c16bf

I just read two new books!

#1 Dani Noir

Dani Noir is about a girl whose father was caught cheating on her mother at the end of the school year. Dani is devastated and is moping all summer. She meets Jackson, a summer employee at the movie theater and Elissa’s boyfriend. However, she finds out from her sister-to-be, Nichole, that Jackson has a girlfriend back home, Bella. Dani can’t have Elissa hurt like her mom was, so she sort of … intervenes. Although Taylor and Austin believe her, Jackson and Elissa are getting really mad. This crazy summer turns into Dani’s worst nightmare — doubled!

#2 Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love

Last year in school we read Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell out of a Tree. I have to say it wasn’t too good but I decided to give the second book a try. All I really have to say is an EPIC FAIL. I really don’t like how it’s written and the characters are sort of depressing. I really expected something else.

Hey, I’m here sitting next to c16lw and c16uw, eating crackers, drinking Sprite Zero, listening to David Macaulay speak! David Macaulay is a author/illustrator who is taking the time to hang out with us at school. At the moment, David is redrawing some of his first books – but in color! There are four in the collection; CASTLE, CATHEDRAL, MOSQUE, and CITY. He’s explaining to us about how ANCIENT these books are (That is, if 1971 is ancient!). It was really expensive to print in color then, so all his books were in black n white. Instead of just coloring in his old drawings, he’s actually redrawing them! I so don’t have that kind of patience. He’s showing us page by page the comparisons; his pattern: old, new, old, new, old, new. David’s actually really funny – if you ever meet him, tell him I say hi! He uses marker to draw all his drawings, and it’s all on tracing paper. I love drawing, all the time, and I usually draw on regular paper and these special thin markers. It seems like David’s really into architecture too but hey, what do I know?

So in honor of David Macaulay the school has given each student a sketchbook. We even have assignments in it sometimes! It’s also really cool to see what other people have drawn, so a sketchbook blog has been created.

So, check out David Macaulay, I’m sure he’s on Google or something, and I’ll post soon!

Okay, so I read the five books in the Maximum Ride series this week. I read five books in three days. I just couldn’t stop. I am now in a state of depression because the sixth book isn’t coming out until March 15th.

Book One: The Angel Experiment

When Angel, the youngest in a flock of bird-kids, gets kidnapped, Max has to save her. This brings them back to the school, the place where the flock had been genetically mutated. The worst part is, though, Jeb is there – their hero, until he disappeared. And he tells Max that it’s her job to save the world! Well, some serious information tells the flock that there’s an Institute in New York City that is connected to the school and might have some answers – like, who are their parents and how can Max save the world? The flock’s experience in New York is not very happy, sleeping in subway tunnels and flying out of restaurants.

I won’t give too much away, but they’re really good!

So, keep reading, fellow bloggies!

Over the weekend I read One Crazy Summer. What a good book! This is a historical fiction; I usually don’t read those. At first I thought it wasn’t my kind of book, but now I realize it’s anyone’s kind of book.

This book takes place in the ’60s. Delphine and her sisters – Vonetta and Fern – have to travel across the country to meet their mother. Once there, their crazy mother sends them off to a Black Panther Camp. The book is basically about their absurd mother, their righteous teachings at Black Panther Camp, and all of their amazing adventures.

I started reading this book very confused. I thought about doing some research about the Black Panthers, but I decided against it. The book informed me that they were a group that fought for their rights at any expense. They would use violence to get what they wanted, if it came to that. Yet according to Delphine, the Black Panthers in the book are very kind, offering summer camp and free breakfast.

If you are interested in this book, go ahead and read it. You won’t regret it!

Today, I went to the Book Blogger’s main Website and clicked on a link a blog by the editor of the Horn Book, Roger Sutton. This particular post was called “To ’see like a child’: all it’s cracked up to be?”. Well excuse me, Mr. Sutton, I for one think children can write really good reviews! Roger Sutton’s post is all about how he thinks that children write crummy reviews. I was offended! Whether verbal or in writing, I have reviewed books for years. I think I’ve got a lot of practice! In my opinion, Sutton’s review of childrens’ reviews is not illuminating!

