Books Reviewed by Zappy
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling (reviewed Jul 4, 2003)
5 The 5th book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix depicts Harry as a more adolescent character. The book begins with Harry trapped at his muggle aunt and uncle's house after just witnessing You Know Who (LORD VOLDEMORT!) return to power. Harry is becoming very angry with Ron and Hermione because he has not heard about anything Lord Voldemort might have done, and they are not telling him what is going on. When Harry and his cousin, Dudley, get attacked by two dementors and Harry saves them, the Ministry of Magic sets up a trial with the charge of using magic out of school. Harry then goes to his godfather, Sirius Black's, old house where the Weasly family (except for Percy), Hermione, Sirius, Professor Lupin, Alastor Moody, and several other aurors are stationed. Harry is told that this is the secret headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, a group against Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Throughout this book, Harry sees things through an older point of view than the past books. He is more angry and frustrated than in the past. Throughout the book you will see how the 15 year old Harry reacts to the house elf Kreacher, witnessing a snake attack, Ron and Hermione, the choosing of the prefects, Dumbledore (who is ignoring him) Sirius, Quidittch, and other events that take place. This book had many different pieces which, at the end, if you put them all together make sense TERRIFICALLY! J.K. Rowling is EXTREMELY clever and adds in little details that are really big in the end! Harry finds out how much he is cared about by his friends, Mrs. Weasly, Dumbeldor, and many others. Also, someone from the Order who cares about him so much (and L.V. not coming back), he is willing to sacrifice his life. ENJOY!
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (reviewed May 22, 2003)
3 This was a very well written book. It went just at the right speed, not too fast. It really showed the development of Jess and Leslie's friendship. They have a secret kingdom, called Terabithia, which they enter on a rope swing. It shows how their friendship grows, and describes their surroundings and families. THEN. . . . . a disaster happens. I personally, think the disaster was all Jess' fault. If he hadn't gone with the teacher, Leslie wouldn't have tried to go to Terabithia.. . . . I read this book and I was very mad at Jess for not asking the teacher to take Leslie too, or not going, or SOMEHOW keeping Leslie from going!!!!!! THIS IS AN AWESOME BOOK! It's sad, but is written in a terrific style, and I would recommend it to you!!!!
Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene (reviewed Dec 30, 2002)
4 This was a very well written book in my opinion. The main character, Patty, lives in Jenkinsville, Arkansas during World War II. Nothing exciting EVER happens here. Then one summer day a train with German POWs comes in. (POW= Prisoner of War.) So they all get off the train and go to the little camp they will now live in. In about a week, some POWs come in to Patty's family's store to buy straw hats. One soldier named Rieker interprets for them. The others don't know how to speak English. Patty waits on Rieker and later they become friends. Many things happen and Anton Rieker ends up giving her his most prized possession and some other things as well: love and hope. Patty helps Anton hide and gives him food when he escapes from the camp. Ruth, their cook and nanny, finds out, but being the nice, understanding person she is (and one of Patty's best friends) she helps them. Patty is found out and is put on trial because people were prejudiced against Germans and didn't understand what Anton did for her. Patty does not tell that Ruth helped her hide Anton, but Ruth sticks up for her when her father threatens her and is fired. Her father beat Patty very frequently and not for worthwhile reasons. Ruth and Anton were the only people Patty had as friends, and they helped her learn how to stay out of trouble (which she got into a lot). I would really recommend this book for all people to read. I hate sad books, but I loved this one. It has fun details and an awesome plot. I hope you will like it as much as I did!!
