Tell us about a book you’ve read!
Uncategorized November 25th, 2008Welcome to Gable’s first book blog! Hopefully, we will use this blog to talk about great books that we’ve read and that we recommend to others.
Let’s start with the 2008-2009 SC Junior Book Award books. If anyone has read one of the books yet, please post a review. Feel free to post a comment about anything else that you are reading, too!
June 23rd, 2007 at 11:03 am
I think that a book blog is a good idea but not many people will be intrested. Perhaps you should have a book of the day for a topic then it would give people a chance to write about a book they have read. Also I would suggest having Mrs. Bush say some thing about on the morning anouncments.Maybe You could even have a prize for the best blog of the week.
July 29th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
Thanks for your ideas, Sallie. When school starts I will post a specific topic (book) for comments. Maybe you can help me get it started. See you in a few weeks!
August 8th, 2007 at 2:04 am
I love the idea of a book blog! I cannot wait to read all of the 2007-2008 SC Books. Now, there is one book that I have already read which is Princess Academy. What a beautiful story this is! I love the way the author describes the quarry language and how this way of speaking plays such a huge role in the story. I’m a huge fan of frame stories (a story within a story). I appreciate the way the writer uses description to make you feel like you can see and hear everything that is happening in this village. Although the title of this book will mostly appeal to girls, this is not a “girlie” book. I believe that anyone who has ever felt insecure about herself/himself or anyone who has wanted someone to love her/him would enjoy this book. So check it out and fall in love with Princess Academy. You’ll be happy that you did.
Thank you Mrs. Dillard for giving us a chance to chat about books. You know it’s what I love to do!
Happy Reading
September 20th, 2007 at 5:31 pm
I have just finished reading 2 of the South Carolina Book Award novels and they were FANTASTIC!! I read Bound and The Cloud Chamber. Bound is a wonderful story about a girl who was educated enough to know that she did not have to be bound to a pathetic existence just because she was a girl. In China, girls were not really wanted or considered as real people. They were worthless. In this story, the girl realizes that she is worhty of a great deal and she sets out to get it. It will remind you of another story, but I won’t give it away!
The other novel that I read was The Cloud Chamber. This may be one of the best books that I have EVER read just because of the way it is written. Told completely from the children’s point of view, this story deals with depression and what happens when children discover that their parents are not perfect and have issues in which they need to deal. It’s one of those stories that you will be unhappy about the ending because you become so involved in the characters that you want to make sure that they are okay. You cannot go wrong with these two novels. Excellent reading!
January 13th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
I just read soul surfer. It is a very interesting book about Bethany Hamilton and her shark attack. I advise everyone to read it.
BYE!
January 15th, 2008 at 7:47 am
I’m glad you enjoyed that one, Haylee. It has been very popular here and I believe a lot of students have read it!
We will be voting for Gable’s favorite SCJBA book on February 14. Make sure you have read AT LEAST 3 of the books and passed the AR tests before February 12 to qualify.
January 19th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Thanks! I will be sure to read 3 books because I have never been to the voting party!I might try to read Cloud Chamber. Is that a good book?
January 22nd, 2008 at 9:44 am
Yes, Cloud Chamber is a good book! I hope you will read it. Nate is a sympathetic character and you find yourself pulling for him and his dad. If you read it, write a comment about it!
August 23rd, 2008 at 2:30 pm
I just finished reading Double Identity. It is a great book(and a SCJBA book) about a girl who is dropped off at her aunt’s house. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read!!!!!!!!!!!PS It is also AR and worth 8 points=>
November 25th, 2008 at 10:35 am
♥!!!Behind the scenes of SAND DOLLAR SUMMER!!!♥
A boy named free, a girl named lise, a perfect mom, a beastly dog, and the beautiful beach of maine. What do you get? Sand dollar summer. Kimberly Jones the author does a phenomenal job with this book. A perfect family can be changed in a split second..
Annalise or Lise for short, is a girl with hopes and dreams, although she appears to me as sort of spoiled. Lise comes from a family of three; her, her mom, and her brother free. I guess you could also count babe the beast of a dog. Lise steps back and watches her perfect world shatter into pieces like shells on maine’s beach. In my opinon, she never really gives maine a chance. Lise would rather be in her large house than out exploring Maine. She wishes that her mom would have never been in a car accident and that she and free had never been brought to maine. Lise appears to be not up for change. She finally copes and comes to her senses. Or does she?
