Under the Blood Red Sun-Sam Wortzman

The book Under the Blood Red Sun by Graham Salisbury is somewhat boring. The middle was good but in the beginning and end completely put out the flame of excitement. Personally I didn’t like the style of the book.

To back up my assertion Chapters 1-9 was telling you about the characters. The middle had nothing to do with the beginning and the epilogue had nothing to do with the characters at all. Then in the middle it was exiting but and the war was going on and the main characters life was crazy, and all the sudden it just dies out with out a solution.

Going into more detail, my second topic is that nothing led up to the other part. 10-13 Is about war and 14 was barely about anything. Another thing is that at first there is war, and how it affects this Japanese/American family, then the epilogue is not even about the family.

The book could use some work, and I think that one thing that could be changed could be the epilogue. The epilogue could have been about them and how the end of the war affected the Main family. Also I think that there should have been more war. When there was bombing there was so much detail and suspense but there was only a few chapters of it.

So From my examples you can tell that it is an okay (ish) book. You should read it if you like historical fiction You should read it but if you don’t, don’t read it.

I give it 2 trees.

When You Reach Me

          When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead is a very exceptional book and well written. Some parts were extremely interesting. This book reminds me a lot like "Lost". "Lost" the T.V. show is about people who crash on a mysterious island and travel through time just like in this book. Traveling through time is a very hard thing to write about and the author did a very good job of describing what time travel is about.
     This book is very well written.  An example of this is the author's decision to make one segment into sequential order.  In one important scene, the author puts the main characters thoughts in order.  Another reason the book is well written is how the author gives you a clear description of what the ghost looks like. I really liked how the author describes one character beating up another character.  When the author writes in the book 'bent over and frozen'  it gave me a clear picture of a kid that was bent over and blood coming down.
     My advice to this author would be to not make one character's life so dark.  Sal gets punched, nearly gets run over by a truck, and then breaks his arm.  At least he is a happy character and still has Miranda as a friend, but I would like to see better things happen to him in his lifetime.  
     As you can see, from my examples When You Reach Me is an exceptional book and is very well written.








  

The City of Ember By Jeanne DuPrau, I think The City of Ember is a great book. It always had me at the edge my seat reading as fast as I could. I could never anticipate anything (except for one squick) because everything happened unexpectedly!

It has a great setting, for example: The Pipe works is a very moist and gloomy place, but it ends up saving the city. Another example is: The City of Ember; a very dark place that ends up to be under ground! Also:The Land of the People of Sparks, a great place to live, its a beautiful green, farmland. I would love to live there.

It also always had me at the edge of my seat,

Like when: Doon and Lina (the 2 main characters) were streaming down the river with Poppy (a baby) I was afraid Poppy would fall out (I know this sounds cheesy but still that's how you say stuff when you really like books, ask Iris!) Also when Doon couldn’t find Lina I was...scared, no thats not the word...AGITATED thats the word that Doon would leave with out Lina!

Some advice to the author would be; a little more suspending and cliff hangers cause’ some of the book you knew exactly,spot on, bulls eye, what was going to happen other wise...FLAT OUT PERFECTO!!!

As you can see from my assertion, this is a GREAT book and I highly recommend it plus there are three more in the series!

=)5 trees(=

The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm

The Ear,The Eye, And The Arm is by Nancy Farmer. I would give this 2 trees because its repeating its self every word and it was like she was trying to put you to sleep and the book felt like she was trying to depress you I hated it. I mean it felt like they were getting in and out and in and out and in and out and in then Finally got out. I got bored in the middle because nothing happened.

I would have her change the middle because it is a very big let down because it repeats itself whenever she get bored and it feels like she just sat down and decided to write a book . Like Tendai should have said more words because it felt like Tendai was really quiet. I would like to add what happens to them at the end because they could go on another adventure like they could get robbed then go on a hunt for new thieves named foot and shin(see what I did there) and the she Elephant would go missing. All in all I think that I would not recommend this book.

Which Witch- Elise Korngut

Which Witch

By Elise Korngut

Which Witch by Eva Ibbotson is a great, magical, creative book that is full of wonderful, whimsical surprises. When I read this book I felt like Belladonna was being treated unfairly. But then when I got deeper and deeper in the book I realized that the other witches opened up to Belladonna in some way. I think that the story was good but the way the author wrote it wasn’t as good.

