The Last Buffalo by Ed Kienzle

Pages:  214

Genre: Middle Grade Adventure

Source: Received a copy from the author

From Goodreads:

The Last Buffalo Little Kettle watches, heartbroken, as the last buffalo falls lifeless to the ground in what he has come to call The Winter of the Red Snow. Little Kettle has been waging a personal battle to stop the killing as the animals leave Yellowstone seeking winter forage. When his nephew Wyman is born, Little Kettle passes the mantle of protecting the buffalo to him, proclaiming the boy the Keeper of the Buffalo. Though he instills in Wyman a deep love for the animal that once ruled the Western Plains, the youngster struggles under the weight of the this great responsibility he's been asked to bear. He yearns for a more normal life. Wyman gives up the task for a short time but then the dreams come. Or are they visions? Join Wyman and his newfound friends Alex and Jacob as they share a great adventure in and around Yellowstone. A bear, a peace-pipe, an Indian maiden, a mysterious shape shifter, and a touch of mysticism teaches the trio about their and the buffaloes past. Love trust and persistence lead them to discover the secrets of their dreams and fulfill the role of Keeper of the Buffalo. The Last Buffalo is geared toward young readers who enjoy the outdoors, or children in whom parents wish to instill a sense of respect, a spirit of compromise and an appreciation for nature.

My Thoughts

As I read this book I began to think about a movie I saw in the late 1970's called The White Buffalo. It was about Wild Bill Hickok and Crazy Horse chasing after a white buffalo.  This white buffalo haunts their visions or dreams.  That was the part that reminded me of this book.  The three children in the book all have the same dream or vision of a white buffalo.  The major difference between the movie and the book was in the movie they were trying to kill the buffalo.  In the book the idea was to save this rare buffalo.   I found the environmental message to be just as important today as it would have been years ago.  Don't know what the message is I'm talking about?  Read the book.  I am looking forward to putting this book on my shelves at school. It is a book that will be enjoyed by both boys and girls.

Student Saturday: Golden Buddha - Clive Cussler

Student Reviewer: Nicolas B.

Do you like action and suspense? If you do, then the book the Golden Buddha by Clive Cussler is for you. IN the book, the Dalai Lama has been over thrown, by the Chinese invading Tibet. Juan Cabrillo (born in California) and his team must help the Dalai lama by getting the golden Buddha from the thieves who stole it. They tracked the Buddha to a billionaire in China.

I really like this book because I like the genre of the book. The ship Juan and his crew sail on is magnificent, because it's painted like an old rusty cargo ship and it's so much more. this is the first in the series, The Oregon Files. the setting of the book is in modern times because of all the technology that Juan uses. Juan is really cool because he can speak five different languages, can steer a ship, knows how to hack most computers, and he's a crack shot. He is amazing even though he is handicapped.
I would recommend this book to whoever likes spies and traps.

Student Saturday: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon - Grace Lin

Today's student reviewer is Anissa

The book I read was Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin. The story takes place in a poor village in China. The book is about a little girl named Minli, a VERY courageous girl. Minli believes in many stories that her dad (ba) tells her. So, Minli goes to a place that was in one of her dad's stories and makes a wish. On her journey she makes many friends . I would recommend this to an adventure, fantasy or fairy tale reader. This book reminds me of when I go to my grandma's house (she lives in the country), every day is an adventure. I loved this book because I am an adventure reader and I also just love the author, Grace Lin.

Student Saturday: The Limit by Kristen Landon'

Today's student review is by Whitney.

The Limit is about a boy who has just started middle school and already he has found out that an eighth grade girl was taken by the government, because her parents went over their spending limits. Up until then they were only kidnapping high school kids. So, Matt (the main character) is starting to think he will be the next one to be taken. But he dismissed the thought because his family members are responsible spenders, and as long as they continue to stay that way he shouldn't have to worry, or should he?

The main character Matt is very smart.  He has a 3.007 GPA and is quite the wiz in math. He enjoys playing with his friends after school and has two younger sisters. I made the connection between me and Matt because we are both in the sixth grade. Personally I think this book is amazing and can relate to tons of people.

Now, I would recommend this book to someone a little on the mature side of reading, but other than that, I think people will enjoy this book. There are two main settings in this book, Matt's house where he goes after school, and usually invites his friends over. The second setting is the warehouse. This is where the government sends the kids to work. I enjoyed this book a lot and if you give it a chance I bet you will too.

Student Saturday - Salty Dog - Brad Strickland

Student Saturday is a day I post reviews written by other students.  The review that follows is written by Brees.

