Book Review: I So Don't Do Spooky by Barrie Summy

I So Don't Do Spooky
by Barrie Summy
Sherry Holmes Baldwin

Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
ISBN-10: 0-385-73604-5
ISBN-13: 978-0-385-73604-6
Publication Date: December, 2009
List Price: $19.99

Review: As Sherry Holmes Baldwin (age 13) tries to balance the 7th grade, her boyfriend Josh, her best friend Junie, and a new step-mom, things start to get out of control. Since her mom had recently died, Sherry’s new mother is her language arts teacher, Paula, (a.k.a. the Ruler). But Sherry’s ghost mother gets enrolled into the Ghost Academy, and starts to compete in the Ghostlympics. The Ghostlympics are special events hosted by the Ghost Academy, such as lifting objects and animal control, for ghosts. The grand- prize is 5 minutes of Real Time, where a ghost can interact with a family member for 5 minutes, but the mortal will not remember any of it afterwards. Suddenly, weird things start to happen to the Ruler. Her keys show up in odd places, and her tires get slashed in mid-day with one of her own knives which were in the kitchen. Then, in the Robotics Practice Competition, the Donner Dynamo’s robot seems to be better than usual, in fact too good than it could have been before. The Ghost Academy asks for Sherry’s help on finding the Ruler’s stalker, which turns out to be a ghost as well. Will Sherry be able to stop him/her before he/she hurts one of Sherry’s loved ones? Find out in I So Don’t Do Spooky, by Barrie Summy.

I found this book to be fantastic! It put together the fantasy of ghosts along with the realistic life of a teenage girl to create an awesome clash of literature. Honestly, this book deserves a 5/5 star rating. It kept me on edge every chapter and kept me begging for more. I felt part of the story, as if I were at a movie and watching the scenes full screen in my head. Also, I was more interested in the story because ghosts are a topic I find to be eccentric and unexplainable. I was proud to own this book, because it is a story worth reading over and over and over again. I hope you feel the same way too. I’d like to give thanks to the author for creating an amazing book that continues to awe me to this day. I So Don’t Do Spooky is possibly one of the best books I have ever read.

Review written by Lynnea (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of I So Don't Do Spooky for this review.

Have you read I So Don't Do Spooky? How would you rate it?

Book Review: February Friend by Ron Roy

February Friend
by Ron Roy
Calendar Mysteries

Random House Books for Young Readers
ISBN-10: 0-375-85662-5
ISBN-13: 978-0-375-85662-4
Publication Date: December, 2009
List Price: $4.99

Review: The Calendar Mysteries are back and better than ever! In this book there are four kids, Bradley, Brian, Nate, and Lucy. All these kids have been friends for a long time, and coincidentally so have all their older siblings. All of them are about the same age, but the author didn’t find it necessary to add the exact ages Now that the kids know what they are doing makes the story more interesting and the added in some life lessons here and there. To read February Friend you don’t need to have read the first book, January Joker.

On Valentine’s Day the Pinto boys will have to solve a mystery that is almost impossible to solve. What all happens on a normal Valentine’s Day became a fast paced, clue packed action book that is far more exciting than the last. When the kids find a valentine with no name on it and end up with a bunny that misses his owner so terribly he could just die, the Pinto boys end up trying to solve this case, but will they succeed? Will they find Douglas his owner before he dies? Or will this end a sad tale? You can find all this out in February Friend!

I enjoyed this book much better than the last. It had more action, suspense, and life lessons. It still lacks uniqueness in characters. What I mean by this is all the characters have too many similar traits that make the story less interesting. I guess it builds a better friendship, but that doesn’t necessarily make a better book. Plus, February Friend lacks important sensory details. Most definitely, February Friend is a book geared to early chapter book readers, probably under the age of 8. I look forward to seeing how the characters continue to develop in the next installment in March. And who knows maybe after one year worth of calendar mysteries the he will have them grow up a bit to help the younger reader transition to the A to Z Mysteries series.

Review written by Gabrielle (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of February Friend for this review.

Have you read February Friend? How would you rate it?