One way that Eva Ibbotson did a good job on Which Witch was by introducing all the characters as they fell into the story. One way she did that was by giving each witch a paragraph or two just for them self. She described each witch, were they lived, and what there familiar was, for example for Mable Wrack she lived in a apartment above her fish shop and her familiar is a octopus. Another way that Eva Ibbotson did a good job was by hooking you into the book at the end of chapters. One way she did that was by saying at the end of the chapter “Matron was on the first step . . . the second. . . . Now she was almost up to him, her arms outstretched to get him by the shoulders and shake him. Terence took a long deep breath. He closed his eyes . . .” I really wanted to read more so I went to the next chapter but . . . it was in a whole different place.

I thought that the story was good but not the way Eva Ibbotson wrote it. The story was about Arriman the Awful trying to find a wife. It was just written in a way that felt different and not as exciting as other books I have read, for example in the scene when Arriman was describing his contest it felt like it could have been more exciting but the author chose not to. The scene felt boring and dull it made me want to stop. But sometimes it was really exciting like my example before.

As you can see Which Witch by Eva Ibbotson is a pretty good book it was fun, sometimes exciting, and magical. The only thing I didn’t like was the way the book was written. I suggest this book to people who like magic and contests. If I had to choose I would give this book at least 3 trees.

Which Witch - Madeleine

By: Madeleine Murr

I read the book Which Witch by Eva Ibbotson. It was a very exciting, good book because there was a lot of magic in it. I would recommend it.

In this book Arriman is a black wizard who is going to to get married to a witch. He hosts a contest to find the darkest witch. Belladonna is a white witch who enters the contest. She befriends a little boy named Terence and his cute pet worm Rover. Rover is thought to be belladonna’s magic, without it she supposedly can’t win. Right before the competition, Rover gets lost so (behind Belladonna’s back) Terence hires and actor to bring Sir Simons back to life (he is a ghost.) The actor gets sick but Terence doesn't know that. Somehow Sir Simons gets brought back to life anyway!

I think this book was exciting because. . .

Each witch was to perform a evil magic trick. Some of them were funny and messed up, others were dark and scary. Like the enchantresses trick; there was a pack of blood-thirsty rats that ate each other and the last rat ate itself!

Also, in the end, Rover was not making Belladonna’s magic for the contest, Terence was! And Monty (the actor) was never there to act out Sir Simons.

Which Witch was a fun, exciting book full of magic and mystery. As you can see from my examples the qualities above are quite true. Eva, I think you should put a tad more excitement in this book, at times it got a little boring. I rate this book 4 trees.

Overboard-leah

Overboard

I loved Overboard! It was thrilling,scary, and sad.It was about this girl named Emily who went on a boat but it had too many people on it so it sank. It was very well written for Elizebeth Fama’s first book.I think Overboard is awesome and here are my reasons.

My first example is the setting. The setting by the way is Indonesia. Indonesia is a more of a tropical place so in sad times in the book, the scenery made the story a little bit happier.For example when the boat just sank and she’s trying to adjust here eyes to the darkness she describes the moon light reflecting on the sea.It is also a very unique place so you always want to look at the map to see where their heading.

My second example is the characters. It made the book have meaning and Mrs.Fama makes the characters life-like so you could get a peak at there personality.The characters also made hope in the smallest things since they where in the middle of no-where.So it made you just want to read it forever and forever and flip to the end to know if it will be happily ever after.Like when there in a trying to get to a island and once they come to one the tide pulls them away. It was very sad.

I think Elizabeth Fama should have changed the ending. I thought if you are going to read a happily-ever-after story shouldn't the end conclude happily.In other words I thought Ms.Fama should of add another chapter or two.

I think this book would be a 4 star because I liked everything except the ending. Overboard is great and the characters and the setting make it even greater.I hope you read it!

The City of Ember - Miles

    I have just completed reading The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau. I thought the book was pretty good and had a great plot, but maybe the author could have made it a little bit better.

     One of the things that I enjoyed about reading this book is that I thought it was well written. One example of it being well written is that things are always going on, it’s never boring. For example, in the beginning of the book when Lina and Doon (the main characters) are assigned jobs to do, it doesn’t go on and on about their jobs instead it talks about a Lina’s message to the mayor and Doon investigating the generator. Another example of it being well written, is that it has a great plot and a very interesting story. Another reason I liked this book was because it had really good characters. I thought it had good characters is that each character had a really good unique personality. For example, Mayor Cole (the mayor of Ember) was very fat and greedy and you could picture what he was like.

