Independent+Reading+2012

TEACHER RECOMMENDED BOOKS FOR INDEPENDENT READING ASSIGNMENTS: English 9 and Honors English 9

The authors purpose was to entertain his audience. The audience is everyone who reads the book and the world. The main idea of Kill Alex Cross is attempted terrorists plot on the Nation’s Capitol, Washington D.C. Compared to other James Patterson books this was just as good. Compared to other authors, this book is a must read. If you like to study stuff about the government this is a book for you. This is a book about love, and family; if you believe in that or love, this is a book for you. I give this book a ten. It was very easy to read. James Patterson jumps around a little in the book though. (Mackenzie Bolton)
 * //Kill Alex Cross by James Patterson//**

I was not the person for reading, but after reading the novel, //The Fault in Our Stars//, written by John Green, that honestly changed. Even though it was a fiction story, I was amazed by every word used. This novel is full of tragedy, humor, love, and beauty all at once. John Green’s incredible writing has opened up my mind completely, helped me see from other perspectives, and helped me feel things I might never get a chance to feel in real life. // The Fault in Our Stars // is about a seventeen year old girl with lung cancer. She can almost swear she is close to dying, until a loved one dies first. She learns that leaving a mark on the world will not always make everyone remember her. She learns that she has choices in life and she can choose who hurts her and who does not. And to be honest, I have learned some lessons too. One of the characters in the story basically taught me a life lesson. “You build a hideous mini-mall or start a coup or try to be a rock star and you think, ‘They’ll remember me now,’ but (a) they don’t remember you, and (b) all you leave behind are more scars. Your coup becomes a dictatorship. Your mini-mall becomes a lesion.”I like this quote because I agree with it. Everyone wants to outlast death and make a mark upon the world, but the marks you try to leave often become scars. John Green puts many universal themes into this-- Will I be loved? Will I be remembered? Will I leave a mark on this world? But I think his purpose to writing this was to show that you do not get to choose if you get hurt in life, but you get to choose who hurts you. That is why this novel, //The Fault in Our Stars// has reached out to me in so many different ways. On a scale from one to ten, I give this book a twelve. I would recommend it to every human being out there. (Taylor Hill)
 * // The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green //**

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer is a very emotional, serious story that is often dark but slightly funny at times and explores fully a conflict of the possibility of a relationship between the two main characters, Bella and Edward. These two characters are very different in most ways and do not have a great potential for a relationship because of these differences. Edward also frequently wishes to eat Bella since he is a vampire, and this detracts from the romantic legitimacy of the novel. I found it completely unrealistic how Bella does not shy away or have any second thoughts when Edward confesses his taste for human blood and talks about how easy it would be to kill her. They discuss how he is resisting the urge to eat her throughout the relationship, but Bella does not find this strange. This may be a reason to question her sanity or intelligence. She has an unrealistic, improbable lack of fear. Despite the flaws with the book, it has a gripping plot that would keep most readers turning page after page. There are many questions and unknowns that are presented throughout the book, leading to suspense, tension, plot twists, and shocking revelations peppered throughout the plotline. The relationship between Bella and Edward is also typically very believable, natural, and genuine. The moments between them are realistic and keep readers hanging on every word. The fragility of their interaction gives almost every situation a healthy dose of suspense. It has elements of the classic love story between two people- or vampires- that are not meant to be together, but overcome this obstacle to make it work anyway. Another important aspect of the story is the relationship Bella has with her family and dad, Charlie and how this ties in with her relationship with Edward. She keeps her dad out of her personal business altogether and is extremely guarded about what happens while trying to remain truthful to him, even if she has to rely on technicalities and partial truths to keep an innocent conscience. He knows nothing about which boys like her or about her feelings for Edward until relatively far into their relationship. She also sometimes has to deal with her mom, Renée, who is worrisome about her daughter living miles away. One interesting part of the story that makes it unique is Edward’s abilities that he gains from being a vampire. He can become very still because he does not need to breathe, and is very observant, which do not really matter in the story. However, he has some superpower-like talents that alter the story making it more convenient for him and Bella to come together. For instance, he has extraordinary hearing and can read other people’s minds, other than Bella’s, leading to some interesting situations that allow them to know each other quickly and how they feel about one another. Edward also has super speed he can use to come to her house and stay with her while she’s sleeping or carry her places quickly. This makes the story more interesting and less cliché than it could be, even though it still manages to be extremely traditional. Twilight takes the reader in all sorts of emotional directions and places. The plot is very entertaining and easy to become absorbed in, but also evokes lots of thought at the same time. This is only interrupted by the somewhat too perfect relationship Bella and Edward share at times that seems unrealistic because of the danger Bella seems to ignore. I would rate this book an eight out of ten because the positive aspects outweigh the flaws, even though sometimes the events are improbable. It is directed at people who are probably from ages thirteen to nineteen, but it can be enjoyed by anyone older than that as well. This book is worth reading for anyone who wants to be entertained and emotionally moved on many levels. (Jeremy Davis)
 * // Twilight by Stephanie Meyer //**