Book Review: Ghost in the Machine by Patrick Carman

Ghost in the Machine
by Patrick Carman
Skeleton Creek

Scholastic
ISBN-10: 0-54507-570-X
ISBN-13: 978-0-54507-570-1
Publication Date: October, 2009
List Price: $14.99

Review: Do you enjoy ghost stories? The Internet? Reading from a journal? Join Sarah Fincher and Ryan McCray on the adventure of a lifetime. Skeleton Creek is the journal of Ryan, who writes down everything he find out about his seemingly dull life, until they explore dredge, and discover it’s haunted. Have you read Skeleton Creek? Then Skeleton Creek, Book Two: The Ghost in the Machine, is the book for you. It sounds like a really thick book, but honestly it’s not. Do you want to know why? You need a computer to understand the full story. This is considered a multimedia story. Every 40 pages or so, you just hop on the computer when Ryan tells you to and use the password (the website is Sarahfincher.com). Ryan McCray and Sarah Fincher are on the brink of finding out the secret of dredge asset #42, Old Joe Bush, and the Crossbones. Ryan is almost ready to go back to school. The videos get scarier. And, you may just find a few surprises while you read.

Drudge asset #42 is haunted, presumably the ghost of Old Joe Bush, and nobody believes Sarah or Ryan about it. And it doesn't help that Ryan's parents banned him from seeing Sarah ever again. The one bad thing about Sarah is that she doesn't take “no” for an answer. Ryan starts to freak himself out. We wakes up one night to find that he had written “Don't make me come looking for you” on the wall above his bed. And what does he conclude?... its Old Joe Bush. Sarah's videos get creepier, Ryan's journal gets harder and harder to stop reading, and the stakes get higher. While Ryan has to help Sarah and discover things for her while his mother and father check his computer, and Ryan can't walk with a broken leg, let alone go meet up with Sarah. Follow these two in the second book in the Skeleton Creek series the Ghost in the Machine.

Patrick Carman has a unique way of doing things, and frankly, many readers enjoy it. Instead of a simple paper book, he decided to add some technology into it. Carman has written a delightfully terrifying story, and everybody I've spoken to about it seems to have loved it. It gives you quite a fright, but this book may make you a bit paranoid, like it did to me. I wish I could give it more stars, but I'm only allowed 5, so he deserves all of the 5. There is one thing I would like to point out, though. If anyone is without a computer, they only get to experience about half of the story, and anything Ryan tells them from the video. The best thing to enhance this story had been the scenery. Nice, little town in the middle of nowhere, nothing ever really bothered it, then Ryan and Sarah, two innocent kids, go and find out that the smallest little town on the face of the US, has the biggest secret they could imagine. Ryan especially gets more and more worried (or you could call it paranoid) and freaks out at the smallest things. All in all, this story has been very enjoyable, but I don't want to spoil anything for those who want to read the book for themselves.

Review written by Willow (6th grade student).

We would like to thank The Mehta Family for providing a copy of Ghost in the Machine for this review.

Have you read Ghost in the Machine? How would you rate it?

Book Review: Malice by Chris Wooding

Malice
by Chris Wooding
The Malice Series

Scholastic
ISBN-10: 0-54516-043-X
ISBN-13: 978-0-54516-043-8
Publication Date: October, 2009
List Price: $14.99

Review: It’s not just a myth. It’s MALICE. It’s horrifying, it’s real, and it’s written by Chris Wooding! Better yet, it’s only the first book in the adventure! After Malice, Havoc will be let loose. I’m not really into horror books like Malice, but I could NOT put Malice down for a moment! If Havoc doesn’t come out SOON I will DIE!

The rumor is that if you gather the right things and say the right words you’ll be taken to Malice, a deadly comic world. I would tell you the items and the chant you have to say but I don’t want to be responsible for children disappearing all over the world. But I will tell you that you’ll find out in Malice. Seth and Kady don’t believe in all this mumbo-jumbo. But then… their friend goes missing and it doesn’t seem so silly anymore. Soon Seth and Kady are on a wild adventure inside of Malice. Malice is much more real than they ever expected. Will they make it out ALIVE!? I know, but YOU don’t. Read it. Say the chant. Be the next to star in, and possibly survive in MALICE!

