MONSTER
Walter Dean Myers
The stories is about a kid whose life may be on the line for something that he did not even do. Now its up to him and his lawyer to get  him out of jail. before he goes crazy.Monster , as he is known in jail. Writes daily in his book about the struggles he is having throughout the time he is in jail. he is either the victim or criminal in this situation of the killing that he occurred in. Bobo, James king another victim of the crime scene is known for blaming monster as the true victim. The mystery is who, is gonna get out? The thing that I really liked about this book was that it seemed so realistic. I though it was actually happening by every page that I flipped. The best part of the book was when Steve got freed from jail and went back to his life with his mom.
I recommend this book to any teens over the age of 14 or older.This book to me was a 4 because with every page made me more excited to read and it keeps you going so you can find out the ending. That's why I really like this book because it kept me reading. Until the end which I never do. For anyone who is interested in reading a mystery of the best source come and get monster because it will keep you on your toes until the book is over. Ill tell you now, you will not want to stop READING.

IF I DIE IN THE COMBAT  ZONE BOX ME UP AND SHIP ME HOME BY TIM O'BRIEN

               This book is about a young solider that was drafted into the army during the Vietnam war. In the book they call him O'Brien. He tries to escape from the war by going to Canada but he gets sick the day before his escape. He ends up in the war and goes through everything tear able things like raids and killing. He sees people being killed and he hates being there. Half of him wants him to escape his duty and the other half wants him to stay and fight for his country. He wants to honor his country so he stays and fights. 

               My favorite part of the book was when he gets into fire fights with the enemies because i love the action parts. The action parts in the book are the best they give detail to what going on. I also like the part when he tries to escape but gets sick. I think this part is funny. 

                If you are in books about war and action this book is great for you. I would recommend this book to ages 14 and up because there are some gory parts in the book. I would rate this book a 4 because i like hearing stories about wars and action.

Rat Life by Tedd Arnold

 Connor Burke

Book Summary

A boy named Todd is really addicted to reading and writing. His teacher loves reading his stories. His family is intense sometimes. Todd lives with his family in a motel and he writes stories about UFO’s and aliens. Thats the only way that he can amuse his friends.  He tries to find a job at his local drive-in theater. He gets the job and his boss, Rat, can be a cool guy at times but the other times he can be a weird and Todd sometimes questions him. Rat has already seen quite a lot of things in his life. Rat has shown him some things and Todd is always thinking about the dead body in the river and no matter what it keeps on going back to Rat. Todd starts to think that the dead corpse in the river is all Rats fault.

Drive By book review

       

       The book that I read was Drive By, by Lynne Ewing. This books main character is a kid named Tito. His brother is killed in a drive by, right in front of Tito and his sister Mina. His sister was traumatized.Tito is struggling to find out if his brother was in a gang or not. While he is trying to figure it all out he constantly goes to Big Molly's Diner. The book comes to a surprising end with a cliff hanger.

       I like how this book had good details and had a good storyline. I would have like for the book to be longer and give more details about what happened at the end. I think my favorite part is when he finds out who the killer was and what he does to stop them. I think I can connect this to a movie I watched one time about a kid who died in a drive by.

       I would recommend this if you like mystery or realistic fiction. I would also recommend this if you like seeing a young kid become a hero. I would recommend this book to any kid from ages 10-16. On a scale from one to four I would give this book a three. I think the only reason I would give it a three and not a four is because of the ending and how it ends to fast. Overall this was a good book and I think if you are looking for a quick read.

     

 Kyle Gagne
June 18, 2013
Reading Writing Workshop
Block 4 Day 1

The book I read during this term was If I Should Die Before I wake by Han Nolan. If I die Before I wake is a fictional book about a girl who starts off in a ghetto and then got moved to a death camp where she tells her story and survival through the holocaust during World War Two. It gives you a firsthand look at what happened during the war and what it was like to have to get through the holocaust and the death camps. It is not about an actual person but while you reading it you feel that you are actually with them and you start to know how they felt when this happened. After an accident Hilary’s mind set changes and she thinks that she is a girl named Chana who is in the camps struggling to get by.

This book was a very confusing book at some points, but I do feel that it does describe the Holocaust and what happened very well from a first person point of view. I don’t like how the author starts off as Hilary starts off as a very mean person who just downright hates Jews and wants them gone and then when the accident happens she somehow thinks that she is a Jewish girl in a Nazi Death camp. Almost the whole book I thought that Chana and Hilary were two different people. Not the same person. The way the book ends is very confusing. At the beginning there is a clear cut definition between the two girls and they are the exact opposite. If the ending hadn't ended the way it did by Chana remembering what happened I think that it would have been a much better book.

If I had to recommend this book to anyone I would recommend it for the people who love to read and learn new things about history and the holocaust and also World War Two. It’s a good read for anyone who likes history. It’s a little difficult to understand at some points (especially the end) but I think the way the author does a very exceptional job on explaining what happened and making me feel like I’m there. The age group I would recommend this book is about 13 and on because there are some points where it talks about things in great detail and it might be a little disturbing for little kids. I would give this book four out of five stars because I feel it has very good descriptions in it but the ending is not expected and got me a little annoyed at the book. This is one of the best if not the best fictional book I have ever read and I would recommend it to anyone.

