Author Archives: Sarah J.

Book Review: The Edge on the Sword by Rebecca Tingle

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edge_swordSurprise. Stealth. Unbalancing her enemy. These were three things taught to Æthelflæd, a fifteen-year-old girl, by her teacher and guardian.

Æthelflæd, or Flæd for short, is the oldest daugter and child of King Alfred. Her life suddenly changes, when she turns fifteen, with her father’s announcement of her engagement to her father’s friend in a neighboring country. Suddenly, she has to be constantly guarded by a man named Red, who would become her teacher as well, and she has to become even more like a gentlewomen. Flæd struggles with the changes that is brought with the engagement and the new guard. She soon learns much about the twist of turns of life with the learning of new skills and the attacks of others.

The Edge on the Sword by Rebecca Tingle is a historical fiction story based on Æthelflæd of Mercia who is considered the most famous women in English military history. The author tried to tell what she believe would be the life Æthelflæd when she was younger. Also there are references to the famous story, Beowulf.

Flæd is an inspiring character to me. Even as a girl in the late 800s, Flæd does her best to give her opinion and view on what is happening to her. She thinks out of the box and learns quickly. She has fears but acknowledges them and tries to overcome them. She changes from a girl to a women through the book.

This is a book I would recommend for older readers. There is fighting and the death of characters in the story, which might be unsuited for a younger reader. It is a great example of a girl coming to the part of her life that she has to grow up and be able to do things and think for herself. It also provides action and a bit of history for those who love that. Of course  this is only what I think. Read it for yourself and find out!

– Sarah J., 8th grade

Book Review: A Single Shard, by Linda Sue Park

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single_shard“He would make replicas, dozens if needed, until the glaze was like jade and water. And the vase would be carefully inlaided, with a design of-of…” – An excerpt from A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park

A Single Shard is the story of an orphan, Tree-ear, in a potter’s village in Korea during the twelfth century. It was written by Linda Sue Park, who weaves a artful story of the orphan’s life and pottery.This is a fantastic book that won the 2002 Newbery Award.

Tree-ear is a 12-year-old boy who lives with a crippled man named Crane-man. They live together under a bridge in the small Korean potter’s village of Ch’ulp’o. They both scavenge and hunt for food to live. Living in such a town, Tree-ear naturally becomes attracted to the art of making pottery. Ch’ulp’o was one of many villages that were known for a be able to create beautiful pots of a rare celadon green color. Tree-ear likes especially to watch a potter named Min. Min is known to create some of the best pieces in the village, but is incredibly slow. Tree-ear by accident damages one of Min’s pieces and does work for Min to repay for the lost time. This eventually become a sort of apprenticeship. Even so, Tree-ear has to deal with Min dissatisfaction and refusals to teach him to shape a pot.   When the news of a royal commission reaches Ch’ulp’o, Tree-ears hopes to finally gain Min approval and respect. 

A Single Shard is a incredible book. This has been a favorite of mine ever since I read it several years ago– a tale that good for any age. This is a historical fiction that shows a peek into the history, art, and culture of ancient Korea. This story is also about the importance of family, and how it can change a person in both a good and bad way. Not much action or adventure, but a great book to read as a family. Read it for yourself and decide.

– Sarah J., 8th grade

Book Review: Alanna: The First Adventure By Tamora Pierce

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alannaThe first book to a incredible saga of books in the mythical Kingdom of Tortall starts with a girl wanting to become a knight. 

Alanna of Trebond is determined to be a knight but her father, who doesn’t care about her goals, wants to send her to a convent to learn how to be a noble lady. Without her father’s knowing, she and her twin brother, Thom, switch places. Thom, who wants to learn magic was going to be sent to become a knight, so he gladly goes to the convent, which is where he could learn magic. That is only the beginning of Alanna’s adventures.

The First Adventure is the first book of the Song of the Lioness series written by Tamora Pierce. This is the first book that started the series of adventures in the mythical Kingdom of Tortall.

