Marshall Library Blog

May the Dead Blog Rise Again!

2010-02-01T12:36:00.001-08:00

Well, this blog has been lying dormant for some time. What are you reading now? What series should the library keep updating? What's the buzz among Marshall readers?

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

2008-06-06T08:14:00.000-07:00

Reviewed by Emma

Map Spring 2008
By Stephanie Meyer, published in 2005 by Little, Brown and company, pg # 498

Vampire stories have been around for thousands of year. In modern time most people think that vampires do not exist. As far as Bella Swan is concerned they do. After her parents get devoiced Bella moves to Forks Washington, to live with her dad. After settling in Bella notices something strange about a family called the Cullen's. Like that they don't ever go to school when it's sunny and they never eat lunch, also Edward tries to avoid Bella as much as possible.
Edward saves her life by pushing her out of the way when a car almost hits her, but he was too far away to really do that. That confirms her suspicions, the Cullen family is a family of VAMPIRES. Not just vampires but vampires with powers, for example how to read minds or seeing into the future. When Bella realizes that she's fallen in love with Edward, his family secrets are now hers and her life takes a supernatural turn. Her trust and love in Edward will be push to the extreme, as vampire dangers come into view. There's another clan of vampires and they're not too nice.

Twilight is an exciting story with a lot of twists and turns. Romance mixed with the supernatural makes for a thrilling novel for all ages. Twilight will turn any reader into vampire lover.

Thin Wood Walls by David Patneaude

2008-06-05T14:39:00.000-07:00

Reviewed by Jamie

This book describes the story of eleven-year-old Joseph Hanada. He is a lot like other American boys: he loves sports, endures school, and enjoys hanging out with friends. However, on December 7, 1941, he discovers that being a Japanese-American is not always easy. The Seattle suburb where Joseph and his family live is quickly infected with tension and suspicion. To many Americans, Japanese immigrants and American-born Japanese look like enemies. FBI agents, in fact, soon take Joseph’s father, away. Federal authorities, looking for evidence of treason search the Hanada home. Then, when the President signs Executive Order 9066 on February 19, 1942, the fate of the Hanada family becomes inevitable: They are removed from their homes and "relocated" to, (as the government puts it) to protect them.
Personally, this book did not agree with me. I found the writing style to be bland and unimaginative. The writing was very repetitive. The author had an extreme over use of the word “said.” I recommend this book to any one who wants a long and arduous read.

Twilight, Stephanie Meyer

2008-06-05T12:32:00.000-07:00

Reviewed by Ezra

Little Brown, 2005, 498pp., MAP, June 2, 2008

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to go to school with a vampire, let alone meeting one? Our main character does. Bella Swan, a plain but lovely girl, moves to a city called Forks, Washington. This shy young woman despises the alien green trees that line the dull streets. Then, on Bella's first day at Forks High School, she falls in love with a reserved, classy gentleman named Edward Cullen. After a while of Bella seeing Edward, she discovers that Edward is, in fact, a dangerous but beautiful vampire, who only drinks animal blood, and not human blood.
Edward then takes Bella to see him and his family play an interesting game of baseball which perhaps not surprisingly, holds more excitement than she expected; A stranger, a vampire, with a thirst for human blood, comes to join the game, but is instantly enticed by Bella's extraordinarily sweet-smelling blood pulsing through her veins rapidly, like fire. That is when the suspenseful hunt for that deliciously appetizing blood begins. I greatly enjoyed Meyer's smooth writing style and found the characters to seem surprisingly real. I highly recommend this vampiric novel, would be appealing to almost anyone. Especially to Middle School kids and High School kids.

No-No Boy By John Okada

2008-06-05T10:18:00.000-07:00

Reviewed by Sampson McSimpson

No-No Boy is the story of a Japanese American man named Ichiro who has just gotten out of prison for not fighting in World War 2. All Japanese American men were asked two questions, if they would fight in the war and if they were willing to sever allegiance with the Emperor of Japan. Those who answered no to both questions were known as no-no boys. Ichiro deals with a fiercely pro-Japanese mother who was in favor of his choice to go to jail instead of fighting. Because of his past decisions his friends and family view Ichiro as neither Japanese nor American.
I, the distinguished reader, thought that this was a good book. It wasn’t the most interesting at some times but it pulled you through those parts quickly and brought you something good. If I ever recommended books to people I would probably recommend this to older readers. It deals with lots of racism and has some language that people might consider inappropriate. Over all it was a great book and I enjoyed it a lot.

Ghost's Grave by Peg Kehret

2008-06-05T10:14:00.000-07:00

Published by the Penguin Group, 2004, 210 pages
Review by Sarah
Marshall Alternative Program
Spring 2008
“If you don’t do as I say, you won’t live to see tomorrow.”
Ghost’s Grave is about a 12 year-old boy, Josh. Josh, who had just gotten on the summer baseball team eager to tell his parents. But then learns that his parents are leaving to India, and he will have to stay at his eccentric aunt Ethel’s house. Where he encounters a ghost of a miner, Willie. But when Willie requests that he should dig up his leg bones, he gets more than he bargained for.
I think this book would be good for younger audiences and I think this is a very good read if you are looking for a suspenseful, action-packed book.

Thin Wood Walls by David Patenaude

2008-06-05T10:09:00.000-07:00

Reviewed By Eric
The racism inspired by the attacks on Pearl Harbor affected Japanese-Americans, or Nisei, across the country, including Joe Hanada and his family. The CIA for seemingly no reason arrests Joes father, and his family and he are shipped off to a concentration camp in the middle of the California Desert, called Tule Lake (too-lee layk). Joe’s brother Mike waits for his 18th birthday so he can join the military and prove his loyalty to his country.
This is an ok book, but not the greatest I’ve ever read. It’s a short easy read and it’s good if you have some free time. However, it starts very slowly, and lacks a strong ending. When the book ends, it feels like it should only be the middle of the book. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

No-No Boy by John Okada

2008-06-05T10:08:00.000-07:00

No-No Boy by John Okada

Published by Charles E. Tutlles 1957 260 pages
Review by Anabel
Marshall Alternative Program
Spring 2008
Have you ever been in the situation where you had to go to war against your own culture and maybe having to fight one of your family members?!!!
Well, this is a book about a guy named Ichiro who had to join the army. Ichiro and his mom and dad were originally from Japan but moved to America to save a bunch of money and eventually move back to Japan. They lived in America for 30 years and their plans to move back to Japan didn’t seem too realistic but they still continued to dream about it. His mother was very traditional and would not allow him to join the army, so he was sent to jail for 2 years.
I recommend this book for people 15, 16, or 17 and up. It is definitely more of an older reading group. It was hard for me to understand. To me this book was kind of slow. It was an ok book though.

