Whatever Happened to Janie?
By: Caroline B. Cooney
Pgs:199
"Whatever Happened to Janie?" is the exciting sequal to the notoriouse "The Face on the Milk Carton". Just a quick recap of the prevoiuse story, 15 year old Janie Johnson discovers that at the age of 3, she had been kidnapped from her real family and since then had lived with a friendly couple who didnt even know she had been kindnapped. Sounds confusing? Well dont worry cuz the book explains it way better. But now that you have a little background on what this is all about, i can procede to explaining the story. After Janie finds out about her kidnapping, she also found her real parents. Janie knows if she doesnt contact them, she'd never be able to live it down, so she gives them a call and suddenly, she has a new identity, a new school, and a new family. Janie Johnson was to dissapear and turn into Jennie Spring. The struggle that Janie had to go through was very heartouching and sad. How could she just forget about the parents she had known all her life? But then again, how could she just abandon the parents that had been searching for her ever since she had dissapeared at 3.
This was a really great book, though the storyline was not as interesting as "The Face on the Milk Carton". The concept was basically just finding who her true family was. The story had an open ending, becuase although she chose to go back to her "fake" family, it did not seem like a suitable mood to end a story. Of course, the next boook in the seriese, "The Voice on the Radio" opens up new possibilities. Overall, I'd reccomend this series to any teen interested in romance and drama. I'd rate it 3.5/5
Community service hours- 3
total-6
Sunday, October 29, 2006
How I Live Now
Meg Rosoff
194 Pages
Daisy is going to stay with her cousins in England for a while because life at home sucks. Her father has remarried, and his new wife is the devil, and the baby she is pregnant will be too. So she's off to live with Aunt Penn and her kids, and the experience is awesome, because Daisy feels miles away, and more alive than she ever has in New York, where she usually lives.
But when Aunt Penn is away on a business trip, war breaks out and there is no way for her to get back home. So the kids are on their own, left to fend for themselves. Only it isn't as bad as it sounds, because they live on a farm, and all the attacks are too far away to affect them. But when a soldier comes to their house and takes over, they are all split in half, and Daisy is off to live with another family with her cousin Piper and her dog Jet. And again things are fine, until they get worse and the whole prospect of war becomes really clear to them.
As they are left stranded, they fight a battle to reconnect with the rest of their cousins, and make it back home safely.
This book is completely and totally amazing. It won an award, which it definately deserves. It's written in Daisy's perspective, and it is perfect. I have no complaints, i think that everybody should read this book!!! It describes what it's like to live through a war, and leaves nothing out - it's real. Definately a 5/5!
Please read this book and give it the time it deserves!!
- Jenn :-) ***
Community Service Hours: 3 (21 Total)
Please publish in newsletter!!
Meg Rosoff
194 Pages
Daisy is going to stay with her cousins in England for a while because life at home sucks. Her father has remarried, and his new wife is the devil, and the baby she is pregnant will be too. So she's off to live with Aunt Penn and her kids, and the experience is awesome, because Daisy feels miles away, and more alive than she ever has in New York, where she usually lives.
But when Aunt Penn is away on a business trip, war breaks out and there is no way for her to get back home. So the kids are on their own, left to fend for themselves. Only it isn't as bad as it sounds, because they live on a farm, and all the attacks are too far away to affect them. But when a soldier comes to their house and takes over, they are all split in half, and Daisy is off to live with another family with her cousin Piper and her dog Jet. And again things are fine, until they get worse and the whole prospect of war becomes really clear to them.
As they are left stranded, they fight a battle to reconnect with the rest of their cousins, and make it back home safely.
This book is completely and totally amazing. It won an award, which it definately deserves. It's written in Daisy's perspective, and it is perfect. I have no complaints, i think that everybody should read this book!!! It describes what it's like to live through a war, and leaves nothing out - it's real. Definately a 5/5!
Please read this book and give it the time it deserves!!
- Jenn :-) ***
Community Service Hours: 3 (21 Total)
Please publish in newsletter!!
Friday, October 27, 2006
Brunettes Strike Back
By Kieran Scott
249 pages
This is the sequel to I was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader. Loved it. Gosh, I wish there was a series of, like, ten zillion of these! Ah!
as, you know, annisa is a brunette, and the rest of her squad is blonde. ok. if you havent read i was a non blonde cheerleader, don't keep reading or else the ending will be spoiled. well, unless you want it to be. anyways, so... the last book was about annisa and her cheerleading squad, solving millons of problems and getting it together right before regionals. they put in a ton of effort, and they...won. thats basically a really dull outline of the last book.
this book is about them getting ready for nationals. the year before, a really really good team one. annisa's squad felt like nothing compared to them.
finally, annisa's feeling like a part of the squad but not for long. they are secretly trying to get her to dye her hair blonde; mostly the superstitious tara timothy. she feels that its bad luck, and all that superstitious stuff.her best friend from back home makes a surprise apperance at nationals, which turns out as rivalry. annisa feels like she's in between two worlds, not knowing what to do next. not to mention her suspicions on her maybe-boyfriend, daniel healy. and, theres steven schwinn. a reporter kind of person for the school paper.he interviews annisa for an article on the paper, but starts to get on annisa's nerves.
i think the lesson in both these books is to be yourself, and not give up who you are no matter how much pressure is being put on you.
READ THIS BOOK!!(well, read the first book, first)
this review can be published in a teen newsletter.
18 would-have-been volounteer hours.
Jessica :)
ps. no one seems to be going on the blog these days! not blaming anyone, i just gotta get used to it. cuz i remember how there used to be, like 5 posts a day on the summer blog. anyways its not like i dont understand that theres homework and everything! i should feel lucky for actually having time to read!
and oh yeah, this blog sems to be all girls... hm... perhaps girls ARE smarter... hm...
*peace*
By Kieran Scott
249 pages
This is the sequel to I was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader. Loved it. Gosh, I wish there was a series of, like, ten zillion of these! Ah!
as, you know, annisa is a brunette, and the rest of her squad is blonde. ok. if you havent read i was a non blonde cheerleader, don't keep reading or else the ending will be spoiled. well, unless you want it to be. anyways, so... the last book was about annisa and her cheerleading squad, solving millons of problems and getting it together right before regionals. they put in a ton of effort, and they...won. thats basically a really dull outline of the last book.
this book is about them getting ready for nationals. the year before, a really really good team one. annisa's squad felt like nothing compared to them.
finally, annisa's feeling like a part of the squad but not for long. they are secretly trying to get her to dye her hair blonde; mostly the superstitious tara timothy. she feels that its bad luck, and all that superstitious stuff.her best friend from back home makes a surprise apperance at nationals, which turns out as rivalry. annisa feels like she's in between two worlds, not knowing what to do next. not to mention her suspicions on her maybe-boyfriend, daniel healy. and, theres steven schwinn. a reporter kind of person for the school paper.he interviews annisa for an article on the paper, but starts to get on annisa's nerves.
i think the lesson in both these books is to be yourself, and not give up who you are no matter how much pressure is being put on you.
READ THIS BOOK!!(well, read the first book, first)
this review can be published in a teen newsletter.
18 would-have-been volounteer hours.
Jessica :)
ps. no one seems to be going on the blog these days! not blaming anyone, i just gotta get used to it. cuz i remember how there used to be, like 5 posts a day on the summer blog. anyways its not like i dont understand that theres homework and everything! i should feel lucky for actually having time to read!
and oh yeah, this blog sems to be all girls... hm... perhaps girls ARE smarter... hm...
