****
Gail Levine
Wilma is in 8th grade, but you'd never know it. If you asked around for her, you'd discover that no one really knows her; no one is her friend; no one likes her. In fact, all anyone really knows about her is that she once wrote an essay from the point of view of her dog and used the word anus.
But when Wilma gives up her seat on a bus to an old lady, everything changes. The old woman grants her one wish. Of course, Wilma wishes to be the most popular girl at her school. But is this wise?
It happens like magic the next morning. Stepping off the bus, Wilma is the invisible girl who once said anus in an essay. Stepping into school, she's suddenly surrounded by caring friends, drooling boys and adoring fans. And life is pretty good.
Until Wilma realizes that she only has 2 weeks left before she graduates: 2 weeks until the spell ends. Will she be able to survive if her new friends don't like her anymore? How do people normally become popular? And will anyone know her name if the spell wears off?
This was a great book! It's a quick read and a lot of fun. The language is very clear and simple. The story is entertaining and creative (if a little cliche) and Wilma is a pretty lovable character. If you have a couple afternoons, check this book out!
Showing posts with label humorous. Show all posts
Showing posts with label humorous. Show all posts
Savvy
*****
Ingrid Law
Mibs isn't popular by any means. In fact, quite the opposite. But that's okay because she only has one more day left at school.
That's because, tomorrow Mibs turns 13. And in her family, that's a really big deal. 13 is when the Beaumonts get their savvy. A savvy is like a special power, or, as Mibs calls it, a special know how. Rocket Beaumont makes electricity. Fish Beaumont makes storms. And Mrs. Beaumont does everything pretty much perfectly. Mr. Beaumont, however, doesn't have a savvy. And he's been in an accident.
Now Mibs finds herself on a mission. Believing she has discovered her savvy, she heads to the hospital to rescue her father. But her savvy still has a few surprises in store. As do the rest of people inadvertently along for the ride!
Really, really cute book. This is one of the Virginia Young Reader books this year and totally worth the read. The book looks long (especially since it's only available in hardback), but it's really a quick read. The characters are great. Each one is entirely believable and lovable. You won't be able to put it down!
If you liked this book, check out:
Harry Potter Series
Septimus Heap Series
Charlie Bone Series
The new book by Ingrid Law coming out in 2010.
Ingrid Law
Mibs isn't popular by any means. In fact, quite the opposite. But that's okay because she only has one more day left at school.
That's because, tomorrow Mibs turns 13. And in her family, that's a really big deal. 13 is when the Beaumonts get their savvy. A savvy is like a special power, or, as Mibs calls it, a special know how. Rocket Beaumont makes electricity. Fish Beaumont makes storms. And Mrs. Beaumont does everything pretty much perfectly. Mr. Beaumont, however, doesn't have a savvy. And he's been in an accident.
Now Mibs finds herself on a mission. Believing she has discovered her savvy, she heads to the hospital to rescue her father. But her savvy still has a few surprises in store. As do the rest of people inadvertently along for the ride!
Really, really cute book. This is one of the Virginia Young Reader books this year and totally worth the read. The book looks long (especially since it's only available in hardback), but it's really a quick read. The characters are great. Each one is entirely believable and lovable. You won't be able to put it down!
If you liked this book, check out:
Harry Potter Series
Septimus Heap Series
Charlie Bone Series
The new book by Ingrid Law coming out in 2010.
Saving Juliet
*****
Suzanne Selfors
Mimi is the heiress of a local theater and she's been acting since she was three. And she hates it. Mimi's dream is to become a doctor, not play Juliet yet again. Don't get me wrong, she's an excellent actor, but even her life-long experience isn't going to help her now. Overcome with stage fright, smothered by her mother, conflicted about her gorgeous yet shallow co-star, and overcome with debilitating fear of walking onto the stage, Mimi makes a break for it. Unfortunately, during the struggle, the charm she's wearing breaks and ashes that are supposedly from Shakespeare's quill flood Mimi's lungs.
When she can see again, she realizes that she's not at the theater anymore. She has been transported right into Shakespeare's famous tragedy just in time to hear the prince declare a death penalty to any Montague or Capulet caught fighting in the streets of Verona.
For a while, Mimi believes she's only dreaming, but as the dream continues, she comes to realize that she is actually living in Romeo and Juliet's world - and that every one of her actions are changing the play. Caught between trying to get home and wanting a happy ending for the surprising sweet and child-like Juliet, Mimi struggles to make things right and stay alive. But in the end, which is more important: getting home, or helping Shakespeare's characters survive?