The Last Chance Texaco By Brent Hartinger

2008-06-05T10:07:00.000-07:00

The Last Chance Texaco
By Brent Hartinger, HarperCollins, 2004, 240 PP., Map 2008
Reviewed by Lauryn

Lucy Pitt was orphaned at age seven. After being sent to one group home after another, 15-year-old Lucy is sent to the Kindle Home. The Kindle Home is the last stop before "Rabbit Island" or what most people call it "Eat Their Young Island". "Eat Their Young Island" is a hospital treatment center, where people are locked in their rooms, kept under constant surveillance and restrained to their beds. Lucy is on the brink of giving up so she decides to make an effort to stay at Kindle Home but right away it’s getting harder for her. Then things get even harder when she gets in a fight at school, one of the fellow residents has it out for her, someone's setting fires in the neighborhood, and the funding for the home is being threatened. Lucy has to pull things together to save everything.
This is a great book for almost any age group. It will draw you in with every page. It is excellent page-turner and I would recommend it for anyone who is looking for a good book, because the characters seem real and believable.

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

2008-06-05T10:06:00.000-07:00

TWILIGHT by Stephanie Meyers…..madera…..Language Arts……May 2008…….

Little, Brown Children's Books.... Published October 2005

Have you ever wished for something amazing and unexpected to happen to you in a dreary place? For Example, when Bella Swan’s boring life took an unexpected turn…?

"I wasn't finished kissing you yet," said Edward.

When Bella moves from sunny Phoenix, Arizona to always rainy Forks, Washington to live with her father, Charlie, she is less then excited. She has to start a new High School and make new friends. After not long at the High School Bella makes a few friends, meets a few nice boys, and notices the Cullens.

When Bella meets Edward Cullen everything changes. Her once dreary and uncomfortable adjustment to Forks suddenly became worthwhile and her new life became a romance. Yet, as Bella and Edward get closer to each other she starts to discover some strange things about him and his family. First off, she notices how anti-social the entire Cullen family is. Second she notices how amazingly beautiful they all are, abnormally beautiful.

She also starts to notice how Edward seems to always know when she’s in trouble where she is, and how him and his family never seem to eat. All the things Bella began noticing soon added up and she finally uncovered him and his family’s deepest secret. They were Vampires.

But as Bella’s relationship with Edward grows stronger she finds herself in some bad situations, which include having life threatening problems with the wrong kind of vampires and being in an unbreakable love.

This book was not very good. The idea for the plot isn’t that captivating and the story is really sappy and fake. For one, Edward seems disgusting and I have no idea why anyone would ever fall in love with him. The overall description of Edward was not appealing to me at all. Since I find Edward to be such an un-appealing character, all the sappy parts in this book were ruined for me. It was just a bunch of really weird and awkward moments strewn throughout the book. I’m sorry, but vampire-human love doesn’t work and NEVER will.

However, the book Twilight was not super poorly written or anything, it just didn’t appeal to me. I can see how some people might like this book. If you’re the kind of person who likes sappy romance mixed with fantasy vampires, then this would probably be a really good book for you to read.

Atomic Farmgirl by Teri Hein

2008-06-04T09:46:00.001-07:00

Reviewed by Mary Agnes Villanueva, Grade 8
Thurgood Marshall Middle School, Olympia, Washington

Can you imagine living only one hundred miles away from a nuclear power plant that is leaking toxic waste into the air you breathe? Some of the small-town people in eastern Washington survived living in a treacherous condition like that.
Teri Hein is a young girl who loves playing games with the neighborhood children, grooming her horse and participating in citywide traditions like the Flag Day Parade. She witnesses changes in her pleasant farm life after the Hanford nuclear site was built to make bombs for the Cold War. Her father stops playing his favorite sports because of his limited ability to move, her friend gets diagnosed with leukemia and as she grows older, her neighbors fight other mysterious illnesses caused by radiation from the power plant.
Atomic Farmgirl is a unique and true story of the author’s childhood. She also recalls how the whole community becomes more generous and sympathetic towards those with sicknesses and how that collaboration affects her future. This story is a great book for adults who enjoy reading about politics, science and history.

Saving Cascadia by John J. Nance

2008-06-03T14:05:00.000-07:00

Reviewed By: Felix @ Marshall
What if all you had, your family, your loved ones, your possessions, were threatened by a multimillion dollar tycoons’ ego? What if you were in a position to stop it all? What if nobody believed you and the only proof you had was a “whacko” theory that stated that even the smallest tremor could unleash the force of 100 atomic weapons in tectonic force?

Doug Lam, who lives in Seattle, Washington is in this lynchpin situation. His “theory of resonant theory of amplification” states that under Cascadia Island lay a fault that could tear up the entire western seaboard of the United States. Together with his girlfriend Jennifer Lindstrom, a helicopter pilot who owns an aviation company, he must convince stubborn politicians, a stubborn media, and other scientist that the coast must be evacuated. Mick Walker, the owner of Cascadia Island, where a new ultramodern hotel has been built does not want to abandon his investment. Contrary to Doug Lam’s words he believes that the construction of his hotel has not affected the fault underfoot. As fears turn to an unfolding disaster the tides turn and the island must be evacuated before it is too late, and the mammoth 9.5 earthquake strikes. Can Doug Lam end this catastrophe by stopping the fault from ripping apart, or is it too late?

I recommend this book this book to anyone who likes a book that contains anything! Adventure, Action, Romance, and a twist of fate. The best age for anyone reading this book is 14+.

Saving Cascadia by John J. Nance

2008-06-03T13:59:00.000-07:00

Reviewed by Sam

576 pages January 2006 Pocket Star.
Will the earthquake hit? YES! Will the tidal wave hit? YES! That's what Doug Lam is predicting, but no one believes him, except a select few. Then there are a couple of huge earthquakes where there hasn't ever been any seismic activity in recorded history. Will all of the Washington coast be wiped out? That's what Doug's saying. Will it happen?
Mick Walker has built a resort on a huge fault line trigger and his pile drivers seem to have set off something (being huge earthquakes). Mick he won't close the resort on opening night, but his confidence is shaken when a huge crack wall to wall appears in the floor of a main building.
This book has technical jargon that is actually true so even seismologists can enjoy it.
Read this action packed thriller if you want to know what happens to Doug, the resort, and the couple hundred people there. This author has created a "masterpiece", which I wouldn't recommend AT ALL. I wouldn't recommend this book because its a "thriller with no freaking climax". Also this book is the average "book with the time bomb" but the time bomb is an earthquake-tsunami.
I didn't like this book because at times it was too predictable.

Our Only May Amelia by Jenifer L. Holm

2008-06-03T13:56:00.005-07:00

Reviewed by Amara

You are invited into a time when Washington was a treacherous territory riddled with cougars, grizzlies, and was no place for “a proper young lady”.
May Amelia Jackson is a spunky little tomboy who thinks that “being a proper young lady would not be much fun at all.” Especially when there are “sheeps” to be herded, the Nasal River to ride, and real live murderers on the loose. Mean while Kaarlo (the cousin who is staying at the Jackson’s) is having troubles of his own, and Mama is pregnant. May hopes for a girl.
I think that Jennifer L. Holm has done a wonderful job mixing tragedy, comedy, and family love, and lacing them throughout the book. I would most unquestionably recommend this book but it is a tear-shedder.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

2008-06-03T13:56:00.003-07:00

Twilight
By Stephenie Meyer, Little, Brown, 2005, 498 pp., Reviewed by Joshua, 8th grade, Marshall Middle School, Washington.