It is the second book of the Hunger Games trilogy, and it is the most suspenseful so far. Catching Fire is a book for all ages, and it is great for both boys and girls. The book is about trust, love, strength, willpower, and friendship. I would compare this book to the Twilight series. Both of them have a love triangle and they both have the main character’s fighting for their lives. The main idea the author is trying to get across in Catching Fire is that Katniss and Peeta, the main characters, are sent back into the Hunger Games and must depend on each other in order to survive. They will have to use all their strength and trust each other to make it out alive. They really have to fight for their lives. They must have faith in a few other competitors to make it to the end. I honestly feel this book is even better than the Hunger Games. There is so much action throughout the whole book. I couldn’t stop reading because I had to know what happened next. I loved how Katniss and Peeta worked together and protected each other. They were willing to die to make sure the other survives. Their love for each other is very romantic, and I wanted to see if they would be together in the end. I will tell you this, when you finish Catching Fire you will go get the third book Mockingjay and start to read it immediately, that’s how good it is! I would rate this book a 10. It is one of my favorite books ever. (Alexandra Geracimos)
 * //Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins//**

This book was about a man in his early thirties named Travis, and a woman in her late twenties named Gabby. Gabby recently moved to a new neighborhood, where Travis became her new neighbor. One weekend Travis and Gabby went out on a few dates, but sadly Gabby already had a boyfriend. After a short period of time Gabby did choose Travis and they later got married. After being married for eleven years Travis and Gabby got in a car accident, and Gabby was put in a coma for a year. Travis then had to make a choice between keeping Gabby alive or pulling the plug. Nicholas Sparks is by for one of my favorite authors. Nicholas Sparks’ stories usually are for young adults. This book did a good job making the story focus on young adult readers. Most of his stories are in fact love stories, where something tragic happens leaving the reader feeling almost emotionally depressed. Even though his stories are continuously sad, I still read them because to me, it gives me a taste of reality. Unlike other stories, his books make you able to relate to life because like people always say “not everything lasts forever.” Almost all of his books show you that everything can be perfect, but in a blink of an eye it can all go away. This story, The Choice, was mostly about Travis and Gabby being madly in love, and in a blink of an eye their entire future changed. When they were dating, and got married they never knew that Gabby was going to get seriously injured. They dreamed of raising their children and having the life they always wanted happy together. When Gabby was hurt it made Travis truly think deeply about everything that they had been through. It made Travis realize that not only had he lost his wife and the mother of his children, but he had lost a huge chunk of himself as well. This makes the readers realize that even though you are with someone, or if you are doing something and your dreams feel like they have came true, there is no guarantee that everything will last forever. This book reminds me of the movie The Vow. A happy couple ready to spend their lives with each other but sadly the wives are put into a coma. As both the movie and the book continue they both wake up. Unlike the movie The Vow, Gabby is unfazed when she awoke. In The Vow, she forgot everything and had to start her romance over with her husband. So this book is a good read if you liked the movie The Vow, but this one has its own little twist. Over all I enjoyed this book. Again Nicholas Sparks is one of my favorite authors, and I enjoy almost everything he writes. This book The Choice is a great read. When you start you are going to find it hard to be able to put it down. The story is just over all good, and I would rate this story a 4.5 out of 5 stars. (Trenise Crumpler)
 * //The Choice by Nicholas Sparks//**