Well, another post is coming soon, read on book bloggers!

This Thursday the book bloggers club went to see Fantastic Mr. Fox. I loved it! George Clooney (my fave) was Mr. Fox. See, Mr. Fox steals chickens/hens and finally gets caught. He promises his wife that he won’t steal again. But twelve years later he is back in the chicken coop. Or rather, the chicken coop, the goose hanging room, and the alcoholic apple cider lab.

Fantastic Mr. Fox is a mature but child-friendly movie and I think you should go see it now!

This is Suzanne LaFleur’s first book. It is about an eleven year old girl, Aubrey. Aubrey’s Dad and younger sister recently died in a car crash, and Aubrey’s mother abandoned her. Aubrey tries living on her own (with Sammy, her pet goldfish, of course) but it doesn’t work out so well. She moves up to Vermont to stay with her grandmother. She makes a best friend, Bridget, and they share everything with each other. Aubrey is a very brave girl.

I personally liked this book because of the letters. Aubrey writes letters to her mom, dad, and Savannah (her sister), but mostly to Jilly. Jilly is -or, was- Savannah’s imaginary friend. I also recommend this book for 9 – 16 year olds, because it is VERY SAD and a LITTLE DEPRESSING. If anyone likes sad stories, then, by all means, go take a whack at it. It is an amazing book, and it pulls you through the pages.

New book – Al Capone Shines my Shoes. It was amazing! Gennifer Choldenko brings life into all her characters; especially Moose, Piper, and Al Capone. This is the second book in the series, so I recommend reading Al Capone Does my Shirts first. It came out in September, so it’s rather new. However, it takes place in 1935, on Alcatraz.

The story is about Moose Flannagan, who narrates the story. In most of the book, it is about his relationship with Piper (the warden’s daughter), Annie (the block-headed okey-dokey), and Jimmy and Theresa Mattaman, Moose’s best friends. The book is also centered around Natalie, Moose’s sister, who is autistic. They had not discovered autism at this time, so they had nothing to help her. They send her to the Esther P. Marinoff school, which teaches her to speak in full sentences thanks to Sadie, a teacher. Natalie had a previous relationship with a prisoner, Onion (Number 105). This book is very exciting.

This book is DEFINITELY for ages 12 and up. However, it has amazing language and a lot of IMPORTANT details.

So, enjoy, and check in next time!

Hey guys! I am in the midst of reading Al Capone Shines my Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko, just wanted to say my post might be a LITTLE spoiler but I won’t give anything good away about the first one. So, enjoy my last post and the next!

This past week I read Slob, by Ellen Potter, and it was fantastic. Owen (the main character and teller of the story) doesn’t give you all the details; he rolls them to you one by one and completely out of order. It’s a really thought-provoking book; it brings you into Owen and Jeremy’s restored lives after their parents have died and life is getting normal.

This book is about 12-year-old Owen Birnbaum, who says he is “five foot two and I weighs 156 pounds.” He is also smarter than the average bear, but he is not allowed to tell you his IQ score because his mom won’t let him anymore. Owen suspects that the new kid, Mason Ragg , who supposedly had a firecracker thrown at his face for strangling a girl with her necklace and carries a switchblade in his sock (or a razor under his tongue, no one really knows) has been stealing his oreos from the lunch closet. Meanwhile, Jeremy, formerly Caitlin, has joined GWAB; Girls Who Are Boys. While Owen works on Nemesis, his best invention yet, Nima, the Buddhist downstairs, raises money (by selling momos) so that his new wife Pema and her mom can come live in New York.

In this surprisingly curious tale, Owen (also known as Flapjack) releases his string of events one by one until you can barely hold on to the book – you just HAVE to know the ending NOW! I would recommend this book for ages 9 – 12, just because it is sort of shocking at the end. I congratulate Ellen Potter on a job well done!