*peace*
Monday, October 23, 2006
I Was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader
By Kieran Scott
246 pages + 17 pages (first chapter of sequel)
i saw this on the list of new book in catherine's (or was it andrea) post a few weeks ago. i though it was be sissy and girly and pointless. just read the title. does it really not sound something like her wishing she was blonde, becoming a cheerleader with the popular girls who were all blonde, who make fun of her cuz she's not blonde? ok, the book was kind of like that, but thats not the oint. it was really good. and it WASN'T sissy.
i loved how the first page of the book started with a page called 'the first day' and was an interesting page in the book. it got me interested. (they got me, hook, line, and sinker with it)so, annisa gobrowski is a pixie-cut brunnette girl, who moves to a new school. shes moved many times before, so it didnt matter. well, at this school it really did. first mistake. EVERYONE at sand dune high school was blonde. she felt intimidated right at the doorway. annisa probably had no chance of making decent friends. everyone has their own little cliques. well, everyone except bethany. the only thin that brightened her first day was some cute guy who had apparently followed her to school, cuz he was "only a block away" oya, and on the first day, she broke the most popular girl in the school's nose. darn.
everybody hates her (not just because she's blonde) and nobody wants her on the cheerleading squad. but annisa had been part of the cheerleading squad back home, so she knew what it was like. well, not what it was like at sand dune. anniasa's former squad was just all about fun, since they sucked. they couldnt get any routines and she was the only one that could do a back tuck. the sand dune squad was about competing, if not winning. she desprerately wanted to be on the squad. so did mindy, a friend she made.
annisa does manage to make friends and find love. she didnt dye her hair blonde to fit in. i loved this book. it got really funny at times. it seemed totally real, (except for the fact that everyone was blonde) which made it better. the sequel (Brunnettes strike Back) i have put on hold. (teehee) i definetly recommend this book. i recommend it to my language to, since she was a cheerleader before. i mean, award winning cheerleader. her team once won a national award. sounds stupid, but still its cool.
quote from the book:
"there were natural blondes, peroxide blondes, highlighted blondes, and frosted blondes. golden blondes, white blondes, ash blondes. blondes with brown eyebrows, and blondes with olive skin. there was even an asian girl in the front row with her short blonde hair pulled back in two neat ponytails. my gaze darted around the room from blonde to blonde to blonde to blonde. a britney-clone looked at me and snickered."
**this review can be published in a teen newsletter
*** would have been 15 volounteer hours
--Jessica--
By Kieran Scott
246 pages + 17 pages (first chapter of sequel)
i saw this on the list of new book in catherine's (or was it andrea) post a few weeks ago. i though it was be sissy and girly and pointless. just read the title. does it really not sound something like her wishing she was blonde, becoming a cheerleader with the popular girls who were all blonde, who make fun of her cuz she's not blonde? ok, the book was kind of like that, but thats not the oint. it was really good. and it WASN'T sissy.
i loved how the first page of the book started with a page called 'the first day' and was an interesting page in the book. it got me interested. (they got me, hook, line, and sinker with it)so, annisa gobrowski is a pixie-cut brunnette girl, who moves to a new school. shes moved many times before, so it didnt matter. well, at this school it really did. first mistake. EVERYONE at sand dune high school was blonde. she felt intimidated right at the doorway. annisa probably had no chance of making decent friends. everyone has their own little cliques. well, everyone except bethany. the only thin that brightened her first day was some cute guy who had apparently followed her to school, cuz he was "only a block away" oya, and on the first day, she broke the most popular girl in the school's nose. darn.
everybody hates her (not just because she's blonde) and nobody wants her on the cheerleading squad. but annisa had been part of the cheerleading squad back home, so she knew what it was like. well, not what it was like at sand dune. anniasa's former squad was just all about fun, since they sucked. they couldnt get any routines and she was the only one that could do a back tuck. the sand dune squad was about competing, if not winning. she desprerately wanted to be on the squad. so did mindy, a friend she made.
annisa does manage to make friends and find love. she didnt dye her hair blonde to fit in. i loved this book. it got really funny at times. it seemed totally real, (except for the fact that everyone was blonde) which made it better. the sequel (Brunnettes strike Back) i have put on hold. (teehee) i definetly recommend this book. i recommend it to my language to, since she was a cheerleader before. i mean, award winning cheerleader. her team once won a national award. sounds stupid, but still its cool.
quote from the book:
"there were natural blondes, peroxide blondes, highlighted blondes, and frosted blondes. golden blondes, white blondes, ash blondes. blondes with brown eyebrows, and blondes with olive skin. there was even an asian girl in the front row with her short blonde hair pulled back in two neat ponytails. my gaze darted around the room from blonde to blonde to blonde to blonde. a britney-clone looked at me and snickered."
**this review can be published in a teen newsletter
*** would have been 15 volounteer hours
--Jessica--
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Stargirl
By: Jerry Spinelli
Pages: 186
Plot: Stargirl Caraway is the new girl at Mica High School. Just from her name, you can see that she’s different than the rest. What’s more, she wears pioneer dresses to school, carries a pet rat everywhere, plays and sings Happy Birthday on her ukulele for someone’s birthday, and just does random acts of kindness. Soon, she had caught everyone’s attention, and became the center of attention. In a few short months, she was the most popular person at school. Never in the history of Mica High School had anyone seen such individuality and spirit from someone. One student in particular, was more interested in her than the rest: Leo Borlock. Stargirl and him quickly falls in love with each other. But after a few unfortunate incidents, all the students began hating her and the shunning spread rapidly. In an attempt to fix things up, Leo tries to persuade Stargirl to be normal like the rest of them…but will the student body accept her after she changed?
This is such a cute book, but quite sad at times. (I believe a lot of people had already read this). Anyways, it sent a message that all of us can be different in our own unique way. It seems like lots of teens nowadays are scared to be different. They follow what their friends wear, what music their friends listen to, what clothes they wear…etc. Somehow, they are scared that if they don’t follow the trend, then they are not normal. But this story teaches us to not be afraid to be different, and that’s what I like about it.
Rating: 9/10 !!!
s.t.e.p.h.i.e.
volunteer hours-3 (total – 16 ½)
By: Jerry Spinelli
Pages: 186
Plot: Stargirl Caraway is the new girl at Mica High School. Just from her name, you can see that she’s different than the rest. What’s more, she wears pioneer dresses to school, carries a pet rat everywhere, plays and sings Happy Birthday on her ukulele for someone’s birthday, and just does random acts of kindness. Soon, she had caught everyone’s attention, and became the center of attention. In a few short months, she was the most popular person at school. Never in the history of Mica High School had anyone seen such individuality and spirit from someone. One student in particular, was more interested in her than the rest: Leo Borlock. Stargirl and him quickly falls in love with each other. But after a few unfortunate incidents, all the students began hating her and the shunning spread rapidly. In an attempt to fix things up, Leo tries to persuade Stargirl to be normal like the rest of them…but will the student body accept her after she changed?
This is such a cute book, but quite sad at times. (I believe a lot of people had already read this). Anyways, it sent a message that all of us can be different in our own unique way. It seems like lots of teens nowadays are scared to be different. They follow what their friends wear, what music their friends listen to, what clothes they wear…etc. Somehow, they are scared that if they don’t follow the trend, then they are not normal. But this story teaches us to not be afraid to be different, and that’s what I like about it.