Salty dog by Brad Strickland is a very adventurous book. My favorite part about it ws when Jim Hawkins (a.k.a. – Wishbone) meets Benn Gunn on the island and tries to run away! While at Trumbull barn the barn catches on fire with three kids in it! Brad Strickland did an amazing job connecting his book with another to make Salty Dog. I can’t wait to read another exciting book of his. Brad Strickland made this book very creative, especially by having and ordinary dog become one of the most enjoyable heroes, with human like features. But I got mixed up a lot with all the names and at the end I got it totally mixed up. I had no idea what happened.  All I knew was, treasure……took…..found…..and……pirates.

Day : 1 Found Reviews

Well I did it again.  The end of the school year came and went.  I packed things up and took some things home and left some things I needed at school.  I finally started going through things I had brought home trying to organize it.  What did I find?  A bunch of book reviews I had written with the intention of typing them into my blog, then scheduling them to be published.  Did I do this?  Oh no, I was too busy writing, babysitting and unpacking things that I had left packed until school let out to go through school things.  I was going through and figuring out what I needed to get ready for school which starts in a little over a week for me when I came across a notebook at the bottom of a box. As I flipped through its pages I came upon several book reviews I forgot to type up and post.  It saddens me to think that the last week of school when we did so much reading and relaxing that I read and wrote these reviews then forgot to type them into my blog.  That's what happens when you procrastinate.  I remember writing a list and one of the things it said was type and post review.  How do I remember the list?  It was on the same page with the first  review.  So for the next couple of days I will post the reviews of books I had read at the end of May and first week of June.  The sad thing about forgetting this is that these first two books were two of my favorite reads of the year.

Code of Silence by Tim Shoemaker

Publisher: Zonderkidz

Pages: 348

Genre:  Middle Grade, Mystery, Adventure

Source: Received a review copy in exchange for my honest review

Cooper, Hiro and Gordy are best friends who like to spend afternoons after school at their favorite handout Frank-N-Stein’s Restaurant.  One evening they decided to play one more arcade game while their friend, mentor and owner Frank locks up.  What happens next is the beginning of a nightmare.  The three friends are trapped in the restaurant and witness the robbery and beating of Frank.  When one of the robbers pulls and leaves the video that would incriminate them in the robbery, Cooper takes the opportunity to snatch it and escape.  The others get away and Cooper is caught and his house keys taken and he is left with a threat to his family.  He and his friends get away.  They make a pact to keep what they know silent.  They don’t know who they can trust because the robbers were dressed in police uniforms.  Unfortunately Cooper’s backpack left at the scene put the cops and the criminals on his trail.  His lies upon lies begin to catch up with him.  It strains his relationship with his parents, his friends and with his relationship with God.  This was one of those books that once you start you can’t put it down. The messages about doing the right thing, friendship, loyalty, honesty, lies and telling the truth can be found all through the book.  When I give my book talk about this book I’m going to ask my students up front if they believe it is ever okay to tell a lie and ask for examples.  Then I will introduce this book because people need to realize that just because you think it is okay to lie, there are consequences for each lie you tell.  This is a book I definitely recommend to my students and all adults who love to read a good mystery.

Back Before Dark – Tim Shoemaker

Publisher: Zonderkidz

Pages: 384

Genre: Mystery, Adventure

Source: Review Copy in exchange for my honest review

Cooper, Gordy, and Hiro along with Lunk are back for a second adventure in Tim Shoemaker’s second book Back Before Dark. The four teens are on their way home from a shopping trip when they spot a van with a backpack on top.  They promised they would be home before dark.  They weigh their options and decide they have time to play the role of Good Samaritan and still make it home on time.  Gordy takes off ahead of the group.  As he approaches the van the worse thing possible happens.  The side door opens and Gordy is grabbed.  His friends race to catch up.  Cooper gets the license plate number but gets it all mixed up.  Days go by.  Cooper can’t imagine being without his best friend and cousin Gordy.  He goes to school and sees a sign for a memorial to be held for Gordy.  This is really more than Cooper can stand and he decides if the police aren’t going to do anything then he will.  Their new friend Lunk supports Cooper in everything he does putting himself and his friends in danger.  This book is all about friendship and how far we will go for our friends.  There is also an underlying message of turning problems that are too big for you to handle over to God.  Cooper is like so many of us that tries to handle it first and then when all else fails turns it over to God.  Lunk is one of those who doesn’t understand why God would allow this to happen to good people.  Then we have the strong one of the bunch Hiro.  She is the one who constantly prays for her friends and the situations they get into.  She is the voice of reason in the darkness.  I can only home Tim Shoemaker keeps pumping these books out because I will keep putting them on my shelves at school and recommending them to everyone I can.

Student Saturday - No Safety In Numbers - Dayna Lorentz

Student Saturday is a day I post reviews written by other students.  The review that follows is written by Meaghan

This book is from the point of view of five teenagers who have (along with many other people) been quarantined in a mall on account that some kid had found a suspicious item in the air ducts of the mall. Some people are trying to keep their own lives from falling apart rather than saving others. Some were forced to be there and would have much rather been at home. Others were just hanging out with friends having a typical day at the mall.

