1- Once Upon A Time: Violet Eyes by Debbie Viguie
2- Once Upon A Time: The Diamond Secret by Suzanne Weyn
3- Lost and Found by Andrew Clements
4- No Talking by Andrew Clements
5- The Janitor's Boy by Andrew Clements
6- Lunch Money by Andrew Clements
7- Once Upon A Time: Winter's Child by Cameron Dokey
8- The School Story by Andrew Clements
9- The Jacket by Andrew Clements
10- A Week in the Woods by Andrew Clements
11- Trackers: Book Two - Shantorian by Patrick Carman
12- Extra Credit by Andrew Clements
13- Hawksmaid by Kathryn Lasky
14- Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by R.L. La Fevers
15- Theodosia and the Staff of Osiris by R.L. La Fevers
16- Theodosia and the the Eyes of Horus by R.L. La Fevers
17- The Kane Chronicles: The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
18- Once Upon A Time: The World Above by Cameron Dokey
19- Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist: The Flight of the Pheonix by R.L. La Fevers
20- Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist: The Basilisk's Lair by R.L. La Fevers
21- Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist: The Wyvern's Treasure by R.L. La Fevers
22- Dragon's Egg by Sarh L. Thomson
23- The Floating Islands by Rachel Neumeier
24- Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles: The Wyrm King by Tony DiTerlizzi
25- An Enola Holmes Mystery: The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer
26- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Capture by Kathryn Lasky
27- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Journey by Kathryn Lasky
28- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Rescue by Kathryn Lasky
29- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Siege by Kathryn Lasky
30- Summer Switch by Mary Rodgers
31- A Billion for Boris by Mary Rodgers
32- Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist: The Unicorn Tale by R.L. La Fevers
33- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Shattering by Kathryn Lasky
34- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Burning by Kathryn Lasky
35- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Hatchling by Kathryn Lasky
36- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Outcast by Kathryn Lasky
37- Samuel Blink and the Forbidden Forest by Matt Haig
38- Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles: The Nixie's Song by Tony DiTerlizzi
39- Choke by Obert Skye
40- Pendragon: The Pilgrims of Rayne by D.J. MacHale
41- Samuel Blink and the Runaway Troll by Matt Haig
42- Beyond the Spiderwick Chronicles: A Giant Problem by Tony DiTerlizzi
43- Greek Ransom by Michael Malaghan
44- The Beatrice Letters by Lemony Snicket
45- Theodosia and the Last Pharoah by R.L. La Fevers
46- Dead Wrong by Clair Poulson
47- Freefall by Trace Hunter Abramson
48- Lockdown by Traci Hunter Abramson
49- The Key to Rondo by Emily Rodda
50- The Wizard of Rondo by Emily Rodda
51- The Kane Chronicles: The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan
52- Aldwyns Academy by Nathan Meyer
53- Crossfire by Traci Hunter Abramson
54- Backlash by Traci Hunter Abramson
55- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The First Collier by Kathryn Lasky
56- Smokescreen by Traci Hunter Abramson
57- Goddess Girls: Aphrodite the Beauty by Joan Holub
58- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Coming of Hoole
59- The Butterfly Box #3: The Perfect Fit by Michele Ashman Bell
60- Chasing George Washington by Ronald Kidd
61- Brianna, My Brother, and the Blog by Jack Weyland
62- Classic Starts: Grimm's Fairy Tales by Deanna McFadden
63- Alex Rider: Scorpia Rising by Anthony Horowitz
64- Guardians of Ga'Hoole: To Be A King by Kathryn Lasky
65- Century Quartet: Ring of Fire by Pierdomenico Baccalario
66- Century Quartet: Star of Stone by Pierdomenico Baccalario
67- Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer
68- The Thirteenth Princess by Diane Zahler
69- The 39 Clues #11: Vespers Rising by Rick Riordan, Peter Lerangis, Gordon Korman, and Jude Watson
70- Mistmantle Chronicles: Urchin and the Rage Tide by Margaret McAllister
71- I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic 1912 by Lauren Tarshis
72- The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright
73- The List by Melanie Jacobsen
74- Who Ran My Underwear Up the Flagpole? by Jerry Spinelli
75- The Seventeen Second Miracle by Jason F. Wright
76- A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine
77- The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall
78- The Sound of Rain by Anita Stansfield
79- A Distant Thunder by Anita Stansfield
80- Winds of Hope by Anita Stansfield
81- Shelter from the Storm by Anita Stansfield
82- Report to the Principal's Office by Jerry Spinelli
83- Ranger's Apprentice #10: The Emperor of Nihon-Ja by John Flanagan
84- The Silence of Snow by Anita Stansfield
85- Beyonders: A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull
86- The Book of A Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