     One aspect of the book that I thought the author could have improved on is that the book doesn’t have much going on at a time, things are going on, just not quite enough things. One way Jeanne DuPrau could make it better is by making it more it more suspenseful. For example, she could put cliffhangers at the end of each chapter. She could also write it from more different characters perspectives to make more going on.

     I think that The City of Ember is a pretty good book with good characters and a great plot. Overall I rate The City of Ember  4 trees.

My Book Club Essay on the Borrowers-Kelly

I thought the Borrowers by Mary Norton was a dull book it wasn't the characters that were boring it was the things they did. It was like one thing after another and that wouldn't have been so bad if they were doing different things but instead they were doing the same things as before!

One example is that Pod and Arrietty both get seen by the boy. For example when Arrietty gets seen her parents are only a little scared, and it was just for a sentence! Also the author Mary Norton said that the Borrowers would be REALLY scared if they ever got "seen"!

Another reason is that when the boy lifts up the floorboard in their house the parents are only a little scared for just a paragraph. For example when Homily is frightinged she is just for a second and then she is like Oh I like you now!

I think that Mary Norton should have made the book more exciting because right know the book is like a boring add for boring shoes!

As you can see from my examples the Borrowers is not the best book in the world. I give it 2 trees.

Overboard --- Tony

OVERBOARD

ELIZABETH FAMA

I recently read the book Overboard by Elizabeth Fama and i liked it a lot.

For me it was a great book because there is something in to that I like

I’m not sure what but it makes me fill that i am in the book ,

Which is cool because it is based on a real story so you mite think that there

where in a lot of adventures that were pretty scary if your were there.

Another reason way i like it is because the characters where likable . Not like Villains in Comics

Even though without Them some books Aren't the same.

One cool thing

about it was that The Author wrote true adventures about the Characters.

I recommend this book to every one (girls and boys)

Flipped- Libby Wiskind

Flipped

By Libby Wiskind

I recently read the book Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen and I thought it was an okay book. What I mean by an okay book is that I did not love it but I did not hate it.

One of the reasons why I did not like this book is that I thought that the problem in the book was not big enough . What I mean by not a big enough problem is that in a book, I like there to be one HUGE problem and in this book there was about two small problems that were kind of plain and when a problem is kind of plain it doesn’t make you want to read it as much. One of the problems in the beginning of the book was that a girl named Julianna moved right across the street from a boy named Bryce. After Julianna and her family moved in, Julianna went over to Bryce's house and started annoying the hole family, especially Bryce. From then on Bryce REALLY did not like Julianna but Julianna REALLY liked Bryce.

One of the reasons why I liked this book is that it was never on one topic for to long and when the book is on one topic for to long it gets boring which doesn’t make you want to read the book. For example, in one part on the book Julianna really loves this one tree so every day she would go up to the tree and climb it. Then, Julianna’s tree gets cut down and she gets very upset. Slowly, the book moves into a different part of the book and allot lot of things change, this happens in most of the book.

One of my suggestions for the author is that I think she should have more of a Journey in her book. What I mean by journey is that I think the author should have more of a mission in the book. it would make the book more interesting and it would hook the reader more and make them really want to read this book.

As you can see from my examples, this book was an okay book, not amazing but not horrible . I would probably give this book three trees.

Under the Blood red sun- Sawyer shine

Under the Blood Red Sun is an amazing book which I recommend. It takes place in Hawaii during World War 2. It is told in a very interesting way and is very detailed.The main character Tommy tells the story. He is 13 years old. His best friend Billy is American and Tommy is American with Japanese parents. He lives with his grandfather who is obsessed with Japan and likes to hang up the Japanese flag. One day they almost got killed because he was waving it around.when they got attacked the at pearl harbor.

Flipped- Addi B

Flipped

by Wendelin van Draanen

This is my assertion about my book-group book. The name of this book is Flipped by Wendelin van Draanen . It is very good in some places but not so good in others. Like there were some parts that the author could have left out. Definitely. There were some parts that were so embarrassing that I would have killed myself ( no, you have to read the book )

Why I think this book is embarrassing because there is one scene where one of the main characters, Bryce , tries to kiss the other main character, Juliana , on purpose (I mean not on a dare) in front of the entire 6th grade! Another reason that it is embarrassing is because once when Juliana is getting Bryce’s kite, which was stuck in a tree, when she comes down from the tree, she finds out that the seat of her pants has ripped of.

