Among the Hidden

Among the Hidden
by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Among the hidden tell the story about a 3rd child that isn’t supposed to be alive. He is known as a shadowchild. His name Luke and is raised in secrecy from the government. His father doesn’t really like him because he almost gives away his secret a lot. He later becomes friends with another shadow child who wants to stop the law.
Among the hidden is a good book because of the suspense. Imagine being kept a secret from the world. The only people who would know you is your family. This is why it’s a great book.

-C. McCoy

Luke is an illegal child. In his society, families are not allowed to have more than two children. Because Luke is the third child, he lives a secret life. Hidden in the attic, Luke has never met anyone other than his parents and brothers, and he never will. No one can know that he exists or he will be killed and his parents charged as criminals.

Luke's life changes one day when he notices a face in the window of a neighboring house. This is unusual because Luke has already seen both parents and two children leave the house.

This is the first in a thought-provoking series set in a world that feels frighteningly similar to our own.

-Ms. McConnel

"Among the Hidden" is about a kid named Luke who is a third child. Third children aren't allowed because of the population law. One day, other houses start being built near Luke and his family. Luke has to hid in his house, but one day he looks out his window and sees another 3rd child. He starts planning how he is going to go over to the house. He finds a way over and meets a girl named Jen who is starting something big. Read to find out what!

This book was amazing. I just read and couldn't stop. But when I got to the end, I couldn't believe what happened.

-J. Clemson

Over Sea, Under Stone

Over Sea, Under Stone
by Susan Cooper

There are three kids on vacation with their parents: Simon, Jane, and Barney. Their uncle Merry found them a nice beach house on a hill. While the kids are exploring the house, they find an attic. While eating a picnic lunch in the large attic, they find a map. That map sends them on a wild and crazy adventure. It's a race between good and evil, and the kids have help from their uncle, too!

I love this book. It is an exciting read filled with thrilling happenings. During many points in the book, I felt like I was there. I think people will like this book even though it is old. They will probably like it because it is the first in a series of action packed stories. You should read this book!

-L. Hall

Coraline

Coraline
by Neil Gaiman

Coraline is a very active and curious girl. She just moved into a new home with her mother and father, and she already doesn't like it. Her neighbor upstairs is a weird man who is obsessed with his pet rats. Although she does enjoy being at her other neighbors' home, Miss Forcible and Miss Spink. They are old women who always talk about the days when they were young actresses on the go. Even though Coraline loves spending time with them, she can't always go to their house. So in her spare time she explores outside and watches T.V. Now, Coraline isn't fond of doing this every day and tries to find other things to do in her free time. She isn't in school yet so there is nothing else to do, and her parents are always busy and telling her to go play. So one day Coraline finds a secret door in the spare bedroom and asks her mom about it. Her mom said she didn't know much about the house but she gave Coraline the key to the secret door. When her mom is out grocery shopping and her dad is working she opens the secret door. There in the door is a mirror image of her world, but much better. There's a cat there that leads her through an adventure as she finds out that this amazing world is all a set up. She has to now fight her way back into the real world.

This book is amazing because it has a lot of adventure that will knock your socks off.

-M. Colon

Warriors: Into the Wild

Warriors: Into the Wild
by Erin Hunter

This cat named Rusty is getting bored with being a pet. He longs for the wilderness and its tasty treats. One day he decides to go hunting in the forest. He finds a mouse and is just about to pounce on it, when suddenly he gets knocked off his paws! Later he joins a bunch of cats that have weird beliefs. There turns out to be four other groups like that. Rusty is taken in with weary paws but eventually those paws turn welcoming. Having been a pet Rusty has to prove himself worthy to the cats and their leader!

Find out what happens next by reading the book! This fantasy book is unique because it uses cats and they behave like humans, but despise us. Warriors are a thrilling series full of twists and turns! This is the first book in the Warriors series! If you like adventure and action this is a great book for you!