A 17 year old girl named Bella Swan moves to the rainy Forks, Washington from Phoenix, AZ. She meets the attractive and mysterious Edward Cullen. She soon falls in love with him. She finds out that he is more dangerous than she thinks. She discovers that the whole Cullen family are vampires that don’t eat humans.
After Bella and Edward spend time together, he invites her to watch them play baseball. Half way through other vampires, ones that do eat humans, arrive. They smell her and chase her.
I think this book is a good read for people who want a interesting story line with exhilarating twists. This book is a quick read but you can read it over and over again. I highly recommend this to most middle schoolers.

No-No Boy by John Okada

2008-06-03T13:56:00.002-07:00

NO-NO BOY
By John Okada, Charles E. Tuttle, 1957, 260 pp.
Reviewed by Aviva
Marshall Alternative Program
Spring 2008
Ichiro lives a life of shame. Shame, anguish and depression. It is the life of one Japanese-American who said “no” to his country during WWII. He said it for his family, but not for himself.
It is a story of a lost man. Ichiro is lost from himself, his family and his people. After four years of jail time, Ichiro returns to his family’s home in Seattle, Washington. With anger and resentment pulsing in his veins, Ichiro attempts to start again with his life. He reacquaints himself with lost friends, and tries to find a job. But in his world of disgusting racism, Ichiro finds friends and family slowly slipping away. But what can he do?
This historical fiction novel is full of meaning and hidden themes. It is incredibly thoughtful in some parts, but in others it seems that the characters have no thought. It gives a detailed view into the life of a character that seems to have thrown away his life, and is now wallowing in self pity. It not a story to be read lightly. I found it disgusting to read, but oddly intriguing. With an odd writing style, this book is not forceful but has a way of making the reader exceedingly angry. No-No Boy is most definitely a book for an older and more mature age group.

Twilight By Stephanie Meyer

2008-06-03T13:56:00.001-07:00

Reviewed By Theo.

Twilight
By Stephanie Meyer, Little Brown, 2005, 498 pp., Reviewed by Theo, 6th grade, MAP
When 17-year-old Bella Swan moves to constantly rainy Forks Washington, she meets amazingly attractive Edward Cullen who at first, seems to absolutely hate her. She soon finds out that there is a reason for this hate. Edward is a vampire. They are in love, and the closer they get, the more dangerous it is for Bella. When everything is getting better, disaster strikes at a baseball game and Bella is in danger.

I couldn’t put this book down! It’s a real page-turner. I recommend this book to anyone who is above 10 and can read. This is probably my favorite book ever.

No-No boy by John Okada

2008-06-03T13:56:00.000-07:00

No No boy
By John Okada
276 Pages
Review by Nathan Grade 6
Marshall Middle School, Washington.

What happens when you say no to a whole country? Would you say no to a country and say yes to yours? This book was great for me; it was a tale of a U.S. Citizen who was Japanese but born in America who spent two years in jail for refusing to join the U.S. army and swearing off allegiance to the emperor of Japan. He then sets to walk on the streets of Seattle, Washington for the first time in two years and he thinks everything’s going to be all right. He is scared when people he used to know as friends treat of him like dirt. Racism and hate crimes are on the streets and Ichiro knows he made the wrong choice to saying no.

This is book is great for the sense for how life was for those who chose to say no to the judge. I didn’t think that things like this happened I thought that the Japanese were just sent to camp for a while but I was wrong. This book tells of how our government treated Japanese men terribly and gave them a simple choice Sit in jail or join the army.

I loved this book I learned a lot about how cruel are government can be. I really do recommend this book if you do not have much knowledge of what happened when to the Japanese after they were put in camp. I would recommend this book to people who also don’t know much about U.S. history.

"Saving Cascadia" by John Nance

2008-06-03T13:55:00.001-07:00

Saving Cascadia
John Nance, Simon and Schuster, Inc., © 2005, 539 pp.
Reviewed by Cheyne, Grade 8
Marshall Middle School Alternative Program

Douglas Lam is a seismologist whose theories are dismissed as ludicrous. He insists that the island Cascadia is too dangerous to settle on, as developing it would be the trigger for 300 years of pent-up energy to be released in a monstrous earthquake. But no one believes him, including millionaire developer Mick Walker. Despite Doug’s efforts, Mick completes a luxury resort on Cascadia Island. Hundreds of guests are invited to the grand opening.

But on the night before the resort officially opens, Doug’s theory is proven true. Earthquakes begin rattling the northwest coast, and cities like Olympia, Bellingham, and Seattle, Washington crumble. The Cascadia resort and all its visitors are put in severe danger, and all the possible escape routes have disappeared. The public finally listens, evacuating the pacific coast. But is it too late? Doug fears that when the big one hits, it will be followed by a killer tsunami!

I think that this is a very suspenseful story that is at times slow because of the excessive detail. Sometimes it seemed as if the characters were doomed, and yet the book completely surprised me in the end. I think that anyone looking for a thriller with an exciting plot should investigate this novel.

No-No Boy by John Okada

2008-06-03T13:55:00.000-07:00

No-No Boy
By John Okada, Dorothy Okada, 1976, 260 pp. Reviewed by Duncan MAP Spring 2008

I believe that racism is one is one of the greatest cultural barriers of our time. Back in post-WWII America, racism was also a big deal. The Japanese-Americans living in Washington were the victims of racial atrocities, even in their own families. No-No Boy inspects these victims and tells their story.

No-No Boy details the exploits of Ichiro, a young Japanese-American who refused to fight for America in World War Two. Stamped a “No-No Boy” and imprisoned for four years, this book begins as Ichiro sets foot back in Seattle, Washington, his home town. He meets up with old acquaintances, some friendly and some less than so, and tries to deal with family problems while attempting to set his own feet back on the ground. This story is a sad historical fiction tale that really makes you think, especially as Ichiro attempts to come to terms with his elitist mother, deal with his friend Kenji’s war injury, and even try to get his own job.

For me, this book was tragic and thought-provoking in a way that made me want to stop reading it but continue it at the same time. John Okada does an excellent job making readers feel for the characters and come face-to-face with the real world of trying hardships and discrimination. This is especially portrayed in Ichiro’s own mentality. He can’t seem to start life again the way it was, especially after he realizes the disgusted hate he feels toward his aloof, insane mother. Every character has his or her own unique setbacks and sources of crushing depression. I would definitely recommend this book, but not to the faint of heart. No-No Boy¬ challenges everyday perceptions on the world around you while confronting you with the realities of an older, less accepting (or more accepting?) America.

Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holms

2008-06-03T11:28:00.000-07:00

Our Only May Amelia, By Jennifer L. Holm Published by Harper trophy, in 1999, 247 pages
Review by, Tanya Seventh Grade
MAP, 2008

May Amelia Jackson is the only girl that lives on the Nasal River. Right know May Amelia’s Ma is pregnant she is really hoping that her Ma will have a girl. May Amelia is surrounded by seven brothers. May get in a load of trouble. There is one brother that she really likes and who watches over her and that brother’s name is Wilbert. Wilbert is a very nice and sweet. He takes really good care of her at night. Their Pa thinks that she is getting into those years when she needs a little more help, but the kids think that she capable to live on her own. The kids don’t like her because she is real mean and does not like children at all.