I think that the author wrote the book pretty darn well, but the author could’ve changed some things. I think that she should have wrote a prologue were Bryce starts really trying to impress Juliana and then she starts liking him again so then they aren’t at each others throats any more.

So, as you can see, and because these reasons, I think that this book is very embarrassing. I looked these reasons up in the book. I would give this book 3 out of 5 trees

witch witch

Witch Witch

Grace Boyle #4

I just read this book called Witch Witch by Eva Ibbotinson. I personaly did not like this book and I would rate it 2 trees witch is for a book that is not good,bad, embarrassing to publish, not well written.I thought it was all those things because usually at the end of your book your always thriving to know what happens at the end but in witch witch there is no exciting ending because all that happens is what you predicted. I know that when your reading a book something goes wrong but in witch witch there is no problem and theirs no mysterious parts that your wondering about all that am saying is that I don't think it's good to know whats going to happen next.

This book is about a a evil town called darkington with a evil king named arriman and witches. Arriman had gotton sick of being the most evil king of Darkington. (just to tell you if you were wondering it is good to be black and evil) then one day Arriman when down to the town and saw a fortune teeller both and asked her if there was a new wizard coming to take his place? the fortune teller told arriman there was a new king coming, arriaman was overjoyed. arriman waited day after day for the new wizard to come but he never came. Then there was only one thing left to do, he had to find a wife. Arriman thought that why not throw a competition with all the witchs from the town of todcaster. The competition was overuled by one special witch. and that is who Arriman Marries.

I think that the author should have made the ending like this. I thought that maybe it be exciting if Madam Olimpia had crashed the wedding and belladonna had run away or something that would had made the book a little dramatic and unpredictable but then at the end some how Arriman and Belladonna come back together and live happily ever after. And if Eva did not want to change the end she could of made the ending a little more descriptive and in ending when I thought it was very poor description is when Terence runs away and goes missing and that mad absolutely No Sense at all. Also when a thought the ending was horrible was when Arriam found Belladonna in her bedroom and Arriman picks her to get married to. For these reasons I think that the author was defiantly sloppy and it was shocking how bad the end was.

For all these reasons I think that Witch Witch by Eva Ibbotson was in my opinoin a let down I felt like the auther got bored of writing the book so she just stopped. I was very sad because it was a pretty good book and then the end was just bad, a let down, a horilble book and I give it 2 trees. I do not recamend this book at all.

Flipped - Jonny

Flipped

I read Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen and I didn’t really like it. It is very weird

when the point of view changes every chapter. And it is has kind of weird plot. It is about a Boy, Bryce, who moves to

a new house and right next to his house lives a girl named Juliana. And when she sees Bryce she immediately has a HUGE

crush on him. It is also about Juliana but I think it is mainly focused on Bryce. I did like the characters Like Bryce, Bryce’s grandfather and Juliana’s two brothers Matt and Mike. But some of the characters (like Juli) just makes me want to put the book

down (when) it is from her point of view. As I said before it switches from first person point of view every chapter Bryce, Juli, Bryce, Juli , Bryce etc. And after Juli likes Bryce... Bryce likes Juli so you can see why it is called Flipped but I think it is bad that Bryce started liking Juliana because I feel that Juli is kind of strange and obsessed with chickens, and in the first ⅔ of the book Juli likes Bryce so when he plants her a tree I thought that was very unexpected. So my assertion is good characters, bad book, ,( someone also made a movie of this it might be better than the book).

The first time it switched to Juliana”s point of view I thought that the book was kind of weird, but funny because she thinks that Bryce likes her back (and he thinks she is crazy about him and stalking him and she is (it’s pretty obvious)). This book starts out kind of funny, Bryce just moved to a new neighborhood and is greeted by Juli Baker who has a huge crush on him “ I still had enough sense at age seven and a half to know that Juli Baker was dangerous” says Bryce in the beginning of the book. I also think that Juli grows a little over-attached to things for example In the middle of the book Juli gets very very sad about a sycamore tree that gets cut down also she gets extremely angry when she finds out that Bryce threw away unfertilized eggs she has been giving his family for a year.

I do think the characters are great, they can be very funny. My favorite character is definitely Bryce Loski who I think is a normal person with one big problem... JULIANA who is always stalking Bryce she even sniffs his hair in the 8th grade., And on her point of view she says it smells like watermelon. Juli is what I think gave me a bad opinion of this book she is always fantasizing about Bryce’s blue eyes. And I really think the fact he is neighbors with the Baker’s . But I do start disliking Bryce more when he starts liking Juli and that pulverizes my liking of the book even more. Matt and Mike (Juli’s Brothers) are great characters and they are very funny and they are almost the only part of the book I enjoy reading about (they are also in a band called the Mystery Pisser). It si also pretty funny when the show Bryce the Boa Constrictor they have.

