Hachiko Waits - Leslea Newman

Get out a box of tissues or two, you might need them. Hachiko Waits is a sad story that is Japanese themed. Did you know that Hachi means eight in Japanese? My classmate was really excited when he saw the Japanese writing on one of the pages. You see, he's from Japan and he could read every bit of it, even though to me it all looked like a bunch of lines. Anyway, this book is about a faithful dog that is extremely intelligent and very friendly. One day his kind master, a professor, gets on a train and goes to work, same as usual. Hachi comes back exactly five minutes before his master's train gets back, and is rewarded with a smile from the station master, same as usual. The professor's train pulls into the station, but he does not come out. Hachiko waits. It has been years and years since The professor stepped off the train. Hachi still comes back about five minutes before the train. The sad thing is, Hachi does not know his master will never return.
This book is based on a true story. Some of the characters may not be real, but Hachiko and the professor are. Try to find the lesson in this, and if you can, I would appreciate if you send in your answer as a comment.

Inkspell - Cornelia Funke

Well, what did I tell you? I told I was going to post another book by Cornelia Funke, didn't I? And here I am posting it. Ok, down to business. This is may be one of the longest books I have ever read. (635 pages!) I am not going to tell you one bit of the story. No matter how hard you beg, I won't tell you a single thing. So don't bother to ask. The reason is that some people will already have read Inkheart and are absolutley dying to know what happens next. I've had that feeling many, many, many times, so I know what it's like. For those of you that haven't read Inkheart, but you want to read this book, I suggest you start at Inkheart. It isn't like Harry Potter, where you get a brief explanation of what's happened in the other books as youre reading. This book took me, bookworm of my class, six weeks to finish! That's pretty long if you're me. Also, I would probably only recommend this to you if you are nine years old or over. You'll see what I mean when you start getting towards the middle.

Warning! This book is highly addictive. Do not read unless you have good quality nothing to do time. Do not read at night. This book could be the reason you miss your bus.

Have fun!

Dragon Rider - Cornelia Funke

This book is a bit odd. It begins,not with the main character, but with a character that has little to do with the story. It begins with a rat. From then we meet Sorrel, a short tempered young brownie girl. A brownie is a sort of cross between a cat and.....well,something else. Sorrel's best friend is a dragon named Firedrake, and the two of them have some problem solving to do. Here is their to do list.

1. Somehow get to a nearby city, the home of rat's uncle, a famous map maker. Why? So that they can find the fabled "Rim of Heaven" which can provide shelter from the humans invading their valley.

2. Find a home for Ben, a homeless child they've picked up along the way.

3. Dispense of Twigleg by throwing him into the ocean, or at least feeding him to something really big and vicious (Don't ask, it was entirely Sorrel's idea, it had nothing to do with me) .

Those are basically the things that Firedrake and Sorrel plan on doing. But little do they know they know they will have much more problems as time goes on. Cornelia Funke is a really good artist/author, the kind that uses words for her paints. So far, I've got a pretty good idea of her writing style. Keep on the lookout for more books by this author!

Note: OOHHH looky! I am writing in color! I am really starting to get the hang of this!

Secret of the Old Garage - Page McBrier

Summer vacation has finally arrived and everyone, with the exception of Oliver Moffit, has something to. He runs a pet care business, and it hasn't been going well. Then he has an idea. Why not take care of the school gerbils? Oliver argues with his mom about it, and after a long,hard argument, Mrs. Moffit gives in. But she has always had one strict rule about his pet care business: ONLY ONE CUSTOMER AT A TIME. So for a little while,Oliver is happy taking care of the gerbils, even if he has to babysit Andrew, his annoying four year old neighbor. Sounds like fun, right? Well it is, for a while. Then a friend from school shows up with his fish tank, hoping Oliver will take care of them for the summer. If he doesn't than he'll have to give them away.
Oliver remembered his mother's rule,but says yes anyway. He has decided to get his mother a birthday present,because her birthday is at the end of the summer. But it is very expensive, and he can use the money. And anyway, fish aren't going to be much trouble at all. And then he finds the guinea pigs on the front doorstep......
Let's say you really like stories with morals, but you don't like Aesop's (pronounced EESOP) fables and want something a bit longer to read. Look no further! This book is the one for you.
This story is a bit short,but there is an important lesson you should learn from it. The lesson is very simple: Follow the rules. As a conclusion,I would say that this is overall a good read.

