Category: Fiction

George's Marvellous Medicine

5/15/2017

The fictional book George's Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl is about a boy who makes a powerful magic medicine that can control the way things grow! The main character is George. George hates his grandmother, who is always acting like a witch to him the moment he was born. He is a very smart boy, and will keep his promises to the end. The main problem is grandma. Grandma has always been a pain in the neck for the family. When the medicine did its magic on her, grandma still didn’t change her evil thoughts and feelings. I love how the book has the action of pouring the ingredients, the excitement of the results, and the thrill of the magic that happens when the medicine is brewed. The book made me want to keep on reading, with its very detailed descriptions of the ingredients, and the funny statements of surprise and humor that the characters make. This is a book that will let you see the characters touch the very tips of the unpredictable magic world. -Serena

The Magic Finger

5/15/2017

The fictional book The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl is about the Greggs when they try to survive their new life as birds after a girl cursed them with her magic finger. The main characters are the Greggs. The Gregg family is made of a wife, a husband, and two sons, Philip and William. The men in the family love to hunt, not for survival, but just for the sport of it! Everyone of them has a gun, even Philip, who is only eight! The main problem are the results of the magic finger. It turned them into human-bird hybrids, and the ducks they were chasing are now bird-human hybrids. What a disaster! I love the conflicts the the Greggs face in this story. From learning to fly, all the way to how to build a sturdy nest. The characters are so interesting, with humans with bird’s wings! I also love the unexpected change in the Greggs feelings toward animals. It made me feel warm inside with joy and happiness. -Serena

The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me

5/15/2017

The fictional book The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me by Roald Dahl is about when a boy meets the Ladderless Window-Cleaning company and helps them with their job, and likewise when they help him reach his dream. The main character is Billy, a nice young boy who later becomes the wonderful Business Manager of the Ladderless Window-Cleaning company. Billy is a very trusting young lad, with a big dream to achieve. The main problem is that the Ladderless Window-Cleaning company is starving from not eating for days. Billy wants to help them, but how? I love the details that the author put into describing the settings, and characters. What really stuck to me was the huge Hampshire House, with its six hundred and seventy-seven filthy windows, as well as the luscious pink and purple flowers of a tinkle-tinkle tree. The way the story was set up, made me feel excited to see what would happen next. I love this short, but awe-striking book that kept my attention all the way! -Serena

Esio Trot

5/15/2017

The realistic fiction book Esio Trot by Roald Dahl is about the love-sick Mr. Hoppy doing a clever tortoise trick, to woo his beloved Mrs. Silver. The main character is Mr. Hoppy, a very, very shy man. Mr. Hoppy loves Mrs. Silver, and longs to invite her to have a cup of tea, but in the end, his courage always fails him. It has been many years, and Mr. Hoppy still hasn’t brought himself to express even a small hint of his love. The main problem is how to pull off the tortoise swapping trick. In order to win Mrs. Silver’s love, Mr. Hoppy helps make Mrs. Silver’s pet tortoise, Alfie, grow bigger. A lot of things could go wrong, what if Mrs. Silver notices too early? What if Mr. Hoppy calculated wrong? What if, if Mr. Hoppy does succeed, Mrs. Silver doesn't want to be with him anymore? As you can see, many things could go wrong. I love that this book has a very clever story plot. It made me feel included with the plan, churning my brain for more ideas, and all the while carefully devising along with Mr. Hoppy. I also love the unexpected twist, when Mr. Hoppy first introduced the Tortoise Swapping Trick. It seemed so sudden, and unanticipated, that I almost fell out of my chair with surprise! If you love a nice short story to enjoy some time to yourself, then this book is just right for you! -Serena