It was an OK book. And what I mean by that is it was very dull. During the first half of the book, it was just about Tomi (the main character) having a normal life in Hawaii. He would hang with his buddies Rico, Mose, and Billy, play for his baseball team, “The Rats”, play outside, you know, being a normal kid. His parents were both from Japan so he has Japanese heritage in him. Then, if you can recall history, the attack on Pearl Harbor happened, and Tomi’s family was severely affected. His father and grandfather were arrested for being supposed “Japanese loyalists”. The government thought that they were in America supporting the Japanese during the attack. And now with his father and grandfather arrested and shipped to the mainland, it was up to Tomi to be the man of the house. He had to take care of his mama and little five- year-old sister Kimi. My personal thoughts on this book were it was dull and boring. It had no plot at all, and I didn’t find it enjoyable at all. It just wasn’t my kind of book. If I were to rate this book from 1-10, I’d give it around a 2 and a half. Judging by the poor quality and the way it was written, I honestly do not recommend this book to anyone. (Alex LaFountaine) John Green’s book Looking for Alaska is an easy read with a powerful message. Alaska Young is the craziest, most beautiful and self-destructive girl that Miles “Pudge” Halter has ever met. Miles leaves his lonely friendless life in Florida for Boarding School in Alabama. He allows the gorgeous and impulsive Alaska to turn his world upside down in order to find his meaning and purpose for his life. Because chapters do not start on new pages it is hard to find a place to stop and it is easy to tell yourself, “Oh I’ll just read a little more.” I read this in a few sittings. The writing is thought-provoking, funny, and passionate. The characters act like the teenagers: they break rules, pull pranks on fellow students, and act up. The first half of the novel is an adventure of self-discovery and reader’s will laugh their way through it. The end of the story is an adventure of another matter, seeking the truth and understanding of loss and strengthening the bonds of friendship. I felt I could really related to this book and think this is the perfect story for any teenager. (Victoria Torres) Being brutally abused as a child is hard to imagine and sometimes hard to read. Not being loved by your parent, abused by your parent, and thought about as being dead would make their lives much nicer. I feel Mr. Pelzer wrote this book to tell his story, in his words and his own pain. Writing must have been in some way healing for him, getting it out of his memory and into words. My opinion about him writing it is helping readers realize that you can overcome a lot, maybe even looking at their childhood a little differently. Young Dave was loved by his mother, at one time, but something changed. While doing dishes one evening, his mother threatened to kill him with a butcher knife she was holding. She started lunging at him. After several times, she lost her balance and slashed David across the stomach. He woke up to his mother putting bandages on the wound to soak up the blood. She looked at him with no remorse. Another incident is when mother put a bucket of ammonia and Clorox in the bathroom with David and locked the door. As the fumes went into his lungs he felt his airway close and burn. He took a cloth and dunked it in the toilet and covered his mouth to survive. I compared this book to With Deepest Regrets by Robin Michael Smith. They are both non-fiction and about abuse as a child. The child in With Deepest Regrets was abused by his step father and babysitter, as with A Child Called “It” the boy was being abused by his own mother. Robin in “WDR” passed out by having his head held into a snow bank for a long period of time, and when his stepfather threw an ice scraper at his face and cut him. I found A Child called “It” to be fairly easy to read and get involved. The more I read, the more disgusted I got with his mother. Every time he described a beating or having to go hungry, my heart hurt. I gave the book a rate of 6. I definitely would not recommend this book to children or someone who cannot have children. (Austin Hufford) The Killing Sea was about a family of four who decided to go on a “fun” vacation. They were visiting Indonesia for three days until the tsunami hit and forced them to flee their boat and run away as far and as fast as possible. Her parents were missing, and her brother Peter was extremely sick and needed health care immediately. So Sarah and Peter traveled across Indonesia to find a hospital and eventually ended up meeting a boy named Ruslan. He helped them find a doctor’s tent, but the whole tent was filled up with patients with broken limbs and even missing limbs. They stayed there over night to get a good nights rest. I found few parts in the book that I didn’t like but over all I found it very entertaining. The main part of the book I didn’t like was that the author would stay on a single subject for far too long. Also, I think that the author went into the tsunami disaster too early in the story. What I did like about the story was that it was a true story and that really made me think about what the victims were going through. Another thing I liked about the story was that all the characters changed in their own ways. Sarah in the beginning of the story was a spoiled brat; by the end of the story, she was a good hearted fighter. I especially liked the amount of detail the author incorporated. The words he chose created a lot of imagery. I also liked how the author would leave you on the best cliff hangers. At the end of each chapter, he would end it with a question like “will they make it to the island in time?” Then he would move on to the next character making you think about what will happen to the last mentioned character. I really liked the story over all and would completely recommend it to reader that enjoys a good, fun, suspenseful story. (Clem Porter)
 * //Under the Blood-Red Sun By: Graham Salisbury//**
 * //Looking for Alaska by John Green//**
 * //A Child Called “It”//** **//by//** **//Dave Pelzer//**
 * //__THE KILLING SEA__//** **//By: Richard Lewis//**

