6th Grade entry - The Spiderwick Chronicles

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Calvin’s entry. Thanks, Calvin!

The SpiderWick Chronicles
Tony Diterlizzi and Holly Black
Simon & Schuster publishing inc.107 pages

The Graces move into a creepy old Victorian house that belongs to their great aunt Lucinda, and Jared Grace is miffed at this. He didn't want to move from New York, where they lived before. Soon they begin to realize there is something going on (the siblings). Mallory's medal goes missing. They bust open a wall finding Mallory's medal on a dumbwaiter. There are many assorted items on the dumbwaiter, and there is a little nest. Jared, being daring goes up the dumbwaiter to an unknown room. In the room there are many books including: A Historie of Scottish Dwarves, A Compendium of Brownie Visits from Around the World, and An Anatomy of Insects and Other Flying Creatures. He sees a message in the dust that wasn't there before: Click, Clack, watch your back. Jared believes this as evidence of something there. Yet another misfortune falls upon Mallory. When she wakes up her hair is in spikes and tied to the headboard of the bed. Their mother immediately suspects Jared.

Later, Jared finds a chest in which there is a book called The Field Guide. It is a book about magical creatures written by Arthur Spiderwick, who lived in the house a long time ago. Jared reads it, and realizes that the creature that causes all the havoc in the house must be a brownie. He tries to set a trap for the creature. Unfortunatly he is caught and he is sent back to bed. In the morning, total hell breaks out. The entire kitchen is a huge mess with everything scattered. The mother, yet again, suspects Jared and instructs him to clean it up. Now, the kids write a letter to the brownie/boggart begging him to stop and to give back Simon's two rats, which he stole. Later, the note disappears. Eventually the Boggart shows up with Simon's rats. He says that the book is not for humans and it brings harm to all who keep it.

The main characters are Jared Grace: A 9 year old, distraught boy. The reason for much of his discontent is his parents' divorce. He is a brother of Mallory Grace and twin of Simon Grace. Simon Grace: A 9 year old calm boy. He has a great fascination with animals and is quite peaceful, unlike his other siblings. He is the first person to believe Jared about the books. Mallory Grace: A 13 year old girl and sister of Jared and Simon Grace. She is also an avid fencer, and fights with her brother, Jared. Helen Grace: The mother of the three siblings. She distruts Jared to some extent.

This book is an interesting read. It's odd to see that the mischievous character (Jared) is the one who finds out this incredible secret. I actually admire the brownie for the fact that he will go to many lengths to protect the book. So, I suppose that Thimbletack is my favorite character. I also like Simon because of his peaceful tendencies and his love for animals. The story is interesting and I think I'm going to read the other books to find out what happens.

Submitted by Calvin G.

6th Grade entry - Operation Stormbreaker

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Dillon’s entry. Thanks, Dillon!

Operation Stormbreaker
Anthony Horowitz
Penguin Group press, 234 pg.

In Operation Stormbreaker Harylod Sayles is a cruel guy. He has made these storm breakers that are advanced computers that put you in the game virtually. The problem is he is sending them to every school in London . The storm breakers are being injected with poison that will probably kill not thousands but millions of innocent children. All because when Darius was a kid he was picked on and bullied and now he is getting payback. Will he take the lives of millions of children.

Alex Rider is a fourteen year old special operations spy. He has blond hair and is adventurous and brave. He lives in London. He back talks and gets in a lot of trouble. Whenever he is told to do something he pretends not to hear the person talking.

I liked the characters and the way they acted. They were brave and courageous. They don’t listen to their moms and back talk all the time. I especially liked that they stand up for themselves and others. They’re good role models sometimes. Like Alex Rider he is a good role model because he is not afraid to stand up for what he believes and he stands up for people that are getting bullied I think that is what a good role model should be.

I think my friend would enjoy this because we like the same things. Were not afraid to stand up for what we believe in and we both like the same genre of books along with everything else in the world

Submitted by Dillon P.

6th Grade Entry - The Last Lobo

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Andrew’s entry. Thanks, Andrew!

The Last Lobo
By Roland Smith
Hyperion Paperbacks for Children, 178 pg.



In the book, The Last Lobo, Jacob Lansa is a boy who travels from Brazil to see his grandfather. When he arrives at the retirement center, he finds his grandfather has moved out and gone to Arizona, the land of the Hopi Indians.

It is there where Jacob’s adventure begins. Jacob and his grandfather, Taw, go out to the Mesa Desert to search for a lobo (a wolf) that is suspected of killing the local farmer’s livestock.

Jacob is faced with many trials and obstacles as he tracks the lobo. If I tell you more, I might spoil the story.

Jacob, is a 15-year-old Hopi Indian boy who travels a lot between his family members. His grandfather, whom he admires, is teaching him history of the Hopi Indians while giving him guidance during the tracking of the lobo. It is through his adventures with the tracking of the lobo that Jacob develops into a young man.

This book really kept my interest because it was constantly changing with the unexpected. I always enjoy a book about wolves and wildlife. I studied the Hopi Indians a few years ago, which made this book even more interesting to me.

I think anyone of any age would enjoy reading this book. It brings to life the struggles of endangered animals and the problem to keep them alive when faced with people and civilization.

Submitted by Andrew T.

6th Grade Entry - Tunnels

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Aaron’s entry. Thanks, Aaron!

Tunnels
Gordon Roderick and Brian Williams
New York: Chicken House/Scholastic, 2008 472p.

Will Burrows is a fourteen year old boy who lives with his sister Rebecca, his mom and his dad in London. Will and his father share a special passion to dig tunnels and search for archaeological artifacts. Will and his father discover an abandoned railway buried beneath the earth and are excited at the thought of a major discovery. Then Will’s father disappears!!! Will and his friend Chester set out to search for Will’s dad. They find themselves in an underground world where danger lurks around every corner. Will learns a secret that may cost him his life. Will Burrows is a fourteen year old boy. He has a pale face and is sunburned easily. He spends his spare time digging underground tunnels with his father and his friend Chester. Unfortunately the book does not describe Will in much detail. I liked the story line and the emotions that you felt while reading this book. It had adventure, suspense, sorrow, and humor. At first it gave me the desire to dig tunnels myself but as I read further into the book the desire grew weaker and weaker. I would not want to possibly stumble upon an underground city like Will encountered. I would recommend anyone who enjoyed Harry Potter, City of Ember or fantasy books to read this book. I also think that boys would enjoy this book more than girls, no offense. It does have a high lexile of 990 which did make it difficult reading but its good practice. Submitted by Aaron N.

6th Grade entry -Twilight

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Jaymie’s entry. Thanks, Jaymie!

Twilight
By Stephenie Meyer
Little,Brown And Company, 498 p.

In the book Twilight, Bella, one of the main characters, moves to Forks, Washington to live with her dad, Charlie. When she gets to Forks she attends Forks High School where she meets a guy named Edward. He doesn't like Bella at first and is very rude to her. Bella doesn't see him for a while but when she sees him, he is a lot nicer to her. Bella starts to hang out with Edward. Edward and Bella go to Edward's family's house so Bella can meet his family. She goes with Edward to a baseball field and helps referee the baseball game with his family. A tracker vampire named James comes and starts tracking Bella. Bella has to leave town.... You will have to read the book Twilight, to find out the end.

