Author Archives: Evan G.

Book Review: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

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boy_striped_pajamasThe Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a book about a 9 year-old named Bruno, who is forced by his father, a commander in the German army, to move from his five story mansion in Berlin, to a house in the middle of nowhere called simply, “Out-with”.  From there, Bruno slowly learns about what we now call the Holocaust. He can see the concentration camp in the far distance from his mundane bedroom window and his curiosity leads him directly to the center of the unfathomable.  From wild adventures in a slave camp to a run in with an unstoppable tire swing, to his friendship with a mysterious boy in striped pajamas named Shmuel, this  is a book that you won’t forget.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to learn history in a non-boring way.  ⚠ THIS BOOK IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART ⚠ It has a very sad ending and contains very deep insight into life during one of histories most tragic times.  I hope that you can pick it up at your local library or bookstore as this is a life-altering read.

-Evan G., 6th grade

Book Review: The Fire Seekers by Richard Farr

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fire_seekersYou’ve heard the stories repeated, every religion and culture has a different way of telling them, it’s the story of the end of the human race…  Set in modern times, ancient Gods are rising, mass disappearances of people are occurring and a terrorist organization named the Seraphim is at large. 17 year-old Daniel Calder, who has a famous archeologist for a father and America’s top business woman/mountain climber for a mother, has a journey to take in order to save the human race. He has to connect the dots and discover what humanity has been denying since the very first civilizations. In this witty, fast-paced tale, Daniel must rediscover secrets long lost and find out the mystery behind the Fire Seekers.

I noticed that I kept mixing this book up with other series because the voice used by the author is similar to those of Rick Riordan, James Patterson and John Flanagan.  These happen to be some of my favorite authors.  This is a suspenseful mystery novel that relates life in other countries to that of life on American soil.  This story really helps the reader appreciate the circumstances they live in and realize all the bad things in the world that they don’t have to partake in. The reader will get a deeper look at human society in which there are problems that can and can not be fixed. Though this novel is fictional, it rings with truth.  I enjoyed the themes that occur throughout the book including world religion, mythology and childhood independence.

-Evan G., 6th grade

Book Review: Jack Templar, Monster Hunter, by Jeff Gunhus

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Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000030_00040]Jack Templar is just an ordinary 13 year-old boy.  His biggest concerns in life are girls, growing pains, and trying to keep decent grades at school.  The day before his 14th birthday, Jack wakes up astounded to find that he has gained superhuman strength, not unlike Peter Parker in the Hollywood Spiderman film.  That morning in his garage, he lifts a 48lb dumbbell with one hand. Then, on the way to school he makes an easy slam  dunk. He also impresses his crush by beating up a bully in front of the school.  He is definitely loving life!

Then, disaster hits!  His school Principal turns into a bat creature and threatens him.  He then bumps into a 3,000 year old vampire and goes on to save a strange girl from being killed by a troll.  As the day goes on, he finds himself fighting for his life against spirits, demons and monsters galore.

This exciting book reveals the author’s point of view about survival of the fittest and how friendship conquers all.  Gunhus also shows how some sacrifices are worth making and some aren’t.  This epic novel causes the reader to think about other possibilities, about how many things go unnoticed in the world.  There is a whole civilization of monsters in his story that has gone unnoticed by the human population.  It makes fun of how many little details or big happenings occur without anybody ever knowing.

I would recommend this book because of the main character’s realistic reactions and the overall authentic tone of the story even though it is make believe.  It is appropriate for all ages since it is pretty clean considering it is a book about hunting monsters. I absolutely loved it!

Evan G., 6th grade

Book Review: I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak

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messengerEd 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 Young World, by Chris Weitz

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young_world_coverFamous Hollywood screenwriter/director Chris Weitz has written his first novel, The Young World.   It is set in a world two years in the future and teens are the only ones alive and they are in control.  All of this was started by a sickness that killed everyone not experiencing puberty.  This is because of the special fibers created during puberty that keep the sickness at bay.  A group of teens living in Washington Square in New York have created a sort of community.  However, when the leader Wash dies from “the sickness” after turning 18, his younger brother Jefferson and four other teens, venture out of their community on a journey that may lead them to a cure.  This brings them on a wild adventure in which they face murderers, mole people, wild dogs, a bear, and cannibals.

Sci-Fi fans will love this book due to the post apocalyptic setting and show stopping action.  The cliffhanger will almost definitely lead to an intriguing sequel.

The book is written in first person but in the form of a movie script, which is no surprise because of the author’s twenty years writing and directing films such as Twilight: New Moon, American Pie, Antz, The Golden Compass, A Better Life, and the upcoming Disney movie, Cinderella.  I read my signed copy of this book in one day because I could not put it down.   I was lucky to hear him speak about his book last month in Mission Viejo where he told of his life in Hollywood and how this book came to be.

All in all, this is an excellent book and I highly recommend it to people who don’t mind violence, mild romance, and major cussing.  I recommend looking beyond the cussing to see the story for how great it is.

-Evan G., 6th grade

Book Review: Stormbreaker, by Anthony Horowitz

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stormbreakerAlex Rider is your typical 14 year old boy.  He likes girls, action movies and sports. However, when his Uncle Ian suddenly dies in a car crash, Alex knows the story is a lie.  The bullet holes in the windshield are all the evidence he needs.  Upon further investigation, he stumbles upon an astounding truth. His uncle was not the humble businessman that he had pretended to be, but a secret agent for the British secret service, MI6.

When Alex is chosen to replace his uncle as a spy, his life goes upside down.  He finds himself fighting goons, surviving a jellyfish attack, and stopping a crazy terrorist from destroying England.  I don’t want to give anything else away because the book is all about suspense.

This book is riveting!  Percy Jackson fans will especially enjoy this story as they are both written with similar first-person irony.  I also recommend it to those who are tired of predictable endings.  While in most books the good guys win, this guy wins in ways that not even the author could see coming!  Both boys and girls will find it is an action-packed, fun to read, page-turner.  This is an intense mystery.  I read it in two days because I could not put it down!

-Evan G., 6th grade

 

Book Review: When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead

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when_you_reach_meWhen You Reach Me is a book about friendship, child independence, and even a touch of time travel.

The book takes place in New York City in the year 1979. In the story, Miranda’s best friend, Sal, is randomly punched hard by an unknown boy for what seems like no reason while they are innocently walking home from school. Sal then shuts Miranda completely out of his life. Miranda’s house key is then stolen and she finds a strange note that says, “I am coming to save your friend’s life, and my own. I must ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter.” She finds more and more notes that lead her closer to the writer and they give her clues how to prevent a tragic death. This writer speaks to her of events before they even happen.

When You Reach Me has received many awards and deservingly so. I recommend this story to kids in 4th grade and up. This is a detailed read with an intricate ending. Before reading this book, you may want to pick up a copy of A Wrinkle In Time, because there are many references to that book in the story. This book was on my school’s summer required reading list. I found it to be interesting and engaging and I enjoy mystery novels. It gave me insight into how kids lived their lives before the age of technology and cell phones in that they walked the city streets free to explore without constant supervision even in the light of danger. I wish that kids today could have the same type of independence to explore their worlds during their childhood.

-Evan G., 6th grade