Q2L 10 ELA discussion

Please put all your book reviews from week 15 onwards in this folder.

Remember, you'll need 10 total book reviews by the end of January, 2014.

Your book review should be at least 15 sentences. Here are some ideas:
1. Why this book rocked (or didn't)?
2. What was most memorable?
3. Would you recommend this book to a friend, and why?
4. Does this book make you want to read other books by the same author, or other books with the similar subject matter?

A book named Matilda, by Roald Dahl, is a fiction book. This book is about a 5-year-old girl named Matilda, who loves to read. Matilda's parents are mean to her, they don't let her read and want her to watch television, even though she doesn't like watching television. She's a very smart girl at age 5, she's reading Charles Dickens book and can do double-digit multiplications. She's a curious girl and she wants to explore and discover everything around the world. I would recommend the book to Middle School children because the book is at their reading level. This books rocks because it is funny, and I like how the main character, Matilda is mischievous. The most memorable part of this book is where Matilda’s parents say to her that she needs to read fewer books, and watch television. This book makes me want to read more books by Roald Dahl. I like reading fictional books and Roald Dahl's style of writing is easy and fun to read. I can relate to Matilda because I love to read and I like to explore and discover new things.

A great novel for a great franchise, Doctor Who: Apollo 23 by Justin Richards is an chilling and exciting story that feel alike it could be an episode of the show. The story is about how the Doctor and his companion Amy Pond find themselves involved in a mysterious string of incidents involving people from Earth being sent to the moon and vice versa. On the moon they find a secret base run by the American government. The base uses technology allowing them to get there through teleportation, but things are not what they seem on the Base. an alien race is invading the minds of those there, and the Doctor is going to find out what. This story is excellent at portraying the characters of the series. I could very well see Matt Smith (The actor who plays the version of the Doctor seen in the book) doing the lines he has in the story. The same can be said for Karen Gillan (the portrayer of Amy Pond). The original characters for this book are okay. I really enjoy the main villain Jackson. He gives off a very twisted vibe. The story has a great mix of adventure and horror, with a good bit of humor. The idea of stuck on this base, not sure who you can trust with your life on the line at the same time, adds a chilling atmosphere to the book. I would likely read more of Justin Richards books if they are as good as this one.

I give Apollo 23, 4 out of 5 aliens on the moon.

A great book for those that love superheros and villains is DC Origins this book talks about how each and every DC superhero and villain was created if I was to summarize its mostly how every villain is the complete opposite of the hero,s but the main thing they have in common is that they all have a similar events that happened in there lives that made them chose to be a hero or villain. My favorite was the page on the Joker he had an event in life much like batman but what he had learned from it was chos and that live is just one big joke in my point of view he is right about that. Some of the creators of these hero,s and villains put a lot of aspects of themself or people they know. If your truly a comic lover I would read this book. I give this book a 5 out of 5. ( Its a book on comics not a comic book)

I read “Half Magic” by Edward Eager. It is a book about magic, time travel, math, financial constraints, sibling problems, careful wishing, and children learning how to manage power. These are all valuable lessons one must learn in life. It is especially imperative as a child to learn these early on. The children in this book; Mark, Kathrine, Jane, and Martha discover a coin. This coin is a talisman. It grants wishes. The following is quote from the book that highlights how each character has their own individual story; “In the summer you could take out ten books at a time, instead of three, and keep them a month, instead of two weeks. Of course you could take only four of the fiction books, which were the best, but Jane liked plays and they were nonfiction, and Katharine liked poetry and that was nonfiction, and Martha was still the age for picture books, and they didn’t count as fiction but were often nearly as good. Mark hadn’t found out yet what kind of nonfiction he liked, but he was still trying. Each month he would carry home his ten books and read the four good fiction ones in the first four days, and then read one page each from the other six, and then give up. Next month he would take them back and try again. The nonfiction books he tried were mostly called things like “When I was a Boy in Greece,” or “Happy Days on the Prairie”—things that made them sound like stories, only they weren’t. They made Mark furious. “It’s being made to learn things not on purpose. It’s unfair,” he said. “It’s sly.” Unfairness and slyness the four children hated above all.” The author is something of a wordsmith. “Who steals my purse steals trash,” he said, “but who steals my sword steals honor itself, and him will I harry by wood and by water till I cleave him from his brainpan to his thighbone!” This is a wonderful adventure book. I may read other books by this author. I rate this book 7/10.