The main character Bella is a teenage girl that attends high school. She gets a crush on a guy named Edward. Bella is very nice and is very willing to do things for others. She is skinny and has long brown hair.

The thing I liked most about this book is it doesn't have just one genera. It also has a lot of suspense, I like suspense. I also liked it because you could really feel how the characters felt.

I would recommend this book to people who like romance books with suspense. I would also recommend this book to kids that have a wide range vocabulary.
Submitted By Jaymie B.

6th Grade Entry - Once Upon a Marigold

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Danelle’s entry. Thanks, Danelle!

Once upon a marigold Jean Ferris Scholastic Inc. 266 p. This book is about a troll that found a boy in the woods, and the boy comes and lives with the troll, and as the boy grows up living in a cave, near a castle with five princesses, the boy falls in love with the princess named Marigold. This book is based in the 1930s to 1940s and is a silly, but cute love story. One of the main characters is Edric the troll. He is a very demanding troll and is very strait forward with his words. He is one of the luckiest trolls around because he found a cave that is filled with crystals and every room is filled with bright colors. What I like best about this book is it has three of my favorite things in it. The first thing is the characters. I like how the author puts attitude with the characters because it makes them seem more realistic. They second one is the fantasy the author brings to the story. Anything that is similar to this story I enjoy reading. Then lastly the setting. I like the fact that each room in the cave is a different color. I think people that like fantasy stories would like this book because there is lot of love and action that takes place through out the book. There is so much silly fun that occurs while reading this book, I highly suggest you read it for yourself. You won’t be sorry! Submitted By, Danelle W.

6th Grade Entry - Code Orange

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Alyse’s entry. Thanks, Alyse!

Code Orange
Caroline B. Cooney
Laurel-Leaf, 195 p.

Mittey Blake is a rich boy that is in a school for either rich or really smart. He’s in the rich half, Olivia, on the other hand, is extremely smart. Mittey has to do a report on a disease but he can’t figure out what to do. He finds a whole bunch of old books on small pox so he decides to do that. In one of the books he finds small pox scabs. He doesn’t know anything about them so he rubs them
on his face and smells them and everything which was a really bad idea.
Mittey Blake is a rich boy who is in love with Olivia, a girl that falls into the smart category, he is very ignorant. He also really doesn’t like doing homework or more work than necessary.
The person I liked most in the book was Olivia. The reason I liked her most was because she is very intense about her homework and makes sure that it is all one hundred percent perfect. Another reason that I like Olivia is because she is really caring and compassionate.
I recommend this book to kids that can read large books even though it’s not that big the words are very advanced. I also recommend it to almost anyone that likes action.
Submitted by: Alyse R.

6th Grade entry - Dewey

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Kenna’s entry. Thanks, Kenna!

Dewey
Vicki Myron
Grand Central 265pgs.

It was January 18, 1988, one of the coldest nights ever in Spencer, Iowa. The night before had been minus fifteen degrees. It was a “killing freeze” the kind that cut under your coat and squeezed your bones. That is what makes this story even more amazing, you’ll see why. Vicki Myron had just opened the door to her library to start the day. About fifteen minutes later her employee, Jean Hollis walked in. They drank their morning coffee and talked about the harsh weather, that’s when it happened. Librarians find a lot of things in their library drop box like: garbage, rocks, soda cans, well you get the idea. Vicki had just come back from the bathroom when Jean was standing in the middle of the room totally silent.
“Did you here that?” asked Jean.
“No, what did you here?”
“I heard a noise from the drop box.”
That’s when Vicki heard it too. A low rumble from the library drop box. She went over to the box and put her hand inside. She felt something furry and carefully pulled it out. It was a baby kitten. It was a gray, skinny, eight week old kitten.
“The poor baby!”
They got to work right away giving it a warm bath. It turns out it was not gray but just very dirty. The poor, skinny, thing was orange. They named him Dewey Readmore Books. He became a legend. Not just to all of Spencer, Iowa but to Japan, Rhode Island, Mississippi and MANY other states. People from everywhere were coming to see Dewey. He even has a movie coming out about him. But sadly, Dewey passed away in 2006.
Vicki Myron was born on a farm fifteen miles from Spencer, Iowa. At the age of thirty-four, after a failed marriage, single motherhood, and a stint on welfare, she graduated summa cum laude from Mankato State University and has a master’s degree from Emporia State University. She worked at the Spencer Public Library for twenty five years, the last twenty as a director. She lives in Spencer, Iowa.
What I liked about the book is that it’s very descriptive. Vicki Myron has a unique style of writing and I like the way she talks about Dewey being not just a normal cat but about his personality. This book is really cute.
I think animal lovers would love this book. If you’re not a cat lover and you read Dewey I guarantee you will love all types of cats, from Calico to Persian to Dewey.
Submitted by Kenna S.

6th Grade entry - New Moon

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Joelle’s entry. Thanks, Joelle!

New Moon Author: Stephenie Meyer Little Brown and Company, Pages: 563 In the book New Moon, Edward doesn’t want to risk revealing that he’s a vampire so he tells Bella, his love that he needs to move out of Forks. It is almost too much for Eighteen-year-old Bella to bear. After he leaves Bella gets so depressed her dad starts to worry. So he’s trying to send her back with her mom Renee, but she refuses. Then, she finds solace in her friend Jacob Black. She tells her dad she wants to see more of Jacob and she wants to stay with him. The main character in New Moon is probably Edward Cullen. Edward is a handsome, tall, and young vampire that everyone loves. His skin is like marble, very pale, ice cold, and sparkles in the sunlight. He has messy hair that is a bronze shade. His eyes once green now gold. Edward’s appearance changes if he goes long without feeding: eyes darken, almost black, and purple bruises appear beneath his eyes. He is about six feet, has a slender body but also a muscular body. He has amazing strength, speed, endurance, and agility. He is not able to sleep. New Moon is a great book! What I liked most about New Moon is when Alice (Edward’s vampire sister) and Bella go to Italy to rescue Edward because he wanted the vampires (called the volturi) to kill him, because he thought Bella had died. Why I think that is the best part is because Bella gets to see Edward again and neither of them died. Who I would recommend New Moon is to everyone who likes vampire romance stories. Also people who like suspense. Another reason is people who like Stephenie Meyer the author. Submitted by Joelle R.

6th Grade Entry - New Moon

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Summer’s entry. Thanks, Summer!

New Moon Stephine Meyer Little Brown Company pg563 In the book New Moon, Edward Cullen and his family left Forks, Washington and Bella. As Bella and Edward stop seeing each other, she started a relationship with Jacob Black. Jacob goes to a school out of the town Forks. Ever since Edward and Bella stopped seeing each other, Bella’s been despondent and pitiful. Charlie, Bella’s dad has been worried about her and has decided to send her back to Phoenix with her mom. Bella wants to stay in Forks to see Jacob. Edward is the main character in the book New Moon. Edward is a beautiful boy but he is very hard to read. Edward is 17 and has been alive for a long time, because he is an immortal and will never die. Edward is tall and handsome with mysterious eyes. Edward likes the taste of Bella’s blood. Even though he craves her blood, he controls his thirst. My favorite part is when Jacob and Bella are in the mansion, and they are waiting for night to come. Bella says, “don’t give in, he will just leave”. I love that part because it’s so strong and romantic. I fell in love with the scene of the volterra mansion. It’s a unique and old building. I recommend this book to everybody who likes adventurous, nail biting books. I have only read Twilight and New Moon and am looking to Eclipses and Breaking Dawn. This is a fabulous book with amazing word choice. I love this book. Submitted by Summer B

6th Grade Entry - Three Cups of Tea

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Isaac’s entry. Thanks, Isaac!

