Book Review: Where the Red Fern Grows, by Wilson Rawls

Posted on October 10, 2014 by Olivia S.

I love dogs. I love everything about them. From their furry bodies to their gross slobbery tongues, I love it all.

However, besides loving dogs themselves, I also love a good dog book. The book Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls is the perfect dog book, and let me just say this book is life changing. Even if you aren’t a dog lover, or you only really love cats, this book is still life changing, regardless of your animal preference.

The novel follows the life of a young boy and his best friends, his two-coonhound hunting dogs. Together the boy, Billy Coleman, and his two dogs embark on countless fun-filled adventures. However, the story goes beyond the adventure and becomes a coming-of-age novel.

The book will make you laugh, cry, scream, giggle, sigh, and surprise you all at the same time, but in the best possible way. I highly recommend this book to everyone and anyone. Fortunately, it really isn’t subject to just one age group, like many other classic novels, because it is relatable to so many people on so many different levels. All in all, it is a great book, and probably one of my all-time favorite books.

-Olivia S.

Book vs. Movie: The Maze Runner

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Nicole G.

From the very beginning, I could tell the movie was changing things.

The Box where Thomas arrives has a random caged animal never explained in the movie with Thomas. Then Thomas runs off for no apparent reason, and tries to escape the very first night.

Chuck has a smaller role, I felt. His storyline is still there, but Alby decided to give Thomas the tour in the movie version. Chuck basically solved the end puzzle in the book, although to his credit, Chuck in the movie saved the device thing from falling. Minho is also introduced early on as a key character. Gally is still a jerk to Thomas, but it feels more forced without the background of the griever sting memories. Which brings me to my next point.

The background of the glade was also a bit off from the book. Gladers had fewer deliveries, less knowledge of grievers (no one alive to tell the tale), and no cliff for the griever hole. The book basically left Gladers with puzzles that required the final push with Thomas and Teresa to put the pieces together. The movie, however, decided to flesh out the puzzles (maze spelling words and special place the grievers go) to encompass more action scenes with the maze.

One of the most action packed scenes in the book, besides the ending, was when Thomas spent the night in the maze. There was still a chase sequence in the movie, but cleverly tricking the grievers off a cliff with the combined teamwork of Minho was replaced with crushing with a wall (there are a lot of close wall squeezes in the movie). It started with this whole griever tracking device to a long hallway that screams the perfect place for an attack.

The part that always stuck with me from the book was Teresa’s ability to communicate telepathically in her coma and give Thomas some info. The movie introduced her later in the plot and took out the telepathy, coma, and info. She’s still a pretty tough girl. A really great scene was when she was on the top of a tree-house building throwing things at the Gladers. Chuck said something along the lines of “Girls are awesome.”

The movie focused mainly on the maze. Griever attacks were more intense, without taking everyone down one by one idea from the book. I guess WCKD didn’t care about their variables anymore. Best part of the movie was definitely the maze scenes, although my favorite moment was when they found this green exit sign above a door. It was just perfect comedic timing.

The action scenes were intense and fast paced. It felt more dramatic than the book, but it worked. Despite all this– not a bad adaptation, and can easily lead to the sequels. Wish there was more Glader slang than colloquial, though. So if you want more action, check out the movie. If you want to understand what’s going on with this strange world, I suggest reading the book first.

-Nicole G., 11th grade

Book Review: A Spell for Chameleon, by Piers Anthony

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Megan V.

Hello, avid reviewers of books. Yes, I know who you are, but I should probably introduce myself. My name is Cleo, and I am the muse of history, so I know everything of everyone, including you. Although, you won’t meet me for a while.

More importantly though, I am here to tell you a story; one that would shape my world, Xanth, for generations to come. I even have a printed copy of that story, which is also available in the Mundane world.

Bink, almost 25, is a man who was born into a world of magic. Except for him, everyone can perform a type of magic. However, if he can’t prove that he has magic by his 25th birthday, he will be exiled to the Mundane world forever, where it is dull, without magic, and doesn’t have the girl that he loves.

