Missing May

I seldom cry when I read books. I seldom get emotionally affected. But this book has made me cry several times during the day. Maybe because the book shows how devastating it is to lose a person that you really love. This book was wonderfully written, and is easy to read. I recommend everyone to read this book. No wonder it's a Newbery Medal Winner.

Esperanza Rising

Reading Esperanza Rising is like watching my favorite Spanish Telenovela. Reading it gave me memories of Thalia and her role in Marimar. The book was a real page turner and I loved every chapter. It was one of the most memorable books that I read this quarter, and I definitely recommend it to everyone. I also learned several Mexican proverbs that I will sure remember:

Aquel que hoy sa cae, se levantara mañana. - 
He who falls today may rise tomorrow.


Es mas rico el rico cuando empobrece que el pobre cuando enriquece. - 
The rich person is richer when he becomes poor, than the poor person when he becomes rich.

The Far Side

The Far Side by Gary Larson is a collection of single-panel comic strips that the author has made throughout the years. The aptly named comics, The Far Side, shows bizarre pictures of aliens and humans interacting with each other. It's supposed to be funny, but I guess, Gary Larson and I have a different sense of humor. 

The Hundred Dresses

What the blurb says:

"I've got a hundred dresses."
Nobody can believe it -
Wanda wears the same old blue
dress every day.
"A hundred dresses --- all lined up!"
If Wanda really does have
a hundred dresses, she's certainly
keeping them hidden . . .
but why?

The View From Saturday

What the blurb says:

Their path to the state finals started with the sixth grade championship. Mrs. Olinski had expected victory, for her team was quick and informed and worked together perfectly. No one had expected them to trounce the other two sixth grades, but they did. Their victory was so profound that the sixth-grade math teacher, Mrs. Sharkey, confided to the music teacher, Ms. Masolino, that for the first time in the history of Epiphany Middle School there was a chance --- just a possibility, mind you --- that a sixth grade team might beat the seventh grade.

Favorite excerpt:

Mrs. Olinski allowed them to stand there until three minutes seemed like thirty. Then she sent them back to their seats. "Since you cannot describe what you have done, I would call belching loudly to interrupt our class an unspeakable act. Unspeakable. And because you cannot explain how to do it, I would say that you cannot teach either."

Crispin: The Cross Of Lead

What the blurb says:

"Asta's son" is all he's ever been called. The lack of name is appropriate, because he and his mother are but poor peasants in fourteenth-century medieval England. But this thirteen-year-old boy who thought he had little to lose soon finds himself with even less --- no home, family or possessions. Accused of a crime he didn't commit, he has been declared a "wolf's head." That means he may be killed on sight, by anyone. If he wishes to remain alive, he must flee his tiny village. All the boy takes with him is a newly revealed name --- Crispin --- and his mother's cross of lead.

A master of breathtaking plot twists and vivid characters, Avi brings the full force of his storytelling powers to the world of medieval England.

Favorite excerpts: 

"Do you ever smile, boy?" he demanded. "If you can't laugh and smile, life is worthless. Do you hear me?" he yelled. "It's nothing!"


"Crispin," he said after a moment of silence, "I'll give you some advice. You're full of sadness. Those who bring remorse are shunned. Do you know why?"


I shook my head.


"Because sorrow is the common fate of man. Who then would want more? But wit and laughter, Crispin, why, no one ever has enough. When I think on the perfections of our Savior, I choose to think most upon His most perfect laughter. It must have been the kind that makes us laugh too. For mirth is the coin that brings a welcome. Lose your sorrows, and you'll find your freedom."

Number the Stars

What the blurb says:

Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend, Ellen Rosen, often think about the way life was before the war. But it's now 1943, and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and Nazi soldiers marching in their town.

The Nazis won't stop. The Jews of Denmark are being "relocated," so Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be part of the family.

Then Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission. Somehow she must find the strength and courage to save her best friend's life. There's no turning back now.

Favorite excerpt:

From the afterword:

So I would like to end this with a paragraph written by that young man, in a letter to his mother, the night before he was put to death.

. . . and I want you all to remember - that you must not dream yourselves back to the times before the war, but the dream for you all, young and old, must be to create an ideal of human decency, and not a narrow-minded and prejudiced one. That is the great gift our country hungers for, something every little peasant boy can look forward to, and with pleasure feel he is a part of - something he can work and fight for.

