Review: From Fail to Win! Gadgets and Inventions by Neil Morris

From Fail to Win! Gadgets and Inventions by Neil Morris. A From Fail to Win! Learning from Bad Ideas Book.

Raintree Freestyle
Publication Date: January 2011
List Price: $33.99
ISBN-13: 9781410939098

Review: Do you like stories that that tell you about history and the future? If you do, then this is the book for you. In the book, From Fail to Win: Gadgets and Inventions by Neil Morris, it shows how scientists can fail or win.

In the book, From Fail to Win: Gadgets and Inventions, there is an invention made by Thomas Edison - concrete furniture. Edison believed that people would like concrete furniture and other concrete items. But, the author shows how Edison's idea failed since people felt that concrete furniture would be uncomfortable and too expensive. Therefore Thomas Edison sold all of the concrete to a company to make something else.

Also in the book, the author mentions an invention made by a phone company which was called the videophone. This phone was originally introduced by AT&T as a phone that allowed the callers to see one another while they were speaking. This was a fail because it was an expensive phone. But, maybe it was an invention that was simply ahead of its time. Find out what other inventions were made that were never released by reading the book From Fail to Win: Gadgets and Inventions.

This book taught me that even the smartest of scientists can create a failure. After reading From Fail to Win: Gadgets and Inventions, I learned about many cool inventions that I would have never known about; I really enjoyed this book. Even though it's a small book, I recommend it to any one that likes a book with awesome inventions. It is a perfect book for libraries and schools and even your home bookshelf.

Review written by Eric (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Media Masters Publicity for providing a copy of From Fail to Win! Gadgets and Inventions for this review.

Have you read From Fail to Win! Gadgets and Inventions? How would you rate it?

Review: 2:32 AM by Emily Ford

2:32 AM by Emily Ford. The first book of The Djinn Master's Legacy.

Amazon Digital Services
Publication Date: May 2012
List Price: $5.99
ISBN-13: B0077276KG

Review: Paranormal activity can be very fascinating. There are many different crazy events, objects, and even people. You hear about vampires and werewolves all the time, but you don't hear about genies very often, do you? Genies are an incredible subject to read about. I read all about genies in the remarkable book 2:32 a.m. by Emily Ford.

Catherine and her family have recently moved to California. One night, she has a strange dream about a man sitting on the edge of her bed. He makes her feel calm, not afraid. She wakes up at 2:32 a.m. Later, the man she dreamed about tells her that he is a genie, and has been a genie for over 400 years. He is looking for somebody to transfer his powers to. He has picked her. Cat doesn't know if she should accept his legacy or not. Finally, she decides to accept it. During the process of gaining his powers, an evil genie named Valentine plans to steal the power. Cat successfully gains all his power and destroys Valentine. Meanwhile, she has problems with her boyfriend, Tom, and another genie named Rolf.

This book is okay. It has a very interesting plot, but there are some inappropriate parts. I think this book should be for ages 13 and up. The problem is, anybody over 13 might not like the book as much because they are older and would want to read books with plots that are meant for their age. Not a book about genies. I give 2:32 a.m. 2 stars. I did like how this book is organized, and I liked the action parts. This book has a lot of parts with Catherine going out partying with her friends, and those sections are not very attention grabbing. I could not relate with the main character at all because she is much older than me, which means that an older reader might connect better and overall enjoy the book more - as long as they enjoy genies. All in all, I did not enjoy this book, but a different reader might.

Review written by Lilia (6th grade student).

We would like to thank JKS Communications for providing a copy of 2:32 AM for this review.

Have you read 2:32 AM? How would you rate it?

Review: Oddfellow's Orphanage by Emily Winfield Martin

Oddfellow's Orphanage by Emily Winfield Martin.

Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: January 2012
List Price: $14.99
ISBN-13: 9780375869952

Review: Oddfellow's Orphanage is a charming, whimsical book for ages 4 to 8 and 20 to 100. The main character is Delia, a newly acquired orphan to very unusual orphanage. This surprisingly happy book is written by Emily Winfield Martin and published by Random House Children's Books.