Rating: 9/10 !!!
s.t.e.p.h.i.e.
volunteer hours-3 (total – 16 ½)
A Great and Terrible Beauty
by Libba Bray
403 pages
8.5 /10
this was a great book. well, it not like 'wow! its so good!' but theres something in it that keeps you reading til the end. my language teacher said she 'highly recommended' this book, so i read it. i usually get intimidated by books this long, but turns out, they're not that bad.
the book is about a girl named gemma. her mother dies in the beginning, and she is sent to spence, a girls boarding school, by her father and brother. her mother gave her a mysterious necklace with a picture of a cresent eye before she left. and yea, theres a meaning. the boarding school is mainly to make them as ladylike as possible, to prepare them for marriage. gemma does not make friends easily once she enters spence academy. that doesnt mean she's alone, though. there is a handsome young man who seems to be following her everywhere, trying to tell her something. he warns gemma to stops the thoughts of all her visions, and keep all magic within the magical realms or else...
gemma manages to communicate with her mother, after her death, and finds an interesting book - the secret diary of mary dowd. its full of secrets that gemma can truly relate to. but... whose mary dowd??
this was a good book, and it kept me reading. the climax wasnt until the last few pages. when i was almost done the book, i thought i had missed the climax somewhere in the middle. i asked my teacher, but she told me it was nearer to the end. so i was like - ooh. the way the author wrote was a little different from other authors. she often said stuff like: 'she pulled me over. squeezed me hard' - or something liek that instead of 'pulled me over and squeezed me hard' she doesnt use the article in the next action after it. i think it makes the actions seem quicker.
i really recommend this book.
this review can be published in a teen newsletter.
hmm.. 12 not-so-volunteer hours
by Libba Bray
403 pages
8.5 /10
this was a great book. well, it not like 'wow! its so good!' but theres something in it that keeps you reading til the end. my language teacher said she 'highly recommended' this book, so i read it. i usually get intimidated by books this long, but turns out, they're not that bad.
the book is about a girl named gemma. her mother dies in the beginning, and she is sent to spence, a girls boarding school, by her father and brother. her mother gave her a mysterious necklace with a picture of a cresent eye before she left. and yea, theres a meaning. the boarding school is mainly to make them as ladylike as possible, to prepare them for marriage. gemma does not make friends easily once she enters spence academy. that doesnt mean she's alone, though. there is a handsome young man who seems to be following her everywhere, trying to tell her something. he warns gemma to stops the thoughts of all her visions, and keep all magic within the magical realms or else...
gemma manages to communicate with her mother, after her death, and finds an interesting book - the secret diary of mary dowd. its full of secrets that gemma can truly relate to. but... whose mary dowd??
this was a good book, and it kept me reading. the climax wasnt until the last few pages. when i was almost done the book, i thought i had missed the climax somewhere in the middle. i asked my teacher, but she told me it was nearer to the end. so i was like - ooh. the way the author wrote was a little different from other authors. she often said stuff like: 'she pulled me over. squeezed me hard' - or something liek that instead of 'pulled me over and squeezed me hard' she doesnt use the article in the next action after it. i think it makes the actions seem quicker.
i really recommend this book.
this review can be published in a teen newsletter.
hmm.. 12 not-so-volunteer hours
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Everyone,
This is Public Library Week! TVO is running a writing contest asking people how the library has impacted your life. Unfortunately, the contest is only open to 18+, but if any of you are 18 or have older friends or sibling who might be interested, here's the link:
http://www.tvo.org/cfmx/tvoorg/tellingourstories/index.cfm?ls=6077
Does anyone have a story about how the library has affected your life? (Sorry, I don't have a cash prize to offer, but I'd love to hear what you think about Angus Glen).
This is Public Library Week! TVO is running a writing contest asking people how the library has impacted your life. Unfortunately, the contest is only open to 18+, but if any of you are 18 or have older friends or sibling who might be interested, here's the link:
http://www.tvo.org/cfmx/tvoorg/tellingourstories/index.cfm?ls=6077
Does anyone have a story about how the library has affected your life? (Sorry, I don't have a cash prize to offer, but I'd love to hear what you think about Angus Glen).
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Spin Control
By:Nicky Burnham
Spin Control is a romantic comedy telling the classic story about a normal girl finding her prince charming. Main character, Valerie Winslow, had moved to the tiny country of Sweirenbourg with her father. Due to her dads job as cheif protocol, they were able to live under the same roof as the royal family. There, Valerie gets hooked up with none other than...the actual prince! who is cute, funny, and the perfect match for her. That is, until the two lovebirds are told to "cool things off" due to the unfriendly press. After very rude comments made about Valerie in the news, the king and queen decide that the couple should stop seeing eachother for a while and the two went their seperate ways for christmas break to sort out their feelings.
Valerie decides to fly back to Virginia to visit her mother and her mothers girlfriend. However she soon discovers that her old crush David Anderson, may have feelings for her too. While going on "test" dates with David, Valerie struggles with wether her true love is the cute sensitive prince in Schwerinbourg, or her good friend and crush in Virginia. All this and dealing with her lesbian mom is tearing Valerie apart. What will she do? well ha ha if you want to know guess you"ll have to read the book.
Personally, Spin Control, is one of the best books I've ever read. Of course its only the sequal to perhaps the best teen read on the face of the earth (ok maybe i'm exaggerating a bit), Royally Jacked. These two books are funny, romantic, but can also be extremely sad at times. I really like the writing style of Nicky Burnham. She uses a casual teen language that you can realate to and also has the magic of absorbing you into the story. I found i couldnt put the book down all the way till the very end. This is a great book and I hope you guys enjoyed my review.
#of reviews done:1 hours-3
By:Nicky Burnham
Spin Control is a romantic comedy telling the classic story about a normal girl finding her prince charming. Main character, Valerie Winslow, had moved to the tiny country of Sweirenbourg with her father. Due to her dads job as cheif protocol, they were able to live under the same roof as the royal family. There, Valerie gets hooked up with none other than...the actual prince! who is cute, funny, and the perfect match for her. That is, until the two lovebirds are told to "cool things off" due to the unfriendly press. After very rude comments made about Valerie in the news, the king and queen decide that the couple should stop seeing eachother for a while and the two went their seperate ways for christmas break to sort out their feelings.
Valerie decides to fly back to Virginia to visit her mother and her mothers girlfriend. However she soon discovers that her old crush David Anderson, may have feelings for her too. While going on "test" dates with David, Valerie struggles with wether her true love is the cute sensitive prince in Schwerinbourg, or her good friend and crush in Virginia. All this and dealing with her lesbian mom is tearing Valerie apart. What will she do? well ha ha if you want to know guess you"ll have to read the book.
Personally, Spin Control, is one of the best books I've ever read. Of course its only the sequal to perhaps the best teen read on the face of the earth (ok maybe i'm exaggerating a bit), Royally Jacked. These two books are funny, romantic, but can also be extremely sad at times. I really like the writing style of Nicky Burnham. She uses a casual teen language that you can realate to and also has the magic of absorbing you into the story. I found i couldnt put the book down all the way till the very end. This is a great book and I hope you guys enjoyed my review.
#of reviews done:1 hours-3
Monday, October 16, 2006
Hi everyone (again) - just to let you know a couple of things. First, our library catalogue has been upgraded to include cover art for the books and to provide links to book reviews and other information - I know some of you like to browse for new material using the catalogue and include pictures in your reviews, so now you can use our catalogue for that.
Second, the library has created a new service to help people find books based on their reading preferences. It is an online form (available from our website at www.markham.ca/mpl) that you can fill out, and within three weeks, you'll get a customized reading list that a librian will have compiled for you. We'd love to get some feedback on how good our choices are, so if any of you are interested in trying it out, please let me know how we did. Here is a short cut to the form:
http://www.markham.ca/mpl/Forms/GoodBook.asp
Thanks, Andrea.
Second, the library has created a new service to help people find books based on their reading preferences. It is an online form (available from our website at www.markham.ca/mpl) that you can fill out, and within three weeks, you'll get a customized reading list that a librian will have compiled for you. We'd love to get some feedback on how good our choices are, so if any of you are interested in trying it out, please let me know how we did. Here is a short cut to the form:
http://www.markham.ca/mpl/Forms/GoodBook.asp
Thanks, Andrea.
Hi everyone - I'm putting out this question and I'd love to get as much feedback from you as possible. We're in the midst of designing the new teen webpage and the designers have included a feature whereby you have the option to change the background of the page to various different themes. I'm looking for any suggestions that you may have for the kinds of themes you might like to see - right now they have designed a background that looks like it has a steel finish, and one that is camouflage. If you think of anything, please respond to this post before the end of tomorrow.
