Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Spooktacular Giveaway Hop!


This is one of our favorite times of the year.  We would like to share some of our most SPOOKTACULARLY lovable MONSTERS with you!
This a a really fun HOP hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and The Diary Of A Bookworm. Please visit http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/2012/10/spooktacular-giveaway-hop-50-gone.html
for a list of all the blogs participating.


We both love Vampires and Slayers, and Auntie Heather is one of our very favorites, so we are offering you guys an autographed copy of High School Bites by Heather Brewer!  This is the best of both! The Vampire's Story AND the Slayer's Story all in one!!


Here are the rules:
1.  Become a PUBLIC follower of the blog (so we can see you).
2. Leave a Comment on this post and include your email address.

ONE follower will win the book.
Good Luck,
the Monsters

In the meantime, check out Auntie Heather's Blog:

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday


Welcome to Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday at A Monster Ate My Book Report!
This is a great meme started by Ms. Shannon Messenger, author of her own Middle-Grade Book, Keeper of the Lost Cities.  There are lots of fantastic bloggers out their who are excited to tell you all about Middle-Grade Books, so make sure you check out Ms. Shannon's Blog to get all the links.
Thanks,
Marsh and Emiline


Marsh's MMGM is Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz

     This week's MMGM is Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz.  Alex's Uncle has died.  Alex always thought his uncle worked at a bank, but it turds out he was really a spy.  When he goes to the funeral, the agency (called M16) that hired Alex's uncle is there.  They want Alex to finish his Uncle's last mission.
     I think this is a good MMGM pick because the Alex Rider series is very popular with middle grade students and because everyone loves a good ole spy novel.  I loved the settings in this book, especially the museum where Britain's Prime Minister activates the Storm Breakers. (Read the book to find out what this mysterious object is.)  This book had some of the most sinister villains I ever encountered through my journey as a reader.  If you know someone who doesn't like to read, some one who thinks all books are slow-paced, try suggesting this book to them.  They are sure to love it.

Marsh


Here is a link to find out more about the author, Anthony Horowitz, and the Alex Rider Series.


Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Marsh Reviews The Slayer Chronicles: Second Chance





The Slayer Chronicles: Second Chance
By Heather Brewer 

     Joss’s slayer family has found out that he took on a secret mission to kill Vlad Tod.  Unless he completes a quest to find and kill a vampire serial killer, they will have to kill him.  He finds out it’s a ring of brothers who are the killers.  Can he defeat the vampires?  Can he stay in the society?

 My Response:
     This was an intense book, especially during the action and emotional scenes.  I really like how all the emotional parts are deep and you can relate to them.  I really liked how the main character, Joss, had many good personality traits.  He is smart, courageous, smart and brave.  I also enjoyed the plot of the book and how it tied into Vlad Tod. 
     I think Heather Brewer’s writing is very original and her books are not like any of the other vampire and slayer books on the market.  Her writing is very witty and well planned.  I loved this book and I give it 5 Monsters.

Please visit Auntie Heather's Blog to find out more about this series and her other books.  Be warned: She's Awesome!

This is me meeting Auntie Heather at The Decatur Book Festival.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Emiline's Review of Eighth Grade Bites




Eighth Grade Bites (Chronicles of Vladimir Tod #1)
by Heather Brewer
Review by Emiline

Vlad isn’t a normal boy; he’s a vampire.  His parents are dead.  He lives in a small town where people are being abducted mysteriously.  Vlad’s teacher is missing and his substitute is very intriguing.  Vlad stays cautious when he’s around the sub, Mr. Otis, because he is bound to discover his secret. 
One day, Vlad finds a letter from his father that could answer the questions about his parent’s deaths.  To find out what happens next, read Heather Brewer’s Eighth Grade Bites.
I liked that Vlad wasn’t a super popular kid and that he faces challenges that real kids face.  I also liked that Brewer seems to pour all of her emotion into the book.  I also really liked that even though Vlad is a vampire, he is not vicious or cruel.

I read every chance I get!  This is a picture of me reading in the carpool line.


Sunday, October 14, 2012

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday!



Welcome to Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday at A Monster Ate My Book Report!
This is a great meme started by Ms. Shannon Messenger, author of her own Middle-Grade Book, Keeper of the Lost Cities.  There are lots of fantastic bloggers out their who are excited to tell you all about Middle-Grade Books, so make sure you check out Ms. Shannon's Blog to get all the links.
Thanks,
Marsh and Emiline



Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Reviewed by: Emiline

Even the smallest of doors can unlock big mysteries and grave danger… 
 Coraline finally has something exciting happen in her dull life, but not necessarily a good exciting. She opens a doorway to the other world where her “other mother” is.  Her “other mother” is a gruesome creature who tries to keep her in the other world.  She is so malicious that she locks Coraline’s parents up where Coraline can not find them. 
Will Coraline escape the other world?

