Author Archives: Anmol K.

Book Review: The Unwanteds, by Lisa McMann

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unwanteds_coverThe Unwanteds is a unique dystopian novel by Lisa McMann depicting the fantasy world called Quill. Each year in Quill, all the thirteen-year-olds are categorized into different classifications: the capable, intellectual Wanteds go to university, and the imaginative Unwanteds are sent to die. Thirteen-year-old twins Alex and Aaron Stowe are awaitng to see what their futures look like. Aaron is hopeful of becoming a Wanted; Alex knows that he would not be with his brother because he had been discovered drawing in the dirt. In the desolate region of Quill, being creative is a wrongdoing, punishable by death.

After becoming an Unwanted, Alex must be confronted by the dreaded Eliminators. There he discovers the mage Mr. Today and the secret world called Artimé, where the Unwanted children from Quill have been hiding. Over in Artimé, Alex discovers talking statues, uncommon creatures, and magic. After taking some surprising twists and turns, the ending will be a surprise for anybody.

This is the perfect dystopian novel for any age. I enjoyed it very much because of the element of magic. Even though the book was thick, I could not put it down. I think that Kirkus Review described the book the best when they said that: “The Hunger Games meets Harry Potter.” After reading The Unwanteds, you may enjoy the second book in the series, Island of Silence. I have not read it yet, but if you have please tell me about it! If you are looking for another anti-utopia book, then The Unwanteds is for you.

-Anmol K., 7th grade

Book Review: Alabama Moon, by Watt Key

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alabama_moonHave you ever fantasized about residing in the woods? Have you ever envisioned hunting for every meal you need? How about constructing your own dwelling from trees with your own hands? In the book Alabama Moon, by Watt Key, audacious and juvenile ten-year-old Moon Blake has resided his entire existence in the woods with no external connection except for Mr. Abroscotto, who owns the local general store.

After his father succumbs, Moon knows that he has to pursue the last instructions of his father to go north to Alaska. Heading to Alaska, Moon’s journey is stopped precipitously when a policeman catches him. As he battles his way through the outside world he has never known, he comprehends that going to Alaska will not be easy. Read the rest of the novel to see if Moon makes it to Alaska or not.

I would recommend this book to kids who dream of an adventurous life in the woods. I admired how Moon overcame impossible obstacles with his positive spirit. He is a great role model for children everywhere. A funny part was how Moon had never eaten “normal” food and he enjoyed every meal he ate, even though it was sometimes jail food. The only questionable aspect of the book was Moon’s father’s reasons for living in the woods was not that clear, even though it stated that he went to Vietnam. Overall, the book was outstanding, and a great read for somebody craving adventure.

-Anmol K., 7th grade

Book Review: Drizzle, by Kathleen Van Cleve

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drizzleIn the book Drizzle by Kathleen Van Cleve, eleven-year-old Polly Peaboy lives on her family’s rhubarb farm. You must be thinking that living on a rhubarb farm must be boring, but the Peaboy’s farm is far from ordinary. At the farm, the rhubarb tastes like chocolate, it rains on the farm exactly at 1:00 p.m. on Mondays, and diamonds sprout from the ground.

On one unusual Monday, it stops raining and a ripple effect of unfortunate events happened afterwards. The plants start to wither, and her older brother, Freddy, gets a deadly, peculiar illness. Realizing that she is the only person who could save the farm and Freddy, Polly must believe in herself and be brave enough to do it. Although she does not realize this, Poly is the savior of her farm and must carry out this huge task.

I thought this book was average. The story was sort of slow and dull. It got a little boring in the middle because of Polly’s personality. The plot could have been better if some inconsequential events were eliminated. Overall, I would recommend this book to anybody who is looking for a magical, whimsical book about rhubarb plants (just kidding… there’s much more to the book than only rhubarb plants).

-Anmol K., 7th grade

Book Review: A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens

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christmas_carol_coverThough we’re all wrapping up our holiday celebrations, it’s never too late for the classic Christmas tale A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. The book starts off with the main protagonist of the story, Ebenezer Scrooge, on Christmas Eve. Scrooge’s nephew, Fred, tries to invite his uncle over for Christmas dinner, but Scrooge says that Christmas is a humbug. After his nephew leaves, two more men come in seeking a donation from Scrooge to give the poor a Christmas dinner. Scrooge, being the rude old man that he is, says the poor must die to “decrease the surplus population.”

At home, the ghost of his dead partner, Marley, visits Scrooge The specter tells him that three spirits will visit him; the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.

The first of the psyches, the Ghost of Christmas Past, takes Scrooge to Christmas events that took place in his youth. These scenes depict his solitary youth, his strong bond with his now dead sister and a Christmas party with his first boss, Mr. Fezziwig.