Thanks, Andrea.
Thanks, Andrea.
The opposite of Chocolate
There are two themes in this book: fire setting and teen age pregnancy. The fire comes to symbolize a lot more than the element of fire but rather freedom, excitement, escapism and coming of age.
Sapphire is the young lady who finds herself pregnant. She is 14. At the time of the conception, she thought she was in love with Jay. As time goes on, she realizes that he never loved her and she never loved him.
The real issue continues to be her feelings about the baby. She is bombarded on all sides about what is best for her and what is best for the baby.
Sapphire is allowed a few childish moments after all, she is only 14. In the end, in her mind, she does what is best for her and the baby, ignoring the advice of others. It is not until the last page of the book that you see and understand her decision.
No matter how one feels about the issue of teenage pregnancy, this book presents all sides equally. Remembering also that this is a book and not reality, I thought the story was quite good and pretty well written.
Any book is well written to be when I am still thinking about it after having read it all the way through. This one was thought provoking.
catherine
There are two themes in this book: fire setting and teen age pregnancy. The fire comes to symbolize a lot more than the element of fire but rather freedom, excitement, escapism and coming of age.
Sapphire is the young lady who finds herself pregnant. She is 14. At the time of the conception, she thought she was in love with Jay. As time goes on, she realizes that he never loved her and she never loved him.
The real issue continues to be her feelings about the baby. She is bombarded on all sides about what is best for her and what is best for the baby.
Sapphire is allowed a few childish moments after all, she is only 14. In the end, in her mind, she does what is best for her and the baby, ignoring the advice of others. It is not until the last page of the book that you see and understand her decision.
No matter how one feels about the issue of teenage pregnancy, this book presents all sides equally. Remembering also that this is a book and not reality, I thought the story was quite good and pretty well written.
Any book is well written to be when I am still thinking about it after having read it all the way through. This one was thought provoking.
catherine
Two more books
Angels on their backs by Margaret Buffie
Okay, the book is downstairs and i am too lazy to go and find out the page numbers.
The story deals with a girl who has moved from Toronto to Winnipeg. Nothing extraordinary there but where the story takes a turn is when the girl suffers from agoraphobia and panic attacks.
she becomes more and more afraid to go outside and deal with the outside world.
The panic attacks become almost paralyzing.
Like many parents, her separated mom realizes there is a problem but seems to ignore the facts.
There is also a ghost in this story and a background story to the ghost.
I think the one thing I liked about this story was it did not have all the girl's problems just magically go away. The book explained the recovery process and how the girl and her mother coped.
I did enjoy the background story about the house and the ghost.
catherine
Angels on their backs by Margaret Buffie
Okay, the book is downstairs and i am too lazy to go and find out the page numbers.
The story deals with a girl who has moved from Toronto to Winnipeg. Nothing extraordinary there but where the story takes a turn is when the girl suffers from agoraphobia and panic attacks.
she becomes more and more afraid to go outside and deal with the outside world.
The panic attacks become almost paralyzing.
Like many parents, her separated mom realizes there is a problem but seems to ignore the facts.
There is also a ghost in this story and a background story to the ghost.
I think the one thing I liked about this story was it did not have all the girl's problems just magically go away. The book explained the recovery process and how the girl and her mother coped.
I did enjoy the background story about the house and the ghost.
catherine
Friday, October 13, 2006
i hope it's okay i'm reviewing the same book that jen26 did... i just found her review interesting so i picked it up at the library.
ghost of a chance
laura peyton roberts
183 pages.
for jen's information, i did read, and i did enjoy! it's about a sixteen year old girl who has a friend named chloe that moved into an old, big, mansion. and yes, theres a ghost. he can t be seen by everyone[not going to talk more about tht...] james is super-cute, and he's older. melissa meets him, and falls hard for him. chloe loves him. melissa loves him. he loves chloe. or does he love melissa? hm. looks like this ghost of a chance has some decisions to make!
this was a great book, but i would rate it 4/5. it was well written, but the ending was dissapointing. it didnt really leave me hanging. it could have been better. but still, i recommend it.
speaking of books that leave me hanging. in the sumer, i posted about a book called 'rules for life' by darlene ryan. it was awesome. bu the book was quite mature [not
like sex and stuff but... you'll see. ] i highly recommend it. reffering to what i said in an earlier post, it was 'one of those books i randomly pick out and then turn out to be really good' books.
that wasnt to steer you away from 'ghost of a chance' though... i just wanted to mention it.
right now i'm starting to read 'a great and terrible beauty' and i cant say anything about it yet cuz i've litterally just started reading it. it should be a good book because my language teacher 'highly recommends' it. its written by Libba Bay. i should be done within a week [its quite long, but not super long]
we'll see
yes, this [rushed and bad]review can be published in a teen newsletter, if you dare.[just kidding,, but i just dont really see a point]
ahem volounteer hours;; hm... why am i counting these? [well, it would have been 9] gee... they're pretty easy to earn!!
ghost of a chance
laura peyton roberts
183 pages.
for jen's information, i did read, and i did enjoy! it's about a sixteen year old girl who has a friend named chloe that moved into an old, big, mansion. and yes, theres a ghost. he can t be seen by everyone[not going to talk more about tht...] james is super-cute, and he's older. melissa meets him, and falls hard for him. chloe loves him. melissa loves him. he loves chloe. or does he love melissa? hm. looks like this ghost of a chance has some decisions to make!
this was a great book, but i would rate it 4/5. it was well written, but the ending was dissapointing. it didnt really leave me hanging. it could have been better. but still, i recommend it.
speaking of books that leave me hanging. in the sumer, i posted about a book called 'rules for life' by darlene ryan. it was awesome. bu the book was quite mature [not
like sex and stuff but... you'll see. ] i highly recommend it. reffering to what i said in an earlier post, it was 'one of those books i randomly pick out and then turn out to be really good' books.
that wasnt to steer you away from 'ghost of a chance' though... i just wanted to mention it.
right now i'm starting to read 'a great and terrible beauty' and i cant say anything about it yet cuz i've litterally just started reading it. it should be a good book because my language teacher 'highly recommends' it. its written by Libba Bay. i should be done within a week [its quite long, but not super long]
we'll see
yes, this [rushed and bad]review can be published in a teen newsletter, if you dare.[just kidding,, but i just dont really see a point]
ahem volounteer hours;; hm... why am i counting these? [well, it would have been 9] gee... they're pretty easy to earn!!
Monday, October 09, 2006
Spongebob Squarepants: The Movie
Starring... Spongebob?
87 Minutes
2004
Rating: 4/5 Krabby Patties
Alright, I only watched this because I was watching it with my brother. As far as I remember, way back in 2004, I remember this movie getting bad reviews. Now that I think about it, it wasn't that bad.
Basically, Mr. Krabs opens up the Krusty Krab 2, right beside the original. Spongebob is excited to be promoted as the manager. As you can probably guess, Squidward gets the job. When Spongebob asks Mr. Krabs why, he said it was because he was still a kid.
Meanwhile, Plankton is about to give up on stealing the secret recipe for the Krabby Patty. He complains that he tried all of his evil plans from A - Y, before realising that Z is still waiting to be used. Hmm....
Suddenly, King Neptune's crown goes missing, and Mr. Krabs is framed (By whom? I wonder). The only clues they have is that it is somewhere in the dangerous, far away Shell City. Spongebob ceases this opportunity to prove that he is not a kid, but in fact, a man, ready to save Bikini Bottom. He and Patrick set out, with barrels of laughter along the way.
This movie was pretty funny, although I find the real episodes much more entertaining. This movie was a tad bit on the stupid side, just bordering over the line of funny and stupid. It's not bad though. It certainly keeps you occupied. My brother certainly loved it.