This book was very interesting and I actually liked it. I truly think that a lot of people will love to read this book. I think that they would like to read this book because I some parts of it get really exciting and you will not want to put it down. The genre is a historical fiction. I recommend this book to any age group.

Jackie’s Wild Seattle By Will Hobbs

2008-06-03T10:39:00.000-07:00

Reviewed by Amanda
Harper Collins publishers 2003 197 pages
Marshall alternative Program Spring 2008

Have you ever helped an animal in need?
That’s what Shannon and Cody did when they went to Seattle to visit their Uncle Neal at a wildlife center named Jackie’s Wild Seattle where all three of them and a rescue dog named Sage rescue animals and bring them back to the center to get treated. But when Neal gets hurt, its up to Shannon and Cody to rescue the animals. But can they do it when they find out that Uncle Neal has cancer.
This book was good. It had an interesting plot and good characters. This book is really good for people who like animals because it’s mostly. about animals and saving them.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

2008-06-03T10:34:00.000-07:00

Reveiwed by Maizy TWILIGHT By Stephenie Meyer, Little Brown, 2005, 498 pp. Grade 7, MAP, may 2008 Have you ever wondered if YOU were a vampire? Well, you’ll know for sure after reading this book. Isabella “Bella” Swan is a 17-year old girl living in Pheonix, Arizona, until she makes a decision that will change her life FOREVER. Bella chooses to move to Forks, Washington to live with her dad, Charlie, where she attends the local high school. Bella has few friends, and is content with that, until she meets the mysterious Cullens. After initial rejection from Edward Cullen, the two become friends and fall in love. All is well in the small town of forks until an afternoon baseball game goes tragically wrong… Twilight is an exiting fantasy book filled with vampires, love, vampires, and a few more vampires. I would recommend this book to any young adult reader who is interested, or likes vampires. Can meeting one person really change your life forever?

Last Man's Reward by David Patneaude

2008-06-03T10:32:00.000-07:00

Reviewed by Mac

M.A.P. published by Albert and Company, Mac, spring 2008 By David Patneaude
1996, 192pp.
If you and your friends found a baseball card worth four thousand dollars and couldn’t agree on what to do with it, how would you decide who gets it? In Everett WA, Albert, Yuno, Small dog, Princess (Actually is a boy) and Nick have this problem. Some of them want to sell it; others want to keep it, so one of them comes up with an idea out of a newspaper.

The last man at their apartment gets his reward. After the agreement is made, the card is hidden in an old abandoned mine and buried under the vow they made. Half way through the “last man standing” test, Albert suddenly realizes that there is someone out there that needs the $4000 dollars more then he does, so he sets out to help that person out and learns that being kind to others is the greatest reward of all.

This adventure book is mostly mild but has its share of thrills. I think that this book was made too show that a good deed is its own reward, even if there’s money involved. This is a good book for 4-6 grade readers with a mild taste for thrills.

Twilight by Stehanie Meyer

2008-06-03T10:31:00.002-07:00

Reviewed by Aaron •  Twilight by: Stephanie Meyer 
Published in 2005 by little brown books

M.A.P 6th grade 498 pages

Have you ever gone to a new school and not had any friends? In Bella Swan’s case she moves to a little town called Forks in Washington State, the rainiest place in the U.S. When she starts going to Forks High School she makes a few new friends and falls in love with Edward Cullen the most beautiful boy in school. But, does Edward have a secret? Does he love Bella as much as she loves him? Oh yeah Edward is a vampire because that is kind of important too!


I think that twilight was a horrid portrayal of vampires because they are super humans and is an insult to anyone who likes vampires. The story was quite boring because of the fact that it is filled with awkward moments that don’t make any sense at the moment of time.
I don’t recommend Twilight by: Stephanie Meyer but many people did.

The Ghost Grave. By: Peg Kehret

2008-06-03T10:31:00.001-07:00

Reviewed by Chelsee

MAP 2008, 8th grade
The ghost grave.
By: Peg Kehret, Published by Penguin Group, 2005.
210 pages

I sit upon the cold hard ground with no sound. This silence has never been so haunting. As I read in the quite, I could feel as Josh felt, I could hear as Josh heard, I could see as Josh saw.
Joshes story began when he had to spend the summer with his crazy aunt. And to his surprise it was not as he expected. He made a new friend named Willie. Willie was very different from the rest of us. He has passed away so very long ago. It was Josh’s mission to help Willie to get his legs back with the rest of his body. When he is un-digging the leg he finds something unexpected, a suitcase full of stolen money. How far will the person that buried that go to get it back? You’ll have to read this book to find out what happens.
I really liked this book. I thought it was interesting how the banker happened to bury the case where Willie’s bones are buried.
I would recommend this book to anybody who likes a book that makes you sit at the edge of your seat to see what will happen next. For people who like cool chillers this book is for you.

Saving Cascadia by John J. Nance

2008-06-03T10:30:00.006-07:00

Reviewed by Daniel
Grade 6 Published by, Simon and Schuster, Inc, © 2005 pp. 539.
Have you ever been in an earthquake? If you have, can you even imagine a 9.5? That is what Dr. Doug Lam believes will happen if Mick Walker who is a very rich businessman continues to build on Cascadia Island. Doug is a seismologist and his theory is discredited. Daine Lacombe has a computer CD that may prove him right. After her apartment was ransacked she left trying to find Dr. Lam without being found out by whoever was after her.
Jennifer Lindstrom is a pilot and president of the Nightingale Helicopter Company. She is also Dr. Lam’s girlfriend and she has to make several flights that are very dangerous. Will Mick Walkers construction set off the 9.5 earthquakes that will completely destroy most of western Washington or is Doug completely wrong?
This book is at times slow, but when it gets going it becomes suspenseful. Some parts of this book are hard to put down! Plus, you can imagine this actually happening and the characters seem like they could be real. I would recommend this book to people that like realistic fiction and want a longer read with some very suspenseful parts. This book also has a very surprising ending!

Saving Cascadia by John J. Nance

2008-06-03T10:30:00.005-07:00

Reviewed by Kellen, Grade 6,
Marshall Alternative Program, Spring 2008
Saving Cascadia
By John J. Nance
Published by Pocket Books in 2005
539 pages.

The authorities won’t give the warning. Doug Lam is a seismologist who has a theory about construction on Cascadia Island setting off a huge earthquake followed by a tsunami that could wipe out the entire Pacific coast. Cascadia is an island off the coast of Washington State.
Mick Walker won’t listen to the warnings from Doug and continues to build his resort on Cascadia. The U.S. Geological Survey ignores Doug’s pleas for an official alert.
But as micro quakes start getting bigger Mick and the U.S.G.S. start to have some doubts. Jennifer Lindstrom is a helicopter pilot and Doug’s girlfriend. She races to the rescue when things on the island start to go awry.
Will the “big earthquake’” happen or will Doug’s theory be wrong? And if the “big one” happens will people evacuate the island fast enough, or will everyone there die?
As the suspense builds and people start getting scared, Jennifer and Doug are having some romantic problems. Will they work it out or will their relationship crumble?
If you like to read books where the author really establishes the characters and makes you really like them, then you will enjoy this book. I personally think that John Nance waited too long to start the exciting part, but when the exciting part finally started I really wanted the characters to be okay, because it felt like I really knew them.
This realistic fiction book is a combination of romance and thrilling adventure. It’s a little slow for my liking, but it gets pretty exciting toward the end.

