her to complete. The odd part though was that her aunt died a little while ago. In her memory she decides to take Aunt Pegs challenge and travel through Europe this summer. The twelfth envelope led her to Greece. As she arrived after a long travel over Ginny and her new friend Carrie decide to go swimming. They also brought along Carries two friends Emmet and Bennett. The two boys were so tired they fell asleep on the beach on top of their backpacks. When Carrie and Ginny get out of the water their backpacks are gone but Emmet and Bennett's are still there. Both girls are concerned because Ginny's backpack contained the 13th and most important letter. Leading into the sequel, Ginny receives an email from a man back in England. It says he found her backpack and will help her follow the last letter. She packs up and heads to England. When she finds him there he explains that the last letter contains instructions to receive a painting of her aunts. Oliver and Ginny both know the paintings are very valuable. Oliver is a poor Englishman that knows in the past the envelopes told Ginny to sell the paintings, he also knows they sell for a large amount of money. He makes a deal with Ginny saying that he will help her gather the pieces of the last painting, if Ginny splits the profit of it. She has no choice but to agree, so she heads off with Oliver to England to get the first piece of the painting.

2) I have really enjoyed this book! The plot is very unusual and suspenseful making it not like any other book I have read. One thing the other does that pulls me in as a reader is making the main character very realistic. Ginny is your average teenage girl. She has friends but she's not popular. Ginny's smart and receives good grades but she isn't a genius. Like any other teenage girl she has a difficult time figuring out what she should write about for college applications. Another thing that makes her very real is the fact that she is shy. She never liked to think outside of the box. One thing the author does that pushes me away as a reader is she makes some characters that are supporting roles perfect. Ginny meets a boy in England and his life is flawless. Nothing that the author has wrote about indicates that he has any real life problems.

3) One theme I have noticed so far in my book is the Great Journey. The way Ginny's aunt set up these letters were so that she would have to explore and fend for herself. In some of the places her aunt had her travel the letter didn't indicate where she should stay overnight. This forced Ginny to step out of the box and find her way. Not only did Ginny travel physically, she traveled emotionally. After she came back from her trip, she was much more creative and she learned how to be herself. Once Ginny was forced to do all of these things she learned how to apply that to reality back home. In my opinion even though everyone refers to her aunt as the crazy one and the one that no one ever knew where she was I think she was very smart. The way she set this up for Ginny was exactly how she planned it. There were mishaps along the way but that's what her Aunt wanted. She didn't want to see Ginny confused or upset, she wanted to see her finally be herself.

4) My favorite character was Richard. One thing I like a lot about his character was the fact that I didn't like him in the beginning. I thought he was one piece of the puzzle that was boring and uninteresting. As the story progressed he turned out to be very surprising. Richard was someone who was mentioned in one of the early letters. Ginny's job was to find him and ask to stay with him. In the end Ginny needed help getting back to London from Greece because her backpack with her money was stolen. She contacted Richard and he helped her get back. On the train ride back with Richard he confessed that he was her Aunt Peg's husband. Ginny's Aunt Peg, got cancer and that is how she passed away. Right before she passed she mailed the letters. The real reason she married Richard was for health benefits to help her with her cancer. The two did love each other but they were never the type to marry.

5) My least favorite character is Keith. He is a boy that Ginny met in England. The two had some sort of relationship. They never made it official because Keith knew that Ginny had to go back to America at some point. When Ginny travels back to London her two goals are to figure out why Keith isn't instant messaging her as much, and to get the letters back. One thing Ginny knows Keith likes about her is that she always seems to show up out of the blue. In order to win him over she doesn't tell him that she's coming back to England. What Ginny decides to do is bring him a Christmas present and just show up at his door. When she gets there he hollers out the window for her to come in. As she gets up the stairs he gets very confused. Ginny surprises him and just as the two are getting closer a girl walks in. Her name is Ellis, and Ginny assumes its Keith's roommates girlfriend. After a couple of minutes she realizes this is Keiths girlfriend and thats why he hasn't been online as much. I don't like that Keith played her on like that and didn't give Ginny a fair explanation.