This story is about Alanna’s journey of pretending to be a boy named Alan so she can become a knight. This first book is all about her Page years. She encounters plenty of other pages during training from Raoul of Goldenlake, Gareth of Naxen the Younger, Francis of Nond, Alexander of Tirragen, and Crown Prince Jonathan of Conte– some who become her enemies, and others who become her best friends. She meets and befriends the young King of Thieves, George Cooper, who becomes a important ally. Alanna has to cope with a magical power that she doesn’t want, while her suspicions of the prince’s magic filled cousin, Duke Roger, become increasingly larger. 

The first of an amazing series,The First Adventure has a strong female protagonist who deals with life and troubles like anybody else. Filled with action and adventure as Alanna methodically- sometimes dangerously- goes through her first training years disguised as a boy. This I would recommend for older readers as well as the rest of the series. This book and series does deal with maturing of girls, due to the aging of the main characters. The book also contains some rather strange and maybe creepy creatures. There is also a touch on the subject of love and the difficulties between family.  This is what I think, but read it for yourself!

I’ve reviewed two other books written by Tamora Pierce: Battle Magic and First Test.

– Sarah J., 8th grade

Manga Review: Naruto, By Masashi Kishimoto; Land of Waves Arc

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naruto_vol2This is the third part of my review about Naruto. Please read the first and second parts if you missed them.

After the Instruction Arc is the Land of Waves Arc.The Land of the Waves Arc is the first major arc in the series. This arc is covered in between chapter nine to thirty three. These chapters were later complied together in the second to fourth tankobon volumes.

In the previous arc, Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Sasuke Uchiha were placed in a squad together with Kakashi Hatake-sensei (sensei meaning teacher) after graduating the Ninja Academy. They pass is test and officially become genin, which is the lowest ninja rank.  After being officially placed together Kakashi’s Squad, which is also known as Squad 7, they are given missions to complete in order to build their teamwork and give them experience that they will have to use when they are older.

This arc starts with Squad 7 receiving a new mission. Naruto, who complains about receiving a d-ranked missions, demands to have a c-ranked mission. Typically genin are only give d-rank missions because they are the safest and easiest to do. C, B, A- Ranked missions are only given to ninjas that are a higher rank. The Hokage, who is the leader or commander of the ninjas, reluctantly gives in. The Hokage gives Squad 7 a c-ranked escort mission. They have to escort Tazuna, a bridge builder, back to his home in the Land of Waves. At first this seams like a simple, easy escort mission. Then they start to get attacked by ninjas on the road to the Land of Waves. They learn that there is something much more to the mission that Tazuna did not tell them about. Squad 7 also meets Zabuza Momochi, who is a dangerous ninja that is out to stop them, and Haku, a mysterious boy that no one knows anything about.Will they ever reach the Land of Waves and come back alive?

This is one of my favorite of the many arcs of the Naruto series. This is were you see the first major developments of  the main characters. This is when Naruto, the main character, faces his first major adversary. You start to learn more the stories of the main characters. The story also starts to become more serious compared to the earlier chapters. 

This is only my view of the manga. I would recommend this for 8-years-old and up due to the fact there is violence. This is also very good for anyone who loves adventure and action. I don’t know how you would like it, so read it to find out.

-Sarah J., 8th grade

Book Review: Circle of Cranes, by Annette LeBox

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circle_of_cranes_coverAsian legends about cranes and real life in New York during 1999 and 2000 are two subjects I would find very interesting to be in the same story. In this book, Circle of the Cranes by Annette LeBox, the author masterfully combines the two to create an amazing tale that is both rooted in truth and fiction,

The story is about a thirteen-year-old orphan girl by the name of Suyin who is sent away to New York by her Chinese village. Her life is far from easy in New York. She works in a sweetshop earning barely pennies each day. She also finds about her connections with an ancient Crane Sisterhood that is high above the earth in a place called He-Shan. She goes through the trials and trouble both with the Sisterhood and in New York. Suyin perseveres through all of this and eventually the good things start to happening.

It books is personally one of my favorites of a combination of real life and legends. Suyin is just a normal 13-year-old girl but she seems so much older. Some stories I have read have a really hard time with combining Chinese legends with American history due to the fact that they are barely related to each other. This book pulled it off amazingly. All the characters were well created and fleshed out in a way that you get to know them really well and they seem to come to life.