87- Lord Edgeware Dies by Agatha Christie
88- Mrs. McGinty's Dead by Agatha Christie
89- Royal Target by Traci Hunter Abramson
90- Not My Type by Melanie Jacobsen
91- The Heroes of Oympus: Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan
92- Century Quartet: City of Wind by Pierdomenico Baccalario
93- The Faeman Quest by Herbie Brennan
94- Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie
95- Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie
96- A Christmas Thief by Carol Lynn Pearson
97- Escape from Zarahemla by Chris Heimerdinger
98- The Medusa Plot by Gordon Korman
99- The King's Ransom by Jude Watson
100- The Secret School by Avi
Saturday, December 31, 2011
The Secret School - 2011 Book #100
The 100th and last book for this year is The Secret School by Avi. This was a really good book. It was about a girl named Ida, living in the early 1900's. She wanted to be a teacher when she grew up, and her best friend wanted to study electricity. Everything was going great. They were both going to take the exit exam and get ready to go to the high school the next year when something happened. The teacher of their one room schoolhouse had to leave suddenly, because her mother had a stroke. The director of the school board decided that he wasn't going to get a new teacher until the following school year, and school would be closed for the rest of the year.
Ida didn't know what to think about that. What she thought was her only chance to get to high school was now ruined. If she had to wait until next year to take the exit exam, her family's farm might not be doing as well as they were this year and might not be able to pay for her to go to the high school in town. She didn't know what she was going to do. Her best friend Tom came up with a solution: she could be their teacher. He suggested that she could be their teacher and keep the school open so they could all finish out the year, and both of them could take their final tests. Ida decides to do it, but she knows that the director of the school board wouldn't approve, so they do it secretly. All the kids vote and decide that they want to keep the school open and have Ida as their teacher. They all promise not to tell their parents, so they can keep coming to school.
Things start out okay, but there are problems. Ida has a hard time trying to be the teacher while still helping out at home on the farm and keeping up on her studies. She finds herself getting busier and busier and wonders if keeping the school open is worth losing herself and all that she wants to do. And what will happen if someone finds out about the secret school? Will it all be for nothing?
I think this book has a really good message about education and reaching your goals and doing what you think is right. It was a really good read, and I think it was a nice book to end the year with.
Ida didn't know what to think about that. What she thought was her only chance to get to high school was now ruined. If she had to wait until next year to take the exit exam, her family's farm might not be doing as well as they were this year and might not be able to pay for her to go to the high school in town. She didn't know what she was going to do. Her best friend Tom came up with a solution: she could be their teacher. He suggested that she could be their teacher and keep the school open so they could all finish out the year, and both of them could take their final tests. Ida decides to do it, but she knows that the director of the school board wouldn't approve, so they do it secretly. All the kids vote and decide that they want to keep the school open and have Ida as their teacher. They all promise not to tell their parents, so they can keep coming to school.
Things start out okay, but there are problems. Ida has a hard time trying to be the teacher while still helping out at home on the farm and keeping up on her studies. She finds herself getting busier and busier and wonders if keeping the school open is worth losing herself and all that she wants to do. And what will happen if someone finds out about the secret school? Will it all be for nothing?
I think this book has a really good message about education and reaching your goals and doing what you think is right. It was a really good read, and I think it was a nice book to end the year with.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
A King's Ransom - 2011 Book #99
A King's Ransom is the second book in the Cahills vs. Vespers series, written by Jude Watson.
This does give away a little bit of the previous book, just as a warning. I'll try not to give away any huge secrets.
At the end of the last book, Amy and Dan after delivering the art piece the Vespers wanted, they were surprised to get another message telling them of another task they had to do. Amy and Dan had thought that once they delivered the art, their friends would be let go. But now they had another task, and this one seemed harder than the last one.
