I can’t wait to go see the exhibit of Steig’s illustrations at the new Contemporary Jewish Museum in SF!

The novel Water for Elephants is the charming tale of the memoirs of an older man’s past experiences in the circus. In the beginning of this story, the main character Jacob Jankowski, starts out as a well-educated college student, who majors in veterinary work at Cornell. When a horrendous tragedy appears before him, Jacob finds himself on the run, with no money, and no home. In an act of depression from a former event, and desperation to get away from what he once knew as home, Jacob jumps on a train. The locomotive turns out to be filled with the cast and crew of The Benzini Bros Most Spectacular Show on Earth. This leaves Jacob in a strange environment where he has to become accustomed to a new life on the road. As time passes tales of romance, and murder begin to unwind before Jacob as he gets sucked into an affair with two of the show’s performers: one human, the other elephant.

Water for Elephants was a book that I really enjoyed reading. Not only did the sequence of events in which the book was laid out draw the reader in, but it also highlighted Sara Gruen’s ability to write in the perspective of one man at different parts of his life. At first, when I was reading the book, it tended to be kind of slow (as are most books at the beginning) but as I turned the pages of this novel, I found myself not being able to stop myself from reading it whenever I could (whether that meant getting a little behind on History worksheets). This was truly a fantastic book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone wishing to read a captivating, fun and exciting tale, that will leave you happy and satisfied.

MacGregor Tells the World
Elizabeth McKenzie
Book report by Eva M.

Enter MacGregor West, a young man in his early twenties. MacGregor’s mother disappeared when he was a boy, and he has never known his father. Friendless except for the boy he teaches in the Mission and his cousin, MacGregor leads a lonesome life of remembering the time he spent with his mother and wondering why she abandoned him. One day, while walking around San Francisco’s Pacific Heights, MacGregor stumbles on Carolyn Ware, daughter of the famous writer, Charles Ware. As they grow closer and begin to spend time together, they fall in love. Carolyn is also friendless, and pays more attention than her parents to her twelve year old sister, Molly. As the plot rolls along, ugly family secrets concerning MacGregor rear their ugly heads, as MacGregor struggles to find who he is.
My first impression of this book was a love story, but as I read more and more it formed into a complicated maze of family past. It is a light read that gives you a heavy impression. This book shouts, “Who are we and what do we think we’re doing?” The story has it’s own form of writing, which, although not my favorite, portrayed the story very well. Some parts of it are incredibly disturbing, and some I did not understand. But even if you don’t, you really get the main idea of the passage, and that makes it easier to understand the concept of the book. This book is really about the childhood and beginning of adulthood of MacGregor, as he reaches out to grab a hold of his life. I would recommend this book to people who like reading in a range of subjects, because this is definitely a wacky book.

Speak

Book by Laurie Halse Anderson

Review by Olivia Barreto

In the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson the main character Melinda was a normal thirteen-year-old girl before she went to a party that changed everything.  The summer before her freshman year Melinda goes to an “out of control” party.  When the party gets too crazy she panics and calls the police.  After the party is torn apart and arrests are made everyone looks at Melinda.  As a result of the incident at the party even Melinda’s friends become her enemies. When Fall comes, walking down the school halls is especially hard because everyone is pointing and talking about her.  Along with feeling alone, Melinda doesn’t talk much and has trouble connecting with the people around her.  She is an outcast and there is nothing she can do about it.

Reading the book Speak was an enjoyable experience.  I like Anderson’s unique writing style.  In this story she refrains from the use of chapters and uses headings.  The headings are funny little incite into what is going to happen next.  They leave you wondering what they mean. The only way to find out is to keep reading.  Despite the fact that it is a quick read at times the story feels repetitive. The story is one I haven’t heard before. Unlike most books about high school girls, Melinda isn’t popular and doesn’t try to be.  It’s refreshing to read about high school life from a different perspective. If you are interested in reading Speak I would encourage you to do so.  You will be sure to enjoy this book.

Claire H.’s Review of ‘ The Titan’s Curse The third book in the Percy Jacksonand the Olympians’ series continues to bring another combination of humor andmyth. Son of Poseidon Percy Jackson tries to save the world: again. Now withThalia, Annabeth and Grover by his side, Percy feels more confident than ever,until Grover finds two new half-bloods (demigods) named Bianca and Nico diAngelo, two half-blood siblings who had been going to a school being monitoredconstantly by a monster, Dr. Thorn. Annabeth falls from a cliff trying to savePercy and the di Angelos from Dr. Thorn. Percy’s quest is to find Annabeth,hunt down the monster that will cause the downfall of Olympus, and find boththe mysterious ‘General’ and Percy’s friend-turned-enemy, Luke. Percy enliststhe help of Zoe Nightshade, one of the young girls who follows Artemis and an enemy of Thalia. When Luke and Kronos’s monsterscome back to kill Percy, trouble ensues. Will Percy ever finish all of thequests set in front of him? Or has Percy’s time in the Greek gods’ limelightrun out? Afterreading The Lightning Thief (Book 1) and The Sea of Monsters(Book 2), I found myself enjoying this book, even though I don’t usually likefantasy series. I liked the sense of humor that Riordan gave to Percy as thenarrator of The Titan’s Curse, but for me, the laughing mostly tookplace in my head. There were only a few points that I laughed out loud in. Thisbook is well-written so that kids of younger ages can understand it. You canreally find things in your personality that relate to Riordan’s characters’personalities. I liked the plot of this book but there were a few smallclichés, like a father-versus-daughter battle. I personally really liked thisbook and I think that i The Titan’s Curse is an easy, fun read for kidsages 8-13 and would appeal to fans of light fantasy and comedy.

The novel Elsewhere is about a fifteen-year-old girl, Liz, who was killed in a hit-and-run accident. The book begins as Liz wakes up on a boat, which is headed towards Elsewhere, or the afterlife. When Liz arrives there, she meets her grandmother Betty, who died before she was born and had a strained relationship with Liz’s mother. Liz doesn’t accept that she has been killed and wants her old life back. She constantly is watching from the Observation Decks, a place where you can see what’s happening back on Earth, and attempts to make a forbidden dive to speak with her family. Since Liz was only fifteen, she hadn’t gotten a chance to grow up, and experience the things she now will only have to wait longer for, because in Elsewhere, you age backwards until you are reborn again on Earth. But after a while, Liz acknowledges the fact that she is dead and most likely won’t ever see her old family and friends back on earth again. Liz begins to regain her life, and starts a job where she arranges adoptions for animals, which relates to her love for dogs. Liz also meets a man named Owen, who she becomes much closer to later in the book. This novel is full of compassion and ambition, and shows that the end of one thing can be the start of something else.

I really enjoyed reading the book Elsewhere because it gave me a whole new concept of what happens after life. The ideas that the author demonstrates are innovative and creative. I also liked the strong characters and the way they interact with one another. The relationship that Liz and Betty share somehow repairs the hard feelings between Betty and Liz’s mom. Also, both Liz and Owen benefit emotionally through their connection as well. I would recommend this book to everyone, of almost all ages, but I think girls could relate more to the book and the main character, considering Liz is a girl. What struck me most about this book was the honesty and integrity it displayed, and how the author took such a complicated topic, and turned it into something so simple.