EXCELLENT book! I think you'd have to know (and love) Romeo and Juliet to truly appreciate this book, but it's great no matter what. Mimi is a dynamic and loveable character. Selfors creates remarkably real Shakespearian characters. All around, this was a great book that you should definitely go pick up!
If you liked this book, check out:
Anything by Levine
Shakespeare's Secret
Septimus Heap books
Suzanne Selfors
Mimi is the heiress of a local theater and she's been acting since she was three. And she hates it. Mimi's dream is to become a doctor, not play Juliet yet again. Don't get me wrong, she's an excellent actor, but even her life-long experience isn't going to help her now. Overcome with stage fright, smothered by her mother, conflicted about her gorgeous yet shallow co-star, and overcome with debilitating fear of walking onto the stage, Mimi makes a break for it. Unfortunately, during the struggle, the charm she's wearing breaks and ashes that are supposedly from Shakespeare's quill flood Mimi's lungs.
When she can see again, she realizes that she's not at the theater anymore. She has been transported right into Shakespeare's famous tragedy just in time to hear the prince declare a death penalty to any Montague or Capulet caught fighting in the streets of Verona.
For a while, Mimi believes she's only dreaming, but as the dream continues, she comes to realize that she is actually living in Romeo and Juliet's world - and that every one of her actions are changing the play. Caught between trying to get home and wanting a happy ending for the surprising sweet and child-like Juliet, Mimi struggles to make things right and stay alive. But in the end, which is more important: getting home, or helping Shakespeare's characters survive?
EXCELLENT book! I think you'd have to know (and love) Romeo and Juliet to truly appreciate this book, but it's great no matter what. Mimi is a dynamic and loveable character. Selfors creates remarkably real Shakespearian characters. All around, this was a great book that you should definitely go pick up!
If you liked this book, check out:
Anything by Levine
Shakespeare's Secret
Septimus Heap books
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
*****
JK Rowling
Finally, Harry is expecting a quiet year at Hogwarts. Yeah, right. Before he even gets close to going to school, things start to go wrong. Harry loses his temper and does (*gasp*) magic in front of muggles. Sure that he is about to be expelled or possibly even arrested, Harry decides he has nothing to lose and runs away from home. Thankfully the Knight Bus is there to rescue him and take him safely to Diagon Alley where he learns that he is in no trouble at all.
From there, the strangeness persists. Harry is followed everywhere by a mysterious black dog (the Grim?), hunted by a crazy serial killer, attacked by dementors, tutored by a man who grew up with his father, tortured by Snape (okay, that's pretty normal) and engrossed in the mystery of Peter Petigrew and his parents' deaths.
Is it disingenuous to give all of Rowling's books 5 stars? Oh well. I am in love with this series. This is the last light and happy book (if you can call it that) before the series starts to get pretty dark and depressing (but still irresistibly good!) There are parts of this book that will make you scream with the unfairness of it all and there are parts that may have you literally cheering for the trio.
If you like this, look for:
Harry Potter Series
Septimus Heap Series
Twilight Series
Charlie Bone Series
Percy Jackson Series
JK Rowling
Finally, Harry is expecting a quiet year at Hogwarts. Yeah, right. Before he even gets close to going to school, things start to go wrong. Harry loses his temper and does (*gasp*) magic in front of muggles. Sure that he is about to be expelled or possibly even arrested, Harry decides he has nothing to lose and runs away from home. Thankfully the Knight Bus is there to rescue him and take him safely to Diagon Alley where he learns that he is in no trouble at all.
From there, the strangeness persists. Harry is followed everywhere by a mysterious black dog (the Grim?), hunted by a crazy serial killer, attacked by dementors, tutored by a man who grew up with his father, tortured by Snape (okay, that's pretty normal) and engrossed in the mystery of Peter Petigrew and his parents' deaths.
Is it disingenuous to give all of Rowling's books 5 stars? Oh well. I am in love with this series. This is the last light and happy book (if you can call it that) before the series starts to get pretty dark and depressing (but still irresistibly good!) There are parts of this book that will make you scream with the unfairness of it all and there are parts that may have you literally cheering for the trio.
If you like this, look for:
Harry Potter Series
Septimus Heap Series
Twilight Series
Charlie Bone Series
Percy Jackson Series
Septimus Heap: Flyte
****
Angie Sage
Now that the long lost brother (and 7th son of a 7th son) has been idenitified and put in his proper place as ExtraOrdinary Wizard Aprentice, things should be going well. After all, DomDaniel was defeated and the Dragon Boat is safe with its Keeper.
