book review

The Girl Who Could Fly

Posted on by flivster

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“It’s the oddest/sweetest mix of Little House on the Prairie and X-Men. I was smiling the whole time (except for the part where I cried) … Prepare to have your heart warmed”

– Stephenie Meyer, Author, The Twilight Saga

I definitely agree with Stephenie Meyer’s quote.

The Girl Who Could Fly is about a farm girl named Piper McCloud who has always been able to fly. Piper comes from a normal family who will not tolerate her ability. When things get out of hand, her parents send her to Dr. Letitia Hellion’s boarding school, called I.N.S.A.N.E. (Institute of Normalcy, Stability, And NonExceptionality) where she meets others like herself. However, when the “safe” facility of I.N.S.A.N.E proves to be dangerous, Piper and her new friends team up to save themselves and innocent plants and animals. This exciting novel is a page-turner!

The Girl Who Could Fly is an unforgettable book. First of all, it is inspiring. 💡 One of the morals of the story is that being different is OK. Victoria Forester, the author, is trying to tell us that if we are born with a gift, we should learn to use it well. She does this by profiling eleven kids with abnormal talents – from telekinesis to X-ray vision – and teaching the readers that if you have a special talent, you should accept it, embrace it, hone it, and use it for good.

Second, it is a plain, good story. Well, plain is not the word I would use, because it is really creative and has some great plot twists.

Third, is that once you get into the good part of the book, it will make you want to predict what comes next. I found myself doing this at least once or twice every chapter!

The only negative is that when the author switches to the point of view of another character or is using a scene transition, it is sometimes unclear.

I recommend The Girl Who Could Fly to students ages 9+ and give it a four star rating.  I’ve already started the sequel named The Boy Who Knew Everything. Stay tuned…

 

 

 

Gravity Falls

Posted on by flivster

image.jpegGravity Falls was a Disney cartoon about the Pines twins who are sent to live with their Grunkle Stan for the summer in the mysterious town of Gravity Falls. They uncover the secrets of the town while making great friends and powerful enemies. The show also had lots of very funny jokes and references. The creator, Alex Hirsch, hid codes throughout the series for fans to find. There were Gravity Falls theories everywhere! The last amazing episode was in February, and some of the theories proved to be true.

I love this series  for its humor, characters, and plot. There were very funny jokes and, yes, funny products in the show, such as Chipackers, The Chip Flavored Crackers. All the characters had their own personality from Soos to Wendy to Toby Determined. There were many plot twists and codes to help predict the plot twists throughout the series. Alex Hirsch and his crew thought it out very carefully, and if you look it up, they have many funny stories to tell. I give Gravity Falls a five star rating. I have nothing bad to say.

 

 

How to Survive Middle School

Posted on by flivster

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How to Survive Middle School is a hilarious story about a short Jewish boy’s (whose idol is Jon Stewart) struggle through middle school and dealing with new friends, old friends, girls, hamsters, and becoming internet famous. This book will make you laugh out loud and cry into your pillow all at the same time. Donna Gephart’s other book, As if Being 12 3/4 Isn’t Enough, My Mother Is Running For President, was good, but this is great!

I’m just going to say a plethora of things I like about the book, because I haven’t a clue where to start. This is a very funny book, and there are many things we can all relate to in here. The book pulls you in. I finished the book in one night. It was sooooo worth it! And once I finished it, I wanted to start read it again. This book gets a five star rating.

You Wouldn’t Want To Be In A Medieval Dungeon!

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This book gives you the pros and cons of being in a medieval dungeon. Fiona Macdonald and David Antram team up to write the You Wouldn’t Want To Be… Series, and this time, they’re taking us to the end of the fifteenth century where your local castle is looking for a jailer. You, as the jailer, must deal with criminals, the innocent, and people with mental illnesses. For every two pages, there are Handy Hints for you to follow to get out of whatever situation you’re in. The book also tells you about the jailer’s wages, how they handle prisoners, diseases, torture devices, and more! Yes-I did just put an exclamation mark at the end of that sentence. Some other You Wouldn’t Want To Be Books are You Wouldn’t Want To Be An Egyptian Mummy, You Wouldn’t Want to be Married to Henry VIII, You Wouldn’t Want To Be On The Titanic, and You Wouldn’t Want To Be An American Colonist. There are about 50 titles in the series.