Keeping Corner

By Kashmira Sheth

Leela was engaged at two andmarried at nine. All she needed to have was a special moving in ceremony or anuand she would be able to move in with her husband, Ramanlal. But when herhusband suddenly dies, bitten by a snake, Leela is turned into a widow. Leelais forced to cut off all of her hair, remove all of her bangles and jewelry,and stay inside her family’s property because of the Indian traditions that sheis forced to endure because she is a widow. Leela has to mourn her husband’sdeath for one year, or as she calls it keeping corner. One day while Leela, isquietly keeping corner, she is visited by her old principal, Saviben. Savibengraciously offers to teach Leela three days a week, and Leela having not muchto do gratefully accepts her kind offer. Leela, living in the time of theIndian revolution, learns much about Gandhi from Saviben and his ways andslowly starts to realize that there is much more out there than just her littlevillage, Jamlee. She starts to wonder what she will do with the rest of herlife as a widow after the year of keeping corner.

Thisis a fascinating book about an Indian widow girl having to obey her old timeIndian traditions. Leela, writing in first person, incorporates the Indian languagethat she speaks while telling you her tale. This book is filled with adventureand courage, speaking of a young girl who is forced to keep corner and yet isable to overcome her widow traditions. Leela starts to learn about equalliberty and fighting for what she believes in.

Thisis a book for anyone. It tells the harsh tales of a widow and yet is a veryinteresting book that informs you about the Indian revolution and Gandhi. Thisbook captures you with the thoughts of the young girl and pulls you in. I findmyself reading it whenever I get the chance and I am not going to touch anotherbook until this one is finished. This heartfelt book is a great one and I hopeeveryone who reads it loves it as much as I do.

Chelsea’s Book Review on Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

Fifteen-year-old Elizabeth Hall, known as Lizzie to her family and Liz to everyone else, ends up in Elsewhere when she is killed in a bike accident. Elsewhere is where everyone goes when they die and instead of getting older, they get younger and are released back into earth when they are babies again. Elsewhere is just like earth but Liz has a hard time and doesn’t want to get use to it. She wants to turn sixteen, get a driver’s license, go to college, fall in love, and be with her friends and family back on earth. She has a plan to go back, but she might just realize that she is able to have a life here in Elsewhere too.
This book is a pretty easy read and I read it in a day but that was probably because I liked it so much. Although it takes place in a fictional place, Liz’s emotions and the way she thought of things were so realistic that she almost seemed like a real person. She wanted to get older, and she missed her family and friends tremendously just like I would feel if I ended up in Elsewhere. Also, when I read this book, there was never a time when I just wanted to stop reading it. It was the exact opposite. I couldn’t put it down. I would definitely recommend this book.

Sofie’s review of Absolutely Normal Chaos, by Sharon Creech
4 16 2008

Sharon Creech’s Absolutely Normal Chaos tells in the same unique and suspending way, the summer story of a thirteen-year-old girl, Mary Lou Finney. If you’ve ever read Sharon Creech’s Newberry Award Winner, Walk Two Moons, then you’ll remember the hilarious character, Mary Lou Finney! In fact the sarcastic, head strong yet sweet voice of Mary Lou echoes through the book, as it is her journal. Her story begins with a simple assignment from her English teacher: Over the summer, to write and keep track of a summer-journal. Mary Lou does not have the slightest intension of what she is going to write about all summer, until a spontaneous visit from her cousin Carl Ray (17) comes to stay and look for a job. As time wares on, the peculiar, unsocial Carl Ray gets fishier and fishier. As Carl Ray gets more secretive about his family and WHY someone randomly gave him $5,000 and who it was, things start to get chaotic. Mary Lou always has something buzzing in her head as the summer begins to be the craziest summer of her life! With the unneeded chatterbox of her friend Beth Ann, her friend, (and crush) Alex Cheevey, and her four siblings, there’s always something to talk about. At the end of her astonishing and unbelievable summer, Mary filled out five more journals than expected, adding to six. This is an unwinding story, which seems to hide many within.

In my opinion, this is a well-written, interesting, fun read. It is a short, satisfying novel, yet I don’t think it could stand up to Walk Two Moons. Also, it is a very easy read, so if you’re looking for a more challenging book, I would not recommend this book. Yet I did enjoy the lovable character of Mary Lou and the author did a very good job of writing the story from Mary Lou’s point of view.
In conclusion, I enjoyed the book all right, I know both people who have loved it and hated it, but I’ve found myself in the middle.

In Charlie Higson’s book, Silver Fin, the well known to many boy prodigy James Bond is sent to a new school call Eton. On his first day there he is a bit bewildered by his surroundings and has a run in with the school bullies, George and his gang of goons. Luckily he is aided by his new friend Penpal who helps him get to class on time. Later on another run in with George creates a permanent rivalry between James and George and also between James and Georges very aggressive father, Lord Hellibore. After the first term James returns to live with his Aunt in Scotland which happens to be exactly where George and his Father own a large castle. When James learns of a town boys disappearance in the vicinity of the tightly guarded castle he decides to investigate. With his friend Red Kelly he sets out to get to the bottom of the mystery.

I liked this book because I am a fan of adventure. Also, I thought that the general flow of the book was captivating and made me want to keep reading more. I guess you could say I am kind of a fan of James Bond but this is the first Bond book I have read. The characterization was very good because the author added a lot of detail. In keeping with the tradition of the grown up Bond stories, the names were really well thought out. For instance the girl equestrian James and Kelly meet and befriend is named Wilda Lawless and her horse is Martini, which is clever because that is Bond’s favorite drink. The character of James uncle, Max Bond, and his history as a spy add authenticity to the story.

I would recommend this book to those who like mystery and action in it. It is a compelling adventure and I really enjoyed it.

Monster Book Review
By Kirk Steyer

Monster is the story of a Black teenager, Steve Harmon, who is on trial for of a crime he didn’t commit. At 16 years-old, he’s being accused of helping to murder a man named Alguinaldo Nesbitt. If deemed guilty, he will go to prison for 25 years to life. Also, he is not being tried in juvenile court, which means the consequences if he is found guilty are much more severe. The story is written while Steve is in jail during the trial. The book is told in screenplay form, and written in the third person. Steve is the author of the screenplay, and he hopes to make it into a movie when he gets out of jail.

Life in prison, before and during his trial, is not easy for Steve. He feels trapped and sick, and even talks about wishing to commit suicide. He gives a realistic account of what life is like in a small space with limited access to the outside world. The bulk of the book is the actual trial that takes place. Harmon is being represented by a white woman by the name of Sandra Petrocelli. Steve repeatedly mentions how he thinks that Petrocelli thinks that he is guilty, but she still works to her greatest ability. In the robbery that occurred, the prosecutor claims that Harmon was the lookout man, who was supposed to check out the store before the robbery. Then, two men by the names of James King and Evan “Bobo” Evans went in and robbed the store, but in the exchange, they killed the owner Nesbitt with his own gun that Alguinaldo had brought out to keep them away. Throughout the trial, Steve’s lawyer wages a battle against the prosecutor in hopes that her client will be declared innocent.

