11 Birthdays

11 Birthdays  By Wendy Mass

**** 5/5 stars Fantasy

I really like Wendy Mass. I think she is a very good story teller. A year ago on her birthday Amanda over heard Leo say something behind her back. Now it is her birthday again and Amanda and Leo aren't having their birthday together for the first time. Leo is supposed to have a band, a giant lizard, and a hypnotist and Amanda is going to have an itchy costume. Amanda is very happy for her birthday to be over but the next day it is her birthday again, and again, and again. Amanda is really starting to get sick of this and she realizes that she must stop her birthday from repeating. Wendy Mass tells this book very well.

The Kneebone Boy

The Kneebone Boy By Ellen Potter
***** 5/5 stars  Fiction

This book is non-stop-action. When the Hardscrabble children are unknowingly sent to stay with an aunt who is away on vacation they decide to stay at great-aunt's house instead. At their great-aunt's house they embark on an adventure concerning a creature who is half-boy and half-animal. This book is very exhilarating and I could not put it down.

Swindle

Swindle  By Gordon Korman

***** 5/5 stars  Fiction

I like books that combine talents to make a gigantic plan. This book is mainly about plans.  Griffen Bing found a Babe Ruth card easily worth a million dollars, but S. Wendell Palomino swindled him out of the card. Griffen needs to get it back. No guard dog, security system, or nosy neighbor will get in the way.

N.E.R.D.S.

N.E.R.D.S.  By Michael Buckley

**** 5/5 stars  Fantasy

Funny books are more interesting to me.  Not only was it interesting with the spy stuff, but it was more captivating because it was funny.  Jackson Jones used to be popular - very, very popular.  But that changed when he got massive head gear to fix his teeth. He then became a nerd. By then he stumbles upon N.E.R.D.S.  a society that is made up of kid nerds. The team needs to save the world but does Jackson have what it takes?

Septimus Heap

 Septimus Heap: Magyk  By Angie Sage

***** 5/5 stars  Fantasy

This book reminds me of Harry Potter, though they aren't the same. There are wizards and good against bad but that is about it. Silas Heap's baby disappears and that same night he finds a different baby, a girl. He takes her home and names her Jenna. Later Silas and his wife are told that Jenna is a princess. Filled with twists and turns this book is a delight.

The Penderwicks

The Penderwicks  By Jeanne Birdsall

****4/5 stars  Realistic Fiction

In my opinion, most realistic fiction books are boring but this book was very refreshing. It is different than other books in a good way. It is about the four Penderwick sisters who are spending the summer at an estate called Arundel. The Penderwicks explore the grounds doing the best they can to stay out of trouble, but it is very difficult.

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games  By Suzanne Collins

******6/5 stars Dystopian Fantasy Young Adult

This is my favorite book of all time.  It is very exciting, interesting, and intriguing. I loved it. It was very bloody, and it is sort of gross but it is sooooooo good despite all that.  Katniss Everdeen lives in District Twelve, part of Panem. Panem is harshly ruled by the Capitol. Each year each district has to send one boy and one girl to compete in the Hunger Games- where they all have to fight to the death. Katniss becomes a competitor and the Games begin.
Despite all of this I did notice a decrease in quality in the sequels.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas   By John Boyne  

**** 3/5 Historical Fiction

This book is very sad but otherwise very good.  It takes place in World War 2. Because of his dad's work a boy called Bruno moves to a place that he calls Out-With. Bruno likes to explore and one day he comes across a boy in striped pajamas but a fence separates them. If you don't like sad stories I don't think you will like this book. It is interesting because it is sad though.

Girl's Best Friend

Girl's Best Friend  By Leslie Margolis

***** 5/5 stars  Mystery

Throughout the whole book I was continuously guessing what would happen and I never could. Maggie lives in Brooklyn where dogs are disappearing. Maggie's ex-best friend's dog Kermit, goes missing along with the other dogs and Maggie wants to find out where Kermit is and who took him. Dog lovers will want to read this book.

Rangers Apprentice:The Ruins of Gorlan

Rangers Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan  By John Flanagan

*****5/5 stars  Fantasy

I really, really liked this book. It was exciting and I also like archery which this book is chocked full of. Will (the main character in this book) is chosen as an apprentice to a Ranger. Will doesn't know much about Rangers and he doesn't want to be one at first. It is exciting to be a Ranger though strange things are happening.

Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life

Dork Diaries: Tales From a Not-So-Fabulous Life  By Rachel Renée Russell

**2/5  Realistic Fiction Graphic Novel

This book reminds me of Dear Dumb Diary or Diary of a Wimpy Kid, funny but not very original. A girl called Nikki moves to a different school and is struggling to be popular. That bothers me because a lot of books are like that. I want something different. Also it wasn't as funny as Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I liked it because it was a bit funny and because it is neat to see Nikki embarrass herself. If you like Diary of a Wimpy Kid or Dear Dumb Diary you will probably like it but I didn't enjoy it very much.

Punch with Judy

Punch with Judy   By Avi

**** 4/5 stars  Historical Fiction

I don't normally like historical fiction but this book was very good.  A man called Joe McSneed finds a boy dancing on a street corner for money and several men are laughing. Mr.McSneed owns a performing troop and he wants the boy to be on it. The boy accepts and Mr.McSneed names him Punch. Later Mr.McSneed dies and leaves his daughter Judy in charge. The troop learns that the police is after them and they flee to Yorktown so they won't be caught. I stayed up until midnight to finish this book it was so interesting.