Double Fudge - Judy Blume

It's new (okay, maybe not so new),it's funny, it's.....Double Fudge! I know what you're thinking:Double Fudge?!?! But actually, it's not that bad. In fact, it's great! So here's the story: Peter Hatcher,age 12, has a little brother. His is Farley Drexel (more commonly known as Fudge) , and he is a disaster! Lately, he's been having an obsession with money, and plans to buy Toys R Us...eventually. If you're like Peter, this may sound familiar. The entire family decides to go to Washington D.C. for a weekend trip to the Bureau of Printing and Engraving (that's where money is made).
They thought it would cure Fudge of his money obsession, but boy, were they wrong! Instead of curing him he just got more engrossed with money. Peter is devastated, and just when he thought things couldn't get any worse, they meet their long lost cousins. Peter now must put up with the twins, Flora and Fauna, and their little brother. His name is Farley Drexel, just like Fudge! What on earth is Peter going to do? If you are feeling gloomy, or maybe you just want a good laugh, this book is a must-read!

Note:I hereby insist that you must read every age appropriate kid's book by Judy Blume you can get your hands on. She is a really good author!

101 Ways to Bug Your Parents - Lee Wardlaw

Stephen Wyatt (also known as Sneeze) has a reputation for causing disasters at school with his would-be fantastic inventions. Scribbler (the sixth grade teacher, also known as Mr. Powell) banned him from bringing in any more invention. The last one he brought in melted his toupee. But on the last day of school he decides to bring in just one last one. It's called the nice alarm, and it's supposed to wake you up in the morning by tapping you lightly on the shoulder. But instead it wallops Hiccup (Sneeze's best friend) on the nose. This summer he, his family, and Hiccup are supposed to go to the Invention Convention, an annual gathering of inventors from all over the place to show off their inventions. Sneeze plans to bring the nice alarm after he's fixed it. But then thing start to go nightmarishly wrong when his parents sign him up for a writing class instead. For the story he is supposed to write, Sneeze comes up with a list of things to do to bug your parents. The list gets bigger and bigger until something a classmate says gives him an idea....an idea that will let him go to the Convention with, or more importantly, without his parents......

The Music of Dolphins - Karen Hesse

She becomes famous when she is found on an deserted island near Florida. She has been raised by dolphins since she was four. The ones who found her, who took her in, gave her a name: Mila Researchers teach Mila how to talk and make music. Mila loves learning these things. This learning comes with a special price. Locked doors, walls, sadness, and on and on. But she must learn these things if she is to become human. It is hard for her, but she makes progress. Once Dr. Beck (A researcher) showed her a letter that was from the man they thought was her father. Mila was shaken at the idea, for she remembers nothing of this father. The subject was never brought up again.
One night, Mila discovers that her bedroom door is locked. She pounds her hands on the glass until her hands bleed. They are bandaged and Mila becomes very sick. Her longing too return home persists. It gets worse. There is hapiness from time to time, but it feels far, far away now. They tell Mila that she can return home when she knows the rules. This is not enough for her. Will she ever go home to the sea?

Adaline Falling Star - Mary Pope Osborne

Her name was Adaline. Her father was white, but her mother was from the Arapaho tribe*. She had two names. One was Adaline. The other one, the one her mother gave her, was falling star. When her mother died, she was sent to live with her cousins, all of which consider her a savage except for Caddie, the slave. One day Lilly (a cousin of Adaline's) goes a bit too far with her meanness. No, not a bit too far. A whole lot too far.
Lilly burned her bag to ashes. In it was all she had left of her mother, a carved dragonfly, an eagle feather, and a doll. To add to that, Her father didn't come back to her like he promised. It was all just too much for Adaline, so she ran away. On the way she meets a dog who slowly becomes a good and loyal friend. Will she ever find her father and finally go home?
This book is a realistic fiction, mixed with a whole lot of adventure. Enjoy!