6) One prediction I would make is that Oliver is going to want more from Ginny than just the money. One reason I think that is because he went to a lot of trouble going through all thirteen letters to figure out what Ginny's email is and how to get her to say yes to traveling with him. Not many people have enough time to figure out someones email based on 13 letters and then to contact them to travel across the world. From the moment Oliver was introduced as a character I thought he was very un-trustworthy. Even the email he sent her seemed very unfriendly. If he has the time to find a seventeen year old girl who lives in New Jersey he must have something else up his sleeve. In my opinion I think Ginny should try to do something to make sure she's protected from this sketchy guy thats traveling with her.

Luke Martiros

Luke Martiros

The Killing

Robert Muchamore

Action

Just Right

151

1. Right now in my book, James, Lauren and the other members of the mission are trying to become involve with a group called the Survivors. The Survivors are a manipulative group that tries to make you become a member of them. The Survivors might be linked to another group called Help Earth. Help Earth tries to keep the environment healthy and clean. If somebody hurts the earth, Help Earth goes out and kills that person, their family and close friends. The Survivors might be involved with Help Earth. It would be a huge benefit to CHERUB, if the agents could stop the actions of Help Earth, and the Survivors. James and his family are getting involved with the Survivors, and have taken part in some celebrations, and groups. After the first time James and Lauren went into the mall, (where they host the meetings), they came out, and had enjoyed it. That was because the Survivors had used a technique to manipulate James' family. They had worn him out by playing sports with him. While they played the sports, they made him think positive things so he would feel good. Then at the meeting, he had girls all over him, to make himself feel good. James and his family are becoming more and more involved with the Survivors.

2. So far, this is one of my least favorite Robert Muchamore books that I have read. I thought that this book has very little action, and it got off to a very slow start. There has been a lot of dialogue between the characters, and explanation of the mission. I was expecting a quick start like most of his books. But the book is being explained and set up still. The characters are trying to find out more about the Survivors. They are still trying to get involved with them, and there haven’t been a lot of fighting and fast paced events. I hope that this book will gain speed, and turn out to be good at the end.

3. A theme in this book is manipulation. Manipulation is a huge theme in this book. James, Lauren and other members of the mission are trying to become involved with a group called the Survivors. The Survivors are a group of people that try to manipulate people, and try to get them involved with their group. They invite wealthy families, into a wrecked mall, and use strategies to manipulate them. The Survivors have an ark that they worship. They have schools around the ark that try and raise money to benefit the ark and other schools involved with the Survivors. The members of the Survivors manipulate the families to get their money. Then, they treat the families like dirt after they have taken all of their money. This technique is used throughout all of the Survivors, and it is how they are becoming more and more powerful.

4. My favorite character is Abigail. Abigail is my favorite character because she is the pretend mother of James, and Lauren. Abigail has to deal with a ton on this mission, and she handles it very well. Abigail has to get involved with the Survivors, handle the job of a mother, and stay in touch with the CHERUB campus. All three of those jobs would be tough for a single mother. Abigail has to make friends with Elliot, the instructor of the Survivors at the mall. After she has her job inside the Survivors, she has to come home and worry about her "kids". The kids are hungry, tired, and might still be in a trance from the survivors. She is also a great cook, and it frustrates the kids when she doesn't cook, because they would rather eat what she cooks, then what she buys. Abigail also has to stay in contact with the CHERUB campus, so they can check on in the mission. If things get to out of hand for Abigail, she can always call back to the campus, and they can evacuate the mission.

5. My least favorite character is Elliot. Elliot is my least favorite character, because he is a mean-spirited man. He doesn't care about the people he uses, but about the things he does. Elliot is only trying to make a profit from the Survivors organization. He thinks that if they recruit enough families, then they can build up a lot of power, and maybe be a force in the world. If Help Earth, and the Survivors are work together, and they gain more power that could lead to future evilness, in the world. I hope that the agents can stop Elliot and the Survivors, so they can prevent further abuse of families.

6. I think that the CHERUB agents will discover more information about Help Earth, and the Survivors. I think that could lead to more discoveries of the two organizations in future books. Also, I think that one of the agents will get in trouble or get hurt. I am basing these predictions on two things. In most books, they either find the villain, or stop what could have happened. There are also more books in the series, so I think they will survive to be in another book. But, there could be different characters in the future books, and they could all die. I am basing my prediction, that they will get hurt or in trouble because, none of that has happened yet. There has only been one instance where they got in trouble, and they never really got into trouble. I think I will definitely be right on one of these predictions.