Author Archives: Will R.

Book Review: Dead Cat Bounce, by Nic Bennett

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dead_cat_bounceAs soon as I read the back of Dead Cat Bounce by Nic Bennett, I knew it was a book that I would like. It had everything I was looking for; action, cliffhangers at the end of chapters, and it kept my attention the whole way through. Even though the subject in the book, banking, was not really something I was interested in, Mr. Bennett managed to keep it exciting. This book is not well known, or by a very famous author, but it is still a good read.

In Dead Cat Bounce, Jonah Lightbody, a twelve year old boy, goes to work with his father David, at Helsby, Cattermole, and Partners. After his parents’ divorce, Jonah believes that his father has lost interest in him, so when his father agrees to let Jonah go to work with him, Jonah is in high spirits. However, Jonah soon meets another banker, the Baron, who is a “Whistler,” or someone who likes to be on the wild side, unlike David, who is a “Drizzler.” The Baron soon discovers Jonah’s amazing photographic memory, and puts him to work, making millions a day, until David finds out and puts a stop to it. However, four years later, Jonah quits school, and goes back to work with the Baron and his group, until the market crashes, everything goes wrong, and something shocking occurs that will change both David and Jonah’s lives forever. Soon, Jonah will never be able to trust anyone again.

I think Dead Cat Bounce makes for a very good entertaining read, and it is a fun book. It is definitely a book that I would read again, and I would recommend this book to other readers. The minimum age level for reading this book would be thirteen years old.

-Will R., 9th grade

Introduction to the Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer Series, by John Grisham

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activist_coverAction, adventure, and excitement.The Activist, the fourth book in the Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer series by John Grisham has all this and more.

Grisham is known for his adult novels, such as The Firm and Pelican Brief. The Theodore Boone series is his first series for younger readers. These books are extremely well written, and keep your attention until the end. In this series, a boy named Theodore Boone, thirteen years old, has two parents who are lawyers. Theodore is an only child, and he also wants to be a lawyer when he gets older, so he helps his friends and family with small cases, while, in the meantime, a bigger problem is manifesting itself. For example, in the second book of the series, Theodore’s friend is kidnapped by her own father.

In The Activist, the most current book, Theodore is trying to stop a highway bypass from being built in his town that will cost two million dollars, and will pollute the air while cutting through a school, and a soccer field. The city council is also spending money on the bypass while eliminating important school programs. Theodore uses his skills to determine the illegal actions in which the city is engaging. In the meantime, Theodore is trying to help his friend because the bypass will be built on his friend’s family’s land.

This book series can be read by both boys and girls, but I would recommend that the minimum reading age be thirteen years old. I also recommend that you should read the whole series in order, as it will make reading more enjoyable. Overall, the Theodore Boone series is a great summer read, especially the fourth and most recent one.  This is definitely a series everyone should check out.

-Will R., 9th grade

Book Review: White Fang, by Jack London

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white_fang_coverThis month, I am blogging about a book that I have always wanted to read, yet have never had a chance to read, until now. White Fang by Jack London is one of those classics that people are always telling me about, yet, even though I am always reading something, I have never read it. As soon as I picked it up and looked at the back cover, I knew that it would be a book that I would like a lot.

I do not want to give the whole plot away, but White Fang starts out as a tiny puppy struggling for survival, half dog and half wolf. He is found by a cruel man named Gray Beaver, whose brother owned White Fang’s mother. Gray Beaver turns White Fang into a nasty and vicious dog that cannot trust anyone, and White Fang has to quickly learn how to hurt, or be hurt, and soon becomes the most feared and hated dog in Gray Beaver’s tribe. Gray Beaver then sells White Fang to an even nastier man named Beauty Smith, who discovers White Fang’s fighting abilities, and has him fight other dogs for money. Without spoiling anything, I can gladly say that the ending is a happy one, where White Fang finally learns that some people can be kind and caring after all.

