The Cupcake Queen

The Cupcake Queen by Heather Hepler is a young adult novel about life, love, and creativity. The main theme of the book is life, and learning to deal with whatever it throws at you.

14 year old Penny Lane has grown up in the big city her whole life. But when Penny's mother tells her that she will be opening a bakery in Hog's Hollow, Penny is forced to leave her home in Manhattan and move out to Hog's Hollow with her mother and Grandmother. Penny has to start at a brand new school where Little Miss Popular, Charity, constantly bullies and makes fun of Penny. Charity and her other stuck up followers spend each and every day planning new ways to ruin Penny's life. But Hog's Hollow isn't all that bad. She soon meets two new friends, Tally and Blake, and they try to find ways to get revenge on Charity and her friends. Plus there's Marcus. A boy with a dramatic past who also seems to be taking an interest in Penny. On the flip side though, Penny is crushed when she finds out that she will have to make a life changing decision between staying in Hog's Hollow with her mother or moving back to Manhattan with her Father.

This book really had nothing special about it. In fact, I thought it was rather boring. The story is very slowly paced and the more you read, the more you want to stop. This book is very confusing. You have to do a lot of infering which I do not like. Serioiusly, they don't explain ANYTHING! Also, most books I read seem to drag on, however, this book didn't do that at all. Instead, I felt like the story ended too early! On the other hand, there were things about this book that I did like. First of all, I LOVED all of the characters in this book. The characterization was done very well. Charity for example, is made out to be a snooty, mean, brat and she does so many things that make me just want to reach into the book and strangle her. AND I LOVE THAT!!! I love it when the characters come to life. Also, I have a particular interest in baking and culinary arts (haha, I wanna be a chef when I grow up) and since this book focuses a lot about creativity, baking, and decorating, I was definately interested in it. This book has no swear words, bad scenes, or anything bad. One last good thing about this book, is that I liked how a lot of kids can relate to Penny and her problems. Divorce, moving, bullying, and fitting in are all major issues that Penny has to deal with. I like being able to actually relate to the characters.

All in all, I felt like this book deserved a C+. There were many things I liked about the book, but I'm sorry, I just cannot deal with all the infering and confusion that comes with this story. But if you can handle having to guess what's going on every 10 pages, then you might like this book.

The Jungle

    The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair, begins with the wedding of two Lithuanian immigrants, Ona Luzoskiate and Jurgis Rukdus (I probably butchered their names, no pun intended), near the meatpacking district of Chicago in 1906. Many of the guests gorge themselves with food without paying. Ona becomes concerned about how much the wedding will cost them, and Jurgis vows to pick up another job to make extra cash. However, the jobs in the meatpacking district of Chicago pay far below any reasonable minimum wage, and the workers suffer from horrible conditions, as the companies put profit ahead of worker safety.
    Jurgis and his family go on a tour of the meatpacking district, and even the shocking images there of the animals suffering and being slaughtered in the abattoirs were enough to dwindle Jurgis' optimism. It is revealed that the government inspector that is supposed to supervise the carcasses and check for diseases, such as tuberculosis, often lets several of them go unchecked, out of sheer laziness. The spoiled meat is doctored in secret before it is sent to the canning department.
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING MAY BE SOMEWHAT GRAPHIC IN CERTAIN PARTS, DEPENDING ON WHO YOU ARE
     Jurgis' first job is sweeping the entrails of slaughtered cattle and pigs through trapdoors. Although the stench is horrendous, he earns just over two dollars for every twelve hour work shift. Jurgis even ends up enjoying his job, and he doesn't understand how the other workers hate their jobs and bosses. He does not join the labor union, which is lobbying for a reduction in the fast work pace. He believes the other workers are quite simply lazy. Jurgis also discovers that a lot of unfit meat, including calf fetuses and animals that had died of disease, were slaughtered and packed along with the rest of the meat.

    As winter approaches, many of the workers in Packingtown die from hypothermia on the meatpacking production line, literally, their bodies right next to the bodies of slaughtered cattle. The companies failed to provide the workers with adequate heating. Many of the workers also die from disease on the production line. So imagine that, dead people with diseases in their body in an abattoir. There were also some people whose limbs and phalanges fell in to some of the meat... and it was canned with the meat...

    The real estate company has also trapped the family in a scheme involving a house that was advertised as a for sale, but given to them as a rental. Their wedding has also put them over one hundred dollars in debt. The house they were given was also not in the condition in which it was advertised, and is somewhat overpriced.

    Okay, I-I'm sorry, but I can't write the summmary anymore. The book was just so... informative... I honestly believe that it was necessary, because had it not been published, there would be no FDA. There would also be no laws about worker conditions. But it also made me physically ill to read, I'm not exaggerating. Even writing this is making my hands shake. I also did some research on the book, and the president, Theodore Roosevelt, called Sinclair a 'crackpot' for his socialist point of view. I also was surprised at how the immigrants were treated, and it is somewhat sad, because even though we don't do THIS (all of the above) to immigrants today, we still often treat them as second class citizens, which is wrong no matter who you are. I would have to give this book an A+ for informing the public, but also a B+ for making me sick. So that averages out to about an A- I think. I definitely recommend it if you have a strong stomach.

The Fault in Out Stars by John Green

This is a book about cancer, but it's not a cancer book, because according to Hazel, "Cancer books suck." They're all about starting charities and finding hope.