The second spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Present, shows Scrooge how his nephew was making fun of him. Also the phantom shows Scrooge Bob Crachit’s Christmas feast, where Crachit’s youngest son Tiny Tim is full of happiness, despite the fact that he is very ill

The third pneuma, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to come, shows Scrooge Christmas a year later, where Tiny Tim is dead because Bob Crachit could not afford the treatment on his small salary. Also the spirit shows Scrooge his employees stealing things from his dead corpse.

Scrooge wakes up on Christmas morning, a changed man, and sends the prize turkey to Bob Crachit’s family and spends Christmas with his nephew. The book ends with Tiny Tim saying those famous words;“ God bless us, everyone!”

I think this is book is the perfect way to capture the Christmas spirit. If you need an uplifting story about Christmas, then A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is the perfect book for you.

-Anmol K., 7th grade

Book Review: Tokyo Heist, by Dianna Renn

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tokyo_heist_coverTokyo Heist by Dianna Renn is about a sixteen old girl named Violet. She is excited because her father is painting a mural for Kenji and Mitsue Yamada in Tokyo, Japan, and she gets to go with him. In Tokyo, with her father working for the Yamadas, Violet spends time with her best friend, Reika. Her extraordinary vacation turns upside-down when an invaluable sketch by Van Gogh, owned by her father’s clients, is stolen. With Reika, Violet pursues the search for the missing sketches and the accompanying painting. As the enigma expands, Violet isn’t sure who she should trust. Read the rest of the book to find if Violet can find the painting and save the Yamadas.

I liked this book because it perfectly infuses manga (Japanese comic books) with a real life art mystery. Readers who are interested in manga should read this book to get a little insight to it. One thing that I really did not enjoy was Violet’s fantasizing about her own manga series, which sometimes, in my opinion, got a little boring. Otherwise this novel has the perfect components of a thriller novel; action, mystery, a little romance, and adventure.

-Anmol K., 7th grade

Book Review: The Fantastic Family Whipple, by Matthew Ward

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fantastic_family_whipple_coverIn his first novel, The Fantastic Family Whipple, Matthew Ward writes about the most record-breaking family on Earth. The Whipple family, from father Charlie Whipple to young baby Ivy Whipple, has broken all sorts of world records. Except for twelve-year-old Arthur Whipple, who the main protagonist of the story, has not broken any world records. Rather shocking, for the rest of the Whipple family.

All fifteen members of the Whipple Family, except for Arthur (born on the 29th February), are all born on March first. The Whipple family celebrates their birthdays together and throw a huge party.

While cutting the World’s Biggest Birthday Cake, the cake starts collapsing, lighting the party venue on fire and nearly crushing the Whipple Family. During the party, Arthur sees two clowns. Their appearance is unusual because one is rather tall and the other rather small. Arthur pins them down as suspects of the cake collapsing.

Is Arthur’s instinct right? Will someone be able to catch the person(s) responsible for this? Read this realistic fiction book to find out who is the master of this crime.

The Fantastic Family Whipple is an amazing, entertaining book to read. It had a unique storyline that can be enjoyed by any age. I liked the fact that anyone could relate to Arthur because he was attempting to break a world record. The ending was a bit disappointing, but it was okay. All in all, this book is for anybody who wishes to break a world record. If you enjoy this book, watch out for the sequel coming fall 2014.

-Anmol K., 7th grade

Book Review: Out of My Mind, by Sharon Draper

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out_of_my_mind_coverOut of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper is a beautiful novel about a special eleven-year-old girl named Melody. She is extremely smart, and has an incredible memory. Despite all the amazing qualities that Melody has, nobody is aware of them. They all think that she is not capable of learning anything. But, why is that? – Melody cannot walk or talk or write because she has a condition called Cerebral Palsy.

Once Melody turned five she was enrolled into a school. Melody was not with the “typical” kids. Instead, she was in a special program for children with special needs. She had been in the program for five years. Now she is in 5th grade and is eleven. Melody does not like the fact that she cannot express what she wants to say. After some online research, she discovers a device called the Medi-Talker. The device just needs to be controlled by thumbs, which she is very much capable of. She asks her parents for the Medi-Talker. Would her parents say yes to it, will she be able to use and communicate like she always wanted to? Well, you have to read this heartwarming book to find out her great achievements despite her limitations.

I loved this book! It had been such a long time since I read a good book like this. My favorite part was Melody’s positive spirit despite all she had been through with her life. I would recommend it to anybody who needs an uplifting story like this.

-Anmol K., 7th grade

Book Review: If I Had One Wish…, by Jackie French Koller

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one_wish_coverIf I Had One Wish…, by Jackie French Koller, is a heart-warming tale about two brothers named Alec and Stevie. Alec, who is the older one, despises Stevie, who is five. One day at the mall, Alec helped an elderly “bag” lady. After helping her, the lady gave him a coin and claimed that it would grant him one wish.