The Vespers want a world map that went missing 80 years ago. No one seems to know where it is, and they only have 4 days to find it, or something will happen to one of their friends that are still being held hostage by the Vespers.
Amy and Dan have to do research and follow clues to find the missing map. They don't know who they can trust. They don't know who are their friends and who might be a Vesper in disguise. As they are searching for the map, Amy notices how Dan pulls inside himself more and more. He's changed since they finished the clue hunt two years ago, and now all this is pulling him deeper and deeper inside. What she doesn't know is that he plans to recreate and take the serum from the 39 clues that are in his head to end all of this once and for all.
Meanwhile, their friends that are being held hostage have no idea what is going on. They don't know where they are, who has kidnapped them, are why they were kidnapped. They try to figure this out while they also try to maintain their sanity as they sit day after day in the same room.
This book is full of even more exciting twists and turns as the pressure builds up on Amy and Dan.
This does give away a little bit of the previous book, just as a warning. I'll try not to give away any huge secrets.
At the end of the last book, Amy and Dan after delivering the art piece the Vespers wanted, they were surprised to get another message telling them of another task they had to do. Amy and Dan had thought that once they delivered the art, their friends would be let go. But now they had another task, and this one seemed harder than the last one.
The Vespers want a world map that went missing 80 years ago. No one seems to know where it is, and they only have 4 days to find it, or something will happen to one of their friends that are still being held hostage by the Vespers.
Amy and Dan have to do research and follow clues to find the missing map. They don't know who they can trust. They don't know who are their friends and who might be a Vesper in disguise. As they are searching for the map, Amy notices how Dan pulls inside himself more and more. He's changed since they finished the clue hunt two years ago, and now all this is pulling him deeper and deeper inside. What she doesn't know is that he plans to recreate and take the serum from the 39 clues that are in his head to end all of this once and for all.
Meanwhile, their friends that are being held hostage have no idea what is going on. They don't know where they are, who has kidnapped them, are why they were kidnapped. They try to figure this out while they also try to maintain their sanity as they sit day after day in the same room.
This book is full of even more exciting twists and turns as the pressure builds up on Amy and Dan.
The Medusa Plot - 2011 Book #98
The Medusa Plot is the first book of the series Cahills Vs. Vespers which is a sequel series to the series The 39 Clues. The book was written by Gordan Korman, but the series is written by a team of authors.
This book starts out with several members of the Cahill family getting kidnapped, including an attempt on Amy and Dan Cahill. Amy and Dan escaped, but soon find out that several members of their family and others they love have been kidnapped, including their gaurdians Nellie and Fiske. They receive a message from a Vesper One telling them that there is a task they need to accomplish or one of the hostages will die. Vesper One is a member of a secret evil organization known as the Vespers that Amy and Dan have come into contact with once before when they were retrieving a family ring that their aunt Grace had left for them. They had barely managed to escape with their lives, and Amy felt sure that that was not the last time they would cross with the Vespers. They knew that the Vespers meant business, so they had to do what they asked.
What were they asked to do? Deliver a famous painting that was known to be held in one the highest security art museums in the world. Amy and Dan call on other members of the Cahill family to help them with their mission in order to save the lives of those they love. But there's a time limit, and they run into one problem after another.
This book is an easy read, but also very engaging. The plot is unique and exciting and keeps the reader on their toes. Unexpected things happen, and just when you think you've figured it out, something happens that throws all your ideas out the window. It's a fun read.
This book starts out with several members of the Cahill family getting kidnapped, including an attempt on Amy and Dan Cahill. Amy and Dan escaped, but soon find out that several members of their family and others they love have been kidnapped, including their gaurdians Nellie and Fiske. They receive a message from a Vesper One telling them that there is a task they need to accomplish or one of the hostages will die. Vesper One is a member of a secret evil organization known as the Vespers that Amy and Dan have come into contact with once before when they were retrieving a family ring that their aunt Grace had left for them. They had barely managed to escape with their lives, and Amy felt sure that that was not the last time they would cross with the Vespers. They knew that the Vespers meant business, so they had to do what they asked.
What were they asked to do? Deliver a famous painting that was known to be held in one the highest security art museums in the world. Amy and Dan call on other members of the Cahill family to help them with their mission in order to save the lives of those they love. But there's a time limit, and they run into one problem after another.