Hazel is our main character. Hazel Grace. She has thyroid cancer, and "he lungs stink at being lungs," they have too much fluid in them, so she has to carry oxygen with her. Unwillingly, she goes to a cancer support group where people share their story, but there she meets Augustus (Gus) Waters, who lost a leg because of osteosarcoma. He asks her to come over and watch a movie with him. At Gus's house they exchange their favorite books. Hazel's is An Imperial Affliction by Peter Van Houten (which is not a real book. I know, I really wanted to read it.) Hazel says that Van Houten seems to understand her, and what it feels like to be dying slowly. It is a book about cancer, but also not a "cancer book". It's about a girl living with it and about her divorced mother and a tulip man. An Imperial Affliction ends mid sentence, suggesting that the girl passed away. Gus reads this book and really really enjoys it. The cliff hanger ending kills him, so he writes to the author asking what happens. Peter Van Houten wont tell him. Then Hazel emails him. He won't tell her either, but he personally invites her to visit him in Amsterdam to talk about it. Hazel and Gus have some difficult times trying to find a way to get to Amsterdam. How would they pay? How would they get there? And with the unpredictability of cancer, will they be okay going?

To start off, I really like John Green's YouTube channels. They're very informative, and they just make me happy because John Green is like an older, more intelligent, male version of me. It was strange to know the author before you read the book, and then he writes a book from a teenage girl's point of view. However, this book sounded just like him! There was some swearing throughout the book, which bothers me a little. It also uses a lot of big words that I did not understand, but the way he puts all his words together is really really special. It's touching. It's funny. It's sad. I could feel this book. Everything that Hazel was feeling, I could feel it too. There was just perfect word choice.

I loved the characters so much! Hazel acts like most teenagers, not the annoying type, but the funny, sarcastic type. It was hard for me to feel the connection between her and Gus until one part about a third of the way through the book. They flirted a lot, but it didn't feel like they were in love until Hazel is crying in her backyard near her old swing set that she played with as a healthy, happy child. So Gus comes over to help her sell it and he makes her less sad.

To sum up, I really enjoyed this book. The characters had great personalities that made me laugh. But being inside Hazel's head, and feeling her pain, and hearing her thoughts, made me legitimately cry. The Fault in Our Stars is also one of those books that just makes you think. It sparks questions to ask yourself, and there is just some deep dialogue that sticks with you. Once I finished, I wanted to start the book over again. A+

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, Helen Simonson's delightful debut, might, judging by the title, seem like a war book of some kind, and I suppose that's true, in a way. In this charming novel, its retired hero, Major Ernest Pettigrew, battles his own falling in love a second time, at the age of 68, with a woman of another religion and race, and deals with many other issues along the way. When my mother handed me this book and remarked that my great-grandma had recommended it, I sort of wrote it off, but Simonson's wit, warmth and surprisingly great skill for a first novel drew me in from page 1. (Sorry, Nana, you were completely right.) I couldn't agree more with the Washington Post's review: "When depicted by the right storyteller, the thrill of falling in love is funnier and sweeter at 60 than at 16...."

Major Pettigrew, which takes place in the present day English village of Edgecombe St. Mary, has several themes, but I think the one that is most applicable to me at this point in my life, as well as so many people today, was brought up by the subplot of the Major's son Roger and his problems, of which there are more than a few: being successful is not about having a lot of money, or living in a fancy house with designer furniture, or getting in good with people of high social status. Success is about having real happiness that comes from accomplishing great things and being with the people you love. In the book, Roger's priorities are all mixed up, and the pain he causes himself and his father through this is sad to read about. One can only wonder how things might have turned out had this not been the case, as the Major would have put it. Simonson perfectly portrays the consequences of a mindset such as Roger's, and I think sends a message that is in great need of being heard in this day and age.

I also thought it was nice to get some insight on what it is like to be "advanced in years," as the Major actually DID put it. I have to admit that I am intimidated by the struggles and tests of character that come with age. The Major endures the deaths of his closest loved ones, has to accept his need to rely on others while remaining dignified and capable in his son's and others' eyes and suffers from poor health in the novel, especially toward the beginning. I don't want any of that, not at all, but there is nothing I can do to prevent those future trials except die young, which I also would like very much to avoid. Hats off to the elderly- you're pretty tough.

Overall, I absolutely adored Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, and I would recommend it to any reader with mature taste (as in you don't need constant action and passionate kissing, and you enjoy sophisticated narration and dialogue). Keep in mind that there are a few more adult topics (mostly toward the end, if this book looks interesting to you but you'd like to steer clear of that type of thing) and some instances of unpleasant language. Three loud cheers and an A+ for the Major, his wonderful story and their creator!

The Thief Lord By: Cornelia Funke

            This story starts out in Venice, Italy, with hidden canals, and crumbling rooftops, it makes an excellent place for children running away. This book is about Prosper, and Bo, who ran away from there cruel Aunt and Uncle, after their parents died. They live on the streets for awhile until they meet and 13 year old orphan who calls himself the Thief Lord, who leads a band of misfits running the streets, steaing things and causing mischief. Prosper and Bo enjoy their new family and a life of stealing but their Aunt and Uncle aren't going to give up that easy. They hire a detective to try to find them, when they hire him, he feels that they might have joined the Thief Lord's gang, so he tries to also bring them to justice. They try to steal from a Candy Store in a little alley when the detective first finds them. The whole gang is there and they book it, but The Thief Lord does not get away in time and is hiding in the store with Bo, who also didnt make it. But of course the Thief Lord is prepared and make home made flash grenades and flashed him. While the other kids came back with a moped they found on the street. they ride it down the alley and scare away the detective away. The Detective saw both of the kids and went back and told the Aunt that he saw them both. From there on he looks for the hideout. Prosper and Bo make a Mistake that will threaten the Gang and The Thief Lord has a Secret, that changes everything...but you will have to read the book!