It’s horrifyingly real, and I can’t get enough of it! Even I’M tempted to say the chant and see if I end up in Malice, and I’m one of the biggest CHICKENS you’ll ever meet! I’m going to DIE if Havoc doesn’t come out SOON! Let’s talk characters a moment. Seth is the kind of guy that lives for adventure and keeping his adrenaline pumping. But unfortunately, the world, the WHOLE world has already been explored. He has a great attitude and would lift the world and move the sky to keep a promise. Kady comes from a rich family and is Seth’s BEST friend. She’s always trying to keep them safe. She has easy to change attitudes and is being trained in hypnosis by her mom. Justin you meet later in the story but is an important guy. He’s an I-can-do-it-myself kind of guy but he’s always there for his friends. Tatyana you’ll also meet later in the story but is as important as Justin is. Tatyana was killed by a chitter - a mechanical robot created by the timekeeper to suck the time out of people. She is now a mechanical saber tooth-tiger. (Don’t ask, you’ll find out in the story.) The setting and the plot are awesome. Did I mention I CAN’T WAIT for Havoc to come out? I give Malice a 1 million star review!

Review written by Amanda (6th grade student).

We would like to thank The Mehta Family for providing a copy of Malice for this review.

Have you read Malice? How would you rate it?

Book Review: Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire by The Miller Brothers

Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire
by The Miller Brothers
The Codebearers Series

Warner Press
ISBN-10: 1-59317-357-1
ISBN-13: 978-1-59317-357-9
Publication Date: September, 2009
List Price: $13.99

Review: Adventure, mysteries, and brain-washing: these topics all come together in Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire. This is the second book in the Hunter Brown series written by Allan Miller and Christopher Miller - brothers. This action-packed book has Hunter Brown and his new friends Trista and Rob visiting different worlds and fighting the deathly Shadow. Will they defeat them or fail their quest?

Since Hunter’s first trip from Solondria nothing has gone his way. His friends desert him and things are becoming stranger and stranger. The author puts him back at school where Hunter believes he is being followed by the Shadow. But when he returns to Solondria, with his new friends, Trista and Rob, the Resistance is becoming weak. Hunter becomes the carrier of the Flame and is led on a new quest. He needs to find the seven that are marked by the Flame. Xaul an enemy is trying to stop them and threatens to destroy the Resistance. What will happen to Hunter Brown? Can he finish his quest or will it be too late?

Action-packed and fun to read is the second book of the Hunter Brown series. It was a great sequel to Hunter Brown and the Secret of the Shadow. I wanted to just keep reading it. The Miller brothers did a great job at keeping me interested. I loved all the action and how you never knew what would happen next; for example, when Hunter wanted to save Hope, but didn’t because she told him not to. Hunter Brown was an interesting character who changed a lot through the book. I liked how he never limited himself to doing one thing; he always found different ways. This book is great for people who love adventure. The settings always changed and were never boring. Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire is the most exciting book I have read-so far. I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

Review written by Jennifer (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Warner Press for providing a copy of Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire for this review.

Have you read Hunter Brown and the Consuming Fire? How would you rate it?

Book Review: The Doom Machine by Mark Teague

The Doom Machine
by Mark Teague
Non-series

The Blue Sky Press
ISBN-10: 0-54515-142-2
ISBN-13: 978-0-54515-142-9
Publication Date: October, 2009
List Price: $17.99

Review: “Suddenly, a column of turquoise light erupted from the darkness of Dutch Woods. A huge saucer rose to fill it, its rim spinning just above the tree line, its domed top and rounded bottom spilling light from stacked rows of yellow portholes. A collective gasp went up from the Outer Space Division and even a few scattered cheers. The ship hovered, throwing off swirling ribbons of gas. Then, like a bubble released from the bottom of a tub, it shot straight up into the starlit sky. Soon it was no more than a star itself. Then it was gone. In the aftermath, the town seemed darker than before. “Looks like Bud’s outdone himself, this time,” said Mrs. Creedle.” Thrilling, adventurous, an alien chase to the very end, The Doom Machine, written by Mark Teague, takes its readers on a journey out of this world. When is this exhilarating story occurring? What other point of time than 1956? To make the circumstances even more intriguing, a doom machine, disguised as a refrigerator will determine the fate of the universe!

