Wednesday, May 30, 2012

The Mysterious Benedict Society, Trenton Lee Stuart, 4.7 stars, 512 pages

   This is an AWESOME book!!! There are 4 books in the series, a prequel, and then three books. I've only read the first one, but want to read the others!

ARE YOU AN EXTRAORDINARY CHILD LOOKING FOR A SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES?
says an odd ad in the newspaper
Dozens of kids flock to get these "special opportunities," which turn out to be the most challenging, mind-bending tests of all. Only four succeed, and when they do, find themselves sent on the most perilous journey of all, to the Institute where they must destroy a machine, risking their lives. Will they do it... or will they fail?



   MUST READ THIS BOOK!!!!

I won my first writing contest!


I've won my first writing contest! There was an essay contest at my school about healthy living, and I entered. I won! A local newspaper reporter came and took our picture (me and the 6 other kids that entered), so I'll be in the newspaper soon! And I can't wait to buy some books with my Barnes & Noble gift card prize! Here's my essay:

Healthy Living
By Eden Fisher

            In order to survive, we need some important things including food, sleep, and exercise. But if you have too much or too little of these resources, it’s hard to survive, which is why you need to find a healthy balance.
            You know what having a good balance with nourishing and “junk” food means: not eating candy all the time, making sure you eat lots of fruits and vegetables, etc. Even though green beans are healthy, don’t eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner because you need a diet full of variety. And make sure you don’t eat TOO much food of any kind.
Going along with the topic of balance, if you sleep too much or too little, believe it or not, it’s bad for you. If you sleep too little, obviously, your body doesn’t have the energy it needs to operate, but if you sleep too much, you become sluggish and lazy, and don’t get as much exercise. This can cause diabetes and obesity.
Regarding exercise, make sure you have enough of it. And then again, make sure you don’t have too much. Now you’re probably thinking, that sounds ridiculous!, but there is such thing as exercising too much. You know what happens when someone doesn’t exercise: they become overweight and potentially lazy. If someone over exercises, their body starts burning muscle instead of fat, which isn’t healthy.
So, in order to live a healthy life, you must find a balance in these areas.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Anne of Windy Poplars, L. M. Montgomery, 4.1 stars, 258 pages

   You might notice that this has the lowest rating of the Anne series, and it's not because it's a bad book at ALL, the beginning just wasn't that great. OH! And I finished the entire series (eight books) almost a week ago. Let's see if I can catch up with my writing!
   Anne, waiting for Gilbert to finish medical school, is a principal in the Summerside school. She lives in a 'dear old cottage' called Windy Poplars, and Anne finds it perfect there--until school starts. Now she faces a problem: the Pringles. Known as the royal family, they quickly let Anne know that she is NOT who they wanted for principal. Befriending two widows and Rebecca Dew are inly two exciting triumphs Anne has.

Saturday, May 26, 2012

The Seven Chairs, Part 5

   Last time...
Sophie’s parents glanced at each other. 


   This time...
"We'll try one," Mrs. King cautiously said. "But you better be right about the flying part." "Sure thing, missus," Bob bounded over to get a chair, and headed over to the cash register. Mr. and Mrs King followed, unsure if this is the right thing to do. Mrs. King thought so; but the chair wasn't really fancy, but is the flying part was true (and Mrs. King didn't think it was), Sophie wouldn't mind, and would love it all the better, or so she hoped. Mr King just didn't know. They paid for the chair and left.


*          *          *
   At her party, Sophie announced, "everyone's here, mom. NOW may I open that big present you got me?" "After the games...and the cake... then you may open your presents." Sophie gave a silent groan, but went off to tell her guests to line up for a relay race.

*          *          *
After the games...              and the cake...
   Everyone was seated in a semicircle around Sophie.Her parents held their breath as she unwrapped the magic chair.After what seemed like hours...


Wait 'till next time to see what Sophie thinks about her chair!

And if you notice I've done a lot of blogging today, it's to make up for all of the days I missed while I was in London.