MY THOUGHTS…
     First of all, I would recommend Neil Gaiman’s Coraline to readers who seek spooky books.  Coraline’s adventure are full of scary twists and creepy creatures.  I liked how one of the creatures told Coraline that she could have everything she wanted when she was in the other world.  But Coraline replied, “I don’t want everything I want.” I love the way she reacts to people.

I give Coraline  FIVE MONSTERS!!!!!!

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday



Welcome to Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday at A Monster Ate My Book Report!
This is a great meme started by Ms. Shannon Messenger, author of her own Middle-Grade Book, Keeper of the Lost Cities.  There are lots of fantastic bloggers out their who are excited to tell you all about Middle-Grade Books, so make sure you check out Ms. Shannon's Blog to get all the links.
Thanks,
Marsh and Emiline



     I was delighted to meet Adam Gidwitz when he came to Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, Georgia.  I have emailed him a few times but never met him face to face.  
     I had a wonderful time hanging out with my favorite author.  We talked about our favorite books and we laughed about Adam Rex's Frankenstein Takes the Cake. We discussed the Harry Potter Series and even talked about comic books!  Mr. Adam told me about his acting experience.  He was hilarious.  His talk at Little Shop of Stories was totally extreme.  I was very proud of him--a ton of people showed up.  
     I am really looking forward to his next book.

     --Emiline


Look! It's Adam Gidwitz at Little Shop of Stories!

 Here we are pretending to be totally normal,
but we're not.



My Review of In a Glass Grimmly by Adam Gidwitz

            Adam Gidwitz has done it again!  Did you know that Jack and Jill are royalty, too?  Well, of course they’re not brother and sister, but they are cousins who go on a marvelous adventure.  Wait, am I forgetting something?  Oh yes, I will tell you about that in the summary.
            Summary:  Do you ever think you have the best mother?  Because Jill really did.  Not only was she great, she was queen of märchen and she was beautiful.  Jack is an imaginative young boy who has a father who wants one thing for Jack: he wants him to be a man and to break his imaginative side.  But Jack’s dreams wander farther. 
            Jack and Jill’s paths cross and they come upon an old woman who says she can grant their wishes—if they can find the seeing glass.  (Jill’s wish is to be beautiful, Jack’s to be admired by the boys.)  So they set out on a quest with their three legged frog friend.  You can learn more about him when you read A Glass Grimmly.
            I love this book.  I love Adam Gidwitz’s writing because of his grim details and his hilarious narrating skills.  You can be in the worst of moods and his books will make you happier—at least that’s how it works for me.  I also like the way reading his books makes you feel like you’ve visited another country.  You really get the chance to explore.  And if you ever go to that country you’ll know something about it!

            To find out more about Adam Gidwitz and his wonderful GRIMM tales visit:
http://www.adamgidwitz.com/
Also, A Tale Dark and Grimm is Al Roker's Book Club pick for October! I'm so excited that more people will find out about this great author.
This is the book trailer for In a Glass Grimmly-

 And, in case you missed A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz you can check out my review here:

Friday, October 5, 2012

Monsters Against Bullying



We are so happy that we are a part of this.  Please make sure you visit:
to see wonderful posts by Authors and Bloggers who are taking a stand against bullying.



Being Different
By Emiline, age 8

I am different and proud.  I don’t want to fit in.  I like being original.  When people call me weird, I don’t care.  I take weird as a compliment—never an insult.
I’m a girl who loves comics, a girl who pursues a retro style and I am proud.
Being different is not bad; different is just different.  Different can be swell.  I have a bold personality and I love to stand out. 
I don’t like it when people change for someone or something.  They don’t need to.  They are amazing just the way they are.  They’re not bad, just like I’m not bad.  I’m just different.


I wrote this one day after I was bullied at school and was feeling bad about myself.  My intention is to stop bullying.  When you get bullied, your ego starts lacking.  
It’s frightening when you get bullied.  Your heart sinks and you don’t know what to do.  But I think if we show lots of perseverance and take things one step at a time, we can stop bullying. 
One of the reasons people get bullied is because they stand out.  They are different.  It’s okay to be different.  The world would be boring if everyone was the same.
I was bullied, but I stood up for myself.  And I think we can stop it all together.  The key is not to bully.  So join me and stop bullying.


Bullying
By Marsh, age 11

When you are bullied it feels like you are an outcast.  It feels like you have less than no friends.  You feel completely alone.
In the fourth grade, I felt like a huge outcast.  There were a couple of kids who were always making fun of me.  It was terrible.  Then someone recommended Heather Brewer’s Vlad Tod series of books.  Brewer’s main character, Vlad, is an outcast himself.  It felt good to read about someone else who was feeling the way that I felt.  I liked to see that I was not the only one being bullied.
If you are being bullied, you are not alone.  A lot of people are bullied.  Sometimes those people just learn to be mentally stronger and better than their bullies.  I felt like, because I was bullied, I became a stronger person.  But I did not do it all by myself.  If you know someone who is being bullied, reach out to him.  Be a good friend.  Tell him that it is going to be okay.  And maybe suggest that they read a good book.  Reading always seemed to help me.