          This is a very good book that I suggest everyone who wats to read a suspenceful thriller that has things you will not see coming. This is filled with Action that we keep you glued to the book. This book is almost never boring, so if you are not into reading very much then this is a good book for you! I give this a solid 4.5 out of 5 stars. Also this is a great writer who wrote Inkheart and Dragon Rider, so you almost know that this is a good book! 

Of Mice and Men

       I had only ever seen the movie of this story, and thought it was a pretty good movie. Or rather, a good story line all together. Then I thought that I would go ahead and give the book a try as well. Of Mice and Men, is  a story about two very close friends, jumping from job to job on the hard road, rucksacks full of supplies, and minds full of the hope that one day they might make enough money to move to the paradise, thought up on the free time of the harsh jobs at hand. These friends are extremely close, might as well be biological brothers. This seems like it is a soon to be happy ending. Girls, riches, paradises and all. However, this is a false statement indeed. For you see, of the two travel mates, George, and Lennie, Lennie happens to have a mental retardation. He Slurs words, never remembers anything besides the paradise he has built in his head, has the mind and spirit of a young child, and he also has an unbelievable strength that he has a rather hard time controlling. This, is why they must jump from job to job. Avoiding the cleaning up of the messes Lennie creates with his strength and stupidity. No matter what the challenges of these two best buddies, they seem to slip by every problem they face. Almost.

       Of Mice and Men is a very touching story, that definitely brought me in, and attached me to the characters within the first few pages. Sadly, I happened to like the movie much more. Obviously you still have to give credit to the guy that wrote the thing in the first place, but sometimes the second making can be just a little better than the first. The movie just contained so much more detail in the story. And boy, do those little things add up. Also, Lennie was a much more interesting character to think about when his voice, and his expressions were put in my mind. It helped me really see how much trouble these two guys had to go through. Or more accurately, what George had to go through. All in all, it is a great story, movie or not. However, I am not rating the story, I am rating the book. So, i give it a b+, and would recommend any form of this story to anyone. (the movie is on Netflix, just F.Y.I)

This is What I Did:

     This is What I Did: by Ann Dee Ellis is about a boy named Logan who had to move to a new neighborhood just a couple blocks down from his old neighborhood. He had to move because of what happened with his friend, Zyler. It doesn't tell you until the end of the book about what happened to his friend Zyler and why he had to move away. So, Logan didn't like his new school, neighborhood, or pretty much everyone around him. Logan's neighbors weren't very nice to him and always made fun of him. Logan also talked about Zyler; how they would do a lot of fun things together, and how much he missed him. Read this book to find out what happened to Zyler and how Logan manages to live with everyone that is rude to him.
  
     This book was very entertaining and instructive. It's entertaining because the book its about a boy around the same age as me so I could relate to some of things that happened to him, or things that he did or said. For example, the event that we both attend middle school. Additionally, it made allusions about LDS topics and that I could relate to as well. This book is also instructive.  It was instructive because it said how to treat others and how not to treat others. Along with that you should treat everyone kindly, and the way you would like to be treated. For example, Bryce was extremely rude to Logan by making up names for him and bullied him all the time. Not once in the book was Bryce nice to Logan. I think the author was trying to instruct us to treat everyone kindly.
    
     The author wrote to treat everyone kindly. Not only is it not nice, it's not fun for the person that is being treated unkindly. For example, during the car ride to scout camp, Bryce was asking all of the boys in the car to think of names to call Logan. The names were all very unkind and none of them seemed to care that they were making Logan feel bad. Another thing that the author mentioned is to talk to someone when you are having a hard time. In the book, Bryce never wanted to talk to his parents, or anyone about what was going wrong. Whether it was being bullied in scouts, or what happened to his best friend Zyler, he never talked to anyone about it. From this example
 I think the author was saying that you should talk to someone about what's going on and hopefully they can help you or give advice.

     I really enjoyed this book. It's a short book and easy to understand. I thought it was entertaining because it was relatable, along with being instructive. I would recommended this book to anyone that enjoys realistic-fiction and a good book! A+  

Stargirl

      Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli is told from the point of view of a boy name Leo Borlock who is a junior that attended Mica High School. On his first day back to school the whole school was talking about a new girl named Stargirl. During lunch Stargirl would walk around and strum her ukulele and would sing along. She would to sing to anyone whose birthday was that day, she knew everyone in the school's name. She knew everything. Another strange thing about her was she wore any types of clothes from the 1700's to the late 1900's. She also carried her pet rat around with her wherever she went. Whether it be school, the store, or out for walks, the rat was always with her. All of Mica High School was curious about her and wondered where she had come from.They all soon began to love her, for example at a football game Stargirl was cheering alongside the cheerleaders and soon she created a huge crowd because she was so entertaining to watch. Later, the cheerleader captain recruited Stargirl to be on the cheer leading team. Because of that, Stargirl was soon one of the most popular girls at school. She even helped the basketball team make it to the finals. Read this great book to find out what happens.
    
      I really enjoyed this book because it was relatable and suspenseful. It was interesting to see how the kids at the high school reacted to Stargirl's behavior and how she didn't seem to care about what others thought about her and what she did. I also thought it was interesting how the author makes you change your opinion about Stargirl. For example, sometimes I would be against her and thought she was weird, when other times I thought she was cool and I didn't think she was that weird anymore. As I was reading this book I kept on thinking how much the author is constantly changing your opinion about Stargirl.
     