Three Cups of Tea Author: Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin Publisher: Penguin Group 209 pages Greg Mortenson set out on an attempt to climb the world’s second largest peak K2. During that failed attempt Greg got lost on the way down and ended up in a small village called Korphe. Haji Ali the village leader took in Greg and let him recuperate in his village. On the 3rd day Greg requested to see the school they had, Haji Ali hesitated but then let Greg see. When he saw all the children (mostly boys) in the cold dirt doing their multiplication lessons without a teacher he was shocked. That day Greg left and made a promise to Haji Ali that he would come back to Korphe and build them a real school. When Greg went back to America he figured out that building schools for villages like Korphe could be a successful life. The first question he asked himself was ‘how am I going to get the money.’ He sent out five-hundred eighty letters to famous people requesting donations. While he was waiting for responses his mother asked about his project. After hearing his story the students started a fundraiser called Pennies for Pakistan, they raised 62,345 pennies. In his campaign of sending letters he only received one back from Tom Brokaw which had five-hundred dollars in it. Later on Greg was introduced to Jean Hoerni a very successful business man, who turned into Greg’s biggest benefactor. He had learned how to raise money for the schools. For the next many ears Greg built schools for about one hundred villages. During that time he had been kidnapped, threatened to be killed, had been in the middle of a gang fight with guns, and almost killed by an underground mine. Despite all of those deadly experiences he kept his commitment to build schools for the small villages of Pakistan and Afghanistan. After the 9/11 attacks and America going to war against terrorists he realized education is better than war in preventing kids from growing up and being terrorists. The story focused on Greg Mortenson building schools for girls in Islamic countries. His inspiration came from his sister that had died to educate girls in rural Central Asian villages. Greg taught us that everybody can impact the world somehow good or bad. I liked Three Cups of Tea because it showed how someone can impact the world in a good way. It let you realize what kids have to go through to get an education, especially the girls, in Central Asian countries. It also showed through commitment and passion you can get about anything done. Greg Mortenson is a great person that made an impact on the world with out a lot of money and only a vision. I think people that like books with strong messages and a little suspense here and there. Written By: Isaac G.

6th Grade Entry - Return of the Homerun Kid

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Ricky’s entry. Thanks, Ricky!

Return of the Homerun Kid
By: Matt Christopher
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Pages: 149

Sylvester Coddmyer III was a great baseball player last season and was hitting homeruns every at bat. When he came the next year, he had a huge slump. Then when he was walking home from a baseball game, he ran into an ex-ballplayer named Cheeko. Cheeko gave Sylvester a lot of help for hitting a baseball, throwing a baseball, and fielding a baseball.

Sylvester is a boy that loves baseball. He is a really great batter but he gets in slumps sometimes.

One thing I like best about this book is it’s a baseball book and my favorite sport is baseball. I also like this book because it was interesting and fun to read. Something else I like about this book is that it told what happened when his team, the Redbirds, was playing.

I would recommend this book to people who like reading baseball books.

Submitted By: Ricky C.

6th Grade Entry - Twilight

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Kylie’s entry. Thanks, Kylie!

Twilight Stephanie Meyer Little, Brown Company, 480 p. A girl named Bella Swan moved from Arizona to Washington to live with her dad in a city named Forks because her mom remarried a guy named Phil and Phil plays baseball so they have to travel a lot. Bella has to go to a new school in the middle of the school year. Her first day of school she made a lot of new friends including Edward Cullen. She thought there was something wrong with Edward because he did not talk to her and his eyes changed color. The next few days Bella wanted to go talk to Edward to see what was wrong but he never showed. When he came back he introduced himself to Bella and they got to talking then Bella said that they should hang out sometime. Then the next day of school Bella was standing by her car on one side of the parking lot and Edward was one the other end. Then suddenly a car came rushing down the hill right by Bella. Edward suddenly run to Bella and stopped the van with his hand. Every one came rushing over to Bella. I was grateful as a reader for the fact that Edward saved Bella’s life. I would highly recommend this book to people who like adventure books and people who like love stories. Submitted by Kylie N.

6th Grade Entry - Holes

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Noah’s entry. Thanks, Noah!

Holes
Louis Sachar
Random House Children, 233 p.

The book Holes is about a boy named Stanley Yelnats goes to a camp called Camp Green Lake, because he was accused of stealing a pair of really nice shoes. Stanley has to choose between Camp Green Lake and jail and he chooses Camp Green Lake thinking it’s not so bad, but the camp is. The boy faces lots of challenges during his time in Camp Green Lake. Stanley’s great-great grandfather stole a pig from a fortune teller and the fortune teller puts a curse on his family. So his family is always getting bad luck. Stanley also makes a new friend who everyone picks on his name is Zero.
The main character in the story is Stanley Yelnats. Stanley Yelnats is in middle school. His family is very poor but very caring, his dad is an inventor. He gets picked on a lot in school and is over weight. Stanley goes through a lot during this book but in the end it all turns out great for him.
What I liked best about the book is there’s a lot of adventure in the story. One of my favorite parts of the story was when Zero runs away towards the mountains because everybody there treats him badly. But a few days later Stanley goes to look for his friend and escapes from camp. Then Stanley finds Zero and they climb the mountain to look for food and water (Camp Green Lake is a very dry desert). That’s one of my favorite parts of the book, because I think it was nice of Stanley to go and find his friend.
I would recommend this book for people who want a good and exciting story to read. Also for people that like adventure and action. There’s even a little sadness in the story as well.

By, Noah P.

6th Grade Entry - I Walk in Dread

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Ellie’s entry. Thanks, Ellie!