Jackie's Wild Seattle By Will Hobbs

2008-06-03T10:30:00.004-07:00

Reviewed by Lily
Jackie’s Wild Seattle
By Will Hobbs
Published by Harper Collins,2003 , 197 pg’s
Book reviewed by: Lily
Marshall Alternative Program
Spring 2008

Do you like animal ? Because this book is all about rescuing those hurt animals. This book will keep you off your toes and reading every chance you get.
Fourteen year old Shannon and her little brother Cody did not know what to expect when their parents told them they would be spending the summer in Washington with their uncle Neal. When they arrived, they met Jackie, who happily took them in. When Neal was saving an eagle, his hand got slashed so he could not work. Shannon stepped up to the plate and took over until Neal healed.
Jackie’s Wild Seattle is a nicely written book. I really feel like I knew the characters. I would recommend this book for a younger and older audiences.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

2008-06-03T10:30:00.003-07:00

Reviewed by Lian
Twilight
By Stephanie Meyer Little Brown, 2005 489 pp., 6th grade, MAP
How would you feel if you fell in love, he returns your love and you find out that he is a vampire? For high school junior Bella Swan this is all true. It all starts when she moves to live with her father, chief Charlie Swan of the Forks, Washington police station. Bella, quickly accepted into the Forks community, soon feels nervous against the murderous glares from the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen. Drawn to him by curiosity, his charm, beauty and captivation they end up falling in love. Soon after, Bella finds out he is a vampire who thirsts for her blood. Their love, laced with danger, especially from a coven of tracking vampires, is pushed to the ultimate test faced with life, death and something beyond.

Twilight is a heart pounding exhilarating story as much as it is romantic and passionate. This book is a great page-turner and will quench anyone’s thirst for romance, danger and a love so strong that it defies life and death itself.

Ghost Canoe by Will Hobbs

2008-06-03T10:30:00.002-07:00

Reviewed by Natalie

Have you ever moved to a new place? What did you find there? Possibly a mystery? When a ship mysteriously crashes into the rocks and all of the crew aboard it dies, fourteen-year-old Nathan McAllister refuses to believe that out of all those men aboard, none of them survived. When a sightings of a wild “Hairy Man” that “swims like a fish” are reported, unexplained footprints on the beach are found and then finally a body washed up on the shore, Nathan knows that this was no accident. Later he finds a canoe up in a tree and inside there is a skeleton and a small box and Nathan begins to piece together this mystery.
This sounds like a pretty good book doesn’t it? Well, that’s how I started but then I realized that it was the worst book that I have ever read. It has no heart pounding moments. Hobbs tries to foreshadow and then gives you a very bad ending. Don’t read Ghost Canoe and make the same mistake that I did.

Jackie's Wild Seattle by Will Hobbs

2008-06-03T10:30:00.001-07:00

Reviewed by Zelamir, M.A.P. 6th grade may 2008

Jackie’s Wild Seattle
By: Will Hobbs
Published by Harper Collins 2004
197 pages

Have you ever seen a hurt or wounded animal that doesn’t have help?
Shannon, Cody and their uncle Neal spend all summer together rescuing animal
after animal from tiny birds and rodents to bears coyote’s and large eagles. They
care for the animals at a wild life center in Seattle called Jackie’s Wilds Seattle. When
Neal gets hurt it gets a lot harder but its now up to Shannon, Cody and Sage to keep
up the good work!
I though this book was pretty good. I really like it when they save
animals especially the seal because I could imagine how hard Shannon was holding
on to make it up the cliff. This book will be great for you if you like animals.

Atomic Farmgirl by Teri Hein

2008-06-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

Reviewed by Nick

Atomic Farmgirl
By Teri Hein, publisher Mariner Books, 2003, 249 pages. M.A.P. 6th grade.
An ordinary farm life, with a twist. For Teri growing up will never be the same after her father develops cancer. In the Palouse Wheatland’s of eastern Washington, Teri chronicles her life with the horses and animals and wheat. As she grows up she tells about her life and surroundings, then tells about her adult life dealing with different people in her life getting cancer. As an adult she helps children with cancer. She helps teach these children to learn and to get school credits.
It is not the most compelling of books but it is still very informative. The author describes her life in a very discursive way, jumping from subject to subject with very little reason.
So If you like stories about farm life then this gives you that with more information and more emotion. This is a very informative novel. Good for many different purposes.

Ghost Canoe

2008-06-03T09:51:00.002-07:00

Ghost Canoe
By Will Hobbes,
published by Avon Books, 1997, 193 p.
Book review by Lexie, M.A.P.
Spring 2008

Do you like a good mystery? Do you like a
good book that will keep you on the edge of
your seat? Well, if this is true for you then this
is definitely the book to read.
Ghost Canoe is about a very adventurous young
man named Nathan Mac’Allister. After witnessing
a shipwreck on the rocks off Cape Flattery in a
storm, Nathan, the fourteen year-old son of the
lighthouse keeper, wonders if it is true
that there are no survivors. Weird things are
happening, like footprints, and sightings
of a wild hairy man. Now young Nathan is
determined to find out what really happened the
day of the shipwreck and find out if there are
survivors. Nathan then becomes friends with
lighthouse George, a fisherman from the Makah
whaling tribe. Together they set out to paddle the
waters of the Pacific in Georges canoe, fishing for
halibut and salmon and hunting seals, all the while
searching for clues. Then, one day when Nathan is
searching for his own clues in the ancient forest,
he discovers lost treasures with clues and almost
loses his life. Now Nathan must race against time,
to stop a murderer, and unravel the mystery.

Ghost Canoe will have you up at night with a
flashlight, devouring every last word of the book. I
recommend this book for ages 9-14.

2008-06-03T09:51:00.001-07:00

Ghost Canoe
By Will Hobbs, Avon Books, 1997, 193 p.
Book review by Carrie, MAP, May 2008
Have you ever been scared out of your pants? Have you ever screamed out loud while reading? Have you ever laughed so hard, you couldn’t breathe?
This book just might cause those side affects, but probably not.
After witnessing a terrible shipwreck, curiosity gets the best of poor Nathan. He may just get in more trouble then expected.
He was warned many times to stay out of the wilderness, but Nathan is a 14-year-old boy, he won’t always follow the rules.
One day, while exploring, he finds some ancient artifacts hidden away, and notices some suspicious happenings, which might just lead to a bigger mystery than expected.
I recommend this book to people that like to take time while reading, because this book is not fast paced.