This ‘bomb’ was unfamiliar territory for the local police so the bomb squad and the F.B.I. were all called in, it looked like they were going to be there for a while. At first it was pretty comical being locked in a mall with hundreds of shops and restaurants. After days though it’s no laughing matter. The restaurants have almost completely run out of everything. Enraged rioters have raided stores and shops and everyone is in hysterics. Then the people start getting sick. A hospital has to be set up in an office supply store. Hazmat doctors wheel in two or three patients an hour with al the same symptoms, blue fingers, ears and noses. When the scientists determine what is happening to all these people it is too late. Most of the mall population has been contaminated and even the hazmats can no longer stay to help.

This book is one of my most recommended books.  It has you on a gruesome and twisted roller coaster from the start. I don’t recommend this book to anyone who is squeamish to medical science. No safety in numbers thrust you into a futuristic atmosphere where our government is dealing with different kinds of terrorists, the kind that knows the human race’s weakness, itself.

I recommend not starting this book until close to the end of school because it gets you wrapped up in it and doesn’t give you an ending. The sequel doesn’t come out until July.

The Fallen Pharaoh - S.W. Lothian

Wonderful Middle Grade Book that not only entertains but teaches about Ancient Egypt. 

Wow!  This third book is absolutely awesome.  I read it in under two hours.  JJ, Linc, Rani  join together once again to meet their friend Khafre.  He has both bad and good news to tell them.  His father has died and he is to be the new pharaoh. They are there to visit and have a good time. They are not there to fulfill a quest.  Upon arriving they are told that Khafre's father has died and Khafre is to become the new Pharaoh. They get to watch both the funeral and coronation.  Khafre doesn't really believe his father's death is an accident.  Suddenly he is gone.  The team must come together to find the Ankh of Life before Khafre's brother becomes the new Pharoah.  Without the Ankh of Life there is no protection for the new Pharoah.  It is up to the kids to solve this mystery and find the Ankh.

There were a couple of things that really stood out for me. I loved that they were able to travel to Paris. I love the addition of Mr. M, the mummy they found in Paris.  I am definitely interested in finding out more abut Leesa and why she is following the kids around.  Most importantly I am excited to find out what happens next in the book.  The book is well written and is such an intriguing adventure you can't put it down.  What I really enjoy is learning so much Egyptian information from a fiction book.  This is one I can recommend to my Humanities teacher and will definitely have a place on my shelf.

If you aren't familiar with S.W. Lothian then you need to check him out.

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Student Saturday - Hatchet - Gary Paulsen

Student Saturday is a day I post reviews written by other students.  The review that follows is written byPlacido

Thirteen year old Brian Robinson is on a plane going to see his father. There are only two people in the plane, him and the pilot. While flying the pilot has a heart attack. The plane starts to go down. The plane falls in a lake. Brian gets out scared and hardly believing that he was alive. Brian has to manage to survive in the wilderness by himself. Brian is in the wild for quite a while. He manages to survive by hunting with things or weapons that he had to make. He looks for food and makes his own shelter. One day he goes into the plane and gets some supplies. Things that Brian ate were fish, berries and things like that. That’s when he remembered that the fish that he was eating were eating the pilot in the lake. A couple of weeks later he was rescued and taken back home. I thought this book was really good. This book reminded me of when I was seven and got lost in my sister’s back yard. I too made my own little survival on my own, even though it was in her back yard. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking forward to reading a good book. I think this is a great book.

Student Saturdays: NERDS - Michael Buckley

Student Reviewer:  Sky

From Goodreads

Michael Buckley is at his comic best in this madcap new series sure to appeal to kids looking for a quick, exciting read.

Combining all the excitement of international espionage and all the awkwardness of elementary school, NERDS, featuring a group of unpopular students who run a spy network from inside their school, hits the mark. With the help of cutting-edge science, their nerdy qualities are enhanced and transformed into incredible abilities! They battle the Hyena, a former junior beauty pageant contestant turned assassin, and an array of James Bond–style villains, each with an evil plan more diabolical and more ridiculous than the last.

Student's Thoughts:

I  personally think this is a great book.  I recommend this book to anyone because it has action, drama, and surprises.  You won’t believe what happens.  Jackson is the main character.  He has braces and is a spy.  So is Flitch Heathcliff, Duncan Ruse and Matilda.  They’re spy names are Flitch, Choppers, Pasty, Pufferfish, and Wheezer.  When Jackson gets braces he becomes a loser and finds out where the nerd kids go and he joins them in their secret agent force.  His code name is Braceface . He tries to stop Jigsaw from taking over the world by moving the countries back together.  It is in a place under their school.  This book was full of different feelings and especially at the end.  I can connect to this book because I have started new schools so many times that I have to try new things.