Hoot, Scat, Flush, Chomp, Carl Hiaasen, 4-4.5 stars

 I decided to do Hoot, Scat, Flush, and Chomp (said in order that I read them) in one review because all of them are about animal wildlife in Florida, and it's the same basic backbone for the stories: some dumb person is doing something to hurt nature, someone either goes crazy about it, disappears because of it, or weird things are seen because of it. And yahoo! kids are the star, and are there to investigate.
   Hoot: When Roy's face is smashed against the window of the school bus by a bully, he spots a bare-footed ripped-shirt kid running away from the school bus. A new Mother Paula's pancake place is also being built down the street. And to top it off, Roy is getting pushed around by another bully, Beatrice. Can these three things be connected? Maybe getting your head smashed against a window IS good--if it helps you into an adventure of a lifetime.
   Scat: Nick and his friends aren't necessarily sad when their biography teacher goes missing during a field trip to a swamp. But the reason for her absence doesn't fool Nick and Marta. They decide to dig in deeper and find themselves caught with illegal oil pumpers, a guy who seems to know where their teacher is, and wild panthers.
   Flush: Noah's dad has done some pretty wild stuff before, but this time he's gone too far: sinking a casino boat. Noah's mom's not happy, but Noah and his sister Abbey understand more: Dusty Muleman, owner of the boat, has been dumping human waste into the ocean--or so their dad claims. Wanting to believe him, the siblings search more, asking Lice, one of Dusty's former employees, about it, but before he can share Dusty's secret, he disappears. So Shelly, Lice's girlfriend steps in and takes control, and helps with the plan: flush, flush, flush!
   Chomp: Except for chameleons, ever since a frozen solid dead one clonked him on the head, Wahoo's dad, Mickey, has always been more comfortable around animals than people. Because of the chameleon, and a concussion, Mickey has no job, and refuses every one offered to him. But Wahoo signs his dad up for a reality TV show animal provider/trainer anyway. Besides, they're backyard's (literally) a zoo, with more than enough animals. When he hears then news, Mickey isn't happy, and it doesn't help to hear that the show is run by Derek Badger. Derek proves to be impatient, and lazy, not a reality TV star. In the Everglades, Tuna, a girl with a dad who's drunk more than half the time joins them. Then Derek goes missing. And then, Tuna's dad shows up drunk, and with a gun. Worst of all, Mickey's dealing with the drunk guy, while wishing he'd never signed up for this. Tuna and Wahoo are trying to free him, and find Derek Badger. Complete chaos in the Everglades!

Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin, it's a true story so I can't really rate it, 155 pages

   I've heard that this book was exaggerated, but I didn't know what was exaggerated and what wasn't, so I read it. Overstated or not, this is an incredible story that everyone should read...
   Greg Mortenson, on his way to climb K2, the world's second tallest mountain, gets lost and, cold and hungry, wanders into a Pakistani village where he is taken in willingly. Moved by their kindness, he promises to return to build a school for the children there. Back then, all the kids had for a school was a teacher that came three days a week, mud, sticks, and cold hard dirt. Greg Mortenson changed that, and built over 78 schools after.
   There is 3 different books written by Greg Mortenson about this story, Three Cups of Tea (the adult version), Three Cups of Tea (the young reader's edition, which is what I read), and Listen to The Wind (a picture book which I also read).

Matilda, Roald Dahl, 4.5 stars, 240 pages

   Okay, I'm REALLY sorry I haven't been posting book reviews. The end of the school year is busy!!!
   Matilda is a 5-year-old genius with parents who don't notice her extraordinary brain.  They advise her to sit down in front of the telly, and 'shut that rubbish of a book.' When Matilda finally is sent to school, she meets "The Trunchbull", a headmistress with amazing powers to love hate kids. With Miss Honey, Matilda's kind teacher, Matilda devises a plan to rout Miss Trunchbull.
   First time around when you read this book, the climax is spectacular. I just finished rereading it like 5 minutes ago, and it wasn't what I remembered. But you've got to read this book, or reread it, or re-reread, or re-re-reread!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

The Seven Chairs, Part 4

   Last time:

"I'm gonna' be RICH! I'm gonna' be RICH!" he sang as he danced a jig. Then he sat down to think up a plan to get into the Good Knight's castle for more magic...

   This time...
                                                                  Chapter 1
The First Chair

            It was Sophie’s birthday! All Sophie wanted was a chair. Why? Because her favorite old one broke. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. King, were out looking for the best possible chair they could give their daughter. They looked and searched and searched and looked everywhere, everywhere except Bob’s Furniture Shop. Mrs. King said her feet hurt, but in the end Mr. King insisted that they check one more shop up there, “even though it doesn’t look promising.”
            They walked into Bob’s Furniture Shop just as Bob was putting the price tags on some regular chairs. The ordinary chairs looked just like the magic ones. Mrs. King asked Bob, “Why are those chairs you’re pricing now so much cheaper than those over there?” She pointed a magic chair. Bob leaned in close. “Listen, lady,” he said. “I can sell you those chairs over there that are 59 dollars and 99 cents, and I’ll guarantee you’ll love ‘em ‘cause those ones are magic. They can fly.” Bob leaned back with a grin. “If it don’t fly you bring it back and get your money back with an extra 10 dollars.” Sophie’s parents glanced at each other. 

Monday, May 14, 2012

SO SORRY I HAVE NOT BEEN WRITING!!!!!!!

The reason for this is that I have been in London, but I got back on the 12th! So FUN!!!!!! I'll try to post some pictures later...