Student Saturday - Prince Caspian - C.S. Lewis

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

I really enjoyed this book. It had a lot of action in it! I highly recommend this book to fantasy readers because if you like a book that just grabs your attention and has a magical world, read this book! This book is about the Pevensie family returning to the magical and majestic world of Narnia. But in this case Narnia’s changed since the last time they were there. There was a war going on between Narnian’s and UnNarnian’s. The Pevensie family wanted to join the fight and fight for what’s right. Along the way they met a handsome, strong, and kind hearted person named Caspian, or Prince Caspian. The leader of the evil side was prince Caspian’s evil Uncle who killed Caspian’s father. So Caspian and all of the Narnian’s joined forces to defeat evil. But everyone’s wondering, where is Aslan? If you want to experience the excitement, read this book!

Student Saturday - Theodore Boone: The Abduction - John Grisham

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

Theodore Boone is an 8^th grader who wants to be a judge when he gets older. He has brown hair and is tall, and he also finds a quick way out of every situation. This is the second book in the series and is written by John Grisham and there are currently two books in the series. This book is based on Theodore’s best friend April who has gone missing. And at the same time, an escaped convict, also April’s cousin, is spotted in the town in which they live.

The book is very thrilling and exciting. I would recommend it if you like a story where there is a lot of excitement. You would like this very much. Also, if you like myster novels with many things that would make you change your mind about a subject or make you think the opposite of what’s the right answer.

Throughout the book I found compelling twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat and guessing what was going to happen next. The book is set in a small town outside of Chicago. It is almost like the Percy Jackson books, but no violence and Gods and Goddesses.

The main idea in this story is that Theodore’s friend April is alone in her mom’s house, where the next morning, she finds that April has vanished and her favorite clothes are gone, with no alarms triggered, but no sign of April’s father. The police are stumped, and cannot find anything involved in the abduction.

Theodore immediately starts searching from his hometown, to all over the country to find April, and with the help of his uncle Ike, Theo finds a legal way through every situation. Overall, I loved this book series because it is Mysterious and exciting.

Student Saturday - Phule Me Twice - Robert Asprin

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

I thought that the book “Phule Me Twice” was funny. This book makes me remember about going into middle school for the first time because Phule goes to a new planet. The book was great. Phule is the captain that controls the group of Leiginaires. He has a butler named Beeker. The new planet was named Zebobia. This book reminds me of a forest with new things to explore. I recommend this book to my classmates because I think they would enjoy it. Phule had to help out this planet. He did his duty. Does this new planet have to doe with the mystery thing in the previous books? Read it to find out.

Four Picture Books By Zoey Parker

Princess Katy and Drake the Dragon Take a Plunge
Princess Katy has very few friends.  Drake the dragon is her best friend.  Drake looks large and fierce.  He is actually just large and kind.  For being a dragon Drake has a lot of fears. He's afraid of birds and other things.  The one thing he fears most is swimming.  Katy decides to try to help Drake overcome his fear of swimming.  She has a party and invites some of the birds and bees that she knows won't make fun of him.  He flies away instead.  When he see show sad he's made Katy he decides to give it a try.  Once again the author has chose to teach a simple lesson.  In this case she is trying to teach children to face their fears and not let them stop them from trying something new.

Katy and Evan Learn the Golden Rule
Katy and Evan are brother and sister.  They both start out playing in their sandbox.  Each builds their own castle. Problems arise when Katy wants to borrow a shovel from her brother.  After all he isn't using it.  Her brother doesn't want to share it.  He decides he needs it.  As they fight over it they begin to stomp on each other's castle destroying them both.  Mother hears the commotion and comes outside.  She teaches them the all important lesson of the golden rule.  This is a rule that all children need to learn.

Princess Katy Meets the Tooth Fairy
This is a book every parent should read to their children.  Katy hates fruit.  Everyone in Citrus City eats their fruit and vegetables.  Katy refuses to and eats candy instead.  When her parents decide to make it a rule she can't eat candy any more she runs to her room and gobbles down all of the candy she has had stashed away for a long time.  That night the tooth fairy visits her.  She takes all of Katy's rotten teeth.  Katy runs to her parents and her dad tells her that she is lucky because she will have new teeth that are stronger grow back in.  However, he tells her she has to take care of them by eating healthy foods or they will rot again.  Katy learns her lesson.

