Author Archives: Kyle H.

Book Review: Revenge of the Witch, by Joseph Delaney

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last_apprenticeCould you imagine if you had the job of warding off evil creatures from villages?

You would be an outsider that no one talked to, you would never share your information with anyone, and you would have to put up with witches and boggarts and all sorts of nasty creatures. This is why Tom is rethinking the whole idea of becoming the Spook’s apprentice. Also, there is another catch. The Spook’s last apprentice died.

I, for one, would probably run away from that decision. But in being the seventh son of a seventh son, Tom is sort of pushed into the position.

Right off the bat, Tom is hurled headfirst into an adventure of teaching from the mysterious Spook, trickery from a girl with pointy shoes, and travel as he tries to navigate his way through the land to find the witches. This could be enough to give anyone chills and it certainly did for me.

Throughout his journey, he actually meets some friends, and he still has his family to go back to. Although now they are not so sure, because the spirit of a witch Tom had killed came back and possessed the butcher who then almost killed a week old baby. Tom’s family only wants to see Tom in the daytime now, which is kind of sad if you think about it.

The book overall was very good and I can’t wait to read the next one, and the next one, and the next one, and… you get the point. The only thing to watch out for is this: on the back of this book, it says, “Warning: Don’t Read after Dark Especially Page 148.”

If anyone has read this book, leave a comment about what you thought!

-Kyle H., 7th grade

Series Introduction: The Brotherband Chronicles, by John Flanagan

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brotherband_chroniclesIn The Brotherband Chronicles by John Flanagan, a young band of outcasts come together to compete in contests of strength, speed, and skill as groups and individuals. It is a great honor to win out of three teams that compete. Those who pass become warriors of the wolfships.

The Sharks, the Wolves, and the Herons will face off in the most exhilarating competition in all of Skandia. Boys will become men, and from men they will become warriors. The young boy Hal will use his brain to help the team as well Stig with his order issuing, Ingvar with his strength, Jesper with his speed, Ulf and Wulf with their ship skills, Edvin with his survival instincts, and Stephan with his impersonations. This team would be unstoppable. But the two other teams are stronger, faster, and mean. It will take their combined effort to ensure that the Herons come out on top. If they work together, they will not fail.

Later, the Heron’s task is to guard the Andomal, Skandia’s most prized treasure. They failed. But in earnest, they take after the pirates that stole it. With the help of an old sea warrior named Thorn, the team must get the Andomal back, and with it, their dignity in Skandia.

If you have read the Brotherband books, what did you think? Post a comment about how amazing the books are and also your favorite character in the stories to show other readers the characters’ personalities.

-Kyle H., 7th grade

 

Series Review: The Quantum Prophecy, by Michael Carroll

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quantum-prophecy-thePicture being able to fly, run fast, or hear far away sounds. Now reading about all these super powers makes me want them even more than my normal daydreams do. In the series The Quantum Prophecy, all these daydreams become a reality when Colin, Danny and their superhuman friends fight super villains and save the world from their evil plans. When the super humans disappeared ten years ago, everyone mourned their loss on Mystery Day, until now.

Since Colin and Danny’s thirteenth birthday, their powers have shown more and more powerful. Danny saved a girl from getting hit by a bus when he was on the other side of the street. Turns out he can run so fast that time actually slows down around him. When Colin first heard what the family several doors down from their house were having for dinner, he began to freak out a little.

Now with their joined power and with help from Diamond and Paragon, Colin and Danny fight the bad guys. When they find out that a man named Victor Cross is making a power damper, they try everything in their power to stop it. Danny losses his right arm in the process and kills his father, Quantum. Quantum had had a vision that his son, Danny, would lead an army that will destroy the world. Danny has that vision then loses his right arm. Colin and Danny go back home and agrees that it is over. But Danny has a secret, in the vision; he has a mechanical right arm.

There are three books in this series and I am on the second one so far. If you haven’t read these books, you should. Post a comment about these books if you have read them!

-Kyle H., 7th grade

Book vs. Movie: The Hobbit

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hobbit_bookmovieAs many of you have already, I watched the new Hobbit movie, The Desolation of Smaug, last week. I am a huge Lord of the Rings and Hobbit fan and I was so glad when I found out these movies are based on books, so I went and read them and watched the movies to compare the two.