Twits

5/15/2017

The fiction book The Twits by Roald Dahl is about two awful people, husband and wife, who treat animals very badly, then their pet monkeys finally devise a plan to get rid of them once and for all. The main characters are Mr. and Mrs. Twit. They are the worst couple one could ever imagine. Mr. Twit has an extremly hairy face,and he never washes it. Mrs. Twit used to be a pretty woman, but she kept on thinking evil thoughts, and so her face started to change. Now they are both equally ugly, which is to say- unthinkably ugly. Every single day, the two disgusting scoundrels will play tricks on each other, with the goal of making the other suffer. The problem is how to get rid of the Twits. It all relies on Muggle-Wump, the dad of two monkey children, and the husband of a monkey wife. Will he come up with a plan so great, it could end the evilness of the Twits, once and for all? My opinion of this book is wonderful! Even though it is shorter than most books I read, it still has the trill of a plan, humor of the results, and most of all the excitement you feel when you ask the question, “Really, can it actually work?” I also like the interesting characteristics that the characters have and how they face their problems in their own unique way. Such as the Roly-Poly bird, with its lovely flying feathers, and the ingenious tricks that the Twits play on each other. I think, it is pretty impressive the author could come up with such a great plot in such a short story, and end it marvelously! -Serena

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma

5/8/2017

The science fiction novel The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart is about a group of extraordinary children who are trying to save the world while being held hostage by an evil genius, whose plans have finally come to a triumph. The main characters are the previously explained Mysterious Benedict Society, in my other book reviews. Here I shall only share what these characters have newly developed, starting with Constance Contraire. Constance is a four year old, and was already known to have the ability to detect patterns and predict the near future. Now through an embarrasing test, Constance has proven to have mental telepathy, where she can plant thoughts into minds, read minds, and control minds. But these actions have a great cost on her, for when she tries to control what should not be controlled, she gets so ill, even worse than the flu! Next, is the 13 year old, Reynie Muldoon. Reynard has always had the knack for finding the “puzzles” in problems, then cracking the code. In this book, Reynie and Constance’s relationship is less bumpy than others, since Reynie is always more patient with the conflicts of a young child. He has always thought through things with utmost curiosity, and observance. Never wanting to miss an important detail, that would prevail to their victory. Then, there’s Kate Wetherall, the ever-energetic 14 year old. Kate has been known to spring right to action, without giving a chance much second thought. Later on, Kate is found to have the love and worry for her secret agent father, Milligan. It is also demonstrated that Kate can gauge distances with perfect accuracy, which comes to hand later on. When dealing with the Ten Men’s leader, McCraken, it is known that Kate has the reputation of a witty, clever, and bold young girl, “the one who bites” (that’s what they call her). She might be even better than some of the Ten Men themselves. Last but not least is George (Sticky) Washington, the spectacled 13 year old. Later it is shown, that Sticky truly cares a lot about his friends, even willing to sacrifice himself to let Kate escape. Sticky has the bad habit of polishing his spectacles when he’s nervous, but he has finally gotten his anxiety under control. Despite his few occurrences of cowardness, Sticky has the evidence of a hero. The main problem is that Mr. Curtain has captured the four children in some unknown place, as a ransom, to get his precious Whisperer back. My opinion of this last book of the series is marvelous! I love the way the riddles made me have to think and experience the way the characters feel in their situation. Then the way the author described the settings are so detailed, I feel as if I’m touching the rough walls, or gliding across the gleaming floor! I love the twists and turns of humor in Kate’s expressions, the passionate love Milligan has for the children, and the forever-going taste of excitement and adventure in these pages that fill my mind with joy. -Serena

Gabby Duran and the Unsittables

5/8/2017

Gabby Duran and the Unsittables written by Daryle Conners and Elise Allen is a fantasy science fiction book that has elements of excitement, mystery, suspense, and humor. The title character, Gabby, is considered one of the best babysitters because of her patience and understanding towards her charges, especially the unusual children. She was recruited to babysit alien children and the story took off when she was assigned to babysit Wutt and at the same time attempting to win the French horn solo with school orchestra. The best scene in the book took place when Gabby first Wutt; it dialogue between Gabby and Ms. Edwina was very funny. The difficulties and intrigues along the way makes the story a good read. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy reading adventure stories involving fascinating characters. - Isabella

