THE RISE OF NINE

     This book is the start of the end where all numbers have been found but five and a number ten has showed up. Numbers 4-10 are alive and the bad dudes are trying to kill the rest of the numbers so that their race can't come back. The numbers are called Loriens and the bad dudes are called mogadorians or mogs for short. They are trying to regroup and then go fight the mog leader Setrakus Ra so they can go back and save the planet the mogs have almost destroyed. 

     This is a great work done by the mysterious author Pittacus Lore. It is very good at emphasizing the saying, "United we stand, divided we fall." I really liked this book for its morals but it also has a great story line and is written amazingly. 

     This is a book I would read any time and it was probably my favorite. I would recommend it to anyone but my dad. I can't wait for the last one to come out and I will definitely be reading it. If anyone finds out who the real author is it would be great to know.

The Brotherband Chronicles : The Outcasts

   This book is based on a group called the skandians. Many of you will not know what a skandian is but some of you might especially if you have read The Ranger Apprentice series. A skandian is one the fiercest warriors in the whole world. Their barbaric ways frighten many people. They go raiding all of the time. it is not uncommon to be raided for all the gold, silver, or/and other precious materials kept in your city. Skandians can fight and defeat any enemy even if they are outnumbered 5 to 1. The skandians mos t treasured weapon is a battle ax. when they go into battle with battle axes their enemy will will cower in fear. Their favorite tactic is to charge into battle screaming and swinging their axes around.
   This book starts with the normal skandian raid. They go and plunder the city and take everything. But in the process one skandian is killed, and another skandian vows to take care of his son and wife. About 16 years later Brotherband Training begins. The brotherband is where 16 year old boys train t become real skandians. Hal and his friends are the underdogs. All of his team mates, including him, are outcasts. On his team he has a thief, a kid that has a really bad temper, a class clown, a regular kid with nothing really special, and other kids with nothing that special to mention. Although they are nothing special Hal is. Hal is a natural born leader and inventor. he takes these kids and turns them into believers. In short they end up winning the Brotherband training course. With the winning Hal and his team are given the chance to watch over the Andomal. The Andomal is skandias most prized treasure. While they are on watch it gets stolen by pirates. Hal and his crew are now hated by all of Skandia. SO, he decides to go after the Andomal.
\    This is a very intereting book with lots of adventure and action in it. It makes the book better if you read at least some of the Ranger Apprentice series just to know what a real skandian is. This is a very exciting, interesting, suspenseful book. I would recommend it to anyone. A.

Golden

    Golden

 Cameron Dokey

    This is the story of Rapunzel. She is kind, gentle, meek, and bald. Yep, you read right... she's completely bald. Her mother craved the herb rapunzel when she was pregnant, so her father stole some from the sorceresses garden. The sorceres of course caught him, and asked for something in return. The deal was that the mother could have as much  rapunzel as she wanted until she gave birth, but when she did give birth she must swear to love her just as the baby is and what she becomes. If not then the sorceress would claim the child as payment for stealing the rapunzel from her garden. Of course her mother gave birth to a bald child and said that she couldn't love her because she wasn't beautiful. The sorceress, Melisande, took the child away to live with her.

       Now I know what your thinking, "Oh no, this child is going to have an awful life, she's living with a sorceress..." but that is not true in any sense. Melisande was a wonderful guardien. The child she took she named Rapunzel, (fancy that) and she never grew any hair. Ever.  Rapunzel grew up kind, gentle, meek, and yes. bald.

       One day, a tinker comes to visit Melisande and Rapunzel. With him, he brought a boy. This boy was the same age as Rapunzel and  named Harry. (I promise that you will learn to like Harry as a character. He is so cool.) Rapunzel catches Harry trying to escape one night and confronts him. He tells her that he was trying to get back to a normal life and that the Tinker took him away from his dead parents. Rapunzel convinced hime to stay and they became fast and good friends.

