See the Movie/Read the Book

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Adrenaline-filled thrill ride that keeps the pages turning, but is a definite skim. This book might have been a 1/4 inch deep, if that. But a rocking good time, pardner. If they stay true to the book, the movie will be phenomenal!



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The Sixth Grade Nickname Game by Gordon Korman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Gordon Korman does a great job of thinking like a kid. In this book, he takes the universal theme of boys fighting over a girl, couples it with Shakespeare's question, "What's in a name?" and produces a funny outcome. Of course, the real hero is Cassandra, but the two boys learn that their friendship is a bigger prize than any girl. A great read-aloud for upper elementary/6th graders. It really fits into my class, because our geography teacher gives each student a nickname. I can really run with this novel as a theme/idea starter.

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A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Richard Peck is a great ya/children's author. He writes this novel, and it's prequel from the point of view of Joey and Mary Alice Dowdel who spend time with their grandmother in her small Illinois town. As everything is seen through the eyes of the kids, the action and motivations of Grandma are not always clear. In this novel, Mary Alice spends a year during the Depression living with Grandma to save her parents money. She has many adventures with Grandma Dowdel, an imposing woman in both size and personality, who has eyes in the back of her heart.

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To Read or Not to Read?

The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet by Erin Dionne

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


There's no indecisiveness in this Hamlet; she knows exactly what she wants to be: normal, unnoticed, average. But it's hard when her parents are prominent Shakespearean professors who LIVE the part in their daily lives (they don't even use contractions!) and her little sister, Desdemona, is a genius (seriously - already taking college level courses). Hamlet maintains a sense of normalcy at school, but then 8th grade comes, her sister is attending her school and to make matters worse, her PARENTS are helping with a Shakespeare unit! What could be worse? I enjoyed the Shakespeare quotes and references. Other than that, its your basic YA Chick Book. It was a fun read.

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The Warrior Heir

A wizard born, a warrior made.

I enjoyed the blend of magic, myth, and modern.
Heart surgeons really are wizards;
warriors compete on the soccer field;
sword fighting with your high school crush
is just like dancing (to the death?!).

I'd say it's a fun fantasy book with plenty of action,
and probably some lessons about equality and loyalty mixed in.
Plenty of magic and mayhem and romance too!

Rating: 3 Berries = I liked it!

Catching Fire

May the odds be ever in your favor!

If you only read one book this year, it should be The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. If you read two, then you should read Catching Fire. It's an excellent follow up; it doesn't disappoint in the action of the Arena, nor in the ideas of politics in this new America. Quite a cliffhanger ending that makes the wait until August 24th for Mockingjay very, very long. Which of course should be the 3rd book you read this year (if you only read three).

Book Review: The Other Side of the Island

How far would you go to conform?

Do you always believe what your textbooks and teachers say?

What if you were called a liar for contradicting them?

Would you turn your back on your only friend?

None of the other girls has a best friend who is a boy.
Especially a boy who is an "orphan."

Would you change your name?

Everyone born the same year as you has a name that starts with the same letter.
Honor starts with "H" but it's not pronounced. She STANDS OUT.

Would you ignore your brother at school?

Nobody you know even has a "brother" or "sister."
In fact, these words are profanities.

These are just some of the questions Honor must answer when she and her family relocate to Island 365 in the Tranquil Sea during the Eighteenth Glorious Year of Enclosure.

Rating: 3 Berries = I liked it.



But you don't have to take my word for it.
Check out 3 Evil Cousins: Book reviews 4 and by Teens.
Or Asking the Wrong Questions (an adult point of view) Caution: spoiler alert!