“1984” by George Orwell is a book about a totalitarian society in 1984. George Orwell was inspired by dictators such as Hitler and Stalin and their rise to power. Reading 1984, I get a sense that George Orwell opposes authority himself, as this book is an extreme case of a powerful and exploitative authority. An example of this is the quote “He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past.” This is a strong statement. It comments on the ability that comes with power. Another quote is “War is peace.
Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.” The importance of this is that it illustrates the message of the government. This totalitarian government restricts free thought and speech. Their goal is to exercise their power to the extent where they can tell someone 2+2=5 and they would believe it. this book is as much about politics as it is about the use of power. I quote here “The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power, pure power. What pure power means you will understand presently. We are different from the oligarchies of the past in that we know what we are doing. All the others, even those who resembled ourselves, were cowards and hypocrites. The German Nazis and the Russian Communists came very close to us in their methods, but they never had the courage to recognize their own motives. They pretended, perhaps they even believed, that they had seized power unwillingly and for a limited time, and that just around the corner there lay a paradise where human beings would be free and equal. We are not like that. We know what no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it. Power is not a means; it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now you begin to understand me.” The conflict in this book is a free minded man living in a cage-like society. Everything is monitored. Would you compromise your privacy for safety? This is a good ethical question that is very relevant considering somewhat recent events in our society. Upon the discovery that the NSA was spying on US citizens, this question became very much the focus of the American People. Another quote “power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing.” This is just another illustration of how power can be used to manipulate- take advantage. In conclusion, we come to the realization that this is an important read for our times. I may read other books by this author. I rate this book 8/10

I read "the city of bones" by cassandra clare. Its about this girl that has been hidden away from this world of shadowhunters and deomons.She ends finding about by the disppearance of her mother. clary will stop at nothing to find her. Apparently she's the key to protecting this all immportal cup that has the power to summon demons and have full and total control of the unverise. So basically if you had the cup, you could probably destroy anything and anyone. I loved reading this book because it was full of what I like most in books fantasy and with action and romance all put into one. It was even a little twisted as well. The person to guide her through this very weird world is Jace. He is a shadowhunter, and a good one at that, but what seems to be so twisted is that Jace and Clary are in love with each other, but they are connected in other ways as well. For example, blood. Jace and Clary are brother and sister, well half brother and sister. Even there are plenty more books to this story that go on. I would just like to say that I thought that this book was amazing every character was given a very inspiring role.

I read the Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. The story is about this girl named Tally who is turning sixteen and is on the verge of being pretty.In this world your sixteenth birthday brings an operation that turns you from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to have a really great time. This book was very interesting and I loved it because it seemed to be so different and captivating from other books that i have read.

I read this book named nightjohn. This was about a great novel that was told by the protagonist which who was a female slave name Sarny and one event that was important was she noticed a guy name nightjohn who escaped for freedom but he came back to teach reading and sarny was only 12 years old and took risk to learn herself. This book did rock because it actually tough me somethings that i didnt know and i didnt have a memorable part about book but i would recommend this book to a lot of people because it can get people thinking and know how things were back then. I would read other books from this author because he might have different conflits there might not be the same problems.

A book i read was mexican whiteboy this book rocked because i had an experience just like the main character and felt the same way.And i knew exactly how to handle it and get over it a time in my life where i needed advice was when i was depressed and i needed my best friend to help me out , because i didn’t know what to do at all and i called her to ask what i should do and she came over and helped me out. One character in my book i would trust to give me advice is the main character. The advice i think he would give to me is probably the same thing my best friend said to me but in a boy’s perspective. He might not give me good advice or the advice i need or want because hes a boy he doesn’t know exactly how i feel or what i’m going through and might not understand as well as a girl would. And the problem i was having that needed advice was a girl thing so i really wouldn’t feel right telling a boy about my problems , only if i know u every well. Thats just how i feel as a person. This book should be recommend to everyone

Matter of trust was another book i read that i really did enjoy. I enjoyed this so much i stared to the other book by Anne Schraff because their cover speaks to me the actions in the book make me understand what i go on in life. This whole book is rememorable to me all of it, I would recommend this to mostly to teen girls and boys people who like a lot of drama and been threw some in life and need soultions to come pass this.

