The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I'm sure you've all read this. People have always asked me: "Gale or Peeta?" and I've never understood, now I finally do and I have to answer that with "Peeta, beyond doubt!" I've been meaning to read this book for a while but my dad lost the book for a while so I couldn't start it. Plus the movie's coming out and I really want to see it but I don't want to see it before I read the book. Anyways, my mom found it in our library Thursday and so I started it then and on Friday I was done. I'm already over half way into the second book. :D

This is a book about a girl named Katniss who is living in District 12 of the country Panem. Every year on reaping day a name is drawn from two bowls - one with girls's names and one with the boy's all ages 12-18. This happens in all 12 districts. The person who's name is drawn is forced to participate in The Hunger Games. The 24 contestants are placed in an arena where they fight until only one remains. Prim, Katniss's little sister, gets drawn from the girls bowl and Katniss instantly takes her place, knowing that Prim would never be able to survive. This is the story of The Hunger Games.

I have to say, this is a wonderful book. I ended up crying every chapter, if not more. This book sent many different emotions soaring through me. At the end, I was upset with some characters and I cried for nearly an hour wanting to have the second book next to me to I can read it now. Any of you going to go see the movie? I certainly am!

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes action, adventure and romance. It's a gory topic but if you don't pay too much attention, it's really easy to not notice. You should totally read this book if you haven't already.

I would give this book a rating of 10/10 because although it made me cry and made me very angry, it was a fabulous book.

-Flounder

Happy St. Patrick's Day

I hope you all enjoy your St. Patrick's Day. Unfortunately, it doesn't lie on a school day this year so I don't get to  see all the creative outfits people have with all their green. I guess that's also a good thing because now I don't have to bother wearing green. ;)

Enjoy!!!

-Flounder

Lone Wolf by Kathryn Lasky

My friend gave me this book for my birthday when I was in 5th grade. I ended up reading it and using this book for a book project in class. I had to make a cover so I asked my friend to help me. It was a really good book.

This is what I wrote for the back cover of the book (btw, spoiler if you don't want to know; also, Thunderheart is a bear):

Morag, soon to give birth to pups, is worried. This is her third litter and she needs to escape from the Obea, Shibaan. Morag gives birth to three pups, two tawny and one silvery gray. All is fine except for one thing, the silvery gray pup has a splayed front paw. Morag keeps telling herself that the pup is fine and that the pup is not malcadh, an ancient wolf word for "cursed." The pack may not have weaknesses. Shibaan, the Obea that carries away pups that may cause the pack to have a weakness, comes for the third, silvery gray pup. Shibaan gets rid of the pup in a storm thats arriving at a nearby icebank.

Faolan does the unthinkable, he survives. With Thunderheat as a milk giver Faolan continues to life happily. This is the journey one little pup, Faolan, makes.

I would recommend this book to people who like reading animal books. This book is the first in the series Wolves of the Beyond. I never ended up reading the other books in the series, but one day I might. We'll just have to wait and see. ;)

I would rate this book a 9/10 because when I read it I found no fault with it but it wasn't the best book I've ever read.

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr

I love this book! I finished it today after starting it about a week ago and I have to say that it is amazing. It made me cry. :'( But I was constantly picking it up and reading it even when I had no time. You have to read this! It's super good!

As I've mentioned this multiple times, I don't like to know what books are about, I just like to read them. Well here's a little plot giver. This is about a girl who has rebuilt her life in high school and has friends and a boyfriend but things change when her friend from before high school comes back.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes teen romance and cute moments. Just a little warning, this book isn't about perfect moments, it's about imperfect moments, so don't except a perfect relationship. I think you really should read it, you will not regret it.

I would rate this book 9.5/10 because there have been other books that I read and thought were super good and this should not be placed in that category although it's still an amazing book that you need to read!


-Flounder

The tale of Desperaux by Kate DiCamillo

This is precisely The tale of Desperaux. I really liked the style the author used to tell the story. She told the story a little differently then other stories are generally told. The story has like 10 characters, and each character has a chapter and at the climax, all of the characters are brought together, the climax is at the end, but the characters's stories are not told in chronological order, instead the character that is closest to the climax is told first, the next chapter and character is a few month before the previous character and chapter, etc.etc.. I noticed that that style of writing really makes you need to keep reading because you want to know how everything is connected.

This is a very popular book one that I only semi-liked. It wasn't bad but it certainly wasn't magically good like other books I've read. I think the plot just didn't really interest me very much.

Anyways, rating this book, I guess I would probably mark it as a 6-7 out of 10 because it wasn't super good but then again, I liked the style of writing even thought the plot wasn't fantastic.

-Flounder

How my Private, Personal Journal became a Bestseller by Julia DeVillers

Wow. This book was amazing! I started reading this book yesterday and just couldn't put it down! I finished it early this morning when I couldn't stand doing anything other than finding out the ending.

I don't like reading the backs of books because they give away what happens until the middle of the book so for those of you who don't like reading the back of the book either, I'll just tell you that the book is about precisely what the title suggests, and you might want to skip the rest of this paragraph because it'll give away part of the book. This book is about a girl named Jamie Barlett who wrote a paper for her English class on her friends laptop. She attached the file to an email to her friend who was going to print it out and turn it in for her. But she accidentally attached her journal to the email and her friend turned in her journal! This is the story of how her journal became a bestseller and she became famous.

I would definitely recommend this to girls, I guess boys could like it, too, but it's more of a chick-flick. All girls should read this book because it really held my attention throughout the book. There was a point in the middle of the book where I got mad and had to go complain to my mom, but that's okay, the ending was fabulous and made up for it. The ending was so perfect! If it ended any earlier it would have been really upsetting and I would not have liked it or recommended it at all. If it had ended any later it would have felt too watery and like they were just trying to make the book longer even thought it's already over 200 pages long.

I would rate this book a 10 out of 10 because even though it made me really mad at one part, I would not have been as satisfied with the ending without the upsetting parts. Also, I'm labeling this romance because boys are a big part of the book but don't go expecting a huge romance novel.

A must read!!!!!!

-Flounder

The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn by Dorothy Hoobler

Personally, I found this title wasn't exactly good. Usually the title is something important, or deep and related, or something. You think the book would be all about the ghost but it kind of isn't.
I read this book for school and I liked how it was short but fit the requirements. Unlike most historical fiction, I was not totally bored at the beginning. I was actually interested all the way through!
It is about Seikei, a merchant's boy who wants to be a samurai. Seikei was the only witness who saw the theif who stole a lord's ruby. Because of this, he goes on an adventure with Judge Ooka to uncover the thief, but they will also uncover a great many more things.
There was a big, wonderful semi-plot twist that the autor indirectly hinted at in the end. I liked that. I also liked how at the very end, there is a scene that kind of explains the confusing parts on how the Judge solved the mystery. There was a nice, happy ending so even though there is a sequel, I do not intend to read it.
I'd suggest this book to people interested in Japanese culture, historical fiction or mystery
And I'd rate this book a 8.5/10
~Mushu