Jacob Have I Loved

What the blurb says:

Louise has had enough of her twin sister. Caroline is beautiful. Caroline is talented. Caroline is better. Growing up on the small island of Rass in Chesapeake Bay, Caroline seems to do nothing but take from Louise: their parents' love, Louise's chances for an education, her dreams for the future. They have spent their lives entwined - sleeping in the same room, eating at the same table, learning in the same classroom - and yet somehow nothing can bring them together. Louise's only hope lies in seeking a place for herself beyond the stretch of Rass's shores and her sister's shadow. What will it take for her to break free?

Messenger

What the blurb says:

For the past six years, Matty has lived in Village and flourished under the guidance of Seer, a blind man known for his special sight. Once, Village was a place that welcomed newcomers and offered hope and homes to people fleeing poverty and cruelty. But something sinister has seeped into Village, and the people have voted to close it to outsiders. All along, Matty has been invaluable as a messenger between Village and other communities. He hopes someday to earn the name of Messenger. Now he must make one last journey through the treacherous Forest to spread the message of Village's closing and convince Kira, Seer's daughter, to return with him. Matty's only weapon against his increasingly dangerous surroundings is a secret power he unexpectedly discovers within himself. He wants to heal the people who have nourished his body and spirit and is willing to offer the greatest gift and pay the ultimate price.

Gathering Blue

What the blurb says:

Kira, an orphan with a twisted leg, lives in a world where the weak are cast aside. She fears for her future until she is spared by the all-powerful Council of Guardians. Kira is a gifted weaver and is given a task that no other community member can carry out. While her talent keeps her alive and brings certain privileges, Kira soon realizes that she is surrounded by mysteries and secrets. No one must know of her plans to uncover the truth about her world - and to find out what exists beyond it.

The Giver

What the blurb says:

Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community.

When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now it's time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.

What I think about the book:

The Giver by Lois Lowry is a receiver of the John Newbery Medal for the most distinguished contribution to American Literature for children. Kirkus reviews calls it a richly provocative novel. It has received a lot of awards and I am not surprised.

The Giver is a combination of The Hunger Games, City of Ember and Pleasantville. Who wouldn't want to live in a perfect world where pain is almost nonexistent? Who wouldn't want to live in a world where everything is orderly. No one has to make difficult choices and fear making mistakes. Decisions are already made and instruction manuals direct the way of life.

Reading the book made me appreciate my freedom. It made me glad that I have free will. Of course I wouldn't want someone to make important decisions for me. I wouldn't want to fill out an application form so I could just have a husband and a child of my own. I wouldn't want to entrust my life into someone else's hands. Such a world is truly despicable, but it's convenient because you don't have to make choices. The Giver is truly a provocative book. It was so riveting that I couldn't stop thinking about it.

Favorite excerpt:

"Father? Mother?" Jonas asked tentatively after the evening meal. "I want a question I want to ask you."


"What is it, Jonas?" his father asked.


He made himself say the words, though he felt flushed with embarrassment. He had rehearsed them in his mind all the way home from the Annex.


"Do you love me?"


There was an awkward silence for a moment. Then Father gave a little chuckle. "Jonas. You, of all people. Precision of language, please!"

Geronimo Stilton: The Kingdom of Fantasy

What I think about the book:

The Kingdom of Fantasy is a wonderfully illustrated book which young readers will enjoy. It has several detailed maps with very creative names for imaginary places. The book also includes a language called Fantasian which allows readers to decode hidden messages in the text.

The book does not have an elaborate plot. This book is good for 2nd and 3rd graders because it has a relatively low lexile for such a thick book. This book is recommended to young readers who like mystery and fantasy genres.

Favorite part of the book:

The Riddle Tournament

Riddles:


1. What do you desire most . . . but when you get it, you're not even aware of it?
2. What does everybody know how to open, but nobody knows how to close?
3. It's not the moon, it's not the stars, yet it illuminates the fields. What is it?
4. What is the first thing to go down from a ship - before the captain and before the passengers?
5. What is the hottest and at the same time the freshest thing?


Answers:


1. sleep
2. egg
3. a lightning bulb
4. anchor
5. bread

Faith and The Electric Dogs

What the blurb says:

Edison is an electric dog living on the streets in San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico. Street life is tough, so when a girl named Faith rescues Eddie after he is hit by a taxi, he couldn't be happier.