      Secondly, I thought this book was suspenseful. For example, a girl named Hillari Kimble told Stargirl that on her birthday, which happened to be the next day, she didn't want her to sing to her like she had previously been doing to their other classmates. What's suspenseful is the next day which is Hillari's birthday, at lunch everyone is dead silent to see if Stargirl was going to sing to Hillari. Another example of suspense that that lasted almost the book is when Leo is going out with Stargirl and everyone at the school didn't talk to Leo because he is going out with Stargirl. It's suspenseful because you wonder if anyone will talk to Leo. There are many examples of suspense in this book.

      In this book the author explained about how everyone is different and we should treat them kindly whether we like them or not. For example, Stargirl in general is a very different person, but that doesn't stop the cheerleader captain from recruiting her on the team. Or it doesn't stop Leo from her being his friend. The author also mentioned a little bit about not caring about what others think about you. Stargirl noticed that kids at the high school didn't like her or want to talk to her. However, that didn't stop her from being nice to others. For example, every holiday she would give everyone a gift, whether it be candy on Halloween or a valentine on Valentine's Day. Additionally, the author was saying to do service. Stargirl would always read the newspaper to see whose birthday was coming up or who was sick or who even just needed a friend. She would find where they lived and would take them a card along with a gift. She was always performing small acts of kindness to those who needed it. The author overall said to be nice to everyone and let them know you care about them.

       I thought this book was relatable, suspenseful. I learned a lot from what the author said about being nice to everyone and to do little acts of kindness. This book isn't very long and if you're looking for a good book to read, you should definitely give this one a try. It is easy to understand and to get into. I would recommend this to anyone would enjoys a good book. A
 

Hope Was Here - Joan Bauer

     Hope Was Here, was a great book. The genre was contemporary fiction. Contemporary fiction mean, that the book was written between the 1960's and now. As the way I see its really easy to relate to and trust me when book are like that, they are so much more enjoyable. The books main theme or idea, revolves around the restaurant business. Although, it has many other focuses in it.
     During this book, the reader will be introduced to many different characters. The main characters of the beginning of the book are Addie and Hope, but once the first half of the book gets over you get introduced to Flo, Lou Ellen, G.T. and last but not least Braverman. Addie and Hope are two people with an incredible bond, although Addie seems like Hope's mom shes not, but never less she loves Hope more than anything, during the book you will find out what happened to Hope's mom and how Addie is related. Addie is a(n) amazing cook, and Hope is an outstanding waitress. During the book you will travel along with Addie and Hope, while they find they're final place that they want to settle down at, although you have to travel through many obstacles and hurdles with them. If you have the slightest idea that this whole thing is easy for them, you must be joking. In order for them to complete their quest they have to have a ton of love and "hope" in each other.
      I personally loved this book, although at the beginning it took me a few pages for the information to settle in. This book truly could be made into a million dollar movie, because its so intriguing and just a fun read. Only one thing.. The end of the book made me cry, but it was a happy cry. If that makes any sense to you? The book brings up the issue of, if someone is ill with cancer should they be able to hold a seat in the government. Throughout the end of the book it will talk about this and in the end prove that people that are kind are good and always success. All in all, this was a amazing book and I highly suggest that you give it a chance and read it.

The Fault in Our Stars

    “Sometimes you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.” John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars is definitely one of those books. The best part of this quote is that it came right from the book that I felt it was describing. The Fault in Our Stars is a realistic fiction book that demonstrates the durability of love. The book seems to say, “Love will prevail through hardships and trials.” John Green uses a few swear words in this book and there is an implied sexual relationship. Just keep that in mind before reading this book.    
    Hazel Grace Lancaster is a 16 year-old struggling in the battle against cancer. She is the narrator to the story and you follow her through the book. Hazel was diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer, stage four, shen she was 13. She has managed to get three more years of her life through an experimental drug. Hazel goes to a teenage cancer support group, full of other teens with similar situations, and meets Augustus Waters. Augustus, "Gus," lost his right leg to Osreosarcoma, but is now in remission. They start to develop a relationship through countless texts, phone calls and the mutual obsessiveness over a book, An Imperial Affliction, by Peter Van Houten. Van Houten is very secretive and nobody knows much about him. As Hazel and Augustus become closer, Augustus reviles that he still has his wish from "The Genies." (The Genies are a fictional version of The Make a Wish Foundation.) Augustus wants to take Hazel to Amsterdam to meet Peter Van Houten. Hazel sees herself as a grenade and she doesn't want to build a serious relationship with Augustus, therefore turning down his offer to go to Amsterdam  Eventually, Augustus convinces her to go. So, Hazel, Augustus, and Hazel's mom heat to the Netherlands for a 3 day trip, courtesy of The Genies. While there, Hazel and Augustus meet the disappointment named Peter Van Houten and Hazel gets news that will change the outcome of the story. I won't tell you what the news is... or anything else about the book. Read it to find out what happens!    
    This book was different. The story is told in a way I'd never read, because Hazel is telling the story and she has cancer. It just had a very different perspective. I guess i had nver thought about what it would be like to know you are dying. It would be so hard to build relationships, because like Hazel says, you're basically a grenade and everyone you love will be a casualty in your death. Something this book taught me was that I have a good life. I'm not dying or anything... So, that's nice. This book reminded me of The Secret Journal of Brett Colton, A Walk to Remember, and The Last Song. They all have cancer as a main topic, but they also have love as a topic. All of these books show that cancer can change the lives of everyone involved. They also show that cancer doesn't stop someone from living their lives to the fullest capacity. They're all very inspiring to people like me, who don't have cancer. I just hope that if I were put in tht situation, I would have the courage to fight and keep living my life.    
    The Fault in Our Stars was simply amazing. It taught me a lot, even if it is fiction. It also made me cry. There were a ton of great quotes and the characters were intelligent, even though they are teenagers. Most of the time, when I read a book narrated by a teenager it's whiny. I can understnd why, teenagers are usually like that. It was just nice to have a book narrated by a somewhat sensible teen. I would give this book an A+. It made an undeniable impact in my life. It's a book that when you finish, you feel like the whole world should stop and everyone should pay a moment of respect. At least, I felt that way.
    

