Book Review: The Bat Scientists by Mary Kay Carson

The Bat Scientists
by Mary Kay Carson
Scientists in the Field

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN-10: 0-547-19956-2
ISBN-13: 978-0-547-19956-6
Publication Date: September, 2010
List Price: $18.99

Review: Imagine flying mammals everywhere! You think that would be horrible but it’s not. There is one person who has been dealing with bats for thirty years! Her name is Barbara French. She is the main person in The Bat Scientistswritten by Mary Kay Carson. It is an amazing book that takes place in the United States and Mexico. This book is part of the Scientists in the Field Series. Carson loves her bat inspired job! In this book Barbara French educates people about bats. The Bat Scientist is non-fiction. So if you love non-fiction you’ll like this book. I absolutely loved it.

Being a scientist is not easy. Barbara French has an even harder job. Barbara has a team of bat research scientists. These scientists go out trying to save bats. To do this she studies the bats environment. Sometimes, she visits schools to educate kids about bats. On these she get asked funny questions like do “bats burp”! She is also trying to save endangered bats like vampire bats. Barbara studies how bats live so she can recreate their homes in a safe bat friendly environment. This requires going out in regular places to find bats and see why they live there. Her job can be really challenging. Bats are killed for no reason and most of the time they are harmless to people. Barbara also helps little orphan bats survive without their mothers. She has found away to persuade people to stop killing bats. It is by taking cute pictures of them and writing books to educate people. She has been doing this for three decades. All of her dedication has paid off because tons of people have stopped killing bats. I really like that she keeps trying and never gives up.

I recommend this book to ten years old and older. Out of ten stars I rate this book a nine star because it really teaches you about bats. I love this book because it makes me long to read more about bat lives. I feel my love for nature made this book extra interesting! Mary Kay Carlson is an amazing writer and wrote this book with a lot of interesting facts. However, if you are looking for an easy book to read then don’t pick this book. It is a not a bedtime novel. Nonetheless, The Bat Scientists is one of the best books I have ever read!

Review written by Zain (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy of The Bat Scientists for this review.

Have you read The Bat Scientists? How would you rate it?

Book Review: Built to Last by David Macaulay

Built to Last
by David Macaulay
Non-series

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN-10: 0-547-34240-3
ISBN-13: 978-0-547-34240-5
Publication Date: October, 2010
List Price: $24.99

Review: Imagine building castles, cathedrals, and mosques with your bare hands working fifteen hours a day in the thirteenth century without any technology. The book Built to Last by David Macaulay shows about how these amazing structures were built in the Thirteenth century.

Built to Last shows us about the reason why all these buildings were created and what key points they have which include strategy for war. This book provides us step-by-step ways they made each and every artifact and what they did to partake in each set of buildings. This book includes all your questions and answers about architecture. This book is very informational because it gives you the history behind of all the worlds’ magnificent questions.

I think this book is very interesting how it gives you the way to think of how construction is much more difficult then it seems. How would you design it in case of anything that could happen? All of these thoughts ran through my head when I finished this book. Depending on what type of reader you are, it really depends when you will get hooked into the book. If you are into the architecture part of the book, you will get hooked right away. If you are more of the person who looks for action in the book, it may take you a little while before you're hooked, but I know you would love the book. This isn't the book where you pick it up and you just see interest immediately and read, read, read. I thought the book has the right amount of detail where you know what's going on and know everything with no random details. I give this book five out of five stars because it's interesting but yet makes you think of everything that you can do just by learning this.

Review written by Max (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy of Built to Last for this review.

Have you read Built to Last? How would you rate it?

Book Review: The Secret of Ka by Christopher Pike

The Secret of Ka
by Christopher Pike
Non-series

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN-10: 0-547-34247-0
ISBN-13: 978-0-547-34247-4
Publication Date: September, 2010
List Price: $16.00

Review: You’re flying over the ocean at forty miles per hour on an ancient rug. The wind is in your face and so is a mysterious fog. You can’t go back because that’s what Sara (a fifteen year old girl) and Amesh ( a one handed boy) are worried about in Christopher Pikes book Secret of Ka.

When Sara goes to Turkey with her father she meets a boy she really likes named Amesh who’s a little older than her. At her father’s work site she finds a magic carpet. She and Amesh experiment with it and they lose control and are taken to an island with genies or djinn. On the island Amesh loses control of a djinn and leaves Sara alone without the carpet. Sara has to save him while discovering the truth about her life.

