Enders Game

Enders Game

By Orson Scott Card

Enders Game is set on future earth. There is not specific future date given, however you can tell it's the 

far future because they have discovered how to travel at the speed of light.

Enders game revolves around the life of Andrew (Ender) Wiggins. In this story Ender is the youngest 

of three children. His sister Valentine is sweet and loving towards Ender, but his brother Peter on the 

other 

hand is a malicious psychopath whom likes to hurt things. In this future world, families are only 

aloud to have 2 children, unless the government gives them permission for a third. Ender was born as 

part of a government program set to create excellent military officers. Most third children were part of 

this.  After betting up a bully twice his 

size, Ender is recognized for his potential as a officer and sent to Battle School. 

Battle School is held on a space station orbiting Earth. For decades child soldiers have been trained at 

Battle School, as a preparation to the ever present Bugger Wars. Buggers are an Alien race with similar 

characteristics to Bee's. While at Battle School Ender is taken away from the other new cadets, and 

placed with the older cadets. As Ender advances in war simulations and becomes the best at Battle 

School, others become jealous. There are many attempts to take Enders life, however he out maneuvers 

them all. After advance through years worth of schooling in only a matter of months, Enders is 

promoted to Command 

School. At Common School Ender is tested with various Bugger war simulations. However, these 

simulations feel all to real. . . I won't spoil then ending . . . 

I first read this book in 10th grade along with Enders Shadow. I can honestly say I absolutely love these 

books. They are complex yet still easy to understand. I think this book would be appropriate for 8th-

10th grades.  The book is fairly long, but after you get into reading it, it goes by fast. This a great 

overall science-fiction book that I really think students will enjoy. With higher grades you could talk 

about the important issues this book addresses like war, xenocide , children solders, and even just 

procreation laws. You could also compare and contrast the technology addressed with our technology 

today. I love this book! I highly recommend it for middle/high school students. 

Ollie's Halloween

By Olivier Dunrea

 In this picture book Ollie and his friends get dressed up for Halloween. They dress up as a wizard, a chicken, a 

dragon, a bunny, and a 

mummy.  They prowl through the night hooting and howling, creeping through bogs and scaring frogs. They creep 

behind beehives, poke 

around pumpkins, and stalk through corn fields. They gobble treats and yell Boo at ghosts. They bob for apples and 

run to a barn. In 

conclusion they spend a very happy Halloween together. 

 I love the illustrations in this story. They are very colorful and really grab the readers attention. I think this is a 

great story to read around 

or on Halloween to get kids excited about the holiday. You might even be able to incorporate safety into this read 

aloud. When Ollie is left

 alone in the dark you could tell your students " We don't want to be alone it the dark do we? We don't want to get 

lost so its important to 

stay with and adult at all times huh."  You could also read this story and then have the students talk about what 

they are going to 

be for Halloween. This book is best for kindergarden or first grade because of the low word count. On the down side 

It might bore 

older students , because there isn't a lot of reading. 

Cirque Du Freak

Cirque Du Freak

Cirque Du Freak tells the story Darren Shan's transformation from high school kid to vampire. The plot starts out when Darren and his best friend Steve acquire tickets to the ever popular freak show, Cirque Du Freak. While attending this bizarre show containing a wolf man, lizard boy, and man with two bellies, Steve realizes Mr. Crepsley is not only a spider tamer. Mr, Crepsley is a vampire! Steve then insists he has to confront Mr. Crepsley and asks Darren to wait for him out side. While Darren is wait he over hears Steve begging Mr. Crepsley to turn him into a vampire. After being rejected Steve and Darren leave Cirque Du Freak. Because Darren has a fascination with spiders, they decides to steal Mr. Crepsley's special spider. After stealing the spider and taking it back to Darren's house, Steve is bitten resulting in total body paralysis. 

After the doctors are unable to cure Steve, Darren resorts to asking Mr. Crepsley for help. Mr. Crepsley agrees to cure Steve on the condition that Darren gives up his life and because a half-vampire apprentice. Darren of course agrees and his friend Steve is cured. Mr. Crepsley then fakes Darrens death. After Darrens entire family thinks he died along with Steve, Darren is turned by Mr. Crepsley. As his apprentice Mr. Crepsley teaches Darren how to feed from humans without killing them. If a vampire was to drink all of a humans blood that humans memories would forever follow that vampire. 

In the end Steve finds out Darren has been turned into a vampire and becomes extremely jealous. Steve then joins a rival evil vampire, which results in a vampire style fight-to-the death between Steve and Darren. 