I Walk in Dread Mary Pope Osborne Scholastics Inc. 182 pg (epilogue: 185 pg) When the word “witches” is heard, people think of green woman with a sharp hat and a lengthy nose, but in Salem town around 1692 thoughts were much worse. In the book I Walk in Dread, Deliverance Trembly, a 12-year girl, documents her moments through the Salem Witch Trials. She talks about going to the meeting house and watching Ann Putnam, Abigail Williams, and Elizabeth Parris, bawl in terror and confess that maids of the devil would pinch and jab them. During this time more and more people become afflicted and more and more people become accused. Deliverance prays that the horrifying graphics would be absent out of her mind. With nowhere to turn, Deliverance goes to Goody Corey to talk, read, and share bible studies. Goody Corey explains she does not consider the thought of witches, that is until Goodwife Corey is accused herself! Who hasn’t gone mad in Salem? Her sister, Mem, does not show any emotion for the death their uncle but emotions for her crush, Mr. Cooper. So her brother, Benjamin Trembly, the strikingly beautiful bachelor comes to help. But Liv’ (Deliverance) can’t take it anymore. So she expresses her feelings and tells her sister and brother that witches are nonsense. But surprisingly she is not alone! A woman who is the head of the household is the description of a Goodwife. But Goodwife Corey gives it a much bigger definition. Martha (Corey) is a religious, altruistic, lady. She stands her grounds and cares for the smallest of the feeble. She becomes like a mother to Deliverance when the times get rough. Goody Corey would read Liv,’ Mrs. Rowlandson, and they would share bible studies. But the most significant detail is she would do is talk with Liv’ about the problems in her life. She was vital part of Deliverance’s whole life. This is a staggering book. It had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I adore historic fiction so this was grand story to read. I can relate to the main character because we are the same age, yet because we are from different time periods I learned a great deal about the witch trials of 1692. I am fond of the description that Mary Pope Osborne uses to describe the four afflicted girls. Explaining how they would shriek and writhe around on the floor. I love this book. I recommend this book for boys and girls who like historic books or are very interested in the Salem Witch Trials. As for gender, really anyone can read it. But girls will probably relate to it better. I am sure everybody who reads I Walk in Dread will fall in love with this tremendous book! ELLIE L.

6th Grade entry - Alanna the First Adventure

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Meera’s entry. Thanks, Meera!

Alanna, the First Adventure
Tamora Pierce
Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 216 p.

In Alanna, the First Adventure by Tamora Pierce, Alanna hates her father’s decision to send her to the convent and her brother, Thom, to the palace to become a knight; Thom despises this as well. He wants to become the most powerful sorcerer in all of Tortall and she wants to become a warrior maiden and do great deeds. Their father is a scholar who does not care about his children. Alanna gets hit with the idea that will change their lives forever. Maude and Coram, the people who raised them from birth and look after them, can only tell Alanna and her twin brother apart. Thom and Alanna go to Maude who uses magic to find out if it is what the gods will. Thom leaves to become a sorcerer and Alanna becomes Alan, Thom’s twin brother, who departs for the palace to become a page, the first step in becoming a knight. Life as a page is straining and hard to bear. The first half of her day is spent studying and the other half is learning combat. Right away Alanna makes an enemy, Ralon of Malven. She also meets Prince Jonathan, Raoul, Alex, and her sponsor, Gary. George, the king of thieves, befriends her, teaches her advanced wrestling, and becomes one of her closest, most trusted friends. When Duke Roger, Jonathan’s cousin, arrives at the palace Alanna begins to feel uneasy. She does not understand why but the charming and handsome sorcerer feels like a threat to her. Is Roger evil? Will Alan become a knight? Will Alanna be discovered? To find out, read this amazing and action packed book. Alanna is a girl with fiery red hair and violet eyes. When she sets her mind to something there is no stopping her. She is a determined, fierce, and kind girl. Thom matches his twin’s looks perfectly, but he is the careful one who always thinks thing over. He despises people except his sister; he is not a fighter or very caring. Thom and Alanna may be twins but their personalities show no resemblance! Prince Jonathan has coal black hair and piercing sapphire eyes. He is strong, kind, thoughtful, and easy going. He makes a wonderful friend to Alan. Gary and Raoul are tall, strong, commanding boys who you would not want as enemies (as Ralon of Malven learned). Luckily for Alan they become friends quickly. Roger is handsome and charming, which is why Alanna doesn’t understand why she feels such an evil presence when Roger is around. George is sweet and understanding, he can make Alan laugh and has befriended them all. These are the main characters giving life to the story. I loved this book because it was filled with suspense, magic, combat, and a determined, strong, and amazing girl, Alanna of Trebond. This story proves that even if you are a girl you are still strong enough to compete with the boys. This story is also filled with mystery and legend. The message this story sent me was that your determination is the strength you need to follow your dreams. Alanna, the First Adventure is the first book in the Song of the Lioness series. The series is a thrilling adventure. I would recommend this series to people who enjoy adventure, action, suspense, mystery, and will power. Submitted by Meera C.

6th Grade Entry - Dragon Rider

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Daylon’s entry. Thanks, Daylon!

Dragon Rider
Cornelia Funke
Scholastic Inc., 523 p.

When humans invade the valley of dragons, Firedrake is sent on a quest to find the only place left for the dragons to live peacefully… High in the Himalayas lays a valley called the rim of heaven. The rim of heaven has nine peaks surrounding it in a circle. Firedrake and his companion, Sorrel go to London to get a map and find a boy named Ben who decides to go to the rim of heaven with them. In this great adventure they face great danger and an even greater evil. Firedrake is a young male silver dragon that can only fly by the light of the moon. His scales shine and glimmer under the moon too. He is one of the main heroes in this story. The part I liked most in this book was when Ben sees Firedrake for the first time. Also I liked how Sorrel resented Ben so much at the beginning and learned to like him in the end. Character development and adventure take a lead role in this book. Submitted by Daylon M

6th Grade Entry - New Moon

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Lana’s entry. Thanks, Lana!

New Moon
Stephenie Meyer
Little, Brown and Company
p.563


When Edward Cullen and his family leave Forks, Washington and Isabella Swan (Bella), they move to a different location because they are getting revealed. Edward took everything that would remind Bella of him because he wanted her to be better off without him. That didn’t happen because Bella goes into deep depression and does not talk to anybody because her loved one Edward left her. All of her friends ignore her and stop talking to her after they gave up hope on trying to cheer her up. She is stuck like this for four months. Until finally she snaps out of it and loves Jacob Black like a brother and they become best friends and do everything together. Bella still doesn’t forget about Edward though, because they made a promise before he left that she wouldn’t do anything stupid, or get hurt, so whenever she does anything wrong she hears his sweet, angel voice. Bella starts purposely doing dangerous things, just to hear his beautiful voice again. Some of the stunts Bella is doing could get her seriously injured.

One of the main characters in New Moon, is Bella. She is a mature girl who takes care of herself, and also her father, Charlie. In the relationship between her and her mother, Renee, she considers herself as being the adult. Bella can also be a klutz sometimes because she is always getting hurt, and falling down. Isabella is a unique girl with long, brown hair, and brown eyes. She is unusually pale for a person that had once lived in Phoenix, Arizona.

What I liked best about New Moon was that it was a love story mixed with action events. Once you start reading it you never want to put it down. It is a very interesting book with vampires in it. I also liked how Bella found a totally different side of her that she never knew she had. She expressed herself in so many ways. She was more adventures in this book then in Twilight, the first book of the series.

I recommend this book to all boys and girls because it is an exciting book to read and it never gets boring. Also if you like some books about vampires it would be a right choice for you. Just be aware to those who believe the beginning of the book is not appealing, for the ending will hook you back into Stephenie Meyer’s series.

Submitted by Lana C.

6th Grade Entry - Makuta's Revenge

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Dallin’s entry. Thanks, Dallin!

Makuta’s Revenge
C.A. Hapka
Scholastic, 93p.