Written by the late great Osamu Tezuka Buddha, Vol. 1: Kapilavastuis a great start to a great series. Interestingly enough, Buddha (at this point known as Siddharta) is barely in the story, appearing as a newborn baby. The actual main characters of this book is the pariah Tatta, the brahmin Naradatta, the slave Chapra, and his mother who I don't think we ever learn the name of. The story focuses on their journey. Mostly Chapra's goal to rise up from his slave caste even though it is forbidden. The book is full of characters with interesting personalities and morality's. For example our heroes may be good. But some will kill if they feel it is needed. The General who adopts Chapra is shown to be a horrible person at times, but is also shown as a loving father who accepts Chapra even when he learns he is a slave. The book is very well written with a lot of drama as well as a bit of humor. It is a great read that I had fun rereading.

The book I was reading Push by Sapphire was amazing I feel it was written in great detail. Also I I feel it was written to show the world in reality that things like this happens in the world and shows how in most cases how it's handled.The most memorable moment part of the book for me was when the main character clarice precious jones after all the years of mental and physical abuse that see went through with her mother and father she finally stood up to her mother like enough im enough I was really proud of her because I got so into the book where I pretty much put myself in her shoes and in a way I felt how she did so by the end of the book I was so proud when she finally worked up the courage to stand up to her. I would recommend the book, but in a way I feel the person has to be mature because it's a very intense and detailed book and its has some sexual content but other then that it's a very interesting book to read. This book most defently makes me want to read more books by the author Sapphire. And I would like to read simular books because I feel I could understand all the feelings in the book aslo I feel it won't be boring.

Again I have experienced the beauty of Nagaru Tanigawa's writing. The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya by Nagaru Tanigawa is a worthy sequel to it's predecessor. So what's the story. Well six months after the first book, the school cultural festival is going to start soon for North High, and Haruhi decides on what the S.O.S brigade must do. Make a film. With Haruhi as producer/director/scenario, Mikuru as the leading lady, Koizumi as the main actor, Nagato as the antagonist, and Kyon in charge of menial tasks, not to mention the fact that Haruhi seems to be making up the film as she goes along. It seems like this film will be a disaster. Unfortunately that is not the worst part. Haruhi is subconsciously making what she wants in the film happen in reality. Now the brigade must stop Haruhi from turning the world into a mad fantasy setting while dealing with her eccentric directing style. This novel not only has a great amount of humor, but expands upon the characters and the world of the series. One memorable moment is when Kyon finally gets fed up with Haruhi and nearly hits her. We really see more of how there relationship works after that. We also start to realize that many of the brigade may be hard to trust. Koizumi could have been lying about everything he's said so far, and Mikuru may be lying as well. Nagato even states herself that she cannot be entirely trusted. A word of warning, events said to take place between books one and two are said to have happened, and can be read about in the next book "The Boredom of Haruhi Suzumiya. You do not really need to know what happened to understand the novel. I recommend this series to fans of sci-fis and high school series. I would totally continue to read this franchise.I give The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya, five cats out of five

cirque du freak vol. 1 by Darren Shan rock's because of its creativity and odd art work if you've read the graphic novel not to say it was not odd before they made the graphic novel but the novel just helps you get a clear picture of the characters. What I found most memorable from the book was the ending because it makes the reader want to continue reading the series to see what his friend does in the next book and clift hangers like this is what makes a good story. It is because of this reason that I would recommend this book to a friend or anyone thats into the myths of vampires they will find this book to be a true twist on the legend of vampires. Soming I need to look up is if Darren shan has any other series like cirque du freak because if he has any other storys like this I would love to read it. When I read books like cirque du freak it brings out my creative style in writing, art, and ect it makes me want to read more in my every day life.