Michael Arroyo, was a twelve-year-old boy from the Bronx who had a lifelong dream of being an excellent baseball player. Pitching in the Little League World Series and later playing in the Major League were his ultimate goals. He had been faced with several hardships throughout the story. His mother died when he was younger, and his father died from a heart attack shortly after the entire family came to the United States from Cuba. The author’s purpose was to inform the reader about everyday hardships, and how these hardships can be overcome. He also proved in this story that almost anything is possible because the main character was able to achieve his goal of being the best pitcher he could be. Overall, __Heat__ was a great book, and I would recommend it to everybody. It focuses on sports as well as a life crisis, which we can all relate to. (Chris Swyka) //The Giver// was a well written novel to help the reader appreciate the luxuries of life that we experience each day. While reading the book I felt it was very interesting but unrealistic. It is unbelievable that one individual could store the vast amount of collective memories of an entire community. I could never image being the age of twelve, as Jonas was in the book, experiencing some of the events as he did, such as the disturbing scene of Jonas’s father euthanizing a baby. Who could image this, let alone witness that horrible event. How could a society survive if everyone was the same? If there was no love, pain, color, hatred. Life experiences and freedom are what make you the person you are today. I would recommend this book to any young male adult. I feel that the contents of this book would not engage a female reader. By Jonas being a young man setting out to reach his new world, many male readers could relate events in their lives to succeed in their own goals. I also feel that for a young male reader to understand the meaning of this book they would have had to encounter personal life experiences themselves. (Preston Kist)
 * //"__Heat__" by Mike Lupica//**
 * //The Giver//** **by Lois Lowry**

I think the author’s purpose was to demonstrate the irrationality of racism. Kidd represented both black and white characters’ dignity, but also showed how Lily struggles with her own racism. Another purpose was to portray the power of the female community. A motherless fourteen-year-old girl named Lily lives with her father T.Ray who appears to be emotionally detached and claims Lily killed her mother when she was little. Her only friend and nanny, Rosaleen, gets arrested during a confrontation with three of the biggest racist in town. After Lily breaks Rosaleen out of jail, they run away to Tiburon, where Lily thinks her mother once spent time. They then meet the Boatwright sisters, May, June and August, who take Lily in. Lily met Zach, who becomes her “sweetheart. When Zach gets arrested for being with the wrong crowd, May commits suicide. At the same time, Lily confesses to August about her past. Lily eventually confronts T.Ray and August persuades him to let Lily stay in Tiburon. I haven’t yet read a book that compares to this novel. It was touching and full of expression. There’s love, romance, family, racial issues, religious experiences and bees. On a scale from 1-5, I rate it a 5. I recommend this book to teenage girls and mothers. The author did a good job explaining the power of the female community and the importance of storytelling. (Kira Honesty-Williams)
 * //__ The Secret Life of Bees __//****// by Sue Monk Kidd //**
 * “There is nothing perfect,” August said from the doorway.” There is only life.” **

The Hunger Games was a great find! This book is for anyone age 11 to 111 and is loads of entertainment. In this book, the continent of North America has become a dictatorship and is divided into 13 districts. The thirteenth district rose against the government but was destroyed for it. Each year after that one boy and one girl from the age of 12 to 18 was selected to be thrown into a gigantic arena to fight to the death to show the districts that they are weaker than the Government. Suzanne tries to mix the romance of the __Twilight__ series and the gruesome action of the __Running Man.__ She does it well too! She wrote a good action, adventure, romance novel that the whole family can enjoy. She gave me a new series to read in the Hunger Games. I think anyone who has the chance to read it or see the new motion picture definitely should. On a scale of one to ten I would give this book a 9.5! Go read it. (Billy Trone) This novel was interesting, different, sad, and much more. I loved the book entirely and plan to read more books by Bernard Schlink. Young fifteen-year-old boy Michael berg got sick on his way home from school one afternoon. A 30-year-old women named Hanna Schmitz saw him and lent him a hand. He went to her house one afternoon to thank her and then fell in love with her instantly. One day she suddenly disappeared. Hanna Schmitz was spotted next, ten years later in a war crime trial dealing with something in her past the she never mentioned before. Michael was a law student then and was analyzing her case. Suddenly Michael discovers that there is much more to Hanna then he thought he knew. //The Reader// was thrilling, haunting, insightful and so much more than I expected from it. Reading this book gives me a new point of view on things and a greater understanding of the world that I’m going to step into after the next three years. Bernard constantly keeps you guessing. What did she do to end up having to appear in court for a criminal case? Is she guilty? Does Michael still care about Hanna ten years after she just disappeared all of a sudden? The suspense of these questions are what kept me intrigued. I highly recommend anyone to read this book that is above 14. I personally couldn’t keep myself from continuing. Not only is this recommended by me, but by all of the people who decided to buy it making it a national bestseller. So what are //you// waiting for? (Elizabeth Hikins)
 * //The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins//**
 * //__The Reader__//** **//by Bernard Schlink.//**