Alec thought that she was crazy, but he accepted it, not wanting to hurt her feelings. The next day he was in trouble with his parents because he left Stevie alone in the arcade in the mall. Alone in his room he found the coin and said, “If I really had one wish it would be that precious little Stevie had never been born“ (58). Later in the day he was called for lunch, he realized…OH NO… Stevie was not there.  Had his wish come true? Is his brother really gone? If he is really gone, will Alec be able to find his little brother? Read the rest of the book to find out the answer to these puzzling questions.

I loved this book and I thought it perfectly showed the strong bond between siblings, no matter how much they fight. I would recommend it to anybody with a younger brother or sister.

-Anmol K., 7th grade

Introducing the Goosebumps Series, by R.L. Stine

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The Goosebumps series has been extremely popular with many kids. I personally did not read them until very recently. I have read thereof,The Horror at Camp Jellyjam, The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb, and Monster Blood III and I was expecting them all to be the same. I was wrong! Each of them had their own unique plot. I started one, and when I stopped, I realized I was already on page 56! Then I discovered that Goosebumps was a great series I could read over the summer.

H243_SCH_GB33HorrorCamp_0.tifThe Horror at Camp Jellyjam is a book about two siblings named Wendy and Elliot. They are on a road trip with their parents and they are in their trailer, which is connected to the back of their parents’ car. After a while they realize that they became unattached from their car. Their trailer rolls down a hill into the woods and in the woods, and in the woods Wendy and Elliot discover a sports camp. After a while in camp, Wendy gets suspicious of the weird behavior of the camp counselors. She notices kids disappearing around camp. Wendy realizes she needs to find her parents and read the book to find out the REAL secret of Camp Jellyjam.

H225_SCH_GB5Mummys_0.tifThe least favorite book I read in the series was The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb. It is about a boy named Gabe and he is spending his winter vacation in Egypt, visiting the Pyramids. He is with his annoying cousin and his uncle, Ben, who is a famous archeologist. Gabe’s uncle has recently discovered something new in a pyramid. When Gabe comes with him and his cousin, he gets lost and discovers a weird room with many mummies. Then Gabe hears something and realizes he is not alone. I did not like it very much because the plot was a bit boring and predicable, but the beginning was okay.

monster_bloodMy favorite book of the three was Monster Blood III. The main character of the story is Evan. Evan has the job of babysitting his younger cousin, Kermit after school. Kermit is an unusual kid who likes to lock himself in the basement and do weird science experiments. Kermit loves to play mean jokes on Evan and his best friend Andy. He and Andy decide to use monster blood. Monster blood is a dangerous substance that makes the consumer bigger and bigger. Evan has had a horrible experience with monster blood and is reluctant to use it at first, but gives in later. The “revenge” for Kermit turns out all wrong and Evan accidently eats monster blood.  He is terrified and… well, read the rest of the book to find out if he is okay (or not).

-Anmol K., 7th grade

Book Review: Ungifted, by Gordan Korman

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ungifted_coverUngifted by Gordan Korman is a hilarious novel about a trouble-making boy named Donovan Curtis.

After getting caught by the school superintendent, Dr. Schultz for hitting the Atlas Statue – in front of his school – with a fallen tree branch, causing the earth to roll down the hill, and then crashed into the doors of the gym, in the middle of a basketball game, Donovan had to be sent home because Dr.Schultz had to take care of the mess in the gym. The next day, the superintendent wanted to talk to Donovan, but could not remember his name. Dr. Schultz had written his name on a piece of paper, but now he could not find it.

The same day, after school, Donovan and his parents received a letter saying that Donovan was accepted into the Academy of Scholastic Distinction. Donovan was shocked, as were his parents. Donovan soon realized that when Dr. Schultz was writing down his name last night, it must have been on the piece of paper Dr. Schultz’s secretary asked for, which had the names of the students going into the Academy of Scholastic Distinction. Donovan then figured out that was the reason he had not been caught yet. He breathed a sigh of relief and enjoyed his freedom in the Academy of Scholastic Distinction. To do that he must fool people who’s IQs are above genius level.

Will the teachers there suspect him? Will he get caught? Will he be able to fool everybody? Read the rest of the book to unveil what happens and if he gets caught or not.

The book was hilarious and the setting was great, but I would not say it was the best book ever. I had high expectations because it was by Gordon Korman, and he is a great author, but it could have been better overall. I could totally relate to all the characters. The ending was not that great as I expected, in my opinion, but otherwise it was enjoyable.

-Anmol K., 7th grade