The Anti-prom

The Anti-prom by Abby Mcdonald, is a young adult novel about rebellion, romance, and revenge. It focuses in on three unlikely friends who all seek one thing. Revenge. Revenge is the main theme of this book along with romance.
Bliss Merino is one of the most popular girls in school. She has the perfect boyfriend, perfect friends, and a perfect life, so she expects her prom to be, well...perfect! She IS having a perfect prom, that is until she finds her boyfriend making out with her best friend in the back of their limo. She then meets up with Jolene in order to find a perfect way to destroy them. Jolene is the baddest girl in school. You cannot say no to her. No one expects to see her at prom, yet here she is! The scarriest girl in school is standing here in a pink ruffle dress and high heels. Jolene's date fails to show up and she agrees to help Bliss with her destructive plans. As they are running away from an alarm that they set off, they run into Meg Zuckerman. Meg is the ultimate wallflower. She literally has zero friends and her prom date, who was set up by her parents, stood her up. She is determined to end her life as a wallflower and go experience new things. She, Jolene, and Bliss then go on many adventures in seek of new relationships and revenge.
I am going to be straight forward with you. I hated this book. I thought it was terrible. I had 5 main issues with the book. 1: I felt like the entire book was just about a couple of stuck up brats who never stopped complaining. The story takes place in high school, which i know is full of drama, but this book made it out to be like if you aren't popular, then you aren't happy. 2: I had a couple moral issues with the book. Every single page had a swear word. I'm almost positive that I did not go through one page without seeing at least one swear word, and I had issues with that because I don't necessarily mind if one swears, but it does bother me when people swear over and over again. This did more than bother me, it drove me crazy! Also, there were a couple sexual scenes and underage smoking and drinking. 3: There were a couple main events in the story, but after a couple, they really could've ended the story. But no! It dragged on and on. It felt like a never ending story. 4: Like in the book Flipped, this story is told in the point of view of multiple first person. The story switches off between Bliss, Jolene, and Meg's point of view. It was very hard to keep track of who was speaking and it was very confusing. Lastly, 5: The characters drove me nuts. Bliss was a brat, Jolene was a jerk, and Meg let people walk all over her. I did not like any of them at all. Also, there were so many characters. Too many. They introduced more than 20 different character throughout the book. That is WAY too many! The only thing in this book that I liked was the way how Meg grew as a character. She started as a shy wallflower and grew to be more outgoing and fun.
All in all, I would give this book a generous F. It was really that horrible. There were so many issues with it. I know what you're thinking, "Why in the world would she continue to read this if it was so bad?" There is only one reason why I didn't choose a new book for my report... I didn't have time to go find a new one! Believe me, I wish I didn't read it and have chosen a diferent book. So, unless you like reading long books that are all about brats and jerks, DO NOT read this book.

Okay For Now

           Okay for Now, written by Gary D. Schmidt, is about a boy named Doug Swieteck who has to move to Marysville. He didn't want to move because he has to leave all of his friends and his home. As he was about to leave, one of his friends gave him a jacket that belonged to Joe Pepitone, who was a baseball player for the Yankees. Doug previously had thrown a baseball with Joe Pepitone and when they were done, Joe gave Doug one of his baseball caps. This jacket meant a lot to Doug because sadly, one of Doug's brothers took his hat and traded it with some friends and pretty soon the hat was passed around town and ended up in the gutter. When he arrived in Marysville at his new house, he called it a dump. Soon he started to get used to his new home, and began to meet new people, and  received a job to deliver food to his neighbors every Saturday. Doug also developed a talent and passion for art by going to the library to draw pictures of birds with help from Mr. Powell, his teacher. Summer came to an end and Doug had to go to school. He wasn't very excited because it's a new school and he didn't have very many friends. The beginning of the school year was rough because he had a lot of after school detentions and fights with his peers. However as the school year went on, he learned new things and started to enjoy school more. There is much more to come, read this book and find out what happened to Doug.

         In the book, Doug's brother came home from Vietnam and he was faced with a lot of challenges. After being home for awhile, he decided to go out looking for work even though he had to use a wheelchair. When he first started looking for work he was declined because he couldn't use his legs.  Lucas, Doug's brother, never gave up. He kept on going out every morning looking for work even though he was pretty sure that he was going to get declined. I thought the author explained his opinions really well through this part of the book. The author was saying to never give up; always keep trying. Additionally, there were some robberies at different parts of the book, and the police always thought that it was Doug's brother, Chris, because he was always causing trouble. Because of that, Doug's teachers and neighbors were not very nice to Doug because they thought that his brother was a thief. The author was saying not to judge others. Just because a family member might or might not have done something doesn't mean that you should not like them or treat them differently.

    The book was very entertaining because it was suspenseful and there was always something new happening. For example, when Doug was doing his deliveries, there was a woman that he had to deliver food to. Everyone said that she wasn't very nice and never let anyone in, so when Doug went to Mrs. Windermere's house it was suspenseful because the reader didn't know what she was going to do. Was she going to let him in or yell at him? Another example is the uncertainity if someone is going to find Joe Pepitone's jacket, because the reader knows how much the hat meant to Doug and they don't want him to lose another one of his prize possesions. The book was filled with many examples of suspense.