And there are other great characters but that would make this post very long

In conclusion I recommend this book to no one and think that it can keep you reading it but it is a bad idea to even pick up the book in the first place. But the character’s are pretty good but that is not something to pick up the book for so just don’t read it

trust me you won’t like it is just a waste of your time. In some parts I thought it was okay but as I kept on reading I realized that the plot could have made a good book but as you can see from my post it did not so I give Flipped 1 tree! ):

Under the blood- red sun, Sasha Greeneschmitz

Under the blood red sun

by Sasha Greeneschmitz
Under the blood red sun was a vary disturbing book. I don’t want to say only bad things about the book so I won’t. I liked the characters and the way it was written but I still can’t get over some of the things that happened in it. I felt like in the end Tomi had no family left and things weren't going to get any better. It was kind of like a horror story in a kind of way it is a little scary no scary i snot the word disturbing.

One reason why it was disturbing was on page 127 Tomi and his grandfather have to kill the racing pigeons one by one by slitting there necks and letting them bleed to death on the grass. If that is not convincing then listen to this. First of all it is about war. Second when Tomi’s dad in on there boat with his helper Senjie the guns start shooting and Tomi’s’ dad gets shot in the leg and Senjie gets shot and dies.

I would like to know what the author’s inspiration was to write this book. I don’t think Senjie should have died. I also think that there should have been more things in the book that were good and not so many that were bad.

For those reasons I think that the book Under the Blood Red Sun was a very disturbing book. The book was disturbing but it was written okay. I give this book 2 trees for it's bloody description and the lack of description the other had on the not bloody parts.

Overboard - Maren

I recently read the book Overboard by Elizabeth Fama. I thought it was a wonderful, unexpected, book. It also made me want to keep reading, and reading, and I never got bored. I would love to read a second one if she makes one. Also, each event was unique in it's own way. Here are some examples of why I think this:

One reason of this is that there was a shark scene, and I was thinking, “Oh no” What’s going to happen now? Will she get a shark bite? Will she escape? There was also a seen where they found a tomato. And I was thinking, “Yes!” “Now they have energy!” They can get to the island!” Will they get to the island? Will they find more food? There was also a scene were Emily (the main character) met a little boy named Isman. When this happened, I was thinking, will he slow her down?

Another reason why I think it was a great book is because there was a great hook at the beginning of every chapter, every hook was different, and it might fill you in on what has happened. For example, on chapter one, it says, “Emily might be the only four-teen year-old who knows how to change the sheets of the hospital bed with the patient still in it.” Doesn’t that make you wonder why and how she knows that? Also, on chapter two, it says, “The air conditioner is still broken, and Majid has returned. Those are totally different, but wonderful hooks!

A different example of why my opinion on this book is that it was great is that I was never confused and it was clear in three ways.The first reason is their grammar. On page forty-four, Emily says, “You’re going to pull it over! “ Instead of, “You’re gonna pull it over!” Like most of us fifth graders would say. The second reason is that the author paints a picture in your mind. For example, on page forty-four, It says that Richard is frantic and Catherine is feeling nauseated. That really makes me have an idea on what’s going on. And last but not least, Not every dialogue had said. For instance, on page forty-three, it says, “Look! There’s a life raft! “Richard shouted.”

My advice for Elizabeth Fama is simply, pat yourself on the back. It was great. You should keep writing, and I will read your books. Even if you’re not very famous now, keep writing, so you will! Great job on your first book!

As you can see, I thought that Overboard by Elizabeth Fama was wonderful, unexpected, It made me want to keep reading, and reading, and I never got board. I would also love to read all the rest of her books. Overall I give this book 5 trees. I recommend it to anyone.

P.S. The skit made me like it even more.

The Borrowers-Joren

I just read "The Borrowers", by Mary Norton. It was about little people called Borrowers, who go around taking things. I thought it would be really exiting, with Borrowers running around, taking things, just barely surviving. It wasn't. It was boring, practically detail-less, and had an extremely weird and confusing ending. I think that Mary Norton could have done a WAY better job on The Borrowers.

