Review: Heart of Stone by M. L. Welsh

Heart of Stone by M. L. Welsh. The Sequel to Mistress of the Storm.

David Fickling Books
Publication Date: July 2012
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780385752435

Review: Do you like books that are suspenseful, mysterious, and thrilling? Then Heart of Stone by M.L. Welsh is the book for you. This book contains it all with the characters of Verity Gallant, Henry Twogood, and Martha Platt. The author creates the suspense that will grab the reader out of their seat. Mysteries are waiting to be uncovered and thrills are trapped in this book seeking a way out. This is the second book in a series; the first is Mistress of the Storm.

Crystal clear waters, nature everywhere, and magic in the air creates the scene where it started, the old town of Wellow. Everyone thinks it's just another normal year at the town of Wellow, but what they don't know is the truth. There is a hidden enemy attacking the town, making sure no good will come out of this year. The only people who know what's happening is Verity Gallant and her friends, Henry, Martha, and the librarian. Will Verity and her friends be able to save Wellow from destruction? Unless the force is acted upon fast enough, there can be no good forever. The kids will have to go back to the beginning and locate the four keepers--- water, fire, wind, and Earth to save the town from total elimination.

Along with the vivid and engaging setting, the characters and relatable and interesting. For example, Verity Gallant is the kind of person who is not self-centered when help is needed. She is in a competition and when a great conflict occurs, instead of trying to win, she helps the people who are in danger. Not only does Verity help the others, but her friends are pitching in too. In addition, she and her friends and her are have differences, but when it come to helping Wellow they worked together as a team. All the characters have mixed personalities which make them unique and interesting. This story is great for everyone it has thrills , action, mystery ....... it creates suspense because you never know what will be discovered next. A memorable quotes are, "It was a scene like a nightmareÓ and "We have to helpÓ The engaging words create suspense which makes sure the reader never wants to stop reading. I always wanted to know what would happen next . The Heart of Stone deserves 5 stars because I learned life is like a rollercoaster; you never know what comes next, so always be prepared.

Review written by Jill (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of Heart of Stone for this review.

Have you read Heart of Stone? How would you rate it?

Review: Phoenix by Jeff Stone

Phoenix by Jeff Stone. The Five Ancestors Out of the Ashes Book 1.

Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 2012
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780375870187

Review: Have you ever wanted to read a book with excitement, action, and suspense? Then Phoenix is just the book for you. The book I did my review on is Phoenix by Jeff Stone. The main character is a boy named Phoenix. The book is book one in part two of the Five Ancestors series. The second part is called The Five Ancestors: Out of the Ashes.

This story takes place in modern times both in China and in the U.S. It starts with Phoenix and his ÒgrandfatherÓ (who was really another of his ancestors, born in 1638) living in Indianapolis. Grandfather got robbed of his supply of dragon bone, a mysterious substance that helps both physical performance and the ability to live longer. Since grandfather had none left and was more than 370 years old, he would die within a month. Phoenix had to go to China to get more of the necessary dragon bone. Phoenix encounters many exciting events along the way like meeting a girl named Hu Die, and an encounter with the temple leader, Grandmaster Long, and even a battle scene with flash grenades and motorcycles! What was most exciting was a shocking truth revealed at the end, but you'll have to read the book to find out what it is.

I like this book for several reasons. The plot is really suspenseful at times like when Phoenix was fighting another bike racer and suddenly, the other racer lashes out and knocks Phoenix out with his leg. The characters are believable in the story based on what they do. Their actions are something we would do in real life. I think the theme is, Òcheating never gets you anywhereÓ. The robbers tried to cheat by taking the dragon bone for themselves, but they failed. The theme is an important message because in real life, people often cheat to get what they want. Learning the negatives of cheating is a powerful lesson. The author's writing style is extremely descriptive and you can picture the whole book because every scene is filled with imagery. This novel contains a lot of fast paced action; with exciting events like when Phoenix encounters Grandmaster Long, and there is a huge ÒfightÓ (Phoenix is proving himself worthy for Grandmaster Long). The setting is pretty realistic because the story is set in modern times. Another thing I like about this book I can connect a substance like dragon bone to steroids because they both boost people's physical performance. There's nothing I don't like about this book because it was so good. I think this book would be good for kids 10-12 to read.

