Entries Tagged '2.5-3 Treasure Chests' ↓
February 26th, 2010 — 2.5-3 Treasure Chests, Book Review, G-I, Guest Review, Science Fiction, YA Genre
Yarr! If ye be new here, ye may want to subscribe to me RSS feed. It be free and a great way to keep up to date. Thank ye for visiting! ~ Captain Lyaf Yarr.
by Second Mate Embry, guest reviewer
Title: Turnabout
Author Margaret Peterson Haddix
Page Count: 223
Format: Hardcover
Grade Reading Level: Ages 12+
Summary: Amelia Hazelwood, Annabeth Flick, and 40 or more others from Riverside nursing home are selected at the old age of 100 to live forever. In a doctor’s experiment called Project Turnabout. The doctors inject them with a formula called PT1. When the selected have decrease in age to their ideal age they are supposed to get another injection to make the reverse aging stop. Unfortunately, everyone who received the second injection died. Now in 2085 Amelia and Annabeth are in their teens and are still getting younger. They know they need parents to care for them and time is running out. What will they do?
Why I Started This Book:
I read this book because Margaret Peterson Haddix is one of my favorite authors and because this book was one I hadn’t read yet.
Likes:
- I liked the idea of this story. The plot was pretty cool and very creative. Imagine turning younger and younger and not being able to stop?
- This novel takes place across three eras, which is very cool.
Dislikes:
- The ending is horrible. HORRIBLE! Well at least I think it is. Margaret Peterson Haddix doesn’t continue the story to its conclusion; she just cuts it off like an amputated limb!
- There were very few main events considering the challenges the two main characters were facing. I like it best when there are plenty of things happening.
Last Minute Thoughts: I am disappointed because Margaret Peterson Haddix because I know she’s capable of more.
Buy: Turnabout (paperback)
Book Rating: 2.5 Treasure Chests.
Originally posted 2009-10-28 03:50:18.
February 21st, 2010 — 2.5-3 Treasure Chests, Graphic Novel, J-L, School Situations, YA Genre
by Captain Lyaf Yarr
Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
Author Jeff Kinney
Page Count: 217
Format: Paperback
Grade Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Summary: Greg is writing in his journal (diary) again and is facing more problems than ever before. He is getting into more trouble while trying to fix each of these problems. According to his dad, Greg should act more like his ex-neighbor, Lenwood Heath. His dad wants to send him to a summer conditioning program at Spag Union to change him from a troublemaker to a normal kid. Will Greg have to spend his entire summer at a conditioning program? Will he convince his dad to not send him to the program? What will be the last straw?
Why I Started This Book:
I already read the other two books of this series and enjoyed them both.
Likes:
- The idea of the diary is still pretty awesome. It just appeals to me. I think it would be fun to read another diary or journal by a different author and compare it to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.
- Greg is a fun character. I love that he is so wimpy in appearance, but that his attitude isn’t wimpy. It's funny that he thinks he’s perfect as can be.
- I like Greg's best friend, Rowley. He's immature. my favorite things he did was getting into a pillow fight with six year olds.
- Oh and one last note: Greg's mom is funny. Hehe.
Dislikes:
- I didn't like Greg's dad; he hears what Greg says but he doesn't listen. That's just bad parenting!
- Some things were so stupid that they became funny. I wish it had been more funny and less stupid. Boys!
- When he was wearing his mom's bathrobe and stood under the heat vent - why did he get in trouble for this? Makes no sense to me.
Last minute thoughts: I didn’t enjoy this book as well as the first one, but liked it better than the second one. I would like to read Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
soon and other books by Jeff Kinney.
Buy: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
Book Rating: I give this book 3 Treasure Chests.
Originally posted 2009-10-22 03:54:35.
February 10th, 2010 — 2.5-3 Treasure Chests, Autobiography or Biography, Guest Review, Nonfiction, Social Issues, Sociology, U-W, World History
by Cook Cutlery, guest reviewer
Title: Night
Author: Elie Wiesel
Format: Hardcover
# of pages: 108 pages
Grade Reading Level: 8.7
Summary: Elie Wiesel is a young 14 year old Jewish Orthodox boy. He's 15 at the end. He lived during the time that Adolf Hitler rose to power. He was one of very few to survive the Holocaust. Night is his journey of how he and his father survive the different concentration camps, one of which was Auschwitz. During the journey they are evacuated from Buna and sent to Auschwitz’s concentration camp. Once they walk through the gate of Auschwitz it’s only the beginning of their rigorous journey to survive the horrors they are going to encounter and endure.
Why I Started This Book:
We read this book in language arts as part of our Holocaust unit. We read Night because he was the same age as many of us in class and this is the story of how he survived some truly awful terrible things.
Likes:
- Elie Wiesel is a truly extraordinary human being. I'm glad he survived and I can only wish there had been more survivors.
- I am grateful many of the descriptions were brief and that some things were condensed to a few sentences. It made it easier for me to read it.
- I liked this book because it tells a tale of inner strength. If someone, especially a kid, survive all that, it really makes you think. It's sort of empowering because of that. It's a good lesson to teach kids. You can survive even the worst of troubles, fears, and experiences.
Dislikes:
- This really isn't against the book so much as it's against human history. I can hardly wrap my mind around the fact that anyone could think doing this to people is okay. Ethnic cleansing is not okay and it made me really uncomfortable to read about it from someone's personal experience. It's impossible to understand such evil.