I think it was boring because when Arietty got seen, they panicked for about 5 seconds, Then they just seemed to forget about it. Also, they said that they "must immigrate'' and just sat around for the rest of the book, talking about whether or not they should immigrate.

I think it was almost detail-less because there were only details on the (not-so-often) exiting parts. For example, when the exterminator comes, there are details, but they are just things like: "The large exterminator came into the kitchen and tore off the floorboard" You have to admit, not much detail.

Lastly, I think the ending was weird. If you don't trust me, I'll show you. Here it is. "'This story was from Arietty's diary, and she made her E's like little crescent moons with a stroke in the middle.'

'So?'

'Your grandmother did too'"

So, as you can see, I clearly didn't enjoy The Borrowers, and you won't either, because it was boring, almost detail-less, and had a confusing ending. I don't recommend this to anyone.

P.S. This book doesn't even deserve a full tree, so I'm going to give it one stump.

Which Witch?

My book club book was Which Witch? by Eva Ibbotson. I very much disliked this book because of the very bad ending it was a let down and very predictable.

There was nothing in the book that was good like the part when Belladonna and Terence were talking in the garden it was so boring and it went on for a really long time.

Another thing was in this really weird party seen it just made everything really depressing and sad that it was just plane boring.

The only thing that was good in the book was the wizard competition. There were some cool parts in the competition like when Madam Olimpia made rats the size of dogs, or when Belladonna brings Sir Simon back from the dead.

My advice to the author is one thing that could be better in this book. The ending could be way better. like maybe Madam Olimpia could crash the wedding maybe Madam Olimpia could turn Ariman in to a frog so Belladonna would have to fight Madam Olimpia. I did not like my book it was really boring and very dull. I give this book 1 tree

Death Mountain, Disappointed by Keith Danielson

     Death Mountain, by Sherry Shahan, was not one of the best books I have read. It was dull, boring, and even a little grosser than it needed to be. I thought it was rather boring for a book with the title of Death Mountain. I didn't enjoy it much. It was also too confusing. It was very depressing as well. It was exciting on some parts though. My view on the book is that it is not very good, but can keep you reading it.
     I thought the book was dull and boring. During some parts in the book that should be very dramatic, it's almost calm. The reason I didn't think the title matched the book was because no one got close to dying. When Sherry Shahan wrote the book she made it sound like they were just on a long, boring hike. I didn't enjoy the book because it was written with a lack of details. The author wrote the story with out explaining what the areas looked like. For example, when Erin was in the country store Sherry Shahan didn't explain it at all. She didn't explain exactly what Erin was doing and what some people looked like. I thought it was gross because Erin took to the liking of regurgitating her lunch every so often. The book was confusing because Sherry Shahan kept swapping between different settings, different times, and different characters. For example when Erin and Mae were hiking, the setting kept changing to a time when Erin was camping with Gram. I thought the book was depressing because every single time the girls had some hope, it was crushed. For example, when the girls caught some fish a dog they were keeping ate them. I thought it was exciting sometimes because there were parts when the chapter ended in a cliff hanger. The beginning of the next chapter can be very exciting but it ends quickly. For example, at the end of one chapter Mae falls under the water of a very strong river. The next chapter begins with Erin trying to pull her up. After the first paragraph of that chapter, the exciting part will be over. At this part, Erin managed to pull Mae from the water.
     I think Sherry Shahan could have added more drama into the book. I would have made it very dramatic and exciting, where Sherry Shahan will make the most exciting parts more similar to the most boring parts then anything. I would like to know what happens with Erin and Lannie. Another thing I would like to know is what happens with Mae and her family. I think she could have made it more clear what the places around them looked like.
     As you can see, the book was not a very good one. My book group didn't like it either. I did not enjoy reading this book and I do not recommend it to anyone. When I reread the book for examples I found some very clear proof that melted my liking of the book even more. Seeing these examples made the book even worse in my view. Sherry Shahan could have done a better job with Death Mountain. The book had no comments or awards on the back or front which proves the lack of quality it contains. In conclusion, I give the book 2 trees.

Witch, Witch ?

Hi, my name’s Iris and I just finished my book group book, Witch Witch? It’s about a wizard named Armin the Awful. He has become bored with just being a black wizard. After visiting a fortune teller he discovers that a even greater and even blacker wizard then himself is coming to take over his duty of being a black wizard.Soon, he decides to get married. The whole story is about him hosting a contest to find the blackest with in the world. I like this story but the way it was written wasn't as good as the plot/ idea.