Cirque Du Freak is the first book in the twelve book Darren Shan series. The first time I read these books was in eight grade and I loved them! They were the "twilight" to my generation I guess. In my opinion these books are way better then Twilight. I think these books are perfect for both 8th grade boys and girls because they are so different. Its magical, adventurous, while still addressing the issues many teenagers are having. There are points in the story were Darren feels alone, fights with his best friend, and even has a crush! Tell me those aren't typical middle school problems? I also like that the vampires are real scary, blood sucking creatures. None of that silly sparkling nonsense here!

Blood and Chocolate

Blood and Chocolate 

By Annette Curtis Klause

Blood and Chocolate is about the 16 year-old Vivian Gandillon. Vivian under goes the change from girl to werewolf, like all of her ancestors. Vivian's five best friends are also 16 and have just under gone the change. In the book the five use their wolf forms to terrorize humans, which is forbidden in Vivian's pack. When one of the five Axel, kills a human he is sent to prison. While locked away the five kill another human to make it look as though the real killer is still free and Axel, is innocent. This distraction does not work and Vivian's father the Alpha, still has to punish Axel. Vivian's father ends up killing Axel because he has put the pack at risk for exposer to the humans. Exposer to the humans would mean toucher, capture, and even extinction for the werewolves. So needless to say,they really don't want the humans to know about them.
After the killing, Vivian's father and mother mysteriously parish in a house fire. This fire risks exposer for the pack so the pack is forced to relocate. 
In the new location Vivian struggles with fitting in to high school, the advances of the next potential alpha Gabriel, and the five continuing to cause mischief. 
After "the ordeal"( a fight to the death of all males to determine who will be alpha) Gabriel is declared alpha, and Vivian accidentally gets herself named his mate. 
After rejecting Gabriel Vivian falls in love with a human boy, which is a huge no no. Vivian falls so in love with Aiden (the human) that she exposes her wolf self to him. Aiden becomes terrified and rejects Vivian. Heart broken and alone Vivian starts waking up with blood on her hands and no memory of the nights before. Thinking she has been killing human Vivian decides to kill herself to ensure the safety of her pack. 
Too Be continued . . . 
I dont want to ruin the ending because its so good! Hint Vivian doesn't die and didn't murder anyone. :)
I think this book could grab the attention of both young boys and girls. It is most appropriate  for middle to high school, because there is some violence. Reading it as a class might be a little controversial, but I would defiantly make it acceptable to students in our class library. This book was also made into a movie which I have posted a link to at the bottom of the page just for fun. :) 
*On a side note; this book was also on the banded books list we received today in class. Don't let this discourage you its an action pack fantastic book! 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZIozdJiPyw

Pretties

Pretties by Scott Westerfeld is a fun teen science fiction book. In an alternate reality Tally has under gone the surgery from Ugly to Pretty. Unlike our reality this surgery not only changes Tally's physical appearance but her thoughts and memories as well. Before Tally was an ugly child running around in the forest, now she is a beautiful young lady with the world at her feet. Upon becoming a pretty Tally is moved into New Pretty Town where she parties and drinks with all the other pretties. 

It is at one of the lavish Pretty Parties that Tally's life changes. She joins a secret pretty society called the Crims with the handsome  Zane, and then finds out she is being followed. With the help of Zane, Tally finds out her stalker is Croy, an old friend from her Ugly days. This information confuses Tally,as she begins to realize she cant remember her old life. Its like her head is filled with this fuzzy cloud that distorts all her memories. Croy wont tell Tally his secret but instead makes her risk her own life and Zane's to find it at the top of dangerous tower. In the tower Tally finds a letter from herself as an Ugly. This letter urges her to not trust New Pretty Town because she and all her friends are in grave danger.  In the process of acquiring this letter Tally also grabs the attention of the New Pretty Town authorities. From that point on Tally is forced to wear a bracelet that records everything she says and gives away her location. With the guards of New Pretty Town watching her every move, Tally is forced do every thing in code. Also Tally has discovered that starvation is the key to clearing up the fog around her memories. As Tally slowly starts to remember her past, she discovers that the only way to save her friends is to brake out of pretty town. Both Zane and Tally put their lives on the line to brake out, only to be captured by the Specials. 

The Specials then takes over Tally's tale as the third installment of the Uglies Series. 

I never read the first book in this series, however this book explained everything really well so I wasn't lost. I would highly recommend this book for middle school girls and boys. It does have the young romance but there is also a lot of action that will appeal to all tastes! This book does contain "made up" vocabulary, so that is something I would discuss with my students in a lesson. I would ask questions like what do you think a purger pill is? What relations does this word have with the vocabulary we know? This book is great for a classroom setting because the language used is "teen slang". I think students will really enjoy ready a book that reads like they talk. As a class we could then talk about different forms of slang vocabulary and how it relates to age and location.  Over all its an easy read with clean classroom appropriate slang- language (slanguage?). 