Give it a go! (I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready) Hehe. Pretend Spongebob was saying that.
Volunteer Hours: 1/2
Total: 16!
Jessica
Starring... Spongebob?
87 Minutes
2004
Rating: 4/5 Krabby Patties
Alright, I only watched this because I was watching it with my brother. As far as I remember, way back in 2004, I remember this movie getting bad reviews. Now that I think about it, it wasn't that bad.
Basically, Mr. Krabs opens up the Krusty Krab 2, right beside the original. Spongebob is excited to be promoted as the manager. As you can probably guess, Squidward gets the job. When Spongebob asks Mr. Krabs why, he said it was because he was still a kid.
Meanwhile, Plankton is about to give up on stealing the secret recipe for the Krabby Patty. He complains that he tried all of his evil plans from A - Y, before realising that Z is still waiting to be used. Hmm....
Suddenly, King Neptune's crown goes missing, and Mr. Krabs is framed (By whom? I wonder). The only clues they have is that it is somewhere in the dangerous, far away Shell City. Spongebob ceases this opportunity to prove that he is not a kid, but in fact, a man, ready to save Bikini Bottom. He and Patrick set out, with barrels of laughter along the way.
This movie was pretty funny, although I find the real episodes much more entertaining. This movie was a tad bit on the stupid side, just bordering over the line of funny and stupid. It's not bad though. It certainly keeps you occupied. My brother certainly loved it.
Give it a go! (I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready) Hehe. Pretend Spongebob was saying that.
Volunteer Hours: 1/2
Total: 16!
Jessica
Notorious: An It Girl Novel (2nd and Newest in the Series)
Cecily von Ziegesar
288 Pages
Rating: 3.5/5 Jimmy Choo Stilettos (Trust me, that's all they wrote about)
Okay, before I get started, I have to warn you. This took me a few days to read. Not because I was captivated. Because it was due back at the library and there's a waiting list.
The It-Girl Series could be described as a 'spin-off,' featuring Jenny Humphrey from Gossip Girl. In GG, Jenny was just a wannabe compared to Blair and Serena. If you've ever read those books. Well, to give you a little background info, Jenny was just 'randomly' kicked out of her NYC school in the 8th Gossip Girl because of stuff she did that she never get in trouble then, only randomly now. I don't know how the series is now because I have yet to read the 9th and 10th book (:O I know lol.)
Jenny's dream was to reinvent herself when she came to her new school and no longer be just one of those 'wannabees'. She rooms with the two most popular girls, Callie and Brent, who each have their own story. In the first book, after many obstacles, Jenny proves she is 'worthy.' But this book has another roadblock. After taking the blame of a drug incident (this is all light-hearted in these kind of books) and being expelled, Tinsley Carmichael is back at Waverly (their school). She's the hottest of them all, and they all know she's 'it.' Along the book is the usual backstabbing, b**chyness (sorry, there's no other word), and boyfriend-stealing. Will Jenny prevail and triumph against Tinsley? We can only see.
This book makes me yawn just thinking about it. Sure, it was kind of interesting because it has those themes that interest my age, but seriously, how many books can I really read about overprivileged kids who are only interested in having a good time and owning the most clothes? I think it had the right elements, but it just wasn't good enough.
Cecily von Ziegesar, the author... we all know her secret. It's so easy to figure out. All of her recent books, Nobody Does It Better (Gossip Girl 7), Nothing Can Keep Us Together (Gossip Girl 8), The It Girl, and this one, have LOTS of spelling and grammatical errors. She's only trying to get these out as quickly as possible so she can make more money. That is why the plots aren't as good as they used to be. I reread Gossip Girl (1), and it was SO good. No wonder I got hooked on this series! I was starting to question why I even bothered reading these anymore. Do you want to know the sad part? I own all of these books.
So basically, if you like the series, you will be satisfied, but really, it could be better. Maybe I expect too much. I just miss books with depth.
Volunteer Hours: 3
Total: 15 1/2!
Jessica
Cecily von Ziegesar
288 Pages
Rating: 3.5/5 Jimmy Choo Stilettos (Trust me, that's all they wrote about)
Okay, before I get started, I have to warn you. This took me a few days to read. Not because I was captivated. Because it was due back at the library and there's a waiting list.
The It-Girl Series could be described as a 'spin-off,' featuring Jenny Humphrey from Gossip Girl. In GG, Jenny was just a wannabe compared to Blair and Serena. If you've ever read those books. Well, to give you a little background info, Jenny was just 'randomly' kicked out of her NYC school in the 8th Gossip Girl because of stuff she did that she never get in trouble then, only randomly now. I don't know how the series is now because I have yet to read the 9th and 10th book (:O I know lol.)
Jenny's dream was to reinvent herself when she came to her new school and no longer be just one of those 'wannabees'. She rooms with the two most popular girls, Callie and Brent, who each have their own story. In the first book, after many obstacles, Jenny proves she is 'worthy.' But this book has another roadblock. After taking the blame of a drug incident (this is all light-hearted in these kind of books) and being expelled, Tinsley Carmichael is back at Waverly (their school). She's the hottest of them all, and they all know she's 'it.' Along the book is the usual backstabbing, b**chyness (sorry, there's no other word), and boyfriend-stealing. Will Jenny prevail and triumph against Tinsley? We can only see.
This book makes me yawn just thinking about it. Sure, it was kind of interesting because it has those themes that interest my age, but seriously, how many books can I really read about overprivileged kids who are only interested in having a good time and owning the most clothes? I think it had the right elements, but it just wasn't good enough.
Cecily von Ziegesar, the author... we all know her secret. It's so easy to figure out. All of her recent books, Nobody Does It Better (Gossip Girl 7), Nothing Can Keep Us Together (Gossip Girl 8), The It Girl, and this one, have LOTS of spelling and grammatical errors. She's only trying to get these out as quickly as possible so she can make more money. That is why the plots aren't as good as they used to be. I reread Gossip Girl (1), and it was SO good. No wonder I got hooked on this series! I was starting to question why I even bothered reading these anymore. Do you want to know the sad part? I own all of these books.
So basically, if you like the series, you will be satisfied, but really, it could be better. Maybe I expect too much. I just miss books with depth.
Volunteer Hours: 3
Total: 15 1/2!
Jessica
The Legend of Zorro
Cast: Antonio Banderas, Catherine Zeta-Jones
Running Time: 129 mins
Rating: PG
Picking up from the first movie, it is now 10 years later and Zorro must choose between a life with the mask or without it. The people of California needs him at this critical time of history since they are about to join the US. But his wife, Elena wants him to be a family man and be there for his son and her. When he breaks his promise to not be Zorro again, Elena leaves him and went to the arms of Armand (a French count). Soon, our hero discovers that Armand is actually a terrorist threatening the future of the states. But it seems like there are others working to uncover the truth of the count as well.
A movie worth watching! Tons of action added with a tinge of romance and comedy. It’s cute to see Zorro’s son as a mini version of him. And Elena got way more action scenes in this film. But I still liked the first one compared to this (for some sort of reason, if movies ever had sequels, I tend to like the first one more). Also, I thought that some scenes weren’t necessary, and was just there for “dragging” purposes.
Rating: 4/5
s.t.e.p.h.i.e.
Volunteer hours: 1 ½ (total: 13 ½)
Cast: Antonio Banderas, Catherine Zeta-Jones
Running Time: 129 mins
Rating: PG
Picking up from the first movie, it is now 10 years later and Zorro must choose between a life with the mask or without it. The people of California needs him at this critical time of history since they are about to join the US. But his wife, Elena wants him to be a family man and be there for his son and her. When he breaks his promise to not be Zorro again, Elena leaves him and went to the arms of Armand (a French count). Soon, our hero discovers that Armand is actually a terrorist threatening the future of the states. But it seems like there are others working to uncover the truth of the count as well.
