It's A Kick-Butt Giveaway!

The Winner of the Kick- Butt Hop is:

Brandisbookmusings!

A HUGE thanks to everyone who participated.  We wish everyone of you could win.

http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/

So, we are participating in the Kick-Butt Characters Blog Hop.  We are #42, and there are lots of other blogs participating in this hop, so make sure you click on the link to I Am A Reader Not A Writer's blog to see the full list.  We will announce the winner on Saturday, March 31st.

Okay, so here's what we have for ONE LUCKY WINNER:
An AUTOGRAPHED paperback copy of City of Bones by Cassandra Clare!


Here are the rules:
1. Become a follower of this blog, if you aren't already. Make sure it's public so we can see you.
2.  Leave a comment on this post and include your email address.  Be sure to check it and make sure it's right!

     I remember when I met Cassandra Clare at a book signing sponsored by Little Shop of Stories.  I asked a question that I'd been pondering the whole night:  What did you read when you were a kid?   She said she read all the Sherlock Holmes books.  Then she called me adorable. She also gave me a shirt! But there are many other wonderful things about her and one of them is her books.

     I'm not old enough to read her books yet but my mom and my best friend and photographer, Vania, did and they love them.  That's why I picked this book for Kick-Butt Characters.  

  Emiline

Summary of City of Bones taken from GOODREADS:

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

Visit Cassandra Clare's Website to find out more about her books:

http://www.cassandraclare.com/

Marsh's Book Report: The Invisible Tower

The Invisible Tower

The Underworld Chronicles #1

By Nils Johnson- Shelton

Book Report by Marsh

            One day Artie is playing a video game called Otherworld when he gets a message that says, “‘Arthur.  In one week’s time you will come to me at the IT.’”  Sure enough, he ended up in IT, but IT was a video game and comic store called the Invisible Tower.  The cashier’s name was Merlin.  Merlin tells Artie that he is really the real Merlin.  He also tells Artie that Artie is the real King Arthur.  Merlin shows Artie and his sister, Kay, this place called the Otherworld where dragons and wizards really exist.  Artie and his sister want Merlin to come with them to the Otherworld to get Excalibur, but Merlin says he is trapped in the Invisible Tower.  Artie and Kay, along with their supervisor, Mr. Thumb, take on the quest to free Merlin from the Invisible Tower.  On their journey they meet new companions and enemies.

Can they free Merlin?

            The Invisible Tower, by Nils Johnson-Shelton, was a great book.  It had lots of action and adventure.  My favorite part of the book was when Artie and Kay were fighting the giant boar, Twrch Trwyth.  I liked it because, no matter how many times they cut his limbs off with their swords, the boar’s limbs kept growing back and they kept fighting.  They had a lot of perseverance in that battle.  My favorite character was Artie because of how bold and courageous he was.  I can’t wait to find out what happens in the next book.  I recommend this book to fans of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.

I give The Invisible Tower 5 MONSTERS.

Watch the Trailer here:
http://bcove.me/lm9aat66


I got The Invisible Tower from my favorite bookstore, Little Shop of Stories.
You can find The Invisible Tower at your favorite bookstore or at your school or local library.

Dreaming of Books Giveaway Hop

It is time to snuggle up with a GREAT book!

We have picked The Unwanteds signed by the author Lisa McMann to be our giveaway book.  To enter to win please become a public follower  of our blog (that's so we can see you), then leave a comment on Marsh's Review of The Unwanteds. Make sure you leave us your email address in your comment so we can let you know if you are the winner.  The Winner will be announced here on January 2oth.  We are so happy you are here.

Sleep Tight,

Marsh & Emiline

There are lots of other blogs participating in the Dreaming of Books Hop, please make sure to visit I Am A Reader, Not A Writer to see the list.

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Marsh's Report on The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner

Maze Runner #1

By James Dashner

Book Report by Marsh

            Thomas arrives in a place called the Glade.  He doesn't remember anything except his first name.  The people in the Glade have one thing that they need to do, escape the Maze.  In the Glade there are people called the Runners that map the parts of the Maze trying to figure out patterns.  A girl arrives a day after Thomas.  This is extremely rare because there are no girls in the Glade and people arrive years apart.  The girl is in a coma.  She triggers something called the Ending while she sleeps. The sky is always gray and the Maze doors stay open so the Grievers come out into the Glade.  The Grievers are metal snail hybrid things.  When the girl wakes up from her coma she tries to help Thomas find the code to escape the Maze. 

            Can they escape the Maze?  Find out in The Maze Runner by James Dashner.

