Emiline's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

     It's Monday, and that means it's time for us to tell you all about another wonderful Middle-Grade Book.  This meme was started by Ms. Shannon and she's gotten a lot of other bloggers to join in.  This is a great meme for discovering new books that are just for Middle-Graders.  Make sure you visit Ms. Shannon's blog for the list of all the bloggers. http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/

           Marsh & Emiline

     Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams's Artemis the Loyal is a great book! You can actually learn some things about great mythology and I love the illustrations. Once you start reading this book, you can't stop. If you have kids that don't like reading, you can give them this and they will love it. It's not a serious book at all. It's just fun. I'd read this if you are a fan of Percy Jackson or Allie Finkle.

 Emiline

Visit Joan Holub's site here: http://www.joanholub.com/index.html

Visit Suzanne Williams's site here: http://www.suzanne-williams.com/books.html

Welcome to A Monster Ate My Book Report!  It's Monday and that means it's time for us to tell you all about a wonderful book for Middle-Graders.  This is a great meme started by Ms. Shannon Messenger, who is the author of her own Middle-Grade book, Keeper of the Lost Cities.  There are lots of bloggers that are sharing their own Middle-Grade picks, so make sure you visit Ms. Shannon's blog for all the buzz!

http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/

Marsh & Emiline

    I chose The Phantom of the Post Office (43 Old Cemetery Road #4) written by Kate Klise and illustrated by M. Sarah Klise for my MMGM this week, because of the new invention that I think is really cool-- VEXT MAIL.  But, I think I will stay with writing letters like Olive C. Spence, the ghost of 43 Old Cemetery Road.  I like that this book has a new character, Wy Fye and she learns the joy of writing letters from Seymour Hope.  I think you'd like this book if you like ghosts and writing letters, so why don't you read this book?  I think you will love it!

Emiline

You can find out more about this series by visiting the author AND her sisters, the illustrators website:

http://www.kateandsarahklise.com/index.html

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

     It's Monday, and that means it's time for us to tell you all about another wonderful Middle-Grade Book.  This meme was started by Ms. Shannon and she's gotten a lot of other bloggers to join in.  This is a great meme for discovering new books that are just for Middle-Graders.  Make sure you visit Ms. Shannon's blog for the list of all the bloggers. http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/

           Marsh & Emiline

Emiline's Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday Book Pick is

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J. K. Rowling

     I love The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a wonderful collection of wizarding tales by J.K. Rowling. The stories are like fairy tales for wizards.  I love it because you can connect to the wizarding world.  It's like everyone's coming out of the book.  It just feels so real.  
     I love that the book has a straight connection to The Deathly Hallows; because now, not only can you hear great wizarding tales, you actually feel like Dumbledore's back with you because of his commentary.  And everyone knew Hermione was going to publish a book eventually!  She translated it from ancient runes!
     I liked that J.K. Rowling wrote another Harry Potter book.  I love her books.  If you're sad the series had to end then read the real ending to the story with The Tales of Beedle the Bard.

If WE Had a Magic Lamp

On Fridays, we TRY to post our Magic Lamp Wishes, but sometimes we get really busy. We are back today with If I had Magic Lamp Meme started by Ya-Aholic. To find out all the details please visit . We get to make 3 Wishes each!  Hop on our Magic Carpet and see what we have wished for! 

Marsh & Emiline

I'm reading Divergent by Veronica Roth and my wishes are:

1.  I wish there wasn't tension between between Erudite and Abnegation so Beatrice's Mom could visit her brother, Caleb.

2. I wish the Divergent could have a separate faction where there are higher standards for learning.  And the Divergent can also be used for special operations to fight against opposing threats to society.

3.  I wish I could have an epic paintball war with my friends like the Dauntless did for training.  I would like to go out in an abandoned city in the middle of the night for the paintball war.

  

I'm reading Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling and my wishes are:

1.  I wish I could know more about the Tales of the Three Brothers.  It's such a fascinating story.

2.  I wish Harry had the Resurrection Stone so he could bring the people who were important to him back to life.  Sirius' and Dumbledore's deaths were heartbreaking.

3.  I wish I could go to the Lovegood's house.  I would love to see all the mysterious items they have, and I would like to meet Luna.  Luna reminds me of me.