The six Toa, Tahu, Gali, Lewa, Kopaka, Onua, and Pohatu, have greater elemental energy then ever, after evolving into Toa Nuva. After their struggles with the Bohrok Queens, Cahdok and Gahdok, the Toa Nuva are weary and tired. The matoran of each koro have discovered mysterious symbols of power for each Toa, only to find that an unknown thief takes them. With the symbols gone, the Toa have no elemental power. The next day, long after the twin suns rise, the Toa find the thief… or thieves rather. The thieves turn out to be quite, but not quite, familiar, a cousin to the Bohrok known as the Bohrok-Kal. With no power, the Toa are defenseless against the Bohrok-Kals’ crushing power. Now the six Toa Nuva need to make as Lewa says, a “quick-smart plan”, against the six Bohrok-Kal.

Toa Lewa is the brightest Toa Nuva of them all, which is kind of like me. He like all the others in Le-Koro has a weird speech pattern, like me, I always get my words in a jumble. Lewa Nuva is the Toa of air and sky. His elemental power is control of the “air-wind”. Out of all the pessimistic Toa, Lewa is one of two Toa that has an optimistic view on the situation.

I like this book because it is an action-packed, tension building adventure. It also has a unity building experience. That is tied with realizing destiny and accepting duty. It has a lot of building spirit and intelligence. It also has a lesson of learning that siblings are more important than you.

This book is for people that could go for a fun easy read every once and a while. If you like adventures, you will like this book. Makuta’s Revenge also as a few soft spots for the people that like them.

Submitted by: Dallin .O

6th Grade Entry - Double Fudge

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Katie’s entry. Thanks, Katie!

Double Fudge Judy Blume Dutton Children’s Books pg.213 Brothers Peter and Fudge went to Washington D.C. for spring break. As soon as they got there they went on a tour, mostly about money. Fudge wanted everything in the gift shop. Fudge loved money so much; he made his own money, Fudge Bucks’. The main character in Double Fudge is Peter. Peter’s friend, Jimmy Fargo, moved to SoHo because his father was an artist. Jimmy takes they subway to school every day. About every week Jimmy goes to Peters or Peter goes to Jimmy’s. Peter lives in an apartment, and Jimmy lives in a condo. They have been best friends for a long time. They also have another friend that lives in the apartments, Sheila. Jimmy used to live in the apartments but he doesn’t any more. While they were in Washington, there grandma, there little sister Tootsie, Fudge’s bird, and Peter’s dog were at home. In the gift shop Fudge saw a man staring at their dad. Fudge pointed him out for his dad. Then he walked over and said, “Tubby, is that you?” From saying that he knew it was his long last cousin, cousin Howie. Cousin Howie and their dad had a talk went some places and just hung out. He had two daughters Peters age, Flora and Fauna; he also had a son a little younger then Fudge, Farley. They deiced that they would come down to New York were Peter’s family lived. When they got back, a few days later they went to Jimmy’s dads art show. When they got back Howie and his family were outside waiting for them to get back. They stayed at Peter’s family’s apartment for a couple weeks. Then they got to stay at their neighbor’s apartment till December, while they were out of town. WILL THEY STAY IN NEW YORK WITH THEIR COUSINS OR NOT? I would recommend this book for sixth graders because there are a few things the younger grades won’t understand, and it would be too easy for higher grades.

6th grade entry - Battle of the Labyrinth

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Alex’s entry. Thanks, Alex!


The Battle of the Labyrinth
Rick Riordan
Hyperior books for children,361pg.


Percy Jackson the son of Posidon is strong, courageous, and cunning.
He will need to be all of this and more to help his best friends Grover,
Annabeth and Tyson through their action packed adventure.


Percy, Grover, Annabeth and Tyson have all been given the same quest.
This quest will take them to an ancient maze called The Labyrinth.
During the capture of the flag Percy and Annabeth accidentally fall
through a hole. Percy and his friends may not be strong enough for what
happens next. Now you will have to read this book to find out!


Percy's exciting life is what I liked best about the book. I also really enjoyed
the action and adventure of the book, and that it had mythology.


I think this is a book for everyone from kids to adults that enjoy reading a
book with action, adventure and mythology.


Submitted by Alex S.

6th grade entry - Charlotte's Web

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Riley’s entry. Thanks, Riley!

Charlotte's Web
E.B. White
Harper Collin's Children's Books
183 pages

At the beginning of Charlotte's Web there is a litter of pigs.One is a runt. The one that is a runt is the one that Fern begs her father not to slaughter.So before breakfast that morning , Fern has a pig.Fern raises the pig for the first few weeks.Then , once Wilbur got to big , he had to move over to Mr. Zuckerman's barn. There Wilbur makes a few friends.Wilbur has a friend named Charlotte. Charlotte buys Wilbur lots of popularity statewide by writing quotes about Wilbur. All of this is a plan to keep Wilbur alive through the winter.At fair Wilbur wins some awards. Then they all go home.Some one dies in the end , but new friends come too.

Fern is a girl who loves animals. She has dirty blond hair. Fern has a mom , dad , and a brother. Fern loves Wilbur more than any other animal.She treats him like a child of her own.

I liked this book because it has good description and I can picture everything happening in my head. I like the setting as well.The way everything is old fashioned is cool.

Any one who wants a good book could read this book.

Submitted by Riley G.

6th grade entry - Twilight

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Beatriz’s entry. Thanks, Beatriz!

twilight
stephenie myer
483 pages

Bella will have to move to forks with her dad for a while.her parents are seperated so Bellas mom has a new boy friend named phill .He is a proffesional baseball player so bellas mom and Phill decided to go on th road.Bella thinks this might be a good idea.Bellas dad is alsow excited because he has not seen bella in a long time.

Edward is one of the main characters he is seven-teen.He is a vampire which means he is imortal.Edwards last name is cullen he loves the cold.He was adopted by the cullens.

What i liked most from the book was when Edward saved bellas life from the car that was about to hit her.He blocked the car with his body.I liked this part because he would rather save the love of his life then expose his secret.

I think a young teenager would like to read this because it is interesting you just want to keep on reading it and because it is a love story.


submited by Beatriz j.

6th grade entry - The Golden Compass

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Cooper’s entry. Thanks, Cooper!

The Golden Compass
Phillip Pullman
Yearling, 399 p.


Lyra Belacqua and her daemon pantalaimon go to the north with Mrs. Coulter to the north to rescue her friend Rodger. Along the way she encounters a few problems or setbacks. Before she left to the north the master at the school she stayed at gave her an aliethiometer. The alietheometer, or Golden Compass, gives Lyra the truth to anything in the world. She makes new friends along the way like Iorek Bernyson, Serafina Pekkala, & Lee Scoresby. The ending is a SHOCKER! So be ready to be surprised.

Lyra Belacqua is about 11 or 12 years old. She is an adventurous girl who always wanted to go to the north. She is courageous and strong. She has blond hair, blue eyes, and an athletic built body.

The stuff I liked best about this book is the adventure in it. I also liked the suspense and the trickery. Another thing I liked about this book is the fighting scenes. The other thing I liked about this book is the Sci Fi parts. The author put a really good picture in my mind.

The people I would recommend this book for would be very good readers. Also Sci Fi and adventure lovers. Fight scenes, trickery, and suspense lovers too.

Submitted by Cooper L.

6th Grade entry - Monster

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Madison’s entry. Thanks, Madison!

Monster
Meyer
Walter Dean Meyer
Harper Collins Publishers,281p.