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling (reviewed Sep 26, 2002)
5 This was a very good book. It was well writen and the characters were very nice.
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech (reviewed Sep 26, 2002)
5 I thought this was an excellent book. The characters were very well writen and described.
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (reviewed Sep 26, 2002)
5 I raelly liked this book because it was interesting and well writen.
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer (reviewed Sep 26, 2002)
4 I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was very well writen. i would reccomend it to good readers.
Where the Broken Heart Still Beats: The Story of Cynthia Ann Parker by Carolyn Meyer (reviewed Jun 15, 2002)
5 This is an extremely sad book about "family." Cinthia Ann was taken by the Comanche warriors on a raid. She was a slave, then she was accepted into their culture, as one of them. Now the white people have come and want her back. They say she is related to them because she has blue eyes. But she doesn't want to go. She is married and has two sons. She brought her daughter, Topsannah, with her. Everyone keeps staring at her and trying to make her remember English. They take away her Comache clothes and give her stiff new clothes. Topsannah is learning English and forgetting the ways of the people. They blame Cinthia Ann, or Nadua, for everything, because she is different. She goes to live at her brother's house, but his wife is so cruel. She forces them to use English, or not talk at all. But Nadua gives Topsannah lessons anyways. Then, when Topsannah gets sick, and dies, Nadua cuts herself all over, a Comache way of mourning. They put her in a little "house" all by herself, and she dies of starvation. She had refused to eat. Her son is a chief, and comes looking for her. He learns about her, and tells the Comanches. This was a book about what a family can be for you. Nadua didn't feel related to the white people, but she looked like them. This is also about prejudice. People did not like her because her skin was darker, and she spoke and dressed differently. This was a wonderfully written book. It tells the story from the point of view of Cinthia Ann, and a white girl. I would reccomend this book for 5-6 graders and up. It is based on a true story. It was very powerful, and amazing.
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt (reviewed Mar 10, 2002)
5 This book is so intriguing. It is about a girl who gets kidnapped by the Tuck family. First there's Jesse, a 17 year old mischief maker, Miles, his brother who is very kind, and Mae and Tuck who have been living alone for a long time. The Tucks aren't bad people, they just had to stop Winnie from drinking the water from a spring. See, the water from the spring is magical and whoever drinks it will live forever. That's what happened to the Tucks and now they are trying to keep it away from the rest of the world because they realized it was horrible living forever. They have many adventures with Winnie and they become friends. In the end something bad happens that might cause the whole world to know about the spring. This is an excellent book that was well written and had an excellent plot. I kept reading it over and over. You should definitely read it!
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis (reviewed Mar 3, 2002)
4 This is an excellent book. It takes place during the Depression. A boy named Bud becomes an orphan when his mother dies. His father left him when he was little, and he hasn't seen him since. He gets an idea that his father is a famous cello player, and heads out west to see if it is true. He encounters many people on his journey. When he gets there the cello player is mean to him and everybody laughs at him when they hear his idea. Bud brings the band shocking news. This is an excellent book. I would reccomend it to people who like historical fiction. ENJOY A GREAT BOOK!!!!!!
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech (reviewed Feb 23, 2002)
4 This is a very sad book. It is written so that one thing is happening right then but they are looking back on something that happened. Sal is driving to Idaho to see where her mother died. Her mother does not live with her father and her because she went away to find herself. On the way to Idaho she tells her grandparents about her friend Phoebe, and the potential lunatic. Phoebe kept finding lessons in an envelope on her porch. An embarrassed young man comes looking for her mother, then her mother disappears. This can only mean one thing. Her mother has been kidnapped by a lunatic. This is very complicated, but well written. I would definitely recommend it.
The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden (reviewed Jan 13, 2002)
5 A cricket named Chester accidently travels to times square on a train. He is lost until a boy named Mario picks him up. Chester keeps Mario company at the newspaper stand inthe day. at night he meets his new friends Tucker, a mouse, and Harry, a cat. He starts playing music for the customers at the newspaper stand and they buy more magazines. Chester keeps them from going broke. I recomend this book to everybody. It is very well writen.
Goodnight Moon by Margaret W. Brown (reviewed Nov 29, 2001)
2 This is good for little kids. It is VERY VERY VERY VERY easy to read. It flows like a poem though. It is good when you are trying to go to sleep. It works! I would reccomend this book as an example of a good picture book. It had simple drawings like blocks of color, but they were detailed. It is very sweet.