What I like best about the book is the amazing story itself. It has adventure, secrets and magic. Sara is a smart, caring girl with an American teenage girl attitude. Even though the beginning is a little slow each chapter keeps getting better until you can’t put the book down. I recommend this book for kids in middle school and people who enjoy fantasy, mystery and romance. I rate this book a 8 out of 10, because even though it was a wonderful book it has an open ending and I’m not a romance person. When you read this book it will take you to another world.

Review written by Shannon (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy of The Secret of Ka for this review.

Have you read The Secret of Ka? How would you rate it?

Book Review: The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks

The Reformed Vampire Support Group
by Catherine Jinks
Non-series

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN-10: 0-547-41166-9
ISBN-13: 978-0-547-41166-8
Publication Date: September, 2010
List Price: $8.99

Review: Thirst, blood, and entertaining would be the words to describe The Reformed Vampire Support Group , written by Catherine Jinks. The main character Nina is mostly at her Mum’s house, but she also goes to some unexpected places during her travel time. However, there is a catch, she can’t get caught in the sunlight.

What would be so awful that would cause Nina not to be able to be in the sunlight? It stems from an event that happened over 30 years ago. Nina is a 15 year old who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now, the priest happened to know what was going on with Nina. He helped her get through the tough times with the help of some creatures who went though the same thing. It happened that the tough times were changing from human to immortality. Even though she went through some difficult times she got through them and is still living with her Mum. It is a misconception that vampires and other mythical creatures are all mighty and powerful. They are not really all powerful. In fact they can do less than humans. Their only strength is to fang people (which means to turn people into vampires). The Reformed Vampire Support Group is supposed to help vampires keep from fanging people, and Nina goes to it nearly every Tuesday. One Tuesday, however, there is a twist. One of her own kind is staked and burned. Now, the vampires have a mystery on their hands. As they work toward a solution, they “run” into trouble and a new friend. What is there trouble, and who is their friend? You may never know unless you read the book.

Someone who loves the Twilight saga would love this book. Even people who don’t typically like fantasy books would still love this book because of the way Catherine Jinks writes it doesn’t even seem like you are reading fantasy! It is so involving and wouldn’t realize it is fantasy because you are not paying attention to the genre; you’re paying attention to the book. This book shouldn’t be left on the book shelves! Mrs. Jinks sets the scene by using vivid words and phrases. For example Mrs. Jinks writes “a stainless steel toilet without a seat, an unmade bed, and a barred gate are all that fill this room.” That is why you should read her book. It will keep you on your toes until you are finished reading it.

Review written by Caitlin (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy of The Reformed Vampire Support Group for this review.

Have you read The Reformed Vampire Support Group? How would you rate it?

Book Review: The Mystery of the Silver Statue by Raymond C. Perkins

The Mystery of the Silver Statue
by Raymond C. Perkins
B. T. & Jimmy's Adventures

Radiant Hen Publishing
ISBN-10: 0-9840829-8-0
ISBN-13: 978-0-9840829-8-8
Publication Date: February, 2010
List Price: $4.95

Review: Imagine you are fishing on a river bank with your friend when you notice a dark mysterious movement at an old house, abandoned and locally known as haunted. This is the suspense you will feel when you read The Mystery of the Silver Statue. The author of this book is a new author named Raymond C. Perkins J.R. The main character is named B.T.; his best friend is 14 years old so I assume that he is too. This book is a mystery, and is actually based on a real life mystery. It is the very first book in a series by Raymond C. Perkins J.R.

Best friends B.T. and Jimmy are fishing on the bank of a river when B.T. notices some movement at an old abandoned house. With the help of some spy knowledge, they embark on a quest to find an old statue from the revolutionary war. Their journey almost gets one of them captured by two robbers searching for the statue as well, and forces them to figure out numerous puzzles. This story is based on a real mystery from Vermont history.

I like B.T. because even though he has disorders from the brain tumor he had removed when he was 5, he still keeps going in spite of them. I especially like his best friend Jimmy because he is a lot like me, athletic, blond-haired, and has freckles. The author does not use much figurative language but he still wrote the book well. The book has a very good plot; the author makes the suspenseful parts seem as if they're real. I think the author filled the genre very well; it has all of the attributes of a really wonderful mystery. When I read the book I was immediately hooked, that is a sign of a truly good book. The author is very nicely descriptive; he made you really feel as if you are there with B.T. and Jimmy fishing at the beginning. I think that he paced the book very well, he included suspense, and then some calmer pages, then some suspense, then calm and so on. I think that the ending was written very realistically as to what might actually happen. Overall, The Mystery of the Silver Statue is a great book that will be loved by all readers. I rate this book a 9.5 out of 10 stars.

Review written by Noah (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Raymond Perkins for providing a copy of The Mystery of the Silver Statue for this review.