The book that I read is called Monster it was written by Walter Dean Meyer. Monster is all about a boy named Steve Harmon. Steve was convicted to be part of a murder scene. But of course Steve says he had nothing to do with it. This book will take you from the beginning of the case to the end.

The character I chose to write about is Steve Harmon. Steve is a sixteen year old male who was convicted in murdering someone. Steve is not your average person who would be in jail because he is a smart, kind person at least that is what everyone thinks. Steve’s dream is to become a famous movie director and write a movie of his life.

The thing that I liked most about the book would have to be the mystery or the suspense it would leave you with. The reason why I liked the suspense and mystery in this book would probably be because when you would put the book down you would want to pick it up again and read some more. I also liked how it was written in movie form because it made the book more interesting and fun to read.

If I was to recommend this book to people I think fit this book best I would say if you like crime ,mystery, or books that have a lot of suspense in them this is the book for you.

Submitted by Madison P.

6th Grade Entry - Snakehead

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Josh’s entry. Thanks, Josh!

Snakehead
Anthony Horowitz
Penguin Group, 385 pages

Alex Rider is on another wild mission! This time he is working with his godfather to find out the secret under a group of people called Snakehead. Accept he is working for the ASIS [Australian Secret Intelligence Service].
He has a second job too, that would be to figure out what Snakehead is going to do with a stolen bomb called Royal Blue. Alex goes face to face with the leader of Snakehead, Major Yu, the meanest man on earth!! With the gadgets Smithers gives him Alex fights Snakehead.

Alex Rider is a boy that lives with his housekeeper because his mom, dad, and uncle were killed because they were all spies like Alex! Alex is very smart and can get out of anything. He wants to be a regular kid but he knows he is the best M16 has now that his dad is dead. I think Alex is a really cool kid!!

One thing I liked about the book is how well the author used descriptive words threw out the book. This book is action packed and keeps you on the edge of your seat!!! The author did a very nice job of making a movie in your head while you read. I like how Alex thinks when in a bad situation because it is so how I would think if I was in his situation.

I recommend this book to anyone how likes an action packed and thrilling book. It keeps you on the edge of your seat. Trust me, you will never want to put this book down!!!

Submitted by Josh W.

Poetry Friday - Introduction to Poetry

Billy Collins was the United States Poet Laureate a few years ago and he had this great idea to start a website called Poetry 180 - a poem a day for high school students. It's an awesome site, and this poem is taken from there. I thought it was a great poem to include in April, National Poetry Month.

Introduction to Poetry

~Billy Collins

I ask them to take a poem
and hold it up to the light
like a color slide

or press an ear against its hive.

I say drop a mouse into a poem
and watch him probe his way out,

or walk inside the poem's room
and feel the walls for a light switch.

I want them to waterski
across the surface of a poem
waving at the author's name on the shore.

But all they want to do
is tie the poem to a chair with rope
and torture a confession out of it.

They begin beating it with a hose
to find out what it really means.

Wintergirls - Laurie Halse Anderson

My awesome friend Ms. Frisk couldn't wait to read this one, so she actually bought it, and she was kind enough to share it with me, so thanks, Ms. Frisk!

Speak is probably Laurie Halse (pronounced Haltz) Anderson's most well known book, and it is a very powerful novel which I think every student entering high school should read. And now she's written another incredibly powerful novel. This novel centers around two girls, Lia and Cassie who were best friends 4eva, until recently, that is. And now Cassie is dead and Lia's trying to deal with it. But Lia has big problems of her own. You see, one of the big ties between she and Cassie was anorexia. That's how Cassie died, and Lia has already nearly died from it as well but she's supposed to be getting better. Supposed to be.

This is a super intense book that I am really glad is out there, because I think there are many people dealing with anorexia and this will speak to them and those around them. But...it's not a book I can say I loved. It was just too hard to read because it was so painful to be a book I enjoyed or liked. those adjectives just don't fit this novel.

The pacing and prose increased the intensity, and the author uses some unconventional methods such a cross-outs to show the distorted reality of Lia which I don't ever remember seeing before but which I thought worked extremely well. I read a review of this book that exactly says what I was feeling when reading it. "As difficult as reading this novel can be, it is more difficult to put down." Readers of this novel cannot help but feel Lia's pain, and will be thinking of it long after the last page has closed.

I saw a video on YouTube last week that I think fits really well with this novel and that poses an important question for us as a society. I hope it provides you with some good "think about it" moments.



Due to the nature of this topic, I recommend this book for mature readers only. This book will be available at the WOMS library soon.

6th Grade Entry - Because of Winn Dixie

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Camilla’s entry. Thanks, Camilla!

Because of Winn-Dixie
Kate DiCamillo



Over the summer the preacher and his daughter India Opal Buloni moved to the Friendly Corners Trailer Park in Naomi, Florida, so that he could become the
new preacher at the Open Arms Baptist Church of Naomi, Florida. Sometimes it is very hard for India to think about her dad as her dad because he spends so much time
preaching, thinking about preaching, or even getting ready to preach. So India thinks as him as the preacher. India is going through a tough time right now, not only did she
just move, but she hasn’t seen her mom in a very long time and she left her last memory back at her old house. The memory was her house.

Soon enough India’s father sends her to the grocery store for a box of macaroni, white rice, and two tomatoes. As she walked into the produce section of the Winn-Dixie
grocery store she ran straight into the store manager red-faced and waving his arms around just like all of the Winn-Dixie employees. As soon as India opened her mouth to say
something a dirty brown dog knocked over the store manager, and started to lick the managers face. The manager obviously didn’t like that because he demanded someone to call
the pound. India didn’t want to see that poor dog get taken away by the pound, when of course nobody would adopt him, so India opened up her mouth and blurted out ‘” wait that’s
my dog, he must of gotten in by accident, please don’t call the pound!” She knew she had done something big and maybe stupid too, but she just didn’t want to see him go to the
pound. The manager didn’t believe India so he said, “fine then, if it’s your dog call it over to you.” India had no idea what its name was so she looked around, and saw a banner that
said Winn-Dixie, so she called him over by that name and surprisingly he actually came trotting over to her.

As India walked home side by side with the dog Winn-Dixie she hoped that her father would let her keep the dog, even though the not so friendly manager of the Friendly Corners
Trailer Park didn’t even want any kids until India’s dad bribed him to let his daughter live there. When they were walking home she talked to Winn-Dixie and to her it seemed like
he could understand her because she said that she was going to give him a bath and that if he was good she would give him a bone, and as soon as she said the word “bone’’ he pulled
back his lips and showed India all of his yellow teeth. India thought that he could smile.

I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who likes enchanting novels, along with friendship, and of course someone who likes dogs.

Submitted by : Camilla.H

6th Grade Entry - Battle of the Labyrinth

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Keenan’s entry. Thanks, Keenan!

The Battle of the Labrynth

The book Battle of the Labyrinth is about a young adolescent named Percy who is a half-blood -half god half person. Who finds an entrance to the Labyrinth which is a huge underground maze that was made to disorient people’s minds so nobody can get through it to the builders-daedlus’- workshop and kill him. Then Percy’s friend Anebeth was given a quest by the good centaur Chiron who is the director of camp half-blood. The quest was to find daedlus and convince him to let them navigate the maze.