The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton (reviewed Nov 29, 2001)
5 This is an excellent read, though somewhat challenging. When the boy moves into the house his father bought that used to be on the underground railroad he discovers many things. First of all he begins to think the spirits of Dies Drear and 2 slaves that were murdered there haunt it. Then he finds a secret passage and when he goes in he hears a wierd breathing sound. He meets some friendly people and some not so friendly people. In the end he figures out the mystery and everything makes sense. I recommend this book to people who like mystery and suspense. ENJOY!!!
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (reviewed Nov 29, 2001)
5 This is an awesome book about a boy named Jim Hawkins who works at his family's inn. One day a pirate comes and he gets sick and dies. Jim Hawkins finds something and goes out to sea as a cabin boy. They land on Treasure Island where they find not only treasure but a man stranded there! The pirates as they turn out to be, want all the treasure for themselves. Long John Silver who is the BEST character does not shoot the good guys for the treasure because Jim Hawkins is with them. In the end they kill all the pirates except for Long John Silver and I think another guy and they split the treasure. They go to the Carribean on the way home. For some reason they leave Long John Silver on an island. I would strongly recommend this book. It would have been my favorite book if they hadn't left him on the island.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling (reviewed Oct 13, 2001)
5 Harry Potter lives in a closet under the stairs at his aunt and uncle's house. He is treated terribly by them and his cousin Dudley. One day a letter arrives for him, and they do not let him read it. It must be bad, he decides, when they are gasping about it. In the next week a TON of letters come for him. They go places to stop the letters from coming to Harry but they come anyway. Harry finds out that he is a wizard from Hagrid, a half giant who has come to see what is going on. Harry is enrolled in his first year at Hogwarts, school for witchcraft and wizardry. He learns all about the magic world and discovers that he is a hero being the only one to survive a very, VERY powerful dark wizard. He makes some friends and enemies as he learns to fit in, in the magic world. He is not very popular with the potions teacher, especially when he gets on the Quidditch team. Something creepy is going on at Hogwarts and Harry knows it.
The Moffat Museum by Eleanor Estes (reviewed Sep 9, 2001)
4 I thought this was a very cool book. It was like something happens to the Moffats and then the next chapter was totally different but had something that made it connected. Through all that happens the Moffats stick together and keep their museum going. It is a very cool book. I highly suggest that you read it.
The Iron Ring by Lloyd Alexander (reviewed Aug 28, 2001)
4 I thought this was a really cool book. My favorite character was Garuda. I really liked the plot of how Tamar saw King Jaya but nobody else did but he went looking for him. I thought it was neat how he made lots of friends along the way and they helped him and he helped them. I didn't like it when Ashwara died though. I thought he should have lived. Mirri was smart but she and Tamar were a little lovestruck. I thought it was good that it had action in those chapters too.
Ben and Me by Robert Lawson (reviewed Jul 13, 2001)
4 This is about a mouse named Amos. He meets Benjamin Franklin and they become good friends. Although you always thought Benjamin Franklin came up with the ideas for the franklin clock, flying kites in thunderstorms, and many other things, this book tells you that it was really the mouse, amos and somehow the credit went to Ben. Find out the true storie about Ben Franklins inventions, and about the mouse himself. This is a really funny book!
Henry and the Paper Route by Beverly Cleary (reviewed Jun 18, 2001)
4 I thought this book was pretty good. Henry has a paper route and he is proud of it. When he starts building a clubhouse and Ramona starts following him and acting like him, he must choose if he wants to do the paper route. He chooses yes and he takes Ramona home when she was tired so one of his news paper customers writes an article about him. Some parts are very funny.
Cousins by Virginia Hamilton (reviewed Jun 18, 2001)
5 Cammy is a girl with a cousin who is perfect. Her name is Patty Ann. She, Cammy, and their other cousin Elodie (called L-O-D) all go to the same camp. One day they are taking a hiking trip when they reach a river where there is a strong current. L-O-D goes in and almost drowns. Patty Ann drowns saving her. Cammy can't believe it happened and has bad dreams about Patty Ann. In the end everybody makes a big deal about it but Cammy gets over it. It is a very powerful, touching story. I recommend it to anybody.
