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HP Trailer

Harry Potter!

I’m sure I am not alone when I say I am anxiously counting down till November 19th when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows opens in movie theaters! I was in Ireland when the book was released and I woke up early that morning to drive into Galway to get my reserved copy from Eason’s Bookshop. I then read the book so quickly worried that I would hear about the ending before I had a chance to read it – not to mention I was in Ireland and didn’t want to use up too much of my siteseeing time reading. I think I’ll move Deathly Hallows to the top of my to-read list so I have time to read it again before the movie! Here’s the trailer as a sneak peek. I’m so excited!!

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm

www.bn.com

Have you ever felt like your parents have abandoned you for money or another person?  Well that is exactly how Turtle feels when her mom sends her away to Key West, Florida to live with her aunt who she has never met. She has to move because her mom is a maid and the person that she works for doesn’t allow kids.  When Turtle’s is dropped off at her aunt’s house, her aunt was very surprised to see her and angry that she would be living with her and her family. Her aunt eventually gets used to it. While Turtle is there she learns has many relatives living in Key West and that her cousins have a group called the Dipper Gang.  They take care of babies in exchange for candy.  While Turtle is living in Key West she gets to know her grandmother, who hates her. One day, while she is at her grandmother’s house, she comes across a treasure map.  The Dipper Gang and Turtle decide to go find the treasure, but end up getting stuck on an island during a hurricane.  Will Turtle and her grandmother ever learn to like each other and will the Dipper Gang and Turtle survive the deadly hurricane?  That is for you to find out. 

I thought that this book was very good.  It was loaded with suspense and you never knew what was going to happen next.  Turtle was always getting into trouble and having to try to find ways to get out of it, not always succeeding.  I would definitely recommend this book to you to read. 

By Elisha F., EMS blogger

Once by Morris Gleitzman

www.bn.com

“Everybody deserves to have something good in their life at least…Once.” The book I read was Once by Morris Gleitzman. This is a very comical realistic fiction book that took place at the time of the Holocaust. Felix, the main character is a Jewish child who has been put in an orphanage. He must keep his identity a secret so he isn’t sent away. Felix’s parents have been missing for a long time now and no one will tell him where they are. So he decides to take the situation in his own hands by taking off and searching for them by himself. Many times during this book Felix gets very close to getting caught and sent away.

I like this story because Felix is just an innocent little boy who doesn’t know a lot in this world. When bad things are happening all around him he finds explanations to make them seem not as bad. He is a very creative boy and tells stories to all the children he meets along the way. You know the friend that always cheers you up when the worst possible thing hits? I guess you could say that’s Felix because he could tell you a story that would make you forget about it entirely.

I also liked this story because there are surprises around every corner. A lot of the time while reading this book I was screaming in my head for Felix to make a smart decision, but he always ended up doing the risky thing. Felix is a smart boy though so he knew how to get out of a risky situation most of the time though.

I found this book absolutely adorable because Felix befriends a girl named Zelda who is also a Jewish child. They become good friends and tell each other everything. When Zelda is hit with terrible news Felix knows just how to cheer her up. Even in the scariest of times they hold onto each other and make sure one another is safe. Overall this book is a good read I give it an 8.5 out of 10.

By Devonney W., EMS Blogger

Lies by Michael Grant

bn.com

            This is the third book in the Gone series and Michael Grant has started up right where he left off in his new book, Lies.  In the book, Zil and his crew are even more against the freaks in the FAYZ. They are stronger and even more desperate.  Zil’s crew will stop at nothing to wipe out the freaks, even make an alliance with Caine and the few remaining Coates Academy kids surviving against all odds.  Sam and Astrid are also having some hard times of their own. The Council Astrid created isn’t keeping order and people aren’t following any rules. Drugs are being sold, and kids at the age of 10 are losing hope and drinking.  Sam is what everyone needs but Astrid won’t let him help. She is afraid that he will become too powerful and a dictator. In the second book the author wrote how Darkness was destroyed, but he is back and in a strange way. Also every kid’s worst nightmare, Drake, has come back. This book is full of twists and turns and doesn’t stop until the end.

            I thought that this book was great. Usually books in a series don’t get better, but this book does not fit that description. The book has also left me wanting more. I can’t wait for the next one to come out and once you read it I have no doubt that you will feel the same way. If you haven’t read any of the Gone series, you should head out to the library and check it out. The books are all along the lines of a “survival of the fittest” type of book. If you loved books like Lord of the Flies, this is just the book/series for you. I personally give it a nine out of ten and once you read it I will be eager to hear what you think.