Oddfellow's Orphanage follows Delia on her adventures at her new orphanage. Oddfellow's Orphanage is not your typical orphanage and the orphans are unique too. Delia is fascinated to meet her fellow orphans who include a boy with an onion head, a girl with tattoos, and a hedgehog. There is even a family of dancing bears that lives there, too! Delia herself doesn't speak but is given a notebook she wears on a string around her neck to communicate. While at the orphanage, the children receive an unusual education taking classes like fairytale studies and cryptozoology. Along with her new friends, Delia goes to places such as an amazing circus and on adventures like exciting monster hunting. They also celebrate the holidays together like Christmas and New Year's Eve. Every chapter shows them growing as individuals and also as a newly formed "family."

I absolutely loved this book. On a scale of one to five, I would give it a five. The illustrations included in this book are beautiful. I also liked how every chapter started by explaining one person in the orphanage until you learned the backstory of every character. During each chapter, there is some kind of adventure or mystery like in one chapter when Ollie, the onion head boy, thinks he might join the circus and leave his friends. This mystery and others like it kept me addicted to the story which I liked. My only problem with the story is that it isn't longer! A story about a group of orphans could easily be sad, and I was pleased that this story was such a happy one. Even though the children have lost their own families, they have found a new family with each other.

Review written by Justin (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of Oddfellow's Orphanage for this review.

Have you read Oddfellow's Orphanage? How would you rate it?

Review: Play it Loud! The Rebellious History of Music by Sara Gilbert

Play it Loud! The Rebellious History of Music by Sara Gilbert. A Pop Culture Revolutions Book.

Compass Point Books
Publication Date: January 2010
List Price: $33.32
ISBN-13: 9780756542436

Review: POW! WHAAM! Ring ring! These are the sounds of music. Intricate, beautiful, intriguing music. Music has been a huge impact on the world. It has made marks in history throughout society, government, and other worldly issues. Play It Loud! The Rebellious History of Music by Sara Gilbert goes into depth about how much music has done for the world. It talks about many different artists and groups of people who have made history and music by speaking or singing for what they believe in publicly. People like Elvis Presley and Joan Baez did their own thing, no matter if people agreed with them or not. Music did so much for everyone in the world and let so many people let go of their emotions and feelings and this book made that very clear.

Play It Loud! is a very interesting, great, and informative book. It gives accurate accounts that made me think "Wow, that's so true! I can see how much music did for people!" It let me realize that music really is a wonderful thing with so many prospects. The fact that there are so many examples of artists who for example spoke out against wars or just doing what you want and ignoring the nay-sayers was amazing, because I knew then that not just a couple of people are using music's power to send an important message, many were joining in on the movement. In the book, each section telling of a certain artist or genre transitioned smoothly into the next because many had a similar subject or message. Each chapter could be related to the previous or next and was definitely readable. Not to mention how relatable the book was. Play It Loud! Features artists who went through tough times in their childhood and because of the high poverty level in bigger cities in modern times, many teenagers could probably relate to the artists. The fact that I understood and related to almost everything music has done that was mentioned in the book makes me believe even further that the book will be interesting to many. Next, on top of the fact that such useful, detailed information is included in this fabulous book, it's very interesting. Most preteens-teens are very interested in music, lots of kids spend most of their free time on their iPods and listening to the radio, and music is a very popular thing in recent times. Since so many kids enjoy music, many would be interested in learning more about how it has developed and what it has done for the world. Altogether, Play it Loud! is a fabulous book that is very interesting, descriptive, and relatable! It drew me in and kept my attention! I'm very glad that I had the chance to read this great non-fiction book and would definitely read it again!

Watch a book trailer created by the student reviewer, below:

Review written by Savannah (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Media Masters Publicity for providing a copy of Play it Loud! The Rebellious History of Music for this review.

Have you read Play it Loud! The Rebellious History of Music? How would you rate it?

Review: Today's U.S. Army by Don Nardo

Today's U.S. Army by Don Nardo. An U.S. Armed Forces Book.

