Book Review: Sorcerer of the North, by John Flanagan

Posted on October 7, 2013 by Kyle H.

Dark 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

Book Review: Battle Magic by Tamora Pierce

Posted on October 4, 2013 by Sarah J.

A 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: The Raft, by S.A. Bodeen

Posted on October 4, 2013 by Sabrina C.

Sixteen-year-old Robie just wants to grow up. When she finds out she could stay with her Aunt Jillian, AJ, for a few weeks, she is so excited. AJ lets Robie do anything, so there areno rules. But when her aunt has to leave in the middle of her stay, Robie is all alone. She thinks she is mature enough and responsible enough to take care of herself. The day after her aunt leaves, Robie starts to question her ability to handle difficult situations when bad things start to happen. She knows she isn’t ready, so she decides to go home the next day.

She boards a cargo plane, with a family-friend as the pilot, Larry. She knows him and trusts him, so even though she is the only passenger, she isn’t worried. There is also a new co-pilot, Max. She thinks this is just another ordinary flight, but it’s not. When they are flying, there is a storm ahead. They try going straight through it, but the engine fails. Next thing they know, they are falling to the sea below.

When Robie comes to, she finds herself in the middle of the ocean, in a raft, with Max. They have no food, no water, and no help. She starts to think about everyone she will never see again – her family, her friends. She knows they are doomed.

Will they make it? There is only one way to find out.

This story is fantastic! I couldn’t put it down. This is a real page-turner. It has so many twists and unexpected events. It’s a thriller, so I would recommend this book for people who love suspense. There are some intense scenes, but not too scary. I think there should be a movie, so people can really see how the action brings the story to life. This book is definitely in my top ten favorites.

-Sabrina C., 8th grade

Manga Review: Never Give Up vol. 1, by Hiromu Mutou

Posted on October 3, 2013 by Linna C.

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Kiri Minase. She wanted to be the “princess” of a boy named Tohya Enishi. Kiri set her life’s goal at the age of four: to marry Tohya. Years pass, and Kiri still hasn’t given up on her goal. However, there is only one problem, that she looks like a boy! She wants to be as girly and feminine as possible so that she can become the perfect princess for Tohya. However, when her mom hires Tohya in her modeling agency, Kiri decides to follow to protect him and enters the world of modeling as a boy! But then things start getting a little tricky when people start falling in love with Kiri’s male self, and Kiri is kissed by a boy who isn’t Tohya!

This book is a sweet read, and the plotline is superb. It is absolutely hilarious most of the time and will probably make you laugh out loud, or at least laugh inside. Although at times it can get a little confusing, sometimes that added factor is just the thing to make you laugh. I really loved this book. If you ever see it, pick it up and give it a try.

There aren’t any copies in any of the libraries in Orange County, but there is always a chance that you’ll stumble upon it in one of your local bookstores. On a scale from 1 to 10, I would give it an 8.5. As I said before, it can get a little confusing sometimes, nevertheless, I would still recommend this book.

-Linna C., 7th grade

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

Posted on October 3, 2013 by Anmol K.

If 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

Series Review: The Infernal Devices, by Cassandra Clare

Posted on October 2, 2013 by Sara S.

The Infernal Devices is a series written by the well known and loved author Cassandra Clare. A sister to The Mortal Instruments series, The Infernal Devices captures the lives of the ancestors of the characters we know and love.

This series is about a young woman named Tessa Gray, a New Yorker who moved to England to meet her brother. Tessa is on a mission to find her true identity, and find the truth about the life she lived before coming to England. Tessa also falls into a love triangle in which she must choose between the overconfident yet charming Will Herondale, or the sweet and caring Jem Carstairs.

The reader takes an adventure through Tessa’s Victorian England and falls in love with each and every one of the characters. Through clockwork angels and partying with demons, the books contain adventures in every chapter. Not to mention that we get to see what the well known Magnus Bane (from The Mortal Instruments) was like when he was still hanging with the Lightwoods before Alec and Isabelle.

Overall, I would definitely say this is my favorite book series I have ever read, and Cassandra Clare never fails to please her fans with her spectacular writing.

-Sara S., 10th grade

Book Review: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever, by Jeff Kinney

Posted on October 2, 2013 by Satej B.

Let me start off by saying I absolutely love how Jeff Kinney writes his stories! He is funny and always makes me want to read his book again and again. Cabin Fever, another of Jeff’s novels, is riveting and hilarious.

Greg Heffley is a boy who goes to Westmore Middle School. Greg is always looking for shortcuts in his life. Whether it’s money or school, he is always looking for the easy way out. Greg is always looking for ways to earn money and one day while it snows he strikes an idea. But the problem is, can he strike the customers?