I found Monster to be an interesting and intriguing book. The format by which it was written was a twist that I’ve never seen. Another aspect of the book I found enjoyable was that the book was actually going to be used by the main character of the book in later life. The description of the jail helped me feel that I was there myself. Also, he describes how the jail was like a mental prison as well as physical. The author, Myers really portrays how Harmon has changed over the book. It seems that by the end of the book, Steve has grown up from being a teenager who thought that life was a joke, and that he was not responsible for his own actions. I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 11 because there are some parts of the book when they talk about drugs, and other such things. Overall, I would definitely suggest that you give this book a try because I think it will teach you never to take anything for granted, and that life is not always fair.

Piscine Patel, a young boy, is growing up in a city in India. His father is the owner of a zoo, which greatly impacts Piscine’s life. Early on Piscine decides to be formally called Pi due to teasing about his real name. Pi spends his youthful days wandering around his father’s diverse zoo, naming all the animals. Brought up practicing Hinduism, Pi knows little about other religions. While on vacation, he meets a Catholic priest who preaches to him about Jesus’ story. Pi is fascinated by the thought of worshipping only one god, unlike the Hindu religion. So Pi decides to become a Catholic along with being Hindu. His fascination regarding religion leads him to meeting a Muslim baker, who converts him into a Muslim, as well as a Catholic, and Hindi. Later in his life his family decides to move to Canada. Pi is reluctant to leave his home in India, but he is easily persuaded. Pi’s father closes Pi’s beloved zoo and sells the animals to the highest bidders at various zoos in America. As a result, the family must sail on the same boat as the animals to America. One night Pi hears an explosion. He goes out on deck to see what has happened, and is greeted by frantic crewmembers that claim the boat is sinking. Pi is thrown onto a lifeboat containing a zebra, a monkey, a hyena, and a fearsome tiger. Now Pi is forced to try to survive adrift in the middle of the ocean with this trio of characters.

This book contains some of the most detailed and articulate writing I have ever come across in a novel. Although the book starts out slow, it quickly picks up and unravels into a very exciting adventure. Pi is an exceedingly imaginative character, who seems shockingly intelligent for his young age. Also, I thought that Pi’s opinion of zoos is very interesting. He believes that animals don’t exactly like to live in the wild with predators and surprises, but prefer routine and control of their daily lives, which they receive in the zoo. I would defiantly recommend this book for both teenagers and adults. The life of Pi takes a long time to read and may be hard to finish before a deadline. Overall this was a fantastic book and I very much enjoyed reading it.

In Marcus Zusak’s book Fighting Ruben Wolfe” two punks who are also brothers get involved in the world of fistfights. Living in a poor neighborhood the family is having trouble making ends meet.

Their mother is working two jobs and then coming home to three kids and an unemployed father, so she does not have it easy. The two brothers are just looking for money, dignity, and a way to help thier family get by. They think that they could possibly do all this in the world of fistfights. Having absolutely no experience in boxing except in their back yard,they give it a shot. Together they fight for pride and they fight for each other.

This was an enjoyable read for me. The descriptive language that Zusak brings to this book is one of many things that makes it so gripping. This language also helps bring his characters to life. The vivid image that Zusak creates in my mind also helps with settings and emotions. His writing being so poetic and still to the point brings this story to its full potential. I would recomend this book to all readers over ten. No matter what kind of a reader you are you will love Marcus Zusak’s “Fighting Ruben Wolfe”.

Warriors: The Power of Three: Book 2: Dark River

By Evan Farese

X

There are four Clans who roam the forest and moor around the lake, ThunderClan to the north, WindClan to the east, RiverClan to the south, and ShadowClan to the west. This book mainly takes place in ThunderClan and is about three cats named Jaypaw, Hollypaw, and Lionpaw, who are all littermates. Jaypaw is a blind cat that realized that he couldn’t become a warrior so he became a medicine cat’s apprentice. Hollypaw and Lionpaw are both training to become warriors and they all know secrets. Jaypaw has dreamed about tunnels under the ground and doesn’t tell anyone; Lionpaw makes a friendship with a cat from another clan; and Hollypaw knows that RiverClan aren’t going to try to invade WindClan and ShadowClan’s territory. In Jaypaw’s dreams, he follows an ancient cat named Fallen Leaves. In Fallen Leaves’ ancient Clan, to become a warrior or a sharpclaw, you need to find your way out of the flooding tunnels. In Jaypaw’s dreams, he runs alongside Fallen Leaves. Lionpaw accidentally finds the tunnels that Jaypaw was dreaming about and tells his friend Heatherpaw of WindClan. They decide to meet there and form their own two-person clan called DarkClan. One day some kits follow Heatherpaw, and see her enter the tunnel, they decide that they will go down the following night. When they go down, they cause a lot of commotion between WindClan and ThunderClan; they think that ThunderClan stole their kits. Heatherpaw, Lionpaw, Jaypaw, and Hollypaw venture down into the tunnel to see if they can find them. Once at the bottom, Jaypaw smells them and he takes them to find the kits. On the way Fallen Leaves comes to run alongside Jaypaw and show him the way. But the tunnels are flooding. Will they make it make it out, as Fallen Leaves did not?

I think that the Warriors Series overall has gotten worse since the first one, but this one surprised me, I really liked it and I am eager to read the sequel. The reason I liked it is because I think that Erin Hunter really advanced the plot well, and showed great detail and emotion in the characters. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy action and drama. This book deals with fighting and hunting, and also with everyday clan life. The age level for this book is probably nine to around thirteen, but I think that I will keep reading them when I’m older because I’m already this far into the series. Nothing really struck me in this book because I had read thirteen others with the same kind of things, but different characters. I like this series so much that I am rereading the whole trilogy.

Ben B

SON OF THE MOB
BY GORDAN KORMAN

Vince Luca is a very normal high school kid with great morals. He is normal apart from the fact that his father is the head of an organized crime group (mafia). Vince hates this because it makes him feel like an outcast. How can he have a date when he finds a uncontious man in the back of his car while reaching for a blanket. He cant do anything normal no matter how hard he try’s. but thinks start to turn around with his love life when he starts dating a beautiful girl Kendra. Everything is going well. The only problem is that Kendra’s father is a F.B.I. agent who has been desperately trying to put Vince’s father in a cage. Can this relationship work.

I loved this book. It is a great young adult read, I love hearing the contrast between the family’s interest and Vince’s. I personally really story’s about gangsters and mafia but you might like it even if that isn’t really your thing. It is a good book to read just because it will have many situations most young adults will be in (not the mafia ones). This is a very well written book. I would recommend this to people who love the godfather and also people who love good books

In the sixth book of the Harry Potter saga, this is one of my favorites. This time, harry goes back to school as a sixth year. He has more classes than ever and much harder than last year. But that is not what Harry is paying attention to. Before school in Diagon Alley, Harry, Ron, and Hermione overheard a conversation between Borgin and Draco Malfoy. Borgin looked bloodshot with fear when Draco Malfoy showed him something Harry couldn’t see. At school, Harry was eager to find out what Malfoy was doing. When you are Captain of the quidditch team, being the “Chosen One”, having secret meetings with Albus Dumbledore, and many more things that require a lot of thinking. The war between the Death Eaters and The Order still rages on. With Sirius Black gone, Harry’s family is now even more diminished. If you want to find out what Malfoy showed Borgin, or what the secret meetings with Dumbledore were about, then you should consider reading this book.