Prairie Evers

5/8/2017

The realistic fiction, Prairie Evers by Ellen Airgood is about the challenges that the previously homeschooled Prairie faces when she attends primary school for the first time in her life because her family moved back into town. She faces many obstacles due to the absence of her grandmother, not fitting in with the rest of the school, and judgemental attitude of the town. She overcomes the challenges with the support of her family and her best friend, Ivy. The main character, Prairie, is a shy determined girl who is trying her best to adjust to the many changes in her life that are happening all at once. She shows her determination best in the scenes where she attempts to raise chickens on her own. I would recommend this book to anyone who has determination and perseverance. - Isabella

Tales From A Not So Perfect Petsitter

5/5/2017

Tales From A Not So Perfect Petsitter is a fictional story by Rachel Renee Russell. This book is about a middle school girl named Nikki that really wants to help her crush Brandon by keeping a mommy dog and her seven puppies over night at her house. The problem is that Nikki’s mom said no to the puppies. I really liked this story because it made me feel thankful for all the foster parents of stray dogs without homes. The story also held my interest because the puppies kept making messes and drama for Nikki and that was interesting. That's why i really liked this book. -Chloe

The School For Good and Evil: A World Without Princes

5/5/2017

The title of the book is The School For Good and Evil: A World Without Princes. It is a fictional book by Soman Chainani. The main characters are Sophie, Agatha, and Tedros. In this book the characters go on a wild adventure to save their world as they know it. This all starts from a misleading wish that led them to the school that changed what everyone thought and knew. This book is amazing and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves adventure. -Mikayla

The Worst Class Trip Ever

4/28/2017

I read The Worst Class Trip Ever by Dave Barry. This book is about Wyatt, Matt, Suzanna, Victor, Cameron trying to save the White House from two shady people. The main character is a nerdy embarrassed 8th grader named Wyatt. The problem is two weird people are trying to blow up the White House. I liked this book because have way through there was a twist which made me want to read more. -Anthony

Tales From A Not So Happily Ever After

4/27/2017

Tales From A Not So Happily Ever After, by Rachel Renee Russel is a fictional book about a middle school girl named Nikki that is alway in the middle of some type of drama. This story is about Nikki transporting into Fairytale Land. There she makes many friends and encourages them to be brave and she tells them that they can be whatever or whoever the want. The main problem of the story is that Nikki need to find a way to get out of Fairytale Land. I really liked this story because it had an unexpected plot in the end and that made me want to keep reading more. The plot was that i thought the Queen of hearts was going to kill Nikki but then suddenly her friends saved her. That's why i loved reading this Dork Diaries book. -Chloe L.

The Gollywhopper Games

4/27/2017

The Gollywhopper Games is a fiction book by Jody Feldman about a kid who enters and tries to win a contest about boardgame knowledge with a huge prize. The main character in the book is a kid name Gil. He is a smart, brown-haired, and likeable kid. He wants to try to win the competition he’s in, but he has a bully, a dummy, and a smart person in his way. I liked the book because it was interesting how each character solved each problem, or conflict, and it was interesting where every question the contestants asked, it was in a new place at a new time. I would recommend this book to anyone, and I loved it! -Beck

Capture the Flag

4/27/2017

Capture the Flag by Kate Messner was a fiction book about three kids that try and find out where the first ever American flag was taken. The book focuses a lot of one kid named Anna. She is tough, headstrong, and very smart. But the problem though is that she wants to figure out where the first American flag is, because she thinks it’s stuck in the airport she’s staying in, but there’s an infamous gang who’s in her way from stealing it. I loved the book because it was interesting how the author chose the airport for where the action was going to take place, and it was unexpected who turns out to be trying to help them, and who isn’t….. -Beck