       So the story continues and Rupunzel and Harry grow up and became close. (No, Rapunzel still has not grown any hair.) Then the story tilts and a huge dramatic scene takes place between Rapunzel and Melisande. Melisande evidently has another daughter. She is trapped in a tall tower and has to wait for someone to come and rescue her. (sound familiar?). Melisande's daughter, Rue, has to wait for true love to set her free. Rapunzel agrees to help her, and calls out to Rue. "One so fair, let down your hair and let me go from here to there." All of a sudden this huge long braid comes down from the top of the tower and Melisande and Rapunzel climbe up.
       So if I say anymore, I will spoil the story. You'll just have to read it for yourself. This book is not like your stereo typical Rapunzel story. For one thing, she's bald, and another, there is a purpose behind the writing of this book which I thought was interesting. Many members in Cameron Dokey's, the author, family suffer from alopecia atreata, an autoimmune skin disease which can result in the loss of all hair on the body. Her brother's daughters both had this disease and aksed Dokey if she could do a version of Rapunzel where she doesn't have any hair. Dokey obviously accepted, and it turned out to be a hit. So this book is a great read, but it also has sentimental value to it which is awesome.
       I really enjoyed this book. I thought that it was creative, entertaining, up beat, and enjoyable. I would recommend it to anyone who loves romance, fairy tales, values, and hair :). I would give this book an A-. It was very good, and was written well.

Fablehaven

     Fablehaven by Brandon Mull. Fablehaven is a fantasy, mystery book. It starts out when two kids named Seth and Kendra go and visit their grandparents while their parents go on a vacation. While there they realize their grandma hasn't been seen in a while. However Kendra and Seth's grandpa gives them a lot of clues to reveal a mystery and also get to take care of a chicken. When they drink this special milk, they finally get to see the land of Fablehaven. Fablehaven is like a home for creatures that are magical or that you wouldn't ever see. Now something bad has happened in Fablehaven and it's only up to Kendra, Seth, and Grandpa to save the world.
     
      This book was clever and was exciting. I couldn't stop reading, because they always would leave you hanging. I think the author was trying to tell us the importance of looking at things differently and also to be careful with the environment. I enjoyed this book a lot. it was very suspenseful and fun to read. Next I am going to read the next book.
   
      Overall, I thought this book was well written and was exciting to read. The only problem is a couple of chapters are slow. However that is like most books. I would give this book an A- because of what I said earlier. I would recommend this book for people who like fantasy stories.

Return of the King: J.R.R Tolkien

        The Return of the King, by J.R.R Tolkien, is the final book in the series, The Lord of the Rings. It continues again Frodo and Sam's quest to reach Mount Doom and destroy the ring.
        War is kindling over all of Middle Earth. Sauron is gathering armies from all over Middle Earth and planning to plant the final blow on Minas Tirith. Now King Theoden and the riders of Rohan must go and aid Gondor in the battle that will decide the doom of their time. But, will Gondor and Rohan be enough to defeat the armies of Mordor? No of course not. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimili, along with other rangers go to the Paths of the Dead to awaken a dead army. Meanwhile, Frodo has been stung by Shelob (the giant spider) and has been taken by orks to the tower of Cirith Ungol. Now Samwise the brave must go through a tower of orks to rescue Frodo so they can continue their journey to destroy the ring.
        I thought that this was an amazing book, and I thought that it was well written except for some slow parts, but I guess that is the way they wrote book back then. I  also really liked the courage of Sam and Frodo, because they get in the most impossible situations and they still persevere through basically anything. They even come home to a destroyed place, but they still fix that too.
      All in all, since this was an amazing book, I would give it a grade of and A+, and I would recommend anyone to read the Return of the King, after they read the Fellowship and Two Towers.
       