The book The Unwanteds rocks to me because it kinda symbolize all that I love to do. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves art and creativy. In the book the land called Quill has a band on being creative if you are seen being creative you are sent to the "death farm". The most memorable part of this book was again the ending where everything has built up to the point of a battle between the people of Quill and the people of the death farm. I am looking forward to reaing part two or book two of this short but amazing series.

Dork Diaries: Tales From a Not–So–Fabulous–Life is a realistic fiction book, by Rachel Renée Russell. This is a book about the experiences of a fourteen–year–old girl, Nikki J. Maxwell, when she begins to go to a private middle school. Her character writes about dealing with a mean girl, making new friends, having a crush on a cool boy, and some pranks that she plays on people. This books is kind of like the big sister of Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid because the book is written as a diary of the main character’s experiences. Just like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, the font looks like handwriting, and there are doodles, and sketches all through the book. Dork Diaries, however, covers some more grownup subjects than Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Nikki is not a perfectly sweet kid, but that makes her more realistic and likable. Readers who liked the Judy Moody books might like the Dork Diaries books, as well. The big difference is that Judy always seems to be trying to do something new that is cool like learning math with a college student, or becoming a doctor. Nikki is really just trying to survive social life in school. The most memorable incident in Dork Diaries for me is when Nikki took a hearing aid that she found because she thought that she might convert it into a pretend cell phone. It’s memorable because it shows that Nikki has a not nice side to her because it takes her so long to do the right thing and give the hearing aid back to her neighbor. Even though Nikki isn’t always nice, I would recommend this to people who love cartoons and to people who like to read diaries.

The Hunger GamesKatniss Everdeen wakes up on the day of the reaping, when the tributes are chosen who will take part in the Hunger Games. Her mother and little sister, Prim, sleep nearby. Her father died in a mine explosion years earlier. She goes hunting in the woods outside her district, District 12, with Gale, her best friend. That night, at the reaping ceremony, the mayor gives a speech describing how the governments of North America collapsed and the country of Panem rose up in their place. A war ensued between the Capitol and the districts. The Capitol won, and as a reminder of their defeat, the Capitol holds the Hunger Games every year. The mayor then introduces Haymitch Abernathy, District 12’s only living Hunger-Games winner, and he’s so drunk he ends up falling in his own vomit.

Catching FireIt has been six months since Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark won the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games, an annual event in which each district in Panem sends one female and one male tribute to fight to the death in a televised competition for food and money. Though only one tribute can win, a change in the rules allowed Peeta and Katniss to both win. Their victory was partly secured because of Peeta's declaration of love for Katniss before the Games.In the Hunger Games, after Peeta and Katniss were the only ones alive, it was announced that the change in rules had been revoked, and there could only be one victor. Instead of killing Peeta, Katniss proposed they eat poisonous berries to kill themselves so that the Capitol would not have any victors. But at the last second, they were both declared winners of the Hunger Games. Throughout the competition, Katniss played along with the love story so she could increase her chances of winning, though secretly she was confused about her true feelings for Peeta and Gale, her best friend who was back home in District 12.

The Hunger games rocks I believe this because it shows the power of one person just like other dystopian novels but this one strongly shows the aspect of survival of the fittest. I would recommend this book to anyone that has not read it by now or at least recommend them to go watch the movies(jk). with most books I read the most memorable part for me is the end but I mean this in a good way especially for this book because the main character Katniss out smarts the government. If Suzanne Collins has any other series I would not mind reading it.

Shadow and Bone does not completely rock but what I did love about it is the twist of it being like Russia. I also like the magical secret that this place holds with in it. I would only recommend this book to people that really like myths like me. The most memorable part of the book was when Alina unleashes her power that she never knew she had. if I was to rate this book I would rate it a 8 so its not bad if there is a part two to this book I would read it.

I just finished reading Dark Graphic Tales By Edgar Allan Poe, by Denise Despeyroux. This book rocked because it was dark and the graphics were awesome. The most memorable part was “The System of Doctor Tarr And Professor Fether.” I would recommend it to kids and adults who love cartoons and comics that are dark. This book makes me want me read other dark books by Edgar Allan Poe.