This is why he embarks on a journey to the Good Magician, he can answer any question, and possibly even know what type of magic Bink has that hasn’t manifested yet. But in order to do that, he has to face the wonders (and horrors) of Xanth, with new magics yet to be discovered and extraordinary people to be met, including the evil magician Trent who wants to destroy the magic barrier protecting Xanth.

This story, and the stories of Xanth, as a warning, has a lot of puns, which may make you go crazy. But I believe that it portrays a good message and an excellent plot, with unexpected twists.

However, those who are not a part of the Adult Conspiracy (in Mundane terms, those who don’t know how to summon the stork or haven’t experienced their teen years) wouldn’t be able to read this book or the continuing books, since the Adult Conspiracy would make some of the words inside the book appear fuzzy.

The characters’ stories are fascinating, though, with stories perhaps like yours, and you could perhaps feel yourself rooting for them, too.

Enjoy, and welcome mundanes, to the magical Xanth.

-Cleo, muse of History (as told to Megan V., 10th grade)

Event Recap: Jeff Kinney Author Visit

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Alaina K.

The Mission Viejo Library hosts many awesome events and book signings. Last year, I went to a book signing with the author Jeff Kinney.

Jeff Kinney visited Mission Viejo to debut Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck. This is the eighth book in the wildly popular series. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck is about a middle school kid named Greg Heffley, who has lately been running into some bad luck. His challenges in middle school are hard to solve, so an unsure Greg turns to a Magic 8 Ball for help. Will this solve all of his problems, or only make his troubles worse? Find out about the ups and downs of Greg’s life in Jeff Kinney’s newest Diary of a Wimpy Kid book.

At the event, instead of running into “hard luck,” I came across good luck. I had the fantastic opportunity to ask Jeff Kinney a few questions. Read below to find out his answers and see if you have the same favorites as he does.

Q: What is your favorite Diary of a Wimpy Kid book?

A: Right now “Hard Luck,” because it’s stuck in my head, but my all time favorite is the first book.

Q: What’s your favorite Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie?

A: The first one.

Q: Which character are you the most like?

A: The bad side of me is most like Greg.

It was amazing to have the chance to meet and interview one of my favorite authors. At the event, they also had hilarious Diary of a Wimpy Kid games and fortunes. It was a blast!

To find out about other cool activities hosted by the Mission Viejo Library, go to their website at http://cityofmissionviejo.org/Library/. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see what new authors and events will be here this year! Please take a moment to post a comment, and list your favorite Jeff Kinney book, and movie, and which character you are the most like!

-Alaina K., 6th grade

Book Review: Taken, by David Massey

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Sarah J.

Six teenagers on a trip across the ocean. Four are military veterans disabled in combat. The other two are “able” sea hands to help along the way. Things are cut short when they become prisoners of war of a man called Moses Mwemba.

Rio Cruz, is one of the two “able bodied” crew that was hired to help four teenage veterans, Ash, Marcus, Charis, and Izzy, who have been disabled in combat sail around the world for charity. Even before the six start the voyage, tension starts building between Rio and the other “able bodied” crew member, Jen. The tension only grows when Rio’s fondness for Ash emerges and when she finds a hidden letter. But all the tension and strife that was building gets cut short when they are captured to become political pawns.

This was a rather strange story. Unfortunately, I found it a bit too rushed. There were also some things that I would have like have a bit more explained. It is written in a first person point of view which does limit what explained in the story. Even so the plot was interesting. It is one of the types of plot that I have not read very much of. The characters were okay. I do believed they could have been a little more developed or described but the fact that they were disabled veterans, who were determined to show that they were not helpless, made up for some of it. I some times mixed up the characters due to the lack of explanation at the beginning of the book.

One of the themes of this book does make you think a lot about what people are. This is a book I would only recommend to at least high-school or older. There is quite a bit of violence in the story and there is many themes in this book that are hard to explain and hard to understand. To give this book a rating: 5/10

This is only what I think so read it for yourself and decide.

