Tag Archives: adventure

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

Book Review: Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe

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robinson_crusoeThis book is super awesome. I had to read this book for a school assignment so I automatically thought that it would be boring. But I was in for a big surprise! Its a little slow at first but once you get into it, it gets really exciting.

Young Robinson Crusoe doesn’t want to live the life of his father, a church clergy, so he decides to run away. As he embarks on his journey to wherever life takes him, Robinson’s ship gets devastated by a huge storm. He makes out alive along with the others but is stuck on a small harbor for some time.He later receives help from a Portuguese captain who soon becomes one of his greatest friends. Things seem to go well for Robinson until he is caught and enslaved. In his bondage, Robinson devises a plan to escape and free himself from slavery.

We all know what the book Robinson Crusoe is famous for, right? Well, a short while later, Robinson faces his greatest challenge yet. He goes on another ship where he yet encounters another storm, except that this one actually destroys the ship. He is stranded on an island which he barely manages to come to. With no food or provisions, Robinson Crusoe must fight nature and himself. He comes across many “friends” of both animal and human. But also encounters enemies– the cannibals that rule the island.

Will he survive? Will he ever get off this wretched island? To find that out, you are just going to have to read the book. I hope it gives you the same impression that it gave to me. Enjoy!

-Christina B., 7th grade

Four Reasons NOT to Read the Divergent Series

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divergent_coverThe Divergent series by Veronica Roth offers three very unique novels. However, despite how much I liked, no LOVED, them, there are still some drawbacks to the series. You may want to consider the following if you are thinking about reading the series, if you have not already. Here are four reasons NOT to read these books:

#4. The books are each SOOOO long. The shortest book of the three is Divergent, at 487 pages. Wait a second– did I say the length of the books was a bad thing? Because it isn’t. The books kept me captivated throughout the whole series. The length of the books did not bother me at all. It just gave me a chance to stay immersed in the dystopian world even longer.

#3. Your outside life will SUFFER. At least mine did. I read them on a road trip over Spring Break, and let me just say, my sister was not pleased to see my nose in a book practically every second of the trip. I read at restaurants and at the pool. In fact, Divergent rode in the bicycle basket all around the town. Insurgent weighed down my backpack on a hike. And Allegiant kept me company on the long drive home. So much for that quality family time… I was a little QUITE isolated from them. But you know what, it paid off. I don’t have any regrets… Well, almost no regrets. My sister insists that she saw a waiter wearing a fedora fall backwards into a pool, but because I was deep in the Dauntless compound with Tris and the other initiates, I never saw a thing!

#2. Your heart WILL break. In at least one part of the series, you are practically guaranteed to cry. However, sometimes you need to cry. It adds interest to the story. That said, just don’t read that part of the book in public, unless you want to be seen with tears streaming down your face.

#1. Ummm… The final reason NOT to read Divergent? Honestly, I can’t think of another reason. If you are a younger teen, the romance aspect of the later books might be a little too much, but that depends solely on the reader. Other than that, I can’t come up with any other reason. That just goes to show how much I enjoyed the books.

As you can see, it was really hard for me to even come up with four reasons not to read Divergent, so I guess the conclusion you can draw from all of this is that, in my opinion, these books are worth reading. The moment you finish one book, you find yourself tearing into the next book. Each of the books truly hold your interest.

(P.S. To those who have read the books, yes, there is a reason that I chose ‘Four’ as the number of reasons, and I’m sure you know why…)

-Leila S., 8th grade

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

Book Review: The Unwanteds, by Lisa McMann

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unwanteds_coverThe Unwanteds is a unique dystopian novel by Lisa McMann depicting the fantasy world called Quill. Each year in Quill, all the thirteen-year-olds are categorized into different classifications: the capable, intellectual Wanteds go to university, and the imaginative Unwanteds are sent to die. Thirteen-year-old twins Alex and Aaron Stowe are awaitng to see what their futures look like. Aaron is hopeful of becoming a Wanted; Alex knows that he would not be with his brother because he had been discovered drawing in the dirt. In the desolate region of Quill, being creative is a wrongdoing, punishable by death.