Have you read The Mystery of the Silver Statue? How would you rate it?

Book Review: Darius Bell and the Glitter Pool by Odo Hirsch

Darius Bell and the Glitter Pool
by Odo Hirsch
Non-series

Kane Miller
ISBN-10: 1-935279-65-3
ISBN-13: 978-1-935279-65-6
Publication Date: September, 2010
List Price: $15.99

Review: Imagine yourself walking through the woods and you spot a huge hole in the ground. That’s exactly what happens to Darius Bell, age 10, in Darius Bell and the Glitter Pool by Odo Hirsch.

The Bell family’s ancestors received many gifts from the town. In return, the Bell family must give the unknown gift to keep their property every 25 years. Darius thinks he has the answer to his family’s “Expensive Gift” problem – but will it do any good?

I really loved Darius Bell and the Glitter Pool. One of the most wonderful things is how the characters are created. Other than Darius, my favorite character is Paul, who always repeats what his father says. I also like how Mr. Hirsch uses commonly used sayings like “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.” (This is about ½ of Paul’s vocabulary!). When I reached the point in the book in which Darius sees his solution, I rooted for Darius – but like any story’s plot, the problem had to come eventually. I loved how Mr. Hirsch used his skills to add plenty of suspense to the plot. Also, since the book is realistic fiction, I felt as if I could just jump into the characters. Speaking of good characters, let me just tell you the ending is even better. It came with a funny twist you wouldn’t have expected. Also, has it ever taken you a few chapters to get hooked on to a book? Usually I just read a sentence and I want to read on, but in this book, not only was I hooked on really fast, I kept reading because this book didn’t drag along. Instead it moved on and kept my excitement at a high level. I suggest you read Darius Bell and the Glitter Pool because it is a very intriguing book.

Review written by Sahaj (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Raab Associates, Inc. for providing a copy of Darius Bell and the Glitter Pool for this review.

Have you read Darius Bell and the Glitter Pool? How would you rate it?

Book Review: It Started With a Dare by Lindsay Faith Rech

It Started With a Dare
by Lindsay Faith Rech
Non-series

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN-10: 0-547-23558-5
ISBN-13: 978-0-547-23558-5
Publication Date: September, 2010
List Price: $8.99

Review: Imagine being a nobody in high school whose been given a second chance. Would you try to become someone? Or would you sick with the status quo? CG Silverman decides to shake things up a bit in It Started With a Dare by Lindsay Faith Rech when her family moves from Philadelphia to the suburbs. CG takes this move to the upper class suburbs as her chance to finally be somebody - at all costs.

CG's family moves into Beaubridge during her sophomore year in high school. It doesn't take long for CG to figure out who the "Queen Bee" is at the high school. But what shocks CG the most is that Alona and her posse actually walk over to her, the girl from "the other side of the tracks," and start up a conversation. CG sees them in their height-of-fashion outfit and observes her "grunge" look and realizes that in mere hours, she's made it big. "The reining duchess of teen suburbia - the impossibly stunning Alona Spelton" is talking to her, a nobody! CG creates, on the spot, an entirely new persona - the "bad girl" from the city. Before long she's tight with the "in" crowd and digging herself deeper and deeper into her life of lies. Along the way, CG lies to nearly everyone she knows. But, when the lies come crashing down - will she be able to handle going from the "top" to "nonexistent?" Rech's light-hearted tale of high school is a must read for any girl who ever wanted to be somebody else.

It Started With a Dare is an absolutely entertaining and thought-provoking book. Rech incorporates real high school issues such as friends, relationships, parents, and identity and puts them all into a story that will keep you reading through the night. CG has in her a little bit of every high school girl. She is insecure yet confident, wants to be herself yet craves the clique, needs love but unsure of where to find it. She goes from being a loner to being a trend-setting icon to barely existing. It's every girl's dream and nightmare all wrapped in one. But, Rech doesn't let the tone ever get too heavy. She fills the pages with light and entertaining prose. When CG is trying to figure out why one of the "alpha" girls, Grace, is angry with her, the "Queen Bee", Alona, concludes Grace is jealous. "'You really think she's jealous?' I whisper to Alona. She gives me the affirmative nod. 'Totes.' That's Alona speak for 'totally.' Why save the rainforest, the whales, or the world when you can devote your time to saving syllables?" Grace always has a wry comment that will elicit a chuckle. She's smart and one of a kind. It Started With a Dare is a teen must-read!

Review written by Margo Nauert (6th grade teacher).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy of It Started With a Dare for this review.

Have you read It Started With a Dare? How would you rate it?