The Summer I Turned Pretty

  

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han is a typical coming of age book, with a sweet side. It first grabbed my attention because it was the only non-fiction book in the store! Well, maybe not but compared to all the Twilights, Hunger Games, and House of Night novels  this one defiantly stood out. 

The Summer I Turned Pretty is written from various points of views, however the most common is Belly. Belly has just turned 16 and is on her way to Cousins beach, where she spends all of her summers. In Cousins, Belly and her family stay with her mothers best friend Susan and Susan's two sons Conrad and Jeremiah. For as long as Belly can remember she has had a crush on Conrad, but he never returned her affections. 

This summer everything is different, Jeremiah whom has always been her best friend wants to be more. Conrad who is going off to college this soon, also secretly likes Belly. In the midst of growing up, Belly and her friends have to set aside their own problems and be there for Susan (Belly's second mother)after she is  diagnose with cancer. 

 Belly tries to deal with Susan's diagnoses by making this the best summer she can, because deep down she knows it will be the last for her family. Belly spends them majority of her book reminiscing about the old days and taking care of Susan. The book ends with a cliff hanger where your not sure if Susan passed way or not.

 There are two books following up on Belly's story: It's Not Summer Without You and We'll Always Have Summer. 

I think this book would be perfect to read in middle school for a number of reasons, 1. the language is clean and not to challenging, 2. This book contains a lot of real life events students can relate to, 3. It has a mild romance which will make the students want to read it. Most children by the age of 13 have struggled through the death of a loved one, divorced parents, or just  young love. This book can relate to students on many levels and possibly help them cope with those problems. Even if I didn't use it in core curriculum I would still keep it in my class library along with the two books that follow. 

Marked: A House of Night Novel

Marked: A House of Night Novel

 I was first drawn to this book because it has been called " the Harry Potter" of this generation so naturally I was intrigued. Marked is the first installment in the House of Night series. With Marked being the first book in a ten book series, I felt it spent a lot of time developing the setting and basic information.While this book does have a building, climax, and fall I would call it the "building book" to the house of night series.  

Marked is  essentially the story of Zoey Redbird and her ever changing life. Zoey is a normal high school student when "out of the blue" she is Marked to become a vampire.  Zoey almost instantly develops intricate neon blue tattoos on her face and neck; marking her a vampire. She is then forced to attend The House of Night , where she undergoes the change from fledgling (youth vampire) to an adult vampire.The change from fledgling to vampire is not always successful and many die. Because many children do not survive the change the House of Night was found to aid this transformation. While attending the House of Night Zoey discovers she is not a normal fledgling, but has an affinity for all five elements: water, fire, wind, earth, and spirt. Zoey's powers set her up for praise from the faculty and ridicule from the popular students. Aphrodite, the leader of the Dark Daughters ( a school ritual club) invites Zoey to join their group, in hopes of controlling Zoey and her new found popularity. Zoey then joins the Dark Daughters and attends her first ritual. During the first ritual Aphrodite fails to control the spell and the ghosts of past vampires almost kill the entire group. Zoey uses her Nxy (god) given powers to regain control of the ritual and saves the lives of the entire group, including her human boyfriend whom "snuck in". Having saved the day and in conclusion of this book, Zoey is made the new leader of the Dark Daughters and the enemy of Aphrodite. 

Too be Continued . . .

I believe this book would be most appropriate for middle and high school. There are a lot of made up vocabulary words that might confuse younger readers. Also the romance and  violence would be inappropriate for young readers.  In my class room I would have the students read the novel, then compare moments in Zoey's life to their own. I think this book can relate to middle school students in various ways. For example Zoey is troubled with young love, bullying, adapting to a new school, disappointment from her family and the over all stress of high school. To develop my students writing skills I might have them write themselves into the house of night novel. The students would be able to express their problem in a safe "non-fictional" environment. Over all its a great book for teenagers and has the potential to get kids involved in reading. 