The Da Vinci Code is an international best seller, and for weeks, months even, it was a New York Times best seller. It’s even been made into a movie, but why all the interest? I think it’s the fact that The Da Vinci Code makes people question a lot of long time beliefs. It really makes people stop, think and wonder. I personally found The Da Vinci Code to be enthralling and captivating. It truly kept me in its web the entire time I was reading. Dan Brown wrote The Da Vinci Code to provide adults with a fast paced thriller that could captivate their minds and their imaginations. From the moment that the French police found Jacques Saunière’s dead body it was clear he’d been murdered. A man by the name of Robert Langdon is unfortunately at the top of the French police’s suspect list. Jacques wasn’t your average man though; he left a series of clues, clues that became the map of the most heavily guarded secret of all, the final resting place of the Holy Grail. Lead by the clues and Da Vinci’s paintings, Landon and Sophie Neveu undertake a quest to unveil the secret of the Holy Grail. Unfortunately the police aren’t the only ones out to stop them a secret organization by the name of Opus Dei wants nothing more than to discover the whereabouts of it and have it obliterated forever. I have never read a book quite like this one, it was so different than anything I had read before and I really enjoyed it. I usually don’t like books about mystery but this book completely blew me away. The thing that baffled me the most was the fact that a lot of the things he used in his story were completely true and I never would have expected that (Melanie Tharp)
 * //__The Da Vinci Code__//** **//by Dan Brown//**

//The Son of Neptune// is the second book in //The Heroes of Olympus// series by Rick Riordan. The first book, //The Lost Hero//, opens with kids, Jason, Piper, and Leo, who make it to Camp Half-Blood, which was the setting for the popular series, //Percy Jackson and The Olympians//. Jason has no recollection of his past life and the book tells the tale of his adventures while trying to find out about himself. He used to go to another half-blood camp called Camp Jupiter, which features the Roman culture rather than the Greek culture of Camp Half-Blood. This is where //The Son of Neptune// has its setting. Percy Jackson has somehow switched places with Jason and he too seems to have lost his memory. He quickly makes two friends, Frank and Hazel, and is sent off on a quest to save the camp from Gaea, who is awakening and has opened Death’s doors so that when half-bloods kill monsters, instead of taking years to reform, they come back to life sometimes in mere minutes. Percy, Frank, and Hazel journey to Alaska, where they have been told they will find the only thing they can use to stop the impending apocalypse. Rick Riordan is usually very good with characterization but this book didn’t quite sell it for me. He switched the point of view every few chapters, distributing the focus on each of the three main characters but it was difficult to form the reader-character relationship that I find vital to every reading experience. I was able to connect very well with Percy’s character, although the fact that I have read the previous series offered a huge contribution to this. Hazel and Frank’s characters, however, seemed pretty repetitive and vague. They seemed to lack the strong character traits that I know Rick Riordan is capable of creating. Anyone who had simply picked up the book without prior knowledge of Percy’s background would’ve found it very difficult to make it past the first one hundred pages. It picked itself up a bit towards the middle and end but the beginning was a little dry and difficult to stick with. I advise any readers to get to know the author’s style by reading his other series before attempting to throw themselves into this book. Although, it was fairly clear by the massive cliffhanger that this was just the beginning of a bigger, more complex plot that I’m sure will have me hooked in the next few books. Part of my distaste may have been cause by the loss of Annabeth, Grover, and the others. I had grown close to them from reading the first series and it was difficult to read a book where they played such a small part. It was a bit like starving and being presented with a large meal, but only able to eat one bite. In conclusion, I would recommend this book only to people who are familiar with, and fond of, Rick Riordan’s work. It’s kind of a challenge to get into the book but once you’ve been sucked in, it’s worth it. I just can’t wait for the rest of series to be available to me. (Paisley Lanouette) Do you want to read an interesting book? One that will keep you longing for more? Read 'Someone Like You' by Sarah Dessen. The book is about a teenage girl named, Halley, whose life takes an interesting turn after the summer of her sophomore year. Her best friend named Scarlett's boyfriend dies suddenly and comes to find out that she is pregnant with his child. Scarlett needs Halley more than ever to help her through this difficult time. During Halley’s struggle to help Scarlett, she ends up falling in love with one of Scarlett's friends. That's where her journey becomes extremely confusing and full of change. This book is great for young adults who like reading about love and loss. The book was pretty great overall, but there were a couple of things that could've been a little better. The book made you want to keep reading more and more although, once I got to the end I was a little disappointed becausethe story just kind of dropped off. With all of that said, I would recommend this for others to read this book. Overall it was worth the time. If I had to rate this book from 1 to5 it would receive a 4.5. Hope you like it! (Megan Garbacz)
 * //‘The Son of Neptune’ by Rick Riordan//**
 * __Wednesday Wars__**
 * __The Wednesday Wars__** is about a kid named Holling Hoodhood who lives dead smack in the middle of the town. The people who live in the north part of town go to one church and the other half goes to another. This occurs every Wednesday. Because Holling lives in the middle, he is the only one left in school and the teacher he is stuck with hates him but doesn’t know why. To make things worse, she makes him read Shakespeare outside of school. I think it was a good book. I would give it 4 stars. There was a lot of humor in it. It also had 410 ways to get a teacher to hate you and get back at them. Many teenagers would love to read something like that. In my opinion, it would make an interesting movie. Many people could relate to this scenario but in a different way. (Jalen Brinkley)
 * //Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen//**