A movie worth watching! Tons of action added with a tinge of romance and comedy. It’s cute to see Zorro’s son as a mini version of him. And Elena got way more action scenes in this film. But I still liked the first one compared to this (for some sort of reason, if movies ever had sequels, I tend to like the first one more). Also, I thought that some scenes weren’t necessary, and was just there for “dragging” purposes.
Rating: 4/5
s.t.e.p.h.i.e.
Volunteer hours: 1 ½ (total: 13 ½)
A Bad Boy can be Good for a Girl
By: Tanya Lee Stone
Pages: 225
Okay, the only reason I even borrowed this book was:
a) it was an extremely light read, and I was busy so I wanted a fast read (seriously! The words doesn’t even fill the page)
b) I thought it had an easy plot, no hard thinking going on. The plot synopsis said it was about 3 girls: Josie, Nicolette, and Aviva, who are 3 very different girls. They met the same guy who happens to be a bad boy. But he has an irresistible knack that draws the 3 girls to him. (thinking that it was a chick book, I decided to read it…)
…so yeah, wrong choice. The entire story revolves around sex. This bad boy seems to be out looking for that one thing. And lots of girls actually fell for him, including Josie, Nicolette, and Aviva. Anyways, I’m just happy that I’m done this and can move on to a better book.
Rating:1/5
s.t.e.p.h.i.e.
Volunteer hours: 3 (total:12)
Have a great thanksgiving!
By: Tanya Lee Stone
Pages: 225
Okay, the only reason I even borrowed this book was:
a) it was an extremely light read, and I was busy so I wanted a fast read (seriously! The words doesn’t even fill the page)
b) I thought it had an easy plot, no hard thinking going on. The plot synopsis said it was about 3 girls: Josie, Nicolette, and Aviva, who are 3 very different girls. They met the same guy who happens to be a bad boy. But he has an irresistible knack that draws the 3 girls to him. (thinking that it was a chick book, I decided to read it…)
…so yeah, wrong choice. The entire story revolves around sex. This bad boy seems to be out looking for that one thing. And lots of girls actually fell for him, including Josie, Nicolette, and Aviva. Anyways, I’m just happy that I’m done this and can move on to a better book.
Rating:1/5
s.t.e.p.h.i.e.
Volunteer hours: 3 (total:12)
Have a great thanksgiving!
Read Four books this weekend.
I am not using proper format with paging, authors etc. but I don't get volunteer hours.
Kissing Vanessa
This is a British book. It from the boy's perspective which i really liked. the story is all about the trials and tribulations this boy endures on his way to love with Vanessa.
The Accidental Orphan by Constance Horne
This is the story of a young girl who inadvertently ends up on a boat coming to Canada with orphans. It is historical in that it talks about the Home children who were orphans and how they did when they came to Canada.
this little girl was not an orphan and the story goes on to tell of her reunion with her uncle.
until Angels close my eyes. Lurlene McDaniel
This was the story of Leah who has already endured a lifetime of ups and downs. She now faces many challenges: her stepfather has a recurrance of cancer, she has befriended an Amish boy and she has a difficult relationship with her mother.
I have not read Lurlene's work so this is why I chose this one.
Greater than Angels
Of all four, this one was my favourite. It is the story of a young Jewish girl and her time during the war. I loved this book because there were many twists and turns in the story. Great read.
I am not using proper format with paging, authors etc. but I don't get volunteer hours.
Kissing Vanessa
This is a British book. It from the boy's perspective which i really liked. the story is all about the trials and tribulations this boy endures on his way to love with Vanessa.
The Accidental Orphan by Constance Horne
This is the story of a young girl who inadvertently ends up on a boat coming to Canada with orphans. It is historical in that it talks about the Home children who were orphans and how they did when they came to Canada.
this little girl was not an orphan and the story goes on to tell of her reunion with her uncle.
until Angels close my eyes. Lurlene McDaniel
This was the story of Leah who has already endured a lifetime of ups and downs. She now faces many challenges: her stepfather has a recurrance of cancer, she has befriended an Amish boy and she has a difficult relationship with her mother.
I have not read Lurlene's work so this is why I chose this one.
Greater than Angels
Of all four, this one was my favourite. It is the story of a young Jewish girl and her time during the war. I loved this book because there were many twists and turns in the story. Great read.
Friday, October 06, 2006
Ghost of a Chance
Laura Peyton Roberts
183 Pages
Melissa has a best friend named Chloe, who has just moved into a new house, complete with a ghost. Only, the thing is, Chloe is the only one who can see him. But what she can see is worth it, because the ghost, James, is gorgeous, and happens to be in love with her. But when Melissa meets James, she instantaneously falls in love with him. This story has alot more to it than a girl-loves-ghost-loves-girl love triangle, but i don't want to give it all away, do i?
When i was at the library, i was on the verge of putting this book back down. But i kept it, and good thing, because it was awesome!!! It was really well written, especially from a teenager's perspective, and it was just overall really good. Definately 5/5 stars. Please read, and enjoy!
- Jenn xoxo
Community Service Hours: 3 (18 Total)
*****Can be published in newsletter
Laura Peyton Roberts
183 Pages
Melissa has a best friend named Chloe, who has just moved into a new house, complete with a ghost. Only, the thing is, Chloe is the only one who can see him. But what she can see is worth it, because the ghost, James, is gorgeous, and happens to be in love with her. But when Melissa meets James, she instantaneously falls in love with him. This story has alot more to it than a girl-loves-ghost-loves-girl love triangle, but i don't want to give it all away, do i?
When i was at the library, i was on the verge of putting this book back down. But i kept it, and good thing, because it was awesome!!! It was really well written, especially from a teenager's perspective, and it was just overall really good. Definately 5/5 stars. Please read, and enjoy!
- Jenn xoxo
Community Service Hours: 3 (18 Total)
*****Can be published in newsletter
New to the Teen Department
Just sharing, these are some new items we received in the Teen Department, this week.
You may put holds on them. As fast as I put them on the shelf, they go.
I will continue to post these titles if you are interested.
They are in the branch at ANgus Glen but this saves you a trip into thelibrary.
New to the Teen Department!
October 3rd
Angel Sanctuary, Volume 14
Beautiful City of the Dead by Leander Watts
It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
Kekkashi, Volume 5
My kind of Sad by Kate Scowen
World War I and II
New to the Teen Department!
October 4th
I Was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader by Kieran Scott
If We Kiss by Rachel Vail
Magnifico by Victoria Miles
The Naming by Allison Croggon
The Two Loves of Will Shakespeare by Laurie Lawlor
Vegan, Virgin, Valentine by Carolyn Macker
New to the Teen Department!
October 5th
Advantage Calculus
Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson
Scrambled Eggs at Midnight by Brad Barkley
Things You Either Love or Hate by Brigid Lowry
Catherine
Just sharing, these are some new items we received in the Teen Department, this week.
You may put holds on them. As fast as I put them on the shelf, they go.
I will continue to post these titles if you are interested.
They are in the branch at ANgus Glen but this saves you a trip into thelibrary.
New to the Teen Department!
October 3rd
Angel Sanctuary, Volume 14
Beautiful City of the Dead by Leander Watts
It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
Kekkashi, Volume 5
My kind of Sad by Kate Scowen
World War I and II
New to the Teen Department!
October 4th
I Was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader by Kieran Scott
If We Kiss by Rachel Vail
Magnifico by Victoria Miles
The Naming by Allison Croggon
The Two Loves of Will Shakespeare by Laurie Lawlor
Vegan, Virgin, Valentine by Carolyn Macker
New to the Teen Department!
October 5th
Advantage Calculus
Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson
Scrambled Eggs at Midnight by Brad Barkley
Things You Either Love or Hate by Brigid Lowry
Catherine
Out of the Blue by Sarah Ellis 120 pages
This book is a Mr. Christie's book award winner. In addition to the fact, he makes good cookies, this is a great choice for an award winner. It was also shortlisted for the Governor General's LIterary Award.
