Wednesday, April 29, 2009

The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan

In the book The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, the first in his Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the main character Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of a boarding school again. And that's the least of his troubles since lately the mythical monsters and gods of Mount Olympus seem to be real and he has angered a few of them, since Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen and Percy is the prime suspect. Percy and his friends must have only ten days to find Zeus's lightning bolt and return it and bring peace to a warring Olympus. But to finish the quest, Percy has to do more than just catch the thief. He must come to terms with the father that has abandoned him and solve the riddle of the Oracle that tells of the betrayal of a friend and must unravel a mystery more powerful than the gods themselves. I really liked this book because it mixed many things I like, like ancient mythology and stuff like that. I would recommend this and all the books in the series to people who like to read stuff like that.

- Reviewed by Victor, grade 8.

.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Cirque Du Freak: A Living Nightmare, by Darren Shan

In the first book in the Cirque Du Freak series, A Living Nightmare, by Darren Shan, Darren Shan was a normal schoolboy until the night he goes to see the Cirque Du Freak perform. Soon after the show, Darren and his best friend, Steve, get stuck in a serious situation. Darren then has to make a decision that would affect the rest of his life. Will Darren save Steve or himself? This book is for people who like mystery and adventurous books.

- Reviewed by Anna, grade 8.

.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Crank, by Ellen Hopkins

Crank is the first of 4 books by Ellen Hopkins chronicling her daugher's descent into drug addiction. Kristina (who later creates her alter-ego, Bree) is first introduced to methamphetamine by a local boy when she is visiting her father in Albuquerque. When she returns to her family in Reno, Nevada, she believes that her fascination with drugs was a temporary thing, but as she soon learns, drugs are much easier to start than they are to quit. Although the teen drug addiction theme has become very boring and overdone, I believe that Ellen Hopkins used a fresh, interesting approach. Crank is a very well-written, powerful book, and I would recommend it to readers of any age.

- Reviewed by MarinaDW, grade 10.

.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

White Fang, by Jack London

White Fang, the popular 1930s book by Jack London, is one of the most addicting books I've ever read. The story is about a half-wolf female in the pack who is then taken in by Native Americans, and has more half-wolf-babies, of which just one survives. What I liked best about this book was how the author takes you into the mind of the cub, and tells you what it's thinking, from hitting its head on the wall to its first encounter with a ferret. I would tell anybody who likes dogs, wolves, or any kind of animal that can bite and has 4 legs to read this book. My favorite part of the entire book was between the cover and the back; everything about White Fang was great. There is only one thing I know nobody will like about the book: when they finish it. - Reviewed by Gamer, grade 9. .

Saturday, April 4, 2009

The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros

In The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros, Esperanza Cordero is determined to "say goodbye" to her Latino neighborhood. While living in an impoverished Chicago ghetto, Esperanza witnesses the lives of people living on Mango Street, which include her family that sleeps in one room, men that prey on young girls, and husbands and fathers that mistreat their loved ones. This is a coming-of-age novel that is written as a series of vignettes. While reading this book, it is as if you are growing up with Esperanza, going through the things she goes through: betrayal, shame, rape, and finally, acceptance. You find yourself as Esperanza finds herself, and Cisneros makes you feel all the emotions she has put into this book. I recommend this book to everyone because it is a very sweet, honest, and blunt book that doesn't use many literary embellishments to get to its passionate core. - Reviewed by Ina, grade 9. .