The movies were all really well done, because I know it is hard to incorporate every little detail from the books. I also read The Hobbit because I thought that a prologue to the story must be very interesting and it was! The Hobbit was, and still is, one of the best books that I have read, and I read a lot. In the book, The Hobbit, as in the other J.R.R. Tolkien books, there is a lot going on. First, the dwarves are travelling to their mountain while Gandalf is searching for the source of darkness in the world while the elves remain fortified and unwilling to help at first and the lake people believe they are saved from the dragon. Sometimes it gets confusing to keep your mind focused. For example, in the movie, when they switch to a different character and a different place, it takes time for your mind to register the fact that it is a different character and a different place. And by the time your mind registers that fact, the different character in the different place starts talking to another different character in the same different place about some different topic that takes a longer time to register in your mind. That’s the only problem with a lot of things going on, but I feel that it is sort of necessary in such a big world that having a lot going on is normal and when there is a lot going on there is more of a wide area to expect plot twists. This keeps the audience on the edge of their seats and wanting to know what happens next. Both the movie and the book kept me on the edge of my seat.

If you haven’t read or watched The Hobbit, I recommend both the book and the movies to you, but there are two different Hobbit movies at the moment and a third one on its way so make sure, if you would like to see them, that you watch The Unexpected Journey first, and then The Desolation of Smaug, so that you get the story going in the right direction and not backwards. Post a comment below if you have seen the movie or read the books, and just say to those around you how epic they are and how both the movie and the book can take your breath away.

-Kyle H., 7th grade

Book vs. Movie: Catching Fire – Further Analysis

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catching_fire_book_movieMy family and I saw The Hunger Games: Catching Fire recently and I wanted to compare it to the book.

First of all, the time that they spent in the actual arena in the movie was shortened a lot. It probably consisted of half the time they spent in the arena in the book. Also, the time that they spent in their district was a lot longer than the previous movie. Both movies, it seems, spent more time in the districts than in the arena. Third, as the years go on, book-based movies in general are becoming more and more like the original books. Catching Fire was no exception. I could remember so many things from the book that were put into the movie that I was quite overwhelmed.

Although, in the book –SPOILER ALERT—after Katniss is taken from the arena in a hovercraft containing Finnick, Haymitch, and Gale, they talk a lot more about what has happened while the games were taking place. In the movie, there was just a lot of screaming and not much talking. Katniss is pretty scary when she gets angry. I don’t remember Haymitch –SPOILER ALERT (again)—giving Finnick his gold bracelet or that Effie gives Haymitch one, also. Otherwise, the movie and the book were more alike than I would have thought them to be if I had not watched the movie.

If you have not read the book: read it – your lives will be better, I assure you. And also, watch the movie too. Compare them if you want, and post a comment below about what you thought about them!

-Kyle H., 7th grade

What Books Would Harry Potter Read?

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If Harry Potter was real and he wanted to read a good book… what would I recommend to him? Though there are a lot of great books out there, I think I would have him read Divergent by Veronica Roth, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney.

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I picked Divergent because the action-packed book is so suspenseful, it makes the story all that more exciting. With everything Harry has been through, I think that the mix of suspense and action is just right for him. Also, in reading Divergent, Harry might relearn how it is one’s choices that make one who they really are.

hunger_games_coverIn The Hunger Games and its sequels, rebellious thoughts are what drive the people forward to keep them sane. I thought that the battles of mind and body might make a fun read for Harry. He knows all about trying to keep a straight mind and a ready body. In doing so, one can focus on the task at hand and see it finished. Without this determination, all main characters would not succeed.

diary_of_a_wimpy_kidFinally, I chose Diary of a Wimpy Kid because with all this violence and hardships, one should be able to sit back and relax with a fun, entertaining book. It must be hard to live through all the tough times and not have a laugh, so I thought Harry would have a good time enjoying a book so different from his own life. These are all books that I liked and found entertaining, so I would believe that Harry Potter would like to relax and take a ride down imagination lane during these thrilling tales.

-Kyle H., 7th grade

Book Review: Sorcerer of the North, by John Flanagan

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sorcerer_north_coverDark and cloaked, a lone figure lurks through the trees. A bow in his hands and a quiver on his back, he trudged through the marsh. A hunting eagle swoops down onto him, but the cloaked man ducks, pulls out his duel knives and fights off the bird. Then he drops his knives and pulls an arrow from his quiver. He draws his bow and fires his arrow. The bird falls from the sky and sinks into the mud before the man. This man is a Ranger.