Kimberly Jones’ book grabbed me ans sucked me in like the rough waves in maine. Jones quote “Don’t ever doubt that a mere second can change your life forever.” So after all this is an addicting book. Kimberly Jones really gets your attention . This heart changing non- fiction story changes your perspective on life.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:38 am
♥Hard Hit!!!♥
Everything is great for the Warren family especially for Mark Warren. He is popular in school. He has a girlfried and a lot of friends. The best thing is that he is the star pitcher for his baseball team. Hard Hit, a realistic fiction book by Ann Turner shows you how life can be wonderful and when you least expect it everything can go crashing down.
Mark Warren is a boy who thinks everything is going good for him and nothing can go wrong. He thinks his life is great and then the unthinkable happens. His father becomes sick. Then he wants to be anybody but himself. When “the phone rang” his whole life changed.
Ann Turner did a great job of telling how your life can change in a second. When everythi9ng was great for Mark she sounded very happy. After Marks dad got sick she made it sound heartbreaking, and frustrating. Hard Hit made me think anout how wonderful life really is because my parents are healthy. If they got sick, I might just be like Mark.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:38 am
Jumping the Scratch is about try to forget and trying to remember. This phenomenal book,was written by Sarah Weeks. This book is a realistic fiction novel. A freak accident at a Cherry Factors, and having a classmate think think she has ESP, could really happen,right? When Jamie, the main character said, “But nothing we xame up with seemed to be able to trigger Sapphy’s memory and helf her jump the scratch”, I immediatly saw why this book is titled, Jump the Scratch. Sapphy, Jamies aunt, is stuck like a record player with a scartch and she needs something to helf her jump the scratch. You really have to think deeper about the story to grasp its full affect.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:39 am
♥!!!Hard Hit and More!!!♥
Take a boy,baseball,and a dad with cancer and you have an awesome book.Hard Hit,Ann Turner wrote a realistic fiction book about boy and his father who has cancer.Tenth-grader Mark Warren,a baseball player,of his father’s cancer would just go away.He has good friends,a goreous girlfriend,and an awesome pitching arm.His father loves baseball and so does he and he wants his father to come to this one game,but his father misses it because of the cancer.His whole life is based on baseball and family.
Ann Turner has written a book that is hard, full of melonchanly,and is beautifully written.The charaters are well-developed as their father slips away. When I was reading this book some things didnt’t make sense at first,but it all came together at the end.This book is just something you shoukd read.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:39 am
Have you ever heard of leaving your state to help feed your family? Meet Victor, a fifteen year old boy who is willing enough to help his struggling family from starvation. Crossing The Wire, by Will Hobbs. This is a adventerous fiction story that will have you at the edge of your seat. There is so much that happens to be going on in Victor’s life. He has no money, barely any food and needs a better education. Just a while ago Victors dad went away to see if it would workout for him. But when he was in the middle of working, a wall collapsed on him and he died. Now Victor thinks that, that could happen to him to. But then he knows that God is with him, and will help him make it.”Tomorrow! Match is the best time before the desert gets hot”. Victors friend Rico said. Will Hobbs, the writer has a magnificent way with his words. His language is very useful to me. When I read this book I just cannot put it down. Some parts were funny, sad, crazy, and even wierd. Thinking about Victor and his family really makes me feel sad for other real homeless families. But the question will Victor make it? He has to fight through coldness, heat, and lots of pain. Victor needs as much as the help as he can get on this long adventerous trip. As I read this book over and over, I don’t know if I would ever be able to leave. Its a very big decision to make. Would I do it? I don’t know!
November 25th, 2008 at 10:43 am
A family of a mother,a father,a boy,and three girls, face the separation between them.Blue by Joyce Hostter is a book that discusses the importance of family,realistic fiction about sickness,death,coloreds,a war troop,and being the man of the house.
Ann Fay Honeycutt`s life starts out easy, but she has a father in the war a brother who dies, and a mother trying to stay strong.All the conflicts of Ann getting polio herself,her father that losing a arm and Ann being separated from her colored friend.Ann Fay Honeycutt loses herself, but still tries to be the man of the house and steps in her father`s shoes.Yes, she is a girl,but she can take care of the family also.