By Nick Schipper, EMS Blogger

Kiss in the Dark by Lauren Henderson

www.bn.com

I read the book Kiss In the Dark by Lauren Henderson. This is the third book in the series Kiss Me Kill Me. If you like books that are suspenseful and have a bit of romance in them then this book is for you! Personally I loved this book. I could barely put it down. The story line is great and the suspense is intense. I could not see anything on this book coming, from the mysterious death, to Plum coming back into Scarlet’s life. Jase and Scarlet’s romance gets pushed to its limits and Taylor as always is willing to put her detective skills to work. Scarlet gets answers to her parent’s death that she would have never expected and some answers that Scarlet’s not sure she wants to know.

By Emily M., EMS Blogger

How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford

goodreads.com

Have you ever got so involved in a book, you felt like you were actually a character in it? Well with this book, How To Say Goodbye In Robot by Natalie Standiford, I assure you, you will feel this way. During the book, Beatrice Szabo moves to a new town. She starts off by making friends with the popular kids. But after sitting next to Jonah Tate, a weird boy also known as “Ghost Boy”, Bea and Jonah begin stirring up a relationship. Unlike Bea, I would have stayed with the more popular group, rather than someone who looks like he came straight from the grave.

            Bea and Jonah both listen to a late night radio station called the “Night Lights”. They occasionally called in and left mysterious messages for each other, almost as if they were giving clues to a scavenger hunt to each others hearts. As they get further into their senior year of high school, they find out that Jonah’s brother, Matthew, is actually still alive. Jonah’s father had told Jonah that Matthew died in a car accident with his mother, but he was only saying that because he didn’t think he could take care of Matthew on his own, since he was a special needs boy.

            The rest of the book is heartbreaking. Jonah and Bea try to rescue Matthew from the hospital, but during the process of doing this, Jonah throws temper tantrums in the hospital and is banned from going there again. This leaves himdepressed because he can’t visit Matthew anymore. When this happens, he ignores Bea for a while, leaving her upset until he needs her help with Matthew again. They try another multiple times to rescue Matthew. Does it work? Or do they give up and get on with their separate lives? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

by Megan C., EMS Blogger

Tangled by Carolyn Mackler

goodreads.com

“Tangled is a story of the secrets we keep, the risks we take, and the things we do for love,” says Carolyn.  This book, Tangled, is a story of four teens who end up vacationing to the same resort during April vacation.  While they are away, visiting Paradise (the resort), the four of them all end up tangling their lives together.  By saying this I mean their lives soon end up becoming everything they ever dreamed.    All of these changes will change their lives for the better. You’ll just have to read the book and find out what changes these four characters will go through.

            This book had its ups and its downs.  Sometimes the book was very interesting, but at other times I was very bored and confused.  One of the reasons this book was confusing was because it was told from four characters points of view, which I didn’t like.  It took me a while to get used to who was telling the story.  This means I was often having trouble with understanding what was happening to which person. 

            The book also doesn’t have a basic story-line.  I’m had a hard time figuring out the main conflict in this story.  There were little problems that each character had, but I couldn’t really pick out one conflict to the whole story.  I did like the book though because it had a little bit of everything to it.  There were conflicts about love, drama, and even a little mystery.  That was something I definitely enjoyed about this book. Overall, like I said, the book was ok at times and boring at other times, so I probably wouldn’t recommend this book to someone to read.

By Amanda S., EMS Blogger

The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

www.goodreads.com

People always say don’t judge a book by its cover. Well I almost did that. The cover wasn’t very eye catching [the copy McKenzie read was an ARC without a final cover]. I still picked it up and I am very happy I did. The book goes back and forth between the two main characters, Will and Alona. After being tragically hit by a bus Alona is now stuck between heaven and Earth as a spirit walking among the living. She has no way of knowing when the white light will come for her. To make matters worse the only person who can see and hear her is the total dork loser Goth, named Will. Will wants nothing to do with her or the other ghosts at the school. Now Alona needs someone to help her no one will. She is reluctant to reveal her deepest secrets with someone who she barely knows. It also doesn’t help that Will is being threatened with the possibility of going to a mental hospital. Now with Alona disappearing all the time will they be able to get past their differences to help Alona get to heaven before it’s too late? I thought that this book was very good with surprises on every page.

by McKenzie D., EMS Blogger

this book is set to be released on 7/6/2010