Rangers are the most mysterious and independent people of all the land. They have the best shot with a bow and arrow, great speed, camouflage, and can block a sword blow with two small knives. These Rangers protect each kingdom from the invading Skandians and Temujai. In this book, the fifth volume in the Ranger’s Apprentice series, Will, an apprentice Ranger, goes on a quest to save a kingdom when their leader is struck with a mysterious illness.

Will goes undercover as a jongleur, who plays music at a local tavern, to find out what happened to the leader and who is behind it. Is it sorcery or could it be one of Will’s own Ranger friends?

Post a comment about what you think will happen! I really like this book so far, so I think you should read it if you are into books with a mix of medieval times, and fictional story lines and characters!

-Kyle H., 7th grade

Books that Inspire

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photo by flickr user derya

I figured that this month I wanted to write about something different than a book review. This month, I’m going to write about a book that I’m writing, and about the books which inspired my story ideas.I haven’t come up with a decent title yet, but I just finished the thirteenth chapter a few days ago. I started writing this story when I was in third grade because of a school assignment, but then I got carried away and my story was more than 500 words. Ever since then I wanted to finish the book, so I would work on it whenever I could in between my busy schedule.

Basically, this story has an action-packed, adventurous story line: An evil villain wants to take over the world and only a team of military special ops guys can stop him. They go on epic adventures including fighting ninjas next to a bottomless pit, and escaping a scout’s old military commander in a broken down, deserted city.

After I started writing and got a bunch of ideas out of my head, I realized that in most of the books that I read I always wanted to add something from my own imagination. Books have inspired me to continue writing my own story.

For example, I read a Marvel comic book that talked about invasions of aliens and super human powers. I thought these ideas would be cool to put into my story. When I read a Hardy Boys mystery book, I was inspired to put some mystery into my story. An Indiana Jones book inspired me to put some high-flying action into my book, too. I think that a little bit of everything in a story creates an amazing plot!

To sum it all up, when you mix different types of books with your own imagination, you can make anything come to life on the page. If you have ever been inspired to write because of a book you read, make a post in the comments about that inspiration.

-Kyle H., 7th grade

Book Review: The Lost Hero, by Rick Riordan

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lost_hero_coverIn The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan, a teenage boy named Jason ventures through the USA accompanied by Piper and Leo, his two closest friends. While trying to save the goddess Hera, these children are chased and attacked by a number of monsters and demons who were sent by the earth goddess Gaea. Jason is also on a quest to find his true identity, to find out why he was sent to America, and where he was before. Jason has no recollection of his life before being dumped on a school bus in the middle of a field trip to the Grand Canyon.

In this thrilling tale, secrets will be spilled, narrow escapes will be made, and identities will be told. I give this book a 9.5 out of ten because of its amazing descriptive detail and many “on-the-edge-of-your-seat” moments.

Rick Riordan has written two sequels to this book: The Son of Neptune and The Mark of Athena. The next book in the series, House of Hades, comes out in October. I am currently reading the Son of Neptune which is also a great book that I recommend and I plan to read The Mark of Athena once I am done with this book. Rick Riordan is a great author and I have enjoyed many of his other series, like The Kane Chronicles and The Olympians.

-Kyle H., 7th grade

Authors We Love: Cinda Williams Chima

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Cinda Williams Chima has written three amazing books that I have read and reread more times than I can count. These books are The Warrior Heir, The Wizard Heir, and The Dragon Heir.

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Her first book, The Warrior Heir, tells about a teenage boy who learns about an underground society of magical guilds. There are wizards, warriors, soothsayers, sorcerers, and enchanters. This boy is a warrior who is put on a journey to the Game where warriors fight to the death for wizard’s enjoyment. The boy wants to put an end to it.

In her next book, The Wizard Heir, the story is of another boy, however this boy is a wizard. This story tells how he finds out he is very powerful, but is cursed with misfortune in his early life: he burns a barn down and his friends are killed by a psycho principal.

In the third book, The Dragon Heir, a boy named Jason finds magical objects in a cave in England, and brings them back to the sanctuary of Trinity, Ohio. Meanwhile, Madison Moss has some house problems and tries to solve the mystery on who is behind trying to get their house. Also, the guilds are trying to protect the sanctuary against a whole army of bad wizards.

Her books are very entertaining and I really wish that she would write more! Click in the box below if you want to post a comment about these books, similar books, or other books by Cinda Williams Chima.

-Kyle H., 7th grade