White Fang is a story of survival, and trust. It is also a story of love and companionship. White Fang is a great story, and I really like Mr. London’s style of writing. He shows what it is really like to be out in the harsh lonely world with no one to trust, and no one on which to rely. White Fang is not the best book I have ever read, but I really enjoyed it, and would recommend it to anyone above nine years old (a little of a complicated read for younger children), boy or girl, who enjoys reading, especially about animals and nature. All in all, White Fang is definitely a great book and I would most certainly read it again.

-Will R., 9th grade

Book Review: Hokey Pokey, by Jerry Spinelli

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hokey_pokey_coverA land where grownups do not exist, kids run free, riding on bikes and tricycles of all different shapes and sizes, while visiting the Hippodrome and Snuggles… where the Hokey Pokey man comes every day to serve cube shaped snow cones in every flavor from chocolate to jalapeño.

Welcome to Hokey Pokey, by Jerry Spinelli, a recently written book for teens about a fantasy land where boys rule day and night, and girls are not liked.

In the land of Hokey Pokey, Jack, an older boy is the leader of everyone, and spends his time cruising Gorilla Hill on his bike and always fooling around with his two amigos, Dusty and LaJo. Jack, the main character, has his prize bike stolen from by a popular girl, and he tries to get it back with the help of his two amigos.  But Jack also has another problem on his hands.  He is getting too old for Hokey Pokey, and his tattoo that all children in Hokey Pokey are issued as soon as they arrive is disappearing fast. Jack loves Hokey Pokey, but knows that it is getting ready for him to leave Hokey Pokey, where ever that may take him.

This book is a magical and humorous read, and even though girls are not accepted in the book, I feel this is for all genders, yet it is mostly geared towards boys. Hokey Pokey has nonstop action, and is always on the go, always amusing and entertaining.

Another thing I liked about the book is that every chapter switches perspectives, whether it is Jack’s, Dusty’s, LaJo’s, or Jubilee’s (the girls who stole Jack’s bike).  Hokey Pokey is a heartfelt story with a surprise ending that will definitely satisfy the reader.

Overall, I would say that Hokey Pokey was one of the better books that I have ever read, and I would recommend it to any teen who likes to read.

-Will R., 9th grade

Book Review: The House of the Scorpion, by Nancy Farmer

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house_scorpionThe House of the Scorpion, by Nancy Farmer is a very interesting blend of science fiction and fantasy. It is a very powerful story that shocks its readers due to its graphic, and sometimes disturbing, subject matter. This book can be read by either gender, and anybody who reads this book will most likely enjoy it.  In it, a “boy” named Matteo Alcrán lives in a place between the United States and where Mexico once was.  But, Matteo is not really a boy. He is a clone harvested from the fields for the purpose of being a body part donor to rich elderly men.. Matteo is not any clone, however. He is the clone of the founder of Opium, an elderly man named El Patrón. Matteo is first raised by a worker of El Patrón’s, a woman named Cecelia, whom Matteo believes is his mother, because she loves him very much. One day when some children, relatives of El Patrón, find him and take him away, Matteo gets hurt and finds out the truth about himself.  El Patrón loves Matteo very much, and lets him live, grow up, and act like a normal boy. However, the rest of the Alcrán family, El Patrón’s relatives, do not like Matteo, and would like to see him dead.  Matteo is surrounded with bodyguards, who teach him the secrets of life.

By the time he turns 14, Matteo feels very special, and does not consider himself a clone anymore.  He then takes a turn for the worse, by ordering  slaves around and rudely demanding things of people. But when El Patrón become very sick, he needs a donor to give him a heart, and Matteo is chosen. However, something very surprising and shocking happens, and Matteo escapes, his head and heart confused and full of both betrayal and loyalty. Matteo is caught and brought to a harvesting plantation for boy orphans, where all the orphans do is harvest plankton, seaweed, and shrimp. The boys are given nothing to eat except plankton, and are treated horribly, until Matteo again escapes with the help of three boys named Ton Ton, Chacho, and Fidelito. They all struggle through the desert, until they finally arrive at a town, only to be greeted by the bosses at the orphanage, who try to kill them.  The boys overpower the men, and discover a very surprising ending, which will rivet anybody who reads this book. Overall, I highly recommend The House of the Scorpion for any teen.