Review written by Nathan (6th grade student).

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

Have you read Phoenix? How would you rate it?

Review: Sons of the 613 by Michael Rubens

Sons of the 613 by Michael Rubens.

Clarion Books
Publication Date: September 2012
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780547612164

Review: Do you like books with adventure and comedy? Then you should read Sons of the 613 by Michael Rubens!

The main character in the story is a boy named Isaac who is about to have his bar mitzvah. But then his parents abandon him; they leave him for a trip to Italy. His brother, Josh, who never lost a wrestling match and gets in bar fights, is put in charge. When his brother finds out that Isaac's tutor hasn't been showing up to teach him about his bar mitzvah, he decides Isaac shouldn't have to give a speech to become a man. Instead, he is given a quest involving many different challenges and hardships. Along the journey he gets into various, unusual situations. He starts to fall in love with his brother's friend, Lesley, goes to bars, and almost gets killed by dogs.

Sons of the 613 is literally the best book I have ever read! It has constant humor, action, and suspense and was very thrilling. It is written very well and would be appropriate for kids 14+ because it has some inappropriate parts. I give it 5 stars because it is a very great book that will keep you wondering until the end, with the constant question: Will Isaac survive?

Review written by Josh (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin for providing a copy of Sons of the 613 for this review.

Have you read Sons of the 613? How would you rate it?

Review: The Wednesdays by Julie Bourbeau

The Wednesdays by Julie Bourbeau.

Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: August 2012
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780375868900

Review: Have you ever been walking through a bookstore, not sure what to buy? If you ever see The Wednesdays by Julie Bourbeau, tear it off the shelf and buy it! This is a humorous, witty, and just plain phenomenal book starring an average boy named Max Bernard. But pretty soon, he'll be anything but average! You'll have to read the book to get the full story though.

Max's village is like any other ordinary little town. People bustle around, go to work, and go to school. Normal things. Every day of the week. Well, except for Wednesday. On Wednesdays, the townsfolk shrink back into their houses, lock the doors and windows, and close the shutters. Why, you might ask, do the citizens do this every third day of the week? Because of the Wednesdays, of course. The bringers of bad luck. If you go out to walk your dog on a Wednesday, there is a very good chance that you will trip and scrap your knee, and your dog will run away. Everyone in Max's town fears them. Max is determined to find and capture a Wednesday, but gets more than what he bargains for when they find him! Short, squat, and plump figures with large silver eyes, squarish heads, and long, gangly arms is a way of describing the Wednesdays. And then, bad things start happening every day of the week! Max fears he is becoming a Wednesday, as he begins to get the complexion of one! He is afraid of being near his own family, as bad things always happen when he's around. Will he ever get his normal life back?

I loved this book because it can entertain you through and through, and it's nice and short. The characters are all different from each other, and some of them are pretty wacky. If I were to rate this on a scale of one to ten, I would give it a 9, for sure. If you have a road trip or vacation coming up, I would definitely recommend bringing this book along as a quick read. I wouldn't recommend this to older kids or adults, as it is short, larger font, and pictures. I would suggest kids 9-12 to read this book. This book is sure to deliver a few good laughs, though. You never exactly know what the characters are going to do, as they are almost all as wacky as the other. Overall, I loved this book, and I think you should consider reading it!

Review written by Andy (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of The Wednesdays for this review.

Have you read The Wednesdays? How would you rate it?

Review: The Book of Blood: From Legends and Leeches to Vampires and Veins by HP Newquist

The Book of Blood: From Legends and Leeches to Vampires and Veins by HP Newquist.

Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Publication Date: August 2012
List Price: $17.99
ISBN-13: 9780547315843

Review: The Book of Blood is a nonfiction book. First, it shows how blood is important, how it goes through your body and makes sure you are healthy; second it explains how people discovered how important blood really is. The book starts out explaining red blood cells and how your heart works along with your arteries and veins. Then you go back to ancient times, when the Nile floods and when Aztecs sacrifice people to their gods. Then the story progresses through time.

