Sunday, November 18, 2018

My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish: Any Fin Is Possible by Mo O’Hara


Tom and Pradeep are back in the fourth book of the series and they brought Frankie, their zombie goldfish, with them!

In the first story, during a lock in at the museum the boys learn about the ancient Egyptian Curse of Cat King. Later, they see a cat shaped shadow dragging wraps and they think the Cat King has been awakened.

In the second story, on sports day, all the competition starts losing their sportiness. When Tom's evil scientist older brother, Mark, shows up and starts winning events without any competition, Tom, Pradeep ,and a new friend have to stop Mark before he accomplishes whatever evil plot he has in store.

I really like this series! I love all the different stories and evil plans. It's awesome how Frankie can hypnotize people to make them do what he wants. I find it funny that, even though he is dead, he can't stay out of water for long. I can't wait to read all of the fishy plots in the series.

Thursday, November 15, 2018

Radio Fifth Grade by Gordon Korman


Benjy Driver and his friends host a radio show every Saturday and it's lots of fun.

But, when his teacher wins the lottery and vacations to Hawaii, their class is stuck with a new teacher. Her name is Ms. Panagopoulos and she is convinced that the class is a seminar. She gives them so much homework that Benjy doesn't have time to work on the show. He finally comes up with a plan to get his work done and work on his show at the same time. But when a bully wants to read a story about homicidal kittens and a rogue parrot trashes the studio, Benjy just might give in to his worst fear--dead air.

I really liked this book.  I loved how the bully was the one who wrote and recited stories about kittens on the radio. It was funny how every time Benjy had a problem, he had to go to his baby sister for help. I also found it hilarious how he treated his idol Eldridge Kestenbaum like a God.

This is one of my favorite Gordon Korman stand alones novels

Monday, November 12, 2018

King of the Bench: No Fear! by Steve Moore


This book is about a kid named Steve who loves sports. When he was little he played youth sports. The kind where everyone makes the team and gets to play.

But now he is in middle school where you either make the team or you fail and are humiliated for life. During tryouts, Steve witnesses one of the other kids get nailed in the face and carted off to the hospital. He makes the team by the skin of his teeth and thinks that everything is going to be fine and dandy. But when he goes up to the plate to bat and jumps and cowers away from the ball, he realizes what is wrong. He has developed Bean-O-Phobia,  the fear of getting hit by a baseball!  How will Steve overcome his fear?

Besides the funny story, I also liked all of Steve's crazy pets. There's Fido the Boa Constrictor, Frenchy the demented poodle, Cleo the duck that acts like a dog, and Zoner the fish that sleeps belly up. His friends were also very unique. There's his friend Joey, who is really small but can run real fast, and Carlos, Steve's big boned friend who thinks he is the best at sports.  I can't wait to read the other two books in this series.

Thursday, January 25, 2018

Christmas Carol & The Defenders of Claus by Robert L. Fouch


I received a copy of Christmas Carol & The Defenders of Claus from Sky Pony Press to review on my blog.  I want to thank Sky Pony Press for sending me such great titles to read and review.

This book is about a girl named Carol whose deep passion for Christmas earned her the nickname Christmas Carol. With her father's disappearance and mother's death, Carol comes into the care of her only relative, her Uncle Christopher. Near Christmas, he takes her along to New York to work on a class project while he is working.

When her teacher appears and freezes time, Carol meets the real Santa Claus and discovers that she has a sacred duty to become a Defender of Claus, a group of special individuals who pledge to protect Santa with their life. But when an evil masked villain starts kidnapping the defenders, Carol might be the only one powerful enough to stop him.

This book was really good!  I liked how the defenders could harness their powers to stop or slow time and send out North pulses which are basically waves of force. I loved the shocking twist at the end, and I hope they come out with a sequel. It would be cool how the story continues.  Even though this is a Christmas themed book, I think readers would enjoy it all year round.

Monday, January 22, 2018

The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies


The Lemonade War is the fourth book I read for literature in school this year.

When Evan Treski and his little sister, Jessie, get a letter informing them that they are both going to be in the same fourth grade class, Jessie is thrilled but Evan is angry. The normal fun that he and Jessie have won't be happening.When Evan has a lemonade stand with one of his friends, one of the things he always does with Jessie, she decides to make her own lemonade stand to try to win Evan back. Evan senses rivalry and his anger ends up getting him and Jessie in an all out lemonade war.
This war leads the siblings into thieveries and sabotage. Who will be victorious in this battle?

This was a strong story that showed that even siblings that get along great will have fights. I liked how the book was told from two different points of view--Jessie's and Evan's. It was cool how they were so different, but had a strong bond. I can't wait to read about Evan and Jessie's adventures in the rest of the series.

Thursday, January 18, 2018

Me and Mister P. by Maria Farrer


I received a copy of Me and Mister P. from Sky Pony Press to review on my blog. I want to thank Sky Pony Press for all the cool books they have sent me. 

Arthur's little brother, Liam, is considered odd compared to most kids. He is over sensitive and gets all of his parents attention. When Arthur has finally had enough, he decides to run away from home.  Just then, a friendly polar bear appears that stops him in his tracks. Its name is Mister P. And with a suitcase full of fish and a big heart, he will help Arthur see his brother in a whole new light.

This is a fun read that I think a lot of kids will enjoy.  I liked how Mister P. seemed scary at first, but turned out to be nice. It was funny how Mister P. was so big Arthur had to keep finding ways to get him from one place to another.  Mister couldn't talk but always seemed to understand what was happening. This was a great book with a powerful ending and a good moral.  I would definitely recommend it.

Monday, January 15, 2018

The Amber Amulet by Craig Silvey


I received a copy of The Amber Amulet from Sky Pony Press to review on my blog. I want to thank Sky Pony Press for all the cool books they have sent me.

This book is about a boy named Liam McKenzie who, at ten years old, protects his neighborhood under the cover of darkness as the Masked Avenger. After years of research, he has discovered that different rocks could grant someone superhuman powers. But when he senses a sadness in civilian, he steals his mother's amber amulet.  Amber is known to protect the bearer from sadness and Liam gives it to the strange woman. By trying to do right, he makes more wrongs. How will he make things right and learn the true meaning of being a hero?

This was a shorter read that I think would be good for beginner readers. It was a fun book with a good message. I liked how Liam always tried to do the right thing, even if he did something wrong by accident. I think this book can inspire kids to help others because they want to ,not because they have to.