      I really enjoyed this book. Since this book was about a boy in eighth grade it was easy to relate with him. There were some slow parts at the very beginning that were hard to get into, and the chapters were long so it was hard to finish a chapter some times. But as the book went on it started to go by faster and was more entertaining to read. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that enjoys real-life fiction and a little bit of mystery. A  


 

The tale continues...

    Mr. Darcy's Daughters by Elizabeth Aston continues the story of Pride and Prejudice. It picks up twenty years after Pride and Prejudice ends, and follows Mr. Darcy's five daughters through the thrills and heartbreaks of being "out of the schoolroom."
    Three of the girls, Letitia, the oldest, Camilla the next and the youngest, Alethea, travel to London to stay with their cousin while their parents are away. They are soon joined by the twins, Georgina and Belle, who are much like their Aunt Lydia was in Pride and Prejudice. All the girls become the talk of the city because of heart break, engagements broken, and a lost beau who was thought to be dead, now married and in London.
    I was kind of disappointed with this book, as it mirrored the plot of Pride and Prejudice closely. I also was hoping for Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth to be involved with their daughters, not just a name mentioned. I feel this book could have been a number of things, but instead it was very similar to the original story, with a few plot twists here and there. I have to say though, Elizabeth Aston did a fairly good job using the same style and voice as Jane Austen. I would give this book a B- just because it seemed a little repetitive. Also, because the main problems in this book were simply trying to get the twins to behave properly, and all the women the girls met trying to marry them off. A lot of the book is spent learning about their every day lives.

After Hello

 After Hello by Lisa Mangum is a realistic-fiction novel about fate, and letting go. In the book there are two main characters, Sam and Sara who meet by chance in New York City while Sara is on a business trip with her father. Sara is an aspiring photographer and only has one day to spend in New York, but finds herself spending the day alone when her father is not able to be with her. As Sara is standing alone she takes a picture of somebody she does not know, and later ends up following him. This person is Sam. Sam is a finder, he finds what people need and trades them for something else in return. When Sam and Sara officially meet they decide to spend the day together. The two of them end up having to go on a "quest" for unique artwork to give to a celebrity who Sam's brother works for. If they do not find something wonderful for the celebrity, Sam's brother will be fired. Sam and Sara travel all around the city in the search to find a piece of art. Along the way both characters learn how to deal with their tragic pasts, and change themselves for the better.
     In After Hello the point of view the story is being told from switches between Sam and Sara each chapter, much like Flipped. However the way this book chooses to do it, is pretty confusing. When Sara is telling the story, it is told from first person. When Sam is telling the story, it is told in third person. For me, when I first read one of the chapters being told from Sam's point of view, I was so confused and had to re-read some of it to actually realize what was happening. Throughout the story it gets easier to get used to the way the book switches points of view, but in the beginning the reader might be thrown off a little bit.
     Also this book is very predictable. I could easily guess the ending of this book from the beginning of the story, and it is so obvious that I think anybody could tell you how it will end by reading just a few chapters. At some points it was frustrating because you wanted the characters to see the so obvious solution the problem, but they don't realize it till the last few chapters. There are very few exciting, unexpected moments in After Hello. The only parts in the story that were somewhat unexpected are when we learn more about Sam and Sara's past. But I think that most people could get a pretty good guess on those too. Bottom line is, this book didn't keep me hooked for the entire time.
      Overall I did actually enjoy this book. I like the concept of fate and how everything happens for a reason which this book demonstrates perfectly. Both characters in the book learn important lessons from each other that I believe everybody should learn at some point in their life. They learn how to open up about things they may otherwise keep a secret, and how to move on from their past. Sam and Sara bring out the best in each other, only if they are together for no more than one day. At the end of the book they are both changed for the better and finally learn to let go. None of this would have happened if Sara wouldn't have taken the one photograph of Sam. It just shows how everything really does happen for a reason, and I find that fascinating. I think that if everyone could learn to let go and just live in the moment, we would all have a much happier and better life.
     I ended up giving the book a B- because I think the idea for the story is really great and teaches a good lesson, but it's just plain predictable and sometimes that's not always fun to read.
   

Wonder

Wonder, by R. J. Palacio, was wonderful to read. It is a story about August Pullman (Auggie), a new fifth grader at Beecher Prep Middle School. However, he's not like all the other new fifth graders. Auggie has what many people unkindly call a "deformed" face -- his eyes are small slants on his face that are about an inch lower than they should be, he had to get part of his hip bone implanted into his chin, and he doesn't really have regular ears, in fact, he doesn't really have ears at all. Despite all this, he has some of the most patient loving parents in the world, and an even more patient sister, Olivia, who puts up with just about everything.

     His parents want the best for him and for that reason, he has been homeschooled up until now. When his parents decide it's time for him to go to school for the first time, Auggie is really nervous. He's pretends he's used to kids averting their eyes when they see him, not playing with him on the playground and even running away from him. But at school it would be ten times worse. Finally, he agrees to go on a tour and three kids come to lead him around. One turns out to be a jerk but the other two are nice enough that Auggie decides to go to school.