Happy Memorial Day!

It's Monday, so that means it's time for us to tell you all about another Marvelous Middle-Grade Book, but we aren't alone in this, make sure you go and visit Ms. Shannon Messenger's blog and see the list of all the bloggers who have found great Middle-Grade reads to tell you about. 

http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/

Thanks,

Marsh and Emiline

Happy Memorial Day!

     I picked We Were Heroes: The Journal of Scott Pendleton Collins, a World War II Soldier, Normandy, France, 1944 by Walter Dean Myers for my MMGM.  I loved this book.  It was factual, yet entertaining at the same time--  that's a first!  I liked how you were reading about the battles from a soldier's point of view.  The author made you feel like you were actually there in the middle of the battle.  I thought this book would be great for my Memorial Day MMGM because it's all about our courageous troops.

Remember WHY it's Memorial Day,

Marsh

Summary of We Were Heroes: The Journal of Scott Pendleton Collins, a World War II Solidier, Normandy, France, 1944 taken from Scholastic:

A Tale of Courage in the Face of Impossible Odds, Told by a Newbery Award-Winning Author!Follow one soldier's path to safety through World War II's most lethal battle! At the height of World War II, Scott Pendleton Collins signs up for the Army. After all, both his father and grandfather fought for their country. But at first the only enemy he faces is boredom. He and his unit want to be out in the fields, doing something to help the Allied forces, but instead they meet with endless delays.There's a rumor that something big is coming, and finally Scott discovers what it is. In the dead of night, he and his comrades find themselves on a boat heading to Normandy, France. At last, as his boat approaches the beach, Scott suddenly realizes what they are up against. Nothing in basic training, nothing he's heard from other soldiers or from his father or grandfather, nothing he has ever experienced could prepare him for what awaits on Omaha Beach.As D-Day rages around him, Scott is separated from his unit. Lost in the bloody chaos, he must find a way to live through the battle.

When I started to research this book I found out that it is a part of a series, My Name is America.  This series has lots of interesting books about Americans and who we are. 

This is a great discussion and activity guide for this book:

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/journal-scott-pendleton-collins-discussion-guide

This is the author, Walter Dean Myers website:

http://www.walterdeanmyers.net/index.html

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

It's Monday! That means it's time for us to tell you about another fantastic Middle-Grade book.  We aren't alone.  This is a great meme started by Ms. Shannon and there are lots of us that want to share our picks for Middle- Grade Mondays.  Make sure you visit Ms. Shannon at http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/ to see all the bloggers who are participating.

Marsh & Emiline

     I chose THE GIRLS' GHOST HUNTING GUIDE by Stacey Graham as my MMGM because of it's scary potential.  It has everything from scientific evidence of the existence of ghosts to urban legends!  After you've read this book you'll be a ghost expert.  It's a great book for sleep overs because of its urban legends. (Have you ever heard of resurrection Mary?)  I liked that the book had questions that girls of all ages responded to with logical explanations.  You are going to love this book if you are fascinated by graceful creatures who lurk in haunted houses, aka, ghosts.  I think if you are a creature of reading (who prefers horror), you should read this.

     CAUTION, not for people who are scared easily!

 Boo! Emiline

If you are interested in this book you really need to check out the Girls' Ghost Hunting Guide Site!

http://www.girlsghosthuntingguide.com/

and the author has a really cool site too:

http://weeghosties.blogspot.com/

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

If it's Monday then that means it's time for Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday! We love this meme and all the bloggers that participate, so make sure you go to Ms. Shannon Messenger's blog to see the list of the bloggers that have GREAT Middle-Grade Books to tell you about.

http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/

This week my MMGM is Middle School: The Worst Years of my Life.  Our Horizons class was assigned this book to read since we are all getting a little excited about going to Middle-School next year.  This is a really short book, so if you aren't really excited about reading this one might be a gook book for you.

Marsh

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life

Authors: James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts

Illustrator: Laura Parks
MMGM review by Marsh

Rafe has suspended his operation to try  to break all the Hills Village Middle School rules.  He's all done because he wants to be normal.  What fun is that?  Now his best friend, Leo, is giving him the silent treatment.  He's also stopped selling Zoom in his locker--that means no more sugary goodness at school.  Many hope he will restart his operation, but many people think not.  W have lost hope of him breaking every single rule in the HVMS conduct book.

