Student Saturdays: Middle School: Get Me Out of Here - James Patterson

Student Reviewer:  Emily           

From Goodreads:

James Patterson's winning follow-up to the #1 New York Times bestseller Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life--which the LA Times called "a perfectly pitched novel"--is another riotous and heartwarming story about living large.

After sixth grade, the very worst year of his life, Rafe Khatchadorian thinks he has it made in seventh grade. He's been accepted to art school in the big city and imagines a math-and-history-free fun zone.Wrong! It's more competitive than Rafe ever expected, and to score big in class, he needs to find a way to turn his boring life into the inspiration for a work of art. His method? Operation: Get a Life! Anything he's never done before, he's going to do it, from learning to play poker to going to a modern art museum. But when his newest mission uncovers secrets about the family Rafe's never known, he has to decide if he's ready to have his world turned upside down.

 

Student’s Thoughts:

This book is a really good book according to me.  Rafe is a kid who is now in 7^th grade, but last  year he got into some deep trouble because he tried to break all the rules in the school, also known as  “Operation Rafe”.  This year he moved to a new school called Cathradinal.  Rafe wants to be good this year so he has a new operation called “Operation Get a Life” where he has to do 195 new things.  His year that he didn’t do last year, bnut they are all good things.  Along the way he meets someone named Matly.  Then it gets interesting, but I don’t want to tell you about the whole book so I would recommend for someone who wants a good laugh because this book is hilarious.

Owlet - Emma Michaels

EXCERPT:

When the song came to an end the younger Iris and Falcon were awestruck. Iris could feel the goose bumps on her arms even in her dream but she also could see why her mother had sung the song. It wasn’t about the lesson at all, it was about Falcon. She was trying to show him how beautiful things would make him feel.

“What is their story?” the younger Iris whispered.

“Their story is about love. A Vermilion is born blind and can only see by taking a short span of the life of their soul mate or a parent. The legend behind the constellation says that as they fell from the cliff together they transformed into birds and flew until that night when the stars came out and they joined them in the night sky, so that they could always watch over the world and the beautiful peace that sleep can bring. It is a beautiful story and the book is on the shelf. I still don’t know why they thought you were one, Izzy, but I know they were mistaken.”

Iris again noticed what her mother was doing. She saw the way that Falcon eagerly looked at the book and already was struggling to stop himself from reaching for it. Then she heard him ask a question, “Can love really conquer time?”

“I think love can conquer anything, it is the most powerful thing in the world,” young Iris exclaimed and Falcon stared at her. He just kept watching her even when her mother spoke again.

“I agree completely. Love conquers all. Like my very favorite story, The Sparrow and the Fairy Wren. That is on the shelf, too. Actually, it is probably on the shelf in every room of this house, considering how many copies I have collected. You should read it sometime, Falcon. It also became a constellation.”

“I will,” Falcon said softly, already scanning the leather spines of the novels on the shelves. His eyes filled with hunger as he saw the many titles.

Publisher: Tribute Books

Pages:  138

Source:  Review Copy from Publisher 
Genre: YA Paranormal

Owlet Summary

Somewhere between falling and flying… there is a girl.

Iris has a secret. She lost her memory eight years ago and never told a living soul. After an asthma attack one night she finds out that her dreams of a strange house on a snowy island may be a memory resurfacing but the more she learns about the past the more she realizes the life she has been living is a lie. As the façade her father has built starts to crumble around her she will have to decide which means more to her; the truth or her life.

My Thoughts

WOW!  That is how I must start this book review.  This book was more than I expected.  It took me no time to get into it.  Once I started I couldn’t put it down.  It was a very quick read.  The book is beautifully written.  From the very first dream in the book, the reader is hooked.  You are carried along with Iris into a world that promises so much.  I loved that Iris had medical issues to deal with as well as the lost memories.  It added a element that made her seem all the more vulnerable.  There is the promise of a romance, but it is not one of those fall into the boys arms and swoon types of romance.  This is a love that comes from someplace deep. In Falcon, Iris finds so much more than an attraction. She finds a loyal protector who will do 

anything for Iris.  Finding out she has been lied to is only part of the puzzle for Iris.  Finding out the reason for the lies is the most important part of the journey into this book. The songs and poetry are beautifully written.  I was not sure in the beginning what to expect from this society that Iris belongs to. There was so much mystery left to be learned in future installments about not only Iris, but also the antagonists in the story.   I am thrilled there is a second book coming out.  I am sad that it won’t be out until October of 2013.  This is definitely a must read book.

Emma Michaels' Bio:

Emma Michaels is the author of the ‘A Sense of Truth’ and ‘Society of Feathers’ series. Her goal with her latest YA novel 'Owlet' is to give others what she did not have growing up; a strong female protagonist with asthma.  While her previous aspiration was to be a lady knight she realized that not being able to run more than a few feet might become a hindrance so turned to writing instead. Her day jobs include being a cover artist, marketing consultant and silk screen designer.