            I loved The Maze Runner.  It was a great book.  I liked how it had action and adventure.  I also liked how brave and smart Thomas was, that is why he was my favorite character.  I would not have considered any changes to the plot.  I recommend this book to people that like action and adventure.

I give The Maze Runner 5 MONSTERS

One of my friends loaned me this book, but you can find The Maze Runner by James Dashner at you favorite Indie Bookstore or your school or local library.

To find out more about the Maze Runner series and James Dashner, please visit this website:

http://www.jamesdashner.com/
And Random House has a cool site too:
http://www.randomhouse.com/teens/mazerunner/books.php

Our Book Reviews on Tales of a Sixth- Grade Muppet

Tales of a Sixth-Grade Muppet

By Kirk Scroggs

Book Report by Emiline

            Tales of a Sixth Grade Muppet was one of my favorites because I love the Muppets.  Animal is my favorite Muppet because he is crazy good on the drums.  Speaking of Animal, he wasn’t in Tales of a Sixth Grade Muppet that much.  It really bummed me out.  But the book really isn’t about me so I guess I have no room to talk because Danvers, the main character from the book, has his own favorite Muppet—The Great Gonzo. Danvers is the biggest Gonzo fan you could ever imagine.

 One night, Danvers is dreaming about how great Gonzo is and then a green flash suddenly appears.  Kermit is there, so is Scooter and all the other Muppets.  When Danvers wakes up from his dream he realizes he’s an orange Muppet with mop-like hair.  He goes to a special school just for Muppets where he meets Bunson Honeydew.  Dr. Honeydew thinks he has a cure.  Will Danvers turn back into a boy?  Find out in Tales of a Sixth Grade Muppet.

   

I liked this book because the Muppets are my favorite TV show.  They entertain me.  They do crazy stunts and they admit The Muppet Show is a show—or if they are doing a movie, they admit it is a movie.  I don’t like people faking it and thinking they are not in a show.  The Muppets don’t do that.  They even do a theme song that says, “It’s time to meet the Muppets on the Muppet Show Tonight.”  Keyword: show.    They also don’t fake like they’re not in a book in the book.  (But I don’t really mind if people fake it in books.)

            My favorite part of Tales of a Sixth Grade Muppet was when Danvers met Gonzo doing a crazy toothpaste commercial.  That really sent a funny vibe to my head.  I hope you like this book, too.

I give Tales of a Sixth-Grade Muppet 5 Monsters!

Tales of a Sixth-Grade Muppet

By Kirk Scroggs

Book Report by Marsh

            One day Danvers woke up. There was a green flash.  Suddenly . . . He was a Muppet.   He went to Dr. Honeydew’s lab in Eagle Talon Academy.  He wanted to see if there was a cure.  They said they would try to do what they could to find a cure.  As he was walking down the hall he noticed a sign for an after school internship with the Muppets.  To get this internship he would have to write a 2 page essay on his favorite Muppet. For a second Danvers was stunned because he wanted to be Gonzo’s assistant  (Gonzo was his idol). He thought he could just reuse an old essay he did for class. Then he noticed that it was due 2 days ago.  He was devastated. But fortunately his evil sister, Chloe, wrote a letter to the Muppets trying to get him in, but it had a catch—she got to put up all her posters in place of his gonzo posters. Kermit sent Danvers a letter…Danvers was the new assistant to Gonzo!

            Find out the rest in Tales of a Sixth-Grade Muppet.

            I thought this was a great book.  It had lots of humor and action.  My favorite part was when they were driving through the pothole.  It was funny because Animal was screaming and yelling pothole repeatedly.  My favorite character was Animal because of how he always yells things when gets excited.

 I give this book 5 monsters because of how humorous and funny it was.

You can find out more about this book and the Author at Kirk Scroggs website:

http://kirkscroggs.com/

To find the book check out IndieBound to see if your favorite bookstore has it or visit your school or local library.

http://www.indiebound.org/

Marsh Reviews Lois Lowry's The Giver

    My Book Report on The Giver:

     Jonas lives in a society where everything is on a schedule and every age group gets the same thing at the same time.  He is very excited about The Ceremony of Twelve.  The Ceremony of Twelve is where you get assigned a job.

            

     Jonas gets assigned to the Giver.  The Giver teaches him the true pain and wonders of life.  Jonas has never experienced true pain because his society keeps him safe from virtually everything.  Through these experiences, Jonas finds out some horrendous things about his society.  This will lead him toward one big decision. . .