The book Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag is a fireman man in the early future who, instead of putting out fires, he starts them. In the future people do not read books or enjoy nature instead they are always with another person, watching television or listening to the radio on little ear pieces. During the book, Guy Montag meets a seventeen year old girl named Clarisse McClellan who opens his eyes to the world. As the book continues, he starts to realize that the world is currently messed up. Later in the book, Montag finds a book left over from a book burning where a woman gave her life to try and protect her books that she has kept hidden, and decides to keep it. He decides that he wants to understand why someone would give up their life for a book. He decides to take a day off from work to read it when the firemen captain, Chief Beatty, shows up at his house. Beatty realizes why he stays home and discusses with Montag how every fireman goes through a “why” phase, the phase where a fireman questions the book burnings. Montag then realizes that this “why” phase may become permanent. I found this book quite interesting having some action parts as well as drama and betrayal. It is a very engaging and had a very lively feel. I believe that this book grabbed my attention because I feel that the author, Ray Bradbury, made this a “what if” book such as ‘what if firemen started fires instead of putting them out?’ ‘What if books were illegal?’ ‘What if one day nobody ever decided to relax or “slow down”?’ If I were to rate this book out of ten I would give it a nine only because that it sort of drags out at some points in the story. (Garrett Billmire)
 * //Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury//**

//Wanted// is the eighth book in the Pretty Little Liars series, written by Sara Shepard. Former best friends Hanna, Aria, Spencer, and Emily, who lost their best friend and leader, Alison, years ago when she disappeared, find themselves in grave danger when they pursue the truth about Alison. In the previous book, //Heartless//, we learn who has killed Ali…and Jenna. Billy is a random man with seemingly no connection to anyone in Rosewood and our four Pretty Little Liars are extremely confused. But now that Billy is in jail, they are breathing easy. That is, until Ali’s mom calls them and asks them to come to her house for a press conference. At the press conference, she drops a bomb. She introduces a girl, who she says is her daughter. This girl has the same heart shaped face and stunning blue eyes as Ali, but her name is Courtney, and Mrs. DiLaurentis explains that Ali and Courtney are twins and that Courtney was hidden away for years because of medical issues. Needless to say, Hanna, Emily, Aria and Spencer are shocked. Something about Courtney seems a little off and as each girl spends more time with her, Courtney admits that she is indeed Ali. She has an elaborate story about the night when Ali disappeared and our Pretty Little Liars fall right into her pretty arms, happy to have their best friend back. When Ali invites them to her house in the Poconos for a night of fun and reacquainting themselves with each other, our Pretty Little Liars gleefully accept. However, they don’t realize they are being led into the most dangerous trap of all. The whole series was full of twists and turns, but none more scary or shocking than in this final installment. I was amazed at the web that Shepard expertly weaved leading up to the conclusion. Towards the end I was gasping out loud, covering my mouth, getting chills and jumping at every sound I heard in my house. The descriptions toward the end of the book of the fire, and what the girls found in the closet had me trembling at my very core. Sara Shepard always incorporates insane incidents, extremely vivid details, and crazy events. I love reading her books and would defiantly recommend this book in particular for anyone to read. (Jennifer Morton) The book **//The//** **//Liar Society//** was a very intriguing book that kept its readers unable to put the book down. This book was more directed towards people who like mysteries and romance, and also people who like books with a little bit of a twist at the end that will leave you wanting to read more. The authors’ always kept you guessing. You could never figure out who killed Kate’s best friend Grace up until the end. Once Kate got enough clues that would help her to solve the murder she would get threatening letters saying “you’re next” but she never gave up. Once she figured out who the brotherhood and sisterhood were, and figured out all the codes that opened up their tunnels under the school with a little help from her new-found friend Liam and her neighbor Seth, she got a note saying she needed to go down to the tunnels alone to finally put the missing pieces together and learn the truth about what happened to Grace. When she went down there no one was there, but a couple of minutes later Taylor showed up but following her was Alistair, and then Maddie. She was so confused but Taylor confessed to everything that it was an accident and Maddie didn’t know Grace was in the basement, but it ended up being Alistair who set fire to the old church and had no intentions of hurting anyone. He just wanted to get everyone out so he could go in the tunnels. When Kate took it to the police they didn’t believe her and the sisterhood said it’s because the brotherhood runs deep. This book was similar to **//The Lying Game//** and **//Pretty Little Liars//**. Both were mysteries about someone close to them getting killed and trying to solve the murder, but they end up finding out too much and the killer ends up going after them. I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend it to anyone. It kept you hooked from beginning to end. You’ll never want to put it down, and even on the last page you’ll still wish there was more to read. This is one of my new favorite books now. (Jordyn DeVary)
 * //__Wanted__//** **//by Sara Shepard//**
 * //__Book report: the Liar Society__//** **//__By Lisa and Laura Roecker__//**