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

     Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is the second most read book in the world, written by J.K. Rowling. It is a marvelous book telling the story of the wizarding wonder, Harry Potter. Harry Potter has lived a miserable life in Privet Drive for as long as he can remember. His aunt and uncle abuse him daily while spoiling their son Dudley. Harry has practically given up on hoping for a good life when he gets a letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizadry. His uncle destroys the letters as they come and eventually moves away to avoid them. Then, Hagrid, a half giant and the gamekeeper of Hogwarts rescues him from the Dursleys and into the wizarding world.
      Unfortunately, the world of wizards is not a safe place. Hagrid tells Harry that his parents were killed by Voldemort, the darkest wizard there ever was. Voldemort tried to kill Harry too, but it backfired, leaving only a lightning shaped scar on Harry's forehead. Nobody knows if Voldemort is dead or just trying to regain his power. Because of this miraculous story, Harry goes to Hogwarts as a celebrity
     While at Hogwarts, he learns all about magic and plays Quiditch, a sport played on flying broomsticks. He also becomes friends with Ron Weasley, a poor but honest boy. Harry and Ron, as well as the know-it-all Hermione Granger are running from Filch, a sort of hall monitor, when they walk into a forbidden room with a three headed dog guarding a trap door. As the year goes on, Harry and Ron become suspicous of Snape, the Potions professor. On Halloween night, a troll gets into the castle, and they think that Snape let it in as a distraction. The troll ends up in the girl's bathroom while Hermione is inside. Harry and Ron end up saving her and becoming friends. Unfortunately, not all students at Hogwarts are Harry's friends. Draco Malfoy, a prideful jerk whose father was a supporter of Voldemort, becomes enemies with Harry.
     This book is definitely one of the best books I have ever read. I could not disagree with any of the themes and morals in this book. One of the biggest themes is that friendship is a key role to make it through trials. Harry relied on his friends as well as vice versa to defeat their enemies and make it out of life threatening situations. This book also taught of bravery, courage, and that hard work yields rewards. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is a thrilling story that you just can't put down. A.

   

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)

The Candy Shop War, Arcade Catastrophe

     The Candy Shop War 2 is about a boy named Nate who is in a club called the Blue Falcons. In this club there is Pidgean, Trevor, Summer, Nate, and Lindy. These friends work with a magician named Mr. Scott, who can create magical candy. Supposedly, one of the most powerful magicians name Mozag was captured and imprisoned. Mozag is a police magician that keeps all the bad magicians in line. Therefore his imprisonment is very bad. The Blue falcons hear that there is a new arcade that has opened, and that the magician that captured Mozag might own the place. Together the Blue Falcons found out that at the arcade, there are special stamps one can earn by getting 50 thousand tickets.

     Once Nate earned enough tickets with the help of special candy, he got the jet stamp. Once he got the Jet stamp he found that he could fly! After Nate got his stamp Summer got a tank stamp. Then Trevor got a race car stamp, and last pidgeon got a submarine. Mr. White ( The magician who made the stamps, and who owns the Arcade,) then got the four groups together, and had them all do different quests that was according to their stamps. The Blue Falcons acted as spies, and told Mr. Scott every move that Mr. White made. Soon the Blue Falcons had helped Mr. White to find a map, and a key to help find a treasure that would allow him to dominate the world. Can the Blue Falcons stop Mr. White from getting the treasure? Or have they already helped him to much?

     Brandon Mull did a very good job on this book. It was very creative and fun, just like the first book in this series, except I thought that this book was even better. The Blue Falcons go on many new adventures with new magical powers that make this book very interesting. This book is very exhilarating and keeps you on your toes, just waiting to see what happens next. I would really recommend this book to anyone who enjoys adventure!

  I give this book an A+ because it is very suspenseful and exciting! Once I started reading this book I couldn't stop reading it! If i had to find one thing bad about this book, I don't think that i would be able to do it! I really enjoyed this book and hope that Brandon Mull comes out with another!

Catching Fire

         Firstly, I would just like to say that this is by far my favorite book ever. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins is definitely a science fiction book. The main-theme of this awesome book is its controlling government. There are some things that you need to know before you read it, though. Number one is that in the first book of this series, The Hunger Games, Peeta Mellark, and Katniss Everdeen have won the games. Number two, they have made the government angry. And when I say angry, I mean creating uprisings left and right angry. Those are the two most important points that you will need to know.

       Panem is celebrating their 75th anniversary. And, every 25 years, there is The Quarter Quell. The Quarter Quell is when the winners of every year, for the past 25 years fight to the death- literally. So against all odds, Peeta and Katniss get to go back into the arena with their mentor, Haymitch. As they fight in the arena, they find things out about the arena, and the government that will change the game for everyone.
     
       Before you read this book, you should probably read the first book. I promise, it will make a lot more sense if you do. After you read this book, there is another one called, Mockingjay. But, that's a whole different story. Out of all of the books in the series, this one is by far my favorite.