     This book tells the story of Auggie's fifth grade year from six different points of view and it is amazingly well done. Most people would shy away from using six different characters to tell the story but not Palacio! These six characters change and grow with Auggie and stand up for him when society has a hard time accepting him. It was interesting and really thought provoking. The author brings up many issues in this story, mainly having to do with the phrase, "Don't judge a book by it's cover", though in this case (as the back of the book says), "Don't judge a boy by his face." Although some of the reactions caused by Auggie's face are unconcious, instinct reactions, some of them are purposefully mean and rude. I thought this was a very important issue to have because that is what everyone faces everyday, whether or not they have something wrong with their face. We are constantly being told not to judge people and this book put it into really great perspective -- especially from the bully victim's point of view. This book was very hard to put down, mainly because of how the author manages to rope you in from the very beginning and create such real emotions and relationships. It was very touching and I guarente that there will be at least one character in that book that you can relate to.

     This was an amazing read and I would recommend it to everyone. It is not very difficult and is so interesting that it is a pretty quick read. Hope all y'alls find time in your busy schedule to fit in this wonderful book! A

Wolves, Boys, and Other Things that Might Kill Me - Kristen Chandler

Wolves were once extinct in the United States. Ranchers killed them off because they would eat their livestock. In 1995, 41 wolves were taken from Canada and brought down to Yellowstone. 

KJ lives in a small town near Yellowstone. Wolves didn't really cross her mind, except for when she's guiding tourists around the park. But then a wolf biologist and her son, Virgil move in. The crazyness starts when KJ is asked to write a section in the school newspaper about wolves, with Virgil as the photographer. Everyone reads the newspaper, from ranchers to wolf enthusiasts, which of course sparks some arguments among the folks of this small town. Okay, HUGE arguments. To the point of burning buildings and shooting at things. While KJ is caught in the middle of this, she finds herself falling for Virgil. That doesn't get a good reaction from her dad. To make matters even worse, there is a petition being signed to get rid of wolves in Yellowstone. KJ and Virgil do everything a couple of teenagers can to save wolves, before Virgil moves at the end of the school year. 

This is one of those books where every once in a while it gets so intense you have to catch your breath, but it's not fighting monsters type intense, it's real. The author doesn't try to personify wolves or make them into something they are not, which makes it feel so real. Plus, this is an actual political issue as far as I know. It's admirable how KJ tries to protect these creatures. She's just like any awkward teenage girl, and proves that we can do more than we think, for better or for worse. 

So, has reintroduction of wolves helped Yellowstone? Tourists come to Yellowstone to see wolves all the time, helping the park raise millions of dollars a year. Other animals survive with the help of wolves, like bears that eat remains of wolf kill. Elk were once overpopulated until wolves came back. But hunters are angry, because now they can't kill as many elk. Ranchers will never get along with these predators, which took an estimate of 4,000 cattle in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana in 2010. (these could be just dumb rancher stories though...) Last fall, wolves were taken off the endangered species list in Wyoming, which allows them to be hunted legally within Yellowstone Park borders. Tragically last December, the alpha female of a popular pack was shot by a hunter. Wolf enthusiasts were devastated, and thus, the debate on wolves continues.

To sum up, this book was AMAZING! I loved it! I learned a lot about wolves from reading it, and it led me to research wolves in Yellowstone a little bit, because it is such an interesting topic. The author did their research too, the information she put in this book is correct. The main character is super likable, and the plot is great. A

Smiles to Go by Jerry Spinelli

     Smiles to Go by Jerry Spinelli is a realistic fiction book. This story tells the reader to treasure time and moments with others. The main character, Will Tuppence, is a science geek that questions the world around him once there is a scientific breakthrough that a proton has actually died. He realizes from this that one day, everything is going to disappear.
      9th grader Will Tuppence and his best friend, Mi-Su, love to attend star parties (events where people meet to stargaze). When he is forced to take his annoying little sister, Tabby, to one of these parties, he finds his other best friend, BT, and Mi-Su kissing! Through his feelings of anger, he begins to realize that he likes Mi-Su. While spending so much time thinking about her, he doesn't realize how important his family is.
      Smiles to Go was a very sweet and memorable book because of how Will changed throughout the book. Also, the lesson I learned will stick with me. Smiles to Go affected me a lot because it taught me to savor moments with others, because you never know when everything can be ripped out of your hands. I always knew that time was important, but now I understand what could happen if I don't use my time wisely.
      I really liked the point that this book was putting across, but the writing style was confusing, and the beginning didn't make very much sense. Also, if you like books filled with suspense and drama, I do not recommend this book. Although, I think that the lesson in this book is one that everyone should learn. Overall, it is a great read.

Keep Holding On

Written by Susane Colasanti, Keep Holding On is a realistic-fiction young adult romance. Keep Holding On is about an average every day teenage girl (how many times have you heard that before?) named Noelle. Noelle's horrible home life often interferes with her school life as she is constantly bullied. The main theme of this book is to think before you act, because you don't know what everyone is going through and to "Keep holding on" and stay strong.

At school, Noelle can do nothing but try to fly below the radar. She considers herself to be the second most bullied kid in school, next to Ali. Noelle is constantly verbally and physically bullied by a couple groups of bullies at her school. She doesn't fight them and just let's herself get beaten up. However, the bullies don't know about her mortifying home life. She lives with only her mom. Her father left when she was young and her wonderful stepfather died of cancer and left nothing for her and her mother to live on. Noelle's mother is constantly complaining about her life and does virtually nothing for her daughter. Noelle is completely neglected. Her only friend, Sherea, who holds a dark secret, and her secret boyfriend, Matt, are the only people she has. But recently, Julian has started talking to her and she starts to fall for him. She doesn't feel like she is good enough for him and just keeps going on with her miserable life. Keep Holding On will keep you going on a steady pace with an extremely shocking twist that changes EVERYONE.