I read the 3rd book of the Hunger Games series called The Mocking Jay by Suzanne Collins. Katniss Everdeen was selected into the Hunger Games two times and came out alive each. But her family and friends are in danger. The Capitol is mad because the players escaped from the bloody arena. But the Capitol wants to get pay back for their unsatisfied entertainment from the plan the tributes made to get out of the playing field. No one is safe under President Snow's orders, but the people of district 13 work together to show the Capitol what they are made of. I had a hard time getting through this story, everything was so depressing and it put me in a discouraged mood every time I started and stopped reading. The author seemed to want to make a big ending and Collins did that. The ending was a shocking one, and very hard for me to take in. I enjoyed reading it, and I do recommend this book. Everyone likes action, and this is going to show it. However I know one thing for sure, I will not read this book again because I did not like the ending and how forlorn the main character's mood was. This was not my favorite out of the three books. But I am glad I finished the series. (Madison Lilly)
 * //Mocking Jay//** by Suzanne Collins

Suzanne Collins wrote this book for people to get a sense of action, sensibility and for basically all ages to read. Everyone can understand through her vivid details and sensory details. I found the book very intriguing and it made me want to keep reading to see what Katniss would shoot next, or if Peeta would survive his sword cut. Most of all, I wanted to compare the book to the movie! When one of the characters in the book would speak, it would be the same in the movie. For example, Haymitch called Katniss “sweetheart” in the book and he also did in the movie. Very few things were different in the book. Like, after the interview at the Capitol Katniss cut Peeta’s hand in the book, but that didn’t really happen in the movie. The games start out at the reaping with just ten words of, “Happy Hunger Games! May the odds be ever in your favor!” said by Effie Trinket, District 12’s escort. Primrose Everdeen is called as a tribute. Fortunately for her, her sister, Katniss Everdeen, calls out, “I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!” Peeta Mullark is the boy tribute from District 12. They now travel to the Capitol where those two and twenty-two other tributes from other districts fight to their death. Katniss and Peeta receive special treatment from their “artist” to make them presentable to earn sponsor, so that when they are in need in the games sponsors may send them what they need. Katniss and Peeta’s uniform for the opening ceremonies is fire. They are set on fire, that doesn’t burn them, to make the first big impression. Katniss’ talent is the bow and arrow. During the rating, which is where the gamepeacers get to see what you got, Katniss scored an eleven from a rating of one to twelve. She did very well! She is now known as, “Katniss, the girl on fire!” Along the way of training, Katniss forms a shadow. Her shadow is Rue, a little girl who is a tribute from district 11. During the games Rue saved Katniss’ life and helped her out a lot! But, when Rue dies from an arrow Katniss sings to her peacefully just like she does when Prim has a bad dream. They had a bond together. Overall, when Katniss and Peeta both win The Hunger Games you’re automatically relieved because they earned it and deserve to be together. The Hunger Games compared to another book I’ve read called **__Soul Surfer__** wasn’t totally different just because they both involved a lot of action and encouragement from the other characters towards the main character. Also, both books were made into movies so it was cool to see what actors and actresses they used and if the movie and book were relatively close to each other. I will absolutely be reading the next two books from The Hunger Games trilogy. I’m excited to read what will happen in the next books between Peeta and Katniss and whether or not they keep in touch with Effie and Haymitch. Also, I’m eager to see how both tributes’ lives have changed since they’ve come back to their district! If someone gets the chance to read this book they really should. It’ll make you want to read the following books just like it did for me! (Ellie Bolton)
 * __The Hunger Games By: Suzanne Collins__**