The Terrible Two

4/27/2017

In a humorous fiction The Terrible Two by Jory John and Mac Barnett, the pranksters Miles Murphy and Niles Sparks kept life in Yawney Valley Science and Letters Academy fun and interesting with their hilarious pranks. They also try to best their nemesis Principal Barkin by attempting pranks that cause the closure of the school for the first time since he became principal. Both Miles and Niles are amusing characters. Miles initially wanted to be the “the king of pranks” in his new school, so he did not want to team up with the school’s best original prankster Niles. However, Niles, who is a more disciplined and cautious of the two, was patient and in the end, they became a good team and the best of friends. The best scene of the book is when Principal Barkin first discovered a surprise left by the pranksters in his office and tried to hide it. The book’s humorous tone as well as funny illustrations makes it a fun read. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a sense of humour and loves reading entertaining stories. - Isabella

Captain Riddle’s Treasure

4/26/2017

The book Captain Riddle’s Treasure by G.V. Rama Rao is about some kids who try to find a treasure. The main character is Ruth, a strong willed teenager that is amazing at riddles. The problem in the story is that the kids are banished to an island but then rescued. After they are rescued they are expected to help a captain find some treasure. I liked the story because they face all sorts of mythical beasts from Godzilla to aliens. -Kalyan

Dork Diaries-Tales From a Not So Happy Heartbreaker

4/26/2017

Dork Diaries-Tales From a Not So Happy Heartbreaker is a realistic fiction book by Rachel Renee Russell. The main character is Nikki Maxwell, a sweet, middle school girl, who finds an article in a magazine that tells you if your crush is dosen't like you. Once all of the things on the list are checked off she loses all hope until she got up the courage to ask him to the girls-ask- guys Sweetheart Dance but suddenly the night of the dance he texts her saying he is sick and can’t make it!! What will she do? I really liked this book. When things didn't go Nikki's way you could feel the pain that she felt. The book held my interest the whole way through, I couldn't put it down! - Nina

Eddie Red Undercover

4/25/2017

The fiction book Eddie Red Undercover by Marcia Wells is an amazing book about two kids with extraordinary abilities who solve a most wanted police chase in New York City. Edmund is an average kid with a photographic memory who goes to school just like every other person. In this story, Edmund and his photographic memory are trying to find suspects of a group called the picasso gang. I loved this story because It had that well known sense of mystery that made me just want to keep reading the story, and when I got to the end I didn’t want to stop reading. -Kalyan

Luck Uglies

4/24/2017

The fiction novel Luck Uglies by Paul Durham is about a girl who meets a Luck Ugly, and goes on an adventure to defend the village of Drowning against the Bognoblins, but most importantly, the real villain, the Earl Longchance. The main character is Riley O’Chanter, she is a very adventurous soul, with cleverness and wit inside out. Riley is about 11 years old and has a younger sister named Lottie. Through many mysteries she discovers that her dad is the Head of the Luck Uglies, which explains the glowing blue choker that her family wears, which can warn off monsters. Rye is very caring and compassionate to whomever she meets, especially to her best friend Folly as well as Quinn. The main problem is that the Bognoblins are going to attack the village. The reason is that the Earl has captured one of their kind, and is not going to hand his prisoner over. The only ones who can save Drowning are the Luck Uglies, but they have long been exiled to Beyond the Shale, as criminals never to return. How will Rye and her friends save the village that they love? I think this book is filled with excitement of the Luck Uglies, the friendship of friends, strangers, and family, but most of all, the adventure that twists through every word in this trilling story. I also love the surprise and amazement that caught my breath when the Luck Ugly Rye meets, turns out to be her long-lost father! That twist in the plot changed everything, just like when I realized that the Earl was the true enemy of Drowning, the evil cause behind the old hate of the Luck Uglies. This book is an exhilarating catch to all those who read it, that's my true opinion! -Serena