Jack Creedle s the first to see the spaceship during his paper route. Who would believe the kid that always is threatened by the police officer about going to a reform school? This time, Jack is telling the truth, and that is made clear when the aliens broadcast themselves on television. The aliens want a device they call the special item. Afraid for their lives, the people of Vern Hollow, Jack’s hometown, flee. Isadora and her mother fit into the puzzle when their automobile breaks down. Is it destiny or chance that brings these two unlikely friends together? Nothing seems to go well from there as Jack, his uncle Bud, the police officer, the police officer’s son, Isadora, and her mother are abducted by the aliens which call themselves Skreeps. To make the situation worse, a machine that can put holes through time and space is created by Uncle Bud. This item is what the Skreeps called the special item. The special item is now in the possession of a Skreep named Xaafuun. Will these two young children overcome their differences and work together to stop the Skreeps, or will the universe fall to these spider like creatures whom are about to ruin their second planet?

The Doom Machine is a beautifully constructed story of companionship and a voyage through time and space. An obvious champion of the arts, Mark Teague has taken fiction to the next level! The arrival of a book two coming to stores would be of no surprise to me. It is a hope that Mark Teague will continue to write. The Doom Machine has soared past my expectations of what I believe to be an outstanding tale. Five stars is the max amount to give and is what I give this manuscript. In my opinion, The doom Machine has outdone itself with flying colors! Suspense and adventure fill this three hundred seventy six page book from the beginning to its end. I recommend this book for ages ten to fourteen because of its fun, play on words and marvelous sense of creativity. My eyes always fill with wonder as each character jumps from planet to planet. Joe the hobo only added on to the fun and adventure to the story. Mark Teague has inspired me to look at reading and reality a completely different way for the better. Mark Teague has built a track to skreepia that will keep children climbing for many generations to come!

Review written by Brandon (6th grade student).

We would like to thank The Mehta Family for providing a copy of The Doom Machine for this review.

Have you read The Doom Machine? How would you rate it?

Book Review: Crocodile Attack by Justin D'Ath

Crocodile Attack
by Justin D'Ath
Extreme Adventures

Kane Miller
ISBN-10: 1-935279-32-7
ISBN-13: 978-1-935279-32-7
Publication Date: March, 2010
List Price: $5.99

Review: Action, Suspense and hair-raising can describe the book Crocodile Attack written by a wonderful author named Justin D’Ath. This book is the first in the Extreme Adventures series that will knock people’s socks off of their feet. One rainy day, and when I mean rainy, I mean pouring and pouring like there was a tropical cyclone or something, which there was but anyway, Sam Fox and his little cousin Nissa get kidnapped by a teenage robber in the middle of Cyclone Kandy. When the getaway car crashes into Crocodile River, Sam and Nissa must face one ordeal after another to survive against the incredible odds. Sam fights to keep alive and Nissa out of unwelcome jaws. When not many things work out for Sam and Nissa, Sam must push his endurance to the highest level to save both of them!

I think this book should be rewarded for its action and entertainment! I can’t tell you readers how much this book should be read by all readers young and old. They would all like it as much as I did! My favorite part was when the log they were on turned 180 degrees and how Sam had to dive in the chilly waters of the overflowing river and pull Nissa out from under. I almost started to slip off my chair that I was reading on, that was how much this book is packed with suspense. The day I got this book, I knew I was going on a crazy ride on a crazy rollercoaster! I finished this book so fast it wasn’t even funny! Anyway I still can’t believe that the robber had a shotgun and wanted to steal money from one of the smallest stores in the whole town. On a scale of 1 to 5, 1 being the worst and 5 being the best, I rate this book a 5! I also recommend this book and any book from this series to any and all ages. Oh and this was one of my favorite dialog parts in the story, “I didn’t want to die, and I especially didn’t want to be killed by a crocodile. But there was no escape.”

Review written by Karan (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Kane Miller for providing a copy of Crocodile Attack for this review.

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