-Will R., 8th grade

Event Recap: Eoin Colfer Author Visit

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Last weekend, a very exciting and rare event took place at the Mission Viejo library.    Mr. Eoin Colfer, the author of Airman, the Artemis Fowl series, and the newly released The Reluctant Assassin, visited the library, and spoke to many eager and excited kids and adults.

Before Mr. Colfer came out to speak, a magician entertained the audience with a few funny card tricks. The magician was quite engaging and had the audience in stitches.  Mr. Colfer was then introduced. He began his presentation by telling an entertaining story about the Irish sport of hurling. One day, he was in America talking about his books, and a little girl asked him what he liked to do for fun.  He responded by saying that he enjoyed hurling. It goes without saying that the little girl thought Mr. Colfer was referring to something besides the Irish sport. The whole conversation between Mr. Colfer and the girl went downhill from there.

eoin_colfer04Once the audience was laughing, Mr. Colfer began talking about the famous Artemis Fowl, and how he got the ideas for the characters. Artemis was based on his little brother, who was always getting into troublesome situations, like the time his little brother got out of art class by drinking water mixed with paint. Then, he told the audience that even though his wife did not want Mr. Colfer to base the character of  Artemis Fowl’s mother on her, he did it anyway. Mr. Colfer would get the character’s traits by asking his wife sneaky questions from time to time. Beckett and Miles, the two little brothers in the end of Artemis Fowl, are characters based upon Mr. Colfer’s sons, Finn and Shawn, even though Finn is now a teenager. However, Mr. Colfer admitted that Butler, Artemis’ butler, is merely a character which was born out of his imagination.

reluctant_assassin_coverMr. Colfer also spoke about the background of his first book in the W.A.R.P. series.  While he tried to make it scary, it did not turn out as scary as he hoped, even though one of the main characters is a psychotic killer magician who makes his apprentice murder people. Mr. Colfer ended his talk by reminiscing about his childhood, and how he was always bullied for reading. Mr. Colfer answered questions, one of them being from this author. I asked him if it was easier to write his Artemis Fowl books after he had written the first one, and he answered yes.

Mr. Colfer’s interview was very exciting, and was one of the most exciting events that I have attended. Mr. Colfer is a very entertaining speaker, and I would definitely recommend going to hear him speak next time he is in town.

-Will R., 8th grade

Book Review: Middleworld, by J&P Voelkel

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middleworld_coverMiddleworld, the first book in The Jaguar Stones series by J & P Voelkel, is a very interesting and exciting book that many teens would enjoy. However, this book is directed towards boys more than girls. If you like action adventure books, this is for you, as it deals with a 14 year old boy named Max Murphy who lives in Boston.

One day, Max is mysteriously sent on a quest to the South American jungle to rescue his missing archeologist parents. Max has a very difficult time, as his biggest talent is playing video games, and he wants nothing to do with nature. On Max’s journey, he teams up with a witty and clever Mayan girl named Lola, who helps Max rescue his parents from the Mayan underworld.

Middleworld has a story within a story, and can be a little confusing in the beginning, as when Max goes to live with his uncle in South America, who Max thinks is in the banana business, but is really a smuggler. Also, Tiny Jim, the uncle’s right hand, seems to hate Max, but surprises the reader at the end of the book.  As this book draws to a close, all of these events will make sense.

There are many funny and scary moments in this book, making the book hard to put down; such as when Max finally faces the Mayan Lords of Death, and has to outsmart them, or when the Mayan villagers play a practical joke on Max by giving him very spicy stew to eat. This book also provides a lot of interesting background information on the Mayan people, and their relics and pyramids, so if one enjoys history, this book will be especially interesting.

Overall, Middleworld is a very exciting book, and I am really looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series.  This book is definitely one that everybody should read, and once they start, I promise that they will not be able to put it down until they are finished.

-Will R., 8th grade