But what about the jealous oldest brother, Simon? What sort of trouble is he causing by stealing Princess Jenna away on his horse? And why does Aunt Zelda insist that DomDaniel isn't dead but has just Disappeared? And furthermore, how long is it going to take to rid ExtraOrdinary Wizard Marcia of her Shadow? (And what's up with all these RaNdOm CaPiTaLiZaTiOnS??)
If you liked the first book, you should definitely grab this one. It starts off with action (the first was a little slow) and doesn't stop until the last page (literally). The characters are all still here, this time with some very interesting twists. I think this one may even be better than its prequel, which is something I rarely say about a series!
If you like this, look for:
Harry Potter Series
Septimus Heap Series
Charlie Bone Series
Angie Sage
Now that the long lost brother (and 7th son of a 7th son) has been idenitified and put in his proper place as ExtraOrdinary Wizard Aprentice, things should be going well. After all, DomDaniel was defeated and the Dragon Boat is safe with its Keeper.
But what about the jealous oldest brother, Simon? What sort of trouble is he causing by stealing Princess Jenna away on his horse? And why does Aunt Zelda insist that DomDaniel isn't dead but has just Disappeared? And furthermore, how long is it going to take to rid ExtraOrdinary Wizard Marcia of her Shadow? (And what's up with all these RaNdOm CaPiTaLiZaTiOnS??)
If you liked the first book, you should definitely grab this one. It starts off with action (the first was a little slow) and doesn't stop until the last page (literally). The characters are all still here, this time with some very interesting twists. I think this one may even be better than its prequel, which is something I rarely say about a series!
If you like this, look for:
Harry Potter Series
Septimus Heap Series
Charlie Bone Series
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
*****
JK Rowling
Harry Potter's second year at Hogwarts starts much like the first; he's happy to be home, but it's not without problems. Harry starts the year in trouble this time when he and Ron arrive in a flying car. It's not long before the trio (Harry, Hermione and Ron) begin to suspect that Draco, the epitome of a Slytherin, is up to no good. When students start to drop like flies and Harry begings hearing voices, they know they have to do something. Since no one will listen to them, the trio decide to take matters into their own hands.
I probably don't even have to tell you that I love the Harry Potter series. Yes, the books are very long, but they go by so quickly you won't even realize that you've read hundreds of pages before you're suddenly at the end. If you like fantasy, or books about students, or a little romance, or adventure, or mystery... these books are for you. Even if you don't, it would be worth a try!
JK Rowling
Harry Potter's second year at Hogwarts starts much like the first; he's happy to be home, but it's not without problems. Harry starts the year in trouble this time when he and Ron arrive in a flying car. It's not long before the trio (Harry, Hermione and Ron) begin to suspect that Draco, the epitome of a Slytherin, is up to no good. When students start to drop like flies and Harry begings hearing voices, they know they have to do something. Since no one will listen to them, the trio decide to take matters into their own hands.
I probably don't even have to tell you that I love the Harry Potter series. Yes, the books are very long, but they go by so quickly you won't even realize that you've read hundreds of pages before you're suddenly at the end. If you like fantasy, or books about students, or a little romance, or adventure, or mystery... these books are for you. Even if you don't, it would be worth a try!
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
*****
JK Rowling
Also called Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, this book is the first in the famous Harry Potter series. Rowling opens her tale with a young orphaned boy left on the doorstep of his unremarkable (and often cruel) aunt and uncle. As Harry grows up, he notices that he's a little different from his extended family, and not just because he sleeps in a broom cupboard and wears only hand-me-down clothes.
Then, on his 11th birthday, a giant named Hagrid shows up and changes Harry's entire world. Now studying at a magic school and saving the wizarding race are commonplace for the dark-haired orphan.
I probably don't even have to tell you that I love the Harry Potter series. Yes, the books are very long, but they go by so quickly you won't even realize that you've read hundreds of pages before you're suddenly at the end. If you like fantasy, or books about students, or a little romance, or adventure, or mystery... these books are for you. Even if you don't, it would be worth a try!
If you like this, look for:
Harry Potter Series
Septimus Heap Series
Twilight Series
Charlie Bone Series
Percy Jackson Series
JK Rowling
Also called Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, this book is the first in the famous Harry Potter series. Rowling opens her tale with a young orphaned boy left on the doorstep of his unremarkable (and often cruel) aunt and uncle. As Harry grows up, he notices that he's a little different from his extended family, and not just because he sleeps in a broom cupboard and wears only hand-me-down clothes.
Then, on his 11th birthday, a giant named Hagrid shows up and changes Harry's entire world. Now studying at a magic school and saving the wizarding race are commonplace for the dark-haired orphan.