This book is an easy read, but also very engaging. The plot is unique and exciting and keeps the reader on their toes. Unexpected things happen, and just when you think you've figured it out, something happens that throws all your ideas out the window. It's a fun read.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Escape From Zarahemla - 2011 Book #97
The latest book I've read is Escape from Zarahemla by Chris Heimerdinger. This book is a sequel to his book Passage to Zarahemla. It's about the same family that includes Kerra, Brock, and their dad and Grandpa Lee. This time, after a flood wipes through the area, Kerra can hear the whistlers again.
A couple of her little cousins go out exploring and find a dying Nephite. They run to get help. It turns out that Kerra's dad knows the Nephite. He tells her dad that his wife and child are still alive, and that he's the only one that can save them. Kerra knew that her dad had been sad about something, and now she knows what it was. He got married during his time in the Nephite world and has just found out that his wife had a child. They find the rift is open again, and Kerra's dad is determined to go through it and save his family from the Gadianton Robbers. Grandpa Lee, Brock, and Kerra are determined to go through as well. Kerra wonders if she will be able to see Kiddoni again, the Nephite she met the last time the whistlers were there and the rift was open. She knows exactly how her dad feels.
The four go through the rift and find themselves in Nephite time in the middle of a war between the Nephites and the Gadianton Robbers. As they try to find their loved ones, they are faced with enemies new and old, including demon jaguars and their evil master Akuhuun. The book takes the rifts to an extreme level as the groups find themselves jumping through rift after rift that send them jumping through time and space.
This book ties this new series together with Chris Heimerdinger's other series Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites. While this seems really strange to me, I am glad that now he will only have one series to work on, so hopefully, the next book will come out soon. The next book will be a continuation of this story, but also will be the eleventh book of the Tennis Shoes Series.
A couple of her little cousins go out exploring and find a dying Nephite. They run to get help. It turns out that Kerra's dad knows the Nephite. He tells her dad that his wife and child are still alive, and that he's the only one that can save them. Kerra knew that her dad had been sad about something, and now she knows what it was. He got married during his time in the Nephite world and has just found out that his wife had a child. They find the rift is open again, and Kerra's dad is determined to go through it and save his family from the Gadianton Robbers. Grandpa Lee, Brock, and Kerra are determined to go through as well. Kerra wonders if she will be able to see Kiddoni again, the Nephite she met the last time the whistlers were there and the rift was open. She knows exactly how her dad feels.
The four go through the rift and find themselves in Nephite time in the middle of a war between the Nephites and the Gadianton Robbers. As they try to find their loved ones, they are faced with enemies new and old, including demon jaguars and their evil master Akuhuun. The book takes the rifts to an extreme level as the groups find themselves jumping through rift after rift that send them jumping through time and space.
This book ties this new series together with Chris Heimerdinger's other series Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites. While this seems really strange to me, I am glad that now he will only have one series to work on, so hopefully, the next book will come out soon. The next book will be a continuation of this story, but also will be the eleventh book of the Tennis Shoes Series.
Friday, December 23, 2011
A Christmas Thief - 2011 Book # 96
Around the holiday, I always try to read at least one Christmas story. This one, A Christmas Thief by Carol Lynn Pearson was quite a short one. It was only about 70 pages long, but it definitely portrayed the true spirit of Christmas. The story is about how one family's nativity set disappears. At first it was thought that it might have just been misplaced, but when they notice some sports equipment missing from their garage as well, they decide that it must have been stolen. The daughter immediately suspects the neighbor boy that has been giving her trouble for as long as she can remember, and she wants to go out and demand that he give it back to them. She thinks it wouldn't hurt if the boy got arrested and sent off somewhere as well. Then he wouldn't be able to give her any more trouble.
Her parents luckily, don't let her do that. Her mother wants to find out what happened to the nativity set, but she doesn't want to offend her neighbor if they wrongly accuse her son of stealing it. So they set out on a secret mission to find their nativity set.
One thing leads to another, and the daughter starts to see what Christmas is all about. It is a really good story. My only complaint is that it was only 70 pages long.
Her parents luckily, don't let her do that. Her mother wants to find out what happened to the nativity set, but she doesn't want to offend her neighbor if they wrongly accuse her son of stealing it. So they set out on a secret mission to find their nativity set.