Ann Fay Honeycutt always can depend on her father`s words.He used to say “Fear is nothing,but fear itself,” to keep her strong.Junior,her friend is loyal and he helps the family in good times and in bad times.The character of strength,patience,and love.I`ve only read the book once,but I probably will find myself reading it again.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:49 am
Hard Hit by Eric X.
Strike one, Stirke two, Strike three!
No one can get a hit. Hard Hit is a realistic-fiction novel about baseball,cancer and the pressure of wishing to be in another person’s shoes but his. Mark Warren Has an enviable life. He’s the star pitcher on his high school baseball team, has a new girlfriend, a best buddy, and even a decent family. But when Mark’s dad is diagnosed with cancer, suddenly everything Mark ever believed in-love,God, the future-is called into question.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:56 am
What is a happy family of five doing what they do best until the phone rings? Hard hit by Ann Tuurner is a realistic-ficion book about family,bad news and how they have a hard hit in life. anything change just from a phonecall.Mark Warren,a tenth grader,has a pretty put togather life in his parents’ eyes.for him life is a baseball game.each day he is working harder and harder to be the best pitcher.A hard hit is two bases away.
Mark is not the only noe who is in for a hard hit.The whole family is.His mom just wants him to pull through and for everyone and everything to be back to nomal.Mark wants his dad to be there when he is doing what he dose best.When he is the best pitcher arm winding back scooping air,gather speed sending the ball flying over home plate.he wants the person who there when he throw his first ball and taught him what he now to day.”Will he bush through”?
Ann Turner must have taken a hard hit or saw someone takeing one.at the beginning the way it started was different.from the minnte i had this book in my hand to the minute i was done,i knew there was something different about it. The book really makes you think about how thing can change from a phonecall.
November 25th, 2008 at 11:02 am
Gabe Culligan Pace lived in his uncle’s house for two and
a half years. He was coming home from school and found his
uncle missing. Audrey Shafer is the author of this book,
The Mailbox. It is a realistic fiction book. The author’s voice is effective in this book, and as I began to read the letters that come in the mailbox for Gabe, I started to better understand the plot.
November 25th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Bella at Midnight, by Diane Stanley, is a fantasy fiction book. The story is about Bella, a golden-haired girl whose mother died in childbirth. Her intense and a nutty knight of a father is so angry that she (as he sees it) caused her mother’s death that he has her aunt take the child away to be given fostered.
Stanley’s story about Bella and how she finds her rightful place in the world is delightful and will entertain anyone who enjoys fairytales
November 25th, 2008 at 11:13 am
Great reviews, guys! Thank you posting! I hope you enjoyed the book you read and will soon read another! Feel free to post anytime…
Mrs. Dillard
November 25th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Review of Escape! The Story of the Great Houdini by Sid Fleischman
Review by Clay Hamilton
Most biographies, in truth, are boring. Even biographies about interesting people are mostly boring. But Escape! The Story of the Great Houdini by Sid Fleischman is definitely an exception.
Harry Houdini, as the common person knows him, was one of the greatest magicians and escape artists of all time. But what the common person doesn’t know is that his real name was Ehrich Weiss and he was born in 1874, not 1873, as he led some people to believe. What does this have to do with anything? You see, in this book, Sid Fleischman separates the facts of Ehrich Weiss’s life from the legend of Houdini. Houdini was a man who distorted the truth to make himself look better in any way possible, and Fleischman has managed to find the truth and discover the reasons why the great escapist created such a legacy in the most exciting and gripping creative non-fiction book possible.
“One of the most widely accepted conceits about the great escape artist was his fabled skill at untying ropes with his toes. Perhaps you’ve heard it. The cat-out-of-the-bag truth was that all he could do with his toes was get athlete’s foot.” This quote is just a tiny sample of the amazing word artistry of Sid Fleischman in this book. Putting end-of-chapter cliffhangers almost everywhere, Fleischman hooks any reader to the on-going theme of trickery, legend, and stardom. He has captured the very essence of Houdini as only a fellow magician could do.
I have read many fiction books, and if I had not known that Harry Houdini was a real person, I would have deemed Escape! as fiction. The story could humble J.K. Rowling. If you are looking for a source for a report, this book is probably not the best for you. However, if you are looking for a good read about a cool person, Escape! The Story of the Great Houdini should call your name as if by magic, just as it did for me.
