The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel

The Boundless is about a train that is really long and amazing.  It has 3 classes: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and then the colonist car.  Zurkas Dante plays a show in all of the passenger cars.  Will Everett's father gets to be in 1st class because he was promoted by the owner of the railroad.  Sadly, the owner of the railroad dies.  His coffin is in the extremely long train.  Will Everett goes off the train to use the bathroom.  The guard from the coffin car is there and he accidentally drops the key to the coffin car.  Will picks it up.  People want that key to take the treasures in the coffin.  How will he survive?  Find out by reading the book!

                                                                      

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The Magician's Apprentice by Kate Banks

The Magician's Apprentice is about a boy who goes to work for a weaver.  He kills a dog that got whipped by his master, because the dog was suffering so much.  The master trades the boy for a sword.  Now, the boy learns how to how to be a magician with his new master.  Tadish, his new master, brings them to the very top of the mountain.  The boy, Baz, learns new things along the way.  Then they depart to each carry on yet another journey.  

                                                                                 

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The Sisters Grimm The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley

This book is about Daphne and Sabrina Grimm.  Their parents disappeared and they have gone through a lot of foster families for a year and a half.  They always manage to escape their foster families because their new families are always mean.  Now they are moving in with an old women who claims to be their grandmother.  Sabrina doesn't believe this women because their father told them that their grandmother died before they were born.  Now the woman who claims to be their grandma is carried off by a giant!  Daphne makes Sabrina help the old because she thinks that she really is their grandma!  How are they going to save their grandmother when fairy tale creatures are trying to kill them? If you want to find out, you will have to read for yourself.
                                                                     

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Click here to go to the author's website.
                                                       

Matilda by Roald Dahl

Matilda is about a little girl (age 3) who knows how to read.  The catch is that her parents didn't teach her how to read.  She taught herself! As the amazing tale of the amazing tale of Matilda is told, I never get bored.  Dahl wrote this story like no other.  I think Roald Dahl writes some pretty creepy books, though this one is not as strange as others.  When you get closer to the end, it gets a little creepy, but not too much.  You will marvel at the happy ending.  This shows the what a superhero really can be.  Matilda has the great power of reading and she is very smart.  Those qualities can definitely can come in handy in certain situations.

                                                              

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West Of The Moon by Margi Preus

West Of The Moon is about 2 girls who go through hardships in their life.  First, their father goes off to America to get rich.  He lets his girls stay at their mean aunt's house for the time being.  While they are at their aunt's house, their aunt sells Astri (the older girl) to a goatman.  The goatman enforces manual labor on the girl.  This part of the story reminded me of slavery.  Slaves got sold to white people and are forced to work without a say in it.  I felt bad for Astri.  Throughout the book, Astri tells herself and her friends Norwegian flolktales to keep their spirits up.  Will she ever find papa again, she wonders as she and her sister travel together.
                                                                               

                                                                             

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My Summer Reading List

Every Summer, I focus on one author.  This year, it is Sharon Creech.  Over the past years, I have focussed on Andrew Clements and Beverly Cleary.  Sharon Creech writes fiction.  She won a Newbery Medal for Walk Of Two Moons.  Here is my Summer 2014 Reading List:

1 The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox
2 The Anybodies by N.E. Bode
3 The Penderwicks At Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall
4 Remarkable by Lizzie J. Foley
5 Middle School My Brother is A Big Fat Liar by James Patterson
6 A Snicker Of Magic by Natalie Lloyd
7 Ungifted by Gordon Korman
8 About Average by Andrew Clements
9 Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements
10 Love That Dog by Sharon Creech                                

11 Replay by Sharon Creech
12 Absolutely by Sharon Creech
13 Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech
14 The Great Unexpected by Sharon Creech
15 The Boy On The Porch by Sharon Creech
16 Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech
17 The Wanderer by Sharon Creech

                                                                                       

Zoobreak by Gordon Korman

Zoobreak is a book filled with mystery.  Savannah, an animal lover loses her beloved Cleopatra (her monkey).  When her class goes on a field trip to "All Aboard Animals," a floating zoo, Savannah finds Cleopatra there.  She asks Mr. Nasetase to please give her her monkey back and he says no,  and a war starts between them.  Savannah gathers up her friends so they can do a zoo break and get Cleopatra.  Unfortunately, all the animals are not treated well at the zoo.  Will they rescue the rest of the animals as well?  Find out when you read the book!  It is in a series – the first book is called Swindle.
                                                                            

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Click here to go to the authors website.

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee

This book is for fantasy lovers.  It is about a magical boy who gets locked in a room inside the museum by the snow queen.  Ophelia has to unlock the boy's room so the boy can defeat the snow queen.  Ophelia goes on a quest to find the key.  It is very exciting as the boy tells Ophelia of his unbelievable quest.   Also, Ophelia finds that the museum comes to life sometimes!?!?!
                                                                         

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The Jacket by Andrew Clements

The Jacket made me think about how you should treat people the same way, no matter what. Phil is searching for his brother Jimmy, who forgot his lunch money.  When Phil sees Jimmy's jacket he races toward it and finds out it is not Jimmy.  Phil thinks Daniel stole Jimmy's jacket.  The Jacket teaches us how you shouldn't just think something before you have evidence.

                                                                   

Buy the book here!

Click here to go to the author's website :)

A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L'Engle

A Wrinkle In Time made me feel like I was right beside Meg while she was trying to find her father.  When bad things happened to a person in the story, I got scared too.  Madeline L'Engle writes in ways that give the reader lots of surprises.  If you like fantasy books, you'll enjoy this volume, for sure.  If you like graphic novels, there is A Wrinkle In Time graphic novel by Hope Larson.

       

                                                                                                                 

click here to go to Hope Larson's website :)

click here to buy the book!!!!

click here to go to Madeline L'Engle's website

The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Giver makes you think how lucky you.  In The Giver, everything is orderly in the community that Jonas (the main character) lives in.  You are assigned your spouse, your children, and even your job. Then some people can see beyond.  They witness good and bad things though.  I couldn't put this book down.  I had to know what happened next.  READ THIS BOOK NOW!  THE MOVIE IS COMING OUT THIS SUMMER!!!!
                                                               

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click here to get to the author's website :)

My Life As A Joke by Janet Tasjian

My Life As A Joke is about Derek, a boy who just started middle school.  Sometimes, I frowned at Derek.  Other times he made me laugh.  If you like funny stories, then you will love this book.  The book shows examples of good choices, bad choices, and sacrifices.
                                                       
                                                               

Buy the book here :)

click here to go to the author's website.