I really enjoyed this book. The main reason i loved this book was the way the reader is drawn into the book. Every chapter ends in a bang! I would recommend this book to children at the age of twelve-sixteen. My favorite thing in the book was the golden, luck potion. If i were you, read this book.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
By Abigail Lowenthal

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is about a young boy by the name of Junior living on an Indian Reservation. After his geometry teacher, Mr. P. explains to Junior that opportunities await him and to experience them he must leave the reservation, Junior switches from his public school to one outside of the reservation. Although he must leave behind his long time friend, Rusty and the security of his family he realizes that this is his chance to escape the limited life both his parents and his grandmother have lived. Although his old school is behind him Junior is put up against new, unexpected and challenging situations at his school. In this story Junior learns how to overcome deaths and loss of friendship, understand his community and accept his future.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a gripping novel that allows the reader to see the world through the eyes of an intelligent and charismatic Indian boy. The story line is quirky and complex. Sherman Alexie shows that it is okay to be different and sometimes even struggle before you reach your understanding. I believe this book will appeal to boys and girls of all ages because it is intriguing on several levels and is told with a humorous voice. From the start of the story Junior has had a life limited by the reservation. I feel fortunate to be familiar with various ways of seeing the world and now appreciate Junior’s even more.

The Book of Story Beginnings One night, 14 year old, Oscar Martin disappears from his farmhouse, nicknamed “The Brick.” However his sister says that he rowed out to sea, but of course there is no sea in Iowa, so how could this be possible? One hundred years later Lucy Martin moves to “The Brick”and in a bizarre change of events she meets Oscar and her father disappears. Her and Oscar must go on a perilous quest to find her father.

The Book of Story Beginnings is an intriguing book with a complex, but enjoyable, plot. Kristin Kladstrup has done a wonderful job weaving the complex elements of the plot together to make a wonderful story. The striking thing about the book is that it is not just pure fantasy but real life issues are mixed in with the fantasy, such as tension between parents, as well as making tough decisions. The Book of Story Beginnings is a great read for any avid reader of fantasy books or is a great introduction to this genre.

Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name By Vendela Vida

After looking at her birth certificate on the day of her father’s funeral, 28-year-old Clarissa Iverton discovers that he was not in fact her real father, a secret her fiancé, Pankaj had been keeping from her. Since her mother left her when she was 14, the only person Clarissa had to turn to was Pankaj, whom she could no longer trust. Caught in a whirl of secrets about her family’s past and vexed with her so-called fiancé for lying to her, Clarissa sets off on a journey to Lapland, a mystical place in northern Scandanavia to explore the mysteries of her past, leaving Pankaj behind. She begins her journey in Helsinki, where she meets a man named Kari. She leaves Helsinki and heads north to Lapland, where she believes she will meet her real father, a Sami priest who supposedly will lead her to the truth about her past. As she travels through this mystical place, she meets many new people who help her unravel her story, including an elderly “witch doctor” and a reindeer herder. Do these people know something she doesn’t? Will her journey lead her somewhere unexpected? Will knowing the secrets she wanted to know really make her satisfied?

I personally really enjoyed Vendela Vida’s Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name. For me, being a really slow reader, it was a very fast read because there was so much action; there were no moments when I was even the slightest bit bored with it. Another notable aspect of the book was that Vida introduced us to Clarissa very well, so by the end of the book, I felt like I knew her as if she were a real person. Getting to know the main character so well helped me to understand the book a lot better and follow along with all the events and emotions she went through. I also loved the beautiful descriptions in this book and at times, as a result of knowing the main character so well and the vivid description, I felt like I was there with her. I also loved how Vida incorporated a lot of humor throughout the book. I found this book very interesting and poignant and I would highly recommend it for anyone who likes a good quest novel. Although some scenes were slightly disturbing, this book is open to almost all audiences.

Bringing Down the House is an adventurous, dangerous mission that is not attempted by who you might think. No, it is a mission tried by six genius MIT students, who are not the usual storybook superheroes. This book is the story of Kevin Lewis, his Blackjack team, and the team’s mysterious leader, Micky. The purpose of Kevin’s team is to count cards and beat the casinos at their own game. The only way to insure a win is to use math, and not luck. The team develops an intricate system involving card counting. Card counting is a very complicated skill that involves numbers and a good memory, but if mastered, can earn you a weekend paycheck with at least one comma. In other words, the players on Kevin’s blackjack team become rich very quickly. But the story is about much more than blackjack and winning money. It is a story about decisions, loyalty, betrayal, friendship, mystery, showgirls, and most importantly Las Vegas. The story of Vegas as it is now and its history is as much a part of the book as the main character. When the blackjack team hits Vegas, there is nothing they can’t do. With a showgirl on their lap, and a beer in hand, it is a wonder that they never lose the card count of the deck. Because the team is so efficient and concentrated, they end up winning quite a lot of money every weekend. All that money can only lead to bad things. The team gets caught up with greed and they kick out their old leader, Micky, because they feel his investments in the team are too small. Carrying around large amounts of money also attracts the attention of the IRS and the casinos. Both of which are following closely on the team’s trail, trying to catch them in action.

This spring break I knew I wanted to read a thriller, a book that keeps you on edge, and wondering what will happen next. I brought my request to the nearest book store and the salesperson suggested this book. (among a few other books I had already read) That salesperson was definitely right. This book kept me intrigued and up late at night. I found myself skipping pages to see what would happen. I recommend this book for anyone interested in Vegas, math, or interesting and action-filled plots. Besides the action, I like how the book was told through a lot of people’s point of view. Ben Mezrich told the story not only from his side, but also narrated many other characters thoughts. This book was a great read, written well, and educational. It taught me so much about Las Vegas and its history. I love this book!
P.S. They recently made a movie about it called “21″!

Ravens Gate Book Review: 9/15 By Will Zesiger

Matt is a 14-year-old boy who lives in England. His parents were killed when he was a mere child. His cruel aunt and her boyfriend then raised him. His aunt spent all of Matt’s inheritance on vacations and cars. Matt slowly started a life of crime due to lack of a necessary raising. When Matt sneaks into a warehouse with a friend to steal a few DVD’s Matt gets caught by a security guard. The security guard wasn’t to worried about Matt until Matt’s companion stabs the guard in the back. Matt is then charged as an accomplice to a murder. The authorities then gave Matt two choices, Matt could go to Jail, or Matt could join a special government program called the leaf project. Matt chooses the leaf project. The leaf project is designed for juvenile delinquents. The leaf project is a program is meant to get juvenile delinquents into the countryside and into the care of a family. The kid is meant to do common farm tasks and try to forget their awful ways. As soon as Matt arrives in the town called lesser malling he wishes he had chosen jail. Matt is living with a women called Mrs. Deveril. Sinister and Evil things are happening in lesser malling, and its up to Matt to solve these evil mysteries.