As the founder of The Writers Voice blog (http://OurBooksOurVoice.Blogspot.com) she loves to connect authors and readers. As a book blogger turned author, she was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, until she moved at eighteen to Washington State. Suddenly, the world was a new place filled with tall green trees that reached further for the sky with every moment, making her want to do the same. Ever since, she has tried to make her life something new and different from what it was before, pursuing her future career, setting high goals and reaching for them. With the support of her fiancé, Chihuahua, and her amazing blog followers and fellow bloggers, she wants to prove to the world that anything is possible and help inspire fellow literary lovers to reach for their dreams.

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Fall Into Reading Challenge Wrap-Up

A part of me is sad that this reading challenge is over.

My original list consisted of nine picture books, and twenty-five middle grade, young adult, adult books.  I managed to read all nine of the picture books, and ten of the other books.  I completed six books that were not on my list.  That was a grand total of twenty-five books I read for the challenge.

I am disappointed only in the fact that I didn’t have more time to read.  Reading has always been my escape.  This year at school I have mentored two teachers, I am team leader, testing coordinator and on a curriculum design team.  This meant I was out of the classroom for trainings, or to work in collaboration with others to design a new curriculum.  This put me behind in grading, which took up my evenings.  I would normally be able to pick up reading time over Thanksgiving.  However, we learned over Thanksgiving week we were going to have to move.  So we spent that week babysitting grand kids and looking for a place to move.  We’ve not found a place as of yet.  The final week of the challenge I got sick.  My husband popped into the bedroom, looked at me and stated, “I know you must be really sick, you aren’t even reading”.  He was right.  I could barely lift my head off of the pillow.

Before you think this is just a negative post let me add the good side to this.  I, and twenty-four of my students participated in NaNoWriMo this year. Because of this,  I was given permission to teach the NaNoWriMo curriculum in my classes next year.    Was it worth spending more time writing than reading?  Yes it was.  I finished the  very, very rough draft of a book I’ve spent three years researching.  Two of my students completed their book and the school is going to place a copy in the school library.  They are actually creating a section for student authors.    

My students participated in the reading challenge and most of them not only met their goals, but exceeded them.  They are looking forward to the Spring Reading Challenge.  They are excited about it because for every book they read and review they get a ticket to place in a drawing for books.  They are more excited by the fact that a lot of those books are autographed.  So if we have any authors of middle grade/young adult books out there that would like to donate an autographed book, please feel free to contact me for a donation.  I have place my original list below.  I have two weeks of Christmas break.  Yes I will still be packing to move and looking for a place.  I have decided that I am allowing myself a minimum of an hour a day for reading.  Maybe I’ll be able to get to some of the other books on this list by the time I must return to school.

I hope all of you had a successful time of this challenge.  I think any time we read we have succeeded.

Picture Books

When Verdell Comes to Visit - Clayton J. Liotta

I Thought I Saw a Dragon Late Last Night - Clayton J. Liotta

Up A Tree With Chicken Soup -Clayton J. Liotta

The House at 25 Clearview Drive - Clayton J. Liotta

Molly, by Golly! - Dianne Ochiltree

The Dog Show - Sally O. Lee

'CAT'ASTROPHE' - Kathy Johnson

The Amazing Adventure of Paddy Platypus - Tom de Paolo

Quest for Good Manners - Karen LeFranc

Middle Grade/Young Adult/Adult Books

The Wind of Life: Vita - Oliver Neubert

The Chest of Visions:  Secrets of Caperston - Tim Ferguson

When the Lights Go Out - Max Elliot Anderson

The Scarecrow - Max Anderson

River Rampage - Max Elliot Anderson

The Golden Scarab - S.W. Lothian

The Cursed Nile - S.W.Lothian

A Long Walk to Water - Linda Sue Park

The One and Only Ivan - Katherine Applegate

The Upside of Ordinary - Susan Lubner

Stealing Kevin's Heart - M. Scott Carter

Thompson Twins Las Vegas Adventure - Lesa Hammond

The  Land of Whoo - Ryan O'Brien

Pieces of Me - Darlene Ryan

Legend of the White Eagle - Barbara Hay

The Prisoner of Snowflake Falls -John Lekich

Just Breeze - Beverly Stowe McClure

Losing Elizabeth - Tanya J. Peterson

I Want to Fly - Allel Kheroufi

Curse of the Shamra - Barry Hoffman

Katia - Bruce Judisch

Latitudes - Anthony Caplan

Demoneater - Royce Buckingham

Demonocity - Royce Buckingham

Escape to Mars - Greg Krehbiel

Added to List

Demonkeeper - Royce Buckingham

Poppy and the Stranger - Eli Jay

Ella The Pink Elephant - Doris Rueger

Morris the Village Voice - Doris Rueger

Captain Jack's Treasure - Max Elliot Anderson

When the Lights Go Out - Max Elliot Anderson