*A Native American tribe. To learn more about the Arapaho tribe visit www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Arapaho

Chasing The Falconers - Gordon Korman

Meg and Aiden Falconer's parents are criminals. At least, that is what everyone thinks. They are in high security prison cells and Meg and Aiden are trapped in a juvinelle detention center. One night they escape and decide get their parents out of jail. The problem? Meg and Aiden are on the run from the police and an inauspicios person that wants to stop them they've nicknamed "Hairless Joe."
Along the way they meet up with Miguel, who was one of the few luck enough to escape from the juvinelle detention center. He proves useful but a bit too reckless. Will the Falconers ever prove their parents innocent? This book is fast paced and enrgetic, and only the first in the series. The second book is called The Fugitive Factor.
When Aiden remembers a piece of evidence that just might be a good clue, the Falconers decide to go to Vermont. The piece of evidence was a picture of Frank Lindenauer, the only man that can prove that the Falconers are innocent. Will they ever find him? Maybye,maybye not. If you don't find out in this book you will probably find out in the next book (The Fugitive Factor) , or the third one (Now You See Them, Now You Don't). Have fun reading this one!

Tarantulas On The Brain - Marilyn Singer

Almost everyone has wanted a pet at one point. Lizzie Silver isn't any different except for one thing. She wants a tarantula for a pet. Lizzie and her friend Tessa figure out a way to get one but it's pretty expensive. So they decided to have a junk sale but they accidentaly sold Lizzie's mother's wedding ring! Lizzie changed her mind about the sale and got a job. It was to take care of the animals that a magician was using. But then things took a turn for the worst and Lizzie had to step up to being the magician's asisstant. How is she going to keep the job a secret from her parents and her older sister? Will she ever get her taratula?
The answers are no and yes. A girl name Julie Lindstrom just happened to be at Lizzie's performance (being an asissstant meant being part of the show,too) and she threatened to tell about the job unless she would give the job to her. But Lizzie wouldn't do it. Find out what happens next in this fabulously written book.

A Dog Called Kitty - Bill Wallace

Funny name for a dog, don't you think so? This book,by Bill Walllace,is about a boy named Ricky who is terrified of dogs. He lives on a farm in Ohklahoma. Ever since a dog attacked him when he was little, they haven't exactly become his favorite pets. One day a small puppy that was half starved wandered into the farm. When the cats are called to eat, the pup always comes. Ricky started to like the pup and fed him until he was better. He named him Kitty. This book is a two thumbs up story about the love thats grows between a boy and his dog.
After Kitty died, something wierd happened. Ricky and friends were playing ball when they heard Sammy's (one of Ricky's friends) dog attacking another. The stray followed Ricky all the way home. His mom called the cats in for dinner and Ricky heard heard the sound of barking. He went out to see what was going on and got the surprise of his life. The dog was fighting with the cats just like Kitty used to do. It started all over again.

Key To The Treasure - Peggy Parish

Have you ever read an Amelia Bedelia book? It is hard to believe that the same author,Peggy Parrish, wrote Key To The Treasure. It is about three kids named Lisa, Bill, and Jed. Every summer they go to their grtandparent's house. They hear the story if the drawings above the fireplace. The drawings are clues to a treasure that nobody has found for over a century. Will they be the ones to solve this mystery? Encyclopedia Brown fans will be rooting for this one the whole way through.
The three sketches are drawings of a Native American bonnet, a small pot, and a key. All of the sketches were from the collection of Native American collection that Liza, Bill and Jed's grandpa's grandfather once owned. The first clue had accidentally been washed up. The kids unexpectedly found the second clue and decided to keep it a secret. Read about how these three kids find the answer to a mystery that lied unsolved for more than a century.

The Report Card - Andrew Clements

5th grader Nora Rose Rowley has problems. For one thing, she's a genius. For another, she doesn't want anyone to know. This book is another one of Andrew Clement's school stories were the main character can't seem to resist getting him or herself into trouble. This is a must read for anyone who understands just how hard keeping a secret, or having trouble with school,can be.
Nora's best friend, Stephen, is starting to fall behind in grades because of the low score he got on the state tests. So Nora came she decided she purposely would get low grades on her report card and get everyone thinking whether or not grades really matter. But then something happened that made the whole plan come crashing down. Find out what happens in this awesome school story by Andrew Clements.