- On the trip to Auschwitz a woman has visions and starts to scream out “Fire! Can’t you see it? Fire!” Many people run to the edge of the cattle cart to see if there was a fire and there wasn’t one, but still she persisted in screaming “Fire!” until some men beat her up. How awful. Then they tie her up and gag her to silence her. Then when they arrive at the gate of Auschwitz they realized why the woman was screaming “Fire!” because when they looked up they saw a huge crematory and they looked at the chimney, coming out of it was huge flames. This is even worse. I can barely stand imagining such a scene let alone living through it in real life.
- I also disliked the fact that his father didn’t survive when they got to the other camp. I wish Elie was able to say goodbye to his father before he was taken in the night. I wish I could rewrite the ending if not the whole story. The whole thing is so sad.
Last Minute Thoughts: Reading this book is like squeezing your heart until you feel all bruised and hallowed out. It isn't pleasure reading and despite the rating I probably wouldn't read it again, but it's definitely a book you should made a point of reading.
Buy: Night
Rating: I give this book 3 out of 5 treasure chests.
February 8th, 2010 — 2.5-3 Treasure Chests, Action & Adventure, Book Review, M-O, YA Genre
by Captain Lyaf Yarr, the pilot of this here vessel.
Title: The Boy Who Spoke Dog
Author: Clay Morgan
Page Count: 166
Format: Paperback
Grade Reading Level 6-8
Summary: Jack gets stranded on a mysterious island with nobody there except the sheep dogs. The dogs are getting attacked by the fangos at the same time and need help. When Jack and the sheep dogs meet they eventually become friends. Will Jack help the dogs defeat the fangos, and will he be rescued ? Or will he stay a true dog forever?
Why I Started This Book:
I read this book because my teacher assigned it to us in Reading Class. We divided the book up into eight sections and read one section a day until we were done. I read ahead of the class because I was interested in knowing the ending.
Likes:
- I liked the adventure in this book. It was pretty cool that Jack, the main character was stranded on an island.
- Also, I enjoyed Jack’s thoughts throughout the book as he worried about his rescue. It was pretty realistic I thought. I would be scared too!
- The chemistry between Jack and the dogs was fun. There was a very strong friendship between them. They relied on one another.
- The final battle between the fangos and the normal dogs was very thrilling. Fangos are sheep dogs that have killed at least one sheep.
Dislikes:
- I didn’t like the ending of the book. It was a big let down, very anti-climatic after such a strong beginning and middle.
- I disliked that there were so few characters. Most of the story’s interaction was between Jack and the dogs.
- Jack went crazy by himself on the island which was kind of weird to me.
- This book wasn’t what I would usually read and didn’t change my mind about that so it wasn’t my favorite. It was good to read once, but I would not read this again.
Buy: The Boy Who Spoke Dog by Clay Morgan
Book Rating: 2.5 Treasure Chests
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Originally posted 2009-09-07 17:36:34.
February 5th, 2010 — 2.5-3 Treasure Chests, 3.5-4 Treasure Chests, Action & Adventure, Audio Book Review, Coming of Age, Fantasy, Guest Review, P-R, YA Genre
by First Mate Keira, guest reviewer.
Title: The Lightning Thief
Author: Rick Riordan
Narrator: Jesse Bernstein
# CDs / Minutes: 8 CDs (10 hours, 12 minutes)
Format: Unabridged Audio CDs
Grade Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Audio Preview: Download Clip (Right click, save as.)
Summary: Percy Jackson is your average kid, except as he’s about to find out, he’s the son of a Greek god. This would explain his dyslexia and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). It’s a sign of his heritage. All offspring of the gods are marked by it, their natural language being ancient Greek. If finding out he’s a demigod isn’t strange enough, Percy discovers he’s been setup to take the blame of stealing Zeus’ master lightning bolt. The only way to prove his innocence is to go on a quest and retrieve it. The odds don’t look so good for Percy.
Why I Started This Book:
I’ve been seeing the title of this book in many places and decided what better way to be introduced to it officially than by audio cd? I knew nothing going into the book.
Likes:
- Percy is average. His learning disabilities apply to the English language but come in handy in other ways.
- If you want a way to learn about Greek mythology that’s fun and easy to understand, Percy Jackson and his quest to discover the lightning thief, is a good way to go. No need to remember the “uses.”
- The Greek gods will exist as long as Western culture exists. They are not meant to be metaphysical God. They are simply humanlike immortals.
- Jesse Bernstein, the reader, sounds exactly like how I imagine a 12 year old boy like to sound. He has excellent kid voices.
Dislikes:
- I’m coming from finishing Artemis Fowl, boy genius, and I can’t help but cringe at some of the inane questions/comments/concerns Percy brings up.
- I am definitely too old to enjoy this book fully. This series is designed to teach children about the Greek mythology which I already know quite a bit about having learned about them in high school. It really struck a nerve when Percy had a semester if not a year in real school studying the myths and he didn't recognize Medusa when he stumbled upon her statue warehouse! Grr…
- I was able to figure out the Oracle’s prophecy within a chapter of having heard it. I had two ideas and the first was right.
- The only voice Jesse Bernstein narrated that gave me any pause was his voice for Zeus. It was very weird. I was not a fan.
Buy: The Lightning Thief (audio book)
, The Lightning Thief (paperback)
, Lightning Thief (Deluxe Edition)
, Percy Jackson and the Olympians Paperback Boxed Set (Books 1-3)
Book Rating: 2.5 Treasure Chests for anyone over the age of fourteen. 4 Treasure Chests for those under fourteen.
Keira runs a book review blog for readers by readers on romance novels entitled Love Romance Passion. She’s been reading romance since she was in her teens and began blogging about romance so she could share her passion for her favorite genre. She loves reading paranormal, Regency, historical America, and highlander most of all and completely adores blind and wounded heroes.
Originally posted 2009-09-29 03:10:51.
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