He opens up a snow shoveling business. Greg goes around his neighborhood looking for jobs. He finally gets one when a guy agrees with is job. He starts to shovel the driveway doing his best job but it just seems that more and more snow is coming down. After a “short” break he finds an idea that will make him a millionaire- the only thing left is to test it out. A snow mower! He goes to his grandma’s and quickly uses her mower to find out it works great… until it freezes out! Will he ever get rid of the snow and get paid?

I would recommend this book to anyone who is 9 and up. It is really, really, really funny!

-Satej B., 7th grade

Book Review: Esperanza Rising, by Pam Munoz Ryan

Posted on October 1, 2013 by Danielle T.

Esperanza Rising is a great novel about a young Mexican girl’s adventure of riches to rags– quite the opposite of most stories.

Esperanza lives on a big ranch called El Rancho de Las Rosas. There she has servants, huge acres of land, her best friends and a mother, father and grandmother who love her dearly. Esperanza lives the life of a princess, she has everything. That all changes on the day that Esperanza pricked her finger on a rose thorn, bad luck was coming. And she was right.

Esperanza’s father promises to meet her in the garden that day, but he never arrives, having been killed by bandits still bent on the Mexican Revolution. From that point on, Esperanza suffers through her uncles taking advantage of her father’s recent death and proposing to Mama, the burning of El Rancho de Las Rosas, the separation from Abuelita (grandmother), the step by step process to becoming poor and the escape from the only home she had ever known. Moving to California to work (although work was never in Esperanza’s vocabulary) is a big step for Esperanza.

A revolution boiling in the background of this new life and Mama’s sudden illness all come as a surprise to Esperanza. Will she be able to save Mama’s life and her own? Is the strength of love and perseverance truly the strongest medicine of all? Esperanza learns to “never be afraid to start over” because our lives are lives of “mountains and valleys.” After all, “he who falls today may rise tomorrow.”

-Danielle T., 7th grade

Book Review: Perfect Escape

Posted on September 30, 2013 by Kaylie W.

“We all knew what Grayson’s ‘difficulties’ were. Grayson’s difficulties dominated his life. And Mom’s and Dad’s. And mine” (4). Written by Jennifer Brown, Perfect Escape is a realistic-fiction novel that explores OCD, the pressure for perfection, and the ups-and-downs of a sibling relationship.

Her whole life, Kendra has felt restricted by her older brother, Grayson, whose OCD forces him and his family to live a very controlled life. Kendra has always been expected to be perfect, but when a cheating incident threatens her reputation, the pressure of perfection becomes too much. In her car, with Grayson asleep next to her, Kendra unexpectedly decides to run away from it all.

Kendra seems like a very likeable, intelligent, and strong-willed character, although she has some problems that become more noticeable as the plot develops. We see how hard she is on herself, as well as how OCD can affect one’s family. Grayson is a genius, but he has a severe mental illness, and I actually felt bad for him at some points. On their little road trip, Kendra and Grayson get a chance to bond together and see each other’s perspectives.

When I first started reading Perfect Escape, I was a little doubtful and didn’t know what to expect. However, it turned out to be a very intriguing book. It was different from most YA books because it really didn’t have a love story. In addition, the book was deep, with many underlying plots and themes.

Overall, I found this book to be very enjoyable, emotional, and humorous. I loved how it made me connect and sympathize with the characters right away. I thought this book was the perfect blend of happy and sad, and its heartfelt tone made me almost cry at the end. Perfect Escape was definitely a great read, and I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone over the age of thirteen!

-Kaylie W., 9th grade

Book Review: Wonder, by R.J. Palacio

Posted on September 30, 2013 by Becka O.

The book Wonder was truly beautiful, wonderous, and inspiring. It is a realistic fiction about a 5th grade boy going into real school for the first time. This boy has really severe facial deformities and he has had to have tons of surgery. He feels like a normal kid, but to everyone else he has the “Plague,” he looks like a zombie, and other cruel things. When the popular kids gang up on him and he hears his best friend talking about him behind his back, he just deals with it, because “the universe was not kind to [him]. He knows that he is “cool beans.”

Even if you think this book will be, as my friend put it, “another one of those depressing books about kids dealing with bullies in school,” or have something against 5th graders– read it. Everyone must read it. I swear, if you read this book, you will never, ever in your life, look at someone with a facial deformity, wince, and look away. Another good book to read that is more depressing is called Out Of My Mind. I would check Wonder out of the library immediately (I have it checked out right now at my school library). Wonder will change your whole life.

-Becka O., 9th grade

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