Squish #5: Game On!

Squish #5: Game On!
By: Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm

Random House Books for Young Readers (May 28, 2013)

Like all the other Squish books, I couldn’t put it down.

I recommend this Book for ages 8 through 11.

Summary:

Squish gets really obsessed with this video game (like really obsessed, like how I’m obsessed with One Direction), and pays attention to nothing else. When Squish fails a Moby Dick project, he starts getting concerned about his life, and decides

to stop playing the game for a while.  --N.

The Popularity Papers: Book 5

The Popularity Papers: Book Five: The Awesomely Awful Melodies of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang

by Amy Ignatow

Amulet Books

March 25, 2013

This book is about two girls named Lydia and Julie. Lydia starts a band. For their birthday they get music supplies. The problem is they don’t know how to play the instruments. Julie gets a nice teacher and Lydia gets a mean one. They have some of their friends join the band. It goes pretty well. Some of them learn quickly and others take longer to learn. You've got to read the book to find out more. --Fa

House of Secrets

House of Secrets 

by Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini

Balzer + Bray

April 23, 2013

The book I read is House Of Secrets. The authors of this book are Ned Vizzini and Chris Columbus. The main characters are Brendan, Elanor, Cordealia, Wind Witch, Slayne, Will, Captain Sangray, Storm King and Penelope.

In the beginning the Walker family buys a house. Then the Wind Witch comes and she is mad because the house they bought was her father's. She sent Brendan, Elanor, and Cordealia into two books. The books are Savage Warriors and The Heart And The Helm.

In the first book they met Slayne who tried to kill them but a guy named Will saved them. After that a colossus picked up the house. Then another one came and wanted to eat the house so the two colossuses fought. The good colossus put the house on a branch of a tree. In the morning the branch broke and they entered the second book.

When the house fell into the sea they met a girl named Penelope who was a skeleton that came to life. They also met pirates who killed Penelope. Then Will killed the captain. Slayne came back to kill the kids so first he killed Will. Then the Wind Witch came back but her father was mad that she was trying to take his powers so they fought. While they fought the kids found The Book Of Doom And Desire and went back home.

I like this book because it is funny in some parts. I recommend this to 7th and 8th graders due to some violence and language.  --J.

Picture Day (Missy's Super Duper Royal Deluxe #1)

Picture Day (Missy's SUper Duper Royal Deluxe #1)
by Susan Nees
Scholastic
April 30, 2013


Summary: Missy can’t wait for picture day, but when she can’t decide what to wear, her mother helps her out. Missy does not like the outfit her mother gives her. The fit she throws at school won’t help it. And neither does Oscar. Or maybe…maybe Oscar can help.

What I Liked Best About This Book: I read this to my little brother. He liked it. It’s a little first grade book! It’s really weird how much I can relate to Missy, though. Except it’s not usually just on picture day, it’s usually every day when I don’t have an outfit and my mom has to choose. I think every girl can relate. --S.A.

You Only Die Twice

The Genius Files: You Only Die Twice

by Dan Gutman

HarperCollins

January 22, 2013

The book that I read is The Genius Files: You Only Die Twice, the third book of the series. The author of this book is Dan Gutman. The main characters are: Coke, Pepsi, Mrs. and Dr. McDonald, Evil Elvis, Mrs. Higgins, and the bowler hat guys.

This book is about two kids named Coke and pepsi who are being chased down by an evil Elvis impersonator who wants to kill them. In the beginning it is Coke and Pepsi's aunt's wedding with Dr. Warsaw. In the past few books he tried to kill Coke and Pepsi. On the 4th of July a weird message appeared in the sky saying LEVEL VIS I. Then Bones and Mya, Coke and Pepsi's friends came to tell them nobody was trying to kill them anymore and left.

Coke, Pepsi, Mrs. McDonald, and Dr. McDonald traveled to go see the largest chest of drawers in the world and a chest of drawers fell out of it and almost hit Pepsi. At the Poe Center For Health Education a giant brain almost fell on Pepsi. Then she falls in a hole looking up. After that they went to the birthplace of Pepsi where an evil Elvis impersonator captured Pepsi but Coke saved her. They bought fireworks just in case Evil Elvis came back.

They traveled to Tunnelvision where a remote controlled car almost hit Coke. Then they went to Coca-Cola world and he almost got thrown into a giant shredder. In the end Coke and Pepsi fought Evil Elvis who turned out to be their aunt Judy.

I like this book. I like it because it has a lot of action. I recommend this book to teens. --J.

City of Death

City of Death

by Lawrence Yep

Starscape
February 5, 2013

This book is about a group of humans and mythical creatures who need the legend Yi’s magical arrows. The arrows are the weapons they need to stop the villains Roland and Badik from ruling the world.