If I have an assertion(witch I do),then I should have some evidence(witch I will). First off, I think it’s important to know that Mr.Armin the Awful isn't the only main charter in this story. there also is Little Miss Belladonna ,An unfortunate white witch who has fallen madly in love with Armin, and will do any thing to win the contest and become her beloved Armin’s wife.I like the story and I recommend it to any one who was even slightly amused or entertained by the Harry Potter sires. Just Remember there are better writers out there. Also I think that this book has allot of. short. sentences. Also some time she has a lot of running sentences and I think that she should have used the period more in some chapters and less in others and I found my self some times wishing that this author did not get the idea but some one else did.

I think this author should think about his/ her periods. He/she has either to too many or not enough.It depends on the chapter. Also,When you reading this book, It’s like you’re watching a movie and you have to guess what the carters thinking.What I’m trying to say is that this author has little (if any,) Belladonna thought or Armin thought ‘s. I think, no matter how much the carter’s say out loud you should all way include some So and So thought ’s

I think witch witch has a good plot but a wasn't written in a good way. I think sometimes the seances where to short.Also I think sometimes the seances got to long to often.But I think you SHOULD read it if you liked the harry potter books but remember there are better writers out there. All and all, I give this book a total of about 2 out of 5 trees.

Bye,☺

Borrowers-Kate Coomber

The book the Borrowers by Mary Norton, I think was not a very good book. I thought that it was boring the whole time. I think it could have been better if the author would have put some more exciting and dramatic detail in it. It also seemed as though the plot was pattern, because the same things kept on happening. So my overall opinion was that it just wasn’t as exciting as I’d hoped it’d be.

One of the reasons that I thought it was boring was because, throughout the book whenever a problem happened, there was hardly any detail at all. For instance when Arrietty gets seen by a boy, all that happens is the mother and father get a little bit worried. Then they continue with the book. Another example of why this book is boring is when, the action scene happens(the part when Mrs.Driver was trying to get rid of the Borrowers) it only last 2 pages and has little detail like, "quietly Mrs.Driver, the exterminator, and the man who lived next door, lifted up the floor board and chased the Borrowers out from under the floor board".

Here is some advice for the author. I Think that Mary Norton shouldn’t have made the Borrowers or the boy leave in the end. I think the book should have had a happy ending. I also think that Mrs. May’s(she’s the narrator) brother should have been telling the story to Kate(little girl) because he is the one that saw the borrowers all along.

So as you can see from my examples, that I did not like this book at all! I mainly didn't like it because it didn't have any detail, was boring, and didn't have a strong problem. I give this book 1 tree.

P.S Doing the play actually made me hate this book even more.

Flipped-Isabella

Flipped

Flipped is a great book. At first i thought a little different but know that i think about it, it is a really, really, really good book.

I was really nervous about the dinner scene because that’s when the to main characters change personalities. At first crazy maniac Juliana, has a major crush on Bryce. But after dinner, she doesn’t like him any more. But Bryce now has a major crush on Juliana. And now it gets all mixed up.

So, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes thrilling, compelling, mixed-up stories.

I’d give this book 4 trees because it was amazingly hilarious.

The City of Ember - Catalina Lane

I read this book The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau, which was awesome!!!! I thought this book was going to be awesome and it was! This book was a real well done cliff hanger. This made me want to read past the section that we were supposed to read. I’m going to give you two reasons and evidence on why I love this book so much.

My first reason on why I LOVED this book is when Doon and Lina (the main characters ) go and find this document. That they think has something important on it. A way to get out of the city. But they can’t read it because Poppy (Lina’s little sister) chewed it up. I loved this part because they try to figure it out and they eventually do.

My second reason on why I LOVED this book is when... in the middle of the Singing there is a blackout and at that exact moment (this is the part I LOVED) Lina is up on the mayor’s roof and sees Doon in the blackout. The only reason on why she can see him is he was using the candle and matches that they found in the Pipeworks. So she went tramping down the stairs, running across the plaza. This part gets all dramatic were you don’t know what she’s gonna do next, but your just going to have to read the book to find out what she does!

Those were my two reasons on why I LOVED this book. I would give this book five trees. I would recommend this book to everyone who loves adventure underground. Read it before you watch the movie.

Under the Blood Red Sun
By Sawyer Shine

Under the Blood Red Sun, by Graham Salisbury, is an amazing book, which I completely recommend to readers who enjoy history, especially World War II, like me. Salisbury is a wonderful author who writes in a detailed and descriptive style. He is very knowledgeable about World War II, Pearl Harbor, and the Japanese Americans who were sent to camps after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. I loved this book, but it had some very sad and disturbing parts because it deals with racism and death.