I really like this book.  It is super witty.  I really liked when Rafe was in detention and the author portrayed him as a knight fighting a dragon (the teacher).  I also enjoyed it because it had a Diary of a Wimpy Kid kind of mentality.

For more information about this book visit: http://jamespatterson.com/books_middleSchool.php

The second book in this series just came out too.

Marvelous Middle- Grade Monday

Welcome to Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday!  This is a great meme started by Ms. Shannon at http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/, so you should visit her and see the list of all the other blogs that are talking about books that are great for Middle- Graders.  All the cool bloggers are doing it!

This week our pick for MMGM is The Book of Perfectly Perilous Math by Sean Connolly.

We interviewed Mr. Connolly at Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, Georgia.  You should watch this.

     Did you ever think math was dull and boring?  Well, Sean Connolly changed that.  He made math fun in his book, Perfectly Perilous Math.  In this book he explains problems and makes them very engaging.  He even writes scenarios to describe why you are doing the problem--like escaping vampires or destroying asteroids.

     Connolly even wrote some Totally Irresponsible Science Experiments that are fun for everyone, and they use everyday things.  My personal favorite is the Mentos and cola experiment.

Marsh and Emiline

 Here we are with Ms. Krista, the manager at our FAVORITE bookstore, Little Shop of Stories.  She's the best.  She always has great recommendations for books we need to read.

That's us and Mr. Connolly at Little Shop of Stories.  If you see that he is coming to a bookstore near you then you should go, because he is really fun and does some great experiments.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday!

It's time for MMGM at A Monster Ate my Book Report!  This is our favorite meme, probably because we are Middle-Graders.  Make sure you visit Ms. Shannon's blog to see all the other wonderful blogs that are featuring books for Middle- Grade.

http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/

Marsh's MMGM pick for this week is First Kill  by Heather Brewer!

     Heather Brewer's writing is always good and I especially enjoyed it in this book. She is very descriptive.  I could picture all of her scenes perfectly--as if I were there. I really liked how the main character, Joss, is strong, courageous, and strong-willed.  He is overall a very likeable character, so much so that people have started teams for Joss as well as for Heather Brewer's other book-series' character, Vlad From the Chronicles of Vladimir Todd.  (Trust me, even though there are teams, no one wants this to turn into Twilight.)  I was honestly blown back by her new writing in these books and some moments shocked me so much that I was paralyzed.  I liked how this book was from Joss's point of view so I could see his side of the story.  I am really glad to have this as my MMGM pick this week. 

 

Visit Auntie Heather's Blog, because she's hilariously strange:

http://www.heatherbrewer.com/

And then there's this.....

In October the second book in the Slayer Chronicles comes out.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday!

It's time for Marvelous Middle- Grade Monday and this week I have picked the newest book in the Goddess Girls Series,  Medusa the Mean by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams.  This is our favorite meme, and there are lots of other bloggers that are really nice that also participate, so make sure you visit our friend Ms. Shannon's blog to see the list.  http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/

     You all know the myth of Medusa, but is she misunderstood?  I picked Medusa the Mean for my MMGM.  The book gives you an explanation for why she's so mean.  I like everything about this book!  I love the cover illustrations, and I love how it's a part of a series too.  And, in this book Zeus and Hera get married!  It's a stunning book.  I hope you read it.

Emiline

If you you are interested in this series, I also reviewed Aphrodite the Beauty and I was even Medusa in the video!  You should definitely check it out.  http://amonsteratemybookreport.blogspot.com/2011/08/emiline-reports-on-aphrodite-diva-by.html

To find out more about this series visit:

http://series.simonandschuster.com/Goddess-Girls/books

And find out more about the authors, please visit their blogs:

http://www.joanholub.com/

and

http://www.suzanne-williams.com/

Marvelous MUSTACHE Middle-Grade Monday!

Welcome to MMGM at A Monster Ate my Book Report! 