       Suzanne Collins creates a world in which it is impossible to escape. You will never want to put it down. It's that good. I think that the biggest issue this book brings up is government. If the government is good, then the rest of the society will be good, and vise versa. I loved this book so much and I could read it over and over again without getting bored. Its words captivate you into its pages without you even realizing it. This book is amazing. I give this book and A+.

The Death Cure

The Death Cure is the final book of The Maze Runner trilogy.  Like the other books in the series, this book also follows Thomas and the gladers into their adventures.  When they are taken by WICKED in the second book they are told that their tests are finally over.  They go with WICKED  and Thomas hears a faint voice in his head that says, "WICKED is good."  But Thomas still isn't quite sure.

    In the beginning, the gladers are told that some of them are immune to the deadly disease called "the flare".  The gladers are also told that the tests they were in were to study brain patterns so WICKED could find a cure to the disease.  Since the tests are done WICKED tells them that their memories can be restored if they want.  But Thomas says he already knows too much and that he is scared to remember anymore about his past.  Thomas and some of the other gladers come up with a new plan, because they don't trust WICKED.  This plan is to escape from WICKED.  They go to Denver, but instead of dealing with WICKED they have to deal with the real world.

    This was a good book considering that it came after two amazing books before it.  The author has such an incredible imagination that can take me to different places.  When I read his writing it feels like I am living the book.  Although it was a good book, it wasn't the best in the series.  In trilogies it is harder to come up with more things to compare with the first book, but I think it was still great.  These books are wonderful because they just get you thinking about our world.  I mostly think about how we can do things better and how a good government will keep us moving forward.  Lastly, I think of just the motivation humans can have to keep the human race alive.

This book was a perfect ending to this trilogy.  I think everyone should read these book, and if they do they will never stop reading until they finish.
   

I Am Number Four

    Pittacus Lore was very creative in writing I Am Number Four. It is a book unlike any other I have read. It's science fiction with quite a bit of adventure and just a dash of romance. It's about aliens. So, if you like that kind of stuff, I would recommend this book. It focuses on love and hope, without being mushy. John is one of nine Garde children sent to Earth with their guardians, Cepan. Garde are basically the soldiers on John's home planet, Lorien, and have "Legacies," which are kinds of superpowers. Lorien was attacked by the Mogadorians and the Garde kids and Cepan were sent to Earth as Lorien's only hope of keeping their race alive. The nine kids can only be killed in order because of a charm. The Mogadorian have killed three and John is Number Four.

    John Smith is a new student in Paradise, Ohio. Henri, John's Cepan, decided to move there after Three died because it's a small town and the Mogadorians can't go unnoticed by John and Henri that way. John goes to school and quickly becomes friends with Sam, a kid obsessed with aliens and conspiracy theories, and Sarah, a beautiful and kind girl. Sarah's ex-boyfriend, Mark, didn't become friends with John immediately however. He enjoys picking on John and Sam, and doesn't know about John's superhuman strength, speed, or legacies. One night however, Mark goes too far and John uses his legacies to beat him and his friends up. Sam saw John use superpowers and starts to avoid him at school. John confronts him about it and Sam says he thought John was an alien. They laugh it off and continue being friends.

    John, Sam and Sarah all go to a Halloween festival where Sam tells John and Henri about an article in Sam's alien conspiracy magazine, They Walk among Us, that said the Mogadorians were on a quest of universal domination and had wiped out one planet. Earth was next and they were looking for human weakness. John and Henri are interested in it because of the accuracy of the story. Henri decides to research the publishers more and go to visit them in Athens, Ohio. Sarah and John's relationship progresses and soon John goes to her house for Thanksgiving dinner. When Henri doesn't show up, John starts to panic and goes to find Sam for help. They need to find Henri and keep the Mogadorians away from John.

    This book made me think about our planet and how amazing it really is. The book isn't really a "Save the trees!" kind of book, but if we destroy our planet, we have no other options. It's the one and only Earth we've been able to find. If we, like the Mogadorians, use all our natural resources too fast and fill our planet with waste, we will end up like the Mogadorians, planet-less and searching for a new way to survive. It might not necessarily include universe domination, but you catch my drift.