-L. Hall

Rusty is a house cat. He has always wanted to go into the wild. One day, while ha was sitting on his fence that faces the forest, he saw a cat go by. The next day, he smells a mouse and goes into the forest to try and find it. As he kills it and is going to eat it, the cat that he saw the day before jumps on him and says, "this is Thunder Clan territory, you do not hunt here." They start to get in a fight when Rusty runs back to his fence. The other cat thinks he has won when Rusty turns around and runs at him. Rusty jumps on him and tackles him. The other cat says, "Get off!" Rusty listens to him, and they end up becoming friends. The other cat is named Graypaw. Graypaw ends up going back to his camp and telling his leader about Rusty. The next day, the leader goes and talks to Rusty. He goes with her to be in the Clan, and his new name is Firepaw. Read more to find out what happens!

You should read this book because it is very good. It is also funny to read. It has lots of adventures, and do not forget the action! They have a lot of fights. So read this book!

-D. Smith

Tiger

Tiger
by Jeff Stone

Tiger is the first in the series. It introduces you into the world of KungFu, companionship, and secrets to be discovered. Fu, the tiger KungFu master, wakes up in the middle of the night to find that his grand master is dead and that his brother Ying wants the scrolls that can unlock secret training techniques. Ying killed the grand master to get the scrolls. Fu steals the scrolls and runs into the froest. Ying is after him! Read more to find out what happens!

-A. Ellis

Fu is a master of the tiger arts of Kung Fu. "Fu" means tiger in Cantonese. He and his four other brothers life at the Cangzhen Temple. The four are not really his brothers, but that is what they are called at the temple. The temple is under attack by their former brother Ying, which means "eagle" in Cantonese. The grand master tells them to spread, just as Ying kills him. All Ying wants are the Dragon Scrolls. Fu does not listen and goes back to get the scrolls. He fights a guy named Tonglong, which means "mantis" in Cantonese. Fu is able to knock him out and take the scrolls. Fu gets locked up after he hurts the son of the Major of a village. The Major calls Ying and takes the scrolls from Fu. A bunch of soldiers come and are taking Fu back to Ying when one of Fu's brothers, Malao ("Monkey") comes out. He has a bunch of monkeys with him to help get Fu out of the cage. They do. Read the book to find out more!

This is a great book for kids who like series books. It has action and mystery, so read it and enjoy!

-D. Smith

H.I.V.E.

H.I.V.E
by Mark Walden

Before I start with this review, I would like to explain something. I will rate book on a scale of 1 to 10. 1 is the lowest and 10 being that highest. So at the ends of my reviews I will give a number. Now on to my review.....


H.I.V.E. is about Otto Malpenze. A student who has an enormous gift for intelligence. But when he is kidnapped to H.I.V.E (or as it stands for) The Higher Institute for Villainous Education. Once at H.I.V.E. Otto sees some of its features. But when he learns that the has to stay here for 6 years, Otto refuses. But there is nothing he can do about it.....or is there? Join Otto with his Friends Wing and his other companions, as they attempt to be the FIRST STUDENTS EVER to escape form H.I.V.E. Will Otto make it out alive. Or will his brain fail him for the first time ever. Find out in H.I.V.E.


Review number: 8

-S. Rauf


Otto Malpenze was brought to the Higher Institute of Villainous Education against his will. Wing Fanchu is also kidnapped. Once they arrive Otto and Wing quickly become friends. Along with Shelby Trinity (world class thief) and Laura Brand (ultimate hacker), they plot to escape that infernal school.

H.I.V.E. is the first book in a two part series that will have you awake at midnight.

-A. Ellis

Alcatraz Smedry vs. the Evil Librarians

Alcatraz Smedry vs. the Evil Librarians
by Brandon Sanderson

This was a really funny book. It has some dark parts, but for the most part it's funny. The main character, Alcatraz (he thought his parents must've had a twisted sense of humor, and who could blame him, named after the most infamous prison?), has a "talent" for breaking everything he touches, even chickens! He has gone through about 27 foster families, but his life gets turned around on his 13th birthday when he gets a present from his parents. Naturally, he doesn't trust it at first-after all, his parents couldn't know where he was living all this time.