2008-06-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

The Last Chance Texaco
By Brent Hartinger
ISBN – 10: 0-06-050914-7
Reviewed by Patrick, M. A. P., Washington

A teenage girl named Lucy Pitts has moved to a new home they called, The Last Chance Texaco. She has also been moved to a new high school and on the first day gets into a fight, which leads to near suspension and a friendship with the kid she punched in the face. Things seemed to be looking good for her until the alpha dog of the group home plants drugs under her mattress and she almost gets kicked out of the group home. She has only one more chance.
I enjoyed reading this novel because it was pretty interesting and I thought that it kept my interest. I recommend this novel to people that

Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer Holm

2008-06-03T09:45:00.000-07:00

Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer Holm
Published by Harper Trophy 1999, 247 pg.s
MAP Spring 2008 Review by Mykala sixth grade.

“There ain't no gentlemen on the Nasel, just a bunch of no good brothers.” May Amelia Jackson is the only girl her age around the farm. Besides her Ma, she is the only girl surrounded by seven brothers and her Pa. May gets into loads of trouble with her favorite brother, Wilbert, and her rag doll Susan. She just can’t seem to mind everyone telling her to be a proper young lady. She feels that if she just had other girls to play with she could do it. Now that Mamas pregnant again, there’s hope! The only things that could spoil this would be if the baby was a boy, or her evil Grandmother Patients coming to live with them. The latter does in fact come to pass. Watch as May wriggles out of trouble, helps her ma, and deals with evil Grandmother Patients.
I loved this book. Normally I don’t like this kind of plot but the way Jennifer Holm writes just makes it riveting. Some of the situations May gets into are just hilarious! I would recommend this book to people ages 9-13.

2008-06-03T09:42:00.000-07:00

Jackie's Wild Seattle By Will Hobbs

2008-06-03T09:40:00.000-07:00

Jackie’s Wild Seattle
By Will Hobbs, HarperCollins, 2003, 197p
Reviewed by Madison, 7th grade, M.A.P. may 2008

Do you like animals? This book is all about rescuing animals. It will grab your imagination, and keep you reading page after page. Shannon and her younger brother Cody had no idea what to expect, when their parents told them they would be spending the summer with their Uncle Neal. As they arrived, he had no place to live but fortunately his good friend Jackie had three rooms. He gladly took the offer, but when he was rescuing an animal he got clawed and couldn’t do his job fro a couple months. Shannon saw the sadness in his eyes and gladly agreed to take while he healed. Shannon ended up being a great help to Jackie’s center. Shannon risked her life saving the animals as her Uncle Neal had. She never gave up, even if it meant saving a baby seal during a high tide.
I thought Jackie’s Wild Seattle was a slower advancer book and mainly written for younger children. I would recommend it for elementary scholars.

The Last Chance Texaco By Brent Hartinger

2008-06-03T09:36:00.000-07:00

The Last Chance Texaco
By Brent Hartinger, 2004, 225 pp., 7th Grade
Reviewed by Keely, MAP, May 2008

If you end up here, that’s it. This is the Last Chance Texaco. Ever since her parents died in a car crash, Lucy has spent her life bouncing from foster home to group home and back again. Lucy was 15 years old when she moved into her new group home nicknamed The Last Chance Texaco. The counselors thought she had a bad attitude because of people trying to replace her parents, which was not true. She just hated moving. She hated everyone saying, "I'm trying to help you," and then they don't. Then, she meets Nate, a boy at school. Somebody starts setting cars on fire outside their group home. This keeps happening. Nate and Lucy decide to sneak out and try to catch the arsonist. Find out what happens when you read, The Last Chance Texaco! I think this book is an attention getter. I couldn’t put it down it was so intriguing each page more exciting. With the suspense romance I couldn’t put it down!

Thin Wood Walls by David Patneaude

2008-06-03T09:35:00.000-07:00

Reviewed by Evan, MAP, 8th Grade, May 2008

Eleven-year-old Joe Hanada likes basketball with his best friend, Ray, and thinking about the upcoming Christmas holiday. But then the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor. His country goes to war. The FBI takes his father away. Neighbors and friends in his hometown near Seattle Washington begin to suspect Joe, his family, and all Japanese Americans are spying for the enemy. When the government orders people of Japanese heritage living on the West Coast to move to internment camps, Joe turns to his journal to record his thoughts and feelings. Writing journal entries and haiku poetry offers some relief as Joe struggles to endure life in the Tule Lake War Relocation Camp. The days are filled with boredom, concern for his father, and worry for his brother, who joins the American army to prove the bravery and loyalty of Japanese American citizens.
I have really enjoyed this book. I think the author’s purpose for writing this book is to show the harm racism could cause and how the victims learn how to live their lives. I would recommend this book to any middle schooler or anyone interested in the historical fiction genre or anyone who wants to know what life was like in the internment camps during World War Two.

2008-06-03T09:33:00.001-07:00

2008-06-03T09:33:00.000-07:00

No-No Boy By John Okada

2008-06-03T09:31:00.006-07:00

Reviewed By Thea

No-No Boy
By John Okada
Published Combined Asian American Resources Project in 1976
Reviewed By Thea, 8th grade
Marshall Alternative Program
Spring, 2008
No-No Boy...oppression, rage, depression, shame, hostility, grief. A varying set of emotions displayed in John Okada’s Pacific Northwest historical fiction novel.
No-no boy is the name Ichiro is assigned when he comes home from two years in prison because he committed the crime of treason. Set place just after World War II he struggles internally with his Japanese self and his American self, which don’t want to coexist. Over the 251 pages, Ichiro, along with the reader, suffers many blows, and continues to deny himself the pleasurable existence, which he believes he doesn’t deserve. Behind the obvious dark emotions lurk hidden feelings. Hope. Freedom. Individuality. This intense, thought-provoking book will keep you wondering about the ideas few people consider.
Originally published by Combined Asian American Resources Project in 1976, this story of a young Japanese-American will draw you back to what some think of as “a simpler time”, but from Ichiro’s perspective, this statement is clearly false. As said many times in the book, time can help heal the wounds, including the internal ones Ichiro suffers from.

Last Man's Reward by Dave Patneaude

2008-06-03T09:31:00.005-07:00

Last Man’s Reward
By Dan Patneaude
Published in 1996 by Albert Whitman & Company
192 Pages
Reviewed by Arthur, MAP
“’Baseball cards!’ he blurted out. If anything could make Nick stop, that was it.” It started out as an excuse to take a rest from a long bike ride but turned into a find that just might save someone’s life. Five boys, brought together by their parents work, made an amazing discovery at a yard sale, a baseball card worth $4000. Inspired by a newspaper article, they decide who ever remains in their apartment complex the longest gets the card. They hide the card in an abandoned mine on the other side of a crevasse with a deep river running through it. Mostly everyone could jump across it but Albert, our main character, who asked his blunt P.E. teacher if he’d teach him to long jump so if he’s the last man he could claim his reward.
I found Last Mans Reward to be a lofty book that struggles to keep your interest. It goes to and from loosely strung ideas and even at parts where it has the potential to be exciting it doesn’t quite make it. While a good book is a car chase through a crowded city this book was more like a light stroll through the park with your eyes closed. I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone who wants to really get into a book but maybe for someone just wanting to pass the time.