This is a book that at times captivates you and keeps you interested with juicy and interesting facts. However, sometimes I felt tempted to skip the selection because of how boring it was. The book was exceptionally gruesome. I do understand the book is all about blood, but sometimes it goes over the limit. For example, the book shows pictures such as a stream of blood bursting from a man's arm or a picture of a brain of someone that was dead. I skipped some of the pages because the pictures were too disturbing. I also felt like it was a textbook. I did learn a lot from the Book of Blood though. Many interesting facts forced me to continue reading. Something I thought was very interesting was how the history went through time and explained how it was kind of like evolution. Some parts left me wanting more information, and that led me to look online. The book had some humor in it, and when it did, it nailed it. Many parts of the book made me laugh.

Review written by Luc (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy of The Book of Blood: From Legends and Leeches to Vampires and Veins for this review.

Have you read The Book of Blood: From Legends and Leeches to Vampires and Veins? How would you rate it?

Review: Malcolm at Midnight by W.H. Beck

Malcolm at Midnight by W.H. Beck.

Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Publication Date: September 2012
List Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 9780547681009

Review: Malcolm at Midnight is a story about a rat named Malcolm who is different from others due to his size. One day, when Mr. Binney came to the Pet Emporium and bought this small rat, Malcolm knew things were going to change. When school ends the "mouse" then meets the Midnight Academy including a series or other animals like a talking iguana that wear's the librarian's glasses after she leaves, "Honey Bunny", and a more. The bad thing is that rats have a bad reputation so when the iguana goes missing, Malcolm's the one to blame-but is he?

I gave Malcolm at Midnight a five star review because the story itself was full of excitement and feelings that made me want to read on. Also, the plot was suspenseful with well developed ideas from when Malcolm got the school at McKenna all the way to the end. And the theme was an important message to me, that you should never judge a book by its cover due to the fact that the animals were stereotypical to Malcolm. Another thing is the characters from the evilness on the forth floor to the fish in the tank in the library, they were all multidimensional and well- rounded. Even though Oscar (one of the fish in the tank) is not in the story much, I knew what he was like. Lastly, the author's writing style was descriptive; I knew what the classroom looked like in Mr. Binney's class and what the inside of the skull felt like to Malcolm. It was also full of action because when I was reading I felt the book pulling me in as I was reading and when the description and action came together it felt like I was in the book. If you are deciding if you should read this book, I say you should because if you are a person who likes action and suspense then this is the book for you because this story contains that kind of plot with well devolved characters. Also I think this is a great book for teachers who are looking to read out loud.

Review written by Caitlyn (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy of Malcolm at Midnight for this review.

Have you read Malcolm at Midnight? How would you rate it?

Review: May B. by Caroline Starr Rose

May B. by Caroline Starr Rose.

Schwartz & Wade Books
Publication Date: January 2012
List Price: $15.99
ISBN-13: 9781582463933

Review: "Ma and Pa want me to leave and live with strangers. I won't go,'' May said. Mavis Betterly just found out that her parents are sending her away to live with strangers for five months, until Christmas comes around. This is the beginning of May B., an engaging book by Caroline Starr Rose. May B. is getting sent to live with the Oblingers in their new home, where she will help them and earn money for her family. Even though it will help her family, May dreads going away.

The reader soon learns that Mrs.Oblinger isn't too thrilled about May coming. Mrs. Oblinger and May hate each other as much as they both hate the sod house. When May thinks things couldn't get any worse, Mrs. Oblinger gets upset and disappears, forcing a lonely Mr. Oblinger to run after her. He leaves May alone in the sod house, which is located in the middle of an empty prairie, miles from the nearest town or single home! Then a blizzard hits, trapping her in snow. Will May be able to hold out by herself until the Oblingers' return? Will anyone come to May's rescue?

Caroline Starr Rose's unique writing style keeps you glued to the book. It gets hard to stop turning the pages when you are always left with a cliffhanger! Every page leaves you wondering how the situation will develop. Also, Rose demonstrates incredible character development as she shows how May struggles through the blizzard and the challenges of learning to read. The author created May to be such an inspiring young girl. Through her struggles, May learns to overcome her fear and just think about herself. She finds her courage and shows that it's all up to her to save herself because who knows how long it will take for someone to find her! May finds her own voice, and I think Rose hopes to show readers how to find theirs! May B. deserves five stars for its excellent story line, development, and for giving readers a new inspiration---a girl named May Betterly!

Review written by Gianna (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Random House for providing a copy of May B. for this review.

Have you read May B.? How would you rate it?