The Berenstain Bears and the missing Dinosaur Bone

The Berenstain Bears and the Missing Dinosaur Bone

The story of The Berenstain Bears and the Missing Dinosaur Bone begins as Dr. Bear is preparing to open the Bear Museum. As Dr, Bear does his daily opening procedures he discovers the leg bone from his dinosaur has been stolen! With the museum opening only a few hours away, the three little Berenstain bears and their hound dog gruff began to search franticly for the bone and bone thief. They search every nook and cranny including the Mummy Room, a valuable vase, the clock tower,  an Indian Totem pole, and finally the wax statues exhibit. After searching high and low the bears still have no luck in finding the bone. Admitting defeat the bears sullenly descend the stair case on their way to close the museum. Passing the windows the bears look outside and spot something. The bone had been taken by their hund dog snuff and buried in the yard the whole time! Having then retrieved the bone, Dr. Bear was able to open the museum and enjoy the company of the Bear Museum patrons. 

I think this book is best for 1st-3rd grade. With the book containing a lot of rhyming words, it could be used to teach double vowels sounds like oo, ou, ee, ae,  ea, ect. The repetition of these sounds will aid students in identifying sounds faster and progress in reading over all. With 2nd-3rd grade I would read the story aloud, then, one have my students identify what words rhyme and two identify what sound in those words is the rhyming sound. This activity would engage critical thinking while also getting the students envolved  in the story. 

The True Story of The 3 little Pigs!

           The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs is a fun response to the well known story, The Three Little Pigs. Unlike the original tale this story is narrated by Alexander T. Wolf, whom chooses to be called A. Wolf. In The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs A. Wolf's publishes a newspaper article, in hopes that the readers will see that he has been wrongly convicted for the murder of the 3 little pigs. 

    According to A. Wolf this is what really happened . . .

           A. Wolf is at home baking a cake for his sweet old grandmother's birthday, when he comes down with a terrible cold. After realizing he has sneezed in all his sugar, A. Wolf sets out to borrow a cup of sugar from his neighbors the pigs. Upon asking the 1st pig for a cup of sugar he is refused. Having a terrible cold A. Wolf sneezes and blows down the entire straw home killing the 1st pig. A. Wolf then eats the 1st pig because he "didn't want to waste food". This same series of event happens again at the home of the 2nd pig. Upon reacting the 3rd pigs home A.wolf is again refused however, this time the 3rd little pig also insults A. Wolf with a "your Grandma joke". A. Wolf is the so enraged with the 3rd pig that he starts sneezing and banging on the little pigs door. As he is throwing a huge fit the police arrive and hall A. wolf off to jail, where he is convicted of murder. It is in jail that A. wolf writes this news paper article, telling the world of his side of the story.

              I love this story because it retains aspects from the original  The Three Little Pigs without being the same old story surrounded by new illustrations. This book would be most enjoyable to younger children in 2 or 3 grade. The vocabulary is very basic in this book and would not be a challenge for older children. To use this book as an educational tool in higher grades, I would have my students compare and contrast it with the original. I would ask my students questions like: Who do you believe? Why? How is that story more convincing? What similarities do the stories share? What are their differences?  I think this book would also be a good way to open up and talk about having a difference of opinions in a respectful way. 

Running Out of Time  by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Mararet Haddix's book Running Out of Time grabbed my attention from the very first page. I was not enticed by vivid pictures or art, but by the detailed descriptions that allowed me to paint my own mental pictures. I could see every rustic detail and felt no need for illustrations to be provided.  Running Out of Time was written with such great attention to detail, that with every twist and turn I was engulfed with the story of Clifton Village.

Running Out of Time is about the life and adventures of 12 year old Jessie. Jessie's story takes place in Clifton Village around the year 1840, or so she is lead to believe. After many of the children in Clifton fall victim to the disease diphtheria, Jessie's world is turned upside down. In the dead of night Jessie's mother revels to her that Clifton is a "historical preserve" village where they only pretent its 1840. Jessie is then shocked to find out that the year is actually 1996 and they are being held in this "historical perserve" against their will. With only moments to grasp this information Jessie is then ask to sneak out of the only home she knows and risk her own life to obtain help for the dying children of Clifton. Upon this heroic adventure Jessie sneaks past arm guards, is betrayed by the very man her mother told her to trust, all while being in a constant state of confusion by the modern technology of this "future" world. After all Jessie's tribulations her story is finally heard by a local news station. While conducting her interview Jessie abruptly passes out and is rushed to the hospital. Upon waking up Jessie finds she along with all the children of Clifton, have been brought to a hospital and are receiving treatment. After a small investigation by Social Services Jessie is finally reunited with her family concluding this story at "happily ever after". 

Running Out of Time is an easy read that moves from action packed moment to edge of your seat suspense that will really grab young readers attention. I would strongly recommend this book for 5th through 8th graders because of its length and larger vocabulary. Any grade higher my find it not challenging enough.