Megan's parents have a surprise for her 12th birthday but it is not what she expected. The story unfolds with some dramatic changes coming to the family and how they cope. Great story for blended families.
The book is brief and has a few slow moving passages but I did like what I read. I would consider this one a quick read.
I like Ellis so this is why I also chose the book.
Catherine
This book is a Mr. Christie's book award winner. In addition to the fact, he makes good cookies, this is a great choice for an award winner. It was also shortlisted for the Governor General's LIterary Award.
Megan's parents have a surprise for her 12th birthday but it is not what she expected. The story unfolds with some dramatic changes coming to the family and how they cope. Great story for blended families.
The book is brief and has a few slow moving passages but I did like what I read. I would consider this one a quick read.
I like Ellis so this is why I also chose the book.
Catherine
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Twice Taken
Susan Beth Pfeffer
199 pages
****/*****
i really liked this book. it is about a 16 year old girl named Brooke, who lives with her single dad. one day, her dad goes on a date with a woman, charlene, so Brooke has to babysit her two kids.she gets bored and watches a call in show about missing children, and sees her father in a photo on the tv screen. the family on the show looking for their long lost daughter was looking for her. so, turns out, her father had abducted her illegally. but brooke loves her father, she doesn't care what he has done. she doesn't think it's a big deal, since he had raised her. but her real family has been on a constant search for her for 11 years. they would never let her just stay and live with her father, now that they found their daughter.
i admit what i just said sounded boring, but believe me. it isnt. i got this book at my school library, and i searched it on the mpl website but it wasnt there. there were a lot of her other books but not this one. i wonder why... its not a bad book or anything, but... i dont know.hm.
but if you find it in another library, READ IT!
jessica
*can be published in a teen newsletter
volounteer hours -(would have been 6)
Susan Beth Pfeffer
199 pages
****/*****
i really liked this book. it is about a 16 year old girl named Brooke, who lives with her single dad. one day, her dad goes on a date with a woman, charlene, so Brooke has to babysit her two kids.she gets bored and watches a call in show about missing children, and sees her father in a photo on the tv screen. the family on the show looking for their long lost daughter was looking for her. so, turns out, her father had abducted her illegally. but brooke loves her father, she doesn't care what he has done. she doesn't think it's a big deal, since he had raised her. but her real family has been on a constant search for her for 11 years. they would never let her just stay and live with her father, now that they found their daughter.
i admit what i just said sounded boring, but believe me. it isnt. i got this book at my school library, and i searched it on the mpl website but it wasnt there. there were a lot of her other books but not this one. i wonder why... its not a bad book or anything, but... i dont know.hm.
but if you find it in another library, READ IT!
jessica
*can be published in a teen newsletter
volounteer hours -(would have been 6)
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
since i dont think any of you know me, i'll tell you some basic stuff about me-- yes,yes it's a little late, but it's ok ;)
my name is jessica [really.] .i'm 12 [dont underestimate me cuz im 13 on november 23... still very little]uhmm i go to coledale public school, and im in grade 8. oya have a question. is everyone on the blog in high school? cuz it said ppl 12 and up are welcome to join, but i seem like the baby in this bunch. anyways. i was part of the summer blog, and i had some problems getting into this one [teeheehee] so i started a little late. i have two brothers- one's 16 and the other's 9. uhmmm mmm wheres the info about me when i need it? uhmm uhmm O one thing about school. the agendas are soooooo ugly. like, opaque purple rectangle with silver words on it, anyone? aannyyooonnee?they arent even hole-punched! ugh!
when i read books, i normally spend a long time picking them out since in the end its worth it. a good book, i can finish within a week with homework and all, but a bad book would never be done since i dont care about it.
one more thing about our school... more like my language teacher... shes really cool! and she brought, like 50 books from her home into the classroom for us to read in our spare time, and we do monthly book reports so she knows we're reading. ahh! i love her!
i think thats enough for now, since my brains not working...
-jessica
my name is jessica [really.] .i'm 12 [dont underestimate me cuz im 13 on november 23... still very little]uhmm i go to coledale public school, and im in grade 8. oya have a question. is everyone on the blog in high school? cuz it said ppl 12 and up are welcome to join, but i seem like the baby in this bunch. anyways. i was part of the summer blog, and i had some problems getting into this one [teeheehee] so i started a little late. i have two brothers- one's 16 and the other's 9. uhmmm mmm wheres the info about me when i need it? uhmm uhmm O one thing about school. the agendas are soooooo ugly. like, opaque purple rectangle with silver words on it, anyone? aannyyooonnee?they arent even hole-punched! ugh!
when i read books, i normally spend a long time picking them out since in the end its worth it. a good book, i can finish within a week with homework and all, but a bad book would never be done since i dont care about it.
one more thing about our school... more like my language teacher... shes really cool! and she brought, like 50 books from her home into the classroom for us to read in our spare time, and we do monthly book reports so she knows we're reading. ahh! i love her!
i think thats enough for now, since my brains not working...
-jessica
Monday, October 02, 2006
50 First Dates
Cast: Adam Sandler, Drew Berrymore
Running Time: 99 mins
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Plot: Henry Roth (Adam Sandler) is guy who likes to play around with girl tourists on the beautiful island of Hawaii. After a few days, he would make up an excuse and leave her. To him, he had the most wonderful life, plus he didn’t need to make any commitments. Then, he met Lucy (Drew Berrymore)…the girl of his dreams! They spent an awesome day together that leaves Henry bewildered. He has finally realized that Lucy was the girl for him!!! So the next day, he went back to the restaurant where they met, to find Lucy. Surprisingly, she doesn’t remember who he was. Soon, Henry found out that Lucy has a short term memory lose disease a year ago. Every night, when she goes to bed, her mind would erase all the day’s events for her. She would wake up everyday forgetting what happened. Basically, her life was pretty boring because everyday was the same. But Henry would go to any lengths to get Lucy to fall in love with him, even if it means every single day.
This was another hilarious movie. The story was beautiful, and so was the ending. I found Lucy’s crying a bit too much (it made me want to cry too…waaahhh!) But that’s what made this film different from other comedy movies: it’s very emotional in its own funny way. So it’s one that’s worth watching!!!
Rating: 5 out of 5!!! =)
s.t.e.p.h.i.e.
volunteer hours: 1 ½ (total 9)
Cast: Adam Sandler, Drew Berrymore
Running Time: 99 mins
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Plot: Henry Roth (Adam Sandler) is guy who likes to play around with girl tourists on the beautiful island of Hawaii. After a few days, he would make up an excuse and leave her. To him, he had the most wonderful life, plus he didn’t need to make any commitments. Then, he met Lucy (Drew Berrymore)…the girl of his dreams! They spent an awesome day together that leaves Henry bewildered. He has finally realized that Lucy was the girl for him!!! So the next day, he went back to the restaurant where they met, to find Lucy. Surprisingly, she doesn’t remember who he was. Soon, Henry found out that Lucy has a short term memory lose disease a year ago. Every night, when she goes to bed, her mind would erase all the day’s events for her. She would wake up everyday forgetting what happened. Basically, her life was pretty boring because everyday was the same. But Henry would go to any lengths to get Lucy to fall in love with him, even if it means every single day.
This was another hilarious movie. The story was beautiful, and so was the ending. I found Lucy’s crying a bit too much (it made me want to cry too…waaahhh!) But that’s what made this film different from other comedy movies: it’s very emotional in its own funny way. So it’s one that’s worth watching!!!
Rating: 5 out of 5!!! =)
s.t.e.p.h.i.e.
volunteer hours: 1 ½ (total 9)
Insatiable – The Compelling Story of Four Teens, Food and Its Power
By: Eve Elliot
Page: 277
Plot: In this story, the readers are introduced to 4 girls with different food problems.