I thought that this book was very interesting. The books actual writing wasn’t my favorite but the plot sucked me into the story. I liked that the book because it had mystery, suspense, and some horror. I have never really red and mystery or horror books before and this one was surprisingly fun to read. I really enjoyed the mystery of the strange and gruesome events. I would suggest that if your in the mood for an easy to read book that keeps your eyes on the pages until the end than your in for a treat. The thing that was most interesting to me was how this book uses history to explain supernatural events that take place in this book. Overall I would say that Ravens gate is a very good book.

Jenny Fitzgerald, a smart, artistic, 16 year-old, feels excluded from her sports fixated family. Her biological father, Donor #142, plays no part in life and Jenny is missing the cherished sports gene her siblings inherited from their dad. When she and her long-time crush turned boyfriend, Tate Brodeur, visit the Donor Sibling Registry website, they discover her half sister, Alexa. She befriends Alexa over the phone and Internet, but is scared to meet her face-to-face for fear that they won’t get along. Surprising her with a visit to her house, Alexa arrives in the thick of Jenny’s struggles with her artwork, her dad’s disinterest in her art, and the cruel remarks of the art studio owner Sid, who she works for. While Jenny longs to be with her newfound sibling, Alexa creates problems with her chaotic entrance into Jenny’s life.

I very much enjoyed this book, though the plot seemed all too familiar. Many books include the reoccurring themes of the outcast from the family or friends, the missing biological father, or the finding of the long lost sibling. However, this author presented these ideas in new ways, delving deeper into one girl’s struggles with her parents and family. This story stands out from other similar novels because of its quirky moments and the excellent writing style.

The one part that felt hollow and a bit shallow, was the scenes where Jenny becomes jealous because her half-sister gets along almost too well with her boyfriend. Those feelings may be real, and they do advance the plot, but they felt unnecessary and too unoriginal for this book.

Jenny’s passion for art is expressed throughout the book and very interesting to read about. Her conflicts with her art generally consist of her not knowing what to paint or how to express her feelings on a canvas. When she is at a loss for what to paint, it can be quite boring picturing her before a white canvas, but we can all relate to her hardships so this particular aspect gives the reader more insight into Jenny’s personality.

Having never been adopted or had a half-sister, I wouldn’t know how it feels to discover a missing part of your life, but the author does a superb job of specifying exactly how the main character feels about this new development.

The ending felt a little rushed or maybe it was my reluctance for the book to end, because the biggest events mostly happened in quick succession at the end. It is highly enjoyable and is definitely worth reading despite its few weak points. This engrossing and poignant novel will satisfy readers through to the finish.

In Stephanie Meyer’s book Twilight, the main character Isabella Swan moves to gloomy town of Forks to live with her father. As she starts her junior year of high school she becomes fascinated by Edward Cullen who holds a dark secret, which is only known by his family. He is beautiful and mystifying but yet an outsider too. To Bella he is irresistible. Until Bella came, he was able to keep his true personality a secret. As Bella falls desperately in love with him she still can’t work out what makes him different. Edward falls in love with Bella as well but knows the further they go in their relationship the more he is putting Bella and those close to her in danger. Edward tries to warn Bella that she should leave him but she refuses to listen and to appreciate why he is saying this. Bella soon learns his secret. He is a vampire, however she is not afraid of his needs and the fact that he could kill her at any moment. But it might just be a little too late for her to turn back now.

I thought this was a truly amazing book and I enjoyed every single page. Twilight is so unique and better than any other in this genre. This entire book is told from the point of view of Bella, so you have to use your imagination about what is happening with Edward and his family. The character of Bella is very well written and seems very realistic. The way the town of Forks is described makes you feel like you can almost hear the rain falling on your window. The romance between Bella and Edward is extraordinary. It’s both moving and gripping. You feel thinking about their impossible love but you still keep hoping that their relationship is not damned. Even by the last pages I found myself eager for more. I think people who read young adult novels, vampire stories or just plain romances would really enjoy this book. Believe me, this was one book I truly didn’t want to end.

In Ned Vizzini’s book Be More Chill, Jeremy is having trouble with getting in a relationship with a girl, until he discovers the squip. The squip is a small pill that he swallows, and it controls your brain to make you do the right thing when you’re around girls. For example, the squip tells Jeremy how to ask out the girl he likes. It will also tell him what jokes to tell, what to say at the right time, how to talk to a girl, etc… After a little while of having the squip in his system, he gets the courage to ask out a girl that he likes, and she says yes. Some of the other kids at his high school get a squip, even though they cost a lot of money. Jeremy becomes much more happier than he has ever been in his life, and he is very happy that he made the decision to get a squip.

This book was terrific, funny, incisive, and disarming. Ned Vizzini does a great job of making the funny and realistic, and this was one of the reasons I liked it so much. Another reason why I liked the book so much was because the plot and story line were about a kid that reminded me of myself because he is around my age, and he has the same interests of me. This book was probably written for people around the high school age, but I think that people at the age of 13 could read it. The humor in the novel is generally leaning towards the sexual side. The jokes are about sexual things, but they usually aren’t dirty jokes. Overall, this book catches the eye of a younger teen, and will defiantly have you in stitches throughout every page.

What would you give to see a close friend or family member who died again? $5,000? Maybe, which is why the Hawthorn sisters are so successful. The sisters are highly trained mediums (someone who can bring a person back from the dead), or at least that is what their clients think. But one client in particular, who has been tricked by a medium before, is going to be tough to trick. Why bother? Because Mrs. Lambert is offering the sisters $5,000 if they can get her dead daughter, Caroline, to appear. This is where Maud comes in. The Hawthorn sisters have adopted Maud, an orphan from the Barbary Asylum for one purpose and one purpose only. So she can be Caroline Lambert in the seance ( the meeting where the medium attempts to make contact with the dead.) After the first seance with Mrs. Lambert, Victoria Hawthorne leaves the Cape because she feels badly lying to people who think that they can see their loved ones again. Maud begins to feel badly about this also, and her feeling grows when she sees Mrs. Lambert in town. Maud loves the Hawthorn sisters, but will she follow what she believes, or keep the family she has finally earned?This book was a great, surprisingly fast read. I recommend it to anyone who loves books with a lot of imagination. Though the title may imply that it is a girl book, a boy would find it equally interesting. It is extremely well written and it is a perfect vacation read. In the beginning it seems as though it is just another sob-story orphan book, but it instantly jumps into the magical story it truly is. What I really enjoyed about this book is that it is a story that could actually happen. This book is perfect for kids ten to thirteen. I loved it, although since it is about an eleven year old tomboy, is includes zero teenage content or girl issues, another reason why a boy could read it. It is also an outstanding example of the cliche, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” The cover of this book is very off putting, so at first, I was reluctant to read it. I began to read this book when I was on vacation with nothing to read. And after the first couple of pages, I became interested. This is why you should read this amazing melodrama.