One thing leads to another, and the daughter starts to see what Christmas is all about. It is a really good story. My only complaint is that it was only 70 pages long.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Five Little Pigs - 2011 Book #95
Five Little Pigs, written by Agatha Christie is a good read. This book, unlike the last book I read, is long enough that it gives the reader time to think about the crime and try to decide what could have happened. Also, all the clues are there for the reader to see and figure out what happened if they can. Although I didn't figure it out all the way, I figured out part of the mystery and could clearly see after it was explained how the detective Hercule Poirot came to the conclusion that he did.
This story is about a girl that comes to Hercule Poirot with a problem. Her mother was tried and convicted for the murder of her husband sixteen years previously. The girl at the time was too young to know what was going on, but had just recently been given a letter that her mother left for her in which her mother claims that she was innocent. The girl asks Hercule Poirot to find the truth, so he goes and talks to the five people who were at the place where the crime took place and asks them to remember what happened at that time.
New things pop up that weren't ever mentioned during the trial or even at the time of the trial, and the people involved start to really wonder if the lady really did kill her husband or not.
The one problem I had with this book was that the ending is kind of abrupt and left me wondering what happened after the end of the book.
This story is about a girl that comes to Hercule Poirot with a problem. Her mother was tried and convicted for the murder of her husband sixteen years previously. The girl at the time was too young to know what was going on, but had just recently been given a letter that her mother left for her in which her mother claims that she was innocent. The girl asks Hercule Poirot to find the truth, so he goes and talks to the five people who were at the place where the crime took place and asks them to remember what happened at that time.
New things pop up that weren't ever mentioned during the trial or even at the time of the trial, and the people involved start to really wonder if the lady really did kill her husband or not.
The one problem I had with this book was that the ending is kind of abrupt and left me wondering what happened after the end of the book.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Poirot Investigates - 2011 Book # 94
Poirot Investigates is one of Agatha Christie's many mystery books. This one, however, is quite a bit different than others that I have read. It is an anthology of short stories about the famous detective Hercule Poirot, a Belgian who, to say the least, thinks very highly of himself as a detective.
Each story is told from the point of view of Poirot's partner, Hastings. He tells of several cases that Hercule Poirot solved, and one that he didn't. These cases run from murder mysteries to stolen items and everything in between.
Each story is around 15 pages long, and the reader doesn't have much time to even think about who they think might have committed the crime. Also, since the stories are told from Hastings' point of view, often they will include a part where it says that Hercule Poirot went somewhere, or he had a conversation with somone, and it doesn't let the reader know about that until after the case has been solved. In my opinion,this book was not as fun to read because there wasn't as much time to think about the crimes and try to figure out who did it. The reader just starts thinking about what possibly could have happened, and Hercule Poirot has solved it already.
Each story is told from the point of view of Poirot's partner, Hastings. He tells of several cases that Hercule Poirot solved, and one that he didn't. These cases run from murder mysteries to stolen items and everything in between.
Each story is around 15 pages long, and the reader doesn't have much time to even think about who they think might have committed the crime. Also, since the stories are told from Hastings' point of view, often they will include a part where it says that Hercule Poirot went somewhere, or he had a conversation with somone, and it doesn't let the reader know about that until after the case has been solved. In my opinion,this book was not as fun to read because there wasn't as much time to think about the crimes and try to figure out who did it. The reader just starts thinking about what possibly could have happened, and Hercule Poirot has solved it already.
Friday, December 2, 2011
The Faeman Quest - 2011 Book #93
This is the newest installment in Herbie Brennan's Faerie Wars series. This book is about the Faeman Princess Mella. She's stubborn and wants to find out more about her father's childhood, so she runs away. But in the process, she overhears a plot to overthrow the Faerie Empire, and it's up to her to stop it. All the old characters are back in this story along with a few new ones, some of which are very surprising.
This was a really good read, full of unexpected twists and turns. I was a little disappointed that it jumped so far from the previous book. It takes place several years later, and I felt like I had missed out on things that happened during those years of time, but it was a good story.
This was a really good read, full of unexpected twists and turns. I was a little disappointed that it jumped so far from the previous book. It takes place several years later, and I felt like I had missed out on things that happened during those years of time, but it was a good story.
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