Turn Left at the Cow

4/24/2017

The realistic fiction novel Turn Left at the Cow by Lisa Bullard is about a boy and his two friends that uncover a mystery of lost money that has remained hanging around his family since his father died. The main character is Travis, a thirteen year-old boy who has always been wondering about his dead-before-born dad. Trav is an average boy, not that smart, not that strong, not that talented. He isn’t into girls, or sports, although he can play video games. Most of the time he’s pretty shy, but when you get to know him, the mischievous daring lad comes out of hiding. The main problem is the entire bunch of cash that was stolen one night from a bank “supposedly” by Trav’s dad. Back in California Travis was feeling left out in his mom’s current life, with her new boyfriend, her new house, her new life- without Trav. When Travis decides to visit his grandma for a few weeks in a little town in Minnesota - the site of the crime, the family reunion becomes a blaming of wrong, a chase of the burglar, and a dangerous uncovering of the past. My opinion is that I love the danger and the thrill of the adventure in this book! I love how they finally uncover who is the real bad guy in a series of mysteries and twisting plots. I made me jump with a shock to find out who was behind all of it! One thing I would have changed is to hurry up the plot in the beginning. I was reading the book with no enthusiasm in the front, when at last the action started at ¾ of the story! But otherwise from that, I love the glamor and excitement that came with the romance, and the final push of the conflict that finished it all! -Serena

Tales From A Not So Graceful Ice Princess

4/20/2017

Tales From A Not So Graceful Ice Princess is a fictional story in the Dork Diaries series by Rachel Russel. The character Nikki Maxwell has to ice skate in a contest otherwise her crush will have to move away and his pet store fuzzy friends will close. The problem is that Nikki is a terrible skater and falls about 4 times in a 3 minute routine. I liked this routine because of all the drama and craziness of her life. The story was presented clearly and creatively. It made me want to read more and more because it kept me suspended. That's why I liked the 4th dork diaries book. -Chloe L.

Coach Hyatt is a Riot

4/20/2017

Coach Hyatt is a Riot is by Dan Gutman it is a fiction book.The main character is A.J. His football team is going against the sharks, but they have to do lot of practice from their new coach, Coach Hyatt. The problem is that they will not be able to win, and probably to survive to them. Coach Hyatt has to do her best to train the football team to win. I like this book because it is funny and it held my interest because I wanted to know if they win. -Brandon C.

My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish: My Pet’s Got Talent

4/5/2017

In the fiction book My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish: My Pet’s Got Talent by Mo O’Hara, Mark transfers all of the contestant pet’s talents and transfer them to Fang.The main characters are Mark, Tim’s older brother, an evil scientist, and has a cat named fang. Tim is Mark’s younger brother, his best friend is Predeep. The main problem is that when Mark transfers all of the pets talents to fang he also transfers Frankie’s power (Tim’s goldfish) which is hypnosis so he can hypnotize everyone. I like this book because there is a lot of chasing and mischief. -Max

My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish: Agent Octopus-Sea

4/5/2017

In the fiction book My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish: Agent Octopus-Sea by Mo O’Hara, Mark takes out all of the filters in the aquarium so the smart Antonio (an octopus) can escape and Mark can use him to win the lottery. The main characters are Mark, Tim’s older brother, an evil scientist, and has a cat named fang. Tim is Mark’s younger brother, his best friend is Predeep. The main problem is that Mark takes out all of the filters in the aquarium so that when Antonio escapes the filters lead right to him and he can find out the winning lottery number. I like this book because there is a lot of action and mystery. -Max

Spy Ski School

4/5/2017

This book is about several characters who are recommended to survive and repeal a ski school. These main characters are Leo,Tom, Professor Simon, Professor Warren, Zoe, CIA interrogation officers. It’s is about a girl named Zoe who was applied to the CIA Academy of espionage. Her struggles gave a bad reputation to leaders and teachers such as bad grades, lack of seriousness, and disobedience. When she attempted to escape it costed a big impact on her reputation making her irresponsible and despised. In my opinion this is a funny and good book becauses it informs you about how being a bad student is a bad thing to be. It is funny because the pranks are hilarious and the comedian, Leo, cracks up a good joke very often. That is what this SPY SKI BOOK is all about. -Peter