Other than Suyin, my favorite character is a boy named Pang because he is a normal boy who plays a large part in the story. His personality makes him very likeable too. This book deals with the fact of unfair labor laws and there is somethings that only slightly more mature teenagers might be able to understand. Well, for me this is a great book to read but you might think differently– so read it for yourself.

-Sarah J., 8th grade

Manga Review: Naruto Introduction Arc, by Masashi Kishimoto

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naruto2This is the next part of my review about Naruto. (See my previous one here.)

The manga series, Naruto, is a huge story that has many smaller story arc that tell a part of the who story. Introduction Arc is the first story arc of the series. This arc covers the first eight chapters of the manga. The first tankobon volume of the series contains the first seven chapters and the eighth chapter is in the second volume.

As the title suggests, it introduces the main characters in the series as well as some of the supporting characters. The main character which the story revolves around is Naruto Uzumaki and his life which starts in the Ninja Leaf Village or Konohagakure.

Naruto is a 12-year-old, blonde-head boy who is full of energy and mischief and is at the bottom of his class. Then there is Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha. Both of them are the same age as Naruto but Sakura is a pink-hair girl, that hates Naruto and is crazy about Sasuke. Sasuke, on the other hand, is child genius that is the last of his family and has a goal to gain revenge against a mysterious person. Sasuke has no other goal or ambition beyond that. Kakashi Hatake is the person that becomes the sensei of the three after they graduate from the Ninja Academy. With silver hair, sleepy looking eyes and a habit of being late Kakashi might not seem much but he has plenty of secrets. Then there is Iruka Umino.

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke are put through a graduation test, by Kakashi, to see if they are worthy of becoming ninjas and his students. They are presented with the task of trying to retrieve two bells from Kakashi’s belt. This is no easy task since Kakashi is one of the most powerful ninja in the Leaf Village. On top of that only the two students who successfully retrieve the bell will graduate but there is a hidden motive beyond what they were told. Will they ever find out?

This personally was and remains one of my favorite arcs because this is the first time the I ever met the characters. I look back after reading the later chapter and realize how much they have grown. This arc has a lot of comedic parts that made me laugh and enough serious parts to balance them out. The art is simple and well-drawn.

This is a great read for anyone who likes adventure and manga. There are some fighting scenes but I would still recommend this to anyone over the age of 8. The only way to learn more about it is to read it! So read it and find out!

-Sarah J., 8th grade

Book Review: Curse of the Spider King, by Wayne Thomas Baston & Christopher Hopper

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curse_of_the_spider_kingSeven kids who live in six places different places in our world. They are all separate but they are linked by their history and race.

Curse of the Spider King is the story is about seven kids who are all thirteen and are living on this earth:  Tommy Bowman, Autumn Briarman, Johnny Briarman, Jett Green, James “Jimmy” Gresham, Kat Simonson, and Kiri Lee Yuen. In this book, they learn about the truth of their birth in another world called Allyra. The learn about the fact that they are elves of royal birth. The seven learn about the one that cause them to be taken from their home to earth and is now their enemy, The Spider King.

Curse of the Spider King  is the first of The Berinfell Prophecies trilogy. 

Curse of the Spider King has an amazing cast of well-formed characters as well as plenty of unique and cool places. This book is a great read for anyone who like adventure and fantasy. Just a warning, first time readers might find this book slightly hard to understand at first since for this particular book it tends to jump around to different places each chapter. It should be easier once you understand some of the jumps. This happened to me when I first read Curse of the Spider King. I had read books from both of the author before I read this. I know that both of them are excellent writers in their own way. This book, I found more interesting and slightly confusing due to that. There is fighting in this book as well as in the rest of the series for those who are watching out for that kind of stuff. Even so, I would recommend it to anyone. Of course, this is only what I think. Read it and decide.

-Sarah J., 8th grade

Book Review: Battle Magic by Tamora Pierce

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battle_magicA fully qualified mage that is sixteen-years-old. His student who is twelve but has enough power to match up to many older mages. The mage mentor who is also a powerful mage. These three are an interesting pair as they travel to the fictional country of Yanjing.