 This book is definitely meant for teens (mostly because anyone younger wouldn't understand) but there isn't anything TOO horrible. There is a little bit of language and some people may feel uncomfortable or sensitive at some scenes. All in all, I thought that this book was pretty good. It is definitely among some of my favorite books. I mean, it was so good, I read it all day and finished it. That's how good it was. This book really keeps you going. You do not want to stop reading. Although some scenes may seem repetitive, they all make sense and add to the story in the end. One thing that keeps you going in this book, is the way the author will kind of hint that something happened, but doesn't just come out and say it until later, so you are sitting there wondering if what you think happened really happened. For example, at one part Noelle says, "Sherea still has nightmares" and Sherea says later, "Maybe I should have told someone about it." Also, my absolute favorite part in this book is that I was just reading this one basic chapter. It was nothing special. And then the very next page, I got punched in the stomach with a suprise that I did not expect at all. (can't tell you what it is, sorry!)

In conclusion, I thought that Keep Holding On was a very good book. I would defintely recomend it to others. It was very interesting and entertaining. I really loved the moral of the story, which was to "Keep holding on" and don't give up no matter how hard things get. I love this book and I give it a solid A.

Someone Like You

        Sarah Dessen's Someone Like You was not my favorite book. It's a contemporary romance, a story of rebellion and young love. This book focuses on the importance of good friends and family. There are a few mild swear words and some sexual content.

     Halley is an average high school girl. She has a best friend, Scarlett, and a mother who doesn't understand her anymore. She and her mother were very close just last summer. They went on a family vacation to the Grand Canyon and Halley and her mother were like best friends. Meanwhile, Scarlett has been dating Michael Sherwood but hasn't really told anyone but Halley. Then, while Halley is away at Sisterhood Camp, she gets a phone call from Scarlett. Michael was in a motorcycle accident and died. Scarlett has always been the strong one and has always been there for Halley. Now it's Halley's turn to be the strong one for Scarlett. Halley does her best to comfort Scarlett, until she meets Macon, Michael's best friend. They eventually start dating and Halley starts to worry less about Scarlett. Then, things get crazy. Scarlett finds out she is pregnant with Michael's baby. So, Halley and Macon come to the rescue and help Scarlett convince her mom to let Scarlett keep the baby. 

     Also, Macon wants to take his and Halley's relationship to "the next level." (*wink wink*) When she finally agrees, she has to get drunk before she can do it. So, at a New Year's Eve party, Halley gets wasted and has to leave before anything happens. Macon thinks she was just leading him on and is yelling at her the whole way home, not watching the road. This causes them to get into a major car accident and Halley is rushed to the hospital. Where, Macon doesn't visit and Halley's mom doesn't know what happened. Once Halley gets out of the hospital, it's about time for prom. She and Scarlett go with their dates, but halfway through, Scarlett starts to go into labor, figures. So, Scarlett has the baby and names her Grace. Halley is avoiding Macon and doesn’t want anything to do with him anymore. She starts to realize that even if Scarlett has just given up her whole future, Grace has a great one because of all the people she has who love her.

     This book was a waste of time. It wasn't a good story, and it drove me crazy. I never really liked Sarah Dessen books all that much. They seem to always be about whiny teenage girls who are "madly in love" with some idiot. I haven't read all of her books, because the drive me crazy, so I don't know if that's a good generalization. This book made me grateful for my life and my family. My family are my best friends and I wouldn't want to be in Scarlett's situation at all. I think this book completely turned me off of Sarah Dessen books. I kept telling myself, just try this one, it might be good. Alas, I was wrong. I think this book was one of the top five worst books I've read. I don't know exactly why, but I didn't like it at all. If someone asked me if they should read this book, I'd give them a positive no. D-.

   

Anne of Green Gables

Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery is a piece of realistic fiction written in the 1900's. When Matthew Cuthbert, a kind but painfully shy old man, goes to the train station to pick up the orphan boy that he and his spinster sister Marilla want to adopt, he finds Anne instead! Anne "with an e" is a eleven year old orphan who has a giant imagination and always has something to say. She is terribly excited to go and live with Matthew and Marilla at Green Gables -- their beautiful and spacious house -- but when she gets there, she finds out that there was a mistake. Matthew and Marilla wanted to adopt an orphan boy, not a girl. Marilla is determined to send Anne back but Matthew becomes attached to her and can't bear the thought of sending her away. Finally, Marilla gives in and Anne becomes Anne of Green Gables. She is smart, sassy, funny, odd, naughty, dreamy, and never stops talking! Anne of Green Gables is about Anne's adventures in Avonlea and is a fascinating book.

     I really enjoyed this book and it was hard to put down. Anne as a character is really funny and her interactions with everyone else are absolutely hilarious. One problem that people reading this book might have is that, because it was written in 1908, it uses old language and mentions things from the time period that could be a little hard to understand. Also, it is set in Prince Edward Island, Canada, so it also discusses some old Canadian politics that were a little confusing. But it was a really good book and, besides just being about Anne's adventures growing up, it had some deep stuff too. Throughout the story, Anne struggles to come to terms with her looks and peer pressure. Anne's red hair is a great trial to her. She mentions several times how she would trade all her brains to be pretty and even tries to dye her hair once (with awful results and a pretty short haircut). Also, Anne really likes to be "popular". If puffed sleeves on dresses are "in", she wants them. If frills and bows are fashionable, then by all means, restock the wardrobe. I think that this made the book relatable because, even though it is a hundred years old, these problems are still problems in the teenage girl population.

     In a nutshell, I really enjoyed this book. It was really entertaining and I plan on reading on and finishing the series. I would recommend this book to everyone! A