In the beginning Bayang gets captured while eating tainted food that makes her fall asleep and Scriye and friends Try and rescue her. In order to rescue her in the viziers palace they had to beat up bad guys. Then they found her and set her free. After that they go and fight Roland and Badik and win. In the end they destroy a creature that can destroy the earth called a Kemshap with the arrows. I like this book because it has a lot of action through the book. --J.

Missy's Super Duper Royal Deluxe #2: Class Pets

Missy's Super Duper Royal Deluxe #2: Class Pets

by Susan Nees

Scholastic Inc. (May 28, 2013)

review ARC provided by Cover to Cover Children's Books

This great book is about Missy bringing home class pets. 

First, she had to get ready. She made a sign that said welcome pets! Then she packed her lunch and she needed Pink, her cat to look her best and so she brushed Pink. But after all that hard work, she saved her best for last. She had to ask her mom if she was even allowed to bring home a class pet. And of course her mom said NO. They would be noisy and messy. And smelly. What if they were to get lost? Missy asked again sweetly, then loudly and even on her head! But the answer was the same. No.

Then right before Missy headed to her bus stop, she asked one more time. Missy said it would only be a few days and they are so cute and cuddly and she promised to take very good care of them. So her mother thought for a few seconds and her answer was… YES! IF Missy eats her veggies, combs her hair, and make her bed. And so Missy promised to do all those things. Then she went to school. 

At school everyone was happy for Missy. Until Tiffany came along and said that she was going to get a class pet too and that was going to be Eenie-Meenie, Miney, and Moe. But Missy wanted Eenie-Meenie, Miney, and Moe. But Tiffany can pick first because she is new. So Missy has to make a plan so that noodle head does not take Eenie, Meenie, Miney, and Moe. So in library, Missy started annoying Oscar, a class mate, until he started to read about pets. That’s when she had an idea! She could tell Tiffany that they are disgusting and smelly and dirty and worst of all, they could get lost! Then Tiffany would not want them. At recess, Missy told her that they are bad, smelly, and they could get lost. But that noodle head still would not budge. 

So at the end of the day Tiffany picked Eenie-Meenie, Miney, and Moe, and Missy got the gold fish. Then Missy gave Tiffany some rat food and that’s when Tiffany freaked. She thought that Eenie-Meenie, Miney, and Moe were gerbils and not rats! She threw them and ran. Thankfully Missy caught the rats and so she got to take them home. -- R

Hide And Seek

Hide and Seek
by Kate Messner
Scholastic Press (April 1, 2013)

ARC provided by Cover to Cover Children's Books

This book is about how Anna, Jose, and Henry meet again in Washington D.C to see the Sliver Jaguar Cup. Unfortunately, the parents noticed something weird about it and they realized it was fake. So they go to Costa Rica because they believe the cup is there. They leave the three kids in a friend-owned hotel and leave. Some important events happen like they visit Rainforest and so on forth and then in the middle they meet Alejandro and notice he is giving a illegal tours to see the Green Macaw birds that are almost gone. Then they sneak around and find nothing is weird about him and then they leave. Some time passes and then Jose got mad at Anna, Henry, and Sofia (the hotels owner's daughter) and he goes on his own and then he sees a man at the counter that looked exactly like Vincent Goosen the head of a gang who steals art. Jose thoughts became reality. He and Alejandro investigated and found many pieces of evidence that he knew who stole the Cup. Then some time passes with some details and then Mr. Loupe was once a part of the gang that steals art called Serpentine Prince and he stole the cup and hid it under his bed. With the help of his friends, Jose was able to catch Mr. Loupe and police arrested him but he didn’t catch Goosen and he disappeared. 

This is a really good book. This book is good for grades 4 to 7. --SR

Bink and Gollie: Best Friends Forever

Bink & Gollie: Best Friends Forever

by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee

illustrated by Tony Fucile

Candlewick (April 23, 2013)

review copy provided by the publisher

Summary: Bink and Gollie return in the third book, Bink and Gollie: Best Friends Forever. Like usual, there are three chapters. The first is Empire of Enchantment, Gollie finally finds out that royal blood is in her veins. She ventures off to say hello to her fellow servants, but in the end decides that friends are better, so she goes back to Bink! The second chapter is Why Should You Be Shorter Than Your Friends? Bink doesn’t like the fact that she’s short and Gollie can do everything she can’t. She orders a ‘stretch-o-meter’, and well… things get a little rusty. But have no fear, for PEANUT BUTTER IS HERE! Oh, and Gollie. The third chapter is Kudos, Bink and Gollie. The two friends try to get into their version of the world book challenge.

What I Liked Best About This Book: Well, first off, IT’S BINK AND GOLLIE. Who doesn’t love those two? It might be better for younger kids, like first graders. Although, it’s always fun to read a book like this. Bink and Gollie always have funny things to say. There have been three Bink and Gollie books so far, and I’ve read all of them. It might seem a little kid-ish, but this is like another version of that Pigeon book to me.  --SA