Princess Katy Loses her K
Princess Katy is with her teacher, Merlin the Grey when he decides it is time that Katy learns her alphabet.  They go through all of the letters and they sing a song about them.  When it is Katy's turn to sing the song by herself she discovers the "k" is missing.  She searches all over the kingdom and discovers the cook can't cook because without the "k" he can only coo. The horse in his stall can't kick without the "k's".  When her mom kisses her goodnight she finds the missing "k" in the word kiss. and is able to recite her alphabet.

All four of these wonderful rhyming books are created for very young children and teach them valuable lessons.  These make not only great bed-time stories, but great read any-time stories.

Stopper - Mark W. Jarrell

Pages: approx.. 163

Source:  I purchased

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Excerpt from Amazon:

"As the boy with the purple ball cap walked towards the tennis court, he could see that it had been an energetic point that was going on. ...that had been going on. He stopped for a moment to assess the situation, shrugged his slim shoulders and continued walking. He opened up the door to the fence that surrounded the courts and stepped out onto the green concrete. The ball was now sitting perfectly still just a foot or so off the ground near the tall lanky boy with the not-completely-grown-in mustache. No one on the court was moving. Everyone was perfectly still--frozen in mid-motion on the court. [...] It was really eerie. It was almost as if someone had hit the pause button on the remote control. Except, this was real life on pause, not a movie."

Seventeen-year-old Johnny (otherwise known as Stopper) has the unusual ability to stop time for the rest of the world. And it's a power that he himself can't control. He can't interact with people in a normal way because of his power and has multiple character flaws that have developed as a result. A group of friends at the local school start to notice the strange things happening whenever this particular boy is around and they try their best to make contact with him. They eventually end up adopting him as one of their own, all the while trying to protect him from a looming threat.

Imagine being able to stop time.  That is exactly what Stopper can do.  As cool as I thought this would be, I soon realized as I read the book that there was an awful lot of responsibility to go along with that ability, as well as a lot of problems.  Stopper is a runaway who has the ability to stop time.  After being on his on for about four years he finally makes friends.  He will need these friends.  Stopper has an enemy.  He is not sure why someone wants him dead but now he's sure someone does.  There is a lot of mystery surrounding this kid.  I liked that.  I also liked thinking I was going to figure something out only to have the author throw a curve ball.  Suddenly there was another issue that had to be dealt with.  It wasn't out of place or an in your face type of curve ball. Suddenly the tension increased with that little bit of knowledge that was thrown in that made you sit up and go, "oh, how will that affect this... and what about that...?"  This author definitely  has it together.  I read the book from beginning to end.  I could not stop reading from the minute I picked it up until I finished the book.  It has a satisfying ending yet is ended in such a way that maybe we will see a sequel.  I definitely recommend this as really good science fiction book.

The Prey – Andrew Fukuda

Pages: 304

Source: Purchased

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Spoiler Alert:  If you have not read the first book The Hunt then don’t read any further.

Gene and the other hepers have escaped from the Dome leaving behind Ashley June.  They travel down the river.  Epap is not happy that Gene is with them.  He is obviously jealous of him and the way Sissy keeps coming to his aid. As they travel down the river they discover a tablet hidden in a secret compartment under the boat.  It tells them to stay on the river.  The flip side tells them not to let Gene die.  That is all it takes for Sissy to make it her mission.  After several days on the river, and after plummeting over a waterfall they are discovered by a young girl and they are taken to a village called “The Mission”.  There is excitement at discovering more of their kind.  But all is not what it seems.  Is this a blessing or a curse and what is the “origin” they are supposed to have brought with them?

The world building in this second book was just as interesting and descriptive as that in the first book.  You see a dystopian society that has gone back to where women are nothing more than slaves.  Sissy definitely doesn’t agree with this.  The micro-tension within this book is so strong I read it from beginning to end in one sitting.  I honestly felt like I was at "The Mission" with all of them. I could feel the fear they felt.  I kept sitting on the edge of my seat whenever the tension would increase.  This author definitely knows how to write a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Unfortunately, the third book, The Trap, won’t be out until September.  The book was left in a way that the reader celebrates with the news learned, yet is left wondering if anyone will be alive to celebrate that knowledge.  I absolutely loved this book.  The first book was given to me  to review.  I bought the second book as an e-book.  I can guarantee you that the second and third book will be purchased in paperback for my classroom shelves.  It is an absolutely wonderful dystopian book.