This week we have picked a FAN{TACHE}TIC book by one of our favorite authors, Mr. Tom Angleberger, Fake Mustache.  This is a great meme started by Ms. Shannon Messenger and there are lots of other blogs that participate, so make sure you head on over to Ms. Shannon's blog to see the list! http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/

     I am very excited about Tom Angleberger's book Fake Mustache.  I just started to read it, and let's just say, it's very humorous--and hairy.  I think it is a really good book and, right now, everyone seems to be going through mustache fever, so it has come out at just the right time.
     Once again, I am very impressed with Mr Angleberger's writing and I encourage him to keep doing it.

--Marsh

     Mustaches are in--and so is Tom Angleberger's new book, Fake Mustache.  It's filled with hairy adventures.  I can't wait to read it.  It will be so much fun.
     If you love mustaches, read Fake Mustache.  If you don't, read it and then you just might wake up with a mustache of your very own.
     Read it, before it's too late to start your obsession with facial hair.

--Emiline

Make sure you check out Tom Angleberger's site:

http://origamiyoda.wordpress.com/

We have also reviewed Mr. Angleberger's other books, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda and Darth Paper Strikes Back.  If you haven't heard of these or just want to watch our funny videos click here:

http://amonsteratemybookreport.blogspot.com/2011/08/strange-case-of-origami-yoda.html

and

http://amonsteratemybookreport.blogspot.com/2011/09/our-book-reports-on-darth-paper-strikes.html

We love to meet authors!  And Marsh was lucky enough to meet and interview Mr. Angleberger at The Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, Tennessee.  It was a great opportunity and super cool that he took  the time to meet with his fans.  If you want to see the interview you can click here:

http://amonsteratemybookreport.blogspot.com/2011/10/our-interview-with-tom-angleberger.html

Summary of Fake Mustache taken from Goodreads:

Award-winning author Tom Angleberger flexes his comic muscle in this hairy adventure story with twists at every turn.

     Regular kid Lenny Flem Jr. is the only one standing between his evil-genius best friend—Casper, a master of disguise and hypnosis—and world domination. It all begins when Casper spends money from his granny on a spectacularly convincing fake mustache, the Heidelberg Handlebar #7. With it he’s able rob banks, amass a vast fortune, and run for president. Is Lenny the only one who can see through his disguise? And will he be able to stop Casper from taking over the world?

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday!

It's Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday at A Monster Ate My Book Report!  We have so much fun participating in this MEME started by our friend, Ms. Shannon at http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/. Please check out her blog to see the full list of blogs that participate in MMGM.

http://www.stephanieburgis.com/

Emiline's Pick for MMGM is:

Renegade Magic

(Kat, Incorrigible #2)

By: Stephanie Burgis

     Kat is back.

     After Lady Fotherington ruins Elissa's wedding by telling Fredrick's mom that Angeline is a witch, his mother drags Fredrick out the door.  So the whole Stephenson family travels to the dangerous city of Bath to find Angeline a new fiance.  But how will Kat fight the danger of Bath when she got kicked out of the order and only knows one spell?  And Angeline has a scheme that will embarrass the whole family in front of society while they stay at the Wingate's (Stepmama's relatives) house.  All the while, Kat has to face the wild magic all around Bath.  But who sent the wild magic there?  And will Kat ever be able to restore her powers?  Find out in Renegade Magic.

     I like Stephanie Burgis's way of describing things, not to mention that there's always some magic in Kat's life.

     I recommend this to all people who like Harry Potter.  

This is the second book in the Kat, Incorrigible series.  Please check out my review of the first book, Kat Incorrigible.

http://amonsteratemybookreport.blogspot.com/2012/03/emilines-review-of-kat-incorrigible.html

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

Welcome to MMGM at A Monster Ate My Book Report!  This meme was started by our friend, Ms. Shannon.  You should visit her blog to check out all the other blogs participating in this meme.  We are Middle- Graders, so this is really fun for us.
http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/

Marsh's MMGM pick for this week is 
The Sea Wolves (The Secret Journeys of Jack London #2)
Written by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon
Illustrated by Greg Ruth

     The Secret Journeys of Jack London:  The Sea Wolves is my MMGM pick for this week.   This book made me feel excited and full of adrenaline.  It made me feel that way because Jack London is on a ship full of sea wolves (violent creatures that are kind of like werewolves) and he is desperately trying to get off.

     I really like how courageous Jack is and how he keeps on trying to get off the ship.  He always has a sense of justice, and that is another thing I admire him for.