Compass Point Books
Publication Date: January 2013
List Price: $28.95
ISBN-13: 9780756546182

Review: Do you want to know about the U.S Army? Do you want to know how they recruit people? Well then, Today's U.S. Army by Don Nardo is the book for you. It provides a comprehensive, yet easy-to-read summary of the U.S. Army. This book tells readers about the U.S army's special forces, about who the army fights, and what they organize it into.

Today's U.S. Army is an interesting book, which is staying a lot from a person who hates reading non-fiction books. Much to my own surprise, I liked this book because it shares so many interesting facts about one of the most important organizations in our country. This book shares how the army operates, how it handles various situations, and how it is organized.

After reading Today's U.S Army, I felt like I learned so much about the U.S. Army, and I learned it in an interesting way. This was far more appealing than a textbook and could be an excellent book for anyone interested in the military. Not only would people enjoy reading it on their own, but it could also be an excellent resource for any research project related to the military.

Watch a book trailer created by the student reviewer, below:

Review written by Noah (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Media Masters Publicity for providing a copy of Today's U.S. Army for this review.

Have you read Today's U.S. Army? How would you rate it?

Review: Advertisement Attack by Laura J. Hensley

Advertisement Attack by Laura J. Hensley. A Mastering Media Book.

Raintree Freestyle
Publication Date: January 2011
List Price: $33.99
ISBN-13: 9781410938428

Review: They surround you everywhere. You cannot escape them. There are many different techniques and strategies that advertisers use. "Good advertising does not just circulate information. It penetrates the public mind with desires and belief." -- Leo Burnett. Advertisement Attack by Laura J. Hensley is a comprehensive look at advertising.

The purpose of Advertisement Attack is to inform readers about advertisements: where they are, how they are made, and what strategies the advertisers use. Advertisements are everywhere. They are in buildings, walls, rooms, billboards, trucks, commercials, the Internet - basically everywhere you look! Advertisers use a variety of techniques and strategies to try to catch somebody's eye. Read Advertisement Attack by Laura J. Hensley to find out tricks and tips about ads.

I loved this book! It taught me so much about ads that I never knew! It was so cool to see how the advertisers set up and create the ads. It made me want to be part of an advertising business. Now, I can feel that I won't be tricked around ads anymore. I know that I am buying safely. It is nice to feel like I know what is going on. If others read it, I'm sure they would feel the same way. I am glad that I read this book, and I recommend it for ages 10 and up. It would be a good decision for schools in particular to purchase copies. That way, not only would people see the tricks the advertisers are using, but it would provide interesting non-fiction material for schools to use in instruction.

Watch a book trailer created by the student reviewer, below:

Review written by Lilia (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Media Masters Publicity for providing a copy of Advertisement Attack for this review.

Have you read Advertisement Attack? How would you rate it?

Review: Ancient Egypt by Pamela Dell

Ancient Egypt by Pamela Dell. An Exploring the Ancient Worlds Book.

Compass Point Books
Publication Date: January 2013
List Price: $28.65
ISBN-13: 9780756545635

Review: Have you ever wanted to travel back in time? In Ancient Egypt, Exploring the Ancient World, written by Pamela Dell, you will be sent back to the time of the Ancient Egyptians. What was it like to grow up in Egypt? What is the mummification process? What is a sphinx? All these questions are answered in Ancient Egypt, Exploring the Ancient World.

The author's purpose for writing this book is to inform readers about life back in the days of the Egyptians. The author does a great job entertaining you and keeping you hooked to the book. Essentially, the book is about the Egyptians and their way of life. Schools would be wise to purchase copies of Ancient Egypt, Exploring the Ancient World because it would be good to supplement a curriculum on Ancient Egypt, for a research project, or just to read for fun.

I really enjoyed reading Ancient Egypt, Exploring the Ancient World. It really helped me with my research project about Egypt in Social Studies. I thought it was very interesting to see what it was like to grow up in Egypt and what life was like about 7,000 years ago. I recommend this book to anyone 3rd grade and up who is interested in Egypt.

Watch a book trailer created by the student reviewer, below:

Review written by Emily (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Media Masters Publicity for providing a copy of Ancient Egypt for this review.

Have you read Ancient Egypt? How would you rate it?