Student Saturday - A Child Called It - Dave Pelzer

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

The main characters of this story are David Pelzer, Catherine Roerva Pelzer, Stephen Pelzer,  and many others.

I really recommend this book to ages eleven and up because of hit’s harsh language and alcoholic uses. In my opinion this book is very good and emotional. I almost cried because of what harsh, cruel, and violent things the mother did to her son..

“A Child Called It”, is a story about young David Pelzer who once lived a great life, now a living slave to his own family.  David lives with his four brothers, his mom and dad. David’s mom, the worst keeps neglecting him over and over again for no apparent reason.  His four brothers just watch David being neglected and his dad trying to protect David.  Can you imagine a mom feeding her son ammonia and Clorox? Just the help from his school and dad, David is alive. Read “A Child Called It” and see what harsh obstacles and games David’ mom has put up for him

Hate List - Jennifer Brown

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Pages: 405

Source: Purchased

Genre:  Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

April, 20, 1999, October 2, 2006, December 14, 2012 are just a few of the dates that have one thing in common they were all school shootings. Columbine was the first major shooting I remember.  The one thing  that was brought out and mentioned was the issue of bullying. The Nickel Mines shooting showed us that peace loving people like the Amish could be just as big a target.  Lest we forget this last December 14, 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary, we see that even the youngest child is not safe.

Jennifer Brown has created a book that makes us look at possible reasons why these things happen.  I am in no way making excuses for these killers.  However, as I read her book I began to look at my life and do some comparing.  Funny the things we think about and things we learn. 

Valerie Leftman is the main character in this story.  It is the story of being left behind after a tragic event has occurred.  It is the story of trying to make sense of the world both before and after so that you can move forward with your life.  Valerie’s boyfriend Nick did the unthinkable.  He went into a school and killed several kids.  Valerie saved a life, getting shot in the process.  Nick then killed himself.  The problem is that everyone believes that Valerie was behind this plot and that Nick just carried it out.  Why would they think that?  They had a hate list.  I immediately thought back to the first “slam book” I confiscated.  The girl was anxious to get it back and I didn’t know why until I opened it up.  It was filled with the names of people she didn’t like and why.  I turned it over to the principal.  We took all of these kinds of things seriously as we were fresh out of the Columbine shooting the year before.  It turned out the girl’s parents were going through a divorce, her brother was leaving for college and her best friend had just been killed in an accident.  She was different, which seems funny now that I think back.  I worked in an arts school so to me everyone was unique.  She was venting her frustration out through that slam book.  When does a journal, slam book become something more?  I wondered this because I often give kids a journal when I know they are going through a lot of garbage and tell them they can feel free to  write whatever they need to get it out of their system.  When does it actually go bad?

I kept seeing the people who had called Valerie names and made fun of her and her friends, getting by with things. It was so unfair.  She felt like she had no one on her side including her parents. That is why I take all acts of bullying seriously in my classroom and school.  Having parents that don’t believe in you for whatever reason only adds to that stress.

Okay, so here is where I tell you something personal.  I understood how Valerie felt when her parents didn’t believe her innocence.  In their eyes she was guilty by association.  When in eighth grade I had a friend who was doing drugs.  Sitting in art class one day I was defending my right to be her friend.  I passed a note to the student I was talking with and it was confiscated.  I heard nothing from anyone.  I just assumed the teacher had thrown the note away.  My parents had been called to the school where they went through all of my things in my “open-faced” (as in no door) locker looking for drugs.  Then they did the same thing with my room.  They wanted to know where I kept the drugs. There were none.  I was grounded and had to go to the school counselor twice a week for the rest of the school year because of my association with "those" kids. My cousins thought this was so funny..  It was years later one of my cousins told my mom that as she lay in a hospital after an overdose in school she started laughing thinking about her and the other cousins doing drugs and never being suspected while I had been accused of something I didn’t do.  I felt totally betrayed and it took a long time, as in years to repair the damage done to our relationship.  This is one of the themes that runs throughout this book. The theme of broken relationships.  This should be a must read for every kid and teacher from middle grade up.  I know I will have parents say, “But, I don’t want my kids being exposed to that kind of stuff.”  Wake up parents, they are exposed to that and so much more every day.  Let’s teach kids what are actually out there and how to deal with it.