Lucie’s Review of Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin4/15/08 In Gabrielle Zevin’s novel Elsewhere, fifteen-year-old Liz Hall is killed in a bicycle accident and ends up in a reversed afterlife otherwise known as Elsewhere. In Elsewhere, Liz will age backward to the day she was born and then be sent back to earth as a new baby. When Liz first arrives in Elsewhere, she is completely distraught. She can’t accept that she is dead, and she is incapable of acclimating to her new life. She longs desperately for her family and friends, whom she will never be able to be with again. But in Elsewhere, she meets and befriends some genuinely interesting and colorful characters. The first friend she makes in Elsewhere is her grandmother, whom she never met back on earth. She decides to live with her during her time in Elsewhere because she is the closest person she has to family. As time progresses, Liz slowly begins to adjust to this altered life. Suddenly everything is coming up roses for Liz. She learns to speak “dog”, gets a job, falls in love, and learns to put her irreversible past behind her in order to welcome in her new life. But even a place like Elsewhere isn’t perfect, and Liz realizes that in some ways, Elsewhere is just like Earth, constantly changing and utterly unpredictable. Elsewhere is unlike any book that I’ve read before. From the moment I began reading it, I was instantly captivated by the unique and engaging plot, and all of the fresh and untouched ideas. Gabrielle Zevin explores the concept of death in a creative and comical light, initiating the idea that death can actually be a beautiful thing. Another thing that really strikes me about this book is the author’s vivid description of the characters personalities and emotions. When she writes in the voice of Liz, you believe that there is a fifteen-year-old girl speaking, not an adult trying to portray a teenager. The thing I love most about this book is how honest the writing is. In reality, we want to believe that there is a life after death, because we are so afraid of dying. We are afraid that there is nothingness after death, and that we will be alone once we die. But this book is very comforting in that is shows that there is something after death, that there is a second chance. Elsewhere isn’t life, but it is so much like it. I was touched by this story, and I would highly recommend it to readers of all ages.

Have you ever wondered if there are other worlds just like ours in the universe? In The Subtle Knife, you will embark on a fast-paced, action-packed journey through time and space. You will grow to love the characters, and when they are in trouble, you’ll find yourself unconsciously fearing for your own safety. The second book in an amazing series, The Subtle Knife will never give you a dull moment.
After fleeing her beloved home in Oxford at Jordan College, Lyra Belacqua stumbles through a little window and is met by a world filled with invisible dangers. This new land has everything little Lyra needs and more, but somehow does not seem the most inviting. After living for 12 years in a life filled with servants, cooks and maids, Lyra finds it hard to adjust to doing everything by herself. Luckily, a boy also stumbles through a hidden hole, desperately looking for his father. At this point, he will to almost anything, including murder.
These two extremely dynamic kids find refuge in each other from their hectic lives and form an immense bond. Throughout their countless exciting adventures, the kids learn the most about themselves and who they really are.
For me, this book was very exciting and enjoyable. The book added on to the first installment and made it, if possible, more interesting. This is a great read for someone who likes fantasy and action. The characters are very well-developed, but sometimes you may have to re-read a scene to understand it fully. I recommend reading the first book first, The Golden Compass. I especially enjoyed the character writing in the book.

Cracker by Cynthia Kadohata is a book about a wonderful female German shepherd dog that is sent away from his owner to a camp and is taught to sniff out bombs, traps, and the enemy. She later steels the heart of her handler and soon grabs the hearts of everyone else. She could never forget her previous owner and she always thinks about him. She is taken to Vietnam to Vietnam with her handler to show her skill. She was separated from her handler after they were attacked. Cracker is the most intelligent dog anyone has ever seen knowing ninety words and learning one each day. Being the best dog in Vietnam, do you think she will reunite with her handler?

I chose to read the book because it is about a dog and I love dogs. I think this book is in a way related to my dog and I because we have such a strong love towards each other. I enjoyed this book very much with every page intriguing and making you craving to read more. The wonderful story will grab your heart like it did to me, if you are interested in animals and a book about the love between two companions, I suggest you read it because it is a inspiring book and it will be a breath taking experience.

Rules is about the summer of a young girl named Cathrine. Cathrine lives with her parents and her 8 year-old brother, David. David is autistic and goes to occupational therapy. Cathrine creates rules for David, such as: No toys in the fish tank or Chew with your mouth closed. But sometimes they are just tips like, When you want to get out of answering something, distract the questioner with another question. Cathrine feels it is unfair that sometimes David gets more of the attention. Cathrine’s best friend goes to California all summer to be with her dad so she is left with David most of the time. Until one day when she gets a new neighbor named Kristi. Kristi has good intentions but she has also made friends with a boy down the street named Ryan. Ryan teases David and Cathrine is very protective of him. Cathrine goes to Occupational Therapy (OT) with David. She sits in the waiting room as her mom reads Harry Potter to her (she can read but she can’t imagine the voices without her mother reading them) and she draws. There is a boy who takes speech therapy in the same office building as David. His name is Jason. Jason is in a wheelchair and cannot talk. He communicates with this book with several different words in it that he points too. Cathrine soon becomes friends with him. In the end she is torn between Kristi’s world and David and Jason’s world when Kristi invites Cathrine to come to a dance with her and Ryan and tells her to invite Jason.

I really liked this book. I kind of know how Cathrine feels a little bit, I being the older sister of a 10 year-old boy diagnosed with ADD and ADHD. She feels it on more extremes of course. It was hard growing up and having friends but watching my little brother having trouble making friend. This book was very interesting and I really encourage anyone who is looking for a good book to pick this one.

“The Wish List”

By Eoin Colfer

It all starts when Meg Finn and Belch Brennan try to rob an old man Lowie’s house. She wanted the money to runaway but the situation turns bad and they both get killed. She was relieved to get to see her dead mother in heaven but her crimes came back at her. She got caught in the middle between Heaven and Hell. The only way out is to help the man she robbed but she doesn’t have a lot of time. It turns out the only to get to heaven is to complete the Lowie’s list of things he wants to do before he dies. These tasks however require traveling all over Ireland.

Eoin Colfer brought the characters to life in this suspenseful story. The book is hard to stop reading because of a new event occurring in every chapter. I stayed up late reading until I couldn’t keep my eyes open. The story is easy to get interested in and keeps getting better. I would recommend this book to anyone.

The True Meaning of Smekday
Adam Rex

In The True Meaning of Smekday, eleven-year-old Gratuity “Tip” Tucci, resides in Pennsylvania with her mother, Lucy, and her cat, Pig. She has a normal life, at least until the Boov, an alien race, invade Earth on Christmas and abduct her mother. The Boov rename Earth Smekland and Christmas Smekday. When the human race is ordered to relocate to Florida, Gratuity decides to drive there with Pig. To her dismay, she finds the roads destroyed. Eventually, she meets and befriends an outcast Boov named J.Lo. Being a mechanic, J.Lo rebuilds Gratuity’s car so that it can float. Then, Gratuity, J.Lo and Pig continue their journey to Florida. When they arrive they learn of the Boov’s obsession with oranges and that the humans have now been assigned Arizona. The three set out again, but soon become aware of another group of aliens, the Gorg, who are intent on taking control of Earth, or Smekland. Gratuity must save Earth from the Gorg, in addition to reuniting with her mother and concealing J.Lo’s Boov identity.