I probably don't even have to tell you that I love the Harry Potter series. Yes, the books are very long, but they go by so quickly you won't even realize that you've read hundreds of pages before you're suddenly at the end. If you like fantasy, or books about students, or a little romance, or adventure, or mystery... these books are for you. Even if you don't, it would be worth a try!
If you like this, look for:
Harry Potter Series
Septimus Heap Series
Twilight Series
Charlie Bone Series
Percy Jackson Series
Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader
*****
CS Lewis
Edmund, Lucy and their insufferable cousin Eustace get pulled into Narnia through a painting to help Prince (now King) Caspian on his journey. Aboard the beautiful ship Dawn Treader, the small crew travels to islands and seeks the 7 lords sent away by Caspian's evil uncle Miraz. Along the way, Eustace has to learn some pretty tough lessons and Lucy and Edmund's bravery is put to the test.
This is a fabulous book. It's a quick read, full of adventure and aften side-splittingly funny! The language is a little difficult for low readers, but the characters are great and the story, like the series, is addictive!
If you like this book, look for:
The rest of the Narnia series
Harry Potter
CS Lewis
Edmund, Lucy and their insufferable cousin Eustace get pulled into Narnia through a painting to help Prince (now King) Caspian on his journey. Aboard the beautiful ship Dawn Treader, the small crew travels to islands and seeks the 7 lords sent away by Caspian's evil uncle Miraz. Along the way, Eustace has to learn some pretty tough lessons and Lucy and Edmund's bravery is put to the test.
This is a fabulous book. It's a quick read, full of adventure and aften side-splittingly funny! The language is a little difficult for low readers, but the characters are great and the story, like the series, is addictive!
If you like this book, look for:
The rest of the Narnia series
Harry Potter
What is the Teacher's Toupee Doing in the Fishtank?
***
Jerry Piasecki
Clever, but short-tempered Mindy, trouble-maker Jeff, big-eater and hard-punching Frankie and teacher-hating Samantha are among the hard-to-teach students in Mr. Finelli's class. Their goal this year is the same as every year - make life hard for their teacher. But this year, they may have met their match. Mr. Finelli is no ordinary teacher. He throws toupees, talks to sheletons, blows bubbles and eats more than any man his size should be able to. But will this wacky educator be enough to stand up to ARF Committee?
This is a funny book. It's not very serious, but will make you giggle. Just take it with a grain of salt. It's also a great read-aloud for classrooms, because it's easy to follow and downright wacky.
If you like this book, look for:
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key (and other Joey Pigza books)
Jerry Piasecki
Clever, but short-tempered Mindy, trouble-maker Jeff, big-eater and hard-punching Frankie and teacher-hating Samantha are among the hard-to-teach students in Mr. Finelli's class. Their goal this year is the same as every year - make life hard for their teacher. But this year, they may have met their match. Mr. Finelli is no ordinary teacher. He throws toupees, talks to sheletons, blows bubbles and eats more than any man his size should be able to. But will this wacky educator be enough to stand up to ARF Committee?
This is a funny book. It's not very serious, but will make you giggle. Just take it with a grain of salt. It's also a great read-aloud for classrooms, because it's easy to follow and downright wacky.
If you like this book, look for:
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key (and other Joey Pigza books)
Chronicles of Vladimir Todd: 8th Grade Bites
****
Heather Brewer
Vlad is just a normal 8th grader. Except for the fact that he has no parents. And the fact that he can read minds. And the fact that he's being hunted by his substitute teacher. And people around him are disappearing, maybe even being murdered!
Oh yeah, and he's a vampire!
Vlad has to keep a lot of secrets about his life and the things he discovers. But the secret that is being kept from him, just might end up killing him!
This was a very quick read and pretty darn good. It wasn't as well-written or clever as I usually like, but it was impossible to put down! The twists were a little predictable, but the action and characters were worth it. Definitely put this on your list.
If you like this book, look for:
Twilight
9th Grade Slays
Warrior Heir
Percy Jackson Series
Pandora Gets Jealous
Heather Brewer
Vlad is just a normal 8th grader. Except for the fact that he has no parents. And the fact that he can read minds. And the fact that he's being hunted by his substitute teacher. And people around him are disappearing, maybe even being murdered!
Oh yeah, and he's a vampire!
Vlad has to keep a lot of secrets about his life and the things he discovers. But the secret that is being kept from him, just might end up killing him!
This was a very quick read and pretty darn good. It wasn't as well-written or clever as I usually like, but it was impossible to put down! The twists were a little predictable, but the action and characters were worth it. Definitely put this on your list.
If you like this book, look for:
Twilight
9th Grade Slays
Warrior Heir
Percy Jackson Series
Pandora Gets Jealous
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