November 25th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Sand Dollar Summer
A summer at the beach? Sounds great! What’s the catch? Going with you mom, who can barely walk, and the beach is in Maine! Sand Dollar Summer, Kimberly Jones’ realistic fiction novel is about family, friends, and staying true to yourself.
Annalise, or Lise as she likes to be called, is having a bad summer. Her father has been out of the picture for a while, but when her mom is in a car accident, her world is truned up-side down. Lise loves swimming, but when the head to the coast for the summer she doesn’t even like the water. She can make friends, but only if people will look past her “Summer Person” label.
Lise is not alone as she tries to adjust. Her Indian friend, Ben, helps her understaqnd a lot about the ocean. But when a hurricane rolls in and things unseen by Lise happen, she races against time to stop them. Micheal, the man her mom has been talking to lately, is her only hope. Lise learns the truth in the ocean that night, but it’s too late. A life has been taken
Kimberly Jones captures the fear of the unknown, and the language in this book sounded angry, sometimes fun, and very realistic. To describe her brother’s friendship with another girl, Lise says, “They were alike in some ways: trusting, innocent, and a little out of step with the world. Or maybe just in step with another world.”
When I read this book, I ask myself, am I more like Free and Lise? Or Beth and Authur? Maybe the better question would be am I a “summer Person” or a native? Maybe the best question of all? We are all humans, make mistakes, and learn from them.
November 25th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Jumping the Scratch
Jumping the Scratch is a story about Jamie and his Aunt Sapphie’s never-ending love for him by Sarah Weeks. In this book it seems like everyone loses something. This book it realistic fiction.
Jamie and Sapphie were always close. They’d talk all night if they could. Sapphie was Jamie’s haven. After losing his cat, his dad and since his aunt lost her memory, Jamie is sad. Whenhe and his mom had to go live with Sapphie more things changed. His sense of decentcy was lost because of “Old Gray.” He was like a different person after meeting Old Gray and now it seems like everyone is looking down on him.
Sarah Weeks uses different in the book such as: uplifting, understanding, and inspirational. Jumping the scratch shows anything is possible.
I hope I could have trust adn courage like Jamie. In my eyes, her certainly did the right thing. I hope I could be as strong as him if that happened to me.
November 25th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Book Review: Blue
There is an epidemic of polio going around plys a war, and a white girl who is friends with a colored girl, and that all congregates together in the book, Blue. Joyce Moyer Hostetter’s realistic novel about loyalty, responsibility, faith, and the most important of then all, friendship, is living in the book.
Ann Fay has a daddy who is off at war, a brother and two little sisters who are twins, not to mention a dog too. When ehr daddy goes off to war, and epidemic of polio starts and kikks her brother, Bobby. Her mama is in a daze and Ann Fay may be all grouchy and hateful whin it comes to this point, but she is hanging on. She is working hard and making her daddy proud, even though he is not there.
Ann Fay is not the only one going through a lot. Imogene Wilfong is too. Ann Fay and Imogene have polio. Ann Fay and Imogene take a journey together through different hopitals, painful therapy and being friends. The nurses saythat it doesn’t do Ann Fay any good to be friends with a colored girl. Even her mama and daddy say that. But Ann Fay thinks differently. She believes that they are equal and nothing should be held against anyone.
When Imogene and Ann Fay go through therapy, they both tell each other that it only hurts for a little while and then it gets better. Imogene believes that it is just a pack of lies, but it still gets her and Ann Fay through the tough parts. Sometimes Ann Fay thinks that she doesn’t just laugh at Imogene’s joke about therapy. “Imogene makes funny jokes about therapy, but there is always another reason why I laugh. I laugh because I am I have a new friend; I got to be friends with a colored girl.”
The author writes this novel with integrity and faith. Joyce Moyer Hosetter has a way with her words. One paragraph is “soft” and then the next paragraph is “hard.”
I think to myself about Imogene and Ann Fay being friends. I think about how the nurses said that it didn’t do Ann Fay any good, and I think, there is nothing different from Imogene and Ann Fay. So why does it even matter who your friend is?
November 25th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
A review of Victory!
Victory! by Susan Cooper is a boring waste of paper and labor. The one and only good part in the book is were Sam is running through the ship and there are Seamen blowing up and half-dead.