I found this book hilarious and engaging. After I read it, it immediately became one of my all time favorite reads. Adam Rex, the author, demonstrates a sharp wit. It’s the sort of book that ensures your laughing out loud. This turned it into a book I never wanted to put down. Although Smekday’s main genre is comedic fiction, it crosses slyly into science fiction, explaining the workings of alien ships, teleporters and telecloners. The variety made this book interesting from cover to cover. Smekday was also illustrated with fake photographs, diagrams, comic strips and newspaper articles. These gave me a detailed picture of the scenery and the aliens. Since you might not see aliens everyday, pictures were extremely helpful. I would recommend this book to just about everyone. There is something in it for everyone. However, some people who might particularly enjoy it are people who love to laugh, people interested in science fiction, people interested in aliens, and cat-lovers. I suggest you give it a shot. I’m sure that there will be at least one element of it that you enjoy, if not many.

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Fallout

Officially Sam Fisher doesn’t exist. He is a secret agent who works under the law for a small branch called Third Echelon. In this novel an old friend, and brother, is found dead with trace amounts of radio active poisoning so dangerous that only a few countries produce it. Eventually his trail leads him to Kyrgyzstan where a radical leader, who was thought to be dead, is quickly rising to power. Omurbia, the Islamic leader, is thinking of any way to guarantee that the future is destroyed by taking out the most influential object on earth: oil.
I enjoyed reading Splinter Cell because it didn’t talk too much about political differences. Instead Tom Clancy tells the story from a secret agent’s perspective. Also Sam, the secret agent, thinks out loud and helps the reader imagine each and every path he might take. I chose the book because I have really enjoyed reading this whole series. I found that his books are extremely active for the reader and I constantly had trouble putting it down. The only thing I would change is that the main character doesn’t describe his everyday life very well. I would like to know what Sam does when he’s not on a mission or hiding. I recommend this book for anyone who likes fast paced, page turning suspense.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding is a riviting book that is impossible to put down. After a plane crashes, a group of school boys are stranded on a deserted island. At first when the group of boys find out that there are no parents, they were excited. They thought that it would be fun to not get bossed around and for everything to be done their way. After a while things stared turning bad and eventually the one group of boys was divided into two. They had to fend for themselves and look after themselves. There were many little kids which made it harder.

The book is very good and I would recomend it to anyone. It’s a thriller, mystery and at some points sad. The moment you pick it up your hands and eyes get glued to it and you can’t put it down until you are done. It is one of my favorite books and I am sure if anyone else would read it, it would be one of their favorites also. William Golding did a great job writing the book and I enjoyed every moment I had reading it.

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac

Gabrielle Zevin

Copyright Date: 2007

If only Naomi had chosen tails, her first choice, she would have won the coin toss. She wouldn’t have had to go back to Tom Purdue High School and retrieve the new yearbook camera, and she would’ve never fallen down the stairs and had been rushed to the emergency room on account of a head injury. She would’ve never lost her memory of the last four years of her life because of amnesia.

Naomi Porter, a 16-year-old, only remembering the first twelve years of her life. Finding out all in one day that her mom cheated on her dad, they got a divorce, her mom remarried, her mom had a four-year-old daughter, her dad moved, she had a best friend named Will, a boyfriend named Ace, she was on the yearbook committee and currently failing French. She doesn’t remember anything and part of her is thinking that she is still twelve-years-old. Naomi doesn’t know who she is and barely knows where she is and she feels lost. She gets to her house and looks in her room and wonders what kind of a person lived there, then she wonders what kind of a person will live there. She tries to figure out what she was like before the head injury and tries to be the same person afterwards. She realizes that this is difficult to do and decides to become an entirely new person. The theme of this book is that your true friends will always like you no matter what.

All of what Naomi has heard about her life before the incident sounds very foreign and exotic to her. I think that it is very good that Naomi decides to move on from the incident and she tries to start over. The new Naomi turns off some people, but turns on others. I think it is good that Naomi takes on new activities and becomes friends with new people because she may never get her memory back and she should live her life now and not live it as if her memory will come back.

Bringing Down the House

Ben Mezrich

2003

Bringing Down the House is a story about greed, passion, and dare. It’s about six M.I.T. students who played blackjack in Vegas to take millions. The story takes place in the go-go 90’s, right at the time when card counting hits its peak, when card counters can slip through the casinos feet and take $100,000 in one night. The question is, who can Kevin learn to trust or distrust. Welcome to Vegas!

One of the themes shown in the book is greed. These M.I.T students seem to never get enough money. Fisher and Martinez seem to never get enough of it, and when Mickey Rosa starts to get a little to comfortable with his M.I.T. team, (which by the way he just operating, not actually counting the cards, as he is a “dinosaur,” or has been kicked out of all the casinos) he is knocked out of the team, with Fisher the new leader. After this, the teams starts hitting casinos like a child gets candy on Halloween. In fact, they get a little to cocky when the IRS puts the pieces of the puzzle together, and starts kicking the team from most of the casinos not just in the country, but in the world. When Fisher gets interrogated brutally from of the pit bosses, Fisher kicks everybody that has another job off so they can go on full weeks at a time, and get more cash ultimately. One greedy guy!

I think that it was a good idea of the author to incorporate greed in one of the themes. I think it goes great with the plot, especially since it is in Vegas. It allowed the author to change somebody completely, and move the plot along when things get a little boring. I can relate to greed when sometimes I play a poker game (with fake chips, of course), and somebody wins a knockout hand. Instead of laying back, they just want more, so they keep making big bets. Sooner or later, they loose a lot of chips. This is just one example of how greed is everywhere, and, in some cases, can take a persons live with it.

Amy served the lemonade and then said her goodbyes to her grandmother Mary who left moments later. At around 5:00, Amy’s mother Cynthia, came home from her job at Bloomingdales. The two both ate dinner and discussed their day, then going to bed at 10:00 after watching some television. The next day, Amy went around to houses on the Upper East Side of New York (where all of the rich people lived), selling cookies in her persistence to buy a new camera. Amy rang the doorbell on a gray, shingled house; no one was home, so she walked down to the next building and knocked on their door. A baffled man answered. “You want money for a camera?” he said to Amy in disbelief. “Well you are certainly not going to find that cash here!” He said, about to slam the door on little Amy’s face. It was then that the gentle and quiet Lola Liggleberg raced over to the doorstep to see what was going on. After telling her husband to “Cool it” Lola took over the situation. “So what are you here for?” questioned Lola. She looked elegant in a red button-down dress that flattered her figure. “I’m here to sell you cookies so I can buy a new camera.” Amy replied. She wore her hair in short, blond pigtails as always and a cute gingham summer dress. “How much do cameras cost these days?” questioned Lola. “Quite a lot.” Answered Amy. As Lola’s manicured hands searched blindly through her green Prada messenger bag, Amy stood in awe. How could a woman so pleasant live with someone who was so dreadfully awful? Amy was quickly interrupted when Lola found her wallet and handed her five, crisp, green hundred dollar bills. “Will this be enough for that camera of yours?” she asked, but Amy was too ecstatic to reply. So instead she scurried up to Lola and jumped up to give her a big hug. Amy then said thank you about a thousand times before skipping off, with the money in hand, to convey the news to her mother.   