    Another thing I thought was well put by this book is that there are many kinds of love. John experiences love for Sarah, Henri, Sam, Lorien and Earth. They aren't the same kind of love at all though. His love for Henri is like the love I have for my father. He is devoted to his planet, even though it isn't really there anymore. I'm just glad there is a young adult book that expresses many loves and not just a boyfriend, girlfriend kind of love. After awhile of those books, I feel like I need to wash my brain. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy them every now and then, I Am Number Four just had a nice combination and I enjoyed reading it. 

    Overall, this book was pretty good. I enjoy reading, and I have read many books that I can't function or think about other things without finishing it. Kind of sadly, this was not one of those books. I mean, it was a good book, for sure. Maybe I had just heard so many great things about it that I had higher expectations for it. I thought it was just kind of "Meh." I would recommend this book to people, it's just not a top book in my list of favorites. I think I would give this book a B. But again, if you enjoy science fiction and adventure, I would read this book.

The 13th Reality: The Journal of Curious Letters

       The 13th Reality: The Journal of Curious Letters by James Dashner is about a boy named Tick (short for Atticus Higgenbottom.) He is the smartest kid in his class.
       One day, Tick receives a strange letter, sent by someone with the initials M.G. The letter says that "things are literally splitting apart at the seams," and, "many lives are at stake." It also states that Tick will begin to receive a series of twelve clues, which he must decipher before a certain date. However, if he doesn't want to continue, all he must do is burn this letter.
        One by one, Tick gets the letters, and tries to solve the clues contained within them. Though some of the letters seem pointless, M.G.,  the person sending the letters, says that everything is a clue.
       As Tick races to unravel the mysteries of the letters, he is faced with sinister creatures and machines, such as Tingle Wraiths and Gnat Rats. Will Tick be able to make sense of the clues before the special date? Will he figure out the identity of M.G.? Will he survive whatever's coming to him? Well, I don't want to spoil the book for you, so I guess you'll just have to read the book to find out.
       Now, for my review of the book. The book was fun to read. It had some suspense, and some adventure. I enjoyed the way the author combined science fiction with fantasy. If you like both science fiction and fantasy, like I do, then you will enjoy this book. If you like solving puzzles as well, then you will especially like the book. A.

Ender's Game

Ender’s Game is a science fiction novel by Orson Scott Card. Andrew "Ender" Wiggin is the youngest child in the Wiggin family. Ender was part of an Earth program to produce some of the most brilliant officers and became a third child. Ender was constantly teased as a "third" since there was a limitation of a two-child policy. He had a close relationship with his sister Valentine, but feared his brother Peter, loved manipulating and tormenting him.  

Ender has had a monitoring device as long as he has remembered. The monitor has acted as a source of protection and guidance. However, when he has this device removed he is now vulnerable to everything.

            Battle School is in a facility outer space where the most talented children are trained to fight against an alien species known as buggers. Both Peter and Valentine have gone to Battle School, but were sent back after a few years in the program. To Ender’s surprise, he was also accepted into Battle School and was faced with the decision to either stay on Earth with his family or help fight against the buggers.

            In Battle School Ender quickly surpasses his fellow classmates and was placed with an older group of boys, his capabilities were overlooked until he lead his team to victory. Ender is soon promoted to a squad leader to some of the youngest cadets in the school. However, with the disadvantage of inexperienced classmates, Ender is able to lead his squadron to victory and the competition. Many squads try to mimic his battle tactics, but Ender is able to come up with new tactics every time. Even with his success, Ender soon finds the game unfair and no longer wants to participate.

            I absolutely loved reading this book and found the story of preparing kids for a battle that may no longer exists a very interesting plot. Some topics that Card brought up throughout the book include: family, friendship, strengths and skills, identity conflicts, trust, and individual needs versus the common good.

            I do want to warn the reader that there is quite a bit of foul language throughout the book and should be considered before reading. Also I’d like to point out that a film of Ender’s Game will be coming out on November 1, 2013. I look forward to watching the film and see how the book was interpreted. I challenge anyone who hasn’t read Ender’s Game to read it soon, and I hope that they are able to enjoy reading it as much as I have.

Micheal Vey: Rise of the Elgen

 

Micheal Vey 

 Rise of the Elgen

Book by: Richard Paul Evans

Book Review by: Brendan Larsen

SPOILERS!!!