Molly is a dull British girl living in Connectucut. Through her half of the book she is miserable and so was I. She was crying and throwing books in half of her story. Allthough she misses Britian, I think she can stop crying and get over it. She buys a book that has a piece of Captain Nelson’s flag who faught in Talfagar. She goes totally crazy about it.
The other part of the story takes place hundreds of years before Molly. Sam was kidnapped and put into the Royal Navy. Through his lifeless story he spends all the time on the ship catching rats and drinking rum. We finally get into a battle for 2 glorious pages. It all ends when Same gets hurt….BOO!!!
It was painful to my eyes to read this story… It should burn. This is not a victory book…
November 25th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Oh Rats, The Story of Rats and People
This is just a science book. Just more science class. It is just a science-fiction school book. This book is basiclly just a short science book about rats and stories told about them. If you pick up this book then you will just be filled up with rat science and be bored.Science,science,and more science. Could it even get more boring?
Cosmo Peoples
November 25th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Blue Book Review
Blue is a book where you have mixed feelings throughout the whole story. Blue by Joyce Moyer
Hostettler, is a realistic-fiction novel. You can learn a lot of things from this book: responsibility, meeting new people, and getting through hard times.
Ann Fay Honeycutt is a kid who has to grow up too fast and becomes a parent to her younger sisters because har dad left for World War II and her younger brother got polio. Ann Fay is a responsible young girl who loves to wear the overalls har dad gave her. She has to go through the sadness over her brother dying and makes sure her younger sisters and her mom eat. Her mom can surely take care of herself, but she is kind of out of it since Bobby, Ann Fay’s younger brother, died. After going through all of that, she too comes down with polio. There at the hospital she meets a colored girl named Imogene Wilfong.
They become close friends. Even though Imogene is a colored girl, they still can become close friends. Imogene is with Ann Fay throughout the good and the bad times. Imogene is probably the one who kept Ann Fay alive. From helping her get past the past and get through the suffering, Imogene is a true friend.
The language that Joyce Moyer Hostettler uses is remorseful but at the same time funny. Her structure, how she puts words together, is outstanding and makes the book even better. It shows that you may need to become responsible even if you don’t want to, and the importance of making new friends. Sometimes they might just keep you alive.
November 25th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Book Review:Crossing the Wire
Millions of people try “crossing the wire” in order to get into America so that they can get a job and make enough money to support themselves or their family. Crossing the Wire, a realistic fiction novel is based on a young teenager with a big dream. Will Hobbs’s story consists of tight friendships, taking risks, learning from your mistakes, and following your dreams.
Victor Flores life isn’t a life an average teenage boy would want. Without a father, Victor has to be the man of the house. He has to work to feed his family, but that is hard when your family is penniless. You might think Victor would be a tough, manly fellow. Not really! Victor is always cautious, thinking two or three times before making a decision. You might be able to guess that from his nickname, Turtle.
Turtle isn’t the only dreamer Rico, his best friend also longs to step foot in the America’s. With two different lives tugging at them from two ends, they finally decide. They both try and go to the Americas, but they couldn’t go together. On this long and stressful journey Hobbs makes you feel nervous and excited all at the same time. You feel like a runner finishing a race. You have everyone watching your every move just waiting for you to mess up, but you also have that exciting feeling that you are fixing to finish the race.
When I was reading Crossing the Wire, it took me a while to get into the book, but once I got into the book I was turning page after page without knowing it. The author does a really good job of giving you enough details to draw a picture as you read. This book isn’t life changing or anything, but it is a great story for anyone willing to read it.
November 25th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Wow! I was blown away by some of your reviews! I love the questions you raise and the points you make. Chase and Cosmo, we need to find you another book since you didn’t enjoy that one! I’m enjoying reading your reviews! Thanks!
Mrs. Dillard
December 12th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Hey guys my name is Shannon and im in the 8th grade.Im reading Twillight right now.When i first read it,i didnt like it so much.But everybody was reading it so i was like there must be something good about this book.I like Twillght alot.Im not finish with it cuz i read it again but when i do i wanna watch the movie.I also want the collection for Christmas.Ms.Hampton first told my class about the book and she was in love with it:]
December 12th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Shannon, I hope you finish Twilight. It’s really a good book and I hope you get the collection for Christmas! Thanks for commenting on our blog! Let me know when you finish reading it…