When he opens the present, he finds a bag of sand. Then, someone knocks on the door. WHen he opens it, an old man who claims to be his grandfather comes in. Soon Alcatraz finds out almost everything he believed is a lie, such as only three continents, talking dinosaurs, Oculators and evil librarians. Also, the world is basically split into two types of places: Hushlands and Freelands.

This is a great book, and I reccomend reading this and its sequel.

-L. George

The Bad Beginning

The Bad Beginning
by Lemony Snicket

Three siblings Violet, Klaus, and Sunny were happy children until there was a fire that burned their house down and killed their parents. They were forced to live with their terrible uncle, Count Olaf. Until Violet was old enough, Count Olaf was in charge of all their parents' money, which isn't such a good thing. This is the first in the series that introduces the Baudelaire children and their troubles with Count Olaf.

-M. Curcio

The Akhenaten Adventure

The Akhenaten Adventure
By P.B. Kerr

In this exciting fantasy novel, twins Phillipa and John discover that they posses certain extraordinary powers, not to mention deep connections with fire and the powerful creatures we know as genies, the Djinn. First, the twins travel to England to visit their strange uncle, Nimrod, and then they find themselves pulled to Egypt and even to the North Pole on an epic quest for something to tip the balance in the battle between good and evil. Villains are everywhere and no one can be trusted, as the twins find out the hard way. This book is the first in a series, so the adventures just keep coming. If you liked “The Lightning Thief” and “Harry Potter”, be sure to read this book!

-Ms. McConnel

Scorpia

Scorpia
by Anthony Horowitz

Alex Rider is the youngest agent in M16, a British intelligence agency. He is not allowed to tell anyone of his "other" life, not even his best friend Tom Harris. Alex seems to always find danger and is very good at getting out of it. People don't expect that from a boy that is only fourteen years old. In this adventure, Alex tried to find out the truth surrounding his father's death. He discovers more than he is ready to learn.

Scorpia is the fifth book in a series by Anthony Horowitz.

-N. Heilman

Journey to the River Sea

Journey to the River Sea
By Eva Ibbotson

Although Maia is an orphan, she is surprisingly rich and well-off. When she is sent from her school in England to stay with distant relatives in Brazil, she prepares herself for an adventure on the banks of the Amazon river. Unfortunately, Maia’s relatives hate living in the jungle, and love keeping Maia cooped up inside. Her uncle collects glass eyes, her aunt has a desperate fear of insects, and her cousins, twin girls whom Maia had hoped would be her friends, are quite nasty and rude to her. If it weren’t for her governess, Minty, and the other friends she makes in Brazil, Maia would have a miserable time. When she meets a boy named Fin, Maia finds the adventure she was seeking, and it changes her life forever.

-Ms. McConnel

Inkdeath

Inkdeath
by Cornelia Funke

Mo and his family have been living on a deserted farm ever since they escaped the Castle of Night, to hide from Adderhead. For them life is peaceful, but just about every night Mo is called by his fellow robbers to go and help a defenseless village as the Bluejay. His wife Resa is desperate for a way back to the real world, so she must sink as low as asking Orpheus, a man who almost killed Mo, to write her family back. He agrees, but only if Mo summons the White Women, Death's daughters, so he can talk with them. In a graveyard, Mo calls them. One by one they appear around him, and just like that he disappears in the midst of their shadowy bodies.

"Inkdeath" has definitely been my favorite book in the entire trilogy. Like the other two, it is a fairly long book, but it never drops your attention. There was not a dull moment in this story. Every time you think the story might be cooling down, a dramatic change pops out of nowhere that you would never have seen coming. Have you ever read a book that is so predictable that you fall asleep while reading? Well, "Inkdeath" will sure wake you up with all of its exciting twists and turns. All of the characters are described in such detail that they practically jump off of the page. The only bad part about this book was when I had to close the cover for the last time. I would definitely recommend "Inkdeath" to anyone who wants to dive into a thrilling story.