     I thought this was a great book.  I also think that, because it it so action packed and so full of monsters, most fans of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series would like tis book.

 Click here to visit Christopher Golden's website:
http://www.christophergolden.com/jack/

     By the way Jack London is actually, in real life, was the author of many famous books, like White Fang.  I read it with my class in second grade.  I think you should also check it out.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

     Welcome to MMGM.  Check out Ms Shannon's blog for more fun! http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/

Emiline's MMGM Pick Is:

     I think Harry Potter is an idol for all young witches and wizards, that's why I picked the Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling, for my MMGM.

     The whole world of Harry Potter is just an adventure and it will always be.  Every single book sure shows a lot of excitement.  I'd have to say, I can't chose which book is my favorite!  I hope you enjoy what many, many others enjoy.

CHEERS,  Emiline

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday!

Welcome to our MMGM!

 This week it's all about overcoming girl drama with one of my favorite series Luv Ya Bunches by the awesome Lauren Myracle. Violet in Bloom is my MMGM this week. 

     I really love these flabbergasting books by Lauren Myracle.  Her Luv Ya Bunches Series is fun to read and also helpful.  I prefer girl- drama books, because if I'm ever in a situation like the Flower Friends I will know what to do.  Situations like dealing with a bully, or trying to be nice to a girl that's being mean.  That's why Violet in Bloom is my MMGM. 

     Read my review of Luv Ya Bunches here:

http://amonsteratemybookreport.blogspot.com/2011/09/emiline-reports-on-lauren-myracles-luv.html

And my Review of Violet in Bloom here:

http://amonsteratemybookreport.blogspot.com/2012/02/book-report-violet-in-bloom.html

And I'm already finished with the newest book with the Flower Friends, Oopsy Daisy.  It was so good, and I have already started the report.

Lauren Myracle has a great site to find out more about the Flower Friends!  You can even take personality tests and have the Flower Friends try on clothes.

http://www.abramsbooks.com/flowerpowerbooks/

There are lots of other blogs that participate in MMGM.  This is a great way to find some new Middle-Grade books.  Please visit our friend Ms. Shannon's Blog to find out more.

http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

     The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan is my MMGM pick this week.

     The Lightning Thief was the book that got me into reading.  My school librarian recommended this book to me and once I started reading it I loved it.  What really encouraged me to keep on reading was because it was based on Greek Mythology.  By the time I finished The Lightening Thief I knew the names of all the Greek Gods.

     The main character is a boy named Percy Jackson and he is a Demi-God.  He is going on a quest to save his mom.  I liked howPercy was so brave and overcame everything to get back his mom.  This book is one of my all time favorites and I am glad to have The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan as my MMGM.

I was lucky enough to go to a signing for The Last Olympian.

And this is me at at signing for The Red Pyramid.

Rick Riordan is a fantastic writer. You should check out his site to find out more about his books!

http://www.rickriordan.com/home.aspx

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday is a meme that lots of other blogs participate in. Click on this link to find out about the other blogs and you can see their MMGMs too!

http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/

Oh, we almost forgot! The winner of last week's MMGM is Mr. Michael G-G!!

Thanks for joining us for MMGM,

Marsh & Emiline

Marsh's Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday!

Marsh's Marvelous Middle-Grade Book is

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

     Leviathan, by Scott Westerfeld, is my MMGM pick for this week.  What first interested me in this book was the fact that it was based on World War I, but it has a twist in it.  Leviathan has giant war machines and fabricated animals that are used for airships and as weapons--everything a Middle-Grade boy likes.  When I started reading I was hooked!  

      There are two points of view, one from an Austrian Prince named Alek, and another from a British Airman (who's really a girl), named Deryn.  They are both sixteen years old but they come from two different sides of the war.  One is a Darwinist--someone who mans and/or uses fabricated animals during wartime, the other is a Clanker--someone who prefers machines over fabricated animals.

      I recommend Leviathan, by Scott Westerfeld, to people who are interested in World War I, and people who are interested in battles, bombs, and many fights between zeppelins and metal pooping bats.

This is the Trailer for Leviathan:

You should really check this website out too, it's Scott Westerfeld's Site-

http://scottwesterfeld.com/books/leviathan/

Summary of Leviathan from Goodreads:

Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men.

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.