Samantha – She’s one of the popular girls at school and is outwardly perfect, but her boyfriend recently broke up with her due to the fact that she eats very little. 3 pieces of lettuce equals to her daily lunch. Her mother constantly nags at her for her eating habits. Samantha finds refuge in her this by cleaning her room at least 6 times a day, and cutting herself.
Hannah – She feels that she is the cause for her mother’s death. When her mom was still alive, she would encourage her to go on a diet, which eventually led to anorexia and then death (although the reason she died was heart disease). To punish herself, she eats lots of food and then throws it all up.
Jessica – She is the rebel, and very fashion-forward. But her father had just died of AIDS, leaving her widow mother, her 6-year-old brother, and herself. To cope with all this, she starves herself. Everyone admires her for her skinniness…but Jessica’s ending soon became very unfortunate.
Phoebe – The straight A student. Although she’s the smartest girl at school, she’s also the fattest. She would attempt to be skinny by resisting the temptation of food…however, it would end up with her overeating.
I learned a lot about eating disorders through this book. Even though teachers told us about it during health class, it felt different to be reading a story on how teens cope with this problem. The ending was a bit unpredictable…(I don’t think I got it yet, hehe). Anyways, it was a good read, so try it! =)
Rating: 3 out of 5
s.t.e.p.h.i.e.
volunteer hours: 3 (total 7 ½ )
(like jenn said, from now on, all my reviews are allow to be publish on the newsletter)
By: Eve Elliot
Page: 277
Plot: In this story, the readers are introduced to 4 girls with different food problems.
Samantha – She’s one of the popular girls at school and is outwardly perfect, but her boyfriend recently broke up with her due to the fact that she eats very little. 3 pieces of lettuce equals to her daily lunch. Her mother constantly nags at her for her eating habits. Samantha finds refuge in her this by cleaning her room at least 6 times a day, and cutting herself.
Hannah – She feels that she is the cause for her mother’s death. When her mom was still alive, she would encourage her to go on a diet, which eventually led to anorexia and then death (although the reason she died was heart disease). To punish herself, she eats lots of food and then throws it all up.
Jessica – She is the rebel, and very fashion-forward. But her father had just died of AIDS, leaving her widow mother, her 6-year-old brother, and herself. To cope with all this, she starves herself. Everyone admires her for her skinniness…but Jessica’s ending soon became very unfortunate.
Phoebe – The straight A student. Although she’s the smartest girl at school, she’s also the fattest. She would attempt to be skinny by resisting the temptation of food…however, it would end up with her overeating.
I learned a lot about eating disorders through this book. Even though teachers told us about it during health class, it felt different to be reading a story on how teens cope with this problem. The ending was a bit unpredictable…(I don’t think I got it yet, hehe). Anyways, it was a good read, so try it! =)
Rating: 3 out of 5
s.t.e.p.h.i.e.
volunteer hours: 3 (total 7 ½ )
(like jenn said, from now on, all my reviews are allow to be publish on the newsletter)
Okay, here it is, as promised.......
Getting the Boot
Peggy Guthart Strauss
S.A.S.S. Series
198 Pages (+ Westminster Abby Preview)
Kelly Brandt is a major party girl who loves shopping, and her best friends Starr and Tyffani, of course. When an old friend, Sheela, is joining the SASS crew and studying in Rome, Kelly cannot resist and must be apart of it. But when she finds herself waitlisted, she must boost up her grades and constantly remind Dr. Wainwright, the director, why she deserves to be there with, oh, fifty emails or so. But all her pestering and hard work pays off as she finds herself flying to Rome with Sheela.
Things aren't as easy as she would have anticipated, though. And when a cute surfer dude, Joe, influences her, she soon finds herself coming to class late every day, breaking curfew, and breaking her parents rules. Things continue to get worse and worse, until she is in sooo much trouble that she stops, or will be sent home. But with the help of Sheela and a native named Luigi, she gets back on track, and has an awesome experience in Roma.
Actually having been to Italy, i was pretty excited to get my hands on this book, but it didn't really meet my expectations. It was more about Kelly's partying than anything else. Other additions in the series, such as The Sound of Munich (my personal favourite) had much more highlighting on the city, and the language. This one was okay, but i was hoping it would be better. Rating: 3/5
Community Service Hours: 3 (15 total)
****Can be Published in Newsletter
Getting the Boot
Peggy Guthart Strauss
S.A.S.S. Series
198 Pages (+ Westminster Abby Preview)
Kelly Brandt is a major party girl who loves shopping, and her best friends Starr and Tyffani, of course. When an old friend, Sheela, is joining the SASS crew and studying in Rome, Kelly cannot resist and must be apart of it. But when she finds herself waitlisted, she must boost up her grades and constantly remind Dr. Wainwright, the director, why she deserves to be there with, oh, fifty emails or so. But all her pestering and hard work pays off as she finds herself flying to Rome with Sheela.
Things aren't as easy as she would have anticipated, though. And when a cute surfer dude, Joe, influences her, she soon finds herself coming to class late every day, breaking curfew, and breaking her parents rules. Things continue to get worse and worse, until she is in sooo much trouble that she stops, or will be sent home. But with the help of Sheela and a native named Luigi, she gets back on track, and has an awesome experience in Roma.
Actually having been to Italy, i was pretty excited to get my hands on this book, but it didn't really meet my expectations. It was more about Kelly's partying than anything else. Other additions in the series, such as The Sound of Munich (my personal favourite) had much more highlighting on the city, and the language. This one was okay, but i was hoping it would be better. Rating: 3/5
Community Service Hours: 3 (15 total)
****Can be Published in Newsletter
"An Educated Imagination" by Northrop Frye
You'll have to excuse me for posting this book (more a short collection of analytical essays) as my first book review, especially as I studied this one for my school. Unfortunately my computer won't let me put a subject title for some reason as well.
An educated imagination is a philosophical and social commentary answering the question "What good is the study of literature?". Although it's alot to digest in one sitting, it raises alot of interesting issues, the most importantly being "what would our world be like in the absence of literature?".
Although i would not recommend this as a light read, nor as something you (young readers) would enjoy, I hope you'll keep it in mind when you get to that point in life where you feel the need to study the question "Why?" constantly.
If you *do* pick up this book (hopefully you're at the higher end of the teenage years), pay attention to the titles- they create some vivid imagery.
I won't count this as a book review for volunteer hours because I just wanted to put the title out there, I really don't expect anyone to force themeselves to read or think at this level unless they are really looking for it (in which case, its important that you have a title to start with).
I'd allow this to be published, but I wouldn't recommend it. This book has very little to do with the common interests of a teenage person.
Promises of much more meaningful books soon,
Miss Anne Thropic
Isabelle Lee
You'll have to excuse me for posting this book (more a short collection of analytical essays) as my first book review, especially as I studied this one for my school. Unfortunately my computer won't let me put a subject title for some reason as well.
An educated imagination is a philosophical and social commentary answering the question "What good is the study of literature?". Although it's alot to digest in one sitting, it raises alot of interesting issues, the most importantly being "what would our world be like in the absence of literature?".
Although i would not recommend this as a light read, nor as something you (young readers) would enjoy, I hope you'll keep it in mind when you get to that point in life where you feel the need to study the question "Why?" constantly.
If you *do* pick up this book (hopefully you're at the higher end of the teenage years), pay attention to the titles- they create some vivid imagery.
I won't count this as a book review for volunteer hours because I just wanted to put the title out there, I really don't expect anyone to force themeselves to read or think at this level unless they are really looking for it (in which case, its important that you have a title to start with).
I'd allow this to be published, but I wouldn't recommend it. This book has very little to do with the common interests of a teenage person.
Promises of much more meaningful books soon,
Miss Anne Thropic
Isabelle Lee
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