Review on Linger by Maggie Stiefvater_Brenda Chaves

Book review #2 Brenda Chaves

Linger

Maggie Stiefvater

Linger is the second book in the series. Linger introduces a new character Cole and he finds his way to the other main characters, Sam, Grace, and Isabel. Cole is on his new journey figuring who is is and what he will do with his life. He liked the feeling of freedom from being a wolf. He forced himself to change but when he thought about it he couldn't. He was found by Sam in the shed behind Sam’s house. Sam’s first impression towards him was rude and unfriendly. Sam started not to like him at all because of how Cole acted as if he only cared for himself. Cole questions Sam about a secret that he knows Sam has been hiding but goes too far. Cole and Isabel meet. They had a connection similar when Sam and Grace met. They started talking as though they had feelings for each other but never admitted. That starts to change when Isabel who Cole really is. Sam and Grace couldn't believe who Cole really was either but was able to take it in and accept him for the person they met. Grace and Isabel began to become closer as friends. Sam’s and Graces relationship became even more closer due from a little time of separation that they were forced to have. Grace experiences a sickness that not even the doctors could figure out. But Grace had an idea on what the sickness might be. The sickness becomes worse after days without having Sam by her side. Cole figures out Grace’s sickness and everything changes.

What I liked about this book was how Cole was introduced as a new character. He really brought out some of the other characters personalities and how they are. I also liked how the separation of Grace and Sam because I liked seeing their love get stronger. What I did not like about the book was how it wasn't as page turning as the first book Shiver. It was more of a slower pace on action and interest that I had. I wasn't expecting much because of how the first book ending but did not expect they way Linger went. I didn't like the relationship with Cole and Isabel because I felt like it didn't fit with the book I think they should have been better off as friends. Their connection was a whole like Sam’s and Grace which made me dislike Cole’s and Isabel’s because of how they were. Also I didn't like the relationship with Isabel and her parents from when Isabel met Cole.

I recommend this book to people who like to differ differ aspects in stories. To people who like fantasy, who like the first book Shiver. Also to people who like to keep up with series. An age group that the book would be for would be 13-15 year because of some strong vocabulary and of interest. I give the book Linger a 2 out of 5 stars because of how interesting it was. Also because of how I expected more from Maggie to make it even better than the first book Shiver.

Overall, I do think readers will enjoy this book based on their interests. It has fantasy, drama, action, and romance all in one. From my experience the ending did bring a spark in me that I would enjoy the third book Forever. But I would be more excited and looking forward to the third one if Linger came out more exciting and not a dull. Better than the first book. If I knew how unexciting Linger was I would have read another book.

Who Are You? By Joan Lowery Nixon

The book I read was Who Are You? By Joan Lowery Nixon.In this book the main character Kristi Evans found out that she has a stalker that has pictures of her, the stalkers name is Mr. Merson. Kristi tries to find out why he is stalking her and what does he what with her, whenever shes home only she would go visit Mr. Merson in the hospital becasue he got shot and injured. When her parents and the police finds out that she sneaks out of the hospital to visit Mr. Merson at the hospital they get mad at her because the police already made an appointment for her and her family to go visit him and talk to him. The police tells her to stop going to the hospital to visit him but that doesnt stop her from going to the hospital and visiting him. In order for her to go to the hospital she has to tell her parents that she is going to her friends house. She does go to her friends house but she takes her friend to the hospital with her and the friend stays in the car while Kristi goes into the hospital. Kristi has to pretend to be with another family in order to get into the hospital to meet and talk to Mr. Merson. She saves his life sometimes and more into the book they become friends so she can get more evidence why he is stalker her.

The thing I liked about the book was that each book ended with a cliff hanger and it involves a lot of myster and I like myster bookd. There wasn't anything I didn't like about the book. I really enjoyed the book a lot, this book I think its for teens so 13 and older, on a scale from 1-4 I would rate it a 4 beacause its such a good book to read and I love it. 

I think teens should read this book because its such a good book and if you like books with cliff hangers then get this book!

Trapped, by Alyssa Fulton

   
   The name of the book that I read is Trapped and the author is Michael Northrop. The book is about these kids, Scott, Elijah, Les, Jason, Julie, and Pete all stayed after school. Where they go to school, Tattawa High School, is in the middle of pretty much nowhere. They all stay after school when a big snow storm is about to hit. They're trapped (hence the name of the book) in the school with a teacher. When the teacher leaves to go and get help, he never comes back. The kids are now on there own for survival. 
  
   What I liked about this book is the characters and how they all react differently to this situation. I like the idea of having kids taking care of themselves when they are in really big help. Like getting locked in the basement or locked out of the house or getting trapped in a house, in a snowstorm. 
  
     I made a connection to The Maze Runner, when they are all stuck in this one area (the school) where there are no adults, and the kids have to fend for themselves, until someone or until they find a way out. 

    I recommend this book to anyone who likes survival and adventure. Thirteen through fifteen years olds will be able to read this book. I give this book two stars because I felt like that there was stuff missing. Like arguments, maybe some more fights, the characters didn't really try to find a way out of the school, until it was later in the book. And it was kinda boring at some parts and it felt like it really slow at parts too. That's when you could tell the author was trying to make the reader not fall asleep because the main character (Scott) was talking or thinking or narrating the story.  I didn't really like the story as much as I thought I was, but if you want to try it, go ahead. I'm just warning you that some parts may seem a bit boring.