On the quest Percy and Anebeth run into Hephestus-the god of blacksmith. He then said that he would tell them how to get to daedlus if they checked out Mt. Saint Helens because there were Telakhines that were making weapons for the Titan army-the army that’s going to fight the gods. When Percy came back from the mountain Hephestus did as he promised and Percy and Annebeth got on their way to find the master builder Daedlus. They found him in the brightest place in the maze wich was unexpected because they thought it would be in the darkest, oldest part of the maze. When they found his workshop they also found that Daedlus was really their swordsmen at camp.

The main characters are Percy and Annebeth. Percy is a tough dude and is very fun to be around and is a great swordsmen and a good fighter all around. And Anebeth is the best girl fighter you will ever meat.

I recommend this book for anyone really. I mean it’s the best book I’ve read but I really recommend it for people that are into Greek mythology and action books.

What I liked about the book was mainly the action, and how the plot got thicker as the book went on, and that it was very exciting. The best part of the book was when Percy gets to camp and it’s describing the defense system and when the battle itself happened. I liked the book because I like action, excitement, and not knowing what’s going to happen next and this book gave me all of that.

By: Keenan G.

6th Grade Entry - Fablehaven

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Hannah’s entry. Thanks, Hannah!

Fablehaven
Brandon Mull
Aladdin Paperbacks, 351 p.

Kendra and Seth don’t expect much when they go to visit their grandparents while their parents are on a cruise. But they are in for a surprise. Kendra and Seth’s Grandpa is the caretaker of Fablehaven. The two children have no idea what lurks inside the woods of Fablehaven. They will have to find out for themselves. Their adventure will involve them in saving their family from witches, demons, imps, and other monster who want destroy the treaty of Fablehaven.

Kendra lacks bravery unlike her brother, Seth. However, she exercises good judgment with almost everything she does. She exhibits love and concern for Seth when she tries to keep him out of trouble. She shows diligence, conscientiousness, and cautiousness in her behavior.

What I liked most about this book was how the author wrote this fantasy. With his expressive and vivid use of words, he brings his characters and setting to life. His writing makes it very easy to visualize events in the story. The author also leads you to unexpected conclusions.

I think this is a book all would enjoy. This is especially a good book for fantasy lovers. If you like a story with many twists, this is the book for you.

Submitted by Hannah B.

6th Grade Entry - Brisingr

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Austin’s entry. Thanks, Austin!

Brisingr
Christopher Paolini
Random House Inc. 748 pages

Oaths Sworn………
Loyalties Tested…..
Forces Collide.

Eragon and his dragon Saphira need to defeat King Galbatorix to take back Alagaesia and free its people from the Kings reign. Along the way, Eragon and Saphira face many challenges and some secrets are revealed. Eragon is faced with some tough decisions and as a result he makes some promises that will be difficult to keep. Can this farm boy defeat the King and free the land? Is this too much for this rider and the last female dragon of their time.
Eragon is a farm boy from Carvahall who finds a dragon egg one day while hunting in the Spine. Eragon lives with his uncle and cousin because his mom died when he was little and he doesn’t know who his dad is. The egg Eragon finds contains the last female dragon (Saphira) of their time. When Saphira comes into Eragon’s life, his life is changed forever. Eragon becomes the last dragon rider and in the process, he grows up to be a brave hero.
What I liked most about this book was the fighting because it seemed so real. The author did a great job of illustrating many of the scenes in my mind. In the book when people fought I could imagine it perfectly and that really kept my attention. The author made it sound so life like and very action packed that I really enjoyed this book.
I would recommend this book to people that like action movies because it makes a movie in their head. People who like strong characterization will enjoy this book. It is a great book that keeps your attention and I would recommend this book to anybody that just likes to read.

Submitted by Austin B.

6th Grade Entry - Twilight

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is May’s entry. Thanks, May!

Twilight
Stephenie Myer
Little, Brown and Company 498 pages

In Twilight, by Stephenie Myer, Bella goes to Forks, Washington to live with her dad Charlie. On the first day of school Bella meets Edward Cullen. Edward stood out to Bella because he was sitting alone while all of his brothers and sisters were sitting together. Bella asked the many friends that she had made about this mysterious boy and why he was different. Turns out he was a vampire and in one event saves Bella from being hit by a van in the school parking-lot by shielding her with his body.

Edward is a foster kid that lives with Dr. Cullen who has pale skin with shaggy orange hair. He has only one biological brother, his name is Emmett Cullen. All the rest of his siblings are adopted. Edward is the only vampire in his family.

I liked this book because it is about two people that didn’t really know each other yet came together through Edward saving her life because of his feelings for her. My favorite part was when Edward saved Bella from being hit by the van because it showed his feelings for her, enough to save her life.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read love stories. It was awesome!

May B.

6th grade entry - Eclipse

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Kylie’s entry. Thanks, Kylie!

Eclipse
Stephanie Meyer
Little, Brown & Co., 629 p.


Bella Swan, is an eighteen year old girl who moves to Forks, Washington, to live with her dad Charlie, the town’s chief of police. One day Bella came home from school to find some personal items including her favorite red shirt missing. She called her boyfriend Edward, who is a vampire, and they discovered that someone or something had been in her room. Even though Edward and Bella’s best friend Jacob, who is a werewolf, are enemies they decide to send for him to see if he can sniff out a scent. Later that week, Bella reads an article about various people being killed and the murders remain unsolved. The story continues to describe the relationship between the three friends as well as the adventures they go through to find the killer.

The main character in this story is Bella Swan an adventurous, sometimes selfish, beautiful girl who finds herself in love with a vampire. Bella has a tendency to get herself into bad situations. She is a lot like her father strong, intelligent, and she always sticks to a decision when she makes it.

I like this book because the author really describes the characters and the places in the book. The details are great because as you read you can paint a picture in your head and actually relate to what’s going on. I also like all of the action and adventure that is in this book. I really enjoy how the author makes the jealousy between Edward and Jacob so real, as well as how Bella chooses to deal with it. I can understand how Bella feels about Edward and Jacob and choosing between your best friend and true love must be very difficult.

I recommend this book for people who enjoy action, adventure and mystery. The book also offers a little bit of teen romance and jealousy. The book is very easy to read and captures your attention from the start. All of these items make this a fantastic book.


Submitted by Kylie B.

6th Grade entry - Peter and the Starcatchers

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Evan’s entry. Thanks, Evan!

Peter And The Starcatchers
By Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Published by Hyperion Books 452 pages

This is the tale of a boy named Peter and his magical adventures. Peter and his four friends, James, Thomas, Prentiss, and Tubby Ted, were all bound for a far off land called Rundoon to be a king’s slaves. Peter met a young girl named Molly while searching for a mysterious chest on board the ship, Never Land. There Peter learned the secret of the contents of the chest. It was Starstuff, a shiny gold powder that can do amazing and terrible things. Misfortune and fate suddenly attack and Peter and his friends are stranded on a mysterious island inhabited by strange natives. They were attacked by pirates and ravaged by a storm at sea. Finally Peter manages to save the Starstuff by tricking a ruthless and vicious man but in doing so he exposes himself to a large amount of Starstuff which changed him permanently.
Peter is a young boy who grew up in an orphanage. He has no recollection of his parents. He has red hair and blue eyes and he is the leader of his friends.
What I liked best about this book is the originality and the way it changes a classic story into a whole new tale. I also like the detail in which it describes things. Finally I like the way it uses the characters in new ways and really shows their feelings well.
I think anyone who likes adventure fantasy books would like this book. Some books I would compare it to are The Lightning Thief, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings.