Thin Wood Walls by David Patneaude

2008-06-03T09:31:00.004-07:00

Reviewed by Levi

Have you ever been teased, made fun of, or treated like a minority? Well if so, you might have something in common with Joe Hanada, and might be able to relate with this story.
Joe Hanada is a smart, intuitive and lucky Asian-American boy who lived a great life with his mother, brother, father and grandmother in the small town of White River Valley. Joe had a great friend, a generous family, and many nice people in the world around him…until the Pearl Harbor bombing. First, Joe finds growing racism around him and his family, eventually the FBI confiscates Joe’s Christmas presents and kidnaps Joe’s father! Tempers are rising and the intensity of the world around Joe is expanding.
Later, Joe’s family is interned and separated from their home, leaving on a train to a camp in California called Tule Lake. Joe meets a nice soldier on the train and becomes good friends with him very quickly, uncovering hope.
Discover Joe’s struggle to be seen as a normal person in the eyes of his government in this great quick read that will leave you whimpering to continue! I personally recommend this book for its astonishing descriptive qualities and brilliant plot that will bring laughs and tears to your heart at the same time.

The Ghost's Grave by Peg Kehret

2008-06-03T09:31:00.003-07:00

The Ghost’s Grave
A book by Peg Kehret
Published in 2005 by The Penguin Group
210 Pages
A review by Abery
Have you ever thought something was going to be one way, and then have it turn out to be the complete opposite? Ever had that happen to a whole summer? Meet Josh, our good hearted, 12-year-old protagonist. He was finally getting his chance to make friends in his new town by joining the summer baseball team. However, Josh’s mom has a boyfriend with an overseas job! They have to go to India, leaving poor Josh in the sleepy little town of Carbon City, Washington, with his great step-aunt Ethel. His summer is ruined, with a side dish of cake and shotgun fire.
Or so you’d think. Josh finds an unexpected friend in an unexpected place, and the summer takes a rather adventurous turn. He raises cats, robs graves, and saves the small towns oldest mystery. I recommend this book. It has good characters, and builds a sense of foreshadowing with its switching perspectives.

Atomic Farmgirl by Teri Hein

2008-06-03T09:31:00.001-07:00

Reviewed by Rheanna

Atomic Farmgirl

by Teri Hein, Mariner Books, 2003, 249 pp.

M.A.P. , Spring 2008

Have you ever stopped to consider the tragic after-effect of war? Long after the end, death can continue i other, seemingly unrelated ways. In this book, Teri Hein investigates the Hanford Nuclear Site close to where she was born, tying her tragic and humorous life into this very true story.

Teri Hein grew up in the Palouse Hills in Washington State, sharing a farm with her three sisters and parents, not to mention the livestock. When Teri was 14, her dad came over with a brain hemmorhage. Teri's dad is not the first one to develop something, as lots of people in that time and area got cancer and other such things. As Teri explains the terrible truth about the Hanford Nuclear Site, you will be swept away with the thought about what the government doesn't share with the public.

This book left my brain pleasantly filled with information about the government, nuclear power, and what it's like to be a farmgirl. I myself am a city person, so it was new and strange to see the view of a farmer in the 60's. Atomic Farmgirl was an interesting read, though I would not recommend it to anyone with a short attention span.

Ghost Grave by Peg Kehret

2008-06-03T09:31:00.000-07:00

Ghost Grave
By Peg Kehret, Published 2005 August 18, by Dutton Juvenile, 210 pages.
Reviewed by Sage

Have you ever been tested? Questioned with mysteries? Gone somewhere you didn’t want to go? Well, you are going to find all those things in Ghosts Grave by Peg Kehret, with this mystery gone wild.
When Josh is shipped away for the summer to his hysteric Aunt, he needs somewhere to spend his time. He is told about a tree house that is haunted and when he ventures there he finds a ghost! This ghost, Willie, was killed in a coalmine explosion almost 100 years ago, and has been waiting for someone too dig up his leg bones, then, rebury them with the rest of his body, because only then will he be at rest forever. Josh agrees to this lawbreaking task but finds more than he bargains for, as there is a box of cash buried with Willie’s leg! Who left the box there? How far are they willing to go to get it back? Find out in this dramatic suspense that will shatter your boundaries of what is really possible in a mystery book.
I would recommend this book to mystery fanatics and suspense lovers. It is a wonderful tale of relentlessness and suspicions. I enjoyed reading and finishing this book, and recommend it all the way because of the endeared mystery of a boy and supernatural being.

The Arrival, a graphic novel by Shaun Tan

2008-04-17T11:01:00.000-07:00

Reviewed by Joey
In most novels about immigrants, we get a recap about how strange this new world was; but to us it is all normal, so we can’t truly appreciate how they felt. That’s where The Arrival steps in. It depicts how different it would feel for an immigrant in a way that we would understand. Shaun created what looks like an entirely new world with new devices, new creatures and a new language, and along the way stories are told about several immigrants and why they were forced or chose to come to this new land. On top of that, not a word is spoken.
I think that this book is one of the most unique books I’ve ever read. It is the first and only book I know of that can convey the feelings and emotions without a single word. It is some of the best illustration I’ve ever seen and truly one of a kind.
I would recommend this book to anyone, quite literally anyone. Because of its lack of pictures anyone of any language can feel the story flying by.

The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart

2008-04-16T14:23:00.001-07:00

Reviewed by Joel
This wonderful tale starts off in an orphanage with a boy named Reynie Muldoon. He is an eleven-year-old that isn’t fascinated by T.V. or the radio, and in the end, this is a crucial element that may save his life. When Reynie sees an article in the paper asking kids if they would like to take tests and receive special academic privileges, Reynie is quick to ask if he can sign up for these tests. By the end of the tests, four children have passed, all of them orphans. Reynie however, was the only person that answered each question correctly. The four children, Reynie, Constance, Sticky, and Kate, then form the Mysterious Benedict Society. Mr. Benedict’s name is in the title because he is the founder of the tests, and the reason they took place. Mr. Benedict has a medical condition called narcolepsy, causing him to fall asleep at any given moment when he is extremely happy. For this reason, his associates have him sitting or lying down a great deal of the time for fear he might hurt himself. When Mr. Benedict was studying the human brain, he found that for some reason, people around the world were receiving messages into their brains from T.V. and radio waves. The messages were “piggy-back-riding” the waves, as Mr. Benedict put it. When Mr. Benedict learns the dangerous source of the messages, he organizes the team of four children to seek out more information. As it turns out, the source of the messages is the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, or LIVE. This is a private school for academically talented students, though accept any and all students. The children, are then sent on a mission to enroll at this school and find the reason for the messages.
Throughout this story, the reader is taken on a rollercoaster of adventure. I really enjoyed this wonderful book. Things that I liked in particular were the fact that each of the children had different personalities that were vastly unlike each other. Sticky: A Bookworm. Reynie: An Average Boy. Kate: An Adventurer. Constance: A Very Independent Individual whose story has a twist at the end. I really liked the way that the author made the reader feel scared and nervous in bad situations, but this book also made me laugh out loud. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys and can handle a longer book.