– Sarah J., 10th grade

Book Review: Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Will R.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand is a fascinating biography/novel that tells the story of young boy named Louie Zamperini who begins life as somewhat of a troublemaker; stealing and fighting. But, despite these difficulties, he becomes a running sensation. Louie works his way to four minute miles, and then is given the opportunity to run in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where even Hitler himself takes notice.

But Louie’s athletic endeavors take a detour as he is sent off to fight in WWII as part of a fighter plane’s crew. Louie’s plane crashes, and Louie survives on the open ocean for several weeks living off practically nothing until he is captured by the Japanese and put into a POW camp.

Unbroken tells the horror stories of life for Louie and other American soldiers inside Japanese camps as they are tortured and starved to death. The POW camp passages portray humans who have no regard for other human life. Louie watches his friends and countrymen become sick and die. In turn, he becomes sick and waits for death himself. When Louie is transferred to another prison camp, his experience becomes even worse. He meets Matsuhiro Watanabe, a prison guard who takes extreme delight in beating prisoners, and singles Louie out constantly. When the Allies finally win the war, Louie is a changed man. He has become affected by post-traumatic stress disorder, and cannot be around anything that reminds him of the war or the POW camps. He soon develops drinking and marital problems.

Louie believes he can end his problems by killing Matsuhiro, who has fled after the war. However, events take a suprise turn.

This novel was sad and horrifying. Louie’s story is an amazing one of hope, sorrow, survival and redemption, and Ms. Hillenbrand is able to thoroughly express these thoughts and feelings on paper.

-Will R., 10th grade

Book Review: I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak

Posted on October 2, 2014 by Evan G.

Ed Kennedy is about as low as they go… he is a drinking, smoking, underage cabdriver and the only thing he cares about in his mundane world is his dog named The Doorman. And one more thing… he LIVES for card games and gambling. However, this all changes in one day when he accidentally stops a bank robbery and receives a playing card in the mail with three addresses and three times on them. As he gets more playing cards, more mysteries are revealed about the sender, pulling Ed into a miraculous journey that solves other people’s and his own problems.

World renowned author of The Book Thief, Markus Zusak does it again. He works his best magic yet in bringing this novel to life in the mind of the reader. He expertly hooks and reels you into his story with gripping suspense and mystery that will keep anyone on the edge of their seats. It is quite descriptive, using words that you don’t usually hear in the American language such as “mate” and “arse” and “bloke.” Since the author resides in Australia, he seems to bring his culture to the conversations between his characters. This novel is funny and thought-provoking, and I think you will enjoy it as much as I did.

-Evan G., 6th grade

Book Review: The Watcher, by Joan Hiatt Harlow

Posted on October 1, 2014 by Anmol K.

The Watcher by Joan Hiatt Harlow is a historical-fiction novel describing how Wendy, an American, is forced to repudiate her former life and is obligated to become the perfect German daughter by her real mother, a passionate Nazi named Adrie.

In Germany, Wendy is forced to support a cause she does not support and is forced to speak a language she has never known. Amongst the dangers of the Germany, her real mother is kind to her, but sometimes is taken aback about Wendy’s beliefs in the war.

Wendy befriends a blind boy named Barret, who has a guide dog. Formulating a daring plan of escape, Wendy wants to go back to the people who raised her, even though her “mother” was her aunt. I do not want to unveil if Wendy makes it to America; you would need to find out yourself!

Overall the book is average. Wendy, the main character, had a great personality. It might have been better if the plot was not as uneventful as it was for the majority of the book. Only when Wendy formulates a plan of escape does the action pick up. The ending was great and very suspenseful. I would recommend this book for somebody looking for a great read set in the era of World War II.

This review is based on an advance reader copy; The Watcher will be published on November 4th.

-Anmol K., 8th grade

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Monthly Archives: October 2014