The main character, Tommy, tells the story. Tommy is a 13-year-old Japanese-American boy. His father and grandfather were sent to internment camps after Pearl Harbor was bombed. It was sad and disturbing when this happened. It was also sad and disturbing to read about how the Japanese-Americans were treated in the camps. For example, in a letter that Tommy’s father writes to Tommy and his mother from the camp, he explains that he cannot write in Japanese. He also tells Tommy that he has to take care of the family while he is in the camp.

Tommy’s family lived on a farm and they kept pigeons. Before his grandfather was sent to a camp, two American soldiers forced Tommy and his grandfather to cut the pigeons’ throats because the soldiers thought they could be used as messenger birds for the Japanese. This part of the book made me feel particularly sad because the birds were just pets.

Even though I think that Salisbury is a smart writer and knows how to explain things, I think he could have explained more about what it was like to live in the camps. The story was more about Tommy’s life outside the camps, which was very hard. But, I imagine that life inside the camp was even more difficult for his father.

I loved this book because it made me feel like I knew what it was like to be Tommy. I imagined what it would be like if my father was taken away. I know that, like Tommy, I would feel miserable and depressed. I felt heartbroken when Tommy had to kill his birds. He was angry at himself and had bad dreams. Even though the story was sad, I still highly recommend this book. I rate this 5 trees please.

The Borrowers-Lauren

The Borrowers, by Mary Norton was a book that I thought was going to be good but it turned out pretty bad. I’m know I’m definitely not going to read the other books about the Borrowers. I also thought that there was too much detail and not enough of an actual story. It also had a very boring ending, which I didn’t get at all. Whenever I had to read this book, I thought “darn, I have to read The Borrowers again “.


One reason why I think the book has too much detail is because most of the book is describing their house. It told about it so much that I can still remember that in Arrietty’s (the main character) room has a bed made out of an old matchbox and she uses postage stamps as decorations for her room. While I was reading this book, I felt like Mary Norton was just like a salesperson trying to sell that house to me. Do you really want to be reading a sales catalog for a book group book because that was what it pretty much is.


Another reason why I didn’t like the book was because there was basically nothing about where the Borrowers were at the end of the book. In my opinion, it was a terrible ending and it had very little excitement. Now that I think about it, this book was pretty much just a chapter of all the books in the series combined because the ending didn’t seem like an ending at all.


So as you can see from my examples, I thought The Borrowers was a terrible book. I will never recommend this book to anyone because it had too much detail and a really bad ending. I’m going to give this only one tree. That is all this book deserves.

Lucia Zane Under a Blood- Red Sun

Under the Blood-red sun

Under the Blood-red sun, by Graham Salisbury. I thought that this book was a really good but other times it was something that I really didn’t want to read and put down the book, but I also thought that the book was well written and exiting to read. When I first started the book all I knew was it was about World War 2, and I wasn’t really into that, so I thought I would completely hate it, but it turns out that I really liked it. It was exiting, interesting, and it was really enjoyable.
As I was saying I really liked the book and these are some reasons why I really enjoyed it..... One reason why I really liked Under the Blood-red sun is because you never know whats going to come up next. For example when the main character Tomi took out the sword that was hidden in a log, that his grandpa gave to him and he started to hear something and it was Tomi’s next door neighbor Keet, and he was holding a gun straight at Tomi. When I read that I had know idea what was going to come next and it was very exiting.
Another reason why I liked the book is because at the end of the book, Tomi, imagined that he’s dad and grandpa came back from jail and came home through the squeaky screen door and ran inside the house to the family. Then he imagined that he’s grandpa took the sword out and let the sun reflect on it , then gave it to the dad, then to Tomi, after it was held in Tomi’s hands grandpa gave him a quick nod. I thought that was a really good way to end the book because you had to refer if grandpa and papa came back from jail.
One thing that I thought the author could of made better was the middle of the book I didn’t it was very good, but the end and beginning was good. I didn’t think the middle of the book was very good because, one of the chapters grandpa and Tomi had to cut their pigeons necks off, then be forced to cook them and eat them. I thought that was pointless and they should of made it more interesting.
Over all as I was telling you that I really liked the book, and whoever likes war or exiting things this is the book for you. Also I give this book 4 trees out of 5. Hope you try this book, you will really like it!