After becoming an Unwanted, Alex must be confronted by the dreaded Eliminators. There he discovers the mage Mr. Today and the secret world called Artimé, where the Unwanted children from Quill have been hiding. Over in Artimé, Alex discovers talking statues, uncommon creatures, and magic. After taking some surprising twists and turns, the ending will be a surprise for anybody.

This is the perfect dystopian novel for any age. I enjoyed it very much because of the element of magic. Even though the book was thick, I could not put it down. I think that Kirkus Review described the book the best when they said that: “The Hunger Games meets Harry Potter.” After reading The Unwanteds, you may enjoy the second book in the series, Island of Silence. I have not read it yet, but if you have please tell me about it! If you are looking for another anti-utopia book, then The Unwanteds is for you.

-Anmol K., 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

 

Book Review: Alabama Moon, by Watt Key

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alabama_moonHave you ever fantasized about residing in the woods? Have you ever envisioned hunting for every meal you need? How about constructing your own dwelling from trees with your own hands? In the book Alabama Moon, by Watt Key, audacious and juvenile ten-year-old Moon Blake has resided his entire existence in the woods with no external connection except for Mr. Abroscotto, who owns the local general store.

After his father succumbs, Moon knows that he has to pursue the last instructions of his father to go north to Alaska. Heading to Alaska, Moon’s journey is stopped precipitously when a policeman catches him. As he battles his way through the outside world he has never known, he comprehends that going to Alaska will not be easy. Read the rest of the novel to see if Moon makes it to Alaska or not.

I would recommend this book to kids who dream of an adventurous life in the woods. I admired how Moon overcame impossible obstacles with his positive spirit. He is a great role model for children everywhere. A funny part was how Moon had never eaten “normal” food and he enjoyed every meal he ate, even though it was sometimes jail food. The only questionable aspect of the book was Moon’s father’s reasons for living in the woods was not that clear, even though it stated that he went to Vietnam. Overall, the book was outstanding, and a great read for somebody craving adventure.

-Anmol K., 7th grade

Book Review: Paper Towns, by John Green

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paper_townsIn continuing my mission to read every John Green novel known to man, I invested my time in Paper Towns.  This book follows the life of high school senior Quentin Jacobsen and his mission to find his first love, Margo, after she mysteriously disappears.  Margo is adventurous and exciting, and acts as a nice foil to Quentin’s shy and reserved personality.

As cheesy as this plotline sounds, Paper Towns was actually an interesting story filled with mystery, comedy, and a break-in to Sea World.  While the ending is somewhat disappointing and frustrating, everything leading up to it is exciting and enlightening.  This story is humorous, yet has dark undertones as it reveals faults in humanity and society.

What I learned through reading this book is that Green is an expert at creating relatable teenaged characters.  In Paper Towns, the main characters are worried about their future, but also concerned with living in the moment.  As we all know, these two tasks can be very difficult to balance.  In Paper Towns, Quentin teaches the readers how to balance the two, and how this combination of enjoying adventure and preparing for the future helps us to discover ourselves and what we want out of life.

-Amanda D., 11th 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 Review: Tokyo Heist, by Dianna Renn

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tokyo_heist_coverTokyo Heist by Dianna Renn is about a sixteen old girl named Violet. She is excited because her father is painting a mural for Kenji and Mitsue Yamada in Tokyo, Japan, and she gets to go with him. In Tokyo, with her father working for the Yamadas, Violet spends time with her best friend, Reika. Her extraordinary vacation turns upside-down when an invaluable sketch by Van Gogh, owned by her father’s clients, is stolen. With Reika, Violet pursues the search for the missing sketches and the accompanying painting. As the enigma expands, Violet isn’t sure who she should trust. Read the rest of the book to find if Violet can find the painting and save the Yamadas.

I liked this book because it perfectly infuses manga (Japanese comic books) with a real life art mystery. Readers who are interested in manga should read this book to get a little insight to it. One thing that I really did not enjoy was Violet’s fantasizing about her own manga series, which sometimes, in my opinion, got a little boring. Otherwise this novel has the perfect components of a thriller novel; action, mystery, a little romance, and adventure.

-Anmol K., 7th grade