Amber Brown is Not a Crayon by Paula Danziger (reviewed Jun 11, 2001)
3 This book was really easy for me to read. It had an pretty interesting plot, though. It deals with feelings and real life situations. I would recommend it for 2nd graders. It is about Ambers life. At school, with a stuck-up girl, two very annoying class clowns, and her best friend Justin. Also at home with her parents. Some parts were boring for me. For example people call her a crayon, which is sort of wierd. It was well written, and that is good because otherwise it would be pretty dull.
Mandy by Barbara Booth (reviewed Jun 11, 2001)
5 A 10 year old girl lives at an orphanage. She is very adventurous and she feels like her life is not cmplete. She desides she needs a secret place of her own and she is delighted when one day she finds a little cottage. She takes care of the cottage like it is her own. She has fantasies about princes there. One day she gets very sick but still goes to the cottage. Something bad happens, but it turns out all right. I don't want to spoil the book for anybody so I won't tell what happens. I would recommend this book to girls. But boys MIGHT like it, too. If you haven't I would really recommend that you read it! NOW!
Stone Fox by James Gardiner (reviewed Jun 8, 2001)
3 This is about a little boy named Willy. He lives on his grandfathers farm, and one day his grandfather gets very sick. Willy finds out that it is because grandfather didn't pay his taxes for a couple years.Little Willy is very worried and when the annual sled dog race comes up Willy is sure that he and his dog can win the $500. His only problem is Stone Fox, a Native American who has won many years in a row. Willy is determined to win. On the day of the race everybody is gathered along the race corse. Little Willy is ahead when Stone Fox coms in to view. They are a heel apart when Willys dog's heart bursts. Stone Fox lets Little Willy win so he has the money to pay for the bills and then grandfather is better.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson (reviewed Jun 7, 2001)
5 There are 2 kids. They are brother and sister, and they go to the same school with the worst kids ever. They are the scariest kids around. they have a cat that looks like a bobcat and acts worse. I don't want to ruin the story if anybody hasn't read it so I won't say much. At the brother and sisters church there is an anual christmas pageant and the bad kids get involved. Everything turns out alright (sort of) in the end though! You should: READ IT!! I would also recomend it's sequal: The Best School Year Ever.
The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox (reviewed Jun 7, 2001)
5 Jessie, a 13 year old boy who lives during slavery, is out one day when he gets kidnapped. When he is put down he is told he will go to Africa. On the way there Jessie meets the Irish Bucket (A.K.A. Purvis.) Purvis is kind but strict. He also meets Ben Stout who appears to be nice but does bad stuff like stealingand then blaming Purvis. He also meets the rest of the crew including Sharkey, Spark, and Ned. When they get close to Africa Jessie learns that the ship he is on is a slave ship and his job is to make the slaves dance for excersize. From the moment the slaves are on board he does not like it. the slaves smell awfull and it gives him more work to do. He thinks he hates the slaves until he sees that they don't want to be here, and they are suffering more than him. He keeps seeing one African boy his age and near the end they become friends even though they speak different languages. When the ship sinks Jessie and the boy make it to shore together and everybody else drowns. The boy goes up north here he will be safe and Jessie goes home. This book really captures what it would have been like for the slaves and the crew. I recommend it to everybody. READ IT!!
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg (reviewed May 27, 2001)
5 There is a girl named Claudia and a boy named Jamie. They are brother and sister. Claudia runs away and gets Jamie to go with her. They run away to the Metrapolitan Museum Of Art, MET for short. Once they get there they hide from the guards and live in the museum. It is very funny, all the stuff they do. I knew all the places they were talking about since I use to live in New York but I would recomend it to anybody.
Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix (reviewed May 25, 2001)
5 This is an awesome book. The girl who is the main character is in a model of what people lived like in the 1800s. She and most of the people think that it really is then. Then she finds out that the reason everybody in the town was getting sick was because the people running the recreation didn't want it to be unrealistic. It is really 1996. She has to go and get some medicine from the person called Mr. Neily. But what she doesn't know is is that Mr. Neily died 4 years ago. Somebody else now plays the part of Mr. Neily in disguise. She gets the disease that everybody else has. Now people listen to her. They get the medicine that everbody needed and some people get the help that they need at the hospital. Overall, this is a great book,and you should read it if you haven't!
Bat 6 by Virginia Euwer Wolff (reviewed May 22, 2001)
5 There are two towns: Barlow and Bear Creek Ridge. Every year they have an annual softball game. It started when the men in the towns would not talk to each other . The girls had a softball game. Now it is an annual thing but only the 6th grade girls play. also, whoever wins gets a bat with th names of the last 5 winners. One year bothteams have a new player. One is Japanese-American and had to go to an internment camp during World War 2. The other girl is prejudice against Japanese because her father was killed in Pearl Harbor by Japanese. On the day of the big game everybody is excited because they have been practicing VERY hard. In the middle of the game Shazam, who is prejudice hits Aki The Japanese_american. Aki is badly hurt but the ending is happy. This is an awesome book. It is told from the point of view of all the girls on both teams.
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (reviewed May 21, 2001)
5 Ella, a girl and the main character, is under a terrible curse. When she was born, a fairy name d Lucindia gave her the "gift" of obedience. She has to do what ever people tell her to do, or she starts getting dizzy and has a headache. When her mother dies she is heartbroken, esspecially when she finds out her beloved cook is her fairy godmother and didn't save her mother. At her mothers funeral she meets prince Charmont. (Char) That's when everything begins. They become friends and share many adventure. Even when Ella gets shipped off to Finishing school (along with her 2 wicked step sisters) by her father, she runs away and somehow meets up with Char. When Char leaves with his assistents, Ella goes to a giants wedding because she knows Lucindia will be there to give them a gift. She meets Lucindia and begs her to take her gift back, but Lucindia thinks her gifts are nice, and won't. Ella's stepmother and stepsisters make her a maid, but in the end she finds happiness. This is a wonderful book with very many interesting details. When you read it you really can see Ella's point of view, and how hard the curse is for her. In the end she breaks the curse, you'll be pleased to know. I really recomend this book.
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (reviewed Apr 29, 2001)
5 This is an amazing story about the holocaust. It is about two friends. One is Jewish. The other girl's family does everything they can to keep her safe. They don't go to school, don't talk to anybody about her, and even lie about her identity to the German souldiers. It is a great book about friendship during the Holocaust, and how careful everybody had to be. I really thought this book helped me to see how horrible it was.
The Great American Elephant Chase by Gillian Cross (reviewed Apr 29, 2001)
4 This is a great book about an elephant. Tad and Cissie are sure that the receipt some other people have for the elephant is a FAKE. They think up great ideas about how to get the elephant back. They meet lots of people on their journey. Some help them and some don't. When they finally get the elephant back, the people are chaing them for it. This is an awesome book!
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling (reviewed Apr 13, 2001)
5 I really liked this book. It had lots of cliffhangers. It was very exciting. It is probably my second favorite H.P. book. In it there is a mystery of if the chamber of secrets is real or not, and if it is what is in it. This is an excellent book. I could not stop reading it. Seriously, I read it for hours. This was probably my second favorite of the books if not my first. I already said that but its true. YOU SHOULD READ IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary (reviewed Apr 12, 2001)
4 This is a funny book about a mouse. One day a boy gives him a little toy motercycle. The mouse goes on many adventures with that motercycle. (And all along he is looking for a peanut butter sandwich.) There are mant fun adventures that he has. This is a well written, creative book that I think you would like.