The Witch's Guide to Cooking with Children - Keith McGowan

Pages: 192
Genre: Middle Grade, Fairy Tale, Fantasy

A new take on the Hansel and Gretel Story!

 I have had this book on my shelf for at least a year and a half.  I decided I was definitely going to read it this summer. I absolutely loved this book! For those of you who like the story of Hansel and Gretel, you will love this new spin on it.
The witch, Fay Holaderry has adapted her lifestyle to the present time, living like any elderly person in any community. But, looks can be deceiving.

Sol and Connie Blink have just moved to Grand Creek. They have a lovely set of parents who don't really seem to care about them. The reasons, and there are many, become clear as you read the book. Sol is a science nerd. His younger sister Connie loves animals and loves and admires her brother. Sol has a difficult time believing in himself after a terrible incident in the town they have just moved from.

Both Sol and Connie must learn to trust each other if they are to survive what their parents, Ms. Holaderry and many others in the town have set up for them. This story's themes of perseverance, trust and relying on family run all through this story.  I can't wait for the first day of school to begin so that I can recommend this book to my new students.

Balance - Nik Wallenda

Publisher: FaithWords
Pages: 224
Genre: Memoir
Source: I purchased it

Living in Sarasota my husband and I jump at the chance to watch any circus performers.  I've done book signings where we met other members of the Wallenda family, had members perform in our Christmas pageant,  or come to a school I taught at to perform and speak to our students at the conclusion of our circus unit.  The week before Nik Wallenda walked across the Grand Canyon I had the privilege of finally meeting Nik and his wife as he practiced at Benderson Park. I've heard people talk about how he was too important to perform for the lowly people or talk with them.  Well I am here to tell you that he and his wife are some of the most down to earth people I've met.  As I stood in line to have a picture taken with him I observed an act of kindness that was in no way put on for cameras. The cameras didn't see it.   There was an elderly lady in a wheelchair off to the side.  She'd been waiting patiently while her family stood in line to meet Nik. While members of his team were talking with the next person in line Nik walked down and stooped down next to her, took her hand and talked with her.  He autographed something for her.  He didn't make a big production of it or anything.  There were enough people around her that few saw this. He then silently made his way back up on stage.

There will be many who read his book and declare him a show off.  I sure hope so.  He wouldn't make it very far if he were not.  His book was a look back at his family's roots, and his path to where he is today.  I learned so much about his family history.  It was not always pleasant or easy.  There were always financial worries. Nik's work ethic was shaped by these experiences.  I definitely identified with a lot of that.  I have had a job since I was 13.  Nothing was beneath me.  I did what I had to do for my family.  I like Nik have a control problem.  Nik saw the effect of feeling like he had to be in control of everything including everything his family did.  It almost cost him his marriage.  With Nik's strong Christian background he had to learn to rely on God for that balance.  He can't be in control of everything.  He had to learn to let go and let God take over.  If you watched him on the walk across the Grand Canyon then you heard him talking to God.  This was not for show.  This is how Nik finds his balance as he walks.  He has the skills and talents that God gave him, but internally he has to rely on God for that balance.  I believe God gives me books to read when I need them. This last school year I felt like I had little control over things in my life.  I took on too much, had people wanting to know if I'd gotten their book read and reviewed, others who wanted to know if I'd finished the book I was working on.  School let out and I still felt things were not right.  After reading Nik's book I realized that I needed to look at my life and re-do and re-arrange things in my life.  I also needed to get my spiritual life back in balance.

There is so much you can learn from Nik's book.  You not only learn his family history, how he grew up performing and what he hopes to accomplish, but you get the sense that he is teaching you how to find your own balance.  Part of finding your balance in life is taking risks.  They don't have to be risks that are dangerous like Nik does when walking the wire.  Those risks may be simply putting your self out there in a situation.  My husband said the reason I did not start writing sooner was because I was afraid oI have to say that when I am writing I feel more balanced.  This is definitely a book I will read more than once and a book I will recommend to my friends and family.