Battle Magic by Tamora Pierce was not a book I just picked up from the library. This is actually a book read because Mrs. Tran, who is the manager of the site, sent out a email asking kids to review some advance copies of books she had received from the publishers. I offered to review this book and so because of this I didn’t know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised when I read this book.

The story is about sixteen-year-old Briar, his twelve-year-old student Evvy, and Briar mentor, Rosethorn. These three are visiting a mountain kingdom called Gyongxe when they are invited by the Emperor of the kingdom of Yanjing to see his gardens. During their time at the Emperor gardens, they realize the true nature of the emperor and a plot to invade Gyongxe.

When I read this book, I honestly had no clue what it was about. I have read book by this author before, such as the Protector of the Small series (see my review of the first book). This book is actually the middle of of a series as well. I was greatly surprise to find out that this book is easy enough to understand even without reading the previous books.  I loved all of the character and the story drew me in quickly.

One of my favorite parts was the characters. This was because even though most of these characters were powerful but they still have the troubles like normal person. Each character was well created and seemed to be real. Another part of the story that i like was the incorporation of Asian culture. Tamora Pierce has been one of the few authors of non-Asian descent that has parts of the Asian cultures in her story.

I don’t know if you would like it but I certainly did. Read it for yourself and find out.

-Sarah J., 8th grade

Book Review: Eragon by Christopher Paolini

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eragon_coverDragons, magic, elves, dwarfs, and war are all common elements of many stories. Eragon was one of the first I have read that has a dragon that is actually a main character not a main supporting character. Excellent read for anyone who likes the things I listed above.

Eragon is the first book of a currently four-book series called The Inheritance Cycle written by Christopher Paolini.

 The book is about a boy named Eragon. Eragon has always believed he was just a normal farm boy with a normal birth. He knows nothing of his mother nor nothing of this father. He was raised by an uncle of his and lived with his uncle and his uncle’s son on their farm. Eragon lived a kind of shelter life from most of the outside world since the valley that he lived him was rarely visited from the outside. One day he finds a polished blue stone. This stone would bring him out of his simple life and the valley in which he lived. This stone would bring a dragon into his life that will lead him to magic, elves, and a whole host of other creatures and humans.

Eragon is a very well-written story. The story is very well planned out and detailed– not in the way that bores people but holds their interest. Each character seems to have some sort of mystery behind them that makes the reader want to discover more. The main character, Eragon, still makes mistakes like a normal person and admits that he does them. This makes him feel more like the reader. Another thing that is interesting in this series is the diverse amount of species in the story. There are not only plenty of different sort of humans but there are also things like Urgals (Read the story to find out more about these creatures).

In the end, this book is amazing. Well, at least for me. It has plenty of adventure and excitement for both male and female readers. This book and the complete series itself, I personally would recommend it to older or more advanced readers. The reason is that some of the more emotional side of the story can be hard to understand and take in some of the time. This series also deals with a lot of fighting, war, betrayal, and other slightly more mature things. This review is only my opinion. Really it is up to you. Have Fun!

Extra Note: If you would like to learn more about the author of the Inheritance Cycle series, check out Phillip X.’s post about Christopher Paolini.

-Sarah J., 8th grade

Story Poem: One Tale of Pirates and Others

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One Tale of Pirates and Others

The cold wind blew as the stars came out;
The blue shining waves tossed about.
The full moon glowed as many clouds went past;
The moon’s light went up a tall ship’s mast. 

On the ship’s mast flew Davey Jones’s banner;
The ship’s side had the name Pirate Manor.
Onto the ship deck, rum boxes were had;
Soon the entire ship’s crew became drunk and mad. 

The captain ordered the bobbing ship to land,
While the men held rum in their hand.
The ship stopped at an empty, deserted beach;
Pirates clambered off and for another bottle they reached. 

The seven pirates were ordered to gather lots of wood.
They built a fire to help liven up the mood.
The other pirates sat as they lit a blazing fire.
Soon the burning fire became increasingly higher. 

One of the pirates had a rather interesting thought,
And stood up and began to sing a song as the rest talk.
The pirates began to sing along to the song
Soon they began to dance all night long.

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