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell (reviewed Apr 12, 2001)
3 This is a funny book about a boy who dares another boy to eat a worm for $50. It is amazing of all the things they think of to fool each other. It is gross that he eats them. He uses all sorts of things to take away the taste. For example: Ketsup, mustard, pickle relish, ect. It is also amazing how much trouble a worm can cause. It is a VERY VERY VERY funny book. I reccomend it.
Amber Brown Goes Fourth by Paula Danziger (reviewed Apr 12, 2001)
3 This is a pretty easy book to read, but very good. It tells a little about fourth grade, and how scary it is (I'm just kidding.) But it is also about Amber and her friend Justin. Justin just moved and Amber Brown feels like she can't go fourth without him. Overall this is a good book and you should read it if you are entering fourth grade or if you like friendship books. In the end Amber realizes even though she is not with her best friend they can still be friends, and 4th grade will not kill her either.
Dominic by William Steig (reviewed Apr 12, 2001)
4 I think this was a pretty good book. Dominic (a dog) goes on adventures. He meets lots of people, or rather ANIMALS. Not all are good (Doomsday Gang.) If you like adventure or talking animals you should read it. All the animals have names that don't fit them. For example: Matilda Fox is really a goose. I enjoyed this book because it is full of action, but describes well.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling (reviewed Apr 12, 2001)
5 I really liked it. This is a very well written, clever book. It is SOOOOOOOOOOO good! I still like the fourth book best, though. But barely. I couldn't put this down when I was reading it. This was written very well so it has the right amount of description and enough diolouge. It makes you think you are ther and you get excited about what will happen and feel what the charecters feel.
Saving Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (reviewed Apr 12, 2001)
4 I really liked this book. It is hard to believe anybody could be so cruel to dogs (Judd.) I think it is good that Marty was nice to Judd. It must have been really hard to do kind deeds for that no good rotten man, but it helped Judd to be less lonely, and that certainly is good. Still, Judd is one odd man!
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder (reviewed Apr 8, 2001)
4 This is a great book about a little pioneer girl. It has lots of descriptions so you can imagine you are there. It was written by Laura Ingalls Wilder about her childhood. What is interesting though, is she doesn't write in the first person, she talks abou herself as Laura. This is good to read for fun and also to learn what life was like then.
Half Magic by Edward Eager (reviewed Apr 8, 2001)
4 There is a family of 4 children. One ofthem finds a coin and it is magic, but they dont know it. It gives you half of whatever you wish for. They wish for a desert island, not meaning to, and get the desert part. Many other funny things happen and they learn it was the coin. They try to make their life better by wishing for twice as much of whatever they want. in the end they fix everything, and find happiness by themselves. I think the author writes well and I reccomend this book and others in its series (The Wishing Well, Magic By the Lake, and The Nights Castle)for readers of all age and all interests.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (reviewed Apr 6, 2001)
5 This is one of the best books ever written. It is definitely one of my three favorites.It is very funny and imaganative. There are many plays on words. I loved this nonsense book and thought you should read it. It is very funny, as I said, and involves talking animals, teaparties, changing sizes and meeting many different people like the queen of hearts. It is based on a deck of cards. I would deffinately reccomend this book as well as its sequal: Through The Looking Glass. That one is based on a chess game. Thes are sometimes hard to understand at first, and I would recomend reading it with someone else.
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (reviewed Apr 6, 2001)
5 This is one of my top five favorite books. It is about a boy named Milo who is very lazy. He goes home from school one day and finds a little tollbooth. He goes into a whole new world. There are many plays on words. For example: A humbug is real bug,a watchdog is a dog with a clock on him. It is a very well writen, interesting book. If you haven't you really should read it. You will like it especially if you like adventure, or humor. Like I alredy said the play on words makes it funny.
The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood (reviewed Feb 25, 2001)
4 It is a very good book. It has a fictional plot with many real facts about Shakespear, and that time period. I think this book was hard to read because it used old fashioned language when the people spoke (of course), and I didn't understand some parts. Overall, though, I think you would enjoy it.
Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery (reviewed Feb 25, 2001)
5 This is a funny book about a girl. Anne (the girl) is an orphan. One day she hears that some people named Marilla and Matthew Cuthburt want to adopt her. When she gets to their house, she finds out they really wanted a boy. They let her stay after great consideration. Taking care of Anne is not easy. First a boy at school calls her carrots (she has red hair), and she smashes her slate on his head and won't talk to him. Next she gets her best friend drunk by ACCIDENT, and she goes to a party and breaks her ankle falling of the roof. (She was dared to walk the ridge pole.) That is just some of the trouble she gets in. Also, she gets in trouble by talking too much. (She ADORES talking.)
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard & Florence Atwater (reviewed Feb 25, 2001)
4 It is a very funny book! Mr. Popper gets a penguin and before he knows it he has a dozen penguins. They do really funny things to keep the penguins happy, and i liked reading about them. Sometimes they get annoying though. They become famous and in the end they go to the North Pole. When i read this I was in kindergarden and wanted to have a pet penguin also.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling (reviewed Feb 25, 2001)
5 This is a very good book. It is very exciting. My pinky 'fell asleep' when I was reading it I was so excited about it. On the other hand my pinky always falls asleep. I'm writing nonsense. Anyway, it is one of my favorite books, and if you haven't already you should read it. I read it in two days, but that was a vacation.
Socks by Beverly Cleary (reviewed Feb 25, 2001)
4 This book is about a kitten and what happens to it. I loved this book because i adore animals of all kinds. Also it had a very good plot with very good descriptions. It is a funny book. It is very good. I read some to my kittens but they didn't pay attention at all. i reccomend it to all PEOPLE of all ages.
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams (reviewed Feb 25, 2001)
2 This is a pretty good book. It is about a stuffed rabbit and a little boy who loves the rabbit. The boy gets sick and has to throw the rabbit out. Then a fairy comes and makes the rabbit real. One day, when the boy is better, he sees the rabbit and recognizes it but of course he doesn't know the rabbit is real, so he doesn't know it was the stuffed rabbit he once had.
The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars (reviewed Feb 25, 2001)
5 This is a very, very good book. It is about the relationship between a girl and her disabled brother. It was very touching. Charlie the brother gets lost one day looking for the swans he saw with Sara. He leaves during the night, so nobody knows where he went and everybody freaks out. The whole town searches for him, and Sara finds him. The end is happy and sara also resolves a conflict with a boy over Charlie.You should deffinately read it!
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (reviewed Feb 25, 2001)
5 It is one of the best books I've ever read. It is very interesting, and a good mystery. It is about 12 heirs that have to compete to win money left by old man westing. This is a very funny book. I reccomend you read it to hear about all the many funny adventure they have as they keep trying to figure out who murdered old man westing, and win the money. My favorite character was Turtle Wexler because she is always trying to hit people and she's cool. I also like Angela Wexler for no apparent reason.
The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare (reviewed Feb 25, 2001)
4 This book is about Matt, a 13 year old boy who is staying at his families new cabin while his father gets the rest of his family. when a man named ben steals Matts only gun he is helpless. he gets attacked by bees and some Native Americans take care of him. They make a treaty: Matt will teach Attean (an Indian boy Matt's age) to read, and Attean will hunt for Matt. Soon Attean is teaching Matt about nature. They get to be friends as matt's family doesn't come. attean invites Matt to go away with them for the winter. Matt says no, he wanted to see his family again, when Attean says they will not come back. In the end Matt's family comes. I liked this book except for some parts when it just described.
Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink (reviewed Feb 25, 2001)
5 I loved this funny book about a girl who gets in to trouble. Caddie has Two brothers and is a tomboy. She is constantly getting into trouble. When the preacher is at their house she is late for dinner and spills nuts she was gathering all over the floor. When her uncle comes she goes to meet him without her parents knowledge on a horse. Her mother is worried that she is not a lady, but her dad thinks she is perfect. I reccomend this book to everybody. It is very funny and well written!