I am a total history geek, so I love this book. I think it is so awful how they can torture people like that, and it makes me sick to understand that some of what Fiona MacDonald described in the book is still going on today. I love this series because it gives you the real scoop, and with funny but subtle jokes, children will want to read them. I personally think that they are interesting. On the other hand, parents don’t. There is this one page titled Rats, Lice, and Fleas that makes my father feel ill. You Wouldn’t Want To Be in A Medieval Dungeon receives three and a half stars.

The Series of Unfortunate Events

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The Series of Unfortunate Events is, well, something. The Baudelaire orphans find themselves constantly escaping the clutches of Count Olaf, an evil trickster who wants to steal the Baudelaire fortune. Lemony Snicket adds his own humor, while still seeming like he is not trying too hard. It is sad, has its funny/quirky moments, and is, well, unfortunate. There are thirteen books in the series (Haha, Lemony Snicket. Very funny.), and each one makes you feel even worse for the Baudelaire children than you already do. I remember that these used to be my favorite books ever. I even wanted to be named Violet!

But many people are not as pessimistic as I am, so they read the first chapter of the first book and said, “Oh, this book is too depressing for me.” Close minded people!!! The Series of Unfortunate Events really grabs you and makes you want to read more once you get into it.  The Series of Unfortunate Events will receive a four star rating.

The Hunger Games

Posted on by flivster

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“May the odds be ever in your favor.”

 

 This review is only about the first book.

 

If you know what Harry Potter and Twilight are, then surely you have heard of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Katniss Everdeen volunteers for her sister and is sent with Peeta Mellark to the capitol to compete in the Hunger Games, where one victor comes out alive. The Hunger Games is a romance, action, and somewhat gruesome/violent book. It is in the future, so the gadgets are cool, but if you are not a fan of action, and enjoy reading things like realistic fiction or biographies, this is not a book for you. The Hunger Games is very well thought out and the characters are complex. I applaud Mrs. Collins on that. On the other hand, lots of people don’t want to read the book because it has made itself a few stereotypes.

Here is a list:

 

  1. Romance that shouldn’t be here
  2. Action/Violence
  3. (If you have watched the movie) The Hunky Guy Center

 

Now, getting back to the book, in Chapter Two you will see 12 year olds’ Hunger Game posters being delivered. Oops! Sorry, I was confused and was talking about number three on our list. Honestly, it is just a bunch of war scenes and beauty pageants and starving people. Oh wait! I get it now! Mrs. Collins was trying to show us some of the things that are wrong with society! The book gets a four star rating, because it is actually telling us that we need to do something.

The Lemoncello Series

Posted on by flivster

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“A library doesn’t need windows. We have books, which are windows into worlds we never dreamed possible.”

I can’t agree enough with this quote from the amazing Lemoncello series. When Kyle and his friends are selected to compete in the eccentric Mr. Lemoncello’s book-themed escape game, they face Charles Chiltington (who never loses). In the second amazing book by Chris Grabenstein, team Kyle is headed to the library again, and this time, with more competition. First of all, I have met the author (who is a wonderful person). His words inspired not only me but everyone else in the room. When I am writing a book review and I have met the author of that book, I will most definitely talk about my good or bad experience with the author, and that will influence my rating. Meeting Chris Grabenstein was a dream come true. Second, his books are a fun read, and when you start, you just can’t stop! The story sucks you in, like a portal with interesting stories. When I talked to Mr. Grabenstein, he said he replaced the people on the cover with silhouettes because it allows the reader to imagine. And this is one imaginative book! I recommend these great reads to children ages 9+. These are five star books!

Out of my Mind

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“What would you do if you could fly?” Mrs. V asks as she glances from a bird to me. “I’d be scared to let go,” I type. “Afraid you’d fall?” she asks. “No. I am afraid it would feel so good, I’d just fly away.”

That is one of the many amazing quotes from Out of my Mind by Sharon M. Draper, one of my favorite books. This book is a heartfelt story about a girl with cerebral palsy. She can’t talk, walk, or even feed herself if her life depended on it. The book made me cry, so if you don’t like that kind of book, it might not be for you. But if you do, then this is definitely the book for you! Now back to the book review. Trust me, Out of my Mind is impossible to put down. If you’re like me and have tons of homework, it makes life hard. So hopefully you have a realistic fiction book report due soon so you can kill two birds with one stone. If you don’t have a lot  of homework or are on vacation, then definitely read this book! This
book is great, and I think everyone (who likes this kind of a book) should read it!