Submitted by Evan W.

6th Grade Entry - Where the Red Fern Grows

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is April’s entry. Thanks, April!

Where the Red Fern Grows
Wilson Rawls
Dell laurel, 249p.

Where the Red Fern Grows is about a young boy named Billy, who lives in Cherokee country with his ma, pa and three sisters. But something is missing. He desperately wants his own dogs; not only dogs, hunting hounds.

The problem is that hunting hounds cost twenty-five dollars each. He earns the money by selling berries and making coon traps. It takes two long years and a lot of hard work but Billy eventually saves up enough money for two hounds.
He names the girl hound, little Ann (who had the brains) and the boy hound, Old Dan (Who had the brawn). Billy trained the hounds to be the finest hunting team in the valley.
I like this book because Billy and his dog’s team work are so spectacular and they never give up. I also liked the way the author wrote the book so you’re in Billy’s point of view and can hear, see, and smell every thing he can. Billy was the most realistic character; he had sacrificed his life for his dogs and had also entered and won amazing contests.

I completely recommend this book for readers who love animals and non-fiction books.
Submitted by April H.

6th Grade Entry - Eclipse

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Alexandra’s entry. Thanks, Alexandra!

Eclipse
Stephanie Meyer
Little, Brown and Co.

Bella Swan, the first person narrator of the Twilight series, continues to develop her relationship with her Vampire Boyfriend Edward Cullen. As she nears graduation and battles with Edward over her desire to become an immortal, Bella soon realizes that the evil Victoria, a vampire with a grudge, is coming with an army of newborn vampires to kill her. The Cullens make an unlikely alliance to fight off the vampires, aided by Bella’s on-again off-again friend and Werewolf Jacob Black. And, in the midst of it all, Edward asks Bella a question that has Bella uncomfortably mad at Edward, but Alice, Edwards foretelling Vampire sister, giddy with excitement!

Bella Swan is not very used to the Vampire lifestyle. It is one of no sleep, endless money and constant danger. These are not good things when you are an accident prone klutz like Bella. Her love for Edward makes her want to be a vampire and live this life no matter what the challenges are that she will face. She wants to spend forever with Edward, but being the loving human she is, she is sad to think of how she will have to leave behind her Dad Charlie and her Mom Renee. Most of all, she is torn because of her friend Jacob, who she thinks she may love too.

What I liked most about the book is the characters. Alice is always happy, enthusiastic and the best girlfriend any girl could hope to have. Edwards love for Bella makes him generous, kind and incredibly protective. He is the real knight in shining armor. The love story of Bella and Edward is really a happy thing to read. Also, the story is so connected, that I worry about how their story will end in the fourth book.

This book and the whole series so far, would be a great read for anyone that likes vampire stories, stories with a great tale of love, stories with werewolves and especially for people who want some Indian history. But, the people who will like these books the most are the ones who like all of this wrapped together and turned into some really great movies!
Submitted by Alexandra A

6th Grade Entry - Peak

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Ashleigh’s entry. Thanks, Ashleigh!

Peak
Roland Smith
Scholastic Inc. 246p.

Peak decides to climb a skyscraper in New York. He was going to attempt this in June, but everything was ready for him to do this and he doesn’t like waiting, so he did this stunt in March. Unfortunately he got caught by the swat team. He had to go to JDC until his parents could pay off the fee, or until his court date.
After peak got out of JDC his dad took him to stay with him. But, they didn’t go to his house. They went to Mt. Everest instead to climb the mountain. They stayed at base camp for a while then tried to make it to the summit before Peaks birthday. If they made it before Peaks birthday he would be that youngest person in the world to reach the summit.
Peak is very much like his dad. His dad is very adventurist and so is Peak. They are both very kind and can take care of themselves.
What I liked most about this book was the adventure. I also liked learning about Mt. Everest. My all time favorite part was when Peak thought he was going to his dad’s house when he didn’t.
I think that anybody would love this book. But I think that people who are more into adventures books would like it more.
Submitted by Ashleigh W.

6th Grade Entry - Apples in the Sky

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Pamela’s entry. Thanks, Pamela!

Apples In The Sky
By Christina McDade
Jordan Valley Heritage House
14 year old Christina McDade, and her brothers Steven, Shawn, sister Sarah and mom and dad were just on a usual drive to their grandma and grandpa's house for dinner like they did every night. when suddenly the car flies of the road when Christinas sleeping. When she woke up all she heard was sirens from cop cars and ambulances. All she felt was pain in her right leg and left arm. She had no idea what happened or why she was in the ambulance.
Christina and her brother Steven are extremely close. Ever since Steven could talk they have called each other darling. Christina always makes the right choice, she believes in herself, and does excellent in school. She the perfect friend, daughter and sister anyone could have.
What I like best about Apples In The Sky was, you can't stop reading it its so good. Every single page you read gets better and better. I also like how many text to self connections I had when I was reading this book. It's a really awesome story.
I think my brother Jacob would enjoy reading this book because it's a good story, and I think he would relate to it like I did.
Submitted by Pamela T

6th Grade entry - Stormbreaker

6th graders at WOMS have been invited to post guest entries on my blog for YA books they’ve recently read. This is Haydon’s entry. Thanks, Haydon!





Stormbreaker
Anthony Horowitz
Penguin Group, 234 p.

Alex Rider has lived with his housekeeper, Jack Starbright for seven years. When Alex was a young kid both of his parents died in a tragic plane crash, and now Alex has some how gotten him involved with the M16 Special Operations. Now the M16 wants him to take the place of a winning contestant to get in to Harold Sayle’s House and find out what Harold Sayle is doing to the Stormbreaker computers that he is giving to every school in France. When Alex got in they let him try out a brand new Stormbreaker After Alex was done at the computer he went outside and saw men carrying silver boxes that said R5 on the side. When Alex saw the mysterious boxes he did not know what was about to happen but he had a felling that he might have to save the world once again.

Alex Rider had two parents but they both died in a plane crash. Alex has always loved his uncle, Ian Rider, but one night he did not come home from work but the cops did, with some bad news. If I wear to describe Alex I would describe him as a very brave and resourceful 14-year-old kid. Now that his uncle has died all he has is his housekeeper, Jack Starbright, Which he has lived with for 9 years.

My favorite part in the book is when two quads in a giant field with super tall grass are chasing Alex, and the people on the quads are determined to kill Alex by ether running him over or by shooting Alex down. But he has different ideas, Alex has spotted a bob wire fence that the quads cannot see and both of the quads crash and die. Then Alex takes a quad and starts heading toward Harold Sayles’s house so he is safe. I liked the book most because it had a lot of action, and it had a really good movie that you could watch after you read the book. And I liked the book because it did not go to fast or to slow for the reader.

I would recommend this book to someone who has a lot of time to read because they will not want to put it down. I would also recommend this book to someone who likes a lot of action and a good book.

Submitted by Haydon G.