(Duh!)

         Micheal Vey seems normal, but he has Tourettes syndrome, and he is basically a human tazer. In the first book his mom got taken by the Elgen (who are the bad guys), and  Micheal found out that there are more like him. They are called the Electric Children, or Glows. Some are bad, and work for Dr. Hatch, and some are much more humane, and joined the ElectroClan (Micheal's friends, which all aren't Glows). The Elgen want to create a world in which the Electric Children rule, and everyone is electric, but that means killing a lot of people in the process. Now, the ElectroClan has to break into the most heavily guarded Elgen compuond in the world. And the rats you see on the cover are electrified rats that generate electricity, and are also very deadly. So, basically, there is going to be a ton of challenges.

         I loved the book in every aspect, and almost couldn't put it down. The only reason why I did ever put it down is because the teachers were yelling at me to pay attention. I would suggest it to anyone that likes sci-fi or action books. I got hooked on the first page of the first book (which was originally supposed to be the book for my book reveiw this month) and just couldn't stop reading it. I am really excited for the third book to come out to local libraries. So, just give this book a chance, and you will find that you won't regret it. Ever.

 

Serpent Tide

       Serpent Tide by K. L. Fogg is about a boy named Wesley. His mother, Imogene, is rich, and protective of Wesley. Wesley's favorite T.V. show is "The Snake Stalker," in which Jack Mackey, Wesley's hero, hunts dangerous reptiles in Australia. 

       When Wesley goes to a day long horse riding camp, which he was invited to by a vet named Maggie Scott, he finds out that the owners, including Maggie and her parents, Penny and Walter, know Jack Mackey. In fact, Jack is pretty much part of the family. His wife, Nicole, who was Maggie's twin sister, died in a storm, and their son was lost. 

       Soon after Wesley gets back from the camp, he starts to suspect that he is Jack's lost son. He runs away from Imogene and goes back to the horse ranch. Imogene comes looking for Wesley. 

       The rest of the book is about Wesley trying to stay with the Scotts on their ranch. This is a little difficult, as Imogene is persistent on keeping Wesley.

       I really enjoyed reading this book. I could barely stand putting the book down. There is a lot of suspense in this book. There are also funny parts. If you like suspense and adventure books, then this book is for you. A.

Brotherband Chronicles: The Hunters

     In this book, Hal and his crew are once again hunting down the pirates who stole the Andomal. they chase them into a river leading to a safe haven city for pirates and thiefs. They are trying to catch them before they reach the city but run into some difficulties along the way. Hal can't catch them in time to stop them before they reach the haven so he has to come up with another way to get the treasure back.
     This book is very exciting and is very good at explaining why teamwork is helpful. It also shows how perseverance can pay off. with the right mindset Hal and his crew can do almost anything they want.
     John Flanagan has a very simple and cool way of writing that makes this book a very fun and entertaining yet easy read. It explains itself very well throughout the story and he makes it so you can easily sympathize with Hal. I love this book and so does everyone I know that's read it.

Eragon by Christopher Paolini Adventure, Action, Magic, Dragons, fiction

Eragon by Paolini

The book, Eragon takes place in a land called Alagaesia in an empire controlled by an evil guy named Galbatorix. The story is about a boy named Eragon who is a farm boy and lives in a town called Carvahall. Both his parents are assumed to be dead and he lives with his cousin Roran and his Uncle Garrow.

On a hunting trip in a range of mountains called The Spine, Eragon discovers a blue stone which later turns out to be a dragon egg. When his Uncle is killed by two creatures called the Ra'zac he goes out to find revenge and is accompanied by an old story teller named Brom who helps him to become a Dragon Rider. On their quest they battle monsters and get help from their friends to find and kill the Ra'zac.

When they are ambushed by the Ra'zac, Brom is killed by a knife wound but a guy named Murtagh comes and chases the Ra'zac away then helps nurse Eragon back to health. Afterwards they are forced to flee from the empire where they seek the help of a band of rebels called the Varden.

 The story line of this book is incredibly similar to star wars. Both of them start on farms. Both of them have an old yet cool mentor who was once a hero. Both of them save a girl. And both of them go and join a rebellion to defeat an Empire.