This novel is an emotional teen romance, and is directed at an audience of teens or young adults. Zoey and her boyfriend Finn have been together for four years. Zoey’s father died a few years ago, and she is estranged from her mother, so Zoey is responsible for taking care of her younger brother and sister. Finn’s best friend, Riley’s father died when he was ten years old. Riley and Zoey bond over the deaths of their fathers, and he helps Zoey take care of her siblings. Zoey and Finn begin to have problems one year after Spring Break is over, because of a girl named Bianca who is flirting with Finn. Finn “accidentally” kisses Bianca, and tells Zoey what happens. Based on his mistake, Finn offers Zoey a free pass to kiss anyone she wanted. Zoey refuses Finn’s offer. Zoey does not realize that Finn is still cheating on her, until she overhears a conversation between Finn and his best friend Riley. In this conversation, Riley tells Finn that Zoey is a great girl and that he needs to stop cheating on her. At this point, Zoey realizes that she has fallen for Riley, and finally breaks up with Finn. Zoey asks Riley if he would like to be her boyfriend and they kiss. I found this to be an engaging story. There are two main themes to the story. The first is that your first teen love may not actually be the “one”. The other theme is how two people can grow together over very difficult circumstances, the way Zoey and Riley did. This novel is similar to another story I enjoyed titled __Sophie and Carter.__ In __Sophie and Carter__, two teenagers develop a romance while dealing with dead or deadbeat parents and raising their siblings. However, in that book, the stress of having adult responsibilities so young brings the couple together. In __Fall for Me__, these responsibilities create a divide between Zoey and her boyfriend Finn. However, it does lead her to a relationship with Riley, who is a much better match for her. Overall, I would recommend this book to others. On a scale of zero to five stars, I would give this book four stars. (Megan Vogel) I am personally a fan of science fiction television, but I am new to science fiction books. I heard some good things about this book and decided to read it. My first impressions were that obviously the book was very old because of the slightly different words that they use. Also, the book wasn’t completely science fiction, it was really a hybrid of mystery, horror, and science fiction. I found the combination of the genres very interesting and a nice change of pace from other books I have read. Some people claim that it is the scariest book ever written. I’m sorry to say that none of this is true. There were some eerie parts that were somewhat scary, and I understand when the author wants the reader to be scared, but I guess it just never really clicked with me. However, the science fiction and mystery aspects were phenomenal and I really enjoyed it. I feel that the book never had any down time, meaning that the author never really gave the reader a chance to slow down and comprehend the several plots unfolding at the same time. I feel as if the suspense was so constant throughout the book, that I got used to it and it really deflated the excitement, especially in the rising action. In my eyes, the author really tried to grasp the reader in the first couple pages, and he did an amazing job because it worked. However, I feel like he tried to pull you back into the story at different points in the book, which was strange and actually began getting very annoying later on. The author wanted to try to combine different genres, and he was very successful at doing so, but it lacks in the “horror’ that other people say is so amazing. I really cannot compare this book to anything else that I have read because I haven’t read any hybrid like this one before. I really did like this book and do recommend it to anyone that is looking for a quick read and wants to take a break from the norm. If I were to rate this book I would give it a solid 8 out of 10. A really great read altogether. (Joshua Porte)
 * //__Fall for Me__//****//, by Melanie Marks.//**
 * //The Possessors by, John Christopher//**

I think this book over all had a gloomy feeling throughout it as I read. The book, unlike many others is told from the dog, Enzo's, point of view, so the reader only knows what he is thinking and feeling. But with only knowing Enzo's thoughts and feelings Garth Stein still manages to keep the book going and show the main plot and the conflict the other main character, Denny, also goes through. In __The Art of Racing in the Rain__ it shows how even though Enzo is a dog and cannot speak he knows much more than they do and has a purpose in the world, and is there to help is owner Denny. Only when he helps him is Enzo finally ready to leave this life and come back as something with thumbs like he has always wanted. I think that Garth Stein had written this book very well, and had developed her characters the right way. It must have been challenging to try to make a dog as the main character where they were not dull to the reader but not yet too complex to where it also left the reader wondering what was going to happen next in the story. I would rate this book a 9 because even though it kept me interested and was very well written, I do think that Garth Stein should not have ended the book so quickly. It felt as if the author could have written a little more and put a little more into it. (Joelle Ossowski) The author of this vivid, intense novel was the creative Heather Brewer. This fourth installment we follow the main character Vladimis Todd as he deals with the trials and tribulations of being in high school. As if that weren't enough his ex-best friend Joss is moving back to Bathory to finish the job he started the preceding year. Otis is running out of time because his trial is coming up in a few short months. Vlad must also deal with the mysterious stalker after his blood. Vlad must also unravel the mysterious prophecy of the Pravus. I feel as though Heather made these series of novels to appeal to the audience of more outcastish people who can turn to her books as an escape from reality. This novel as compared to the preceding three in the series certainly has more held within its pages. I mean this as Vlad is maturing and going through so much more in this installment that at some points in the story it becomes difficult to keep up with all of it. This book come highly recommended to those willing to read the preceding novels in the series. I rate this Eleventh Grade Burns a 9.5 out of ten because the ending left me curious if his dad was really there or if he was hallucinating from the recent events of the story. (Devalle Williams)
 * //__ The Art of Racing in the Rain __//****// by Garth Stein //**
 * // Eleventh Grade Burns by Heather Brewer //**

Contact me for further questions at dpantalone@ccps.org