Student Saturday: Incarceron - Catherine Fisher

Student Reviewer: Jillian M.

Summary:  Incarceron is about two main characters named Finn and Claudia. Finn is inside the prison trying to escape with his oath brother and two other friends. The  thing is, the prison has a mind of its own. It thinks and controls everything in the prison. The prison  always watches with its millions of tiny, glowing, red eyes. Meanwhile, Claudia is outside the prison trying to help get him out because she thinks that Finn is Prince Giles, who she was supposed to marry since they both were seven years old. Eventually her friend, and tutor, Jared beams her into the prison to help Finn escape. Sadly, since there are only two keys that can get them out, only Finn and Claudia can get out. Jared is trying to fix the machine because Claudia's dad, the warden of the prison, took both keys and beamed himself into the prison, so they can't get back in to save their friends from the self-aware prison. Anyways, if they did get in they would have no way out unless they found her dad and took the keys back. The fate of Finn and his friends shall remain a mystery until the second book.

Most interesting thing that I learned form this book: The most interesting thing that I learned for Incarceron is that sometimes we do one thing and don't see the real consequences of our actions until it's too late to do anything about it. In this case it's the prison. Incarceron was created to help reform people that were bad, but in the end the prison is alive and has a ind of its own. What was intended to help people, instead ended up hurting people. What is alo interesting is that the prison is a result of a previous generation's actions, but continues to affect present and future generations.

I would recommend this book to a friend because I enjoyed the suspense, mystery, and the little twists to the story.

In Mint Condition 2013 - Shannon John, Editor

I was contacted by email and asked if I would be willing to read and review an anthology.  I happen to like anthologies so I had no problem saying yes.  This book is definitely different from most books.  The book is full of poetry and short stories that lean to the dark side of literature.  I enjoyed each story, some more than others.  One of my favorites was "A Place in Pine Island". This was the story of a man's run in with an alligator.  "Mr. Scratch's Murder Circus was a poem that reminded me of the freak side-shows at carnivals.  A lot of them dealt with the topic of death.  Call me a morbid person if you want but I enjoy reading things like this.  Each author was chosen from several people who had submitted their stories or poems.  After choosing the stories to be placed in the book, artists were found to illustrate each entry.  The book is full of both talented writers and artists.

You can find out more here.   The stories are so good that I read the entire book in a couple of hours.  I just couldn't put it down.  I will tell you the stories are for the more mature reader and there is some graphic language.  I would definitely read another anthology written any of these sixteen authors.

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.