I think that this book is a very intriguing book and is quite worth reading. (Even though the movie is crap) The storyline of this book is very interesting and has a good bit of suspense to it. It is a well written book. A



The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

     That's right, yet another Hunger Games book review! I'm sure you, Mrs.Jensen along with all the other students who actually read these reviews are pretty sick of them being on a book that sold more than 23.5 Million copies in the United States alone. (Yalsa.ala.org) I'm sick of it just as much as everyone else, but since the book is so popular I decided to give it a try, and I have got to say, it was actually pretty fun to read. Following Katniss and Peeta along their pretty cool story that took place in a bad*** arena was not only fun to read, but hard to put down. Unfortunately, all the hipsters in the world who refuse to read this book because of the fact that is is way too mainstream for them, are really missing out. It has it's cheesy parts, which are usually taken back over by something cool or witty that Katniss says, or, well, people dying. I'd give this book a solid 8.5 out of 10, only due to its sometimes cheesy paragraphs and occasional lengthy, boring chapters, though don't not read this book because of that, because even in those boring chapters there will almost certainly be at least one cool part. If you haven't read this book yet, you might as well go buy a copy because it's inevitable that you're going to read it at some point and it really isn't all that bad. Although this may be a bit irrelevant, did you know that there are currently (including this one) 657 book reports on this website? Only 9 more until there are 666, pretty exciting for those satanic people!

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

For my final book review, I read The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.  This is a fictional book and is probably one of the best I've ever read.  This book is about a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins who gets himself wrapped up in an adventure he never imagined himself going on.  This book taught me that even the most insignificant person can do extraordinary things.

The story starts by introducing the main character, a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins.  Bilbo, along with most other hobbits, is a simple creature, not at all liking even the thought of adventures.  But one day, his life completely changes when Gandalf stops by.  Gandalf tells Bilbo he is looking for someone to take part in an adventure, and without even thinking about it, Bilbo denies his request.  However, Gandalf won't take no for an answer, so before leaving Bilbo's hobbit-hole, he engraves a strange symbol onto his front door.  Bilbo's troubles are far from over.

The next day, Bilbo hears a surprising ring of his door bell.  Thinking it's Gandalf, Bilbo hurries to the door and opens it up to let him in.  Bilbo is dumbfounded when he sees a dwarf standing there.  The dwarf introduces himself as Balin and walks in just like he'd been expected.  Before long, twelve other dwarves have come.  After grudgingly feeding them all, Bilbo listens as the leader of the company, Thorin Oakenshield, explains the reason for their gathering.  He explains to Bilbo that not long ago, the dwarves lived and prospered in the Lonely Mountain.  He tells Bilbo that the abundance of gold possessed by the dwarves attracted a dragon named Smaug, who drove the dwarves out of the Lonely Mountain and took it for his own.  He tells Bilbo that the dwarves are to set off on a journey to defeat the dragon and reclaim their homeland.

When Bilbo wakes up the next day, his hobbit-hole is empty.  After accepting the fact that he won't be going on an adventure, he settles down for a nice breakfast.  Moments later, Gandalf rushes in, tells Bilbo he's late, and practically drags him off to meet with the rest of the company.  Bilbo is now their official burglar.  Fighting trolls and spiders, discovering a magical ring, and riding on a barrel are just a few things that await him on this crazy adventure.

Like I've mentioned, this is probably one of the best books I have ever read.  It was exciting and thrilling, and every chapter brought something new.  I really enjoyed the characters and the way they all interacted with one another.  I know I've already said this, but I believe a prominent theme in this book is that ordinary people can do incredible things.  Throughout the book, Bilbo develops his character by repeatedly saving his friends and showing forth his bravery.  I believe this theme can apply to all of us when we face challenges in our lives.  Everyone of us, myself included, needs to believe in ourselves and not doubt in our abilities.  With this knowledge, we really can do amazing things, just like Bilbo did in the story.  We can come out better people after dealing with challenges.  All in all, not only was this book a good read, it taught me some valuable lessons.

In closing, everyone should read this book.  I guarantee you will enjoy it and that your thoughts on life will be changed for the better after you've read it.  This book was incredible.  A+