-E. Porter

Inkspell

Inkspell
by Cornelia Funke

Even though a year has passed, Meggie still can't keep "Inkheart" off her mind. Dustfinger, who's been desperately searching for a way to get back into the book, has finally found a solution with a man who says he can read him back in. When this magical story teller intentionally leaves Farid, Dustfinger's apprentice, out of his promise, Farid goes in search of Meggie. With the opportunity in front of her, Meggie reads Farid and herself into the book with Orpheus's words. When that same crafty story teller, along with Basta and Mortola show up in Elinor's front porch, he reads Basta, Mortola, Resa, and Mo into the story, leaving him and a cumbersome thug alone with Elinor and Darius. while in the story, Mo is forced to take on a new role as the Bluejay. As all these newcomers to the story adapt and entwine themselves within the book, they discover that the story has derailed from its original track and has evolved in ways none of them could have imagined.

Overall, I perceived "Inkspell" to be a thrilling and enticing adventure. I really liked how each chapter started with an excerpt from another story that still deals with the events of the chapter. The book is fairly long but is keeps you captivated with ever-changing scenes and plot events. I really liked how you got to see and understand more about the characters. Lastly, I thought the ending was adequate but it left me thirsting for the next book in the series.

-E. Porter

Inkheart

Inkheart
by Cornelia Funke

This book is a thrilling adventure about a 12-year-old girl named Meggie who becomes entwined in a story much like the ones she reads. Meggie lives a fairly regular life with her dad who restores books, when one night a strange man named Dustfinger appears on their doorstep. After her dad talks with the man he tells her that they are going to her great aunt's house. Dustfinger goes with them and while they are there her father is kidnapped. The next day, Dustfinger leads them to where he says her father was taken. It turns out to be a trap. Meggie is locked in the same cell as her father, and on that night she discovers that nine years earlier her father was reading aloud when Dustfinger and the villains who are responsible for their confinement appeared. Somehow, the characters came out of the book. For every character taken out of a book, something must go in. On that night so many years ago, Meggie's mother was trapped in the story that started the wild adventure that would change Meggie's life forever.

I would say that overall Inkheart is a good novel. One of the big issues that I disliked was the length of the book. It had a good beginning and a great end, but the middle wasn't the best. Despite this, whenever there was an interesting part, the event seemed to jump right off the page. The characters in the book were well-developed and made you feel like they were real people. The ending was hands down the best part, with suspense and unseen events at every turn. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to get lost in a story full of adventure.

-E. Porter

Julie of the Wolves

Julie of the Wolves
By Jean Craighead George

Miyax is a young Eskimo girl who is sometimes called “Julie” by her friends and teachers. She goes through a lot of hardship in her childhood: first, her mother dies, then, her father disappears on a hunting trip. Miyax is left with no choice but to marry her betrothed when she is thirteen. At first, she is happy in her new life, but when her husband attacks her, she makes up her mind to flee. Out alone on the Alaskan tundra, Miyax loses her way, and food is running out. Will she be able to convince a powerful wolf pack to adopt her as one of their own, or will she starve alone in the frozen north? This is a wonderful adventure novel.

-Ms. McConnel

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
By Avi

Charlotte Doyle, a well-to-do teenager, finds her world torn apart when her family moves from England to America. Forced to sail after her family, she finds herself the only passenger on a sailing ship with secrets in every corner. There is a stowaway, a cruel captain, and a murder…which Charlotte faces trial for! Will she make it to America, or will she be lost at sea, killed by the crazed captain and the bloodthirsty crew?

-Ms. McConnel

Crispin: The Cross of Lead

Crispin: The Cross of Lead
By Avi

Crispin finds his life turned upside down following the sudden death of his mother. Before, he had been a lonely boy without a father or a friend. Now, he is an orphan, running through the night, pursued by people who are determined to kill him: and he doesn’t know why. As he flees, he meets Bear, a traveling minstrel and entertainer, who begins to care for Crispin as if her were his own son. But who is Crispin’s father, and will he save him if he can be found? Or will Crispin end up facing the same fate as his mother: death?

-Ms. McConnel