Although Faith loves Eddie, she hates Mexico. Longing to return to San Francisco, she builds a tin rocket ship to take her there. Fueled by pork fat and hot peppers, The Peahen lands on a deserted bone-shaped island far away.

Can Eddie help Faith return home? To her real home?

What I think about the book:

Faith and the Electric Dogs is an interesting novel written by Patrick Jennings. I bought this book from a local bookstore for almost 80% off the original price. The book was humorous because it was from a point of view of an electric dog. At first I thought that electric dog means robotic, but while I read through the book, I learned in chapter three that electric dog means something else. "Un perro corriente" is the Spanish for an electric dog. The Spanish word corriente means current, like electrical current. But it can also mean cheap or no good.

This book has taught me a lot of Spanish words and a lot about Spanish culture. It's very entertaining and some chapters would leave you smiling from ear to ear. This book teaches about faith and a whole new attitude about learning and life itself.


Favorite excerpt:


Eddies's safety-when-crossing checklist. 
1. Look in all directions
2. Make sure the parked cars are really parked (no brake lights, no occupants).
3. Cross mid-block (fewer cars, fewer turns, fewer surprises).
4. Listen.
5. When you decide to go, go, and go like there's no tomorrow.

Kira-Kira

What the blurb says:

My uncle was exactly one inch taller than my father. But his stomach was soft. We knew this because we hit him in it once the year before, and he yelped in pain and threatened to spank us. We got sent to bed without supper because my parents said hitting someone was the worst thing you could do. Stealing was second, and lying was third.


Before I was twelve, I would have committed all three of those crimes. --- Kate Takeshima

What I learned from the book:

This work of art by Cynthia Kadohata is truly kira-kira. Kira-kira means glittering in Japanese. Now some may say that I am misusing the word, but that's how I feel about this book. The language and the texture of the book shines out even in its simplicity. Reading it was a wonderful experience. I learned a lot of Japanese words from this book and Kira-kira gives you a vicarious experience of what's it like to love a sister, to adore a little brother, and what's it like to fail, and also to succeed.

This book is a winner of the John Newberry Gold Medal and I am very happy to have read such a wonderful piece of literature. Thank you Scholastic Inc., for giving me a free copy of this book. The book was very moving.

Favorite excerpt:

I saw my father was not intimidated by Mr. Lyndon. And that was how I learned that even when you're very, very wrong, if you apologize, you can still hold yourself with dignity. --- Kate Takeshima

Words I learned:

katsu --- triumph
Shizukani! --- Hush!
ochazuke --- green tea mixed with rice
Sodi Boshi --- Orion
onigiri --- rice balls
Natsuko --- Summer
Akiko --- Autumn
usagi --- rabbit
hakujin --- white man
hatsuyume --- first dream of the new year

Cahills vs. Vespers Book One - The Medusa Plot

What the blurb says:

KIDNAPPED!

Thirteen-year-old Dan Cahill and his older sister, Amy, thought they belonged to the world's most powerful family. They thought the hunt for 39 Clues leading to the source of that power was over. They even thought they'd won. But Amy and Dan were wrong.

One by one, distress calls start coming in from around the globe. Cahills are being kidnapped by a shadowy group known only as the Vespers. Now Amy and Dan have just days to fulfill a bizarre ransom request of their captured friends will start dying. Amy and Dan don't know what the Vespers want or how to stop them. Only one thing is clear. The Vespers are playing to win, and if they get their hands on the Clues . . . the world will be their hostage.

What I think about the book:

This book brings back the adventure of Amy and Dan, only now, it's more dangerous because an unknown enemy is calling all the shots. In this book, Amy and Dan have grown up and they have learned a lot of fighting skills which makes the book more interesting to read. The addition of new characters makes reading more exciting than reading the first ten books of the series.

Characters like Atticus Rosenbloom and his brother Jake Rosenbloom makes you want to get the next book. Who are the Rosenblooms? And more importantly, who are the Vespers? Who is Vesper One? These questions will plague your mind while you anticipate the next book. Truly, this is one exciting read.

Favorite excerpt:

If enough bad stuff happens, the bad becomes normal. Risks aren't risks when the consequences are no worse than your regular life. --- Dan Cahill