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies Voices from a Medieval Village, by Laura Amy Schlitz and Robert Byrd

2008-03-31T13:22:00.000-07:00

Reviewed by Melanie

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies is the 2008 Newbery Winner. It is a very interesting, fun to read, and educational book. Why I find this book interesting is because of the the style of writing, the facts, and the definitions the book has on the side of the stories and mini plays. I find this fun to read because the book gives vivid descriptions and details of the settings and the people being described. Finally, I find this book educational because in the stories, mini plays, and on the sides of the book it tells you facts about people and places and defines words from medieval times.

Elijah of Buxton, by Christopher Paul Curtis

2008-03-28T14:27:00.000-07:00

Reviewed by Joel

This book starts out in Buxton, Canada, a town of freed slaves. Elijah is eleven,, but his mother says he is “fra-gile”. During this book, the reader enjoys words like “horrorific”, “terrorific”, and “fra-gile”, and sees them a lot. Buxton is a town for freed and escaped slaves, and the settlement is very wild throughout the story. The main event of this wonderful tale is when someone steals a man’s gold that he saved to buy the rest of his family out of freedom. Elijah is sent on a quest to America to find the thief, and retrieve it.
In this story, I really liked the way of the ex-slaves talked, because it felt realistic. I also enjoyed the understanding of the slave family in the end, because I feel that Christopher Paul Curtis does a good job with making the reader feel emotions here. The mother slave knows that escape isn’t possible, so she keeps Elijah from making a terrible decision.
I liked almost all of the book, but the parts I didn’t like were first of all, I read the book jacket, so I knew that the gold would be stolen and Elijah would go to America, (which I keep hitting myself in the head for!!) and I also predicted that the preacher would be the one to steal the gold. I think the author may have tried to make the readers predict this.
These are a bunch of random thoughts, and for that I am sorry, but I thoroughly and immensely enjoyed Elijah Of Buxton and I am sure you will also.

Underwater, by Debbie Levy

2008-03-27T20:28:00.000-07:00

Reviewed by Ms. Merrigan

Gabe and his two brothers have never quite fit in. His older brother has ADHD and immerses himself in making art out of garbage he collects, while his younger brother shouts "whee-yuh! whee-yuh!" when he gets excited. Gabe himself has a hard time getting along with his classmates and prefers to play an ocean exploration video game and build his new aquarium. Gabe is concerned that he and his brothers are crazy, that he is the "difficult child" that is the subject of a book his mother is reading. This coming-of-age novel follows Gabe as he learns to dive below the things that bother him and to find his skills and talents in swimming, computers, and, perhaps, movie production.

The characters are charming and the situations that Gabe finds himself in ring true. But Gabe's narration of his emotional growth - from the edgy child unable to avoid conflict to a maturing young man able to accept imperfections in himself and others - seems unrealistic in its articulate self-recognition.

Leading Ladies by Marlee Matlin

2008-03-26T09:58:00.000-07:00

Reviewed by Anaistasia

Since I am a T.A. I get to read books BEFORE they are added to the library. I read the book Leading Ladies by Marlee Matlin. This book is part of a trilogy. The other books are "Deaf Child Crossing" and "Nobody's Perfect." This book is about a girl, Megan whose class room is reading and performing "The Wizard of Oz" (the school play's name is "Wizard!"). Megan wants to be the leading role, Dorothy. The problem is that Megan is deaf. She uses sign language and rarely speaks. When her best friend from camp moves into town, Megan has some competition for the role. Her best friend Lizzie, who is also deaf, auditions for the part of Dorothy and signs and sings (with the help of another friend). Megan is mad and a little scared of being judged as a copy cat. I highly recommend this book once it is put on the shelf. So place your holds at the circulation desk!

Teen, Inc. by Stefan Petrucha

2008-03-24T12:13:00.001-07:00

Reviewed by Ms. Merrigan
Jaiden Beale is a very fortunate 14-year-old: He has a flat-screen television, nice laptop, and all the DVD's and video games he can desire. He has just been assigned by his teacher to complete a science project with the girl of his dreams, and she seems just as excited by the idea of coming over to his house to begin the project as he is.

The only problem is that Jaiden doesn't have a house to come to; he has an office. He has not parents, only a parent corporation that legally adopted him and has "managed" his upbringing since his parents were killed in an explosion resulting from a faulty valve produced by that same corporation. Jaiden has a department manager and a team of executives that hold weekly meetings to determine everything about his life, from whether he gets to attend public school to what video games he is allowed to play. And lately, they are concerned about his social development, specifically his lack of dates.

But Jaiden has bigger problems than that. His favorite corporate cafeteria cook has been fired, and the parent corporation has been accused of polluting local streams. Jaiden must use his insider status in the company to find out the truth, and he begins to question whether his "parent corporation" actually has his best interests at heart.

Teen, Inc. is a funny modern take on the classic orphan story. Jaiden's insights into corporate ethics are amusing and enlightening, and his struggles to shrug off his trademark parodies the real commercial branding that all American teens must battle. My only criticism of this otherwise enjoyable novel is the ending. The showdown between Jaiden and the evil executive falls into the Scooby Doo trap when the bad guy spills all ("If it weren't for those nosy kids...").

Recommended 7th grade and up.

Student Library Assistant Reviews

2008-03-20T09:41:00.000-07:00

Our Student Library Assistants get to see the very newest books as they come into the library. Oftentimes, they get to read those books before they have even been processed and made available on the shelves. Read the comments below for reviews of some of our newest titles!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling

2007-09-10T20:40:00.001-07:00

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows
By J.K. Rowling

Reviewed by Tom Martinson

I started reading this book the first day it came out, and by the second chapter I was already saying this is the best book I have ever read. Everyone knows the story of Harry Potter , but if you don’t it is about a young boy living with his Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and their son Dudley. On Harry’s eleventh birthday he finds out he is a wizard and has been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

In this book Harry, Ron, and Hermione leave Hogwarts to find and destroy all of Lord Voldemort’s Horcruxes. For those of you who haven’t read the sixth book I strongly advise you do before reading the seventh. If you want to know what Horcruxes are read Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince.

I really liked this book because it answered a lot of questions about the series. I would recommend these books (especially this one) to anyone who has respect for good writing and is looking for a lot of adventure in the books they read.

Life as We Knew It, by Susan Beth Pfeffer

2007-07-09T08:33:00.000-07:00

Reviewed by Ms. Merrigan

When a meteor is predicted to make a head-on collision with the moon, the entire world turns out to watch the big event. But the impact has unforeseen consequences, knocking the moon out of orbit and triggering tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions throughout earth. Miranda, a 16-year-old Pennsylvania girl, keeps a diary detailing the end of life as she knew it. She and her family must make tough decisions and sacrifices in order to survive. This book kept me reading far into the night as things turned from bad to worse for Miranda. Despite everything, her family must maintain loyalty to each other and hope for the future in order to keep on going.

Hugging the Rock, by Susan Taylor Brown

2007-07-08T17:02:00.000-07:00

Reviewed by Ms. Merrigan

When her mother walks out, Rachel is left with Madison the dog and a father that she barely knows. Rachel's mother always said that her father was a rock, but does this mean that he's dependable and strong or cold and unapproachable? Slowly, Rachel comes to understand better her parents and the family secrets that have brought them to this point. Written as a series of poems, this bittersweet book is a fast read that gives you lots to think about when you are finished.