The paper airplane thrower was just getting up from a long sleep. Tatiano was always scared of going to sleep at night, because he was 92 years old, and he thought he would die and never get up. He sauntered over to the kitchen window to look at the beastly house of Marcus Anthonius, the mayor. He always looked at the house, and imagined it was his. Tatiano then made breakfeast, ate it, and took a stroll down to the local paper shop. He found a few sheets of fresh new paper. One was red, one was blue, and one was white. Today, Tatiano would be making a July 4th paper airplane, because that was the date. He went back home, and made the airplane out of all three pieces of paper. Tatiano made a different paper airplane every day, and nobody liked him for that reason excpet for Sally Snicklebearer. Her and Tatiano were going to Cosco later that night to buy churos and hotdogs for the 4th of July firecrackers. Tatiano played with his airplanes all day, and then went into his house to change for his date. He got changed, and took his Rolls Royce over to Cosco. Sally was waiting, and her and Tatiano went inside to buy the food. He payed for the it, and took Sally into his exotic car. They drove over to the crowded beach for the firecrackers. They found spot up front, and started to eat their food. They ate for 20 minutes, and then the firecrackers started. Tatiano held Sally close while the firecrackers were going. He glanced at her, and she looked back. Then he leaned in and gave her a lucious kiss. After that night, they went on to get married, and lived happily ever after.

Persepolis 2
Marjane Satrapi
2004

In the story following Marji’s beginning, Persepolis 2, Marji is sent to Vienna, Austria and becomes and independent teen who occasionally forgets her up-bring and uses bad judgment. Marji, as a teen in Europe, gets tangled up in drugs, sex, boyfriends, and friends in this interesting sequel.
Marji is the main character in Persepolis 2. She is the daughter of two loving parents and a friend of many others. She is sent to Vienna to escape the war in Iran. She is then faced with many things and uses bad judgment for most of them. This book makes you wonder what Marji is thinking, and what other characters are thinking. It also makes you think about what a teen goes through to fit in and make friends. Marji, when in Vienna, quickly makes friends. She starts wearing makeup and getting accustomed to being a Europe girl. She goes through many stages of friends and personalities. Although, as she progresses through the book, she slowly starts to turn against the morals she grew up with and what she knows is best. Her friends have sex and she witnesses it. She is slowly faced with drugs and alcohol. Marji gets a boyfriend and she starts to know love. Once she gets another boyfriend, she exposes herself to sex. This boyfriend also exposes her to drugs, which she quickly gives into and finds dealers that she becomes in contact with. Marji has found in Vienna, friends, love, and happiness, but it comes at a price. When her mom comes to visit she must hide all of her life. Yet, her mother quickly finds out that she smokes and understands where she is at and doesn’t argue with it. Marji eventually realizes all of her wrongdoings. She regrets them all and knows that she can never undo what she has done, and who she has become. So she decides to try to even it out and do some good. Later on she gets moves back to Iran and gets married to a man she ends up divorcing. I felt that Marji had just wanted to know something else besides war. She wanted to know love and friendship. Yet, it all came at a price, and she turned into something that she could not believe.

I know that what she was doing was wrong, but, from a teen’s perspective, you could just say she was just trying to fit in and make friends. Although Marji quickly faces and admits her wrong doings, she can’t ever erase them, she was once a good girl and she decided to try to become that again. Marjane Satrapi makes this book and very interesting and fast moving book, which covers many concepts and thoughts over a short period of time. This book makes you think from many vantage points and makes you never want to put it down.

By Marjane Satrapi

Printed 2003

Persepolis is a true story about the struggles and strengths of a young girl, Marjane Satrapi, growing up in Tehran, Iran. Marji lived in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, and saw with her own eyes what most of us only see in movies or on the news. She heard about bombs and death and other unimaginable things at a young age. She wondered about things far beyond her maturity, things like political problems and social classes. She helped her family push through problems relating to these things that she shouldn’t have even worried about at 10 years old.

I thought Persepolis was displayed in a very effective way. Marji drew simple pictures that represented complicated issues, sometimes literal and sometimes what she had imagined. She wrote and drew about loved ones dying and people being tortured, but also about going shopping and listening to music. Some of her memories were dark and scary, and others were happy and bright. She could make gruesome and gory situations seem g-rated with her simple drawings, while still giving you the impression that they were horrible to witness. She even wrote in a way that the reader can imagine a little girl writing, so that it’s almost like Marji wrote this book while all of these events in her childhood were happening. When her mom is teaching her to forgive people, you can see in her drawing that she is confused and curious about what her mom is saying, and she has the look of a lost little girl. When reading this book, the viewer can learn a lot about what was going on in her mind not only by reading her words but also by looking closely at the pictures. I never knew exactly what it was like in Iran during the revolution, so her book enabled me to see what it was like through the eyes of someone my age.

I think Marjane made the best choice by making her story a graphic novel, because it made every little detail stand out a little more, and every big issue a little bigger through her wondering eyes. It also made Persepolis a lot more interesting and even gave it a bit of humor. Without the pictures I wouldn’t have been able to really tell that this book came from the point of view of a young girl. But with the pictures, it was easy to tell how Marji felt and to relate with her perspective and put myself in her shoes. Marji went through a lot of things that are hard for me to get my mind around, things like death, destruction, violence, and fear. I don’t know what it really feels like to deal with these things, but after reading this book I think I have some idea.

Isabelle S.

BounceNatasha Friend2007

Bounce

Evyn’s father wants her to just bounce along with things, but from Evyn’s point of view that is impossible.  She has had many problems already, beginning with her mother Stella’s death at a young age and on top of that her dad wanting to marry Eleni and move to Boston. Evyn has to figure out what to do when she is thrown into this whole new life.             The theme of the book is alluded to before you even open the book.  Staring at the reader on the front cover is the simple word “bounce.”  Bounce may at first seem to be just the title, but it is in fact the underlying idea throughout the novel.    The two most apparent meanings are for Evyn to just go along with things as they come, and to let harsh statements bounce off of her so they do not affect her. For example, when Evyn (in her head) is talking to Stella because her so-called friends turn their backs on her, Stella says, “Whatever they call you, tell yourself, ‘ I’m rubber, you’re glue; whatever you say bounces off me and on to you. ‘ ”             The theme of this book relates to a skill that is important to have in life. There have been many situations in my life where I have had to be flexible and go along with things. For example, when my family took a trip to India, I was unsure about being in such a foreign and different culture, so I had to just bounce along with things and let my dad be the guide. Flying home from New York turned into quite an adventure beginning with getting trapped in Chicago around two in the morning and then having to find a hotel at that time. Rather than getting upset I helped my dad figure out how to best handle the situation and to adapt to the unexpected change in plans. Having flexibility in life always makes things go a lot smoother.               

Persepolis

  Persepolis is a book about a girl named Marji growing up in Tehran, Iran during the Islamic Revolution.  Marji is very gullible and naïve, and wants to understand the complicated situations around her.  This book is intriguing and the black and white pictures are captivating and help to show new perspectives of Iran. When readers open the book, they may be surprised by the boxes of pictures lying before them. The author, Marjane Satrapi, relies on these pictures with dialogue to convey the stories. Some people might think that because there are just pictures and dialogue that the story would not present certain qualities that would be shown in just a written piece. For example, a book that only has pictures may not show as much description of a background, though it may say more words about the characters. But because in Persepolis the author uses both pictures and