           

     I knew nothing about The Giver until I was assigned to read it for school.  I thought I would hate it, but it turned out to be great.  I thought it was a bit disturbing and sad.  It was sad because the people didn't get to experience all of the fun things in life.  They are restricted to one area for their entire lives.

            

My Response to The Giver:

     The Giver made me feel depressed.  It made me feel that way because the society kills the smaller one of the twins.  Also, in Jonas’ society everyone is technically the same because they are all given the same things at the same age.  The people in their society do not get to make any of their own choices. 

     The Giver also made me eager to see what job Jonas would get assigned to during The Ceremony of Twelve.  During The Ceremony of Twelve you are assigned to a job when you turn twelve, but you don’t get to pick you job; the elders in the society pick for you by monitoring everything you do for your entire life.  

I give The Giver by Lois Lowry FOUR MONSTERS.

Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop

CONGRATULATIONS TO ODYSSEY! 

 You are the winner of the autographed Jeff Kinney Books.

I really thought your comment was cute.

Emiline

Do you already have Cabin Fever?  We do!  We got to have a SNOW DAY with Jeff Kinney in Decatur and we picked up some special books autographed by Jeff Kinney for our followers.

To win these books for our Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop the rules are simple:

1. Become a follower (public so we can see you).

2.  Leave a comment telling us what book you love.

3.  Leave your email address so we can let you know if you've won.

We will giveaway BOTH books to one lucky follower.

There are TONS of other blogs participating in this Hop- make sure you visit them all.  Go to I Am A Reader, Not A Writer to find out more.

http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/

Our Book Reports on Darth Paper Strikes Back by Tom Angleberger

Emiline's Report on Darth Paper Strikes Back

   We are back with Origami Yoda in his new book, Darth Paper Strikes Back.  In this book Harvey makes an origami Darth Vader so Darth Paper and Origami Yoda can fight with paper lightsabers and so Darth Paper can prove that Origami Yoda couldn't really tell the future. 

     

     One day, a really popular girl comes to Origami Yoda for advice, but he he said something that kind of scared her.  Well, Harvey found a way so she would complain to the principal about it just because he wanted Dwight (Origami Yoda's creator) to get kicked out of school.  As you can see, Harvey doesn't really like Dwight.  What will Dwight's future be?  Find out in Darth Paper Strikes Back.

     I was really excited that Darth Vader was in this one, and I'm not just saying that because I had a crush on Darth Vader when I was a little kid. So far this is my favorite book in this series because of the action and Darth Vader.  Maybe I still have a little crush.

I give this book 5 MONSTERS!!

Marsh's Report on Darth Paper Strikes Back:

     Origami Yoda is back, but now he has an enemy.  Harvey, Dwight's enemy has made an origami Darth Vader.  Origami Yoda gave one girl bad advice and she took it as a threat, so she told the principal and Dwight, the owner and maker of Origami Yoda, got expelled.  So now Tommy is making a new case file to present to the school board in hopes of getting his friend back, but Harvey writes a counter argument.  Can Tommy get Dwight back in school?

     I really like this book.  I was sad that Dwight wasn't in this book as much as he was in The Strange Case of Origami Yoda.  The book was surprising at  times (I can't tell you why because this is a non-spoiler review).   I really can't wait until the third book comes out.  I hope it's Luke Skywalker!

Overall I give this book 5 out of 5 monsters!

You can find out more about the author, Tom Angleberger and see some awesome Origami Star Wars creations & directions for making Origami Yoda and Darth Paper at-  http://origamiyoda.wordpress.com/

We found this book at our school's Scholastic Bookfair, but you can find it at your school or public library, or find it at an independent bookstore at http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781419700279.

      

     

Our Interview with the Marvelous Jackson Pearce!

We went to the Decatur Book Festival and we interviewed Jackson Pearce.  Jackson Pearce is an author.  She writes young adult books.  We haven't read her books, but we thought she would be great to interview.  We do watch her YouTube videos (she is really funny-- we like the book pirate video best of all) and we added As You Wish to our growing to-read pile.   Her other books, Sisters Red and Sweetly, are based on Fairy Tales, and since we are kids we know a lot about Fairy Tales! We think authors are the best and it's always fun to learn about authors.  Without further adieu here is the interview...

Oh wait!  There's also a giveaway.  We have one autographed copy of Sisters Red by the marvelous Jackson Pearce!

Here are the rules:
1.  Become a follower if you aren't already one;
2.  Leave a comment on this interview-
     include your email address and tell us your favorite fairy tale!
3. You need a US address, because we are kids and don't have loads of cash for shipping.
4. Contest ends at Midnight on Sunday, September 25th.